Professor Schmidt took time out of his busy schedule to sit down and discuss the differences in people’s lives based on where they live. While he mainly focuses on urban city planning, he knew a great deal about the effects of an environment on a person’s habits. I am from New Jersey and consider my hometown to lean more towards a suburban classification. I spoke with the group about the relative sizes of the properties/houses, distance to shopping centers, and diversity in the town. Professor Schmidt and I had a nice conversation about the high diversity rate in New Jersey as he had first hand experience from his time at Rutgers University. I believe that some of my habits would be different if I lived in a different location. For example, at home I need a car to drive to all places that are too far to walk to. However, at Cornell I am able to walk to all of my classes and do not see the need for a car except in certain exceptions. Additionally, at home my meals are more repetitive than at Cornell. At home I will eat a sandwich or a salad most days for lunch as it is quick and easy to make. However, at Cornell I go to a dining hall where there are many options that vary greatly every week. It was very interesting to hear about other’s perspectives of their hometowns. I am definitely considering taking an introduction to urban planning class in the future and I recommend that every sit down and have a talk with someone in the field as it is very stimulating!
Author Archives: csr222
Save a Life
On Saturday, November 11th the Cornell EMS came to Rose House to offer a course in CPR to students. I saw this as an amazing opportunity to renew my CPR certification. I took a course in CPR in high school and knew it was a very rewarding experience. The instructor made the course entertaining and was willing to answer any and all questions that we had. I know that I would be able to perform emergency help on someone if needed after taking this course. I definitely recommend taking a CPR course to everyone because it is a great feeling to know that I could help save a life in an emergency. Additionally, it is an amazing skill that could even be included on a resume.
Why are housing prices so high?
The Rose Cafe chat with John Schroeder on Housing/Buildings in Ithaca was extremely interesting. To begin, John handed out a large drawing of Cornell and the surrounding Ithaca environment that was made even before the Arts Quad was constructed. This drawing really allowed me to see all of the construction that has gone on over the years. After an initial introduction into the infrastructure of Ithaca, students began to ask many questions related to the pricing of housing in Collegetown. John’s response was extremely interesting as he told us that the pricing in Collegetown can be as high as a tenant see fit as students are extremely limited in their housing choices. In addition, Cornell has continued to raise its dormitory housing prices along with Collegetown buildings, thereby not discouraging any reduction of Collegetown prices. The building committee of Ithaca has hypothesized that the creation of more apartments in Collegetown will cause an eventual reduction of prices. However, the expected results have not yet been seen as more and more buildings are built. I sincerely hope that Collegetown apartments will eventually come down in pricing for future students. I believe that the current choices of housing for students is very limited, which is why landlords can get away with charging such high prices. Simple solutions that I have tried to brainstorm include: building more apartments, Cornell lowering its housing prices, or students refusing to rent an apartment with outrageous prices. Obviously all of these solutions have one (if not more) complications. This is a difficult problem to solve, but I do hope that we can all work together to help the situation.
The Key to LinkedIn
The main intention of this seminar was to help students recognize the uses of professional online media and give us helpful hints and tricks toward our online presence. For me, LinkedIn is the main site that I think of that is closely connected to a professional online social media. Towards the end of the seminar GRF Sam had everyone write a personal bio for a platform of their choosing and present it to the group. I really enjoyed this portion as I was able to get helpful feedback and encouragement towards my writing. Additionally, I was given inspiration by hearing the statements of other students. This was my first professional advice seminar and I really enjoyed it. GRF Sam made it comfortable to ask questions and voice my opinion out loud. I would definitely recommend a similar seminar to other students looking for a general introduction into the online professional world!
Disability Inclusion at Cornell
The Disability at Cornell chat with Erin M. Sember-Chase really opened my eyes to the battles that people diagnosed with disabilities must face. Erin herself shared a personal story that reflected the absence of a disability center at her college while she was an undergraduate student. At Cornell today students with disabilities are not rare, even though it may not be immediately noticeable. Erin talked about breaking the stigma associated with disabilities. Although Cornell works to help ease students academic life, it is up to the students to connect with any disabled students socially. Today, 1 in 5 Americans have a disability. It is very likely that you know someone with a disability, or at least know of someone with a disability. We have come a long way since 1990 when the ADA was first passed and I believe that we will continue to grow in years to come. Hearing the personal experiences with loved ones with disabilities really shows how this is a topic that is close to everyone’s heart. I believe that a disability center is an amazing addition to schools that helps make everyone feel included regardless of any situation. The advancements that have been made in the history of the university is inspiring. Erin herself has pushed and helped to make these advancements possible. I hope to someday make a difference as significance as this.
Dating or Distracting?
From our talk on relationships in one of the Rose conference rooms I learned that many people at Cornell feel that they may not have the time to devote to a new relationship. With schoolwork and clubs and jobs, students feel that it can be too much to balance. However, I believe that people will make time for what matters most to them. Those who have time for a relationship see it as an important part of both the college experience and life in general. While it is crucial that all students work hard and study effectively, it is also important to explore the social aspects of life. A relationship is only distracting if it is not one of your top priorities. In my opinion, college is a time to figure out yourself and what you want in life. At Cornell there are thousands of students, and while everyone’s studies are the top priority, it is a great chance to branch out and explore. I do not personally believe that a relationship will seriously distract from your studies as long as you are able to keep a balance in your life. In the long run, I would rather take chances and see where things lead than hold back.
Technology Takeover?
Black mirror is a TV series on Netflix that makes social commentaries about society. The episode that we viewed criticized society’s reliance on technology. I believe that the technology fueled the main protagonist’s obsession with his wife’s affair. Only after he re-watched clips multiple times was he able to find evidence against his wife. He may not have even noticed his wife’s actions towards the antagonist without this technology. Constantly playing the clips of his wife with suspicious actions only fed his paranoia. I believe that this technology negatively impacted the protagonist and the society as a whole. While there are notable benefits of such a device, overall it would lead to the dependence of society on such devices. I definitely plan to watch other episodes and see if they are equally thought-provoking!