Clay Sculpting with Rose House!

Posted on April 19, 2016 by cbeck

Events at the Johnson Museum have been some of my favorite events in the Rose Scholars program, and the Studio Thursday event did not disappoint. When we first arrived at the museum, we had to wait for a bit while they set up, allowing everyone there to introduce themselves and predict how the clay making would work. None of us knew what to expect; we didn’t know if the clay would be like modeling clay, or real clay that needed to be fired. Before we got to figure out what they clay was like, we went to see clay sculptures from ancient South and Central American groups. The forms and colorings of the sculptures varied based on location and time periods. Looking at the clay sculptures helped to give some inspiration for the next step.

The clay we were given to model with was similar to modeling clay, but wetter and easier to mold. It was also self-hardening, so there was no need to fire it. I decided to make a clay hippo, which was harder than it sounds! Everyone around me was making something different, including a cat bowl and a turtle. Making clay sculptures was super fun and a great way to get to know other scholars!

Dinner with Kate Harding

Posted on April 18, 2016 by cbeck

Rape culture has become an increasingly relevant topic on college campuses, and Cornell has been doing a great job on working to educate students on issues including sexual assault and harassment. Part of Cornell’s efforts to make the campus a safe place for students is Sexual Assault Awareness Week, which this year included a talk by Kate Harding. Kate is the author of Asking For It: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture and What We Can Do About It and is extremely knowledgeable on the topic of rape culture on college campuses. Before Kate’s talk at Cornell, she joined us for dinner at Rose. Although sexual assault is a sensitive topic, we were able to have an informative discussion on what is happening around us. Something I found interesting that we discussed was “sexual contracts” and apps that ensure both parties are consenting before engaging in sexual activity. At first, I thought this seemed like a good idea. To me, it seemed like this would prevent men from being falsely accused, and would also help make sure that both parties are consenting, as sometimes this can be unclear. However, Kate informed us that while these contracts and apps have benefits, consent is something that has to be ongoing. While consenting at the beginning of the act is important, an individual can change their mind at any time, something that a contract could not cover. However, it is a significant step in trying to prevent rape and to help rape victims.

For the Love of Tennis

Posted on March 24, 2016 by cbeck

As a huge tennis fan and member of the club tennis team, I was very excited for the Rose Café talk from men’s varsity tennis coach Silviu Tanasolu. Coach Tanasolu is a fantastic tennis player and coach, so getting an insight as to how he manages his team was an amazing opportunity. Something that struck me from his talk was how well the varsity athletes manage their time. With 2-3 practices a day and travel on the weekend, it is often difficult to maintain academics with this busy schedule. However, Coach Tanasolu, the assistant coach, and the academic advisors (including our own house professor Garrick!) help the team to complete both their academic requirements and their intense tennis training.

The recruitment aspect of his talk stuck out to me as well. I had considered playing college tennis at several lower ranking Division I colleges and Division II colleges, so I have experienced the recruiting process first hand. Hearing about the recruitment process from the other side was extremely interesting, especially from a coach of one of the top tennis schools in the country. Coach Tanasolu seems to focus largely on character when recruiting a player, as it is important to have a player who will fit in well with the team. Often, many of the players recruited for Cornell have no experience playing in a team environment, as most of their competitions are individual. Coach Tanasolu also pays attention to how the players treat their junior coaches, as this will often reflect how they will treat him at the college level. It is important to have players that will respect their coach and do what is best for the team, so character is very important when selecting players to recruit.

Helping the Undocumented Youth

Posted on March 21, 2016 by cbeck

On Wednesday, I attended the Rose Café with GRF Esmeralda! She spoke about her PhD research on the DREAM act and DACA relating to undocumented youth. An undocumented youth is someone who came into America without inspection or with false paperwork, and often these individuals do not even know they are undocumented for a long time because of the actions of their parents. This hurts their education, especially hurting their chances of achieving higher education. The DREAM act, which stands for Development, Relief, and Education of Alien Minors, sounds like a positive reform program for undocumented youth. However, it was put under a lot of criticism because it only addresses education. Personally, I feel that this act was a good start towards helping the undocumented youth, as education is one of the most important things in a young person’s life. After looking at images regarding the DREAM act, it is very clear that education is the main and only goal. While this goal of education for everyone is very important, the overall quality of life for these undocumented individuals is far more important and encompasses the big picture.

Can We Beat Extinction?

Posted on March 7, 2016 by cbeck

On Monday, February 29^th, I went to the Cornell Cinema to see a film screening of Racing Extinction. The film, which largely focused on the growing extinction and abuse of ocean life, showed viewers how badly we are treating our environment and what will happen if we continue to abuse wildlife in such a way. The film had many grotesque images of the cruelty occurring, which made me and some of the other rose scholars I spoke to after the film upset and angry with the way our environment is being treated.

One of the most memorable sections of the film involved a fishing village in Indonesia that hunts manta rays. Manta rays were becoming increasingly valuable, as their gills were believed to have medicinal purposes. Killing and selling these rays was the village’s only source of income, so the people of the village were uninterested in stopping the hunting. However, the makers of the film told the villagers that if they continued to hunt the manta rays at the rate they were currently, the population would completely disappear, and there would be no source of income for their children or their children’s children. To help fix this problem, the village is working on becoming a tourist attraction, where the manta rays can serve as a source of income without being harmed. This seems to be a great situation, as all parties involved are gaining and helping the environment.

Other memorable scenes from the film included a busting of a popular sushi restaurant in California that was selling whale meat and several undercover trips to black market dealers in China. It amazed me how high the demand was for endangered animal products; a demand so high and profitable that sellers are willing to break the law and hurt the environment to provide people with these products. The film really helped to open my eyes to issues occurring all around the world, and if the film’s popularity rises, we may be able to stop this mass extinction and environmental harm before it is too late.

A Memorable String Performance

Posted on February 24, 2016 by cbeck

Last Friday, I attended an amazing quartet rehearsal by the Momenta Quartet. From elementary school through high school, I was very involved with orchestra and I loved to play the violin. I haven’t played at all through college, so it was very refreshing to listen to a live string performance. The group started their rehearsal by telling us about the piece they were playing, Janacek’s String Quartet No. 1, which was based on a novel. The novel told the story of a man who suspected his wife was cheating on him with a piano player she was working with, and aspects of the stories climactic moments were present in the different movements of the piece. The Momenta Quartet had two violinists, a violist, and a cellist; however during their performance it sounded like there many more musicians playing.

After the performance, I got a chance to talk to the musicians about how they got started with music and how they became a group. All of them had been playing since a very young age and knew that they wanted to pursue a career involving music. They formed their quartet gradually over time, and Adda, the second violist, was the last to join in 2009. They have grown closer over time through rehearsing and preforming together, as they all share a strong passion for music. I really enjoyed my time playing violin, so it was a great experience to listen and talk to this quartet who love what they do.

The Housing Crisis in Ithaca

Posted on February 16, 2016 by cbeck

On Wednesday at Rose Café, Lisa Nicholas came to speak about housing and infrastructure in Ithaca. What struck me the most was the percentage of Ithaca employees that commute-over 80%. This is most likely due to the very expensive housing options available in Ithaca, as well as the shortage of housing options available. While permeant housing is the real issue, the city of Ithaca seems to only be working on hotel developments. While the new hotels will bring more visitors to Ithaca, it will not help the people of Ithaca dramatically, as there is still only a 0.5% vacancy rate. The people of Ithaca, including the students, need new affordable housing options; however the plans to build a new apartment building were rejected and hotels are being built instead.

Personally, I have seen the issues with student housing in Ithaca. My friends and I spent countless hours trying to find affordable housing in a decent location. This process took up countless hours of our time. We finally found one of the cheapest options in Collegetown, but it still had a high price tag per month, plus utilities and other fees. The apartment is old and has no natural lighting, with six bedrooms and one bathroom. I have friends at other colleges who rent new 4 bedroom apartments with two bathrooms for almost half the price of this Ithaca apartment, which was the cheapest option available. Because of the high demand for student housing, realtors can charge insane prices for average apartments. The rents charged in Ithaca are very close to the rents charged in New York City, which seems extremely unreasonable. Something needs to be done to fix the rent issue, as students and Ithaca citizens are all suffering.

New Art and New Friends

Posted on February 10, 2016 by cbeck

On Thursday, I went to the Johnson Museum Opening Reception to see the new exhibits on display for the spring semester. I was planning on going to the event by myself, but two of my Rose Scholar friends also ended up attending and I made a lot of new friends at the event, including GRF Antonio! The event started in the lobby, with tables of snacks and a hot cider station, where you could make your own hot cider with different flavorings.

The first exhibit we went to look at was the new exhibit, which was an interactive exhibit. There were two large canvases on the ground, one which had pillows and a TV, which you were encouraged to sit on. My friends and I sat on the pillows for a little while, looking at the artwork on the wall and the other canvas, which was painted in a similar manor (blue with white cloudlike patches) and featured a burnt formation of sticks, and the surrounding canvas was burnt as well. The canvas said, “The sun is gone but we have the light”, which I found to be an inspirational message, telling us that we are the light and can lead others with our brightness.

One of my favorite exhibit in the museum was the laser room. I really enjoyed it because it was a very different, modern form of art. Depending on where you stand in the room, the lasers look different. They also bounce off of you and the other people in the room, making a unique show every time. The dynamic art was fascinating, because every time you moved there was something new to see. Overall, I really enjoyed my trip to the Johnson Museum and I would recommend it to everyone, especially those staying at Cornell over February Break to check out the Valentine’s Day exhibit.

Icy Fun

Posted on January 31, 2016 by cbeck

I used to love ice skating as a kid, but I had not gone in about 8 years. So when I saw Rose House was having an open skate at Lynah Rink, I got excited to try ice skating again. And it was a lot of fun! I did not remember how to ice skate, but SA Caitlan was extremely helpful in teaching everyone at the event to skate. She also taught us some cool tricks, like skating backwards. While I wasn’t able to master the backwards skating, everyone that could looked great doing it! There were also a lot of people there who were very good, and it was a lot of fun watching them on the ice.

I also found the history of Lynah Rink very interesting. Before the rink was built, the team played on Beebe Lake. So when the winters weren’t cold and the lake didn’t freeze over, the hockey team had to completely skip the season. Since we have a good hockey program, I can’t imagine our team having to miss out on a season, like they would have had to this year. With the very mild winter we’re having this year, it was great to spend time on the indoor ice!

Rose Scholars Spring 2016

Explore, challenge, connect

Author Archives: cbeck