KASSA | 370 Thoughts

By |

By LEA KASSA

In light of the recent disaster with flight Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, I beg the question: How much danger are we putting ourselves in when we board a plane? Now, I’m not one to get scared easily, but there’s something abnormally unsettling about willingly strapping yourself into a metal cylinder that can fly up to 40,000 feet in the air. What can you, a passenger, do in an emergency situation if you are 40,000 feet in the air? That’s right, nothing. There is absolutely nowhere to go.

Cornell, Ithaca Could Face Trial for 2010 Suicide

By |

By TYLER ALICEA

Correction appended

Cornell and the City of Ithaca could face trial this summer for negligence in the death of a Cornell student who jumped from the Thurston Avenue Bridge in February 2010, a U.S. district judge ruled Tuesday. Bradley Ginsburg ’13 jumped to his death from the bridge into the Fall Creek Gorge and was found dead on Feb. 17, 2010. His death was one in a string of student suicides that ultimately led to the installation of temporary chain-link fences, and later nets, on bridges around Cornell’s campus, as well as the increase of mental health programs on campus. Bradley Ginsburg’s ’13 death was one in a string of suicides that led the University to install fences, and later nets, on bridges around campus.

Cornell Community Rallies Against Sexual Assault, Bias

By |

By ARIEL SMILOWITZ

The Cornell community came together Wednesday night at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts in a show of solidarity against sexual violence and incidents of bias on campus. According to Juliana Batista ’16, the event’s main organizer and vice president of outreach for the Student Assembly, “Cornell Caring Community: Breaking the Silence” was intended to provide a platform for students, faculty and high-level administrators to promote dialogue about and bring these issues frequently occurring on Cornell’s campus into the spotlight. “It’s really important to acknowledge that sexual violence happens and that we are making a step forward,” Batista said. “We want to have a safe place and know that Cornell is here for us.”

Batista also said it is important to be proactive in dealing with sexual violence. “Whether you are a victim of sexual assault or a positive bystander intervening in things that we see are wrong, don’t be silent and stand on the sidelines.

Cornell to End Equitation Classes

By |

By ASHLEY COLLIS-BURGESS

Cornell’s athletic department announced plans Monday to discontinue their physical education equitation program, disappointing current, past and future participants. Andy Noel, director of Athletics and Physical Education, said the “crux” of his decision is based on concerns and years of evaluation regarding the Oxley Equestrian Center’s insufficient space for safe accommodations. University officials say they are concerned with the Oxley Equestrian Center’s insufficient space for the safe accommodation of horses. (Rio Jacobbe / Sun Staff Photographer)

Dragon Day Parade to Continue Down East Avenue Despite Closure

By |

By SLOANE GRINSPOON

Freshmen architecture students have worked all week in preparation for Dragon Day, where they will parade down East Avenue — despite its partial closure due to the construction of Klarman Hall — as part of a hundred-year old University tradition. According to Aya Mears ’18, co-president of the Dragon Day committee, while the students considered alternate routes for the parade, they ultimately decided to go down East Avenue and have taken spatial constraints into account when constructing the dragon. “We had to come up with a creative way to have the dragon still look fairly wide while being able to fit through that narrow corridor, so that was a big part of our design process actually,” said Sasson Rafailov ’18, a co-head of construction. The annual Dragon Day parade — where architecture students build a dragon, parade the dragon down East Avenue to the Engineering Quad and back to the Arts Quad — occurs on the last Friday before Spring Break. “We had to come up with a creative way to have the dragon still look fairly wide while being able to fit through that narrow corridor.” —Sasson Rafailov ’18

According to Mears, the students this year had more time to prepare for Dragon Day — with eight weeks allotted rather than the usual six.

Collegetown Bagels is Ithaca Born and Bread

By |

By CASEY CARR

Correction appended

It’s a Saturday morning like every other at Collegetown Bagels:  A steady crowd of students navigate around colorful displays of speciality foods and stocked coolers to pick up a cup of Love Buzz to go. Crates of fresh bread are brought in from Ithaca Bakery – airy and voluminous ciabatta, dark and dense pumpernickel, small loaves of sourdough just waiting to be hollowed out and filled with steaming soup; and workers behind the counter in CTB baseball caps move in a flurry to keep up with the stream orders.  For anyone connected with Cornell in the past 30 years, the scene is a familiar one.  Known for its quality food, quirky atmosphere and central location, CTB has become an integral part of the the off campus experience for students, professors, parents, townies and alums alike.  However, there’s something beyond the colorful chalkboard and inventive sandwich names that keeps generations coming back to CTB.

ZAKOUR | Is Your Bracket Busted? Maybe Not Yet

By |

By JOHN ZAKOUR

Last week I wrote about keeping sane during March Madness. This time around, I’ll try to make sense of what happened and what will happen. I’ll still likely be wrong. The most surprising upset of the tournament was also the most immaterial. Mercer over Duke — no one had that in their brackets.

Streeter MBA ’95 to Serve as Cornell Vice President

By |

By ANUSHKA MEHROTRA

Paul Streeter MBA ’95, assistant dean for finance and administration at the College of Veterinary Medicine, will serve as Cornell’s vice president for budget and planning beginning April 1, the University announced Wednesday. Elmira Mangum, the current vice president for budget and planning, will leave the University to become the first female president of Florida A&M University, The Sun reported in January. Streeter will manage the University’s annual budgeting process and provide guidance in using resources to meet Cornell’s objectives and academic needs, according to a University press release. He previously served as interim vice president for budget planning from 2008 to 2010 and has worked at Cornell for 28 years — starting his career as a cash manager in the office of the treasurer — the University said. Streeter said he believes he has “something to offer” as Vice President for Budget and Planning.

SEX ON THURSDAYS: New Partners, New Positions

By |

By AMY O.

While hunting for grad schools this past weekend, I happened to attend a Ukrainian-themed dinner — don’t ask. In the midst of consuming too many pierogies and way too much vodka, I noticed a cute guy sitting across from me at the table. He wasn’t the one who immediately caught my eye, but he laughed at my jokes, genuinely seemed to find me amusing and kind of looked like Joseph Gordon Levitt (swoon). To be totally honest, I can’t really tell you how we started making out. Last thing I remember I was serving cake to 12 people, and when I came to at three in the morning and I was watching New Girl on my friend’s couch while waiting for this JGL look-alike to come pick me up.