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The Student Assembly received a promising update on the renovations of the Straight yesterday. Kent Hubbell '67, dean of students, and Catherine Holmes M.S. '85, associate dean of students, reported several ongoing changes to the hall.

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The Student Assembly received a promising update on the renovations of the Straight yesterday. Kent Hubbell '67, dean of students, and Catherine Holmes M.S. '85, associate dean of students, reported several ongoing changes to the hall. One of the larger priorities remains the changes to the browsing library, located on the ground floor of the Straight. According to Holmes, it has been frequently "used for sleeping by students and studying, but we want to make it a place where there can be informal meetings, for example." She added that a pool table may also be placed in the space. Hubbell suggested the creation of a digital darkroom, where "all kinds of new media tools can be made available to the student body at large," including "software, music, desktop publishing ... just a whole gamut of media." He added that a first step in this direction could include talking to representatives from Apple, who will be coming to campus to speak in the next few weeks. "[We could] draw in experts in the field who can teach [this media] to students ... and provide instructional support on a volunteer basis," Hubbell added. Other parts of the Straight may be renovated into spaces that can be used by performing groups to rehearse. "There is a real lack of space on campus for performing groups," Holmes said. She added that the north room in the Straight can be made available for such groups. Holmes said that several changes to the fourth floor game room are being considered, including installing a self-serve coffee machine and renting out the space to Kinko's or a similar venue. "Kinko's could easily fall through though," Holmes said. According to Hubbell, Cornell Dining is also interested in converting the space into a late-night juice bar. Ultimately, Holmes said, "we want to best utilize the space we have." Other renovations to the Straight include reparations to its gutters and roof. According to Holmes, new flooring and lighting will be added and chandeliers will be installed throughout the hall. A sound system may also be added to the coffeehouse. Tim Lim '06, executive vice president of the S.A., said, "I am glad to finally see that the renovation plans are going ahead." Separately, the S.A. dealt briefly with Collegetown housing and safety issues. In its first attempt to counter the recent illegal and inappropriate activity allegedly done by the Collegetown Creeper in the area, the S.A. will be handing out quarter cards in Collegetown during the closing times of its clubs that remind students to lock their doors. "This is sponsored by the Public Service Center and the S.A.," said Michelle Fernandes '06, vice president of public relations. "It is the first step on a program to reinvigorate and restore the integrity of Collegetown housing." "Trustee Koppel is the one behind this effort, and the S.A. is the manpower," added Josh Bronstein '05, vice president of finance. "It is in collaboration with the city." The S.A. acknowledged the delay in the release of freshmen elections results. In the past week, elections were held for freshmen S.A. representatives. Bronstein apologized for the delay and said the results would be in "definitely by early next week."

Archived article by Julie Geng
Sun Staff Writer

Two local political activists debated on the Bush administration's policies toward women yesterday evening in McGraw Hall. Prof. Zillah Eisenstein, a member of the politics department at Ithaca College, presented a negative view of George W. Bush's presidency in regards to women's issues. Mark Finkelstein '70, the Tompkins County Republican Party chair, argued for a positive view of the Bush administration.

Eisenstein focused her speech on recent military activities and expenditures, citing them as negative for women in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world.

"'W' stands for war and world domination, not women," Eisenstein said.

Additionally, Eisenstein emphasized that none of the nominees were female.

In a dramatic demonstration last night, Steven Strong, president of Solar Design Associates, gave a lecture exploring the sustainability and cost-efficiency of widespread solar power to students, faculty, staff and others.

The most dangerous moment for the U.S., Strong said, is "the point at which cheap oil is over." Long before that, he emphasized that we had to find sustainable technology to replace that non-renewable resource. He offered the alternative of solar power.

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A study examining the socioeconomic status of the U.S. population recently concluded that more than half of all Americans between the ages of 20 and 65 will use food stamps at least once in their lives.

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The simple act of listening to one lecture could change the way you look at life. Yesterday, Bill Shore's lecture on his recent book "The Light of Conscience: How a Simple Act Can Change Your Life" arguably did just that to many students, faculty members and others.

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The simple act of listening to one lecture could change the way you look at life. Yesterday, Bill Shore's lecture on his recent book "The Light of Conscience: How a Simple Act Can Change Your Life" arguably did just that to many students, faculty members and others. Shore, the founder and executive director of Share Our Strength, spoke on how he founded the organization with only a $2000 credit card limit and sheer will to make it into one of today's leading anti-hunger and anti-poverty organizations in the nation. Share Our Strength is a non-profit organization dedicated to mobilizing individuals and groups to fight hunger and poverty. Through business partnerships and other ventures, Share Our Strength has become a "funder of anti-poverty activity," according to Shore. Throughout the lecture, he described various ideas to raise money, such as asking writers around the country to contribute to an anthology to fund such activity. "In the non-profit sector, you must pay as you go -- nothing big gets done that way," Shore said. "The people of the non-profit sector are more innovative, and are closer to the people we help than the government can be. But a good idea created by the non-profit sector needs to be scaled up and funded by the government in order to be successfully implemented," he added. Maryann Lapinski, executive director of Learning Web, attended the lecture. Learning Web is a non-profit organization that assists homeless and transient youth by helping them to find career and entrepreneurship programs, and is funded by Share Our Strength. Lapinski said, "Without these funds, we would be unable to provide homeless adults with such opportunities and workplace experience. It is wonderful that any group of local volunteers, with their strengths, expertise and passions can simultaneously help people at the other end of the spectrum." Jill Iscol of the Iscol Family Program for Leadership Development in Public Service, which sponsored this lecture, said afterward, "I'm a funder of this program [this lecture series] and this lecture inspires me to say to Cornell: we must step up the research opportunities with not-for-profit organizations such as Share Our Strength." Speaking briefly on his first book, "The Cathedral Within", Shore said, "The builders of cathedrals [in Europe] knew they couldn't see the completion of these cathedrals in their lifetimes, but they knew they were part of something larger. It may not come today, and it may not come tomorrow, but it is the right thing to do. " "Bill Shore has changed the nature of our conversation about hunger and poverty around the world," said Prof. Ritch Savin-Williams, human development. Lisa Staiano-Coico, Ph.D., the Rebecca Q. and James C. Morgan Dean of the College of Human Ecology, introduced Shore yesterday. Staiano-Coico said on the lecture, "I was inspired by it. Listen to your own heart! Don't ignore or dampen it. It is amazing to me that a germ of an idea could do so much." "The lecture really changed my perspective on the non-profit sector," said Calvin Selth '07. "There seems to be a lot of space and opportunities. It is exciting and certainly impacts what I want to do in life." "It was an incredible turnout," said Savin-Williams. "That presents a different image of Cornell. It's clear that a large number of people here today want to make a difference and that is really uplifting."

Archived article by Julie Geng
Sun Contributor

Although no fraternity rush process requires giving up a pint of blood, Alpha Phi Omega gladly accepted them as donations during its blood drive last Tuesday. Held with the aid of the American Red Cross, the blood drive is one example of the service opportunities that APO offers.

Alpha Phi Omega is a national community service fraternity, committed to volunteering throughout Cornell and the surrounding area, and dedicated to fulfilling their motto of "leadership, friendship and service." Alumni of APO include former Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

An Ithaca landlord was arrested yesterday and charged with four counts of unlawful surveillance in the second degree for setting up hidden video surveillance of at least four female Cornell students in the bathroom of their apartment on University Avenue.

David A. Church, 44, is the owner of 404-406 University Ave. and other Ithaca rental properties and is a resident of 307 College Ave., above the Collegetown Hill Drug Store. The crime, a Class E felony, is punishable by a term of up to one to four years in state prison under Stephanie’s Law, which went into effect last year. In addition, a video voyeur would be subject to presumptive registration with the state’s Sex Offender Registry.

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Last night, The Sun caught up with Travis Dandro, the man behind the comic strip Mr. Gnu, as he recovered from a day of signing autographs and stripping for overeager fans.

Dandro, 28, a resident of Bangor, Maine, has been printing the strip in one form or another since 1996. He came to campus for a book-signing event at the Cornell Store yesterday afternoon.

"I liked seeing the campus and everything," Dandro said. "The kids were really cool. I was a little scared at first."

Yes, the guy who draws naked neighbors and double-D-breasted spiders gets nervous about meeting his own fans.

"I'm really shy," he admitted.

Upon meeting him, this might make more sense. His short, skinny frame and subdued demeanor betray whatever is going on inside his head at the moment -- anything from kidnapping grandmothers to applying lingerie to captured frogs, if his autographed messages on students' Mr. Gnu books were any indication.

The books, which Dandro self-published, were a main reason for his mini-tour, which also includes a trip to the University of Maine at Orono closer to home.

"I really need to sell these friggin' books 'cause I have boxes and boxes in my hall," he laughed. He added later that he owes his mother $2,000 for the publishing costs. "I need a publisher," he lamented.

Currently, Mr. Gnu is running in about 16 newspapers across the United States and Canada, all of which are college papers with the exception of an alternative weekly in Boston.

"I'm in Canada now, I'm international," Dandro proclaimed proudly when talking about the Canadian papers publishing Mr. Gnu. "They want me to be from Canada."

Recent highlights in the strip include the adventures of Depressing Boy and Mr. Gnu's failed attempts to cheer him up. One recent comic featured Mr. Gnu buying him a new TV set; when he turns it on, the war in Iraq depresses his unfortunate friend even more.

"I was a little unsure about that," Dandro admitted. But "it wasn't too risque" compared to other cartoons on the war, he pointed out.

"I was having a tough time writing that week ... I think I was depressed that week, so I used Depressing Boy," he chuckled.

Dandro plans to continue what he's been up to for the past semester. He helps people with mental retardation at their homes, spending several nights a week at work. And of course, he draws his comics, which he often does while those whom he helps are asleep in their homes. He quit his former job teaching art in elementary school before the summer.

A highlight of yesterday's event featured Dandro stripping for a few interested fans.

"He asked me to take off [all] my clothes, but I saw kids around," he said.

So Dandro found the middle ground and took off only his shirt.

The book-signing was cosponsored by The Sun, which carries the Mr. Gnu strip. Besides signing autographs and meeting fans, Dandro set up an Easter egg hunt on the lawn between the Cornell Store and Uris Hall.

"I just wanted to thank the Cornell students ... for supporting Mr. Gnu, and meeting some of the fans today gave a lot of meaning to my work," he said. "I want to apologize for those who found the egg yokes during the Easter egg hunt. That was rude; I'm sorry."

Archived article by Andy Guess