Bearcat Buzz – February 25, 2022

April 15-22: Spring Break – No classes scheduled

Baruch College will hold its 2022 Commencement Exercise on Thursday, May 26 at Barclays Center at 620 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.

There will be one commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m., with both undergraduate and graduate students at the ceremony. For more information on caps and gowns, how to register, and more please visit the Student Life website. Continue to check the site regularly for more updates!

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.

The Black Graduation Planning Committee is looking for committed and dedicated members who are interested in helping celebrate that accomplishments of the Class of 2022! Sign up on MyBaruch to receive more information about committee meeting details. If you have any questions feel free to contact Assistant Director, Brian Allen at Brian.Allen@baruch.cuny.edu.

Bearcat Bootcamp is back! If you are interested in improving your mental, physical and nutritional health then apply today for this 8-week fitness transformation challenge. Benefits of being a part of this program include, exercise and nutritional classes with a certified professional trainer. Limited spots are available. Visit the Office of Student Life’s website to apply today!

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.
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!

Please note that masks are required at all times and no food or drinks other than water are allowed.

This event strives to address the issue of period poverty and kick-start a discussion on the different factors that go into it on Tuesday, March 1st from 12:30 – 2:30 PM va Zoom. Participants will watch a documentary by the non-profit The Pad Project, which illuminates the many ways that menstrual injustice can limit opportunities and erode self-esteem, establishing how a period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education.

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.

Group Counseling
Are you struggling with a new transition, feeling lonely, wanting to make new connections or having trouble in your relationships? The Counseling Center is offering two groups called Relationship to Self and Others, during 2020-2021. The groups are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 -2:00 p.m. on Zoom. To participate, in the Tuesday group, please send an email to Vanessa Rumie at Vanessa.Rumie@Baruch.cuny.edu. To participate in the Thursday group, please send an email to Nina Lei at Nina.Leil@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.

Zicklin Undergraduate Honors Program (ZUHP) is the only honors program at Baruch College for Zicklin students with a special interdisciplinary curriculum that is focused exclusively on business education. Application deadline is February 28, 2022. Apply today!

Competitive fellowships and scholarships can help fund graduate school, professional development opportunities through internships, conduct research, study abroad, and to work for the good of your community. Applying for a prestigious fellowship can be a rewarding and valuable experience. This presentation provides an overview of the types of fellowships available; offers advice on selecting a fellowship opportunity; and suggests strategies on making you a competitive applicant. Join this information session on Thursday, March 3rd from 12:45-2:00 p.m. Contact Baruch’s Fellowships Advisor with any questions: Valeria.Hymas@baruch.cuny.edu.

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.

– Bearcats Celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day.
– Michael Richards Voted CUNYAC Sportsmanship of the Year, Adnan Bajrami & Emil Purisic Voted All-Stars.
– Mia Castillo Voted CUNYAC Rookie of the Year, Melinda Spahiu 2nd Team All-Star, Valsenia Michie All-Sportsmanship Team.

 Upcoming Athletics Schedule

Friday, February 25
**Baseball at Rutgers-Newark, 3:30 p.m.
Men’s & Women’s Swimming at ECAC Open Championships, 6:00 p.m. (at Naval Academy)

CUNYAC Men’s Basketball – Championship at CCNY’s Nat Holman Gym
Baruch vs Lehman, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 26
Men’s & Women’s Swimming at ECAC Open Championships, 6:00 p.m. (at Naval Academy)

Sunday, February 27
Men’s & Women’s Swimming at ECAC Open Championships, 6:00 p.m. (at Naval Academy)

**If baseball is postponed by weather, it will likely be moved to Sunday, February 27.

The CUNY LGBTQI+ Council is proud to announce the inaugural CUNY LGBTQI+ Student Conference! The conference will take place on Friday, April 1, 2022, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The CUNY LGBTQI+ Student Conference brings together LGBTQI+ students from across CUNY interested in learning more about leadership and creating change on our campuses and broader communities. What does leadership for social change look like? What does an inclusive CUNY look like? The conference will address these questions through workshops, a keynote address, networking, and most importantly, strengthening the community of Queer & Trans students. Participants will learn more about current CUNY initiatives and resources, how to organize as LGBTQI+ students, grow your voice, and create change on your campus and beyond. The pandemic has had a major impact on LGBTQI+ students’ ability to connect and socialize. We want this conference to be a healing space and a way to continue the advocacy of so many who have come before.

The conference is planned to be in-person pending approval, but there will also be a virtual option for those who prefer it. Light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Please register today

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.

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.

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.

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.