Dear Glad to be Grown,
They don't!  Babies often awaken cooing, smiling, playing with their fingers and toes, watching mobiles, or listening to sounds. When they awaken crying, it's usually because they're wet, hungry, cold lonely, or scared.  Some also have uncomfortable digestion as they adjust to the post-womb world of eating.
        Ideally, parents stay alert to the first sounds their baby makes upon awakening, so that the baby doesn't have to resort to crying to get attention.  Some families share a bed or have the baby in a crib right next to the parents' bed.  Others use a special one-way monitor to allow baby's sounds to be heard from the nursery.
        I wonder whether you're talking about a particular baby you know who wakes up crying all the time.  If so, talking with his or her pediatrician may help shed light on the reasons for the crying and give you strategies for helping the baby wake up happy.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Ag Scholar,
I asked Sheryl Howell (255-4569; sah12@Cornell.edu) from the Office of Academic Programs in 140 Roberts Hall for information about the scholarship.  She responds:  "The Byron B. and Georgia B. Robb Fund was established in 1989 by Julia Ann (Robb) Newman and Frances (Robb) Bowman in honor of their parents, Byron and Georgia Robb. Professor Robb was the first Agricultural Engineering graduate at Cornell.  He devoted his entire working life to teaching, research, and extension activities in the Department of Agricultural Engineering and served as Department Chairman.  The Robb home, overlooking Beebe Lake, was always a place of welcome for students.
        "Awards are made to worthy and needy students enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.  Preference is given to students majoring in Agricultural and Biological Engineering."
        Thanks, Sheryl!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Reading the Small Print,
The small print regarding failure to affiliate by the end of the fourth semester says that the student will be withdrawn from the College of Engineering.  Given that most students affiliate at the end of their third semester, most students develop a back-up plan for their fourth semester, according to Dan Maloney Hahn, Director of Advising for the College of Engineering (djm17@Cornell.edu; 255-7414).  This can mean one of a number of options including changing fields, taking courses to get into another college, or setting up a reasonable plan which may include summer coursework to affiliate with their first choice of field.  The Advising staff in 167 Olin Hall can help students who fail to affiliate at the end of their third semester explore the options.
        Dan says that approximately 90 percent of the fresh(wo)men entering Engineering graduate from Cornell, even though 70 to 75 percent graduate in Engineering.  So for the vast majority of students, things work out fine right here at Cornell.
        Thanks, Dan!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear R.,
I wish I could diagnose by computer in order either to reassure you that you'll be fine or to tell you what steps you need to take next!  Unfortunately, that's impossible, especially with symptoms like dizziness and exhaustion, which can be related to stress, nutrition, and/or several different medical conditions.
        Setting up an appointment at Gannett was exactly the right thing to do.  If you feel like you can't wait until Monday, you can call your team's appointment number (255-8457 for Green Team; 255-6955 for Blue Team; 255-5156 for Gold Team) to see if there are any "same day" appointments available for today (there usually are).  Since you've already scheduled a Monday appointment, I imagine you know which team to call, but if you've got any questions, call the main receptionist at 255-4082 and ask for help.
        You also express concern about your vegan diet possibly leaving you in need of some nutrients.  I recommend that you call 255-8457 to make an appointment to talk with Myra Berkowitz, a nutritionist at Gannett (and herself a vegetarian).  She will be happy to review your diet with you and help make sure it meets your needs.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Inconvenienced,
The demand for all-you-care-to-eat service in Okies was very low, according to Campus Life Associate Director Peggy Beach.  But your feedback provides an important counterpoint, and Peggy will forward it to dining staff who make decisions about hours.  As a Collegetown resident who's on a meal plan, you can use cash-op to eat at the Ivy Room anytime on Saturday or go to nearby Jansen's.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Dick,
Through a series of helpful Cornellians, I tracked down Tom Hickerson, Associate University Librarian for Special Collections, who responds:  "I am responsible for coordinating Cornell's overall participation in a series of events in 2000.  They include:  the symposium at the Library of Congress, for which Cornell is the principal organizer; a traveling exhibition jointly organized by the Icelandic National Library, the Cornell Library, and the Library of Congress, that will open in Reykjavik, then to the Library  of Congress, come to Cornell in the early fall, and probably finish the year in Winnipeg; and the official opening of SagaNet, a $1.3 million project of the Cornell Library and the Icelandic National Library to build a digital collection, globally accessible, representing the core Icelandic Saga literature.  Icelandic participants and dignitaries will be traveling to Ithaca for the opening of the exhibit here, and we plan a celebratory events.  It would be wonderful if a visit by the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra could be part of these activities, and we would like to incorporate their visit into the planning process.  My partner in organizing this endeavor is Patrick Stevens, the Curator of the Library's Fiske Icelandic Collection, and I suggest that the interested party contact Patrick or myself soon."
        You can reach Tom and Patrick at 255-3530 (or hth2@Cornell.edu and pjs3@Cornell.edu, respectively).  Thanks, Tom!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Filmmaker,
I checked with Jessica Traynor '96, Assistant Director of Campus Information and Visitor Relations, who says that the Audio Visual Department in the ILR School rents out audio-visual equipment for use anywhere and maintains a film/video library.  For more information, call 255-4405 or stop by 157 Ives Hall between 8:30am and 4:30pm any weekday.
        You can also go to the Visual Resources Library in the basement of Sibley and rent equipment for a $5 fee.  Jessica asked the folks at Media Services, too, but they only have expensive cameras that are not for public use.
        Thanks, Jessica!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear M,
I forwarded your question to Kevin Drake, Computer Repair Manager at the Campus Store's Technology Connection (tcrepair@Cornell.edu), who replies:  "The best way to clean the inside of your computer is to vacuum it out using a small wand connected to the vacuum.  Make sure the PC is unplugged when you do this.  The hard drive is a sealed unit so that dust won't have any impact.  The floppy and cd drive can be contaminated with dust.  Also, make sure all the vent holes are clean and the CPU area is clear."
        Thanks, Kevin!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Irked,
I forwarded your letter to Lee Cartmill, Director of Finance and Administration for the University Library (ltc1@Cornell.edu), who responds:  "The recent price increase for public photocpies (from $.08 to $.10 with vendacard) is the first in at least 12 years, probably more.  When we first contracted with our current vendor (IKON) in 1991, we insisted that the $.08 price be maintained.  Since that time the vendor's costs for labor, benefits, supplies, etc. have obviously risen.
        "We agreed to the increase only after ensuring that the new prices were not out of line with other Universities in the area. Indeed, we have lagged behind SUNY Cortland, Binghamton University, TC3, Syracuse University, and Ithaca College in charging $.10.  There is no doubt that by going with an outside vendor to provide this service we delayed the necessity for a price increase until now.  When our current contract expires in 2000, we intend to put the service out for bid again to ensure the lowest possible rates for our patrons."
        Thanks, Lee!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Wondering,
PAM stands for the newly formed Department of Policy Analysis and Management.  It is merged from two former Human Ecology Departments, Consumer Economics Housing and Human Service Studies.
        PAM provides courses, carries out research, and offers community outreach programs in family/social welfare, health, and consumer economics in terms of policy analysis and its application through program planning, management, and evaluation.  It is therefore tangential to political science, but is formally oriented toward economics and social service issues.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Organizer,
Thanks for asking!  You need to register sales activity by filing a Use of University Property (UUP) form, and approval must be granted by the Office of Community Relations in 110 Day Hall.  The UUP is now available on-line at . All sales must be conducted by members of the Cornell community. Normally a group (department, registered organization, etc.) acts as sponsor, handles the money, and takes a percentage of the sale (20 percent).
        Because of the nature of your sale, I recommend that you come to the EMPT (Events Management Plannning Team) to discuss the venture in person. Call Roxanne Edsall at 255-4169 to get on the agenda.  John Gutenberger from Community Relations usually attends these meetings to advise on sales.  The team meets at 3:30pm on Thursdays in the Barton Hall Conference Room, which is on ground level on the Statler side of the building.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Clueless,
Go to the Arts Advising Center in 55 Goldwin Smith to find out the name of your advisor (if you have one who somehow hasn't been in touch with you) or to get an advisor.  You won't be able to pre-enroll for next semester's courses unless you're on an advisor's list, so it's good that you're getting the ball rolling now.
        Cornell does have an Academic Quiz Organization comfortably wedged between Trivial Pursuit and Jeopardy.  Members participate in intercollegiate competitions while broadening their range of knowledge.  For more information, write to Jarrett Taubman, the group's president (jst17@Cornell.edu) or Jordan Katine, their advisor (jak27@Cornell.edu).

Uncle Ezra   

Confidential to Blue Cousin:
Old wounds can have very deep roots.  After being rejected and teased about your weight, it's no wonder that you found it hard to trust people or even like yourself.  Turning to intelligence for your sense of worth was probably a matter of survival, especially when your mother tended to trivialize your problems and you didn't feel valued by your father.
        But as this strong point of academic prowess seems to buckle now, you're left without a focal point of confidence to rally around.  That is a tremendously scary development, and yet it's a blessing in disguise.  Basing your self-regard on any one feature -- like brains -- puts you on shaky terrain.  You need a much firmer base for self-esteem, one that goes way back and establishes the presence, creativity, lovableness, and strength that you've had all along -- from the earliest childhood -- and which have been continually discounted.  You deserve to be treated well -- beautifully, even -- by yourself and others.
        So yes, change is crying out to happen.  There's no better way I know than to speak with a professional counselor who can listen to your story and give you help sorting out and addressing its various strands.  That's exactly what CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services; ground floor Gannett) is here for.  Don't let that "it's just a phase" voice stand in your way; you have a clear instinct that says you need support.  Call 255-5208 (255-5155 afterhours and weekends), tell whoever answers that you have an urgent need to speak with a counselor, and get help.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Friend,
Almost all Congresswo/men and Senators have staff to assist people in getting through this process.  Your friend on Long Island should find out who the Representative is for the district where he lives:  The folks at the Board of Elections, listed in the phone book under the name of his county, can give him this information.  He can then use the phone book to look up the Representative's local office, where staff can help him.  Fingerprinting and other documentation is part of the process prescribed by Congress and cannot be waived, so your friend will need some patience.  Thanks for your supportive spirit, which must mean a lot to your friend!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Not Getting Any Younger,
None of us are...a little wiser is all we can hope for!
        I asked Dan Jenkins, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Computer Science (255-0982; rdj2@Cornell.edu), for his perspective on your computer career musings.  He takes you at your word that you feel iffy about getting a job in your field and goes straight to your paragraph about enjoying computers, having a solid background in software and hardware, and teaching yourself programming:  "Replace the word 'computers' with the word 'automobiles'.  Replace 'software' with 'driving skills.'  Replace the word 'programming' with 'traffic patterns.'  Now, ask yourself, 'What do I want to be?'  A driver?  A mechanic?  An Indy car driver?  An automotive design engineer?  A mechanical engineer?  The more advanced your interests are, the more education and experience you need to do what you want to do."
        Noting that the computing field is very broad and it helps to determine what your scope is (or might be), Dan takes your list of possibilities one by one:
        *  Development:  "What level?  What type of development?  Making an Excel spreadsheet function more efficiently in an office setting? Creating your own computer game?  Inventing a new computer language?"
        *  Repair:  "That's an easy one.  All you need is a little experience.  You can start off as an apprentice and work your way up to more complicated problems."
        *  Software:  "Programming is to computer science, what typing is to writing.  In other words, a programmer can be anything from a lower-level hack who fiddles around with source code, to a software engineer who understands advanced algorithmic analysis.
        "A good first step is to take a few programming courses.  If you are still interested, you can go on to the more advanced stuff."
        *  Web design:  "A great entry-level activity.  If you know how to organize information and you understand how people use the web, this can be an awesome place to get your feet wet.  Web development is often closely related to advertising and communications."
        *  ...or whatever:  "Life isn't long enough to be prepared for 'whatever.'  You need to make some choices and try a few things out. Go with the things that really turn you on."
        Dan notes that the market for entry-level positions is good right now:  "That could change if there is a big downturn in the economy. Eventually supply will catch up with demand.  The people who will still be standing at the end of the day will be those who took the time to build a strong foundation.  Stick with what you love and things should work out for you."
        As to whether you'd be wasting your time, given your lack of formal training in computers, Dan says, "There's a guy I know.  His name is Bill.  He liked computers and wanted to make them do cool things.  He dropped out of college and started a little company called Microsoft.
        "If you need and want formal training, go for it.  But don't let your own preconceptions get in the way of your dreams.  Act on your dreams and the rest will follow."
        MIS does not stand for "Many Idle Salesmen" or "Machines In Stagnation", Dan quips.  "Seriously though, MIS is big.  Another name for it is Systems Administration.  What systems do we use?  What platforms?  For what purposes?  For how long?  And how do we make the most efficient use of the information we have?  Information needs to be managed.  Hence we have people managing information and people who are experts in the field of information resources.
        "Most business schools have concentrations in MIS.  That's where I would direct your attention."  In general, Dan would say that a person with a firm background in programming and systems administration is a fine candidates for MIS programs.
        Cornell doesn't really offer any similar programs.  Dan suggests that one way you can work towards certification while staying at Cornell is to work for CIT.  They deal with all kinds of computing issues.  As you get more involved in specific aspects of certain problems, talk to your supervisor about taking courses that compliment your training on the job.
        Thanks, Dan!

Uncle Ezra