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Prof: students have ‘intellectual sophistication’ to ignore his ‘choice of trousers’
To the Editor:
Re: “Fashion 103: Intro to Professorial Panache,” Arts, April 15
As a member of the Cornell community for whom careless habit has been a long habit (see The Cornell Lunatic, Spring 1988, page 54), I felt quite amused at Dana Mendelowitz’s “Fashion 103” column. Mendelowitz appeals to path dependence to explain the faculty’s widespread inattention to accoutrement, guessing that we must be suffering from poor role models. The actual reason is much simpler: we have way too many other things to think about. We don’t see costume as a serious issue, because we credit most students with an intellectual sophistication sufficient to base their academic decisions on qualities less superficial than an instructor’s choice of trousers. Although Mendelowitz is right to point out the overlap between pedagogy and showmanship, education is not interchangeable with entertainment and students oughtn’t to expect it to be so. Far from constituting a distraction, perhaps our fashion shortcomings help illustrate that sound scholarship depends on what the facts and theories are, rather than how those facts and theories are clothed.
Prof. Matthew Belmonte, human development
Former Sunnies, American heroes,
write in defense of Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
To the Editor:
Re: “Massacre at Pigeon Forge: A journey to America’s strip mall badlands,” Opinion, April 15
Ted Hamilton’s sojourns to Istanbul and Red Cuba notwithstanding, we draw issue with his unfair portrayal of Pigeon Forge, Tenn. As seasoned alumni, we have had the pleasure and privilege of visiting the areas near Smoky Mountains National Park, and seeing the egalitarian blossoms of the New South spring forward.
Who can forget balancing the majesty of the Smokies with the densest concentration of miniature golf in the United States? Who can relive the dislocating rides at Ghost Town theme park in North Carolina? Who can belittle the wine produced, bottled, and sold on that well-trafficked Route 441?
Although Pigeon Forge may not be as chic as Natick, Mass., Route 441 North boasts the distinction of simultaneously being Route 321 South. If such opposites can coexist on a highway, then perhaps Mr. Hamilton can also embrace the persisting duality of this great American Land.
Joshua Goldman, former Sun News Writer
Carlos Maycotte, former Sun Associate Editor
Adam Schnabel, former Sun Photographer
Justin Weitz, former Sun Columnist
Re: E-mails Target Professor For Showing Tibet Film (April 16)
Dear editor,
First of all, on behalf of all Chinese students and scholars at Cornell University, we are sorry to hear about the personal attacks on Professor March. CSSA (Chinese Students and Scholars Association) does not endorse such improper behavior and condemn it. As a matter of fact, our adviser, Prof. Jian Chen and CSSA Council had sent out email to remind our members of the importance of protesting in appropriate manner prior to the documentary screening. We actually are trying to keep our mail list free from spurious messages by suspending new registrations with unknown identity during this particular time. Unfortunately, as a non-political student organization, we are not able to take the responsibility for personal misconducts of our members.
China has a very long and complicated history of fusions of different ethic and religious groups which cannot be simply described by conflicts between Tibetan and Chinese people. In the vast land of China, people are not categorized by "Chinese" and "Tibetans". "Chinese" means the entire body composed of people from 56 ethic groups. Tibetan is just one of the ethic groups and in terms of population, ranks the 9th. Ignoring such fact may lead to improper judgments. The recent overwhelming distorted/fabricated reports about Tibet events in many mainstream media will certainly make the situation worse. We think the media and our so called “elites” need more education about how to tell people a complete story.
We conclude our letter with a sentence we heard by chance:
Study history, not the media.
CSSA Executive Council
Excellent. The Sun publishes
Excellent. The Sun publishes an editorial endorsing a student-trustee who also happens to be a columnist for the Sun and fails to mention this fact in the editorial itself, and then decides to publish a letter from a bunch of former Sun staffers about a non-serious column. Well done!