by Kenneth Aaron

116 Pages·2007·42.39 MB·English

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JULY/AUGUST 1999 VOLUME 102NUMBER 1
34
26 34
LOCKED IN FAMILYTREE
BRAD HERZOG BETH SAULNIER
Thesummerafterhersophomoreyear,judy I usinessonthewanein1935,HerbertF.johnsonJr.
sufferedadevastatingstrokethatleftherunabletospeakor '22madean expeditiontoBrazilinsearchofhiscompany's
move. But in the intervening decade, she has not only mostimportantrawmaterial:theworld's hardestnatural
survived butthrived, learningto communicatethrough wax. Fortwogenerations,thetriplivedon inlegendatthe
eye-blinks,movingintoherownapartment,andwritingan familyfirm,S.C.johnsonWax.Lastfall,hisson(Sam'50)and
autobiography. Hergoalissimplytoliveherownlife-and grandsons (Curt'77and Fisk'79) did itall overagain, in a
warnyoungwomenaboutthepotentialdangersofthe Pill. custom-builtreplicaoftheirancestor'sSikorskyS-38.
42
LEGAL ALIEN
KENNETH AARON
BracketteWilliams'73 isagenius.Sosaysthe MacArthur
Foundation,whichawarded heroneofitscovetedgrants.
She'salsoaconundrum.Theanthropologistdoesresearch
onAmericanculturebyretreatingtoaself-described"dark
closet,"eschewsmostpublicity,andbarelyfeelsathomeon
PlanetEarth.Whatmakes Brackette run? Goodquestion.
22
FROMTHEHILL
Butterfliesbeware.Plus:MartianCentralTime,astudentpowwow,
Steinemspeaks,infashion,anewlawdean,andrememberingJohnny
+-?
112
nel-. CORNELLIANA
Howdoyouspell"yearbook"?
112
Contentscontinuedonpage5
2 CORNELL MAGAZINE
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LETTERS
X-rayspecs,anotherBeebelegend,
minorityopinion,andmore
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CoverillustrationbyDeborahLanino
CornellMagazine(ISSN1070-2733)ispublishedsixtimesayear,inJanuary,March,May, RADISSON SEVEN SEAS
July,September,and November,bytheCornellAlumni Federation,55 BrownRoad,
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JULY/AUGUST 1999 5
LETTERS
BACK TO the IvyLeague andhalf that ofHarvard
andYale.The gap between Cornell and
THE FUTURE
its peer institutions is not insignificant.
It's huge. Until reading these figures, I
ASAPHYSICIAN,IWAS OVERJOYED BYTHEAPPEAR
had naively assumed Cornell continued
ance ofa cervical spinex-rayon the May/June 1999
to be aleaderamong top universities in
cover.Imean,howoften does a plain,old,low-tech,
the recruitment of minorities. As I
two-dimensional,lateral C-spine makesuch a prom wrote to President Rawlings last Sep
inent appearance in this high-tech era of CT, MRI, tember, I would be interested in hear
and PET scans?What a nice tribute to the radiolo ing more about what Cornell is doing
gists ofmy generation who were trulythe doctor's about its responsibility to helpAmerica
keep itspromise ofequalityand,inpar
doctor and had to integrate history,physical exam,
ticular, what guidance the trustees are
and x-raysto makethe properdiagnosis.Havingsaid
providing to the administration on this
that, Imust now alert you that the lateral C-spine,canonized above, demonstrates
matter.
onlythefirstsixand a portion ofthe seventh cervical vertebrae,a radiological no-no Ralph Deeds )57
as the seventh is often affected in disease ortrauma.Therefore,just an appreciative Birmingham) Michigan
reminderto include a lateral swimmer's viewwith your C-spine the nexttime.
MichaelArnoldGlueck '60 WHAT FRATSWERE
Newport Beach,California "FRATERNITIES FOREVER"EXPENDSA
great deal of time and space on the
trappings of fraternities and student
behavior without addressing the basic
FREE SPEECH DRUDGERY with elk antlers is more appropriate question: would behavior improve if
YOUR MORETHAN GENEROUS PIECE than he realizes.Recent work indicates the Greek "system" were done away
about me (Currents, MarchiApril that Irish elk,with massive three-meter with? (MayIJune 1999). It seems that
1999) refers, correctly, to a statement I antlers, went extinct precisely because the problem is not that the fraternities
once made about Matt Drudge to the their antlers became too big for their have funny names or are affiliatedwith
effect that if the First Amendment own good.To pursue his analogy,if ex national societies (though what good
were rewritten, he should be on the cessive consumption is indeed detri this has ever done is questionable), but
unprotectedside ofit.Since wisecracks mental, natural selection will remove rather that they don't fulfill anypartic
aren't a substitute for thinking, let me the most excessive practitioners. We ular need besides supplying bedrooms
revise my comment as follows: Drudge won't need political policy to do that. and recreational space.
has a lot to answer for journalistically, Robert Ferrell )84 In earlier times the houses provided
but he is and should be entitled to the Brookline) Massachusetts not only a sense of belonging and the
full protection ofthe FirstAmendment. opportunity to develop leadership and
Anyone who fancies himself a First PRESIDENTS, PRECEDENTS management skills,but ameans to help
Amendment defender who doesn't I READWITH INTERESTTHEARTICLE bridge the gap from adolescence to
know that ought to review his notes of about president emeritus Dale Corson, maturity. Members wore jackets and
Professor Robert E. Cushman's great whom I admire, and the companion ties to dinner; exhibited proper man
lectures at Cornell in the 1950s. piece"The Crisis and its ners, which presumably
FloydAbrams )56 Aftermath"by Don they acquired at
NewYork) NewYork ald Downs ("The home; and put on
ManWhoWould their best face for
THE HAPPY RICH Be President after-the-game
ROBERT FRANK (CURRENTS,MARCHI Really," MayI smooth cocktail
April 1999) wishes for aworldwhichis June 1999).I also parties, which
neither the one we live in nor nearly as admireJames Per- were usually at
fun.The claim that"there is also adark kins,however,and tended by num
side to our current spending patterns" the articles struck bers of alumni and
is refuted by cursory examination. For me as one-sided and parents, and some
instance,neither myself nor myfriends unduly critical of him and his times faculty.This was,I think,a
are caught up in an "arms race" to pioneering effort to integrate the significant benefit to the members.
spend more.We represent a group that university. The objective of today's efforts ought
Frank would probably call "rich," and I was shocked to discover last year to be to restore something of this cul
we are leading happy,satisfyinglives,so from The Insiders Guide to Colleges) 1998 ture on the part of students, whether
the statement"the things we're spend Edition that the percentage ofAfrican Greek or non-Greek,by selective rush
ing money on aren't making people American students at Cornell is only 4 ing orbylot,and on- oroff-campus.As
happy" is not accurate. Frank's analogy percent,by alarge margin the lowest of to rules: set a few and enforce them
6 COR ELL MAGAZINE

LETTERS
MAG A Z IN E
on individuals.Those who do ums Iknow (Letters,JanuaryIFebruary
not choose to live the rules are free but he was nlore charitable than
to go elsewhere. rnost, who view the nanle change as a
David '53 "sale." Ezra Cornellfounded Cor
Cornell isownedandpublishedby t"\lorrn'anlVClon. Massachusetts John Harvard was the benefactor
Alumni Federation under the of ~,...r",Vllrrt·and"Buck"Duke offered a
Magazine It editorially independent of
CornellUniversity.CornellMagazine Alan HOT & COLD of money if the trustees would
Flaherty Chairman;LarryEisen IN ALL ()F THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT the name.What happens when
Baptiste'88; Press'71;CharlesRodin Deborah
USIng Lake for carnpus air con sonIeone else that kind of mon-
Skolnik'89.FortheAlumniFederation:SharonWilliams
'65,President;MaryBerens'74,Secretary/Treasurer.Forthe ~..L~ has consideration been Will the name change again?
•..L'-.)'Jl..L..L..L..L;;;",
AssociationofClassOfficers:MarthaShennan'73, heat punlps the Nesmith Tillotson '52, MD'56
5'-.""..../"'A..L"".L.A..L.LL<..L
1998)?This Fargo, North Dakota
EDITORANDPUBLISHER systenl
DavidJ.Gibson buried five feet below Since A LIKELY CULPRIT
ASSOCIATEEDITORS the soil below the frost line is at acon DUR..INGMY UNDERGRADUATEYEARS
ElsieMcMillan'55 stant to the I remeInber Beebe Lake being drained
BethSaulnier
systern can be usedfor air aperson orpersons unknown ("The
r",."\rI1T1,,rI1Y\rr
in sunlmer and as aheat punlp in win Best Place by a Danl Site," JanuaryI
ARTDIRECTOR
StefanieGreen ter.We used it on our farm in Canada 1999). It seenlS the dastardly
and were satisfied with the deed was accomplishedby opening the
DESIGNASSOCIATE
DoloresTeeter the winter. The air gates on the abandoned"locks" which
worked well too on the few were located on the south shore of the
BUSINESSMANAGER the tenlperature soared to lake above the hydraulics lab.We always
AdeleDurhanlR..obinette
Knack thought these locks were one-half-scale
ACCOUNTINGMANAGER nl0dels built by the university to aid in
BarbaraKenlp the and construction ofthe Erie
ADVERTISINGSALES 'THIS NAMETHING' Barge Canal.I rushed through the arti
AlannaDowney A FRC)NT PAGEARTICLE INA RECENT cle to find out the truth about
Los Times nlY attention. the locks only to discover that they had
STUDENTINTERNS
It was entitled "In Vitro beenleft out.Iwould love to know the
JosieAaronson-Gelb SharonEllis'01,
NavneetGill'01, '98 Averts Sickle Cell Risk" and end of the story.
refers to the"Weill Medical of Stanley Convin '52
Cornell Later on, there are Basking Ridge,
EDITORIALANDBUSINESSOFFICES
55BrownRoad,Ithaca,NY14850 two further references: a chart
(607) FAX(607) with "Source:Weill Medical Gould Colman PhD
e-mail:corneU_lnaga,~lne,(aJ,cornlelLledu
website: and later on,"theWeill tearn." The "locks" were actually a canal that
I am well aware of the trenlendous was originally 350 feet long, sixteen
NATIONALADVERTISINGOFFICE
contribution ofMr.Weill.At that feet and ten feet deep.According
7WareStreet,Cambridge,MA02138;(617)
I was also aware of the Medical Col to in the UniversityArchives dat-
EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR
Chute the Hill,Jan- ed with revisions to 1945,Beebe
NATIONALSALESMANAGER but didn't it Lake could have been drained eitherby
EdAntos
too rnuch thought-that is, not until a five-foot by five-foot gate in
NEWYORKMANAGER this article.All I know aboutMr.Weill the danl's orby opening asix-foot
TomSchreckinger: Inc.\LIL/OJ,':'-JUL:J
is what I read of hini in Cornell pub dianletervalve that connected the canal
NEWENGLANDMANAGER
......u".v....''''aV'la'U'.11 496-7207 lications.Thatisn't petty cashhe to a sizable vertical standpipe that nIa
donated, and Cornell should reC:OQ:nIL~e ture alumni may remenlber descending
DETROITMANAGER
WynkoopAssociates hinl I don't be to Fall Creek at the lab's northwest cor
FLORIDATERRITORYREPRESENTATIVE lieve the Cornell name should be sold ner. Since the gate would have been
at any under pressure frolTI accumulated silt
WESTCOAST Weill If Mr.Weill and and therefore difficult to
JaneAbram:BarbaraBella&Associates h,......."f"'\P11('
to read I trust he will reconsider the standpipe valve is the likely
NATIONALTRAVELREPRESENTATIVE
RobertRosenbaum: (914) this"nanle thing." I don't want vehicle for niischief.
nle,"Did you go
BPA
Issuedbimonthly.
Wi
subscriptions COHtell welconles letters [raIn
V $44, PrintedbyThe
readers. should be not
Burlington,VT.Copyright Cornell Palm
Rightsforrepublicationofallmatterarereserved.Printedin than 200 words, and be edited
U.S.A. c/oPublic space or Send to: Cornell
AffairsRecords,55BrownRd., ALEXANDER STEVENS EXPRESSEDTHE 55 Brown Road, Ithaca, NY
sentirnents ofthe Medical al- 14850.e-nlail:COI·ne_U_Ina~~aZ]lnei~~(:on:lelJl.edLU
8 CORNELL MAGAZINE