CBS weatherman Dave Price welcomes new ILR School students

Dave Price, weather anchor for "The Early Show" on CBS, knows how to break the ice.

Hundreds of new students and their parents howled with laughter as Price poked fun at everything and anything ILR during the ILR School's annual welcome Aug. 22 in a packed Uris Hall auditorium.

Then, he got serious. "Don't worry if it takes a little while to settle in," Price told the ILR School's 152 freshmen and 124 transfer students. "Be nice to the people around you. You will never know the sacrifices your parents made to get you here ... say 'I love you' and 'thank you.'"

Price continued: "Don't do anything stupid. Don't ever get into a car with someone who has been drinking. Don't cheat. Ever, ever. Align yourself with good people. Grow. Learn. Change."

Gloria George, mother of Leighann George '13, heard Price's standing-ovation talk just before returning home to Seaford, Long Island. "These issues are close to my heart. He was absolutely wonderful," George said.

Price, who sold ice cream and cleaned helicopters to help finance his ILR School education, talked for more than an hour, fielded questions from the audience and told stories about himself, like the time he got a 32 on a test.

ILR's best-kept secret, he said, is that "of all the places on this campus, this is going to be the most intimate educational experience."

Price urged students to get to know their professors, such as David Lipsky, "one of the most remarkable people you'll ever meet." At Cornell, Price said, "You never know who you're going to meet who will change your life forever."

Price cautioned students that coursework might seem overwhelming at times: "Accept it. It's OK ... You'll learn how to fit in academically."

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Robert Smith, also speaking at the event, reminded students that their admission to ILR was no fluke. "We don't make mistakes ... you are a very select group," he said. ILR's faculty, he added, is passionate about teaching. "We all feel very lucky to be here and to teach students who are like you."

In the audience, James Feld '13, Raj Kannappan '13 and Shao Chen '12 all said that they welcomed the chance to orient themselves to ILR and Cornell before classes begin, and that ILR events in New York City, Cornell Days and Facebook also helped acquaint them with their new classmates.

Mary Catt is a staff writer for the ILR School.

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