Bearcat Buzz – February 10, 2022

February 11-13: College Closed – No classes scheduled
February 15: Last day to apply for Winter/Spring 2022 graduation on CUNYfirst

Get your booster shot! Students enrolled in in-person or hybrid classes for Spring 2022 will be required to get the booster shot as soon as they are eligible for it. Learn more on how to upload booster documentation here.

• Booster Proof Uploading (All students taking in-person/hybrid course)
  • 3/1/22 for students to upload booster proof if they are eligible for the booster on January 28, 2022
  • 30 days after first eligible deadline for students if they are eligible for the booster after January 28, 2022

Get tested!  A reminder that we are offering free PCR testing at CUNY testing sites. Any student who needs to be tested for any reason may walk into a CUNY testing site, show their CUNY ID, register in the system and get tested. Results will be available as usual within 24 to 48 hours. For a list of CUNY sites and hours of operation, visit here. For our general FAQ on the testing program, visit here.

Stay up to date! CUNY will follow CDC’s recently issued guidance that adjusted the recommended quarantine and isolation times for people in close contact with someone who is positive or those who test positive.

One of our favorite times of the Spring semester is here! Student Government Intent to Run Registration will be available Friday, February 11, 2022. Additional information related to the Student Government Elections can be found on the Student Life website. If you have any questions, please email student.life@baruch.cuny.edu

Time to celebrate all you’ve achieved! Senior Portraits for the 2022 Lexicon Yearbook! Final Available Sessions!
When: Beginning Monday, January 31^st
Where: NVC 2-110 (Baruch College)

To schedule your appointment and find important updates please visit the Student Life website.

Baruch Residence Life presents: The Art of Headwear in the Black Community
Thursday, February 17 | 2:00 p.m.
Learn the significance of the fashion within the black community. We will bring attention to the importance of headwear and how it can transform a simple outfit into a show stopping ensemble. Take a walk down memory lane as we show you how headwear has transformed throughout the years in the black community.

The BHM committee presents: An Afro Beats workout
Friday, February 18 | 11:00 a.m.
Join us for a good workout as you move your hips and wine your waist to the latest Afro beats songs.

Paint & Sip: Black History Month edition
Friday, February 18 | 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Join us on Friday, February 18th as we put our painting skills to the test. Learn to paint a beautiful masterpiece with the guidance of a professional painter. RSVP by February 9th at Margaret.van-ess@baruch.cuny.edu in order to reserve your painting kit. Supplies are on a first come, first serve basis.

I See you Sis: A Conversation on Black Girl Wellness
Tuesday, February 22 | 12:30 p.m.
Join the conversation as we discuss steps towards taking care of our mental health while in the middle of a global pandemic. We will also have a roundtable discussion about the importance of hair care and how black women present themselves in a social space.

Black Male Initiative presents: Boys to Men. Growing Up in my Skin
Friday, February 25 | 3:00 p.m.
Join us for discussion and community for part a dialogue on masculinity for Black and Latinx men. Facilitated by Karanja Carrol, Gary Dillon, Andrew Lawton, Jael Henry, Jamel Hudson. In partnership with Black Male Initiative, Black and Latinx Studies, the Counseling Center, SEEK, and the Urban Male Leadership Academy. For more information, check out our blog: blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/boystomen. Please note that this is an affinity space for Black and Latinx men. The event will be in-person and dinner is included.

Our free immigration lawyer services are up and running. The Undergraduate Student Government and the Graduate Student Assembly provide current undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to speak with an immigration lawyer twice a semester.  Appointments can be scheduled for the Spring 2022 semester. Please make an appointment via our online form on the Student Life website.

Wednesdays 4:00-7:00 p.m.
February 9, February 23, March 9, March 23, April 6, April 27, May 4, May 11

The Allen G. and Mary E. Aaronson Student Center is open to all undergraduate students
Monday – Friday from 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The Aaronson Student Center is located in back of the Madison Square Post Office. The entrance is on East 24th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues, next to the AutoMotion garage.
Make sure to check it out!

Join the Baruch One Stop Shop LIVE via Zoom to get your personal questions answered such as Financial Aid, Courses necessary, TAP Compliance, tuition, and more!

Mondays and Wednesdays: 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

In response to the current environment, the Counseling Center offers free and confidential individual and group counseling and Support sessions:

Individual Counseling
Please visit the Counseling Center’s website or email Counseling@Baruch.cuny.edu.

Black Mental Health Matters (BMHM) Support Sessions for Baruch Students
Fridays: 2 p.m.- 3 p.m. via Zoom

Dear Black students,

In light of the recent events of racial violence and injustice towards Black, African American and African descendant communities, the Baruch College Counseling Center would like to remind you of and invite you to join Black Mental Health Matters. These support sessions aim to foster and support the growth, networking, collaboration, success, and well-being of Black Students. Past topics have included:

• Self-care during the pandemics (Covid-19 and Racism)  
• Being Black at Baruch  
• Intersecting Identities  
• BLM Movement and Advocacy  
• Power and privilege  
• Finding motivation  
• Coping with loss  
• Social distancing   
• Remote learning  
• Developing community  
• Power dynamics in and out of the classroom  
• Microaggressions  
• Food/Housing/financial insecurities

…and much more. If you are a Black student who is interested in finding a safe space to meet and talk with others who may have similar experiences, then these support sessions are for you. These support sessions are led by two Black Psychologists, Dr. Jael Amador and Dr. Gary Dillon, who work from a social justice and multicultural framework. We meet on Fridays at 2 pm.  

To participate in these support sessions, send an email to Dr. Jael Amador at Jail.Amador@baruch.cuny.edu from your Baruch student email account and we will send you the Zoom link.

In solidarity and support,
Drs. Amador & Dillon

Note: In a previous version of this post, it was brought to our attention that we used offensive language. Despite our intent, we acknowledge that our impact was hurtful. For that, we offer to you all our sincerest apologies and a commitment to continue to learn and grow as we continue our work. We have also corrected our communications on all platforms.

The Starr Career Development Center will be hosting the 6^th Annual Undergraduate Diversity Career Expo on Thursday February 22nd from 12:00-3:00 p.m. This award-winning program is a collaborative effort with SEEK, Success Network, BMI, UMLA and the Black History Month Planning Committee. This year’s featured speaker is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, Carla Harris, Morgan Stanley Vice Chair. Students will have an opportunity to join DEI Breakout Room Discussions led by campus recruiters from various organizations. DEI topics include diversity recruiting strategies, pipeline programs, employee resources groups, mentoring programs/support systems, and more). The program will conclude with a one-hour Networking Session. Baruch Undergrads: RSVP via Starr Search under Career Fairs & Expos.

Connecting with fellow students and building community is especially important during COVID times. This semester’s Conversation Partners Program is about to begin. All meetings and events will take place online this Spring semester. Are you interested in joining?

The Conversation Partners Program matches native and nonnative speakers of English for informal conversations. It is a great way for nonnative students to gain confidence in English, for native speakers to gain experience in communicating across language barriers, and for both native and nonnative speakers to expand their cultural knowledge, make friends, and build a network of professional contacts. To participate, you should commit to meeting your partner at least six times this semester for about an hour each. If you meet six times and fulfill a few other requirements (see CPP website), you will receive a certificate—a great way to enhance your resume. The CPP also offers fun events throughout the semester. To sign up, please click on “Application” and fill out the Application Form on the the Baruch Conversation Partners Website. The deadline for signing up is Wednesday, Feb. 20.

Welcome, Bearcats: Access to the ARC (Athletic & Recreation Complex)

The ARC is currently accessible to:

• Students enrolled in Physical Education classes
• Students who have rented a Paid Locker Rental and need to access their lockers
• Student-Athletes competing in the College’s NCAA Division III Programs

Otherwise, the ARC facilities are closed until further notice. Please stay tuned and visit BaruchAthletics.com for updates.

Men’s Basketball Wins 10th Straight Game! Defeat York (80-79).

Baruch Volleyball Tabbed 2022 CUNYAC Men’s Volleyball Preseason Favorites; Stallone Shankar Voted Preseason Player of the Year.

CUNYAC Announces Swimming All-Stars & Major Award Winners; Five Bearcats Win Major Awards!

Spectators are allowed at upcoming home basketball and volleyball contests (VC- ARC Arena B2 level).  Please see schedule below for information on when we play at home.

 Upcoming Athletics Schedule (As of February 8, Subject to Changes)

Saturday, February 12
Women’s Basketball at Lehman College 12:00 p.m.
Men’s Basketball at Lehman College 2:00 p.m.
Arcadia Classic (Glenside, Pa.)
Men’s Volleyball vs Alvernia 12:00 p.m.
Men’s Volleyball vs Eastern Mennonite 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, February 13
Arcadia Classic (Glenside, Pa.)
Men’s Volleyball vs California Lutheran University 12:00 p.m.
Men’s Volleyball vs Arcadia 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday, February 15
Women’s Basketball at John Jay College 6:00 p.m.
Men’s Basketball at John Jay College 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 17
Men’s Volleyball vs SUNY Purchase 7:00 p.m. (HOME)
Ticket & Protocol

The inaugural “Essence of Entrepreneurship” mural design competition is looking for the creative and innovative students of Baruch College to submit an art design that is to be painted on one of the center’s walls. The piece should foster the ongoing spirit of creativity and capture the essence of entrepreneurship in art form. For more information visit the Baruch website.

We are excited to announce that the 2022-2023 FAFSA is now available, at studentaid.gov. Don’t forget to obtain or retrieve your Federal Student Aid ID at fsaid.ed.gov to sign the 2022-2023 FAFSA electronically; If dependent, at least one of your parents will need one, too. Baruch’s Federal Code is 007273. The NYS TAP (NY residents only) code is 1409.

The Presidential Excellence Awards Committees seek nominations for the Presidential Excellence Awards for Distinguished Scholarship, Distinguished Teaching, and Distinguished Service. All full-time faculty members who are in their fourth year or beyond at Baruch, with the exception of Distinguished Professors and Distinguished Lecturers, are eligible for these awards. Adjunct members of the faculty who have taught for a minimum of six semesters at Baruch (i.e., in their seventh semester or beyond) are eligible for the Distinguished Teaching Award (Adjunct Faculty). Faculty who have received Presidential Awards are eligible for another award in the same category only after ten years have passed. Letters of nomination are welcome from any source within the Baruch community, including students, chairpersons, colleagues, staff members, deans, and departmental executive committees. Self-nominations will not be accepted.

• Scholarship Award
• Teaching Award
• Service Award

To nominate someone, click on Presidential Excellence Awards Nomination Form or email your nominations to  Vanessa.Cano@baruch.cuny.edu. The deadline for nominations is Thursday, February 17, 2022. Nominations will not be accepted after this date.

Established and maintained by grants from the Baruch College Fund, the Presidential Excellence Awards are given to faculty members to stimulate and reward outstanding achievement and to enhance the College as a center of excellence. The awards are made by the President, acting on the recommendation of the Awards Committees. The recipient receives an honorarium and a certificate, and the names of all recipients are inscribed on plaques that are prominently displayed on the 14^th floor of the Newman Vertical Campus.

• The Distinguished Scholarship Award
• The Distinguished Teaching Award (full-time faculty) and The Distinguished Teaching Award (adjunct faculty)
• The Distinguished Service Award

Submissions of materials for all three award categories will be accepted in electronic form only.

Questions? Please email any questions regarding the Presidential Excellence Awards to vanessa.cano@baruch.cuny.edu.

We welcome creative student art submissions to support a Virtual Teach-In Event on Supporting First Generation College Students, sponsored by the Provost’s Office and led by Dr. Anna D’Souza, the Provost Innovation Fellow on Inclusive Teaching and Associate Professor at the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. It will be held on February 18, 2022, 1:00-3:30 p.m. Submission Deadline: February 15, 2022. Upload your submissions and see the contest guidelines for this event.

This month, Carnegie Hall is kicking off a citywide festival on the theme of Afrofuturism. There are $10 student tickets available for many festival events, including performances by Flying Lotus, Nicole Mitchell and Angel Bat Dawid, Mwenso and the Shakes, and more. A full listing of all student discounts – including these Afrofuturism events – is available on our website. Students can sign up for our Student Insider program on our website – registration is fast and free! We also have a group sales team who would be happy to assist if there are any professors who would be interested in getting a group of students together to attend a performance.

Ready to change the world? Apply for the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, a full scholarship to study abroad with a cohort of student leaders from around the country. The Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship was founded to empower students of color with a transformative experience abroad, much like Frederick Douglass was inspired by his travels. All program fees are covered, as well as airfare. Brielle Smith, a Fellow from 2021, summarizes the program in this 45 second video.

This year’s cohort is once again co-sponsored by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to commemorate the 175^th anniversary of Douglass’s four-month journey around Ireland. You’ll be based in Dublin and visit other cities where Douglass campaigned, while meeting with government leaders and social justice activists.
This opportunity is offered by CIEE, a student exchange organization whom we partner with. As a next step, start your application. (If you enter your name and email, you’ll receive updates before the February 14 deadline.) All eligible students who submit an application but are not selected for the fellowship, receive a $1,500 scholarship for another CIEE program.

Questions? Email FDGF@ciee.org.

Craving a more fulfilling college experience? Want to become a part of a close-knit community of high-achieving students? Learn what it takes to become a Provost or Inquiry Scholar within Baruch’s Undergraduate Honors Program. Watch​ the Information Session to see what an Honors education can do for you. Honors students receive priority registration, individual advising with a dedicated advisor throughout their academic career, access to smaller classes, and a myriad of professional development opportunities. Freshmen and sophomores are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Abraham J. Briloff Prizes in Ethics are funded by a gift from alumnus Charles R. Dreifus (’66, MBA ’73) in honor of Abraham J. Briloff, Emanuel Saxe Distinguished Professor of Accountancy Emeritus. The emphasis of the Briloff prizes is ethics in professional life; to wit, ethics in the broadest sense. Recent writings on current ethical issues in a wide range of formats—such as books, articles, essays, op-ed pieces, and websites—are eligible for the prizes, as are those written or recently published for traditional scholarly settings.

Winners will be announced for the 2021 Briloff Prizes as part of Ethics Week 2022 (TBA – the week of March 14, 21, or 28).

THE FACULTY PRIZE: any faculty member may submit an article, essay, op-ed piece, website, or book, unpublished or recently published. Works must be topical and current; relevance is more important than length. THE FACULTY AWARD IS $1,500.

FOR THE STUDENT PRIZE: any currently enrolled Baruch College student may submit an original essay or research paper. Work that was done for a course may be submitted for this prize. Works must be topical and current; relevance is more important than length. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. THE STUDENT AWARD IS $500.

The prize winners are selected by a committee of faculty from the Zicklin School of Business, the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, and the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 18, 2022. Previous faculty and student winners are listed on the Baruch website.

Submissions and questions should be addressed to the Abraham J. Briloff Prizes in Ethics Committee: Via Email: vanessa.cano@baruch.cuny.edu Subject: Ethics Competition

To ensure the safety, security, and well-being of our students, Baruch College has determined that a moratorium had been placed on pledging and rush activities in all Baruch social fraternities and sororities at least through May 31, 2024. Read a message from the Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students, Art King, for further details. * To anonymously report any hazing activity please fill out the Hazing Incident Report Form.