http://www.metaezra.com/ en Copyright 2012 Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:51:22 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss By Elie Bilmes ... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2012/01/defending_the_relevance_of_cor.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2012/01/defending_the_relevance_of_cor.shtml Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:51:22 -0500 By Kyle Scott Cornell is a bubble. We all know this and we all say it. But, we don’t really feel it until we leave our alma mater. When in Ithaca, everything in Ithaca is of utmost importance. IFC decisions were endlessly critiqued and debated. The Student Assembly Finance Committee’s rulings on funding – or non-funding – of student groups were protested at Student Assembly meetings. The pressure of overcommitted calendars and upcoming deadlines were all-consuming, and anything outside of the small box of work and more work felt as though it didn’t matter. And, to many of us, nothing else did really... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2012/01/cornell_is_a_bubble_1.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2012/01/cornell_is_a_bubble_1.shtml Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:38:59 -0500 By Kyle Scott In celebration Ezra Cornell's 205th birthday, today is Founder’s Day. Ezra Cornell founded the university using his own background as a model for the type of education his school would provide. A carpenter, mechanic, farmer, salesman, inventor, entrepreneur, politician, trustee, and philanthropist, as well as a Quaker who left his religion to marry a Methodist, Ezra Cornell is a perfect embodiment of “Any Person…Any Study.” Of course, that is his own motto. Now, in 2012, with the sesquicentennial right around the corner, Ezra would have likely added “Any Place” to his idea of a Cornell education. This would have been... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2012/01/happy_founders_day.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2012/01/happy_founders_day.shtml Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:17:14 -0500 By Kyle Scott If you follow us on Facebook, you’ve probably already seen the RSS feed post announcing the imminent retirement of psychology professor Dr. James Maas. If you haven’t, here’s the news: Dr. James Maas is leaving Cornell as of the end of this year. Readers of this blog undoubtedly know who I’m talking about. In his 48 years as a member of the Cornell faculty, Dr. Maas has taught Psych 101 (which changed to 1101 in 2008) to over 65,000 Cornellians. This is not only a Cornell teaching record, but is also a world teaching record. In recent years, at least,... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/farewell_to_professor_james_ma.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/farewell_to_professor_james_ma.shtml Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:02:45 -0500 By Kyle Scott Cornell is being particularly coy about today’s anticipated announcement from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg about the proposed New York City tech campus. Although the news broke late last night in the Wall Street Journal, the University’s Press Office is saying only to tune in to CornellCast at 2:30pm today for a “live event of special interest” to Cornellians. If you can break away at 2:30, watch the video here or through the Alumni Association Facebook page . Oh, and thank you to the anonymous donor for making this possible.... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/big_news_from_cornell_today_at.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/big_news_from_cornell_today_at.shtml Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:25:06 -0500 By Elie Bilmes The Wall Street Journal reports that Cornell has won the bid to build a new technology campus in New York City. Cornell emerged as the front runner over the weekend as Stanford gave up on its bid and the Big Red announced a record-breaking $350 million anonymous donation that would assist in building the campus. Cornell's plan calls for construction on city-owned land on Roosevelt Island.... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/wsj_cornell_wins_nyc_tech_camp.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/wsj_cornell_wins_nyc_tech_camp.shtml Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:30:45 -0500 By Dan Jost This week, in a 7-2 vote, the Ithaca Common Council gave final approval to Cornell’s plans for permanent suicide barriers on three city owned bridges. This means the current fences will be coming down next summer, according reports in the Cornell Daily Sun and the Ithaca Journal . They will be replaced by suicide nets—horizontal projections 15 feet wide—below the Thurston Avenue and the Stewart Avenue Bridges. Cornell will also be putting up suicide nets on most of the bridges it owns (The Suspension Bridge will be covered with a wire mesh cage instead). Under its agreement with the... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/barrier_update_city_approves_n.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/barrier_update_city_approves_n.shtml Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:03:03 -0500 By Matthew Nagowski ... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/big_red_cymbal_guy.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/big_red_cymbal_guy.shtml Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:36:59 -0500 By Kyle Scott It’s been awhile since I last wrote here, but I’m back. I’ve been transitioning into a new job and things have been hectic. Several weeks ago I came across a New York Times article that ranked Cornell University 38th in a list of the top universities throughout the world from which “hundreds” of CEOs from “leading companies” in ten countries recruit. At the top of the list, as expected, were Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. Within the top fifty spots, 23, or 46%, are American universities. Although this could be a good sign of the quality of American higher education, I... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/new_york_times_survey_on_campu.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/new_york_times_survey_on_campu.shtml Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:35:55 -0500 By Dan Jost As you probably know by now, Howard Ginsburg is suing Cornell, the City of Ithaca, and a number of individuals affiliated with the university over his son Bradley’s suicide from the Thurston Avenue Bridge. Ginsburg, whose body was found in February 2010, was the 4th suicide at Cornell during that school year but the first involving a gorge. After two more students died by jumping, Cornell put up tall fences on all its bridges. The lawsuit (which the Ithaca Journal has posted online ) argues that suicide barriers should have been installed sooner to prevent jumping from the bridges on... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/barrier_update_legal_precedent.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/12/barrier_update_legal_precedent.shtml Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:26:00 -0500 By Elie Bilmes Cornell fans are still pondering the what-ifs from Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss at Madison Square Garden. It was tough to score three times and have only one goal count. One possible goal was disallowed because the net came off its moorings just a second earlier. The other apparent goal, coming with the game tied 1-1 with 4 minutes remaining, did not count because the play was whistled dead while the puck was in the air. Meanwhile, with B.U. scoring on a lengthy 5x3 opportunity, it was tough to say that the game was decided by the players on the ice... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/11/despite_msg_loss_big_potential.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/11/despite_msg_loss_big_potential.shtml Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:45:53 -0500 By Dan Jost A front page editorial in the Cornell Daily Sun yesterday seemed to state that the Ithaca Common Council will be holding a “special meeting” today for a final vote on Cornell’s proposed suicide nets and fencing. However, Councilwoman Ellen McCollister says the writer was mistaken. She says the council will not be voting today. It will be meeting today to discuss the terms of their agreement with Cornell, which has stated it is willing to take on responsibility for the nets' construction and maintenance and indemnify the city against lawsuits that may occur if jumpers are injured in the nets.... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/11/city_council_will_vote_on_suic.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/11/city_council_will_vote_on_suic.shtml Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:51:30 -0500 By Matthew Nagowski We were turned away by the crowds at Stout, so after the game we headed to Brother Jimmies to reminisce and rekindle some more old friendships and perhaps make some new. The memories of both the loss and our yesteryears on East Hill were still raw, but the beer was crisp and the lines at the little boy's room short. Commented one friend: "You should really drink more often." By one o'clock in the morning, it was time for me to call in the towel and head back to the Upper East Side, where I was spending the night. I... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/11/an_encounter_on_the_upper_east.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/11/an_encounter_on_the_upper_east.shtml Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:50:19 -0500 By Matthew Nagowski So I'm off to New York City this weekend to do one of those 161 things that every Cornell alumnus must do: attend a Cornell hockey game at Madison Square Garden. Given the limited number of times I've visited Manhattan, I'm pretty excited for the trip. I've never been to MSG before. And what better way to spend Thanksgiving weekend than with one's Big Red family? It's also an exciting trip because the No. 17 Big Red Hockey team is playing some of its best hockey in recent years, being on a five game winning streak, the last three being... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/11/showing_off_your_school_spirit.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/11/showing_off_your_school_spirit.shtml Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:10:24 -0500 By Kyle Scott What a great idea. I’ve only discovered the deliciousness of Chipotle after moving to New York City this past August, as all we’ve really had in Ithaca for faux Mexican food cravings is Moe’s Southwest Grill. Yes, perhaps there is That Burrito Place (known in the alphabet soup of popular Collegetown eateries as TBP), but it pales in comparison. Taco Bell on Elmira Road just doesn’t count. Considering there are no Moe’s restaurants in New York City, I’m not sure how the opening of Chipotle will affect the Mexican food business in Ithaca. Is there enough demand to viably support... http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/11/chipotle_ithaca.shtml http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2011/11/chipotle_ithaca.shtml Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:35:58 -0500