Drawing is a form of communication, just like writing, speaking, or dancing. I loved creating fun and memorable sketches during the Pictionary event with URF Maggie. Even though most of our drawings weren’t award-winning masterpieces, the time crunch makes it more fun as each player tries to guess what you are drawing while the clock ticks down. I also found it really interesting to see the different associations people make with each word. Sometimes, the drawings other students made were exactly what I would have drawn, and other times I never would have thought to take the perspective they did. I love the diversity of thoughts, experiences, and perspectives that shape the way each of us views the world. Pictionary is just one fun way to learn about some of those perspectives!
Author Archives: ckg35
Loop-de-loop
Taking a break to exercise the creative side of my brain is always a nice change during the school year. I really enjoyed learning to crochet with other Rose Scholars during this fun and relaxing event. Such crafts are not only a way to express your personality and creativity, but also are a measure of persistence and hard work. I am curious as to how many loops and knots it takes to crochet an entire scarf! No matter what the exact number is, it certainly takes hours and persistence to make something large and soft from simply a ball of yarn. These are skills (and scarfs!) we can take with us to other aspects of our lives.
The weight of a cloud
Do you know how much the average cloud weighs? I had no idea, and had never even thought about it, until the fun trivia event on Saturday. It was fascinating to learn that clouds are much heavier than I thought, and this led to fun discussions with my suitemates and family about how this figure must have been measured. I love wondering about the natural world and it is handy to know fun facts as well. Trivia is so fun, as it inspires the same curiosity and love of learning that has brought us all to Cornell. I love learning new things and it is so fun to do so with others who share the same curiosity!
Writing with flair
Swirling, looping, finishing with a flourish. I loved creating artistic shapes and smooth swaths of color on my paper as I participated in the calligraphy workshop. I had never tried calligraphy before and always thought it looked beautiful, so I was super excited. I really enjoyed the calming nature and wonderful end product. The video made it look so easy, and yet it took lots of focus and concentration! Similar to most things in life, it takes practice, persistence, and muscle memory to make your letters look effortless and consistent. After almost an hour of practicing individual letters, I experimented with writing whole words. I was able to write a few names of friends and family with connected letters. What a beautiful and relaxing break.
Ancient laughter
I was surprised and interested to learn that there is much we can learn from the humor of the ancient world. Listening to Professor Fontaine’s talk about how the clever lines of speakers in ancient Rome are still applicable taught me a lot about a field I hadn’t ever thought much about. It was fascinating to see that many of the same jokes are still funny today when they made people laugh thousands of years ago. I also appreciated Professor Fontaine’s real-life tips, such as how puns are not the best type of joke to use in a workplace – situational humor is much better. I personally find puns funny, though I know others are even more into them than I, and I know still others can’t stand the sound. I’ll think again now about using situational humor instead to make some moments more universally funny!
Connecting important issues
Climate (In)Justice: The Quest for Equity in a Changing Climate was an inspiring presentation to hear. First, I was inspired by the research and work of the panelists, as they have connected two of the most important issues of our time, including providing justice to each and every person regardless of background, as well as slowing climate change. For example, I hadn’t realized that low-income neighborhoods have on average higher temperatures than wealthy neighborhoods, because of having fewer trees and more asphalt that retains heat. Listening to them and their thoughts on the relation between inequality and climate change made me want to do something about these important issues. I think everyone needs to hear what these panelists had to say. I think it is unjust that people who have contributed very little to climate change are being affected in the most detrimental ways. Furthermore, those same people are more likely to have fewer resources to combat those effects. I wonder how we can possibly solve these challenges, and it was inspiring to listen to the thoughts of those who are experts in these fields. In addition, I was astounded by some of the facts that the panelists relayed about climate change. Dean Houlton informed us that a difference of 0.5 degrees Celsius in the amount that the global temperature rises could raise the percentage of people exposed to extreme heat from 14% to 30%! At 1.5 degrees of Celsius change, 75% of the coral reefs in the world will have died, and after two degrees of change, all of the coral reefs in the world will have disappeared. I believe it is up to our generation to work on solving these issues.
The people who make it all happen
I love hearing about the workings behind the scenes of the services that help so many undergraduate students every day. At Cornell, I have taken advantage of the wonderful career centers for their tips, resources, and group sessions to help us plan out our futures. It was really interesting to hear Christa Downey’s perspective, as she has spent many years running the Arts and Science career center and more recently the Engineering career center. I found it interesting that she noted the Arts and Sciences career center has a more exploratory nature than engineering, where many students are more narrowly focused on specific career goals. I think it is important to share their exploratory feeling and be open to people and experiences while we are in college. I also really resonated with her emphasis on helping to encourage women in stem fields! In addition, I loved hearing from Laura about her experiences at the Sexual Violence Prevention Center. She is so committed to helping others through everything she does, and I found that inspiring.
Inspiring paths
Listening to Mr. Hungerford talk about his volunteer work was heartwarming and inspiring. He spoke about how his volunteer work and outside-of-work activities have been more meaningful to him throughout his life than his day job, and I was inspired by his kind demeanor and dedication to helping others in the world around him. He has started an LGBTQ+ advocacy group and currently serves as president of the Cancer Resource Center, which are impressive accomplishments. I also found it wonderful to hear about Professor Nicholson’s career advice. He placed emphasis on the spontaneity in his career and the importance of not needing to plan out everything as an undergrad. I also found it really interesting to hear Professor Nicholson’s comparison between industry and academic work. He shared that while working in industry, you have a more definite impact on a smaller company or region. In contrast, when researching in academia, there is a much smaller probability of having a policy being directly implemented, but if it does, your impact can be amazingly widespread. As I toy with these two paths in my own career, I really appreciated the perspective he shared.
The sounds of learning
I really connected with Professor Schwartz when he mentioned traveling as a way to learn. He spoke about experiencing other cultures, talking with many individuals, and seeing what the world really looks like in other places, and he mentioned how this sparked an intellectual curiosity that sticks with him to this day. I also love to travel and experience new places, and I find it incredible to understand what the landscape looks and feels like in other areas of the world and to understand the ways of life of all people. Professor Samuels also touched on traveling and how it helped her to grow up as a person. I think traveling is an amazing opportunity to do all of these things! In addition, I was inspired by Professor Schwartz’s experiences in graduate school. His words about exploring and thinking about what he wanted, and also discovering his love of teaching, made me excited about the possibility to discover these same things if I decide to attend graduate school.