Puppy Time!

Posted on 12/07/2015 by Helena

This past Friday I went to the pet-a-puppy event at Rose House. I spent time petting a golden retriever who was withdrawn from the guide dog program for medical reasons, and who is a PR dog for the program.

It was cool to learn about how the dog guide program works. The program breeds their dogs (German Shepherds and Retrievers). When the puppies are young they start training, first with training to see if they would be a good candidate for a guide dog. The dogs have to be able to stayed focused and behaved especially around distractions such as other dogs or animals and loud noises. Then if they make it through earlier stages of training they are taught how to be a service dog.

They also have a new program for Autistic children. These children have a tendency to “bolt” in stressful situations, which can be extremely dangerous. To remedy this, the children are strapped to their service dog who is trained to sit when the child is tense and act as an anchor.

Spending some time with dogs was a great way to destress before finals while also learning more about guide dogs.

Gimme Some Coffee

Posted on 11/22/2015 by Helena

Last weekend I went to the Gimme coffee presentation at Rose. As an engineer, I have a severe caffeine/ coffee addiction, and I’ve always liked Gimme coffee more than any of the other coffee places on campus. I never venture far from my usual caramel latte, but I have also never been unimpressed by their seasonal specialties. So when I heard that they would be giving a presentation and coffee samples I was really excited.

I never really drink black coffee, I find it’s too bitter and strong for my sweet tooth. But I was very surprised by the coffee samples that they provided. Not only did the coffee not taste totally bitter, you could actually taste distinct flavor notes, and each of the samples smelled and tasted different.

I was surprised to learn about all the steps involved in making coffee and especially how changes in the process can make specialty coffees so much higher quality than large commercial coffee companies. The coffee making process at Gimme involves hand picking cherries, and wet or dry washing followed by roasting, and different washing methods and roast time and temperatures can heavily influence the coffee’s flavor.

I was also happy to hear about their growers, and particularly their relationship coffees, which is where they develop a professional relationship with a grower to ensure top quality and well treated workers. It is important to me to be aware of what you are supporting with your purchase power, and it makes me feel good to know that Gimme is a responsible company.

Hamlet: An Age Old Classic Brought to Life

Posted on 11/08/2015 by Helena

I was very excited to see Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and the play did not disappoint. I studied Hamlet my senior year of high school, and I was impressed by the universality of the themes, despite the age of the play. In his intro to the play, Cumberbatch talked about the themes of the play and how even now people can relate to Hamlet. Another aspect of Hamlet that was discussed when I read it in high school were the major filmed versions of the play, and how they chose to use modern props, or if they were used at all. The version I saw in highschool was very traditional, but Cumberbatch’s version featured many semi modern props, such as telephones and record players, and the costumes were mismatched between periods. I found it quite amusing to see Hamlet in pants from the 17th century, converse, and a David Bowie band tee.

Other aspects of the play were beautifully executed, from the acting to the staging. The set was beautiful. It was stationary, and props were moved in and out. The stage seemed really deep, and the lighting was extremely well utilized. The music was also beautiful, and I loved the way the lights and music were used together to imitate things like an angry ghost, a storm, or a train.

I also enjoyed the opportunity to bond with other scholars over the play, studying Shakespeare, and our cumberbatch obsessions. It was the best way to spend a few hours of a stressful week.

Heigh-ho Into the Streets We Go!

Posted on 10/31/2015 by Helena

I was not originally planning to participate in Into the Streets, but I stepped in for a friend who couldn’t go. I’m really glad I did. We volunteered for an organization called Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC). We did some yard work such as raking leaves and pulling weeds. It was a great experience for me because I grew up in Japan, and I never had a yard, so I’ve never raked leaves before. I also got to get to know some of my fellow rose scholars better. It was a lot more fun than I would have expected.

After we were done, we went inside and a staff member explained to us what GIAC does. They have many programs such as after school tutoring, a boxing program, a STEM program that is essentially run by the kids, gym facilities, senior citizen programs, among others. She also explained that GIAC is publicly funded and that the facilities staff is stretched a little thin, which is why volunteers to do yard work is so important.

Overall it was a great experience, and I was happy to be able to give back to the Ithaca community.

I Love My Body

Posted on 10/19/2015 by Helena

For a long time I thought that loving your body meant accepting that very few people look like the perfect slim “sexy” bodies portrayed in the media. And while this is true, and important, it’s not all there is to it. Later I learned that loving your body also means filling yourself nutritious, healthy foods, making time for fun, stress relieving exercise, and giving your body and mind a break every now and then. This means getting enough sleep, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and doing physical activities that you enjoy.

In the bustle of a semester at Cornell it is easy to neglect these things, but this workshop reminded me to love my body and to make time for these things. It also reminded me to be honest and positive towards myself.

I really enjoyed the exercise at the end where we had an opportunity to draw a picture of ourselves and pick out the things we liked about ourselves. It was a really positive way to end the workshop.

A Walk Back in Time

Posted on 10/03/2015 by Helena

Walking through the Cascadilla Gorge is one of my favorite things to do, but I never realized the history behind the gorge. Todd Bittner led us through the gorge and explained the history of the gorge as part of Cornell and about the restorations of the gorge trail. I was really surprised to learn that Cascadilla hall is built from stone mined from the gorge, and that it was the first building of the university.

The layers of shale can be seen. There are also nearly 90 degree corners in the rock caused by the shifting and cracking of tectonic plates.

The trail was moved away from the rock walls near this section of stone, in case the stone falls.

Concrete added at the base of the trail designed to look as natural as possible. Mosses have started growing on this addition to the trail.

Afterwards we joined the Donlon’s tour group at Waffle Frolic. Pictured is a vegan waffle topped with vegan ice cream and strawberries

Big Red Peppers!

Posted on 09/22/2015 by Helena

I CAN’T STAND SPICY FOOD.

That’s why I was surprised that I really liked the southwest chili at the pepper party at the plantations. The vegan dish had the perfect balance of hearty beans and tomato base, with just the right amount of spice to warm you up after the cool afternoon rainfall, and perfectly paired with tortilla chips. I also tried a chinese stir fry which was delicious, and vegan as well, but did leave my mouth burning. There were even samples of vegan chocolate chili macaroons, which melted into sweet, chocolatey, warm bliss. I was most surprised however to find an ice cream stand where I could purchase vegan soy cherry ice cream which was the perfect treat to cut the heat of the peppers.

I also got to learn more about the science of spicy. Capsaicin is a molecule contained in peppers that causes the sensation of pain and temperature associated with spicy foods. I learned about pepper seed dispersal, plants that were in the same family, and why water won’t help when your mouth is on fire. In case you were wondering, water spreads the pain-causing spicy molecules around your mouth while the fats in milk can bind to the capsaicin, preventing the molecules from interacting with your pain receptors. There was a booth where i was able to smell pureed peppers and identify what the pepper would taste like. I was surprised to learn that most people preferred red peppers to green peppers, probably due to the higher sugar content.

Overall, I was really glad I went, even though I probably wouldn’t have gone on my own.

Rose Scholars Blog Fall 2015

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Author Archives: Helena