I arrived in Sevilla dazed and confused. But this incredible Mediteranean city, with its Andalucian culture intact, delectable frybread and zest for the “good life,” quickly became my favorite place I’ve been.

Before I left for Italy, everybody had their own two cents to offer me. “Appreciate every minute!” “Make sure you take advantage of where you are!” “It’ll fly by.” I took it all to heart.

In the land of pasta, wine, and cappuccinos, every meal is a gastronomic adventure. Even a simple two euro panini is a joy for the taste buds. I could write for days about my favorite meals: fried artichokes in Rome’s Jewish Ghetto, spicy tomato-garlic pici in a mom-and-pop restaurant in Sienna, and of course, margherita pizza in Naples.

On Nov. 4, Roots and Shoots – a student group that centered on environmental education – hosted a lecture on the interconnections between climate change, women’s rights and political issues as part of their Environmental Justice and Film Speaker Series. 

Did you spot a huge blow-up canvas duck on Ho Plaza this Tuesday? It was the Society for Natural Resource Conservation (SNRC) raising awareness about the beginning of their PVC-free campaign. 

Months prior, upon scrambling to design a “restful-but-productive-and-recharging” summer, I decided I wanted to work on a farm.  Many phone calls and emails later (typically exchanged during the procrastinating periods before prelim season), I arranged to spend my July in Warner, New Hampshire as a farmhand on a small organic family farm. With only a few paragraphs and pictures on their website, I knew not what to expect. And so, on a morning in late June, I boarded a train to Boston, where after a quick meal I transferred onto a bus headed to Concord, New Hampshire. 

Dr. Molly Jahn Ph.D '88 is a Cornell Alumnus and the current United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary of Research, Education and Economics.  She answers seven science questions about the future of agriculture, the current Farm Bill and the USDA's top priorites.