Dear Anonymous,
I'm glad you felt free to express your worry here.  New York State law specifically includes a provision about protection of privacy for library users.  According to Catherine Murray-Rust, Associate University Librarian (255-3689; CLM6@Cornell.edu), "Cornell University Library has in place some strict policies to ensure this result.  The Library's online system records loans to users in their 'patron' record.  When the material is returned (provided there is no billing situation involved), the connection between a particular user and his/her choice of reading material is deleted from the active files and held in the archival file for 16 months.  Records for former students and employees are also moved to archival status.  The staff purge these archival files on a regular basis.  Although we are required to make any information we have available in response to a subpoena from a court, our view is that we cannot provide what we do not have, so we make sure that the computer files only include the minimum information necessary for us to actively manage circulation services.
        "In addition, all library staff are clearly instructed that they may not under any circumstances make these records public.  We also have a section in the GUIDE TO CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY which reminds users not to ask for such information because we will not supply it.  We have refused and will continue to refuse to provide any information to anyone inside or outside Cornell unless we are required by a court to do so.  In the past ten years, I have received three subpoenas, but none of the three was for borrowing records."
        Catherine adds that if you need more reassurance, to please let her (via me, if you'd like) know.  Thanks, Catherine!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Clueless About Pennsylvania,
Some Amish folks do welcome visitors, and the staff at the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce (717/232-4121) tell me that there's an information and referral phone number you can call specifically for information about Amish communities and how to visit:  1-800-735-2629.  Since you know the details of when you can travel and how far you can go, I'll let you do the follow-up.  If you do get to go, I'd love to hear your reflections afterwards!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Student with Too Many Loans,
Wish I had the magical power to transform heat energy into bills in your wallet!  Here's the scoop on the mysteries of Cornell heating systems from Steve Little, Senior Energy Engineer in Maintenance Management (Steve_Little@qmrelay.mail.Cornell.edu; 255-6644):
        "The root of the problem is heating systems not designed to control individual rooms, or even floors, resulting in uneven heating (see the 1/25/94 'Dear Uncle Ezra' posting,
Q01).  This time of year, people are acclimatized to 65F...so when things warm into the 70's, but below where we start to cool, we get both 'too hot' and 'you're wasting money' calls.
        "These 'too hot/too cold' fluctuations are typically a technological problem left over from the days when heating systems kept you warm, but were not intended to keep you comfortable all the time.  Most of the time, the presence of STEAM RADIATORS tells you that you're in such a building.  It would cost more than we would save to replace the radiators with something which works better.  We do heating system conversions when a building is due for renovations.
"Believe it or not, the right thing to do in such a building is open the window, since we are required to keep the heat on to satisfy those who are cold.  You should also voice an opinion to the manager of the facility.  Eventually, this type of data will help make budgeting decisions leading to improvements.
        "What if the space does not have radiators?  In this case, notify the building coordinator and call customer service (255-5322).  For instance, we frequently get calls about the libraries, and they may have a malfunctioning system.  Often there are design limitations that cannot be corrected easily, but we need to check them out.
        "How much money is at stake?  The bulk of our seasonally overheated buildings DO NOT use lots of energy.  The marginal cost of steam is only about 30 cents per square foot per year, as compared with a lab which costs $3 per square foot per year to heat.  The wasted energy for the spring and fall overheating in a building such as Dickson (163,000 gross square feet) is about 2 cents per square foot per year, or $3,300 per year.  Why so little?  Because the system burns coal, which is cheap.
        "The cost to put in a better heating system in Dickson would be at least $100,000 and perhaps over a million for a hot water replacement...  a 30-year payback at best.  Dickson has about 500 students in it.  The difference between the debt on a $500,000 project (say about $50K/year) and the $3,300/year boils down to $46,700 a year.  Divided by 500 students, that's $93 a year per student.
        "So to make things better, our students and facilities users would need to pay more, not less.  Is $100 per year per student -- in order to be more comfortable a few weeks each year -- a price that you and your peers would agree is a good value in a dorm?  The same logic applies to academic buildings.  If you feel it's a good value, then you can let the dorm staff know how many students feel that way. Perhaps you can initiate a project that effects change.
        "All of us involved with facilities at Cornell try to make meaningful improvements, but we need data that says most people agree with the change and its cost.  Right now, our data says most people would prefer to 'live with it' rather than 'pay for it.'
        "Finally, please let us know which spaces are too hot and when, by writing to:  Energy_Management@qmrelay.mail.Cornell.edu.  We will advise the appropriate operating groups about the problem and keep a list of chronically uncomfortable spaces.  Perhaps we can't get them fixed immediately, but we will have a better handle on where they are."
        Thanks, Steve!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear LSAT-bound,
I shared your question with the folks in the Law Admissions Office (255-5141), who say that the timing doesn't make a difference in scoring; however, many people prefer OCTOBER (the reverse of what you've heard) because taking the LSAT at roughly the same time as final exams can be rough.  Whichever time you choose, good luck!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Jack (Daniels,
I presume?),
        Sounds like a great question for the folks at Nutriquest, Cornell's on-line nutrition information and advice column.  I forwarded your letter to the Nutriquest Team (nutriquest@mail.Cornell.edu); you can look for a response in their dialogs column alongside Uncle Ezra in Gopher/CUINFO.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Getting Clear,
Unless faculty members in both courses have approved the simultaneous submissions, then yes, turning in the same paper twice breaches the Code of Academic Integrity.  According to Section I.C.2: "Work submitted by a student and used by a faculty member in the determination of a grade in a course may not be submitted by that student in a second course, unless such submission is approved in advance by the faculty member in the second course.  If a student is submitting all or part of the same work simultaneously for the determination of a grade in two or more different courses, all faculty members in the courses involved must approve such submissions."
        If you need any more information about this policy, or if you or one of your friends is facing a dilemma related to it, please feel free to write again.  Or if you'd rather speak to someone in person, you can call (anonymously, if you wish) the staff at the Ombudsman's Office, who offer information, mediation, and problem-solving resources to anyone in the Cornell community, confidentiality insured.  They're located in 118 Stimson Hall; 255-4321.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Graduating Niece with Time to Spare,
Likewise, you inspire me.  "There are two ways of spreading light," writes Edith Wharton in "Vesalius in Zante", "To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."  What you see here is a mirror of the beauty in and all around you.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Jeffrey,
Thanks for passing along this interesting bit of history!  If we'd continued using Roman numerals, we'd have had a short spell as the "X" League.  As long as we're not the Ex-League, I guess that's not a problem!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Under the Weather,
I checked with a nurse at Gannett who says that if it's a really bad infection, you need to come to the health center; you'll most likely need antibiotics.  With a less intense infection, drinking lots of water helps dilute the bacteria and reduces the symptoms, but the degree of infection you're describing needs medical attention.  Hope you feel better soon!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Graduating but Not Celebrating,
Not knowing what you're doing next is a scary, precarious feeling, especially when it's reinforced by the sadness of parting from friends and familiar terrain here.  And it can be frustrating and discouraging to hear about other people's post-graduation plans when your own have yet to take shape.
        I can understand why you don't feel like celebrating: to celebrate uncertainty is an enormous challenge!  On the other hand, as Hazel Henderson puts it in THE POLITICS OF THE SOLAR AGE:  "If we can recognize that change and uncertainty are basic principles, we can greet the future and the transformation we are undergoing with the understanding that WE DO NOT KNOW ENOUGH TO BE PESSIMISTIC."
        You don't know yet what this waiting and searching period is building in you...for instance, qualities like endurance, trust, patience, a confidence not contingent on outer events.  Nor do you know what's in the making in circumstances...what job, friends, way of life awaits you.  These circumstances may be taking shape slowly the same way a delectable banquet takes longer to prepare than a quick but rather uninteresting snack.  And even if the experiences to come are very difficult -- if it takes a long while to find a job at all, or to find one that feels to you like a true vocation -- remember that it isn't the easy experiences in our lives that build character.  Danish poet Piet Hein says it well in his "Maxim for Vikings":


        "Here is a fact
           that should help you fight
             a bit longer:


        "Things that don't act-
           ually kill you outright
           make you stronger."


        As I hope you know, there are also folks on campus who can help. You don't go into detail about how things are "messed up" for you, but from what you've said, I get the impression that you'd find it helpful to talk with either Margaret Munchmeyer or Irene Komor at the University Career Center.  Both are career counselors who specialize in helping people who are unsure what lies ahead.  You can make an appointment with one of them by calling the Career Center receptionist at 255-5221.  If you'd like, you can get additional support at Psychological Services (ground floor Gannett; 255-5208), either by appointment or during 9am-4pm weekday walk-in hours.
        I'm also here to listen if you want to say more.  You have my warmest congratulations on your graduation:  Making it thus far is no small feat!  I wish you great satisfaction in the days ahead, whether through facing a challenge with courage or through the relief of a breakthrough.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Amateur Chef,
Thanks for letting us know!  I'm sure the fat itself contributes to the irresistibility of traditional chocolate mousse, but for those keeping stricter standards for the sake of health, reduced-fat mixes provide a tasty alternative.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Concerned,
Unless a woman has been carefully trained to keep track of her fertility cues like increased production of cervical mucus, changes in body temperature, and timing of her cycle, there's NO reliably predictable way to tell whether she's fertile at any given time.  It's even possible, though rare, for a woman to get pregnant during her period.
        Most women ovulate 16 to 12 days before their next period comes, and up to five days before ovulation, a woman produces mucus capable of keeping sperm alive for a much as a week.  So you can predict -- but NOT be certain -- that in the few days immediately preceding her period and during her period, a women is less likely to be fertile. When in doubt -- even the least bit of doubt -- use condoms and spermicide, or make love without having intercourse (remembering to avoid any vagina-to-penis contact, since sperm can swim into the vagina and fertilize an egg).
        Sounds like you may be worried about the possibility of pregnancy now.  If so, please take care of yourself and your sexual partner by going together, as soon as possible, to CGSS (Contraception, Gynecology, and Sexuality Services; third floor Gannett; 255-3978) or Planned Parenthood (in Ithaca, at 314 W. State Street; 273-1513) to figure out what's happening.  Services are confidential and free; you can even call anonymously if you'd like to ask more questions before seeing a medical practitioner.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Ill,
I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling so awful!  It's scary to be sick and not know what's wrong.
        As you know, I can't diagnose or prescribe by computer...however, I'm concerned about you and the people you know.  I highly recommend that you go see a doctor, for your own sake and for the sake of the others who could catch whatever you've got if it's contagious.  If you're here at Cornell, you can use Gannett Health Center's walk-in service by coming to the main desk and asking to see a medical practitioner (between 8:30am and 11:30am or between 1pm and 4:30pm on weekdays), or you can make an appointment by calling 255-6958.  You can ask a caring friend to come with you if you haven't got the energy to get to health services or if you're afraid of doctors.
        Right now accurate information about what's wrong and proper treatment is the clearest pathway out of both your worry and your illness.  Please get help and feel better soon.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Still Cool,
I'm glad you were satisfied with the earlier reply and that you don't hesitate to speak up when you disagree!  John Gormley in the Health Education Office at Gannett (jfg3@Cornell.edu; 255-4782) wrote the reply to the student with the hangover, so I shared your above comments with him.  He replies:
        "Though I can understand your strongly expressed concern about the illegality of underage drinking (a prohibition that the students at Cornell are made aware of over and over), in my reply I wanted to be heard by the student so that some education could happen.  It's hard enough to get students to ask for accurate information about these issues, and I do believe that we have the responsibility to educate about alcohol use at this age and not just bang away at the legality issue.  I took my opening, believing that an honest question about a particular present concern deserved an honest answer.  I trust that that approach leaves the way open for further thinking and more enquiries.
        "The legalities are not being overlooked at Cornell.  This semester we have 25 students obligated by the Judicial Administrator's Office to attend a 10-hour alcohol and other drugs educational/self-assessment course for violations of the campus code of conduct that have been alcohol- or other drug-related.  This course is taught by a certified alcoholism counselor who doesn't 'screw around' with the issue.  Nor do we in any of our programming or educational efforts.
        "Some students will always be making choices that we cannot and do not approve of.  Some students, like some adults, learn their lessons the hard way.  We are doing our best to reduce the risk for students experiencing serious problems.  'Just Say NO!' just isn't doing it!  We're always trying to do more, but as educators.  Your consistent concern is appreciated and helps to keep us alert and on our toes.  Thanks."
        Thanks to you, too, John!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear E-mail Lover,
E-mail connections become even more important as you and your friends spread out all over the country and world and want to remain close in spirit.  Although you can't keep your free, student e-mail connection, there's a fee-based service called "CU-Connect" that's available to alums and offers various levels of service.  For more information, drop an e-mail note to CU-Connect@Cornell.edu.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Sleepy Niece,
You may be surprised to hear that sleep researchers recommend that young adults of college age get nine to ten hours of sleep a night!  While that certainly doesn't fit the lifestyle of many college students, it may explain a bit about your need for long naps. Additionally, the naps themselves may contribute to the problem.  Long naps tend to throw off our sleep cycle so that we sleep less well at night, although naps of up to 20 minutes can refresh us without disturbing our nightly cycle at all.
        So here are a few tricks you can try:  Leave yourself MORE time to sleep at night. Choose a regular bedtime and waking time (for instance, always go to bed at 10pm and get up at 7am, even on weekends); this helps your body know it can count on regular replenishment.  Then, when you're sleepy and want a nap, ask a friend or set an alarm to wake you after 20 minutes.  Also, avoid eating or drinking anything with caffeine in it (such as coffee, tea, colas, or chocolate) after noon, if possible; caffeine late in the day can keep you from sleeping deeply at night.
        These suggestions sound virtually revolutionary in a college environment, but if they improve your sleep, they'll also improve your energy level and therefore your studies.  If you try them yet continue to feel constantly sleepy, you may want to get a physical from your doctor or check with the medical staff at a sleep clinic like the one at Binghamton's Lourdes Hospital.  Sleep soundly!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Rachel,
You're welcome!  I'm very touched that you've taken the time to tell me.  I remember you and your letter, and I'm glad to know that the reassurance offered continues to be helpful enough to share with someone you care about.  And I'm especially glad to know you're doing well!

Uncle Ezra