Dear Friend,

Your question regarding student-teacher relationships, merits more than one answer because there is the black and white response, and then there is the grey response- the actual hue probably depends on the individual perspectives of those involved!

There is a specific university policy about romantic and sexual relationships between students and staff, which is at http://WWW.UNIVCO.CORNELL.EDU/policy/SOEC.html#RTFToC13a under the Standards of Ethical Conduct policy, Conflicts of Interest and Commitment section. The policy states "advise appropriate parties of potential conflicts in accordance with applicable university conflicts policies; refrain from engaging in a romantic or sexual relationship with a student whom you teach, advise, coach, or supervise in any way; avoid any activity that hinders your ability to carry out responsibilities to the university."

This information is also in the Handbook for Teaching Assistants at Cornell, 2001 publication, page 62-64. (If the TA did not get a copy of the TA handbook, they can check with their department or pick one up at the Center for Learning and Teaching, 420 CCC.

I would advise the you to hold off dating the TA in question until the course is over.  We tell an TA to have somebody else grade a paper if they are too close to a certain person in the course (for any reason), and to announce that those policies are in place.  How this will play out in your situation is that the OTHER students in the class will think the TA is giving quiz questions to the favored undergraduate, and will "turn" on the TA in the final course evaluations.  These issues often go beyond the two people in the relationship, impacting the other students in the class as well as the TA.

Relationships are acceptable after the course is complete and the final grades are turned in.  This is true for TAs when there is a slim chance they'll TA again.  For professors, it is a different story.  I encourage you and the Teaching Assistant to consider their relationship, and their relationships with their fellow students/peers, as they make their choices. Easier said than done, I'm sure, but forwarned is forarmed.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Party Seeker,

Llenroc (Cornell spelled backwards) is a fraternity, who's official Greek letters are Delta Phi.  Every year they do a Haunted House.  It will be taking place THIS THURSDAY, 10/27 at the Llenroc House (100 Cornell Ave) from 7pm-10pm. We hope to see everyone there to kick off Halloween Weekend!

Here is the Facebook event link for more information: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=231115933615868

Apart from this Halloween event, Chi Psi fraternity will also be hosting an event on Saturday which will be open to all. I suggest you get there early when the party begins at 10pm, because the lines to enter the house can be very long.

Ready for a night of spooks and scares? Come out for Community Center Programs' Annual Haunted House that's guaranteed to fright! This year WSHRC, SUB and POW! are joining CCP to create a Fun House gone awry!!! Be brave and you'll be rewarded with free treats and giveaways. Only if you make it to the end... Friday October 28th Willard Straight Hall 7:00-10:00 pm.

There will also be a haunted house at 112 Edgemoor lane, across from Chi Psi on Oct 29th from 7:30-9:30pm. This is sponsored by the Collegetown Residence Halls & Residential Programs, no one under 16 admitted, because it is so SCARY! This is an annual event in it's 9th year.

I hear that there are also some Halloween happenings on North Campus!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Depressed and Helpless,

Sorry for not answering sooner.  I completely understand the pressure that you are under and your reluctance to talk to people you know.  But it is obvious that it will help you a lot to talk to someone who can be objective and supportive.  I suggest "Let's Talk."  Let's talk is an easy, convenient, free, and confidential one time counseling session.  And you don't even need an appointment.  Check for the locations on this site, http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/services/counseling/caps/talk/.  Scroll down to find the site closest to you and the counselor you want to talk to.

It is important to get your panicky feelings in check in order to get a good night's sleep and do well. 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Not Ready to Leave the Hill,    

The Cornell Libraries do provide great resources for the students of the university, but these privileges are no longer available to alumni after graduation. There are, however, alternative options. By going onto the Cornell Libraries web page and selecting the "Library Services" tab for alumni, you are able to access the ProjectMUSE database. This database contains full text journals published by Johns Hopkins University as well as other university presses in humanities, social sciences, and mathematics. Apart from this there are no other know services available from Cornell, but local libraries may be another place to look if you are seeking databases after graduation.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Watcher,

I, Uncle Ezra, asked one of my friends at Cornell who is a radio technology expert and watches HD TV over the air from Trumansburg... Sorry to say, it's not really good news for Over-The-Air ("OTA") reception. But there are some alternatives...

First, off,  if you live in Ithaca (downtown) it will be difficult to get HD reception, since Ithaca is in a valley. As a rule, the higher up you are, and the more unrestricted sight lines you have in different directions, the better your OTA reception will be. HD broadcasts around here come from Syracuse, Elmira and Binghamton. If you can mount an antenna on top of a 4-6 story building near campus, you're likely to be able to receive multiple PBS stations from Binghamton and Syracuse, and possibly other networks. My friend has a big antenna with a rotator on his roof to point it at each station, AND a special "low noise amplifier" to make the weak signal stronger. It's unlikely that OTA HD reception will work with "rabbit ears" or other small indoor antennas.

My friend recommends telephoning "Hiway HiFi" in Ithaca, they are extremely knowledgeable about all things HD. They can probably give you an idea about what reception is possible and what's needed based on their long-time experience in the Ithaca area. Uncle Ezra can personally recommend them from his own experience.

If you have a high speed internet connection, there are many sources of TV and HD programming. Some are subscription, like Netflix, others you pay for "on demand", and many are free. Search "free hd tv on the internet" or "get rid of my cable tv" on Google, and you will see that there are many choices. Many new HDTVs connect directly to the internet, or you can plug the TV into your computer with an HDMI cable. But if you use your computer, be sure you have anti-virus software, and read the fine print before you download any video playback software. More and more people are using their high speed internet connections instead of subscribing to cable TV these days, and that might meet your needs. Though it's not quite as convenient as cable it's WAY cheaper. You can try it with your computer and decide if it's good enough. Lastly, you might also check the rates on the cheaper levels of service from the Satellite Dish providers.

Good luck!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Advocating for English,

We couldn’t agree more that extra writing experience and course work is valuable for students! Students usually find that the Human Development major provides flexibility to go deep in an additional area of interest, either in a formal minor or by thoughtful selection of courses of particular interest. Creating an informal emphasis can be just as satisfying as the completion of a minor. If you do transfer into CHE, please work with your faculty advisor and with a counselor in the Office of Student and Career Development for support in incorporating all of your interests into degree planning.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Future Planner,

The Cornell Art, Architecture, and Planning Department offers three undergraduate degrees in architecture, two in art, and one in planning. The Planning program is called "Department of City and Regional Planning" and offers a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Studies (URS). Students develop their insights, knowledge, and technical skills that will help in future endeavors within the industry.

Please refer to the Undergraduate information page of the Architecture, Art, and Planning website at http://aap.cornell.edu/ddp/undergraddegree.cfm.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Not Just,

The entrance year has something to do with it, but not the college.  This according to Marisa LaFalce in the University Registrar’s Office (stand against that wall, please, and smile for your ID picture) who explains:

“The Cornell ID numbers are assigned chronologically at the point a persons record is created in Peoplesoft (the university's administrative system).  Everyone (students, employees, affiliates, etc.) has a number.  In the case of students, the number is created during their first interaction with Cornell, usually at the time they become a prospect, so it is not unusual for freshmen to have ID numbers that are very close (numerically) to one another.  In fact, since most of our people records are prospective students (and many become actual students) they're nearly chronological, but if an employee record is created it will be intermingled with the student record.”

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Law Student,

Feeling like this is the cross-examination of some evasive (not hostile, definitely not hostile!) witness.  Okay, playing along, suppose the evasive witness says:

“If I understand your question correctly—and that’s a very nice suit, by the way— you want to know what portion of your tuition goes for Universitywide overhead, eh? Maybe you were looking out the library window and you saw some hunched-over, rain-coated figure raking leaves and you said: ‘Those leaves have no direct relevance on my career.’  Or you went past Day Hall at night, when administrators were burning the overtime oil, and you thought: ‘What have they done for me lately?’ (Okay, we all wonder that.) Sorry, I’m not good with numbers. You need ask someone in the Law Dean’s office.”

No, no, no you don’t call up the Cornell Law School and go:  “Hi, I’m with My Cousin Vinnie’s Online School of Legal Stuff, and I’m wondering, just between us deans, exactly how much does that Ivy League university of yours filch from the tuition of a typical, debt-burdened law student?”   No. You just ask—straight out, giving your real name —and try to be polite.  Here, we’ll do it for you this time:

And within a day the response comes back from a spokesperson for the Law Dean’s office, saying: “No. This is not public information.”

So do they still cover “public information” issues in Fourth Year? Pay special attention when you get to part about private versus public institutions, the Freedom of Information Act, and how a smart, persistent lawyer can pry things loose. Go get ‘em, counsel!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Found,

First go to the website for the professor's department, search for the prof you are looking for and check to find out his building and office number.  Even better call the administrative person for the department or major and ask that person for the office of the professor in question.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Worried Niece,

First, about those possibly radioactive wooden gifts and jeans (a possible-possible problem resulting from the Japanese earthquakes, tsunamis and troubled nuke plants).  There is very little chance that there is any radioactive particles that could effect you.  But if you are still concerned, here’s where to start:  Call your local Public Health department, and ask if you can bring in consumer goods for radiation testing.  They should be happy to explain what they’re doing — all about normal background radiation levels, the different kinds of radiation and accepted safe levels in everyday things. And hopefully, you will be able to enjoy your gifts in safety and confidence.

No opinion from Your Uncle on cell phones in pockets and EMF (electromagnetic field) health effects, or whether Bluetooth turns your teeth blue.  Kidding! Really just kidding about the last one.  But it always pays to be cautious—what with contradictory health studies and scary news stories every other day.

But travel again to Japan—what a lovely idea!  Guessing from your letter, you long to return, to make new friends and reconnect with the old ones.  If you’re worried about unsafe areas within Japan, check the travel advisories from the U.S. State Department, posted here: http://travel.state.gov/travel/. I hear that Japan is offering a huge number of free flights to those who will blog about their excellent adventures there.   Offers will be made available in April.

Above all, please try to relax. Learn to evaluate risks—and enjoy the rewards of life. 

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Annoyed by Spam,

One day you’re studying the theory and practice of marketing. And the next you’re being practiced on — perhaps illegally.  Marketing with advertising spam to students in AEM 2400—an introduction to the fundamentals of marketing—could be a serious violation of University policy as well as federal law.  This according to Tracy Mitrano, who administers IT policy for the University http://www.cit.cornell.edu/policies/ and is a nationally recognized authority on the ethical and legal issues of IT.  She says:

“Good question!  There is a University policy that prohibits the sending of group email messages at the level of the constituencies of students, staff, alumni and faculty without the permission of the appropriate email steward.  The policy number is 5.2.

“To groups less than that  policy does not apply . . . but the law might, for a commercial concern.  The sender must follow certain rules outlined in the document on this page.  Moreover, also on this page, is a link to make a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission.  http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus61-can-spam-act-compli ance-guide-business

“Here is the greatest concern:  How are they (the spammers) getting the class list?  It would be a violation of university policy for the registrar or professor or even a graduate student or TA to provide that class list.  You might want to mention it to the professor to remind the TAs of these rules.  And if it happens again, the professor might want to consult with the Director of IT Policy for more information.”

Uncle Ezra