Subterranean Style

By wpengine | September 20, 2001

Style: Static or Kinetic? Is it something we’re born with as Freud would propose, or is it something that changes along a lifetime?

It may be a stretch to some, but style, as it were, may be considered a behavior. A decision is made everyday concerning what we need to wear (protective function) and then, what we want to wear (aesthetic function). Regardless, you dress yourself everyday and make decisions good or bad.

But are there behavioral patterns that develop that inspire us to claim an unvariable style as our own, or does the personal sense of style morph as we have new experiences? I propose a balance of the two.

Generally, there is a basic core of style beliefs that each person holds. Some of us will always hate pleated pants, while others will never throw out that beat-up pair of Vans. Despite this, new things will come in and out of our lives that will become new favorites to add to the old. Ain’t no shame in that. Hey, Madonna may be a cowboy one minute and a gangster the next, but she’ll always be a material girl.

Name Amadou Agne

Class Graduate

College Engineering

Major Civil

What one word describes your style?

Authentic.

Who or what do you look to for personal inspiration?

I take a lot of my inspiration from my uncle, I like the way he dresses and the kind of shops he goes to.

What’s your major source for style?

I live in Paris and people are very fashion oriented. I buy most of my clothes there. Paris is a mix of fashion from many countries.

What’s hot?

I like suits. Especially those designed by Kenzo. I wish there were more occasions to put them on.

What’s not?

Buggy, hippy, and hip-hop clothes.

Name Christine Elfman

Class 2001

College Architecture

Major Fine Arts

What one word describes your style?

Flow.

Who or what do you look to for personal inspiration?

Style of the turn of the century.

What’s your major source for style?

I guess just as long as it fits what I’m feeling inside. I don’t know. Nature, I suppose.

What’s hot, what’s not?

I think that your own fashion sense should stay with you throughout life if that’s part of your identity and it shouldn’t be changing throughout whatever the fashion industry dictates. So anything that you’re doing just because it is in fashion is not.

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Bush Promises Nation He Will Not Yield in Face of Terrorism

By wpengine September 21, 2001

“To our military: be ready. The hour will come for you to act and you will make us proud.” These are the words President George W. Bush told the Congress last night. He called the U.S. and other nations to service, he cited NATO’s charter to emphasis that “an attack on one is an attack on all,” and he urged Americans to avoid “singling out on the basis of religious background.” But yesterday, Cornell joined over 140 colleges and universities across the country that had organized in solidarity for a “peaceful justice” removed from military action. The pro-peace events, which included various combinations of rallies, vigils, marches and teach-ins, all took place around noon and received national media attention. Students at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. began organizing the peace effort just after the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center last week. They enlisted the cooperation of other campuses nationwide to get the attention of the President to express opposition to “retaliatory violence.” “We should work on a peaceful solution as opposed to continuing the global cycle of violence … we shouldn’t answer the deaths of thousands of innocent people with more deaths of innocent people,” Harvard University student Jessica Gould told ABC News. Gould, a sophomore, participated in Harvard’s rally, which involved a peace march in Boston, Mass. Ho Plaza was the site of Cornell’s rally, which also involved a peace march of approximately 125 students throughout campus, according to Dana Brown ’02, one of the event organizers. Community members spoke to an estimated one hundred people who participated in the activities — some on their way to class, some skipping class to be part of the rally despite the rain. “A substantial amount of students were present and it seemed like each person stayed for the entire time. We had a variety of powerful speakers and each one presented crucial insights and an emotive reaction to the present circumstances,” said Lindsay Kaplan ’02, who had addressed the crowd earlier. Students also tabled on Ho Plaza to post contact information for their local political leaders. Brown also noted that the group provided stamped postcards for students to write messages to their representatives. During the course of the day, about 125 postcards were handwritten and the group plans to provide additional cards today in the lobby of Willard Straight Hall, according to Brown. “People have responded so positively. I just hope Bush is listening,” Brown said of Cornell’s efforts. Brown also noted that members of both the activist and non-activist communities were present, sitting in Ho Plaza, as another group sold flowers to benefit the relief effort. “It was good because there were people that you don’t typically see — not everyone was necessarily part of the activist community. It was nice to see people coming out of the woodwork,” Brown said. “I think it’s good to see a lot of people out here. It’s good to see all the different faces … it seems to be a pretty diverse crowd. I like the different creative approaches people are taking [with displays of peace],” said Kimberly Webster ’03, who attended the demonstration. Members of the faculty as well as students presented their opinions at the rally. “Most of the faculty has been really supportive of a peaceful solution,” said Lindsey Saunders ’03, one of the event planners. Saunders said she felt that faculty members at the University teach-in, which occurred at the beginning of the week, seemed to be “advocating justice rather than anger and revenge.” “Non-violence must be the answer,” said Prof. Shawkat M. Toorawa, Near Eastern studies. “We have to resist the urge for military violence.” Toorawa also presented a speech at the teach-in on Monday. “As a nation we are more hurt and confused than we have ever been in our history. It is not a time for blind retaliation, this is far too dangerous a situation. It is a time for thought and evaluation, a time to contemplate what justice is … we simply cannot achieve justice while angry … if you want justice, work for peace,” Kaplan said in her speech yesterday. Brown said she felt that the rally was a “fantastic success” and that response was positive. “I didn’t really see anyone outwardly opposed to us … it was really inspiring to see people flood out,” she said. “I understand that there is a time and a place for non-violence but I also understand that in certain instances you need to defend yourself and if you don’t make those who are responsible pay in some way, you are encouraging further violence because you are going to be seen as weak. If you commit something wrong you better be willing to accept responsibility for it,” said Amber Massa ’02. However most students said they felt that the dialogue on campus was imperative in the wake of the national tragedy. “I think that to have this rally is necessary because the [media] is really for war. A lot of people don’t understand the foreign policy behind this, a lot of speakers have touched on that, and it’s really important that people understand why this happened. Overall, I think it’s great,” Tomer Malchi ’03 said. Carlos Perkins contributed to this article.Archived article by Alison Thomas
West Campus, Collegetown Rep. Resigns

By wpengine September 21, 2001

Josh Glasstetter ’01, the first undergraduate Cornell student to be elected to Ithaca’s Common Council, resigned from his position last week in an unexpected move, after only two years in office. Glasstetter cited a family member’s ill health as well as his desire to set a precedent for two-year de facto terms as reasons for his Sept. 12 resignation. A government major, Glasstetter ran for his seat in the fourth ward in November 1999. The fourth ward jurisdiction covers Collegetown and West Campus. “Setting the precedent of being a student on [Common] council is my biggest accomplishment,” he said. Aside from personal reasons, Glasstetter resigned in hopes of encouraging students to serve on the Common Council for two-year de facto terms. Common Council representatives currently serve four-year terms. “If students are going to be a regular feature, a regular presence in government, they should create two-year terms since it will be more practical with the schedules of students,” Glasstetter said. There are problems with this idea that Glasstetter acknowledged. “[People] probably won’t support it because the other wards like the idea of continuity. There won’t be exemptions for special cases,” he said. “I don’t think that would really work,” Susan Blumenthal ’78 (D-3rd) agreed. “It takes a while to get up to speed on things and once you get it, it’s time for a new election. There would be a lot of transition.” Before the November election where constituents will vote on a replacement for Glasstetter, some people believe that the interests of the fourth ward will still be represented. “We’ll still be represented well,” said Alexandra Sanchez ’03, president of the Cornell Democrats, referring to Glasstetter’s departure. “There [still] is a good mix of students and permanent residents [in the fourth ward].” Glasstetter said he felt that being a student on Common Council brought many challenges. “It puts pressure on a student because unlike being on an extra-curricular activity, you have to conduct yourself differently,” Glasstetter said. “Meetings at 10 or 11 [p.m.] are common, but difficult to make. I did have some problems with being with the [Common] council, … with my own personal conflicts and activities — balancing it all.” Other Common Council members noticed the problems Glasstetter had with meetings. “There is a tremendous lot of work we’re involved in and he was absent enough that it was noticeable,” Blumenthal said. “It is a very active body. There are expectations about commitment.” Even with managing a busy schedule, Glasstetter learned a lot through the Common Council. “By being around I could insert new thoughts, ideas they never thought of before. It was good to see things from other people’s perspectives and bringing that back to the students,” Glasstetter said. Blumenthal also commented on Glasstetter’s contribution to the council. “When Josh was able to be there, he made contributions to conversations. We all appreciated the fact that he was a student. We valued the opinions of a student,” she said. Glasstetter was highly involved with development in Collegetown. He focused on student concerns with parking, housing and bus shuttles. Glasstetter wanted to make the bus shuttle from downtown Ithaca to the Cornell campus more accessible to students. He also wanted to make housing in Collegetown more competitive. “The rent is exorbitant and the quality of the housing and everything else is extremely poor when you take into account how much money [the landlords] get,” Glasstetter said. “Making landlords compete by lowering their prices, people would be more concentrated in Collegetown and won’t need a car as much. They will be less inclined, less able to bring a car since they will be closer to campus.” The Cornell Democrats are now considering a candidate to endorse to succeed Glasstetter. Sanchez said the organization hasn’t divulged the candidate’s name yet. “It’s true; we’re looking at somebody right now,” Sanchez said. Archived article by Kelly Samuels