12 04 13 entire issue lo res

Time to meditate

Int’ l Student Enrollment

Soars at Cornell University

Of cials: international students add to campus life

By ASHLEY CHU Sun Staff Writer

Nearly 150 years ago, Cornell welcomed its first five international students Now, students from abroad represent almost 20 percent of the student body and, year by

around the world, University administrators say

The growth in the University’s international student population mirrors a nationwide trend, with U S institutions reporting

that the number of international students enrolling for the first time increased 9 8 percent between 2012 and 2013, according to the Institute of International Education At Cornell, international students’ representation in the student body grew from 15 9 percent to 19 1 percent between 2003 and 2 0 1 2 , a c c

Students and Scholars Office

In

The development is a welcome one, administrators say, emphasizing that interna-

C.U. Engineering Gets $51.4M Gift: Autodesk S oftware

By ANNIE BUI Sun Staff Writer

Beginning this month, Cornellians will have access to new 3-D design, engineering and entertainment software on hundreds of machines, thanks to a donation by multinational software corporation Autodesk, Inc

The gift, which is commercially valued at $51 4 million, includes Autodesk’s Education Master Suite, Entertainment Creation Suite and other programs used in “engineering manufacturing and digital animation for feature films,” according to a University press release

Autodesk software allows Cornell researchers to work more

By ERIC OBERMAN Sun Staff Wr ter

For the past two spring

Cornell have teamed up to offer a course that allows computer science students

t o w o rk o n re a

w o r l d products

The course, CS 5152: “ Op e n - So u rc e So f t w a re En g i n e e r i n g , ” i s p a

Facebook’s Open Academy program, which allows

cost effectively on federally funded projects Researchers at Cornell’s Wilson Synchrotron Laborator y have been using Autodesk products since 1993, according to the press release Tim O’Connell, engineering manager at the Wilson Synchrotron lab, said the software will make it possible for engineers to test their designs before choosing to invest in the manufacturing of that software

Prof Lynden Archer, chemical and biomolecular engineering, echoed O’Connell’s sentiments “Powerful [software] can help satisfy a critical need for a prototype design and evolution process that eschews expensive infrastructure required for manu-

facturing new products, without compromising the realism and rigor of the product design experience provided to Cornell chemical engineers, ” Archer said in the release

“I look forward to seeing what Cornell’s students and faculty can create using [the Autodesk tools] ” P r o v o s t K e n t F u c h s

Un i v e r s i t y Provost Kent Fuchs said that the gift f r o m Autodesk will provide a vast array of opportunities for “exploration and education ”

“I look forward to seeing what Cornell’s students and faculty can create using [the Autodesk tools],” Fuchs said in the release

Tom Joseph, head of Autodesk’s education division, said he believes that by equipping “the next generation of creative leaders” with powerful and c u t t i n g - e d g e software, people will be capable of c o n f r o n t i n g the challenges of today’s world

“We hope to inspire the best and brightest and to provide them with the technologies to imagine, design and create a better world,” Joseph said in the press release

Though based in San Rafael,

Calif , Autodesk has a connection to both Cornell and Ithaca Chief Executive Officer Carl Bass graduated from Cornell in 1987 with a degree in mathematics, where he founded Ithaca Software Inc with classmates It was later acquired by Autodesk in 1993 Autodesk is best known for their 2-D and 3-D computeraided design software, AutoCAD AutoCAD has been used in projects such as the design of the Tokyo Sky Tree Tower, the National Stadium Brasilia and renovations to The Ohio State University Medical Center, according to Autodesk’s website

Annie Bui can be reached at abui@cornellsun com

projects while working with industry mentors

Cornell is one of 22 colleges worldwide and one of 13 schools in the U S that p a r t i c i p a t e s i n Op e n Academy, according to a Facebook press release

T h e p ro g r a m w a s designed to give students e

than starting them from scratch, according to Prof Ross Tate, computer science “ No

have worked on programs like MongoDB, an opensource document database, and Ruby on Rails,

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

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Weird News of the Week

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Ripley’s Black Friday Sale Does Not Dissapoint

NEW YORK (AP) Where’s a Black Friday shopper to turn for a 19th centur y vampire-killing kit?

Believe it or not, the item is par t of the Black Friday madness at the Ripley’s Times Square Odditorium It will set you back about $25,000

At a little more than $19,000 a shr unken head is a comparative bargain

Tomorrow

Cooking Series

6 - 7:30 p m , Southside Community Center

K-Pop Noraebang Contest

7 - 9 p m , 132 Goldwin Smith Hall

Or the thoughtful gift-giver might prefer a taxidermy Albino giraffe The price tag is about $1 7 million Gift-wrapping is not included

Still got tons of room under the Christmas tree and about $2 5 million to spare? Your loved one might be clamoring for 18th centur y, iron-clad elephant armor from India

Already shopped out? No problem The “featured collection” is being offered until Dec 24

Topless Barber Arrested

LO N G M O N T, C o l o ( A P ) A w o m a n w h o allegedly offered topless hairstyling ser vices in nor thern Colorado faces criminal charges But police say the problem isn’t cutting hair without a top It’s cutting hair without a license

Suzette Hall was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of practicing cosmetology without a license

Hall’s former par tner says she adver tised $45 topless haircuts online

According to the arrest warrant, the former par tner called police about the topless styling because she “did not believe this was safe or proper ”

Police weren ’ t able to turn up any Craigslist ads Hall’s ex-husband told police she set up shop in Loveland and offered ser vices as “Rebel Barber ” He told police she applied for “ a nude license for hairstylists,” but no such license exists

police Chief Danny Baker has used pig roasts and golf tournaments to augment his depar tment ’ s shrinking budget, but badly in need of $9,000 for a ne w squad

approach to date: getting shot by a

gun

Knightstown official were planning to have a detective shoot them with a Taser at a free event Wednesday night in the middle school gym in their small eastern Indiana town Spectators who Baker hopes feel compelled to donate will get a firsthand look at how 50,000 volts of low-amp electricity affects the human body

“It’s a shame we have to go to the extent of having fundraisers and getting electrified and so for th, but with small-town budgets you have to do something to get by,” said Baker, a lifelong Knightstown resident who has been in law enforcement for 35 years

In a First, Cornell Will Hold Spring ClubFest

By ANIKA SETHY Sun Contributor

T h i s s p r i n g , t h e We l c o m e We e k e n d C o m m i t t e e w i l l h o l d i t s f i r s t e ve r Sp r i n g C l u b Fe s t

In t h e p a s t , t h e Or i e n t a t i o n St e e r i n g C o m m i t t e e w o u l d p u t o n a C l u b Fe s t i n t h e s p r i n g b u t o n l y m a rk e t i t t o t r a n s f e r s t u d e n t s , a c c o rd i n g t o Te j a l T h a k k a r ’ 1 4 ,

v i c e c h a i r o f t h e We l c o m e We e k e n d c o m m i t t e e

T h e s p r i n g C l u b Fe s t w i l l b e h e l d i n l a t e Ja n u a r y a n d w i l l b e m u c h s m a l l e r t h a n t h e C l u b Fe s t h e l d i n t h e f a l l

Gro u p s w i l l s e t u p i n Du f f i e l d Ha l l Ac c o rd i n g t o T h a k k a r, a Sp r i n g C l u b Fe s t w i l l a l l ow

c l u b s t o re i n t ro d u c e t h e m s e l ve s t o f re s h m e n w h o d i d n o t j o i n i n t h e f a l l s e m e s t e r Sh e a d d e d t h a t i t w i l l a l s o a l l ow c l u b s t h

T h e re s p o n s e h a s b e e n m u c h g re a t e r t h a n we a n t i ci p a t e d , ” Ho l m e s s a i d i n a n e m a i l “ We d i s c u s s e d t h i s a s a n o p t i o n t h i s f a l l ; s t u d e n t s f e l t t h a t a Sp r i n g C l u b Fe s t w o u l d b e s o m e t h i n g t h a t f i t t h e We l c o m e We e k e n d m i s s i o n a n d t h a t t h e b

Anika Sethy can be reached at as2654@cornellsun com

groups who could not participate in the fall ClubFest to recruit new members

Freshman Ranks No. 2 in Chess

Adarsh Jayakumar ’17 says the game creates a community

By LAUREN BERGELSON Sun Staff Wr ter

s e l e m e n t a r y s c h o o l , Ha l f Da y El e m e n t a r y i n L i n c o l n s h i re , Il l r a n k e d i n t h e t o p 1 0 e l e m e n t a r y s c h o o l s t h a t c o m p e t e d i n t h e m a i n c h e s s Na t i o n a l s To u r n a m e n t w h i l e h e w a s a s t u d e n t f o r p rov i d i n g a n e n v i ro n m e n t s u p p o r t i ve o f h i s i n t e re s t

“ Be c a u s e i t w a s o n e o f t h e t o p - r a n k e d s c h o o l s i n t h e c o u n t r y f o r c h e s s , t h e re we re a l o t o f k i d s t h a t we re i n t h e C h e s s C l u b, ” Ja y a k u m a r s a i d Ja y a k u m a r s a i d Na t i o n a l s , o n e o f t h e f i r s t t o u r -

n a m e n t s h e p l a ye d f o r h i s e l em e n t a r y t e a m , w a s w h a t i n it i a l l y s p a rk e d h i s i n t e re s t i n c h e s s “ I re m e m b e r b e i n g a l i t t l e k i d a n d a l l t h e t ro p h i e s we re

b i g g e r t h a n m e It w a s j u s t a h u g e a t m o s p h e re w i t h t h o us a n d s o f k i d s , a n d I j u s t k i n d o f g o t i n t o i t re a l l y q u i c k l y, ” Ja y a k u m a r s a i d He p l a ye d h i s f i r s t i n d i v i du a l Na t i o n a l s a t a g e 1 2 a n d b e g a n c o m p e t i n g i n a d u l t t o u r n a m e n t s t h ro u g h o u t t h e Un i t e d St a t e s a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y a t a g e 1 4 Ja y a k u m a r t o o k a g a p ye a r b e f o re a t t e n d i n g C o r n e l l , d u r i n g w h i c h h e v i s i t e d T h a i l a n d , Si n g a p o re , C a n a d a , In d i a , Eu ro p e , So u t h A m e r i c a a n d t r a ve l e d t h ro u g h o u t t h e U S a s a p ro f e s s i o na l c h e s s p l a ye r H e s a i d h i s f a v o r i t e t o u r n a m e n t w a s t h e Re y k j a v i k Op e n , a p re s t i g i o u s i n v i t a t i o n a l t o u r n am e n t i n Ic e l a n d , w h e re h e h a d h i s b i g g e s t w i n a g a i n s t Iva n So k o l ov, a B o s n i a n g r a n d m a s t e r Ja y a k u m a r s a i d i n t h e we e k b e f o re a t o u r n am e n t , h e w o u l d p l a y e i g h t o r n i n e h o u r s o f c h e s s a d a y Of f s e a s o n , h e s a i d h e p l a ye d f o u r o r f i ve h o u r s a d a y a n d re s t u p s o t h a t h e w o u l d h a ve s t am i n a f o r h i s n e x t t o u r n a m e n t In a t y p i c a l t o u r n a m e n t Ja y a k u m a r

g o o d s t u f f, ” h e s a i d Ja y a k u m a r s a i d h e h a s

“I remember being a little kid and all the trophies were bigger than me. ... I just kind of got into it ”

H

s C h e s s Te a

i

T h e p l a ye

y s o l i

C o r n e l l a re q u i t e s t ro n g , ” s a i d Ja y a k u m a r, w h o i s l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o re t u r n i n g w i t h t h e t e a m t o t h e U S A m a t e u r Te a m E a s t t o u r n a m e n t t h i s Fe b r u a r y L a s t ye a r, 3 0 0 t e a m s c o m p e t e d a t t h e t o u r n am e n t C o r n e l l p l a c e d s e c o n d f o l l ow i n g Pr i n c e t o n , Ja y a k u m a r s a i d “ We’re l o o k i n g t

Chess master

Lauren Bergelson can be reached at lbergelson@cornellsun com

Criminal Mischief

An officer was dispatched to take a report from two students regarding an unknown male individual kicking and breaking a window in the basement study lounge in White Hall

License Plate Stolen

An officer was dispatched to take a report from an individual regarding the theft of a front license plate off a vehicle

On-Campus Larceny

A student repor ted their iPad being stolen in Stimson Hall Monday

Aggravated Harassment

An officer was dispatched from Barton Hall Nov 26 to take a report from a staff mem-

ber who was receiving harrassing emails from an unknown individual

Graffiti Artist

An officer took a repor t regarding graffiti found in the McGraw Place gorge area Nov 25

More Graffiti

On Nov 25, an officer filed a report regarding graffiti on one of the Fall Creek Drive Suspension Bridge pillars

Found for Possesion

An individual was sent to the Judicial Administrator after being found in unlawful possession of alcohol in Baker Tower Nov 24

Compiled by Alexa Davis

C.U. Sees Increased Enrollment of International Students

t h i n k t h a t s t u d e n t s h a v i n g a c h a n c e t o h a v e f r i e n d s a n d c o l l e a g u e s f r o m a l l ov e r

t h e w o r l d a n d t o h e a r t h e i r p e r s p e c t i v e s i s v e r y, v e r y v a l u a b l e ” E n r i c o B o n a t t i ’ 1 4 , i n t e r n a t i o n a l l i a is o n a t - l a r g e f o r t h e St u d e n t A s s e m b l y,

e c h o e d O ’ B r i e n ’ s s e n t i m e n t , s a y i n g

i n t e r n a t i o n a l s t u d e n t s b r i n g v a l u a b l e p e r s p e c t i v e s t o t h e Un i v e r s i t y “A s i d e f r o m a l l ow i n g U S s t u d e n t s t o

l e a r n a b o u t d i f f e re n t c u l t u re s , [ i n t e r n a -

t i o n a l s t u d e n t s ] b r i n g n e w a n d u n i q u e p o i n t s o f v i e w t o c l a s s e s a n d d i s c u ss i o n s , ” s a i d B o n a t t i , w h o i s a l s o p re s i d e n t o f t h e In t e r n a t i o n a l St u d e n t s B o a rd In re t u r n , m a n y i n t e r n a t i o n a l s t ud e n t s c o m i n g t o C o r n e l l f i n d t h e y a re a b l e t o a c c e s s a c a d em i c o p p o r t u n i t i e s t h e y m i g h t n o t h a v e h a d a t h o m e

“A l o t o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l s t u d e n t s a p p l y t o C o r n e l l d u e t o i t s h i g h q u a l i t y o f i n s t r u c t i o n a n d a c a d e m i c o p p o r t u n it i e s , ” B o n a t t i s a i d “ T h e ' C o r n e l l b r a n d’ i s p a r t i c u l a r l y s t r o n g i n A s i a , w h e re m o s t i n t e r n a t i o n a l u n d e r g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t s

c o m e f r o m ” Ev e n w i t h t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l s t u d e n t p o p u l a t

a c c o rd i n g t o Ta t e Q i m i n g Fa n g ’ 1 3 , w h o t o o k t h e c o u r s e l a s t s p r i n g , w o rk e d

o n a p ro g r a m c a l l e d s o c k e t i o , w h i c h i s d e s i g n e d t o “ m a k e re a l -

t i m e a p p s p o s s i b l e i n e v e r y b r o w s e r a n d m o b i l e d e v i c e , ” a c c o rd i n g t o i t s we b s i t e T h e c l a s s s p l i t s s t u d e n t s u p i n t o g ro u p s o f t h re e t o f i ve , w h i c h t h e n w o rk w i t h i n d u s t r y m e n t o r s a n d s t u d e n t s f r o m

o t h e r u n i ve r s i t i e s , Ta t e s a i d

Un l i k e o t h e r c o u r s e s , t h e c o u r s e ’ s re s u l t s we re u s e d i n t h e re a l w o r l d , a c c o rd i n g t o Br i a n

To t h ’ 1 3 , w h o a l s o t o o k t h e c o u r s e l a s t s p r i n g “ [ It ] w a s r a d i c a l l y d i f f e re n t f ro m a n y o t h e r c l a s s I t o o k a t

C o r n e l l , ” To t h s a i d i n a n e m a i l “ Eve r y t h i n g I w ro t e i s n ow re a l c o d e o u t i n t h e w i l d ” Ac c o rd i n g t o Fa n g , o n e o f t h e m o s t d i f f i c u l t a s p e c t s o f t h e c l a s s w a s c o m m u n i c a t i n g w i t h t h e p e o p l e h i s t e a m w a s w o rk i n g w i t h “ C o l l a b o r a t i o n i s h a rd We we re w o rk i n g w i t h c o n t r i b u t o r s a l l ove r t h e w o r l d i n Fi n l a n d , a t M I T, i n B r a z i l a n d C a l i f o r n i a , ” h e s a i d i n a n e m a i l “ L e a r n i n g t o d e a l w i t h d i s t a n c e a n d b e i n g a b l e t o w o rk re m o t el y i s i m p o r t a n t f o r s t u d e n t s l o o k i n g t o e n t e r i n d u s t r y ” T h e c l a s s m e e t s f o r 1 2 h o u r s a w e e k , a c c o r d i n g t o Ta t e

St u d e n t s s p e n d 1 1 h o u r s w o rki n g o n t h e i r p ro j e c t s a n d o n e h o u r i n l e c t u re Ta t e s a i d t h e l e c t u r e s a r e u n u s u a l b e c a u s e t h e y f o c u s o n p e r s o n a l a n d p r a c t i c a l s k i l l s f o r p ro g r a m m e r s , r a t h e r t h a n a l g or i t h m s o r c o d i n g t e c h n i q u e s “ We g o ove r g e n d e r i s s u e s i n c o m p u t e r s c i e n c e a n d w e g o o v e r d o c u m e n t a t i o n , w r i t i n g s k i l l s a n d

Jury Chosen for Ex-Officer In Katrina Shooting

NEW ORLEANS (AP) A federal jur y was seated Tuesday to hear the retrial of a former New Orleans police officer who shot and killed a man outside a strip mall four days after Hurricane Katrina

Opening statements will begin Wednesday in the case against David Warren, who was guarding a second-floor police substation from a balcony when he shot 31-year-old Henr y Glover on the ground in the chaotic aftermath of the 2005 storm Warren is charged with violating Glover's rights and with using a weapon in a violent crime

This is the second trial U S District Judge Lance Africk has held in three years for Warren The former police officer was ser ving a prison sentence of nearly 26 years when a federal appeals court overturned a manslaughter conviction handed down in 2010 The 5th U S Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Warren should have been tried separately from four other officers charged with participating in a cover-up designed to make Glover's shooting appear justified

The weapons charge originally said Glover's death “involved actions constituting murder ” For the retrial, Africk let the government drop that section, under which jurors in the first trial also were allowed to consider manslaughter

During his first trial, Warren testified that he believed Glover had a gun when he fired at him Defense attorneys have asked Africk to exclude testimony from that trial, arguing Warren had to testify because of evidence that will not be allowed this time “Any prior testimony by Warren is inadmissible unless and until he chooses to take the stand in his defense,” they wrote

Prosecutors responded Friday that prior testimony can be ruled out only if it was the product of government misconduct, which has not been found in this case

Africk has emphasized to potential jurors in the retrial that Warren’s case is unrelated to other federal cases, including those alleging police misconduct He specifically mentioned deadly police shootings on New Orleans’ Danziger bridge after Hurricane Katrina Warren’s attorneys argued in October that some prospective jurors had mistakenly believed he was involved in that case

“ This is not the Danziger Bridge case and has nothing to do with it,” Africk said

Arizona Police Release Report In Imprisonment Case

TUCSON, Ariz (AP) A 17-year-old Arizona girl hugged her two younger sisters, touched their faces and talked about how they had all changed when they finally were reunited after their

m o t h e r a n d s t e p f a t h e r k e p t them imprisoned in their home for up to two years, authorities said

It's been a week since the

Tu c s o n g i r l s w e r e f r e e d O n

Tu e s d a y, a u t h o r i t i e s

d more details with the release of a police repor t and a transcript of a neighbor’s 911 call

I n v e s t i g a t o r s s a i d t h e t w o younger girls, ages 12 and 14, escaped Nov 26 through the window of the bedroom they shared and aler ted a neighbor

They said their stepfather had a knife and that they were scared for their lives, authorities said

Po l i c e s a i d t h e t h r e e g i r l s we re m a l n o u r i s h e d a n d d i r t y

One of them said she hadn’t showered in more than a month

T h e g i r l s ’ s t e p f a t h e r, Fe r n a n d o R i c h t e r, a n d t h e i r m o t h e r, S o p h i a R i c h t e r, f a c e multiple counts of kidnapping and child abuse

The two remained in custody

Tu e s d a y a n d c o u l d n o t b e reached for comment No cur-

r e n t a t t o r n e y w a s l i s t e d f o r either parent in cour t records

The Richters made brief cour t appearances by video Nov 27, but neither entered a plea

The parents appeared to be dr unk when police arrived at the home Nov 26, the police repor t said

“ Fe r n a n d o h a d b l o o d s h o t , water y eyes, odor of intoxicants

c o m i n g f ro m h i s p e r s o n a n d

s t u m b l e d a s h e w a l k e d , ” t h e repor t said Sophia Richter was in a similar state, according to authorities

Obama’s Kenyan-Born Uncle Allowed to Remain in U.S.

BOSTON (AP) President Barack Obama’s Kenyan-born uncle, who ignored a deportation order more than two decades ago, on Tuesday was granted permission to stay in the United States Judge Leonard Shapiro made the decision after Onyango Obama, 69, testified that he had lived in the U S for 50 years, been a hard worker, paid income tax and been arrested only once

Asked about his family in the U S , he said he has a sister and two nieces, then added, “I do have a nephew ” Asked to name the nephew, he said, “Barack Obama,” then added, “He’s the president of the United States ” Onyango Obama, the half brother of the president’s late father, testified he has lived in the U S since 1963, when he entered on a student visa He

had a series of immigration hearings in the 1980s and was ordered to leave the country in 1992 but remained

During his testimony, he identified himself as Obama Okech Onyango Cour t records and authorities have identified him as Onyango Obama, and no explanation was given for the discrepancy

Obama told the judge he had led a quiet, simple life, graduating from high school in Cambridge, then attending Boston University, where he received a degree in philosophy He said he has worked for years as a manager at a family-owned liquor store in Framingham, just west of Boston He also said he has worked for decades to help African immigrants find housing and settle in the U S

When police asked the stepfather who else was in the home, he answered only that his two dogs were there However, officers say they found the oldest girl locked in a back bedroom with music blaring

The music played constantly from the girls’ bedrooms, and duct work was sealed and towels were forced against doors to prevent the sound from being heard outside, police said

There were motion sensors and locks on the girls’ bedroom doors and video cameras trained on their beds If the girls needed to use the bathroom, there was an unspecified signal for them to let the parents know they needed a bathroom break, according to police

When police asked the oldest sister what had happened, she replied: “I haven’t seen anyone in two years I am in my room all day, and I have not seen my sisters in a year and a half ”

She went on to tell officers that she was let out of her room once a day to go to the restroom and that she was not allowed to g o o u t d o o r s o r l o o k o u t s i d e

The girl showed an officer that she had made a calendar, which she kept in a handmade purse she wore around her neck

Pointing to the calendar, she said: “Look, I haven’t showered since the 19th of September ” The sisters were reunited in the living room of their home after police got the older girl out o f h e r b e d ro o m , i n ve s

s said

The girls were excited to see each other, and all three had small stuffed animals that they said they had made The sisters a s k e d e

o t h e r q u

o n s about what they had eaten and how they spent their time

HANK BAO 14

Business Manager

LIZ CAMUTI 14

Associate Editor

ANDY LEVINE ’14

Web Editor

RACHEL ELLICOTT 15

Blogs Editor

DAVID MARTEN ’14 Tech Editor

SHAILEE SHAH 14

Editor

EMMA COURT 15

Editor

CAROLINE FLAX ’15

SAM BROMER ’16 Arts & Entertainment Editor

SARAH COHEN ’15 Science Editor

BRYAN CHAN ’15 Associate Multimedia Editor

SCOTT CHIUSANO 15

MEGAN ZHOU ’15

BRANDON ARAGON 14 Assistant Web Editor

ANNA TSENTER 14

ERIKA G WHITESTONE 15

Independent Since 1880

131ST EDITORIAL BOARD

REBECCA HARRIS 14 Editor in Chief

COOMBES ’14

ZAHOS 15

BORNFELD ’15

’15

’14

POTOLSKY 14

15

14

WORKING ON TODAY ’ S SUN

DESIGN DESKERS Amanda Stefanik 13 PHOTO NIGHT EDITORS Oliver Kliewe 14 Kelly Yang ’15 NEWS DESKERS Jinjoo Lee 14 Emma Court ’15 SPORTS DESKER Ariel Cooper 15

DESKER Sam Bromer 16 SCIENCE DESKERS Sarah Cohen 15

Letters

For faculty-led fossil fuel divestment

To the Editor:

Inspired by the Student Assembly’s recent resolution urging Cornell to divest from fossil fuel companies, we and 27 faculty Senators have submitted a resolution entitled Cornell Investment and Divestment Strategies for a Sustainable Future to the Faculty Senate for the Dec 11 meeting This resolution includes goals for Cornell to reach climate neutrality by 2035 and to phase in divestment by then We focus on the 200 companies holding the largest fossil fuel reserves These reserves already comprise three to five times more than the total amount of fossil fuels that can be burned before exceeding the 2°C rise in mean global temperature that scientists and governments have agreed is the threshold for dangerous climate change Nonetheless, these companies are financially committed to burning these reserves and continuing to explore for even more

In spite of repeated warnings from the scientific community and the obvious extreme weather effects of fossil fuel-induced climate change that we are already beginning to witness, adequate action by our government in the face of predictable catastrophe seems a distant dream At the recent global conference on climate change in Warsaw, the United States and other large emitting nations made no new commitments to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and the prospects for essential commitments in 2015 look bleak Given the dire predictions from the scientific community, the actions being taken are too little and soon will become too late Either from denial, despair or the hope that someone else will take care of it, the highly profitable fossil fuel business continues with little change But this is a knowledge-based issue, and that is our business It is also our responsibility Universities in general, and Cornell in particular, must be the leaders of last resort in this eleventh hour

If we speak loudly as representatives of a great university to say that the fossil fuel business as usual must stop, we will be heard Leadership from Cornell will help spur action by our peer institutions, and our concerted voices will help to wake our society from its sleepwalk and raise a grassroots demand for meaningful governmental and industrial action Our scientific papers, public presentations, and advice to policymakers have not spoken loudly enough For better or worse, we need to “ put our money where our mouth is ” And we can do this in two ways: First, by becoming carbon neutral and, second, by simultaneously stopping our investment in the ongoing extraction of fossil fuels Although some financial sacrifice in pursuit of our institutional responsibility would be justified, we have conducted the analyses and determined that the proposed actions will not only have a negligible impact on growth of the University’s endowment, they may significantly reduce overall risk in the University’s investment portfolio

Our students have led the way It is time for the faculty to step up to the plate Our goal is to make a strong public statement that will draw attention to the need for society to transition from fossil fuels to truly clean sources of energy that are fossil carbon neutral We recognize that the University’s divestment actions can result in only a relatively small direct financial impact on these companies However, the moral courage demonstrated first by Cornell, and then by its peer institutions, will have a galvanizing effect on the movement within this country and internationally There has never been a more important time in its history for Cornell to demonstrate its leadership

Prof Brian Chabot, ecology and evolutionary biology

Prof Stephen Ellner, ecology and evolutionary biology

Prof Charles Greene, earth and atmospheric sciences

Prof Anthony Ingraffea, civil and environmental engineering

Prof Linda Nicholson, molecular biology and genetics

Prof Robert Oswald, molecular medicine

Prof David Shalloway, molecular biology and genetics

Prof Robert Strichartz, mathematics

David Zha | The Angry Spirit Bear

We all have to play, and no one really wins in the end There a r e g u i d

r ules You can play as a team, or go at it alone

You can play for many reasons, but to win it all you’ll need is two things First, you must win the money game Second, the status game

The money game always comes first

Tr u e w i n n e r s a re we a l t h y Eve r yo n e knows that, right? Ryan Seacrest won ’ t be celebrating the dr unken, mournful hymns of Hair y Hank the Homeless on this week’s Top 40 You see, in this w

People ” The only Top 40 list Hair y Hank might see is Top 40 Pests To Be Removed by Animal Control

There are plenty of ways to get rich

The human mind is a locus of infinite potential energy, capable of conjuring immersive fantasy worlds to planning Ponzi schemes to marketing the same shit you sold for six years so that loyal peons buy a seventh version From what I hear from the rich, luck is not a tr ue factor If you ’ re plans for affluence

o r n o t w o r k i n g h a r d enough This comfor ts me I used to detest the rich assholes I met, but now realize all of their merits must have come from creativity and diligence, not bir th or chance

To win the money game, one should ideally be wealthy enough to look from a lofty vantage point upon the rest of mere humanity Unfor tunately, there is little room in this world for so many esteemed positions, so for those of you who are more pragmatic than ambitious, don’t worr y Just make sure you have enough for the impor tant things Like the annual family outing to your Mar tha’s Vineyard beach house and h a v i n g s o m e o n e e l s e t o m a k e yo u r iPhones The middle class needs filling too, you know!

Once you ’ ve accr ued enough money, then the real fun begins – the status game Your success in the money game will dictate how you play the status game If you have placed into the richest circles, it is time to put that hardearned capital to use What good is money if it’s just sitting around and not making you look cooler? A mansion or two would be a good star t Throw in a fleet of expensive cars Definitely a y a c h t Be c o m e a s u g a r d a d d y o r a cougar Drink only scotch aged over 40

The Game

years, bought from the various auctions you frequent If you ’ re smar t, you’ll even star t a charity or two Doesn’t matter for what cause, just make sure you write your name legibly Impress your like-minded friends with your vast k n o w l e d

o f R e naissance paintings Immerse yourself in the beauty of your private polo and golf courses Remember to define yourself primarily by what made you rich S

hypotheses with hard evidence To win the status game, make your money the hypothesis and suppor t it with concrete proof

If you do not rank highly in the money game ladder, all is not lost You too can play the status game with your surrounding peers! Just double check t

“Somebody

Tr

winners are Someb

t have to mean fame Ju

u always have a buzzword on hand that will sum you up L

Manager Senator Consultant These are some examples of the best buzzwords

Ar tist Actor Engineer Accountant Writer Musician Teacher These are not as good, but can be justified as Somebodies if you qualify them

r

n

Cashier Tr y to avoid these They do not indicate significant income, making them poor buzzwords It will be hard to convince strangers you are a Somebody

But the best par t of the game is that it never ends! There are always more re wards around the corner Don’t get cynical or jaded with the game if you ’ re l o s i n g , j u s t c h a n g e yo u r p l a y s t y l e ! Anyone can win if they set their mind to it You just have to want it harder And in the rare chance you are a social freak who only likes to watch, remember no matter how far you r un, the game will find you and it will force you to play Kinda like Jumanji And to those individuals tempted by the red pill, I ask that you remember one thing: The more you play, the more you earn The more you earn, the more you win The more you win, the happier you’ll be

David Zha is a junior in the College of Ar ts and Sciences He may be reached at dzha@cor nellsun com The Angr y Spirit Bear appears alter nate Wednesdays this semester

Sarah Byrne | Let It Byrne

Five Things You Should Be Happier Ab out

This is my last column for the semester, but don t cry I still have a few paragraphs of knowledge to bestow upon you I thought about writing a sappy final column about myself, or things you should do over winter break, or my wishes for you all for the upcoming semester In the end, I thought back to my first column this semester, which addressed things you should be more outraged about Now, at the end of the semester, I’d like to present you with the opposite point of view So, here is a list of things we should all be more excited about, right now, right here, on this Wednesday in December

1. SMART TELEVISION COMEDIES STILL EXIST: As a former viewer of exclusively sitcoms (emphasis on former), I can say with confidence that most of these sitcoms do not last Even when they are consistently renewed, they deteriorate to the point of unwatchability (looking at you, How I Met Your Mother) However, there are a few select shows that give me hope that the United States does produce high quality creative work In the more popular sector, we have Modern Family Although it’s in its fifth season, it is still just as witty, topical and hilarious as it was in the first episode If anything, it’s gotten even better with time And then for the more niche audience, there are shows like Parks and Recreation, which somehow manages to be silly and smart at the same time Basically, Amy Poehler is a god, but for mere mortals, it will suffice for us to watch the show and bask in her glory

2. LEIGHTON MEESTER AND ADAM BRODY GOT MARRIED: Confession time Although I just professed my love for intelligent television programming, sometimes I can ’ t help but love what some might generously call “trashy” shows As an avid watcher of both The O C and Gossip Girl, nothing in the world makes me happier

Hidden agenda for this list

Make Cor nell a happier pla during finals I would love see someone in a librar y smile at some point.

than seeing Seth Cohen and Blair Waldorf get married I want to be Blair, and I want to date Seth, so I can ’ t even deal with this level of perfection Critically speaking, I think it is a little unhealthy to support celebrity relationships based on love for fictional characters, but this is different It just is

3 PEOPLE YOU WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH ARE BECOMING UNSUCCESSFUL: As someone who was “ smart ” in high school, and therefore excluded from any other characterization, I was frequently promised by adults that those who dismissed me for my academic success would one day suffer for this unkindness Not to be overly condescending or rude, but to be a little bit of both of these things, as a junior in college I am excited to finally see these promises coming to fruition I have no illusions about my own success At Cornell, I am reminded of my own academic shortcomings on almost a daily basis, by all sorts of people (usually because I deserve it) However, it is just a little bit comforting to see the fall of those who were considered more “popular” than me, even if it’s just the fact that they still live in their parents ’ basement

4. FRESHMEN ARE LEARNING HOW TO BE HUMANS: Shout out to all the freshmen! Guys, you are doing great Although it’s still easy to identify the large herds of freshmen traveling around campus, they seem to have stopped wearing their keys around their necks, and what more can we even hope for? As finals approach the first round of college finals for a quarter of our population I see many fewer freshmen who are still clearly high school seniors at heart They have learned where buildings are, which Olin is which, how not to curse in front of professors and so much more So for now, let’s celebrate the maturity of freshmen maturity we can appreciate for an entire semester before we get a new batch of them

5. THREE MORE WEEKS: There are fewer than 20 days left of the semester I’m so overcome with emotion, I don’t even know what to say, except that I am taking 22 credits right now, and I have never been happier to see a semester ’ s end As we all write papers, cram for finals in classes we ’ ve never been to and lurk around libraries trying to get tables, just remember that it will all be over soon In the end, it will either get done or it won ’ t And if it doesn’t, life will go on Good luck to you all Hidden agenda for this list: Make Cornell a happier place during finals I would just love to see someone in a library smile at some point during the next few weeks, because libraries are just really depressing places during finals Just one person One Please?

Sarah Byrne is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences She may be reached at sbyrne@cornellsun com Let it Byrne appears alternate Wednesdays this semester

When you go to Cornell (or any other school far away from home), this is something you take into account when you go So, didn’t this occur to people from the West Coast that MAYBE the price of airfare would limit their ability to go back on break? If you didn’t want to deal with it, maybe you shouldn’t have decided to go I went here from across the country knowing 1) I was not too well off 2) I’d probably not be able to come back more than one break a year, but I decided the ability of going to Cornell was worth it I have bare sympathy for you

whysoserious

Re: “OH: Thanksgiving in Ithaca: Stranded and Star ved,” Opinion, published Dec 2, 2013

Ihsan Kabir | Guest Room

New D estination s

We ’ re familiar with the

Un

d Student Body, Toward Ne w Destinations the list goes on Our school, on a multitude of levels, has admirably pushed toward raising awareness among ever y Cornellian regarding the issues underrepresented minorities face, including the language we should be using to create safe

s p a c e s a n d t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y ever yone has to help students from these oppressed communities succeed Even though we ’ re quick to criticize the Student Assembly and the “administrat

too), when I reflect on my past three years at Cornell, I’ve seen t

e s e i s s u e s p u s h e d into the mainstream discourse around the University more and more each year

W h i l e s o m e o f these issues see slow but steady progress, not all of t h e m h a v e t h i s c

most of the diversity issues are well represented and enjoying d

i v e table, one lonely issue stands outside, in the cold, staring in and wondering why it doesn’t have a place at the table as well On campus, we neglect to dis-

c u s s r e l i g i o u s d i v e r s i t

d inclusion, and as a Muslim stud

y includes a section on religious organizations, our community has yet to be contacted by any s t u d e n t g r o u p To w a r d Ne w D e s t i n a t i o n s c o m p l e t e l y

n e g l e c t s m e n t i o n i n g r e l i g i o n , faith or anything to do with worship I know Cornell was founded as a secular institution, and we pride ourselves on this fact and on our open-mindedness, but at times this secularity seems antireligious We live in a world where it’s not cool to be religious anymore, and that trend manifests itself here at Cornell The media por trays my religion as a catalyst for terrorism, intellects por tray my religion has a hurdle to critical thinking and islamophobes por tray my reli-

Ultimately, I want to see a cultural change at Cornell, a change in which students want to have a plauralistic education outside of the classroom I would love to see more interactions between the religious organizations and the rest of campus. S UB M I T Y O UR G UE S T

gion as an obstacle to freedom a n d t h e r o o t o f a l m o s t a l l oppression I identify as a Muslim, and I live my life tr ying to fight the incorrect narratives of Islam circ u l a t i n g t o d a y Fo r e x a m p l e , Islam teaches us that all men and women are created equal; t h a t h u m a n k i n d i s a s i n g l e nation I could list other quotes f r o m t h e Ho l y Q u ’ r a n t h a t c o u n t e r a c t t h e i m p r e s s i o n o f Islam circulating worldwide, but at times I have no audience As a member of a religious community, I want to tr y to educate people and show them my religion isn’t the evil monolith some people make it out to be

Along with the advocating for my own religion, I am also advocating for the impor tance of a healthy religious communit y I ’d l o v e t o s e e p r o p e r r e s o u r c e s f o r s t u d e n t s , l i k e myself, who feel stronger connections to their religious identities when compared to their cultural ones Cornell tries to s u p p o r t u s , a n d h e l p s f u n d CURW and inter faith programming, but the suppor t has a limit due to our secular roots If other students showed a genuine i n t e r e s t i n l i s t e n i n g t o u s , attending our events and learning more about our relig i o n s , t h i s w o u l d h e l p the religious communities thrive The initiatives put for th by the various factions of Cornell ser ve a n i m p o r t a n t p u r p o s e , but they will be incomplete unless we accomm o d a t e o u r r e l i g i o u s communities as well Ultimately, I want to see a cultural change at Cornell, a change in which students want to have a pluralistic education outside the classroom I would love to see more interactions between the religious organizations and the rest of campus, as well as more informal interactions between students in relig i o u s o r g a n i z a t i o n s a n d t h e i r peers I know my friends and I are all ready to integrate into the community The question is will you have us?

Ihsan Kabir is a senior in the College of Ar ts and Sciences He may be reached ibk7@cor nell edu Guest Room r uns periodically this semester

SCIENCE

By SOFIA HU Sun Staff Writer

Anthony Maers ’13 Challenges Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity

u p p o r t h i s t h e o r y

In 1 8 5 1 , Hi p p o l y t e Fi ze a u c o n d u c t e d t h e o r i g i n a l e x p e r i m e n t t h a t Ma e r s a n d Wa y n e a re c u r re n t l y re p l i c a t i n g T h e

e x p e r i m e n t u s e s a n i n t e r f e r o m e t e r, a

c o m m o n t o o l t h a t s c i e n t i s t s u s e t o s t u d y l i g h t T h e i n t e r f e ro m e t e r s p l i t s a n i n c o mi n g b e a m o f l i g h t i n t o t w o , d i re c t i n g o n e b e a m i n t o a p i p e w h e re w a t e r f l ow s i n t h e s a m e d i re c t i o n a s t h e b e a m a n d t h e s e c o n d i n t o a p i p e w h e re t h e w a t e r f l ow s i n t h e o p p o s i t e d i re c t i o n At t h e e n d o f t h e p i p e s , t h e t w o b e a m s a re re c o m b i n e d i n t o o n e a n d a n a l y ze d T h e re c re a t e d b e a m c re a t e s a n i n t e rf e re n c e p a t t e r n – a p a t t e r n o f f r i n g e s t h a t l o o k s d i f f e re n t d e p e n d i n g o n t h e s p e e d s

o f t h e t w o l i g h t b e a m s By a n a l y z i n g t h e i n t e r f e re n c e p a t t e r n s , Fi ze a u c o u l d d e t e rm i n e h ow t h e s p e e d o f t h e w a t e r, t h e m e d i u m t h e l i g h t w a s t r a ve l i n g t h ro u g h , a f f e c t e d t h e s p e e d o f l i g h t

A c c o r d i n g t o c l a s s i c a l , Ne w t o n i a n p h y s i c s , t h e ove r a l l s p e e d o f l i g h t s h o u l d

e q u a l t h e s i m p l e s u m o f t h e s p e e d o f t h e

w a t e r a n d t h e s p e e d o f t h e o r i g i n a l l i g h t

b e a m Howe ve r, Fi ze a u d i s c ove re d t h a t t h e

ve l o c i t i e s o f t h e w a t e r a n d o f t h e l i g h t

we re n o t a d d i t i ve , a n d t h a t t h e s p e e d o f

t h e m e d i u m d i d n o t a f f e c t t h e s p e e d o f

l i g h t a s m u c h a s Ne w t o n i a n p h y s i c s p re -

d i c t e d

Ei n s t e i n l a t e r u s e d Fi ze a u ’ s re s u l t s t o

s u p p o r t h i s t h e o r y o f s p e c i a l re l a t i v i t y,

w h i c h p o s i t e d t h a t t i m e a n d s p e e d a re

h e s a i d t h a t h e w a n t e d t o l e a r n t r a d i t i o na l s p e c i a l r e l a t i v i t y b e f o r e h e b e g a n w o rk i n g o n m y a l t e r n a t i ve i d e a s , ” Wa y n e s a i d “ Eve r yo n e b e l i e ve d re l a t i v i t y, a n d h e w a n t e d t o s e e i f t h e re w a s e ve n a n e e d f o r m y i d e a s Br a ve f o r a s o p h o m o re ,

Do p p l e r e f f e c t ” T h e Do p p l e r e f f e c t i s t h e c h a n g e i n f re q u e n c y o f w a ve s t o t h e o b s e r ve r w h e n t h e o b s e r ve r m ove s re l a t i ve t o t h e s o u rc e o f t h e w a ve

R a t h e r t h a n u s e w h a t h e f e e l s l i k e i s a n u n i n t u i t i ve t h e o r y, Wa y n e d o e s a w a y

w i t h s p e c i a l re l a t i v i t y a n d e x p l a i n s s c i e n -

t i f i c p h e n o m e n o n u s i n g j u s t t h e Do p p l e r e f f e c t Ma e r s , i n t e re s t e d i n t h i s i d e a , b e c a m e i n vo l ve d w i t h Wa y n e ’ s re s e a rc h “ He c a m e b a c k a s a s o p h o m o re , a n d

re l a t i ve Wa y n e s t u d i e d a l t e r n a t i ve s t o s p e c i a l re l a t i v i t y a n d m e n t i o n e d t h e m o n e d a y w h e n h e l p i n g Ma e r s , t h e n a f re s h m a n i n h i s b i o l o g y c l a s s Wa y n e h a d a t h e o r y t h a t s p e c i a l re l a t i v i t y w a s u n n e c e s s a r y i f i n s t e a d “ o n e t a k e s i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n t h e w e l l - k n o w n a n d c o m m o n l y o b s e r v e d

r i g h t ? ” A f t e r a s e m e s t e r o f re a d i n g a b o u t s p e -

c i a l re l a t i v i t y, Ma e r s l o o k e d a t t h e ve l o ci t y a d d i t i o n l a w s a n d re a l i ze d t h a t t h e re

w a s ro o m f o r i n t e r p re t a t i o n o f t h e Fi ze a u

e x p e r i m e n t re s u l t s “ I w a n t e d t o re d o t h e e x p e r i m e n t , a n d R a n d y s a i d , ‘ O k a y, l e t ’ s d o i t ’

Be f o re I k n ow i t , f o u r ye a r s l a t e r, h e re we

a r e , l i t e r a l l y s t a r t i n g f r o m s c r a t c h , ”

Ma e r s s a i d “ We d i d n ’ t j u s t g o b u y f l o u r a n d e g g s a n d m a k e b re a d We a c t u a l l y

g re w t h e w h e a t a n d h a t c h e d t h e c h i c ke n s We s t a r t e d f ro m t h e ve r y b o t t o m t o g e t t o w h e re we a re t o d a y ” Si n c e t h e n , t h e t w o h a ve b u i l t a n i n t e r f e ro m e t e r a f t e r c o n t i n u o u s l y t e s t i n g a n d re f i n i n g t h e i n s t r u m e n t A m o n g n u m e r o u s i m p r o v e m e n t s , t h e y h a v e c h a n g e d h ow t h e w a t e r i s p u m p e d i n t o t h e p i p e s a n d d e s i g n e d a c o m p u t e r p rog r a m t h a t a n a l y ze s t h e re s u l t i n g i n t e r f e re n c e p a t t e r n s A l o n g t h e w a y, t h e t w o h a ve c o l l a b or a t e d w i t h o t h e r s , i n c l u d i n g Pr o f R i c h a r d Fu r n a s , m a t h e m a t i c s , a n d Mi c h a e l Ru t z k e , s e n i o r re s e a rc h a s s o c i a t e a t t h e Ro b e r t W Ho l l e y C e n t e r f o r A g r i c u l t u re a n d He a l t h Wa y n e e s t i m a t e d t h e t o t a l c o s t o f t h e p ro j e c t t o b e a f e w t h o u s a n d d o l l a r s a ye a r, a l l o f w h i c h c a m e f ro m h i s a n d Ma e r s ’ ow n p o c k e t s “ W h e n we s t a r t e d , we c o u l d n ’ t e ve n d o o n e e x p e r i m e n t a d a y, a n d t h e n w h e n we c o u l d d o e x p e r i m e n t s , we c o u l d n ’ t a n a l y ze t h e m , ” Wa y n e s a i d T h e p r o j e c t h a s s l ow l y p r o g r e s s e d f r o m t h a t p o i n t , a n d Ma e r s a n d Wa y n e h a v e s u c c e s s f u l l y r e p l i c a t e d t h e Fi z e a u e x p e r i m e n t a n d d e m o n s t r a t e d t h a t t h e i r m o d e l m a t c h e s t h e e x p e r i m e n t a l r e s u l t s m o r e a c c u r a t e l y t h a n E i n s t e i n ’ s t h e o r y “ We f o u n d t h a t t h e re s u l t s a re b e t t e r d e s c r i b e d by [ o u r m o d e l o f ] t a k i n g t h e Do p p l e r e f f e c t i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n t h a n by s p e c i a l re l a t i v i t y, ” Wa y n e s a i d “ If we ’ re r i g h t , t h a t m e a n s t h a t t h e re i s n o n e e d t o p o s t u l a t e t h a t s p a c e a n d t i m e a re re l a t i ve ” Now t h a t Ma e r s a n d Wa y n e h a ve p u b l i s h e d t w o p a p e r s o n t h e s u b j e c t , t h e

Aging Versus Disease-Caused Memory Loss

By SRINITYA ARASANIPALAI Sun Staff Wr ter

Memor y loss is a normal par t of the aging process, but memor y loss is also one of the main symptoms used by clinicians to determine if an individual has dementia

Prof Charles Brainerd, human development, Prof Valerie Reyna, human development, and Carlos Gomes grad have created a mathematical model that can help discern normal memor y loss from memor y loss due to a neurological disease

Memor y loss, whether or not due to disease, is characterized by episodic memor y loss Episodic memor y loss is when a person cannot remember specific things that happen at a par ticular time at a par ticular location

“It’s remembering what a hot dog is but not remembering that you ate a hot dog in a baseball game last Saturday evening,” Brainerd said

A specific component of episodic memor y loss is called recollection in which the brain uses a par ticular method to remember the when and where components of a memor y Recollection is characterized by vivid memories of what happened which one can see in their mind’s eye and hear in their mind’s ear According to Brainerd, recollection is what is expected to decline in a healthy normal person in their late middle age

Contrar y to popular belief, this decline

does not hold steady throughout adulthood It has been found that steady decline in memor y loss star ts at late middle age, declines until about the age of 70 and then stays constant as long as the individual stays healthy, Brainerd said

B

healthy elderly people with normal memor y loss from people who have memor y loss due to neurological diseases Within the segment who have neurological diseases, Brainerd also seeks to separate individuals with diseases such as dementia from people who have cognitive impairment, an intermediate stage between age-related memor y loss and a neurological disease

Ac c o rd i n

neurological diseases will show a different pattern of memor y loss as compared to individuals with normal memor y loss

Current clinical tests used to detect

Brainerd said In a recall test, a person is given a list of words to study and asked to recall as many words as they can In a recognition test, one is given a list of words and then given a second list of test words

The person is then asked to identify which of the test words were on the first list and which were not

According to Brainerd, these tests are not consistent and do not rise to the gold

Sensitivity is being able to positively iden-

tify a person in the disease categor y while specificity is being able to reject a person as n

Eighty-five percent of specificity and sensitivity are considered gold standards When individuals remember things or words in recall and recognition tests, different, independent component memor y processes are involved Different individu-

remember the same word When an individual takes the currently used recall or recognition tests, however, they are just repeating words with nothing to pinpoint the processes used, according to Brainerd Brainerd, Reyna and Gomes created a

measures the separate memor y processes used on the recall and recognition tests instead of just raw per formance The model seeks to detect error patterns by analyzing t h e pe r form an c

on t h

, w h ic h results in a higher level of both sensitivity and specificity

By u

found that individuals with dementia or cognitive impairment experience memor y loss during recognition processes This differs from normal memor y loss which loses recall of words or events instead of recognition, Brainerd said

In addition to the diagnostic component, Brainerd also focuses on tr ying to predict which healthy people will be likely

dementia

“It is really impor tant to do this because t re a t m e n t s f o r d e m e n t i a a n d c o g n i t i v e impairment are not ver y good,” Brainerd said “In order to develop treatments to prevent neurological diseases, we have to be able to identify people who are still healthy but will, in the future, develop these conditions so as to test the current treatments ”

According to Brainerd, over a period of one to six years, increased decline in recognition memor y indicates a transition in healthy individuals from normal memor y loss to cognitive impairment or dementia

These mathematical results are significant because they are better predictors than genetic markers in identifying neurological diseases, Brainerd said Generally, genetic markers are only good in detecting diseases during their later stages According to Brainerd, the Apolipoprotein E genotype is the best known genetic marker in predicting future cognitive impairment or dementia However, it is only 50 percent accurate “ We are at a tipping point where we are really at the ground floor of things with so much fundamental work and advancement to be made at this point,” Brainerd said “No matter how many good ideas we have about treatments, we cannot cure the diseases if we cannot identify [them] ”

Srinitya Arasanipalai can be reached at sarasanipalai@cornellsun com

Fish Brains Reveal Origin of Hand Gestures

By REEM KHONDAKAR

Sun Staff Writer

Call it going out on a limb, but recent research by Prof Andrew Bass, neurobiology and behavior, on toadfish may provide insight into how human hand gestures evolved

Ba s s s t u d i e s t h e n e u ro n s responsible for sound production and hearing in toadfish, one of the most vocal groups of fish

“Toadfish are the songbirds and frogs of the ocean Much like frogs, their entire lives revolve around making and hearing sound,” Bass said

Like most fish, toadfish produce sound by contracting their swim bladder, a muscular apparatus that, according to Bass, evolved specifically for the production of sound By locating a developing swim bladder muscle within an embr yo and the corresponding neurons in the brain controlling that developing muscle, Bass’ lab built a map of the early development of the vocal system in toadfish They found distinct populations of neurons that control the duration, amplitude and frequency of fish sounds Together, these distinct populations make up what is known as the vocal central pattern generator, a network of neurons in the hindbrain that controls sound production

“In doing those studies, we identified exactly where in the hindbrain this vocal central pattern generator develops,” Bass said

Fi s h c o m m u n i c a t e i n t w o major ways: by using their swim bladder, which is dedicated to sound production, and by moving their pectoral fins, which are used mainly for motion but can also sometimes be used for producing sound According to Bass, these p e c t o r a l a p p e n d a g e s c a n b e thought of as functionally equivalent to human forelimbs

It was while studying the early development of the vocal central

pattern generator that Bass came across something unexpected: the neurons responsible for the movement of pectoral fins develop close to the neurons responsible for the production of sound

“Imagine there’s a compar tment, a segment of the developing brain, where the vocal central pattern generator is born It turns out that the motor neurons that control development of the pectoral fins, lo and behold, appear to be born in the same segment of the developing brain,” Bass said

The discovery of a developmental overlap between the neurons that control sound production and the neurons that control pectoral

a p p e n d a g e m ove m e n t s p a rk e d questions about what neurobiological properties two disparate functions might share

“If we think about how humans typically use hand gestures when they are speaking, and how even people who are deaf use their hands for communication, there is s

sound production,” Bass said

Indeed, this coupling is widespread in the animal kingdom

“For years I knew that many birds, like fish, make sound in similar ways For instance, manakins, b i rd s f ro m t h e C e n t r a l a n d Southern American tropics, make incredible sounds by beating their wings, which are modified pectoral appendages Fish are doing the same thing,” Bass said

Unlike in mammals, the pectoral girdle in fish is attached directly to the head and is used primarily for steering purposes In

humans, the functional equivalent would be the clavicle and scapula, which are located near the shoulders What makes the pectoral girdle particularly interesting as a tool for communication is that, unlike t h e s w i m b l a d d e r, p e c t o r a l appendages are multi-functional Ac c o rd i n g t o Ba s s , o n e s t u d y demonstrated how disrupting the ability of croaking gouramies, a small species of freshwater fish common in aquariums, to move their pectoral appendages changed their social interactions

Bass aims to understand the neuronal changes that occur when a n a n i m a l u s e s i t s p e c t o r a l appendages to make sound and when it uses it for another behavior, such as locomotion

“At times the pectoral girdle can be engaged just for sound produc-

tion That becomes a very interesti n g q u e s t i o n , h ow i t s w i t c h e s between one and the other,” Bass said

While many of these questions are unanswered, the findings of a shared developmental origin for both systems in toadfish may spark new research in the field

“It’s worth asking the question, does this enable us to identify the underlying principles of neural organization that define both the use of the pectoral system for signaling and the use of a vocal system for signaling, and can we learn f ro m t h a t t h e p r i n c i p l e s t h a t underlie our own ability to do that?” Bass said

Reem Khondakar can be reached at rkhondakar@cornellsun com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

T h e S u n ’ s To p 1 0 S o n g s o f 2 0 1 3

By now, there are at least four different music videos of “Afterlife”: the SNL performance, the bizarre Spike Jonze dance-thing at the YouTube Music Awards, the lyric video interspersed with scenes from the movie “Black Orpheus” and the official one of a single Mexican father and his family Despite the different narratives, “Afterlife” is a fitting track for each and every story of loss and heartbreak “Afterlife” reminded hardcore Arcade Fire fans why they were so drawn to Funeral: It was Arcade Fire doing what they do best in creating the anthemic magic that makes you want to cry and pump your fist at the same time Combined with just a light touch of James Murphy, the song urges us to dance at the cusp of death not out of hedonistic celebration, but content, teary remembrance of everything that is good in the world that is passing us by

t e d t i p s f o r d a p p e r t u xe d o s a n d p o m a d e - l a d e n h a i r, Ti m b e r l a k e h a s c e r t a i n l y b e e n f i n d i n g h i s n i c h e

a s h e m a t u re s T h i s d o e s n ’ t m e a n h e ’ s g i ve n u p o n

m a

Fine, it’s a song about getting high and shopping for snacks, but it’s a song about getting high and shopping for snacks like “Sister Ray” is just a song about oral sex and shooting up heroin “Stoned and Starving” is a drone rock epic that marries Sonic Youth’s trash culture beat poetry with a motorik pace that suggests the underlying anxiety that comes from looking up the ingredients on a bag of Swedish Fish Like a punk rock version of Das Racist, Parquet Courts deadpan on the minutiae of the stoner lifestyle with a fervor that suggests maybe just maybe our decision between “roasted peanuts or licorice” says something important about us after all

Kanye West is angry: at Louis Vuitton, at Jimmy Kimmel, at Nike and, most of all, at people who aren ’ t taking him seriously Say what you want about the feasibility of a leather jogging pant, but on “Black Skinhead” ‘Ye makes incongruous fashions work Gary Glitter handclap drum beats, ethereal wailing, distorted screams, that absolutely filthy synth mantra we say a lot about Kanye’s ego, but this the sound of his id, all frustration, fury and the quelling of self-doubt For his theme song, Kanye hits us with a brutal manifesto that sees him proselytizing on race, the media and his own greatness like a man possessed It’s a warts-and-all excavation of his own personality, projected by a self-confidence and sense of purpose unparalleled by anyone in pop music “Black Skinhead” hijacks your brain and forces you to pay attention If you ’ re not taking Kanye seriously by now, you ’ re just not listening

C h a n t e u s e G o o d l u c k s t o p p i n g t h i s f r i s k , Bl o o m b e r g ! We’re o n a ro l l ! Ba c k a n d f o r t h , b a c k a n d f o r t h , l i b e r a l s g i v i n g m e a n e r ve i t c h No , t h e s

It’s not a single, it’s not a dance track, it’s not the irresistible cocktail that is “Diane Young ” But we all return to “Hannah Hunt ” Perhaps we don’t hear songs as tender and forthright as this anymore, even when we know they do us a whole lot of good Ezra Koenig’s lyrics speak to the mystical potency of love how it turns atheists into believers, skeptics into storytellers Instead of God, however, our lover has Hannah, another mortal who “live[s] on the US dollar ” As he belts his exasperation at how anti-romantic the world is over spritely E Street Band-esque keys, we know he’ll try, goddammit, to keep the dream alive

C h i l d h o o d ’ s E n d Majical Clouds

Janelle Monae is one of the smartest musicians alive Many artists put out dissing tracks that deal w i t h t h e i

u s e s “Q U E E N ” to talk about more than just herself With her alter-ego as the android Cindi Mayweather, Mo n

Afrofuturist funk musicians who use science fiction tropes to highlight racial inequity in America She pointedly asks so innocently you might miss it “Will your God accept me in my black and white? Will he approve the way I’m made?” But her last verses are so powerful and pointed they deserve to be reprinted: “Are we a lost generation of our people? Add us to equations but they’ll never make use equal ” She will permit you to groove, but you’ll do it by her rules

“White Noise” is a perfect example of the kind of hipster-pleasing and club-banging house hits that defined one of this year ’ s top releases, Disclosure’s Settle Featuring the slinky vocals of Aluna Francis of AlunaGeorge, whose sharp staccato meshes perfectly with the looping synth that accompanies her, the track plays like a sped-up and coked-out version of Sbtrkt’s “Wildfire ” The lyrics themselves also embody the inherent duality of this album On one level, they’re prime for partying “Lately I’ve been thinking, if you want to get tough / then let’s play rough,” Aluna repeats beckoningly throughout But, those music fans that like their house with a bit of brains need only delve a bit deeper into her instistence that she be heard as more than “just noise, white noise ” In short, it’s a track with the hooks to satisfy casual listeners and the IQ to gain the approval of even the snobbiest critic

1 0

Katie Crutchfield’s first outing as Waxahatchee, the staunchly lo-fi American Weekend, sounds like a series of crossed-out entries from a diary the sort of unfiltered musings that are too intimate to put on display “Peace and Quiet,” from this year ’ s excellent Cerulean Salt, finds Crutchfield mining the same personal ground with a newfound self-assuredness The lyrics reflect on the futility of revenge (“If I muster the strength to afflict you, I won ’ t feel any better at all”) amid a propulsive chorus that hints at Crutchfield’s time with beloved pop-punkers P S Eliot Ideal for post-relationship angst, “Peace and Quiet” is an anthem for lonely bedroom romantics everywhere

Premiere: Kill Your Darlings

Featuring co-writer and professor Austin Bunn

BY ZACH ZAHOS Sun Associate Managing Editor

d i r e c t o r Jo h n

K ro k i d a s , Bu n n w ro t e a s c r i p t a b o u t t h e B e a t s i n c l u d i n g G i n s b e r g ,

W i l l i a m S B u r r o u g h s a n d Ja c k

Ke ro u a c b e f o re t h e y we re f a m o u s a n d w h e n t h e y, i n a l i t t l e - k n ow n h i s -

t o r i c a l e p i s o d e , b e c a m e e m b ro i l e d i n a g r i s l y m u rd e r Bu n n a n d K ro k i d a s ve e re d l i t t l e f ro m t h e f a c t s i n re c re a t i n g t h i s h e a t e d p e r i o d o f t i m e , w h e re Gi n s b e r g f e l l f o r a n o l d e r s t u d e n t , Lu c i e n C a r r ( p l a y e d b y C h r o n i c l e ’ s Da n e De Ha a n ) T h e m ov i e ’ s g o t s e x , d r u g s a n d ro c k ’ n ro l l o r, r a t h e r, j a z z ( t h i s w a s 1 9 4 4 , a f t e r a l l ) To n i g h t a t 7 : 1 0 p m , yo u c a n n o t o n l y s e e K i l l Yo u r Da rl i n g s a t C i n e m a p o l i s b u t h e a r B u n n i n t ro d u c e a n d a n s we r q u e s t i o n s a b o u t i t , t o o T

A Product of Mouse Clicks

Afe w weeks ago, I showed up to my thesis advisor’s office and stupidly forgot he was out of town As I wandered awkwardly around Ives Faculty Hall, I walked past a commotion near the

c o n f e re n c e r o o m : A g u e s t l e c t u re w a s about to begin With nothing else to do in the afternoon, I went in on a whim

“ D i g i t a l L a b o r : T h e I n t e r n e t a s

Playground and Factor y ” addressed ne w forms of labor and work that have arisen in the age of the Internet Editing Wikipedia

( i m p r o v i n g t h e p r o d u c t ) , p o s t i n g t o

Facebook (contributing adver tising demo-

g r a p h i c d a t a ) a n d s h a r i n g c r a p f r o m

Upwor thy (please stop doing this) are all forms of labor Perhaps the best example of this was the lecturer’s example that customer ser vice workers on company for ums are paid nothing to address ser vice issues

If you ever posted a question on the Apple

Su p p o r t f o r u m , c h a n c e s a r e t h a t t h e answerer is doing it with the commitment of a second job for free In all cases, the labor is voluntar y and the re ward is psychological, not monetar y

A desire to help others or for selfexpression may be par t of that re ward, but usually the most gratification comes from the “gamification” of the work itself, or the creation of a small re ward after an interactive activity Customer ser vice for ums like

A p p l e ’ s r e w a r d p o i n t s f o r t h e “ b e s t answer, ” even if those points are purely n o m i n a l Yo u r f r i e n d s ’ “ l i k e s ”

use Facebook again

a

T V shows use hashtags t

To d a

of documentaries on the Canadian oil sands boom, all with a familiar stor y: Previously ecologically harmful oil sands a re n ow p h

d thousands of hopefuls across Canada come f

Athabasca oil sands hoping to earn big money Many trek to the extremely cold and harsh tundra on a hazardous road nicknamed the “Highway of Death” for its auto accidents Some people get jobs and drive up the cost of living to boomtown prices houses in the millions, 20 bucks for a sandwich Liquor, dr ugs and prostitution abound Those that find no jobs are destitute and homeless Most jobs here are grimy and industrial, and the water and air are toxically polluted

“For t McMoney” repackages that stor y into a cross between a video game and an interactive tour of the city Rather than a 50-minute long film that exposes a seedy boomtown with economic and social problems, “For t McMoney” opts for shor t clips that give minimal background information interspersed with interactive content The entire game is driven by the people that you decide to interact with and the questions you ask You could go down to city hall to ask the mayor questions, or you could follow an unemployed ex-alcoholic who collects cans to pay the rent

As you explore more places and talk to more people, you earn influence points

have some sor t of game element

One of the most interesting conceptual works is “For t McMoney,” a website with all the makings of a documentar y in the format of a video game Centered around the oil boom town of For t McMurray, Canada, “For t McMoney” tackles thoroughly-covered territor y There are plenty

Those influence points can influence the

McMoney in the dashboard In the beginning, For t McMoney star ts off with the same stats as For t McMurray does, but, with influence points, you vote on referendums and different social policies that affect For t McMoney, and you can see how

your results differ Here, the gameplay gets a little muddled I

t h t h e game/documentar y: One of the objects I picked up outside City Hall were “Secret Confidential Documents” on the oil sands I understand this is a gameplay element to keep things interesting, but it does warrant a cautionar y note: Introducing fictional elements is par t of what games are about, but when placed into the context of a documentar y a work that’s supposed to reflect reality it makes you wonder what else is made up

But conceptually, the game/documentar y is ingenious Audiences engage more with games than with a documentar y, and t u r n i n g t h e g a m e i n t o a d o c u m

encourages a deeper dive into an enorm o u s l y c o m p l i c a t e d i s s u e s , l i k e h o w Canada’s oil boom is impacting the economy and its citizens Inter vie ws are much

more re warding because the subjects get to answer in length no one is cut off because there are no considerations of time limits Documentaries have an editorial voice the name “For t McMoney” itself evinces which side of the issue the filmm a

However, “For t McMoney” feels much more organic in its format than many other documentaries on the issue precisely because its pace is dictated by the audience If you want to focus on the oil industr y ’ s side of the argument, then you can do that If you want the opposite, you can do that, too It’s completely up to you The world is a product of mouse clicks

Kai Sam Ng is a senior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations He can be reached at kng@cornellsun com You ve Got to be Kitsching Me runs alternate Wednesdays this semester

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HOROWITZ

a m p l a y s m a r t , w i n n i n g b a s k e t b a l l K i d d’s g e n i u s o n t h e o f f e n s i ve s i d e o f t h e b a l l a n d h i s a b i l i t y t o b r i n g o u t t h e b e s t i n h i s t e a mm a t e s m a y h e l p h i m e n c o u r a g e e a c h o f B r o o k l y n ’ s o f f e n s i v e s t a r s t o re l e a s e t h e i r f u l l p o t e nt i a l How e v e r, t h e re h a s a l w a y s b e e n a d a rk e r s t o r y u n f o l d i n g i n K i d d’s o f f - c o u r t l i f e In 2 0 0 1 , h e w a s a r r e s t e d a n d p l e a d e d g u i l t y t o p h y s i c a l l y a b u s i n g h i s w i f e Jo u m a n a Sh e a l s o a c c u s e d

h i m o f f re q u e n t l y c h e a t i n g o n h e r a n d e m o t i o n a l l y a b u s i n g h e r K i d d c l a i m s t h a t Jo u m a n a w a s a l s o a b u s i v e t o h i m A l t h o u g h h e a t t e n d e d a n g e r m a n a g e m e n t c l a s s e s a s a p u ni s h m e n t f o r t h e c r i m e , K i d d c o u l d n ’ t h o l d t h e m a r r i a g e t o g e t h e r H e a n d Jo u m a n a e n d e d t h e i r m a r r i a g e i n a m e s s y d i vo rc e w i t h t h e i r t h re e k i d s c a u g h t i n t h e m i d d l e In Ju l y o f 2 0 1 2 , a f t e r h e h a d s i g n e d w i t h t h e K n i c k s , K i d d w a s a r re s t e d f o r d r u n k d r i v i n g a f t e r h e c r a s h e d h i s c a r i n t o a t e l e p h o n e p o l e a t 2 a m i n So u t h a m p t o n , N Y He p l e a d e d g u i l t y t o t h e c h a r g e a n d w a s s u sp e n d e d by t h e N B A f o r t h e f i r s t t w o g a m e s o f t h i s s e a s o n No t e x a c t l y a g re a t w a y t o b e g i n a c o a c h i n g c a re e r T h e s t a r t t o t h e Ne t s ’ s e a s o n h a s n o t g o n e a s p l a n n e d In f a c t , i t h a s b e e n n o t h i n g s h o r t o f d re a d f u l T h e y l o s t 1 0 o u t o f t h e i r f i r s t 1 3 g a m e s a n d a re c u rre n t l y t h e t h i rd w o r s t t e a m i n t h e E a s t e r n C o n f e re n c e w i t h a re c o rd o f 5 - 1 2 T h e re i s s t i l l t i m e , t o t u r n t h i n g s a ro u n d , b u t t h e Ne t s m a n a g e m e n t h a d h i g h e x p e c t a t i o n s f o r t h i s s e a s o n , a n d c o r re c t i ve m ove s w i l l b e m a d e i f K i d d c a n ’ t r i g h t t h e s h i p In a re c e n t l o s s t o t h e L a k e r s , w i t h t h e Ne t s d ow n by t w o p o i n t s w i t h 8 3 s e c o n d s re m a i ni n g a n d n o t i m e o u t s , K i d d i n s t r u c t e d o n e o f h i s p l a ye r s t o i n t e n t i o n a l l y b u m p i n t o h i m s o t h

Continued from page 16 Ben Horowitz can be reached at bhorowitz@cornellsun com

There has always been a darker story unfolding in Kidd’s off-court life

t i

o r K i d d t o p u l l h i m s e l f t o g e t h e r a n d g a i n a s e n s e o f h o n e s t y, r a t h e r t h a n d e n y i n g e ve r y m i s t a k e t h a t h e m a k e s He w a s a g re a t p l a ye r a n d h a s t h e p o t e n t i a l t o b e a g

o r n e l l S t r i v e s t o S q u a s h

Columbia Lions Next Weekend

Top men ’ s and women ’ s team s seek to hold w inning streak

By HAMDAN AL YOUSEFI Sun Staff Wr ter

After kick-starting their respective seasons in blazing fashion

w i t h v i c t o r i e s a g a i n s t Dre xe l , Stanford and the University of Western Ontario, both men and women ’ s squash look to keep the momentum going when they host Ivy League rival Columbia next

we e k e n d Wi t h C o l u m b i a ’ s women and men ’ s teams ranked No 11 and No 12 respectively, as opposed to the Red’s No 6 and No 8 teams, Cornell may be able

t o c l a i m a n e a s y v i c t o r y Columbia, however, has recruited intensively over the summer, bolstering its ranking with several international players as the program enters its fourth year

“I see them breaking into the Top-Eight, but not by beating Cornell They are definitely not to be taken lightly,” women ’ s head coach Julee Devoy said “At the moment we ’ re looking behind anything ahead of us we ’ re going to go out there and give it our best shot There are a couple of teams ahead of us who are a little weaker than last year, but so are we But who knows what could happen Potentially [we could finish higher t h a n we s t a r t e d ] , j u s t l i k e Columbia is trying to get us ” T h e re s u l t s o f t h e m a t c h a g a i n

Cornell’s position in the standings, according to men ’ s head coach Mark Devoy

“The teams are getting stronger and stronger every year Columbia have put a lot of effort into their program and have several international players coming in this year, ” he said “If we lose this weekend we ’ re more likely to drop out of the Top-Eight When you drop out of the Top-Eight, you ’ re reliant on the results of other teams to determine your outcome, which is not a position I want to be in Columbia is going to be ver y strong and difficult, so it’s important that we get the win this weekend ”

Despite acknowledgements of the strength of Columbia’s team, both coaches believe that the Red has the superior program and are hoping for a win

“We’re hoping for a win, we need a win,” Mark Devoy said “It’s going to be a very tough game We had a very tough battle w i t h t h e m l a s t ye a r T h e y ’ re ranked behind us so this is actually a must-win For all intensive purposes this is going to be a close match ”

“Well, certainly we’d like to come off with a win,” Julee Devoy said “We did play them at the s c r i m m a g e a n d e ve n t h o u g h scrimmages are no account and both our line ups have changed,

we could get different match ups At the end of the day I think we might have the edge, but we still have to play well to pull it off ” A loss this weekend may have

d i s a s t ro u s c o n s e q u e n c e s f o r Cornell’s season

“That would be telling them that Cornell is definitely a weaker team and anyone else would think they’d have a reasonable shot against us, ” Julee Devoy said “But after Columbia there is a little bit of gap in strength For example, Columbia played GW before the break and Columbia beat them 72 ”

Mark Devoy also focused on a n a l y z i n g C o l u m b i a ’ s re s u l t against GW, believing it was not as indicative of Columbia’s strength as it seemed “ It’s h a rd l o o k i n g a t t h e matchup [as] GW is a considerably weaker team It’s hard to gauge quality looking at just that Something in our favor is that we ’ ve had several hard matches before the break [and Columbia hasn’t] We’ll be their first big test, ” he said “We got a bit of a wake up call against Drexel, which is good We have a slight advantage in that aspect And we have a home court advantage which is always big in squash ” After a semester of training and build up, only to have the season broken off by the Thanksgiving

Columbia matchup will affect the Cor nell’s national standings, making it a must-win for the Red

break, the Red is ready to get the season going and the players aware of their responsibilities

“They know it’s a big match, they knew Stanford was a huge match as well particularly at the beginning of the season and they did a great job I know that they’re going to approach the Columbia game in the same way, ” Julee Devoy said “They know it’s an ever improving team and a critical match You have to look at the teams coming up behind you ” Mark Devoy is keen to not let the holiday festivities get in the way of team preparation

“I’m looking to get a good seri-

ous week of training in this week, [but] post-Thanksgiving is not the best time I’ll have a better gauge once we start training,” he said Julee Devoy, however, said that a lot would depend on what happens during the match

“You can train and practice and prepare for matches but squash is all about [what happens] on the day [of the match ] It’s about who fronts up and who comes to play and who’s selling good on the day,” she said

Hamdan Al Yousefil can be reached at halyousefi@cornellsun com

Fe n c e r s t o Fi n i s h S u c c e s sf u l

S emester

By SYDNEY ALTSCHULER Sun Staff Writer

at Brandeis Invitational

The Cornell fencing team will travel to Waltham, Mass to compete in the Brandeis Invitational Sunday The Red will face-off against Brandeis, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Boston College and St Johns

So far, Cornell has had a very successful season The squad went 8-7 at the Vassar Invitational, giving head coach Iryna Dolgikh her 100th career victory with the Red The Red hopes to perform well at this tournament in order to end the season strong and improve its overall record

“Brandeis is coming up next weekend and we are all excited to compete We look to finish this

“We look to finish ... on a positive note ”

semester off on a positive note, ” sophomore Ashley Muller said

The Red expects this tournament to be one of the most challenging of the season, as the competition is fierce Nevertheless,

Cornell has reason to be confident At the Brandeis Invitational last season, the Red went 4-1, falling only to nationally ranked powerhouse St Johns St Johns placed third at the 2012 NCAA championships and has been ranked in the top for the past ten years, consecutively Still, last season, Cornell put up a fight against the Red Storm, forcing overtime bouts and taking numerous ties of 44 This year, the Red hopes to defeat its rival and has worked very hard to realize this goal

atmosphere characteristic of a challenging tournament such as this one The fencers have been

“We’ve been working very hard as well, and I’m confident in our chances going into this competition ”

Ta y l o r Wo n g

focusing on fine-tuning their individual strategies and honing their skills to prepare for Brandeis

“I think what will be most challenging during this upcoming tournament is definitely the competition,” sophomore Taylor Wong said “These schools are a bit more challenging than the teams we went up against for our last tournament They train hard and are very good, so I think we will have to work harder than last tournament to match that level of competition Still, we ’ ve been working very hard as well, and I’m confident in our chances going into this competition ”

Cornell has been focusing on mental preparation and consistency to cope with the high-pressure

“Each tournament of our season gets progressively more difficult After reflecting on our performance at Vassar, practice has become more focused on perfecting our individual strengths and working on areas that need improvement,” sophomore Angelica Gangemi said “I hope to apply the strategies and techniques I’ve worked on in training to bring a high level of intensity and competition to every bout at Brandeis ”

Sydney Altschuler can be reached at saltschuler@cornellsun

Pedal to the metal | The men’s and women’s track and field teams are hoping for a successful season opener

C.U. Sw i m m e r s

To C h a l l e n g e

U p st a t e R i va l s

Red hopes to beat Bombers

By JOSHUA BEHLER Sun Staff Wr ter

The Cornell swimming and diving team had mixed results last tournament as the women (4-1) trounced both Penn and Princeton for historic program wins while the men ’ s team (1-4) fell to its Ivy League rivals at the end of the competition Going forward, the Red will look to improve for Friday’s the Ithaca Invite, where it will face off against a host of N Y schools

“Ithaca is a different game for us ” P h i l l i p Tr u o n g

The Ithaca College Invitational is a yearly meet in which Ithaca College hosts a variety of colleges and universities in a weekend long swimming and diving competition In the past, N Y schools such as Cornell, Colgate, Hartwick and Nazareth, have dominated the event The Red will travel to Ithaca

Runners Lo ok for Stron g St ar t

By JOHN McGRORTY Sun Staff Writer

This Friday and Saturday, the Cornell men ’ s and women ’ s track and field teams will compete in the Greg Page Relays in Barton Hall Both the men ’ s and women ’ s teams are looking forward to opening up their 2013-14 season

On the men ’ s side, the Red looks to begin its competitive season after an extensive period of training

“I think, like most track teams, the kids have been training very hard for [the] last three months and have a little bit of cabin fever so they are pretty excited to begin their season, ” head coach Nathan Taylor said “We have what we think might be a very good track team Last year we finished 13 in the country and we have almost all our starts from last year back When you add that together with one of the best recruiting class in the country, including the high school national track and field athlete of the year, we are looking for big things this year ”

The Red hopes to continue to develop and is excited to begin the competitive portion of the season

On the women ’ s side, the Red hopes to gain understanding of where the team is going this season

“The team feels good The Greg Page Relays is a starting point; no one knows quite where we are We have had a great fall, but we haven’t competed yet This is a good jumping off point It provides a beginning and lets us see where

we are at and go from there,” head coach Rich Bowman said “We have had a fantastic fall, we ’ ve worked hard, we came back and have worked since the end of August Everyone has been getting after it We haven’t competed yet, training is great, but what we really want is great competitors and to get back into competition mood We want to see where we are at from a competitive standpoint ” This weekend presents the team with the opportunity to focus more on competitions The Red is determined to concentrate on its success without comparing itself to past teams, according to Bowman

“We plan on having a great year, and we have an extremely competitive schedule, this is the 2014 team, not last year ’ s team or a team from years before They determine their own identity,” he said

Both teams look to start their season off with a successful outing, however they also want to understand where they are at and create a base in order to develop as the season continues

“I think everyone ’ s fitness and strength levels are very high; their technical level of competence is no where near where it will be 3-6 months from now We will see very good performances this weekend and some that need improvement, ” Taylor said

John McGrorty can be reached at jmcgrorty@cornellsun com

College’s A&E Center Aquatics Pavilion and compete throughout the weekend as it seeks to conclude its 2013 campaign on a strong note

The Red has traditionally done very well at the Bomber Invitational Two seasons ago, both teams won the entire meet overall, as both the men and women dominated their instate competition This year provides a unique narrative for both teams heading into the competition, as the women seek to continue their hot streak while the men look to correct their form midseason

“Ithaca is a different game for us, ” senior diver Phillip Truong said “Instead of six dives, we will be competing 11 dives the additional five are what we call voluntary dives, typically drills We don't compete [in voluntary dives] in the Ivy League, so it'll be fun revisiting these in competition ” When asked about the team ’ s performance, Truong noted that the Red is hoping to improve its

consistency as the season progresses

“I think we can definitely improve during meets, ” he said “I know what my teammates and I are capable of doing I see it everyday during practice We have to work towards controlling the adrenaline that builds up during meets and delivering As the season goes on, I think we can expect to see greater consistency from everyone ”

On the women ’ s side, the Red is looking to continue its dominance as it enters the invitational fresh off a historic win against Princeton, the team ’ s first against the Tigers in 32 appearances

“The team as a whole really stood out that night,”

freshman free swimmer

Anna Elling said

“Every girl raced to the last lap, yard, or inch [and] showed what the Red can really do When the team succeeds, it only encourages me as an individual to train harder and race faster I think we can really carry this momentum to Ithaca and swim even better than we already have ” With winter break looming, the Red looks to enter the vacation with improvement across the board and add another victory to the tally as it takes on its cross-town rivals in addition to other N Y schools this Friday

Just Behave, Kidd

The 2013-14 season was supposed to be a breakout party for the new-look Brooklyn Nets Brooklyn acquired the dangerous Boston duo of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, and with a cast already including stars like Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, the Nets looked like they were in position to be one of the NBA’s elite teams All they needed was a coach to bring it all together So they turned to Jason Kidd, a terrific point guard with 19 years of playing experience Just one week after he officially retired from the NBA following his 2012-13 season with the Knicks, Kidd was hired as head coach of the Nets

It was an attractive move for many reasons Kidd played for the Nets, then in New Jersey, for seven of the prime seasons in his career In his first season, he led the Nets to their first 50 win season in franchise history, a 26 win improvement over the previous year That stellar first year culminated in a trip to the NBA finals, the first in Nets history Though they didn’t win the title, Kidd had taken the Nets from mediocrity to excellence

They again reached the finals the following season, the highest scoring season of Kidd’s career Kidd was the outright team leader, the face of the franchise He was a duel threat on the court, able to score from anywhere and able to set up any of his teammates He wasn ’ t the fastest or tallest, but he was a uniquely smart player with great vision and a great sense for the game He is one of the best players who has ever played for the Nets, without question Kidd moved on from the Nets in the latter part of his career, and finally won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 The Nets recently retired his number, saluting him as one of the best players in Nets history The Nets think that Kidd’s fantastic playing career

See HOROWITZ page 14