03-28-12

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Opens Sports Bar

Bar will boast up to a dozen T Vs and serve 16 beers on tap

By ALEX KUCZYNSKI-BROWN Sun Senior Writer

Students still in mourning over the closing of Dino’s, Johnny O’s and the Royal Palm have perhaps been granted a respite, as the recent expansion of Jack’s Grill to include a sports bar promises to fill a Collegetown niche

According to Kevin Sullivan, who coowns Jack s with George Figueroa, the pair had planned to expand the 120 Dr yden Rd eater y even before several Collegetown bars closed

Still, Sullivan, who is also part owner of

Loco and The Connection, said those closings “[don’t] hurt ” The previous occupant of the property adjoining Jack’s was K C Copy, whose owner retired Sullivan and Figueroa took over the space on March 1, and have since renovated the property, installing high-definition televisions and a ser vice window through which customers will be able to order food from the neighboring Jack s Grill kitchen “ We’re keeping the quick-ser vice atmosp

See BAR page 4

Mayor Defends City Against Claims of Discrimination

By MICHAEL LINHORST Sun Senior Writer

In the face of four ongoing discrimination lawsuits against the city, Mayor Svante Myrick 09 said that Ithaca is committed to diversity and that he is confident the city will prevail in court

Although all four suits claim racial discrimination, Myrick said the city does not “actively, systemically discriminate He added that it seems to be “ a coincidence that all four of these happened to hit within a year ”

The most recent of the four lawsuits, filed on March 13 by a former Building Department housing inspector, seeks $3 million in damages The inspector, Ramon Santana, alleges the Building Commissioner “made open racially charged comments about him while attending a staff meeting” one of a series of events that, Santana says, created a hostile work environment

In a separate lawsuit, Mark Hassan, a former city firefighter, is arguing that he faced discrimination within the Ithaca Fire Department In the suit, he says he

“We feel confident that the employees in question were removed for cause and there was no discrimination involved.”

Mayor Svante Myrick ’09

“has been referred to, among other terms, as a towel head’ and dune coon ’ and portrayed as prone to violence ” Hassan was fired from the department in 2011 and argues his dismissal was a retaliatory measure against him for raising discrimination claims

By HARRISON OKIN Sun Staff Writer

After passing a resolution in Febr uar y that will allow the Interfraternity Council to fine fraternities for major policy violations, the IFC is now implementing a system to reward chapters’ good behavior by providing them with free food on Slope Day

Houses will be judged according to five criteria academics, athletics, alumni, philanthropy and social responsibility and will have to complete at least four events by April 25 in order to qualify for the reward IFC President Chris Sanders 13 said this plan marks a new approach for the council in ensuring that chapters operate by its regulations

“Both we and the houses have a time and budget constraint,” Sanders said “It’s more like hosting one academic event, such as having a professor come and speak at the frat, or one alumni event, such as having some alumni from different fields come back and host a career fair for brothers ”

Additionally, each chapter must host at least one philanthropy event, one successful dry event and participate in or

garner a majority of their chapter s attendance for at least two intramural sports events, according to Sanders To receive credit, houses are required to send in a brief description and a photograph of brothers participating in each event

“Most of what we do is regulation and punishment,” said Alan Workman ’13, executive vice president of the IFC “We wanted to think of the carrot instead of the stick We’re not forcing

About two years before he was fired, Hassan says he was ordered to attend a “psychological examination without cause or basis, a tactic employed by the City of Ithaca against disfavored employees ”

Myrick said that each of the lawsuits is “without merit ”

“We feel confident that the employees in question were removed for cause and there was no discrimination involved,” he said

The Santana and Hassan lawsuits join two suits recently followed by city police officers In one, filed in May 2010, Chris Miller claims he faced harsher discipline than his non-white colleagues He also argues the city retaliated against him for filing a human rights complaint He is seeking $17 million in damages

In the other police lawsuit, filed Feb 29, Sgt Douglas Wright alleges that he was unfairly passed over for promotion twice In both instances, he says, a black officer was promoted instead of him because of his race Wright is seeking $10 5 million from the lawsuit’s defendants, who include the IPD, former Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson and other city officials

“ The defendants unfairly and routinely endorse, suppor t and believe the word of African-American and minority employees over

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Daybook

Today

Kashi Kick-off Party Noon - 2 p m , Trillium Dining

Red Cloud Lunch ’ n ’ Learn Seminar

12:15 - 1:30 p m , 655 Frank H T Rhodes Hall HTML I

2 - 4 p m , Uris Classroom Library

Stop Procrastinating and Get It Done 4:30 p m , 3330 South Balch Hall

Visitor’s Guide to an Alien Planet: Washington, D C 5:30 p m , G10 Biotechnology Building

Tomorrow

Re-Cycle Your Electronics

8 a m - 3:30 p m , Cornell Recycle Center Soup and Hope Noon - 1 p m , Sage Hall

EAS Spring 2012 Seminar

3 - 4:30 p m , 2146 Snee Hall

Fulbright Information Session For Undergraduates

4:30 - 6 p m , G01 Uris Hall

Art of the Schmooze

4:45 - 6 p m , 233 Plant Science

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-sergorp

Weird News of the Week

selgnatnu

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) A real-life Hamburglar has str uck at a Maine McDonald’s Police say a young man, seemingly inspired by the

McDonald’s adver tising campaigns, ran between a car and the takeout window at the Augusta restaurant Sunday night as an employee handed a bag of food to a driver

A witness flagged down an officer leaving a nearby convenience store

Lt Christopher Massey, acting on a description of the hungr y thief, found him in the parking lot of a rival fast food restaurant diving into a McDonald’s bag

t Massey says the three young men who had their food stolen didn’t know the burger thief McDonald’s replaced the stolen food, wor th about $20

a 19-story plunge from a Boston high rise

Sugar the cat had no broken bones or cuts, just some bruising on her lungs after the fall from a window owner

Brittany Kirk had opened to enjoy the recent unseasonably warm weather

The Animal Rescue League estimates Sugar fell between 150 and 200 feet

Kirk tells WBZ-TV she thinks Sugar used up “ one or two or maybe eight” of her nine lives

Veterinarian Hugh Davis says in falls from high places, cats splay their legs in a “flying squirrel position” which slows their descent

Kirk calls Sugar’s survival a “miracle” and says building management has since installed a screen in her window

NEW YORK (AP) A prehistoric monster snake is making a quick stopover in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal

The full-scale replica of the Titanoboa ty-tan-uhBOH’-ah) was unveiled Thursday as a promotion for an exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D C

When it roamed the Earth, the snake was 48 feet long and weighed 2,500 pounds

BOSTON (AP) A veterinarian says acting like a flying squirrel may have saved a cat from serious injury in

Titanoboa was discovered in 2005 among a trove of fossils in one of the world s largest open-pit coal mines in Colombia It lived more than 60 million years ago when dinosaurs no longer ruled

The giant reptile heads for Washington on Friday

Staff Receive Education Through C.U. Program

By MANU RATHORE Sun Staff Wr ter

When Paw Pha, an immigrant from Myanmar, came to Cornell in 2006, his English and his computer skills were limited But one day, Pha, a librar y collections assistant at the University, stumbled

l’s

u p o

C

Partnership program

“ We focus on areas of high school completion, English as a second language and computer skills,” said Virginia Steele, assistant director of CL ASP, which, since 1990, has paired hundreds of support staff with students to choose a “personal learning objective” and work to achieve that goal “ There are a big variety of personal goals that employees have, ranging from learning basic English to help with college level courses ”

“I wanted to learn English and then learn computer skills, as we use computers a lot at work, Pha said

know anything about computers, ” he said “It is a nice experience [Hutko] is really good and explains me stuff when I don’t understand something ”

When he star ted the program, his “main inspiration,” Pha said, was to pass his GED tests Pha also said that he wanted to learn English so when they come to the librar y to get books, he can better understand students’ requests

Now a member of the program for six years, Pha said CL ASP has helped him achieve half of his goal Although he said he is still learning to operate computers, he believes his English has improved “ When I started, I knew only a little bit of English Now, I can say that I am a little better,” he said

Interest in the program has not waned, Steele said, because employees want to improve their skills and form “ one-to-one learning partnerships” with students

their education on a personal one-to-one basis ”

Approximately half the employees in CL ASP are foreigners, according to Steele This provides students an opportunity to learn from the employees who ser ve them, she said

Paired up with Robert Hutko, a program aide for CL ASP, for two hours a w e e k , P

d h

e g a n l e a r n i n g

“English, and after a while moved to computers ”

“ When I started working here, I didn’t

“From the point of view of employees, they cook for students and help maintain other facilities but they also often don’t have the chance to have a good conversation or get to know the pressures that students are under,” Steele said Additionally, Steele said that for ser vice employees, CL ASP “is one of the few opportunities that they have to continue

“ They see custodians in their dormitories taking care of them, they see them cooking food, cleaning the sidewalks for them, but actually forming a friendship with custodial workers provides them with a new perspective of Cornell,” Steele said Hutko said that the program also has a broader effect on the Cornell community

“ When someone in our community is empowered to learn and know something that they didn’t know before, it creates a positive feeling for them, as well as [an] ability for positive action, he said “ This ripples out They might share it with coworkers, their children and their spouses ” Re

n d progress after joining CL ASP, Pha said, “I am glad that Cornell has this opportunity for the employees It is really helpful When you come here, you can learn anything ”

Manu Rathore can be reached at mrathore@cornellsun com

Johnson ’13 Films Documentar y About Orphanage in Haiti

By LUCY MEHRABYAN Sun Contributor

Fo

r t h e p a s t t w o m o n t h s , Cornell student and avid filmmaker Jamie Johnson ’13 has been working on a documentary film that he hopes will result in the closing of a Haitian orphanage that he says is abusing and selling children

Johnson said he was a sopho-

m o re w h e n h e h e a rd a b o u t

Morgan Weinberg a then 19 year old who was working in Haiti to provide a safe house for abused

c h i l d re n i n t h e o r p h a n a g e i n

Po r t - a u - Pr i n c e In s p i re d by Weinberg’s work, Johnson decided to take a leave of absence to work on the documentary, which chronicles Weinberg’s efforts to fight child exploitation

A l o n g w i t h We i n b e r g , Johnson has been running an international development orga-

nization, Little Footprints Big Steps, which aims to provide a place of transition where children can stay while waiting to be reunited with their families

The orphanage also houses m a n y c h i l d re n w h o a re n o t orphans, but have been sent there by their parents, who are unable to care for them

The owner of the orphanage manages the operation like a business, ” Johnson said “She uses the kids as bait to bring in donations from foreigners and takes that money to travel and throw parties to demonstrate her wealth and convince parents to part with their children ”

Johnson accused the owner of the orphanage of keeping the money she receives from international aid while selling children for adoption or as indentured servants

“The only money that makes

it to the kids is a meager ration of food, just enough to keep them alive,” Johnson said Johnson said he hopes to help reunite the children with their families

Little Footprints Big Steps has tried to prevent child abandonm e n t by g i v i n g p a re n t s t h e opportunity to work at the safe house and by sponsoring their children’s education

Johnson and Weinberg also work with communities to educate parents and children about family dynamics and family planning

“In working to make local

n t , we hope to improve Haiti's ability to monitor and protect child rights, Weinberg said “There is a disgusting awareness of the abuse children suffer here and an

action I want to change that

o r t s , Weinberg and Johnson said that trying to shut down the orphanage, move the children living t h e re t o t h

e h o u s e a n d reunite them with their families has been a frustrating and slow process

“Working with Haitian Social Services has been eye-opening as to how dysfunctional government can be,” Johnson said “We are sitting on a mansion, with beds for all 80 kids toilets electricity running water, enough money to send them to school, thousands of pounds of food and all kinds of love It’s just sad on so many levels ” While waiting for assistance from the government, Johnson has been working to raise awareness and funds for the organization He said he is trying to find grants to support its work, recruit volunteers and set up a scholarship program that will help children receive higher education

The goal of all of these projects is to give the kids opportunities to realize their potential,” Johnson said “This is something

that is necessary for happiness but is quite absent in much of Haiti ”

Si d n e y Ma d s e n ’ 1 3 w a s among a small group of Cornell students who traveled to Haiti during winter break to volunteer for Little Footprints Big Steps

“ W h e n I we n t d ow n , I thought I was going to help move the kids, but I wasn ’ t able to because everything was delayed,” Madsen said “The stuff I did was mostly insignificant, but what I can do now is to spread awareness, which is more important doing small fundraisers, getting people involved at Cornell ”

Ma d s e n p r a i s e d We i n b e r g ’ s willingness to take action on an issue that she said many people are unwilling to confront

“[ Weinberg was] one of the few people who saw a problem that needed to be fixed and did everything she could to address the issue, regardless of the fact that so many people said, ‘[This] i s s u e i s t o o b i g f o r yo u t o address,’” Madsen said

Lucy Mehrabyan can be reached at lm592@cornell edu

Alleged Rape

An officer was dispatched to take a report regarding an alleged rape on March 20, according to the Cornell University Police Department

Driving While Intoxicated

Samantha A Maynard was referred to the Ithaca City Court on March 18 for reportedly driving while intoxicated on Maple Avenue,, according to a report from the CUPD

Trespassing

Police referred David C Abbott of Lansing, N Y , to the Ithaca City Court for allegedly trespassing in the Noyes Community Center

Compiled by Danielle Sochaczevski

there and this will be more of a casual place where you still go up and order at the window, and then when your food’s ready, we call out your name, ” Sullivan said

When the renovation process is complete, the space will boast up to a dozen TVs featuring “ pretty much anything anybody wants, ” according to Sullivan

“We’ll subscribe to all the good packages and all that stuff I know we have some soccer fans; we’ll keep them happy,” he said “We’re looking at doing a big projector, too ”

The expanded Jack’s will host a soft opening without alcohol being ser ved Wednesday afternoon, with a grand opening planned for when the bar receives its liquor license Sullivan hopes that this will happen before the end of the spring semester

“I can hope all I want; it’s not up to me, he said “We hire a professional kind of intermediary between us and the liquor authority to deal with them Hopefully [it will happen] sooner than later, but it’s all up to them ”

The bar will offer 16 beers on tap, along with wine, he said

“We’re not doing any liquor

We’re not going to be a crazy club or anything,” Sullivan said, adding that the new addition will operate more as a restaurant than a bar Patrons who are under 21 will still be able to order food and watch sports with their friends, he said

The original Jack s will maintain its regular hours, while the new addition will be open from 4 p m until 1 a m every day except Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when it will open at 11 a m

“We’re going to push br unch,” Sullivan said “We [already] do a big brunch business and I think it will overflow into this and really get bigger and better ”

Matt Koren ’12 echoed Sullivan’s sentiment, saying, “I think it’s a vastly different idea It’s an entirely different option from what Cornell students have now ”

Koren said that while he does not know if the expanded Jack’s will cater to an entirely different clientele, he does not think there will be an overlap between those who go to Jack’s and those who go elsewhere in Collegetown on a given night

was close by and shut down ”

Outcalt said he and his friends have to drive to Buffalo Wild Wings, which opened a couple years ago, to have a comparable experience

“I’m frankly surprised that this opportunity hasn’t been explored by other owners or landlords yet, he said

Outcalt believes that the fact that Jack’s will serve alcohol will help attract people to the venue and promote camaraderie in the bar

“I could see myself saying, ‘See you at Jack’s Saturday ’” A n is ha Ch opra ’ 1 3

He added that mimosas will be available, as will all the makings of “the classic American breakfast ”

Sullivan declined to comment on how much he and Figueroa paid to buy out the lease of K C Copy, but said he thinks “it will be worth it especially with all the bars closing and not having a [sports bar] scene [as it is]

“You could go to Rulloff ’ s, but Rulloff ’ s gets really crazy And Stella’s is really kind of classy kind of upscale and expensive,” he added

“People go to a sports bar to hang out with their friends and watch sports, ” Koren said “People go to Rulloff ’ s to [drink heavily] ”

Dan Outcalt ’12 envisions the Jack’s addition as a place where people interested in watching a night game in a low-key atmosphere can go before venturing to other bars

“I think there’s a huge market at Cornell among students and people in Collegetown for a sports bar,” he said “We had something like that at Benchwarmers That

are drinking a beer,” he said

Outcalt said that while he probably goes to Jack’s once every couple weeks for Sunday brunch, with the expansion, he could see himself going “ a lot, just because there’s no really other more economically-priced food place in Collegetown that also offers a sitdown area that would have a bar and beer available ”

“ You can go get food and watch the game at a lot of places, and I think Jack’s already having a good bar-food type of atmosphere is a great place [that], with an addition would draw a lot of people to go get some Jack’s food, grab a couple beers and watch the Jets play or for me, watch my favorite Ohio teams play,” he said

Outcalt said he does not expect the lack of hard alcohol to be detrimental to the business

Whether or not hard liquor is there is [irrelevant]; in this type of a place, I don’t really think that’s a factor People aren ’ t drinking scotch on the rocks while they’re trying to watch basketball, people

As a freshman living on North Campus, Collin Schultz ’15 said that it s kind of a trek to Collegetown ” Still, Schultz said, he could imagine a lot of people going to Jack’s “during the end of May, when it’s really nice out ”

According to Sullivan, the eatery ’ s peak season is April and May, which motivated his efforts to finish the renovations quickly to provide extra dining space

Anisha Chopra ’13 said that right now, Jack’s “ seems like more of a fast-food place [that’s] a little over-priced to get it and go ”

However, depending on the outcome of the renovation process, she may be more inclined to frequent the restaurant I could see myself saying, See you at Jack’s Saturday,’” Chopra said

Alex Kuczynski-Brown can be reached at akb@cornellsun com

As Reward, IFC to Give Frats

Food for Free on

Slope Day

may expand the “pilot program, ” Sanders said

frats to do anything but rather allowing them to do what we do best and have it pay off in a good way ” Sanders said that food will be distributed from an IFC tent on the slope, and eligible brothers will receive wristbands designating that their chapter met the qualifications

Sanders said he wants all houses to be able to complete the challenge Similarly, chapters cannot be disqualified from participating in the challenge as long as they meet the criteria of at least one event for four categories

Fraternity presidents spoke positively about the changes

“We need some sort of system that credits frats for following the rules,” said Eric Silverberg ’14, president of Tau Epsilon Phi

“The Greek system gets a lot of unfair publicity for bad cases, and rightfully so, but the good aspects don’t get reported enough ”

Though Silverberg said the IFC debated other rewards, such as a tailgate or block party in Collegetown, Jesse Bendit ’13, president of Psi Upsilon, praised the IFC’s decision to provide free food, citing its potential to benefit brothers from every fraternity

“It’s a huge advantage to have food right there on the slope, especially for houses that aren ’ t located so close to it, Bendit said “We’ll get this special area designated that rewards you for good behavior your houses have done ”

Silverberg said every fraternity should be able to obtain the free food on Slope Day

“A lot of the chapters fulfill most, if not all, of these standards already,” he said “Now, chapters and brothers will be encouraged to take the next step and earn the rewards ”

Additionally, if the incentive system proves effective in encouraging good behavior, the IFC

For instance, Colin Foley 14, vice president for University and community relations for the IFC, said he hopes that next year ’ s incentive program will be broader and more extensive

“The bigger plan will ask more from the frats, but give more back to them in the future,” Foley said “It comes down to what our chapters want We’ll differentiate it in each category and have more prizes and incentives to offer to specific houses

Because this year ’ s plan is a new development, it was not outlined in the previous IFC executive board’s budget, according to Ian Edelson 13, vice president for finance for the IFC

Regardless, he said the IFC is not concerned about paying for the plan

Edelson said the IFC will reallocate funds to look for new sources of revenue, as the IFC budget always has some flexibility for end of year events He said they will likely use funds from a University provision that mandates that fraternity members studying abroad have to continue IFC base dues

Silverberg said that while the plan received nearly unanimous support, some chapter presidents felt as if these rewards do not incentivize good behavior in the same way that punishments deter bad behavior

However, Silverberg also said that he is confident that the combination of the judicial fine system and the new incentive program will demonstrate to the University that fraternities are committed to reversing the negative stereotypes surrounding the Greek system

Food on Slope Day only lasts a few hours But this is a good first step towards changing our image,” Silverberg said

Harrison Okin can be reached at hokin@cornellsun com

Myrick ’09 Denies Allegations of Racism

LAWSUIT Continued from page 1

that of [ Wright] and male Caucasian employees,” the lawsuit states Wright’s lawsuit claims that IPD s racial discrimination extends to “hiring, promotions, discipline, retention, training, assignments and investigations into misconduct ”

Despite the four lawsuits, Myrick said that he is not undertaking any special efforts to fight discrimination because he is confident in Ithaca’s existing diversity programs

in May 2010 prohibited him “‘from entering any City of Ithaca building, facility, property or worksite,’ a restriction not placed upon other suspended firefighters ”

His lawsuit, which was originally reported by The Ithaca Journal, was filed July 1 The

“The city is vigorously defending itself against these old, unwarranted allegations The city is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.”

A aron Lav ine ’ 0 1 , J D ’ 0 4

But Hassan who was a firefighter for almost 15 years argues that the city, the firefighters’ union and other defendants violated [his] right to be free from discrimination on the basis of national origin ”

In one example of alleged discrimination, Hassan says a notice of discipline he received

defendants successfully moved it from state court to federal district court at the end of ctober

"The city is vigorously defending itself against these old, unwarranted allegations,” Ithaca City Attorney Aaron Lavine told The Journal on Thursday “The city is proud to be an equal oppor tunity employer, and Mr Hassan's employment was terminated

only after a full and fair arbitration " In his lawsuit, Santana who was a city housing inspector from late 2006 until he was fired in 2010 says he was denied overtime that was granted to white employees He argues that the overtime was necessary for him to be able to complete his duties

Lavine told The Journal that, like Hassan, Santana was only fired after a full arbitration

Although all four lawsuits claim racial discrimination and are still active, Myrick denied that systemic discrimination exists in the city’s government

“It seems that there is a rash of lawsuits, but we feel that, after reviewing each lawsuit, each is without merit,” he said

Michael Linhorst can be reached at mlinhorst@cornellsun com

CORNELL CAMPUS OFF CAMPUS

Admissions Of fice

Africana Librar y Center

Alice Cook Dining

Alumni House

Anabel Taylor Hall

(One World Café)

Appel Commons

Baker Hall

Bar nes Hall

Bar tels Hall

Bethe House

Big Red Bar n

Carl Becker House

Carpenter Hall Librar y

Clark Hall

Cor nell Store

Cour t Hall

Dair y Bar

Day Hall Main Lobby

Dickson Hall

Donlon Hall

Duf field Hall

Environmental Health & Safety Building

Flora Rose House

Gannett

Goldwin Smith

Ives Hall (ILR)

Ivy Room (WSH)

Johnson Museum

Kosher Dining Hall

Mac’s Café

Mar tha’s (MVR)

Mann Librar y

Myron Taylor Hall (Hughes Dining)

Noyes Main Lobby

Okenshields (Willar d Straight Hall)

Physical Science Baker (Goldies)

Plantations

Welcome Center

Libe Café

Rhodes Hall

Risley Dining

Rober t Pur cell Community Center (RPCC)

Sage Hall Atrium

Sibley Hall (Green Dragon Café)

Statler Hall

Stocking Hall (front lobby)

Tatkon Center

Teagle Hall

Trillium & Trillium Express

Uris Hall

Vet Center (Shur man Hall)

Willar d Straight Hall Lobby

William Keeton House

Autumn Leaves Used

Books (Ithaca Commons)

Bear Necessities

College Variety

Collegetown Bagels

Commons Market

(Aurora St downtown)

CFCU (Triphammer Rd )

Express Mar t

Hillside Inn

Hilton Gar den Inn

Holiday Inn

Ithaca Cof fee Co

Ithaca College (Phillips Hall)

Jason’s Grocer y & Deli

Kendal

Kraftees

Lifelong

Mayer’s Smoke Shop

P&C (East Hill Plaza)

Shor tstop Deli

Stella’s

Tops (Triphammer Rd )

Universal Deli

D artmouth Ha zing Controversy Debated

By THE DARTMOUTH

On the heels of hazing allegations leveled by Andrew Lohse, a senior and former member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Dartmouth College, in a January opinon column in The Dar tmouth, numerous national media outlets have covered the ensuing campus reaction and College response including the Associated Press, The New York Times and The Boston Globe which focused on hazing at Dartmouth in an editorial that criticized the College’s actions regarding hazing on campus

“For the sake of its students, who could be injured by hazing, and its reputation as a broad-minded i n s t i t u t i o n , Dartmouth should send a strong message against such behavior,” The Globe’s editorial board wrote D

s Vice President for Alumni Relations

the hazing allegations might have grown nationally due to the initially intense coverage of the story by local news outlets such as the Valley News and The Globe, two publications that frequently publish College-related news

“I do find it interesting that [hazing] occurs everywhere, and it has been repor ted about Dartmouth sometimes in a way that makes it seem unique when it s not, he said But I understand that there are aspects of [Lohse’s] story that lend themselves to sensationalism and can make for a good story

Mar tha Beattie sent an email obtained by The Dartmouth to members of Dartmouth’s Alumni Council on March 13 addressing potential concerns about hazing at the College and the recent increase in national press coverage of the issue The email included links to articles from The Globe, the AP and a letter to the editor submitted by College President Jim Yong Kim to The Globe

National news outlets including CBS News, Fox News and ABC News picked up the article written by the AP, which summarized Lohse’s allegations and the subsequent College and media responses The article also included inter vie ws with Dean of the College Charlotte Johnson, Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone and two Dartmouth students, as well as an email from Brendan Mahoney, a senior at Dartmouth and the president of its SAE chapter, discussing the administration’s response

The story has also been featured in news outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The Huffington Post

The national media coverage of the hazing allegations has not affected College policy but has provided an opportunity to foster discussion on hazing in a productive manner, ” Director of Media Relations at Dartmouth College

Justin Anderson said in an interview with The Dartmouth

“The media is going to focus on what it chooses to focus on, and [the College] will not let the media dictate policy,” Anderson said “Hazing is an incredibly complicated and complex issue and it merits serious and thoughtful consideration and policy, and that is how [the College] has approached it ” Anderson said that interest in

Despite the growing national attention on the hazing allegations at the College, Anderson said that the administration s “quick” response to the issue reflects its commitment to addressing student issues such as hazing and high-risk drinking Anderson cited the campus-wide email sent by Dean of the College Charlotte Johnson on Jan 25, the day that Lohse’s oped appeared in The Dartmouth, as well as an email from Kim sent on March 22 that announced the creation of the Committee on Student Safety and Accountability

“Hazing is prohibited by Dartmouth and the law and when met with allegations, the College is going to act, ” he said I think it was pretty clear right away before there was any media coverage that Dartmouth takes hazing very seriously

The media coverage of the hazing allegations has not impacted how the College has acted in terms of policy decisions, according to Anderson

“Dartmouth has an internal disciplinary process when allegations are made and found to be worthy of a charge and that’s what happened in the case of SAE,” he said “The internal process is playing itself out, and that would have happened if there wasn ’ t media coverage ” Students interviewed by The Dartmouth said that the national spotlight on the College’s hazing allegations reflects the highly controversial nature of the issue

“I think it’s positive in that it brings attention to hazing which is an important issue that needs to be addressed,” Chloe Moon, a junior at Dar tmouth, said “But it’s unfortunate that Dartmouth is getting negative attention in response to the coverage ”

Eirik Voll, a sophomore at Dartmouth, said he believes that the media response to the story has been “blown out of proportion ” “ Whatever happens here on campus, I can t understand how all of the media attention is justified,” he said

Dar tmouth senior Andrea Jaresova added that the College does not typically address issues until they are highly publicized

Colo. Wildfire Could Be Linked To Controlled Burn

CONIFER, Colo (AP) Investigators on Tuesday were trying to determine whether a routine controlled burn last week, designed to minimize wildfire risk, reignited and became a stubborn mountain wildfire that forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes, destroyed at least 23 structures and may have caused the deaths of two people

Federal agencies dispatched hundreds of firefighters and two large air tankers to tackle the 7-square-mile blaze that forced mandatory evacuations of 900 homes south of the commuter town of Conifer, about 8,200 feet up in the Rockies foothills and 25 miles southwest of downtown Denver

Some 450 firefighters from Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Utah were sent to assist 250 firefighters on the ground

The fire mostly consumed grass, brush and some Ponderosa Pine tree canopies Winds were 20 mph to 30 mph and blowing in all directions

Denver’s tightly populated southwestern suburbs were not threatened

County sheriff ’ s spokeswoman Traci Kelley said the wildfire may have sprung from a controlled burn The Colorado State Forest Service did conduct a 35-acre burn in the region on Thursday on land belonging to Denver’s water authority in an ongoing effort to reduce wood fuels for fire, said forest service spokesman Ryan Lockwood

Crews finished the effort on Friday and patrolled the 35-acre perimeter daily to ensure it was out, Lockwood said It was during Monday s patrol that a state forest service crew spotted the wildfire also on Denver Water property alerted authorities, and began fighting it, Lockwood said It wasn ’ t clear if the wildfire was inside the controlled burn zone

The Jefferson County Sheriff s Office will determine the cause of the blaze, while the Colorado State Forest Service was conducting its own review, Lockwood said

Stacy Chesney, a spokeswoman for Denver Water, said the agency was “trying to be proactive” to protect water supplies from soil runoff caused by deforestation

The area has several watersheds that feed metropolitan Denver and is several miles from the location of the 2002 Hayden Fire, one of Colorado’s worst, which destroyed 133 homes and 466 outbuildings over 215 square miles

Protocols for controlled fires include having a certain number of people monitoring it until it is determined to be cold meaning nothing is at risk for reigniting, said Roberta D’Amico, spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho

N.Y. Officer Convicted Of Schoolteacher Sex Assault

NEW YORK (AP) A police officer was convicted on Tuesday of grabbing a schoolteacher off a street and sexually assaulting her at gunpoint while he was off duty, but jurors were told to keep deliberating on some unresolved counts, including rape

The verdict came during a day of jury tension in an unusual trial in which the defendant admitted a repugnant attack but said he wasn ’ t guilty of the charges against him

Jurors, however, found Michael Pena, 28, guilty of committing a criminal sex act and some counts of predatory sexual assault, an offense that involves wielding a weapon during certain sex crimes It was the top charge in the case and carries the potential for life in prison Pena, suspended since his August arrest, was fired shortly after the partial verdict

The victim gasped tearfully as it was read The defendant’s relatives sat tensely, but he displayed no visible reaction

“He’s stoic about it” and eying avenues to appeal, said his lawyer, Ephraim Savitt

But, the lawyer added, “he’s been remorseful from the day I met him, eight months ago ”

Manhattan District Attorney’s Cyr us R Vance Jr s office declined to comment on the case while the deliberations continued

The woman testified that Pena grabbed her off the street, forced her into an Upper Manhattan apartment building cour tyard and raped her and forced her into other sexual acts

Coroner: Vermont Prep School Teacher Was Killed

ST JOHNSBURY, Vt (AP) The Vermont prep school teacher whose toddler was found alone in her idling SUV over the weekend was killed, a medical examiner r uled Tuesday as an autopsy confirmed a body found along an isolated stretch of road was indeed hers

Melissa Jenkins’ exact cause of death was not released so as not to inhibit the investigation, authorities said Police did not say whether they had a suspect in their sights, and detectives returned Tuesday to the area where the body was found to collect more evidence “ We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Ms Jenkins, and our thoughts are with her family and friends,” said the lead investigator, State Police Maj Ed Ledo “ We remain committed to solving this case and to identify and bring to justice the person or persons responsible for the death of Ms Jenkins

A makeshift memorial of luminaries white paper bags with individual notes from students on them lined the entr y to a main

Academy, where Jenkins worked as a science teacher The boarding school also ser ves as the public high school for St Johnsbur y, a town of a

Canadian border

Between 100 and 200 students and faculty m

night after the ne ws came out that a body had been found Classes were canceled Tuesday

They have a range of emotions, just like me, ” headmaster Tom Lovett said Tuesday of his students “I’m done with the numbness and I’m done with the confusion; there’s a lot of sadness and a lot of anger star ting to arise ”

last August, threatening to shoot her in the face if she resisted She was on her way to her first day of work at a teaching job; he was wrapping up a drunken night of trying to pick up women, according to evidence at the trial

Community members speculated who could have killed a single mother they described as kind and helpful, and they anxiously awaited an arrest I just hope they find whoever did it, said a tear ful Marion Beattie Cairns, who owns The Creamer y Restaurant in Danville, where Jenkins had worked as a waitress at night “Her little boy that’s what breaks my hear t right now ”

Students were writing letters to Jenkins 2year-old-son, Tyrell Javon Rober tson, known as Ty, so he could eventually know how she had changed their lives, Lovett said Jenkins taught science and had ser ved as the freshman girls basketball coach at the academy, a school of about 970 students that was established in the 1840s and whose alumni include President Calvin Coolidge

Three

NICHOLAS

JOSEPH VOKT 14

ERIKA

Editorial

Disclosure

In Alcohol S creening

ON FEB 6, GANNET T HEALTH SERVICES implemented a policy that screens ever y patient who comes into the clinic for signs of alcohol dependency and abuse Studies have shown that early screening is effective in reducing the long term health consequences that come with alcohol abuse and dependency, and it is commendable that Cornell is implementing this early screening However, students’ complaints of being misled by screening practices are concerning, and Gannett should strive to maintain tr ust between its healthcare providers and patients

As par t of Gannett’s ne w policy, all students who come into Gannett, regardless of the reason for the visit, are asked if they have had over either four or five drinks in one sitting in the past two weeks, depending on their gender If they answer yes, then they are given a 10-par t questionnaire called the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Those whose responses indicate high levels of risk for alcohol abuse or dependency are referred to fur ther treatment All students who take the survey receive a message from Gannett about alcohol abuse after the appointment Alcohol abuse is a continuing problem at Cornell and has the potential to cause lasting problems for students In a sur vey administered in November 2011, 33 percent of undergraduates repor ted suffering memor y loss while drinking and 10 percent said that they have physically injured themselves after drinking The amount of high-risk drinking that occurs in the Greek system is even more pronounced; a University repor t released in Januar y found that 61 percent of first year students in the Greek System engage in high-risk drinking

It is encouraging that the University is working to treat students’ problems with alcohol dependency and abuse Asking a simple question about students’ drinking habits during a preliminar y screening and following up with the AUDIT is a good way to move students to fur ther treatment if they need it However, several students who have repor ted receiving the AUDIT said that they did not know that it was optional or that it may be unrelated to the treatment that they were seeking Never theless, Gannett s alcohol projects coordinator told The Sun that the sur vey was completely optional

It is problematic that these students were unaware of the nature of the second survey Their responses indicate that the line between the alcohol screening and diagnosis of their original complaints was blurred often making the optional alcohol screening seem relevant to a diagnosis Though disclosing that the sur vey is optional may ultimately reduce the efficacy of the screening and reduce the number of students who ultimately receive treatment for alcohol abuse, this disclosure will build the tr ust necessar y for accurate diagnoses and effective treatment of students’ original complaints By misleading students in order to administer the sur vey, students may be unlikely to voluntarily come into the clinic or disclose impor tant and relevant information that can aid treatment

Gannett must ensure that this screening does not come with the risk of inter fering with treatment Though Gannett should continue to make reducing alcohol abuse and dependency a priority it should not come with the cost of lost student tr ust

P rogress Report For Labor Rights

Cresponsibility to the University as a whole we are obligated to always act in Cornell s best interest when carrying out our duties Sometimes, that means acting as financial stewards and sometimes it means protecting Cornell’s moral integrity I want to talk about the latter

In our strategic plan, Cornell committed to being “ a model university for the interweaving of liberal education and fundamental knowledge with practical education and impact on societal and world problems ” Since adopting that statement, Cornell has had an impact on a variety of societal and world problems: We committed to make the

Unive rs ity carb on-ne utral by 2 0 5 0 and President Skorton has advocated for the ri

national scale Tuesday, a news article in The Sun addressed the University’s stance in another realm, declaring “Skorton Vows to Enforce University’s Labor Standards ” The article referred to a specific event a letter sent to the Fair Labor Association threatening to cut ties if the organization does not improve its monitoring procedures but the title insinuates a further reaching commitment Which begs the question, how is Cornell doing in enforcing our labor standards?

Cornell must maintain a strong commitment to workers’ rights Workers’ rights are human rights Having basic protection from physical, mental and sexual abuse in the w

Ap

throughout the world violate their own labor standards 12 times in an average day Over 95 percent of factories violate health and safety rules, 74 percent break overtime standards, and 34 percent even ignore forced labor requirements And all of this data is from the FLA, the same group that the University is threatening to disaffiliate from due to its ineffectiveness, meaning the real number of violations could be even higher

This issue affects Cornell in at least four ways How we as a university choose to act will give insight into the true value of workers ’ rights at Cornell

The first issue is how we deal with our own employees Only a few decades ago Cornell workers struggled to organize a labor union, even as the value of unions was p ro c l a i m e d i n I L R c l a s s ro o m s To d a y, Cornell is recognized by many organizations as an exemplary employer, including the A A R P, Wo rk i n g Mo t h e r a n d t h e U S Department of Labor In June, Cornell will get a chance to prove just how great an employer it is when it negotiates a new col-

lective bargaining agreement with the local union

The second issue is how we allow outside employees to be treated on our campuses Weill-Cornell Medical College in Qatar has made incredible strides for women ’ s education rights in Qatar By most accounts, it has made great improvements in how it treats those it directly employs, such as faculty members But workers that help build, repair and service the campus, employed by the Qatar Foundation, do not have such p ro t e c t i o n Tw o ye a r s a g o , Ne w Yo rk University adopted a code of conduct for its Abu Dhabi campus, requiring basic protection for any worker on its campus, whether

or not they were NYU employees Recently, Provost Laurie Glimcher expressed interest in reaching out to NYU to learn about their program, and explore whether it could be implemented on our campus

The third issue is how we allow the employees of our business partners to be treated The FLA exists to monitor the factories in which Cornell apparel is made However, truly serious flaws in their procedures compromise their ability to give fair inspections President Skorton is right to threaten disaffiliation; an ineffective monitor only makes protecting workers rights more difficult On April 30, if the FLA has not changed, the University should follow through with its threat

The fourth issue is how we work to improve labor rights Five years ago, Cornell signed on to the principles of the Designated Su p p l i e r Pro g r a m T h e D S P re q u i re s licensees to gradually increase the percentage of their apparel made in compliant factories that respect workers’ basic rights It has been held up for five years due to antitrust conc e r n s Howe ve r, i n

m b e r, t h e Department of Justice issued a positive Business Review Letter ruling that the DSP did not violate establishing antitrust laws In response, Georgetown University just com-

Cornell can take a powerful stand by becoming the second school to do so By the end of this semester, Cornell will have crucial decisions to make on each of these issues In all four cases, President Skorton’s vow to enforce labor standards will be tested I believe that in all four, Cornell will act in a way that protects its moral integrity

‘Wee Stinky’: The (Not So) Sweet Smell of Success

After a decade of cultivation, Cornell’s rare ‘ corpse plant’ blooms

Thousands of onlookers shuffled into the Kenneth Post Greenhouse over spring break to catch a rare glimpse and whiff of the University s first-ever blooming “ corpse flower ”

This rare Sumatran plant, known scientifically as Amorphophallus titanum,and popularly as the titan arum, is native to the slopes of the Barisan mountain range in western Indonesia and blooms typically only once every seven to 10 years, though sometimes as seldom as once every few decades

Nicknamed “Wee Stinky” by popular vote (after Wee Stinky Glen, the small stream that flows behind the Cornell Store), the titan arum began flowering Sunday afternoon, March 18 The blooming lasted fewer than 48 hours, drawing roughly 3,500 spectators the second day After four days the plant collapsed and is no longer open to the public The event and its leadup attracted some 10,000 people between March 14-19

After blooming, the titan arum stinks like a decaying body “It smells like rotting flesh,” said Prof Karl Niklas, plant biology, “but there’s this sickeningly sweet undertone to it and it’s just nasty it’s just plain nasty ” Though repulsive to most humans the rank scent allures Sumatran carrion beetles and flesh flies, which help to pollinate the plant

The Towering Stalk

Despite what its name suggests, the corpse flower is not actually a flower but a collection of flowers a natural bouquet bearing about 450 female flowers encircling the base of its column-like central spike, called the spadix, with about 500 to 1,000

smaller grayish male flowers above those

“Even some of the more national media were making this mistake,” Niklas said; like the calla lily, which is a cluster of flowers, it is actually an inflorescence,” he said

The titan arum boasts the world’s largest recorded unbranched inflorescence, or flowering stalk, which can grow as tall as 12 feet Cornell’s maxed out at 66 5 inches, growing on average two inches a day leading up to its full bloom, according to Andrew Leed, greenhouse manager for the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station

The titan arum also exhibits the world’s largest corm, a short and swollen underground plant stem from which the plant grows Typically, its corm weighs about 50 kilograms but can weigh up to as much as 91 kilograms

“We didn t get to weigh [the corm] before this flowering event, ” Leed said “But we do know that it just about filled the bottom of the pot it’s in It had to be at least 20 pounds and could have been considerably heavier than that ”

Corpse Plant Research

In the height of their bloom, titan arums heat up to waft their foul perfume through the jungle air Leed took thermal images of the inflorescence using an infrared camera to see how much heat the plant puts out and at what times The tip of Wee Stinky” reached 107 degrees Fahrenheit at its maximum Even more images came from Prof Kenneth Simpson, clinical sciences, who performed an endoscopy by looking through a porthole cut into the inflorescence to get close-up images from inside the arum

Thermal examination was only part of the research that university scientists had the oppurtunity to perform while the plant was in bloom Prof Robert Raguso, neuro-

biology and behavior and several graduate students collected samples of the plant’s stink to analyze the volatile compounds that compose it But scents from the colognes worn by the thousands of onlookers made it harder to obtain accurate data

“We got some coconut lactones on the first day which I was skeptical about, Raguso said “Someone must have smeared piña colada on their arms ”

Amidst less than perfect research conditions, the scientists still found that the smell of decaying protein, dimethyl trisulfide, peaked Sunday evening “To get the best data we would have sealed off the plant,” Raguso said, but we wanted to show people This was just too rare and precious of a thing to selfishly keep amongst ourselves ”

A Decade of Care

The University currently possesses two titan arums: “Wee stinky” and one which is currently in a vegetative state Both of the plant came from the University of Wisconsin at the request of Prof Melissa Luckow, plant biology, where she attended a botanical conference as a plant was growing there in 2002, Luckow said Greenhouse manager Carol Bader then grew and cared for them over the course of the next 10 years The University’s titan arums had to survive the transition from their former home in the Liberty Hyde Conservatory (which was condemned Oct 15, 2010, due to health and safety hazards) to their current one in the slightly drier Kenneth Post Greenhouse

“[Bader] deserves the lion’s share of the credit for keeping this thing from seed to reproductive adulthood,” Niklas said These plants are not easy to grow, Luckow said, “She pulled the rabbit out of the hat ”

Future Corpse Plant Cultivation

In the wild, even with the scavenging insects available to help, there is a slim probability that two such plants would bloom at precisely the right times and places for cross-pollination, Niklas said The plants in cultivation, however, can be artificially inseminated

Gwynne Lim grad, and Monica Ramirez grad, plant biology, and Ha Nguyen grad, neurobiology and behavior, hand-pollinated “Wee Stinky” with pollen given to them from Binghamton University’s 2010 titan arum blooming The grad students cut square holes in “Wee Stinky’s” spathe the dried-blood colored leafy, corrugated skirt surrounding the central spadix spike to access and fertilize the plant’s female flowers If the pollination was successful the plant will produce many small bright red fruits containing three seeds each about seven to nine months from now Ramirez and Nguyen also managed to scrape and scoop about a teaspoon of pollen from “Wee Stinky” early Tuesday morning, staying up from midnight to four p m to do so, they said That pollen is now being cryogenically preserved for future cultivated titan arum pollinations

Cultivation is important for the plant since “Indonesian forests are really disappearing quickly,” Luckow said Practices such as illegal logging, the development palm oil plantations, and the digging up and selling of titan arum corms on black markets now threaten the species making wild titan arums ever scarcer

In case you missed out on the bloom over Spring Break check out our slideshow of the event at cornellsun com/multimedia

Energy store | In its vegetative stage the plant makes food through photosynthesis

By DAINA RINGUS Sun Staff Wr ter

If you can spare five minutes, Mark Nisbet grad can teach you how to make better wine A student in food science and technology, Nisbet has filmed a series of short instructional videos, collectively called “5 Minute Wine School,” on YouTube that cover wine analysis basics and explain the science behind fermentation

Nisbet got the idea for the video from a popular short course that he took while at the New York State Experimental Station at Cornell’s Geneva campus He wanted to make basic

The ‘Wine Guy’: Mark Nisbet grad Launches ‘5-Minute Wine School’

information about wine analysis more accessible to beginner and home winemakers

Supported by a land grand fellowship from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences which seeks to support projects that meet Cornell’s land grant mission Nisbet has already released four videos Topics he has covered so far include vineyard sampling and measuring pH and titratable acidity in wine Nisbet tries to present what could be dry topics in an engaging way with the help of his cameraman Brent Fairbrother “ a friend former colleague and creative visionary, ” according to Nisbet

For the videos, Nisbet and Fairbrother created a science nerd persona to liven up the clips

“I envisioned him as Bill Nye the Science Guy meets Alton Brown meets Prof Gavin Sacks, [food science],” Nisbet said In the videos his character sports retro safety goggles and a white lab coat Nisbet relies on a bit of self-conscious science nerd humor to inject some fun into his chemistry-heavy films, he said

Currently a Ph D student in Prof Anna Katharine Mansfield s food science laboratory, Nisbet studies nitrogen content in grapes “Nitrogen is one of the really important compounds for yeast growth, and it’s often the most limiting compound for growth,” Nisbet explained He’s measured nitrogen content in grapes from 70 sites in N Y state, and is trying to understand how nitrogen levels affect flavor compounds that develop in aromatic white wines, like the Finger Lakes region’s darling, Riesling Nisbet is no stranger to Finger Lakes wine He spent summers as a teenager working at his uncle’s winery, Glenora Wine Cellars, on Seneca Lake, first in the cellars and later in the tasting room After completing a B S in Bioengineering at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, he found his first job as a food scientist at IFN, a product development consulting company located in Ithaca Six years later, he went back to school to learn more about wine

As a student, Nisbet has continued to work on product development projects Last year, he co-led a team whose product Veggie3 took second place in a national competition

By SHERRI COUILLARD

Sun Contributor

Deep in the Brazilian rainforests, Prof Barbara Finlay, psychology, obser ves the behavior of various species of primates in order to understand the evolution and development of the how primates see Finlay takes an “evo-devo” approach to understanding and analyzing the visual system, building from the basic concept that all evolution comes from development Her work with primates explores the intricate relationship between evolution and development

Her work has taken her all over the world–London, Berlin, New Zealand–but her most significant work has been in Belém, Brazil Since 1995, she has collaborated with Luiz Carlos de Lima Silveira, the Federal University of Pará researching the evolution of monkey vision through a comparative study of the different kinds of New World primates found there, ranging from pygmy marmosets to capuchin monkeys

chemistry | Nisbet grad teaches the scientific side of winemaking through his Youtube videos

“We developed a very unique freeze-dried technology for it and we filed a patent on it in February,” Nisbet said The vegetable-based snack food was selected as a finalist for Cornell s Biotechnology Institute’s Pre-Seed Workshop The three-day workshop helps entrepreneurs refine their ideas and prepare a business plan prior to exploring becoming a start-up business

While busy with his research and side projects, Nisbet hopes to launch at least five more videos before the end of the summer Next week, he plans to release two videos of a threepart series on sulfur His fellowship ends at the end of this semester “I’m still going to be around for a while,” said Nisbet, with two years left in his degree, “ so hopefully, for part of my extension duties I can keep making videos ”

Daina Ringus can be reached at dringus@cornellsun com

Prof. Finlay Examines Primate Visual System Evolution

One particularly interesting subject in this project is the owl monkey because it is the only monkey that has regained nocturnal sight The owl monkey’s eyes are similar to those of their nocturnal lemur ancestors in that they are relatively large and contain a substantial amount of rods, which are receptors in the eye that enable night vision Finlay’s team set out to determine the cause of this divergence by examining the monkeys’ embryos at specific points of development; it discovered that a variety of different cell structures could be caused by just one very early developmental change, like tampering with the timing of cells leaving the stem cell pool and becoming specialized

These findings begin to tackle the larger question of how evolution is able to occur in seemingly evolved creatures Development is a means of building on current resources and environmental challenges, and organisms have to evolve in order to exploit certain niche opportunities “Anyone belonging to a species that’s still here has gone through the filter of being evolvable,” Finlay said

Growing up, Finlay was not particularly interested in science, but as a teenager she enrolled in a summer program with the National Science Foundation as “ a way to get away from my strict parents in the suburbs of Pittsburgh There, she was assigned to an ophthalmology laboratory where she read James J Gibson’s Perception of the Visual World “I was really hooked at that point That’s when I really got interested in vision ” Finlay said

She pursued this interest as a graduate student at MIT, where she worked in Peter Schiller’s visual physiology lab Her work entailed recording single neurons in an attempt to figure out how the visual system worked; after long nights recording brain activity of primates, Finlay found that this work was approaching a dead end Finlay then decided to switch into developmental neurobiology, where she was able to look at how the visual system is wired

Finlay teaches BIONB 4230: Cognitive Neuroscience, where she explores the relationship between neurobiology and psychology Typically the class draws an even mix of students from both disciplines

“Both sets of students have a bit of culture shock,” Finlay said The psychology students are typically taken aback by the amount of neuroanatomy and biology-related vocabulary taught in the class while neurobiology students tend to be nonplussed by psychology concepts like multidimensional scaling or connectionist networks, according to Finlay

advises “You have to keep in touch with the biology, and the evolution, and all the basic functions of the brain when you ’ re thinking about things, and don’t specialize in a little chunk of some particular tissue in some particular animal ”

Sherri Couillard can be reached at scouillard@cornellsun com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Making a book into a movie is a risky business Book lovers always asser t that nothing can compare to the original work, while those who have not read the book will either forgo the movie completely or will leave the theater confused by those cr ucial missing scenes All in all, you would think that The Hunger Games directed by Gar y R o s s a n d s t a r r i n g Je

Jo s h Hutchinson, would be another well-intentioned but forgettable movie You would be wrong

By now, the plot is probably familiar to most: In a post-apocalyptic America, the remaining population has been divided into 12 districts which are controlled by the Capitol 17-year-old Katniss Everdeen lives in the impoverished District 12 with her younger sister Prim and her ailing mother Her worst fears are realized when she is chosen as one of District 12’s Tributes for the Hunger Games a twisted reality show that pits 24 boys and girls against one other in a fight to the death

While the narrative takes place in the future, Ross does a wonder ful job of subtly indicating that Katniss’ world might be more than mere fantasy The opening shots of the small gray shacks and narrow dusty footpaths of District 12 could just have as easily been located in present-day Appalachia or in the low-income sections of many American towns The forest where Katniss and her friend Gale illegally hunt for food has not been made lush and green by digital modifications; the landscape looks as tired and beaten as the polluted forests of our time The Capitol skyline resembles Ne w York City’s more than that of an other worldly planet And while the latest Capitol fashions are bizarre, they are no more outlandish than the haute couture we fawn over in magazines

But more than the setting, it is the emotions por trayed in the film that link us with Katniss and her world While their relationship is given ver y little screen time, Katniss’ love for her sister Prim is palpable; it is only shock that at first causes her to hesitate f r o m v o l u n t e e r i n g t o t

her sister’s place as Tribute

a l expressions give away ver y little, but her eyes mist over with nostalgia as she thinks o f t h e h o m e

h a s l e f t behind or glint with pain as she says goodbye to her family for what may be the last t i m e He r p

does in the book Josh Hutchinson is loveable as Peeta, por traying him with an innocence that masks his physical strength and tactical ability to garner sympathy

However the acting was not at all helped by the cinematography The jolting opening shots of District 12 will most likely give the vie wer a headache rather than an idea of Katniss’ impoverished situation

The Hunger Games Directed by Gar y Ross Featuring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth

t r a y a l o f Katniss as a girl who has often had to bur y her feelings in order to help those around her is believable and refreshing, considering the hysterics many actresses are compelled to reproduce Katniss saves her words and her tears for when they are really merited; her grief over Rue’s death is almost frightening in its intensity and her con-

cern for Peeta indicates that perhaps she feels more for him than she would like to believe While those who h a v e r e a d t h e b o o k s m a y m i s s K a t n i s s f e r o c i t y,

Lawrence’s por trayal treads a fine line between passive femininity and warrior-woman aggressiveness She is undoubtedly pretty, but is most cer tainly not above r unning, sweating and bleeding, especially when her life or the life of a loved one depends upon it When Peeta reveals his feelings for her during his inter vie w, she is angr y, but not angr y enough to hur t him as she

The manner in which the camera shifts in and out of focus when Katniss is under the influence of the tracker-jack’s venom undermines Lawrence’s per fectly competent acting

The action scenes are rendered incomprehensible by the camera work, which does not allow for the horror of the events at hand to fully resonate with the vie wer The dialogue, especially at the beginning of the movie, is not par ticularly inspired; Katniss and Gale’s banter was dr y and not funny It’s tempting to suggest that the movie depended far too much on actions to drive the plot for ward at the expense of dialogue

B

detract from the superb stor ytelling The por trayal of the villains is one instance in which the movie might actually outdo the book; as Katniss has no insight into these characters’ m

y come off as car toonishly evil In the movie President Snow reveals himself to be a cunning dictator: give the people just enough hope and they will toe the line Rather than the cackles that usually accompany dastardly deeds, the Gamemakers are simply por trayed as men and women

Tributes; for all the emotion they demonstrate, they could just as well be designing a video game rather

children

The Hunger Games is one of the ver y rare instances where the movie is on par with the book Ross remains tr ue to the book without blindly reproducing it on the screen; his additions enhance the book rather than detract from it For the millions of fans who have been waiting for this movie, it exceeds expectations It is gratifying to know that once in a while, the odds are in our favor

Lubabah Chowdhury is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences She can be reached at lchowdhury@cornellsun com

Just about the only thing I am looking forward to about graduation is finally being able to meet all of my best friends parents In high school, we knew our friends parents almost as well as our own, calling them by their first names, even dropping a playful “Mom” now and then Au contraire, we go through college barely having met the creators of the people with whom we share everything, from our rooms to our nights to our secrets Meeting a friend s parents is an “aha” moment in which you are almost in awe of the physical representation of genetics in front of you

Ah, genetics It’s where I get my mom ’ s smile and idealism, my dad’s olive skin and innate quietude It’s why I can both wear a “Kiss Me I m Irish shirt on St Patrick s Day and send out Chinese New Year cards when my family misses the traditional holiday season It’s why some people think I’m adopted It’s why I proudly refer to myself as a halfie

In all honesty, my Chinese dad grew up in Great Neck and I am not even that good at using chopsticks But even though I am thoroughly Americanized, I still feel close to my distinct Chinese heritage For one, I am perceptibly Asian, whereas the other half of my genes are a little more, well, recessive I even spent the first seven years of my life in Chinatown, at a public kindergarten where I was the only kid who didn t know how to speak Chinese

But I have to wonder whether I would feel as close a connection to my Asian heritage if my last name wasn ’ t Lee, if my hair wasn ’ t naturally dark and stick straight, if I didn’t grow up knowing my Chinese grandparents

We’re a generation of halfies, a melting pot, as they say Half-Asian, Half-Jewish, Half-Black and the list goes on and on The general pattern of interracial relationships leans toward racial acceptance, equality, but also dilution I’m not against it because I am a proud product of it and remain under the romantic notion that you should be free to love whomever you please At the same time, it’s strange and a lit-

Half and Half

tle bit sad to think that my children will probably be only a quarter Chinese, my future grandchildren even less than that What started as milk and cream is now half and half, each generation slowly skimming down to two percent, then one percent, and then what?

As important as being half-Chinese is to me, it has never directly influenced or driven my personal life and probably never will Sometimes I wish my kids could be half-Asian like me, but if my Caucasian mom has taught me anything, it’s that raising kids of a different race is kind of a non-issue At the same time, reflecting on the racial ambiguity of future generations has led me to be less judgmental of how others choose to continue their own family lines

When people say that they only want to be with someone of their same race or religion, I take it as somewhat of a personal offense, since my own mixedrace existence was in such clear defiance of those beliefs I used to think it was closed minded of my Catholic friends to only follow up on Catholic advances I used to think it was cruel and unusual for my Indian friends to have to only date other Indians I used to see it as a kind of discrimination, even I used to protest, caught up by a combination of romantic whimsy and defensiveness Give ever yone a fair chance! You can ’ t help who you fall in love with! People are people! And it’s true, people are people, but people are also products of their cultures and beliefs Is it really discrimination to prefer to be with people who share those things with you?

it s yours?

For example, I have Jewish friends who say that they just know that they ll end up with someone else who s Jewish, because that’s something that’s important to them something attractive to them They want to hold Shabbat dinners, they want Bat Mitzvahs, they want their children to share the culture that plays such a significant part in their own lives

Is it wrong to want to be with someone of a particular culture, not because it is better or worse than others, but because

No Surprises

( Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) have been transferred to the newly reinstated division on 21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street is hilarious; it could possibly the funniest movie I ve seen all year I truly wanted to hate the film and write a scathing review about Channing Tatum’s terrible acting; I can t think of a single thing he s done that hasn’t majorly sucked Although I don’t trust my sense of humor completely, the collective sound of every single person laughing in the movie theater reaffirmed my suspicion that the movie was truly funny Most importantly, director duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller made the perfect decision to stick with an R rating, bringing what could have been a potentially boring movie into a whole new level

The film is predictable; there are no moments that leave you bewildered Recently initiated police officers Morton Schmidt

Captain Dickson (a delightfully angry Ice Cube) reveals that their division specializes in infiltrating high schools by using undercover cops Schmidt and Jenko s youthful faces are perfect for the job After receiving their new identities as brothers, they are enrolled in the same high-school they attended as angsty teenagers This brings back very different memories for each officer Schmidt, an e x - w a n n a b eE m i n e m nerd, barely survived high school Jenko, the king jock, had the opposite experience Their mission is to infiltrate the dealers find the supplier ” and ultimately stop the distribution of a recreational drug called HFS The only problem is that high-school social order has completely reversed with ecoc o n s c i o u s hipsters on the top Of course, hilarity ensues

One of the best scenes of the entire movie is about a crazy party the two main c h a r a c t e r s throw Yes, of course there

is a party scene; this is a high school movie One of the writers for 21 Jump

I say to each his own One of the coolest things about genetics is being able to create a human being that is the exact combination of yourself, and someone else who you presumably think is really great Maybe you think he’s great because he shares your culture and beliefs, but maybe you re just attracted to his laugh or his charm or crossword puzzle aptitude Either way, there’s a reason kids are not clones There’s a reason it’s so interesting to meet our friends’ parents and see how two separate people, no matter how similar or different, can blend so seamlessly into an entirely new person Two halves make a whole, but when it comes to passing parts of ourselves down, maybe half is enough

Becky Lee is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences She can be reached at rll87@cornell edu Eat Dessert First appears alternate Wednesdays this semester

S t r e e t , M i c h a e l Bacall, cowrote the film Project X that’s solely about an insane party, so no surprises there After c o n f i s c a t i n g e n o r m o u s quantities of marijuana from the evidence room, buying tons of alcohol and chips (because every successful party I’ve been to has involved something to munch on), the police officers throw a kick-ass party What follows is a riotous hysterical jam-packedwith-action sequence of events

The chemistry between Hill and Tatum is obvious; the friendship between the adorable and slightly stupid Schmidt and Jenko is truly believable Hill is his usual endearing (and laughable) self, blurting out inappropriate comments at inappropriate times The big shock comes from Tatum he can actually act! Yes, I have experienced the dreadfulness of Dear John but Tatum certainly proves his worth by playing the lovable yet somewhat dumb jock He definitely should stick to more comedic roles if he wants to showcase his acting chops Finally, James Franco’s little brother Dan Franco has a major role as one of the popular kids in school and manages to pull it off beautifully as a scared kid who’s just in over his head

The soundtrack although by no means anything spectacular or unique, is a series of fun, fast hip-hop and rap songs, perfectly complementing the various scenes of the movie When a teenage Schmidt walks into his high-school with bleached hair and a chain around his neck, the scene is made even more comical with “The Real Slim Shady” playing in the background

This movie is not just another high-school comedy; it is a parody of all the ridiculous high-school clichés that are well integrated into society’s perception of high school You are neither going to have a newfound appreciation of life nor a sudden urge to re-examine past mistakes The trick is to expect nothing more from 21 Jump Street than you should a very funny and amusing movie However, you will leave the theater ten times happier and more entertained

2 A DOPTION

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ursday, March 29th

165 White Hall

7:00PM – 8:30PM

(Doors open at 6:45PM)

Join us for a moderated cross-cultural discussion . . . Learn about differences and commonalities . . . Ask questions . . . Come with an open mind . . .

Food will be ser ved!

Open to the Cor nell

communit y

Students to Unite Cornell is committed to bringing students together, across race, ethnicity, religion, culture, sexual orientation – difference Our mission is narrow the inclusion gap by fostering positive interaction and discussion among our diverse student communities

Are you an athlete who would like to be interviewed for Ten Questions ?

If so, e-mail akb@cornellsun.com. Ten Questions runs every Thursday.

Do you have a teammate who might be interested?

Standridge Ties for First, Shares EC AC Beam Title

bly would’ve liked, but we did our best and performed on what we could,” Kerner said We scored some of our highest scores of the season ”

Wildcats’ Firepower Give Team Edge O ver Buckeyes

last matchup with Indiana, Davis has not picked up more than three fouls in any game Why would you not trust him to play his usual brand of spectacular defense without fouling this time? If Davis who is by far the best defensive player in the countr y had been in the game for that stretch, it s doubtful that Indiana would have made their run The Wildcats probably would have cruised to victor y instead of fighting off a feisty Indiana team in the second half

After this weekend, the field has been narrowed down to four perennial contenders Ohio State boasts some major talent with Jared Sullinger in the post and l

ness will show in this game Additionally, Craft will have a major impact by shutting down Taylor, so I foresee the Buckeyes making the national championship game

Louisville probably has the least talent out of the four teams left, but they definitely are the scrappiest, and in my opinion, have the best coach in Rick Pitino With Peyton Siva and Russ Smith pressuring ball handlers the entire game and center Gorgui Dieng manning the middle, it s a surprise whenever someone scores on them, possessing the best defensive efficiency the countr y Then again, it’s a surprise whenever they score, as they rely heavily on Siva to set up most of their scoring opportunities

As judges do not like to give out the highest scores at the beginning of the meet, starting on floor is usually considered a challenge for a competing team Yet Chen and junior McKenna Archer were able to give strong performances, setting the tone for the rest of the day’s competition

Cornell’s next event was to be vault

“For the most part, we had a lot of big vaults,” Hein said “Everyone went out and did their best performance

Junior Ashley Maher, Jorgensen and Schupp performed well in the next event, bars In the final event, beam, Standridge tied for first for the ECAC title

After all the scores had been totaled, it was determined that Cornell would take fourth place just behind Temple Penn ultimately won the championship, with Towson placing second

“[The finish] was lower than we proba-

“We did our best performance, we gave it our all, I think we ’ re pretty happy,” Hein said Chen and Archer were given the ECAC Scholar-Athlete Award at the meet

The team is now looking forward to their next meet, as 12 team members have qualified to go on to Collegiate National Championships

“We didn’t have one of our best seasons but we pulled it out at the end, Hein said “All we can do is look forward to nationals, and see if we can have some individuals do well there ”

We ended on season highs, Kerner said “I’m looking forward to starting [next season] where we ended, and we ’ re already getting ready for next year ”

William Buford surrounding him, but the team is led by my favorite player in the tournament, Aaron Craft With his rosy cheeks and boyish charm, he looks like a kid who was picked on in middle school, but boy does he have game On offense, he completely controls the pace of the game, but defense is where he shines Opposing guards always look at his stature and tr y to blow by him with a flurr y of moves, but they simply cannot get by him, turning it over half the time He’s harder to get by than Snorlax in those Pokemon games it just can ’ t be done

Meanwhile, OSU’s opponent, Kansas, has one of the best guard-for ward duos in Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson Jared Sullinger 2 0 and a talented center in Jeff Withey to protect the rim Plus they have Zac Efron’s character from High School Musical under the pseudonym Connor Teahan, coming off the bench to provide them with a spark Ohio State has played in the toughest conference all year and I think that tough-

Louisville’s matchup, Kentucky, is the over whelming favorite this year and for good reason It has a once-in-a-generation talent in Anthony Davis, a Top-5 lotter y pick in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, NBA-level talent up and down their roster and no noticeable holes In the first half of its beat down of Baylor, the Bears actually looked scared to play Kentucky The team was hesitant on ever y take and on defense; it cowered ever y time Kentucky drove Baylor who is one of the Top-10 talented teams in the nation had such a talent disparity with the Wildcats, that they were scared! I can see Louisville’s pressure befuddle Kentucky’s freshman point guard Marquis Teague to start but Louisville simply does not have the firepower to keep up with the Wildcats, but then again, no team does And that s why I will pick the Kentucky Wildcats to beat the Buckeyes in the finals and capture their first title since 1998 and Calipari’s first elusive championship Now let s just hope that he ll be able to keep it

said “The horses will be wonderful and they’ll be prepared correctly and ready to go and that’s what I’m excited about ” Although Skidmore is a very tough competitor, since the team was formerly part of Cornell’s region, the Saratoga Springs campus is not unfamiliar terrain

“We’ve beat [Skidmore] at home before so we are very optimistic about our chances this year, ” Kowalchik said It has been two years since the Red has gone head-to-head with the Thoroughbreds,

according to Fink

“I’m really excited to prove ourselves as a team, ” she said “We competed against them for so long It’ll be nice to go back and show them what we re made of

The road ahead may appear tough, but after coming off a strong season, the team is optimistic about what lies in its future, according to Mitchell

“They did a great job [at regionals] and they should be proud of themselves, as I am, ” he said

Har vard Bests C.U. in Exhibition Match O ver Break

By ZACH GAYNER Sun Staff Wr ter

The golf team fell to Harvard, 7-1, in a match-play exhibition held in Hobe Sound, Fla over Spring Break

The match, however, will not count towards the overall season record, but rather served as a warm-up for the golf team as it heads into its spring season, according to senior co-captain Alex Lavin

Although Cornell lost by a sizeable margin, the game provided a few positives for the team to build on as the season progresses Senior John Dean and Lavin pointed to sophomores Zach Bosse and Carl Schimenti as top performers during the week leading up to, as well as during, the Harvard match

“Our consistent starters [sophomore Craig Esposito,] Carl and Zack all played very well over break, Dean said “Zack's game in particular was very good ”

Both Lavin and Dean said that the rest of the team gave strong performances as well, noting that the players’ swings looked polished, especially after a long hiatus from play

“Something that went particularly well across the board was that everyone ’ s swing looked pretty solid,” Lavin said “Especially after such a long layoff in the offseason, it is good to see that everyone swing was in such good shape However, moving forward especially with a long offseason people lose touch and we need to work on our short games ”

Next weekend the Red travels to Towson in Prospect Bay, Md to participate in the Fireline Invitational The tournament has 22 teams in the field and is played on what, according to Lavin, can be generally regarded as an easy golf course The co-captain said he believes that it will help the Red shake the rust and get back into competition mode

“We are playing at Towson and the course is not one of the more difficult ones that we will play,” Lavin said “It’s really a good venue for our first spring event because it allows players to get back into competition and have a

warm-up tournament before Ivy League play, where typically we see some championship golf courses ” This tournament marks the beginning of the team s official season and the Red will look to build momentum heading into conference play, where the team will face a very deep Ivy League that has not been seen in a long time, according to Lavin People have said Columbia and Yale are the two top

teams, ” he said “As I’ve said the Ivy League is very deep this year, deeper than it has ever been People have also been talking about Cornell, Har vard, Princeton, Dartmouth and even Penn so we need to step up and take the title ”

Ithaca Invitational Around Corner for Red

By SHAYAN SALAM Sun Contributor

The men ’ s and women ’ s track and field teams head across town this weekend to compete in the Ithaca Invitational The meet, hosted by Ithaca College, will bring a medley of teams to Ithaca to compete, giving the Red a chance to face some fresh competition

Both teams began the outdoor track and field seasons with a Spring Break trip

t o C a l i f o r n i a H o w e v e r, w h i l e m a n y Cornell students relaxed in the sun over break, the teams were hard at work, com-

p e t i n g i n m e e t s a t b o t h C a l St a t e Nor thridge and UC Ir vine during successive weekends

Coming out of the successful trip out west, the teams will have a big showing at the Ithaca Invitational

“It will be great oppor tunity to r un, par ticularly for some of the kids who did-

n ’ t get to r un next week as well as some of the technical events that need more time i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n s

coach Nathan Taylor “ We’ll have some good per formances over there, especially from kids who are going to be kicking it off for the outdoor season, ” said women ’ s head coach Rich B ow

from 10 to 14 teams, so there should be some strong competition ” W h i l e t h e c

meet will mainly be from Division III

schools that the Red most likely will not face during future championship meets, the competition will be ver y impor tant to get many of the athletes into the swing of the outdoor track and field season

“It’s going to be a good training meet for a lot of the guys to get a look at where they are going into the outdoor season, ” said men ’ s senior captain Nick Huber

O n e o f t h e n o t i c e a b l e d i f f e r e

between the indoor and outdoor seasons is that many field events which are not featured in the winter time finally make an appearance “ This meet will be impor tant for the athletes par ticipating in field events that weren ’ t present during the indoor season, ” Bowman said “In par ticular, the hammer, the discus, the javelin and all of those throwing events should be pretty exciting ”

Ithaca’s elevated location could potentially factor into the competition, as athletes will need to consider the wind during the meet According to Taylor, the winds might drastically change the results of events during the meet

The track is right on top of the hill, the wind comes whipping down the lake and straight up the hill across the track,” he said “As a result, it can be really nice or really miserable ” The weather looks to be fairly mild, with temperatures in the mid-fifties and sixties providing many of the athletes with good conditions to compete in during the invitational

Invitational meets provide the opportunities for many teams to compete in the same place, ensuring that each event will b e c o m p e t i t i v e W h i l e t h e It h a c a Invitational will not be scored, it will provide athletes a practice environment to compete in before some of the scored team-based meets happen The first scored meet of the outdoor season will be the Upstate Challenge on April 21

“Getting back home and getting the whole team back together should be a lot of fun,” Bowman said “ We’re definitely looking for ward to it

“ We’re fired up [for the outdoor season] Heps will definitely be a showdown, so we’ll have to show up and work hard this whole season, ” Huber said

Dani Abada ’14: Let s just say emphasis on the “mad ”

Brian Bencomo ’12: Well, I had Harvard losing in the first round, but then it was pretty much downhill from there

Rob Moore ’12: What bracket?

Ben Horowitz ’15: Still going! Buckeyes All the Way!

Nick Rielly ’13: My bracket broke down faster than Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries’ marriage

Joseph Staehle ’13: It’s hard to hold up well when you have Creighton in the final four and Murray State in the finals

Ann Newcomb ’13: Well, out of a tornado of confusion and destruction, I have three of the final four teams correct Let’s not talk about anything before that

Compiled by Lauren Ritter

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Spor ts

Cornell Quali es Most Individuals For Zones in Region

By ARIEL COOPER

With its first postseason show now complete, the equestrian team has taken its first step along the road to nationals Although the Red had already been crowned the regional champions and is therefore qualified to send a team to Zones four additional riders were able to qualify as individuals at the March 17 regional competition According to head coach Chris Mitchell, Cornell will be sending more riders to Zones as individuals than any other team in its region

“It was a very very exciting and good day,” he said

Senior Bronwyn Scrivens was the first to qualify, placing first in open flat and second in open fences In addition to being the high point or Cacchione rider for the region which guarantees her a spot to compete at nationals, Scrivens also won the titles of open flat champion and open fences reserve champion Senior co-captain Katie Fink also competed in the open flat class, placing second She is the open flat reserve champion, which advances her to Zones

“I was denying it to myself,” Fink said “I think I was pretty nervous going in and it was kind of a rush of emotions There is a lot of buildup and anxiety that goes along with it ”

The other two riders to qualify for Zones were freshman Georgiana de Rham and senior Amanda Fan De Rahm won the intermediate fences class, while Fan won the walk trot class Fan came to Cornell just a year ago with little riding experience, but today she is a regional champion Fan said that she felt “amazed and elated upon winning her class

“I never thought I would come this far,” she said

In order to qualify for Zones as an individual, one must finish first or second at regionals; therefore, third place is a tough position to be in

Zones, which gives the squad 11 total riders at the show, according to Mitchell Although the Red is accustomed to competing as a single unit, the individual competition at regionals did not prevent the teammates from supporting each other

Even though teammates were competing against each other, I didn’t feel at any point that there was a rivalry that’s not what we ’ re all about,” Kowalchik said “There was no love lost for sure ”

“The team pulled together beautifully to get everything done that needed to be done and support one another ” K at ie Fin k

“Third is so bittersweet,” Fink said “You did well enough to be third, but not well enough to go to Zones ”

Junior co-captain Emily Kowalchik was one of the Red’s two riders who just missed the cut-off for Zones However, since regionals is the only purely individual competition of the season, Kowalchik is looking forward to competing at Zones as part of the team

“The nice thing is that now we can refocus and go back to what we do best which is competing as a team ”

Seven riders will have the opportunity to compete as a team at

In addition to competing at regionals, the squad faced the challenge of hosting the competition Since less riders compete at regionals than at the regular season shows, this show was much smaller in scale After hosting two regular shows earlier in the season, the Red was knew the ins and outs of running a show

“The show ran really well, the horses were phenomenal and everyone did a great job,” Mitchell said

“The team pulled together beautifully to get everything done that needed to be done and support one another, Fink said Now that regionals is over, team members said that they are looking forward to competing at Zones This year, Zones will take place at Skidmore the Red’s former regional rival “I’m actually very excited to go back to [Skidmore],” Mitchell

EQUESTRIAN page 22

Red Takes Fourth at EC ACs

By REBECCA VELEZ Sun Staff Writer

Cornell closed out the regular season this past weekend, competing against six other schools in the ECAC Championships on Saturday

The meet came off of a loss to Kent State in the previous weekend, yet the team felt positive despite the defeat

“[Kent State] was a very consistent meet, ” said junior captain Sarah Hein We posted our highest score so far We stayed really focused and hit on all four events that week ” Sophomores Melanie Jorgensen and Lexi Schupp gave solid performances on bars, scoring 9 700 and 9 750, respectively The top performer on vault for the Red was senior Tiffany Chen, who earned a 9 775 Chen would also go on to be a top scorer for Cornell in floor, with a

9 675

The last event, beam, was a highlight of the day Jorgensen scored a 9 700 and sophomore Melanie Standridge a 9 875, one of her best scores of the season

The meet went well for us, said sophomore Elise Kerner “We were coming off one of our not so great meets, and it was a personal victory to rally together and have such a great improvement ”

The Red came to the ECAC meet the following weekend as defending champions, having won its first title in history at the end of the previous year

“ECAC was bit of a long meet, and I m proud of us for staying focused,” Hein said “We started on floor, we stayed focused, did what we needed to do Everyone went out and hit their routines ”

GYMNASTICS page 22

Critiques From The Couch: March Madness Ups and Downs

Staying in Ithaca over this Spring Break, I told myself that I would catch up on sleep and work, hit the gym and generally be productive Then I lied on a couch for six hours a day watching the NCAA tournament eating Insomnia cookies and knocking back a few Keystones From watching so much basketball, I noticed some things I liked, some things I hated and some interesting trends Luckily for you, I’m going to share my thoughts!

Let’s start with the importance of the 3point shot After watching the games this weekend, I firmly believe that 3-point shooting is by far the most important factor in March Madness

In the Syracuse-Wisconsin matchup, Syracuse’s 2-3 zone completely befuddled Wisconsin; they forced them to take (mostly) contested threes exactly what they want and they did not allow anything inside In fact, Wisconsin scored only 10 points in the paint, and didn’t even attempt a shot in the paint in the last 14 minutes of the game The only reason the game was decided on the last possession was Wisconsin’s incredible shooting display in one stretch they made 3-pointers in six straight possessions Think about that stat for a second When was the last time you saw a team attempt six threes in a row?!

People will say that Wisconsin was

Playing the Field

patient and ran its offense, getting open threes and not turning it over (amazingly, just six turnovers); however, the fact remains that if Wisconsin didn’t shoot a blistering 14-of-27 from three (compared to its season average of 36 percent), this game would not be close The last possession of the game was completely indicative of the rest of the game; Syracuse allowed no penetration, and instead the Badgers had to toss up a three albeit tougher than most of their others, that just didn’t go down

The handling of stars in foul trouble also made a huge difference this weekend In the Indiana-Kentucky game, three important players Indiana’s point guard Jordan Hulls, center Tyler Zeller and Kentucky’s monster Anthony Davis were all taken out of the game with two fouls with more than 13 minutes remaining in the first half

With 9:55 to play and Indiana down, 31-22, Indiana coach Tom Crean brought back both of his starters They promptly went on a 19-8 run to take the lead before going into the half down three Meanwhile, Kentucky coach John Calipari glued Davis to the bench I know it’s conventional to take players out when they get two fouls in the first half, but is it always smart? Despite playing with two fouls, Hulls and Zeller picked up just one more foul each while Davis picked up none Also, consider that since Kentucky’s

LIAO page 22