Travel

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM | Nightlife in DC

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Cornell has some great off-campus programs to offer, one of them being Cornell in Washington. This program offers students the opportunity to live, study and work in Washington, D.C., which means you get to kill three birds with one stone by earning Cornell credits, getting work experience and touristing. My schedule in DC for this semester involves working full-time Monday to Wednesday and then taking classes on Thursdays and Fridays on the first floor of the dorm. Once all my homework assignments and readings are done, I’m left with a lot of free time on my hands. Unlike Ithaca, where my friends and I always complain about not having enough hangout spots, there is always something going on every day in DC, so you don’t have to scratch your head and dig through the snow to find something fun to do.

Life

OF MARGINAL INTEREST | On the Shot

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Ah, syllabus week. The time to lounge around with friends, partake in that Tuesday karaoke night at Loco, embark on that spontaneous trip to Niagara Falls with your friends—these are the good days. Unless you happen to be in bed with a 102-degree fever, curled up in a nest of blankets/scarves/bathrobes, alternating between passing out and silently cursing the gods while watching Seth Meyers: A Closer Look reruns.The latter, unfortunately, was my sad destiny this past syllabus week as the influenza ravaged my frail, defenseless body. A fate perhaps easily avoided with one little shot, offered for free at various locations on Cornell’s campus. ***
The vaccine market: a unique one within the pharmaceutical industry, revolving around shots administered once or twice a year to patients who are not yet actually ill.

Life

The Elephant in the Room | How to Survive On A Budget While Studying Abroad or Off-Campus

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A lot of students choose the spring semester to study abroad or take advantage of off-campus opportunities such as Cornell in Washington. As an international student, I’ve essentially been “studying abroad” since freshman year but this spring I decided to take a break from the Ithaca cold while also getting work experience and Cornell credits by participating in the Cornell in Washington Program. While an off-campus experience is enriching and is for many the best semester of your four years at Cornell, it can take a toil on the pocket.  Living a week in DC and also sharing tips with my friends that are studying abroad this semester, here are some of the ways I’ve managed to save while making the most of my time away from Ithaca. Cook More

Buying groceries, cooking and eating out once in a while helps to reduce the amount spent on food monthly.

Life

GRACE’S GROVE | Muji: The No-Brand Brand

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Since my first purchase of MUJI pens back in 2013, I’ve personally witnessed an exponential increase in the number of people carrying around the signature MUJI clear-bodied gel pens in class. While many of you probably have also been introduced to this brand’s signature stationery, there is actually a lot more to MUJI than meets the eye. The kanji characters in the MUJI logo, 無印良品, directly translate to “No Brand Quality Goods.” According to their website, the company actually originated when the country of Japan started to receive more influence from foreign, luxury brands back in the 1980s. At the same time, there was an increase in low-quality, cheap products. The founders of MUJI aimed to regain the middle ground between these polar opposite consumer trends by creating a brand that was “just enough.” They sought to create useful and high-quality products—without all the excess decorations.

Travel

GRACE’S GROVE | Boujee Freshmen Take on NYC

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I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving Break! Like 80% of Cornell’s freshman population, I headed over to New York City for a nice and homey friendsgiving. There’s a lot of things to do in the city, like chilling with family, going sightseeing, and doing touristy things. But it just so happens that my friends and I are all super boujee and decided to go to these Instagram-worthy spots. I highly recommend checking out some of these places, if not all of them, on your next trip to the city!

Life

COFFEE THOUGHTS | First Semester Residues

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As we embark upon the homestretch of this semester, I often find myself spacing out over my usual Temple of Zeus iced mocha. Weirdly enough, I hadn’t even noticed how frequent my coffee consumption was until a friend from home pointed it out via cross-country Facetime—every time we talked, I seemed to have a convenient cup of coffee within hand’s reach. I don’t even really like coffee, or at least, not the black americano no-sugar-no-creamer type of coffee. I’m more of a Starbucks kind of girl, content with the idea of drinking coffee while really just enamored by the festive red cup and its sweet-tooth-satisfying sugariness. Prior to coming to Cornell, I actually rarely drank coffee.

Life

TRAVELIN’ WITH JACQUELINE | Say Hello to My Little Friend (Confessions of a Pin Collector)

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I’m not sure when I got my first pin, but the earliest documented proof I could find of me wearing a pin is from May 14, 2000. In the picture, my parents are conducting a mini-photoshoot at home with my older sister and two-year-old self, and you can see a tiny pair of red sunglasses pinned to the top of my pink cardigan:

To this day, I still have and frequently wear that red sunglasses pin, but it’s fair to say that my pin collection has since expanded. While most people probably have a couple of pins lying around—be they from Greek life, student clubs or travels—my pin count is currently 62, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Although I’ve seen a few other pinheads around campus, the majority of Cornellians have yet to appreciate pins for what they are. So, in honor of my hobby, I am dedicating this article to (the merits of) pin collecting!

Life

GRACE’S GROVE | Korean Beauty Products Review — Face Mask Edition

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Welcome back to my list of cool, creative, and borderline exotic beauty products! I’m going to be giving reviews on some popular face masks in this article. For those of you who have not heard of face masks, they are a popular addition to skincare routines and provide intensive treatment for your skin! The masks fall into categories like sheet masks, clay masks, gel masks, and many more.  
Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask ($9.50)

Have you ever seen the picture on Facebook of a girl with a foaming “cloud” face?