Op-Ed
Nine Ways to Increase Your International I.Q.
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A Helping of Hummus
A Helping of Hummus
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I saw Stephen Colbert on Friday night, and as expected, he was hilarious. However, there was one thing he said which I didn’t find funny, but everyone else seemed to. When Colbert asked, “How many of you don’t think that I’m news, but get your news from me anyway?” the entire room erupted with applause. “And this is the Ivy League.” Amen to that. If more of our generation gets its news from Jon Stewart and Stephen “I make news up” Colbert, our future isn’t looking too bright. So, I’ve compiled a list of nine things (10 is just too ordinary) I think will make Cornellians more intellectual/internationally aware — a lost cause? (I think not.) Here goes nothing:
1. BBC not Perez
Let’s be realistic — most people don’t read the paper (and chances are, unfortunately, they won’t be reading this column either). A good way to stay on top of the news without too much effort is to set a news website as your Internet homepage. How do you do this? Open your web browser, click on Tools, then Options and voilà, type in your desired site! I recommend BBC or CNN; they’ll give you a fairly objective report on world news. (Sorry, PerezHilton.com doesn’t count.)
2. Drinking Molson and Corona doesn’t constitute an international experience
You can go out and get drunk on any night (most of you already do). Though an enlightening experience in American culture, why don’t you take one of those nights and go to a Cornell-sponsored event on campus? Go to Persian Night, see Sandra Day O’Connor speak, listen to a band play at The Nines. After you leave college, you’ll never find so many fun, free events at your disposal, so take advantage of them while you still have the chance! Seriously, there is more to do at college than just drink. (Besides, you can usually go out afterwards.)
3. Get out of Ithaca
Go live abroad for a year or a semester with CUAbroad. Come on, what’s holding you back? I know Ithaca is possibly the most exciting city in the U.S., especially in the winter, but you’ll only be away for four months! Fiji vs. Ithaca, hmmm … If for whatever reason you can’t study abroad, you can complete an internship overseas through various organizations on campus like AIESEC. If you just can’t tear yourself away from Ithaca, try out the Holland International Living Center or a language house on West Campus.
4. New York Times Check, not Facebook Check
What do you get with your $40,000 a year tuition? Free copies of the New York Times! So take advantage of it. In your midday break between classes, grab a copy of the Times instead of wasting time stalking people on Facebook for the seventh time that day. If everyone else has snatched up all the copies of the Times, then you’ll have to settle for the Daily News. (Doing the crossword, though very intellectual, doesn’t count — unless you do it in pen.)
5. Speak a foreign language when under the influence
I have never personally experienced this (Mom and Dad) but I have heard that alcohol enhances your ability to speak a foreign language as you lose inhibition and don’t really care if you say Donne-moi un baiser (“Give me a kiss”) or Baise-moi! (Let’s just say that you don’t want to confuse the two.) So go crazy, speak as much of the foreign language as you can. Don’t speak a foreign language? See #7.
6. Watch a foreign film at Cornell Cinema
If you’re a college student in the U.S., chances are you watch any combination of The Office, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Family Guy, Heroes, etc. Why not watch a foreign film instead? We all know that the newest Hollywood movies don’t hit Cornell Cinema instantly, but something that C.C. is good for is foreign movies. I saw a very weird Chinese film last year which I didn’t particularly like, but suffice to say, I felt slightly more intellectual when I left.
7. Take one class just for kicks
I know what you’re going to say. “I have enough work as it is, and this girl wants me to take ANOTHER class?? For FUN???” Just check out this list: Monster A-X-files (COM L 353), The Anthropology of Sport (ANTHR 205), European Discovery of Impacts and Explosive Volcanism (EAS 425), New Media and Society (COMM 320), Drugs: People, Policies, Politics (HIST 245) and of course, Introduction to Wines and Vines (HORT 104). Also, languages like Urdu, Farsi and Swahili qualify. The class doesn’t even need to be “international” per se; it should just teach you something completely new or give you a new perspective. If you’re smart, you can get the class to satisfy your breadth/distribution/elective requirements.
8. Download cool foreign music off of (DC++) Ruckus
Some of my all time favorite international hits:
“Aline” by Christophe
“Zurouni” by Fairouz
“Dragostea Din Tei” by O-zone
“Vivo per Lei” by Andrea Botecelli (bonus points if you get the version with Hélène Ségara as it’s in French and Italian)
“Bebot” by the Black Eyed Peas “Bebot” = “Chick” in Filipino)
“Ah w Noss” by Nancy Ajram
“Husn Jawani Noon” by Punjabi M.C.
“Atrévete” by Calle 13
“La Belle et le Bad Boy” by M.C. Solaar
9. If you hear someone with a funky accent, chase him down
Bombard him with “Hi, I’m _____. I’m from Wyoming. Where are you from??” before the poor thing knows what hit him. Proceed by assaulting him with ridiculous questions:
Poor Foreign Student: “I’m from Burkina Faso.”
You: “What’s that?”
PFS: “It’s a country in West Africa.”
Y: “Is the capital Burkina Faso City?”
PFS: “Um, no. It’s Ouagadougou.”
Y: “Ouagagoogoo — that’s funny! What language do you speak in Burkino Fasa?”
PFS: “It’s Burkina Faso. We speak French.”
Y: “Oh cool, say something!”
PFS: “Um. Like what?”
Y: “Like, how do you say I did 20 jägerbombs last night??”
If his country sounds odd enough, ask him to be your friend. Just associating with people from obscure countries will surely increase your International I.Q.
Actually, I was just kidding about #9. Please don’t harass the international students.
Nora Choueiri is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be contacted at nchoueiri@cornellsun.com. A Helping of Hummus appears alternate Mondays.