Test Spins: The Get Up Kids

By wpengine | December 6, 2001

On Eudora, a collection of b-sides and compilation tracks spanning the band’s history, the Get Up Kids brandish everything from covers of the Pixies and Motley Crue to alternate versions of previously released tracks. Those unfamiliar with The Get Up Kids can use this album to get acquainted with the band’s style.

The covers are solid, especially the band’s emo version of “Close to Me” by The Cure. Cure frontman Robert Smith and New Order’s Bernhard Sumner are known for writing poignant lyrics, but delivering them without emotion. The band injects their pure enthusiasm into their Cure cover, but, unfortunately return a near copy of New Order’s “Regret.”

But the tracks that stand out are the Get Up Kids’ originals. “Up on the Roof,” “Anne Arbour,” and “Ten Minutes” are marked by infectious riffs and wailing vocals that are true to the band’s emo-pop genre. The album is a more than fulfilling listen, but it lacks the majesty of an actual new release. Fans of the Kids will only have to wait until early 2002 for that.

Archived article by Nikhil Swaminathan

Trustees Hear Progress Report

By wpengine December 7, 2001

The Building and Properties Committee and the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees met yesterday in New York City to hear an address from President Hunter R. Rawlings III and to discuss the progress of state projects at Cornell. Updating Mann At the open session of the Building and Properties Committee, Gregg Travis, director of statutory facilities, updated the board on the design plans for construction at the old Mann Library. Construction is expected to begin in 2003 under the condition that alternate office space may be allocated for Martha van Rensselaer staff displaced by construction. For the Bailey Hall renovations, an architect and a design have been chosen, according to Henrik N. Dullea ’61, vice president for University relations. Plans for the project are still in their preliminary stages and will be finalized in future meetings, Dullea stated. Completion is scheduled for spring 2004. The board noted that the budget for the Necropsy facility at the College of Veterinary Medicine surpassed its limit and a large adjustment is needed. The analysis, according to Dullea, will take some time. Undecided Travis informed the committee that the State University Construction Fund has not yet decided whether to renovate Martha Van Rensselaer Hall (MVR) or to build a new facility in its place. The building was shut down July 10 when experts determined that the floor slabs in the newly finished North wing did not meet the current State Building Code. “The overall estimated cost of the project including any construction, asbestos abatement, demolition and relocating [offices] of Martha van Rensselaer during the meantime is 31.5 million dollars,” Dullea said. The proposal is currently under review in Albany, with a decision pending at the end of the month. If the decision to either reconstruct or renovate MVR is announced by the end of this month, offices at Mann will be vacated by July 2003, construction will begin by September 2004, and the project will be completed by September 2007. This schedule however, depends on the decision and the timely relocation of the Mann offices. At the closed session of the Building and Properties Committee, Cornell’s task force reported on the proposed sites for the Life Sciences/Technology building. The original site for the building was Alumni Fields. After a recommendation to the task force in October to relocate the facility, other sites are now being considered. The task force has met three times but still there is no decision. The task force will meet again prior to the next Board of Trustees meeting. The open session of the Executive Committee meeting began with a report from Rawlings. He expressed pride in Cornell for the maturity and responsibility of its response to Sept. 11, according to Dullea. Rawlings mentioned the good job Cornell has done in reaching out to support Muslim students; he noted his appreciation for volunteers who helped out with counseling and other services, and praised the faculty for holding successful teach-ins, Dullea stated. Rawlings also addressed the board about the hiring freeze and how Cornell might be affected by the predicted decrease in the state budget and in the endowment. “The current year budget is looking strong and stable, but [we foresee] a potential significant shortfall in the budget from New York State,” said Dullea. “Private giving may be affected and there was a loss of endowment as a result of the direction of the stock market.” Lastly, the board announced the University’s re-accreditation by the Middle States Association Commission on Higher Education. To achieve accreditation the University evaluates its strengths and weaknesses and sets to achieve higher goals. Under the standard ten-year accreditation, Cornell is required to provide Middle States with an update of its progress in five years.Archived article by Rachel Einschlag
Code of Conduct Now Places Ban on Hazing

By wpengine December 7, 2001

The campus code of conduct now officially bans hazing. The University Assembly voted on Wednesday during their regular meeting in the Straight’s International Lounge to add a broader definition of hazing practices by campus organizations, more specifically campus fraternities and sororities, to the University code of conduct. Instead of being governed by individual groups, this definition will encompass every campus organization and allow organizations with similar bans in place, the ability to work with the University in recognizing and understanding the problem. “The fact of the matter is that New York State prohibits hazing. Many fraternities and sororities already have laws banning it. What was missing was specific language in the code of conduct,” said Prof. Donald Tobias, city and regional planning who is the president of the University Assembly. “We spent a lot of time [discussing the issue]. This language in the bill is an attempt to surface community discussion.” Tobias said he hopes that through more formal legislation, the University can add more support against hazing and change the community’s view of the sometimes dangerous practice. “What I hope is that many members of the Greek system and other organizations take this [issue] very seriously and then monitor the behaviors of their organization,” Tobias said. Cornell, similar to hundreds of colleges across the country that allow a Greek system, also deals with the problem of hazing at the hands of fraternity and sorority brothers and sisters wanting to induct new members into their houses, typically during pledge season which can begin early after winter break and end around spring break, according to the office of fraternity and sorority affairs Website. Although the resolution includes any organization, Tobias notes that hazing in the Greek system is a more prevalent problem. “No one wanted to come across being against the Greek system. If any conduct is having a negative effect on students,” Tobias said. This problem led to the University creating the University Wide Anti-Hazing Task Force which consisted of both students and faculty last February to investigate the problem of hazing on campus. According to Tobias, once the task force finished their proposal they forwarded their findings to the Cornell Judiciary Committee (CJC) who found the issue important enough to bring it to the University Assembly’s attention. “They took the recommendation to add it to the campus code of conduct and brought it to us,” he said. Although the fact that many fraternities and sororities already had anti-hazing laws, the addition to the code of conduct did not come easily. The Assembly rejected proposals from the CJC twice earlier before passing this one. Tobias notes that they wanted the law to be as clear as possible without defining a “laundry list” of activities that which students could not engage. “There was concern that the language be as explicit as possible around such issues, as mental distress. The CJC took that information back with them and submitted a second proposal which was consequently not approved,” Tobias said. “There were concerns about to what degree the entire Cornell community had the chance to [give input.]” Due to the makeup on the Assembly — six undergraduates along with three graduate/professional students, five employees, seven faculty and three administrators — they were the right campus governing body to decide on the measure. Undergraduate members involved in the process had asked for a public forum but do to the often pubic nature of the issue, the referendum was denied. Tobias feels that this public airing of the hazing issue may allow the community to change its opinion. “I think that the recommendation of the hazing committee was to get this type of discussion going and start to talk about community standards,” he said noting that some members used the change in community thought regarding drunk driving as an example. Campus fraternities and sororities and organizations that are involved in their well being are also appreciative that the University is showing its support for an issue that they have been dealing with individually for years. “I’m really glad that the University is paying attention to this problem, ” said Rebecca Walker ’02, the president of the Cornell Panhellenic Association which oversees 13 campus sororities. “While I don’t think it is the largest problem in the sororities, it’s something that we deal with. I don’t think that we are immune to it.” Walker stated that all campus sororities and fraternities begin the pledging process by signing an anti-hazing statement bringing the issue in their minds from the beginning. Throughout the process, every act that does take place, Walker notes, is taken very seriously. “You have to put yourself in the shoes [of the one whose being hazed],” Walker said. She finds that hopefully this will allow her to work with the University more closely. “You can’t do it alone,” she said. “For me, the change in the code represents acknowledgement by the University community that hazing is unacceptable. I am impressed with the way in which Greek student leaders are confronting the problem,” said Associate Dean of Students for fraternity and sorority affairs, Suzy Nelson. Nelson believes that the additional mentions in the code of conduct should allow more in the University to examine their conduct and see if it falls into unacceptable behavior. “This is not only a Greek problem, but a community problem. For that reason, Cornell should have a statement in the code of conduct that indicates hazing is wrong,” she said. Archived article by Carlos Perkins