Dear Fortress Lover,
David Sprague, of Sprague and Janowsky accountants (121 E. Seneca Street, 273-5322), gives us this information:  Theft losses are deductible if you are eligible to itemize your deductions and your deductions exceed $4000 (in 1997).  If you are able to claim $4000 worth of itemized deductions, the amount of the loss due to theft will
have to be reduced by ten percent of your income.  A copy of the police report on the theft will most likely suffice as documentation to substantiate the amount of the loss from the robbery.  Thanks, David!
        In the meantime, treasure your robbery-free haven in Ithaca while still keeping your doors and windows locked.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Trusting Nephew,
Next year, Professor Martin Bernal (mgb4@Cornell.edu; 255-1878) hopes to teach a course on "State, Society, and Language in Ancient Eqypt."  In the fall, the class will read secondary texts on state and society and beginning Middle Egyptian.  In the second semester, students will continue with Middle Egyptian and read some primary texts in the original.  Although accepted in principle by Near Eastern Studies, the course hasn't been officially approved yet, nor does it have a number assigned.
        Your 15 electives do not have to be Arts and Sciences credit, according to Arts and Sciences registrar Patty Dougherty (pd13@Cornell.edu; 255-5051).  Hope that helps relieve your crunch!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Curious and George,
Though I don't presume to know where the "wrestlers-tend-to-be- gay" stereotype comes from, I imagine it's related to people's inability to grasp that physical contact and sexual attraction are not necessarily the same thing.  Throughout most of our culture, unfortunately, same-gender touch is frowned upon.  This is particularly true for men.  Sports offer one of the few culturally acceptable forms of physical contact, and wrestling involves more prolonged contact than most sports.  So people who can't imagine physical interaction as a natural, vital part of human experience may make a misinformed leap to the assumption that such contact means someone is gay.  That assumption has no legitimate basis.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Knish-less No More,
Thanks for the tip!  I'm glad to know people don't have to trek downtown to satisfy their knish cravings.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear TV Junkie,
You're undoubtedly speaking of Syracuse's FOX station, WSYT. Within the last year or so, WSYT installed a relay tower between Ithaca and Syracuse, which picks up the Syracuse signal, cleans it up and amplifies it a bit, and sends it along to Ithaca as a stronger signal than the original, which would have to reach us from Syracuse itself.  This is why you can pick it up fairly clearly as a broadcast station, but ironically it was one of the conditions Time Warner Cable insisted upon if they were to keep WSYT -- whose signal had previously not been very strong -- in their Ithaca lineup.  The other broadcast stations in the area don't have such relay operations, because Time Warner receives them clearly via satellite.
        On good days, in some parts of town, you can also pick up Syracuse's NBC affiliate, WSTM, but the signal isn't very clear.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Non-Architect,
Jim Gibbs, Director of University Facilities (jg20@cornell.edu), says he is not aware of a difference in height on any of the tower corners on the buildings you mention.  Perhaps it is an optical illusion depending on your viewpoint from the ground.
        Yes, I have driven the circle in front of Bailey recently, and I concur that there are some "rough spots" on that asphalt.  Jim tells me that there are plans to pave the north end of Garden Avenue (that's the road running between Kennedy and Malott Halls into the Bailey Hall circle) next year.  Extensive repairs on the parking lot will have to wait until the future of Bailey Plaza is decided:  There is ongoing discussion about whether or not the University should convert that space to a pedestrian mall.
        Thanks for the information, Jim!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Related Many Times Over,
I asked Paul McMillin, from Olin/Kroch/Uris Reference (okuref@Cornell.edu) to sleuth out these family ties for you.  He responds:  "Let's look at it this way.  As an uncle, you have a nephew or niece (let's say a niece).  Let's say you also have a daughter. Your daughter and niece are first cousins to each other.  The children of your daughter and the children of your niece will be second cousins to each other.  The children of your daughter will be a first-cousin-once-removed to your niece.
        "At least that's how I understand it.  Here's a more authoritative description from the OED, under 'removed':  'first cousin once removed = a cousin's child; but in later use freq. employed in vague designations of distant relationship, as "cousin seven times removed."'
        "Would then your niece be a first cousin twice removed to the children of your daughter's children?  This seem to be the implication, though the OED doesn't rule on the matter."
        Thanks, Paul!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear No Loan Now,
I'm glad you're happy with your decision!  I passed along your thanks to AFCU Manager Bill Myers for his helpful input.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Prospective Graduate Student,
It is exciting that you are considering applying to graduate school to study economics.  However, as you know, parts of your GRE scores are low.
        All of the highly selective universities consider the total application, not just one part such as the GRE scores.  The undergraduate grades, especially in economics and closely related fields, will be important, as will research or other experience, recommendations, and statement of purpose.
        The field of economics here at Cornell is a highly regarded program that requires a minimum quantitative score of 760, although, as I mentioned above, the admissions committee does consider the entire application when making a decision.
        If you are considering applying to a highly quantitative program, I recommend that you research what each university says about its expectations of applicants before you make application.  Also, I suggest that you consider some other universities than those in the Ivy League in order to improve your chances of being offered admission.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Curious,
According to Dr. James MacMillan, Chief of Staff at Gannett Health Center on campus, and Dr. Janet Corson-Rikert, Director of University Health Services, heart-attack risk is related to a number of different factors such as gender (males are at greater risk than females), obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes.  Your mother is at increased risk because of her diabetes, and she apparently has additional risk related to her cholesterol.
        Cholesterol is an essential component of cell walls and certain hormones, but in excess it can clog the arteries that supply blood to the heart.  Heart-attack risk increases as total cholesterol increases, but is most specifically related to an increase in LDL cholesterol.  LDL is commonly known as the "bad" cholesterol because of its tendency to build up in and clog arteries.  The other type of cholesterol, HDL, is "good" because it actually helps to cleanse the arteries and counteracts the effects of LDL cholesterol.  From your description, the doctors say, it sounds as though your mother has a normal "total" cholesterol, but has a high ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol which puts her at increased risk of a heart attack.  I hope this helps clear up your confusion.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear History Buff,
There seems to be more misinformation about Willard Straight than practically anyone else.  He had an absolutely fascinating life. Here's a capsule biography, courtesy of University Archivist Elaine Engst:  Willard D. Straight was born on January 31, 1880 in Oswego, New York.  His father died in 1886; the following year Straight and his family moved to Japan.  In 1890 his mother died, and he returned to Oswego.  He attended Bordentown Military Institute in New Jersey, 1896-97, and majored in architecture at Cornell University, 1897-1901.  (Note the four-year span!)  In November 1901 he was appointed to a position with the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Service, and from 1902-04 he was personal secretary and assistant to Sir Robert Hart, Inspector General of the Service in Peking.  Also in 1902, he illustrated VERSE AND WORSE for J.O.P. Bland.  He served as a Reuters war correspondent during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-05, traveling to Japan and Korea in 1904 and China in 1905.  That June he was appointed Vice-Consul under Edwin V.  Morgan in Seoul, Korea.  The consulate closed in November, and Straight was appointed to the same post under Morgan in Havana, Cuba.  In June 1906 he was appointed Consul-General at Mukden, Manchuria.  In November 1907 he met William Howard Taft in Vladivostok to discuss possible investments in China. In 1909 he illustrated HOUSEBOAT DAYS IN CHINA, again for Bland.  That June he left the consular service to represent J.P. Morgan and Company and other banks and investors, the American Group.  The next year he negotiated Chinese currency reform and an industrial development loan for the American group.
        In 1911, Straight married the heiress Dorothy Payne Whitney and went back to China.  They left China in 1912 when revolution broke out, returning to the United States.  Straight continued his association with J.P. Morgan and also continued to encourage investment in China through the American Asiatic Association, of which he was elected president in 1913.  In 1914, the Straights began publication of THE NEW REPUBLIC.  In 1915 Straight resigned from J.P. Morgan and was appointed third vice president of American International Corporation, work which took him to Europe in 1916.  In the summers of 1915 and 1916 he attended U.S. Army training camps, strongly supporting the Preparedness Movement.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1917.  In 1918, while arranging for the arrival of the American Peace Mission in Paris, Straight contracted pneumonia, and he died on December 1, 1918.
        When he died, Willard Straight's will directed his wife to do "such thing or things for Cornell University as she may think most fitting and useful to make the same a more human place."  After much investigation, Dorothy Whitney Straight resolved to create a student union for Cornell:  thus, the building of Willard Straight Hall.
        For additional information, the Archives in 2B Kroch Library have a wonderful collection of the papers of Willard Straight and Dorothy Whitney Straight (Elmhirst) in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.  Also, a biography of Willard Straight was written by Herbert Croly in 1924, and a history of Willard Straight Hall -- THE STRAIGHT STORY -- was written by Rebecca H. Cofer and published in 1990.
        I've passed your letter and the capsule biography along to Joel Seligman, Director of Campus Information and Visitor Relations (jrs9@cornell.edu; 255-7419)  If on a future tour you notice mistakes, you can point them out to the tour guide and/or let Joel know.  Thanks for keeping the record Straight!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Wondering,
Heather Barber, a staffperson in the Women's Studies Program (391 Uris Hall; 255-6480; hjb7@cornell.edu) offers this information:  The Kram Award is given every other year to an undergraduate student for study away from Cornell, and it will be offered again in the Spring of 1999.  On the graduate level, the Women's Studies Program offers a Dissertation Fellowship and a Beatrice Brown award for a registered Cornell grad student, with preference given to grad students who are Women's Studies minors.  Heather encourages you to contact their office for more information.
        According to Bea Szekely, Associate Director of Cornell Abroad and a very knowledgeable campus resource (255-6224; bbs3@cornell.edu), how much Spanish you need for your study in Bolivia depends upon the requirements of the particular program to which you are applying.  For instance, the minimum language requirement for Duke University's program is four semesters of Spanish (completion of Spanish 213 at Cornell).  The School for International Training requires only three semesters of Spanish.  Bea adds, however, that students who have as much familiarity with the language as possible are able to "hit the ground running" when they arrive in the country where they're studying:  "You indicate that you are taking an area course in the spring; perhaps you can do some reading in Spanish for that.  And you should surely try to concentrate reading for the course on Bolivia and the Andean region."  Bea also urges you to stay in contact with Dean Maria Terrell in the Arts College to plan your most beneficial and rewarding course of study.
        Thanks, Heather and Bea!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Grammatically Challenged,
I can understand that you probably want a clear and exact distinction to help negotiate the basic rules of using language correctly.  You might take some comfort in knowing that, according to Writing Workshop Director Joe Martin (JAM8@Cornell.edu), this distinction of "which" and "that" has been bugging a lot of people for a long time.  Joe explains that "there is a traditional 'rule' that some language experts try to maintain regarding the use of 'which' and 'that.'  Like all rules, this one is easy to express but difficult to handle.  And like all language rules, this one is a mix of tradition and accepted social practice.
        "Some 'experts' maintain that 'which' should precede a non-restrictive clause while 'that' should precede a restrictive clause.  H. W. Fowler, whose MODERN ENGLISH USAGE is a reference (and authority, for some) on the state of the language, observed that we might gain some precision by following a 'that-restrictive/ which-non-restrictive' rule, but he then went on to say that 'it is idle to pretend that it is the practice either of most or of the best writers.'  Like all rules, this one is bent quite often by even the best writers of English.  Of course, one can see a major problem right away.  One has to know what kind of clause (restrictive or non-restrictive) one is using and the differences between them.  Many people have trouble with this distinction.
        "A 'restrictive clause' is one that defines and particularizes a noun in a sentence and is essential for the full meaning of the sentence. Here's an example:  'She needed to take a course that would fulfill her science distribution requirement.'  Eliminating the phrase 'that would fulfill a distribution requirement' alters the meaning of the sentence and makes it too general.  Since the phrase is essential, it 'restricts' or defines the kind of particular course the student needs, not just any course but one fulfilling the science distribution requirement.
        "A 'non-restrictive clause' contains parenthetical or nonessential information about a noun.  Here's an example: 'Psychology 101, which enrolls 2000 students, meets in Bailey Hall.' Should I eliminate the clause 'which enrolls 2000 students,' my sentence still conveys the same basic information about where the class meets.  A non-restrictive element does add more information but does not control the essential message of the sentence.
        "The challenge is figuring out which information is essential and which isn't, and that's just the kind of decision a writer has to make within the context in which she is writing.  Phrases and clauses that are 'non-restrictive' should be set off by commas as a signal to the reader that the information contained in those parts of the sentence are not crucial for understanding.  Generally, clauses that refer to 'named' people and objects are non-restrictive since the 'name' usually carries enough meaning.  Here's a final example of a non-restrictive clause set off with commas:  'The "Ask Uncle Ezra" column, which can be found on the CUinfo web site, offers advice on a range of issues from personal relationships to grammar.'
        "I hope this doesn't make the issue even murkier.
        "By the way, anyone who wants the official line on matters of grammar and style can consult the latest edition of Fowler's classic work, THE NEW FOWLER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE, which was published just last year.  A refreshing and easier reference (and less comprehensive) is WOE IS I:  THE GRAMMARPHOBE'S GUIDE TO BETTER ENGLISH IN PLAIN ENGLISH, which handles many of the more common questions about grammar and style.  These should be read as guides, not arbiters of correctness."
        Many thanks, Joe!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear RIP,
Most of the dead squirrels you see on campus have been hit by a car or truck (and managed to dash to wherever you saw them before they died) or attacked by a dog.  A few die of natural causes like illness.  No one is poisoning them:  When a squirrel causes a nuisance in a building, university staff call wildlife removal folks to trap it humanely and transport it elsewhere.
        When you find the body of a dead animal on campus, you can call Grounds staff (254-1661) and ask them to remove it.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Loving and Thoughtful Niece,
I commend you for exploring identity issues.  They can be scary, life changing, and many times freeing for people who come to some greater understanding of their sexuality and relationships with parents.
        With the help of the staff in Cornell's Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Resource Office, I discovered a number of options at Cornell and in Ithaca for students who are questioning their sexual orientation.  While it's true that "Out in the World" was organized for graduate international students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning (GLBQ), the Common Ground usually attracts quite a mix of undergrads and grads (from both Cornell and Ithaca College) as well as Ithaca residents; it may be worth a try.  Common Ground has many social events during the year; you can contact them at 273-1505 for a schedule of upcoming events.  For other resources and referrals for ways to meet other GLBQ-identified people, see Q14 of the 11/13/97 "Dear Uncle Ezra" posting.
It sounds as though a peer support group might be helpful for you.  Cornell's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Coalition sponsors a number of these for women only, men only, and mixed gender groups.  You might consider going to "LBQ" (a peer led support group for lesbian, bisexual, and questioning women), or "Safe Space" (a peer-led support group for men and women who are questioning their sexuality).  For up-to-date information about their meeting times and places this coming semester, jump on the LGBT-L listserve (Q14 in the 11/13/97 "Dear Uncle Ezra" posting explains how to do this).
Whether or not to talk with your mother about your sexual orientation is an individual decision.  Think about why you want to tell your mother at this time:  Do you have a genuine desire for her to know so you can be fully truthful with her?  Or are you trying to shock or hurt her?  Are you hoping that this will be the issue over which she demonstrates acceptance rather than criticism of you?  If you decide your motivation for talking with her about your sexuality is a strong and positive one, prepare yourself ahead of time for her possible responses.  You may, indeed, lose her emotional and financial support.
        It's important that you have an alternative support system in place if you are going to talk with your mother about your attraction to women.  A counselor at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Sexuality Counselor Roz Kenworthy at Gannett Health Services, and/or an EARS peer counselor can all help you think through "coming out" to your mother and be there for you in the event that she does "disown" you.  See the Ezra Pointer to Personal Counseling Services on the main "Dear Uncle Ezra" menu for help in contacting these
referrals.  An additional resource is PFLAG, a national organization for Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.  You can reach the local chapter of PFLAG through the LGB Resource Office staff at Cornell, 254-4987, or you can contact the national PFLAG office by e-mail at PFLAGNTL@AOL.COM.  PFLAG has excellent brochures for parents who are seeking to understand their lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning children.
        A therapist at CAPS would be the most helpful to you in exploring the connection between your attraction to older women and your history with your mother.  Call 255-5208 to schedule an appointment there.
        Finally, there has been a veritable boom in GLBQ literature, studies, and films in the past five years.  Here are a few book titles:  JOINING THE TRIBE:  GROWING UP GAY & LESBIAN IN THE '90s, by Linnea Due; BI ANY OTHER NAME:
BESEXUAL PEOPLE SPEAK OUT, edited by Loraine Hutchins and Lani Kaahumanu; WHAT IS SHE LIKE?  LESBIAN IDENTITIES FROM THE 1950s TO THE 1990s, by Rosa Ainley;  THE NEW OUR RIGHT TO LOVE:  A LESBIAN RESOURCE BOOK, edited by Ginny Vida; NOW THAT YOU KNOW:  WHAT EVERY PARENT SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY, by Betty Fairchild and Nancy Hayward; and COMING OUT TO PARENTS, by Mary Borhek.  The Cornell Campus Store and Borealis Books (111 N. Aurora Street, downtown Ithaca) both have excellent GLBQ sections with many titles on coming out to parents and related sexual-orientation issues.  Recent film titles include "Go Fish", "Antonia's Line", "Bar Girls", "Fried Green Tomatoes", "The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love".  Most of these films can be rented locally from any one of Video Ithaca's locations.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Relieved,
As always, I'm glad to know the information provided was helpful.  Cornell is truly blessed to have resources like Dr. Corson- Rikert and Dr. Macmillan in our community!

Uncle Ezra