After several recent student suicides, Cornell University has constructed temporary fencing on three university-owned bridges from which students have taken their lives. According to the Times, the Ivy League school is also in discussions with Ithaca politicians about erecting similar fencing on three city-owned spans. School officials consulted with "many experts both local and national" on suicide prevention and bridge barriers before selecting eight-foot tall chain-link fencing as a temporary solution. "The idea is that any longer-term solution would involve architectural elements that would fit in with the bridges," said university spokesman Simeon Moss. "So they certainly wouldn't be chain-link fences." Security guards are expected to be posted on campus bridges at least through the end of next week. more ›

A recent Cornell University study [PDF] filed through Flickr pictures and determined photogs' favorite places and things. It found that New York City is the most frequently photographed location on Earth, with London and San Francisco following. The Empire State Building is the 7th most-photographed landmark. Twenty-eighth on the list? The glass-encased Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in Midtown. more ›

In the past months and years, NYU has shocked the city with a number of high-profile jumping deaths, but such tragic incidents are nothing new at Cornell. Three students died in the course of a month recently, and Cornell is currently on suicide watch, kicking off a full-scale campaign that urges stressed and depressed students to get help. The three students are thought to have taken their own lives—all by throwing themselves into the town's famous gorges (Ithaca's version of the Bobst Library). “While we know that our gorges are beautiful features of our campus, they can be scary places at times like this,” Susan Murphy, the vice president for student and academic services. more ›

Just a few more days until the return to school comes for students across the city as medical experts anxiously await just how badly swine flu might affect the upcoming academic year. Already at Cornell University in Ithaca, 140 students have come down with flu-like illnesses in the two weeks since school has reconvened. more ›

Cornell University has lost $1.45 billion of its endowment in the second half of 2008—due to "reduced state funding, endowment losses and a drop in donations" according to Bloomberg News—so now the school is cutting $50 million from the Ithaca campus budget and $13 million from the medical school here in NYC. The News also reports, "Undergraduates at the university's 10 privately endowed colleges will pay 4% more next year - sending tuition to a whopping $37,750. Tuition at four other Cornell colleges that receive state funding will rise by 7.2%, bringing the total to $21,610 for instate residents." NYU also announced its endowment lost 19%, bringing it to about $2 billion. The NY Times notes that college endowments "fell about 23 percent on average in the five months ended Nov. 30." more ›

A group of influential paisans from Staten Island, drunk on the idea of starting the first vineyard in contemporary New York City, have been on a wine-tasting tour of Tuscany, researching vineyards to figure out the best way to bring their brain-child back to their home borough. Yes, you read that correctly – according to today’s Times, you’ll soon be able to step off the Staten Island Ferry and pick up a bottle of Fresh... more ›

The good news is that the FDA didn't find rat poison (aka aminopterin) in pet food samples from Menu Foods, which is what NY State authorities found last week. The bad - very bad - news is that traces of melamine were found in the pet food, and apparently melamine-contaminated wheat gluten was also sent to a dry food manufacturer. From the AP:

Cornell University scientists also found melamine — used to produce plastic kitchen wares and used in Asia as a fertilizer — in the urine of sick cats, as well as in the kidney of one cat that died after eating the company’s wet food... more ›

SCIENCE: The UnCoolKids always know about all the best science events. Tonight is The Revolution in Physics at the Turn of the 20th Century, featuring “a presentation by Richard Liboff, Distinguished Professor of Physics, University of Central Florida, formerly Professor of applied physics, applied mathematics, and electrical engineering at Cornell University, author of the best- selling college text book, Introductory Quantum Mechanics, featured in “Spider-Man 2" movie.” more ›

You know it's the beginning of January when the gyms are filled with New Years resolution exercisers and the movie theaters are filled with post-New Years dreck. Frankly, it's best to focus on getting caught up on last year's best (see our Top 10 and the subsequent comments for suggestions) and leave this week's releases for suckers with movie money to burn. more ›

Alexander Zalben, People's Improv Theater more ›

Hal, the Central Park Coyote captured last week, died before being released into the wild. He was being transported to California Hill State Forest upstate in Putnam County. The cause of death is still being determined. more ›

One summer when Gothamist was younger we worked at the Hospital for Special Surgery on 71st and York (don't worry, we were far away from the patients). Riding our bike to and from HSS we were often struck by the fact that there were so many medical institutions in such a dense area. HSS, Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering and the Weill Medical College of Cornell University)! "That's a lot of prestigious lifesavers a long walk from the 6 train" we often thought to ourselves. more ›

While Central Park had its rainiest October and second wettest month ever, several locations across the northeast did us one better. According to the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University, the JFK, Islip and Newark all had their rainiest month ever as did Allentown, PA and Concord, NH. more ›

Apparently the school likes jerking around poor high school seniors: "Virtually everyone who has used e-mail knows the feeling: You press the send button and realize that you just sent something embarrassing to someone by mistake.That happened to Cornell University on Wednesday: It sent welcoming letters to 1,700 high school students who had submitted early-decision applications, including nearly 550 who had already been rejected in December. "Greetings from Cornell, your future alma mater!" the e-mail letter began. "Congratulations on your acceptance into the class of 2007!" "... more ›