Author Archives: ayc53

What a Wonderful Surprise

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I am not a big fan of what I consider to be “old movies” (please don’t judge me). I find it hard to relate or get entertained but the movie, Blues Brothers was the exception! I absolutely loved it for its timeless comedy as well as its good jazz music.

The movie begins with Jake Blues, half of the Blues Brothers coming out of prison. After reuniting with his brother Elwood they go visit the boarding school they grew up in. However, once they go inside they are told that the school is in financial trouble.  The only way to save the school is to pay $5000 in 11 days. The brothers decide to save their boarding school by putting their band back together.

My friends and I loved how many enemies the brothers seemed to get along the way. For example,  when the Nazis were on the bridge saying  “I hate Illinois Nazis” and Elwood uses the Bluesmobile to make the Nazis jump off the bridge. Yet, as my friends and I discuss it days after we watched it- we drew on the white supremacist rally, especially in Charlottesville. Although I laughed about how the police and Nazis were after the brothers one cannot help but think of how relatable this movie is. I really appreciated how this movie made me think about the things going on right now.

A Massage for Me

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Yesterday I was ecstatic to go into Rose as I knew I would be getting my own individual ten-minute massage. I have never received a professional massage before. I have been really stressed out because of all my exams and I think the massage at Rose was a wonderful activity to help de-stress students and get them ready for Thanksgiving.

When I went inside the room I could smell the essential oils and I could hear the soft tunes of music coming from a small speaker. My masseuse Retina was super nice and made me feel relaxed. She told me she could tell I was stressed from the knots I had. The massage was over so soon and although I was sad it was over I was happy I got to let go for ten minutes, I am really considering making a massage appointment at Cornell Health. What do you think?

I am CPR Certified!!

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On Saturday my roommate and I woke up bright early to go to the main Rose House for CPR certification. I am pre-med and I’ve never done anything like this, so I was beyond excited. Cornell EMS was wonderful as they clearly explained the importance of CPR, and how important it is that we are prepared in case anything happens. They also explained that there is a kit in every dining hall of Cornell and one by Goldies in Clark Hall.

After we were prepped and seen an example of how to breathe in and do compressions it was time to practice on the dummy! I was so nervous but I was ecstatic when the dummy’s chest rose, as it means I was doing it correctly. It was awesome hearing everyone practice yelling at the dummy and doing compressions at the same time. The CPR instructor said he was really impressed with our group. After we were ready we had individual tests, and I passed!

This was such a wonderful experience!

Friday’s Film!

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Dead Poets Society was one of the best films I have seen, and I have seen a lot. It was the perfect time to de-stress after a long day with my fellow Rose peers.  A couple of my friends and I went and the movie was so good, I recommend. I do not want to spoil the movie but I loved the English teacher, John Keating as he had reminded me of my senior English teacher, Ms. Marcus. They both used unusual ways of teaching that made you think outside the box and have fun while you learn. The boys John Keating taught were under a lot of pressure and expectations and it made me think of when I was in high school and all I wanted to be was successful in the eyes of my parents and Ms. Marcus helped me realize my potential. Although the ending was sad and many did not think it was a great movie I 10/10 recommend because it brought back good memories of high school.

Into the Streets

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This is the second year I have participated in Into the Streets and I loved it. I love volunteering and often go to Loaves and Fishes on Thursdays to help in the soup kitchen. But this was totally out of my element. I am from Queens, New York and although Cornell is surrounded by beautiful gorges and trees our activity was focused on the outdoors. I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy it but as I looked at my peers next to me cleaning the green areas kids play in was truly rewarding. I had a chance to learn about the YMCA’s efforts in trying to get kids to enjoy the outdoors and the benefits of playing outside. Although it felt good helping Ithaca’s community, It also felt wonderful learning something new. I think I will try hiking and going for runs in the outdoors now!

Table Talks: History of Halloween

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Table Talk about the History of Halloween came right on time! It was wonderful talking to everyone at the table about the different versions of Halloween in different countries. We learned about the start of Halloween began with the Celtics tribe putting food outside their door to keep the dead from coming into their homes. They would also use masks to go outside to hide from death! During the Medieval Era, people would give homeless beggers food in exchange for them praying on behalf of the person’s dead loved ones.  I thought it was so cool to see the transition of beliefs into a holiday that Americans spend roughly 6 billion dollars on every year. I am so excited for Halloween, now that I know the history behind the holiday!