Dear David,
It's my pleasure, truly:  You've got my mouth watering at the thought that savory apples are ripening at this very moment, and local orchards are already starting to harvest them.  According to the folks at the Cornell Orchards salesroom (255-4542; Route 366 east of Judd Falls Road), the salesroom opened Monday, August 26, with Jersey Mac and Tydeman's apples, plus a very few Red Haven peaches; hours are 8am-5pm Monday through Friday with the possible addition of Saturday hours.  Expanded harvest season hours will begin on Tuesday, September 3.  Enjoy!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Oppressed Math Wiz,
After doing great work in the class and making a good impression on the professor, the resentment you feel from this other student seems like a puzzling, aggravating intrusion on your pride and happiness.  On top of being upset about being called arrogant, it's disconcerting to know that someone's talking to other people about impressions of you that you consider unfounded, especially when you're newly establishing your identity here.
        What you do about the situation can start with yourself, the only place you know you can make changes if you want to.  You can ask yourself what nerve she hit with her comments, and whether there actually IS anything you want to change about your attitudes towards your own math wizardry and the achievements of others.  Sometimes we're most sensitive to criticism when there's an element of truth in it, even if it's not the whole truth, and it's for you to decide whether or not that's the case here.
        Once you've got a grasp of your own part in this conflict, you'll be freer to talk with this student about what happened without condemning her.  Anger doesn't have to turn into a put-down.  You can let her know that you were upset about some second-party remarks you heard (or about what you overheard her say, if you were present when she said it).  Ask her to tell you more about what she's feeling, and then listen as much as possible without judgment; she may need some time to sort out where she's coming from.  For example, her critical comments may be related to insecurities about her work, which wouldn't be easy to say right off the bat.  Or perhaps she misinterpretted some action of yours, and only letting her talk about it will clarify the misunderstanding.
        When it's your turn to talk, you can reflect back your understanding of what she said.  And you can explain (with whatever phrasing works for you) that you were focused on doing the best work you can and that you weren't meaning to ignore her, but you don't consider other people's schoolwork to be your business.
        Or, if she seems inapproachable, you can keep the incident to yourself, and try to learn from it whatever you can about how to do your best while still appreciating others.  At a place like Cornell, with many bright minds and also many sensitive feelings, conveying respect for others while maintaining respect for yourself is a form of brilliance in its own right.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Poised to Apply,
Applications for the general GRE and for computer science and other subject tests are included in the GRE registration bulletin, which you can pick up in the Career Center's 103 Barnes Hall Office. Tests will be offered October 12, 1996; December 14, 1996; and April 12, 1997.  You can take the GRE in the spring, summer, or fall before applying to grad school, where application deadlines are usually December and January.  You'll find a wealth of additional information at the Career Center website under the Graduate/Professional Programs page.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Drumming Up Business,
That's a creative idea, but unfortunately the answer is "no" on both counts.  According to M. Scott Walters, Coordinator of Residence Hall Network Services (msw4@Cornell.edu), you cannot use your network ID in a ResNet-connected dorm room for your business.  Item #3 of the Authorized Use of Cornell Network ID Policy states, "CIT Network IDs may not be used for profit-making or illegal activities."  This also expands to include network connections and other Cornell computing services.
        For more information on these policies and responsible use of your network ID, please see .

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Voter,
Simply phone the folks at the Board of Elections (274-5522; 128 East Buffalo Street) and ask them to mail voter registration forms to you.  When you've filled out the forms, you can mail them back or stop by to deliver them to the Board of Elections' downtown office.
        Under court order, the Board of Elections has to allow students to vote from their residences where they go to school, so you don't need to worry about whether or not you're registered at home.  I applaud you for knowing your vote is important!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Teacher's Pet,
Your relationship with the math teacher obviously meant a great deal to you, and it sounds like you found yourself in a terrifying bind of caring for him passionately yet feeling the ethical dilemma of being involved with someone who was not only your teacher, but also married.  At the time, as an overwhelmed junior in high school, you naturally felt a need to tell someone you trusted could help, your chaplain.  That led to an outcome you didn't want, yet which seemed appropriate to the people who made the decision:  Your math teacher got fired.
        One of the reasons safeguards about sexual relationships between teachers and students are built into many schools' policies is that the teacher/student relationship is inherently erotic:  It involves an exchange of love for a subject built on a base of mutual caring and respect.  Falling in love under such circumstances is not uncommon, but it leads to complicated and often ambiguous situations which can be painful for everyone involved.  So your complex feelings about what to do six years ago are completely understandable.
        If you went through the same experience with the same hindsight you have now, perhaps you'd want to handle it differently; for instance, by talking to an uninvolved, trusted third party first, someone who could keep your confidentiality and give guidance without taking charge.  But it sounds like you DID have good reason to speak up in one form or another:  This relationship had crossed the boundaries of professional ethics and was frightening you.  You don't need to put yourself down for acting on behalf of your own sanity and possibly your safety.
        The present e-mail correspondence sounds much less confusing. Why not tell your correspondent the real story and set the record straight?  The only harm I can imagine in being honest is that you shouldn't need to feel defensive about something intensely personal, nor should you necessarily bear the brunt of rectifying unwarranted gossip.  But if you'd like to do so and you can find word that ring true to you, then I get the impression you'd be relieved to know that someone you loved six years ago (and may still love in some part of yourself) isn't getting unnecessarily slandered.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Neglected Grad Student,
You're allowed to have all the fun everyone else is, and more! The International Students and Scholars (ISSO) orientation schedule gives a list of events planned solely for new international students, to which you are, of course, invited.  The orientation schedule available on CUINFO and in paper form from your field and the ISSO office (B-50 Caldwell Hall; 255-5243) describes a wide range of events for all incoming grad students, yourself included.  You can choose those which interest you most.
        Cornell offers many opportunities to meet other students. Several upcoming activities at the Big Red Barn should prove interesting, informative, and fun:  the orientation and reception on Wednesday, August 28, following Dean Walter Cohen's 3pm speech; the round table discussions from 1-4pm on Saturday, August 31 (schedules available at the ISSO office); and the ice cream social from 8-9:30pm on Sunday, September 1.  Now your only problem is honing down the list to fit your schedule!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Looking,
You can find a lesbian friend through a number of student groups, events, jobs, and volunteer opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning students at Cornell.  These resources are described on the Web -- http://cu-lbgt-www.Cornell.edu -- or you can get information from Carlisle Douglas, Coordinator of the LGB Resource Office (254-4987; cd33@Cornell.edu) or Susan Overton, Coordinator of the LBGT Peer Counseling Service (255-3869; sco2@Cornell.edu).  Getting involved helps make an otherwise dauntingly large campus feel human and accessible.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Ken,
Glad to oblige!  The archives are an excellent resource to search for answers, especially in the summer when I'm away.  Please don't hesitate to ask directly, though:  I never consider someone foolish for posing a question that's already answered in the archives.  After all, we've now got ten year's worth of inquiries, and that can involve a lot of sifting, particularly if you don't have a distinctive keyword like "DeBeer's"!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Olin Patron,
Greetings to you, too!  The heads are remnants of the Boardman Hall, which was torn down in 1958-59 to make room for Olin but which was too beautiful to lose completely.  You can read the details in Q02 of the 11/29/88 "Dear Uncle Ezra" posting.

Uncle Ezra