The main takeaway I had from the “Managing Text Anxiety” workshop was that students should go into tests thinking “this is a new way to show what I learned” rather than dreading the test. I struggle with both test anxiety and regular anxiety during my everyday life. Attending this workshop made me realize that I was not alone. Many people at Cornell struggle with anxiety issues. Just because Cornell is full of smart people, does not mean we do not battle with those things. The woman who instructed us was very knowledgeable of what goes on in our heads. She taught us a breathing exercise that I think will make a huge difference on how nervous I feel before a test. She also gave us tips such us bringing a snack to the test or a drink so it seems informal. I hope next year, Rose invites her back for another session.
Author Archives: Tyler Dixon
Nanette – A New Perspective
This stand-up comedy by Hannah Gadsby challenged the views of straight white men. She explains her experience as a lesbian and gender non-conforming woman. She explains that some are raised to hate themselves, while others are brought up to hate others. This really stuck out to me because as a black woman, there are many similarities. Sometimes black woman practice self-hate due to what societies has told them they are. She speaks about how stand-up comedy gives people an avenue to further marginalize people who do not look or act like them. There has been many times where I have watched a stand-up comedy show that I found offensive. While others may have viewed the show as just radical, I viewed it as a masterpiece that gets straight to the point. Hannah Gadsby stated that she is giving up comedy. That speaks numbers to her passion and drive to make social change. She refuses to be a part of something that further divides people in society.
Sunset Boulevard
After watching this film, I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It was the first ever movie that I watched in black and white. Although the movie is missing color, it still kept my attention the whole time. I had this misperception that noir films were boring or hard to follow, but I was actually wrong. Sunset Boulevard was extremely engaging and kept me on the edge of my chair. The plot was unique and full of surprises. Some movies made today can be predictable sometimes. I saw a lot of good qualities in Sunset Boulevard that movies today lack. I will be viewing this movie again. I will also be more open to watching other black and white films for my own enjoyment. If you are reading this and have never had the chance to watch a noir film, I highly suggest you do. It will allow you to watch something a bit different from modern day films.
Channeling My Inner Musician
Last Sunday, I attended the Guests in Residence event with Matt Bengtson and Aaron Berofsky. They are two wonderful musicians who perform classical music. They conducted an open rehearsal which I was very grateful for. Because I am a musician myself, I understand how difficult it can be sometimes to practice while other people are in the same space as you. However, they were kind enough to allow students to enter and exit their rehearsal space. They also allowed us to ask questions and learn more about what it is like to be a musician as a career.
This event was on of my favorite ones because I considered a career in music prior to coming to college. My major was going to be music production but so many people told me that it was not smart to major in a performing art. I am glad that I can still be involved in music while attending Cornell University. I still play my instrument and can attend events like this one that allows me to channel my inner musician and ensure that music remains a big part of my life.
A Work of Art
Last week, I attended the bookmaking workshop. I was super excited about it because my favorite rose scholar events tend to be the ones centered around DIY ideas or arts and crafts. The two graduate students who make and sell handmade books were very nice. They gave an introduction in the beginning explaining the purpose of these creations. It is an affordable way for poets and writers to inexpensively display their work.
When we got the chance to make our own books, it was a surprisingly simple process. The instructors were great at giving instructions and guiding us through the process. My favorite part of making the book was the sewing aspect. We had to sew the pages together. My mom taught me how to sew so I really enjoyed this step. I hope that they come to visit rose again and possibly host another workshop.
Sharing My Prospective
I attended the design event in the Common Room today. It was not what I expected. I was nervous because I thought we would have to come to the event with ideas already in our head. However, it was way different. There was a sort of gallery set up with different ideas for West Campus. Each student could place a green sticker on the ideas they liked and a red sticker on the ideas that they did not like. This was such an innovative and efficient way to run the event because the designers gave us something to base our opinions off of.
I am glad I attended this event because it makes me feel as though I have a voice on campus and can actually contribute my ideas into something as important as the landscape of our campus.
My First Swedish Film
I attended the Friday Film last week which showed the Swedish film called “A Man Named Ove”. Before arriving to the event, I did not know that the movie would not be in English. This made me nervous because I was not sure if I could keep up since I had to read subtitles. I was wrong. The movie was easy to follow and the director did a great job on the visuals.
The movie showed the life of a man named Ove who repeatedly attempted suicide but was really bad at it. Over the course of the movie, he turns from an evil, non-loving man into one who shows compassion and love. This is due to the introduction of new friends in his life. The main thing that I learned from this movie is that it is never too late to start to show compassion no matter what may have went wrong in your life in the past. I really enjoyed this film because it showed that people can change their ways.
Can Violence Be Used For Good?
I attended the Film Friday Event where we watched the film called “V for Vendetta”. I had already viewed this film a while back when I was home, however, I was not quite sure what the point of the film was. This is definitely a film that some may find confusing upon the first watch. I know understand the purpose is to show how much of a negative effect the government can have on a person’s life. The film is truly a masterpiece. Although it was frustrating that V would never take off his mask, he spoke many words of wisdom throughout the movie. His wisdom is something that I hope to possess one day. In a way, he used violence to combat more violence from happening. I really enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to other people.
What It’s Like to Have Cancer
Because I have never been diagnosed with cancer, I do not truly know what it is like. However, after watching the film 50/50, I was able to catch a glimpse of it. This film brought me to tears…literally. Knowing that anyone on this earth can just randomly fall victim to such a terrible disease is heartbreaking to me. The toll that cancer has on a person’s body is disheartening. Chemotherapy and other medications that are given to cancer patients even make them feel worse. Although the movie ended with the main character winning his battle with cancer, I still left the movie feeling sad because I thought about all of the lives who were unable to defeat cancer.