Dear Sad Alum,

I hear more to your letter when I see your signature.  What is it that is causing you sadness?  It is hard to discuss and resolve a conflict when the other person gets angry as soon as it is brought up.  I sense that this issue has brought up some deeper relationship questions you have. 

You have experienced your boyfriend as "usually very supportive and considerate."  I hope that that is true.  But it could be that you have done more than your share of compromising so it is easy for him to be considerate. It could be that his support has been for things you do that reinforce your similar world-views.  Here, with an issue on which you differ, he refuses you $10/month. Some of the difference has to do with the fact that you have different bodies.  Yours is the one that could get pregnant. If his car could be damaged,  he might be a more careful driver. Would he pay an extra $10/month to protect his car or home?

Most important here are your feelings of sadness, insecurity, resentment and growing disappointment.  Each of these will need to be addressed.  Are you taking on the emotional burden of his firm stance?  What is the cost to him?  What are you paying so that he can remain unmoved?  You will have the need down the road for negotiation skills to work out many problems.  If you can't do it here, you won't be able to get to the next stage of the relationship.  That is sad, but staying where you are is not a viable alternative.

I suggest you call Planned Parenthood and discuss this with a counselor. They may have some suggestions for working out a viable birth control plan for a couple with the beliefs and rules you are trying to work within. It is your body. Take care of yourself.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Super Soup lover,

There is nothing quite as heart-warming as a cup o'soup on a winter day.  Chef Bryan Roberts at Willard Straight Dining says there is "No change in philosophy, just a wide variety of soups are offered.  One thing with noodle soups-- the noodles tend to fall apart, get too big, and sop up the broth after sitting in the heated crocks throughout meal service."

Chef Eileen Hughes in Trillium Dining reassures you: "Believe me, the chicken noodle fans are boisterous and we hear about it!  Trillium runs Chicken Noodle, Chicken Rice, Chicken Vegetable, and Cream of Chicken on a rotation.  There is no chicken bias here :-)"

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Nephew,

Absolutely.  'Religious' implies adherence to religion in both belief and practice, whereas 'spiritual' refers to something of, or having the nature of spirit, not tangible or material.  Many of the dictionary definitions are confusingly overlapping.  However, religious has more to do with a set of rules or rituals defined by a religious group, such as religious holidays or rites of passages like the Bar Mitzvah.  Although these have spiritual aspects to them, one can demonstrate similar spiritual beliefs by taking a walk in the woods or meditating. Since spiritual does not necessarily mean belief in any kind of god, an atheist can be spiritual by valuing non-material aspects of life. Much of the current literature in spirituality is not of a particular religious tradition or teaching or belief system.  It is an exploration of personal values and how they help one find deeper satisfaction in life.

Thomas Moore's "Care of the Soul" is a guide for cultivating depth and sacredness in everyday life. He says "When soul is neglected, it doesn't just go away; it appears symptomatically in obsessions, addictions, violence and loss of meaning. Our temptation is to isolate these symptoms .. but the root problem is that we have lost our wisdom about the soul."  Rather than offering  a formula for salvation, Moore says that "when you look closely at the image of soulfulness, you see that it is tied to life in all its particulars -- good food, satisfying conversation, genuine friends, and experiences that stay in memory and touch the heart. Soul is revealed in attachment, love and community, as well as in retreat on behalf of inner communing and intimacy."  Religion is only one path of spiritual seekers.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Willful,

According to University Archivist, Elaine Engst, she is not aware of any constraints on library collecting for any philosophical, political or religious reasons. You are correct, this is contrary to the original mission of my great university. In addition, the stipulation from Jennie McGraw's will was never followed because none of Jennie's money went directly to Cornell.

One of the most dramatic and sordid tales in Cornell history is the Great Will Case (it captured most of Ithaca and the nation’s attention for several years –similar to the way the first episode of Survivor captured many of us today). It involved many of the leading characters in university history at that time including White, Sage, Boardman and Fiske. After her death in 1881, Cornell University and Willard Fiske (Jennie's spouse for just over a year –she had been very ill from tuberculosis since before their courtship began) battled fiercely over the rights to her estate. The end result (after hundreds of thousands of dollars in court fees and appeals, which took the case all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States) was that Fiske and the McGraw family relatives would receive the proceeds from her estate and Cornell would receive nothing.

Twenty-three years later, upon his death in 1904, Willard Fiske did leave almost his entire estate (which was Jennie’s money originally), including some extraordinary book collections, to the Cornell University Library. That's a quarter of a century of lost potential, a half dozen cohorts of students who might have benefitted from the money. For more on this story of morals (or lack their of), legal battles, and intrigue see the Great Will Case chapter in Bishop's A History of Cornell. Or if you're further inspired, explore some of the original letters and documentation that still reside in the University Archives.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Nature Boy,

Thank you for the energy-awareness reminder.  All to often we wait for an energy shortage (such as the brown-outs during the soaring temperatures last summer) or a government mandate, to reform our ways.  But we can each make a difference, if we are all regularly cognizant of our eco-habits.  Do you turn the water off when possible while brushing your teeth or washing dishes, rather than let it run and run?  Do you try to carpool or take public transportation rather than always driving an individual vehicle?

I shared your inquiry with the staff of the University Libraries.  They explained, "the library is pursuing a policy to maximize energy savings for the computers used by over 500 staff in 19 libraries on the Ithaca and Geneva campuses.  Periodically, the university administration reminds staff to turn off their computers when they leave and many library staff do so.  Newer hardware and more modern operating systems make it easier to exercise smarter power management, for example, having monitors turn off automatically after a period of inactivity.  As we deploy new machines, we will configure them to maximize energy savings.  However, some staff leave their computers on for legitimate reasons.  For example, it allows them to access their computers from home and to run back-ups or other applications.  The library administration will work to bring about the most effective energy conservation program we can manage that is consistent with the legitimate productivity needs of our staff."

Thank you again for the reminder.  We can all use it from time to time.  Can you imagine the savings if everyone on campus were to bring their travel mug every time they bought a cup of tea or coffee?  Or turned their computer monitor off when not in use?  Think globally, act locally!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear transfer,

The SAT is not required for transfer students. If you would like a TOEFL exemption,  send a written request to the admissions office.  Good luck!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear needs outing,

Take a walk and discover the gorges-ness of Ithaca!!  On campus you'll cross gorges as you go across the bridge to Risley and Balch.  Or walk into Collegetown and look down.  Better yet, when the weather is better and paths are open (ice makes them too dangerous now) walk from Stewart Avenue to downtown along the gorge.  In the winter the path at Mulholland Wildflower Preserve off Giles Street (off State Street/Rte. 79) is open, or you can walk into Taughanock Falls if you drive 7 miles up Route 89 along the lake.  Or look down from the Overlook.  You can stop in at Buttermilk Falls, just beyond the Route 13 Fast Food line-up, and check out the gorge you'll be able to hike in the spring. A little farther on, you can hike into Treman just a short distance now, but the gorge is more gorgeous a short hike in. Admittedly, Watkins Glen is gorgeous, as is Letchworth.  But Ithaca is the most gorgeous with the most gorges.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear changing,

Call your telephone company - their number should be on your bill, or look in the front pages of the telephone book.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Speedy,

Wow, an entire four-year college degree in two year's time?  You must be flying through those textbooks!  Such a speedy graduation rate is not very common in ILR or any of the other colleges and schools at Cornell.  According to the staff in ILR, there was once a student who completed a degree in three full semesters in ILR (but had taken extra-mural classes beforehand to complete the degree so quickly).  Students are typically not allowed to take more than 21 credits per semester in ILR except if they are a senior and need more than 21 credits to graduate.  Most of the colleges and schools at Cornell have similar policies.  Calculating a record-time for someone to complete a degree in is further complicated by how much transfer credit is accepted, how long it took for a student to complete that credit, etc. 

For those contemplating a marathon, try using your skills and knowledge in an in-depth research project or internship that will challenge you at levels appropriate to your ability. After graduation, I hope that you will find a project worthy of what you can do.

I hope that you have had a moment or two to enjoy all that this university has to offer in addition to your coursework.  Here are a few of my favorites:

-Take a stroll when the flowers are in blossom, through Minn's garden on the Ag Quad

-Watch the Chimesmasters play a concert and see the view of Cayuga Lake from the top of McGraw Tower

-Enjoy a dinner, prepared and served by Hotel School students in the Terrace restaurant (basement of the Statler Hotel).

-Experience a Gamelan performance (concerts usually occur at the end of each semester)

-Toss a frisbee or stroll the pathways of the Cornell plantations

-Take a tour of the Johnson Museum of Art, after which, rest your feet while you sip a chai or coffee from the Two Naked Guys cafe in the museum's sunny atrium

-On one of those first, glorious, days of spring, "study" on a blanket on the Arts quad or the slope

-Check out some of the historic texts in the University Archives located in Kroch library...some are so delicate that you are required to wear gloves to handle!

-Enjoy all that this campus and community has to offer!

Have a wonderful last semester, here at Cornell!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Statistical analyst,

Cornell University experienced several years of larger than expected entering freshman classes that resulted in a growing undergraduate population.  In 2001, there were 13,801 undergraduates at Cornell compared to 12,915 just ten years before (for complete stats visit http://www.ipr.cornell.edu/factbook/).  As you can imagine, larger enrolling classes are of considerable concern as the university maintains a commitment to a high quality experience in the classroom, in advising, and in student services offices.  The North Campus Residential Initiative, a program that houses all freshmen in a community with other students and faculty, influenced the development of a university enrollment plan that calls for no more than 3050 first-year students.  Cornell is now very conservative with offers of admission in an effort not to overenroll.  In fact, Cornell has admitted several hundred fewer students over the past few years to meet this target. 

As for why Cornell’s enrollment has grown, the Greek system is probably not the sole reason.  Yes, Cornell, like some of our Ivy League and other peer institutions has a large and active Greek population -- especially the fraternity system.  In addition, while Cornell may not be located in a major metropolitan area, there are a wealth of activities and events occurring on campus and in the community.  This includes more than 600 student organizations on campus!  We're like a small city in a rural setting.  So why the growth?  Maybe folks have realized what a great place Cornell is, and what a wonderful education one can receive here!  I've been here almost 150 years...I guess that makes me pretty partial!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear South American,

Laws are changing periodically, especially now in times of heightened security concerns. Check with your Embassy for the latest regulations. Be careful!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear defender,

I would suspect some envy on the part of those folks.  Or ignorance.  Cornell's admissions formula is a complex one. We seek to create a diverse and stimulating living-learning community.  Read some Kahneman on irrational decision-making.  Not only do we excel as a research institution, any given Monday morning or Thursday evening, Cornell is THE place to be for living or learning, from Swing dance at the Straight to coffee in Olin Library Cafe overlooking the Arts Quad, Janet Reno in Statler auditorium or the Vet School Open House, I can't imagine a better place to be.  Even on this very cold but very sunny day. 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Terry,

James Gibbs - jg20 - 255-6630 - is Director of Maintenance Management.  Yes, Buffalo certainly has it over us in amount of snowfall.  I don't know what budget allocations are, but your money is spread among many services on campus.  If you have a particular area which you would like to report, that would be helpful to Jim in responding to you. I hope you enjoy our Ithaca snow!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Hoops fan,

Do you mean tix for the NCAA Men's Div. 1 Eastern Regional Championships in 2005?  Tickets to see the Orange play this season?  Or another basketball event?  Regardless which your event preference is, try calling the Carrier Dome ticket office toll-free at 1-888-DOMETIX.  Be sure to try a Dome Dog (hot dog) while you're there!  Have fun! 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear digital,

Amelia Hill, in the Sunday March 24, 2002 Observer notes that "Use of hand-held technologies, such as mobile phones, GameBoys and computers, has caused a physical mutation in the under-25s, according to new research."

Dr Sadie Plant, author of the study and founder of the Cybernetic Culture Research Unit at Warwick University finds that "The relationship between technology and the users of technology is mutual: we are changing each other ... The fact that our thumbs operate differently from our fingers is one of the main things that defines us as humans. Discovering that the younger generation has taken to using thumbs in a completely different way and are instinctively using it where the rest of us use our index fingers is particularly interesting." Her study, Hill reports, "shows that the thumbs of the younger generation have overtaken their fingers as the hand's most muscled and dexterous digit.

"The change affects those who have grown up with hand-held devices capable of text messaging, emailing and accessing internet services. Experts claim it proves technology is causing physical alterations that previously happened over generations.

"As their thumbs become stronger and more dexterous, Plant found that the thumb tribe [of Japan] is using its favourite digit for other tasks that are traditionally the finger's job, such as pointing at things or ringing doorbells.

"The mobile is fast becoming an essential prop in the social life of 20-year-olds,' she said. 'It has even become part of their mating display, with young men trying to impress women with the advanced technology of their phones."

I hope this helps put some spark into your debate.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Niece '03,

No!  It's not too late for you or any of my graduating nieces and nephews to order a 2002-03 Cornellian.  You can preorder your copy by filling out an order form at 206 WSH, or wait to purchase a copy at the Cornell Store in May.  Enjoy your last semester!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear grammatically correct,

It should be two separate sentences.  Listen to your voice inflection when you say it.  A quotation is a recording of the spoken communication, so try to make it sound natural.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Curious Nephew,

I'm assuming you mean the set of five seats off to the left as you face the altar in Sage. Former CURW Director Bob Johnson was told that Babcock got those from St. John's Episcopal Church downtown.  At one time the President of Cornell sat in them before reading the scriptures at every service. You might check with St. John's or the Tompkins County Historical Society on East State Street to get more information on the chairs.

According to historian Morris Bishop, Mrs. Henry Sage noticed a tiny chapel area in the plans for Sage College and her husband offered a "proper" chapel to White the next day.  White's first nonsectarian college chapel in the United States called for visiting preachers from all faiths, including Jewish.  Professor Babcock designed the chapel, which was dedicated in 1875. 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Lefty,

About 10% of the overall population are lefites, so , according to Gary Wilhelm, Project Manager and Senior Architect for CU's Planning Design and Construction, approximately 10% of the tablets in fixed seating lecture halls are designed to be left-handed.  However, movable tablet desks, which are predominantly right-handed, don't follow the rule of proportionality. Lefties have been known to change their seating position to make it work in a right handed tablet desk -- not an ideal accommodation, but unfortunatley real-world, e.g. baristas putting travel coffee mug lids on backwards, or all of those righty scissors handles. Some lefties solve the right-handed tablet dilemma by sitting to the right of a vacant right-handed seat and using that tablet. Others can be found seated almost backwards in order to use their left hand on the right-handed seat.

But take heart lefties! Since the right side of the body is controlled by the left half of the brain, and the left side of the body is controlled by the right half of the brain, then lefties are the only ones in their right minds!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Empathetic,

Thank you for your kind offer.  I will post your letter here in hopes that Q1 (healing) will see it and respond through me if they are interested. I will keep any further communications confidential.  Since you are a good listener, I wonder if you have worked with the EARS peer counseling program (http://sss.dos.cornell.edu/EARS/).  They are a  wonderfully dedicated group of volunteers who share their emapthetic ears to fellow students in need.  EARS provides a thorough training program in communication and counseling skills for those interested in improving their interpersonal skills for daily living or becoming volunteer counselors.  I hope you will consider joining this group if you have the time and interest.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear troubled niece,

Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns about these difficult situations.  We at Cornell are interested in feedback about how we are perceived and how our services can be more effective.  It's important that you are able to access the help you need to process distressing experiences.  Your RA or RHD can help you talk about your feelings, and an EARS peer counselor is also trained to provide support and empathy.  We are all affected by events in our community.

I spoke to the Director of CAPS at Gannett Health Center about the situation you describe. Confidentiality regulations regarding patient care forbid providers to comment on specific cases, and that includes Gannett. These regulations have an obvious advantage for a patient in that privacy is maintained, but the disadvantage is that the record cannot be set straight and misperceptions about treatment can persist and go unchallenged.

Although you may believe that the situation was left untended, please remember that you have access to one side of the story only. Gannett informs us that when a student is deemed to be or represents him/herself to be a suicide risk, precautions are taken and arrangements are made in order to maintain safety until a full and complete assessment can be undertaken. Such precautions are not necessarily obvious to the outside observer. In a case where a student may need to wait for an hour to see someone, arrangements are typically made for the individual to wait in a secure location or with someone who can monitor safety.

With regard to the meeting in the residence hall, for the last five years Cornell has had a dedicated group of student affairs professionals from around the campus who serve as a community support team. They are ready to come at a moment's notice when a tragedy or some other untoward event has occurred. In the case you described, a decision was made to wait a few days before calling the team in because a number of students in the residence hall indicated they were not yet ready to undertake such a meeting. On the other hand, some were ready and felt it should have occurred sooner. When is the best time for this? This is a judgment call and of course not everyone will reach the same judgment. But should you or others be in a similar situation in the future (and we hope you're not), it would be helpful to make your wishes known to the residence hall director or to the Crisis Manager on call (who can be paged through Cornell Police).

If you would like to talk to someone further, please talk with your RHD or EARS as a place to start.  I hope the semester is going well for you.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Jon,

There is no central inventory of such equipment. Many of the colleges on campus have an A/V department to loan equipment to individuals from that particular college for classroom presentations.  Ask in the Dean's office of your college to determine if the specific equipment you need is in their inventory.  If it's for a class, ask your prof or the department, or if for a student activity or organization, check with those leaders. If you need to get trained, Pegasys Studios downtown has a good program (check Ezra archives). Good luck.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Suggestions,

A video about student life and the Cornell campus would be very interesting.  It would be particularly helpful for those students who are unable to make a visit to Ithaca.  Cornell staff has and continues to explore creation of a Cornell video.  Improvements in web streaming also add to distribution opportunities.  However, the university has not released anything yet due to financial  constraints.

Have you taken the online campus tour (http://www.cornell.edu >>Visiting Campus >> Virtual Tour) yet?  The online tour provides photos and explanations of campus landmarks that are often frequented by Cornell tours.  The staff in Cornell Information and Visitor Relations are also working on an updated virtual tour (see Q 24 from today's posting) and video components are part of that long range plan. 

Thank you for keeping the suggestions rolling!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Explorer,

Are you talking about the Cornell Virtual Tour that is expected to go live this month at http://explore.cornell.edu?  Explore Cornell is a new web magazine "dedicated to Cornell research and instruction projects.  The mission is to increase public access to the university's most valuable asset: knowledge."  Current features range from East Asian artifacts to home gardening tips. 

The staff are working diligently to get the CU Virtual Tours up and running.  They cannot confirm a release date but are working to have it live by the end of February.  Keep checking the site or sign up at http://explore.cornell.edu/communications/notifyme.cfm to receive email alerts when the Virtual Tours or any major updates to the site occur. 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Prospective Student,

Cornell has Graduate Fields in 1) Management in the Johnson Graduate School of Managment, 2) Economics: the Department of Economics is about half the field with other members spread in multiple departments, including AEM, and 3) Agricultural Economics ( their home base is AEM). There is no Graduate Field of Applied Economics and Management per se.

A student with your background and interests could be accommodated in several places at Cornell. Our Graduate Field of Agricultural Economics might be one of them, but their strengths are in development economics, environmental and resource economics, and agricultural economics. Within the discipline of economics, your interests are perhaps best described in the area known as Industrial Organization. This is a strong area in the Graduate Field of Economics but it is also an area of interest among some AEM and JGSM faculty.

My advice to you is to not attach too much symbolic importance to a department name when thinking about graduate programs at Cornell. You should peruse graduate programs in at least these three fields. If you continue to think that getting a PhD in Agricultural Economics at Cornell is your best route to achieve your academic and professional goals, go ahead and send an application.

I wish you the best of luck as you continue to improve your knowledge and skills along your career path.

Uncle Ezra