12 05 14 entire issue lo res

At White House, C.U. Outlines College Access Plans

By TYLER ALICEA Sun Managing Editor

With President Barack Obama and hundreds of other leaders in higher education, Cornell outlined plans it is taking in order to increase access to higher education for low-income students during a summit Thursday Over 600 actions aimed at assisting students from a c r o s s

the country to prepare for earning a college degree were announced during the second College Opportunity Day of Action in Washington, D C

“Our higher education system is one of the things that makes America exceptional,” Obama said at the conference “No place else has the assets we do when it comes to higher education ”

Still, he said other countries around the world have begun to catch up the to the United States in education, and that the country has more work to do in order to increase access to higher education

“I want to make sure the United States leads the world in education again, not just because it’s right to have more young people chase their dreams, but because it’s critical to our economic future,” he said

Through The White House’s initiative, Cornell highlighted two programs: increasing the number of students from underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM fields to

match the number of STEM students from majority groups and helping to increase the number of “highachieving, low-income, rural youth who become first generation college students ”

“Both of these commitments are examples of Cornell’s commitment to engaging broadly with society to have an impact on college access and academic achievement,” said Barbara Knuth, senior vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, who represented Cornell at the summit

The College of Arts and Sciences is working to redesign eight physics and biology courses, which the University says serve approximately 1,600 undergraduates each year and fulfills “key prerequisites” in engineering and life sciences disciplines

The modified courses in physics and biology which aim to assist in increasing STEM parity across all demographics focus on “the most effective, high-impact, engaging teaching and learning practices,” and are made possibly by faculty and college leadership at Cornell, according to Knuth

“ This initiative would not have happened without

Multimillion Dollar Gift Will Target Childhood Diseases

By ANNIE BUI Sun News Editor

i s c i p l i n a r y Ga l e a n d Ir a Dr u k i e r In s t i t u t e f o r C h i l d re n ’ s He a l t h w i l l b e t o “ r a p i dl y t r a n s l a t e b a s i c re s e a rc h b re a k t h ro u g h s i n t o t h e m o s t a d va n c e d t h e r a p i e s f o r p a t i e n t s , ” a c c o rd i n g t o a s t a t em e n t f ro m t h e m e d i c a l c o l l e g e T h e

“The Drukiers’ investment will better the lives of children in New York and beyond.”

By TYLER ALICEA Sun Managing Editor

n a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h T h e Su n T h u r s d a y t h a t h e h a s p u rc h a s e d t h e C o l l e g e t ow n s t a p l e w i t h p l a n s t o re o p e n i t s d o o r s f o r n e x t s e m e s t e r T h e s u d d e n c l o s i n g o f Ru l l o f f ’ s i n e a r l y Se p t e m b e r s h o c k e d C o r n e l l i a n s a n d e m p l oye e s o f t h e re s t a u r a n t , w h o we re l a i d o f f o n L a b o r Da y w h e n i t s h u t i t s d o o r s W h e n C o r n e l l i a n s re t u r n t o It h a c a n e x t s e m e s t e r, h ow e v e r, f o o d w i l l b e s e r ve d a n d l i q u o r f l ow i n g a s Bro u s s a i d h e h o p e s t o re o p e n t h e d o o r s a t 4 1 1

C o l l e g e Ave “ I ’ m ve r y p ro u d o f t h e h i s t o r y a n d w h a t e x i s t s i n Ru l l o f f ’ s , ” h e s a i d “ It n e e d s t o b e b ro u g h t b a c k t o i t s o r i g i n a l l u s t e r ” A f t e r o b t a i n i n g a l i q u o r l i c e n s e a n d d o i n g s o m e re n ov a t i o n s a n d c l e a n u p, B r o u s s a i d h e p l a n s t o r e o p e n t h e C o l l e g e t ow n s t a p l e a ro u n

FORECAST

Day of Classes All Day, Cornell Campus

Applied Economics and Management Graduate Student Association Seminar Series 11:45 a m - 1 p m , 101 Warren Hall

Psychology Colloquium

3:30 p m , 202 Uris Hall

Farewell Reception for Provost W Kent Fuchs

4:30 p m , Lobby, Myron Taylor Hall

Candlelit Vigil for the Late Garner, Brown and Rice 4:30 p m , The Commons Q u

News, “Fellow Cornellians Remember Senior Shannon Jones as ‘Lively,’ Brilliant,’” Monday

Speaking about Jones, who died on Nov 27, and her work on the Violet Satellite Project Team

I picked out her resume and application from a pile of almost a hundred others because her passion towards space exploration was the srongest 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

Abhiram Sundaram ’14

Barnes Hall

C U Music: Jazz Jam Session 5:30 - 7 p m , Hans Bethe House

Jazz Jam Session

5:30 - 7 p m , Jansen’s Dining Room, Hans Bethe House Eco Hoedown

6:30 - 11:30 p m , Memorial Room, Willard Straight Hall

News, “Events Educate Students About Impact of AIDS,” Tuesday

Speaking about the third annual Cornell AIDS Awareness Week and the stigma associated with HIV As an HIV-positive student and experiencing first hand the stigma and poz-phobia on campus, I felt that something sbould be done I put most of my effort in trying to bring HIV and AIDS awareness back to campus, to show that global includes the United States, not just everywhere else

News, “U A Continues Dialogue on Sexual Assault Prevention,” Wednesday

Speaking about the need for student leadership to address sexual violence issues

“As vice president, I know that if I am the one crafting, I know that if I am the one crafting messages to the students, there is going to be a disconnect, so we have to find a way to have the students take [on] more leadership roles ” Susan Murphy ’73 Ph D ’94, vice president for student and academic services

News, “Cornellians Gather Following Police Violence,” Thursday

Speaking about his concerns about an unjust police system at a town hall in remembrance of Eric Garner and Michael Brown

“We do not realize, as the prophets have been telling us that peace is not an absence of conflict It is the presence of justice

Prof Russell Rickford, history

Italian Eatery Will Open in C-Town

By MOLLY KARR Sun Staff Writer

m e n u c o n s i s t s o f a v

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

i It i s

m

o d y a u t h e n t i c It a l i a n c u i s i n e “ w i t h a n u p s t a t e t w i s t , ” a c c o rd i n g t o Ep p s “ T h e r e a r e c l a s s i c d i s h e s h e r e , b u t a l s o t h i n g s o t h e r t h a n t y p i c a l t r a d i t i o n m e a l s , w h i c h I r e a l l y l i k e , ”

R e v e r s i s a i d

H a v i n g l e a r n e d t h e n u a n c e s o f It a l i a n c o o k i n g w h i l e s t u d y i n g a t t h e Fr e n c h Cu l i n a r y I n s t i t u t e a n d t e a c h i n g a c o o k i n g c o u r s e a t To s c a n a S a p o r i t a i n It a l y, Ep p s s a i d h e w a n t s t o f i n d w a y s t o s u p p o r t t h e l o c a l It h a c a c o m m u n i t y “ We w a n

a s t a t i o n , ” D r a k e s a i d I n a d d i t i o n t o o rd e r i n g r e g u l a r e n t r e e s a n d a p p e t i ze r s , c u s t o m e r s w i l l h a v e t h e o p t i o n o f t r y i n g a f i v ec o u r s e It a l i a n m e a l w i t h w i n e p a i r i n g s a t t h e r e s t a u -

r a n t , a c c o rd i n g t o D r a k e Fo r n e w c u s t o m e r s , Ep p s s u g g e s t e d t r y i n g a d i s h t h a t i s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f G o l a ’ s c u l i n a r y s t y l e “ T h e e n t r é e t h a t r e a l l y r e p r e s e n t s o u r It a l i a n f o o d i n a n Up s t a t e Ne w Yo r k s o r t o f w a y w o u l d b e o u r f r i e d C o r n i s h g a m e h e n , w h i c h u s e s C a y u g a p u r e o r g a n i c s p o l e n t a a n d i s f i n i s h e d w i t h l o c a l h o n e y, ” Ep p s s a i d G i u l i a R e v e r s i ’ 1 8 s a i d s h e w a s e x c i t e d t h a t t h e n e w r e s t a u r a n t w a s o p e n i n g i n C o l l e g e t o w n “ I w o u l d d e f i n i t e l y c h e c k i t o u t - b e c a u s e s t u d e n t s w i t h o u t c a r s c a n g e t t o i t , ” s h e s a i d

At Panel, Professors and Experts Argue for Prison System Reform

By SAMANTHA ACRICHE Sun Staff Writer

To i n c r e a s e d i a l o g u e a b o u t i s s u e s w i t h i n t h e A m e r i c a n p r i s o n s y s t e m , t h e

C o r n e l l Pr i s o n Re f o r m a n d Ed u c a t i o n

Pro j e c t s p o n s o re d a p a n e l d i s c u s s i o n i n

Go l d w i n Sm i t h Ha l l T h u r s d a y T h e p a n e l f e a t u re d va r i o u s p ro f e s s o r s a n d e x p e r t s o n A m e r i c a ’ s c r i m i n a l j u s t i c e s y s t e m Pro f Tr a v i s Go s a , A f r i c a n a s t u d i e s , d i s c u s s e d a r g u m e n t s f o r t h e n e e d t o b o t h re f o r m a n d a b o l i s h t h e c r i m i n a l j u s t i c e

s y s t e m a n d m a s s i n c a rc e r a t i o n “ I a m o n l y h e re t o c o m p l e t e a b o l i t i o n o f p r i s o n s a s p a r t o f a c o m p l e x o f s u r ve i ll a n c e p o l i c i n g i n c a rc e r a t i o n , w h i c h h a s

b e e n u s e d t o re e s t a b l i s h e d a n a p a r t h e i d n a t i o n , ” h e s a i d

Ma r g u i l i e s s a i d

Ma t t h e w C l a u s o n ’ 1 5 , c o - f o u n d e r o f

P R E P, s a i d h e h o p e s t h e p a n e l w i l l

B o t h Go s a a n d Pro f Pa u l a Io a n i d e , r a c e a n d e t h n i c i t y, It h a c a C o l l e g e , a g re e d t h a t m a s s i n c a rc e r a t i o n i s a “ n e w Ji m Crow [ l a w ] ” “ T h e re i s a n i n f r a s t r u c t u re o f i d e a s w h i c h c o n t i n u e s t o l e g i t i m i ze t h e i n c a rc e r a t i o n o f s o m a n y p e o p l e , ” Io a n i d e s a i d Sh e s a i d s h e b e l i e ve s A m e r i c a n s a re “ t a u g h t t o f e a r ” u n d e r w h a t s h e d e s c r i b e d a s t h e n e w Ji m Crow s y s t e m “ T h e c r i m i n a l s y s t e m i s u n j u s t f o r a l l p e o p l e , b u t s p e c i f i c a l l y a n d u n p ro p o rt i o n a t e l y f o r p e o p l e o f c o l o r, ” Io a n i d e s a i d Io a n i d e s a i d s h e b e l i e v e s t h a t t h e p r i s o n - i n d u s t r i a l c o m p l e x p re ve n t s p e op l e f ro m t h i n k i n g o f o t h e r w a y s t o s o l ve s o c i e t a l i s s u e s i n A m e r i c a “ T h i s c o u n t r y e q u i vo c a t e s j u s t i c e w i t h p u n i s h m e n t , ” I o a n i d e s a i d “ T h a t re m ov i n g t h i s p e r s o n h a s a c t u a l l y s o l ve d t h i s p ro b l e m , b u t a l l i t d o e s i s s i c k e n t h e e n t i re c o u n t r y [ I w a n t a ] s h i f t i n c o ns c i o u s n e s s a ro u n d n o t i o n s o f j u s t i c e ” Pro f Jo e Ma r g u l i e s , g ove r n m e n t a n d l a w, a l s o d i s c u s s e d t h e i m p a c t t h a t s t ud e n t s m a y h a ve i n re f o r m i n g t h e p r i s o n s y s t e m “ Cr i m i n a l j u s t i c e re f o r m h a s n e ve r b e e n s o p re va l e n t , ” Ma r g u l i e s s a i d “ It i s a p p a re n t t h a t t h e re i s m o re e n e r g y s u rro u n d i n g t h e s e q u e s t i o n s n ow T h i s i s a m o m e n t w h e re p e o p l e c a n g e t i n vo l ve d ” Ma r g u l i e s a l s o e n c o u r a g e d s t u d e n t s t o u s e t h e re s o u rc e s t h a t C o r n e l l o f f e r s i n o rd e r t o m a k e a n e f f o r t t o i m p rove t h e p r i s o n s y s t e m “ Yo u ’ v e g o t t a t a k e t h e f i r s t s t e p, ”

e n c o u r a g e C o r n e l l i a n s t o u n d e r s t a n d p ro b l e m s w i t h i n t h e c o u n t r y ’ s p r i s o n s y s -

t e m “

We h o p e t h a t a u d i e n c e m e m b e r s w i l l g a i n a d e e p e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e m a n y i n j u s t i c e s t h a t e x i s t w i t h i n t h e p r i s o n s y s -

t e m t o d a y a n d l e a r n w h a t t h e y c a n d o t o f i g h t a g a i n s t t h e s e i n j u s t i c e s , ” C l a u s o n s a i d Ga

r r i s o n L ove l y ’ 1 6 , a c o - f o u n d e r o f P R E P, e c h o e d C l a u s o n ’ s s e n t i m e n t s “

We h o p e t o b o t h e d u c a t e t h e s t u d e n t

b o d y o n t h e p r i s o n i n d u s t r i a l c o m p l e x

a n d s t a r t a c a m p u s d i a l o g u e a b o u t

i s s u e s ; re l a t i n g t o m a s s i n c a rc e r a t i o n a n d

c r i m i n a l j u s t i c e , ” L ove l y s a i d

T h e p a n e l t i t l e

Cornell Hopes to Decrease Barriers to Higher Education

the University’s plan Cornell hopes to create an additional 2,000 college graduates in Ne w York State by 2020 through this collaboration

Miller added that alumni suppor t will help the University pursue these measures without placing undue strain on Cornell’s tight budget or increasing tuition

the commitment of the faculty and the leadership of the dean of the College of Ar ts and Sciences in suppor ting this faculty-led initiative and in securing the donor funding to make it possible,” Knuth said in an email

Findings from the effectiveness of these modified courses will be shared through the Center for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning and the Council of

Gr

release

In addition, Cornell will collaborate with Ne w York 4

Cooperative Extension to reach out to 180,000 children in order to prepare them for college, according to

A T Miller, associate vice provost for academic diversity, said research has shown that many talented children in r ural regions do not apply for college and that this outreach program aims to address that issue

A l l o

another impor tant aspect of the effor ts submitted to The White House, according to Knuth “ This emphasizes the impor tance of philanthropy in suppor ting Cornell’s excellence and commitment to students,” she said “ This is par t of our university culture and fabric from which we all benefit in the work and academic pursuits we under take students, faculty and staff ”

“It’s wonder ful to have our alumni see this as things they want to suppor t Cornell doing,” he said

Knuth added that both of the programs will have “broader impacts beyond Cornell ”

“4-H students will be empowered to attend a wide array of colleges and universities, and the findings and evaluation from the STEM course initiative will be disseminated through professional societies in each discipline and through training programs that suppor t the future professoriate,” she said

Tyler Alicea can be

R N E L L S U N . C O M

Police Begin to Clear Out Homeless Encampment

Located in Silicon Valley

SAN JOSE, Calif (AP)

About 50 muddy souls dragged their meager belongings out of a trash-strewn California creek bed Thursday as police and social-service workers began clearing away one of the nation’s largest homeless encampments, a collection of flimsy tents and plywood shelters in the heart of Silicon Valley

The people forced out of the camp known as the Jungle ended up alongside a busy San Jose road, star tling passers-by who slowed down to watch

“People drive by and look at us like we ’ re circus animals,” said a sobbing Nancy Ortega

More than 30 police officers

a n d d o z e n s o f c o n s t r u c t i o n workers in white hazmat suits joined about 15 social-ser vice workers in the effor t to take apart the treacherous community that at its peak housed as many as 350 people living in squalor just a short drive from

t e c h g i a n t s G o o g l e , A p p l e , Yahoo and eBay

O r t e g a s h u d d e re d a n d clutched her fleece blanket while watching tractors cram couches, tents, blankets, rotten food and pails of excrement into roaring garbage trucks

“It’s just junk to ever yone else but to us, that’s home That’s our stuff,” she said

O n a n e a r b y s i d e w a l k , A l Palaces, a former truck driver who settled into the encampment about eight months ago, said he was tr ying to think of a plan

“I just grabbed whatever I could because I don’t want to go to jail,” he said, standing next to a n ov e r l o a d e d s h o p p i n g c a r t stuffed with dirty plastic bags

For months, social workers have been tr ying to house camp residents And four days earlier, they were warned they had until dawn Thursday to leave or face arrest for trespassing Still, city officials estimated about 60 people remained at the filthy site when cleanout day came

A f t e r a r a i n y n i g h t , s k i e s cleared Thursday, and one person after another in var ying states of

m e n t a l c l a r i t y a n d s o b r i e t y dragged their belongings in suit-

c a s e s , s h o p p i n g c a r t s a n d o n bicycles out of the camp through ankle-deep sludge By midmorning, dozens had reached the sidewalk, abandoning most of their possessions

But some remained in the slum Valentine Cortes, who said he was a journeyman construction worker, said he had no plans to leave his makeshift shelter built into a steep, muddy slope

“I don’t know why people got all chaotic today,” he said “ We don’t have to go “ Asked about the warning that

h e c o u l d b e j a i l e d , C o r t e s

s h r u g g e d , p e t a 6 - w e e k o l d puppy in his palm and said, “ Then I guess I’ll be arrested ” Dogs and cats still roamed the square-mile camp, some of them pets, others wild Rats hopped through the muck

A few dozen protesters gathered at the site holding signs

reading “Homeless people matt e r ” a n d

Jungle ”

The encampment stands in stark contrast to the surrounding valley, a region that leads the countr y in job growth, income and venture capital

Pa l a c e s s a i d h e l i k e

h

Jungle better than the streets because people would bring food and police didn’t bother the residents

“Even a job wouldn’t give me a house” because housing prices are so high, he said

O f f i c i a l s f o

about 10 residents Thursday, said San Jose homelessness response manager Ray Bramson Many more refused the city’s offers, citi

homeless shelters, their need to stay with pets and their dislike of sobriety rules

Islamic Militant Attacks in Chechnya’s Capital Result in at Least 20 Deaths

GROZNY, Russia (AP) Police waged hoursl

attacked Chechnya’s capital Thursday, leaving at least 20 people dead and underscoring Russia’s vulnerability just as President Vladimir Putin used patriotic and religious imager y in his state-of-thenation address to defend his standoff with the West

The clashes in Grozny, the city’s biggest in years, dented a carefully nurtured image of stability created by Chechnya’s Kremlin-backed strongman after two separatist conflicts The new violence raised fears of more attacks in Chechnya and widening unrest in the rest of Russia’s volatile North Caucasus region

The Kavkaz Center website, a mouthpiece for Islamic militant groups operating in the North Caucasus, carried a link to a video message by an individual claiming responsibility for the attack The man in the video said he was operating on orders from Emir Khamzat, reportedly a nom de guerre of Chechen warlord Aslan Byutukayev The claim could not immediately be verified

Caucasus regions want to create an independent state governed by their strict interpretation of Islamic law Some Caucasus militants have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join up with the Islamic State group I S has vowed to launch attacks in

Russia, but there have been no indications to date that it has followed through

The fighting in Grozny began about 1 a m , when roughly 10 gunmen riding in three cars fired on traffic police who had stopped them for a check, killing three officers Some of the militants then holed up in a nearby office building and exchanged gunfire with police who quickly cordoned the area

The battle left the 10-stor y Press House, which housed local media offices, gutted by a blazing fire that also spread to a nearby street market Some gunmen fled to an empty school nearby It took police more than 12 hours to kill 10 militants, according to Russian authorities, who also reported that 10 officers were killed and 28 wounded Russian state television showed video footage of police officers firing automatic weapons and grenade launchers at the three-stor y school, its windows left shattered and charred

The gunbattles were still raging when Putin began delivering his address in an ornate Kremlin hall, and the Russian leader sought to cast the violence as a legacy of what he described as foreign support for Chechnya-based insurgents in the past

“ We remember high-level receptions for terrorists dubbed as fighters for freedom and democracy, ” he said

CATHERINE CHEN 15

Business Manager

CAROLINE FLAX 15

Associate Editor

SCOTT CHIUSANO ’15

Sports Editor

ALEX REHBERG 16

Multimedia Editor

NOAH RANKIN 16

KAITLYN TIFFANY ’15

KAY XIAO ’16

EMILY BERMAN 16

MANU RATHORE 15

Coordinator

YANG ’15

Bendetta Carnaghi grad

Ashley Chu 15

Sophia Ho 15

Jonathan Dawson 15

Alisha Foster 15

Emma Quigley 15

Jonathan Swartz ’15*

Ashley Collis-Burgess 16

Christopher Byrns 16

Sarah Cutler ’16*

Helen Donnelly 16

Grace Hurley 16

President David J Skorton

Corey Earle 07

Tess Keppler law

Annie O Toole grad

Nikhita Parandekar grad

Sarah Byrne ’15

Christo Eliot 15

David Fischer 15

Ross Gitlin ’15

Tyran Grillo grad Arielle Cruz 15*

Julia Moser 15 Evan Needell 15

Danni Shen ’15

Mike Sosnick ’15

Marissa Tranquilli 15

Alice Wang ’15

Zachary

Scott Chiusano ’15

Emily Berman 16

Anna Fasman ’16

Sydney Altschuler ’16

Tucker Maggio Hucek 14

Hamdan Al Yousefi 16*

Ariel Cooper 15 * Elani Cohen 16

Sarah Cohen ’15*

Sherri Couillard 15

Shira Polan 15 Nicolas Ramos 15*

Ryan Landvater grad*

KK Yu grad

Jasmine Curtis ’15

Bryce Evans ’15

Xiaoyue (Mandy) Guo 15

Alex Hernandez ’15*

Anya Laibangyang 15

Simon Li 15

Diana Mak ’15*

Independent Since 1880

132ND EDITORIAL BOARD

HALEY VELASCO 15 Editor in Chief

ZACH STEELE ’15

Advertising Manager

RACHEL ELLICOTT 15 Blogs Editor

KELLY YANG 15 News Photography Editor

ANNIE BUI 16 News Editor

SEAN DOOLITTLE 16 Arts & Entertainment Editor

CHARDAE VARLACK ’15

Associate Multimedia Editor

ANNA FASMAN 16 Assistant Sports Editor

EMMA LICHTENSTEIN 16 Marketing Manager

CHRISTOPHER UHLER ’15

MICHELLE FELDMAN 15 Senior Editor

JAYNE ZUREK ’16 Senior Editor

NEWS BOARD

Talia Jubas ’16*

Andrew Lee 16

Gabriella Lee 16

Rachel Weber ’16

Aimee Cho 17*

Zoe Ferguson 17*

Scott Gartenberg ’17

Sloane Grinspoon 17*

Sofia Hu 17*

Dave Janeczek ’17 Jonathan Lobel 17 Eric Oberman 17

OPINION BOARD

Jacob Glick 15

Julius Kairey 15 Ruth M ’15

Kevin Milian 15 Eric Pesner 15

Deon Thomas ’15

Conna Walsh 15

Samantha Weisman 15 David Zha ’15

ARTS BOARD

Benjamin Shatzman ’17

John Zakour 15

Nikita Dubnov ’17

Kevin Linsey ’18

Joel Cooper 17

John McGrorty ’15

SCIENCE BOARD

Grace Ahn ’16 James Guo 16 Yvonne Huang 16

Reem Khondakar ’16*

PHOTOGRAPHY BOARD

Bella You ’15

Riley Yuan 15

Katherine Chen ’16

Yichen Dong ’16

Darien Kim 16

Jennie Li ’16

Sonya Ryu 16*

Rula Saeed 16

Mandy Teng 16

’15* Megan Zhou ’15*

Breitfeller 16

SOWERS 15

CONNOR ARCHARD ’15

Sports Photography Editor

ANUSHKA MEHROTRA 16 News Editor

KATHLEEN BITTER 15 Science Editor

SYDNEY ALTSCHULER ’16 Assistant Sports Editor

NICOLE HAMILTON 16 Graphic Design Editor

KATHLEEN SHIM 15 Social Media Manager

ARIELLE CRUZ 15 Senior Editor DARA LEVY 16 Senior Editor

Anika Sethy ’17 Christopher Stanton 17

Acriche 18

Blair ’18

Cohen 18 Paulina Glass 18

Karr ’18

Phoebe Keller 18

Lord 18

Lutwak ’18

Si 18

Forken ’16

Muñoz ’17

DESIGN BOARD

Praiss 16*

* Denotes Senior Staff

’18

’18 Lylla Younes 18

’18

Camille Wang ’16

Emily Hagen 17

Sofia Hu 17

Brittney Chew ’17

Haewon Hwang 17

Rio Jacobbe 17 Kern Sharma ’17

Michaela Brew 18

Jason Ben Nathan ’18

Cameron Pollack 18 Greg Keller 19

Christopher Au ’15

Goh 15

Dutta 16

Gil ’16 Danjana Gjoza 16

Gribbin 16

Hwang ’16

Liow 16

Pai 16 Eugene Zhelezniak ’16

Salinas 16

Briggs 16 Kendall Goodyear 16 Catherine Leung ’16*

BUSINESS BOARD

Cristina Dan ’17

Kelsey Evenson 17

Annie Fan 17

Edward Fang ’17

Alex Grignon 17

Adele Gu 17

Paulina Kang ’17

Kathy Kim 17

Yun Soo Kim 17

WEB BOARD

Walter 17 Kenneth Wong 17 Julia Wu 17

’18

Nathan Lauderback ’17 Emma Nelson ’17 Margaret Roberts 17

MULTIMEDIA BOARD CURRENT FULL-TIME & PART-TIME SUN EMPLOYEES

BUSINESS OFFICE Amy Wilson Office Manager

DISTRIBUTION Robert Armstrong ’75 PRODUCTION John Schroeder 74, Production Manager; Linda Holzbaur, Advertising Production Specialist

ASSISTANTS Arielle Cruz 15; Jasmine Curtis 15; Riley Yuan 15; Zach Zahos 15; Aditi Bhowmick 16; Lauren Bigalow grad

Letter to the Editor

Context matters

To the Editor:

Re: THROWDOWN THURSDAY: Freedom From Speech At Berkeley,” Opinion, Sept 17

Crafting a hard-hitting but true criticism requires a complete and honest handling of the subject’s facts, and in “Freedom From Speech At Berkeley,” Julius Kairey ’15 fails in this regard The article ignores facts which drastically alter the analysis

Berkeley has not invited Mr Bill Maher for a unilateral speech or debate The forum here is a commencement speech Commencement speeches have a specific purpose to congratulate the class They mark the completion of college and provide insight of the world ahead They are, simply put, a day for the graduates

Julius states “larger share[s] of the student bodies of universities want their schools to be “safe spaces ” where those who hold positions they disagree with are kept out These students are far more interested in using political correctness to silence beliefs they disagree with then having an honest debate ” But this situation is not a debate Bill Maher is not coming to campus to discuss his opinion on religion, climate change or anything else He is coming to campus to congratulate and impart wisdom on the graduating class

Berkeley graduates are petitioning chiefly because of Maher’s views on Islam They feel his statements are filled with hate and bigotr y and are a personal attack on their identity Some of Maher’s statement which lead to this backlash include: “ Talk to women who’ve ever dated an Arab man The results are not good,” and “ The Muslim world has too much in common with ISIS ” Julius conveniently ignores these statements With statements like these, it is not unreasonable for graduates to feel objectified by these comments, whether on an objective or a subjective level This day of commencement is for the graduates and the graduates alone They should not need to feel like they are being attacked on this day, whether rightly or wrongly so

If the students of Berkeley had petitioned to have Maher banned from being a guest of a debate or giving any topic-specific speech, I would agree with Julius The fact is that no one petitioning to have the invitation of commencement speaker revoked is saying they want to ban Maher from speaking in any form on the campus They are simply saying that this is not the time or place To forget the purpose of the event is to misunderstand the position

When Columbia University invited former Iranian President Ahmadinejad to speak at their annual World Leaders Forum, many people were outraged I disagree with that criticism as I, like Julius, believe that good ideas will stand up to the scrutiny of criticism and logic, while bad ideas are killed through exposition of their logical fall a c i e s T h i s i s w h y I s u p p o r t e d C o l u m b i a H a d Pre s i d e n t Ahmadinejad been invited to be the speaker of that year ’ s commencement speech, I would not have felt the same way I would not welcome this invitation Time and place matter Context matters This day is for the graduates and they feel threatened by Maher This is not a freedom of speech issue

Ralph Labaton grad

Emmanuel Hiram Arnaud | Barely Legal

Mobilizing The Body Politic

Earlierthis year, in the wake of the Michael Brown shootings, many articles attempted to define, or redefine, activism within the lexicon of a more passive form of protest Although less confrontational forms of protest are always a good tool for activism, I believe that we must go further than this in our ever yday lives I challenge students, and especially those wielding the power of the law, throughout this countr y to view their ever y step as a protest against the status quo, but furthermore, I ask that we view our positions critically and engage in more than a passive discussion of our ailments and present conditions True, transcendent change within any nation-state requires an intrinsic metamorphosis within both the legal scheme that defines the parameters of our social contract, and the patterns of socialization that are inextricably linked to the legal process In short, neither law nor social change, in isolation, will propel a population in any given direction True change requires the development of both spheres I believe that we can do several things to effectively incite meaningful change that leads to the fundamental paradigm shift that our countr y requires A few of these actions include pure and substantive dialogue, holistic political activism and community building Transformative ideas are never singular in nature, but rather, flourish through a combination of encapsulated and understood experiences, which are then put into motion This idea, known as “praxis,” is a common topic in the writings of Plato, Aristotle and Paulo Freire As Freire noted, actors “ must act together upon their environment in order critically to reflect upon their reality and so transform it through further action and critical reflection ” Our fragmented countr y, as reflected in the current heated political factions, created an embankment foreclosing the opportunity for the creation of real discourse The impetus is on us, the citizen, to act as catapults and destroy that wall, and partake in holistic discourse with one another As sociopolitical actors, we are not on a crusade; rather, we are on an explorator y expedition I challenge you to engage in honest discussion with your peers Discuss issues, no matter how small, in your local schools, classrooms, cafeterias, libraries, streets, Starbucks, in your Goldman Sachs elevator and your one floor non-profit Open up new forms of pure and substantive dialogue One simple way of doing this is reflecting upon, and demystifying, our own personal and social identities and realities In essence, critically reflect on the current structures in your pur view of society, and challenge those around you to do the same However, we must do so with the idea in mind that we are never “right” about ever ything We all have subjective experiences that inform our worldview It is our duty to use these experiences for the progress of society Do so with respect for other people's ideas, and the reality that their ideas may compliment or enrich yours This is a simple concept, however, it is one that is too often forgotten We are brothers and sisters tied by the beautifully flawed neurology of humanity We should treat ourselves as such, and promote honest discourse regardless of our comfort levels, in a respectful and intelligent fashion Ask a question, be kind, be honest, enjoy truly symbiotic discourse and be open to change and the possibility of being wrong Honest, substantive dialogue it starts with us

Another action is political activism This begins with voting As Alexis de Tocqueville simply put it, “ ever yone has the vote and this is an indirect contributor to law-making ” We entrust people we have never met with immense political power (or capital) However, we do not lose our political power through this delegation We still have political power within our local political communities I challenge you to attend your local school board meetings, your local town hall meetings, and speak up Stay true to your values and challenge ever ything in order to better ser ve your community However, our political activism does not stop there We are all political actors within the local and national political economy Whether it is in your workplace or your home, act in a way that ser ves whatever change you hope to see Challenge microaggressions, and stand up for what you believe in not just in the classroom or at the voting booth, but in ever yday interactions Simply put: Our constitution endowed you as a sociopolitical actor; embody this role

Finally, build bridges in your community There are two easy steps to actualize this First, get and stay involved in essential functions of your communities This is easier than it sounds I challenge you to take a peek at your town ’ s budget, and stay in tune with what is going on in your government by attending local meetings that are open to the public Who watches the Watchmen? You do, and you should start doing it Second, get involved in peaceful protests on issues that you care about Through peaceful protests that garner media attention to issues that you care about, the political actors with the most say in decision-making may do something about that issue Through protests and large gatherings you start creating bridges and networks with the people you meet Protest, meet people, get your ideas out there, get them in the national spotlight and watch change unfold

This is not, by any measure, an exhaustive list, or a nostrum for the nation's smooth recover y I only provide three ideas to help us get closer to seeing fundamental changes within our countr y, no matter what your political view is I invite you to take this often forgotten call, and to not just live your life, but rather to take hold of your position as a sociopolitical actor

Emmanuel Hiram Arnaud is a student at Cornell Law School Responses can be sent to associate-editor@cornellsun com Barely Legal appears alternate Fridays this semester

Web

Comment of the day

“There's nothing conclusive about a hypothetical poll Sure, many Americans claim that they WOULD vote for minority candidates, but many of them say so simply because they do not realize how deeply internalized prejudice can become, or they are aware that their views are not socially acceptable ”

JLucy

Re: “ THROWDOWN THURSDAY: After Ferguson,” Opinion, published December 4, 2014

Jake Forken | My Forken Opinion

Hold Police

Accountable

ust nine days after a grand jur y in Ferguson, Missouri declined to indict Officer Darren Wilson following the s h o o t i n g d e a t h o f u n a r m e d Michael Brown, the mocker y of t h e A m e r i c a n j u s t i c e s y s t e m c o n t i n u e d i n St a t e n Is l a n d There, Officer Daniel Pantaleo e l u d e d a n i n d i c t m e n t s t e mming from the July choking death of unarmed Eric Garner

Dissimilar from the Michael Brown case, which was plagued by conflicting witness testimony, a bystander recorded the death of Eric Garner, clearly displaying the excessive use of force from Officer Pantaleo

On July 17, Eric Garner was approached by a group of p o l i c e o f f i c e r s t h a t a c c u s e d Garner of illegally selling cigare t t e s W h e n t h e o f f i c e r s attempted to handcuff Garner, one officer leaped on Garner, placing him in a chokehold t h e Ne w Yo r k Po l i c e Department deemed illegal in 1993 A fe w seconds later, Garner was gasping for air as his head was pinned to the g r o u n d b y a g r o u p o f police officers

It w a s c a pt u re d o n video His last words were, “I can ’ t breathe ”

On l y f i ve w i t n e s s e s t e s t i f i e d that Brown reached toward his waistband at any point during the confrontation Was there enough evidence

t o c o n v i c t O f f i c e r Wi l s o n ?

Probably not If only there were some method afforded to our j u s t i c e s y s t e m t h a t w e i g h e d conflicting witness testimony before coming to a verdict A trial however, was never going to be an option because an i n d i c t m e n t w a s n e v e r a n o p t i o n Pr o s e c u t o r Ro b e r t McCulloch intentionally threw the case Ac c o rd i n g t o C N N l e g a l a n a l y s t Je f f re y To o b i n ,

“McCulloch gave Wilson’s case special treatment He turned it over to the grand jur y, a rarity itself, and then used the investigation as a document dump, an approach that is virtually without precedent in the law of Missouri or anywhere else ”

T h e Na t i o n a l Ba r

A s s o c i a t i o n re l e a s e d a s t a t ement, saying, “ The National Bar Association is questioning

But it’s evident that a racial b exists when lethal white men arrested alive and unarmed b men are killed on the spot.

The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide Eric Garner was murdered in broad d a y l i g h t o n a s i d e w a l k i n Staten Island and, according t o o u r j u s t i c e s y s t e m , t h a t doesn’t warrant a trial

Though the refusal to indict Officer Wilson in Ferguson was troubling at a minimum, there were at least conflicting reports re g a rd i n g w i t n e s s t e s t i m o n y, with some witnesses claiming that Brown had rushed towards O f f i c e r Wi l s o n How e v e r, according to a PBS NewsHour report on witness testimony, 16 out of 29 witnesses claimed that Brown held his hands up when Officer Wilson shot him, while more than half of the s t a t e m e n t s m a i n t a i n e d t h a t Brown was fleeing from Officer Wilson while being fired upon

taken alive after a two-month manhunt in Pennsylvania?

Why was James Holmes, the white suspect in the Aurora thea t e r s h o o t i n g s , w h o w a s donned in full combat gear and stocked with weapons, taken alive after killing 12 people and injuring 58?

Why was a black 12-year old, Tamir Rice, shot and killed for holding a BB gun that was reported as fake, in less than a two second confrontation by a police officer on a playground in Cleveland?

Why was Eric Garner murdered for selling cigarettes and standing on a sidewalk?

I ’ m n o t a d v o c a t i n g t h a t police should have killed Frein or Holmes, but it’s evident that a racial bias exists when lethal white men are arrested alive and unarmed black men are killed on the spot

how the grand jur y, considering the evidence before them, could re a c h t h e c o n c l u s i o n t h a t Darren Wilson should not be i n d i c t e d a n d t r i e d f o r t h e s h o o t i n g d e a t h o f Mi c h a e l Brown ”

Vi d e o e v i d e n c e c o n f i r m s that in the case of Eric Garner, there was no scuffle with officers, except for the one manufactured by police that resulted i n G a r n e r ’ s d e a t h G a r n e r posed absolutely no threat to the safety of the surrounding officers, save for being big and black How is that a police officer who was in no danger can kill a man using an illegal chokehold and not go on trial?

Why was Eric Frein, a white man who murdered one officer and seriously wounded another,

Police have an unenvious occupation and deser ve to be recognized for their sacrifice and ser vice, but that doesn’t excuse the few that abuse their p ow e r a n d p o s i t i o n a s a license to kill E r i c G a r n e r ’ s death was not a n u n f o r t unate accident; i t w a s a n avoidable catastrophe resulting from a reckless police officer that had little fear of retribution from the judicial system Po l i c e a re j u s t i f i e d i n deploying lethal force either when they reasonably believe their life or the lives of surrounding bystanders to be in i m m i n e n t d a n g e r o r w h e n keeping a suspect of a dangerous felony from escaping Eric Garner was neither deadly nor

Rather, he was murdered at the chokehold of an officer who was himself breaking the law It’s time to hold police accountable

Jake Forken is a junior in the College of Human Ecolog y He may be reached at jr f285@cor nell edu My Forken Opinion appears alternate Fridays this semester

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

T h e S u n ’ s To p 1 0 M ov i e s o f 2 0 1 4

Boyhood

Richard Linklater

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson’s trademark appeal is providing audiences with elaborate visual mediums through which he conveys utterly absurd plots, characters and themes While we are drawn to his quirky characters (and of course the actors who portray those idiosyncrasies), often times his convoluted, semi-psychoanalytical and illogical plots and themes distance some viewers However, The Grand Budapest Hotel offers a historical fiction with relatable insights into the suffering in post-war Europe and what it means to overcome past struggles The hotel itself serves as symbol of the characters’ journeys vacillating between success and slow decline, ultimately ending in a comfortable and content middle Above all, the power of this film lies in its ability to highlight the universal human strive for relevancy even through the typical Anderson-esque eccentricities

Harini Kannan

Gone Girl

David Fincher

2 3 4

As easy to love as to hate, Boyhood has attracted and sustained so animated a discussion because of its perceived “relatability ” Some see themselves in Mason Jr ’ s every milestone and indecision, while others resent that the all-encompassing sweep of the title points to yet another white boy from Texas Both takes are correct, but what else is there in Boyhood? Its main subject, more than Mason, turns out to be time, and how it shapes who we are by virtue of its passing alone doesn’t matter if you change for the better or keep making the same mistakes, because you’ll always be defined by your past The film responds by moving ever forward, to the point where the story merely stops rather than ends Past and future are palpable specters in Boyhood, pinned loosely by the enrapturing present of watching them all collide at once Zachary Zahos

Snowpiercer

Bong Joon-Ho

Snowpiercer, the first English language film from South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho, takes place aboard the Rattling Ark, a train that travels around a frozen, postapocalyptic world, carrying the only human survivors of said apocalypse The film contains action sequences so thrilling and innovative (and non-reliant on special effects), I sat there saying to myself, “how did they even think of that?” This movie has something on its mind too, with the final act philosophically complicating the film beyond its simple 99-percenter premise Snowpiecer may not be the best movie I saw this year, but it’s certainly the boldest and least pretentious one, one that doesn’t care whether people see it as a pure action film or an intellectual class allegory How refreshing

Jesse Weissman

The highly anticipated film adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s 2012 novel shocked audiences everywhere and created a realistic sense of horror Ben Affleck played the unsettlingly stoic Nick Dunne, who fell under heavy suspicion when his wife Amy, made eerily calculating by Rosamund Pike, went missing on their fifth wedding anniversary The lead actors perfectly portrayed the transformation from a happy and loving relationship to a marriage damaged beyond repair, and made the bizarre plot feel relatable With a strong cast and constant twists and turns, the film kept the endless investigations from dragging and led entire theaters to jump out of their seats upon the dramatic revelation halfway through, never letting the suspense die down in this haunting tale

Emily Fournier

Whiplash

Damien Chazelle

Whiplash, winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at this year ’ s Sundance Film Festival, is a virtuosic mediation on what happens when an artist goes too far with his craft It is by turns exhilarating and punishing, far and away the most intense film of the year and certain stretches of it are downright painful to watch I expected a leisurely paced indie drama, but a case could be made that this is one of the most violent movies of 2014 on a psychological level Razor sharp editing, wicked fast whip pans and tour de force performances from Miles Teller and a volcanic J K Simmons add up to an experience that leaves you drained and exhausted and yes, whiplashed, by the time it crashes off its last downbeat

Mark DiStefano, Originally printed Oct 14, 2014

5 6 7 8 9 10

A Most Wanted

Man

Anton Corbijn

Melancholy is rarely done well in film It is far too easy to drift into cynicism or, even worse, nihilism Anton Corbijn managed the impossible with A Most Wanted Man, creating a spy flick that is impossibly sad but not once cynical Philip Seymour Hoffman is impeccable in one of his final roles as the very dedicated German counterterrorist agent Gunther Bachmann His acting is so methodical, so streamlined that it can seem plain or bland, but it is anything but PSH worked in a league of his own, endowing each glance, scowl and cigarette and the movie is full of them with a mountain of passion and ferocity unlike any I’ve ever seen Damn, we truly lost one of the greats Sean Doolittle

Nightcrawler

Dan Gilroy

Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of the isolated sociopath, Lou Bloom, in Nightcrawler is already being compared to De Niro’s big roles of yore, due to its chilling misanthropy ( What if my problem wasn ’ t that I don’t understand people, but that I don’t like them?”) and clammy, desperate physicality: His eyes are bulging out of his head at all times, his hair is slicked back when he’s dressed to impress and tied up in a ridiculous top-knot when he’s setting in to do some grunt work (a twisted Violet Baudelaire) and he delivers every line, from chummy workplace jokes to blackmail demands to sermons on self-help with impossibly unnatural timing and inflection

Kaitlyn Tiffany Originally printed Nov 3 2014

Birdman

Alejandro González

Iñárritu

Guardians of the Galaxy

James Gunn

In addition to Chris Pratt’s portrayal of the bumbling, music-loving underdog Star-Lord, the eponymous Guardians includes a vengeful alien assassin (Zoe Saldana), a kleptomaniacal raccoon (Bradley Cooper), a humorless superhero (Dave Bautista) and the world’s most lovable tree (Vin Diesel) Their mission? Stop the eye shadow-slathered, sledgehammer-wielding Ronan (Lee Pace) from destroying the entire galaxy James Gunn and Nicole Perlman’s inventive screenplay delivers all of the bravado and excess of superhero movies while still crafting poignant backstories for the protagonists In the end, Guardians of the Galaxy is a movie for comic book nerds, animal lovers, audiophiles, adrenaline junkies and anyone who just wants to see stuff blow up Shay Collins

FoxCatcher

Bennett

Miller

Oscar forecasters are predicting multiple nominations for Foxcatcher, but rest assured the movie is better than that There are few art house films, let alone mainstream films starring Steve Carell and Channing Tatum, that trust the eloquence of silence as much as Foxcatcher does under Bennett Miller’s direction Prideful, solitary men exchange charged glances or else give one another the cold shoulder for long stretches of this multivalent and mysterious film, which critiques our plutocratic, flag-waving country with such precision that it’s doubtful any viewer can leave the theater without his or her mind racing

All I Want for Christmas Is You Not Being a Jerk

Ever y year, the morning after Thanksgiving, I find myself overcome by an odd sense of relief A considerable contribution to this feeling has got to do with the fact that waking up provides me with the reassurance that the previous day of food consumption did not damn me to an eternal, inescapable food coma

But the larger aspect of this relief is that I can finally let myself enjoy the holiday season See, I am a bit of a purist when it comes to the appropriate date to put up the tree or light the menorah (coming from a mixed religious background, I get to celebrate both Christmas and Chanukah, #SoBlessed) This means that no decorations should go up and no music should be played until after Thanksgiving

Call me a Grinch, call me a curmudgeon both are likely appropriate titles Yeah, it’s kind of messed up that other people’s joy for the holidays can bring me such frustration But that is who I am Give Thanksgiving its due respect, then prepare for whatever is next as much as you would like

Now, Christmas music can be a wonderful thing As long as nobody jumps the gun, I really do enjoy the upbeat, carefree tunes that lead us to late December The unifying excitement and good vibes are a nice break from the braggadocious chest-thumping that pervades so much of our current popmusic scene (come at me, Calvin Patten)

So when I saw all the heat that Mariah Carey got for her recent performance of her classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” the other night, I was caught off-guard And, frankly, kind of bummed out

To be clear, I am by no means an avid fan of Mariah Carey’s Other than her Christmas classic and “Touch My Body” (a guilty pleasure, if I ever had one), I feel basically indiffer-

ent to her and her music I hope this does not come off as my “LEAVE MARIAH ALONE!” moment

But I think her admittedly uninspiring (okay, totally brutal) performance of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and the subsequent criticism brings up a couple of questions First, I think it brings up the lip-syncing conversation And this is a conversation that I believe to be a bit more layered than one may assume

I think I can speak for pretty much everybody when I say that, in a perfect performing world, nobody would lip-sync, and everybody would be awesome I don’t think I know anybody who would not prefer a genuine and impressive performance to a prerecorded track People pay to see a good live performance, and expect to get what they paid for

Evan Needell

Needell in a Crapstack

And people get pissed when they don’t This has been made extremely clear by several instances of lip-syncing performances gone bad notably Ashlee Simpson’s notorious Saturday Night Live mishap

That said, it is important to consider the artist’s perspective here Let’s use Mariah Carey as an example She has a song that a lot of people see as synonymous with their favorite time of the year People want to see her perform, and she probably knows that seeing a live performance of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” will always be a holiday highlight for these

fans But, maybe her vocal chords are not quite what they used to be Those high notes get a bit harder to hit each year Or maybe she has a cold Or she does not work well with the frigid air For whatever reason, this performance is not going to go well

So, there are two options She can opt to lip-sync the song and risk disappointing fans and attracting criticism from self-righteous viewers who question her sincerity Or, she can give a really bad performance, and become the butt of jokes from now until New Years Clearly, both are far from an ideal situation

In an oddly admirable (but not particularly listenable) move, Mariah chose the latter option And she is paying for it I have seen countless people cracking jokes at her inability to hit her trademark high notes Somebody even went as far as to isolate her vocal track completely, so you can really hyper focus on the star ’ s struggle

Under normal circumstances, I am not sure I would feel pity for Mariah I am admittedly a bit harsh when it comes to underwhelming performances, and probably could be a bit more sympathetic toward celebrities (but, should I really be?)

However, context is key here Which brings me to my next point Can’t people just be nicer during the holiday season? Like, c ’ mon people This is a woman singing a holiday song that has been a staple for years A light, feel good love song All she’s trying to do is do her part in ushering in the holiday season Mariah put herself out there, in a vulnerable position that few people have or ever will

Yeezy Taught Me

experience and understand, and she has been made a laughing stock because of it Aren’t the holidays supposed to be about treating each other kindly?

Sure, it’s easy to blast her when you ’ re laying in your bed on your laptop But you let me know when you have even a fraction of the impact on even a fraction of the number of people that Mariah Carey has had during holiday season

Maybe it’s just all of the holiday spirit that I have been warding off until after Thanksgiving crashing over me all at once

But if this cynical, overly critical Scrooge can give Mariah Carey a pass here in the name of the holiday spirit, so can you

With that, I will say happy holidays to you Be kind, be generous And remember all I want for Christmas is you not being a jerk

Evan Needell is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences He can be reached at eneedell@cornellsun com Ne e d e l l i n a Cr a p s t a c k r uns alternate Fridays this semester

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first onto the scene for any ar tist, but it still left me feeling like I had a secret and a friend

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

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Fantasy only briefly tempered my interest in

I familiarized myself with it, I was left burrowing deeper into music, especially hip-hop My initial forays were largely limited to commercially recognizable ar tists, b

Around that time, I discovered DatPiff and star ted downloading the hyped mixtapes of the day Instead of merely passively consuming music that was placed in front of me via the radio or television, I gradually star ted to search out ne w acts and projects Mixtapes by Meek Mill, Kendrick Lamar, J Cole,

re g re t t a b l e m u s i c , b u t I a l s o s t a r t e d t o f i n d t h i n g s t h a t I l i k e d b u t h a d n o t re a l l y b e e n e x p o s e d t o p re v i o u s l y A m o n g t h e m w a s K a n ye We s t , w h o s e h i t s I w o u l d o c c a s i o n a l l y l i s t e n t o So m e h ow I l e a r n e d a b o u t G O O D Fr i d a y s a n d , a l w a y s o n e t o t a k e a d va n t a g e o f e a s y t o f i n d f re e m u s i c , d ow n l o a d e d t h e t r a c k s I i m m e d i a t e l y f o u n d s o m e o f t h e m o s t b e a u t i f u l , e n t i c i n g m u s i c I h a d e ve r h e a r d T h a t C h r i s t m a s , I r e c e i v e d My Be a u t i f u l Da rk Tw i s t e d Fa n t a s y a n d m y l i f e w a s c h a n g e d Fro m t h e n u n t i l I l e f t h o m e f o r C o r n e l l , Fa n t a s y w a s a l w a y s o n i n m y c a r I k n e w ( a n d s t i l l k n ow ) e ve r y w o rd t o e ve r y s o n g Su b s e q u e n t l y, K a n y e q u i c k l y i m p r i n t e d h i m s e l f o n m y b r a i n I c a n l i s t e n t o “ Ru n a w a y ” a n d a l m o s t c r y w i t h h i m a b o u t s e l f - h a t re d o r “ Mo n s t e r ” a n d e r u p t i n a c c o rd a n c e w i t h Ni c k i’s u n c o n t a i n a b l e a g g re s s i o n o r “ Go r g e o u s ” a n d c o n s i d e r t h e r a m i f i c a -

a r t i s t s f ro m a va s t s w a t h o f m u s i c a l s t y l e s It h a s b e e n i n c re d i b l y e xc i t i n g t o f i n d n e w b a n d s o r a c t s , a n d I t r y a n d s p e n d a l o t o f t i m e l i s t e n i n g t o n e w p ro j e c t s T h i s i s w h a t l e d m e t o T h e Su n I s t a r t e d re a d i n g a l l t h e m u s i c re v i e w s i t p u b l i s h e d , s e a rc h i n g f o r g o o d a l b u m s Fi n a l l y, f a l l o f m y j u n i o r ye a r I m a d e u p m y m i n d t h a t I c o u l d d o a p a s si n g j o b w r i t i n g a b o u t m u s i c a n d s e n t i n a n e m a i l W h a t I q u i c k l y f o u n d w a s t h a t , f o r m e , w r i t i n g f o r T h e Su n w a s n o t a c t u a l l y a b o u t b e i n g p u b l i s h e d , b u t i n s t e a d w a s a we e k l y c h a l l e n g e t o e x p e r i e n c e a p i e c e o f a r t a n d a r t i c u l a t e m y f e e l i n g s a b o u t i t Fi n d i n g t i m e i n b e t we e n a l l t h e p ro b l e m s e t s a n d s t u d y i n g a n d p re s s u re o f i m p e n d i n g re a l i t y t o re a l l y l i s t e n a n d c o n s i d e r a p ro j e c t i n a c r i t i c a l l e n s h e l p e d m e b a l a n c e m y s e l f a n d f i n d a vo i c e ; i t k e p t m e s a n e A s yo u p o s s i b l y i n f e r re d , t h i s i s m y f i n a l c o l u m n I g r a d u a t e t h i s m o n t h , h e a d e d o f f t o n e w a n d d i f f e re n t t h i n g s It i s a n e ve n t t h a t i n c u r s b o t h h a n d w r i n g i n g a n d c e l e b r at i o n Bu t t h ro u g h w h a t e ve r p a s s e s , I k n ow t h a t I h a ve m u s i c a n d a c r i t i c a l o p i n i o n a n

t i o n

T h e S u n W i s h e s I t s R e a d e r s a H a p p y H o l i d a y S e a s o n

Gnu by Travis Dandro Mr. Gnu by Travis Dandro

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Big East Basketball Kicks Off With

NEW YORK (AP) The Big East got an early star t on its conference season with eight of the 10 teams opening on Wednesday It’s the second time in four seasons that the conference got a jump on play The early star t was caused by a ne w schedule that has the league playing its conference games on Friday and Sunday

The way the calendar falls with holidays and such it wouldn’t have been possible to star t the final weekend in December which the conference did last year

The men will begin their conference play in a Ne w Year’s Eve marathon

The games Wednesday were competitive for the most par t Villanova and Providence got the day star ted with the Friars winning on Tori Rule’s r unning layup with two seconds left No 25 DePaul trailed Butler by six at the half before rallying for the 92-76 win Seton Hall beat Creighton 79-74

St John’s was only up three at the half over Xavier before turning the game into a rout in the second half

“ This is the third game in five days for us, ” St John’s coach Joe Tar tamella said “ They were excited and energized I think it gave us a focus knowing it was a conference game ”

Tar tamella was an assistant at the school in 2011 when the conference also had an early opening date

“I can see it being weird for those who haven’t gone through it before,” he said “However, as far as scheduling is concerned we control what we can ”

The Red Storm (6-0) have been together since the summer after spending time overseas in Spain and Italy on a foreign trip So the team has had more time than some others to get ready for the upcoming season

“ We’ve been working for a long time now, ” said Danaejah Grant, who had 23 points in the 65-42 win over Xavier “It’s a good test for us to see where we ’ re at in our conference ”

Marquette and Georgetown were the only two teams not to play conference openers The Golden Eagles lost 79-53 to Auburn on Tuesday night

The Big East wasn ’ t the only conference to open early The Big South began play on Monday with Charleston Southern facing UNC Asheville

opened Wednesday with one game on the schedule

women ’ s schedule since 2000 as when the Colonial Athletic Conference had a game between Towson and Old Dominion on Nov 16, 2001 according to STATS

L a s t s e a s o n ’ s A P D e f e n s i v e Ro o k i e o f t h e Ye a r re i t e r a t e d h i s f r u s t r a t i o n s a l o n g w i t h h i s “ p i g ” c o m m e n t i n a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h t h e Ne w Yo r k D a i l y Ne w s p u b l i s h e d We d n e s d a y n i g h t He

s t o o d b y t h e m a g a i n i n t h e Je t s ’ l o c k e r r o o m a f t e r p r a c t i c e

T h u r s d a y “ Do n ’ t g e t t h e w o rd ‘ p i g ’ w r o n g , ” s a i d R i c h a rd s o n , w e a r i n g a n a v y St L o u i s C a rd i n a l s s w e a t s h i r t “ I m e a n , I m e a n t t h a t , b u t d o n ’

With so Much to Talk About, All Voices Deserve to Be Heard

allow ever yone to voice their opinions in whatever forum most suits them And that extends from subtle forms of protest that may go unnoticed to more overt forms when a significant portion of the population is tuned in to watch

To say that it is unfair for athletes to tr y to be political activists because they receive so much screen time and media attention is counterintuitive It’s true that American culture places too much emphasis on the sports and entertainment industries, but that’s just the nature of the beast It seems backwards to me that we religiously watch football players beat up on one another, but when they take a stance on something actually important, we ignore it or condemn it because they are, after all, “only” athletes

There is an extensive and important histor y of athlete activism, dating back to household names like Kareem Abdul Jabar, Bill Walton (who was once arrested for barricading an administration building to protest the Vietnam War), Muhammed Ali and Bill Bradley Some of that histor y is starting to resurface; NBA players expressed public outrage at Donald Sterling’s racist statements last year, members of the Miami Heat wore hoodies after Trayvon Martin was murdered and now the St Louis players have spoken out

I truly hope that this athlete activism continues and is never squashed When will NFL players fight back against the racist naming of one of their football teams? When will athletes across all leagues come together to create a truly accepting environment for homosexuals instead of sweeping the topic under the rug and only acknowledging it when a well-known

player comes out? A college football player died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound last week after repeatedly complaining about the effect of concussions on his mind When will NFL players start talking about the crippling effect the game they are paid to play has on their bodies and minds? Athletes have important things to say, and we need to create an open environment for them to speak so issues like these can begin to be resolved

My brother went to the protests in New York City last night after yet another police officer was not indicted by a grand jur y in the death of an unarmed man When I spoke to my parents on the phone, they said they were worried about my brother getting involved But I know they were speaking only as protective parents My dad was tear-gassed himself while protesting the Vietnam War; he knows what it means to stand up for something and to think any differently would be hypocritical

Just as the opinions of athletes are sometimes brushed aside as unimportant, I think the ideas of young people are equally overlooked As students we sometimes feel helpless, or even as though expressing our opinions is futile Maybe it is Maybe we don’t know anything because at 20 years old we haven’t experienced a hell of a lot But there is no harm in talking about it, and there is so much to talk about If any good has come from the incredibly depressing, often demoralizing last few weeks we have experienced in America, it is that people are talking, people are uniting No voice is too small or insignificant No voice should ever be silenced

Red Big Men Will Prove Pivotal Against Red Hawks

Courtney credits depth of team, coupled with experienced veterans as keys to recent

o n , t h e s q u a d h a s c o m e b a c k w i t h a b a la n c e d d e f e n s i v e a t t a c k f o c u s e d o n p l a y i n g s u f f o c a t i n g d e f e n s e f o r a f u l l g a m e , a c c o rd i n g t o h e a d c o a c h B i l l C o u r t n e y “ We d i d n ' t p l a y a f u l l 4 0 m i n u t e s o f h a r d d e f e n s e i n C h a r l e s t o n , b u t we

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n t h a t i n t h e s e p a s t c o u p l e g a m e s , ” C o u r t n e y s a i d A n o t h e r f a c t o r t h a t h a s p r o v e n t o b e a s i g n i f i c a n t a d va n t a g e f o r t h e Re d t h u s f a r i s t h e ve r s a t i l i t y o f i t s ro s t e r Wi t h a g u y l i k e Mi l l e r w h o c a n s t re t c h t h e f l o o r w i t h h i s s h o o ti n g a b i l i t y a n d b a t t l e i n s i d e , t h e Re d h a s t h e a b i l i t y t o c o m p e t e a g a i n s t a m y r i a d o f d e f e n s e s W i t h t h r e e g u a r d s w h o c a n e x p l o d e f o r 2 0 p o i n t s a g a m e o n a n y g i ve n n i g h t i n C a n c e r, C h e r r y a n d Ha t t e r, a l o n g w i t h t h e i m p rove m e n t o f s o p h o m o re g u a rd Da r r y l Sm i t h , t h e Re d h a s t h e u n i q u e a b i l i t y t o d e f e r s c o r i n g t o a va r i e t y o f p l a ye r s t h ro u g h o u t a g a m e “ Ou r g u y s u n d e r s t a n d t h e i r ro l e s a n d h a ve b e e n e xe c u t i n g g a m e p l a n s we l l We h a ve b e e n g e t t i n g t h e b a l l i n t o t h e r i g h t h a n d s , a n d s t e p p i n g u p i n t h e s e c o n d h a l f, ” C o u r t n e y s a i d Be i n g a b l e t o d e f e r o f f e n s i ve p ro d u c t i o n , c o u p l e d w i t h s o m e m u l t i - f a c e t e d o f f e n s i ve p l a ye r s i s a va l u a b l e a s s e t f o r a C o r n e l l t e a m t h a t w i l l l o o k t o t u r n h e a d s t h ro u g h o u t t h e s e a s o n , e s p e c i a l l y a g a i n s t t o p - n o t c h s q u a d s l i k e Sy r a c u s e , a t e a m t h a t p l a y s t h e l e g e n d a r y a n d u n i q u e 2 - 3 d e f e n s e Te a m s w h o re l y h e a v i l y o n o n e p l a ye r f o r o f f e n s i v e p r o d u c t i o n o f t e n b e c o m e e x p o s e d ve r y e a r l y i n t h e s e a s o n C o u r t n e y s a i d t h a t t h e w o rk o f t h e b e n c h c o mb i n e d w i t h s o m e ve t e r a n l e a d e rs h i p h a s m a d e f o r a n a t t a c k t h a t c a n f i r e f r o m a l l c y l i n d e r s w i t h o u t r e l y i n g o n s t a r p o w e r T h e R e d c u r r e n t l y h a s f o u r p l a y e r s a v e r a g i n g d o u b l e f i gu re s “ W e h a ve s t a r t e d s l ow i n t h e f i r s t h a l f a f e w t i m e s , b u t o u r b e n c h a n d e x p er i e n c e d g u y s h a ve k e p t u s g o i n g by s t e p p i n g u p a s t h e g a m e p rog re s s e s , ” C o u r t n e y s a i d

“We have started slow in the first half a few times, but our bench and experienced guys have kept us going by stepping up as the game progresses. ”

L o o k i n g a t S a t u r d a y ’ s m a t c h u p w i t h U Ma s s - L owe l l , t h e Re d h a s t o c o n t e n d w i t h a n o t h e r g u a r d h e a v y l i n e u p T h e t o p t h re e s c o re r s f o r t h e R i ve r Ha w k s a re a l l g u a rd s , l e d by s o p h o m o re Ja h a d T h o m a s w h o i s a v e r a g i n g j u s t s h y o f 1 6 p o i n t s p e r g a m e T h e R e d h o l d s a m a j o r s i ze a d va nt a g e , w i t h s e ve n p l a y e r s 6

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i z e i n t h e f r o n t c o u r t , t h e R i v e r H a w k s h a v e m a n a g e d t o w i n s i x s t r a i g h t g a m e s s i n c e d r o p p i n g t h e i r f i r s t t w o t o s t a r t t h e s e a s o n , a n d t h e Re d h a s t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o s n a p t h a t s t re a k T h e R i ve r Ha w

Surging Icers Take On Tough Denver Squad

By JOON LEE Sun Staff Writer

The Cornell men ’ s hockey team is approaching a pivotal point in the season with its upcoming weekend series against the University of Denver The Red rides a threegame winning streak into the weekend following a lackluster start to the season With the team ’ s record back even at 4-4-1 (3-3 ECAC), head coach Mike Schafer’s ‘86 squad looks to build on its recent offensive prowess when it matches up against the Pioneers and potentially complete the turn towards what could be a winning season

The Red and the No 10 Pioneers (8-3) will face off at Lynah Rink for the first time since an early Januar y series in 2013 in the Mile High, a set of games that Denver swept 5-1 and 2-1 During the series, senior for ward and team captain John McCarron was involved in a brawl that led to 30 penalty minutes for obscene language and abuse of officials, claims both the senior captain and Schafer repeatedly denied

For Schafer, the weekend series represents more than just two games

“It’s like a playoff

s e r i e s , a n d c o m i n g into it, you know it’s a 120-minute game, ”

S c h a f e r s a i d “ T h e things you do in the first 30 minutes on Friday are going to pay dividends in the last 30 minutes on Saturday We want to be physical and disciplined, and make sure that we put bodies on people as often as we can ” Schafer said that the team ’ s past histor y with the Pioneers is irrelevant The entire Denver coaching staff were not a part of the series

“ There was a lot made of that at the end of the

Leaving the past behind | Senior forward John McCarron was involved in a scuffle last time the Red faced off against Denver, but head coach Mike Schafer ’86 said that the conflict is “water under the bridge” over a year later

Saturday night game, but it’s water under the bridge,” Schafer said “In looking back at it, it was a long time ago, and a lot of players on both teams weren ’ t even in that series It’s about two teams right now, with a great opportunity for both teams ”

The recent winning streak is the result of a spark on the offensive end for the Red After struggling to put the puck in the back of the net despite multiple scoring opportunities, Cornell appears to be making it’s way out of the darkness on the offensive end During its win streak, the Red has outscored opponents by a 10-3 tally

While the weekend games against the Pioneers are nonconference games, senior for ward Joel Lowr y, who is tied with sophomore for ward Matt Buckles for the team lead in goals with three, said that it is imperative for the team to collect out-of-conference points

“ G e t t i n g o n l y o n e p o i n t a g a i n s t [ Un

f Nebraska, Omaha] really hurt us, and we really need these two wins,” Lowr y said “Especially against a team from the

NCHC, [Denver] is going to have some big wins and nationally, if we can get these two wins, it’ll help us a lot ”

The Pioneers come into Ithaca riding a winning streak of their own, lighting the lamp eighteen times against their last three opponents Denver’s top line, featuring freshman wing Danton Heinen, center Daniel Doremus and wing Trevor Moore are tied for the team in points with 13 apiece Sophomore goalie Mitch Gillam, who currently ranks third in the nation in save percentage while stopping nearly 95 percent of pucks shot in his direction, will certainly be put to the test against the fifth best offense in all of college hockey

“It’s going to be a great challenge for us, ” Schafer said “ They’re a great hockey team, they’ve got one of the best power plays in the countr y and some of the most mobile defensemen in the countr y ”

Joon Lee can be reached at sports@cornellsun com

Athletes Can Be Activists, Too Red Looks to Extend Win Streak

Courtney’s squad will use height advantage against UMass Lowell

By AMIR PATEL Sun Staff Writer

With some excitement surrounding the Cornell men ’ s basketball program again, the Red looks to extend its win streak to three on Saturday when it welcomes UMass Lowell (6-2) to Newman Arena After dropping three games at the Charleston Classic, the Red rebounded with wins against Canisius and Binghamton to secure consecutive wins for the first time since Februar y, 2013 The Red has put an emphasis on defense and utilizing its experience, both of which are major parts of the identity that the team is forming

This gradual formation of a true identity has been a big plus for the squad It is clear that the Red is heavily dependent on the backcourt for offensive production, with guards Galal Cancer, Rober t Hatter and Devin Cherr y combining to average 34 4 points per game, more than half of the team ’ s overall average However, the maturation of sophomore for ward David Onuorah, along with the return of senior for ward Shonn Miller, has given the Red an evenly balanced attack both offensively and defensively

On the defensive end, the Red leads the Ivy League in opponents field goal percentage (37 3%) and defensive rebounds per game (27 6) While

On Sunday, the St Louis Rams made headlines for more than their 52-0 shellacking of the Raiders Five Rams players walked out onto the field before the game with their arms raised above their heads in the “hands up, don’t shoot” pose that has swept the nation following the decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson

The gesture by the players was both lauded and decried in the aftermath, and a New York Times article reported that the St Louis Police Officers Association said it was “profoundly disappointed” with their actions In a press conference, St Louis head coach Jeff Fisher said, “It’s my personal opinion, and I firmly believe, that it’s important that I keep sports and politics separate I’m a head coach I’m not a politician, an activist or an expert on societal issues ”

It’s true that Fisher is no political expert Neither are his players and neither are, seemingly, the millions of college students and young adults across the country who are trying to make their voices heard through peaceful protests and sit-ins When it comes to social politics, nobody is an expert, and that is why it is both important and productive, I think, to