Author Archives: Elisabeth

Learning How to be a “Master of Love”

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On Monday night, I attended what turned out to be my favorite Rose Scholars event of the semester. GRFs Andrew and Antonio led a discussion on romantic relationships—and what drives whether these relationships last or fail. Before the discussion, we all read Emily Esfahani Smith’s 2014 article “Masters of Love,” so we were familiar with the subject and excited to share our opinions. It was unanimous that we all considered kindness and compassion as paramount. In the article, Smith asserts how hurtful it is to one person when his/her partner shows no excitement when the other shares what he/she deems to be good news. Thinking back on a recent relationship, I now remember times at which I experienced this exact disconnect. Before reading the article, I had often wondered where things went wrong, but now I remember the sense of hurt and disappointment I experienced when my excitement was not warmly received.

 

It was really enjoyable hearing GRF Andrew’s story of meeting and eventually proposing to his wife of 10 years, and how communication is key in their relationship. Overall, what made this event stand out was the fact that I was able to connect with six other Rose Scholars and be a part of an hour-long discussion in a small group setting. I definitely plan to attend events like this next semester in Rose!

Cornell Dining Truly Does “Tower Above the Rest!”

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Cornell Dining’s associate director Paul Muscente and Rose’s head chef Daniel Czebiniak spoke at the Becker-Rose Cafe this past Wednesday evening. I was looking forward to attending this cafe for a number of reasons, including the fact that I love the dining experiences on West Campus– the quality of the food, the variety, the convenience, and the presentation.

Mr. Muscente offered impressive facts about Cornell dining, most notably, that nearly 20,000 meals are served every day in the dining halls and cafes across campus. I was also very excited to hear that Cornell was recently ranked as having the best dining out of any college in New York state. Way to go, Cornell Dining!

A large portion of the cafe was spent discussing sustainability and Cornell Dining’s efforts to increase the quantity of local vegetables used, while also limiting overall food waste. I know that many students have been frustrated by the new meat rationing this year. Chef Daniel, however, explained the rationing as a means to prevent students from wasting uneaten meat, and also to encourage us to fill our plates primarily with healthy veggies. While Cornell Dining’s effort to minimize meat consumption and waste is off to a great start, I wonder if we can go even further with this idea. I recently spoke to friends about having a weekly meatless day in at least one dining hall on West Campus. In doing so, we might significantly reduce CO2 emissions from the meatless dining hall, and perhaps create a greater awareness for the importance of paying attention to what we eat– not only for our own health, but for future generations.

At the end of the cafe, one student suggested to Chef Daniel that the desserts be moved away from the fruit stand in the Rose dining hall. As students walk out of the dining hall, it is tempting to pick up a dessert and a piece of fruit, but if the desserts are separate from the fruit, students might be less inclined to take both. I thought this was a great suggestion, and I was impressed to see that the desserts and fruit were separated in the dining hall within two days of the Becker-Rose Cafe. The responsiveness of the team of managers speaks to what I think is the greatest strength of Cornell Dining– Mr. Muscente and Chef Daniel really do care about and listen to the community.

The Blaschka Models

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During the October 28th Rose Scholar lecture, Professor Drew Harvell introduced Cornell’s collection of Blaschka invertebrate models. The Blaschka models, made in the 19th century by glass artists Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, capture the biodiversity of oceanic creatures of the time period. Professor Harvell explained that the models accurately portray the color, size, and shape of the invertebrates, and thus, give her a window into how form follows function in each part of these organisms. Not surprisingly,climate change and over-fishing have contributed to the ocean’s continual decrease in biodiversity; in fact, it is possible that several of the invertebrates in the Blaschka collection are already extinct. One example is the octopus vulgaris, which scientists can no longer find in their dives off of the Mediterranean coast. Coincidentally, in one of my biology classes this week, we discussed climate change and shrinking biodiversity. Most of my classmates associated climate change with animals on land. By learning about the Blaschka collection, I most certainly have a fuller appreciation for how greatly the ocean and its creatures are also affected by climate change.

Can Environmentalism be Terrorism?

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On Wednesday night, I took a trip to the Cornell Cinema to view Marshall Curry’s film, “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front.” Curry’s film presented the acts of violence that the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) committed, and gave insight into its members’ backgrounds and daily lives, revealing the complexity of the individuals involved. Curry elicited mixed emotions from his audience— several fellow Rose Scholars and I discussed how we constantly flip-flopped between sentiments of sympathy for ELF members and outrage for the destruction they caused.
Curry’s film challenged the audience to define terrorism — what should be considered terrorism, and who should be considered a terrorist. In a Q&A after the film, Curry admitted that he, himself, was initially shocked by the prospect of labeling ELF members as terrorists — how could we possibly equate these environmentalists (whose mission is to protect the earth and cause no human harm) with those who have killed thousands of civilians? Curry raised the question: If we define any act of instilling fear as an act of terrorism, then can we label anyone that instills terror in others (even an imaginary monster) as a terrorist?

Defining Justice

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Last Wednesday, Professor Ohlins spoke about criminal law, a topic with which I am not too familiar. First, he asked whether the recent bombing of the Afghan hospital should be considered a war crime, knowing we would all immediately jump to say “yes! How could the killing of the sick not be considered a crime?” Professor Olin, however, introduced the idea of proportionality, and said that one must consider the situation at hand– whether the “importance” of the target overrides the casualties of innocent civilians.

In response to a question about Assad, Professor Ohlin said that the world must “bring him to justice.” In high school, I grappled with the ambiguities of justice while serving on my school’s Honor Committee. With no “rulebook for judging cases,” we had to define what fairness meant in every situation, for each student, and for the community. When we seek to find justice on an international level, when citizens from all over the world likely have different definitions for right and wrong, how can we come to a consensus?

Rose House: Behind-the-Scenes

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Today, I took a behind-the-scenes tour of Rose House, with Professor Blalock beginning our visit by recounting a few pieces of Cornell’s history. Despite Ezra Cornell not having attended college – in fact, his education stopped after the 3rd grade – he still made great contributions to the invention of the telegraph and developed a unique vision for a university, where “any person could find any study.” Professor Blalock highlighted how “radical” Ezra’s vision truly was in the 1800s, a time when other elite universities were almost completely comprised of “rich, white, Protestant males studying theology.”

After guiding us through Noyes and the memorial room in Lyon Hall, Professor Blalock spoke about the history of Cornell housing. I had always wondered why we have limited on-campus housing. Professor Blalock explained Ezra’s reluctance to create stifling residential colleges—he simply did not want students confined to smaller, restrictive communities for their entire four years at Cornell. Though the current-day housing lottery and lease-signing of Collegetown apartments can create chaos and stress, I am glad that Ezra did not organize our school into residential colleges. Personally, I love that I can experience living in various environments and communities every year.

Our tour ended with a walk through the underground tunnel from the Becker loading dock to the Rose kitchen. This underground tunnel was created so that delivery trucks would not need to drive on Gothic Way (and possibly hit students!). This final part of the tour gave me an appreciation for the meticulous planning that goes into designing and maintaining West Campus.

How to Succeed

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On Wednesday night, Dr. Schwarz presented tips for achieving success in college and beyond. He highlighted the importance of emerging as a leader, engaging in independent study, and preparing for an interview.
Most striking was Dr. Schwarz’s suggestion to keep a daily journal. He proposed that in doing so, we make ourselves accountable, gaining an awareness of how much time each day we truly allot to studying, homework, clubs, etc. I have always believed that accountability is paramount — not solely in relation to seeking individual success, but also in allowing oneself to be an engaged and honest member of a community. I think that the Cornell community at large would benefit greatly if everyone held himself accountable for his actions. When we take responsibility, then we can enact change.
Dr. Schwarz also suggested that we take time each day to laugh and reminded us to treat our bodies to physical activity. I believe that while we seek to succeed, we must also strive to live in the moment each day, connecting with ourselves, nature, and humanity.