Soundbites

Here is a sampling of quotations from Cornell University faculty, students and staff that have appeared recently in the national and international news media:

"Quantum theory was the most significant [scientific discovery of this century], followed by DNA and Einstein's theory of special relativity."

What would you have done if you hadn't become a scientist?

"I would have worked in a bank or an investment firm."

--Hans Bethe, professor emeritus of nuclear studies, in an interview on being a "Witness of a Century," in the December 1999 issue of Discover magazine.

"Why not base admissions decisions on an assessment of the student as a whole person, with honest regard for race and ethnicity as two attributes among many others -- scholastic promise, analytical skills, comprehension, test scores, grades, essay quality, creativity, artistic and musical ability, athletic skills, community service, leadership ability, motivation, success in dealing with adversity, teacher assessment, career objectives, geographic origin, economic background, interview performance and more? That is the practice explicitly upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1978 University of California v. Bakke decision. ... It has served us well."

--Frank H.T. Rhodes, president emeritus, in an op-ed about proposals to overturn traditional affirmative action policies and still maintain diversity in college admissions, in The New York Times, Dec. 24.

"There's a risk to ceasing driving. People who have stopped driving tend to have lower morale."

--Nina Glasgow, research associate in rural sociology, in a news article how tougher requirements for older drivers pose a dilemma, discussing her research on older drivers, in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Nov. 23.

"You'll see this become a major part of financial education everywhere in 10 years."

--Charles Lee, the H.J. Louis Professor of Management, faculty director of the Johnson Graduate School of Management's Parker Center for Investment Research, on the future of student-managed investment funds, in USA Today, Dec. 13. (The Cayuga MBA Fund, LLC, is managed by Johnson School students under Lee's aegis and beat the S&P 500 in 1999.)