02 26 16 entire issue hi res

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

By ALEXA ESKENAZI Sun Staff Writer

Si n g

will soon become all-gender By end of March, an online map will be accessible to indicate inclusive restrooms on campus, according to the University

T

show of support U A executive member Ulysses Smith ’14 presented the resolution and said that efforts to begin this process have been a “long time coming ”

“Our efforts were bolstered by the broader LGBT rights social movement and a number of

Smith said “As a world-class institution, we should strive to be at the forefront of inclusion ”

The U A passed the resolution last December that called for the conversion of all single-occupancy restrooms from gender-specific to all-gender

Garrett demonstrated support for the U A resolution in January by approving both the gender-inclusive restrooms and the Americans with Disabilities Act standardized signage conversions

“It is extremely important that we not only encourage inclusiveness in our campus community, but also demonstrate it,” said Alexander Thomson, U A

By JOSH GIRSKY

Following the detection of high l

By KYLE OEFELEIN Sun Staff Writer

Student Assembly

lution

S A passed

Memorial Hall from incan-

University initiatives at its meeting Thursday

l Kaufman ’18 “We are actually sitting under about 300 incandescent light bulbs What that

Brown called

abundance of caution

schools’ water quality released in 2005 revealed levels of lead that exceeded the action level, but district officials are still investigating

by

Enfield schools, the Ithaca school d i s t r i c t s h u t o f f i t s w a t e r Wednesday until lead and copper testing could be done in all district s c h o o l b u i l d i n

means is that we are wasti n g a l o t o f e l e c t r i c i t y, ” Kaufman said “We talk a lot about carbon neutrality We talk a lot about becoming more sustainable, and I think it is time we put our money where our mouth is ” The University is about o n e t h i rd o f t h e w a y T h e Tr i - C o u n c i

t i o n s t h i s m o n t h , Tr a v i s Ap g a r,

d e n t s , w r o t e i n a n e m a i l t o t h e I n t e r f r a t e r n i t y C o u n c i l T h u r s d a y P h i G a m m a D e l t a a n d Pi K a p p a P h i f r a t e r n i t i e s w e re p l a c e d

o n i n t e r i m s u s p e n s i o n Tu e s d a y f o l l ow i n g m u l t i p l e re p o r t s o f h a z i n g T h e i n c i d e n t s i n c l u d e d “ i n t i m i d a t i o n , v e r b a l a b u s e , h a r a s s m e n t , a l c o h o l c o n s u m p t i o n a n d c a l i s t h e n i c s , ” t h e

Un i v e r s i t y a n n o u n c e d i n a s t a t e m e n t Ap g a r n o t e d i n t h e e m a i l t h a t T h u r s d a y m a r k e d t h e f i v e - y e a r a n n i v e r s a r y o f C o r n e l l s t u d e n t G e o r g e D e s d u n e s ’ d e a t h f r o m a

h a z i n g i n c i d e n t w h i l e p l e d g i n g Si g m a A l p h a Ep s i l o n a s a s o p h o -

m o re “ I i m p l o re y o u t o s t e p u p a n d t o m a k e s u re y o u r c h a p t e r i s f o l l ow i n g t h e a p p r ov e d n e w m e m b e r p l a n w h i c h i n c l u d e d a c t i v -

i t i e s a n d e x p e r i e n c e s w h i c h h o n o r t h e v a l u e s o f y o u r c h a p t e r,

a n d t re a t a l l m e m b e r s a n d n e w m e m b e r s w i t h re s p e c t a n d d i g -

n i t y, ” Ap g a r w r o t e i n t h e e m a i l Wi t h t h e i n i t i a t i o n d e a d l i n e a p p r o a c h i n g t h i s Su n d a y, Ap g a r

c a u t i o n e d a l l c h a p t e r s t o a b i d e b y t h e a p p r ov e d n e w m e m b e r p l a n a n d w e l c o m e a l l n e w m e m b e r s o n t i m e “ We n e e d t o w o r k t o g e t h e r t o r i d o u r g r o u p s o f h a z i n g a l t og e t h e r, ” Ap g a r s a i d “ Ev e r y s t u d e n t h e re d e s e r v e s t o b e t re a t e d w i t h re s p e c t , e v e r y f

Glycans and Gene Flow (Reproductive and Infectious)

12:15 - 1:15 p m , Auditorium, Boyce Thompson Institue

CAM Colloquium: Qing Zhao

3:30 p m , 655 Frank H T Rhodes Hall

Policy and Activism:

A Conversation on Climate Change and Clean Energy 5:30 - 7:30 p m , G01 Uris Hall

Friday Shabbat Dinner

7 p m , 104! West

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged 7:30 p m , Schwartz Center for Performing Arts

Friday, February 26, 2016 Tomorrow

weather FORECAST

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

News, “James Franco Named Cornell’s 2016 Convocation Speaker,” Monday

Speaking about selection of James Franco as the 2016 convocation speaker

In Franco we feel extremely fortunate as he has found success acting, directing, producing, teaching leading philanthropic efforts but most importantly staying diligent in his educational pursuits as evidenced by [his] wealth of degrees ”

Zachary Benfanti ‘16, Cornell Convocation Committee chair

News,

Speaking about the future of the University’s football program

“On the other hand how much longer can we sustain a football program with only one winning season over the past 15 years and very meager attendance? Before we pull the plug I encourage students, faculty alumni and members of the Ithaca community to attend at least one home football game next fall “

Mark S Wolcott ’83 Ne ws, “E ndowm

Speaking about the value of the humanities today

“We have to think again about the meaning of liberal learning That requires I think a fundamentally new and different discussion [about] educating people on the conduct of life’ which includes many things outside of vocation and professional life ”

William D Adams, National Endowment of the Humanitieschairman

Students React to Franco Pick for Convocation

Convocation Committee faces mixed reviews on its selection

By DREW MUSTO Sun Contributor

Cornell students responded with both e n t h u s i a s m a n d re s e r v a t i o n t o t h e

Convocation Committee’s announcement last Friday that actor and director James Franco will address the class of 2016 this May

Franco’s illustrious and varied career in Hollywood complemented by his noteworthy achievements in academia has won him approval from some members of the senior class

Grace Hurley ’16 said she is excited to see how the actor ’ s versatility will color his speech

“ We know he can be hilarious, we know he can be serious, we know he’s brilliant and a ver y talented writer,” Hurley said

combin[ed] with his experience in the entertainment industr y fits the bill for a graduation speech ”

While some praised Franco’s varied talents, other students expressed skepticism about Franco’s suitability as a convocation speaker Specifically, several students wondered if Franco given his highly privileged upbringing could adequately send the class of 2016 off to a world of which he knows little

Jo h n Sa l v a g n o ’ 1 6 a d d e d that Franco “brings a lot to the table with respect to his creativity and life experiences ”

“Being from a distinguished academic background will definitely add more depth to his speech,” Salvagno said “ There is a stor y to tell for ever yone ’ s journey through life and [Franco’s] academic background

Miranda Kasher ’19 was not convinced that Franco would “give the k i n d

a t i n g seniors] need for their future ”

“[Franco] had such a different experience in his life, one that might not really relate to a [Cornell] student’s,” she said

Still other students voiced concerns about the sincerity of Franco’s accomplishments

Elise Smith ’19, who shares Franco’s hometown of Palo Alto, C A , noted the unglamorous view her community has of the celebrity

Smith said that Palo Alto residents view Franco’s scholarship and artistic pursuits as artificial, with the community’s consensus purportedly being that Franco “is not real-

ly that good at any of the [things he tries to do] ”

Nonetheless, Smith said that she would be happy if Franco were her own convocation speaker

In recent years, several of Cornell’s convocation speakers have hailed from politics

Last year, former U S Rep Gabrielle Giffords M R P ’96 delivered the convocation address to the Class of 2015, and Sen Cor y Booker (D-N J ), then-Mayor of Newark, spoke to the Class of 2013 Da n St oye l l ’ 1 8 , w

Likewise, Salvagno, who witnessed Sen B

Booker “hardly talked politics” and instead discussed “his upbringing and the life experiences he found most memorable ” A good convocation speaker should have “ a stor y to tell,” and Franco’s “creativity and life experiences” satisfy this criterion, Salvagno said

Drew Musto can be reached at acm287@cornell edu

Two Cornell Assistant Profs Named Sloan Research Fellows

By ELEANOR GOOD Sun Contributor

Two of Cornell’s researchers

Assistant Prof Yimon Aye, chemistr y and biochemistr y, and Assistant Prof David Mimno, information science were recognized among today’s “ most promising scientific researchers” when they were awarded the Alfred P Sloan Foundation Fellowships on Wednesday

In addition to acquiring prestige as members of “the next generation of scientific leaders” in the United States, the fellows will also receive $55,000 administered over two years to support their research, according to the Foundation

Aye’s multidisciplinary research focuses on the application of chemistry-driven technologies to biological cell signaling in order to

better understand the timing and target specificity that underlie biological communications, she said

Her lab’s light-activatable ondemand redox-targeting synthetic molecule, named T-REX, is the first of its kind, and Aye attributes her innovative approach to her dual training

“It was quite a risky idea when we first started,” Aye admitted, but she said the award of the fellowship signaled to the team that they are headed in the right direction

“The Sloan Fellowship uniquely recognizes our contribution in the area of technological development [and its application],” she said

Her team plans to use the fellowship funds to purchase a new microscope for the lab and move on to applying the T-REX to a wider variety of settings, according

to Aye

“We wanted this strategy to be really user-friendly,” Aye said “Any researcher interested in the technique could use the tool ”

C o r n e l l’s other award

r e c i p i e n t , Dr David M i m n o , focuses his research on data mining He received the S l o a n Fellowship for his development of new technologies to sort through the millions of digitized texts that Google and the Internet Archive have collected in collaboration with university libraries over the past decade

“This collection is like a human

genome project for humanities and social science,” Mimno said, “but it is sitting idle ” Mimno said his work has to circumvent the problems presented by copyright laws and the lack of available tools to work with such a large collection

“ W e ' r e f i n d i n g ways to [engage with the works] without operating directly on the original materials,” he said

His team is also helping humanities scholars incorporate computational approaches into their research methods and improve their efficiency This col-

laboration provides his team with helpful feedback

“The insights we gain from collaborations inform our technical agenda by highlighting which advances will have the most impact on actual practice,” Mimno said

Both professors recount feeling honored and humbled upon receiving the fellowship

“This award is really a vote of confidence in me and my colleagues,” Mimno said

Aye and Mimno are two of the 126 researchers chosen as 2016 Sloan Research Fellows, with other fellows coming from top research universities across the US and Canada, including seven of the eight Ivies

Eleanor Good can be reached at ekg45@cornell edu

Cornell Faculty Explain Changes to In-Class Laptop Policies

By STEPHANIE HENDARTA Sun Contributor

Cornell faculty have begun cracking down on extraneous laptop use in class

While opinions on the benefits of laptop use in classrooms vary among faculty members, there has been a growing trend toward a more stringent regulation of the practice

Prof Robert Thorne, physics, said he started experimenting with different laptop policies about four years ago After implementing a strict no-laptop policy, Thorne ultimately settled on a more lenient arrangement where students

with laptops are only allowed to sit in the back two rows

“I understand that students might have a paper due or have to meet some deadline but don’t want to miss lecture, ” Thorne said “I don’t ask the reasons, but my policy is if you ’ re in the back two rows, you can do what you want ” T h o r n e said his primary problem with laptop use in his classroom is not necessarily out of concern for students’ decreased ability in focusing on the material, but rather

the negative externality of disturbing neighboring students

“In the late 2000s, I would sit it on lectures and notice a lot of people with their laptops open, watching

“I do generally think that laptops tend to distract, first of all, the students that are using the laptop, and most definitely the people sitting around the person with the laptop.”

videos or doing other things that weren ’ t related to the lecture,” Thorne said “You see this happen in the professional world as well, at conferences and seminars,

people checking their emails, working on their talk or other things It’s extremely distracting ” Senior lecturer Dr Anne Bracy, computer science, also mentioned the inherently distracting nature of e l e c t r o n i c devices within a classroom environment

“I do generally think that laptops tend to distract, first of all, the students that are using the laptop, and most definitely the people sitting around the person with the laptop,” Bracy said Bracy said she usually

prefers an airplane-mode policy, but due to the size of her Computer System Organization and Programming course, she said she implemented a no-laptop policy

Bracy observed that her students were sitting too close to one another to be able to use their laptops productively

While she is open to exploring different options of laptop use regulation, Bracy said she is uncompromising when it comes to cell phone use in her class

“I have a strict no-cell phone policy Cell phones distract me, ” Bracy said “When I am teaching, sometimes I can see people using

their phones I can see them reading something, laughing a little bit Students don’t realize how it actually really throws off the professor ” In 2003, Prof Geri Gay, communications, co-authored a paper on the effects of laptop use on classroom environment that addresses the inherently distracting nature of electronic devices

“We learned that if students scanned online and stayed at a superficial level, they still did well on the recall and retention tests about the recent lecture,” Gay said “But if they became more engaged

Ithaca School Investigates Lead Content of Water Supply

Parents express concern for their childrens’ safety

LEAD

Continued from page 1

whether any action has taken place since then, according to The Ithaca Journal

This discovery follows on the heels of the Flint water crisis andongoing public health emergency Drinking water containing high levels of lead has left thousands of children in Flint, Mich at risk of serious health problems

Brown said in an email to district parents that the district will quickly take steps to evaluate the water ’ s quality

“Immediately, we will begin a thorough updated water testing and evaluation process in all district facilities,” he said

the United States, my family is asking local officials to look into the lead levels in our infrastructure ”

Jim Bryan ’86, another employee at World Water Solar, said he expects more parents around the country to be concerned

“This to me is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the concern that’s going to be generated in the public ” J i m B r y a n ’ 8 6

In the meantime, water bottles will be distributed to teachers and students, according to the email

“Bottled water will continue to be provided in each building until we have verified that the water meets applicable environmental standards,” Brown said

The school district’s actions, however, have not put parents ’ minds at ease Parent Carolyn Colella, a former Ithaca resident and employee at World Water Solar a company that advises on water management said she feels “incredibly disturbed and concerned” about the possible risk to her son

“My child was a student starting as a four year old in the Universal Pre-K classes at South Hill Elementary and he too could have been subjected to poisoning,” Colella said “Like probably every other parent across

“This to me is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the concern that’s going to be generated in the public,” he said “If I were a betting man I would say you are going to see measures taken across the country and you ’ re going to hear bad news across the country in some cases ” It is ironic that this crisis is happening so close to Cornell, according to Bryan “ There is a well endowed school with some of the brightest minds teaching and matriculating at the school some of the most privileged students and academics and yet just miles away we have a third world water problem,” he said

Bryan also said that there are similarities between Ithaca’s water problem and Sierra Leone during the Ebola Crisis

“I don’t want to presume to make a perfect analogy between Sierra Leone and Ithaca, New York it would be irresponsible,” he said “But on the other hand, the situations are similar in that you have water that is harmful, if not extremely harmful over time, and it needs to be addressed and cleaned up or there’s going to be serious health consequences ”

Josh Girsky can be reached at jgirsky@cornellsun com

C.U. Faculty Discourages

Use of Laptops in Class

LAPTOP

Continued from page 3

online reading an article, writing to friends about the weekend they did not do well on the test about the lecture ”

Thorne, Bracy and a growing number of Cornell faculty are interested in how classroom environment will be further affected by the growing prevalence of laptop and electronic device use

“The evidence is that people just can ’ t multitask These devices and their apps have been designed to suck us in,” Thorne said “Maybe we’ll evolve as a culture over time Maybe students will be able to focus more, and become less easily distracted We’ve only been living with this technology for about 10 years, so you never know ”

Gay said that she also sees an opportunity in the future for professors to integrate technology to improve learning environments

“I have seen successful examples where professors encourage students to comment on readings on blogs and projecting those comments during classes [by] linking to articles, examples and interactive activities rather than passively listening,” she said

Stephanie Hendarta can be reached at sah368@cornell edu

University Moves Forward on Gender-Inclusive Restrooms

RESTROOM

Continued from page 1

E x e c u t i v e V i c e C h a i r “ No o n e s h o u l d h a v e t o

f e a r i n t r u s i v e q u e s t i o n s o r a c c u s a t i o n s a b o u t

t h e i r g e n d e r i d e n t i t y w h e n t h e y g o t o t h e b a t hr o o m , a n d w e h o p e t h e a d d i t i o n o f m o r e a l l - g e nd e r f a c i l i t i e s w i l l h e l p t o p r e v e n t s u c h u n c o m f o r t -

“While this is [just] one step toward greater inclusion related to gender and sexual diversity, it is a step that we can take pride in while continuing to move Cornell and our policies forward ” U l y s s e s S m i t h ’ 1 4

a b l e s i t u a t i o n s ” No o n e i s f o r c e d t o u s e t h e g e n d e r - n e u t r a l f a c i l i t i e s , b u t i t s p r o p o n e n t s a r e r e q u e s t i n g t h e a d d i t i o n o f a f o rm a l p o l i c y s p e c i f y i n g t h a t a n y o n e c a n u s e t h e i r p r ef e r r e d f a c i l i t y w i t h o u t h a v i n g t o s h o w p r o o f o f t r a n s it i o n , a c c o rd i n g t o T h o m s o n “ It’s a m a z i n g h o w s o m e t h i n g a s s i m p l e a s b e i n g a b l e t o u s e t h e r e s t r o o m s o m e t h i n g t h a t m a n y o f u s t a k e f o r g r a n t e d c a n r e a l l y i m p a c t a l a r g e g r o u p o f p e op l e , ” Sm i t h s a i d He a d d e d t h a t t h e Un i v e r s i t y s h o u l d t a k e i n c r e a s i n g m e a s u r e s t o a c c o m m o d a t e t h e g r o w i n g L G B T c o m m un i t y o n c a m p u s “ We k n o w t h a t w e h a v e a n i n c r e a s i n g L G B T p o p ul a t i o n , a n d w e k n o w t h a t w e h a v e a l a r g e p o p u l a t i o n o f i n d i v i d u a l s w i t h d i s a b i l i t i e s , ” h e s a i d “ We h a v e t o c o n t i n u e t o d o o u r b e s t t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e s e a n d o t h e r p o p u l a t i o n s a r e s u p p o r t e d a t C o r n e l l ” B r i a n Pa t c h c o s k i , a s s o c i a t e d e a n o f s t u d e n t s a n d d i r e c t o r o f t h e L G B T R e s o u r c e C e n t e r, s a i d t h i s r e s o l u t i o n i s a n i m p o r t a n t s t e p t o w a r d e n s u r i n g e q u a l i t y n o t j u s t f o

s a i d

Alexa Eskenazi can be reached at aeskenazi@cornellsun com

S.A. Promotes Academic Transparency, Creates Online Student Forum

ASSEMBLY

Continued from page 1

through the process of switching from incandescent to LED lights, according to Mark Howe, director of campus energy

The S A also passed a resolution to promote increased acade-

m i c t r a n s p a r e n c y d u r i n g t h e course enrollment process The change will give students access to c o u r s e s y l l a b i d u r i n g o p e n enrollment

T h e r e s o l ut i o n w i l l a l s o allow professors

t o p o s t s y l l a b i o n a n o p t - i n b a s i s , a l l o w i n g s t u d e n t s t o a c c e s s b o t h a course description and syllabus

b e f o re p re - e n ro l l , a c c o rd i n g t o Kaufman

“ Pro f e s s o r s w h o a re n ’ t u p l o a di n g t h e i r s y l l a b i o n l i n e w o n ’ t h a ve s t u d e n t s e n ro l l i n t h e i r c o u r s e s a s m u c h , ” K a u f m a n s a i d “ Wi t h t h e e c o n o m i c s t r u c t u re o f o u r u n ive r s i t y, c o l l e g e s a n d a d m i n i s t r at i o n s a re a c t u a l l y p a i d p e r s t u -

allow students to sign petitions for

Belsky

Belsky added that S A members will be able to add respons-

“Professors who aren’t uploading their syllabi online won’t have students enroll in their courses as much.” G a b r i e l K a u f m a n ’ 1 8

“My personal motivation to see this project through was getting the ability to facilitate an open

events, and discussions that speak for Cornell students, faculty, staff, and alumni,” Belsky said

d e n t t h a t e n ro l l s i n t h e c o u r s e , s o t h e f i n a n c i a l s t r u c t u re f o r c o ll e g e s h e re i s d e f i n i t e l y t o g e t s y ll a b i o u t t h e re ” Shea Belsky ’18 also gave an update on “Big Red Change,” saying that the online forum should be fully operational by the end of t

Kyle Oefelein can be reached at koefelein@cornellsun com

Univ. of Missouri Assistant Prof Fired After Confrontation

KANSAS CITY, Mo (AP)

The University of Missouri on Thursday fired an assistant professor who had been suspended after run-ins with student journalists during protests last year, including a videotaped confrontation where she called for “ s o m e m u

” t o re m ove a videographer from the Columbia campus Melissa Click’s actions were “ not compatible with university policies and did not meet expectations for a university faculty m e m b e r, ” Pa m He n r i c k s o n , chair woman of the university system ’ s governing board of curators, said during a conference call with other top administrators Henrickson said Click’s conduct demanded “serious action ” More than 100 state lawmakers had called for the dismissal of the 45-year-old assistant communications professor, who last Oc t o b e r a l s o w a s re c o rd e d telling police to get their hands off students during a protest, then hugging the students and c u r s i n g a t a n o f f i c e r w h o grabbed her Click, who was suspended last month, has said she regretted h e r a c t i o n s A m e s s a g e l e f t Thursday with her St Louis attorney wasn ’ t returned, and her home telephone has been dis-

With Student Journalist

connected

But in a document released

T h u r s d a y by c u r a t o r s , C l i c k insisted her actions were to try to keep black protesters “safe from retaliation ” She said the widely circulated video clips of her at protests didn’t reflect the “ tense ” atmosphere

“While some would judge me by a short portion of videotape, I do not think that this is a fair way to evaluate these events, ” she w ro t e , a d d i n g t h a t t h o s e moments “deserve to be understood in a wider frame of reference ”

Henrickson said lawmakers’ outrage had no bearing on the curators ’ 4-2 vote to dismiss Click during a closed meeting Wednesday night Henrickson, who along with fellow curator John Phillips cast a dissenting vote, declined to discuss her rationale, saying that she supports the board’s action She said Click would receive no parting severance package

C l i c k h a s u n t i l Ma rc h 4 t o appeal the decision

Ac c o rd i n g t o d o c u m e n t s released Thursday by the curators, Click was represented by an a t t o r n e y b o t h t i m e s s h e w a s questioned by university-hired investigators

A video clip that went viral

showed Click calling for “ some muscle” to remove a student videographer during protests on Nov 9 that were spurred by what activists said was administrators’ indifference to racial issues on campus The Columbia chancellor and system president resigned after the protests escalated, with one student’s hunger strike and an announcement by members of the football team that they would refuse to play

Click later was charged with m i s d e m e a n o r a s s a u l t A Columbia prosecutor ultimately agreed to drop the case if Click completed community ser vice, but the case prompted curators to order an investigation of her by its general counsel

More recently, police body camera footage was released from t h e Oc t o b e r h o m e c o m i n g parade that shows Click’s conf ro n t a t i o n w i t h p o l i c e a f t e r demonstrators blocked the vehicle of Tim Wolfe, at the time the university system ’ s president

The video shows Click telling police to “ get your hands off the children” and cursing at an officer who grabbed her shoulder As Columbia police pushed proteste r s o n t o th e sid e w alk , Cli ck hugged students and spoke with them before stepping between an officer and a student

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

T h e S u n ’ s O s c a r P re d i c t i o n s

WILL WIN: ALICIA VIKANDER

Alicia Vikander is spectacularly haunting as Gerda a painter and wife to Lili Elbe (previously Einar Wegener) in The Danish Girl Confusion and utter denial glow from Vikander’s eyes as she painstakingly crafts a wife whose struggle is just as valid as her husband’s What transcends Vikander’s performance from noteworthy to Oscar-worthy is the undeniably real crisis she endures through her soft spoken, altruistic attempt to understand and reconsider the idea of identity setting aside her desires and preconceived notions to let her husband be free It isn’t easy to flawlessly portray a flawed person, one who goes beyond the scope of the dialogue to shudder in real worry and dismay at losing the essence of a loved one, but Vikander was up for the challenge

Tim Rehm

SHOULD WIN: ROONEY MARA

In one of the year ’ s most graceful, enigmatic performances, Rooney Mara communicates a power ful expression of innocent affection in Carol Not to be outdone by Cate Blanchet s equally compelling melancholic seductiveness, the younger Mara balances her costar ’ s mature screen presence with a doe-eyed innocence that is at once fiercely controlled, yet totally naturalistic and devoid of any extraneous artifice Mara consistently demonstrates a stillness that evinces the internal conflict between her burgeoning passion for another woman and the painful knowledge that to do so would lead to societal condemnation

Mark DiStefano

SHOULD WIN: THE BIG SHORT

The Big Short is arguably the definitive cinematic response to the Great Recession, virtuously animating the financial catastrophe of 2008 with a socially-conscious accessibility Aided by its charismatic ensemble cast, the film demonstrates a tonal nuance superior to that of other post-Recession films: over its enthralling run-time, it amalgamates the political anger of Inside Job (2010) with the existential emptiness of Margin Call (2011) and the raucous fun of The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) Shot without visual pretense, the film's maturely impartial style allows our anger to build gradually, alongside those of our sympathetic protagonists as the fascinating procedural structure uncovers each new revelation of financial irresponsibility It is ultimately director Adam McKay's ability to combine this respect for his audience's intelligence with a keen ability to summarize the complexities of banking within a tautly-edited two hours that ensures The Big Short avoids the condescension which usually accompanies accessibility

Lorenzo Benitez

Brie Larson has hidden under the radar for years, but she is one hell of an actress In Room, she captivates earnestly and marvelously in a very emotionally difficult role

Alongside her brilliant young acting partner Jacob Tremblay, Larson stars as Joy Newsome, a kidnapped girl who has given birth to a son while in captivity Now that he is five, she decides they have a chance to escape together Larson takes what must have been an exhausting and psychologically draining role and tackles it with fearlessness and vibrance Her performance choices are bold and fierce, and she and Tremblay create such gravitas, warmth and love in the face of abject circumstances that the movie becomes a harrowing, moving testament to the relationship between mother and child

Mark DiStefano

WILL WIN: THE REVENANT

The tale of a frontiersman (Leonardo DiCaprio) out to seek vengeance on the man who left him for dead (Tom Hardy) is a simple yet intense stor yline The Revenant is beautifully shot thanks to Emmanuel Lubezki with vast shots of nature and landscapes This is much more aesthetically pleasing than the long, sweeping shots throughout backstage Broadway in Birdman The stor yline is compelling, and since it has been nominated for 12 Oscars overall, it’s fair to say the Academy is pretty favorable to it It has also been an award show favorite this year, so the odds of it winning are almost guaranteed

Marina Watts

What you saw in Mad Max: Fur y Road a

o n f

str ucture, visual/practical effects and emotion all working in concer t together to create a synergistic chor us of wonder and amazement that’s great directing More than any other filmmaker this year, George Miller brought the best out of his technicians and master craftspeople while they shot for eight months in the Namibian deser t, and shaped their effor ts into one of the best action movies ever made Ask yourself: when are action movies nominated for Oscars? When are they embraced so thoroughly by the critics and the public alike? Show me a better demonstration of said skills on the big screen this past year, and I will write you a check for a hundred dollars

Mark DiStefano

Sylvester Stallone often gets mocked for being a dumb lug And to be fair, he sometimes has embraced this image But this is also the dude who wrote and directed Rocky He’s smart, and he also can be a really thoughtful, understated actor when that’s what the role calls for Stallone is at his best in Creed The mumbling affect and showmanship disappear When Rocky gets a piece of sad news in this movie, there’s no histrionics He just sadly puts away the paper with the bit of bad news in his pocket, and moves on He’s an old man who knows his time is up, and is content to be training a young fighter Stallone’s generous and subservient acting here may mimic real life; he’s happily passing down his beloved franchise to Coogler and Jordan, knowing the next generation is in good hands

Jesse Weissman

s c l u n k y, t h re e - a c t s t r u c t u re q u i c k l y t i re s i n i t s s e c o n d a c t , Fa s s b e n d e r ’ s a b i l i t y t o c o nc u r re n t l y m a i n t a i n a c o n t i n u i t y o f p e r s o n a l i t y t h ro u g h o u t w h i l e a l s o e vo l v i n g i n a c c o rd a n c e w i t h Jo b s ’ p e r s o n a l g row t h s a l va g e s So rk i n ’ s f l a s h y, b u t e m p t y, s c r i p t by c h a r g i n g i t w i t h a n a c c e p t a b l e s e m b l a n c e o f c h a r a c t e r d e ve l o p m e n t We w i t n e s s t h e g a u n t , r u t hl e s s Ap p l e d i c t a t o r g r a d u

c a l a n d p s yc h ol o g i c a l a n g u i s h i n p re p a r a t i o n f o r h i s ro l e a s Hu g h Gl a s s T h e m a n a t e r a w b i s o n , s l e p t i n s i d e a n a n i m a l c a rc a s s a n d t o o k re g u l a r s w i m s i n f re e z i n g w a t e r T h e Ac a d e m y l ove s t h i s k i n d o f c o m m i t m e n t t o a ro l e In a d d i t i o n , Gl a s s g i ve s h i m a ve r y s i m p l e m o t i va t i o n He i s s t r i p p e d d ow n a n d b a r re n , w h i c h i s d i f f e re n t f ro m Di C a p r i o ’ s h i s t o r y o f t h e c h a r i s m a t i c How a rd Hu g h e s , Jo rd a n Be l f o r t a n d Fr a

Marina Watts

Oscar Bait Doesn’t Stick

In 2006, a film called Crash took the Oscar for Best Picture home, prompting a surge of outrage It is now best remembered as the punch line of jokes about unwarranted Oscar-winners and is perhaps more reviled than is necessary Is it a bad film? No But while it is only somewhat clunky and rough around the edges, it is not in my humble opinion superior to Capote, Brokeback Mountain, A History of Violence and even Cinderella Man

The Academy has been making these types of “mistakes” for years King’s Speech won out over Social Network, Artist won out over Tree of Life, Argo beat Zero Dark Thirty and it makes them in every category from Supporting Actress to Screenplay to Makeup By “mistakes,” I am referring to what we film buffs call snubs and timid voting not just on a level of racial politics, but with film as an art form There is, of course, no objective or correct choice for what should win on Oscar night, but there is a sense that many of the films the Academy chooses during the heat of the moment are not the ones the public reveres years later They are not the films that remain firmly etched in the zeitgeist of that decade Sometimes these films are forgotten as rapidly as two years after their release More often than not, the Oscars are a better barometer for ephemeral popularity than for cinematic quality

Last year, Best Director winner Alejandro G Iñárritu graciously took the stage after embracing fellow nominees Bennett Miller and Richard Linklater He declared, “Ego loves competition, right? Because in order to win, somebody has to lose But the paradox is that true individual artistic expression cannot be labeled Our work will be judged, as always, by time ” Yes, time and time again, studios churn out an awards-season product meant to capture the hearts of critics and promote Hollywood as an industry of quality, but when the dust settles, the films are often viewed as mere pale shadows That’s not to say that Birdman was such a film, but as enthralling and enjoyable as it was, a more maverick choice might have been Boyhood That said, at least Birdman was a much more radical and deserving choice on the part of the Academy than such serviceable period pieces as The Imitation

Game or Theory of Everything

The point is, the Academy tends to go with “comfort food choices” not films that change the game or those that are innovative, but those that are soothing, reassuring and in some ways, formulaic They do not choose the film most likely to make a lasting cultural impact, but the one that seems to have the broadest appeal for the moment This has been especially true over the past 10 years when the Academy switched to a method of runoff voting (For more on that, watch the Vox video )

Let’s take a look at 2008, a year whose nominations were so contested that the next year the Academy decided to expand its Best Picture category to 10 nominees Which films do you remember from that year? I cannot judge for the public, but I would hazard a guess that WALL-E, the ground-breaking, revolutionary animated film from Pixar, is one of them The film is unique in that its first 40 minutes are silent and that despite being a children’s movie, it garnered more love from critics than any serious drama that year made for adults While I’m not even a big fan of the movie, I am sure that it would be high atop many people’s lists when they think about 2008 in film

Another choice would almost certainly be The Dark Knight, a film I believe people give excessive credit Due to Heath Ledger’s mesmerizing performance, that film blasted an impact crater in the zeitgeist so large that the Joker has become one of the most memorable cinematic characters in recent history The film itself revolutionized the tone and style which superhero movies and summer blockbusters have tried to mimic since that time A good movie, for sure, although it is not my favorite superhero film but again, I feel confident in wagering that it is a top choice for many people when they reminisce about 2008 films

What about Slumdog Millionaire, which swept the Oscars that year with eight wins? When people talk about Danny

Boyle, who this year helmed Steve Jobs, the consensus seems to be that his early British films the cult classics he made early in his career are better It might be that I’m a poor judge of popular opinion, but it just seems to me that people like Trainspotting better they certainly talk about it more and I am in agreement It is a vastly entertaining, grungy ride of a film that tackles the tough subject matter of heroin addiction and consequently, one the Academy would not want to be associated with casting their vote When all is said and done, it appears that the Oscars do not reward innovation They prefer the tried-and-true to the experimental; the safe to the risky Occasionally, there are exceptions; 12 Years a Slave is a notable one especially because of its primarily black cast and crew Why did it take so long for Scorsese to win? Why did he win for a milder film and not for Raging Bull or Goodfellas (overshadowed by Ordinary People and Dances with Wolves, respectively)? First slights like this are perplexing, but when you think about the consistently milquetoast voting record of the Academy, it does not seem outlandish

So in this season, where many have taken issue with the snubs and the narrow-mindedness of the Academy, we have to remember that unfortunately, this is a longstanding tradition in Hollywood Remember when Driving Miss Daisy won Best Picture over Do The Right Thing, which wasn ’ t even nominated in 1989? Or when Kramer vs Kramer won over Apocalypse Now in 1979? It is evident that in many cases, the Academy does not represent the preferences of the moviegoer

Mark DiStefano is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences He can be reached at mdistefano@cornellsun com

Introducing a New Oscars Category: Best Scene

There’salmost nothing I love more in life than hating to love to hate to love to hate The Oscars There’s nothing quite like hundreds of old rich white guys dressing up in tuxedos to award themselves little gold statues

When you consider what the Oscars are about ranking our favorite movies of the year they should really be a lot more fun So let’s drop some boring categories (I am sure everyone would be absolutely devastated if we omitted Best Song and Best Makeup and Hairstyling), and add some fun ones, like Best Practical Effects, Best Low Budget Picture and Does Your Picture Have a Blind Man Wearing Red Pajamas and Playing a Flame-Throwing Electric Guitar on Top of a Moving Truck?

I think the most interesting new category would be Best Scene First, it would give the Academy an opportunity to nominate more action movies with thrilling sequences that they couldn’t nominate for Best Picture because they weren ’ t ploddingly-paced period pieces Second, it would lead to great debates, which we all want more of (except political debates

I mean, once a month should be enough, right?)

What should take home the trophy for 2015? Let us contemplate for a moment It was a solid year for movies, but not quite as strong for memorable scenes when compared to years like 2014 (the final concert in Whiplash), 2011 (Tom Cruise scaling the Burj Khalifa in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) or 2008 (The Dark Knight Interrogation) This year, Kingsman’ s hilariously over-the-top church brawl, Agu executing an innocent man in Beasts of No Nation, the walk from The Walk, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation’ s opera fight and the dinner utensils scene from Love & Mercy the year ’ s most underrated movie all just missed receiving nominations

TH E N OMI NE ES :

1) The Revenant Be a r A t t a c k

Instead of using quick cuts and chaotic editing, director Alejandro G Iñárritu forces us to watch the brutal mauling of frontiersman Hugh Glass through long takes, and the result is heart-pounding, even when the bear which looks unbelievably realistic takes a break in its attack The opening battle between the fur-trappers and Native Americans is a remarkable technical achievement in its own right, but the bear mauling was the memorable scene

2 ) Spy Ja s on St a t ha m i s a “ R ea l Spy”

In a perfectly cast parody role, Statham plays an incompetent secret agent When Melissa McCarthy’s character is assigned to an important mission instead of him, he recites a list of increasingly ridiculous stories to prove that he’s more qualified: “During the threat of an assassination attempt, I appeared convincingly in front of Congress as Barack Obama ” Thanks to sharp screenwriting enabling his deadpan delivery, Statham steals the show

3 ) Creed On e Ta k e Fi gh t

The year ’ s most impressive moviemaking feat was director Ryan Coogler shooting an entire boxing fight without a single cut Round one ended, and I was immediately thinking: “Okay, you can cut now, ” but then the continuous shot just kept going through the break and into the second round I cannot comprehend the choreography that must have gone into this fiveminute scene, and the camera work and sound design put us right there in the ring

4 ) Inside Out Sa dn e s s C om for t s Bi n g Bon g

During the poignant ending and that scene you probably thought I was going to choose, tears streamed down my face so fast that they were in my mouth before I could wipe them away When Sadness takes over when consoling Bing Bong after his rocket ship is thrown away, it is the first hint of the story ’ s beautiful and sophisticated theme that it is acceptable to feel the emotion of sadness Phyllis Smith and Richard Kind would have certainly been nominated in another of my fictitious categories: Best Voice-Over Performance

5 ) Sicario Ti m e t o Me et G o d” [S P O IL E R A L E RT! ] Incredibly underrated, director Denis Villeneuve gives a lesson in creating suspense visually thanks to brilliant composition and lighting from cinematographer Roger Deakins Hitman Alejandro, played perfectly by Benicio Del Toro, tracks down the Mexican drug lord responsible for his family’s death and murders his wife and children right in front of him at the dinner table It’s intense I wasn ’ t blown away when I first saw Sicario, but thinking back, three other scenes could have easily made the cut too (the border traffic jam ambush, the tunnel raid and Alejandro hiding in the

back of a police car)

6 ) Mad Max: Fury Road Fi n a l C a r C h a s e

Yes, one could argue that the entire movie is a single scene, but director George Miller redefined the term “ nonstop action” in the final 17-minute chase by expertly keeping our heroes vulnerable When I saw the Doof Warrior’s guitar incorporated into the fight in the theatre, I almost peed my pants it was that inspiring

7 ) The Hateful Eight Sa m u e l L Ja c k s on Mo n o l og u e

Nobody but Jackson could have pulled off this scene whereby former Union soldier turned bounty hunter Marquis Warren tells old Confederate General Sandy Smithers the tale of how he tortured and killed his son, revealing graphic details little by little over the course of four full pages of screenplay Bruce Dern shows Smithers’ reaction to the horrifying story using only facial expressions Throw in Ennio Morricone’s mysterious score and you have a dramatic sequence It’s ingenious that we don’t know whether Warren actually did the things he says he did or if he’s just toying with Smithers But it almost doesn’t matter as both scenarios make his character equally terrifying Few artistic pieces of cinema could beat such a wellcrafted scene

And the winner of Best Scene goes to: Furious 7 Skyscraper Car Jump!

YES! We got the `Franchise an Oscar! I’m not joking with this award selection Think about it this way: If I had told you 12 months ago that either Furious 7 would win an Oscar or we’d have a potential Donald Trump-Bernie Sanders general election, you would have put your money on the Franchise whose chronological order goes 1-2-4-5-63-7

Furious 7 never quite works as a movie, but it is certainly laden with epic scenes This absurd, over-the-top sequence where our two precision-driving protagonists drive a car through mid-air from one skyscraper to another, somehow sur vive to have a repeat performance was simply the most unforgettable movie moment that I viewed last year The fact that the immortal Vin Diesel was prominently involved shouldn’t prevent it from winning an Oscar

Lev Akabas is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences He can be reached at lakabas@cornellsun com

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Editorial

A

Healthier Community

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The Five People You Meet on the Train

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b a c k p a c k , w h o k n ow s ) W h e n Eu r o r a i l i s y o u r t r a n s p o r t a t i o n o f c h o i c e , y o u g e t

t o m e e t p e o p l e o f a l l n a t i o n a l i t i e s A n d

b e c a u s e m o s t o f Eu r o p e i s f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e E n g l i s h l a n g u a g e , t h o s e p e o p l e w a n t t o h e a r w h e re y o u ’ re f r o m a n d w h e re y o u ’ re g o i n g Fi r s t , y o u m e e t t w o w o m e n f r o m

Br u s s e l s t r a v e l l i n g t h r o u g h t h e Sw i s s A l p s o n a s k i t r i p Yo u r f r i e n d c o m p l im e n t s t h e m o n t h e i r o u t f i t s a n d t h e y a s k y o u w h a t y o u ’ re s t u d y i n g To y o u r s u r p r i s e , y o u d o n ’ t p a r r o t o u t y o u r m a j o r b u t i n s t e a d s a y t h e t h i n g y o u re a l l y w a n t t o b e w h e n y o u g r ow u p, t h e re a l j o b d e s c r i p t i o n , n o t t h a t c o r p or a t i z e d t i t l e A f t e r a l l , t o t h e s e w o m e n y o u c o u l d b e a n y t h i n g a t a l l Yo u re a l -

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People are going to talk to you wherever you go — sometimes meaningfully, mostly perfunctorily.

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q u o t e s o n y o u r In s t a g r a m f e e d , a n d re s o l v e t o f i n d a b o o k s t o re o n y o u r w a y h o m e T h e t h i rd p e r s o n y o u m e e t o n t h e t r a i n i s w o m a n b o r n a n d r a i s e d i n Fl o re n c e , t r a v e l i n g t o Mi l a n f o r a n a r t s h ow Sh e t e l l s y o u t h a t s h e s p e a k s s i x l a n g u a g e s a n d y o u a re ov e r w h e l m e d b y t h e u r g e t o a p o l o g i z e f o r k n ow i n g o n l y y o u r ow n i t s e e m s s e l f i s h Sh e ’ s a p a i n t e r, s h e s a y s , a n d s h e g o e s t o Ne w Yo r k f o r a r t s h ow s To h e r, Ne w Yo r k i s a c i t y Sh e w h i p s o u t h e r s k e t c h b o o k a n d a s k s i f s h e c a n d r a w y o u W h i l e y o u w o n d e r w h a t y o u r h a i r l o o k s l i k e t o d a y y o u ’ v e b e e n s l e e p i n g o n a t r a i n , a f t e r a l l s h e e x p l a i n s t h a t s h e

c a r r i e s a s k e t c h b o o k e v e r y w h e r e b e c a u s e s h e w a n t s t o re m e m b e r w h a t s h e s e e s , n o t w h a t t h e p h o t o g r a p h s s h ow “ It’s l i k e re a d i n g a b o o k , ” s h e g o e s o n “ W h e n y o u re a d , y o u c a n p i ct u re w h a t e v e r y o u l i k e ” Yo u t h i n k a b o u t t h i s , a n d re s o l v e t o a l l ow m

n , h ow t h e b o o k s t o re s d i s p l a y A m e r i c a n n ove l s S o m u c h o f E u r o p e r e l i e s o n A m e r i c a n c u l t u re , y o u n o t e , a n d y o u re s o l v e t o n o t i c e w h e re y o u c o m e f r o m b e f o re y o u l e a v e a n d n o t a f t e r Fi f t h , t h e re i s a o l d S c o t t i s h m a n w h o t e l l s y o u h e h a s t r a v e l l e d w i t h t h e m i l i t a r y ; h e l o o k s g r u m p y a n d u n c o mp r o m i s i n g b u t p e r k s u p a s y o u a s k h i m a b o u t t h e h i s t o r y o f t h e t ow n y o u ’ re p a s s i n g t h r o u g h He l i v e s i n a f a n c y O x f o rd n e i g h b o r h o o d , h e t e l l s y o u , n e x t d o o r t o “ t h a t A m e r i c a n a c t o r G e o r g e C l o o n e y ” Hi s e y e s l i g h t u p a s h e l a u n c h e s i n t o a n a c c o u n t o f t h e t i m e h e m e t t h e p r i n c e s s o f S c o t l a n d , h i s w h o l e f a c e c h a n g e d b y t h e h a p p y m e mo r y Yo u w a n t e d t o b e l i e v e t h a t y o u k n e w a f t e r j u s t f i v e m i n u t e s o f h i s c o mp a n y Yo u re s o l v e t o m a k e l e s s j u d gm e n t s W h e n y o u t r a v e l a

Yourbody is teeming with bacteria Recent studies estimate that 39 trillion bacterial cells live in and on the human body, with over 1,000 species living in your gut alone To put that in perspective, the average human body has only about 30 trillion human cells

But don’t worry having all that bacteria is a good thing! The bacteria inside of you, also known as your microbiota, are essential to your health Disruptions to the microbiota are associated with obesity, allergies, liver disease, inflammatory bowel diseases and autoimmune diseases Recently, researchers have come to understand that the bacteria inside of you are not only physiologically important, but also play a crucial role in the way you think, feel and behave

In 2004, Japanese researchers at Kyushu University and Tokai University in Japan decided to look at the effect that gut microbes had on stress To do this, they raised what are known as germ-free mice mice grown in a completely sterile environment with no bacteria in their GI system When the mice were restrained a stressful event for a mouse they had significantly higher levels of stress hormones compared to normal mice Somehow, the bacteria in normal mice were reducing the amount of stress they felt The researchers took it one step further by introducing bacteria into the germ-free mice and were able to show that the stress response went back down

Gut Feelings

found decreased cognition, memory and social interactions in germfree mice and all these effects were reversed when bacteria were re-introduced One study showed that germ-free mice even had a preference for fatty foods and ate higher amounts of calories from fat Others have shown that an altered microbiota affects anxiety, depression and the response to pain

Though the amount of research done on the human microbiota-brain connection is limited, there have been some initial promising studies that suggest changing your microbiota can have cogni-

[Scientists] have found decreased cognition, memory and social interactions in germ-free mice and all these effects were reversed when bacteria were re-introduced.

and even autism Scientists aren ’ t sure how bacteria are influencing our moods but there are some theories One is that these bacteria are influencing our immune systems, which in turn release chemicals called cytokines that are known to affect the brain Another theory is that the bacteria are directly interacting with neuronal cells in the gut Our intestines are home to something known as the enteric nervous system, a collection of about 100 million neurons with extensive connections to our brains Chemicals released by bacteria could be directly travelling to the brain and affecting us that way Certain bacteria are even able to make neurotransmitters such as GABA, norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine and acetylcholine molecules that are central to brain functioning

This study sparked a huge interest in the scientific community Since 2004, dozens of researchers have conducted similar studies in animals Their findings have consistently linked the microbiota with a wide range of cognitive effects They have

tive effects A randomized, placebo-controlled study demonstrated that taking a probiotic, or supplement containing bacteria, decreased psychological distress and anxiety When other researchers looked at fMRI scans of the brains of people taking probiotics, they saw a change in how their brains processed negative emotional stimuli Patients with cognitive impairment from a disease known as hepatic encephalopathy showed cognitive improvement when their microbiotas were altered with antibiotics that selectively affected the gut There is currently active research investigating the potential role that bacteria play in certain diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, mood disorders

Jeremiah Grant | Gates & Ladders

Before you run out and buy probiotics, keep in mind that we still know very little about the microbiota-brain connection We don’t even know which bacteria of the 1,000+ species in our gut are the most important for brain functioning More research will have to be done before we can confidently alter our microbiotas for improving brain function What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is that what we have long thought of as the things that make us most human our thoughts and emotions are influenced by some of the least human organisms on the planet

American Superiority Complex, Enslaved to Indentity

AsCornellians we are called to highest level of intellectual introspection and reflection

One step towards understanding ourselves is realizing that the American society pushes us to establish our identity through “othering”: the act of labeling people as “others” different from ourselves Our ontology is formed using an “ us ” versus “them” system “We” are “ us ” because “they” are “them ” Through residential segregation we distanced ourselves Our suburbs emerged through the creation of ghettos Our peace is defined in relation to the violence that surrounds another place Our modernity is based on the primitiveness of other’s societies Our society creates phrases such as, “hashtag first world problems ” Our vision is based upon the other’s blindness When we scroll down our newsfeeds or turn on the news we tell ourselves, “My situation is bad, but other people have it worse At least I’m not a *insert racial minority* ” Our equality is based upon the system of inequality that exist abroad Our selectivity is based on looking at the rejection of others Our quality of life is based less so on our happiness to the health disparities of other patient populations Our blessings are based on the degree to which other people’s disadvantage One example is the way we socialize children with phrases like, “You know you are so blessed to have food! Don’t waste what you have Not everyone is as privileged as you Don’t you know there are hungry children in *insert continent*?” Our freedom is based on the subjugation of another Our problem today is that we establish our security based upon the imprisonment of our convicts Our innocence is based upon the guilt of others

So what then is the solution?

We must understand the invisible social contracts we sign into our work everyday of our lives

One step toward this understanding is admitting that the new institution of slavery still continues underneath our very noses In the present day, slavery has taken on a new face: the criminal

According to the 13th Amendment of our Constitution, if a person is convicted as a criminal in a court of law, that person would go back to being considered a slave The exact wording of our Constitution reads the following, “Neither slavery

nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction ”

In other words, according to the clause within the 13th Amendment, being convicted of a crime can subjugate you to indentured servitude and even slavery Put simply, we must frame the issue of imprisonment as slavery Because how we frame the problem will help us work towards solutions

We can paint a picture with our words about unspeakable injustices against racial groups however, unless we have the right picture frame, that vividly painted picture will remain on the floor

Based on the 13th Amendment, as long as a citizen exhibits good behavior, follows all societal laws, does not make a mistake and does not get convicted of a crime, they are free However, I find it interesting that in the American news when a member of a racial minority group makes a mistake or commits a minor offense, the first reaction is to demand judgment or justify imprisonment Although we must demand justice, we must also admit that the problem with the previous statement is the following:

Everyone makes mistakes sometimes Cornell is currently being confronted on one mistake investing in the private prison industrial complex However, there is still time to change There is time for Cornell to learn about its mistakes and for us to re-educate ourselves There is still time to teach empathy, a lesson that seems to be lacking in our classrooms On other words, what we need is a higher education than we have right now We need an education that equips us to go out in the world and be global shapers, change makers, policy makers, doctors, engineers, critical thinkers and thought leaders We need an educational curriculum for our global leaders that will enable them to be able to understand social justice and what their role can be in solving the challenges of tomorrow, today We need the vocabulary to talk about the tensions, the hurt and the suffering we experience within our various communities We need a diversity requirement for students before they leave Cornell

The reason for this is evident in the ways in

which the American media has us think about our lives in relation to others Despite this, re-education should not be the responsibility of any one racial minority group or organization on Cornell’s campus It should be the responsibility of the entire university and all of its students And if change does not come in time, then we must educate ourselves

No one at birth possesses the culturally sensitive lexicon and all the vernacular to talk about the complex issues of our day It is for this reason we must not be quick to brandish or label people as haters, bigots and racists Yes, it is true that haters, bigots and racists do exist in our society However, I also believe that there are also good-hearted people who lack the vocabulary to express their true intentions Great people who cannot help to repeat the words they have heard over the course of their lives We must not be too quick to demonize them misspeaking or not having knowledge of a world outside of their own socialization and realm of reality It is correct that our community must hold them to the highest level of introspection However, we must also learn to be patient with them while they learn and re-educate themselves as well

Everyone makes mistakes sometimes

On Dec 19, 1958 Rabbi Harold Saperstein remarked, “It comes down to this: All mankind are bound together We are like the limbs of a single body ” In order for us to move forward, each of us who makes up this body must be free Our idle gaze, our passivity, our spectatorship does nothing to help the victims of discrimination and injustice Social justice requires more than just for us to sit on the sidelines If anything it requires our voices, our actions and our words It requires us to protest at the rallies, champion for freedom, protest the unjust imprisonment of racial minorities, witness from the pulpit and serve as allies We must testify and write about the injustices around us Because in the end, what affects “them” affects “ us ”

Jeremiah Grant is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences Jeremiah can be reached at jg856@cornell edu

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C.U. Looks To Break Six-Game Loss Skid

albeit slightly better than a projected eighth-place finish in the Ivy League the focus has been making those steps in the right direction and making strides towards future success

“If we come out, play how we are supposed to and hopefully come out with four victories, it would definitely build some momentum and some confidence going into the offseason and into the summer, ” Morgan said

The Ivy League does not have a tournament, therefore, Cornell has already been eliminated from winning the confeerence

“ We can ’ t just worr y about what happens this year, ” Courtney said “Obviously we have to focus on playing well in these last four games but building forward to the future Every single one of these guys will be here next year on this team so we have to continue building towards that ”

Cornell sits at seventh out of eight in the Ivy League and can finish as best as fourth place in the conference with four games to go

Spor ts

Red Cleans Up Defense for Penn, Princeton

By JACK KANTOR Sun Staff Writer

It has been a rough stretch for the Cornell men ’ s basketball team, losing six straight games to Ivy League opponents and struggling on defense The Red heads south this weekend to face Penn and Princeton for their final two road games and will look to improve in the Ivy League, but more importantly improve as a young team moving forward

Two weekends ago in Philadelphia, Cornell (9-15, 2-8 Ivy) stayed close with Penn (10-13, 4-5 Ivy) in their first matchup of the season At halftime, the Red trailed the Quakers by only one point But coming off halftime, Cornell's defense broke down and proceeded to allow Penn to shoot 63 percent from the field in the second half

“In the Penn and Princeton games [2 weeks before], we were terrible defensively,” said head coach Bill Courtney “It was a lack of attention to detail, silly mistakes This weekend we want to focus guarding inside with Penn ”

“I’ve been trying to not go for as many blocked shots and stay out of foul trouble protect the pait and help my team by just doing things I’m capable of doing like rebounding the ball,” said junior forward David Onuorah

Courtney also commented on the success of the Quaker’s center Darien Nelson-Henry against the Red and how they want to focus on limiting Nelson-Henry’s touches

“We are going to work better on not leaving shooters as much,” said freshman guard Matt Morgan “Also, when NelsonHenry caught the ball in the post, I feel like we did not do a good job of helping We are going to work on that and being able to deny the wings so [Penn] does not get into their offense as easily ”

Cornell can keep up with this Penn team; it is just a matter of a young team avoiding mental lapses on defense It is hard to win when the other team is scoring over 90 points

“We gave up way too many points to [Penn] last time,” Onuorah said “If we score enough points and we lock down on the defensive end, we’ll be in good shape ”

The defense also hurt themselves against Princeton (18-5, 8-1 Ivy) in their previous matchup With a top Ivy League squad like the Tigers, the last thing a team needs is digging

themselves an early hole And that is exactly what Cornell did Princeton hit 11 3-pointers in the first 15 minutes of the contest and led by as much as 25 points in first half At that point, it was hard for the Red to make their way back, and were routed by the Tigers, 85-56 Cornell needs to watch the outside shot when they face Princeton again this Saturday or else they will face a similar fate

“Guarding 3-point shooters has become a huge focus in both games this weekend,” Courtney said Nonetheless, the team has made some strides on the defensive

side of the ball since their last meetings with Penn and Princeton “Last week we worked really hard on that end of the floor and I think it showed,” Courtney said “In the Dartmouth and Harvard games [last week] we were a lot better defensively played a lot harder We really locked in on that end of the floor We had that mentality, ‘defensive first,” and we saw steps in the right direction ” While the season has not been incredibly successful

Cornell to Host Ivy League Heptagonal Championship

By BRITTANY BIGGS Sun Staff Writer

This weekend, Barton Hall will turn into championship arena as Cornell track and field hosts the Ivy League Indoor Heptagonal Championships Here teams from all eight Ivy league schools will come together to duke it out for top prizes The Red feels fully prepared to meet the chal-

lenge this weekend after strong seasons from both the men ’ s and women ’ s teams

The top-ranked team in the Northeast, the Red men ’ s track and field team, has had a record breaking season From senior Ben Raniero breaking the school record in the mile, to multiple IC4A qualifiers, it has been a fruitful season for the team and they are fully aware of all walls they have been breaking

“If it’s to be, it’s up to me!” said head coach Adrian Durant “Whether we win or lose it’s all in their hands The team that shows up, competes, and leaves it all out there the team that take care of all of the small details, is the team that will win this weekend ”

Sophomore Kelsey Nedd, an IC4A qualifier, expresses similar confidence about this weekend’s Ivy league battle

“Our team this year is probably one of the best overall Track Teams that Cornell has ever had,” Nedd said “We have a lot of depth and good talent all across the board Also because of our success, we have been projected to win this weekend and it has given us a certain level of confidence over our opponents ”

Not to be outdone, the women ’ s team has been having a big season of their own Freshman Leena Morris broke the freshman record in the weight throw

Seniors Udeme Akpaete, Kristen Niedrach and Caroline Kellner have been securing top finishes in their respective events, with Akpaete being the defending Ivy League champion in the 400 The women ’ s team walks into Barton Hall on Saturday with a lot to prove

“All the work we have needed to do up until this point has been done, by our coaches, by our teammate and by ourselves,” Morris said “The only thing we have control over now is our confidence, our effort

and the positive attitude we should always have after a good competition ”

Head coach Rich Bowman also feels his team is fully equipped to rise to the occasion and wants his team to continue at the strong pace they have set

“All they have to do is what they have been doing all year ” Bowman said “We have a very strong team and if they can stay at the on track with what they have been doing we will have a very successful meet Just do what they have done on the track or on the field, try not to change a thing ”

We can expect a lot of magic this weekend from both teams, whom have their eyes on the prize and are ready to protect their house

“This is the time to run faster, jump and throw farther and just leave it all on the track,” Nedd said “We can ' t just say we ' re one of the best teams out there, this is the part where we prove it Go out there and make yourself proud, make your team proud and make Cornell proud It's time to defend our house and win this thing ”

“We get the chance to compete in a place that we call home and it really increases the level of comfort we compete with,” Morris added “Not only do we get to compete for ourselves and each other, but we get to defend our home!”