Author Archives: Michelle Mensah

Who really is Neruda?

Posted on by

The film Neruda left me with a lot of questions. I thought it was difficult to make out the storyline and the characters did not make much sense to me. While eluding capture by the president of Chile, Neruda engages in a game of cat and mouse with a policeman hired to find him. I found some parts ridiculous because at one point he and the policeman are facing each other but the policeman still cannot find him. Some scenes where Neruda is in a brothel just seemed vulgar to me. He did not seem like he really did not want to be found. All the while, his lover and others who love his poetry are doing all the work trying to keep him safe.

Although I thought some parts did not make much sense, one particular scene raised a key question for me. A poor woman asks Neruda that when communism gets to Chile, will everyone be like him, a rich politician and poet, or her, forced to clean up after others? I thought that this was a very valid question to ask, considering how much Neruda loved to party and drink. The film attempted to portray him as someone who cared about the poor workers, but I was personally not convinced. He seemed to just enjoy how everyone adored and loved him.

At the end of the movie, I was also confused about whether the policeman was dead or not. At one point he was in the grave, then at one point he was at a motel! This film was odd and nonsensical at times. However, I think it raised an important question about the credibility of those who are loved by the people. Are they really what everyone thinks they are or is it just their creation of a persona that everyone loves?

Hidden Figures, not Forgotten Figures

Posted on by

When I went to see the film Hidden Figures, I expected it to be good because of the amount of film awards it won recently. It exceeded my expectation by far. I thought it was not only inspiring, but an encouragement to women in science today. I also felt that it was a reminder from the past about how far America has come as a nation.

The discussion after the movie that was facilitated by Professor Kim Weeden was also very eye-opening about the state of women in science today. It was shocking and surprising that there has been a decline in numbers of women in STEM paths. I think that the U.S. needs to focus on education overall to boost numbers. For the last couple years, attention has been giving to the fact that the U.S. educational system is not as good as other developed countries’ education systems.

I think that this film also drew attention to the importance of remembering people who have accomplished amazing things but are often overlooked. Ordinary people can be heroes in extraordinary circumstances. I think the character Catherine also demonstrated the importance of succeeding where everyone wants you to fail. Although everyone expected her to be unable to handle the pressure, she tried her hardest to prove them wrong. I thought her insistence to be present in the briefing room encourages women today to fight for places and positions they deserve.

Fake News for a New World

Posted on by

Last Monday, I attended the table talk about fake news. I thought it really opened my eyes to the responsibilities of regular consumers of news. When people share fake news, it gains attention and more people believe the news that isn’t true. Although the problem of fake news gained national attention with the presidential election last year, it is not really new. People have always created stories to trick consumers of news into believing false things about one person or another.

During the talk, GRF Magdala focused our attention on solutions to this problem. We spoke about checking sources, reading carefully, and only subscribing to reputable sources like the New York Times. We also spoke about how difficult it was to find the time to source-check every piece of news we read. I learned about the detriment it was to serious journalism. I think that everyone has a responsibility to decrease the amount of fake news we read and give attention to.

Not only does fake news cause people to believe things that aren’t true, it also has the potential to cause accidents. When people believe that someone is in danger as a result of fake news, they can behave in a way that is dangerous to others. We also discussed whether people should be prosecuted for such crimes. I think that fake news brings new questions and demands on society. These questions are indicative of a fast changing technologically inclined world that needs to adapt.

Little Interview Wisdom

Posted on by

I attended the seminar event about interviews with GRF Sara. She shared her incredible wealth of experience with us in just an hour. I think some of her tips were not exclusive to interview situations, but applied to many different circumstances.

One of the most valuable pieces of wisdom she conveyed to us was about recognizing whether you fit in the work environment during the interview. Even if someone does research on the company beforehand, (which everyone should do!) it can be hard to know if you would fit in with the company culture. I felt that this was not only interview advice, but also life advice. Sometimes, I think people want to fit into a certain environment, os they mold themselves into what that place appears to convey and encourage. However, it is best to just be yourself because that is the only way you will know if you will really like it and feel as if you truly fit in.

Another piece of invaluable advice was to turn the interview into a two-way conversation between equals. Then you can let your best characteristics come through and not feel as nervous as you otherwise might be. I think this advice applies to many situations in which others might evaluate you or you might want to make a good impression on someone of importance. Letting the person know you have valuable talents to contribute too might be the best way to make a good impression as a confident, capable person who is fit for the job or internship.

I was glad I attending this seminar. It really opened my eyes to how life lessons apply to interview situations. I also feel that these tips will help me present myself in a better way to not only interviewers, but to anyone I meet who is in a position of power to help me in my career.

Peace

Posted on by

I saw the CU Wind Symphony and Ithaca High School Wind Symphony perform last Sunday in Bailey Hall. The music was more beautiful than I imagined. As someone who had little to no exposure to live classical music, I think that this experience broadened my ideas of what classical music entails. Now, when I see the term “symphony,” I have an exact picture in my mind of what that looks like.

Many governmental officials debate taking money away from art and music programs to fund other academic subjects. However, this experience has taught me that these programs are vital to supplement traditional subjects in school. Many children receive necessary emotional support from their participation in programs like orchestra or wind symphonies. At the beginning of the Ithaca High School’s performance, the conductor dedicated the opening song to a girl who had just lost her mother. Having the support and ability to make music with others might be a vital  way to cope with such a heartbreaking and difficult loss. Cutting funds for programs like this would take away the benefits that they provide to many students.

On the other hand, such programs also provide a safe, alternative way to destress and unwind from a demanding academic schedule. When the composer spoke to the audience about his inspiration for the collection of songs that were being played, he mentioned the idea of peace as a strong influence. His imagery of water enveloping the earth really helped me to place my mind in a peaceful state as I listened to the songs. I also thought about ways to keep peace on earth and in my life.

I am so glad I took the time to attend the Wind symphony. I feel as if I have grown from the experience. I definitely recommend it to anyone!

Back to the Start

Posted on by

The Art Exhibit Reception in which we viewed Nicholas Carbonaro’s works was interesting. I thought that he took a very lighthearted approach to his work, which is often hard to find in today’s art world. I thought that “Art” was supposed to either make a political statement or display a difficult conclusion or detail about the human condition. Nicholas’s art was nothing like these two genres. His art was more about learning to laugh about the imperfections that life brings us.

I was very surprised when Nicholas told us that he often performed sketches for people on the subway. It was strikingly different than my preconceptions about people formally painting detailed and realistic images of people who desire to be painted. He also told us about how he just woke up from sleep, trying to recover from reconstructive face surgery and started drawing what he looked like and how he felt in that moment. I think that the ways he does his artwork is a form of art that is very raw and real. His stories about spontaneously drawing and painting was almost innocent, in a way. It reminded me of the spontaneous and innocent way that a child draws when he or she is bored. Often, this can often engage an area of the brain and create masterpieces.

In conclusion, Nicholas Carbonaro’s artwork brought me back to a simpler time, when art was accessible and simple for my peers and I. I am glad I was reminded of the comedic elements of art and the idea that life does not always have to be so serious. Especially in college when everyone has so much to do, it is comforting to be reminded of this fact.

The Whole Application

Posted on by

The Personal Statement workshop was incredibly eye-opening. I learned a lot in terms of what employers and graduate schools look for in applications. Overall, I realized that employers and schools hire people who not only have the appropriate credentials, but also whose personality and character fit into the culture of their institution. In addition to his advice on the structure of  a narrative essay, Dr. Hill also revealed that hiring and admissions staff look for students who can think analytically about ways to solve problems. I started wondering why that was the case. Then, I thought that creative people are capable of coming up with multiple ways to do one thing, which can be incredibly useful in difficult situations. Although Dr. Hill’s advice about being persistent and knowing when to follow instructions struck me as odd, I understand now that the application process is a kind of game. Different rules apply depending on the circumstance.

I think this workshop was very valuable, even if we didn’t quite get to the writing portion, we learned how to write the personal statement using a creative method. I certainly hadn’t heard of the “nugget” method before this workshop, but I think it would be fun and interesting to try it. I really thought it would be great for someone who didn’t understand how applications work to attend this workshop. It encompassed many aspects of the application process. Dr. Hill and GRF Magdala’s personal acetates and experiences helped by putting things in perspective of the real world. Even though the application process is daunting and can be stressful, it is a valuable way to earn a position. I think that it can seem like a mystery if you don’t understand how employers and admissions staff make decisions, but if you have someone  who can explain it too you, it makes more sense.

Does Art Imitate Life?

Posted on by

Shakespeare in Love depicts the birth of a masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet. In attempting to answer the question of how Shakespeare came up with the story, the movie makes his world his influence. I think it is highly probable that Shakespeare’s environment fed into his creative processes. The best ideas happen when people come together, so there were most likely many people in his life who helped him create some major ideas. I don’t think solitary geniuses can create masterpieces that resonates with so many people.

Another theme of the film was whether plays, or any literary vehicle, can actually portray love. Although Queen Elizabeth contends that Romeo and Juliet portrayed love well, there is a conflict on whether something as complex as love can ever be depicted justifiably. In my opinion, art is when people attempt to portray the most difficult concepts in our world. Although they might not completely illustrate the concept, humans create ingenious masterpieces when they attempt to describe such ideas.

Overall, I thought the movie was very well done. It was engaging and the acting was superb! I really enjoyed the costumes and setting. It also explored complex ideas about the possible factors that could have influenced the formation of Shakespearan literary masterpieces.

The Fight Club

Posted on by

The movie Fight Club left me with a lot of confusion and mixed feelings. Dr. Hill’s explanation about the significance of the year 1999, which is the year the film was released shed some light on the ultimate point of the film. It was critiquing the anonymity of young professionals at the time. The nameless main character seemed to be yearning for an outlet, a way to display his dissatisfaction with his life. He did so by creating a “fight club,” in which he used violence to express himself. While violence is never the answer, Dr. Hill explained to us that the point was not for the audience to focus on the extremely violent, disgusting, and vulgar scenes, but to understand the anti-consumerism message of the film. However, I feel as if whatever broad world-view the writers and producers meant to convey to the audience was lost in the distasteful vulgarities displayed in the story.

Another aspect of the film that I found disturbing was that the film’s main character had no family or actual, proper friends. His divorced parents seemed to have really impacted his life in that he had trouble building normal, real relationships with normal people. He even had a difficult relationship with himself. He seemed to not really know who he was or who he wanted to be in most of the scenes. He also went to support groups in the beginning because he was emotionally unwell. I think that the support groups did not really help him with his problems, since he eventually spiraled out of control. In fact, I think what he needed was faith. He needed to believe in a positive power bigger than himself. It would have helped dispel his loneliness and given him better ways to improve his life and his dissatisfaction with consumerism. He needed to believe in a higher power instead of his material possessions.

In conclusion, I am not really sure what the point of the movie was, but I think that it would have been better without the extraneous violent and vulgar scenes. I definitely did not like the movie overall. However, I think that seeing Tyler’s many issues demonstrate the flaws in his dangerous lifestyle, and the fact that he had not faith in anyone other that himself.