Author Archives: Kelly Jiang

An Excursion to Ithaca Beer Co.

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This afternoon, many Rose residents and I went to the Ithaca Beer Co. to learn about the process of brewing, storing, and packaging beer. It was a great opportunity to leave campus and learn about the creation of beer. We had a friendly tour guide who elaborated on the history of the brewery, showed us around, and allowed us to sample pumpkin-flavored beer and ginger beer at the end of the tour.

I learned that the company is expanding its facilities due to increased demand for its products. The company is constantly experimenting with new flavors, and it offers tastings and adjusts its ingredients based on people’s feedback. Brewing also starts at 4am each day and ends at 1am the next day. When the tour guide showed us the packaged beer, she said that approximately 5000 bottles appear on the production line each hour. I was surprised by this large number because there are only two people at the production line.

 

She also showed us a cooler with hundreds of kegs. Here is a photo:

 

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All in all, I am so glad that I went to this Rose event! It was an enjoyable excursion, and I would really like to go back again to try the food.

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A Late Night at the Schwartz Center

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On Thursday night, I had the opportunity to attend the Department of Performing and Media Arts’ performance of On the Verge at the Schwartz Center. The play chronicled three Victorian women who travel through time and their encounters with different characters. I was particularly impressed with the play’s humor, deep messages, and the actors’ eloquence.

I found the play to be not only informative as it portrayed the three women throughout different historical periods, but also very amusing. The actors effectively made the audience laugh while simultaneously conveying deep messages. I enjoyed On the Verge’s references to significant events in the U.S. such as the invention of the first Kodak camera, World War II, and presidential campaigns. I was particularly amused when the three women found an ‘I like Ike’ button and searched everywhere for Ike (Ike was a nickname for Dwight Eisenhower during his presidential campaign). The mannerisms and voice inflections were also amusing.

Moreover, I was awed by the actors’ use of vocabulary. Their eloquence made me realize the unlimited potential of the English language. The actors used vocabulary I had seen only read in books. Also, I enjoyed the play’s nuances, as the language of the play propelled the women along the journey. The transition of language from a Victorian vernacular to an American slang as the women travelled through time was well-done. It almost seemed that the playwright was criticizing the deterioration of the English language, as the women became less eloquent as the play went on.

As characters and objects dropped haphazardly into the women’s presence, I thought that the play can be interpreted as defiance against patriarchy. The women not only explore unknown territory, but they also successfully evade dangers such as the yeti. The play also concludes with one of the women wearing jeans under her Victorian dress.

Overall, I had a wonderful time attending the play. It was evident that the students had put a lot of time and dedication into the great performance. This performance has made me even more excited about taking a class in the Department of Performing and Media Arts in the future!

Understanding Love

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On Saturday, I attended the How Do We Love event. Led by GRF David, the event was very insightful. In particular, I liked the event because it was highly interactive and made me realize that love is a prevailing topic for everyone.

The discussion began with the group divided into pairs, and each pair completed a conversation guide. Then, we answered interpretative questions and shared our experiences as a group. One common theme that pervaded the discussion was that everyone craves love. As we looked at pictures that depicted different types of love – from familial, romantic, to spiritual, I recognized that love transcends boundaries and that despite who we are, we all want close relationships.

We all discussed the difficulty of defining ‘love.’ Echoing the work of Erich Fromm, an African-American feminist scholar bell hooks defines love as ‘the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.’ He further explains that ‘love is an act of will – namely both an intention an action.’ This statement highlighted the notion that we may not be able to control whom we love, but we can control how we act on our feelings. It deeply resonated with me because it highlighted the notion that action speaks louder than words. I looked at my own relationships and realized that there were times when I did not act on my feelings as much as I should have. Amidst prelims and other activities, I felt like I did not have a lot of free time to make plans with all of my friends.

Another topic that my group and I discussed was the difficulty that many Cornell students face in forming and maintaining close relationships. Because Cornell has competitive programs, students place high emphasis on classes, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, etc. The student body always feels crunched for time, making it difficult for many people to establish loving relationships. The hookup culture also prevents students from finding romantic partners.

Overall, I’ve gained many insights from the conversation. It made me realize how much I truly value my relationships, and how everyone should prioritize love.

An Afternoon of Pumpkin Carving

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This past Saturday, I attended the Self-Care workshop in the Rose library. This was one of the most interesting events I have participated in Rose. Not only did I learn how to carve a pumpkin, but I also learned more about the health resources available at Cornell. I am very glad I spent my Saturday afternoon to get in the Halloween spirit.

I had a good time carving the pumpkin and taking out the flesh. It helped me reconnect with nature, and I found the physical act cathartic. I liked that I could create any design I wished, and the freedom was indeed an effective stress reliever.

During the event, I gained more insight into limiting stress by taking advantage of resources such as CAPS and EARS. Especially because many students have prelims at this time of year, the workshop was helpful! I also got to meet a lot of Rose scholars, which was fun! I realized that Cornell’s environment is stressful for everyone and that we need to care for ourselves and each other. One notion that Sarah, a CAPS counselor, shared that resonated with me was that we are not robots. We are human, and we need to time away from academics to recharge.

 

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An Interesting Conversation with Social App CEO Michael Belkin

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Last evening, I had the opportunity to dine with Michael Belkin, a Cornell ’08 alumnus who is the founder and CEO of Distinc.tt, a social network for the LGBT community. I enjoyed hearing him share his experiences and learned not only about his work, but also about the skills and qualities necessary to become a successful entrepreneur.

Michael’s discussion of the LGBT community made me more aware of the unique matters they face. Because LGBT people can feel like an “invisible minority”, they have a more difficult time finding each other in a crowd. Our society has become more accepting of the community, making dating apps for LGBTs more useful than ever. Michael’s app, Distinc.tt, connects LGBT members and has a GPS system that provides information on where the recipients of one’s messages are located. It is the first LGBT app for young users ages 12 and up. I found Distinc.tt to be truly distinct because it is one of few dating apps that brings users together based on hobbies and commonalities, rather than emphasize the hook-up culture that apps such as Tinder and Grindr denote.

Michael also shared his wisdom on entrepreneurial success. One point that deeply resonated with me was his stress on being open to new subjects. Although he had majored in AEM at Cornell and later went to Harvard Business School, at Harvard he took programming classes that propelled him towards the designing of his app. Because he was interested in programming, he took CS classes that gave him valuable technical skills that jumpstarted his entrepreneurship. Moreover, he emphasized the importance of having a good business partner, particularly one who complements your strengths. I also found his comment about networking interesting; he said that his valuable contacts are not necessarily ones whom he met in business school, but those in his everyday life and his fellow entrepreneurs.

Overall, I found Michael’s talk to be extremely insightful. He showed me that with enough drive and willingness to learn, one can accomplish anything. To be a successful entrepreneur, one must know a wide range of skills. However, with the correct motivation, anything can be done.

 

Secrets of West Campus

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This past Saturday, I had a wonderful time learning about the secrets of West Campus. Led by Professor Blalock, the tour comprised of learning about Ezra Cornell’s background and West Campus’s history as well as exploring Noyes, the War Memorial Room, and the tunnel adjoining Rose and Becker.

The prospect of visiting the secret tunnel was what motivated me to participate in the tour. However, the information that Professor Blalock imparted to us was as fascinating, if not more, than the mysterious tunnel. I found the War Memorial Room in Lyon Hall particularly interesting. As someone who visits Lyon Hall, I had wondered about what the room contained. In the room, there were furniture and an enumeration of the Cornellians who had lost their lives in war. Above the names was a painting of two angels. As I stood in the room, I felt a wave of pride for our school for having had such brave and devoted students.

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Moreover, I learned from Professor Blalock about how the West Campus Housing system came to fruition. It was eye-opening to hear that the five West Campus Houses were deliberately created to become an all-inclusive place that not only provided housing, but also offered a collaborative community that eliminated intangible walls among students. This is different from the residential communities of other Ivy Leagues such as Harvard and Yale, where the “small-village” experience can be constricting.

Lastly, after we visited Becker, Professor Blalock led us to the tunnel that connects Rose House and Becker House. I had always wondered how food is transported to Rose’s kitchen, especially since I never saw a food delivery truck by the House. When in the tunnel, Professor Blalock explained that delivery trucks arrive at the Becker loading dock, where the food is transported to Rose House through the tunnel.

Overall, the tour was very fun and I learned a lot about the more obscure facts about West Campus. I highly appreciate the knowledge that Professor Blalock shared with us!

A Look into Sexuality and Finding Oneself

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Yesterday afternoon, I had the privilege of examining Nick Carbonaro’s works of art in the Rose Dining room. I was instantly fascinated by them; the vibrant colors, curvaceous shapes, and artfully calibrated ambiguity revealed themes of sexuality and an ongoing journey to find oneself.

One artwork that deeply resonated with me was Nick’s “Welcome to My Home.” As someone who is not an art expert, I appreciated that Nick’s art was abstract and therefore open to interpretation. I thought the piece portrayed gender fluidity because the central figure’s gender is not clearly defined. The figure possesses a combination of masculine and feminine qualities, thereby blurring gender lines. When I asked Nick about “Welcome to my Home”, he said that there is still a slight stigma against those who do not conform to traditional notions of the male or female gender. He also explained that the frame of the painting symbolized the entrance to the “home”, which he described as a haven in which one can be entirely himself or herself. One can unchain himself from society’s expectations and consequently truly understand oneself. I found the connotation of the piece very moving, and it was further compounded by its bold, red colors that implied intense, deep emotion. The area surrounding the figure is also scattered with chili peppers, giving the piece a textured, bumpy look. I believe that the uneven texture represents the obstacles that one faces on his journey to understanding himself.

Overall, I had a wonderful time looking at Nick’s paintings. It was a good opportunity for me to tap into my creative, artistic side and learn about modern art.