The Cornell Daily Sun - Independent Since 1880

The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/2004/09/16/test-spin-ashlee-simpson/)

September 16, 2004

Uncategorized

Test Spin: Ashlee Simpson

By | September 16, 2004

Pure shit.

Archived article by Jacob Kennings
Red Letter Daze Staff Writer

To Protect and to Serve

By September 17, 2004

With the diligence of a detective”s investigation and the intensity of a high-speed car chase, the Cornell special teams unit plans to make its motto — ‘Protect and Serve’ –the most respected phrase in the Ivy League by the end of the 2004 season. Returning both starting senior kicker Trevor MacMeekin and All-Ivy classmate Mike Baumgartel in the punter”s spot, the Red anticipates its special teams to be among the most reliable — and formidable — units in the Ancient Eight. ‘There is no reason we can”t have the best kicking game in the league,’ said head coach Jim Knowles “87. ‘ Both MacMeekin and Baumgartel are very, very good.’ Special teams was often one of the lone bright spots during a 2003 season plagued with defensive and offensive confusion. The Red was perfect on PAT”s — going 16 for 16 in 10 games last year. MacMeekin, who shared kicking duties with junior A.J. Weitsman, is expected to handle most of the extra point and field goal duties this season following his perfect 9 for 9 PAT performance in 2003. ‘My objective is to score points for the team,’ MacMeekin said. ‘We need to convert every opportunity we have to score.’ The Red did not fare as well on field goal attempts last year, hitting only four in 12 opportunities (33.3%) — second to last in the Ivy League. MacMeekin –who went 3 for 9 — was hampered by an injury for most of the season. In 2002, the Phoenix, Md. native hit eight out of nine field goals and earned second-team All-Ivy honors. Now, with the arrival of Knowles and the injection of a new enthusiasm throughout the team, the kickers are devoted to holding up their end of the deal. ‘The mindset for me is to be perfect — 100% accuracy,’ MacMeekin said. ‘We have the same roles as last year so [Knowles] trusts our experience. Our self-confidence is very high.’ Baumgartel (Mars, Pa.) returns for his final campaign as one of the most highly regarded punters in the league. In 2003, he averaged 37.6 yards per punt, including a 61-yard bomb against Harvard on Oct. 11. In 10 games, Baumgartel amassed 2,216 punting yards — good enough for second in the Ivies. ‘We”re looking to build off of last year,’ Baumgartel said. ‘I”ve personally improved each season as I have gotten older and more comfortable on the field.’ Baumgartel leads a punt coverage squad that hopes to put the Red defense in a better position to shut down opposing offenses. Knowles affirms that the coverage squad — whether they are “protecting” or “serving” — is one of the most crucial facets of the team. ‘Good teams always stress the little things,’ Knowles said. ‘We do not overlook our punting game. A blocked punt or a great punt can change the momentum of the game.’ On the other side of the ball, tailback Joshua Johnston (Centerport, N.Y.) is expected to continue his role in the kickoff return spot for the Red. As a sophomore in 2003, Johnston accumulated 446 rushing yards on 103 carries, an average of 4.3 yards per carry. He only took two kickoff returns last season, picking up 49 yards. Much of Cornell”s offensive production this year will depend on the junior”s ability to cut through lanes quickly and acquire good field position. Punt returning duties are expected to fall with junior wide receiver Brian Romney, a transfer from Snow Junior College in Utah. Romney was a second team All-America selection at Snow during his freshman season. In spite of their separation from the normal day-to-day duties of the offense and defense, the special teams unit this year is nonetheless just as hungry for a winning season. ‘My goal is to win the championship,’ Baumgartel said. ‘That”s what I”m striving for above all individual goals.’ It would cap off a great career here at Cornell.’ Archived article by Kyle SheahenSun Assistant Sports Editor
Cornell Football, Schoellkpf Ready for Renewal

By September 17, 2004

If you want to know what the difference between this season and last season for the Cornell football team is, you need look no further than the practice field. Because it”s there that the change is most apparent. Instead of players moving sluggishly from station to station, there”s a type of palpable energy, excitement, that is just refreshing to watch. For the team”s 75 returning players, there is no better time than now, no better place than here for the program to have its rebirth. Make no mistake, the Red is in for a major resurgence. And it”s not just because of the renewed sense of optimism that Jim Knowles “87 has brought. Despite the fact that the football team is currently housed on the Grumman Squash Courts — displaced by a renovation project to the program”s headquarters in Schoellkopf Hall — this season has brought a renewed sense of urgency, an optimistic disposition that simply died in the dank surroundings of the aging Schoellkopf locker room. Of course, optimism at the beginning of a new season is normal — something is wrong if a team that doesn”t go into its first game with high hopes. Somehow, this optimism is different. It”s not the ho-hum type of anticipation that normally characterizes this time of year, but it”s a deeply-held belief that this year will indeed be different. To a man, Cornell took last year”s 1-9 finish personally. As star offensive lineman Kevin Boothe says, ‘the guys who have been here realize 1-9 is 1-9 … no one wants to feel that way again.’ Pain and embarrassment can be quite a motivator. It”s one that no member of the team ever expected to have to contend with. However, having been through that type of adversity, the players now have a much better understanding of how to avoid it. And it all comes down to attitude and preparation. When Cornell”s players look around at each other, they see the talent necessary to make a statement in the Ivy League. To listen to Knowles describe his team is to listen to a proud teacher discuss the successes of his disciples. The ability is there — the challenge is making it work. And this is why the 2004 Cornell football team will be a significant and welcome improvement over the 2003 version. While it will be difficult to not improve over last year”s dismal finish, there is plenty of reason to believe that this team can achieve even more than that. While a league championship is likely still a long shot, the Red has experience, depth, and desire enough to at the very least make the race interesting come late October and early November. Knowles has turned the program on its ear, and the change will reap some very satisfying rewards. He and his coaching staff come with the philosophy that their primary responsibility is to teach, and that ‘sacrifice’ is a word that is best left in the past. The family atmosphere surrounding the program is much stronger than in years past, the depth of commitment is much greater. This too will help to build a stronger program in the years to come. Former head coach Tim Pendergast used to pride himself on being the ‘caretaker’ of Schoellkopf Hall and the storied program it houses. Knowles is ready to be much more than that — Knowles is ready to be the long-term inhabitant. Instead of painting the walls and repairing some broken windows, the entire foundation of a building and a program is about to change. And the change will be for the better. The motivation that losing provides and the desire to turn over a new leaf as a new regime takes have given the Red reason to believe again. This year of transition may be difficult. But there are enough seniors who have never tasted the glory with which their leader is so familiar and enough bright-eyed new faces who are ready to change the past, that there is no doubt the transition will be rapid. Cornell football now sits at the dawn of a new era — an era that it hopes and expects will be as fruitful as the championship seasons the University holds so dear. Let there be no doubt — Cornell football is back. Archived article by Owen Bochner