INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun 16 Pages – Free
Vol. 141, No. 12
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2024 n ITHACA, NEW YORK
News
Arts
Science
Weather
Presidential Protest
Picks and Predictions
Look Up!
Sunny
Students and locals organize a “Stand Against Fascism” rally to protest the reelection of Donald Trump. | Page 4
Arts editors make their Grammy picks for the upcoming 2025 awards show. | Page 14
The annual Leonids meteor shower peaks this Saturday, Nov. 16, and will be visible in Ithaca. | Page 8
HIGH: 44º LOW: 28º
Fraternities Vandalized After Sexual Assualt, Drugging Allegations By JULIA SENZON Sun Managing Editor
ERIC REILLY/ SUN ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR
In mourning | Winter Knutson ’27, a graduate of Ithaca High School and child of a University professor, was found dead in Fall Creek Gorge on Sunday, prompting support and grief from University leaders, faculty and students.
University Leaders Mourn Death of Cornell Sophomore By ERIC REILLY
Sun Assistant Managing Editor
Nov. 11 — Winter Knutson ’27 was identified as the person who was found dead in Fall Creek Gorge on Sunday, the University announced Monday afternoon. Ithaca Fire Department officers were called to the gorge at 10:30 a.m. for a person in the water, according to an IFD press release. Around noon, an Ithaca Police Department officer taped off the end of Willard Way, where responders actively worked, rappelling down the steep slope with a stretcher. The response team began pulling up the bagged body at 12:34 p.m. The recovery took approximately three hours. Knutson studied math and physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, according to a Monday email announcement from the dean of the college, Peter John Loewen. Knutson, a graduate of Ithaca High School, is survived by their father, Prof. Allen Knutson, mathematics; mother, Sofia Akber; and sibling, Taran Knutson. “Please keep them in your thoughts and be supportive of one another,” Loewen wrote. “The loss of a peer can be extremely challenging to process.”
Winter Knutson ’27 was identified as the person who was found dead in Fall Creek Gorge on Sunday, the University announced Monday afternoon. Knutson studied math and physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, according to a Monday email announcement from the dean of the college, Peter John Loewen. Knutson, a graduate of Ithaca High School, is survived by their father, Prof. Allen Knutson, mathematics; mother, Sofia Akber; and sibling, Taran Knutson. “Please keep them in your thoughts and be supportive of one another,” Loewen wrote. “The loss of a peer can be extremely challenging to process.” Cornell provides support resources for students. Students in need of professional mental health support can call Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 607-255-5155, and employees can call the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) at 607-255-2673. The Ithaca-based Crisisline is also available at 607-272-1616. A wide range of supportive resources is also available at caringcommunity.cornell.edu. Eric Reilly can be reached at ereilly@cornellsun.com.
Woman Found Unresponsive After Falling Into Fall Creek Gorge Near Stewart Ave.
By MAX TROIANO Sun Staff Writer
Nov. 11 — A woman who fell into the Fall Creek gorge in the early hours of Sunday morning was reportedly airlifted to a hospital. The victim was reportedly unresponsive when found. Her current condition is unknown. The fall, reported around 1:15 a.m., occurred when the woman tried to jump a fence around the 900 block of Stewart Avenue, according to an Ithaca Fire Department spokesperson.
Ithaca Police, IFD and Bangs Ambulance reported to the scene shortly thereafter. After a lengthy extrication process, she was driven by ambulance to Jessup Field on North Campus and flown by helicopter to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania. Robert Packer Hospital is the nearest Level One Trauma Center to Ithaca, according to the Trauma Center Association of America. As of 11 a.m., the Stewart Avenue Bridge has been blocked off by emergency vehicles. Max Troiano can be reached at mtroiano@cornellsun.
Nov. 12 — Editor’s Note: The content in this article mentions sexual assault and drugging. A student activist group, referring to themselves as Riot Moon, on Monday night smashed the windows and spray painted parts of Chi Phi and Sigma Alpha Mu. The group said in a statement to The Sun that the vandalism at Chi Phi came in response to a recent report of sexual assault and drugging at the house and at Sigma Alpha Mu due to “a pattern of excusing sexual assault.” Riot Moon wrote that they were “declaring a campaign against fraternities as mass perpetrators of sexual violence on campus.” Chi Phi was suspended after an individual reported being sexually assaulted by several males and coerced into consuming ketamine and other drugs on Oct. 25 at the house. When The Sun tried to reach Chi Phi by phone on Tuesday morning, the call was immediately hung up after a Sun editor began to ask for comment. Sigma Alpha Mu President Cristobal Ramirez ’25 wrote in a statement to The Sun that the fraternity “take[s] all allegations with the utmost seriousness and investigate[s] them accordingly.” According to Ramirez, Sigma Alpha Mu recently unanimously votedw to evict a member of the organization
based on sexual assault allegations, “underscoring our dedication to holding ourselves accountable.” Two years ago, the fraternity also expelled “a former member from our fraternity for having multiple active Title IX allegations,” according to Ramirez. Ramirez added that “Sigma Alpha Mu has absolutely zero tolerance for sexual assault.” “We are deeply disturbed and disgusted by the allegations against Chi Phi, including drugging and sexual assault … We understand the anger and frustration that led to last night’s destructive actions by ‘Riot Moon,’” Ramirez wrote. “However, we don’t condone any further damage to our house. We will now investigate the possibility of further accusations we may not have been aware of.” “Moving forward, we will continue to take decisive action to make sure that our chapter does not contribute to or condone any form of abuse,” Ramirez wrote. According to Riot Moon’s statement, the group left a letter at the doors of both fraternities stating, “Fraternities were created to consolidate white male power and perpetrate violence, abuse, and rape in our communities. We no longer tolerate a culture that teaches men to rape, the use of sexual violence to subjugate others, or a ‘justice system’ that continually forces survivors to relive their trauma and leaves abusers unpunished and un-shamed.” See VANDAL page 4
KARLIE MCGANN / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPH EDITOR
Vandal’s vengeance | On Nov. 12, a student activist group smashed the windows and spray painted the walls of Chi Phi.