Student Films II

Student films created in Marilyn Rivchin's course Cinematography: Acting and Directing for the Camera will show Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m., Willard Straight Theatre. These new digital and high-definition video projects were created by advanced film majors and acting students Linda Barsi, Eric Becker, Caitlin Cowie, Oliver Dudman, Daniel Fipphen, Jacob Moskow, Katherine Hatton, Rajendran Narayanan, Remanu Phillips, Caroline Post and Mario Rodriguez, as well as actors cast outside of the class. Open to the public: $4 students and kids under 12; $5.50 seniors; $7 general.

Irish children's film

"The Secret of Kells," an Irish animation and surprise contender for the 2009 Best Animated Film Oscar, draws on Celtic art and mythology for its story of a young monk in medieval Ireland tasked to protect a sacred book. Called a "visually overwhelming labor of love, a hand-drawn medieval adventure tale that seeks and finds cosmic connections" by the Boston Globe, the film will show at the Willard Straight Theatre, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. ($3 general; $2 children 12 and under) and Dec. 12 at 4:30 p.m. ($4 general). Recommended for ages 7 and up.

Concerto competition

The final round for the seventh annual Cornell Concerto Competition will be held Dec. 12 at 8 p.m., Barnes Auditorium. Free and open to the public. Information: http://music.cornell.edu/calendar.

Conference on agriculture

New York agricultural leaders can learn about the short- and long-term outlook for agriculture and dairy and agricultural products at the Agribusiness Economic Outlook Conference, Dec. 14, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Kennedy Hall Auditorium. Open to the public. Registration form and information: http://aem.cornell.edu/outreach/. Contact: Carol Thomson, 255-5464, e-mail cmt8@cornell.edu.

Two consumer workshops

Two free consumer workshops will be offered Dec. 15 by the Cornell Cooperative Extension-Tompkins Education Center at 615 Willow Ave., Ithaca: "Exploring Credit and Debt Management Issues," Dec. 15, 10 a.m.-noon, and "Avoiding Consumer Problems on the Internet," 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

The credit and debt workshop will cover ways to establish good credit, strategies for prioritizing debt, understanding credit reports and common pitfalls to avoid. All participants will receive a free assortment of money-management tools. In the Internet consumer workshop, a representative from the Office of the New York State Attorney General will make a brief presentation then consult with individuals on unresolved consumer problems.

Class size is limited; advance registration is required; call 272-2292. Presentations are taped and broadcast on Cable Access Channel 15 on Mondays at 7 a.m., 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Information: http://ccetompkins.org/calendar/10/04/29/exploring-credit-debt-management-issues.

For caregivers

Students, faculty, staff, retirees and their families who are providing care for an adult family member, spouse or friend are invited to attend the monthly meetings of the Caregiver Support and Education Network. The next meeting is Dec. 16 at noon, 354 Duffield Hall. Facilitators will share strategies, tools and resources for coping with stress, caregiver guilt and burnout, as well as information on local and national resources. Information: Eileen McCoy Whang, 607-255-1917, e-mail emw76@cornell.edu.

Miracle movie

A traditional movie for the winter holidays, "Miracle on 34th Street" will show at Bailey Hall, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public.

Midyear commencement

January graduates will be recognized at a formal event with President David Skorton, university trustees, faculty members and college deans, Dec. 18, 10 a.m.-noon, Barton Hall. Families are welcome to attend with their students, who will wear a formal cap and gown as they walk across the stage to be recognized by their deans and the president. Information: http://www.commencement.cornell.edu, or contact Connie Mabry, 255-9541, e-mail commencement@cornell.edu.

January museum exhibits

The exhibition "Book-Objects and Artist Books" continues on display weekdays in the Samuel L. Hirshland Gallery, Kroch Library, level 2B, in the new year, beginning Jan. 3, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The exhibit features the work of distinguished sculptor, printmaker and painter Werner Pfeiffer, known for his provocative book-objects and artist books.

The Johnson Museum continues these exhibitions: "American Eyes: Art From the Collection of Gil and Deborah Williams," "End Grain: A History of Wood Engraving" and "Reawakenings: Modern and Contemporary Ceramics From the Shatzman Collection," beginning Jan. 2, daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m., except closed Mondays. For schedule during the winter holiday break, see http://www.museum.cornell.edu/HFJ/about/holiday2010.html.

Kuali Day

All staff members -- especially financial staff and department managers -- are invited to learn about the new financial system, Kuali, at a keynote session Jan. 13 at 8:30 a.m., Bailey Hall. The Kuali Financial System (KFS), which will be fully implemented July 1, will replace the university's decades-year old, mainframe-based financial systems with a unified application designed to process and report on purchasing and accounts payable and manage grants, endowments and other university business.

Joanne DeStefano, vice president for finance and chief financial officer, will introduce the two keynote speakers: Brad Wheeler, chairman of the Kuali Foundation's board of directors and Indiana University's vice president of information technologies and chief information officer; and Troy Fluharty, university controller and director of business and financial services for Colorado State University, which began using KFS in 2009. The keynotes will be followed by detailed functionality demos and sessions on technical topics in Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Call Auditorium and Malott Hall. Information: http://www.dfa.cornell.edu/dfa/kfs/events/kualiday/index.cfm.