2-4-20 entire issue hi res

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Democracy inaction

As candidate selection in the Iowa caucuses concluded Monday night, Iowa Democratic Party officials had not yet finished tabulating and releasing the results, as of 1:30 a.m Tuesday.

Title IX Of f ce Responds To Sexual Assault Data

By KATHRYN STAMM Sun Staff Writer

Sexual assault incidents and reports to the Title IX office increased in 2018, according to data published in late January.

Cornell had the highest number of reported sexual assault incidents out of every university and college in New York in 2018, according to data collected by the New York State Department of Education. With 282 reports, Cornell far outnumbers peer institutions like New York University at 173 reports and Columbia at 111.

With enrollment taken into consideration, Cornell’s numbers are even

more significant: NYU has 51,847 students, dwarfing Cornell’s 24,848.

As the office enters a new era under recently appointed Title IX coordinator Laura Rugless, it maintains that the increase of reports are a positive.

“Overwhelmingly, it is a positive thing to see an increase in reports,” Rugless, associate vice president of the Office of Institutional Equity, told The Sun. “It gives a sense that the program is working the way it should.”

More reports implies better awareness of and more trust in the office, the Title IX coordinator said.

Alum Runs for State Assembly

Seph

Murtagh

By ALEC GIUFURTA Sun Staff Writer

Ithaca Common Council Alderperson

Seph Murtagh Ph.D. ’09 (D-2nd Ward) launched his campaign to represent the 125th New York State Assembly District on Monday. Murtagh will

Ph.D. ’09 aims to replace Lifton in N.Y. 125th

look to succeed Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D-N.Y.) — whose office he currently works for as communications coordinator. Lifton announced she would not seek reelection on Friday.

As a Common Council Alderperson, Murtagh said he can

“walk from one end of [his] district to the other,” so one challenge he anticipates in his campaign for New York State Assembly is navigating a significantly larger district. Currently, Murtagh represents Ithaca’s second ward — which comprises parts of the Ithaca

Commons, Six Mile Creek, Cascadilla Creek, Washington Park and Dewitt Park. On the other hand, the 125th district consists of Tompkins County in its entirety and neighboring towns.

“That's a very dif-

V.P. Ryan Lombardi Alerts C.U. to Potential Case of Coronavirus

N.Y.’s Centers for Disease Control tests student, who is of-campus and isolated

By MEGHNA MAHARISHI Sun Staff Writer

A Cornell student presented symptoms that mirror the novel coronavirus strain — which has afflicted over 17,000 people worldwide — Ryan Lombardi, vice president of student and campus life, announced in an email on Monday. It is not confirmed that the student has the novel coronavirus.

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control is conducting laboratory tests for the student, and the results could take a full week, the email read. The student does not reside on campus and is in isolation, receiving full-time care.

well-being, but also for that of your friends and family living abroad.”

The outbreak is believed to have originated in the wildlife markets of Wuhan, China. Symptoms of coronavirus include a high fever, coughing and shortness of breath — which is similar to flu symptoms.

“Cornell is an international community of scholars and we understand that many of you are worried.”

Ryan Lombardi

There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in New York state, according to the email.

“[T]his is a challenging time for many of our community members,” Lombardi wrote in the email sent Monday afternoon. “Cornell is an international community of scholars and we understand that many of

On Wednesday, Provost Michael Kotlikoff sent an email to the Cornell community, writing that the University would bar students from traveling to China for Cornell-related purposes. Faculty and staff would still be allowed to travel to China, if they receive clearance from Cornell’s International Travel Advisory Response Team, which currently lists China on its elevated-risks destinations list. ITART placed China on this list after the CDC issued a level 3 travel warning, urging travelers not to visit China for nonessential travel.

See CORONAVIRUS page 5

TODAY, 4:30pm

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

A LISTING OF FREE

CAMPUS

EVENTS Today

Applied Physics Grad Society Coffee Hour 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., 243 Clark Hall

Irene Sumbele - Public Health Spring Seminar Series 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., Lecture Hall 2, College of Veterinary Medicine

Biomedical & Biological Sciences Signature Seminars 4 - 5 p.m., Lecture Hall 4, College of Veterinary Medicine

Butch Futurities: Lola Flash Queers Time and Race, Professor Karen Jaime 4:30 p.m., G22 Goldwin Smith Hall

Asia’s Farmer and Farming Crisis: Some Reflection and Insights 12:20 - 1:10 p.m., 135 Emerson Hall

Biophysics Colloquium - Simon Sponberg - Georgia Tech 4 p.m., 700 Clark Hall

American Sign Language Conversation Hour (Intermediate Level) 4:30 - 5:30 p.m., G24A Stimson Hall Tomorrow

Advocate Yusef Salaam Slated to Speak at Cornell

One of the ‘Exonerated Five’ to talk about mass incarceration during commemorative lecture

By ALIYAH KILPATRICK Sun Staff Writer

Thirty years ago, Yusef Salaam was convicted of a crime he did not commit. Along with four other teenage boys — known as the “Central Park Five” — Salaam was falsely accused of committing rape and assault against a Central Park jogger.

Now an advocate against mass incarceration, Salaam will be talking to Cornell students on Feb. 17 at Sage Chapel. His talk is a part of the Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative lecture, held annually to remember the legacy of the civil rights leader with speakers who strive to fight for civil rights and social justice.

This talk comes after the success of the Netflix series When They See Us , directed by Ava Duvernay, who visited Cornell for 2018’s commencement ceremony. The Emmy-nominated series follows the journey of the five men, including Salaam, and the events following the false conviction.

Salaam was arrested at 15 years old, along with Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise. The group was wrongfully convicted in 1990 for beating and raping a woman who was jogging through Central Park — the five men were coerced to confess to the crimes.

Salaam spent six years in prison. For years, he and the four other men received public backlash, including from current President Donald Trump. Trump — who bought newspaper advertisements during

Cornell Tech Expands Women In Tech Program to Chicago

By STACEY BLANSKY

Sun Staff Writer

In an effort to boost the number of women in the tech industry, Cornell is trying to take its Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship in New York program national.

Cornell Tech announced the expansion of the WiTNY program “to attract and retain women and other underrepresented groups pursuing tech education and careers nationally,” the January press release read. The program is also branching out, adding a new location in Chicago.

In 2016, Cornell Tech launched WiTNY in conjunction with the City University of New York in an attempt to increase the number of women — especially women of color — pursuing tech careers, according to Greg Morrisett, dean and vice provost of Cornell Tech.

a three-week “Winternship” opportunity over January break. Morrisett called this program where students work on projects with a host company a “stepping stone.”

The program, now called Break Through Tech, will take part in the new Gender Equality in Tech Cities initiative. With classroom, community and workplace initiatives, Break Through Tech will branch out to three new cities, starting with Chicago in a partnership with The University of Illinois at Chicago.

“When you look at the diversity of New York, it is not really reflected in the tech industry at all.”

Greg Morrisett

“When you look at the diversity of New York, it is not really reflected in the tech industry at all,” Morrisett told The Sun. “We partnered with CUNY in part because [it] is very diverse, not just in terms of women but [in] other kinds of demographics.”

Supported by a $50 million investment from Pivotal Ventures, Cognizant U.S. Foundation and Verizon, WiTNY plans to expand outward and exert a national influence.

According to Morrisett, the goal of WiTNY was to have more women “look at tech as a possible career path,” as well as remove roadblocks that they may encounter along the way.

One barrier includes getting a foot into the industry’s door. In response, WiTNY created

“I think that Pivotal [Ventures] felt that we were very successful here in New York with the programs that we set up, and wanted to take that to other cities,” Morrisett said. “We are going to continue our efforts here with CUNY and startup these efforts with partners in Chicago, and then we will be looking at a couple of other cities to move into after Chicago.”

Judy Spitz, program director of WiTNY, will oversee operations of groups in New York and Chicago.

Morrisett hopes the expansion will encourage “more brilliant, bright students” to apply to Cornell Tech.

“Society depends crucially upon having the right representation,” Morrisett said. “Having the right, diverse ecosystem is critical for getting the questions in those areas right. For society’s sake, if we don’t have the right kind of equity, then we are all going to suffer.”

Stacey Blansky can be reached at sblansky@cornellsun.com.

the trial calling for the death penalty — still refuses to apologize for doing so.

These cases further exposed the faults of the incarceration system, as well as the racism that permeates it.

The five were exonerated in 2002, after Matias Reyes confessed to the crime. Following the release of When They See Us , the falsely accused men more popularly took on the title of “The Exonerated Five” to highlight their innocence.

In 2014, the five men received a $40 million settlement from New York City to compensate for their time spent in the prison system.

Salaam’s talk will start at 7 p.m. with a conversation with Prof. Anna Haskins, sociology, followed by a question-and-answer session. The event is co-sponsored by Black Students United, the Muslim Educational and Cultural Association and the Greater Ithaca Activities Center.

Aliyah Kilpatrick can be reached at aliyahkilpatrick@cornellsun.com.

Over 320 Clubs Crowd Barton Hall in Hopes of Finding New Members

By VIVIAN FAN Sun Staff Writer

Sunday marked the beginning of networking opportunities and the expansion of club listservs, as scores of students flocked to Spring ClubFest in Barton Hall. Coordinated by the Welcome Weekend Committee, Spring ClubFest provides students a second chance this school year to

move their college careers in new directions.

This year’s version featured about 320 clubs and included performances from BreakFree Hip Hop, C.U. Cyphers and the Comedy Club at Cornell. Despite this turnout, Robert Bossong ’22, ClubFest chair of Welcome Weekend Committee, said that

See CLUBS page 5

C.U. Reports Highest Number of Incidents in N.Y. State

TITLE IX

Continued from page 1

Following the “Enough is Enough” law passed in 2015, the University is required to report incidents of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking to the state of New York. These numbers are drawn from the reports first given to the Title IX office.

The numbers can include any experience of sexual or related misconduct — whether or not it happened under Cornell’s jurisdiction. Any information from any source is included in the reporting data, according to Chantelle Cleary, Rugless’ predecessor.

percent of reporters sought institutional judicial processes.

“Reports are a positive thing because it allows folks who have these experiences first and foremost to have information that will empower them to make choices that are right for them in the aftermath of an experience,” Cleary told The Sun. “That’s one of the primary functions of this office.”

“We can just make sure that we’re doing as good a job as possible as a university.”

Tucked in the basement of Day Hall, the Title IX office seeks to reach out to everybody who has an experience “to offer the opportunity to understand all of their rights and resources,” according to Cleary. However, the Department of Education report sorely underrepresents the number of incidents, Cleary said.

Laura Rugless

This is all information the coordinator finds valuable, explained Cleary, who left the office after 18 months as its head. Not only are reports an opportunity to provide support to survivors, but they also serve as a snapshot of the campus climate.

The office processes cases under Policy 6.4 — the University’s means to address bias, discrimination, harassment and sexual and related misconduct — but only if the accuser chooses to pursue institutional action and if the alleged conduct constitutes a violation. In 2019, only 16

Incidents — reported or not — have increased across the board, according to a 2019 University survey. Thirteen percent of students have experienced nonconsensual sexual contact involving physical force, threats of physical force or incapacitation since entering Cornell — a rise from 11 percent in 2017, The Sun previously reported.

Ultimately, the office hopes to better understand the community’s problems, develop prevention methods and eventually see an overall decrease in reports.

One primary goal during Cleary’s tenure was outreach.

C.U. Student Tested for Coronavirus Symptoms

CORONAVIRUS

from page 1

Study abroad programs to China have also been canceled due to the international outbreak. Shortly before Kotlikoff sent out the email, the China and Asia Pacific Studies program told students in the major that it would cancel its Beijing study abroad program — a graduation requirement — for the spring semester.

The Tompkins County Health Department announced in a health advisory on Jan. 27 that it would collaborate with Cornell to monitor the coronavirus. The health department urged Tompkins County residents who have previously traveled to China and have a fever or shortness of breath to stay home and avoid contact with others, cover up when sneezing or coughing and to frequently wash hands.

In the U.S., there have been 11 confirmed cases of coronavirus. These

cases have been in California, Arizona, Washington, Illinois and Massachusetts.

Anxiety surrounding the disease is palpable on campus. Since classes resumed on Jan. 21, some students have been seen wearing masks, and Chinese international students previously expressed to The Sun their fears surrounding the outbreak.

In the email, the University emphasized unity in wake of the international outbreak.

“It is understandable to feel uncertain or anxious during a public health crisis, and we need to remember to care for one another and not make assumptions about others’ perceived symptoms or any characteristics of identity,” Lombardi wrote. “This is a time for the Cornell community to support one another. Your compassion and empathy for each other makes a difference.”

Meghna Maharishi can be reached at mmaharishi@cornellsun.com.

Students Flock to Spring ClubFest

spring club attendance underperformed its autumn counterpart, as Fall ClubFest generally hosts more groups.

Part of the reason why attendance may have dipped is because the expenses outweigh the benefits of advertising, as some organizations decide to only recruit in the fall.

Although smaller, Bossong said that this year’s spring ClubFest was “the largest yet,” and plenty of students still dropped by to hear clubs’ spiels.

“Even though I’m a sophomore, there’s always something new here,” said Sydney Lawrence ’22. “You can never get everything in one go, so I just keep coming year after year, just to see if there is anything new.”

The smaller size didn’t disappoint everyone, as

Jassa Chang-Weinberg ’23 found it “a lot less overwhelming compared to Fall ClubFest.”

As usual, ClubFest attracted many students eager to discover new interests and make new friends. Among those walking away with a deck of quarter cards were a group of freshmen who felt more prepared to join clubs in their second semester at Cornell.

“I don’t think I took full advantage of ClubFest during the fall,” said Tyrell Ehimwenma ’23. “This time around I’m trying to join more clubs and be more involved.”

After a full semester of Cornell academics, firstyear students have been able to better balance coursework and extracurricular activities. ClubFest attendee Skylar Krouse ’23 said that now knowing what a semester at Cornell is like makes it “easier to

find clubs that fit [her] time.”

The organizations recruiting new members encompassed a wide range of interests, from cultural groups and community service organizations to pre-professional fraternities and religious communities

“I think ClubFest is the easiest way to gain new members,” said Kelly Liu ’22. Liu was with her group Knit With Care, a community service club whose main project is to knit blankets and donate them to homeless shelters. She uses this time to engage in conversation with prospective members.

“There is a lot of traffic and you can go out and talk to people instead of hoping that they will see your quarter cards,” Liu explained.

From 2017 to 2019, awareness of the Title IX office increased from 38 percent to 55.2 percent, according to the University survey. Cleary’s administration took steps — both large and small — to better communicate the roles of the office to the broader community.

“We really, really placed an emphasis not just on engaging with the community in a training space, but also as humans,” Cleary said.

Cleary also estimated that Theoria Cason, training and education coordinator, trained “close to 20,000 folks in less than a year,” leading the outreach efforts with in-person training. Cornell is home to 34,310 students, faculty and staff. Rugless added that these estimates were solely for the Title IX office, excluding training by other campus partners.

Looking forward, Rugless is hopeful about the office’s work to maintain communication with the community and to support as many survivors as possible — even if that doesn’t necessarily mean investigating more cases.

“What we can do is make sure that we have adequate resources, and people have options to access them” Rugless said. “I don’t know that we can drive that number higher, we can just make sure that we’re doing as good a job as possible as a university in providing those services.”

Seph Murtagh Ph.D. ’09

Seeks

N.Y. Assembly Seat

Alumnus looks

to

inhabit seat cleared by Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton Friday

SEPH

Continued from page 1

ferent thing than representing a district that includes an entire county, and part of another county,” Murtagh told The Sun.

But Murtagh feels ready to take on the challenge of representing the 125th district in Albany.

The alumnus currently serves as chair for the Common Council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee, a standing committee that oversees issues like city planning, housing, land use, zoning and historic preservation. Additionally, Murtagh serves as the Alternate Acting Mayor.

On the Common Council, Murtagh voted to introduce historic landmark designation for the buildings hosting Collegetown Bagels and The Nines. He also helped pilot an e-scooter program in Ithaca.

In his race for the assembly seat, Murtagh shared how he hopes to focus on three main issues: housing and property taxes, education funding and the environment.

Murtagh wants to make sure that local communities across New York state are protected from the impacts of climate change and that New York state schools receive equitable shares of education funding.

Earlier in his career, Murtagh worked as an Ithaca Times reporter where he covered the Common Council — Murtagh explained that his interest in the issues he is now campaigning on blossomed from his time as a reporter.

"I probably started to become more interested in the issues than I should've

“That's a very different thing than representing a district that includes an entire county ...”

Seph Murtagh Ph.D. ’09

been as a reporter,” Murtagh said. Murtagh previously taught writing at Ithaca College from 2009 to 2015 after receiving his Ph.D. in English from Cornell.

As of Monday afternoon, Murtagh told The Sun he had only “heard some names" of potential Democratic primary challengers. However, that changed on Monday night, as Dryden Town Supervisor, Jason Leifer, entered the race.

The state-wide democratic primary will occur on June 23. The general election is November 3.

Alec Giufurta can be reached at agiufurta@cornellsun.com.

Embracing Our Eight-Legged Friends: Arachnophilia Displayed at Mann Library

By MILENA BIMPONG Sun Staff Writer

While spiders are mostly harmless, many people scream, run away or stomp on them at first sight. The vast biodiversity of arachnids is often overlooked due to their frightening appearance.

From Oct. 24 to Jan. 31, the exhibit “Arachnophilia: A Passion for Spiders” was on display at Mann Library. Prof. Linda Rayor, entomology, and Jenny Leijonhufvud, the gallery and outreach spaces coordinator of Mann Library, worked together to display a variety of spiders — both unique and mundane — in great detail through photos, videos and display cases.

The exhibit — which was at Mann Gallery of the library’s second floor — had detailed visuals and descriptions of many different spider species, such as the Metallic Emerald Jumping Spider and the Spiny Bellied Orb Weaver.

Although spiders are not generally social creatures, Rayor’s

research focuses on their social behavior. This research inspired her to bring a spider exhibit to Cornell.

“Most of my research is focused on social spiders, and only a tiny, tiny proportion of spiders live in groups at all,” Rayor said. “Less than one and a half percent of the 48,000 spider [species] are social.”

According to Rayor, spiders are a large, diverse group, but they are often homogenized as something to be feared. Rather, arachnids are a subgroup of arthropods, which are a dominant group of life on Earth. Rayor said that having eight legs and pedipalps — two appendages in the front of their head — are features that all arachnids share.

Plans for the exhibit began to brew in 2017, when Rayor was a consultant for an international traveling exhibit based on North American spiders in Sydney, Australia.

“I ended up getting a grant from the Australian Museum for my Cornell students and I to help prepare North American spiders for their displays,” Rayor said. “We learned how to dry

spiders out and stuff them, and make them look as life-like as we possibly could.”

Along with preparing the spiders, Rayor also designed cages for them to be displayed in.

Despite her expertise in entomology, Rayor said the artistic input she gained from her collaborators, Simon Wheeler of Cornell Brand Communications and Leijonhufvud, was invaluable. Wheeler took macro shots — making the small objects of the exhibit look larger — of Rayor’s work, which allowed Rayor to present the photography of the spiders in a captivating way.

One of Rayor’s favorite parts about the exhibit was having the ability to share her passion with others.

“I am terrifically pleased by how the exhibit turned out,” Rayor said. “My goal was to combine my passion for spiders, show how beautiful and diverse they are and provide compelling information about their biology.”

Milena Bimpong can be reached at mbimpong@cornellsun.com.

Cornell Research Group Explores Potential Of Machine Learning in Medicine

By CATHERINE CAI Sun Staff Writer

Medicine and artificial intelligence are ever-evolving fields at the forefront of scientific discovery. A new Cornell research group — Machine Learning in Medicine — aims to coalesce the two with the goal of improving methods for disease detection and diagnosis.

This endeavor is a collaboration between faculty at Cornell Tech and Weill Cornell Medicine, bringing together “researchers with common interests and complementary expertise.” MLIM’s work is primarily an interdisciplinary dialogue, bridging campuses and research fields.

“The idea was to link people with a machine learning background in Ithaca to [people working with] clinical data and hypotheses at Weill,” said Prof. Amy Kuceyeski, mathematics and radiology, one of the organizing members of the group.

While Kuceyeski’s background is in mathematics, she started learning methods for modeling biological systems as a postdoctoral researcher at Weill. Seeing this as an area for innovation, Kuceyeski helped establish MLIM in 2018.

This past year, the group studied the ability for computer-generated models to predict changes in the brains of subjects with and without autism — finding that the model was significantly worse in pre-

dicting changes in the brains of those with autism.

Currently, Kuceyeski is working with members of Prof. Mert Sabuncu’s, electrical and computer engineering, lab to predict brain activity using previous data sets of brain activity.

One recurring event that the MLIM research group holds is their virtual seminar series, typically twice a month. This series features medical professors and researchers

“The brain is not so well understood, but it gives rise to everyday things around us. That mystery pulled me in.”

Prof. Amy Kuceyeski

from around the world to engage students from diverse academic backgrounds.

In this month’s installment, Prof. Konrad Kording, neuroscience, the University of Pennsylvania, presented his lecture “Is Most of Medical Machine Learning Wrong or Misleading?” In it, Konrad questioned some of the faulty methods in collecting and analyzing clinical data.

Looking ahead, MLIM plans to host seven more speakers in their virtual lecture series, including Prof. Danielle Bassett, bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania

technology and neuroscience |

and Prof. Ben Glocker, engineering, Imperial College London.

MLIM also invites participation from students of both campuses. The virtual series presents a unique opportunity for students to interact with leading researchers from around the world from their own campus. In addition, MLIM will be

hosting a symposium titled “Bridging the Divide: Machine Learning in Medicine,” tentatively set to take place in October in New York City.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Do You Still Watch Buzzfeed?

For the past few weeks, videos from Buzzfeed have popped up in my Youtube recommendations. I guess nostalgia is coded in the algorithms. Either way, I fell for it. My past viewing history informed Youtube of my possible current interests, so it is merely my past self suggesting content to my current self, right?

I tend to perceive this as an iterative cycle of optimization: We search for what we are interested in, the platforms offer suggestions based on our behavior, we again make decisions when we browse the platforms with advertisements embedded and the algorithms are refined in this process. But what is the driving force behind this cycle? Our data, our attention, our time. The rhetoric of automation is merely delusional. The platforms create the impression that they are helping us find the right content, but the hidden labor of recommendation algorithms is performed by us. Our attention is extracted like raw materials, and to stay on the platforms for social participation, we are forced to pay more attention and make more decisions for the platform’s profit maximization. In fact, the more time we spend on the platforms, the more time we have to spend to stay on the platforms.

Attention is an intriguing concept: We don’t exactly have control over what we pay our attention to, and we cannot necessarily overlook something we’re already paying attention to. With everything now first being fed into these tech giants before they turn to demand our attention, our attention is enslaved in the information economy. We no longer have full autonomy over what we spend our time consuming with the endless browsing we have to perform for the “free” platforms.

As for Buzzfeed, the company rose to prominence by leveraging this new business model based on attention colonialism.

The new media company’s strategy is clear –– more clicks, more money. Buzzfeed uses every way conceivable to grab your attention to click on their content, but their reliance on social media platforms has posed a threat to their longevity. When the algorithms make decisions based on the interests of the social media platforms, how can new media companies gain visibility? It doesn’t sound right if new media companies “pay” the platforms to have their content promoted in the first place. The platformization of media is challenging the very distinction between a media company and a content creator.

but they’re just not the Try Guys, Safiya Nygaard or Michelle Khare.

A netizen myth emerged that Buzzfeed is dying with these people leaving. Have trends proved this assertion right? Judging by the views of their recent videos, it is indeed slowly dying in people’s attention. What happened?

With the platformization of media, branding for media companies has been a difficult task. In the new media landscape, it is far more common for people to recognize personalities rather than non-human brands. (On the other hand, we don’t just look at humans. There are non-human personalities that might be entirely artificial yet immensely attention-grabbing). With Buzzfeed losing its known faces, it is getting increasingly challenging for the company to retain its presence in the audience’s mind. Buzzfeed doesn’t just fail to retain its stars, it has also been laying off its emerging talents. While the business itself is still profitable, such practices to help it remain profitable have destructively hurt the branding of the company. Influencers now dominate new media, and companies are struggling to keep up with that.

Stephen Yang

Rewiring Technoculture

The most notable exception to this rule of celebrity dominance in the new media landscape is perhaps in the realm of journalism. When people look for quality news, they look for The New York Times or The Washington Post, but we won’t necessarily be able to recognize Nate Silver from FiveThirtyEight or Ezra Klein from Vox. In the case of Buzzfeed, its identity crisis is also rooted in its hybridity of news and entertainment. It is often overlooked that Buzzfeed News is, in fact, a reputable news outlet that has been finalists for Pulitzer Prizes for its contribution to investigative journalism. Nonetheless, the popular image of Buzzfeed as an entertainment company obscures its position as a media company. With Buzzfeed blurring the line between news and entertainment, the company as a brand is having a hard time standing out. It is not as trustworthy as The Atlantic, but it is also not as interesting as Kim Kardashian.

T e Sun’s

Super Bowl Commercial Awards

The Super Bowl is one of the most recognizable American cultural phenomena in modern times. This year’s Super Bowl attracted 99.9 million viewers, making the ads a lucrative — but expensive — spot for companies. A 30 second ad slot cost around $5.6 million. Therefore, companies do their best to make their ads stand out. Here, The Sun will award the commercials that have truly risen above the rest as Best Commercial, Worst Commercial and Weirdest Commercial. For more complete coverage, visit cornellsun.com.

Best Commercial: Mountain Dew

So I watched the Buzzfeed video. After a year of not getting exposed to any Buzzfeed content, I couldn’t recognize any of the new Buzzfeed people. The video does not feature any of the big names I’m familiar with because they have all left Buzzfeed. Remember when there was a wave of prominent producers leaving Buzzfeed to embark on their journey as content creators? The “Why I Left Buzzfeed” genre became sensational hits and garnered more views than the videos Buzzfeed produced at the time. The new people still share the likable Buzzfeed spirit,

So, with Buzzfeed News’s editor-in-chief Ben Smith moving to The New York Times as the next media columnist, are we witnessing the burst of the digital media bubble? I shall say not yet. Digital media consumption is at an all-time high. What we are seeing now is a stormy reshuffling of the organizational hierarchies of the new media landscape. In my opinion, a radical restructuring of the business model rooted in attention colonialism is in urgent need of radical refashioning, or else we will just spend an absurd amount of time reading and watching nothing.

Stephen Yang is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be reached at syang@cornellsun.com. Rewiring Technoculture runs alternate Mondays this semester.

This was the hardest category as many companies really stepped it up on Sunday, such as Jeep’s Groundhog Day and Planters’ Baby Nut. But in our opinion, the best commercial of Super Bowl LIV goes to Mountain Dew Zero’s recreation of The Shining. In this ad, Mountain Dew recruits Bryan Cranston and Tracee Ellis Ross to play the roles of Jack and Wendy Torrance in the iconic “Here’s Johnny” scene, but with a wonderful twist. In the commercial, Jack really just wants Wendy to try Mountain Dew Zero Sugar, and instead of screaming Wendy actually tries the soda and praises it. Bryan Cranston is really the star of the ad here as he plays the role as great as Jack Nicholson did in the past. His performance, along with Tracee Ellis Ross’s performance, really elevate this ad into something special,making it the best commercial of Super Bowl LIV.

Worst Commercial: Hulu

Hulu comes out with an ad that tries to make fun of a pressing issue that is on the mind of almost every NFL fan. That issue is the question of whether Tom Brady will retire. Hulu starts out the ad with tom brady telling the viewers how important this upcoming message will be, but then Tom Brady refers to Hulu’s script and promotes their live sports streaming capability. The ad wrongly messes with the emotions of the millions of fans that are watching the game as they all collectively sigh at the fact that Tom Brady subverted everyone’s expectations in the worst way possible.

Weirdest Commercial: Rocket Mortgage

This category is for the commercials that are so weird that they just boggle the mind of every viewer. In this ad, Rocket Mortgage decided to inexplicably take the body of Jason Momoa and revert him to a skinny, bald man. It is a surreal commercial for sure, as you see him take off his muscles as if he was wearing a costume the whole time. Forget the Old Muscle Man Momoa, for 2020 it’s all about skinny man Momoa.

Ryan Richardson is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He currently serves as the Snapchat editor on Te Sun’s board. He can be reached at rrichardson@cornellsun.com.

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

137th Editorial Board

ANU SUBRAMANIAM ’20 Editor in Chief

JOYBEER DATTA GUPTA ’21

Business Manager

PARIS GHAZI ’21

Associate Editor

MEREDITH LIU ’20

Assistant Managing Editor

RAPHY GENDLER ’21

Sports Editor

BORIS TSANG ’21

Photography Editor

AMBER KRISCH ’21

Blogs Editor

SOPHIE REYNOLDS ’20

Science Editor

AMANDA H. CRONIN ’21

News Editor

JOHNATHAN STIMPSON ’21

News Editor

PETER BUONANNO ’21

Arts & Entertainment Editor

ANYI CHENG ’21

Assistant News Editor

HUNTER SEITZ ’20

Assistant News Editor

CHRISTINA BULKELEY ’21

Assistant Sports Editor

BEN PARKER ’22

Assistant Photography Editor

JEREMY MARKUS ’22

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor

ALICIA WANG ’21

Graphics and Sketch Editor

DANA CHAN ’21

Production Editor

RYAN RICHARDSON ’21

Snapchat Editor

GIRISHA ARORA ’20

Senior Editor

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Editor BREANNE FLEER ’20 Senior Editor

The New York Times has been running an article series entitled I Quit. Most Cornell students have never quit anything in their life, which is part of the reason why they got here. I, on the other hand, am not too sorry to call myself a quitter. Many of my endeavors have had expiration dates. When I matriculated at Cornell, I figured that the clock was running out on my time of being so indecisive. I would have to make up my mind, ditch the old me and chase pursuits and ideas I could realistically devote myself to. But it didn’t take too long to quit not-quitting. I quit The Sun and I rejoined. I quit Okenshields. I quit taking Russian and started taking Arabic. I quit the millions of listservs ClubFest tricked me into. I quit going out on Wednesday nights, and I quit expecting that the TCAT would actually run on time. In the process of quitting, I found out what was really important to me. I opened my eyes and allowed myself to try as many things as possible. Sure, there are plenty of things I’m actually committed to. But I’m just not committed to everything I do. Contrary to popular belief, high commitment does not necessarily equal high fulfillment.

pace, I reflect, I catch my breath. I feel sad for the old me who was too insecure because these moments — when I’m la-dee-da-ing through Cornell with nothing on my mind — have become some of the best parts of my weeks. If feeling surrounded was so important to me, then choosing a school in the middle of nowhere may not have

If feeling surrounded was so important to me, then choosing a school in the middle of nowhere may not have been my best decision.

been my best decision. But there are few things worse than feeling lonely in a crowded room, so feeling lonely in Ithaca may be the best kind of loneliness there is.

Editorial

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As Uncertainty Looms, Stand With One Another

ON SUNDAY, A CORNELL STUDENT PRESENTED SYMPTOMS that met criteria for testing for the 2019 novel coronavirus, Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi wrote in an email to the Cornell community. Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the only organization able to test for the novel coronavirus in the country, the results of the student’s laboratory tests may take up to a full week to be processed and revealed. Lombardi also assured that the student is in isolation and is receiving ongoing care. There are currently no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in New York.

As Cornellians, we all reside in somewhat of a bubble. Perched on this hill , we interact with our peers nearly-constantly. It is only natural that students might be concerned for their health at a moment like this.

However, our fear is no reason for us to treat our fellow students with anything less than the utmost respect. There is no excuse for us to be anything less than the empathetic community that we can be. Remember that many students on this campus are being directly affected by this novel coronavirus: their friends, family, neighborhoods and homes are being changed forever.

Let us be kind to one another in this difficult time. Take care of yourself, each other, our Cornellian family and the greater Ithaca community. The above editorial reflects the opinions of The Cornell Daily Sun. Editorials are penned collaboratively between the Editor in Chief, Associate Editor and Opinion Editor, in consultation with additional Sun editors and staffers. The Sun’s editorials are independent of its news coverage, other columnists and advertisers.

My first semester at Cornell I sought fulfillment from constantly doing things with others. My biggest fear was eating alone. If my friends were busy when I wanted to go to the dining hall, I would end up just sitting in my crowded triple with a salty cup of ramen, even when I had spent the week in anticipation for Pancake Mondays at RPCC. I tried to plan out all of my walks to class with my friends, too. It went something like, “Oh, you also have a 10:10 in Rockefeller? Perfect! Want to meet at the Balch Arch at 10?” I thought study

It’s hard to learn to be alone, but being by oneself is inevitable, so you may as well get good at it. One of my friends regularly goes to the Cornell Cinema by himself, and I have always admired his dedication to his independence. Somewhere in between our consecrated mixer schedules and our own opaque illusions, we begin to feel guilty when we choose to spend a Saturday night in. And for some of us, no matter how much we love our roommates, having our own space is something we will always have to work at. Part of taking care of ourselves is removing ourselves. Whether that means going on a Risley date with yourself or getting a solo ticket for the latest film, you will make the most out of college when you aren’t always planning it around other people. Everything is best in moderation — even your friends.

I don’t know when this changed, but sometime during my second semester of freshman year, I quit feeling lonely when I was alone.

dates were necessary, being alone was scary and the volume of my interactions determined my fulfillment.

I don’t know exactly when this all changed for me, but sometime during my second semester of freshman year, I quit feeling lonely when I was alone, and I started to enjoy it.

Making it a point to eat all by myself, like a big kid, has become a vital respite. I notice the people around me and the posters on the walls, I eat at my own

Maybe you’re someone who has always exercised such autonomy, but the misguided conflation between “making the most of Cornell” and engaging in perpetual social activities has undoubtedly influenced many of our decisions. The novelty of studying with our friends becomes lost in our grades, constant plans interrupt craved spontaneity and activities we want to pursue are much less enjoyable when we feel that we have to pursue them. If you see me at Risley staring at the wall for Wednesday lunches, please sit somewhere else. Any other day, I’m all yours.

Odeya Rosenband is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at odeyarosenband@cornellsun.com. Passionfruit runs alternate Tuesdays this semester.

John Sullivan Baker | Regards to Davy

Visit Your Old High School and Teachers

As we slowly descended the winding road from campus to the shore of Cayuga Lake, whose nighttime calm I hoped would give my friend at least some comfort in her grief, she tightly clutched a high school basketball shirt emblazoned “TARTANS” in block print. Though she’d confessed she used to feel embarrassed wearing the shirt around campus, she resolved to don it proudly the next day; what once had seemed like a distant tragedy had suddenly forced its way into her life.

My friend had just learned that a 13-year-old member of her K-12 school’s girl’s basketball team,

My friend had just learned that a 13-year-old member of her K-12 school’s girl’s basketball team had lost her life in the helicopter crash that had also claimed the life of Kobe Bryant.

which she had once captained, had lost her life in the helicopter crash that had also claimed the life of Kobe Bryant and seven other people. My friend had never met the girl who passed, but she felt the loss deeply. The community was small, and my friend saw herself in the student who passed away. Sure, my friend joked, she hadn’t been good enough to fly around with Kobe, but she had shared a court, she’d shared a coach, and she’d shared a will to to sacrifice for the team she loved.

At first, I struggled with what to say to her. I’m great at putting my foot in my mouth, even when the stakes are low, and I knew that I could worsen my friend’s grief if I said something stupid. But as she described her school and its closely-knit basketball community, I realized that I did know how to respond.

Her institution sounded a lot like mine, which had also recently suffered a tragic loss.

A few days earlier, Colleen Sieberg, a beloved music teacher who had been a fixture of my K-12 school for 40 years, passed away suddenly — leaving a gaping hole in the fabric of the community. She was demanding,

especially for a music teacher, and I vividly remember my frustration when she’d chastise me for talking in class, messing with instruments when I wasn’t supposed to or generally causing trouble. But she had mastered the art of keeping elementary school children in line, and my family — especially my grandfather who seemed to think she was a wizard — was consistently wowed by her ability to turn a group of rowdy brats into a cohesive chorus or orchestra that actually sounded pretty good.

But after sixth grade, the last year that I took a class from her, the sternness of her classroom persona faded, leaving only her warmth and kindness. In the years since, she never failed to greet me with a smile. She always expressed a genuine interest in my life, and she was one of the few teachers you could joke with — she especially enjoyed needling me for the lackadaisical attitude I used to have toward her class.

leged middle or upper-middle class community.

Our twin losses of 2020 shattered this illusion and led me to realize I’ve taken the school that shaped me for granted. While I remain close with my best high school friends, whose siblings still attend with

Next time you’re visiting home, stop into your high school, especially if you haven’t been back.

Your school certainly had a Mrs. Sieberg: a teacher who was both a symbol of the school and an embodiment of its ideals. These figures, as Mrs. Sieberg did, probably seem like they’ll always remain in their classrooms, waiting for you to drop back in on some college

These figures, as Mrs. Sieberg did, probably seem like they’ll always remain in their classrooms, waiting for you to drop back in on some college break. Our twin losses of 2020 shattered this illusion.

break. And the younger kids following in your footsteps seem like they’ll follow an unbroken trajectory similar to yours — especially if you, as I do, hail from a privi-

Matthew David Press | Guest Room

my younger brother, I haven’t gone out of my way to reconnect with the community. I’ve only stopped by occasionally, pushing aside the reality that the teachers who prepared me to succeed at Cornell and in the wider world won’t be around for a drop in visit forever.

I’ve resolved to do better, and so should you. Next time you’re visiting home, stop into your high school, especially if you haven’t been back in a while. Reconnect with your old teachers and let them know all you’ve accomplished with the foundation they helped you build. Show up to one of your former team’s games. Cheer harder than you used to.

And follow my friend’s example. She showed how a community member should help her community pull together after a shocking loss. She supported other former teammates as they sought comfort amid their grief, she posted a message of empathy with the basketball community and the deceased girl’s family and she wore her school colors proudly. She understood that these simple acts were all she could offer, even though she knew they weren’t extraordinary. But there’s no doubt that they meant a great deal to everyone else who was struggling with the loss of her teammate. My friend felt their pain, she cared deeply for them and she stood with them.

In Defense of Railfanning

For most individuals, trains are just part of the landscape. But for this special group, trains are a major attraction. These people are known as railfans. A railfan is defined as a person who has a deep interest in anything relating to railroads. You may have seen them standing around the tracks and at the station, listening for the next train. Every railfan is different: Some just photograph and videotape every train they see; others are here for special locomotives; some are highly interested in railroad history and how it’s changed over time; others are more interested in model and virtual railroading. A vast percentage of railfans carry cameras, timetables and radio scanners — the latter notifying railfans of

Even though Ithaca doesn’t contain many trains in the modern era, the Finger Lakes region is rich in railroad history.

the nearest train’s location. The railfan community consists of all ages and backgrounds.

Even though Ithaca doesn’t contain many trains in the modern era, the Finger

Lakes region is rich in railroad history. The earliest railroads in Ithaca were constructed in the early nineteenth century, the first being the Ithaca and Owego Railroad. Other railroads have come and gone with names such as the Cayuga, the Susquehanna and the Cortland Railroad. Now, there is one railroad running through Ithaca, which happens to be the Ithaca Central Railroad. Up until 1976, the line once belonged to the Lehigh Valley Railroad, serving much of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This was also the route of the Black Diamond, eventually forming the Ithaca Central Railroad, which runs from Sayre, Pennsylvania to Ludlowville, New York. There are many other places within 60 miles of Ithaca to view trains. To the south, the old Erie Lackawanna passes through Binghamton, Elmira and Corning. This line now belongs to Norfolk Southern, operating up to 20 trains per day. The Finger Lakes railroad operates through Geneva, Seneca Falls and Auburn, rolling over tracks once owned by the New York Central, Pennsylvania and Lehigh Valley Railroads. Alongside the Finger Lakes Railroad is the former New York Central Water Route; this is one of the busiest lines in Central New York, passing through Buffalo, Rochester,

Syracuse, Utica and Albany. The Water Level Route was passed onto Conrail and now belongs to CSX; the line sees up to 60 trains a day including 8 Amtrak trains, such as the Empire Service, the Maple Leaf and the Lake Shore Limited. To the east, the New York, Susquehanna and Western operate from Syracuse and Binghamton and downward to New Jersey.

There are some tourist railroads around Ithaca, but most are over 80 miles from the city. A few tourist rails of note include the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, the Arcade and Attica Railroad, the Catskill Mountain Railroad and the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad. These train rides pass through magnificent scenery and can be enjoyed by all age groups.

In today’s world, high speed railways are being built at rapid pace throughout Europe and Asia. Further, high-speed rail is being constructed in the United States. By engaging the public on the importance

One railfan group within Ithaca is the Cornell Railroad Historical Society, a chapter of the National Society.

of railroads and raising the next generation of railfans, perhaps passenger rail can be restored to its former glory and even come back to Ithaca.

Railroads have remained central to United States cultural and economics for almost 200 years. Many are fascinated by tales of train robberies in the Old West, have heard stories of traveling the country by rail, and there are countless songs praising the railroads; trains have remained part of the American psyche. The connection between the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific in Promontory, Utah, the formation of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, is a pivotal moment in American history.

There are many ways to get involved in railfanning in Ithaca and Central New York. One railfan group within Ithaca is the Cornell Railroad Historical Society which is a chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society. The organization holds meetings every second Tuesday of the month at The History Center in Tompkins County from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in addition to hosting special events such as auctions and field trips.

Matthew David Press is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Comments may be sent to opinion@cornellsun.com.

Fill in the empty cells, one number in each, so that each column, row, and region contains the numbers 1-9 exactly once. Each number in the solution therefore occurs only once in each of the three “directions,” hence the “single numbers” implied by the puzzle’s name. (Rules from wikipedia.org/wiki/ Sudoku)

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Gymnastics Team Falls to Ivy Rival Quakers at Home

A disheartening 4.45 points makes negative diference in Red’s fnal score

By ZORA HAHN Sun Staff Writer

Last weekend, the Red beat out four opponents in New Haven, Conn. — so its loss to the University of Pennsylvania at home hit hard.

The Ivy rival traveled to Ithaca on Sunday to battle it out in Newman Arena at Bartels Hall.

Cornell earned only 187.95 points compared to Penn’s whopping 192.4 points.

Despite the team loss, the Red saw some success with the individual events.

Freshman Amy Krueger snatched the individual title on vault for the Red, with a 9.5 final score.

Hall commented on the successes of the entire team at the Red’s Penn faceoff, and their ability to seamlessly rack up scores.

“In practice, they really focus on the small details,” Hall said. “Once you have the tumbling down, the little things can be picked apart by the judges.”

The team has struggled to maintain a consistent lineup this past season — injuries and illnesses have plagued the team’s more consistent players.

Hall mentioned that, due to the nature of the sport, something as minor as a toe injury can wipe out a player for an entire meet or even longer.

“They really focus on the small details ... the little things can be picked appart by the judges.”

Senior Samantha Henry scored a 9.8 on floor, sharing the first place title with the Quaker’s Sydney Kraez.

Melanie Hall

Junior Madison Smith earned another shared first place title on beam with Penn’s McCaleigh Marr.

Senior Evelyn Patient achieved a personal record on the uneven bars, ending with a score of 9.775.

“[I] practice every day like it’s a meet,” Henry said, about her success. “I have a mindset like I’m in a competition.”

Associate head coach Melanie

“We’re making sure people are ready to go in, because we can never expect an injury or illness,” Hall said. Although Penn was a hard rival to beat, the women’s gymnastics team is looking forward to improving for their next competition against Kent State University on Friday, in Kent, Ohio. The team has only three days of practice before they face the Golden Flashes.

Following this away meet will be the long-awaited dual-meet with Cornell wrestling on Feb. 16.

Zora Hahn can be reached at zhahn@cornellsun.com.

MEN’S TENNIS

McAllister serves up two sweet 6-0 sets against Colgate

At Home, Red Conquers Two Opponents, Taking 3rd Win

By FAITH FISHER Sun Staff Writer

The decade is off to a promising start for Cornell’s men’s tennis team. The Red’s season-opening record remains unblemished after a pair of 7-0 wins this weekend.

A double-header on Sunday tested the endurance of the Red (3-0), but the team overcame the early-season challenge. The team emerged as victors against Michigan State (3-3) and Colgate (1-1) to extend its

The match opened up with a closely-contested doubles series. A swift win by junior Pietro Rimondini and junior Evan Bynoe at No. 3 doubles gave the Red some

tition in straight sets.

The Red carried the winning momentum into its second match of the day. Even with some modifications to its lineup, the team dominated the Colgate Raiders by a landslide 7-0 tally.

The formidable doubles pairings — Vasa and Soyfer, Bynoe and sophomore Konstantin Kirovski as well as senior Joseph McAllister and junior Denton Ho — easily vanquished their competition. Following three straight wins, the Red headed into the singles series with a 1-0 advantage.

Bynoe took the lead at the No. 1 singles spot, where he battled for a 3-6, 6-1 and 10-2 win. Soyfer moved to the No. 2 singles spot, beating his Colgate competitor in straight sets. Making his second season appearance, McAllister delivered another victory for the Red, scoring 6-0 in both sets.

“There were moments where we were sharp, but there is also plenty of improvement to be made.”

respective matches. Both pairs eked out the 7-6 victories to clinch the doubles point, giving the

“There is no doubt about the importance of the doubles point,” said head coach Silviu Tanasoiu. “The execution in doubles is something we need to devote a lot of time, effort and focus to in the next few days leading up to our next matches. We need to be as sharp as possible and consistent as possible.”

Despite a nail-biting doubles round, the Red handily swept the competition in the singles bout. Vasa, Ayeni, Kazakov, Soyfer and Rimondini each beat their compe-

With a wide scoring gap already established in the Red’s favor, Kirovski, Ho and senior Rohan Sikka added three more wins to the scoreboard. These players dominated their opponents in straight sets — a very impressive season debut for each of them.

“One of the things that we have been working on in practice and one of the things we wanted to see applied in the matches was being sharp with our execution,” Tanasoiu said. “I definitely believe that there were moments where we were sharp, but I think there is also plenty of improvement to be made.”

Cornell has a tough schedule ahead as they welcome Michigan on Friday at 6 p.m. to the Reis Tennis Center. The match will be a true test of skill and grit, as the No. 17 Wolverines pose an imminent threat to the Red’s flawless record.

“We have one of the toughest schedules we have ever had.” Tanasoiu said. “But we have an incredible group of guys who are capable of doing some great things this season. We have a chance to do some great things and compete with some of the best teams in the nation.”

fsher@cornellsun.com.

Two Road Losses for Men’s Basketball Spell Disappointment

Aggressive Ivy opponents, Brown and Yale, crush Cornell in double-digit defeats

By BENNETT GROSS Sun Staff Writer

Just one week after evening up its Ivy League record at .500, the Red lost two consecutive road games. The Brown Bears defeated Cornell 74-63 and the Yale Bulldogs beat the Red 86-71.

Forwards senior Josh Warren and junior Jimmy Boeheim led in scoring for Cornell across both games — Warren finished with 17 points against Brown and 14 points at Yale, while Boeheim ended with 12 against the Bears and 17 in New Haven.

When facing Brown, Cornell had the

“Even though we shot well, they have a lot of experience and talent, which is hard for us to overcome.”

Head Coach Brian Earl

lead early in the first half, but the home team went on a 32-10 run to come away with its first Ivy League victory of the season. Junior guard Bryan Knapp has consistently stepped up to defend the Red, and his performance Friday night was no excep-

tion. Knapp held Brown’s leading scorer senior guard Brandon Anderson —who happens to be the second highest scorer in the league — to just seven points on a 1-16 shooting.

Despite Knapp’s success in fending off Anderson, the Bears still shot 44 percent from the field. Brown’s senior guard Zach Hunsaker led both teams with 20 points — he was aided by sophomore forward Jaylan Gainey, who had 12 points and eight rebounds, shooting a perfect 6-6 from the field.

While the shooting numbers for both teams were nearly even, Brown had a decisive edge on the glass and in free throw attempts. The Bears outrebounded the Red 40-30, 14 of which were offensive boards. Additionally, Brown shot 20 more free throws than Cornell.

“We played a pretty good game, we just needed to make a couple more shots and a few less mistakes, but they are a very good team and it is always a tough place to play, so I was pretty happy with our effort,” said head coach Brian Earl.

Unfortunately, during the next night in New Haven, the Red suffered another double-digit Ivy League loss. The Bulldogs were led by the junior duo of guard Azar Swain and forward Paul Atkinson. Swain made six three pointers and finished with a gamehigh 25 points. Atkinson ended with 24 points and 11 rebounds on 10-15 shooting.

“Yale is a really, really good team, ” Earl said. “They do not have a lot of holes, and even though we shot the ball very well, they have a lot of experience and talent, which was hard for us to overcome. We hung tough with them for much of the game, and we competed hard, but they are just a very high level team.”

For a second consecutive game, a conference foe heavily outrebounded the Red. The Bulldogs hauled in 37 boards compared to just 21 rebounds for Cornell.

The silver lining from the loss to unbeaten Ivy rival Yale, was the overall improved three-point shooting for the team — as the Red went 13-27 from deep. Sophomore guard Dean Noll also provided a spark off the bench with 13 points and four assists.

The winless weekend dropped Cornell to a tie for sixth place in the league. Although the Red still has 10 conference games to move up the ranks, only the top four teams will qualify for the Ivy League tournament — which will be held during the weekend of March 13 and 14 at Harvard.

Last season, Cornell was swept by Princeton and split in two matchups with Penn. The Red will look to get back to .500 in league play when it hosts the Tigers and the Quakers this weekend.

Bennett Gross can be reached at bgross@cornellsun.com.