Cody Gault '11 explains why much of America needs to get with the times.

Two weeks ago, The Times printed an article about the up-and-coming movement for single-sex education. In the particular situation highlighted, boys and girls attend the same school, but are separated by different classrooms. The article started by relating a couple anecdotal pieces which show the benefits of being able to “tailor to each group.” Michael Napolitano, the boys’ teacher, “speaks to his fifth-grade class […] like a basketball coach.” When teaching his students “how to be a man,” Mr. Napolitano explains, “If I get in the face of a girl, she would just cry […] the boys respond to it, they know it’s part of being a young man.”

To the Editor:

Re: “Ithaca Public Schools Face $5 to $7M in Cuts,” News, March 24

In pondering proposed ICSD budget and staff “cuts,” keep in mind that the budget and staff have increased disproportionately to enrollment and incomes over past dozen years. It is time to move back towards a more rational and sustainable level of spending and service.

For example, the current average Per Pupil Expenditure (PPE) is over $18,000. It was about $9,600 in 1996-97. In 1993 enrollment was about 6,200. Today it is about 5,100. Yet staff (administrators, teachers and aides) has increased in numbers. So a reduction in staff is called for and not some kind of sacrifice.

The rate of spending and taxation is neither affordable nor sustainable.

Ann Coulter '84 was right. The Ag School is nothing but a bunch of dairy farmers and plant growers with low SAT scores. In fact, the only worthwhile things to come out of CALS are some self-important fratastic AEM majors and the Dairy Bar. Yum! Delicious ice cream! But it’s winter now, and the Dairy Bar is closed, so all we’re left with is a bunch of kids who pop their collars and wear pink shirts. But what about the other schools? Well, let’s find out ...

ILR

Known for reading books about unions, communism, anarchism and also for protesting sweatshops, ILRies have ought to change their acronym to “I Love Rioting.” Industry is dead anyway, we’re guessing labor is too. As for relations, you guys can all go ILRcest in the basement of Ives.

Human Ecology

It seems that one of our most controversial alumni –– Ann Coulter ’84 –– struck a nerve in the Cornell community this past week.

As many have already read on her blog, in The Sun or even in New York Magazine, Coulter took a heavy swing at fellow alumnus and political pundit Keith Olbermann ’79 last Wednesday in an attempt to belittle his “non-Ivy degree.” Coulter, a graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences, denounced the legitimacy of the Communication Major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in order to demean the level of intelligence of students within the school. Her claims were pretty tongue in cheek, and her petty rhetoric sadly did very little to bolster her own intelligence, especially in referring to CALS as the “Old MacDonald Cornell.”