03 25 14 entire issue lo res

Slope Day Changes Focus on S afety

“We want to do what we can to get students on the slope earlier.”

By CHRISTOPHER YATES Sun Staff Wr ter

A panel of six students discussed a wide range of issues within the Cornell computer science community Monday spanning gender discrimination, tensions between teaching assistants and students and other social and academic topics

According to Andrew Levine ’14, one

“I had to use Google when I had problems

and didn’t

feel comfortable asking for help.” A p a r n a P a n d e ’ 1 4

of the event ’ s organizers, the panel was held in order to provide a forum through which students could discuss issues of minority treatment as well as student and teaching assistant relationships in the computer science community

“ The talk was focused on making the [computer science] community a more inclusive place since it hasn’t always been,” he said “ The computer science department is growing and different groups have felt [that] the community [is] not entirely

welcoming ”

Attendees will now gain entry through wristbands

By ERIC OBERMAN Sun Staff Writer

Changes to this year ’ s Slope Day which include changing the timing of performances and the manner in which students enter the concer t area were announced by the Slope Day Planning Board Thursday in an effort to increase the safety of the event

According to Lee Singer ’14, executive chair of the SDPB, the schedule for the day will begin an hour earlier from that of previous years, with students allowed onto the slope at 11 a m The first performer will take the stage at noon, with each perf o r m a n

hour after the last, Singer said

According to Singer, the changes are intended to reduce the amount of drinking that occurs before the concert and to ensure that students will be on the Slope in close proximity to medical care

“Students are ver y likely to engage in high-risk drinking prior to the event, ” Singer said “If we simply reduce the time [before the performance] by moving it up earlier in the day, students would be much

Prof Ross Tate, computer science, who moderated the discussion, said the objective of the panelists was not “ to change minds ”

“[Rather], we want to see what kind of experiences people go through here at Cornell, and why we have these different perspectives on these topics,” he said

St u d e n t s h a

their experiences in the Cornell computer science community to an anonymous submission forum, and some were read aloud and discussed by the panel

Tensions between teaching assistants and students were one of the issues highlighted by the anonymous submissions

“It felt like us against the course staff, which was made up of a few extremely talented students who felt that and made us feel that we weren ’ t good enough,” wrote one anonymous submitter “ This isn’t a healthy academic environment ”

St u d e n t s o n t h e p a n e l a g re e d t h a t acknowledging academic difficulties and requesting help can be difficult for students in computer science courses

“ We need a community where you can ask your peers questions,” Aparna Pande ’14 said “I had to use Google when I had problems and didn’t feel comfortable asking for help ” Suggestions on how to improve teach-

Univ: Financial Payments to City Will Not Increase

By TYLER ALICEA Sun Managing Editor

President David Skorton said that while he is willing to continue to have conversations with the City of Ithaca over the University’s contributions to Ithaca, he said he is not willing to increase Cornell’s direct monetar y allocations to the city “ The reason I’m not going to move money from our bottom line to the City’s bottom line is that I’m not willing to further reduce our workforce, which is what it would take if we went back into deficit again,” Skorton said during a meeting with the press Monday

Cu r re n t l y, Sk o r t o n s a i d t h e University makes three large contributions to the neighboring community, which include the contribution of having a research university in the community, the jobs the University provides and the direct voluntar y contributions

d

n g which was created in 1995 dictates the University’s voluntar y contributions to the City of Ithaca Since its inception, tensions have arisen between the two neighboring

ing assistant training such as confidentiality training were made by students attending the event

“ T h e re n e e d s t o b e c o n f i d e n t i a l i t y

training because it’s common to hear T A s discussing grades, grading in public and berating students, and this can be a negative experience for students in the class,”

Sasha Naranjit ’14 said

Other anonymously submitted stories described a social atmosphere that could at times be hostile to female computer science students Some male and female attendees agreed that gender discrimination is an issue in the Cornell computer science community

p m , 153 Uris Hall

Chi Kung and Tai Chi Classes

5 - 6:15 p m , One World Room, Anabel Taylor Hall

Writ Writer Film Screening 7 p m , 253 Malott Hall

C U Music: Vocal Master Class by Jason Wang 7 - 9 p m , Auditorium, Barnes Hall

Past and Future Changes in Hurricane Activity 3:30 - 4:30 p m , 2146 Snee Hall Dragon Dinner

5 - 7 p m , Big Dining Room, Risley Residential Hall

Bethe Ansatz 7:15 - 8:15 p m , 125 Hans Bethe House

Janet’s Jaunt: Catherine Appert And Senegalese Hip Hop Artist RES KP 7:30 - 8:30 p m , Balch Hall

Cornell Caring Community: Breaking the Silence 9 p m , Schwartz Center for Performing Arts Tomorrow

PUPIL POETRY

S.A. Elections See Low Turnout

Less than 30 percent of student body voted in presidential race

By DARA LEVY

This month’s Student Assembly elections dropped in turnout since last year, with fewer than 4,000 students less than 30 percent of the undergraduate population voting in the presidential election

Alfonse Muglia ’14, S A elections director, said the goal of the elections committee was to have at least 50 percent of the undergraduate student population to vote

“To represent the majority of students you need a majority of students to vote, ” Muglia said

Juliana Batista ’16, newly-elected executive vice president for the S A , said the S A always tries to raise voter turnout, although certain obstacles prevent that from happening

“I think we have to face some inevitabilities there are always going to be students who don’t care about campus politics or who don’t always see what goes behind things that impact experience at Cornell,” Batista said “Some just don’t feel that their vote is going to make a difference ”

This year, other S A candidates were allowed to endorse presidential candidates, and student organizations were encouraged to endorse candidates as well, according to Muglia Endorsements had been banned in previous years

“Our goal was to make it easier for students to associate candidates with particular issues,” Muglia said “To an effect it did work For the people who did vote, it was a more educated vote ”

This year ’ s presidential debate had approximately 250 students in attendance larger than previous years, according to Muglia

Muglia said that candidates endorsing presidential candidates could have contributed to the larger crowd

“With other candidates attending, they were also rallying [for] their friends,” he said

Voter turnout depends on many different logistics each year, according to Batista She said this year ’ s low turnout could have been impacted by the timing of February Break as well as the several uncontested races including her own race for executive vice president

Muglia said he thinks this election’s uncontested races

were a result of several sophomores and juniors on the S A deciding to pursue leadership roles in other organizations

The fact that there were only two presidential candidates may have also had an effect, according to Muglia

In 2013, 4,301 students voted for an S A president, which had three candidates This year, 3,829 students voted for a presidential candidate, according to the S A website

Similarly, last year 4,414 students voted for an executive vice president when there were four choices This year, with the race uncontested, 3,235 students voted for the position

Muglia said students might not interact with the S A because “the culture of the school” allows for a more direct approach to resolving conflicts

For example, President David Skorton will answer students’ emails directly, and other students will directly contact someone from the administration or an organization to have an issue addressed, rather than going in front of the S A , according to Muglia

“To a student it may be simpler to reach out to a friend on Interfraternity Council or Skorton directly because it sounds like that’s the fastest way to get something done,” Batista said

Vikram Kejariwal ’16, who was recently elected as S A representative for the College of Engineering, said that students who are involved in organizations on campus in particular need to stay informed about the S A

“People on campus should care about the S A , and I believe they do,” Kejariwal said “It affects them, their clubs and their organizations, so they have to care ”

Batista said she hopes that the S A ’ s planned online petition platform which allows students to have their concerns brought before the S A with 250 signatures will make the S A “ more accessible” to students

“[The petition platform] gives us a better pulse of what’s happening on campus, what people are interested in learning more about and it gives students more buy-in on issues on campus, ” Batista said

Alex Thompson ’16 said that regardless of S A initiatives to increase student participation, there is little that could raise their interest due to students’ busy schedules

“Students’ lack of interest in the S A is probably the same

Dance and design

The Locally-Grown Dance Festival performs “Mid-Levels at Milstein Hall” amongst students and passers-by Monday

reason reason why many Cornell students don’t read the news, ” Thompson said “It’s not a top priority, so if it’s between that or finishing a problem set, they’ll finish their homework, but it’s sad because that probably translates into real politics ”

Batista said she believes one-on-one interactions between S A members and students on campus are a key way to get students more involved with the S A

“It’s not a perfect system, ” Batista said “We’re 25 people representing 14,000 undergraduates many who wish to interact with the S A , many who don’t care and many who care but don’t know where to start ”

Gannett D irector Recogni zed for ‘O ut standing S er vice’

D

associate vice president for

He

been hailed by University officials as “ a transformative leader”

l l ’ s

h e a l t h s y s t e m f o r o v e r t w o decades

“ [ C o r s o n - R i k e r t l e a d s ] a n

exemplar y university health service that provides superb clinical care, crisis response, active public health and campus and community education,” said Susan Murphy, vice president for student and academic ser vices, in a University press release President David Skor ton also applauded Corson-Riker t, who received the American College

He a l t h A s s o c i a t i o n ’ s O l l i e B Moten Award for Outstanding Ser vice to One’s Institution in

Fe b r y a r y S k o r t o n c i t e d h e r effor ts to address campus challenges such as alcohol consumption, hazing and student mental health as especially note wor thy “Her commitment to a public health approach to these persistent challenges has earned her the admiration of her colleagues on campus, in the wider community and nationally,” he said in the release

D u r i n g h e r 2 2 y e a r s a t C o r n e l l , C o r s o n - R i k e r t h a s

advocated for increased access to comprehensive health care, and has been a proponent of collaborative care between medical and mental health care providers, the release said This increasing communicat i o n b e t w e e n G a n n e t t p r a c t itioners and other university staff

m e m b e r s , e n a b l i n g t h e m t o voice concerns about students, as w e l l a s a n i n c r e a s i n g m e n t a l h e a l t h s e r v

as Let’s Talk drop-in

c o u n s e l i n

d a n o n y m o u s o n l i n e mental health screeni n g , a c c o r d i n g t o Corson-Riker t “ [ G a n n e t t h a s ]

d e v e l o p e d a p u b l i c h e a l t h a p p r o a c h t o

c a m p u s h e a l t h , ”

Gannett’s comprehensive offeri n g s i n c l u d e d s h o r t e n i n g w a i t times, increasing the size of the c o u n s e

m e n t teams for eating disorders and alcohol and other dr ug concerns, according to Corson-Riker t Her effor ts have also included a d v o c a t i n g f o r t h e u p c o m i n g e x p a n s i o n o f G a n n e t t He a l t h Ser vices’ facilities The building will begin its $55 mil-

C o r s o n - R i k e r t s a i d “ [ It h a s l i n k e d t h e i r ] c l i n i c a l s e r v i c e s with effor ts to address campus climate, educate and encourage community members to notice and respond to students in need of suppor t, promote social connectedness, and encourage helpseeking behaviors ”

This healthcare model earned Cornell the JedCampus Seal in Fall 2013, awarded by the Jed Foundation whose mission is promoting emotional health and decreasing student suicide rates, according to Corson-Riker t “ T h e s a m e m o d e l h a s i n f o r m e d t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f u n i ve r s i t y s t r a t e g i e s re l a t e d t o mental health, alcohol and other dr ug use, hazing, and sexual violence,” Corson-Riker t said

O t h e r m e a s u r e s t o e x p a n d

2017, The Sun previously repor ted

Having ser ved the C

invested in her work

“I continue to be energized by the unique mixture of clinical, educational, public health and policy concerns that are the daily work of college health,” she said C

Association meeting in May

“I am deeply honored, and will accept this award on behalf

whose dedication it recognizes,” Corson-Riker t said “I am for tunate to work with wonder ful colleagues on meaning ful work in ser vice of our students and the Cornell community ”

Talia Jubas can be reached at tjubas@cornellsun com

more likely to be on the slope and under our supervision and care ”

Joseph Scaffido, assistant dean of students and advisor to the Slope Day Programming Board, also said that getting students onto the slope earlier in the day was a priority

“One of the issues we ’ ve had in regards to safety is not so much people drinking

o n t h e s l o p e i t ’ s a l l t h e pregaming,” he said “ We really want to do what we can to get students on the slope earlier ”

Sam Nelson ’15 said he is uncertain as to whether the time change will make the day safer

While the plans for how wristbands will be distributed have not been finalized, Scaffido said students will likely need to pick up a wristband at various locations around campus in the days preceding Slope Day

“It would be great if the line to get in is eliminated,” Estevan Ginsburg ’14 said

Students who bring guests from outside the Cornell community will need to buy guest tickets online as in previous years, and guests will then need to show their ticket to get wristbands, which will be available both prior to Slope Day and on the day of the concert, according to Scaffido

“It would be great if the line to get in is eliminated.”

“I think people might start drinking earlier,” he said “I’m not sure if this addresses the root issue ”

Additionally, all attendees will now gain entr y to the concert by showing a wristband at the gates instead of swiping an ID or presenting a ticket like in previous years to speed up entr y to the event, according to Scaffido

“ We noticed there’ve been safety issues with regards to letting students into the venue, whether it be bottlenecking, stampeding or technology failures, ” Singer said “Basically we want to find a way that cuts down on those risks, and we eventually settled on wristband entr y ”

Scaffido also said that the stage for this year ’ s concert will be moved to Baker Flagpole at the bottom of the slope, which was deemed a safer location for attendees than the steep incline at the previous location

While a large tree had previously blocked this site a common spot for beer trucks in years past it is no longer present, Scaffido said “ We looked at [moving locations] last year, we took a lot of pictures to tr y to determine whether or not it was feasible for us to move the stage over there,” Scaffido said “And we could ”

Eric Oberman can be reached at

S korton : My r ick, Eng man A re

Terr i c Stewards’ of Community

President calls for mutually bene cial projects

i n s t i t u t i o n s re s u l t i n g i n m u l t ip l e m a yo r s , i n c l u d i n g i n c u mb e n t Sva n t e My r i c k ’ 0 9 , a s k i n g t h e Un i v e r s i t y f o r a d d i t i o n a l m o n e t a r y c o n t r i b u t i o n s I n O c t o b e r, My r i c k c r i t ic i ze d t h e Un i ve r s i t y f o r n o t s u ff i c i e n t l y c o n t r i b u t i n g t o t h e C i t y ’ s b u d g e t a n d s a i d t h a t t h e Un i ve r s i t y ’ s p a y m e n t s d o n o t m a t c h u p t o i t s o t h e r a c a d e m i c i n s t i t u t i o n s , T h e Su n p re v i o u sl y re p o r t e d Sk o r t o n , h owe ve r, s a i d h e t h i n k s t h e p a y m e n t s a re c o m p a r a b l e t o C o r n e l l’s p e e r

i n s t i t u t i o n s “ I ’ m c o m f o r t a b l e t h a t o u r c o n t r i b u t i o n w h i c h i s o n e o f t h e f i r s t i n A m e r i c a n h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n o n a vo l u n t a r y b a s i s i s c o m p a r a b l e t o o u r p e e r s , ”

Sk o r t o n s a i d “ Bu t t h a t ’ s a c t u a ll y n o t t h e i s s u e T h e i s s u e i s n o t w h e t h e r w e ’ r e s o m e w h e r e a ro u n d t h e m e d i a n o r s o m et h i n g l i k e t h a t T h e i s s u e i s h ow

d o e s t h e Un i ve r s i t y c o n t r i b u t e t o a b e t t e r c o m m u n i t y Pe r i o d ”

S k o r t o n a d d e d t h a t h e u n d e r s t a n d s t h e s i t u a t i o n t h a t

t h e C i t y a n d Tow n o f It h a c a a re c u r re n t l y f a c i n g , d e s c r i b i n g i t a s a “ h a rd s i t u a t i o n ” “ I ’l l t e l l y o u t h a t i n o u r

d i r e c t m e e t i n g s , Sv a n t e a n d [ He r b E n g m a n , s u p e r v i s o r o f t h e Tow n o f It h a c a ] h a v e b e e n t e r r i f i c s t e w a rd s o f t h e c o m m un i t i e s , ” h e s a i d “ T h e y ’ v e d o n e

e x a c t l y w h a t t h e y a re s u p p o s e d t o d o , a n d t h a t i s s p e a k i n g u p f o r t h e p e o p l e t h e y re p re s e n t a n d t r y i n g t o m a k e s u re t h e i r r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s a r e c a r r i e d o u t ” Sk o r t o n s a i d h e b e l i e ve s h i s p r i m a r y re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s i n vo l ve b e i n g a “ s t e w a rd o f t h e s t u d e n t e x p e r i e n c e ” a n d t o e n s u re t h a t C o r n e l l i s a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l re s e a rc h u n i ve r s i t y T h i rd o n t h a t l i s t , h e s a i d , i s t o f o c u s o n p u b l i c o u t re a c h In re s p o n s e t o t h e re c e s s i o n , t h e Un i ve r s i t y re d u c e d t h e s i ze o f i t s s t a f f, c u t t i n g 6 7 2 s t a f f p o s i t i o n s d u r i n g t h e 2 0 0 9 - 1 0 f i s c a l ye a r, T h e Su n p re v i o u s l y r e p o r t e d Pr e s i d e n t S k o r t o n d e s c r i b e d t h e re c e s s i o n a s “ t h e b i g g e s t e c o n o m i c d i s l o c a t i o n s i n c e t h e ’ 3 0 s , ” a d d i n g t h a t t h e i m p a c t o f t h e e c o n o m i c d ow n t u r n h a s n o t g o n e a w a y a n d t h a t f a m i l i e s a re s t i l l s t r u gg l i n g

“I’m comfortable that our contribution [to the Ithaca city budget] ... is comparable to our peers.”

“ I ’ m n o t p ro u d o f a l l t h e w o rk f o rc e re d u c t i o n s t h a t we h a d t o d o , ” Sk o r t o n s a i d “ I a m p ro u d o f t h e f a c t t h a t we g o t o u r b u d g e t t o b a re l y b a l a n c e d ” Ac c o rd i n g t o Sk o r t o n , t h e Un i ve r s i t y c u r re n t l y h a s a m a rg i n o f 0 2 p e rc e n t o n t h e It h a c a c a m p u s ’ b u d g e t , w h i c h h e d e s c r i b e s a s e s s e n t i a l l y b e i

“Can we get past the rhetoric to roll up our sleeves?” Skor ton said “I believe we will

”

Tyler Alicea can be reached at

Computer S cience Panel Talk s Gender

“I’ve been asked many times, ‘Do you want to be on this group, team or project, because we need more girls,’ as if being a female was my only qualification,” Sara Boccabella ’14 said “Maybe we need to think more about the way we talk about these things ”

Other students felt as though the situation at Cornell reflects larger issues within the field

“ This isn’t a Cornell-specific problem, but computer science in general has historically had more men, and this seeps into the culture, ” Naranjit said “It’s an invisible issue because it has a historical precedent and so we don’t really notice it, but we have a responsibility to call this kind of behavior out, to be more conscious and socially responsible ”

Students who have experienced gender discrimination often feel pressured to ignore the issue and may experience a backlash for raising the topic, according to Greg Hill ’14

“Somebody should bring [these issues] up, but in our community, they are dismissed, told that their perspective is invalid or just not listened to, and that discourages people from speaking ” Hill said “ There’s this stereotype of women as complaining, even when they are bringing up a valid concern ”

Female students often find themselves participating in demeaning of other women in an attempt to assimilate to cultural and social norms, according to Naranjit

“I have also been on the participating side [of using gendered slurs], and there can be an internal dialogue that says, ‘I want to belong’ and to fulfill other social needs like having friends who can relate to you and trust you ” Naranjit said “It’s easy to accuse and to participate, but to some end, maybe we ’ re all assimilating to this culture because we want to belong ”

Many students said they felt as though the panel event had ser ved as a needed outlet for discussion within the computer science community at Cornell

“ The panel was well-organized and for a lot of people they’ve been waiting for such an opportunity to speak their minds,” Feiran Chen ’15 said “ I think the panel will definitely raise the awareness of certain sensitive issues in C S community ”

These discussions are also useful to professors in helping to address and resolve these issues within their own classrooms, according to Tate

“As a member of faculty, this has all been extremely helpful to me, ” Tate said

The panel was hosted jointly by the Cornell Computer Science Department, the Association of Computer Science Undergraduates and the Women in Computing at Cornell

Christopher Yates can be reached at cyates@cornellsun com

O f cials Conclude Jet

Down in Indian Ocean

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) After 17 days of desperation and doubt over the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, the country ’ s officials said an analysis of satellite data points to a “heartbreaking” conclusion: Flight 370 met its end in the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean, and none of those aboard survived

The somber announcement late Monday by Prime Minister Najib Razak left unresolved many more troubling questions about what went wrong aboard the Boeing 777 to take it so far off-course

It also unleashed a maelstrom of sorrow and anger among the families of the jet’s 239 passengers and crew

A solemn Najib, clad in a black suit, read a brief statement about what he called an unparalleled study of the jet's last-known signals to a satellite That analysis showed that the missing plane, which took off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing early on March 8, veered “ to a remote location, far from any possible landing sites ”

“It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, Flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean,” he said

His carefully chosen words did not directly address the fate of those aboard But in a separate message, sent to some of their relatives just before he spoke, Malaysia Airlines officials said that “ we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived ”

Officials said they concluded that the flight had been lost in the deep waters west of Perth, Australia, based on more thorough analysis of the brief signals the plane sent every hour to a satellite belonging to Inmarsat, a British company, even after other communication systems on the jetliner shut down

The pings did not include any location information But Inmarsat and British aviation officials used “ a type of analysis never before used in an investigation of this sort ” to zero in on the plane's last direction, as it reached the end of its fuel, Najib said

CATHERINE CHEN ’15

SOWERS ’15

KAITLYN TIFFANY 15

KATHLEEN BITTER ’15

CHARDAE VARLACK 15

BERMAN 16

NICOLE HAMILTON ’16

EMMA LICHTENSTEIN 16

KATHLEEN SHIM ’15

Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling

In re c e n t we e k s , e s c a l a t i n g c o n f l i c t s

h a v e a r i s e n b e t w e e n R u s s i a a n d

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

U k r a i n e Pr e c e d i n g t h e i n c i d e n t ,

Uk r a i n i a n s t o o k t o t h e s t re e t s i n p ro t e s t o f t h e n - Pre s i d e n t Vi k t o r Ya n u k ov yc h , r e j e c t i n g a d e a l w h i c h w o u l d h a v e re s u l t e d i n g re a t e r e c o n o m i c i n t e g r a t i o n

w i t h t h e Eu ro p e a n Un i o n ; a re j e c t i o n t h a t w a s s e e n a s a s y m b o l i c m ove t o re p -

r e s e n t a l l e g i a n c e t o w a r d s R u s s i a

Ya n u k ov yc h e ve n t u a l l y f l e d t h e c o u n t r y,

a t w h i c h p o i n t R u s s i a n Pr e s i d e n t

V l a d i m i r Pu t i n a i m e d t o t a k e a d va n t a g e

o f t h e u n re s t by d e p l oy i n g t ro o p s i n t o

Cr i m e a a n d s u b s e q u e n t l y l a y i n g c l a i m

t o t h e a re a

Cu r re n t l y, t h e s i t u a t i o n re m a i n s a s

o n e t h a t m a y e ve n t u a l l y re s u l t i n a m i l it a r y c o n f l i c t i f Pu t i n d e c i d e s t o d e p l oy

t ro o p s f u r t h e r i n t o Uk r a i n e Pre s i d e n t

Ob a m a h a s re s p o n d e d t o t h e v i o l a t i o n o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l n o r m s a n d t re a t y by re l y i n g o n i n t e r n a t i o n a l

d i p l o m a c y a n d i m p o s i n g e c o n o m i c s a n c t i o n s o n Ru s s i a a n d Ru s s i a n l e a de r s , w h i l e a l s o r u li n g o u t a n y p o s s ib l e m i l i t a r y e xc u rs i o n s by t h e Un i t e d

St a t e s S e n L i n d s e y

Gr a h a m ( R - S C ) ,

S e n M a r c o R u b i o

( R - Fl a ) a n d K a r l R o v e h a v e d en o u n c e d t h e Pr e si d e n t ’ s p o l i c y a s f e c k l e s s a n d i n e ff e c t i v e K a r l R ov e r e l a t e d t h e i n c i d e n t t o a s i m i l a r c l a s h i n 2 0 0 8 b e t w e e n G e o r g i a a n d R u s s i a , w h i c h r e s u l t e d i n Fr a n c e b r o k e r i n g a

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Sadly, claiming that President Obama has lost his moral authority is simply a cheap trick for Republicans seeking to gain momentum and support while heading into the 2014 midterms

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

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y e m b o d y i n g t h e G O P a s b e i n g e x i s t e n t d u r i n g t h e Ge o r g i a c r i s i s S a d l y, c l a i m i n g t h a t Pr e s i d e n t Ob a m a h a s l o s t h i s m o r a l a u t h o r i t y a ro u n d t h e w o r l d i s s i m p l y a c h e a p t r i c k f o r R e p u b l i c a n s s e e k i n g t o g a i n m o m e n t u m a n d s u p p o r t w h i l e h e a d i n g i n t o t h e 2 0 1 4 m i d t e r m s Re p u b l i c a n s t r a t e g i s t Wa r re n To m p k i n s p o i n t s o u t t h a t Se n a t o r Gr a h a m h a s b e e n t h e b e ne f i c i a r y o f b o o s t s i n t h e p o l l s f ro m a t t a c k i n g t h e Pr e s i d e n t o n n a t i o n a l s e c u r i t y a n d n ow Ru s s i a , a t t a c k s t h a t m a k e h i m a l l t h e m o re l i k e l y t o f i g h t o f f h i s p r i m a r y c h a l l e n g e r T h e G O P h a s o f f e r e d n o t a n g i b l e a l t e r n a t i v e s t o Pre s i d e n t Ob a m a ’ s c u r re n t c o u r s e T h e o p t i o n s a r e t o c o n t i n u e r e l y i n g o n i n t e r n a t i o n a l d i p l o m a c y a n d s a n c t i o n s , o r c o m m i t t o m i l i t a r y a c t i o n , a n d I h a ve n ’ t h e a rd a n yo n e

Facing Your Fears

Wu I a m n o t re f e r r i n g t o s i m p l e a n s we r s s u c h a s “ s n a k e s ” o r “ h e i g h t s ” I a m re f e r r i n g t o d e e p e r a n s we r s s u c h a s f e a r i n g “d y i n g w i t h o u t l e a v i n g b e h i n d a l e g a c y ” o r “ b e i n g re j e c t e d by t h o s e yo u l ove t h e m o s t ” T h i s l e a d s m e t o m y b i g g e s t f e a r : e x p e r i e n c i n g l i f e w i t h o u t g row t h I a m o bv io u s l y n o t t a l k i n g a b o u t g row i n g t a l l e r d u e t o t h e f a c t t h a t I a m c u r re n t l y 5 ’ 8 ” , I h a ve b e e n 5 ’ 8 ” f o r q u i t e s o m e ye a r s n ow, a n d I h a ve u n f o r t u n a t e l y c o m m i t t e d t o b e i n g 5 ’ 8 ” f o r t h e l o n g h a u l I a m s p e a k i n g o f m e n t a l g row t h t h e a b i l i t y t o l e a r n a n d g row a s yo u e x p e r i e n c e n e w p e o p l e a n d t h i n g s T h i s c o l u m n s e e m s t o m e t o b e a c o n t i n u a t i o n o f m y l a s t c o l u m n i n w h i c h I t o u c h e d u p o n p e o p l e c a r i n g t o o m u c h a b o u t f o l l ow i n g t h e e s t e e m e d “ p a t h t o s u c c e s s , ” r a t h e r t h a n f i n d i n g s u c c e s s t h e i r ow n w a y In t h i s c o l u m n , I a m d e m a n d i n g e a c h a n d e ve r y re a d e r t o s t o p r u n n i n g a l o n g t h e p a t h a n d t o l o o k u p a n d t a k e i n t h e i r s u r ro u n d i n g s W h a t s t h e p o i n t o f a c l a s s i f a l l yo u l e a r n i s t o c r a m i n f o r m a t i o n i n yo u r h e a d t w o d a y s b e f o re e a c h t e s t ? W h a t ’ s t h e p o i n t o f a n i n t e r n s h i p i f a l l yo u l e a r n i s h ow t o p a d yo u r r é s u m é ? W h a t ’ s t h e p o i n t o f a c l u b i f a l l yo u l e a r n i s h ow t o s c h e m e yo u r w a y t o a re p u t a b l e p o s it i o n ? T h e p o i n t i s t o t a k e t h e t i m e t o re f l e c t o n w h a t yo u ’ ve l e a r n e d , t h e c h a n g e s yo u s h o u l d m a k e a n d w a y s i n w h i c h yo u h a ve a l re a d y g row n My b i g g e s t c o l l e g i a t e f e a r i s l e a v i n g c o l l e g e t h e s a m e p e r s o n I w a s t h e d a y I w a s a d m i t t e d I w a n t t o b e a b l e t o a s k m y s e l f w h a t I ’ ve a c c o m p l i s h e d a n d h ow I h a ve g row n f ro m t h e d a y I s t e p p e d f o o t i n Do n l o n t o t h e d a y I w a l k a c ro s s t h e s t a g e t o s n a g m y d i p l o m a

T h e q u e s t i o n s o o n b e c o m e s : How c a n I e n s u re g row t h a s I g o t h ro u g h m y ye a r s a t C o r n e l l ? Fi r s t t h i n g s f i r s t : Yo u c a n e n g a g e w i t h C o r n e l l’s b ro a d c u r r i c u l u m C o r n e l l h a s m o re

I want to be able to ask mysel what I’ve accomplished and h have grown from the day I stepped foot in Donlon to the d I walk across the stage to sna my diploma. Deon Thomas

c l a s s e s t h a n m o s t o f u s h a ve Fa c e b o o k f r i e n d s I c a n a l m o s t g u a r a n t e e t h a t m o s t o f u s f a i l t o t a k e f u l l a d va n t a g e o f t h i s t e rr i f y i n g l y va s t a r r a y o f c l a s s e s I a m n o t s i m p l y a s k i n g yo u t o l o o k t h ro u g h t h e c o u r s e ro s t e r f o r a n e x t r a 1 0 m i n u t e s e ve r y s e m e s t e r, I a m a s k i n g yo u t o t a k e a c t i o n If yo u ’ re a n En g l i s h m a j o r I a m a s k i n g yo u t o t a k e c o m p u t e r s c i e n c e c l a s s e s ; I a m a s k i n g c o m p u t e r s c i e n c e m a j o r s t o t a k e c re a t i ve w r i t i n g a n d I a m a s k i n g f e l l ow I L R i e s t o t a k e a h a rd c l a s s e ve r y o n c e i n a w h i l e Fa r t o o o f t e n I h a ve s e e n s t u d e n t s t a k e a ve r y l i m i t e d r a n g e o f c l a s s e s a n d e n d u p l o s t i n a c o n ve r s a t i o n w i t h a n yo n e o f a d i f f e re n t m a j o r Be i n g k n ow l e d g e a b l e i n s e ve r a l a re a s o f s t u d i e s i s a q u a l i t y I h i g h l y re s p e c t i n o t h e r i n d i v i d u a l s a n d I s t r i ve t o b e e d u c a t e d a n d g row i n s u c h a w a y T h e n e x t d e m a n d I a m g o i n g t o m a k e h a s t o d o w i t h t h e p e o p l e yo u s p e n d t i m e w i t h I h a ve w r i t t e n t w o a r t i c l e s o n t h i s t o p i c , o n e e n t i t l e d “ Mu s i c a l C h a i r s ” a n d t h e o t h e r “ Ke e p Yo u r Fr i e n d s C l o s e ( Bu t No t To o C l o s e ) ” In b o t h a r t i c l e s I l a m e n t a n d b e m o a n t h e f a c t t h a t p e o p l e t o o o f t e n c h o o s e t h e i r f r i e n d by m a k i n g t h e “ c o m f o r t a b l e ” c h o i c e r a t h e r t h a n t h e “ b e s t ” c h o i c e If yo u d e c i d e t o h a ve a b u n c h o f f r i e n d s w i t h t h e s a m e e x a c t t e m p e r a m e n t s , t a l e n t s a n d c o n v i c t i o n s , yo u w i l l n o t g row a s a p e r s o n b e c a u s e t h e y w i l l n o t p u s h yo u t o g row W h a t ’ s t h e p o i n t o f g e t t i n g a d v i c e f ro m s o m e o n e w h o t h i n k s e x a c t l y l i k e yo u ? T h a t d o e s n ’ t m e a n t h a t yo u s h o u l d a vo i d p e o p l e l i k e yo u rs e l f, b u t c e r t a i n l y a t t e m p t t o b r a n c h o u t t o o t h e r f a c t i o n s o f t h e s c h o o l I a l s o w o u l d l i k e t o re i t e r a t e t h a t b e i n g n i c e i s n o t e n o u g h o f a r u b r i c t o d e c i d e w h o yo u r b e s t f r i e n d s a re I a m s i c k o f a s k i n g p e o p l e w h y t h e y l i k e s o m e o n e a n d t h e i r a n s we r b e i n g “ t h e y ’ re s o n i c e ” Fi n d p e o p l e t h a t a re i n t e re s t i n g , b o l d o r e ve n u n u s u a l n i c e j u s t s i m p l y d o e s n o t c u t i t L a s t l y, s i m p l y b e h o n e s t w i t h yo u r s e l f Ma k e s u re t o t a k e t h e t i m e t o re f l e c t u p o n e ve r y t h i n g yo u h a ve d o n e a n d l e a r n e d Do n o t e x p e c t t o g o t h ro u g h l i f e w i t h o u t yo u r f a i r s h a re o f b u m p s i n t h e ro a d If yo u a re g o i n g t h ro u g h l i f e f e e l i n g i n v i n c i b l e s t o p i m m e d i a t e l y, b e c a u s e yo u h a ve p ro b a b l y ve e re d o f f - c o u r s e Howe ve r, i f yo u f a i l t o h e e d m y d i re c t i o n s a n d e n d u p n o t re s p e c t i n g w h o yo u h a ve b e c o m e b e c

Re: “SEX ON THURSDAYS: Who Am I?’” Opinion, published March 13, 2014

Working With Us

Last week, I (like all Cornellians) heard

pouring of congratula-

instantaneously and def-

pang of nostalgia for us departing seniors

I think it’s safe to say t h a t p e o p l e r e a l l y l i k e President Skorton I certainly do His affable personality and many talents have ser ved him and

decade But as I considered his departure, and the changing role of the u n i v

y p r e s

n a t i o n w i d e , I r e a l i z e d that there’s a lot we and hopefully the Board of Trustees can take away as we move into a new chapter President Skorton has certainly amassed quite a l a u n d r y l i s t o f accomplishments here He oversaw t h e a p p l i c a t i

n d most recently the signing of the lease for our new N YC Te c h Campus In the w o rd s o f a

f o r m e r Un i v e r s i t y

Pr e s i d e n t Hu n t e r R Rawlings, a letter from t h e A s s o c i a t i o n o f

A m e r i c a n Un i v e r s i t i e s strongly opposing a boycott of Israeli academic institutions (and generate d p l e n t y o f s t u d e n t r e s p o n s e s ) He h a s repeatedly rejected calls for divestment from stud e n t g r o u p s a n d t h e

Fa c u l t y a n d St u d e n t Assemblies His administration has made controv e r s i a l e d i t s t o t h e Un i v e r s i t y c a l e n d a r i n spite of widespread student opposition

So m e o f h i s m o s t s w e e p i n g i n i t i a t i v e s h i s a n t i - h a z i n g c a mpaign, as one example are not yet complete and face serious hurdles As h e d e p a r t s f o r Wa s h i n g t o n i n a f e w years, he will leave the seeds of culture-shifting ideas still fresh for the n e x t Pr e s i d e n t a n d t u r n ove r a d m i n i s t r a t i o n

three or four and stud e n t s l a s t h a l f o f t h a t same tenure, their voices b e c o m e i n c r e a s i n g l y important to the debate about institutional direction

Friends of mine who h a v e s p o k e n w i t h University administrators r e c e n t l y h a v e m e n t i o n t h e i r e m p h a s i s o n President Skorton’s willi n g n e s s t o d i s c u s s changes with people In the past, University presi d e n t s h a v e b e e n l e s s open to student involvement in University policy decisions Still, however, there are instances when student opinion is largely bypassed regarding issues that most directly affect them Facilitating opport u n i t i e s f o r e ve n m o re conversation may not be the problem, given how

a v a i l a b l e Pr e s i d e n t Skorton has made himself But there will need t o b e a c u l t u r e s h i f t t ow a rd s e n c o u r a g i n g

It occured to me that I don’t ima that Cornell is a haven of any ki don’t want it to be The Universi obligation, to me, is to create a forum for learning and exchange of ideas

to develop

making Cornell one of the friendliest universities in the countr y for

d o c u m e n t e d s t udents He pioneered the launch of MOOCs at Cornell He completed

t h e m e a n s r e s t r i c t i o n response to a devastating spate of suicides on campus He has also oversaw

Cornell is a haven of any kind I don’t want it to be R a t h e r, t h e Un i v e r s i t y ’ s o b l i g a t i o n , t o m e , i s t o c r e a t e a forum for learning and e xc h a n g e o f i d e a s It s o b l i g a t i o n i s t o t a l k a b o u t t h i n g s i d e a s , policies, books This column isn’t about Rebecca’s piece But that one sent e n c e g o t m e t h i n k i n g about what it is that we should be tr ying to get out of future University p r e s i d e n t s

k i n g Cornell the best forum for exchange of ideas as it can be President Skorton h a s n

t n e g l e c

the University to commit to a host of future programs Some of his choices have also angered people He s i g n

, a l o n g w i t h

T h i s t u r n ov e r i s s u e i s n ’ t u n u s u a l , t h o u g h T h e A m e r i c a n C o u n c i l o n E d u c a t i o n ’ s m o s t r e c e n t c o m p r e h e n s i v e study of American institutions of higher education revealed that average length of ser vice of univ e r s i t y p r e s i d e n t s h a s decreased to seven years i n 2 0 1 1 f r o m 8 5 i n 2006 This decrease raises q u e s t i o n s a b o u t h ow r e s p o n s i b l e p r e s i d e n t s can be for creating and initiating the realization of their own large-scale, i n s t i t u t i o n a l v i s i o n s W h e n f a c u l t y e m p l oyment outlasts presidency t e n u r e b y a f a c t o r o f

more student feedback, a n d t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n c o u l d h a ve a p owe r f u l r o l e i n m a k i n g t h a t a reality In t h e v e i n o f t h e University’s aim, I read a column by Rebecca John l a s t w e e k w h e r e s h e wrote, “institutions like Cornell are not the scenic havens of knowledge and learning that we might i m a g i n e ” He r d e s c r i ption, in reference to an ov e r a l l c o n v e r s a t i o n a b o u t t h e m a t e r i a l i m p a c t s o f t h e Un i v e r s i t y ’ s r e f u s a l t o boycott Israeli academic i n s t i t u t i o n s , m a d e m e think It occurred to me that I don’t imagine that

d t h i s responsibility, but a cultural focus on allowing student opinion to actua l l y i n f l u e n c e , r a t h e r than just exist, would be a n e xc e l l e n t n o r m a t i v e project for a new president Cornell hasn’t created a haven for me, or a bubble I haven’t been shielded from ver y real ( a n d s o m e t i m e s v e r y h a r m f u l ) decisions that big institutions of all types make ever y d a y Pr e s i d e n t Skorton is always down to talk, and w h e n p e o p l e don’t solicit him he still writes his Sun column and volunteers more information than for which he’s asked O u r n e x t p r e s

more As university presidencies get shorter and shorter, student and faculty vision will increasingly need to influence l o n g - t e r m p

tion needs Hopefully the search committee is willing to factor this into their search

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

IN the Middle of the Night

SEAN DOOLITTLE Arts & Entertainment Editor

At first glance, Charlie Chaplin does not seem like he would make the jump to live theater very well: the silent film superstar most well-known for his grand-scale, hilarity-inducing gags and iconic appearance rarely performed his brand of comedy live after breaking into the acting world and never really made it into talkies Against these odds, a group of talented performers at the Schwartz Center managed to adapt Chaplin’s antics to the stage in one of the most original and downright funny pieces Cornell has seen in years

In the Middle of the Night is a physical comedy per formance that draws inspiration from the many works of Charlie Chaplin, with particular tribute paid to his 1916 short film One A M The film follows the misadventures of a wealthy socialite who returns home after a long night of debaucher y and drinking, only to find his home and furniture seemingly working against him to make his night as painful and difficult as possible The film has the distinction of being the first f i l m t

n alone, save for a short appearance of a taxi cab driver during the opening sequence Chaplin manages to carry the entire film using only his physical prowess and his underdog charm as he d e s p e r a t e l y a t t e m p t s t o g e t s o m e sleep

Director and Associate Prof Beth F Milles, performing and media arts, has created one of the most unique works of theatre I’ve had the pleasure of seeing at Cornell What was once a silent

Ifilm becomes much, much more as the performers make extensive use of long-form improvisation to establish character arcs and hilarious stunts all while hardly uttering a word The work’s many student actors are pulled in large part from Milles’ Commedia dell’arte class, which focuses on the classic Italian art of improvised sketch comedy The students worked to perfect the many complex aspects of clown performance and developed their own lazzis a sort of stock physical action that an actor can call upon at will, like a catchphrase in preparation for the show Just as a Steve Urkel can summon a “Did I do that?” for a guaranteed laugh, the performers created their own physical catchphrases and pratfalls that only became funnier as the night progressed

The night kicked off with one of the most memorable sequences of the night Visiting lecturer and professional actor Jeff Guyton entered the performance minutes late and proceeded to disrupt the proceedings with all manner of incompetence, from getting his coat stuck in a door and falling into a trashcan to noisily opening a bag of snacks and, the cardinal sin of theatre, forgetting to silence his cellphone Guyton is immediately charming, endearing the audience to his foolish antics and general obliviousness When the bit was finished, Guyton transformed into “ The Night Owl,” the ver y embodiment of Chaplin, transporting the entire theater back into the silent era as the show really began I cannot shower enough praise upon Guyton for his work in his role From the very first donning of his top hat to each and every eyebrow wriggle, Guyton manages to channel the late Chaplin with eerie specificity, matching his mannerisms and idiosyncrasies perfectly That’s not to say the

impression or cheap imitation, however Guyton brings his own personal flair to the role, going to great, shameless lengths for laughs that he consistently achieves His face and body seem to be rubber,

twisting, contorting and moving in ways that made me sore just watching him Even though his character consistently fails in nearly all of his endeavors, Guyton manages to craft a heartwarming and earnest protagonist that the audience laughs at, but can ’ t help but root for

Guyton is joined by a gang of students, known collectively as “the interlopers,” the personifications of all his misfortune These actors are just as talented, representing some of the greatest comedians that Cornell has to offer Of particular note is Keith Newman ’14, who plays the lead interloper and second to Guyton’s Night Owl Newman’s knack for comedic timing and his graceful stage presence rivals Guyton’s own, and the rapport between the two was easily one of the highlights of the night Look for more of Newman in his upcoming two-man comedy show at Risley Theatre toward the end of the semester you don’t want to miss this funny guy

In fact, the only real criticisms I can think of never truly detracted from the experience While the short vignettes that featured sound and dialogue were funny especially the spontaneous dance party to the disco classic “The Hustle” they broke the silent movie vibe that I thought worked so well for the production Ditto the clips of One A M , which were fun to see mirrored perfectly on the stage, but felt unnecessary, especially when the performers on stage were doing such a damn fine job to begin with Other than that, all I can say is that I wish there was more! The show is short, clocking in at around an hour, and it left me wanting more slapstick than I thought I’d ever want

In the Middle of the Night is unlike anything else you ’ ve seen at Cornell Whether you ’ re an old hat with Chaplin, having seen everything from Modern Times to City Lights, or you ’ ve never even seen a silent film, this show is sure to make new fans of one of the greatest legends of the silver screen It really is the purest and most unadulterated form of comedy you’ll see on stage, a delight that I can ’ t recommend any higher

In the Middle of the Night is playing at the Schwartz Center on March 26 and 27 at 7:30 p m Tickets are $11 for students and $13 for the general public

Sean Doolittle is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences He can be reached at arts-and-entertainment-editor@cornellsun com

Please Don’t Look at My Spotify Histor y

t ’ s time to talk about the Spotify private session otherwise known as the technologically advanced version of hiding your iPod in middle school because every song was by The Beatles

Having your Hilary Duff Metamorphosis addiction exposed on Facebook is no fun at all, but to quote the teen pop sensation herself, it’s also “ so yesterday ” Forgetting to fully plug in earphones and then blasting your guiltiest pleasure for the world to hear is a universally embarrassing moment: Ever yone ’ s been there But there’s also a reason that One Direction is your jam on the way to class, and not the Velvet Underground They each have their place on your iPod, but sometimes you just need an infusion of boy band pop to make it up Cornell’s killer hills on a caffeine-deprived morning Artists are never satisfied with their work, and their quest for perfect expression is thus often paired with a sense of shame And yet we who consume art are often asked to feel shame, too why else do we have art criticism, which can only function with an implicit understanding that there is a best way of producing what is, admittedly, a highly subjective form And yet at its core, criticism is as subjective as the medium it purports to regulate: With every new movement of intellectual thought and appreciation, a new set of standards have come

along, too Art criticism may often have a specific target in a shocking twist, the New York Times called One Direction’s Midnight Memories “uninteresting” last fall but it also tries to dig into the meaning of art itself It is a subject as endlessly fascinating and littered with philosophical minefields as the meaning of life, but here’s a working definition: Art is feeling; a way of making sense of the world, or

a way of making sense of yourself

Art has always been highly regulated territory, particularly so in the last couple of centuries In Britain, the Romantics came along in the 19th century to democratize understanding of literature to say art did not exist to focus on only worthy subjects but to make the commonplace wor thy William Wordsworth in particular was an advocate for the elevation of the ordinary to the sublime, and of using familiar, run-of-the-mill language to do so Would Wordsworth be impressed by what tops the charts today? “It’s going down,

I’m yelling timber” and “Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth,” probably would not impress a poet whose intellectual sparks lit the tinder of the Romantic era of culture and art And I do not claim that what is popular today consistently or even frequently elevates the ordinary to the sublime, like Wordsworth would want But art, human nature and criticism itself are ever-changing If Pharrell’s “Happy” gets you through this week of prelims and papers and into spring break, so be it There is plenty of critically acclaimed music to listen to by candlelight while eating 99 percent dark chocolate and shedding just a single, solitary tear But I want to jam out to “How to be a Heartbreaker,” because it’s got a beat that makes even being in the library fun

None of One Direction’s songs have provided their largely pre-pubescent fans with a hyper-intellectual roadmap for life the titular song in Midnight Memories admits, “I know nothing’s making sense ” but they do confront those moments that lack a logical guide The basic animalistic instincts of “Midnight Memories” are about the appeal of being young late at night with your friends and a love interest by your side Most of One Direction’s work celebrates the same themes: youth, love, the possibilities held by the future, the joys of living in the present They don’t spell it out in a dead language, but carpe diem is a sentiment as ageless as the bandmates are young

The section is called Arts and Entertain-

ment Maybe th because it’s a cat buzzword, an in phrase that some along the road integrated into th tus quo and here stay But the p contains the imp cation that somewhere in a misty, faroff place, but out there n o n e t h e l e s s there is a vague but defining perimeter between what is art and what is entertaining To be sure, there is fine art and then there is decidedly not-so-fine art some of the names I’ve mentioned here would cause generations of Sun arts editors to weep But if, as the dictionary tells me, art is simply creative activity, perhaps we need to redefine the section as much as we need to reorganize the tools of the art critic So in the name of repealing Spotify private sessions, let’s take shame out of the art critic’s palette, and put the entertainment back into art

Emma Court is a junior in the School of Industrial Labor Realtions She can be reached at ecourt@cornellsun com Guest Room runs Tuesdays this semester

G irls Season Three:

‘ Has any one ever t aught you when to speak?’

“Shut the fuck up ” A line courtesy of the Girls season three finale’s most satisfying moment: Desi s girlfriend (Natalie Morales) confronting Marnie in the bathroom, wearing an oh-my-godembarrassingly similar dress and putting the kibosh on the I’m-nottrying-to-steal-your-boyfriend bullshit: “Has anyone ever taught you when to speak?”

In past seasons, Girls has not known when to shut (the fuck) up when to let plotlines and characters develop organically without hitting us over the head with meaning, when to stop the self-analyzing monologues and keep some motivations hidden, when to let its characters go back on their word and surprise us This finale, titled “Two Plane Rides,” however, proves that the show’s writing team has learned exactly that

The A V Club refers to this episode as an expert demonstration of the “television long con, ” comparing it to the season three finale of Mad Men, which floored viewers and critics by wrapping all of the season ’ s seemingly frivolous plotlines into one neat, coherent, apocalyptic plot twist By withholding information, or doling it out only during skimmable scenes and overlooked conversations, Girls has engineered a long con that I have to say, is even more satisfying and surprising than the gorey birth of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce

To understand where the end of season three leaves our four main stor ylines, it is necessar y to sift through what we ignored before the bits of dialogue not quoted in HuffPo’s weekly roundup, the facial expressions left un-gif-ed as well as acknowledge what we never, ever suspected

Episodes one and two showed Jessa turning rehab into a farce in standard Jessa fashion, and the middle of the season was hell-bent on relapsing her with the standard Jessa destruction spiral disguised by pith and bohemian chic The important moments contributing to what I call “the deglamorization of the glamor-drug addict,” come in smaller moments, not these big ones

Shoshanna’s stray comment to her in episode 10, “You look like a junkie,” was met with “I am a junkie,” final-

ly Paired with her jealous refusal to surrender Jaspar to his daughter (Felicity Jones) in episode 10, it’s evidence that Jessa’s drug addiction and privileged distaste for traditional employment isn’t all that’s weighing her down She has a crippling disbelief that lasting happiness is attainable for her the only cracks in her facade comes when she sees how it is possible for other people Her closing scene, rushing to undo the prescription drug suicide she was wooed into facilitating for Bede (Louise Lassar), gives us room to hope that season four will be different if she can fight to reverse what another person has done to themselves with drugs, maybe she can do it for herself too Shoshanna’s big news is that her “ cunt of a glaciology professor” decided to fail her and she is now three credits shy of an NYU diploma While we watched her sexual adventures and her frustration with her friends distract her all season, I never thought it was laying the groundwork for this kind of a meltdown It’s a crisp and brilliantly-acted reveal And then Marnie comes over in the middle of her heavymetal-soundtracked fit, bent on breaking the news that she has been sleeping with Ray cue the entirely-satisfying application of all those kickboxing classes While the writers of the show may have learned “when to speak,” Shoshanna certainly hasn’t, telling Ray, “during intermission you are going to buy me a pack of M&Ms and we are going to have a little chat ” That little chat has big content for a 15 minute intermission, a fact which Ray tries to no avail to point out, and ends with Shosh weeping in the lobby of the Broadway theater no reunion with Ray in the foreseeable future and nothing of the confident, driven, season one Shosh in sight Marnie is a goddamn sociopath I could have forgiven the twisted relish with which she revealed that she had gotten Desi to kiss her in his dressing room (don’t think she didn’t get off on the fact that it was a Broadway dressing room; Marnie’s lust for status is the only thing more bald-faced and revolting than her original song lyrics) and maybe even her maniacal grin when she watches Desi and Clementine fight outside the theater, but the hollowness of her words, “I’m not proud of it,” still has me clutching my stomach I’m sick of our resident pretty face, with her disgustingly well-suited “ pretty person job” as a gallery girl and her constant awareness and lack of concern about how awful she is “I know that I should have more respect for the emotional property of other women I know that I use sex for validation, I do that,” she rattles off while flipping her hair up into a towel, as if admitting it is the first and only step to making it okay

While most of season three has been devoted to Hannah, devoted to Adam, the opening scene of this finale drops a huge bomb not only has Hannah been applying to

graduate school, she’s been accepted by the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, dubbed correctly by Marnie as the “best M F A in the world ” What is important about this revelation is the light it casts back on the entire season It confirms what viewers were never sure of (is Hannah a good writer?), and it curb stomps the somewhat depressing but, at this point, generally-accepted notion that Hannah was ready to sacrifice just about anything to be with Adam

While her rage-quit speech at GQ’s advertorial department last week is important in understanding this (“I just expect more from life! I want every day to be exciting, and scary, and a rollercoaster of creative experiences!”), it’s not the most important Hannah has been making these grand announcements about her creative integrity since the pilot What is vital is episode nine, in which we are introduced to the women who, directly or indirectly, raised her It’s the episode in which Hannah’s mother (Becky Ann Baker), becomes a character in her own right, shaded in via what we see of her relationships with her sisters and mother and her careful and selfrevealing advice to Hannah about Adam: “ You’re so special You deserve everything and more I don’t want you to spend your whole life socializing him like a stray dog, making the world an easier place for him It’s not easy being married to an odd man It isn’t ” Aside from being one of the finest episodes of television I’ve ever seen (it introduces and beautifully develops four new characters in less than 30 minutes), it’s a knowing and nuanced portrait of an experience that I, and I’m sure many women my age, are familiar with Being placed in a crucible with the women who raised you gives you no choice but to think about your place among them, what elements of their lives you are inspired to copy and which you are motivated, by their own pressure or your own inner drive, to cast off completely Hannah’s mother truly does want the world for her: When Hannah calls her parents to share the news of her admission to grad school, expressing her hesitance about going, her mother replies “Are you kidding me? When opportunities like this arise, you figure it out You say yes, and you figure it out ” Where the finale of season two left a bad-rom-com-taste in a lot of viewers’ mouths, this finale is, to coin a phrase, a Sour Patch Kids ending (“First they’re sour, then they’re sweet!”) First the sour our closing shot on Marnie lights her as damn-near-unredeemable, our secret cheerleading for Shosh is shot down, hard, and I’m pretty sure that Bede plotline is about to involve some vomit Then the sweet Hannah’s career was the underlying gridwork of this season all along Just when we thought that the feminist voice of the show had been shut up forever, it speaks

Kaitlyn Tiffany is a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences She can be reached at arts-and-entertainment-editor@ cornellsun com

e DE ADLINE to email adver tis ements for Display and Classified Ads for the Monda y, April 7 issue of The Corne¬ Daily Sun is Thursda y, March 27, 3:00 p.m. e DE ADLINE for Display Ads for the Tuesda y, April 8 issue is Frida y, March 28, 12:00 noon

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E-mail: a

Am Going to Be Small by

PARTMENT

26 A PARTMENT FOR R ENT

Taking a Chance on Vick

SHATZMAN Continued from page 16

ROOMS

Surprising, though, was the fact that Philly was among the teams least in need of quarterback help Donovan McNabb had been the face of the Birds for years They landed a promising young arm and potential heir to McNabb in 2007 draft, Kevin Kolb

Of course, many teams in serious need of QB help were hesitant to sign Vick for reasons beyond what he offered under center It simply was not worth the risk, the backlash and the negative attention, many GMs said The Eagles knew full well that the addition of Vick meant scores of reporters, cameras and headlines From the earliest allegations, to his trial, to his release from prison, the coverage of Michael Vick was unceasing

The media made Vick’s stor y among the most notorious of the decade

But with all factors in m i n d , Philadelphia, a city full of sports fanatics who had just seen the Phillies win the World Series and their beloved Birds reach the NFC Championship, stayed true to its nickname, the City of Brotherly Love The Eagles’ organization believed in second chances, and, whether they believed that he would ever see the field or not, gave Michael Vick a fresh start in football, but more importantly, in life Friday marked the beginning of a new chapter for Michael Vick

on and off the field

Vick’s performance on the field far, far exceeded the expectations of NFL fans, coaches and connoisseurs He began as the third-string quarterback, a role that regularly leaves the player in street clothes on Sundays When McNabb was traded to the rival Redskins and Kevin Kolb suffered a concussion, Vick took over the starting job

He went on to win NFC Offensive Player of the Month in September 2010, and ultimately led a 21-point fourth quarter comeback to defeat the Giants and make the playoffs He was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2010 and signed a 6-year, $100 million dollar deal with Philly in 2011

The Eagles’ organization believed in second chances and...gave

Michael Vick a fresh start

In terms of on-field performance, Vick’s 2010 season was by far his most impressive feat, and although his subsequent seasons with the Eagles were less successful, he had already won over the hearts of the hearts of the city that took a chance He requited the love that Philadelphia showed him The following seasons were as important as his statistically brilliant 2010 campaign, though His struggles in 2012 led to Reid benching Vick in favor of rookie Nick Foles Vick handled the situation as any veteran would He supported what was best for the team and served as a leader on the sidelines and a mentor to the new starter

The 33-year-old agreed to a oneyear, $5 million dollar deal with the New York Jets, ending his five-year career with the Eagles It feels like just yesterday that ESPN cameras were zoomed in on Vick at his first training camp Maybe the years flew by because I grew up in Philly, or maybe because of his injuryprone style of play, but one cannot help but reflect on Michael Vick’s five years in Philadelphia both

His final season in Philadelphia in 2013 was a fitting culmination of Vick’s time with the Eagles Chip Kelly was named head coach Prior to the season, receiver Riley Cooper was the center of attention after video surfaced showing Cooper using a racial slur towards an African American at a concert

To read the rest of this article, please visit cornellsun com

Ben Shatzman can be reached at bshatzman@cornellsun com

Gangemi added that she never lost sight of the big-picture throughout her bouts Even when she was losing, she kept her composure and gave every match her all, she said

“It’s really important to fight for every touch, even if you don’t win, because that factors into your overall score The higher your indicator is, the higher you will be seeded,” she said

Wines also said that, as a firsttimer, the nonstop action and high level of play posed the biggest challenge to her game

“As a freshman I had no idea what to expect It was a really different environment than any other tournament we ’ ve had this season in terms of the caliber of fencing,” Wines said “Having to overcome being thrown into an environment where you have to be on you game at all times was my biggest challenge ”

While Gangemi and Wines were grateful to have each other

there for support, it was a challenge to enter the tournament in such small numbers, according to Wines

“Something that was hard was that we only sent two people to the tournament, whereas some other schools had the entire team there to suppor t each other,” W

and keep our eye on our main goal ”

Looking forward, both women are motivated to continue working hard in the hopes of improving upon their performances at next year ’ s NCAAs

“We had an amazing time representing Cornell this year and cannot wait to get back on the fencing strip next season, ” Gangemi said “We are incredibly motivated to work even harder next season to qualify again for the NCAAs and improve upon our results ”

Spor ts

Grapplers Seventh at Tournament; Three Earn All-American Honors

By ANNA FASMAN Sun Assistant Sports Editor

The men ’ s wrestling team traveled to Oklahoma City this weekend to compete in the NCAA tournament Eight wrestlers fought for the Red, with three of those eight finishing in the Top-10 for the country While the team finished in seventh place overall, sophomore Nahshon Garrett finished second in the country individually The other Top-10 finishers, Gabe Dean and Brian Realbuto, are both freshman, a promising sign for the team looking forward

In session one of the tournament, senior Mike Nevinger, junior Jace Bennett and freshman Mark Grey all fell to various opponents Nevinger, a previous two-time AllAmerican, suffered through a knee injury from the EIWA finals on March 8 and was unable to pull out the win Despite these losses, all eight wrestlers moved through to the next round At the end of the first round, Cornell sat in sixth place

matches The Red found itself in 10th place at the end of day one

During session three, Bennett was eliminated after losing to his opponent and ended his tournament run with two wins and two losses The rest of the remaining wrestlers Garrett, Dean, Realbuto, Villalonga, Grey and Palacio all advanced to the next round, winning their respective matches Cornell finished this session in fourth place, a success after its 10th place standing the day before

“We need to have a great offseason as a team if we want to win a national championship next year.”

G a b e D e a n

The majority of the Red’s wrestlers were eliminated from the tournament during session four Grey, Palacio and Villalonga all lost to their opponents, falling just short of the All-American rounds Although Dean and Realbuto struggled to earn victories as well, they still advanced to the next session due to wins in other matches of the session The Red finished this round in seventh place, where it would remain through the finish of the tournament

In the sixth and final session of the tournament, Garrett ended up losing a close 3-2 match to eventual champion Jesse Delgado of Illinois Both wrestlers came out with passion and tenacity, but were unable to score in the first period After a three point takedown by Delgado, Garrett looked to earn a win going into the final period As time ran out, however, Garrett found himself one point short of Delgado, putting him in second place

In session two, Nevinger fell 9-1 to his Lock Haven opponent, eliminating him from the tournament Senior Chris Villalonga and freshman Dylan Palacio also fell to their opponents, but were still able to advance to the next round because of other winning

“We are much better than seventh,” Garrett said of the Red’s overall finish “We are just still young When experience sets in, it will be a different story We will win nationals ”

In session five, the Red’s remaining three wrestlers Garrett, Realbuto and Dean all fought hard, with Dean and Realbuto earning third place and sixth place wins, respectively Garrett finished the round set to fight for first place

Vick and the City Of Brotherly Love

While the Philadelphia Eagles were progressing through the offseason in the summer of 2009, gearing up to avenge their loss in the NFC Championship, Michael Vick was merely thrilled to see the light of day Vick was just one month removed from his release not the standard NFL

Ben Shatzman

release but his release from incarceration

He had served 548 days in prison after he was convicted of playing a major role in a violent interstate dog-fighting ring He had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008 He was dropped by nearly all of his many big-name sponsors Animal rights organizations like PETA had already begun protesting against him The electrifying quarterback the man who was supposed to bring a Super Bowl title to Atlanta was the joke of professional sports Michael Vick had hit rock bottom But on Aug 13, 2009, he began his ascension of what seemed like far too steep of a mountain to climb Amid vehement criticism, protest, hate you name it the Eagles penned Vick to a low-end, one-year contract

“Obviously not what I was gunning for, but [it’s] still a great tournament and experience, ” Garrett said of his tournament run

Dean said he was disappointed by the team ’ s overall finish, echoing Garrett’s sentiments about the seventh place result

“We are a young team and we hold ourselves as a program to a very high expectation, seventh is not first and I think I speak for the

whole program when I say that,” he said “We need to have a great offseason as a team where everyone is working hard still and putting in time to get better if we want to win a national championship next year ”

After wrestling in his first NCAAs, Realbuto said he is excited about earning AllAmerican honors and that he enjoyed the rush that came from wrestling against the best in country, although he too said he is not happy with the seventh place finish

“That placement shows that there were multiple guys who didn’t reach their ultimate goals this year, ” Realbuto said “When our guys accomplish their goals, the team score will reflect that success ”

com

Two Represent Red at NC AA Championships

Victoria

Wines captures 14th place, Angelica Gangemi takes 16th

By SYDNEY ALTSCHULER Sun Assistant Sports Ed tor

This weekend, sophomore Angelica Gangemi and freshman Victoria Wines represented Cornell at the NCAA Fencing Championships, held at Ohio State’s French Fieldhouse Gangemi made her second appearance after placing 14th last year, while Wines experienced the event for the first time Both per-

formed well, with Gangemi taking 16th place overall and Wines nabbing 14th

Both fencers came into the weekend off strong regional performances, with Wines earning a silver medal in the epee competition and Gangemi taking ninth overall in foil Gangemi posted a solid 52-17 record on the season, and Wines finished with a standout 56-12 and became just the third fencer in Cornell history to earn first-team All-Ivy honors after a 15-3 showing at the Ivy RoundRobins

The NCAA Fencing Committee is highly selective, choosing just 24 fencers per event for a total of 144 participants overall According to Gangemi, participating among the nation’s elite for the second time in her collegiate career was an honor, providing her an opportunity to put her talent to the test

“It was such an honor to return to the NCAAs this year, ” she said “I had the opportunity to showcase all of the hard work and time I put into training this season and got to compete against the best fencers in the country ”

Wines earned 10 victories over the weekend, including wins over two top-10 finishers in Notre Dame’s Nicole Ameli (eighth place) and Har vard’s Emma Vaggo (ninth place) She posted a touchdifferential of -6 (87-93)

Gangemi was effusive in her praise for Wines’ accomplishments, which she felt were especially admirable as a freshman

“I’m incredibly proud of Vicki for qualifying as a freshman That is an

incredible feat,” she said “She’s such a strong fencer and a fighter ” Gangemi also picked up 10 wins, including a top-ten conquest over St John’s Irene Spezzamonte (10th), and finished with a touch-differential of -9 (7786)

“The third round on the first day was a really good round I beat both of the St Johns fencers and they are really tough competitors in my region,” Gangemi said “That was definitely a highlight for me ” The format of the tournament is particularly challenging, as fencers compete in a round-robin of five-touch bouts

Each competitor must fence everyone in that respective event, which amounts to a total of 23 bouts in a two-day period Fencers are then re-seeded depending on their performances, and the top-four finishers in each weapon fence in semi-final 15-touch bouts, with the winners facing off to determine first and second place According to Gangemi, mastering the mental game is half the battle Competitors seek to gain the psychological edge over opponents by remaining focused and in control under these highpressure conditions

“You are fencing amazing fencers bout after bout the best of the best in the nation and it gets very tiring, so a huge part of the tournament is mental focus,” she said “You need to be a fighter to get positive results ”