03 17 15 entire issue lo res

Aiming for Transparency, Skorton Outlines Budget

By REBECCA BLAIR

Assistant

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

b e t we e n t h e c e n t r a l a d m i n i s t r a t i o n a n d t h e b ro a d e r

Un i ve r s i t y, a c c o rd i n g t o Sk o r t o n “ It i s t r u e , a n d I w a n t t o t a k e p e r s o n a l re s p o n s i b i l i t y,

t h a t I ’ ve b e e n s l u g g i s h a b o u t b r i n g i n g t h a t a re a o f m o re

d e t a i l b e yo n d t h e t o p l e a d e r s h i p o f t h e Un i ve r s i t y, ”

Sk o r t o n s a i d “ To d a y i s a n a t t e m p t t o m ove f o r w a rd

w i t h b ro a d e r t r a n s p a re n c y ”

Sk o r t o n s a i d t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n d e v i s e d a s y s t e m w h e re by f i n a n c i a l i n f o r m a t i o n w o u l d b e d i s s e m i n a t e d i n a s e r i e s o f “ c o n c e n t r i c c i rc l e s ” a b o u t s i x ye a r s a g o

T h o u g h Sk o r t o n s a i d t h a t i n t h e o r y, i n f o r m a t i o n

w o u l d s t a r t w i t h t h e c e n t r a l a d m i n i s t r a t i o n a n d t h e n b e

d i s t r i b u t e d t o t h e B o a rd o f Tr u s t e e s a n d c o l l e g e d e a n s , s u c h i n f o r m a t i o n h a s n o t a l w a y s s u c c e s s f u l l y re a c h e d a l l

m e m b e r s o f t h e c o m m u n i t y C a s h V e r s u s A c c r u a l D e f i c i t s C o r n e l l’s u p c o m i n g d e c re a s e i n p rovo s t a l l o c a t i o n s a n d re c

d

Sk o r t o n e x p l a i n e d t h a t c a s h a c c o u n t i n g i s t h e w a y m o s t p e o p l e o p e r a t e f i n a n c i a l l y, w h e re a c c o u n t t o t a l s re f l e c t t h e a c t u a l a m o u n t c o n t a i n e d t h e re i n a t a n y g i ve n t i m e He a d d e d t h a t a c c r u a l a c c

Former Ambassador Speaks at C.U.

By RUBIN DANBERG BIGGS Sun Staff Writer

Mi c h a e l Mc Fa u l , f o r m e r

U S A m b a s s a d o r t o Ru s s i a from 2012 to 2014, addressed the current diplomatic relationship between Russia and the United States at the Bartels

Wo r l d A f f a i r s Fe l l ow s h i p Lecture Monday McFaul, who said he played

a “ l a r g e ro l e ” i n Pre s i d e n t Barack Obama’s Russian foreign policy, spoke to a packed Statler Auditorium, in a talk entitled, “A New Cold War?

Ex p l a i n i n g Ru s s i a ’ s Ne w Confrontation with the West ” He began his lecture by saying that the nature of international politics, United States f o re i g n p o l i c y a n d Ru s s i a n domestic policy are the main factors affecting the current

diplomatic relations between the United States and Russia

He a d d e d t h a t re l a t i o n s between the two countries have shifted in recent years due to Russia’s recent rise to global power, and that this was most n o t i c e a b l e w h e n c u r re n t Ru s s i a n p re s i d e n t V l a d i m i r Putin succeeded former president Dmitry Medvedev

By ANNIE BUI Sun Managing Editor

M a y o r Sv a n t e My r i c k ’ 0 9 announced Monday that he is currently “gauging support ” for a r e e l e c t i o n c a mpaign

He a p p e a l e d t o potential donors in a Facebook post, linking to a contribution p a g e f o r t h e C a m p a i g n Committee of Myrick for Ithaca

measuring the amount of interest for a reelection campaign

“ T h o u s a n d s o f y o u s u p p o r t e d m e then, and ever y day since,” he said in the p o s t “ Yo u r a d v i c e , work, criticism, and love have made the C i t y o f It h a c a a n even better place to l i v e I f y o u s t i l l believe in Ithaca and if you still believe in t h e p a t h w e ’ v e s e t , then I need your continued suppor t ”

Though Myrick said he has n o t o f f i c i a l l y a n n o u n c e d h i s intentions for reelection, he is

“I love this City and I love to ser ve this City,” Myrick said in a follow-up post “I feel like my ser vice has made a difference and I’d like to continue ” I n r e s p o n s e t o a commenter ’ s question if donations would be refunded if he chose not to run for mayor, My r i c k r e s p o n d e d “ yes ” “ I won ’ t continue just because I a m h a v i

First Student-Run Record Company

At Cornell Will Distribute Local Music

By KIMBERLY LEE Sun Staff Writer

Electric Buffalo Records, the first student-r un record company created on campus, has plans to record, produce and distribute local community members’ music on a regular basis, according to co-founders Mike Sosnick ’16 and Jacob Grossfeld ’17

The nonprofit organization hopes to release a compilation featuring musicians from the Cornell community later next month Grossfeld and Sosnick who is an ar ts and enter tainment editor for The Sun said they hope to establish a community among musicians and musically-inclined students at Cornell, to forge collaboration between like-minded individuals and to channel the rich talent and passion that exists on campus

“[ The goal is] to provide an outlet for members of the Cornell community who are making music but don’t have a great way of getting that music recorded and distributed,” Sosnick said “ We want to benefit the musicians on campus and their ar t, as well as give the world the ability to listen to the great music they’re creating that hadn’t had the oppor tunity to be recorded ”

Grossfeld said the record company hopes to be a “stepping stone ” for local ar tists as well

“[Given that] the music community here, while vibrant, is some what disjointed and has fe w accessible creative outlets we want to mainly be an outlet for

m

Grossfeld said

Records is working on recording a compilation, which will feature mainly ar tists with pre-recorded tracks Proceeds from the compilation sales will go towards funding the necessar y equipment to record a full band, according to Sosnick Any profits made will be reinvested in order to benefit more ar tists

Electric Buffalo Records plans to become a par t of WVBR, a student-r un radio station that broadcasts to Ithaca and surrounding areas, according to Grossfeld “ We [want] to integrate into WVBR essentially as a depar tment within the station for a variety of reasons, including its devotion to pre-professional training for students and its non-profit, community-oriented outlook,” said Grossfeld, who is on the station’s executive board

The label has drawn interest from around campus, especially from the Just About Music program house and the University’s music depar tment, according to Grossfeld

Electric Buffalo Records will offer some Cornell musicians recording, production and distributing services, according to the founders “ We aren ’ t going to tie ourselves down to any par ticular style because quality and passion transcend genre, and we want to be able to ser ve as wide a range of ar tists as we can, ” Sosnick said

Students Release Android Puzzle Game

By DAVID TICZON

Writer

A group of Cornell students released Beam, an Android game application, on Sunday after they first began designing it as a project in a computer science course over a year ago

A puzzle game, Beam allows the user to move colored pieces around the board, according to D a n n y

Sp e r l i n g ’ 1 5 , o n e o f t h e c o -

founders of Et Tu Games The organization is comprised of students who created the game during a course they took last spring C o m p u t e r S c i e n c e 4 1 5 2 :

Advanced Game Design

The game was awarded the title of “Best-Polished Game” last spring by Prof Walker White M S ’98 Ph D ’00, computer science Additionally, White said he believes Beam was the “overall

best mobile game hands down” at an end-of-the-year showcase held for students in computer science courses

“Beam displayed at showcase eight times more content than other games, ” White said “ They worked to create a large amount of levels ”

The team behind Beam owes a g re a t d e a l t o W h i t e ’ s c l a s s , according to Et Tu Games cof o u n d e r Re e s e G l i d d e n ’ 1 5 Glidden added that maki n g t h e g a m e w a s a re q u i re m e n t o f W h i t e ’ s course

‘Beam’

color that are aligned and destroy pieces of different colors ”

Du r i n g t h e y e a r b e t w e e n Beam’s creation in the advanced game design course to its release t h i s w e e k e n d , Et Tu G a m e s w o r k e d “ i n c re m e n t a l l y ” t o improve the game, according to Kozierok

“ We’v e b e e n i n c re m e n t a l l y i m p r ov i n g t h e g a m e f i x i n g things, updating visuals, changing levels and the like,” Kozierok said

Cornell Tech Names Chief Administrative Officer

“During that semester t h e f i v e o f u s p u t i n around 10 hours a week, w h i c h w e w o u l d n e v e r have been able to do in our free time,” Glidden said

T h r o u g h o u t t h e course, the group brainstormed many ideas before

c o m i n g u p w i t h Be a m , a c c o rd i n g t o Ry a n

Ko z i e r o k ’ 1 5 , a n o t h e r member of the group

“ We’d b e e n t a l k i n g about some ideas involving pirates tying up rigging for their ship, and o n e a b o u t r o b o t s t h a t shoot lasers at each other,”

Ko z i e r o k s a i d “ T h e n

s o m e o n e p r o p o s e d t h e idea of a game where you have these colored discs and they get connected and disconnected ”

O u t o f t h a t c o l o re d disc idea came the final

g a m e d e s i g n f o r B e a m , according to Kozierok

“In Beam, the player has only a single, simple a c t i o n m ov e p i e c e s around a grid,” Sperling

s a i d “ T h e p u z z l e a n d complexity grows from the primar y interaction in the

g a m e b e a m s f o r m between pieces of the same

Because none of the members are artists, the group came across several challenges in creating the game ’ s aesthetics, according to Kozierok

“Designing the aesthetics was a collaborative process, but we wouldn’t have succeeded without Reese's design skills and the huge effort he put into unifying the artistic style and making the art assets, ” John Steidley ’15 said “He’s not an artist by training, but he's got a real talent ” The group ’ s name references Julius Caesar’s famous line, “Et Tu , Br u t e ? ” i n Wi l l i a m Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, according to Kozierok He said Et Tu purposefully released Beam on the anniversar y of Caesar’s death the Ides of March

Seeing people enjoy the game, which is available for free on the Google Android store, is “ a ver y rewarding experience,” Sperling said

Ad d i t i o n a l l y, Et Tu Ga m e s plans to bring Beam to a larger audience in the future by bringi n g i t t o t h e i O S p l a t f o r m , according to Douglas Samson ’15, another member of the team

“Right now we are focused on getting Beam out into the world and making it the best we can, ” Glidden said “If it does well though, who knows? Anything is possible ”

Juliet Weissman has been named the chief administrative officer of Cornell Tech, the University announced Monday Weissman whose appointment went into effect yesterday will be in charge of overseeing the “administrative, financial and operational aspects of the school,” according to a University press release She will also serve as an adviser to Cornell Tech Dean and Vice Provost Dan Huttenlocher

A graduate of Harvard University with a B S in applied mathematics and economics, Weissman previously worked as the vice president of organizational effectiveness at The College Board, according to the University She has also been vice president of business development at Primedia and a high school mathematics teacher Weissman said she decided to join Cornell Tech because it appeals to her “personal and professional passions ”

“I joined Cornell Tech because it is a unique institution in higher education where my passions for applied STEM education, entrepreneurship and innovation converge in the world’s most extraordinary city, which I’ve been fortunate to call my hometown,” she said in the release Compiled by

L

C.U. Financial Management Discussed at Town Hall Meeting

that expenditure [or revenue]” under accrual accounting, Skorton said He added that accrual accounting also includes measures of the organization’s depreciation

According to Skorton, the main reason the University’s accrual accounting reflects a deficit is because Cornell is not spending enough money to maintain facilities While Cornell’s revenue sources are sufficient to finance actual expenditures, he said they are inadequate to maintain the Ithaca and Weill campuses at their current values

Recession Repercussions

University finances were also affected by the 2008 global recession, which contributed to the accrual accounting deficit, Skorton said He added, however, that cost-saving measures enabled the University to quickly eliminate the cash accounting deficit

“ When the great recession started the University had a [cash accounting] deficit of about $100 million, and we were projecting [a] $160 million [cash accounting deficit for the next fiscal year],” Skorton said “What actually happened, though, was that by the next year, we had a balanced budget and it’s remained fairly balanced since then ”

financial crisis of 2008, he asked the Board of Trustees to substantially increase the endowment payout a request which they unanimously consented to “There’s no one still working who had lived through a greater economic downturn than you all lived through in the great recession,” Skorton said A Robust Financial Aid System

Despite the University’s financial hardships, Skorton emphasized that during his tenure as president, he has aimed to maintain a robust financial aid system

While he acknowledged that students who do not receive financial aid inevitably pay more every year as a result of annual tuition increases, Skorton said the proportion of total costs paid by students who do receive financial aid has steadily declined over the past decade

“The most closely held goal I have ... is that I can somehow help to reestablish trust and some confidence ”

The cash accounting deficit was eradicated largely through increased workload shouldered by a decreased staff complement, the work of faculty members and heightened tuition costs paid by students, according to Skorton

Cornell can also cut costs further by reducing campus construction, a step Skorton recommends the University take

“Much of the construction you ’ ve seen on campus over the last 20 years has been supported by debt,” Skorton said “We are at the point now, for at least a few years, where we need to very, very seriously reduce construction of new space ”

Forty percent of the Ithaca campus ’ $2 2 billion operating revenue comes from student tuition and fees, while about 12 percent comes from capital returns on the endowment, according to Skorton Although the University has a large endowment relative to other private universities, Skorton said Cornell’s endowment is low in comparison to many of its peer institutions

“Compared to the schools that [we] want to compare ourselves to, we are among the lowest in endowment per student,” he said

The University usually strives to liquidate about five percent of its endowment each year a total that should be smaller than investment returns in order to allow the endowment to grow, according to Skorton However, Skorton said that following the global

“In all quintiles of the U S population, Cornell students who qualify for need-based financial aid are paying less for tuition [at Cornell] as a proportion of the listed price than they have in a long time,” Skorton said “In inflation adjusted dollars, those students who qualify for needbased financial aid are paying less in actual, inflation adjusted dollars than they did at the beginning of the recession ”

However, Skorton added that financial aid has not been immune to budgetary concerns

“Financial aid was reexamined a couple of years ago, and we slightly altered it so that a little more debt burden was placed on our families,” Skorton said

Promoting Transparency

During the question and answer period following Skorton’s presentation, Wyatt Nelson ’16 who recently wrote a guest column for The Sun criticizing the University’s administrative transparency asked Skorton why University administrators outnumbered faculty

In response to Nelson’s question, Skorton said that comparable institutions also bore similar faculty-tostaff ratios

“For every minute spent in the class teaching, or the research lab researching, or the studio creating, there is a vast infrastructure that needs to be handled,” Skorton said “The staff support the work of the faculty and students in countless ways ” Skorton added that promoting transparency is his highest priority for the remainder of his term

“The most closely held goal I have for this discussion now and for my last 100 days at Cornell is that I can somehow help, working with all you collectively, to reestablish trust and some confidence in the administration of the University,” Skorton said

Talks ‘Contentious’ U.S.-Russian Relations

“ [ U S - Ru s s i a n re l a t i o n s ] a re

m o re c h a l l e n g i n g , ” Mc Fa u l s a i d , a s Pu t i n t r i e d t o t u r n p u b l i c o p i n i o n a g a i n s t t h e Un i t e d St a t e s b y b l a m i n g t h e m f o r

Ru s s i a n p ro t e s t m ove m e n t s “ Pu t i n a c t e d t o re v i ve t h e

Un i t e d St a t e s a s a n e n e m y, ” Mc Fa u

s f

i c y o f

t i n g ” re l a t i o n s b e t we e n t h e t w o n a t i o n s w a s p a r t i a l l y r e s p o n s i b l e f o r a l l o w i n g t h e

Un i t e d St a t e s a n d R u s s i a t o re a c h s e ve r a l m u t u a l l y b e n e f i c i a l a g re e m e n t s t h a t i n c l u d e a l l owi n g U S m i l i t a r y s h i p m e n t s t o A f g h a n i s t a n t h ro u g h Ru s s i a a n d

“[U.S.-Russian relations] are not the basket case that you read about 20 years ago.”

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

Ru s s i a n d i s s i d e n t s “ It w a s a n e f f o r t t o d e ve l o p a w o rk i n g re l a t i o n s h i p w i t h u s , ”

Mc Fa u l s a i d o f t h e Ru s s i a n p o l -

i c y t h r o u g h 2 0 1 4 “ Ev e n t h r o u g h [ t h e ] S o c h i [ 2 0 1 4

Wi n t e r Ol y m p i c s ] , t h e g o a l w a s t o m a i n t a i n t h i s re l a t i o n s h i p ” Mc Fa u l , w h o s a i d h e w a s a n a rc h i t e c t o f t h e re s e t p o l i c y, s a i d i t w a s t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ’ s d e s i re t o f i n d a re a s o f m u t u a l b e n e f i t w i t h Ru s s i a by w o rk i n g w i t h

Me d ve d e v a n d Pu t i n Howe ve r, w o rk i n g w i t h Pu t i n p rove d “f a r

i d “ We u n d e re s t im a t e d h ow f a r i n Me d ve d e v h a d l e a n e d t o t r y t o m a k e t h e re s e t w o rk ” A d d i t i o n a l l y, Mc Fa u l s a i d h e b e l i e ve s Pu t i n d o e s n o t h a ve a “ m a s t e r d e s i g n ” “ I t h i n k h e ’ s ove r r a t e d a s a g r a n d s t r a t e g i s t , ” Mc Fa u l s a i d “ He h a s n ’ t b e e n s i t t i n g u n d e r a m a p s i n c e h e w a s a k i d d re a m i n g o f re s u r re c t i n g t h e Ru s s i a n Em p i re ” Mc Fa u l a d d e d t h a t h e d i d n o t s e e a n e n d t o Ru s s i a ’ s c o nf r o n t a t i o n s w i t

Ferguson Shooter Claims Police Not Target

LAYTON, Mo (AP) A man accused of shooting two officers last week in Ferguson was not targeting police or aiming at demonstrators at a latenight protest, his attorney said Monday as he countered an earlier police description of the crime

Christmas also suggested that St

Louis County police may have used excessive force when arrest-

Rubin Danberg Biggs can be reached at rdanbergbiggs@cornellsun com

y Williams, saying his client had bruises on his back, shoulders and face and a knot on his head Po l i c e s p o k

s m a n Br i a n

Schellman called the lawyer’s allegations “completely false ” adding that Williams was seen by a nurse when booked into the

county jail, standard procedure for all incoming inmates “ The nurse released Williams as fit for confinement,” he said Williams is accused of shooting the two officers Thursday outside Ferguson’s police station, which has been the scene of protests since last summer ’ s

- o l d Michael Brown

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Why You Should Attend Campus Lectures

2015’s Richard Cleveland Memorial Reading with J. Rober t Lennon & Valzhyna Mor t

BY JOE DIGIROLAMO Sun Contributor

Cornell’s English department and MFA program are notable for their incredible track record of welcoming and developing novelists such as Vladimir Nabokov, Toni Morrison and more recently, Junot Díaz Yet what is almost more remarkable than the department’s history is its ability to provide current students with the opportunity to work with writers who are just as gifted as those famous Cornellians At 2015’s Richard Cleveland Memorial Reading, novelist Prof J Robert Lennon, English and visiting poet Valzhyna Mort (originally from Minsk, Belarus) reminded me and every other attendee of how lucky we are at Cornell to have the chance to learn from some of today’s most unique and significant literary voices

This was not the typical authors’ reading, which begins with well deserved but often long winded descriptions of the particular guests ’ achievements In an inventive, welcome and comical break from tradition, Professor Lennon introduced Valzhyna Mort by reading unflattering and humorous teaching reviews from a few of her students Past students have apparently found that Professor Mort “talks too much” (an observation echoed by Professor Lennon’s students) and one student claimed, “My own thoughts were generally more useful than hers ” However, another student did admit that while Professor Mort seems “ a little frightening,” she possesses superlative poetic skill and knowledge Professor Mort then stepped towards the podium and began reading from a number of her poems, beginning with her piece “Singer ” By her own design, Professor Mort transitioned from poem to poem with almost no breaks and purely on the strength of her forceful and at times haunting reading, she was able to seize and hold her audience’s attention for half an hour Rather than list each piece of work that she read, however, I will instead attempt to describe her style

As anyone who has read either the inside or the back covers of a book will know, trying to summarize a writer’s work is a desperate venture that will inevitably conjure up statements like “X

Notebook ” So rather than struggling to avoid such nonsensical clichés, I ll just say that Professor Mort’s poetry reminds me of Robert Frost’s talent for rendering the

rhythms and dark, elemental tone Does this sound a bit overdone and ridiculous? Yes, of course it does But that does not change the fact that her poetry is more memorable and perceptive than any I have come across in a very long time

repaid Professor Lennon with an amusing reading of some of his own students’

Professor Lennon “random and full of tangents ” and one student said that he was “ a bit too disturbing for my liking,” but as with Professor Mort, many of Professor Lennon’s students feel that he has some redeeming qualities as a writer and instructor

Before Professor Lennon began reading, he highlighted the vulnerability of the position in which creative writing students must place themselves when submitting first drafts of their fiction for peer review As Professor Lennon related with considerable empathy, not only do his students take a certain risk in handing their first drafts over for close criticism, but like all fiction writers they also tend to present intimate pieces of themselves in those drafts that they personally might not have even recognized they included in their work

In a courageous and demonstrative continuation on this line of thought, Professor Lennon then read for half an hour from his new and unpublished story, Ghosts Although as with Professor Mort, I am unfamiliar with Professor Lennon’s work, I was similarly stunned by the insightful and engaging nature of his writing Again embarking upon an ill-advised stab at comparison, I would liken Professor Lennon to Neil Gaiman The excerpt of “Ghosts” that Professor Lennon read was related to Gaiman’s

adult novels (particularly his most recent, The Ocean at the End of the Lane) in its subject matter, clean prose and peculiar gift for depicting reality in such a way that the reader senses that another, unfamiliar world lies fully formed beneath its surface Yet to Professor Lennon’s credit, I left the reading with the feeling that his language was more beautifully and carefully constructed than Gaiman’s, and I look forward to steadily making my way through Professor Lennon’s published works

As with every other lecture or reading I have attended during my time at Cornell, I came away from this year ’ s Robert Cleveland Memorial Reading with useful and novel insights as well as a greater appreciation for our campus community And just as importantly, I am now able to look forward to reading the work of two brilliant, funny and invaluable writers and professors, Valzhyna Mort and J Robert Lennon, and I encourage any reader who is looking for something fresh and new to do the same

Joseph Digirolamo is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences He can be reached at jad362@cornellsun com

Chris Stanton

“I’ve been in love since I was 14,” Tobias Jesso Jr said in a recent interview with Pitchfork It’s always focused on someone or something, and it’s always unrequited It’s led to a lot of cheesy lines, but it’s also the way I am I want to be romantic, and songs are a good way to do that This earnest, unapologetically schoolboy romanticism shapes the 29 year-old singersongwriter’s full-length studio debut, Goon, a fully realized vision of love, loss and disenchantment that has earned him comparisons to 70s crooners such as Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman

Yet Jesso’s output captures something more purely emotive than the glossy productions of those icons, likely due to his background in the ever-growing Soundcloud, DIY aesthetic, a sound he developed almost by accident In 2012, a hurricane of bad news brought Jesso’s aspirational career as a songwriter for pop stars to a crashing halt A Cadillac blindsided him in a hit-and-run as he pedaled his bicycle through the streets of Los Angeles, shattering one of his hands so badly he wondered if he would ever play guitar again When Jesso recovered from the shock of the impact, he looked up to see a man riding his fallen bike in the other direction This, following a messy break-up and the news that his mother had cancer, Jesso decided to give up on Los Angeles and move back home to Vancouver Having left his music equipment in an LA storage unit, the defeated musician spent the following months teaching himself piano and writing songs, one of which would become the demo for 2014 s Just A Dream, an achingly beautiful ballad about a man talking to his newborn son in the face of an impending apocalypse Jesso recently said of the song, “That was the first one I ever

wrote where I was like, ‘This is for me, and I’m singing it take it or leave it ” Thankfully, personal doubts about his singing voice did not stop Jesso from sending the demo to Chet “JR” White (formerly of Girls), who agreed to work with him These meetings developed into a record deal for Jesso and attracted the all-star production roster of Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), John Collins (The New Pornographers) and Ariel Rechtshaid for Goon Yet Jesso s debut feels fresher and more inspired than anything those would-be sonic shepherds have released in years, simultaneously pulling from and building upon the vagrant piano man archetype that seemed lost to generations past

While determined to carve new musical territory, Jesso proudly wears his influences on his sleeve Album-opener “Can’t Stop Thinking About You” recalls the classic pop sound of mid-70s McCartney, or even Stranger-era Billy Joel, as Jesso the Piano Man spins his melancholic yarn of fading romance

The song conjures the mental image of the singer in all his gawky, 6’7” glory drunkenly performing to a half-empty bar, hoping a fellow sufferer will relate and drop enough bread in his jar for one more drink The album has several other tracks of the same breed, mellow but emotional self-reflections backed by soft keys and the occasional pop filter (“Without You,” Bad Words”)

But where Jesso really shines is when his ponderings turn into desperate pleas for understanding, most notably on “How Could You Babe, the album s climax and emotional centerpiece The perfect song to send your annoying friend who won ’ t stop whining about how shitty their break-up is, “How Could You Babe is Jesso s lament for how quickly love turns to

hate His voice, steady and on-pitch during the verses, explodes into a pitchy wail for the grand release of the chorus Its last iteration during the song includes an impossible-to-ignore voice crack, a shrieking imperfection that sends chills with its soul-baring emotion

Jesso goes on to manifest his themes of failure and breakups in the city of Los Angeles, a place he frames as full of false promises The understated “Leaving LA fails to convey this message with its confusingly dichotomous musical direction, but “Hollywood” knocks it out of the park The sparse instrumental fades in and out, foregrounding Jesso’s mournful selfdegradation: “I don’t know if I can make it / And I don’t know if I should ” The song ultimately digresses into an atonal cacophony of horns, as if a planned symphony has somehow gone horribly wrong

Goon does stumble in a few places, most noticeably the honky-tonk pop of “Crocodile Tears ” Jesso likely intended it to be comic relief from the gloominess that defines the album’s better cuts, but it falls desperately short Other songs, such as “The Wait” or “For You,” offend not by being bad, but by failing to achieve the excellence on display elsewhere The album version of “Just A Dream” the song that got the world excited for Goon tarnishes the original with its overproduced glossiness

Missteps aside, Jesso’s crafted a remarkable debut with Goon, but also one that leaves you wondering exactly how many other directions this hopeless romantic can go with his music in the future

Chris Stanton is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences He can be reached at cstanton@cornellsun com

Carly Rae Jepsen’s Sugar-Coated Magnum Opus

Ifeel about Carly Rae Jepson’s “I Really Like You” the way that Jonah Hill was forced to feel about “African Child” in Get Him to the Greek This morning, I literally brushed my teeth to it

Despite the Pitbull and Flo Rida often echoing out of my room, I’d like to think I don’t fit the archetype of a pop music fan I love listening to ever ything from arrhythmic experimental to dissonant post punk, and I’m nearly as excited as Anthony Fantano for Death Grips’s The Powers That B But I also really (really, really ) like, nay, love Carly Rae Jepsen

“Call Me Maybe” was an instant classic, rivaling Rebecca Black in its idiotic simplicity but featuring enough major-release pop polish to get it stuck in the head of ever y summer-loving American The other tracks on her full length, Kiss, ended up disappointing and the world seemed content to relegate Jepsen to

o

for poor sods

hint of a formulaically catchy hook, the British Columbian 29-year old (Is anyone else surprised by that number?) came back with a fire lit under her ass with “I Really Like You ”

Right off the bat, I want to address the song ’ s sales’ ace in the hole: its music video Scooter Braun and his label, School Boy, might have been war y of the single’s potential given Jepsen’s fall out of the mainstream eye, so they ensured “I Really Like You” would become a guaranteed conversation-starter with its absurd

video starring Tom Hanks For those to whom I have over-excitedly raved about “Carly Rae Jepsen’s new song, ” the common clarifier has been, “Is that the one with Tom Hanks lipsyncing in the music video?” Why yes, yes it is, but you ’ ve just proved my point for me the video is just a massive gimmick Even though Braun’s business savvy won out, Hanks’s intentionally indifferent performance detracts heavily from the song ’ s relentless bliss It’s a pisspoor artistic choice to have an unsmiling protagonist for a track that makes ever yone beam painfully wide Braun shouldn’t have had any reason to doubt himself However, Peter Svensson, the Swedish mastermind behind the writing on Justin Bieber’s “Love Me,” One Direction’s “Rock Me,” Icona Pop’s “On a Roll” and Ariana Grande’s “Love Me Harder,” is no stranger to penning brain-numbingly simple pop hits (with equally p re d i c t a b

t i t l e s )

With Svensson at the helm, “I Really Like You’s” radio-friendlin e s s s h o u l d h a ve come as a surprise to exactly nobody

The track’s obvious ear-grabber is its chorus, which is introduced by rests a transparent pop trick to build excitement The rest and swell combo is so predictably formulaic that you’d think it would get old, but it remains the surest way to get my fat ass onto the dancefloor and Carly Rae Jepsen pulls it off with aplomb Repeating the same word six times ensures that you won ’ t be forgetting the words to the chorus any time soon, but it also has the unintended consequence of masking the shimmeringly i n f e c t i o u s s y n t h h o o k En o u g h about the chorus, t h o u g h , yo u know it by heart already that’s, u n f o r t u n a t e l y , what people seem to be rememberi n g Bu t i t shouldn’t be

Wednesday, March 18 4:30–6:00pm

Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium Goldwin Smith Hall

Moderator: Joseph Burns, Dean of the University Faculty Panelists: Kathryn Caggiano, OR&IE Ron Ehrenberg, ILR Francesca Molinari, Economics

Paul Streeter, VP for Budget and Planning

Charles Van Loan, Computer Science

Reception: 6:00–7:00pm in The History of Art Gallery (ground floor) Goldwin Smith Hall

In “ I Re a l l y Like You,” a song t

around, the verses are the most perfect part The snare drums resonate in a way only ultra-expensive mastering can, forcing involuntar y hand dolphins out car windows and heads bobbing in a silent librar y Had the track been distilled to just the drum mix, the crashing chorus intro, the chorus synths and the bridge, it could have been nearly as strong Jepsen’s voice is vivacious, sure, but I’ll take it to the grave that even a donkey singing over that snare would make a pop hit

already please ” (Hint: They both could have )

Long stor y short, the lyrics purposefully hit the crushing puppy lover’s sweet spot with a low blow of triteness

The single’s lyrics read like the high-(low?) lights of weekend YikYak, when people take a break from homophobic chirps and complaints about school kicking their ass to pine longfully for the object of their romantic and/or sexual lust in the least romantic way possible Tell me if either of these yaks (direct quotes from Sunday morning) couldn’t have come from “I Really Like You’s” Carly Rae Jepsen: “I had sex with a close friend last night and it was awesome ” and “ To all the guys thinking about messaging the girl from last night, just do it

The last pop song I felt this immediately and completely enamored with was Pitbull’s “ Timber,” and I’m hoping it can avoid what became the track’s fatal flaw: “ Timber” was released in October (2013), so it never got to live up to its deser ved status as a summer smash I got tons of super-smiley milage out of “ Timber,” but by the time it was warm enough to bump it outside, it had become overplayed and stale I’m already averaging four or five plays per day for “I Really Like You,” so I hope with all my heart that Jepsen’s early March drop will still be a banger come July

Mike Sosnick is a junior in the College of Ar ts and Sciences He can be reached at msosnick@cornellsun com Gu e s t Ro o m r uns alternate Tuesdays this semester

TYLER

EMMA LICHTENSTEIN 16 Business Manager

SLOANE GRINSPOON ’17

Associate Editor

AMBER CHEN ’16

NATALIE TSAY 18

JAYNE ZUREK 16

MICHAELA BREW 18

SOFIA HU 17

JAEL GOLDFINE ’17

NOAH RANKIN ’16

REBECCA BLAIR ’17

PAULINA GLASS 18

ADAM BRONFIN 18

SHANE LEWIS 18

ADDY PAI ’16

Fedorko ’17

Adam Bronfin ’18 ARTS DESKER Jael Goldfine ’17

Scrutinizing Skorton’s Financial Presentation

WEEKS AFTER WE URGED THE ADMINISTRATION to provide context to its financial decisions, President David Skorton began discussions surrounding Cornell’s finances with the greater University community Monday afternoon

Though it seems his presentation comes partly as a result of student agitation and not meaningful, proactive or inclusive dialogue with community members, it is nonetheless a step towards mending the University’s relationship with its employees, students and stakeholders

Though we at The Sun are pleased to see the beginnings of a discussion about Cornell’s operations, little of the specific data presented was not already publically available And even though the presentation provides a more accessible resource that can empower individuals across campus to better understand Cornell’s finances, we cannot in good faith accept a narrativization of general figures as a meaningful increase in “ transparency ” Rather, Cornell must provide enough information to allow for all Cornellians to analyze and compare alternate proposals that address the problems facing the University

One challenge was apparent during Monday’s presentation: Students hoping for an end to the multi-decade trend of tuition increases should not be so optimistic As credit rating agency Moody’s notes, “constrained net tuition revenue growth is a key driver of [a] negative outlook” on non-profit institutions engaged in higher education In other words, the credit agency says not only must tuition continue to increase, it must do so even faster for Cornell and its peers to maintain their rating Moreover, like that of its peers, Cornell’s endowment and investment pool will continue to grow with tuition

Yet even as tuition, revenue and the value of Cornell’s endowment will continue to rise, the depreciation of Cornell’s facilities, as noted in the presentation, could lead to unforeseen or mismanaged costs taking precedence over student, faculty and staffproposed projects in the future Despite multiple successful fundraising campaigns, colleges now face cuts to balance the Provost’s budget Even drastic increases to financial aid, one of President Skorton’s most treasured initiatives, could be on the chopping block

President Skorton insists that we must find and discuss common values in order to make critical choices We agree and do not expect the financial management of Cornell, which is by far one of the most complex and sizable institutions of its kind, to be carried out flawlessly Still, as new administrators begin their terms later this year, we hope the University will focus on providing all Cornellians with continued dialogue regarding financial decisions If this institution truly wishes to stand out among its peers, it must involve students, faculty and staff in finding solutions to difficult problems Cornell’s founding principles calls upon the University to provide a world-class, accessible and affordable education, and continuing to do so will require transparent accounting and more accountability from the administration

h a s b e e n g i v e n , t h e r e s e e m s t o b e a g l a r i n g m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g

T h a t m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g i s re l a t e d t o t h e

d e f i n i t i o n o f t h e w o rd r a p e To m a n y,

r a p e c o n j u re s u p i m a g e s o f f e l o n s h i d i n g

b e h i n d b u s h e s , w e a r i n g m a s k s , w a i t i n g

b e h i n d c o r n e r s t o v i o l e n t l y a t t a c k u n s u s -

p e c t i n g w o m e n W h a t p e o p l e n e e d t o r e a l i z e i s t h a t n o t a l l r a p e i s v i o l e n t

N o t a l l r a p e c o m e s f r o m s o m e o n e w i t h c r i m i n a l i n t e nt i o n s

N o t a l l r a p e i s

What people need to realize is that not all rape is violent. Not all rape comes from someone with criminal intentions. Not all rape is even intentional But it happens, and in your lifetime it will more than likely happen to one of your friends or family members.

e v e n i n t e n t i o n a l B u t i t h a p p e n s , a n d i n y o u r l i f e t i m e i t w i l l m o r e t h a n l i k e l y h a p p e n t o o n e o f y o u r f r i e n d s o r f a m i -

l y m e m b e r s It u p s e t s m e w h e n p e o p l e

p a i n t s e x u a l a s s a u l t a s a w h i t e a n d

b l a c k i s s u e w h e n i t l i e s s o d e e p l y i n i t s

s h a d e s o f g r e y T h a t i s w h y I b e l i e v e t h e n a t i o n a l c o n v e r s a t i o n n e e d s t o

c h a n g e i n a w a y t h a t e v e n p e o p l e w h o

a t t e m p t t o i g n o r e t h e c r i e s o f o t h e r s b e g i n t o r e a l i z e t h a t e v e n t h e p e o p l e w i t h t h e b e s t o f i n t e n t i o n s c a n c o m m i t s e x u a l a s s a u l t R a p e i s t e c h n i c a l l y a t y p e o f s e x u a l a s s a u l t i n w h i c h t h e re i s s e x u a l p e n e t r at i o n w i t h o u t t h e p a r t n e r ’ s c o n s e n t ; w h e re a s s e x u a l a s s a u l t i s a n y n o n - c o ns e n s u a l s e x u a l a c t ( f o r c e d k i s s i n g , g r o pi n g , e t c ) T h e s e d e f i n i t i o n s f o r c e u s t o re a l i z e t h a t i s d o e s n ’ t t a k e p h y s i c a l c o e rc i o n t o r a p e y o u r p a r t n e r R a p e c a n o c c u r w h e n y o u r p a r t n e r i s t o o d r u n k t o g i v e c o n s e n t , w h e n t h e y f e e l m e n t a l l y o b l i g e d t o e n g a g e b u t d o n ’ t n e c e s s a r i l y c o n s e n t a n d t h e re a re s o m a n y o t h e r s i tu a t i o n s i n w h i c h y o u r p a r t n e r m a y n o t re s i s t y o u r a d v a n c e s , b u t s t i l l d o n o t g i v e

Bu t w e n e

t

t w h e n t h

n ’ t t h i n k t h e y c o u l d c o m

e m e s

a c r o s s t h a t i f t h e r i g h t e f f o r t s a re n ’ t t a k e n , a n y o f u s c o u l d c o m m i t s e x u a l a s s a u l t w i t h o u t e v e n t h i n k i n g i t w a s p o s s i b l e I f f r i e n d s a r e n ’ t w a t c h i n g t h e i r p e e r s t o k e e p t h e m f r o m m a k i n g b a d d e c i s i o n s , t e r r i b l e i n c i d e n t s c a n o c c u r e v e n i f y o u t h o u g h t y o u w e re l o o k i n g o u t f o r y o u r p a r t n e r ’ s b e s t i n t e re s t I f i n d m y s e l f c o n s t a n t l y u p s e t b y t h e a p a t h y I p e r c e i v e w h e n e v e r I t a l k a b o u t t h e i s s u e s a t h a n d A l l p e o p l e t h i n k t h e y a re i n c a p a b l e o f c o m m i t t i n g a n y t y p e o f c r i m e t h a t t h e y d i d n ’ t i n t e n t i o n a l l y c o m m i t , e s p e c i a l l y w h e n i t c o m e s t o s e x u a l i s s u e s Bu t i t s e a s i e r t h a n y o u t h i n k t o c o m m i t s u c h a c r i m e A l l i t t a k e s i s a l a c k o f u n d e rs t a n d i n g b e t w e e n t h e t w o p a r t i e s i n v o l v e d A l l i t t a k e s i s a s i m p l e c o nv e r s a t i o n

c o n s e n t A l o t o f p e o p l e a t t h i s p o i n t i n t h e a r g u m e n t a s k q u e s t i o n s l i k e “ t h e n w h a t d o y o u e x p e c t m e t o d o ? ” I b e l i e v e t h a t t h i s i s t h e p o i s o n o u s o u t l o o k o n t h e i s s u e t h a t i s t a i n t i n g t h e n a t i o n a l d e b a t e T h e a t t i t u d e t h a t n e e d s t o b e t a k e n i s o n e o f “ h ow c a n I h e l p ” n o t “ w h a t d o y o u e x p e c t o f m e ” W h e n y o u p u t

CORRECTION

Remembered for Humor,” said Fox died at his home in Florida

Making Self-Re ection

A Priority

n d i a n s , j u s t a s t h e c i t i ze n s o f m o s t o t h e r n a t i o n a l i t i e s , h a r b o r

a s i g n i f i c a n t a m o u n t o f n a t i o n a l p r i d e . We l ove o u r c o u n t r y,

f ro m t h e l o c a l ve n d o r s we c a n b a r g a i n w i t h t o t h e n e e d f o r

c h a i t e a a t l e a s t t h re e t i m e s a d a y We l ove o u r B o l l y w o o d m ov i e s

a n d we l ove o u r c r i c k e t r i va l r i e s So m e h ow t h i s l ove f o r o u r c o u nt r y, t h i s d e e p - ro o t e d re s p e c t we h a ve f o r t h e q u a l i t i e s t h a t m a k e

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

w o r l d’s s t a g e t o d a y

We w a n t t o b e h e a rd a n d re c o g n i ze d a s a n a t i o n t h a t h a s c o m e

a l o n g w a y, a n a t i o n t h a t h a s d e ve l o p e d i n t o t h e p r i m e e x a m p l e o f

a w o rk i n g d e m o c r a c y I s e e t h i s d e s i re m a n i f e s t i t s e l f i n In d i a ’ s p u s h f o r a s e a t a s a p e r m a n e n t m e m b e r o n t h e U N Se c u r i t y

C o u n c i l ( U N S C ) , h owe ve r, I a m s t ro n g l y a g a i n s t t h i s i d e a , w h i c h

s p r i n g s f ro m o u r s t ro n g n a t i o n a l i s t s e n t i m e n t s L a s t Nove m b e r, i n a v i s i t t o t h e n a t i o n i t s e l f, Pre s i d e n t Ob a m a c i t e d “ In d i a ’ s l o n g h i s t o r y a s a l e a d i n g c o n t r i b u t o r t o Un i t e d Na t i o n s p e a c e k e e p i n g

m i s s i o n ” i n s u p p o r t i n g In d i a ’ s b i d f o r a p e r m a n e n t s e a t o n a n

e n l a r g e d Se c u r i t y C o u n c i l l a s t Nove m b e r W h i l e t h i s re m a i n s a n i d e a b a c k e d by t h e o t h e r p e r m a n e n t m e m b e r s o f t h e Se c u r i t y

C o u n c i l a n d m o s t o t h e r n a t i o n s , i t i s a n i d e a t h a t d o e s n o t d e s e r ve

a s m u c h m e r i t a s i t re c e i ve s w h e n d i s c u s s i n g In d i a a s a m a j o r p l a y -

e r o n t h e w o r l d’s s t a g e

Pr i o r i t i e s m a t t e r, a n d a p u s h f o r p e r m a n e n t m e m b e r s h i p o n

To push for recognition with the state of th country being as it is now would be a mistake; it would be to ask for power that has not been earned and it would be ask for power that India does not need.

t h e U N S C s h o u l d b e f a i r l y l ow o n In d i a ’ s c u r re n t l i s t o f p r i o r i -

t i e s In d i a n e e d s t o w o rk o n t h e i n f r a s t r u c t u re , e d u c a t i o n a n d

q u a l i t y o f l i f e f o r h e r p e o p l e In d i a ’ s G D P p e r c a p i t a i s m u c h

t o o l ow, a n d t h e s t a t e o f h e r m i l i t a r y i s l i m i t e d a t b e s t Eve n t h e

Sp a c e , Na va l a n d m a n u f a c t u r i n g i n d u s t r i e s d e s e r ve m o re a t t e n -

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

t a t i o n o f a n a t i o n t h a t i s i n d e p e n d e n t i n h e r e n d e a vo r s a n d

c a p a b l e o f t a k i n g c a re o f h e r ow n p e o p l e On l y t h e n c a n In d i a

e x p e c t t o b e g r a n t e d t h e p r i v i l e g e o f s i t t i n g o n t h e U N S C To

p u s h f o r re c o g n i t i o n w i t h t h e s t a t e o f t h e c o u n t r y b e i n g a s i t i s n ow w o u l d b e a m i s t a k e ; i t w o u l d b e t o a s k f o r p owe r t h a t h a s

n o t b e e n e a r n e d a n d i t w o u l d b e t o a s k f o r p owe r t h a t In d i a

d o e s n o t n e e d De t a i l e d a r g u m e n t s a s i d e , t h e i s s u e b o i l s d ow n t o t h e h e a r t

ve r s u s t h e b r a i n T h e Un i t e d Na t i o n Se c u r i t y C o u n c i l i s s u p p o s -

e d l y a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l b o d y t h a t re p re s e n t s a l l n a t i o n s i n a n

a t t e m p t t o m a i n t a i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l p e a c e a n d s e c u r i t y So w h y i s i t t h a t o f t h e f i ve p e r m a n e n t m e m b e r s o f t h e U N S C , o n l y o n e

c o u n t r y i s A s i a n ? W h y i s i t t h a t A f r i c a , Au s t r a l i a , a n d So u t h

A m e r i c a f a d e i n t o t h e b a c k g ro u n d ? A n d a b ove a l l , w h y s h o u l d we , i n t o d a y ’ s d a y a n d a g e , l o o k t o t h e s e f i ve c o u n t r i e s t o s t a n d a s w o r l d l e a d e r s w h e n c o u n t r i e s a ro u n d t h e w o r l d a re i n c re a s i n g l y e m e r g i n g a s p owe r f u l n a t i o n s i n t h e i r ow n r i g h t ?

A s a n In d i a n i m m i g r a n t t h a t h a s b e e n t u g g e d a l o n g o n h e r f a t h e r ’ s a s s i g n m e n t s t o o n e c o u n t r y o r a n o t h e r, m y h e a r t f e e l s f o r

In d i a a n d c o u n t r i e s l i k e In d i a t h a t s t r u g g l e w i t h t h e s e q u e s t i o n s a n d s t r u g g l e t o p u s h f o r t h e i r re p re s e n t a i o n a l o n g s i d e t h e p owe r o f t h e Eu ro p e a n s a n d A m e r i c a n s I c h o o s e , h owe ve r, t o s i d e w i t h m y b r a i n a n d t r u s t i n m y e d u c a t i o n t o p ro p o s e a s o l u t i o n t o s u c h a g l o b a l i s s u e In t h e b i d t o c l a i m m e m b e r s h i p a s a p e r m a n e n t m e m b e r o f t h e

U N S C , In d i a s h o u l d re a l i ze s h e i s n o t re a d y Sh e s h o u l d l o o k f i r s t w i t h i n h e r s e l f t o a s s u a g e t h e s i t u a t i o n o f h e r p e o p l e n ow a n d w h e n s h e i t c h e s t o f e e l t h e g l ow o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l re c o g n i t i o n u p o n h e r a c h i e ve m e n t s , s h e s h o u l d p e r h a p s t u r n t o o r g a n i z a t i o n s s u c h a s t h e Wo r l d Ba n k a n d I M F C a n va s s i n g g re a t e r i n f l u e n c e i n t h e s e o r g a n i z a t i o n s , w h i c h a re d o m i n a t e d by Eu ro p e a n s a n d A m e r i c a n s t o d a y, w i l l a l l ow f o r In d i a t o g a i n e x p e r i e n c e i n d e m a n d i n g a n d w i e l d i n g i n f l u e n c e i n i m p o r t a n t i n t e r n a t i o n a l b o d i e s T h i s

Web

Comme nt of the day

“What happened to her as you describe was terrible She was tortured to death. However, it’s not wise to extrapolate from specific instances of crimes and insensitive comments that an entire class of people is as heinous ”

Aaron Bholé Re: “BHOWMICK | India’s Daughter” Opinion, published March 16, 2015

David Fischer | Fischy Business

The Paper of Record

Joins Snapchat

The New York Times, still regarded by many as the nation’s newspaper of record, recently joined Snapchat

The latest messaging fad in a long line of Facebooks, Whatsapps, Instagrams, etc , has recently made news for good and bad reasons In Nov 2013, the then-fledgling startup turned down a $3 billion acquisition offer from Facebook and last October the company ’ s lax security led to a large-scale hack

More recently, and positively, Snapchat successfully raised their valuation to a reported $15 billion with a $200 million investment from online wholesaler Alibaba, and just launched an in-app news service with channels from CNN, Cosmopolitan Magazine and fellow social-media darling Vice News Snapchat has certainly been busy, and it looks like its decision to turn down Facebook’s acquisition offer may not have been as foolhardy as critics of the decision screamed two years ago Instead, Snapchat has continued to raise money, and attract new users, including the New York Times

For anyone who has not used the app, Snapchat at its core allows one user to send another user a picture or video of up to 10 seconds

Then, after the recipient opens and views that " snap,"it disappears forever (or at least until hackers rifle through your previously-hidden images)

a user ’ s friends of whatever he or she might be doing, whether frantically cramming before a prelim in the Olin stacks or dancing on a table at Dunbars This intimate form of storytelling, I think, has attracted the New York Times to an app whose inherent transience is antithetical to the paper ’ s mission of chronicling all the news that’s fit to print

The first story on the “thenytimes” Snapchat account featured opinion columnist Nick Kristof researching a story in Angola The 33 second long micro report features Kristof showing off what he terms as a “hero,” a gambian pouched rat trained to sniff for landmines Although he seems uncomfortable with the time constraint of particular video segments (the 10-second limit cuts him off a few times), Kristof ’ s report provides an intimate look into his onthe-ground reporting style The missive that Kristof concludes with, “ stay tuned for my column about these hero rats from Angola,” points to the efforts of print journalists to adapt to the changing standards of always-on

The Times’s embrace of Snapcha and other similar moves by competi is something that I will be following in the coming weeks.

There are also various features including ephemeral video chat, snap stories and Snapcash a service that allows you to send cash to another user All of these features rolled into one platform has created a market for the exchange of naked pictures (against Snapchat policies) this market is not the reason for the New York Times’s entrance onto the smartphone application

The Times’s involvement centers around the popular feature called the Snapchat story Whereas a singular snap is a message meant to be sent to only a select group of friends, a snap story allows for the dissemination of an image to all of

to Kristof ’ s concise report, Isaac’s dispatch features less reporting than just general ambiance of the festival There have been at least two videos of Texas Barbeque, a video of a “pedibike” that resembles a hipster rickshaw, and a video of a Bates Motel perplexingly adorned with the A&E logo, an ominously flickering “ no vacancy ” sign and Isaac’s own captioned advice: “Don’t go in here ” And although one picture of Isaac is captioned “Ugh Long day of reporting,” Isaac seems more preoccupied with proving his tech credentials than reporting on the goings on of the conference (in one video he says, “right now I am taking an Uber back to my Airbnb because I am fully tech friendly”) In short, Isaac’s report seems to be more Travel Channel than news journalism

digital engagement that news consumers have come to expect In fact, with his journalistic beat that has him traveling to the far-reaches of the world and writing his opinion on a given situation based on his experience, and through extensive use of Twitter, Kristof has been able to cultivate an extensive digitial following somewhat unusual for a print journalist How does “thenytimes” fare in the hands of another reporter?

Tech reporter Mike Isaac took control of the Snapchat account last Saturday to chronicle his coverage of culture festival South by Southwest in Austin, Texas As of Sunday at 10:10 p m , Isaac had posted 143 seconds worth of videos and pictures of the festival to the Snapchat account As opposed

However, what can you expect from the Grey Lady’s first attempts at Snapchat? Kristof ’ s and Isaac’s reporting ranges widely in content and intent mainly because the paper does not know the utility of Snapchat and, to be fair, these are the first two reporters who have ever used the account I think that there is tremendous utility for traditional news organizations to drive digital engagement with new platforms like Snapchat I am looking forward to Kristof ’ s new column about his snapchat story ’ s subject, and may even take a peek at Isaac’s filings However, the question must be asked: Will ever-fickle, oft-maligned millennials (Snapchat’s primary audience) buy into mingling their news with videos of their friends throwing flaming pumpkins into gorges? I am not entirely optimistic, but the Times’s embrace of Snapchat and other similar moves by competitors is something that I will be following closely in the coming weeks

David Fischer is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences He can be reached at dfischer@cornellsun com Fischy Business appears alternate Tuesdays this semester

COLLEGE AVENUE STUDIOS AND 1 BEDROOMS FURNISHED, INCLUDES HEAT 607-272-3389 BEFORE 7PM www avramisrentals@aol com

Unlucky

Apartments NovarrMackesey Property Management 607-277-1234 collegetownterraceithaca com

5 BEDROOM Opposite Cascadilla Dorms All included $895 per person 607-229-5116 www pjapts com

2 BEDROOM All included $850 Free parking Laundry Big beautiful bedrooms 607-229-5116 www pjapts com

Three Bedroom Apartment Lower Collegetown

Walk to Campus or the Commons On bus route Large bedrooms hardwood floors Balcony/porch Available 8-5-15 Certified Properties of TC Inc. 273-1669

certifiedpropertiesinc com

Modern Four Bedroom Apt Upper Collegetown

Large rooms,

Ryan’s Moves Leave Some With Questions

SHATZMAN

Continued from page 12

wanted Alonso out of Buffalo, for reasons unknown Remember, in Alonso’s only season in the league, he put up All-Pro numbers, and was a DROY candidate Why Ryan didn’t want him, well, only he can answer that question Also, the 2014-15 Bills’ offense was bad like, Kyle Orton started at quarterback for more than half the season bad Thus, the acquisition of a stud running back like LeSean McCoy would seem like a beneficial move But frankly, for the Bills, the move is difficult to understand

In the NFL, a team ’ s run game is a result of the offensive line play

Ithaca-Apartments.Com

and 5 bedrooms available with free roadrunner internet cable water furniture and TV Some apartments have 2 baths dishwashers and fireplaces Call or email for a viewing Checkout 110 Heights court and Westbourne Apts at www kimballrentals com Kimball Real Estate 257-0313 MUST SEE “THE FARM HOUSE” 314 Farm St @ Linn St Open House 3/21&22 NEW OWNERS REFINISHED & FURNISHED NEW APPLIANCES w/ W/D 6 Bdrms 2 FULL BATHS OFF ST PARKING $650 /Rm /Mo ,Plus Call: CONOR 607-227-7096 or WAYNE 607-351-6993 ckwstokes@aol com

A good offensive line equates to a good rushing attack Take the Patriots, for example The Pats have a solid offensive line year after year; a similarly solid rungame, and in turn they’ve made the playoffs nearly every season since Tom Brady was drafted But at the same time, the Pats seem to have a different running back every season Undrafted rookie Jonas Gray rushed for 201 yards and four TDs versus the Colts in November, and yet he hardly played after that game He didn’t even suit up for the Pats’ meaningful games down the stretch Their lead back in the Super Bowl, LeGarrette Blount, was signed at the end of the regular season Any running back in the NFL can put up eye-popping numbers if he has dominant offensive linemen in front of him

Now, there are a few exceptions to this “rule:” guys like Adrian Peterson, DeMarco Murray and even McCoy are all more valuable due to their raw talent, speed, and ability to elude defenders But even so, they are still running backs, and in football, a running back can ’ t win a game by himself especially with a mediocre O-line Building a successful ground game starts with the offensive line

Eight Bedroom House Lower Collegetown

Large living areas, W/D, off street parking Fully furnished Available 6-5-15 $550 per person Certified Properties of TC Inc

COLLEGETOWN APARTMENT 2015-2016 STUDIO & 1 BEDROOM FURNISHED LARGE EXCELLENT $700-$850 PLUS 607-272-0781, 908-334-3665, 908-635-8009 FOR DETAILS

According to Pro Football Focus, the Bills were 32nd dead last in the league in run blocking in 2014 Even stranger, the Bills had arguably the most depth at the running back position this season Fred Jackson, CJ Spiller, Anthony Dixon, and Bryce Brown have all had success in the NFL Why add another back? With the worst run blocking in the league and four decent backs, it clearly is not the running back that is the problem McCoy is also among the highest paid at his position Buffalo could have added several O-lineman capable of, you know,

blocking, for the same amount of money they will have paid McCoy, who is now under contract until he’s 31 years old

Don’t get me wrong LeSean McCoy is a tremendous football player But unless the Bills make m a j o r i m p r ov e m e n t s t o t h e i r offensive line, he will not be able shine in Buffalo CJ Spiller, a McCoy-like speedster who the Bi

2010, has been labeled a bust With McCoy on the way in, Spiller’s now with the Saints, and behind a New Orleans O-Line that Pro Football Focus ranked ninth in the NFL, CJ Spiller could easily have a better season than McCoy in 2015 We have only seen Spiller run behind subpar O-lines On the other hand, McCoy had great run blocking in Philly From Buffalo’s standpoint, the

But hey, I guess Rex Ryan has a plan All I can is ask: Why? Running backs don’t win Super Bowls Teams win Super Bowls

And right now, paying LeSean McCoy $40 million is a step toward further mediocrity

trade is the head scratcher of all head scratchers Even in the worst-case scenario, say Kiko Alonso fails to return to form following his ACL injur y (he’s expected to be fully healthy for the start of the season), the trade wouldn’t be a loss for the Eagles Trading McCoy has already freed space for the Birds to bolster their team in other, more important ways They’ve already locked up DeMarco Murray an upgrade from McCoy due to his success as a goal line back, combination of speed and power, and so on and ex-Legion of Boom member Byron Maxwell Fur thermore, they are expected to have big-time draft plans

But hey, I guess Rex Ryan has a plan All I can do is ask: why? Running backs don’t win Super Bowls Teams win Super Bowls And right now, paying LeSean McCoy $40 million over the course of the next five years is a step towards further mediocrity not Super Bowls

Ben Shatzman can be reached at bshatzman@cornellsun com

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Red Drop Three Of Four During Trip to Florida

By SHANE LEWIS Sun Assistant Sports Editor

The Red lost three of four games this past weekend at the RussMatt Invitational in Central Florida Cornell (2-8) defeated Bowling Green 8-6, but fell to LIU Brooklyn 4-5, Maine 9-13 and Huntington 2-7 Teams play a predetermined schedule as opposed to a tournament style The team ’ s early season struggles continue, having lost eight of the first 10 games

Unlike previous efforts in the season, run support was not an issue for the Red Cornell scored 23 runs in the four games, while in the six games leading up to the invitational, the Red scored just 12 times Senior infielder Kevin Tatum, who served primarily as designated hitter last year, had a strong showing in Florida, batting 375 Senior infield Dan Morris also played well, driving in five runs over the weekend

“On Friday and Saturday the bats finally came alive and exploded,” Tatum said “I’m confident if we string key hits together for big innings that our pitching staff will do the rest ”

Though this pitching staff is usually reliable, they surrendered a significant amount of runs over the weekend

Spor ts

second inning, however, the Red offense fell silent Brooklyn slowly clawed its way back in the game, scoring runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to tie it up and force extrainnings The winning run for the Blackbirds would come in the bottom of the twelfth

Cornell responded on Saturday by defeating Bowling Green (5-9) The Red again jumped on its opponent 4-1 by the third inning, and would hold an 8-1 advantage by the sixth The Falcons would rally with five runs over the next three innings, but still fell two runs short

“We just need to put it together for a full weekend. Our hitting still needs to step it up.”

Through the first six games of the season the Red gave up more than three runs only once, and that one time came against No 1 ranked Virginia It was a different story for the team in Florida, where it surrendered a total of 31 runs over the weekend Brian McAfee was the sole pitcher to pick up a win at the invitational, his first of the season

On Friday, the Red’s first game was a heartbreaker, falling to LIU Brooklyn (6-5) in 12 innings Cornell jumped on the Blackbirds 4-1, thanks to a four run second inning After the

BIn the second game of Saturday’s double hitter, the Red took on Maine (8-13) and it was an entertaining affair, offensively The teams combined for 30 hits and 22 runs Four players for Cornell posted multiple RBI’s and six players had multiple hits The Red took a 2-0 advantage early, but explosive third and fourth innings from the Bears were too much to overcome Maine would score 10 runs over the two innings, and Cornell’s attempt at a late rally fell short

Sunday’s game against Huntington (1-3) saw a similar pattern as the previous three games, with the Red jumping

out to a quick lead However, just like the game against Maine, two innings were the determinant in the matchup

The Red pitching staff was able to hold the Foresters in check for most of the game, limiting them to only eight hits

However, three runs in the fifth and four in the eight were enough to earn Huntington a victory For the first time all weekend, the Red were unable to generate any offense, reaching base only six times This was due to a strong outing from Huntington pitcher Tanner Wyes, who finished with seven strikeouts and no earned runs

According to Tatum, the problem for the Red so far this season seems to be consistency When the pitching has been good, the run support hasn’t been there When the team finally generates runs, the team has lacked on the defensive and pitching side Tatum said he thinks that if both aspects can come together, the Red should find more success

“We just need to put it together for a full weekend,” Tatum said “Our hitting still needs to step it up and we will show this versus Bucknell this upcoming weekend Timely hitting and good defense win games ”

Up next for Cornell is a four-game series at Bucknell in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Bucknell (9-5) also recently played in the RussMatt invitational, winning three of five contests

Shane Lewis can be reached at slewis@cornellsun com

No. 7 Men Take On Colgate at Home

uffalo Bills’ head coach Rex Ryan is a defensive whiz That’s why the Bills hired him Ryan led the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championships appearances in ’09-’10 when Mark Sanchez was quarterback, and offensive production was, well, meager Off-field eccentricities aside, Ryan has proven his ability to coach in the NFL and is a perfect match for his former rival Buffalo Bills

The Bills’ defense playing in the competi-

M c C o y I s a B i l l ? Ben Shatzman Calling the Shatz

tive AFC East ranked in the top-five in the league in nearly every team defensive statistical category this season They proved to be a shutdown defense and they did so without stud linebacker Kiko Alonso, who tore his ACL while working out in the offseason Alonso was third in the NFL in tackles in 2013 as a rookie Ryan goes to Buffalo to coach a young, promising defense, with Alonso anchoring the unit But last week, the Bills agreed to send Kiko Alonso to Philadelphia For LeSean McCoy

Before I break-down this trade, let me make clear that it was reportedly Rex Ryan himself who

By ADAM BRONFIN Sun Assistant Sports Editor

After six games on the road, the men ’ s lacrosse team finally gets to return to Schoellkopf Field The Red will welcome Colgate to Ithaca in a battle of in-state rivals tonight at 7 p m Cornell is coming off of a dominant win against No 9 Yale, knocking off the previously undefeated Bulldogs, 14-7

Plagued by snow and poor weather all season, Cornell has yet to play a game on its home field Games against Hobart and Binghamton were moved to an indoor facility The Red flew to Texas to take on Albany only for the snow to follow the team yet again

“It’s a little weird,” said senior attackman Matt Donovan of not playing at home so far this year “But playing on the ’Kopf is something we ’ re looking forward to and something we really take pride in ”

The weather has also forced Cornell to practice inside, leading to problems in running some drills

senior midfielder Connor Buczek “We get done what we can as a team ”

The Red enters the game ranked seventh in the l k a win streak af season losses to Colgate began winning its f i r s t f o u r games of the s e a s o n , i n c l u d i n g a opening day v ry against pre No 14 Bryan then, the team to-back games 18-11 lost to B ished the game

Massimilian is currently eighth in the nation in face-off percentage Cornell has dominated h ll

“The weather has been difficult That hurts riding, clearing, a lot of full field stuff, but when it comes down to it, we don’t make excuses here,” said

Last year, C the Raiders 15 man Danny L Lintner was he first three gam since caught fi his past three g attack is Don per game aver country, and ju offense as a wh 1 0 n a t i o n a l l y Massimilian’s o

See SHATZMAN page 11 Coming home | Danny Lintner and the squad will finally get to