Author Archives: Cindy Huang

The Allure of Poison

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Gregory Page, Professor for Cornell’s Introduction to Print Media class, decided to take a unique route in his curriculum last year, challenging his students to think creatively while incorporating natural elements into a form of print media. Their assignment was to take inspiration from a recent trip to Cornell plantations and display their characteristics and qualities into art. These students took creative liberty in delivering their own views and interpretations on the beautiful vegetation that they had encountered, while accenting their more devious element of poison.

The exhibit itself only displayed a few of the pieces created but even still, it truly helped to instill in me a greater appreciation for print media. With various methods of overlaying photographic or sketched/hand-drawn mediums, the images and prints created a deeper meaning into the innocent facade of such plants. For example,  Mandragora depicts what I assume to be a Mandrake plant overlaid on top of several faces. This piece alludes to the hallucinogenic effects of Mandrake poisoning and its use as a narcotic.Tachychardia, on the other hand has a less obvious interpretation. The first impression is of a woman napping on top of a plant, leading to the viewer to assume the narcoleptic properties of this plant. However, the title, whose definition indicates a rapid heart beat, seems contradictory to the events of the print. Rather than displaying a nerve-wracked individual often associated with increased heart rate, the piece shows a peaceful woman asleep. On a side note, the piece Levitate incorporated a chemical molecule which really peaked my nerdy organic chemistry interest. The pieces had their own unique characteristics to display the varying viewpoints of the students towards these rare, poisonous plants and I applaud the creative success they had in portraying their perspectives.

 

Taste of Home

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Food is quite possibly the greatest source of pleasure in life. Even as young infants, humans learn to adapt their tastes in food to provide for better experiences; throwing tantrums at bitter foods while reaching towards more palatable sweet delicacies. With multicultural traditions marking distinct food styles, the possible combinations of foods are endless. However, though people often go on foodie adventures in constant search of the best cuisine, whether it be fusion or exotic, the general consensus seems to be that no other foods can compare to nice hearty home cooked meals. Especially for students at Cornell, whose diversity ranges from townies to international students from all over the world, it’s difficult to accommodate one’s taste buds in an entirely new environment It’s difficult to assimilate to a whole new enclosed campus setting, something so drastically different than one’s comfortable life at home. However, that’s the main goal and aim of Cornell dining, now voted the number one best college food in New York State. Their proactive efforts at trying to provide the most healthy, nutritious, and well-balanced meals for students are always geared in ways to expand the range of cultural foods provided, from having Asian night at Becker or even Greek night at Rose. Not only do they cater to a wide variety of tastes, but they do so while maintaining their nutritional values – just check out those amazing trillium salads.

In addition, they are equally matched by their strive for maintaining great working conditions. Implementing high livable wages with benefit packages to all workers allows for more motivated employees dedicated to concocting new ideas to counteract food industry related dilemmas. For example, food waste is huge concern for numerous dining halls so efforts are made so increase composting efforts and well as managing food operations so that production is more efficient at fulfilling higher demanded foods.

Though it’s often disregarded and taken for granted, the food production system within Cornell University certainly has it perks, from not only providing amazingly appetizing foods (especially those lavish house dinners on west) but also making strenuous efforts at making it the most diverse and comforting thing on campus. The only main concern that we have to worry about it now is conserving our BRBs.

Novels and Relics as a Gateway to our Past

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Walking into the Kroch Library’s rare and manuscript collection exhibit is always an awe-striking experience. It is astonishing to realize that artifacts and relics put on display have years worth of experience and history embedded into every crevice and minute detail. I believe it is great that we are collecting such important parts of history and are tracing and conserving the stories behind them. Culture is such an important element of society that even the smallest, seemingly insignificant objects may be of utmost importance in representing the essence of an entire time period. For example, the first exhibit introduced to us centered around a signed commemorative copy of the 13th amendment abolishing slavery, one of seven in existence. It seems silly that we are exalting a simple piece of paper, but the influence that such a simple document had at revolutionizing an entire society is simply unbelievable. Such priceless relics are meant to be treasured and remembered for their contributions.

Books are paramount in preserving the culture and history of a time period-the beliefs and ideas of a time period are enveloped into a bounded copy of imprinted paper. Not only do they tell us the transformations in political and societal ideology, but also of technological innovation and social advancement. It’s no wonder that A.D. White wanted to preserve his collection of 30,000+, for he was not only collecting priceless collectibles, but also the content and material that they represented. But his ideology was not limited to just the preservation of his collection-he wished for the books to be seen and heard, for people often learn best from primary sources. Thus the creation of the A.D. White library was placed into effect. Other artifacts are more precious, however, and need to be locked into the massive football field sized vault underneath Olin Library so that they may maintain their pristine status. These include precious and unique items such as first edition signed copies of Charlotte’s Web, and ancient library books with their distinct unique hooks to prevent theft. A lot of the relics on display were truly amusing and their unique backgrounds only spurred more curiosity within me to learn more. The tale behind the lock of Charles Dickens hair was quite the story.

It’s quite upsetting to think that I don’t often get the chance to explore what Cornell’s numerous libraries have to offer. Oftentimes I’m stuck for hours sitting on my laptop or notebook struggling to finish work or study for a prelim. It was nice to see the more beautiful and interesting side of things, and I’ve thoroughly garnered a great appreciation for the library system.

Taxation for Pollution

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I joined my peers Wednesday evening to partake in a discussion concerning the biggest threats to the environment. Lead by a panel of experts. Professors Shanjun Li, Greg Poe, and David Wolfe whom are leading professionals in the scientific and economic field of climate change and environmental degradation, the discussion brought up serious topics concerning environmental degradation and societal indifference towards such. Among the topic of conversation also arose many innovative ideas for environmental conservation, such as alternative methods of energy harvesting, and the associated social, financial, and political obstructions to the implementation of such methods.

Fracking, the process of pumping fluid horizontally into the ground to collect natural gas, is a recent issue brought to the attention of the city of Ithaca. Prospective fracking was planned to occur within many parts throughout upstate New York, but thanks to persistent protest as well as economic reasons (it had become cheaper to halt drilling because of the falling value of natural gas), the plans to do so were ceased. Although an effective method of energy generation, it has several environmental consequences, such as incurring water contamination, droughts, and climate change in addition to displacing hundreds of individuals from their homes. Such controversial methods are a direct result of our inability to have the foresight to think about and act upon preventing the environmental consequences of our decisions.

The panel had actually proposed a solution to counteract our indifference and carelessness  in regards to conservation: taxation for pollution. In this way, individuals as well as larger corporations are more willing to take the extra step to find more environmentally friendly methods of production, rather than face the consequential fines. Otherwise, these corporations will be ruthless in their efforts to cut corners and to set aside safety and environmental concerns for profit.

From Suburbs to Farms?

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I often take for granted life’s simplest things. Growing up in such a suburban culture, I always got glimpses of farms, but I never truly understood or appreciated where the food I constantly shopped for in grocery stores originated from. Coming to Cornell was an eye-opening experience. Being surrounded by endless amounts of farmland and living in a community so focused on agriculture and environmental sustenance had enhanced my appreciation for it. Getting to hear from first hand from Justine Vanden Heuvel and Mary Jo Dudley of how the business is operated, in addition to the issues related to it really shed some light on my perspective of it all.

Over the course of the cafe, as Heuvel and Dudley alternated in explaining the industry, I soon came to realize how large it extended. The fact that it is currently a $5.7 billion industry and that 25% of New York State land alone is dedicated to agriculture is unbelievable. But then again, as they later explained, it’s bittersweet to think that it is also a depreciating industry. Something that everybody so heavily relies on (for it’s literally the source of our sustenance) is under appreciated and neglected. In a society so bent on moving upwards in the class system, many individuals stray away from the stigma that comes with working on a farm; the physical labor, low pay, lack of economic advancement (dead end job) and its association with individuals who are are uneducated all contribute to the adversity individuals feel towards the agricultural industry. Still, even those who do understand and appreciate the value of food production in our society don’t associate the struggles and difficulty of doing so on a more specific scale.

Sure, by visiting a farm, you get to understand the hardships one must endure to even produce the minimum amount of food necessary, but what’s often overlooked is the more interpersonal aspect of difficulty in the lives of the workers themselves. Huevel, who interviewed many of these migrant farm workers, spoke about the journey to find work, the dangers of being an undocumented individual, the risks of deportation for the family as a whole, etc. She sheds light on the more pressing matter of the well-being of the people responsible for the products that we constantly overlook in grocery stores. These individuals work just as hard to stay in this country, and their children, burdened with having to balance both education and work (alongside their parents), are are suffering exponentially worse than an already established American citizen (even if they themselves are citizens too). I believe, in accordance to what Huevel and Dudley believe, that programs should be created to provide support for these individuals, and programs, such as the Cornell farm worker programs could really provide insight for students to the industry and spark inspiration to support the cause.

The Beauty of Nature

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Cascadilla Gorge Trail

There’s never a time where the Ithaca Gorges are not as they cheesily say, “Gorges (gorgeous)”. Even during the winter, the icy majestic falls look like beautiful streams frozen in time, awaiting the warmth of spring to give them life again. Of course, that’s not to say that experiencing them in warmer weather is not equally as breathtaking. And seeing them more than once only helps to enhance the experience with each additional time. The more you view them, it seems, the more you appreciate them in a small way. This past Saturday, for example, was the third time I had walked through the Cascadilla Gorge trail and it had only been exponentially more beautiful than the first (the beautiful cool autumn weather may have helped).  Having House Fellow Todd Bittner join us in sharing his knowledge of the local geology  only helped to garner an even greater appreciation for the gorges.

Learning more about the historical context of the trail had the impact of unveiling the inner beauty of the gorges. Thanks to Colonel Henry Sackett, the trail was originally created as a trail network to connect the downtown boarding houses with campus, facilitating the commute for Cornell students. However, the gorge trail has since changed significantly, slowly being eroded by overuse and Ithaca’s unforgiving weather conditions. In fact, seven out of the eight most recent years were devoted to reconstructing it alone.

The gorge itself shows a lot about the history of life in Ithaca, as well. For example, the elevation levels of the falls had significantly decreased, attributing to the overwhelming volumes of water continuously flowing through and eroding the rock beneath. Bittner also noted the 89 degree lacerations against the walls of the gorge, also created through the erosion of water, and the expansion of ice in the water. It’s strange to realize that such simple characteristics serve to accentuate the aesthetic of the gorges and how impactful nature can be in all manners of life.

A Sudden Realization into the True Value of Art

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Like most young children, I had a hyperactive imagination that spurred my creativity to flow in everything I did. Drawings with spectacles of colors, lines that had no clear direction, but seemed to know exactly where they were going, sculptures that weren’t just blobs of Play-Doh. I had the creative liberty to draw, paint, create anything at my will, but as I grew older, I came to be influenced by the objective perspective on life. Soon, it seemed that I had lost the abstract thinking capabilities that I had just years ago. As someone who needs to find a clear purpose to everything and physical evidence that proves this, I never really had an affinity towards the arts. Of course, I’ve been to many a museum in attempts to become culturally enveloped in the bubble that is art, but all that those trips had left me were blank stares at abstract pieces as I stood there wondering how on Earth something so simplistic could be worth millions.

However, as I have learned through not only physically seeing the pieces done by Nicholas Barbonaro, but also through personal interaction with the artist himself, I have come to a simple conclusion: The true value of art lies within the meaning of how the product came to be produced. One of his larger pieces, entitled “Welcome to my Home”, for example, held significant meaning behind the seemingly simplistic work. The work was inspired by the desire of all young adults to be free in an unjudging world and how they execute this desire upon attainment of freedom. Barbonaro compares it to the sentiment that is embodied by the independence of living as a college student, free from the watchful gaze of parental figures, where students are free to live by their own accord. The individual depicted is sassy in attitude and demeanor, gushing out an aura of “if you don’t like it, don’t step through my door”. By creating the work on a legitimate vintage door only adds to the appeal of the piece itself, making the metaphor being portrayed more literal. Within the details of the piece itself, even, the small pepper seeds incorporated throughout the piece adds a nice touch as the mixed media conjoins into something so beautiful. Truly, I have found a new appreciation for art, that would thus not have become apparent had it not been for garnering the first person perspective of the artist himself.