After attending a Bridgerton discussion which was practically a “book club” except with a tv series, it became clear to me that the series Bridgerton was more interesting than I thought. I was in a difficult place because I had heard of the show but had never had the time to watch it yet but as everyone was engaging in leading conversations about the drama that went on in the show, I was just itching to want to binge watch the show now. After the discussion, I immediately watched the first two episodes and I was definitely not disappointed with what I have seen so far. Overall I am thankful that I attended the discussion on Bridgerton and I look forward to finishing the rest of the series hopefully not too soon for the sake of my health.
Author Archives: ndr44
The Sounds of Protest
After attending LWYL Cafe: SONIC RESISTANCE Curating the Sound of Protest, I have come across a new revelation of how indigenous cultures should really be emphasized more as music plays an important role in defining one’s unique culture. The representation of music in protest against authorities in my opinion is an excellent way to really pull at the heartstrings of others as they signify to them that their culture is literally being forgotten with their removal from the land they inhabit. It is most certainly an unexpected and unique way for indigenous cultures to act in response to eviction, while they search for refuge all over lands. I was intrigued by the music played during the webinar because it sounded very peaceful and meaningful as this form of resistance against decolonization is very clear in stating that they mean no violence. They are just respectfully asking that their land, that was wrongfully stolen from them, is brought back into their hands, or even asking for a sense of social equality among their peoples.
The scoop on Cornell during COVID
After attending the Table Talk with Ryan Lombardi I have gained a lot of insight on how Cornell really is performing during this hectic time. I found it interesting how Lombardi stated how many people did not believe that Cornell could control the coronavirus pandemic and that it would eventually shut down during the first couple of weeks. He himself disagreed and from this day his instincts were on point, where I too was a naysayer at one point. In addition, many of the students as well as I were pushing Lombardi to try to get more breaks for us as we desperately need them during these very difficult times. Overall, my biggest grievance was acknowledged by another student to Lombardi, being that there is no testing site located on West Campus, where I live, and that in order to get tested we have to walk up the slope every single time. If this is the only change that could happen, I would be very appreciative of it although the exercise can be good for us sometimes.
Don’t Wait For Internships to Come to You
After applying to internships last year at a time that was apparently too late, I found this panel very appealing to me. The students really emphasized how important an internship was and that makes me have an even greater motive to apply for as many internships as I can this year. Although, I really need to take advantage of networking as some students did, even if it is with small companies, because as I have learned, it is quite difficult to start off at a big company. Getting out into the world is very important as the earlier you communicate with others, the greater your chances are of starting an internship, and that internship eventually grows into a greater internship then eventually you land yourself at a big place. Grad school is just around the corner so it is imperative that I begin my career path as soon as possible, or else I wouldn’t know where to go after undergraduates. Overall, this panel allowed me to learn more about internships and the limitations/requirements for getting into a successful internship that boosts your career path dramatically.
Viewing the world with new eyes
This documentary really opened my eyes as to how beautiful the world really is. Oftentimes, this beauty goes unnoticed due to technological stimulation holding a greater value in modern human life than the fascinating diversity of life all around us. I particularly found the biomes of the animals particularly interesting. The vast assortment of organisms that exist shouldn’t be overlooked. The narrator, David Attenborough, added a nice touch because it sets the entire tone for the documentary. He is a major advocate for saving wildlife and preserving the planet which adds to the overall ambiance of the film. I appreciate the dedication he has for our world given that most people display arrogance and lack of concern for the health and prosperity of our planet.
Grad school prep has already begun
After attending the Thursday seminar “How to Succeed in College and Beyond: the Art of Learning”, I have learned from professor Schwarz that it is very important to get to know your professors. He suggests that for every term that we have we should at least get close with one professor because this person is responsible for recommendations in the future and they can hook you up with other academic opportunities. I found it very amusing when the professor mentioned a story about his son finding out that his teacher has beer with his students because I would not even expect to get into a scenario like that, especially if it were to happen at Cornell. Either way the grad school application process is no joke and Schwarz emphasizes this very much as students grow throughout college.
Armstrong pulls on my heartstrings
After watching the film First Man, I felt a sense of appreciation. This is not only for Neil Armstrong himself, but I began to realize the amount of dedication and discipline it takes to be a real astronaut. At some point in a kid’s life, they are bound to say that they want to become an astronaut. Little do these young kids know that you have to be one of a kind to make it to the moon in real life. Armstrong just so happened to be one of said people who was able to overcome a difficult personal struggle and still be successful. It was heartbreaking to see how Neil Armstrong’s daughter died of a brain tumor because I had thought that such a cancer is rare at her age.
Despite the challenges that Neil Armstrong faced as a human, it seems as if he had to make himself a robot to prepare him for his space mission. Since this was during the time period of the space race in competition with the Soviet Union, I thought that this film was going to go into the political aspects of being an astronaut that Armstrong had to follow. However, I saw the emotional toll it took on him and how his entire personality has evolved when he blocked out his family before going into space. I hypothesize that this may have to do with wanting to emotionally detach himself so he would not miss his family in space.
Potential evidence for prison reformation
After attending the the webinar, Criminal (In)Justice: How Mass Incarceration Disrupts Families and Communities, it has caused me not to change my perspective of racial injustice, but allow me to shine a different kind of light upon the issue prevalent in society. Incarceration is seen as such a negative thing- it is as if once someone goes to jail, no matter the crime, their name is forever tainted. Also, the worst part of jail is that once the time being served is over, this person now has to join back society with no real help whatsoever. It is even worse when this said person was wrongfully given an extended jail sentence just for being black, all thanks to mass incarceration and our nation’s jail system.
Our society fails to recognize that these people are humans too. Most of them have a family, friends, people who raised them and pray and hope for their success. Our country does not allow for former convicts to live a happy life. Based on the stories of the panelists, I agree that there should be a system implemented for rehabilitation of former convicts so that they do not end up homeless begging for money, and they can instead get a job and be able to afford to live in a proper home with adequate living supplies.
I never knew how unprepared I was for grad school.
After attending the Thursday Seminar: Grad School 101, I have received a lot of information about graduate school that I really thought I already knew. I did not know that there was a whole process for determining where I would want to go after undergraduates. The first steps are to determine if this path itself is one you want to take, whether your career goals match what your education goals are. Next is figuring out where in the world you would want to be situated. For example if you get into a grad school in New Mexico, you would have to consider living there during the time being and how you are going to get there. Another big thing is making a list of all of your goals. In the seminar they emphasized making a long list of your many aspirations then to condense it into a more realistic, smaller list. However one of the most crucial parts to this process is the application process. This includes choosing what to apply to, deciding if the program you are applying to is the right one, debating whether you would have a good chance of getting into the school, etc. One of the things that I did not really consider in this process is the writing of personal statements. You really need these when applying for internships, research, or getting into programs within institutions. In the seminar I have learned what not to write on these important documents and what to emphasize. After, doing all this I would not have even known if I didn’t attend this seminar that applications are due April 15th and that we do not have the whole year to wait to apply. Overall, this seminar has been very helpful as I definitely plan to go on to graduate school to pursue my careers of obtaining a master’s degree.
Judges are not as stiff as they seem
After being in a meeting about an interview with Mike Fontaine and Scott Miller, Tompkins county judge Scott Miller has really changed my views about county judges, or even judges in general. One of the more fascinating things that I have taken from this interview is a little story about one of the cases that Judge Miller had. In the case, the defendant, a teenage boy, came into a public courtroom a little late, wearing a shirt that was not suitable for the occasion. As a matter of fact, the shirt read some words that encouraged breaking the law, ironic enough to bring to the courtroom. After being scolded by Judge Miller, in the boy’s next trial he came into the courtroom late, saying he was busy changing in order to be appropriate for the occasion. The boy came into the room with a t-shirt that illustrated a tuxedo and Judge Miller thought he was being mocked by the boy. But what really grabbed me was the fact that this little joke the boy had with the judge, influenced the judge to not plead him guilty after all, as Judge Miller himself said in the interview that connections with the Judge or the Jury definitely have an impact on your trial. This story had a significant impression on me in that the courtroom doesn’t really have to be so tense as it seems and that people can sometimes get away with small crimes as long as they take advantage of the situation.