Dear Concerned,

It’s so great that your friend confided in you, and that you are willing to be there for her.  Offering support for someone with an eating disorder is extremely valuable, but may also be somewhat tricky for you. First, please let your friend know that medical and psychological care are completely confidential, protected by law, and not part of an academic record.  Treatment information is never released without permission.of the patient. 

On the contrary, obtaining treatment for an eating problem can be very helpful to students for their future academic pursuits.  Struggling alone with bulimia can use up tremendous amounts of energy and time, whereas recovery is quite a freeing experience. Many students at Cornell receive treatment for their eating problems on an outpatient basis through Gannett Health Center.  A specific treatment program is designed to help each student navigate the psychological, medical, and nutritional components of their problem. 

Some students—not all—may do better with additional care at an intensive outpatient or inpatient treatment program, but this is usually decided only after treatment is in progress. The Gannett webpage (www.gannett.cornell.edu/CHEP) has information about eating disorders and about how you can help your friend.  You will want to be supportive of her, but not a “watchdog.”  It is important to help her realize that treatment is needed for best recovery, but you will also want to converse about topics other than her problem. The easiest way to connect your friend with services at Gannett is to call 255-5155 during regular hours. 

If she is too anxious to go to an appointment alone, you could offer to accompany her.  If she is not a Cornell student, use the website above to link you to other resources on eating disorders, or try the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), at http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ ).

Finally, if you would like to receive support in helping your friend, you can schedule a meeting with a psychotherapist or nutritionist at Cornell by calling the appointment number above.  Talking it through with a professional can help in figuring out the best approach. Even though it is late in the semester, it’s not too late for your friend to get a consultation and get started on making progress with her problem. 

The summer can be an excellent time to get some help. Best of luck and thanks so much for caring!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Yoga Enthusiast,

If your aim is to reach Cornell staff and faculty, you should contact Beth McKinney, bm20, Director of the Cornell Wellness Program.  Your request will involve more than just permission to use Beebe Lake (Environmental Health and Safety, UUP forms, etc.), but Beth can let you know about all of that.  Also, there is only a very small window of time where the water is warm enough... this isn't California!  Although I sound skeptical, I do wish you luck and support all means of healthy, active exercise.

For those of you not familiar with SUP Yoga, I share this info from the Internet:

Stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) first emerged in the beaches of Hawaii in the 1960s and began to make inroads on the mainland about 10 years ago. Aside from the coasts, it is particularly popular on urban waterways, where it provides a unique vantage point from which to interact with city life while skimming past it. Standing erect at the water surface level gives you the feeling, and appearance, of walking on water. It's also a great way to get fit, as you work the legs and core to stay up on the board and the arms and back to propel yourself. The board is broad and stable enough that someone got the bright idea of treating it like a floating yoga mat, and SUP yoga was born.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Student,

There are so many interesting people and events happening on campus, that the live view cameras make it easy to get a sneak peek at those places live.

The link below will give you access to live feeds of Ho Plaza, McGraw Tower, and the Hi, Mom Camera outside of the Cornell Bookstore. This link will also direct you to live feeds from the Engineering Quad, the view from the Statler, and the Dept. of Horticulture’s Greenhouse cam.     http://www.cornell.edu/visiting/ithaca/live_views.cfm

Additionally, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a live camera of select birds. Currently, a Red Tailed Hawk, located on campus, is being watched by the Lab of Ornithology.  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/page.aspx?pid=2422

They are also watching a Great Blue Heron, whose nest is right outside of Cornell Lab's Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/page.aspx?pid=2433

If you would like a live view of the Ithaca Commons, go to http://www.ancientwisdompro.com/webcam/index.php.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Duel-ing,

It is exciting to hear of your aspirations and it makes perfect sense to me why you would like to combine these two fields.  I suggest making an appointment to speak to Laura Brown, the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education.  She might be able to help you figure out which path to follow and this would also make her aware of students like you who are trying to create a program that best suits their needs.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Student,

Applying to medical school can be a stressful process, and it is only natural to want to know that average acceptance rates for undergraduates into these programs.

My friends at Cornell Career Services state, “[The percentages you requested] depends on type of medical school (there are three types all with different stats). We do not have this information available at present. This question is best handled in an advising appointment where we can look more categorically at a student's outlook.”

I would suggest setting up a time to meet with someone in Career Services to really identify the information you are seeking.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Student,

Selecting a roommate can be one of the most difficult, yet very important steps in a college student’s life.  Its’ best that you have a roommate with whom you share interests with and who shares a similar lifestyle.

My friends at the Housing Office have provided the following insights.

“During the first year application process, each student has an opportunity to fill out eight “lifestyle” questions as a part of their application.  The answers to these questions are then recorded in Cornell’s Housing system and are used in two ways:

1)  Students who requested and/or who are assigned to live in multi-bed rooms (i.e. double, triple, quad) will be paired with other students that have like answers to these questions. This methodology does not take into account requested roommates. The Housing office will always do its best to pair requested roommates, no matter how each student answers these questions.

2)  Using the answers to these questions, Cornell’s Housing system also provides a way for students to connect based on compatibility. Within the, “Roommate Requests” section of the application, students may either request specific classmates to be their roommates, or they can find well-matched classmates based on percentages that the system calculates and illustrates in a list. Students can then send a secure message to any potential roommate within this list and/or request them as a roommate. Please note, students must “accept” each other in order for the Housing system to consider any roommate request valid.”

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Loyal Reader and Nephew.

Every once in a while we make decisions that seemed great at the time, but have consequences down the road. A staff member from the Office of Internal Transfers provided the following information to help you manage your college career at Cornell.

“The Internal Transfer Disciplinary Action statement requires internal transfer applicants to disclose whether or not they have any University disciplinary charges pending against them or if they have ever been the subject of any University disciplinary action for academic, nonacademic, or any other reasons.  The statement also asks if you have a criminal conviction and if yes, to provide a detailed explanation. Failure to disclose may result in denial of your internal transfer application, so it is best to disclose than risk automatic denial.  Also, providing false information on this statement constitutes an academic integrity violation.

In your case, if your incident with the Ithaca Police Department (IPD) didn’t result in a University disciplinary action or criminal conviction, you aren’t obliged to disclose.  On the other hand, if your incident with the IPD did result in a University disciplinary action or criminal conviction, you are required to disclose through the Disciplinary Action statement.

We also recommend speaking to an advisor in the Office of Career Services (103 Barnes Hall) about whether or not your incident may affect future job prospects and how to disclose to a prospective employer if required to do so.”

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Student,

First, be sure that you have a very good case.  Do the calculations of the grades you received on each exam and paper, include participation and anything else that might be a factor, as well as any curve that was announced or written in the syllabus.  If that grade is very different from what you received, there is a chance that something was entered incorrectly.

Do go to the department head to voice your concern and bring all of the facts.  Be sure to mention that you approached the professor first to no avail.  Be sure to be polite and respectful during each encounter and remember that department heads are very busy.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Kin.

Ithaca during the summer is the when the flowers are in bloom and air never tasted so crisp.  It would be a wonderful time for you and your sister to be here and conduct research together.

According to the Office of Student Employment, “A non-Cornell student would not be eligible to work as an hourly student employee.  However, a non-Cornell student may be hired at the department’s discretion into non-student jobs (such as a temp/casual appointment).  So if the student’s sibling finds a position, she will want to contact the department to see if they would be willing to hire her as a casual or temp employee.”

May your sister and my other niece have the best of luck finding a temporary research position this summer.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Student,

This question took the help of a few staff members at Olin Library, but we have figured out the source of this breeze.

One dedicated staff member stated, “I walked around the area quite a bit before I finally found one spot where I could feel some air movement.   It appears that the “breeze” is air coming from the air diffusers above the bookcases along the south wall.  The diffusers are part of the heating and air conditioning system in the library.  I hope this helps.”

Uncle Ezra