Slope Magazine Fall 2016

slope mag

fall 2016

what's inside SLOPE MAG | 01

life & culture 5 7 9 11 13

Navigating the Tricky Road Of A Long-Distance Relationship 2016: Year Of The Meme Debunking Cuffing Season The Year That Ended Our Childhood Sending Cigarette Culture Up in Smoke

campus life 15 17 19

23 25 26

Cornell: An Outdoor Education Calling on the Cornell Community for Comfort A Spotlight on the Cornell Prison Education Program and Professor Joseph Margulies What Unites Cornell?

The State of Cornell Cinema Facing The Facts of Violence

human interest 27 29 30 31 33 35

Being Both An Ode To My teachers Finding Your Place An Open Letter to My Childhood Friends Just Breathe Thoughts on Campus Construction

02 | CONTENTS

letter from the editor NICOLE BITON

As we wrap up production on another print issue of Slope, I find myself thinking about the power of words. What we say, what we write, the words we choose to say how we feel and how we use those words--these are all sources of immense and immeasurable power. Yet when we think of what empowers us, writing is often not the skill or mechanism that comes to mind. Perhaps it is because some of the magic of putting down thoughts and words gets lost in the mire of academia; maybe it is because we are constantly inundated with words and messages from news and social media outlets. Whatever the cause, many of us have come to take for granted our abilities to speak and write freely.

But in spite of all this, we cannot forget what strength words and writing holds. At its core, writing is a mode of expression. It can be cathartic, it can be liberating, and it can be vindicating. To be able to communicate freely in writing validates our thoughts and ideas as individuals, and in these strange and uncertain times, this is something that we cannot ever take for granted. And it is especially important to have publications that cultivate and promote the composition of these thoughts and give us a mode to say something, say anything that it meaningful to us. Because your words matter. And you matter.

This is, in part, what makes participating in the production of this magazine so meaningful. Not just for the content it contains (although that is pretty spectacular as well), but for the opportunity it gives to all students to freely write content they want to see and express things that matter to them. Slope is unique in that it provides an outlet for any student to write about just about anything means something to them. It is what makes Slope truly a magazine by the students, for the students, and I could not be more proud to serve as its editor-in-chief.

Of course, to have great writing, you need great writers-something that Slope is definitely not in want of. I am so humbled by the passion and dedication that our staff of writers has demonstrated over the last semester. To you, our team of designers and photographers, and the rest of the Slope Media executive board, thank you for helping to bring this amazing magazine to life.

So without further ado, I present to you the Fall 2016 print edition of Slope Media Magazine! As you flip through its pages, be prepared to laugh, cry, and revel in the writing produced by your peers. However it makes you feel, I hope that it moves you to feel something, and reminds you that even just one word can change the way you think.

our mission

As Cornell’s multimedia powerhouse, Slope Media Group is a leader in Cornell-related media and entertainment, delivering a creative, student perspective on everything that matters to the Big Red community. Slope is for students, by students.

SLOPE MAG | 03

mag staff EDITOR IN CHIEF Nicole Biton

letter from the creative director DANIELLE GRINBERG

As I near the end of my fifth semester as a Cornellian, I’ve begun to reflect what it’s truly meant to be a designer. What was once for me just opening up Photoshop or InDesign, has become so much more. I’ve begun to notice the immense power that design can have on changing the lives and views of others. A world without aesthetic design is not a world I want to be in.

Fortunately, Cornell is a place filled with creative people, regardless of its lack of a cohesive design community.

I’ve changed my cover photo countless times, but each time with pride. I’ve spent sleepless nights staying up to perfect the typography on every single page of every single print issue. I’ve spent two and half years putting my heart and soul into one organization, an organization that promotes opportunity, innovation, and passion to create whatever one desires.

Nicole Biton, our astounding Editor in Chief exudes grace and precision, with her love for the power of the written word. Hadley Parker, our Director of Photography, has changed the look of Slope Mag, with her colossal commitment to capturing the world around us. Working with the two of them over the last two semesters gives me so much pride, as they have truly helped me achieve my vision of rebranding this magazine to be one with exuberance and allure.

As I end my reign of Creative Director at Slope Media Group to go study design from the greats in Europe, I think back on all of the people, from three consecutive executive boards, who have inspired me and shaped me into who I am today. I have found a family in this organization, a family of dedicated and beautiful souls.

And I am confident that my two successors will bring this organization to great feats as well.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Danielle Grinberg PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Hadley Parker DESIGNERS Grace McBride Joey Hines PRESIDENT Jeremy Candelas WRITERS Emily Agnew Priscilla Blum* Jeremy Candelas Shauna Cheatham* Madeline Day* Madeline Foley Alanna Fichtel* Emily Friedman Catherine Giese* Raegan Loheide Amanda Madenberg Liza Mansbach Yvette Ndlovu Ashley Radparvar* Anna Ravenelle* Colleen Sorge Alison Spandorfer Dominique Turner PHOTOGRAPHERS Kathleen Curtin Gerickson Lopez Molly Nagel Alessandra Piccone Emma Scheinbaum Kendall White Max Wrobel

With that said, I present to you the Fall 2016 issue of Slope Mag.

04 |

navigating the tricky road of a long-distance relationship SLOPE MAG | 05

but don’t commit all your spare time to keeping up with what’s going on at home. This is the time to discover who you are--without your high school clique or relationship.

College is all about meeting new people, so making new bonds and memories is both a celebration of your new experiences and it’s a way to keep those Skype sessions interesting.

yvette ndlovu LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS can be tricky, especially when the adage “out of sight, out of mind” hangs overhead. For international students, coming to college means moving away from not only your hometown but your whole country and, usually, the most important people in your life. This means that those long walks with your significant other or those weekends getting facials at the mall with your girls cannot happen until at least the end of the semester--and that’s saying you’re able to travel back home during breaks. While this can be daunting, your time on the slope doesn’t have to mean an end to your established ties, nor should those ties prevent you from making new ones on campus. So how do you navigate the tricky road of maintaining long-distance relationships while still taking full advantage of what the present has to offer?

Spending both winter and summer breaks away from my home country means I haven’t seen anyone from back home in over a year, so Skype and Facetime have become integral and treasured parts of our friendships. Setting aside an hour or two a week is a great way to catch up on all the juicy gossip with friends from home. With a significant other, grab a sub at Nasties and turn it into a dinner date-- it will almost feel like the people you care most about are here with you. Another way to blend your old life with the new is introducing your two friend groups over Skype.

Keeping in touch with people back home is important,

There comes a point in the semester where it can feel like your schedule is too packed for that weekly phone or video call or that your friends have moved on with their lives--without you. This is the worst around breaks, when school friends are home and you’re feeling more homesick than ever, but I’ve found that upping your text game works wonders to chase away those blues.

With traditional texting implausible across different continents, messaging apps like Whatsapp are invaluable for international students. They can be a great way to check up on your loved ones and, if you add Snapchat to the mix, your friends and bae will know what you are doing at practically any moment. During the semester, they’ll live through what a drag your lectures are, what you’re eating at Okenshields, and that close encounter with a skunk while walking back to your dorm from Mann with you. Through Snapchat, the distance feels smaller.

Not only is this a way to ensure that they get to see that great new outfit or hairstyle, but when you’re suffering through prelim season, those cute (slightly ridiculous) filters can be something to laugh about--together.

Although technology has made distance feel that much shorter, nothing can replace hanging out with loved ones in person. If you can get the chance to visit home during a break, especially if it’s in another state or a neighboring country, this is a great opportunity to rekindle those vibes by making plans with your old friends. Making an effort to visit their colleges shows how much you care and that you miss them. Take this opportunity to go paintballing or have a sleepover to catch up on the time spent apart.

Seeing your lovely face will remind them of what they are missing when you are away.

A long distance doesn’t have to be as scary as it once was. As Cornellians, we are experts at juggling multiple passions, responsibilities, and pressures-- making longdistance relationships work is no different to crack. With all the cool resources we have today, it’ll feel like your loved ones are here with you. But nothing can replace a real, bone-crushing hug, so hang in there, because you’ll be home sooner than you think.

06 | LIFE & CULTURE

2016: year of the meme

alison spandorfer

THE DISCOVERY OF A NEW MEME goes like this: open my computer, log onto Facebook, and then scroll through my News Feed. Memes of every sort appear, from the cute animal to the inappropriate joke to the “tag a friend who does this.” Over the course of 2016, memes have grown to encapsulate nearly every aspect of our lives. Anxious after texting your crush? There’s a meme for that. Need to tell a friend how much he or she means to you? There’s a meme for that. Want to make fun of someone who drank one too many last weekend? There’s a meme for that. Memes have become a mainstream way for millennials to communicate.

Memes also have an inexplicable way of transforming how delicate issues are viewed in our society. Harambe, a 17-yearold gorilla who was killed at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in May 2016 has become an overwhelming status symbol to millennials. While Harambe’s death prompted many people to take to social media to express their outrage, the tragedy also inspired a worldwide Internet obsession with the gorilla, creating a flood of memes that humorously (and seriously) advocate for justice. It may seem crude, but this phenomenon demonstrates how modern culture copes with the unfortunate events in our world. In this way, memes become a form of escapism.

Though it seems that this craze has only just begun, the meme has been around since the early 1990s. Memes are technically defined as elements of culture that are passed from person to person. They consist of images, gifs, or text often accompanied by a caption that ties the meme to a socially relevant joke or issue. The ease with which these images can be spread through social media has led many of these memes to go viral. Since they are shared from person to person, it’s no wonder that they have become cultural phenomenons.

We can see this trend mirrored in the Internet’s approach to this past presidential election. Both candidates were subjected to extreme ridicule on social media, with users parodying their styles of dress, demeanors, and even their general appearance.

Perhaps this mockery is society’s way for millennials to confront reality and to escape the fact that we are at an age where our decisions matter. The idea that we are somehow now responsible enough to have a role in deciding the next leader of our country is a frightening thought for some, especially for those who may not feel as informed. We are finally at the age where we need to work, we need to plan for the future, and we need to think about the repercussions of our decisions. While growing up is scary, it is exciting, and laughing at dumb jokes alleviates some of the fears and frustrations of adulting.

Memes have quickly grown to dominate social media. Last year, social media was dictated by trendy foodstagrams and BuzzFeed’s Tasty videos. Now, while food on social media is still trending, memes have taken over, even with their longstanding existence. Statuses and photographs on Facebook have slowly begun to be overpowered by memes.

Memes can communicate powerful messages through one social media post. A major news story can be seen by millions of people as soon as a single influencer shares it. Those that create and share memes have even more power. Once you reach a certain level of Instagram fame, you have control over what makes someone laugh and what is shared between friends. Currently, there is a sum of meme influencers who create content that the majority of millennials follow. These meme influencers determine what millennials interpret as humorous.

SLOPE MAG | 07

Whatever the cause, it’s clear that memes have come to dominate communication amongst millennials. But despite its prevalence we cannot help but wonder, are memes here to stay? The constant nature of meme production suggests that the phenomenon is self-perpetuating. And as long as social media is a top form of communication, memes will still be a prominent feature within our daily lives. Like any fad, however, memes will eventually be less noteworthy on our News Feed. Regardless, for now, continue to tag and share memes with your friends because there is no higher honor than being someone’s go-to person when it comes to laughing at a meme.

08 | LIFE & CULTURE

Debunking "cuffing season" DOMINIQUE TURNER THE WINTER IN ITHACA calls for many things: an ankle-length parka, durable snow boots, and perhaps even skiing gear. But possibly the most vital accessory in the cold, unbearable, dark months of winter, is a significant other--or so it seems to be.

“Cuffing season,” or often referred to as “cuffing szn,” is a term that Urban Dictionary defines as the time “during the fall or winter months when people who would normally rather be single find themselves desiring to be ‘cuffed’ or tied down by a serious relationship.” And as the temperature drops on the slope faster than your grades mid-semester, this term is usually heard around friends and on campus quite early.

At first, the concept of “cuffing season” appears to be a bizarre idea. Why should the time of year dictate someone’s desire to be in a relationship? When it becomes 75 degrees and sunny should we all immediately become single? A relationship is not something you can necessarily just check in and out of when you please.

SLOPE MAG | 09

But after taking a step back and looking at “cuffing szn” from a different perspective, I found that it’s not entirely irrational.

Having a reliable and steady person to talk to, hangout with, go on fun dates with (weather-permitting), or even cuddle with in the winter months when everything appears bleak and cold, sounds great. In that sense, “cuffing season” appears to be a good outlet for when school becomes difficult and stress takes over.

On the other hand, I completely understand how easy it is to be pressured into the trends of the season. Everyone’s had that moment when you look around and see everyone you know, or so it seems, in a “serious relationship” or in this setting, “cuffed.”

You feel alone and the first idea that pops into your mind is usually along the lines of, “I should probably start pursuing a relationship too.”

This perception of everyone being in a committed relationship, and then feeling the need to hop on the bandwagon, are what taints relationships in general. It’s the natural flow of things that make a relationship and the leading up to it great -- the subtle flirting at first, the back and forth texting, or even holding hands.

Feeling the need to force these steps or find “the one” just because it’s colder or darker, almost appears counterintuitive to the point of a relationship.

Instead of during just one season, “cuffing” should happen whenever you’re feeling like you want to find that one guy or girl that you want to commit yourself to. Jumping into a relationship, or using the cold weather as a reason to “find the one,” might work out, but could also push people together that really shouldn’t be.

The season is unavoidable and there’s no right or wrong way of going about it, and ultimately pursuing a relationship is your decision, not the weather’s. But if you’re trying to “cuff,” it should be because you’re super into that guy in lecture, or it’s about time you got on the dating scene again. Don’t start a relationship just because it’s snowing a lot because honestly, that’s what space heaters are for.

10 | LIFE & CULTURE

the year

that ended our

childhood SLOPE MAG | 11

anna ravenelle THE YEAR 2016 has felt more like a running joke than something that actually happened, like an SNL cold open that ran for far too long. Perhaps nothing represents the surreality of this year as well as the loss of the cultural icons that we grew up with who passed away in 2016. These are stars that always seemed transcendent--not only did they seem more than human, but imagining our childhoods without them is next to impossible. As such, it feels like we are entitled to them, that they don’t deserve to die – or can’t – because of what they mean to us. Whether you just got to Cornell or you’re on the cusp of graduating, these four years feel tumultuous enough without the seemingly unchangeable suddenly changing. Nothing feels as difficult to let go of as our childhood or the nostalgia it invokes.

David Bowie was a cultural icon since before we (and maybe some of our parents) were born. Space Oddity, his first album, came out in 1969--so while he might not belong to our generation, his name and lyrics have been used as casual allusions our entire lives. He is ingrained in our cultural consciousness as firmly as, say, the Beatles--but he was still producing in our lifetimes.

Bowie’s death was perhaps the first indication of all that we had to lose in 2016, and confirmation came soon after.

Just four days after Bowie succumbed to cancer in January, Alan Rickman passed away as well, also after a battle with cancer. Rickman was best loved by many of us in his role as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films. Though there may be conflicting views on Snape’s

character, Rickman’s complex portrayal was a perfect rendition of an imperfect character. And though he played many iconic roles in his long career, the part of him that played this character is the one easiest to mourn. More recently, 2016 harbored the death of Willy Wonka himself when actor Gene Wilder passed away from complications due to Alzheimer’s. It felt like we would never again live in a “candy-coated world of pure imagination.”

What would our understanding of pop music be without Prince, who passed on April 21? Where would modern boxing be without Muhammad Ali, who passed on June 3rd? Looney Toons without the voice of Joe Alaskey as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck? High school English class without Harper Lee or history class without Elie Wiesel? Our faith in marriage without Brangelina?

Our emotional claim to the loss of these people may not be personal, but it still feels that way. We grew up with Bowie and Prince on the oldies’ stations our parents frequented when driving us to school, with Rickman gracing our TV screens during Harry Potter weekends on ABC Family (also RIP). The songs will still play and, as they say, the show will go on, but there’s a little darkness added to that nostalgia now, a cloud over the innocent mindspace that we can no longer try to emulate. Thankfully, the powers that be (read: Niantic labs) seem to have anticipated this would be a rough year for our inner-child.

To compensate, they came out with Pokémon Go—and while it can’t replace the childhood we’ve lost, chasing after that fabled Dragonite certainly helps.

12 | LIFE & CULTURE

sending cigarette culture up in

smoke Raegan Loheide

SLOPE MAG | 13

I SIT IN MY SQUEAKY SEAT covered with the drab fifty-year-old material in Baker 200 for my chem lecture and scramble to copy down notes from the blackboard. As I take a breather to get a sip of water, I notice a funny, also half-a-century-old “No Smoking” sign right next to the exit sign above the door. I think of how dated the idea is, Why would anybody smoke inside a lecture hall? Similarly, the flimsy “No Smoking Within 25ft of This Building” sign discreetly posted outside evokes the question: How prevalent is smoking in our campus culture?

Smoking is nowhere near as ingrained in our society today as it has been in the past. You rarely see people smoking inside, especially in public places, but it still exists. From 2005, smoking has declined from 21% in adults to 17%, and both statistics show a clear drop from the 45% of adults that smoked in 1965. It’s now well known that smoking can have adverse health effects on the smoker (as opposed to when it may not have been taken seriously in the sixties), but it’s not often that we think about the effects smoking can have on others nearby.

Second-hand smoke doesn’t just incite a slight coughing fit, it can also have serious immediate consequences on the cardiovascular system, just from the unwilling inhalation of tobacco smoke. Cornell should be an environment that is healthy for all members of the community, one that is smoke free.

On a smoke free campus, students can feel comfortable knowing they won’t be stuck behind someone walking to class inhaling unwanted second-hand smoke in the breeze. It may not seem like a big deal, but these incidents add up and can ultimately lead to coronary heart disease and lung cancer. Inhaling cigarette smoke can also seriously affect people with asthma, exacerbating and worsening their conditions. There should never be a situation where students need to take their inhaler to avoid an asthma attack caused by their lungs being irritated from someone else’s smoke. The bottom line is that it’s important to recognize that smoking can seriously damage the public’s health, and it’s time to evaluate personal choice versus the risk an individual is posing to the community. Students will feel safer and healthier in an environment where the consequences of secondhand smoke aren’t even an issue.

Gone are the days where a freshman will be enticed by the idea of using that fresh eighteen-year-old ID to buy a pack of cigarettes and turn it into a habit, because it won’t be the norm. Smoking on campus wouldn’t be feasible or fun, and it’s important that it’s prevented earlyon, because cigarettes aren’t just a one-time thing. Recent Gallup polls even show that states with smoking bans in certain settings also have the lowest smoking rates, a clear indicator that early prevention is possible.

Despite the decline in popularity, some people still smoke on campus.

It is a part of their lifestyles and it’s a hard thing to try and kick because of the addictive properties of nicotine, an ingredient of tobacco, the substance smoked from a cigarette.

It’s important to take measures to assist people in quitting. An outcome of this change could reduce the number of smokers, and therefore benefit individual health through the prevention of death and disease.

Additionally, smokers also often don’t dispose of cigarettes correctly, contributing to land pollution and curbing campus sustainability efforts on top of the air and water pollution resulting from smoking itself. A smoke-free policy could prove to prompt a cultural shift around smoking and encourage healthy behaviors to ultimately benefit personal, community, and environmental health.

Between all the adverse health and environmental effects smoking truly has, its time to take a stand for ourselves and those around us to make a cleaner, more comfortable, and sustainable environment. The answer is a smoke-free campus.

14 | LIFE & CULTURE

CORNELL an outdoor education Colleen Sorge

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING. Prepare to be enlightened in all things Cornell, starting with the Balch Hall Spiders. For those of you who haven’t experienced an encounter with these unofficial mascots of Balch Hall, allow me to spare you the horror striking arachnophobes across campus and suggest looking down when walking through North’s famed arch. And if you happen to live in Balch and haven’t yet spotted one of our eight-legged guests, consider yourself lucky. As one who has been awakened by her hallmates’ terrified screams suggestive of a massacre, I can tell you that the spiders are everywhere.

The Balch Hall spiders are the latest in a long list of animal encounters that Cornellians are bound to have. While midnight skunk run-ins and spider invasions are among the unplanned encounters, Cornell seems to facilitate a variety of meetings with the world--and the creatures--around us.

There are, of course, immersion experiences like Outdoor Odyssey or the Cornell Environmental Collaborative that offer us

SLOPE MAG | 15

more deliberate ways to interact with nature. However, our university also uniquely promotes more impromptu means of immersion. Whether you consider yourself the next Jeff Corwin or primarily experience the outdoors through your laptop screensaver, nature is simply unavoidable as a Cornell student. Obviously, you’re forced outside to get from class to class, but your commute is more than a midday plod from building to building. It’s impossible to live on campus without developing some kind of fondness for the wet spray of the waterfalls running below the footbridge and the mallards hanging on for dear life on their precipice, the view from the top of Libe Slope, or the shelter and shade from the trees in the Arts Quad. More often than not, this fondness blossoms almost unconsciously. Before you know it, you’re taking the long way back to your dorm so that you have more time to explore, cracking a smile when you spot the resident chipmunk in your path, or, if you’re like me, naming the North Campus skunk Pepe.

If you haven’t yet begun your outdoor appreciation training, plunge in. The world we live in is absurdly beautiful and strange and ever-evolving. One day the shining sun will make you feel like a million bucks, while the next a rainstorm will leave you soaked and a Daddy Longlegs on your arm will reduce you to tears. What other force has the power to induce such a range of emotions?At this point I’m digressing into sappiness, so I’d like to point out there are days when I too fail to appreciate nature. While I was working as a camp counselor last summer, a camper presented me with a massive slug crawling on her arm and it was all I could do not to start dry-heaving. Still, it’s worth enduring the lows in order to get to the unbelievable highs. Most people have to make some exotic trek to find the kind of beauty that we see every day across campus. Far too many people take our breathtaking home for granted.

Sadly, our world is in trouble. For our good and the good of future generations our attitude towards our planet needs to change. I advise you to open yourself to the places and the creatures around you; try everything you can. Next time you have ten minutes, take the long route home around Beebe Lake. When it’s cold, focus not on the fact that you can’t feel your toes, but on the crispness of the air and the dizzying beauty of new snow. Every day won’t offer sunshine and rainbows; sometimes Mother Nature seems to be giving a giant middle finger. Still, whether it be an eagle spotting on North Campus, a sunset over the Slope, or a slug on the toe of your shoe, it will absolutely-for good or for badtake your breath away.

16 | CAMPUS LIFE

SLOPE MAG | 17

CALLING Comfort

on the cornell community for

Priscilla blum

THESE HAVE BEEN TRYING TIMES for the Cornell community. It is difficult to contemplate that so many tragedies have affected our campus within the past year. In spite of the hardships we have faced, our community has become stronger and more supportive.

Our collective grief started last March, when we lost our beloved President Elizabeth Garrett. She was our beacon, our leader, and a force of energy promising even greater things for the future of our esteemed university. In the short time she was here, she touched us all, even some of us who never met her. Our community banded together, grieved her loss, and committed itself to honor her visionary outlook.

Then, in August, we were confronted with the stabbing of Ithaca College student Anthony Nazaire hours after the Louis the Child concert on the Arts Quad. A few days later, our hearts broke when we learned accomplished Cornell junior Darryl Wu ‘18 had been found dead in his Collegetown apartment. We were surprised yet again when, not long after, we learned of another stabbing on Stewart Avenue. These events were unexpected and rattled our community to its core.

The climate of danger and tragedy takes its toll on students making everyday routines much more difficult. How are students supposed to feel safe on campus with the uncertainty of violence and danger?

One student stated that she is filled with unwanted fear walking home

from the library at night. However, she takes comfort in realizing students are looking out for one another. “People are more willing to go out of their way to ensure that their friends and peers have a safe way home,” she mentioned.

The sophomore commented that these incidents have left students more alert. “I’ve noticed people are more focused when walking around because of the potential for danger at any moment,” she adds.

It’s true, we have no way of knowing if or when another unthinkable event will occur or who will be affected. We must band together as a community to support one another, not only to mourn our losses, but to prevent future incidents. Tim Marchell, Director of Skorton Center for Health Initiatives agreed stating that, “When coping with loss or fears about the future, support from friends, family and others is important. Social connectedness helps people persevere when faced with adversity.”

It is a sad fact of society that such issues are only prioritized in the face of devastation. The events of this past semester sparked many important conversations on campus. Just this October, a colloquial peacemaking discussion called Breaking Bread was held to address police and community relations. Discussing important issues on campus is key to creating a stronger community atmosphere. One senior added, “It was a really important event because it had students, faculty, staff, and police present. It’s interesting what types of conversations people are

willing to have after certain major events have happened and how many perspectives are brought up when you have a diverse group of people in the room.” The message is clear--conversation and discussion is important for our community in desperate times. With strong teamwork and prevention efforts, we can give the emotional and the physical support needed to bounce back from tragedies that hit our town.

Believe it or not, these violent episodes are not unprecedented in our community. One alum from the class of ‘87 recalls the painful time when two classmates were shot during the first semester of her freshman year. Although the RA’s addressed the situation, the alum recalls that her freshman class was “scared and sad.” She added that despite the setbacks, the community remained resilient; “You become supportive of each other and recognize even more the importance of compassion.” We experienced a similar response on campus over three decades later years later.

Our campus has been hurt repeatedly, but each instance of sadness brought us together. There is a moral imperative for safety and compassion in our community now more than ever. As for myself, I’m looking ahead to a brighter future at Cornell, and relying on faith, vigilance, and the belief that our community will triumph. As an alum so poignantly stated, “[Students, faculty, and staff] become the family away from home.” After all, wasn’t that the goal of Elizabeth Garrett’s guiding hand?

18 | CAMPUS LIFE

ONE OF THE FOREMOST ISSUES in this year’s presidential race was the subject of prison reform.

Regardless of one’s political leanings, academics, politicians, and activists alike have agreed that America is in dire need of penal reform. Over the past few decades, mass incarceration has skyrocketed and prison sentences have extended to unreasonable lengths. While many are seeking reform at the state and federal levels, here in Ithaca a group of Cornell professors and students are doing what they can to make a positive impact within the U.S. prison system. The Cornell Prison Education Program (CPEP) provides liberal arts courses to inmates at the Auburn Correctional Facility and Cayuga Correctional Facility. Several faculty teach courses in areas of study like history, mathematics, and government, while Cornell students provide assistance as teaching aids.

SLOPE MAG | 19

big r is th new

red he black

emily agnew & madeleine foley The program started in 1999 to compensate for cutbacks made when state legislation collapsed taxpayerfunded college programs in state prisons by more than 60%. Cornell was the first Ivy League school to pursue the implementation of a private prison education program that would be free of charge for inmates. The goal of the program is to ultimately prepare inmates for reentry into civic life. In fact, the credits from the classes provided through CPEP can be applied toward a degree from Cayuga Community College.

This program is not only significant to Auburn and Cayuga inmates, but has had a deep impact on the Cornell students who participate. Irene Liu ‘18 was a teaching assistant on a course in morality and ethics. She noted her appreciation for the program stating, “CPEP gives me the opportunity to have insightful conversations with people who have very different perspectives.” Likewise, Emily Jones ‘18, found her own perspectives challenged, remarking, “I found CPEP to be an incredibly rewarding experience that challenged my perceptions of criminality and the role of the criminal justice system. The program not only changed my life but also holds enormous potential to change those of the inmates.”

Hannah Redding ‘18, was greatly affected by her experiences as a teaching assistant in the program and impressed with the quality of the students she worked with. She said,“Everyone goes in being told that the students are some of the smartest they’ll ever have, but no one actually understands how intelligent, philosophical, and hardworking the men are until you experience it firsthand...I leave every single class genuinely inspired to learn and with a deeper appreciation for the privilege of education. On top of that, the classroom environment couldn’t be more welcoming to share diverse opinions and questions--both classes I’ve been a part of are filled with the most curious, creative, thoughtful, and respectful students I’ve had the privilege of knowing. I honestly couldn’t say more positive things about the program or the students I’ve gotten to know.”

20 | CAMPUS LIFE

The program undoubtedly has positive effects on everyone who is involved.

Nonetheless, we wanted to get a sense of the changes being made in prison reform on a larger scale. So we went to one of the leading experts in the subject area, Professor Joseph Margulies. A professor in the law school and government department, Margulies is an accomplished lawyer, academic, and civil rights activist.

A Cornell graduate, Margulies worked as a criminal defense investigator between college and law school, and has spent most of his career trying to improve the American criminal justice system.

After graduating from law school in 1988 and completing a federal court clerkship, Margulies took a job defending death row inmates in Texas. Shortly after 9/11, Margulies began the litigation in Rasul v. Bush, which eventually reached the Supreme Court. Rasul established the right to judicial review for people detained at Guantanamo Bay. We sat down with Professor Margulies to learn more about his career, his passion for criminal justice, and his advice for college students.

What got you interested in law, government, and public policy, and how did that take you into your interest with criminal justice, crime, and punishment?

To be honest, it was accidental. I was an undergrad here, a history major. I was firmly convinced I would never go to law school and never become a lawyer. I was disdainful of the law. I thought it was what people did when they couldn’t think of anything else to do. Then, in the middle of my junior year, I quit school. I wanted to get out into the real world and do something that I thought would matter. I applied for a position with the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C., which used students for most of its investigative needs. That job became my first exposure to law and criminal justice. Looking back, it was a transformative experience for me, and I’ve been involved in criminal justice ever since--well over half my life.

So you were collecting evidence for these cases for the public defender?

Well, not evidence--I was on the defense side. Typically, the police collect the evidence. I mostly interviewed witnesses and complainants who had some

SLOPE MAG | 21

knowledge of the case. It was my job to go out and develop an independent version of the facts, and not have to settle or rely upon the police version of events. If there was a witness, I would go talk to the witness; if there was a victim, I would go talk to the victim; if there were representations about the lighting, I would go check the lighting.

In an adversarial system, why would you accept the government’s version of the facts? Go check them yourself. I was a fact investigator. I developed a real appreciation for the facts.

Did your early experience in the D.C. Public Defender’s Office shape your interest in government abuse of power and your eventual work involving prisoners at Guantanamo Bay? I suppose so. I worked with the public defender for a year before I eventually came back to Cornell and graduated.

After that, I created a new program for the public defender in Minneapolis. It was modeled after the program in D.C. and used students to provide investigation. I spent three years doing that before going to law school. I don’t remember when it became a part of who I was, but at some point, I developed an abiding objection to the abuse of power by the state.

After law school, I started doing capital death penalty work in Texas. Every death penalty case has important issues, but I was always especially offended by cases where the government cheats. That just makes me crazy. When the government doesn’t disclose exculpatory evidence, or they put on a witness they know is lying, or strike a deal with a snitch but don’t disclose the deal.

Or present junk science. That stuff just makes me crazy. I don’t know why, it just does. So I made that my expertise. When the Bush Administration began to respond to 9/11, I saw it through that lens-- as an abuse of power. The administration created the prison at Guantanamo precisely in order to avoid judicial review, so there was no meaningful check on the imprisonment.

And when there are no meaningful checks, the state gets to do whatever it wants, and that’s always dangerous. I’ve always seen the reaction to 9/11 from that perspective: the government doesn’t get to cheat.

You’ve got to have rules.

What made you interested in coming back to Cornell and becoming a professor? What is your favorite class to teach? What do you hope to communicate to your students?

I would say that I want to instill in students a sense of moral obligation or duty. But I would also say there is a predicate step before that. I believe it is important to oppose demonization in all its forms. I don’t think we can relieve ourselves of the duty to look closely at problems by pointing to those with whom we disagree and saying: “He’s just an ass,” or, “She’s just a monster.”

That’s one of the reasons I bring folks into my classes whose views don’t agree with mine. It’s tough being a cop. It’s a damn hard job. And being a prosecutor is a hard job. And doing it right is a hard job. And it’s important to understand that the problems of urban policing are not adequately solved by pointing a finger at the cops, and say, “They’re just racist.”

Nor is it satisfactory to point to a group of young black men, and say, “They’re just thugs, if we lock them all up, the problems will go away.” Neither of those responses are remotely satisfactory.

We have a burden and obligation to understand the problems of the criminal justice system at a human level, which is a deep and difficult thing, especially in our climate. If I can communicate the obligation to try to tackle problems that way, then perhaps students will not have the same view next time they hear someone say, “Well, he’s a criminal, who gives a shit about him?”

What do you foresee or hope for the future of the criminal justice system?

My fear is that criminal justice reform will merely sand down the rough edges, modestly tinkering with various aspects of the system rather than demanding real transformation. I fear the worst problems of the carceral state will continue to be with us. Not just the problems of mass incarceration, which include those in prison or under custodial supervision, but of the carceral state. The carceral state is the result of a particular attitude about social disorder and social problems. If I saturate an area with police and stop everybody who rolls through a stop sign, or

carries an open bottle of alcohol, or has a small amount of marijuana, and give them a ticket, they risk becoming part of the system. Perhaps they can’t pay their fines so a warrant is issued for their arrest, which means they end up spending a weekend in jail. Perhaps as a result of their arrest, they lose their job or their housing or their daycare. The charges might be dismissed, so they may never have a criminal record and are not technically part of the mass incarceration. They’ll never go to prison.

But there are rippling consequences that are much, much broader than simply going to prison. The number of those who go to prison is relatively small, but the number of those arrested and suffer the collateral consequences of that arrest is enormous. The FBI estimates that in the last twenty years, law enforcement made a quarter of a billion arrests. That’s an enormous number. Almost half the young men between the ages of 18 and 23 have an arrest record in the United States. And obviously not all of them are criminals, and not all of them are going to prison, but they are all part of the carceral state. So the idea of the carceral state is much broader than the problem of mass incarceration.

And there’s nothing, or almost nothing, in the reform narrative that addresses the pervasiveness of the carceral state and its underlying philosophy. So I fear it will not be dismantled. And that’s my work--articulating alternative visions and describing the limitations of the current reform narrative so that people insist upon a more robust response. If you have acknowledged that there is a problem, it is fair to ask whether the solutions that are being proposed will solve that problem.

We would love to hear a little bit about the Guantanamo case and how you were brought onto it.

I wasn’t brought onto it, I started it. So, 9/11 happened. And it was awful. I’ll never forget it--all of us of a certain age never will. I have so many memories from that first period. I was living in Minneapolis at the time, working as a civil rights lawyer and a criminal defense lawyer. Two months after 9/11, in November, the president announced plans to try people in military commissions. Those commissions looked nothing like what you and I would call a trial. They were deeply, deeply flawed.

And it was all described in the New York Times. My wife and I were sitting at the kitchen table in Minneapolis reading this description and I looked up from the paper and I said, “Well, this is fucked up.

What are we going to do about this?” She suggested we call this guy named Michael Ratner. Michael was a lawyer with the Center for Constitutional Rights, he was a guru in international human rights work.

That eventually led to the first case, on behalf of a guy named Shafiq Rasul. There were a total of four guys in our case.

We eventually changed the focus not to challenge the military commissions, because we realized, what if they just don’t try the guys at all? What if they just hold them without any process at all? Why would they have a trial if they could just hold them? If you could achieve what you want without a trial, why go through the trouble of prosecuting anyone?

We realized that the focus had to be on indefinite detention without legal process.

So in the winter of 2002, while I was a visiting practitioner here at the law school, I wrote the lawsuit that became Rasul. We filed that suit in February of 2002, and that was the beginning. It’s been almost 15 years, and I have been involved in this work, more or less without interruption, since then.

Was the expectation always, or the goal always, to get it to the Supreme Court?

No. Some lawyers may think in terms of a destination for their case, but that reflects a commentary on the mythology of the Supreme Court, a mythology that I do not share. A progressive lawyer, a lawyer interested in social change, a civil rights lawyer, should look at a case and say, “The goal is to achieve a favorable outcome for my client, not to be in one venue or another.” That was the goal, that’s always the goal. That ought to be the goal of all litigation. We wanted to shine a light into Guantanamo, to end the abuses that were taking place. We wanted it to be subject to judicial oversight, to be subject to public scrutiny. It just so happened that the climate at the time we filed the case was really hostile, which meant there was no other way to achieve those goals except by taking the case through the process.

Getting to the Supreme Court was incidental for us. And although we made

it to the Supreme Court and won, we still have not achieved the goal of obtaining meaningful process for the guys. You don’t want to confuse a victory in court with a victory on the ground. Those things often look very, very different.

What is your best piece of advice for 1822 year olds.?

Don’t work so hard. I find that students here work very hard. I would say read good books. Work more on your writing.

People attach way too much significance to grades, it’s terrible. You only get one chance to be a college student and you should take advantage of it. Cornell is an amazing place. And this idea that you have go out and study something that will get you a job in such-and-such field--boy, that’s a terrible way to think.

What is your proudest moment?

Wow, that’s a hard one. I don’t think I have proud moments, I have things and people in my life of which I am proud. I am enormously proud of my son. I take very little credit for the person he’s become.

He’s a good man. You know, life can be tough. It’s hard growing up and there are a lot of pitfalls. You probably know people who have fallen through the cracks for one reason or another. Drug addiction, alcohol, violence. He’s managed to avoid all those things. There are a lot of ways people can go astray, and there’s a lot of stress on people, particularly in this economic climate. I’m immensely proud of him, I hope he knows that.

I have a few things I’m proud of in my work. I have gradually become a pretty good writer; I work on it very hard.

I think I also have a pretty good marriage.

So those are my three things.

22 | CAMPUS LIFE

What Unites

Cornell?

emily friedman

LIKE MANY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS waiting for the day my AP classes would pay off, I dreamed of a college experience that including tailgating before football games and a school known across the country for its dedicated fans. School spirit was high on my list, so naturally the last place I pictured myself at was Cornell. Still, if the number of students wearing Cornell apparel on any given day is any indication of how much spirit there is at this school, it does not appear to be lacking.

Although there are very few occasions when we all sit in the same stadium, uniting around something so tangible, we somehow still feel a strong sense SLOPE MAG | 23

of unity, pride, and connection to other Cornellians, past and present. What is it that is able to unite the 22,000 Cornellians who come from all 50 states, from 120 different countries, studying 80 different subjects (yes, I paid attention during the information session)?

Most Cornellians attend a total of four football games in their entire Cornell career, and they’re all Homecoming games. Not only that, but it’s unclear whether or not they actually go to the game, as a lot of people just go for the tailgate barbeque before heading back to pass out. Nevertheless, for that single game, the stadium is full, rain or shine, of alumni, students, and staff who wouldn’t

want to be anywhere else. Between Homecoming and hockey games, we get a taste of over-the-top, rowdy sporting events. It is there if you want it, but it is not all this school has to offer.

But really, what makes us endure the -10 degree weather, the aggressive onslaught of prelims, and the dreaded walks up the slope? We all chose to be here, and we are united in our tenacity in overcoming all of the challenges that Cornell brings, and we love to complain. The people sitting next to us in class become friends over angsty conversations the blizzard going on outside and our mutual feeling of unpreparedness for the prelim we are about to take. Complaining about the

workload gives you an instant way to relate with another student, no matter where they are from or what exactly they are studying. Misery loves company, and Cornellians love to be miserable together. So in an apparent paradox, we love this school so much because it makes us suffer, but at least this gives us something to unite over.

On a lighter note, Cornell actually is fun sometimes. When there is some miraculous break in the relentless work, there are endless ways to spend your precious time. Some of my favorite days at Cornell have been the ones when I pulled myself away from Olin to sit on the slope with a friend I hadn’t seen for

a while, or took a spontaneous trip to the gorges, or stuffed my face with mac and cheese and cider donuts at Applefest. The best moments happen in all those times when you know you should probably be working, but you choose to relax and enjoy Ithaca instead. You only need to go to clubfest to know that there are infinite ways to spend time here. So, maybe we unite over our feeling of gratitude that we get to spend four years in this quirky, lively place, more than in our pride in one We all leave here with a shared experience. It can’t quite be put into words, but it will be understood by every Cornell alumni that you will meet in the future: an instant connection that might

come out in a common memory of living on north campus as a freshman, a shared appreciation for the variety of Ithaca restaurants, or a mutual appreciation for any of the experiences that Cornell made possible. Other people might look at Cornell and see a lot of different things: a school in the middle of nowhere where there’s nothing but snow, a school with a rigorous academic curriculum, or a school with unenthusiastic sports fans.

But we all know that Cornell is so much more than that, a place where people can share in school pride whether you are an avid sports fan or not.

24 | CAMPUS LIFE

State

of the

l l e n cor a m e cin madeline day

I THOUGHT IT ONLY APPROPRIATE that I’d be writing this after coming back from Cornell Cinema. I’ve just returned from a showing of Touch of Zen, and I’m not going to lie, while the film was fantastic in all of its subtitled, kungfu glory, it was not a movie I would have seen without the Cinema. For all my three years at Cornell, the Cinema has been creating these movie-going serendipities in which I arrive at a screening unknowing, even unsure, and walk out with a new lens through which to view the art of the world. While I’m no full-time film student, the Cinema has given met an incredible film education through showings of movies such as Persona, Citizen Kane, and Ixcanul, as well as dozens of others shot by an amazing variety of directors ranging from Damian Szifron to Orson Welles to Martin Scorsese.

What always seems to escape me, however, is that when I go to these movies, the theater is never full. Currently there exists only a small cluster of dedicated on-campus movie-goers and it is my firm belief the Cinema’s fabulous resources deserve a much greater, universitywide audience. After my own exposure to the Cinema and the experiences of many others it appears vital to me to encourage the many others on campus fail to take advantage of the vivid and vibrant learning environment that Cornell Cinema has created.

Cornell Cinema was founded in 1970 as a university film society, and in the forty-six years since, it has grown to be a media arts center with a national reputation—but strangely enough, its reputation on campus doesn’t seem to match.

The Cinema is a community of any and every form of artist, from playwrights to painters and writers to directors. It is geared towards all students of any year or major, and offers the same wonderful experience to all. “After seeing Metropolis at Cornell Cinema, I realized how deep and intricate film is as a form of expression,” Lucrezia Castelli, ‘18, explains. “I work [at the Cinema] now to try to bring this experience to other people, where hopefully two hours from someone’s day can expose them to new perspectives and forms of art.” The Cinema has historical importance

SLOPE MAG | 25

not only among students, but among professors as well.

It is the duty of professors to change the way that students think and perceive the world, and the movies at Cornell Cinema are an excellent tool for doing just that. Professor Ernesto Quinonez has attempted to raise awareness for the Cinema throughout his years teaching in Cornell’s Creative Writing Department by incorporating Cinema showings into his class syllabi. “I think Cinema is just another facet of storytelling,” Quinonez comments. “It’s an arm of storytelling that should always be kept alive. Any time an arm of storytelling dies or dwindles, it’s always something we should be aware of and be careful that that does not happen… In classes we assign books and therefore we should also assign movies.” Quinonez further comments upon his hopes for the students that he dispatches to the Cinema; “I send [students] to movies that moved me in my formative years… the years before the world tells you, ‘you know, it kind of sucks to grow up.’ These movies, they empower you and they can also become transcendent… a great movie can screw you up, unlike any love affair. And that’s why I send them, so hopefully [my students] can be moved the way I was.”

But there’s no way to move people, to influence students’ lives, if the theaters are left vacant. Cornell Cinema shows over 150 different films a year, five nights a week, from Hollywood hits to cult classics—which provides plenty of opportunities for students to learn things they wouldn’t expect in a typical semester’s rigorous academic schedule.

As an on-campus institution, Cornell Cinema truly excels at its nearly 50-year legacy to “expose Ithaca to alternative forms of cinema… and to provide affordable entertainment for the Cornell Community.” It’s hard to imagine now why we, as Cornell students, don’t treat the Cinema like the integral part of our university that it is. Movies are vital ways to learn not only about the art culture of the modern world, but also about oneself in the process of growing up and preparing to become a part of that world. This is our chance to go and fill those empty seats.

facing the facts of violence Alanna Fichtel

IN TODAY’S CULTURE, it seems as though there are endless headlines about tragic mass shootings and unwarranted acts of violence both in our country and around the world. Each time we hear about these events, we can’t help but feel sad, anguished, and afraid. As disheartening as these stories are, the frequency of these events has made us somewhat accustomed to their severity--a response that doesn’t encourage any change.

country to fight terrorism globally as it is spreading to home is at an ultimate high.

We may not be able to find the point when it first started, but looking back, we can now see a relatively recent trend in the significant global events of our generation.

When did all this violence become the norm? The rule rather than the exception?

While these issues are not all connected, varying in scale and scope, they embody a larger issue becoming prevalent in our generation--violence stemming from hatred, anger, or less of a concern for human life. The sheer number of these attacks and shootings has put a constant burden on us as individuals and as a country.

Our generation is especially affected in that if this global issue is not addressed, it feels as though it will continue, and likely worsen.

For most of us, we were probably too young on September 11th, 2001 to remember our personal experiences vividly. Since then, we have grown up with an understanding of the significance of the day and a close connection to its effects. It marked a turning point in the American consciousness, as well as in our national policy.

As mass shootings--some of the deadliest in U.S. history--happened in recent years, we were now old enough to understand the gravity of such situations.

The shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012 left 27 dead, most of them children in kindergarten. Arguments over gun control laws began, but had little results. The recent tragedies in San Bernardino, California and Orlando, Florida brought these conversations and past events to the forefront, but still, little has changed.

Overseas the situation is similarly grim. Attacks by ISIS in several European cities--Paris, Brussels, to Paris again just to name a few--are all too common. The death toll for 2016 is on track to exceed that of 2015. Many of us likely know the feeling of worrying about the safety of a friend or relative traveling abroad. The need for our

In addition, shootings by police officers and subsequent protests around our country have led to more deaths, controversy, and animosity. Young people and even children have been killed by police officers for reasons we don’t understand, and police officers have lost their lives in protest and retaliation.

Some may struggle with seeing and feeling the severity of these tragedies but feel lost about what we can do to address them. Advocating for stricter gun laws and voicing other opinions politically is only part of the solution. In our day-to-day lives, it is important to be vigilant of our attitudes and the attitudes of those around us. Taking the time to think about what we say or how we perceive others, especially in response to these events, can help to foster a sense of understanding and compassion for others.

It may be easier for us to shy away from addressing these issues, but we cannot let fear or ignorance stand in our way. Each time we hear about a shooting or terrorist attack we should remember to be a little more aware.

Unfortunately, these situations won’t change overnight, and require everything but a simple solution. Changing our thinking is a little start that could hopefully go a long way.

26 | CAMPUS LIFE

Catherine Giese I’M AT ANOTHER PARTY and another boy afflicted with yellow fever is asking me what I am. I’m a compulsive giggler, a recovering coffee addict, a writer, a Bigfoot-enthusiast, a dreamer, an ex-figure skater, an introverted extrovert, a citizen of the earth trying to map the stars, but that’s not what he’s asking. I’m half Japanese and half German, well, mostly, anyway, I tell him with my signature uncomfortable laugh. Asian, he hears.

He’s into that. He tells me so. He follows me even when I exit the conversation and turn my back to walk across the room. He does not see me as a free-willed person who is disconcerted by his fetish, but as an exotic, coy seductress creating tension until he makes me gracefully snap.

My physical features may hint at Eastern heritage, but the truth of the matter is that I am a bonafide terrible Asian. I hate raw fish, I know nothing about anime, I am incapable of being delicate

and coy, and none of the Japanese-Hawaiian culture lessons my grandparents try to teach me stick. I have a rice cooker that sings when it turns on and off, but I cook quinoa in it like a trendy white girl who’s into fitspo. I like glitter and organic cotton and Mean Girls and my Asian family cannot understand for the life of them why I decided to be an English major instead of a pre-med engineer. I am the definition of whitewashed.

At the same time, however, it would be sadly inaccurate to claim that I enjoy the same advantages as my white female friends, privileged as I am. They’ve never had the jarring experience of being the only woman of color in a room or of being labeled as the “trendy Asian” of a white friend group as if that’s the only reason my fair-skinned companions would want me around. They’ve never been asked about Japan or greeted in Chinese simply because of the way they look. They’ve never been called “exotic,” whatever that means, in place of “pretty.” These are petty problems of the model minority to be sure, but they are no less

being SLOPE MAG | 27

ways in which Asians are made to feel “other.” It’s impossible for me claim my whiteness when I experience the plight of my other half. Even though I am equal parts Asian and white, to Asians I am white and to whites I am Asian.

I used to be confused as to where to place my identity, and this seems to be a common issue amongst my multi-racial friends.

How could I rightfully own my Japanese side if I didn’t speak the language and had no connection to the land or culture? How could I identify as a white woman and still respect myself if I also knew that I didn’t experience many of the privileges that came along with that? I would find myself bouncing between the stereotypes and labeling myself as I saw fit, but it became too exhausting once people expected me to define myself in adulthood. Was I a white woman or a colored one? Was I going to join Asian clubs or historically white ones? Which side was I supposed to choose?

Could I remain authentic once I did?

After a lot of complicated soul searching, I’ve finally arrived at the realization that I am both halves of myself. Unsatisfactory and obvious, perhaps, but there is a more pressing issue at hand than my angsty need to define myself, and that is the reality that we see differences in favor of commonality. Such is a natural human trait to be sure, but the sadness lies in the fact that society as a whole does not actively try to rid itself of these tendencies in favor of bettering our relations to one another. Race divides us as a people, so it was inevitable that it was going to divide me as a person. It is a commonly held opinion that mixed race children are evidence of abating racism, and I agree, but those same children struggling to find their place are living proof of how much race and ethnicity continue to divide us.

I am not Asian. I am not white. I am half Japanese and half German, well, mostly, anyway. And nothing I’ve tried to be on my thorny, tangled journey feels more authentic than truly being both.

28 | HUMAN INTEREST

an ODE to my

teachers Ashley Radparvar

FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, school had always been a mix of fun and hard work.

Sometimes when the workload was light, school would be a breeze. At other times, however, I would be pounded with tests and papers and subsequently become stressed about my grades. But this cycle and my teachers are the ones who truly helped me prepare for and succeed in my future.

Yes, tests were hard. Yes, it was stressful to keep up with all the homework. Yes, it was difficult to balance academics and extracurricular activities. But I don’t think I would be ready to do the same thing in college, without my teachers.. My teachers made sure that we were ready by challenging us and spending time with us individually until we understood the material. High school teachers were my coaches, the ones who would make sure you were ready for the big game, the championships. They would make sure you would win in the future, regardless of what would be thrown at you.

Long before I knew anything about prelims and finals and career fairs, my high school teachers were setting the stage for my future. They were my lens, a guiding hand making sure I was prepared for the unknown. Through the midst of adrenaline while racing to finish homework the night before it was due, or the joys of finally understanding a hard concept, they were there to make sure that I would survive.

Although some of my teachers made us go through what felt like the toughest of years, I like to think that those were the teachers that

SLOPE MAG | 29

prepared me the most for college. Those hard questions, over preparedness for standardized exams and everything in between were some of the best things my teachers could have done.

They treated me with tough love, expecting me to be a master at time management and develop a strong work ethic so that I could be better prepared for college life. Looking back, I am so thankful for everything my teachers did for me, knowing that those efforts helped ready me for my future at Cornell.

Now, I am so thankful to have amazing professors who are there to better prepare me for my future career. I know that beneath the “grind” and tough prelims, everything my professors put on me is further preparing me for what I want to do in life. My educational career has taught me that the toughest of educators are some of the best ones--and that working hard is not for nothing.

Looking back, I want to tell my ninth grader self that the bumpy journey she was about to enter should not be viewed as all bad stress, but as an experience towards becoming a better student and person. Teachers are there to help you and to ensure that you are both the best version of yourself you can be and are ready for tougher times ahead.

So thank you to my teachers, for inspiring me to go after my goals, for making me work hard, and for teaching me to never give up. Without you, I don’t know if I would be as ready as I am for anything Cornell, or life, has to throw at me.

YOUR

findingplace Shauna Cheatham

“CONGRATULATIONS!” It’s amazing how quickly one word can affect your life. For freshman and transfer students, the prospect of coming to Cornell is almost overwhelming. But often so much of our energy is put into paying tuition, deciding where to live, picking a roommate, and finishing the New Student Checklist that we never stop to think about the reality of what student life will be like on the slope. With so much happening around us that we need to adjust to, it’s not uncommon to feel lost.

If you’re feeling this way, don’t stress.

Finding your place at Cornell isn’t as scary as you think. Cornell may have a big campus with a lot of students, but there are ways to keep yourself from feeling like a small fish in a big pond.

One great way to feel more in your element on campus is to get involved in all of the things that you loved in high school. Whether you sang in choir, danced in your school’s dance troupe, or played sports on the varsity team, there are so many on-campus groups and activities to join, with plenty of other people who share your interests-and probably your quirks too. Plus, it’s a really easy way to branch out without straying too far from your comfort zone. A lot of them had booths at ClubFest, but there’s tons of info around campus online too. You’ll be a lot happier doing something you love.

Another avenue for getting involved is to go to different events happening around campus. From movies, game nights, speakers, performances--you name it, Cornell has it. Remember those flyers we all usually walk by? A lot of us never stop to look at them, but they’re really a diamond in the rough.

You might even learn something new or try something that you never thought of.It’s a fun way to meet people, and it gives you something to do that’s outside of your regular routine.

Your major also has its social perks.

Even though there are dozens of libraries on campus, many people end up studying in the same building of their major, which is great for ~study bonding~. Whether your major is small like ILR or large like Bio, you’ll find that you will recognize a lot of people and make a ton of friends in your major.

Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself.

You never know what similar academic interests can lead to.

Of course, not all new students are first years-shout out to the transfers! It’s really difficult when you’re a transfer student and you feel like a freshman that is expected to know as much as the sophomores or juniors do.Thankfully, Cornell is equipped with crash courses.

Transfer colloquium, a 1 credit course transfer students take during their first semester, puts you in a class with other transfers in your major. You’ll hear different opinions on whether you really learn anything, but it’s actually a

great opportunity to meet people who are at the same place as you. You’ll find that transfers are really close and will make group chats so they all can navigate Cornell together.

There are so many opportunities to find people with similar interests as you, and you’ll have chances to meet other students who are just trying to find their way around this campus on a hill. But there’s one more secret to starting a successful journey as a Cornellian, and this one happens inside of you.

You belong here.

No matter where you came from, what school you went to, what grades you had, or what other people tell you, you were accepted for a reason. You should never feel you have any less of a right to be here than anyone else. You’ll never find your place here if you think you don’t belong. Everyone brings something unique l to this school.

Cornell may seem overwhelming at first, but I promise you’ll find your place. There are so many different people here that you are bound to find your niche. The more you’re willing to put yourself out there and get your nose out of the books, the more that you’ll enjoy your time here.

You did it. This is your home. Now all you have to do is make it feel like one.

30 | HUMAN INTEREST

SLOPE MAG | 31

An Open Letter to My Childhood Friends

Amanda Madenberg

I MAY BE AT COLLEGE NOW LIVING FAR AWAY FROM YOU, the people with whom I grew up, but some things never change. You are still the first people I call when I’m tired, happy, or just need to rant about studying; you are still the ones I text when something embarrassing happens at school and I need to disappear into my phone; you are still the ones who know me the best since you remained by my side throughout all of my awkward phases—including my years of braces.

What’s weird now is that you don’t know the ins and outs of my life like you did in high school. Sure, on the phone I’ve told you my friends’ names, where they are from, and what I did on the particular day that I called you. What I can’t do is text you that so-and-so (a new friend) asked me such-and-such (a big favor), and for you to know exactly the dynamic of that conversation.

What’s equally weird is that it’s the same the other way around. I don’t know the names of your five classes and teachers, the somewhat flirty conversation you had with that guy in your Chemistry discussion section, or what you talked about at the pizza place at 3 a.m. on Saturday night with your three best friends. I don’t know your favorite study spot, dining hall, or club, not because they aren’t important to you but because during our limited time to speak, you want to tell me stories about other more pressing items.

With time, after long breaks where we reunite in our home town, spending the days driving around and visiting our favorite restaurants, I’m sure I’ll slowly get to know and understand this new chapter in your life.

I want to hear about the craziest thing your roommate said and the topic of the hardest test you have taken this semester. I want to know the personalities of each friend in your dorm and how everyone else’s backgrounds landed them at the same college you eventually chose.

I don’t talk to you every day, and sometimes not even every week, but I do think about you more than you know. I care deeply about our relationships and your lives, and I’m constantly reminded through texting, snapchat, instagram, and the occasional phone call that we do still have so much in common despite living so far apart.

We all started new journeys just a few short months ago. They pulled each of us to all different states and countries, towns and cities, teachers, friends, and acquaintances. We are living—and thriving— in totally new worlds surrounded by new people, places and ideas we had never imagined. However, our personalities have not changed, and I know our reunions will feel as if we never left. When we go home, our conversation will be filled with exchanges such as “I’m not surprised” and “of course you did that.” You know the girl I was, am, and will be forever, yet I can tell you how my aspirations have changed regarding the person I want to become one day.

Even when I am too busy to have an hour-long conversation with you, I love you and I miss you. I know you are my friends forever; I cannot wait to introduce you to the new world and niches I recently created for myself; and I cannot wait to hear about yours.

What I’ve begun to realize is this: you are my friends from childhood—high school, camp, extracurricular activities—and though I’ve made many good friends in a new environment I call home, no one can replace you. All the close friends I’ve made throughout my life thus far who are still in touch with my daily life are my “forever friends”—one group of people. It doesn’t matter whether you came into my life when I was 8 or 18; what matters is that you have not left it.

32 | HUMAN INTEREST

Just breathe SLOPE MAG | 33

jeremy candelas HERE WE ARE AGAIN. It’s that all too familiar time of year where, just coming off of break, we’re suddenly being thrown back into cramming season for our upcoming final exams. For some, this time of year can be absolutely daunting, demanding, draining.

Some students might be pulling all-nighters in the library; others are frantically running backof-the-napkin calculations to figure out just how many points they need to pass, just how many points they need to salvage their GPA, just how many points they need to be able to feel okay. Here we are again, indeed.

Being students at Cornell can seem paradoxical at times. Despite attending one of the world’s best universities, we often find ourselves questioning our abilities and our chances for success. We allow for our stress to get the best of us; we allow for our anxiety to dictate our lives. It’s during these stressful times that we can often feel most alone, and it is so incredibly important to realize that that doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, that isn’t the case at all.

Chances are you will experience a case of college-related anxiety at some point in your time at Cornell. According to the American College Health Association’s annual survey, 58.4 percent of college students “felt overwhelming anxiety” during the year, with some 17 percent of students reporting that they were diagnosed or treated for anxiety.

This doesn’t even include the students who report suffering from a slew of other issues concerning their mental health and wellbeing.

It’s easy to feel as if everyone else has their life put together, that everyone except for you you has it all figured out. The reality is that most people don’t. Looking back at the statistics, over half of all college students have suffered from overwhelming anxiety. Could you pick out the six out of ten friends in your social circle who are part of that statistic? Probably not.

It’s not uncommon to discover that the person you would have least expected suffers from the same concerns as you; they’ve simply been hiding it well. Especially in college, discussions about anxiety and mental health in general

have become taboo. They shouldn’t be.

The American Psychological Association has reported that the mental health of college students has been of rapidly increasing concern for universities in recent years.

Thankfully, Cornell is one of the universities that offers a variety of sources to aid students with mental health concerns. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS); Empathy, Assistance, and Referral Service (EARS); Cornell Minds Matter, and “Let’s Talk” at Gannett are just a few of the services Cornell students can turn to. Additionally, students may find that services like the Learning Strategy Center, or peer or faculty advisors can also be a great resource to turn to. Even just being able to talk to a friend can bring significant relief to the anxieties one faces.

While it may seem difficult or perhaps even embarrassing to start the conversation, know that it’s a conversation worth having. Even if you don’t feel that anxiety is getting to you now, it’s important to educate yourself on the resources that are available to you. This is not a situation that you should have to go through alone. Luckily for you, there are real people here who want to see you succeed. Most importantly though, taking time for introspection can provide you with the self-confidence that you need, and inspire a renewed sense of hope and optimism.

Take a moment to reflect on where you are now: you’re at Cornell. There is a reason that you’ve made it this far, and it’s the same reason why you’re going to keep moving forward. You are here today – at one of the top universities in the world – because you’ve worked hard, you’ve persevered, and you’ve always pushed yourself to do better. It’s that exact same mentality that is going to allow for you to get through any of the challenges that you’re going through now, or that you’ll go through in the future. So take a step back, and just breathe. It’s not the end of the world. You don’t have to go through anything alone, and, in the end, everything is going to turn out okay. After all, you’ve made it this far.

34 | HUMAN INTEREST

THOUGHTS

ON THE

CAMPUS

SLOPE MAG | 35

CONSTRUCTION Liza Mansbach

WALK FIVE MINUTES in any direction around Cornell and you are sure to hear the low din of metal work, banging insistently in the distance. Or perhaps on a weekend, you’ll come across the eerie scene of parked caterpillars and crossed off areas.

For members of the Cornell community, construction is as inevitable as the changing of seasons. In fact, former President David Skorton once joked that Cornell’s four seasons were not fall, winter, spring, and summer but rather Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction. This year alone, there’s been work happening on Phillips Hall, the Ag Quad, Gannett, and the center of Collegetown; before that, there was the multiyear project of constructing Klarman Hall. For many, the constant construction is a nuisance, something that is noticed for its inconvenience more than anything else.

However, the construction is more than that: it’s a symbol of just how fleeting our time at Cornell truly is.

Part of growing up involves the strange process of realizing the world doesn’t revolve around you. I remember the first time I went back home after starting college, for Thanksgiving break. I was shocked to find that even though I had grown so much during my first semester, that precious little had changed back at home. Despite the centrality of my California hometown in my life, I was hardly a speck in its existence. Without my presence things continued on, surprisingly to me, in much the same way. A new set of seniors assumed the premier spot in the parking lot and a new crop of teenageers babysat for a new crop of families.

It took me graduating high school and coming across the country to realize this about my hometown. However, in college I am reminded of it everytime I look up as see a crane towering over me. The constant construction is a reminder--partly comforting and partly horrifying--that we are only a small part of Cornell, and Cornell is only a small part of us.

We like to think of ourselves as embedded and integral to the spaces we inhabit. No one will run the scene at Mann like us and our friends, no will throw parties in our houses as wild as the ones throw, no will be as devoted of Terrace salad fans as we were. But in our heads we know that this is not true. Times will change, a new slew of fresh-faced freshman will come to take our places, and slowly yet surely, campus itself will evolve.

By the time I graduate, Cornell’s landscape will already have changed significantly from when I arrived, mostly notably with the addition of Klarman Hall and the newlyrebranded Cornell Health, but also just off campus with the many multistory apartments rising in Collegetown. By the time I come back for my 10th reunion, who knows what new building will have gone up, or what old buildings will have been remodeled. As much as I want Cornell to stay exactly as it is now, for Low Rise 7 to continue to be the bane of many freshmens’ existence, for students to be constantly confused that you enter Willard Straight on the 4th floor, for the toilet paper to remain single-ply. I know that change will come, not only to campus, but also to me.

36 | HUMAN INTEREST

S LOP E ME D I A .ORG