USG looks forward

It's the day of the Battle of Lexington. The noise in the gymnasium is deafeningly loud, filled as it is with thronging fans. You are surprised to see that kid from English you've never spoken to covered with Bearcats paraphernalia and sporting blue stripes of paint all over his body. You're fresh out of class and you're famished, so you head straight for the concession stands to grab some pigs in a blanket and a beer. You hear some of the fans singing a Backstreet Boys classic and you begin to wonder what is going on.

This is one part of what Baruch College is and it's a world that takes some longer than others to step into.

When USG suggests a weekend trip to Philly for freshmen, national and international student competitions with activity budget-paid expenses, or concerts at Mason Hall with A-list performers, everyone is receptive.

Students want to experience the madness of the Battle of Lexington. They want to stomp on the stands with their friends andchant along with the entire crowd. They want to body-surf in the stands, although this last one may be objectionable to the Office of Student Life. Everyone wants to have fun, and students at Baruch are no different. This is why I think a "cultural revolution" needs to take place at Baruch.

For this revolution to take place, the different groups in Baruch all need to understand the Bearcat culture that some are not exposed to. The students need to open the Pandora's box that is student life. An engaged student is a student with more opportunities, more relationships and a better college experience.

They need to understand that a higher student activities budget is monumentally important for their social experience on campus. This budget will host world-class speakers on campus and fund many different social programs on campus. It will help build a game room that looks more like an arcade than my friend's basement.

The administration needs to help student leaders overcome their roadblocks rather than stymie their efforts or discourage their ideas. They need to catch up to the ever-changing student body at Baruch.

The faculty needs to take service to the college more seriously. While their research is fundamental to this institution, they are tied to the students in the pride they have and the direction they take Baruch in the coming years.

Luckily, we have a student body that is very engaged. Many are part of a club or organization, hold an internship or job, or are focused enough on academics to compete with our rival institutions.

A mix of all of these is necessary for a dynamic environment.

We have an ambitious administration that has laid out solid goals for the institution. They understand their strengths and shortcomings and are working towards building Baruch up for the next generation of Bearcats. We have world-class staff members who students should get to know better.

As a senator in USG described it, "Baruch is at a pivotal moment in its history," and its up to all of us to cultivate it for the next chapter of this book.

-Tanvir Hossain
USG President