Slope Magazine Fall 2022

CONTRIBUTORS

Editor-in-Chiefs

Amanda Kaplowitz

Samantha

Krevolin Creative Director

Laken Pomerantz Presidents

Kaylee Zhong

Sydney Albert

Design Team

Ilyssa Cohn

Julia Mangeym

Photographer Dana Birke Writers & Editors

Amanda Kaplowitz*

Dylan Turkewitz

Emma Levinbook

Emily Wolfman*

Hallie Finkelstein

Julia Mangeym*

Lexi Zammiello

Morgan Marcus

Samantha Krevolin*

Zoe Basulta

(* for editors)

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Samantha Krevolin and Amanda Kaplowitz

Amanda Kaplowitz and Samantha Krevolin

Our second and final semester being Editors-inChief has now officially come to an end and it’s certainly been a rewarding, fun, and incredible experience. We’ve both been members of Slope since our freshman year, so it’s crazy to think that this chapter is coming to a close. Slope has been a huge part of both of our times at Cornell, and we will both miss it immensely. With that being said, we are so excited for this version of the print magazine, and to see what’s in store for Slope in the future.

As we step down from Slope, we hope to take many of the important skills we’ve learned with us as we embark into the “real world” in our lives postgrad. We are grateful for everything Slope has taught us. We’ve become better writers, met so many people, and improved our leadership skills. And we can’t forget the incredible mentorship and advice we have received from our past Editors-in-Chief– shout-out Mary, Aliza, and Katie.

The amazing people who make up Slope are what make it much more than a club, but a true community. We could not have produced this beautiful print magazine without the help of our writers, editors, photo department, design team, and this semester’s e-board.

Thank you for all of your support this semester! This edition of the Slope magazine encompasses the personalities of our writers, which is what makes Slope so unique. What makes it even more special to us is that it’s our first ever print version of the magazine as Editorsin-Chief. While we did have a magazine last semester, it was only ever published online since we were both overseas studying abroad.

That is also why this semester holds a lot of firsts for us in this leadership role– we’re inperson now. Although we were Editors-in-Chief last semester, it’s been very different running meetings in the same time zone as our team, and being able to run into writers on campus and meet them in person. We’re so happy to be back to pretty much normalcy, and finally publish a magazine with no articles about COVID!

We can’t wait for the future of Slope and to see how the magazine evolves. We know that the next e-board will make it even better. We will be watching proudly from the sidelines–and reading all of the wonderful new articles.

Growing Up With Taylor Swift

Whether you worship her and consider yourself a “Swiftie,” you’re indifferent and have really only heard the occasional “Shake It Off” or “You Belong With Me” on the radio, or you’re a hater, there is no doubt that Taylor Swift is a household name for Gen-Zers. She’s broken countless records, won dozens of awards, and released ten original studio albums and two re-recordings of previous albums. Her influence is undeniable, and her influence on me, specifically, has been very substantial.

The release of her latest album, Midnights, has made me reflect back on how far we’ve come – we being me and Taylor. Not to be one of those freaky superfans who claim that Taylor Swift and I are “friends” or have a “special bond,” but I do believe that Taylor has had a huge impact on my life. I’ve been a fan of hers for as long as I can remember, and my love of her music has only grown as I’ve gotten older.

Amanda Kaplowitz

NYT: Mark Blinch/Reuters

I vividly remember singing her songs and watching her music videos when I was in elementary school. In fact, at my fifth-grade chorus concert, we all sang “Love Story.” When I was ten years old in 2011, I went to her “Speak Now” concert, which really cemented my obsession with her. I even recently realized that I’ve been following her on Instagram since 2012, which was when I first created my account– ten whole years.

Now, I’m not just trying to prove how loyal of a fan I am or secure my status as a “Swiftie,” but rather, I just think it’s kind of crazy how Taylor Swift’s music has gotten me through many stages of my life. Just as she has gone through different eras, has evolved, and grown up, I have too. I’ve been listening to her music for 11+ years, so I’ve inevitably gone through big life changes in that time. And, I’m so excited to see all of her different eras come together in her upcoming Eras tour.

I’ve now come to associate certain songs and albums with different time periods of my life. For example, any song from Folklore brings me back to quarantine, and Fearless (Taylor’s Version) transports me to my sophomore spring semester. And, I’ve been exclusively listening to Midnights since it came out, so I’m certain it will remind me of my senior year.

Her lyrics and songwriting style resonate with me so much. It’s like she can perfectly articulate what’s in my brain and sing about thoughts I didn’t even know I had. I personally think her songs are so relatable, especially those from her newer albums when she’s singing about her inner thoughts and feelings. You can truly find a song for every mood in her discography. So now, as I enter my last semester of college and prepare to go out into the “real world,” I think back to being a little kid belting “Our Song,” and how Taylor’s music has been with me through it all (and will probably continue to be). I love who she is as a person and think she’s a great role model, but I also appreciate her catchy songs, artful lyrics, and vivid storytelling. So, Taylor Swift– thank you.

Jeffrey Dahmer Movie

Dylan Turkewitz

Let me start off by saying that this is not the comfort show to binge-watch before bedtime, or even with dimmed lights. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story tells the disturbing life story of Jeffrey Dahmer, one of America’s most infamous serial killers, without holding back.

The series launched on September 21, 2022 on Netflix. By the first week of its launch, the series became the platform’s ninth most watched TV series in the English language; by the second week, it reached number two on that same list. The striking title hooked me into watching the series the second it aired.

The show–a part of the crime, social issues, and TV drama genres–chronicles the dark and heinous life lived by Jeffrey Dahmer within ten episodes. The notorious cannibal murdered 17 males between 1978 and 1991, and feasted on their body parts afterwards. The show does a great job of including the disturbing parts in order to maintain accuracy.

Dahmer is played by Evan Peters, who did a remarkable job adapting to Dahmer’s unique voice, appearance, and body language. In order to prepare for this challenging role, Peters first watched NBC’s 1994 interview, conducted by Stone Phillips, where Dahmer recounts his murders and his childhood. Peters strove to authentically play the part of Dahmer in order to serve justice to the victims and their families. He did not want to leave out the gruesome parts in fear of glorifying or palliating the damage Dahmer caused in his lifetime. To mentally train himself to play America’s greatest “monster,” Peters also claims to have forced himself to spend long periods of time in dark places.

Reflecting the notoriety, in 2013, Katy Perry released her song entitled “Dark Horse” which features rapper Juicy J and includes an insensitive reference to Dahmer. Juicy J raps, “She eats your heart out like Jeffrey Dahmer.” The series has sparked the insurgence of angry fans on Twitter, demanding that she both apologize and remove the insensitive lyric from the song, rightfully so.

The series starts in media res: Jeffrey Dahmer washes his hands in his sink in order to remove the red substance off of his hands, implying to the audience that the substance is the blood of his most recent victim. Whirring noises play in the background, which makes a neighbor suspectful. The presence of blood is disturbing and frightening, which is why this opening effectively reels in the audience; they will wonder where the blood has come from, and therefore will continue watching the episode. This hook is successful because it hints at the horror of the plot, while simultaneously leaving the audience in suspense.

The episode proceeds with Dahmer going to a gay bar, his typical location for finding his victims, in which he finds his last victim, Tracy Edwards. The first episode conveys to the audience the classic route Dahmer would take to carry out his murders. This beginning is effective, as it serves as an intriguing glimpse into Dahmer’s murder patterns.

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story attempts to adhere to the contextual and sensual details of the killings with as much accuracy as possible. Dahmer’s neighbor routinely complains about the potent odors coming from his apartment, which reeks of a dead animal. In addition, actors who play Dahmer’s victims are of similar appearance to Dahmer’s real victims. Dahmer was known to be attracted to men with muscular body types, which was clearly adhered to in the casting process.

The episodes depict Dahmer’s upbringing, while paying special attention to his parents’ divorce. It is implied that this traumatic event, along with the abandonment that comes with it, impacted the fear of abandonment he had in his adult life. I believe that the series may have overly-humanized him by identifying a cause for his actions, which I do not like about the series; parts of Dahmer’s childhood are presented in order to expose possible reasons for his diverted psyche. I think the series– maybe inadvertently– was problematic for giving Dahmer an excuse: his childhood. I also think that this show gives him a podium and a wave of fame, which is problematic to me.

Watch it, and form your own opinion! Just make sure you are ready to be heartbroken, disturbed, and infuriated.

The Things I Would Tell My Freshman Year Self

Samantha Krevolin

As I’m approaching the second semester of my senior year, I can’t help but reflect on my time at Cornell. I know this sounds cliché, but I honestly cannot believe how fast these years have flown by. I have a brother who’s a senior in high school and is currently applying to college. He’s been asking me questions and for advice to best prepare him for the four years ahead. While helping him through the college process, I think back on what I wish my freshman-year self knew to best guide him. After talking to him, I have thought of several things I would tell my freshmanyear self to prepare her for the wild ride ahead.

reason I was able to take one of my favorite classes at Cornell. The following semester, I recognized the impact this decision had and was willing to make a difficult course pass/fail, so I could still learn the interesting material but not have too much on my plate.

It’s okay if you make a class pass/fail or drop it My high school self would have had a heart attack at the thought of dropping a class or not taking one for a grade if I had the option to. During these past few years, I have learned that at the end of the day, we all go to Cornell for a reason, and it’s perfectly normal to find a class that you don’t like or don’t do well in. For example, sophomore year I wanted to get my science requirements out of the way so I took a chemistry course. That semester, there was a new professor who completely changed the curriculum. Not only was this course now equivalent to an organic chemistry course, but I am also a Communication major, so I had little to no background in this subject. I was distraught that I ultimately needed to drop this class, but doing so was the

You’re not going to meet all of your best friends right away I am very fortunate to have been able to go to college with five of my best friends from high school. I do acknowledge that we are an extremely lucky group and that this is a very unusual circumstance, but having my best friends with me certainly helped with the transition. However, it also hurt at times. I was hesitant to branch out freshman year because I thought, “Why make new friends when I have such great ones already?” This was my biggest mistake. After the first two months, I realized everyone was making new friends and I felt like I was missing out. I tried my best to branch out more, and I met friends who have come and gone, and also people I think will be my friends forever. Some of my best friends I didn’t even meet until junior year, and who knows maybe some of my friends for life I haven’t even met yet.

You don’t need to be best friends with your roommate Everyone and their mother looks like they’re best friends with their freshman-year roommate on

Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, but this is just not true. First things first– social media is fake. There are differing degrees of freshman roommate dynamics. There are those who are actually best friends, those who are friends but have their own different friend groups, and those who just do not get along at all. All of these scenarios are extremely common, so go in expecting the worst and you’ll most likely be satisfied with the outcome.

Even something as simple as trying new food at the dining hall or learning how to appreciate eating lunch alone goes a long way.

Expand your horizons and try new things Change is scary, but the only way to overcome it is to go in head first. Whether it be trying a new food or taking a class revolving around something you have no experience with, any step you take is one step closer to becoming a more independent person. I wish I was more confident freshman year.

Enjoy every second of it because you’ll be a senior before you know it I’m the first to admit that I’m in complete denial of the fact that I’m a senior. When strangers ask me what year I’m in, “freshman” is still on the tip of my tongue. I refuse to acknowledge the fact that my g-word is a few months away. Although this year is full of lasts, and I didn’t get to experience all of my firsts as a freshman due to Covid, I could not be happier with how Cornell has shaped me, and the friends I have made. I wish my freshman-year self knew how lucky she is to be at this amazing place for the next four years.

An Ode to Overachievers at Cornell

Emily Wolfman

I am unafraid to admit that I am not one of the fortunate college students who has mastered the art of perfecting the “school-life” balance. That being said, I never knew how much credit I should have given to employed students–that is, until I accepted an on-campus job of my own. Having a job on campus could mean so many different things. You could work for Cornell dining in one of the many on-campus dining halls or restaurants, you could channel your inner hotelie working at The Statler, you could TA for cash rather than credit, or you could be like me and take on an administrative role for a graduate student research group. One common skill these job requirements share is balance for working students. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such amazing researchers. However, in the rush of excitement of receiving the offer, I definitely underestimated what taking on a part-time job entails, especially in terms of time commitment.

As a junior, I have learned that adding more and more to my plate without considering the implications is par for the course at Cornell.

Students have opportunities to take upwards of 20 credits in a single semester, join a professional fraternity with the most intense recruitment processes I have ever seen, join a club to get involved in an important cause, or join a research team. There seems to be a constant competition of who can take the biggest bite before realizing it was much more than anyone could chew.

I personally have a love-hate relationship with this culture, and I know I am not the only one. On the one hand, it is a great motivator and absolutely pushes students to excel academically and professionally. However, it can also be exhausting, demanding, and make impending burnout almost inevitable. I sometimes wonder if things would be different if I attended another university. Would I have accepted my new job without the influence of Cornell’s competitive culture? My answer: probably not. But I guess that is precisely why I am here– why we are all here at Cornell. We are the students who accept the job, enroll in the extra class, rush the business frat, and always go the extra mile. That in itself is something to be proud of. Keep up the hard work, my fellow overachievers. You’re doing great!

A Survival Guide to First Semester Freshman Year

Emma Levinbook

The first semester of freshman year can be daunting and difficult as one tries to navigate entirely new academic and social environments. This is especially true at a top-tier school like Cornell, where the scholastic rigor combined with the need to set time aside to form new friendships, get involved in extracurriculars, and simply remember to do your laundry each week is often a lot to balance at once. However, as someone who has experienced these challenges firsthand, I can confidently say that the initial struggles of early college life eventually fade away, and with time, one can find a steady rhythm as a Cornell student. Since this semester is nearing its end, I thought that it would be helpful to share some of the things that I have learned. So, I present to you my survival guide for getting through the first semester of freshman year at Cornell.

Tip #1: Keep a healthy work-life balance

Cornell academics are extremely rigorous and demanding, but even so, it is crucial that you take the time to hang out with your friends and be social. Although studying can sometimes feel like the most important thing, especially when you want to make a good first impression and start your Cornell career off strong, cultivating meaningful relationships with those around you is just as important to your success as acing that math quiz. So, take some of the academic pressure off of your shoulders, and go out and have fun.

Tip #2: Ask for help when you need it, and use your resources

It is important to remember that although you may now have a newfound sense of independence,

this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feel comfortable reaching out for help when you need it. Take advantage of office hours to form closer relationships with your professors and to get extra assistance on concepts you are having trouble with. Reach out to your advisors for help with scheduling classes, fulfilling degree requirements, and making decisions about majors and minors. And utilize the many resources that Cornell has to offer, such as tutoring programs, academic support courses, mental health services, and more. It is always okay to ask for help.

Tip #3: Dress appropriately

Ithaca fall temperatures are highly variable, with large swings throughout the day. While deciding what to wear each morning might seem like the least of your worries as a first-semester freshman, what to wear each morning might seem like the least of your worries as a first-semester freshman, in reality, choosing appropriate attire for the day’s unpredictable temperatures is actually quite challenging at first (at least it was for me!). Although fall Ithaca temperatures might start out in the mid-30-degree range, it is likely that by noon, temperatures will reach as high as 60 degrees. This is something that you need to account for because while you don’t want to freeze on your way to class, you also don’t want to end up drenched in sweat walking from class to class later in the day– trust me, it’s not comfortable! Hence, it is essential to take a quick look at the weather forecast before you leave your dorm in the morning, and make sure to layer!

Tip #4: Be prepared for sudden and unexpected precipitation

On the topic of weather, I have also learned –albeit the hard way – to expect a surprise rain shower several times a week. Though the obvious solution is to always carry an umbrella with you to keep yourself dry, I have also found it helpful to store a small trash bag in my backpack in which to store my notebooks, textbooks, and devices to protect them from getting wet. I started doing this only after I realized that my backpack was not, in fact, waterproof and that walking across campus on an extremely rainy day would result in the inside of my backpack filling up with water, consequently ruining all of my books. But, I’ve learned my lesson, and I hope to save other unsuspecting freshmen from a similar fate!

Tip #5: Find your go-to study spot

There are so many different places on campus where students can study, and sometimes choosing between all of these options can be overwhelming. Therefore, I highly recommend using your first week or two of classes at the start of the fall semester to try out a variety of study locations–whether that be a library, a café, or even your dorm – so that you can learn which ones work best with your schedule and which ones will maximize your productivity. With this, you will always have a go-to study spot or two that you know you can rely on.

Tip #6: Get involved in extracurricular activities

As previously emphasized, balance is key. In my opinion, an important part of this balance is to take advantage of the multitude of opportunities that Cornell has to offer outside of the classroom by exploring pre-existing interests or by taking a risk and trying something completely new. In so doing, you will get to know many interesting people who share similar passions and goals with you. Becoming involved in clubs and organizations can also serve as a great way to feel more connected to Cornell.

Tip #7: Take care of yourself

Above all else, one of the most important things to remember during your first semester at Cornell is to protect your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. With so many academic and extracurricular demands on your plate, you will undoubtedly need breaks. Therefore, set aside time for yourself; watch your favorite TV show, work out, write in a journal, or simply rest in bed. Also, try your best to resist the temptation to stay up all night, every night – sleep is important!

While this guide consists of only a small sampling of tips for Cornell first-year students to help them make it through their fall semester and settle into college life with ease, these seven pieces of advice are what I wish I had known at the start of my first semester as an unaware college freshman. However, everyone’s experiences at Cornell are different. Given this, the most important suggestion I have is to prioritize the people and things that bring you comfort, confidence, and happiness and to give yourself room to make mistakes and ultimately learn from them.

The Realities of Living in a Sorority House

Alexis Zammiello

Approximately 30% of students at Cornell are involved in Greek life, and a majority of those students live in their sorority or fraternity houses on campus at one point during their four years. For these students, sophomore year is often the time when they transition from living in a dorm room to living in a house, and, given the new housing rule where sophomores are required to live on campus, more students will be living in their Greek houses. For both freshmen and benefits and struggles of living in a house with 30 to 40 other people. As someone who did not know anyone in my Pledge Class before joining my sorority, the thought of living with this many people was daunting, yet I have since adjusted. Here is some of what I’ve discovered over the last few months:

1. Noise

When living in a house with 30-something other girls, there is bound to be constant noise. Simply speaking: there is no avoiding it. As someone who is generally a light sleeper, let’s just say that I’ve learned to sleep through it. However, aside from when you are trying to sleep or study, the noise can actually be fun. When you are in the house, you never seem to be alone. Each time I walk downstairs, I know I am going to be greeted by a multitude of people, all excited to see me after only a few hours of being away from one another. I know that whenever I am in a social mood, there will always be people in either the kitchen or living room to hang out with. This is drastically different from living in the dorms as a freshman where the hallways are always quiet and empty; I would compare a sorority house to a glorified Donlon – a very social place where you can always hear the slam of the doors and you’re always greeted in the bathroom. However, don’t let this deter you from doing work in the house, there are always quiet places to get your work done; then when you’re ready for your break, head to the kitchen where odds are there is always someone there.

2. Bathrooms

As someone who had the luxury of living in Mews Hall, the bathroom in a sorority house is a completely different ballgame. My freshman year, I had pod-style living where I shared a bathroom with only four other girls. Those of you who lived in Donlon or Dickson may understand what I am currently going through, but as someone who shared a bathroom with only a few girls, this was a huge change. I currently share a bathroom with only three showers and four stalls with 18 other girls. Each time you enter the bathroom, there is always a friendly face as soon as you open the door. I have come to terms with the fact that there is no avoiding people when it comes to going into the bathroom. When the first thing you do in the morning is go into the bathroom to brush your teeth, you better be prepared for a conversation. There will always be other people there, and from personal experience, shower conversations are more common than you may think!

3. Food

4. The Weekends

The weekends are also an entertaining time to be in a sorority house. The mornings are always filled with people slowly making their way down to the kitchen, and lazily making any combination of food that they can find. The days consist of girls running in and out of the house, usually to go to the library or to simply find something to do around Ithaca. The lazy weekends are the best weekends where girls all sit together in the living room and maybe even watch a movie together. As the day comes to an end and the nights approach, there is a distinct dichotomy. There are the girls who are blasting music in the kitchen, so excited to go out, and then there are the girls who are already in their pajamas waiting for the noise to dwindle down so they can go to sleep. No matter what your nightly plans are, there will always be someone who is right there with you. This is when the classic phrase on the Facebook posts when you’re looking for a roommate Freshman year really comes into play: “I love to go out, but I’m always down for a chill night in!” A sorority house with approximately 40 girls is where you’ll find all sorts of different energies on a weekend, especially if you’re looking for some entertainment.

5. The people (or should I say the drama surrounding the people)

Coming into my Pledge Class in the spring of freshman year, I would say that I knew maybe one person. As the semester progressed, I became friendly with each of the girls, but I had yet to find a true friend group. Now living in the house, I have become so close with a majority of the girls who live here. I mean, when you are with a group of girls for most of the day, each day of the week, you’re bound to create some new best friends. However, this is where the struggle of living with 40 girls comes in: you are not going to be best friends with 40 girls, especially 40 girls who are trying to run a sorority. With all groups of girls inevitably comes drama. The good thing about this type of drama (if you can say there is a good part of drama) is that it is usually over a disagreement that is solved within the next 24 hours. There is no avoiding other people in the house, so if you’re really mad at someone the close proximity will guarantee a quick resolution. Besides the obvious drama that comes with all groups of girls, living in the sorority house is the best experience that a person in Greek life can have.

Although it has only been a few short months of living in a sorority house, I think that I have an understanding of the ins and outs. Looking back to January, where I did not even know many of the girls’ names, all the way to now eating meals and living right down the hall, the advantages of a sorority house are clear. I would recommend this type of living and, to those that may be hesitant, also recommend keeping an open mind about living with girls that you may not be the best of friends with at first. There are so many experiences and little moments that could not have been replicated if I did not live in this house.

The Realities of Learning How to Cook as a College Student

Morgan Marcus

So, you’re telling me I have to make the chicken? It doesn’t come served on a plate?

I’m just kidding. I wasn’t that naive, but cooking in college has been quite the experience, certainly not one I felt prepared for. I moved into an apartment this school year which meant I had to learn how to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner all for myself. Luckily my parents are both fantastic cooks, but this also meant I relied on them for home-cooked meals. I love food and was not completely clueless in the kitchen, but I had zero experience with anything that started out raw.

My first grocery store trip was an overwhelming one, to say the least. How do I know which romaine lettuce is the best or which steak to purchase? What’s the difference between grape, cherry, and San Marzano tomatoes? (I still find they all taste the same). What I quickly learned was that food shopping isn’t hard, and it even becomes a fun activity to do with friends. I developed a routine of what I eat and what I knew how to cook, and I started to challenge myself food shopping. I slowly started buying new items such as tuna, tilapia,

and shrimp to try to figure out how to cook them.

My first home-cooked dinner was quite a disaster, but I quickly realized cooking is all about trial and error. I figured, hey, let me start easy and make brussels sprouts and a burger. Simple right? It’s definitely straight forward, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to mess up because I did! While my vegetables were in the oven, my roommate changed the oven to broil, which I didn’t question as someone unaware of what broiling does. However, my brussels sprouts weren’t cooked yet, so broiling them turned the outside of them black while the inside was still uncooked. I don’t need to discuss what went wrong with my burger, but it was black too. While I felt defeated that my first dinner was inedible, I learned important lessons in the kitchen and never made those same mistakes. I also learned that I have a friend with me through it all: Google.

Google has been with me every step of the way during my journey as a chef. Everything I once feared can be solved by a Google search. I started to love cooking, snapping pictures of my meals

every night and proudly sending them to my family. My dad once replied to my dinner picture, saying, “made it or bought it?” I took that as a big compliment. Cooking is a fun way to take a break from studying and real life. No one knows what I want to eat better than I do, so I have a new sense of freedom: cooking whatever I desire.

Throughout the past few months, my meals have significantly improved. I’m a salmon connoisseur, considering I make it once a week. Whether I’m making pesto or teriyaki chicken, I am no longer scared of cutting off the fat and ensuring it’s fully cooked. Pro tip: purchase a

meat thermometer. I’ve adventured to making steak in a cast iron skillet with a crispy crust that makes the perfect sizzling sound. My roommates and I frequently cook together, making pasta salad, taco bowls, banana bread, or baked apples straight from Indian Creek Farm.

Cooking can be scary, but it’s also an exciting adventure. I came into this year being able to boil water and make avocado toast, and now I’m slowly making my way through the kitchen and having a blast while doing so.

Allergies in Ithaca: How to Manage Them and the Best Places to Eat with Them

Hallie Finkelstein

“Your results came back,” my mom said to me as she sat me down on the couch over fall break. “And?” I questioned with wide eyes and a curious mind. “I know this might come as a shock, but it says you have celiac disease,” she replied. “WHAT???”

Finding out about a new allergy in the middle of my sophomore year of college hasn’t been easy. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that I have been eating gluten for the past 20 years, and, all of a sudden, I can’t eat it anymore. onfused, stressed, and anxious only begin to describe the

feelings that I experienced when I thought about returning to Cornell with this new dietary change. I didn’t know what kinds of food would contain this allergen, which restaurants to go to, or who to even ask about it. Having never faced the hardships of dealing with an allergy in my life, I didn’t realize how often gluten is used as an ingredient in many of the foods that I eat on a daily basis. Luckily, over the past few weeks, I have come to learn that Cornell, and Ithaca in general, is one of the most allergy-friendly places. I’ve been able to learn so much by simply talking to

staff and asking questions about their ingredients; I have come to realize how understanding and kind people are about accommodating allergies. I now know how difficult it can be to have an allergy and how helpful it is when people provide good suggestions. Although I still have more research to do, I will share everything that I have learned so far.

Whether you’re someone who has had an allergy for years, someone who is new to the circumstances, like me, or someone just trying to educate themselves so that you and your friends can navigate the food world of Ithaca, I am here to provide you with some of the most delicious and dietary-restriction accommodating suggestions.

Martha’s, inside of the Martha Van Rensselaer building, takes the cake (gluten-free cake, of course) of being first on the list. Although you may be thinking that Martha’s is already very well known across campus, but my new allergy has taught me the ins and outs of where the best places are to eat for lunch. The best thing about Martha’s is that absolutely everything they put out is labeled. Above each item of food that

they are serving, there is a sign with red letters, which indicates the different allergens each food contains. This makes it easy for people with allergies to decide what to put in their meals. I have even asked questions before to verify what is gluten-free, and the staff is more than happy to double-check for you. The staff has shown that they are extremely understanding about If you’re more of a Terrace/Mac’s person for lunch, they’ve got you and your allergy covered. Say you’re in the mood for a burrito bowl, but are stressed because you don’t know the ingredients in any of the sauces and don’t know which one to choose; by simply asking the staff, I was informed that they have a spreadsheet with each of the sauces and their allergens that the staff can check if they are unsure of the ingredients. This prevented me from having the humiliating feeling of holding up the line with my multiple questions, and it allowed me to ask about multiple sauces at once. The salad bar does not have the same setup; however, the staff is beyond kind in trying to make sure that what you’re eating is safe for you. One staff member even brought out the bottle of dressing so that I could read the ingredients myself.

In addition to these places, most of Cornell’s dining halls and other dining options label allergens and are great places to go. If you’re looking for something off-campus and want a good restaurant to go to with friends, I’ve found multiple places that have labeled menus and accommodating servers.

I highly recommend trying the restaurant Mix. Their entire menu indicates which foods are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. There are so many different options to choose from, and almost everything can be made differently if you request it. The steak that I ordered came with a side of fries, and they were able to replace them with gluten-free sidesnot to mention the fact that they were able to make all of the appetizers gluten-free as well. The server was extremely understanding and helped me navigate the menu in order to pick the best gluten-free options and change anything to be prepared gluten-free if it wasn’t already.

Another great place to go in the Commons is Mahogany Grill. This was one of my favorite restaurants in Ithaca even before I found out about my Celiac, and I was worried I would no longer be able to eat their bread and pasta. However, Mahogany Grill is one of the more accommodating places I’ve been to so far in Ithaca. Almost everything on the menu is able to be made gluten-free or in a different way than it is initially presented. They brought out gluten-free bread and were able to cook gluten-free pasta for

me, which was absolutely delicious (I honestly couldn’t even tell that it was gluten-free). This was very exciting for me as I am a big pasta person, which is one of the reasons I was so disappointed to hear about my diagnosis. I feel it is important to mention here that Thompson and Bleecker in the commons also has gluten-free pasta, which is my favorite place to get pasta in Ithaca.

Allergies are hard. It can be stressful when you ask questions, and people don’t know the answers, and it can even be hard to bring yourself to ask the questions at all. Not every single one of my experiences so far has been easy, but Ithaca is such a great place to be: labeled menus, understanding servers, and friends have helped me along the way. If you have ever been diagnosed with an allergy, or if you ever become diagnosed with one, all I want to convey is that despite the challenges, you will overcome this. Restaurants have become so much more aware and accommodating in 2022 and are prepared to answer any and all questions about their ingredients.