News

Two College Aged Males Injured in Separate Falls From Roofs

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Two college aged males were airlifted to hospitals Saturday as a result of two separate falls — one on Stewart Avenue and another near Ithaca College campus, according to Ithaca Police Public Information Officer Thomas Basher Jr.
A college aged male was airlifted to Robert Packer Hospital after falling from a roof at 306 Stewart Ave. at approximately 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The man was unresponsive and “seriously injured” following the fall, according to Basher. Bangs Ambulance, the Ithaca Fire Department and Ithaca Police were at the scene. Ithaca Police interviewed witnesses and are investigating the accident, according to Basher.

News

Hundreds Walk Out in Protest of Ithaca College President

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Updated at 8:40 p.m.

Shouts of “Tom Rochon! No confidence!” echoed across Ithaca College’s academic quad Wednesday afternoon as hundreds of students, faculty and staff members formed a walkout hosted by student organization POC@IC. The crowd, protesting I.C. President Tom Rochon and his handling of racial tensions on campus, stood in solidarity with other campuses including the University of Missouri and Yale University, which have received national attention following student claims of racism. Following a month of racial tensions at I.C. sparked by a number of alleged racist incidents, students gathered Wednesday to urge a vote of no confidence against Rochon. Those incidents include an Oct.

conservation

Hundreds Sign Petition Calling to End Sale of Bottled Water

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Over 620 people have signed a petition as of Wednesday calling to end the sale of bottled water on campus, addressed to President Elizabeth Garrett and the Student Assembly, according to Zeyu Hu ’19. The petition, which launched Monday evening, is sponsored by the S.A.’s environmental committee and includes signatures from undergraduates, faculty members and alumni. “The majority of the responses have been positive and supportive,” said Hu, a member of the S.A. environmental committee. “The petition has been generating meaningful discussion about tangible steps to reduce plastic products such as disposable water bottles that enter the campus waste stream.”
The committee’s petition is the latest step in a movement to end the sale of bottled water on campus that began several years ago. In 2010, the S.A. passed a resolution called “Take Back the Tap” which recommended that Cornell take several measures towards limiting the use of bottled water on campus.

City

Smith, Gearhart Win Seats on City Common Council

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Two candidates ran uncontested and won their seats Tuesday on the City of Ithaca Common Council. The Common Council — which consists of two representatives from the city’s five wards — manages the city’s finances and properties. In an uncontested race, Stephen Smith was re-elected as alderperson for the fourth ward on the Common Council. Smith is also the assistant director at Cornell’s Alumni Affairs and Development office and has represented the Collegetown neighborhoods. In another uncontested race, Rob Gearhart was elected to the alderperson position representing the third ward on the Common Council.

divestment

Trustees Hear Fossil Fuel Divestment Arguments

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“If shared governance is to have any real meaning, you must respect this unique, united decision and consider this matter seriously,” said Prof. David Shalloway, urging the Board of Trustees to divest the University’s endowment from fossil fuels.

Cayea

Cayea Faces Trial for Shannon Jones ’15 Murder Friday

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Jury selection for the trial of Benjamin Cayea — a 32-year old accused of murdering his girlfriend Shannon Jones ’15 in her home last Thanksgiving — began Tuesday in Tompkins County Court. His trial is expected to begin Friday. Benjamin Cayea allegedly strangled Jones, an independent major in the College of Engineering, in her Cayuga Heights home on Nov. 27. He was indicted with one count of second-degree murder on Dec.

Crime alert

Consecutive Trespasses Reported Thursday

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Editor’s note appended
Cornell Police issued two consecutive crime alerts on Thursday regarding two incidents of criminal trespass — one in the Young Israel House at 106 West Ave. and another on the 700 block of Stewart Avenue. Two female victims living on West Avenue reported that an unknown male entered their room at approximately 5:15 a.m. Thursday. The male allegedly stood at the foot of their beds until they woke up and when confronted, said “sorry,” and left the room, according to CUPD. The students described the trespasser as a “white male, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds with shorter light colored hair and a clean shaven face.” He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with “CORNELL” written across the front.

News

INAUGURATION | Garrett Sets Forward Vision for Higher Education

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Since stepping on campus, President Elizabeth Garrett has been busy. Among many things, she has challenged Day Hall leadership to cut inefficiencies, headed the search for a new provost, vowed to address graduate student diversity and workers’ compensation and even begun Instagramming as @CornellPresident. All this comes at a time when Cornell faces many uncertainties in its future. Colleges are still adjusting to a new University budget model implemented in 2014, the University continues its expansion in New York City with Cornell Tech and students have returned to campus after a semester filled with protests centered on rising costs of tuition and lack of administrative transparency. As the University moves forward in its next 150 years, many administrators, faculty and students are turning to Garrett to see how her vision will alter and change the course of Cornell.

Uncategorized

Charter Weekend Culminates With Barton Ceremony

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The University’s Charter Day weekend celebration — an expansive three days centered around the Festival of Ideas and Imagination — came to a conclusion with the official Charter Day Ceremony in Barton Hall Monday. The ceremony brought together major University figures, from faculty to the Board of Trustees to the University Archivist, who marched in academic dress gowns along a plush red carpet to their seats in the opening procession. University Marshall and Prof. Emeritus Charles Walcott, neurobiology and behavior, stately led the procession while Vice Provost Judith Appleton — holding the silver-ribbed University Mace with white gloves — and President David Skorton was last in the procession. Descendant of founder Ezra Cornell, Ezra Cornell IV ’70 carried the framed University Charter, proudly raising it above his head as he walked to his seat. He placed it on a stand in the middle of the Barton Hall stage, where it stood in the background of the speakers throughout the rest of the ceremony.

News

Gannett: One in Four Students Face ‘Winter Blues’

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By SOFIA HU

Ithaca may be “gorges,” but it does have its share of dreary days. The approaching winter can cause as many as one in four college students to experience seasonal affective disorder, commonly known as the winter blues, according to Gannett officials. SAD is defined as “a mild depression brought on by a decrease in exposure to sunlight as autumn deepens,” according to Gannett Health Services’ website. People suffering from this mood disorder experience depressive symptoms, including increased lethargy, difficulty waking up in the morning and concentrating on tasks and increased craving for carbohydrate-rich food, according to the website. Gannett estimates that “nearly 25 percent of all college students across the United States suffer from the winter blues, and this percentage increases at higher latitudes or more cloudy areas, such as the Ithaca region,” according to its website.