Columns

BETTEZ | The Death of the Acquaintance

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An acquaintance was once someone who you could run into as you rush through Ho Plaza on your way to class and chat, or attempt to catch up with over the roar of a frat party’s Spotify playlist. Maybe they were even a friend of a friend, or an ally when you frantically needed help on your problem set the night it’s due. Without these relatively inconsequential interactions, Cornell’s campus is no longer a community of interconnections, but a set of isolated bubbles. An unfortunate, but not unexpected consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic lasting as long as it has is the death of an entire class of friends. The loss of the acquaintance is just another symptom of the loss of the campus space and sense of community we’ve experienced over the last year.

2020 election

ONONYE | Block or Unfollow? Losing Friends During the 2020 Election

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Raise your hand if you’ve lost a friend or two (or 30!) during this election season. I definitely have. As we finally reach the end of a 2+ year run for the presidency, I can finally reflect on what this election cycle has meant to me. I can list thirty million things, but one of the most significant is that I have lost a few friends. 

Up until the 2020 election run, I really believed that I could be friends with anyone regardless of their political ideology. I had done it my entire life.

Dining

Food Ethics | Medicine for the Lonely

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While walking up the stairs in my house, I saw my brother Mike’s door was propped open. I popped my head in to see how he was doing. Talking with him, we happened upon the topic of illness. “My throat has been so sore that it hurts even to swallow. I wouldn’t mind the cough otherwise.”

Well, I had a solution for that!

adobe

Food Ethics | To Make Margaritas

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To make margaritas, you need lime juice, and a lot of it. Limes are not native to central New York, so I knew this would constitute the greatest sacrifice of food miles. However, due to our special occasion, I decided it was a worthwhile sacrifice. Isaac is Mexican and missing home, so I hoped this would bring him joy. As we were both very hungry, Isaac offered to help me juice the limes.

Comfort

Somewhat Sober | Comfort in Food during Uneasy Times

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This article was originally supposed to be about how quesadillas are the perfect late-night, post-drinking snack. But, given the global health crisis, it’s really not the most important thing to be writing about, is it? First, I really hope everyone is taking this crisis seriously and is practicing social distancing. Please do not congregate in large crowds and avoid being in public places — such as restaurants, bars or cafés — as much as possible! Taking this seriously is very important to limit the exposure of those who are at the most risk.

Sex on Thursday

SEX ON THURSDAY | The Bechdel Test

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I recently learned about the Bechdel Test (ironically from a male friend, but so it goes). In essence, the test measures women’s representation in fiction and requires that two women talk to each other about anything other than a man. And that’s when I realized very few moments in my life would pass the Bechdel Test. Anytime I’m talking to a female friend for more than a few minutes, the topic of boys typically comes up. Sometimes we’re ranting about a male professor.

being me

LEE | Allowing Me to Be Me

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Thinking this would pretty much be the last break I get to spend without being too fixated on academics or career-related activities, I had a very unproductive break. I had vowed to start prepping for next semester and to exercise more, but neither materialized as expected. But as unproductive as it was, I actually had quite a fulfilling break. For the first time, I had the chance to explore my hometown, Seoul, without being preoccupied with some sort of task like frantically trying to memorize SAT vocabulary. I also stepped out of my comfort zone going out of my way to get to know and meet new people.