By ryan September 1, 2000
Over the summer, attorneys for the University and Prof. David A. Levitsky, nutritional sciences, argued in favor of their motion to have a multi-million dollar lawsuit against their clients dismissed. The plaintiffs responded to the dismissal request both with a written brief and at the July hearing in Schuyler County Court. The dismissal seeks to end a lawsuit that began in March 1999, when former graduate student Antonia Demas Ph.D. ’95 filed a complaint in Tompkins County Court alleging that Levitsky took credit for her research and that Cornell did not step in to protect her. The original 58-page lawsuit cites 14 causes of action against the University and Levitsky. The suit lists negligence, misappropriation, defamation and fraud, among other allegations, and asks for compensatory and punitive damages that could total over $50 million. Demas’ doctoral dissertation included research on the effects of educating elementary school children to improve their eating habits. She claims that her work, which won two national awards, was improperly used by Levitsky. At the hearing, lawyers for Cornell argued that the case should be dismissed because several of Demas’ claims were made beyond the amount of time in which a plaintiff may sue for damages. In addition, the defense stated that the University has its own process for making academic and administrative decisions, and courts typically do not review these proceedings. “Historically, courts don’t become involved in the internal affairs of the University,” said Thomas D’Antonio, a lawyer for Cornell. Lawyers for Levitsky also addressed the issue of New York State copyright law, under which no one can own a theory. The plaintiff’s side argued that Demas’ theories were protected through her dissertation, which was published and copyrighted in 1994. They also held that Demas can sue the University for fraud and breach of contract because her suit does not involve a “grading dispute, dismissal, expulsion, suspension or a decision regarding whether she has fulfilled the requirements for graduation,” according to their brief. Finally, her attorneys refuted claims that the complaint was not within the statute of limitations, arguing that it was filed less than six years after Cornell’s alleged breach of contract and within one year of alleged defamatory comments made by former Provost Don M. Randel regarding Demas’ work. Randel was cited in the complaint for making disparaging comments about Demas and her work at a meeting of the President’s Council for Cornell Women. In July, Prof. Emeritus Rada Dyson-Hudson, anthropology, issued a letter to the University of Chicago’s Board of Trustees, where Randel became president this summer, and to Chicago’s chair of gender studies, stating that “a number of women associated with Cornell University have been deeply disturbed” by Randel’s appointment. “The one weapon we have is publicity … bad publicity as a way of putting pressure on Cornell,” said Dyson-Hudson. “They try to discredit you, they try to destroy you, they try to overwhelm you.” Officials from the University of Chicago were not available yesterday and representatives declined to comment.Archived article by Beth Herskovits
By ryan September 1, 2000
Cornell students may have the opportunity to subscribe to wireless Internet through Cornell Information Technologies (CIT) — the department that provides wired Internet access to buildings on campus — and this opportunity may come as early the spring. “By next spring, we hope to have 500 [modules] in service,” said CIT Assistant Director Tom Every. These modules, called “cards” by CIT can provide Internet access to a laptop computer or to a hand-held Windows CE machine. Anybody can sign up for wireless Internet, but there will be a charge for the service, Every said. Wireless Internet access in libraries generates mixed responses among students. “You would need a laptop to get wireless Internet, and that’s expensive,” Gaurrav Kanal ’02 said. However, some students look forward to the new technology. One laptop user, Kiran Sunkavalli ’03, eagerly awaits the arrival of wireless service. “Wireless Internet is a really good idea. Sometimes when you can’t study in your room, you come to the library and you need the Internet,” Sunkavalli said. With wireless Internet, Sunkavalli said she would use her laptop computer instead of waiting in long lines for the computer labs. Wireless Internet coverage will encompass more than just libraries, but according to Every, there will be limits on where people can access the Internet. “There will probably never be 100 percent coverage because of the nature of Cornell’s campus being so spread out,” Every said. Initially, the places where people can access the Internet without a cable connection will be “focused on public access spaces where students and faculty work on portable systems,” he added. This includes libraries, classrooms and residence areas such as student lounges, as specified by a CIT report. Ultimately, CIT aims to “allow people to roam around campus and have seamless coverage,” Every said. For now, however, only a limited number of students have the benefit of wireless Internet. Nomadic Computing in Education and Digital Libraries, known as Nomad, currently provides laptop computers with wireless modems to students in selected courses. “One of CIT’s goals is to integrate Nomad into CIT to provide service,” Every said. There are also independent wireless Internet providers in downtown Ithaca and Collegetown, such as Clarity Wireless, Inc. Philip Yuen ’00 has used wireless Internet from independent providers and looks forward to wireless Internet on Cornell’s campus. “It’s very, very cool. It’s also very easy to set up [and] it saves so much trouble,” Yuen said. “The speed of wireless Internet is close to the speed of Ethernet. It might cost more money, but it’s worth the convenience,” he said.Archived article by Peter Lin