Author Archives: ew452

A Mission From God

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Prior to last Friday, I had never seen The Blues Brothers, and I didn’t generally know what it was about. A friend of mine mentioned that it was one of their favorites, and it’s been hanging out on my mental “to-watch” list, so I was excited to see it listed.

The Blues Brothers surpassed my expectations, nonexistent though they were. I think that one of my favorite parts of the film was the music. In general, I was especially surprised by the escalating over-the-top-ness. After every crash or explosion, I thought, okay, that’s it then, but a few scenes later, there would follow an even more dramatic incident.

In the end, the brothers succeed in saving the orphanage. However, the cost of their journey catches up to them, and they are immediately arrested. In the final scene, we see them playing for the other inmates with armed guards standing above the hall. As the prisoners start to get rowdy, even more guards are called in. Meanwhile, on the wall behind the stage is written in friendly bold letters, “It’s never too late to mend.” It’s interesting to see that contrast between a message about the importance of second chances and the firm oppression that has been applied.

 

 

Designing Urban Transportation

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At last week’s Rose Café, GRF Seema Singh shared her work on the study of gender and mobility, with an emphasis on the context of the developing world. Prior to attending, I was unfamiliar with the topic, so I’m glad that I had the opportunity to learn about the process of planning urban transport and the primary challenges of crafting policies in this department. The discussion was thought-provoking, and there were interesting comments and ideas going around the room.

We mainly discussed the situation of transportation in India. As cities develop and expand, transport grows extremely overcrowded and streets become clogged and difficult to navigate. Competition between private and public transportation ensues, and problems such as noise pollution are created.

The overcrowding of transportation also has a large impact on women, partly due to their “assigned” positions in society. Generally, men are expected to work and earn money, while women take care of the house and the family. Thus, women often travel to multiple points throughout the day, for example, dropping children off at school and buying groceries, compared to simply traveling to the workplace and back. Additionally, when families own a car, it will be available to the men more often then it will be available to the women.

Sexual harassment is a large concern for women traveling throughout urban areas. Reserved spaces for women only, such as designated train cars or pink vehicles piloted by women, address safety concerns and have inspired more women to travel using city transportation. However, these safe spaces only present a short-term solution to a more complicated problem.

Communicating Climate Change

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At last week’s table talk, we discussed We Rise: The Earth Guardians Guide to Building a Movement that Restores the Planet, a book by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. The author begins by describing his speech to the UN in 2015 regarding the urgency of climate change. Instead of memorizing it word for word, he goes off-script and lets his passion take over. I was impressed by his confidence and his whole-hearted approach. I can’t imagine standing up in front of so many people and going out on a limb like that. The way he tells his story, the detail that he includes, reminds us that sometimes, looking at the experience of a single person can communicate more than facts and figures. When he goes on to talk about his connection to his family history and the strength that it brings him, his authenticity truly comes through.

On that day, he was preceded by another speaker who shared a poem that she had written, promising her daughter that she would not let rising sea levels swallow the island that she calls home. Xiuhtezcatl tells us that her honesty truly struck an emotional chord with the audience. Hopefully, his book strikes a similar chord with his readers and kindles passion in activists everywhere.

Alternatives to Traditional Agriculture

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I worked a little with hydroponics and aquaponics for a project in high school, so when I saw that Erica Hernandez would be talking about hydroponics, it caught my interest. I was surprised and excited to hear that this kind of work was going on here at Cornell. Although I didn’t have a chance to try the lettuce that was grown there, I would love to stop by the greenhouses and take a look at the set-up that they have.

At the café, it was neat to learn a little more about the different types of hydroponic systems available and to hear about the advantages and disadvantages of deep water culture, nutrient film, and aeroponics. Additionally, I had the chance to learn about the effect that the type of light has on the plants.

The ability to grow vegetables and other plants under any weather conditions, provided the right materials, is a strong advantage that these systems have. It will be interesting to see how the hydroponics industry expands in the future.

Preservation of the Past and Problems of the Present

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It was neat to hear a little bit about the history of Ithaca and the effort to preserve historic buildings. I would like to stop by in person and glance at some of the buildings that we discussed. I agree that it’s important to preserve little pieces of the past, and I like the idea of merging something new with a slice of something old. I also enjoyed looking at the old map of Ithaca. It was interesting to see how much has changed since 1882. I wonder what it would be like to live with a host family and walk up to campus for class, as students used to do.

I was surprised to learn about the extent and severity of the housing situation. Although effort has been put forth to lower rent in Collegetown, prices still remain hazardously high. According to Mr. Schroeder, there may now be a “glimmer” of a sign of change, but only time will tell.

The Flavors of Fall

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I absolutely loved apple fest last week! I was impressed by the variety of apple-related products. I’m glad that some of the lines were so long, because otherwise I would have been very tempted to try everything. As it was, I went for hot apple cider, apple pie, and an apple dumpling. Each was delicious, and the cider was perfect for warming up after walking around in the light chill.

It was very interesting to learn about the details behind apple-farming. I didn’t know that producing varieties of apples was complicated or competitive. It was also neat to learn about the apples that Cornell has recently developed- SnapDragon and RubyFrost. When my sister and I were younger, to prevent the fruit from turning brown in our lunchboxes, my mom would cut an apple and an orange together, then put them in the same Ziploc bag. But, RubyFrost doesn’t turn brown after being cut, and it has a bright, attractive color in order to appeal to kids. I was also surprised to learn that apparently, kids generally prefer to eat smaller apples. When my sister and I were younger, we thought that the giant apples were the best thing ever.

After hearing so much about apples, I’m curious to see the Cornell Orchards.

Discovering Something New

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Last Saturday, I was completely charmed by the tour of Cornell’s Botanical Gardens. I was truly impressed with the variety of flowers, herbs, and trees that were displayed there. I had heard that the gardens were a nice place to visit, but I had no idea that they were so close to campus. I can certainly see myself walking over in the future to relax and admire the flowers.

I especially liked hearing facts and stories about the gardens from our tour guide. For example, I learned that beyond the paths that we visited, they actually manage over 3,400 acres of natural areas, including the area around Beebe Lake. I also enjoyed hearing about the history of the language of flowers. The symbolism has carried on for so long, and it seems incredible that a message can be sent with such detail. Each flower and each color can have powerful implications.

I assumed that the Botanical Gardens closed during the winter, so I was surprised to discover that, although most of the gardens are covered, the “Winter Garden” remains open. The Winter Garden includes an array of plants, bushes, and trees that look cheerful during the cold season. Some of the trees have branches that twist and curl to form fascinating shapes, and the bushes offer bright red berries.  I look forward to stopping by later this year and seeing exactly what the greenery looks like when dusted with snow.