INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun 8 Pages – Free
Vol. 139 No. 46
TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2023 n ITHACA, NEW YORK
News
Arts
Sports
Weather
Figure Skating Finals
"Atomic Heart"
Wrestling Winners
Partly Cloudy
The Cornell University Figure Skating Club has qualified for the National Intercollegiate Final next month. | Page 3
Brian Lu '23 reviews "Atomic Heart," a brilliant yet unpolished game set in the midst of the Cold War. | Page 5
Yianni Diakomihalis '23 and Vito Arujau '24 brought home titles in their respective weight classes. | Page 8
HIGH: 54º LOW: 31º
Legal Cannabis for Cornellians Tompkins Detox By DUNIA MATTA Sun Contributor
It was a day of celebration for William Durham, his team and many Ithacans as William Jane, Ithaca’s first marijuana dispensary, opened at 119 E. State St. on March 16. It is the first dispensary in Upstate New York to be licensed and supported by the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund — a New York partnership intended to finance the development of conditional adult-use retail cannabis establishments — and the fifth legal dispensary in the state of New York. It will operate as a pop-up store for about 30 days, after which it will close and reopen once all renovations are completed. Until its opening, Ithacans and Cornellians looking to purchase cannabis had only a few options to choose from, such as sticker shops — unlicensed cannabis retail operations in which customers purchase stickers and are gifted marijuana products upon checkout — or black-market dealers. While many locals previously utilized trusted friends who produced and sold marijuana, all adults aged 21 and older can now buy weed with a guarantee of product safety. Durham, William Jane’s owner, is a Binghamton local entrepreneur and businessman who was previously convicted of marijuana possession at age 23. With the help of the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund, Durham
was awarded his retail cannabis license last year. To be eligible for a Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensaries license, you must be justice involved, have prior qualifying business experience with sole control of the business and have a significant presence in New York State. With its 2021 legalization of cannabis, New York is prioritizing those most affected by the prohibition of marijuana. See CANNABIS page 3
JULIA NAGEL / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Cannabis counter | An employee prepares to serve customers at William Jane, Ithaca's first legal marijuana dispensary.
Junior Stars on "American Idol" Amara Valerio '24 receives a golden ticket to Hollywood By MARIAN CABALLO Sun Assistant News Editor
A viral TikTok video and powerful voice landed Amara Valerio ’24 in front of Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on the “American Idol” stage, where she left with a reaffirmed passion for music and a golden ticket to Hollywood. Valerio, an American studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences, was selected to perform "The Star Spangled Banner" at her high school graduation when she was only a junior. The event went awry when a senior forcibly took the
microphone from Valerio and sang the national anthem instead. In July 2022, Valerio shared a video of the incident on TikTok, which led to over 10.1 million views and an Instagram message from an “American Idol” producer encouraging her to audition for the show. “I posted the video mostly as a joke,” said Valerio, who occasionally shares singing videos on social media. “Singing is a huge passion of mine, so it was surreal getting asked to audition. I was equal parts shocked and excited.” Valerio, from Yonkers, New York, used to watch “American Idol” as a child and had even auditioned for the
COURTESY OF AMARA VALERIO '24
Golden ticket | Amara Valerio '24 receives a golden ticket after her Las Vegas audition, securing her spot in the upcoming Hollywood rounds.
show back in 2020. After a successful online audition for the show last summer, Valerio was flown out to Las Vegas in the fall and performed “Bust Your Windows” by Jasmine Sullivan for the celebrity judges. Receiving a “yes” from all three judges, Valerio will soon compete against other golden-ticket recipients in the Hollywood rounds. “Before I walked in the room, I was really, really nervous. But once I walked in, I realized that this is such an amazing opportunity, no matter what the outcome is,” Valerio said. “I get to do something I love in front of three icons. This is something I’ve dreamt about since I was a little girl, and something I’ve worked towards for such a long time.” Valerio, who grew up listening to rhythm and blues and soul artists, said she chose to sing “Bust Your Windows” because of the song’s attitude and confidence. When the audition aired last Sunday, Valerio’s family, friends and hometown neighbors gathered to support her performance. “My mom was going crazy,” Valerio said. “Even though I’m not [back home], everyone that lived on my block hosted a watch party at the bar from where I live.” To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Marian Caballo can be reached at mcaballo@cornellsun.com.
Center Prepares To Serve County By ELIZABETH GARDNER Sun Contributor
Editor’s Note: This article contains a discussion of substance abuse. The Alcohol and Drug Council of Tompkins County is preparing to open a new open access, detox and stabilization center in Tompkins County this April, intending to help people with substance abuse issues. “When we open it will have three levels of care: open access, medically supervised withdrawal and stabilization,” said Angela Sullivan, executive director of the ADCTC. The open access unit is used for critical cases and is nonresidential. Sullivan explained that patients can walk into the open access facility at any time and receive information, medication assisted treatment, assessment for substance abuse disorders and other forms of care. The patient can then go into detox, if needed, or a stabilization period. Detox aims to remove alcohol and drugs from the body, which can be done via medically supervised withdrawal. The stabilization period prepares the patient to be discharged and varies based on the individual.
“I've toured it and [it is] going to be an amazing program. It's been something that's so needed.” Brad Walworth “If they’re assessed and what they want is detox, they can go upstairs and be in one of our 40 beds. We have 40 beds that are shared between detox and stabilization,” Sullivan said. “If they come in and they are sick or injured, they could actually get physical healthcare as well as medically supervised withdrawal services.” After patients are stabilized, which would typically take three to five days according to Sullivan, they can enter a stabilization period in the center before they are ready to be discharged into another program, facility or back into the community. “We expect [the stabilization period] to probably be mostly about two weeks, but there are stays as long as 45 days,” Sullivan said. The addition of the open access, detox and stabilization center is critical since it offers services not yet available in Tompkins County. “The open access, detox and stabilization center is filling a huge gap in the continuum of care here in Tompkins County.” Sullivan said. According to Brad Walworth, communications manager at Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services, the new detox center will provide a level of care not yet available to residents. “I've toured it and [it is] going to be an amazing program. It's been something that's so needed,” Walworth said. “Traditionally, unfortunately, in Tompkins County, people that need those services would have to go out of [the] county.” To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Elizabeth Gardner can be reached at eag239@cornell.edu.