Author Archives: Kelly

Reflection on universal healthcare and education

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This week at Rose Cafe Judge Miller brought up a very interesting point about fixing a lot of problems in our society. In order to attempt to tackle over issues we must first ensure universal healthcare and a quality education for everyone as a basic right. Universal healthcare is quite a controversial topic but I think a lot of problems would be solved by introducing universal healthcare. I think a lot of times people fail to seek preventative care and treatment because healthcare under a system of private insurance is expensive and often times they can’t afford it. This seems to be a political debate of a lot of interest and I personally am not very well versed in healthcare however it do think it is not a privilege it’s a right. Now onto the point on education. I know this a topic of importance to most of you considering you are  students at an ivy league university (yes, I know people think we are a fake ivy). You didn’t start out here though. You started out in elementary school then went to middle school and then high school. (At least I did, I suppose that depends on where you grew up). Personally I attended public school and received a great education. However, some people aren’t that lucky when it comes to going to public school. Their schools are underfunded and overcrowded. They are receive a lower quality education because of where they live. They receive often times a subpar education because they are economically disadvantaged. Everyone should have the right to a quality education. The composition of Cornell would be completely different if everyone who went to public school was afforded the same education. The majority of Cornell wouldn’t be from Westchester, Long Island or New Jersey. (There would still be a high percentage probably because legacy kids but it would hopefully be slightly more diverse.) I think fixing healthcare and our education system are expensive but worthwhile investments.

(also side note yes i realize this is uncategorized but there is no tag for this event yet)

Hope?

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After watching Loving last night the message of one person (or in this case on couple) can make a difference. We often think we need an entire movement to make a difference (and in many cases it is helpful) but the fact that this couples case in the supreme court changed the lives and laws of the United States is inspiring. Despite the odds they were able return to Virginia. Virginia has come a long way. Danica Roem was the first openly transgender person to be elected to Virginia Legislature. This is exciting on a national level because the only other openly transgender person to be elected to state legislature in the US was in 2012 when Stacie Laughton won a seat in the New Hampshire House. She did not take office however because she never disclosed her felony conviction and it cause a public uproar. Althea Garrison came out during her term in the Massachusetts house after being elected in 1992 but lost every election after coming out. (source: New York Times) The fact that a transgender democrat was able to win a seat in Virginia gives me hope that we will eventually be able to move forward as a country despite the current state of the executive branch.

Things you can do in 2 hours

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Tonight I watched Citizen Kane and I was not a fan. The film was 2 hours long so instead of going and watching it here is a list of things you can do instead. [Please note that while I was not a fan you may enjoy the movie I just thought it was not a good fit for me.]

Here are 10 things you can do in 2 hours instead of watching Citizen Kane:

  1. Take a nap because we are all sleep deprived.
  2. Watch your favorite TV show
  3. Study for that prelim you have coming up
  4. Eat oreos in bed and watch netflix
  5. Go on a run/ workout
  6. Shower because your gonna be sweaty after your workout
  7. Go sit on the slope and stare at the stars
  8. Watch youtube videos of cats/dogs
  9. Do yoga/ meditate
  10. Go to dinner with friends

 

However if you would like to know things I learned from this movie in the interest of making this a learning experience here you go:

There is a theme of materialism in the film.  So lets talk about materialism. We are so attached to physical objects and we think we need all these things to make us happy. NEW FLASH we don’t. If living in a dorm hasn’t made you realize that I don’t know what will. You feel like you need all of your possessions when I reality think about what you had in your room freshman year that you really thought you needed to bring and thought you absolutely needed only to move out in May having never used it/ worn it/ thought about it. We as a society surround or selves with stuff to make us happy whereas in reality we don’t really need it.

Objectification of women in North by Northwest

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So… can we just talk about how the only role of the female main character is to be objectified by the men in the movie and without her looks her character would be useless. Also the way Mr.Thornhill tried to seduce her was really creepy and if anyone every said that to me I would run away. All in all I don’t want to make this blog post longer than it needs to be Alfred Hitchcock needs to do better. Women are not objects or something you just have sex with, we are human beings. The movie also had the auction scene in which Mr.Thornhill said that she had no feelings to hurt. That is absurd. I think he thinks women who engage in one night stands lack emotions. Why is it frowned upon for women to have one night stands but for guys its ok. Like women are supposed to keep their legs closed in society and men are allowed to do whatever they want and have sex with as many people as possible. This movie and society in general needs to realize it is 2017 (yes I realize this movie is old) and that this is not ok.

Opinions on Parenting in The Dead Poets Society

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*Warning Spoiler Alerts for Dead Poets Society*

So with the suicide of Neil it poses the question of why? His parents clearly had planned out his life for him and it seems like he felt trapped. Acting allowed him to be free but being forced into the mold his parents made was too much. I think your parents shape who you are. Having such rigid boundaries I think can be detrimental to a child. Too much structure isn’t a good thing but too little structure is also bad. I think once a child is old enough to make their own decisions you can’t dictate their life. I think you need to have a conversation and try to understand their point of view rather than bark orders. From personal experience my parents have been divorced since I was a little kid so I got to experience two very different parenting styles.  I had one parent who didn’t listen or even try to understand my point of view (and doesn’t to this day) and my other parent took the time to have a conversation about things. Having a conversation about things and keeping the lines of communication open is very important in my opinion. It is very beneficial to have a parents point of view explained. If a kid doesn’t understand why they won’t feel inclined to do something. Neil was older and in the case of high school students I think they need guidance but I don’t think they need someone breathing down their neck. If someone is constantly watching you it can be kind of suffocating.

Decoding our Genetics

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The NOVA episode Cracking Your Genetic Code brings to light a lot of interesting topics. One I found specifically fascinating was do we want to find things out about ourselves via genetic testing? Personally while I think it would be fascinating I think a lot of people would turn into hypochondriacs. I don’t really want to know what my risk of developing a certain disease is. I could spend my entire life worrying about a disease that I may never actually contract. The film brought up another good point from the opposite point of view if I am at a lower risk for developing heart disease my lifestyle choices may change leg. eating high fat foods which would increase my risks. If you spend your whole life worrying about a disease or condition you may have in the future and worry about it now whether or not you get the disease it has ruined your life because you were obsessing about it. Also the idea of privacy. Your DNA is unique to you and potential having your genetic results end up as a matter of public record one day is scary. Right now DNA testing  for research is anonymous but genetic testing could be used against you. If you have a high risk of developing a disease you might be denied health insurance and with all the problems already occurring with healthcare in the United States do we really need more problems?

Wine Cellar Scene in The Kings Speech

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In 2010 film the Kings Speech the main character has a stuttering problem. Which is the premise of the movie but that’s not what I’m going to talk about. Did anyone else notice the dead pig hanging in the back of the wine cellar? That cannot be sanitary. As an animal science major I have done my fair share of working with animals and dissecting dead ones but I’m pretty sure having a dead pig in your basement is a biohazard. When we do big dissections (I’ve only done calves) you typically wear boots and an apron. I’m sure for butchering it’s different but you are going to end up tracking blood through the wine cellar. Also how long has that pig been hung up like that? It was not a focus and was in the background but it bugged me for the rest of the movie.

In terms of him having a speech impediment I think it plays into most people taking thing for granted when they aren’t afflicted with certain issues. As someone who was made fun of as a kid for having a speech impediment I think that its something most people take for granted. I think this is also an issue faced when we think about ableism. As someone who is able bodied I think I do take that for granted sometimes and something a lot of people who are able bodied take for granted until they are forced to really think about it. I think this made me think about things about myself that I take for granted.

Space Botany

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If you have not seen The Martian this contains spoilers. You have been warned.

Can we just talk about the fact that Mark Watney managed to grow potatoes on Mars? I think this exemplifies the importance of knowing how to grow food. I know the vast majority of us will never be forced to grow food in space but it is a very useful life skill. Without plants we would all die due to lack of food. (Side note I am not a plant science major but shoutout to all the plant science majors). We all eat food everyday (at least I hope we all do) but how many of us actually think about where that food come from and how its grown. How many of us if put in a survival situation would be able to grow our own food? How many of us if we were dropped in the middle of the woods would know which plants are edible or inedible. I personally have know some survival skills (i.e. shelter building, fire building, etc) however after discussing it with a friend it is clear that many people lack the skill necessary to survive in an emergency situation. I think this has made me reflect on what survival skills I possess and what skills I need to learn. I know a lot of people spend their lives indoors and hate going into the woods so it seems abstract but they are important skills that are necessary for survival in an emergency situation.

I would also like to say it is incredible that he managed to fix so many things with duct tape. While I think duct tape is useful for fixing things I don’t think it would ever be able to airlock the hub. I know these are really random thoughts but overall the movie was amazing and as a science nerd I loved it.

Black Mirror *Spoiler Alert*: Exploring Ideas in The Entire History of You

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The third episode of Black Mirror, The Entire History of You, explores the idea of memories. The episode take place in the future where nearly everyone has grains implanted behind their ears they record everything they hear, see and do. The memories can then be replayed in front of that person or on a screen for everyone to see.

There are times where I think the grain is useful. It would make court-cases easier because you can see what happened and don’t have to rely on the testimony of two biased parties. On the other hand I would like to believe that people are trustworthy. Honesty is something that I really value and this technology would make me less likely to trust people. I would always want to see the proof and not truly trust anyone. I think trust and honesty are very important in developing interpersonal relationships. Liam clearly doesn’t trust Ffion when she talks about her relationship with Jonas and wants to see the proof. Once he finds out it ruins his relationship. He begins to live in the past and seems like he wants the relationship back. I suppose ignorance is bliss.

One of the big themes in the show, which was just briefly touched upon,  is the idea of living in the present versus living in the past. After the main character Liam breaks up with Ffion he begins to relive all the good moments he had with her. It is nearly impossible for him to move forward because he keeps replaying what happened in the past. In order to move forward he is forced to remove his grain. Is this technology of the future really just keeping us stuck in the past? I think in order to move forward as a society we can’t be stuck living in the past. Can you imagine all the moments you would relive wondering what you could have done differently?

Overall I think while it is a cool technology in theory, in practice it would cause more problems than it would solve.