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Phishing Incidents Spam Cornell’s E-mail Listservs

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If you receive an email from the Cornell Federal Credit Union informing you of a “billing failure,” delete it. This seemingly innocent email is an illegal attempt at gaining personal information known as “phishing.”
Phishing is an act in which a fraudulent email that appears to be a legitimate e-mail is sent with the purpose of fooling its recipients into giving away personal information such as credit card and Social Security numbers. However, since that time, it has expanded its range, targeting bank accounts and university e-mail servers.
Scott Schuster, director of the Cornell IT Security Office, said that this phishing e-mail is only the latest in line of phishing scams directed at the Cornell community.

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Pres. Candidate Mike Gravel Discusses Two Party System

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The current presidential campaign has so far been centered on candidates Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and at this point, it may seem far-fetched that any candidate that is not a Democrat or a Republican could be president. Yet that is what former Senator Mike Gravel, of the Libertarian Party, claimed to be not only possible, but also necessary, as he addressed the students, faculty and staff of the Cornell Law School yesterday.
In his speech, Gravel chose to focus on the need for American citizens to get more involved in government. “If you have people in power, they can’t be swayed by lobbyists,” Gravel said. “Our electoral process is terrible. But, when you think it’s good, special interests get involved.”

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Speaker Pushes for Middle East Compromise

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Is it possible for a single nation of Israelis and Palestinians to exist? In light of recent violence in Israel, as well as in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, it is a difficult proposition to comprehend. Yet, Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the Electronic Intifada, put forth this notion as the only viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict last night in the Kaufmann Auditorium of Goldwin Smith.
Speaking before a small audience of 30 people, Abunimah, whose online publication is concerned with Palestine and its conflict with Israel, was aware of how his proposal sounded.

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Skorton and U.A. Attempt To Reconcile Differences

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In the aftermath of the emergency University Assembly meeting held on Feb. 13, President Skorton and the U.A. have made some progress in trying to reach a compromise over the recent revisions to the Campus Code of Conduct.
On Feb. 18, Skorton met with members of the U.A. and the Codes and Judicial Committee to go over Skorton’s recommendations for the revised Code.
“The easy differences were hammered out and taken care of to everyone’s satisfaction,” said Prof. Randy Wayne, biology, a member of the U.A. “The difficult things weren’t.”

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C-Town Council Discusses Garbage Removal

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For the time being, residents of Collegetown will have to tolerate walking among overflowing mounds of styrofoam and rotting food. The Collegetown Neighborhood Council was unable to reach a decision yesterday during a follow-up meeting to discuss viable solutions to the mounting problems tied to high levels of garbage in Collegetown.
“I walk through Collegetown everyday and I see vomit on the sidewalk,” said Donna Fleming, president of the Bryant Park Civic Association. “I want it to be a more family friendly neighborhood.”
“These problems in Collegetown are not new, and they will probably never disappear,” said Mary Tomlan, co-chair of the CNC. “But we can take some steps towards improving the ambiance of Collegetown.”

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U.A. Decries Skorton’s Response to Proposal

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The University Assembly yesterday held an emergency meeting to discuss actions in response to an evaluation from President David Skorton on the Campus Code of Conduct, which had been revised by the Codes and Judicial Committee. In his critique, Skorton offered several changes to the Code, some of which were met with indignation and disappointment by members of the U.A.
“I was really disappointed,” said Prof. Randy Wayne, biology, a member of the U.A. at the meeting.

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Local Democrats Organize Presidential Forum

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The Tompkins County Democratic Committee held a presidential forum last night in the Women’s Community Building in anticipation of the New York State Primary on Feb. 5. The forum featured representatives of the four Democratic candidates in a proxy debate in which they explained and defended their respective candidate’s stances on numerous issues.
Standing before the assembled audience of Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Senator Hilary Clinton (D-N.Y.), former senator John Edwards and Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) supporters, J.R. Clairborne, a member of the Ithaca Common Council and the moderator of the forum, expressed the importance of the evening’s event and the upcoming elections.

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Former Attorney General Ashcroft, Protestors Speak

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Not long into his speech on national security, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft was met with an unexpected interruption. As Ashcroft spoke about the impact of September 11, 2001 on the American government, some 50 people suddenly rose from their seats with their backs towards him and black hoods over their heads. Several held pieces of paper with the word “roundup” written on them.
Surveying the sudden development, Ashcroft said with a chuckle, “I didn’t know you had a seminary here.”
The beginning of John Ashcroft’s day at Cornell was hardly an indicator of the strong tension that would be prevalent during his main speech last night in Statler Auditorium.

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Panel Addresses Disadvantages of Military Contractors

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The Cornell chapter of the National Law Guild held a presentation yesterday on the United States’ utilization of private military contractor companies and the dilemmas that ensue as a result of their employ.
A part of the Cornell Law-sponsored Military Contractor Awareness week, the presentation, “Killers For Hire: An Investigation of Mercenary Armies, ” addressed concerns about the perception of the U.S. in the global and domestic communities due to the actions of private military contractors.

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Diversity Forums Fail to Attract Students

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The University Diversity Council held an open forum yesterday over growing concerns about diversity at Cornell as well as in Ithaca. Addressing a small audience that contained only six students, the forum held in the auditorium at Robert Purcell Community Center was one in a series of forums that are a part of the University’s efforts to improve the diversity of the Cornell community.