It was my first time ever watching Zootopia and I expected it to be a cute animated film, but it made me reflect on society and its construct. I realized how similar their society was from ours in which we claim our society to allow for anyone to follow their dreams and “be whatever they want to be” as we had the American Dream. However, we were confined within the restrictions of social class divisions and the never-ending cycle of poverty. I was also amazed how they were able to insert the power dynamics and how media can play a huge role on stereotypes. The film was very relatable in ways I did not expect, and I enjoyed every aspect of the film, whether it be the plot, characters, or message.
Author Archives: cj359
Judgment of a Person
“The Talented Mr. Ripley” was a very interesting film to watch with lots of thinking going on. Throughout the movie, I thought of Dickie as a rude and spoiled person who was going through puberty. On the other hand, Ripley superficially looks and acts like a kind and hardworking man. When the murder happened, it is really hard to fight for either side knowing the full story behind their relationship and the physical fight that happened on the boat. It made me realize how you can’t be biased towards someone in a trial because anything can happen that could have led to murder. I’m amazed how many different cases of murder there is and how it can differ between states.
Insightful Advice
I realized after attending this session that as an engineer, I have not written and read on my free time in a long time. It is actually really helpful to set away some time for writing and reading so that I could relay my thoughts and writing clearly and concisely. Also, I have never written a cover letter and coming to this session really helped me learn what format guideline is needed when applying for internships. I also learned that my extracurriculars that are not related to my major builds character and traits to their impression on me.
Seeing The Nightmare Before Christmas in Another Light
As a child oblivious and innocent while focusing on the bright colors and the general plot of The Nightmare Before Christmas. However, now that I am seeing it again, I can relate towards the characters’ actions. I was able to enjoy the movie more that I could understand their actions on a personal level, such as when Sally tries to escape from her owner’s house and explore the outside world. It was nice reliving my childhood memories with this movie break from studying. I love how mischievous the tiny minions were and the creative Halloween ideas they created with Christmas concepts.
Apples Galore
It was quite interesting hearing that there are millions of kinds of apples that get developed and patented. I never knew there was so many things that could be made with one ingredient, apples. I enjoyed seeing apple cider getting churned, candy apples, donuts getting fried, and a variety of apples in barrels. The line for the “apple” donuts was especially long, and I ended up getting a dozen. However, they did not taste like apples at all, which confused me. I also really enjoyed the Ithaca community coming together to support the apple farmers.
The Invisible Barrier
I realized to put myself out there more and break the fear of speaking to my professors and adults outside of lecture to become more knowledgeable about the field I want to go into and what kind of opportunities I have. I always thought that adults would think I was ignorant if I asked questions, but it is their job to answer our questions; and I should be using the resources I have while I am here. Networking among peers for group work is also very important as I found that I could relate to many of the team carrying situations. I never thought of working in group projects prepared us to work with strangers for my future job. Good teamwork abilities need to be learned before I step into the outside world to create products effectively. From this cafe talk, I made a goal to network with one adult and one upperclassmen by the end of this semester to gain more perspectives of my life decisions outside of my peers.
The Street of Lights
I was surprised by the continuous downhill path to the Farmer’s Market, thinking Cornell as always uphill. I have never went far outside of campus by walking, as I always took the bus either to the Commons or to Collegetown, but I have never seen such colorful and old houses in New York. I am from New York City so the environment still intrigues me how people live so far away from everything. The Farmer’s Market was bustling with people and the string lights warmed the vibe, giving a very homely feeling. I’m amazed how many people come visit the Farmer’s Market (2nd best Farmer’s Market) even though it is at a remote place, but it is worth the trip to go see the different homemade and environmentally friendly crafts there are.
