Big Red is Far Above...

Yesterday, I went to attend the "Big Red by the Bay" event at the SFO Marriot and despite being nervous about joining such a prestigious group of scholars, everything turned out to be quite comfortable. Contrary to what I initially thought was solely intended for alumni, the event was extremely beneficial for potential applicants such as myself to realize how great a university Cornell is in all disciplines from music to the sciences.

One of the most memorable parts of the event was getting to hear the lecture on "decision making" by the faculty panel, which included professors from different disciplines. I enjoyed how each professor had his own take on the issues and was able to get the audience engaged with the use of examples and visual graphics.

Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, brought up multiple studies that made me laugh such as one involving children unconsciously choosing a bowl of multi-colored M&Ms over a bowl of single-colored M&Ms.

There were also heartfelt moments such as when Joseph J. Fins, professor of medicine, mentioned how people tend to go against their rational when a decision concerns a love one in unprecedented situations. Throughout the entire lecture, it was sort of like a ride of intellectual brainstorming of ideas that evoked so many emotions out of me while listening with great intent.

Another part that made the night special was meeting the student panel consisting of three students who had earlier spoken about their university and stated why Cornell is the best.

In particular, my dad and I went to meet David Korda, who is a native of Ghana and came to Cornell in order to expand his learning experience. We talked about how Cornell was not only a great academic sphere, but also a very sociable one as well that involves lots of my personal interests such as music and sports. We both share an interest in the upcoming FIFA World Cup in South Africa, where he enthusiastically said he was rooting for his home country of Ghana.

I also met a couple who were alumni of Cornell, and one happened to personally know Professor Kramnick as I told her that I was part of the Ivy League Connection and taking a course under his direction. She happened to be a professor at UC Davis for 17 years teaching political science, which happened to be my field of interest. We had a very informational conversation during the break in the event.

When I left the event, I felt invigorated to experience what Cornell had to offer and become a part of this community that does so much more than provide its students a great education.

GO BIG RED!