By Oluwatimilehin (Timmy) Awopegba In Nigeria’s sun, where my roots first found life, I watched the Earth bend, but never break, The rivers surged, the trees stood tall, An echo of strength in each passing quake. Now in New York,…
How can we make CUNY Better?
Formalizing criticism of CUNY is hard because I am so grateful for the opportunities and experiences the institution has given me and will continue to for the rest of my academic career. I’ve met many knowledgeable, compassionate, and inspiring people…
Campus Green: Small Steps, Big Impact
College is often viewed as a period of growth and discovery, where we not only build academic and professional skills but also shape our values and worldview. One of the most urgent issues facing us today is environmental sustainability. Our…
If You’ve Got Soul.. : A Short Revisitation of Christina Aguilera’s 2006 Masterwork “Back To Basics”.

Aiming to deconstruct and shed light on some of the narratives surrounding the album, its white and (sometimes) contentious creator, and her formidable relationship with and to Black music, “If You’ve Got Soul…” takes an in-depth look at the context at the crux of the controversies and asks readers what does it truly mean to be a lady of soul?
The Humanities Alliance & crafting communities.
Though The City University of New York often advertises itself on buses, subways, and the like as an “indespenisbile institution” that “lifts New York,” navigating its labyrinthine system and bureaucracy can pose a disastrous threat to its students, both current…
Semi-Country Roads.
Although I do not have any inherent cultural ties to the genre, I have always felt a strong connection with Country music. I was born and primarily raised in Long Beach, CA, but some of my earliest musical memories involve…
The Unknown William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare
Hello & Aspirations.
“What are your future goals, dreams, and aspirations? These can be career-related, about the impact you might want to have on the world, or about how you want to feel every day when you wake up.” As a Digital Music…
Starting an Inspiring Year with the CUNY Peer Leaders

On August 23, 2023, the CUNY Peer Leaders (CPL) convened in the Graduate Center’s Skylight Room to kick off the 2023-2024 academic year. CPL Director Lauren Melendez began the day by making brief introductions, reminding students of how special they…
Em(Body)ed Experiences with the CUNY Peer Leaders

On Friday 10/14 CUNY Peer Leaders gathered to participate in a Body Mind Mapping exercise. What is Body Mind Mapping you might ask? I was first introduced to Body Mind Mapping at the MURAP 2019 Conference at UNC-Chapel Hill. A…
CUNY Peer Leaders 2022 Kick Off!

The CUNY Peer Leaders (CPL) 2022-2023 cohort held their kick-off community-building meeting on Thursday, August 11, 2022. We began the meeting with welcome messages from Lauren Melendez, CUNY Peer Leaders Program Director and Administrative Specialist of the Futures Initiative. As…
Dying To Be Competent
Hey everyone! I hope you all are doing well. In this blog post, we’re going to be discussing Tressie McMillian Cottem’s book Thick. Since her book did cover quite a bit we will only be focusing on a few chapters. Enjoy!…
March !
Hello everyone and anyone reading this blog post. It means a lot to me. It feels like a long time since I’ve written a post even though it’s been a month or so. I am grateful for this opportunity to…
We All Live in a Music Video, Right?
Because I like to think I am more musically inclined than the average person, I decided to create a Spotify playlist to describe the complex feelings I have about my last semester and explain the significance of each song. Don’t…