With one ear privy to the melodies playing through the wires from my phone and the other observing my peers’ interactions, I entered a sort of dual consciousness. I pranced around campus, but only Spotify could judge my choice in song. I was listening to Miley Cyrus’s cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” Did the Arts Quad’s pedestrians know that I was attending to their conversations, too? Their worried election-filled dialogue played ping-pong with lyrics that were silent to the world. I was a part of both worlds, yet an observer to each. “Seemed like the real thing, only to find, Mucho mistrust…” “… in Trump’s campaign. He sucks because…” “Love is so confusing, there’s no peace of mind…” “…that we won’t know who wins for another week, at least!”
__________
As I walked to Sage Chapel to get my weekly COVID test I heard the sound of the renowned chimes, from the high reaches of McGraw Tower resonating across Ho Plaza. A sound so powerful that it can be heard by the daily-goers of College Town Bagels when they are sat outside underneath the shade of an expansive umbrella. I have grown accustomed to the sound that seems to be a staple on Cornell Campus, but there was something different this time. It wasn’t only the timbre that rang with familiarity but also the melodies. I was sure I had heard this famous tune before, and suddenly it dawned on me, they were performing a rendition of “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga. Only the Cornell Chimes would be capable of performing a classical piece one day and a hit pop song the next day.
___________
I sat at the top of the slope wondering why I had shown up on time to meet my friend who is known for her habitual lateness. As I waited and watched the sun start to set over the distant hills while various Cornellians ate their dinner on the grass, a faint tune wafted into my ears. Turning my head, I found two students playing violin under a tree on the Arts Quad. The soft, fairy-like melodies meshed together into a harmony that drifted through the air on this shockingly warm, autumn evening. I could see the students on the slope begin to perk up out of curiosity at this sound that contrasted with the usual tunes of the clocktower. The violins dispersed a calm energy despite the anxiety of the week, and I forgot about my responsibilities (and my late friend) as the sun set lower and lower.