Dear Wet,

I think we all feel very wet today.  At the moment I have my shoes off, hoping that they will dry before I am finished with work.  Although why dry them, when I just have to go out in the rain again.  Feel lucky to be on the hill and not in downtown Ithaca tonight!

First off, it rains in Ithaca...sometimes a lot.  We actually have had a fairly dry time for the past few years and two gorgeous summers.  Somehow I think we are in for a rainy Fall.

So start off with a raincoat (a real raincoat) and an umbrella.  Boots are also a good idea and now there are so many stylish ones.  A good waterproof backpack is also desirable as you now see.  If yours won't repel the rain I suggest lining it with a plastic garbage bag and put all of your books in that.  See if that friendly custodian in your residence hall has an extra that they could give you.

But you are starting out with everything wet.  I suggest separating everything out to give it the most airflow.  Then take a hairdryer and wave it over everything.  A backpack can be put in a dryer if the heat setting can be put on low.  You don't want the high heat to melt anything on the pack that is plastic.

Oh, and one more thing...remember that rain is necessary for growing things.  The beauty of Ithaca is dependent on rain.  The local foods that we eat need water to grow.  The wonderful lakes, creeks, gorges and waterfalls would be nothing without the rain!

And most importantly, the creeks are rushing very fast right now, with unbelievable force.  Stay away from them as well as from the slippery banks.  I love all of you and want you to be safe.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Niece,

I love your ideas!  Great ideas!  Check with your Student Assembly representative to see if they can support a bus for students to take to Treman or Buttermilk Park in those few warm days in August and then again in the Spring.

Cornell Minds Matter is running trips to all of the local parks this semester.  It's too cold to swim right now, but a nice hike would be a great autumn adventure.  See their website for Social Events that interest you, http://mindsmatter.dos.cornell.edu/index.html.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Concerned,

Many people send their email address with their questions and I am able to send their answer back to them by email.  But for those who choose to be anonymous, there is nothing I can do to figure out who they are.  I know this because there has been a time or two when I have received a letter from someone who was seriously considering hurting themselves and even with all of Cornell CIT working on it, we could do nothing to track them down.

So feel free to send your concerns and hopefully I will be able to find an answer that will help you on your way.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Jogger,

The Kane Sports Complex, adjacent to the Friedman Wrestling Center, is available for recreational use from 11am – 1 pm Monday – Friday.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Generous,

Thank you – on behalf of all who labor mightily  (and are paid meagerly) in hopes of getting a good tip — for asking this sensitive question.

First some general guidelines that probably apply in any state of the U.S.: You should never feel obliged/intimidated/bamboozled to tip for terrible service. Extraordinary service merits a little more in the way of gratuity, but miserable treatment should never be rewarded. Try to be compassionate and understanding when the source of your misery is someone/something other than your direct contact with the service rendered. If the restaurant kitchen catches fire and your beans are burnt, it’s probably not the server’s fault. Or if your taxi has to take the long way around a hurricane-flooded bridge, be glad you arrived safely and show your gratitude to the driver.

Specifically, 15 percent is appropriate for decent restaurant service. Tip on the before-tax total, and if you used a coupon or other discount, calculate the tip on the amount you would have paid without the coupon.  The same goes for delivery people (food, flowers, lost-and-found cats, whatever) bearing in mind that many delivery folks around here are your fellow students, whom you might see in class tomorrow morning.

Bellhops (another student occupation) should be rewarded by the number of bags they carry. The rule used to be a dollar a bag, which now seems a little low — especially if the bellhop takes the trouble to show you how the thermostat/wi-fi/mini-fridge/other hotel mysteries work— but a five-dollar bill is always appreciated. Loose change from the last foreign country you visited is not appreciated— not by bellhops, housekeepers, delivery people and never by cabbies, who have a special term for passengers like that: “#@%^&* students!”

Finally, one qualifier: Cramming a bunch of hapless students into one airport cab and charging each full fare — as is the practice of certain local taxi companies— ought to be illegal and certainly does not occasion a tip by any of you. TCAT Route 32 serves the Ithaca airport, campus and downtown—and you don’t ever have to tip a bus driver.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Definitely,

You seem like a smart person to be getting such a head start on planning. Being that smart, did you really think Uncle Ezra would help you with this question?

Rather than answer your question, I am going to express concern for your drinking and the consequences you may experience as a result. This concern stems from the fact that you seem to be thinking about drinking a lot—after all you are planning drinking for an event 7 months away! Also, you are thinking about getting wasted—suggesting a potentially dangerous level of alcohol use.

Maybe I am being over-concerned. Maybe you should get a second opinion: you can take an anonymous on-line questionnaire at http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening/Welcome.aspx.

I hope you will spend some time reflecting on the results of the questionnaire and thinking about what you want from your college experience. Should you be interested, there are a wealth of resources on this campus and off campus to help you with this reflection process; check out: http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/services/counseling/alcohol_drug/index.cfm

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and fun Slope Day.

Uncle Ezra   

Thanks to you and everyone who helped me understand "wines" a bit better.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear To Be or Not,

I think it is worth contacting the Cornell Navy ROTC folks to see what they think of your idea, navyrotc@cornell.edu.

If you diecide that the Navy is not for you there are many ways to develop better public speaking skills and self confidence.  One of the best is the Toastmasters Club.  They have many groups across the country and I am sure that you could find a group in a city near you.

From their website, http://www.toastmasters.org/:

"Confidence. The ability to communicate, persuade and lead. The skill to tell one’s story, shape better tomorrows and point others in the same direction. These are the attributes of leaders, and not all leaders are born with talent. They learn it, and so can you.

"For nearly a century, Toastmasters International has been helping women and men of every background, education level and economic standing develop the competency they need to become effective communicators and inspired leaders."

If you are in Ithaca, there is a group that meets every Tuesday evening at 6PM in Rhodes Hall at Cornell.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Water Taster,

According to our good friends at Wiki:

Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with soft water). Hard water has high concentrations of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions. Hard water is generally not harmful to one's health but can pose serious problems in industrial settings, where water hardness is monitored to avoid costly breakdowns in boilers, cooling towers, and other equipment that handles water.

Water around Ithaca is a bit "hard."  How will that effect you?  It might make it somewhat harder to get a real soapy lather in the shower, but you will get just as clean.

Intersted in Cornell's water?  Visit the University’s Water Filtration Plant (255-3381 for an appointment, or just show up at the facility between Caldwell Road and Fall Creek, across from the Arboretum entrance) and get a tour.  See for yourself how water from Fall Creek is filtered and disinfected, so that it meets the strictest requirements of federal, state and local health authorities.

Of course you could skip the tour altogether —just read the annual report of water quality in Ithaca posted here http://www.boltonpoint.org/images/DWQR_2010.pdf —but think of the fun you’ll have.  You can read the historic plaque — telling how Cornell’s water plant was donated by Andrew Carnegie, a University trustee at the time, after the Ithaca typhoid epidemic of 1903.  Then read David DeKok’s new book on the subject, “The Epidemic,” and be glad Typhoid Mary isn’t cooking at your house. 

Your interest in water quality could lead to a whole new career.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Wish . . . Again,

This is sounding like the plot for a wistful movie (maybe “You Can’t Go Far Above Again”) so Your Uncle turns to Jim Finlay, Assistant Dean of Arts and Sciences in that college’s advising office, who says:

“Students cannot earn a second bachelor’s degree from Cornell (with two exceptions; see link below). The Undergraduate Admissions Office addresses this issue on their FAQ page: http://admissions.cornell.edu/faq/am-i-able-en roll-cornell-second-bachelor%E2%80%99s-degree”

Curious about those two exceptions, Your Uncle checks the referenced FAQ, which says: “You cannot enroll for a second bachelor’s degree at Cornell, with the following exceptions: interior design and dietetics (within nutritional sciences). Financial assistance for second-degree candidates is limited. If you already have a bachelor’s degree and you wish to pursue further study in a field other than those listed above, you should contact the Graduate School (607.255.5820 or gradschool@cornell.edu) or the appropriate academic department for advice about extramural courses or graduate studies.”

Dietetics or interior design might not be your true passion in life, but it’s clear you miss your (misspent) undergraduate years here.  Please reconsider the master’s degree option.  Your added maturity, wisdom, life experience, etc. will be appreciated by all you work with —students and teachers— and you’ll find this place really hasn’t changed that much.  Some fancy new buildings popped up since you were here last, but basically this is still the Cornell your loved.  Hoping to see you around campus soon.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Lawful Observer,

I doubt that there is anyplace on campus that you can go for legal help.  There is a Legal Aid Clinic at the Law School in Myron Taylor Hall, but this doesn't sound like the type of case they would consider.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Troubled,

I sent your entire letter to the folks in Housing and I know that a few have had a chance to read it already.  Thanks for your concerns and for taking the trouble to write them down so clearly.  Please work with the Residence Hall Director for things that are able to be changed.  With those things that cannot be changed, think outside the box and try to make the most of your experience there. 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Generous Brick Stylist,

1. Clubs at Corenll are always in need of funding for the various ways that they support students.  You can find info about Cornell Giving on this site, http://www.giving.cornell.edu/contact/.  Thank you!

Those quaint (bumpy, annoying, pick your adjective) bricks on parts of Stewart Avenue (and elsewhere in Ithaca, notably State Street) are both many decades old as well as newly installed.  Most Ithaca streets nowadays are paved with asphalt (also called blacktop or macadam) but often there are old bricks (and sometimes abandoned streetcar rails) underneath.

Setting bricks (in street repairs or entire new sections of street) is more costly than paving with asphalt, but a properly built brick street usually outlasts asphalt.  The City of Ithaca feels the extra expense is worth the “historic look” imparted by bricks in certain neighborhoods.

But...as anyone who has driven on Stewart Ave. lately knows...it definitely is in need of repair, big time!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Can't Sleep,

I would check with Julie Paige in the Cornell Off Campus Housing Office, http://dos.cornell.edu/dos/ocho/.  She can offer steps you can take to get some peace and quiet. 

Another option is to call the Cornell Police, if you think that the noise is coming from those in Cornell buildings or the Cayuga Heights Police is you live in the Village of Cayuga Heights.

Uncle Ezra