I went to apple fest again this year with my friends. Through this event, I have gained a greater appreciated of the culture here at Ithaca. I bought a lot of apple cider and apple cider donuts during this event and explored parts of the Commons that I had previously never been to. I definitely will come back to Apple Fest again this year.

Exploring the Cascadilla gorges was an educational experience, being able to learn how the gorges were created during the beginning years of the university. Our tour guide, Todd Bittner had pictures of the gorges when it was first created and it was very interesting to see how some parts like the overall structure and the bridge on top stayed the same for over 150 years but things like the trees and the amount of water flow was significantly different. Growing up in a suburban area, there is nothing like this back home so being able to see the gorges up close and learn about its history gave me a lot of insight on how the gorges changed over time due to things like weather and human intervention.

Apple Fest was another experience I never had before. Having all the vendors lined up with their self-made produce was a delightful scenery.  I was able to try apple cider and apple cider doughnuts. In my honest opinion, the apple cider tasted very similar to apple cider that can be bought from the supermarket back home so I was was slightly disappointed. However, the apple cider doughnuts were made fresh at the table so after consuming them while they were still hot was a big win.

All in all, both experiences were my firsts so it was very educational and exciting to try new things. I definitely cannot wait for Apple Fest next year and hopefully, it is not as hot as it was this year.

For my Rose Scholars event, I went on a walking tour of Cascadilla Gorge, where I saw the gorge in all of its beauty while also learning about the processes that shaped it. Although I am admittedly not a geologist, I was impressed by how much it had changed over time. Millions of years ago, not only was Cascadilla Gorge, and most of New York, south of the equator, but it was underwater too! That is actually how much of the gorge formed: years and years of sediment being compressed by the ocean waters.

Even in more recent years, the gorge has gone through several profound changes. For example, we learned that part of the gorge used to be so filled with gravel that it literally created small islands, which could be used like stepping stones to cross from end to end. More recently, a good portion of the trail was destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene. Thankfully, it was fixed with FEMA disaster aid, allowing us to enjoy a walk in nature.

Overall, it was fascinating to learn the geological processes that shaped the world around us, especially in the context of my university.

Ithaca is gorgeous. But did you know Ithaca is “historic” as well?

I went on a tour of Cascadilla Gorge today and was surprised by both the natural and historic transformations that have shaped the Cascadilla Gorge over the past centuries. A very long time ago, the entire Ithaca was underwater. Then platonic movements lifted the land up above sea level. The underwater period, together with erosion over time, has transformed the land into the one that we see today. The rock is actually a composition of hard sandstones and relatively softer materials like shale (that can be broken apart easily even by hand).

The the city of Ithaca began to form gradually thanks to its natural resources. People utilized the gorges for utilitarian reasons, building dams to generate power. The waterways also serve as important transportation paths before prior to the popularization of motorized vehicles. But later, as the main power source shifts to electricity, the gorges were transformed for recreation to become the beautiful park that we see today.