Candid at Cornell

If you’re an undergrad at Cornell reading this post, you might hate me until your finals are over. Just saying.

To be blunt, I’ve had it good these last couple of days. Really good. While the rest of campus is stressing out over organic chemistry exams and final papers, I’ve had very few worries. Why? I had three papers due before classes ended, and one project due shortly after. This has ultimately resulted in me only having one final exam, on May 17th, which I believe will be fairly straightforward and not too impossible.

So what have I been doing with my completely free days? Attending Camp Cornell!

At least, that’s what I’ve been telling my friends. Essentially what this means is that, because I have no worries, I’ve been taking advantage of all the fun activities on campus that I’ve never done before.

I have:

• Taken a West Campus-coordinated tour of the Synchrotron.

I think I’ve mentioned it before, but under Cornell’s athletic fields is one of the most powerful particle accelerators in the world. Now, I don’t really know what a particle accelerator does…but I really wanted to see the underground, semi-secret facility. So when the Alice Cook House offered a tour of the place, I didn’t want to pass it up. Honestly, it was really cool. The control room had all these buttons and looked like a spaceship, and the circular ring itself–where I guess the particles fly–was awesome to see. I have to admit, though, that I was a little on-edge when we were down there; our tour guide said that if the machine had been operating, we would all receive fatal doses of radiation instantly. No thanks…

This one’s kind of self-explanatory. If you’ve ever been, you know the joys that a steak burrito with pinto beans, cheese, salsa and lettuce can bring. It’s kind of hard to get to…but hey, the commute isn’t that big of a deal once you’ve mastered the TCAT. Ever since it opened up in Ithaca, Cornellians have been patronizing the place. Everytime I’ve been, I’ve recognized at least one or two classmates. Cornellians, if you wish to go: Take the 10 or 30 to the Commons, then take the 15 “Southside Shopper,” which comes hourly. Plan in advance…but this faux-Mexican food is definitely worth it!

If you had told me last year at this time–when I had four finals in a week–that I might have term papers instead of exams for a few of my classes, I would’ve jumped with joy. Papers, I had always felt, are relaxing! You can do ‘em on your own time, as you aren’t subjected to 2 hours of stress,  and you don’t have to worry about ridiculously ambiguous questions. Yeah, I had thought, a semester’s end without tests would be pretty ideal.

…or not! This semester, the majority of my end-of-semester assessments were papers. I had a 4 page paper to write for Cornell History, a 10 page paper in American Studies, and a 12 page paper for my English seminar (all were due last week). Now, I’m working on what’s supposed to be a 20-30 page in-depth report for business management due Monday. While I have one exam in DEA 1500–a really cool class I’d recommend–another one in business management is optional if I do well on this report.

Hence, I’m sitting here in Olin on this beautiful post-Slope Day morning plugging away, attempting to analyze Canon, Inc.’s productivity initiatives.

Speaking of which, Slope Day was yesterday; I had a great time. Last year I volunteered in the hot sun, essentially distributing water bottles to intoxicated people. This time, I didn’t commit and was able to enjoy a nice day on the Slope with Taio Cruz. Luckily, he played the only two songs I knew–Break Your Heart and Dynamite. What was the highlight for me, though, was the opening group–The Wailers, of Bob Marley & The Wailers fame. They played “One Love,” which is a phenomenal song.

It’s almost summer! Time for me to finish up my remaining work…

Let’s face it, prospective students. I love Cornell, but it is NOT  like one of those quaint New England liberal arts colleges with a few hundred students. If you’re taking introductory courses here (as you will your freshman year), with the exception of your writing seminar you better believe that you’ll be in large lecture halls.

Admittedly, I love lectures. What could be better than sitting back, listening to a brilliant scholar preach about something that they love for an hour? I treat it like a show, and always look forward to getting comfortable in a seat and taking notes.

But speaking in lecture halls, say, in a class of 600 kids? That’s just not something people love doing. Yet, just recently, your humble blogger rose to the challenge.

To set the scene: in AEM 1200, Introduction to Business Management, we have to analyze articles of the Wall Street Journal on a weekly basis (pertaining to whatever we’re discussing in class), and write papers on what we’ve learned. The professor is jubilant and loves interactivity with the class, so it’s a pretty unique classroom experience. Last week’s subject was human resource management, so I wrote about employee happiness.

At the beginning of class on Wednesday, the professor asked someone in the class to rise up to the challenge and speak about their article.

“Who wants to tell us what they wrote about?” he asked.

There was silence, among the hundreds of kids enrolled in the class.

“Anyone?”

Still silence.

After he asked one more time, and the entire auditorium remained quiet, we waited for a period of 10 seconds in silence (no, I’m not exaggerating) until it was made clear that he wasn’t moving on until someone spoke.

Silence again.

“I…I have an article I can discuss,” I randomly blurted out.

As I threw my hand into the air, all eyes turned on me as I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to say. I managed to concoct a statement about Bank of America and employee satisfaction, which I hope made sense at the time.

The professor said something like “thank you, good contribution,” then the class moved on. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I could slide back into the sea of other students. I’m glad I did it, though.

Moral of the story? Push yourself to do things you may not be comfortable with. Public speaking is always important to practice…

One interesting thing about the Cornell college experience is that, because you’re starting at square one–knowing nothing and nobody when you first step foot on campus–it’s really easy to chart your progress and development as time passes. As I finish my second year at Cornell, it’s cool to think about all the friendships I’ve forged, the progress in organizations I’ve made, and how I’ve made strides in “comfortability” around the Ithaca area.

The TCAT bus system is a prime example of this. (Think I’m nuts? Read on.)

So if you’ve made the trek to campus, it’s pretty much a certainty that you’ve seen those blue TCAT buses swarming around the Ithaca area. They’re basically impossible to miss, as their bright blue colors and large advertisements draw your eyes.

Yet, when I arrived at Cornell in Fall 2010, I remember being intimidated by the TCAT system. Sure, I might be pathetic, but let me explain. I hadn’t familiarized myself with the routes, and when you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere without your support system as a freshman, you don’t want to get on a bus and not know where you’re going. I also didn’t realize we had free rides our first year, and thought we needed a special card to board. Plus, the myriad of route numbers confused me, and I never wanted to hold up the bus by asking the driver where he was headed. All of this combined, let’s just say I lived a sedentary life on North Campus freshman year and chose to walk to class most of the time.

Now…

Fast forward to today, where I’m a TCAT whiz. As I work at the Daily Sun’s business office in downtown Ithaca, I rely on the 10 and the 30–which you can pick up at Sage, Anabel Taylor, or C-Town–to take me to the Seneca Street station. I’ve learned other routes, too. Wanna go to Chipotle on the weekend? Take the 30 to the Commons, then hop on the 15 Southside Shopper (but be careful, as it only comes hourly!). Need to navigate campus? The 81, 82, and 83 are your best bet during the day, while the 90, 92, and 93 will work at night. Be careful of the 36 and 37, which might take you to Lansing.

See, people? This is progress! Come to Cornell and you, too, can memorize TCAT routes! (See here to get started.)

Plus, another pro-tip: TCAT drivers are the nicest to pedestrians and usually let you cross the street…which can’t be said about many crazy drivers.

I’ve frequently talked about my experiences with the Cornell University Program Board, as I think choosing, setting up for, and meeting the various celebrities and entertainers that come to campus is a pretty cool gig. Recently, Seth Meyers (of Saturday Night Live fame) came to campus, and l ushered the show in Bailey Hall; after, he did a question and answer session for CUPB, and was incredibly outgoing.

(I asked him if his fame allowed him to live a normal life and go out in public to restaurants, parties, etc. without being mobbed. He said he is able to lead a normal life for the most part, though people tend to think he’s BJ Novak from The Office).

Meyers does a segment on SNL’s weekend update called REALLY?!, where he pokes fun at various things that just don’t seem right or are comical. (See here for an example, where he and Amy Poehler blast Governor Blagojevich.)

I’ve realized that I’ve had quite a few experiences at Cornell that make me wonder, “REALLY?!” so I figure I’ll spout some of them here.

I was sitting in my business management lecture the other day, when I looked a few seats in front of me, and saw a girl wearing headphones and watching videos as the professor was lecturing. I was like, REALLY?! What on earth is the point of attending lecture when you’re not going to pay attention in the slightest?! Why didn’t you just stay in bed?!

On April Fools Day, my friend woke up bright and early to take a shower. After a few seconds, he realized something just wasn’t right. When he took off his shower head, he noticed someone crammed a bunch of tea leaves in it. REALLY?!? Actually…that’s awesome. Cornellians can be pretty crafty on April Fools Day, and the fact that my poor friend took a nice hot shower in brewed tea exemplifies this!

In my nighttime class on Cornell history, we learned that back in the early days there was an ice-toboggan slide that students rode on.  REALLY?! Why can’t we have one of those today?

As I write this, I’m sitting on a bus heading back to Ithaca after I spent the holiday weekend home in Connecticut. I got in the car at about noon to head to the bus station in New York, and am scheduled to arrive in Ithaca at about 8:00 tonight (the bus has made multiple stops as well). Meanwhile, I’ve been in touch with my friend at George Washington University who took a flight at 2:10pm and landed at 3pm in D.C. REALLY?! Why is Cornell too close to fly to from Connecticut, yet too far to comfortably drive?!

I live in Alice Cook House on West Campus, and like it a lot. However, one gripe I have is with the elevator–namely, that it’s the slowest thing in existence! There’s an area between floors where it always stops for 15 seconds before the doors open, and if I calculated I’m sure I’d learn that I’ve spent hours waiting for the thing to open. REALLY?! Why is the elevator so slow, especially when the building is brand new?!

Before spring break, I was sitting in a class when about 20-30 scantily clad architects that were painted green stormed into the lecture hall , interrupted the professor, and started shrieking and running around. As it was a publicity stunt for Dragon Day, the professor took it very well and laughed. But REALLY?! Who wakes up one morning and says to themselves, I’m going to get naked, paint myself green and run around campus for a day?!

Are these incidents as hysterically funny as Seth Meyers’? Probably not. But I hope I’ve showed you that life at Cornell is anything but normal.

Also, for those prospective employers, professors, and the like reading this: I’m not actually this whiny…this list took quite a bit of effort to come up with. I promise!

As I’m writing this, it’s 4:45 PM on a Sunday and I am exhausted. I just got back to Ithaca–I left my home in Connecticut at 7:30 in the morning, and made it back around 3 in the afternoon via bus. I had a great week off, though!

It’s always interesting to hear about people’s spring break plans, particularly at Cornell. A lot of students, particularly those whose homes are far away- have a tough choice. Do you travel home, and have a low-key week reuniting with family that you haven’t seen since January? Or, do you travel to exotic destinations with other Cornellians? I chose the latter this break, and really enjoyed myself. 

Believe it or not, these tropical getaways are very common among upper-level students. In an icebreaker session before class began, one professor I had asked the class where everyone was headed. A lot of people mentioned warm places like Punta Cana or that they were going cruising.

Anyways; 2 close friends and I spent the week on the sun-drenched beaches of Cancun, Mexico. Calling it a “break” is a little deceiving, as our days were jam-packed; we did jet skiing and SCUBA diving, played games on the beach, and explored the area in-depth.

Is it going to be a little difficult getting back into the swing of things, particularly when I have 2 upcoming exams and multiple papers to complete? Yes. But I also know that this time will fly by. I can’t believe that the summer’s almost here, and I’m almost halfway through my Cornell undergraduate experience…

I’ve heard many people say that Cornell offers the quintessential college experience. After all, we have world-renowned professors, beautiful ivy-covered buildings, multiple sprawling quads, and almost any extracurricular activity that you could imagine.

(Okay, I’ll stop sounding like I’m leading a Cornell information session now.)

I like to think I’ve crossed off many items on the list of stereotypical things that all college students should do. I’ve gone to Cornell homecoming games, thrown a frisbee on nice days, pulled late nights in the library, and gone to professors’ office hours.

One thing that’s so college that I’ve never experienced was to have class held outside in a circle on the quad. Doesn’t that just sound like an idyllic college activity, the kind of thing that’s pictured on the front of a college admissions brochure?

Yesterday, it happened. I walked into my 11:40 English seminar, and the professor–a NYTimes bestselling author–was so excited about the weather that she led us outside, and we discussed historical fiction in the sun while birds were chirping and people were running around (not unlike the photo to the right…which is not us by the way).

Okay, time to check “have class outside” off my college bucket list…

Whoa.

On March 8, I turned 20. This means I’m halfway to 40, a year away from the drinking age, and am no longer a teenager. I’m still kind of in shock that I’m that old; 20 always seemed so far away.

The thing about birthdays in college is that, well, they’re definitely different from birthdays in high school. It’s not that I don’t have awesome friends here who recognized it–because I certainly do–but rather, it’s just a much more low-key feeling. Sure, you get a ridiculous amount of wall posts from your friends and family, and amazing packages from relatives (among the highlights: a box of Dr. Pepper Jelly Beans), but for the most part…it’s just another day of classes and work. Everyone else is doing their own thing, too, and life went pretty much as it always does.

So what did I do? Well, I had two 75 minute classes, went to the library, and had dinner in Alice Cook House like I always do. If I was at home, I might’ve been going out to dinner with my family, or done something else special.

At the same time, though, I don’t feel like I need all of the celebratory stuff that I received the first 18 years of my life. It’s a special day, sure, but meh…I’m becoming more than content with heartfelt messages rather than birthday parties/events that characterized my childhood.

I guess I am growing up…

One great thing about Cornell is that there are a plethora of clubs to join. Plus, it’s always easy to get involved in new ones and make new friends (granted, most organizations recruit more heavily at the beginning of the semester). As a business-minded student, I recently decided to join the Cornell Sun newspaper‘s online business department…and it’s been a great experience.

I was attracted to the Sun because I love media and figured it’d be fascinating to get involved with the 13th best college newspaper in the country! I don’t mind working there three days a week, but the only downside is that the offices are located in downtown Ithaca:

But even that’s not too big of a deal.

So what have I been doing there as of late? As a junior associate tasked with increasing online advertising sales, I’ve been reaching out to businesses around the Ithaca community (via phone and email), asking they’d like to buy ads on our site. It’s exciting when someone responds ‘yes,’ and I’ve learned to deal with it when someone says ‘no.’ While it’s desk work, I’ve found it a lot of fun, and it’s a great place to hang out at. Plus, everyone’s really nice, and business hours are from 3-5 pm on weekdays–those hours of the day that I’d be relaxing from class anyways.

Since I haven’t done this in a while, let’s answer a question from a reader:

Hi, I’m trying to transfer in next fall as a sophomore and I was wondering if you could describe your general workload? As well as the campus atmosphere. In terms of sororities and fraternities, and how prevalent they are on campus. What is your view on Greek life? Would it help a transfer to settle in socially more? What is the general feel of the student body? Political views, religious views, ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses. Thank you!

Thanks for your question! It’s hard to describe a “typical” Cornell workload, as the amount of work varies by person, college, and major. Generally, the architecture and engineering schools are known for lots of work, as are math/computer science majors and the science/pre-med track (often pursued through Arts and Sciences or CALS). As I’m writing this, I’m sitting next to my engineer friend studying dynamics (which he says is really difficult), and a pre-med friend anxiously studying for his orgo exam next Tuesday. In general, I’d say that while classes certainly require a lot of time and effort, if you put in a decent amount of work you should do fine. People still have free time, and join all sorts of organizations.

In terms of Greek life, I believe the numbers show that about 1/3 of Cornell goes Greek. It’s certainly prevalent on campus, and it might be a good idea to check out the frats/sororities if you’re a transfer student and are looking for a “group” of sorts. Personally, I’m in a business fraternity and find that’s enough Greek for me. My friends and I are on west campus, and are very comfortable.

The campus atmosphere? Cornell is very much a city, so it’s hard to stereotype. We have active Cornell Democrats and Cornell Republicans clubs. Students of any religion or ethnicity can most likely find organizations full of similar people (see the list of 966 organizations here), and there are students of all socioeconomic statuses.

Bottom line? Come to Cornell and see for yourself! We’re pretty diverse, in all meanings of the word.

Oh, and if you’re ever looking to advertise on CornellSun.com…I’m your guy. 

If you could take a guess as to what I was doing at 3 AM last Thursday night/Friday morning, you’d say sleeping, right? (Keeping in mind I have classes early on Fridays.)

That’s what I would’ve guessed too. However, it didn’t exactly turn out that way. My night started out pretty uneventful; I got in bed around 11, surfed the web, then passed out because I was tired.

At 2:50 AM, I heard a pounding on the door. Thinking it was for someone else, or that I was imagining it, I ignored it and turned over on my pillow.

At 2:51, I heard pounding on my door again. Okay, this time I was certain someone was at my door. In a groggy daze, I got out of bed, neglecting to put on pants/a t-shirt. For reasons unclear to me now, I figured it’d be okay to open the door wearing nothing but my short boxer briefs.

I open the door, and there are 2 Cornell Police officers. I look at both of them, fully decked in their police uniforms: belt, gun, badge, and all.

I then look at myself: wearing nothing but short underwear.

I manage to mumble: “Good evening, Officers.”

They say back something along the lines of, “Is anyone else in there?? What does your window face? What have you been doing?”

I groggily replied that I was just sleeping…and had done nothing suspicious at all. I even invited them to look around the room–hey, I had nothing to hide. The worst they’d find is an awful music collection.

Something about the way I was talking, or the way I handled myself must have proven to them that I was innocent. After a brief conversation they basically told me that someone had reported suspicious activity in one of the rooms facing west, and they apologized for waking me. Inevitably, the conversation was a tad awkward because I was, in fact, wearing nothing but really short boxer briefs.

Lesson learned: From now on, I’ll take the time to put on sweatpants when someone knocks on my door at 3 AM. Or not…it was a pretty amusing incident in retrospect.

After telling the story a few times the next day, people have asked me if I was bothered by the incident. I said repeatedly, of course not! If waking me up in the middle of the night is what it takes to stop potentially criminal activity around me, I’m all for it.