I really enjoyed this film about how different sports teams appropriate Native American culture. It was very eyeopening how so many people don’t care that they are disrespecting others. It made me realize how some people’s values can be so distorted. The film also made me analyze my life and made me think more about whether or not I have been appropriating certain cultures.
Author Archives: sfl35
Chernobyl Episode
I loved this show about Chernobyl. I never knew about this terrible accident until after this series. It really shows how terrifying nuclear technology is and how out of control it can get. I think that the series relates a lot to covid as it explores how politics and science can become intertwined. Another thing that stood out to me was the perseverance of our communities in the face of tragedies such as this one and how we are able to band together. I feel like watching the series with my peers brought be closer to them, as we shared a lot of the same thoughts.
Color Cornell
I really enjoyed this coloring session. It was a great way to destress from studying for my semi-finals. I never thought about coloring with excel cells before but this innovative technique was very creative. I also enjoyed talking too all the people in my group and figuring out a way to illustrate the slope using excel cells. I would love to do this activity again with other landscapes.
Mini-pumpkin panting and Halloween trivia
I really enjoyed this explore program. I love painting and it was a great way to socialize during these times with Covid. I also learned a lot about the history of halloween I learned what candy corn was originally called, how many pounds of candy corn that are produced every year, why women looked in mirror while walking downstairs on halloween, and that medieval traditions inspired trick or treating. I also didn’t know what mischief night was until this activity. I would love to participate in another trivia night!
social justice in the American university
I really enjoyed this talk about social justice on American universities. I thought it was very interesting how since we are at an Ivy League our demographic on campus is very different than most colleges. At other colleges, they have a lot less resources and look to the ivy league as an example. Also I enjoyed the idea that colleges are a micro-communtiy that represents the larger population. The speakers urged that universities shouldn’t just throw money at social problems and instead attack the root of the problem. Since many universities are built on racism, it’s important that they address these problems that don’t just involve financials. I didn’t know before this talk about the different racial problems that arose in Cornell in the 90s.
Yoga
The Yoga session was very relaxing and definitely was a huge stress reliever for me. It allowed me to connect to my body and my mind more. It reminded me of the camps that I used to attend in Taiwan where would meditate and connect with our minds and bodies. I would definitely recommend yoga to anyone that wants to relieve stress. I didn’t realize how much stress I was holding in my muscles until I did the virtual yoga class. The experience made me want to take yoga next semester as a PE class. I think it is extremely important to stay active during the quarantine and yoga is a great way to do it.
The Effects of Mass Incarceration
This discussion of the effects of mass incarceration on society was very eye opening for me. I never knew all the ways that mass incarceration could affect not only the incarcerated but their families and their communities. It was surprising to me that kids who live in a community where a lot of people are incarcerated have lower cognitive abilities even if they were not directly affected through incarceration through a family member. In addition, it was discussed how many children of those incarcerated have developmental problems causing many of them to be kicked out of preschools, thus, setting them back education wise. I also never thought about how child support could bury incarcerated fathers in debt. It was discussed how when released on probation there are many fees that need to be paid plus child support that causes a overwhelming amount of debt for those incarcerated. The issue of racism was also brought up when it was shown that black people with arrest histories are way less likely to be hired than white people with arrest histories. It was also interesting to me how because of the internet arrest histories become way more public, and that a record can cause way more damage now than it did in the past. Finally, I agree with the notion that families are the key element that decreases recidivation rates. I think that the program in which the incarcerated help their children with their homework is a great way for the incarcerated to stay connected with their family. Finally, I thought it was terrible that some people rather stay in prison that leave since they have no support system on the outside, and they are used to life in prison.
Unpacking Whiteness
The TableTalk: Unpacking Whiteness and White Supremacy helped me understand the complexity of racism and the historical significance of structural racism in the United States. The discussion helped me realize how implicit bias and racism is truly ingrained into every aspect of society including social groups in schools and gentrification. Likewise, from this discussion I was able to better distinguish white imperialism and supremacy. Being an Asian American, the concept of white guilt was always hazy to me and this discussion helped me better grasps the different aspects of the phenomenon . Feeling guilt from witnessing other people from your race being racist was a foreign concept to me until this discussion. As an Asian American, I always felt like Asians were left out of the conversation of racism in American. However, this discussion made me realize how Asian Americans also have implicit bias that contributes to the pandemic that is racism. The discussion helped me realize that as a country, we have a lot more that we have to accomplish socially so that we can dismantle racism. This would involve a tremendous amount of reform in every aspect of America, as racism is structural in society. I think think that it’s important for us to realize that racism can not be dismantled overnight as it has existed as long as our country has existed.