The Land Of The Free

By ryan | February 16, 2001

For the past few months, college students across the world have held their breath, waiting to hear what the final fate of Napster might be, as a flood of lawsuits and appeals have made all the proceedings surrounding Napster seem impossible to follow. Of course, last Monday was the date set for a crucial ruling in the case but, predictably, even that proved to be ambiguous as far as determining the ultimate outcome of this whole mess.

For those of you who have been hibernating for the past few years, Napster is a program that allows users all over the world to share music files — called MP3s — with other users. Needless to say, this free distribution of music has not sat well with the ever-greedy recording industry, and Napster has faced a deluge of lawsuits from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), as well as such formerly cool artists as Metallica and Dr. Dre.

In July 2000, a U.S. District Court judge hearing the Napster case imposed a preliminary injunction on the software distributor, ordering them to cease operation of their file-sharing network until the court could determine whether or not Napster was indeed in violation of copyright law. Napster appealed, and the injunction was held back until a higher court could hear the appeal — which happened Monday. The somewhat confusing results of this decision are public knowledge now, but what does it all really mean?

The short version: Napster will be staying open (and free) for at least a little while longer. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday declared “that the scope of the injunction needs modification in light of our opinion.” The Appeals Court called the injunction “overbroad,” and requested that the lower court modify it so as to limit Napster’s responsibility to regulate its program.

On a less encouraging note, though, the Appeals Court also said, “a preliminary injunction against Napster’s participation in copyright infringement is… required.” The Court also rejected virtually every argument Napster has presented in its own defense, while affirming the positions presented by the RIAA’s lawyers. In doing so, the court has basically guaranteed that Napster will soon be forced to close down, possibly switching over to the fee-based system that has been rumored to be in the works ever since Napster struck a deal with Bertelsmann AG, the parent company of record label BMG.

So, what does this all mean? Well, for one, it means that the already monopolistic record companies will gain still more control over the distribution of music. It means that all the unsigned and local artists who can’t distribute their music through channels other than online will now have to find somewhere else to go. It means that all the independent bands and labels — most of whom support MP3-sharing — will now have lost a powerful tool for marketing their music. And it means that the corporate music machine that has flooded store shelves with nothing but crappy music recently, while steadily raising prices into astronomical ranges, will now have a chance to screw up the online music system as well. Yay.

Is There Life After Napster? Hell Yeah!

I for one won’t be paying 15 bucks to sign on to the new corporate Napster. Not when there are tons of free alternative methods of getting my MP3 fix. As a public service, here’s a few of the better file-serving utilities that currently exist.

Gnutella (http://gnutella.wego.com): Currently, the best of the non-Napster MP3 alternatives. While Napster operated on a central server, Gnutella allows individual PCs to act as servers, making it virtually impossible to shut down. The original program ate up ridiculous amounts of bandwidth and was difficult to use without a degree in computer science, but subsequent upgrades have fixed those problems. The best of the Gnutella software now is probably Gnucleus, though ToadNode and LimeWire are also popular. And if you still need an incentive, you can also download any type of file, including movies, images, and even text. So get the song, then get the music video, thereby pissing off both the RIAA and MTV.

Napigator (http://www.napigator.com): Wanna keep using Napster without forking over any cash? Napigator lets you do just that, by connecting you to one of hundreds of hard-to-track pirate servers all over the world that use the familiar Napster interface. Just click on a server, and Napster opens, but without the evil threat of having to pay for your music.

FreeNet/Espra (http://freenet.sourceforge.net): Here’s another multimedia download program based on the Gnutella idea of decentralization. The FreeNet software isn’t yet perfect for downloading MP3s, but the soon-to-come Espra promises to be better. Espra should be unique among file-sharing progs for including a “Tip The Artist” link to allow users to show their appreciation directly to artists via a monetary contribution. Good idea, and it certainly makes a lot more sense to give money to, say, Radiohead, rather than Sony.

Archived article by Ed Howard

Search Continues for New Dean of Students

By ryan February 19, 2001

The University administration will continue accepting new nominations while searching for the next Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students. John L. Ford held the position for eight years at Cornell before resigning last December to become vice president and dean of campus life at Emory University. Meanwhile, Tanni Hall ’76, associate dean of students, is filling the vacancy this semester as the interim dean of students. “As usual with these sorts of things, the University is taking lots and lots of steps with input from many different groups,” Hall said about the search process. The search, however, focuses entirely on tenured faculty members, and thus Hall and several other potential candidates cannot be considered to fill the position in the future. Susan H. Murphy ’73, vice president for student and academic services and chair of the dean search, explained the strategy as an effort to maintain strong ties between academic and student life. “I am confident that among our tenured faculty we’ll find a good match,” Murphy said, speaking on behalf of the committee composed of 17 administrators, faculty, staff members and students. “If we don’t find the right person among the tenured faculty, we will broaden the search, but I am confident that we will,” she said. The recommendation that a tenured faculty member hold the Dean of Students position began with a committee chaired by the former Dean of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, David Lipsky, when the entire structure of the Dean of Students Office was being reexamined. Ford, taking over as Dean of Students in 1992 after the merger of the offices of Student Union and Activities, pioneered a new role for the position. The first faculty member to hold the position, Ford previously worked as a lecturer and then a tenured faculty member in the College of Human Ecology from 1972 to 1992. While there has been little doubt that a suitable candidate can be found from Cornell’s pool of professors, some committee members and students expressed concerns about restricting the search so early on. “I have a minor concern that we’re leaving out someone really talented for the position by limiting our initial search to tenured faculty members,” said one committee member under the condition of anonymity. “Because I think there will be good candidates, I am not worried,” said Uzo Asonye ’02, Student Assembly president, about the search. He added, however, that he could name many administrators and staff members from Campus Life who would make strong candidates if it were not for the tenured faculty restriction. The committee hopes to fill the position by the end of the spring semester, thus ending the all-encompassing search process that began last fall when Ford announced that he would leave Cornell. “I’m thrilled that, in this case — unlike with the College of Engineering dean search — the University is seeking student input,” said Kira Moriah ’03, a search committee member. “Whenever someone is being hired who works so closely with students, I think it is essential to have students in the search process.” The Dean of Students works as the primary liaison between students and the administration. Serving under the Division of Student and Academic Services, the Dean of Students oversees fraternity and sorority affairs, new student programs, the Student Activities Office and Willard Straight Hall. The position directly influences the more than 550 student organizations that receive support and advice from the Student Activities Office. In addition, the Dean of Students directs Cornell United Religious Work, one of the country’s first interfaith college programs, which comprises of more than twenty affiliated communities. Hall, serving as interim dean for the second time in addition to maintaining her regular duties as associate dean of students, described the full agenda for this semester — a schedule which is made busier as the University works to complete the North Campus Residential Initiative. “We’re always moving forward, setting priorities with a certain initiative,” Hall said, adding that she is “treating the job as if it were [her] own,” in order to keep the organization healthy. Hall last served as interim dean in the spring of 1999 when Ford spent the semester at the University of Chicago as an American Council on Education Fellow. Reflecting on the internal search process, Hall said that she thought it was appropriate because selecting a tenured faculty member would ensure that whoever holds the job is “really knowledgeable about Cornell.” Although Murphy could not identify the candidates so early in the process, she said that the pool is already looking strong. “I believe that the partnership we can form with a member of the faculty in that position has many benefits as we move forward on the living-learning initiatives, and as we work to make President Rawlings’ vision to be the best research University for undergraduates a reality,” she said.Archived article by Jennifer Roberts
Campus Celebrates Black History Month

By ryan February 19, 2001

Tantalizing aromas of African delicacies wafted through the dining halls and the sounds of gospel graced Bailey Hall in the Festival of Black Gospel concerts commemorating Black History Month. The Festival of Black Gospel (FBG) sponsored three days of activities last weekend. Guest choirs included Touch, the Community Workshop Choir, Dickson Guillaume and the Haitian Interdenominational Mass Choir. “It’s kind of exciting to see so many students just hanging out with their friends,” said Estrella Howell ’01. “It puts things in perspective. I have energy for tomorrow.” To commemorate its 25th anniversary, FBG engaged in a history of gospel. Throughout the performance on Saturday, the audience heard a narration of important facts about the evolution of gospel, beginning with the days of slavery. Orange, green and blue lights accompanied the dancers who performed African dances. Several small groups sang a cappella and the Mass Choir — consisting of students, faculty and community members — sang contemporary gospel songs. The audience clapped along with the choirs. “FBG is a blessing to the campus. I think it’s good for the Cornell community to come out with the Ithaca community to interact and praise the Lord,” said Michelle Scott grad, a member of the Mass Choir. The Robert Purcell Community Center Marketplace Eatery hosted a night of African foods Thursday to celebrate Black History Month. Some food selections that were served included bacon cheddar grit patties, fried plantains, doro-wat chicken and baby mustard greens. Okenshield’s treated students to the same cuisine Friday night. “On our part, it was a success,” said Kyle Polzella ’02, a marketplace eatery student manager. “We had a plan for what we wanted, [and] I think that it went pretty well.” Black History Month events will continue this week in celebrating the achievements of African Americans. A showing of “Malcolm X” will be presented Wednesday night in the Ujamaa Main Lounge.Tantalizing aromas of African delicacies wafted through the dining halls and the sounds of gospel graced Bailey Hall in the Festival of Black Gospel concerts commemorating Black History Month. Guest Choirs The Festival of Black Gospel (FBG) sponsored three days of activities last weekend. Guest choirs included Touch, the Community Workshop Choir, Dickson Guillaume and the Haitian Interdenominational Mass Choir. “It’s kind of exciting to see so many students just hanging out with their friends,” said Estrella Howell ’01. “It puts things in perspective. I have energy for tomorrow.” To commemorate its 25th anniversary, FBG engaged in a history of gospel. Throughout the performance on Saturday, the audience heard a narration of important facts about the evolution of gospel, beginning with the days of slavery. Performances Orange, green and blue lights accompanied the dancers who performed African dances. Several small groups sang a cappella and the Mass Choir — consisting of students, faculty and community members — sang contemporary gospel songs. The audience clapped along with the choirs. “FBG is a blessing to the campus. I think it’s good for the Cornell community to come out with the Ithaca community to interact and praise the Lord,” said Michelle Scott grad, a member of the Mass Choir. The Robert Purcell Community Center Marketplace Eatery hosted a night of African foods Thursday to celebrate Black History Month. Some food selections that were served included bacon cheddar grit patties, fried plantains, doro-wat chicken and baby mustard greens. Okenshield’s treated students to the same cuisine Friday night. “On our part, it was a success,” said Kyle Polzella ’02, a marketplace eatery student manager. “We had a plan for what we wanted, [and] I think that it went pretty well.” Black History Month events will continue this week in celebrating the achievements of African Americans. A showing of “Malcolm X” will be presented Wednesday night in the Ujamaa Main Lounge.Archived article by Kelly Samuels