Se17or Sign-Offs

Since we're nearly done with undergraduate careers at Cornell, we thought it would be fun to showcase some of our fellow peers that we might not otherwise here about on campus. Here's to those daring enough to help us start out!

Andrew Xu

Andrew Xu is our first Se17or Sign Off!

Hometown: New York, NY

Major: Biological Sciences

Andrew took his picture at Teagle Hall because: "I practically live in Teagle; I'm there at least fifteen hours a week. It's my home on campus!"

Favorite Club/Team: You might think that we're just a bunch of gym rats with nothing better to do with our lives, and you'd be damn right. But Cornell Barbell Club is one of the best things I've become a part of on campus; they're my family here. I've never met a more supportive group of friends who are always ready and willing to get behind one another and support others through thick and thin. They're some of my closest friends and I've gained invaluable experience with them. I'm just thankful I was lucky enough to meet them, and to be part of something fantastic.

Favorite Class At Cornell: Paleobiology, BIOEE 4790 with Dr. Warren Allmon. He grows on you pretty quickly, and then he runs you over every lecture with about a hundred slides. And then he makes jokes about how hopeless your future is, but in a loving way. He expects the impossible from you, which is why he's the best professor I've ever had.

Sagar Chapagain

Today is the second day of Se17or Signoff!

Today's victim (kidding) is Sagar Chapagain!

Hometown: Glen Burnie, MD

Major:

Interdisciplinary Studies with Concentration in Biological Sciences and Health Policy

He took his picture at the clocktower because: "it is such an internal part of the Cornell experience."

Sagar's favorite class is PAM 2350 with Professor Sean Nicholson was one of the best classes I have taken at Cornell. This class literally changed my life by introducing me the world of health policy. It is because of this class that I started writing and speaking about U.S. health policy. My articles on U.S. health policy have been featured in the Cornell Daily Sun, Ithaca Journal, and the USA Today.

I was incredibly thankful and humbled when I received the "Class of 2017" award by the Class Council last year for my contributions to the Class of 2017 and Cornell community.

Cornell has been a phenomenal experience for me, and it is incredibly difficult to name one particular experience as my greatest achievement here. Being a first-generation student has always been a big part of my identity, and I am incredibly proud of the work we have done together in the last year and a half to make Cornell a more inclusive place for low-income first-generation college students and bridge the gap between the administration and students. This would not have been possible without the coordination between CALS First in Class, Office of the Academic Diversity Initiatives, and Cornell First in Class. Working together, we constantly strive to provide a welcoming and nourishing environment to first-generation students so that they do not feel alienated in the campus community.

I represented Cornell First in Class in the 2016 Inter Ivy League First Generation College Student Conference, popularly known as 1vyG. Brining the enthusiasm and knowledge gained from the conference to Cornell, we were able to organize the first ever CALS first-generation student orientation panel. Furthermore, I have also been working as a community manager of CALS First in Class chatter page, an online platform for first-generation CALS students where they can ask any question without the fear of prejudice. Now, as a senior, I am working together with many organizations on campus including the aforementioned to train the next generation of first-gen student leaders.

All in all, I am thankful that Cornell has provided me many opportunities to flourish not just as a student but also as a leader, health policy writer, and advocate for social justice through the Intergroup Dialogue Project.

Margaret Daly

Here's to our third Se17or Sign-Off going into the weekend!

Name: Margaret Amanda Daly

Hometown: Sinking Spring, PA

Major: Science of Earth Systems concentrating in Ocean Sciences

Minor: Environmental Engineering

Where did you take your photo? On the roof of Snee, my department building.

Why did you choose to take the picture there? Over the last four years, I've spent a whole lot of my lovely days in here and Mann. I'm not a sappy person, but Cornell and the people in this building, especially my advisor Bruce Monger, have given me opportunities that I didn't know were possible coming from a small town. I couldn't ask for a better advisor- he's one cool cat.

Life-changing class and why? WINES WINES WINES- In all seriousness, understanding and tasting wines has added a new dimension to my life. On a less relatable note, CEE 3310 fluid mechanics with Cowen was challenging yet fun, and heavily influenced my future direction.

Which of your achievements are you most proud of? On homecoming, my best friend Postal and I snagged a 5 gallon bag of popcorn for free at the game and that was a champion moment. But a close second is that I was accepted to Stanford for an MS/PhD for Environmental Fluid Mechanics in Civil Engineering.

Janay Saunders

It's a Monday and you all know what that means! No? Oh, right – it's another week of Se17or Signoffs! We're kicking off the week with an old-fashioned Class Council homer, Janay Saunders!

Hometown: Mansfield, Ohio

Major(s): Human Development

Honestly, there is not one place on campus that I spend the most time in, or that means the most to me. Every aspect of being at Cornell and on this campus is amazing and I truly cherish all the moments I have had on campus. I chose Ho Plaza, because I felt like it embodied the Cornell experience. When you're rushing to class, it's easy to ignore the common places on campus that you're always passing by. But sometimes when you're on Ho Plaza, and you're walking with everyone to class, you just automatically feel so lucky and proud to be at Cornell.

Janay's advice to freshman is to "Relax. Whatever you are stressed about right now, always has a way of working itself out later....take it easy and enjoy everything!"

Janay's life-changing class was "Making a Difference by Design" because as a Pre-med student, it made me look at medicine in a new way. Seeing and understanding how medicine and design intersects, really sparked my interest in Hospital Design and I hope to in the future get involved in that aspect of Healthcare as well.

Tiana Le

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is Sign-Off Number Five!

One, two, three, four, five – everybody in the car so come on let's drive!

So, let's go on to sign-off number five!

Name: Tiana Le

Hometown: Smithtown, NY

Major(s): Human Biology, Health, and Society

Photo Location: The Kahin Center

At this place, I met many of my good friends. I learned a lot about myself as well as enriched my studies with my own personal creativity.

Tiana's favorite on-campus dining place: I love to get Peet's Coffee at Cafe Jennie, and sit under the bright sunlight that comes through the skylight window.

Life-changing class: I took a service-learning course called Cornell in Vietnam: Climate Change Awareness in the Mekong Delta. It helped me learn a lot about the Vietnamese American culture I was raised in and how I might find solutions to social justice issues like climate change one day.

Kristina Dunworth

It's been one week since we started our Se17or Sign-Offs Campaign and the response from the 2017 community has been stellar! Our phones have been ringing off the hook, we have a full email inbox and I can't even leave my house because of all the people lining up to be a part of the campaign (Or maybe it's because I'm too lazy to)! Nonetheless, without further adieu, number six!

Name: Kristina Dunworth

Hometown: Pleasanton

Major(s): Biology

Where did you take your photo?:

Physics learning center

Why did you choose to take the picture there?:

Because I love teaching!

Advice to a freshman: chill out and be yourself. People will love you for who you are.

Favorite late night food: Nutella and a spoon. That's all I need.

Saadat Badruddin

After all the drama surrounding Nope Day (You get it?) we're back to our regularly scheduled programming of Se17or Sign-Offs and BOY do we have a great one today because it's none other than the man, the myth, the legend, Saadat Badruddin​!

Hometown: Syracuse

Major(s): Biology and Society

Where did you take your photo?: Olin Library

Why did you choose to take the picture there?: Because when you spend so much time in the library, it becomes your home away from home. The kind of home that kicks you out at 2am.

Senior Superlative - most distinguishable laugh

Favorite late night food - Sammy's Pizza is my ride or die

Nicole Calautti / Lindsay Dower

Another week, another Se17or Sign-Off and today we've got a double whammy. You're getting NOT ONE but TWO ... mark that TWO people for the price of ONE. Name any other organization giving you two for the price of one? Well here we go:

Names: Nicole Calautti / Lindsay Dower

Hometowns: NC: New Rochelle, New York / LD: East Rockaway, New York

Major(s): NC: Human Biology, Health, and Society / LD: Human Development

Where did you take your photo?: Human Ecology Building

Why did you choose to take the picture there?: Of course, our friendship developed largely because of hours spent together talking about the normal things that freshmen in college are super excited about like parties, meeting new people, and adjusting to life away from home. However, something really special about us is that we became best friends also because of all the time that we spent talking about our classes and how we wanted to translate what we learned in Human Ecology into meaningful careers that focus on helping other people. It’s so rare to find people who you can hysterically laugh with over basically nothing, but then switch gears into having a pretty intense discussion about the human condition---all within five minutes. We both really appreciate this about each other and how our shared experience in the College shaped who we grew into together over the last four years. Looking back on our years at Cornell, we got a great education, but also found our best friend.

Favorite spot in the commons?

Our favorite spot in the Commons is our favorite restaurant in Ithaca, Just a Taste. We love the food, but more than that, the experience of trying new things and sharing together. As seniors, we love going there and trying different wine flights, pretending we know what we are talking about after taking Intro to Wines. It’s sort of metaphoric for us in that the menu changes every night but even after all these years, our friendship doesn’t.

Who would you like to give a shout-out to?

Shout out to Amy and the rest of the staff at Martha’s for always keeping the coffee hot and the taco salads on point. They got us through long days of studying, literature reviews, and lab meetings. Also, to our moms, for always being our biggest fans.

Gabriella Quinn

We took a break from Se17or Sign-Offs due to the unusual (to say the least) snow days, but now we are back and better than ever! So grab your sled and let's dive down the slope into the newest iteration of your favorite series: Se17or Sign-Offs!

Name: Gabriella Queen

Hometown: Chester, NJ

Major(s): HBHS

Where did you take your photo?: Balch

Why did you choose to take the picture there?: Might seem a little weird to pick a building that is known to be quiet and dreary and a building that I truly think is haunted in one way or another but Balch is where I met my best friend that has had my side ever since day 1. Balch was where the fire alarm would go off every 2 days and where we had our first pet that was really just a goldfish cracker that fell on the floor in a filled up water bottle.

Favorite Dining Hall is RPCC! It may have had food that was not as healthy as Appel but the omelette/ pancake/ mongo grill guys were dope.

Most embarrassing moment was basically all of my freshman year .. and sophomore... a little bit (or all of junior year)....

Annie Osborne

Lá maith to all my St. Paddy's Day celebrators out there! I'm sure you're all having a great time and (safely) having a few (or more) pints (or not drinking at all), but we've got another Se17or Sign-Off!

Name: Sketchbook...

Just Kidding (Keep scrolling)

Name: Annie Osborne

Hometown: Austin, TX

Major(s): American Studies, English

Where did you take your photo?: In the snow in my front yard with my sketchbook!

Why did you choose to take the picture there?: I take notes, draw strangers, and constantly doodle in my sketchbook. It accompanies me everywhere I go, and everything I've absorbed from Cornell is somehow represented within the pages of my sketchbooks.

It's okay not to know what you want to do with your life as a freshman! I entered Cornell as a pre-med with a clear idea of what I thought my life would be like...fast forward three years and I'm about to graduate as a humanities double major with a future in business. Do what you're passionate about, don't worry what others think, and everything will work out the way it's supposed to.

In high school, my senior superlative was "Most Likely to Color Code her Dissertation." I think that's still true.

You?

Let us know if you want to be next by sending us a message to our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cornellclasscouncil2017/