WWW.PAWPRINT.CORNELL.EDU • APRIL 17, 2015 Pawprint A Newspaper by and for the Cornell Community Dinner marks service anniversaries, recalls memories NANCY DOOLITTLE Left: President David Skorton presides over his final Service Recognition Dinner. The dinner honored 368 Cornell staff members who have served Cornell for 25, 30, 35, 40 or more years. Below: Frances Benson is recognized for 45 years of work at Cornell during the 60th Service Recognition Dinner April 6 in the Ramin Room in Bartels Hall. A t the 60th Service Recognition Dinner – the last one he and Robin Davisson would host and Vice President Susan Murphy would emcee – President David Skorton recognized 368 staff members who have served Cornell for 25, 30, 35, 40 or more years. Among the honorees were three who have worked at Cornell for 45 years – Mariann Carpenter, Stuart Peck and Frances Benson – and 30 staff members who have worked at Cornell for more than 40 years but who were not celebrating a fifth-year anniversary this year. In total, their employment at Cornell represents more than 10,000 years of service. Skorton said, “Your skills and experience are beyond count and description, and Robin and I are very delighted to have the chance to honor you tonight.” He also thanked staff who are retiring this year and expressed his appreciation to all staff for the “friendship and kindness you’ve shown Robin and me over the years.” Noting this is Cornell’s sesquicentennial year, Vice President Mary Opperman said: “Whether you have worked at Cornell for 25 or 45 years, all of your efforts and dedication have helped us … You are a part of Cornell’s legacy.” Opperman drew a brief sketch of what Cornell would be like without its staff: There would be no one to plow the streets in the winter, no police protection, no one to fix a leaky roof or install new software on computers, no websites and no food to eat or coffee to drink. “Your contributions make a huge difference every single day,” she said. After Murphy noted key events from each of the years that awardees began their Cornell careers, the Backtalk Band performed a song from the same era. Murphy recounted activities Skorton was involved in at that point in his life, as well, going all the way back to the first year the Service Recognition Dinner was held, in 1955, when Skorton was in grammar school. In addition to the Backtalk Band, the student a cappella group Class Notes performed. Photos on pages 4-5. UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY Charter Day Weekend events Slope Day volunteers needed filling fast S lope Day is May 7, and volunteers are needed to help with this annual event. As a volunteer, you will have the opportunity to provide support and care for your fellow Cornellians. Your job will not be to police the slope, just to help make the day safe, relaxing and enjoyable for everyone. Volunteers significantly contribute to the success of this event. A ll members of the Cornell and local communities are invited to register for and attend “Charter Day Weekend: A Festival of Ideas and Imagination.” Staff and faculty volunteers are needed for shifts that begin at different times throughout the day. You can select from a number of “Level 2” volunteer duties. The length of the commitment will vary depending upon the volunteer position selected. All staff and faculty volunteers are asked to submit an online application and attend a training session, where your volunteer duties will be reviewed. Both can be found at http://slopeday.cornell.edu. You can register for one event or the entire weekend at http://150. cornell.edu/events/charterday/registration/ until Wednesday, April 22. Walk-in registration is available for the festival on Saturday and Sunday at King-Shaw Hall, Garden Avenue entrance, beginning Friday, April 24 at 4:30 p.m. Two types of registration packages are available. PAY PRACTICES FOR SLOPE DAY For volunteers, supervisory approval is needed for volunteer assignments that coincide with scheduled work hours. Hours spent volunteering that coincide with the employee’s regularly scheduled work hours will be considered paid release time. To record the paid volunteer time in Kronos, use the earnings code PDL (paid leave) and enter the number of paid leave hours. Hours spent volunteering outside of scheduled work hours are unpaid. Package 1 includes all weekend events: Friday’s Big Red Birthday Bash, April 24, 7:30-9:30 p.m., and Monday’s Charter Day Ceremony, April 27, 10 a.m.-noon, both at Barton Hall, plus more than 40 festival events on Saturday and Sunday. Registration for Package 1 is $20 for Cornell faculty, staff, students and retirees when registering with a Cornell NetID. All registration fees are donated to the employee and student care funds, and the Tompkins County Public Library. FOR STAFF MEMBERS REQUIRED TO WORK: Nonexempt staff members who are required to work the Slope Day event must be paid for all hours worked during the event, even if such hours do not coincide with their regularly scheduled work hours. Such time should be entered as In/Out time in Kronos. If you are unsure whether you are assisting at Slope Day in a purely volunteer capacity or in a required capacity, contact your supervisor or your college/unit human resources representative for clarification. If additional information is needed, call Human Resources at 255-6894. Package 2 includes the two free, large events only: Friday’s Big Red Birthday Bash and Monday’s Charter Day Ceremony. Admission to all events will be first-come, first-served. BIG RED BIRTHDAY BASH Explore the installation “Illuminating Images: The Joy of Discovery,” which features visually striking scientific images of natural processes on scales from nanometers to light-years. Enjoy performances by such Ithaca and Cornell groups as Opus, Armstrong Dancers, Burns Sisters, Ageless Jazz Band, Yamatai Drummers, Bhangra and Breakfree HipHop. Space is limited to the first 5,000 guests at Barton Hall. FOR EXEMPT STAFF MEMBERS: Exempt staff members who provide assistance during Slope Day in either capacity above will receive their usual compensation. FESTIVAL EVENTS PAWPRINT PICKS Open to the public; registration is required. Don’t miss out on more than 40 events, including presentations, literary readings, student innovators and musical performances. Highlights include “Six Degrees of Separation,” featuring Facebook engineering director Lars Backstrom and Microsoft researcher Duncan Watts; and “Convicted by Law: Acquitted by Social Science,” a look at two cases of convicts confessing to a crime of murder they didn’t commit. HISTORICAL FAMILY FUN Discover what life was like in Ithaca at the time of Cornell’s Charter signing, with hands-on activities based on the diaries of local youth from the 1860’s, April 25, 1-5 p.m., at the Nevin Welcome Center, Cornell Plantations. This is a Judy’s Day Family Program presented in cooperation with The History Center. Cost: $5 per person, $10 per family; free for members. “Saturday and Sunday’s festival is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from notable Cornellians such as actor Jimmy Smits and HBO screenwriter Richard Price,” said Kristin Hopkins, Charter Day Weekend project associate. “This is a must-attend weekend we won’t get to celebrate for another 50 years.” ONE DAY APPLE (COMPUTER) SALE Save up to $180 on Mac and $60 on iPad, April 30 at The Cornell Store. This sale is exclusively for staff and faculty on personal purchases of Mac and iPad. Pre-order in the store April 16-29 or purchase on April 30 (in store only). Pre-order pickup begins April 30. Payroll deduction is available for computer purchases for eligible faculty and staff. For details, visit store.cornell.edu. CHARTER DAY CEREMONY Join Cornell trustees and faculty to recognize the significance of the original charter, signed April 27, 1865, and all it has generated. The ceremony begins with an academic procession, premiers the Sesquicentennial Video and features remarks from university officials. The Cornell University Wind Symphony and Chorus/Glee Club will provide music. Livestreaming with closed caption will be available. SMALL FRUITS FOR THE HOME GARDENER Small fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are what to grow if you are short on space and time. Find out about cold hardiness, pollination, soil preparation and varieties to try, April 30, 6:30-8:30 p.m, at the CCE-Tompkins Education Center, 615 Willow Ave., Ithaca. $5-$10 self-selected sliding scale fee. Call 2722292 for more information or to register. 2 Susan Murphy hailed for transforming the student experience UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY NANCY DOOLITTLE Above: Vice President for Student and Academic Services Susan Murphy reacts to the festivities held in her honor April 7 in the Ramin Room of Bartels Hall. Top Right: Serenading Murphy are, from left, Vice President Charlie Phlegar, President David Skorton, Vice President Joel Malina, Vice President Mary Opperman and Vice President KyuJung Whang. Lower left: Murphy reads a framed list of contributors to a gift naming a floor in the University Health Services facility in her honor. Lower right: Yamatai, Cornell’s Taiko drumming team, was one of several student groups that performed. I n a career that transformed the student experience at Cornell, Susan H. Murphy ’73, Ph.D. ’94, vice president for student and academic services, may be remembered most for her focus on student health and well-being. zational skills and dedication to student well-being that she has shown throughout her career.” In addition to enhancing the quality of the Cornell student experience through the re-creation of North and West Campuses, Murphy “has served as a wise and caring and strong leader … her efforts have brought us closer to being the diverse, inclusive and caring community that we aspire to be,” Skorton said. Addressing Murphy at the retirement celebration held in her honor April 7, President David Skorton announced that the board of trustees has approved “with deepest gratitude to you” the naming of a floor in the University Health Services facility: the Susan H. Murphy Administration and Health Promotion Floor. About 500 alumni, students, colleagues, staff and faculty attended the event. Gitlin spoke of Murphy’s caring for students, especially in the midst of crises, and recognized her for being “incredibly responsive,” with a door that was “always open.” Barsotti thanked her for the support and time she has given to the Greek community. Hubbell noted Murphy’s problem-solving ability “to find a path forward”; similarly, Opperman said that Murphy was “one of the most positive and resilient people I know.” The naming is the result of gifts from more than 600 Cornellians who responded to a request by an ad hoc “Thanks, Susan” committee – headed by Ed Butler ’63, M.S. ’65, Nancy Butler ’64, Penny Haitkin ’65, Casey Phlegar ’15 and Kent Sheng ’78 – to show their “admiration and affection” for Murphy. Skorton gave Murphy a framed listing of all contributors. Recalling their sorority years and their many shared vacations since, Stuewer and McIlroy talked about Murphy’s loyalty to family and friends, a theme reiterated by almost all who spoke. In their video message, Harrison offered his congratulations to Murphy, saying, “For you, it has always been about the students,” while Zubrow spoke of Murphy’s “great vision,” “boundless energy” and “extraordinary leadership.” The program also included Murphy’s Pi Phi sorority sisters, Sherri Stuewer ’73, M.S. ’75, and Mary McIlroy ’72; Ross Gitlin ’15, undergraduate student-elected trustee; colleagues Mary Opperman, vice president for human resources and safety services, and Kent Hubbell ’69, the Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students; Donna Barsotti, a member of the Fraternity and Sorority Advisory Council; and a video message from Robert S. Harrison ’76, chairman of the Cornell Board of Trustees, and Jan Rock Zubrow ’77, chair of the board’s Executive Committee. Said Murphy: “I have been blessed with fabulous mentors.” She cited three provosts – Keith Kennedy, Mal Nesheim and Bob Barker – as examples. “I have had extraordinary colleagues, especially my current staff. I have had terrific and talented staff in admissions and financial aid. … I am blessed with devoted alumni and friends of the university, and I am overwhelmed by this list of donors,” she said. Murphy “has lived and breathed Cornell, actually, for most of her life,” Skorton said. An undergraduate history major, she earned two master’s degrees before returning to Ithaca to become associate director of admissions. She later became the Ivy League’s first female dean of admissions and financial aid. “But the key – and the reason this is a calling – is because of the students,” said Murphy. “They challenge me; they frustrate me at times; they even exasperate me. But they inspire me, they reward me, and they give me great confidence about the future. We are so fortunate to be able to witness their growth, from the time we watch them explore this university until the time they graduate.” After receiving her Ph.D., Murphy became Cornell’s first vice president for student and academic services. “She largely defined the position,” Skorton said, “through the extraordinary energy, determination, organi- She concluded, “To my alma mater, I say thank you, I am truly blessed.” 3 KATHY DENSE SERVICE RECOGNITION DINNER 2015 ANDREA DUTCHER CAROL ARMSTRONG LOU FARINO ROGER KAPLAN 4 MARTHA BENNINGER JUAN SALOMON, JUDY WILLIAMS, ANN LANG AND DALE WILLIAMS 5 SERVICE RECOGNITION DINNER 2015 GORDON BOWEN AMY PELLIGRINO CATHY PACE UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY Cornell combats sexual violence with strategic approach Note: The following is a brief summary of an article that appeared in the Cornell Chronicle April 10. Readers are referred to that article, found at: http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/04/cornell-combats-sexual-violence-strategic-approach. president for human resources and safety services, has taken a strategic, proactive approach to prevent and respond to sexual violence (see chart). This comprehensive approach (found at http://share.cornell.edu/education-engagement/cornell-actions/): A number of activities and events are taking place on campus and locally to support Sexual Assault Awareness month in April, furthering the university’s approach to preventing and responding to sexual violence. Several student organizations sponsored events this week during Sexual Assault Awareness Week, April 13-17, including a panel discussion and seminar on bystander intervention. Other on-campus activities in April include participation in a national student survey and the initiation of a policy review. • Challenges social and cultural factors • Enhances education and outreach • Monitors and evaluates climate issues, programs and services • Promotes help-seeking and reporting • Provides coordinated services and victim support • Enhances the security of the physical and social environment These activities aim to build awareness of sexual assault/ violence, harassment and stalking; advance a positive sexual climate in the Cornell community; and foster a campus culture that does not tolerate sexual violence of any kind. • Enforces laws and policies. For more information, see the SHARE website (Sexual Harassment and Assault – Response and Education), at http://share.cornell.edu, which provides comprehensive sexual violence education, reporting and support resources for the Cornell community. “We all share the responsibility for creating a caring campus culture,” said Susan Murphy, vice president for student and academic services. “My hope is that Sexual Assault Awareness month will put a spotlight on the work the university is doing through the Council on Sexual Violence Prevention and its partners to better prevent and respond to sexual assaults, help our students create a healthy sexual culture on campus, and create dialogue around such proactive measures as the safe use of alcohol and the importance of intervening through bystander activities.” CORNELL TO REVISE POLICY 6.4 Cornell University’s Policy 6.4, which addresses prohibited discrimination, protected-status harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual assault and violence, was last updated in 2013 to maintain compliance with current state and federal laws. This spring, university governance groups and others are being asked to provide feedback on improvements to Policy 6.4. This will inform policy revisions over the summer, after which the campus community will be asked for input. Since its formation in 2013, the university’s Council on Sexual Violence Prevention (CSVP), co-chaired by Murphy and Mary Opperman, vice University Hearing and Review Board seeks members S tudents, staff and faculty can now apply online for consideration to the University Hearing and Review Board (UHRB); if accepted, they can be called upon to serve on the panels that hear and review cases brought by the Office of the Judicial Administrator against members of the Cornell community. Students, faculty and non-faculty employees are represented in the University Assembly (UA), the governing body that oversees the Campus Code. The UA works with the Codes and Judicial Committee in interpreting and recommending revisions to the Campus Code. This committee is also responsible for reviewing applications and making recommendations for student and employee candidates for the University Hearing and Review Board. Deadline for applications: April 24, 2015. Interested staff and students are asked to apply through https://cornell.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_ blnvRJ74IkbXvz7. Interested faculty members are asked to apply by contacting the Dean of Faculty at [email protected]. UHRB candidates must be aware of the possibility that their personal views might in some cases conflict with the Campus Code’s provisions, and that in such situations the code must take precedence as a foundation for judgment. About the UHRB: Cornell entrusts the entire university community with the responsibility for maintaining, interpreting and executing decisions based upon the Campus Code of Conduct. For more information, see http://assembly.cornell.edu/UHRB/About. 6 Majani at Soup and Hope: From homeland to home Linda Majani speaks at Soup and Hope, March 18, at Sage Chapel A ccording to her daughter’s eighth-grade classmates, Linda Majani’s story of immigrating to the United States, is “not really exciting.” But in Sage Chapel at the final 2015 Soup and Hope March 18, Majani shared her emotional journey – the obstacles and doubts she overcame to make the move, her adjustments to Cornell and the Ithaca area, her feelings of loss and her acceptance of life on its own terms. Majani, now a graduate resident manager with Residential and New Student Programs, grew up in Nairobi, Kenya. In 1998 she met a man who had come to Nairobi from North Carolina. “We had a wonderful time,” she recalled. “He was ‘the one.’” They married and had two children. In 2009, they decided to move to the U.S.; he wanted the children to know their paternal grandparents and other relatives in North Carolina. His earlier travels between Sudan and Kenya complicated her husband’s residency and the Embassy he needed to work with to facilitate their move; in the end, he left for the U.S. to finish processing the paperwork while she continued to prepare for the move. In the meantime, Majani had applied to Cornell, hoping to ease the immigration process. But she felt “deep anxiety” about leaving Nairobi: “This is my homeland, the life I’ve known,” she recalled. The greatest challenge was knowing that, after 11 good years, her marriage was disintegrating. It was “unnerving” to think of being dependent on her husband’s family for her emotional support, she said. In July 2009, a month before Majani was scheduled to depart from Nairobi, her mother was Supporting Majani (at far left) are (left-to-right) friend Kimerly Cornish, son Kenneth Mclaurin, diagnosed with daughter Sankofa Mclaurin and ex-husband Kenneth Mclaurin Jr. Next to me is my good friend Kimerly Cornish. cancer and the doctors told her it was spreading, even though returned to Nairobi for a three-month internher mother showed no symptoms. Again Majani ship, she learned a lesson she did not expect. had misgivings about leaving. But her mother “When I think ‘home,’ I think Nairobi,” she said. told her to go to the U.S. and said she would “[Nairobi] was where I had my networks, where join her at graduation. I grew up.” Yet three or four days into her internship, Majani wanted to return to Ithaca. “My “When I got here, it was great … the campus perspective has shifted,” she said. “When I go was beautiful,” she said. But red tape delayed there, it is great, but it is not the same.” her school loans. With her husband in North Carolina, Majani was alone in Ithaca with her children, without money. In October her best friend called her and told Majani that her mother had died. “And … my world stopped.” Majani went home to bury her mother. She left Ithaca on a Wednesday, was in Nairobi on Thursday, her mother’s burial was on Saturday and she was on a plane back to Ithaca on Monday. “My life came to a standstill,” Majani said. “I was fatigued; I missed my mid-terms; my grief made it impossible to write.” By talking with others, Majani faced her grief and truly mourned her mother, and continued with her studies toward a master’s degree in public administration. Later, when Majani UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY 7 Majani does not feel like she belongs in Ithaca either. She feels the “otherness” in race relations here: “I just don’t fit in; I stand out,” she said. She also has divorced her husband, though they remain good friends. In other ways, Majani has found a home in Ithaca, because she has “found support here while going through the big things.” “The caring community is real,” she said. “Just seeing people coming to Soup and Hope to support me … I really do appreciate that,” she said. Majani’s journeys have taught her to take one day at a time, and she ended her narrative with a quote from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6: “I’m telling you to stop worrying about your life … never worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself … Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Mothers’ rooms ease returns to work O ne new mother, Lyza Maron, had access to a nearby “mothers’ room” in Mann Library. The other mother, Ann-Marie Latargia, learned that Cornell’s “Time Away from Work” policy 6.9 provides lactating mothers with time away from their work sites to express breast milk at nearby private spaces that have been specially designated for that purpose. Both new mothers received the help they needed, thanks to the support shown by their departments. Both returned to work during their child’s infant year, and they say that establishing a set routine is the key to success. “I went back to work when my baby was still exclusively breastfed and was nursing every three hours,” says Lyza Maron, who works in Emerson Hall in Plant Breeding and Genetics. The room in Mann Library is “comfortable and quiet,” she says. As many as five mothers take advantage of this room during the same time period, coordinating their schedules to alternate their use of the room. Maron’s daily routine helps her avoid using formula supplementation. She also has built a freezer stock for times when she cannot pump. “The typical concern is always whether you will be able to pump enough milk to supply your baby,” she says. The pump is never as efficient as breastfeeding, she says, and being stressed and tired from returning to work soon after the birth of a child can greatly affect milk production. It takes time and patience to get used to the pumping process, she says. Ann-Marie Latargia began working part-time at Cornell in January 2013, becoming a fulltime food-service worker at the Rose Dining Hall in the fall of 2013. When she became pregnant in 2014, Latargia was grateful for the maternity time Cornell provides, but she did not know that Cornell would also support her breastfeeding goals once she returned to work. In talking with Michelle Artibee, program manager for Career/Life Services, Latargia learned about the lactation policy, though she was not sure it would work for her. Because of her work duties, Latargia does not have the same Resources for new mothers For more information on Cornell’s support of new mothers, contact Michelle Artibee, program manager, Career/Life Services, 607255-5298, email: [email protected]. Cornell health plans provide various forms of breast pump and supply coverage. These benefits, a listing of 33 existing mothers’ rooms, the time away from work policy, and other lactation and breastfeeding support can be found at https://www.hr.cornell.edu/life/support/lactation.html. flexibility in her schedule as does Maron, and there weren’t any rooms nearby that were suitable for pumping. But Artibee contacted Christian VanDruff, West Campus facilities manager for Student and Academic Services. VanDruff found a study space Latargia could use temporarily while he searched for a more permanent area. “I manage all of the West Campus buildings, including the Gothics,” VanDruff says. He knew about a break room for the dining staff that was seldom used, but had potential. “It had a sink, which is important for hygiene,” he says. VanDruff took photos of the space and asked the dining staff if they would mind sharing the custodian break space so that this seldom-used space could be freed up. They agreed, and Van Druff cleaned up the room, had it painted, and added a cushioned chair and table lamp. He also keyed the room so that only business managers and staff needing to use the room would have access. “I kept my daughter and wife in mind when deciding how to renovate and furnish this room,” he says. VanDruff is proud that this room not only helps Latargia but will serve the needs of future moms on West Campus. Like Maron, Latargia says a routine helps. “You have to be patient with yourself,” she says. “I’d like to thank everyone along the way,” she says, “my supervisors, co-workers, everyone with whom I’ve been in contact since getting pregnant.” And, of course, VanDruff, who brought the room into being. “Cornell is a good place to be a mom,” Latargia says. 8 CLASSIFIED ADS Visit pawprint.cornell.edu/classifieds Classified Ads usually run for two weeks. We cannot guarantee an item’s availability. If your item is no longer available, let us know and we will remove it. FOR SALE Laser Printer, Dell laser multifunction printer. Still in box. Too big and cannot return, passed 30 days. Please leave message. $200 obo. (607)227-5978. [email protected] Burrall corn sheller, Antique Rumsey & Co No 2, MC 520 1890. Works well. $300. [email protected] Paint Gun set, complete. $350. blp27@ cornell.edu Pfaff Tiptronic 6270 Quilting Sewing Machine plus extension table. Excellent condition. $400. [email protected] Santana Tandem bike with car-top carrier, “Visa”, frame size small, “candy violet”. 12 years old, ridden 1500 miles,great condition. Perfect for small couple or adult+child. $1100. [email protected] Pawprint Desk Nancy Doolittle, managing editor, 255-3541, [email protected], [email protected] Valerie McMillen, designer, production, 255-1535, [email protected], [email protected] Contributors The following staff members regularly contribute to Pawprint: Kerry Howell, Eileen McCoy Whang, Michelle Artibee, Sue Brightly, Jennifer Lob – Career/Life; Members of the Employee Assembly – EA News; Joe Remillard – Facilities Features; Pat Leonard – Lab of Ornithology; Beth Lyons, Teresa Craighead, Matt Klein, Bill Steele – TechTalk; Joan Manheim – The Cornell Store; Jessica Withers – Your Library, Your Life; Julie Glanville – Gannett Health Services. 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