After watching the movie in friday’s session the impact of climate change seems scarier than ever. In different classes we have always learned about how climate change impacts nature, but we had not discussed the direct impact on specific groups of humans. It was heart breaking to see families being forced out of their homes and longing to return. This put the entire issue into perspective.

I’ve personally never had the opportunity to appreciate art and interpret it. It was interesting to see a piece of art and being able to interpret based on its history and features. For example, the walking man, who at first glance looks like a skinny man attempting to walk is actually based on the devastation caused by world war 2 specifically the holocaust. I now have a different perspective on art, I’m looking forward to understanding sculptures and art on a deeper level.

I was really interested in this event because I feel like I have seen every romantic comedy movie or tv show. It is consistently my favorite category. I really didn’t think about why I enjoy romantic comedies so much until we had a discussion about what these movies portray. I often find myself searching for movies with female leads because I feel I can relate to them a lot more. It has been interesting seeing the progression of female leads. It is very important for movie producers to have a diverse cast that reflects the world. I hope to see movies and tv shows create important social conversations to encourage viewers to think about social issues.

I don’t have much knowledge about the training process of guide dogs for the blind. So, I came into this event interested and curious in the process. I had no idea how difficult the process of becoming a guard dog is, there are many rigorous tests that the dogs have to excel at. By the end of the film, I felt a lot of empathy for blind people, I think it is easy to take our vision for granted. I hope the process of getting a guide dog will become more efficient.

I personally have not heard a lot about Pruitt-Igoe, so I came into this event with a lot of questions. After watching the movie, I now understand the struggles of project housing. The interviews with the people who faced these struggles was heart wrenching and made the entire experience more real. In the future I would like to learn more about project housing and find ways to make it a better experience.

I was really looking forward to this episode because I wanted to see how Beth was handling the loss of her mother and chess game. Beth’s response was similar to what I thought it was going to be. I understand her need to keep her composure, but I think it is important for her to understand her emotions. I thought it was strange that people expressed their grief more for her chess game rather than her mother. I also thought it was interesting how optimistic Beth still is about chess and starting over.

Ever since the TV show the Crown was released I have been very interested in the royal family. The royal family has always seemed mysterious and interesting, which draws people in. After Oprah’s interview with Megan and Harry a new perspective has been added to the royal family. During our discussion we dived into the racist ties built into the royal family, princess Diana and hope for change. The racist element has been incorporated into the royal family for a long time and it will take a large change in order to create a shift. Hopefully, Megan and Harry’s story encourages change.

I have not attended the previous Queen Gambit view events before. I have heard that this show is very interesting and different from mainstream TV shows. I really liked how we were given discussion questions at the beginning so we could think about them while watching. This was the first time I have been introduced to Beth and it refreshing to see how independent and passionate she is about chess. I think when Beth lost and Alma died it really made her gain a new perspective and challenge her previous ideas. I wonder how Beth will use this loss for her advantage?

I have always struggled with the writing process. I seem to send too much time trying to know how to begin and making everything perfect. This seminar helped break the writing process up into manageable steps. It was really helpful to define each step and get tips on what to do when I get stuck. I personally liked the idea of making my computer read out my paper to better revise it. I have a few papers due next week, so I will be implementing what I learned today!

As the semester progresses the more work and commitments will also continue to build and grow. So, it is important to find something to do that helps you take a break from everything. The trivia event helped me take a break from all of the work I was doing. This allowed me to feel refreshed and learn new trivia about Cornell! This event really emphasized the importance of taking a break.

Relationships have always been confusing, however with the new limitations of the pandemic they seem down right impossible. In this seminar we discussed how to navigate this new generation of relationships. I thought it was really important that the panelists emphasized the importance of zoom or other virtual call services. I think it is easy to discount a virtual service, but it is actually a great way to form a bond. Out of all the different relationship date activities we discussed I really liked the idea of virtually cooking with each other. The idea of engaging in the same activity at the same time really makes the experience feel more special. Although dating doesn’t look the same anymore, there are certain things you can do to make it feel similar.