INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 129, No. 134
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
20 Pages – Free
Survey Defends Education in The Liberal Arts
Sing-alongs
By LAUREN AVERY Sun Senior Writer
variety of classrooms on the Agriculture Quad and as far as Bardfield and Riley-Robb Hall. Prof. Paul Curtis, natural resources, said that Fernow’s closing resulted in a less than ideal setup for faculty. “I was in Bruckner in the basement in a small room with a small window that couldn’t open,” Curtis said. “It’s nice to have fresh air, and [Fernow] is amazing. Bruckner was functional; we met our needs, but it’s much better in the new building.” Samantha Dean ’12, who was a natural resources major, said that while Fernow was closed, many of her required classes were held in one room in Warren Hall, which she described as “basically Satan’s armpit because it has zero windows and the thermoregulation capabilities of a camp-
Despite facing seemingly limited job prospects, students graduating with a broad academic background and a variety of skills may be more appealing to employers than students with a narrower academic focus, according to a recent survey conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The AAC&U surveyed 318 employers in the U.S. last January about college graduates with either two or four-year degrees. 74 percent of business and nonprofit leaders said they would recommend that students obtain a 21st-century liberal arts education “in order to prepare for long-term professional success in today’s global economy,” according to the study. Echoing the AAC&U survey’s message, Rebecca Sparrow, director of Cornell Career Services, said the specificity of a student’s course of study is not as important as a student’s professional skill set. “With my experience of talking to employers, they are looking for people with a range of skills and a solid academic background,” Sparrow said. “It is all about finding the right mix between your academic training –– where you learn how to learn –– and the other skills that you will develop and take into the workplace.” While some careers require applicants to have a more specific academic background, such as computer science or mechanical engineering, those options “not the bulk of jobs by any means,” Sparrow said. Still, students in more specialized majors at the University — such as those in the School of Hotel Administration or the College of Engineering — should not be concerned about being overshadowed
See FERNOW page 5
See LIBERAL ARTS page 4
MICHELLE FELDMAN / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The Hangovers, an all male a capella group serenades the Society for Women Engineers at a semi-formal banquet in Clark Atrium Tuesday afternoon.
Natural Resources Bldg.Opens After 2 Years
Fernow Hall met with enthusiasm from students,professors By KEVIN MILIAN
Sun Staff Writer
After two years without a building to call home, students and faculty in the Department of Natural Resources heralded the reopening of Fernow Hall Tuesday. The building, which was shut down for renovations in 2011, now has a rain garden to control stormwater runoff, a garden terrace for use by the faculty and staff and solar panels for renewable energy, according to Cornell Sustainable Campus’ website. Since construction on the building began in May 2011, the natural resource department had been scattered across campus. Administrative and faculty offices were housed in nearby Bruckner Lab, graduate students conducted research in Rice Hall and undergraduate students took courses in a
News Wanted: Volunteers
Slope Day organizers have less than two weeks to recruit about 200 more volunteers to ensure that the event runs smoothly. | Page 3
Opinion Memory Lane
In his last column, Dan Rosen ’13 reflects on his time as a Sun columnist, hoping his columns have exemplified authenticity. | Page 7
Sports Not So Lax
The track team was back in action this past Friday, taking on Buffalo and Binghamton in the Upstate Challenge and building on its outdoor campaign. | Page 20
Weather Rain HIGH: 66 LOW: 34
Panelists Call for Solution to Conflict in Middle East By EMMA JESCH Sun Staff Writer
Throughout the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has been marked by violence and bitter diatribe, many have questioned whether peace is even possible in the Middle East. At a panel Tuesday, however, two speakers expressed hope that Israel and Palestine can reach a resolution by engaging in meaningful negotiations with each other. The talk, sponsored by the Cornell Israel Public Affairs Committee, touched on the feasibility of the two-state solution — which would create an independent state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel — and the need for negotiation between both sides. The goal of the discussion was to “shed more light and less heat on these issues,” said David Makovsky, director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Project on the Middle East Peace Process and a pro-Israel activist. “We want a solution that gives dignity to both sides,” Makovsky said. See MIDDLE EAST page 5
“We need to approach differences as hurdles, not as opportunities to fling mud onto the other side.” Ghaith Al-Omari
TIANZE PAN / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Ghaith Al-Omari, executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine, discusses the prospect of peace in the Middle East at a panel Tuesday evening.