1 23 18 entire issue hi res

Puerto Rican Students Prepare

For Full Semester at Cornell

life difficult for students at UPR

Nearly four months after Hurricane Maria devast

Pu

Universidad de Puerto Rico have come to Ithaca to continue their studies as Cornell joins Tulane University, New York University and Brown University in providing the UPR students with one semester of free tuition, room and board UPR student Angel Canales Arroyo, who arrived in Ithaca this Saturday, said that all the support and communication he received in the past weeks has been reassuring

“I’m a little bit nervous, but I know it’s going to be an extraordinary semester, ” he told The Sun “I have a lot to offer to the university, and I know that being able to attend an Ivy League university will open many doors in the future ”

As of December, the storm had left an estimated 45 percent of the Puerto Rican population without power, according to The New York Times, making university

Researchers at Cornell Study Cryptocurrencies

By

A t e a m o f C o r n e l l researchers has publicly released a paper recently that challenges the notion that the two most popular cr yptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Ethereum, currentl y p rov i d e d e c e nt r a l i ze d f i n a n c i a l systems

T h e i r f i n d i n g s are the result of a two-year study of q u a n t i t a t i ve m e asures of the behavior of cryptocurrencies and the b l o c k c h a i n t e c h n o l o g y o n which they are built

T h e p a p e r, t i t l e d “ De

“Professors had to set out plastic tables to lecture students in the hallways,” incoming student José De Jesús Szendrey told the University “Admissions was often closed The registrar was closed Professors were absent It was really a

Re

Program exceeded its initial goal of $40,000 and has raised $57,675 so far to help incoming students purchase resources such as books, winter clothing and transportation The money was raised from contributions by alumni, staff, faculty, students and friends of the university

$10,000

Joseph Lyons ’98, executive director of Donor Engagement, credits the success of the crowdfunding to the dedication and commitment of the Cornell community, with its members using social media and emails to spread the news “It was incredibly impressive to see the way the Cornell community –

See PUERTO RICO page

By BREANNE FLEER Sun Staff Writer

“I went to his office and I said, ‘How dare you? How dare you do this?’” J

t e r v i e w w i t h Ni n a To t e n b e r g , l e g a l a f f a i r s c o r re s p o n d e n t f o r N P R , Gi n s b u r g re c a l l e d t h a t h e r c h e m i s t r y i n s t r u c t o r a t C o r n e l l o n c e g a ve h e r a p r a c t i c e e x

See RBG page 4

” comes from the Cornell-based Initiative for Cryptocurrencies and Contracts, also known as IC3, and was led by Prof Emim Gün Sirer, computer science a n d c o - d i re c t o r o f I C 3

Working with Sirer were Prof Robbert van Renesse, c o m p u t e r s c i e n c e , Prof Ittay Eyal, elect r i c a l e n g i n e e r i n g , T e c h n i o n - I s r a e l In s t i t u t e o f Technology, Adem Efe Gencer, Ph D ’17, a n d So u m y a Ba s u grad Basu told The Sun t h a t a l t h o u g h t h e t e c h n i c a l details are complex, cryptocurrencies and blockchain are based on relatively simple concepts of

See RESEARCH page 5

Daybook

S p a

E x p

o r a t i o n | Dr Justin Little, research scientist and lecturer at the University of Washington, will discuss how electrodeless thrusters could improve our mobility in space

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Strategy and Business Economics Recruiting Seminar: Yi Chen 11:15 a m - 12:45 p m , 333 Sage Hall

2018 Internationalizing the Cornell Curriculum Proposal Writing and Information Session Noon - 1 p m , G08 Uris Hall

The Martin Luther King Jr Day of Commemoration Featuring Mitchell S Jackson 5:30 - 7:30 p m , Sage Chapel

Economics: Coffee and Conversation 10 a m - 2 p m , 477 Uris Hall

Junior Recruitment Workshop: Asymmetric Information, Reputation And Welfare in Online Credit Markets 11:40 a m - 1:10 p m , 115 Ives Hall

LEPP Theory Seminar: What Can We Do With Belle Two? 8 - 10 p m , Willard Straight Theatre

Parenting: The Hardest Job In the World 6 - 8 p m , Greater Ithaca Activities Center

Social Event Management Training 6:30 - 8 p m , Uris Auditorium

IClicker: Classroom Polling Workshop 3 - 4:30 p m , B08 Computing and Communications Center

Strategy and Business Economics Recruiting Seminar: Marcel Preuss 11:15 a m - 12:45 p m , 333 Sage Hall

Junior Recruitment Workshop: Neil Thakral 11:40 a m - 1:10 p m , 111 Ives Hall

“Wired Skin” - Flexible PV Fabric as Wearable Power for Clothing and Buildings 12:20 p m - 1:10 p m , G87 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall

Midday Music at Lincoln: CU Music 12:30 - 1:15 p m , B20 Lincoln Hall

NBB Seminar; Greg Pask 12:30 - 1:30 p m , A106 Morison Room

MAE Colloquium: Justin Little - “Electrodeless Plasma Propulsion for Space Exploration” 4 p m , 116 Upson Hall

How to Find an Ocean? 4 - 5 p m , 105 Space Sciences Building

ORIE Colloquium: Amitabh Basu Centerpoints: A Link Between Optimization and Convex Geometry 4:15 pm , 253 Frank H T Rhodes Hall

Job Search Strategies: Summer Jobs and Internships 4:35 - 6 p m , G76 Goldwin Smith Hall

The Florida Project 7:15 - 9:06 p m , Willard Straight Theatre

Cornell Alumnus Launches Start-Up for Snow Sports

By JULIA CURLEY Sun Staff Writer

When Bryan Dunn ’13 realized that almost 70 percent of skiers are below the age of 34, he decided to offer a solution to help millennials navigate their chosen slopes In December, he launched SnowSearch, a “ one-stop shop” of resources for skiers and snowboarders planning their trips

“Every step of the way there’s been a degree of Cornell influence or Cornell involvement or support from the Cornell network and it’s been definitively helpful,” he told The Sun

During his sophomore year, Dunn, a New York native who has been skiing since the age of eight, read about Henry Purcell ’57, nephew of Robert Purcell ’32 of RPCC, who owned a ski resor t in the Chilean Andes called Ski Portillo

from the historic baby-boomer consumers of the industry

That generational shift presented a disconnect between the adventurous, explorative millennial spirit and the loyalty based snow travel industry

Dunn created SnowSearch as an informed solution to this market dilemma along with his roommate, Dartmouth graduate Luke Zirngibl

“We were a business mind and a tech mind for the first time ever working together to design our ideal solution for the industry future,” Dunn said about his partner

“Every step of the way there has been a degree of Cornell influence or Cornell involvement ” B r y a n D u n n ’ 1 3

Dunn reached out to Purcell, who offered the then-sophomore “hotelie” a sponsored visa, a front desk job, paid housing, food and an enthusiastic invitation to ski everyday

What followed was the first formative experience in his snow-minded hospitality career

Following graduation, Dunn worked in Boston at Yotel, a hotel real estate firm In his free time, he acted as travel agent for his group of friends and grew increasingly frustrated by what he called the “confusing and convoluted process of booking a ski trip ”

Meanwhile, the snow sport industry was actively evolving Dunn said his research revealed that about 70 percent of skiers and snowboarders in the U S are under the age of 34 a stark departure

After subletting their Boston apartment, Dunn and Zirngibl bought an RV to serve as the SnowSearch workspace and spent months living in major ski regions The two cofounders now reside in Utah

Despite the lack of a steady p a yc h e c k , Du n n s a i d , “ We knew in our heart of hearts that

y believe is an amazing opportunity and something that we both think we ’ re uniquely suited to tackle I was sitting at a job that I loved and I couldn’t stop thinking about skiing and planning that next trip and just getting out there ”

SnowSearch emerged as a one-stop shop for planning and booking ski and snowboard trips made to order for the millennial adventurous spirit

With partners like Expedia and HomeAway, as well as genuine winter sport lovers (who Dunn calls “Ambassadors”), SnowSearch answers every pre-travel question from ‘where can I store my gear?’ to ‘what should I eat?’ and ‘where should I

See SNOWSEARCH page 7

Soil Painting Exhibition Displayed at Mann Project by Cornell students wins award on world soil day

By STACEY BLANSKY Sun Staff Writer

Students recently gathered to view a colorful soil painting exhibition in Mann Library, exploring the connection between art, horticulture and nature

The Dec 5 display for World Soil Day produced two complete works, one of which won first place in the university category of an international soil painting competition sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The painting, titled “Three Sisters,” depicts three women holding hands and dancing around in a circle near wooden baskets The paint was created by mixing a variety of soils from around the world with water and gesso, a substance used for priming paint canvases

Kirsten Kurtz grad, manager of the Cornell Soil Health Lab, explained that the portrait was based on a 1910 work by German artist Franz von Stuck, titled “Ringelreihen ”

“We added three baskets filled with corn, beans and squash,” Kurtz said “These are the crops in the traditional ‘Three Sisters’ polyculture used by the Haudenosaunee communities here in the Finger Lakes for centuries, a technique that is a model of sustainable farming ”

The winning project was completed by five Cornell students specifically selected by Kurtz, all of whom have gained experience

in the field of agriculture while studying at the university

One of these students, Emily Detrick, MPS ’16, currently works at Cornell’s Botanic Gardens as a horticulturist She said that the exhibit attracted a lot of passing students who were intrigued by the project or wanted to contribute to a painting

“Art is always a great way to get people involved from all back-

grounds,” Detrick said “While they were there, they learned a lot about soil It was a big, collaborative kind of feel ”

She saw the event as a good opportunity for students in the field of science to learn about horticulture through artistic means “It is sort of this niche medi-

AAP Alumni Design Princeton Buildings

By STACEY BLANSKY Sun Staff Writer

n e l l’s College of Architecture, Art and Pl a n n i n g h a ve b u i l t o n t h e i r u n d e r g r a d u

design a sustainable graduate student housing project at Princeton University

Described by its creators as a series of “carefully-placed buildings located within the woodlands,” the recently built Lakeside Graduate Student Housing was designed in 2015 by Christopher Alt ’94 and Christiana Moss ’94 Moss told The Sun in an interv i e w t h a t t h e i r g o a l w a s t o e n c o u r a g e Pr i n c e t

e students to engage with the natural landscape and help them feel included in their community

“Sometimes the graduate students do feel a little underserved, and this particular community hadn’t felt that they were an integral part of campus, ” Moss said “So, part of the master plan was to make a real community for the graduate students ” While creating the project, the alumni drew upon what they had learned at Cornell For example, Moss recalled being taught the impor tance of the horizon in landscapes

She said that studying architecture at Cornell was often an applied experience because many of the concepts taught in AAP are exemplified in the buildings and layouts of Cornell’s campus Alt explained that the word “ ma ” of Studio Ma, the architecture firm co-founded by Alt and Moss and selected to develop the housing project, is a Japanese w o rd t h a t m e a n s t h e “ s p a c e between things ” The Arts Quad at Cornell, Alt told The Sun, was very influential because it perfectly represents that space between buildings on campus Alt said he wanted to carry this concept over t

Princeton

“It’s a very much experiential kind of space, ” Alt said “The experience of walking around the site of Lakeside is when you really start to understand how all the pieces come together ”

Moss also explained that the duo designed the buildings to foll ow s u s t a i n a b l e p r a c t i c e s a

integrate the campus with nature, including Lake Carnegie

“The development of this site was a great opportunity to connect to the lake and have buildings oriented in such a way that the spaces actually acknowledge the lake,” Moss said

Princeton put into place a carbon reduction goal right before the inception of the Lakeside pro-

Cornell Welcomes Students From Puerto Rico

As Puerto Rico struggles in aftermath of hurricane, UPR students arrive on campus to begin semester

c o o rd i n a t o r, w h o s p e a r h e a d e d t h e k n i t t i n g i n i t i a t i ve “ T h i s i s a w a y t o d i re c t l y h e l p i n d i v i d u a l s T h i s i s s o m et h i n g t a n g i b l e t h a t we c a n d o ” PUERTO RICO

“Clearly there was a shared desire to help provide a warm welcome to these students ”

Justice Ruth Ginsburg

Gi n s b u r g s a i d s h e d e l i b e r a t e l y

m a d e t w o m i s t a k e s o n t h e e x a m a n d a l s o we n t t o c o n f ro n t t h e p ro f e s s o r “ I we n t t o h i s o f f i c e a n d I s a i d , ‘ How d a re yo u ? How d a re yo u d o t h i s ? ’ ” s h e s a i d “A n d t h a t w a s t h e e n d o f t h a t ” T h e j u s t i c e a l s o d e c l a re d h e r

s u p p o r t f o r t h e # Me To o m ove -

m e n t a n d s a i d i t w a s “ a b o u t t i m e ” f o r w o m e n t o b e a b l e t o s t a n d u p a g a i n s t s e x u a l h a r a s sm e n t “ Fo r s o l o n g , w o m e n we re

s i l e n t , t h i n k i n g t h e re w a s n o t hi n g yo u c o u l d d o a b o u t i t , ” s h e s a i d “ Bu t n ow t h e l a w i s o n t h e s i d e o f w o m e n , o r m e n , w h o e n c o u n t e r h a r a s s m e n t , a n d t h a t ’ s a g o o d t h i n g ” A f t e r s h a r i n g h e r e x p e r i e n c e a s a s t u d e n t , Gi n s b u r g d i s c u s s e d

h e r f i g h t f o r w o m e n ’ s r i g h t s a n d

g e n d e r e q u a l i t y a f t e r s h e e n t e re d

t h e t e a c h i n g p ro f e s s i o n T h e C o r n e l l a l u m n a f i l e d a l a w s u i t a g a i n s t R u t g e r s Un i ve r s i t y i n 1 9 6 4 f o r p a y d i sc r i m i n a t i o n a n d a n o t h e r o n e a g a i n s t C o l u m b i a Un i ve r s i t y i n 1 9 7 2 f o r v i o l a t i n g Ti t l e V I I o f t h e C i v i l R

Cryptocurrencies and Decentralization

RESEARCH

Continued from page 1

agreement and tr ust

"Blockchain is a ne w way of forming agreement, ” he noted

“ You have a bunch of different

m a c h i n e s f r o m a l l o v e r t h e world and blockchain technology gets them to agree on a single source of tr uth ”

Fr o m 2 0 1 5 t o 2 0 1 7 , t h e research team tested out popular ideas about decentralization in

c r y p t o c u r r e n c i e s T h e m a j o r contribution of the research was quantifying this decentralization so that it can be better understood, Basu said in an inter vie w with The Sun

“

added that “the big game changer in cr yptocurrencies is you can tr ust the system as a whole ”

cies with the tr ust underlying traditional financial institutions With cr yptocurrencies, “there is a general sentiment that you

n d

authority,” while “if you look at the traditional financial system, there are a lot of fees associated with tr ust, ” he said While cr yptocurrencies have t

explained that many see potent

Bitcoin and Ethereum to create m

decentralized financial system

“You have a bunch of different machines from all over the world and blockchain technology gets them to agree on a single source of truth.”

S o u m y a B a s u , g r a d

thing that has this precise number We can ’ t say, ‘Bitcoin is five decentralized and Ethereum is seven, ’” he said

Since there was no one clear number to use as a measure of d e c e n t r a l i z a t i o n , t h e r e s e a r c h team created and tracked a variety of different metrics Their

e f f o r t s i n c l u d e d t r a c k i n g d i stances between par ticipants or “nodes” in the system and looking at how many nodes were held in data centers versus, for example, personal computers

Their finding, that Bitcoin and Ethereum are less decentralized than once thought, was not entirely surprising to those who work with cr yptocurrencies

“I think the surprise was the degree to which things were a little bit more centralized than we were expecting, though we did expect to see systems that weren ’ t as decentralized as we would have hoped,” Basu said

The hope, Basu explained, is that a tr uly decentralized cr yptocurrency could create a more efficient financial system based on tr ust in a network of par ticipants rather than tr ust in central institutions such as governments and banks

“ The way to build a currency on top of [blockchain technology] is that ever yone can agree how much money ever yone else has," he said

This currency is then gained by the process, called mining, of

c o n f i r m i n g t r a n s a c t i o n s a n d thereby “providing security” for the system, he said He later

T h e I C 3 research team ’ s f i n d i n g s t i e into effor ts to f i n d “

system a reality, according to Basu He said that there are other proposals at Cornell and beyond that address some of the problems that they uncovered in their paper

Basu was optimistic that if such effor ts are successful, cr ypt o c u r r e n c i e s a n d b l o c k c h a i n technology could bring savings

t o a ve r a g e p e o p l e by m a k i n g t h i n g s “f a s t e r a n d m o re e f f icient ” Mo r e b r o a d l y, h e s a i d h e believes decentralized cr yptocurrencies and blockchain can allow people to get around tr ust centers and create a “world that’s a little more open ” The research team ’ s decision

t o m a k e t h e i r p a p e r p u b l i c l y available online in Januar y 2018 also reflects a value for openness

“Our group cares about havi n g p e o p l e l e a r n a b o u t t h e s e results,” Basu told The Sun “I think there’s been a lot of good discussion over the paper and I think that discussion wouldn’t have happened unless we took the step of releasing it ”

He reflected that this discussion represents an impor tant element of all scientistic research

“I think that’s really how science should be done, where it’s open, it’s accessible to ever yone, a n d i f y o u ’ r e i n t e r e s t e d , y o u should be able to go look at any of the papers and see exactly what assumptions we made and exactly what our methodology was, ” he said

Kyla Chasalow can be reached at kchasalow@cornellsun com

The Corne¬ Daily Sun L

Be a par t of 137 years of proud histor y that includes E.B.White ’21, Kur t Vonnegut ’44, ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap ’91, various Pulitzer Prize winners and many others.

Learn more about The Sun at an informational meeting on: Thursday, Febr uar y 1

Check The Sun regularly for exact time and location.

New SnowSearch Site Helps Skiers

Find Their Slopes

“It’s both a challenge and an opportunity to be two young guys who are more or less industry out-

socialize?’

The service offers a “wide array of inventory in the industry’s verticals lodging, lift tickets, and gear of any snow sports-focused site on Earth,” according to Dunn SnowSearch currently provides information on 400 ski resorts across the U S , Canada and Japan Dunn said he hopes to expand into European and Chinese destinations as well as wide-ranging get-away options including heliskiing and cat-skiing

“Every win that we have as a team creates a whole new list of next steps that we ’ re eager and excited to tackle,” Dunn said “There’s definitely great moments and exciting wins but it’s always just what’s next There’s always another goal ”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about skiing and planning that next trip and just getting out there ” B r y a n D u n n ’ 1 3

siders trying to affect pretty significant change on a really old school space, ” he said about his progress

“It’s a constant grind And that’s definitely where the passion aspect of it becomes incredibly important ”

AAP Alumni Design

Sustainable Graduate Housing at Princeton

PRINCETON Continued from page 3

“We really do strive for high performing buildings ... that give back more than they take”

C h r i s t i a n a M o s s ’ 9 4

o p l a c e d g e o t h e r m a l w e l l s u n d e r n e a t h

t h e p a rk i n g g a r a g e , w h i c h g e ne r a t e t h e h e a t i n g a n d c o o l i n g

m e c h a n i s m s f o r a l l o f t h e b u i l di n g s Mo re t h a n 3 0 0 we l l s s i t n e a r l y 5 0 0 f e e t b e l ow t h e s u rf a c e o f t h e g ro u n d , c a p t u r i n g w a r m t h f ro m t h e E a r t h a n d c i rc u l a t i n g i t t h r o u g h o u t h e a t p u m p s i n e a c h o f t h e L a k e s i d e a p a r t m e n t s “ In o u r ow n w o rk , we re a l l y d o s t r i ve f o r h i g h p e r f o r m i n g b u i l d i n

Stacey Blansky can be reached at sblansky@cornellsun com

Soil Painting Exhibition

Connects Science and Art

Julia Curley can be reached at jcurley@cornellsun com SOIL Continued from page 3

um that some artists work in,”

Detrick explained “It’s such a g o o d w a y t o c o m m u n i c a t e research and science to broad audiences using art ”

Detrick also noted that soil painting is a great way to connect with the natural world, and that by working with this substance, painters can achieve a holistic sense of their organic environ-

ment “Painting with soils is a great way to learn about what is around yo u , t o e x p e r i e n c e t h e e a r t h around you and to tie whatever your subject matter is into the sense of place,” Detrick said “It’s also a great star ting point to understand soil science and soil health, and why it matters ”

Stacey Blansky can be reached at sblansky@cornellsun com

SOPHIA DENG ’19 Editor in Chief

DAHLIA WILSON ’19

OHTA ’19

WN e v e r L e a r n

Letter to the Editor

To th e Ed itor:

Brian LaPlaca 18 Emma Williams ’19 WORKING ON TODAY’S SUN

Cameron Pollack ’18

EDITORS IN TRAINING

EDITOR IN CHIEF Jacob Rubashkin 19

MANAGING EDITOR Girisha Arora 20

EDITOR Katie Sims 20

ASSOCIATE

LAYOUT EDITOR Julian Robison ’20

NEWS EDITORS BreAnne Fleer ’20

Shruti Juneja 20

SPORTS EDITORS Josh Zhu 20 Noah Elden 19

ARTS EDITORS Viri Garcia 20 Andrea Yang 20

That policy defines “Sexual Coercion” as follows:

To obtain compliance with sexual acts by using physically or emotionally manipulative actions or statements or expressly or implicitly threatening the person or another person with negative actions Examples of sexual coercion include statements such as “I will ruin your reputation,” or “I will tell everyone, ” or “ your career (or education) at Cornell will be over ”

The policy also defines “Sexual Harassment” as follows:

A form of protected-status harassment that constitutes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other oral, written, visual, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that unreasonably interferes with the individual’s work or academic performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or learning environment under any of the following conditions:

1 Submission to, or rejection of, such conduct either explicitly or implicitly is (1) made a term or condition of an individual’s employment or academic status, or (2) used as a basis for an employment or academic decision affecting that person; or

2 The conduct is sufficiently (1) persistent, severe or pervasive, and (2) has the purpose or effect of altering the conditions of an individual’s employment or academic pursuits in a way that a reasonable person would find abusive, hostile, or offensive A

:

“ The relationships between students and their teachers, advisors, coaches, and others further holding positions of authority over them should be conducted in a manner that avoids potential conflicts of interest, exploitation, or personal bias Given the inherent power differential, the possibility of intentional or unintentional abuse of that power should always be borne in mind

” We a g re e w i t h t h e g u e s t a u t h o r t h a t t h i s p o l i c y n e e d s t o b e c l e a re r a n d s

g e r, p a r t i c u l a r l y i n c l e a r l y o u t l i n i n g p ro s c r i b e d re l a t i o n s h i p s , a n d s e t t i n g f o r t h a p p rop r i a t e p ro c e d u re s f o r re p o r t i n g a s we l l a s e n f o rc e m e n t o f d i s c i p l i n e a g a i n s t t h o s e w h o v i o l a t e t h e p o l i c y A s t h e w r i t e r n o t e s , t h e Fa c u l t y Se n a t e a n d G P S A’s j o i n t C o n s e n s u a l Re l a t i o n s h i p s Po l i c y C o m m i t t e e i s d e ve l o p i n g re f i n e m e n t s t o t h a t p o li c y t o s t re n g t h e n i t a n d h a s b e e n t a s k e d w i t h b r i n g i n g a p ro p o s a l b a c k t o Pre s i d e n t Po l l a c k by Ma y 1 T h e u n i ve r s i t y i s a l s o c

hat do a green circle, a blue square and a yellow triangle all have in common? You might recognize these humble shapes by their sturdier aliases: Open, Closed, Wait List Student Center’s three beloved icons, occupying hardly a few pixels on screen, command quite a few fates In my experience, they share a mandate to gamble recklessly with my intellectual journey They taunt me, as if saying “it would be a shame if you accrued massive debt to attend Cornell and didn’t glean a single practical thing from your stay, huh?”

Yeah, it would be Hypothetically If my opening wasn ’ t explicit enough, the immediate problem is this: my spring 2018 schedule is a sizzling hot mess I’m enrolled in classes that are total outliers, I’m waitlisted in classes that I desperately need, and chances are I’m not even aware of the end-all be-all classes that meet five requirements at once Your schedule is probably messy too, and so is ever yone else’s, so let’s elevate ourselves to a higher plane of lamentation

Potentially, the observed elusiveness of a fulfilling course is linked to the age-old quarrel between viable and less viable career tracks Maybe a course in the College of Engineering just feels more constructive than a humanities course That isn’t the way it should be, but sometimes that is the way it is

daily life, contributes to character arcs and shapes society, but I haven’t enrolled in many of these.

Fussing over the logistics of schedules serves as a portal to some larger concerns, which, truthfully, would be better off dormant, because I don’t think a fix is likely or possible Now, I’m worried that I’m not learning anything at all, in school or otherwise Why am I even trying to take these classes? Why aren ’ t they the slightest bit cohesive? Why does extrapolating a professional title from my coursework feel like a scam? Why are my mental filing cabinets more comparable to a porous sponge than anything concrete?

Sure, nobody knows it all, and that’s comforting Sure, learning is a process, and we ’ re all chasing information that combats the mystery in our worlds Lots of classes promise high knowledge yields that counter my claims of scant learning Organic Chemistry is one of them I’m told students emerge with the formula to reverse global warming and supreme authority on mixed drinks Functional Programming too did you know programming languages can be lazy, just like humans? Economics of Development, of course a step-by-step guide to resolving poverty Clearly, there’s a small sphere of worthwhile courses that impacts daily life, contributes to character arcs and shapes society, but I haven’t enrolled in many of these mythical courses thus far (Coincidence? Strategy? You decide )

Regardless of the utility offered by a course, I wonder how to retain information I’m exposed to, employ it in conversation and channel it towards meaningful outcomes Sadly, in a jumble of mismatched and floating commitments, knowledge becomes temporary The task of aggregating enough stable information to someday be an expert is daunting Then, even if I were to excel at passive i n f o r m a t i o n absorption and retention, it would pale in comparison to generating new, useful information, as researchers often do Ah, it’s a beautiful spiral of doubt and uncertainty The obligation to learn through coursework is only the beginning of a constant movement to accumulate intelligence and awareness Aptly dubbed the Information Age, our period in history is defined by its scholastic bounty We live with infinite sources of information Ironically, the inescapable presence of information perpetuates a sort of ignorance Now, immersed in staggering densities of previously latent information, it’s easy to feel less guilty, less accountable for neglecting retrieval

Life is kind enough to chip in from time to time with its valuable, albeit jarring, lessons, which feel like a tiny step towards wisdom And the internet’s here to stay that lightens the burden a little bit too Still, I don’t know a lot more today than I did yesterday, or even a month or a year ago Apart from the occasional facts I gather by clicking on Google Doodles (when I can summon the curiosity and will to digress) or chatting with friends, it seems like the graph of my overall information acquisition has plateaued

But, if you zoom out far enough, everything’s alright – I definitely know a lot more than I did on the day I was born So, hey, there’s time, and maybe I am learning after all

Dustin Liu | Trustee Viewpoint

Hey, I Was Hazed Too

Welcome back to Cornell, Spring semester edition

A legion of eager freshman are undertaking recruitment for Greek organizations Students have begun to edit their resumes in hopes of joining their dream business group on campus

Early last week, I was sitting in Libe replying to emails when I overheard a freshman sharing how eager he was to join a selective organization on campus He shared how “incredible” the people in this organization were, how “pumped” he was to go through recruitment, and how “excited” he was to be hazed Wait, what?

“Dude, I can ’ t wait to go through pledging It’s totally gonna be worth it I heard they go hard ” Endless studies have been conducted about hazing on college campuses Fifty-five percent of college students involved in clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing Eightyseven percent of Cornell students believe “it's never okay to humiliate or intimidate new members ” If we know it’s happening, and we know it’s wrong, why are we still hazing?

ing I can only hope that tragedies as a result of hazing will not continue to occur at Cornell, and that we all take a larger responsibly in changing the culture that has been maintained for far too long on our campus It would be hypocritical of me to not acknowledge that I bought into the system as well I have been hazed during my time at Cornell in an effort to gain acceptance and respect from my peers, but upon reflection I have realized how the justification for hazing an act that is supposed to promote unity and respect is built upon false principles

Ending hazing rests not only on the shoulders of administrators cracking down on organizations, but also on individuals speaking out against barriers of entry to their organizations and exploring alternatives to hazing practices

If your organization has activities which make jokes at the expense of the new members, it’s time for a shift.

When confronted with the question, it seems to come down to unity and a sense of pride In some cases, organizations may assert that they are preparing the new members for the real world It comes down to our definition of what constitutes as hazing Making someone run to CTB to get you a Roundhouse at 7 a m just because they are your pledge is hazing Plot twist: professional development can be hazing A terrible recruitment process can be hazing Humiliating someone because it’s funny is hazing Causing mental distress is hazing Putting someone at physical risk is hazing If a new member of your organization is cr ying, the fault is probably the process and not them

Hazing culture is not exclusive to Cornell It has become customary to hear horror stories of summer internships, and to use this as an excuse to continue “preparing Cornellians for the ‘real world ’” Cornell is a place where top talent from around the world come together to develop as leaders As future leaders, this should not be the culture that we continue to perpetuate We often only hear about hazing when it goes horribly wrong Nationally, 1968 was the last year where we did not see a death associated with hazing Last year alone saw the unfortunate death of several students at colleges across the country as a result of haz-

TDongYeon (Margaret) Lee | Here, There and Everywhere

Allowing Me to Be Me

hinking this would pretty much be the last break I get to spend without being too fixated on academics or career-related activities, I had a very unproductive break

I had vowed to start prepping for next semester and to exercise more, but neither materialized as expected But as unproductive as it was, I actually had quite a fulfilling break For the first time, I had the chance to explore my hometown, Seoul, without being preoccupied with some sort of task like frantically trying to memorize SAT vocabulary I also stepped out of my comfort zone going out of my way to get to know and meet new people I attended the Cornell Club of Korea meeting as well as a Cornell alumni mentoring event, which were both really great and made me realize how many resources are available to me

Of all these events, I think that one of the best things I did was to catch up to season 5 of Friends

I actually used to hate this TV show From the looks of it, the show seemed like it was about six pretentious New Yorkers trying to make a laugh about the smallest things that weren ’ t even funny Perhaps when all my other friends praised how fun the show was, my middle school self was envious to become that blonde American girl that seems to have her life set out perfectly

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been preoccupied with the thought of Friends I was amazed at how much I’ve changed since the first time I watched the show I used to envy the American lifestyle and culture as was portrayed in Friends Americans seemed to be so laid back and oh-so-sociable

Before, I wasn ’ t able to relate to any of the jokes or characters, but I’ve since developed a love for Phoebe and her quirky personality I wondered what brought about this sudden liking for the TV show It wasn ’ t just due to the fact that I began living in the U S and started to understand more of the jokes I still hadn’t found the show interesting just a few months ago

In fact, I had initially forced myself to watch Friends so I would have more in common with American kids at Cornell I had always felt awkward not knowing what they were talking about whenever they talked about TV shows, sports or general interests, and I had nothing to say

But, making my way to season 5, I’ve actually found more of myself I’ve started accepting myself more of who I am As ironic as it sounds, the hobby I had pushed myself into has become something that I genuinely enjoy and like

I had been used to trying to prepare responses that other people would like, instead of actually sitting down to think about my own interests Who am I? What do I like? These were questions that I had never asked myself prior to this break Instead of figuring out what I like, I had tried to make a version of me that supposedly fit the typical American (and the typical Cornellian) instead of letting me just be me

And that is the number one goal I have for this semester to allow myself to be who I really am

DongYeon (Margaret) Lee is a sophomore in the ILR school She can be reached at margaretlee@cornellsun com Here, There and Everywhere appears alternate Tuesdays

A Sorority Rush Conversation

It hurts when friends share the mental health struggles they’ve experienced in order to gain acceptance to an organization, It’s disturbing to have peers miss classes in an effort to be a “better pledge,” it’s scarier to see sleep deprived, pin wearing, teary new members become the hazers just a few months later

I call upon upperclassman reading this article to think critically about their experiences If your organization has activities which make jokes at the expense of the new members, it’s time for a shift Communities are built around shared experiences, but shared experiences should not negatively impact a young student’s time at Cornell I was misguided in believing that overcoming obstacles was the key to finding respect My fondest relationships at Cornell have been organic, and not the result humiliation or stress My greatest moments of growth have been self-motivated Hazing is not, and should not, be central to what students hope to learn from their time at Cornell It is not the only way to find your place at Cornell

My hope is that anyone trying to find a sense of community at Cornell can do so without the threat of getting hazed

Dustin Liu is a junior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations He currently serves as the undergraduate student-elected trustee on the Cornell Board of Trustees He may be reached at dliu@cornellsun com Tr ustee Vie wpoint appears alter nate Tuesdays this semester

Welcome to Kappa Alpha D e l t a T h e t a S i g m a Epsilon Phi! This is my h o m e a n d I h o p e w e h a v e impressed you with our colorcoordinated outfits and synchronized song

Can I take your coat? It will give me a chance to check the label as well as determine your wor th by the propor tions of your body and value of your clothes

So tell me about yourself! I’ll sit patiently and nod as you list off a bunch of facts I already know through extensive stalking and preparation for this conversation I hope my energy and pep can mask the fact that I woke up at 5 am to put on more makeup than I will wear this entire semester

You ran track in high school AND went to the same school as my best friend? It’s crazy how much we have in common It’s

selected from this group of over

background and interests

Tell me more about your trip to Ar uba over winter break! I love

afford to go on exotic vacations I think you’ll fit in super nicely here because your vacation pho-

Instagram aesthetic

Don’t mind me as I shift the conversation to one of many carefully-selected talking points Let me explain to you the many perks of being in this house

Joining this sorority was honestly the best decision of my life I had no intention of r ushing until all my friends signed up and I became over whelmed with fear that they would all leave me for their sorority sisters and they did! I’m so glad I had my sorority

as a backup

We’r e d i f f e r e n t f r o m o t h e r houses because we really do love each other I can genuinely say that I know and love each and ever y one of the girls in this house except for the 80 girls I’ve never spoken to, the 20 living with me who are kind of weird and that bitch Jessica

We are all deeply committed to our philanthropic endeavors

E a c h s i s t e r p a r t i c i p a t e s i n n o f e w e r t h a n t w o p h i l a n t h r o p y events each semester, and it’s certainly not because we need philanthropy points to go to formal Our sorority will give you the

I know we ’ re not supposed to talk about par ties, but I can ’ t let you go without telling you about the social perks that our sorority w i l l g r a n t y o u Yo u w i l l g a i n access to the wide selection of the t h r e e f r a t e r n i t i e s w e p r i m a r i l y mix with and will feel uncomfor table crashing other mixers

But don’t be silly, Greek life isn’t about par ties or status or social capital; it’s about sisterhood! If you choose our house, you’ll become one with your sisters You will eat together, sleep t o g e t h e r a n d w e a r t h e s a m e clothes You’ll learn

hand-

Our sorority will give you the platform to bring about real change, and I’m not just referring to the eight mandatory cover photo changes each semester.

p l a t f o r m t o b r i n g a b o u t r e a l change, and I’m not just referring t o t h e e i g h t m a n d a t o r y c ov e r p h o t o c h a n g e s e a c h s e m e s t e r

Through photo campaigns and volleyball games, we will combat world hunger

Yo u m a y h a ve n o t i c e d t h a t almost ever yone here is white Little did you know that we are the most diverse sorority on campus I’m going to change the subject before you read too far into that

We r e a l l y s u p p o r t w o m e n h e r e We s u p p o r t w o m e n s o m u c h t h a t w e m i s s e d t h e Women’s March two years in a row to host our own little march on Nor th Campus as 800 freshm e n g i r l s r a n f r o m h o u s e t o house in heels and Canada Goose jackets

codes You will be given a lineage and showered with gifts so as to

stripped of your individuality as our sorority becomes your prima-

sense of self as you become one with our cult

Oh, the Recr uitment Chair is signaling that it’s time for you to go Before you leave I just want to say, even though Greek Life is a fundamentally flawed institution, I had such a great time putting on this show for you and I sincerely hope you don’t cut us this round Follow me as I sing you out of the house

SCIENCE

Biological Sciences, Business Acumen Go Hand in Hand, Says Weill Alumnus

By CHENAB KHAKH Sun Staff Writer

After a day of work at the Hospital for Special Surgery on the Upper East Side, Dr David Levine ’88 trekked back up to Ithaca for a talk titled “What I Should’ve Learned in Medical School ” On the surface, most students expected a lecture on tips and tricks for pre-medical students on how to apply concepts from their classes Instead, the talk focused on the importance of business, management and economic skills in the world of medicine

Levine posed a number of questions which he felt were left unanswered by the traditional path that medicine takes

Levine shared his journey from his undergraduate years at Cornell to his current position as an orthopedic surgeon and medical administrator

“You know what you know about medicine and you ’ re comfortable with what you know Then all of a sudden you ’ re in an environment where you have to make decisions which are far from your comfort zone, ” Levine said

With the goal of exposing life science

Levine believes that in today’s world industries are so interconnected that money is no longer a taboo topic for doctors Strong finances and business structures are needed to be able to give the best care to patients

“You know what you know about medicine and you’re comfortable with what you know Then all of a sudden you’re in an environment where you have to make decisions which are fare from your comfort zone ”

“How many employees do I need to care for my patients? When do I give my employees a raise? How do I assess if my employees deser ve a raise? Do I participate in Medicare, National United or Aetna? How do I know whether I can afford to step into such programs?” Levine probed his audience

Levine emphasized how knowledge of both business and the healthcare industry enhances success as a physician and encouraged students to pursue the Dyson business minor for the life sciences as a way of bridging the gap between medicine and the pressing administrative questions he brought up earlier

majors to innovative business ideas, the minor in the Dyson school was created by Dr Jonathan Levine ’76 and Stacey Levine, Dr David Levine ’88 and Davena Levine '88 The minor also prepares students for different kinds of entrepreneurial opportunities such as having a private practice, working in a larger hospital or for a non-profit organization

Several electives such as the business of modern medicine, entrepreneurship in life sciences, or the economics of health care markets are geared to teach pre-health students about their future industry

“For me, getting behind this program [the life sciences minor] was obvious,” Levine said “Myself as a surgeon is one side of the story, but my practice is way bigger, and needs to be cared for as well With the right knowledge, not only could my practice increase its financial benefit but also help me, help more people with ankle fractures ” Levine made it clear that practicing medicine is much more than just learning about anatomy, biology and chemistry The aforementioned qualities can help you know the biological features of medicine, but to be able to practice it efficiently, one must have soft, administrative skills and business knowledge about the healthcare system Without all this knowledge, one cannot understand the financial position of their patients, employees or co-workers

Levine began his talk by acknowledging the foundational importance of biology, physics and chemistry in medicine He shared a story of how the inclined plane, a simple machine in physics, guides his operations everyday as he drills into bones to mend fractures

“I think about force and theta every-

day,” said Levine “Drill, don’t push ”

Nothing can replace having a foundation of the physical sciences to know how to diagnose and treat patients However, when the time comes to think outside of the box, “what you don’t learn in medical school classrooms” comes in handy

When dealing with external forces in healthcare, management, accounting and professional skills are especially necessary to make efficient and beneficial decisions

“My body and brain are my commodity, ” Levine said “What happens if that goes away?”

Levine is not alone in commending the value of his business and medicine education Students are feeling a direct impact of the program and look forward to having an edge as physicians

“Having a background in business has taught me skills that I can apply if I choose to open my own practice or become more involved with the managerial aspect of a doctor’s job in a hospital,” said Jenny Li, a student in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management “ The biggest take-away I had from the talk was that the reality of being a doctor is much different than most people expect ” Levine is also excited for the next generation of physicians, “because they are driven to go the non-traditional, but innovative path ”

Chenabh Khakh can be reached at ckhakh@cornellsun com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Humility, Loyalty, Business and Music: A Conversation With Zaytoven

BY PETER BUONANO Sun Staff Writer

For any fan of hip-hop, Zaytoven’s name carries a sense of royalty and divinity. However, even if you are unfamiliar with the name, you have almost certainly heard one his tracks; in 2013 Migos released the Zaytoven-produced “Versace” which would soon after became a global sensation following Drake’s contributions to the song. In addition to this mega-hit, Zaytoven has been responsible for countless other bangers including “Big on Big” by Migos.

Zaytoven’s beats all have a trademark sound. The tracks begin with his signature calling card “Zaytoven” said in a babylike, helium infused voice. This is then followed by the orchestration, normally consisting of a predominant upright piano along with various combinations of organs, strings and synths. Finally, his percussion, through rapid high hats, booming 808’s and crisp snares, enters giving the beats body controlling properties.

While Zaytoven may be defined by the public as one of the greatest beat-makers of all time, he is much more than this. Zaytoven, born Xavier Dotson, is a producer in every sense of the word. His business attitudes, professionalism and musicianship are matched by few others in the music industry.

Furthermore, Zay’s ability to create a name for himself is incredibly impressive. Although a musician first, Zaytoven’s talents have begun to spill into the film industry. And this is not by accident. When filming his first critically acclaimed movie, Birds of a Feather, Zay set out with the goal of “branding [himself] and bringing attention to [himself],” he said in an interview with The Sun. He is still doing the same thing today, and it is a huge part of why he is still relevant in the industry after all of these years. Zaytoven will be releasing Birds of a Feather II in a few short weeks in order to supplement the hype generated by the announcement of his debut album.

But what has been most critical to his success is his ability to recognize stardom. Although too humble to admit it in our conversation, Zaytoven is crucial to Migos’ rise to hip-hop stardom.

The story goes like this: “They was a new hot group that was kind of bubbling around the city. I looked them up on YouTube to try and find them and I [saw] Quavo rapping Bando and he just seemed like a star. When I seen them [the Migos], I knew I had to find them.”

Within a day of meeting the Migos, Zaytoven had given them beats, including what would become “Versace.” However, upon my asking about whether or not he would define that song as his greatest musical accomplishment he became noticeably uncomfortable. Although willing to admit just how big of a moment Drake jumping on “Versace” was for his career, Zay was very quick to bring the conversation back to his humble beginnings with his longtime friend and collaborator Gucci Mane. He remembered how “‘Versace’ was like [Jeezy hopping on] ‘Icy’ all over again.”

Zaytoven’s humility and respect is unmatched, and this was especially apparent when we discussed his relationship with Gucci: “That’s what I’m going to be known as,” he said. “Zaytoven and Gucci, that means everything to my career.”

Zay also clued me in to some of his future collaborations. A few weeks ago, Lil Pump, the young Florida SoundCloud rapper turned national sensation, posted a video of him dancing

and singing along to a new track with the caption “PRODUCED BY ZAYTOVEN.” Although I have gathered from Zaytoven that the professional relationship between him and Pump is in its early stages, it seems to me that Zaytoven is well on his way of taking Lil Pump, who has already been endorsed by Schoolboy Q and countless others, straight to the top just like he did with Migos. Zay said it best himself: “he [is] a star, he got it. That’s what I see when I see him. Me and him [are] working on a lot of songs.” For Lil Pump and his fans, the idea of a Zaytoven collaboration is extremely exciting and a potential sign and that 17-year-old Pump is on his way to becoming a global phenomenon.

Zaytoven has been a staple in the music industry for years, and the future only looks to hold more hits for the humble 37year-old producer. Watch out for his debut album Trap HoliZay, releasing in March 2018, which will feature the likes of Migos, Gucci Mane, Trey Songz, Yo Gotti and Young Dolph, and his new movie Birds of a Feather II, which is slated to release this winter.

Peter Buonanno is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at pfb48@cornell.edu.

Top 10 Books of 2017

BY VICTORIA HORROCKS Sun Staff Writer

1. E xi t W es t b y Mo h si n H am i d

Exit West takes readers on an imaginative story that tells a very contemporary reality. An unnamed city with an emotionally-charged refugee crisis exposes truths about the emotionality of the immigrant experience while the two protagonists, Nadia and Saeed, sort out their love story. Hamid weaves a novel regarding a pertinent topic with simple but poignant prose that is equally engaging and humbling.

2. L i n col n i n th e Bar d o b y G eor g e S au n d e rs

George Saunders’s first crack at a novel succeeded at spinning an engaging tale centered around the relationship between President Abraham Lincoln and his late son Willie. The emotional scenes between Lincoln and Willie are undercut by the comedic commentary of spirits reconciling their own deaths. Unconventional in its structure and a fascinating story, Lincoln in the Bardo is a mustread.

email, Batuman takes her reader on a journey through the experience of arriving and settling into college. The daughter of Turkish immigrants, Selin navigates her relationships with her family, friends, but most importantly with an older student she has a crush on. The Idiot brilliantly delivers a touching coming of age story.

4 S o u th a n d We st b y J oan D i d i on South and West is the product of the kind of writing that Joan Didion tells of in her famous essay “On Keeping a Notebook.” The acclaimed author’s musings from notebooks she’s kept during her life in the ’70s amalgamate into a collection that paints a picture of her life. In these writings, Didion discusses topics from political division to her travels, but the book focuses heavily on insular life in the South.

3. T h e I d i ot b y El i f Ba tu m an Elif Batuman’s novel The Idiot tells the story of Selin, a freshman at Harvard University during the ‘90s. A bildungsroman complicated by the invention of

6 Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Celeste Ng delivers a mystery narrative about a curious house fire that occurs in a quaint suburb of Cleveland. Little Fires Everywhere uses classic narrative storylines from suburban tropes to the suspicious neighbor, and does so to tell a completely unique tale. The omniscient narrator implicates the characters and the reader into a sort of delusion that is as unexpected as it is intriguing.

appeals to fans of fiction and history alike.

9 My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Talient

5 W e We r e Ei g h

Since publishing Between the World and Me in 2015, Ta-Nehisi Coates has been a powerful voice in politics and social relations. We Were Eight Years in Power is a collection of essays written during the Obama administration that discuss the individual, the community and the nation, and what those three entities are. This book is not merely an interesting read, it is an important one for understanding where and what the United States is today.

7. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan Manhattan Beach tells the story of ambitious Anna Kerrigan who takes to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City for work during World War II. The novel exposes of the changing roles of women during the era, and does so through an engaging crime plot. Ultimately a feminist novel about the capabilities of women in male-dominated fields, Manhattan Beach romantically portrays gang culture in New York in tandem with compelling familial relationships.

8 American War by Omar El Akkad

American War is an anxiety-fueled American dystopia that follows the fate of current American crises. From surging war to disputes over the burning of fossil fuels, Omar El Akkad’s post-apocalyptic America is highly contentious and even tragic. What is most compelling about the narrative, however, is how uncomfortably familiar it feels. With the energy of science fiction, American War

Gabriel Talient knocked one out of the park with his debut novel My Absolute Darling. The novel tells the story of 14-year-old Julia, affectionately called Turtle, who lives with her survivalist father. His paranoia forces Turtle to learn survival skills like sharpshooting, but also subordinates her to his control. Still, Turtle is a twist on the prototypical, passive damsel in distress, and instead asserts her girl power to empower herself.

10. Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami Haruki Murakami wrote the short stories in Men Without Women in 2014, but finally published them in English in 2017. Famous for his quirky short stories, Murakami delivers over and over again with plot lines centered around broken men and their inability to maintain their relationships. Still, this narrative never ceases to engage readers and each story brings the reader into the realm of Murakami’s whacky imagination. Men Without Women is no exception and stands as another installment in wonderful stories by Murakami.

Victoria Horrocks is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at vrh23@cornell.edu.

A & E

# M e To o a n d

J o h n L a s s e t e r

It ’ s been three months since The New York Times released its bombshell story about Harvey Weinstein Since then, more and more sexual offenders have been brought to light, and the entertainment industry has been rocked to its core I can ’ t even begin to name all the actors, producers and so on who have had allegations come to light against them It’s become a huge movement, but has sparked some backlash too So I figured I would put my own voice out there, focusing on one case that hit close to me and my field: John Lasseter

For those not aware, John Lasseter has been heralded almost like a second Walt Disney He was a

co-founder of Pixar Animation, and has been the Chief Creative Officer of Pixar, Walt Disney Animation and DisneyToons Animation Movies like Toy Story, Tangled, Frozen, Inside Out, Zootopia and Moana all bear his name in the credits He also advises Walt Disney Imagineering, which helps construct the Disney parks and resorts I emphasize his achievements and influence here to build the gravity of the entire situation

Last November, Lasseter issued a memo to announce that he would be taking six months away from the company He remarked that “I’ve recently had a number of difficult conversations,” and that “I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable ” He further said that he apologized to anyone “who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line ” The Hollywood Reporter released a story the same day, featuring comments from Rashida Jones and Will McCormack They left the company because of “ a culture where women and people of color do not have an equal creative voice ” Other sources from within the company claim that Lasseter would make crass comments, and kiss others without asking One person says they saw Lasseter keep his hand on a woman ’ s knee uninvited, moving it around Apparently female staff had to invent a move called “the Lasseter” to keep such actions from happening They even had to crop publicity photos because of where he had put his hands!

As I read about the allegations against Lasseter, I felt horrified I looked up to John Lasseter for years I wanted to be like him: to tell stories like the ones he told Even in high school I would write reports about how he founded Pixar alongside Ed Catmull I had built him into an idol to emulate and follow and that all came crashing down

To be sure, people are innocent until proven guilty, and allegations are indeed simply allegations But,

they were apparently allegations with enough weight and grounding for him to step down An innocent man would not have done the things he did One employee said it best in a response to Lasseter’s memo: “To sum this up as unwanted hugs is belittling and demeaning If it was just unwanted hugs, he wouldn't be stepping down ” It felt sufficient for me to conclude that this man that I had aspired to follow was, in fact, guilty of what he’d been accused of And that hurt

It’s something that many people are feeling lately Many beloved actors, directors and producers have found themselves exposed to accusations of abuse and harassment It can feel like a betrayal a lie to their fans

Some may even refuse to accept evidence, no matter how sturdy, and defend them against any kind of retribution

However, we can never let an attachment to one person outweigh our desire for justice I cannot lie and say that I didn’t feel some pain at Lasseter’s misdeeds coming to light That is on me though, for holding up a human as an idealized role model Every actor, director and producer is a human capable of error and capable of crimes Part of being human also means they are not above reproach and discipline, and anyone who does anything as horrendously invasive as sexual assault deserves to be disciplined

Let me make something perfectly clear here: These fine women at Pixar have brought to life not only some of the best animated movies, but some of the best movies ever made The care, the artistry they put into every frame is unparalleled I feel nothing but immense pride and profound gratitude for their work, and as a former Disney Cast Member I even feel a certain kinship with them To hear that they had to undergo such terrible conditions, to read that they were treated so poorly, angers me They, along with everyone, deserve to feel safe and respected at work

That’s why I feel thankful for the #MeToo movement There are fears that it is leading to something like a witch hunt but I’ve yet to see any false claims that have done serious damage Instead, it has given power to people to stand up to injustices like Lasseter’s It is saying “abuse and harassment are not okay,” a statement that needs to ring in ever y studio, ever y workplace, every government capital It is a movement that rejects power and influence in favor of respect and justice It approaches our false idols and exposes their feet of clay, and at the sight, they crumble to make room for the values we should hold dearly instead

David Gouldthorpe is a senior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations He can be reached at dgouldthorpe@cornellsun com Animation Analysis runs alternate Tuesdays this semester

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Red Youth Shine in Philly Invitational

By TIM MORALES Sun Staff Writer

With the start of the semester drawing near, Cornell women ’ s fencing had a tough outing on Sa t u rd a y a t t h e Ph i l l y Invitational, posting a 1-5 record on the weekend

W h i l e t h e Re d’s t i m e i n Philadelphia was highlighted by a 1 6 - 1 0 w i n ove r Ne w Je r s e y Institute of Technology, the squad suffered difficult losses against some of the best competition in t h e c o u n t r y, i n c l u d i n g t h re e teams ranked within the top 10 of the Women’s Coaches Poll

The meet started with a 17-10 loss to UNC, but the Red quickly rebounded with its 16-10 win over NJIT Unfor tunately, the Red could not sustain its momentum closing out the day with losse s t o No 7 Te m p l e , No 8 Northwestern, No 9 Penn, and Duke

Despite the losses, the Red

t o o k a w a y p o s i t i ve s ove r t h e

we e k e n d T h e t e a m re m a i n s focused on developing young talent for later seasons and has a bright outlook for the future

“I found myself smiling during the beginning of my bouts

because I feel so honored to fight for this team, ” said senior captain Luby Kiriakidi “We are growing stronger and more experienced with each competition, and as a sentimental senior, I'm proud to be a part of its upward [arc] ”

In particular, sophomore Vera Lin highlighted the potential of the Red’s young core Lin posted a team high of 12 wins as a part of the very young epee squad

“Vera Lin has reached a whole new level in her fencing in the p a s t f e w we e k s , ” h e a d c o a c h Daria Schneider said “We saw it in Virginia Beach, and today her performance was even more dominant and consistent This group of young women are setting the f o u n d a t i o n f o r c o n t i n u o u s growth and I look forward to leading them through Ivy championships and into the postseason ”

For now, Cornell will shift its f o c u s t o t h e Iv y L e a g u e

Championship The team will hope to recover from a disappointing weekend in the conference championships on Saturday, Feb 10

Tim Morales can be reached at tmorales@cornellsun com

By RAPHY GENDLER Sun Staff Writer

A sweep of in-state rival Colgate has catapulted Cornell men ’ s hockey to No 2 in the USCHO com national rankings the Red’s highest mark in the poll in just under 13 years Cornell’s 15 first-place votes trail only No 1 Notre Dame with 33 votes

The No 2 ranking is Cornell’s highest in the USCHO com poll since Oct 24, 2005, and the 15 first-place votes are the most for the team on East Hill since March 7, 2005 Despite the rise in the USCHO com poll, Cornell held still in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll at the No 4 spot

A pair of 2-0 wins both home and away over the Raiders this past weekend helped the Red’s cause Monday afternoon, but so did now-No 3/2 Clarkson’s home tie with unranked Harvard and loss to Dartmouth

In the PairWise rankings, the metric used to help determine NCAA tournament seeding, the Red sits tied for first place with Notre Dame

Cornell has a pivotal road trip this weekend against ECAC and Ivy League rivals Harvard and Dartmouth, two squads heating up at the right time, as evident in their success against Clarkson

Raphy Gendler can be reached at rgendler@cornellsun com

Cornell Upsets No. 7 Lehigh in Road to Ivies

WRESTLING

Continued from page 20

t i m e w i n j u m p - s t a r t e d t h e h o m e t e a m , a s t w o w i n s ove r r a n k e d w r e s t l e r s f o l l o w e d t o g i ve t h e Re d a c o m f o r t a b l e l e a d T h e s e l l o u t c rowd , a s u s u a l , p rove d t o b e a va l u a b l e a s s e t f o r C o r n e l l , a c c o rd i n g t o Ko l l “ T h e Fr i e d m a n C e n t e r i s a l m o s t a l w a y s p a c k e d a n d i t [ i s ] j u s t a s m u c h a d i s a d va n t a g e t o t h e o p p o n e n t a s i t i s a n a d va nt a g e t o o u r t e a m , ” h e s a i d C o r n e l l a n d L e h i g h p e re n n ia l l y f i g h t f o r t h e t o p s p o t i n t h e E I WA Howe ve r, t h e Re d h a s re i g n e d s u p re m e t h e p a s t 1 1 ye a r s a n d Fr i d a y ’ s v i c t o r y s h ow s t h a t w i n n i n g 1 2 s t r a i g h t E I WA c h a m p i o n s h i p s i s ve r y m u

Jack Kantor can be reached at jkantor@cornellsun com

Red Drops Third Straight Contest t o Begin Ivy Play

Cornell commits 20 turnovers while allowing scorching three point shooting by Columbia

By JOSHUA ZHU Sun Assisant Sports Editor

De s p i t e a c h a n c e t o re d e e m i t s e l f a f t e r d r o p p i n g i t s f i r s t t w o Iv y L e a g u e

m a t c h u p s l a s t w e e k e n d , t h e C o r n e l l

m e n ’ s b a s k e t b a l l f o u n d i t s e l f u n a b l e t o

o v e r c o m e s e n s a t i o n a l s h o o t i n g b y

C o l u m b i a

C o l u m b i a ( 41 2 , 1 - 2 Iv y ) p u t o n a n o f f e n s i ve l [ j u M r t n i R 4 R w w t p o i n t s i n t h e s e c o n d h a l f “A l o t o f [ t h e C o l u m b i a s h o o t i n g ] c a n j u s t b e a t t r i b u t e d t o o u r l a c k o f d e f e n s e , ” s a i d j u n i o r f o r w a rd St o n e Ge t t i n g s “ T h e re we re a l o t o f d e f e n s i v e m i s c u e s w h i c h a l l owe d t h e m t o g e t h o t a n d s c o r e a l m o s t 9 0 p o i n t s ” In i t s w i re - t o - w i re w i n , C o l u m b i a s h o t b l i s t e r i n g t f 5 2 5 t

d e f e n s i ve i n e f f i c i e n c i e s , t h e Re d s t r u gg l e d w i t h i t s b a l l h a n d l i n g a s w e l l

C o r n e l l c o m m i t t e d a n a b y s

“There were a lot of defensive miscues which allowed them to get hot and score almost 90 points

Spor ts

Icers Defend Home-Ice in Key ECAC Weekend Matchups

By

Faced with a t the Cornell wome a victor y over Ren against Union on Cornell (12-6-2 end matinee with RPI (7-13-4, 4-7sophomore Kristin

“A

“ When we forech made it difficult f On the defens notched her third with eight saves

Continuing a

o f f e n s i v e p r ow e Union’s scoring at match outsho 53-12 in shots on attempted

O’ Neill scored extend her goal st Graham and fresh to bring the Red’s Nevertheless, w scoring attempts a the net just as m

Wrestling Downs Perennial EIWA Rival No. 7 Lehigh

By JACK KANTOR Sun Assistant Sports Editor

In front of a sold-out crowd at home, Cornell wrestling triumphed in a 23-14 statement win over Eastern Intercollegiate

Wrestling Association rival No 7

Lehigh Six victories three against ranked opponents and three earning bonus points helped the Red move to 5-2 on the season Juniors Will Koll (149) and Jon

Jay Chavez (165) showed their chops by unseating ranked wrestlers Koll edged out No 19 Cortlandt Schuyler in a 4-1 decision while Chavez executed a comfortable 12-6 win over No 18 Gordon Wolf

The pair of performances against a tough Lehigh (8-2) squad stood out for head coach Rob Koll

“I felt like all our guys performed well,” he said “In particular I was pleased with [Will] Koll, and Chavez Both guys knocked off nationally ranked wrestlers ”

Cornell’s No 4 Yianni Diakomihalis also joined in on the action with an 8-0 handling of Lehigh’s No 13 Luke Karam

“I was pleased with [Will] Koll, and Chavez Both guys knocked off nationally ranked wrestlers

The major decision was the freshman’s 14th bonus point win of the season and his 19th overall Freshmen No 11 Max Dean (184) and No 6 Ben Darmstadt (197) were also no strangers to bonus point wins Dean collected a major decision win over Andrew Price while Darmstadt pinned Jake Jakobson at 2:35 for his 11th fall of the season, clinching the match for the Red

Following Friday’s match, the freshman trio of Diakomihalis,

Dean and Darmstadt has now combined for 40 bonus point victories The success of Cornell’s youth has shown that this team, which has seen many of its top wrestlers recently graduate, can still compete with the nations top opponents like the Mountain Hawks

“Our youngsters are very good and we have much more depth than expected,” Koll said “However, I had a pretty good feeling about the team beforehand ”

Lehigh’s defending national champion No 3 Daniel Cruz (125) started the dual meet off with a 17-8 major decision over freshman Noah Baughman

After that, Chaz Tucker got the Red moving in the right direction with a win at 133 The junior pulled off a 3-1 win by decision in sudden victory for Cornell’s first points of the evening The over-