At this week’s Rose Cafe, GRF Sam Legasse, who is working towards an English Ph.D, discussed the idea of Modern Primitives. He first discussed with us the meaning behind the word modern and the meaning behind the word primitive. They at first seem to be simple ideas, but actually have many nuances and interesting concepts behind them. He showed us a video of the Tiller Girls and other images to illustrate what modernity is. In the video of the Tiller Girls, he explained that juxtaposition of masculinity and femininity is an example of what modernity is.

I also thought the discussion of our society today in relation to primitivity and modernity was very interesting, especially with regard to technology. People sometimes try to reject modernity, such as not using technology and attempting the paleo diet, in order to show appreciation for the primitive. After hearing about this, I noticed more examples of rejection of modernity in my everyday life. For example, people that choose to stop using social media or to take notes only on paper. It shows how the concepts of primitivity and modernity can be applied to everyday life. Hearing more about Sam’s work was very interesting, since it is a topic that I am unfamiliar with as a STEM major. It demonstrated to me some of the virtues of my Cornell education and how I can learn about many different areas of study. It can also help us understand more about our society today, which I also believe is important to be more aware of the world around us. I am looking forward to hearing about more about the other GRF’s work and research in future Rose Cafe events, which definitely have strong applications to my everyday life.