I had the opportunity to attend a Yoga session on this Saturday. I have always wanted to try yoga, seeing other people enjoying the relaxation and inner peace it brings them. I thought it would be a nice break and relaxation from the hustle and bustle of being a student at Cornell. The Yoga certainly helped me relax and just take a much needed break. We did different stretches and poses including the downward dog. As someone who usually enjoys higher intensity workouts, yoga was a pleasant surprise. We focused on our breathing as we held different stances, instead of constantly moving. I think it’s very important to take some time out of our busy schedules to relax and take a break and yoga definitely helped me achieve that. Our instructor was also very knowledgeable and helped us correct our stances and taught us the correct form. After this class, I am definitely open to doing yoga more often as a way to loosen up and destress.
Author Archives: wl522
CPR Training
I am finally CPR certified! This is something I have been meaning to learn about for a while now. Before taking this class, I was a bit intimidated by the idea of learning how to save a person’s life. It still intimidates me after being certified, but now I feel more prepared if I were to face a situation where my newly learned skills would make a difference.
In this CPR class, we learned the steps one must take to correctly perform CPR. First, we learned that if a person is unconscious always call 911 FIRST. Then, check if the person is breathing, if not, you should start with compressions on the sternum. I learned that CPR should be done with 2 breaths for every 30 compressions. Practicing on the mannequin many times, seeing the chest rise as I breathed into the mannequin’s mouth, seeing the chest rise up and down as I did my compressions, certainly helped me to gain more confidence. I believe that this class was invaluable in that it taught me an extremely important skill that may be used on day. Especially as someone aspiring to work in the healthcare field, CPR is necessary and I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn and become certified myself.
Ithaca Housing and Affordability
At this rose cafe talk I learned more about the history of the buildings in Ithaca. I didn’t realize how relevant this was to me until we started discussing rent prices and how they are continually on the rise each year. As a sophomore, I witness friends struggling to find a place within their budget in collegetown. Mr. Schroeder mentioned how if Cornell lowered its dorming fees, then collegetown landlords would have to lower their rents as well to compete with housing rates. I never thought about this, but it makes sense. However, we also discussed how Cornell does not pay the property taxes like the rest of Ithaca does since the institution brings great revenue to the city. I find it interesting that even though Cornell can afford to pay these taxes, it chooses not to. In fact most large institutions I learned, do not have to pay certain taxes like Cornell. Another important point that was brought up was the height of the new buildings constructed. Theoretically, if more floors were built, housing availability would increase and rent would decrease creating a win win for landlords who have more tenants and tenants who pay less. However, Ithaca sets a limit on the height of buildings partially because the land underneath the buildings are unstable for high buildings and also because there is a certain “sweet spot” at which buildings can be of maximal profitable use. Overall, this rose cafe talk was quite eye-opening, I learned new interesting information about not just Ithaca’s infrastructure, but the logistics behind the way housing and affordability in general.
A Gorges Hike
This morning I went on a beautiful hike down on the Cascadilla Gorge. I had passed by the gorge on my runs before, but never actually went down and explored. I had no idea I was missing out on so much.There were countless steps on that trail that went from College Avenue down past Stewart, but it was well worth it. The sight and sound of the water running down the rocks was a peaceful and beautiful experience. Not only did we enjoy the great view, but we also learned about the history behind the gorge. Our Rose House fellow showed us pictures of the same gorge over 100 years ago and many things have changed including the way the waterfall looked. I was shocked by how much money went into preserving and up-keeping the trails, 2.8 million dollars! Small details we don’t pay much attention to contributed greatly to the preservation of the gorge including the rust resistant hand rails, the rocks lined up as a barrier between the trail and water, and the cemented rocks we walk on. Although the price was steep, as Todd mentioned, the Cascadilla Gorge is a very important part of Cornell history as it was one of the first lands that Ezra Cornell purchased and not only that, it serves as a great outdoor classroom. I believe we have a truly unique and historically important campus surrounded by beautiful nature and I will definitely be taking advantage of it.
Fall Feels At Applefest
Applefest was a fun and certainly a tasty experience for me. Being a first-timer, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Before heading out to the commons, we learned about the apple economy that is so important here in upstate NY. I was fascinated to learn that Cornell has it’s own patented apples. I may or may not have bragged about this to my friends..
The commons were filled with stands and stands of people selling apple and non-apple products. I’m proud to say that almost all of my purchases were apple related, I definitely got the true applefest experience. I made an entire round through all the streets and stands with my friends first to scout out what exactly we wanted. It was a bit overwhelming with SO many options and new foods and products I have never seen. Just getting through all the stands took longer than expected, but it was well worth it. I bought myself some hot apple cider, apple cider donuts, fresh apples, apple pie, maple popcorn, and the most interesting buy, an apple caramel macaroon. The highlight of the trip was definitely getting fresh apple cider donuts right before they ran out.
Surprisingly I am not tired of eating everything apple, in fact I think applefest gave me a newfound appreciation for apples and all the treats that they make possible. I will definitely be going back to applefest next year and filling my stomach with everything apple!
A King’s Struggle
After watching the King’s Speech I couldn’t help but feel a sense of empowerment. It was truly inspiring to see a king, whose people look up to him and regard him so highly, go through such a burdensome struggle and overcome it. Even a king can be imperfect. As I was watching Bertie struggle to get his words out as if they were stuck in his throat, I felt frustrated as if it was me up there in the stadium humiliated and ashamed in front of my own people. While the movie was definitely moving and well-made, it was of course quite predictable. Continuing to watch Bertie struggle and lose patience with himself in his sessions with Lionel, I was just waiting for his moment. The moment he speaks without hesitation. The moment he just lets go. When that moment finally came, I was relieved for I believed in him as if he was my friend. And of course the highlight of that scene was Bertie’s line in response to Logue’s comment about his struggle with enunciating his w’s: “I had to throw in a few so they’d know it was me.”
Lionel’s character fascinated me in that he had no formal medical training and managed to cure not just anyone, but the king. He had such a great responsibility in his hands, it was up to him to treat the leader of their nation. And he handled it in his own peculiar ways, but ultimately succeeded. Although the movie was predictable and somewhat cliche, I don’t think we can ever have too many movies telling us to push ourselves past our self-imposed limits.
Stopped to Smell the Roses
One of the first places I explored on campus was the botanic gardens. On move-in day my family decided they wanted to take a nice stroll around the garden. Going on a tour the second time around this past weekend, was a different experience than my first. I actually learned about the specific properties of the plants and flowers and took the time to stop and appreciate the variety of plants the garden has to offer. I was very fascinated by the scented plants, one of them being the lemon scented one. The most interesting information I learned about however, was the architecture of the welcome center. It is a gold rated LEEDs building meaning that it is built to be environment friendly. I was particularly impressed with how the building is kept cool without AC!
This trip to the botanical gardens served as a calming break from the busyness of school and work. I enjoyed taking the time to appreciate the nature we have here right on campus. I plan to go back to the garden in the winter time to see the winter garden portion with the various different pine trees.
Saturday At the Farmers Market
I’m from New York City which means I will jump at any chance to do something new and “non-city-like”. The Ithaca Farmer’s Market was the perfect opportunity to do so. I along with my peers walked through west campus down to the farmer’s market. Before we left we learned a bit about the history of this market. I found it fascinating that it was voted #2 for best farmer’s market in New York State.
I had always seen pictures of people here and always kept a mental note to go there one day. Now that I finally did, I think it’s safe to say the market exceeded my expectations. I was truly impressed by the variety of diverse foods and items. The market had fresh fruits and produce, tasty foods, plants, artwork, and my favorite… plants! Of course I didn’t leave with empty hands, I picked up some fresh fruit and juice, and two new plants for my room.
Besides the wide selection of food and produce, I also appreciated the atmosphere of the market. Locals and students came here to have a nice afternoon by the water enjoying delicious and fresh food, and picking up new finds. Local farmers and vendors also form a small community here sharing the product of their hard-work and skill. Although it was a fairly chilly day, the market still had a cozy feel nevertheless. It was definitely a well-spent Saturday afternoon at the market and I’ll certainly be going back very soon.
