S. Gottfried
Robert S. Harrison College Scholar, Philosophy & English
Palo Alto, Calif.
Why did you choose Cornell?
I early decision'ed to Cornell for two reasons: 1) I wanted to have an undergraduate education that spanned widely (from humanities to art to science). Cornell's "every person every study" resonated with me. 2) The environment appealed to me. Nature and the sublime are very important to me — so I wanted to go to a university that had trees on its campus. Getting to pass by waterfalls on my way to class has, unironically, been very important for my education.
What was your favorite class and why?
It's a toss-up between two classes. 1) Prof. Kosch's Topics in 20th Century Philosophy: Simone De Beauvoir because it was one of the most rigorous philosophy classes I've taken. It gave me a new perspective on love, violence and interpersonal relationships. It's rare that a philosophy class leads to one making actual changes in their life. This one did for me. 2) Cynthia Robinson's Methods in Medieval: Writing Through the Forest in Search of the Trees. That class taught me how to edit both my academic and creative writing with an exactitude I had not yet achieved.
What is your main extracurricular activity and why is it important to you?
1) Logos: Undergraduate Philosophy Club & Journal and 2) Historical European Martial Arts. As for 1), I just enjoy being part of a community that is united by a shared pursuit for Truth. Logos is filled with people who I vehemently disagree with and am also supremely glad they exist. As for 2), I believe it’s important for someone who pursues excellence of mind to also try to pursue excellence of body. I have chronic pain and joint disorders, so sometimes that is difficult for me (and I’m well aware of the ableism that people who hold this position oftentimes have). But, for me, it’s been important to practice physical control in new and interesting ways, and learning historical martial arts is an outlet for that. It scratches both the experimental archaeology part of my brain that wonders “how did people live and die in other times?” and also the part of my brain that enjoys physical competition, i.e. swinging a big sword at other people (in a friendly manner, of course).
What Cornell memory do you treasure the most?
This is an almost impossible question to answer. Running through the rain to chase after the dragon in Dragon Day 2023, submitting a midterm for my squishmallow (thanks to Prof. Anette Schwartz for putting up with my shenanigans), cooking for an authentic medieval feast, boxing with my best friend at night by the light of Human Ecology’s polymorph sculpture, going through Sapsucker Woods with my birding class, doing Greek calligraphy during a reading of the Iliad and/or playing baseball with my friends during my sophomore Slope Day, are all contenders (and that’s just off the top of my head).
How have your beliefs or perspectives changed since you first arrived at Cornell?
I’ve gone from being a staunch individualist to being someone who thinks intersubjectivity is the most important part of the human condition. I also have learned I really like birds (more than I thought).
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