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The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Blaze Destroys Chapter House

By SOFIA HU Sun News Editor

Before Tuesday’s fire ravaged the Chapter House, it seemed like the decades-old pub would stay open on Stewart Avenue for years to come if not forever

By REBECCA BLAIR Sun Assistant News Ed tor

After the Stewart Avenue fire displaced at least 44 students

Tuesday morning, members of the Cornell and Ithaca communities came together in an outpouring of support, finding alternate housing for students as well as organizing fundraisers and clothing drives

Though the Red Cross said in a press release Tuesday that a majority of the displacements are permanent, at least a dozen residents should be able to return to their apartments at some point

All displaced residents will be provided with “comfort kits with personal hygiene items, and vouchers

The popular watering hole first opened in the mid-1920s as Jim’s Place, according to Corey Ryan Earle ’07, associate director of Student and Young Alumni Programs

“You’d never imagine something like a fire could actually bring down the Chapter House ”

The buildings on 400-404 Stewart Ave , where the Chapter House stood, began as a

By ANNIE BUI Sun Managing Editor

Smoke billowed from the 400 block of Stewart Avenue Tuesday as an early morning blaze destroyed a multi-story complex housing the iconic Chapter House pub and a neighboring apartment building

No injuries were reported in connection with the incident, according to the University As of Tuesday evening, the University said that at least 44 students were displaced

The fire broke out after 4 a m , according to Lt Thomas Basher, public information officer for the Ithaca Fire Department

Responders who came to the scene following a 911 call at approximately 4:30 a m found “heavy

single story block, likely constructed in the early 1900s, according to Christine O’Malley, preservation services coordinator for Historic Ithaca, Inc A tailors’ shop, tobacco shop, pool hall and confectioners preceded and shared the space with the establishment

The earliest advertisement found of Jim’s Place dates back to January 1928, when the restaurant placed a small corner ad on the second page of The Sun promoting its “ regular dinners every night, 50 [cents] ”

A year later, it claimed with another advertisement that “the food we serve is the best obtainable Service always satisfactory ” Jim’s Place began serving alcohol several

Daybook

weather FORECAST

Undergraduate Research Fair

1 - 5 p m , Willard Straight Hall

Engineering the Symbiotic Signaling Pathway of Cereals 4 p m , B25 Warren Hall

Film Screening with Author Amara Lakhous: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio 4:30 p m , 106G Olin Librar y The Violence of Value 4:30 p m , G22 Goldwin Smith Hall

Violin Lecture Demonstration

6:30 - 8 p m , Kaufmann Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall

Tomorrow Today

Roundtable

m , 200 Computing and Communications Center

Weird News of the Week

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Crocs Shoe Tracks Help Link Alaska Man to Burglaries

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) Crocs plastic shoes left tread marks that helped link a 22-year-old Fairbanks man to downtown burglaries, authorities said

The owner of a building where some break-ins occurred provided surveillance footage to police, who posted it on the department’s Facebook page Roland Huntington Grace name was among several mentioned by tipsters, according to authorities

According to the court documents, Grace wore Crocs during a police interview and the shoes matched the tread pattern found at the scene

Grace faces charges of burglary, theft and criminal mischief in connection with the burglaries reported earlier this month, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner newspaper reported

Grace was in custody Tuesday at the Fairbanks Correctional Center Online court records do not have an attorney listed for him Charging documents say Grace admitted to the burglaries

The owner of The Crepery reported on April 1 that someone stole about $400 from a cash register after breaking into the restaurant A minister at the Church of Christ reported April 2 that someone stole about $30 after prying open several locked doors Another burglary at The

Crepery was reported April 3, with $5 in change taken A worker at the art gallery across the hall told responding police that there was a burglary at that shop as well, and that $1,000 of artists’ jewelry was taken

According to authorities, two necklaces matching the description of jewelry taken from the gallery were recovered from Grace

Ex-College Worker Claims Boss Made Her Watch ‘Chick Flicks’

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) A woman who worked briefly for the president of a Maine college has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the school, alleging she was expected to play tennis, jog and watch “chick flicks” with her female boss

Sarah Hulbert, of Auburn, wrote in her complaint that she was treated differently from her male co-workers during her time as an executive assistant at Bates College in Lewiston

The Sun Journal reports that the 59-year-old Hulbert worked for Bates President A Clayton Spencer for a little longer than a month in the summer of 2012

Hulbert is seeking damages, back pay and other costs

A Bates spokesman said in a statement that “the college strongly disagrees with the allegations” and will defend itself in court Today Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Terry Mingle: Student-assisting, guitar-playing birdwatcher

By BENEDETTA CARNAGHI Sun Staff Writer

Terry Mingle, the undergraduate student services assistant for the College of Human Ecology’s Division of Nutritional Sciences, says she has loved music all her life, a passion she has pursued throughout her 25 years at Cornell

“When I was in first grade I had a music teacher come in with a guitar, versus the traditional piano,” said Mingle, a Cor tland native “She was kind of a hippie I was intrigued by her and I thought [to myself ], ‘I want to do that ’”

Mingle said when she graduated from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania with a degree in music merchandising, she never expected to work at a university

Lab of Ornithology’s recording studio, helping Steve Kress with a more than 30-year old course in spring field ornithology

Mingle said she also volunteered for Project FeederWatch, an annual bird identification program led by the Lab of Ornithology Shortly after, Mingle

“A lot of people were not hiring females at that point,” Mingle said “I wanted to work for a recording studio because that’s where I had done my internship and I couldn’t find anything, so I took a job at Cornell ”

Mingle whose sister was working at Cornell at the time began working in the photo library for Cornell Publications Since then, she has worked in a variety of departments throughout the University, including the food science department, College of Veterinary Medicine and the Lab of Ornithology

In 1996, Mingle said she began volunteering at the

began working at the Lab, participating in a variety of projects

During her 12 years at the lab, Mingle said she became the webmaster for conservation group National Audubon’s Project Puffin The project attempts to restore puffins to islands in the Gulf of Maine, she said Her work on the project has been wide-reaching, as she not only helped design and maintain the website but also taken trips to the islands, developed promotional e-newsletters and created a Facebook profile for the project’s “spokespuffin ”

Though Mingle said she no longer works for the Lab of Ornithology, she continues to devote time to

the project on weeknights and weekends

However, Mingle said she also loves her current position in the Division of Nutritional Sciences where she helps undergraduates with a variety of issues, including course enrollment

“I really enjoy my work here,” Mingle said “I have approximately 750 students to take care of I set up their classes, and I help them enroll ”

Throughout her years at Cornell, Mingle has pursued her musical passions, playing in her own bands, working as a D J for the Cayuga Radio Group and helping to broadcast Cornell sports games

Mingle said she and her husband, a fellow Cornell employee, played together in a band called Nasty Habit

“We were a hard rock and metal 70s/80s tribute band,” Mingle said “We did get to play for some cool shows and open for bands like Jefferson Starship ”

The band played in Ne w York state and Pennsylvania, according to Mingle But following its end in 2005, Mingle and her husband started a band called Blue Monday

“My husband and I have been in Blue Monday ever since and we have been doing some interesting stuff with that too, but it’s winding down now, ” said Mingle, who has sung and played the keyboard, rhythm guitar and flute for over three decades

Mingle said her biggest personal accomplishment was landing her job at the Division of Nutritional Sciences

“I am in a place where I really enjoy being and since many working people spend more time at work than they do at home, that is important,” she said

Between her day job and nearly constant musical commitments on nights and weekends, Mingle said her many passions have kept her busy

“Free time is hard to come by, but it’s all a lot of fun for me, ” she said

Students Split Over Clinton, Rubio as Presidential Candidates

By OLIVIA LUTWAK Sun Staff Writer

While leaders of the Cornell Democrats expressed their excitement about Hillar y Clinton’s announcement Sunday that she will run for president in 2016, members of

the Cornell Republicans discussed the need for strong party organization in order to support the conser vative opponents opposing her Jared Ham ’15, vice president of the Cornell Democrats, said he is “ecstatic” about Clinton’s announcement, citing her prior experience as one of her major qualifications for the position

“[Clinton] is extensively qualified for this position, having ser ved as Senator for our great state of New York and as the

most-traveled

Secretar y of State in our countr y ’ s histor y, ” Ham said “She has dedicated her life to public ser vice and will continue to be a strong voice for all Americans

Cornell Democrats and a columnist for

Clinton’s “universal” vision will help her

close to matching her in terms of qualifica-

He

vocal leadership on important issues such as women ’ s rights, environmental protection and economic opportunity will earn

Americans I will be

y proud when we will be able to watch Hillar y Clinton being sworn in as our nation’s first woman president ” The Republican party must unite to become more effective than they have in

LaPointe ’16, first vice chair of the Cornell

Republicans

“She is undoubtedly a strong candidate for the Democratic nomination, and I feel that many people on both sides were anticipating the moment to come, ” LaPointe said “Her candidacy puts a demand on the Republican party to organize its platform and candidates more effectively than they have done in the re c e n t p re s i d e n t i a l races ”

LaPointe said he believes it is “difficult t

h candidate will receive the Republican party nomination

“I see a handful of strong contenders namely Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, and Scott Walker but there are certainly others candidates such as Ted Cruz and Dr Ben Carson to look out for,” LaPointe said

The Republican field currently consists of three official candidates: Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz Rubio officially launched his campaign for the presidency a day after Clinton’s announcement

Pesner said he believes Rubio does not have “nearly as much experience as Hillar y

Clinton ”

“He is willing to flip flop on important

stituents,” Pesner said “His scattershot record on immigration reform, for example, shows how poor a president he would be ”

LaPointe disagreed, however, calling Rubio’s candidacy “ a great step for the Republican party ”

“His youthful and optimistic vision of America’s potential is what the party needs

LaPointe said “He also has gathered support in key factions that could definitely give him an advantage in the elections ”

Atlanta Teachers Get Jail Time in Cheating Scandal

ATLANTA (AP) All but one of 10 former Atlanta public school educators convicted in a widespread conspiracy to inflate student scores on standardized tests were sentenced to jail time Tuesday, and the judge called the cheating scandal “the sickest thing that's ever happened in this town ”

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter had delayed sentencing by a day and encouraged all to negotiate deals with prosecutors But only two agreed to deals In both those cases, Baxter followed the state ’ s recommendations: He gave a former teacher a 7 p m to 7 a m curfew at home for one year and a former testing coordinator six months of weekends spent in jail They’ll also serve five years on probation

Despite their lawyers’ pleas for probation and community service, the remaining eight received harsher sentences, ranging from one to seven years in jail They are expected to appeal and will be free on bond while the appeals are pending

A state investigation found that as far back as 2005, educators from the 50,000-student Atlanta school system fed answers to students or erased and changed answers on tests after they were turned in Evidence of cheating was found in 44 schools with nearly 180 educators involved, and teachers who tried

to report it were threatened with retaliation

In 2013, 35 educators were indicted on charges including racketeering, making false statements and theft Many pleaded guilty before the trial, and some testified at the months long trial The jury acquitted one of the 12 former educators who went to trial and convicted the other 11 of racketeering

“This was very, very remarkable, to have the judge sort of give the defendants a second chance,” said University of Georgia law professor emeritus Ron Carlson “The thing that maybe was a little surprising was the reticence of the defendants to step forward and do that ”

Bob Rubin, who represented former elementary school principal Dana Evans, said the decision to turn down the deal wasn ’ t hard for his client

“She couldn’t say something that wasn ’ t true, " he said, referring to the insistence by the prosecution and the judge that the negotiated deals include an acceptance of responsibility

Those who took the deals former teacher Pamela Cleveland and former testing coordinator

Donald Bullock waived their right to appeal They also agreed to accept responsibility, reading aloud a statement apologizing to students, parents and the court

German Nobel Literature Laureate Guenter Grass Dies Monday at 87

William Faulkner was to the old

scourge and pathfinder of a society ruined by moral disgrace and humiliated by military defeat

For much of his adult life, the Nobel-winning writer held the rare status in the literary world of b

Monday at age 87, often angered his fellow citizens by reminding them of their shared Nazi past

But through language of renewed freedom and lyricism and stories that were surreal yet recognizable, he also assumed the even greater challenge of imagining what they might become

“His literary legacy will stand next to that of Goethe,” German

Cu l t u re Mi n i s t e r Mo n i k a Gruetters said in a statement following the news of his death

Grass’ first and most famous novel, “The Tin Drum,” came o u t i n 1 9 5 9 a n d r

h Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and Sa l m a n Ru s h d i e ’ s “ Mi d n i g h t ’ s Children” as a modern, international classic and as a mini-encyclopedia of a country ’ s state of mind

Combining naturalistic detail with fantastical images, Grass captured the German reaction to the rise of Nazism, the horrors of the war and the guilt that lingered after Adolf Hitler’s fall The book f o l l ow s t h e l i f e o f Os k a r Matzerath, the boy in Danzig who is caught up in the political whirlwind of the Nazi rise to power and, in response, decides not to grow up His toy drum becomes a symbol of this refusal

“There are books that open doors for their readers, doors in the head, doors whose existence they had not previously suspected,” Rushdie once wrote, citing “The Tin Drum” as a youthful rite of passage

a

I r a n a n d R u s s i a Make Trade

Deal

MOSCOW (AP) Russia said Tuesday that it would be at least six months before it could deliver the S-300 air defense missile system to Iran, but the Kremlin confirmed that a barter deal to supply Russian goods in exchange for Iranian oil was already being implemented

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed his move in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him that Israel shouldn’t be worried about the “purely defensive” weapon

The United States criticized Putin’s decision on Monday to lift a five-year ban on delivery of the missile system, which would give the Islamic republic’s military a strong deterrent against any air attack

White House spokesman Josh Earnest also said a Russian-Iranian barter deal would raise serious concerns and could interfere with sanctions that the United States

imposed on Iran over its nuclear program

Fire Destroys Stewart Avenue Buildings

At least 44 students displaced from apartments after Tuesday blaze

House collapsed at around 7 a m

fire” coming from the Chapter House complex and an apartment building directly to the north, located at 406 Stewart Ave , according to an IFD release The Cayuga Heights and Lansing Fire Departments aided in battling the blaze

One occupant of the apartment next to the Chapter House was unaccounted for until approximately 8 a m , according to Basher Officials initially did not know if the individual was in the building or home at all, but it was later discovered that he or she was out of the countr y at the time of the fire

Students displaced by the blaze were taken to Barton Hall Tuesday morning, where the Office of Student and Academic Ser vices worked to find housing accommodations, according to a University official

Crews continued to fight the flames hours after the initial fire began The roof of the building containing the Chapter

At a press conference at approximately 8 a m , Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 said both buildings involved were a “total loss ”

“ This is a ver y sad loss,” Myrick said “Losing something that meant so much to so many people is terrible ” Myrick added, however, that he was relieved no lives were lost during the fire

Mike Niechwiadowicz ’68, deputy building commissioner for the City of Ithaca, said there would be “significant work in [the Chapter House building] with all that water that was put in there ”

As of Tuesday evening, Stewart Avenue remained closed between State Street and Campus Road A crane was also present at the site around 7 p m , demolishing the apartment complex next to the Chapter House

Annie Bui can be reached at managing-editor@cornellsun com

Cornellians Mobilize to Aid Displaced

for clothing, shoes, bedding and linens” according to their needs, the release said

Local landlord John Novarr will provide housing for all the permanently displaced students through the end of the semester, according to the University

The displaced residents will also see suppor t from various i n s t i t u t i o n s w i t h i n C o r n e l l , a c c o rd i n g t o t h e Di v i s i o n o f Student and Academic Ser vices

The Cornell Store made a onetime donation to each displaced resident consisting of a t-shirt, a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and Cornell Dining Ser vices has given each resident an undisclosed number of Big Red Bucks

Ad d i t i o n a l l y, G a n n e t t He a l t h Ser vices has worked to help two stud e n t s re p l a c e l o s t m e d i c a t i o n , t h e Tatkon Center and Uris Librar y have offered to loan laptops, the registrar provided one-day bus passes and the Statler Hotel donated yogurt and juice the morning of the fire, the division said The Student Assembly Financial Aid Review committee has also pledged to support the displaced students financially with its emergency action fund,

according to Franklin Yang ’17, chair of the committee

“ We do have an emergency action plan for situations like this,” Yang said “[Requests for assistance] will go directly through the financial aid office, and then we will directly deal with the crisis managers in providing the funding, up to a $2,000 cap per student ”

Yang added that students who lost all their possessions will be eligible for the entire $2,000, while students who experienced partial losses will likely receive $300

“Once we are aware of their needs, we can probably get [the money] to them within 24 hours,” Yang said “ They money is all present, it is just sitting there waiting to help out someone ”

Cornell Mortar Board hopes to offer additional support to all the displaced residents through a fundraising campaign they initiated on social media Tuesday The board will also host a

Iconic C-Town Pub Dates Back to 1920s

CHAPTER HOUSE

Continued from page 1

years after its opening, but stopped doing so until the end of Prohibition in 1933 When the liquor started flowing again, Stewart Avenue residents circulated petitions arguing that the establishment was an “evil influence to student morals and also a public nuisance,” The Sun reported in 1934

Despite the residents’ attempts to have the State Liquor Authority close Jim’s Place, it remained open to become the iconic landmark it is today

Jim’s Place also suffered a 1950 grease fire that created “heavy smoke” but only “minor damage to the stove, ” The Sun previously reported

In 1965, then-owner Frank Willis changed the establishment’s name to the Chapter House, according to Willis’ niece, Mary O’Connell ’74

The Chapter House proclaimed its name change with an advertisement in the The Sun’s issue for Cornell’s 1965 centennial “We’ve come a long way, ” the ad states

“I loved the Chapter House,” O’Connell said in an email to The Sun Tuesday “It had a special meaning for me growing up in Ithaca and as a Cornell student My siblings, cousins and I knew every nook and cranny of the place ”

Since then, the Chapter House has undergone several iterations In the 1970s and ’80s, it was a common hang-out spot for fraternity and sorority members, but when the legal drinking age increased tp 21 in 1985, the establishment briefly went out of business

The Chapter House re-opened as an ice cream parlor, but alcohol proved better for sales and the establishment began serving alcohol again in the late ’80s Until the late ’90s, it brewed its own beer on site and in New Jersey Though its brewing operation has since stopped, the Chapter House boasted an extensive beer menu with 49 taps

Nearly 90 years since its birth, the Chapter House had evolved into a popular haunt for graduate students and remained a mainstay Collegetown bar, even as other legendary spots including Dino’s and Johnny O’s shut their doors

Throughout those years, many evenings started or ended at the Chapter House, said former Sun senior editor Bill Howard ’74

“Even to old alumni, it seems as if the Chapter House was always there,” Howard said “You’d never imagine something like a fire could actually bring down the Chapter House ”

Alumni expressed deep fondness for the iconic landmark, recounting memories of its various iterations

drive to raise money and supplies for the displaced residents on Ho Plaza Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week

“ We were informed that monetar y donations academic supplies, technology items, clothing, towels, bedding, etc are all most needed,” said Bridgette Aumand ’15 “ We will be accepting all of these items at the drive We will also have art supplies for students to write encouraging notes to those affected by the fire ”

T h e o n l i n e c a m p a i g n h a d raised over $5,300 at the time of publication, reaching just over a quarter of its total $20,000 goal

T h r o u g h o u t

social media, as well as other platforms, to express their sympathy with those affected by the blaze “ The outpouring of support across c

, GoFundMe fundraising platforms, letters of support and donations is incredible to see the solidarity across our community,” said Juliana Batista ’16, S A executive vice president “ This over whelming outpouring of support w i l l h

“Lately, the Chapter House has become a great venue for local music and touring acts, with some really packed and memorable shows,” Mark Anbinder ’89 said

The establishment served as a “landmark gathering spot for generations of Cornellians and Ithacan,” according to Anbinder, who is also a web communications manager at Cornell

“Ever yone knows where it is, and ever yone could sit down at one of the tables, and as the groups grew and shrank over the evening, people moved around and made room, ” Anbinder said

The Chapter House’s destruction leaves a dark spot in the Collegetown night scene, students lamented

“I feel dead inside,” said Jason Jones grad

T h e C o r n e ¬

EMMA LICHTENSTEIN ’16

SLOANE GRINSPOON ’17

Associate

AMBER CHEN 16

NATALIE TSAY 18

SOFIA HU ’17

JAEL GOLDFINE ’17

NOAH RANKIN 16

REBECCA BLAIR 17

GLASS 18

ADAM BRONFIN 18

SHANE LEWIS ’18

ADDY PAI ’16

WORKING ON

TODAY’S SUN

There really is nothing quite like a nice, long drive From the ebb and flow of the radio reception to the humming of the motor, gas station pit stops and parental phone calls, spending some time on the road affords a soul cleansing respite from one ’ s daily routine and worldly pressures

The value of the American drive has been well documented in literature and pop culture Jack Kerouac’s On the Road is the most influential work that

romanticize the drive to Ithaca as elo-

masterpiece But rather, I at least hope to give a first-hand account of my personal e

l

ling to and from the 607

O r i g i n a l l y, I spent most of my trips to Cornell on the Shor tline

Bronfin 18

DESKER Troy Sherman 18

Editorial

A Caring Community During Tragic Times

THE LOSS OF THE HISTORIC CHAPTER HOUSE PUB on Stewart Avenue struck a chord with alumni, students and Ithacans alike, both on campus and social media, on Tuesday Galvanized to help those in need, students, faculty and staff across campus stood behind our approximately 44 displaced peers by providing an outpouring of support and resources As the campus has often done in times of tragedy and discomfort, Cornellians have shown their devotion to supporting other students, demonstrating the University’s principle of fostering a caring community

Throughout the day Tuesday, the community rallied behind those individuals displaced following the multi-building blaze that destroyed two buildings on the 400 block of Stewart Ave After learning that all residents of the structures were safe and accounted for, the University moved to provide resources to the students, including Big Red Bucks and clothing from The Cornell Store, while Ithaca landlord John Novarr will house the individuals for the remainder of the semester Additionally, Cornell Mortar Board will hold a drive Wednesday through Friday gathering clothing and donations for the displaced students These are just a fraction of the ways Cornellians and Ithacans are working to assist those affected by the blaze

The events following this tragedy to the Cornell and Ithaca communities show this institution’s commitment from both students and the University to promote a sense of community on the Hill through ensuring that those affected continue to feel secure on campus The work done by students and Ithacans to help those affected by the fire, as well as the braver y shown by first responders at the scene Tuesday, is commendable and should be recognized by all In supporting the displaced students, we urge all able Cornellians to consider aiding those affected by the fire

s

b u s , a v o i d i n g c o n f r o n t a t i o n with others at all costs As I developed into a sea-

On The Road

of texts from these applicants and take note of their offers for “20 dollars of gas, ” “good conversation” and “music selection ” Ultimately, the same cast of chara

ensues during this private car ride is wholly different than during my musty, allergen ridden freshman year bus rides Whereas Shor tline trips were notewor thy for the occasional rowdy passeng

current trips to school are par tly memorable for their lengthy talks, transitioning from timely gossip and chit-chat about formal dates to existential quar ter-life crisis type questions Beyond stimulating talks, though, I

I ... hope to give a first-hand account of my personal experiences and thoughts traveling to and from the 607.

S h o r t l i n e p a s s e n g e r, I became skilled at implementing passive strategies to secure a whole row for myself Sometimes I would place my backpack in the seat next mine and put on a stern face to create a “diligent Cornell student” persona that no casual stranger would want to spend four hours next to Other times I would listen to my music obnoxiously loud while other passengers were boarding Irreparable ear damage was surely a fair price for more legroom I reasoned that unless a fellow Jay-Z aficionado wanted to nod along to a muffled, yet discernable, Empire-State of Mind all the way to Ithaca Ithaca State of Mind anyone? these Shor tline patrons would look else where for a vacant seat

Once all the other empty seats were

t a k e n a n u n f o r t u n a t e l y i n e v i t a b l e

occurrence most rides a poor passenger would be left with the uncomfor table task of approaching me and motioning towards the last seat Making sure to give an ever so slightly audible sigh and move my bag, I would comply and ambivalently welcome them to my row Sure, I was an entitled seat snob back then But can you blame me? I am a firm believer in personal space, and for the price of a r o u n d t r i p t i c k e t f r o m Ne w Yo r k t o Ithaca, an extra 10 inches of width and 5 inches of depth to the seats would go a long way towards customer satisfaction and public health

Now, with the luxur y of a four passenger 2006 Honda Accord, my trips to Ithaca can be as exclusive and personal as my hear t desires Choosing compatible passengers for the four-hour journey to It h a c a i s a r i g o r o u s a n d c o m p e t i t i v e process Hordes of friends and distant acquaintances vie for a spot on my blue chariot In the days before the star t of each break, I anticipate a sudden influx

car ride more so than the bus

ning of the 2015 MLB season, I’d like to compare the car ride to

has so adequately captured the spirit of the tr ue American spor t, the car ride has come to define the relationships, conversation and reflection inherent to a lengthy state of movement The car is like a baseball field the front houses the infield and the back seats, the outfield The driver and passenger, like the pitcher and catcher, set the pace of the game that is the car ride They decide what radio stations to put on Hot 97 the topic of conversation, and whether it’s time for a 7th inning stretch Alternatively, the lethargic backseat pas-

n g during a conversational lull or staring into the distance There are no winners are losers in this game, but there are positive and negative outcomes speeding tickets, flat tires, skepticism about a driver ’ s reluctance to use cr uise control and argument over whether it is appropriate to tip the gas pumper in Ne w Jersey are some key low points Positive outcomes include good snack distribution amongst

tight

unk and coordinated excretor y systems, to minimize bathroom stops While there are some downsides to driving on your own to school such as t

e approaching a state trooper and r ushing to monitor the speedometer before its too late overall, I greatly enjoy these trips In the frantic, hurried nature of our daily lives, it can be refreshing ever y once and a while to step back and take the field

Philip Susser is a junior in the College of Human Ecology He can be reached at pss226@cornell edu An Ithaca State of Mind appears on alternate Wednesdays this semester

CORRECTION

An April 14 news story, “Former Sigma Alpha Epsilon President Files Lawsuit Against Insurance Company,” incorrectly stated that Daniel Adams, Eric Barnum’s ’13 attorney, was a 2012 graduate of Cornell In fact, he is not an alumnus of the University

Sarah Byrne | Let It Byrne

Skimming The Surface

My roommate is teaching me how to swim When I say that to people, they mostly respond incredulously, “ You don’t know how to swim?!” But the tr uth is that I do, just on an extremely cursor y level As in, I passed my swim test, but probably couldn’t successfully complete more than those three lengths of the pool As in, I haven’t quite mastered the ar t of breathing, in air or in water, and frequently feel like I’m drowning when I do happen to find myself in a swimming situation

I gre w up in a lake community, and from basically bir th until fifth grade, ever y summer I was forced to take swim lessons My sister, because she complained constantly and refused to get in the water at many of said lessons, was made to take supplemental lessons at the local Y, so that she could attain the swimming proficiency necessar y for my mother to read a book on a beach blanket instead of constantly watching us at the water ’ s edge I, on the other hand, quietly went about my swim lesson business, completeling what was required of me and nothing more Because the lessons were usually taught by local teenagers, who wanted to be there perhaps even less than my 10-year-old self did, we spent many of the lessons treading water for what seemed like hours, as they chatted

I truly believed that I would become, if an expert, extremely knowledgable in o field. College seemed like a time to specialize, to learn deeply rather than broadly.

on the docks about whatever mystical nonsense teenagers discuss

This is all just to say that I am per fectly proficient at not drowning, but the finer elements of swimming escape me So, I am tr ying to learn

As the date of my graduation too rapidly approaches, I’ve been thinking about what Cornell has taught me In many cases, these lessons are real and profound However, in many other cases, I have learned, as I did in my elementar y school swimming lessons, how to do just enough to get by

When I was a high school senior, looking for ward to my future at college, I tr uly believed that I would become, if not an exper t, extremely knowledgeable in one field College seemed like the time to specialize, to learn deeply rather than broadly, to move toward exper tise Instead, I have learned how to star t studying the day before a test and still get an A I have learned which classes and which professors require par ticipation and attendance, and which read directly from the textbook during lecture I have mastered this environment, while mastering shockingly little actual content The other day, I was talking to my friend, an English major, who expressed the same sentiment She thought she’d be reading all of the classics of modern literature, leaving Cornell with a complete and total background in her field Instead, the past four years were full of late nights finishing essays that could have been better if done at 4pm rather than 4am, discussion sections pretending to have read the chapters assigned for that week, entire papers written on books never completely read

When I studied abroad in Paris, I took a film course, and ever yone in my class was a film major In the university system there, students only take classes in their major, so each person in the course was a sophomore studying film, and had taken all film classes, with all film majors, for the past two years They had watched ever y film we discussed in class, whereas I had only seen or even heard of a couple They could point out the style of cer tain directors, cinematographers, actors, from a three-minute clip But when I talked to them about what I was studying, or anything else theatre, histor y, biology they had almost nothing to contribute

So, while the past four years have been challenging, mentally taxing years, during which I actually did a significantly lower por tion of my readings than I will readily admit to anyone, I have learned broadly I took a philosophy class on religion, some theatre classes, a fe w anthropology ones, some math, some human development I will be the first to admit that today, I could not pass a test in any of these topics if my life depended on it But still, at one point I could have And more than the content of any of these courses, I was exposed to so many different ways of thinking and communicating

Different professors and students in different disciplines solve problems in different ways, think in different patterns and even write papers in drastically different styles It has been a pleasure to be a par t of so many of these thought processes, even in a small way, and I don’t regret that I learned so broadly: depth will come For now, against all of my expectations, I might have received a liberal ar ts education

Teresa Kim | Her Meneutics

Lessons We Have Not Learned

Ewith the number 150

This three-digit number beckons us to celebrate and commend the successes of this institution and the many luminaries who have read and pondered in these ver y classrooms From the moment I read my acceptance letter to my final strides during my last semester here, “sesquicentennial” has been written on ever y message directed towards

d event, ever y piece of garment in the Cornell Store (and ever ything else in there for that matter) and the ridiculously large a n d s t r a t o s p h e r i c a l l y - p r i c e d diploma frames in the store as well as if our diploma didn’t cost us an arm and a leg at all already “150” has shown itself in almost ever y shape, form and hashtag (#150events) and in this flood of sesquicentennial

m a rk e r s , we b

m b towards how we should be really thinking about the last 150 years

Now, there’s much to celeb

o much to the world in the last 150 years And as cynical as

m o s t o f u s

u s u a l l y a re a b o u t Cornell’s institutional problems, we can ’ t d i s c re d i t t h e many laudable

f e a t s o f t h e m a n y a c a d e -

m i c s a n d

year ’ s dealings in the Middle East have also put our national inequalities in check in regards t o a n t i - Se m i t i s m A n d t h e n t h e re ’ s In d i a n a ’ s Re l i g i o u s Freedom Law that has quickly become a topic of great contention since it was legalized earlier this month with another backwards step for American progress, progress that has mitigated its meaning tremendously in the past year It’s a backwards step for all religious, or e ve n n o m i n a l l y re l i g i o u s , Americans I want to position all of these issues together not to q u a l i t a t i ve l y c o m p a re t h e Je w i s h e x p e r i e n c e w i t h t h e

Bl a c k e

p e r i e n c e with the Jewish experience or maybe even the red America experience with blue America’s b u t t o s a y t h a t , a s a Cornellian, these are all issues that we should all be thinking about and working through, especially as we approach not just the sesquicentennial celeb r a t i o n o f o u r Un i ve r s i t y ’ s charter day, but the sesquicentennial of a war that was fought to better the current and future experiences of all of America’s

As we’re surrounded by sesquicentennial flags which denote our achievements, I want to ask you to think of our nation’s shortcomings.

alums who have inspired us to apply to Cornell in the first place (It was Nabokov and Nye who sealed the deal for me) But there’s more that has happened or rather hasn’t happened, in the last 150 years that can ’ t be celebrated

Today is April 15, 2015

General Lee surrendered to the Union at McLean House on April 9, 1865 And five days later in the same year, John Wilkes Booth passed through a sad excuse for a presidential bodyguard and fired a shot into the head of one of the most beloved thinkers and influential leaders of American histor y With the win at McLean and the death of the leader that spurred the win, the countr y was still scrambling to fight for individual rights, liberty and f re e d o m Ye s , t h e Re c o n s t r u c t i o n A m e n d m e n t s had paved the way for the prot e c t i o n o f s l a ve s a n d t h e i r human and citizen rights But the countr y was still in need of f u r t h e r c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d amendments to our perspectives

I don’t need to remind you why this brief histor y lesson is needed in light of Ferguson and t h e r i p p l e s o f n a t i o n a l a n d international discussion it has created in the past year Last

with this rather reductive interpretation of this metanarrative only because there is an even c l e a re r m e t a n a r r a t i ve i n t h e Bible that he/she is overlooking

In h i s e p i s t l e t o t h e

marginalized

A n d In d i a n a ’ s Re l i g i o u s Freedom Law is the most recent example of social regression and o f a h i n d r a n c e t ow a rd s t h e national reconstruction that is already severely lagging Much of the nation seemed repulsed at hearing this news; but it isn’t to say that there is also a much too large group of people in this countr y who feel compelled to legitimize this piece of legislation

In “ In t e r v i e w Wi t h a Christian,” New York Time’s Ross Douthat asks why it is that some Christians can ’ t simply bur y the hatchet with issues o f r a c e a n d m a r r i a g e , t h e Christian (who remains anonymous) responds, “It’s not that simple The debate about race was ver y specific to America, modernity, the South (Bans on interracial marriage were generally a white supremacist innovation, not an inheritance from C h r i s t e n d o m o r c o m m o n law )”

But the Religious Freedom law does not necessarily put the spotlight on the issue of white s u p re m a c y, r a t h e r o n m o r a l supremacy The Christian in t h e i n t e r v i e w s a y s t h a t t h e clearest biblical metanarrative is about male and female But as a C h r i s t i a n m y s e l f, I d i s a g re e

Romans, Saint Paul famously writes, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glor y of Go d” ( Ro m a n s 8 : 2 3 ) T h e entirety of the Bible encapsulates the great metanarrative of God’s acceptance of all peoples for there “is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female” with God (Galatians 3:28) Throughout the Bible, God is clear about the fact that he scorns adulterers, crooks and cheaters as well through the numerous parables and illustrations But we all know that the religious freedom law is not really out the get the adulterers, crooks and cheaters of society The law is a contortion of Biblical truths to create a flimsy excuse for religious freedom; the law instead reeks of homophobia I a m o f t h e s c h o o l o f thought that believes evangelicals have gotten a lot of undeser ved censure over the years However, there is a reason why so much of the c o u n t r y h a s lost its appetite f o r o u t w a rd religious piety, e s p e c i a l l y when it is used to sugarcoat an u n d e r c u r r e n t of narrow-minded hate and discrimination

A s we ’ re

u

ro u n d e d by

I want to ask you to think of our n a

i n g s In Lincoln’s final public address a couple days after Lee’s surrender, he said:

“ Un l i k e a c a s e o f a w a r between independent nations, there is no authorized organ for us to treat with No one man has authority to give up the rebellion for any other man We simply must begin with, and mould from, disorganized and discordant elements ” We remind ourselves of histor y to contextualize our current struggles As individuals, we a re a l l m u s t e r i

moulding a better version of ourselves from discordant elements In a similar spirit, this n

reconstruction It may be hard to see with the many skyscrapers that make up our nation’s many grand cityscapes; but at the bottom lies many foundational problems that need fixing

SCIENCE

J a m e s S t e v e n s o n g r a d , P r o f s Te s t

By REEM KHONDAKAR

Sun Staff Writer

Though it is located more than 800 million miles from the Sun, Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, might be the next best bet for life in our solar system

According to Ph D candidate James Stevenson grad, Titan not only boasts well-below freezing temperatures but also has one of the most similar terrains of all the planets and moons in our solar system to Earth

“The whole system is more Earth-like than any other planet or moon that we have seen, ” Stevenson said “The only real difference is that it is a different liquid that is moving around ”

According to Stephenson, that liquid is methane and comes in lakes and rivers just like water on Earth Other similarities, such as an atmosphere predominantly made of nitrogen, has led to research focusing on whether or not life could be supported on Titan

Most recently, Stevenson workedwith

Prof Paulette Clancy, chemical engineering, and Prof Jonathan Lunine, astronomy, to create a membrane that simulates life on the distant moon Their their findings were published in Science Advances in

February

Using a tool called molecular dynamics simulation, Stevenson created what he calls an “ azotosome, ” a cell membrane

made solely of the elements known to exist on Titan: hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen

Un l i k e c e l l m e m b r a n e s f o u n d o n earth, which are made of polar phosphate heads and hydrocarbon tails, the azoto-

“The whole system is more Earthlike than any other planet or moon that we have seen.”

some is made of polar nitrogen heads and h yd ro c a r b o n t a i l s Ac c o rd i n g t o Stevenson, it is approximately the size of a small virus The nonpolar tails of the azotosome face the nonpolar environment of Titan, while the polar nitrogen heads “interlock” together, Stevenson said Stevenson said it was c r u c i a l t o a c c o u n t f o r

found the flexibility of the azotosome to be similar to the flexibility of a cell membrane on earth

“You would expect the stiffness to be much greater, but it turns out that the weak interactions in the azotosome balance with the low temperature, so you get something that acts like an earth cell membrane,” Stevenson said “That blew me away ” Nevertheless, discovering a membrane that could exist on Titan does not necessarily mean that life truly exists there, according to Stevenson

“There are three things necessary for life: encapsulation, an energy source and the ability to reproduce,” Stevenson said While the process of reproduction is still a mystery, Stevenson said it is possible that life on Titan could be consuming hydrogen as an energy source analogous to how animals consume oxygen Investigating the properties of life on Titan could advance the potential to go out and find life there, according to Stevenson

“We are hoping there will be another NASA mission to Titan,” Stevenson said According to NASA, the proposed mission is called the Titan Mare Explorer and would sail in Titan’s

Titan’s unique environment methane rainstorms, no oxygen in its atmosphere and extreme cold when creating the model

Given that Titan’s surf a c e t e m p e r a t u re i s 9 4 Kelvin, approximately onethird of Ear th’s sur face temperature (290 Kelvin) the stiffness of a cell membrane on Titan would be predicted to be exponentially larger than Earth’s, according to Stevenson Yet to his surprise, his investig a t i o n s u s i n g m o l e c u l a r d y n a m i c s s i m u l a t i o n

m

them for organic life

“ De p e n d i n g o n w h a t type of chemistry we think there is, we can put different instruments on this mobile c h e m

y l a b, ” St

n s o n said By accurately predicting

what kind of life exists on Titan, the researchers can send the right instruments on the next NASA mission, advancing the possibility of actually seeing what life if it exists is like on Titan

Khondakar can be reached at rkhondakar@cornellsun com

Science Around Ithaca

Undergraduate Research Fair

Wednesday, April 15, from 1 - 5 p m

Willard Straight Hall

Undergraduate research opportunities from across campus will be represented at tables in Willard Straight Hall Noah Rankin

Engineering

the Symbiotic

Signalling

Pathways of Cereals

Wednesday, April 15, at 4 p m

B25 Warren Hall

Prof Giles Oldroyd, a plant scientist at the John Innes Centre in Nor wich, England, will deliver a seminar discussing how signalling mechanisms and nitrogen-fixing capabilities of legumes can be transferred to cereal crops, aiding small-holder farmers in places such as SubSaharan Africa Noah Rankin

The Young and the Restless Stars

Thursday, April 16, from 4 - 5 p m 105 Space Sciences Building

Delivered by Prof Lynne Hillenbrand, astronomy, California Institute of Technology, this talk will focus on young stars, which are associated with regions of recent star formation that can be studied across “almost the entire electromagnetic spectrum ”

Noah Rankin

Natural Areas Academy: Dig In!

Saturday, April 15, from 7:30 a m - 4 p m Nevin Welcome Center, 124 Comstock Knoll Rd

The Cornell Plantations’ Natural Areas Academy invites those who are passionate about protecting natural areas to a series of workshops focused on activities such as creating a rain garden, invasive species control, native plants and site preparation Pre-registration is required

Noah Rankin

To Bee or Not to Bee? That Is the Question

Tuesday, April 21, at 7 p m

Lot 10 Bar and Lounge, 106 S Cayuga St

Ithaca’s Science Cabaret will be hosting an interactive discussion about honey bee declines and the underlying causes of “colony collapse disorder” at Lot 10

Prof Bryan Danforth, etymology, will talk about his research on wild bee diversity and the role of wild bees in agricultural pollination

According to Science Cabaret’s website, a “ sweet treat ” will be provided at the free event

Noah Rankin

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Devil Inside Netflix:

Season One

BY MARISSA TRANQUILLI Sun Staff Writer

I have sustained a cer tain belief for the past fe w years that, as superhero companies, Mar vel is the king of the big screen while DC dominates the small screen Mar vel has adopted a step-wise, highly crafted methodology to their filmmaking It’s gotten to the point where they can pull off movies like Guardians of the Galax y and Big Hero 6 and still hit the nail on the head DC seems to be r ushing the whole Justice League franchise, but their small screen ser vings have been stellar: Arrow, The Flash, Constantine, Gotham In terms of TV, Mar vel’s Agents of Shield and Agent Car ter just weren ’ t on the same level as the DC masterpieces

On Friday, my system of beliefs was turned on its head when Netflix released a 13-episode season of Mar vel’s Daredevil, which ser ves to remind us what tr ue superhero cinematography is supposed to be

Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is a lawyer who works with his par tner Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) to defend the improperly accused By day, he uses the law to protect the innocent By night, he evades the law to punish the guilty as the vigilante hero Daredevil He uses no magic hammers, bows and arrows, iron suits or guns Daredevil, a fighter in ever y sense of the word, tends to stick to sticks and his fists And, to top it off, he also happens to be blind This handicap, however having been given to him by a vat of toxic waste is perhaps his greatest strength, because it heightens his other senses to a terrifying degree

The beauty of this show, however, does not lie in its genre or its origin stor y It comes from its stor ytelling, cinematography and acting The opening credits were the first thing that str uck me with Daredevil’ s haunting beauty The music, building as it goes, evokes emotion that I have never felt in an opening credit scene The violin- and piano-heavy piece calls upon sadness, an aspect of horror and a chilling tension building throughout This music plays over a red-screened background upon which dripping red wax figures are created in the air: A blind judge, a melting city, a suspended bridge, a weeping angel turned away from a church and the figure of Daredevil himself

The next par t of the show that str uck me was the caliber of acting Cox, known for movies such as Stardust and The Theor y of Ever ything, takes the twisted vigilante to a level which the likes of Stephen Amell of the show Arrow could only dream of Cox neither overacts nor underacts: He is on point with ever y aspect of Matt Murdock as well as Daredevil The suppor ting cast rallies behind him without a single weak link Boasting seasoned film actors such as Ayelet Zurer and Rosario Dawson, the entire cast shined And then there was Vincent D'Onofrio in the role of crime lord Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin Season one w

Kingpin as it was for Daredevil His motivations, dealings, backstor y and evolution were touched upon nearly as much as those of Matt Murdock, and D’Onofrio made the character

At first, I spent the season disappointed i n M a t t Mu r d o c k’s l a c k o f r o m a n t i c involvement It took me a while to realize, though, that our hero’s singleness was purposeful Murdock was not yet in a place where he could healthily or even plausibly maintain a semblance of a relationship Ho w e v e r, R

shouldn’t fear, for there is in fact a central relationship to the plot It is master fully accomplished, vital to the show’s plot and something tha t has tr uly been missing from almost ever y superhero saga to date: A love stor y for the villain Historically, the villain may be allowed to kidnap women, lose a loved one and go insane or have underlying romantic motivations, but no villain ever gets his own love stor y That is, until we see Kingpin’s in this first season

d r a m a m e a n s v i ol e n c e , a n d a l o t o f i t T h e r e a r e k i l l i n g s , b e a t i n g s a n d f i g h t s , m o s t o f w h i c h a re p r i m a r il y h a n d t o h a n d c o m b a t , l e a v i n g u s w i t h v e r y f e w o u t a n d o u t s h o o t i n g s L i v e s a r e s e l d o m f i n i s h e d o f f b y a q u i c k n e c k s n a pp i n g R a t h e r, i t ’ s a l l h e a d s i n c a r d o o r s , s t r a n g l i n g s , h e a d s b a s h e d a g a i n s t w a l l s a n d k n i v e s i n t h e e y e It i s a d a r k , t r o ub l i n g s h o w a t m a n y p o i n t s T h e re a re m a n y f i g h t s c e n e s t h a t a r e a m a z i n g l y c h o r e o g r a p h e d a n d s k i l l f u l l y f i l m e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e s e r i e s , b u t t h e h a l l w a y f i g h t s c e n e a t t h e e n d o f e p i s o d e t w o w i l l l e a v e y o u b re a t h l e s s It o n e - u p s e v e r y o t h e r f i g h t i n t e r m s o f c i n e m a t o g r a p h y a n d c h o reo g r a p h y It i s s o p ow e r f u l f o r t w o m a i n re a s o n s T h e f i r s t i s w h a t ’ s l e f t u n s e e n T h e f i g h t t r a n s i t i o n s b e t w e e n a h a l lw a y i n t o t w o s u b s e q u e n t r o o m s , w h i l e t h e c a m e r a n e v e r l e a v e s t h e h a l l w a y A s D a re d e v i l c a n t e a c h u s , w h a t i s n o t s e e n c a n h a v e a f a r g re a t e r i m p a c t t h a n w h a t i s T h e s e co n d i s t h e h u m a n i t y g i v e n t o Ma t t i n t h i s f i g h t In j u re d a n d e x h a u s t e d c o m i n g i n , h e c o n s t a n t l y l e a n s a g a i n s t t h e w a l l o r l a y s o n t h e g r o u n d w h e n h i s o p p o n e n t s a re d ow n f o r a f e w s e c o n d s He e n d s t h e f i g h t b y l a n d i n g a f i n a l p u n c h , t r i p p i n g ov e r a n u n c o n s c i o u s b o d y a n d f a l l i n g o f f s c re e n Hi s f i g h t i n g s t y l e i t s e l f c h a n g e s a s h e t i re s i n t h e m o s t h u m a n w a y p o s s i b l e , s o m e t h i n g I t h i n k o t h e r h e r o e s t e n d t o f o r g e t T h e n t h e re i s t h e q u e s t i o n o f m o r a l i t y f i r s t r a i s e d i n e p i s o d e t w o : D a n g l i n g a m a n o f f a b u i l d i n g , D a re d e v i l w h i s p e r s , “ I n e e d y o u t o k n ow w h y I ’ m h u r t i n g y o u It’s n o t j u s t t h e b oy I ’ m d o i n g t h i s b e c a u s e I e n j oy i t ” O f c o u r s e t h e h e r o s a y s t h i s t o g e t a r i s e o u t o f t h e m a n h e i s t o r t u r i n g , b u t t h e i d e a o f Ma t t n e e d i n g t o h u r t p e o p l e , t r y i n g t o f i g u re o u t w h e re t h e l i n e i s , i s n ’ t e n t i re l y l e f t a l o n e T h i s q u e s t i o n o f m o r a l i t y, a n d t h o s e o f i n t e r n a l , e x t e r n a l a n d s p i r i t u a l c o n f l i c t s , a re e x p l o re d t h r o u g h o u t t h e s h ow A n d t h a t i s D a re d e v i l I h a v e s p e n t t h e l a s t s i x y e a r s o r s o o f m y l i f e b e l i e v i n g t

Ithaca Pan Asian American Film Festival:

Take

With

A R o y a l M e s s : E ! ’s T h e R o y a l s

BY RADHI PARIKH Sun Staff Writer

E!’s first scripted drama follows a fictitious and scandalous royal family It comes as no surprise, as E! already has one famous series about a royal family living their life in the public eye in the era of social media: Keeping Up with the Kardashians The Royals’ creator, Mark Scwahn, is most famous for creating One Tree Hill Royals is meant to be a soap opera about the Royal Family And, following the general lax rules of soap opera reality, almost anything can happen That is, as long as the audience cares about the characters

Unfortunately, it is really hard to do so The show loves the juxtaposition of public duty against private life The first few minutes of the premiere open with the playboy Prince Liam sleeping with the daughter of the head of security (or as the Queen calls her, “ The Help”) Princess Eleanor creates a drunk spectacle and ultimately falls off of a table at a nightclub, leading to her “vagina being on no less than the cover of four tabloids ” The episode then takes a sharp and sad turn Prince Robert, the family’s oldest son, is killed Prince Liam is now in line to be the next King of England It’s a good twist, but Prince Robert feels like a plot device rather than a character A good soap opera would allow for this family to grieve, but the Queen, King, Prince and Princess seem to be fine, as though a distant cousin, not a core member of their family, has died

other or themselves

Elizabeth Hurley is brilliantly cast at the matriarch and Q

Unfortunately, that is where the good news ends She is obviously having fun delivering her zingers, but neither Hurley nor the writers have done a good job of characterizing her as anything other than an icy bitch You get the sense that Queen Helena is supposed to be a character with whom you should sympathize, but her treatment of her children, her husband and the people is so atrocious that it’s difficult to sympathize with her The Queen doesn’t

n ’ t drink tea, but instead dirty chai with soy This is perhaps the only thing we learn about her over the course of 5 episodes, and it is her only defining character trait Patterson and Moseley have terrible chemistr y, which is unfortunate because their relationship seems to be the heart of the series Patterson is by far the worst actor in the series; she’s too earnest and unbelievable Liam’s ex-girlfriend, Gemma, also makes a return She’s conniving, calculating and beautiful, much like Queen Helena However, t h e re ’

While Robert’s death would have been a perfect place to explore the concept of public and private lives with respect to how people mourn, the writers struggle to flesh out the characters in a way that makes them seem believable The Queen (Elizabeth Hurley) continues to insult her living two children as they sit in the limo on the way to their brother’s funeral There’s no understanding as to why this family is so awful to each other, and the audience feels isolated because of how little the characters seem to like each

Fi re f i g h t e r s a re a m o n g m y f a vo r i t e m e n a n d w o m e n i n t h i s w o r l d T h e y a re n o t o n l y k i n d a n d w o n d e r f u l p e o p l e w h o re s c u e c a t s f ro m t a l l t re e s , b u t t h e y r i s k t h e i r l i ve s f o r u s o n a re g u l a r b a s i s We we re a l l re m i n d e d o f t h a t e a r l y o n Tu e s d a y w h e n t h e It h a c a Fi r e De p a r t m e n t d i d j u s t t h a t , a n d t h e e n t i re

C o r n e l l c o m m u n i t y c o u l d n o t b e m o re

t h a n k f u l I l i ve a ro u n d t h e c o r n e r f ro m

T h e C h a p t e r Ho u s e , a n d w h i l e I a m s a d t h a t m y f a vo r i t e C o l l e g e t ow n b a r w i l l n o t

b e s e r v i n g d r i n k s i n t h e n e a r f u t u re , I a m i n c r e d i b l y g r a t e f u l t h a t n o o n e w a s i n j u re d i n t h e f i re t h a t s t r u c k t h e 4 0 0

b l o c k o f St e w a r t Ave n u e

I n h o n o r o f t h e s e f i n e m e n a n d w o m e n , I ’ m g o i n g t o d o t h e o n l y t h i n g I c a n a s a c o l u m n i s t f o r t h e A r t s & E n t e r t a i n m e n t s e c t i o n o f t h i s p a p e r : Re c o m m e n d f i ve f i re m e n - t h e m e d m ov i e s a n d T V s h ow s t h a t yo u s h o u l d w a t c h a s yo u b e g i n p ro c r a s t i n a t i n g a l l t h e f i n a l p ro j e c t s a n d p a p e r s t h a t l o o m a h e a d

B a c k d r a f t , 1 9 9 1

I m e a n , t h e re c o u l d n ’ t re a l l y b e a l i s t o f f i re f i g h t e r m ov i e s w i t h o u t Ba c k d ra f t It i s t h e f i r s t o n e t h a t c o m e s t o m i n d o n t h e t o p i c , a n d f o r g o o d re a s o n Ku r t Ru s s e l l , Ro b e r t D e Ni r o a n d o n e o f n o n - A l e c Ba l d w i n s , a re a l l f a n t a s t i c i n t h i s Ro n

need to be likable, but she at least needs to be understandable, and we are supplied with no motive for her iciness

Her husband, King Simon, is quiet, reser ved, kind and sad He is the only character who seems to be a decent human being This would seem like a nice break from the rest of these royal pains, but it actually makes him stand out when he doesn’t interact with the rest of his family in a convincing way

Prince Liam ( William Moseley) is our classic irresponsible playboy prince He’s sleeping with an employee, Ophelia (Merritt Patterson) She’s half American and does-

Regrettably, ever y time a glimpse of this redemption is seen, she says something terrible and all progress that has been made with the character is lost

Princess Eleanor is Liam’s twin She’s an alcoholic, drug-addicted and sad person, even before her brother’s death At times her unhappiness with her life is extremely difficult to relate to and she can come off as a spoiled brat with no talents However, it is subtly shown that she is quite intelligent and possibly even kind Of all the characters, she seems to be the least flat She grabs the most humane moments of the show, like that in which her father tells her that he sees greatness in her and not to medicate it away, and later where she sits at her brother’s grave and sobs

For a show that really wants to focus on the juxtaposition of the private/public life of stars, they forget to show us their public life The reason it’s so fun to follow the actual royal family is because they are so perfect and poised and you have to turn to the tabloids for any signs of chaos in their lives Royals’ characters seem to conduct themselves in public as they do privately, making it hard for the audience to remain interested

The show has been green lighted for a second season already, giving the actors and writers time to work on making the characters more likable and interesting Royals has a lot of work to do before it becomes a staple guilty-pleasure show

Radhi Parikh is a sophomore in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations She can be reached at rparikh@cornellsun com

Firemen and Firemovies

How a rd c l a s s i c Ba c k d r a f t i s n o t t h e m o s t p ro f o u n d f i l m , b u t i t ’ s a c t i o n - p a c k e d a n d e n t e r t a i n i n g Fu n f a c t : It’s t h e h i g h e s t g ro s s i n g m ov i e a b o u t f i re f i g h t e r s T h e re a l s o u s e d t o b e a B a c k d ra f t r i d e a t

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m e n i n a s m a l l t o w n i n f o r m e r

Cze c h o s l ova k i a a t t e m p t i n g t o p u t o n a b e a u t y p a g e a n t T h e f i l m w a s b a n n e d f o r i t s a l l e g o r i c a l c o m m e n t a r y a b o u t t h e c o m m u n i s t re g i m e , b u t e ve n o u t s i d e t h e p o l i t i c s o f Fi re m e n ’ s Ba l l , i t ’ s a h i l a r i o u s m ov i e a b o u t w h i c h Ro g e r Eb e r t w ro t e , “ T h i s i s a ve r y w a r m , f u n n y m ov i e , a n d p e r h a p s t h e b e s t w a y yo u c o u l d s p e n d a n e ve n i n g i n a t h e a t e r j u s t n ow It i s a re l i e f t o f i n d a d i re c t o r w h o d o e s n ' t f o rc e h i s m a t e r i a l , w h o t r u s t s u s t o u n d e r s t a n d w h a t ' s f u n n y w i t h o u t b e i n g t o l d ”

Se c o n d e d , Ro g e r

B a l l o f F i r e , 1 9 4 1 Ok a y, s o t h i s o n e i s n o t a c t u a l l y a b o u t f i re o r f i re m e n i n a n y c a p a c i t y, b u t I f e e l l i k e I c a n s n e a k i t i n t h i s l i s t b e c a u s e o f t h e t i t l e W h a t e ve r I ’ m a s e c o n d s e m e s t e r s e n i o r, a n d t h e re f o re s t o p p e d c a r i n g l o n g

a g o Ba l l o f Fi re i s a n a m a z i n g m ov i e a n d e ve r yo n e s h o u l d w a t c h i t In i t , Ga r y C o o p e r p l a y s a n e rd y l e x i c o g r a p h e r w h o w a n t s t o s t u d y t h e m o d e r n s l a n g o f s a s s y n i g h t c l u b s i n g e r “ Su g a r p u s s ” O ’ Sh e a , p l a y e d b y t h e e f f e r v e s c e n t B a r b a r a St a n w yc k , w h o m h e w i n d s u p h i d i n g f ro m t h e m o b It w a s w r i t t e n by Bi l l y Wi l d e r, a l s o re s p o n s i b l e f o r S o m e Li k e i t Ho t a n d a l i t a n y o f o t h e r e

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Winkler Sets School Record for Hammer Throw

C.U. athletes perform well across the board in invitationals at Bucknell, GMU

By RACHEL CHERNER

Sun Staff Writer

This past weekend, the track and field

t e a m l e f t C o r n e l l t o c o m p e t e i n t h e

Bucknell Bison Spring Classic and the George Mason Spring Invitational The men ’ s team per formed well to record 14 IC4A qualifiers, a school record in the hammer throw, a Bucknell facility record

i n t h e d i s c u s a n d a n a l l - t i m e To p - 1 0 school per formance in the 1500m

In throwing, sophomore Rudy Winkler qualified for IC4A’s and broke the school record for the hammer on his fifth throw and again on his sixth throw, hitting 214’ 3” In the discus event, senior Stephen Mozia broke his own facility record with a throw of 191’9” No competitors were within 20’ of him

For distance events, the 4x800 team placed fifth with a time of 7:51 53 Junior Ben Rainero earned No 5 in all-time school histor y in the 1500m event, placing fifth overall with a time of 3:45 81, qualifying for IC4As In the steeplechase, freshman Dom DeLuca placed four th, qualifying for IC4As Sophomore David Taylor placed sixth in the 10,000 with a personal record of 30:12 16 and an IC4A qualifica-

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tion while fellow sophomore Zack Israel earned his first IC4A qualifier by placing 16th

Senior Keith Rayburn and sophomore Grant Sisserson placed first and second in the pole vault, respectively with a mutual clearance height of 15’ 2 3/4”

In their Saturday competition at the George Mason Spring Invitational, the men also had some high scoring marks including sophomore Wynn Cur tis’s performance in the 110m hurdles, finishing third in the finals In the 400m hurdles, sophomore Jordan Sher wood placed sixth

Se

49 88 in the 400m event, while teammate James Gowans placed 11th in the 800m with a time of 1:52 49 In the high jump,

My

Stephen Afadapa placed second and third, respectively, at 6’ 8 1/4”

The women ’ s team stayed at Bucknell for the weekend’s competitions, collecting four event wins, 25 Top-10 event showings, 11 ECAC qualifiers and two alterations to the school Top-10 lists in the 4x100 and 4x400

In the weekend’s event wins, Cornell

4x400, 4x100, and 800 events

Junior Claire DeVoe began the weekend on a positive note by earning first in the 3000m steeplechase with her seasonal best time of 10:29 08 On Saturday morning, the 4x100m quar tet of sophomore A

senior co-captain Zena Kolliesuah, and

45 57 to win by over one second and earned the second best per formance in school histor y After the 4x100m, senior co-captain Elyse Wilkinson claimed a victor y in the 800m, r unning a seasonal best 2:08 97 Freshman Shannon Hugard earned second place in the event r unning a personal record of 2:09 81

In the final event win for the Red women, Cornell closed out the meet with a Bucknell facility record by over three seconds in the 4x400m The line-up of Katie

Wo

Akpaete ran a 3:36 26, good for four th alltime in program histor y Up next for the men is the Sam Howell Invitational at Princeton Both teams have the Upstate Challenge Saturday

Rachel Cherner can be reached at rcherner@cornellsun com

Strong performance in doubles matchups helps Cornell beat Brown

By JOHN MCGRORTY Sun Staff Writer

n i s t e a m c o n t i n u e s t o l o o k l i k e a f o rc e w i t h i n t h e Iv y L e a g u e , a c c o rd i n g t o

j u n i o r c a p t a i n D e n a

Ta n e n b a u m “ I f e l t t h a t t h e t e a m c o mp e t e d r e a l l y w e l l Aw a y m a t c h e s a r e a l w a y s t o u g h , [ e s p e c i a l l y ] a d j u s t i n g t o t h e o t h e r t e a m ' s a t m o s p h e re a n d c rowd , ” Ta n e n b a u m s a i d “ I t h o u g h t e ve r yo n e h a n d l e d i t re a l l y we l l Brow n w a s o bv io u s l y a g o o d w i n f o r u s a n d i t w a s n i c e t o g e t t h e c l i n c h e a r l y b e f o re f i f t h a n d s i x t h s i n g l e s we n t o n ” “ In t h e Brow n m a t c h , t h e t u r n i n g p o i n t w a s Ma r i k a

f o u g h t s o h a rd a n d , a l t h o u g h we l o s t t h e m a

” Ju n i o r Ja n e St e w a r t a l s o c o m p l i m e n t e d t h e Re d’s e f f o r t i n t h e g a m e a g a i n s t t h e Bu l l d o g s “ I t h i n

“Our team competed really well this weekend at Brown and Yale. I feel that all of our hard work throughout the year is showing in our performances ” M a r i k a C u s i c k

[ Cu s i c k ' s ] w i n n i n g t h e f i r s t s e t a g a i n s t [ Brow n ’ s Ha n n a ]

C a m h i i n a t i e b re a k , ” s a i d f re s h m a n L i z z i e St e w a r t “ Ma r i k a h a s p l a ye d Ha n n a h s o m a n y t i m e s a n d h a s s t r u g g l e d i n t h e p a s t Wi n n i n g t h i s c l o s e s e t g a ve C o r n e l l t h e m o m e n t u m ”

In t h e m a t c h a g a i n s t t h e Be a r s , St e w a r t w a s a b l e t o s u c c e s s f u l l y s e a l t h e Re d’s w i n ove r Brow n w i t h a v i c t o r y i n t h e No 4 s i n g l e s T h e m a t c h a g a i n s t Ya l e w a s c l o s e , b u t e ve n t u a l l y, C o r n e l l c o u l d n ’ t h a n g o n f o r t h e v i c t o r y “ Ya l e w a s a re a l l y t o u g h m a t c h , b u t we f o u g h t h a rd t o t h e e n d It w a s a t i e d m a t c h w i t h o n e c o u r t s t i l l o n , w h i c h m a k e s i t r e a l l y e x c i t i n g a n d n e r v e - r a c k i n g , ” Ta n e n b a u m s a i d “A l e x [ D ’ A s c e n zo ] p l a ye d s o we l l a n d

we c o u l d a l l i m p rove o u r c o n f i d e n c e i n t h

Cornell Sweeps Brown, Beats Yale 5-2

By JESSICA BROFSKY Sun Staff Writer

The Red’s last two wins against Brown and Yale put it in a three-match winning streak going into its final two Ivy matches against the Quakers and the Tigers The win against Brown, 7-0, this past Saturday marks the first time in nine years that Cornell has swept an Ivy victory The team had last achieved this on April 8, 2006, in a match against Dartmouth This is the first time all season that Brown has lost a match 7-0

“It felt great, ” said senior Sam Fleck said on beating Brown “It’s very rare to beat an Ivy team 7-0 as the matches are usually very close It was certainly a thrilling win for everyone ”

Against Brown, senior Alex Sidney and sophomore Chris Vrabel won their matches in straight sets Sophomore Bernardo Casares Rosa and junior Stefan Vinti won their matches in tiebreakers

Cornell played Yale on Sunday and beat the Bulldogs, 52 Vrabel had his 13th consecutive win of the season in singles This also marked the Red’s first outdoor match of the season and its third consecutive Ivy win

“It was great to play outside against Yale,” Fleck said, who won in straight sets at No 1 singles “It was our first outside match of the season and we all really enjoyed it We didn't let the change of conditions affect us we did well to take it in stride having barely trained outdoors all year ”

Not only was this match outside, but the Red also played in Ithaca on its home court

“We had a great atmosphere in both matches,” Fleck said “We managed to bring quite a lot of friends and family to the match and the support really helped It definitely positively affects us and negatively affects the opposition ”

The Red will travel to Philadelphia on Friday for its match against Penn and will then return for the final home match of the season The team hopes to once again take advantage of its home court advantage

“Hopefully we can draw even bigger crowds to our final home match against Princeton on senior day as we push for an NCAA tournament bid,” Fleck said

The team is looking to add two more wins to its streak

Though Fleck said he acknowledges the wins will be tough to accomplish, he added that the team has been training very hard all season for this

“We played Princeton earlier this year and lost in an extremely tight match so we are definitely looking for revenge there,” Fleck said “We will take it one match at a time, however, as we know Penn is a tough opponent, too We’re hoping to make it five straight wins to close out the season this weekend ”

The Growth Of Competitive Eating

Don’t get me wrong, it is a lot of fun to watch people race to shove food down or kick back and watch some Man vs Food their stomachs but let’s reserve the label of a sport to real sports.

a n d t h e r u l e s a re re v i s e d t o c re a t e a b e t t e r s p e ct a c l e Eve n t s f o r a l l d i f f e re n t t y p e s o f f o o d t y p e s p o p u p a c ro s s t h e w o r l d a n d t h e b e s t e a t e r s t r a ve l t o t h o s e p l a c e s t o t a k e t h e i r s t a b a t t h e t i t l e Howe ve r, w i t h t h e g row t h o f c o m p e t i t i ve e a t i n g a s a “ s p o r t , ” m a n y s a f e t y c o n c e r n s h a ve c o m e u p Obv i o u s l y t h e e x t re m e c o n s u m p t i o n o f a n y f o o d o r b e ve r a g e i s h a r m f u l , b u t w h a t m a k e s i t e ve n m o re w o r r i s o m e i s t h a t c o m p e ti t i ve e a t i n g “ a t h l e t e s ” h a ve t o g o t o e x t re m e l y d a n g e ro u s d e p t h s t o b e t h e b e s t a t w h a t t h e y a re g o o d a t To t r a i n t o b e c o m e t h e b e s t a t c o m p e t i t i ve e a t i n g , t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s n e e d s t o l e a r n h ow t o c o n t ro l o n e b a s i c h u m a n b o d y re s p o n s e A re gu l a r g a g re f l e x i s e x p e c t e d t o o c c u r w h e n a p e rs o n c o n s u m e s t o o m u c h f o o d t o o q u i c k l y It i s t h e n a t u r a l re s p o n s e t o w a r n a p e r s o n t h a t c o ns u m p t i o n l e ve l s o f t h e f o o d a re d a n g e ro u s A f t e r ove rc o m i n g t h a t i n i t i a l re f l e x , t h e “ a t h -

l e t e s ” h a ve t o t r a i n by c o n s u m i n g u n h e a l t h y a m o u n t s o f f o o d St u d i e s h a ve s h ow n t h a t l o n g t i m e c o m p e t i t i ve e a t e r s l i ve w i t h e l e va t e d c h o l e s t e r o l a n d b l o o d p r e s s u r e l e v e l s Ad d i t i o n a l l y, u l c e r s a n d s t o m a c h p a r a l y s i s a re c o m m o n t o o c c u r t o t h e s e c o m p e t i t o r s C o m p e t i t i ve e a t e r s c a n b e c o n s i d e re d t o b e l i k e o t h e r a t h l e t e s i n t h e s e n s e o f t h e i r e x t re m e t r a i n i n g t e c h n i q u e s t o re a c h t h e h i g h e s t p o d iu m Howe ve r, t h e n a t u re o f t h e t r a i n i n g i s n o t h e a l t h y a n d d a m a g i n g T h a t ’ s w h y t h e “ s p o r t ” o f c o m p e t i t i ve e a t i n g s h o u l d b e c a l l e d i n t o q u e s t i o n Is c o m p e t i t i ve e a t i n g a s p o r t o r a n e n t e rt a i n i n g s p e c t a c l e ? I w o u l d a r g u e t h a t i t w o u l d b e b e s t t o l e a ve t h e s p o r t l a b e l t o t r u e a t h l e t e s T h e s a m e g o e s f o r a c t i v i t i e s l i k e g a m i n g , w h i c h s o m e p e o p l e c o n f u s e f o r s p o r t s Ad d i t i o n a l l y, c o m p e t i t i ve e a t i n g h a s ro o t s i n A m e r i c a n c u lt u re It h a s c o m e a l o n g w a y f ro m c o u n t y f a i r s t o b e i n g a p a r t o f t h e c e l e b r a t i o n o n t h e b i r t h o f t h e n a t i o n Howe ve r, i s i t c o n s t r u c t i ve t o h a ve s u c h d i s p l a y

Spor ts

Lightweight Crew Continues Winning Ways

By HANNAH NOYES

Sun Staff Writer

The Cornell men ’ s lightweight rowing team came out of this past weekend with two more wins to add to an already successful season thus far The men finished at a strong first place over Princeton to win the Platt Cup for the fourth straight time Additionally, the men took to their boats Sunday morning for a regatta against Yale University The team finished first in all six races against the Bulldogs

The team has been one of Cornell’s best teams so far this season with 10 wins out of the last 12 races, according to head coach Chris Kerber

“I think we were looking for a strong performance from top to bottom,” said senior captain Ray Richhart “ We really pride ourselves on the depth of our team and it's always a good sign when we can come away from a weekend like this with wins in ever y boat ”

Winning is not a new feeling for the team; Richhart and fellow senior captain Christopher Rogers, recall last season ’ s championship title According to Rogers the mentality of a front-running team gives Cornell an edge when participating in races

“ Winning races each week is just part of a training cycle that is preparing us to make another run at a League Title and National Championship in May,” he said For ever y sport, each season is different Injuries and new members of the team fluctuate from year to year Luckily, the men on the lightweight team know their positive past performances have worked and that they can learn from their mistakes

“My boat, the second varsity, learned a tough lesson from a really bad race on Saturday against Princeton,” Richhart said “I was really proud of the whole crew for internalizing those lessons and laying down a really solid piece against a ver y quick Yale crew on Sunday, which is a big boost for our confidence in that boat going for ward ”

Overall, the men seem to be on the best possible track for a repeat of last season ’ s championship title The rowers and coaches alike said they see victories in the future

“Our early season speed is promising considering just two weeks on the water, ” Kerber said “ We are eager to continue making progress as we prepare for the Geiger Cup and Baggeley Bowl ”

Aside from talent and hard work, the Red has one

more quality that sets them apart from its competitors

“Since we ’ re coming off a national championship and a points trophy win at the Eastern Sprints last year, I think the biggest strength that we ’ ve had all year is our confidence,” Richhart said “ We know that if we can replicate the urgency and the drive that fueled us all spring last year, we have the talent and the preparation to make it onto the medals stand in ever y boat class in May I couldn't be more excited ”

Next week, the men will pause in their season for a bye, but will continue their quest for victor y the following weekend, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the Geiger Cup against MIT and Columbia

Hannah Noyes can be reached at hnoyes@cornellsun com

Cornell Finishes Season at Nationals

Bourgeois, Molotsky, Gage all place in Top 10 of their events

By JOEL COOPER Sun Staff Writer

Cornell’s gymnastics team rounded off its 2014-15 season with an impressive f USAG

Nationals evening Al letes compe sion of th though ther high finishe to secure a p finals and America sta One of impressive came from Alexandria who score vault to fi Sophomore Molotsky m score on ba seventh F Joy Gage al a strong com tion fin eighth on beam wi

9 725 at the Nationals

said Molotsky “It was great to see the freshmen succeed at such a high level of competition and see the seniors cap off their careers with amazing routines We also had four to five competitors on hi h d reat showing off m - w i d e 2 0 1 5 c h a mthe team hth conmeet over 0 to finCornell e day with f 191 225, hest team r the Red the time o focus on ils of their olotsky mpetition

s We had ACs and me to work d separate if we did “Since we ead of as a veryone to comfort, as well as omen perNationals, lphia Just was junior 5, good for hupp also finish on

the bars secured her second-team USAG All-America honors, while freshman Courtney Spitzer was 20th and junior Julohn Teixeria was 27th Freshman Anna Huang also competed

On the beam, behind Gage, junior Kaylie Cronin was 19th, with senior Christine Wong, Huang and Spitzer also taking part

Finishing off the meet on the floor, Gage finished highest from Cornell with 16th, while senior Samantha VanderPutten was 22nd, Teixeira 24th and Molotsky 26th

“There were a few falls and some wobbles throughout the competition,” Molotsky said “Although this is not what we wanted, the team was very supportive and since everything was individual for us, those who fell moved on to their next event or simply moved on to helping out our teammates ”

This competition marks the end of Cornell’s season Throughout the season the Red strived to perform at a high level, with notable wins at the Big Red Invitational and in individual meets against Temple and SUNY-Cortland

“Given our unexpected circumstances with surgeries and sicknesses, I think that our season went fairly well I really think that this meet capped off our season really nicely, and gave our seniors one last chance to compete, ” Bourgeois said “What this team has done an amazing job of is always having each other’s backs and supporting everyone until the ver y end Also, the enthusiasm and determination lasted through the entire season, and I can ’ t wait to see what happens next year ”

Joel Cooper can be reached at jcooper@cornellsun com

E a t i n g

A s a S p o r t ?

Every July 4 since 1972, crowds of hundreds gather in Coney Island in Brooklyn for the annual spectacle of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest It is a 10minute test of concentration, strength and willpower People stand and cheer from a close proximity and judges overlook each contestant as the hot dogs are swallowed at a rapid pace

In more recent years, the most prominent sports network in the United States, ESPN, has covered the festivities in a manner of a celebratory and patriotic sporting event But, how exactly is the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest a sport?

Let’s start with the history People need to eat People also sometimes need to show their dominance over opponents These two concepts come together nicely to form competitive eating The first publicly held competitive eating events have been linked to the early 20th century, where local country fairs in the United States would hold events like pie-eating contents for the enjoyment of the general public

Since those days of playful competition, the “ sport ” has come a long way Today, competitive eating has many elements of other major sports in the United States There are official rules, sanctioning organizations, primetime events and stars of the sport The popularity of

See DUBNOV page 15