Hi, I’m Sara Louie.  I’m a New York City native and have lived in both the Upper West Side and Spanish Harlem for all of my life.  Though centralized in upper Manhattan, I love hanging out in different neighborhoods and boroughs tasting the food and attending the awesome events and concerts (often free) that only are available in NYC.  No matter what you like there will be something for you (including Science! I went to a stargazing event for my last birthday hosted by World Science Fair.)– and since I like a lot of things, I’m never bored.  I am passionate about photography and service.  I’m not too picky about where I will one day work, but I hope it’s at a magazine or non-profit…or both.  I also love the world of entertainment and hope to spend some time working within it.  So far, I’ve been doing some social media work for NYC based artists.

I’ve discovered a love of traveling and recently studied abroad in Costa Rica studying Spanish and Sustainable Development.  I stayed with a host mom who cooked the most amazing food and told me all about the culture.  I got to travel into the mountains to zipline, stay in a small community, stay in a National Park, and talk to the head researcher in the country.  I think that a lot of the time in American classrooms, there’s a disconnect between what we’re learning in the classroom and relations in the outside world.  Studying abroad in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic this past January on a course on the Challenge of Global Health and The Future of Water have both really opened my eyes to the possibilities and relations between science, business, and international interactions from in the classroom to the real world.  As a student brought up on a lot of technical maths and sciences, I never really have understood the world from a socioeconomic perspective.  I learned so much about my interests, self capability, and other cultures through these opportunities and I hope everyone takes advantage of the opportunities fund.  I know everyone says going abroad changes lives, but it’s really true — just choose the right program for you.

I’ve always been a STEM kid going to a science and tech focalized middle school and The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering.  I loved math (thanks to my dad’s influence), then science, and then engineering.  Today, I’ve seen that my passion in STEM really spreads out into the social sciences and design (which made me decide to leave the rigid academic world of engineering).  I was an engineering-architecture major in HS, which really has influenced the scope of my interests.  I’m highly interested in environmental sustainability especially in day-to-day life and in the home.  Leaving environmental engineering, I’ve planned to create a major in Sustainable Development, but I also hope to minor in photography and maybe psychology/business/media.  It’s kind of all up in the air, but this semester I’ve taken on a lot of different classes and extra curriculars that will hopefully help me decide.

Hello world of this classroom 🙂 My name is Kassandra Mendoza. I was born in Mexico and moved to the United States when I was 4 years old. I grew up in Suffern, NY which most people I have talked to in the city don’t know much about. (No it is not upstate, I promise you. It is only 50 minutes away from the city.) For now it is my home and after spending hectic days in the city, it is nice to go to what has been/is my corner of the world and just relax. I think growing up in the suburbs has made me fascinated with how big the world is and how much of it there is to explore. One day I hope to travel everywhere and see as many of the ever changing places in the world that I can.

Most people in this class have their majors figured out and know exactly what they want to do with their lives, but I am undecided. I mean after being on this planet for 19 years and being told that I had to pick something to do for most of my life, I decided that I would take my time and figure out what I truly enjoy to do. I think that has worked out for me because I have kept myself open to different possibilities and have taken classes from all over the spectrum. I am of the mentality that yes, you need enough money to have a home, food, clothes and so on, but you also have to be proud of and happy with the work that you do. I am trying to find the balance with both factors and I think it will be both a challenging and exciting journey, but it’s one that I am gladly taking on.

In my down time I like to do all sorts of things. Reading is wonderful and all sorts of books and articles have been able to pique my interest. I also enjoy listening to music quite a lot. I think theatre is also great and I try to make Broadway shows whenever I can. I like exploring and taking pictures of the places I end up. I also love writing. I can spend too many hours on Tumblr and Youtube and should probably be checked into a support group for this. I also binge watch too many things on Netflix. I love to spend time with my family and friends. I feel that when I grow up, because I still feel like I’m 12 and not basically an adult, I’ll be happy, in a beautiful spot on the world with a glass of wine and a puppy. I mean to me that sounds like living the dream.

My name is Jasmine Boone. I am a sophomore in the Macaulay Honors College at CUNY the City College of New York. MY major is economics with a minor in math and a focus in finance. Originally, upon entering my college career, I was a Chemical Engineering major. I quickly discovered that, just because I was good in science and could comprehend, and retain the information in my science classes, I did not enjoy science. After this realization, my carefully planned out life plan to become a chemical engineer fell apart and I was thrusted into a state of confusion and for the first time in my life I had no plan for the future. I could not picture my future. I had no ten-year plan. I did not even have a next semester plan. Deciding that I did not want to pursue a career in a science field was one of the scariest realizations I had experienced at the time. The image of who I was had suddenly become warped. Thankfully, my love of math and interpreting information lead me to my current major. I credit my ability to pass a test in almost all science classes is my abnormal appreciation for given formulas and knowledge based on trends.

In summary, my relationship with science is one of mutual respect. I respect science as an important and necessary field. Science respects me by letting me walk away with no pressure to return. Science is a great field and it the world needs as many passionate and capable students as possible, but I do not fall under this category. I appreciate the work done by scientist and their efforts to comprehend the world around us and improve the quality of life for everyone. However, I found my love and passion in numbers, not in science. 

My name is Josh Kemp, and I’m sadly aware I have one of the most boring and common first names of our generation.

I’m an International Studies major, with a concentration in International Affairs–minors in Asian Studies and French.  I’m taking Mandarin and plan on spending the fall semester studying abroad in Nanjing next year.  I’d love to end up working for the government–maybe the State Department or the DIA–or an an international non-profit/NGO.   Answering the “where I’m from” question is a bit more difficult for me than it should be, as I’m a Navy brat; I’m essentially from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.  I’ve never lived somewhere for more than 2-3 years, and went to three high schools: one in North Caroline, one in Virginia, and one in Stuttgart, Germany.  I’m actually French and not German, but graduated from the German high school.

I live in an apartment on 142nd and Broadway, about 5 minutes from the school, and love it.  PSA: If you’re at the Towers, make plans to get an apartment as soon as possible–I promise you it’s worth it.  I spend a lot of my time outside of school working at the Fairway Steakhouse on 74th as a server.  Other than that, I thoroughly enjoy hanging out with friends, binging Netflix, and playing on the Macaulay Marauders Quidditch Team on the weekends.  I haven’t played with them so far this year as I’ve been recovering from a collarbone surgery after breaking for the second time it playing Quidditch (yes, it’s a full-contact, co-ed sport that you should definitely check out if you’re athletic at all and aren’t afraid to get physical).  Other than that, I love snow-boarding, traveling, eating good food, and watching horror movies.

Hey Guys,

My name is Damien. I was born in California but soon moved out to Long Island where I was raised. I am currently majoring in Computer Science hoping to one day to control all the computers that are going to soon control all of your lives. I love all things science except for biology, which I find immensely boring, and that seems to be a lot of this class, maybe the seminar will peek my interest.

Outside of school I’m a huge thrill seeker. I’ve been skydiving, scuba diving, skiing, snowboarding, cliff jumping, and many other activities that get my blood pumping. I’m also a huge runner. I ran all throughout high school for my team and am hoping to join the CCNY team this year. I also have a love for film. I originally came into the school as a film major but swiftly changed because I much rather it be a hobby than a profession.

That’s really all I can think of right now. Hopefully it turns out to be a great semester, I’m looking forward to what this class has to offer.

Hi! My name is Joyce Louie and I am a Biomedical Engineering major.  I originally came in with a Biology major, but decided to switch to engineering last minute. In high school, I was in the Gateway to Medicine program, which put me into a lot of science classes and did not give me a lot of exposure to any subjects that were not science related. I felt that Biomedical Engineering would allow me to slightly explore outside of just straight science, without drifting too far from a Biology-centered major. I’ve always had a general interest in science, particularly anything that has to do with animals, but I am not particularly passionate about one specific topic. I like them all!

I live in Brooklyn and am a commuter, so 4-hour subway rides roundtrip make up a large chunk of my day. Other than that, I enjoy cooking, eating, watching Youtube videos and listening to music. I’m a fan of Korean-Pop music and Nicholas Sparks books.

I look forward to having a great semester with everyone!

Hello All!

My name is Lisa Maldonado and I am currently a Computer Engineering student. While I was born in the United States I have a surprisingly mixed background. My father is Venezuelan and French and my mother is Indian and Guyanese (and several other things), which makes for a very bizarre mishmash of cultures influencing my life. Many of my friends consider me to be awfully random and an enigma at times and I feel I can attribute that to all the different cultures and ideas I have lived in, experienced and seen.

Though it may sound silly or even cliche, I aspire to be a game developer who creates games that inspire and surprise those who play them. In fact, for the past few months I have been working on a small, “just for fun” video game with a few really wonderful and supportive friends. While our ideas are terribly farfetched and ridiculous, working on this random project has been wonderfully hectic, fascinatingly stressful and all-in-all a really great experience. I have always had very deep and passionate love of computer science. It is a love so deep that I do not even mind loosing sleep working on a program, playing around with the inner bits of computers and laptops, troubleshooting random computer issues (this is always really fun), or reading about botnets, game theory and even cybercrime and its effects on the economy.

Outside of my career aspirations and besides schoolwork I enjoy a wide spectrum of activities. One of my most favorite things to do on my downtime is sewing. No, I am not a grandmother. I cannot help it that I enjoy a hobby that is commonly associated with grandmothers and older generations. When you get down to the nitty-gritty of sewing it is really fun to measure out patterns, pick out materials and just make something new. I also really enjoy painting sceneries that pique my interest, choreographing experimental dances, and exploring cities and other places with friends.

Science and technology has played a very significant role in my life and has shaped much of who I am and what I am trying to accomplish today. I initially began my journey into science with an interest in Biology which makes it amusing that I am coming back to a biological perspective of science and technology with this class. While Biology is not my favorite cup of tea, I am thoroughly excited to learn more about the science and technology that shapes New York City. Some of my favorite scientists and mathematicians include: Nikola Tesla, Marie Curie, Alan Turing and Ada Lovelace.

Although I’m not much of a social butterfly I don’t bite, so don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation!

Hello everyone !

My name is Samantha Ong and I am an architecture student at the Spitzer School of Architecture. Originally, I’m from Staten Island, so City College is a long commute from home! Before discovering architecture, I was completely taken by physics and determined to pursue engineering. As you can probably tell, of all the sciences that I’ve ever taken, physics is my absolute favorite and the AP Physics C course I took in high school was absolutely life changing. For one, it reinforced my love of Physics, but influenced my decision to abandon engineering for architecture.

At the moment, I am trying to maintain my hobbies of drawing and photography in my spare time but otherwise I am very happy in my major despite the immense amount of work. Fortunately, it is work that allows me to put all of my “hobbies” and interests into good productive use.

For several hours of the week, I also work as a swim instructor and the occasional lifeguard, and one day, I hope to learn to sail.

Looking forward to making new friends and a revitalized interest in science in this class!

Hey, my name is Shawn Mathew. I am from Long Island. I have an interest in film. I am the head editor of Pied which is the new film making club at Macaulay. It takes a lot of time out of my days to edit some episodes, but I think that it is an enjoyable experience. I also enjoy physics and math. I find that they both come very easy to me, and don’t require a lot of memorization.I am hoping to do a minor in one of the two, but I’m not exactly sure which one I am going to go with yet.
As many know, I am a very picky person when it comes to food. I practically live off of poptarts and mozzarella sticks.
I am a Computer Science major, which means I try my best not to interact with humans.
goodbyE.

Hi everyone!

I’m Sari Weisenberg. As of right now, I’m an Electronic Design & Multimedia major, but I’m also considering a double major in either Studio Art or Art History. I was born and raised in Long Island. I’ve always been an artist but I have a lot of other interests! I’m a bit of a tea snob, I have a serious shoe problem, I hoard art books and supplies, and I like to go on really long walks with no particular destination. I listen to all different kinds of music, everything from The White Stripes to Drake– my taste doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I do read about art, mostly, but I’ve always enjoyed science. I believe that there’s more overlap between art and science than people think– I’m hoping to eventually go into art conservation and curation, and I think that at least a somewhat scientific mind can really be a wonderful thing for an artist.

I find myself to be a pretty silly and approachable person. We really couldn’t have anything serious without a lot of things being silly, if you think about it– it’s a codependency of opposites, a balance. As an artist, I like to take something silly and shape it into something more serious, to bend what we think we see. I don’t believe in visual limits; there’s always more to explore in art.

I think that same notion can and should apply to science. I started at CCNY as a Chemistry and Studio Art double major, and while that wasn’t for me, that doesn’t mean that my appreciation of science is gone. I’m excited for this course because I’m really interested in learning more about the impact that science has in the city! This is a different approach than any science class I was once used to, and I think that’ll be really fun.

*I am judging Lisa for her terrible joke and I will happily swim down whatever river I want. Please see her post for further information.

Hey all! I’m Lisa Guerrera, I hail from Long lsland, New York (exciting, I know) and I’m a Chemical Engineering major at the Grove School. I’m pretty excited about this particular Macaulay seminar because science, (specifically chemistry) has been my love since I was a child, thanks to my father. Although biology has never been my strong suit, more so physics and chemistry, I still find it incredibly interesting and look forward to expanding my knowledge. My science-themed idols are Nikola Tesla, Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Michio Kaku.

On my down time I enjoy browsing reddit, listening to rad tunes, making a mean grilled cheese, being pretentious about coffee, and making dad-jokes. While my friends may groan when I make a pun, I know that deep inside their hearts they love them and are just in denial, (not the river, heh.)* I love to read, draw and write poetry, my favorite poem is The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot. My dreams include taking a selfie with Michio Kaku while enrolled at this college, work for the SETI organization to help discover life on another planet, and maybe (just maybe) live on the moon.

*I am fully aware Sari is judging me for this joke. Please see her introduction post for further information.

Hey everyone!

My name is Ashley Kurian and I am currently a Psychology major and on the Pre-Med track. I was born and raised in New Rochelle, which is in Westchester and is definitely not upstate even though everyyone tries to tell me it is (it’s like 15-minutes from the Bronx). My interests include YouTubing, internet-ing, music and snacking.

I enjoy a lot of different areas of science. Social science and other information about humans is probably what I find the most interesting. I typically enjoy learning about Biology rather than sitting through a Chemistry class, but I do appreciate all of the scientific subjects and all of the work that has gone into finding out so much information about the world. I really do find it interesting how people have found out so much about everything around us, but there’s still even more stuff to be discovered.

I’m looking forward to learning more about science and its impact and explore how new scientific information is shared in the modern world and excited to discover more through this class.

Hi, guys.

I’m Zumana Miyfa, and I am currently a Biology and Psychology double major on the Pre-Med track, so I am definitely excited about this science-oriented Macaulay seminar! I was born in Bangladesh, but I immigrated to New York at such a young age I feel like I was basically born in America.

In my free time, I like to volunteer anywhere and everywhere I can lend a helping hand. I also work as a tutor for high school students because I enjoy teaching people new things. Hopefully, one day I will combine my passion for Biology, medicine, and teaching and also leave my mark in the world. Biology is an exceptionally important science to be aware of and study because it involves everything regarding nature and human beings, and I am interested in what I will learn from this seminar even though I am not great with technology.

Some of my other interests include watching horror films and binge watching shows on Netflix. Although I am quiet at first, I love meeting new people and I like to think I’m funny, so feel free to talk to me!

Hey there, my name is Claudia Donofrio. I was born in Manhattan, and lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for most of my life. I’m currently double majoring in Psychology and Literature. I’m particularly interested in Child Psychology and how moral reasoning develops in children. My others interests include reading, writing, watching classic films and playing guitar.

I have always enjoyed biology and physics, and am therefore relieved that this Science and Technology course incorporates biology and its implications in New York City. In addition to general information, I’m hoping we can also look into Biology and current events! I am looking forward to learning as much as I can from this course and will see everyone on Monday!

Hello! My name is Ziva Rubinstein and I’m a biomedical engineering major.

Growing up, I was always interested in neuroscience and neuropathology, and have focused more on the research aspect of it than the medical aspect. Previously, I worked in a neuropathology lab at SUNY Downstate, and I know am involved in a biochemistry lab in the City College Marshak building.

I am excited about taking this course because I want to learn about different research and opportunities happening in the city that are related to science and technology. I enjoy learning about other’s research and I hope to be able to experience as much of it as I can this semester.

Hello, good people of this class. My name is Yejoon Seo. I am currently a Chemical Engineer major at the Grove School. I was born in South Korea.. but now i’m in America.

I have a strong interest in Chemistry and Physics but Biology is.. simply not my favorite subject. Hopefully attending BioBlitz will change my feelings, but I doubt it. Regardless, though the sciences are my forte, I am also interested in dance, of all kinds. Recently, I haven’t been able to play around with the art, but I still like to think about it every now and then.

I am far from inapproachable. If the cheesy smile I have on in the photo does not speak much about my character, then I will directly say I am just as social as the other guy. With that said, I hope to learn a lot more about the sciences and other topics we will discuss in class.

A Brief Introduction:

I’m David Hadaller, a Chemical Engineering student at the Grove School. I come from Orange County, New York, although I was born in the Bronx. I’m kind of a book nerd; I enjoy reading on subjects as disparate as Classic American Literature, Nanotechnology, Ancient Civilization and current World Bank Group economic policies. Basically, I like to read on anything that has to do with the richness of human experience; from what we can create, to what we feel and how we relate to each other on a personal and institutional level.

I love to be creative, too. Growing up, I always put my imagination to paper, and although I don’t have as much time as I used to, I still love to break out the sketchpad and draw once in a while. I dabble a little in web design as well, although I now prefer using WordPress to actually hand-coding my web pages; here’s one of my sites, and here’s another.

Even though, as an engineer, science will be the mainstay of my career, I can’t honestly say how the scientific method really works. If you consult Plato and Aristotle, it shouldn’t; deductive logic dictates that inductive reasoning (the form of logic science is based upon) is faulty by nature, since it gives rise to the fallacy of “hasty generalizations.” So, with that said, I am very eager to learn about the science of science itself as we progress further into the course.