When attending the Fellow Interview, I found something one of the speakers said to be very interesting. When they mentioned how they felt the best thing to do about our future is not necessary to fully plan out our career paths and focusing on getting jobs we enjoy out of school and be flexible, I did not necessarily agree with this. I have mentioned in other Rose Scholar Posts that I am a firm believer in the “work is work, that is why it is called work” philosophy. Therefore, I wonder why they felt this way? Perhaps it is a “grass is always greener on the other side” type of statement, reflecting on their own experiences and imposing their unique circumstances on our diverse future outcomes? Or maybe, they are actually providing universal wisdom from the other side of the university experience from the working world? Either way, I very much appreciated the ability to hear their stories, ideas and advice and am glad I attended the event.
Author Archives: gw277
Life Lessons from The Queen’s Gambit
Episode 5 elicited some less than happy and optimistic feelings for the series’ characters. Beth and Harry having a bit of a romance this episode showed both Beth’s level of growth and the necessity for more in the future. She still has difficulty showing any connection or focus outside of chess, which was evident when she read a book about chess after they had sex.
I think this is all emblematic of the way that some people in the world are too caught up in a dream or their work to form actual, real relationships with individuals around them. Unfortunately, I see this around me often in the world now, on social media especially. The craze to be popular online has led many people to bury their noses in their phones and turn away people in the real world. Even worse, I know that I am guilty of this to a degree and can learn a great deal what to work on in my own life from this episode.
Concerning the Royal Family
When attending the “Let’s talk about Megan and Harry” Table Talk, I really appreciated the ability to hear the other Rose Scholars’ opinions and thoughts about the current happenings of the Royal Family and particularly what was said in the Oprah interview. I definitely agreed with a lot of what my colleagues said, and I also think it must have taken a great deal of courage for Meghan and Harry to be so transparent on international television.
My only question is what happens now? The royal family is no stranger to scandal and heartache in the recent past. Princess Diana and Prince Charles certainly had publicly visible struggles and drama, and King Edward VIII even stepped down to marry an American divorcee. However, the continuity between all these instances is that the Royal family stayed steadfast in their beliefs and customs. Will anything change regarding the Meghan and Harry situation compared to these past instances of “breaking customs” or “causing drama”?
Impetus for America to Do its Part
When reflecting on the Climate (In)justice eCornell event, I found that one aspect deeply resonated with me. When it was described how the countries who are oftentimes the most affected by climate change are the ones who did everything they could to be environmentally conscious, I was perplexed. Having studied a great deal about both Geography and climate change in High School, I remembered how rising sea levels threaten to plunge certain islands and areas of the world underwater. These areas are predominantly Amsterdam and many other small island nations that are almost already below sea level. Furthermore, the countries I listed are some of the highest contributors to the collective effort to combat climate change and preserve the world in all its beauty.
When keeping this in perspective, it reaffirms how important it is to ensure the first-world countries that may not necessarily directly be affected by climate change’s devastatingly negative effects do their fair share to supplement the efforts undertaken by these countries who straddle the edge of climate-related national crises.
A Good Lesson for All College Students
When watching Queen’s Gambit Episode 3, I noticed something within the episode that I appreciated. When Beth started to become truly recognized as a master chess player, she did not lose her devotion to the game nor her firm grasp of the tasks at hand. I think this is emblematic of how college students need to make sure they act and think, even after gaining acceptance to a top-tier school, such as Cornell. I know that when I first got to Cornell, I questioned if I needed to work hard or do anything, as I thought I was an accomplished student that deserved my place here and could relax. It was only when the work really started to kick up that my senioritis finally fazed out and I rolled up my sleeves and studied. Therefore, I learned the lesson that just because you are among the best in the world does not mean that you can party like the richest in the world. Thus, I am glad that Beth was able to tune out the noise, at least thus far, and focus on the game the way I wish I did with my schoolwork here from the very beginning.
Thoughts on the This Week’s Thursday Seminar
At the Thursday Seminar: Back to Basics: How to Write more Effectively and Efficiently, something specific strongly resonated with me. Being in the ILR school, I see the title structure this seminar recommends quite often. Several of my books, including History of Capitalism: A Reader, utilize the same method in its title. While I understand that listing titles in the way described at the seminar is beneficial because it gives more information about the work’s contents, the structure is becoming overused in modern academic works. While allowing readers to get a sense of the work from its title is important, I recommend creating more enticing and unique titles for these works instead. Assuming there is an abstract or summary available, information about the work’s contents in short order is already available. Therefore, why not make the title a space to further interest and entice the prospective reader instead?
Reactions to the Fellow Interview
When listening to the Fellow interview this week with Mary Opperman and Angela Cornell, something struck me. At one point, the Fellows mentioned that while we are all Ivy League students and will get offered some extremely high-paying jobs out of college, to value enjoying your work over your salary. They stated their position to “never work for a jerk” and to value sanity over a paycheck. While I completely understand their point and where the Fellows come from, I slightly disagree. Two quotes come to mind when thinking about this topic: “it’s called work for a reason” and “if you enjoy what you do, you never work a day in your life.” While these are both excellent points, I tend to agree with the former much more. While it is paramount to not go into a field you hate, part of the price of the paycheck is the stress of the job. I believe that finding a balance between these two extremes is crucial as to not overstress; however, it would be unwise to ignore the fact that money talks. Perhaps after working for 30 years, I will think differently…
An Important and Informative Post-Vallentines’ Event
When attending the Let’s Talk Love: Health, Safety, and Relationships Thursday Seminar, I was really amazed. I had no idea the support system and the level of dedication to aiding students in this area at Cornell were so incredible.
I also found the event itself was very engaging. I found one of the stories shared at the meeting to be very resonating. To think that an individual who has been assaulted has to serve a life sentence to the HIV infection because of poor prevention planning by doctors is just sickening to me.
The major point that I took away from this event is that I am SO GLAD that the support system is so vast for students at Cornell since there are so many pervasive problems and dangers that they may encounter on and off-campus.
My Experience Juxtaposed with the Fellow Interview
I very much enjoyed attending the Fellow Interview with Professors Daniel Schwarz and Shirley Samuels. One aspect of the interview that I found uniquely interesting was when Professor Daniel Schwarz, the “Tom Brady” of his department, explained why he chose to come to Cornell over other schools such as Harvard. He expressed his belief that at Cornell, we have a learning community superior to many other universities. Professor Schwarz also expressed pride in his ability to keep in touch and safely spend time with some of his favorite students, even during the pandemic.
Professor Schwarz’s thoughts on Cornell and his reasons for remaining a part of the community make me ponder about why I chose Cornell. I wish I had a valiant story where I had some contact at Cornell or magical experience that made me choose the school over the likes of other top universities such as Harvard or Princeton; however, that is unfortunately not the case. I chose Cornell because it was by far the most prestigious and rigorous school I received an acceptance letter from. However, while my decision was essentially made for me back in 2018, I am so glad that I ended up at such an incredible school, not just academically but socially and as an inclusive learning community as well. Therefore, it was fantastic to have the opportunity to witness an interview with a Rose Scholar Fellow that made the same decision I ultimately made and had as little buyers’ remorse as I did.