What I enjoyed the most about discussing the R’s of Rose House was learning how much effort goes into to ensuring that Rose is a place where students can rejuvenate, expand their minds, find their voice, and grow intellectually and professionally. Knowing what Rose House is meant to be for students serves as both a reminder and a motivator that encourages me to do my best to make the most of living here. Also, the fact that students living in Rose have the opportunity to voice their opinions about what kind of events they want to take place, which professors they want to talk to, and where they want to go visit really emphasizes that Rose is dedicated to being not just a dorm but a community –a place where people and their voices are valued. I really appreciated that we were able to unabashedly vent about what we feel needs improvement—from toilet paper stocking rates to an increase in the number professional development events—because just knowing that people want to know what concerns you or what you are hoping to accomplish this year improves the experience of living in Rose and empowers you to realize these goals.

I also just want to echo the emphasis on brining more networking and professional development events to Rose. I think that bringing Cornell alumni or really just any successful professionals with interesting career paths to talk about why they choose to enter different industries, fields of study, or occupations would be an awesome addition to the resources Rose offers. While Career Development does have career fairs, workshops about how to, for example, market your liberal arts degree, and dinners or meetings with prominent alumni, these events often fill up fast and can be a bit overwhelming. Being able to attend these kinds of events right on West Campus in more relaxed and interactive environment would really contribute to Rose’s aim of bringing all of Cornell’s benefits “down the hill.”

Adding to that point, I also agree with the idea that having more Cornell professors come visit Rose could facilitate opportunities for building relationships with Cornell faculty and getting involved with research. There are so many extremely bright, accomplished people doing extremely interesting, groundbreaking work right here at Cornell, and learning about all that is being discovered right here on campus would really help students make the most of the privilege of going to Cornell.

I am looking forward to an exciting year!