Rain Again. Where Did the Sun Go?

How sunny became cloudy...

Another rainy day in Ithaca, New York. Before I move onto discussing how my day has been, can we take a moment to discuss the bipolarity of Ithaca's weather? As many would expect, I too came to Ithaca expecting plenty of sun shine, humidity, and some rain here and there. Little did I know the climate would turn out like this. Today, there was thunder and soon the loud thunder was followed by heavy rain. By the end of class, (which ends around 3 pm) it was pouring. I really don't know what to expect in terms of weather here in Ithaca. To make things even worse, it's hot while it rains too and in my opinion, that's not a great combo. As long as I'm in Ithaca, I'll always have a spot for my umbrella in my backpack.

Class was great today! We still covered Christian political thought today in the viewpoints of the famous St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. Once again, these two philosophers are so different yet so similar. St. Augustine writes from a pessimistic perspective while Aquinas turns to the more positive side of the argument but in totality, they both convey a similar message: the need for a strong government to control a person's actions. I'm finding this class exciting for two reasons. First, the contradictions between the texts and authors that we read are so tremendous that it makes us further reason why the same topic can have so many unique views. Each author delivers similar ideas yet their process and method of delivery is so unique. Secondly, this class is open to any kind of interpretation. As long as you have a valid justification, anything is plausible in terms of philosophy. In fact, there is almost no wrong answer as long as you have reasonable reasons and justifications for backing it up -- which can be the trickiest part of all. 

One of the most unique libraries ever seen.

Another view with traditional furniture and decorations.

After class and discussion wrapped up, I urged Carla to come to Cornell's iconic library with beautiful bookcases and ladders. After admiring the library's beauty, I began working on an essay which is due on Friday. This is basically the revised draft of the freedom essay that I mentioned in my blog from Monday. The library was so quiet that the noise of the keyboard sounded much more intense than it probably should've been. After typing for forty-five minutes or so, I headed to my TA's office hours which were held in another library nearby. After the half an hour discussion with TA Vijay regarding St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, I felt much more confident about these two philosophers.

When I first began typing the essay.

After eating a rather normal dinner, (salad and pizza) I decided to study in the lounge at Carla's dorm since it had air conditioning. However, I soon realized that air conditioning was not the only thing that was a staple while studying. Quietness is also needed. Because Mary Donlon Hall (where Carla stays) houses more than 40 people on a floor, people were constantly barging in and yelling across the hallways. This made it quite hard to concentrate while reading philosophy as dense as Plato's The Republic. Though I've felt my dorm back at Risley Hall sometimes feels too quiet, I definitely enjoy a nice, quiet atmosphere as opposed to a loud, active one.  

Until tomorrow's adventures, take care and will see you soon! Well, technically not "see,"  but that word will do for now.