I STRONGLY support this petition. The metalworking courses was one of the most useful courses I took while at Cornell (and it was not required by my major).
I support this petition. "I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study." Tom is an excellent teacher and taught me many skills I use almost daily even as a veternarian. His classes are excellent.
I whole-heartedly support this petition. I was a student in the school of hotel and restaurant administration and took this course as both an artistic exposure as well as a necessity to be a "do-it yourself-er," which I had always wanted to be. I had never had the opportunity to learn these skills prior to finding out about these classes. The skills that I have learned in Professor Cook's class have served me very well since I graduated 8 years ago. Before taking Professor Cook's Woodworking course I knew virtually nothing about woodworking. As a direct result of his class and the skills I learned, I have become an avid woodworker. It is a significant hobby of mine, providing therapeutic relief to the stressors in my life and a much needed creative outlet. I have a full shop of tools, which I use to make assorted projects. I have been solicited many times to sell my works but have yet to do so. I did however, create a piece for a charity auction which fetched over $250.00. Prior to taking this class and welding, I was ignorant of the subject and the amazing possibilities that become available once gaining the necessary knowledge base. Taking this class has had a huge impact on me as a person and on my well-being. Cheating future students out of the opportunity to enroll and learn from Professor Cook's vast experience and amazing ability to teach would be a gigantic mistake.
I support this petition. As an economics major, it turns out that the Metals class I took at Cornell was one of the most valuable courses I ever took. It opened doors for me that never would have been available had I not had the skills and knowledge taught in this class. Practical courses like this are unbelievably valuable to those who take them. To lose metals and woodworking courses would not only be a sad day, but would take away a valuable educational experience from all. Please reconsider ending such wonderfull corses taught by a truly great teacher Mr. Cook.
I support this petition. Tom's courses are the only ones I took at Cornell that taught me skills I use at least once a week. How can engineers learn proper design techniques without understanding manufacturing on a hands-on level?
I support this petition.
It would be a travesty for Cornell to drop these courses. I have put my Cornell education to use in industry (Mechanical Engineer). While I don't physically practice the trade taught in these hands on classes, I find the insight attained from the class to be very valuable. I know my employers and client's have appreciated this insight.
I support this petition. Extremely valuable classes that are enjoyable at the same time should be something we strive for at Cornell. Professor Cook should be celebrated for his tremendous tenure by allowing him to impart his knowledge and enthusiasm on future generations of students.
I support this petition. This was by far the most useful course I took at Cornell. It was not required, but it was very important for me to have the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and learn something completely different. It was an important part of a well-rounded education, and it taught me skills and thinking that I use all of the time.
What I learned in Tom's courses comes up constantly in my daily life. They were some of the few "hands-on" classes I took as a BEE and BME, and gave us the rare opportunity to actually build something tangible (for a change) in our age of virtual simulation. I learned so much practical knowledge and skills from these courses, and I hope Cornellians continue to have these opportunities in the future.
I support this petition in absolutely every possible way. Tom's class was priceless, and educated myself and my peers in a way none of my other engineering classes did. He was an amazing instructor and if anything, these classes should be made a requirement in more majors, not less.
I support this petition. I have taken Tom Cook's welding and wood construction classes. It is a shame that the university is considering this. Those two classes gave me true and practical experience. I own and operate a dairy and crop farm. I use things that i have learned from those courses everyday. Those courses are valueable. I am very upset as an alumnist, this university is headed in this direction.
I support this petition. Terminating these classes is a disservice to Tom, his past students and anyone who wants to acquire or sharpen the particular skill-set taught.
Professor Cook's class was one of a short list of classes I took at Cornell which had any PRACTICAL utility.
I was a social science major and now I build high end home theaters in Naples FL. I USED something I learned in Professor Cook's class today! This was one of the best classes I took at Cornell... maybe the best. I would urge the administration to take the course before they terminate it. I'm certain they'll learn more than why they shouldn't cut it.
I support this petition. Tom Hendrix, BS MechE '04. I am a professional consultant in operations and management. Understanding the skill and craftsmanship required to make engineering designs a reality is vital. I have a true sense of empathy, rooted in these classes, for the tradespersons who do these jobs full time - I believe that this is something that separates the average Cornell student from the average ivy leaguer - and its these BEE courses that make that breadth of understanding possible.
Please do not cancel this class. I took this class in Spring '04 and it was among the fondest memories I have of Cornell. Professor Cook was a wonderful instructor and should be considered an asset to the university. The single greatest strength of Cornell is the sheer diversity of subjects one can study. Without a course like this, that becomes one step further away, and it is shameful that the university does not consider this. Please do not drop these classes.
As not only a favorite class of anyone who takes it, but a valuable lesson in real world knowhow, these classes deserve to continue at Cornell. Just this semester, I got a mass email from a student group that recommended everyone take it. Anyone who thought it sounded good will no doubt be disappointed to say the least when it is not available any more.
I support this petition. I took the metal fabrication (BEE 110) course and thought that it was fantastic - it comes in very handy since I'm working as an engineer in a manufacturing plant and the knowledge I gained through this course helps converse with the metal workers on the plant.
This is a new low for Cornell University. The university made it clear while I was a student that its top priority was profitable research projects, not students or the educational experience. Please support Tom and the incredible value he brings to Cornell.
I am a second-year medical student at NYU School of Medicine. I took Tom Cook's woodworking and metal fabrication course as electives, and they were two of the best and most fulfilling courses I took at Cornell. These courses taught me so much practical knowledge about engineering and metallurgy: knowledge that is useful to many folks other than those who go into agriculture. Frankly, it taught me as much about the world around me as did any introductory Biology, Chemistry, or Physics course. As I strive towards a future career as a surgeon, I know the knowledge I gained in Introduction to Wood Construction and Introduction to Metal Fabrication at Cornell will serve me well.
Here are a few examples of why this will hold true. So many tools used in the operating room are identical to the ones I learned to use in Tom Cook's courses. Drills, saws, sanders, grinders, screwdrivers, chisels, clamps, and hammers. Of course, surgeons learn to use these tools during their lengthy training, but I believe there's much value in having a foundation in safely and effectively operating these tools. The electrocautery tool used ubiquitously in surgery utilizes the same physics principles as a welder for steel: all the principles of electric arc length, power, and direction in relation to voltage and resistance still apply. The finer practical points of how to precisely and accurately measure and cut objects carry over directly into the operating room: where the axiom "measure twice, cut once" still applies. The concepts of steel temperament, hardness, strength, and grain size fully apply to the manufacturing process of hip and knee joints. And these are only a few parallels I've noticed between the world of agricultural engineering and the world of biomedical engineering. In fact, I've already put knowledge from Mr. Cook's courses to good use: For example, I've been able to safely exchange regulators and handle compressed oxygen tanks in the clinic because Tom Cook tau
I support this petition. Many of my undergrad advisees have taken this course over the years. Aside from its practical value for students in agricultural careers, it also provided a social focus for students from many different majors, with a common interest in construction and fabrication of farm equipment and infrastructure. Surely there are other locations that could be used for "surge" storage.
I am a 2003 alumae of Cornell, and took both begining and advanced metal fabrication as a supplement to my MechE degree. The obvious benefits of unerdstanding the strengths and weaknesses of welding and how to properly and practically implement it in a project aside, Tom Cook was by far the best instructor I studied with. In addition to his inexhaustable practical knowledge on his subject, he has the ability to show and explain practical applications of the theories that I learned in courses from chemistry to structual engineering. Loosing these courses would not only diminish the BEE and College of Agriculture offerings, but take away one of the very few practical courses available to engieers. With phrases like self-reliance and back to basics quickly becoming buzz-words it is more important than ever to emphasize understanding of the how and why of our studies, not just the what. And how many courses does anyone look back on and think "that was FUN"?
I support this petition.
Mr. Cook instructed me in 2001. I use the knowledge he passed on to me daily in my career as an architect. I am extremely upset that the administration is even considering eliminating these courses.
I support this petition. This course not only teaches valuable skills but more importantly safety and common sense, something that is sorely lacking in our culture. These disciplines will always be in demand in our society, as long as we keep building wood frame houses and anything with a internal combustion engine, which by my estimates will be for a very long time.
As a Cornell, and CALS, alum I feel practical, hands on education adds vital knowledge to the complete package that is a Cornell Degree. I support the continued teaching of these courses in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
I support this petition. I took the Mr. Cook's metal class as an undergraduate in AAP. There were very limited resources available to me. The class offered a comprehensive and functional overview that was lacking in the general Cornell curricula, regardless of the BEE requirements. Make room for his classes somewhere; the supervised hands-on experience is invaluable and enables a fuller understanding of materials.
I support this Petition. My fiance, a communications major, completed this course which helped show her that she could learn and be involved in activities outside of her safety zone. What she learned went well beyond metal fabrication... she learned she could excel in anything she put her mind to. She still shares stories about her labs and has her welding gloves 7-years later.
I dont' understand what terminating this course has to do with requirements. If the Deans office felt that students should only take courses that were required of them I would not be a Cornell alumnus. I had the opportunity to take courses that were directly and indirectly related to my career as a farmer. These courses helped prepare me for my job as well as taught me valuable skills that I can use at home as well. Unlikne some other courses I took, every student that has taken either of these courses learned something that will help them throughtout the rest of thier lives. A University that prides itself on diversity should not have to read this petition because it would not consider terminating diverse courses like Mr. Cooks.
I graduated from Cornell in 04 with my BSME, and again in 05 with my M Eng. I took Tom's course and it was fabulous. I now work at NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Removing this course would be taking away one of the last practical courses in that entire engineering curriculum. It not only gives you real world skills and knowledge, it forces you to solve problems on your feet and make use of your spacial understanding of mechanical parts.
I am a junior and have been trying for the last 3 years to work both the intro to woods and intro to metal fab classes into my schedule. However, I have consistently had scheduling conflicts and have been unable to take the course as a result. I was thus hoping to take the courses my senior year, and would be extremely disappointed if they were not offered. Thus I support this petition to the university that claims to offer instruction to any person in any study.
I support this petition. I learned more valuable information from Intro to Wood construction than any other course I took at Cornell and I was a biology student... I have talked to countless people about how amazing that course was and how happy I was to have taken it.
I'm a science person, and I know what hands-on lab experience can do. Please do not take this kind of experience away from BEE students and others who would benefit from this course. I in fact know several science students who took this course and actually apply the knowledge to everyday things. We're talking about real applied learning.
I support this petition. I took this course my Junior year and I cannot express just how much the material I learned in this course has directly influenced my life. Feel free to drop this course, the world needs more ivy tower theoreticians and less people who can apply skills. Don't worry that your engineers who are designing bridges don't know how to weld. Don't worry that you are homogenizing the curriculum and basically taking away any opportunity for personal growth throughout college. What the world needs right now is a more limited and stagnant work force. The day that Cornell cuts classes like these is the same day that I am more ashamed for and separated from future classes. As for Tom Cook, few teachers, actually no other teacher at Cornell that I studied under, made you perform and learn at such a high level. Some students failed to be able to acclimate to the rigorous and demanding environment, and I'm sure they won't care that this class is disappearing. However, the real world is demanding, rigorous and will tell you when what you have done is flat out wrong. Failure in the real world happens, and it happened in Tom Cook's class, and he sure as hell told you. If you could stand back up and ask what you did wrong he would tell you, and you got another opportunity to do it right. Thats education and its the only education like it that I got at Cornell. I would be worse off without it. Future classes will be worse off without it. That will be your fault.
I support this petition. I took both courses and find them invaluable on a daily basis as a small dairy farmer. There are no other courses on campus that are so hands on and applicable to my daily line of work. The availability of these courses was one of the major factors that made me choose Cornell over other agricultural schools in the northeast. In an age where college graduates tend to become more and more specialized in very narrow disciplines, it is very necessary to have courses such as these to allow these graduates to see a little more of the "big" picture, rather than their choosen field of expertise.
