Author Archives: Alex Strandberg

One Dissenting Voice Against Eleven Others

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On Saturday, I watched 12 Angry Men, a 1957 courtroom drama film which depicts twelve men deliberating over whether they believe beyond a reasonable doubt that a boy murdered his father.  After a preliminary vote, one juror, Juror 8, who voted “not guilty,” stands in opposition against the eleven other jurors who voted “guilty.” The eleven were adamant that the case was an open-and-shut one: the boy clearly did it according to them.  Juror 8’s single opposing vote forces the other jurors to discuss the facts of the case, much to their chagrin.

Over the course of the film, the opinions of the other jurors slowly change as Juror 8 entertains the possibility that all the facts are not as clear-cut as they thought.  As the heated discussion ensues, the prejudices of some jurors are revealed. Since the defendant lives in the slums, they believe more strongly that he was guilty because of crime statistics and their preconceived notions about “those” children.  As some jurors were denigrating these children, Juror 5, who grew up in the slums, stands up for them and calls out the jurors’ prejudices.

When the jury first started deliberating, all except Juror 8 kept saying that the boy obviously was unequivocally guilty.  However, as the movie progresses, each testimony and exhibit is reexamined. For example, an elderly man claims to have heard the boy screaming when the alleged murder took place, while a woman’s testimony indicates that a loud elevated train sped by the apartment building as the murder was taking place.  The jury eventually realizes that it would be nearly impossible to distinguish a person’s voice over the sound of a train moving adjacent to the building’s windows.

Near the end of the movie, just one juror, Juror 3, stands in opposition to eleven others believing that the boy is innocent – the opposite of how the movie began.  He finally breaks down as he tears up a photo of his son with whom he has had a bad relationship. Juror 3 realizes that he was projecting his feelings about his son onto the defendant and changes his vote to “not guilty.”  

Overall, I enjoyed this movie, especially how it does not depict the trial, but instead the jury deliberation afterwards, where the viewer slowly learns the facts of the trial.  12 Angry Men shows the real possibility of wrongful convictions if there are no stalwart jurors like Juror 8 to challenge the other jurors.  The movie encourages all of us to examine the prevalence of prejudice in our society which leads to bias, while challenging us to rise above it.  

The Inside Scoop on Vaccines

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On Wednesday, I attended the Rose Cafe where GRF Ty led a discussion about his research with vaccines.  He explained how vaccines worked at a level that everyone could follow, and I learned quite a bit about the immune system and his research.  Ty started by describing how our immune systems protect us. For example, white blood cells continuously check for foreign pathogens and the body makes antibodies that recognize pathogens.  Vaccines help the body by teaching it what a certain kind of pathogen looks like, so that the body can immediately fight it if found later on.

Ty went on to describe how vaccines are made.  Some vaccines are made from the sugar coating of pathogens, while others may use other parts.  These sugar (carbohydrate) vaccines tend to be less effective, however. As a result, more effective vaccines made by attaching sugars to proteins have been produced.  Effective vaccines trigger a response from T-cells (a type of white blood cell), when they meet a certain threshold.

Ty also explained the challenges with making vaccines as bacteria become more resistant.  For example, newer strains of bacteria may bear no resemblance to older strains, and the immune system does not detect these strains.  In addition, bacteria may hide in host cells or pretend to be normal cells to evade detection by the immune system. The Meningitis B outbreak at Princeton and elsewhere was an example of this latter case.  

We also learned about Ty’s research aiming to engineer a vaccine for Francisella tularensis, using a new kind of vaccine with outer membrane vesicles.  This pathogen is a bioterrorist threat since it is virulent in aerosol form, and Ty’s research group has received funding from the US Department of Defense to develop a vaccine for it.  Lastly, Ty discussed the potential for vaccines to aid in cancer treatment and the field of immunotherapy.

Overall, I enjoyed this talk, as it gave an inside look into something that we often take for granted: vaccines.  The talk gave me a greater appreciation for researchers like Ty who are working to keep people healthy and safe, and I look forward to hearing about new breakthroughs from his lab in the future.  

Designing the Future of Collegetown Housing

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On Wednesday, I attended the Rose Cafe where Noah Demarest led a discussion about his career in architecture and projects he has been involved in.  Demarest studied Design and Environmental Analysis as well as Landscape Architecture at Cornell. In 2012, he went on to found his own architecture collaborative, STREAM, which primarily serves the greater Ithaca area.  

STREAM has been involved in the designing or renovating of several buildings on College Ave., such as the Student Agencies building, where E-Hub is located, and 201 College Ave, a modern, five-story apartment complex.  I found it interesting how much work is involved in the design of these buildings, especially how much time must be expended to comply with Ithaca’s challenging building codes. For example, most of Collegetown has a five-story limit, but his firm was able to maximize livable space by making the top floors have lofted spaces.  In addition, regulations regarding power lines limit the total footprint of new buildings, since a building’s outer walls cannot be within ten feet of power lines. Collegetown residents have been trying to get these power lines moved underground with little success.

Demarest also discussed how his firm strives to make new projects as modern as possible, while avoiding extremes that will make the buildings seem out of style in a few years.  The buildings utilize technologies such as air source heat pumps to minimize the buildings’ carbon footprints whenever possible. He even hopes that many of his new buildings will eventually be powered from solar farms.  Demarest finished the cafe by talking about the rules governing accessible housing, such as the rule that requires all new apartments with more than three units to have every unit be accessible.

Overall, I enjoyed this talk, since it enlightened me on all the work that happens before you see the construction vehicles changing the landscape of Collegetown and other areas.  I look forward to seeing all these new construction projects being completed and hope that they will improve the housing situation in Collegetown.

Cleared for Takeoff

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On Wednesday, I attended the Rose Cafe where Mike Comella led a discussion about what it takes to be a pilot and the insights he has learned from his thirty-two years of aviation experience.  He first explained all the steps needed to fly for a major airline like Delta.  There are various certifications, such as a commercial license and instrument rating, each with different amounts of training hours required.  Comella said that it takes at least two years of training to meet the minimum requirements to fly for a major airline.  

Comella asked us if we have ever had bad flying experiences.  Nearly everyone has had to deal with turbulence and/or sick passengers sitting next to them.  I learned that pilots strive to minimize turbulence by carefully checking weather forecasts beforehand and adjusting the current altitude when necessary.  

I also learned how today’s airplanes have so many redundant systems in the event that one malfunctions.  I was surprised to hear that some newer planes do not have manual controls as a backup for certain systems, like the hydraulics.  However, these systems often have two other backups, and the probability of all three systems failing is quite low.  In addition, for planes with multiple engines, a pilot can perform an emergency landing with just one working engine.  

Comella also discussed how airline regulations have changed in the past decade to ensure pilots are not overworked and in need of more sleep.  These regulations limit how many hours a pilot can fly in a day, week, or month.  In some cases, pilots may have to turn around after leaving the gate if there is too long of a delay in taking off (the crew would need to be swapped out).  

Overall, I enjoyed this talk, since it enlightened me on what happens behind the cockpit door for every flight I have ever been on.  The talk also gave me a greater appreciation for all the hard work that pilots put in to ensure safety on each flight.

A Well-Maintained West Campus

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On Wednesday, I attended the Rose Cafe where Chris VanDruff led a discussion on what it takes to keep West Campus in top-notch shape.  He first explained how he got his start at Cornell as a plumber, later transitioning to management as he earned a degree from the ILR school.  VanDruff also explained the variety of maintenance requests and projects he is responsible for, from simple fixes for lights and blinds to more complicated matters like renovating common areas in the Gothics.  

He discussed the challenges of responding to requests promptly while appropriately prioritizing them.  For example, he makes sure to respond to safety issues like a malfunctioning no-prop door right away.  However, he has a limited staff, so some non-urgent requests may take more time.  VanDruff also strives to judiciously spend his department budget, making decisions such as replacing old light fixtures with new ones that house LED bulbs instead of simply replacing the bulb: a higher upfront cost with future savings.  

VanDruff also highlighted the differences between the new West Campus buildings and the Gothics from his department’s perspective.  I was surprised to hear that he receives more maintenance requests from residents in the new buildings than the Gothics, mainly due to unforeseen problems following the rushed construction of some of the new buildings.  The Gothics, however, are the source of larger projects, like replacing failing slate tiles and renovating the common spaces.  

I was intrigued by his explanation of the air conditioning systems in the new buildings: they rely on chilled water pumped from Cayuga Lake.  This environmentally-friendly method saves about 80% of the energy needed for conventional air conditioning systems.  I searched online and found that this lake source cooling system serves 80 Cornell buildings (40% of the campus).  

VanDruff closed by emphasizing how his job is not only to keep West Campus well-maintained, but also to ensure student safety in the process.  He explained the thorough research involved in installing the security gates on Gothics Way (a joint effort with Dr. Blalock).  I am very grateful for the amazing maintenance staff that keep our buildings in great shape.  Overall, I really enjoyed these Rose Cafes that explored the ins and outs of Cornell.  

Behind the Scenes of “House 5”

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On Wednesday, I attended the Rose Cafe where Dr. Blalock led a discussion on the history of West Campus and then gave a tour of two hidden areas on West Campus: the underground tunnels connecting Becker and Rose houses and the War Memorial Room in Lyon Hall.  Dr. Blalock explained the motivation for Cornell investing hundreds of millions of dollars to construct five new dorm buildings on West: to address Cornell’s housing needs and to rival other top universities’ residential college programs, while creating spaces to extend learning to where students would live.  

Blalock also gave an in-depth tour of two areas that most Cornell students never see.  I was surprised to hear him explain the constant flow of food deliveries through the Becker-Rose tunnel which enables Cornell Dining to serve thousands of meals each day.  We saw where all the food is stored and later prepared in the two kitchens.  The last stop on the tour, the Lyon War Memorial Room, is only open a few times a year.  It houses a list of fallen soldiers and a related letter from President Hoover.  When I lived in Mennen Hall last year, I passed by the door to this room nearly every day, not knowing what it was until this cafe.  

Throughout the tour, Dr. Blalock reflected on his time as Rose’s House Professor Dean, as his term ends this semester.  He talked about many of his experiences at “House 5”, the name for Flora Rose House while the five buildings were under construction.  He identified one of his lasting impacts on this campus: installing electric gates on both ends of Gothics Way (the road that runs through the middle of West Campus).  He identified a problem that he believed was crucial to solve to ensure student safety: delivery vehicles were barreling through this road that nearly every student crosses to enter West Campus.  His efforts were met with opposition, yet he fought until his proposal was implemented.  I was surprised to hear that a gate was not present since the inception of that road, and I now have an even greater appreciation for all Dr. Blalock has done to improve student life on West Campus.  

Overall, I really enjoyed this cafe as it enlightened me on the entire process which ends with food being served to students.  I look forward to future Rose Cafes that continue this theme of examining the hidden aspects that keep Cornell running smoothly.  

Feedback Is a Gift

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On Wednesday, I attended the Rose Cafe where Anthony McCabe led a discussion about the Building Care staff’s work here at Cornell.  I gained many insights from this talk.  For example, I was struck by his statement that Building Care focuses on not only keeping residence halls in good condition but also making sure students feel safe and at home while at Cornell.  Building Care staff has undergone training on how to handle situations where they identify students who may need some help.  

McCabe took the time to solicit student feedback about Building Care, carefully writing down our concerns and explaining that he will discuss them with his staff the following morning.  I really appreciated how much he cared about our comfort and satisfaction.  One student said that the shower curtain was too short, and he said he would have it fixed.  Multiple times throughout the talk, he stressed that students should never hesitate to submit a maintenance request, even for small requests.  He said that we are “the customers” and that they want us to have a safe and clean experience on campus.  All of the maintenance requests are analyzed each year to identify areas where Building Care can improve/focus more attention.  

McCabe also emphasized how much Building Care values student privacy.  They only enter student rooms after knocking and announcing their presence multiple times.  In addition, only certain staff have access to student rooms.  They also strive to complete maintenance requests as quickly as possible, usually within one day.  

Overall, I enjoyed this talk since it enlightened me on what really is happening behind the scenes every day as students see Building Care staff work each day in the residence halls.  I am very grateful for the amazing facilities staff keeping our buildings clean.  I look forward to future Rose Cafes which further explore the ins and outs of Cornell.  

Perfection and Your Attitude

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On Friday, Flora’s Friday Film showed Friday Night Lights, a 2004 sports drama film which depicts a high school football team in Odessa, Texas fighting its way to the state championship game amidst many obstacles.  Although the movie centered around football, I found that much of the movie can be applied to many other situations.  

For example, the movie shows how one’s attitude has a huge effect on whether the desired outcome can be reached.  In the movie, superstar quarterback Boobie Miles is severely injured shortly before the regular season was ending.  The entire town is dismayed at the news of his unclear future for the season and wonders how the team could possibly go on and win without its star player.  Coach Gaines does not let the media coverage affect him, as he works to make the best of the current situation.  The team goes on to make it to the playoffs after Gaines has the players make an attitude adjustment.  Gaines also says that a bad attitude can cause you to be your own enemy.  

One of Coach Gaines’ quotes struck me during the movie regarding perfection.  He says that perfection is not about the scoreboard, but rather “being able to look your friends in the eye and know you did everything you could not to let them down.”  Gaines exemplifies this by trying his best each game to secure a win while being able to adjust after tough losses.  This quote is so important in life because so many people worry about trying to be “perfect” according to their own definitions.  With perseverance, people can try their best to achieve what Gaines calls “perfection.”  

Overall, I enjoyed this movie, especially the perfect timing with the Super Bowl.  I look forward to watching more inspiring movies like this one later this semester.