Who was Hans Bethe and why is there a West Campus house bearing his name?
Come on, really?!
What’s a GRF?
A GRF is a Graduate Resident Fellow. GRFs are sort of like traditional RAs but all grown up. They’re Cornell grad students (6 in each West Campus house) who live in the midst of our undergraduate residents. They’re counselors, near-peer advisors, and our eyes, ears, and wisdom on the “front lines.” They also share with Erica and Julia the primary responsibility for realizing Bethe House’s central mission: creating mind-opening, horizon-broadening, character-deepening opportunities for our residents.
What’s a GRF buddy? And who’s mine?
Each of our house fellows has a GRF buddy assigned to him or her. Their task is to assist house fellows in their engagement with the house. Your GRF buddy will be in touch with you, have suggestions for how you might be involved, provide logistical support for you, and generally make it easy and comfortable for you to take part in the life of the house. Feel free to contact your GRF buddy at any time. You can find your GRF buddy here.
What’s an SA?
An SA is a Student Assistant. SAs are undergraduate staff who live amongst our residents as peer advisors and assist Erica, Julia, and the GRFs with Bethe House programming and administration. Each West Campus house has 3 SAs.
What’s Bethe Ansatz?
I’m really glad you asked. It’s one of our primary initiatives aimed at facilitating substantive, informal interaction between our students and Cornell faculty and other distinguished visitors to the house. There’s more information here.
Why is it called Bethe Ansatz?
“Bethe Ansatz” is a clever double entendre: it’s the name of one of Hans Bethe’s best known results (from a 1931 paper) and signifies his distinctive intellectual method or approach — open-minded, intensely curious, and willing to have a go at any problem.
Can house fellows just “turn up” at Bethe House events?
For the most part, yes, absolutely. You’re always welcome at Bethe House events, and just turning up to be present is a great way of engaging with Bethe students. The only exceptions are activities for which tickets have to be purchased in advance.
How do I park my car for activities at Bethe House without being ticketed?
May I bring my spouse/partner/kids to Bethe House events?
Yes, absolutely!
I have an idea for an activity I’d like to lead at Bethe House, but I don’t know whether it’s feasible or how to go about organizing it. Can somebody help me?
Absolutely. Contact your GRF buddy or Erica or Julia. (What’s a GRF buddy? See above.)
I don’t have any any ideas about what I can do to be involved at Bethe House. Can somebody help me?
Absolutely. Contact your GRF buddy or Erica or Julia. It’s also likely that (at least) one of those individuals will be contacting you with suggestions about how you might be involved. (What’s a GRF buddy? See above.)
Is pinot noir really the only red wine served at house fellow receptions?
It’s conceivable that another red would be served at house fellow receptions. But it certainly won’t happen very often!