Author Archives: aed236

Citizen Kane: Modern Film Ideals

Posted on by

Citizen Kane was the first black and white movie I had ever watched. In all honesty, I was most impressed by the film angles of the movie than the actual plot itself. One particular scene that really caught my eye was when the reporter was first visiting Kane’s ex-wife. The camera went through the roof of the club to the table that Kane’s ex-wife was sitting at. It was truly a revolutionary film angle idea – in fact, some recent movies I have seen, including Thor: Ragnarok, dabbled with this film angle approach, but it was not executed as smoothly as in Citizen Kane.

Another scene that caught my attention was the scene where Kane’s lips whispered “Rosebud”. I was taken aback that the film was released in 1941 with such modern film ideals.

Stress of an Entom Major

Posted on by

My suite mates had ushered me to come to the table talk about stress and at first I did not want to go but I am happy I did. Talking to others about stress is actually stress-relieving – it is nice to know you’re not the only one feeling a certain way about said events. There were multiple things I took away from the table talk. For one, it is great to be self-aware of the times you are most productive so you can utilize said times to be most efficient in working. Truthfully, I already did this without knowing. There are certain times in the day I feel most productive and I know I learned these habits from when I was in cyber school (in high school).

Second, I learned that most likely 60% of my stress is due to the fact that I look at what other people are doing and criticize myself for not doing that – which is ridiculous! I am an Entomology major – there are about 35 undergrad Entomology students, yet I find myself thinking about what business students or communication students are doing

Third, joining a club just to say you are in that club or to put it on a resume is not how clubs should be viewed. I am in the undergraduate entomology club and play an active role, I enjoy being in the club and I think this is what clubs are about. The amount of clubs you are in should not be a competition. Cornell students are so stressed because even “fun” things are seen as competitive (sometimes!).

History in the Cascadilla Gorge

Posted on by

Hiking the Cascadilla Gorge was a very relaxing experience. It was a beautiful day outside when we were able to hike on Wednesday. The gorge itself drops 400 feet from campus to downtown Ithaca. The carved rock is mostly sedimentary and contains many fossils from the Devonian era. I had visited the gorge twice before, once with an evolutionary biology class. We hunted for fossils (which was not hard to find!) but did not get a chance to enjoy the scenery. I was especially exited to soak in how many beautiful natural features surround and are on Cornell campus. When friends and relatives come to visit, I will be sure to take them to the Cascadilla Gorge!

Apple Fest – I Am Now A Kingsley Street Lifetime Customer

Posted on by

Apple Fest was an exciting experience I will make sure to visit annually. As a sucker for homemade goods and small businesses, I spent more time at Apple Fest then I originally planned for. There was one business, Kingsley Street, I was especially looking forward to. In the summer before coming to Cornell, I visited the Lititz Craft Fest (Lititz is a small suburb outside of Lancaster, Pennsylvania). Kinglsey Street was at the Lititz Craft Fest and since I bought some items they gave me a 15% off coupon for their shop online. Just two weeks before Apple Fest, I ran out of the sugar scrub I bought, so I purchased another using the coupon, promo code Lititz17. When picking up the package at Flora Rose Main desk, I noticed it was particularly heavy for the small bottle I ordered. I opened the package and to my surprise I found 3 free bars of soap and a handwritten letter along with my sugar scrub. The note read, “Thanks for shopping with us, we will be at the Ithaca Apple Fest this year so come visit us!” I couldn’t believe what a small world it was.

All in all, Apple Fest was a great experience and Kingsley Street has a lifetime customer!

Love Should Not Be Pushed Aside For School, And Vice Versa

Posted on by

In Andrew’s Love and Relationships real talk, I discovered many people have a difficult time finding a relationship at Cornell. Students think of love as just another event to put in their schedule. I was lucky enough to have my boyfriend visit the weekend of this event and we both thought other students here should try long-distance relationships, instead of the one-night stand culture typically seen at this university. From my perspective, students at Cornell feel like they have to sacrifice love for their career (since deciding on attending this school). I agree to a degree; I am in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend and I left him (a healthy, stable, relationship) for a stressful relationship with academia. But the truth is I never feel like I left him. We talk regularly, whether through text, phone, or Skype, and we tell each other about our day and so on and so forth. Talking with him is not just another event I need to block out in my schedule.

With this in mind, I think many Cornell students should not be afraid of long-distance relationships and actually embrace them. Being in a long-distance relationship can really prove how much someone means to you, and how much you mean to your significant other. If you’re in a healthy relationship, your significant other will not ask you to sacrifice your schooling for them; you may have some late nights talking on the phone or find yourself thinking you miss them, but all in all that person is still YOUR person. Love should not be pushed aside for school, and vice versa.

 

Novel vs Movie: The Martian

Posted on by

I had read the novel version of The Martian but was curious about the movie. Like most films, the movie skipped some details from the book, however I do know that films have limited time and can only add the most essential details. One specific detail that was skipped, however, was when astronaut Mark Watney lost communication with NASA after uncovering Pathfinder. It was a crucial point in Watney’s mental health and NASA’s hopes to rescue him. I will say, this was one of the only faults in this movie that I couldn’t rationalize. I honestly enjoyed the movie and it’s star-studded cast. Typically when a cast is only full of well-known actors the plot of the movie is terrible and the film itself is only for money. This is not the case in The Martian. All in all, I rate the movie 8/10!

Farmer’s Markets: The Perfect Place to Spend Frivolously

Posted on by

If there is one place a college student should spend frivolously, that place would be a farmer’s market. As a transfer student from Pennsylvania, farmer’s markets are no new thing to me. I enjoy buying handmade and homemade goods from people in my community and try to get something new each time I go. I was ecstatic that one of the first House events included a trip to the Ithaca Farmer’s Market. By the end of the trip I actually spent all the money I had brought!

Since the Market’s beginning on Saturdays in 1973, local growers, craftspeople and food vendors could gather together to sell their goods. From my trip to the farmer’s market I bought a Black Prince succulent from a local florist, a pair of mittens made out of recycled sweaters and lamb’s wool from a crafter, and some fresh cheese from a woman who owned a dairy farm. I am happy to say the Ithaca Farmer’s Market’s mission statement stands true to this day.