The University Assembly passed two resolutions confirming members of the University Revie w Board for the 2016-17 academic year on Tuesday
A s e c o n d r
passed enabled the chair to thank dever yone on the assembly for their work over the past school year, signifying the end of the assembly’s operations for the 2015-16 academic year
U A resolution 10 confirms the memb e r s o f
Revie w Board for the 2016-17 academic year, and is sponsored by undergraduate s t u d e n t re p re
’18
The resolution was passed with a vote of 10-0-2 after amendments were made to include current members of the board who are interested in continuing to ser ve in the coming academic year
U A resolution 11, sponsored by U A Chair Matt Battaglia ’17, is a customar y action taken by the chair of the U A expressing his or her gratitude for the assembly’s members and their cooperation during the academic year
“ This resolution is one that we [make] ever y single year the chair sponsors it,”
See U A page 4
Rep. Reed Speaks at C.U.Town Hall
Defends education plan, previous call to halt University funding
By JOSH GIRSKY Sun News Editor
C o r n e l l yo u r t o p a d m i n i s t r a t o r s a re
q u i t e u p s e t w i t h t h i s p ro p o s a l ”
Re e d e x p l a i n e d t h a t w h e n h e g r a d u a t -
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“As you can imagine [with] your endowment office at Cornell your top administrators are quite upset with this proposal.” C
r i e s f ro m p e o p l e w i t h a l m o s t t w i c e t h a t a m o u n t o f d e b t W h e n Re e d a s k e d audience members if they felt that their money was b e i n g w e l l s p e n t b y Cornell, Robbie Dunbar ’18, Arts and Sciences re p re s e n t a t i v e o n the Student Assembly, said in his position he sees University inefficiency “firsthand ”
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c i a l a i d f o r m i d d l e a n d l ow i n c o m e s t u -
d e n t s “ Wi t h t h i s b i l l , we h a ve o p e n e d u p a h o r n e t ’ s n e s t , ” h e s a i d “A s yo u c a n i m a g -
i n e [ w i t h ] yo u r e n d ow m e n t o f f i c e h e re a t
s e f e e s h e r e a n d t h e r e , ” D u n b a r s a i d “
Reed-ing the room | Congressman Tom Reed discusses his plan to lower the cost of college education and addresses student challenges at a town hall Tuesday
Cornell Republicans React to Likely Trump Nomination
By MADELINE COHEN
W h e n Se n Te d Cr u z ( R - T x )
s u s p e n d e d h i s c a m p a i g n a f t e r
Do n a l d Tr u m p ’ s In d i a n a v i c t o r y
Tu e s d a y n i g h t , C o r n e l l
Re p u b l i c a n s we re f o rc e d t o f a c e
t h e i n c re a s i n g l y l i k e l y p ro s p e c t o f Tr u m p a s t h e G O P n o m i n at i o n Exe c u t i ve Di re c t o r o f C o r n e l l Re p u b l i c a n s Ja k e Z h u ’ 1 8 s a i d h e b e l i e ve s Tr u m p ’ s w i n Tu e s d a y w a s p re d i c t a b l e , a l t h o u g h , “ t h e w i n s t h a t h e h a s n e t t e d t h ro u g ho u t t h e e n t i re c a m p a i g n [ h a ve ] b e e n a n a b s o l u t e s u r p r i s e ” “ L i k e m a n y h a ve s a i d b e f o re , e x p e r t s f ro m a l l ove r t h e p o l i t ic a l s p e c t r u m e x p e c t e d t h e
Tr u m p p h e n o m e n o n t o f a d e a w a y by Oc t o b e r a t t h e l a t e s t , ” h e s a i d Ol i v i a C o r n ’ 1 9 , C h a i r o f C o r n e l l Re p u b l i c a n s , s a i d s h e b e l i e ve s w i t h Tr u m p ’ s w i n i n In d i a n a , i t i s “ b l a t a n t l y o bv i o u s ” t h a t h e w i l l b e c o m e t h e Re p u b l i c a n n o m i n e e “ Do n a l d Tr u m p w a s p o l l i n g ove r 3 0 p e rc e n t a g e p o i n t s a h e a d o f Te d C r u z i n C a l i f o r n i a , b e f o re Te d Cr u z s u s p e n d e d h i s c a m p a i g n a n d w i l l p ro b a b l y w i n a l l 1 7 2 d e l e g a t e s , p u t t i n g h i m w i t h i n 1 2 d e l e g a t e s o f t h e n o mi n a t i o n , ” C o r n s a i d “ T h e ref o re , h i m re a c h i n g t h i s 4 1 p e rc e n t i s a l m o s t a g u a r a n t e e , e s p ec i a l l y w i t h o n l y G o v Jo h n K a s i c h ( R - O h i o ) l e f t t o f a c e h i m ” Z h u s a i d t h a t h e b e l i e v e s Tr u m p ’ s a p p e a l s t e m s f ro m h i s a b i l i t y t o s p e a k c a n d i d l y “ Ma n y p e o p l e I h a ve e n c o u nt e re d k n ow h o n e s t l y t h a t h i s p l a t f o r m i s l u d i c ro u s , t h a t h i s b e l i e f s a re r i d i c u l o u s , a n d t h a t h e w o n ’ t g e t a n y t h i n g d o n e , ” Z h u s a i d “ Howe ve r, t h e s e s a m e p e o p l e s h owe d u p t o vo t e f o r Tr u m p W h y ? B e c a u s e h e d o e s n ’ t s p e a k t h ro u g h a f i lt r a t i o n s y st e m H i s s p e e c h a n d h i s w o rd s a re u n c e n s o r e d A n d b r u t e h o n e s t y i s w h a t t h e A m e r i c a n p e o p l e w a n t t o h e a r T h a t i s w h y Tr u m p w o n t o n i g h t A n d t h a t i s w h y Tr u m p w i l l c a p t u re t h e n o m i n a t i o n c o m e m i d - s u mm e r ” Ac c o rd i n g t o C o r
Cruzin’ on home | Members of the Cornell Republicans have mixed responses to the likelihood of Trump winning the presidential election, after Ted Cruz dropped out of the race last evening
Sun Assistant News Editor
Today Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Daybook
Today
Barbara McClintock Panel Discussion On Working and Living In Science Noon - 1:15 p m , 102 Mann Library
Establishing the Scientific Value of Multiple Regional Climate Model-Global Climate Model Programs: The Example Of NARCCAP
3:30 - 4:30 p m , 2146 Snee Hall
Salpeter Lecture: Obser ving Extremes of Accretion 4 - 5 p m , 105 Space Sciences Building
weather FORECAST
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It Takes a Village to Corral A Loose Llama in Colorado
BOULDER, Colo (AP) It took a village and two hours to corral an uncooperative llama named Ethel who escaped from her pasture in rural Colorado and wandered near some busy roadways
Tomorrow
LEPP Journal Club: Caterina Doglioni, Lund
4 p m , 301 Physical Sciences Building
A King Along the Niger River: French Colonialism, Bargains Of Collaboration, and the Rule of Law, 1879-1918 4:30 - 6 p m , Mezzanine Room 101, McGraw Hall
Legislative Leadership for Social Justice 4:45 - 6 p m , B25 Warren Hall
Lavender Graduation 2016
7 - 10 p m , Clark Atrium (Ceremony) Baker Portico (Reception), Physical Sciences Building
The Boulder County Sheriff ’ s Office tweeted a wanted poster with a photo of the wayward animal and the hashtag #LlamaOnTheLoose It’s an amended version of the one made famous by a pair of Ethel’s elusive brethren, whose romp through a Phoenix-area neighborhood stole the national spotlight last year
Sheriff ’ s spokeswoman Carrie Haverfield says Ethel’s owner called Tuesday asking for help to get the llama home after she wandered into another pasture An animal control officer and a deputy tried to wrangle Ethel, but she proved difficult to capture and more help had to be called in At one point, passers-by formed a human fence She was ultimately herded back into her pasture
Man Charged After Cop Helps
Find His Marijuana Lost in Yard
ALLIANCE, Ohio (AP)
An Ohio man who got a police officer’s help to find a bit of marijuana lost in his yard has been charged with misdemeanor drug abuse
The patrolman’s body camera video shows an intoxi-
cated man admitting he lost the drug The Alliance officer says he doesn’t want children to find it and then locates it in the grass
The man asks if he’d throw it back on the ground
The officer refuses Police say the officer had found the man stumbling along the road and tried to get him home safely Some commenters suggested the man has an alcohol problem and criticized Alliance police for sharing the video on Facebook
Presidential Search Committee Open Forum for Faculty, Staff And Students 4:30 - 5:30 p m , Auditorium, Klarman Hall neetpmU ydeeps snoisivelet desurep owt ,peehs neht neetpmu stekcit dewot ,retipuJ dna naD selgnatnu evif -sergorp evis secifiro neetpmU citoxiuq skravdraa ylgniyonna thguob owt sehsotnicaM neetpmU xuaerub delkcit owt ylemertxe dirtup smsilutob luaP decifircas eno ,dnatspmal neht retipuJ seirram eht yrev citoxiuq rekorbnwap eviF elprup snosiop ,dehgual tey neetpmu smumehtnasyrhc sessik evif skravdraa namtaB ylision selgnatnu eno ykcowrebbaJ owT sehsotnicaM ,dehgual neht eno ylemertxe cinerhpozihcs ykcowrebbaJ ylneknurd selgnatnu owt ,peehs revewoh krauQ denohpelet neetpmu esebo seikcowrebbaJ eviF elbicsari smsilutob ylthgils ylemal denoitcua
Capt James Hilles tells the Akron Beacon Journal it’s just a light-hearted example of silly things people say to officers
West Virginia Rules Voting Booths a No-Selfie Zone
CHARLESTON, W Va (AP) If you want to share your voting experience on social media, you’ll have to find some way other than taking a photo in the voting booth West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie E Tennant says it’s forbidden
Tennant said in a news release Friday that it’s illegal to photograph any part of the voting process, and no electronic devices or cellphones are allowed in the voting booth
She says signs are posted in every West Virginia precinct, and poll workers have been instructed to tell people not to have devices out while voting
University
Sutton Road Solar Farm Opens in Geneva
Cornell’s Sutton Road Solar Farm in Geneva, New York, became fully operational on April 13, the University announced Cornell’s second megawatt-scale solar project began construction last spring
The 17-acre, two-megawatt energy facility plans to offset nearly 40 percent of the annual electricity demand at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
“Our researchers are conducting basic and applied research to improve crops and make them more resilient to disease, drought and the worst effects of an uncertain climate as we chart a more sustainable agricultural future,” said Susan Brown, the Goichman Family Director of NYSAES, in a statement
Local
Dryden Man Charged After Intentionally Crashing Into Vehicle, Fleeing Police
According to officials Robert H Predmore of Dryden intentionally drove a 1998 Jeep Cherokee into another vehicle that had a person inside it He then fled the scene and was spotted by a Tompkins County Sheriff ’ s deputy driving on McClintock Road, The Ithaca Voice reports
Predmore has been charged with a felony for third-degree criminal mischief, two counts of misdemeanor second-degree reckless endangerment and several traffic violations Predmore was arraigned in the local court of the Town of Caroline and remanded to the Tompkins County jail in lieu of $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 property bond, according to The Voice
National
Fomer Speaker Sheldon Silver Receives 12 Years in Prison
Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on Tuesday, according to The Ithaca Journal Silver, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court following his conviction last November for committing millions of dollars worth of fraud In addition to the twelve year sentence, Silver will pay a $1 75 million fine and forfeit $5 2 million, the amount he profited from the bribery, extortion and money-laundering schemes
The investigation is seeking to determine whether Percoco deceitfully closed the money received from entities doing business with the state, The Journal reported
Compiled by Alexa Eskenazi
Aim to monitor, prevent dangerous activity in Six Mile Creek area
By SAMANTHA ACRICHE Sun Staff Writer
H o l c o m b W h i l e C i t y o f I t h a c a r a n g e r s h a v e p a t r o l l e d t h e S i x M i l e C r e e k a r e a “f o r
d e c a d e s ” a c c o r d i n g t o H o l c o m b , o f f ic e r s w i l l s o o n b e s p e c i f i c a l l y a s s i g n e d t o t h e n o t a b l e a r e a s t h a t h a v e s e e n i n c r e a s e i n d a n g e r o u s a c t i v i t i e s a r o u n d t h e g o r g e i n r e c e n t y e a r s “ O v e r t h e p a s t s e v e r a l y e a r s w e h a v e s e e n l a r g e r c r o w d s a n d m o r e d a n g e r o u s b e h a v i o r s o c c u r r i n g a t t h e Fi r s t a n d
S e c o n d D a m s s u c h a s a l c o h o l a n d d r u g u s e , c l i f f j u m p
H o l c o m b s a i d “ L a s t y e a r, w e e x p e r i e n c e d
a t r a g i c d e a t h a s a r e s u l t o f c l i f f j u m p i n g ” Fr o m M a y t o S e p t e m b e r, f o u r r a n g e r s w i l l b e l o c a t e d n e a r t h e Fi r s t , S e c o n d a n d T h i r d D a m s T h e i r j o b s i s n o t o n l y t o e n f o r c e t h e l a w b u t t o a l s o e d u c a t e p e o p l e
a b o u t t h e r u l e s o f t h e S i x M i l e C r e e k Na t u r a l A r e a , a c c o r d i n g t o H o l c o m b “ We a r e h o p i n g t o s e n d a s t r o n g m e ss a g e t h a t t h i s i s n o t a n u n s u p e r v i s e d a r e a t h a t p e o p l e c a n d o w h a t e v e r t h e y w a n t t o i n , ” H o l c o m b s a i d “ T h e n a t u r a l a r e a i s
m e a n t f o r e v e r y o n e t o e n j o y r e s p o n s i b l y, a n d w e w a n t p e o p l e a n d f a m i l i e s t o f e e l
s a f e s p e n d i n g t i m e t h e r e M a n y p e o p l e
c o m i n g t o t h e a r e a t o c l i f f j u m p a r e n o t
“Over the past several years we have seen large crowds and more dangerous behaviors occuring [in the area].”
f r o m I t h a c a a n d a r e n o t f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e
h i d d e n , u n d e r w a t e r d a n g e r s o f t h e
g o r g e ”
H o l c o m b a n d h e r c o l l e a g u e s w o r k i n g
o n h i s p r o j e c t w a n t p e o p l e t o e n j o y t h e
n a t u r a l b e a u t y t h a t I t h a c a h a s t o o f f e r i n
a s a f e a n d r e s p e c t f u l m a n n e r A s a p a r t o f e d u c a t i o n e f f o r t s , t h e p r o g r a m w i l l t e a c h t h o s e i n t e r e s t e d a b o u t a l t e r n a t i v e a r e a s t o v i s i t , i n c l u d i n g t h e
Panelists Consider Potential of Nuclear
By
Pr o f D a n i e l K a m m e n ’ 8 4 , e n e r g y r e s o u r c e s g r o u p , Un i v e r s i t y o f
C a l i f o r n i a ,
B e r k e l e y a n d
L a u r i Mu r a n e n , E x e c u t i v e
Mu r a n e n s a i d t h a t t h e i n t e g r a t i o n o f n u c l e a r p o w e r a s o n e o f t h e w o r l d ’ s p r i m a r y e n e r g y s o u r c e s c o u l d s i g -
“Nuclear power is indeed essential if we want to address climate change seriously.”
c h a n g e a b s o l u t e l y h a s t o b e t h e t o p , ” h e s a i d “ Ev e n i f w e t u r n e d o f f a l l f o s s i l f u e l s t o d a y, w e a r e a l r e a d y c o m m i t t e d t o a c e r t a i n a m o u n t o f c l i -
m a t e c h a n g e t o a s i g n i f i -
c a n t d e g r e e ”
D i r e c t o r o f Wo r l d E n e r g y C o u n c i l Fi n l a n d , d i sc u s s e d t h e p o t e n t i a l o f n u c l e a r p o w e r t o a d d r e s s g l o b a l c l i m a t e c h a n g e i n a d i s c u s s i o n Tu e s d a y W h i l e b o t h p a n e l i s t s a g r e e d t h a t n u c l e a r p o w e r c o u l d b e a n i m p o r t a n t e n e r g y s o u r c e i n r e d u c i n g c a r b o n e m i ss i o n s , t h e i r v i e w s d i ff e r e d i n t h e m a g n i t u d e o f i t s r i s k s a n d h o w d i ff e r e n t c o u n t r i e s c o u l d a c c o m m o d a t e e a c h e n e rg y s o u r c e H e i k e M i c h e l s o n , D i r e c t o r o f P r o g r a m m i n g f o r t h e M a r i o E i n a u d i C e n t e r f o r I n t e r n a t i o n a l S t u d i e s , s a i d t h a t n u c l e a r p o w e r i s a c o mp l e x c o n c e p t a n d r e l ev a n t t o c u r r e n t e v e n t s “A d e b a t e o n w h e t h e r o r n o t n u c l e a r p o w e r i s a n a n s w e r t o c l i m a t e c h a n g e i s p a r t i c u l a r l y t i m e l y i f y o u t h i n k o f t h e r e c e n t c l i m a t e c h a n g e c o n f e r e n c e i n Pa r i s a n d t h e r e s u l t i n g a g r e e m e n t s i g n e d b y 1 7 5 c o u n t r i e s , t h e 3 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y o f t h e C h e r n o b y l n u c l e a r d i s a st e r i n U k r a i n e a n d t h e f i f t h a n n i v e r s a r y o f t h e F u k u s h i m a d i s a s t e r, n u c l e a r p r o l i f e r a t i o n a n d t e r r o r i s m , ” s h e s a i d K a m m e n s t r e s s e d t h e u r g e n c y o f c l i m a t e c h a n g e a n d t h e c h a ll e n g e s i t h a s c r e a t e d “ I t h i n k i f y o u l o o k a t t h e b i g g e s t c h a l l e n g e s w e f a c e t o d a y, c l i m a t e
n i f i c a n t l y r e d u c e c a r b o n e m i s s i o n s g l o b a l l y, p a rt i c u l a r l y c o ns i d e r i n g i t s u t i l i z a t i o n i n E u r o p e a n c o u n t r i e s “ A f t e r l o o k i n g a t t h e e v i d e n c e , i t h a s c o nv i n c e d m e t h a t n u c l e a r p o w e r i s i n d e e d e s s e n t i a l i f w e w a n t t o a d d r e s s c l im a t e c h a n g e s e r i o u s l y, ”
h e s a i d C o n s i d e r i n g t h e r e l at i v e l y s m a l l w i n d o w o f t i m e l e f t t o a d d r e s s c l im a t e c h a n g e , K a m m e n a g r e e d t h a t n u c l e a r p o w e r c o u l d d r a m a t i c a ll y a s s i s t i n s o l v i n g t h i s g l o b a l i s s u e “ I f n u c l e a r c o u l d d e l i v e r e v e r y t h i n g t h a t i t s s t r o n g e s t p r o p o n e n t s b e l i e v e t h a t i t c a n , t e c hn i c a l l y, e c o n o m i c a l l y a n d r i s k - w i s e , t h e r e i s n o q u e s t i o n t h a t i t s h o u l d b e p a r t o f t h a t c o n v e r s at i o n , ” h e s a i d Un l i k e Mu r a n e n , d u e t o t h e r i s k s i n v o l v e d i n i n t e g r a t i n g n u c l e a r p o w e r, K a m m e n s a i d h e i s h e s i t a n t t o a r g u e t h a t n u c l e a r e n e r g y i s t h e s o l u t i o n a b o v e o t h e r e n e r g y s o u r c e s , s u c h a s g e o t h e r m a l a n d o c e a n e n e r g y “ Fo c u s i n g p r i m a r i l y o n n u c l e a r [ e n e r g y ] , t h e r i s k o f t h e t e c h n o l o g y, t h e c o s t o f t h e t e c h n o l og y, a n d t h e d e g r e e t o w h i c h i t c a n b e i n t e g r a te d i n t o a s y s t e m t h a t
g i v e s u s a l i v a b l e p l a n e t n o t j u s t o n e t h a t h a s e n o u g h e n e r g y s o u r c e s i n t h e o r y i s w h a t w e n e e d t o g e t t o , ” h e s a i d “ W h e n y o u l o o k a t t h o s e i t e m s t o g e t h e r, i t b e c o m e s a m u c h h a rd e r s t o r y t o b e a s o p t i m i s t i c a s I w o
ANNA DELWICHE Sun Staff Writer Powering through | Panelists discuss the urgency of climate change and debate
solution in Klarman Hall on Tuesday
cated to Gannett from her health fee is not being allocated pr udently
“A lot of money goes to health facilities which I’m going to be per fectly honest are absolutely atrocious,” she said “I fell last semester on a Saturday night and I fractured my hand and Gannett wasn ’ t open on Sunday It wasn ’ t available for help I was basically told I could either go
or wait and hope it got better ”
’
Matt Harkins
Reed a moment later, asking him
Student
ism,” he said
However, Harkins pressed Reed fur ther, questioning his gullibility in believing that funds would have been used to suppor t a radical group
“Did you honestly think that they were going to star t an ISIS club and fund it with Cornell m
Yo
believed that?”
Alexander Andrievsky ’17 chimed in to agree with Harkins, emphasizing his belief that Reed’s visit to Cornell felt disingenuous
“I feel suspicious ... that you care about reducing the cost of college for us when a year ago you wanted to eliminate subsidies for us.”
Cornell and threatened to pull government fund-
“d
d video” suggested that an “ISIS club” could potentially form at Cornell
“I understand the demographics of this district,” Harkins said “I feel that it’s disingenuous in a lot of ways and I feel suspicious of you coming here and telling us that you care about reducing the cost of college for us when a year ago you wanted to eliminate subsidies for us ”
Reed responded by calling his concerns at the time legitimate and stressing that an extreme group would have posed a threat to campus
“Obviously we had a great concern about the potential group that would be coming to campus that would espouse that kind of radical extrem-
“ The Cornell I S
was jingoism at
[Reed is] pander-
year ago, ” he said after the event
Reed was also asked to explain his endorsement of Donald Tr ump for president, with students asking for clarification about Tr ump ’ s vie ws are on college cost Reed responded by saying that although Tr ump has been silent on the issue, the congressman hopes that the issue will soon become a priority for Tr ump
“ This is something he’s been relatively quiet on and so we ’ re tr ying to use our endorsement and our position in a positive way to weigh in with their campaign and say this is something you should be rolling up our sleeves with and really become a par t of,” Reed said
com
Reservations About Trump Candidacy
“ T h i s i s a m a n I h a v e a l o t o f r e s p e c t f o r, ” Z h u s a i d
s o f a G O P n o m i n a t i o n t h a t i s n o t D o n a l d Tr u m p a n d i t h a s m a d e Tr u m p ’ s n o m i n a t i o n a c h i l l i n g re a l i t y ” Z h u s a i d h e f i n d s i t “ e e r i e ” t h a t C r u z d r o p p e d o u t o f t h e r a c e s o a b r u p t l y
“ S i n c e h i s h i g h s c h o o l d a y s , h e p l a n n e d o u t a j o u r n e y f o r h i m s e l f A j o u r n e y t h a t h e h a s f o l l o w e d t h r o u g h w i t h e x c e l l e n c e u n t i l n o w No w h e r e e l s e c a n y o u s e e a y o u n g h i g h s c h o o l s t u d e n t e x p r e s s i n g c o n f i d e n c e t h a t h e w i l l g o t o Pr i n c e t o n , b e c o m e a s e n a t o r o f a s t a t e a n d u l t im a t e l y g o o n t o b e c o m e Pr e s i d e n t ” C o r n s a i d s h e b e l i e v e s a
Tr u m p n o m i n a t i o n w o u l d l e a d t o Fo r m e r Se c re t a r y o f
St a t e Hi l l a r y C l i n t o n ’ s a s c e ns i o n t o t h e p re s i d e n c y “ W h a t t h i s u n f o r t u n a t e l y m e a n s i s a Hi l l a r y C l i n t o n p r e s i d e n c y, b e c a u s e a l a r g e p a r t o f t h e Un i t e d S t a t e s g re a t l y d i s l i k e s Hi l l a r y, b u t a n e v e n l a r g e r n u m b e r a b h o r s Tr u m p
Celebrities Attend Fashion Show in Cuba
HAVANA (AP) Wealthy fashionistas and celebrities from a ro u n d t h e w o r l d f l o c k e d beneath klieg lights Wednesday night on a grand Havana colonial avenue transformed into a private runway for French fashion house Chanel
With hundreds of security agents holding ordinary Cubans behind police lines blocks away, actors Tilda Swinton and Vin
Di
Gi s
l e Bundchen and Cuban music
stars Gente de Zona and Omara
Po
clothes that seemed inspired by the Art Deco elegance of prerevolutionary Cuba
With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by
a
n under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016-2017 “cruise” line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth
The fashion show was the most extreme manifestation to date of the hot new status Cuba has assumed in the international art and cultural scene since the December 2014 declaration of detente with the United States
President Barack Obama visi t e d i n Ma rc h , t h e Ro l l i n g
Stones performed in Havana the same week, the first U S cruise in nearly four decades docked Monday and the latest install-
ment of the multibillion-dollar “Fast and Furious” action movie franchise is filming here now
Many Cubans say they are delighted their countr y is opening itself to the world, offering o rd i n a r y p e o p l e a f i r s t h a n d look at celebrities and extravagant productions But the rampant display of wealth on the streets of Havana is providing fodder for many already disenchanted by Cuba's failure to deliver on promises of socialist equality
Mabel Fernandez, a radio announcer, arrived four hours before the start of the show eager to give her 14-year-old daughter a taste of a world of international fashion that the girl had only seen on television and in movies
“We need this type of novel event so people can know more of culture,” she said
But as police swarmed the area in the hours before the show, virtually all residents of the capital were swept behind yellow barricades and unbroken lines of uniformed and plainclothes police at least a block away Re
model, stood with a group of friends similarly trying to make
watched as rich foreigners with invitations arrived at the event
American sedans
“It’s a shame they don't let us pass, ” she said
President Obama Plans to Designate Stonewall National Movement
WASHINGTON (AP)
President Barack Obama is preparing to designate the Stonewall Inn in New York the first national monument dedicated to gay rights
That’s according to two individuals familiar with the Obama administration’s plans
The individuals weren ’ t authorized to discuss the plans publicly and requested anonymity
The tavern in Greenwich Village was the site of a 1969 uprising widely viewed as the start
of the gay rights movement Proposals being considered would cover a small park on the street where the bar is located and the surrounding area
The Interior Department says Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and the head of the National Park Service will travel to New York for a public meeting on the proposals Monday
The Washington Post first reported the meeting
The White House declined to comment
Small Plane Breaks Up Midflight, Killing Three
SYOSSET, N Y (AP)
Officials say three people are dead after a small plane broke up midflight, scattering debris across a residential Long Island neighborhood
National Transportation Safety Board investigator Robert Gretz says the pilot of the Beech BE-35 aircraft reported an issue with his instrument panel before the plane went down in Syosset Tuesday afternoon
Gretz says two men and a
Sen. Ted Cruz Suspends Campaign After Indiana Defeat In Republican Primary; Sanders Wins for Democrats
e s i
woman on board were killed He says investigators are still collect-
debris field stretches about two miles
The Federal Aviation Administration says the plane took off from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and was headed to Robertson Field, an airport in Plainville, Connecticut
Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the aircraft to break up
In d i a n a De m o c r a t i c p r i m a r y by
5 2 5 t o 4 7 5 p e rc e n t , a n d t h e reby n e t t e d a b o u t a h a l f - d o ze n m o r e d e l e g a t e s t h a n H i l l a r y C l i n t o n Bu t i n t e r m s o f t h e d e l e g a t e m a t h , h i s p a t h t o t h e De m o c r a t i c n o m i n a t i o n h a s n ’ t g o t t e n a n y e a s i e r C l i n t o n i s n ow 9 2 p e rc e n t o f t h e w a y t o c l i n c h i n g t h e
n e , c l i n g i n g t o t h e p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t Tr u m p w o u l d f a l l s h o r t o f t h e 1 , 2 3 7 d e l e g a t e s h e n e e d s a n d t h e r a c e w o u l d g o t o a c o nt e s t e d c o n ve n t i o n Tr u m p n ow f a c e s p re s s u re t o u n i t e a Re p u b l i c a n Pa r t y t h a t h a s b e e n ro i l e d by h i s c a n d i d ac y Bu t w h e t h e r h e c a n a c c o mp l i s h t h a t re m a i n s d e e p l y u n c e rt a i n B e r n i e S a n d e r s w o n t h e
De m o c r a t i c n o m i n a t i o n Wi t h 8 3 In d i a n a d e l e g a t e s a t s t a k e , Sa n d
STUDENT MEMBER S OF
ht tp://data .ar t s .cornell.edu/elec/
On-line Elec tion Dates: Tuesday, M ay 10 and Wednesday, M ay 11
I’m happy to have seen some remembrance of the life of Father Daniel Berrigan in Tuesday’s Sun I am disappointed, however, that aside from a few references to historical events of public record, The Sun seems not to have researched its own archives for a more substantial account of Dan’s time at Cornell Writing as someone who was here at the time and there are many besides me still in Ithaca I can say that his example as man of conscience, poet and priest had a major influence on my education and life I can only hope that today’s students encounter such great souls on their own journeys Pe ter Fo rtu n ato, A rts an d S cie n c e s ’7 2
Philip Susser | An Ithaca State of Mind
La s t T h u r s d a y c o u l d h a v e b e e n a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l h o l i d a y I ’d h a v e
c a l l e d i t To r o n t o a p p r e c i a t i o n
d a y, b u t t h a t w o u l d n ’ t g i v e j u s t i c e t o
t h e m a n w h o h e l p e d c r a f t a s o u n d t h a t
r e v o l u t i o n i z e d h i p - h o p A l l d a y, m i l -
l i o n s o f l i s t e n e r s e a g e r l y w a i t e d f o r
w h a t w o u l d s u r e l y b e a n a l b u m w i t h n o
s h o r t a g e o f C a n a d i a n i n f l u e n c e d s u m -
m e r b a n g e r s D r a k e h a d b e e n w o r k i n g
o n a n d p r o m o t i n g h i s f o u r t h s t u d i o
a l b u m V i e w s f o r y e a r s ; t h e p u b l i c a n t i c -
i p a t i o n m a t c h e d t h e h y p e B u t w h e n
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c l o c k r o l l e d a r o u n d a n d I s a t
d o w n f o r m y f i r s t e v e r “ l i s t e n i n g
p a r t y, ” I c o u l d n ’ t h e l p b u t f e e l s h o r t e d
B e l i e v e m e , I t r i e d t o l i k e i t ; b y t h e t i m e “ Hy p e ” r o l l e d a r o u n d , I t h o u g h t
A u b r e y w a s r e s u s c it a t i n g t h e a l b u m , i n j e c t i n g l i f e i n t o t h e s u c c e e d i n g
t r a c k s T h e r e w a s n o s u c c e s s T h e s o n g s w e r e s o f t a n d i n t r o s p e c t i v e Mo r e
Ta k e C a r e t h a n N o t h i n g Wa s T h e S a m e I w e n t i n t o t h e n i g h t e x p e c t i n g a p r e g a m e a l b u m
b u t a l l I g o t w e r e l a z y l u l l a b i e s f o r a f t e r - h o u r s I f t h e r e ’ s a n y s i lv e r l i n i n g , t h e a l b u m i n c i t e d a r e f l e c t i o n u p o n t h e
o r i g i n s o f m y
D r a k e f a n h o o d Mu
c h o f D r a k e ’ s a s c e n d e n c y a l i g n e d w i t h m y c o l l e g e y e a r s W h i l e h e w a s u n d e n i a b l y a k n o w n e n t i t y a s I m o v e d i n t o D o n l o n a n d b e g a n m y C o r n e l l e x p e r i e n c e , h e w o u l d r i s e t o s u p e rs t a r d o m d u r i n g m y y e a r s i n It h a c a , a l l t h e w h i l e g r a c i n g m y c l a s s m a t e s a n d m e w i t h a s o u n d t r a c k t o c o l l e g e It ’ s c r a z y h o w m u s i c c a n b e a t i m e m a c h i n e , t r a n s p o r t i n g y o u t o p l a c e s l o n g f o r g o t t e n E a c h o f h i s s o n g s j a r r e d m y m e m o r y, t h e n o n - d i e g e t i c
s o u n d t o a n i n t e r n a l m o n t a g e o f e x p er i e n c e s N e r v o u s l y w a l k i n g t o
C o l l e g e t o w n d u r i n g o r i e n t a t i o n w e e k
f o r t h e m a n y n o n - s a n c t i o n e d p a r t i e s “ T h e Mo t t o ” S a u n t e r i n g p a s t t h e r o w o f s o r o r i t y g i r l s o n e l l i p t i c a l s a t
N e w m a n “ S t a r t e d f r o m t h e
B o t t o m ” St u d y i n g f o r p r e l i m s i n t h e s t a c k s “ 0 t o 1 0 0 ” D r i v i n g t o
C h i p o t l e f o r d i n n e r, b u t s e t t l i n g f o r Mo e ’ s “ B a c k t o B a c k ”
D r a k e ’ s b r a v a d o m a t c h e s t h e i n t e ns i t y o f l i f e a t C o r n e l l T h i n g s m o v e q u i c k l y h e r e I n t h e b l i n k o f a n e y e , y o u f i n d y o u r s e l f a s e n i o r, t h i n k i n g a b o u t w h e r e t h e t i m e w e n t Yo u t a k e s t o c k o f w h a t y o u ’ v e g a i n e d h e r e , a n d h o w y o u ’ v e m a t u r e d h o p e f u l l y o v e r t h e p a s t f o u r y e a r s Yo u k n o w y o u ’ r e n o t t h e s a m e 1 8 y e a r o l d t h a t s e t t l e d i n t o No r t h C a m p u s f o u r y e a r s a g o B u t i t ’ s h a r d t o p i n p o i n t p r e c i s e t r a n s f o r m a t i v e m o m e n t s a s b e i n g d e f i n i t i v e l y i n f l u e n t i a l Su r e , a d e c is i o n t o j o i n a c l u b o r t e a m c o u l d h a v e b e e n p i v o t a l , b u t w a s t h a t r e a l l y i t ? I t e n d t o t h i n k t h a t m i c r om o m e n t s , w h e r e y o u a r e p u t o u t o f y o u r c o m f o r t z o n e a n d f o r c e d t o a d a p t , c h a n g e y o u f o r t h e b e t t e r Mo s t o f t e n , y o u d o n ’ t c o n s c i o u s l y t h i n k a b o u t t h e i r i n f l u e n c e A n d t h e y v a r y i n s c a l e , f r o m p r e p a r i n g t o p r e s e n t r e s e a r c h i n f r o n t o f a n a u d i t o r i u m o f l i s t e n e r s , t o q u e s t i o n i n g t h e c h o i c e o f s o m e o n e i n a p o s i t i o n o f a u t h o r i t y Mu s i c h a s t h e s p e c i a l c a p a b i l i t y t o r e k i n d l e t h o s e d i s t i n c t v i s c e r a l f e e li n g s d u r i n
t o w a r d s t h e d e s e r t o r a n g e c a n y o n s , I t h o u g h t a b o u t p o t e n t i a l m a t e r i a l I w a s r e l at i v e l y a p o l i t i c a l I w a s n ’ t t h e g u y w i t h a n a i r h o r n o u t s i d e D a y H a l l d e m a n di n g f o r d i v e s t m e n t W h a t w a s I d o i n g w i t h a c o l u m n ? B u t I e n j o y e d w r i t i n g A n d I r e a li z e d t h a t , j u s t b y v i r t u e o f b e i n g a s t ud e n t h e r e , I h a d e n o u g h t o w o r k w i t h A n d s o , t w o y e a r s l a t e r, I r e a l i z e h o w s p e c i a l i t ’ s b e e n Ev e n i f i t w a s o n l y a p r o u d t e x t We d n e s d a y m o r n i n g f r o m m y p a r e n t s a n d g r a n d p a r e n t s , o r a n o c c a s i o n a l e m a i l f r o m a n e n t e r t a i n e d r e a d e r, i t h a s b e e n w o r t h w h i l e I ’ l l b e t h e f i r s t t o a d m i t t h a t m y s t u f f w a s n o t h a r d - h i t t i n g m a t e r i a l My i n t e nt i o n s w e r e t o c r e a t e a l i g h t h e a r t e d s p a c e s o m e t h i n g t o s c r o l l t h r o u g h w h i l e y o u ’ r e i n t h e b a t h r o o m a t No y e s , a s a f r i e n d r e c e n t l y p u t i t It w a s s o m e t h i n g I w a s a l w a y s p r o u d o f a n d c o u l d c a l l m y o w n a l l t h o s e w i s t f u l u n s o l i c i t e d p i e c e s o f s e n i o r a d v i c e a r e t r u e G e t t i n g i n v o l v e d i n s o m e t h i n g o n c a m p u s i s r e w a r d i n g ( e v e n i f y o u d o n ’ t k n o w w h e n o r h o w t h e y a r e h e l p i n g y o u g r o w a s a p e rs o n ) Yo u d o n ’ t h a v e t o b e o n e - b o a r d a n d y o u d o n ’ t h a v e t o c h a n g e t h e c a m p u s c o n v e r s a t i o n E n g a g i n g o u ts i d e o f t h e c l a s s r o o m a n d s h a r i n g s o m e t h i n g w i t h o t h
Katy Habr | On the Margin
AsWeb Studying To Stay
the semester nears its end, the inevitable question begins to echo (as if it hasn’t been repeated starting the middle of last semester) “What are you doing this summer?” is more of an evaluation than a question; there’s only really very few right answers
A source of stress for many, summer internships have become so normalized that they are seen as almost required Cornell’s competitive environment makes students feel like they need to be interning with a Fortune 500 company in the summer if they hope to amount to anything in life For international students, the stress is even worse A search through lists and databases of internship listings shows me hundreds of offers, but when I filter out listings that are for U S citizens only, the list suddenly shrinks to a handful of opportunities Difficulties in finding internships leave international students with less access to relevant experience that could help them to get a job, especially those who come from places where internships are less common
The difficulty of finding an internship is only one example of a hardship faced by international students Although we are all incredibly privileged, being an international student at Cornell offers its own complex series of obstacles that being a citizen does not While we pay the same amount (often more), it is clear that we don’t have the same opportunities as citizens do
Of the internships available to international students, the amount of paid ones is significantly smaller This is a problem not just particular to international students, but all students Unpaid internships act as a filter, only available for richer students who can afford them These unpaid internships, along with the policy of many universities (now unfortunately including Cornell) to have need-aware admission to international students, greatly restrict the amount (and type) of international students that are able to study here
These policies together restrict the admission of international students not by merit, but by income Students are not given an equal or fair chance, but are effectively discriminated against based on their wealth Need-aware
The implication of this is that only certain types of students are encouraged and able to attend American universities, and potentially qualified future employees are deterred if they are not rich enough or studying the right thing.
policies rob students of the opportunity to find independent ways to finance their education, like through outside scholarships, and therefore unfairly prioritize richer students For students that do make it to the U S , restrictive visa policies push them into certain career fields just so they can stay in the country
Students who plan to stay and work in the U S after graduation are at even more of a disadvantage, not just in the internship search process but the job search process, too Students have one year after graduation to work if they are sponsored, and must leave if they do not find work within 3 months of graduation After finding a job, employees must be sponsored by their employers for an H1-B visa These visas cost employers about $1,000 and only allow employees to stay in the country to work for an additional three years To get a job and stay in the U S , international students have to jump through a series of hoops and obstacles According to the U S department of immigration and citizenships, only 30 percent of H1-B visa applications were granted in 2015 And things do not seem to be getting better: Both Republican presidential candidates, Sen Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Donald Trump, advocate for the halting of H1-B visas and increased restriction of immigration and work visas, and the job market remains stagnant
Some groups of international students have it somewhat better than the rest: STEM students and business students New policies have recently been implemented in order to help STEM majors extend on the job training for three years as part of a new visa program, and most companies willing to sponsor international students are large corporate ones, often in banking and finance International students are seen primarily as doctors, businessmen and women and engineers, and are rewarded for being so, but our contribution to the social sciences and humanities remain much less valued
The implication of this is that only certain types of students are encouraged and able to attend American universities, and potentially qualified future employees are deterred if they are not rich enough or studying the right thing These policies remove voices and different perspectives from disciplines that could benefit from them, and discount the importance of having foreign voices in humanities, social sciences
The American higher education and visa system funnels students into STEM and on to Wall Street, not because students are interested in these fields, but because these jobs are often their only opportunity to stay in the U S and to make it worth paying the exorbitant costs It is unfortunate that students have to give up what they love in exchange for a visa, especially at Cornell, whose founding motto is “ any person, any study ” For international students, who need to choose a certain major and have a certain amount of income to be able to attend, neither part of this motto rings true
Comm en t of the day
“Anyone who followed the disgraceful situation at the University of Missouri last year when the president was a businessman with no academic experience could see what that led to Looks like it’s time ... to reconsider the composition of this search committee!”
David Moriah, B S 1972
Re: “LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Presidential Search Committee Needs to Represent Broader Interests” Opinion May 1, 2016
Writing With Emotion
Ove r t h e c o u r s e o f t h e
p a s t y e a r, I h a v e h e a rd s e ve r a l p e o p l e
s a y t h a t t h e y t h o u g h t m y
c o l u m n s w e re “ a n g r y ” a n d
w o n d e re d w h y I n e ve r w ro t e
a b o u t a n y t h i n g “ h a p p y ” I
h a v e n e v e r r e a l l y t a k e n o f f e n s e d e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t t h e c o m m e n t s we re m e a n t t o
b e a c r i t i q u e o f m y w r i t i n g a n d t h e a p p ro a c h I t y p i c a l l y t a k e It h a s t a k e n m e ye a r s , b u t I h a ve l e a r n e d n o t t o l i s -
t e n t o w h a t o t h e r s w a n t t o s e e f ro m m e a n d i n s t e a d s o l e -
l y f o c u s o n w h a t I w i s h t o s e e f ro m m y s e l f It’s n o t t h a t I d o n ’ t t a k e s u g g e s t i o n s , i t ’ s j u s t t h a t t h e re a re s o m e t h a t I d o n ’ t f i n d n e c e s s a r y t o l i s t e n t o e s p e c i a l l y w h e n i t h a s t o d e a l w i t h t h e a m o u n t o f “ a n g e r ” i n m y p i e c e s T h e re a l it y i s t h a t t h e re i s a l o t i n t h e w o r l d t o b e a n g r y a b o u t T h i s i s n ’ t n e c e s -
s a r i l y t o s a y t h a t I a m
a l w a y s a n g r y, b u t w h e n I ’ m p rov i d e d a p l a tf o r m i n w h i c h t o s p e a k f re e l y, I a m o bv i o u s l y g o i n g t o vo i c e m y c r i t i c i s m s i n t h e h o p e s t h a t i t c a n h e l p m a k e s o m e o n e c o n s i d e r a n e w p e r s p e c t i ve I f i n d i t d i f f i c u l t n o t t o b e a n g r y w h e n p e o p l e a re c o ns t a n t l y f a c i n g d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a n d o p p re s s i o n , e s p e c i a l l y a s s o m e o n e w i t h m a r g i n a l i z e d i d e n t i t i e s T h e y s h a p e t h e w a y I v i e w t h e w o r l d b e c a u s e t h e y a re n ’ t s o m e t h i n g I c a n s i m p l y t a k e o f f I u s e m y i d e n t i t i e s a s a l e n s b e c a u s e t h e re i s n o s e pa r a t i o n I p ro c e s s e ve r y t h i n g o f t e n t h ro u g h m y ow n e m ot i o n s T h i s a f f e c t s t h e w a y I e x p r e s s c r i t i c i s m A n d I
c h o o s e t o v o c a l i z e o f t e n t h r o u g h m y o w n e m o t i o n s a l o n g w i t h a c r i t i q u e o f w h a t -
k e a r t , l i k e w r i t i n g , t h re a t e n i n g T h e re
c
s e I vo c
I’m not angry just to be angry, I’m angry be there are people who are continuously bein hurt by oppression every day That’s a valid way to feel and share my opinion Not everything is happy and simplistic, as my cynicism would agree
i ze a l o t o f m y c r i t i c i s m , m y w r i t i n g i s a n g r y a n d p re d a t o r y I u n d e r s t a n d h ow i t c a n b e s e e n t h a t w a y, b u t I ’d l i k e t o i m a g i n e t h a t e v e r y t h i n g I w r i t e c o m e s f ro m a p l a c e o f c a r i n g I ’ m n o t a n g r y j u s t t o b e a n g r y, I ’ m a n g r y b e c a u s e t h e re a re p e o p l e w h o a re c o n t i n u o u s l y b e i n g h u r t b y o p p r e s s i o n e ve r y d a y T h a t ’ s a va l i d w a y t o f e e l a n d s h a re m y o p i n i o n No t e ve
e ve r I ’ m t a l k i n g a b o u t T h e p h r a s e “ t h e p e r s o n a l i s p o l i t ic a l ” o f t e n c o m e s t o m i n d b e c a u s e I c a n n o t d e t a c h m y s e l f f r o m p o l i t i c a l i d e a s , n o r s h o u l d I re a l l y b e e x p e c te d t o T h e r e f o r e , I d o n ’ t r e a l l y d ow n p l a y h ow I f e e l , e s p e c i a ll y s i n c e t h e s e a r e o p i n i o n p i e c e s I c a n l i s t o f f f a c t s f o r m y a r g u m e n t , a n d I d o , b u t u l t i m a t e l y I a l s o w r i t e h ow I f e e l a b o u t e v e r y t h i n g Em o t i o n s a re o f t e n i n va l i d a te d b e c a u s e f o r s o m e re a s o n t h e y a re n ’ t s e e n a s a p p ro p r i a t e o r re l e va n t t o t h e p o i n t s o m eo n e i s t r y i n g t o m a k e T h a t k i n d o f m e n t a l i t y i s n o t o n l y w ro n g , b u t s t i f l i n g We a re t a u g h t t h a t t h e re i s a c o r re c t w a y t o w r i t e , o f t e n i n vo l v i n g t h e u s e o f f a c t s a n d a r g u m e n t s w i t h o u t p e r s o n a l i n p u t Go o d w r i t i n g i s b e l i e ve d t o b e s o m et h i n g t h a t s t i m u l a t e s u s i n t e ll e c t u a l l y, b u t t h a t o n l y d e m o n s t r a t e s t h e d i c h o t o m y b e t we e n t h e o r y a n d p r a c t i c e T h e r e i s n o r o o m f o r t h e i n p u t o f e m o t i o n s b e c a u s e t h e y a r e n ’ t r e a l l y v a l u e d T h e o r y c a n g o a l o n g w i t h a c a d e m i a a n d re s p e c t a b i l i t y i f o n e f a i l s t o a c t o n i t Pr a c t i c e m e a n s c o n s t a n t l y t r y i n g t o u n d e r s t a n d d i f f e re n t p e r s p e ct i ve s a n d re m e m b e r t h a t t h e re a re p e o p l e t h a t t h e s e c o n c e p t s a f f e c t Se p a r a t i n g i d e o l o g i e s a n d s y s t e m s f r o m p e o p l e m e a n s t h a t t h e s y s t e m s t i l l w i n s T h e f o c u s o n t h e c o n c e p t u a l s e r ve s a m e t h o d t o c o n t i n u o u s l y d e h u m a n i ze a n d d i s e m p owe r p e o p l e It i s s o e a s y t o re a d a n d c re a t e p o l i c i e s a n d t a k e t h e m a t f a c e va l u e , w i t h o u t c o n s i d e r a t i o n f o r t h o s e t h e y m a y a f f e c t Em o t i o n s a re a s t ro n g re m i n d e r t h a t we a re h u m a n a n d a r e t h e r e f o r e e x t re m e l y p owe r f u l T h e w a y t h a t p e o p l e a r e a b l e t o e m p a t h i ze w i
Sarah Zumba | Zumba Works It Out
SCIENCE
s o f t ro b ot i c s
C o r n e l l R e s e a r c h e r s C r e a t e N e w M a t e r i a l C a p a b l e o f S h i f t i n g S t a t e s
M a t e r i a l c a n c h a n g e s h a p e a n d
By ARNAV GHOSH
Sun Contributor
Fo r a l l t h e d i s c u s s i o n s u r ro u n d i n g a r t i f i c i a l i n t e l -
l i g e n c e a n d ro b o t s re c e n t l y, t h e s t i f f, d u l l m e t a l e x t e -
r i o r o f ro b o t s h a s o n l y re c e n t l y b e g u n t o e vo l ve
W h i l e h u m a n - l i k e ro b o t s , w i t h s i l i c o n s k i n , c a n s i m -
u l a t e e m o t i o n s b u t ro b o t s w i t h t h e s h a p e - s h i f t i n g a b i l i t y o f t h e Tr a n s f o r m e r s h a ve ye t t o h i t t h e m a r -
k e t Howe ve r, Pro f Ro b e r t Sh e p h e rd , m e c h a n i c a l
a n d a e ro s p a c e e n g i n e e r i n g , i s d e ve l o p i n g a m a t e r i a l
t h a t c o u l d s o o n b r i n g t h a t t o re a l i t y
Sh e p h e rd a n d h i s t e a m a t Or g a n i c Ro b o t i c s L a b i s w o rk i n g o n a m e t a l - r u b b e r c o m p o s i t e by h a r n e s si n g t h e s t re n g t h o f a m e t a l l i c a l l oy a n d t h e f l e x i b i l i t y o f a s o f t s i l i c o n e f o a m T h e m a t e r i a l c a n w i t h s t a n di n g h e a v y l o a d s o r d e f o r m u n d e r t h e m u p o n c o mm a n d T h e o n l y re q u i re m e n t f o r s w i t c h i n g b e t we e n
t h e s e p ro p e r t i e s i s a c h a n g e i n t e m p e r a t u re
A m e t a l s a l t a n d u n c u re d s i l i c o n e a r u b b e r l i k e s u b s t a n c e w i t h a d h e s i ve p ro p e r t i e s a re u s e d t o s y n t h e s i ze t h e m a t e r i a l T h e t w o i n g re d i e n t s a re
p o u re d i n t o a m o l d , p l a c e d i n a w a t e r - b a t h a n d t h e n a va c u u m c h a m b e r T h e f i n a l s t e p e n s u re s t h a t t h e a i r i n t h e s i l i c o n e f o a m ’ s t w o m i l l i m e t re p o re s i s re p l a c e d w i t h t h e m e t a l , f o r m i n g t h e c o m p o s i t e
T h e t e a m p u b l i s h e d t h e i r f i n d i n g s i n t h e Ap r i l
1 3 t h i s s u e o f Ad va n c e d Ma t e r i a l s “ We’ve b a s i c a l l y m a d e a r u b b e r s p o n g e a n d i n f i l -
t r a t e d t h a t s p o n g e w i t h m o l t e n m e t a l , w h i c h w h e n
c o o l e d g i ve s yo u a m e t
“We’ve basically made a rubber sponge and infiltrated that sponge with molten metal, which when cooled gives you a metal foam intertwined with rubber foam.”
n y
c r a c k s t h a t m a y h a ve f o r m e d , s u c h t h a t , t h e c o m p o si t e “ s e l f - h e a l s ” Me e r b e e k i s o p t i m i s t i c a b o u t t h e m a t e r i a l’s f u t u re a n d h e d i d n o t r u l e o u t t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f m a s s - p ro -
d u c i n g s u c h m a t e r i a l s i n t h e n e a r f u t u re “ T h e o n l y l i m i t i n g f a c t o r i s h ow b i g a m o u l d a n d va c u u m c h a m b e r yo u c a n m a k e , ” Me e r b e e k s a i d
On l y a h a n d f u l o f o t h e r s u c h m a t e r i a l s h a ve b e e n d e ve l o p e d “ [ Si m i l a r m a t e r i a l s ] t y p i c a l l y h a ve c h a n n e l s t h a t a re f i l l e d w i t h t h e m e t a l , s o yo u g e t a t w o d i m e ns i o n a l s t r u c t u re a n d w h a t we h a ve i s t h re e d i m e ns i o n a l , w i d e n i n g t h e p o s s i b l e a p p l i c a t i o n s , ”
Me e r b e e k s a i d T h e c r a c k s t h a t d e ve l o p i n t h i s t h re e d i m e n s i o n a l s t r u c t u re d o e s n o t p ro p a g a t e t o o f a r Howe ve r, i n s i m p l e t w o d i m e n s i o n a l s t r u c t u re s , a n e n t i re c h a n n e l i s c o m p ro m i s e d by a t i n y c r a c k , we a k e n i n g t h e ove ra l l s t r u c t u re “ T h e re a s o n we w o rk o n t h i s i s t h a t t r a d i t i o n a l ro b o t s t e n d t o b e e i t h e r ve r y c o m p l i c a t e d i n d e s i g n a n d h a ve h i g h f u n c t i o n a l i t y o r ve r y s i m p l e a n d h a ve l i m i t e d f u n c t i o n a l i t y, ” Me e r b e e k s a i d “ We’re t r y i n g t o b r i d g e t h a t g a p by m a k i n g s o f t m a t e r i a l d e v i c e s ” B e s i d e s i t s s h e e r s c i e n c e f i c t i o n l i k e a p p e a l , Me e r b e e k a s s e r t s t h a t t h e m a t e r i a l h a s m u l t i p l e a p p l i c a t i o n s T h e U S A i r Fo rc e , w h i c h p a r t i a l l y f u n d e d t h i s p ro j e c t t h ro u g h i t s Yo u n g In ve s t i g a t o r Re s e a rc h Pro g r a m , i s i n t e re s t e d i n t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f c re a t i n g w i n g s t h a t c a n a l t e r t h e i r s t r u c t u re m i df l i g h t u s i n g s u c h m a t e r i a l s “ Mo r p h i n g t h e w i n g w o u l d re q u i re c h a n g i n g i t s s h a p e re a l l y q u i c k l y, ” Me e r b e e k s a i d Ot h e r d e v i c e s w o u l d u s e t h e f l e x i b i l i t y t h a t i t a f f o rd s t o s q u e e ze t h ro u g h t i g h t s p a c e s a n d t h e n b e c o m e r i g i d a s n e c e s s a r y “ So f t m a t e r i a l d e v i c e s w o u l d b e a b l e t o t r a ve r s e r u b b l e f i l l e d a re a s , o f t e n a re s u l t o f e a r t h q u a k e s , b u t t h e n b e c o m e r i g i d t o p e r f o r m va r i o u s t a s k s , p e r h a p s s u p p o r t i n g c r u m b l i n g s t r u c t u re s , ” Me e r b e e k s a i d A l t h o u g h t h e p o s s i b i l i t i e s a re e n t i c i n g , Me e r b e e k i n s i s t s t h a t t h e re a re s t i l l h u rd l e s t o ove rc o m e “ It w i t h s t a n d s a d e c e n t l o a d b u t t h e m e t a l p a r t b re a k s a t a re l a t i ve l y l ow f o rc e c o m p a re d t o o t h e r m e t a l s , ” Me e r b e e k s a i d In f a c t , t h e t e a m h o p e s t o e x p l o re o t h e r m a n u f a ct u r i n g t e c h n i q u e s , 3 - D p r i n t i n g a m o n g t h e m , t o s t re n g t h e n t h e i n t e r n a l s t r u c t u re o f t h e c o m p o s i t e “ T h e re ’ s a l s o t h e i s s u e o f h ow t o q u i c k l y h e a t t h e m a t e r i a l w h i l e i t ’ s i n a d e v i c e , ” Me e r b e e k s a i d “ Bu t I d o n ’ t t h i n k t h e s e a re i n s u r m o u n t a b l e p ro b l e m s ” T h o u g h s t i l l i n i t s n a s c e n t s t a g e s , Me e r b e e k u n d e r l i n e d t h e i m p o
Sweet and Suspenseful Sci-Fi
BY MARK DISTEFANO Sun Staff Writer
Contrary to its title, which sounds like a menu item from a 24-hour restaurant, Midnight Special has to do with aliens, supernatural powers and fatherly love rather than featured desserts or entrées What should catch your eye about this baby is that it is directed by Jeff Nichols, the Arkansasbased filmmaker who is one of the foremost emerging voices in American independent cinema In the past few years, he has directed Mud, Take Shelter and Shotgun Stories, quite an impressive roster Midnight Special is his first studio film, and Nichols avoids the curse of the big budget by keeping his story firmly attuned to character, spending only peanuts where studio money is concerned ($18 million) and relying on his trusty Michael Shannon, a collaborator in all of his previous films There’s a dramatic tendency for successful independent filmmakers to go SFX crazy when they have bigger tools in their toolbox, but Nichols proves that no
m a t t e r h ow many toys he has at his dis-
ing of the fun-
intact
T h i s i s d
m o n s t r a t e d when Nichols opens the film in media res, a technique that may have some viewers running to catch up, but one that I greatly appreciate I’d much rather have to play catchup than be spoon-fed exposition from the start There’s an immediate lingering aura of suspense as Nichols brings to our attention a Branch
Davidian-like cult led by Sam Shepard, who are seeking out a young child whom they believe to be a messiah The child in question, eight-year-old Alton (the extraordinary Jaeden Lieberher), is the son of Roy (Michael Shannon) and Sarah Tomlin (Kirsten Dunst), two former members of the cult who are fleeing with Alton, aided by Roy’s old friend Lucas ( Joel Edgerton) Meanwhile, an FBI agent (Adam Driver) inter views members of the cult while growing sympathetic towards Alton and his family Why do the FBI and the cult have such a vested interest in Alton? He’s an otherworldly child with supernatural abilities Once the little boy takes his goggles off and puts his comics down, he can spout rays of light from his eyes as powerful as those of the sun He can trigger explosions and meteorite showers and is making contact with his alien brethren who are on their way to fetch him He’s also possessed of an uncommon calm and wisdom that Lieberher articu-
Goodnight Mommy
Directed by Jeff Nichols
He
y
Thomas as Elliott from E T While we ’ re on the subject of Spielberg, though the film has many influ-
C
n d Frankenheimer to name a few the most easily identifiable is Close Encounters But look closer and you’ll see traces of the Spielbergp ro d u c e d Po l t e r g e i s t a n d A I
Artificial Intelligence Here Nichols blends his southern comfort-style storytelling with tropes of one of the most famous cinematic bards, known for his sense of awe and warm-heartedness Both are present on screen
There’s a little bit of corniness at the end as the film
Starring Jaeden
Lieberher, Michael
Shannon, Kirsten Dunst
BY PEGAH MORADI Sun Contributor
Oh, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt I don’t know how to quite put this, so I’m just going to say it:
I think we should break up
It’s not you, it’s me But, like, it’s also totally you When I binged your first season last year, I fell hopelessly in love I was in shambles still recovering from the end of 30 Rock and you were the chipper, witty piece of comedy that I so deeply longed for, the one that pulled me from rock bottom, the one that made me think that the oxymoron of sardonic authenticity found in the great television age of yore (i e like, 2007) wasn ’ t actually over You gave me hope, Kimmy Schmidt After this season, though, I’m not so sure if I can still say the same
T h e s e c o n d s e a s o n o f Ne t f l i x ’ s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt left me in between two worlds: one was a world of delightful witticisms and sharp, brilliant humor The other was full of complete and utter crudity Crudity isn’t bad, per se; 30 Rock did it ingeniously by dealing their crudest comedy to their most morally reprehensible characters When Jenna Maroney and Tracy Jordan wore blackface and whiteface, respectively, it was certainly crude, but not distasteful The characters were such awful, illogical people that the show’s message was not acceptability of racism, but rather alarm
W h a t ’ s p u z z l i n g a b o u t Un b re a k a b l e Kimmy Schmidt, then, is that this same
approaches its sentimental climax, meant to elicit the Spielbergian wonder of a character on screen gazing deep off into the distance at an awesome sight Nichols is more apt at handling the nuances of character and pacing his narrat i ve e c o n o m i c a l l y Instead of piling on the twists and turns (although there are a few good jumps i n yo u r s e a t t h ro u g h o u
prefers to explore subtleties in perfor-
great cast Alton is kidnapped and captured by the FBI, only to be set free again shortly thereafter, and you might wonder what the point is, but with actors this good, it’s difficult to protest The film strikes its most enjoyable pitch during its first half hour or so, which plays like a tense road trip as two outlaws go on the lam with contraband that happens to be a supernatural child Any fans of Nichols’ Take Shelter will know that the director is talented at creating this sort of coiled atmosphere with only the slightest cuts, inserts and suggested ideas
The emotional core that holds everything together is the affectionate relationship between Michael Shannon’s devoted father and his unearthly son Just like how we bought into the relationship between a little boy and a pudgy alien who likes Reese’s Pieces, we buy the quasi-outlandish concept of a father protecting his boy who has the power to summon interplanetary civilizations into being “You don’t have to worry about me, ” Alton tells his father, knowing he has wisdom beyond his years “I’ll always worry about you, Alton,” says Roy “That’s the deal ” Underneath the sci-fi lies a poignant story about parental responsibility
Mark Distefano is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences He can be reached at mdistefano@cornellsun com
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s Second Season ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
brand of humor (coming from the same cocreators, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock) is done so brashly, so thoughtlessly Last season, the show received criticism for having a w h i t e w o m a n ( Ja n e K r a k ow s k i ) p l a y a Native American who left her family to make it big in New York City, and Fey famously remarked that she would not apologize and that her “ new goal is not to explain jokes ” Despite this public attempt to be blasé, an episode in which the flamb oy a n t Ti t u s A n d ro m e d o n d re s s e s a s a Japanese geisha for his one-man play seems to be the writers’ ver y non-blasé comeback to the aforementioned internet backlash The show portrays the understandably upset Asian American characters as irrational victims of the internet’s notorious mob mentality The writing suggests that they judged the one-man play without seeing it, and therefore their feelings were wrong
Of course, this is a common narrative in the contemporar y debate surrounding political correctness, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has a right to feed into that narrative But even aside from the notion that Kimmy Schmidt’ s use of yellowface feeds into a long histor y of racist and exoticized portrayals of Asian Americans, it’s just not funny Titus’s belief that he really was a geisha named Murasaki in a past life is done w
through her cute naivete is boring and hackneyed The entire plotline is lazy, vanilla and a total chore to watch Lazy comedy is a recurring pattern in the
first half of the season The season started off with multiple f
n impressions, the joke e q u i v a l
that hangs
ever y absurd line was followed by a charac-
t e r r e a c t i n g t o i t , reminding the viewer
t h a t w h a t t h e y j u s t heard was, indeed, a joke The beginning of the season was a tiny disaster, a combination of uneasy racism and half-hearted, poorly performed comedy, only barely mitigated by its finely-tuned puns and quick quips that have the viewer in stitches
But to what extent can intricate wordplay (like a constr uction worker’s convention called Con-Con) and minute references to pop culture obscurities (“Relationships are hard; I don’t know how Jackie Onassis did it twice ”) entertain an audience? What’s the point of a joke if you have to remind ever yone that you made it? Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt tries to replicate the balance that 30 Rock struck between all types of humor, but fails to do so, instead relying heavily on
K e m p e r ’ s n u a n c e d q u a s i - o p t i m i s m a n d Burgess’s skill as a performer The season, in terms of its comedy, just misses the mark and leaves something to be desired Despite the show’s disappointing come-
dy, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt somehow pulls through in its more dramatic plotlines, t a c k l i n g K i m m y ’ s
Jacqueline’s ( Jane Krakowski) superficiality,
charming and
and did
to entertain the audience than any Kim Kardashian joke ever would have
But alas, the impending transition into dramedy land just isn’t enough for me The racist jokes, the awkward timing, the lack of effort all of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ s shortcomings overshadow the show’s occasional laugh-out-loud line or its intriguing plotline So, all in all, I’ve decided it’s time to break up with you, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt It’s been a good run
Pegah Moradi is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences She can be reached at pm443@cornell edu
COURTESY OF WARNER BROS
No Home Movie at Cornell Cinema
a n d m o t h e
It’s n o t h i n g yo u h
n ’ t s e e n b e f o re T h e m ov i e , s h ow i n g a t C o r n e l l C i n e m a t h i s T h u r s d a y, b e g i n s w i t h f i ve m i n u t e s o f a t re e b l ow i n g i n t h e w i n d Fi ve m i n u t e s f o r yo u t o b e l i e ve
t h e f i l m m u s t h a ve b ro k e n Fi ve m i n u t e s f o r yo u t o g e t u p a n d l e a ve , b e i n g re m i n d e d o f a l l t h e f i n a l s yo u c o u l d , a n d m a y b e s h o u l d b e s t u d y i n g f o r Fi ve m i n u t e s T h e n , t h e c a m e r a s w i t c h e s It t u r n s t o s h o o t a n o t h e r, e ve n q u i e t e r s c e n e s h o c k i n g o n l y i n i t s c o m p a r a t i ve d e c re a s e i n i n t e re s t W h o k n e w a r u s t l i n g t re e c o u l d b e s o c a p t i va t i n g ?
A n d , a s I l o o k a g a i n a t t h e t i m e , I w o n d e r w h a t I ’ m m i s si n g n o t j u s t i n t h e s e n s e o f w h a t o t h e r a c t i v i t i e s c o u l d b e f i l l i n g m y t i m e , b u t w i t h i n t h e t h e m e , t h e p l o t a n d t h e s t o r y I h o p e t h a t m y f o l l ow i n g re v i e w m a y c o n v i n c e y o u t o e n d u re t h e f i r s t t we nt y m i n u t e s o f s e e mi n g l y d i r e c t i o n l e s s o b s e r va t i o n No Ho m e Mov i e i s p u z z l i n g T h e f i r s t f i f t h o f t h e f i l m i s p ro d u c t i ve i n re m i n d i n g m e o f m y t o - d o l i s t W h i l e t h e m o v i e i s s l o w l y s h i f t i n g f r o m o n e n e a r l y u n m o v i n g s c e n e t o a n o t h e r, I c o m p o u n d a m o r e c o h e s i ve l i s t o f o b l i g at i o n s t h a n I d o i n e ve n t h e s l e e p l e s s h o u r s o f p r e l i m s e a s o n T h e f i r s t t w e n t y m i n u t e s o f No Ho m e Mov i e a re a n a n x i e t y a t t a c k w a i t i n g t o h a p p e n Wa t c h i n g a n u n n a m e d w o m a n , s t r a n g e l y re m i n i s c e n t o f m y ow n g r a n d m o t h e r, m ove a b o u t h e r h o m e , I f e e l re m o r s e f u l I ’ m h i t w i t h a p a n g o f g u i l t f o r 1 ) “f o r g e t t i n g ” t o c a l l m y g r a n d m o t h e r a n d 2 ) l o a t h i n g h e r i n t e r i o r d e co r a t i n g b e c a u s e , i n c o m p a r i s o n t o A k e r m a n ’ s s c e n e r y, m y “ Mo m ’ s m o m ” h o m e b e l o n g s i n Vo g u e My a p o l o g i e s c o ns u m e m e a s t h e c a m e r a t u r n s t o a n o t h e r d re a d f u l l y d i s i nt e re s t i n g s c e n e , t h i s o n e e ve n m o re u n c l e a r a s t h e c a m e r a a c c i d e n t a l l y b l u r s o u t o f f o c u s No Ho m e Mov i e b e g i n s a l l t o o m u c h l i k e a h o m e m ov i e A n d n o t t h e c u t e k i n d t h a t yo u w a t c h o n C h r i s t m a s Eve , n o t t h e o n e w h e re yo u b l e w
o u t t h e c a n d l e s o n yo u r f o u r t h b i r t h d a y a n d a c c i d e n t a l l y d ro o l e d o n t h e c a k e t h e k i n d t h a t yo u r g r a n d m o t h e r t a k e s w h e n s h e f o r g e t s s h e ’ s re c o rd i n g Bu t , b e h o l d , m i n u t e 2 1 T h e w o m a n ,
l
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a s s a n d t h e t re e b l ow i n g i n t h e w i n d , C h a n t a l a n d h e r m o t h e r h a ve b o t h g row n o l d De s p i t e t h e s a m e n e s s , t i m e m ove s f o r w a rd T h e o n c e f a s h i o n a b l e t i l e d w a l l s o f C h a n t a l’s h o m e a re o u t d a t e d a n d t h e d i s t a n c e
b e t we e n t h e n a n d n ow d i s s o l ve s T h e s e e m i n g s t i l l n e s s b e c o m e s p owe r f u l l y s y m b o l i c o f C h a n t a l’s o l d a g e a n d h e r m o t h e r ’ s s l ow d e a t h It b e c o m e s c l e a r t h a t t h e f r i e n d
“
Th i s i s Ja c k Jo n e s He’s o n e o f o u r A r t s w r i t e r s a n d h e o n l y w r i t e s a b o u t B o b D y l a n a n d
K a n ye ” This is how a cer tain previous Ar ts editor and close friend generally introduces me to ne w people Before I go ahead and give suppor t to this claim, I’d like to point out that I’ve only written one revie w of each ar tist’s work: my first piece for The Sun was a revie w of Bob Dylan’s mediocre album of Sinatra covers Shadows in the Night, and my longest p i e c e e v e r w a s a r e v i e w o f K a n y e
We s t ’ s T h e L i f e o f
Pablo I’ve never used my column to focus on either of these figures, their music or what they mean to me Doesn’t matter I’m still the the Bob Dylan/Kanye guy
Oh well Here it is, then T h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t s i m i l a r i t y between Dylan and West is in the relationship between self-expression in their ar t and self-expression in their public persona In their music, both ar tists
C h a n t a l Sk y p e s w i t h i s h e r m o t h e r, a w o m a n l ov i n g l y s l i pp i n g a w a y f ro m l i f e I l e a r n t h ro u g h t h e i r c o n ve r s a t i o n s t h a t t h e t w o w o m e n a r e B e l g i a n s u r v i v o r s o f t h e Ho l o c a u s t Ge r m a n t ro o p s f o rc e d C h a n t a l’s m o t h e r b a c k t o Po l a n d d u r i n g t h e w a r t o e n d u re Au s c h w i t z T h e t r a g e d y C h a n t a l’s m o t h e r h a s f a c e d s h o c k s m e i n re l a t i o n t o t h e q u i e t , u n m ov i n g , m u n d a n e s c e n e r y No Ho m e Mov i e , c a u s e s v i e we r s t o s e e h ow t h i n g s c a n s l i p a w a y Ju s t a s C h a n t a l a n d h e r f r i e n d c o m m e n t o n h ow t h e re ’ s n o m u s t a rd l e f t i n t h e f r i d g e , t h e y re m e m b e r t h e i n s i d i o u s p ro g re s s o f Ge r m a n t ro o p s i n Be l g i u m T h e c a l m s c e n e r y b e c o m e s d i s q u i e t i n g Ti m e
often seem undeniably real and authentic; maybe messy and contradictor y, but also viscerally convincing Outside of their music, both are bizarre and frequently incoherent to the point that they often appear to be per forming a character rather than honestly presenting themselves However, both are far too consistently weird and surprising for me to really believe that they are acting out a calculated per formance
Both are committed career ar tists, s h
with master y Both create, per fect and quickly discard styles, leaving imitators to mine them for years after wards Both are more unpredictable than any other ar tist in their field Both can ’ t sing, at least under conventional definitions of
m l e f t w i t h a f e e l i n g o f h e a v i n e s s T h e re l a t i o n s h i p b e t we e n C h a n t a l a n d h e r m o t h e r, a n d C h a n t a l’s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s i l l i n e s s , l e a ve m e t o u c h e d a n d c o n t e m p l a t i ve T h e i r s i m p l e l i f e , m ov i n g e ve r s t e a d i l y t ow a rd i t s e n d , i s a t o n c e e n d e a r i n g a n d d e e p l y s o r row f u l No Ho m e Mov i e i s a f i l m o f i m p re s s i o n s If i t k e e p s yo u i n t h e t h e a t re l o n g e n o u g h t o l i s t e n , i t t o u c h e s o n a c o m p a s s i o n a t e h u m a n n o t e It re m i n d s v i e we r s t h a t l i f e i s s h o r t So , i f yo u h a ve t w o h o u r s t o s p a re l o o k i n g m o s t
E
c h nonetheless became one of the most influential and impor tant vocalists of his r e s p e c t i v e g e n e r a t i o n D y l a n a c c o mplished this by making his gravelly rasp indispensable to his music’s power; his voice was a stamp of authenticity more convincing than even the most penetrating, revealing lyric West, on the other hand, took Auto-Tune, a tool that TPain had made famous in cheesy odes to strippers, and used it to distor t his voice, creating the unsettling, uncanny cyborg effect that has become one of the most distinctive aspects of his music, an effect that conveys miser y and alienation more acutely than anything else I can think of Both ar tists are still dismissed by many for their lack of innate vocal ability
B o t h a r t i s t s s t a r t e d o u t by c o ntributing to the creation of songs that went to other ar tists: Dylan as a songwriter, West as a producer Both initially faced resistance to their attempts to become ar tists in their own right: for D y l a n , b e c a u s e r e c o r d e x e c u t i v e s
t h o u g h t h e c o u l d n ’ t s i n g ; f o r We s t , because they thought he couldn’t rap Both ar tists worked hard enough to con-
vince these executives they could sell Then each of them abandoned the style that made them popular Each of them has a group of fans that still feels they were betrayed when Dylan when electric or when West made 808s & Hear tbreak Both ar tists operate on a pendulum that swings between beauty and tenderness on the one side, and ugliness and chaos on the other The far ther they swing towards one end, the far ther they swing towards the other in response (see Dylan’s turn to quiet folk/countr y after Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde, or “Only One” and “Ultralight Beam” after Yeezus) Both ar tists have trafficked in desolate nihilism, and professed profound faith in God’s guidance Both are restless Both are simultaneously uninhibited and impossible to tr uly know or understand Both don’t seem to care at all about blatant selfcontradiction Each is the most import a n t a r t i s t o f h i s t i
s m y favorite
Jack Jones is a sophomore in the College of Ar ts and Sciences Despite all the Amputations appears alternate Wednesdays this semester He can be reached at jjones@cornellsun com
Mr. Gnu by Travis Dandro
Jamerson Strives to Balance Success In Multiple Events
TRACK AND FIELD
Continued from page 16
under Taylor’s tutelage
Those first few months of adjusting to the various events were difficult While he had experience with high jump, long jump and 110-meter hurdles, there was definitely a learning curve for some of the other events Jamerson admits he had “ no idea what [he] was doing” when it came to pole vault and the throwing events
“For vault it was pretty much like ‘here’s the stick, we’ll go over some basics,’ and then the next day, it was ‘OK, run fast and stick it in and see how high you can jump,’ ” Jamerson said
Through intensive practices his freshman year oftentimes lasting four hours and covering several of the different skill events of the decathlon, Jamerson began to learn the fundamentals of each event
Before winter break, he competed in his first multi-event since that decathlon way back in high school With excitement levels at an all-time high, Jamerson posted some of his best numbers, including a long jump personal record that he wouldn’t best until earlier this year
“It was nice doing all that training and finally having something to come away with,” Jamerson said
The feeling of hard work paying off would become a familiar one for him Early in the second semester of Jamerson’s freshman year, he earned his first chance to compete against the best of the Ivy League Since then, he’s
competed four more times against the conference’s most talented athletes It is a select group, and Jamerson has built connections with those that he has competed with during his time at Cornell
“Yes, we ’ re all competing against each other, but we all know how miserable it is as well,” Jamerson said “There’s some camaraderie there We spend the entire day with each other so we talk It’s almost kind of a group effort to get through the multi ”
While he has made new friendships with multievent athletes at other schools, at Cornell, many of those that trained with Jamerson in his first two years have graduated or transitioned into single events Jamerson is the lone multi-event athlete on the roster this year
Day-to-day, he works with head coach Adrian Durant to compile a schedule that allows Jamerson to focus on the areas of his athleticism that require improvement Jamerson tries to work on each event at least once over a span of a week and a half Yet this comes with its own series of challenges
The nature of a decathlete’s training program is a balancing act: building an advantage in one event results in a disadvantage in another
“It’s tough because you can never focus all on one thing,” Jamerson said “I know I could jump better if I just focused on jumping But if I just focus on jumping then I’ll have no endurance and the 400meter would drop ” To read the rest of this story, please visit cornellsun com
Nothing More Important for Oprea Than Cornell’s Success
moment I had made the dream come true ”
Sweep Selection Camp, which identified 32 elite oarsmen in the country to compete for a spot on the Junior National Team They didn’t have a lightweight team, so he found himself competing against 30 or so heavyweight athletes “Just monsters, ” he said, reflecting on the absurdity of his competition “These guys would range from 6-foot-3 to 6foot-5, weighing anywhere from 185 to 200 pounds I was the third smallest guy at the camp, and I was cut ”
Despite his impressive performance freshman year at Cornell a silver medal finish at the 2013 EARC Sprints which Oprea bitterly recalls as “disappointing” his itch to compete on the international stage for the U S only worsened Oprea was the youngest of 12 oarsmen selected to train and compete for a spot on the U S lightweight men ’ s team at the U23 World Rowing Championships Only four of these 12 oarsmen would end up with a spot on the team Being one of the youngest and most inexperienced oarsman at the training sight, Oprea was once again not selected
Oprea’s Cornell career blossomed during his sophomore year As the youngest rower on Cornell’s varsity lightweight lineup, he helped the team secure an undefeated season and a national championship Following the team ’ s tight finish with Yale at the 2014 EARC Sprints, the Red was invited to row at the 175th Henley Royal Regatta In terms of collegiate rowing, the Henley Royal Regatta is without a doubt the best known regatta in the world The Red’s lightweight crew was on a tear the season had been a long, hard-fought success, and the Royal Regatta would have been the perfect way to end the season, to, “ride it out with the boys ”
As amazing as that sophomore year was, Oprea went on to do it again, leading his team to another undefeated season and national championship victory the following year Yet this year, the team ’ s performance has fallen off He recently suffered his first defeats at the Varsity level in backto-back races against Princeton, Yale and Columbia earlier this year Seeing these as a sort of “wake up calls,” Oprea is determined to, “reinvigorate the same level of focus and attention to detail,” the men had in the previous two seasons Following the loss, the Red swept Dartmouth in three races at the Baggaley Bowl This could, perhaps, be a sign of positive things to come at this year ’ s EARC Sprint Championships on May 13 through 15
III
Oprea’s Olympic opportunities going forward are tenuous at best In an effort to balance out gender representation in the 2020 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee will be cutting certain men ’ s competitions FISA, the governing body of world rowing, made three proposals to the IOC to “make its case ” for rowing’s place in the Olympics All three of these proposals cut the lightweight men ’ s straight four event, “leaving many lightweight rowers wondering ‘why?’” according to Oprea “If it’s not an Olympic event, what does this do to elite lightweight rowing in our country?”
“I was only concerned with the success of the program ” W i l l O p r e a
That summer, when Oprea was invited back to compete for a spot on the national team, the ambitious sophomore was presented with a tough decision The national team would be a personal, long-term investment a chance to develop and expose his career to the international arena as an oarsman for the US national team While each year the team ’ s training culminates in the the U23 World Championship Regatta, the real goal of the program is to foster talent during the quadrennial to prepare for the Olympic games On the other hand, racing in the Henley Royal Regatta was a de facto decision to limit his short-term prospects to the collegiate world
IIThe true value in athletic competition is often clouded by obsession with victory and glory Kobe Bryant, “the Black Mamba,” with his ruthless, competitive attitude and overwhelming drive, is often considered the gold standard Some might argue, however, that the true value of sports are the communities and cultures we build from them, the institutions we form around them and the legacies we forge with them Value is self-defined; many would have chosen to take the national team route the Olympics beckon like nothing else Even if it’s just a long-shot, how could you pass up that opportunity? For Oprea, however, nothing was more important than the run the Red was on that year
“I was only concerned with the success of the program, ” Opera recalled
Oprea and his crew travelled to the Henley Royal Regatta that summer and lost in the semi-finals to OxfordBrookes Rather than spending his summer rowing with the Junior National Team, constantly worrying about his future and “making the cut, ” Oprea finished the storybook season with his teammates and friends, forging his Cornell legacy and finding time to appreciate the scenery on the River Thames
“I remember finding a nice picture of a crew rowing up the course which showed Henley’s beautiful landscape,” Oprea said “On that final day we raced, we stopped for a moment because of boat traffic I turned around in the boat to look up the race course, and I was in the same position as where the crew was in that picture It was a very surreal
The IOC will not make any decisions until February of 2017 Until then, all proposals by FISA are up for deliberation In addition, applications to train with the U23 national team are due May 8 This team would ultimately train for the 2016 rowing championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands on August 21 and disband thereafter If Oprea were to continue rowing, he would then move to Oklahoma City and train with the senior national lightweight team Both of these programs ’ futures, however, are highly contingent upon the IOC’s decision come February
Lightweight oarsmen currently do not know what U S Rowing’s plan is for elite lightweight rowing athletes for the next quadrennial if they decide to cut lightweight men ’ s rowing from the Olympics as outlined by all three of FISA’s proposals Put simply, Oprea has no idea where he’ll be rowing, who he will be rowing with or what he will even be rowing for come February The entire U S lightweight men ’ s rowing arena could shift dramatically
Despite his doubts, Oprea plans on applying for the U23 team this summer to compete in the Rotterdam regatta “The final goal I think of every elite level athlete is to eventually represent the US at the Olympics,” he lamented Logistically, his goals may be a mere pipe dream; however, after having committed, “ an absurd amount of time and passion,” to the sport, Oprea is unwilling to, “let the opportunity to represent the United States and Cornell at the highest level of [his] sport go wasted ” IV
Olympian or not, Oprea’s legacy as a two year first time all Ivy lightweight oarsman at Cornell will remain in the record books for decades to come While his Olympic potential might have been squandered, Oprea does not look back
“I am so grateful to have had the alumni’s support in sending us to the Henley Royal Regatta,” Oprea said “The personal satisfaction I may have gotten from making the National Team was far outweighed by the opportunity to finish the story with those group of guys after an incredible year ” At the end of the day, Oprea is a die-hard Cornellian In a school that cannot even rally support for its own homecoming games, his passion for Cornell certainly is a breath of fresh air
A close one | Oprea and the Red rejoice moments after crossing the finish line at the 2014 Eastern Springs, defeating the Yale Bulldogs by under a second
Will Oprea: Olympian or Not,aTrue Cornellian
By SAM HUMMEL Sun Staff Writer
For the first three minutes of the 2014 EARC Sprints, the lightweight men ’ s Cornell rowing team could spot every boat in their wake but the Yale boat, who was holding a steady lead Every painstaking second of those minutes was a daunting reminder of the uncertainty of their new standing Now, toting an undefeated regular season record and a new reputation as “ top dog,” the Red was on track to losing out to Yale at the Sprints Championship All eyes were on the eight rowers and their coxswain Their reputation was on the line
After dethroning the Bulldogs on its home course five weeks prior, the Red had recently taken over as number one It was a rainy day and the water was choppy, but Cornell was able to pull through by a definitive three and half seconds
Senior Will Oprea remembers those dreadful first three minutes his sophomore year the particularly helpless feeling of falling behind, the lactic acid building up in his muscles and, perhaps most poignantly, the searing reminder of what was at stake if they couldn’t
race, ” Oprea said The gravity of their situation only grew as time crawled by, as the race grew closer and closer to its end “Every second needed to be perfect,” Oprea said In the last three minutes of the race the crew “locked th win ll’s ed me
since 2008
If you want to read a list of Will Oprea’s accolades, prepare to get comfortable The list goes on and on And his achievements don’t stop at the collegiate level Oprea has had multiple opportunities to train with the junior US National Team and currently has Olympic aspirations for the future Still, Oprea recalls that season and his team ’ s miraculous comeback at the 2014 EARC Sprints as his proudest achievement in his rowing career His reason is simple: “I think early on in my Cornell career, I decided that I wanted to represent Cornell over the national team or anything else ” If you take away the accolades, the success, the national attention and the Olympic aspirations from Oprea, what you ’ re really left with is a true, die-hard Cornellian, through and through
I
Oprea’s passion for his team didn’t occur immediately it was forged over four years of dedication and success In fact, coming into Cornell, Oprea had prospects for his future far beyond the collegiate sphere He was introduced to the international rowing scene early on, when his crew from Chaminade High School in Mineola, N Y earned fourth place out of 76 crews at the 2010 Head of the Charles Regatta, the premiere international regatta for the fall This performance earned the young five-time letter winner some national attention Later on in his senior year, Oprea attended the U S Rowing Junior National Team
Sets Sights
By ADAM BRONFIN Sun Sports Editor
Standing on the edge of the runway, Austin Jamerson stares at the horizontal bar raised up on the other end of the high jump semi-circle He couldn’t remember the last time he had completed a live high jump, and yet here he was, at the Ivy League’s most important track and field event of the year, competing for the decathlon crown
“It’s nerve-wracking when you first step up for your first attempt, it’s like ‘I haven’t done this in forever,’ ” Jamerson said, recalling his sophomore year when a lingering knee injury had limited him in practice all year For the entire season, he had high jumped just twice outside of meets
“I could do drills, but as far as taking off,
League Achievement
it would just aggravate it too much,” Jamerson said “It was interesting going into meets: take some advil, and hope your knees hold together ” Despite his knee injury, he would go on to place first in the high jump and second
“It was interesting going into meets: take some advil, and hope your knees hold together.”
overall in the decathlon, scoring 7,070 points in the process, good for third in school histor y The meet was part of Jamerson’s remarkably consistent stretch of improvement at the highest level, culminating with an individual Ivy title this past
February
His freshman year, Jamerson placed fifth in the indoor championship, and then fourth in outdoors a couple of months later
The next year, he took third in indoors and followed that up with the second place finish in the outdoor championship, before earning first a Indoor Heps held at Barto earlier this semester
His consistent improveme all the more impressive when consider his only experience multi-event before Cornell was decathlon the summer before hi year that he participated in for fun interested in the possibility of com multi-event Jamerson said he “ju of showed up ” to that very first d
t a week training,” “I had never pole re, never really ng It was pretty e shaky performe of the events, ong performances he usually competping and hurdling g enough that he ntion from various ually, Cornell gave be a multi-event
Then-head coach was “the resident lon so almost all of ned early on came
