This is It!

Day 22/ Down to the Wire

While I always enjoy sharing my day with the rest of you, I'm afraid I'm going to have to keep this post a bit brief. You see, our finals are tomorrow and I'd like to get in as much studying and SLEEP, as I can. So, without further ado, I present to you, a simple description of another wonderful day here at the Cornell University Campus:

I could tell from the moment I was able to print out a copy of my final essay this morning, it was going to be a nice day. I went to bed at 3:30 AM last night working on the essay, and spent an additional one hour in the morning just so I could tie up any loose ends left in my final draft. I do like my final draft, it's a good improvement from my last draft. I hope that how I feel towards this paper will transcend to the grade I will get for it. But even if I didn't get a grade I wanted, I wouldn't be too upset, because ultimately, my writing has improved so much. I can't wait to bring back all the practice I've received both from daily blogging and summer college essays and apply to my future writing opportunities.

Today was the last official class day. Kramnick ended our three weeks worth of lectures with the topic of equality in terms of race. The two thinkers we focused on were Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. While both of these men were active in the Civil Rights Movement, they both had different solutions to what they consider is the problem. MLK for instance, believes that the American promise of "equality for all" has been aside for too long now and that we all must integrate the races. Malcolm X on the other hand is not an integrationist. He believes that the the blacks had never and will never be included in the American promise because it only applies to people of the white complexion. Therefore, he believes in separatism - that a community of blacks must be developed by the blacks so it could stand independently next to a white community. MLK is both a Christian and a follower of Ghandi; he believes in civil disobedience and peaceful protest. Malcom X disagrees and believes that one should use violence when one should have violence infringed upon them.

I enjoyed this lecture, because it ties into a lot of what I learned this previous year in my English class with Ms. Luerson. Our class spent a lot of time in both the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement. All the work we did served to be great background information, as I matched what I've already learned to what Krammick was feeding us. And in addition, of all types of inequalities, I find racial inequality the most fascinating.

In terms of lunch, an interesting moment of chance occurred that turned out for the good. You see, I left my ID card in the dorm and without it, I wouldn't be able to get a free meal ticket to Trillium during lunch. Knowing this, I decided that I would go to the Cornell store after Class discussion instead to look around. Except, I found myself walking in the wrong direction. Just as I was about to turn around, I noticed a sign pointing to a cafe just less than minute from where I was standing. And so, I quickly found myself having lunch in the Synapsis Cafe. I ordered a chicken salad sandwich and it was by far, the best meal I've had at Cornell. I'm not saying this as a negative against the dining at Cornell, but after so much intake of fries and eggs and cereal, it was a good break to have something different to eat. (There is high probability that I'm returning there tomorrow.)

And speaking of returning to places, I have fallen in love with a certain place in Cornell. So much so, in fact, that it adds to my sympathy when I think of how quickly I will be leaving this campus soon. This beautifully location that I adore is the Uris Library right next to the McGraw Tower. I never noticed it because the words above its doors were pretty faded and the library itself was slightly well-hidden. Andrew Gonzales' roommate showed both Alex and I around what seemed like a normal library. but it wasn't until we went to a special studying room that my jaws just dropped in awe.

I can't describe the unique architecture in which this room looked like. Many students distinguish it as the Harry Potter Library and I can see why. In addition to the magical feel one gets from it, there's also such an antiquish vibe to the various nooks and crannies around every corner. Instead of walls dividing individual study desks, there were shelves of books. This room had three floors of balconies and bridges. There were large windows so that the room pretty much came alive with sunlight. By just standing there, I could feel my old childhood love of libraries coming back again. If there was a library like this back home, I'm not sure I'd even go home anymore until late in the evening.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me. Therefore, I'm going back tomorrow so I can take some nice pictures and show you the magnificent world of the wonderful Cornell Uris Library.

I must be off to my studies now. I feel confident like I did before pre-lim, but this is definitely a lot harder. And once the finals are over with, I must transfer my energy to the talent show tomorrow evening. Wish me luck!