Featured Anthropology Major: Arianne Seenauth '21

 

Major Arianne Seenauth '21 reflects on her experiences at Cornell and shares advice for students new to anthropology.

What inspired you to choose ? Do you have a specific area of interest?

I have grown up very lucky to have parents with the means and desire to travel and have been doing so from a young age. This exposed me to people of various cultures, backgrounds, experiences, and livelihoods very early on, which instilled in me a love for people and dedication to learn about what they are passionate about. Being able to continue this fascination in a university setting with a background in theory, methods, and ethnography is what drew me to the major. I am especially interested in Latin America and the Caribbean, and decolonialism.

Was there a particular faculty member or class that influenced you?

So many! To name just a few: Professor Villenas and her course Global Engagements: Living and Learning in a Diverse World sparked my interest in community-based work and laid the foundations for the development of my active and empathetic listening skills which are, in my view, essential to ethnography. Professor Baptiste (in the history department) and his course Understanding Global Capitalism enabled me to explore colonialism and avenues of decolonialism in the Caribbean. Professor Arcadi and his course Chimpanzees and Politics not only instilled in me a love for chimps but enabled me to understand the evolutions of social structures. Professor Santiago-Irizarry and her course, of Law and Politics taught me to challenge hegemonic institutions, including legal systems rooted in power dynamics. Professor Raheja and her course Documentary Production Fundamentals, and Professor Nading and his course Ethnographic Field Methods gave me the courage and skills to start and continue my own fieldwork, consider ethics, think like an anthropologist, and explore visual methods.

What accomplishments/activities are you most proud of while at Cornell?

I am most proud of the connections I’ve made, the development of new modes of seeing and being in the world, and of developing my passions into an academic career. The support and love of my friends and encouragement of faculty have been invaluable, and I am so grateful. They have encouraged me to push myself personally and academically, to find beauty in discomfort, and to allow myself to grow.

What do you think you'll miss most about Cornell/Ithaca after graduation?

I will miss dearly the environment of support the Department fosters. I remember attending colloquiums listening to grad students present their work that took my feedback and questions seriously even as an undergrad and were so willing to meet up for coffee and share advice and insights with me. Faculty are so willing to encourage and advise students really wanting to see us succeed, I will miss those coffee sessions, colloquiums, and office hour chats.

I will of course miss the beautiful Ithaca landscape, the ability to roll out of bed and meet some friends for breakfast, late night study sessions and adventures, hours hanging out at CTB, and making lifelong friends sparked by the question, “what’s your name and what do you study?”

Do you have any advice for students new to ?

Follow your passions! Know that we are doing important, meaningful work — while sometimes quantitative data is prioritized over qualitative ethnography and other such methods, knowledge of the human experience is necessary to all aspects of life, especially in creating a world in which we all feel safe, included and secure. Your interests and passions are worthwhile, and there are so many classes and faculty, grad students and peers that are here for you to help you develop your interests!

 

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