Listening to Professor Alabi and Professor Yapici was very insightful. I think after listening to Professor Alabi talk about how joining a lab in his undergraduate was his favorite part of college I might try some research. I also found Professor Yapici’s story about rats escaping and stealing all the food in her lab pretty funny. I used to think lab work was more for people that were solely focused on academia however after hearing about the two professor’s experiences, it sounds quite interesting. Overall, I found that professors can also be very relatable. Like many kids both Professor Alabi and Professor Yapici were huge soccer fans when they were young. I think sometimes professors may seem like they are super smart and unapproachable. However, they all went through the same experiences as most students when they were younger or during their undergrad. Professors are a resource that all students should take advantage of.
Author Archives: khy29
Talk with Professor Schwartz about American Colleges
The seminar with Professor Shwartz was an interesting one. He made some very interesting and somewhat controversial statements. The first thing I somewhat agreed with was the fact that college was more turning into an “experience” instead of a place to learn. There is an emphasis on other things that are not learning. Although I also think this mindset is taking over American colleges, I think there is a reason for it. College is an interesting time in one’s life and one should look to enjoy the most out of it whether that be through learning, partying, athletics, clubs etc. Professor Schwartz did say that Cornell is different in this sense though which I guess is a compliment. Overall though, I think his advice resonated with many of the other speakers especially in the area of taking the time to explore and take advantage of Cornell instead of going through the motions.
New Developments in Ithaca and Cornell
I learned a lot about Ithaca during the interview with Garrick Blalock and Andy Zepp. The history of Collegetown as well as housing in Cornell was interesting to hear about. However, I was most fascinated by the new developments. I was pretty excited about the new development that will hopefully come to collegetown. Considering how high prices are in Collegetown, maybe this will help increase the amount of housing and maybe affordability however this is probably a high expectation. The new developments on the waterfront were also very interesting. I have only been to the waterfront once during my time here and it seems like there is so much potential to develop. However, Garrick and Andy did bring up many problems like how Ithaca is sitting in a flood plain and much of the ground near the waterfront is made up of material that is not preferable.
Injustice and Incarceration
The talk about how mass incarceration can disrupt families and communities was eye opening for me. I was most struck by how cyclical the situation. Incarceration is for rehabilitation and deterrence. However, the opposite is actually true. Incarceration leads to more crime. I never thought about how much children are really affected by parental incarceration. Without parents they are less likely to go to school and eventually are more likely to go down the road to crime creating a cycle. I think the issue of incarceration is too big to be ignored. People are guaranteed freedom and when prisons are being run for profit and have quotas that go directly against that right. I’m honestly surprised that more action hasn’t been taken. I remember watching a documentary in high school which found the reforming the U.S. prison system was actually an issue that saw a lot of bipartisan support between groups that were on completely opposite sides of the political spectrum. It is an injustice for people’s freedom to be treated so nonchalantly especially when it can affect their families as well.
Learning American Sign Language
The seminar on American sign language was. I was surprised by how intuitive some of the words were. Compared to learning other written languages in highschool which require a lot of grammar skills and are sometimes unintuitive sign language seems to be the opposite. Although it did require a lot of thinking for me because I was new to sign language, many of the words made a lot of sense. For example, a lot of the direct objects are just pointing at oneself or someone else. Other verbs were also very intuitive and seemed to flow as well. Additionally, the grammar is very simple compared to my experiences with learning Spanish and the endless conjugations. I think that sign language should be taught more even if it is at a basic level. It is so accessible and easy to practice. I had a lot of fun practicing the signs such as signing my college and major. It was also fun to learn some of the more “interesting” signs.
Starting Early with Grad School
The grad school seminar was one of my first exposures to the grad school application process. I never thought too much about the application process before. It seems as if there are a lot of differences but also similarities to undergrad applications. The main point I took away was to do research early. Many different schools seem to have very different requirements on testing, recommendations and even submission time. I remember House fellow Zach mentioning that one of his friends missed the submission deadline for a key application. Even things that may seem obvious need to be researched as soon as possible. I think researching early is also good to see if you are fit for grad school. I know that I am still uncertain whether I want to attend grad school right after completing my undergraduate or maybe after working in industry for a few years.
Virtual Trivia About Cornell
Before attending this trivia session I thought my knowledge about Cornell was somewhat decent. I wasn’t in my first year anymore and had experienced most of campus. I pretty much knew where all the buildings were and also most of the people the buildings were named after. However, after playing some Kahoot on Cornell trivia I soon realized how much depth there is to such an institution. I completely stumped on questions like whose brain is in the Uris brain collection? Or how many steps to the top of the clock tower? as well as other various trivia. There was so much I didn’t know that I felt like a completely new student. It made me realize how little I actually understand about this complex institution compared to what a thought. I think this concept is tied to almost all advice I have received from faculty or alumni. In all the Rose Buzz interviews, the speakers always tell the students to explore everything whether it be research or teaching because there is so much out there. Doing random Cornell trivia made me realize how true that statement is.
An Interview with Judge Miller and Professor Fontaine
I really enjoyed the interview with Professor Fontaine and Judge Miller. One of the most interesting parts of the interview was their backgrounds. I thought they were an interesting contrast of one another. Professor Fontaine started out in college with no idea of which direction he was headed and learned that he had an interest in Classics after taking a class with a professor he liked. Judge Miller on the other hand sort of had the goal of law starting very young as he came from an area that had high crime. This really gave me reassurance about my own path. I came to Cornell with certain goals and saw a specific path. I thought I knew where I wanted to end up. However, I also came to Cornell with pressures to study certain things and to focus on a career that could support me in the future. All these pressures sometimes build up, and I often think about what I would have chosen if I came into college with Professor Fontaine’s mindset. A mindset where college is about learning about what you are interested in. Some of my favorite classes have been classes outside my major that have had really passionate professors. Overall, I don’t think one approach is better than the other. There are benefits to both mindsets that are not mutually exclusive and can be taken advantage of.