Firstly I’d like to say a massive congratulations to everyone who received an offer of admission last week! Really, it’s a fantastic achievement and you should be very proud; I remember getting my letter last year and seeing everybody being incredibly excited has brought back all the emotions I left when I found out I had got in. If you happen to be reading this and are unsure of whether to accept, you’re at the right place to find out what life on campus is really like, and I hope our blog helps.
On that topic, it’s amazing what a bit of sun can do to lift the general atmosphere: he weather has brightened up significantly over the past week, and everyone’s mood around campus with it. After the horrors of spring break it has been lovely to be able to walk around without 5 layers of clothing, and my shorts even made their first appearance of the year on Saturday! My friends James and I actually had a really nice afternoon on Saturday. Having rowed in the morning, we grabbed lunch then preceded to our respective dorms to settle down and study for the afternoon. This plan lasted for all of five minutes however, and both of us were itching to get outside and make the most of the beautiful afternoon which had blossomed. We therefore both grabbed our bikes and decided to head down the banks of the Charles and into Boston, heading for Quincy Market, a lovely little square which is always bustling with life. It turned out to be a great decision, as both of us said how glad we were that we got out and made the most of the warmth, and how less stressed we felt as a result. We came back up to campus pretty early, as we were both pretty tired after practice, and I had a two hour shift at Lamont, one of the libraries in the yard where I work. Being tired I decided to, in true student fashion, take a quick nap, and much have been far more exhausted than I thought as I slept through my alarm and the first hour of my shift. Thankfully my supervisor understood, but I was incredibly embarrassed, I must make sure I set multiple alarms next time!
A beautiful afternoon on the Charles
I’ve also had some surprising company of the homeland variety this weekend, coming in the shape of the Oxford Gargoyles. The Gargoyles are a co-ed a capella group from Britain’s famous university, who have come over on tour and performed with our very own Din and Tonics on Saturday night. As such they have been hosted by members of the Dins, and with my disgustingly talented roommate Vibav being a member, we’ve had Jacob sleeping on a mattress on the floor over the past few days: a life of luxury! He’s a really nice guy and is also a phenomenal singer, and it’s been really nice to have someone from home around. The Gargoyles are a fantastic group, I went to the concert on Saturday night and their rendition of Billy Joel’s ‘And So It Goes’ melted my heart, I’m so glad I got to see them perform. The Dins, as always, were on top form, although for my third concert in 6 months, I am getting pretty familiar with their set list (sorry guys). I definitely recommend youtubing both groups and watching some of their videos: Vibav performed the solo in the Din’s cover of Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’, and it still sends shivers whenever I watch it.
The Hustle and Bustle of Quincy Market
This week is a big one on the rowing front. As Cornell do not have a second freshman eight (2F), they only have a combined 3rd Varsity (3V) and 2F boat, we are currently putting our two boats together to form two combination eights to race them. This means that we are seat racing, finding out the fastest combination of the two crews, so we have some pretty intense practices lined up, as we have to taper for Saturday: tapering is where you reduce your training a few days before a race to make sure you’re fresh. This Thursday is also my first assessed Key tour, so I’ve been working hard to make sure that it’s as good as I can make it. The Key social on Friday was a lot of fun, it was great to be able to meet a lot of the members and everyone, both members and fellow compers, were so nice, and the tubs of J.P. Licks ice cream was also greatly appreciated! I’m now even more excited for the comp process, but at the same time more nervous due to the people I’m up against for the much desired places being so fantastic themselves! I found out last Thursday that I wasn’t successful in my application to be a FIP leader, which was really disappointing as I thought I could really contribute to the program, and I’m sad that I won’t be able to get to know next year’s international class as well as I would if I did FIP, but it wasn’t to be. I find out this Thursday if I’m successful in my summer job application, I thought my interview last Tuesday but I know it’s very competitive, so fingers crossed! If I don’t get the job it looks like a trip to Thailand/Cambodia/Vietnam with some of my best friends from home might be on the cards, which would be fantastic, but we shall see what the fates hold!
