This week I attended the Rose Cafe with Prof Blalock. It was a smaller cafe, probably due to the fact that it occurred the night before slope day, but it was a pleasant and reflective conversation. Prof Blalock is leaving Rose House after 6 years, and introduced his replacement, Prof Rosemary Avery, who seems like an excellent person for the job. We talked about how to improve Rose House and the scholars program as a whole, and I felt that the input was well received. I feel optimistic about the future of the House. Although I am a scholar, I am moving off campus next year so this was my last Rose event- it was a nice way to finish out my experience at Rose. I really enjoyed living here and being a part of the scholars program and, as a transfer student, I really appreciated the community that it provided. Overall, I will look back fondly on my experiences living here, and am happy that Rose House was a part of my Cornell experience.
I wish Dr. Avery the best in her new position!
Author Archives: Hannah Peirce
Mini organs, big cures
Last week, I attended Shiv’s Rose Cafe about organoids. Overall, I really enjoyed the conversation about his work. Shiv spoke about his research growing “mini organs” which could be used for developing antibodies and patient-specific cancer treatments. Thinking about how cancer and autoimmune diseases have affected my own family, I am encouraged by the prospect of new and improved ways to treat these conditions. Not to mention, He did a great job of making the talk approachable, and he made some very comical and appropriate analogies. As a person who was once very interested in this field, I was intrigued by his talk. While I have a basic fundamental STEM background, it is always interesting for me to learn about popular methodology, and current work going on in the field since I decided to pursue linguistics instead of biochemistry. His work is very important, and I found it really encouraging to hear about how his research in particular could decrease the cost of certain medicines, which is a really critical issue in healthcare right now. Also, Shiv was very animated and excited about his work, and I always find that to be very refreshing when attending academic-oriented talks. I have really enjoyed the last few Cafes in which GRFs have shared their research with us- I think it has provided a great opportunity to learn about research outside of my own field, as well as get to know our GRFs!
One Room, One Case, and Human Nature
Last weekend I saw 12 Angry Men screened in Rose House. I was not expecting the movie to be in black and white, and was initially surprised by its age. (I suppose I should have read the flyer more closely.) Nevertheless, I genuinely enjoyed the film. It isn’t often that we see movies anymore that are filmed almost entirely in one room, and the lack of scenery changes really allows the viewer to hone in on the characters themselves without focusing on extrenuous details. I think that this element of the film in particular highlighted the ways in which it functioned as an examination of humanity itself. It’s almost as if we are watching these men in some kind of social experiment, that’s the feeling that the movie gives. It adds a really interesting dimension to the viewership.
Additionally, the film examines the biases and external factors which impact the outcome of court decisions. I specifically liked how the film did not show any of the case in question, and we are forced to determine what happened and form our own opinions on the basis of what the jurors themselves convey, just as we must often do when consuming media, etc. today. One of the most interesting elements of this is that the defendant is never explicitly said to be a person of color, yet it is known by viewers that he is. The bias that exists is so potent, and that is very interesting to witness in this film when it is so specifically divorced from the target of that prejudice. Thinking about modern legal issues, this kind of bias clearly persists today. Overall, the film itself was quite entertaining and remains strikingly relevant despite its age.
The Science Behind Vaccines
I attended the Rose Cafe with GRF Tyler this week. Tyler is a Ph.D. Student in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering working to create vaccines. In the cafe, he gave us a brief introduction to the science behind his work, and described his efforts to create vaccines using new methodology.
Prior to coming to Cornell and deciding to study Linguistics, I was planning to study Biochemistry and was interested in medical research. Although I changed my academic path, I remain very interested in the kind of work that Tyler is doing. I was quite excited to learn about what he is working on, and overall really enjoyed his talk. The recent cafes in which GRFs present their research have been some of my favorites. I really appreciate the opportunity to hear from people in fields other than my own in a really convenient and approachable setting.
Flying: Behind the Scenes
Last week I attended the Rose Cafe where we spoke with a pilot about flying. As a person who travels quite a lot, often by plane, it was interesting to hear from the person in the cockpit. The conversation was very diverse, as we discussed everything from getting a pilot’s license, to a typical day as a commercial airline pilot, to airline regulation and trade unionization.
I was most struck by the pilot’s comment about airline regulation being “written in blood”, as many of the regulations have been implemented in the wake of a crash. Specifically, he spoke about the new regulations regarding work hours for flight crews. I had never thought very much about this process, but it seems to mirror the way a lot of regulation is created, not just in aviation.
Additionally, I was interested to learn about the schedule of a pilot. I had no idea the way that days were scheduled, so it was interesting to hear him talk about how he flies for “blocks” of 4 days at a time, and then has 7 or 8 days off. This definitely strays away from my understanding of a typical work day!
Overall, I enjoyed last week’s cafe. Flying has become kind of mundane for me, so it was really cool to get a behind the scenes understanding of commercial aviation!
Run, Audience, Run!
After watching Forrest Gump again, for what was probably the third time, the film has really lost its allure. My dad is a big movie buff, and is always making sure I watch “the classics”, so I had seen Forrest Gump a few times with him before. It was never my favorite, but I did like it. While I still found certain parts of the film enjoyable, I found that I enjoyed it much less this time around. That was likely due to the fact that I really became aware of the unhealthy relationship between Forrest and Jenny after repeated viewings.
Overall, the movie is engaging, interesting, and dynamic. It’s easy to get invested in Forrest as a character, so all of his adventures and achievements make the movie enjoyable to watch. However, this can’t overshadow the pitfalls of the Forrest/Jenny relationship storyline. As you look closer at their interactions, it is clear how unhealthy and detrimental the relationship is to Forrest as they grow older. Jenny is a moderately unlikeable character to begin with, but the way she treats Forrest into adulthood really puts her over the edge. Ultimately, it ends up being kind of dangerous the way that the movie paints their relationship as a grand love story, when in fact it would be better described as emotionally abusive. Another smaller side note, the portrayal of the Black Panthers in the film is somewhat problematic. It presents them as caricatures of the party, and seems pretty reductionist/trivializing in its portrayal of their ideals and attitudes.
Overall, I didn’t enjoy the movie as I had in previous viewings. But I think this is why its important to think critically about the media we consume, even that which seems to be purely for entertainment value.
Complaints and Resolutions
This past week I attended the Rose Cafe about Facilities on West Campus. I found the conversation to be really productive, and was really surprised at the level of receptiveness that I was met with when I voiced my concerns. Having had some problems last year with the cleanliness of the bathroom in Founders Hall, I honestly didn’t expect to experience such a high level of care and dedication from the staff. It was a great opportunity to be able to speak about these issues and interact with the person in charge of building care on West because I think it’s often too easy to take those things for granted when they are done well, and complain bitterly when they are not. We don’t often have an opportunity, or take the time when we do, to thank the people who take care of our homes here on campus. One question that someone brought up during the talk was that of what we can do to make the lives of the building care staff easier. Such things as taking trash to trash rooms, removing personal items from bathrooms, and just generally being courteous about public spaces were all things that were mentioned. It’s not hard to do things like this, but it makes a big impact on the ability of these people to do their jobs.
I was really happy that I attended the talk, and even more pleasantly surprised when I found that a concern I had voiced during the discussion was resolved the next day. I think that really speaks to how receptive the staff is to our requests and needs. I will be sure to voice my concerns more often, as I have much more confidence in the system than I did previously.