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:

"Some of them do a beautiful job with the essay, and others are sitting in their room at home and looking at their sneakers and their picture of Britney Spears and picking three things at random, which is not what we had in mind. We hope they will reveal something meaningful and honest about themselves."

--Deborah J. Durnam, associate director of communications in the Office of Admissions, explaining how admissions officers develop and evaluate essay questions, in The Washington Post, Nov. 28.

"If this were the only mode of instruction, it would not be a great way to go. But a good lecture is not just an educational experience; it can really be an aesthetic experience, too."

--Provost Biddy Martin, commenting on psychology Professor James Maas' Psychology 101 class described in a feature article in The New York Times, Nov. 17.

"People trained in this area are needed, as are institutional and support structures for using this technology. Harmonization of the regulations among countries using biotechnology will create better standards and increase awareness of these new crops. There is a need to create public trust from the beginning."

--K.V. Raman, executive director of the Cornell-Eastern Europe-Mexico International Project on Potato Late Blight Control, commenting on biosafety systems at a Cornell conference on agricultural biotechnology Nov. 15-16, reported by United Press International, Nov. 16.

"Firing is the single most potent anti-union weapon. The upshot is many employers can achieve their goal of remaining union-free by breaking the law."

--ILR senior lecturer Lance Compa, in an article about his report for Human Rights Watch showing U.S. employers routinely prevent workers from organizing by firing them and other tactics that violate international human rights agreements, in The New York Times, Oct. 24.

"We don't just need more information. Scientists need to stand up and say, 'I do something relevant.'"

--Bruce V. Lewenstein, associate professor of science communication, on the results of a National Science Foundation survey asking Americans what they think about science and how well they understand it, in the September-October issue of The Sciences. In the article Lewenstein urges scientists to make an effort to earn the public's trust by sharing their expertise.