Yoga was an interesting experience. As a student-athlete, I was never challenged quite as physically and spiritually as this yoga experience. It was quite a remarkable sensation that while doing simple stretching activities something about yoga had a deeper impact within my spirituality, something that I have never encountered before even after my years of exercise and training. Yoga is something special as I felt very mentally refreshed, a great respite from all the studying and psets that Cornell throws at you in the last couple weeks of school and really was an experience that allowed me to take a break from all the stresses and worries ever present as a student. I guess yoga is so popular because of the relaxing and stress relieving qualities that it provides for its practicers and I do look forward to future opportunities to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of every day to indulge in some mental rejuvenation through activities such as yoga.
Author Archives: ezy4
Serious Comedy
Nanette was another one of those light-hearted Friday film showings, but as always something that simultaneously stimulates thought on serious issues. While it was a simple stand-up comedy, Nanette touched on many of the progressive issues of today such as gender, sexuality, etc changing the context of which we view these rather sensitive topics. As a commentary on the unsatisfactory debate in Australia regarding same-sex marriage, Gadsby created this act as a way of showing that the public really cares about these sensitive issues. By keeping it light with jokes and releasing some of the tension, Nanette was a great film to watch as it was an interesting take on the prejudice and injustice that we face just within our everyday assumptions.
Beating Cancer Physically and Mentally
Medical topics make people uncomfortable, especially when the presenter has to recount their experiences of unimaginable pain to listeners. The topic of cancer has always had a stigma to it and is usually a rather private topic to the afflicted. However, what I found most impressive was Jason’s rather cavalier attitude to recounting his fight with cancer. Although he was talking to an audience who are unlikely to understand what he went through, he was able to describe his feelings and what he had to go through to overcome cancer. Just from his presentation, I was able to feel the trauma that such an experience could leave someone with. However, the most impressive feat that I found was that Jason was able to use this life-changing experience to help others that have been diagnosed with cancer. I cannot imagine the strength required to relive the cancer experience and to go back and counsel others facing the same life-changing trauma is not something that anyone could do. By not letting this brush with death affect him shows that Jason was able to mentally and physically overcome cancer which is such an impressive feat.
Traits of a Leader
This event was quite an interesting one given the amount of reflection that we did. I felt that the unconventional nature of the exercises was actually a great way to bring out the most accurate reflection of myself. Starting with a stack of terms, we were asked to sort them into piles of what values we hold most important, somewhat important, and unimportant values to me. As we explained why each value was important to our groups, I was able to decide what the most important pillars in which I try to live by in my life. But Sam then asked us to divide the room and determine what are the most important traits that we want in a leader of the Cornell student body. What surprised me most was that many of the traits I found most important in a leader were not synonymous with traits that I hold most important to myself. This led back to the topic of the night’s debate, how to lead effectively. An effective leader does not necessarily share the traits of his or her team but must be able to understand the needs of the group. This event was quite informative as I learned how to better manage teams that I am a part of as well as notice the traits that I appreciate about the leaders I already have.
Sunset Blvd
Sunset Blvd was an interesting film as it described the story of an unsuccessful screenwriter Joe and a former famous movie star Norma. Following Joe’s chance encounter with Norma when he escapes onto her estate, he finds himself the love interest of a deluded woman who insists that he stay and live in her mansion. At the end of the movie, it is revealed that Norma was the one that murdered Joe and she descends her staircase into a room of police and reporters, thinking it to be a scene from her screenplay. The movie was a great watch mainly because it showed the interactions between two different types of people, Joe the pragmatist and Norma the dreamer. The movie makes the reader reflect whether it is better to accept the truth or continue to live a lie, considering that Norma was a troubled woman and it was her delusions that continued to sustain her. Was Joe in the right to shatter her reality and force her to conform to his realist view of the world? These questions made me personally reflect on whether it is right more me to impose my perspective and world views on others as their entire reality may be centered on their beliefs.
Daniel Blake
The movie I, Daniel Blake was quite a different film than the ones that I am accustomed to. I didn’t think that I would be very interested in watching a drama film, yet this movie experience was very eye-opening. As someone born into an affluent environment, it is easy to pretend that there isn’t poverty and the needy around me. Especially now at Cornell, in an environment with plenty of rich students, we so often not see those struggling financially. Watching the life of Daniel Blake and his friend Katie we the viewers are shown how hard some people need to work to provide for their families and really drove me to appreciate all that I have. All students should really see this film as it would change many of our world views and possibly even lead to reflection into our materialistic and status-conscious world.
Vibranium the Dream Element
Black Panther was a great film. I personally love superhero movies and this one had a fun story, was a great origin story, and a necessary supporting film to understand the Marvel Universe. However, behind the funny jokes, thrilling visuals, and intense action sequences I could not overlook the fact that vibranium could solve so many of the world’s problems. For those unfamiliar with vibranium, it apparently is a dream element that arrived on the Earth from a meteorite that has universal applications. While I understand that Wakanda wanted to remain a secretive and isolated nation, due to the irreparable damage from colonialism, it seems overly selfish to keep such a world-changing discovery hidden away. For those that did not see Captain America: The First Avenger, it was believed that all the vibranium in the world was in Captain America’s shield, all we all see how powerful of a weapon it is. Now in Black Panther, we see that they have built an entire civilization using it, imbuing all their technology with this indestructible and versatile element. So, while I loved this film, upon rewatching it this revelation eats at me, forcing me to ask the question whether it was fair for Wakanda to hide their secrets from the world for all this time.
Changing the Future
West Campus is a great place to be living. As a transfer student to Cornell, I feel extremely lucky to have gotten a spot in one of the main buildings of West Campus. However, what is most interesting to me is to how receptive this campus is to the suggestions and ideas of students. As I attended the West Campus design event, it was interesting to see how students are pitching their ideas of how they want West Campus to be in the future. Because West Campus has become a second home to be in a short span of time, this event was a must-attend.
Coming from a public school, I noticed a stark difference in the ways that Cornell can make the lives of its students better. Of course, this is reflected in the premium tuition that we pay, but it is surprising to see the resources and receptiveness of the campus to the needs of students. It is such a rare thing to find where the students can effect change on their landscape, and by putting stickers on what I want to see on the future West Campus, I was trying to support that efforts of those that want to make our campus living spaces nicer.
Gambling is Fun
I have never been much of a mainstream sports guy. I never understood the allure of watching football or basketball, like what is so interesting about watching someone else do something? Well I think I figured out why so many people enjoy televised sports, the sports gambling that is now legal. While we are probably not old enough to all gamble yet, it was an interesting experience learning from GRF Shiv on how sports betting works, and all the lingo that goes along with it. While watching sports will not be any activity that I have interest in, I can totally see myself being a follower to win money.