Dear Curious,
Those are excellent questions, though they aren't all easily answered!  I asked Reporter-Researcher Thom Geier, who wrote the article "Eye on the '90s" for US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, to address your question.  He replies:
        "Since publishing the item on the flying laptop in our June 13 issue, I've had several queries about the story's origin.  I first learned the tale in an e-mail correspondence from a graduate student at Cornell [University].  I later confirmed the incident, which apparently involved two graduate students at Olin Library, with Catherine Murray-Rust of the Cornell library administration. 'Tensions run high at the end of the academic year,' she explained to me.
        "According to my source, the laptop owner was studying at a carrel beside an open window in Olin.  The laptop in question fell six stories before crashing on the roof of the library's periodicial room."
        I asked Associate University Librarian Catherine Murray-Rust (clm6@Cornell.edu; 255-3689) how she views Thom's report.  She says that Thom called her in May and asked about the library's policy regarding laptop computers.  Catherine explained that the library has NO policy prohibiting use of laptops.  When she pushed him as to why he wanted to know, he explained that he knows a grad student who told him there was an incident in Olin in which one student threw another's laptop out the window.
        Catherine and other library staff received no reports of such an incident, but, says Catherine, it's not an impossibility.  She can imagine students having an argument that resulted in THREATENING to toss a laptop out the window...though it's harder to imagine carrying out the act, since the windows in Olin are locked.  So, says Catherine, she certainly can't confirm the event, but she can't deny it, either.
        Just to set the record straight, Cornell University has no library designated as the "main library".  Olin has a seventh floor and is the largest library.
        Catherine adds that she's only heard of two problems involving laptops in Cornell's libraries.  In one case, a student complained that another student's laptop (and accompanying paraphernalia) took up too much space.  In the other case, someone left a laptop computer unattended, and library staff were concerned that it would be stolen.
        Well, as Flora Lewis said, "Truth is the hardest substance in the world to pin down."  We may never know for sure whether the laptop (which evidently was NOT pinned down!) actually sailed out the window or not.  But at least now we're better informed about laptops in libraries!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Wondering,
To the best of my knowledge, Nelson was a well-known campus dog...  and no one I've asked knows what became of him (though we'd all like to).  Do any readers know?  (Don't confuse him with Bismarck, who is the brown and white St. Bernard still living and thriving on Cayuga Heights Road.)

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Outraged,
Parking on campus is a real source of frustration for lots of people...the more convenient the parking, the more expensive.   Given people's busy lives and limited budgets, the sacrifice of convenience OR money can be a big one.  And even if you leave aside parking per se, traffic congestion on campus is terrible.
        As you note, parking fees went up considerably more than most salaries this past year.  Director of Transportation Services Bill Wendt (BW4@Cornell.edu; 255-4628) points out that the cost of maintaining the parking garage, parking lots, and streets is very high.  In addition, one of the intentions of parking permit fees is to DISCOURAGE people from bringing single-occupant vehicles to campus. Instead, the folks at the Transportation Department -- with the input of a cross-section of University staff -- have designed a range of alternatives, like OmniRide (an unlimited-use bus pass), Ride Share (a program of discounts and rebates for carpoolers), and Occasional Parker.  There's even a "Parking Hardship Review Board" that helps out employees who have a particularly tough time finding options that fit their circumstances.  You can call the Transportation Department staff (255-4600) and ask them to send you a brochure called "Choices" which describes these options in more detail.
        Executive Assistant Judy Eckard at Transportation (255-2434) tells me there's lots of historical documentation about parking rates available at her 116 Maple Avenue office.  She'll be glad to share her newsclippings with you or any other aggravated (or simply curious) Cornellians.  The Office of Assemblies (165 Day Hall; 255-3715) also has Cornell Transportation Services and University Assembly minutes from 1990 that explain the process of the rate structure and how it was adopted.  And no, Judy says there's no plan to charge for A-lot, although "always" is a hard period of time to predict!
        Many Cornell employees DO have the capacity to work from home.  I shared your closing remarks with David Yeh, Assistant Vice President for Student and Academic Services (dsy1@Cornell.edu; 255-8728), who says that with the advent of the two-working-parent family as well as enhancements in technology, working from home is now much more possible than before.  There are considerations -- an extra workstation, EZREMOTE subscription, and other additional expenses, for instance -- but in general the benefits to employees and Cornell have outweighed the expense.  If you have a job conducive to working at home -- such as writing and other computer-based tasks -- talk with your supervisor about possibilities.  You can also discuss the option of a flexible work schedule that lands you on campus during less congested periods...again, depending on the nature of your job.
        Thanks, Bill, Judy, and David!

Uncle Ezra   

Unc --
I have two unrelated questions.  The first is: I was looking through CUINFO this evening and found that a math class that I was preregistering for had the professor changed.  I had done some research on the professors and am now quite frustrated to find this out.  How common is it for departments to change professors several weeks after preregistration is done?
        The second question is: Where can one find forums for intellectual discussions out of class?  I don't know if certain clubs, groups, etc. are best for such a search.  It is somewhat frustrating at times to find the conversation on your dorm floor primarily involves mundane conversation.

                                                                Frustrated

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Chimes Nut,
It's tough to imagine Cornell without the daily rhythm of chimes, particularly the afternoon Alma Mater...but the rumors you've heard are (for the most part) true.  I relayed your letter to Chimes Assistant Monica Rejzer Novakovic (chimes-mailbox@Cornell.edu), who replies:
        "I'm happy to hear how much the bells are appreciated on campus! Yes, there is a plan to remove the bells for a while and to renovate the instrument as well as McGraw Tower.  The renovation and restoration work is in the planning and design (and fund-raising!) phase right now and there is NO FIRM SCHEDULE for the construction or removal of the bells at this point.  When the project gets the green light, it is most likely that the bells will not be out for an entire year and that they will not be removed until after commencement in the year of renovation.  Because the project is in the planning stage, we are not yet sure when it will get underway or how long the entire project will take (after all, the building is 103 years old and the old girl is in desperate need of a major facelift!).  We will try our best to minimize the amount of time the bells are silent and the tower closed to visitors.  I can assure you that when all the renovation and restoration work is complete, the wait will have been worth it!"
        Thanks, Monica!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Moon Watcher,
That's an intriguing question which doesn't lend itself to one easy answer.  The folks in the Astronomy Department will tell you that the earth's atmosphere bends light rays.  When you look at the "huge" moon on the horizon, you're looking through the densest part of the atmosphere, which bends light rays the most.  The moon then appears much larger than it does when it goes overhead and you look through less dense atmosphere.
        However, Professor James Maas in the Psychology Department (JBM1@Cornell.edu; 255-6302) contends that you unconsciously confer the large size to the moon when you see it compared to the objects on the horizon.  He says you can test this perceptual distortion by catching the moon's reflection in a mirror positioned so that the moon appears to be overhead.  It will then seem to be its "normal" size.
        A couple of previous postings -- pages 46-47 in the 4/89 "Dear

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Straining for a View,
What's required to get a "reserved" seat depends on the event. According to Director of Student Activities Catherine Holmes (cah4@Cornell.edu), the sponsor of the event normally knows for whom the seats are saved.
        Catherine notes that contracts with performers and speakers often include a clause related to holding a certain number of complimentary tickets or seats for guests of the artist.  Sponsors may need to invite certain VIPs to an event and seats will be held for them. Someone may have donated money so that the event could happen, and this person and his/her entourage may get prime seats at the event. Some seats may be for the press.  Arrangements vary according to the function.
        Thanks, Catherine!  Although it's unlike that you can get a "reserved" seat -- unless you're one of those VIPs -- you can either arrive early (when there's open seating) or mention your vision problem when you purchase a ticket and politely ask whether you can get a seat with a good view.  Your letter also leaves me wondering whether you've checked with an eye doctor (listed under "Ophthalmology" in the "Physicians and Surgeons" section of the Yellow Pages) about possible solutions to your problem.  It may be easier to correct your poor vision than it is to get consistently awesome seats!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Bewildered (but not for long),
Wow...that's what I call a long-standing (or possibly long-sitting) fan!  Yes, the Asian Fraternity IS new on campus, in fact, so new that it's not even a formal fraternity yet.  Laisha Hashim, contact for the Asian Pacific Islander Student Union (256-1542) tells me that a dozen (or so) guys are living together and are in the process of becoming a bonafide fraternity.  If you'd like to talk with them or possibly meet them (if you're still in the area), you can call Roger, their contact person, at 275-9186.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Tapping Resources,
The easiest way to get help is for you to do the contacting.  You can call or write to Tom Weissinger, Librarian of the John Henrik Clarke Library at the Africana Studies and Research Center at 255-5229; TW14@Cornell.edu.  Wish I could also send you a free ticket to Yoruba!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Loving Cornell,
Thanks for your reflections...it's refreshing to hear from someone who knows how to look on the bright side and keep things in perspective.  And it's important to remember the value of taking care of ourselves, for our own sake and for the sake of the others who draw inspiration from us.
        I'd add, though, that appreciating life doesn't necessarily mean you'll avoid sadness.  Emotions run from blissful to painful and all shades in between; all have their place in our lives.  "I have been in Sorrow's kitchen and licked out all the pots.  Then I have stood on the peaky mountain wrapped in rainbows, with a harp and a sword in my hands" (Zora Neale Hurston, DUST TRACKS IN THE ROAD).  Depression or difficulty don't mean that someone's off track...perhaps they're just seeing a different side of the track than you are right now.

Uncle Ezra