Dear senior,

Pageantry and pomp and circumstance have their place in marking this momentous rite of passage. The silver mace, which is carried during the Commencement procession, is symboic of the magnificent triumphs of each and every graduate who has studied and learned for years to be there.  The impressive silver piece, carried by the white-gloved macebearer, who has been in recent years Professor Emeritus Walter LaFeber, adds to the fanfare of this joyous occasion.  When not being paraded around campus, the mace is safely stored in a tarnish-proof case with Cornell Police.  Since you are a fan of the mace, you may be interested in Q8 from 6/24/03 and Q1 from 11/4/03, which highlight the mace's dramatic history!  See you on Commencement day!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Elle,

I'm sorry you're having these problems.  People are too busy, it seems, in this fast-paced world.  And this is the busiest time for students.  Many have a "work hard-play hard" philosophy, and will be ready to have fun in a month, if you can hang in there.

Stress may be affecting your romantic life, too. However, if you and your bf do have a conversation and come to a resolution, and then one of you does not follow the agreed-upon steps, you may need to decide on distancing and developing new friendships with people who enjoy the same things you do. You're not being fair to yourself to spin your wheels, as he is not being fair to you to promise and not deliver. I hope things get better.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear social butterfly,

From what you have said, which is not very detailed, I gather that you want a group of girl friends to gel as a closer team of intimate buddies.  Often a common bond brings friends together, such as dealing with a common issue for which they offer one another support.  But a group can manufacture their own goal, such as fundraising for a worthy cause, or training for the triathalon, or always being buddies for fraternity party safety.  Maybe you could all plan a party together, or take a trip to an event in a city (theatre in NYC or Rochester?) and stay in a hotel room or B&B together. How about learning a sport thru Outdoor Ed or taking a craft class?

Books may help you feel you have some support on an intellectual basis, but there is nothing like the voice of experience to help you navigate these waters.  You can browse at Borders or Barnes and Noble (in fact, ask the girls to go with you on a night Borders has music), or check out Autumn Leaves or Ithaca Books for some low-priced alternatives. Social Psychology will give you some theoretical understanding of what makes groups work.  Good luck.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear just her type,

Why don't the two of you (or ten or twenty or two hundred) meet at my statue on the Arts Quad at noon on Friday wearing a flower in your buttonhole?  Or shall we leave it to patience and fate?

Uncle Ezra   

Dear niece,

I visited the WSH staff and was told that the wireless networking broke for a few days in mid February, and so the wireless port was upgraded and now has a strong signal on the Red Rover network.  As for the kiosk machines, the tech support person agrees that they are old and not always reliable. The good news is we have a plan for replacing them.  There will be two new computers in place very shortly (in the next couple of weeks).  The third computer will also be replaced sometime in the not too distant future. As to Red Rover: we do have two wireless sites.  One is in the B-Libe and the other is in 518/519.  519 is the old game room. 

Since the building is older, there are some issues with the signal.  There is some signal that reaches into the Memorial Room but stops about to the fireplace. 

I hope this helps you out.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Marla,

If you visit the New Student Programs website (http://newstudentprograms.cornell.edu/) you will find a link for First-Year Family Weekend.  That link provides a very brief overview of the weekend for the parents of new Cornell students (more details will be provided this fall) as well as dates for upcoming class years.  First-Year Family Weekend for the Class of 2009 will be October 28-30, 2005.  See you then!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear still studying,

I hope that you are enjoying your graduate-level pursuits beyond Cornell.  It is always good to hear from one of my nieces and nephews out there in the world.  I am glad to hear that you are thinking about the consequences of file sharing as it is a big and, at times, complicated issue.  I shared your question with Tracy Mitrano in Cornell Information Technologies, who is a pro when it comes to understanding IT policy and computer law.  I hope that her explanation will help to clarify the risks involved in file sharing.

"There is an important distinction to be made in this discussion between the file share programs like Kazaa and the material that runs on those programs like music, games and videos.  At this time, the programs themselves are presumed to be legal.  Interesting that you should ask, because on March 29 the Supreme Court of the United States was scheduled to hear a case on exactly this point, so be sure to search for more on that decision.

"The material itself, unless it is in the public domain, or there is an exception to copyright law, or if the user has the permission of the owner, could very well constitute an infringement.  The garden-variety file sharing that goes on of popular songs and videos, for example, are very likely copyright infringements.  Moreover, content owners and their agents, such as the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America, use "spiders" on the Internet to find their material in transmission, identified by Internet Protocol addresses.  In some cases, they have brought infringement actions against individual users; the number is well above 1,500 as of the latest news reports.

"So while the programs may not be illegal, at least yet, users should be aware that the content very well might be...and should be on notice that they could be sued for distributing it through those programs."

I hope that clarifies things for you.  With so many users out there, its easy to slip into the "but everyone is doing it" mentality, but please stop and think before you act.  What if it's you that gets caught?  And even if you don't, is it ethically right? 

Uncle Ezra   

Uncle Ezra   

Dear ILR student,

You are correct, you cannot double major across the two colleges.  In some cases there are interdisciplinary programs that blur the college lines (but the student still receives their degree from one particular college).  There are also cases where students will pursue dual degrees, but this requires fulfilling all of the degree requirements in each college.  If you are interested in history, you can certainly take those courses in the Arts College (up to the maximum number of endowed college credits allowed by your college).  You may, in time, take the classes that would fulfill a history minor.  While a minor will not be notated on your official transcript, your record of taking those courses will be.  Should you choose to pursuit a history field after graduation, you'll be able to share your transcript with employers, admissions officers, etc. and show that experience.  If you have additional questions about this, please speak with the friendly staff in ILR's Office of Student Services.  If you are unsure whether the College of Industrial and Labor Relations is the right fit for you, please consider making an appointment to speak with Vivian Geller in the Internal Transfer Division. 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear student,

There's lots of good info about billing and fees on the Gannett website:  http://www.gannett.cornell.edu.

Gannett is committed to providing quality services at a reasonable cost.  Many Gannett visits involve only a $10 charge for enrolled students.  Fees are charged for X-ray, lab tests, medications, appointments for non-students, physical and massage therapy, some other services, and missed appointments, but many of these expenses may be covered by a student's health insurance plan.  Consultations with a triage nurse, group therapy (students only), health education services, and consultation with the on-call health care provider or counselor are provided at no charge.  At the end of a visit, you can pick up a copy of your bill from a cashier on either of the medical floors or on Level 3 at the pharmacy.  If you have student insurance, some charges are automatically submitted.  Charges that aren't covered by student insurance go on the bill.  (See below for more info about what happens with those bills.)

Unfortunately, Gannett isn't able to provide use of light boxes any longer because we literally do not have one room left in the building that isn't occupied by staff members.  Light boxes and full spectrum light bulbs are available for purchase in the Gannett Pharmacy.

Gannett student visit charges will be posted to your bursar bill, unless you instruct us not to. For your convenience, you may leave after any appointment without stopping to see a cashier. Your charges will appear on your bursar bill with a generic description (such as "Gannett student user fee," "pharmacy charges,""medical laboratory") that will not reveal any confidential health information. 

Students who prefer that charges not be applied to their bursar bill and all other patients should checkout with a cashier to:
--Pay with cash, personal check, or credit card.
--Arrange for Gannett to bill your insurance directly, if your insurance is one we participate with--Cornell University Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), administered by The Chickering Group; Cornell Athletic Injury Insurance (co-pay only); HealthNow; Aetna US Healthcare; United Health Care/The Empire Plan (not Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
--Receive a copy of your bill (lab test charges may not be available for several days). This bill will be suitable for you to submit directly to your insurance company for reimbursement. (See below.)

Gannett cashiers are not available on Saturdays and after regular business hours on weekdays. Please fill out a Self Serve Cashier card before you leave.

If you have private insurance, you can still use all of Gannett's services and we will do what we can to make it easy for you to submit your own receipts for reimbursement.
--At the end of each visit (or any time after a visit), please go to the Gannett Cashier or Billing Office to request a receipt for services. We will give you a detailed receipt that includes the information insurance companies require to process requests for reimbursement.
--Send the receipt to your insurance company for reimbursement.
--If you prefer to have the receipt sent to your parent or other family member, please let us know. We will be happy to send the receipt for you. For your protection, this is never done automatically: we must have your permission after each visit to release confidential information about your health care. Insurance companies require receipts reflecting specific diagnostic information in order to process requests for reimbursement.
--Please be aware that the Gannett student visit charge is not covered under most insurance policies. 

As for paying cash for your pelvic or any service, you absolutely can.  We want you to feel comfortable seeking the care you need without worrying about privacy issues.

Your health care information at Gannett is confidential. If you ever have any concerns about whether something confidential may get into the wrong hands, please speak to your health care provider. Gannett's Billing Department can help you make choices about your bills to protect your confidentiality. You can even call ahead if you'd like: 255-7492.

If you've had a visit or procedure that you would like to keep to yourself, look closely at your statement before passing it on to anyone else. The language may not be specific, but the "diagnostic code" provides the insurance company with information they need to pay or reimburse expenses.

If you settle a bill for a confidential visit (for example, a counseling appointment, pregnancy test, or STI check) while at Gannett, but then a week later have a bill sent home for another visit (like a sinus infection or ankle sprain), that first paid visit will show up on that statement.  Talk with the Billing Department to protect your confidentiality.

One last thing related to Billing:  inability to pay should never be a barrier to receiving the health care you need. If you have concerns about expenses related to medical or mental health care, please discuss them with a Gannett health care provider or member of our Billing Office staff before or during your visit to Gannett. Staff members can help you consider your options, extend payment, access financial assistance, or make other special arrangements.

I hope this helps you and others with similar questions. Many thanks to Sharon Dittman of Gannett for her thorough responses to your concerns.

Uncle Ezra