Humans of Queens College is a thing.
An adaption from Humans of New York, the popular blog which highlights the lives of New Yorkers, HOQC seeks to exemplify the concept for QC students.
Shiran Cohen, junior, Solomon Shapiro, freshmen, Sophie Sassouni and Sam Abaev, sophomores, are behind the new page.
“I like the idea of a whole new look on life and I got that through Humans of New York. When I came to Queens College and saw its extreme diversity, I thought this has to be done,” Sassouni said.
Despite their initial problems, Sassouni formed the group to help interview students and manage their page, which already received 800 likes.
In the interview process, HOQC first introduces themselves and eases into a conversation before asking personal questions.
As of yet, the organization did not face any negative reactions. Moreover, they felt talking to random strangers is a learning experience.
“It seems that what HOQC is showing to me is that people aren’t really that afraid of each other,” Shapiro said. “If you just go and try to talk to them, the odds are that if you are nice, they will welcome you into a conversation. So far, I have been turned down a couple of times, but the majority of people said ‘Why not, let’s talk.’”
The quartet’s acknowledges the evident scarcity of campus life in a commuter school but they also took the initiative to induce change starting with HOQC.
“I like it here so far. I guess people say that it’s tough to be social here because it is a commuter school. I kind of take that as a cop-out. It is hard but not if you try,” Shapiro said.
Additionally, Sassouni understood the numerous opportunities QC offers.
“Don’t be intimidated by the fact that this is a commuter school. Don’t let that stop you from excelling on campus. Even though I live on campus and that’s a huge help, it’s possible to become just as involved as me for a commuter. I think people should take advantage of that because the school has so much to offer. You just have to go into it, you cannot be afraid,” Sassouni said.
The group already interviewed many students, including Student Association President Christopher Labial. They hope to talk to President Felix Matos Rodriguez in the future. The webpage can found at www.facebook.com/HumansofQC.
