September in Review
Edited by Juan Forrer
PK DA+5+& +& OEBPS/Flow_10.htmlAll Cornell Frats May Be Required to House Live-In Advisors
A meeting of the Interfraternity Council
Photo by Lauren Bigalow
All fraternities could be required to have permanent “live-in advisors” if a proposed portion of the University’s overhaul of the Greek system — aimed to eliminate dangerous pledging processes — is implemented.
The potential new rule — which administrators and students emphasized is still in its early preliminary stages and in no way has been decided upon — would amend a previous proposal to install live-in advisors at only “at-risk” fraternity chapters, or those considered to have demonstrated poor decision-making in areas such as recruitment, alcohol use or financial stability.
Over the next few weeks, administrators will determine whether or not to include that policy in the final recommendations that will be submitted to President David Skorton for approval, according to Susan Murphy ’73 Ph.D. ’94, vice president of student and academic services.
The proposal to mandate live-in advisors for at-risk chapters was put forth in May by the Recruitment, Acceptance, Retention and Education committee as one aspect of a comprehensive plan to restructure the Greek system.
RARE — a committee composed of national experts, administrators and Greek leaders, including several students — was tasked with “eliminating hazing through the overhaul of what we currently call the pledge process,” according to Travis Apgar, associate dean of students for fraternity and sorority affairs.
The group presented its preliminary recommendations in a webinar to alumni in May. Since then, the committee has solicited input from administrators, alumni and students to finalize their proposed changes before they are submitted to Skorton for final approval, according to IFC President Chris Sanders ’13.
Now, the possibility of the live-in advisor provision being mandatory for all chapters across the Greek system is “definitely on the table,” Sanders said.
On Sunday, the Fraternity and Sorority Advisory Council, which reports to Murphy, Apgar and other administrators on Greek system policy planning, suggested that RARE expand the provision to apply to all chapters, according to Sanders.
Live-in advisors are “definitely something that Susan Murphy is considering, but I don’t know the extent of what the likelihood is of it happening. It’s very much a consideration,” he said.
Sanders said Thursday that he does not personally endorse a system-wide requirement.
“I think that there needs to be a change … and I think that there are a lot of recommendations that have been put forward to work toward that change,” he said. “But I do not think that the mandatory live-in advisor provision should be on the list of priorities. I think that there are other provisions that can bring about that change.
Still, he acknowledged that student leaders need to be “realistic” in working with the University to address Skorton’s charge for substantial changes to the Greek system.
“We can’t be reactionary and have changes pushed down upon us. The more students work to lead the charge themselves, the more flexibility we will have in the future,” Sanders said.
Apgar emphasized that the advisor recommendation is only “part of the active discussion” currently surrounding the proposed changes. He said he could not say at this point whether that component will be included in the final plan.
The provision is one of the few under consideration that, in order to be implemented, may require a change to the University’s recognition policy for fraternities and sororities, according to Apgar, who said those changes require approval by Cornell’s Board of Trustees.
During a series of focus groups held last week — led by Apgar and the executive boards of IFC, the Panhellenic Council and the Multicultural Greek Letter Community — several members of the Greek community expressed concern over the idea of system-wide, mandatory live-in advisors.
“It feels like this is being imposed on us. Having a live-in advisor will noticeably change the house and hurt recruitment,” one fraternity member said at an IFC forum attended by The Sun on Sept. 19.
Sanders said mandatory live-in advisors for all chapters was “not endorsed by RARE,” and that Greek leaders “will continue to give our input and to say that we don’t necessarily think it’s the best way.”
Still, some Greek council representatives and chapter officers said they were open to considering live-in advisors.
Alan Workman ’13, executive vice president for IFC, said that if the system-wide provision for advisors is included in the final proposal, IFC will continue to work with RARE and the administration to help fraternities maintain self-governance.
“A lot of the initial reaction surrounding the advisors has been negative. But I don’t think it’s warranted,” Workman said. “This is a multi-year implementation program, and it will be phased in slowly. Having an older presence in the house is not necessarily meant for punishment, but to steer the chapter in the right direction.”
Workman also noted that several fraternities have had live-in advisors for years.
Adam Davis ’14, academic chair of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, said his chapter has benefited from housing an advisor.
“As the academic chair, I work with our advisor quite a bit to think of and implement ways to incentivize the brothers to push themselves academically, as well as provide academic assistance like studying and time management tips,” Davis said. “He’s just a really cheerful and knowledgeable guy and often spurs meaningful conversation among brothers.”
Psi Upsilon President Jesse Bendit ’13 added that although his chapter does not currently have a live-in advisor, he thinks his house could adjust to one.
“If houses can give their alumni — maybe a graduate student studying here — additional responsibilities, they would be on the same page working with the brotherhood. If it’s done the right way, if we know we could get along with the advisors, this could be very beneficial to prevent houses from getting out of control,” Bendit said.
As RARE and the Greek councils continue to work with administrators to come to an agreement, Sanders said the next few weeks will prove crucial for students who still want to make their voices heard.
“[We’re] going to continue to make sure we’re having conversations with students, keeping fraternities involved and informed,” he said. “The last thing we want to see happen is that our fraternity system is blindsided.”
PK DAS OEBPS/Flow_11.htmlNew York Times Reporter Says Cornell Students Quoted in Story Appear to Have Given False Information
After fabricated identities of Cornell students appeared in a New York Times story Sept. 26, Times reporter Courtney Rubin ’96 told The Sun that they were accurate representations of what she was told on Sept. 12 at Level B.
The story, “Last Call for College Bars,” cited several students by names and class years that were false, students personally acquainted with the quoted individuals told The Sun on the condition of anonymity. As first reported by the blog IvyGate, the names — including “Michelle Guida” and “Vanessa Gilen,” who were cited in the story as 21-year-old Cornell students — are not listed in the University directory.
Rubin, a freelance writer for The Times, said she was “gob-smacked” by any implication that she may have fabricated the names of the students.
“I’m honestly shocked by this. I’m looking at my notebook, going over my notes … It’s all here,” Rubin said Wednesday night. “I can clearly see where it was in Level B where I spoke to them and what they were wearing. Why would I make up names? I don’t make stuff up.”
She added that she had not considered at the time that the students could be lying.
“Short of asking people for ID, you [assume] that when people give you a name, they represent themselves as who they are or say ‘I don’t want to be quoted,’” she added. “If I asked them for IDs, they probably would’ve given me fake IDs. … I assume they gave me the names on their fake IDs.”
Additionally, a photo caption also identifies three students — shown laughing over fishbowls at Level B — as “John Montana, David Lieberman and Ben Johnson.” The three students, referred to as “Cornell seniors” in the photo caption, are identified by false names and are in fact members of the Class of 2014, according to sources who spoke with The Sun.
Rubin said Wednesday that she did not personally have contact with the students featured in the photo, saying a Times photographer took down these student’s names at a later date. One of the students, who The Sun has granted anonymity, confirmed that he had never spoken to Rubin.
On Thursday, The Times appended an editor's note to the story online: "None of the names provided by [six Cornell] students to a reporter and photographer for The Times — Michelle Guida, Vanessa Gilen, Tracy O'Hara, John Montana, David Lieberman and Ben Johnson — match listings in the Cornell student directory, and The Times has not subsequently been able to contact anyone by those names. The Times should have worked to verify the students' identities independently before quoting or picturing them for the article."
PK DAI\ \ OEBPS/Flow_12.htmlSix People Hospitalized at ‘Hardcore’ Avicii Show
Avicii performs in Barton Hall.
Photo by Oliver Kliewe
Multiple medical emergencies and hospitalizations turned the Avicii Homecoming concert at Barton Hall on Saturday into a potential health risk for some students, according to organizers and attendees.
The Cornell University Police Department received 12 calls regarding alcohol-related incidents related to the concert, according to Kathy Zoner, chief of the CUPD. There were six hospitalizations, Zoner said.
“A lot of [the hospitalizations] were [for] people on their way to the concert that never even made it indoors,” said Dave Rodriguez ’13, executive director of Cornell Concert Commission.
In addition to the alcohol-related incidents, CUPD said a forcible touching occurred at the ticket line for the concert. The victim said she was grabbed under her skirt twice while she was waiting in line to enter Barton, according to CUPD.
Although CCC attempted to eliminate the presence and effects of alcohol and illegal substances –– enlisting the help of CUEMS, ambulance reserves and CUPD –– “what people do before they arrive isn’t up to us, unfortunately,” Rodriguez said.
Multiple drunken escapades also occurred during the concert. Rodriguez said that someone defecated in the bleachers.
“We try to keep those bleachers open so people have the chance to sit, but we never imagined that people would start relieving themselves in the bleachers,” Rodriguez said. “It completely baffles me that somebody would think that was an okay thing to do … [it was] definitely a first.”
Factors such as the widespread penchant for debauchery during Homecoming Weekend contributed to the “unfortunate situations” that occurred both before and during the concert, Rodriguez said.
“There is a stigma that goes with electronic music and the type of people that go to the concerts, but a big factor of last night was that it’s Homecoming Weekend and Homecoming Weekend is a big party weekend for most people,” Rodriguez said. “Unfortunately, a lot of people aren’t able to take care of themselves in these sorts of situations.”
Jared Hoffman ’15 said that it was incontestable that students were consuming alcohol and illegal substances at the concert.
“There was definitely a lot of rolling [on ecstasy] going on; I saw it numerous times firsthand,” he said. “The comment from most people was that it was as hardcore as any concert that you could hope for that wasn’t part of a festival. It was definitely the craziest I’ve seen at Cornell.”
Donovan Whitter ’15 agreed.
“The crowd was electric throughout the show and the atmosphere was full of excitement,” he said. “Pretty much everyone was extremely drunk or on drugs during the show, but in all honestly, that just made things better.”
Mujahid Powell ’15 compared the concert to a rave due to “half-naked” students and “crazy” lights.
“It was better and much crazier than any on-campus event I’ve been to before,” he said. “[The concert] was really well done.”
However, for some attendees, including Jeffers Nguyen ’15, the concert did not live up to their expectations.
“Avicii’s performance was not [as] impressive as I hoped it would have been,” Nguyen said. “It might have been because I didn’t know more than two of his songs.”
Jayant Mukhopadhaya ’15 said he had a “creepy” experience during the concert.
“There was this really funny moment when this guy tried to jump on my shoulders — not just once, but twice,” Mukhopadhaya, who is also a designer at The Sun, said. “He half got up on my shoulders and then asked me to put him down. So I put him down and 15 minutes later he jumped on me again.”
Mayda Dorak ’13 said the crowd was rowdy.
“I tried to go up on the shoulders of my friend, and then people actually got very angry very quickly,” she said. “They started yelling, ‘Get off!’ and someone was poking me with something sharp in the back.”
Even entering Barton Hall was “a pain,” according to Mukhopadhaya, as “everyone was everywhere on everyone.”
But Whitter said that, ultimately, the concert made “Cornell a better place.”
“Avicii was great; he put on an excellent show that far exceeded my expectations for a Cornell concert,” he said. “Compared to other on-campus events … this was by far the most mind-blowing night Cornell has ever sponsored.”
PK DAWܥj j OEBPS/Flow_13.htmlEmail Impersonating Skorton May Be Criminal, Is 'Outrageously Offensive,' Cornell Says
A forged email sent Friday impersonating and mocking President David Skorton is “outrageously offensive” and could constitute “criminal behavior,” a University spokesperson said Saturday.
While the identity or identities of those responsible for the email remain unknown, it resembled in form and substance previous messages sent out by the anonymous group Scorpions X. On Friday, Scorpions X published 1,000 copies of a 16-page fake newspaper called “The Cornell Nightly Moon” that criticized and belittled the University’s response to a string of recent reported sexual and racial attacks.
Friday’s email — which was sent to dozens of student leaders and administrators, as well as members of The Sun — pretended to represent Skorton’s response to that publication.
“Dear Cornell Community,” it began, in imitation of Skorton’s previous University-wide notifications. “This morning a number of copies of a student paper were found intermixed amongst copies of The Daily Sun. Those papers contained very strong criticisms of Cornell University policies, including the [U]niversity’s reaction to the recent sexual assaults on campus as well as the racially-motivated attacks which set such a dark tone for the beginning of our semester here in Ithaca.”
The email, however, then proceeded to parody the University’s allegedly apathetic response to the racial and sexual attacks, mirroring criticisms advanced by the Scorpions X publication.
“Even though many members of the Cornell community may be terrified due to the permissive atmosphere which has allowed sexual and racist and homophobic assaults to proceed unabated, we do not feel that criticizing the policies which have incubated that atmosphere is the best way to proceed,” the email, falsely signed by “David J. Skorton,” states. “Nor do we believe that attempting to hold those who have drafted and implemented the [U]niversity’s prolific pro-diversity policies responsible for the inefficacy of those policies is a fruitful path.”
Though unsigned, the email bore several marks of previous Scorpions X statements, including the group’s self-proclaimed “radical press” printed Friday. One of the articles in “The Cornell Nightly Moon,” for instance, also mocks the University’s purportedly blithe, naive response to the racial and sexual attacks.
“Our strategy for thinking about the oppression that has been institutionally embedded at the University is to think and talk about something else entirely,” a front-page story, written by “Alexandria Renard, director of the Center for Fluff-and-Stuff,” states. Instead of talking about racism or other forms of oppression, then, we will talk about dancing and singing and getting along.”
Tommy Bruce, vice president of University communications, said Saturday that the email has been forwarded to the “appropriate authorities.” Kathy Zoner, chief of the Cornell University Police Department, confirmed that campus police has begun its preliminary investigation, but said that it is too soon to determine whether the message could represent a prosecutable offense.
Bruce likewise did not comment on whether the email could be considered grounds for expulsion, saying, “I’m not going to speculate on that.”
Still, he said the fake email was “entirely unacceptable.”
“In a community of trust that is Cornell, where our collective efforts should be focused on improving the Cornell experience and lifting the climate on campus, this fraudulent behavior can have serious unintended consequences,” Bruce said.
PK DA+ OEBPS/Flow_14.htmlSports
PK DAw+* * OEBPS/Flow_15.htmlFOOTBALL | Red Crushes Yale in Homecoming Rout
Freshman running back Luke Hagy carried 88 yards, 69 receiving yards on five catches and had his first two career touchdowns on Sept. 22.
Photo by Xiaoue Guo
“We preach [that] if a guy goes down, the next guy’s got to step up,” said Cornell junior quarterback and offensive co-captain Jeff Mathews. On Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field, just about everyone stepped up for the Red (1-1, 1-0 Ivy League) as it dominated Yale (1-1, 0-1) in all three phases of the game to down the Bulldogs, 45-6, on national television. Playing without the Ivy’s triple-crown wide receiver (fifth-year senior Shane Savage) and one of the team’s best defenders (senior linebacker and special teams co-captain Michael Hernandez), the hosts put on a show before 15,333 fans in a Homecoming blowout that was uncompetitive by halftime.
Mathews completed 29-of-39 passes despite a handful of drops, finishing with 340 yards and four touchdowns. It was the reigning Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year’s fourth consecutive 300-yard game dating back to last season and the eighth of his career, tying the Cornell record. Mathews has thrown one interception and 17 touchdowns in his last 186 pass attempts, completing 76 percent of them for nearly 1,900 yards.
The Red offense also enjoyed a breath of fresh air from freshman running back Luke Hagy, who carried 21 times for 88 yards and his first two career touchdowns in addition to 69 receiving yards on five catches. Head coach Kent Austin lauded the two-time Pittsburgh Male Athlete of the Year, whom the Red hopes will spark a ground game that ranked last in the Ancient Eight in 2010 and 2011.
“Luke is mature beyond his age,” Austin said. “He’s grounded, he’s mature, he doesn’t get flustered [and] he’s kind of unflappable. He has to do a lot in our offense because we use him as a receiver as well.”
Speaking of unflappable, a maligned Cornell defense was all over the field and made all the plays, holding Yale to 350 yards of total offense, forcing two turnovers and preventing the Bulldogs from entering the red zone at any time in the first half. The Red, donning 1930s throwback uniforms, would have recorded its first shutout since 1993 if it weren’t for a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass by Yale freshman quarterback Eric Williams with 7.3 seconds left in the third quarter.
Sophomore linebacker Andrew Nelson, Hernandez’s replacement, set the tone early by sniffing out a bubble screen and intercepting Williams on Yale’s first offensive play after a fourth-down incompletion by the Red. On first down of the next drive, Hagy ran wide and stretched out for the pylon on an 11-yard score as Cornell drew first blood to lead, 7-0, firing up the Homecoming crowd.
“I had a little bit of a hint that [Yale freshman running back Tyler Varga] was going to get the ball,” said Nelson, who tallied 55 tackles and a pick last season. “Our offense doesn’t need a short field, but when we give them that, we feel good about it.”
Later in the first quarter, Yale senior wide receiver Cameron Sandquist muffed a punt return and Red sophomore long snapper Dylan Chayes recovered. Mathews immediately placed a perfect 14-yard pass into the outstretched hands of senior wide receiver and special teams co-captain Luke Tasker, who dragged his feet inbounds for Cornell’s second straight one-play scoring drive and a 14-0 advantage with 3:37 to go in the opening quarter. Tasker finished with 10 catches for 138 yards and two scores.
“We really defended the pass well, and more importantly, we were able to get turnovers,” Austin said. “That was really the difference in the first half — we were able to get the turnovers and we protected the football.”
After Tasker’s touchdown, sophomore safety Rush Miller and a herd of Cornell defenders denied Varga on fourth-and-1 from the Cornell 36-yard line. Miller finished with six tackles while freshman cornerback Jarrod Watson-Lewis had a team-high for the second week in a row with 11 stops.
“Our coaches put together a great game plan for us,” Nelson said. “We just executed our assignments. Last week sometimes we had some missed assignments, some missed tackles and this week a big thing was we gang tackled. Yale has great running backs and we swarmed them and did a great job tackling.”
Hagy continued to carve through the Bulldog defense, and on the seventh play of the next drive, the rookie scored his second touchdown of the contest from four yards out, launching the Red to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. Several minutes later, Cornell senior defensive end Emmitt Terrell pressured Williams into an ill-advised throw that sophomore cornerback Michael Turner picked off — the fifth interception of the Yale signal caller’s young career.
On the ensuing Red possession, Mathews squirted forward to convert a fourth-and-inches before throwing a five-yard touchdown to senior wide receiver Kurt Ondash, who redeemed himself for committing a few early gaffes and then some. The senior hauled in another short score to balloon the Cornell lead, 35-0, with 1:29 left in the half and he ended with six snags for 61 yards. Yale senior kicker Philippe Panico missed wide right on two 40-yard-plus field goal attempts in the final minutes, sending the Red well on its way to a complete Homecoming victory for the second year in a row.
In the second half, all that could disappoint the Cornell faithful was the gloomy sky and on-and-off drizzle. The Red defense forced three-and-outs on Yale’s first two drives, leading to a 21-yard hookup from Mathews to Tasker and a whopping 42-0 lead with 3:43 remaining in the third quarter.
Varga, who finished with 91 yards on 13 carries, then propelled Yale on its lone scoring drive of the afternoon. The Bulldogs’ two-point conversion failed, making their six points the fewest total a Cornell team has surrendered this century. Red freshman kicker Boomer Olsen booted the squad’s first successful field goal of the season from 22 yards out with 8:25 to play, establishing the final score, 45-6.
The 39-point destruction is Cornell’s widest margin of victory since a 50-point win over Georgetown on Oct. 15, 2005 and the largest in conference since a 41-0 shutout at Columbia on Nov. 10, 1990 — the year the Red last shared a League title.
“Kudos to our staff — they really prepared our guys well,” Austin said. “This was one of our better weeks of practice that we’ve had in a long time. The credit really needs to go to [our staff with] the way our guys came out — they were prepared to play [and] they played with a lot of energy.”
The Cornell offensive line also deserves credit for controlling the line of scrimmage and allowing only one sack of Mathews, as senior center and offensive co-captain Bob Bullington continued to snap well with his left hand due to his broken and casted right wrist. Cornell dominated time of possession, 35:34 to 24:26.
“Up front, those guys were unbelievable,” Mathews said. “[Last weekend the Fordham] defense dictated their pressure up front so we ended up throwing the ball a little bit more. This week, a very good rushing attack, especially early on … was huge for us. [Tasker] had a lot of catches inside the hashes and that’s where we want to win the game.”
The sweetest surprise for the Red, though, was the defensive showing after a dubious second half in the season opener. Coordinator Kim Dameron lit a fire under the players during the week and Nelson said he didn’t doubt for one second that his unit would respond against Yale.
“Our defense has a lot of character,” he said. “[We] showed that we can step up when we need to. We didn’t see [Homecoming] as a distraction — we saw it as an opportunity. And we made the most of our opportunity.”
That the Red did. But the veteran team knows its steamrolling of the Bulldogs was only one game. Cornell ventures back out of the Ivies with a matchup at long-time rival Bucknell on Saturday under the lights.
“We should be very proud of how we played,” Mathews said. “But on the same note, we need to know that we’ve got to build off this and get better for next week.”
PK DADd\ܓ OEBPS/Flow_16.htmlW. TENNIS | O’Neil Leads Red on Courts
Senior co-captain Sarah O’Neil’s competitive nature on the courts helps her to succeed and win tough matches, according to teammate Ryann Young.
Photo by Oliver Kliewe
Last weekend at the Cornell Invitational, senior co-captain Sarah O’Neil won the “A” Flight Singles final. O’Neil lost the first set 3-6, but dug deep to hold on to the next two sets, 6-1, 6-3. O’Neil not only had to overcome a first-set deficit to win the match, but she also had to battle back against a teammate and good friend. Her opponent, junior Ryann Young, confirmed that Sarah’s victory was a testament to the hard work she has dedicated to Cornell tennis for the past four years.
“Every time Sarah and I play it’s really competitive because we have pretty much the same style of play,” Young said. “At first she wasn’t playing that well, but then she found a way to come back. She just fought really hard, was really competitive and found a way to win.”
O’Neil’s co-captain, senior Christine Ordway, affirmed Sarah’s determination off court has had a major impact on her success during matches.
“She’s definitely improved tremendously tennis-wise,” Ordway said. “I know freshman year she played sixth and then last year she was playing one. That’s an incredible improvement I think, definitely all due to her work ethic and how hard she practices every single day.”
O’Neil is also a strong doubles player, being named 52nd in doubles (with sophomore Lauren Frazier) in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s preseason rankings. Her role on the team is definitely one of a leadership position and her teammates certainly admire the effort she puts into the game.
“Obviously we all look up to her,” Young said. “We all respect her and she’s pretty much a role model for everyone.”
Ordway added that O’Neil is “someone who you want out there in the third set deciding the match because you know she’s going to put 100 percent out there every match. She puts 100 percent into everything she does. She’s incredibly dedicated ... Over the past three years, she’s definitely become an incredible leader with the team.”
And, because of this, Ordway said “there’s no one I’d rather be captain with and no one I’d rather share this experience with.”
Next weekend, the women head down to Philadelphia, Pa. for the Cissie Leary Invitational. Young is sure that the combination of O’Neil’s leadership and the experience of having already played one official tournament will help the Red in its upcoming match.
“Since we have one tournament under our belt, for the freshmen, they won’t have as many nerves,” she said. “We all just need to focus on playing each match with a purpose to get us ready for the dual match, the team style matches in the spring.”
“We’re coming off a pretty good weekend, where we had some good results and I thought everyone played, overall, pretty well,” Ordway added. “So going off of that, we kind of want to practice really hard this coming week, keep up the intensity, and look forward to playing a lot of really good schools at Cissie Leary. [Sarah] and I are just looking for everyone to put 100 percent into every match and 100 percent into practice this week and I think we’ll do great.”
PK DA#緍n n OEBPS/Flow_17.htmlFIELD HOCKEY | Balleza’s Hat-trick Lifts Red in Win Over Penn
Junior forward Hannah Balleza’s hat-trick contributed to the Red’s 4-0 shutout against Penn over the weekend.
Photo by Michelle Feldman
The field hockey team overtook Penn this past weekend, 4-0, while on the road. A big force on the field for the Red was junior forward Hannah Balleza, who notched the first hat-trick of her career in the game against the Quakers.
“I am really pleased with our team effort today,” said head coach Donna Hornibrook. “I feel like we executed well in scoring chances and we continue to do good work defensively, which we’ve done for the past two games.”
The matchup was a close one between the two teams; however, the Red capitalized on offensive opportunities while the Quakers were unable to make good on any scoring chances. Cornell held a slight edge in shots, 15-14, and both teams grabbed seven penalty corners apiece.
Junior goalkeeper Carolyn Horner grabbed eight saves while the opposition only made six saves in total.
Junior midfielder Elly Plappert recorded the fourth goal for Cornell after she grabbed a long pass from Balleza, bounced the ball around a defender and then lifted it up past the Penn netminder to score.
The Red heads back on the road for the weekend as it goes up against Ivy foe Columbia on Friday at 4 p.m. Cornell will travel to play out of conference opponent Rutgers on Sunday at 1 p.m.
PK DAct = = OEBPS/Flow_18.htmlSPRINT FOOTBALL | In Sixth Overtime, Cornell Grabs Dramatic Win
The Cornell sprint football was willing to go to great lengths to win its season opener against Penn this past Friday, but not even the team imagined it would take a nearly two-hour rain delay, six overtimes and five total hours to get the win. The Red (1-0) outlasted the Quakers (0-1), winning 42-34 on a one-yard touchdown run by junior captain and quarterback Brendan Miller – who finished with 241 passing yards and 60 rushing yards – in the sixth overtime. Although the team had nowhere near a flawless game, the captains were very proud of the heart and effort the team displayed.
“It really showed the character that we have,” Miller said about the game. “In the first game of the season, we’re going to have a bunch of mistakes and I think the fact that we were able to buckle down and overcome them really showed the type of character the team has.”
“I think just the fact that the game went to six overtimes and we came out on top shows how hard we were willing to work and shows the commitment we have to winning,” said senior captain and defensive lineman Will Edmonds. “There were a lot of things that we didn’t do right, but our heads and our hearts were in the game which is a really good sign.”
The game took both a physical and emotional toll on the players, as there was pressure on every single play in the six overtimes.
“There were a few times in the overtimes where neither team scored any points,” said senior captain and wide receiver Abe Mellinger. “That was probably the most stressful just because at that point, we knew we just needed a field goal to win and when we didn’t score any points, we knew they only needed a field goal.”
Another huge factor in the game was the weather; the rainy conditions made life more difficult on the offensive side of the ball for both team.
"The rain [made the game] very difficult, especially because we rely on passing the ball,” Mellinger said. “We were having trouble making connections; the ball was very, very slick and until the rain ebbed at the end, both teams had a lot of trouble getting stuff going, so it was a very defensive game for sure.”
“For the defense, [the rain] didn’t affect us as much, since we didn’t really have to carry the ball,” Edmonds said. “In a sense, it helped us; we forced two fumbles, we recovered one and we had three interceptions. The rain was an asset to us; we didn’t let it affect us [negatively] at all.”
Despite the rain making things difficult, the offense came up with some big plays, especially by Mellinger. He caught a 24-yard pass to set up the 1-yard touchdown run by Miller in the last overtime.
“I didn’t even know what happened; I thought it was intercepted at first. He actually ended up catching it one-handed,” Miller said of the catch. “He caught it, rolled to the ground, and the Penn defender … was holding on [to it as well], but we [still had control]. I threw the ball behind him a little and it wasn’t my best throw, but he has a knack for making big plays. Mellinger’s certainly a very valuable asset to have and makes me look a lot better.”
Although he finished with 8 catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns, Mellinger was not pleased with his performance before the overtimes started.
“I had a terrible game and was very frustrated for most of the game,” Mellinger explained. “I think before the last drive, I only had one or two catches and had quite a few drops. I was trying to get my head in the right place … so I took my gloves off, relaxed a little bit and things started happening ... We made quite a few connections [in overtime] and I knew Miller was working hard and he knew what we needed to do. He ran the ball a lot, and [overall] had a very, very good game and I was just finishing the job on my end.”
The offensive line and running backs also had great games, allowing the passing game to perform.
“The offensive line was tremendous,” Miller praised. “Towards the end of the game, when Penn started bringing eight guys – we usually only have six in protection – we were able to still get enough time despite the eight rushers. I was really impressed by the way the offensive line played and they’re a solid group of guys and very trustworthy.”
“I’m giving a lot of credit to the offensive line for lasting that long,” Mellinger praised.”We ran the ball a lot and the offensive line did phenomenal. [sophomore lineman] Bennett Winters did really well, played center most of the game, and [sophomore lineman] Nico Neugebauer also played well. As a core, all five of them really did well.
“[As for] the running backs, [junior running back] Nick Perez and [freshman running back] Ben Herrera ran the ball really well. [Sophomore running back] Jake Michaels did very well in blocking … he was picking up a lot of pressure off the outside and the middle, and gave Miller the extra time to get the ball out there.”
On the other side of the ball, the entire defense played well as a unit and was able to partially contain Penn star wide receiver Whit Shaw, who pulled in 6 catches for 115 yards.
“On the defensive side, it was an all-around effort, there was no one key player,” Edmonds said. “When the big plays happened, it was because everybody did their job and everybody did it to the best of their ability. Going through six overtimes is definitely a team effort.”
Although the Red was glad to win its season opener, it knows that there are many things to improve on.
“We really executed well, but we have so much to improve upon, especially with consistency; we need to stop dropping passes, messing up formations, and just run what we need to run,” Mellinger assessed.
PK DAOoPt0 t0 OEBPS/Flow_19.htmlM. SOCCER | Haber’s Hat-trick Blasts Buffalo Away in Shutout
Junior forward Daniel Haber scored a hat-trick against Buffalo on Sept. 9, marking the first time since 2007 that the Red has witnessed three goals scored in one game.
Photo by Oliver Kliewe
During a weekend marked by stormy weather and a lightning delay, the Red gave electrifying performances on the field, both away at Lafayette and home against visiting Buffalo, with the biggest highlight of the weekend coming in the form of a hat-trick by junior forward Daniel Haber on Sept. 9.
In the Red’s home opener against Buffalo, Haber scored three consecutive goals — giving him the first Cornell hat-trick in more than five years. The junior capped out the day with an assist, helping the Red (4-0-0) to remain undefeated with a 4-0 shutout.
“It was just a great team performance [against Buffalo], and I was able to get a couple goals, but my teammates really made me look great,” Haber said. “They fed me the ball in dangerous spots and everyone is playing their part.”
The solid teamwork, communication and determination on the field began days before for the Red during Friday night’s match against Lafayette (1-3-0). Despite kicking off on-time at 7 p.m., both teams had to halt play for a 57-minute lightning delay. However, the lightning could only hold off the Red’s explosive nature for so long.
“We had some good opportunities to score, but the rain delay came and right after that we lost a little bit of momentum,” said sophomore midfielder Conor Goepel. “Then, when we scored; it was totally against the momentum. It gave us both the goal and all the momentum back.”
While Lafayette seemed to have a strong control of the ball heading into the weather delay, the stoppage gave the Red an opportunity to bounce back and create and capitalize on scoring opportunities — outshooting the Leopards, 12-6. At the 40-minute mark, Goepel caught the ball after senior forward Tyler Regan sent it flying resulting from a breakout. Positioned about 30 yards from the goal, the midfielder fired off a curving shot from the right side and sent it hurtling to the opposite side, just beyond the open arms of Lafayette’s goalie — securing the 1-0 lead, which the Red would maintain throughout the rest of the game.
“It seemed like we were outplaying [Lafayette] in the first 20 minutes,” Haber said. “Then we got back on the field and the momentum shifted a little bit more their way. Conor Goepel had a great strike and really lifted the team and we carried with that the rest of the way. Not every game is going to be 4-0, so we need to learn how to grind out those close games.”
According to head coach Jaro Zawislan, the Red gave a strong performance on the pitch, fighting to gain control of the game’s momentum. The Red’s overall intensity was not greatly affected by the weather delay; however, Lafayette definitely stepped up its game, forcing the Red to respond accordingly.
“We kept the same high level of play, but Lafayette raised the level and made it more exciting and an interesting game,” Zawislan said. “Coming out of the lightning break, it was very important and helpful with the timing of the goal by [Goepel] — a great strike, a quality shot from second range.”
Scoring the first goal of a game or capitalizing on an opportunity at a critical point in the match can make all of the difference for a team heading into the second half of play. Zawislan stressed that momentum shifts have the potential to make a team come out stronger in the end.
“At that moment [we scored], it was against the momentum of the game, which was going in favor of Lafayette,” he said. “So that shifted the momentum and we took that lead into the half and in the second half we came out stronger again… At the end of the game we were so proud of the players and how they managed the game.”
Another strong performance during the tough bout came from the quick hands and solid footwork of senior netminder Rick Pflasterer, who recorded two saves for the Red in the second half. The win marked Pflasterer’s second shutout of the 2012 season — the first coming just a week before against Loyola Marymount on Sept. 2.
Earning a win against Lafayette, who is known for being a highly competitive opponent in the Patriot League, was key for the Red. It marked the first win against the Leopards since 2008, but more importantly, it represented the first time since 2007 that Cornell began its season with a 3-0 record. The victory also provided the Red with a fiery momentum as it headed into the home opener against Buffalo.
“Coming back from Lafayette the key was recovery — regeneration for [the game against Buffalo,]” Zawislan said. “It was a race against time when you have two games in one weekend. Players are putting a lot of milage on the field, covering a lot of ground during 90 minute games, [but] that was the most important thing — getting the legs underneath us again for this game.”
Zawislan stresses athleticism and staying healthy to his players, so being able to play at a high level of competition for both games was a key factor in the Red’s success. Much like in the game against Lafayette, the Red found itself playing against an aggressive opponent that claimed the momentum from the start. Buffalo proved to be an intimidating foe on the field, playing dirty and asserting its physical dominance on the field; however, Cornell showed that skill has a slight advantage over brute force.
“[Buffalo] had the first five to 10 minutes of play and then I felt like we had a large majority of play the rest of the game,” Goepel said. “That’s what happens when you get a nice goal pretty early in the game; you can back it up with another goal and start to pick up the play. That’s the way we want to play -- get the ball on the ground and start playing it around like we did [against Buffalo.]”
Junior defender Patrick Slogic put the Red on the board early, heading the ball into the net at the 21-minute mark after receiving a cross from Haber. The 6-5 defender sent the shot flying from the left side of the penalty box toward the upper right corner of the goal, where Buffalo’s goalie had no chance. This goal marked Slogic’s first of the season, as well as his 10th career point with the Red.
Haber closed out the first half six minutes later with his first goal of the day. The forward received the ball from sophomore outside left midfielder Atticus DeProspo, who brought it down the left flank. Crossing toward the middle of the field, DeProspo sent the ball hurtling to Haber, who was able to put it away for the point. This marked DeProspo’s second assist of the season, with his first coming during the season opener against Cal-State Fullerton on Aug. 31. The sophomore expressed that he is very excited to be contributing to the Red’s efforts on the field.
“It’s nice to be contributing to the team, but really our team is playing so well together,” he said. “We are really gelling well from everyone that starts to everyone off the bench is really contributing and doing a lot. We are looking to keep improving as the season goes on.”
Every player on the field for Cornell gave a strong effort, muscling through Buffalo’s offense and defense. Junior midfielder Stephen Reisert took a tumble with under one minute to go in the first half, sending his feet clear over his head after colliding with a Buffalo player. The second half was highlighted with equally aggressive play on both sides of the field; however, only the Red was able to capitalize on any scoring opportunities.
Haber fired off two more shots, in the 61st and 85th minutes, respectively, claiming both the hattrick and the game. For his second goal of the night, the forward caught the tail end of a series of passes between senior midfielder Nico Nissl and Goepel. Nissl had a breakout, after getting the ball away from a Buffalo player in the center of the field, then fed it off to Goepel, who tapped it to Haber. Haber beat the goalie and claimed the point.
With just over five minutes remaining in play, Haber completed the hat trick and sent fans to their feet. He had possession of the ball on the right side of the offensive zone and took it inside, running toward the net. Buffalo was unable to put any real pressure on him, so Haber whipped off the shot and set the ball into the net from the top of the box. With the goal, Haber became the first player to score three goals in a game, since Brian Kuritzky notched three against IUPUI on Sept. 2, 2007.
In addition to a strong showing from the Red’s offensive players, the defense staved off Buffalo’s attempts. Pflasterer only needed to make one save as he earned his third consecutive shutout of the season. Slogic, junior defenders Jake Rinow and Jake Kirsch and sophomore defender Peter Chodas held down the back line and provided Pflasterer with a solid brick wall.
“I can't say enough about the back four and the goalie,” Haber said. “Everyone on the team is playing well defensively. It was a great team performance.”
Looking toward the future, the team is excited to continue with the momentum that it has built over the past few games, according to DeProspo.
“I think that every day we are all excited to get to practice and do well, and the momentum to keep on going forward and continue improving as a team,” he said.
PK DAw OEBPS/Flow_2.htmlNews
PK DAF OEBPS/Flow_20.htmlW. SOCCER | Farmer Talks to Team About ‘Being Fierce’
Senior Maneesha Chitanvis attempted to fire off a shot on goal against Columbia on Sept. 21, but came up empty-handed.
Photo by Michelle Feldman
This weekend was still a rough pair for the Red, as it lost 1-0 to Columbia in its Ivy opener and 2-1 on Sunday to Niagara.
“We need to change our pace of play and the amount of possessions and that we keep going up the field. Mostly just coming out with fury,” said sophomore defender Clara Gallagher. “[Head coach Patrick Farmer] talked to us about being fierce. ‘There will be no survivors’ is our motto. We have to come out with vengeance at the beginning of each half.”
In the game against the Lions on Friday, Cornell junior goalie Tori Christ made three saves in her eighth start of the season, letting only one through. Cornell forced Columbia's Grace Redmon to make four saves for her shutout, including a pair of second-half offerings from freshman Caroline Growney and another shot from senior Maneesha Chitanvis.
Sunday’s game did not result in a positive outcome for the Red, as it lost, 2-1, to Niagara. Junior forward Alysse Godino scored the first goal of her collegiate career, while Christ made six saves; however, the Red was unable to pull it together to grab the win. Niagara snagged the winning goal with 4.3 seconds remaining in the game.
The scoreless first half featured a solid save by Christ in the 15th minute, when she palmed a shot from the Purple Eagles up and over the crossbar.
Cornell threatened several times, with senior midfielder Hannah Labadie heading the ball from about 15 yards, which led to a diving save in the 22nd minute. About 10 minutes later, junior midfielder Rachel Nichols got a shot off a corner kick that was stopped. Niagara broke through for the game’s first goal with 23:40 left. After the Red answered with Godino’s goal, it had a couple of opportunities to take the lead; however, it was still unable to put the pieces together to capitalize on any of them. The winning goal came when Niagara found some space on the left, beat a defender and lofted a pass to the far post to convert into an uncontested header.
“The results we have been getting are upsetting,” Gallagher said. “A lot of the games have been very close and the other team happened to get the better half of everything, but we now have to focus on the Ivy League. We have to focus on each game and getting better and improving.”
Cornell returns to its Ivy League portion of play on Friday against Penn at home.
PK DA OEBPS/Flow_21.htmlVOLLEYBALL | Cornell Earns First Win of Season vs. Bucknell
The Red completed a 1-3 weekend in New York City after a tight 5-set loss to the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Cornell (1-6) traveled to Fordham on Sept. 7, but lost to its host team in five sets. The Red then earned its first victory of the season over Bucknell, before losing to Stony Brook early the next morning.
First-year head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose earned her first Cornell victory when the team came back to beat the Bison after dropping the first two sets, 20-25 and 19-25, respectively. Freshman Breanna Wong proved very valuable in the match with 11 kills, including an important shot late in the close third set. The Red won the third, 25-21, and cruised through the fourth, 25-12, behind junior captain Kelly Marble’s three kills. The Red finally won the back-and-forth fifth set 17-15 when the Bison failed to execute on a set on the Red’s third match point.
The Red also competed in two other five-set matches this weekend, but fell short in both. Against the host team Fordham, the Red was down two sets to none, but came back to force a fifth. Sophomore and setter captain Kelly Reinke had 36 assists and notched 13 digs in the close match.
On Saturday afternoon against NJIT, the Red took the first and fourth sets while dropping the second and third to the Highlanders. Reinke posted a career-high 53 assists, as well as 14 digs and five block assists, while senior Ana Vanjak scored nine kills and one error on 18 attempts to lead the team with a .444 hitting percentage. Despite the performances from the Red veterans, the team dropped the fifth set 15-13.
"I think we are really learning a lot as a team and we are going to go into this week focusing on finishing out those close games," Reinke said.
The Red will compete in its final tournament next weekend at Temple against Central Connecticut State. The Red will begin Ivy League play Sept. 22 at Columbia.
PK DA.W OEBPS/Flow_22.htmlOpinion
PK DA難 OEBPS/Flow_23.htmlYou Can Call Me an Ithacan
You can call me an Ithacan. Heck, you can even call me a townie. This past December I took a job at Cornell after spending many years away. Getting to work here and return to Ithaca was on my bucket list for many years. As I started sharing the life story of what brought me here, I noticed a pattern emerge as I got to the part of my story that related to being raised here in Ithaca, N.Y. This fact about my life seems to elicit the most extreme reactions from otherwise courteous and kind colleagues on the staff and faculty. My Ithacan identity or “townie-ness” turns even the most accomplished of folks into New Jersey nightclub comedians; they spew routines such as, “Did you hear the one about the Ithacan?” or “This place is so bad that …” and the punch lines are followed by an all-too-pleased laugh-at-their-own joke refrain.
At first when I heard these things I really thought people were being witty and ironic about being overly negative, a sort of generally understood absurdist humor. It took me a while to realize this was a “thing” around Cornell. Eventually, I stopped being surprised, though it has taken me until now to articulate a response to it.
I know you’re asking, “What did they say?” Here are some of the more vanilla statements: “I’m so sorry you had to grow up here,” this one always surprises me, as if I am wearing some sort of damaged childhood on my forehead. Then there is, “Why the heck would you come back?” I got that a number of times and it seems to go along with a, “that must’ve been pretty hard, good for you in making it,” and was followed by a pat on my shoulder. The backhanded compliments: “but you seem so intelligent” and most recently someone commented, “But you’re so well traveled!” and the “Well I’m glad you got to leave, because, you know.” Finally, there are the high school cracks, I seem to get many versions of this one, I’ve been told, “I didn’t know anyone graduated from Ithaca High?” and “I didn’t know anyone really went there who works here.” You get the idea. I’m writing this article in part because it is getting boring hearing these quips, especially because, not only are they so out of line with my experience, but they conflict so severely with how fellow Ithacans regard the premiere employer Cornell.
Criticism is normal, it is healthy because it helps you reimagine or move forward to recreate. It is part of the intellectual process of grasping the complex. However, actively criticizing the place that you live in to others and jeering the population may give you a temporary and brutal pride in knowing what you dislike, but that state is fleeting. I saw this first hand years ago as a Peace Corps volunteer. Many volunteers waltz into the country and say “this place sucks” and spend some amount of time trying to move past that negativity. Many never think to see how their attitude impacts others. I see negativity towards Ithaca and Ithacans in the same light — as contrary to the spirit of community and harmful not only to the individual but the family that lives with them.
That being said, criticizing where you live is going to happen but something seems so, I don’t know, so over the top as I’ve encountered it. So trite and wrong headed. I hate to break it to you but Cornell is in Ithaca — that won’t change. Ezra Cornell was a smart guy; he picked this place for a reason. Take a look around: there’s majestic natural beauty, there’s that lake and over a hundred waterfalls within 10 miles of downtown. Add that to great coffee, good music, a diverse community, markets, more restaurants per capita than New York City, book stores, more than a dozen places to do yoga, the potential to purchase property and the list goes on. I know it isn’t Gotham but this is hardly backwater. That’s not all though, Ithaca is much more than gorges and it is much more than what happens on the hills: This community actively practices in and believes in diversity and protecting the natural environment, so it isn’t a bad place to raise a family.
Finally, the staff, as opposed to the faculty, is made up of many more locals who have spent their lives working and building this community. Some never left, and I admire them for that because they showed a dedication and love for the community and their families by staying. When this negativity is expressed, it is felt by the people, who conduct research, take out your trash, process your forms, answer your phone, and lecture in the classrooms. We are proud, very proud to be employed by Cornell and our families are proud of us for achieving what has been for some of us a lifetime goal. We have spent our life proud of Cornell growing up here. We took friends of the family to campus, cheered for CU hockey, noted new buildings while admiring the architecture, traded thoughts on Rhodes’ speeches, Dalai Lama visits and shared the story about the pumpkin. We’re proud of Cornell and we wish that you could be proud of Ithaca or at least give it a shot.
Alexis E Santí is the Coordinator of Travel Safety for Cornell University. He may be reached at asanti@cornell.edu. Guest Room appears periodically this semester.
PK DAy-e- - OEBPS/Flow_24.htmlCan You Even Follow Your Nose?
Do you ever find yourself doing something over and over again for no apparent reason?
Freshman year I found myself in a weird loop. Friday we would go out, I would pretend to enjoy it (when in fact I often didn’t), other people would express a similar sentiment to mine, but then we would do it all over again the next week. Why?
I don’t know.
But, I think one of the most interesting insights into this baffling tendency comes from a response to a question posted on Reddit. The question was posed to a hypothetical computer program and asked “what’s it like being made of code” — to which the long and extended response of the program begins: “My understanding of the human condition is that you are constantly in conflict with your own limitations and the nebulous causes thereto. You wonder why you can't be happier or more successful or spend more time reading or learning. You do this, I gather, because your motivations are mysterious even to yourselves.”
Yes!
I never even took the time to realize, but yes; my motivations are, to a halting degree, mysterious even to myself.
The evidence is overwhelming. And fascinating.
For example, it would appear that our motivations to interact with our parents are something we consciously regulate. Well, that might not entirely be the case. A study published last year in Psychological Science found that, during times of peak fertility in their ovulatory cycle, women call their fathers (but not mothers) less and speak to them for shorter amounts of time (Lieberman, Pillsworth & Haselton 2011). The researchers understand these results through an evolutionary framework — finding them to be consistent with an unconscious mental mechanism for avoiding inbreeding. There are perhaps alternate explanations, but whatever the explanation for this phenomenon, it doesn’t manifest itself consciously, yet it undoubtedly alters our behavior in a significant way.
Or what about the motivation to have children? This is seemingly one of life’s most significant decisions. And our motivation in this case appears to follow from the premise that having children is a near-requisite step on the path to leading an emotionally fulfilling life. The evidence however is not so clear. Parents, it has been shown, incur “less frequent positive emotions,” “more frequent negative emotions,” “greater depression” and “lower marital satisfaction” (Eibach & Mock 2011). Why then do we choose to have children?
Economists too have speculated about our mysterious motivations. Thomas Schelling, famous for his work on game theory (which in fact won him a Nobel Prize), asks very eloquently: “How should we conceptualize this rational consumer whom all of us know and who some of us are … who eats a high calorie lunch knowing that he will regret it, does regret it, cannot understand how he lost control, resolves to compensate with a low calorie dinner, eats a high calorie dinner knowing he will regret it, and does regret it; who sits glued to the TV knowing that again tomorrow he'll wake early in a cold sweat unprepared for that morning meeting on which so much of his career depends; who spoils the trip to Disneyland by losing his temper when his children do what he knew they were going to do when he resolved not to lose his temper when they did it? People behave sometimes as if they had two selves.”
All of this — failing to exercise self-control after we repeatedly plan to, raising children who appear to make us feel worse, calling your dad less during certain times in your ovulatory cycle (without ever realizing it) and going out when you and many others don’t want to — raises the question: Who’s in charge?
Is anyone even in charge?
Probably not in the way you think. Here’s the simple reasoning that absolutely demolished my thereto un-questioned intuitive theory of consciousness. It came from neuroscientist Christof Koch on an episode of Radiolab.
First, let’s talk about a cosmological fable, known and told in many forms in myriad cultures, about how the earth (apparently) stays in its place. The earth is said, in these myths, to rest on the back of a giant turtle. Well then, you might ask, what does that turtle stand on? Another turtle? And that turtle? You see the problem.
Well, consciousness appears to be a world-bearing turtle. The intuition, Koch says, is that consciousness is something like having a little man in a white lab coat sitting in a control room in your mind, centrally making all your decisions. But if this were the case, how does that little man in the control room make his decisions? Is there another little man in his head? And in his head? The same problem emerges. We regress, infinitely. We haven’t come up with a solution; we just pushed it back a step.
The point of the episode was that, like ant colonies or a marketplace, an apparent intentional order can emerge without any central authority leading the charge, simply from many individual units acting together. Why then, they suggested, couldn’t this also be the case with our billions of individual neurons and our conscious selves?
It very well might be and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to believe it is. So, before going out every weekend, deciding not to call your parents, withdrawing from a person because they just give you a “bad feeling” or really before doing just about anything, you could ask: Wait, why am I even doing this? You might be surprised to find that you have no idea.
PK DA֩ OEBPS/Flow_25.htmlBeijing's Prancing Horses
Power is up for grabs this fall. Mankind’s Machiavellian best are in action in not just the United States but also in China and South Korea. Besieged parliamentary coalitions in Japan and India might soon be facing general elections. This global festival of lame-ducks might explain many of the international tiffs in the last few weeks. The explanations can be divided into three major strands. First, governments are manipulating nationalistic passions to divert domestic attention from issues that might lose incumbents the election. This might explain the ratcheting up of tensions between South Korea and Japan over the disputed Dokdo / Takeshima islands. Second, foreign actors are taking advantage of domestic political compulsions to advance their own agenda. For instance, there are reports that suggest Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu might attack Iranian nuclear facilities in an “October surprise.” This would force Obama into backing the aggression. The third strand invokes multiple competing sources of power within a polity to explain international bickering. Analyses that attribute China’s aggressive posturing in the South China Sea to tensions between the People’s Liberation Army and the civilian apparatus are examples of this.
These power transitions, however, are interesting to follow even absent their relationship to foreign policy adventurism. Particularly gripping is the least visible transition taking place in the People’s Republic of China, scheduled for next month at the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It’s no coincidence that China’s behavior is often attributed to internal factionalism. China’s transition differs from the earlier examples of the United States and South Korea in one obvious way; it will not be the result of a democratic election. Each leader derives legitimacy in such a system not from a voting constituency but a narrower group, for instance, the PLA.
China also differs in one other crucial manner — norms of leadership transition are weak. The absence of democracy does not necessitate the absence of these norms, but this is the case in China. The CCP regime has carried out exactly one successful, peaceful, transfer of power at the highest level; that was in 2002 when the current team of Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao became General Secretary and Premier respectively. The combined absence of popular franchise and long standing transition norms means that when the time comes to hand over power, factions will jostle not just for positions in the new administration, but also for the status of their faction.
The promotion of Xi Jinping, Hu Jintao’s successor as the Secretary General of the CCP is likely to proceed as planned. The transition, however, also involves filling numerous other powerful positions. China’s transitions are generational transitions, the incoming generation being the fifth generation of leaders in the People’s Republic. The turnover, as a result, is very large with seven of the nine members in the CCP’s highest decision making body, the Politburo Standing Committee, due for retirement.
The February 2012 scandal involving Bo Xilai, former mayor of Chongqing, is indicative of how far up the chain the factional jostling might go. He was stripped of his influential position after a drama that involved his police chief, Wang Lijun, fleeing to the local U.S. consulate to reveal the role of Bo’s wife in a British businessman’s murder. Not too long ago, however, Bo was in strong contention for being promoted to the PSC. He had become known for cultivating a strong local following in his town of 30 million with populist policies and public ceremony reminiscent of the Mao era. Further, as the son of a former revolutionary leader, he is a member of the prominent “princeling” political grouping. These are the sons and daughters, wealthy and corrupt, of former Party bigwigs. Their nepotism and brazen display of wealth has alienated them from numerous CCP elders. The bizarre manner of Bo’s ouster suggests some political considerations were at play. The scandal affected every fish in the pond; fellow princeling Xi Jinping had to distance himself from Bo, with the latter having often boasted about his close ties to the Xi family. In a promotion system that relies heavily on seniority, his removal also set in motion a series of other personnel changes.
The schism between this informal bloc of revolutionary babies and the more self-made, often technocratic, Party members like Hu Jintao is important but far from being the only one. Another prominent one is between elements in the PLA seeking to restore military influence in the Politburo to its earlier high and those who oppose military encroachment. Yet more factions have been created because of the patronage networks maintained by individual CCP leaders. With Xi’s place as the next General Secretary cemented relatively firmly, some reports suggest that Hu Jintao is attempting to protect his legacy by filling the new Standing Committee with loyalists. He has not been entirely successful, with two Hu protégés having lost favor earlier this month. The first setback unraveled in a manner almost as bizarre as the sequence of events that led to Bo Xilai’s departure. Ling Jihua, the candidate in question, was demoted after his son was involved in a fatal Ferrari crash on the streets of Beijing.
The list of challenges facing Xi Jinping is enormous by any measure. The CCP regime remains reliant on rapid economic growth to maintain legitimacy among large sections of the population. That fact, combined with the economy’s reliance on exports and collapsing demand in the U.S. and the European Union, means that questions of growth will be on top of Xi’s agenda. Even if does succeed in boosting domestic demand and reducing reliance on foreign investment, he will have to deal with the growing distance between the Chinese masses and a political elite increasingly seen as corrupt, insular and brash. That he himself belongs to a fabulously wealthy, Ferrari owning family of former revolutionaries (his wife’s sisters are worth more than US$ 120 million) might make his job harder.
PK DA 6 OEBPS/Flow_26.htmlIntroductions and First Thoughts
In seeking out a Public Editor, the Editors and Staff at the Sun are demonstrating a strong commitment to transparency and accountability to readers. Having a Public Editor position means newspaper articles and editorial decisions will be critically examined by an independent observer. It means that, inevitably, some of the decisions by the editors will be second guessed and criticized. Few college newspapers hold themselves to such a standard. It is commendable that The Sun does.
I see my role as the new Public Editor to serve as a reader’s advocate, to raise and voice concerns on behalf of the readership and to help the Sun be more responsive to these concerns. I, like all of you reading this, want to see The Sun continue to build on its success both as a newspaper and as a multimedia web presence. I highly value intelligent, informative and meaningful journalism and I took the role of Public Editor to contribute in some small way to the good work being done at The Sun.
This coming year reader feedback will be particularly important. The Sun is expanding its web presence and multimedia offerings. Your thoughts on changes being made and content being added are crucial to improving and advancing this 132-year-old newspaper through such a transformative period in journalism. Your contributions, be it through online comments, emails or letters to the editor are an invaluable part of this process. You can also email me at public-editor@cornellsun.com with your thoughts.
With introductions out of the way, I’d like to discuss a few issues that have come up this year:
Use of the word “allegedly”
“Allegedly” is probably the wrong word to refer to a report regarding a crime victim. The Sun’s coverage of the recent reported rape on campus ran with the headline “Female Allegedly Raped Near Suspension Bridge Sunday Morning.” The Cornell Police email used the term “rape reported.” Whatever the real meaning or equivalence between the two terms may be, the online commentators to the article raise a valid and important point — “allegedly” in a newspaper article about crime is more appropriately used to refer to the perpetrator and not the victim. “Allegedly” is also unnecessarily and inappropriately incredulous given the circumstances. Using words such as “reported” accomplish the same purpose when potentially unverified crime alerts arrive. The next time we receive a crime alert email and The Sun reports on the reported crime, the headline should reflect this sensitive distinction.
On byline accuracy
The contact information appended to the end of an article is an important way for readers to provide columnists and reporters with invaluable feedback. Getting an email address and author name correct is important to the contributors. A Cornell email address is easy to unnoticeably mistype when faced with a pressing deadline, but this detail is important for reader feedback to be heard. A missing or incorrect character in a name or email means the author may not receive reader responses and others may have trouble finding the writers’ article online. Double checking this information to allow this direct feedback is a small but important step in continuing to better the quality of The Sun.
Kudos on quote checking
The Sun recently enacted a policy generally requiring reporters to email quotes from interviews to the interviewee for confirmation prior to publication. Misquoting someone in a printed edition of a newspaper read by so many is potentially a major embarrassment for both the misquoted interviewee and The Sun. Further, a later correction only partially rectifies the mistake. This policy change to prevent such mishaps from going to print at all is a good step towards increasing the professionalism of the newspaper. Good work.
PK DAs- OEBPS/Flow_27.htmlVoting at Home, in Ithaca
It goes without saying, I hope, that voting in elections is tremendously important. I have little doubt that many of you will decide to cast a vote on November 6, given the stakes. But for college students, deciding to vote is the easy part.
The big question, for us, is where to register to vote and ultimately cast a ballot. While I have requested an absentee ballot and voted on Long Island in the past, I’ve made the decision to vote in Ithaca this year. And I think you should too. Voting in Ithaca reflects the fact that Cornell is our home and encourages civic engagement of the community. In becoming Ithaca voters, we can move toward truly becoming Ithaca citizens and start healing the fractured relationship between Cornellians and the surrounding region.
The act of voting is fundamentally important both for the voter and society at large. The more pessimistic amongst us look at the numbers and conclude their votes are of little consequence. They fail to consider, however, what goes into making an informed decision. Voting necessitates some awareness of different platforms, opinions and visions of candidates. Further, deciding to vote incentivizes individuals to attune themselves to the issues facing their communities, large and small. In short, voting makes you a citizen of a community, as opposed to merely a resident. The ensuing popular discourse of an informed citizenry facilitates consensus-building and the identification and resolution of problems, for our betterment.
Of course, abstaining from the local political process remains popular amongst college students. In my opinion, it comes down to whether we identify with a community. Voting on Long Island, I was disconnected from local issues and was unable to adequately ascertain the nuances and motivations of candidates. I had little stake in the outcome of elections. But whether you recognize it or not, local elections in Ithaca, Tompkins County and Upstate New York carry with them considerable implications for us as Cornellians. Some issues, such as the policies of Collegetown landlords, affect us very directly. Others, such as the legalization of hydrofracking, will impact Cornellians later on. If we open ourselves up to the fact that our community extends beyond campus, it naturally follows that local politics matter to us as they do other Ithaca citizens.
Not only do the decisions of local policy-makers impact us, but many of the policy-makers themselves have Cornell connections. The Mayor of Ithaca, Svante Myrick ’09, is Cornell alum, as is Nate Shinagawa ’05, candidate for the House of Representatives for the local district. They have both reached out to Cornell students for support and are responsive to our situations and needs, as they were once in our shoes. Many other local politicians, however, ignore us and our perspective on issues that affect us.
As a non-voting or absentee-voting constituency, our opinions carry little weight in regional politics. Thus, the barrier between Cornell students and Ithaca at large isn’t simply the steep grade of East Hill (and this comes from a resident of East Buffalo Street). Our unfortunate propensity to ignore, or worse, deride the local community is counter-productive. Playing an active role in local politics will make local policy-makers more responsive to our interests and result in outcomes we find more favorable than empty storefronts at College and Dryden and the abuse of our local environment by drilling companies.
By voting locally, we become active stakeholders in what is undoubtedly our home. New York State Law clearly allows the practice of student voting in college communities, and non-partisan organizations such as the League of Women Voters of New York State even encourage it. Changing your registration also happens to be easy, as is registering for the first time. You simply print and mail a form. That’s it, really. If you’d prefer, you can even walk the form down to the Board of Elections just off the Commons and discover how close the rest of the city really is.
Cornell is remarkable in the sense of community it fosters, which is why the divide between Cornell students and the larger Ithaca community is all the more surprising. The truth is that we are all “townies.” If you take the time to vote locally, as I will, you’ll realize that this area and its issues affect you directly. Think not just about yourself, but future Cornellians who will inevitably face the same problems we do. Casting your vote as an Ithaca citizen will hopefully lead to a day when Cornell students come to see themselves as part of Ithaca and not simply the Cornell bubble.
PK DAk; ; OEBPS/Flow_28.htmlBroken Bad: Us, Them and The Law
The American criminal justice system is broken. The only thing shocking about this is how pedestrian the failure has become. Almost five years ago, the Pew Center on the States found that about one in 100 American adults are incarcerated. Russia, the only developed country that comes remotely close, imprisons about 30 percent fewer people per capita than we do. And we do not care. Most polls asking voters what their priorities are do not even mention the criminal justice system. Given that we live in a time of more than eight percent unemployment, a civil war in Syria and a member of the House Committee on Science and Technology unable to pass a middle school sex education class, a little apathy is perhaps understandable. Unfortunately, it is also dangerous. After all, we are all criminals.
I don’t just mean that we are all tacit supporters of a system that imprisons more people than Stalin’s gulags. Maybe you downloaded The Dark Knight, were in a park after dark or took up two seats on the subway. If you drive like a normal human being and not some infuriatingly cautious pedant who insists upon maneuvering under the speed limit, chances are you broke the law last time you got behind the wheel. If you don’t drive, perhaps you rode your bike after a couple of drinks. Or maybe it was your 19th birthday and you wanted to have just one brew. Or perhaps you insisted on having that beer on your stoop. Or maybe you are the one in five 18-to-25-year olds who have used marijuana in the last month. If you did, don’t feel so alone — almost half of 18-to-25-year olds have tried to get stoned.
We constantly present an opportunity for the police to stop us, investigate our conduct and figure out what they would like to do with us. Luckily for us at Cornell, most of our appearances and resources mean that there are easier targets for police action.
In practice, police may often arrest whomever they want. This unfettered discretion has led to terrible racial and class imbalances. A black man has an almost one in three chance of serving a prison sentence. Working in Brooklyn over the summer, I saw one black or Latino kid after another brought before a court for commonplace conduct, perpetuating an underclass whose only reasonable alternative seemed to be to work outside of the system. You think getting a job with a B.A. in English is hard, try it with a criminal record. Obsessed with numbers, police and prosecutors picked as many of these low-hanging fruit as they could. Across the East River, the financial executives responsible for the greatest loss of wealth in the United States since the Great Depression were free and fine. Ease of proof aside, the basic injustice of such inequity should give anyone pause.
I do need to say that in the few interactions I have had with the Cornell University Police Department, they were competent, professional and kind. The narcotics police that I ran into in Brownsville were a different story: swaggering with badges hidden and guns featured, they seemed to relish their role tearing a rift between the black community and the police.
So what should you do? First of all, protect yourself. Each state varies, so find out what your rights are where you live. Attend events like the recent September 9 know-your-rights workshop hosted by the Shawn Greenwood Working Group, named after the Ithaca resident killed by the Ithaca police. Generally, object vocally but politely to police searches of your person and possessions. Do not say anything you wouldn’t want read in court, out of context and proceeded by “defendant stated, in sum and substance.” Better yet, don’t say anything at all. Ask for a lawyer early and clearly and then shut up. Do record the entire situation. Honest recordings have turned into dishonest cops’ worst nightmare.
Second, educate yourself and others. Read and share The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, or The Collapse of American Criminal Justice by William J. Stuntz. They provide a much better illustration of the problem than I ever could.
Third, insist that our government do better. We have been fighting the War on Drugs for nearly 40 years now, without success or end-game. The upfront cost to federal and state government this year is approaching $30 billion. The cost to society of having so many people imprisoned and away from their families, jobs and lives is incalculable.
Fourth, have some compassion. It is unlikely that you will ever have to steal to eat, hustle to put a roof over your head or find your hope in heroin. But those that do are Americans too. And there, but for the grace of our circumstance, go we all.
PK DATaking Back Collegetown
En route to a local social entrepreneurship conference earlier this weekend, I found myself knee deep in ideas. The three day affair featured inspiring speakers and people, all doing fascinating and exciting things with their lives. In stark contrast with the career fair earlier that week, I felt stimulated and as though, perhaps, I could even picture my future.
While driving to Saturday morning’s session with my friend Audrey, the excitement of the last two days’ discussions plus a bit of sleep deprivation had us rambling and brainstorming. We were right by Dewitt Mall, at an intersection, when it came to me.
As mentioned in a recent editorial, Collegetown looks meager. The empty storefronts lining our main streets are depressing. They do not adequately represent the vibrant community in which we live, but instead give the illusion of a ghost town. With the spirit of entrepreneurship in mind, I had an idea. What if students, the main inhabitants of this space, reclaimed Collegetown?
Let me first say that this is fundamentally far-fetched. I don’t intend to come up with a solution in this one column, nor do I think that it can come from just one person. My purpose is to begin a conversation.
There could be a business proposal competition, similar to the Big Idea Competition, but geared locally. Students can create their business plans and decide whether they would want to have a profit or nonprofit entity. This could be a way to promote interdisciplinary teamwork and collaboration, to have students work together on ideas and make them a reality. But most importantly, this could be the means through which students take ownership of a problem and help to find a solution.
So, how will it work? This is, of course, just an idea, but maybe alums that are entrepreneurs or that believe in experiential learning could be tapped to donate. It is important to note, though, that Cornell itself would not be expanding its reach into Collegetown, but that the money donated would be from people who feel that this is a worthwhile endeavor. The goal would be to create a grant that could cover (or heavily subsidize) rent at a storefront for one year.
Similar efforts have been put forth in Downtown Ithaca this spring with the “Race for Space.” According to a Sun article from the spring, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance intended to “pick the contestants with the best business proposals and reward them with, along with other incentives, one year of free rent in space in downtown Ithaca, including on the Commons.”
Once securing its grant, the winning team would create a carefully crafted business proposal, budget and other plans. Of course, this could be under the tutelage of local business owners who have been successful for several years, as well as professors with relevant academic perspectives. It would be important, though, that students also speak with business owners who did not fare as well, to learn about what they might have done better in retrospect.
On many levels, this is about students investing in their neighborhood and community. Instead of whining about all the vacancies, we can do something about it. We can try to reinvent this area.
As a senior beginning to think about next year and beyond, I have heard many conversations about “doing something real.” But why wait? Rarely will we be in the position where we are surrounded by thousands of people brought together with the sole purpose of education. The amount of human capital that exists here could fuel a number of great ideas. And those thoughts can be transformed into actions and in turn, create a movement.
Student-entrepreneurial projects are already happening all the time. For instance, a group of juniors and seniors have been collaborating to start a Collegetown gym. They are working with a landlord, looking for investors and moving forward to take action. Likewise, the Popshop on Dryden Road serves as an incubator where students can meet and discuss their ideas and inspirations together. Perhaps those ideas can be funneled towards developing the Collegetown landscape.
So, what’s missing from this place? How can we make Collegetown a vibrant neighborhood — a nicer place to live? Imagine a book store on Dryden or a supermarket on College? What about a community center where Green Café once was? I wouldn’t mind seeing a Salvation Army or a re-use store. The possibilities are endless. The time is now.
PK DAK~ OEBPS/Flow_3.htmlPolice Warn Cornell After Report of Two Sexual Assaults, One Incident of Harassment
Police urged Cornell students “to take prudent and necessary safety precautions” after two sexual assaults and one incident of harassment were reported Sept. 2.
Thirty minutes before an alleged rape occurred near the suspension bridge on campus, a different female victim was reportedly forcibly touched in her Collegetown home at 3:15 a.m. Sunday morning, according to the Ithaca Police Department. On Sunday night, the University said that a third female victim reported being forcibly touched while walking through Hughes parking lot early Sunday morning.
The victim of the forcible touching reported in Collegetown, who lives at 205 College Ave., said she answered a knock on her door to find an unknown male asking for someone who did not reside there, police said.
The resident told the male subject that she was unfamiliar with the person he was asking for and attempted to close the door on him, according to police.
The male, however, allegedly forced his way into the residence. After a brief struggle, he put his arm around the victim and reached under her dress, police said.
The female victim was eventually able to push the intruder from her home, according to IPD.
The victim said the assailant was a college-aged Hispanic male with dark hair, between 5’9” and 5’10” tall, with a mole on one cheek. At the time of the attack, he was reportedly wearing a white long-sleeve button-down shirt and plaid knee-length shorts, police said.
The subject was last seen headed in the direction of Collegetown. The victim reported the incident to the Cornell University Police Department at 8:05 a.m. Sunday morning after reading an earlier crime alert about the alleged rape on campus, police said.
The victim of the attack in the Hughes parking lot, a female Cornell student, said a male attacker grabbed her around the waist from behind and aggressively pulled at her shirt.
The student screamed and used a bag she was carrying to hit the assailant, police said. Other students in the area intervened and the male subject then fled toward the Hughes Hall pathway, according to police.
In a joint statement released to the Cornell community, Vice President of Student and Academic Services Susan Murphy ’73 and Vice President for Human Resources Mary Opperman said the University is reaching out to the victims of Sunday’s attacks.
“Please be assured that the victims of these incidents are receiving assistance and support from university staff,” the statement said. “All of us at Cornell condemn, in the strongest terms, any action that threatens the safety of any member of our community.”
In the wake of the incidents, CUPD urged Cornellians to consider increased personal safety measures.
“Due to the increased level of criminal activity last night, we are strongly urging members of the Cornell community to take prudent and necessary safety precautions, including: locking your doors and windows at all times [and] using alternative methods of transportation, such as Blue Light escorts, Blue Light buses, taxis,” CUPD said in a press release.
CUPD also told students to travel in groups regardless of the hour and to call 911 “if you see anything suspicious.”
PK DA㜬$ $ OEBPS/Flow_30.htmlMoving Cornell Toward MOOCs
The role of the trustees is generally not to deal with the day to day administration of Cornell, but instead to look out for long-term opportunities and threats. This article will deal with that kind of challenge, one that in 20 years time could cause Cornell to be a radically different place. And the threat has a ridiculous sounding name — MOOCs.
For those who took Psych 101 with Professor Maas, you had the unique and perhaps intimidating experience of taking a course with 1,600 others. Now imagine being in a course with 100 times as many students. Or to put it another way, take every person who ever took a Professor Maas course in his 48 years of teaching, make them retake it with their spouse or partner and add another 30,000 people.
That was the experience for the 160,000 students who signed up for Professor Sebastian Thrun's artificial intelligence course last year. Thrun is a former Stanford professor who offered the first wildly successful MOOC — Massive Open Online Course — in which the material from his Stanford class was transferred to the internet, allowing him to teach tens of thousands of students from 190 different countries at one time.
Granted, only 22,000 people finished the course, but that is still enough to fill Schoellkopf. And more importantly, it started a flurry of activity around online higher educational offerings that has the possibility to fundamentally change how most people receive a college education.
MOOCs are an exciting concept. Professors record videos of their lessons which can be watched at any time. Tests are either multiple choice or let students grade each other, allowing for expedient grading regardless of how many students enroll. The first MOOC was in 2008, but they have quickly expanded since then. Coursera, a company started by two Stanford professors, taught 43 courses and got 680,000 registered students in its first year, and is offering over 100 new courses this fall.
There have been many attempts to move education online, but this most recent iteration has an impressive group of backers. For example, Minerva is attempting to create an “online Ivy” quality of education, by recruiting some of the best professors in each field to contribute courses. The chair of its advisory board is none other than former Harvard President (and United States Treasury Secretary) Larry Summers.
This movement is making brick-and-mortar universities nervous, for they fear increased competition for students. The most obvious market for these courses is international. Only 6.7 percent of people in the world over the age of 15 have a college degree. As countries continue to develop, the demand for education will outstrip the ability for many to travel to a prestigious international university, making online courses immeasurably attractive.
But online education may even compete for American students. Imagine being able to choose from taking courses, albeit remotely, from the very best in every discipline, for less than half the cost of a traditional university. While some students may value the residential experience, many may doubt that living in a dorm room is worth nearly $40,000 a year, especially if they feel that the education they receive online is from more prestigious professors.
Of course, MOOCs are still in their infancy. No one suggests that within five years every university will be virtual. However, these developments certainly have the capability of completely overhauling what a college education looks like.
Cornell ventured online in 2000, with the launch of eCornell. The for-profit subsidiary provides certificate programs and professional development courses, but not academic credit. Further, eCornell only has offerings from four colleges: ILR, Engineering, Hotel and Johnson.
By contrast, Harvard, MIT and Berkeley recently joined forces to create edX, a platform to deliver their courses online for free. Coursera has partnered with Princeton, Stanford, Penn, UVA, Duke and many others. Though the move to online courses is still young, Cornell may already be behind.
MOOCs and other forms of online education have their flaws. It is difficult to check for cheating, for example. Cornell also needs to worry about undermining their own on-campus courses. But the potential upside is too large to ignore.
Of course, the most important players in this decision are the faculty members. The role of the faculty is to determine curriculum and standards for academic credit. No proposal for moving online can go forward without them. In fact, the most successful online projects will be those that are led and designed by the very people teaching them.
However, Cornell can no longer afford to wait patiently on the side while our competitors expand their online presence. No one knows what the future of MOOCs will look like, but most now believe that the future of education will include online components. If Cornell wants to play a role in this future, it needs to start investing now.
PK DA` ` OEBPS/Flow_31.htmlAnonymity And Why It Matters: In Regard To Scorpions X
The Sun’s Sept. 24 editorial, “The Hypocrisy of Scorpions X,” criticises the group’s approach, citing their anonymity as hypocritical. In this piece we find all sorts of retaliatory language in response to what seems is being taken as a personal challenge from Scorpions X (no doubt due to the circulation of the “Cornell Nightly Moon”). The main object of attack and criticism is neither the group’s agenda, nor even its methods, but rather the anonymity of its individual members. Accusations include, among other things, “hypocrisy,” “eschew[ing] responsibility,” and “cowardice.”
Hypocrisy — that’s a pretty heavy word. In what way has Scorpions X been hypocritical? They have defaced a few dozen allegedly racist posters and defended the act in an email bringing attention to the group; they have made a bunch of YouTube videos sending anti-oppression messages; they have published and distributed a polemical newspaper; most importantly, they have made several lists of demands (or rather, one list with several versions) asking for awareness and transparency for issues of oppression and bias. As far as things go, they have been pretty consistent. Or is the hypocritical tag being applied because the Scorpions X is anonymous? The writer offers, for contrast, that The Sun’s editorial board members are responsible for its output. Okay, great. But the comparison is absurd. The Sun has a responsibility to its contents. The University administration has a responsibility to the well-being of its students. The only responsibilities an anonymous group owes to anyone are those that are taken upon themselves.
Anonymity seems to be fundamentally misunderstood. Too easily do we forget that “Scorpions X” itself is an identity, and that it has been attached to a number of actions as well as an articulate agenda. Thus it can represent students without being their representative. That the anonymity of its individual members matters so much to the writers only calls attention to the fact that Scorpions X is at least right on the count that the issues are being ignored. After all, it is fair to disagree with their views. It is equally fair to agree with them but condemn their methodology, including personal attacks — which might have made an effective, valid argument had it not been immediately sidelined. Instead, the editorial chose to openly ignore everything they have said and done, and criticize them for failing to meet standards of non-anonymity arbitrarily projected upon them. As the editorial reads, “Without commenting on the message or methodology of the group, The Sun calls on Scorpions X to either drop its highly personal vitriol or step forward and reveal the names of its members.” Isn’t this the inevitable and highly ironic response — a self-righteous admission of disregard for both message and methodology? If that’s not missing the point, or any possible point — even if this is just a political stunt — I really don’t know what is.
And that is the crux of the problem. Something that is questioning our community’s ability to address individual bias (be it racial, sexual or otherwise) is being turned into a question of individual identities. The majority of recent responses are more concerned with treating the situation as a threat to established authority than a critique of our community. We are trying to make it personal. So is anonymity really cowardice? No. Rather, I think it is necessary to the nature of the issues being addressed. Our inability to see past that is symptomatic of the very things Scorpions X is suggesting — that as a community our responses to bias are immature and that our attitude towards critique is problematic. It is exactly the kind of attitude that stifles actual discussion by reducing every criticism into a personal affront. The editorial also complains that Scorpions X has not provided a forum, apparently having overlooked the fact that the lack of a forum for problems in the community is exactly why such a group exists in the first place. And yes, we do have problems — only the “dangerous escalation of rhetoric and hyperbole” is hardly one of them. While that is, always has been and always will be the first reaction to minority outcry, nobody has the authority to gauge the exact point in time it becomes appropriate to act. Throwing around loaded words like hypocrisy and cowardice while skirting the issues at hand contributes nothing. I think we have had enough bottle-throwing and sexual assault as it is.
PK DAOώ OEBPS/Flow_32.htmlBlogs
PK DA,V/ OEBPS/Flow_33.htmlMy Moment in the Gangnam Limelight
A Gangnam Style flashmob on Ho Plaza on Sept. 14
Photo by Connor Archard
Everyone on Cornell's campus knows the story by now. A blonde, outrageously dressed Asian man sat on a dilapidated, folding chair on Ho Plaza and rotated his head slowly to thunderous applause. He stood up theatrically just as the first “Oppa Gangnam Style!” was heard, threw the chair aside (thankfully not hitting anyone) and started dancing. Soon, upward of a hundred Cornellians were dancing and doing the invisible-horsey move as well. And at that moment, the insanely viral “Gangnam Style” had officially hit Ivy League grounds. And the biggest flash mob in Cornell history was underway.
Minutes after the flash mob happened, media coverage took off. The fabulous Mandy Guo posted the first picture, which went on to receive more than 6,500 likes in total on Facebook. Additionally, her photo became the Cornell University Facebook page cover photo and one of the main photos on the Cornell University home page. A similar photo showcasing the front of the flash mob was also published on the September 17 issue of our very own Cornell Sun.
The dozen or so videos of the flash mob have accumulated over 750,000 views on YouTube in total. A video of the flash mob appeared on a post by the Undergraduate Admissions Office’s about “Student Life.” Another one appeared in “The 10 Best ‘Gangnam Style’ Parodies” by Billboard (yes, THE Billboard). Still other videos have made it onto Renren (China’s equivalent to Facebook) and various Korean media pages.
I think it is appropriate now to mention that I am that blonde, outrageously dressed Asian man. That was me in the gray blazer, the lemon-colored dress shirt, the red bowtie, the red sunglasses and the oxfords. I felt it was necessary for me to chronicle the magnitude of this monster of a flash mob before I begin my account of the whole thing.
First of all, it’s interesting to think that the night before the flash mob, I couldn’t fall asleep. I was in my double in Carl Becker House, mulling over how many people would actually show up, praying that it wouldn’t rain and seizing up with anticipation and dread every time I thought about the imminent event.
But now that the flash mob is over, I am extremely humbled by its success and the subsequent extra attention on me. It’s almost unreal to think about the people who have congratulated me on the TCAT bus, on the slope, in the library, in the dining halls, and apparently in GOVT1817 by Prof. Katzenstein.
Most importantly, I would like to stress that this Cornell “Gangnam Style” flash mob event was a group effort. As a matter of fact, I feel guilty that my face is plastered all over when credit should be given where credit is really due: To all those involved. If there is one main emotion that I felt and still feel in this aftermath, it’s gratitude towards the participants. I sincerely appreciate, acknowledge, and thank you all.
And my actual experience during the flash mob? Well, I couldn’t really see the turnout because I was in the front. The only things I really saw were many, many recording phones. The whole event itself is a blur to me. But I do remember one thing very clearly.
I remember this moment when I stared into space, right after I threw the chair in the beginning. It was a split-second of frozen adrenaline, of high hopes and of more than three weeks of preparation and sweat coming together. And I remember at that split-second, I couldn’t be more ready to “Gangnam Style.”
PK DADIk k OEBPS/Flow_34.htmlGlee’s Back: Cue Internal Struggle
I’ll admit it: I really didn’t want to watch Glee this season.
After last season’s myriad of trainwrecks — Finn outing Santana and getting praised for “helping” her, Mercedes’ only storylines ever being about her weight or ego, Kurt not getting into NYADA, Finn and Rachel’s ridiculous engagement, the horrible use of the kids who won The Glee Project, etc, I could barely bring myself to turn on the TV.
I figured since it was a new season, a few new characters and no more Finn (for now), I might be able to handle it. (Also, who can resist a good “Klaine” scene?)
The episode opens with a scene in a NYADA dance studio in which Rachel’s new dance instructor, Kate Hudson, is very tough on her, but it seems pretty stereotypical for a mean mentor. There was a moment later on where Kate Hudson’s character pours vodka into her smoothie before class and Rachel notices in class. If this becomes a storyline about this teacher’s alcoholism, they did not begin it very well. If it does not, it would just be another instance of Glee poorly setting up a dead-end storyline. Sigh.
We were also introduced to Rachel’s new love interest, who she “discovers” singing in the shower (see: Finn, Sam, etc.).
If you were expecting an incredible opening number, think again. It was just “Call Me Maybe,” probably the most overplayed song of the past six months. It was not even that good, and considering they were competing to be the “New Rachel,” you’d think the opening number of the season would have been a lot better. Again, sigh.
They introduced a new character, Marley — who I really like and whose mom happens to be the overweight cafeteria lady everyone makes fun of — and she turns out to be the “New Rachel.” She sings Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” as a duet with Rachel, who is singing it in a NYADA class. I actually thought this number was spectacular, despite the corniness of Rachel singing a song about New York in her class in New York (not even the first time Glee has done this).
Unexpectedly, there were some moments in this episode that tugged at my heart a little bit.
Sue Sylvester — who I usually think is way over the top — adopts a baby with Down syndrome, and it is handled it really well (surprisingly). Sue’s storylines are usually offensive, and I was impressed with how delicately and sweetly they treated this situation.
Kurt and Blaine obviously had their sweet scenes, and Blaine’s rendition of “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons was heart-stopping.
The thing that really irked me about this episode was the treatment of Wade, the character from last season who cross-dresses as a fabulous girl named Unique. When the glee kids sit down at the popular lunch table, they tell Unique he should maybe dress as Wade instead so he doesn't embarrass himself in front of the “cool kids.” So much of this show is about being who you are and being unique, and yet as soon as some of the characters get “popular,” they forget about all of that? Triple sigh.
So, I watched Glee. I think I will always have my issues with it, but this season does seem a bit more promising than the last.
And it did leave me with some things to think about: Is this double standard of “acceptance” present here at Cornell too? How often are you hypocritical about the messages you preach? Is every cute love interest discovered singing in the shower?
Sigh. And that’s what you missed...on GLEE! (Did you sing that? I did...)
PK DA OEBPS/Flow_35.htmlPuerto Rico Moving Toward Statehood
El Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Photo Courtesy of fortherock (flikr.com)
Small, discrete, and lurking below the United States, something threatens us to put down our American flags ...
... and replace them with new ones. That small something is the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which could become the flag’s fifty-first star following a vote on statehood this November.
The concept is familiar. Puerto Rico conducted statehood polls in 1967, 1993, and 1998. Most recently, in 1998, 46.5% of residents voted for statehood, with other options including independence (2.5%), remaining a territory (0.1%), and “none of the above” (50.3%). This year, there will be two questions. The first will ask residents if they want Puerto Rico to remain a U.S. territory. The second will pose three alternatives: independence, becoming a nation in free association with the United States, and statehood.
Puerto Rico was incorporated as a United States territory in 1917. Residents qualify as U.S. citizens but cannot vote for President or elect voting congressional representatives (the territory currently has one nonvoting delegate).
Why does Puerto Rico choose to be a United States territory but forego representation? The answer lies in the fact that Puerto Ricans receive annually over four billion dollars in federal subsidies—nearly half of the territory’s budget expenditure figure—without having to pay income taxes. With statehood, Puerto Rico would continue to receive substantial federal support by virtue of becoming the nation’s poorest state. Puerto Rico’s current unemployment rate is an alarming 13.7% while its GDP per capita of $16,000 lags behind Mississippi’s current last-place figure of approximately $21,000. Statehood would ensure continued federal aid, but would also require Puerto Ricans to pay income taxes—an unattractive option for many residents. Although some experts speculate a closer connection between Puerto Rico and the United States could be mutually beneficial, others believe that independence and open trade is a more attractive option.
Thus, the biggest obstacle to Puerto Rican statehood may be Puerto Ricans themselves. The idea of statehood has gained increasing support from both parties on Capitol Hill. Although some may be surprised by Republican support for integrating a territory that diverges culturally from Middle America, skeptics may look to Puerto Rican Republican Governor Luis Fortuño’s recent comments that “[t]here are only three Hispanic governors in the country. All of us are Republican.”
A Puerto Rican statehood process would require federal cooperation, but Republican nominee Mitt Romney has already expressed his support for a statehood initiative, while the GOP platform “supports the right of the United States citizens of Puerto Rico to be admitted to the union as a fully sovereign state if they freely so determine.” Several pundits have described the territory as socially conservative and economically liberal, thus maintaining the congressional balance of power. Some Republicans feel that Puerto Rico can trend conservative, and this sentiment is affirmed by Washington, D.C.’s desire to enter statehood as a complementary pair.
What would Puerto Rican statehood mean? For the United States, it would mean a new star on the flag, a new political constituency and a potential area of compromise between Democrats and Republicans. For Puerto Ricans, the relationship is more complicated; meaning we are unlikely to witness a pro-statehood vote this November. The mere possibility of a new state, however, is novel, intriguing, and offers hope that the United States’ sociopolitical structure will expand in a literal and metaphorical sense. Looking forward, this expansion could deliver oft-overlooked Caribbean regional issues--particularly in nearby Cuba and Haiti--to the forefront of American politics.
PK DA4_a a OEBPS/Flow_36.htmlCornell Ranked 14th Among World's Best Universities
Cornell again ranks among the world’s best universities, taking the number 14 spot in the annual QS World Universities Rankings released Sept. 11. It is the highest the university has placed since the rankings began in 2005.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the top spot in the rankings, which are based on a range of factors including reputation among academics, reputation among employers and faculty-student ratios. Cornell was sandwiched between the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich at number 13 and Stanford University at number 15.
While the United States took 31 of the top 100 spots and the United Kingdom took 18, students around the world are increasingly looking to study outside their native countries, according to John O’Leary, an academic advisor to Quacquarelli Symonds, which produces the rankings.
“Global student mobility is on a seemingly unstoppable rise, with those seeking an overseas education targeting the leading universities,” O’Leary wrote. Even after considerable growth in recent years, the latest rankings show an extraordinary rise of almost 10 percent in international student numbers at the top 100 universities.”
Cornell was ranked 15th overall in 2011 and 16th overall in 2010. This year, the University also placed 18th among the best natural sciences programs, 19th in life sciences and medicine programs and 25th in arts and humanities programs.
See the full list of schools here.
Update: U.S. News and World Report released its annual set of rankings early Wednesday morning, ranking Cornell 15th among the nation's top universities for the fourth straight year. The Sun reported in September 2011 that the ranking is a significant setback for the University's administration, which in its 2010-2015 Strategic Plan identified its "overarching aspiration" to make Cornell "widely recognized as a top-ten research university in the world."
“If we’re not perceived to be in the top-ten, then the quality of students will decline, the quality of faculty will decline, and the resources [going] to the institution will decline,” Provost Kent Fuchs told The Sun in October 2010.
PK DAdUr r OEBPS/Flow_37.htmlFalling in Love at a Coffee Shop (and why you probably shouldn’t)
Photo by Ralf Skjerning (flickr.com)
Cue "There She Goes" by The La’s and picture me, (feel free to be as flattering as you'd like), wandering through a small town with a cup of coffee in hand and waving to passersby. For me, coffee is something that would serve as a turning point in my life.
When I was younger, I would watch Gilmore Girls obsessively, and therefore felt that if I was to have a quirky life, I would need to adopt a coffee addiction. Perhaps I would spend my days sipping coffee, reading classic novels in the town gazebo, or lying on the grass, staring up at the blue sky. I would also need to meet the love of my life in a coffee shop.
You see, I had this idea that I would be sitting in said coffee shop, shamelessly dancing in my seat to a song that just came on, while sipping my coffee and typing an article furiously on my laptop, because that seems like something quirky people might do. I would glance up and notice a guy shamelessly dancing across the room. He would have thick-rimmed square glasses, green eyes and a dazzling smile. We would blush slightly as we noticed one another and that would be that.
Cue "My Little Corner of the World" by Yo La Tengo. We would talk over coffee, which we naturally took the exact same way. We would smile at each other as we realized this and proceed to share musical interests, which once again, would be the same. Flash to images of us walking through a park, feeding bread to ducks as he takes my hand (zoom in on hands). Flash to the fall where we’re sitting under a tree, reading Proust to each other. Then in the winter, after playfully throwing snowballs, we would kiss and go inside to lie by the fireplace. That, to me, was love. And all of it would happen because of my addiction to coffee. Fade out as song ends.
That’s all fine and dandy, but at the end of the day if you actually meet a guy at a coffee shop spasmodically dancing, you shouldn’t give him a call. He probably has some form of Tourette’s or owns a family of ferrets and has a healthy obsession with taxidermy. Either way, bad idea. Also, if you happen to meet someone who seems pretty normal at a coffee shop, if he’s wearing hipster glasses and reading Proust, I can almost guarantee he’s overcompensating for something. If he has to put on some anti-government, non-conformist, vegan, conspiracy-theorist, underground music-loving front, toss him in the NEVER DATE pile. He probably has some deep-seated father issues or swings his bat in a different direction.
The scenario that I listed above sounds like some crap fan fiction a la Nicholas Sparks. You will come to note that I refer to good ol’ Sparks often when making these types of comparisons, and for good reason. He’s makes money by feeding into the delusions of impressionable girls. Don’t buy into it!
Maybe you will meet “the one” at some clichéd coffee shop or mom-and-pop bookstore. But the likelihood of your relationship turning out like a montage in a Rachel McAdams movie is slim. So lower your expectations. Not in men, but in their abilities to conform to our views of ideal romantic protagonists. They don’t have directors narrating their every move. Trust me. No one is inside their heads saying, “Climb the Ferris Wheel — she’ll date you then!” or “Stand outside her window with a boombox! That’ll win her over!” They have to figure out what we want for themselves; they won’t meet our pre-set expectations. So throw those away and let your own relationship unfold, because your story could be one for the books,(and not the sappy romantic kind, but the realistic but equally satisfying kind.) Don’t look to make your life become a romance novel, but rather look for your life to write its own romance.
Gag me, I’ve been watching too many Hugh Grant movies.
PK DA)XH H OEBPS/Flow_38.htmlDisillusioned With Mitt
Photo courtesy of Austen Hufford (flickr.com)
Okay, I’ll admit it. I misjudged Mitt Romney. During the GOP primaries, a friend asked me to rank my order of preference for the candidates. I ranked Romney in a distant second behind former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman.
And while that isn’t saying much considering his competition consisted of overtly racist, reactionary, homophobic and scandal-plagued characters, with the exception of Huntsman, who is basically a Democrat, I still held Romney in a much higher regard than the others.
To me, Romney, who as governor provided the basis for the Affordable Care Act (though he would later disavow it), was a well-educated, well-intentioned moderate, at least when compared to the rest of the GOP field. He seemed like a decent guy, and though I knew of the actions of Bain Capital, I chose to overlook them. After all, the Democratic Party embraced former Goldman Sachs CEO Jon Corzine as first a senator and then as a governor, and it would have been a bit hypocritical of me to employ a double standard.
But after Romney secured the nomination, it became readily apparent to me that he was nothing more than a smarmy, out-of-touch liar with no sense of compassion or justice. He really was no more reasonable than the other would-have-been-nominees, a point which he confirmed with the selection of a reactionary running mate, the social and fiscal extremist Paul Ryan. Romney’s outsourcing of jobs and intentional bankrupting of companies reflect an astonishing lack of integrity, further supplemented by his more recently surfaced tax avoidance.
And lately, Romney has sunk to a new low, pandering to closet racists and fringe-right extremists. Currently polling 25 points lower than Obama among Latino voters and a whopping 96 points among African-American voters, Romney has resorted to utterly disingenuous ads which play upon suburbanites’ racial fears. Ads attacking welfare implied that Obama was going to end work requirements and steal taxpayers’ money, bringing back the old GOP myth of “welfare queens.” And these welfare queens are clearly implied to be African-Americans, a group still feared by certain portions of society, despite their reluctance to admit it.
Romney also referred to Obama as “angry and desperate.” This was a patently false claim given Obama’s noted calmness and willingness to compromise, as he did by extending the Bush tax cuts in their entirety to avoid a government shutdown. Obama isn’t an angry person, but referring to him as “angry” does help to cast him in the angry black man stereotype which has pervaded society for generations. Romney wants to scare sheltered suburbanites to the polls to prevent Obama the collectivist, Obama the Muslim, Obama the Kenyan, from being re-elected and possibly destroying this country through his hidden agenda. Romney’s message is simple: “Obama is not one of us. I am.”
When Romney joked about Obama’s birth certificate last week, he knew full well that it was going to be controversial. He wanted to hide behind the facade of a joke to prevent being labeled as a birther, while still milking the benefits of such a racially galvanizing statement-- when he said his “joke,” the audience didn’t laugh, they cheered. Romney’s association with birther Donald Trump shows that Romney is fully willing to exploit consternation about having an African-American in the Oval Office.
And this is wrong. He knows he can’t win on the issues or even on his business experience, so he is simply using racial propaganda. It is bad for democracy. It is bad for this country. And to me, at this point, Willard Mitt Romney is nothing more than a draft dodging, tax evading, parasitic, inequality-loving, deceitful scumbag who represents everything that is wrong with America.
PK DA /[r r OEBPS/Flow_39.htmlCornell's 'Haunted' Halls Revealed
Many volumes have been written on Cornell’s history, alumni and traditions. But a new book takes a fresh look at the University that’s based on one theory: that Cornell is haunted.
According to Matthew Swayne, the author of “America's Haunted Universities: Ghosts That Roam Hallowed Halls,” which will be released on October 8th, Cornell is one of the nation’s most haunted universities. The list includes big state schools like Penn State University, small private colleges and Ivies Cornell and Harvard. Most of the book’s stories are based on legends and first-hand accounts from students, alumni and faculty members.
Swayne said that Cornell is haunted because it has all the necessary elements of great ghost stories, including its long history, abundance of traditions and great diversity among students and faculty. He claims that these elements ultimately facilitate the tradition of ghost stories to build a sense of community.
Although Swayne said that there are not many stories about ghosts on Cornell’s campus, he found some “interesting and creative” tales surrounding the University. These places are, surprisingly, some of the most unlikely locations on campus. First among them is Willard Straight Hall, where a staff member once allegedly encountered a ghost in tuxedo. McGraw Tower, according to legend, is visited by the ghost of Jennie McGraw, whose body is interred in Sage Chapel. Ecology House is also said to be haunted by ghosts since a fire killed nine people in the building in 1967.
A few Cornell faculty members have said they have encountered ghosts on campus, according to Swayne. Prof. Hiram Corson, English, is said to have communed with the spirits of dead poets, like Robert Browning and Henry Longfellow.
“So, Cornell can now say that they’re the home of a real dead poet’s society,” Swayne said.
Swayne asserted that the haunted folklore is not meant to frighten students. Rather, each story actually serves as a source of a university's traditions and enhances its sense of community.
“On a college campus, where students come and go every year, ghost stories become a way to create a sense of community and pass on the history and morals of the institution,” Swayne said.
PK DAЙV OEBPS/Flow_4.htmlAfter Woman Plunged 60 Feet, Cornell Student Acted to Prevent Gorge Tragedy
A woman was hospitalized after falling 60 feet at the Six Mile Creek gorge’s second dam, above.
Photo by Zac Peterson
A Cornell student’s alert eye and quick thinking — aided by the expertise of a few nearby emergency medical technicians — may have been the difference between life and death for a woman who fell approximately 60 feet at the Six Mile Creek gorge Aug. 31.
Tom Collum ’14 was enjoying a day at the gorges with some friends when, he said, he noticed a “visibly intoxicated” woman contemplating a dangerous dive into the waters below. Just after she began her descent, Collum began rapidly swimming to the spot at which he expected her to land, knowing that she could be imperiled.
A few seconds later, Collum saw the woman’s body emerge, face down, a few feet in front of him. He initially thought the woman’s shirt had been bloodied before realizing she was wearing a maroon shirt.
“She was completely unconscious,” Collum recalled in an interview with The Sun. “I started swimming faster, grabbed her and flipped her around to get her head out of the water so she wouldn’t drown.”
He then swam the woman about 20 feet to a nearby dam, where he was met by around 10 people, including a few student EMTs. The group straightened the woman’s neck, checked her pulse and ensured she was breathing.
They then placed her on a raft that they used to take her to shore. She was later airlifted to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa., according to The Ithaca Journal.
“It was good that there were a bunch of people nearby who rushed over to assist when they recognized that we needed to help her out,” Collum said.
Collum, a native Ithacan and descendant of Ezra Cornell, downplayed any heroics relating to his actions, emphasizing that he was just one member of a group that responded quickly to the woman’s fall.
The group’s timely intervention may have helped avert what could have been the latest in a string of gorge-related tragedies. Over the summer, Cornell responded to the accidental deaths of three students in the gorges in 2011 by ramping up its safety efforts at University owned gorges, which do not include Six Mile Creek.
The University has devoted $1.56 million to the efforts, $150,000 of which will be spent every year on maintaining trails adjacent to the gorges. It also created the Cornell stewards program, sending trained experts to the waterways to educate people enjoying the gorges.
In July, the stewards found more than 200 people engaging in behavior that violated rules about using the gorges, highlighting the ongoing need for education about which parts of the area are safe for recreational swimming.
But also crucial to making sure individuals remain safe is the situational awareness of bystanders, said Anisha Chopra ’13, who spearheaded the Student Assembly’s efforts to improve gorge safety.
“I applaud Collum for his courage and forethought. That’s all we ask for ... for people to look out for one another,” Chopra said.
She urged people to either call the authorities in the event of a crisis or, if there is not enough time, to try to intervene.
“Community awareness can save lives,” she said. “And, thanks to Tom, actually did.”
PK DA J OEBPS/Flow_40.htmlScience
PK DA)G$ G$ OEBPS/Flow_41.htmlCornell Students Rally at 'Don't Frack New York'
Activists from across New York State took to the streets of Albany during an event called “Don’t Frack New York” to protest against hydrofracking in the state.
Courtesy of DontFrackNY.org
The southern tier of New York faces an imminent challenge: the legalization of hydraulic fracking in five of its counties. The area, which borders Pennsylvania and includes the counties west of the Catskills, sits on top of the Marcellus shale, a deposit of untapped natural gas that can be processed and turned into fuel. Currently no high-volume, thick water horizontal hydraulic facking is allowed in New York State, but all that can change if Gov. Andrew Cuomo accepts new regulations from the Department of Environmental Conservation, and allows drilling in the southern tier.
But the so-called “sacrificial counties” are not without allies — they have received support from activists statewide. As Julia Fiore ’13, biology and society, said, “No people should be considered sacrifices for dirty energy.” She, along with 15 members of Cornell’s KyotoNOW and the Green Umbrella state youth network, joined with over 1,500 people from across the state in Albany at an event called “Don’t Frack New York” to deliver to Gov. Cuomo a pledge signed by 3,000 citizens stating that they do not welcome hydofracking in New York State, and that they are willing to take any nonviolent measure within their conscience to prevent it. They planned to show the governor that the “first to be fracked” will not go without a fight.
A Weekend of Training
The events of Don’t Frack New York began on Saturday, August 25th with a weekend of training sessions moderated by members of KyotoNOW! and other grassroots organizations from across the state. During the first day’s session, the activists learned about their spectrum of allies and opponents in the fracking fight. Kelsey Erickson ’13, natural resources, described the spectrum as consisting of active allies, passive allies, passive opponents and active opponents.
“Active allies,” she said, “are the people who work alongside you, go to rallies with you, and help you out.” She also explained that passive allies are in support of the anti-fracking movement, but are not necessarily actively participating in the protests. She said that the passive opponents are people who don’t actively speak out against you, but at the same time are not willing to work with you. Finally, active opponents, like the natural gas companies, are willing to fight against you. The training methods gave the activists lessons on how to shift people from being neutral supporters and passive allies into active participants joined in the fight.
“There’s a lot of people who are maybe on the fence and think they don’t know too much about fracking,” K.C. Alvey ’12, natural resources, said. “But we’re mostly focused on helping to shift those people into taking action and feeling inspired that there is this movement out here and that we have the potential to make a difference.”
Alvery noted that the goal of the trainings was to prepare people to continue organizing against fracking throughout this fall. She said that the sessions gave people the facts they needed to explain to their town board why fracking, even in neighboring counties, could devastate their local economy and damage their water supply.
The Sunday session provided the group with non-violent direct action training, which covered how to organize peaceful protests and rallies. Members from diverse grassroots organizations offered tips on how to increase local public engagement in the fight against fracking by using examples from their own experiences in their towns.
Thousand-Person March
The over 1,500 activists began their march on a sunny Monday morning outside of an amphitheater located by the Hudson River. The beautiful scene with the speakers lined along the Hudson reminded the marchers of the natural sites throughout New York State that they were marching to protect from fossil fuel extraction. From there, they marched to the steps of the Department of Environmental Conservation office building and alluded to the influence of industry within the government because the Chesapeake Energy Company is located just across the street.
Speakers included Josh Fox, director of the documentary Gasland, and Bill McKibben, creator of the grassroots organization 350.org. The rally continued to march down the streets and then stopped in West Capitol Park outside of the governor’s office where Sandra Steingraber, a biologist and environmental activist, led the crowd, fists in air, in reciting their pledge of resistance – a moment which Alvery remarked was reminiscent of a civil rights leader from the 1960s.
Dominc Frongillo ’08, Councilor and Deputy Town Supervisor Town of Caroline, New York, said that “seeing over 1,000 people with their firsts in the air saying ‘I commit to resisting fracking’ sends chills down one’s spines when you realize the passion that people have about protecting their communities. Gov. Cuomo has no idea what he’s stepping into.”
Chris Dennis ‘14, international agriculture and rural development, who was video recording the event, had a similar reaction.
“I saw how so many people were so passionate about this issue because they felt that their livelihoods and their health and family were being threatened by this industry,” he said.
With that energy, a delegation of 20 people delivered the over 3,000 signatures, collected in only three weeks to a representative of Gov. Cuomo.
The pledge, Fiore said, is not a passive petition — it is saying that we have thousands of people willing to put their bodies on the lines to stop fracking from happening. It is now up to Gov. Cuomo if he’s going to listen to those 3,000 signatures, or instead allow fracking in the southern tier.
Interconnected Environmental Action
Frongillo said that with Don’t Frack New York “we’re seeing a historic grassroots movement that’s uniting everyday New Yorkers in wanting to protect their state.” Don’t Frack New York helps mark the end of the “Summer of Solidarity,” which saw dozens of grassroots actions nationwide such as the Tar Sands action blockade in Texas, the coal export action in Montana, and the ramps campaign in West Virgina. Alvey said that, with the Summer of Solidarity, people are recognizing that these fights for clean energy are interconnected.
“The industry and the government seem like really big opponents,” Fiore said. “But we just have to remember as citizens we have a lot of power in our collective action and that if we work together we can make our voices heard even against the millions of dollars that they are putting up against us.”
PK DA:@. @. OEBPS/Flow_42.htmlThe Scientist: Marshall Hayes and Eric Nelson Bring Role-Playing into the Science Classroom
Marshal Hayes helped Prof. Eric Nelson create a course that uses “Reacting to the Past” to get students to actively take part in learning about science.
Photo by Nick St. Fleur
Marshall Hayes and Prof. Eric Nelson use a new teaching technique called "Reacting to the Past" to teach students about events in science history.
London, summer 1854: A cholera outbreak near Broad Street has left more than 500 people dead in the past few days. You are a member of an emergency response committee, tasked with addressing the situation and preserving the health of the community. How do you proceed?
That’s the prompt that research associate Marshall Hayes, plant pathology and plant biology, and Prof. Eric Nelson, plant pathology and plant biology, use with their new teaching method, “Reacting to the Past,” in which students learn about historic scientific events by re-enacting them.
“Reacting to the Past” is a new approach to learning that Hayes brought to Cornell. It uses role-play to immerse students in the background of a scientific issue. The game helps students actively learn because they research their roles in advance and then act them out in student-run situations. They learn about the scientific topic by pretending to be key players in the historic event.
“Reacting to the Past,” or RTTP, was first developed in the late 1990’s by a small consortium of colleges and universities led by Mark C. Carnes at the University of Barnard College in New York. First designed as a tool to teach humanities students about historical events, RTTP has since grown in popularity and now features games that examine past problems through a scientific lens. Hayes has used money from a National Science Foundation grant to bring more role-play games into science classrooms.
“The ultimate goal is to create a classroom environment in which your students are not only active participants but are also leading the discussion and are heavily engaged in material assigned to them,” Hayes said. He noted that role-playing historical events is especially effective for teaching complex and controversial scientific concepts such as the evolution debate and the trial of Galileo. He is currently spearheading the use of role-playing on campus and has encouraged its implementation into courses across campus.
PLPA 2950: Biology of Infectious Diseases, taught by Nelson, with help from Hayes, involves students in a role-playing game called “London 1854: Cesspits, Cholera, and the Conflict over the Broad Street Pump.” Hayes and Nelson worked together to make the game as scientifically and historically authentic as possible by exposing the students to original raw data and first hand reports from that time.
Vishesh Kothary ’12, who took the class last year, said that, in the course, he and his classmates dressed up as characters from 19th century London, adopted Victorian accents and congregated in the crypt of Sage Chapel where they replayed public health discussions as they would have occurred in the past.
“The aim was to slip into character and re-create the dynamic considering the political, social, religious and scientific views in force at the time, and seek to understand how rational decisions were made despite lack of modern scientific knowledge,” he said.
As Prof. Nelson explained, “Games have rules. We are now in 1854. We do not know what germ theory is.”
At the time, it was not widely believed that diseases were caused by organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye. The common view of that time, miasma theory, said that disease was caused by bad air.
During this epidemic, scientists used observation, logic and deductive reasoning to discover that cholera was being transmitted from drinking water that was contaminated by a leaking cesspit. This discovery helped develop germ theory. The students in the class used similar techniques to arrive at the same result.
“The fundamental process about thinking critically about scenarios is what the people back in 1854 did, and they did it to the effect that basically established the field of epidemiology,” Hayes said.
Hayes and Nelson have thought of other games that could potentially be developed, to represent a broad spectrum of historical eras.
Hayes planned that cholera would be played as the first game in a three-part series of role-playing exercises in a microbiology class. The second scenario would be the 1903 Typhoid epidemic that affected Cornell, and the third scenario would be a modern day Haiti cholera outbreak. Hayes explained that there are different teaching objectives related to each.
In 1854, the causes of cholera were not understood. In 1903, the transmission dynamics of typhoid was not known. But as of 2011, germ theory, microbiology and molecular microbiology are in place and understood. Still, thousands of people are dying of cholera in Haiti.
“The kinds of questions we address in this lesson are what kind of data is necessary when you are studying an outbreak in order to decide cause and effect, and to decide about proper management strategies,” Hayes said.
With all the information we have access to today, the issue is not access to the facts; it is “how do we produce people that can have the confidence insights and foresights to be able to deal with really complex issues?” Hayes said. He and Nelson said the primary objective of the role-play technique is to have students develop critical thinking and analytical skills. The two also agree that students take a lot away from the class and have fun as well.
“Professor Nelson goes out of his way to make sure we learn many of the skills necessary to become good scientists and leave the class with critical thinking skills that will last for a lifetime, even when the information we learn in this class is long forgotten,” Kothary said. This is the second year the course will be offered at Cornell.
Each summer, faculty participate in a conference in which they play the developmental games and give feedback to improve them. Hayes said at least three other universities will be playing the cholera game as early as next spring.
“It has been as much fun researching and preparing for it as it is for the students. It is not only fun but, challenging. I can only envision the extent to which you can take something like this,” Hayes said. “I envision the course that would allow us to go to London and play the exact game and visit the spots and walk the path, immersing students not only in history but in ideas, cultures, and understanding what it really means to be involved in a really active thought process.”
In addition to his help utilizing “Reacting the Past” techniques in microbiology classes, Hayes has also helped incorporate this technique into environmental courses at Cornell. Deborah Sills ’11, a post-doctoral student in earth and atmospheric sciences, decided to try science role-playing with her students in her Freshman Writing Seminar, EAS 1420: Sustainable Earth, Energy and Environmental Systems, after hearing about the teaching technique from Hayes.
In the course, students reenacted the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Conference debate, in which world leaders met for ten days to develop a plan to tackle global climate change.
“I thought this might help students, and myself, gain insight on the challenges of coming to an international agreement on such a controversial issue,” Sills said.
She also noted that the role-playing technique served as a more effective method of educating students about the controversy surrounding climate change than lecture. This is because students were able to experience firsthand that different countries hold different views on sustainability standards. Sills also said that the reenactment game moves students away from passive learning and will help those who are used to writing purely scientific papers formulate arguments, write persuasively and learn to communicate complex ideas.
Hayes said he is very enthusiastic about the positive benefits of “Reacting to the Past” in science classrooms. He pointed out that, through the method, students are not only learning content, but are also thinking critically, developing confidence in their knowledge and challenging others.
Hayes added that, by using this technique in science classes, students can successfully learn the subject matter because they are often on the spot, which forces them to be adequately prepared. Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of the teaching method, however, is that it demonstrates firsthand the intersection of science and real life, and reinforces the importance of communication in such critical times throughout science history.
PK DA9}͖- - OEBPS/Flow_43.htmlBirdcast: Migration With a Chance of Feathers
Photo by Petras Gagilas (flickr.com)
In ancient Rome, high priests divined events by the flights, types and songs of birds. Augurs, as the Roman officials were called, advised emperors. They planned cities. They sanctioned war.
Birdcast, a technological application in its first year of development at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is inaugurating a scientific version of that dated art. The project aims to provide real-time forecasts of bird migration, much like a weather forecast substituting ‘migrations’ for ‘storms’ and ‘birds’ for ‘rain.’
Andrew Farnsworth, research associate in Information Science for Migration Studies and Acoustic Monitoring at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, announced the Birdcast project to an audience at a press-only event held at the ILR Conference Center in midtown Manhattan last Thursday.
Birdcast developers ultimately plan to have the project predict the complex, dynamic phenomena of bird migrations using an integrated suite of radar, acoustic and ground observation data, he said. The project is a collaborative effort funded by the National Science Foundation and the Leon Levy Foundation, with partners at Microsoft, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Migratory Miracles
In mid-August, tens of thousands of Blackpoll Warblers, each weighing about as much as a pencil, embark on a journey, Farnsworth said as he described his favorite feat of bird migration. Many eat their body weight, literally doubling their mass, in preparation. The warblers descend from the northern latitudes of North America on a multi-thousand kilometer trip in which they soar above the Atlantic Ocean for several days, he said. Spending dozens of hours aloft, not stopping or feeding en route, the birds eventually touch down in northern South America. Exodus completed.
In advance of predictive computer models, Farnsworth and his colleagues calculate and forecast odysseys like those of the Blackpoll Warbler weekly on a website they just launched: www.Birdcast.info.
“Right now, we’re talking in human terms but in a couple of years, probably beginning next year or the year after, we’re going to start automating the process so that we can use models to tell us what’s going to happen,” Farnsworth said.
Once developed, Farnsworth and his team will assess the computer models against their own forecasts.
“We’re probably going to have some opportunities where I go against the machine and say, ‘Alright, I think the model is wrong in these places. Here’s what I think is going to happen,’” he said.
Mapping Birds With The Doppler Effect
According to Farnsworth, Birdcast developers are taking advantage of the network of about 140 radar stations spanning the continental U.S. that monitors atmospheric phenomena such as weather.
“As it turns out, radar is also extremely good at detecting other things in the atmosphere — notably, birds,” he said.
By subtracting aerial occurrences like rain, insects and bats from radar imagery, the researchers can obtain patterns of bird migration containing information on density, direction and velocity. Birds tend to be incredibly directed, powerful flyers at night when they migrate — usually moving across, and about five to six meters per second above, wind speed. The researchers can distinguish the birds by comparing their speeds with wind speeds that are recorded by balloons. Insects, which mostly float on the wind, and bats, which tend to be less directed fliers, are separable components, too.
Though Farnsworth and his colleagues currently perform such analyses manually, they plan to replace their current methods with simple algorithms. The only problem, though, is that the radar’s pixel-data provides no information about the species that are flying. But Birdcast plans to solve this issue: using acoustics data.
Eavesdropping on Flight Calls
Flight calls are species specific, commonly faint, high-pitched, single note vocalizations that tend to last less than a quarter of a second long, Farnsworth said.
“Most birds use them in social migratory contexts when they are migrating at night to stay in touch with one another,” he said. “In a sense they are trying to say, ‘Where are you?’ ‘What direction are you going?’, ‘Are you going down to land?’”
Benjamin Van Doren ’16 works with Farnsworth on the Birdcast project. One of Van Doren’s tasks is to run “primitive” detectors on hundreds of hours of raw audio recordings, that use software to pick out possible calls; he then filters through the calls and assigns tentative identifications that are, in turn, confirmed or revised by team members such as Farnsworth, he said.
“Once you have those exemplars, you can use them to train more automated systems so someone doesn’t have to go through and spend dozens of hours going through and identifying the calls by hand,” Van Doren said. But one doesn’t have to be an official Birdcast team member to get involved with the project, there are opportunities for regular bird enthusiasts, too.
Citizen Science
“For a project like this we’re really interested in the amateur recordists that get inspired to build a microphone, put it on top of their house and send us the information it collects,” Farnsworth said, citing the website www.oldbird.org, which teaches users how to build a microphone for $20 to $50.
“Some of it is very much a ‘DIY’ approach,” he said.
Another project called eBird, contains a database of over 100 million observations from birders over the past 10 years. It provides a platform on which to gather data from a distance, Farnsworth said.
Birdcast researchers can use eBird data, uploaded by citizen scientists to the eBird database, to verify the accuracy of future computer-generated forecasts.
Biomarkers with Wings
Predicting when and where heavy bird migrations occur will help people know the best times to shut off or dim city lights so as not to interfere with a migration, Farnsworth said. And it may also yield insights about what habitats are most important to preserve.
In addition to bird conservation efforts, forecasts may provide valuable information about our global, connected ecosystem, he said. Van Doren wrote in an email, “not only can studying migratory birds help shed light on the birds themselves, but the health of entire ecosystems consisting of many, many other species.
“Birds, because they are so visible, are great bioindicators: if a bird species is in decline, it may mean something is wrong with the ecosystem or ecosystems in which it lives, but that may be difficult to detect otherwise.”
Farnsworth noted that bird migration is, at a basic level, a response to climate change, adding that this year saw patterns where birds were arriving two to three weeks ahead of their typical times.
“Birds are able to predict what’s coming in the future in a way that we can’t yet because we’re not tuned into whatever they’re sensing,” Farnsworth said.
“It certainly seems like they can do it both at the very minute level scale of, say, freaking out before an earthquake, and also months in advance, anticipating when a drought might occur.”
Farnsworth mentioned that Dickcissel, a blackbird relative, may have predicted something that most market analysts got wrong about this past summer.
“Corn futures suggested that this year was going to be a huge corn production year,” Farnsworth said. “But it turned out it was a complete disaster because there was a dramatic drought.”
Dickcissel, he explained, tend to disperse and move around a lot in years when there will be drought.
“It looked like these birds were doing that long before the drought actually occurred," he said. Perhaps Augurs were on to something.
PK DAYр" OEBPS/Flow_44.htmlDining
PK DA 5 OEBPS/Flow_45.htmlFrom Bagels To Ceviche: CTB Mastermind's Agava Amazes
Agava’s Lone Ranger Tacos.
Photo by Ryan Landvater
Gregar Brous, proud owner of the maniacally popular Collegetown Bagels, knows how to do business. With a knack for transforming fairly simple ideas — such as a bagel shop — into fully-fledged, elegant conceptions, he and his family have been comfortably presiding over the Ithaca food scene since their acquisition of CTB and Ithaca Bakery in the ’80s. It’s natural, then, for the man to want to branch out. Indeed, in April of this year, Brous ventured away from baked goods and introduced us to his own style of casual fine dining with the southwestern-inspired restaurant Agava, and, as expected, the same sense of elegant simplicity remains apparent.
I don’t think there’s a better way to put this: This restaurant is really cool. Located in the old East Ithaca Train Station, contracted in 1876 by Ezra Cornell, Agava proudly displays the location’s history; black-and-white photos from Ithaca’s past adorn the walls, and much of the original train depot is woven seamlessly into the building’s chic, rustic restorations. A desert landscape straight out of a classic Western is painted on one wall, producing the sensation of being both home and far away at the same time. The ceiling and walls are lined with wooden beams and planks, and the glow of a wood-fire oven gently leaks out of the kitchen. There’s a nice, warm feeling to it all.
My friends and I opted for the equally cozy back patio, a beautiful space for a calm summer evening. Christmas lights line the picket fences, and an awning stretches itself between the waning sunlight and the diners. The sun finally did set behind our table, echoing the pinks and purples of the painting inside.
The menu was about as vaguely defined as the term “southwestern-inspired,” but certainly not to any disadvantage. We had the choice among all sorts of tacos, flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, meat entrees and everything in between. If you’re a sharer, you can order small platters of mussels, scallops, Mexican “Street Corn” or choose from a variety of other tapas-inspired dishes from the Share section of the menu. I was fortunate enough to go with a larger group, and we were smart enough not to pass that opportunity up.
We started off by sharing a unique ceviche-of-the-day — fish, sweet potato, corn, beans, and habañero peppers — followed by some perfectly fire-roasted garlic cauliflower, gazpacho and Mexican Street Corn (a hearty cob lathered with chipotle mayo, cheese, lime and chili powder). All of these smaller dishes were excellent, in particular the corn, which launched an all-out flavor assault on our palettes — not in a spicy way, but rather in a limey, buttery way. Anyway, I suppose what matters, and what I realized halfway through my refreshing bowl of gazpacho, is that this Share menu was actually getting me excited about my food, and in ways that most restaurants in Ithaca can’t — there were simply too many attractive options, and I wanted them all! And at such reasonable prices, I well could have had them.
My roommate is from Baja, Mexico, and he likes to consider himself somewhat of an expert in authentic Mexican cuisine, particularly tacos. So, after dinner I brought him home a trio of steak tacos just to see what his authoritative taste buds would declare: “They’re really good,” he told me. Well, there you have it folks. Agava is a wonderful new eatery, boasting a warm, trendy atmosphere and a menu of local food that both feels authentic and original. Please, go check it out — don’t be intimidated by the five-minute cab ride. And in the meantime, be thankful; we are truly lucky to have Gregar Brous in our Ithacan midst.
PK DAK OEBPS/Flow_46.htmlCritic's Picks: Collegetown's Best International Cuisine
Miyake’s Crazy Girl Roll
Photo by Ryan Landvater
Cornell is known for being one of the most ethnically diverse university campuses in the country. It would thus make sense for the school to be surrounded by an enormous variety of international cuisine, ranging from Thai to Mexican, and from Chinese to Indian. Living in Ithaca, I have had the opportunity to taste a lot of different ethnic cuisines that I would not have otherwise, and I would like to say that I am an incrementally more cultured person because of it. While you may not be able to travel the world in 80 days, you can definitely taste it in Collegetown.
Indian: Mehak Cuisine
There are only two restaurants in Collegetown that specialize in Indian cuisine, and they are both on Eddy Street … about two feet away from each other. While Mehak and Sangam may be ridiculously close to one another in proximity, they are worlds apart in terms of their quality and taste. I will admit that I have actually eaten more frequently at Sangam than at Mehak, but that is only because Sangam offers delivery on IthacaToGo.com while Mehak does not. Regardless, the Indian food that Mehak serves versus that of Sangam is substantially tastier. Also, Mehak offers a daily lunch buffet. Game, set, match: Mehak. My favorite dish is the chicken tikka masala; essentially the one that is most well-known to us uncultured Americans. I also usually get garlic nan, a flat bread, to soak up the creamy sauce of the tikka masala. Indian food is extremely vegetarian-friendly, and Mehak’s pindi chana masala (chickpeas with spices and fresh Coriander) comes highly recommended from my vegan housemate.
Korean: Koko Korean Restaurant
Considering the large number of Korean students at Cornell, it makes perfect sense that there are so many Korean restaurants not only around all of Ithaca, but within Collegetown itself. Hands down, the best one of them all is Koko’s. (You can trust me: I’m Korean.) A perfect appetizer for someone who has never tasted Korean food before is pa jun, which is pan-fried wheat batter filled with scallions. If you have ever tried Korean barbecue, then you will love bool go gi, which contains thin slices of marinated beef tenderloin, and is absolutely delicious. If you are in the mood for something warm and comforting, dduk mandoo gook, a rice cake and dumpling soup, is a perfect choice, and one of my favorite meals growing up. Many diners new to Korean cuisine should start with the dolsot bibim bap, which is a mixture of rice, spicy red chili paste, vegetables, egg, and your choice of meat and comes served sizzling in a hot stone pot.
Japanese: Miyake
Ah, the never-ending battle between Plum Tree and Miyake: whose Japanese cuisine will reign supreme? My vote goes to Miyake. Maybe it’s the Japanese name or the overall authentically Asian ambience of the place, but for me, Miyake is just more convincing; it’s simply more genuine. I always start off any meal at Miyake with their steamed shumai, which are soft, round shell dumplings filled with shrimp and happiness. If you are like most people who think that Japanese food starts and ends with sushi, then you are in luck: Miyake offers a plethora of rolls, from the classic California roll to the spicy BBQ beef roll. My personal favorite is the Crazy Girl, which consists of spicy tuna, eel and avocado, all deep-fried and topped with a spicy sauce. For those of you who are willing to venture into the unknown and try something that is not sushi, the katsu don is a delicious choice. It is a deep-fried pork loin sautéed with vegetables and eggs, and it is guaranteed to leave you full and satisfied.
American: Rulloff’s Restaurant
While it is relatively easy to make American fare and have it taste “good”, finding a restaurant that excels at it is surprisingly difficult: Rulloff’s accomplishes this feat and serves the best American food in Collegetown. One of their knockout appetizers is the loaded French fries with “the works:” their signature fries topped with melted cheese, chili and bacon … I have legitimately found myself dreaming about those fries. The baked French onion soup is some of the best that I have ever tasted at any restaurant, including much pricier restaurants in New York City. As far as the entrees go, Rulloff’s serves your typical hearty American food, ranging from shepherd’s pie filled with Black Angus, vegetables and baked with asiago mashed potatoes, to the classic turkey club sandwich. However, my favorite meal at Rulloff’s is the succulent signature burger made from Black Angus, which you can top with your choice of cheese, bacon, mushrooms or sautéed onions.
PK DAmd OEBPS/Flow_47.htmlCritic's Picks: Five Foodie Things To Do This Fall
Apple fest at the Commons.
By Victoria Gao
Autumn is just around the corner, and with the changing leaves and breezy weather comes an abundance of yummy activities and eateries that celebrate the season. Austin Buben '14 names his favorites.
While growing up in Phoenix, I would only romanticize about fall while flipping through my October editions of Bon Appetit Magazine whilst sitting by the pool, catching some sun and sipping on horchata. My first fall here in Ithaca exhibited just what I longed for in those shiny editorials. I remember sampling my first Concord grape at the Ithaca Farmers Market, biting into my first Cortland apple fresh off the tree and realizing that you could, in fact, cook with maple syrup. Needless to say, these things weren’t so common in the tundra of Arizona.
As much as my favorite fall things may be cliché to most native northeasterners, the southwestern boy in me still gets excited around this time of year. I invite you to share in my excitement, check out these five foodie things to do, and to have the finest of food and beverage experiences this fall.
The 30th Annual Ithaca Applefest
An autumn necessity, this free annual event is held in the Commons and branches out (pun intended) into the surrounding streets downtown. Wait in (or cut) the mile-long line at this year’s fest, taking place September 28 to September 30 for apple cider donuts, caramel apples and delicious cider. Don’t forget to take home your five-pound bag of assorted apples: I recommend Cortland for its crisp, tart flesh and Mutsu if you get that sudden urge to bake a pie. Besides apples, Applefest features over a dozen unique food vendors offering cuisines from Indian to Thai, Italian to Laotian. The fest will take place noon to 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Eat Maple Cotton Candy at The Ithaca Farmers Market
It’s true, I have a new love: maple cotton candy. Imagine all the deliciousness of New York maple spun into thin little melt-in-your-mouth threads. Maple vendor Schoolyard Sugarbush has mastered its creation and also offers a variety of bottled syrup, maple cream (which you can spread like butter) as well as candies. While you’re at the market be sure to check out what the other vendors have to offer. I recommend heading in early to grab all of the most beautiful produce before the hungover college kids and stroller-toting moms flood the place.
Have A Picnic At Buttermilk Falls
While the Grand Canyon back home may be a bit more breathtaking, Buttermilk Falls is the perfect spot for that quintessential fall picnic, thanks to its hiking possibilities and its abundance of changing leaves. Pack some cider, some crusty bread and cheese (from the Farmers Market, of course) and head out to the park between dusk and dawn with some dear friends or that special someone. For a picnic, I like to keep it local with some fall snacks from the Farmers Market: I personally recommend Autumn’s Gold Cider from Eve’s Cidery, paired with Across the Pond Raw Cow’s Milk Cheese from Keeley’s Cheese.
Eat Out During Finger Lakes Restaurant Week
For the second time this year, from October 22 to October 29, Finger Lakes chefs will be challenged to create two-course a la carte lunch menus as well as three-course prix fixe dinner menus inspired by the bounty of fall in late October. The menus comprise of 100 percent local food from over 50 farms and wine from three sponsoring wineries (with more in the works). Each menu for lunch will cost in the $15-$50 range with a good amount of the participating restaurants also including beverage service. Local wineries will also be getting in on the action, holding tastings and tours throughout the week. For more information check out www.restaurantweekfingerlakes.com.
Go Apple (and Pumpkin) Picking
Although the most cliché of my suggestions, apple picking is a fall must. Nothing compares to walking throughout an orchard on a brisk morning with warm (possibly spiked?) cider in hand while taking in the spice aromas. My favorite local place for picking is Littletree Orchards in Newfield, NY, which is about a 15-minute scenic drive from Collegetown. Not only does Littletree offer apples in every desirable form (cider, donuts, butter and plenty you can pick), they also offer fresh cut flowers (mums are back!), Asian pears (which have the flavor somewhere between an apple and a pear), and pickable pumpkins. Littletree is open weekends only from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the season will run until about November 15.
PK DA#-& & OEBPS/Flow_5.htmlCornell Records at Crux of Debate in SAE Civil Suit
The Sigma Alpha Eplison fraternity house before the chapter was removed from campus.
Photo by Lindsay Myron
Evidence about Sigma Alpha Epsilon must be pried from Cornell’s vaults to help prove that the fraternity’s “deadly” culture of hazing led to the death of her son, the mother of George Desdunes ’13 said in court papers submitted by her lawyer this month.
A pending subpoena would put before the court all existing Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs records related to SAE hazing violations from the last several years, all recent police and medical calls related to the fraternity and all “photographs or videotapes of any SAE fraternity event or initiation” owned by Cornell. The subpoena would also require Cornell to hand over all disciplinary records against SAE and any correspondence between the University and the fraternity about hazing.
Marie Lourdes Andre, Desdunes’ mother, is suing the national SAE fraternity and at least 15 former brothers, seeking at least $25 million in damages. Her son died on Feb. 25, 2011, after a fraternity hazing ritual that Andre says exemplifies a broader culture of recklessness at SAE.
Although Andre says that Cornell’s records could provide proof of a hazardous environment at SAE, they may not see the light of day. Asking Judge Karen Rothenberg to “quash” the subpoena, the defendants in the case have insisted that the requested documents are immaterial to the case and cannot be released under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that protects students’ educational records.
“[Andre’s] counsel entirely ignores the limitations to be placed on the subpoena under [FERPA],” Dara Rosenbaum, the lawyer of a former SAE member, stated in court documents filed this summer. The “disclosure … would constitute a violation of [the defendant’s] rights and must be prevented.”
William Friedlander, Andre’s lawyer, disagrees.
“Contrary to the portrait painted in defendant’s motion, the subpoena does not seek unqualified access to individual students’ educational records, but only information relevant to the conditions and circumstances surrounding and leading to George’s death,” Friedlander said in recently submitted court documents.
The disagreement over the disclosure of Cornell’s records has emerged as a key source of contention in the civil lawsuit. Three former SAE pledges were acquitted in a separate, criminal trial in June.
Familiar by now to close observers of the litigation over Desdunes’ death is the disagreement over what happened on that February night more than a year ago.
Andre holds that the death of her son was the “direct and proximate result of the defendants’ negligence.” She emphasizes that Desdunes was forced to consume vodka and pixie stix after he was blindfolded and bound with zip ties.
The defendants, meanwhile, have maintained that Desdunes was an eager participant in the binge drinking that preceded his death, adding that he had been seen drinking prior to the hazing ritual. They hold that Judge Judith Rossiter J.D. ’86, who oversaw the criminal case, put to rest the claim that the pledges were responsible for Desdunes’ death.
“The court determined, without reservation or equivocation, that these young men are innocent. They did not haze George Desdunes or cause his death,” Ray Schlather J.D. ’76, the attorney for defendant Max Haskin ’14, told The Sun in June.
But the fight over the Cornell records marks a new battleground not addressed in the criminal trial: How systemic was hazing at SAE? How much did the national SAE chapter know about prior alleged transgressions? And did the leadership of the SAE chapter have reason to believe, prior to Desdunes’ death, that the chapter’s members could be at risk?
In making their cases over the confidential Cornell documents, both sides show much of how they plan to construct their arguments responding to these questions.
Noting that several clauses in the subpoena limit its scope to records relevant to “the cause and circumstances of the death of George Desdunes,” Andre’s lawyer says the request is of direct relevance to the case.
“Contrary to [the] defendant’s … motion, the subpoena is not a ‘fishing expedition.’ Indeed, the specific request to which [the defendant] applies such an inappropriate phrase is the correspondence between Cornell and SAE, a defendant in this action, concerning allegations of hazing,” Friedlander says in his motion to advance the subpoena. “This request seeks information that is directly related to defendant SAE’s knowledge of the extreme and dangerous — in fact, deadly — hazing” that SAE members were involved in.
Friedlander’s argument appears to be buttressed by a letter sent from the University to one of the defendant’s lawyers in June, outlining why it plans on honoring Andre’s request.
“Cornell, as custodian, is obligated to comply with a lawfully issued subpoena … and I am aware of no defects in this subpoena,” the letter, by Associate University Counsel Valerie Dorn, states.
Still, Dorn adds that, in response to the defendants’ concerns, Cornell will “thoroughly review the records and redact privileged, confidential, nonresponsive information.”
But Dorn’s guarantee is not enough to ensure that the reputations of the defendants will not be indelibly scarred by Cornell’s records, their lawyers say. Their argument fits a consistent narrative put forth by the lawyers for the pledges and former SAE brothers since Andre’s lawsuit was announced: that the brothers have been wrongly scapegoated — by both the media and the plaintiff's lawyer — for a death they did not cause.
The subpoena would lead to “Cornell University’s production of irrelevant, personal information about [the defendant that] would cause undue embarrassment, undue hardship and undue prejudice,” Rosenbaum says in one of her filed statements.
While the contents of the documents remain to be seen, they could provide a trove of new information regarding the practices of SAE.
The subpoena also requests that Cornell hand over all “training or instructional materials provided or made available to SAE …. concerning hazing, risk-management, student initiation requirements, fraternity house safety and the provision, use or misuse of alcohol,” as well as all “notes of meetings attended by University personnel and any representative of SAE concerning hazing.”
And not all the requested documents are about SAE’s past.
A separate part of the subpoena, for example, asks for all “photographs or videotapes or the like showing Desdunes, any member of SAE or any pledge of SAE entering or leaving Cornell University Campus Townhouse Apartment B3 or the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter house between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. … including those recorded from security cameras.”
PK DA OEBPS/Flow_6.html
Provost Approves Divisive Changes to Academic Calendar
Photo courtesy of www.planetofsuccess.com/blog/
After months of debate and strong condemnation by student representatives, Provost Kent Fuchs has approved the final version of a new academic calendar with three modifications, he announced at a meeting of the Faculty Senate Sept. 12. The new calendar will go into effect in Spring 2014.
The calendar changes, which were approved by the Faculty Senate in May, include a new two-day break in Februrary and, most contentiously, shortening study week, exam week and Senior Week.
One of the Provost’s modifications — not part of the calendar approved by the Faculty Senate — is “a new University holiday ... for all employees” on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the third Monday in January, Cornell said in a statement.
Additionally, for four out of every six years, fall semester classes will begin one week later than they currently do, allowing the University to hold its fall graduation ceremony one week later.
However, in the Faculty Senate’s proposal, the ceremony would have landed as late as Dec. 22 or 23 every few years. Fuchs said under his changes, graduation will not fall this close to the holidays.
“There are a number of international students who would not have gotten home in time for the holidays,” Fuchs said. “I think [the fall graduation ceremony] is too close to the holidays.”
Fuchs’ third modification to the Faculty Senate’s plan calls for the University to create a committee to finalize the details of the final exam schedule.
Fuchs said that he will work with the committee, which will be comprised of members of the University staff, professors and student leaders, to determine an algorithm designed to prevent exam scheduling conflicts.
“What feeds into that algorithm is yet to be determined. For example, you can tell [the software program] to minimize conflicts, or minimize back to back exams,” Fuchs said, adding that one proposed algorithm involves not scheduling final exams on Sundays.
Geoffrey Block ’14, at-large representative for the Student Assembly, said the committee must ensure that the algorithm avoids conflicts that will increase student stress levels.
“The only thing the committee should be looking for in the algorithm is how to maximize student mental health, and that should be their only goal. The way you do that is by reducing back-to-back exams [or] having two exams in the same day,” Block said.
Block also expressed concern that the scheduling algorithm will not take into account final paper deadlines during finals week.
“The algorithm is brought up as a solution to a lot of problems. It’s brought up as a way to reduce the stress that students have,” Block said. “The problem is that the algorithm doesn’t take into account things like papers and projects where you’re not in the system, and that’s a serious concern.”
Members of the Faculty Senate touted the changes, saying they would reduce student stress and improve mental health by adding additional days off.
The proposed changes, which Fuchs announced his approval of on Wednesday, include adding two vacation days in February; condensing the exam study period from seven days to five and exam week to eight days; shortening Senior Week from seven days to between two and four; and changing the Wednesday before Thanksgiving from a half day to a full day off, according to a plan approved by the Faculty Senate in May.
However, many students voiced strong opposition to the changes, arguing that the proposal to shorten exam week and study week would increase stress rather than reduce it.
In April, the S.A. unanimously passed a resolution condemning the changes and a lack of student input in crafting the proposal. Additionally, a Change.org petition urgingFuchs to veto the changes collected more than 2,000 signatures.
Fuchs said he took student complaints into consideration when deciding whether to approve the proposal, particularly when deciding to modify the final plan. He said he believes that if the algorithm is well-designed, concern about the shortened exam period will be mitigated.
“I got a lot of emails,” he said. “We worked over the summer to look at how we can modify what the committee approved … The whole idea of thinking about final exams came from student input.”
The calendar will be re-evaluated three years after it is implemented, in Spring 2017, according to Fuchs.
PK DAU[` OEBPS/Flow_7.htmlBeer Flows in Willard Straight Hall as Bear’s Den Opens
Anisha Chopra ’13, John Mueller ’13 and Adam Gitlin ’13 drink and socialize at the Bear’s Den pub on its opening night Wednesday in Willard Straight Hall’s Ivy Room.
Photo by Kelly Yang
After two years of planning and waiting for a liquor license, the new student pub, located in the Ivy Room in Willard Straight Hall, opened Wednesday, drawing dozens of excited students.
Operating under a temporary license provided by Cornell Catering, the Bear’s Den offered both well-known labels, such as Heineken, Michelob and Amstel Lite, and local brews, such as Big Red Ale.
“My hope is that it gets used as much as possible,” said Rob Callahan ’14, pub director of the Student Union Board. “I think you’re going to get a different kind of person that comes in here on a Friday night as opposed to going to Collegetown … We’re trying to appeal to the people, who are both 21 and not 21, who are looking for stuff to do at night.”
Both undergraduate and graduate students who came to the pub’s opening said they were looking forward to using the space to catch up with friends after work and to relax after classes. Some also said the Bear’s Den will be a good place for 21-year-olds to spend time in the evening with their underage peers.
“I feel like when I turn 21, this will be a great place to catch a beer after dinner, or after classes,” Gregory Braciak ’14 said. “But until then I can still come with my friends who are 21 even when they’re drinking.”
Although the local draught beer and the assortment of beverages caught the attention of many students, others said space in the room that was allotted to the bar was too small.
Braciak added that he found the use of the venue “underwhelming.”
“In my mind, I kind of envisioned a whole bar,” he said. “But with the space they were provided, I think they did a good job.”
Some students also said Wednesday that they were taken aback that their state IDs were scanned and entered into a database upon entering the pub.
Christine Bakewell ’13 said the ID system may discourage her from returning to the Bear’s Den in the future.
“The school has all of our IDs on file now,” she said. “It just struck me as weird. I wouldn’t have come if I had known that.”
Stephanie Ellis, dining manager of the Ivy Room and the Bear’s Den, said that the pub scans the front of a student’s state ID as a safety precaution and records the date and time each student entered the pub.
“[The time stamp] does stay in our records, just, for instance, if something were to happen off-campus,” she said. “So, if [students] were to leave, it does state when they were here and the date they were here.”
The system also ensures that each ID is scanned only once, to prevent students from passing their IDs to friends to use to get a wristband that allows them to purchase alcoholic beverages, Ellis said.
Ellis said the information obtained by the scanner would not be used for any other purpose.
“It’s nothing bad, it’s just more or less for safety, for double checking of the IDs,” she said. “It’s not like it’s going to the Cornell police or anything. It’s for us.”
PK DAJZ w w OEBPS/Flow_8.htmlPosing as Professor, Cornell Alumnus Slams Jewish Student's Religion in Email
Just one month into her first semester at Cornell, as she prepared to observe the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, Nicole Barel ’16 was faced with her first-ever encounter with what she said was anti-semitism, in the form of an email she believed to have been sent by one of her professors.
In an attempt to contact Prof. Bruce Monger, earth and atmospheric sciences, to request an excused absence from his Introduction to Oceanography lecture on Monday, Barel inadvertently added one extra digit to Monger’s netID — and found herself the subject of what she said was an offensive rant.
“If you cannot come to the realization that higher learning is more important than ancient traditions, I suggest you move to Palestine and try to grow crops in the desert, your promised holy land,” said the email, which was obtained by The Sun.
In an interview with The Sun on Sept. 19, Brian Mick ’10 took credit for sending the email, in which he impersonates Monger — who later condemned the contents of the email — in a tirade against the University’s accommodations for religious holidays. He said he sent the email not only as a prank but also a “statement to the Cornell community.”
“I figured I would have a little fun, do a little trolling — but it underlies a serious issue with religion and academia today,” Mick said. “We need to not make allowances for people based on their religion. Everyone can have their own religion, but when it comes to academia, which you’re paying $50,000 a year for, you need to get your priorities in order.”
In the email, Mick, posing as Monger, informs Barel that the “Jewish high holidays are not an acceptable reason to miss class,” and that he cannot allow her to “pick and choose your classes based on some beliefs in a God.”
After rejecting her request for an excused absence on Monday, Mick goes on to criticize specific Jewish customs and traditions.
“Judaism is also outdated and harks to a forgotten time, when pork would spoil because we didn’t have refrigerators and people believed that painting lambs blood on their doors would prevent plagues,” the email says. “It’s simply nonsense, and to say you’ll be skipping four hours of important, contemporary instruction is blasphemous to science and shows a grievous misappropriation of your time and priorities.”
Barel said she was stunned — and livid — when she received Mick’s email, which she believed, at the time, was written by Prof. Monger.
“I couldn’t believe that someone from the faculty would actually speak to me that way. I almost couldn’t breathe I was so angry. All I could think was … ‘I cannot wait to get this anti-semite fired,’” she said.
After the initial shock, Barel forwarded the email and a complaint to a number of University administrators, including President David Skorton, Dean of Students Kent Hubbell ’67, a rabbi at the Center for Jewish Living, her faculty advisor and Prof. Arthur Degaetano, chair of the department of earth and atmospheric sciences.
“I am embarrassed to study at and pay tuition to a University who hires a hater and anti-semite such as Monger. I expect this to be dealt with very seriously,” Barel said in her email.
Shortly after, a friend of Barel’s realized she had been duped.
To achieve an appearance of authenticity in his impersonation of Monger, Mick said he changed the display name on his email account to “Bruce Monger” and signed the email with a fake signature that contained Monger’s official University title and his office phone number.
Barel was not impressed.
“I don’t know if he wanted to just be funny or anti-semitic, but he did not accomplish anything,” Barel said. “I hope that this guy gets in trouble with the University and with the law.”
But Cornell officials — who declined to discuss this specific incident, but spoke generally on University policy — said that there is little recourse for the administration to address inappropriate conduct by Cornell alumni who are no longer on campus.
“The campus Code of Conduct … does not cover alleged misconduct by people who have already graduated,” said Judicial Administrator Mary Beth Grant J.D. ’88. “We want to support people, but we also have to recognize the boundaries of what we’re authorized to do according to the code … If it doesn’t say something in the code, there’s nothing our office can do about it.”
Mick said he had not been concerned about potential consequences when writing the email.
“I figured she’d send me a nasty email back and delete it; that’s what I would have done,” Mick said. “It wasn’t aimed at her personally, although I’m sure it seemed like it. I have nothing personal against her.”
Regardless of whether or not Mick intended to hurt Barel, Monger called the decision to send the email “evil.”
“It’s not a funny prank; it was beyond a joke. This was really trying to be hurtful. There wasn’t a hint of sarcasm; it was just rude,” Monger said.
The sentiments expressed in the email were the “polar opposite of what I would have done,” added Monger, who delivered a repeat of his Oceanography lecture Tuesday night for students who were unable to attend on Monday.
PK DA 6G G OEBPS/Flow_9.htmlDespite Prime Location, Former Green Cafe Lot Remains Unused
The lot of the former Green Café has remained empty since the business
Photo by Dylan Clemens
Amid the thriving businesses on College Avenue — the commercial and social hub of Collegetown — the space that was formerly Green Café still stands vacant, more than two years after the café abruptly filed for bankruptcy in February 2010.
In April 2010, the business’ bankruptcy filing was dismissed by a federal bankruptcy court on the grounds that the company had inadequate legal representation. The business shut down the following day.
Nearly 30 months later, city officials question why the property has not been rented out by its owner, Jason Fane, who owns the Ithaca Renting Company. Though some speculate that the company demands rent that is too expensive, company representatives deny the charge.
Officials said they are concerned by the vacancy at the corner of College Avenue and Dryden Road –– which Alderperson Ellen McCollister ’78 (D-3rd Ward) called “the most valuable real estate in Collegetown.”
Alderperson Graham Kerslick (D-4th Ward) echoed her sentiments, saying that city officials and Collegetown residents are worried about the “negative impact that long-term vacant properties can have on the city.”
Both McCollister and Kerslick said that, prior to the Green Café moving into the lot in 2009, the space had been vacant for years.
“That location hasn’t had a viable business for as long as I can remember,” Kerslick said. “I’ve been in Ithaca for 30 years.”
But David Huckle ’79, commercial leasing and marketing manager of the Ithaca Renting Company, said that although the space may have appeared to be vacant before it was renovated to become the Green Café, it actually had a tenant.
“We had a lease in place with a local bank, which had an ATM at the property and used it for storage and meetings,” Huckle said.
Huckle said the 4,700-square foot commercial space has not been rented since Green Café — which closed in February 2010 after its owner filed for bankruptcy — left because it is a “specialized” building. Green Cafe was also fined $1 million for labor violations later that year.
“We have been actively looking at any and all opportunities to get the right operators for that property,” Huckle said.
Such an operator would have “experience in their particular field, whether it be hospitality or retail; a proven track record; and the financial wherewithal to take on a property of that size and setup,” he added.
Observers, however, speculate that the rent for the space is simply too high.
Huckle denied that expensive rent is a factor in the space’s continued vacancy.
“Quite frankly, if you were to look at the rents in Collegetown, without getting specific, I can tell you that we’re in line with what other larger stores are paying,” he said.
The fact that the property, 330 College Ave., is only a one-story commercial space is also unusual, city officials said.
“It’s a real economic anomaly to have a one-story building at that corner,” McCollister said. “The land value is just too high.”
Kerslick agreed, saying it does not make sense to limit the commercial space to one story, given the high property values in Collegetown.
Still, Huckle said the Ithaca Renting Company is not focused on expanding the building past a single story.
“Our primary focus has to be on renting the existing 4,700 square feet store,” he said. “A week doesn’t go by where we’re not speaking with various prospects that are looking at that property.”
However, Kerslick said that the vacant property is a waste of space. In addition to not bolstering the city’s sales tax revenue and employment, the empty space “gives the impression that it’s not a thriving community,” he said.
Kerslick compared Cayuga Street to the thriving Aurora Street in the Commons, saying it should be a commercial model for the rest of the city.
“Aurora Street, on the other hand, is a big success story; it is a vibrant setting,” Kerslick said.
But Huckle, rather than focusing on the vacancy of 330 College Ave., emphasized the successes of the Ithaca Renting Company, including the fact that it has rented four other spaces nearby within the past five months.
“The only property that we have that is vacant in Collegetown is 330 College Ave.,” he said.
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