The Essentials

The shell of a red VW Beetle appeared today, Slope Day, on the roof of Risley Hall.

How the battered Bug got there is not known.

The story is reminiscent of another legendary Cornell prank.

The spring Vet School Dog Wash is Sunday, April 22, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Vet School Courtyard, Tower Road. Cost: $5 for a wash, $15 for a wash and nail trim. Funds raised support the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association and OTS, the Vet School fraternity. Brings dogs with current rabies vaccinations only, please.

In Ithaca, March may come in like a lion but it’ll go out like a spider. E.B. White, Class of 1921, is all over town. His classic, “Charlotte’s Web,” is the pick for The Big Family Read March 1-April 1.

As part of the celebration, Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections will display a replica of the original “Charlotte’s Web” manuscript and E.B. White’s papers and photos at the Tompkins County Public Library.

The exhibition runs between March 10 and April 14, and it will also include art and writing from local kids.

Also:

• New readers will get to know Charlotte, Wilbur and the rest of the gang: All second- and third-graders in Tompkins County will get a copy of the book at school, and, while supplies last, free copies will be available at the public library starting March 1.

• The State Theatre presents a production of “Charlotte’s Web” Sunday, April 1.

• Cornell University Press publishes “In the Words of E. B. White: Quotations from America’s Most Companionable of Writers” edited by his granddaughter Martha White and described in a new video.

And keep an eye out for a large spider web on the tennis court fence at Ithaca High School. A message will magically appear on the web one morning, as if Charlotte herself had worked through the night.

– Gwen Glazer and Susan Lang

A wind turbine design competition using inexpensive materials kicks off March 10, 1 to 3 p.m., at Cornell’s Wilson Synchrotron Laboratory to learn how wind energy can be converted into electrical energy.

At the event, meet wind turbine designers and pick up free materials, design criteria and guidelines for the “Catch the Breeze” competition. Then work independently or with your family to design your own unique turbine!

On Earth Day (April 22), bring your finished turbine to the Ithaca Children’s Garden at 1 p.m. for judging. 
Turbines will be displayed and winners announced at the Ithaca Children’s Garden open house, May 12 at 1 p.m.

The Catch the Breeze competition is a partnership between Cornell’s Xraise and the Ithaca Children’s Garden.

Cornell seals the deal for NYC Tech Campus.

Watch live.

At 2:30 p.m. today, CornellCast will carry a live event of special interest to all Cornellians. The livestream will also be available on Facebook.

Cornell Dairy Spokescow Cornelia reminds you that Cornell Dairy Egg Nog is available at the Cornell Orchards retail store through the holiday season, while supplies last.

Cornell Greeks Go Green is collecting athletic shoes to be sent to Nike where they will be processed into new, functional products.

Nike collects used athletic shoes and creates Nike grind rubber, foam and fiber, used for track surfaces, gym floors, playground surfaces and basketball and tennis courts.

The Reuse-a-Shoe Drive runs through Feb. 19.

What you can drop off at boxes in RPCC, Appel, Mann Library, Noyes Center, The Cornell Store, Willard Straight Hall, Bartels Hall, Barton Hall and the Schwartz Center:
• Athletic shoes only, any brand
• No damp or muddy shoes
• No metal, cleats or dress shoes
• No sandals or flip-flops

Cornell ranks No. 6 on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ 2011 list of Most Vegan-Friendly Colleges.

Writes PETA: “One of the many Ivy League universities to make this year’s list, Cornell has a long-established reputation as a school for serious scholars. Located in the picturesque city of Ithaca, New York, Cornellians rely on healthy doses of vegan cuisine to help fuel their ample brainpower. Thankfully, the school has responded by offering a wide range of cruelty-free options, including sweet potato-cashew patties, seitan pepper steak, corn-crusted tofu with jalapeño pico salsa and vegan chocolate cake. As if that weren’t enough, toss in One World Café – Cornell’s on-campus café devoted entirely to vegetarian and vegan food!”