Dear Frustrated,

You might want to look at whether you have stayed friends with this girl for all this time because you truly value her friendship or because you want to get back together. It sounds like you value the relationship that you have with her. If you think you can be her friend beyond your romantic feelings for her, then you could continue to have this wonderful person in your life.

However, if you feel that your whole relationship is based on being partners and  your feelings aren't reciprocated, maybe it's not the healthiest relationship to be in. It's also important to keep in mind that there are plenty of other fish in the sea!

It is very possible that you love this friend, want to continue having her in your life (as a friend), but also want a girlfriend or boyfriend.  And it is possible that when you find an intimate, partnered relationship with someone else, it will be much easier for you to continue your friendship relationship with this girl.

Try going to a dance sponsored by Haven or visiting the LGBT Resource Center and meeting other people.  There are so many ways to meet people on this campus.  Go for it!  Satisfying your needs for a partnered relationship will most likely free you up to enjoy your friendship with her on a new and deeper level.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Niece,

There are times when we get to the end of our rope and some change is needed. Dropping out is one solution and it might be the best depending on your situation, but there many other ways to move forward without throwing the baby out with the bath water.

A few things to consider before you drop out and (as you say) waste all of your parents hard earned cash. Could you drop a few courses and continue in the ones that you most enjoy or are doing ok in?  That way you will continue your education and get something out of the semester that you have started. 

Would it be easier for you to stick around for this semester if you knew that it was your last here at Cornell.  It is possible that Cornell is not a good match for you and you would find yourself much happier in another university or studying something else.

You ask how to drop out...  The answer is to talk to someone in your college's academic advising office.  That is the same person who you have to talk to, to adjust your schedule, drop a few classes and/or find a direction and path that suits you.  So go to your college Academic Advising or Student Support Services office today.  Talk to someone and I am sure that together you can come up with a good solution.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Lazy and Hungry,

There are a few places open, but not many.  Here is the complete list, http://campuslife.cornell.edu/campuslife/dining/2011-fall-break-dining-hours.cfm.  Rmember that Collegetown is just a short distance and there are so many great restaurnats there to try.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Window Gazer,

Those crests, rendered in stained glass in the upper reaches of the President Andrew D. White Library (within Uris Library) represent Oxford and Cambridge universities and some of their most esteemed colleges — at the time the founding president donated his personal book-and-manuscript collection for use by this then-new university’s students, faculty, and visiting scholars.

White accumulated much of his 30,000-piece collection during travels abroad, when Oxford and Cambridge were seen as educational ideals for some aspects of an enterprising (but quite different, as it turned out) American university. Here’s what the Uris Library history tour http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/history/uris/adwhite says about one of the most stylish little libraries in the world today:

“When White offered his personal library to the university, he set two conditions.  He asked that the university provide a suitable space to house his collection—he stipulated a fireproof room—and he requested that proper provision be made for the ongoing maintenance of his collections.  That ‘suitable space’ is the Andrew Dickson White Library. White played an active role in helping the building’s architect, William Henry Miller, design and ornament this space.”

As librarian Lance Hedig gives a tour of the President White Library (duck through the oddly short, squarish door if you’re taller than six feet) he points out one fire-proofing feature: a nonfunctioning, ornamental fireplace surrounded by more windows with a contemplative views to the West. Nor was the building threatened by candles and gas lighting —because it was one of the first libraries anywhere to be illuminated with the new-fangled electric lighting. Of course the stacks structures and stairways connecting the three-level library are made of fire-resistant (and charmingly decorative) cast iron. 

However, you won’t find President White’s books there. They were moved to the underground safety of Kroch Library, a cherished part of the university’s rare and manuscript collection.  Nowadays the books on the shelves are part of the Uris Library catalog.  All visitors to President White Library are welcome to browse, borrow, or quietly study (no jangling cell phones, please!) in a beautiful space that would be the envy of Oxford, Cambridge, et al.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Looking for Fun!

Oh, there are so many things to do.

Check the listings on Cornell Events to see what is happening on campus, http://events.cornell.edu/.

How about a movie at Cornell Cinema, Cinemopolis, or the Ithaca Mall. Or a play at one of the local theaters; Risley, Schwartz, Dillingham, Kitchen or Hanger?  A show at the historic State Theater in downtown Ithaca?  Or a concert at Bailey or Barnes Hall?Or a sporting event?

On a clear Friday night you can see the stars at the Fuertes Observatory on North Campus.  You could go bowling at Helen Newman Hall or ice skating at Lynah Rink.

Here's a list from a group of students:

     -  Cinemopolis, Cornell Cinema

-       CU Tonight events

-       West Campus events

-       Hang out with friends

-       Movie night

-       Cook dinner

-       Explore the Commons

-       Concerts (check out Dan Smalls Presents)

-       Salsa parties at Big Red Barn and Oasis

-       Check out the observatory

-       Exercise

-       See a show, a capella, a play, music, hip hop

-       Stargaze

-       Go for a nighttime walk with friends

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Student,

President Skorton eats in a number of Cornell's eateries and I don't keep his calendar to know when he is where.  He does hold "Talk with President Skorton" sessions from time to time.  They are usually advertised in the Daily sun and you just have to sign up to attend.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Kait,

There is so much that goes in to the admissions process.  It is impossible to answer your question. The important thing is to do your best, be aware of your strengths, and keep you eyes on what you are passionate about.  There will be a college that will be right for you, maybe Cornell, but maybe another school.

If you are 100% sure that this is the only school for you and you are not admitted right after high school, you always have the option of transferring.  Hope to see you here in the future.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Retiree,

Ithaca has been rated the best of so many things, including one of the best places to retire, http://www.topretirements.com/reviews/New_York/Ithaca.html. 

There are no specific retirement communities associated with Cornell, but many Cornell people end up living at Kendal at Ithaca, just a mile from campus.  Others may go across to South Hill to the Longview Community, http://www.ithacarelongview.com/.  Most just find a home downtown or on the outskirts of town and look for friends and activities within the larger community.  There is so much to do and see here.  It's hard to get bored and easy to make friends.  Many people say that there is a club or organization for every interest, need or political affiliation.  And Ithaca is Gorges!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Niece,

Students go abroad while living in the residence halls as well as from apartments.  It is possible that a different dorm might serve your needs better.  the other idea is a Co-op, http://www.campuslife.cornell.edu/campuslife/housing/cooperative-house.cfm. 

The co-ops are unique, collaborative communities governed by their student residents, and are among the least expensive housing options on campus.  Members determine house rules and participate in daily operations, including routine cleaning and maintenance. Decisions affecting each house are made democratically at individual house meetings.

Some students are able to make arrangements with friends who are going abroad the opposite semester.  They rent an apartment and each lives there one semester.  Check with the Cornell Off-Campus Housing Office to see if they have a listing of apartments that others going abroad want to share.  The Cornell Abroad Office may also have information for you.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Student,

I guess, strictly speaking, there isn’t really a difference. Informal Cornell jargon has drop mean a course withdrawal before the deadline of the end of the seventh week (October 14 this year). Courses ‘dropped’ before the deadline do not appear on the transcript. After the deadline, a course will show “W” on the transcript to indicate that the student withdrew from the course after the seventh week.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Late-Niter,

There is no master calendar.  The best you can do is check with the building that you are interested in staying in, to find out those specific hours.  Some will be posted on the building or department website.

Uncle Ezra