Recent Contributions from Emily Cohn

Tisches Donate $35 Million To Aid University’s Faculty

Emily Cohn — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

“The waterfront of possibility is finally before us,” President David Skorton said on Friday afternoon to a room full of University administrators and members of the Board of Trustees. Skorton’s sense of optimism was prevalent among those in attendance at the “historic celebration,” where the University accepted a $35 million donation made by Trustee Andrew Tisch ’71 and his wife, Ann.

Remnants of Hurricane Ike Said To Have Caused C-Town Blackout

Emily Cohn — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Extreme winds that left Collegetown without power early Monday morning were remnants of Hurricane Ike, according to National Weather Service officials. The storm, which set off fire alarms throughout the city, ignited an electrical fire in the neighboring town of Newfield, burning a barn complex to the ground.

Though Collegetown was spared from fires, winds approaching speeds of 50 mph knocked down a number of power poles, alarming fire officials who shut down portions of Dryden Road, in fear that power lines would burn through protective wires and cause a fire.

Gary Allen, Newfield’s town justice, told the Ithaca Journal that the barn was a “massive inferno,” describing it as “the most spectacular fire I have ever seen.”

Alleged Drug Dealers’ Arrests May Curb Local Trade

Emily Cohn — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The recent arrests of three local men associated with a cocaine-trafficking ring will make a “significant dent” on the drug trade in Tompkins County, District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson told The Ithaca Journal last Tuesday. Curtis Echols of Rochester, said to be the ring’s leader, along with his sons, Curtis McCool and Darrell L. Bailey, have been charged on about 30 counts of drug trafficking.

According to The Journal, Echols allegedly distributed cocaine to both Bailey and McCool, in addition to Kelly Keefe, an Ithaca resident who was arrested on charges of alleged ties to a cocaine ring two weeks ago.

Univ. Climate Plan Sets Nat'l Precedent

Emily Cohn — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Cornell is making strides towards reaching carbon neutrality and is leading the pack in its endeavor. Yesterday, the University’s first greenhouse gas inventory was announced along with a $425,000 grant that will propel its Climate Action Plan committing the University to climate neutrality by 2050.

The release of Cornell’s climate inventory was among the first crucial steps outlined in the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which expects its 400 signatory institutions to follow suit and release their inventories. As indicated by the data, Cornell is two years ahead of schedule in its commitment.

Univ. Police Seek Help Finding Owner of Dog That Bit C.U. Student

Emily Cohn — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The University is currently searching to locate the owner of a dog that allegedly bit a Cornell student on Wednesday to confirm that the dog is not rabid.

The incident occurred at 4:30 p.m. at the Stone Foot Bridge on North Campus. According to the University, the dog’s owner may be named Brian. The dog, described as “white with small brown spots, on a leash, medium build, [with] floppy ears,” was walking alongside a male and a female, who both appeared to be 18-20 years of age.

While most dogs in the United States are vaccinated against rabies, it is crucial that the dog’s owners come forth to ensure the victim’s safety. The rabies virus is often fatal, but an immediate post-exposure vaccination can stop the virus from progressing.

Higher Education Act Affects Student Music Downloads

Emily Cohn — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This is the third in a three-part series analyzing the Higher Education Opportunity Act that was passed in August.

President George Bush signed the Higher Education Opportunity Act into law this past August, ushering in a series of reforms that were said to help pave the way for more students to be able to attend college. Aside from its attempt to make higher education more accessible, the act contains controversial provisions that represent the entertainment industry’s ongoing pursuit to curb illegal file-sharing on college campuses nation-wide.

C.U. Alum Wins Sierra Club Prize

Emily Cohn — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A few weeks following his graduation last spring, Carlos Rymer ’08 received an e-mail containing news. Rymer — whose legacy at Cornell reads like a laundry list of the University’s recent sustainability initiatives — had won the Sierra Club’s 2008 Joseph Barbosa Award.

Rymer was nominated for the award , which recognizes club members under 30 years old who have “a demonstrated record of service to the environment,” by Bonnie Tillery, who worked with Rymer at the local Sierra Club near his hometown in New Jersey. He will fly to San Francisco on Sept. 20 to be honored by the Sierra Club, where he will receive a $250 grant for his work.

The Sun Also Rises…at The Times?

Emily Cohn — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:15:44 -0400

Amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City’s Times Square stands a 52-story building that houses what many would consider to be the nation’s bastion of journalistic excellence: The New York Times. Though the new home to The New York Times has since made headlines for its Modernist structure that beckoned a few dare devils to scale its façade of ceramic rods, the building’s architecture pales in comparison to what brews inside its glass walls.

Higher Education Goes Abroad

Emily Cohn — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:02:17 -0400

Last week, several Cornell students traveled to China as representatives of the Ivy League Student Delegation. The trip was just one example of how students in America and the rest of the world are beginning to reap the benefits of international initiatives in higher education. Here are some of the latest headlines that highlight this trend.

D.A. Drops Charges Against 'Collegetown Creeper'

Emily Cohn — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:21:51 -0400

Abraham Shorey, the man suspected to be the “Collegetown Creeper,” will not stand trial for charges of burglary and sexual abuse, Tompkins County District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson said on May 9. Shorey, who is allegedly responsible for a string of more than 20 break-ins and assaults that victimized Cornell women in 2003 and 2004, is currently serving a six-year prison sentence in California.

Retiring Prof. Brian Earle ’67 Leaves Mark on Cornell Univ.

Emily Cohn — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A few years ago, Prof. Brian Earle ’67, communication, awoke to a phone call in the middle of the night from a student. It was Senior Week and the young man, along with his fraternity brothers, had decided that they would visit every bar in Tompkins County. At a stop along their journey, one of the brothers remarked aloud that they had arrived at a true “redneck bar.” At once, the young men were escorted out of the bar and into the parking lot, where one of the bar’s patrons poured beer in the students’ gas tank.

New Policies for Class of 2012 Affect the Admissions Process

Emily Cohn — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In high school, Daniela Arias of Mountainside, N.J. was involved in what she described as “a pretty diverse range of extracurricular activities.” An active member of her school’s chapter of Amnesty International and a writer for the student newspaper, Arias made it her goal to attend an Ivy League school.

On March 31, Arias was one of approximately 6,730 to receive an acceptance letter to Cornell. While this year, Cornell received a record-high of 33,011 applications for freshman admission, representing a 9-percent increase from last year, its overall admit rate of 20.4 percent only fell a tenth of a percentage.

Hotel School Hosts 83rd HEC Weekend

Emily Cohn — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Tradition stipulates that year after year, the dean of the School of Hotel Administration kicks off Hotel Ezra Cornell by posting a sign on his door saying that this year’s event will be the “best ever.” According to Jessica Rubin ’10, marketing director of HEC, attendees boasted that the 83rd annual, weekend-long educational conference really was just that.

HEC, which began last Thursday evening and concluded on Saturday with a closing cocktail party, hosted a number of leaders in the hospitality industry.

Cornell Med School Lung Cancer Study Reveals Conflict of Interest With Tobacco Company

Emily Cohn — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:48:35 -0400

According to the New York Times, a review of tax records indicates that a lung cancer study conducted by Dr. Claudia Henschke of Weill Cornell Medical College received funding from a cigarette company. The findings may threaten the legitimacy of the 2006 study, which said that 80 percent of lung cancer deaths can be prevented by the widespread use of CT scans.

The Sun reported on March 3 that Philip Morris USA, one of the largest tobacco corporations in the world, is currently providing $1 million in funding to the plant breeding and genetics department, and that this is the only research university currently being funded by a tobacco company.

Cornell Addresses Meningitis Threat

Emily Cohn — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Along with the mid-semester grind of prelims, problem sets, presentations and papers, this semester some Cornell students faced an unprecedented stress — the threat of bacterial meningitis. In the week prior to spring break, two students were hospitalized with the rare, yet potentially fatal disease that kills approximately 100 to 125 college students per year.

Wiretap Ties Spitzer to Prostitution Ring

Emily Cohn — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:00:00 -0400

The future of Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s (D-N.Y.) political career is currently on the line after being linked to a prostitution ring yesterday. The former attorney general, whose tenure has been marked by efforts to curb Wall Street corruption, was accused of arranging a meeting with a high-priced prostitute on Feb. 13.

According to the Associated Press, a federal wiretap captured a telephone call from a man identified as “Client 9,” planning a meeting with a prostitute.

Students Join Ithacans in Fast For Hotel Workers' Right to Earn Living Wage

Emily Cohn — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Yesterday at noon marked the end of a 40-hour fast for a group of local activists, including Fil Eden ’10, Carlos Rymer ’09, Stephanie Knight ’09 and Molly Bryson ’10, who participated in the event organized to advocate for local hotel workers’ rights. About 30 Ithaca residents gathered outside of the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Ithaca for the end of the fast, which coincided with the release of a settlement from the National Labor Relations Board regarding files charged against the hotel in defense of workers’ rights.

RIAA Targets College Students

Emily Cohn — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Last Thursday, the Recording Industry Association of America sent out the 13th wave of pre-litigation settlement letters to college students across the country accused of engaging in illegal file-sharing activity. While this most recent round of settlement letters did not target Cornell students, the actions drew attention to the entertainment industry’s ongoing effort to enforce copyright infringement laws on college campuses.

Howard Milstein ’73 Receives Honor as C.U. Entrepreneur of Year

Emily Cohn — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From the real estate market to the media realm, Howard P. Milstein ’73 has distinguished himself has an entrepreneur and his accomplishments have not gone unnoticed.

On Feb. 5, the University named Milstein, co-chairman, president and CEO of Emigrant Savings Bank, the 2008 Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year. The award, given annually to a graduate of the University, honors distinguished individuals considered to exemplify entrepreneurship.

“He has done a number of remarkable things,” said John Jaquette, executive director of Entrepreneurship@Cornell, the program that gives out the award. According to Jaquette, the process of choosing Entrepreneur of the Year entails a committee of students, faculty and alumni who call for nominations of Cornell alumni.

Ithaca Supports Fed. Carbon Tax

Emily Cohn — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Last Wednesday, the Ithaca Common Council voted in favor of a resolution urging federal and state officials to support a federal tax on carbon emissions. According to Sylvester Johnson ’71, a coordinator involved in drafting the resolution, the motion was the first mark of support for the initiative from local governments across the nation.

The Council voted 9-0-1 in favor of the resolution, which supports imposing a federal tax on carbon emissions as an alternative to implementing a national cap on carbon emissions.

Planning of Milstein Hall Moves Forward In Spite of Obstacles

Emily Cohn — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Construction of Milstein Hall may finally begin later this year after a string of design proposals, licensing disagreements and costly delays. Six years since the project’s inception, construction of the newest addition to the College of Architecture, Art and Planning has left many students confused.

The building is currently in the construction document phase, which should be completed by the end of May. Local planning firm Trowbridge and Wolf is in the process of creating a draft environmental impact statement, following an outline of issues to be evaluated before construction begins. The City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board is overseeing this environmental review process.

Eyes on the Primaries: McCain Looks to Win Florida

Emily Cohn — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

With Super Tuesday just a week away, Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) campaign is gaining momentum at a critical point in the presidential race. McCain is currently anticipating the results of today’s primary in Florida, considered to be the most decisive contest to date.

Eyes on the Primaries: Former Governor Mike Huckabee

Emily Cohn — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Mike Huckabee’s campaign success will be put to the test tomorrow with the results of the Florida primary, considered to be the nation’s most crucial contest yet. The former governor of Arkansas’ campaign has curtailed in recent weeks due to a dwindling campaign budget and a series of contest losses to his contenders.

According to his website, Huckabee’s campaign budget currently stands at $2.8 million, which falls significantly short of his $10 million goal intended to be reached by next week’s Super Tuesday. In comparison, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-N.Y.) and Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.), Huckabee’s Republican competitors, have raised $47.3 million and $62.8 million, respectively.

Fast Times at Statler High

Emily Cohn — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The School of Hotel Administration, the first collegiate program in hospitality management, is often dubbed Statler High for many reasons. First, the Hotel School runs on a block system, where freshmen and sophomore “hotelies” are pre-enrolled in classes.

Due to block scheduling, Hotelies spend “all day with the same kids,” according to Cailen Casey ’10, “which creates a tight-knit community.”

Additionally, Hotelies are able to get a locker and hold a senior prom.

The hotel school has unique course offerings, with classes ranging from Introduction to Wines to Culinary Theory and Practice, a stark contrast to the typical college course load.

Vice Provost Wippman to Leave Cornell for U. Minnesota

Emily Cohn — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:10:27 -0500

The University’s senior administration announced on Monday that David Wippman, vice provost for international relations and professor of law, will vacate his position at the end of the spring 2008 semester. Pending approval by the Board of Regents, Wippman will become dean of the University of Minnesota Law School on July 1, 2008.

Wippman joined the faculty of the Cornell Law School in 1992 as a professor of law and later rose to become the University’s first vice provost for international relations.

S.A. Subsidizes C.U. Athletic Tix

Emily Cohn — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Amidst a controversial decision by the Student Assembly executive committee to revise the policy of appropriating funds, the S.A. Appropriations Committee approved an arrangement with the Athletics Department to make Big Red Sports Passes available to all undergraduate students at no cost. The plan, finalized by a vote taken last night, will subsidize the cost of the Pass with funds from the 2008-2010 Student Activity Fee.

U.A. Supports Campus Code

Emily Cohn — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The University Assembly met last night to discuss the proposed revisions to the Campus Code of Conduct. After months of discussions between administrators, students and faculty members, the meeting established the U.A.’s unanimous support of the revised Code. This agreement marks one of the final stepping-stones crucial to the document’s approval and implementation.

The process of revising the code began in 2006 when Barbara Krause, a senior advisor to then Interim President Hunter R. Rawlings, produced the Krause Report, a revision of the Code that did not welcome positive feedback.

In response to a request from President David Skorton, the University Assembly’s Codes and Judicial Committee has since embarked on the process of revising the Code.

Grassroots Activism Still Alive on College Campuses

Emily Cohn — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Correction appended. See below.

College students today are undoubtedly more connected than they were in generations past. Networking tools such as e-mail listservs and Facebook have facilitated communication on campus and elsewhere. But how have such technological changes been reflected in the way students make their voices heard? With a controversial war abroad, an increasingly unpopular presidency and environmental issues framing current history, what are the specific causes provoking college students today to speak out?

Focus of Campus Activism Shifts

Emily Cohn — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The face of student activism today is far different from what it was in decades past. For students, the focus of activist causes has moved from the civil rights and anti-war movements to include environmental issues that grace the pages of newspapers almost every week.

According to Elan Greenberg ’08 president of the Student Assembly, student activism is a powerful force that has the potential to direct the University, and moreover, the nation.

“If 10,000 students took two hours to protest the astronomical rise in Cornell tuition, imagine the effects this could have on University decision making,” Greenberg said.

University Receives ‘B’ on Sustainability Report Card

Emily Cohn — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The Sustainable Endowments Institute released the 2008 College Sustainability Report Card on Wednesday, assessing the sustainability of 200 of the nation’s wealthiest universities. Cornell received an overall grade of a B, an improvement from the 2007 Report Card, which gave the University a B-.

The Report Card is considered to be “the only independent sustainability evaluation of campus operations and endowment investments.” It evaluates sustainability in eight categories: administration, climate change and energy, food and recycling, green building, transportation, endowment transparency, investment priorities and shareholder engagement. The universities surveyed all have endowments ranging from $230 million to $35 billion.

Local Actions Protect Rights

Emily Cohn — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The controversial issue of immigration, currently at the forefront of the national discourse, was also at the center of local Ithaca politics Monday night when the Town Board voted to endorse Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s (D) plan to provide undocumented immigrants with driver’s licenses. This action is one of the many steps Ithaca has taken in recent months regarding immigrant rights.

On Sept. 21, Spitzer announced the policy change would enable undocumented immigrants to apply for state licenses without providing Social Security numbers. The reform would instead permit foreign passports as valid forms of identification and therefore allow undocumented immigrants to receive licenses. The controversial plan will make New York the eighth state in the nation to have such a policy.

Hub Announces Sustainability Coalition

Emily Cohn — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The Sustainability Hub, an umbrella organization composed of several student groups, announced recently the formation of the Sustainable Investment Coalition. The Coalition will seek to promote the investment of the University’s endowment, approximately $5 billion, in companies that employ sustainable practices.

Local Wineries React to Large Visiting Groups

Emily Cohn — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Far above Cayuga’s waters, on a weekend afternoon in the fall, a busload of people await to embark on an afternoon full of wine tastings at a number of the Finger Lakes region’s wineries. The scene is the first on a typical wine tour, an activity that has become commonplace as the Finger Lakes region is the second largest wine-producing region in the country, behind Napa Valley in California.

What often occurs at most wine-tastings, however, would make some wine connoisseurs turn their heads. Often times, visitors show little regard for wine tasting etiquette. They ignore the aroma or palate of the Merlot or Chardonnay in their hand while downing the beverage exclusively for its alcoholic content.

Profs Give PowerPoint a Mixed Review

Emily Cohn — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Remember the days of yesteryear when the sound of chalk to a chalkboard was the background noise of a typical school day? Perhaps you have a vague recollection, but to most these days are long gone, lost to technologies such as PowerPoint and Blackboard, which have found their place in the classroom, leaving chalk behind as an archaic sign of the past.

Prof. Jeffrey Hancock, communication, is an advocate for the use of Microsoft PowerPoint, a presentation program widely used by professors and students alike at Cornell and other institutions. Since Hancock began teaching, he has always used PowerPoint, arguing that its ability to provide visual support to lecture notes is extremely beneficial.

RIAA Sues 16 C.U. Students

Emily Cohn — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Earth Day Brings Out C.U. Activism

Emily Cohn — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:39:09 -0400

Deckhead:

Event Promotes Sustainable Living

Article body:

As the remnants of last week’s nor’easter melted away, members of the Cornell community came out to Ho Plaza on Friday to celebrate Earth Day and enjoy the spring weather. The day’s festivities concluded Cornell’s First Annual Global Warming Awareness Initiative, a week of events promoting the University’s sustainability efforts that included community service projects, a panel discussion, a film screening, a lecture and a benefit concert.

Students Honor Darfur Victims

Emily Cohn — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:18:49 -0400

Deckhead:

Vigil commences Darfur Week

Article body:

Darfur Week began last night when about 40 members of the Cornell community came together for a candlelight vigil held on Ho Plaza. The vigil was in memory of the 200,000 people, estimated by the Associated Press, who have been killed since the genocide in the Sudanese region of Darfur began in July of 2003.

Kaczynski Speaks on Death Penalty

Emily Cohn — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 02:43:43 -0500

Article body:

For David Kaczynski, director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty (NYADP), the issue of capital punishment hits close to home. His brother, Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber, is currently serving a life sentence in prison for a terrorist spree that began in the late 1970s and did not end until his arrest in 1996, after David approached authorities with suspicions of Ted’s possible involvement with the crimes.

C.U. Profs Help Develop Zambia

Emily Cohn — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 01:40:04 -0500

Article body:

In recent months, there has been much discussion about making the University more ecologically sustainable. For the past 18 months, a team of graduate students and professors has been at work aiding the Community Markets for Conservation Program, which is devoted to helping achieve wildlife and agricultural sustainability abroad, in the African nation of Zambia.