Baruch senior Ding Guan never expected to get so involved in the student life of the College. “For the first two years, I didn’t really get around the school, get out to the clubs. In my junior year, I went to Club Fair, and I discovered that Baruch had a lot of student activities. I was overwhelmed by the diversity.” Now Guan is treasurer/liaison for the Archery Club, a position that occupies much of his weekends. (The club practices in the 17 Lex gym on Saturdays and Sundays.) “The Archery Club members really socialize with each other. After practice, we go out to eat or play Ping-Pong. I talk to a lot of people, and they share their experiences with me,” he says with pride and enthusiasm.
Guan has gained much from his experience with the club in addition to friendships and a love of the sport of archery. “I didn’t volunteer to be treasurer, but the club was really small when I started. If I didn’t do it, no one would. And the club has a really long history, so I didn’t want it to die out. Soon I took on more responsibility and felt more obligated. I gained a lot of leadership skills: I organize all the meetings and competitions. Also, I’m fairly shy, and this experience has forced me to come out of my shell a bit. It’s helped me. Now I like to be directly involved. That way I know things are getting done.”
Guan’s very pleased with the academic side of life at Baruch as well. “In the old building, a lot of the CIS [computer information systems] classrooms didn’t have computers, and a lot of CIS is hands-on. This is especially true of programming. In the new Vertical Campus, with computers in the classroom, students can ask the professor a question on the spot—much better than the traditional lecture format. It’s like archery. You’ve got to let them shoot; you just can’t explain. You have to get hands-on. You’ve got to feel it. That’s how you learn.”

—DH