INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun 8 Pages – Free
Vol. 139, No. 31
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2023 n ITHACA, NEW YORK
News
Dining
Science
Weather
Summer Research
New Year, More Food
Body Tracking Camera
Cloudy
Student prepare for the upcoming summer research application season. | Page 3
Kyle Roth '25 discusses his 2023 food resolutions.
Cornell researchers designed camera that tracks the body posture of its user. | Page 8
| Page 4
HIGH: 39º LOW: 27º
C-Town Resumes After Slow Break By CARLIN REYEN Sun Staff Writer
JASON WU / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Roll credits | Neon lights illuminate the box office at Regal Ithaca Mall on Jan. 24. Regular moviegoers are lamenting over the theater's closing, slated for the coming months.
Local Regal Theater to Close By SOFIA RUBINSON Sun News Editor
Regal Ithaca Mall Stadium 14 is set to turn off its projectors in the coming weeks after its parent company Cineworld announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, according to a report by Business Insider. On Jan. 17, Cineworld detailed its plan to reject the leases of 39 Regal theaters nationwide starting Feb. 15. Regal did not respond to requests for comment about whether the reports on the Ithaca location’s closing are accurate. The Ithaca Mall location has held a movie theater since 1976 and opened as a Regal Cinema in 2007. Cornell students have expressed deep sadness over the announced closing of the largest movie theater within a TCAT ride from campus. “I saw going to the movie theater as being a chance to escape for a couple of hours and forget about everything else that’s going on,” said Jacob Gonzalez ’26, who would see a movie about once a month. “Classes can be very hard at Cornell, and it was really comfortable being able to just go out and disappear for about two and a half hours and get to watch a great movie and eat some popcorn. I think that was really important for a lot of people.”
Although there are other theaters in town, students told The Sun that Regal’s movie offerings were better for movie-goers who want a wide variety of blockbuster films. “I would prefer to have a Regal theater. I’m from New York City, and we have Regal a lot, so it’s definitely a different experience,” said Lina Liu ’25, who recently picked up a film minor and was excited to watch the latest blockbusters at Regal. Cinemapolis is located in Downtown Ithaca and specializes in independent, foreign and locally-produced films. There is also Cornell Cinema, which plays classic Hollywood and foreign films, documentaries, silent films, cult classics, experimental work and recent Hollywood and arthouse movies. Gonzalez expressed concerns about these theaters’ niche demographics. “Now that there’s no big movie theater that has some of the bigger movies, like Marvel movies, I think it’s not a good thing,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of people are going to have to find other stuff to do. There’s definitely a lot of other things to do, but that just takes away one of the big activities.” According to Cinemapolis Executive Director Kate Donohue, the five-screen theater has not shown See REGAL page 3
As winter break came to an end and classes began Jan. 22, Cornell students brought life back to the dorms, libraries and classrooms that had been vacant over the holiday season. For many Collegetown restaurants, this means a return to business as usual — a vital part of the year that keeps the doors of these establishments open. Mia Jeong, manager of Four Seasons, a Korean barbecue restaurant located on Eddy Street, said that business at the restaurant was very slow over the break and that the restaurant has seen more customers — although it is not yet busy — following the return of students to campus. Four Seasons was closed for two weeks of the winter season, reopening Jan. 9. Jeong estimated that about 90 percent of the restaurant’s customers are Cornell students. “I’m expecting it to get better this weekend [Jan. 28 - 29],”
Jeong said, noting that January and February are typically slower months. The restaurant has historically been busy from March until the end of May. Local Hawaiian-inspired restaurant PokeLava also closed for at least part of the winter recess. Jenny Zhang, manager of PokeLava, wrote in an email to The Sun that the restaurant had been closed from Dec. 23 to Jan.10, referencing that 98 percent of its customers are Cornell students and that business was “extremely slow” during the break. The restaurant gains “a lot more business when students return,” Zhang said. The College Avenue location of Collegetown Bagels, affectionately known by students and locals alike as “CTB”, is the company’s busiest location. To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Carlin Reyen can be reached at creyen@cornellsun.com.
HANNAH ROSENBERG / SUN SENIOR EDITOR
Back in business | Students return to College Ave. following a restful winter break.
Cold Culture Shock for Freshmen By MARISA CEFOLA Sun Staff Writer
MING DEMERS / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
First frost | Freshmen from warm climates get cold feet as they experience their first Ithaca winter.
Although seasoned Cornellians have learned to manage Ithaca’s winters, freshmen from warm climates are learning to navigate the snow and freezing temperatures for the first time — some students expressed excitement to engage in winter activities, while others miss their hometowns’ warm weather. Ellie Gardner ’26 lives in Ithaca
year round and offered a word of warning to her peers who now find themselves swapping hoodies for heavy jackets and snow boots. “I would say that winter weather in Ithaca is erratic,” Gardner said. “You can get snow, sleet and sun all in one week. But the winters are always cold and last into March!” Miami native Camila Morata ’26 is excited for the new experience, despite the warnings from locals. “I have always wanted to experi-
ence winter, especially snow based on seeing Christmas movies and winter in the media,” Morata said. “However, based on what I have heard from others, it can seem intimidating not knowing what to expect.” To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Marisa Cefola can be reached at mcefola@cornellsun.com.