…because I’m too lazy at the moment to go from computer programming and into an entry that requires research on my part. Here’s a sampling of some of the search queries from the past few weeks.
1. “cornell honors fraternity” 7-17-09
Numerous and varied in their scope and goals. Like with social fraternities, the number of honors fraternities at Cornell seems to have decreased over the years as different organizations merged (often because they became co-ed and redundant) or closed. Here’s some current organizations that I can find (strictly professional fraternities are not included here):
A. Phi Sigma Pi – A general honors fraternity (3.0 standard) [1]
B. Alpha Chi Sigma – Honors chemistry fraternity (discussed previously in this blog)
C. Alpha Epsilon Delta – Pre-Med honors society
D. Eta Kappa Nu – Honors fraternity for compuer and electrical engineers
E. Golden Key – A general honors society for upperclassmen
F. Order of Omega – Honor Society for students in social fraternities or sororities. This one is more about who you know than it is about your GPA.
G. Phi Alpha Delta – Pre-Law honors fraternity
H. Phi Tau Sigma – Food Science honors fraternity
I. Pi Alpha Alpha – Honors Society for Public Administration and Affairs.
J. Pi Sigma Alpha – Government Honors Society
K. Psi Chi – Psychology Honors Society
L. Tau Beta Pi – General engineering honor society
For more info, just head over to http://sao.cornell.edu
2. “modern school no windows” 7-16-09
Windowless buildings have tended to be the product of kneejerk reactions to the energy crisis of the 1970s, or because they were (and in some cases still is) a relatively cheap way to maintain a climate-controlled facility (the lower floors of Bradfield, for example, which protect the plant genetics labs and cold-hardiness experiments). A personal example is that my mother went to a “new” high school in the 1970s that had no windows…by the time she graduated, they had already resolved that artificial lighting was too expensive in the long run, so they renovated it hardly five years after construction.
3. “cornell ilr looked down upon?” 7-13-09
Ask Matthew Nagowski over at MetaEzra. I look forward to his response.
4. “james gallagher, walmart architect” 7-13-09
Really? I didn’t realize Wal-Mart actually hired architects.
On a less facetious note, Wal-Mart has made attempts to diversify store facades to appease locals [2] — Ithaca’s is a good example [3].
5.”cornell couldiest place on earth” 7- 15-09
Ignoring the spelling, the question is still ridiculous. The number of cloudy days in Ithaca in a given year is 206 [4]. While there seems to be some debate as to the cloudiest place on earth, Anchorage, Alaska has 239 cloudy days in a given year, and St. John’s. Newfoundland records 255 cloudy days in a given year. From what I hear, Ben Nevis, a mountain in Britain, records about 290 cloudy days. As an atmospheric science major and as a CNY native, questions like this irritate the hell out of me.
6. “urban outfitters ithaca opening” 7-11-09
This question has appeared in some form about a dozen times in the past two weeks. based off of job postings, the target season seems to “Summer 2009”. According to the CNY Business Journal, the target date is/was July 2, so if someone wants to verify that, that would be great.
7. “redneck castle” 7-10-09
A double-wide trailer with turrets. The royal carriage is a rusted 1976 Chevy Nova.
8. “chi omega coming to cornell” 7-3-09
Possibly, possibly not. Logically, it wold make sense for either Chi Omega, Alpha Omicron Pi or Delta Phi Epsilon to revitalize their dormant Cornell chapter, as they were the last ones to leave campus. However, I’m fairly sure it depends on whether they submit intent to Panhel, who then chooses who they think would be best suited for campus. Using Alpha Xi Delta for example, the more recently closed sororities may not be the ones invited back to campus. It’s something to keep an eye on in the upcoming year.
9. “married at sage chapel 2009” 7-9-09
Many, many weddings take place in a given year at Sage. I hear that getting a marriage set up in Sage is a bit like Thanksgiving shopping; the best days go to those who are ready earliest, which often requires hours of waiting in anticipation for the annual schedule to open. The rental fee is $300 [5].
10. “cornell’s secret societies” 7-5-09
I’m responding to both this and a comment from a reader suggesting I post them anyway. I was approached face-to-face, which was enough of an impetus for me to remove them. That being said, my work was copied by another website (without my permission, but I gave up trying to get them to remove it). If you look hard enough, you’ll find what you’re looking for, but it won’t be on this blog.
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[1]http://rso.cornell.edu/psp/cms/?q=node/15
[3]http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2008/12/01/wal-mart-remodeling-moves-forward
[4]http://www.123syracuse.com/cloudycities.html
[5]http://www.cornell.edu/search/index.cfm?tab=facts&q=&id=630
Ithacating in Cornell Heights 
That’s an easy question to answer: The ILR education is not looked down upon in the slightest.
” was approached face-to-face, which was enough of an impetus for me to remove them.”
Since when did you give into censorship? A shame.
Exclusivity has always seemed very un-Cornell to me…
In the sense of Ezra Cornell’s ideals, I would agree that it seems very un-Cornell. But not everyone sees it that way. Sorry.