I support this petition.
Cornell - *please*. These classes teach valuable hands-on skills. Even if the students who take these classes never create something with their own hands again, the fields they work in are based on this process. If you're directing the construction of a bridge, it helps to know how that's done!
In addition, the destruction of a fully-equipped, working shop and the cancellation of classes in order to provide temporary storage space is a joke. It's a joke, and it makes the university appear like a laughingstock. What materials are so important than classes are being CANCELLED to store these materials?
I'm horrified that my alma mater is so stupid as to do this.
I strongly support this petition. I find it hard to believe, considering the size of Cornell's existing infrastructure and the seemingly endless number of new building projects going on around campus, that available storage space is so scarce that taking over the wood shop is an absolute necessity. It is hypocritical for a university that hangs its hat on its agriculture-based offerings to eliminate courses in woodworking and metal fabrication that teach the invaluable skills needed in many ag-related disciplines on a daily basis. Cornell should be embarassed to turn its back on its blue collar students, and on Professor Cook, in this manner. I strongly encourage the administration to reconsider the elimination of these courses.
I support this petition. I have recently built an electric vehicle and would not have had the welding skills to make it possible without the training I received from tom cook's course
I strongly support this petition, especially in light of Cornell University's stated support of sustainability and its interest in making all students, faculty, and staff capable of dealing with a changing world climate. The skills taught by Tom Cook are becoming more and more necessary. Thank you for your consideration.
Please reconsider and reinstate the B.E.E. Wood and Metal Shop Courses for the benefit of those of us who need to fabricate field and lab research equipment, as well as students who have other reasons for wanting to learn to work with wood and metals. Thanks.
I was an ABEN/BEE major who transfered to Natural Resources in 2001 and graduated in 2004. I support this petition. I wish during my Cornell education I had taken courses such as this, to gain more practical skills such as woodworking and metal work, which can become relevant even for the 21 year old who moves to DC to do policy work. Four years later, I find myself actively involved in building on farm infrastructure (on an urban organic farm I help run) and adapting textile machinery (for an organic clothing company my family owns) and wish I had learned things provided in these courses while I was at school! There is not a real way to quantify the value in manual labor and engineering skills that can be brought about in a course like this, but offering them is one way that Cornell can remain the best Ivy institution grounded in real life practical applications of things we as students and practitioners study in theory or policy every day. As space, scale, and energy use come more an more into play in determining appropriate technology, the ability of farmers, engineers, small business owners, and the everyday citizen to create appropriate solutions becomes a more and more pressing issue. Thank you,
Sarah Bellos
Nashville, TN
CALS 2004
Class of '86. These classes have offered an opportunity for students to gain practical hands on experience and more importantly learn safe operation of equipment that they many never have other wise. I support this petition.
I support this petition. I've heard that this class gives you hands, useful experience that is applicable in many facets of engineering, especially for engineering project groups.
I'm a graduate student in Physics. I took both the machine shop fabrication and the wood shop course from instructor Tom Cook. I found his classes incredibly useful for my graduate research, outreach activities to the local community, and my own private life. I'd consider it a great shame if future Cornell students were unable to benefit from his instruction. I know space is tight, but I strongly urge you to please reconsider canceling these courses.
I took Introduction to Metal fabrication with Tom in 2000. Classes like this keep students grounded and give them an appreciate for these type of skills. If the university wants to create well-rounded students who not only contribute to society, but respect the contributions of the blue-collar workforce, these classes are critical.
