By ryan March 14, 2001
“What kind of nation do we intend to become?” asked journalist William Greider during Tuesday’s lecture “The Decay of Democracy” in McGraw Hall. Greider’s talk was the “inaugural lecture of a new series of what will be annual lectures in American political culture,” said Larry Moore, director of the American Studies Program, which sponsored the program. Greider is a Washington-based, award-winning journalist who has worked for newspapers, magazines and television for more than 35 years. Currently, he is the National Affairs Correspondent of The Nation , a political journal, but has also served as the assistant managing editor of national news for The Washington Post and as the national affairs editor at Rolling Stone magazine. Prof. Theodore Lowi, government, placed Greider in a metaphorical “pantheon of intellectuals,” during his introduction of the speaker. Greider, himself, spoke more modestly. “I was flattered to be invited to inaugurate this series,” he said. Living up to his reputation as a tough critic of American politics and economy, Greider drew on extensive journalistic experience as well as on material from his best-selling books to illustrate the condition of American democracy. Although Greider was hesitant to answer his own rhetorical questions, he did provide his own definition of democracy. “Democracy is a society that functions through mutual respect,” he said. Greider’s own interpretation of democracy suggests to him that, “the idea [of democracy] itself is now in deep trouble.”. Greider noted a resignation of interest with, and a distancing from, the democratic process coupled with a general lowering of expectations as some sources of the deepening decay within the American political system. Greider stressed the importance of participation in democracy above all his ideas. “The question I ask about the [American] people … is why no rebellion? Why the resignation?” Greider said. He used the example of an overlooked 1994 Bangkok toy factory fire, where inadequate factory conditions resulted in a tremendous loss of life. That incident, Greider noted, was reminiscent of the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in the United States and was equally horrific in terms of loss of life. He drew on these examples to demonstrate the severity of American apathy toward events which should stir public response. “There is no anger, there is no shame and … no mobilization,” he said. Greider complimented this example by noting that American consumers were more likely to turn their backs on the atrocity based on their interests as consumers. Mass consumption, or as he labeled it, “the solace of consumption,” substitutes for something else that people have lost in their lives. This tendency of American culture is yet another factor in the “decay of democracy.” However, Greider was not entirely pessimistic about the human condition, noting the hope he sees in the tireless activism of many groups, most notably faith-based institutions. “They are the closest thing I have seen … to a genuine democracy,” he said. Additionally, Greider tied the decay of democracy to his criticisms of American capitalism, noting that another potential source of distance from democratic ideals stems from the tension created by the economy. “Whose values rule? The marketplace or society’s?” Greider asked the audience. He continued his economic line of logic on a more personal level. He noted that Americans experience a severe amount of work-related stress that transcends socio-economic status. Greider implied that people’s level of contentment is inevitably reflected in their attitudes towards the source of their struggles. “Maybe restoring democracy, or a faith in democracy, begins at work, not through mindless campaigning or even politics itself,” Greider said. As Greider’s audience followed his series of questions, they found themselves asking a question of their own: What can be done to prevent the seemingly inevitable decay of democracy? Joking that he had come across as “apocalyptic and grim,” Greider insisted that there is reason to remain positive in terms of potential for progress. Major sources of hope, he mentioned, can be found in the promise of the younger generations. “I envy the young. … I really do believe you’re on the brink of a powerful moment in history,” Greider said, telling students in the audience to “Organize, organize, organize … you do have to make a collective presence visible to yourselves first, never mind the politicians or broadcast companies.” Audience members expressed their satisfaction with Greider’s take on the resurgent possibilities of American democracy. “I admire the … idealism of Mr. Greider’s presentation, exactly the kind of thing that students need to hear, even if they don’t agree,” said Glenn Altschuler, dean of the School of Continuing Education. “I’m really sad that he’s not as … widely appreciated as he should be,” said Lowi after the lecture. The series was funded by Sanford Krieger ’65 and Mary Krieger who provided the donations to bring speakers to campus for the annual series. Archived article by Jennifer Gardner
By ryan March 14, 2001
Susan A. Henry is a woman of many hats. She is the first female Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), a former professor of molecular biology and genetics, and the head of a research laboratory. “I didn’t originally apply for a job as dean,” Henry said, while taking a seat in her modest office, located towards the back of her laboratory in the biotechnology building. “I was looking for new challenges and actually applied for a different job, however the faculty here suggested I take this job,” she added. Henry left a position as Carnegie Mellon University’s dean of science to come to Cornell in July of last year. She had worked at Carnegie Mellon since 1987. Henry notes her responsibilities here as dean include more than the basic biology and chemistry that she headed at Carnegie Mellon. CALS has four times as many students as Henry’s former Carnegie Mellon population, distributing a wider range of classes to her guidance. Additionally, her new position excludes areas previously under her care such as math and physics, that are in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences. Henry said she feels that the many of the disciplines found in CALS show how human knowledge begins specifically, and becomes more generally applicable, such as the CALS business major. One of Henry’s projects aimed at improving the undergraduate experience is expanding the business major to areas outside of agricultural business. “It was previously known as ARME [Agricultural Resource and Managerial Economics]. You don’t expect to find a business department called that,” she said. Within one year, Henry hopes to have a business accrediting committee certify the department so as to encourage more students with an interest in business to apply. “The undergraduate business program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is a hidden jewel,” she said. Henry is also taking strides to emphasize the environmental sciences, genomics, biodiversity, computational biology and environmental science majors in order to give undergraduates in the college more options. Henry herself is involved in the genomics department, being one of the first deans in recent years to conduct an active research lab. “Some call me a molecular geneticist, a biochemist or a microbiologist,” she noted. The National Institute of Health (NIH) funds Henry’s research which is focused on Baker’s yeast as a model system for metabolic reactions. Henry is interested in yeast because it is a very simple eukaryote whose genome is easily sequenced and applied to larger organisms. Henry’s lab was the first to discover, sequence and clone INO1, an enzyme found in all other eukaryotes. “It is not common for a dean to do research here,” she said. “It is hard to keep everything going at once.” One of Henry’s initiatives is to bring CALS into a more active role surrounding genetically engineered organisms. She has put together a task force of faculty and staff members to reexamine Cornell’s role in educating the public to dispel myths about genetically engineered food. “People just need to talk rationally about [genetically engineered food],” she said. Henry also wants to talk about the tuition increase. “We have to maintain a certain level of quality and that costs money,” she said. “I’m sorry to have it happen during my first year as dean … but there was no other option to [continue] to provide statutory and endowed students with the same level of quality.” Quality is valued highly by Henry, which is why she is reaching out to students, personally taking time to listen and to consider their grievances or praises. Henry is aware of the fact that students need more group study areas and is therefore working with the academic program office to replace study areas lost because of the Mann Library construction. Also contributing to the shortage of space is the lack of classrooms because of concern about computer theft. “I want to interact with the students,” she said. “I have been meeting with student ambassadors and want to begin having regular events such as dinner in the dorms to meet students informally.” When she is not meeting students, researching or fulfilling her duties as dean, Henry enjoys gardening, cooking, looking after her pet snake and knitting. “I got great wool at the Ithaca farmer’s market,” she advised fellow knitters. Henry is married and has two children, one of whom is a Ph.D. student of chemistry here at Cornell. It seems that science runs in the family, for Henry attributes her love of science to her grandmother. “It was my grandmother who got me into science, showing me plants, local wildlife, bugs and snakes,” Henry said. She spent much of her childhood at her grandparent’s 300 acre farm in New Hampshire. Although she is knowledgeable on various sciences, Henry admits that she still has a lot to learn to about the daily workings of CALS, but she will not let this discourage her. Henry said, “I want to make the administration more transparent and accessible. I want to run things more efficiently. [Cornell] is an outstanding place in terms of intellectual activity. The alumni are great supporters, the faculty is dedicated to teaching and the students are enthusiastic.” Archived article by Rachel Einschlag