Recent Contributions from Scott Rosenthal

Tompkins County Faces Budget Cuts

Scott Rosenthal — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The slowing economy is affecting the outlook for the 2008 Tompkins County budget, which will have to accommodate a significant cut in expenditures. Nathan Shinagawa ’05 (D-4th Ward), the Tompkins County Legislature Budget and Capital Committee chairman, described the situation as “tough” and said that his colleagues in other counties are facing similar cuts.

“When the state is in a budget crunch, it’s [an] easy temptation to push costs over to the county,” Shinagawa said.

Cornell Lunatic Alum Publishes Humor Book

Scott Rosenthal — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Cornell’s student-run humor publication, the Cornell Lunatic, is celebrating a milestone with the national release of a new book in honor of its 30th anniversary. “Lunacy: The Best of the Cornell Lunatic,” published and edited by Joey Green ’80, co-founder of the publication, is the first college humor magazine, other than the Harvard Lampoon, to publish a nationally distributed book.

The Lunatic is described by current writers as a haven for aspiring humor writers and satirists to explore new themes in a very inclusive environment.

“As long as it is funny it goes in,” said Matt Palmer ’08, former editor-in-chief of the magazine.

Israeli-Arab Journalist Discusses Middle East

Scott Rosenthal — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

A prominent Israeli-Arab journalist, Khaled Abu Toameh, spoke to students last night about his 37 years of experience covering the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Toameh currently writes for the Jerusalem Post and is a syndicated columnist in newspapers throughout the world.

New Child Care Center Set to Open in August

Scott Rosenthal — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Chair of Cornell’s Child Care Services Committee Amy Richter grad gave a presentation at the Employee Assembly meeting yesterday, explaining in detail how the center will be operated.

The child care center, currently under construction near the A-Lot on North Campus, is scheduled to open in August.

The center will open with 158 spots for children, which will be broken down into specific sections for infants, toddlers, and pre-school aged children. The center will be available to the entire Cornell community, with equal access to faculty, employee, and graduate student groups.

Admission to the center will be determined by lottery, with no spots set aside for specific demographic groups, so any community member that applies will share an equal chance of having a child admitted.

Cornell Celebrates Black History

Scott Rosenthal — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Beginning today, a full week of events is scheduled to honor Black History Month, including meals, music and forums discussing Pan-African history and current issues.

Tonight will feature a performance by the Chosen Generation Gospel Choir and meals on both North and West campus with a “New South Cuisine” theme. An art exhibit, “Carrying the Tradition,” will also open this evening at the Carol Tatkon Center and will remain up throughout the week.

Meaghann Lawson ’10 is co-chair of this week’s events. “There is a special need for us to do something [to recognize Black History Month]. As members of Black Students United, we are an umbrella organization where we can cater to the whole African Diaspora,” Lawson said.

Former Pres. Corson Recalls Time Spent in Service of Science

Scott Rosenthal — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The President of Cornell is challenged with leading the University while shaping the institution for generations to come. Cornell has thre past presidents living in Ithaca. This article is the third in a series in which former presidents reflect on their time at Cornell and on their current projects.

It’s not every day that a university president can claim an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records. But Dale Corson, president of Cornell from 1969 through 1977, holds the world record for discovering and naming the rarest substance on Earth: number 85 on the periodic table.

“I’ve published only one paper in Nature,” said Corson. “and it’s proposing a name for the element, Astatine, which comes from a Greek word meaning unstable.”

Frank Rhodes: Scientist, Activist, Cornell President

Scott Rosenthal — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The president of Cornell has the challenge of leading the University while shaping the campus and the institution for generations to come. Cornell has three past presidents living in Ithaca. This article is the second of a series in which the former presidents speak of their time at Cornell and of their current projects.

Looking Up to President Rawlings

Scott Rosenthal — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The President of Cornell has the challenge of leading the University while shaping the campus and the institution for generations to come. Cornell has three past presidents living in Ithaca. This article is the first of a series in which the former presidents speak of their time at Cornell and of their current projects.

Many students dread the late semester rush of deadlines for papers and long-term projects. This year, they are not alone in having an important due date before classes end in December. Prof. Hunter R. Rawlings III, classics, who served as president of Cornell from 1995 to 2003, has just four weeks left to complete a major report on higher education in New York State. And who is grading his work? Governor Eliot Spitzer (D).

Students Celebrate End of Ramadan at Eid Feast

Scott Rosenthal — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

More than 250 people gathered last night to celebrate the end of Ramadan at the 3rd annual Eid Banquet, organized by the Muslim Educational and Cultural Association (MECA). Known as Eid al-Fitr, or the Holiday of the Fast-Breaking, the event commemorates the end of the month-long observance by Muslims.

Among those attending was President David J. Skorton, who addressed the sold-out gathering and discussed his appreciation for the role the Muslim community has on campus and in Ithaca. He stressed the importance of engaging with others of different backgrounds and faith, and praised MECA for providing a forum for discussion at Cornell.

DWI in Ithaca Not Limited to Students

Scott Rosenthal — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Many can remember a moment when an intoxicated friend has to be convinced not to drive. For most students, this confrontation ends properly with the keys being given to someone else, or the friend backing down after some debate. Sometimes, however, students ignore the warnings and risks.

According to data published by the Cornell University Police Department, there was an average of two driving while intoxicated arrests per month last academic year. The CUPD has tracked DWI data since 2003, when the administration requested that an annual report be produced to help evaluate the University’s response.

Students in D.C. Meet Justice Ginsburg ’54

Scott Rosenthal — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 01:35:29 -0400

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WASHINGTON — A private gym and the official dining room were just two areas of the Supreme Court building that 40 Cornell students viewed before meeting with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54 on Friday.

Cornellians Join Anti-War Protest

Scott Rosenthal — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 02:30:20 -0500

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WASHINGTON — More than 50 Cornell students joined tens of thousands protesting the war in Iraq in front of the Capitol Building Saturday in one of the largest demonstrations in recent years. Protesters listened to more than two hours of speeches by politicians and celebrities including Jane Fonda, who had not spoken publicly at an anti-war rally in 34 years.

Cornellians Fly to New Orleans To Create Redevelopment Plan

Scott Rosenthal — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 01:01:45 -0400

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Over 70 urban and regional planning students from Cornell left for New Orleans today to conduct field work on a redevelopment proposal for the upper and lower 9th ward — two months after New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin officially declared a team that included Cornell’s city and regional planning department (CRP) as one of five chosen to write the city’s Unified Recovery Plan.

War Memorial Honored

Scott Rosenthal — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:22:44 -0400

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As the United States entered World War I, it was Captain Edward I. Tinkham ’16 of the American Expeditionary Force who was the first American to carry the Stars and Stripes in Europe. Over the next few years, 9,000 Cornellians, including students, alumni and professors, would fight in The Great War.

New Labor Decision May Impact Universities

Scott Rosenthal — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:38:49 -0400

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The National Labor Relations Board, an independent agency that is charged with overseeing union elections and investigating unfair labor practices, recently issued a landmark ruling providing new guidelines for determining who is a supervisor in the workplace. The ruling has the potential to impact unionized professors and workers at private universities across the country.

Journalist Discovers Layoffs Cause Victims to Feel Guilty

Scott Rosenthal — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:41:20 -0400

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Employment conditions for millions of Americans working in corporations are as unstable as they were in the 1920’s, and are getting worse, according to Larry Uchitelle, who lectured in support of his new book The Disposable American — Layoffs and Their Consequences. As a long-time business writer for the New York Times, Uchitelle received the prestigious Polk Award for his work in “The Downsizing of America” series in 1996.

ILR Website Moves Close to Trial

Scott Rosenthal — Thu, 04 May 2006 20:00:00 -0400

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The multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by two former Industrial Law and Labor Relations extension employees against the University continues to move toward a trial.

The complaint, originally filed with the District Court of the Southern District of New York in 2004, alleges that Peggy Leibowitz '73, former senior extension associate II, was demoted and terminated from a tenured position because of her age and gender.

In a separate case that has now been combined with Leibowitz's claim, Thomas Germano, former senior extension associate II and director of the ILR extension office in Long Island, also claims that he was harassed into early retirement by the University because of his age.

Cornell had filed a motion to dismiss Leibowitz's complaint, arguing she failed to state sufficiently a cause of action. The District Court originally granted Cornell's motion to dismiss, but the Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision on April 21 as the result of an appeal, allowing the suit to go forward to discovery.

Attorney David Market, who is representing both Leibowitz and Germano along with senior partner Jeffrey Liddle '71 of the Liddle & Robinson law firm, said he is very encouraged by the Second Circuit's decision.

Leibowitz had worked in ILR's Extension office from 1983 until

her termination in July 2002. According to the decision by the Second Circuit, Leibowitz alleges that Cornell has violated the Equal Pay Act since the University paid her wages lower than those paid to male employees even though she performed equal work. She also claims that Cornell breached her contract by not respecting her as a tenured professor, and that Cornell owes her wages for a period when she continued to work for the University after accepting a forced early retirement.

The University's General Counsel Nelson Roth, as well

as his staff, was unavailable for comment. According to earlier statements, Cornell maintains that there was no contract or official policy supporting Leibowitz's claim that she held a tenured position, and that Leibowitz had suffered no "adverse employment action." Cornell did not file a motion to dismiss Germano's case, which has already reached the discovery stage.

Archived article by Scott Rosenthal