By wpengine
April 7, 2003
Cornell University is often highlighted for its dichotomous existence among Ivy League schools, with a politically liberal student body and the presence of a government-funded military training facility. With the war in Iraq splitting campus opinion, the University’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), the only Ivy other than Princeton with this program, has received a lot of attention. Although the 89 cadets from Cornell and area schools have the war on their minds, their instructors are trying to keep students focused on their main task learning how to be good leaders in any situation, military or otherwise. Prof. Col. Robert J. Sova, military science, said that the level of training does not waver, no matter what the status of the war may be. “We are developing future leaders — leaders who will have the opportunity to lead the young men and women of the United States Army,” Sova said. Despite the attempts of the cadre, however, it is difficult for cadets to go unaffected. Colleen Reiss ’04, for example, said that discussion turns to the war from time to time in her ROTC and other classes. “The military service professor talks about thinking about where you could be,” Reiss said, referring to location of deployment as well as combat situations. Each class focuses on different aspects of the current war. “In ROTC, we focus much more on the military side of things. Leadership will apply whether we’re in a war or in peacetime,” Reiss said. Her fellow cadets do not discuss the political implications of the war much more than other students. Cadet Chris O’Brien ’03 said that he is glad to see a greater awareness of current events. Because of the unique ROTC approach to such topics, “discussions about the war stay within the classroom” as cadets and cadre explore examples of good and bad leadership, O’Brien said. Although the war has invaded classrooms across campus, antiwar advocates have not been overly hostile to students in the ROTC program. “I haven’t had any conflicts with antiwar people,” Reiss said. She explained that the on-campus response has been similar to that soon after Sept. 11, when there were “a lot of questions — not hostile, but people just have a lot of questions.” One of the most common questions O’Brien has heard, he said, is if he can be deployed before graduation. He constantly reminds people that only after commencement will the cadets become commissioned as Second Lieutenants. The Excelsior Battalion currently has 10 seniors who will be commissioned during commencement. Those going on active duty will report to a training course for four to six months, then receive branch-specific training. “There is a significant amount of discussion about branch orientation,” Sova said. He admitted that the heightened threat of chemical and biological warfare “has not really changed the desire to seek that branch” over the other 15 available. Because cadets who enter active duty may be deployed within a year, many recent Cornell alumni are currently overseas, quite a few in the Middle East. Reiss understands the stress of knowing officers overseas. O’Brien said that “there are at least five cadets from the past few years who are somewhere in the vicinity of Iraq,” many of whom he trained with during his four years in the ROTC program. As the 10 seniors begin to prepare for graduation, the impending threat of going overseas is becoming a reality. Instead of deciding on graduate school or career choices, these student-cadets are planning for the possibility of deployment. Cadet O’Brien said that when he first thought about joining ROTC, “I kind of expected to be sent somewhere at some time.” He may get his chance sooner than he thought. Archived article by Melissa Korn
By wpengine
April 7, 2003
Last Saturday, the Cornell Design League (CDL) held its nineteenth Annual Fashion Show in Bartels Hall. Two showings were staged, the first at 4:00 p.m. and another later in the night, at 8:00 p.m. The CDL is an entirely student-run, nonacademic organization and the Annual Fashion Show has become not only a display of student talents, but also an outlet for those interested in other related professional areas, such as marketing and communications. The participants hailed from a variety of majors across campus, but many came from the Department of Textiles and Apparel. The show opened with three theme lines: casual, cocktail, and evening/bridal wear. A designer’s line is typically defined as a showcase of his or her recent collection. Exposing mini skirts and high heels, along with luxurious silks and flowing chiffon, were prevalent throughout the program. From pastels to earth tones to monochromatic solids, a spectrum of contrasting colors was seen. Additional highlights included ethnic influences, such as Asian printed silks and Native American feather headdresses. As models dawned ripped and tarred American flag attire and shirts printed with the words “shock” and “awe,” it was apparent that sentiments regarding the current U.S. war with Iraq were not absent from the evening. Thirty-one full lines followed the theme lines. Here, the designers based their creations on an array of influences, ranging from personal experiences to travels abroad to philosophical theories. Among these included a line deemed “Naturalize,” which strove to depict the tenuous and parasitic relationships of the natural world. Insect and nature inspired, peacock feathers and green and brown fabrics dominated the runway. “I might not agree with all of their tastes, but I really respected everyone’s creativity,” said Chris Kan ’05, one of the audience members. “I thought it was really cool that they allowed students to express their own ideas and emotions through clothes.” A wide range was covered in the show, from the avant-guarde to the traditional. “I design mostly what I want to wear. I like my clothes to be unique but not eccentric, things that people can wear on a daily basis,” said Kim Truong ’03, a designer in the show. Her specific line was an example of the clean-cut urban chic designs. Aiming to present the woman with air of sophistication and understated confidence, her styles featured pin-striped and white suits along with free-flowing, long-trained evening gowns. Other highlights included rare full menswear and maternity lines. The Sitara dance troupe even helped model some of the clothes by performing a dance. Asian influences were also more common this year than at the previous year’s show. These student designers experimented with traditional Eastern styles and juxtaposed them with more modern Westernized designs. An example of Cornell couture keeping pace with current trends, these Asian inspired fashions were very much in line with the many Oriental-influenced pieces showcased by top designers such as Tom Ford for Gucci and Robert Cavalli, Truong said. Students, parents and faculty in attendance applauded the conclusion of the show with a standing ovation. In addition to the praise of parents and family members, fellow students were also impressed by the work of their fellow peers. “It was really impressive to see your friends as designers in a very professional setting,” said Lee Ann Richter ’03, one of the show’s models. The overall response was largely positive. “I saw some extremely creative designs,” said Jinghong Gao ’03. “Overall, the students worked very hard to finish their line and it was nice to see everything turn out so well.”Archived article by Jennifer Chen