02 10 14 entire issue lo res

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

“The fact that you’re pissed off doesn’t change the bottom line of the University.”

Day Hall occupied in protest of $ 350 health fee

By SOFIA HU Sun Senior Writer

Over 100 students occupied Day Hall for at least four hours Monday, clashing with administrators as they packed offices and opposed the new $350 annual health fee

Throughout the hours-long Day Hall occupation, students and administrators found themselves in numerous heated confrontations over University policy

The protest named “#FightTheFee” and organized by the Save the Pass coalition, which previously held protests in support of free first-year Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit bus passes started slowly in Willard Straight Hall at noon

Before the protest began, several administrators were already at the site Denise Cassaro, associate director for student leadership, engagement and campus activities, was the event manager for the protest and said she wanted to ensure the “safety” of all students at the protest

Dozens of students streamed into the Willard Straight lobby as classes ended at 12:05 p m Protesters distributed pamphlets titled “Student Healthcare Fee: What Administration Won’t Tell You” and launched into brief introductory speeches

Eventually, chanting “Day Hall,” “Fight the fee,” and “Shut it down,” students marched from the Straight to Day Hall

Protesters at the door to the administrative building

Skorton urges protesters to work

‘collectively’ with administrators

By ANNIE BUI Sun News Editor

President David Skorton and student protesters engaged in a heated exchange in Day Hall Monday afternoon

Though Skorton and the protesters did not communicate with each other when students first entered the Office of the President and Provost, Skorton addressed them approximately two hours later

Students raised numerous concerns on topics including the student health fee and other aspects of University finance during the approximately 40 minute confrontation

In response to Skorton saying he made “miscalculations” that led to the shortfall

in the budget of Gannett Health Services, one protester asked why students “ were paying for [his] mistakes ” “You’re not paying for my mistakes,” Skorton said “What we are trying to do is tackle three goals at once

The first goal is to try to provide more need-based financial aid during a recession number two is to tr y to increase service at Gannett to deal with whatever comes down the pipe to the extent that we can The third thing

I’m trying to do is to maintain the employment ensemble that we have at the University because we have such a large impact on the community ” Skorton said the purpose of the new fee was for the

Book Talk: The Modern Land-Grant University 4 p m , 160 Mann Library

Cranberries: From Polyphenols to Polysaccharides 4 p m , 146 Stocking Hall

Pre-Med and Public Health Study Abroad Info Meeting

4:45 - 5:45 p m , 100 Caldwell Hall

University Assembly Meeting

4:30 p m , 401 Physical Science Building

Ghostly Desires: Buddhist Borrowings and Queer Sexuality In Contemporary Thai Cinema 4:30 p m , 142 Goldwin Smith Hall The Fight Against Anti-Nutrition: Managing Mycotoxins on African Maize 12:20 - 1:20 p m , 135 Emerson Hall

Hunting Dark Penguins At the Large Hadron Collider 2 - 3 p m , 401 Physical Sciences Building

Atmospheric Circulation and Surface Climate Response To Projected Arctic Sea Ice Loss 3:30 - 4:30 p m , 2146 Snee Hall

Crusade, Capitivity and the Marvelous East In Later Middle Ages 4:30 p m , 110 White Hall

Weill Study of NYC Subway Maps Protozoic Activity

By PAULINA GLASS Sun Staff Writer

m e d i c i n e , s a i d h e w a s i n t e re s t e d i n “ t h e f a c t t h a t a ‘ m o le c u l a r e c h o ’ c a n s t a y i n s o m e s t a t i o n s , t h a t 4 8 p e rc e n t o f t h e D N A i s s t i l l f ro m u n k n ow n s p e c i e s a n d t h a t h u m a n

D N A c a n m i r ro r t h e Un i t e d St a t e s C e n s u s d a t a w h e n we p re d i c t a n c e s t r y ”

Ma s o n s a i d h e w a s i n s p i re d t o s t u d y t h e s u bw a y

w h e n h e w a s d ro p p i n g o f f h i s d a u g h t e r a t d a yc a re

“ I w a n t e d a m o l e c u l a r v i e w o f a l l t h e m i c ro b e s we

m ove a ro u n d e ve r y d a y, ” Ma s o n s a i d “ We t a k e t h e s u bw a y e ve r y d a y ”

Ma s o n a l s o s a i d h e f o u n d c e r t a i n a s p e c t s o f t h e re s u l t s i n t e re s t i n g , i n c l u d i n g t h e d i s c ove r y t h a t h u m a n

D N A a t c e r t a i n s u bw a y s t a t i o n s o f t e n c o r re l a t e d w i t h t h e d e m o g r a p h i c o f t h e c o r re s p o n d i n g n e i g h b o r h o o d

T h e s t u d y w a s c o n d u c t e d by s w a b b i n g s u r f a c e s i n

a n d a ro u n d t h e t r a i n s i n t h e s u bw a y s y s t e m a n d a n a l a y zi n g t h e s a m p l e s i n l a b o r a t o r i e s Ac c o rd i n g t o t h e re p o r t , a l l 4 6 8 s u bw a y s t a t i o n s we re i n ve s t i g a t e d i n 2 0 1 3 , w i t h f u r t h e r t e s t i n g t a k i n g p l a c e i n 2 0 1 4 “ Sa m p l e s we re c o l l e c t e d f ro m t u r n s t i l e s a n d e m e rg e n c y e x i t s , Me t ro C a rd k i o s k s , w o o d e n a n d m e t a l b e n c h e s , s t a i r we l l h a n d r a i l s a n d t r a s h c a n s , ” t h e s t u d y re p o r t e d “ T h e t u r n s t i l e s a n d k i o s k s we re p r i o r i t i ze d a t e a c h s t a t i o n d u e t o t h e l e ve l o f h u m a n - s u r f a c e i n t e r a ct i o n a t t h e s e p a r t i c u l a r s i t e s In t h e t r a i n , t h e d o o r s , p o l e s , h a n d r a i l s , a n d s e a t s we re s w a b b e d ” T h e i m p l i c a t i o n s o f t h e s e f i n d i n g s s t re t c h b e yo n d m a p p i n g t h e p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n s y s t e m , a c c o rd i n g t o Ma s o n “ We c a n [ b u i l d ] s m a r t e r b u i l d i n g s a n d m o n

C.U. United Way Aims to Raise $10,000 Weekly

By JEANETTE SI Sun Staff Writer

With a goal of raising $815,000 by March 31, the Cornell United Way Campaign has launched an eight-week effort to raise $10,000 weekly The funds will go towards aiding food insecure families in Tompkins County

In a Feb 3 video message to University faculty and staff, University Librarian Anne Kenney who is also chair of the Cornell United Way said hunger is a major problem in the county

“In Tompkins County alone, an estimated 13,280 men, women and children more than 13 percent of the population are classified as food insecure,” Kenney said “This alarming number is increasing each year ”

To date, the campaign has raised $720,000 towards its $815,000 target, according to Cornell United Way’s website

The Cornell campaign is crucial to United Way’s success in Tompkins County, according to Kenney, as proceeds from the Cornell campaign comprise 40 percent of United Way donations countywide

“United Way campaign contributions help thousands of area residents, including many who work at Cornell,” she said “Cornell [has been] committed to United Way, and now has a designated United Way office that opened in the fall of 2014 and runs through

Community Relations ”

Last year, the Cornell United Way Campaign was able to surpass their goal of $815,000 in part to the contributions of Cornell faculty, students, staff and parents and the work of the Cornell United Way Student Campaign, according to Kenney She added that the student campaign received recognition both within and outside the University

“ The student campaign is inspirational at several levels, and was reflected at this year ’ s TownGown Awards, when University Relations announced an impor-

tant contribution to support the student-created Summers of Service scholarship program, in the names of [President] David Skor ton and [Prof ] Robin Davisson, [molecular physiology,]” she said

The scholarship is funded by the Cornell United Way student campaign and is awarded to local high school students who show an interest for community involvement, according to a University press release

Kenney said she hoped to replicate last year ’ s success this year with the eight-week initiative

Students, staff and faculty can contribute to the cause on the Cornell United Way website or through the mail to the campaign’s office at Cornell

“We view our efforts to assist dozens of local non-profits as a privilege, though it’s hard work,” Kenney said “A robust United Way campaign that helps people in need, most of whom we will never meet, is important work, and we are dedicated to this effort, for the common good ”

Rape Reported In Collegetown

central Collegetown over the weekend

The victim reported the incident occurring sometime between 11:30 p m on Saturday and 10 a m on Sunday in an apartment building on the 150 block of Dryden Road, according to police No further description of the suspect has been provided

Ithaca City Police are currently investigating the claim

Compiled

by

Gabriella Lee

Protesters Clash With Zoner, Skorton in Day Hall

distributed quartercards stating that “Day Hall Has Been Liberated ”

“Chill in administrators’ offices; do their job for them,” the quartercards read “Use your creativity and collective brilliance to try and solve the problems of Cornell and American higher education in general ”

The flier also suggested that protesters should be respectful to employees and mindful of the space

Approximately 40 people filed

into the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost on the third floor of Day Hall before a man stopped more students from entering the room by standing in front of the door

President David Skorton stood silently inside the office, where there was no communication between Skorton and the protesters as they filtered into the office

Daniel Marshall ’15 gave a brief speech, calling on students to “wake up ”

“Everyone knows this system can ’ t work sustainably and has never worked in our interests It was only a matter of time until we

met each other in the streets, ” Marshall said “The movement we ’ ve been waiting for is already here ”

Following the end of Marshall’s speech, Skorton returned to his office and did not leave until a p p r o x i m a t e l y two hours later, when he addressed students Students outside of the office, on the other side of the man blocking the door, dispersed throughout Day Hall, eventually occupying parts of the hallway and other

offices on the third floor of the building

The protesters camped out in the offices and hallway, pulling out laptops and blasting music from speakers

“We need to make healthcare accessible in a way that helps students ”

T h r o u g h o u t the occupation, two students who were designated as police liaisons negotiated with administrators and Cornell Police Chief Kathy Zoner to remain in the office

Administrators, stating that the loud music disrupted the office,

warned students that they were violating campus codes and could face consequences

“Nobody can work with that music,” said Mar y Opperman, vice president for human resources, to Michael Ferrer ’16, one of the police liaisons “It’s very loud and ver y frightening to employees ”

Protesters said they believed they were participating in “ constructive and engaging” action and refused to leave the offices

At approximately 1:10 p m , the music was turned off and students began sharing their thoughts on an array of topics, including the student health fee, shared governance structure, University finances and transparency

“We want to use this time to discuss what we want as students,” said Rocio Meza ’17

Many students complained about the lack of transparency and said there was a need for more student involvement

“I totally support the idea of cheaper co-pays that cost me a lot of money but this is something that as students, if we want cheaper co-pays, we need to be involved in making that happen,” said Allison Considine ’17

“We need to make healthcare accessible in a way that helps students ”

Students also expressed their frustrations on the shared governance structure

“[The S A ] only had periphery oversight over this The administration told us, ‘This is what is going to happen How do we present this to students?’” said Juliana Batista ’16, executive vice president for the S A “We want to be here for you guys I don’t like this fee, but I don’t have power in this situation to change it We’re taking it personally that people are saying that we ’ re not doing our jobs when it’s actually that we don’t have the ability to make the impact that we’d like ”

Throughout the conversation, protesters inside 300 Day Hall switched with those outside, as administrators refused to allow more students to enter, citing safety and fire hazard concerns

Discussion between the protesters continued until Ferrer announced to students that Zoner was considering “accountability options ”

“Ms Zoner informed me that at this point in time, if we continue being disruptive, and disruptive meaning that having a lot of speeches or having music, she’s going to have to consider accountability options What that means is J A s [ Judicial Administration],” Ferrer said

Following requests from students to hear from Zoner directly, Zoner entered the office and personally addressed the students in a conversation that eventually became heated Zoner, stating that the students were disrupting the office and work of University employees, repeatedly asked students to stop interrupting her and to leave the office Protesters again refused, arguing that Cornell is “also our ” university and that the protest was meant to be “disruptive ”

When Zoner and protesters were unable to come to an agreement, students remained in the office At approximately 2:15

Skorton Faces Protesters

On Ju l y 1 , we h

a y t h e p e

“A n d p a y yo u ? ” t h e s t u d e n t a d d e d

“Ac t u a l l y yo u w o n ’ t h a ve t o p a y m e , b e c a u s e I w o n ’ t b e h e re a n y m o re , ” Sk o r t o n re p l i e d

Da n i e l Ma r s h a l l ’ 1 5 a c c u s e d Sk o r t o n o f “ t a k i n g m o m e n t u m a w a y ” f ro m s t u d e n t a c t i v i s t s “ L i t e r a l l y e ve r yo n e w h o h a s a m e e t i n g w i t h h i m , t h e i r c a u s e d i e s , ” Ma r s h a l l s a i d “A n d a t t h e i r b u re a u c r a t i c m e e t i n g s , n o t h i n g

g o e s d ow n ”

St u d e n t s i n t h e ro o m c h e e re d i n re s p o n s e t o Ma r s h a l l’s c o mm e n t s Sk o r t o n re s p o n d e d , “ T h i s i s a b s o l u t e l y n o t t r u e ” “ I w i l l n o t a l l ow yo u t o s a y t h a t , ” Sk o r t o n s a i d “ Tu r n yo u r c a me r a s o n Mo s t m e e t i n g s s t u d e n t s h a ve w i t h m e , I h a ve re s p o n d e d

Do n o t s a y t h a t Yo u s a y t h a t I a m a P R f ro n t m a n , a n d [ t h a t ] p e op l e s ’ i d e a s d i e i n t h e s e m e e t i n g s T h a t m i g h t b e a c u t e p h r a s e f o r yo u t o s a y, b u t i t i s n o t a c c u r a t e ”

Sk o r t o n re a f f i r m e d h i s s t a n c e w h e n a s t u d e n t s a i d t h e y b e l i e ve d

t h a t “ n o t h i n g i s h a p p e n i n g ” “ No , i t ’ s n o t t r u e t h a t n o t h i n g i s h a p p e n i n g , I ’ m t r y i n g t o e x p l a i n t o yo u h ow t h e u n i ve r s i t y w o rk s , ” Sk o r t o n s a i d “ T h e f a c t

t h a t yo u ’ re p i s s e d o f f d o e s n ’ t c h a n g e t h e b o t t o m l i n e o f t h e

Un i ve r s i t y ”

On e s t u d e n t , w h o s a i d t h e y b e l i e ve d t h a t “ t h e s y s t e m i s f a u l t y, ”

a d d e d t h a t Sk o r t o n c o u l d n o t t h i n k o f h i m s e l f a s “ e x t e r n a l” o f t h e

s y s t e m

In re s p o n s e , Sk o r t o n s a i d t h a t i t w a s v i t a l t o a p p ro a c h i s s u e s

“ c o l l e c t i ve l y ” a n d a s “

SKORTON Continued from page 1 Annie Bui can be reached at abui@cornellsun com

Students Storm Day Hall

p m , Skorton entered the room, facing the students in a confrontation that was livestreamed by the protesters

During the heated exchange, which lasted for approximately 40 minutes, Skorton responded to a string of questions from frustrated students on the fee and University finances

Sk o r t o n re p e a t e d l y s a i d h e agreed with the protesters on many issues and that he would be hosting several meetings and pre-

s e n t a t i o n s t o m a k e c l e a r t h e University finances

“ In p re v i o u s c o n ve r s a t i o n s , when students were upset about something, when it was humanly possible for me to fix something, I did it,” Skorton said

His responses, however, left

p ro t e s t e r s u n s a t i s f i e d , a s t h e y continued to stay in Day Hall following their talk with Skorton

Discussion among the protesters continued into the afternoon until they agreed on a process to

meet in the future and vacated the building together Many students not in the Office of the President or in Day Hall followed t h e c o n f ro n t a t i o n b e t we e n Skorton and protesters and the s t u d e n t d i s c u s s i o n s a f t e r w a rd through the livestream, which garnered over 2,100 hits

According to Joel Malina, vice president for university relations, the administration “look[s] forward” to discussing the health fee

w i t h s t u d e n t s f o l l ow i n g t h e protest

“President Skorton and the e n t i re a d m i n i s

public discourse and have consistently demonstrated their willingness to listen and respond to student concerns, ” Malina said in a statement “ We look for ward to engaging in a conversation with the student community about the rationale for, and the importance of the student health fee, as well as other student concerns, over the coming days and weeks ”

CATHERINE CHEN ’15

Business Manager

CAROLINE FLAX ’15

Associate Editor

NICK DE TULLIO 15

Web Editor

RACHEL ELLICOTT 15

Blogs Editor

ELIZABETH SOWERS 15

Design Editor

CONNOR ARCHARD 15

Sports Photography Editor

ANNIE BUI ’16

News Editor

KAITLYN TIFFANY ’15

Arts & Entertainment Editor

KATHLEEN BITTER 15

Science Editor

CHARDAE VARLACK 15

Associate Multimedia Editor

EMILY BERMAN 16

Assistant Sports Editor

NICOLE HAMILTON 16

Graphic Design Editor

EMMA LICHTENSTEIN ’16

Marketing Manager

LUISE YANG ’15 Human Resources Manager

ARIELLE CRUZ ’15 Senior Editor

Independent Since 1880

132ND EDITORIAL BOARD

HALEY VELASCO ’15 Editor in Chief

TYLER ALICEA ’16

Managing Editor

ZACH STEELE ’15

Advertising Manager

SCOTT CHIUSANO 15 Sports Editor

ALEX REHBERG 16 Multimedia Editor

KELLY YANG 15 News Photography Editor

NOAH RANKIN 16 City Editor

ANUSHKA MEHROTRA ’16 News Editor

SEAN DOOLITTLE ’16

Arts & Entertainment Editor

KAY XIAO 16 Dining Editor

SYDNEY ALTSCHULER 16

Assistant Sports Editor

ANNA FASMAN 16 Assistant Sports Editor

MANU RATHORE 15 Outreach Coordinator

KATHLEEN SHIM ’15 Social Media Manager

CHRISTOPHER UHLER ’15 The Spot Manager

ALEXA DAVIS ’16 Senior Editor

WORKING ON TODAY’S SUN

DESIGN DESKERS Dennis Fedorko ’17 Melody Li 17 PHOTO NIGHT EDIOR Michelle Feldman 15

EDITORS IN TRAINING

EDITOR IN CHIEF Tyler Alicea ’16

MANAGING EDITOR Annie Bui 16

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Alex Rehberg 16

ASSISTANT DESIGN EDITOR Samantha Briggs 16 ARTS EDITOR Mike Sosnick 16 NEWS DESKERS Gabriella Lee 16 Madeline Cohen ’18

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Shane Lewis ’18 PHOTO NIGHT EDITOR Michaela Brew ’18

Editorial

Respectful Discourse

IN PROTEST OF THE UNIVERSITY ’S decision to charge all students not enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan a $350 fee to address Gannett Health Services’ financial concerns, over 100 students occupied Day Hall Monday The group of Cornellians, mobilized by the Save the Pass coalition, expressed frustrations while rallying in the lobby of Willard Straight Hall before marching to the Office of the President and Provost Although we are supportive of constructive discourse, we at The Sun are concerned by the overall lack of respect shown for administrators who, we believe, tried to hold a meaningful conversation with the opposition

We understand the necessity for appropriate dissent in directing change across the University Cornellians hold a long history of fighting for change, from combating in loco parentis and the Vietnam War in the 1950s and 1960s and Apartheid in the the 1980s In spite of this history of activism, there are still challenges facing both administrators and students at Cornell We also agree with the protesters and the greater student body who have expressed concerns with the lack of transparency in creating the fee Yet, we find the precedent set by those who outright disrespected administrators worrying There are times to be disruptive in a constructive manner to garner the attention of those in charge However, we believe once individuals gain that attention, it is imperative to hold a respectful dialogue

When President David Skorton first made himself available to students occupying his office, no one approached him Instead they chose to disrupt the operations of Day Hall by playing music and encouraging “dance parties” outside Skorton’s office and throughout the administrative building When he returned later to try to approach students again, protesters disregarded what he said, instead heckling the President and interrupting him as he tried to justify the reasons for the health fee and other issues that were brought up There was an opportunity for this protest to be meaningful and changing, yet protesters were disjointed in their message and lacked civility, belittling their legitimacy and cause The protests on Monday are worryingly reminiscent of the student takeover of an April Student Assembly meeting, protesting the S A ’ s decision to table Resolution 72, which called for the University to divest from pro-Israeli corporations The events that transpired Monday and last semester showcase the importance of a respectful democratic process in handling larger issues on campus

Students have the right to express their opinions and we encourage all students to find ways to make their voices heard through constructive forums and proper channels

For students to demand transparency and respect from not only administrators, but also student leaders, it is imperative that they are respectful in return

Ihave played 1,562 games of Dota 2

That’s 1802 hours

That’s 75 days

In Defense Of the Ancients

peting in the grand finals of a Chinese tournament for a $2 million prize pool while hundreds of thousands watch both online and live

But, why? Why go to such great lengths for a video game? And worse, in a column renowned for its seriousness and penned by an author celebrated for his insight, why subject you to something as un-serious and trivial as a video game? (Kappa )

What is Dota? It’s a team game To play it right you need a computer, good Internet and four teammates D-O-T-A stands for “Defense of the Ancients,” and Dota is just that a defense Two teams of five each defend a base which holds a building called the “Ancient ” To win you and your teammates destroy the opponents ’ Ancient while protecting your own It’s a bit like capture the flag

Of course, no path to the enemy Ancient is a free ride Players select from over 100 different hero characters, each with their unique set of magical abilities, and work together to carve their way into the enemy base Along the way players will encounter enemy towers to be destroyed, push through waves of automated enemy soldiers, build powerful items and best of all, engage in heart-racing team fights that erupt in violent bursts of flashing light as players throw out spells, swords and everything epic in their arsenal

Dota has become a major force, boasting an annual tournament in Seattle with community-funded prize pools of over $10 million There’s even a documentary about it It consists of a community of over 10 million players As I am typing, an American team is com-

Letter to the Editor

To some it’s a game, to others a sport, or as Linsanity puts it, “ a way of life ”

Outsmarting your opponents through clever tactics and proper teamwork is what makes Dota awesome It is a 10 man chess game where each player is a piece Games can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on a team ’ s hero combinations and strategy When 10 people have staked 40 minutes of focus on a match, playing to win feels like gambling with time There’s some inexplicable thrill in outplaying someone who is desperately trying to outplay you That feeling of triumph when their Ancient falls after a nail-biting series of lost team fights is nothing short of a high

So what’ll it cost you to try this game? Maybe some wounded pride as you trip on its steep learning curve, but it’ll cost you no money because Dota 2 is free to play And regardless of what you look like, what gender you are or your age, it’s a fun way you can express your competitive nature It s funny how a strategy game under a fantasy backdrop acts as a medium for competition and teamwork that can reach people in a way that physical competition never will, since it isn’t available to everybody

David Zha is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences He may be reached at dzha@cornellsun com The Angry Spirit Bear appears alternate Tuesdays this semester

We were asked to be quiet

To the Editor:

Re: “Cornellians Decry Lack of Student Input on New Health Service Fee,” News, Feb 8

Within the past few days, an email from the President of the Student Assembly made its rounds on social media inciting an understandable backlash and a more-than-fair desire for an explanation to undergraduates In the email, she asks the members of the Assembly to abide by the confidentiality asked of them within meetings about the Student Health Fee The criticism has given us reason to be retrospective and provide the students we represent with a number of answers

Looking back, a general consensus has begun to form within our ranks that the administration wasn ’ t asking us about the health fee, they were telling us about it and consulting us to use our inside knowledge to convince students it was right for them This instance speaks to a repressive trend that has become obvious to most students that sit in administrative meetings on large decisions Although we take our job of advocating for students very seriously and offer student perspective in these meetings when we can, doing so is a challenge when the cards are stacked against us We’ve spent a lot of time worrying that a wrong move will devoid us of the little bargaining power we have

The backlash from you all has been a wake-up call, and we value the criticism and pressure that’s being placed on us to do more It’s tough to admit our lack of power on many issues, but we are tired of acting as a wall between the students and the administration without being given real power to enact and suggest changes on the big issues Over the past few years, students have been given small concessions on small problems, but are rarely invited to share their opinion on matters like tuition hikes, increased fees, calendar scheduling, transportation decisions and any other issue that seriously impacts the way students engage with this University And, when we are invited, it’s too late The administration seldom goes back to the drawing board and valuable information for students is sworn under confidentiality

Whether current members are given real agency in the Student Assembly’s existing form or we begin to take the shape of a Student Union, we have aligned with the administration for too long, and we need to begin to represent students in the way we ve been asked to for a number of years

Although we will not decide our direction independently, we agree with the overwhelming sentiment espoused by members of yesterday’s protest that the system we exist in today feels wrong and unfair With the TCAT decision, we ’ ve seen that overwhelming, collective student action works We are proud to stand next to every other student who plans on questioning the intricacies of the health fee, the inevitable rise in tuition, and the problematic direction of higher education within this country

We encourage all students to join us at our meeting on Thursday that is a call-to-action for more student power and another discussion on how we plan to #FightTheFee

Sarah Balik ’15, S A president

Matthew Stefanko ’16, S A V P for finance

Lindsay Wershaw ’16, S A V P for P R Juliana Batista ’16, S A executive V P

Yamini Bhandari ’17, S A V P for outreach

Emma Johnston ’16, S.A. CAS representative

Matthew Henderson ’16, S A V P for internal operations

Shivang Tayal ’16, S A V P for diversity and inclusion Joseph Fridman, S.A. undesignated at-large representative

Lucy Dean Stockton | Guest Room

Reprioritizing Safety on Our Roads

Thetraffic-related fatalities of two weeks ago were tragic and regrettable, and we will continue to remember and mourn the lives of those lost While these truly were accidents, they are also symptoms of a larger issue They reflect a lack of deliberate attention to the vulnerable position of pedestrians and cyclists on Cornell’s campus an attitude evident in major decisions by the University as well as in the behaviors of all road users The incidents of last week were tragic, but not isolated To achieve a better understanding of how our community members feel about their personal safety on campus roads, I created a survey to gather their experiences, attitudes and preferences for policy changes

As a college campus, Cornell provides a unique space in which the majority of the population walks or rides bikes to get around While most cities and towns are designed for and dominated by automobiles, Cornell distinguishes itself as a place where pedestrians and cyclists can hold a dominant position Our University is home to the Cornell Local Roads Program, which provides technical assistance to New York State municipalities in constructing and maintaining roads The program also includes other initiatives such as the Cornell Bicycle and Pedestrian website, which advises the state as well as our own campus on how best to build infrastructure and educate drivers to protect cyclists and pedestrians Programs like Big Red Bikes have been trying to normalize on-campus cycling for years and recent mandates by the administration as well as in the Student Assembly have brought the issue to greater attention Cornell has combinations of education initiatives and infrastructure projects already in place, however they are simply not enough

Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge the responsibilities of everyone who uses the roads This burden falls on drivers who can often be negligent or aggressive, but also on pedestrians and cyclists who can be reckless and oblivious All people share a responsibility for the safety of our roads One of the major drawbacks of the survey is that it only focuses on the experiences of pedestrians and cyclists, failing to capture the motorists’ perspective However, it can be assumed that anyone who drives on campus also walks, and that those who bike and walk are inherently more vulnerable because they are not in cars

The survey is a testament to the fear and insecurity felt by many cyclists and pedestrians Two days after its release, it had already received hundreds of responses, and it is still collecting more The survey allows for users to quantitatively rate how safe they felt on campus (from ‘ very unsafe’ to ‘ very safe’) and collected alarming results Unfortunately, in the survey, nine times as many cyclists reported feeling ‘ very unsafe’ rather than feeling ‘ very safe’ while biking at Cornell. Pedestrians tended to feel safer than cyclists but still reported feeling only ‘ sometimes safe’ more than ‘safe’ or ‘ very safe ’ The most noted ‘danger areas ’ where pedestrians and cyclists felt unsafe were University Avenue, Stewart Avenue, Campus Road and other major intersections

Cyclists reported that the best improvements would be to build more bike lanes, and to make them wider and more protected Pedestrians answered that the best policy changes would include constructing more crosswalks and increasing visibility for crosswalks Both pedestrians and cyclists emphasized the importance of slowing traffic, for cars and buses

It’s clear that Cornell has invested significantly in bike and pedestrian infrastructure, but the existing initiatives are inadequate Far from reaching a dead end with solutions, there are now more innovative possibilities than ever There are so many ways to improve safety at Cornell, such as lowering speed limits for cars, building more (and more visible) crosswalks, creating more bike lanes in strategic locations and educating all students, staff and faculty about what they can do to be safe on our roads

Cornell has the potential to make its campus safe for everyone through education and infrastructure initiatives, but we have not yet taken all the steps necessary to achieve this I, and many others, have felt at risk too many times to simply attribute these issues to just a few drivers I think that the problem has much more to do with speed limits that are too high, an absence of crosswalks, bike lanes that are insecure and a general acceptance that drivers, rather than pedestrians or cyclists, have the true right to the road If I were to respond to the survey, I would report that I feel only ‘sometimes safe’ and that is simply not good enough. As a pedestrian and a cyclist on campus, I have the right to feel as safe as motorists As we continue to grow and maintain our campus roads, it is an imperative that we reprioritize the safety of all Cornell community members

Comme nt of the day

“The ‘stigma’ will only be eliminated when we use proper language, discuss all disabilities and have transparency accountability on the topic ”

Janice Schacter Lintz Re: “Access and Stigma Key Issues for Disabled Students,” News published Februar y 5, 2015

Jacob Glick | Glickin’ It

The Politics of ‘ SkortonCare’

The student body is once again fuming with anger over SkortonCare, the $350 mandatory fee for Cornellians not enrolled in the University’s Student Health Insurance Plan Yesterday’s Sun editorial rightly called the fee disconnect between those in Day Hall and the student body It came, by all accounts, as a surprise to the Student Assembly and the Cornell community as a whole Undoubtedly, the administration should have done more to keep us informed And, in the coming months, both President David Skorton and Vice President Susan Murphy Ph D ’73 have much explaining to do In their promised town hall meetings, they must be able to tell us why yet another surcharge was sprung onto the student body They must be able to answer to charges of financial mismanagement: Why is Gannett Health Services’ spiraling into a deficit? Why must Gannett’s insolvency be placed on the backs of students, and not instead remedied by increasing the University’s operating budget, or reallocating existing funds to ensure Cornell’s health safety net endures? And, of course, hovering above all, is the beautifully computer-rendered image of Gannett as it will stand in 2017, $55 million later

But as we ask these questions, and demand that the answers given to us are adequate, we must keep this latest clash in perspective There is no circumstance, as President Skorton said in his initial statement, that any tax or fee will be “popular ” This is as true at Cornell as it is in the nation as a whole That does not mean, however, that the imposition of this fee is by definition nefarious or underhanded No one should jump to vilify administrators who are making a relatively coherent argument in favor of equalizing access to and cost of campus health care This fee will not only subsidize Gannett; it will allow every student access to to an expanded health care facility for which their tuition is already paying There is even less reason to malign student leaders, who did not appear to know much about the fee before it was unilaterally presented to the public Rancor breeds only rancor University officials ought to have a chance to make their case as to why this mandatory health fee is necessary for the maintenance and

protection of Cornell; angered students, eager to paint Skorton as callously unconcerned with students’ financial tribulations, ought to pause in their outrage and let him explain This is the same president who, at the height of the financial crisis in January 2009, successfully approached the Board of Trustees and asked them to increase the University budget and issue more financial aid In the years since, Skorton has indeed overseen several tuition hikes, but they have been at least partly balanced out by a commitment to increasing financial aid and student services To gleefully shout one end of the argument without considering the other is irresponsible, and I fear that is happening yet again in the unfolding drama of SkortonCare

The tradition of student activism at Cornell from protests against apartheid to the movement to divest from fossil fuels is rooted in a genuine progressivism Few, if any, of the students protesting apartheid had suffered under a racist regime; few, if any, of the students urging the University to divest from fossil

Undoubtedly, the adminis should have done more t us informed ... tell us wh another surcharge was s the student body.

administration, we will protest simply for protest ’ s sake I imagine that most Cornellians would agree with me in thinking that Gannett must exist as a viable and, indeed, vibrant healthcare facility, available to any student should tragedy strike As when our nation debated President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act (“ObamaCare”), much of the rhetoric in opposition to SkortonCare is grounded in the immediacies: When will I use Gannett enough to compensate for a $350 yearly fee? Wouldn’t I prefer to go to some Ithaca urgent care center?

Yes, “ young invincibles” are not likely to use up the 35 $10 co-pays necessary to “justify” the fee, and most of us are fortunate to have health insurance policies that broaden our health care options beyond Gannett But not all of us

fuels have had their homes destroyed by climate change But they continue to march because of a noble concern for less fortunate others whom they may never meet

That is why so many arguments I’ve heard against Skor tonCare strike me as profoundly contrary to Cornell’s tradition of student progressivism As a community, we cried out for greater health services in the wake of the student suicides in 2009 and 2010 Services at Gannett were beefed up in the wake of those tragedies (we can and should debate how responsibly), and now these increased services have been given a price tag Yes, Gannett’s growth seems irresponsible in retrospect, and some of its services are in need of reform Str uctural issues with campus health services, however, do not justify an instinctive recoiling away from the administration’s proposal to make these services sustainable If we don’t recognize the facts and arguments presented by the

If this fee is indeed the best way to ensure Gannett can provide equal access to campus health services, and if it makes a more expansive vision of campus health services a sustainable reality, then aren ’ t we obligated to look rationally at the proposal before dismissing it out of hand? For anti-tax extremists, perhaps the answer is yes Most of us, I suspect, are not, and we must realize that there are far less productive ways the University spends our money Should we all be charged for a Student Activity Fee to fund concerts that not all of us attend? What about keeping the dorms running during Rush Week, when far less than half of us are Greek?

If Cornellians subscribe to the fundamentally progressive vision we all stand to indirectly benefit if there is greater equality and stability for everyone in our community, then the ideology behind the fee which will allow all students equal access to Gannett’s services in fall 2015, with the anticipation that the majority of us, some day, will be in need of it is sound Cornell’s student activists have always demanded that our nation and our world take care of its own We ought not assume, as we ask these tough questions, that this new fee is not the Skorton administration’s good faith attempt flawed, perhaps, but sincere to do the same

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BY TROY SHERMAN AND JAEL GOLDFINE Sun Staff Writers

The Grammys have historically been a night for a shady group of music execs to showcase their farcically misguided choices for the “best” music of the day Awards are more or less arbitrarily dished out amidst an array of lavish performances and questionable style choices, after which most people just keep on living their lives while throngs of music nerds and pretentious bloggers shake their futile fists at the towering enigma that is “the Academy ” So, the fact that these 57th Grammys were somewhere on the “Good” Spectrum comes as a bit of a shock No, the Grammys aren ’ t exactly heading towards anything resembling legitimacy and Sunday night had its share of expected (and unexpected) blunders but, the event as a whole was resoundingly good So, without further ado, here are our completely subjective, relatively pompous, pleasantly surprised and ultimately meaningless takes on some of the night’s key points

E X P E C T E D

Sa m Sm i t h’s Sw e e p : In regular Grammy fashion, the whitest, least offensive and most-likely-to-be-forgottenafter-2015 artist left the Staples Center having had his ego stroked most completely by the Academy Certainly 2014 spat out at least a few contestants more deser ving of the Best New Artist title (not to mention Song of the Year or Record of the Year) But hey, at least it wasn ’ t Iggy

Pa r a m o r e a s a R oc k Ba n d : Also in regular Grammy fashion, apparently tinkling pop music qualifies as yeardefining rock n ’ roll as long as a guitar is being strummed somewhere amongst the hand claps and the word “alternative” appears somewhere under the genre tag on the Wikipedia page of the band in question

K a n y e Be i n g K a n y e : After what seemed to be a joking false-start to a recreation of his fabled Swift fiasco at the VMAs, Kanye thankfully cleared ever ything up for us, lest we think for even a second he’s a rationally functioning human being: “Beck needs to respect artistr y, and he shoulda given his award to Beyoncé ” At this point, though, what would any awards show be without a cringeinducing dose of Yeezus’s almost (but not quite) endearing megalomania?

U N E X P E C T E D

K r i s t e n W i i g : Based on Sia’s perpetual anonymity and tendency to hire wildcard celebs to perform semi-erotic, nude-spandex-heavy modern dances, we were perplexed to watch none other than our favorite, consistently uns c a n d a l o u s c o m e d y a c t re s s t a k e t h e s t a g e a l o n g s i d e Maddie Ziegler for a performance of “Chandelier ” But why Kristen Wiig? Surely Miley Cyrus, Jaden Smith, Gar y Busey or Herman Cain would’ve come through if only Sia had asked them However, Wiig and Ziegler actually made for a bizarrely compelling performance maybe it was a maternal chemistr y or our sheer awe and respect for an actress to take such an audacious risk Luckily for Wiig, it paid off, and instead of this becoming a parodied publicity stunt, she learned how to dance and broke the Internet

Te n a c i o u s D : In a way, it’s kind of beautiful (and ridiculous): A fake metal band records a real metal song for

a tribute record to a real God of rock, which is judged by a fake authority as the real Best Metal Performance of 2014 It’s almost like a poignant variation on the stor y of the American Dream, except this one ends with Jack Black and Kyle Gass laughing their asses off at the fact that the one serious thing they’ve done in their musical career was good enough for a Grammy

B e y on c é : We expected glitter, fireworks forming the shape of her face, a horde of back-up dancers and perhaps a parade of costumed jungle animals, but Beyoncé abandoned all notions of extravaganza and spectacle (which we all crave whether we’ll fess up or not) in order to participate in the evenings tribute to the film Selma She performed Mahalia Jackson’s 1956 gospel anthem “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” with a restrained, ethereal dignity Those who worship at the throne of Bey have dubbed her a modern day Mahalia (and the queen of just about ever ything from gospel to the illuminati) while we ’ re slightly more skeptical, we still have to hand it to her along with her three Grammys and #bowdown

R i h a n n a , Pa ul a n d K a n ye : We’ve had a few weeks to a d j u s

n t i n t h e Kanye/Rihanna/McCartney musical marriage And thank God, because if we’d been immediately introduced to the three on stage, the novelty would’ve overshadowed ever ything they did right Macca strummed, Rihanna belted and an autotune-less Kanye proved he knows how to sing The best part, though, is that they all knew their image on that stage was too surreal not to poke a little bit of fun at Case in point: Kanye leaning in close to his esteemed guitarist and yipping, like a middle school bully ironically including the odd-one-out in the fun, the word “Paul” before the plea: “Promise you’ll pay my bail ” The obligator y awkward half-hug at the end of the song makes me think that the ex-Beatle might think twice before helping Ye out in such a pinch

P h a r r e l l : In bedazzled yellow shoes, Pharrell ominously warped his feel-good dance hit, “Happy” literally a song about uncomplicated joy into a counter-intuitively tense tribute to the events of racialized violence witnessed this year His performance was littered with loaded imager y as he sported a bellhop uniform, sang in front of hoodie-clad back up dancers and paused during the chorus as ever y single person on stage raised their hands up to the crowd in the iconic pose Pharrell gave us the chaotic, jumbled spectacle Beyoncé resisted, and it was undoubtedly confusing There was just slightly

too much glitter and choreography (with none other than Hans Zimmer on the guitar) for it to have been an effective performance Although it’s likely to get chalked up to Pharrell’s lovable eccentricity, we were powerfully creeped out by the macabre proximity of his easy dance-pop anthem to the solemn political imager y, and we hope you were too A n n i e L e n n o x a n d Ho z i e r : Although Lennox and Hozier both got gypped out of those weird metal gramophones ever yone keeps talking about, they actually won Grammys as well as our eternal musical lust and devotion when Lennox joined in at the end of Hozier’s cult hit “ Take Me To Church,” and then the pair did a searing rendition of “I Put A Spell On You ” We personally hope t h e y’l l d i t c h t h e i r

s / m a r k

appeal/fan-bases and go on tour as an experimental political activist blues-gospel-pop duo

Ed Sh e e r a n : Ever since I saw Mr Sheeran do about as much justice to Nina Simone’s “Be My Husband” as a white, orange-headed English man-boy possibly could, I’ve been a bit of a closet Sheerio But dammit, after loosening up my facial muscles (which were automatically contorted into something of a grimace after hearing that Ed, Questlove, Herbie Hancock and John Mayer would be sharing the stage) and realizing that these utterly bizarre bedfellows could play something captivating together, I’m going to introduce myself from here on out as “ Troy Sherman, unabashed Ed Sheeran devotee ” Who knew that the combination of a soft-pop English rocker, a jazzfunk legend, a mythically afroed hip-hop/late night show drummer and an infamous smooth-blues shmoozer equals a relatively brilliant soft-blues power jam?

T h e Gr a m m y s : All in all, the most unexpected (and refreshing) part about the 57th Grammys ended up being the Grammys themselves Sure, the final results left the most opinionated among us scratching our heads a little bit, but when have the Grammys not had that effect? More important is the fact that this year ’ s awards were almost completely devoid of any atrocities, blasphemies, original sins or ostentatious lapses in the judges’ judgement We saw Beck win Album of the Year, we saw a bona fide rapp e r

Performance and we saw a slew of live acts somehow avoid what seemed like the inevitability of becoming absolute jokes and actually end up kicking ass Sadly, something tells me Sunday’s success was a welcomed statistical irrelevance they can ’ t be bad ever y year rather than any indication of a Grammys that’s moving up Still, I’ll take what we got the other night over any other Grammys I’ve been alive for Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll get that opportunity any time soon

Troy Sherman is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences He can be reached at tsherman@cornellsun com Jael Goldfine is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences She can be reached at jgoldfine@cornellsun com

Sizzling hot, succulent yet scintillating panfried meat crackling every half-second bacon is in the vicinity What better to do on a snowpocalyptic Ithaca day than sautéing pig fat while listening to Run the Jewels 2? I swear that if you listen closely you can hear “Lie, Cheat, Steal’s” chords in sync with crackling bacon, in addition to: “Good pussy, good marijuana / That be my medicine ”

Killer Mike is our generation’s quintessential storyteller Alongside arguably the most talented Jew to come out of Brooklyn (joining the likes of Woody Allen, Billy Joel and Barbra Streisand), El-P (aka Jaime Meline), Run the Jewels has created an instant classic with Run the Jewels 2 Yes, RTJ2 is as good as bacon, if not better

Better Than Bacon?

ative nature of bacon BLT, bacon salads, baconnaise to name a few that Americans are finally discovering for the first time Just like Francis Bacon “discovered” empiricism, Americans have finally figured out how to properly feast on the belly of the other white meat

closest thing to euphoria I’ll ever find Food theorists will be writing up reports on my historic findings But really, how could bacon get any better? And the answer is, of course, Run the Jewels 2

vinyl and gives me unconditional fulfillment and sometimes indigestion

It’s no coincidence that the current “bacon mania” phase is concurrent with the release of RTJ2, and one could even trace this trend back to the release of the first Run the Jewels Not to be confused with the groundbreaking philosophical findings of Francis Bacon, bacon mania is described by Bloomberg writer David Sax as the unprecedented growth in the sales and production of bacon in the past decade Bacon, according to Sax, “has become the defining food trend of a society obsessed with food trends More than cupcakes, ramen or kale But how can this be true given the fact that bacon will make you fat? Some say it’s due to the increase of bacon at fast food restaurants Others say it’s because of the innov-

To add to this trend, let’s all just listen to Run the Jewels 2 while cooking our bacon Around approximately the fourth track, “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck),” the bacon will be feastworthy If you ’ re more of a crispy, crunchy bacon-phile I’d recommend cooking it all the way until the end of “All My Life ” On both lyric-rich songs, Killer Mike’s objectively smooth flow works perfectly with El-P’s intense, vinylsourced beats El-P’s rapping is yet to fully develop, but his beats carry the album like stalks carry an ear of corn On that note if you ’ re looking to add variety to your bacon try sautéing up some corn, in a separate pan, seasoned with sugar The sautéed, sweetened corn is a delicious compliment to the salty, savor y bacon And if you ’ re feeling ultra-frisky, add cheese

Around your fourth or fifth slice, a track appropriately named “Love Again” will burst out of your speakers Besides having lyrics reminiscent of rap ’ s golden age, one can clearly see the bacon-influenced lyrics

Let me exclaim: I have found happiness It lasts until I finish the last sliver of bacon on my plate, yet this short-lived serenity may be the

In a purely gustatory sense food and music are interc h a n g e a b l e

Like RTJ2’ s bacon influenced lyrics, all songs can be complemented by foods and viceversa

Kale and Kelly Clarkson, perhaps? Baklava and Bob Dylan? Sauerkraut and Justin Bieber, naturally Look deep down into your enigmatic food carrier, the stomach, and try to match the music with the food Platitudes aside, it will satisfy your “hunger” for fulfillment I see Beyoncé and pizza I’ve heard that binge-eating pizza is a great remedy for sadness Allegedly, Beyoncé is one of the more effective remedies for melancholy Therefore, Beyoncé and pizza serve the same function If you don’t want to trust my deductive reasoning (please do not), then trust a study done by Milliman consultants

“Milliman (1982), by manipulating the tempo of background music in a supermarket, found that music tempo significantly decreased the pace of in store traffic flow and increased the dollar sales volume ”

Swallowing some juicy dim sum, lathered in MSG-ridden special sauce, gives me a rush just like listening to The Beatles’s Revolver all the way though It’s simplistic, sounds much better on

“You’ll always see me at a political rally and the black strip club; I’m gonna represent smoking weed and supporting Trayvon Martin on my record, because I’m a whole man, ” said Killer Mike to Pitchfork Indeed, his music embodies this sense of being “whole” in the sense that it is complete Complete smooth beats, along with some intense, slightly politically-charged lyrics Killer Mike is not happy about the way things are, and he’s going to make sure you know it Get some bacon, or any food of your choice, and get ready for a debate over ethics in the rap genre

Maybe he’s following in OutKast’s footsteps by forming a genre-altering rap duo? Or maybe he’s in the next generation of artists who combine supreme talent with feline aloofness? On Killer Mike’s El-P-produced 2012 solo album R A P Music, he proclaims with both transcendent artistry and Allen Iverson-esque ferocity: “I don't trust the church or the government / Democrat, Republican / Pope or a bishop or them other men / And I believe God has sustained you with rap ”

God has sustained us with rap While Killer Mike and El-P spit out rhymes about black injustice, we can all eat the food that God has sustained us with as well: bacon Here it is people: Run the Jewels 2 and bacon From now on, give all of your food a chance before bumping your next favorite album

Benjamin Denson is a junior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations He can be reached at bmd83@cornell edu

Curry MVP at NBA’s Halfway Point

Midseason forecast: Warriors and Cavs will clash in nals

SHATZMAN

Continued from page 12

averaging two steals per game, too You can ’ t count out LeBron,

Cavs have played of late

made major strides on offense, increasing his scoring average by five points per game and estab-

Derrick Rose missed most of the

seemed possi-

deser ves the award, though, as he has displayed his potential consistently throughout the season He dropped 34 on LeBron,

t o o T h e C a n a d i a n t e e n i s a superstar in the making

D e f e n s i v e P l a y e r o f t h e Y e a r : T i m D u n c a n

That’s right, 38-year-old Tim

D u n c a n i s t h e m i d s e a s o n

D P OY He’s a v e r a g i n g n e a r l y two blocks, and one steal per g a m e , a n d i s s e c o n d i n t h e l e a g u e i n d e f e n s i v e r a t i n g

D e s p i t e b e i n g h a m p e r e d b y injuries, the Spurs are third in t e a m d e f e n s i v e e f f i c i e n c y, i n l a r g e p a r t d u e t o

He is a nightmare matchup, because if you let your guard down for a millisecond, he’ll sink an effortless jumper

healthy, Butler

lished himself as star on both ends He’s a defensive stopper that has always been clear but this season he is averaging 21-5-3, and that is with the addition of not only Rose, but

returned to his prime Anthony Davis went from “he’s a beast and is going to be more of a beast next season ” to MVP candidate, but this is Jimmy Butler’s award

R o o k i e o f t h e Y e a r : A

Wiggins has been impressive, but really there aren ’ t any other options for ROY besides, say, Nerlens Noel or Elfrid Payton His main competition for the award was Jabari Parker who got hur t early in the season Wiggins

D u n c a n ’ s presence in

t h e p a i n t This award could easily

g o t o s o m e o n e l i k e

A n t h o n y

D a v i s o r

Dr a y m o n d Gre e n c o m e Ma y, but through three months, Tim Duncan has been the Defensive Player of the Year

C o a c h o f t h e Y e a r : M i k e B u d e n h o l z e r

B e f o r e t h e s e a s o n , t h e

Ha w k s we re e x p e c t e d t o b e a m i d - s e e d i n t h e p l a yo f f s In t h e

E a s t e r n C o n f e re n c e , t h a t ’ s f i n e , b u t n o t h i n g t o o i m p r e s s i v e

Bu t At l a n t a i s c u r re n t l y 4 2 - 1 0 , h a ve t h re e p l a ye r s h e a d i n g t o t h e A l l St a r g a m e f o u r i f yo u

c o u n t B u d e n h o l z e r c o a c h i n g

t h e E a s t a n d t h e y ’ re l o o k i n g l i k e a f a vo r i t e t o w i n t h e i r c o nf e re n c e It i s a p p a re n t by t h e w a y t h e y p l a y t h a t c o a c h i n g

h a s b e e n a m a j o r p a r t o f t h e i r

s u c c e s s , a n d t h e Gr e g g

Po p ov i c h p ro t é g é s h o u l d c r u i s e

t o t h i s a w a rd

B i g g e s t S u r p r i s e : O k l a h o m a C i t y T h u n d e r Yes, I get it OKC has been hampered by injuries all season, and it sits two games out of the e i g h t - s e e d i n t h e We s t a s o f today I get the argument, but I’m not sure that I buy it Even w i t h We s t b r o o k a n d D u r a n t h e a

t h y, t h e t

u s t h a s n ’ t looked as good as in years past Trading for Dion Waiters was not a move OKC needed to make It is 5-5 in its last 10, including a loss to the powerhouse Ne w York Knicks For a team fighting for its playoff life, it needs to star t playing like it is capable Only two games out, though, it should find a way to sneak into the playoffs But the We s t i s t o o t a l e n t e d

games to teams it should beat

Whether it was David Blatt’s coaching, Kevin Love’s acceptance of his role or King James

solved the Cavs’ issues They

straight several wins versus quality opponents and they are now playing like ever yone thought they would The Hawks cer tainly have a shot to come out of the East, but I think in the end the Cavs talent will be too much to handle in a seven game series Out West, it’s a

Grizzlies, Thunder and Rockets,

count out the almighty Spurs But Golden State is the best team in the league right now, and there are no signs of them slowing after the All-Star break

Ben Shatzman can be reached at bshatzman@cornellsun com

Women Lose to Princeton and Columbia After Huge Victory

TENNIS Continued from page 12

moments for the Red in recent memory For her,

enced in college tennis

As soon as my captain clinched the match for us, we all stormed the court and it was such an

Jane Stewart secure the victory was a moment of joy she shared with the team “It was definitely one

, ” s h e said “It was definitely the happiest our team has ever been It wasn ’ t just beating Yale; it was beating them 4-0 that made the day that much better ”

Jessica Brofsky can be reached at jrb479@cornell edu

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Spor ts

Women Defeat Bobcats in O.T., Tigers Overtake Red on Saturday

By DANIELLE LETOURNEAU Sun Staff Writer

Women’s hockey returned to Cornell late Saturday night after splitting its two away games against Princeton and Quinnipiac Saturday’s loss against Princeton snapped a four-game winning streak

Two minutes into Friday night’s game against Quinnipiac (21-5-3, 12-3-2 ECAC), Cornell (14-8-3, 12-42 ECAC) gained a 1-0 advantage when junior blue-liner Cassandra Poudrier drilled the puck towards the net, which rebounded out towards junior forward Jess Brown Brown then snuck past two of Quinnipiac’s defenders then snapped a wrister into the net Shortly after, Cornell got another goal, but after video review, it was reversed

With 11:22 left in the first, Quinnipiac tied up the game However, Cornell retaliated with 30 seconds left in the period Senior forward Brianne Jenner skated down the left wing, switched the puck to her backhand, and made a perfect pass to senior forward Jillian Saulnier who went to one knee to backhand it into the goal

Unfortunately, Cornell could not hold onto its one goal lead in the second period Quinnipiac pressured Cornell, launching 16 shots on goal Sophomore goalie Paula Voorheis had some big saves to minimize Quinnipiac’s advances, but two shots found the back of the net at 00:40 and 15:43

In the final period, Cornell was determined to come back The team ’ s hard-fought efforts paid off when sophomore forward Kaitlin Doering tallied the equalizer with 6:18 remaining, forcing the game into overtime With 40 7 sec-

onds left in O T , sophomore forward Hanna Bunton backhanded a rebound past Quinnipiac’s goalie to steal the win

Going into O T , the team tried to stay composed, focused and motivated Senior forward Emily Fulton was confident that the team could win if it continued to communicate and pressure Quinnipiac

“The biggest thing was staying calm and poise We had trust in our teammates and in our systems We had our chances throughout the entire game and with our continued pressure we know a win was in our grasp, ” she said

Fulton believes that the team did a good job of controlling the play and standing its ground against Quinnipiac and Princeton

“We were resilient in both games We possessed the puck well and established our own intensity right from the drop of the puck, we didn't sit back and let them dictate the game, ” she said

Coming off an exciting win, Cornell was pumped up for its matchup against Princeton (13-10-2, 11-6-1 ECAC) Needing a win to stay within striking distance of an ECAC title, Cornell fought hard throughout the back-and-forth game

Cornell got an early advantage when Fulton scored in the first period on a Cornell power play However, Princeton’s Cassidy Tucker equalized the game in the middle period with an unassisted tally off a net-front scrum Early in the third period, Saulnier crossed the puck to Jenner who quickly passed it to Fulton, who then nailed it into the net to regain Cornell’s lead

Seven minutes later, Princeton retaliated when a shot deflected off a Cornell defender and above Voorheis’ shoul-

All-Star Weekend begins on Friday, marking the midpoint of the 2014-15 NBA calendar

The first three months of the s e a s o n we re i d e a l i n a l l respects well, maybe not for Knicks fans Or Thunder

fans But as a fan of the game of basketball, there has been a lot to love I’m excited that the season is 82-games it often seems to drag on come April but the first half of this season has been unusually entertaining The race to the playoffs will be one for the ages

MVP: Stephen Curry

It’s between him and that guy named James; no, not the one who revived, then “betrayed”, then revived the city of Cleveland, but the one

known for having a beard even Abe Lincoln would admire James Harden is having a ridiculous season The way he contributes in all aspects of the game is LeBronesque, and frankly, if the season ended today, Harden very

well may have been named MVP Steph Curry, however, is putting up similar numbers in fewer minutes, and is the best player on the best team in the NBA He is a nightmare matchup, because if you let your guard down for a millisecond, he’ll sink an effortless jumper He has become an excellent passer, and passing has catapulted him to MVP status He is as dangerous of a scorer as any in the league, but is also great at finding the open man He’s

Smooth skating | Senior forward Emily Fulton believed that pressuring Quinnipiac’s defensive line was key in the Red’s success against the Bobcats

der to tie the game up In the final two minutes of play, Princeton capitalized on a Cornell penalty to win the game 3-2

Even though the team is disappointed with the outcome, it learned a lot from these two games According to Fulton, the team just needs to maintain its intensity and focus on small details going into the rest of the season

Team Takes Fourth Place at ITC’s

Cornell Red defeats Yale Bulldogs for rst time in 17 years

By JESSICA BROFSKY Sun Contributor

This past Sunday the Red competed in the ECAC Division I Indoor Tennis Championships, finishing in fourth place The team defeated Yale for the first time since 1997, a tremendous beginning to the season that showcased the potential of the team After defeating the Bulldogs, the Red would fall to Columbia and Princeton

“It felt amazing to a part of the team that took down Yale after 17 years The moment felt extremely

rewarding and I am very proud of my team for this accomplishment, ” said freshman Priyanka Shah, who played both singles and doubles in the matches against Yale, Columbia and Princeton this weekend Coming in as the No 6 seed, the Red took advantage of their underdog status

“I think the reason we did so well is because we came into the tournament with little pressure on ourselves and it allowed us to play better and more freely,” said freshman Allegra Hanlon

Cornell had not defeated an Ivy

League team for the entirety of last season, so this win was particularly meaningful While the Red only took fourth place, the team was still excited about its overall performance this weekend

“It was the kind of feeling we hadn’t had in a long time,” Hanlon said “It was a feeling of excitement and accomplishment because we haven’t had an Ivy League win since last year ”

With six Ivy League schools in attendance, the tournament served as a good indication of where the team is at

“This tournament meant a lot to the whole team It was an event that most of the Ivies were at, so it was really good to see where we stand with our real competition,” Shah said “It showed us that we have the potential to do great things when our Ivy season rolls around if we continue to grow and improve as a team ”

Hanlon was also impressed with the improvement seen amongst her players so far this season

“Our team unity was a lot better this weekend because we put in all our effort and put our heads together We can still work on some technical things but as a whole our team has improved a lot,” she said

There was a lot of energy in the