Author Archives: ORE95

The Rise of the Khmer Rouge

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I really enjoyed the entertaining, funny, and engaging talk by Professor Andrew Mertha today. Professor Mertha skillfully injected humor into more serious subjects concerning the Khmer Rouge, the relationship between China and Cambodia, and China’s political structure. 

The topic that Professor Mertha talked about that really captured my attention was regarding the Khmer Rouge. When I was in high school, our World History class briefly talked about the Khmer Rouge. We viewed it as solely a political party that overthrew the previous more pro-US regime. However, Professor Mertha was able to shine more light onto the Khmer Rouge and their practices. The Khmer Rouge evacuated entire cities, abolished currency, and forced the population to work in collective infrastructure projects. Many of these workers perished under these harsh labor conditions. In a country like Cambodia that has a total population of around 7 million, around 1.7 millions Cambodians died under the Khmer Rouge reign from mass execution, torture, forced labor, and famine. This was all very grim and shocking news. 

The question from the audience that really sparked my attention was comparing the U.S influence in Cambodia and the rise of the Khmer Rouge, to the current U.S involvement in Syria. Part of the rise of the Khmer Rouge was sparked by the U.S exercising more power in Cambodia, and U.S aerial bombardment of Cambodia, creating more resentment in Cambodia of western influences. Khmer Rouge was able to use these happenings to gain power as a force to overthrow the pro-U.S regime. The student in the audience thus questioned whether U.S involvement in Syria might spark a similar resentment in Syria that might lead Syria down a similar fate as the fate that Cambodia faced. This is a very interesting comparison and its definitely worth thinking about. 

Soil and Climate Change

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The first question that Dr. Solomon posed during his talk was, “What is soil?” This was a very broad question and the first thing that came to my mind was that soil is this essential material that plants need to grow. However, as Dr. Solomon continued his talk, I learned that soil is much more than that!

Soil affects climate change. I learned that soil contains lots of carbon, and that when this natural soil is disturbed, not only does the soil degrade, but it also emits carbon into the atmosphere, harming the atmosphere. However, scientists are figuring out ways to sequester this carbon, burying this carbon back into the soil. When this carbon is added back into the soil, the soil benefits, becoming more dark, more fertile. 

As scientists have been working on finding effective ways to sequester carbon, and researchers have been working on ways to make soil more fertile, Dr. Solomon said that indigenous tribes in Africa have been doing both for decades. These tribes have been effectively adding carbon back into the soil to produce dark, fertile soil for agricultural purposes. Thus, it was really interesting to hear scientists learning from these indigenous tribes on not only reducing harmful carbon in the atmosphere but also producing great, fertile soil. 

Characteristics of an Effective Leader

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This week, we had the privilege of listening to Coach Tanasoiu at our Rose Cafe series. Coach Tanasoiu embodies the characteristics of a great and effective leader and mentor. What makes him such an inspiring and motivating leader?

  1. He is humble and always grateful. Coach Tanasoiu grew up in a Romania to a working-class family. When he made it into a very selective tennis competition that was to be held in Miami, FL, his family had to work very, very hard (including selling their family car) to get the money necessary to buy him round trip tickets from Romania to Florida. Thus, Coach Tanasoiu does not take his success for granted, he is always very grateful, very thankful to his family, friends, mentors, and generous sponsors that helped him get to where he is now. It is very important that a leader is humble. When a leader is humble, he/she comes to notice how each and every person he/she encounters is talented, unique, and has something special to offer the team. This brings us to the second point, he really, really respects his team. 
  2. Coach Tanasoiu respects and loves his team. What really stood out through out his entire talk was how grateful Coach Tanasoiu felt to be able to work with such talented tennis players, and such unique, intelligent students. You can tell that Coach Tanasoiu loves his team! It is very important for a leader to love and respect his team, because this helps the leader also be loved and respected by his/her team. 
  3. Coach Tanasoiu is very dedicated to selecting players who would fit well into the team culture. He talked about how he would talk with the players’ family, teammates, and coach for months. He would fly into various cities to observe potential players play at different settings, and stress levels. He dedicates so much time to really get to know each individual player in order to select the players who would thrive in Cornell’s tennis program. An important part of leadership is to select the right people, people who would thrive in the culture, who would work well with the rest of the team. 

Collaboration for Better Adoption

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Professor Blalock’s talk regarding the challenges of design, implementation, and adoption of new technologies was very interesting and thought-provoking. 

Going into the talk, I thought that many villages in rural Africa were using harmful charcoal, or “three stone” stoves because the residents in these villages were not educated about the health and safety hazards of operating these stoves. Thus, it was extremely interesting to hear that even after the health and environmental hazards caused by these harmful stoves were communicated to the villagers, the villagers still did not change their use of these stoves. 

When engineers designed a new, more efficient, safer, “healthier” stove and introduced it to the villagers in Africa, there was very little to no adoption. Why? Because the villagers were more used to the “three stone” stove and new exactly how to operate it, how to modify it to their convenience. The new, technologically more advanced stove developed by engineers was harder to use, and the villagers did not know how to modify the flame, how to repair it when it broke etc. All in all, the “three stone” stove was just more convenient. 

This talk raised lots of questions and got me thinking. Is there a way engineers can design an easier to use, yet efficient and safer stove by working with the villagers to co-create a new stove? If we include the villagers in the design and production process, would they be more willing to adopt this new technology? By co-creating, engineers can see through the eyes of the villagers, to see their needs, wants, and conveniences, and thus be able to design a better stove that fits the needs of the villagers. 

Humor: A Unique Approach to Conflict Resolution

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I am a person who doesn’t like to pick fights, and I avoid controversial topics like the plague. A 360 feedback analysis revealed that my biggest weakness is avoiding conflict instead of actively trying to resolve them. Thus, after listening to Professor Sach’s talk, I thought that addressing conflict and controversy from a humorous point of view was a very unique and creative way of taking an active stand for what you believe is right. 

Out of the examples that Professor Sachs showed us of how humor can be used to address environmentalism, “No Impact Man” made the biggest impact on me. I thought that the video was able to effectively communicate a message, and create a lingering consciousness within the audience that makes us pay more attention to our carbon footprint. This serious message was mixed with a humorous tone to entertain the audience. 

However, I feel like certain videos, such as the coal video and the Onion’s Prius video, lacked in seriousness and can easily be watched for a laugh but did not really create a lasting impression or a lingering thought in me. That makes me wonder if too much humor can take away from the main point that the producers want to get across. 

Addressing conflict with the right kind of humor can help both sides take a stand and communicate their point of view in a way that does not put the opposing party instantly on the defensive. 

Melancholy and Its Many Associations

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I really enjoyed Sara Schlemm’s talk about melancholy. The in-depth discussion on melancholy was such an abstract topic but Sara was able to present it in the context of everyday life. 

What I really found interesting and what I did not know before this talk, was that melancholy in literature and in history was associated with many different things, such as black bile, genius, and autumn. The discussion on the association of melancholy with a season such as autumn really opened my eyes into a different way of thinking. The discussion focused on how melancholy, like autumn, is a season. Autumn is bound to come, just as melancholy is bound to come; it is a part of life. I was hesitant to believe that melancholy, this feeling characterized by gloom and even depression, is an unavoidable part of life. After talking to Sara after her talk, she brought up a very interesting study regarding how too much Facebook and social media leads to depression. Facebook, a platform that we are so drawn to as a place to connect with people and see how others are doing, is creating envy, when we see that others’  are doing better in life than us, which can lead to depression and melancholy. This brings me to see some truth in how too much beauty can lead to melancholy, and how melancholy is a part of life that is inevitable like the seasons. 

The Development of Cities

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Tonight I attended a very interesting talk by Lisa Nicholas regarding the future development of Ithaca. It was very interesting to learn that the Tompkins County is growing at a pretty fast pace while the city of Ithaca itself is not really growing but rather staying constant. This, Ms. Nicholas, explained was due to a few reasons, but a big one being that Ithaca does not have a lot of vacant residencies, and thus rent and housing prices are very high. In order to attract the growing population of Tompkins County to settle in Ithaca, the city is undergoing a lot of planning and development, such as the addition of hotels and space-saving residences that are located above stores.

This got me thinking. My hometown, The Woodlands, is a very fast-growing, master-planned town like Ithaca. The Woodlands prides itself on its proximity to nature, and serene environment. When buildings are built, they have to undergo lots of regulations, and only a limited number of trees can be cut down for the purpose of building, with the goal of preserving the environment and the unique woodlands vibe. Now, as the population in The Woodlands is growing at a tremendous rate, much of the forest has been cut down to build residences, schools, and shopping centers, sometimes to the dismay of current residents who really valued the natural setting in which The Woodlands was built upon. How would the fast growth in Ithaca, accompanied by the building of hotels, and residences affect the current residents? I am really glad to hear that as Ithaca is building and growing that they really involve the locals with the decision-making process. I really look forward to see the growth of Ithaca and its effects in the near future!

New Insights into Africa

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When we walk into a grocery in America, our eyes meet aisles and aisles of a variety of food items from all over the world. Just within the cookie aisle, we see cookies made in the U.S, cookies imported from England, or The Netherlands, or Japan, or Mexico. Sometimes I even think that so many options are deterring me from making a quick decision!

When Professor Van de Walle’s talked about the economies of African countries, I learned that some countries like Tunisia have economic sanctions that limit the amounts of goods imported from outside countries. He talked about how Tunisians would go into a store and find only one option. During the holidays, the government would raise some sanctions, but the prices would be 300% to 400% higher than normal. Thus, the importers, who usually have ties to the government would make an extreme profit. Thus, Professor Van de Walle’s talk made me realize how privileged we are to be able to have variety and choice, and an American economy and culture that promotes diversity.

Furthermore, another interesting fact that I learned during the talk was that Africa, particularly Ethiopia, is now attracting lots of foreign investment. Professor Blalock and Professor Van de Walle talked about the vast amounts of Chinese immigrants there are in some parts of Africa. This really amazed me because I can only imagine the amount of adaptation these first wave of Chinese immigrants have to face, especially in regards to the difference in languages and culture, the difference in climates, the difference in vegetation, soil, and food.

Bonding Time!

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I strapped on my hockey skates, trekked to the opening that led to the ice skating rink. I thought to myself, “I got this!” But when I stepped onto the ice, I felt so unstable! I saw some experienced skaters gracefully circling the rink, and I saw some first-timers practicing near the wall. I joined in with the first-timers, holding on to the ledge for dear life as I slowly scooted along the side of the rink.

I was very cold, and quite nervous during the skating session but I was so glad to see friends sticking with each other to help each other out. Students that have never met each other before helped fallen students get up after a slip or fall. Experienced skaters were so patiently and kindly teaching first-timers how to skate more efficiently. Overall, skating was an amazing and fun experience that could really bring a large community together!