Author Archives: Izzy

Building Relationships and Understanding

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I submitted my absentee ballot two weeks ago, after spending countless hours researching and educating myself on the subjects at hand. This is the main reason that I was invested in attending the election viewing party that was hosted last Tuesday night. Yet, my takeaway from that event was not at all what I had expected. I went in with the intent of keeping in the loop with the outcome of the election, and I left with a renewed sense of community.

After the last presidential election, Rose House hosted a support event for people who wanted to express their fears and feelings, which I left with a newfound notion that this country is divided not only by different ideology but also by a barrier in communication. What I witnessed through the election were people who were already so rigid in their stance that they were unable to hold an open minded conversation listening to someone who may disagree with their opinions (which I also believe to be the path to solving disagreements). It seemed to be as though political opinions could only be expressed around those who already agree with you, creating a positive feedback cycle of validation for each other.

At this viewing party, I found myself not only researching more thoroughly the procedures surrounding the electoral system, but also being able to openly discuss different topics with those around me. I made a new friend who taught me more about her views and her experiences, while we patiently waited for updates and attempted to further understand the forecasting methods used for reporting predicted outcomes. I really felt this was a wholesome and uncommon event, to feel like part of the community and be able to hold open discussion on different issues. I’ve seen politics end many friendships, but I have hope that bridging the gap of communication can also create new ones.

Cathartic Creativity

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It is always during this time of year when I seem to get stuck in routines.

Wake up

Get ready for classes

Sit through lecture after lecture and discussion after discussion

Do homework

Find time to eat and exercise

Go to bed

Day in and day out, I’m just trying to fit within this box of acceptable submissions for assignments and acceptable conduct for society. Let’s face it, academic stress has a way of further stiffing creativity. What’s a better way to break out of that routine than with a weekend Rose House painting event?

Personally, I’ve never had much artistic talent. It takes a lot out of me to produce something that can pass remotely as artistic. I’m used to expressing myself through verbal means, but that was all the more reason to step out of my comfort zone and attempt something as bizarre (for me, anyway) as painting.

I can’t produce a replica of Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ like many of my fellow Rose Scholars evidently can, but I was able to paint a pretty decent canvas of a quote that means a lot to a friend of mine. Maybe I don’t have what it takes to make it as an artist, but it was nice to get my hands dirty with paint and markers, while listening to beautiful music that set the perfect ambiance. At least with art, you don’t have to stay within the box of guidelines.

 

Identity is Unique

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I know I’m probably in the minority when I admit that last Friday was the first time I had ever watched, what many people consider a Halloween classic film, Nightmare Before Christmas, and under the impression that it was a Christmas movie rather than a Halloween movie. Therefore, I spent a lot of time thinking about what made this film special to everyone else, because I know that I definitely have seen other holiday movies that I enjoyed much more.

One message that I believe we can all take away from the movie, regardless of demographic differences, is that identity lies in the unique aspects of ourselves, just as it did for Jack in Halloween Town and Santa Clause in Christmas Town. The reason that Jack failed in his attempts to replicate the Christmas spirit was because he shouldn’t have been trying to mimic the spirit of Christmas. Despite any good intentions he had in guiding the people in Halloween Town to replicate the warm and kind spirit of Christmas, they were not able to use their talents to their potential in this regard. Halloween is its own special holiday, with its own spirits and celebrations that makes it different from any others, especially different from Christmas. Similarly, I think many people find themselves in situations where they think by mimicking the actions of others or following the same paths, they can be just as successful and fulfilled. I know I have unintentionally fallen into that way of thinking a few times in the past. This movie is a perfect reminder, especially during a highly transitory time of year, full of different celebrations by different cultures, of the key principle that we can be successful and unique if we focus on our strengths and using them to serve others, just as Jack did with Halloween after recognizing that his strengths were not in bringing the Christmas spirit to others’ lives.

From Apples to Apples

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Apple Fest was nothing new for me. My friends and I are always excited to get off campus for a while and enjoy the unique experiences that Ithaca has to offer. Getting to try some yummy treats while we are at it just makes the experience so much better! Who doesn’t love food? Even if you’re not a huge fan of apples, there are food trucks there with all different cuisines. It was, however, the first time that I had heard about the history of Apple Fest and had learned about the apple industry itself (curtesy of SA Katie). Quite frankly, I didn’t realize that there were so many apple varieties because I personally have a hard time differentiating the tastes of different apples. Maybe my palate is just not as refined as others’. I also didn’t realize that the government used to have the sole rights to new varieties developed at public institutions (as was my understanding from our pre-apple festivities discussion). I think having this newly divulged information prior to visiting apple fest gave me an entirely different perspective on my experience. It was nice knowing that I was supporting local businesses and industry while enjoying my time eating everything apple related.

Beauty in Botanical Gardens

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I’ve been to the botanical gardens various times during my time at Cornell, but last Saturday was the first time that I’d ever been on a guided tour. I can honestly say it provided me a whole new perspective on plant sciences. You could tell that the professor who was giving the tour was passionate about the gardens and the Cornell history that is behind them. I had no idea that the current location of the gardens were formerly Ezra Cornell’s personal farm. This new information certainly helped to paint a more thorough picture of what Cornell (the university) and the academic endeavors of this institution meant to Ezra himself. I enjoyed the tour very much because it gave me different things to think about that I would not have considered going there by myself, such as the the reason for certain cultivated species and the various purposes of different aspects of the gardens. I was impressed that they made use of some of the land to address runoff from the nearby parking lot. I really suggest finding time to take one of these tours. You can really get as much out of it as you’re willing to invest. However, if you’re interested in checking the gardens out yourself, there are information booklets on the plants grown in each different flowerbed. I suggest looking for the edible plants!

 

A Community Effort

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The volunteering event at Stewart park this weekend gave me a newfound sense of community in Ithaca. It was the first time that I was able to be a part of an off-campus event where people from all over the city, regardless of experience or background, had gathered for one collective purpose: to build a playground for the city’s children. It really was a sight to behold, and it gave an entirely new meaning to “it takes a village to raise a child.”

The best way to describe this experience is wholesome. I had the opportunity to interact with other fellow Rose Scholars, as we made our way down to the park. Upon arriving at the park, I met townies with whom I had the pleasure of working through our assigned tasks. I met alumni who gave me career advice. I saw people from all walks of life sharing their stories with each other. On the way back, most of the Rose Scholars group ended up dinning together. This provided the opportunity for discussing our experiences at Cornell and sharing bits of wisdom and advice with each other, to be more successful in this admittedly stressful environment. It dissolved away the sense of competition that I feel usually encompasses my interactions on campus and created a supportive environment for discussing our concerns.

In the end, I feel I got as much back from my time volunteering in this community endeavor as I had invested. I may have been covered in dirt and sweat, but my spirits and attitude towards this semester felt refreshed.