On a snowy day in April, I was feeling ready for spring to come even more than usual. I wanted the warmth and to see the missing sun again. On that day I went to the Johnson Museum and worked with clay. It was nice to do something with my hands instead of my mind for once. We made fruits and vegetables that we were eager to have this summer. My piece of clay became a watermelon. It was fun to do something artistic and I learned a lot about the museum while I was there. I have spent almost an entire year at Cornell and yet before that day I had never even gone to the art museum. There are so many programs that I have not utilized there and I cannot wait to make use of them now that I know where to go.
Author Archives: smp358
Funny Blues Brothers
This movie was highly enjoyable. I had never seen it before, but later talking with older family members I realized that all of them had. It’s a classic and a very funny one. The movie was hilarious and I will always have the excuse that I am on a mission from God in my back pocket. I recommend The Blues Brothers to anyone who has never seen it, because it is a wild, hilarious, and worth it ride.
Saturday Relaxation
With finals right around the corner after an already stressed filled semester, I have been stressed since August. There is barely ever a break and the days until winter break are on a countdown. On Saturday I had a brief moment of relaxation when I received an amazing massage. I had chills the entire time, and was finally able to forget about some of the things I had to do, which usually loom over my head at all times. I asked my massage therapist at the end whether she could feel how tense someone was when she did a massage,, she immediately responded with yes. I found the massage very beneficial and can see the need for a little relaxation in a stressful life.
City Planning
The Rose Cafe this week really challenge how I think of my ecological footprint and the way I live where I live. When I think of my hometown from a city planning perspective, I am able to see why certain things are the way they are. There is reason behind every decision whether it is that a city is built on a grid to ease transportation or that there is a park on that street, but not the other. It was really great to hear about where others in the rose community where from and what those places are like. Sometimes it feels as if we are all living two different lives, our home life and our school life. I think that this talk enforced that idea even more, and I enjoy my time in both.
The Right of Healthcare
What is a right? That was one of the first questions that were addressed at this week’s table talk. A right is a principle of freedom. We also discussed the difference between rights and human rights. There is a clear difference between what a regular right is, and what a human right is. A regular right may be given by a government, like the right to bear arms, but a human right is a right that a person is to be afforded from birth. After the table talk I can agree that healthcare is a right that everyone deserves. One main argument against universal healthcare is that there are people who do not work and therefore freeload on others. There are always going to be people that work the system and get what they want without working for it, but there are many that do the work and deserve to have their health be a priority.
Respect to Commercialization
Halloween comes around every year, with costumes and candy galore. Parties are prevalent and everyone gets the opportunity to become someone else for the night. I trick or treated every year for a long time. It became almost like a mission, there were tools and strategies. It took stamina, speed, and determination. At table talk we discussed among many topics, that not everyone has heard of Halloween. In other areas of the world their is no Halloween. Different festivals fall around the same time as Halloween. Mexico’s day of the dead and other harvest festivals just to give an example. There are different traditions around Halloween, but many see it as the day where the dead are closest to this world, which is where the idea of the Halloween festival began with the Celtics. Halloween is far from a festival to remember and protect ourselves from the dead. Commercialization has swept through the holidays, and Halloween was not spared.
A Deadly Chase
Action, adventure, and awkward kisses. North to Northwest is about a man that is mistaken for an assassin and must go on the run to clear his name. It ends with an action filled deadly chase on the the faces of America’s previous leaders, at Mount Rushmore. The movie makes you wonder what you would do if you were mistaken for a world class assassin and had to go on the run. Sometimes I like to think about what would happen if I had to go on the run. There is a clear difference between what would happen today and what occurred in the movie. Now a days, there are cameras everywhere. Everyone has a cell phone, and whether we are aware of it or not, every move we make is cataloged. Privacy has gone away, making going on the run harder than ever. I hope that I am never mistaken for an assassin because I doubt I could hide out with a pair of sunglasses to keep my identity a secret.
Apples to Apples
I have been apple picking once, but I never thought about what went into actually making or engineering apples. Cornell continues to amaze me with what they can do with food. An apple designed for children’s lunches may seem small, but it is actually a revolutionary idea to me. I wish I could have tried the Ruby Frost or the snapdragon, that Cornell invented. Apples are a tasty treat, but they are also money. I did not realize how much went into the apples that I eat. I truly enjoyed apple fest. The day was a perfectly crisp fall day filled with good food and better friends. It felt as if the entire Cornell community was together off of campus, all together enjoying a fun event. I will never just eat an apple again, without first wondering where it came from and how it came into being, but I will definitely eat more apples.