- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Question 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Uncle Ezar,
Maybe you can help me locate some informatino that would be much
easier to come by in a city than the rural environs of fair Ithaca. I
like to see bands play, anywhere in this area like Syracuse,
Rochester, or Binghamton. However, I have no idea how to find out
about them aside from word of motuth, and thisfar I have few friends
hwho are "in the know." So, you seem to be informed and I'm asking
you: Do you know, or can you advise me as to how I can contact
someone who would know, whtether the bands G Fugazi and Velocity girl
are playing in any of the aforementioned cities in the next month or
two? I know they're touring and heading north this month or next, and
I'd expect them around here in April.
Thanks,
Bandied-About
Dear Bandied-About, Judging from the Web page
it doesn't look like Fugazi will be in the area. However, maybe you
heard the Velocity Girl was touring with "Fuzzy", rather than
"Fugazi". The Web page
shows them touring together during April and May through many cities
in the east and midwest, including places as close as Cleveland and
Columbus, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Washington, DC.
The Internet in general is a fine source for band-tour
information. You can try Usenet, where the newsgroup hierarchies
alt.rock-and-roll.* and rec.music.* have always been good places to
ask questions. Surfing the Web can also turn up tour information, if
you know where to search;
is a good place to start, but you can sometimes zero in on specific
artists much faster if you visit "The Ultimate Band List," at
It also can't hurt to try calling radio stations in the area;
WVBR at 273-2121 and The Wave at 272-8080 tend to keep pretty solid
listings of upcoming concert events in Ithaca and other nearby
cities. Uncle Ezra - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Question 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Uncle Ezra:
I am here visting. I'm transfering here in the fall. I love this
campus and love this school. My only concern is whether or not I'll
adjust well. Do is take long for transfers to adjust?
SIGNED
2EARLYBUTWORRIED
Dear Worried Early, Coming to Cornell as a transfer student is a big adjustment and
it's natural to feel nervous, but there are lots of people here to
help you. To get a whiff of this, take a look at some of the
resources listed in the "Ezra Pointers" on the main "Dear Uncle Ezra"
menu.
As you wonder about ways to ease your adjustment, an important
option for you to consider is the Transfer Center, detailed in the
housing brochure you should have received. You just need to apply as
part of the housing application process if you're interested. Many
transfer students also live in the townhouses mentioned in the
brochure, and this year Campus Life staff have set aside a block of
space in the townhouses specifically for transfer students. If you
have questions, you can relay them to Meg Dwyer in Campus Life
(MWD3@Cornell.edu).
With other transfer students plus plenty of academic and personal
support, you won't be alone or stranded. And I'll be happy to answer
any questions that help you feel more settled. I'm glad you're
coming! Uncle Ezra - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Question 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DUE --
A real quick question that i havent been able to find an answer to
recently... As a senior living in the dorms, i am staying here
through graduation on Sunday may 26. Do you know (or can you find
out) when i have to be moved out of the dorms? Ie, do i have to move
out on sunday afternoon or can I stay till monday or tuesday?
Dorm Senior
Dear Dorm Senior, These last few weeks are going altogether too quickly, from the
point of view of someone with friends who are seniors about to leave!
Be that as it may, you can stay in the dorm until 10am on Monday
morning, May 27. That should give you a little more leeway with your
Sunday afternoon plans. Any questions you have about the specifics
can be directed to Martha Benninger, Manager of the Campus Life
Service Centers, at 255-7019. Uncle Ezra - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Question 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Uncle Ezra,
I was wondering about the "crosswalks" (the painted lines on the
road) on East Avenue and surrounding area. Are cars legally obliged to
stop to let the pedestrian pass? If someone gets hit by a car there
(I know, kinda morbid), would it automatically be the driver's fault?
It really bothers me when I have to wait forever to cross the street.
Pretty peeved
Dear Peeved, The responsibility, by law, goes both ways. According to the
University Police, a motorist must have his or her vehicle under
control at all times. S/he must refrain from driving too fast, and
must stop whenever a pedestrian is already in the crosswalk. On the
other hand, the law requires pedestrians to stay out of the crosswalk
when they see a vehicle approaching that will have a hard time
stopping.
The underlying rule is mutual courtesy and kindness, based on a
realization that if you're walking, you'll probably be in a car before
long; and if you're driving, you'll soon park and be on foot. Since
nearly all of us wear both hats, we need to see the other person's
point of view and remember that our desire to get where we're going is
no excuse for rudeness or, worse still, injury. Uncle Ezra - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Question 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Uncle Ezra,
I have been pondering this question for years. If someone was born
on Feb. 29, does that person celebrate his/her birthday every four
years?
Thanks,
Pondering mind
Dear Pondering Mind, Gee, I hope not! Although I imagine that every leap-day-born
person finds his or her own way to handle this dilemma, I trust that
most celebrate yearly on the last day of February or the first of
March, and that they then really whoop it up when the 29th comes
around! Uncle Ezra - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Question 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hey,
Ez!
I just read the letter (4/11/96 Q03) from the guy/gal who was
accepted to optometry school but wonders if medical school might
perhaps have been a better choice. Well, I shared many of the same
concerns and fears that s/he did, but now, coming to the end of my
second year of medical school, I have to say I'm having a fantastic
time. While it's not the vacation that my undergraduate years (in
retrospect) were, it has been for me a time of unprecedented personal
and spiritual growth, and I have no regrets whatsoever. Medicine!
Medicine! Yow.
Nephew '93
Uncle Ezra,
First of all, I'd just like to thank you for answering my question
(4/23/96 Q07) about investment advice for military officers so
quickly. It is mucho appreciated!
Second, I would like to help the man or woman who wrote on April 11
(Q03) about their reservations regarding medical school and medicine.
I remember exactly how this person feels. It was not an easy
decision, and lest I make it sound like a simple matter, it should not
be an easy decision, since it is a BIG BIG choice. With that said,
though, I just want this person to know that if he/she really thinks
medicine may be of interest to him/her, then he/she should pursue it
vigorously, since it is a wonderful profession to be involved in.
First of all, it is not as bad as she (let's go with "she" since
I'm tired of writing slashes) thinks it is, as long as you choose your
school, hospital, community, etc. to accomodate your tastes. All
medical schools (like everything else) are not the same! I go to an
absolutely wonderful school, where the people are supportive, friendly
-- a real sense of community -- where the students are not at all
cut-throat (that's more of a law-school thing anyway, since at least
for now, all doctors get jobs), and where there is time to pursue
other goals in addition to medicine (like FAMILIES!). There are lots
of schools like mine around, many of them top-notch. As for
residency, this person mentioned her interest in optometry. Well, the
medical equivalent would be ophthalmology, a very broad field in
itself, and as far as the residency goes, it is four years total at
present and the hours are extremely humane (probably around 50-60
hours/week) compared with most resident schedules (average 100-120
hours/wk). There are lots of fields to choose from, all of which have
varying hourly commitments demanded of the residents and later as
staff physicians. You can tailor your specialty choice based on these
demands. One thing about medicine that makes it so appealing is its
increadible diversity. You should be able to find a field that suits
your needs. You could also choose to go into journalism, education,
research, etc. An MD is an incredibly powerful and flexible degree!!
As to the money-hungriness of physicians, this is usually
overexaggerated. True, a lot of people think this is their ticket to
fame and fortune, but this is often not the facts. True, physicians
as a group earn more than most other professions, but you must
remember that we go to school for four years more than other college
grads, then we are indentured as residents on less than minimum wage
for 3 to 8 years before we start reaping our rewards, long after all
of our friends from school began to make real salaries. Plus, most of
us are in serious debt that takes years to pay off. This is not meant
at all to discourage you, but more to put it all in perspective so
that you can see why doctors often are accused of talking about money
too much (hence, my question to Uncle Ezra about retirement
planning!). Also keep in mind that medicine is a very difficult
profession (wonderful, but difficult). It can be very taxing in terms
of time and energy, and by the time you graduate medschool, you will
realize that there are lots of much easier ways in the world to make
money.
As to her concerns about being "too old" to go to medical school,
this is not at all true. The average age of my class (although
admittedly, my school values real-world experiences in its applicants)
was about 25, with a range of 21-47! I myself was a young 22. Trust
me, you will make a much better student having lived in the real world
for a while.
Been There
Dear Caring Medical Students, Thanks so much for your supportive, informative letters! I'm
sure they will be appreciated by the person who wrote and by others
who are trying to make up their minds about medical school. Uncle Ezra - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Question 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Uncle Ezra,
This is really important! I've been searching on the web for Dan
O'Bannon's birthday, but I haven't been able to find it. Do you have
any clue what his birthday is? (Dan O'Bannon directed the ..oops...
I mean I think he wrote the movie "Alien.") Thanks!
Sincerely,
An Information Nut
Dear Information Nut, According to Volume 138 of CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS, Dan O'Bannon's
birthday is September 30. He was born in 1946; this year he
celebrates 50! Uncle Ezra - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Question 8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Uncle Ezra,
Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on
the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as
he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he
feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop
bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that
perhaps there isn't. Anyhow, here he is at the bottom, and ready
to be introduced to you. Winnie-the-Pooh.
A. A. Milne wrote those words in 1926, sharing with the world the
stories he'd dreamed up for his son, who was five years old.
Christopher Robin Milne died Sunday. He was seventy-five.
He nodded and went out . . . and in a moment I heard
Winnie-the-Pooh -- bump, bump, bump -- going up the stairs
behind him.
Saddened
Dear Saddened, The oldest book I own -- lovingly inscribed with my address in
"Itaca" -- is THE WORLD OF POOH...and it's a tribute to imagination to
find that Christopher Robin is always five years old within its pages,
even though in real life Christopher Robin has grown up, aged, and
passed away. Do you remember in the last chapter of THE HOUSE AT POOH
CORNER -- "An Enchanted Place" -- where Christopher Robin takes Pooh
to "the only place in the Forest where you could sit down carelessly,
without getting up again almost at once and looking for somewhere
else?" In that place, Christopher Robin asks:
"'Pooh, PROMISE you won't forget about me, ever. Not even when
I'm a hundred.'
"Pooh thought for a little.
"'How old shall I be then?'
"'Ninety-nine.'
"Pooh nodded.
"'I promise,' he said."
And we won't forget, either. Uncle Ezra - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Question 9 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Uncle Ezra,
Last weekend I saw a group of frat guys in a remote area of
campus. I checked them out because they looked pretty drunk and
fairly suspicious. I saw them pull a couple of guys out from the back
of their cars. These two were tied by their hands and feet. The rest
of the group took the two out into the woods. I was pretty freaked
out. Should I have done something? What would the university have
done to them? What exactly are the rules and what constitues hazing?
-A Nervous Nephew
Dear Nervous Nephew, That does sound freaky: Your nervous feeling comes from
recognition that something is awry here. When you see something like
this, you should contact the police (on campus, 255-1111; off campus,
272-3245). Students can be seriously injured, and any help you can
provide to stop these events from happening is the responsible course
of action.
The University Policy about hazing states that no fraternity or
sorority shall conduct hazing activities, which are defined as -- but
not limited to: "Any action taken or situation intentionally created,
with or without the consent of an individual, whether on or off
fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort,
embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule for the purpose of membership
acceptance. Such activities may include, but are not limited to the
following: use of alcohol; paddling in any form; creation of
excessive fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; quests, treasure
hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any other such activities
carried on outside or inside of the confines of the chapter house;
wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in
good taste; engaging in public stunts and buffoonery; morally
degrading or humiliating games and activities; and any other
activities which are not consistent with fraternal ritual and New York
State law."
Students who perpetrate such activities can be expelled or
suspended from the University, and the chapter could lose recognition
and University support. If you have further questions or want to talk
through your uneasiness about the incident, please feel free to
contact Randy S. Stevens, Associate Dean of Students for Greek Life
(rss4@Cornell.edu; 538 Willard Straight Hall; 255-2310). Uncle Ezra - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Question 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Uncle Ezra:
I have heard from some older bandies that those who have been
active in marching band for 4 years may be able to get a varsity
letter. Is it going to happen?
Sincerely,
a freshman bandie
Dear Freshman Bandie, The idea for awarding the "C" award to seniors in the marching
band was suggested to Patrick Carr, Head Manager of the Big Red
Marching Band (pmc1@Cornell.edu), at the beginning of last year. Pat
ran the idea past Athletics Director Charles Moore, and -- after
extensive discussion -- he supported it. The official criteria are:
(1) member is a graduating senior, (2) member has been active for at
least three years, based on attendance at home games, rehearsals, and
away games, and (3) a participation factor subjectively determined by
the Head Manager and Drum Major. Uncle Ezra |
