Judge Scott Miller really turned this into a great event and made it more than a movie, and he got us to play different roles in the audience and engaged us further during the event. I really got to analyze the movie and resultingly question Ripley’s ethics in terms of what he did and how he was able to finesse several people. Matt Damon’s acting was amazing, and he played the role of a psychopath in Ripley really well. Without spoiling the film or revealing any additional encompassing details, I would say that you should definitely watch this if you want to see a movie with a thrilling plotline that stars quite a few great American actors.
Author Archives: mnm67
The Writing Process for Jobs
When applying for jobs, we can be intimidated by and shy away from opportunities that require a set level of experiences we may not have. However, this isn’t always the case because the way we portray ourselves in writing may be the differentiator that pushes our resumes through to the next step. For instance, I realized that most cover letters can come off as dry, and it’s important to tell your story. You can be very accomplished and have the qualifications, but if your story isn’t compelling, that could possibly work against you instead of in your favor. The mini-seminar was really helpful in teaching us how to be better writers when it comes to cover letters as well as personal statements/grant proposals, and it definitely emphasized the value of writing and opened me to new perspectives in my own professional job search.
Making Clay Cups?
I never thought I would do a Rose Scholars event that would put my clay sculpting abilities to the test. We were instructed and taught how to create clay cups/mugs that would then harden after 48 hours. My parents were here for family weekend, and I thought it was cool that I could give them the clay cup from the event. It reminded me of when I was a kid and brought art projects home for them to keep. If there’s one main lesson I learned from clay sculpting, it’s that you should try to go out of your comfort zone. It is important to attend events that you wouldn’t normally see yourself going to, and in the process, you’ll meet some great new people along the way. There’s so many people at Cornell that you may never meet, but I think it’s important to put yourself out there to try and open yourself to new friendships or opportunities.
The Value of Human Capital
It was interesting to get Mary Opperman’s perspective in terms of how employees can more effectively communicate with their employers. As a student in ILR, I found that I was personally drawn to this talk because I’m interested in how to better understand the implications of human capital and interpersonal relationships within organizations. Human resources is very undervalued as a field, and these principles can be used by managers today as these skills are valuable in any organization. Employees need to be straightforward with their managers, and employers should try to be transparent with those that work under them. The communication gap between management and its workers often is one of the primary causes of organizational problems, and learning how to bridge that gap is one of the first steps to developing a better functioning organization.
Coffee or Not?
Katie’s talk was very informative in terms of learning about the different health implications of drinking coffee as well as the chemical composition of caffeine. We never truly consider or take the time to think about what caffeinated drinks are made of – for instance, if we go to a Starbucks, we may not consider the ingredients in our drinks as well as the nutritional value of these beverages. I also never knew that decaffeinated drinks may still contain small amounts of caffeine. Personally, during my junior and senior years of high school, I used to drink coffee once in a while to stay awake for late night assignments. However, while it helped me finish assignments, it made me even more tired in the long run and caused me to crash the next day during classes. Though I was never much of a coffee drinker to begin with, I have stayed away from caffeinated drinks for a while now and will probably continue to.
Implications of Genetic Advances
Shiv’s talk on Monday was very insightful, and it taught me a lot about how genetic engineering could affect our society in terms of ranging from changing science or even impacting our economy. The implications of genetic engineering are vast, and the consequences can be either positive or negative. The story of the three parent baby was quite interesting, and I did more research into how it worked afterward. In the case of the family that successfully went about it, they used the mother’s nuclear DNA, a donor’s mitochondrial DNA, and a father’s sperm. However, according to the article, it wasn’t that simple – over five embryos were required to have one develop properly. It can be seen as positive in that a baby was indeed successful and is a great sign of scientific progress, but others may question the morality of the use of multiple embryos. In the end, with any scientific progress, people are going to be skeptical. Gene editing and genetic engineering may be viewed by great advances by some but not by all. Ultimately, we need to be aware of not only the scientific progress taking place but also how people react to/feel about these changes.
Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2107219-exclusive-worlds-first-baby-born-with-new-3-parent-technique/
Scott Miller’s Fireside Chat
During the Rose House Cafe last week, Judge Scott Miller gave great insights into his professional experiences thus far in his legal career. The most interesting takeaways I found were the moral dilemmas that he had with his clients as well as his analysis of the recent New York Times anonymous Op-Ed. Even though his own judgment may have led him to believe that some of his past defendants were guilty, he still defended them in the end. His morals seemed very unique in that he would defend his clients regardless of whatever his initial beliefs are, and that’s a level of trust and character that is not that common to find among people. On the other hand, we had a discussion about the anonymous Op-Ed, which is considered the first of its kind. In the past week and a half, it has stirred a lot of controversy, and our talk reflected an increasing belief that a shakeup may happen soon in the White House. The 25th amendment being invoked would be considered to be a rare historical event – it’s just a matter of time before certain dominoes start falling. He mentioned that we’re living in a crucial political climate historically because we, as college students, have things to speak out against domestically and internationally. It’s a great time to advocate for a cause, stand in opposition for beliefs you don’t necessarily agree with, or try to find compromise and suggest a solution that works for both sides involved.