Loraine Rosentsveyg

2009 Service Fund Participant – Brooklyn College

It was an ordinary college day when I found myself walking through the Student Building on the third floor. As I walked down the hallway to the Office of Student Affairs and Leadership Opportunities, it suddenly occurred to me what was so wrong: the whole floor was empty; all the doors were locked and no student could be heard walking up or down any stairway to get to the office. The photograph I took represents that empty hallway students do not know about, refuse to walk into, or choose to have no affiliation with. The empty hallway is a representation of the lack of community spirit and connectivity on the Brooklyn College campus.

I took this photograph right outside the Leadership and Student Affairs office (which was empty at the time) so I could capture the entire hallway and the doorway. One of the main elements is the lighting. There are six lamps lined up one after the other, lighting up the hallway as if to emphasize that this path, so rarely taken, is the path to success. So few students nowadays choose to walk under the lights and take a step to be a part of the Brooklyn College community and beyond. The door at the very end is the entrance, clearly visible by the daylight flowing in. It is as bright as the outdoors, symbolic of the connectivity the SUBO building offers students to the outside world. It is vital for students to take that very first step into the building, through the lighted doorway, to enter into a world where community spirit exists - a world much bigger than that accessed by just coming and going from classes.

Taking a closer look into the photograph, it is hard to miss the fact that every single door is closed. How can students feel welcomed if there is no one there to welcome them? Taking an even closer look, the second door on the left is missing a handle. The missing handle represents the missing student-to-student, student-to-faculty, and student-to-campus connection

Brooklyn College is lacking in student connection and this leads to a lack of community spirit. Students feel as if they need to come to class, get decent grades, and move on to graduate school. It is important for students to connect with one another and with faculty. While students may feel like their stay in undergraduate school is short, fleeting, and generally unimportant, perhaps their minds would change if there was something they could connect with and feel welcomed. After all, graduating after four years doesn’t necessarily mean leaving after four years. Everyone is capable of being a part of something on a much grander scale. Our community would be a much better place if students felt connected to their campus and expanded their networking. This would increase the community spirit and allow students to feel happier where they are. Just because CUNY schools have a reputation as commuting schools, it doesn’t necessarily mean that students need to be rushing in and out. Sometimes it’s better to stay on campus and learn what’s going on.

What I propose is a social organization with the main focus being the start of a new chapter of the People to People International Society. This will allow students to form new bonds with others, allow them to form a connection with student affairs leaders, and allow them to take part in making their community better on and off their CUNY campus. It would be the perfect opportunity to network, while getting their community service credits that is vital to graduating successfully.

About the Artist

My name is Loraine Rosentsveyg and I am a sophomore at Brooklyn College. I plan on double majoring in English and Health and Nutrition. I don’t have a definite idea on what I want to do in the future, but I know I don’t want to spend my life working in a cubicle! Ever since I entered College, and even before that, I understood the importance of being active on campus. I love to interact with others and see that I somehow make a difference, even if it’s just making someone smile. I am currently part of the BC Forensics Speech and Debate Team, SERVA, Circle K, Slow Foods Organization, and the American Red Cross Foundation.

One of the best experiences I had in college was traveling with the Speech and Debate Team. I love going to new places and exploring different lifestyles. It has been an honor competing on a national level and learning the art of writing and speaking in public. It has helped me overcome my shyness and really open up to others.

One goal I have is to travel around the world and make some kind of a difference for the better so that my name can be remembered. I may not know exactly what the future has in store for me, but all I can say is that I want to be a leader, not a follower. My friends tell me that I have a contagious giggle and am always the one they call on to have an adventure. I’m the one hanging off monkey bars, laughing at silences, running barefoot, and starting a game of human knot in the middle of Sheepshead Bay road. On my free time I love to draw, walk around Brooklyn, shop, play piano, listen to music, write letters, and spend time with my sister and friends.