Last weekend I attended the Behind the Scenes Tour of the Rose House and was pleasantly surprised among all that makes Rose unique from all the other houses on West Campus. Although Rose was the last new building to be built, it possess so much character from the other halls: Mennen, Lyon, & South Baker.

Despite feeling miserable standing outside in the pouring rain, I’m glad I tagged along. One of my favorite moments was learning about the War Memorial and its history because besides seeing that its architecture is beautiful, I knew absolutely nothing about it. And that felt somewhat strange considering I walk through that central arch every single day. Learning that the War Memorial was built in order to honor Cornellians who died during World War I and that the two sides represented the Army and Navy really opened my eyes and made me realize that there are so many hidden symbols around campus. The War Memorial was extremely well-maintained considering its age and struck me as something special to Cornell. It’s tucked away in a “hidden room” yet has so much emotional impact once you’re inside. The power of the symbolic pictures, architecture, flags, and words decorating the room truly evoked a sense of pride.

Being a part of a community that is so united and supportive- something much larger and more meaningful than just a student body, part of a university- warmed my heart. This made me realize some of the reasons why there is so much pride in calling oneself a “Cornellian”.