Once again, this week in Rose Cafe, I was inspired to learn something that I had no prior knowledge about. I had no idea that LED lights could be used to grow hydroponic vegetables, much less that the colors of the lights mattered. Hydroponics seems to be the future of plant growth, using less time, space, and labor to grow crops than the traditional way with soil and enabling harvest all year round. I am amazed that vegetables grown by this method are more nutritious, though implementing the system can be costly. But to me, the benefits of hydroponics far outweigh the costs, so I am excited to see it become more popular in the future.
Author Archives: kl886
Modern Primitives
At our first GRF-led Rose Cafe this week, Sam Legasse shared with us his interests in modern primitives as a second-year PhD student in English. I found his juxtaposition of masculinity versus femininity through the Tiller Girls dance performance particularly interesting. As a student whose interests are totally different from those of Sam, I was excited to come to this event to hear and see how another student at the same institution as me can have an entirely different educational experience. I enjoyed analyzing visuals through Sam’s perspective and thought the overall discussion was novel and thought-provoking. I would love to learn what other GRFs are currently studying as well.
More About Ithaca
This week in Rose Cafe, John Schroeder shared with us several ongoing development trends in Ithaca and the impacts that these have on students. It was amazing to see the layout of Cornell at its very beginning; it reminds me that we are all treading on a piece of history. Ithaca is special in its geography and culture: before this, I had never thought of the possible limitations architects faced when designing buildings, such as swampy soil that prevents buildings from being more than 9-10 stories tall, or the impact of our university on the otherwise quiet town of Ithaca in economic and social regards. I enjoyed learning more about our school and town from a unique standpoint.
Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall
On Wednesday night, we met in Rose Cafe and listened to artist and cosmetologist Nicholas Carbonaro share practical advice on how we can look and feel our best as college students on a budget and crunch for time. I am still awestruck to have met someone who has previously worked for Madame Tussauds. His story inspires me and is a reminder that I can be anyone or do anything in the future as long as I am passionate in my work. It is easy to get caught up over our physical appearances nowadays, especially when social media is at play, but Nick helped put things in perspective by reminding us that as college students, our priorities should be our academics, and that there will be more time further down the road to experiment with our physical appearances.
The Wonders of Cornell
I loved my first experience hiking through Ithaca’s gorges; it made me realize how blessed we are to have such amazing works of nature right on our campus. My favorite part of the guided trip, led by Rose House Fellow Todd Bittner, was probably when we compared the gorge to what it looked like in the 1900s. The pictures that Todd showed us helped explain the changes that took place over time, for example, the flattening of the waterfall, new additions to the bridge, changing surrounding foliage, and added infrastructure of course. I also thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the history of Cornell’s founding, as it reminds me to always be grateful and will enrich my overall experience here. My wish is for more students to be aware and take advantage of the opportunities provided by the university to explore Cornell’s nature. An environment as grand yet calming as ours is difficult to find at most other college campuses. It is humbling to know that a natural masterpiece lies tucked away behind buildings but is always there to explore, and I appreciate how intricately woven our campus is with the natural landscape of Ithaca. Before this trip, I never knew that such a trail lived right under my nose.
Building Perspective
As a transfer student in the midst of a rather difficult transition to Cornell, the Tuesday night talk (October 3) with Dr. Hill and SA Andrew in the Rose Main Seminar Room both reassured me and helped put things into perspective. In a highly competitive environment such as Cornell, it’s easy to get caught up with grades and purely resume-building activities, but with the help of Dr. Hill and Andrew, I realized that what matter most are the relationships I build with the people around me. It is important to take advantage of the amazing network and opportunities offered by Cornell faculty and offices because these resources may not be available anywhere else. I am extremely privileged to attend a university like this one, so keeping things in perspective will allow me to make the most of my time here. I hope to take this valuable advice with me in all my future years at Cornell.
An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Just before heading down to Ithaca Commons on Saturday (September 30), a group of Scholars and I gathered in the Rose Common Room to learn about the significance of apples to Cornell and its surrounding community. Led by Dr. Blalock, our discussion offered a glimpse into the meaningful process of naming apples. Now, I pay more attention to the names of the apples before mindlessly eating them. I was also amazed to learn that the RubyFrost and SnapDragon apples were developed by Cornell (in partnership with the NYAG), and love that the SnapDragon was made especially for children to get their nutrition. I encourage all members of the Cornell community to take advantage of the rural and agricultural aspects of Cornell, such as the gardens, orchards, and Farmers Market, as these things are not as readily available at urban campuses like Columbia University or NYU. Finally, after going to Apple Fest and learning more about the fruit, I have ditched bananas for apples at the dining hall.