Stories from The Sun

Provost Biddy Martin Named Finalist in UW-Madison Chancellor Search

Ben Eisen — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Four people are vying to take over for University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jon Wiley at the helm of the nation’s 10th largest university when he steps down in September. One candidate is Cornell’s own Provost Biddy Martin.

U.W. System President Kevin Reilly named Martin a finalist for the position on Wednesday, signifying that she has made one of the last cuts in the chancellor search.

Obama, Clinton Split Tuesday Primaries in Indiana and N.C.

The Associated Press — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:37:00 -0400

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Barack Obama swept to a convincing victory in the North Carolina primary Tuesday night and declared he was closing in on the Democratic presidential nomination. Hillary Rodham Clinton eked out a win in Indiana as she struggled to halt her rival's march into history.

"Tonight we stand less than 200 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination for president of the United States," Obama told a raucous rally in Raleigh, N.C. — and left no doubt he intended to claim the prize.

Clinton stepped before her own supporters not long afterward in Indianapolis. "Thanks to you, it's full speed on to the White House," she said, signaling her determination to fight on in a campaign already waged across more than 16 months and nearly all 50 states.

Indiana, North Carolina, and Beyond: Numbers and Asterisks

Mike Wacker — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:30:00 -0400

Given the nature of this Democratic primary, it only makes sense that Obama would take one state and Clinton would take the other. However, Obama soundly defeated Clinton in North Carolina while Clinton narrowly won a nail-biter in Indiana, and North Carolina has more voters and delegates as well. I would even say that tonight symbolizes the race in general; although this has proved to be a very close battle, all the signs are pointing to Obama if one looks deeper.

Farewell Seniors, Hello Summer!

Jennifer Vargas — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:37:46 -0400

Well guys, that's it! The Sun is done for the year! While this is good news for those of us who haven't slept since January, it's sad news for you because you won't be getting your daily dose of photos! Fear not, loyal readers, because we've done so many slideshows this semester that can you watch one every single week of the summer and still have some to spare. So now when you find yourself reminiscing about all of the great things that happened at Cornell this year, you can just fire up cornellsun.com, make your way to this post, and let our photos bring you back in time. Pretty awesome, wouldn't you say?

The New Resource Crisis

Rob Coniglio — Sun, 04 May 2008 23:21:59 -0400

Everyone knows about OPEC, the cartel of petroleum-producing nations that has manipulated oil prices and production for years, but if Thailand has its way there will be a cartel for rice producing nations. The interest in a rice-producer’s cartel highlights a new resource crisis that is upon the world, that of food. Over the past year food prices across the world have skyrocketed, with rice prices rising 74 percent and wheat prices going up 130 percent. The origin for much of the rising prices is the increasing world populations, as well as increasing incomes in developing countries, leading to higher demands for meat products, which require grain for feed.

Binghamton Student Dies in Alcohol-Related Car Accident

Ben Eisen and Emily Cohn — Sun, 04 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A car traveling east on Rt. 79 carrying five students — four from SUNY Binghamton and one from the University of Michigan — crashed on Friday night, leaving one student dead and another charged with vehicular manslaughter. The students were leaving Cornell after attending the University's Slope Day festivities.

According to the Ithaca Journal, 22-year-old Willie Poon was pronounced dead at Cayuga Medical Center on Saturday morning due to a fatal head injury.

Making More Music: “Microfinance” and Struggling Artists?

Gabriela Salazar — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:50:05 -0400

As long as people have a sense of hearing, there will always be a market for music. Sounds get ranked, and musicians are sensitive to those distinctions. So, what does microfinance have to do with have to do with music? In the footsteps of Kiva, calabash.com advertises the option to “microfinance” struggling musicians around the world with its“tune your world” campaign.

The Cursed Build

Zheng Gu — Sat, 03 May 2008 10:53:15 -0400

This is a documentary of a nightmare come true. Back in mid-February, I decided to order the hardware needed to build my new desktop computer. Newegg shipped them to me very promptly, being a reputable e-tailer and all. You can imagine the excitement when I received the last package in the mail. The hours immediately following were spent putting all the pieces together. Then, the time finally came to push the power button. However, the situation suddenly became problematic and complicated. Something in my desktop was DOA. The hard part is, of course, figuring out what that something is.

Racism and the Asian Community at Cornell

D. Evan Mulvihill — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:18:19 -0400

On April Fools’ Day, I published a fake news piece (in the style of The Onion) titled “Asian Community Center to be Built Adjacent to Uris Library” on my blog CornellWatch. The post envisioned the Center as the cartoonish embodiment of the full spectrum of Asian and Asian American (A3) stereotypes, replete with a Pokémon Card Trading Arena, a Mi-So Slipi Lounge, and a Chinese restaurant selling cat for consumption.

M. Lax Skips Slope Day to Play Hobart

Yael Borofsky — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Far away from Libe Slope and the debauchery known as “Slope Day,” the men’s lacrosse team will be experiencing Hobart’s version of a college celebration spectacle. Tonight, the Red will sum up its regular season by participating in the first night game ever held at Boswell Field hosted by the Hobart Statesmen.

There is a lot on the line for both Cornell and Hobart. For the Red, this match-up could be the deciding factor in their bid to play in the postseason.

Winning this weekend will arguably be the most important step in the team’s quest to make it back to the Final Four at Gillette Stadium. In addition, head coach Jeff Tambroni will be returning to his alma mater and the setting where he played college lacrosse.

The Top-25 Senior Athletes

Cory Bennett — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Each year, the Sun chooses the top athletes from each class. Below are the 25 best seniors as selected by the members of the Sun’s Sports Department. In addition, the Sun has named several honorable mentions.

Courtney Farrell - W. Lacrosse

Track Hosts Invitational as Tuneup for Upcoming Heps

Evan Carr — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

To kick off the month of May, the Red will be hosting the Cornell Outdoor Invitational tomorrow — the men’s and women’s track teams will be rolling into the weekend with momentum from last week’s successes at the Penn Relays.

At that three-day competition, Cornell dominated in a number of events — the women achieved eight top-10 appearances in the championship round along with an impressive number of ECAC and NCAA Regional qualifiers. Following suit, the men also made an impact at the Penn Relays with top-10 showings in almost every relay event along with many IC4A and NCAA Regional qualifying performances in other running, throwing and jumping events.

Sloping Upward

Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

To anyone reading this paper on Slope Day: you are awesome. We’re not quite sure why you’ve decided to pick up our last issue of the semester, but we certainly hope you enjoy it.

Down here at the office, insanity is happening. Designers are designing, computers are computing and as for the rest of us — well, we’ll soon be quite severely incapacitated. Good times.

This semester has been great for us. We really enjoy doing what we do, and we are truly thankful to have such a committed readership. We hope you appreciated most of what you’ve read over the past few months — we certainly had a good time putting it all together.

Alum Files $10 Mil. Lawsuit Against C.U.

Michael Stratford — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The alumnus who sued Cornell last year for defamation and libel has filed additional litigation against the University. In a $10 million lawsuit filed April 8, Kevin Vanginderen ’83 alleges that Cornell published libelous information, placed him in a false light, publicly disclosed private facts about him and intruded into his private affairs.

Some of Vanginderen’s latest complaints relate to a 1983 Cornell Chronicle article — digitized and placed online last year by the University — that described his involvement with several thefts on campus. After finding the article online last year through Google, he sued the University for libel and defamation for the first time.

Maduka Makes Mark on Cornell

Keenan Weatherford — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

It's a breed of athletes that gets rarer and rarer as you ascend to the upper echelon of sports: the two-sport athlete. It's easy for children to play both tee-ball and soccer when they're five years old, but maintaining skills in two sports gets harder as the competition gets older and bigger. In the uncommon occurrence that one finds a two-sport athlete in collegiate athletics, it's almost guaranteed that he or she is an athlete of exceptional caliber, and Jeomi Maduka, the Sun's Athlete of the Year for 2008, is no exception.

BSU Wins Perkins Prize for ‘Questions Out of a Hat’ Forum

Elizabeth Patrun — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Each year, a group is recognized for it efforts to increase diversity and social acceptance with the Perkins Prize. Announced last week, the 2008 prize has been awarded to Black Students United for their sponsorship of the “Questions Out of a Hat” event.

According to Christine Forester of the Office of the Dean of Students — which administers the award — there were 11 groups considered this year. Each member of the selection committee rated all of the applications on a scale of 1 to 5 in the categories of participation, sustainability of effort, promotion of values and enhancement of abilities.

The Cornell Sun Guide to Slope Day Debauchery

Sun Staff — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

It’s everyone’s favorite holiday, party and concert: Slope Day. As Cornell ushers in the event that has been a semester in the making, we bring you all the details you need.

Schedule

11 a.m. — Everyone will be cleared off the slope

12 p.m. — Slope reopens for SlopeFest

1:30 p.m. — Ted Leo and the Pharmacists perform

2:40 p.m. — Hot Hot Heat perform

4:00 p.m. — Gym Class Heroes perform

Weather

The events will continue rain or shine, according to Liz Rapaport ’09, chair of the Slope Day Programming Board. Though there is a chance of rain, artists will still be performing.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Josh Perlin — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The e-mail was short: “Josh, me and you need to have a little chat. No problems, just want to talk.”

So, one night in Nov. 2005, I took a phone call. The voice on the other end was Chris Mascaro ’06, and he was offering me the opportunity of a lifetime.

What if you had the opportunity to go to every Cornell athletics event for free, home and away; receive an all-access pass and the best seats in the house to every event; meet and talk with all the players and coaches; befriend the staff and administration in and out of Athletics, at Cornell and other schools; chat with famous media personalities, coaches and athletes from around the country, in college, professional sports and beyond?

Would you take it?

S.A. Discusses End Of 2007-2008 Report

Emily Dally — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

At yesterday’s Student Assembly meeting, S.A. President C. J. Slicklen ’09 presented the S.A. and community members with the Student Assembly End of Year Report for the 2007-2008 academic year.

This year has seen many changes brought by the S.A., some controversial, others well received. The initiatives have brought change on and off campus, as well as to the S.A.’s own structure.

Their initiatives on campus have included supporting gender neutral housing and the creation of an Asian and Asian-American Community Center. The S.A. also voted to approve the 2008-2010 Student Activity Fee at $204 per undergraduate per year.

W. Lax Fights Irish With Playoff Bid on the Line

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The fate of Cornell’s season could very well be hanging in the balance tomorrow as No. 15 Cornell faces off against No. 10 Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

The women’s laxers, who finished in second in Ivy League play this year, will be playing the Fighting Irish in what will be both teams’ last regular season game. As runners-up in the Ivy League, Cornell is not guaranteed of a NCAA playoff berth, so the squad’s postseason hopes may be resting on the outcome of tomorrow’s game.

Adiós, Amigos

Mark Coombs — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I owe a lot to Dr. James McHenry.

No, he’s not my doctor. He’s not my professor, either. He’s not even my preacher.

He’s, well, a Marylander.

And he’s cool enough to have gotten an invite to the coolest party in town.

He even took notes — I know, because I’ve read them.

(Parts, anyway.)

You see, Dear Reader, Dr. James McHenry wasn’t just any Marylander; he was one of five to have represented the Old Line State at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

This, obviously, was an experience that the good doctor knew he would never forget — but one, too, that he wanted the whole world to remember.

Retiring Prof. Brian Earle ’67 Leaves Mark on Cornell Univ.

Emily Cohn — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A few years ago, Prof. Brian Earle ’67, communication, awoke to a phone call in the middle of the night from a student. It was Senior Week and the young man, along with his fraternity brothers, had decided that they would visit every bar in Tompkins County. At a stop along their journey, one of the brothers remarked aloud that they had arrived at a true “redneck bar.” At once, the young men were escorted out of the bar and into the parking lot, where one of the bar’s patrons poured beer in the students’ gas tank.

Time to Say Good Bye

Mao Ye — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Better teaching, better living and better rankings: these were the three campaign promises I made for the student trustee election in 2006. As my term comes to an end, I feel it is my responsibility to compare what I promised to do what I have actually accomplished in the past two years. During my tenure, my understanding of the original platform was deepened and broadened, but I have never, never forgotten my promises to you.

Better Teaching

My primary instrument to improve teaching was to declassify the course evaluation results. We began our efforts in CALS first, which was considered the most difficult to overcome. Several years ago, the CALS faculty senate passed a resolution prohibiting the dean and associate deans from seeing the evaluations.

Any Person, Almost Any Study: C.U. Lacks Journalism Major

Sam Cross — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

When Cornell was founded in 1865, Ezra Cornell stated that “[He] would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.” This quotation, which became Cornell’s motto, may not hold completely true, since the University fails to provide many majors, including a journalism program.

Scott Conroe MPS ’98, who taught science writing and magazine journalism at Cornell for seven years, summarized the history of Cornell’s journalism program since he came to C.U. in 1996.

Test Spin: Atmosphere

Dan Goldstein — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

One of the best things about the hip-hop duo Atmosphere is how articulate rapper Slug is. One of the worst things about When Life Gives You Lemons is how an army of overpowering instrumentals, led by louder-than-necessary snapping snare drums, negates whatever advantages clear vocals usually bring to an Atmosphere track.

With the music out in front of the vocals, otherwise noteworthy beats grow mundane, rarely changing, which further diminishes the listening experience. Adding to the monotony of the album, most songs carry a dark, ominous tone; songs simply mesh into each other. The album lacks strong distinction among the individual tracks.

False Bravado

Gabriel Arana — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

For three years I had weekly sessions with Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, president of the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). Dr. Nicolosi thought that homosexuality was a pathology, a sublimated desire to reconnect with one’s lost masculinity. The theory: under-attentive fathers and over-attentive mothers create gay children. The purpose of therapy was to put me in touch with my masculine identity and thereby change my sexual orientation.

Gun Control Elicits Safety Concerns

Donial Dastgir and Elizabeth Manapsal — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This is the third and final part of a series of articles examining gun control at Cornell, in the United States and in countries around the world.

Cornell is a safe place to be — at least it appears that way. Isolated in Upstate New York, it is removed from the violence typically associated with cities. But how safe is Cornell?

Isolation does not necessarily guarantee safety. In 1983, a gunman murdered two students in their dormitory room, slipping into the dormitory unnoticed with a rifle. Two years ago, a white Cornell student stabbed a black student from Union College in a racially motivated hate crime.

Seniors Lead Team From Front Lines

Meredith Bennett-Smith — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Lacrosse players aren’t supposed to be sappy, lacrosse players aren’t supposed to be sad — but it is with a heavy heart that the younger players will soon say goodbye to the Class of 2008, if not after the game against Hobart, then as far along the line as possible. (In the playoffs, it’s a good sign to have to keep putting off those final goodbyes.)

This year, Cornell will lose nine men, valuable athletes every one of them — from twin midfielders Mike and Tom Corbolotti to loyal attacker John Espey to first-year starting goalie Jake Myers. This is a class that will be missed. (But there’s no whining in lacrosse, either.)

The Bias Cut (5-1-2008)

Martin Ambrose — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Is it just me, or is Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road” simply impossible to get out of one’s head during weeks like these?! Well, either way, keep a kleenex handy, as, sadly, it’s just about time for our own dramatic farewell.

Last year, upon receiving an email asking me to write for The Cornell Daily Sun, my initial thought was, “That’s sweet, but probably not going to happen.” I’d heard great things about the paper, but couldn’t claim to be an avid reader. Now, reflecting upon the experience one year later, the supporting fans, angry blogs and occasional “LOL”s all add up to an overall very pleasant surprise.

Prof’s Online Video Library Licensed to Start-Up Company

Venus Wu — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Getting the busy CEOs of Citigroup, Nike Inc. or PepsiCo to come to a Cornell classroom is an arduous task. A near-substitute, however, is made possible with eClips, a free and open online collection of nearly 11,000 video clips of interviews and presentations by business experts.

eClips was initiated more than a decade ago by Prof. Deborah Streeter, applied economics and management. Designed for classroom use, most of the clips are only a few minutes long and can be integrated into PowerPoint presentations. The free and open website now boasts users in more than 1,200 universities in over 75 countries.

Recently, Streeter announced that the online video library has been licensed to a startup company called eClipsNet, LLC.

Slope Day Preview: A Tribute To Gym Class Heroes (or, "Why I'm No Longer Indie")

Peter Finocchiaro — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

What I’m about to reveal might well cause Brooklyn Vegan to block my IP address, and will certainly draw the scorn of Senior Editor Sammy Perlmutter (whose icy stare, through those thick, royal blue hipster glasses, will shake me to the core). My indie aficionado credentials are about to be revoked, because what I will soon divulge to you, dear readers, is, quite simply, unacceptable in indie-land.

The Last Kiss Goodbye (With Tongue)

Jenna B. — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

You’re all getting Nexted. I’m leaving you and running away with the Cunnilingus Cowboy, the fine feminist gentleman who penned the illuminating “My Night with Jenna B.” on Friday. Everyone knows a girl simply cannot resist a man who rates her fellatio skills on a 10-point scale. I’d make an educated guess he’s been haunted by that particular number (5.75) quite a bit lately, as it is precisely the length of time, in seconds, it took him to — oh, easy digs on helpless, faceless dudes: how I’ll miss you.

The Sun Sports Staff Selects the Top 20 Junior Athletes

Meredith Bennett-Smith — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Each year, the Sun chooses the top athletes from each class. Below are the 20 best juniors as selected by the members of the Sun's Sports Department. On Friday, the Sun will reveal its choice for Athlete of the Year.

Jeff Foote — Men's Basketball

Viva La Viral!: Film, Viral Videos and the Future

Matt Palmer — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

While I was in Los Angeles, Dana Brunetti — producer of the recent hit film 21 and head honcho at Kevin Spacey’s Trigger Street Productions — sat down with me to talk about their site, Triggerstreet.com, and how Hollywood interfaces with filmmakers through the internet. [Editor's Note: This is an extended version of the interview that appeared in the print edition of the May 1st, 2008 issue of The Cornell Daily Sun.]

Matt Palmer: What’s the story behind Triggerstreet.com?

One of Four Emergency Sirens Fails in Test of New Technology

Sun Staff — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The University tested the four emergency sirens, which were installed over Spring Break, at about 11 a.m. yesterday. Three of the sirens — located on the roofs of Mary Donlon Hall, the Hans Bethe House and Bartels Hall — functioned properly, while the one located above the Veterinary Medical Center did not, according to Simeon Moss ’73, director of Cornell Press Relations.

The contractors are currently investigating the problem with the Vet College siren.

“It is an ongoing process and we are continuing testing to make sure they perform the way we want them to,” Moss said.

The sirens sound a three-minute alert tone and can also broadcast a pre-recorded or live message.

Slope Day Preview: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

Lauren Herget — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

My, oh my, Ted, look at your progress in the last decade: From your punky, Fugazi-inspired days on the streets of DC to touring small clubs and recording incessantly to finally opening up for Slope Day 2008, you’ve come a long way, baby!

And the man deserves every bit of praise and respect he earns: Ted Leo and his troupe of balladeers (a.k.a. the ever-shifting line-up of the Pharmacists) are relentless … really. When they’re not touring, they’re seemingly always recording a new album, or else honing their sound to become better, fitter, faster and generally stronger. The result is highly melodic, literate, witty, genre-crushing post-punk.

Skeptics Challenge Clinton's Push to Fund C.U.'s Arecibo

Nikhita Parandekar and Michael Stratford — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

As the Cornell-operated Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico struggles to find financial support after the National Science Foundation slashed its funding, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) is proposing, in legislation she introduced two weeks ago, that the NSF completely restore the research facility’s grants. But with just a month until the Puerto Rican primary, some Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) supporters are calling the move political posturing.

On April 15, Clinton introduced a bill in the Senate — S.2862 — that directs the NSF to “ensure that the Arecibo Observatory is fully funded.” The bill cites the scientific and research value of the observatory and also calls for the observatory’s collaboration with NASA for the research of near-Earth objects.

Women’s Lacrosse Will Miss Depth of Senior Class

Keenan Weatherford — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

It’s difficult to imagine the team without the graduating seniors of 2008, to think that next year’s fans won’t have the chance to see a lightning-fast, eye-opening goal by Courtney Farrell or the stalwart defensive effort directed by Amanda Linnertz and Ashleigh Smith.

While others will surely fill their shoes, the mark that the seven seniors have made on the women’s lacrosse program will be difficult to match for future generations, partially because of the sheer size of the class.

Simmer down: Senior Katherine Simmons (14) looks to score April 13 against No. 17 Stanford. The midfielder netted four goals in the 13-9 win, including the game-winner.

Test Spin: Madonna

Greg Bodenlos — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Over Madonna’s 25-year career, it’s always been nearly impossible to separate her music from her image; the two reflect each other so much that it’s often difficult to discern which came first. This tendency worried me, as the garishly horrific — and eerily pornographic — cover to Hard Candy suggested that the singer’s new album would be an equally atrocious listening experience. Thankfully, Madonna — for the most part — breaks from her image-equals-music tradition, as Hard Candy is a relentlessly modern, savvy collection of hip-pop that gleams with sleek, silky R&B and disco influences.

University Prepares for a Greener Slope Day

Elizabeth Krevsky — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Each year, thousands of students stumble onto Libe Slope to listen to performers and bask in Slope Day’s glory. This year, students and the University alike are working to make the Big Red event a little greener.

For example, only recyclable and compostable materials will be provided on the Slope.

In fact, everything sold by Cornell Dining will be compostable, according to Scott Davis, Cornell Dining. The eco-friendly materials will include compostable paper napkins, paper plates, potato-starch cutlery and sandwich wrappers. The food will also be composted.

“It’s not much more difficult,” Davis said, “and it’s a worthwhile effort.”

Slope Day Road Closings and Transportation Changes

Sun Staff — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Tomorrow’s activities looks like they will be a little, well, wetter than in the past with rain predicted for tonight and through tomorrow morning — but the fun must go on.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists will hit the stage at 1:30 p.m., followed by Hot Hot Heat at 2:40 p.m. Tomorrow’s headliner, Gym Class Heroes, will go on at 4:00 p.m.

Road Closures:

West Avenue (between Campus Road and University Avenue) will be closed from 6 a.m. today through 8 a.m. on Saturday.

On Slope Day, Campus Road between College Avenue and Stewart Avenue will be closed from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Access to Gannett Health Center, Anabel Taylor Hall and Myron Taylor Hall will be from the College Avenue and Campus Road intersection only.

Test Spin: Santogold

Samuel Gordon II — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Delightfully boisterous, the Brooklyn-via-Philadelphia band Santogold focuses a dizzying array of reggae-dub, groovy surf rock and buoyant pop melodies into a truly promising debut album. Led by front-woman Santi White’s shape-shifting vocals and bandmate John Hill’s scorching synthesizer play, Santogold does not linger in any single genre of music for too long — a scheme that works to stellar effect.

Sucking the Teat Of High Society

John-David Brown — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This semester I’ve written a lot about my desire to find a hunky wealthy husband who can jumpstart my path to fame and power. So for my last column, I want to give everyone a little advice about some of the things I think we should all try to accomplish this summer to achieve these goals. For those who are graduating, you basically missed your chance — good riddance. But for those who still have a chance to make something of themselves before returning to campus, take good notes.

Test Spin: Arsis

Naushad Kabir — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Arsis have been the darlings of the brutal death metal underground since their dazzling 2004 debut, A Celebration of Guilt, which proved that Americans can incorporate beautiful melodies into a raging tornado of tremolo guitar riffs and blast beats even better than European contemporaries.

Now Arsis has returned for their third album, We are the Nightmare, with a brand new lineup. After the disappointment of the last album, United in Regret, founding member Jim Malone decided to start writing catchy melodies again — Nightmare is definitely a heavy album, but when it’s not busy reaching in and tearing the listener’s spine out of his or her nose, the tear-dropping sense of melody from Celebration returns.

In Which the Term “Scramble” Receives More Liberal Definition than the AEM Department

Tim Krueger — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I’ll admit that I didn’t really start reading the Sun until the end of last year, after I knew I’d be writing for it in a few months. I’ve since determined that there’s no model for a good column; if anyone came close this year, it was Shannon with her flow chart. The only consistency I can see is that the ones I’ve written in Libe Café are better than the ones I’ve written on my back porch. Since it’s nice out, I’m obviously writing on my back porch instead of in Libe. The point is I’m not promising anything here. In lieu of any insightful commentary on Cornell and undergraduate life then, let me conclude the column with some obvious remarks on the twin pillars of the American collegiate tradition: the liberal arts education and the senior scramble.

Red Tops Bearcats For 40-Win Season

Zack Slabotsky — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The softball team (40-10, 16-4 Ivy) completed its season last night with a sweep of Binghamton. The Red took two from its in-state rival and sent the seniors off on a high note.

As recently as Sunday, however, the Red was hoping that the games with Binghamton would serve as a tune-up for an Ivy League championship series against Harvard. That was not the case, due to a 1-3 weekend record against Princeton, which dropped the Red to The softball team (40-10, 16-4 Ivy) completed its season last night with a sweep of Binghamton. The Red took two from its in-state rival and sent the seniors off on a high note.

Overheard: Why Do We Go To A Liberal Pagan School?!

Monika Derrien — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Thanks everyone, for all the submissions this week and the past two years. It’s been fun!

Blonde: [sniffs] What is that?

Brunette: Are you kidding? You know that smell. I know that smell.

Blonde: [sniffs again] I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Brunette: Honey, it was all over you last night, and you know it. Ho Plaza always smells like cum in the springtime!

— Ho Plaza

Chick: Ugh! I hate Ho Plaza this time of year!

Dude: Why?

Chick: It makes me feel really bad…guilty.

Dude: Because it reminds you of how much you like the cock?

Chick: And I can’t escape it!

-Ho Plaza

Sorority Girl: Jenna, this is my sister!

Jenna B: ... Oh, your biological sister?! Hi!

— Outside Ruloff's

Slope Day Preview: Cranking Up the Hot Hot Heat

Sammy Perlmutter — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I fear the lyrics to Hot Hot Heat’s 2002 hit single will morph into reality following the drunken debauchery that will surely ensue on tomorrow on Slope Day. People will be singing, “Bandages, bandages, bandages / Up and down on my legs my arms from you!” But whether or not these words will simply be the result of a catchy, stick-in-your-head chorus or of a horrible drunken accident … I guess time will only tell.

Perhaps best known for “Bandages,” Hot Hot Heat has authored four best selling albums, which together include four top 50 hits. The band’s most recent album, Happiness Ltd., was released last year. Hot Hot Heat will perform second and directly before Gym Class Heroes tomorrow afternoon.

Lamenting the ‘Criminalization of the Lynah Faithful’

Mitchell Alva — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

As the academic year winds down, we would like to call the Cornell community’s attention to an issue that affects a significant percentage of students: the poor treatment of hockey fans by the Athletic Department.

High prices for student tickets limit the Cornell fan base and result in empty seats. By comparison, 2008 NCAA champion Boston College offers free tickets to students, as do ECAC Hockey regular season champion Clarkson, Hockey East powerhouses Maine and New Hampshire and CCHA tournament finalist Miami (Ohio).

Smellerific: Fun in the Sun

X Li — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Since this is probably going to be the last you hear from me for a while, I better give you some good scents for the summer.

Eternity by Calvin Klein is a light, fresh and nonchalant cologne that is inoffensive and conservative. Even though this CK is as old as I am, it’s still modern and popular today because of its green, soapy and carefree nature — perfect for relaxing summer picnics on newly cut grass.

For the ladies, I would recommend a fairly popular Estee Lauder release named Pleasures Intense. Everyone here is still young enough to flaunt it and that’s what Pleasures Intense does. It has some fragrant florals along with soft, quiet musks that will be perfect for a fun and flirty summer fling, whatever that might entail.