One year after blaze destroyed house, city approves new townhouses
By AKANE OTANI Sun News Ed tor and HARRISON OKIN Sun Staff Writer
Nearly a year after Brian Lo ’11 died in a fire at 107 Cook Street, Planning and Development Board members unanimously approved plans to build two two-stor y townhouses at the site
Tuesday
While the property ’ s owner, Dan Liguori, originally proposed to construct a single large three-
story residential structure that would have housed 14 individuals, his proposal did not meet the city s zoning law for this area, which prohibits the construction of more than two dwelling units in a single house Because the large building did not meet city regulations, Liguori would have had to obtain a variance an exemption from current city zoning law for the project to progress, said John Schroeder ’74, a member of the board and The Sun’s production manager
See TOWNHOUSE page 6
B lu e Li g ht S e e
s
By CAROLINE FLAX Sun Staff Writer
increased yet again rising 2 5 percent from last year and outpacing the rate of inflation, according to a report released earlier this month by the
University Professors
beat the national average of 1 7 percent, a fig-
of three perc e n t W
e data from the A AU P s h ow s that for the third consecutive year, professors nationally have not received salaries that met the rise in the cost of living Cornell professors’ salaries have mostly kept up with inflation
e salar y increase for full professors, 2 8 percent, fell slightly below the rate of inflation According to Prof Ron Ehrenberg, industrial a n d l a b o r re l a t i o n s , t h e University sometimes allocates less money to increasing full professors’ salaries because as these
Calls for Help
R e c ord Num b er Of
By DANIELLE SOCHACVEZSKI Sun Staff Writer
University officials said that the number of people requesting Blue Light escorts trained community members who escort students to locations late at night nearly doubled from last year
“I think you can safely say escorts are up at least 50 percent from the same months in 2011,” said Kathy Zoner, chief of the Cornell University Police Department For instance, Zoner said that the number of escorts requested increased from 6 in March 2011 to 11 in March 2012
There are 123 Blue Light phones on campus which allow students to contact CUPD for assistance Blue Light escorts are hired and trained by CUPD to accompany students or visitors to any location on Cornell’s campus or close to campus The escort ser vice, operated by m e m b e r s o f t h e C o r n e l l Un i ve r s i t y Po l i c e
Auxiliar y, runs from 8 p m through 2 a m ever y day of the week during the fall and spring semesters, according to the Cornell University Police website
“I think it’s great that students are taking advantage of this ser vice,” Mikella Goldman ’15 said “Even if it ends up being nothing,
See BLUE page 4
By DAVID MARTEN Sun Sen or Editor
Former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney won New York State s Republican presidential primary with ease on Tuesday, garnering a majority of the vote in an election that saw low voter turnout in Tompkins County
With 91 3 percent of precincts reporting,
“In a sense, Cornell has more market power over its full professors ” P rof R on Ehrenberg
faculty members become older, it becomes less feasible for them to move to another university for a higher salar y “ T h e m o b i l i t y o f f a c u l t y members goes down when they’re older,” Ehrenberg said, noting that the “ cost of movement has gone up ” This, he said, has made it less attractive for older faculty to relocate to get a higher salar y Because older, full faculty are less willing to relocate in search of a higher salar y, the University can afford to not increase their salaries as much as assistant or a s s o c i a t e p ro f e s s o r s ’ s a
, Ehrenberg said
“In a sense, Cornell has more market power over its full professors, ” Ehrenberg said Full professors’ salaries did not increase as much this year as in previous years because there was an unexpected jump in inflation
Romney Wins N.Y. P rimar y
Romney received 62 2 percent of the vote in the state Texas Congressman Ron Paul came in second with 15 8 percent of the vote followed by Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, and Rick Santorum, the former senator of Pennsylvania, who has quit the race In Tompkins County, Romney won 55 1 percent of the vote with 41 of 43
precincts reporting
However, only 1,132 registered Republicans in the county voted 12,683 people were registered in the county as Republicans as of Oct 19, according to the Tompkins County Board of Elections
While New York was once considered pivotal to the Republican primar y
Mitt’s the man | Former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney declared victor y in the Republican primaries in five states on Tuesday
LUKE SHARRETT / THE NEW YORK T MES
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Daybook
Fine Arts Library Tour 10 - 11 a m , Third Floor, Rand Hall
Alzheimer’s: Know the 10 Signs Noon - 1 p m , 354 Duffield Hall
C U Music: 12:30 - 1:15 p m , Sage Chapel
eTextbooks at Cornell 3 - 4:30 p m , 226 Weill Hall
Cornell Undergraduate Research Board’s 27th Annual Spring Research Forum 5 - 7 p m , Atrium, Duffield Hall
Tomorrow
Introduction to Genealogy Noon - 1 p m, Uris Library Classroom, Uris Library
Politics, Ethics and the Supreme Court 12:20 - 1:30 p m Anabel Taylor Hall
Battle of the Brews 4:15 - 6 p m , Sage Hall
Building and Living With A Collection of Southern Folk Art
5 p m , Room 3343, Balch Hall
“BASE in Ya’ Face” 7 p m , Bailey Hall
Cows in Cabin Spur Warnings at Hot Springs
ASPEN, Colo (AP) Federal forest officials want visitors of a Colorado hot springs to be ver y careful about what’s lurking inside a remote cabin nearby: Frozen cows
Rangers believe the cows wandered into the cabin near the popular Conundr um Hot Springs during a snowstorm but couldn’t find their way out Air Force Academy cadets found their frozen carcasses while snowshoeing in late March
U S Forest Ser vice spokesman Bill Kight said Tuesday that water samples have been taken to determine if the hot springs was contaminated by the dead animals
Rangers want the carcasses gone before they thaw Removal options include explosives or burning down the cabin
In the meantime, officials have posted warning signs about the cows around the hot springs near Aspen in the Colorado Rocky Mountains
“ t h e b a c k y a rd” w i t h t re e s a n d a w a t e r f
BRUSH, Colo (AP) What did the dair y cow order when she got to the drive-thr u window at McDonalds? Nothing she just wanted a little attention
That's what Sandy Winn says was the reason her cow, Darcy, wandered from her pen Friday and ended up at takeout window of the fast-food restaurant a half-mile away in Br ush, Colo
Winn tells KUSA-TV that Darcy is a good cow until she’s bored and then she goes looking for attention
Winn says she didn’t know Darcy had escaped her pen until police called asking if the family owned a dair y cow She says they told her it was “ up at McDonalds,” so she fetched the cow and took her home
www brooklanecornell com
Wednesday, April 25 and Thursday, April 26
Technical Malfunctions Cause More Than 20 Flight Cancellations
After technical malfunctions in Ithaca Tompkins County Regional Airport’s ground control landing system forced the airport to cancel more than 20 flights since Friday, airport officials said Tuesday that they expect the problems will be solved by the end of the week
According to airport manager Bob Nicholas, the breaking of navigational equipment called frequency crystals, which prevented the airport from properly guiding planes during landings
Nicholas initially expected the problem to last for several weeks while the airport placed orders for new equipment But on Tuesday, he said that Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N Y ) precipitated a more aggressive search for replacement equipment by the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing the airport to find equipment from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey
“As a result of Senator Schumer s involvement and concern ––which brought some pressure to the right places –– we were able to find replacements for the crystals that were malfunctioning,” Nicholas said “They will be installed by the end of today ”
After the new equipment is installed, the system must be checked and approved by the FAA, Nicholas said He said this will likely be completed by the end of the week, which will allow the airport to resume a normal flight schedule at that time
“This probably saved weeks of hanging around and lots more cancelled flights,” Nicholas said
Nicholas said while this is the first time the airport has experienced such problems, the incidents opened new debates about updating its crystal technology, which is between 30 and 40 years old
“We’ve never had the words ‘frequency crystals’ come up before,” he said “It was our good fortune that Newark’s equipment used the same frequency we do here But, long term, we are looking into the possibility of upgrading the instrument landing system to something that has backups, in case of another malfunction ”
Compiled by Harrison Okin
Org. Fights Housing Crisis in Nicaragua
LUCY
Cornell University Sustainable Design –– a student group that designs and builds environmentally friendly structures –– plans to embark on a project to create an environmentally sustainable neighborhood in a small rural area of San Diego, Nicaragua
The group, in partnership with micro-finance organization SosteNica, is currently in the research stage of “Sustainable Neighborhoods Nicaragua”
a project that will incorporate different eco-friendly technologies into houses in San Diego
According to Nora Wright, co-director of the SNN project, housing shortages are a huge problem in Nicaragua
“We would need to built 25,000 homes a year to even start addressing the problem,” Wright said “We are starting with 30 ” SosteNica selected 30 families to come together as a cooperative and hold one another responsible to pay off debts, with the goal of ensuring that everyone would have adequate and affordable housing Additionally, SNN has planned a number of trips to the site in order to meet with local families and receive input from them
According to Wright, doing so will ensure that
when SNN designs the neighborhood, the team is not bringing the “first world’s Western agenda” into the local community, but instead, trying to understand what community members hope to receive from the project
“We want a real feedback system We don’t want it to be a one-time deal where we do the project and leave,” Wright said “This organization has a sustained relationship with the community, and will have this relationship for a quarter of a century ”
Kai Keane ’14, co-director of SNN, said that the group hopes to both teach and learn from local families “ We are tr ying to design the building to make it scalable so that it is easy to build and easy to teach how to build,” Keane said “We also want to learn from local families on how they build, so we can use local materials
On a recent trip to Mexico, 10 students from SNN studied a community that is promoting lowtech sustainable work in low-income homes SNN hopes to use these technologies when designing its neighborhood in Nicaragua
One type of technology that SNN hopes to implement is fuel-efficient wood stoves Wright said
Students, Profs Find Evidence to Remove Prisoner From Death Row
By SARAH SASSOON Sun Contributor
After spending 31 years 29 of them on death row incarcerated for murder, Edward Elmore was freed on March 3, in large part due to investigations undertaken by Cornell law stu-
dents and professors on the Cornell Death Penalty Project Council
The council –– which is directed by Prof John H Blume, law –– is comprised of a few Cornell law students who are selected to work on cases alongside Blume and other attorneys
Elmore, now 54 years old, was convicted in 1982 for the murder of Dorothy Edwards At the time, Edwards had hired Elmore to perform small tasks such as windowwashing, gutter-fixing and cleaning
Attorney Diana Holt, Blume’s co-council on several hearings of the case, said Jimmy Holloway ––Edwards’ neighbor and a possible suspect in the case –– discovered Edwards dead in a closet in her South Carolina home She had been stabbed more than 50 times and sexually assaulted before she bled to death
When Elmore was on death row, Cornell students and professors on the council helped prove that he was mentally retarded Because the Supreme Court ruled in 2003 in Atkins v Virginia that it is not legal to execute the mentally retarded, Elmore who was shown, years after his conviction, to have an IQ ranging between 60 and 70 was taken off of death
row
Blume and Holt said that the students faced complications in their investigation, which took them as far away as Elmore’s rural hometown of Abbeville, South Carolina
Blume said that because of Elmore’s age Elmore had not attended school in more than 35 years by the time students began working on the case students had trouble locating Elmore’s school records and contacting his
former teachers to testify about his mental disability
Fur ther complicating their efforts, Blume and Holt said, was that Elmore, an African American, may not have received a fair trial because of racial discrimination
“[The] lawyers had their own racial biases one of [the lawyers] referred to [Elmore] derogatorily as a red-headed nigger, ’” Blume said
That discrimination may have contributed to the fact that crucial evidence in the case was obstructed for years, according to Holt
In 1998, lawyers discovered that one of the forensic scientists for the state had hidden a critical piece of evidence in his filing cabinet drawer: three hairs that were found on Edwards’ naked abdomen, according to Holt
A state forensic scientist had reported that the evidence was blue fiber, but it was several strands of hair, none of which belonged to an African-American Although with Elmore’s
By
MEHRABYAN Sun Contributor
Students E xpect Higher Demand for BLUE During Finals
you are better safe than sorry
Other students, such as Teresa Danso-Danquah ’15, said she considers the possibility of sexual assault when walking home at night is a “ concern ”
The Blue Light escort system, however, is not the only safety initiative available on campus
The Blue Light User Extension shuttle bus initiative was spearheaded last year by Natalie Raps ’12, president of the Student Assembly; Eva Drago ’12, president of the Women’s Resource Center; and Amanda Lomanov ’12, a fellow for Cornell Hillel The main purpose of the shuttle bus is to provide students a safe way to return home at night after studying at the library during finals week, according to the organizers
The BLUE vehicle which can seat between 11 and 15 passengers was used by 75 students during spring finals in 2011 During winter finals, nearly 200 students rode the shuttle bus
The late-night shuttle bus will operate from May 7 to 10 from 11 p m to 4 a m , with buses picking up students about every 20 minutes from various locations on campus
“The shuttle is distinct from regular TCAT services because it drops you off right at your door, rather than a bus stop, which might be far from your house, Drago said
Data indicate that most students who use the shuttle get off at North Campus, suggesting that freshmen and Greek students represent the biggest proportion of riders, Drago said
Organizers anticipate an increase in ridership during finals week in May as they said they are about to increase promotional efforts for the BLUE shuttle bus service for instance, offering students who use the service free coffee or tea at Libe Café
“This is a great service for people who want to use it,”
“Though the University claims to support these initiatives, they have not taken action to do so ”
a D rago ’ 1 2
Raps said “There is plenty of room on the buses and we hope to see [the service] become more popular ”
The uptick in both Blue Light escort and shuttle bus services usage, Drago said, may show that there has been progress in increasing safety on campus
“It’s notable that as usership of the BLUE shuttle and escort services increase, the number of emails we ve received about forcible touching has decreased,” Drago said
However, Drago leveled criticism against the administration for, she said, failing to take sufficient action to prevent sexual violence from occurring on campus
“Though the University claims to support these initiatives [to reduce sexual assaults on campus], they have not taken action to do so ” she said
While organizers considered using volunteer student drivers for the initiative, the University was not willing to accept the liability for doing so, according to Raps Instead, the students got the help of the University’s transportation department
Mark Hall, integrated distribution services manager for the Red Runner Courier Services which has partnered with the S A and Women’s Resource Center to operate the BLUE shuttle bus service emphasized the value of the BLUE service to the Cornell community
“I really enjoy helping with this service,” Hall said “I believe that this is a very important service for the student body ”
While Drago acknowledged that “ many positive steps are being taken to make it safer to walk home late at night,” she said that “the most serious instances of sexual violence occur behind closed doors ”
“We have a long way to go in terms of preventing and responding to these cases, ” she added
Danielle Sochaczevski can be reached at dsochaczevski@cornellsun com
Report Says Salar y Increases Will Likely Remain Constant
FACULTY
Continued from page 1
human resources
“ You set your increases pretty far ahead,” Opperman said, noting that the University determines salar y increases based on its expectations for the rate of inflation “ You set it where you think [inflation] is going to end up, and then they gauge where your salar y increases fall and [inflation] changes a lot ”
O p p e r m a n n o t e d t h e University spends more money recr uiting associate and assistant professors than it does on full professors
According to Ehrenberg, the University, on average, increases salaries for associate and assistant professors more because it must both competitively recr uit and retain faculty
“If [the University] is raising the salaries of new people coming in, then it has to worr y about the young people who had
b e e n h i r e d t h e y e a r
Eh re n b e r g s a i d “A u n i ve r s i t y has to be most competitive at the assistant professor level for hiring new faculty
”
Pr o f M a t t h e w Pr i t c h a rd , ear th and atmospheric sciences, echoed Ehrenberg’s sentiments, saying that offering newly hired professors higher wages makes
C o r n e l l m o r e c o m p e t i t i v e i n recr uiting faculty When he was comparing different institutions
to work at, he said, “Cornell’s s a l a r y v e r s u s c o s t o f l i v i n g
seemed like a better deal than most places ” 2012 marks the second year in a row that Cornell has been able to raise faculty salaries, after keeping wages relatively steady for two years after the financial crisis hit, The Sun repor ted in A p
i d that, as the economy recovers, the University must be careful about what costs it incurs, while still working to increase salaries
“Salar y increases have been modest in the last couple of years, but we ve been able to give [increases],” Opperman said
A c c o rd i n g t
t h e A AU P repor t, data shows that, nationa l l y, w
increases that do not match the
remain historically low for the next few years
“If this is the recover y, we may be in for a long ride and we have to wonder whether we’ll ever get back to where we were
about the University’s financial state “I think we ’ re doing as well as we can, ” Opperman said “It has been a tough three years ”
Caroline Flax can be reached at cflax@cornellsun com
Low Voter Turnout in Tompkins County
PRIMARY
Continued from page 1
campaign, since Santorum suspended his campaign on April 10, the race has lost its suspense However, since Santorum never filed paperwork to invalidate his candidacy, Santorum’s votes will still be counted toward delegates, a spokesman for the State Board of Elections told Gannett News Services Stephen Dewitt, Democratic commissioner for the Tompkins County Board of Elections, said he had expected a higher turnout, noting that the number of people voting was “ very, very low ” He said that the low turnout could be attributed to the primary race being all but over
Romney has it locked up ” Kelly said that the low voter turnout did not reflect a lack of enthusiasm among Republicans for Romney She said that reports of some conservative voters desiring another candidate to jump into the race largely originated from what she called the liberal bias of news media
“I think that people that are hoping that the Republicans are going to fall apart are going to be really disappointed, she said
After sweeping primaries in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Pennsylvania and
intended to remain in the race, Romney has a practically insurmountable delegate lead, as well as an enormous fundraising advantage Additionally, nearly all party leaders have called for the party to refocus its efforts on the general election
Romney s new status as the “presumptive Republican nominee ” comes after a bruising primary season that saw a series of 43 primaries and caucuses, 27 debates and an avalanche of negative ads from every campaign
However, Kelly said that the drawn-out race for the nomination would not hurt Romney’s chances against President Barack Obama
“We were not expecting a large turnout It’s clear that in New York ... that Romney has it locked up.”
In 2008, when the Republican nomination fight was still contentious, more than 30 percent of registered Republicans in Tompkins County voted, Dewitt said However, he said he predicted before polls closed Tuesday that turnout this year would probably be in the mid-to-low single digits ”
J anis K elly ’ 7 1
New York, Romney declared the primary race effectively over at a speech Tuesday night in New Hampshire The contests were the first since Santorum s exit
Janis Kelly ’71, chair of the City of Ithaca’s Republican Committee, said she did not consider the results surprising “We were not expecting a large turnout, ” Kelly said “It’s clear that in New York
“Mitt Romney is going to be the nominee, and I’m going to support the nominee,” Santorum told CNN
Most political observers have said that Romney cleared his last remaining obstacle in his path to the nomination when Santorum dropped out While Gingrich and Paul said Tuesday that they
“[The debates were] a lot of open and honest discussions I think that Mr Romney is going to win I’m not even sure it’s going to be close,” she said
Kelly predicted that Romney will win in the general election because voters will favor his business experience and “charming” nature However, she said that it was unlikely Romney will carry New York in the November election
“I don’t think [Romney] will take New York but the electoral vote does not rely on New York,” she noted
David Marten can be reached at dmarten@cornellsun com
City Of cials Look to Increase Student Safety
To meet city regulations, Liguori now plans to build two two-story townhouses with partially finished basement levels, according to Jason Demarest, the property ’ s architect According to Demarest, the new plan proposes constructing two buildings, each occupying 2,304 square feet with 6,128 square feet of finished floor area The buildings will be split into two new units each, providing a total of 12 bedrooms
The apartments will be leased out on a 10-month basis
Demarest said
The board requested that should the owner later decide that the buildings require air conditioning, he should use central air conditioning throughout both buildings instead of installing external air conditioning units in each apartment, which would be impractical and detract from the building’s design
Additionally, Schroeder said, as a result of prior complaints from neighbors of stormwater draining onto their properties, the property will have facilities installed to store stormwater This would prevent stormwater from flowing onto adjacent properties and improve drainage in the neighborhood
The planning board’s approval of the new project comes nearly a year after a fire destroyed the site’s
former building, which housed 13 Cornell students The fire appeared to have been accidental and originated from an unattended stove, The Sun reported in May
Firefighters fought the fire for more than 90 minutes, but were forced to retreat after the flames reached the house’s attic Six or seven students escaped the building, while Lo appeared to have been attempting to escape from the building before he died
In the aftermath of the fire, some city officials cited inebriation and improper fire safety precautions as possible contributing factors to Lo’s death
In May, Tom Parsons ’82, chief of the Ithaca Fire Department, said that he suspected Lo’s death may have been linked to inebriation because the fire had occurred late on a Thursday evening when “ people who lived in the house had been partying ”
Other officials pointed to the building’s structure which was divided to make several smaller apartments and lack of fire sprinklers as factors behind Lo’s death
But the proposal for the new building, according to Ithaca Fire Department officials, does not include plans to include fire sprinklers
“IFD advocates that all new student housing have fire sprinklers installed in them, but [New York State] building codes do not
require fire sprinklers to be installed in one and two family homes such as what is being proposed,” an IFD official said
Still, the official added that the fire department “hopes the owners might consider installing fire sprinklers voluntarily ”
“Fire sprinklers save lives and do what smoke alarms can ’ t do: suppress the fire,” he said
City officials also affirmed their commitment to improving the safety of student housing in Collegetown
“Coming on a year off from the tragedy, I think the only thing you can do in these situations is [to] try to learn from it and take a better look of the housing stock in Collegetown to identify the situations surrounding Brian [Lo]’s death,” said Alderperson Eddie Rooker ’10 (D-4th Ward) “There are definitely discussions going on looking at both Collegetown zoning as we look to renew the housing stock ”
Rooker said that city officials are working with Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 and Tom Parsons ’82, chief of the Ithaca Fire Department, to improve student safety
“I think it’s the most effective thing we can do at this point: to make sure they are as safe as possible,” Rooker said
Student Group Develops
h , d e s i g n
b u i l d ” S N N h o p e s t o c o m p l e t e i t s re s e a rc h a n d b e g i n b u i l d i n g i n t h e s u m m e r o f 2 0 1 3 Ga b r i e l a Ga rc i a 1 4 , a c i v i l e n g i n e e r i n g m a j o r, i s re s e a rc hi n g s u s t a i n a b l e h o u s i n g a n d i s c u r re n t l y e x p l o r i n g h ow h o u si n g u n i t s c a n w i t h s t a n d e a r t h q u a k e s a n d c l i m a t e h a z a rd s Ga rc i a s a i d h e r w o rk w i t h S N N w a s a u n i q u e e x p e r i e n c e t h a t p ro m p t e d h e r t o p u r s u e f u r t h e r re s e a rc h “ So f a r, I h a ve l e a r n e d s o m u c h a b o u t s u s t a i n a b i l i t y, d o i n g re s e a rc h a n d c o l l a b o r a t i n g w i t h o t h e r s t u d e n t s , a n d I h o p e t o i n c o r p o r a t e w h a t I a m l e a r n i n g n ow i n t o m y f u t u re c a re e r a s a c i v i l e n g i n e e r, ” Ga rc i a s a i d Ke a n e s a i d h e h a s a l s o b e e n p ro f o u n d l y i m p a c t e d by t h e p ro j e c t A s a s t u d e n t , h e s a i d , h e h a s b e e n l u c k y t o h a ve t h e t i m e t o b u i l d a re l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e c o m m u n i t y “ [ T h e ] g re a t t h i n g a b o u t b e i n g a s t u d e n t i s yo u h a ve t h e s e f o u r ye a r s t o d e d i c a t e t o t h i s re s e a rc h Bu t [ t h e ] d ow n s i d e i s t h a t yo u o n l y h a ve f o u r ye a r s , ” Ke a n e s a i d
Lucy Mehrabyan can be reached at lm592@cornell edu
Holt Calls Work With Elmore ‘Case
led to Elmore’s death sentence being overturned and his subsequent entitlement to a new trial
release, it remains unclear who committed the murder, Holt said that she was highly suspicious of Holloway, Edwards neighbor “Ever ything pointed to this guy, ” Holt said
Be
1994, however, lawyers never had the chance to prove that their suspicions were correct, she said T
Cornell students helped produce
Prosecutors told Elmore’s lawyers that if Elmore gave an “Alford plea admitting one could be convicted with the evidence they would release Elmore within the week After some resistance, Elmore accepted the plea and was set free
Blume
retardation hampered his ability
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to understand ever y complexity of the case, Blume and Holt said that above all, Elmore unders
received his freedom
when I told him that he was leaving death row and that he was never going back,” Holt said, adding that Elmore was nothing but “ sweet, gentle and kind ” In fact, Elmore was so beloved by his clientele in Abbeville that several women testified at the
penalty phase” of the trial, say-
Elmore with their children and homes Holt said Now, Holt said, Elmore is living in Abbeville with his sister and family
“He’s wrapped in a cocoon of love,” Holt said One student who had heard of the case, LouLou Fitzelle 15, said that “it’s cases like these, the rare and remarkable ones, that make all the toil and time spent seem worth it ”
Similarly, Blume said the case was “ a testament to the power of persistence and to the importance of teamwork ”
Both attorneys said that the case s rarity having Elmore freed after over three decades in prison for a crime that he did not commit most affected them
“At the end of the day, this was the case of a lifetime, Holt said
Independent Since 1880
130TH EDITORIAL BOARD
JUAN FORRER ’13 Editor in Chief
HELENE BEAUCHEMIN ’13
Business Manager
RUBY PERLMUTTER ’13
Associate Editor
JOSEPH STAEHLE ’13
Web Editor
PETER A JACOBS 13
Associate Managing Editor
ESTHER HOFFMAN 13
Photography Editor
ELIZA LaJOIE 13
Blogs Editor
ZACHARY ZAHOS 15
Arts & Entertainment Editor
ELIZABETH CAMUTI 14
City Editor
AKANE OTANI 14 News Editor
ELIZABETH PROEHL ’13
Associate Multimedia Editor
SCOTT CHIUSANO ’15
Assistant Sports Editor
REBECCA COOMBES 14 Assistant Design Editor
NICHOLAS ST FLEUR ’13
JOSEPH VOKT 14
Web Editor
SEOJIN LEE 14
ERIKA G WHITESTONE ’15
JESSICA YANG 14
Editorial
Ignoring Student
JEFF STEIN ’13
CRITELLI ’13
A RITTER 13
NEWCOMB 13
D iverse Views On D iversity
On April 4, I had the pleasure of attending the Perkins Prize Award ceremony, a prize celebrating “the Cornell student, faculty, staff member, or program making the most significant contribution to furthering the ideal of university community while respecting the values of racial diversity ” While it was inspiring to hear from the Cornell DREAM team, the Women of Color Coalition, and the Cornell Asian Pacific Islander Student Union, I learned quite a bit more at the dinner afterwards There, a staff member asked me point blank, “What do you think the racial climate on campus is?”
I responded that I did not think it was my
place to say what the racial climate was “I think we need to keep all lines of communication open so that if someone feels like there is a poor racial climate they can speak up about what needs to be changed,” I said
She quickly responded, “That did not answer my question
True, I had not I took another stab “It can always be improved I think there are certain things Cornell does well and others that might need changing ”
“That still didn’t answer it,” came the reply
True again At this point, a student sitting next to me piqued up “I think the racial climate is terrible People don’t ‘ get ’ race here ”
Opinion on the Calendar
LAST WEEK, THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE, comprised of various constituencies across the University, voted to approve their final proposal for an academic calendar that the Faculty Senate will vote on at its next meeting on May 9 Notably absent was the support of the two students on the calendar committee
While this new calendar purports to reduce stress and improve mental health, the two student representatives on the committee question the underlying justification for pushing forward these changes, and their opposition should give an enormous amount of pause to the Faculty Senate Any proposal that seeks to make students’ lives better but does not have the support of the students is unacceptable Students, the ones who are actually taking finals and are directly affected by the schedule, must be heard
The new calendar will condense the exam study period from seven days to four and exam week from eight days to six; shorten Senior Week from seven days to three; change the Wednesday before Thanksgiving from a half day to a full day off; and add two days off during President’s Week in February The student representatives doubted that the mental health benefits that would come from the added vacation days would outweigh the harm that comes from significantly shortening study week, and we agree with this assessment It should be up to the students to decide what they prefer, and the Faculty Senate must not make such a brazenly paternalistic decision
The process must be slowed down Formalized student input must be gathered If the recommendations of these two students on the committee are to be completely ignored, the Faculty Senate must have other evidence in hand to show that students support the changes, and it is clear that they do not have it The Faculty Senate or the Calendar Committee could have polled the students and gotten their opinions in a more formalized way This has not been done
Proponents of the calendar changes argue that an algorithm the University has developed to create natural breaks for students during finals week will allow them to shorten the number of days without increasing stress To create these natural breaks, this algorithm will schedule exams based on the classes that students are taking and not simply based on the times that classes meet We are skeptical about the reliance on this algorithm alone to quell stress during finals week
The effectiveness of this algorithm for reducing stress has not been tested, and the Calendar Committee and the Faculty Senate might find that they achieve more broad reaching student support for the calendar if they test out this algorithm before making other, more drastic changes If the algorithm is applied to the current calendar and students find it effective, then perhaps the University can move forward with other changes Pushing all these changes through at the same time seems rushed
The University cannot forget that its purpose is primarily to benefit students and the decisions that it makes must keep students’ opinions in mind If it does not have student support, it should not move forward with the changes to the calendar
People don’t get race? I was certainly aware that there were issues on campus related to race: African American males have a six-year graduation rate 17 percentage points lower than average, for one Asians are twice as likely to attempt suicide, for another But does the racial climate on campus contribute to these phenomena? Is the racial climate on campus actually terrible?
Since then, I have met with a variety of students to get their views on race at Cornell President Skorton announced new diversity goals in an email to the University on Feb 15, and I was curious to hear if people were confident that this new agenda would make a difference I met with a leader of CAPSU, and asked what she thought about President Skorton’s diversity goals
“I hate the word diversity,” she said “Originally, the concept was anti-racism, then it was multiculturalism, now its diversity But that language has moved us away from the original goal, which is eliminating racism and race-based differences in life
chances Now, if we have a white, straight, male professor with liberal views and a white, straight, male professor with conservative views we call ourselves diverse ” Cornell’s new “anti-racism goals” might not have quite the same ring to them
Based on these comments I asked some of the trustees what their thoughts on diversity were One response stuck with me, “I failed tests when I was here But when I failed a test, I took it as a sign that I needed to work harder Some people take it as a sign that they don’t belong here, and that’s what we need to counteract If people feel included, they won ’ t beat themselves up over failure ” What quickly became clear (if it had not
Alex Bores
Trustee Viewpoint
already been so) is that “diversity initiatives” need to reach past numbers and make sure that people feel included No good comes from having a diverse incoming class if students do not feel welcome on this campus And that feeling of being welcome plays into many other issues ranging from academic success to mental health to sexual assault
The point of presenting all these opinions is not to construct a coherent view on a racial climate far from it, because it is impossible to essentialize the viewpoints from all over campus into one statement The point I mean to make is simple, that views on diversity are diverse As much as Cornell is beating national benchmarks on hiring faculty of color, on student retention rates or on other quantitative measures, there is discontent Whether or not you agree with the exact sentiments expressed (for example, I personally think the word diversity encompasses more than “anti-racism”) those views are legitimate, must be understood and must be addressed
There is no silver bullet to improving a racial climate on campus; a plethora of policies is needed Honest communication, both within groups and between them, is a good way to start These talks should encompass not only where we want to be in the future but how we got to the present But, as I learned, keeping lines of communication open does not really answer the question Talk must lead to action
JO IN TH E
SECTION
Do you have unique and well-for med opinions? Do you like to write? Then we want you to lend your talents to The Sun! A pply for a bi-weekly opinion column for Fall 2012. A pplications can be found at co rn ells un co m/ joi n/ opi nio n Deadline is August 1
Clearin g the Haze From Greek Life
Fraternities have made headlines across the countr y recently, for all the wrong reasons Detailed allegations of hazing have led to widespread condemnation of Greek organizations and questions over whether they should continue to be par t of American collegiate life
A recent piece in The Ne w York Times commemorating the one-year anniversar y of George Desdunes’ death, “ When a Hazing Goes Ver y Wrong,” ser ved as a painful reminder to Cornellians that a discussion remains to be had about the role of hazing and Greek life in our community As a fraternity member, I can affirm that there is a place for Greek organizations on our campus, but I can no longer justify practices and rituals that are at odds with moral decency, good character and the ver y values fraternities are supposed to foster
In the Ne w York Times ar ticle, George’s life stor y is inter twined with a painfully detailed account of the night of his death and an assessment of Cornell’s subsequent reaction To say it evokes an emotional response would be an understatement A life full of promise was cut tragically shor t by the carr ying out of an irresponsible, mindless practice The clear intimation is that Cornell has not done enough to control the abuse of alcohol rampant in fraternities, and naturally, reactions to the piece have been largely critical of the University, fraternity and its members
But such criticism misses the mark The students implicated are not bad people and should not be demonized as such The fraternity should not be defined by an archaic tradition And the University is not to be blamed for attempting to regulate the safe consumption of alcohol by students
Rather, the problem lies with the nature of hazing Hazing brings out the worst in people, clouds the mission of organizations and facilitates the unsafe abuse of alcohol And while it’s presently a ubiquitous par t of fraternity life, it doesn’t have to be by definition If Cornell fraternities want to maintain their viability and earn the respect of the larger community, they will individually do their par t to eliminate offenses of basic human sensibilities from ne w member education
It’s hard to understand hazing without personal experience, and it’s similarly difficult to overcome the tendency to perpetuate hazing without an outside perspective Hazing is supposed to foster brotherhood, commitment to the organization and camaraderie with your fellow pledges Admittedly, it is effective at accomplishing these
DPgoals In drinking to excess and having your humanity questioned, you lose sight of values and self-respect You are driven to enter the esteemed ranks of the brotherhood by any means necessar y, and bond through common experiences In being hazed, I formed unbreakable bonds with my pledge brothers and escalated my commitment to my fraternity considerably Fraternities and other organizations thus perpetuate hazing because of its supposed utility The inhumanity of hazing is defended by the overarching, greater good it purpor tedly cultivates Tragically, fe w stop and question if
checked my opposition at the door for the alleged good of the fraternity But after reading an extensive
Rolling Stone, I could no longer take par t in good conscience
nize that productive, communal activities can ser ve this purpose While there is still work to be done, I can also say my fraternity has made considerable progress over the past year re-defining ne w member education and bringing practices more into line with our creed That creed is wor th sustaining, as is the Greek system at Cornell I welcome any skeptics to join me for a meal at my fraternity house and see the positive aspects of brotherhood and the community we have built It is a community that could have, and should have, been built without hazing We are for tunate at Cornell to have an administration
As an objective outsider, I cringed and nearly vomited while reading descriptions of the tasks Dar tmouth pledges were required to undertake And then I reminded myself that, while I never partook in such vile atrocities as swimming in a pool of human waste, I never theless stood by while the humanity of pledges was some what violated The fact that the hazing I tacitly endorsed was far less demeaning did not make it tolerable
I ask that each and ever y member of an organization that hazes on this campus (we all know that many are not Greek) pause for a minute and consider the implications of their actions Imagine an outsider obser ving the tradition in question What would they think? Would they see a greater good? If not, then perhaps the common sentiment is right and the undignified task has no place in a modern, civilized organization If you don’t believe in hazing, then don’t par ticipate It’s only effective with organizational suppor t If individuals are vocal about their opposition to hazing practices, then the hazing will lose its supposed utility and cease to occur Don’t feel alone in your decency, and don’t feel a need to suppress that decency in the name of any organization
Additionally, it is imperative that organizations recognize and facilitate alternative, innocuous means of building dedication and fostering unity I have come to recog-
that both values Greek life and recognizes a need to end hazing practices At Binghamton University this month, all pledging was halted and the continued existence of a recognized Greek system is uncer tain At Dar tmouth, according to the Rolling Stone ar ticle, the administration demonstrated unwillingness to even address or recognize hazing Both these approaches preclude the development of a Greek system that puts its best foot for ward President Skor ton ’ s Pledge to End Fraternity Hazing” uses ambiguous language but never theless now resonates with me We cannot violate his tr ust, and also should not depend on the administration or governing councils to initiate reforms The secretive and elusive nature of hazing means that it can only be effectively policed from within We must come to our senses and oppose hazing in our respective organizations before opposition to their existence coalesces or they lose sight of the greater good We students must take a similar pledge to President Skor ton and in doing so change the context of discussions over what role Greek life plays in the community
Weinberg is a junior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations He may be reached at jweinberg@cor nellsun com In Focus appears alter nate Wednesdays this semester
icturing Yourself in a New Way
uring what is (usually) the most glorious time of year, springtime in Ithaca, sangria is sipped outside of C T B , classes are held on the arts quad, every a capella group has a final show and the whole campus eagerly awaits one last day of University-endorsed debauchery, slope day However, students are also bogged down by the anxiety of looming exams, teary final good-byes and the stress of summer jobs As if this bittersweet time weren ’ t heavy enough, Facebook has made
it tougher for those of us who have worked hard since January to resist The Man: we will all be forced to use Facebook Timeline against our will very, very soon
For those of you who live under a rock (or haven’t been out of Uris cocktail lounge since late last year when Timeline was first introduced), Facebook created an entirely new profile that, according to them, “gives you an easy way to rediscover things you shared, and collect your most important moments ” When Timeline was first created, it blew up my newsfeed as dramatically as Bieber’s acceptance to Cornell and the
snowstorm earlier this week Ever yone hated it, but has, slowly but surely, acclimated to the new (and confusing) layout and given in I have not, but I recently logged onto my profile to find that I would, by April 26th, be forced to have Timeline, whether I liked it or not Now, I am not an irrational person, I understand that the layout of my Facebook profile is not Earth shattering, however, I have to make a very big decision tomorrow: I have to choose a cover photo Again, for those of you who
Hannah Deixler
Shades of Grey
are unfamiliar with what is now a global language, a cover photo is a huge picture displayed on your “Timeline” that, like the rest of your Facebook profile (and all social networking forms, for that matter), arguably says something about you to whomever is viewing it What do I want my Facebook friends to think of me and, what’s your cover photo saying about you? As the big day approaches, I’ve spent some time on Facebook browsing friends’ cover photos Here are some common patterns I’ve found:
1 The Squatting Group of Girls at a Party Pic:
Perhaps this one was taken on Instagram (which, by the way, is now Facebook as well) or even better, at a themed mixer This photo says you like your friends, you like to have fun and you like to look pretty no harm done Just make sure there are no red cups strangers can see your cover photo and potential-employers or, even worse, your mother, would hate to see what you actually do at your Ivy League university
2 The Landscape:
Usually a beach, maybe a mountain, perhaps even the clock tower or view from the Arts Quad if you go to Cornell, the landscape cover photo says “I like nature I found this photo of it and I couldn’t think of anything else to represent me Based on my unofficial study I’d argue this is the least controversial move when choosing a Cover Photo Also, if you re studying abroad, it appears to be obligatory that you make your photo a landscape of your chosen city, so snap away, friends!
3 The Faded Solo Shot in Ray-Bans and a headband:
You’re a hipster If you ’ re not looking at the camera, extra points If it was taken at a music festival, you win
4 The Baby Picture:
You couldn’t use a current picture of yourself (seems narcissistic maybe?) but also didn’t think a landscape would do you justice A goofy baby picture proves you ’ re weird and willing to laugh at yourself and maybe only a little obsessed with how cute
you once were
5 The “Real” You: You, and perhaps with the same friends as mentioned above, being weird, drunk, asleep on the couch or all of the above This is a gutsy move (especially because everyone can see it) and shows that you ’ re funny and you know it
Of course my ethnographic research and analysis is entirely skewed, but Facebook describes its Cover Photo as an “image that describes you best ” Undoubtedly, that’s a tough choice to make I like my friends, I like nature, I think I was pretty cute as a baby and yes, I’ll admit it, I have a few pictures taken on a disposable camera of me in sunglasses I don’t want anyone mothers, employers or even good friends assuming anything based on the image I choose to “describe me ” While not everyone (and I hope no one) actually believes the above categorizations, the way we present ourselves on Facebook and other social networking sites, by definition, invites others to make judgments Whether it is productive, helpful or even conscious is an entirely different conversation I, for one, have to go find that picture of myself as an infant with my friends in costumes on a picturesque beach
Hannah Deixler is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences She may be reached at hdeixler@cornellsun com Shades of Grey appears alternate Wednesdays this semester
Jon
Jon Weinberg
Ornithology BirdCam Captures Red Tailed Hawk Hatching
By BOB HACKETT Sun Senior Writer
Last Friday evening a star-shaped fracture formed on the outer surface of a bluish-white, speckled brown egg atop a 70foot light-tower overlooking the University’s field hockey field, located off Tower Road near Bradfield Hall home to Cornell’s Red-tailed Hawks, Big Red and Ezra The two expect additions to their nest
Cracking through the eggshell with its little beak, the first of the three baby hawks began to break out Ornithologists refer to this phase of hatching as “pipping ”
By Sunday, the baby bird had pecked a small hole through the egg shell, revealing the tip of its beak As snow descended into the night the egg continued to hatch
After keeping the baby hawk warm and protected from the elements throughout most of Monday, Big Red, the mother, finally stood up from the nest revealing, for the first time, the fluffy, white hatchling at exactly 1:53 pm The new bird stood oblivious to the nearly 8,000 people watching its emer-
By JON MILLER Sun Contributor
Anyone who has ever held a relative s baby knows there are usually two types: the ones who can be passed around, smiling and giggling, and the ones who scream and cry once separated from their mothers According to Prof Marie Caudill, nutritional sciences, the reason for this difference may lie in the placental environment in which the baby developed
Caudill researches the effects of the essential nutrient choline on fetal development and child growth
She is internationally recognized for her studies with folate and choline and recently presented her research at an international conference held at the University of Leipzig in Germany
Choline is sometimes considered the unknown essential nutrient, because although the body does not produce it and not many people have heard of it, it is needed for good health Choline is typically grouped with the B vitamins, although it doesn’t technically meet the definition of a B vitamin In the body, choline serves three
hatched Tuesday afternoon and the third egg is pipped and ready to hatch over the course of the next couple of days And at the other nest, (i e that of the herons) three nighttime attacks by a Great Horned Owl have been recorded Only one of the five herons’ eggs has been damaged, the other four should hatch toward the end of April or the beginning of May, Eldermire said
These BirdCams are helping ornithologists make discoveries and the public is sitting right there in the front seat, Eldermire said For example, the lowlight camera at the heron nest has revealed that these birds are much more active at night when they display courtship behavior, copulate, and fly to and from the nest to forage “It s not something that s mentioned in the literature,” Eldermire said The hawk nest is also equipped with a lowlight camera; however, the backlighting from the greenhouses across the street impede the camera ’ s lighting compensation making it “difficult for its potential to be realized,” Eldermire said
gence on the University’s Ortnithology Lab’s video camera
The Lab of Ornithology has made birdwatching easier and more accessible by installing high-definition BirdCams, essentially high-quality adapted security cameras, in two natural nests out in the wild
In addition to the BirdCam in the Red-tailed Hawk nest, two more are set up in a Great Blue Heron nest atop a dead white oak tree in the middle of Sapsucker Woods pond outside the Lab s Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity
Anyone can access the livestream feeds from the Lab’s website and watch the birds no binoculars necessary
“We’ve had over half a million people tune in at one point or another over the last month that these cams have been active,” said Charles Eldermire, multi media associate at the Lab of Ornithology and BirdCams project leader There has been a really big outpouring not just of excitement but gratitude and interest People who didn’t really know they liked birds are tuning in, getting hooked and spending hours watching ”
The first hatching event was not the only drama caught on these cameras Another one of the Red-tailed Hawk chicks
Prof. Caudill
On each of the channels, the Lab of Ornithology has a live chat that is moderated by volunteers from the viewer community who can the answer questions that viewers ask The chat room is mostly in English, Eldermire said, although people from more than 135 countries have viewed the feeds
Eldermire said that there are plans for five to six more BirdCams online during this breeding season
“It becomes not only an opportunity to observe and to learn about birds,” Eldermire said, “but also to form an emotional connection to what a bird can represent and how much we share with birds ”
Humans and birds both face a number of struggles in trying to live, Eldermire said The wonder and amazement of how supremely evolved these animals are to not only survive but thrive under a wide variety of conditions ”
“That balance between the wonder and discovery and the emotional and lifestyle parallels is a really engaging and powerful part of this whole experience,” he said
com
Researches the Effects
Of Choline on Fetal Development
main functions First, it is required to make the phospholipid phosphatidylcholine
Phosphatidylcholine is a component of all cell membranes that is required for proper cell functioning,” Caudill said
“During pregnancy, large amounts of phosphatidylcholine are needed to support the rapidly dividing cells of the developing fetus, which increases the mother’s dietary requirement for choline ”she said said
In addition to making phospholipids, Choline plays an integral part in neurotransmission in its acetylcholine form
Acetylcholine is involved in memory and learning
“Many studies involving rodents have shown that giving mom more choline during her pregnancy improves the cognitive ability of her offspring throughout their entire lifespan, ” Caudill said
Although choline may be taken by adults, the amount of choline that one is exposed to while still in the placenta has a stronger effect over time according to Caudill
Choline’s third function is to modulate levels of stress The apprehension and anxiety
characteristic of stress is often caused by a steroid hormone called cortisol
The release of cortisol is the end product of what is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis The hypothalamus, in the lower part of the brain, produces the neurotransmitter corticotrpin-releasing hormone, which then travels to the anterior pituitary gland CRH stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to release another hormone, known as adrenocorticotropic hormone, which in turn travels to the adrenal cortex via the blood circulation
The adrenal cortex, which is located on top of the kidney, is directly releases cortisol Once released cortisol mediates the metabolic increases of the stress response
“Data from my research group showed that giving pregnant women more choline lowered circulating levels of cortisol in her baby,” Caudill said “The lower circulating cortisol in babies born to the mothers consuming extra choline suggests that HPA activity and reaction to stress may be lower in these babies While the long-term consequences of our finding are unknown, others have reported a reduction in anxiety, improved learning and memory and a lower risk of stress-related diseases like hypertension among offspring with lower HPA axis activity ”
According to Caudill, the key to choline s effect on the HPA axis lies in how choline affects the methylation state of placental
“Giving mom more choline during pregnancy improves the cognitive ability of her offspring throughout their entire lifespans”
P rof Marie Cau d ill
DNA, which are the points at which DNA sequences have attached methyl groups
The mechanism by which extra choline influences cortisol production relates to its role as a methyl donor,” Caudill said “We found that giving mom more choline increased the number of methyl groups and lowered the expression of genes involved in regulating the amount of cortisol produced by the HPA axis We also found that giving mom more choline during pregnancy increased the number of methyl groups across the entire DNA sequence in the placenta which may improve genome stability and placental function”
Despite its integral part in fetal development choline is not widely sought after as an essential nutrient during pregnancy, even though sources of choline are widely available Some sources include egg yolks, beef, pork legumes and chicken as well as broccoli and brussel sprouts
“In the future, we’d like to see if choline may be used in a therapeutic way to lower the heightened activity of the HPA axis among babies born to mothers who experience stress, anxiety and depression during pregnancy, ” Caudill said
“We’d also like to see if consuming extra choline during pregnancy may be helpful in improving placental function and enhancing cognitive abilities in the human offspring
Caudill’s research may provide additional tools for fetal programming, or the changing of the placental environment to selectively affect the fetus Further research with choline may help make smarter, happier and healthier babies More results of Dr Caudill's finding will soon be published in The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Cute chick | The first Red-tailed Hawk hatched Monday
COURTESY OF PROF CAUD LL
Proud parents | Cornell’s Red Tailed Hawks Big Red and Ezra will have three new additions to their family
COURTESY OF CORNELL LAB OR ORN THOLOGY
COURTESY OF CORNELL LAB OR ORNITHOLOGY
Child care | Prof Caudill, pictured with her postdoctorate research associate Cydne Perr y, researches choline use in promoting fetal and baby health
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Come Out and Play
most pivotal meter change, taking on the heavy heart of a lament
The 21st annual Cornell University Jazz Festival directed by Paul Merrill concluded Sunday evening in a flourish of talent with a concert by the Cornell University Jazz Band and renowned composer and bassist Rufus Reid
Under Merrill’s snapping fingers, the band opened with an adaptation of the well-known tune A Tisket A Tasket The group swiftly demonstrated its close-knit camaraderie in the calls and answers exchanged among small solos over the well-practiced passagework Guest singer Tessa Buono supplemented the instrumentals with her perfectly jazzy voice
Three pieces “Gerry’s Timepiece,” “Roman Notes” and “Through a Child’s Eyes were specially commissioned by the Humanities Center and College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University as part of the “Cultural Corridor” program Sponsored by the Mellon Foundation, the program aims to commission works that recall, celebrate and demonstrate the stylistic legacy of a jazz artist whose upbringing, education and performance oeuvre took place in the region
“Gerry’s Timepiece” was written in memory of saxophonist Gerry Neiwood who perished in a plane crash over Buffalo, N Y , two years ago This piece was composed by Mike Conrad, a master ’ s candidate at the Eastman School of Music where he plays lead trombone in the Eastman Jazz Band The plaintive melody was impressively delivered by alto saxophonist Robert Araujo ’15, a member of the C U Jazz Band The song intensified at the
Araujo’s talent was further displayed in “Through a Child’s Eyes,” based on a chord progression of the well-known Infant Eyes
The piece featured numerous solos by various members of the band, effectively demonstrating the individual talent of each jazz band member The composer, Joe Riposo, who also directs the jazz studies program and the Morton Schiff Jazz Ensemble at Syracuse University, was in the audience and signalled his approval of Merrill s work as the audience applauded
“Roman Notes” was written by former Cornell professor John LaBarbera as a tribute to saxophonist Joe Romano, whose career included major stints with Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich and Frank Sinatra The piece contained mellifluous alto sax lines as well as an underlying conversation between alternating meters, symbolizing a dialogue between the composer and his subject
Following the first set, the audience cheerfully greeted Artist-in-Residence Rufus Reid as he casually walked onstage to set up his bass A humble smile and wave back set the mood for his inclusion in the performance
Since moving to New York City from Chicago in 1974, Reid has toured and recorded with artists such as J J Johnson Art Farmer, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon and Thad Jones As a member of the B M I Jazz Composers’ Workshop, Reid continues to compose for orchestras and jazz ensembles of various sizes
After opening with a blues piece of his own, The Meddler, while playing a snappy
Scientists, artists and spectators gathered in Milstein auditorium on Saturday afternoon for a celebration of light The lecture series was a companion event to the new LUX art exhibit on display in Milstein and Willard Straight art galleries until May 11 LUX features works by an international team of artists The exhibit showcases light in ways that are by turns stunning, comforting and deeply unsettling It is a festival of lights befitting the 21st century, and as such, it leaves me feeling a little uneasy
The stand-out work of the exhibit is Italian artist Beatrice Pediconi’s series Untitled Pediconi paints in and on water and uses white tempera She captures the stunning results with photography and video Pediconi s photographs and videos alike bring the viewer to a soft, contemplative place a place from which celebration of light cannot help but spring forth
Some of the scientists speaking on Saturday approached light with the same contemplative softness, especially Prof James G Morin, ecology and evolutionary biology, in his work with bioluminescent crustaceans called ostracods As he described the twilight dance of glowing ostracods over Caribbean reefs, his voice was tinged with a gentle reverence Prof Cole Gilbert, entomology, explained the evolutionary functions of bioluminescence in fireflies with contagious exuberance, while Prof Roald Hoffman, chemistry, gave a more loving and intimate history of indigo than I thought possible Because hey, fireflies and glowing crustaceans are pretty incredible, and the lights and colors of nature are worth celebrating
In hindsight, it’s remarkable that these artists and scientists managed to celebrate nature at all within the cold, metallic confines of Milstein Hall It’s an impressive piece of architecture, but you can ’ t get much further from nature than Milstein’s wannabe space station aesthetic
The tension between the building and the exhibit is mirrored by a tension within the exhibit itself Take for example
Jason Krugman’s LED sculptures Krugman bends grids of LED lights into forms which are, admittedly, quite attractive, even organic Looking at Krugman’s work, though, one can ’ t escape the jarring light of those profoundly artificial LEDs No matter how you twist them, those lights will never look natural What are we celebrating, then? Somehow, LEDs
bass line, Reid told the audience how happy he was to return to Cornell for this three-day residency, having previously visited in 2002
After stomping his foot through the first piece, making himself right at home onstage, he remarked, “How ‘bout this band?” It was clear that Reid did not desire the spotlight; he was perfectly jovial convivially playing with the C U Jazz Band After remarking on the erratic weather, Reid established a change of pace in the next piece Seven Minds,” which was written by Sam Jones The audience finally got to hear what Reid was really about After a short bowed opening featuring percussion and drums, he broke into a virtuosic, improvised cadenza His use of artificial harmonics, modulations of dampings, playful bouncings of his bow left hand plucking simultaneously was enough to make even the players onstage shake their heads in dumbfounded awe
“You Don’t Know What Love Is,” a Reid arrangement of a piece by Don Raye and Gene Paul featured a dynamic duet between Reid and the band’s own bassist Diana Rypkema This laid back tune mellowed out
never manage to evoke the same wonder and joy as say, luminescent ostracods propelling their way through Caribbean reefs
Some of the other works succeed to an even greater extent than Krugman s in making light joyless Japanese artist Kazue Taguchi reflects light off of reels of reflective substances, casting bands of light onto the wall
Philadelphia artist Sharyn O’Mara’s work is similarly uncompelling a fabric woven out of optical fibers and attached to the wall in a vaguely half-interesting way I just can ’ t get all that excited by new configurations of glass and plastic
Prof Morin’s and Prof Gilbert’s lectures, celebrating bioluminescence, contrasted sharply with some others Prof Michal Lipson, electrical and computer engineering, gave a lecture on nanophotonics, while researcher Moti Fridman, applied and engineering physics, spoke about temporal cloaking If these lectures celebrated anything, it was human cleverness And hey, maybe some people get excited by human cleverness We sure can do some clever things with lasers and petrochemicals I’m just more into fireflies
the audience, while the following song “Fantasy in D,” a Cedar Walton arrangement by Reid, woke them back up with its upbeat tempo This piece featured ample percussion and striking solos by a sonorous tenor sax and an embellishing piano The band communicated readily with Reid, and the result was an inspiring synergy between the professional and the passionate Before beginning the last song, Reid explained that he thought of the structures of the music he writes as “playgrounds ” He termed one of his first commissioned pieces, “Come Out and Play,” a “fun” one The piece featured the whole ensemble, with sporadic solos by tenor sax, piano and drums Audience members uninhibitedly tapped their feet, and the soloists exchanged smiles To conclude the performance, Reid relayed, “You need to have fun with music If you can ’ t, don’t play at all ” And indeed, fun was had by all
Martha Wydysh is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences She can be reached at mwydsh@cornellsun com
seems profane I realize with an ugly shock that in the entirety of this exhibit and these talks centered around the theme of light, the sun has received barely a passing mention
Think about that for a second When 21st century humans throw a celebration of light, the sun doesn’t even get an invite
The tension between man and nature is perhaps most interestingly on display in “Universe Cubed,” a cubic sculpture of the entire visible celestial sphere, created by a collaboration between Dublin artist Oisin Byrne and Princeton University Prof J R Gott, astrophysical sciences, A light shines from the center of the cube, making the stars twinkle as the viewer walks around the cube It’s beautiful, in a way, because the night sky is beautiful, and because the stars deserve a place in this celebration of light But to claim to represent the universe with a metal box and a pair of light bulbs
In these evaluations, I am, of course, revealing my own bias as a lover of nature This bias perhaps makes me unfit to review a 21st century celebration of light, inevitably dominated by the harsh glow of electric lighting Maybe I need to get over my fetishization of the natural and embrace my technological masters with open arms
When I step out of those space-age hallways, though, and see sunlight hit grass the interior of Milstein Hall suddenly
I enjoyed much of LUX, but when it comes to light, much of it feels cold and artificial Few of the artists and scientists manage to capture the natural warmth and splendor which, to me, makes light worth celebrating It was a strange, sunless celebration of light, a celebration deeply symptomatic of our times
One artist, however, provides welcome refuge from the technological colonization of light Hidden away in the old ceramic studio in Willard Straight Hall hangs a cluster of human-sized cocoons, sculpted by Risley Artist-in-Residence Natalie Tyler As a visitor passes through the exhibit, the cocoons slowly come to life with a rich, golden glow I know, I know, it’s electric light all the same, but here among humans trying to forget the sun, these cocoons seem to glow with a quiet protest They urge us to remember, to celebrate, the light we came from, before we get all excited about the lights we can create
Tom Moore is a sophomore in the College of Ar ts and Sciences He can be reached at tmoore@cor nellsun com
TOM MOORE Sun Staff Writer
MARTHA WYDYSH Sun Staff Writer
RYAN LANDVATER / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
SHAILEE SHAH / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Dear Cornellians
Dear Cornellians, when I started writing this column in September, I set out with the goal of creating the perfect break in your day lighthearted, comforting, relatable and readable I wanted to be thoughtful but not quite controversial I wanted you to think but still be able to focus on eating your sandwich As a result, I found myself trying to come up with inside jokes and easy references that tapped deep into Cornell’s collective memory every other Tuesday at 3 a m
Collective memory is the memory of a group of people, typically passed down from one generation to the next A collective memory combines the differing knowledge experiences and backgrounds of the individuals in a given group into one big amalgamation of culture American collective memory includes everything from JFK’s assassination to Bugs Bunny to the invention of the Internet
It’s hard to define this collective memory for Cornell just as it’s hard to find a universally appealing Slope Day artist or to make an all-encompassing Shit Cornellians Say Youtube video
When I write, I try to remember the people I’ve met the past four years friends, classmates, neighbors, and acquaintances and what would resonate with them I peoplewatch outside of Olin Library, daydreaming about the secret lives of the Cornellians who seem no more than strangers to me I think about what it really means to be a Cornellian, about what unites Cornell
The truth is that we all go to different Cornells What Cornell means to me is undoubtedly different than what it means to you My time here, made up of some whirlwind combination of the Pale Fire Lounge, Cayuga’s Waiters, CTP, CTB and Alpha Phi may have no significance whatsoever to you Maybe you liked Level B better than Ruloffs, didn’t join Greek life, got your coffee from the Green Dragon, spent your afternoons on the lacrosse field and never experienced the Cornell I know and love For all I know, you and I had completely parallel, separate yet equal experiences at the very same university
The fact that 13,000 of us can be here on the same campus and not go to the “ same Cornell,” is at once a defining, empowering and crippling feature of our ivory tower
We’re systematically divided, split into seven schools, over 50 majors, hundreds of extracurricular activities and sports, widely varied workloads and course material We re housed separately across campuses in dorms program houses apartments, frats and Collegetown We send out Facebook invites in semi-desperate hope of sharing the parts of Cornell that are important to us Our loyalties are spread far and wide and only overlap here and there
We default to making comments about the weather because it may be the one thing that unites us No matter what your major is, you can ’ t escape Ithaca’s biting April showers ” We tell friends and parents that the weather is cruel and unusual Sunshine becomes our favorite distraction, our lifeblood We bond over the most clichéd of topics, the fodder of banal small talk Maybe sad, but definitely true
So if we re really so fragmented, why do I feel an automatic connection whenever I see a Lynah Rink t-shirt or a Cornell bumper sticker outside of our Ithaca bubble? Doesn’t school spirit rely on a shared common experience?
Well, the Class of 2012 has been through a lot We ve seen more than our fair share of tragedies and we ’ ve lived through subsequent changes that have transformed the atmosphere of our campus forever But we were also there that one time our basketball team was in the Sweet Sixteen We’re the only graduating class that will truly remember (or not remember) Dinos, J O s and the Palms We are the seniors, the last to ever experience Professor Maas teaching Psych 101, waiting in line overnight for hockey tickets or going to open frat parties Ithaca may be Fences now, but we know that Ithaca is and always will be Gorges
We will take this memory of our Cornell with us for years to come while leaving behind our legacy, our plans for a new and hopefully improved Cornell I can ’ t speak for everyone and I won ’ t try to, but I know that when I walk at graduation, I’ll feel a bittersweet taste in my mouth, and I’ll be blinking back tears I ll know that as I leave this place I ve grown to call home everyone in the stadium is leaving a place
they’ve grown to call home too
Collective memory is strong because it combines such different experiences Each of our respective memories highlights a different Cornell, personalized to our different interests and choices But when combined, our memories hold the knowledge of seven schools, over 50 majors and endless learning experiences It’s like the moment when Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Heart join forces to become Captain Planet Our collected memories create a rich, powerful and comprehensive vision of our too-soon-to-be alma mater While individually our memories might seem disjointed and varied, it is because of this variation, not in spite of it, that the spirit of Cornell lasts long after graduation We are stronger as Cornellians than we would be alone At least I know I am Thanks to Kenny, the first friend I made as a result of my column Thanks to Adam and Charlotte my personal editors and sanity keepers Thanks to The Sun for letting me moreor-less ignore the designation of “Arts and Entertainment ” Thanks to you for reading and I hope my column has made your days a little bit sweeter
Becky Lee is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences She can be reached at rlee@cornellsun com Eat Dessert First appears alternate Wednesdays this semester
Apartheid Is Not Over
BY LUBABAH CHOWDHURY Sun Staff Writer
Imagine a country where people are separated by culture and ethnicity Only a chosen few are given citizenship and identity cards while the rest are mere second-class citizens
The former live in luxurious homes, while the latter do not even have access to those accommodations which we consider integral to everyday life: water, electricity and shelter
The police are given free reign and can not only arrest anyone at any time, but can also detain prisoners without any hope of a fair trial, let alone a definite prison sentence It doesn’t take a large stretch of the imagination to apply this nightmare to South African apartheid, a system of racial segregation imposed by the country ’ s government from 1948 to 1994 According to directors Ana Noguera and Eron Davidson, the horrors of a state divided by racial prejudice is equally applicable to present-day Israel and Palestine
While one may be surprised by this assertion, Noguera and Davidson’s documentar y Roadmap to Apartheid meticulously and successfully illustrates the parallel between the past and the present
Noguera and Davidson’s personal backgrounds significantly contributed to the realization of this film; Noguera’s South African descent and Davidson’s Israeli heritage led to their collaboration on the documentar y While working as a news producer during the Second Intifada in September 2000, Noguera began to realize the resemblance of the present conflict with that of her country ’ s past
“The more I got into it, the stronger the comparison was, ” she tells The Sun Roadmap to Apartheid is not another banal
documentary to be viewed by bored teenagers in high school history classes; it is quickly made clear that Noguera and Davidson are intent on proving their analogy between apartheid South Africa and present-day Israel and Palestine The split screen images that accompany the opening titles are convincing in and of themselves; the humiliation of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli soldiers is identical to the abuse the black people suffered at the hands of the Afrikaans and the mothers wailing over their children’s corpses speak of grief that transcends the boundaries of ethnicity and history
While one could argue that the emotional appeal made by these images are coercive rather than convincing, Noguera and Davidson proceed to present facts that support their controversial claim in a logical and engaging manner They highlight the corresponding history of persecution that both the Afrikaans and the Jewish people faced; author Ali Abunimah asserts that the first time the phrase “concentration camp ” appeared in scholarship was in reference to the Boer’s
inhumane incarceration at the hands of the British Both groups of people believe themselves to be victimized, a mentality that unfortunately leads to incredible violence and prejudice and the creation of what Abunimah calls “ two entirely separate and unequal geographies ” The Afrikaans implemented a “ pass system ” that corresponds to the IDs all Palestinians must carry that essentially dictate where they can work and live The barrier between the West Bank and Israel snakes around in such a way that Palestine comprises small non-contiguous pieces of land, reminiscent of bantustans, or the miniscule independent states in apartheid South Africa, which were in fact governed by puppet rulers
The compiled evidence is difficult to refute But even if one is not willing to accept the thesis, let alone the evidence presented, it is impossible to deny the suffering the Palestinians have endured for nearly a century The interviews conducted in the Gilo settlement depict the sharp contrast between the Israeli and the Palestinian quality of life; while Israeli children enjoy the cooling effects of
outdoor swimming pools, Palestinian children often suffer infections due to the rainwater their families are forced to use as drinking water for as long as three to four months The fact that Israelis use six to seven times more water per capita than the Palestinians may spark intellectual outrage, but Noguera and Davidson wish to appeal to both our intellect and our emotions While the interviews with scholars and activists working the area would have been enough to prove their point, they allow the viewer to see the parallels between South Africa and Israel for themselves
Roadmap to Apartheid is a difficult documentary to watch From the demolition of innocent people’s houses to the beating and abuse Palestinians face every day, it is tempting to forgo the film, to close our eyes to what becomes an obvious parallel in the end But it is also a necessary documentary Whatever one ’ s political views, it is hard to deny suffering when one is faced with it in the gripping, painful way that the film presents it But Noguera and Davidson do not leave the viewer without some hope Apartheid is over, and while South Africa may not have reached perfect racial equality yet, there has been definite progress and change The same may one day be said of Israel and Palestine Noguera and Davidson imply that only if we educate ourselves and decry the current situation as vehemently as millions of people decried South Africa during the decades of apartheid
Roadmap to Apartheid will be screened on April 29 at 6 p m at 251 Mallott Hall
Eat Dessert First Becky Lee
Lubabah Chowdhury is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences She can be reached at lchowdhury@cornellsun com
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Golfers Set for Ivy Championships
probably be about the same as the butterflies you get in the first tournament, but we ’ re all experienced and [we know] that we have to go into this tournament with the same mentality so it shouldn’t be a problem ”
For the Ivy League championship, the Red hopes to not fall into the same situation it has found itself in this past weekend, according to Simson
“One thing we hope to do is to start off a little stronger, ” he said We want to get in the middle of the pack so that we ’ re not playing from behind, but that’s easier said than done ”
Despite its issues with consistency, Cornell expects to contend with the heavyweights of the Ivy League for the championship
“Going in, obviously we expect to win,” Lavin
said “There’s really no reason why we can ’ t compete with anyone in the Ivy League Prince and Harvard are good not to mention Yale and Columbia and they’re all going to come to play but on any given day, we can go out and beat those teams, so our expectation is to win ”
One small advantage the Red have going in is Dean’s experience with the course
“This is the second consecutive year we ’ ve played at Galloway National [Golf Club] and of the five people that are playing, only John Dean has played this particular course, ” Simson explained “He played it well for us last year, which is great, so when we have our practice round on Thursday, he can guide us around the course a little bit, which will be really helpful ”
Tennis Looks Con dently to the Future
y, who left Cornell for a coaching
“It wasn ’ t looking good for us but we fought really well to come back and win that match, said freshman Sam Fleck “It was the last match of the season, so there wasn ’ t that much riding on it It was great that we fought back, for pride and for the win against a good Princeton team ” Head coach Silviu Tanasoiu echoed Fleck’s sentiments about the dedication of the team
“It was an outstanding effor t from ever y single guy in our lineup in turning that around,” he said I thought they competed as hard as it gets I was ver y proud of how they adjusted and how hard they fought ” The sudden depar ture of for-
this year However, with these recent wins, the Red ended its season with a boost in the team ’ s confidence and anticipation for what the future will bring for the program “I came here in October, so we had a late star t, and I think that w
, ” Tanasoiu said “It’s been encour-
that [these wins are] possible I think the guys have seen it and now they believe in it they believe in our system and they’re going to work this summer and the next fall in per fecting it I feel ver y confident that we ’ re going to
be in a much better place this time around next year ” Fleck shared his coach’s positive attitude for the future of the t e a m , a s m o s t m e m b e r s a r e underclassmen “ We didn’t have as much time to work on things as much as some of the other teams It was good that it finally came together now we ’ re all kind of on the same page, ” he said “Hopefully we can come back and be better next year and win the title We’ll all be a year older; we ’ re not losing anyone because we ’ re basically all freshman We ll have more experience and hopefully we’ll get stronger over the summer and go from there ”
Olivia Wittels can be reached at
Kaufmann Named Ivy League
Pitcher Of The Week for Third Time
Sophomore Connor Kaufmann, made f a m o u s b y h i s Ap
w a s named the Ivy League’s Pitcher of the We
Sharing the honor with Dar tmouth’s Kyle Hunter, Kaufmann has held a share of the award for the third time in the past four weeks
T h e s o p
shutout of the season on Saturday, April 21 against Penn his first being the nohitter against Dar tmouth earlier in the
month Kaufmann str uck out a seasonhigh six batter and allowed just three hits Only one Penn r unner made it to second
Kaufmann got the batter
double play The sophomore continued on to retired the last 10 batters of the game
Kauffman is the ninth Cornell pitcher in program histor y to record two shutouts in the same season
Compiled by Lauren Ritter
Salisbur y Ear ns Ivy League Honor For Week
Nine Perfor mances
Junior attack Caroline Salisbur y earned the honor of Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week after recording a combined
1 0 p o i n
No
Tuesday, April 17 and Yale on Saturday, April 21
In the game against Syracuse, Salisbur y recorded her first hat trick of the week, with three goals, one assist and a careerhigh five draws The junior attack was the highest-scoring Cornell player against the Orange, despite the Red’s 16-9 loss
Four days later, Salisbur y brought her game to the next level, recording five goals and one assist against Ivy foe Yale She
picked up three ground balls for the day and tied her career-high draw controls, which she set just days before This marks the first time that Salisbur y h
Offensive Player of the Week, while it is the second for the Red this season Senior Jessi Steinberg won on the same award on March 19, and senior Cacki Helmer, who w a s n
m
o
we
k’s Iv y L
e Honor Roll, took home Defensive Player of the Week on March 12 Last week
Salisbur y was named the national player of the week by WomensLax com
Compiled by Lauren Ritter
Penn Relays O ffer Final Preparation for Heps
TRACK
Continued from page 20
sionals] and even the Olympic athletes ” Beyond the excitement of seeing so many athletes compete, Bowman says he feels that it is a great opportunity to build ties as a team, and to have fun as a team in preparation for the Heps meet
“We want to try and get everybody involved one week before the [Heps] meet, ” he said “We want to have some fun down there ”
At the end of the weekend, the Red will be looking directly towards the outdoor Heps finals Taylor said he feels that if his athletes can per form well this weekend, they will be right where they need to be to go out after the Heps title
has seen her team build up strength and excitement while progressing towards the Heps meet
“Everyone has been building on their achievements every week ” she said “They’ve been getting stronger, and people are getting excited and ready to go ”
Bowman previously spoke about the progression of the team being analogous to the manner in which puzzle pieces are put together to get to the final outcome The women ’ s head coach says he is seeing these pieces come together for his team the right way in preparation for Heps
“Every meet that we have, everybody has been getting better and better
“I thought last weekend for a lot of the guys was fantastic. We had some huge performances, so I think we’re headed in the right direction ”
N at h an Tay lor
I think if they get some good per formances, they’re going to be supremely confident about what s going to happen at the Heps” he said “I thought last weekend for a lot of guys was fantastic We had some huge performances, so I think we re headed in the right direction We’re going to be ready to challenge for the championship ” For senior co-captain Molly Glantz, time has passed quickly leading up to the Heps meet over the course of the outdoor season
“It came a lot quicker than we thought it would, she said “We re just looking to get one more solid race under our belts and go into Heps with the best times we have ”
Both the men ’ s and women ’ s teams have been building towards the Heps meet, with their eyes on bringing another title to Cornell Glantz says she
in different events, ” he said “Again, it’s like all these puzzle pieces coming together to have the final product ready for next week ”
In recent years, Cornell has been one of the most dominant teams in the Heps After last year ’ s loss in the outdoor Heps finals to Princeton, this time around the Red is looking to restore Cornell track and field to its tradition of winning Arlinghaus says he is looking to bring back the Heps title where he feels it belongs
“We have a tradition of winning here, so it’s all about bringing back the title,” he said
Juan Carlos Toledo can be reached at jtoledo@cornellsun com
Dominant force | Connor Kaufmann has established himself as a dominant player in the Ivy League, compiling a 3-0 record, with a 0 66 earned-run average and 16 strikeouts
Run around the world | The Penn Relays will feature athletes from all walks of life, including high school, college, professionals and even 2012 Olympic hopefuls
The Corne¬ Daily Sun
Men End Season With Ivy Wins
By OLIVIA WITTELS Sun Staff Wr ter
The tennis season came to a close on Sunday, with the men ’ s and women ’ s squads facing Princeton in their final match Cornell battled Penn on Friday, with the men at home and the women down in Philadelphia, Pa While the women lost both their matches this weekend, the men emerged on top ending the season with their third straight conference win
The women (9-10, 1-6 Ivy League) were not entirely pleased with their performance over the weekend, especially after falling 5-2 to the Quakers (7-11, 2-5), according to junior Sarah O’Neil
pletely different team, ” she said “We played great in singles and we really had them ”
O Neil added that with more experience, the underclassmen will learn how to stay strong for longer on the courts
“[The freshmen will] learn how to compete and stay on the court as long as possible,” she said “That was one of the big things that the coaches talked about, was staying on the court for your teammates and fighting for every point ”
Despite not achieving its season ’ s goals, O’Neil said that the Red is ready to train over the summer in order to prepare for next year
“We all have things that we know we need to work on. It’s all about training over the summer getting our games better.”
S arah O ’ N eil
“Penn was definitely a team that, going in, we thought we should beat, she said “There aren ’ t really many positive things to say about that one We got the doubles point that was great but other than that, singles was pretty weak I think we left Penn with a bad taste in our mouth
The Red returned to Ithaca to play Princeton (12-10, 52) on Sunday; though the women fell to the Tigers, 4-3, the squad was much happier with its performance, O’Neil said
“Coming back and playing Princeton at home, just a day and a half later, we bounced back and it was just a com-
“We definitely didn’t do what we set out to do,” she said “We all have things that we know we need to work on It’s all about training over the summer getting our games better and hopefully pulling it together to do something great next year ”
The men, on the other hand, ended their season on a positive note The Red (10-15, 3-4) earned its first doubles point of the season on Friday en route to a 5-2 win over Penn (10-10 2-5) On Sunday the team achieved a 4-3 win against Princeton (12-12, 3-4), despite losing the doubles point and being down a set on four of the six singles courts
Red Aims for Strong Finish to Season C.U. S quads P repare to Compete at Penn Relays
This upcoming weekend, the golf team will finish its season at the Ivy League championship in Galloway, N J The Red will try to improve from last weekend, where the team finished seventh out of nine teams at the Centur y Intercollegiate Tournament The Red was led by sophomores Craig Esposito and Zack Bosse, who finished 11th and tied for 16th place, respectively, with two-day scores of 154 and 156, respectively On the first day, the Red struggled, as four of five players sophomore Carl Schimenti, senior co-captain Alex Simson, senior John Dean and Bosse had scores in the 80’s However, the team turned around in the second round, putting together a combined round of 310 just six strokes behind Rhode Island, who won the tournament The disparity between the two rounds accented the consistency issues the team has been facing all season, according to senior co-captain Alex Lavin
“Last weekend was an example of what I’ve been saying all along: our main issue is consistency We have issues putting together a few good rounds,” he said “The best way to look at it is that in the second round, we shot one of the best scores of the tournament, but for some reason couldn’t go out and do that in the first round ”
Similar to Lavin, Simson drew some positives out of the team ’ s play in the second round
“I think you can definitely consider us resilient in the second day,” he said “On the first day, there were extremely good conditions to play in which is rare for this time of year We normally see rain and high winds, and that’s exactly what we got on Sunday As a team, we actually played much better the second day, even though the weather was worse ”
Going into the last tournament of the year, the team is slightly anxious, though everyone ’ s nerves will most likely not affect their play, according to Lavin
“We’re all going through some emotions preparing for the tournament, ” he said “There’s definitely more [intensity] to the practices than usual just because it’s the last event; the last chance of the year to show everyone what we got I would say that the nerves will
See GOLF page 18
It’s crunch time for the men ’ s and women s track and field teams With the outdoor Heps championship meet less than two weeks away, the Red is progressing through its season with hopes of bringing the outdoor Heps title back to Cornell Before Heps, however, the Red will compete this weekend in the 117th edition of the Penn Relays a meet that was first r un on April 21, 1895 and remains the longest uninterrupted collegiate track and field meet in the countr y According to men ’ s head coach Nathan Taylor, he is always very excited for the annual race
League schools in this kind of setting, and we get to see each other and how ever ybody is doing
This meet will allow Cornell athletes to run in a field of competition comprised of some of the most talented athletes in the countr y Senior high jumper Chris Arlinghaus says he is excited to compete against teams he normally does not see during the course of the season
“Penn Relays is an absolute extravaganza There’s really no meet in the world like it It’s the largest non-Olympic track meet in the world ”
N at h an Tay lor
“Penn Relays is an absolute extravaganza, ” he said “There’s really no meet in the world like it It’s the largest non-Olympic track meet in the world ” The meet, consisting mostly of relay events, will give the Red another chance to work on perfecting its winning recipe before the Heps meet, according the women s head coach Rich Bowman
“It’s mostly all relay events sprint relays all the way up to distance relays, he said It gives us a little tune up before the [Heps] meet We get to see all the Ivy
“I’m looking forward to the competition,” he said Normally over the course of the season, we compete mostly with teams from the east coast, so it’s nice to see representation from the south and southwest Bowman pointed out that this meet will not exclusively feature collegiate athletes Some of the most celebrated track and field athletes in the world will be competing over the weekend as well Many American athletes heading to London this summer to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics will also be present
“It’s a little bit awe-inspiring,” Bowman said Usain Bolt and some of the other world record holders will be there, so they get to see people from all walks of life, from high school to junior college to college, the [profes-
See TRACK page 19
Red resilience | Sophomore Carl Schimenti (above) shot in the 80’s, as the Red struggled at the Century Intercollegiate Tournament over the weekend
