Month: September 2015 (Page 9 of 10)

Hey! As you may or may not know, my name is Irene. I was born and raised in New York. Throughout my life I have bounced back and forth from the boroughs of Queens and Staten Island. I attended to school in Queens from grades PreK-K, 3-5, and in Staten Island from grades 1-3, 8-12. In a few days I’m officially moving back to Queens.

This may be just my personal thoughts, but it feels like people often mistake me as being Korean. I don’t find much offense to that because I enjoy and find Korean culture to be amusing. But, I am a Chinese-American. I can fluently speak 2 languages, English and Mandarin. As a child I was sent back to China and lived with my grandparents until the age of 3. Although I don’t remember much at that age, I believe that is where the origin of my Chinese comes from. I have a brother who is 5 years younger than me, and unlike me he is horrible at Chinese.

I like to play sports, but I never pursue it. In my life I have played many different types of sports such as volleyball, pingpong, tennis, handball,…etc. I can’t swim despite my somewhat athletic abilities. When I was in 5th grade my parents sent me to take swim lessons and on my final exam I managed to get a passing grade despite my inability to float and swim more than 5feet away. I do not have a certain genre of music that I prefer, I pretty much listen to everything. As I child I wanted to play the piano more than anything else,I know, what a typical asian right, but soon came to realize that I was not a musical person. I dreaded the hours of practice, sitting, playing chords, so eventually I quit. I may not like to play the piano but I do enjoy the melody that it creates.

I love dogs. I can’t pick a favorite but my top favorite breeds would probably be shiba inu, corgi, pug, and husky. Right now every time I ask my parents if we could get a dog they tell me that I can get one when I move out. So, when I get my own apartment I hope to adopt dogs from shelters as well as foster dogs. I feel that even though I may not be able to get a certain breed that I want, adopting is something that I would like to do rather than buying one. Also just because I am a dog person does not mean that I don’t like cats!

I’m really looking forward to having an amazing college experience! I hope I get to know you all better and utilize all the opportunities that are given to me.

Hi everyone, I’m John!

I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades. In high school, I was the president of my graduating class, captain of my cross country, winter track, and spring track teams, Chief Squire of the Columbian Squires, and head sacristan at my church. Some of my favorite memories include breaking the school record in the weight throw during winter track, playing at Carnegie Hall twice with my wind ensemble, and giving a speech during graduation.

I have a couple of hobbies in which I tend to be a bit obsessive. My favorite sport is tennis and I plan on trying out for the team at Baruch. I’ve gone to the US Open a couple of times and my favorite player of all time is Roger Federer. My other hobby (more of a guilty pleasure) is reality TV; I absolutely love it, especially competition and strategy based games. Whenever the new season of Survivor or Big Brother begins, you can find me desperately searching for someone who wants to discuss the previously aired episode.

I am super excited for the next four years and to get to know you all better! The Macaulay Honors College is such a prestigious program and I feel so humbled to join such a diverse and awesome community. This is the just the beginning of a wonderful journey. 🙂

I am from a town about an hour outside of Manhattan, in Bedford NY, and I’ve always been in awe of the life in the city. I love its excitement and rush and for the longest time I have made it my goal to move here one day… Imagine how lucky I feel now! I am ready to take advantage of anything and everything that NYC has to offer, and I couldn’t have thought of a better place for me to spend my next four years. It is filled with vast opportunity and experience and it is a great learning environment in itself.

I have a variety of interests, some of which include nutrition, fashion, animal rights, and the ins and outs of business – all fields in which I would like to participate somehow in order to help me figure out my path for the future. So for right now, I am undecided on my major, and I’m open to anything. One thing, though, that I am absolutely sure of that I would like to do throughout my life is travel. I never want to stop exploring.

I have been to many states across the United States but am hoping to drive cross country in the near future. National parks in particular really intrigue me, and I am planning on seeing Yosemite or Bryce [not] soon enough. Outside of the US, I have been to Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, St. Maarten, Spain, and Greece. The list is to be continued…

Fun fact:  A hobby I hope to take up more seriously soon, especially now that I’m in NYC, is photography. I think its a perfect place to start, and, why not! I would love as well to keep a blog or record of the places I visit (even if only for my own personal enjoyment).

I look forward to this class and a world of learning ahead!

Here’s some insight as to why I love traveling:

(The top of a stadium in Greece)

Hey everyone, my name is Chris Angelidis and I am from Great Neck and I’m Greek. Most people assume I worship the ancient gods when they hear my ethnicity and to that I respond: I wasn’t actually born. Instead I was found on the top of Mount Olympus as a baby, destined for greatness.

As I’m sure is the case with everyone else in this class, I’m a pretty multitalented person. In highschool I swam, ran, pole vaulted, played basketball, and fenced. Sports were great and all, but my main passion is music. I’ve been playing an instrument for 11 years now. I started playing the recorder in third grade with everyone else in my class and then picked up the oboe in fourth grade. To be honest I wanted to learn the saxophone, but so did everyone else in my grade. So instead of learning to play the trending Pink Panther theme song, I was stuck learning how to play hot crossed buns. I hated it at first. The messages behind the notes of classical music were so distant from me at the time that practicing just felt like a chore. My parents made me keep playing the oboe for a couple of years until I realized I actually enjoyed the instrument. Having matured a little bit I found that playing any composition was a journey through the notes. I joined an orchestra run by Yo-Yo Ma’s sister and performed a ton of pieces by Dvorak, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms. I played traditional concerts in Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, ballet pits, musical pits and  even an opera pit for a world renowned tenor Placido Domingo. Despite all of these great opportunities, I felt I wasn’t experiencing all that music had to offer and so I began to search for more.

I decided to dive into modern music when I picked up my first guitar in eighth grade. I didn’t really know what I was doing since 6 strings are a lot different from the keys of a woodwind instrument. After watching youtube relentlessly for a couple of weeks, I picked up how to play chords and began playing some songs with friends. They’d usually sing and I’d accompany them. I settled for this basic level of guitar playing for about a year until I put the guitar down to learn the mandolin. Mumford and Sons had inspired me and so I learned a lot of their songs. After about a year of playing mandolin, I switched back to the acoustic guitar and began to learn more difficult songs. I decided to buy an electric guitar during the summer of my Junior year and formed a band called Lost by the Lighthouse (you can find us on facebook) with my two closest friends. The more we practiced together, the more serious I got about playing guitar. During my senior year I played guitar for my schools productions of Highschool Musical and Rent with the drummer who played in the actual broadway performance of it. Nowadays, I like to record my own songs in garage band and play as much music as I can. Any song requests?

Hm. I wonder how I should start my introduction for my introduction post. Well that’s a way to start it I suppose. You’re either reading this either because you’re a teacher and you have to or because you are interested in knowing more about me. Either way, I’ll try my best to not put you to sleep.

As you can probably tell, I’m a very humorous person. I like to take on life with a sense of humor. Because after all, why should life be taken so seriously? Sure there may be time in your life when you need to be serious, but if you take everything so seriously you might drive yourself insane. I know, because I used to take everything people say and do to heart. Actually, let me reword that, I only take criticisms to heart. I appreciate compliments though! However, as I grew older, I came to a realization that what people say about you really doesn’t matter. Just because someone says I’m dumb doesn’t make me dumb. Just like if someone said you were good looking doesn’t make you good looking. Humans aren’t that magical yet. I wish they were though. Then I wish for a brain as big as Bill Gate’s. If only…

Anyways onto a more serious note, I love basketball, bowling, hanging out with people. And sometimes, I even enjoy work. I’m not just saying that because I want a high grade in this class, even though I would not turn down such a offer. But I’m saying it because I truly feel that work is a very important aspect of life. Sure, sitting in front of the computer and playing Runescape or Mario Kart may be fun, but they don’t fulfill my life, not that I’ve played Runescape before…  I haven’t… Really… Working gives a chance of fulfillment when I accomplish a task just like feeling you get when you finally understand a math problem. Yes, that feeling. That feeling when you brain finally clicks and solves the puzzle. That feeling of joy and a sense of self esteem. That, is what makes work enjoying.

Thanks for reading!

I was born in Hong Kong but my parents are from Fuzhou. I can speak Cantonese, Mandarin and a tiny bit of Fujianese. I can also read Chinese but can’t write in Chinese. My family moved to Montana when I was six years old. I lived there for about nine years then moved here to Brooklyn during the middle of Freshmen year.

I have an older sister named Tan Lui and I love her. When I was little I asked her if we could get married so we will never ever separate. Her response was a grunt plus a disgusted look. A lot of people mistaken us for twins but she is three years older than me. I am more book smart while she has more common sense. She is more adventurous while I am a scardy cat. I really can’t imagine life without her.

Recently my pastimes are coloring, reading, and watching Youtube videos.

There is an adult coloring book, Secret Garden by Johanna Basford, that I like to carry around and color in when I have time. Since I can’t draw this is the most artistic thing I do.

I used to read all the time before I got a laptop. I won a bike in elementary school because I read a lot of books. This summer I decided to begin reading again. My favorite book at the moment is Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Alborn.

I like watching Youtube videos because they are short, but somehow I usually end up wasting a whole day watching them. Some of my favorite channels are the JKfilms/JKnews/JKparty, Buzzfeed, and Clothesencounters.

My goal for college is stepping out of my comfort zone, meeting more people, and expanding my horizon.

I have many hobbies – reading, writing, hanging out with friends, and listening and playing music. But the thing I’m most passionate about is Disney World.

I know, many people would say to me, “Disney World? That’s for little kids” But did you know that everyone has his or her own Disney age? Just add the two digits of your actual age. So technically, we are all little kids.

And, Disney is for people of ALL ages.

The endless surprises waiting around the corner, the random acts of kindness that happen for a little kid or maybe an adult, or the amazing secrets one can find at Disney World amazes me and everyone else in the park every time we go to Disney – the most magical place on Earth.

I am always giddy with excitement when I see everyone else in their awesome Disney attire and wearing their Mickey ears as I walk through the parks.

Almost every other year, my family plans to go down to Orlando, Florida to go to all the parks at Disney World. It’s something I look forward to. I may not be the most organized and put together at school, but when it comes to Disney, I plan everything. Before the trip, I create a second by second schedule, planning when we go to which amusement ride, where and when to eat, and when to go the bathroom. (Yeah, I get a little bit crazy).

I search the quickest and easiest way to get to each ride, when is the best time to go on each ride, how to avoid the crowds, etc. Sometimes, it drives my family crazy when I dictate where to go. But, even they have to admit, it’s very efficient.

So from 8:00 in the early morning we go through the whole day of fun until we watch all of the fireworks at night. It’s truly a magical sight to behold.  And Disney World is where I’m the most happiest.

On one hand I feel like I do not have much to say about myself, but on the other hand I feel like I can talk about myself for hours. Lets start at the very beginning…

I was born in New York City on November 5 of 1997 and a few months after I was born I was sent back to China to be raised by my grandparents. I lived in China in  the Fu Zhou province until I was approximately four or five years old. Thereafter, I returned to New York to start my education. Below is a picture of a night market near where my grandparents lived, where I often went to play at night with my cousins. 

Around the third grade, my parents decided to move to Clarksville, TN for business and we relocated there for about three years, before moving back to NYC again. Living in the south was really different compared to living in New York City, since everything was more spaced out and not within walking distance. Although I enjoyed my time in Clarksville, I think I’m more of a city person.

Before returning NYC, my family took a vacation back to China and it was my first trip back to China. During this trip I was reintroduced to my cousins and grandparents and it was one of the best vacations I ever had filled with excitement and adventure. Because of this trip I discovered my love for traveling and thus decided to major in international business in college. Since my first trip back I have only had one other trip back, but I definitely will make many more trips back. I am also really into listening to korean pop, watching korean variety shows and Thai soap operas, and reading manga which is why I also really want to go to Korea, Japan, and Thailand. I have no idea how I acquired these hobbies, but I’m really glad I did even though some may seem really out of place.

In addition to traveling I also enjoy working out and playing sports. I enjoy every sport that uses either a racket or paddle such as: tennis, ping pong, and badminton. I may not excel in these sports, but I have fun engaging in different sports. I also like playing volleyball and basketball. I’m always looking for people to play sports and workout with.

Some people have also told me that I look really mean and unapproachable when I’m alone or when I’m listening to music, but I’m a pretty kind person and I don’t bite so please do not be afraid to talk to me! Lastly, I just want to tell you that I love food and two of my favorite things to eat are brownies and french fries!!!

Hey, I’m Brandon Green, I’m from Shoreham, NY and Macaulay was my first choice when I was picking a college. I will be majoring in finance and have a specific interest in Investment Banking. I first decided that I wanted to go into finance when I took a class on Wall St. during my freshman year of high school. Our class was able to visit the NYSE and from that day on, I knew I had to work with the markets somehow. If everything goes well here, I’d like to intern for Goldman Sachs as an analyst and have a job lined up there by the time I graduate.

I have quite a few passions, they include cars, drumming, rock music, and of course, world markets. I started drumming in fifth grade and took lessons until I moved into the dorms two weeks ago. I enjoy all music as long as it has an interesting percussion part, but tend to lean toward rock and heavy metal. Some of my favorite bands include Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, Stone Sour, Atreyu, Machine Head, Linkin Park, and Nonpoint. One of my favorite things to do is to drive my car with both windows open, my left arm on the door, and blast music as loud as I can bear. I find this to be incredibly relaxing, it makes me forget about all of my troubles and feel at peace with myself and the world around me. As you all know by now, I have a 2009 Inferno Red Dodge Challenger Rt. I’m one of those guys that takes pictures of his car as he walks away from it, sometimes I can’t help it! A huge draw into the world of Investment Banking for me was that I would be able to make enough money to be able to satisfy my car hobby as it is quite an expensive one.

I am very excited to see where the next few years take me and can’t wait to get started!