Author Archives: Sierra Ivy Pregosin

Future Plans for a Better Ithaca

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Last Tuesday, I attended the Town Hall meeting held in the Klarman Atrium with fellow Rose Scholars. There, several other members of the Ithaca community including Mayor Svante Myrick discussed different plans for construction in Collegetown, housing in Downtown Ithaca, and the controversial Ithaca Plan.

Since I’ll be looking for off-campus housing myself in the near future, the segment about Collegetown was a deep interest of mine. Many Collegetown residents have had to deal with construction noises early in the morning as well as the unsightly views of building renovations along Dryden Ave, Eddy St, and College Ave. None of these projects are likely to be done in the near future, but the Director of Planning, Building, and Economic Development expects that these projects will not only be completed within the next five years, but will also bring more traffic to the Collegetown area. Myrick expressed concern for Collegetown as well, stating that he was embarassed to see the area in a state of such disrepair. But after more housing projects are completed and construction is finished, there should be more commercial business within the area for accepted families and current students to enjoy.

Initially before Myrick spoke of the Ithaca Plan, I was supporting him. I had talked about his plan for a supervised injection facility with my parents, who were more than skeptical. But after hearing Myrick talk about what kind of planning and research went into the Ithaca Plan, I am all the more for it. Myrick had wanted a new way to combat the war on drugs; he spoke with over 300 people within the Ithaca area to talk about their opinions towards drug use. Myrick and his officials composed research into the facilities, seeing the effects of supervised injection facilities in Vancouver, CA and Switzerland, where many people who visit supervised injection facilities not only can prevent overdose deaths, but also decrease usage of heroin and other drugs within the area. The main point of having a supervised injection facility is to save lives and help people recover. “Dead people don’t recover,” Myrick stated.

Reaffirming LBGTQ+ stigma through Carol

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Last Thursday, I got to see the movie Carol at Cornell Cinema. The movie which stars Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, and Sarah Paulson focused mainly on the developing relationship between Carol and Therese throughout its entirety. I loved seeing Blanchett and Mara’s chemistry come to life on screen, watching how their characters initially meet to seeing their reunion at the end of the film.

There were one thing that bothered me about the film, however: the treatment of Blanchett’s character by her ex-husband Harge. By the looks of their estranged relationship, it seems as if they had conceived their daughter Rindy and had only gotten married and stayed together for her sake, not because they actually loved each other. And while this may be a real life scenario for many couples with children, I felt that her husband did not have a right to force her to stay married to him if only he was the one in love in the relationship. His forcing of the “morality clause” onto her speaks volumes not only on his abuse towards Carol, but also of his bigotry towards the LGBT community. Maybe it was because this film took place in 1952, but a woman’s sexuality does not and should not have an impact on her love for her daughter. Harge just dismissed Carol’s sexuality, acting as if he can’t have her, then no one else can.

I found myself rooting for Carol and Therese to be happy by the film’s end, even if there were a number of factors keeping them both apart.

Expanding the umbrella of sexual assault and consent

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Last Sunday, I participated in a dinner conversation with Kate Harding where she talked with us about the contexts of rape culture surrounding college campuses. I was surprised to learn that the male Scholars who were also there knew little to nothing about the term “rape culture”  – a culture in which sexual violence is considered to be the norm, and where people are often taught how to prevent and avoid rape rather than teaching others not to rape. Harding also defined her views of sexual assault as an umbrella term for many sexual offenses against a person, whether that be rape, catcalling, groping, etc. Though the legal definition of sexual assault is specified as everything up to but not including rape, this made the term “sexual assault” easier to understand in my mind.

Being able to listen to Harding speak about sexual assault on college campuses was interesting, as she addressed many concerns such as the effects of alcohol on a person’s ability to consent and the importance of consent between two enthusiastic individuals about to participate in sex. Our group tried to come up with key words to use while we were with another person to address consent, such as “Do you like it when I do that?” and “Is it okay if we do this?”

One concern that another girl in the discussion group brought up was how to talk about rape culture with her younger siblings. She recalled telling them small things about rape culture, such as being aware of catcalling and how someone’s random comments on the street should not be seen as a compliment, but rather, as harassment.  Another good point she brought up was telling her young siblings that if they don’t want an adult hugging or touching them without their permission, they should be able to adhere to it and respect their personal space.

Hearing this girl’s concerns for her younger siblings reminded me much of my younger sister, who is about to start college this fall. After the talk, I made sure to talk to my sister about some of the things I learned during this talk; I want her to make sure that she is not only looking forward to college, but is also safe.

Overall, I enjoyed Harding’s talk, but I feel it would have benefitted from a much smaller discussion group, as some voices dominated the conversation more than others. But I appreciate Harding taking the time to speak with us in a more intimate setting.

A Priest, a Minister, and a Rabbi Walk into a Bar…

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Last Monday, I got to listen to Professor David Freidenreich talk about religious differences within the context of food practices in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Within each of the three religions, I was surprised to find that each of the religions have developed rules and regulations for not only how food is prepared, but who serves it, and who is allowed to share food with one another.

He opened the talk with a joke about a priest, a minister, and a rabbi walking into a bar together, but realistically, he pointed out, that these three people would never have walked in anywhere together at all. Rather, they each would most likely reserve their own tables apart from each other, ordering a meal according to their belief system. Now, having a separate belief system of how one should eat food is fine with me, but when it comes down to a belief that one is better than the other, the system becomes a matter of who is better than whom and a matter of keeping the other person out.

One of Freidenreich’s more interesting parts of the talk was where he defined the Jewish practice of eating kosher food. Normally, this is meant to mean food that is deemed worthy of eating because it has been blessed by a rabbi, but it has originally meant food that was created in order to separate the Jews from gentiles in the surrounding areas. So the practice of Jews not eating pork began to withdraw them from sharing meals with gentiles. And it was these practices among many other dietary laws that led Jews to believe that they were closer to God for following these laws.

Foods across cultures are meant to unite people, not separate them. As for the title of this entry, I say, so what if a priest, a rabbi, and a minister walk into a bar? That shouldn’t stop them from believing in what they do and being able to share with one another.

Trans Rock and Roll Has Never Felt So Good

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Last Monday, I went up to Cornell Cinema with GRF Esmeralda to see the rockumentary Riot Acts: Flaunting Gender Deviance in Music Performance. It was just the two of us among several other Cornellians and native Ithacans, but it was definitely an experience not to be missed. I’ve been considering a minor in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies for a long time, and I’m convinced that this movie had me realize why I’d fallen in love with studying gender: your gender is what you make of it.

Throughout the film, we were introduced to a variety of music groups from all over the nation, some of my favorites including Systyr Act, Trannysaurus Sex, Coyote Grace, and Novice Theory. Not only did I think they were awesome because of their names, but because each group throughout the film had a sound and style that was uniquely their own. Many of them range from pure rock and roll punk, performing in nothing but nipple tassles and fishnet stockings, to country and folk music, playing with a guitar and violin. My personal favorite however has to be Syster Act, who dresses on stage as nuns through a series of comedic acts. Each group has been unapologetic in their work, though skeptical about how their audience would receive them.

Each group has been unapologetic in their work, though skeptical about how their audience would receive them. Most of the music groups in this movie had at least one transgender individual. Some members felt that they would get mixed reception from the audience regarding the gender of the performers, and that they wouldn’t have known what they got themselves into by watching the performance.

Another struggle I thought was interesting about performing as a transgender person was the inevitable voice change through transition, especially for female to male transgender individuals. Katastrophe, a rapper, and Novice Theory both shared their experiences through the transition process, being afraid that their voices would change so drastically deeper to where it would completely change their musical style. Novice Theory talked about how he showed a clip to friends beforehand of his voice before he transitioned, where he had a much larger vocal range. He was also afraid that people would think that he sounded better as a musician before he transitioned. Even the director Madsen Minax discussed in person after the film about how his voice changed, minus a few octaves. I thought this was interesting because as a cis female, this is something I don’t think about on the daily — my voice is just how it is. And to see these musicians adapt to a change they felt was necessary to their identity is in some ways commendable.

Overall, I loved the film. It’s lovely to see the transgender community portrayed in a positive light outside of the media and struggle that has been known to trans people throughout decades. Though this movie was filmed throughout 2006-2009, I wish each group luck in their endeavors today and I will definitely be giving each one a listen.

 

A Trip Through Time feat. Dinosaurs

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Last Saturday, I took a trip with the Rose Scholars to see the Museum of the Earth, located just close to Cayuga Medical Center. To be honest, I had no idea that this place existed, but it was a small little treasure trove of information in the outskirts of Ithaca. The museum was created by Cornell Professor Gilbert Harris in 1932, originally founded as the Paleontological Research Institution as a place to further research and learning in paleontology. Over the years, it’s been open to the public as a museum, and especially is very kid friendly.

Our tour guide took us through an overview of the historical eras — about 4.6 billion years’ worth. To keep things interesting, she handed each of us a small fossil and by the end of the tour, each of us would get to figure out if we survived or not (I kind of figured that my dinosaur bone would not be here today).

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My favorite part of the trip was being able to see many of the dioramas and figures that were transported from the Smithsonian Institute. Once we had reached the Jurassic era (and my dinosaur bone was rendered extinct after the mass extinction), we saw a large figure of a Stegosaurus made in 1904 out of paper mache. I loved this not because of the authenticity of it (because I wouldn’t be the one to know what a dinosaur looks like), but because of the creativity that went into making it. IMG_0695

I also loved the dioramas of some of the early marine life in the Silurian Sea, dating from about 410 to 430 million years ago. These were also transported from the Smithsonian.

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We all have some form of melancholy

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At the last Rose Cafe, GRF Sara Schlemm took the time to explain to me and the rest of the scholars about her work with studying the use of melancholy in literature and film. I had always thought that melancholy and sadness were somehow interchangeable, but after some discussion, we clarified that while “sadness” is more of a fleeting feeling of how you are in a particular moment, “melancholy” is more of a numbness and persisting feeling of despair. I found it fascinating that there was a perceived difference between the two, even so that people who have had melancholy in the past were often misdiagnosed as depressed, bipolar, or schizophrenic.

Sara referred to melancholy as “the black spleen,” refering back to the four humors of personality. The four humors often align themselves with a particular season; in melancholy’s case, it’s autumn. The experience of being melancholy is compared to autumn because of the cold and dry period, which can also explain why mostly people in their alte middle age are rumored to be more melancholy. Melancholy can also refer to the stereotype of the “tortured artistic genius.” This is often seen in literature and history as as well, if an artist is experiencing some form of melancholy, their art will become so much better becuase of the emotion they are pouring into their work.

One of the most interesting examples Sara showed us of melancholy on film was during Act I scene ii of Hamlet, as Hamlet is lamenting his father’s death and his family’s reaction is near nonexistent. Because his mother remarried his uncle so soon, no one took the time to mourn his father after he died, leaving Hamlet in a melancholy state.

My favorite part of the conversation we all had about melancholy was the addressing of how each person can deal with melancholy in their own unique way. Some people experiene melancholy for longer or for shorter periods of time, and while some can become the tortured artistic type, there can be others who have no motivation at all while they’re melancholy. If anything I learned from this talk, it’s that in its own strange way, melancholy in itself can be beautiful.

More Development Projects for Students in Ithaca

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At last Wednesday’s Rose Cafe, I got to listen to Lisa Nicholas, Regional Planner for the city of Ithaca, speak to us about some of the local projects going on in the greater Ithaca area. She addressed how a majority of the development projects going on right now are made to benefit the majority of Ithaca’s populations — as of right now, the county of Ithaca has grown 30% in population since the 1950s, with many people coming to study as well as commute to work. As a result of this growth, the planning for the city has to accomodate this rising population while embracing the existing character of the neighborhood, which I found to be sweet. The small and quirky neighborhood in Ithaca is just what drew me to come to school here; if it changed to accomodate more people by basically becoming another metropolis, it would’nt have the same magic.

Nicholas introduced the concept of compact mixed use developments, which would be used to attract larger populations, building more dense development, as well as accomodate the local population already existing. She showed us some of the areas and projects that the committee intended to focus on in the following few years, such as building compact development in the rural Southwest area of Ithaca where Wegmans currently is, and the arrival of two new hotels in the Downtown Ithaca area near the Commons.

One particularly interesting part of her talk about future developments was an 11 story development for Downtown Ithaca that was planned for student housing. This project was eventually shut down by the community, as it was believed that the complex would be too imposing on the downtown architecture. While I agree that it would have not been the right place for student housing, it got me thinking that maybe there could be another conversation to discuss where exactly more student housing is needed. Cornell campus barely has enough campus housing for half of its students and it has proven to be fairly difficult to secure a place off campus. Perhaps a smaller residence downtown or in Cayuga Heights would be beneficial to students. In addition, I liked Nicholas’s point that there needs to be more places in Ithaca accessible by bike, foot, or bus, as it can be difficult for many students without cars to get where they need to go off campus.

More About Development in Africa Than I Knew Before.

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Yesterday at the Rose Cafe, I had the chance to hear Professor Nicolas van de Walle of Cornell’s Department of Government speak about his experiences with Africa’s economy and dictatorship. There have been many efforts to further development in Africa, as many people (specifically  British and French colonists) believed the land had more potential for development than Asia or the Americas. For the most part, development in Africa was a problem of capital; the more that people believed was built in capital — schools, dams, etc. — development would grow, but this proved to be a slow process. Much of the money in the 1970s was spent on human capital — education and public health centers. This time proved to be productive for Africa, but this money was soon washed away with the oil crisis in the 1980s.

Many countries in Africa went bankrupt because of this and caused an era of structural adjustment. The main problem with why development would not work in Africa was placed on the corruption and bad government placed in many countries with dictatorships. V,an de Walle stated that some of the most successful countries in Africa (with the exception of Ethiopia) were successful because of their implementation of democracy. The government needs to be held accountable with its expenditures in order to be successful. Otherwise, with a dictatorship, the government and the country falls into disarray.

One of the topics van de Walle touched on was the concept of foreign aid and why he believed it didn’t work a lot of the time, especially for Africa. He shared his belief with us that the best way to help other countries without setting precedence or hurting the people is to not have military governments give money. He believes that with any country that has a power set in place, such as a dictator, for ten years or more should not be spoon-fed aid or given hand outs unless they have a part in a project that will benefit them. I see van de Walle’s point in this, that if an African country is in need of development and can provide  for half of the funds for a project to benefit the people, then we could provide aid. However, I feel that it is an obligation of the countries that have good relations with a country under dictatorship to help dig them out — not necessarily to spoon feed them, but give them the help they would not otherwise get from other powers.

I was glad to go to van de Walle’s talk because there is so little in the media talked about Africa and its economy, besides the images of starving children and the poor living there. I was surprised to hear that a good amount of countries in Africa are very well off, and that there are also Chinese immigrants settled in Africa in order to make a living. This gave me a good set of information about Africa I would not have otherwise heard from the media.