01-21-13

After Econ Depts. Merge, C.U. S eeks Surge in P rofs

By

In an effort to increase its visibility and improve its ranking, the economics department is making a push to recruit professors from around the country

According to Prof Robert Frank, management, economics, recruiting new professors is crucial to the department ’ s quality

The economics department has already increased its size by merging several departments across colleges, including ones in the Johnson Graduate School of Management, the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and the College of Human Ecology

Since the merge, three more faculty members have been hired, bringing the total number of faculty to 51, according to Prof Kevin Hallock, chair of the economics department

have the potential to attract top senior scholars to Cornell

In November, a $4-million gift was given to the department to establish a new endowed professorship, according to a University press release

“None of this comes for free,” Hallock said “We are very lucky to have incredibly engaged and loyal alumni who are helping us with some of these new initiatives ”

According to Frank, the number of faculty accepting positions at Cornell is a good sign that the department is improving

Despite the department’s success in recruiting new professors, the competition to hire faculty members is still stiff, according to Prof Francesca Molinari, economics Other economics departments worldwide are also attempting to expand, Molinari said

Still, Molinari said that, “I think we ’ re being quite successful ” Hallock said that recent philanthropic gifts to the department also

“It’s kind of a leading indicator of where a department’s going with the kinds of people who accept job offers from the department, ” Frank said “Now, their names will appear on the list that reviewers see, and that will be a benefit to the department in terms of the kinds of evaluations it’s able to generate from reviewers ” However, it will take some time for the rankings to reflect the new department’s growth, according to Molinari

Aside from hiring more professors, the department also hopes to offer more courses with smaller class sizes i n t h e f u t u r e , Mo l i n a r i a d d e d

Currently, the depar tment ’ s classes are “ ver y large,” with upwards of 50

See ECON page 4

Fracking Fight Intensi es

By AKANE OTANI Sun News Editor

Br i n g i n g t h e re g i o n ’ s c o n c e r n s ove r hydraulic fracturing to fever pitch, the Tompkins County Legislature slammed the state last week for purportedly failing to be transparent as it moves to regulate ‘fracking’ in New York

Environmental Conservation was charged

a n d health impacts of fracking: the practice of injecting chemicals and water into the

ground to extract natural gas Although it has yet to complete the environmental review, the DEC is no longer accepting public comments on proposals to regulate fracking in the state a move that the Tompkins County Legislature characterized as “seriously flawed,” in a press release published Jan 14

The Legislature, sending its letter to the DEC “under protest, ” said that the department failed to let it publicly consider and vote on the proposal to regulate fracking

See FRACKING page 5

Students Launch S atiric, Cornell-Centered Website

By ERICA AUGENSTEIN

Though Max Mar tine z ’13 will graduate this spring, he hopes his brainchild a humor website

named Cornellious will continue making an impression on Cornellians long after he leaves campus

Cornellious, which launches Monday, is based on humorous

c c o n

n t a b o u t Cornell’s culture, according to Jared Hoffman ’15, who designed the website The website will poke fun at life at Cornell something that Hoffman said is reflect-

ed by the website’s name

“The name Cornellious is a c o m b i n a t i o n o f ‘ C o r n e l l’ a n d ‘hilarious,’” Hoffman said Hoffman said the site will feature different types of content, such as satiric writing; memes, or images with humorous text overlayed onto them; videos; and photos

Hoffman also said that he plans to sell merchandise through the website Each month, the proceeds will be donated to a different charity, he said

“We are a non-profit, so all the money we make from selling tshirts and hats goes to charity,” Martinez said

As the website gains publicity, Hoffman said that he hopes to recruit students from across campus to create content, adding that, “Ultimately, we hope [the site] will run itself ”

The website will also pull content from across the Internet and d i f f e re n t s o c i

Martinez said

“The beauty of Cornellious is that we are in a social media world, so people can submit their i d e a s t h ro u g h Tw i t t e r a n d

Today Daybook

Monday, January 21, 2013

weather FORECAST

The Tyranny of Content Delivery: Free Yourself From Traditional Paradigms Noon - 2 p m , 700, Clark Hall

Stabilization of Chicken P2X7 Receptor for Crystallization

4 - 5 p m , Lecture Hall 3, Veterinary Research Tower

Michael Berkowitz: British Art in the Mediterranean 4:30 p m , Guerlac Room, A D White House

Live Your Dream Artivism

7 - 9 p m , Big Red Barn

Dispersed and Kinetically Arrested Phases in Colloids: A Micro-Mechanical Perspective 4 - 5 p m , 700, Clark Hall Tomorrow

Department of Clinical Sciences Resident Seminar

8 - 9 a m , C2-539, Clinical Programs Center

Behavioral Workshops, Alan Sanfey 11:45 a m - 1:15 p m , B10, Sage Hall

CALS Study Abroad 101

1 - 1:30 p m , 170, Roberts Hall

Econ P rof Remembered

A s ‘ Exceptional Fr iend ’

By CAROLINE FLAX Sun Senior Writer

Friends and colleagues of Prof Uri Possen, economics, who died on Dec 12 at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, N Y , remembered him as a kind person and a thoughtful teacher He was 70 years old

“He was one of the most gentle people I’ve met in the whole university I keep thinking about other things to say, but that’s really the first thing that comes to mind: his nature, ” Prof Emeritus Richard Schuler, economics, civil and environmental engineering, said

Prof Emeritus Pierre Pestieau, Université de Liège in Belgium a close friend and colleague of Possen noted Possen’s impact on not only the field of economics but also his friends and family

“Cornell and the profession have lost a great scholar; I have lost an exceptional f r i e n d , ” Pestieau said

P e s t i e a u and Possen studied at Y a l e

ant colleague, and a great asset for the Department of Economics and Cornell University, where he spent his entire career, ” Molinari said

Pestieau added that, even while he was teaching at Cornell, Possen was “terribly helpful” to his students

“I was always astonished by his unlimited dedication to his students, both undergraduate and graduate,” Pestieau said

Possen was also dedicated to his colleagues in the economics department, especially when he was chair of the economics department from 2002 to 2008, according to Molinari

“[Possen] displayed extraordinary leadership, and worked tirelessly to rebuild the junior faculty group in our department,” Molinari said “He was willing and eager to advise junior faculty members on their research and teaching duties, and was always encouraging during tough times and joyous in moments of success ”

“I was always astonished by his unlimited dedication to his students.”

U n i v e r s i t y together and became close when they were both hired by Cornell in 1971 even collaborating on several papers together, Pestieau said

Pestieau, who left Cornell in 1976, also noted that, since their first class together in 1977, Possen was “always available” and “highly motivated ”

“He was a great scholar who deliberately chose to devote as much time to his students as to his papers He managed to be an outstanding teacher and an excellent researcher,” Pestieau said

Prof Francesca Molinari, economics, echoed Schuler’s sentiments, saying Possen was extraordinarily kind and dedicated to Cornell’s faculty and students

“He was an extremely honest and pleas-

Possen was an expert in public finance and monetary economics, focusing on subjects such as tax evasion and social security, according to a University press release

Schuler, who knew Possen for over 40 years, said Possen’s work with Pestieau, a public sector economist, showed an important mix of two different fields of economics

“Those two people working together worked at the interface between macroeconomics, the large picture, and microeconomics, the small picture,” Schuler said

After joining the faculty in 1971, Possen became an associate professor in 1977 and was then promoted to full professor in 1987, according to a University press release

Throughout his time at Cornell, Possen was open-minded and “ a true scholar,”

Schuler said “[Possen] was a far more reflective person, trying to understand a wide range of perspectives,” Schuler said Possen was born in 1942, and received his bachelors degree in mathematics from the University of Toronto in 1965 He continued at the University of Toronto until he obtained his masters degree in economics in 1967 Possen then went to Yale, where he received his Ph D in economics in 1971, according to a University press release Possen is survived by his children, Rachel

and David, and his wife Rhoda Possen, a senior lecturer in the Department of Romance Studies Possen was dedicated to his family, Pestieau said “I was impressed by his deep attachment to his family The welfare of his wife Rhoda and of his children, David and Rachel, was clearly a top priority in his values,” Pestieau added

Caroline Flax can be reached at cflax@cornellsun com

Vet S chool Receives $6M Gift to Boost Research

By KERRY CLOSE Sun News Editor

Medicine has received a $6-million gift that it will use to create two ne w endowed professorships positions that will allow the college to conduct research on animal health

President David Skor ton said the gift will address a pressing need for research funding within the vet school

make it a world leader in discovering the genetic causes of cancer and other diseases and in accelerating the development of treatments that benefit animals,”

t y press release “Given the limited availability of federal funding for animal health, private suppor t is

critical in advancing this work We are extremely grateful to the Starr Foundation for par tnering with Cornell to improve animal health around the world ” T

t i o n that provides grants suppor ting a v a r i e t y o f f i e l d s , i n c l u d i n g medicine, public policy and educ a t i o n M a u r i c e Gr e e n b e r g , chair of the Starr Foundation, said the organization provided the grant to the veterinar y college because it “recognizes the i m p o r t a n c e o f v e t e r i n a r y research ” “ We rely on animals in our economy and our lives, and their d i s e a s e s o f t e n a r e r e l a t e d t o human diseases,” Greenberg said in the press release “ This grant is par t of Starr’s larger commitm e n t t o h u m a n c a n c e r a n d g e n o m i c s r e s e a r c h , a n d w i l l advance our understanding of infectious diseases that spread between animals and humans ” W h i l e t h e c o l l e g e h a s n o t determined the specific research that the ne w professors will conduct, Michael Kotlikoff, dean of the vet school, emphasized its c o m m i t m e n t t o a d v a n c i n g canine genetic research

“ This commitment will help us achieve our vision for clinical

research, discoveries and treatm e n t s r e l a t e d t o c a n c e r a n d other complex diseases with a genetic basis,” Kotlikoff said in the press release “ We are deeply g r a t e f u l f o r t h e St a r r Foundation’s generosity ” T h e g r a n t f r o m t h e St a r r Foundation followed an anonymous gift to the veterinar y coll e g e d e d i c a t e d t

genomics research, which will fund ne w professorships and faculty star tups, according to the p re s s re

already begun ne w research on cancer, liver, hear t and blood d i s e a s e s i n b o t h h u m a n s a n d animals

Kotlikoff touted the benefits that the ne w professorships will provide to the college’s research effor ts “ T h e [ p r o

allow the college to recr uit and retain some of the most respected minds in veterinar y science, people who will drive the development of ne w treatments, vaccines and therapies,” Kotlikoff said in the press release “ We will all benefit from the ne w knowledge created by their cuttingedge discoveries in medical science ”

Kerry Close can be

Econ Dept. Hopes Profs Will Improve Rankings

Students Hope New Website Will Make Cornell Laugh

Instagram,” Martinez said “ The best ones make the site ” Martinez also reached out to comedy groups on campus to collaborate with the website The website may mimic other sites like Barstool Sports or Campus Basement, which he previously wrote articles for, he said

Martinez said that he and Hoffman started working together when he began searching for a web designer

“I posted flyers in the engineering libraries and in Olin, and Jared [Hoffman ’15] was one of the six or seven people that replied and he just understood it,” Martinez said Hoffman worked on the project, and came back with “ an awesome website,” Martinez said

Hoffman said he became more interested in Cornellious as he worked on the project

“Initially, it was just a job I’ve done freelance web design in the past and I just take the pay and move on, but I think this website has real potential,” Hoffman said

“There are also plans to involve [campus] celebrities like Happy Dave and Denice Cassaro ” J

Martinez and Hoffman have used videos to promote the website

“ We put out a hype video with the mayor of Ithaca, Svante Myrick [’09],” Hoffman said

The video was successful, getting 16,000 views, Martinez said In the future,“there are also plans to involve [campus] celebrities like Happy Dave and Denice Cassaro,” Hoffman said Martinez and Hoffman said they hope the website will be a success

“I started Cornellious because I wanted to leave a legacy of making people laugh and giving back to the community at Cornell,” Martinez said

Continued from page 1 Erica Augenstein can be reached at eaugenstein@cornellsun com

Reps: NY S Must Study Impacts of Fracking

FRACKING Continued from page 1

before it was released In addition, the Legislature said the DEC was “completely illogical” in proposing regulations that are based on an incomplete review of fracking’s effects on the environment

The Legislature “ expresses their concern about secrecy regarding review of related health impacts; insufficient information concerning socioeconomic impact and how the regulations would affect local governments; and an overall lack of transparency in the process, which serves to compromise public trust, ” the press release states

While the Tompkins County Legislature has pushed back against fracking in 2010, voting 14 to one to petition the state to pass a statewide fracking ban the county ’ s GOP representatives have vied for it They say that fracking will revitalize, not hurt, struggling upstate economies, and that allegations of groundwater being contaminated by fracking are inaccurate

“Natural gas drilling is one of the greatest dangers Upstate New York has faced in decades! Why is it a danger: It will create jobs! Private sector jobs! Good paying private sector jobs!” wrote Tom Reynolds, the vice chair of the Tompkins County Republicans, in January 2012

Rather than creating short-term jobs, fracking will generate longterm employment that will help strengthen upstate economies, Reynolds said Pointing to the economic stimulus package, Reynolds said that the revenue generated by fracking will serve as “seed money ” for the state money that, unlike taxpayers ’ dollars, will provide a longer-term boost to the economy, he said

“Natural gas drilling is one of the greatest dangers Upstate New York has faced in decades!”

To m R e y n o l d s

short-term bubble? Answer: gas drilling is not funded by tax dollars,” he said

But other Tompkins County groups have asserted that, notwithstanding fracking's potential economic benefits, there is a litany of possible health and environmental hazards that the state has not yet adequately addressed

“‘Among concerns expressed [by the county ' s Environmental Management Council] are failure to address how abandoned wells [will] affect gas and fluid migration; the power of natural gas as a greenhouse gas affecting climate change; how animal and human health will be protected, and environmental harm prevented, from water and air pollution associated with fracking; and how the transport and treatment of drilling wastes will adequately be addressed,’” the Tompkins County Legislature’s press release states

Before the state approves and hands firms permits to drill, county health officials said that it must clear another hurdle: cementing how local health departments will work with the DEC to conduct water well tests and handle “other gas drilling-related impacts ”

In the Legislature’s press release, Frank Kruppa, the county ’ s public health director, said that, should fracking be approved, health departments will see a “significant increase” in demands for its resources

“Formal agreements must be in place between local health departments and the DEC before regulations become final and such drilling is allowed,” Kruppa said, according to the press release

The DEC must either finalize the regulations or draft new ones by Feb 27, according to the Associated Press

Otani can be reached at aotani@cornellsun com

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True Obser vance Begins in the Classroom

Cornell is one of only a handful of universities across the countr y that chooses to hold classes on Martin Luther King, Jr Day While the academic calendar states that this day is “obser ved,” many have expressed their surprise that Cornell has scheduled classes, instead of encouraging University-wide participation in commemorative ser vice activities within the community However, the real question

is, even if classes were cancelled, how many of you would truly “obser ve ” this day in Martin Luther King, Jr ’ s honor? Would you really be out in the community helping others? Or would you use the day to catch up on sleep? Many students are simply disappointed about not having a three-day weekend However, a look at the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr demonstrates that the University, regardless of its reasoning for holding classes today, is still honoring and obser ving this federally appointed day for MLK

A man that strove, in part, for the desegregation of schools, Martin Luther King, Jr demonstrated that education is an opportunity that should be available to all This sentiment echoes Ezra Cornell’s motto for this university: “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study ” While many of us rightly feel that we should be honoring MLK by being out in the community and perhaps question how much can be gleaned from attending the first day of class, we are still honoring him by simply making the first step of the s e m e s t e r i n va l u i n g o u r e d u c a t i o n By attending classes tomorrow, we are supporting MLK’s efforts to ensure the diversity of intellect and backgrounds in the classroom

become more educated about the aspects of community we want to involve ourselves in For some, this might be finance; for others, law, psychology, biology and the plethora of other subjects that Cornell offers This ensures that when we do get out and help, we are making a truly conscientious and potentially sustainable impact in the community

Furthermore, you probably have time on a daily basis to help out in the community

t h a t t h i s n e w e n d e a vo r f u l f i l l s , r a t h e r t h a n d e t r a c t s f ro m ,

C o r n e l l’s re s p o n s i b i l i t y t o i t s s t u d e n t s o n t h e Hi l l

Si n c e Ne w Yo rk C i t y Ma yo r Mi c h a e l Bl o o m b e r g ’ s a n n o u n c e m e n t i n De c e m b e r

2 0 1 1 , s o m e h a ve e x p re s s e d c o n c e r n s t h a t t h e a m b i t i o u s p ro j e c t w i l l d i ve r t re s o u rc e s

f ro m C o r n e l l’s m a i n c a m p u s i n It h a c a We b e l i e ve t h a t t h i s f i r s t b a t c h o f t e c h - m i n de d C o r n e l l i a n s w i l l h e l p t h e Un i ve r s i t y a c c e l e r a t e t h e g row t h o f t h e t e c h s c e n e i n

Ne w Yo rk C i t y, b u t i t i s i m p e r a t i ve t h a t t h e Un i ve r s i t y m a i n t a i n s i t s f o c u s o n i n t e -

g r a t i n g t h e t w o c a m p u s e s a n d m a i n t a i n i n g a u n i f i e d i n s t i t u t i o n It i s l a u d a b l e t h a t C o r n e l l h a s n o t t a k e n o u t a n y n e w l o a n s t o f i n a n c e

C o r n e l l N YC Te c h , b u t t h e ro a d t o f u l l y f u n d i n g t h e c a m p u s i s a l o n g o n e t h a t w i l l re q u i re a s m u c h a s $ 2 b i l l i o n a n d a c o n s t r u c t i o n t i m e l i n e s p a n n i n g t h e n e x t t h re e d e c a d e s T h e e xc i t e m e n t o f t h e t e c h c a m p u s f i r s t c l a s s s h o u l d n o t d i s t r a c t f ro m t h e c h a l l e n g e s t h e Un i ve r s i t y w i l l f a c e a s i t e m b a rk s o n m a s s i ve c o n s t r u c t i o n p ro j e c t s o n t h e Ro o s e ve l t Is l a n d s i t e W h i l e s o m e m i g h t s e e t h e t e c h c a m p u s a s a r i s k y u n d e rt a k i n g f o r t h e Un i ve r s i t y, i f C o r n e l l i s a b l e t o u p h o l d i t s f i n a n c i a l c o m m i t m e n t s , t h e e n d e a vo r w i l l u n d o u b t e d l y p a y o f f b o t h f i n a n c i a l l y a n d a c a d e m i c a l l y T h e Ma s t e r o f En g i n e e r i n g s t u d e n t s w h o a re n ow b e g i n n i n g t h e i r s t u d i e s i n t h e c a m p u s ’ p re s t i g i o u s p i l o t d e g re e p ro g r a m , d u b b e d t h e “ b e t a c l a s s , ” w i l l b e a t t h e f o re f ro n t o f t h e p u s h t o t r a n s f o r m Ne w Yo rk C i t y i n t o o n e o f t h e w o r l d’s g re a t e s t h u b s o f t e c h n o l o g i c a l i n n ova t i o n We b e l i e ve t h a t t h e a c h i e ve m e n t s o f t h e s e s t ud e n t s , w h o n u m b e r f e we r t h a n a d o ze n , c a n m a k e C o r n e l l a m a j o r p l a ye r i n a n e vo l v i n g e c o n o m y d r i ve n by t e c h e n t re p re n e u r s At t h e s a m e t i m e , t h e Un i ve r s i t y m u s t c a p i t a l i ze o n t h e o p p o r t u n i t i e s C o r n e l l N YC Te c h c a n p ro d u c e f o r s t u d e n t s b a c k i n It h a c a O ve r t h e p a s t ye a r, C o r n e l l’s m a i n c a m p u s h a s a l re a d y s e e n a d r a m a t i c b o o m i n e n t re p re n e u r i a l a n d t e c h - re l a t e d a c t i v i t y a m o n g s t u d e n t s T h e Un i ve r s i t y ’ s f i r s t - e ve r St a r t u p C a re e r Fa i r l a s t s p r i n g d re w m o re t h a n 4 0 c o m p a n i e s t o c a m p u s , 3 0 o f w h i c h h a d n e ve r v i s i t e d C o r n e l l b e f o re St u d e n t s h a ve c re a t e d va r i o u s ve n u e s , s u c h a s C o l l e g e t ow n ’ s Po p Sh o p, a i m e d a t f o s t e r i n g s t u d e n t s ’ b u s i n e s s i d e a s We a re c o n f i d e n t i n t h e b e t a c l a s s ’ a b i l i t y t o r i s e t o t h e c h a l l e n g e o f

To be consistent with MLK’s goals, it is also important that we translate our education into ser vice learning, public engagement and the betterment of those around us To honor MLK’s sacrifices, we must take our privilege of education seriously and

You are most likely not in classes for 12 hours a day, so there is still time to lend a hand at Loaves & Fishes, stop by a nursing home and ask permission to deliver a bouquet of flowers to a resident or simply use your BRBs at Trillium to pay for the person behind you Additionally, the Office of Academic and Diversity Initiatives is offering an array of commemorative events on campus that you can attend today, if your schedule permits As Martin Luther King, Jr notably said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘ What are you doing for others?’” The great thing about obser vance and ser vice is that it can be demonstrated in a variety of ways and, more importantly, not just on one day, but in our ever yday lives

In writing this, I am not tr ying to raise another scheduling debate and I am not tr ying to accuse the University of purposely disregarding Martin Luther King, Jr Day The life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr should not be remembered and obser ved for just one day Tr ue “obser vance ” of MLK’s life and legacy involves conscious reflection of his life and a daily effort to better the lives of others This can be achieved through study in the classroom and involvement in university life and the greater community

Teresa Danso-Danquah is a sophomore in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations Feedback may be sent to opinion@cornellsun com Guest Room appears periodically this semester

CORRECTION

A news story Friday “Olbermann ’79 Donation Funds New Building for WVBR” inaccurately stated that Keith Olbermann ’79 gave the donation to WVBR on the condition that he receive naming rights to WVBR's new building In fact, Olbermann received naming rights because WVBR stipulated that donations over a certain amount would grant the benefactor these rights Additionally, a previous version of this story incorrectly quoted a report in The Hollywood Reporter as saying that WVBR had reduced its fundraising goal for the building from $935,000 to $555,081 In fact, WVBR’s fundraising goal remains at $935,000

In Defense of Zionism

Last semester, as Cornellians turned their attention to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, I was faced with a test between two competing values: my support for Israel and my liberal-democratic political ideals I do not mean to speak for all Jewish students on campus, but I do know that many share my views

I was born to two Jewish parents and raised in a town whose children, regardless of their religion, knew their way around a synagogue In elementar y school, when our Spanish teacher taught us how to sing “Feliz Navidad,” the Christian students in my class insisted that we change around half of the song so as to incorporate my faith “Feliz Hanukkah was born

There were very few Orthodox Jews in my town, and even Conservative Jews were hard to find Instead I was raised in a bevy of liberal Reform and Reconstructionist Jews Judaism as metaphysics meant little to me I’ve never felt a strong connection to the divine Furthermore, being told I was one of the “chosen people” never sat well with somebody who didn’t feel any better than his classmates hailing from other religious traditions

What did appeal to me about Judaism was its long history of moral righteousness I was taught that we, as a persecuted people, understood the pain that can be caused by discrimination and hatred That was why we needed to stand up and fight oppression wherever we saw it

To this day, I remain a proud Zionist The Jewish people, after facing centuries of persecution, culminating in the Holocaust, have a right to a state in their ancient homeland

Israel

I was overjoyed to learn about the Zionist tradition, beginning with Theodor Herzl, and including such luminaries as Louis Brandeis and Stephen Wise Their Zionist pursuit was not just about achieving a Jewish homeland, but about intertwining their liberal ideals in that state

I was proud to learn that the Declaration of the

Iam a “fresh off the boat” international student from India I believe that “FOB” is the colloquial terminology In any case, I should specify that I did not arrive on the American shores on the Mayflower, or any aquatic vehicle for that matter Even though it was an Airbus 380 that brought me to Ithaca, I am certain I was equally as, if not more baffled than the Pilgrims who stumbled upon the United States in the 1600s I especially found myself amused and bemused by this confounding phenomenon called Rush Week

It was Americanization at its very best for me In India, the perception of sorority life conjures images of mannequin-like ladies going around wearing disastrous costumes, kissing statues and engineering very high-end drama in order to get a T-shirt with algebraic letters on it I had always thought that the stereotypical sorority girl was a tall lady with hair which remains poker-straight through the most nefarious tempest, who walks on stilts, has a geometric face and usually breaks hearts Do excuse my exaggeration, but I think you get my point Nevertheless, I made the effort to traverse across two continents on a 22 hour flight to find out what a sorority actually looks like from the inside and embed the entire Greek alphabet in my memory forever

Rush Week is basically seven days when you will see more girls than you have ever seen in your life trudging through snow ridges signs of a weather phenomenon I

Establishment of the State of Israel (Israel has no constitution) promises “complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex ” Yet, in the past few decades, Israel has unquestionably moved away from the values it espoused in its Declaration of Independence

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conservative government is about to get a whole lot more conservative in Israel’s coming election And with the new government ’ s arrival, a two-state solution looks more implausible than ever

Responsible for this new political climate is an Israeli population that looks less and less hospitable to the progressive ideals of its founders

According to a survey by t h e Fr i e d r i c h Eb e r t Foundation, 49 percent of Jewish Israelis aged 21 to 24 would not befriend an Arab Only 19 percent of Arabs between those ages said they would not befriend a Jew Another survey found that 44 percent of Jewish Israelis believe that Jews should avoid renting apartments to Arabs

In 2000, the Israeli government created a special commission to study the conditions for Israel’s Arab population The committee reported that “ government handling of the Arab sector has been primarily neglectful and discriminatory ”

Facts like these have forced people like me, and there are many, to try to understand how to feel about Israel in light of our liberal values about democracy and religious tolerance views that we feel are largely informed by our Jewish upbringings We do not oppose Israel’s right to exist, but we do question the terms it exists on Naftali Bennett, the leader of the right-wing Jewish Home Party, which is expected to place 2nd or 3rd in the coming elections, was quoted in a New Yorker piece as saying, “I will do everything in my power to make sure [the Palestinians] never get a state ”

It is not just Jewish Home who reject the very idea of a two-state solution Danny Danon, cited in the same New Yorker piece, has argued that, for every missile launched from Gaza, Israel ought to “delete” a neighborhood in Gaza Danon is a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party Netanyahu

himself has largely only paid lip service to a two-state solution, all while continuing government support of settlement-building in the West Bank

Of course, it would be wrong of me to look at Israeli action in a vacuum Israel is faced with a Palestinian population that in some corners is overtly hostile to its very existence

If the Israeli right-wing get their wish, and a two-state solution never comes to be, then Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state will almost certainly disappear with it

If a Palestinian state becomes officially unviable, Israel’s legal borders will be expanded to include the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza The West Bank and Gaza would no longer be occupied territories, but would instead be part and parcel of Israel proper

These territories would come with their combined populations of four million Arabs Israel, a nation with six million Jews, will find itself with an additional population of five and a half million Arabs whose birth rate is 50 percent higher than that of the Jewish population

If there is no Palestinian state within our lifetimes, there will be more Arabs in Israel than there are Jews An Arab population with voting rights can then simply vote away Israel’s Jewish statehood

Israel’s only option to prevent this is to deny voting rights to its Arab population, a prospect at odds with the Israeli Declaration of Independence, the values of the western world and Judaism’s core moral values Those on the far right do not mind this outcome To them, what matters is that Israel remains Jewish and occupies the land they feel is, by divine right, theirs

However, there are those of us who cannot support an Israel that is undemocratic To us, a democratic Israel is as important as a Jewish Israel

We must be willing to fight to ensure that Israel never has to choose between democracy and Zionism It is not opposition to Israel’s right wing that motivates us; it is our belief in the values espoused by Zionists like Brandeis that “it is Democracy that Zionism represents It is Social Justice which Zionism represents ”

Even an Israel besieged ought to aspire to the democratic values its founders inscribed

Noah Karr-Kaitin is a senior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations He may be reached at nkarrkaitin@cornellsun com Plain Hokum appears alternate Mondays this semester

It Wa s All Greek to Me

had never seen before I was puzzled by the impeccable assembly lines of girls looking their best and wearing beautiful dresses paired with sweatpants and any other remotely warm clothing and suddenly, this was group I was suddenly a part of I was still coping with my jet lag when these intriguing rounds kicked off and I found myself walking through blizzard-like conditions in some sort of silly dress competition A minute later, a million hands were thumping the door and music was blasting through it I thought it was the apocalypse, but it was merely the sorority chapter giving us a very enthusiastic welcome to warm our frozen spirits Soon enough, the door burst opened and I saw the sisters doing a trance dance, convincing me that if nothing else, Rush Week is exciting As I passed through the doors, a sister would sweep me up into a parlor so picture-perfect that I didn t dare spill my drink or drop a cookie crumb For all I knew, I could have been starring in a Victorian play where my coat was taken and the most creative drinks were served in champagne flutes

However, there’s more to Rush Week than misery and playing pretend One gets to meet an army of upper-class women and have conversations about everything from the weather to theses on biology and neuroscience I have never been so polite and well-mannered in my entire life; my mother would be proud It is not a myth that one has to look presentable, but it definitely is a myth that you cannot do Rush Week without a brand new color-coded

wardrobe It is as if the Sorting Hat walks into your life at Cornell although the actual Sorting Hat would be much more convenient than standing for fifteen minutes in the excruciating cold while frat stars in cars speed by honking their horns at our self-inflicted misery But real life can never be as easy as fantasy And when the door opens and the excitement catches up again it does feel intense but does not necessarily leave you emotionally impaired

While I definitely entered rush as a cynic, I’m glad I rushed for a number of reasons Most importantly, it is a learning process In

just a few short days, I have definitely become a smooth talker (well, a smoother talker), have better interpersonal skills and have a much more clear perspective on my values How many times do we find ourselves speechless when someone asks us, “So, tell me more about yourself?” Rushing brings you a little closer to the answer

Moreover, the beauty of sorority require-

ment lies in the fact that you cannot make it into any sorority just by looking like a Vogue cover-girl There are some incredible women, on either side of the process, behind all that makeup It is finding those women and celebrating it that is the very cornerstone of sisterhood It is a rare thing seeing seniors tear up because they treasure their sisterhood so much it makes it all feel real So do not despise the sorority girl; she is more than a pin-up girl As a former sorority cynic, it has been my experience, that the best bet for having a successful Rush Week is thus: “This above all: to thine own self be true,/ And it

must follow, as the night the day,/ Thou canst not then be false ” It is my abstruse verdict that Shakespeare would have made a great Rho Gamma

Aditi Bhowmick is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences She may be reached at abhowmick@cornellsun com Abstruse Musings appears alternate Mondays this semester

Januar y 21, 2013 |

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BY MARISSA TRANQUILLI Sun Staff Writer

T h e f i r s t f i l m i n h i s t o r y t o k e e p t h e a t e r s o p e n a t n i g h t w a s Un d e r w o rl d ( 1 9 2 7 ) , t h e s t o r y o f a g a n g s t e r, h i s l a w ye r a n d h i s l a w ye r ’ s w i f e Ma n y c o n s i d e re d i t s i m p l i s t i c , b u t i t w a s t h e f i r s t i n a l o n g l i n e o f g a n g s t e r d r i ve n p l o t s , m ov i e s p ro d u c e d by Ho l l y w o o d t h a t g a ve t h e i r a u d i e n c e s g l a m o u r, g o re a n d l o o s e m o r a l s : e ve r y t h i n g t h e a u d i e n c e s c r a ve d Ho l l y w o o d g a n g s t e r s ove r t h e ye a r s h a ve b e c o m e

s e x y a n d t h e g a n g s t e r m ov i e h a s g row n b i g g e r a n d c r a z i e r w i t h e a c h p a s s i n g ye a r T h e n e we s t f i l m t o j o i n t h i s l i n e -

u p i s Ga n g s t e r S q u a d , b a s e d o n t h e b o o k b y Pa u l

L i e b e r m a n a n d a d a p t e d f o r t h e s c re e n by Wi l l Be a l l

Ba s e d o n t r u e e ve n t s , Ga n g s t e r S q u a d , d i re c t e d by

Ru b e n Fl e i s c h e r, f o l l ow s t h e s t o r y o f Se r g e a n t Jo h n

O ’ Ma r a ( Jo s h Bro l i n ) a n d h i s t e a m o f o f f - b e a t c o p s w h o c o l l e c t i ve l y t r y t o b r i n g d ow n L A g a n g s t e r Mi c k e y

C o h e n ( Se a n Pe n n )

C o h e n r u n s L o s A n g e l e s a t t h e s t a r t

o f t h e f i l m , b u t e x p a n d s h i s a m b i t i o n s t o t h e re s t o f t h e

We s t C o a s t , w h i c h h e p l a n s t o r i p a p a r t a n d k e e p i n h i s c o n t ro l C o m m i s s i o n e d by h i s c h i e f o f p o l i c e d u e t o h i s u n f l i n c h i n g d r i ve t o c l e a n u p L A , S g t O ’ Ma r a i s g i ve n

t h e o rd e r s t o t a k e d ow n C o h e n c o m p l e t e l y o u t s i d e o f t h e

l a w Wi t h t h e h e l p o f h i s p re g n a n t w i f e C o n n i e ( Mi re i l l e

En o s ) , O ’ Ma r a b e g i n s t o g a t h e r h i s h a n d - p i c k e d g a n g s t e r

s q u a d : Of f i c e r C o l e m a n Ha r r i s ( A n t h o n y Ma c k i e ) , t h e

g u n - h a n d Of f i c e r Ma x Ke n n a rd ( Ro b e r t Pa t r i c k ) , t h e a c c i d e n t a l re c r u i t Of f i c e r Na v i d a d R a m i re z ( Mi c h a e l

Pe ñ a ) , t h e b r a i n s o f t h e o p e r a t i o n , Of f i c e r C o n w a y Ke e l e r ( Gi ova n n i R i b i s i ) , a n d h i s g o o d f r i e n d Se r g e a n t Je r r y

Wo o t e r s ( Ry a n Go s l i n g )

Gangster Squad

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

Starring Josh Brolin, Ryan

Gosling, Nick Nolte, Sean Penn, Emma Stone

Of c o u r s e , t h e p a r t o f t h e s t o r y a l l t h e a u d i e n c e s we re d y i n g f o r w a s t h e r o m a n c e b e t w e e n Gr a c e Fa r a d a y ( Em m a St o n e ) a n d S g t Je r r y Wo o t e r s T h e i n c r e d i b l y a t t r a c t i v e c o u p l e s t a r r e d a b o u t a ye a r a n d a h a l f a g o i n C ra z y, St u p i d , L o v e A f t e r t h e i r a d o r a b l e c o n t r i b ut i o n t o t h a t m ov i e , p re s s u re w a s h i g h f o r t h e o n - s c re e n c o u p l e t o c o nt r i b u t e g re a t e r c h e m i s t r y i n Ga n g s t e r S q u a d L i k e m a n y re c u r r i n g o n s c re e n c o u p l e s , t h e i r s e c o n d p e r f o r m a n c e f e l l s h o r t t o t h e i r f i r s t No t a s f a r s h o r t a s i n Jo e Ve r s u s t h e Vo l c a n o o r Fo o l’s Go l d w a y, b u t c l o s e r t o Fi f t y Fi r s t Da t e s T h e y re t a i n e d d e c e n t c h e m i s t r y b u t h a d m u c h l e s s t o w o rk w i t h i n t h i s f i l m Gr a c e Fa r a d a y w a s t h e e t i q u e t t e t e a c h e r a n d l ove r o f Mi c k e y C o h e n w h o we n t h o m e w i t h S g t Je r r y Wo o t e r s b e f o re t h e g a n g s t e r s q u a d w a s f o r m e d o r c o n s i d e

GORE , GLAMOR AND GANG STER SQUAD

h

i n w h i c

Marissa Tranquilli is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences She can be reached at mtranquilli@cornellsun com

BY HENRY STALEY Sun Staff Writer

After leaving the theater after a showing of Searching for Sugarman, I was stopped at a red light when I looked to the right and heard a fellow driver playing “Jane S Piddy” off of Rodriguez’s 1970 album Cold Fact The next day, when I went to pick up the album, I was told I’d have to wait to purchase it, as it had been cleared from shelves by a herd of customers who had presumably just seen the same documentary After a shipment of records, I was finally able to get my copies (which I’ve shared with friends), but I can tell you that the decision to buy the CD was just one of the few good outcomes of sitting through the 86-minute film by Malik Bendjelloul Bendjelloul’s documentary focuses on a search for the psych-folk musician-poet Sixto Rodriguez, who was reported to have committed suicide mid-concert after a mysterious and turbulent music career Rodriguez’s records gained enormous commercial success while kick-starting anti-establishment fervor in South Africa, but flopped in his home country, the United States In the repressed African nation, he sold half a million records, while in America, he sold next to nothing Why this disparity occurred is never fully answered, but the documentary expends plenty of energy explaining how Rodriguez did not want fame and money and exhausted the inescapable comparison to the similarly elusive Bob Dylan The two musicians share similarities in location (both midwesterners), sound, social message and an almost messianic status amongst their fan base, but Rodriguez was so uncomfortable with money and success that he makes the fame-fleeting Dylan look opportunistic

Searching for Sugarm an Directed by Malik Bendjelloul

Featuring Sixto Rodriguez

Rodriguez’s aversion to attention clearly stifled his career, and just as clearly stifles this movie The documentary takes a Citizen Kane-like approach to the search, following two journalists who want to find out more about the ostensibly dead Rodriguez as they visit production companies and acquaintances, seeking to connect the dots to Rodriguez’s core This mystery-documentary set-up is flawed as the two searchers have a story far less interesting than Rodriguez’s and the one move that begets surprise (the discovery that Rodriguez is alive and not so well off in Michigan) is revealed by the film’s trailer, which features present day footage of Rodriguez walking through snow covered slums of Detroit It appears as if Rodriguez was content without the attention and happy to be underrated, realizing Emerson s

words, “To be great is to be misunderstood ” Instead, the directors track Rodriguez down so that he can appear in the film The interviews with Rodriguez, which occur two-thirds of the way into the movie (before, the plot centers on boring journalists) do not reward the slow beginning and are stymied by Rodriguez’s reservations Instead of answering why he dropped out of the music industry, he keeps his enigmatic shades on and steers away from the questions

What is more rewarding, however, is the coverage of a “Back from the Dead Concert” staged in South Africa in March 1998 after the discovery that Rodriguez was still alive The concert was an enormous success, which sold out and resurrected the man (in South Africa at least) who had been working construction jobs and living in near seclusion in Detroit In fact, take it as a rule of thumb that the portions of the film that take place in South Africa are worthwhile, whereas the rest is flyover footage Particularly interesting sections discuss the difficulty of raising dissent in South Africa, as his lyrics (“I wonder how many times have you had sex?”) challenged a puritanical and tyrannical system, organized around preserving the reactionary apartheid economic complex His music was so controversial that conservative thugs descended into record stores to scratch his records, rendering the lyrics inaudible However opposed to his success the South African government was, it is there, in the confused, Western nation miles away from the rest of the Western world where he achieved his just praise that is, until now

Searching for Substance in Sugar man

I’ve gathered that the man is experiencing somewhat of a Renaissance and our nostalgia-infatuated generation is subsidizing it This is an incredible success The man is a romantic, a subversive, a poet and criminally underappreciated The new swarm of praise is, of course, due to the movie, but the movie should not be the subject of praise itself In short: Buy his CDs, skip the film

WhileFrom my experience waiting at a stoplight next to a fellow Rodriguez listener and my difficulty in obtaining his record,

Henr y Staley is a freshman in the College of Art, Architecture and Planning He can be reached at hstaley@cornellsun com

No Life Support for Liz Lemon

most of you were off this break having awesome adventures (I know, I saw your “Parachuting into the Active Volcano, Mount Nyiragongo!!” Facebook albums,) I was at home embracing my inner 98year-old

I had been telling myself and everyone that, over winter break, I would finally fulfill my obligation as an informed member of the Arts & Entertainment staff, and watch Breaking Bad, The Wire, Homeland, The Walking Dead, Boardwalk Empire and any other show that when I say I don’t watch, television aficionados gasp in horror

But that did not happen I tried I really did I just don’t have the attention span for those serious shows I think that if Jon Hamm is absent from a drama, I can ’ t watch; although, Damian Lewis was adorable at the Golden Globes, so I might start watching Homeland Except I’m told he plays an American on the show, which makes him severely less adorable

The whole point of this discussion is not to tell you that I’m a fan of Jon Hamm and Damian Lewis (P S , he’s in a delightful British movie that’s on Netflix called Assassin in Love and you should all go watch it), but to draw a conclusion from the patterns I noticed while sitting on my couch with my cats watching Gilmore Girls The West Wing Once Upon a Time The Office How I Met Your Mother and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia I also watched a lot of NCIS, but that’s unrelated to the point I am

about to make-which is that all of these shows, however amazing they were at one point, went on too long Gilmore Girls and The West Wing had the same problem, which was that the head writer left after a certain number of seasons Amy Sherman-Palladino and Aaron Sorkin both left their respective creations to the mercy of less talented writers ,which led to a noticeable deterioration of quality for the remaining seasons

Once Upon a Time is only on its second season and it’s already gone on too long The first couple episodes were great, and then you start to realize that every episode is basically the same And also Josh Dallas, who plays Prince Charming, becomes less fun to watch when he wakes up from his coma

Julia Moser

Carrot Top Confessions

The Office, How I Met Your Mother and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are all shows that I have watched since the beginning, but had neglected while at school So obviously I had to catch up on them because the television gods would be upset with me if I didn’t The Office and It’s Always Sunny are on their ninth seasons and HIMYM is on its eighth All three have gone on too long The characters are tired and the jokes are the same I am relieved that The Office, like your childhood dog who could once play and run in the fields with you, is now being mercifully put down

I wish that I were the type of person who could stop watching a show when it stops being good, but I am too loyal a TV fan I just thank god I’ve never watched Days of Our Lives TV shows have a lifespan Sometimes, like the

fairytale characters of Storybrook, it is five episodes of entertainment whereas Barney Stinson is entertaining for about six years

It makes me wonder if the reason Arrested Development is put on the pedestal of television greatness because it only lasted for three wonderful seasons Every episode was gold because there were only 53 episodes Perhaps it could have sustained the amazing for longer, but with this new season coming in May, are we pushing our luck?

Here, I would like to turn to my idol and reason for waking up in the morning: Goddess Tina Fey 30 Rock I was going to say something about how fantastic it is, but the name itself can stand alone and recall all the joyous emotions one feels when just imagining Liz Lemon wearing a cardigan over a plaid button down 30 Rock has only two more episodes left Ever And, as sad I am to see my Thursdays get a little less Liz Lemon-y, I am happy that the show is ending while it is still good Tina Fey is too classy for any shark jumping

This seventh and final season of 30 Rock has been an emotional roller coaster in that I cry from laughter when I watch it and then cry from sadness when it is over I know that next Thursday will be no exception Well, actually Friday because I watch it on Hulu There will be a lot of tears But, when those final credits run and Hulu tells me to watch Late Night with Jimmy Fallon next, I will smile, knowing that 30 Rock lived a long and full life and that is it’s time 30 Rock will be in a better place looking down at us, saying “blerg ”

Julia Moser is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences She can be reached at jmoser@cornellsun com Carrot Top Confessions appears alternate Mondays this semester

Despite Late Comeback, Red Falls to Rensselaer

M HOCKEY

Continued from page 16

The squad was unable to follow up the come from behind victory with a win this weekend, falling to RPI, 3-2

No 16 Cornell (8-7-2, 4-4-2 ECAC Hockey) was behind the entire game as RPI struck in all three periods The Red fought back with goals in the second and third periods off the sticks of McCarron and Lowry Lowry scored the second goal for the Red, but the rest of the team could not capitalize on that momentum RPI (8-10-5, 3-6-3 ECAC Hockey) knocked in the first goal three minutes into the game when Nick Bailen capitalized on a pass from Jacob Laliberte at the goalpost

Greg Burgdoerfer was issued a five-minute major and game misconduct for hitting from behind and 37 seconds later, Cornell looked to convert Sophomore defenseman Joakim Ryan weaved through and passed to Mowrey on the wing Mowrey drew the defense, and then passed to McCarron who chucked it past RPI goalie Jason Kasdorf

Play continued with some back and forth action between RPI and Cornell until at the 15:27 mark, RPI’s Ryan Haggerty scored to take the lead, 2-1 The Engineers grabbed an additional point from the Red when RPI’s Mark McGowan found the back of the net with 7:46 remaining Lowry knocked in his seventh goal of the season with 30 4 seconds remaining to put the Red within one, but that was as close as the squad would get Cornell finally returns to Lynah Rink next weekend for the first time since Dec 1 with a nationally televised contest on Friday against Yale

Haley Velasco can be reached at hvelasco@cornellsun com

Cressler, Gray’s Shooting Not Enough Against Lions

M B-BALL

Continued from page 16

off opportunities where he just laid the ball in ” Offensively, the Red was able to stay with the Lions in the first half, going into the locker room down by three The Red shot the ball well, with Gray and freshman guard Nolan Cressler getting hot from beyond the arc Cressler had 11 points in the first half with three triples and a tip in under the basket on a missed

t h re e - p o i n t e r by j u n i o r g u a rd

Do m i n i c k S c e l f o How e v e r, Cressler was held scoreless for the final 27 minutes of the game

Gr a y w a s a b l e t o p i c k u p where he left off, scoring ten points on the day He scored seven of the Red’s eight points to end the first half, keeping the squad within striking distance

In the second half, though, the Red was unable to get as many good looks Sophomore for ward Shonn Miller led the

Red’s scoring with 13 points, ten of which came in the final 20 minutes The two squads traded baskets for most of the half until the Lions made their mini run from which the Red could never recover

The loss at home is a tough blow to the Red, who had been on a two-game winning streak coming out of winter break The squad will have to recover quickly for Saturday, when it travels to the Lions’ home turf in New York City for its second Ivy contest

According to Gray, the Red will b e s t u d y i n g f i l m t o m o r r ow, working to fix the defensive lapses that occurred this weekend

“Going on the road is no easy task,” he said “ We feel like we can expect the same thing out of them but they will see some adjustments from us, we just have to go out there and fix the little things ”

Scott Chiusano can be reached at schiusano@cornellsun com

Back at Ly nah, Slebodnick Carr ies Red O ver EC AC Foes

By BEN HOROWITZ Sun Staff Wr ter

After winning its first home game in almost two months earlier in the week, the Cornell women ’ s hockey team looked for more Lynah success in weekend contests against St Lawrence (13-9-2, 8-31 ECAC Hockey) and Clarkson (18-6, 10-2) The Red proved victorious in both games, defeating St Lawrence, 6-0, and beating Clarkson, 3-1, the following day With these victories, the Red

(14-4, 10-2) moved into a tie with Clarkson for second place in the ECAC, with ten conference games still to be played

“This was a huge weekend for us, ” said junior forward Brianne Jenner “We needed those wins to set our sites on the regular season championship, and those were two of the top teams in the ECAC, so it was really important for us ”

In the game against St Lawrence on Friday night, neither team scored in the first period Junior for ward Brianne Jenner

broke through midway through the second period, and the Red scored five unanswered goals to complete the lopsided win Junior goaltender Lauren Slebodnick earned the shutout, and her play in both games played a major role in the Red’s victories, according to Jenner

“Those were two of the best games of the year for her, and we ’ re going to need that from her going forward,” she said “We were strong defensively against Clarkson, but we gave up a few

Archer Hopes to E xpand Fan Base

Hamilton ” Austin came to Cornell in the same year as junior quarterback Jeff Mathews He coached him to a unanimous Ivy League Rookie of the Year selection in his first year and a Bushnell Cup Award for Offensive Player of the Year in his sophomore season Because Austin is the only head coach Mathews has known as a Red player, he said he feels that Austin played an integral role in molding him into the successful college quarterback he has become

“I learned so much from him as far as how to play the game, definitely offensively and learning defensive game plans,” Mathews said

Though Austin had age and experience on his side he spent two years as the offensive coordinator at Mississippi and 15 seasons as a CFL player, assistant and head coach Archer has the advantage of inside knowledge on the workings of Cornell football According to Mathews, putting together a team to compete in the Ivy League is a much different job than at schools that have athletic scholarships readily available

“The key thing to understand is this is a different coaching job than elsewhere, because to recruit student athletes is a narrow search process compared to other schools,” Mathews said

Similar to Mathews and his teammates, Archer was recruited to play at Cornell and understands the pressure and responsibility this brings

“Coach Archer realizes the

opportunities Cornell brings to players and this is huge He’s been here for so long and I think this has some advantages I’m excited to play for him,” Mathews said Archer also acknowledged that the time he spent as a player at Cornell will have a profound effect on the way he coaches this team A former economics major in the College of Arts and Siences, Archer cannot overlook the work ethic that is synonymous with being a successful student-athlete

“I hope it helps me keep a pulse on what it is like to be a student-athlete here at Cornell I understand you can ’ t always block out having a prelim and just go concentrate on football,” Archer said “I’m proud of my Cornell degree every day and I know what these kids are going through ”

After graduating from Cornell in 2005, Archer spent two years with the Teach for America program before returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator He had the difficult job of creating well-rounded recruiting classes, some of which included Mathews, senior wide receiver Shane Savage and freshman running back Luke Hagy another candidate for Rookie of the Year

“As recruiting coordinator I was the lead of that effort, but we had guys on the staff that worked incredibly hard,” Archer said “Each guy had a different territory in the country, so several guys chose to come here and I didn’t have much of a hand in it, while others I had a lot to do with ”

According to Mathews one of those players Archer helped bring to Cornell his new coach’s familiar-

really good chances and Lauren came up really huge for us with really timely saves That kind of play can really spark momentum for your team, and it ended up doing that for us ”

This momentum gave the Red confidence late in the game

“She made some big saves that could have been game changers early on, ” added sophomore forward Jillian Saulnier “It was important for her to play her best game and she did just that ”

According to Jenner, one of the keys to the Red’s wins this past weekend was adding better focus to the energy that the team has been playing with in recent weeks

“We were a lot more focused than we had been in previous games, ” she said “Our energy has been really good the last few weeks, but our focus was much better this weekend The Clarkson game was a huge win for us and probably the best 60 minutes we had played all year ”

According to Saulnier, the Red’s loss to Clarkson earlier in the season gave the team additional motivation to bring their best game to the Knights in the rematch

“They are a great team, and they never back down,” she said “They come to battle every time That motivated us and kind of pressured us in a good way to play our best and get the win ”

The Red took a 1-0 lead late in the first period against the Knights on a goal by junior forward Jessica Campbell According to Saulnier,

that first goal energized the Red and led them to the win

“We’ve been working on getting a jump on the other team, and we knew we had to get the momentum rolling,” she said “That goal got us pumped up and focused on the energy, and ultimately led us to the win ”

“We’re a good team at playing with the lead, so scoring first gets momentum and lets us get all three of our lines rolling,” Jenner added Jenner scored a power play goal in each of the two games According to Jenner, a slight change in focus helped the power play succeed

“We just changed our emphasis a little bit,” she said “Coach really wanted us to move the puck with speed, move our feet, make shots, and recover shots Our puck recovery and retrieval was huge We were outnumbering them and outworking the penalty kill, and that’s what generated our chances ”

The two weekend wins mean that the Red remains undefeated at home, with a record of 9-0

“Its always good having home ice advantage The fan base has been great and we have a lot of support It’s a huge aspect of the game We’re also playing for the fans and the school It’s been great having the support, and it will only get better from here,” Saulnier said

Horowitz can be reached at bhorowitz@cornellsun com

ity with the recruits will be especially important

“He’s had the role of bringing most of the players to Cornell; I was one of them,” Mathews said “He understands the type of athletes that will do well here and he does a great job of getting guys interested ”

Archer, however, remained humble about the impressive job he has done as recruiting coordinator these past few years

“I in no way take credit for what’s been going on here,” he said “That’s what I love about football, it’s the ultimate team game and I want to be part of an effective team ”

At just 30 years old, Archer is now the youngest Division I head football coach in the country His youth, however, does not seem to bother his players

“We’re not worried and he isn’t either,” Mathews said “I think the most important thing is he fits in at Cornell because he understands how we run as a unit age and experience is not really something we worry about ” With a wide network of support at Cornell, Archer is also confident that his age will not be a hindrance

“I think if I were taking a job at a school that I hadn’t been at, it would be a challenge,” Archer said “But I have a great relationship with the team and parts of campus and I look forward to the increased role I will have ”

After working alongside Austin for three years, Archer has seen what it takes to mold a successful football program and will continue to build on the solid foundation Austin created

“We always want to do what our

players are good at, we want to work tirelessly as coaches to be in the best position to be successful,” Archer said “The key word in football is balance, multiplicity in what you do, but also balance If you are predictable, you are vulnerable ” Age and experience aside, his biggest challenge as head coach will possibly be gaining some muchneeded support for his football program Archer has certainly embraced this, taking the microphone during halftime of Saturday’s

basketball game in order to get the crowd excited for the upcoming football season He hopes to attack this obstacle in a similar manner to the way he recruited players

“I need to recruit everybody,” he said “I need to continue to recruit great players, but also fans and the entire campus and get them excited about Cornell football, because it’s all about the people ”

People’s Coach: Archer ’05Takes

O ver for Cornell

By SCOTT CHIUSANO Sun Assistant Sports Editor

Seven years ago, David Archer ’05 crouched on the Red offensive line, protecting his quar terback alongside Super Bowl Champion Kevin Boothe ’06 This year, he will stand proudly on the sidelines as the 27th head coach of Cornell football, protecting the Red’s hopes of its first Ivy League title in over 20 years

A former captain of the Red’s football squad, Archer will take the reins as head coach after the depar ture of Kent Austin,

operations, general manager and head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League Austin made an impact early on in his

Red, guiding the team to it s firs t 5 0 0 c am paign since 2007 in just his second season on the sidelines Though Austin’s sudden depar ture did come as a surprise to the football program, the Cornell community respects his decision

“Coach Austin felt so strongly towards Cornell; he loved it here,” Archer said “Football is such a crazy business that you ’ re always on the market He turned down several oppor tunities, but this was something that came his way that he couldn’t turn down He had to do what was best for his f a m i l

Spor ts

Coming From Behind , Red Tops Union

By HALEY VELASCO Sun Assistant Sports Editor

The Cornell men ’ s hockey team returned to action this weekend with matchups against RPI and Union Friday night’s game against Union ended in a 3-2 victory for the Red, thanks to sophomore forward Brian Ferlin’s third goal of the season The win marked the first time this season that the Red has won a game in which it entered the final period behind by a goal

Un

Bardreau for their gold medal-winning performances for the U S at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships

The Red struck early on in the game when senior

By SCOTT CHIUSANO Sun Assistant Sports Editor

Senior forward Josh Figini rolled off a screen to the top of the key, finding the ball in his hands in a familiar spot on the court With just enough space to get a shot off, he nailed a three-pointer, his second of the game from the top of the arc His shot cut Columbia’s lead to one with just under 14 minutes left in the game, but it was not enough momentum to propel the Red to a victory The Lions went on a 13-2 run after that basket, and though the Red fought back throughout the final minutes, the squad dropped its first conference home game of the season, 67-58

The Lions took advantage of the Red’s offensive drought in the second half, as Columbia’s senior guard Brian Barbour was consistently able to weave his way into the lane

“We lost a bit of our defensive intensity there and they were able to capitalize,” said senior for ward Eitan Chemerinski “Brian [Barbour] made a couple tough shots and they got some confidence from that ”

When Barbour was not scoring in the paint, he was able to dish the ball out to Columbia big man Mark Cisco or their perimeter shooters

“We weren ’ t communicating, weren ’ t talking to each other and we were a little bit slow on the defensive end,” said senior guard Johnathan Gray “Maybe fatigue set in, which hasn’t really been a problem for us ” Columbia had a solid rotation of guards between

defenseman Braden Birch set up a breakout up the right side to sophomore forward John McCarron He set up Bardreau, who gave sophomore forward John Esposito the chance to score the first goal of the game

Union then pulled ahead with two more goals in the first period

Down by one entering the final period, the Red connected when senior forward Erik Axell set up sophomore defensemen Joakim Ryan for a shot in the center It was blocked at first, but Axell was able to put the puck in the back of the net off the rebound

Ferlin's goal the third and eventual game winner came off an assist by sophomore forward Joel Lowry, on a two-on-one break up on the left side

Barbour, Steve Grankoski and Grant Mullins who pestered the Red’s normally sound defense the entire game Barbour had 16 points on 5 of 12 shooting, while Mullins and Frankoski combined for 23 points, including five three pointers

“Their guards were quick, we just have to keep our toughness and make sure we keep the guards out of the lane and keep them from having easy dribble penetration,” Chemerinski said

“Our individual defense has to be a lot better,” Gray said “It sounds easy but it will be tough They have a lot of quick guards and we have to contain them and try to be disciplined They did a good job spacing us out and making us work the whole shot clock

Cisco who gave the Red trouble in its loss to Columbia last season had another solid game with 18 points and nine rebounds, but most of his scoring again came off dribble penetration by the guards

“He had a big game but the way he was scoring we ’ re not too worried about,” Gray said “He had a lot of drop