12 01 14 entire issue lo res

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Fellow Cornellians remember senior Shannon Jones as ‘l ively,’ ‘brilliant’

By SOFIA HU Sun Senior Writer

Described by her mentors, friends and colleagues as a creative thinker with a laid-back and quirky personality, Shannon Jones ’15 was an active member of the Cornell community with a wide variety of interests from aerospace engineering to dance and theater

Jones, a senior in the College of Engineering from Maryland, died Thursday in her home in Cayuga Heights at the age of 23

Police say that Benjamin Cayea, 32, admitted to strangling her and have described the murder as a “domestic incident ” Jones who was an independent major in the engineering college was

interested in “controls and avionics engineering in the field of aerospace, ” according to a statement made by President David Skorton Friday

Jones was a part of Pro f Ma s o n Pe c k’s , mechanical and aerospace engineering, Violet Satellite Project Team The

Man Found Dead

At Bottom of Gorge

By SUN STAFF

Police are investigating an apparent suicide that occurred on campus early Sunday morning, the Cornell University and Ithaca Police Departments confirmed Sunday afternoon Police responded to the Thurston Avenue Bridge following a death occurring at approximately 2:30 a m Sunday, according to police

The man, found at the bottom of the Fall Creek Gorge, has been identified as Andres Lozano, 18, from Miami, Florida He is not directly affiliated with Cornell University, police said Gregory Eells, associate director of Gannett Health Services and director of Counseling and Psychological

Services, said there are often multiple factors that contribute to an individual choosing to commit suicide, describing it as a “complex process ” Still, Eells said that seeking help from either local or national resources can be lifesaving He cited resources available at Cornell, including Gannett, CAPS and CUPD, as well as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

“If you connect with someone, there’s hope,” Eells said “You reduce the risk [of completed suicide] by a factor of six ” Police were aided by the Ithaca Fire Department, Bangs Ambulance and Cornell University Environmental Health and Safety An investigation is ongoing and no further information is available, according to the University

In police interview, boyfriend admits to murdering student

By TYLER ALICEA Sun Managing Editor

Police say that a 23-year-old senior in the College of Engineering was murdered i n h e r C a y u g a He i g h t s h o m e o n Thanksgiving Day

Shannon Jones ’15, an independent major in the college, was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend Benjamin Cayea, 32, who police charged with one count of s e c o n d - d e g r e e m u rd e r f o l l o w i n g a “domestic incident” Thursday evening

In an inter view with police Friday, Cayea who was arrested without bail admitted that he strangled Jones at approximately 6:30 p m Thursday following an argument, according to police records

B e t w e e n 7 a n d 8 p m , Cayea called his friend Jacob Ives, 34, of Newfield, while sitting in front of Ives’ apartment, police records state Ives described Cayea as “sobbing” and “breathing fast and heavy ”

UNIVERSITY

RESOURCES

Members of the Cornell community seeking support can call Gannett Health Services’ Counseling and Psychological Services (607255-5155), EARS’ peer counselors (607-2553277), the Faculty Staff Assistance Program (607-255-2673), the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) or

additional resources at http://caringcommunity cornell edu

Police then arrived at the Westview Terrace Apartments at 400 Triphammer Rd , just north of Cornell’s campus, where they found Jones without a pulse, according to police records She was pronounced dead at 8:48 p m at Cayuga Medical Center

While sitting in Jones’ car, Cayea admitted to his friend that he strangled her, Ives told police

“She would not stop coming at me, she would not stop yelling I did it; I choked her,” Cayea reportedly told Ives, police records state

After wards, Ives said he called the police

“I’m sorr y you guys have to d e a l w i t h t h i s , ” C a ye a t o l d officers, according to records “I’m sorr y your guys had to find her like that ” Jones was involved in the Violet Satellite Project Team of Prof Mason Peck, mechanical and aerospace engineering, according to an email sent to students in the engineering college She was also part of the Teszia Belly Dance Troupe on campus

Monday, December 1, 2014

Daybook

Today

Horticulture Seminar: Addressing the Needs of Amish And Mennonite Farming Communities 12:20 - 1:10 p m , 404 Plant Sciences Building

Dr Andrea Graham Seminar: “The Economics and Dynamics of Mammalian Immune Defense” 12:30 - 1:30 p m , A106 Corson/Mudd Hall

Engaged Learning + Research Associate Director Candidate Talk “Designing a Service-Learning Course” 12:30 - 1:30 p m , A106 Corson/Mudd Hall Diversity in the Classroom: Avoid Stereotypes, Reduce Bias in Grading And Understand Student Accommodations Noon - 1:30 p m , 401 Physical Sciences Building

Tomorrow

weather FORECAST

As the last week of classes comes to a close,

TUE

WED THU

FRI

Route 13 Closed During Peaceful Ferguson Protest

By ZOE FERGUSON Sun Senior Writer

Cornellians and local residents came together Tuesday night to hold a vigil and peaceful protest on the streets of Ithaca for Michael Brown, a black, unarmed teenager shot by police in Missouri in August

Last Monday, a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, decided not to press charges against Darren Wilson, a white police officer, for fatally shooting the 18-year-old Brown during a confrontation on Aug 9, The New York Times reported

In light of the decision, scores of students and Ithacans met in front of the Tompkins County Courthouse on North Tioga Street Tuesday evening to hold a vigil for Brown

Over 100 people were present at the vigil titled “We Stand With Ferguson and Mike Brown the Day After the Grand Jury,” which started out as a “calm, peaceful and contemplative” forum, according to WHCU Radio

After candlelit speeches and prayers, the vigil evolved into a nonviolent protest that blocked traffic in parts of Ithaca and for about an hour shut down Route 13

Cornellians who attended said the protest was peaceful and not disruptive

Jessica Eustace grad said she believes the vigil was not “hijacked” by angry protesters, but that the demonstration evolved naturally as “ an emotional process ”

“I didn’t go expecting it to be just a vigil and neither did the girl I went with,” Eustace said “I know a lot of people are just as angry as I am, and the only way to show that is to be disruptive We didn’t aim to hurt anyone We aimed to stop traffic ”

Eustace said the demonstration was mostly centered around grief, though anger surrounding Brown’s death played a major part in the protest

“I would characterize it as emotional, and I believe all that happened reflected that,” Eustace said “What I mean by that is that it started with a vigil so everyone could process their grief ”

Eustace said she believes the American police force is a “racist” institution

In memory

“Black children are being killed by police officers and they face no consequences, ” she said “As a result, we are angry How could we not be when we can see how racist an institution the police [are] in the United States?”

Though the protest evolved to include expressions of anger, the vigil was initially calm

Kendra Bartell ’12 said demonstrators came together at the beginning of the vigil to talk collaboratively

“I was there from 5 until around 6:30, and in that time we started off by gathering at the courthouse and making signs or lighting candles,” Bartell said “We then circled up and listened to some informal leaders share, who then invited members from the crowd to share both opinions and, later, ideas for change ”

Ujuonu Nwizu ’17 said the protest was an opportunity for the Cornell and Ithaca communities to “ come together ”

“I believe the protest was peaceful overall,” Nwizu said “It was a time for some members of the community to come together and recognize the continuation of events that center around anti-blackness and police brutality across the nation ”

Prof Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, English, said she was

drawn to attend the protest due to her “sadness over the death of an 18-year-old child ”

“My interest in Michael Brown’s shooting stems from the fact that I am a concerned citizen of these United States,” she said “I believe every citizen should be concerned with how this case was handled ”

She said that the Ithaca protest was not out of hand, but rather an expression of “justifiable” anger

“What I did not see was anyone trying to make a splash,” Van Clief-Stefanon said “I saw citizens from across the Ithaca community representing local citizenry, Ithaca College and Cornell coming together to mourn, but also expressing anger and outrage and justifiable indignation, while searching for solutions ”

According to Bartell, the vigil “peacefully” expanded from the sidewalk outside the courthouse into the street and kept traffic blocked on that section of the street

“While I was there, there were a large number of us in the center of [North Tioga Street] in front of the courthouse in a large circle, respectfully and calmly sharing our experi-

Cornell Civil Rights Activist Earns Posthumous Honor

By OLIVIA LUTWAK Sun Staff Writer

President Barack Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the families of the late civil rights activists

James Earl Chaney, Andre w Goodman and Michael “Mickey” Schwerner ’61 last Monday Go

Goodman ’35 Chaney and Schwerner

Equality to educate and register AfricanAmerican voters The three men were slain by members of the Ku Klux Klan in Philadelphia, Mississippi on June 21, 1964

“ courage ” of the young men, who all died in their twenties

“In that Freedom Summer, these three Americans refused to sit on the sidelines Their br utal murder shook the conscience of our nation,” Obama said “ While they are often remembered for how they died, we honor them today for how they lived ” In honor of these men, the Student Assembly last semester voted in suppor t of the creation of an outdoor memorial for the activists, The Sun previously repor ted The memorial would supplement an existing stained-glass window in S

C

d i n 1 9 9 1 b y

Schwerner’s own graduating class

Bill Schechter ’68, coordinator of the memorial project, said that the medal helps to “publicize” the men ’ s role in the Civil Rights Movement

“As someone who taught this period for many years, I was glad to read of the award because it ser ves as a reminder of a great movement that changed our countr y and our university,” Schechter said “ C o r n e l l i s a d i f f e r e n t p l a c e t o d a y because of what happened then ”

Schechter added that he believes the memorial project still has a long way to go, and a great amount of money still needs to be raised However, he said he hopes that the attention these men have received from the White House will help give the project more publicity “ These three young men of differ-

e n t r a c e s , r e l i g i o n s a n d r e g i o n s joined together to make our countr y a better place,” he said “ Two of them had strong connections to Cornell We want current students to be inspired by their exemplar y commitment to democracy,

justice and citizenship We want ever yone on campus to be reminded ever y day that this kind of commitment has long been a Cornell s t u d e n t t r a d ition ” B e f o r e h i s closing remarks, O b a m a n o t e d the men ’ s commitment to justice by acknowle d g i n g t h e a ctivists’ families

“ J

not have known the impact they would have on the Civil Rights Mo v e m e n t o r on future gen-

Wilson Did Not Receive Severance Package Reports Show Drop In Thanksgiving Sales

NEW YORK (AP) Black Friday fatigue is setting in Early discounting, more online shopping and a mixed economy meant fewer people shopped over Thanksgiving weekend, the National Retail Federation said Sunday

Overall, 133 7 million people shopped in stores and online over the four-day weekend, down 5 2 percent from last year, according to a survey of 4,631 people conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics for the trade group

Total spending for the weekend is expected to fall 11 percent to $50 9 billion from an estimated $57 4 billion last year, the trade group estimated

Part of the reason is that Target, J C Penney, Macy’s, Wal-Mart and other major retailers pushed fat discounts as early as Halloween Some opened stores even earlier on Thanksgiving All that stole some thunder from Black Friday and the rest of the weekend

Still, the preliminary data makes retailers worried that shoppers remain frugal despite improving employment and falling gas prices

Matt Shay, the trade group ’ s CEO, said he thinks people benefiting from the recovery may not feel the need to fight crowds to get the deepest discount on a TV or toaster And those who feel like the recession never ended may not have the money and will stretch out what they spend through Christmas

And shoppers are still feeling the effects of high food prices and stagnant wages

"While they're more optimistic, they're very cautious," Shay said "If the deals are not right for them, they're not going to spend "

Bottom line: Expect more deep discounts, all season long

FERGUSON, Mo (AP) Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson did not receive a severance package when he resigned over the weekend, the St Louis suburb’s mayor said Sunday

Wilson, 28, won ’ t receive any further pay or benefits, and he and the city have cut their ties, Mayor James Knowles told reporters a day after Wilson tendered his resignation, which was effective immediately

Wilson, who is white, had been on administrative leave since he killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, during an Aug 9 confrontation A grand jur y decided Monday not to indict him, sparking days of sometimes violent protests in Ferguson and other cities

Wilson wrote in his resignation letter that his “continued employment may put the residents and police officers of the City of Ferguson at risk, which is a circumstance I cannot allow ”

Associated Press that Wilson decided to step aside after police Chief Tom Jackson told him about the alleged threats on Saturday

“ The information we had was that there would be actions targeting the Ferguson [police] department or buildings in Ferguson related to the police depar tment, ” Br untrager said He said Wilson, who had worked for the department for less than three years, and the city were already dis-

Wilson staying on as an officer there would be impossible

Many have criticized the authorities’ handling of the case, but Knowles said no leadership

changes were in the works Asked if he would resign, Jackson said flatly, “No ” Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Brown’s family, said Wilson’s resignation was not a surprise

“It was always believed that the police officer would do what was in his best interest, both personally and professionally,” Crump said “ We didn ’ t believe that he would be able to be effective for the Ferguson community nor the Ferguson Police Department because of the tragic circumstances that claimed the life of Michael Brown Jr ”

Crump said the family is still considering civil litigation such as a wrongful death lawsuit, “but don’t let that get confused with the fact that they really wanted the killer of their child to be held accountable ”

Vi

believed Wilson should have not only resigned, but been convicted of a crime

“

It could've been him I feel that he was absolutely in the wrong, ” she said

Others residents were more sympathetic Reed Voorhees said he hoped Wilson could find similar work “someplace where he would enjoy life, and move on with his life ”

Wilson has spent his career as a police officer, first in neighboring Jennings, then in Ferguson Bruntrager said it’s all he’s ever wanted to do

“In terms of what it [the resignation] means, it means at this point he doesn’t have a paycheck,” Bruntrager said “He has no income so he'll have to make some decisions pretty quickly ”

Attendees Say Vigil Was ‘Peaceful,’ Police Presence

‘Respectful’

FERGUSON

Continued from page 3

ences, ideas and responses, while a much smaller number of people stood at the edge of the street to partition our area, ” Bartell said Attendees said that police intervention at the protest was minimal and “respectful” to protesters

“The candlelight vigil itself was peaceful,” Sierra Murray ’17 said “The police had little involvement until people began blocking the intersections ”

Bartell and Eustace echoed Murray’s comments, saying the police did not directly intervene until protesters reached Route 13 and began blocking traffic

“While I was present, the police arrived and respectfully kept their distance while we were holding the vigil around the courthouse,” Bartell said Nwizu said she left before police actively intervened but saw police acting to protect protesters, contrary to reports of police assaults on demonstrators

“I did leave early out of a concern for my safety, but while I was there, the police directed traffic to allow protesters to protest safely,” Nwizu said Van Clief-Stefanon said she thought the Ithaca Police Department’s treatment of the protest was professional and drew a contrast between the scene in Ithaca Tuesday night and tense protests in Ferguson between civilians and police

“I saw the Ithaca Police doing a fine job of trying to redirect the traffic and officers expressing concern for everyone ’ s safety,” she said “I saw John Barber in a hoodie not a uniform, definitely not riot gear calmly asking people to step out of the street I saw examples of civil disobedience, of community building, and of civil servant professionalism, all of which, I think, it is important for us as a nation to maintain ”

Zoe Ferguson can be reached at zferguson@cornellsun com

Shannon Jones Murdered At Cayuga Heights Home Last Week, Police Say

Continued from page 1

Skorton offered his condolences

“ O n b e h a l f o f t h e e n t i re Cornell community, I extend our h e a r t f e l t c o n d o l e n c e s t o Shannon’s mother and brother, her family and friends,” Skorton said “I ask that you join me in taking time over the coming days to remember Shannon as we all tr y to make sense of this deep loss for our community ”

“ With our campus closed and many of us away from Ithaca as we learn of this sad ne ws, I encourage you to reach out to others for suppor t and please know that you can access our

counseling resources at a distance, ” he added

A community support meeting is planned for Monday and will be held at 4:30 p m in the Upson Hall lounge

“Please keep Shannon’s mother, brother and family, as well as her friends in your thoughts and p r a y e r s d u r i n g t h i s d i f f i c u l t time,” College of Engineering Dean Lance Collins said in an email

C a y e a w i l l a p p e a r i n t h e Village of Cayuga Heights Court on Tuesday at 6 p m , according to police

Tyler Alicea can be reached at managing-editor@cornellsun com

Returning from Thanksgiving Break, students arrive at their dormitories

At Cornell , Jones Was Member

Of Project Team, Belly Dance Troupe

Continued from page 1

team aims to launch Violet, a nanosatellite, next year According to Peck, Jones was part of the Attitude Control System team, “whose responsibilities involved designing how the Violet satellite moves ”

“Recently, [ Jones] was involved in testing the spacecraft’s Star Tracker, which is an instrument that takes photos of the stars and figures out the orientation of the spacecraft,” Peck said “It’s similar to how ships at sea navigate using the stars ”

Abhiram Sundaram ’14, who initially helped to recruit Jones for the project team, said she was a “brilliant” inter viewer who was a “key player” on the team

“I picked out her resume and application from a pile of almost a hundred others because her passion towards space exploration was the strongest, ” he said “I still remember the day I first met her she was incredibly curious and interested in our subsystem’s star tracker She is the one who was eventually able to get it to work ” Jones helped to test much of the projects’ hardware and also aided in writing the flight software, according to Sundaram

“I was amazed at how much she cared about building our satellite properly and getting all the pieces to work together,” he said “She was constantly writing, debugging and updating our code This will be the code that will eventually fly our satellite ”

Debarghya Das ’14, who was on the same subteam as Jones, said Jones’ happiness brought the team together

“As a part of a team of ver y soft-spoken physics, math and computer science students, her constant rapture really helped the whole team open up and be much more than just team-mates, ” Das said “As I look through her pictures in memor y, I strug-

gle to find one where she’s not smiling And that’s exactly how I remember her ” Jones was also a “creative” and “independent” thinker, according to Peck

“Her enthusiasm for space also would have helped her become successful as a NASA engineer some day,” he said

Pe c k a d d e d t h a t m a n y s t u d e n t s h a v e approached him expressing their shock about Jones’ death

“One [student] mentioned that she could not have made it through Cornell without Shannon’s support, ” he said “[Her] generosity of spirit and eagerness to be part of a community of creative people inspired the people around her ”

In addition to her work on Violet, Jones was a m e m b e r o f t h e Te s z i a B e l l y D a n c e Tr o u p e

Members of the dance group remembered Jones as a friendly and happy person

“Shannon was the kind of girl that you would feel comfortable relaxing in a coffee shop with on a lazy Saturday She had a ver y warm, laid-back and quirky personality that made her a lot of fun to be around,” said Angi Lindsay ’17, a member of Teszia

Su n d a r a m w h o re m e m b e re d Jo n e s a s

“incredibly lively” and “ ver y personal” said she was always eager to learn and “had great respect for people's advice and suggestions ”

“She loved her teammates as both co-workers and as people and understood the importance of collaboration,” Sundaram said “Shannon truly embodies the Cornellian characteristics of optimism, devotion, perseverance, friendship and hard work ”

The College of Engineering will host a community support meeting on Monday at 4:30 p m in the Upson Hall lounge

Annie Bui contributed reporting to this stor y

Sofia Hu can be reached at shu@cornellsun com

Independent Since 1880

132ND EDITORIAL BOARD

HALEY VELASCO 15 Editor in Chief

CATHERINE CHEN ’15

Business Manager

CAROLINE FLAX 15

Associate Editor

NICK DE TULLIO 15

Web Editor

RACHEL ELLICOTT 15

Blogs Editor

ELIZABETH SOWERS ’15

Design Editor

CONNOR ARCHARD ’15

Sports Photography Editor

ANNIE BUI ’16

News Editor

KAITLYN TIFFANY 15

Arts & Entertainment Editor

KATHLEEN BITTER 15 Science Editor

CHARDAE VARLACK 15

Associate Multimedia Editor

EMILY BERMAN 16

Assistant Sports Editor

NICOLE HAMILTON ’16

Graphic Design Editor

EMMA LICHTENSTEIN ’16

Marketing Manager

LUISE YANG ’15

Human Resources Manager

ARIELLE CRUZ ’15 Senior Editor

MICHELLE FELDMAN ’15

Senior Editor

TYLER ALICEA ’16 Managing Editor

ZACH STEELE 15 Advertising Manager

SCOTT CHIUSANO 15 Sports Editor

ALEX REHBERG 16

Editor

KELLY YANG ’15 News Photography Editor

NOAH RANKIN ’16 City Editor

ANUSHKA MEHROTRA ’16

SEAN DOOLITTLE 16 Arts & Entertainment Editor

XIAO 16 Dining Editor

SYDNEY ALTSCHULER 16

Editor

FASMAN 16

Editor

MANU RATHORE ’15 Outreach Coordinator

KATHLEEN SHIM ’15 Social Media Manager

CHRISTOPHER UHLER 15 The Spot Manager

ALEXA DAVIS 16 Senior Editor

LEVY 16 Senior Editor

JAYNE ZUREK 16 Senior Editor

WORKING ON TODAY’S SUN

PHOTO EDITOR Kelly Yang ’15

ARTS EDITORS Sean Doolittle 16 Kaitlyn Tiffany 15

NEWS DESKER Annie Bui ’16

SPORTS EDITOR Scott Chiusano ’15

DESIGN DESKER Elizabeth Sowers 15 Jayant Mukhopadhaya 15

Asking the Community To Reach Out

C o l l e g e o f En g i n e e r i n g , d i e d o n T h u r s d

u n d a t t h e b o t t o m o f t h e Fa l l Cre e k

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Kenneth I. Clarke, Sr. | Guest Room

What Did Ezra Mean By Nonsectarian?

Inlight of Cornell’s recent Sesquicentennial kickoff, the 85th anniversary of Cornell United Religious Work in 2014 and the 140th anniversary of Sage Chapel in 2015, the above question has particular relevance

Nonsectarianism, so central to the Cornell identity it is included in the University’s charter, is oft-misunderstood or unappreciated Ezra Cornell’s remarks on Oct 7, 1868 the University’s Inauguration Day clarify that nonsectarian did not mean nonreligious: “It shall be our aim, and our constant effort to make true Christian men, without dwarfing or pairing them down to fit the narrow gauge of any sect ”

Ezra’s remarks must be understood in their 19th century context Mainline protestant Christianity was the pervasive expression of American religious life; its influence permeated American culture, including higher education Additionally, men constituted Cornell’s student populace at its inception even as Cornell and President Andrew Dickson White planned for the inclusion of women

Ezra Cornell intentionally established the University’s Christian character to blunt an ascending chorus of criticism The “bold nonsectarianism,” wrote Morris Bishop, of the bill introduced on Feb 7, 1865 by then-New York State Senator A D White, signed into law on April 27 of that year Charter Day, which we will celebrate this coming April to establish Cornell as the state ’ s land-grant university became “ a signal for war ” East Hill was assailed as atheistic, “the godless institution,” “Infidel Cornell” and worse Its refusal to submit students or faculty to sectarian dogma or proofs of Christian loyalty; and that its first president was a scholar and not a preacher (vocations that are not necessarily mutually exclusive!) placed Cornell in the crosshairs of caustic critics

Nonsectarianism, however, served several secular purposes: to attract the best students; ensure the academic freedom of professors in the search for truth, unrestrained by religious doctrine or political ideology and to ensure, as Carol Kammen asserts, that no trustee, professor or student would be accepted or rejected based on religious or political convictions

Nonsectarianism created a prospective openness to other faith communities This was, as Kammen noted, a university “established by a government that recognized no distinction in religious belief, and by citizens who held many different views ” Further, New York State’s public schools included students “without prejudice or preference to any denominational affiliation ” White used the public school example in defense of Cornell’s nonsectarianism in a State Senate hearing about University finances in 1874, which included inquiries about Henry Sage’s gift to build a chapel

It was in Sage Chapel where receptivity to other religious communities first manifested, in the weekly nonsectarian worship service held from 1875 to 2008 White began a 143year tradition of inviting “the most eminent divines obtainable, of all faiths” to preach at the Chapel “All faiths” to White included “Catholic or Jewish,” which is not quite “all faiths ” Yet this was a rare ecumenical and interfaith public statement for the 1870s

Cornell’s nascent nonsectarianism was, in the words of Protestant theologian Paul Tillich, a sign pointing to something beyond itself: a forthcoming religious inclusivity In 1896, Rabbi Emil Hirsch, a historic figure in Reform Judaism, was the first of his faith to preach in Sage Chapel In 1929 Cornell United Religious Work became the first intentionally interfaith organization on a major U S campus CURW evolved from the for-

mer Cornell University Christian Association, founded in 1868, and is now an umbrella for 28 diverse religious communities

Nonsectarian also denoted the University’s refusal to affiliate with a Protestant denomination “Sect” currently refers to dissident offshoots of an established religion or denomination Ezra Cornell and A D White, however, interpreted sectarianism as Protestant denominational identity Cornell wanted to avoid a sectarianism that would undermine the aspirational vision of “ any person, any study ”

Sectarianism was what Ezra Cornell considered the greatest threat to his University A year before his death he composed a letter, recovered from the cornerstone of Sage Hall in 1997 Dated May 15, 1873, Cornell penned: “ the principle [sic] danger I see in the future is that which may arise from sectarian strife From these halls, sectarianism must be forever excluded, all students must be left free to worship God, as their concience [sic] shall dictate, and all persons of any creed or all creeds must find free and easy access, and a hearty and equal welcome, to the educational facilities possessed by the Cornell University ” Cornell’s identity distinguished it from many institutions but was not an unprecedented nonsectarianism Bishop writes that older institutions shunned “religious tests, ” or adherence to the doctrine of a denomination or church body Cornell may have been inspired, Bishop believes, by Union College’s 1795 charter, prohibiting majority representation of its trustees from one religious sect Yet Cornell’s explicit nonsectarianism and White’s provocative defense of it in his inaugural address was singled out in the animated animosity of its sectarian enemies

Yet, as Victor Hugo wrote, “All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come ” The idea of a nonsectarian Cornell was of longer lasting, more inclusive effect than its censure The idea projected a future when the American religious landscape would be transformed by the landmark 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act, opening the nation’s borders for increased immigration and a more visible and vigorous religious diversity

Cornell’s nonsectarianism is an idea that at times during its history has been in tension with the realities of religious practice Yet, as Barack Obama reminded us in his landmark speech on race during his 2008 presidential candidacy, that the creation of a “ more perfect union” is a work in progress, so too is Cornell’s nonsectarian idea Nonsectarianism is a foundation on which a superstructure of pluralism can be built

Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith Youth Core which promotes interfaith cooperation on college campuses cites Harvard comparative religions scholar Diana Eck’s distinction between diversity and pluralism: “Where diversity is a fact,” Patel avers, “pluralism is an achievement ” Pluralism is “deliberative and positive engagement of diversity; building strong bonds between people from different backgrounds ” Therefore, the pluralism implicated by nonsectarian identity does not dilute one ’ s religion or seek to hybridize religions Instead, as a former CURW colleague once said, pluralism means “ to strengthen the self through engagement with the other ” This is a vision CURW seeks to fulfill as a contemporary response to the question, “What did Ezra mean by nonsectarian?”

Kenneth I Clarke Sr is Director of Cornell United Religious Work He can be reached at kic2@cornell edu Gu e s t Ro o m appears periodically this semester

A ‘Serial’ Obsession

SinceOctober 3, I have been obsessed with a murder I am not alone in my obsession over one million Americans join me every week to eagerly learn about new shreds of information and scraps of evidence about this crime It is not from an episode of Law & Order, and it is not from the next up-and-coming murder mystery novel It is a real, horrible crime that resulted in real consequences for real people

The vehicle of my obsession is “Serial ” In case you have not yet heard about the show from your friends who fervently discuss it every Thursday morning, “Serial” is a new podcast from the producers of This American Life one of the most celebrated radio programs in the country While This American Life tells multiple stories fitting into one theme for every episode, “Serial” tells one story over the course of many episodes

The story in question is the murder of Hae Min Lee, an 18-year-old girl who was killed near her Baltimore high school in January of 1999 Hae’s exboyfriend, Adnan Syed, was eventually charged with and convicted of her murder He has been serving a life sentence in a Maryland prison ever since, despite avidly maintaining his innocence for the past fifteen years “Serial” was born when a friend of Adnan’s sought the investigative journalism skills of Sarah Koenig, a producer from This American Life, to prove that a conviction in the case was unwarranted

As the story has unfolded week by week over the past two months, I constantly find myself considering the facts of the case The details of the crime itself are so incredibly murky that every time new evidence and testimonies and pieces of information are provided, my opinions on the case flip-flop completely One week, I will be convinced that Adnan was unjustly thrown into prison as an innocent man The next, I will be convinced that he is a psychopath who deserves to be in jail

In order to fuel my quest for the truth, I have taken my obsession with “Serial” a bit further than most fans I have pressured my friends into listening to the podcast, and then picked their brains for discussion I have pored over court documents in the public record I have read all of the crazy theories on Reddit (“Jay did it! Sarah Koenig did it! The Mail Kimp did it!”) Ultimately, I have determined that we might not ever know what truly happened to Hae Min Lee, because whoever knows exactly what happened is undoubtedly lying about it

Sensationalizing crime is an extremely negat characteristic of American media, and one th often pays more attention to the perpetrator the crime rather than the victim.

Web

Comm en t of the day

“If you feel Cornell charges too much, then perhaps you should not have gone there. You must have felt that the advantages of Cornell significantly outweighed the advantages of less expensive schools.”

Tree Top

Re: “ TRUSTEE VIEWPOINT: Making a Gift to Cornell,” Opinion published November 25, 2014

A Geezer’s Diatribe

SomeSome in the “Serial”-obsessed community worry that the story will not have a definitive ending, and that the entire show is just an in-depth contemplation on the nature of truth Despite my hope for an ultimate conclusion on who committed the murder, I don’t think that using “Serial” as a vehicle of discussion for topics other than this particular crime would be a bad move on the part of the creators

Because “Serial” is not about just one crime The show spins a concerning tale of the broken American justice system and how it sometimes causes more damage than good Many legal experts have expressed their shock that Adnan was ever convicted of Hae’s murder, since physical and DNA evidence were practically nonexistent in the case Some theorists suspect that the Baltimore police did not even care if the right person went to jail as long as they got a conviction in the case

While some of these opinions are more cynical than most, we must consider the fact that the United States’ criminal justice system is deeply flawed

Although the United States is home to only five percent of the world’s population, it houses almost 25 percent of the world’s prisoners While many of these individuals do indeed deserve a period of penance for their crimes, there are too many among America’s prison population that do not deserve to be there The mere existence of organizations like the Innocence Project, which is currently investigating Adnan Syed’s case, shows that the American justice system does not always get it right

This is not to say that the hardworking people of the United States’ police departments, district attorney offices and correctional facilities are trying to put innocent people in prison Nonetheless, our country ’ s legal processes and laws must be amended to prevent this from happening Former Washington, D C detective Jim Trainum stated on “Serial” that typical procedure for criminal investigations is not necessarily focused on finding out the truth about what happened, but rather focused on building the best possible case This is an example of a practice that could lead to false convictions

But let us also not forget the victim, who deserves justice more so than anyone Hae Min Lee was not only a real person, but an exceptional person A star student and athlete, Hae was well loved by her friends and family She was known by all for her quick wit and sparkling smile What happened to Hae was a terrible crime, and I think that many in the “Serial” fandom tend to forget that fact Sensationalizing crime is an extremely negative characteristic of American media, and one that often pays more attention to the perpetrator of the crime rather than the victim Whether or not Adnan is guilty or innocent is not the most important question that “Serial” asks; the question most direly in need of an answer is whether or not Hae has received justice

Overall, “Serial” is a new type of cultural phenomenon In an age when many say that broadcast journalism and media are fading away, the podcast has brought new life to the field “Serial,” unlike many crime stories, has forced its listeners to confront uncomfortable facts about the nature of crime, justice and truth I know for sure that my obsession won ’ t be ending any time soon, and if I’ve convinced you to listen to “Serial,” yours won ’ t be either

time ago, 900ish words wiped out work as a contender for priority in my mind They continue to encroach on sleep’s territor y, handily winning each battle Writing refuses to release its grip on me, though I should have foreseen my newfound obsession with these little printed symbols Whatever discontent led me to write about love of all people, or happiness, did not die with the birth of any one piece Expecting a few columns to placate my thoughts was a fool’s prospect For tunately, about 27,000 more words separate me from graduation

All other forms of expression aspire to wield the power of words Using an image, the ar tist becomes a stor yteller Using an instrument, the singer channels a poet Using a little of everything, the filmmaker imitates an author Words reach into your brain and like dreams defy the laws of reality But unlike a dream, which dissipates rapidly when you wake up, words do not go away A book cannot be unread; a speech cannot be unheard

just jump right into what happened

One day, our instr uctor began reading a shor t stor y about two men As if hell-bent on validating the negative stereotypes about inattentive young people, my fellow student immediately whipped out his phone He probably absorbed zero percent of the story ’ s intended message What was the message, you ask? One man approached ever ything with a positive and engaged attitude, and ended the day happy and productive His experiences did not differ in any way from the other man, who gre w increasingly cynical, frustrated and disinterested as the day progressed The irony of my fellow student’s apathy, particularly in the context of the above story, left me dumbfounded and livid

We’re not talking about a huge lecture, where you can hide behind large numbers We’re not even talking about an obligatory section, where per-

However, I am a firm believer that everything and I mean absolutely everything happens for a reason.

Naturally, great writers use words to garner empathy and attention from those who read them For me personally, writers embody a need to address paucity Writers can tap into latent potential, and unveil all those thoughts and scenarios few people possess the courage to articulate out loud They constantly seek to fill some perceived void in pre-existing art, simultaneously inspiring and being inspired Every author, ideally, should add fresh perspective, broaden the creative scope of possibilities, or increase intellectual depth

Words are the best outlet for writers, and for old souls like me who sit around all day spewing complaints at anyone who’ll listen On that note, I would like to shift from the topic of words and actually put them to good use If my tone resembles that of a critical old man, I don’t apologize The column has a title for a reason, and my tirade begins with a kid in my Relaxation and Stress Management course So let’s

colleges And that’s not some bullshit I concocted; people are studying this change, as well as its ramifications for success and well-being I’m not an expert on the subject, so I should take a moment to credit some of the people who have most recently informed my opinions or inspired me to speak on them

They include, but are far from limited to: Lewis; Amanda, the instructor of my Meditation class; Shawn Achor, who speaks on positive psychology; Jay, the kindest facilities worker you’ll ever meet and Hazel, the sweetest dining hall greeter ever, who has taken great pains to memorize and pronounce my name

Back to the issue at hand though What could have possibly been important enough to necessitate my peer ’ s actions?

Maybe the same kinds of priorities that cause people to care more about the extent of their social popularity than what they can accomplish here

haps you don’t always feel like being the active and excited participant in discussions He chose that class, I presume, with the intention of not caring Yet in his blatant disrespect of Lewis (our instructor), he also chose to waste money and time He misused someone else’s opportunity to actually learn how to relax and manage their stress

Too many students lack gratitude and awareness Awareness of other human beings, and of the world around them, and of the blessings conferred upon them I’m not religious enough to claim God put me here However, I am a firm believer that everything and I mean absolutely everything happens for a reason To that effect, not one second should be underappreciated Even a PE class that seems irrelevant in the grand scheme of things holds irreplaceable value

An unhealthy mentality shift has occurred within society, particularly in supposed bastions of intellectual engagement like

Speculation about things that don’t matter can consume your precious time on Earth I try not to concern myself with the thoughts of every perceived hateful individual, or every potential interaction or every possible critic I can only focus on how I respond to my most immediate surroundings

The more time you spend trying to bear the weight of the world, the less reasons you’ll find to be happy about the sliver of the world you do have access to My 900ish words are up today How an old man gained control of an opinion column, I’ll never know But like any old man, my words won ’ t stop coming until I’ve been rendered mute or die When death arrives, I hope I will have managed to not ruin anything I’ve touched If my brief existence actually had a positive impact on someone, even better I especially don’t want to have wasted my life on a phone

l ow s , a t a s n a i l’s p a c e , a s s h e f i l m s t h e p r o p o s , h e a d s t o

“ It’s t h e w o r s t t o r t u re i n t h e w o r l d , w a i t i n g w h e n

y o u k n ow t h e re i s n o t h i n g y o u c a n d o , ” Pre s i d e n t C o i n ( Ju l i a n n e Mo o re ) o f t h e 1 3 t h d i s t r i c t e x p l a i n s t o

K a t n i s s Ev e rd e e n ( Je n n i f e r L a w re n c e ) n e a r t h e e n d o f

T h e Hu n g e r Ga m e s : Mo c k i n g j a y Pa r t O n e Pre s i d e n t

C o i n c o u l d b e s p e a k i n g f o r t h e a u d i e n c e a s t h e f i r s t

h a l f o f a s i n g l e n ov e l , Mo c k i n g j a y d r a g s a n d l o o k s a t

s o m e r u b b l e a n d d r a g s a g a i n How e v e r, w h i l e t h i s m ov i e i s s l ow e r a n d l e s s i m p re s s i v e t h a n C a t c h i n g Fi re , i t s n e a k s u p o n y o u , w i t h a s u r p r i s i n g l y e l o q u e n t a n d

c y n i c a l l o o k a t g ov e r n m e n t s , m ov e m e n t s a n d , u l t i -

m a t e l y, re v o l u t i o n s , m a k i n g i t a m u c h m o re t h o u g h t f u l f i l m t h a n t h e y o u n g a d u l t g e n re w o u l d n o r m a l l y s u g -

g e s t Mo c k i n g j a y o p e n s o n K a t n i s s a n d a v a r i e t y o f h e r c l o s e c o m p a n i o n s a f t e r h a v i n g b e e n re s c u e d a n d t a k e n

t o Di s t r i c t 1 3 , w h i c h h a s s e t t l e d e n t i re l y u n d e r g r o u n d a f t e r i n c e s s a n t b o m b i n g b y t h e C a p i t o l 7 5 y e a r s p r i o r

A s K a t n i s s b e g i n s t o re g a i n h e r f a c i l i t i e s , s h e i s a s k e d

b y Pre s i d e n t C o i n a n d f o r m e r g a m e m a s t e r P l u t a r c h

He a v e n s b e e ( P h i l l i p Se y m o u r Ho f f m a n ) t o a c t a s a s y m b o l f o r t h e re v o l u t i o n , a p p e a r i n g i n p r o p a g a n d a

v i d e o s ( o r “ Pr o p o s , ” a s He a v e n s b e e c a l l s t h e m ) t o h e l p

r a l l y s u p p o r t t h r o u g h o u t t h e d i s t r i c t s T h e f i l m f o l -

b o m b e d - o u t d i s t r i c t s a n d re p e a t e d l y e x p re s s e s c o n c e r n f o r Pe e t a ( Jo s h Hu t c h e r s o n ) , w h o h a s b e e n l e f t b e h i n d a n d i s u s e d b y t h e C a p i t o l’s p r o p a g a n d a a s a c o u n t e r t o K a t n i s s T h e t r a n s i t i o n f r o m t h e f o c u s b e i n g o n a b u n c h o f t e e n s f i g h t i n g e a c h o t h e r t o t h e d e a t h t o a c o u p l e t e e n s s p a r r i n g v i a s o c i a l m e d i a i s a n a w k w a rd o n e f o r t h e f i l m m a k e r s Wi t h t h e v e r y o b v i o u s d e n i a l - t r a i n i n gf i g h t i n g - c l i m a x b u i l d u p o f t h e f i r s t t w o f i l m s w a s h e d a w a y, t h e f i l m i s l e f t s o m e w h a t f o r m l e s s a n d d i a l o g u e h e a v y T h e d i re c t o r ( Fr a n c i s L a w re n c e , re t u r n i n g f r o m

C a t c h i n g Fi re ) a n d w r i t e r s ( D a n n y St r o n g a n d Pe t e r

C r a i g ) s p l i c e i n a n o c c a s i o n a l f i g h t s c e n e , t r y i n g t o l i v e n u p t h e p r o c e e d i n g s b y s h ow c a s i n g re s i s t a n c e m ov e m e n t s o n t h e p a r t o f t h e o t h e r Di s t r i c t s W h a t w e s e e i s n o t s o m u c h b a d , a s i t i s i m p e r s o n a l a p a r t

Mockingjay Part One

Directed by Francis Lawrence Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

f r o m e m p a t h i z i n g w i t h t h e m a s a n o p p re s s e d c l a s s , t h e re i s n o c o n n e c t i o n m a d e b e t w e e n t h e re s i s t a n c e a n d t h e v i e w e r, o r e v e n t h e p r ot a g o n i s t s T h e y a r e j u s t m o re b l a n k , d i r t y f a c e s i n r a g g e d y c l o t h e s , g e t t i n g g u n n e d d o w n b y “ Pe a c e k e e p e r s ” R e p e a t e d l y, L a w r e n c e f l a s h e s l e n g t h y, d e t a i l e d s h o t s o f r u i n a n d d e s t r u ct i o n a n d d e a t h , l e s t y o u f o rg e t t h a t t h e d i s t r i c t s a r e o p p re s s e d a n d t h e C a p i t o l h e a v y - h a n d e d He s e e m s t o b e u s i n g s u c h r u i n p o r n a s a re p l a c e m e n t f o r t h e l u x u r io u s c o s t u m e s , m a k e u p a n d i m a g i n a t i v e a r e n a s t h a t

h e l p e d m a k e t h e p re v i o u s f i l m s s o i n v i g o r a t i n g It i s c o u n t e r p r o d u c t i v e t h o u g h h e d o e s n o t n e e d t o p r ov e t o t h e a u d i e n c e t h a t w a r i s d e s t r u c t i v e o r t h a t t h e C a p i t o l i s e v i l , h e n e e d s t o p r ov e t h a t t h e d i s t r i c t s a re h u m a n T h a t i s w h a t m a d e t h e f i r s t h o u r o f C a t c h i n g Fi re s o m e m o r a b l e t h e p re s e n c e o f p e o p l e a n d t h e i r re l a t i o n s h i p w i t h K a t n i s s m a d e t h e m ov i e f e e l l i k e

Meanwhile, the vie wer ’ s primar y interest is locked u n d e r g r

Mockingjay’ s greatest weakness is that it uses Jennifer Lawrence just like District 13 uses Katniss Everdeen as bait Gone is the confident, selfless warrior of the first two films Instead, we have bumbling, upset and confused Katniss with a rather intolerable mar tyr complex, insistent on reminding ever yone that she was intent on ensuring that Peeta would make it safely out of the Games Her willingness to be sacrificed stops being becoming and star ts being simply annoying I found her detoxing alcoholic mentor Haymitch Abernathy ( Woody Harrelson) to be the most likable character in the whole movie, simply because he at least resembles a human being, flaws and attributes alike How e v e r, t

s t r i c t 1 3 i s n e v e r e x p l i c i t l y e x p l a i n e d , b u t h e i s d i sp l a y e d a s b e i n g i n t h e v e r y i n n e r c i r c l e o f Di s t r i c t 1 3 , a l w a y s a d v i s i n g a n d s p e a k i n g w i t h Pre s i d e n t C o i n He d o e s n o t d i s p l a y e m p a t h y o r s p e a k a b o u t m o r a l i t y o r t h e p e o p l e o f t h e d i s t r i c t s h e m e re l y s e e m s i n t e n t o n d e f e a t i n g t h e C a p i t a l It i s o b v i o u s t h a t He a v e n s b e e d o e s n o t a c t u a l l y c a re a b o u t K a t n i s s o r Pe e t a o r, re a l l y, a n y o n e T h e y a re s y mb o l s a n d s t r a t e g i c p o i n t s , m e a n s o f p o l i t i c a l a d v a n c em e n t Ev e n C o i n f a l l s u n d e r h i s t h u m b , w i t h He a v e n s b e e s h ow n o f f t o t h e s i d e , m o u t h i n g t h e w o rd s t o a s p e e c h s h e i s d e l i v e r i n g i n o n e t e l l i n g s h o t Wa t c h i n g Mo c k i n g j a y t h e s a m e w e e k t h a t p e o p l e , c a ta l y z e d t o s o m e e x t e n t b y m e d i a b u i l d - u p, a c t i v i s t s a n d c e l e b r i

Arts Around Ithaca

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory w/ Chocolate Soiree 8:00

Nick Offerman

7:30 p m on Friday at Bailey Hall

The Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company

8:00 p m on Saturday at Kennedy Hall

Aziz Ansari Amy Poehler Ed Helms Yes, these are names They are also just a few of the hilarious alumni of the Upright Citizens Brigade improv comedy group The Whistling Shrimp, Skits-O-Phrenics, Humor Us! Sketch Comedy and Pants

But Not Quite are bringing the UCB touring company to Cornell for a night of comedy and hijinks

Tickets are $5 and are available by email at shrimp@cornell edu

The Vombit: Or, There and Frat Again

For my final column of the year (“face with a single tear ” emojis everywhere, I know) I m not going to pester you about the vacuity of American society, or mansplain to you all the reasons Flying Lotus should be worshipped as a deity It’s non-denominational holiday season, and I have no more patience for half thought-out think pieces There is too much good cheer at stake Instead, I want to tell a story a parable, really about something I stupidly decided to do with some friends a few weekends ago Here’s what you need to know before I break down the sequence of events, “Serial”-style (Sarah Koenig, if you ’ re reading this, know that you are my rock):

I like Lord of the Rings

I am easily persuaded

Because of the above, when a friend asked me to participate in a “Walk to Mordor” challenge, which entails finishing a case of 30 beers while watching all three Lord of the Rings films, I immediately accepted

The details of my notes and my recollection of what occurred precipitously drop in quality after the first few hours of The Fellowship of the Ring

I tried to prepare I got eight hours of sleep I meditated I even researched (Some veterans of the walk recommend starting slow and drinking consistently throughout the films; others recommended a full-on sprint to Mount Doom, which, in this metaphor, is a garbage can The only consistent advice is don’t do this challenge ”) But nothing could prepare me for the drama, the absurdity, and the indigestion that I was to experience

November 12, 2014 Names have been changed to protect the innocent Do not attempt any of the feats described at home

1:10: I meet my two fellow participants (let’s call them Rob and Will) in Rob’s bedroom, where the first of the films is queued up Rob knows a ton of LOTR trivia and tells people he is a vampire when he gets too drunk Will, my roommate, is organized to a fault his notebooks look like they were written in Microsoft Word’s “handwriting” font but acts like an infant when under the influence I am in my outfit of choice for days when I don’t plan on moving: a gray sweatsuit and slippers We begin

1:17: Bilbo smokes from a magical pipe with his old friend Gandalf He declares that he has the “finest weed in South Farthing,” and I remember that revelry is huge in the Shire This makes me feel better about drinking during the movie the characters are drunk half the time, anyway The Walk to Mordor hasn’t yet commenced on screen, but we are well on are way, having chosen the “sprint” approach to this challenge

1:25: Samwise Gamgee is caught “dropping eaves ” on a conversation about the danger of the One Ring Rob realizes that Sean Astin, who plays this faithful gardener, also played Rudy in Rudy, which leads to a Rudy

Without further ado, here is my subjective and probably heavily exaggerated recollection of what happened But first, some further ado:

The following events occurred between the hours of 1:00 p m and 11:00 p m on

chant (“Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!”) These are the good times; the happy times Soon, our joy will turn to ash

2:00: Steven Tyler’s daughter makes an appearance as an elf I am still sober enough to remember that Armageddon is a really shitty movie

3:00: On screen, Gandalf tells the Balrog, a terrifying, fire-whip-wielding monster, that he, “ cannot pass!!!!!!!” Off screen, we all urinate in unison

3:25: I fall asleep

4:45: I wake up, and things have spiraled out of control

1:40: In Isengard, Saruman tries to recruit Gandalf to the Lord of the Rings equivalent of the “Dark Side,” but they fail to come to a diplomatic agreement acceptable to both parties and an old man fight occurs This old man fight disappoints us all Rob tells us that he knows a guy who got arrested for beating up the elderly We all agree that this is a horrible crime We return to the movie after some further discussion of the ethics of old man fights

After this point, events begin to get really hazy A few major ones stick out At one point, an onlooker of our quest challenges its merit, and Rob threatens to crush [his] throat” while falling on his face At another, a fire-breathing battering ram threatens to break Rohan’s defenses and doom the realm of men; Will, in a stupor, compares it to his manhood Here are my iPhone notes from this time:

“Ghengis Khan Fuck yeah Lion King Your knee looks like a face Orcs Orcas?” So, that’s it After 10 hours and a little over half of a case, I had failed to successfully walk to Mordor And, quite frankly, I regretted trying If I learned anything from this experience, it is that moderation is essential and that drinking challenges found on Urban Dictionary are best left to the imagination Binging, whether on television or alcohol, is rarely a good idea; together, results can be pretty horrible Happy Hanukkah everyone! If you need me, I’ll be preparing for my “watch all the Charlie Brown specials while ingesting a kilo of methamphetamines” challenge

Sam Bromer is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences He can be reached at sbromer@cornellsun com There s No Place Like Brome runs alternate Mondays this semester

Northeast Duals Show Red

Where It ‘Needs to Improve’

to come out of both matches 15 points and 39 points ahead, respectively

a y

In its match against Nor th Carolina State, Cornell str uggled compared to its fights against the other two schools Junior Duke Pickett fought in a match that could have led to a Wolfpack win, but was able to pull out a big 5-3 decision Sophomore Gabe Dean and senior Jace Bennett were then able to earn two more wins for the Red, securing the overall victor y Against West Virginia, the Red found itself behind early on, but was able to pull ahead and seal the win when heavyweight senior Jacob Aiken-Phillips over took his adversar y in just 39 seconds Ju n i o r Na h s h o n G a r r

s

Villalonga and Dean each won all three of their fights, the only Red players to do so on Saturday Dean explained that while Saturday’s victories were well earned, the duals helped the Red find its weak spots and places in need of develop-

ment “[ The Nor theast Duals] exposed some weaknesses and areas we still need to improve upon and get better,” he said “ We all are excited to get back in the room and get better It's still a young team and we have a lot to learn ”

With the weekend victories, head coach Rob Koll the winningest coach in Cornell wrestling histor y inched ever closer to the 250 win milestone So far he has 248 wins under his belt, including this past weekend, and he is looking to earn the last two in order to join the ranks with only eight other Cornell coaches

His team is in position to help him get there Over its last 21 meets, Cornell has won 19 This season, the Red has a strong lineup of star ters that includes nine returners from last season Garrett, Villalonga and Dean are amongst this tough g r o u p o f c o m p e t

wrestlers on whom the Red can rely, as seen in Saturday’s match

The Red will continue the road to Nationals next weekend in Las Vegas, wrapping up its matches for the first semester before heading into winter break

Flurry of Threes Helps Lift Red Over In-State Rival Binghamton

Tomic, LaMore, Fallas combine for 20 points off bench M B-BALL Continued from page 16

fireplaces and two bathrooms We provide free Roadrunner internet and standard cable service Resident parking available RATES BEGIN AT $575-$700/person plus electric 257-0313 www kimballrentals com

r o n f o u r s t r a i g h t p o s s e s s i o n s D e s p i t e t h o s e s t r u g g l e s , C o r n e l l w a s a b l e t o h a n g w i t h C a n i s i u s i n t h e f i r s t h a l f t h a n k s t o a s t ro n g ove r a l l d e f e n s i ve p e r f o r m a n c e C a n i s i u s w a s l i m i t e d t o 3 5 %

s h o o t i n g “ We d e f e n d e d f o r a f u l l 4 0

m i n u t e s , ” C o u r t n e y s a i d “ T h a t ’ s s o m e t h i n g t h a t we f a i l e d t o d o i n C h a r l e s t o n , b u t we we re a b l e t o d o i t h e re ” C o r n e l l a l s o f o u n d s u c c e s s g e t t i n g t o t h e b a s k e t T h e Re d c o n t i n u e d t o g e t p a s t d e f e n d e r s a n d g e t i n t o t h e l a n e f o r e a s y l a y u p s In t h e f i r s t h a l f, C o r n e l l s c o re d 2 2 o f i t s 3 2 p o i n t s i n t h e p a i n t Ju s t o n e o f t h e Re d’s f i r s t h a l f m a d e f i e l d g o a l s c a m e f ro m o u t s i d e t h e p a i n t , a t h re e p o i n te r f ro m Sm i t h A f t e r t h e b r e a k , C o r n e l l c a m e o u t s t ro n g Fo l l ow i n g a n o f f e n s i v e r e b o u n d b y M i l l e r, q u i c k b a l l m ove m e n t l e d t o a r e s o u n d i n g a l l e y - o o p f r o m C h e r r y t o Mi l l e r On t h e n e x t p o s s e s s i o n , C a n c e r k n o c k e d d ow n a t h re e A m i n u t e l a t e r, Mi l l e r i n t e r c e p t e d a C a n i s i u s p a s s a n d w a s f o u l e d a s h e d u n k e d t h e b a l l o n t h e f a s t b re a k He w o u l d c o n ve r t t h e f re e t h row, g i v i n g t h e Re d a n

e i g h t p o i n t l e a d e a r l y i n t h e s e co n d h a l f C a n i s i u s ’ Je r m a i n e Cr u m pt o n h e l p e d t h e Gr i f f i n s s t a y c l o s e a n d s c o re d 1 0 o f h i s 1 5 p o i n t s i n t h e s e c o n d h a l f t o p rov i d e a s p a rk f o r C a n i s i u s o f f t h e b e n c h Ac ro s s a s e ve n m i n u t e s p a n t o w a r d t h e e n d o f t h e g a m e , Cr u m p t o n s c o re d a l l o f t h e Gr i f f i n s ’ p o i n t s De s p i t e h i s s t r o n g p e r f o r m a n c e , t h e R e d w o u l d n o t re l i n q u i s h t h e l e a d a f t e r h a l f t i m e

“[Binghamton] came at us in a zone defense. They forced us to shoot from the outside.”

B i l l C o u r t n e

B o t h t h e R e d a n d t h e

Gr i f f i n s m a d e n i n e f i e l d g o a l s i n t h e s e c o n d h a l f T h e c r u c i a l d i ff e re n c e w a s t h a t i t t o o k C a n i s i u s 2 9 s h o t s w h i l e i t t o o k C o r n e l l j u s t 1 8 T h e Gr i f f i n s c o n ve r t e d s i x o f t h e i r 1 2 f re e t h row s a n d t h e Re d a t t e m p t e d 2 0 , s i n k i n g 1 4 O n S a t u r d a y a g a i n s t B i n g h a m t o n , C o r n e l l b r i e f l y t r a i l e d i n t h e o p e n i n g m i n u t e s o f t h e c o n t e s t , b u t a c c u r a t e s h o o t i n g f ro m t h e Re d’s t h re e p o i n t s p e c i a l i s t s g a ve t h e t e a m a n e d g e t h a t i t w o u l d h o l d o n t o f o r t h e re s t o f t h e g a m e T h e Re d’s f i r s t 2 1 p o i n t s c a m e f r o m b e y o n d t h e a r c , w i t h s o p h o m o r e g u a r d R o b e r t Ha t t e r, Mi l l e r, C h e r r y, s o p h om o r e g u a r d Jo Jo Fa l l a s a n d Sm i t h a l l g e t t i n g i n o n t h e a c t i o n Wi t h a f l u r r y o f b a sk e t s , C o r n e l l t o o k a n i n e - p o i n t l e a d T h e Re d f i n i s h e d w i t h a s e a s o n - h i g h 1 1 t h r e e p o i n t f i e l d g o a l s m a d e o f f o f 2 5 a t t e m p t s “ [ Bi n g h a m t o n ] c a m e a t u s i n a zo n e d e f e n s e T h e y f o rc e d u s t o s h o o t f r o m t h e o u t s i d e , ” C o u r t n e y s a i d “ We w e r e n ’ t g re a t s h o o t i n g f ro m r a n g e i n t h e p a s t c o u p l e g a m e s B u t [ o n Sa t u rd a y ] we l o o k e d g o o d a n d f o rc e d t h e m t o s w i t c h t o m a nt o - m a n ” A t h r e e - p o i n t p l a y f r o m B i n g h a m t o n ’ s B o b b y A h e a r n b r o u g h t t h e B e a r c a t s w i t h i n t h re e w i t h e i g h t m i n u t e s t o p l a y i n t h e f i r s t h a l f , b u t C o r n e l l w a s a b l e t o e x t e n d t h e l e a d t o e i g h t h e a d i n g i n t o t h e l o c k e r ro o m T h e Re d q u i c k l y we n t t o w o rk a f t e r t h e b re a k , p u s h i n g t h e l e a d t o 1 8 f o l l o w i n g a l a y u p f r o m C h e r r y A f t e r a t t e m p t i n g j u s t t h r e e s h o t s a g a i n s t C a n i s i u s , C h e r r y w a s m u c h m o re a c t i ve i n Sa t u rd a y ’ s g a m e , t a k i n g 1 5 s h o t s f ro m t h e f l o o r C h e r r y f i n i s h e d w i t h 1 2 p o i n t s C o r n e l l m a i n t a i n e d a d o ub l e d i g i t l e a d f o r t h e re s t o f t h e g a m e Ha t

Icers Come From Behind to Top Penn State

Knisley nets two, McCarron assists three times to lead Red to victory at Madison Square

By EMILY BERMAN Sun Assistant Sports Editor

T h e m e n ’ s i c e h o c k e y t e a m k e p t i t s w i n n i n g s t re a k

a l i ve t h i s we e k e n d , ove rc o m i n g a s l ow f i r s t p e r i o d t o

ro a r t o a 3 - 1 v i c t o r y ove r Pe n n St a t e a t Ma d i s o n

Sq u a re Ga rd e n C o r n e l l h a s n ow w o n t h re e s t r a i g h t

g a m e s t o i n c re a s e i t s re c o rd t o 4 - 4 - 1 ove r a l l Ju n i o r f o r w a rd Jo h n K n i s l e y s c o re d t w i c e f o r t h e

Re d , d e f l e c t i n g i n t h e e q u a l i ze r i n t h e s e c o n d p e r i o d

a n d s h o o t i n g h o m e a n e m p t y n e t t a l l y t o g i ve C o r n e l l

a t w o - g o a l l e a d l a t e i n t h e g a m e “ It w a s a m a z i n g ; a n y t i m e we g e t t o p l a y i n Ma d i s o n

Sq u a re Ga rd e n i t ’ s a re a l t re a t , e s p e c i a l l y i f yo u ’ re a g u y w h o h a s n ’ t b e e n h e re , ” K n i s l e y s a i d “ We’re l u c k y e n o u g h t o h a ve o n e g a m e h e r e e v e r y ye a r ” T h e Re d e n t e re d t h e f i r s t i n t e r m i s s i o n d ow n 1 - 0 a f t e r t h e Ni t t a n y L i o n s t a l l i e d j u s t ove r n i n e m i n -

u t e s i n t o t h e o p e n i n g f r a m e Re d s o p h o m o re n e t m i nd e r Mi t c h Gi l l a m f a c e d 1 2 s h o t s i n t h e f i r s t p e r i o d

a l o n e , w h i l e t h e C o r n e l l o f f e n s e f i re d o n l y f i ve a t Pe n n

St a t e g o a l k e e p e r Ma t t h e w Sk o f f i n t h a t s a m e s p a n “ T h e f i r s t p e r i o d w a s n ’ t a n y w h e re c l o s e t o w h a t we

w o u l d l i k e , ” s a i d s e n i o r f o r w a rd Jo e l L ow r y “ I t h i n k , t h a n k g o d f o r Gi l l y, t h a t we ’ re s t i l l i n t h e g a m e j u s t

d ow n 1 - 0 A f t e r t h a t we j u s t k i n d o f g o t i t g o i n g ”

Gi l l a m , w h o c re d i t e d h i s d e f e n s e f o r t h e i r s t ro n g

p l a y a n d c o m m u n i c a t i o n t h ro u g h o u t t h e g a m e , s a i d h e t r i e d t o re m a i n “f o c u s e d” d u r i n g h i s b u s y f i r s t p e r io d “ T h e y we re t h row i n g t h e m f ro m e ve r y w h e re , b u t I

j u s t t r i e d t o s t a y f o c u s e d a n d f i g h t t h ro u g h t h e t r a f f i c

t h a t w a s i n f ro n t o f m e , ” h e s a i d “ T h e y g o t o n e t h e re , a n d I j u s t t r i e d t o s t a y c o m p o s e d ”

T h e Re d g o t o n t h e b o a rd i n t h e s e c o n d p e r i o d ,

k n o t t i n g t h e g a m e a t 1 - 1 j u s t u n d e r 1 4 m i n u t e s i n t o

t h e f r a m e Se n i o r c a p t a i n Jo h n Mc C a r ro n s e t u p

s o p h o m o re d e f e n s e m a n Ho l d e n A n d e r s o n a t t h e b l u e

l i n e , w h o s e n t a s l a p s h o t a t t h e n e t K n i s l e y k n o c k e d A n d e r s o n ’ s s h o t o u t o f m i d a i r a n d

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By ANNA FASMAN

Sun Assistant Sports Editor

Garden

‘Thank god for Gilly’ | Sophomore goaltender Mitch Gillam was a wall in Saturday’s Frozen Apple matchup, saving 37 of Penn State’s shots on goal, allowing just

to slip by him

By ADAM BRONFIN Sun Staff Writer

It looked as though Cornell men ’ s basketball had regressed to its losing ways of 2013-14 The Red (4-4) traveled down to South Carolina the weekend before Thanksgiving and dropped all three contests in the Charleston Classic A trip back to upstate New York this week brought the Red back to 500, though, and seemed to right th e s hi p On Wedn es d ay, Co rn e l l de fea t e d Canisius (2-3), 67-60, and then on Saturday handled Binghamton (1-6), 68-54

Senior guard Galal Cancer led the Red in scoring with 18 points against Canisius He also had eight rebounds and four steals Senior forward Shonn Miller put up double figures as well, despite playing his fewest minutes this season

On an off night for senior guard and co-captain Devin Cherry, other players stepped up Cherry missed all of his field goal attempts and turned the ball over six times in the game After scoring a total of 15 points all season, sophomore guard Darryl Smith was instrumental for the Red off the bench The 6’ 2” guard scored 13 points on Wednesday, making both of his field goals and eight of nine free throws 10 of his points came in the first half Also impactful for the Red was sophomore forward David Onuorah, who