“If curling was easy, it would be called hockey”. That quote was proven to be true on Saturday in Lansing for the Flora Rose (plus supah sue-we will get to this later) Curling Squad. Curling is game of skill, strategy, and strength. The objective is to push off of the hack (starting block), have good technique while throwing the stone, sweep the stone to give it more speed (if necessary), and have pinpoint accuracy in landing your shot/placement. At first, you will wipe out. You will fall on your tailbone and wish you had knee pads. But once you get the hang of it, there is nothing else like it. Being able to glide on the ice for those few seconds is such a freeing experience. What truly made my first curling experience even more amazing, was that we were teamed up with Sue. She had walked over and asked if she can join the team. From that moment on it was as if we knew her for way more than 2 hours. She was so lively and good spirited. Just like the rest of us, at first, she struggled. But, once she got the hang of it Sue looked ready for the 2022 Winter Olympics. She had that accuracy and drive that could not be taught, hence the name Supah (aka super) Sue. With Ty as our coach, we were able to have a come from behind victory 3-2. Curling is a sport for all, so come out and throw some stones!
Author Archives: jw776
all you need is passion
Mike was able to use his time at Rose Cafe in a truly meaningful way. We talked about giving back, and what we have each done in that past to help others. Then, he spoke to each of us about our stories, and what he saw within them. Furthermore, he was able to tell us his story. How he was always passionate about helping, but never thought he could get a career out of it. Once he truly felt this was his calling, Mike attended graduate school. From there he ended up here, at Cornell. And since then the rest is history.
In this Cafe, Mike told us how there are so many organizations in Ithaca and its surrounding towns here to help the locals and that they are always seeking volunteers. Now knowing this, I want to lend a hand wherever I can. Overall, Mike and Engaged Cornell really are a force for good.
a genre in a new light
I never truly thought of romance as anything more than a standard genre of both literature and movies. Sara showed me otherwise. This rose cafe was much different than others I have attended, and I liked the that. The reason I felt it was different is Sara made it more discussion based than simply explaining her topic then Q/A. Sara truly was able to guide the Cafe to explain what she does, while incorporating our thoughts and questions to heighten her topic.
To me, romance in literature/films was always about person A wanting to get the attention of person Band then to live a happy life together. With her insight, Sara was able to open up brand new doors for me. She explained how there are many types of romance and how they all branch off from earlier ideas set by others. For example, while she looks at romance from a classical perspective, we were able to go off of that notion and talk about romance in a modern day sense. We talked about what romance is in this day and time compared to our thoughts on what it was years ago.
This Cafe really made me want to start “reading for fun” like I did when I was younger. If that was Sara’s goal then it worked because I am now doing so
Architecture in Ithaca
Being that this is my first semester at Cornell, I had to take a walk through the area with my family during orientation week. While walking around, we noticed a mix of older buildings, with more renovated/modern student apartments. What I found unique, was college-town seemed ‘confused’ and didn’t truly have an identity the deeper into it I went. meaning that due to the mixture of structures, there was no true feel to it, rather a mishmash of houses and apartments.
Now being here for 2 months, I have realized why there is this ‘mess’: there are too many students and not enough space. Rather than someone deicing to simply renovate older buildings, these new ones are coming in to help fix this population issue. These newer buildings seem like mountains compared compaed to the older ones but were built in hopes to solve this issue. It seems to make sense why these newer buildings are also more modern, as they will attract current students due the amenities they provide, and the aesthetic appeal.
Rather than spreading out, architects are noticing tricks and loopholes in zoning that allows extra rooms, and even floors. Making sure a basement is a liveable place is a perfect example of this. If a basement has the proper dimensions to it, it becomes a liveable space- thus, it can add extra people and rooms. But, if the dimensions are off just by inches, it will be deemed un-liveable and a waste of funding. Learning small aspects of the zoning and codes of Ithaca was quite interesting, and I was really impressed how people were still able to get around them.
From passenger to Pilot
This week, Rose Cafe did a q&a based session. Mike Comella, a pilot for Delta Connection, was here and we got to ask him questions that you normally wouldn’t be able to ask a pilot. The most interesting thing I got from this experience, was how regulated pilots flying hours are. It gets so in depth that if a pilot is about to go over their allotted hours, even if on the runway, he/she needs to turn around to get a new pilot- the only way they can go over hours is if they take off before their time is up. This led straight into questions of fatigue such as sleep, health, and even if legs go numb. Mike explained how typically you will either always fly nights for a trip or fly during the day so you can create a natural sleep cycle for the duration of your trip. Also, how a pilot will have a few days on and then a few off. In addition, how a pilot has limits in the number of hours they can fly on any given day, week, month, or year.
One other aspect I enjoyed was how we got into the mechanics of the plane, and flight school. Mike was able to explain different key components of an aircraft what makes certain ones unique, and the mechanisms that are a necessity and those that are not. Also, learning about what is needed to become a commercial passenger pilot was quite neat. How you must start off with the basics, and seriously put in your hours and work your way up by gaining a multitude of certifications. He also shared with us how some schools such as Purdue have aviation as a major. Overall I enjoyed Mike and all he had to share with us, and how easy it was to engage with him.
Chris & Maintenance
I found it interesting how Chris started in plumbing, and eventually made his way here, on West. How he worked his way from apprentice, to plumber, then a student, and finally oversight. I really have respect for him in being able to go from only using the tools, to using his mind and putting his knowledge to work. Coming from a family with a history of skilled union workers, I found it interesting how Cornell has a contract with the unions. I didn’t realize that it is skilled workers who come it for repairs and fixes, rather than someone who can get the job done and a fraction of the price. The fact that Chris is able to hand pick those he wants shows the respect the others have for his as well.
What also caught my attention, was that Cornell took the easy way out on some of the main houses here on west, and didn’t exactly realize these buildings weren’t up to code. How it took a few years to eventually realize there were faults that needed to repaired right away, and that no one realized sooner.
Overall, I enjoyed this cafe and it made me think about what members of my family do and the connections I made during this one-hour period.
the man behind the scenes
Being this was my first Rose Cafe, I had no clue what to expect. What I had imagined it to be was another boring roundtable discussion about a random topic. What actually happened was a pleasant surprise. I got to listen to Anthony speak all about what goes on throughout the semester, and after the semester, within the realm of building care. He went on about how he has a team of 30 during the semester and then it grows even more during the non-scholastic months. What I found interesting was how in-depth he went- telling us all about what goes on when students aren’t on West, and all that needs to get down before we (students) come back.
Anthony was so insightful and really knew what he was talking about. When someone told him a story about what happened last semester, he not only remembered what happened, but even the building, and floor in which it occurred. In addition, when someone had criticism, he didn’t take offense. Rather, he listened with open ears and wanted to positively impact our experience here at Cornell. One girl made a remark on how tissue paper from her trash gets all over the place throughout the day, and Anthony said he would fix that. The next morning when I went to brush my teeth, I realized the trash bin was moved to a different location just like what was talked about. Out of pure curiosity, I checked the ground floor bathroom on my way out of my building and I noticed that bin was moved as well.
Anthony simply doesn’t see himself and his team as building care. Rather, he sees them as a group of people trying to make a positive impact on west campus and making sure the students have a good experience here. I really respect him for how well of a job he does, and also how he strives to make a difference.