It was the summer of ’69. In the midst of free love, hits of LSD and political activism across the U.S., Cornell University hosted a historic exhibit that transformed the perception of art. Curated by Willoughby Sharp at the A.D. White House, Earth Art broke out of museums and galleries and into the rough-and-tumble of the wilderness. The show was the introduction to the Land Art movement, including works like Walter de Maria's “Lightning Farm,” which harnessed the power of nature for aesthetic pleasure.

The music was turned off at Benchwarmers Bar on the Commons; the volume on the television sets was raised, and all eyes turned up to look as Tom Brokaw, the moderator of the second presidential debate, introduced Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

As the debate began, activity around the pool table died down. Conversation at the bar was kept at a minimum. Those seated at tables neglected their food and drink to crane their necks up at the televisions above them. Bartenders and waiters took extended pauses to watch as the two presidential candidates discussed the economic situation.

It’s 11:00 on a Tuesday night. Ensconced in the velour of my most comfortable robe, I lounge about my sofa, soothed by Burt Bacharach’s mellow tenor. Scented candles bathe my room in muted light and aromas of French vanilla. My roommate is at his girlfriend’s, and I have the place all to myself. The mood is perfect for my date with myself.

A student purchases apples from a vendor on the Commons at the Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival on Saturday.

This weekend’s rain did not stop Ithaca residents from indulging in the 26th Annual Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival.

According to Downtown Ithaca’s website, the three-day festival has been known to attract an audience of around 30,000 people.

The festival has been a long-time favorite of Cornell students, living up to its motto: “Tempting to the Core.”

“We’ve been counting down for weeks,” said Jamie Goldstein ’10. An apple a day: A student purchases apples from a vendor on the Commons at the Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival on Saturday.

“We abstained from eating apples until Apple Fest so we could be fully prepared,” Jamie Hacker ’10 said.

About a year and a half ago, Lesley Greene was sitting with her husband, playing ukuleles on her porch. Her neighbor, Gretchen Hildreth, walked by and, according to Lesley, “Somehow the idea came to us of a festival where musicians play music on their front porches.” This past Sunday afternoon in Fall Creek, that idea became a reality for the second time in Porchfest II.

Nearly 40 bands and musicians gathered on assorted Fall Creek porches and front lawns to fill the autumn air with a multitude of tunes. Co-founder Lesley Greene said that she was “happy to include everyone who wanted to be included.” And inclusion was key, as the acts ranged from an elderly recorder ensemble to the world’s first synthesizer band, to an all-girl high school pop band.

Two robbers who have been convicted of robbing students in and around Cornell received prison sentences on Sept. 9, according to The Ithaca Journal. Whitley “Cash” Taylor, 26, faces four years in prison, while Frisco C. Meeks, 20, faces three-and-a-half years in prison. Both felons will receive post-release supervision.

Taylor and Meeks arranged to meet their victims by telling them they were interested in purchasing marijuana. But when they met, the pair would pull out a weapon and robbed the victims. Some of those robbed were Cornell students.

Meeks was arrested on April 1 and Whitley was found in Washington D.C. two weeks the later.

The age of the Jetsons is finally upon on us.

Yesterday evening, an international delegation of academics, engineers and policy makers gathered in the Johnson Museum to mark the commencement of the three-day Podcar City Conference — one devoted to further developing the use of Personal Rapid Transit. Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) expressed his excitement concerning the convention by addressing the positive implications of the proposed alternative mode of transportationOpen up to the future: Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) speaks at the opening event of the Podcar City Conference at the Johnson Museum yesterday., which involved computer-programmed cars run on elevated guide-ways.

Last night’s Collegetown blackout — for once — did not involve alcohol. Rather, it entailed vicious winds, exposed electrical wires, fire trucks, policemen and streets filled with sleepy, pajama-clad students looking for answers.

Winds — estimated at 20 to 30 miles per hour — blew through Ithaca last night, taking down power lines across the city. A transformer outside 409 Dryden Rd. exploded, lighting the sky green. Lines draped downward, threatening to set trees ablaze. Firefighters stood by, keeping careful watch. The transformer continued sparking late into the night, threatening to ignite pieces of the tree entangled with the power lines.Blackout: Collegetown goes dark early Monday morning.