Author Archives: jjc387

YamaTalent

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I am always so amazed with how much talent is at Cornell. As I watched the Yamatai performance last week, I’ve never felt so impressed with how professional and incredible the show was. It’s amazing to see how much passion and hard work the students on campus put into their organizations; seeing all the Yamatai alumni come back to watch the show demonstrates this love and dedication.

I also loved how Yamatai had a performance with Big Red Raas where they even switched so Raas was drumming and Yamatai was dancing to demonstrate the intersectionality. It goes to show that sharing your love and passion for something to teach others is just as beautiful.

I’ve never felt such a large sense of community sitting in the audience with people all over Cornell and Ithaca, watching Yamatai drum in uniformity yet uniquely.

Where did our drinking culture originate?

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Last night, I attended the Rose Cafe Talk with Michael Fontaine where he talked about the origins of binge drinking. What I really liked about this talk was that it was not a lecture on why we shouldn’t binge drink or why binge drinking is bad for you, but to create an artistic depiction of the effects of binge drinking. In other words, the talk embellished drinking in moderation rather than criticizing binge drinking.

It’s interesting to see that a lot of areas of our culture such as binge drinking and bro culture can be dated way back, even though these aspects are culture are more prominent in some countries than others. I think that sometimes reflecting about where certain culture/norms come from and why they exist can allow you to reconsider why we continue to participate in such norms.

Cornell Talent

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Every time I go to a dance/song performance by Cornell groups, I always walk away amazed. Last night, I was thoroughly impressed with the performance of Cornell Bhangra, The Class Notes, Yamatai, and Loko. It’s amazing to see how much passion and hard work the students put into these performances. Even watching the Bhangra performances from teams outside of Cornell, the sound mixing and dance coordinating to fit both traditional and modern dancing/music is so impressive. I am so proud to be amongst such talented and passionate students.

Presidents are people too

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I was not able to attend the Rose Cafe, but I attended the reception and dinner with the Cornell president, Martha Pollack. Even though she wasn’t able to make the reception, I was glad I was able to meet more people in Rose and learn more about my peers. I was luckily able to meet and talk to her at the dinner, and having a casual setting to talk to her informally was a great experience as it allowed me to get to know such a powerful, prominent figure on Cornell campus in a new light. Despite not being able to hear her too well because of the seating arrangements, I still was able to ask a few questions and hear about some of her experiences. One that stood out to me to the most was how she uses her CS background to help her with presidential tasks because in CS, we never get the first program right- we are continuously improving. It was very interesting to see her apply that in implementing educational initiatives as she goes in knowing it might not work entirely but finds the best way to optimize the situation before taking feedback and improving upon that.

Entrepreneurship is a way of life

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Today, I got the chance to talk with Ben Conard, the founder of Five North Chocolate. I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship, but I feel like it is a field that is very open and vague- I know what it is, but I don’t know exactly how to be one or what it entails. However, after talking to Ben, I realized that because it is so open, YOU are ultimately the one who defines and drives what is accomplished. Of course, there are many challenges and insecurities that can arise because of it, but seeing how much Ben enjoyed what he was doing and how much drive and passion he still held despite all his obstacles, I was inspired. In fact, the biggest lesson I took away from this talk is that life is too short to make excuses and to pursue what you love because we only regret the things we don’t do. Especially with entrepreneurship where you are the one calling the shots, you have to go forth with it with a strong, determined, passionate mind.

Spinning is fun!

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Last Thursday, I attended the seminar about Chantelle’s journey to becoming a fitness club business owner. On Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend one of her classes- spinning. This was my first spin class, and I had a lot more fun than I thought I would. First, the ambiance of the room promoted a mindset that made the workout seem more of a fun activity- it was a dark room with colorful lights and music that allowed me to spin to the beat. In some ways, it felt like I was in a dance club but I was spinning rather than dancing. Second, it was enjoyable to have a group of people spinning with me- it made me feel accountable to give it my all. Yet at the same time, I felt like at some points I was just all alone and focusing on my individual workout. It was very stress relieving. Finally, I thought Chantelle was a great instructor who motivated us to push ourselves a little harder each time, yet I never felt like I had to push myself to the point of pain. Overall, this was a very fun first experience, and I definitely think I will do it again.

How to learn

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I found it really interesting that you never really know exactly where your career path will lead to. As Chantelle Farmer described her journey from an engineering degree to a fitness club business owner, I thought it was very insightful as she describes that the most important thing you learn from college is how to learn. Often times, we don’t directly apply what we learn to our industry job, but rather the process of self-studying, problem solving, asking questions, and working with other people. Additionally, she mentioned that her favorite classes at Cornell were her electives. These electives were her chance to take upon an interest she never would have thought she would be interested in, and they helped her open her eyes about the world and how to apply her learning. Additionally, it helped her “become more of a person”, allowing the ability to talk about interests outside a degree.

How can we help?

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Today, I attended the table talk regarding the ethical labor during the government shutdown. Many interesting questions were posed about the ethics of shutting down the government and putting workers to work without pay as the government attempted to solve certain disputes. While we explored the various sides of this issue, I found it interesting as we tied it back to what our role was amongst it all- none of us were personally affected by the shutdown. Yet, I feel that talking about this topic and its bigger meaning as to what it says about our country has opened my perspective. This discussion has definitely inspired me to think of ways to help those effected and think about how our country could avoid the repercussions of future government shutdowns.

Extending Empathy

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Yesterday, I attended the talk on the book about escaping poverty traps. Barrett really opened my eyes in seeing that it is very easy for those in poverty to remain in a cycle of poverty. However, when organizations extend a hand by providing insurance, technology, etc, means of escape can be discovered. We are living in a society that is constantly progressing, and it is very important for people to empathize with those in need and those less fortunate in order to drive the progress towards bettering their lives. Without empathy, the less fortunate will remain trapped, and this talk has inspired me to think of ways to use my skills and/or education to contribute in improving their lives.