This picture is a painting of Aristotle and Socrates, two of the most famous philosophers ever. I chose this picture not only because of my fondness of philosophy but because these men represent debate. Socrates even got a method of discussion and questioning named after him – the Socratic Seminar and Socratic Questioning, respectively.

My name is Janin Goodwin – though my preference is to be called Jay – and I am a freshman at The New York City College of Technology, colloquially known as City Tech. I’m majoring in Liberal Arts solely because no other majors piqued my interest. I had been accepted to SUNY Delhi with the intention of majoring in Marketing. However, after considering where that major would take me career-wise and how the career(s) didn’t fit who I am as a person (typically quiet and secluded), I decided not to go. My high school grades weren’t the best as I never tried at all and only maintained an 80 average so my choices for a school were limited. I settled on City Tech and Liberal Arts in order to transfer to a another school that both has my major and is out of the city. The only reason that I’d stay in the city is if I get accepted to Columbia University. Otherwise, I’m looking at schools that offer me majors in economics, history, or political science.

College seems to be far more manageable than high school. Not because high school was difficult – it wasn’t – but because of the freedom and increased amount of time we have allotted for whatever we need/want to do. The freedom to choose your schedule is probably the best part about college by far. I can use the extra time that I wouldn’t have had during high school to read, write, and improve upon my photography skills. I’m also interested in learning about history, politics, and philosophy. I’ll explain why I’m interested in each of the aforementioned activities and in what capacity I fulfill my desire for each a bit later.

College seems to be a great place to meet like-minded and not so like-minded individuals, both of which will benefit me socially and intellectually. It’s very important to me that my ideas are challenged, stretched, and strained in order to solidify or alter them. I believe it’s equally important to do the same for others. I find that most people are very set in their beliefs, which I believe is a flaw. This idea of people’s ideas being set in stone is problematic as people should be open to new beliefs if new information is presented. Obviously one shouldn’t be forced to believe a certain ideal if their own fundamental truths conflict with the ideas being presented but they shouldn’t completely shut out any opposing ideals without hearing the reasoning behind said ideals. For example, if someone believed in God, I believe it’s important for them to at least consider the idea that there may be no God and either accept and reject that belief. In a nutshell, beliefs shouldn’t be axioms; question everything.

Reading

I enjoy reading because the elements that can be put into a story. With fiction, there can always be hidden meaning in stories, even with something like George Orwell’s Animal Farm. On the surface, it’s a story about Animals in harsh conditions overthrowing their human master and building their own society. In reality, it’s about Joseph Stalin and Soviet Russia both before and after he came to power and the use of military force to reinforce his tyrannical rule over his people.

Writing

I enjoy writing  because I am able to express my viewpoints in the most creative way possible. I write about nearly everything and always try to employ a hidden meaning, whether it’s me speaking on human nature or something like nihilistic philosophy. I enjoy writing short stories though I am currently outlining what I’d like to be my first novel. I began writing in 7th grade and stopped in 9th grade until my junior year. Since then, I’ve been doing some form of creative writing almost daily. I’m in the process of writing 3 stories, one about religion, one about a militia taking over a small town, and a horror story about eyes. I hope to speak on the creation of a Godless society, usurpation in a small town, and anxiety.

Photography
Photography is an art form that has interested me since I was a very young child. Not so much as it being my passion, but a hobby. I enjoy capturing pictures of people in the darkness and the beauty of the earth when it’s coated by light. The blending of colors, tones, and angles can create pictures that’ll make your heart stop (in a good way, don’t worry). I cannot count the amount of times that I’ve seen a picture of an Icelandic mountainside,  the New York City skyline, or the Colosseum in Rome and just went, “wow”. Photography gives me a better reason to travel than “I want to experience new things”, which I find to be overly cliche.

Overall, I enjoy learning new things and having my ideas challenged. I also enjoy challenging people’s ideas, no matter how controversial. My profile has a small hint of my philosophies and what I hope to do with my current enrollment in City Tech.