Briefs

Good guidance: In a large national survey of high school guidance counselors, Cornell, along with Columbia University at Barnard College and Rensselaer Polytech nic Institute, received the highest ratings for overall quality of education in New York state. This second annual study of the opinions of the nation's high school guidance counselors was conducted by Collegiate Information Services, a research and com munications consulting firm headquartered in Riverside, Conn. The guidance counse lors were asked to rate each college or university from a list of more than 800 schools throughout the country on the following characteristics considered impor tant to high school students: overall quality of education; leadership opportunities; fi nancial aid opportunities; academic programs; social life; value for the money; personal attention from faculty; good job after graduation; and campus safety. The guidance counselors rated "leadership opportunities" as the key strength for Cornell. For the survey, a random sample of 502 high school guidance counselors completed self -administered questionnaires during the 1994-95 academic year, with the field work ending on July 31, 1995.

CU Press awards:The following awards have been won by Cornell Univer sity Press books over the past several months:

·Unsettled States, Disputed Lands: Britain and Ireland, France and Algeria, Israel and the West Bank-Gaza by Ian S. Lustick won the 1995 J. David Greenstone Prize from the politics and history section of the American Political Science Association.

·Britain's Royal Meteorological Society awarded the 1995 Jehuda Neumann Prize to Appropriating the Weather: Vilhelm Bjerknes and the Construction of a Modern Meteorol ogy by Robert Marc Friedman. This book, published in 1989, previously won the 1993 Louis J. Battan Author's Award from the American Meteorological Society.

·Cultural Politics in Greater Romania: Regionalism, Nation Building, and Ethnic Struggle, 1918-1930 by Irina Livezeanu was awarded the 1995 Heldt Prize by the Association of Women in Slavic Studies.

·The Modern Language Association gave Renata Wasserman's book Exotic Nations: Literature and Cultural Identity in the United States and Brazil, 1830-1930 an Honorable Mention for the 1994 Scaglione Prize for Comparative Literary Studies.

Stress management:A series of four workshops on stress management and re laxation techniques will begin on campus Wednesday, Feb. 7.
The "Stress Busters" workshops will be held the first Wednesday of the month through May from 4 to 5 p.m. in the McManus Lounge, Hollister Hall.

Session one, Wednesday, Feb. 7, "All You'll Ever Need to Know About Stress for a Lifetime," includes a six-step exercise to help you remember it all.

The March 6 session, "Working With the Body to Reduce Stress and to Relax," will demonstrate stretching, de-tensionizers and progressive relaxation.

"Calming the Mind and Body Through Meditation" is the focus for the April 3 work shop. It will introduce a variety of approaches and techniques for successful meditation.

The final session, on May 3, "Releasing Tension Build-up in Muscles," will intro duce the benefits of massage.

John Gormley, health educator in University Health Services, will facilitate the monthly workshops, which are sponsored by the Drug Risk-Reduction Program of Gannett Health Center.
Stress Busters is free and open to Cornell students, faculty and staff.

Sciencenter seeks volunteers: The Sciencenter, at 601 First St. in Ithaca, seeks volunteers to assist with various operational and programmatic projects in the world's first and only community-built museum. Although an interest in science is desired, no experience is required to volunteer, according to Barbara Thorp, operations direc tor at the Sciencenter. Depending upon the task, individuals can volunteer a limited or an extensive amount of time. Assistance is needed in the following areas: museum guides, receptionists, birthday party volunteers, data entry assistant, librarian and gen eral office assistants. Volunteers also are needed to work on exhibits design and con struction and on special events such as Engineering Day at the Mall and the Egg Drop. If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information, call Barbara Thorp at 272-0600.

United Way committees:The United Way of Tompkins County is seeking com munity volunteers for its 1996-97 allocations review committees. Volunteers will review member agencies' programs and budgets and make recommendations as to how United Way funds should be allocated. Although no specific skills are required, individuals should have an interest in human services, program management and budget analysis. The volunteer commitment would begin this February with attendance at ori entation meetings. The majority of volunteer time will take place in March and April. Interested volunteers may receive more specific information, including a job description and potential meeting times, from the United Way by calling David Smith at 272-6286.

Attention science students:The Cornell chapter of Sigma Xi, the scientific research society, has sponsored two programs open to undergraduate and graduate students:
·The 1995-96 Fuertes Memorial Prize: Open to all graduate and undergraduate students currently enrolled at Cornell, the prize is an award for student-written articles (10-15 pages) in the physical or biological sciences. The articles must be written for the non-scientific reader. First prize is $350, second prize is $150 and third prize is $50.
·The 1995-96 Grants-in-Aid Program, provides small research grants ($200-$300) to Cornell graduate students and advanced undergraduates. In 1994, 15 students re ceived grants from the Cornell chapter.
For both, submit articles, applications and questions to: Professor R.W. Kay, De partment of Geological Sciences, Snee Hall, Cornell, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850, 255-3461.