Author Archives: Christiana Psichas

Land Conservation

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This week’s discussion was on land conservation in the Ithaca and in upstate regions of New York. Ithaca has really beautiful scenic landscapes that are invaluable to the area. I think I take these for granted sometimes because I assume that they will always be there when I want to go visit, however a lot of work goes into making sure these unique lands are preserved. It is so easy to alter something such as land, someone builds an apartment complex and cuts down a large portion of the trees to make a parking lot or puts a pool and a playground in a community center. Once all of these changes have been made, which may take a few months to build, the characteristics of that land will be altered forever. The gorges, waterfalls, and mountains took years to develop yet they can be ruined overnight if we do not take care of them. I think the biggest takeaway from this lecture is that we can not get back the land once we have destroyed it so the best way is to preserve the marvels that we have so that we can ensure their continuity. Personally, my favorite landscapes are beaches and rough waterfalls that have a powerful presence reminding us that nature is beautiful and unable to be replicated. I hope that conservationists continue to secure the future of unique lands throughout New York, but also throughout the world because there are places all over the globe that have unique ecosystems and wildlife that may be endangered if the land on which they live on is altered or destroyed. This will require collaboration across multiple countries and governments, however I think it is something that is worth doing. As humans we are responsible for changing most of the land on Earth therefore it is also our responsibility to preserve some of the land that is irreplaceable.

Social Work

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Passion for activism and social work is something that I always thought was so important and I greatly admire the people that have dedicated their lives to helping others. I never thought that it was easy, for me I enjoy helping through volunteer work in nursing homes by being someone that can listen or assist in anything someone may need. Sometimes it can be extremely upsetting. I feel other people’s pain and it is difficult to let that go sometimes. I think many of the stories I hear tend to stick with me. I want to continue to help and serve others in my life because I think it keeps me grounded and it also feels good to know that I did something that will benefit someone else. I thought the advice Laura Simon’s had about making sure you truly love the work of serving others before making a career out of it because it is very tough work was honest and true.

Laura currently works at the activist center helping women, children, and men that have been sexually abused. The amount of individuals that are sexually assaulted on college campuses is hard to estimate because so many cases go unreported. The center is a place where a victim can get help dealing with what happened emotionally or can get help pressing charges if they decide to go that route. I think these services are truly great because speaking to a third party can be beneficial in the healing process.

Laura, also talked about following your passion. She said she wished she listened and embraced her desire to pursue a career of service earlier in her education rather than going the sensible route. I think it is difficult to find what it is we love to do because we think of work as something we need to do before we can do the things we enjoy doing. I really hope that I can find something that I love to do so that I am excited to go into work everyday.

Cambodia

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This week Professor Mertha gave a great lecture. He was so entertaining and made the lecture interesting. My knowledge on Cambodia was not great prior to this lecture so I did not know what to expect. Professor Mertha told us about the genocide that took place and how the regime killed different groups of people until it finally turned on its own members. It is crazy to think that about 1/7 of the population was killed during the reign of the Khmer Rouge and most people do not even know that this event took place. Why is it that some events such as this are not well known yet everyone knows about the Holocaust? I think that the information we are exposed to is limiting in many circumstances. I am glad I went to this discussion to learn about the events that took place in Cambodia because it is important to learn about history and the awful events that took place to prevent them from happening again. Professor Mertha also had to investigate this time period and it’s amazing that he compiled all of the information for his book with the help of one of his students. They spoke to many people in China that were there and familiar with the events that took place at the time and were excited to share their stories. I think it is important for us to listen and learn from those that came before us because they have unique experiences to share with the rest of us that help us understand and appreciate the past.

The College Experience

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This week was a great discussion. Initially I thought this was only going to cover the basics of getting into college which we already went through, so I did not think it would be beneficial. I was very wrong. Professor Schwarz started to talk about the culture of sororities and fraternities at Cornell and how they limit diversity on campus because of their exclusivity, including socio-economic exclusivity. Then he went on to talk about the importance in an abroad experience and the value that brings by exposing us to a new ideas and norms aside from the ones we are used to at Cornell. I thought that I was going to spend all four year at Cornell, but I woke up the next morning and the first thing I wanted to do was make an appointment with the abroad office. I love being at Cornell, however I underestimated the value having an abroad experience. Besides gaining exposure to new places, people, and ideas, I also want to understand how companies manage to conduct business in other countries and how marketing information related to food products is passed down to consumers. There is more outside of Ithaca. Also, when in life do we get another opportunity to go somewhere and become completely immersed in another culture. There are many places I would like to visit one day but I think I want to go to Barcelona. I am so happy that I went to this lecture because it made me realize how much I want to study abroad. New situations make me feel nervous because it is difficult to step out into the unknown, but they are also the experiences that make me grow as a person and that I appreciate and look back on the most. College is not just about getting good grades and graduating with a degree, but it also includes growing as a person, and experiencing different things in life that make us question, learn, and expand our ideas.

Balancing Life

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This week was really great. I enjoyed hearing about some of the services gannet offers such as walk-in counseling, guided meditation sessions throughout campus, and help in many other areas. One thing we discussed that I want to try is using pre-studying habits to focus on work when stressed. Often times I know I have so many assignments I need to get done and when I sit down to start I get overwhelmed and can’t focus on the task at hand.

My favorite part on the talk was the meditation at the end. I felt so relaxed and happy afterwards. Before the meditation I did not even realize how tense I felt. I think I am stressed so often that I don’t even really realize what the difference between not being stressed physically feels like.

Sleep seems to be the biggest problem that everyone deals with however, I know that if I don’t get enough of sleep every night I start to feel short fused and frustrated  because it takes me much longer to get my assignments completed. I also think going days without enough of sleep makes me more prone to getting sick and then that really just makes everything much worse. It’s hard to keep a balance sometimes, but in order to feel like myself I need sleep, and time to hangout with friends, or go out otherwise just doing work is draining. I also try to make time for the gym everyday because I feel so great afterwards. I think planning in time for the gym or time to catch up on my favorite shows makes the day go by faster and gives me a break from all of the work that can be extremely overwhelming at times. I think I may try to go to one of the drop in meditations on campus as finals start to approach to decompress from all of the studying. I know this may sound strange but my favorite part of meditation is hearing the instructor’s voice, it’s so soothing. I wish they could record a guided meditation and upload it to the gannet website so that people can do a guided meditation even if they cannot make it to the ones on campus.

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This week’s discussion was on the soil. When I think of soil the first thing that comes to mind is rocks, dirt, minerals but soil is so much more. The quality of our soils impact climate change, food security, and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. When it comes to nutrition, eating nutrient dense foods is extremely important however what happens when the soil is deficient in minerals? The type of soil our vegetables, wheat, and plants are grown in has a direct effect on the nutritional quality of the final product. People that have a varied diet such as in the US are usually able to find that vitamin or mineral in another type of food they eat, however in countries where the diet is basically the same everyday the lack of a vitamin or mineral in a food product can have detrimental consequences. For example, if the soil is deficient in iron then the vegetation grown in that area could also be deficient in iron leading to health problems in people that only eat that type of food. With the growing population, food security is a major concern and it all starts with the quality of our soils. A factor that affects the quality of our soil is the climate. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere influences climate change so one part of the solution is to redistribute the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the vegetation. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is fixed therefore redistributing it is the only way to eliminate it from the atmosphere. This is extremely important for the future and everyone needs to come together to help make it happen. I have also seen this new idea for seed bombs that was proposed to increase the amount of vegetation in areas that have poor soil or lack vegetative growth currently. The quality of soil around the world is such an important component to our society that needs attention. I hope to also help in the solution for ensuring food securing in the future by formulating nutrient dense products that have a long shelf life and use limited resources to produce.

Feminism

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This week I went to the feminism for thought. Going into it, I did not know what to expect. I thought that we would be discussing women in the current age balancing career and personal life and overcoming challenges that hold women back. What we actually discussed was sexually exploited children. When the topic came up I assumed it was regarding sexually exploited children in another country but not in the US. I was completely shocked at the statistics. It is estimated that about 300,000 children are sexually exploited in the United States. My first questions was how could this be? Then I wondered how old these children were and where were their parents, who was protecting them at such a young age? Most of the girls are sought after between the ages of 12-15 years old. There are people actively looking for children that have run away from home, or that are vulnerable. I also learned that in other situations it can happen later in life. There was an instance where a women was a successful CEO but got addicted to drugs and her addiction led her to enter this life. When it comes to children however, they do not have a choice and they do not get any of the money. These kids are cut off from their old life and everything they know becomes controlled by their pimps. I was horrified. I can not imagine someone taking advantage of children in this way, yet it happens right here in our neighborhoods. I think law enforcement and the government need to take a more active role in protecting these children by getting them the support and help they need so that they are not vulnerable in the first place.

I also asked about how long it take for the few who find a way out to leave? It may take a few years before a girl can fully walk away. I think this makes for a dangerous cycle that women can not break free from. Many of these kids came from troubled backgrounds and that is all that they know. Children’s development is so critical between the ages of 12-15 years old. This is when kids are supposed to see what else is out there in the world and start dreaming about what they want to do and what they want to become. Without the support from loved ones and the opportunity to see what the world holds, these kids feel that nothing better exists. Under these conditions they get stuck in a life they never wanted and most likely if they end up having kids they also get stuck. I hope to be a good role model for young women and show them that they could have a future doing anything they want to do.

Dream Act

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This week’s discussion was about the Dream Act. This is a movement to help undocumented students be able to access resources to get a better education and jobs. One phrase that is always mentioned when this topic comes up is the term “they were brought here through no fault of their own”. I think this term has a extremely negative connotations because when you hear the current administration saying these words it’s as if they are blaming the parents for everything. The reality is that the parents who are accused of bringing their children into America did so to work hard and provide their children with a brighter future. They sacrificed everything including their homes, family members they had to leave behind, and their homeland to start their lives over so that their kids would have the opportunities that they never had. It is also misleading and unfair that people stereotype immigrants which is in some part due to the media and TV shows. They are viewed as being chased by police or being associated with drugs and crime, however that is not the case. These are regular people that work hard and are trying to improve their everyday life. Is that not what everyone is trying to do in some way? Why should undocumented students, and their families who have grown up in the USA be treated any differently. I think we need to work towards providing everyone with equal access to information and resources.

I believe that the youth is important, however the families that struggle everyday to make ends meet should not be forgotten either. This problem is not just about undocumented students and their families it is a problem which includes racism, feminism, war and human rights. Sometimes I feel that people hear about a cause and think that it does not affect them because they are not the ones experiencing the problem. Everyone is included because we can not begin to discuss and improve one issue without bringing up all of the following issues such as race and feminism. The first step is to listen, hear about what the problem is and become active by educating yourself and then others on the cause. Change can only come about when everyone recognizes the problem and decides to do something about it so that we can improve the lives of all people.

Dream Team

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Before this week I did not know what the dream team even was. I am so happy that I went to this discussion this week because I learned a lot about the struggles that undocumented students face and how every aspect of their life is affected. I thought it was great that the group of students are bringing awareness to others and are working to help other students going through such an experience. They are also looking to make a difference by influencing policies at Cornell. I think something needs to be done to help students and their families that have been here for years be able to gain access to the same resources that all citizens have. I was moved by how empowering each story was about dealing with the realization of being undocumented and what that means. The most important take away was that these students speak about their own stories in order to help others by letting them know they are not alone. There is also an amazing network that is working to help undocumented individuals navigate legal documents in order to be able to get a driver’s license and get into college.

Humor

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This weeks guest lecturer was Dr. Aaron Sachs. He spoke about the lack of humor in environmental issues. The way a problem is portrayed affects how people perceive the situation. Humor has been used to relieve stressful situation, and to put people at ease. While making people feel more at ease, humor can still effectively get the right information to an audience. If humor was introduced to environmental conservation maybe this would help people see it in a different way. Making a bad situation funny can sometimes help people realize the severity of the problem. It might cause people to act instead of taking a passive approach to the problem. Many times if a problem does not impact someone immediately they are not concerned with it for the time being. I think that is how many people view environmental conservation, as if it can be dealt with at a latter date. However, this problem needs immediate attention before it is too late to do anything. I think humor may help people realize just how serious the current situation is.

Melancholy

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The discussion on Melancholy was thought provoking and extremely interesting. Sara walked us through the history of melancholy and how it changed over time. When I think about melancholia I picture someone that has a prolonged sadness. After listening to the discussion Melancholia seems to be more of a common occurrence that is human and everyone may experience it at some point or another. It was great to make the connection with Hamlet and see how literature has depicted these emotions which are timeless. We watched a brief scene from Hamlet and saw how the emotions over powered the scene. Overall I greatly enjoyed this weeks guest speaker being in mostly science classes, I was excited to hear a discussion on literature.

Housing Ithaca

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This week Lisa Nichols was the guest speaker after house dinner. She is a city planner for Ithaca. She told us about some of the projects that the town is working on to provide more housing to accommodate everyone from students to commuter employees. There are about 13,000 people that come into Ithaca every day for work and a portion of those people would probably like to live in Ithaca. Currently, there is not enough housing to accommodate the demand and because the demand is so high real estate and rent is extremely expensive. Ithaca is a great place that many people want to live in because it has been on top ten lists for best places to retire, however it is also one of the most expensive places to live. There is a plan to move towards urban housing where everything is more centralized and easier to get to. This is a general trend because most millennials are choosing not to own cars for sustainability reasons. I think this is really great that they are planning the town around the needs of all the people that are coming into Ithaca for work, school, families, or retirement. Ithaca has so many beautiful places and a small town feel to it that brings people together.