Author Archives: Dhanushka Kadawatharatchie

The Disparity Between the views of the Public and Scientists

Posted on by

The March for science is taking place over this weekend, with it around the corner our table talk was centered around it. There were many ideas discussed, as a non science major I found it very interesting. However, what intrigued me the most was some of the data we discussed.

This data captivated my interest since I assumed the public and scientists agreed that the cause for climate change was caused by human activity. Yet, after seeing this data I began to think why is there a disparity between the view of the public and the scientists. I believe that there are two main causes for this disparity. Firstly, this gap between the view of the public and scientists occur due to the education system. Most people including myself only learnt and understood the severity of climate change and its causes in college. I was not taught about the climate change and the fact that it such a serious problem in present society until I began college. Therefore, I also may have contributed towards the human activities that cause climate change. The solution to this problem is that all students should be educated about climate change and the serious threat it poses to our society at much earlier stage in life than post-secondary education. Those who are unable to attend school should be educated in other ways such as the media about climate change. Therefore, I believe that one cause for such a disparity exists between the public and scientists is due to the education system. 

Secondly, I believe most scientist do not speak out to alert and educate the public about their research and findings. There is more information that scientists have about climate change that the general public does not have. This gap in information also adds to the disparity between the public and scientist on climate change. The solution to this problem is for scientist to make more information about climate change public and in simple laymen terms that are easily understood by people with all different levels of education. This will help more people understand that it is in fact human activity that is causing the plant to get warmer and that we need to all try to reduce activities that harm the planet. 

In conclusion, I believe that the main cause for the disparity between the view of the public and scientist is due to the flaws in the education system and the existence of asymmetric information about climate change that the scientists are aware of but the public is unaware. 

 

What does a ‘Fake’ mean with regard to nature of authorship?

Posted on by

The table talk on “F is for Fake” was based on the ideas presented by Orson Welles in his documentary. Initially released in 1974, “F is for Fake focuses on Elmyr de Hory’s recounting of his career as a professional art forger; de Hory’s story serves as the backdrop for a fast-paced, meandering investigation of the natures of authorship and authenticity, as well as the basis of the value of art. Loosely a documentary, the film operates in several different genres and has been described as a kind of film essay.

When we began discussing the documentary by Welles I was confused by the ideas and the message that he wanted to convey to his audience since I did not understand the model used to define what a fake is as many definitions apply to the term. Yet, as the discussion progressed and we agreed on a model to define what fake really means with regard to authorship it helped me understand the message that Welles was trying to convey through his documentary.

We decided that for something to be fake there has to be an original and that the thing that is “fake” is merely a copy of the original. Thus, unless an original exists a fake cannot exist with regard to authorship. For example, if I were to use my friend’s login credentials and post a blog on her behalf that blog post would not be classified as a fake as I am writing something while stealing her identity, which can be classified as impersonation as opposed to being a fake. Therefore, a fake means the copy or forgery of an original piece of art (music, literature, film, painting, sculpture etc.) and if and only if an original exists to copy off of will it be classified as a fake.

 

Education systems: How different are they around the world?

Posted on by

During the Rose cafe with Andre Simores I realized the extent to which education systems differ around the world. This was something I always knew being born and raised in Sri Lanka. I understood that there was a contrasts between the two education systems I was exposed to. However, I assumed that most colonies followed the British system and that most of North America followed the US education system.

Andre Simores firstly explained to us about the geography of Brazil and then the political and economic conditions in Brazil. Yet, what I found most intriguing was the education system due to my previous misconception. He explained to us how in Brazil public universities were the most prestigious universities. That all students target these public universities.

He also enlightened us about how in Brazil the key to getting into a good public university is to pay a higher tuition fee and attend an expensive high school this will help your chances in getting admitted into one of the top public universities. Further, in brazil students don’t directly have to pay tuition either. Additionally, another fact I found fascinating was the reason why public universities were more prestigious than private ones. This was because all the top notch faculty taught at the public universities, therefore, the only determinant of a good public university is the faculty according to Andre Simores, which is unlike the US and Sri Lanka for me personally.

The fact that you need to pay higher high school tuition to get into a cheaper prestigious public university was something I fond very interesting. Further, the differentiator that sets public universities apart from private ones is its exceptional faculty. The differences in the US and Sri Lankan educations systems in comparison to Brazil’s education system made me realize the great extent to which education systems differ around the world.

 

Opposite behavior: Is it a valuable tip for a successful interview?

Posted on by

Interview tips and techniques are very subjective. During my time at Cornell I’ve been told what to do and what not to do by many who have been through interviews. One thing I learnt was that was people had very different opinions on what you should do at an interview. With this is mind I decided to attend the Rose Seminar on interview tips and techniques to see what different or new tips and techniques I could learn.

GRF Sara who conducted the seminar gave us an interesting example of a fictional character George Costanza from Seinfeld, and his interview with the New York Yankees. The idea behind this example was “opposite behavior”. George does not behave in the manner someone being interviewed usually does. Instead of only answering as many questions as the interviewer throws at him, George is very relaxed and calm and keeps questioning the interviewer as much as the interviewer questions George. Secondly, he even goes as far as to criticize the policies implemented by management, which instantly gets him the job because he was honest and didn’t say what the interviewer wanted to hear instead he was honest and provided constructive criticism.

I found this example to be very helpful. More often than not most people are preoccupied with trying to impress the interviewer they forget that it’s a two-way relationship rather than a one-way relationship. While the interviewer tries to gauge if you are a good fit to the company and job position you too should question the interviewer and try to find out if the company is the right for you. Since, finding the right job is like dating. Only if both parties are compatible will it work out.

In conclusion, it’s important for you to be yourself and be honest because if the interviewer doesn’t like you, this means that chances are you might not be a good fit to the company culture. Further, it’s important to ask questions from the interviewer since in some ways you are also interviewing them to see if they will be a good fit to you. The idea of opposite behavior is a very valuable takeaway for a successful interview in my opinion.

Vaccines in the US

Posted on by

Growing up in Sri Lanka it was a given that everyone would be vaccinated. It wasn’t really a choice of the parents since all school students had to be vaccinated to prevent other student from being affected by those who were not vaccinated. I assumed this was the system all around the world.

Yet, when I attended the table talk on Public Health and Vaccines I was proven wrong. I learnt that in the US it’s a personal choice of the parents and the individual if they want to be vaccinated or not. This was due to moral and ethical concerns. Some concerns were that injecting a dead virus or inactive virus could potentially end up causing the disease. Another concern is that vaccines may cause autism in children. Yet, years of scientific research has found that vaccines are in fact safe and that they have prevented many harmful diseases from spreading. This got me thinking is it morally right to let another person get sick simply because you weren’t vaccinated? Is it really right not to do something that causes third party harm?

Personally, I disagree with this policy in the US. I believe that all children if they are going to school they should be vaccinated and it shouldn’t be a choice of the parents. If the parents do not want to vaccinate their children, they should be homeschooled and not sent to public or private schools where they are risking the health of other students that have been vaccinated. Especially if there are any students undergoing chemotherapy they are specially at risk.

Does your conscious keep you awake at night when you defend someone whose guilty?

Posted on by

Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be a lawyer. I joined my high school debate team and even took part in moot court competitions with this goal in mind. I made all the necessary plans to go to law school and practice as a civil or criminal lawyer.  One day when I was with my grandma she asked me “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I didn’t even need to think twice I said lawyer! She told me to be a good lawyer and then asked me “what will you do if you have to defend someone that’s guilty?” To this day I couldn’t answer this question. Therefore, I changed all my plans since the thought of letting someone guilty get away without being convicted didn’t sit well with me.

I wanted to find an answer to this question with this in mind I attended the Rose café with Justice Scott Miller, who was a judge of Tompkins county. He briefly spoke to us about his time at Cornell and how he went from being a defense attorney to a judge. Then he opened the floor to questions. This was when I decided to ask the question “does your conscious keep you awake at night when you defend someone whose guilty?” but someone else beat me to it. I was glad to find out that I wasn’t the only one troubled by this.

Justice Scott Miller said that to him after being a defense lawyer for a while and now a judge what really keeps him awake at night is when the Jury convicts an innocent person. He told us how he had defended many people who he thought were guilty. One client of his had even confessed to him that he was guilty but he still wanted to go to trial because it was his civil right to go to trial. He told us how it’s not up to the defense lawyer to decide whether the person who he knows is guilty should be convicted or not. Unless, the US government can find enough proof to convict someone they are innocent until proven guilty. He also told us how during your career as a lawyer there will be many who you think are guilty or who you know for sure is guilty that you will have to defend and some will get convicted and some won’t. But what will really keep you up at night is when you defend someone who is innocent and you know is innocent but then is convicted.

This was a good enough answer to the question I couldn’t answer for a long time. The idea that a lawyer like any other professional is simply doing their job whether they are defending an innocent party or a guilty party. It’s the job of the government to find enough proof to convict someone whether they are guilty or not.

The Art of Writing a Cover Letter

Posted on by

Cover letters to me seemed very insignificant. I assumed my resume would suffice no matter what job or organization I applied to. They had to know if I was qualified and had the kind of work experience they were looking for before they hired me. The resume outlined my entire career path in one page what more would anyone need?  After attending the Rose seminar on personal statements and cover letters I understood that the cover letter is the key to getting my resume to the recruiter.

The development of technology led to many great things and the automation of many jobs that were previously carried out by humans. Similarly, I discovered at the seminar that in the recruitment process the first screening an applicant gets is a computer software. This software screens all cover letters for the “key words or terms” that the organization is looking for in all applicants before the resume is screened by the recruiter. Therefore, the cover letter is extremely important to get your resume screened by the recruiter.

After discovering the importance of a cover letter my next problem was what is the art of writing a cover letter? Is it like an essay version of your resume or is it just stating why you are applying for a specific position Dr. Hill provided us with one piece of advice that is crucial to writing all cover letters. Find a story about yourself or a ‘hook’ that relates to why you are applying to do what you want. Mention this hook and then go on to explain what drives or motivates you to apply to this particular position and then connect this story or hook that wraps your entire cover letter up into a nice story. This style of writing seems to be effective since it draws the reader in and it helps to make your cover letter stand out against all the other applicants. What it should definitely not do is mention all the things in your resume. It should clearly state what motivates and drives you and what you want to accomplish not what you “think” you’ll accomplish.

In conclusion, there are definitely many ways to writing a letter. However, since the cover letter is very crucial in the application process find a way to make it unique and effective and most importantly include the key words and terms that the position you are applying is looking for.

When do you remove your high school experience from your resume and cover letter?

Posted on by

It was the beginning of the spring semester and most clubs were recruiting again. This also meant drafting many cover letters, editing and reediting your resume a million times until you got it just right. During my application process one main problem that I had with editing my resume was figuring out when do I remove my high school experience from my resume? When I was stuck with this dilemma I decided to attend the Rose seminar: secret behind the cover letter.

This seminar was very helpful and answered a lot of the questions I had. Most importantly it answered my main purpose for attending the seminar. I learned that its best to have one large document with all your past experiences from high school or even middle school to now. Then based on the industry or job or in my case club I was applying to I should cater my resume to fit the job description.

The seminar helped me in terms of understanding how to cater my resume and cover letter to the specific job or position I am applying to. I even learned that even if it was an activity or a leadership role you had in high school it would be wise to keep it in your as long as it’s relevant. Therefore, the key to knowing when you need to delete your high school experience from your resume depends on relevance.

Is it really worth spending 5 million dollars on a Super bowl advertisement?

Posted on by

Last Sunday I attended a discussion about the Super bowl, which made me think about the marketing and advertising of the Super bowl.  Most international students understand the important role that sports play in American culture. Since, more often than not every country has a sport that majority of the country’s population follows and identifies with. Therefore, the importance of the football in American culture is similar to all other nations in the world. The Super bowl is the most significant football event of the year. However, something that baffles many international students including myself is the amount of money a super bowl advertisement is worth. Is it really worth spending 5 million (or more) on a 30 second spot?

The super bowl reaches an audience of approximately 110 million viewers. The biggest cinematic blockbuster from 2016, Rogue One, only sold about 55 million tickets. In terms of cultural reach, football’s championship game is twice the size of the biggest blockbuster. Therefore, maybe it is worth it to spend $5 million on a 30 second spot. However, this does not benefit all companies that advertise during the super bowl. Personally, I would argue that new companies and products that people haven’t heard of before would get the most return on the $5 million dollar investment, because millions of people are hearing about them for the first time.

However, if a reputed company uses the Super bowl to advertise their current products and services this would not provide them a good return on their investment since millions of people watching the Super bowl have already heard and seen their brand promotions before. Thus, the $ 5 million dollar investment would not benefit the firms that already have a certain reputation and stature.

The Super bowl’s remarkable reach definitely benefits the new companies and products that are advertising for the first time since it allows you to reach such a large proportion of America’s population. Yet for established brands and firms the Super bowl is not worth spending $5 million dollars on in the long run. Therefore, it is only worth spending $5 million dollars if you’re a company that’s never been heard of before, if you’re an established brand it is not worth spending $5 million.