Briefs

Town-gown 'Trial' debate: An annual part of the Cornell-Community Read is a related public forum coordinated by the Tompkins County Public Library and Cornell's Office of Community Relations. This year's theme -- tied to Franz Kafka's The Trial -- is a debate featuring local lawyers and members of the Ithaca High School speech-and-debate class. Two teams composed of two students and a lawyer will debate the question, "Should the government have the right to detain someone, with minimal evidence, in the interest of national security?" Audience participation is encouraged. The debate will culminate with the audience taking the part of a jury and voting on the outcome. This intellectual exercise, which highlights the value of public debate, will take place Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Borg-Warner Room at the Tompkins County Public Library. For more information, contact gjs28@cornell.edu or sgrubb@tcpl.org, or access http://www.tcpl.org.

Tour of 'green' buildings: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County invites members of the public to participate in a guided tour of green buildings Saturday, Oct. 2. Vans will depart from Cooperative Extension (615 Willow Ave. in Ithaca) at noon and will return at 4 p.m. Each van will visit 4 or 5 buildings, mostly homes, that feature a variety of green building principles and technologies, such as energy conservation strategies, renewable energy, local and natural building materials, straw bale construction and nontoxic finishes. Buildings vary in size, style, age and cost. Members of the Ithaca Green Building Alliance will lead the tours, and homeowners also will be on-site to describe features in their homes and answer questions. The fee is $10 per person or $15 for two from the same household, with scholarships available. Call 272-2292 to register. People can also conduct a self-guided tour the same day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Local sites are listed at http://www.nesea.org/buildings/openhouse/.

Travel grant available: The Alice Hanson Cook Travel Grant for Young Scholars has been made available by the Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program. The grant, which can be from $500 to $1,000, is for travel costs related to the study of gender and social change, and travel must take place within a year after the award is made. Grant competition is open to master's degree and Ph.D. students, as well to junior scholars at Cornell within six years of Ph.D. study or equivalent degree. Grants will be awarded based on the proposed project's connection to the interests held by the late Alice Hanson Cook, a pioneering faculty member at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations who devoted her life to working women. For details and application requirements, see this Web site:http://www.arts.cornell.edu/fgss/funding.htm. Deadline for applications is Oct. 15. Submit applications to the FGSS office in 391 Uris Hall.

Tjaden Gallery applications: Cornell's Department of Art is accepting applications for the Olive Tjaden Gallery and the Tjaden Experimental Studio for spring 2005. Applications must be in by Nov. 15 to the Tjaden Gallery coordinator, 224 Tjaden Hall. Applications are available in 224 Tjaden Hall. Student thesis shows are generally scheduled for each week from after spring break through graduation. Students already scheduled for thesis shows do not need to make a separate application by the deadline, as those dates have already been reserved for those students. Applicants who are not applying for a thesis show should request dates prior to spring break. Exhibitors with thesis requirements and CCA grants are given preference.