Stories from The Sun

Test Spin: Wilco

Henry Hauser — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Wilco’s seventh studio LP, Wilco (The Album), channeling its eponymous title, spins as a consolidation of singer / songwriter Jeff Tweedy’s oeuvre. Congealing alt-country, quasi-experimental and neo-folk, the album genre-blazes across the band’s decade-and-a-half creative trajectory.

Ode to Thee, Oh Bonnaroo

Ted Hamilton — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

It was with great excitement and hedonistic anticipation that I looked forward to this year’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, held from June 11-14 on a farm in Manchester, TN. Tales I had heard from past attendees and the glossy coverage in Rolling Stone promised a long weekend of wonderful music, wonderful people and general paganistic pleasure. Headliners like Band of Horses and MGMT whet my appetite; smaller acts like Amadou & Mariam and The Dirty Projectors made me all the more excited. For a music fan — and one who especially enjoys shared irresponsibility — there’s nothing better.

An Adirondack Adventure

Guy Ross — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

It was pitch black out, even though the sun had barely set beyond the distant mountains. Dense cloud cover and even denser evergreens obscured the weak light of the quarter moon, making it nearly impossible to find secure footing on the slick rocks that studded the muddy trail. I had been hiking since 6 a.m. and now had no food, little water and was still three hours away from my car. I was beginning to regret not checking the batteries in my headlamp — the weak beam had faded away in to insignificance within minutes of switching it on, slowing my pace to a crawl as I squinted at my feet, making sure I wasn’t about to fall in to the winding Opalescent River.

Body Retrieved From Fall Creek Gorge

Sun Staff — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Cornell Police found a deceased female at the bottom of Fall Creek Gorge yesterday afternoon after receiving a call from a witness saying that a woman had jumped off the Suspension Bridge. Members of the Ithaca Police Department, Cornell Police Department, Ithaca Fire Department and Bangs Ambulance responded to the incident.

The body was removed at approximately 4 p.m. as "Members of the Ithaca Fire Department rappelled into the gorge [to] retrieve the body," according to a statement issued by the IPD. While the female has yet to be identified, police are continuing to investigate the incident.

The bridge has since been cleared, except for remnants of yellow police tape near the path leading down to the gorge.

Watching a Sea of Green: June 25, 2009

Donial Dastgir — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Maybe it’s because Michael Jackson has died—it’s a sad and unnerving feeling to think that he’s gone—but today has had a very peculiar quality to it. Even for Iran, today was rather strange.

Let’s look at what’s happened.

Seems like Iran is in a state of flux, alternating between days of horrific violence and tense calm. Today is the major exam day of Iran, during which the Konkoor---Iran’s college entrance exam—is administered. It’s of a different mode than the SATs.

Former Standout Goalie McKee Charged With Rape

Sun Staff — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Four years after his record-breaking 2004-05 season for the men's hockey team, former goalie David McKee has been charged with raping an unconscious, intoxicated woman in California in 2006. On June 5, McKee pleaded not guilty to a one-count charge of rape of an unconscious person and one felony count of rape by intoxication. McKee, now free on $100,000 bail, is due back in court in Santa Ana, Calif., on July 10 for a pretrial hearing. If convicted, McKee faces a maximum of eight years in prison.

Security Breach Leaves 45,000 at Risk of Identity Theft

Sun Staff — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:30:00 -0400

On Tuesday Cornell informed more than 45,000 current and former members of the University community that their sensitive personal information — including name and social security number — had been exposed when a University-owned laptop was stolen earlier this month.

The breach exposes many Cornellians to the possibility of identity theft, and the University said it will provide protective services to those affected, including free credit reporting, credit monitoring and identity theft restoration services to those affected by the breach.

A University employee, described as “a member of the Cornell technical staff” had access to a computer containing the sensitive data for the purposes of correcting file-processing transmission errors, according to the University.

Watching a Sea of Green: June 24, 2009

Donial Dastgir — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Much to my dismay, it looks like I’d spoken too soon about things appearing relatively calm in Iran. Today was chaotic.

The major point of incidence in Iran was at Baharestan in Tehran. Baharestan is where the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) meets. Protesters amassed there today (the 24th) in an effort to again show their rejection of the election results that had President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad overwhelming reelected to the presidency. As is now frequently the case in Iran, where there are protesters there are Basij paramilitary forces. And where there are Basiji there is sure to be violence.

Diagnosing Cornell's Security Breach

Mike Wacker — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Watching a Sea of Green, June 23, 2009

Donial Dastgir — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

If you've kept abreast of what has been going on in Iran, then you'll have noticed perhaps that things seem somewhat calmer in Iran. That's all relative of course; compared to Saturday, anything even slightly tamer is bound to appear calm. Beyond that, however, the government has increased its efforts to curtail communication between the protesters and the rest of the world.

To a point, they've succeeded. But, information is still seeping out via twitter and other routes of internet communication.

The Green Resistance

Donial Dastgir — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Unless you’re apathetic about news and/or foreign policy (if you are, why are you reading this blog?) then you’ll have heard by now about the protests in Iran.

I won’t rehash the whole events of the past week,--they can be seen

here --but it is important to note just how monumental the events of the past week have been in Iran.

For the past 30 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has not been much in the way of democratic towards its people. Every time it has taken one tentative step towards political reforms, as it did during the presidency of Mohammed Khatami from 1997-2005, mild protests have ensued. It would be as if after having a taste of water, you’d suddenly become thirsty for more.

Men's Basketball Looks Towards the Future With 2009 Recruiting Class

Zack Slabotsky — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Men’s basketball head coach Steve Donahue added six players to the program for the 2009-10 season, including five incoming freshman and one transfer. The Red appears poised to contend for a third consecutive Ivy League Championship on the strength of its senior class, which features Ryan Wittman, Louis Dale, Geoff Reeves and Alex Tyler, among others. The incoming recruiting class should have one year to learn from the class of 2010 before taking the burden of extending Cornell’s recent stretch of success.

A staple in this year’s recruiting class is size. Five of the team’s six new players are 6-6 or taller. At 6-9, Josh Figini is the tallest of the bunch. The Minnesota native averaged 25 points and 14 rebounds a game to earn third-team all-state honors.

Kot Arraigned on Murder, Arson and Evidence-Tampering Charges

Sam Cross — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:26:00 -0400

After waiving extradition from Pennsylvania on Thursday, Blazej Kot returned to Ithaca on Friday where he was arraigned on several charges, including the murder of his wife, Caroline Coffey, on June 2.

Tompkins County District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson formally accused Kot with second-degree murder, third-degree arson and tampering with physical evidence in Tompkins County Court with Judge John C. Rowley presiding.

Originally from New Zealand, Kot, who was a Cornell graduate student in information sciences, is no longer a registered student, according to CUPD Chief Kathy Zoner. If found guilty of the charges, Kot could serve anywhere from "25 [years] to life" in jail, Wilkinson said at a press conference on Friday.

Brown Selected as Next Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

Sun Staff — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The University announced last week that Prof. Laura Brown, English, will become the next Provost for Undergraduate Education in July. The announcement came almost four months after Brown's predecessor, Michelle Moody-Adams, accepted the position as Dean of Columbia College.

Brown is currently the John Wendell Anderson Professor of English. Throughout her 28 years at Cornell, she has served as a director of the graduate program and chaired the English department from 2002 to 2005. She was also involved in the Provost's Committee on the Status of Women about 20 years ago and recently served on the Faculty Senate.

Talking the Talk, Walking the Walk

Jake Friedman — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Daily Show, one had to believe, had fallen off. Sapped of his steady stream of Bush- and Cheny-isms, Jon Stewart exposed himself as just another starstruck commentator from the time President Obama became a major player in the 2008 presidential campaign. Stewart still hasn’t come up with a consistent angle on the new president, but I think he hit on something a few weeks ago; after playing a clip of Obama’s recent Gettysburg-esque speech on gas mileage, in which he rejects the notion that “our nation [is] too divided, our people too weary of broken promises and lost opportunities to take up a historic calling,” Stewart said, “don’t blow your load on mileage, baby. Save it for when the Chinese invade.”

Grad Student Accused of Murder Will Fight Extradition to N.Y.

The Associated Press — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:43:00 -0400

ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — A Cornell University graduate student from New Zealand charged with murdering his wife wants an extradition hearing in Pennsylvania to fight his return to New York.

New York authorities have charged 24-year-old Blazej Kot with second-degree murder in the slaying last week of his wife, Caroline Coffey, a 28-year-old Cornell postdoctoral researcher. Her body was found last week along a wooded trail in Taughannock Falls State Park.

Police say Kot tried to kill himself after a police chase and was airlifted to a Sayre, Pa., hospital for treatment of a life-threatening knife wound.

Red Teams Appoint New Coaches

Meredith Bennett-Smith — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Sarah Bernson, Wendy Schaenen ’79 Head Coach of Volleyball

Turning a Blind Eye in Exchange for Big-Budget Architecture

Ann Lui — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

For a long time, architecture wooed me with tales of utopia and romance; I believed that skyscrapers, steel girders and curtain walls would herald positive change in the world. The legacies of the most famous architects include visions of perfection – Frank Lloyd Wright’s Broadacre City, Le Corbusier’s Plan Voisin Pour Paris. But the reality of modern architecture is a far cry from these visions. Recently, the industry’s most famous superstars – Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel, Zaha Hadid and others – have been called out as enablers of slavery.

Ratan Tata '59 Fields Questions on Business, Politics and Life at Annual Olin Lecture

Sam Cross — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

It has been over 50 years since Ratan Tata ’59 arrived at Cornell for freshman orientation, but on Friday, the chairman and CEO of the multinational conglomerate Tata Sons Ltd. told students and alumni that the event was still fresh in his mind.

“I was one of about 2,000 people and very frightened,” Tata reminisced. “They told us to look to your left, look to your right … One of you won’t be here in four years.”

This was only one of the things that Tata talked about in the annual Olin Lecture titled “Corporate Social Responsibility in the 21st Century” during Reunion Week.

Cornell Grad Student Charged With Murder of Wife

Sun Staff — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:30:00 -0400

Cornell graduate student Blazej Kot was charged on Thursday evening with the second-degree murder of his wife, Caroline Coffey, a Cornell researcher in biomedical engineering, according to a statement issued by New York State Police.

The body of 28-year-old Coffey was found on Wednesday morning on a wooded trail in Taughannock Falls State Park. An autopsy later showed that she suffered a fatal cut to the neck, the Associated Press reported.

Police said that Kot led them on a five-minute chase on Tuesday night before crashing his vehicle. They found him with an apparent self-inflicted injury, according to the AP. The AP also reported that police later found the couple’s house on fire.

Univ. Library Allows Free Usage of Digitized Public Domain Items

Dawn Lim — Sun, 31 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Open access — the free availability and use of library materials online — took another step forward this month when the Cornell University Library dropped restrictions on the reproduction of public domain items from its collections.

The Library no longer requires users to secure permission or pay any accompanying permissions fees to reproduce or publish material from its digital collections. This announcement, which comes amidst plans by the Cornell Library Board to establish a fund to support open access publishing, has been eagerly received by many in the online community.

According to a press statement, “the Library, as the producer of digital reproductions made from its collections, has in the past licensed the use of those reproductions.”

Trustees Vote "Yes" on Milstein, But Faculty Concerns Linger

Sam Cross — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Cornell's Board of Trustees voted unanimously on May 24 to support President David Skorton's recommendation to proceed with the construction of Milstein Hall. This green-light for the project comes after several months of contentious campus debate over whether the University should continue with Milstein Hall in the wake of its financial troubles.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Chairman of the Board of Trustees Peter Meinig ’62 said. “Every now and then, we need to make such tough decisions … You can’t shut down a university where there are programmatic imperatives.”

Cornell Student Seriously Injured After Gorge Accident

Sun Staff — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:51:00 -0400

Updated.

The status of a recent Cornell graduate who was hospitalized with serious injuries after a gorge-swimming accident in Ithaca on Monday has improved to “fair condition,” according to a hospital official.

Leslie Reed ’09 was one of several individuals swimming in Six Mile Creek near the old-hydro electric plant just one day after her graduation from Cornell when she slipped while attempting to dive into the water, witnesses told the Ithaca Fire Department.

Reed was reportedly unconscious when the Fire Department was dispatched to the scene at the 300 block of Giles Street.

Syracuse's Comeback for the Ages in National Championship Game Ends Cornell's Season

Keenan Weatherford — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

When freshman midfielder Roy Lang scored to put the men's lacrosse team up 9-6 with 5:37 left in the NCAA finals, it seemed like things were going too smoothly against defending national champion Orange. It had been a close, hard-fought game, but the Red was getting all the breaks — Syracuse attackman Stephen Keogh's goal in the fourth quarter was waved off because of a nearly imperceptible crease violation, Cornell was drawing penalties to keep possessions going and the team's senior goalie Jake Myers was at the top of his game, holding Orange attackmen Kenny Nims and Keogh to just one score in four shots on goal.

Liveblog: M. Lacrosse Takes On Syracuse in NCAA Title Game

Sun Staff — Mon, 25 May 2009 12:11:06 -0400

Take a look back at CornellSun.com's liveblog coverage of the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Final between the No. 5 Big Red and the No. 2 Syracuse Orange. Updates appear in descending order beginning with the most recent.

At Convocation, Plouffe Urges Graduates to Strike Balance Between Work and Family

Lucy Li — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

After four memory-filled years, members of the class of 2009 — as well as their friends and family — gathered on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field to mark the conclusion of their days high above Cayuga's waters.

“Our final days at Cornell are much like the first ones: confusing, overwhelming, and filled with uncertainty of what’s to come,” said C.J. Slicklen ’09, convocation chair and opening speaker. “We take comfort knowing that just as in orientation, we as a class are having the same feelings.”

Cornell Can't Hang On as Syracuse Mounts Comeback For the Ages

Sun Staff — Sun, 24 May 2009 14:30:00 -0400

[SIDEBAR]

Cornell had the lead from beginning to end until Syracuse senior attackman Kenny Nims scored at the end of a circus play with four seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 9. The Red was attempting a clear but the Syracuse ride forced the turnover and several looping passes later, Nims fired a low shot past Cornell senior goalie Jake Myers from point-blank range to force overtime.

Cornell won the face-off in overtime but a quick turnover led to a goal by Syracuse's Cody Jamieson, who was academically ineligible for most of the season but made a huge impact in his few games with the team. Jamieson's goal handed Syracuse the 10-9 overtime win.

With Championship on the Line, M. Lax Hopes for Revenge Against Syracuse

Keenan Weatherford — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The men’s lacrosse team’s 2009 season came full circle when it upset top seed Virginia for a chance to play in the national championship game against No. 2 seed Syracuse. The Red shocked the Cavaliers, 15-6, by playing intelligent team defense and, above all, controlling possession and showing discipline on offense. Those talents, however, weren’t always in the 2009 team’s repertoire — they appeared out of necessity after the Red’s 15-10 loss to the same Orange squad that will take the field on Monday looking for its second consecutive (11th overall) national title.

Cornell Shocks Virginia 15-6, Earns Spot in Championship Game

Sun Staff — Sat, 23 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The men's lacrosse team brought a disciplined, hard-nosed approach in the first 30 minutes of its semifinal matchup against the Cavaliers, and rode rookie attackman Rob Pannell to an 8-2 lead at halftime. The Ivy League Rookie of the Year has two goals and two assists in the first half. Junior attackman Ryan Hurley, who had shooting problems his past few games, has two goals and an assist and looks sharp around the cage.

Virginia goalie Adam Ghitelman, the hottest goalie in the tournament to date, had trouble stopping shots and Virginia's defenders have been caught "ball-watching," allowing Cornell's cutting offensive players to take advantage of poor off-ball coverage.

Ithaca's Longtime ABC Café to Close Next Month

Amanda Joe — Sat, 23 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

After serving vegetarian and traditional fare, as well as desserts and coffee, to the local community for nearly 30 years, the Apple Blossom Café, better known as the ABC Café, will close on June 21.

Ken Hallett, owner of the café that is located on Stewart Avenue, said that the business cannot afford the rent and received an eviction notice from its landlord.

“I have been doing this for 28 years and as the owner, I can’t do it anymore. I have to be the general manager and head chef at same time and run the business, so I need a change of pace,” Hallett said. “I tried to sell the business a few months back because the longtime lease was up in December, but we never completed the sale and it went into debt [that is] too much to climb out of.”

AAP Taps Richter as New Architecture Chair

Seth Shapiro — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

After a professorship of 20 years at the University of California-Los Angeles, Dagmar Richter, a globally renown architect, has been announced as the new chair of the Department of Architecture in the University’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning. Richter will officially replace interim chair Mark Cruvellier on July 1 and Cruvellier will remain in the college as a professor.

Richter was educated in Europe at the University of Stuttgart and the Royal Art Academy in Copenhagen and has taught both in America and in Europe at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Rhode Island School of Design, Cooper Union, Columbia University and the Art Academy in Berlin and in Stuttgart.

M. Lax To Take On No. 1 Seed Virginia in Semifinals

Sun Staff — Sat, 16 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Follow the Sun's coverage of the NCAA lacrosse tournament online at twitter.com/dailysunsports

The men's lacrosse team upset Princeton for the second time this season and reached the national semifinals for the second time in three years with a 6-4 win over the Tigers in Hempstead, N.Y., on Saturday. Senior midfielder Max Seibald was held without a point for the first time since April 22, 2006, a 4-3 win over the Tigers. Freshman attackman Rob Pannell notched three assists and senior midfielder Rocco Romero led the team in scoring with two goals.Foxboro-bound: Members of the men's lacrosse team celebrate after defeating Princeton 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA men's lacrosse tournament.

Golding Announces Resignation as Executive Vice President

Sun Staff — Sun, 10 May 2009 03:48:00 -0400

The University announced Wednesday that Executive Vice President Stephen Golding has resigned from his role as the overseer of finance and administration. Come July 31, he will move to a new role as senior consultant to President David Skorton, where he will advise the president on Cornell's role in the Upstate New York economy. Golding has served as the executive vice president since April of 2005.

Golding told the University: "It is even more essential today than ever before that we develop effective strategies to leverage the positive role they can play in promoting the New York state economy in the coming decade."

Pannell Leads M. Lacrosse to First-Round Win Over Hofstra

Sun Staff — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Men's lacrosse 11, Hofstra 8

Update: Tickets for the quarterfinal matchup between Princeton and Cornell are available through Hofstra's athletics site: http://tinyurl.com/rygv7e

Attackman Rob Pannell justified his new Ivy League Rookie of the Year trophy - awarded on Wednesday by the league office - with a five-point performance to boost the Red over visiting Hofstra, 11-8, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. With the win, Cornell moves on to a rematch with fourth-seeded Princeton, a 10-7 victor over UMass on Sunday. The game will be played at Hofstra on Saturday at 3 p.m. Cornell beat Princeton, 10-7, on April 18 at home in the team's biggest win of the season. The Tigers were ranked No. 1 in the country when they lost to the Red.

Alum Sponsors Chimes Concert in Late Friend's Honor

Seth Shapiro — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In order to welcome the newly selected members and bid farewell to the departing seniors, the chimesmasters held their annual special concert during finals week followed by a dinner on Monday. While maintaining traditions, the concert and dinner provided a new service as they were sponsored by a Cornell alumnus in the honor of his friend and fellow Cornell alumnus who died last August.

Edward Trethaway ’49 was looking to pay tribute to his late friend Reed McJunkin ’32 since his death on Aug. 10, 2008 — just under two months shy of his 100th birthday.

“I thought it would be fitting to do something … for Reed McJunkin,” Trethaway said.

Sports Update: M. Lacrosse to Host Hofstra in NCAA Tournament

Keenan Weatherford — Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Men's lacrosse: 8, Hobart: 7

Men's lacrosse holds on to defeat Hobart despite not scoring in the second half; team will play Hofstra in NCAA tournament

The Statesman defense and junior goalie Max Silberlicht shut down the No. 2 offense in the country for an entire half on Saturday, but Cornell's eight first-half goals were enough of a cushion for the Red to get the 8-7 win in its last regular-season game of 2009. The 15 seniors on the Red's roster were treated to a win in their regular-season finale at Schoellkopf Field, pushing Cornell's record to 10-3, the fifth straight season with 10 wins. Hobart fell to 7-7.

Baseball Squad Falls One Game Short of Capturing Ivy League Title

Matthew Manacher — Sun, 03 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Cornell’s late-season magic carpet ride came to an abrupt end yesterday as the Red suffered a 10-0 defeat to Dartmouth in the deciding Game 3 of the Ivy League Championship series. The Red and the Green split Saturday’s doubleheader in Hanover, N.H.. Cornell dropped the opener 8-6 before squaring the series with a 14-12 victory in the nightcap.

“We expected to win the Ivy League, but there were many successes along the way that made the season an extremely positive experience,” said head coach Bill Walkenbach ’98.

The Sun Selects Top 25 Senior Athletes from the Class of 2009

Sun Staff — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Garrett Huyler

A Heps champion, Huyler holds school records in both the indoor and outdoor high jump; his personal best (2.20m) puts him at No. 9 all-time among Ivy League athletes and was one centimeter away from qualifying him for Olympic Trials. Huyler has cleared 7-0 over 25 times in his career.

Ariana Constant

The team captain, Constant led the women’s polo team to an undefeated regular season and a No. 2 finish in the country; her 77 goals puts her at No. 2 on the team in scoring.

Scott Hardinger

Arts College Considers Adding Statistics Major

Lucy Li — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A new statistical science major may be available for Arts and Science students in fall 2009, a college official said yesterday.

“I can not communicate specific information about major requirements [because the program is not yet official], [but] I can share that it is an interdisciplinary program designed to support students who wish to double major, and to encourage the learning of statistics in context,” Jennifer Wofford, assistant dean of educational programs at the Office of Computing and Informational Sciences, stated in an email.

Surviving Finals ... and Swine Flu

Shaun Werbelow — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The greatest health risk to us Cornellian’s is no longer over exhaustion from studying or extreme inebriation from Slope Day, but rather the Swine Flu which has led the World Health Organization to raise its global alert level and is sending the world into a panic. Mexico has shut down schools and museums, American health officials have declared a public health emergency and on Monday investors jumped heavily into drug stocks. So what is the swine flu? Is the country at risk of demise? What can we do here at Cornell to protect ourselves and survive?

Sports Illustrated, But Why?

Allie Perez — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Some things are sacred to a sports fan.

Whether it’s an object or an experience — from a cherished autograph to uninterrupted TV time when your team is playing — interfering in those things is not a good idea. Someone, however, did just that to me this week, and I’m mad as hell.

When I got my latest copy of Sports Illustrated in the mail earlier this week, it looked the same as always … on the surface. But as soon as I opened those glossy pages, I realized that something was terribly wrong.

SI had been redesigned seemingly overnight — more empty white space, less creative font choices — overall, way more boring, even jarring, to look at.

Kennett's Coaching Leads Heavyweights to Stellar Regular Season

Shannan Scarselletta — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

There are few teams on campus that can boast a perfect regular season, but for the first time since 1974, heavyweight crew has earned those bragging rights after overcoming Yale and Princeton in the Ithaca-based Carnegie Cup. This spring, the Cornell oarsmen pulled ahead of the likes of Navy, Syracuse, Princeton, Yale and Georgetown, taking the first-place trophy at all four of their regular season races, all under the steady guidance of former lightweight IRA champion coach, and the new Head of Cornell Rowing, Cornell heavyweight Todd Kennett ’91.

“Todd is a madman.” said senior Jason Malumed, “He has a way of always pushing us to our physical and mental extremes.”

Learning Something From the French

Jake Friedman — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Class, directed by Lauren Calent and nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, has been called by critics “fierce, funny and moving,” a portrait of “conflict, tragedy and triumph.” All well and good, if you go in for that sort of thing. The Class is indeed a great film, but its particular greatness is obscured by its particular subgenre. Movies about young teachers trying to unite a class of underprivileged, ethnically diverse students are a bit like Slope Day acts — a new batch comes out every once in a while, and the audience reaches for the usual epithets. But what about when we get one we actually like? What then?

Student Assembly Restores Funding to Christian Group

Yulan Chen — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

At the Student Assembly meeting yesterday, Yuliya Neverova ’10, co-chair of the Student Assembly Finance Commission, announced that the SAFC Executive Committee has decided “to lift the temporary revocation of funds and not permanently revoke funds from Chi Alpha.”

In lieu of the recent controversy surrounding Chi Alpha’s forced resignation of one of its student leaders, the SAFC had temporarily revoked its funding while it investigated the matter. But after a week-long series of hearings, the SAFC finally came to the decision on Monday.

Slope Accident Victim May Sue

Michael Linhorst — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Cornell lecturer who was struck last semester by a weight that rolled down Libe Slope in a wrestling team practice gone awry is considering a lawsuit against the University, yet Cornell maintains she does not have standing to sue, according to her attorney.

Joanna Luks, who is still out on medical leave, suffered multiple serious injuries as a result of the accident on Oct. 9.

The incident occurred after members of the wrestling team dropped a rubber plate they had been using during an exercise on Libe Slope. The 45-pound weight rolled down the Slope and across West Avenue. It struck Luks, who was walking down Baker Staircase, and knocked her down the stairs, according to The Sun’s archives. She was later airlifted to Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira.

SECTION I: MULTIPLE CHOICE (5 pts ea.)

Munier Salem — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The end of the school year is finally here and it’s time for your Sun final exam! Match each question to its correct answer. One quarter of a point will be deducted for wrong guesses. If the total number of correct answers falls on a prime number, 100 extra points will be awarded, unless that prime number is greater than 12. If you’ve laughed at one of my lame jokes in the past month, 5 pts will be deducted for shameless brown-nosing. Please DO NOT move on to the essay question until all your peers have finished this section, otherwise the smart kids practically obliterate the legacies on the essay section. Please use a No. 2 pencil; absolutely no answers written with ink or number 1 or 3 pencils we be graded. But other even numbered pencils will receive partial credit.

Leading the Red: Ford Is the Sun’s Athlete of the Year

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Those inside the Cornell sports world recognize him as the second all-time passing leader at quarterback in school history and a first-team all-Ivy third baseman. Those outside of the Cornell sports world know him as that guy from Cornell who was mentioned in an episode of “The Office.”

Whether he was heaving last-second touchdown passes into the end zone at Lehigh or helping the baseball team post its first winning season and capture its first division title since 2005, senior Nathan Ford has done it all.

Ode to Summer

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

To be frank, we’re surprised we made it to Slope Day,

But now that it’s here we’ve got much to say.

This semester’s been quite the wild ride,

As we embark on a hiatus, we step out with pride.

Budget cuts have been an ominous dark cloud,

Colleges’ funding were limited, from contract to endowed.

We watched as the Physical Sciences Library got the ax,

But what about the Lab of Ornithology? We had to ask.

As the billion dollar endowment continued to shrink,

The trustees sold $250 million in bonds, with just a nod and a wink.

Staff and faculty fret over the thought of their job security,

Questions loomed over Milstein Hall, its funding clouded in obscurity.

With the first direct election of Pres and Vice of the S.A.,

W. Lax Hosts Notre Dame for Senior Day

Michelle Winglee — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Forsake slope day? Most students would say never, but members of the women’s lacrosse team are not most students. The players will be preparing for their final game of the season and Senior Day on Saturday at Schoellkopf field against one of their greatest rivals, Notre Dame.

“We’re really excited to play them,” said senior defender Kelly Hansen. “The Notre Dame team has taken the senior class out of the tournament twice. There’s a lot of animosity between us… it gets us ready for a strong fight,” she said.

Baseball Looks to Win Title, Completes Its Turnaround

Jonathan Westman — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The baseball team lost two games to Dartmouth in early April and dropped to 2-6 in Ivy League action. Thanks to the Red’s 9-0 victory over Princeton on Wednesday, however, the teams will play a best-of-three series over the weekend to determine the Ivy League champion.

The winner will get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Green (23-14, 16-4 Ivy), winner of seven of its last 10 games, features a potent lineup that scored almost eight runs per contest this season. Freshman shortstop Joe Scalfani hit two home runs and drove in five when the teams first met. The switch-hitter got on base at a .450 clip and slugged .517 out of the leadoff spot this year. Neither Scalfani nor No. 2 hitter Jeff Onstott run much because of the power that follows.