Dear Adventurer,
The closest park off-campus is the Ithaca City owned Stewart Park.  It is at the base of Cayuga Lake and has wonderful swinging benches at the shoreline facing the lake.  It's easy to get to.  Just walk down Gun Shop Hill, past the apartments and then north on Lake Street passing the Ithaca High School and Boynton Middle School on your left.  After you pass Boynton, go under the bridge and Stewart Park is in front of you.

You might even want to stop on the way (right side of Lake Avenue) for a side trip down the path to view the Ithaca Falls.  It's a "gorges" site and a quick 3 minute walk from the road to the falls.  The Autumn colors are just beginning to show.  A perfect time for a walk or hike!

And by the way, the reason that the gorge on your map looks like it runs into Stewart Park is because the water in the gorge is running down to Cayuga Lake.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Niece,

How nice to hear from you!  You will find info about Regional Clubs at this web site by Alumni Affairs and Development http://www.alumni.cornell.edu/regional_clubs.cfm.

As for volunteering to interview future Cornell applicants where you live, please call this number in Undergraduate Admissions, where Kyle Downey is in charge of Alumni Volunteer Programs:  (607) 255-5020. Hope you can send us more Cornell students who are as great as you were!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Niece,
I don't know the numbers, but I suggest that you contact your college's Academic Advising Office right away.  They may be able to help you salvage this semester and make plans for the future.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Adventurous,

How about Carl Sagan’s “Secret Tunnel?”  Here’s the real story, and directions to this fabled place:

When Sagan (1934-1996) was gaining fame—from his “billions and billions” of appearances on the “Tonight Show,” from the PBS series “Cosmos,” and from his Cold War advocacy for nuclear disarmament—students here wondered why the professor of astronomy and space sciences was hardly ever seen on campus—anywhere between his gorge-edge home (above Ithaca Falls, by the Stewart Avenue Bridge over Fall Creek) and his Space Sciences Building office.

Obviously he had a secret, house-to-office tunnel—or so the campus conventional wisdom went—and the tunnel undoubtedly followed Fall Creek to somewhere around Garden Avenue—maybe the basement-level elevator in Space Sciences?  Yes, that’s it!

No, it’s not.  Carl Sagan’s secret passageway to campus is a tunnel of sorts—through the dense, creek-side forest, via a beautiful walking trail that’s open to the public every day. Sagan’s widow, Ann Druyan, confirms this truth and says   Carl laughed when he heard the “secret tunnel” story.  But he never let on.

You can follow Sagan’s footsteps as he made the morning trek to campus, perhaps musing about the cosmos (“Let’s see, how many globular clusters are there?”). The trail starts at the southeast corner of the Stewart Avenue bridge (whereas the Sagan house is on the northwest corner) and ends at the suspension bridge—with access points along the way to University Avenue, and even a streetlight or two for nighttime safety.

For your safety and to preserve fragile ecosystems, please stay on the trails in this gorge and the many others in Ithaca. And please heed signs that close off certain trails in the wintertime. That way you’ll be around to take the Sagan Planet Walk, a virtual tour of the Solar System, between downtown’s Ithaca Commons and the Sciencenter. 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Ghostbusters,

If you’re up for some spooky walking around downtown, the annual “Ithaca’s Haunted History Tour” departs at 7:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. the nights of October 24, 25 and 31, 2008.  Details, including where to buy advance tickets, are at this site for the History Center in Tompkins County (which sponsors the tour) http://www.thehistorycenter.net/.

Story-telling guides promise to solve these mysteries and more: Which local house fell into a gorge, leaving behind a series of unsolved ghost sightings? What happened during the Buffalo Street bobsledding trip gone wrong? Which early settlers to the County were chopping more than just wood?

Tickets go fast for this popular tour, so don’t tarry.  The History Center might also arrange special tours if you can round up enough campus ghostbusters.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Trying to
Concentrate,

So you’re saying that a study room in Mann Library is like the Cone of Silence in the old “Get Smart” television series—it doesn’t really work that well (and maybe that’s why people are shouting)?

Your Uncle used his quiet voice to bring your concern to the Mann Library administration, and this is their solution: Whenever library patrons are issued keys to study rooms, they will be reminded that they’re still in a library environment, and that courtesy toward all is mutually appreciated. Posting of signs also is a possibility.

And if people are using study rooms as “cell phone booths,” your Uncle adds this reminder: Wireless technology has come a long way since Agent 86 and his Shoe Phone.  SHOUTING DOESN’T HELP! 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Loyal Reader,
Great information. Thanks for sharing it and I hope you aren't overwhelmed with too much company there.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear
Stressed,

Fortunately there are a few ways out of your not-uncommon-predicament, and you may want to try more than one.  Please read on…

First, see if you can do something about replacing the junk food that surrounds you with more nutritious choices.  Perhaps your stress may be soothed and your appetite appeased with some raw or canned fruit, vegetables to nibble on, plain popcorn, skim string cheese, herbal tea, or graham crackers.  If you’re not consuming enough protein during the day, try some tuna, sliced turkey, or low-fat cottage cheese.

Second, try something besides food to calm your stress.  Take breaks from studying to stretch, breathe, dance, listen to music, and develop your own personal repertoire of brief stress-relieving activities.  Or, follow Cornell President Skorton’s advice: "When the pressure starts to build—with prelims and papers due—I urge you to
find ways to reduce stress in your lives. Taking a walk or a jog through Cornell Plantations, exercising at a fitness center, spending time in a practice room playing a musical instrument, or curling up in a comfortable chair in the library are all ways to promote good mental and physical health. Or what I believe is the most relaxing and fulfilling of all—watching reruns of my speeches."

Third, check into the amount of sleep you’re getting.  Insufficient sleep can result from stress and worries about work but, in turn, it can compound stress, fatigue, and hunger.  Insufficient sleep can actually increase one’s hunger for sweet and high-calorie food, according to recent research.  If your sleep is irregular and averages less than eight hours a night, try to break the vicious cycle by developing more healthy sleep habits.  For more information, check out the Gannett website on sleep:

http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/top10Topics/sleep/

Stress and sleep are among the top ten health concerns identified by Cornell students.  The Gannett website on stress links to posters and a factsheet, “Understanding and Managing Stress at Cornell,” that contains more stress management techniques and resources for further assistance:    

http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/top10Topics/stress/

Join Cornell Minds Matter for it's Relaxation Series on Thursday, October 16th at 7Pm with "Learn Massage" in Willard Straight Hall, http://mindsmatter.dos.cornell.edu/.

Finally, if you are still having trouble getting on top of stress, or if you find that your waistline is increasing, consider consulting with a therapist or nutritionist at Gannett Health Services, 255-5155. 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Good Friend,
Cornell Dining is known as one of the best University Dining programs in the country, and this reputation extend to Kosher dining. Cornell's all Kosher Dining is based at the the kosher dining hall "104 West!", located on 104 West Ave, next to the Center for Jewish Living.

All Cornell Kosher products are produced in the 104 West kitchens by Cornell Dining staff. The "hashgachah", the kosher certification, is provided by the Orthodox Union (the OU) to Cornell Dining under the supervision of our full time Masgiach Nathan Kielski. Nathan is also certified in "Shechita", Kosher Slaugher, and has Semicha from the Diaspora Yeshiva.

Since all freshman live on north campus, and many student may be far from 104 West during the day, Cornell also has a kosher station refered to as "104 north!", located within Appel Commons (North Star), one of Cornell's regular dining halls. Hot meat meals are sent to this location from 104 West! twice a day.

Operating hours for 104 North! are 11:00AM-2:00PM for lunch and 5:00PM-7:00PM for dinner, Monday through Thursday.

 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear To-Goer,

Here’s the answer from the management folks at Cornell Dining: “Cornell Dining offers lunch to go when ordering 24 hours in advance—and it is possible to substitute a salad for a sandwich. If the person taking the order is unclear about this option, please ask to speak with a manager.

“It is not Cornell Dining's policy to offer to-go meals from our All-You-Care-To-Eat dining halls.  Perhaps the writer witnessed someone preparing a sick tray for a meal plan participant who was unable to visit the dining hall due to an illness.”

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Apple Lover,
Deb Clover, Sales Manager, Cornell Orchards has this response for you.

Yes, many of the dining halls on campus serve apples from the Cornell Orchards. We're glad you enjoy them. As for picking, since we're a research and teaching orchard, we don't have u-pick here, but there are other orchards in the area that do. Either Indian Creek Orchards on Rte. 96 north, just a little way past the hospital, or Little Tree Orchards in Newfield offer u-pick.

The apple vending machine is located on the first floor of the Plant Science building, and is stocked with Cornell apples. And of course, we're always glad to have students visit us here at the Orchards. We grow about 50 varieties of apples, and sell more than 30 of those varieties in the Orchards store, including many that were developed at Cornell. Samples are available for people to try and choose their favorite. We hope you stop by.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Grad Student,

Surprise!  You already have it! 
All students new to Cornell have an OmniRide pass automatically encoded on their Cornell ID card. They just need to either swipe the mag stripe or tap the proximity chip reader on the farebox and Cornell pays the fare.

This is free to students for their first academic year. Please note that a grad student who was a Cornell undergrad is not considered new to Cornell, but they--like any other student--can purchase these privileges.

An OmniRide pass sold by Cornell Transportation Services costs $200 a year (a pass with identical privileges purchased from TCAT would cost $495 a year)--so the University continues to heavily subsidize transit for students' entire careers here. Also, all students get "free nights and weekends." They can board the bus with their ID cards after 6 p.m. weekdays and all day and night on the weekends, and again Cornell pays the fare.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Biped,
Good news, all crosswalks are created equal whether at an intersection or midblock. In fact, even an intersection at which there are no crosswalk markings has an "implied crosswalk. " The midstreet signs don't change the law in any way; they only exist to serve as a reminder of the law.

New York State law states that motorists must yield to pedestrians anywhere in the crosswalk. For the motorist this means that you must allow pedestrians the right of way in a crosswalk. Yielding to pedestrians means they don't have to change their pace--neither either slow down nor run--to avoid being hit by you. Cyclists, by the way, are bound by all of the exact same laws as motorists (and have all the same rights). A cyclist who breaks a traffic law can be given a ticket and points on their driver's license.

It is, in turn, the responsibility of the pedestrian to obey traffic control devices (don't cross against the light or a "don't walk" signal) and not to step out in front of a motorist who cannot (due to the laws of physics,
which trump NYS laws) practically yield.

So you are correct, some crosswalks are safer than others. Midblock crossings don't give motorists the same visual cues that intersections do, nor are they controlled by stop signs or traffic signals. They are only provided when there is a significant distance between intersections, by all means use them, but as in all cases make sure a motorist sees you and is prepared to yield before you step off the curb. At night, dress in light or bright colors when you are walking (we have "blinky lights" at our office at 116 Maple Avenue to give away).

I think the key for all of us is to fulfill our responsibilities, assert our rights, and understand that we need to live and work in an environment of mutual respect and courtesy. Be aware as you drive and walk. Make eye contact with motorists before you cross. Anticipate the actions of others. Looking both ways, applies to both motorists and pedestrians. In an environment that is so pedestrian dominated (particularly for 15 minutes out of the hour), expect to drive slowly, expect delays, and preemptively yield to pedestrians; the seconds you save crossing the campus quickly pale in comparison to the pain and anguish of striking a pedestrian.

The Cornell Police are on the lookout for careless motorists. So be aware, buckle up, put down that cell phone, and turn on your headlights to see and be seen better.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Marylander,
Thanks for the information!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Reader,
Paedophilia is a serious concern, particularly if an individual is acting on it. However, if the thoughts and feelings are just that, current thoughts or feelings, it is recommended that the person get professional help immediately. If you are a student at Cornell, they should call CAPS (5-5208) as a beginning strategy. Assuming there has been no action yet, the individual can benefit from talking out what they are experiencing before any action occurs.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Reader,
Thanks for sharing your opinion.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear CALS Career-oriented,

The director of CALS Career Development, Amy Benedict-Augustine, says unexpected staff issues delayed production of the CALS CDO during the Fall 2008 semester—but that the letter should resume in early October.  She adds:  “I'm glad to know that somebody misses it!”

 

Uncle Ezra