Last week I was able to attend the sushi event. This event was my favorite of the semester! I loved learning about the history of sushi. I found the original use of vinegar rice to preserve the fish an amazing fact. The chef was very knowledgeable on the subject and provided many facts about sushi I had never heard of until then. Furthermore, I thought the demonstration was fantastic and really admired the respect that the chef had with the tradition and making of sushi. I of course loved the food (it was perhaps the best part!). This event has inspired to try and make sushi at home s well as to be more aware of my sushi eating etiquette. I would love a repeat of this event. It was one of the best!
Author Archives: dbl63
Binge Drinking: The Origins
This past Wednesday I was able to attend the seminar on binge drinking with Michael Fontaine. I found it incredibly interesting and fun. Learning that the origins to what is refered to as binge drinking today was due to knights and their growing feelings of uselessness was oustanding. Furthermore, the ineractive reading of the poem interpretation was really fun. I had forgotten how fun and absorbing it was to analyze texts and develop a visual image from the readings. I had really enjoyed my literature and history classes in high school because of this. I have been taking science classes my entire time here and this experience got me really interested in taking some history classes at some point in the next two years.
Making the Right Decisions
Last Wednesday, March 20, I was able to attend the talk about AREA Method decision making. I found this newfound process, incredibly interesting and helpful. I thought that this new method allows me to observe myself while in the process, pushes me to do the best research possible and to make great connections, and makes me analyze extensively all the possible results in a way that will lead me to the best decision. I had never heard of this type of decision-making method and I enjoyed learning about it and am now attempting to use it. I have gone to the AREA Method website and have been learning more about it. I am thankful I was able to attend this talk.
Black Panther Lesson
Last Friday I was able to watch Black Panther for probably the 4th time. Although I had seen it before, watching it again showed me how I had missed a few things that the movie highlights. I had first been captivated by the portrayal of strong women who don’t need a man but can also choose to have one by their side and support him. This time however, I was captivated by the topic of global responsibility and intervention. The movie takes on the idea that if we have good things that can help the world, we should share them. Throughout the movie the debate of whether Wakanda should give back to the world given that they have so many resources is highly present, and I believe it is one that is very prevalent today with how the U.S, and other countries intervene. There is great importance in how a country intervenes, T’Challa chose to do so by providing education and resources which is the right way to do it. This idea can be applied to how the U.S chooses to intervene today. We are all aware that U.S foreign policy is perhaps the worst part of this country. The U.S claims to fight for peace and freedom, to want to help the people of the countries in which it intervenes but we end up making things worse. Most of the time we choose to intervene because we can get something out of it. This can be seen with the immense attempts of trying to invade Venezuela, not because they want to help the people there, but because they want Venezuela’s oil. The same type of intervention has been seen with the middle east. If we truly wanted to help the world, we would intervene in Colombia, where countless of human rights violations have taken place, or in Ecuador where countless of unconstitutional crimes have been committed in the past 2 years but we haven’t because we have puppets in power there. It is also important to note that this has been going on throughout many years. This didn’t just start with Trump, it started long before and has continued with Bush, Clinton, and yes, even Obama. Black Panther highlights how things should be done. We shouldn’t be trying to cause national chaos that ends up in us putting a puppet in power, we should provide education and TRUE resources, not claim that we want to provide humanitarian aid and it be arms and weapons to start a war. This movie gives us many lessons, but I believe that this is perhaps the most important one because it is a worldwide issue that can affect us all if we continue to intervene for our own benefit.
Government-Citizen Disconnect
I had the opportunity last week to attend Suzanne Mettler’s talk on the relationship between the government and U.S citizens. Although I had been aware of the increasing negative attitude and distrust for the government, I was still surprised by magnitude of it and how along with this increasing sentiment there is also increase in use of government aid. Furthermore, I realized that I never really gave thought to how all of us have maybe once used government aid. Something else that came up towards the end of the discussion, and that I found truly interesting, was the thought on mandatory voting, I have always believed that it should be something to consider, especially since most voters are radical left or right whereas the majority of the U.S is moderate, it just isn’t shown because those people most likely don’t vote. There is also a great “I don’t care sentiment” reinforced with the horrible choices we get. The previous election is a good example of this. Trump is definitely not fit for power, but Hillary was also very untrustworthy. These two made two of the most horrible choices out there and left people questioning. This is one of the reasons I did not vote in 2016. In the same way I believe we need more choices than just Republican and Democrats, which more often than not seem like the same party.
A Different Approach to Dealing with Sexual Harassment
Last week I had the opportunity to attend the talk on sexual violence prevention and how it is being dealt with today. I learned that the term “sexual harassment” was coined here at Cornell by a woman who experienced it here. Since then awareness of the existence of this issue has grown; however, the incidents do not seem to have diminished. In explaining how a new approach to dealing with this problem Laura Weiss made a great analogy with a river and waterfall. People are constantly being saved from the downstream area of the river and waterfall; however, focus must also be put on seeing what is happening upstream that is leading to these people falling in. This new approach to prevent sexual violence involves persuading our peers to make slight changes to different school events that add to the fun as well as increase safety. There are no confrontational measures and this, rather than make the possible victim become scared, allows him to her to continue to enjoy the event but also to be safe. Most of these approaches are very surprising in the sense that when one thinks about it the great impact it makes would not have crossed my mind. The coat rack example was fascinating to me because it seems to small yet makes a big difference. Overall, I see this new approach towards prevention of sexual violence as very creative and as one that has a lot of potential. I appreciated this talk and am now more aware of differences that I can push for to increase the safety and my peers and myself.
The Importance of Anitbiotic Resistance
Last week I had the opportunity of going to the talk on antibiotic resistance. Learning about the history of antibiotics and about the role that chemical engineers played in the scaling up of penicillin production was very interesting and covered facts I hadn’t heard of before. What I found most interesting was how the healthy and strong in society could help in fighting antibiotic resistance by letting whatever sickness run its course. You of course must know your body and determine the severity of the sickness but just letting it run its course helps others that have a more vulnerable immune system. I see the importance in this as well as the importance in patients understanding better when they go to the doctor. People need to understand that sometimes rest is all that is needed rather than a prescription. I really enjoyed this talk and hope to have more like it. It was very informative and captivating.
The Fight Against Cancer
This past Friday I went to watch the movie 50/50. I had already seen it before but I realized I had forgotten most of it. Watching it again made me appreciate it so much more. It depicted the reality of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer. It highlights the mental and physical toll that such diagnosis can bring, but it also shows the importance of not isolating oneself and of not giving up. Adam went through a huge journey that ended up in a happy ending. He was strong but the experience was very stressful. In the end it all worked out but sometimes that is not the case. I have never been through this but this movie helped me understand what needs to be done if I do or if I know someone that gets the news. The movie did a great job at depicting everyone’s part in the situation and what they do wrong or right and how it all affects the person. It also showed how it equally affects those near him like his mother. It emphasized that everyone is going through a hard time and that they should lean on each other for support. I really liked the movie and hope that it will continue to help people in this situation and serve as a way to learn for those that have loved ones going through this.
Making Toys for the Animal Shelter
Last week I was able to help in making toys for dogs and cats at the animal shelter. I had no idea we could make toys with t-shirts. it was a very creative idea and I had a lot of fun. Designating certain parts of the t-shirt for certain types of toys was efficient and very smart. I was very happy to know that they would go to wonderful animals that need them. I never had a pet and my family decided to get one for my little sister after I came to Cornell; however, I more have grown attached to our dog so much and having her made me appreciate pets so much more. I see the impact they can have on someone’s life and am so thankful for having the opportunity to have a pet. I was glad to be able to do this and help a bit in keeping the animals at the shelter happy. Hopefully soon they can find a home and get more toys to play with!