Okay, first off, as someone who has carried a pocket knife with a very sharp blade for the last five years nearly every day I take offense at the close-minded nature of some of the initial responses. I used to have to walk through dark crack head filled neighborhoods at night carrying at least $30 in cash in my pocket as part of my job. I got comfortable carrying a knife then, and now I can't imagine going out without one. I have never "pulled" my knife on anyone, and the one time where someone drew a knife on me I worked my way out of the situation without resorting to violence or getting stabbed. Also, I know that the law doesn't necessarily consider stabbing someone "self-defense" especially if the other person is unarmed.
I'm planning on carrying my knife with me at Cornell because it's quite useful to have (especially if you plan on doing any sort of manual work). While I don't anticipate I will be using my knife that frequently on campus I already know that I will be involved in some engineering projects where a tool like it may come in handy. It's sort of like wearing a belt when your pants fit well without it, you're so used to having it that you wear it anyways.
Now, all that being said, the multi-tool wont be an issue in any sane world and Cornell seems pretty sane. The baton on the other hand is a different story. Based on this forum post:
New York State Law on Collapsible Batons - Self Defense Products Discussion Forum
I believe the baton is legal to possess in NY state (saying nothing about brandishing) because tbotech can legally ship the item to NY. However, a collapsible baton IS a weapon. As far as I know there is not utility purpose to a device like that. As such campus police would probably require you to register and leave it with them. The only way to ascertain what the Cornell policy is on a device like that is by calling the campus police and asking.
So, finally, let me say this to you (original poster). If you are in a potentially violent conflict where the other person is unarmed you would not be "defending" yourself when you wield a weapon, you would be escalating the conflict and putting yourself into a legal snafu. Beyond that, if you dwell on the idea of using a weapon and your assailant is stronger, quicker, or just has a good idea of what you are planning you will find yourself disarmed and humiliated (at the best).
If you are being attacked by multiple assailants, a weapon is relatively worthless because you wont be able to stop all of your attackers from grabbing you. If you are being attacked by someone with a weapon you will be injured in the ensuing duel.
What I realized a long time ago is that weapons are never a good means of self-defense, the problem lies in the fact that when you feel you need a weapon you do not feel you can defend yourself without one. As such you limit your course of action in a very dynamic event, an assault. A couple suggestions would be:
First, start running. The longer you can run without getting winded the more energy you will have. If you run from multiple attackers, even if they follow you, you level the playing field because they are all as winded as you. Also you now have the ability to control where you fight (get into a hallway where only one or two can approach at a time and no one can get behind you). There isn't much glory in running away from a group of five men, the story doesn't have that same ring to it, "yeah, this one time I single-handedly ran away from five guys." But in the end you didn't get hurt and neither did anyone else, there is no police involvement, no record, and no lengthy legal battle to prove innocence.
Second, start taking a self-defense course. Everybody talks about Karate or other striking martial arts as being the best in self-defense. Forgo all of these in favor of Judo, Jiujitsu, Brazilian Jiujitsu, or Wrestling. There is a multitude of reasons, but the best one was described by a judo sensei I once knew when he said "When you fight someone with your fists or feet you are weaponless, but when you fight someone with Judo the ground is your weapon and it can hurt then more than your fists or your feet ever will."
Third, Cornell is not a dangerous place. I grew up in a dangerous place and I was never assaulted and I was very rarely harassed. The main thing to remember, where I'm from, is that as long as you stay alert and aware of your surroundings and avoid potentially dangerous situations you'll be fine. I think in Ithaca the same will hold even more true.
If you really are that concerned about it contact Cornell's Judo club or Jiujitsu club (they have at least one of each) and ask them about learning effective self-defense. In my experience with martial arts the practitioners are usually very friendly people that enjoy helping their fellow practitioners learn the art.
Finally, I will leave you with a story:
Someone I know was being harassed by ex-con drug users that lived next door to he, his wife, and his two young daughters. The police presence in the area was laughable so he bought a firearm to defend himself. One day he gets a call while at work, it's his wife, the men next door were threatening her and their children. She had called the police but the man I knew got their first (the police arrived 30 minutes later). He grabbed his gun and stepped onto his porch, he told the men to leave and go back to their house. The most aggressive of them refused, along with threatening to shoot the man I knew, he was threatening to murder his family as well. The aggressive man began making motions like he was drawing a gun from behind him.
A gun went off at some point, the guy I knew said he didn't realize that he had even shot the aggressor. He ducked when his own gun discharged. He hit the aggressive man in the side, and the man bled to death on his lawn. The aggressive man had 4 felony convictions and was not a shining beacon of society. The police told the guy I knew not to worry, that the kill would be considered "clean," they knew the history of the dispute and felt that the kill was justified. Even the two other men that were with the aggressor said they didn't know who shot who. The fact remained that the aggressive man did not have a gun on him. The man I knew is now on year 4 of a 7 year sentence, one of his daughters has never seen him except in pictures and through thick glass on visiting day. The law is not always nice to people who defend themselves.
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