Craig's list could definitley be dangerous. Taking a taxi  is expensive.  It will cost around $150 one-way!  Fortunately, you have some other options.  The Ithaca Airline Limousine has scheduled shuttle runs around break times  that cost $80 one-way, or $110 round-trip - certainly not cheap, but less expensive than the alternative.  You need to call them to schedule, at 273-3030. 

Another option you have is checking RideBoard at http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/RideBoard/.  Many students live in the Syracuse area and may be willing to drop you at the airport on their way home.  Finally, and the best option if it works for you timewise:

Shuttle services are now available to and/or from Syracuse Airport; there are 3 stops on Cornell Campus for each trip.  Here is the site where you can find all the info and reserve a seat.  This is your best bet for a ride to Syracuse. 

http://cornelltickets.universitytickets.com/user_pages/event_listings.asp

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Curious,

Checking with Student Agencies, which recently took over the TakeNote business, it seems that black ink printed on red paper makes it difficult to photocopy the notes you’re paying for — and pass them along to someone who isn’t paying.

However, black type on dark-colored paper is hard for some people to read — a fact that Student Agencies acknowledges — so you are invited to comment/complain/kvetch about that red paper at the TakeNote website http://www.tnote.com/hiw_students.html. While you’re there, take note of their legal warning about copyright protection and copying.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Niece,

I, Ezra Cornell, actually never owned any slaves. In fact, besides being a major opponent of slavery, I was barely wealthy enough to support my own large family (before coming into wealth from the telegraph industry, of course).

But during my active political career, I staunchly opposed slavery. In an 1846 letter about the war with Mexico, I said "This war I firmly believe was provoked by our rulers to gratify a lust for conquest and extend the curse of human slavery." I was quick to join the Republican Party after its formation by a coalition of antislavery activists, Whigs, and others, and I even served as a delegate to the first Republican national convention in 1856.

I campaigned for Abraham Lincoln and attended his presidential inauguration. After the outbreak of the Civil War, I headed a committee to provide aid to the families of volunteers and traveled to the battlefront to deliver medical supplies to Union soliders.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Hobby Hunter,

One of the joys of learning something new at a place like Cornell is finding a teacher eager to share his/her passion. 

If you want to try piano, look to the student organization, the Cornell Piano Society http://www.shapiroandshore.com/guitarclass.html where students are your teachers.  

And acoustic guitar has been taught for generations —maybe even to your parents or grandparents — in group lessons in WSH by the venerable Phil Shapiro http://www.shapiroandshore.com/guitarclass.html.

Venturing off campus, you might find information on instruction at any of the local music stores.  Craigslist often has music lessons by locality.

Even if you don’t study guitar with Phil Shapiro, check out his live-audience radio show, Bound for Glory, Sunday evenings in Anabel Taylor Hall  (and broadcast by WVBR). The guitarists and other folk musicians you’ll hear at Bound for Glory were once beginners, too. 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Looking,

Worship Services are offered by a wide variety of religious denominations on campus and in the Ithaca area. There are other congregations in the Ithaca area holding Ash Wednesday Services, the list below does not include everyone.

The services listed below pertain to CURW affiliated groups and are listed alphabetically by religion/denomination. More services may be added to this listing in the coming days.... follow this link for the latest information, http://curw.cornell.edu/ASHWEDworship.html.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Bridge Crosser,

While Your Uncle likes the tension-emitting theory (how about melting ice with nuclear waste, embedded in concrete, from the decommissioned reactor in the Ward Lab building near the bridge?) you were right with the first guess. The pedestrian bridge (once the site of a trolley bridge) between the Engineering campus and Collegetown features an electrical deicing system. 

So does the pedestrian bridge by the Beebe Lake dam (Look, Ma, no salt!) according to Kevin McCord of the Facilities Department.  Kevin also thinks at least two other places around campus feature electrical deicing (no, the suspension bridge below the Johnson Museum is not among them) so let’s start a contest.  How many more can you find?

While tromping about campus, please say a word of thanks to the Grounds crews who kept sidewalks remarkably free of ice (albeit, with salt) in one of the worst winters Your Uncle can remember.  Thanks, Grounds Guys and Gals! You had to post “No Winter Maintenance” signs on some walks —but with the rest, you’re the best! 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Full-time Senior,

In the Arts College Advising Center in Goldwin Smith, Jim Finlay provides this answer about “prorated” status:

“It may be possible for a student to complete the final semester with fewer than 12 academic credits. To be considered for this ‘prorated’ status, a student must meet certain criteria. Please consult with your college’s registrar or advising office for details. In addition, prorated status can affect a student’s financial aid, so students receiving aid should also consult with their financial aid counselor. Additional information on prorated tuition can be found here: https://www.finaid.cornell.edu/eligibility/prorated.cfm.”

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Parent,

Your Uncle asked the University Bursar to explain, and he handed off to the director of the Cornell Abroad program, Richard Gaulton, who went into detail:

“Thank you for your question about the Cornell International Program Tuition (CIPT), paid to the university by all undergraduates who study abroad for a semester or academic year through Cornell Abroad.  This year (2010-11) the CIPT is $4,995 per semester; I do not expect any increase for 2011-12.   The CIPT represents the direct and indirect costs of providing study abroad at Cornell University.  Income derived from the CIPT supports institutional financial aid grants for all Cornell students abroad, covers the administrative costs of study abroad (including services provided by Cornell Abroad and other offices at Cornell), and contributes to the cost of university services that must be maintained while students are away.  Payment of the CIPT allows students to remain registered at Cornell, use all of their financial aid, and receive credit at Cornell for academic work completed overseas.  All students must pay the CIPT, regardless of the program attended.  (For programs managed by Cornell the CIPT is included in the program cost). 

“Every university faces the issue of how to cover the cost of study abroad, “ the Cornell Abroad director said. “When students study abroad, their tuition dollars leave the home school.  Cornell University values the study abroad experience enough that it grants one-eighth or one-fourth of the credit toward the Cornell degree for academic work completed during study abroad.  To be fair to each student, Cornell Abroad charges the actual costs of each program, along with the CIPT.  Unlike many institutions, Cornell allows all institutional aid to “travel” with study abroad students.  As an institution with a need-blind admissions policy, Cornell University has made a principled decision to apply grant aid to any study abroad program approved by a student's faculty advisor and college.  Cornell’s generous (and I believe ethically correct) policy on aid for study abroad helps a diverse group of students take advantage of this valuable opportunity.  By paying the CIPT, all study abroad students help to fund the expense of financial aid for study abroad, although not all of them benefit from that aid – not so different from the situation on campus, where all students pay tuition but only some receive financial aid.

“Each year Cornell Abroad proposes a level for the Cornell International Program Tuition, which is ultimately approved by the Trustees of the University as part of the university budget.  Since moving to the CIPT system, Cornell Abroad has striven to keep the rate of increase in the CIPT at or below the increase in on-campus tuition, even when academic costs and living costs overseas have risen dramatically due to program price increases and the decline in the relative value of the dollar.   

“Although I personally wish that the amount of the CIPT were lower, I am pleased that Cornell has a system under which students are able to receive credit and full financial aid for any program they choose that earns academic approval from their college.”

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Springtime Night-time Event Planner,

Your Uncle presumes this Ag Quad event will neither harm nor denigrate agricultural products—no Capture the Rutabaga (or cow tipping), right?  And remembering how this winter’s Arts Quad snowball fight ended poorly, nothing will fly through the air  (forget the Catapult Face-off: Yogurt vs. Tofu), okay?

Then you’re good to go—to the CALS Registrar’s Office, 140 Roberts Hall 255-2017— and register your event.  Of course the customary University rules (about safety, clean-ups and so forth) apply.  And don’t forget: the CALS administration offices in Roberts Hall overlook the Ag Quad —even at night in the springtime—so keep that tofu low to the ground.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Spring Tracker,

Only one outdoor track is designated as safe and suitable for recreational and exercise running in the springtime — and regrettably, it isn’t the one in historic Schoellkopf Crescent. The Athletics Department’s Matthew Coats explains:

“Sorry, but Schoellkopf Field is not available for recreational use due to the continual use by our spring sports teams throughout the day.   We cannot permit someone to be on the track and potentially be struck by an errant lacrosse ball. We do allow members of the Cornell Community to use the Kane Track from 11 am – 1 pm during the week.”

The not–so-historic (but newer, opening in 1997) Robert J. Kane Sports Complex has some pretty good connections, however, being named for the 1934 Cornell grad (and world-class sprinter) who was a long-time leader in the modern Olympic movement (and former Dean of Physical Education and Athletics).

If you want specifics before taking to Simon Track (the actual name of the track at the Kane Complex) the Athletics Department wants you to know it’s a “state of the art eight-lane, 400-meter synthetic track oval, consisting of eight 42-inch lanes. As required for record-setting performances, the track has a raised portable curb on the inside lane. In addition there are two chute extensions so that the dashes can be run in either direction.”

And it’s almost as close to Teagle Hall showers and lockers, should you work up a sweat on your noontime run, sprint, or speed-walk.  Enjoy!

Uncle Ezra   

Your niece, Frigid Toes

 Dear Niece Frigid Toes,

“Plagued” might be a little strong, but you really ought to ask a doctor about that —something about circulation and other benefits of blood for warm-blooded creatures—the next time you’re in for a check-up.

In the meantime (Spring is coming soon, Your Uncle promises) about those socks:  Here in fabulously unfashionable Ithaca, a lot of folks keep their footsies warm in the so-called smart socks —engineered with special yarns (and steeply priced accordingly) that somehow stay warm, even when wet; usually aren’t too hot indoors; and even deter bacteria.  You can find them in outdoors stores and online (SmartWool is one brand) but please see a doctor about your circulation. 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Annoyed Girlfriend,

Glad to hear that you have been supportive and a good listener, but it also sounds like you have reached your limit.  I do not know when tap nights are; they are even secret to me.  But I do know that you can ask your boyfriend to refrain from oppressing you with his anxiety all of the time. 

One simple solution is to set a time for "tapping anxiety conversations."  The two of you can decide how much time he can have to share his concerns with you.  Then pick a time, like from 10:00 - 10:15 every night.  Then he will know that there will be a time to let loose and you will know that you only have to attend to this conversation for those 15 minutes.

Another possibility is for him to get a journal to write down his thoughts and concerns.  Or go for a long run together to discharge his pent up anxiety.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Sick of Being Sick,

Besides covering a cough with a sleeve or forearm, here are other basic tips to keep those germs at bay:

Your best defense is a good offense. Everything you can do to maintain a healthy immune system will bolster your chances of reducing the severity of an illness or avoiding it altogether.

• Wash your hands--often!
• Make sure your diet includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, balanced with the other major food groups. Consider whether you might need to supplement your diet with a daily vitamin.
• Get some sleep! Your body needs it to recover and be strong, not to mention to process all that information you shove into your brain everyday.
• And get some exercise--at least a little bit almost everyday.
• Don't let the stress get to you--learn ways to manage stress that work for you.

See the Gannett Health Services site for more helpful tips for health, http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/topics/colds-flu-strepthroat.cfm

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Ecology House Alum,

EcoHouse is indeed a very special place comprised of wonderful people.  It makes sense that like-minded people would meet each other there to eventually tie-the-knot!

Uncle Ezra