INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun 8 Pages – Free
Vol. 139, No. 47
THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023 n ITHACA, NEW YORK
News
Dining
Science
Weather
Congressmen Confer
Boba Bonanza
Examining Exoplanets
Rainy
Former representatives Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Max Rose (D-N.Y.) discussed centrism at a Tuesday panel. | Page 3
Stacey Roy '25 reviews four bubble tea classics at Toni Morrison Hall's Crossings Café.
In a new study, Cornell astronomers explore the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres. | Page 8
| Page 5
HIGH: 59º LOW: 40º
B.J. Novak Shares Stories, Reflects on Comedy Career
The producer, writer and star of "The Office" visited campus on Sunday for a live Q&A in Barton Hall tickets until the show began. “I had an awesome time working as a volunteer. It was exciting to see so many different student organizations come together to work on the show, and satisfying to watch so many people’s hard work come to fruition,” Baker said. “As for B.J. Novak himself, he was hilarious and put on a great show. It was overall a very positive experience.” Throughout the event, Novak rewatched clips from one of the “The Office” episodes that he wrote — such as “The Fire” — and spoke about his experience on the show. He recalled memories of working with the cast and reflected on how his writing process has developed since the show aired. Although Novak is a widely-known actor, student organizers worried that the event would struggle to attract enough students to fill Barton Hall’s seats. Miriam Canter ’24, CUPB executive chair, commented on the difficulties of achieving a significant turnout to campus events. “There’s an attention economy at Cornell,” Canter said. “There are so many people who are so busy doing their own thing and so much activity on this campus that often our biggest hurdle is just getting people to know about the event.” To help spread the word and get more campus involvement, CUPB often partners with other clubs to co-sponsor the events.
By ISABELA PEREZ Sun Staff Writer
Over 1,300 Cornellians gathered in Barton Hall on Sunday for “An Evening with B.J. Novak,” a live, student-run event with the actor. Novak, who is best known for producing, writing and starring in “The Office,” visited Cornell to discuss his career, past projects and experiences as a Jewish-American working in the entertainment industry. The night consisted of a 30-minute moderated question and answer session led by senior lecturer Elliot Shapiro, who teaches Jewish Studies 2790: Jewish Films and Filmmakers: Hollywood and Beyond, followed by another half-hour of questions from the audience. Student volunteers from the show’s co-sponsors — Cornell University Programming Board and Cornell Hillel — helped coordinate and facilitate both portions of the event. CUPB is a student-run organization that brings speakers, comedians, athletes and other public figures to campus. As their biggest of the year, Novak’s event required months of planning, including hiring an outside professional production company to build a temporary stage. CUPB also gathered 40 student volunteers to check tickets, usher LENOX CAO/ SUN STAFF in audience members and work security detail. PHOTOGRAPHER Natalie Baker ’25, one of the student volunteers who worked the event, has been a member of CUPB since September. She Office aficionado | B.J. Novak tells stories of was stationed at the front door on Sunday and checked attendees’ writing and starring in "The Office" in Barton Hall.
To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Isabela Perez can be reached at iperez@cornellsun.com.
First Woman Census Director Bryant '47 Remembered as Pioneer By AIMÉE EICHER Sun Assistant Managing Editor
Barbara Everitt Bryant ’47 fulfilled many roles throughout her lifetime — Cornell student, mother, friend and, notably, first woman director of the United States Census Bureau. Following her passing on March 3 at age 96, Bryant’s former colleagues and friends shared praises and stories of her accomplishments. “I am sad to share the news of the passing of Barbara Everitt Bryant, former director of the U.S. Census Bureau and the first
woman to hold that office, at age 96,” wrote current Census Director Robert Santos in a blog post on March 3. “Dr. Bryant was a trailblazer and a champion of quality survey methods.” Bryant is survived by her three children, as well as her eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Bryant was born on April 5, 1926 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She went on to study physics at Cornell — the same school her parents, 1920 graduate William L. Everitt and 1923 graduate Dorothy Wallace, also attended — with hopes of becoming a science writer.
After earning her B.A., she served as an editor for McGraw Hill’s “Chemical Engineering” magazine in 1947 before becoming a science journalist for the University of Illinois in 1948. In 1949, Bryant decided to leave the workforce. She started a family with her husband, John H. Bryant, with whom she remained married for 48 years. To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Aimée Eicher can be reached at aeicher@cornellsun.com.
COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
Remembering Bryant | Barbara Bryant '47, the first woman to direct the U.S. Census Bureau, testifies before a House panel in 1990. She was praised by colleagues following her passing on March 3.
COURTESEY OF SENECA 7 / MAP DATA ©GOOGLE 2023
Runners Gear Up for Seneca 7 Relay Race
By JIWOOK JUNG and ANNINA BRADLEY
Sun City Editor and Sun Contributor
The number “seven” has been a constant for Seneca 7, an annual distance relay race. On April 23, over 300 teams of seven runners will convene at 7 a.m. in downtown Geneva, New York to run a 77.7 mile race looping around Seneca Lake. At the start line, some teams will don unique costumes — dressed as matching chickens or Dr. Seuss characters — while others will sport the Cornell Running Club racing jersey. “We usually get somewhere between 2,000 to 2,500 people,” said Jackie Augustine, one of the two co-founders of Seneca 7 race, Geneva city councilor for 16 years and former instructor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. “This year we’ll have about 2,300 racers, making for about 330 teams.”
Along with co-founder Jeff Henderson, Augustine originally began working with Hobart and William Smith College students in 2011 to establish the race, aiming to grow Geneva’s tourism. Her initiative to showcase Seneca Lake’s beauty and fuel local economic growth has mushroomed since then. This fall, the race registration, with an entry fee of $577.77 per team, sold out on its first day. “[We wanted] to put together some kind of event that would merge those interests between community, economic development and sustainable race practices,” Augustine said. Besides making for a picturesque race course, Seneca Lake is the main drinking water source for the immediate region surrounding Geneva, according to Augustine. See SENECA 7 page 4