Author Archives: Emily Piatek

The History of China’s Involvement in Cambodia

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This past week I was able to hear Andrew Mertha talk about the role that China has had in Cambodia’s history and economy. This is a topic that I am not very familiar with so I found it interesting to hear his personal stories of travelling to Cambodia and interacting with the people there. I found it interesting that the librarians he worked with were not being paid and therefore were willing to work on a national holiday, as long as they were paid. I also found it interesting how he found many materials that were entirely in Chinese, especially since that it is not the main language spoken in Cambodia. When he explained how China was a big influence in Cambodia at this time, it made a lot more sense.

I find the history of other countries to be very intriguing. We are taught US history throughout our entire time in grade school, middle school and high school and it is refreshing to hear what other countries went through and where they are at today. Andrew Mertha did a wonderful job presenting the information and kept the audience engaged the entire time. I also thought it was fascinating that we have a program that allows students to go to Cambodia during the winter January session and earn credits. Overall, this was definitely one of my favorite talks thus far.

Making Your College Experience Meaningful

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This past week, Professor Daniel Schwarz spoke about how to succeed in college and make the four years we spend here the best they can be. I went to the Rose Cafe that he spoke at last semester and enjoyed it, so I decided to attend it this semester as well. He gave some very good advice and guidance on what to do and what kinds of activities to join. I find it truly interesting how much he embraces the American education system, even when acknowledging its flaws. My favorite part about his talk was when he stated that we are not necessarily lazier than the generations before us, we are just much more involved in extracurricular activities. I think that this is important as we are often scoffed at by older generations who think we spend significantly less time studying.

As a first generation student, it is interesting to hear all of the advice that he would give to seniors in high school. I did not have anyone to guide me in this manner and I ended up here. I think that the advice is great, but not completely necessary. I do, however, believe that it is important for students to have mentors that come from similar backgrounds or socioeconomic status. Each student has a different experience, and those that can advise them best are people who have had an experience that has been similar thus far.

The Power of Mindfulness

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Sarah Rubenstein-Gills and Andrea Gerding came to talk about mindfulness and stress, and how we can incorporate different activities into our lives to deal with stress. They discussed the importance of taking breaks and “chunking” your work. The method of chunking is when you break your work into portions that you can complete in a certain amount of time or a portion that consists of small amounts of work. This helps you to focus on the one task at hand and better manage your time. I personally have developed a method that works for me that draws on these principles. I make a list of five things that need to get done each day. After one is complete, I cross it off. This helps me to realize that I am getting things done and being productive. They also discussed the idea of a break being an actual break, an intentional break. Instead of doing something where you would still be thinking about work, they recommend something else where you can be present and in the moment. For me, I like to use coloring as a break. It is a great way to relax, but it is also an easy task to focus on.

Another suggestion that they made was to have a pre-work routine to tell your brain to get ready to do homework. This could include clearing your desk off except for the piece of work you are going to be doing, making tea or anything else you would do before any time you start homework. This sets our brain in the pattern of knowing when it is time to focus. They ended their talk with a brief five minute mindfulness/meditation exercise. I always find meditation difficult because I get lost in my thoughts but this was a nice way to end a stressful day.

The Benefits of Healthy Soil

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Hearing Dawit Solomon discuss the importance of soil for our environment and health brought new information to light for me. For example, I realized that we are not creating more carbon dioxide, but rather redistributing it from the soil to the atmosphere. In order to tackle climate change, we have to find a way to take the green house gases out of the atmosphere and put them into the soul where they can actually be rather beneficial. Healthy soil should be a dark brown or black color, as it is rich in carbon. Most soil/dirt I have ever seen has been a light brown or beige color, except after it rains. This leads me to wonder how we can improve the quality of our soil here.

It was interesting to hear how some native tribes are able to transform the soil into a rich source of carbon. This discovery led to the development of the bone fertilizer that honestly frightened me a bit at first. It is interesting to see how bones, something we find to be utterly useless, can have such a large impact on the health of soil and crops. I wonder if this bone fertilizer could also be beneficial for farmers here in the United States.

Motivating Student Athletes

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Hearing Coach Tanasoiu speak was inspiring. He had a great passion for the students that he coached and wanted to see them exceed not only on the tennis courts but also in the classroom. He understood the amount of stress that students here face and he also understood the effects of the added stress of tennis that goes along with this. He believed that hard work can help people to accomplish their goals. I was very inspired by his demonstration of passion. You could tell how passionate he was by his discussion of the sport and how they choose which students to recruit. It is also wonderful that he has not forgotten his humble beginnings.

I have always wondered what the schedule of a student athlete looks like. From what Coach Tanasoiu told us, it is extremely structured but still includes time to study, practice, go to class and have free time. I do not think that I personally would be able to balance being an athlete with being a student here at Cornell so I applaud those who can. This was one of my favorite Rose Cafes so far. I learned quite a bit of information but I also gained a new perspective on the lives of student athletes.

The Trouble in Implementing New Technologies

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Professor Blalock spoke about the troubles of implementing new technology, especially with cook-stoves in Africa. At first, I was thinking that the issue must be somewhat financial or educational. If these people did not know the dangers and costs of the cook stoves they were using, they wouldn’t believe that they needed to use anything else. He explained why this is rather untrue. He used the analogy of car shopping or the cars that we own. For us, we know that some of the cars we own and drive are not as good for the environment as say, a Prius. For some, it is the cost, for others the size or the style. In the end, we have options to finance and test the cars before we drive them.

In Africa, the situation was different. There were not many options for buying a stove or trying it before hand. What Professor Blalock did with his research is allowed a financing and trial option for better and safer cook stoves. They found that when someone was observing the use of these new cook stoves, they were used, however when no one was there to observe, they were not used. They knew what worked and how to use their old ways. It was easier for them just to go back to what they had been using for so many years. I found this extremely interesting because it in a way applies to what we do today.

An Exploration of Earth’s Creatures: Past and Present

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I had never been to the museum of the Earth before and was not sure what to expect. When we got there, our guide gave us each a fossil so that we could be a part of the journey. As we went from exhibit to exhibit, she collected the fossils that had gone extinct. I had a brachiopod which is the picture of the fossil in my hand. I did not make it vary far, in fact I made it through only three exhibits before my fossil was sadly taken away. Throughout the tour I found it fascinating to see which species appeared and disappeared. The part that I found the most interesting was the very last exhibit which featured a large Mastodon skeleton which was nearly complete. I found this to be the most interesting as we were able to see what coexisted with the earliest human beings.

Another piece of information I found interesting was that the clams survived the longest.  When they first appeared, they were very large, much different from the common clams we know and eat today. There was also a piece of petrified wood that I found quite beautiful. Overall, it was interesting to see what species became extinct and when. It was also interesting to see the giant Whale skeleton hanging in the building. It’s size was overwhelming.

 

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Comedic Relief: Environmentalist Style

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During the talk given by Aaron Sachs, I found it interesting to see how serious environmentalists can be which makes them subject to multiple jokes. It is human nature to take a situation and  make it into something humorous, so that instead of having someone laugh at us, we are laughing at our own predicament. As Aaron explained, using humor can appeal to a broader audience and encompass even more than a serious announcement. I think that the clips he showed proved that humor is something that we can all relate to and that is why it is the perfect medium through which messages can be portrayed. Another point that I picked up from this talk is that environmentalists are so caught up in their research that they forget that most of us want information in easy to digest pieces. This is why humor can help. I thought it was great how Aaron was able to take his own experiences and turn them into something humorous.

I think that the issue with environmentalism today is that we find people who take issues too seriously to be fake or exaggerating. I think using humor is a really great and powerful way to get more people involved in the issues that we face today.

What is Melancholy?

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Before this talk I had always been confused on the exact meaning of melancholy. I am still a bit confused however I now have a general understanding. It was interesting to hear a bit about Sara’s work and to see how sadness and melancholy compare. I am currently taking a class that focuses in the regulation of emotions and other bodily processes so I though this was really interesting. I have never paid much attention to movies in trying to see if a character is experiencing a fleeting bout of sadness or a more long term sense of melancholy. I found Sara’s interpretation of Vertigo to be really interesting even though I have never actually seen the movie.

Overall, I thought this was a great talk on a topic that we do not always discuss. We often discuss a range of emotions whether it is in class or in our personal lives but this rarely ever occurs with specific emotions or moods. I also thought that the classification of melancholy as a mood was interesting. A mood is more encompassing and can have physical as well as mental effects. Melancholy can be accompanied by sadness but may consist of a lack of emotions. I am glad that I attended this talk and I plan on watching Vertigo!

Ithaca: What a Wonderful Place to Live

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I was quite excited to hear about the development plans for Ithaca. Being such a busy area with many people coming to visit, I think it is great that there are many plans to expand housing. I was surprised to hear that Ithaca’s vacancy rate is less than 0.5%. I did not know much about vacancy rates before this talk, but after the talk I now see that this is truly an issue. As Lisa told us, an ideal vacancy rate is around 5%. The low value of Ithaca’s vacancy is contributing to high housing costs. To improve the vacancy rate, there are a number of projects going on. I was also surprised at how little land Ithaca has vacant. Almost every inch of Ithaca is occupied to some extent which means building something new takes a great deal of creativity.

When Lisa discussed the plans for the new hotels near the commons, I was intrigued. I thought it was so cool how the companies had taken such small slivers of land and proposed an idea that not only meshed well with the feel of the commons but also created more rooms for visitors to stay in. I think it is really important for people to be aware of what is going on in their cities. This was very informative and honestly it was more interesting than I thought it would be! I am very glad I attended this event.

Africa: A Continent With a Growing Economy

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I found Professor Nicolas van de Walle’s discussion on the economy and political state to be interesting. I will admit that economics and politics are not my favorite, but I believe that he brought some good information that is worth hearing. I was surprised to hear that within Africa, there are some countries that are growing very rapid in terms of economy. We have a perception that blinds us to the truth and leads us to believe that African countries were and always will be stagnant. With Professor Nicolas van de Walle’s discussion, this perception was proved totally false.

One piece of the discussion that I found to be very interesting was his opinion on when a country should stop receiving aid. He stated that what he believed was any government that was a military government should stop receiving aid. This would be to ensure that the money is not used in ways that will harm the country and that it is used to improve the state of the economy. Another idea he presented was that any country that had the same person in power for 10 years should stop receiving aid. In his opinion, after 10 years, they are not as successful in their leadership. I think these two points are very important. When we think about issues such as genocide and famine, it is good to take a fresh look and see what else can be done. If a leader is kept in power for over 10 years, this fresh look is no longer possible.

Over all, I think this talk consisted of valuable information. I am excited to hear what the future speakers will bring to the table!