Author Archives: Denise

We have AMAZING musical talent here at Cornell

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Sunday I attended Cornell Symphony Orchestra’s performance. Before learning of this performance I was unaware that our orchestra offered free concerts for the public. That being said, this was an amazing performance. The students in the orchestra must practice for hours and hours and hours every week to accomplish that level of perfection.

Sitting in the audience was an amazing experience. As I listened to the music generated by those on stage, it seemed unreal that such a beautiful piece could be created from all the different parts played by so many different people. It is absolutely amazing how students from so many places and backgrounds can come together to create such an astounding piece of music.

One thing I found fascinating was how in-sync everyone was, you could see the bows of an entire section moving as one. This says so much about the level of experience of each orchestra member and the conductor himself. I remember back in elementary school, I used to play viola in the school’s orchestra. The hardest part was not learning the music and my part but, simply being in-sync and playing at the right time. Attending this performance raised my appreciation for those who create music, they make it look so easy, even though I know they put countless hours into each piece.

I hope everyone can go attend some performances in their time at Cornell, and witness some of the amazing talent that is all around us.

A Story of Gypsy Slavery in Early Romania Brought to Life in Film

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Thursday evening I had the opportunity to attend the film screening of Aferim! at the Cornell Cinema. Before watching this film, I knew very little of Romania’s history. As far as I know, it is not covered in most history classes that an average student would take over their lifetime. This film really brought to life how Gypsy Slaves were treated during this time period. I found their treatment in the film to be comparable to the ways African American slaves were treated in the Americas. Many Gypsies were beaten and whipped throughout the film, and owners went to great lengths to recover runaways and punish them. While watching this film there were many moments that were cringe worthy. Especially when the policeman sold the young Gypsy boy. It was very evident that the child did not want to be sold, and yet the policeman went forth with the sale and made some money off of the boy.

The film was very educational for me. While I had known that in many places Gypsies were enslaved, I was unaware that their treatment was similar to that of African American Slaves in the Americas. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in Romanian history, or history in general. This story of the policeman and his son’s journey to recover a runaway slave is very eyeopening and could be a useful educational tool.

We need to change both how we think about sexual assault and what we do about it.

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On Monday I went to Kate Harding’s talk on sexual assault. I went to this talk because I was interested in hearing what she had to say, and because I personally have experienced sexual assault. Listening to talk, I thought that maybe my experiences could someday be used to help other students and victims in the future. Kate is very inspiring, she even shared many of her own experiences with the audience. I hope others in the audience felt inspired as well, and maybe we can help initiate cultural changes so that one day sexual assault will become a rare occurrence.

When something like sexual assault happens to someone, often they want to forget about it due to shame and what is defined as “rape culture.” We need a safe haven where anyone who has been victimized can go, where they can be taken care of and their stories believed. We also need to make changes in our culture, education, and media. Even today rape scenes are portrayed on television and online. Younger generations are growing up without the knowledge of consensual sex. And certain groups of people are targeted since their stories are less likely to be believed or acknowledged.

It is clear that changes need to be made. So what can we do about it? How can you make a difference? Don’t support rape culture, report things you see online or in media, stop a friend from doing something you know isn’t right. Every one of us can make a difference. Do it for yourself, your friends, siblings, and future generations.

 

Film no more?

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Saturday I went on the tour of Cinemoplis in the commons. I have never toured a cinema before, so it was really cool to have this opportunity. Our tour guide showed us around and talked a lot about the history of the theatre which was very interesting. I didn’t know Cinemoplis was a non profit organization, but it makes sense. Their main goal is to bring new smaller films that have messages and themes to the public. They also encourage use of their theater for educational programs and community use. Knowing this, I will encourage others to see films here and to support our local community.

My favorite part of the tour was seeing the old projectors that were used up until only a few years ago, with the 35mm film. We also got to see the new projectors, and it is amazing how much projector technology has improved! I didn’t know they had a special cartridge now for movies, and I found it interesting how some people were upset that film was no longer used. (According to our tour guide, using film is more artistic). I hope everyone goes out and checks out Cinemoplis sometime before they graduate! The movie I watched on Saturday was hilarious (Hello, My Name is Doris), and the cinema makes an effort to play films that the younger generation would be interested. I will definitely be headed back soon!

 

Dukhtar: a story about escaping arranged marriage

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Thursday night I went to see the film Dukhtar at the Cornell Cinema. This film was incredibly moving, I was tearing up at some parts during the film and multiple times caught myself with my hands in front of my mouth with worry and suspense about what was going to happen next to the mother and daughter. If you haven’t seen this film I would recommend watching it. While it is not in english, the film is closed captioned, and I can say it was very easy to read along since there is not extensive talking. This film highlighted cultural differences very well. It also showed that while cultures may be different, there are a lot of similarities, one is a mother’s love for her daughter.

While watching, I was surprised to see how little the father cared about his daughter’s wellbeing and how quickly he ordered his wife’s death after learning that she had been spotted with another man. Even though she and the other man were not involved in any way, he was simply helping them escape. It was moments like these that were eye opening. I feel lucky to live in a culture where I may chose whom I get to spend my life with, and I know that if I were there, I would do everything in my power to help families like the one in the film. I think films like this one are important to watch because they help show what other cultures can be like. A picture is worth a thousand words, and I cannot express how much more educational this film was for me over reading an article or textbook.

The Infectiousness of Live Salsa Music

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Friday night I attended the Spanish Harlem Orchestra’s performance in Bailey Hall. I was really looking forward to this event because I had never attended a live performance of an orchestra, especially one so well known. Immediately after the music started, couples and people around the hall begun to dance, and I can certainly understand why! The salsa music was extremely infectious. I think everyone in the room, was swaying in some way to the music.

Listening to the orchestra preform was incredible, they were very interactive with the audience, and enthusiastic. You could tell they were very passionate about what they do. While sitting there listening to this performance and watching people dance, I felt like i was transported into another culture entirely, and welcomed into it. I hope I have another opportunity to attend a performance as incredible as this one.

If you haven’t been to a live performance before, I would certainly recommend it. There is nothing like hearing the full sounds from each instrument all at once. Recordings cannot even begin to capture the richness of the music and passion given off by each member as they play.

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?

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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged & Revised was one of the funniest plays I have ever seen. I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard while watching a play! Somehow the five actors managed to preform some sort of interpretation of each of shakespeare works, some of which, were unbelievably fleeting. I am so glad I was able to attend this play. The last few plays I have been to I did not find as enjoyable as this one, but this one kept the crowd laughing constantly!

I am very impressed with my fellow students for putting on such a great play. I am sure it took a lot of rehearsing, skill, and practicing, but they made it look so effortless! I think it would be fun to talk to these students and the directors and see how a play like this is created. I hope to see another play by these students to help support their dreams and ambitions.

I really enjoyed this play, and if anyone needs some stress relief or something fun to do I would recommend seeing this play! It runs again on march 4th and 5th.

Aid: helping or hurting?

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Yesterday I attended the screening of Poverty Inc. and the subsequent Skype Q & A with Mike. This was my first time seeing the documentary, and it really opened my eyes to the damage that too much or continuous aid can have on communities and the families that live there. I was unaware that countries like Haiti were still receiving aid even though its been years since the large earthquake there. They are receiving so much free aid that it is putting local farmers and businessmen out of business. Many families depend on these small businesses to make a living.

The film also portrayed some stories where aid was given, but not in the form of free goods. Instead of simply giving free things, these people helped by creating jobs and finding ways to help people get back on their feet. I think this model is a much better way to give aid because it helps people in a more constructive way. Teaching them a profession and giving them work give the people a chance to earn money for their families and make a better life for themselves. I think as students we could make a difference in countries like Haiti by donating our time to help teach individuals or help them get their own businesses going.

If you haven’t seen the movie yet, I would highly recommend watching it!

Slipping, Sliding & Skating

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Saturday I went to the open skate event offered by Rose House. I was very excited to go to this event as I hadn’t been skating in ages. Before this event I had really only been skating once before and I remembered it being fun after I had gotten the hang of it, so I brought a friend along so we could have fun together.

Once we got our skates on and laced up we headed out onto the ice… and it was awful at first. I felt like I couldn’t move and was slipping all over the place! Caitlin then showed us how to get up if we fall and how regular walking wouldn’t work on ice and soon after I got the hang of moving forward, but not quite skating yet! More like sliding around. She also showed us some other skills such as stopping and skating backward – neither of which I managed to accomplish.

After a little while I began to gain confidence in my skating abilities. What really helped was when I let go of my fears of falling and realized that even if I fell the worst that would probably happen is getting a bruise or two! I did end up falling a few times but it wasn’t so bad! I ended up having a lot fun, and I am looking forward to going ice skating again.

I also somehow made it onto Cornell’s Instagram!

West Campus residents headed up to Lynah Rink for open ice skating this afternoon. #cornell

A photo posted by Cornell University (@cornelluniversity) on