Many alumni responded to our tribute to David Skorton in May/June 2015.
President Skorton was truly a people-person president. Down to earth with an empathetic heart, he paid attention to most of the staff’s concerns, led us through really tough economic times, and managed to keep Cornell above water. A hard act to follow, but I surely will heed his request to welcome and support incoming President Elizabeth Garrett.
No wonder Cornell continues to produce the best in the nation and the world with leaders like President Skorton. I am proud to be a Cornellian.
As a University of Iowa faculty member for forty-four years, I note that our loss was Cornell’s gain—and may the Smithsonian prosper equally well.
David Skorton is a face-to-face communicator. In today’s digital world of computer screens, iPads, and iPhones, somehow the real face-to-face gets lost—no matter how high resolution the picture. David has not lost that talent. It has served him—and Cornell—very well.
Wines for Credit
Our special section “Wines of New York State” highlighted the ever-popular Introduction to Wines class.
Took the class in 1980 and thought it was the best ever. I still have the final wines book we put together on my office shelf.
I’m glad to hear that (almost) anyone now has the opportunity to take this course. In the mid-Nineties the “popular misconception” was so strong that even folks in the Registrar’s Office thought the age rule was valid, since I (a non-Hotelie who turned twenty-one in March of senior year) was not allowed to register. Instead, I took a two-credit, book-based (as opposed to bottle-based) course titled something akin to “A History of Wine.”
This was one of my favorite classes at Cornell. Vance Christian ’61, MS ’65, taught the class of about fifty to sixty. We had alphabetically assigned seats; that put me right behind a good friend, Judy, and next to a student whom I considered the most gorgeous woman on campus. All too often, Professor Christian would stop the tasting session and say, “Please, people, this is a wine tasting course, not a wine drinking course!” I think he was talking to the three of us.
I nearly failed this class! Had to cram by watching videos in the Nestlé Library before the final. (I was a young senior and had never really had wine before. Now I’d be OK!)
Take Part in a CAM Story
We are working on a story that would match up alumni with the student occupying their former Cornell housing.
If you are interested in participating and will be visiting campus this fall, please e-mail me at jbarnett@cornell.edu, stating where you lived (we plan to include both on- and off-campus accommodations), and when.
Executing this idea will depend on an alum’s room still being lived in, and the current occupant being willing and available, but we feel it could provide a fascinating opportunity for different generations of Cornellians to connect and share insights into how campus life has changed over the years.
NEW! Online Photo Gallery
In response to requests from alumni for an opportunity to share memorable moments with classmates, we have created an online photo gallery on our website. You can post pictures of weddings, new babies, mini-reunions, successes, events, tributes, travels, and more at: cornellalumnimagazine.com/photogallery.
Speak up! We encourage letters from readers and publish as many as we can. They must be signed and may be edited for length, clarity, and civility. Send to: Editor, Cornell Alumni Magazine, 401 E. State St., Suite 301, Ithaca, NY 14850; fax: (607) 272-8532; e-mail: jbarnett@cornell.edu.