And So It Begins

The Meeting Hall

Today was the start of our experience at Cornell. We left the hotel at 9 in the morning to go check in at our dorm rooms. For most of us this was an easy process but Calvin, (as I am sure his blog will indicate) had, and is still having, a lot of trouble. When I got to my dorm it was boiling hot and smelled terrible. The room was actually nicer than I expected though. It was spacious, with a bed, closet, dresser, desk, and chair for both occupants. My roommate had not arrived yet, so I left him a note with my name and number asking him to call when he arrived so we could meet. The rest of the cohort and I spent our time before and after lunch showing off or complaining about our rooms to one another.

Mmmm Ice Cream

My first meal at Cornell was an eye opener. Everything that people told me about dorm food was proved wrong. The dining hall we eat breakfast and dinner at is the next building over from my dorm. The restaurant is a buffet style with almost any food option you could want. The ones which stood out to me were a Korean Grill, a standard American food (hot dogs, burgers, and fries) booth, a pizza area, and, of course, Cornell's famous ice cream options. Being an ice cream lover, this appealed to me especially. The variety of options from soft serve to milkshakes promise endless fulfillment of my sweet tooth.

A Slight Downgrade

At 3 in the afternoon there was an orientation for all the incoming summer college students. The leaders of the program all spoke, and it turned out to be very informative and entertaining. I learned that we are fortunate to be a part of the last session run by the current leader before she retires after 22 years at Cornell in this position. The dean made an introductory speech filled with humor and good advice for both students and parents, which really put me at ease for the program. After the speeches everyone split up in to our separate classes to meet with our professors, and get a quick overview of the course.

Its not quite king size

Meeting Professor Kramnick made me even more excited for the course. He defied all my negative expectations of a college professor. Energetic, funny, and sociable, he led us the lecture hall where we will meet every morning at 9 for class, cracking jokes the whole time. When we arrived in the hall we took our seats and Kramnick went to the podium. He gave a brief introduction to what we should expect during the class, going over our required textbooks, homework, tests, and the daily schedule. Apparently what everyone says about college professors not making what is important during a lecture is not true. At least not in Professor Kramnick's class. I am even more excited for this class now that I have met the professor. He has an obvious passion for this field, and for teaching in general which makes it clear to me that the class will be a pleasure. I am really looking forward to the scheduled lunch all the students get to have with him.

I am happy with this workspace

After the orientation, Calvin, Alex, and I stopped by the student store to get out course packet and check out the extensive supply of Cornell gear. I also bought a spiral bound notebook in Cornell red, bearing the Cornell seal, since paper was something which I forgot to bring.

On our way back to the dorms we got hopelessly lost, and ended up walking deep in to the Cornell Plantations and all the way to the lake before we finally found our way back to civilization. This proved to me how large, beautiful, and diverse the Cornell campus really is. Our time in the plantations was beautiful, and I look forward to exploring it more, hopefully under more controlled circumstances. We then had some free time which we spent socializing and exploring the various dorms. Then it was off to the buffet again for dinner.

After dinner we had two events. The ice cream social and a floor meeting. The ice cream social was a really nice opportuntity to meet new people, enjoy the beautiful weather, and, of course, eat ice cream! The floor meetings took place in the common hall on each floor. Everyone on our floor got together and introduced ourselves. Then the resident Cornell students who are in charge went over rules. After the meeting we did our first nightly check in then it was back to my room to blog and shower before bed.

Tomorrow should be a fun day. We have mostly free time except for an afternoon crash course on college which I expect should be very helpful.

A Preview to Cornell

Today was the preview of how the summer classes would be like. We started off by moving from our fancy hotel to a dorm. This was pretty sad because I had finally adjusted to the comforts of the hotel. Now, we just downgraded into a non-air conditioned, double room with no bathroom. It’s not a terrible change, because, after all, this is what college is like. This will definitely help me prepare for life beyond high school.

After checking in, I took the elevator up to my dorm. It was an average sized room, which was divided for two people. I unpacked by belongings and set out with the other cohorts to get some food at the dining hall. There were many choices, and they were pretty good. It was like a buffet style, and they even had special foods for allergies.

After the lunch, we set off to explore the dorms. Calvin’s room was in the South Balch and Alex’s was located in the Risley. Then, at 2 PM, there was a mandatory orientation where the dean explained the courses. It was very informative about what Cornell's summer program was and the intensity of the classes. Later, we actually met up with our professors in our future classroom. We had  married professors, and it seemed very fascinating seeing them work together. They described the course and the more they spoke, the harder the class seemed. The course would be rigorous, but as they said, if one manages their time right, they will succeed. 

Finishing off the day, we had an ice cream party that was held outside of our dorm. It was enjoyable, and everyone had their own groups. This lasted an hour, and following that, was some floor meeting. This was where all the supervisors reviewed all the rules and regulations of living in the dorm. It took a while, but was a necessary session. 

Cornell has been a wonderful experience so far. The only problem here is the confusing campus. It is so huge that it is easy to get lost. Even with a map, I walked off to the wrong places a couple of time. However, it shouldn’t be a problem as the days progress. The program seems like a lot of work, but I assume it will still be fun. Well, only time will tell now.

Settling Down

Today we got to begin our college experience. This morning we checked out of our hotels and checked into our dorms. Everything went smoothly for everyone (besides Calvin). My room is a double in the Mary Donlon Hall but I don’t have a roommate so I guess my backpack can have its own bed. I’m a little disappointed because I had a single last year at Columbia and I wanted something to compare that experience with, but I’ll be fine. My room comes with a fan, a desk, a bed, drawers, and a closet. I only have a desk lamp but that’s fine with me because my room is pretty hot as is.

After we checked in, we went to our first meal at the Bear Necessities which is located in Robert Purcell Community Center (RPCC). The food is really good here and I can see why Cornell is known to have one of best dining food in the United States.

 

Following lunch, our cohort checked out each other’s dorm room and it was neat because we’re scattered between the three dorms so we got to see how each dorm facility is different than the other facilities. We then took the bus to Bailey Hall where we had a welcoming speech. I thought that all the speakers did well as they mixed in humor with their serious message. The message that hit home was that while the summer college wants us to have fun, we’re at a summer college, not a summer camp. This message was reiterated when all the Hotelies gathered in our lecture hall to listen to Reneta and Mark speak about our class.

We were assigned our first assignment which is about 25 pages of reading and Mark stressed that if everyone can pass the class, but if we want to pass we really have to keep our focus and be dedicated to the class. We were given a syllabus and while the course looks extremely challenging, I’m excited and I really want to immerse myself in the classwork and know the ins and outs of the hotel and hospitality industry.

When the meeting ended, Frank, Rachael, and I tried to time our walk back so we know how much time to allot for walking to class, but we got lost and ended up taking different route than we planned to take. I forgot my camera and I really regret it because the campus here is amazing. While we didn’t find the route we wanted to take, we got to see the scenery and crossed a bridge that goes right over a waterfall!

We then went to dinner where Calvin, Eric, Frank, and I became friends with two New Yorkers: Anderson and Matt. They’re both really cool people. Anderson is really active in the community. He volunteers for the NYPD, is a registered scuba diver, is a junior navy officer, runs cross country, and plays rugby. He’s such a happy person and really likes conversations. Matt is an Eagle Scout, wrestles, and plays the bagpipes. The guys in our cohort took the dinner and ice cream social to bond with them and I think that we’re all going to be really good buddies by the end of our classes.

"Ithaca is Gorges"

After waking up in the Statler Hotel we made our way to check in at our dorms.  It was another breezy, beautiful day in Ithaca as Mr. Chan-Law dropped us off at our dorms, me being the only one in Risley Hall, the rest in Donlon.  I guess I have been living a life of solitude during the night hours between the hotel and the dorms, but I find this as a great opportunity to meet new people.  After checking in I met my R.A. Asher, and went to check out the dining hall for lunch and saw Ms. Kronenberg as well as Abby Eller, the Associate Director of the Summer College.

My dorm!

The next activity of the day was orientation, where we gathered for an assembly in the magnificent Bailey Hall to be greeted by Abby as well as the Dean of the Summer College.  The staff made us feel extremely comfortable and welcome to the school and provided helpful insights on how to get settled in to life on campus.  The enthusiasm of the faculty encouraged us to become more excited for the programs and opportunities available at Cornell as the next step was to divide up into our respective classes. 

Bailey Hall

Right off the bat I can say that I am eager to start the course.  Ms. Kronenberg gave us a personal introduction to Professor Isaac Kramnick, who I felt is not only a gifted instructor, but a cooperative exciting person to learn from.  We settled in the lecture hall where we will be attending classes to have a tutorial for the course with students and parents alike.  The environment of the classroom was wonderful and the tone that Professor Kramnick set especially made me motivated to begin our sessions.  It has also been beneficial to read the required material ahead of time, not only because we will have less work to do later, but also has given me an idea of what the class will be like.   

Risley Hall Residence

Afterwards our ILC Freedom and Justice group decided to take a walk around campus.  This is easily the largest campus we have visited, and discovering what it contains was really an adventure.  Part of the campus consists of a large garden where we explored (and got lost, but luckily we had a sufficient amount of time until dinner).  Tomorrow I hope to see another part of the campus, mostly where the classrooms are located, to get a better feel for the school.  The campus contains a mixture of both older-looking buildings as well as newer ones as well; the Ivies we have visited on this trip have had mostly older buildings on campus with the exception on UPenn. 

Before the night was over we had our first floor meeting to go over basic rules and procedures as well as introduce ourselves to our floormates.  Asher, our Room Advisor, is an undergraduate student at Cornell who is also taking a course over the summer.  I really hope to meet new people through my floor make a smooth transition into dorm life, though it may be hard at first as I am living in a single room with my friends up the hill in Donlon. 

Scenery from the Cornell Campus

So far I am still curious for what the future has in store for us.  I met two great new people today, one of whom is taking the Freedom and Justice course with us, and I hope to meet more.  The transition into the dorm rooms has been interesting so far, especially from making the change from our life of luxury in the hotels visiting the cities.  Right now I am so curious to see what the course is like and am anxious to begin.  I already miss Mr. Chan-Law as we have been acclimated to being around him when not in the hotels, but part of the college experience is to be on your own.  Tomorrow we will have a “college crash-course” in the afternoon and more socializing and activities before we begin classes on Monday. 

Finally, I actually didn't make up the title, I saw it on a grocery bag and thought it was clever...

A Shaky Start

A shaky start to this Cornell Summer College experience is a drastic understatement. Everything that could have went wrong did. 

We started the day by checking out of the beautiful Statler Hotel and into the dorms. Now here is when everything goes downhill. Upon arriving at Mary Donlon Hall, I was told that the list on a piece of paper said that I was in Balch Hall. However, the email I received about one week ago said that I was assigned to Mary Donlon Hall. After the confusion, I was referred to a staff member who then found out that my name was actually in the roster at Mary Donlon Hall on the computer. So I was now officially checked into Mary Donlon Hall. Now you may think that it ended like that, but I was far from over. It turned out that my class schedule was not in Mary Donlon Hall, but in Balch Hall. I was then referred to another staff member who took me to Balch Hall. Unfortunately, my name was not on the roster on the computer for Balch Hall and so I ended up not even having a room for the first four hours of the day. The staff member helping me, Jesus, ended up having to actually find me a room. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I found out that Cornell Summer College didn't even make me an ID Card. This basically limits my whole access to anything on the campus. I did get a temporary card but it is close to useless: I can't get into my hall because you need an actual ID card to swipe open the doors! After about four hours since the start of this ordeal, I finally got a room. Furthermore, to make things seem even more like I don't exist, I am not officially a part of either Donlon or Balch Hall, I am simply just here. 

Well, enough about all the things that went wrong (which was actually a lot), let's go on to the other events of the day. During lunch, we ate at the Robert Purcell Food Court, which I do have to say has some pretty delicious food. After lunch, we headed to Bailey Hall for our orientation. We heard from the head of the program, two Summer College staff members, and the Dean. After the orientation, Alex, Eric, Mrs. Kronenberg, Mr. Chan-Law, and I went off to meet with the Freedom and Justice class for a class orientation. I did have the honor of Mr. Kramnick (our professor) giving me the duty of holding up the "Freedom" sign. Once the orientation was over, Alex, Eric, and I went to the Cornell Bookstore to purchase the Course Syllabus for our class. However, on our way back we got lost in the Cornell Plantations. What would've been a 15 minute walk became an hour journey. Luckily, we did stumble open some beautiful scenery.

Overall this day has been extremely stressful and frustrating. Considering that Don, Mr. Ramsey and Mrs. Kronenberg are always stressing the importance of first impressions, I have to say that I am not very impressed (although my roommate and I do have a personal bathroom in our room).

Here's to hoping that things will get better as the week progresses. 

Ithaca: We Have Arrived

We had a treat this morning when we got to sleep in until 8:30. After a quick shower Frank and I luckily did a room sweep, because I would have forgotten my toiletries bag. We then met in the Inn at Penn's lobby for the final time to check out. Our driver to the airport was late, and when Mr. Chan-Law called him he was "a block away" but we still had to wait another few minutes. The trip to the airport was fast and easy, and there was only a minor hiccup during security when Alex and Eric got stuck behind two people who both needed to get all their bags checked. When everyone finally got through security we got an a bus which took us Terminal F. Terminal F was a tiny terminal used for the local flights. Once we got settled we grabbed a quick brunch from Au Bon Pain. I had a chicken, bean, and cheese burrito and chocolate milk, it was a strange combination. Our flight was inexplicably delayed for half an hour, so we waited in the terminal for longer than expected.

Boarding the plane was interesting as it was the first time I had ever walked out to the plane and up a stairway. It was tiny, with only 4 seats per row, and maybe 12 rows. The flight was extremely short, but we had a couple scary moments when turbulence violently shook the plane.

The airport in Ithaca was tiny, and a very different experience from the airports I am used to. While Mr. Chan-Law was getting the rental car we did our good deed of the day and pointed out a bag which had been sent to the wrong airport to the airport management. Getting to Cornell took two trips because of all of our luggage. Luckily it was a short and pleasant ride.

We got an extremely special surprise at the Statler Hotel when we learned that we each got an individual room with a king size bed. When I got to my room on the 8th floor I was blown away. Everything reeked of luxury, from the huge, soft bed to the fancy backboard to the beautiful view seen through an enormous window. Calvin, Eric, and I (we were all on the same floor) soon met up in Calvin's room to hang out and play World Golf Tour. Then the group went to the local convenience store to get snacks and laundry detergent. Then we had more time to relax before dinner, which I spent showering, ironing, and socializing. We then met in the lobby to go to dinner.

Our dinner event took place in the Heights Cafe. I was surprised to see a group of 5 people waiting for us. Although not nearly as upscale as our previous dinners, the meal was very good, and the portions were too large for me to finish. Mr. Chan-Law ordered a selection of appetizers for the whole table to share, which I thought was a very good idea. I had a steak, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and onion rings dish, followed by a chocolate sunday topped with salted caramel in a waffle cup. At the dinner I sat between Julie and Katie (not sure how its spelled), two current Cornell students who very helpful and informative for answering my questions.  I learned a lot about Cornell's history, its split colleges, and what campus life is like. I thought the dinner was a good introduction to our time at Cornell.

After dinner we met again at Calvin's room, this time with the whole cohort, for our first blogging party. It was a little too fun. What normally would have taken me an hour took two, but the laughs were worth it. Tomorrow our college going experience truly begins, as we check in to our dorms, meet our roommates, and   attend the summer program's orientation.

My camera is still broken, so no photos until I can figure out a solution.

Relaxing With My Buddies

Today, we checked out of the Inn at Penn at waited for our ride to the airport. However, the driver was running late so we had to wait a little while. When we arrived at the airport and finished going through security, we took a shuttle bus onto the tarmac to go to a separate building for the regional jets. Like the car, our plane was also delayed for about 30 minutes. The plane itself was very different; it was propeller-driven and the cabin only had two seats per aisle. During the flight, I noticed that the plane was not that high up on comparison to the other airplanes. Throughout the whole trip, I could see the ground which was actually pretty amazing. We landed in Ithaca Tompkins International Airport which looked more like a lodge than an airport. At the baggage claim we committed an act of valor by notifying a staff member of a baggage that went to the wrong airport. After that, we loaded our luggage into our rented Ford Explorer. We ended up having to take two trips from the airport to the Statler Hotel because of the lack of space for the luggage. 

Our weird-looking plane

The hotel was extraordinary! We ended up living the VIP life when each of us ended up with our own rooms. The rooms were magnificent: they each came with a king-sized bed (and in my case, two beds) and a flat-screen TV. After exploring every corner of the room we all headed out to a local store to by laundry detergent and other necessities. We took a little break and headed out to dinner

My magnificent room (with an extra bed)

Just trying to jazz up my sleeping experience

My amazing view from my room (sorry about the glare)

We drove to the restaurant The Heights to have dinner with four students at Cornell (Julie, Beth, Lauren, and Katie) and the admissions officer for the school of engineering at Cornell (Jill Schaffer). I sat next to Julie and Ms. Schaffer. We talked about everything from the admissions process to the best places to eat in Collegetown. Our conversations were very informative and amusing. Everyone was very laid-back and very sociable.

The Entourage

As for the food, there was an abundance of appetizers. For my main course, I had the sirloin steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The food was very delicious and the service was spot-on. I will miss these fancy dinners and this hotel room. Tomorrow, it's off to Orientation!           

My delicious sirloin steak

From Philly to Ithaca

Waking up at 8:30 AM, it was the longest sleep I've had in our trip, which was very relaxing. Later, I double checked my luggage to make sure I didn't forget anything. When we were down at the lobby, we waited for the SUV that would pick us. Similarly, at the airport, our flight was the same. It was delayed for half an hour. Luckily though, everything else went smoothly at Cornell.

We arrived there at around 2:30 PM. It was the best plane ride because I was actually able to sleep the entire time. Ithaca's airport was every eventful. Picking up our luggage, my cohorts and I noticed an unclaimed baggage. Feeling like good citizens, we brought it back to the airport employees. When Mr. Chan-Law booked our SUV, and we set off outside. I was pleasantly surprised that the weather was not that bad. The sun was out but it was not humid. We arrived into the Statler Hotel, and Mr. Chan-Law came to us and told us that we all had our own rooms. It was very pleasing, and the rooms were wonderful. 

My Room

View of Cornell outside my Window

Needing some supplies, my cohorts and I walked to a convenience store. We came out of our fancy hotel and tried to find college town. As we walked, we admired the campus. The grand architectures were very similar  to that of the other Ivy League buildings. They were tall, magnificent, and pleasing to the eye.

After we got everything we needed, everyone washed up for our dinner at The Heights. The restaurant was quite small, and we drove past it before finally locating it. We entered and went to our own room. In the room, we were greeted by the Cornell Alumni. I sat next to a very nice lady called Beth. I also talked to Jill, the admissions officer, and Julie, a rising senior at Cornell. The conversations were about their experiences of Cornell. The food was great, as usual, because we picked a fancy place.

Food at The Heights

My first impression of Cornell was that it was amazing, and had a better campus than all the other campuses we visited.. The campus was enormous, as well as pretty to look at. Also, just like the Cornell alumni said, the students there all connect with each other, and down to earth. This was another reason why Cornell was one of the best colleges that I've seen.

Group Picture of All of Us

A Very Relaxing Day Before Our College Experience Begins

Woah, I can't believe all our college tours are over and right now I'm typing this blog in Ithaca! Today was a pretty relaxing day in comparison to the first few days of our trip. We took "secret agent SUV" to the airport, where we went through security and arrived at our gate well ahead of time only to find out that our plane was delayed. We took this time to eat and hang out for a little while before we all started rereading our books until we got on our flight.

We had a small plane with propellers, and I was told of all kinds of scary stories about these planes. I didn't really believe the stories because if the planes weren't safe, US Airways wouldn't have bought them but, the stories were still in the back of my mind. To be honest, I liked the smaller planes better than the larger ones. Yes, the smaller ones are louder, but it's a lot easier for me to concentrate when I'm on small plane as opposed to a larger plane.

When we arrived in Ithaca, we drove through campus to the Statler Hotel. The campus here is amazing. I love how the campus is huge, and there are is so lush and gorges. The buildings look amazing and the campus is like a series of hiking trails that go on and on.

The hotel is really magnificent. We all have our own rooms and I think the rooms here are nicer than the rooms at the Inn at Penn because the beds are much softer and more comfortable than the beds at the Inn at Penn, which were pretty comfortable.  We took advantage of have a couple of hours to go out and buy some supplies at Collegetown which is the home of Collegetown Bagels that I really want to go to. After we came back to the hotel and had a chance to relax a little bit, we went out to dinner with an admissions officer and four current students at The Heights.  

The room, part 1

The room, part 2

The view from my room

I sat near two current students, Lauren and Katie. They talked about campus life and about Cornell in general. I found that what they said was informative and it made me look forward to tomorrow even more! 

Cornell and Cool Weather

Today, we woke up this morning only to head to the airport destined for Ithaca.  We cherished our last moments at the luxurious Inn at Penn.  We headed out the doors of the lobby and were pleasantly greeted by a decreased level of humidity outside.  Isaac picked us up in the Suburban (in the same black “secret agent” SUV as the start of our trip) headed to the Philadelphia airport.  We said a warm goodbye to Philly, who has treated us so nicely over the week, and soon boarded a small black plane headed for Ithaca. 

The Expanded Cornell Cohort!

The best surprise of the day so far: we walked out the airplane to be welcomed by 70 degrees weather with a breeze, my most preferable type of weather.  We were soon deceived by the layout of Ithaca, which we all perceived to be in the middle of nowhere, but we were soon to be proved wrong as the green surroundings decorated the town, with houses, a mall, and numerous cars.  The Cornell campus emerged amongst a group of trees as the luscious green, spacious campus came into sight and the Statler Hotel towered over many of the surrounding school buildings. 

We set down our luggage and took our first walk around campus, headed toward the Wilson Farms Market.  After getting a quick bite to eat, we settled back to the hotel to relax and absorb the beautiful scenery.  We soon departed for The Heights for dinner with Jill, an administrative officer at the Summer College, as well as four current students at Cornell. 

The Heights' Sirloin Steak

Similar to the Penn dinner, visiting the campus beforehand proved to spark better conversation with the Cornellians.  I sat near two current students, Katie and Lauren, who gave great insights to life at Cornell and the all the opportunities that the school held.  I was amazed by all of the available classes and activities Cornell has to offer across its enormous campus, including a wine tasting class (for seniors only) and a massage course.  Generally speaking, I have also been very impressed about how generous the Ivy Leagues are with financial aid as well, awarding only need-based scholarships (as opposed to merit-based). This topics of the dinner was similar to the dinner at Prospect back in May, as the Cornell students presented a particular interest in the specific classes we were taking along with what opportunities the ILC has available for their students.  This dinner was a great introduction to familiarize us particularly to life at school as they gave us tips for navigating ourselves around campus. 

Blogging Party!

The dinner made me extremely interested to begin my journey at Cornell.  Tomorrow we will meet up for orientation and hopefully get to meet more Summer College attendees.  I feel ready to start this next chapter in the ILC experience and cannot wait for what the future has in store for us!