02 13 14 entire issue lo res

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Administration Addresses Health Fee Protesters

#FightTheFee | Susan Murphy ’73 Ph D ’94 addresses questions from students about the new health fee in the Williard Straight Hall Memorial Room Thursday

V.P. Murphy details Gannett nances at town hall meeting

By SOFIA HU Sun Senior Writer

Addressing a crowd of over 80 students, Susan Murphy ’73 Ph D ’94, vice president for student and academic ser vices, fielded questions on the $350 student health fee and University finances at the Student Assembly forum Thursday

Even with the new health fee, it will take Gannett Health Ser vices an estimated six or seven years to pay off its $4 million debt “ The total amount that we had to borrow for the two years plus interest is in excess of $4 million,” Murphy said

Indie Rock Band Dr. Dog Will Perform at Cornell in March

By GABRIELLA LEE Sun Staff Writer

Dr Dog a six-man indie rock band from West Grove, Pennsylvania will perform at Bailey Hall on March 15, according to the Cornell Concert Commission

The band, who debuted their first album

for their live shows, according to Rolling Stone

“Now is the perfect time to bring Dr. Dog as they are just coming off the release of their first live album ”

R y a n E n d e r b y ’ 1 6

Toothbrush in 2002, released their first live album Live at Flamingo Hall in January, according to a Cornell Concert Commission press release

“Now is the perfect time to bring Dr Dog as they are just coming off the release of their first live album,” said Ryan Enderby ’16, executive director of the Cornell Concert Commision

Dr Dog is known for creating exciting live performances and has acquired a strong following

“Loved for their original melodies and thought provoking lyrics, Dr Dog takes pride in creating a unique and unforgettable live experience, unlike any studio album,” the release said Scott McMicken, guitarist-vocalist of Dr Dog, said in past albums the band drew inspiration from other musical groups like the Rolling Stones and the Velvet Underground with roots in live presentations, according to the band’s website

“Concert Commission has already received a great deal of positive feedback and heard excitement from the Cornell community,” Enderby said

“We are very much looking forward to the show and we are thrilled that so many students on campus are as well ”

Tickets will be available on the Cornell Concerts website beginning Feb 17 for students and Feb 18 for the general public, according to the release

Gabriella Lee can be reached at glee@cornellsun com

A

new mandatory student health fee, Susan Murphy ’73 Ph D ’94, vice president for student academic ser vices, released

the fee “ necessary

“The University student health fee introduced last week understandably has created concern for some students and their families,” Murphy said “However, the fee is necessar y to create a sustainable model for health services while also increasing accessibility and protecting student privacy ” Mu

enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan to pay $350 a year is intended to help pay off “borrowed funds” that were used for increased flu treatment and mental health services “ There was not sufficient permanent funding available to pay for those expanded services, so we relied initially on gifts and re s e r ve s

funds internally to cover the c

“It is our responsibility to make sure everyone in our community who needs help gets it.”

been forced to change its health care funding model because of “ two major public health crises” a H1N1 outbreak and a rash o f s u i c i d e s , b o t h o f w h i c h occurred during the 2009-2010 school year In addition to these crises, Murphy said Cornell has e x p e r i e n c e d i n c re a s e d e n ro l lment, and consequently more demand for healthcare

According to Murphy, the new health fee which will

We

i n g issue, includ-

funds so they can be used elsewhere ” According to Murphy, $200 of each student’s $350 payment approximately 57 percent will go towards paying back those borrowed funds In addition to paying off the University’s debts, Murphy said the fee is intended to address “

by

FORECAST

Immigrant Worker Rights and Organizing: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

9:30 a m - 12:30 p m , Doherty Lounge, Ives Hall

Botanical Cyanotypes by Laurie Snyder 10 a m - 4 p m , Nevin Welcome Center, Cornell Plantations

Challah for Hunger 10 a m - 1 p m , Mann Library

Strange Bedfellows?: Abolitionism and White Supremacy –Louis Agassiz, Ezra Cornell and A D White 10 a m - 1 p m , Hoyt Fuller Room, Africana Studies and Research Center

Q u o t e s o f t h e W e e k

News, “Skorton Will Hold Meetings to Discuss University Finances,” Monday

Speaking about the imposition of the new health fee

“The administrators gave an orverview of the Gannett funding model and said they were being squeezed [financially] Then they introducerd the consideration of a fee but it seemed like they were already set on heaving the fee and the meeting was just a formality ”

David Vakili ’16, S A Representative

News, “Students Confront Skorton,” Tuesday

Speaking about the student occupation of Day Hall in protest of the $350 health fee

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

Michael Ferrer ’16

Wild Flowers for a Winter Season

8 a m - 5 p m , 2nd Floor Mann Gallery, Mann Library

Staged, Performed, Manipulated

10 a m - 8 p m , Floor 2L, Johnson Museum

Margaret Bourke-White: From Cornell Student To Visionary Photojournalist

10 a m - 8 p m , Floor 2L, Johnson Museum

C U Jazz Jam Session

5 - 7 p m , Jansen’s Dining Room, Hans Bethe House

Opinion, “Learning How to Fail,” Wednesday

Speaking about the importance of growing through failure

“At Cornell much of one ’ s success is ultimately defined by a job offer or acceptance letter and I empathize with the stresssful nature of the internship and job hunt All this work and effort put into the ultimate goal of success bargins for introspecive moments in which we decide how we plan to react to failure ”

Philip Susser ’16

News, “Faculty Discuss Provost Search, Inauguration Day,” Thursday

Speaking about the importance of seeking support to relieve stress

“Someone who is a scholar with a reputation in the academy someone who is focused on academic excellence in the highest priority ”

Alan Mathios, Vice-Chair of the Provost Search Committee

Heart Transplant Recipient Shares Her Story

By EMILY FRIEDMAN Sun Contributor

Rebecca DeRoller, assistant to the director of the Latin American studies program, described her experience receiving a heart transplant at the Soup and Hope lecture series Thursday

In her talk, DeRoller said she needed a heart transplant after she experienced a heart failure the summer after the birth of her third child According to DeRoller, she began experiencing symptoms, such as exhaustion, coughing and nausea, which eventually became so severe that she decided to go to the emergency room

“I was nauseous and bent over a bucket, and a voice in my head said ‘Rebecca, you ’ re dying,’” DeRoller said

It was at the emergency room that DeRoller said she was told she was experiencing heart failure as a result of the improper functioning of her left ventricle She needed a transplant and was even admitted to hospice care because of the high chance that she would die before a donor heart became available

After months of waiting, DeRoller said she was ecstatic when she was told she would receive a heart donation However, she faced another medical challenge when she had a bad reaction to the anti-rejection medication, resulting in brain swelling and meningitis She was rushed into emergency brain surgery and placed in a sedative induced coma Eventually, after weeks of recovery, DeRoller said she was cleared to go home

“I was so grateful to be back with my family I vowed to stay active and do as

Local

Ithaca company Rheonix Inc received a $1 5 million federal grant from the National Institute of Health this week to finish the development of a ne w HIV/AIDS test kit, according to The Ithaca Journal The new initiative would use an automated assay, capable of detecting HIV/AIDS antibodies and viral RNA in a single specimen

much as I could,” DeRoller said DeRoller described her experience as a transplant recipient as a defining moment

“In my experience, hope takes root in every moment when you decide to make a shift in your identity from victim to victor,” DeRoller said “Transplantation is unique in that it involves not only the illness, the patient and the doctor, but also the unselfish generosity of an often anonymous donor ”

In January 2014, DeRoller said she experienced another medical emergency when her body rejected her transplanted heart According to DeRoller, the doctors doubted whether she would survive this setback

“This last time I was in the hospital, they had to do what they always do very invasive and painful procedure,” DeRoller said “There is no certainty whether or not what the doctors are attempting to do is going to work Without hope, and by this I mean making the choice to be a victor rather than a victim, I would have very little chance of pulling through ” Throughout her experience, DeRoller said she has expressed her gratitude to her donor and his family by keeping her heart healthy, competing in the Olympic-style Transplant Games and taking every opportunity she has had to thank the families of organ donors

DeRoller said she has stayed active by learning to rollerblade and snowblade alongside her children Although she has limited contact with her own donor’s family, she said she has learned that he was an 18year-old boy who also enjoyed rollerblading

“I felt strong, and I wanted to give back to the transplant community It is quite the responsibility, having someone else’s heart in you, ” DeRoller said “It makes you want to do everything possible to keep that heart healthy ”

DeRoller said she deeply sympathizes with families facing the difficult decision about organ donation following the death of a loved one, but also urges those to consider the impact that organ donations can have

“It is hope that propelled the donor mom to say ‘ yes, although my child is no longer with me, I’m going to give someone else the chance of life,’” DeRoller said “That mom would have no idea how many lives she affected by her unselfish decision ”

DeRoller concluded by saying she knows many have experienced similar struggles, challenges and losses She said she believes that humor, hope and gratitude can help everyone cope with the hardships in their lives

“These are the moments of hope, the times when you look at things differently, when you decide that you don't want to suffer life’s challenges like a victim, but rather ride the wave of hope,” DeRoller said “Hope is all around us ”

C.U. Roosevelt Institute to Bene t From Grant

By STEPHANIE YAN Sun Contributor

T

C

Institute plans to capitalize on publicity from a $750,000 grant awarded to the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network by the MacArthur Foundation on Feb 5 to encourage student involvement in public policy on

G

Cornell’s chapter

The MacArthur Award for C re

Institutions is the equivalent of the foundation’s “genius grants ”

Institute Campus Network press release

e f o r Ec o n o m i c Re s e a rc h , a c c o rd i n g t o i t s we b s i t e In a l i s t o f t h e t o p 2 0 c o l l e g e t o w n s , It h a c a i s a w a rd e d t h e t o p s p o t d u e t o i t s e n t r e p r e n e u r i a l a c t i v i t y, r es e a r c h a n d d e v e l o p m e n t a n d n a t u r a l b e a u t y

F B I C h i e f S p e a k s A b o u t P o l i c

founded in 2004 and aims to engage young adults in public policy, has had an active chapter at Cornell since 2009, according to Gelfond She said she hopes the MacArthur award will help the chapter continue to expand their campus presence “ [ We’re

have been given the MacArthur Aw a rd , a n d w e ’ re

i n i t e l y going to be building on it,” Gelfond said “It’s a great opport u n i t y t o g e t o u r

there

Campus Network is the first and largest public policy think tank a i m e d a t c o

Gelfond said

According to Joelle Gamble, the Campus Network’s national director, the institute will put some of the MacArthur grant in reser ve and use the rest to create a better communications infrastructure and new training pro-

,

grams for students

“I think the best way for [ C o r n e l l s t u d e n t s ] t o t h i n k a

u

i t i s t h a t w e’l l b e a stronger, more efficient organization,” Gamble said “It is an i n v e s t m e n t i n f u t u re Roosevelters So [the changes will] be impactful now, but the biggest impact will be felt several years from now ”

Gelfond said Cornell Roosevelt Institute members participate in one of seven policy centers and write proposals for related policy issues These proposals are published online and in print at the end of the semester

“[ We seek] to introduce polic y w

before,” said Nicholas Raskin ’16, the Cornell chapter’s senior

policy chairman

According to Gelfond, some Cornell students have had their proposals published in the institute ’ s national journal, and a few members have even gone on to work for the institute itself “ O n e o f o u r a n a l y s t s l a s t semester had the opportunity to go to the White House and present a policy proposal on the

“ That just shows how much of an impact we can have ” Gamble said she believes that the program ’ s success in connecting students to the resources they need to implement their ideas in real-life situations contributed to its MacArthur Award win

“A lot of times, young people are asked to be campaigners, they’re asked to make phone

calls [and donate] money we ’ re never asked for our ideas, and we ’ re never given the agency to create the kind of change we want to see, ” Gamble said Raskin added that Cornell’s Roosevelt Institute encouraged him to explore policy making in education reform

“I always had an interest in education reform, but it was

Roosevelt Institute that I really began to think about the pros and cons of proposed solutions

A Atttention Advertisers: Presiddents Day Break Deadlines

Display Advertising Deadlines:

Thursday, February 12 at 3:00 p.m. for the Wednesday, February 18, 2015 issue. Friday, February 13 at 12 noon for the Thursday, February 19, 2015 issue

Classified Deadline:

Thursday, February 12 at 2:30 p.m for the Wednesday, February 18, 2015 issue

The Sun’s Business Office will close at noon on Friday, February 13 We will reopen Wednesday, February 18 at 9:00 a.m

Vice President Murphy Defends New Controversial Health Fee

DEBATE

$150 per student will be used to eliminate most charges at the time of care, reducing barriers that have proven increasingly problematic for many, ” she said

According to Murphy, revenue from the fee will also go towards addressing “privacy concerns ” about Gannett ser vices voiced by students on private insurance plans

Though Murphy did not explain how the health fee will lead directly to the resolution of those issues, she said Gannett’s new funding model would “alleviate” questions of student confidentiality

“Currently, if students are on their parents ’ insurance and a claim i s s u b m

re provider, the family is notified by the insurance company of ser vices billed through a type of receipt called an Explanation of Benefits,” Murphy said “Under the new model, ser vices delivered at Gannett such as tests for sexually transmitted infections are covered without needing to file an insurance claim, improving student confidentiality ”

The health fee has been widely criticized by students who say they did not have adequate repre-

sentation in the decision-making process Murphy said she intends to create an advisor y committee which will including students, faculty and administrators, in order to address these concerns

“ The committee will function much like the Student Insurance Advisor y Committee does for the insurance plan, providing guidance to balance needs and costs each year, ” she said

Murphy said students must collaborate with

“It is our responsibility to work together, to make sure everyone in the community who needs help gets it. That is a burden, and a benefit, we all share.”

administrators to alleviate the shared “burden” of meeting the health needs of a large university

“It is our responsibility to work together, to make sure ever yone in our community who needs help gets it,” she said “ That is a burden, and a benefit, we all share ”

advisory committee will address concerns, Murphy says Zoe Ferguson can be reached at zferguson@cornellsun com

Murphy: Univ. Put Student Assembly in ‘Awkward’ Position

It is uncertain whether the fee will be reduced or removed once Gannett’s debt is paid off The administration will have to reevaluate its health care funding model once the debt is paid off and determine whether the new building expansion will lead to increased maintenance costs, according to Murphy

Not the Only Cost Increase

Students brought up several concerns about the fee, including what students receiving financial aid can do if the fee is a financial hardship, since financial aid does not cover the fee

“If you ’ ve ever given a thought to how much Cornell is going to cost you, you ’ re on a tight budget and you can ’ t just take out another loan Is there another option?”

Stephen Masterson ’16 said

increase,” Murphy said “In my 45 years [at this] University, I have never seen [a year] that there has not been one ” In March, the Board of Trustees approved a $1,920 increase for undergraduate tuition, from $58,808 to $60,728, The Sun previously reported Tuition has increased by more than $10,000 in the last five academic years

Transparency Needed

Many students also asked about the level of transparency in University governance and why students were not more involved in the decision to implement a fee

sent by S A President Sarah Balik ’15 to representatives, urging them to keep quiet about the information

“Because of the focus groups, we sort of knew that this would be likely to spread,” Murphy said “We were still having a work in progress, so we were asking not to go put it on the front page of the paper, because it might not turn out the way we were having the discussion ”

“If you’ve ever [thought] how much Cornell is going to cost you, you’re on a tight budget and you just can’t take out another loan. Is there another option?” S t e p h e n M a s t e r s o n ’ 1 6

“At this point, we do not have another path,” Murphy answered “We’ll have to see whether we end up with students who really have no place to turn That is not our expectation ”

Additionally, the new $350 health fee for students not enrolled on Cornell’s Student Health Insurance Plan will not be the only cost increase Cornell students will face in the next academic year Tuition costs are expected to rise as well, according to Murphy

“Yes, there will be a tuition

“Why aren ’ t students included in decisions that affect us?” asked Daniel Marshall ’15

Murphy said that, while the administration consulted focus groups of students, the University had made a “mistake” in not involving more students in the decision and had also put S A representatives in an “awkward” position

Some S A representatives were told “confidential information” about the fee before its announcement and recently came under fire following the surfacing of an email

In addition, because the roles of students and administrators are “different,” there is some information that it is inappropriate for students to have, according to Murphy “ There’s information that involves staff salary and benefit plans and some of the information is not appropriate for students to have And in some cases, that’s not why you ’ re here,” Murphy said “You’re here to go to class, to learn, to become active I’m here to be an administrator, to try to run organizations It would be unfair to burden you with the full amount as I try to figure out our budget issues ”

However, while Murphy admitted that the fee was introduced to students without enough detail, she said that information on University finances is openly available

“My personal feeling is its not for a lack of information,” Murphy said “It’s for a lack of making the

information understandable and accessible ”

Open Mic

Many students stayed after the town hall and continued to discuss Cornell’s financial and governance structure after Murphy left the meeting

Emma Johnston ’16, arts and sciences representative for the S A and chair of the S A community life committee, expressed frustration over the University’s “funding priorities ”

Johnston said that while working on community life issues with administrators issues such as adding Blue Lights or bike lanes on campus she is often told that “the funds are dried up ”

“I don’t know what that says about our funding priorities,” she said “Why can ’ t philanthropy be funding student health?”

Students also talked about the criticism recently levied against the “#FightTheFee” protesters on social media Following the Day Hall occupation and confrontation with President David Skorton on

Monday, many students criticized the protesters for being rude and disrespectful to administrators

“There’s been a lot of flak for being rude [and] for not using the proper channels,” Allison Lapehn ’17 said “But the proper channels are not working ” Joseph Fridman ’17 added that the administration was being “disrespectful” to students for not involving them more on such issues

“It’s important for us to keep in mind that the way this University, the way that universities and colleges are run in America, are not the only way that the can function,” Zakiya Wells ’17 said “We’re paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to attend this University I don’t know about you but if I’m going to pay that amount of money to something, I’m going to make sure I have some sort of stake in that ” Christopher Byrns contributed reporting to this story

Sofia Hu can be reached at shu@cornellsun com

H THE HEIGHTS

Sunday Februar y 15th Serving Brunch 11:30a, Dinner beginning at 5p. For reservations please call 607 257 4144

The Heights Café and Grill Community Corners • 903 Hanshaw Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 257-4144 • www.heightscafe.com Cocktails, Lunch, Dinner • Private dining room available Reser vations suggested

CATHERINE CHEN ’15

Business Manager

CAROLINE FLAX ’15

Associate Editor

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KAITLYN TIFFANY ’15

Arts & Entertainment Editor

KATHLEEN BITTER 15

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Multimedia Editor

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NICOLE HAMILTON 16

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Editor

Independent Since 1880

132ND EDITORIAL BOARD

HALEY VELASCO 15 Editor in Chief TYLER ALICEA ’16

Editor ZACH STEELE ’15

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REHBERG 16

YANG 15

RANKIN ’16

MEHROTRA ’16

DOOLITTLE ’16

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SYDNEY ALTSCHULER 16

FASMAN 16

RATHORE 15

’15

15

DAVIS 16

JAYNE ZUREK 16 Senior Editor

WORKING ON TODAY’S SUN

EDITORS Kelly Yang 15 Connor Archard 15

DESKER Sierra Pregosin 18

EDITORS IN TRAINING

EDITOR IN CHIEF Alex Rehberg 16

MANAGING EDITOR Annie Bui ’16

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anushka Mehrotra ’16

DESIGN EDITOR Jayne Zurek 16

ARTS EDITOR Troy Sherman 18 NEWS DESKERS Phoebe Keller 18 Rebecca Blair 17

EDITOR Anna Fasman 16

VillSAins And C-Town Heroes

r m s b e f o re Fe b r u a r y Bre a k

c o n t i n u e s t o s e n d t h e p r o l e t a r i a t s o f C o r n e l l Un i v e r s i t y i n d o o r s t o s k i p c l a s s a n d

w a t c h Ne t f l i x , t h e t r u e H E R O E S a n d V I L L A I N S s t e p p e d i n t o t h e s n ow, o n l y t o i m m e d i a t e l y f a c e - p l a n t i n a V I L L A I N O U S s n ow b a n k No w i n t e r m a i n t e -

n a n c e , i n d e e d

Pr o t e s t i n g t h e V I L L A I N O U S h e a l t h f e e , ov e r 1 0 0 H E R O E S s t o r m e d D a y H a l l t o t a k e o n t h e V I L L A I N O U S a d m i n i s t r a t o r s T h r o u g h s c re a m i n g , i n t e r -

r u p t i o n s a n d l o u d m u s i c , t h e s t u d e n t s w h o o n l y b e l i e v e i n m ov e m e n t s t h a t

u t i l i z e h a s h t a g s re m i n d e d t h e V I L L A I N O U S Pre s i d e n t D a v i d Sk o r t o n t h e t r u e m e a n i n g o f t h e w o rd “ r u d e ” Wi t h o u t t h e H E RO I C a c t s o f t h e s e p r o t e s te r s , w h o w o u l d p r o t e c t s t u d e n t s f r o m t h e V I L L A I N O U S G a n n e t t He a l t h Se r v i c e s a s k i n g u s w h e t h e r o r n o t t h e y ’ re p re g n a n t ? A n d w h o c o u l d f o r g e t t h e V I L L A I N O U S St u d e n t A s s e m b l y, w h i c h H E RO -

I C A L LY d e v e l o p e d a n e w p r o c e s s f o r C o r n e l l i a n s t o i n t r o d u c e re f e re n d a t o t h e g re a t e r s t u d e n t b o d y ? O n a c a m p u s f u l l o f V I L L A I N S w h o re f u s e t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e H E R O I C s h a re d g ov e r n a n c e s y s t e m , w e ’ re e x p e c t i n g t h e f i r s t re f e re n d u m

t o H E RO I C A L LY c a l l f o r t h e a b o l i t i o n o f t h e V I L L A I N O U S S A

A n d , w i t h a H E R O I C We i l l C o r n e l l s t u d y re v e a l i n g t h a t h u n d re d s o f t y p e s o f V I L L A I N O U S b a c t e r i a re s i d e i n Ne w Yo r k C i t y s u b w a y s , s o m e o n e a n y -

o n e n e e d s t o H E RO I C A L LY i n s p e c t t h e V I L L A I N O U S C - Tow n s c e n e f o r

“ g e r m s ” We’re l o o k i n g a t y o u , C T P

Mo re i m p o r t a n t t h a n a n y t h i n g e l s e t h a t h a s h a p p e n e d o n c a m p u s d u r i n g t h i s

s e m e s t e r o f V I L L A I N Y , t h e H E RO I C Ru l l o f f ’ s Re s t a u r a n t a n d Ba r re o p e n e d

l a s t w e e k , g i v i n g H E RO I C s e n i o r s a s o p h i s t i c a t e d p l a c e t o r u n i n t o t h e i r V I L -

L A I N O U S f re s h m a n - y e a r h o o k u p s Wi t h t h e re o p e n i n g o f e v e r y o n e ’ s f a v o r i t e

C o l l e g e Av e n u e e s t a b l i s h m e n t ( o n l y s u r p a s s e d b y t h e H E RO I C O i s h i i B ow l ) , t h e H E R O I C h i p s t e r s c a n f i n a l l y re c l a i m t h e C h a p t e r Ho u s e f r o m t h e V I L -

L A I N O U S p l a i d - d o n n i n g p o s e r s Bu t i f y o u ’ re l o o k i n g f o r u s , T h e Su n ’ s V I L -

L A I N O U S e d i t o r s , w e’l l b e a t L o c o ( o r Du n b a r ’ s o n a g o o d n i g h t )

Soon after Mayor Bill de Blasio’s inauguration as the 109th Mayor of Ne w York City, he embarked on an aggressive campaign to improve pedestrian safety in all five boroughs: Vision Z e r o T h e V i s i o n Z e r o Ac t i o n P l a n states that programs, such as those in NYC, “combine strong enforcement and b e t t e r r o a d w a y e n g i n

r i n g w i t h improved emergency response and high visibility behavior campaigns to discourage dangerous behavior on roads and s t re e t s ” In e f f e c t , t h e p ro g r a m f u l l y revamps how Ne w York City approaches safety on its roads reducing the citywide speed limit to 25 mph; redesigning roads, crosswalks and signage; establishing an educational campaign to encourage safer driving, among many other initiatives And it’s working The Ne w York Daily Ne ws repor ts: “It’s never been safer to cross a Ne w York City street ” The city ended 2014 with the fe west pedestrian deaths since 1910 Though Tompkins County’s population is significantly smaller than Ne w York City’s, we still encounter tragedy

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e It h a c a Jo u r n a l ,

T o m p k i n s County has aver-

a g e d l e s s t h a n

o n e p e d e s t r i a n

d e a t h a n n u a l l y H o w e v e r, s i n c e December, three i n d i v i d u a l s i n T o m p k i n s

C o u n t y h a v e

b e e n k i l l e d i n

p e d e s t r i a n - v e h i -

c l e a c c i d e n t s O u r t h o u g h t s are with the families and friends of Angela Stedwell, a staff member in t h e c o l l e g e o f Hu m a n E c o l o g y, Oluchukwu Onuora ’15 and Rosalyn Degraw One life lost is too many, and w e m u s t d o e v e r y t h i n g w i t h i n o u r capacity to prevent any fur ther tragedies at Cornell and within the greater Ithaca c o m m u n i t y We c a n l e a r n f r o m t h e example set in Ne w York City and take best practices from college campuses and towns across the countr y to address this issue

In her guest column this week titled “Reprioritizing Safety on Our Roads,” Lucy Stockton ’17 effectively illuminated the concerns of many students, faculty and staff across our campus about the safety of our streets for pedestrians and b i c yc l i s t s St o c k t o n c re a t e d a s u r v e y, which is being suppor ted by the members of the assemblies to learn where and what improvements are needed to make individuals feel more safe while travelling across campus

And Cornell is taking this charge seriously: We’ve reopened Tower Road with additional lights, wider side walks and full bus pull-offs; we ’ re planning to add additional lights to Nor th Libe Slope and fur ther hope to make changes to one of the busiest intersections on campus at Tower and Garden Roads We are engaging in studies in areas facing challenges, such as West Avenue and East Avenue, in an effor t to improve safety

Reducing Our Campus Speed Limit

Fu r t h e r, o v e r t h e n e x t t w o y e a r s ,

University Planning and Transpor tation will be creating ne w Wayfinding and Pedestrian and Bicycle Plans to make clear travel routes with appropriate signage and make campus more friendly for pedestrians and bicyclists Your input is critical in making the wisest changes for the safety of our community

But we can always do more I hope that we can bring different stakeholders to the table students, staff, faculty, a d m i n i s t r a t o r

local Ithaca policymakers to share information and collaboratively create a comprehensive plan, such as in Ne w York City, to improve safety across campus and in Ithaca

But one factor concerning safety continues to stand out to me, and I believe we should address it immediately A 30 mph speed limit is too high We can and should change this The speed limit, especially on main roads that have significant pedestrian and bicycle traffic, should be reduced According to Vision Zero, “Driving at or below 25 mph decreases stopping distance, gives drivers

This

means that many crashes can be avoided altogether

The speed at which a vehicle is travelling directly impacts the likelihood of death for pedestrians who are str uck Pedestrians str uck by vehicles traveling at 25 mph are half as likely to die as those str uck at 30 mph If crashes do occur, the severity of injuries is reduced at lower speeds ” I commit to work with the administration to convene a group of key stakeholders to consider reducing the speed limit

In the meantime, while we work to make these changes, we have a collective responsibility to ensure our community’s s a f e t y In c o

should conduct an ongoing educational campaign to encourage safer practices by drivers, cyclists and pedestrians

If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me Together in par tnership with several offices throughout the University it is my hope that we can have an impact and improve the safety of our campus for ever yone travelling by foot, bicycle or car

Ross Gitlin is a senior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations and the undergraduate student-elected trustee He may be reached at rhg68@cornell edu Trustee Viewpoint appears alternate Tuesdays this semester

CORRECTION The headline on a Feb 12 arts story, “Middle Aged Momentum: The New Pornographers at the Haunt,” incorrectly stated that the New Pornographers performed at The Haunt, while in fact they performed at the State Theatre

IEmmanuel Hiram Arnaud | Barely Legal

The Enduring Legacy of Rivera

n 1981, a Federal District Cour t convicted Oscar López Rivera, a young man from San Sebastián, Puer to Rico, of seditious conspiracy and sentenced him to 55 years in prison The United States of America categorically rejects the existence of any political prisoners within our borders However, Rivera's conviction, and that of his comrades, is a dark reminder that the land of the free and the home of the brave denies the ver y essence of our nation's founding popular sovereignty in its territories

Rivera has spent 34 years behind bars for a series of offenses tied to seditious conspiracy, which makes it a federal offense to conspire against the authority of the United States of America by force, among other offenses A seditious conspiracy requires an agreement to commit a cer tain crime and an “ over t act ” An over t act is an “ open act that shows an intention to commit a crime ”

The threshold for an over t act is extremely low, and many small acts “in fur therance” of the crime can satisfy it The United States government lacked evidence of Rivera harming Americans, but the government possessed sufficient evidence to show that he conspired to fight for the independence of his home through a Puer to Rican revolutionar y group Though the law is quite clear in this case, and a competent cour t found that Rivera’s actions satisfied the law’s requirement, it is still unclear why our government is so keen on punishing non-violent inhabitants of one of its colonies Indeed, the law r uns into par ticularly muddy waters when we think of our own nation’s histor y It is especially interesting to think that our most lauded heroes, like George

d

Washington and Alexander Hamilton, would cer tainly have been guilty of this crime In fact, they were guilty of actual sedition against their colonizers

In 1898, the United States “acquired” Puer to Rico from Spain like chips after winning a round of poker In 2015, many scholars agree that Puer to Rico remains a colony of the United States Officially, Puer to Rico is a “commonwealth” with an “ autonomous ” popularly elected local government since the mid-twentieth centur y (the United States government appointed the governor of Puer to Rico up to 1947)

However Judge Torr uella, of the Second Circuit Cour t of Appeals, poignantly refers to the commonwealth and Puer to Rico's status as “political apar theid” and an “enigmatic condition” because of the various legal double standards concerning the application of the United States Constitution in Puer to Rico In essence, the cour ts pick and choose when they deem a section of the Constitution “fundamental,” and they also pick and choose what federal laws apply to Puer to Rico, even though Puer to Ricans have no stake in the creation of federal laws; a situation eerily familiar to our own colonial histor y with England

The commonwealth status is more of the same colonial result because, although it lends the island local political autonomy, islanders have no federal representation Fur thermore, as Professor Laura Briggs of University of Massachusetts Amherst notes, the United States effectively neutered any potential of the Puer to Rican economic machine by using the island as an economic experimental laborator y and destroying its infrastr ucture during the first half of the 20th centur y The United States was, and in many respects still is, an imperialist force throughout the world From the Monroe Doctrine, which was essentially a mask for the economic circumvention of Latin America, to the control of semi-autonomous lands like Puer to Rico, the parallels between the United States and our previous colonizers is apparent

The actions that would have likely led to the death of the Sons of Liber ty, and that we applaud with such eagerness, led to the imprisonment of those who have perpetrated less Oscar López Rivera was not convicted of murder, of bombing government facilities or of endangering anyone ’ s life He did not throw government mandated goods into a harbor He did not kill soldiers of the hegemonic polity He did not command an army to rise up against a government that did not represent his interest, as our nation's forefathers did His conviction rested on an agreement to fight for the economic, ideological and spiritual liber ty of his island

I do not condone the notion of causing harm to the United States and not suffering consequences However, I categorically reject the idea of a nation, which prides itself on its own violent histor y of sedition and rebellion, imprisoning those who band together in the pursuit of genuine democracy and autonomy, in the absence of violent action

Web

Comment of the day

“There is a wrong way to cross a crosswalk Even NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law acknowledges this As a pedestrian, if you contribute to a steady stream of people walking while a car has been waiting for a while, you're crossing wrong If you jump in front of a car at the last minute, you're crossing wrong

Sixth Amendment Re: “LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Another Bus Driver’s Perspective,” Opinion, published Februar y 12, 2015

Jake Forken | My Forken Opinion

Homeland Security Funding Should Not Be a Negotiation

R e m e m b e r t h e r h e t o r i c t h a t n e w l y e m p o we re d Re p u b l i c a n l e a d -

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t r a n s f o r m a t i o n p r o c e s s T h e y we re g o i n g t o e m e r g e i n 2 0 1 6 , n o t a s t h e “ c o mp l a i n i n g p a r t y, ” b u t a s t h e “ g ove r n i n g p a r t y ” We l l , s i x w e e k s i n t o t h e 1 1 4 t h

C o n g r e s s a n d t h e R e p u b l i c a n Pa r t y h a s a l r e a d y d e m o n s t r a t e d a n i n c a p a b i l i t y o f e n g a g i n g i n a n y t h i n g t h a t r e m o t e l y re s e m b l e s g ove r n a n c e

Wi t h o u t f u r t h e r l e g i s l a -

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c e a s e t o b e f u n d e d o n Fe b

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p rov i d i n g c o u n t e r t e r ro r i s m

i n t e l l i g e n c e a s we l l a s p rot e c t i n g a n d s e c u r i n g a i r p o r t s w i l l s h u t d ow n i n t w o we e k s i f a f u n d i n g b i l l d o e s n o t p a s s t h e Ho u s e a n d Se n a t e A s t h e re i s a w i d e s p re a d

c o n s e n s u s t h r o u g h o u t C o n g r e s s t h a t t h e

D e p a r t m e n t m u s t b e f u l l y f u n d e d t o

The GOP is delusional if it truly believes that the brunt of public criticism will fall squarely upon th Democrats amid a DHS shutdown

e n s u r e t h e s a f e t y o f t h e n a t i o n , t h e re s h o u l d b e a f a i r l y s i m p l e s o l u t i o n : Pa s s l e g i s l a t i o n t o f u n d t h e D H S W h i l e t h i s i s t h e s o l ut i o n o f f e re d by De m o c r a t s a n d e ve n s o m e Re p u b l i c a n s , a l a r g e f a c t i o n o f t h e G O P re f u s e s t o p u t f o r t h a f u n di n g b i l l w i t h o u t i n c l u d i n g i m m i g r a t i o n r i d e r s t h a t w o u l d ro l l b a c k Pre s i d e n t B a r a c k O b a m a ’ s e x e c u t i v e a c t i o n s , w h i c h s h i e l d m i ll i o n s o f i m m i g r a n t s f r o m d e p o r t a t i o n T h e f u n d i n g b i l l t h a t p a s s e d i n t h e Ho u s e , w h i c h g u t s O b a m a ’ s u n i l a t e r a l a c t i o n s o n i m m i g r a t i o n , h a s a l re a d y b e e n b l o c k e d t h r i c e i n t h e Se n a t e d u e t o f i l ib u s t e r s b y D e m o c r a t i c m e m b e r s w h o d e c l i n e t o

p a s s a n y t h i n g b u t a c l e a n b i l l w i t h o u t r i d e r s Se n a t e Ma j o r i t y L e a d e r M i t c h Mc C o n n e l l m a i nt a i n s t h a t t h e e x i s t i n g b i l l s i m p l y c a n n o t re a c h t h e 6 0 vo t e s re q u i re d f o r a p p rova l i n t h e Se n a t e a n d t h a t , “ T h e n e x t m ove i s o bv i o u s l y u p t o t h e Ho u s e . ” Ho w e v e r, Sp e a k e r Jo h n B o e h n e r re s p o n d e d t h a t t h e Ho u s e h a s d o n e t h e i r j o b by p a s s i n g a b i l l a n d c l a i m e d t h a t t h e re i s , “ L i t t l e p o i n t i n a d d i t i o n a l Ho u s e a c t i o n ” Ye s , i t i s t r u e t h a t t h e R e p u b l i c a n - c o n t r o l l e d Ho u s e d i d p a s s a f u n d i n g b i l l Bu t i t i s a b i l l t h a t Re p u b l i c a n s o p e n l y a d m i t h a s n o c h a n c e o f c l e a r i n g t h e Se n a t e o r t h e Pre s i d e n t ’ s ve t o T h e i n a b i l i t y t o b r i n g a p r a g m a t i c b i l l t o t h e H o u s e f l o o r d i s p l a y s a n u n w i l l i n g n e s s t o a c t u a l l y g ove r n a n d h i g h l i g h t s t h e d y s f u n c t i o n b e t w e e n t h e G O P e s t a b l i s h m e n t a n d h a rd - l i n e r s W h i l e Mc C o nn e l l i s a w a i t i n g a n e w b i l l t o d e b a t e , B o e h n e r i s h a n dc u f f e d by t h e c o n s e r va t i ve w i n g o f t h e Ho u s e Pr o m i n e n t R e p u b l i c a n Se n a t o r Je f f Se s s i o n s s a i d h e b e l i e v e s t h a t a s , “ T h e De m o c r a t s a re re f u s i n g t o p a s s t h e b i l l t h a t f u l l y f u n d s Ho m e l a n d Se c u r i t y, I d o n ’ t s e e h ow i t ’ s p o s s i b l e t h e y c a n b l a m e t h e Re p u b l i c a n s f o r n o t f u n d i n g Ho m e l a n d Se c u r i t y w h e n t h e y f i l i b u st e re d t h e b i l l t h a t w o u l d f u n d i t . ” He re ’ s h ow : W h e n t h e re e x i s t s b i p a r t i s a n s u p p o r t f o r a p i e c e o f l e g i s l a t i o n , s u c h a s f u l l y f u n d i n g t h e D H S , o n e p a r t y d o e s n ’ t t h e n g e t t o h o l d t h e l e g i s l a t i o n h o s t a g e t o a d va n c e t h e i r ow n a g e nd a B o t h p a r t i e s a re i n a g re em e n t t h a t t h e De p a r t m e n t m u s t b e f u n d e d T h i s s h o u l d n o t b e a n e g o t i a t i o n p ro c e s s If Re p u b l i c a n s d i s a g re e w i t h O b a m a ’ s e x e c u t i v e a c t i o n s re g a rd i n g i m m i g r at i o n , f i n e o p e n d e b a t e o n c o m p re h e n s i ve i m m i g r a t i o n re f o r m t h a t w o u l d n u l l i f y t h e Pr e s i d e n t ’ s u n i l a t e r a l a c t i o n s I f R e p u b l i c a n s b e l i e v e t h a t Ob a m a ove r s t e p p e d h i s C o n s t i t u t i o n a l a u t h o r i t y by i m p l a n t i n g h i s e x e c u t i v e a c t i o n s , f i n e l e t t h e c o u r t s y s t e m d e c i d e W i t h t h e u p c o m i n g Pr e s i d e n t ’ s D a y r e c e s s , C o n g re s s h a s a m e re s e ve n d a y s t o e n g i n e e r a s o l u t i o n t o D H S f u n d i n g W h i l e n e it h e r s i d e o f t h e a i s l e w a n t s t o r e s o r t t o a s h o r t - t e r m f u n d i n g a g r e e m e n t t h a t w o u l d h a ve t o b e d e b a t e d ye t a g a i n i n a f e w m o n t h s , t h a t i s i n c r e a s i n g l y a p p e a r i n g t o b e t h e o n l y p o s s i b l e o u tc o m e ; a n o u t c o m e t h a t i s f i t t i n g f o r a C o n g r e s s t h a t h a s s o o f t e n l u rc h e d f ro m c r i s i s t o c r i s i s o f l a t e T h e G O P i s d e l u s i o n a l i f i t t r u l y b e l i e v e s t h a t t h e b r u n t o f p u b l i c c r i t i c i s m w i l l f a l l s q u a re l y u p o n t h e D e m o c r a t s a

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

From Perr y Mason to Tom Hagen: Better Call Saul

n

t a h e a d i n h i s c a re e r b u t re f u s e s t o u s e a n y u n d e r h a n d e d , s l e a z y t a c t i c s , a f a

I h a t e t o a d m i t i t , b u t I ’ ve re a l l y m i s s e d Bre a k i n g Ba d

It’s n o t t h a t I d i d n ’ t l i k e i t ; I t h o u g h t i t w a s j u s t a g o o d s h ow

p ro b a b l y t h e b e s t o n e o n t h e a i r a t t h e t i m e b u t I

k n e w i t w o u l d p a s s , a n d a n e w s h ow w o u l d u s u r p i t s p o s it i o n a n d a l l w o u l d b e r i g h t e d A n d ye t , h e re I w a s , a ye a r a n d a h a l f o u t , f i n a l l y re a l i z i n g t h a t n o c o m b i n a t i o n o f v i c ep re s i d e n t i a l t h re e s o m e s , c ro s s b ow a s s a s s i n a t i o n s o r f l a t - c i rc u l a r p h i l o s o p h i z i n g c o u l d f i l l t h e w

Gi l l i g a n t r u l y h a d c a p t u re d l i g h t n i n g i n a b o t t l e w i t h h i s M r C h i p s - t o - S c a r f a c e t a l e o f b l o o d , m e t h a n d t e a r s , a n d we we re l i k e l y t o n e ve r s e e a n y t h i n g

l i k e i t a g a i n

We a l l h a d o u r re s e r va t i o n s w h e n Gi l l i g a n a n d Pe t e r Go u l d re ve a l e d t h a t t h e y we re g o i n g a h e a d w i t h t h e i r Bre a k i n g Ba d s p i n o f f Be t t e r Ca l l Sa u l A s i s o f t e n t h e c a s e w i t h b o t t l e s a n d l i g h tn i n g , t h a t l e ve l o f s u c c e s s i s n e a r l y i m p o s s i b l e t o re p l i c a t e T h e re we re t o o m a n y q u e s t i o n s t o b e a n s we re d Wo u l d i t b e a c o m e d y ? A d r a m a ? A p re q u e l ? A s e q u e l ? C o u l d Sa u l Go o d m a n c a r r y a n e n t i re h o u r o f t e l e v i s i o n ? Sa u l h a d n ’ t e ve n f i l m e d ye t a n d i t h a d a l re a d y j u m p e d t h e s h a rk We l l , a f t e r w a t c h i n g t h e t w o - n i g h t p re m i e re , I c a n u n e q u i vo c a l l y a n s we r e a c h o f t h e s e q u e st i o n s w i t h a “ ye s : ” Sa u l i s p a r t c o m e d y, p a r t d r a m a , p a r t s e q u e l , p a r t p r e q u e l , p a r t B o b

Od e n k i rk’s g re a t n e s s Oh , a n d i t ’ s re a l l y g o o d

Sa u l o p e n s w i t h a n e x t e n d e d b l a c k a n d w h i t e s e q u e n c e , p i c k i n g t h e s t o r y u p s o m e t i m e a f t e r t h e e n d o f

Bre a k i n g Ba d , a s T h e In k Sp o t s ’ “Ad d re s s Un k n ow n ” p l a y s , b i t t e r s we e t l y Sa u l Go o d m a n , n ow c a l l e d Ge n e , c u t s l e n g t h s o f c i n n a m o n ro l l d o u g h a n d g a ze s a c ro s s a t s o m e m a l l e s c al a t o r s , h i s e ye s s h a d e d f ro m t h e h a r s h f l u o re s c e n t l i g h t s by

h i s v i s o r It s e e m s h i s va c u u m s t o re p re d i c t i o n a t t h e e n d o f

Bre a k i n g Ba d “ If I ’ m l u c k y, i n a m o n t h f ro m n ow, b e s t -

c a s e s c e n a r i o , I ’ m m a n a g i n g a C i n n a b o n i n Om a h a ” h a s m o s t l y c o m e t r u e A f t e r h i s s h i f t , h e re t u r n s h o m e , f i xe s h i m s e l f a Ru s t y Na i l a n d p o p s a v i d e o t a p e i n t o h i s VC R

Hi s m o n o c h ro m a t i c e ye s l i g h t u p w i t h c o l o r, re f l e c t i n g o n

i n g s t o r i e s w i t h n o t h i n g m o re t h a n a c a m e r a a n d s o m e l i g h t s , a n d w h e n h e d e c i d e s t o o p e n h i s p i l o t w i t h a d i a l o g u e - f re e f i ve - m i n u t e s e q u e n c e , yo u c a n ’ t b l a m e h i m A f t e r t h e f i r s t c o m m e rc i a l b re a k , we ’ re b a c k i n t h e g o o d o l’ A B Q T h e ye a r i s 2 0 0 2 , s i x ye a r s b e f o re Je s s e , Wa l t e r a n d

Sa u l h a d t h e i r f a t e f u l m e e t i n g i n t h e d e s e r t Sa u l i s n ’ t e ve n Sa u l ye t He’s Ja m e s Mc Gi l l , a s t r u g g l i n g p u b l i c d e f e n d e r w i t h t h e g i f t o f g a b a n d n o t m u c h e l s e A f

Television spin-offs are almost never a good idea For ever y Frasier or The Colbert Report, there are three Joanie Loves Chachi’ s Better Call Saul is definitely in the former categor y, for now Gilligan and Gould have finally made their triumphant return to television, and it was worth the wait I can ’ t wait to see where they take this character and this show In the words of the lawyer himself, “It’s all good, man ”

Sean Doolittle is a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences He can be reached at sdoolittle@cornellsun com

T h e A r t o f L o s i n g : S t i l l A l i c e

To convince people to care about a disease and its potential cure, you must convince people to care about the people who are suffering Still Alice takes up the struggle against Alzheimer’s Alice Howland (Julianne Moore) is a professor of linguistics at Columbia University Smart, ambitious and poised, she commands the room, both in her lectures and at a small family gathering in honor of her birthday But the person she is now will not last for long already she is forgetting words in the middle of presentations and getting lost in familiar places The audience knows what is happening to her, and soon so will she

When the diagnosis comes, it is absolute: Alice has a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s that she’s inherited from her father This tragedy affects her family in different ways Her husband John (Alec Baldwin), an equally ambitious academic, must consider how Alice’s deterioration will affect his career Her oldest daughter Anna (Kate Bosworth) gets genetic testing before attempting in vitro fertilization, and discovers that she carries the gene and will suffer her mother’s fate Her brother Tom (Hunter Parrish) dodges the bullet Lydia (Kristen Stewart), the youngest daughter and a struggling actress, decides she would rather not know

Still Alice

She plays Words with Friends with Anna and asks herself a series of essential questions every morning at 8 a m to gauge how much of her faculties she still has At one point her doctor comments that the more educated a person is, the faster they decline, as if Alice’s intelligence is her hamartia

Julianne Moore’s performance is what carries the film The way she carefully strips Alice away as the months wear on is masterful Early in the film, Alice describes her moments of confusion as if the bottom of her mind suddenly dropped out, and in the many scenes where the camera lingers on Moore’s face, you can see the precise moment when Alice no longer knows what she is doing There is a scene where Alice watches a video of herself instructing her how to commit suicide using sleeping pills she stashed away soon after the diagnosis The difference between the old Alice and the empty Alice that Moore embodies in the later parts of the film is striking It is also a strength of the script that there are many moments of humor and passion that allow Moore emotions other than sadness

Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash West

Starring Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin

There is no cure, and nothing to slow the progress of the disease, so Alice scrambles to keep her life and memory intact for as long as possible She continues to lecture, with disastrous results

The supporting characters turn in solid performances, but the one that truly shines is Kristen Stewart Lydia ends up taking an active role in caring for Alice, since her other siblings are busy with careers and babies In her scenes with Moore, Stewart is magnetic, carefully balancing compassion and disappointment and trying always to reach her mother through art They discuss scenes from plays together, and Lydia practices monologues for Alice Stewart understands that Lydia can still bond with her mother through the expression of emotions, which require no memories, and pours everything she has into these small moments

For all its moments of emotional realism, this film is a romanticized version of Alzheimer’s Alice’s particular disease is a tragedy more rare than a lightening strike, and the loss of her great intelligence makes it even more tragic in the eyes of many But in the film, the disease is not as great of a burden as it could be Alice and

John are financially stable enough that John is able to move to Minnesota for a job while Alice stays in New York where she feels comfortable Their children are able at times to care for her When she needs a paid caretaker one is brought in seamlessly Alice tours a nursing home for those with Alzheimer’s and there she confronts the specter of her future in the elderly patients who are constantly monitored by nurses and alarm systems But the nursing home is warm, inviting and clean and probably expensive and Alice doesn’t have to go there just yet

All of this is very different from the options that are presented to many of the estimated 5 million people living with Alzheimer’s in the United States The quality of Alice’s healthcare is never in question, and for that she is very lucky This movie has received praise in the press for an honest portrayal of the disease and Moore has been nominated for an Oscar It is good that this film exists to raise awareness and support, but I think it is telling that one of the few films to deal directly with Alzheimer’s focuses on an intelligent, beautiful, young, rich individual If she was not any one of those things, if she was more like the elderly at the nursing home, would we care as much about her plight? It seems our empathy does not extend as far as we would like it to Laura Boland is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences She can be reached at lboland@cornellsun com

Taboo Topics, Soapboxes and Clickbait

It ’ s an old rule of thumb that one should n e v e r t a l k a b o u t re l i g i o n , p o l i t i c s o r money, unless in a ver y comfortable environment and surrounded by people you know, respect and trust The advice is not so much about avoiding difficult conversations or confrontation, but about being polite When you take a large group of unacquainted people and somebody takes some sort of opinionated stance on any of these topics, somebody is bound to take offense It’s best to just avoid them altogether unless, once again, in good company

However, it seems that the advent of social media and technology has brought with it a burning of this golden rule Whether because of the personal soapboxes to stand on granted to anyone through Twitter and other social media, the ability to post anonymously in comment threads or the click-baiting nature of mainstream news

o u t l e t s , i t s e e m s that these forbidden topics par ticularly religion, race and politics have become hot topics

A n y t i m e y o u scroll down to the c o m m e n t s s e c t i o n of a serious article (and no, Buzzfeed doesn’t qualify), it’s a safe bet that some argument involving race, religion or politics is going on And, to my own frustration, this has crept into our discussions about the arts, especially in recent months

I am not saying that these discussion should not be held, just that they should not

be forced into ever y conversation about the arts They should be had in a mature, openminded manner

If one were to list my most visited webpages from the past few months, the IMDb message boards for director Clint Eastwood’s much talked about American Sniper would likely be toward the top That place is a certified train wreck: Violent, disturbing, confusing and hopeless But, for some reason, I can ’ t seem to look away

If you peruse these message boards, one thing will become abundantly clear: A lot of people just can ’ t approach this film without their political agenda framing their opinion And for such a controversial topic, I don’t even ask that you turn that light off Just please, at least dim it a bit

I’m sure you have heard the gist of the Ultra Liberal vs Extreme Conser vative argum e n t s a b o u t the film The

Ky l e s h o u l d not be lauded as a hero, and t h e l a t

r claim that he s h o u l d Bu t the anonymity of the IMDb message boards just takes it to whole new level

Here’s a taste, and please keep in mind that I’m paraphrasing I’ve seen ever ything from the likes of, “If you don’t think this movie was the best of the year, then you ’ re a p****, liberal f*****!” to “ Those of you saying that Chris Kyle is a hero must think that

German snipers in WWII were heroes, too!”

Let’s be real American Sniper is a pretty solid war film that was unfortunately overhyped It was promoted as a poignant insight on the post traumatic stress that many veterans suffer after their tours, but it does not accomplish this as well as it claims It takes a deeply flawed man (as admitted by the late Chris Kyle himself ), largely ignores his shortcomings and broadly paints over any actual suffering by telling, rather than showing All in all, it is a fair movie that does not quite meet the hype in any area, other than the brilliant performance by its lead, Bradley Cooper

Now that my personal opinions on the film are out in the open, let’s move on to my point How often do you see well-reasoned opinions on American Sniper? How often do you see click-baiting headlines and heavily slanted opinions? Even ignoring comment sections and message boards, and focusing on (ostensibly) credible news sources, I bet that the latter greatly outweighs the former

Another example is all of the outrage about director Ava DuVernay’s Selma being omitted from any of the acting categories for this year ’ s Oscars Please, take my opinion here with a grain of salt, because I have not yet gotten around to seeing this Best Picturenominated film Nevertheless, I find it frustrating that almost any opinion circulated about the film is “David Oyelowo wasn ’ t nominated because the Academy is racist,” rather than “It’s a shame that David Oyelowo didn’t get nominated in what is one of the strongest fields of leading males we ’ ve seen in the past decade ” While I am all about freedom of speech, I

find it fr ustrating that ever ybody gets a metaphorical megaphone nowadays Beyond that, I find it maddening that the voices that are most often heard are not necessarily the most credible, but the most controversial

Realistically, though, which headline gets more traffic? “American Sniper: Ambitious, but Disappointing,” or “American Sniper: the Best Damn Film of the Decade, and Fuck You Liberal Sissies if You Think Other wise!”

To reiterate, I’m not tr ying to say that these discussions are unnecessar y, or shouldn’t be had Just that they should not always take the forefront, and when they are had, they need to be approached respectfully

Ten years from now, “ We shouldn’t have fought that war ” should not be the first thing I think about when I think of American Sniper “ The Academy was particularly racist that year ” should not be the first thing I think about when I hear Selma But in all likelihood, this is where we are heading People like to bring up taboo topics wherever they can They like to stir up controversy wherever possible, and the mainstream media is cashing in on it

That is the real shame The needless controversy distracts us from the art I just wish that people could watch and form opinions for themselves, without their views being obstructed by a crowd of people standing on soapboxes (he says, as he steps off of his soapbox)

Evan Needell is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences He can be reached at eneedell@cornellsun com Ne e d e l l i n a Cr a p s t a c k appears alternate Fridays this semester

26 A PARTMENT FOR R ENT

com

Seniors Wrestle at Home for Last Time

WRESTLING

Continued from page 12

For Villalonga and the other 10 seniors on the Red’s roster, Sunday will also mark their final moment under the spotlight of a home crowd

It’s the last home dual of the season, ” he said “[For] some of us [it’s] the last time we will ever wrestle in front of the home crowd, so there’s always a little extra motivation to put on a show for our loyal fans that support us throughout the entire season ”

The Red comes into the dual meet with its characteristically strong core of wrestlers in Garrett, Villalonga and sophomore Gabe Dean Garrett is the defending national runner-up at 125 pounds, Villalonga is ranked No 7 at 149 pounds and Dean is nearly unanimously ranked No 1 in the country at 184 pounds This trio of contenders is supported by sophomores Brian Realbuto and Dylan Palacio, who are both on the rise in their respective weight classes

Though the Red’s focus is on getting through Drexel first, the wrestlers have their sights set on bigger milestones at the same time

“A national title is on our minds, both as a team and individually,” Garrett said “We are shooting to reach the highest goal and are challenging ourselves to get there ”

With a reinvigorated and healthy lineup competing together for the first time this season, the Red now has its best chance to achieve that goal

“This is the first time this season that we will have our full lineup in competition, and that is very exciting,” Villalonga said “We are looking forward to showing the country how good we are when all of our starters are out there My personal expectations are similar to the team ’ s expectations national champions ”

Scott Chiusano can be reached at schiusano@cornellsun com

Crimson Proves Itself as Tough Opponent

BASKETBALL

Continued from page 11

ability to vie for the top of the Ivy and it has the ability to do so this weekend if they take down the Green

“With Dartmouth, we need to play our game and focus on the details, because the [team] has been competing well this season, ” Campbell said

Then on Saturday, the Red will have one of its toughest games yet against Harvard The Red has a steep tradition of tough games with Harvard, and the Crimson has proven itself as a tough opponent so far this season Harvard is an extremely offensively geared

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team with three players averaging double-digits The Crimson squad is 2-4 in the Ivy League and beat Yale last weekend in demanding fashion The Red looks to exploit Harvard’s struggling defense, and shut down its fast paced offense

“Harvard has always been a top team in the league, so taking them down will be huge and will send a message to the rest of the league,” Campbell said “We aren ’ t messing around ”

LeDuc explained that the key to the team ’ s success this weekend will be identifying the other team ’ s strengths and targeting them on the court

“We really need to know what their personnel do and we need to

be able to shut that down If we can make each team do what they aren ’ t accustomed to, it will bring us one step closer to being successful,” she said

The Red looks to make this the weekend a time to separate itself from the rest of the Ivy League

The team has proven that it has the ability and can be a serious contender

“Ultimately, we need to defend our home court this weekend and to that it comes down to stops on defense and execution on offense,” Campbell said “Big weekend for Red ”

John McGrorty can be reached at jmcgrorty@cornellsun com

Spor ts

Red to Start National Duals

Cornell faces Drexel this weekend for rst match of duals

By SCOTT CHIUSANO Sun Sports Editor

After capturing its unprecedented 13th consecutive Ivy League title last weekend with a 38-0 drubbing of Columbia, the Red will host Drexel in the first round of National Duals on Sunday A takedown of the Dragons would earn the team a trip out West to Iowa for the rest of the competition

With a 68 dual meet win streak against Ancient Eight Competition, the wrestling team has won the most consecutive titles in one sport in conference history

“It’s always nice to go out and dominate conference and Ivy League opponents, especially when we were able to set the record for all Ivy sports in the process, ” said senior Chris Villalonga “It’s truly a reflection of how hard we train day in and day out, and it’s a great feeling when it pays off ”

Because of this continued success, junior Nahshon Garrett said the team is heading into the Drexel meet with conviction

“I think we are going to have a lot of confidence,” he said “We are competing well together and unifying as a team, which is one of the best parts of this sport ”

The Dragons currently sport a 7-10 record on the season and their biggest asset is nationally-ranked Kevin Devoy, who is No 16 in the country at 133 pounds He will likely match up against sophomore Mark Grey, a rematch of a meeting last year that Grey dropped, 5-1

“There are a few key matchups we ’ re looking forward to against Drexel, but as we did this past weekend, the expectation is to dominate them and carry on that momentum into national duals,” Villalonga said

Ballers Face Important Weekend

By JOHN MCGRORTY Sun Staff Writer

The Cornell women ’ s basketball team will face off twice this weekend against league rivals Dartmouth College and Harvard University The Red (13-7, 4-2 Ivy) will compete on Friday, Feb 13 at 7 p m against Dartmouth in Newman Arena Then, the Red will go on to play again at home the next day, Saturday, Feb 14 at 6 p m , against Harvard This will be a big weekend for the Red, as the squad looks to play at home for the first time in over three weeks

Junior guard Maddie Campbell explained that this set of games could be decisive for the Red, determining Cornell’s league standing going into the last stretch of the season

“The team realizes this weekend is huge for us, because it is our chance to separate ourselves in the league We can position ourselves to be top contenders for the Ivy League title if we produce this weekend, so naturally, the team is focused and excited,” she said

Sophomore guard Megan LeDuc looks forward to playing on her home court

“We're excited for both games and to have the opportunity to really separate ourselves in the Ivy League We're also happy that we finally get to play at home again ”

The Red looks to have a hard fought competition against Dartmouth as Cornell and Dartmouth have back-and-forth history Dartmouth had a successful start to its 2014-15 season with

a win over Harvard, but since then, has struggled in Ivy League play The Red looks to show its strength within the league and its

February, the Month Of Little to No Sports

Welcome to February, what is in literal terms, the shortest month of the year but the one that feels the longest thanks to a combination of cold, snow, onset of “ugh-Ihave-work” complaints, Valentine’s Day “I will die alone/what do normal people buy significant others as presents?” angst, postSuper Bowl boredom syndrome, more snow, panicked nay desperate summer internship cover letter writing and arctic cold, among other things All of which are problems we don’t have solutions for, unless giving advice to ignore the real world and concentrate on this subpar season of sports counts In which case we would be the most efficient, but least effective, Ask Amy columnists ever And so, on to the sports news

L A : I’m Lisa Awaitey, and when I was 13 I lost my middle school’s Vice Presidential election and cried on stage, which might explain why I use humor as a defense mechanism

E B : I’m Emily Berman, and I literally had a baby attempt to

Around the Gorge: Sun Sports Banter

wail me off stage in my first and only time singing publicly Which might explain why I partake in writing instead of singing, speaking or various other pursuits in which a baby might hear my voice and give me another lifelong trauma

This Week In:

Football’s Over, Do We Get to Go to Disney Now?

L A : Tom Brady proved to the world, yet again, that he’s more than a successful Ugg model; he can also play sports pretty well, even when he’s not allegedly cheating But we can save the Tom Brady mockery (will it ever get old?) for another day Let’s get to the most interesting play of the game In a momentary lapse of judgement, or loss of sanity call it what you want the Seahawks decided on a pass play for second and goal, on the one yard line, while they had Marshawn Lynch, more formally known as “Beast Mode,” one of the greatest players in the game, as their running back

The Super Bowl was all of, like, two weeks ago, and it’s already old news, the way anything Ryan Seacrest promotes is old news

E B : Here’s the thing, though: the Super Bowl was all of, like, two weeks ago, and it’s already old news, the way anything Ryan Seacrest promotes is old news The stories about Tom Brady as GOAT faded quickly; anger at the Seahawks’ play-calling lasted only a little longer Left Shark is really the only piece of that game with any cultural relevance remaining In short, Super Bowl XLIX’s postgame limelight had the brevity of a Marshawn Lynch press conference comment We’ve moved on, and talk now is about next season, about offseason trades, about what Super Bowl 50 might be Credit where credit is due though The NFL season lasts all of 17 weeks, plus playoffs, but this monster machine of a league keeps people talking 52 weeks a year (yes, Super Bowl 50, not Super Bowl L Shed a tear for the disappearance of the last vehicle for American kids to learn Roman numerals)

L A : Truthfully, Emily is right It was more than a week ago, that ship has sailed Still, though, the Seahawks’ final play will go down as one of the worst calls in the history of the Super Bowl; twitter absolutely exploded after that play Any casual Madden player knows to give the ball to Marshawn Lynch

E B : Snooze Is it Super Bowl 50 yet? I’m predicting another appearance by the Patriots (look, unless Brady blows out another knee and Belichick gets suspended for, oh, say, cheating, it’s the safest pick you can have), with Miley Cyrus and a team of twerking teddy bears traumatizing the audience at halftime