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The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/2003/02/24/chili-cook-off-heats-up-downtown-ithaca/)

February 24, 2003

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Chili Cook-Off Heats Up Downtown Ithaca

By wpengine | February 24, 2003

The fifth annual Winter Fest & Chili Cook-Off kept downtown Ithaca hot this past Saturday, with 41 participating restauranteurs and caterers competing for this year’s Cook-Off trophy.

In addition to the traditional chili contest, a vegetarian category was added this year, and local vendors also offered tastings of wine, beer and hard cider.

Participants from this area and beyond came to the Ithaca Commons to test out their secret chili recipes. Some of the first-time competitors this year were Binghamton University Dining Services, Ithaca College Tower Club, Lou’s BBQ and the WowNet Caf

Tracksters Combine For 15 First-Place Finishes

By wpengine February 25, 2003

The men’s and women’s track teams continued their outstanding seasons this past weekend at home in the Deneault Invitational with performances that catapulted each team into the national spotlight. After dominating Ivy League and ECAC opponents all year, placing highly in large national meets, and qualifying numerous athletes for next week’s Heps Championship, both teams earned spots on the national track power rankings. Currently, the women hold the No. 18 spot and the men No. 24. For both teams, this past weekend served as a boost in morale, due largely to overall team performance and individual personal bests. Speaking of his team, women’s head coach Lou Duesing said, “We saw an awful lot of great stuff at this meet, and most people are way ahead of where they were last year.” He continued, “Everyone feels really positive right now.” Junior Jason Hart also spoke optimistically about his team, saying, “Our team is better and deeper than ever before, and we’re all really confident right now about our performances and outlook for Heps.” Among all of the top finishes at this past weekend’s meet, several members of the women’s team stood out. Junior Kalifa Pilgrim was named the female athlete of the meet for recording a personal best in the long jump (5.85m) and winning the triple jump (11.95m), which were both ECAC qualifiers. Sophomore Alison Koplar improved her personal best in the 1,000m by a solid two seconds, coming in second at 2:55.59. Finally, sophomore Kari Steed and senior Sarah Herskee both took home two first place finishes in the sprints and throws, respectively. Steed won the 60m in 7.94s and the 200m in 25.67s. Herskee captured first and qualified for ECACs in the weight throw (16.35m) and won the shot put with a toss of 13.44m. Other championships efforts for the Red women came from senior captain Katy Jay, who led a 1-2-3 sweep of the 500m race with an ECAC qualifying time of 1:15.84; junior Merili Mosely, who took first in the 60m hurdles (9.03); and sophomore Carrie Richards, who led the team to another sweep in her event, winning the mile in 5:03.14. The men also had a big day, qualifying eight members of the team for IC4As and winning six events. Junior Tyler Kaune highlighted during his win in the long jump, in which he set a new personal record of 24’04”.25. Teammate Hart followed closely behind, placing second in the event with his leap of 23’03”.25. Currently, Kaune and Hart sit first and second, respectively, atop the Heps rankings in the long jump. Additional winners included junior Giles Longley-Cook, who won the weight throw with his IC4A qualifying toss of 59’02”.25; senior Derek Kingrey, who won and qualified for IC4As with his shot put of 55’11”.0; Adam Farrel, who won the high jump (6-05); Greg Simonds, who won the 500m (1:06.16); and Sam MacKenzie in the 800m, who won with his time of 1:55.89. Considering that many athletes from both teams sat out this meet or competed in off-events to rest for the upcoming Heps championships, athletes and coaches for both the men’s and women’s teams are extremely pleased with the results and confident that their success will continue next weekend at the Heps Championships in Hanover, N.H.Archived article by Everett Hullverson
Drug Use Causes Weighty Problem

By wpengine February 25, 2003

A week has passed since Orioles prospect Steve Bechler died of multiple organ failure after suffering from heat stroke during a spring training workout. Bechler, 23, had been taking a diet pill containing ephedra, a powerful over-the-counter supplement that supposedly aids weight loss by speeding up the body’s metabolism and suppressing the appetite. A byproduct of this is dehydration. Producers of ephedra-based products carefully warn consumers about the dangers of the substance, but its use remains rampant among athletes. These dangers are amplified when more ephedra is taken than recommended, something Bechler had been doing. And from all indications, ephedra was a major contributor to his death. Yet despite the known dangers, ephedra — which is banned by the NFL, NCAA and IOC — remains legal and is permitted for use by Major League Baseball players. During talks last summer preceding the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, baseball owners proposed a ban on and testing for ephedra, among other supplements that can potentially endanger one’s health. However, the Players Association staunchly opposed a ban, citing the legality of this and other supplements and the players’ right to privacy. The union felt so strongly about this issue that it became a major sticking point in the negotiations. Last week, Gene Orza, the general counsel of the Players Association indicated that had the owners not relented on the issue of testing, the agreement might not have been completed. It is abundantly clear that the Players Association has completely missed the boat on this issue. The primary responsibility of any union is to protect and promote the welfare of its members. By so strongly opposing a ban on these dangerous supplements, anabolic steroids, and illegal drugs, the Players Association is failing in that responsibility and doing its members a grave disservice. An individual’s right to privacy is one thing, but cases do exist in which an individual’s and a society’s right to life outweighs one’s right to privacy. Sometimes, it is necessary to protect people from themselves. That’s why there are such things as illegal drugs. And that’s why Major League Baseball and the Players Association need to agree on a ban on dangerous substances such as ephedra. Education about the potential harm of these substances, as union head Donald Fehr advocates, can only go so far. Even if one is well aware of the risks, circumstances such as the one that Bechler was in may lead to the use of such a product. Bechler was severely out of shape and needed to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. So he used an ephedra-containing product that ultimately contributed to his death. It is part of the competitive nature of a professional athlete to do whatever necessary to improve one’s performance, even if that means compromising one’s health. Yes, baseball players are adults responsible for what they do to themselves, but a little help will not hurt. While it would be na