Author Archives: vzl2

A Relaxing Time

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I really enjoyed the massage event this past week! I was a bit hesitant at first to sign up but I am so glad I did. This event made me realized it is not necessarily how much time you spend taking a break but how you spend your time during your break. Usually, I take a break from work by watching a video online or scrolling through my social media for a while. I also end up doing this for much longer than 10 minutes. But this 10 minute massage session was much more effective in helping me relax. I think it is interesting how much I enjoy planning things out as to make sure my time is effectively used, but when it comes to taking a break, I ignore all of this. There are many activities that are a better use of my “break time” than going on my computer and this massage session was a reminder of that.

After the massage, I felt motivated again to be productive for the rest of my day. It was kind of like the feeling you get when you wake up after being well-rested. As students, there are often times when we feel stressed out and I think that it is important to take some time for yourself especially in these moments. Finding the right ways to relax is crucial and it is always fun to try out new activities!

Responsibility

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After watching Loving, I thought a lot about how the lawyers failed to tell the Loving couple the full truth (such as the fact that both lawyers knew they could not save the couple if the couple were to be arrested again). Obviously, knowing all the risks that the Loving couple are putting themselves (and their children) through would deter them from continuing to pursue their case in court. The lawyers had more than just the Loving couple’s interest in mind – they were interested in the possibility of making a huge difference. Still, I felt like the lawyers needed to give the Loving couple full disclosure before proceeding with the case. In this example, everything went well and they were able to change the law. But things could have easily gone wrong at multiple points and I felt like it was unfair for Loving family to not know the details of what they were getting themselves into. What would the lawyers have done if things took a terrible turn for the worse? This was a regular couple trying to lead a happy and healthy life for their children. They had already been through a lot – having to move out of the home they cherished and having to adapt to a new lifestyle. It would be devastating to imagine what would happen if the couple was sent to jail again or even something worse.

Therefore, should the lawyers have been more responsible in how they handled the Loving couple’s case? I definitely think so.

A Tragic Life

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In the film Citizen Kane, Kane’s entire life was based on wanting to be accepted. Kane always seemed like he wanted to help people but helping people was just the means to get to his goal and was never his true goal. Overall, to me, Kane was a controlling and selfish man hiding behind a facade of success and benevolence. Who is Kane? I do not even think Kane knew who he was or what he really wanted. He seemed like a lost soul and I think that no amount of money is worth being in this state. Kane being rich therefore worked against him and he never got to explore who he truly was. Moreover, at many times in the film, I was angry at Kane, especially at the way he treated Susan. He treated Susan like a child, as if he knew what was best for her and what was not.

The ending in which Kane’s sled was burned was a reminder that he is a hurt individual and has always been due to his childhood. As much as I want to blame Kane for his actions, I also feel a lot of pity for him. This does not make his actions forgivable, but I think keeping in mind the childhood that he had is important in understanding the decisions Kane made in his life. This film taught me that there are so many things to take into account when assessing a person. Still, I think that because Kane is such a complicated character, at the end of the film, you’re not really sure if you know him better now. That’s what makes the film so special.

An Abrupt Ending

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North by Northwest was an exciting film but I thought it could have been written better in certain areas. I definitely enjoyed the plot twists and the character development of Roger Thornhill. The film had a unique combination of action, comedy, and thrilling moments. However, I was a bit confused by the emphasis of the love story in the film and I was let down by the abrupt ending of the film (with the final moments of the film showing Thornhill and Eve Kendall ending up together). While I understand that Thornhill’s attraction to Kendall plays a major role in the storyline, I definitely wish that the director/writer spent less time on this relationship and more time on Thornhill’s struggle with being framed and with having to figure out what exactly is going on. For any person in his shoes, this would be an absolutely traumatic experience but Thornhill did not even seem to be truly fazed by it. To me, Thornhill and Kendall’s relationship was not very interesting and it did not add much value overall to the film.

In addition, it seems like the movie lacked continuity, moving quickly from one scene to the next just for the sake of adding another action scene. This might have been the director/writer’s intention but I felt like it hurt the film. While these scenes definitely do draw the audience in, too many all at once makes the film feel much too “fake.” Of course, I know that this film is not supposed to be very realistic. Still, I think that spy films often have the stereotype of being very superficial and unfortunately, I think this film supports this stereotype. I think it is worth creating a spy film that does not sacrifice excitement and action for greater meaning and purpose.

Dead Poets Society

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Dead Poets Society was a heartbreaking yet inspiring film. There are so many points in the movie when I thought “these are just teenagers, why do they have so much pressure on them?!” One scene that particularly strikes me was when Neil could not talk back to his father about having to drop a club and when he referred to his friends as “future lawyer” and “future banker.” The lack of choice these boys had in their lives is what made Mr. Keating’s emphasis on “carpe diem” really speak out to them. What happened to Neil was devastating and it could have absolutely been prevented. I think it is too easy to just put all the blame on Neil’s parents – yes, their pressure on Neil did cause Neil to believe that he was trapped with nowhere to go. However, they only wanted to best for Neil and they would have never thought that Neil would kill himself. Neil’s parents clearly loved him but they couldn’t let go of their own expectations for their son. I think this film emphasizes the importance of being able to listen.

When I reflect on the film, I think of all the opportunities I have now that these boys would only dream of having – all of which allow me to further explore who I am and who I want to be. My parents have wholeheartedly supported all of my endeavors and I am so thankful for their continuous encouragement. This film definitely reminded me how lucky I am. Moreover, it really made me think about how I want to spend my time at Cornell and what kind of impact I want to have on the people around me.

Pather Panchali: A Pleasant Surprise

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When we first started watching the film, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. The plot did not seem very exciting, especially in the beginning, so I did not understand the script’s purpose. However, as I continued watching, I noticed aspects of the film that I really enjoyed. For instance, I could definitely relate to moments in the film such as Apu getting punished for not paying attention during the lesson and the genuine sibling relationship between Durga and Apu. I do not usually watch foreign films so it was interesting looking into what another culture was like at a earlier time. While the conditions of living and the lifestyle were very different from what I am personally used to and how I grew up, there were, again, many moments where I really connected to the film. For instance, the bonding between the village children (like the picnic scene) reminded me of my neighbors. After coming home from elementary school, I would often play with the other children on my neighborhood street. Looking back, there are so many positive memories that I made during this time. Durga and Apu likely feel the same way about the friends they made in their village. Thus, this film showed me that there are so many ways in which Durga and Apu and I are alike, despite the clear differences.

The film felt like I was actually watching someone’s everyday life, which is a somewhat unique idea for a movie given that movies I watch usually try to fit in as much action scenes or plot twists as they can within one or two hours. While this film is very different from all the other ones I have seen, I can definitely see its appeal though its realistic portrayal of life.

 

Apples, Apples, and More Apples!

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Having just gone to my very first Apple Fest, I was surprised by all the baked goods and other types of food that can be made with apples. From apple cider to apple loaf to apple pizza, there sure was a variety to choose from! I was surprised to learn during our talk with Professor Blalock prior to going to the Apple Fest that Cornell actually grows SnapDragon and RubyFrost. If I just heard these names out of context, I would have never guessed that these were names of apples. However, thinking about these words and the imagery we get from hearing these words makes it more obvious why these names were chosen. I think it is really interesting how much effort and meaning people put into naming things, whether it is food or some other product. As consumers, I do not think we really think twice about why something is named a certain way. I would think that SnapDragon and RubyFrost are unique names for apples but I would never question why they are given these names. Now, I feel like I will be much more observant of the names of apples when I go purchase them and try to figure out why they might be named this way. Since I’ve never actually paid attention to the types of apples, I was surprised to see many different kinds of them sold at Apple Fest!

Testing Limits

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After watching The King’s Speech, I thought a lot about how I would feel if I put myself in the protagonist’s shoes. I cannot imagine the immense amount of anxiety he feels (even before becoming King) having to give public speeches while being so self-conscious about his stammer. It was heartwarming watching the King try whatever he could to become a great speech giver and to watch his wife and daughters continuously support him throughout the process. I was reminded of the importance of family in helping people overcome obstacles. I also enjoyed how genuine the King was portrayed – his frustration every time he went to the speech therapist (Lionel) showed that there were many points where he felt like he couldn’t improve or where he was overwhelmed.

Throughout the film, Lionel tried to push the King outside his comfort zone and to gain confidence. When the King got angry at the therapist for suggesting that he would be better than his brother David if he took the throne, I wondered about the boundaries that therapists have with their patients.  As Lionel’s wife brings up, Lionel may not make decisions for his patient. This would be crossing the line. But Lionel knows more about speech therapy than the King. Still, Lionel’s work may allow the King see his potential but in the end, it is up to the King to decide how far he wants to go. However, this may also be a blurry line because people may not know where their limits are if they are not pushed to that point. Overall, this was a very moving film and it gave me a different perspective on the choices that we make in order to overcome the challenges we are facing.

Miracles Do Happen

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I went to the showing of The Martian skeptical of how much I would enjoy the film. I am not usually a fan of science fiction and I was not sure how exciting the movie could possibly get – after all, how much can one man can do on a desolate place like Mars? Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised as it turns out one man can do a lot there! The film reiterated for me how essential persistence can be. It is not hard to lose hope, especially after encountering failure and failure. For instance, Watney faced so many obstacles including crop failure and the blow-up of the hab. But Watney kept himself going – cracking jokes about his commander’s taste in music, creating video logs of his daily life, and continuously planning out how he was going to get off Mars. His teammates and his colleagues at NASA showed the same persistence – refusing to give up and repeatedly adapting to changing deadlines. The fact that Watney was brought back alive was a miracle but his own persistence and the persistence of the people rooting for him surely played a major role in allowing it to happen.

This film, while a bit cheesy, brought up a lot of interesting ideas. For me, the most important one was the idea of persistence as mentioned previously. But the film also made me think about the importance of mindset. While Watney was in distress when he first realized his teammates had left and he was alone on Mars, he quickly recovered from this distress given the circumstances. I was shocked by how fast Watney “bounced back.” He could have easily decided that there was nothing left that he could do to get back home but he didn’t. This film served as a friendly reminder that an optimistic mindset, hard work, and persistence can yield tremendous outcomes.

Memories

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This episode of Black Mirror really made me think about the harm that technology can do to us. Growing up with technology constantly improving, I think that this episode showed that many of us are too accepting of all the technology we surround ourselves with. In the episode, the protagonist repeatedly replays moments that suggests his wife’s unfaithfulness to him and I was shocked by how obsessive he became. While the ending was quite predictable, it was still difficult to watch a perfectly normal person change so drastically due to the new information he had because of technology. The plot of the episode made me think about how I am using technology and how dependent I should be on technology.

The device shown in the episode that allows for recording memories may be very helpful (for instance, in solving crimes), but it can evidently also induce a lot of stress. It was crazy to me how the device tracked everything! I learned that our use of technology should have its limits but I think that these limits are different for everyone. Some people are better able to manage their use of technology and I think this is one case in which the person was not able to manage his use of technology well. Give the same technology to someone else, this technology may yield more benefits. Therefore, I think the impacts of technology also does depend on the person. As technology continues to evolve, I wonder how I will adapt it to my lifestyle and whether I should or should not always welcome the technology.