Recent Contributions from Leigha Kemmett

Welcome to the New Eclipse!

Leigha Kemmett — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A month or so ago, I was browsing a newsstand in JFK Airport looking for an enticing magazine to read on a quick flight to San Diego. Bored by all of the fashion magazines with the same exact articles (couture in the recession) and news magazines with the same exact cover (Mr. or Mrs. Obama), I wished for a magazine that had unique and engaging content, content that I actually wanted to read. My hope with the new Eclipse is that it will fill this void, by providing interesting content that Sun readers look forward to each week.

Kyushu

Leigha Kemmett — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

There are myriad reasons to love Kyushu. There is the perpetually flickering sign. There is the “Special Roll for Special Customer” section of the menu. There is the really cool trick with the egg that the hibachi chefs perform. There are the near-constant gatherings of students around the hibachi tables, and there are the inevitable handles of liquor scattered among the tables.

Only at Kyushu can you bring a group of 8, drink three bottles of Gold Label and eat filet mignon and shrimp for $20 a person.

Looking Back at a Year of Eclipse

Leigha Kemmett — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A year ago, Eclipse was just a twinkle in the eyes of then Sun managing editor Rebecca Shoval ’08 and senior editor Jessica DiNapoli ’08. A welcome addition to The Sun’s weekly routine, Eclipse sought to emulate The Sun in a magazine-style fashion, with engaging and quirky pieces.

Ithaca Bites: Mustard

Leigha Kemmett — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Nestled between consignment shops on Cayuga Street, Mustard is a welcome addition to the restaurants on and around the Commons. Still in its soft opening, the restaurant is the second in Ithaca from the owners of Dijon Bistro (my favorite restaurant in town), Mark and Courtnay Papera ’95.

As a frequent visitor of Dijon, I was excited to test the Paperas’ new “comfort food” restaurant and knew it would be good when they asked my friends and me which beers to serve on tap (we were all in agreement: Stella and Hoegaarden). So two of my Dijon-regular friends and I ventured to the new restaurant on its third day open, and we weren’t let down.

A Look at Murals and Mosaics Around Campus

Leigha Kemmett — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

All around campus, colorful mosaics and murals adorn building walls. Besides beautifying the interiors of campus buildings, murals are often a way for students to express themselves and personalize campus a bit.

This is particularly true in Risley Residential College, where walls are covered in murals painted and drawn by Risley residents over the past several decades. Clara Dickson Hall also features several murals painted by residents, and new murals are still popping up on bare walls.

Some more established murals have beautified Willard Straight Hall since it was built in 1925. The murals in Willard Straight were painted by Ezra Winter, who also painted for the Supreme Court.

Walking in the Shoes of Pre-frosh

Leigha Kemmett — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Among top universities competitive for the best and brightest high school students, campus tours are an integral recruiting tool. At Cornell, there is a multi-tiered interview process just to become a tour guide for Campus Information and Visitor Relations, the group that runs campus tours, which reflects the significance of the job. This week, The Sun decided to go undercover as a high school student to discover the truth, and lies, of campus tours at Cornell.

A Look at Construction Around Campus

Leigha Kemmett — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Construction seems to be a constant pain in Cornell students’ behinds. West Campus dwellers are woken up at ridiculous hours by loud machinery and hammering. Students exiting class from Rockefeller have to walk what seems like a mile just to get across the street to Goldwin Smith. Big, brown mud pits have seemingly taken over campus with the promise of new buildings.

Those Who Keep Frat Boys Fed

Leigha Kemmett — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

At Phi Kappa Tau, Don Celentano meticulously cleans a meat slicer while six 3-foot loaves of garlic bread toast in the oven. One brother walks in and prepares himself a peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich as an appetizer for the pasta dinner Celentano is preparing; other brothers wander in and out of the small but pristine kitchen.

These are typical afternoons for the three fraternity chefs, who work full time preparing three meals a day for their patrons.

“It’s the best cooking job in Ithaca,” said Birnbaum. “There are regular hours, and you get to develop relationships with the guys you’re feeding. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

CUPD Wins State, National Awards

Leigha Kemmett — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Though driving conditions in Ithaca may not always be ideal, traffic safety on campus is certainly not lacking, according to state and national law enforcement agencies. The Cornell University Police Department has been chosen as the recipient of both a state and a national level traffic safety award for the 2006 calendar year.

Cornell Police came in first place in the New York Law Enforcement Challenge for 2006. It was the only university-based department to be the recipient of this New York State award.

Planning Board Sets Schedule to Continue Milstein Debate

Leigha Kemmett — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board met last night at City Hall to discuss issues including Milstein Hall and the Cornell Power Plant.

No resolutions regarding Milstein Hall were passed at the meeting because a lead agency on the project has not yet been declared. Though the Planning Board wishes to declare itself the lead agency, it is still waiting for two state agencies to concede this position.

C.U. Greenhouses Quarantined

Leigha Kemmett — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

On Sept. 14, the panicle rice mite, a small pest native to Asia, was detected in several greenhouses part of the Guterman Greenhouse Complex at Cornell.

The greenhouses have since been quarantined by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a subset of the United States Department of Agriculture. Two units within the Guterman Complex are fully quarantined, with access given only to specific authorized personnel. All other units have limited restrictions. Any person entering the greenhouse must don protective clothing, which is then sterilized after they exit to ensure that no mites escape the complex, according to Andrew Leed, CALS greenhouse manager.

Additionally, no plant material may be taken from any other research facilities on campus containing any rice.

Cornell Considers Strategy to Combat Genocide in Darfur

Leigha Kemmett — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

It has been over a year since President David Skorton announced Cornell’s plans to divest from Sudan, but Cornell is still investigating other ways to put an end to the still-ongoing genocide in Darfur and raise awareness about the region.

Last year, the University participated in a “selective” divestment: Rather than pulling investments from all companies that do business in Sudan, assets were only divested from obligations to the Sudanese government and oil companies that directly benefit the Sudanese government and thus fund the government-sponsored genocide. This is a narrower approach than that taken by many other colleges and universities, which halted investments in all companies doing business in Sudan, not just oil companies.

Law Increases Student Price for Contraceptives

Leigha Kemmett — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The cost of oral contraceptive pills at Gannett Pharmacy, which formerly ranged in price from $12 to $150 per month, now ranges from $25 to $150 as a result of the Federal Deficit Reduction Act. The Act has disabled many university health care providers from purchasing drugs at “safety net” provider prices, which are 10 percent of the average cost or less.

Mann Library Gets New Look

Leigha Kemmett — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Caution tape still adorns the entrance to Mann Library, but the newly renovated space celebrated its reopening Friday with an open house, the first event of several celebrating the newly renovated library.

Class of 2011 Prepares to Leave Its Mark at Cornell

Leigha Kemmett — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Cornell Reacts to Partial-Birth Abortion Ban

Leigha Kemmett — Thu, 03 May 2007 01:00:00 -0400

Article body:

Many cries were heard on campus on April 18 when the Supreme Court voted to uphold the 2003 Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Whether these cries were triumphant or indignant, many Cornellians had an opinion on the ruling and how it will affect students in the future.

Speaker Addresses Trends in Drinking

Leigha Kemmett — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Article body:

High-risk drinking is marked by the consumption of five or more drinks consecutively, and, according to The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey conducted by Gannett in 2005, 31percent of Cornell students reportedly consume, on average, five or more drinks in one night.

Spitzer Supports LGBTQ Programs

Leigha Kemmett — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:29:39 -0400

Article body:

The “Ithaca 50,” a group of 25 same-sex couples from Ithaca, are still awaiting a decision by New York State concerning their rights to be legally recognized as married.

Their fight began in February of 2005 with a lawsuit brought against the state, based on the principle that the right of any couple to marry is a right to privacy and a right to liberty.

Dinner Donations Benefit Darfur

Leigha Kemmett — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 01:46:24 -0500

Article body:

Diners at Carl Becker House last night enjoyed a feast for the eyes, ears and palate. Becker House Council sponsored a dinner benefit for Darfur, complete with African cuisine and entertainment.

Raffle tickets were sold at the door for $1, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Dollars for Darfur campaign. This campaign is run by the Save Darfur Coalition, which raises awareness about and works to end the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

Varsity Teams Call Alumni in Annual Phonathon

Leigha Kemmett — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 01:45:02 -0500

Body:

Cornell athletes wrapped up their annual phonathons last week. Over 5,000 alumni, parents, and friends of athletic programs were contacted by Cornell athletes.

Each night for the past six weeks, Cornell athletes have manned phones in Ives 111 to solicit donations for their teams and connect with friends of their programs. Over 3,000 alumni pledged specific amounts of money to a team, including graduates as young as the class from 2006.