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Church and State

MORE COMMENTS ON THE LOGO -- AND AN OFFICIAL CLARIFICATION

I FEEL IT NECESSARY TO COMMENT on the views expressed by Arthur Spitzer '71 regarding the new Cornell logo (Correspondence, January/February 2005). I agree that that the letters "A.D." are unnecessary for clarity; however, I believe that the logo designers were trying to convey a feeling of longevity, substance, and tradition, and the inclusion of "A.D." reflects back to a time when the use of that form was common. The use of "B.C." and "A.D." is a convention that places significant events on a timeline of important occurrences in the history of the world--thus, the founding of Cornell University is recognizable as one of those significant historic events.

What I find disturbing is that this use of "A.D." prompted such a letter. The most valuable experiences I had at Cornell included those afforded me by exposure to different cultural and religious ideas. My own rather uniform background was immensely broadened by the relationships I had with the diverse student and faculty population. I learned to appreciate and enjoy what makes people different and what makes us the same.

The obvious intolerance of a knee-jerk response like Mr. Spitzer's goes completely against what he purportedly espouses. In addition, it is disproportionate to the supposed offense--we are, after all, discussing a logo here. Nobody believes that Cornell is proposing to be a solely Christian university, nor should it be believed that it ought to be vigorously anti-Christian. It should, in my mind, be open to all cultures and all religions.

Steven Menillo '77
Rochelle Park, New Jersey

I WAS DELIGHTED TO SEE THAT THE new logo prominently states "Founded A.D. 1865"--in other words, "in the year of Our Lord 1865." In these days of rampant political correctness and consistent attempts to whitewash our nation's Christian heritage, it is refreshing to see an Ivy League institution stand for tradition in this area.

It may surprise Mr. Spitzer to learn that merely because something is a New York State institution does not mean it is devoid of religious influence. I represent the 127th District in the New York State Assembly, and every day in session we all stand in silence while a chaplain leads us in prayer.

Daniel Hooker '86
Saugerties, New York

Edward Hershey, director of Cornell's Communications and Marketing Services, offers this explanation for the inclusion of "A.D." in the new insignia: "When it became clear to our team that we had a mandate from all constituencies to produce a logo that reflected Cornell's roots, we borrowed heavily from historic and traditional language and symbolism. The term ‘Founded A.D. 1865' was made part of the original Great Seal of Cornell University by formal vote of its trustees in 1868, the year that classes began, and it remains part of the corporate seal (used on legal documents) to this day. The insignia in the new logo includes elements that evoke the University's founding principles and its status as New York's land-grant university. The allusion to the [religious] origin of ‘A.D.' is obviously accurate, but it is our judgment that the term has evolved into a secular reference point used throughout the world."

Up in the Air

REGARDING "FINAL DESCENT?" (Currents,November/December 2004): Decades ago, it was fun to fly--and people who couldn't afford it took a bus. Then came airline deregulation, championed by Jimmy Carter's "deregulation czar,"Cornell professor Alfred Kahn. The result? More people fly but almost everyone hates it. Pioneering airlines like Pan Am and TWA have disappeared, and many of those remaining are teetering at the edge of bankruptcy. Airline employees face slashed salaries, vanished pensions, and devastated morale. Customer service and amenities are at an all-time low.

Professor Kahn, you reported, often drives to Syracuse to catch a flight--and Ithaca is now in danger of losing scheduled service altogether. It seems that the proverbial chickens have come home to roost. Though deregulation isn't entirely to blame, the downhill slide started with that ill-advised policy. The final irony: today's buses are usually much more comfortable than airplanes.

Robert E. Davidson '63
New York, New York

Ed. Note: In January, Tompkins County officials announced that Northwest Airlines had tentatively agreed to begin service to Ithaca in May. The proposal calls for two commuter flights a day in each direction between the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport and Detroit. US Airways, while still struggling financially, has so far maintained its daily service to and from Ithaca.

Odds Are . . .

IN YOUR ARTICLE ABOUT THE FAD OF Rock, Paper, Scissors tournaments, Ken Bromberg '00 was quoted as saying, "To beat eight random people is absurdly unlikely. I haven't done the math, but that's like one in a million" ("Rock Stars," Currents, January/February 2005).Well, it is apparent to me and, I am sure, many other Cornell engineers that Mr. Bromberg has not done the math. If you assume that each player has a 50 percent chance of winning a match, then the odds that a player will win eight matches in a row are simply 0.5 to the eighth power--this is equal to 1 out of 256, or a 255-to-1 shot. Furthermore, if we assume that ties come into play and a player has only a 33 percent chance to win on the first throw, the odds of winning eight matches in a row are 0.33 to the eighth power, or 1 out of 6,561. Certainly not easy to do, but still not one in a million.

Doug Seidenberg '94
Las Vegas, Nevada

Equal Opportunity

REGARDING "OUT ON WALL STREET" (Currents, January/February 2005): In my business career, I never paid attention to race, religion, or sexual orientation. I regret that society has apparently not changed enough so that an article about gays in business is still necessary more than fifty years after I graduated. Fred Yarrington '47 Naples, Florida

Correction--January/February 2005

From the Hill, page 13: We wrote that President George W. Bush had "appointed . . . Samuel Bodman '61 as his new energy secretary"; Bodman is actually Class of '60, B Chem E '61.

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