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Johnson Program Helps Local Small Businesses

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BR MicroCapital, a microfinance business started at the Johnson Graduate School of Management, announced on Jan. 20 that it would offer lending and business support services to help microbusiness development in Tompkins County.
In a press release, Mike Pezone, grad, director of operations for BRM, explained that BRM’s work is fulfilling a local need by providing specialized, targeted support for microbusinesses, which are small businesses typically operated from the owner’s home.
The stated goal of BRM is to encourage development and inclusive wealth creation while at the same time assisting efforts to further local economic development.

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S.A. Committee Started to Better Transfer Student Life

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A resolution to create University committee to assist transfer students was passed at the Student Assembly meeting held yesterday. The resolution, proposed by Andrew Brokman ’11, Transfer Representative At-Large, and co-sponsored by Nikhil Kumar ’11, S.A. Minority Representative, was for the establishment for an ad-hoc committee, known as The Committee on Transfer Affairs, with the responsibility of maintaining transfer-related activities and legislation,
S.A. president Ryan Lavin ’09 said the resolution was the result of problems within the transfer community that had arisen, particularly since the transfer student center had been demolished in September 2006.

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Merging of Engineering Departments Arouses Criticism

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The start of the new year and the new semester has found the College of Engineering short one department. Beginning Jan. 1, the Department of Theoretical and Mechanical Engineering (TAM) merged with the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE). [img_assist|nid=34287|title=Empty chairs|desc=Prof. Alan Zehnder, engineering, looks over an empty classroom after his TAM department was merged with the MAE department on Jan. 1.|link=node|align=left|width=|height=0]

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N.Y. Gov. David Paterson Speaks Frankly About The State’s Dire Economic Situation

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On Jan. 7, Governor David Paterson (D-N.Y.) delivered the State of the State address. In his speech, Paterson’s first since assuming office last March, he focused on the numerous problems that the state is facing. He began the speech with a harsh assessment of New York’s current situation. 
“My fellow New Yorkers: Let me come straight to the point,” he said. “The state of our state is perilous.”
In his speech, Paterson touched on health, education, energy, environmental and economical issues that the state was grappling with, noting the adverse impact of the recession.
“New York faces an historic economic challenge, the gravest in nearly a century,” he said.

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Hope and Resolution

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It’s been over one week now.

One week since Barack Obama became president.

One week since he surmounted all obstacles and shattered many boundaries to reach the highest office in the country.

The euphoria on Tuesday night at his victory, at the collapse of one more racial barrier, and at the imminent expulsion of President Bush was tremendous. That night, Washington D.C. was ablaze. Cars raced down the avenues, horns blaring, radios loudly blasting the voice of Obama as he gave his victory speech. People were heard shouting in their homes, in the bars, even in the local CVS.

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To Bomb or Not to Bomb

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In this post, potential courses of action in relations between the United States and Iran will be discussed. But first, a disclosure: I would rather the U.S. not bomb Iran. Partially because I feel that military aggression hasn’t really gotten us anywhere in dealing with opposition forces (see: Iraq, Afghanistan). But also because—and this is perhaps a more pressing reason—I am Iranian and I have family in Iran. And I’d rather they not be bombed.

On to the post:

In what has turned out to be a particularly volatile election year, there have been a number of issues two opinionated people could argue about and still get basically nowhere on: abortion, gay rights, death penalty and many more.

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Ithaca is Gorges

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Walk around Cornell’s campus and you’re bound to see a slogan — be it on shirts, on light poles or on cars — which proclaims “Ithaca is Gorges.” The gorges in Ithaca are a large part of life at Cornell — whether it be trudging over the suspension bridge to get to class or diving into the gorge to swim.
Swimming in Cascadilla and Fall Creek Gorges — both of which pass through Cornell’s campus — is a longstanding tradition at Cornell. People can often be found in the gorges during the warmer months, swimming or relaxing and enjoying the scenery. Gorge jumping in particular, is consistently ranked one of the things any Cornell student must do before the graduate.

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Interim Provost David Harris Speaks About Replacing Martin

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As Provost Biddy Martin leaves Cornell to assume the chancellorship position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Cornell has begun to search for her replacement. In the meantime, President David Skorton has appointed David Harris, deputy provost and vice-provost for social sciences, as interim provost until a replacement for Martin is found. The Sun spoke to Harris about his appointment, his plan not to introduce new initiatives and what it will take to fill Martin’s shoes.

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Undergrads Present at C.U. Research Board Forum

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Cornell is renowned for its various fields of research, which comes most prominently from the graduate community. However, as the spring undergraduate forum held by the Cornell University Research Board showcased last night, undergraduate research is also prevalent at C.U.
The forum featured presentations from undergraduates of all the colleges, each of whom had different motivations for being there.
Eric O’Hanon ’10, spoke about the danger of Bovine Growth Hormone, a hormone present in milk in American cows.
“I did this research for a class, and I figured this [forum] was the best way to present it to interested people,” he said, explaining his motivation for participating in the forum. “And, I just like talking to people,” he added