4-22-19 full issue hi res

The Corenll Daily Sun

161

Cornell is a big place. Tere’s a lot to do. Sometimes too much to do. Here’s a list of 161 things that every Cornellian — or at least every Sun editor — is not looking forward to this week. It was compiled as we reached our last bout of creativity this semester.

1. Listening to another kid in lecture say, “Given our current political climate . . . ”

2. Listening to another professor say, “Given our current political climate . . . ”

3. Finding out your crush is “socially liberal but fscally conservative”

4. Telling your mom you can't talk because you’re in the library when really you just don’t want to tell her you’re no longer pre-med

5. Picking up a copy of Te Sun to clean up your spill

6. Try to pre-enroll, run into two-step login, decide you'll just enroll in classes in the fall

7. Downgrading from a Trillium burrito to a Libe hummus package because you have no BRBs

8. Avoiding Temple of Zeus because your outft is not on-brand enough

9. Telling your friend to meet you in Olin basement — but this time will be diferent because you actually have to be productive

10. Texting your friend that you’re too busy to grab lunch but really you skipped your morning lectures and are still in bed

11. Asking a professor for an extension, citing a “very busy week”

12. Yet another Foucault reading

Te Sun to Host Town Hall With Cornellians; Students Don’t Really Give a Shit

2

13. Yet another Descartes reading

14. Yet another Defoe reading

15. Trying to gauge whether the TCAT driver this morning is in a smileand-say-good-morning mood or a just-move-to-the-back mood

16. Dropping money on iced cofee when all you needed was water

17. Buying cofee out of boredom

18. Being sweaty at all times even though you engaged in no physical activity

19. Going to the library to scroll through Instagram, then Facebook, then Instagram again

20. Marking yourself as “Interested” in an event on Facebook

21. Actually going to the event when you want to delay work, saying that you need to take advantage of everything Cornell has to ofer

22. Finding an old, mushy banana leaking through your backpack

23. Pretending you're asleep when you hear your roomie come in because you're too drained for small talk

24. Professors virtue-signalling at 8 a.m.

25. Professors virtue-signalling at 7:30 p.m.

26. Professors virtue-signalling

27. Getting hit in the face with a frisbee while walking through the Arts Quad and trying to keep yourself

Cornell Democrats Endorse Goldfsh; Cornell Republicans Prefer Cheez-Its

from asking the person how they have free time

28. Listening to amateur cyclists fght for breath as they struggle up the slightest hill

29. Cars rolling at stop signs but still waving for you to walk

30. Typing the URL to Blackboard and then wondering why you needed to go on Blackboard

31. Going through the major requirements for a feld you've never considered because you're feeling spontaneous

32. Wondering how you can attain as much peace in life as the person hammocking on the Arts Quad

33. Going on an online shopping spree afer your prelim because you “deserve it” afer a whole 10 minutes of studying

34. Listening to someone complain about climbing the slope even though they’ve lived on West Campus all year

35. Seeing your professor at Wegmans in a tank top and making awkward eye contact

36. Wondering why you still maintain Snapchat streaks to pretend you have an active social life

37. Te editors of this edition exhausted the last bout of their creativity here

Pollack on Why She Didn’t Send CNN Op-Ed to Te Sun: “I Wanted a Bigger Audience”

Traces of CBD Found in Okenshields Pad Tai; Explains Why Happy Dave So Happy

The Corne¬ Mostly Daily Sun

TBH Just Trying Our Best but Aware of Our Shortcomings Since 1880

The Sun endorses the 137th Editorial Board For ANU “AAL IZZ WELL” SUBRAMANIAM ’20

Unmatched rapid text message response rate

DAHLIA “BUDGET UPDATE” WILSON ’19

Being the Least Incompetent

PARIS “BIG HOOPS, ZEUS SOUP” GHAZI ’21

Diplomatic Rejection Email Writing

NATALIE “FIXED THE BUG” FUNG ’20

Funnest Fung on Te Sun

SABRINA “FRISBRO” XIE ’21

Best Bootlicker

NOAH “CROCS” HARRELSON ’21

Orangest Beanie

SHRIYA “SCIENCE” PERATI ’21

Te Relevant Science Stories

KATIE “5 ON THE AP VINE EXAM”

ZHANG ’21

Edgiest Memelord

AMINA “NOT HERE 4 UR SHIZ”

KILPATRICK ’21

For Being Herself — Always

JOHNATHAN “UNIONS RULE” STIMPSON ’21

Best Token ILRie

PETER “SHOULD I PIERCE MY NOSE?”

BUONANNO ’21

Giving Up his Spotify Account to Te Sun

ANYI “2KOOL4SKOOL” CHENG ’21

Saving the Bees

HUNTER “COME TO MY FRAT” SEITZ ’20

Being the #1 Louie’s Lunch Truck Fan

CHRISTINA “RED SOX” BULKELEY ’21

Believing in the Red Sox

JING “JJ” JIANG ’21

Te Chaotic Neutral on the Scale of Boris to Ben

JEREMY “HI GUYS!” MARKUS ’22

Spicy, Sometimes Not Good, Ideas

ALICIA “#GRAPHICS” WANG ’21

Being Friends With Us

DANA “PRODO LORD” CHAN ’21

Literally Making this Paper Happen

RYAN “WISH U KNEW ME BETTER”

RICHARDSON ’21

Bringing Te Sun into the 21st Century

ALISHA “I HAVE SUPERIOR WATER”

GUPTA ’20

Her Superior Kansas Water

SHRUTI “BUZZFEED QUIZ” JUNEJA ’20

Her relatability

AMOL “MORE BUSINESS” RAJESH ’20

Million Dollar Smile and Unrivaled Charisma

SARAH “IN-CLASS MEMER” SKINNER ’21

Being a Full-Time Sunnie Before Anything Else

MEREDITH “IS THIS A STORY?” LIU ’20

Her Marvel

RAPHY “MINNESOTA” GENDLER ’21

Least Athletic Athletics Reporter

BORIS “BROS” TSANG ’21

Sharpest Jawline

AMBER “ORGO MEMES” KRISCH ’21

Her Captivating Storytelling

SOPHIE “ALSO SCIENCE” REYNOLDS ’20

Te Relevant Science Stories

AMANDA “SUSTAINABILITY” H. CRONIN ’21

Saving the Planet

MARYAM “ONE HEADPHONE IN” ZAFAR ’21

All the Stories

ETHAN “MANY WORDS, ALL SMART” WU ’21

Shaking Up Te Sun’s Hierarchy

SHIVANI “YEAH I MINOR IN THAT” SANGHANI ’20

Making Your Day by Just Being

NICOLE “FUN IN THE SUN” ZHU ’21

Stellar Party Planning and Her Cute Plaid Shirt Paris Hasn’t Given Back Yet

MILES “NO PANIC EVER” HENSHAW ’20

Impressive Ability to Always Stay Cool

BEN “BEN PARKER ’22” PARKER ’22

Ben Parker

DANIEL “SK8R BOI” MORAN ’21

His Incredible Patience When Paris Takes Forever to Give Him Back His Pages

LEI LEI “LET’S GET BOBA” WU ’21

Helping All of Us Trough Our Design Incompetencies

EMMA “LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION” WANG ’20 A Beautiful Instagram

LEANN “SEND BLURBS” McDOWALL ’21

Saving our Lives

GIRISHA “CAMPUS MOM” ARORA ’20

We don’t endorse Girisha because she abondoned us for London this semester

BREANNE “SHEER KINDNESS” FLEER ’20

Sheer Kindness

KATIE “AG SCHOOL” SIMS ’20

Being the Most Lovable Person in the Ag School

Today’s pages are brought to you by:

Emotional Support Ghost of Kurt Vonnegut ’44 (He, like, never graduated??)

Reminding us of The Sun’s Ghost of Kurt Vonnegut ’44 legacy so we don t Mess Up Ghost of the dude who wrote Charlotte’s Web ’21

Playlist Angsty mid-2000s teenager Compensation Haha we don’t get paid Cornell “Any Person, Any Study” Adult Supervision Schroeder Night Desker Olivia Weinberg ’22

Editorials

Te Sun Endorses Your Decision to Find A Personality Trait Tat Is Not Taking Organic Chemistry

YOU HAVE A PRELIM ON THURSDAY— but so do students in 11 other courses offered this semester. Organic chemistry is an inherently complex subject and we understand the stress brought on by such an exam so connected with your medical school acceptance. But if all you can talk about is reaction mechanisms, the color of the pens you use for your orgo notes and what Prof. Tom Ruttledge, chemistry, decided to wear to lecture last Friday, then you need more interesting friends. Or another class to devote time to. Or a hobby. Best of luck.

Te Sun Endorses Your Decision to Find A Personality Trait that Is Not Complaining About Ithaca’s Weather

YOU KNEW FULL WELL THAT ITHACA IS COLD when you decided to attend Cornell. You’re not shocked that it’s raining, and neither are we. Next conversation.

Te Sun Endorses

Your Decision to Find

A Personality Trait that Is Not Drinking Cofee, Liking Dogs and Watching Te Ofce

YEAH, WE SAW YOUR TINDER BIO. It’s trash. As editors of this paper, we also avidly caffeinate, quote the hit NBC sitcom (that tossed The Sun a shoutout once!) and partake in canine love. We also understand that relatability is a way into people’s hearts. But how are our cold souls supposed to let you in if you like the same three things as everyone else at this school. Be better.

Letter to the Editor

Why won’t someone just repair me?

To the Editor:

As a water fountain in Klarman Hall, which is arguably the center of daily social life among Cornellians, I just don’t understand why no one will fix me. I’ve been out of service for as long as any bathroom-goer in Klarman can remember. I hear all this talk from College of Arts & Sciences people about how our University has a $7.2 billion endowment, so is this school trying to tell me that it takes more than that to repair a poor but practical guy like me? And sure, the fountain next to me works just fine, but why should students and faculty over the height of five feet break their backs while hunching for hydration. Cornellians deserve better. I deserve better. Repair me, please.

Letter to the Editor

If you love me, treat me better

To the Editor:

I have been the victim of a concerted effort by Cornellians far and wide to devalue and denigrate my right and proper contributions to campus climate and culture. Though I have been bred since my genesis to do nothing less than titillate taste buds with my warm, buttery goodness, I am too often left strewn on the floor, tossed half-full into the trash or forgotten altogether on a table. I know you love me. I know you care. But if you want me always by your side and in your mouth, you need to treat me better. Don’t pick me up if you don’t actually want to eat me; leave me for someone who will actually appreciate my subtle notes and satisfying crunch. And for God’s sake, don’t ask for savory and sweet seasonings on me simultaneously. That’s just disgusting. The tens of thousands you cough up in tuition money is more than worth my ever-reliable presence. So start acting like it. Otherwise, you’ll be finding out real soon what it’s like to go into Willard Straight and actually have to spend money for a snack. Remember, you’re replaceable. I’m not.

Willard Straight Hall Popcorn

Letter to the Editor

Te Sun’s joke edition is clearly plagarizing us

To the Editor:

The Sun has long been envious of CU Nooz’s unrivaled campus presence and red-hot social media performance. People like humor, and The Sun just sometimes sucks at that. We get why you’re jealous. But obviously plagiarizing our business model with this totally transparent “joke edition,” Cornell Sun? Even amid this struggling age of journalism, you’ve stooped to a new low. Since you’ve been independent since 1880, we can’t really do much to stop you. All we can do is recommit to providing the top-notch journalistic excellence that has propelled CU Nooz to a lofty 3,830 likes on Facebook. You can’t, and won’t, stop our ascent, Daily Sun. Watch your back and try again.

CU Nooz External Affairs Team

SEX ON JUST ANOTHER MONDAY:

DEAR READER,

WITH THE END OF THE YEAR UPON US, WE’D LIKE TO EMPATHIZE WITH YOUR ROMANTIC DISAPPOINTMENT: YOU HAVE LESS THAN A MONTH LEFT IN THE SCHOOL YEAR TO FIND LOVE. AS YOU SEARCH FOR SOMEONE TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR EMOTIONAL NEEDS IN YOUR LAST DISCUSSION SECTIONS OF THE SEMESTER AND BEYOND, WE HOPE YOU KNOW THAT YOUR NEW INFATUATION WITH THE FLY ON THE WALL WHO SITS IN THE BACK OF YOUR LECTURE IS NOT IN FACT A POTENTIAL FOR LOVE. IT IS YOUR OWN EXHAUSTION WITH YOUR ROUTINE CORNELL LIFE OF DEADLINES AND EXPECTATIONS. SUMMER WILL BE HERE SHORTLY, GIVING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIND A FUN, ADVENTUROUS FLING AT YOUR NYC INTERNSHIP. BUT YOU WON’T BE FINDING LOVE AT A SLOPE DAY DARTY. IN THESE NEXT FEW WEEKS, HAVE FUN, BE SAFE AND REMEMBER: IT’S NOT A CRUSH, IT’S BOREDOM. LOVE,

YOUR EDITORS WHO ARE JUST AS LONELY AS YOU ARE

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

The New Odyssey Te College of Arts and Sciences will host a day-long reading of a new translation of Homer's Odyssey.

Cornellians Stunned By Sri Lanka Easter Church Bombings

By ALEC GIUFURTA Sun Staff Writer

Bombings roiled Sri Lanka early Sunday morning, leaving a wake of casualty and eliciting feelings of shock, fear and confusion from people around the world and Cornellians alike.

The bombings began around 8:45 a.m. IST, first hitting St. Anthony’s Shrine in the capital city of Colombo where many were celebrating Easter Sunday, The New York Times reported. The attacks continued over the next few hours, striking two other Roman Catholic churches in Negombo and Batticaloa, and four luxury hotels in the capitol.

As of late Sunday, at least 290 had been confirmed dead and 500 others injured by eight attacks, Al Jazeera reported.

While Sri Lanka’s civil war subsided nearly ten years ago, Sunday’s attacks revived the still-fresh echoes of violence. Ishini Gammanpila ’22, who is from Colombo, where the first bomb exploded, told The Sun how “since

the day I was born … I’ve known how it feels like to live in fear, anticipating what happens next.”

Cornellians with roots in Sri Lanka described difficulties in reaching loved ones. Piragash Swargaloganathan ’19 was only able to contact his family briefly to confirm

Debate Society Reaches New Peaks

Its most recent win tops its most successful season to date

By JOHNATHAN STIMPSON Sun News Editor

Over six time zones and 18 hours by plane, three teams, comprised of two individuals each, from Cornell Speech and Debate Society’s “worlds” style format travelled to compete in South Africa’s Worlds University Debate Championship — and walked away having done what no Cornell team has done before.

According to team member Jin Mo Koo ’21, as the tournament’s 400 teams from over 90 countries were gradually winnowed down, arguing topics

such as populism and banking regulations, one of Cornell’s three debate pairs managed to survive four elimination rounds to compete in the final rounds — the first time the team had ever done so. The debate pair was tasked with addressing the resolution: “This House believes that the current state of humanity will not be better in 100 years.”

While Cornell’s team ultimately missed out on first place — that honor, instead, went to the University of Sydney — the journey to that Cape Town podium marked a milestone in what Worlds

they were safe.

“The [social media] is cut off...We don’t know anything,” Swargaloganathan told The Sun. The Sri Lankan

See SRI LANKA page 4

For Music Fans, Cornell Hip Hop Heads Ofers Community

By JOHNATHAN STIMPSON Sun News Editor

For many, the standards of hip hop — Kanye, Jay-Z and Eminem — typically serve as the backdrop to overcrowded fraternity parties or long road trips.

But for Manny Nemarko ’19, it was both a passion and a lifestyle that led him to found Cornell Hip Hop Heads two years ago.

“Growing up I’ve always been a big hip hop fan, and a big part of my childhood was discussing hip hop,” Nemarko said. “Like talking about hip hop with my friends in the barber shop.”

As individuals at institutions like Cornell often lack a knowl-

edge of the genre, Nemarko said, he set out on creating an organization that would allow students to both “help people learn more about the genre” and create “an atmosphere that allows people to talk about the music they love.”

The story is much the same for Dalia Mota ’21, the group’s current social media chair, whose decision to join the Hip Hop Heads group was rooted in her upbringing alongside the music style.

“Hip hop always surrounded me ... I grew up in Harlem, so I remember a lot of [it] from my childhood,” Mota said. “I’m very

Daybook

Monday, April 22, 2019

A LISTING OF FREE CAMPUS EVENTS

Today

Concentration Roundtable:

Public and Nonprofit Management

Noon - 1 p.m., 153 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall

Conserving Native Orchids: An Earth Day Conversation Noon - 1:30 p.m., Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center

Big Red Marching Band Cornell Days Performance 3 p.m., Ho Plaza

Cornell Dairy Center of Excellence Seminar Series 4 - 5 p.m., 146 Stocking Hall

Pritchard Lecture Series: “Role of Nutrition in the Regulation of Muscle Growth”

4 - 5 p.m., 100 Savage Hall

Sustainable Snack Bags 5 - 7 p.m., 112 Mann Library

Tomorrow

High Temperature Short Time/Ultra High Temperature Pasteurizer School

8 a.m. - 5 p.m., 148 Stocking Hall

Proteomics Symposium: Protein Analysis Made Simple 9:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., G01 Biotechnology Building

CBE Women Leadership Workshop Noon - 2 p.m., 128 Olin Hall

Seminar – Do Need-Based Transfer Systems Offer a Viable Alternative to Market-Based Systems? 3 - 4:15 p.m., B73 Warren Hall

Asians and Jews: Overrepresented Minorities?

4:30 - 6 p.m., 132 Goldwin Smith Hall

Politics of Nutrition: Industry and Institutions On Knowledge 4:30 - 6:30 p.m., Klarman Hall Auditorium

Sekou Cooke: Hip Hop Architecture 5:15 - 7 p.m., Milstein Hall

COURTESY OF CORNELL

Architecture gives a voice | Sekou Cooke ’99, architectural practitioner and assistant professor at Syracuse University, will speak to how hip-hop influences in architecture give voice to the marginalized and underrepresented.

Cornell

Each year, the Perkins Prize is given to the program or individual that best promotes the mission of increasing diversity and inclusiveness on campus. At an April 17 ceremony attended by nearly 100, this year’s prize went to the Community Learning and Service program, an initiative which aims to pair Cornell staff members looking to advance certain academic or technical skills with student mentors. Honorable mentions were given to two student-run groups, Culture Fest and Coming Out Across Cultures.

Local

Ithaca City

Late last week, Ithaca’s five Common Councilors, who all face reelection this November, reopened discussions into whether Cornell’s contributions to the City’s coffers are still sufficient. As a non-profit, Cornell is exempt from most property taxes — which, if levied, would double the amount Ithaca currently receives. Instead, the University pays the City a little over $1 million a year under a “Memorandum of Understanding,” that will expire in 2024. While Joel Malina, the University’s vice president of public relations, has defended the arrangement, citing the significant economic activity Cornell generates for the area, Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 has called for his alma mater to start paying a greater share.

National

Ukrainian voters elected comedian Volodymyr Zelensky to presidential office on Sunday by 70 percent of votes over current incumbent Petro O. Poroshenko. Zelensky, who has no political experience and is best known for playing an accidental president on Ukranian television show Servant of the People , has pledged to maintain independence from Russian influence and crack down on political corruption, which has dogged the reputation of incumbent and billionaire candy tycoon Poroshenko. In contrast with other outsider politicians quickly rising to power across Europe, Zelensky has stayed away from populist platforms against immigrants and minorities.

— Compiled by Johnathan Stimpson ’21 and Nicole Zhu ’21

No Russia Collusion, Mueller Report Says

By GRACE LU Sun Contributor

The redacted Mueller report was released to the public Thursday morning by the Department of Justice, concluding a two-year investigation questioning Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election.

The 448-page report detailed matters ranging from the role of Russian interference in the election to bringing into question whether Trump committed behavior guilty of obstruction of justice.

“Protecting our democracy should not be a partisan matter.”

Geneva Saupe ’21

This investigation has sparked a wide range of responses on Cornell’s campus throughout its continuation. When Attorney General William Barr released his summary of the events on March 24, 2019, responses between Cornell Democrats and Cornell Republicans varied extensively. However, the full report has brought new evidence into light that went originally unmentioned in Barr’s initial summary.

“[T]he way in which Barr and the Trump administration have been sugarcoating the facts as they rolled out the report is disingenuous — his summary and his press conference were political tools that only served to obfuscate how upset the American public should be about these revelations,” stated Geneva Saupe ’21, political director of the Cornell Democrats, in an email to The Sun. “Protecting our democracy should not be a partisan matter, but it’s clear that members of the Trump administration, including the President, are more interested in their political futures than in the truth.”

The redacted report was divided into two volumes: Volume I focused on the extent of the Trump administration’s involvement in Russian interference, and Volume II concerned matters of possible obstruction of justice committed by Trump and his advisors.

In Volume I of the redacted report, it was determined that

Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election occurred in two major ways. One of these was through the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a Russian company based in Saint Petersburg.

According to the report, IRA operations included supporting the Trump Campaign and vilifying candidate Hillary Clinton by mid2016 before the presidential election took place. Facebook estimated that as many as 126 million people were reached by the IRA through its Facebook accounts, and approximately 1.4 million people on Twitter may have been in contact with an IRA-controlled account.

The other way in which Russian interference occurred was through the website Wikileaks, an independent organization that publishes news leaks and classified media from anonymous sources.

According to the report, the Russian Federation’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU) released hacked Clinton Campaign and Democratic National Convention documents through Wikileaks.

However, while the investigation confirmed that Russian interference transpired in the 2016 election, it was determined that no collusion took place between Russian operatives and the Trump administration.

According to the report, “the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.”

“The report confirms that neither President Trump nor his campaign ‘colluded’ or otherwise conspired with the Russian government.”

Michael Johns Jr. ’20

This conclusion that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives brought mixed responses amongst Cornell students.

“While the report did not find enough evidence of criminal wrongdoing to bring charges against a sitting president, it did find evidence that the Trump campaign met and talked with Russian

Arts and Sciences to Host Daylong Reading of the Odyssey

New translation of the epic poem, a ‘cultural landmark’, is frst ever by a woman

By SHIVANI SANGHANI Sun Assistant ßNews Editor

On Friday, April 26, Cornellians and Ithacans alike will gather in Klarman Hall for a 12-hour community reading of a new translation of Homer’s Odyssey — its first ever translation by a woman.

Translated by University of Pennsylvania Prof. Emily Wilson, Wilson’s Odyssey has been named to The New York Times’s list of the 100 most notable books of 2018 and was dubbed a “cultural landmark” by The Guardian.

Kicking off at 8 a.m., the daylong reading is part of “Arts Unplugged,” a new series of events by the College of Arts and Sciences to commemorate the arts, humanities and social sciences by taking them beyond the classroom into the community.

The Odyssey, which details the fictitious 10-year voyage of Greek hero Odysseus to return to his home in Ithaca, Greece after the decade-long Trojan War, is the second-oldest surviving work in Western literature after Homer’s Iliad.

Running for more than 12,000 lines, the

epic Greek poem is one of the most widely recognized written works of all time.

Believed to be composed near the end of the 8th century BCE, the Odyssey follows its protagonist as Odysseus journeys through the Ionian islands and the Peloponnese region to as far as Egypt and North Africa on an epic quest — all while Odyssesus’s archenemy and god of the seas Poseidon attempts to thwart his return home.

“Wilson’s translation [of the Odyssey] highlights the wide range of human experience that exists in the original.”

Prof. Athena Kirk

Prof. Athena Kirk, classics, developed the idea of the reading to “bring the experience of the poem to a wider audience,” Kirk told the University in a press release.

“This poem is often thought of as a monolith, a piece of literature about and for

a certain elite subset of the population,” Kirk said. “But Wilson’s translation highlights the wide range of human experience that exists in the original. Reading her text together in public draws that diversity into the present and makes this a poem for everyone.”

Readers for the event will range from students, faculty and staff from Cornell, Ithaca College and Binghamton University to community members including local middle and high school students.

Many of the readers will be Cornell students hailing from the classics and English departments.

“Even though a single individual will read at a time, each voice will enter another, then another, then another and accumulate into a chorus,” Prof. Ishion Hutchinson, English told the University. “We can’t take for granted or lightly the power of the human voice, elevated together in what is a celebration of home and homecoming.”

The event is free for any member of the public to attend during any time of day.

SRI LANKA

Continued from page 1

government announced a 12-hour social media blackout from 6 p.m. IST Sunday.

“As much as this attack came to us as shocking—” Swargaloganathan paused. “At the same time, this is not something out of the ordinary.”

“As we all try to grasp yet another atrocity in the world targeting people based solely on their religious affiliation, let us reach out to those around us to stand in solidarity against violence and in support of love and compassion,” the statement read.

Coordinated and organized in nature, the bombings were unlike anything many authorities had ever seen.

“It would not be fair to even speculate or even name responsibility … because it can inflame tensions in the history of violence recently,” Bass told The Sun. “The ban on social media that the government did was partly to try and minimize further violence.”

Easter Sunday Attacks Claim Over 300 Lives Cornell Hip Hop Group Ofers Fans Community

The magnitude of the devastation still felt raw for many.

“I'm so far away from home,” said Gammanpila. “It just feels so wrong for me to not be by [my family’s] side at this time.”

“It’s still jarring. It’s just so distant,” said Vanathi Ganesan ’20, whose parents immigrated from Sri Lanka. “Everyone is in shock.”

On Sunday afternoon, President Martha Pollack emailed a brief statement to the Cornell community.

Rajiva Wijesinha, a former member of the Sri Lankan parliament, told Al Jazeera that “the range of these attacks and the concentration on the Christian churches and then the hotels as well suggest we are dealing with something really quite horrible.”

The Sri Lankan government has so far shown reluctance to blame or identify a particular group as responsible — a likely intentional move, Prof. Daniel Bass, Asian studies, explained.

Bass provided some insight, saying that “there have not been any significant recent attacks that would make it appear that some group is planning or trying something like this.”

Al Jazeera reported Sunday that thirteen people had been arrested in connection to the bombings. However, as of Sunday evening, no group had been named in or claimed responsibility for the attacks.

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

Team Makes Finals in “Crowning Achievement”

DEBATE

Continued from page 1

debate captain Emma Rose Wirshing ’19 called, “one of our best seasons ever.”

“We’ve had a lot of success with the tournaments we normally go to — we’ve had teams final or win at almost every tournament we’ve gone to,” Wirshing said. “Which is crazy.”

Building on what Mo Koo called its “crowning achievement” in South Africa, the debate team has continued to rack up a series of impressive wins. At Clemson University’s United States Universities Debating Championships, held from April 13 to 15 — America’s largest collegiate debate championships, according to the event’s website — the worlds squad managed to land three of its teams in the top ten, along with four of the top ten individual speakers.

The team has also notched top rankings at the North American University Championships and a “whole host of competitive international tournaments,” Mo Koo said.

And breaking into the finals for tournaments of that caliber is no easy feat, Wirshing explained, with successful teams needing to survive several tough elimination rounds.

“There is a certain number of preliminary rounds … and for nationals there were eight rounds,” she said. “And so everyone competes in that rounds against other teams in the competition, and at the end of those preliminary rounds, the top ‘X’ number of teams get to make it to elimination rounds.”

“All together, the results have been really amazing,” Wirshing added.

Unlike its cousin, policy debate — in which debaters are given months to prepare for a predetermined topic — worlds style, also often called “British Parliamentary,” relies on fully extemporaneous speech. Participants are given a previously unknown resolution and then have only a short period of time to assemble a cohesive set of evidence, arguments and counterarguments.

As a result, the format heavily

rewards quick thinkers who are able to draw upon a wide base of knowledge with little preparation and present it seamlessly in a persuasive manner. According to Mo Koo, a successful debater must be fluent in a wide range of subjects that range from the wonky — such as the nuances of international law — to the esoteric.

“Our particular debate has a lot to do with logical persuasion … so it’s not as much a numerical game as is the case in other formats … it’s more of, you look at the structure of an argument, such as the premises upon which it’s based,” Wirshing added.

Judges then base their scores on “an intuition” of “what looks like a strong argument or a weaker argument,” and will look at how a team has “interacted ... in terms of the positive material they’ve brought, and in terms of how they have responded to other team’s material,” she explained.

Preparation for these tournaments — which pit some of America’s sharpest undergraduate minds in a battle of words

— often begins the moment one arrives on campus. For those who are most involved, the weekly time commitment can sometimes extend to up to 15 hours a week, akin to a part-time job.

“People who go to some of these competitive tournaments practice on average three or four times a week, and our practices last about two hours,” Wirshing said. “And they’ve been doing that since basically freshman year.”

In addition to a healthy diet of news to keep up with the near-limitless pool of potential debate subjects, practice typically involves mock debates that are used to gain “insight into different topics we research and prepare for,” as well as “strategic elements of debate we can improve on,” according to Mo Koo.

“There’s definitely a lot of time that goes into it,” Wirshing said. “So we’re definitely really lucky our work has paid off this year.”

Johnathan Stimpson can be reached at jstimpson@cornellsun.com.

HIP HOP

Continued from page 1

interested in how much hip hop has impacted people ... because it is the culture.”

Members regularly meet each Friday, where discussions are usually centered around an album of the week, which members listen to in advance of the meeting, according to the club’s website.

Last week’s meeting centered on the newly released Lil’ Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” a song that has divided fans for its eccentric blend of country and hip hop influences. During the hour long meeting, the ambiguously-themed track sparked debate on what exactly constitutes a genre.

“The first time I heard this song, I thought it was pretty ‘meme-y’,” Colin Whitten ’19, a member of the club, said. “I don’t think he was trying to be taken seriously.”

But discussions also sometimes delve into some of hip hop’s more weighty aspects, such as “drugs in hip hop, mental health, violence and politics,” according to Nemarko.

Mota, for instance, highlighted the increasingly intertwined nature of politics and hip hop as one topic to which the club has paid particular heed, as well as the new wave of “up and coming women” in the historically male-dominated genre.

“It’s been interesting following how hip hop artists have become martyrs in some ways, with their involvement with the law and how people have reacted to it,” she said, citing 21 Savage’s February detention by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency as an example of how hip hop has collided with the political world.

“Hip hop artists ... are increasingly speaking on issues that everyone is talking about,” Mota continued. “Becoming ‘woke’ for lack of a better word.”

While the club was initially started as “just a group of people getting together to talk about a shared interest,” the organization, in addition to regular meetings, also hosts a range of events aimed at exploring the various facets of hip hop in front of a wider audience.

The events are normally done in collaboration with other organizations, and will use hip hop as a prism through which to examine or explore another related issue.

“More recently we’ve had one about women in hip hop, and before we’ve had one about Kanye and his legacy, and then some people reach out to us wanting to talk about law in the music industry or the impact of hip hop on politics,” Mota explained.

But most importantly, Nemarko stressed, is hip hop’s unique ability to not only understand the world, but bring people together.

“Hip hop builds bonds, it was something created from nothing,” Nemarko said.

Johnathan Stimpson can be reached at jstimpson@cornellsun.

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Editorial

When Tragedy Strikes, Pollack’s Statements Should Say More

IN HER LATEST EMAIL, PRESIDENT MARTHA POLLACK SENT A BRIEF STATEMENT expressing she is “shocked and horrified” about the bombings in Sri Lanka. It is important that Pollack is sending out these emails and addressing the Cornell Community as tragedy strikes. It shows her cognizance of different student experiences and expresses her sincere sentiments.

But a mere 68 words is probably not enough. Pollack’s 68-word Sri Lanka statement has less than one word for every three people that died in those bombings. Her email addressing the swastika found on the Arts Quad had 85 words. Her email addressing the Mosque shooting had 79. And her email about the Cornell Presidential Task Force had 306. While quality does matter more than quantity, when you see the discrepancy between Cornell-related emails and emails addressing the numerous tragedies the world has seen this year, it seems that these statements are simply unproductive.

There are no community resources linked at the bottom of the email. There is no mention of community efforts to help any students, faculty or staff that could be struggling with the consequences of these events. There is really no purpose to these statements — besides Pollack informing students that she’s sorry they happened. While it’s a nice thought, Pollack has the power to send out an email that can have an impact in the Cornell community.

Just because there is an available listserv to send a campus-wide email, does not mean it needs to be used. And just because Pollack can make a statement does not mean it was what the community needs. If the Presidential Task Force deserved 306 words, maybe more information or resources can be provided in emails responding to tragedy to give them more purpose.

With this much power and reach, the primary goal should be to communicate that Cornell is supportive of community members who are facing these tragedies, directly or peripherally. These statements should offer community support, help direct students to existing resources and show evidence that Cornell is taking steps to help the community heal together. A nation lost more than 200 people today while they were celebrating a holiday in their houses of worship. So 68 words may have gotten to the point, but it missed the greater point.

Marquan Jones | Guest Room

Shut Up and Play: Challenging JT Baker’s Disqualifcation

As a student-athlete, a Black man and a supporter of JT Baker, I am disgusted and disappointed — though not wholly surprised — by the outcome of the recent student-elected trustee election. JT’s disqualification was not only unjust but is reflective of the campus climate at the predominantly white institution that is Cornell University. Furthermore, JT’s disqualification speaks to larger issues of exclusion of student-athletes and students from underrepresented communities at large from the limited, competitive and time-consuming opportunities in shared governance.

JT’s disqualification speaks to larger issues of exclusion of studentathletes and minority students in shared governance.

Both the president of the University and the chair of the Board of Trustees have spoken out with strong statements condemning the disqualification decision by the Trustee Nominating Committee. And yet, the only actions being taken are empty calls for “reforms” for future elections. To put this in perspective, the two highest positions of leadership on this campus have proclaimed that the TNC’s decision was wrong, but refuse to overturn it. Their response is simply and unequivocally unethical. Even more importantly, what reforms are Pollack and Harrison suggesting? How will they help prevent unfair disqualifications in future elections if the administration is unwilling to take action against prejudice in this one? If they are not willing to act now, when a clear injustice has been committed, why should we believe that they will do anything in the future? Why should we believe the leaders of this university — who decry injustice, but uphold it in placing institutional protection over addressing blatant discrimination? Would the decision look different if JT was not a Black man or not a student-athlete?

sport. As long as we’re scoring touchdowns and entertaining the majority of students here, we’re accepted. Simultaneously, we are seen as one-dimensional — as bodies, not minds. Even in the Ivy League, we are seen as dumb jocks who are lucky to receive an Ivy League education of which we are not seen as fully deserving. This election has so blatantly shown us that we are not welcome in professional circles on campus. And the actions of the TNC, other candidates and members of the student body at large have sent a clear message to the student-athlete community at Cornell: Shut up and play. This is not simply a campus issue. This is an issue faced even by arguably the best basketball player in the NBA, Lebron James, who was told to “shut up and dribble” when making comments about the current presidency. He was told that his place was on the court, and nowhere else. He was told that his opinions, that his mind, weren’t valuable — weren’t wanted.

JT , more so than any other candidate, came to the election with one goal in mind — to be a voice for every community on campus. He was, and continues to be, dedicated to making a difference on this campus and ensuring that every student has the best quality of life at Cornell that they can.

JT ’s wrongful disqualification, and the subsequent lack of action by the administration to remedy it, is unacceptable. Join me in condemning the

Even if you did not vote for JT, we deserve to be represented in the way that reflects the totality of our votes and have an obligation to fight for what’s right.

actions of the TNC and demanding that they release the pre-disqualification votes.

As a student-athlete who has been very involved on campus as a scholar in Telluride, a facilitator in the Intergroup Dialogue Project, former co-president of Collective X Magazine, a Resident Advisor in Ujamaa Residential College and an ambassador for Engaged Cornell, I have personally faced the reality that there is not a lot of room for student-athletes to do other things on campus besides their

Even if you did not vote for JT originally, as students and constituents at Cornell who deserve to be represented in the way that reflects the totality of our votes, we have an obligation to each other to fight for what’s right. I encourage student leaders on campus to galvanize their respective communities to, first, demand that the disqualification decision be overturned and, second, demand that the pre-disqualification votes be released.

We will not be silent. We will not back down. We will not just shut up and play.

Marquan Jones is a junior College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Guest Room appears periodically this semester. Comments may be sent to opinion@ cornellsun.com.

CORRECTION

A guest column printed on April 18 (“Dialogue Beyond BDS”) incorrectly claimed that Dani Dayan is the head of the Yesha Council. In fact, Dayan left the position in 2013. The column also wrongly claimed that Dayan had advocated destroying Palestinian neighborhoods in Gaza. The incorrect statements have been amended or removed on our website. We regret the errors.

Joanna Hua | Guest Room

Student Organizations Need to Take Sexual Assault Seriously

Warning: The following content contains sensitive material about sexual assault.

Assault, particularly sexual assault, is supposed to be taken seriously, but are student organizations on campus complicit in excusing these behaviors?

With Sexual Assault Awareness Week upon us, many find solace in the knowledge that there is extensive dialogue on this subject, but are mortified that there are so many survivors on Cornell’s campus alone.

Even more disturbing, many organizations on campus either do not detail actions and consequences attached to assault and sexual assault or have a formal risk management policy that they do not follow.

Many campus organizations either do not detail actions and consequences attached to assault and sexual assault or have a formal risk management policy that they do not follow.

In my personal experience, every single organization that I have taken a significant part in has been incapable or unwilling to take any concrete action in regard to assault, even after those in charge were made aware of such instances.

For example, I approached someone on the

E-board of one particular organization in which I was heavily involved to talk about a traumatic experience with another member of the club. The experience left me ridden with panic attacks for two weeks and caused me to be unable to study — or even get out of bed — for weeks. This particular organization claims to have a strong risk management policy, and this policy is emphasized every semester to the entirety of the general body. However, I was met with mild concern, some friendly claims of support and nothing else. To my knowledge, the other person was not even contacted by the organization and is now serving on that same E-board.

Because of that situation, I have had to not only interact with someone who has trapped me against a wall but also watch them elected onto the E-board of that organization. Years ago, in an entirely different organization, I reported an egregious sexual assault incident, only to find out that person is now holding a top position in his organization. I have had to sit by and listen to someone else complain about others using sexual assault as a political weapon, and I have had to

Darren Chang | Swamp Snorkeling

Fhear someone say that a highly ranked diplomat might have been lying about her sexual assault experiences without even mild pushback from those who were in charge. In my experience, and in the experiences of far too many others, the topic of sexual assault is sidelined or hushed up.

I know that these issues are not isolated to my own personal experiences, and while I urge people to stand up against those who are perpetuating the problem, it should not be solely up to bystanders to ensure that action is being taken. We often look at top officials and ask ourselves how assault can be taken so lightly and be ignored or brushed off but fail to see that we ourselves are the root of the problem. We cannot claim to support survivors and combat assault and sexual assault while many large organizations on campus fail to do just that.

While we see how sexual assault and assault are treated in the public sphere and continue to raise awareness throughout our campus, we must also be active in enforcing consequences for those who have hurt others. We must ensure that every organization on campus not only has a stringent risk management policy but also that there is some sort of accountability measure to ensure that concrete action is being taken to follow these policies.

Don’t Ever Forget the Mueller Report

or decades to come, we’ll remember April 18 as a day of infamy: the day that Robert Mueller’s report dropped. The Mueller report will be memorialized for being as important to American political history as Watergate and as shocking as the Lewinsky-Clinton scandal.

Just kidding. In a few months — and definitely by the 2020 election — I doubt anyone is going to care. But it shouldn’t be that way.

The Mueller report is 448 pages of detailed information about the Trump administration that’s been nearly two years in the making. It’s organized into two volumes — the first on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and the second on the possibility that President Trump obstructed justice.

In terms of election interference, special counsel Mueller & Co. concluded that the Trump campaign did not participate in a criminal conspiracy, which is a legal term of art that requires a “tacit or express” agreement between the “Trump campaign and Russian government.”

In

But, Mueller did lay out several instances of sketchy behavior by either members of the Trump campaign or the Russians. For example, the campaign’s receptiveness to the Kremlin by way of providing polling information and cooperating on Ukraine policy to be implemented post-election weren’t exactly kosher. While Attorney General William Barr’s comment during a pre-release press conference that “no collusion” had occurred was technically correct, the report demonstrates that campaign leaders and the Russian government worked together to increase Trump’s election chances. Worse, Trump knew about this coordination.

In the second volume, Mueller concludes that the president did not obstruct justice, primarily because of a long-standing White House Office of Legal Counsel and Department of Justice opinion that sitting presidents cannot be indicted for criminal behavior. As Miriam Baer, law professor and former Assistant Attorney for the Southern District of New York writes, the “facts are muddy.”

Mueller presents a pattern that all but fulfills the standards for obstruction of justice. He identifies 10 relevant events, including conduct involving former FBI director James Comey, the Justice Department’s investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s testimony, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ recusal from the Trump-Russia investigation and the president’s attempts to remove Mueller.

However, many legal professionals are frustrated by the lack of a conclusion from Mueller. For example, Paul Rosenzweig, who sat on the staff of the Whitewater investigation of President Bill Clinton, wrote “Mueller flinched”

a few months — and definitely by the 2020 election — I doubt anyone is going to care about Robert Mueller’s report. But it shouldn’t be that way.

while Harvard Law School emeritus professor Alan Dershowitz explains, “Special counsels are supposed to decide, not make debating points for each side.”

Two final notes about the content of the report: 14 cases were referred to different law enforcement officials, meaning that more information may be released, and the report holds 954 redactions (around 10 percent), including intelligence materials, grand jury materials and details germane to ongoing investigations.

The political effect of the report has been primarily partisan, with Republicans and the president arguing that the report proves “total and complete exoneration” (hint: It does not).

In the last few days, several Republicans have published strongly worded defenses of the president in ways that sug-

No amount of damning evidence will ensure that the Republicancontrolled Senate removes the president or that Trump supporters understand the Mueller report as anything but a failed witch-hunt.

gest they did not consider the full text and weight of the Mueller report. Notably, though, Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) broke from the party to express disappointment, disapproval or disgust.

Democrats are taking a measured approach, with House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) subpoenaing the complete report by May 1 and asking both Barr and Mueller to testify in Congress in the next few weeks. Regardless, no Democratic leaders are calling for impeachment just yet, although the Mueller report likely makes for a stronger legal case.

As I remarked in a previous column, Democrats have to consider the “unintended consequences” of impeachment. No amount of damning evidence will ensure that the Republican-controlled Senate removes the president or that Trump supporters understand the Mueller report as anything but a failed witch-hunt. By buying into impeachment, “we reinforce his Teflon-ness,” says Jennifer Palmieri, a former senior aide to Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama.

Yet the implications of the report are

incredibly important, especially for the upcoming election. I don’t care about your party or what your politics are. You need to read the Mueller report as a revelatory insight into the messiness of the 45th presidential administration. At the very least, the Mueller report conveys that the President — along with his campaign and administration officials — committed inappropriate acts that threaten the foundations of the Constitution. Whether you believe in liberal democracy or not, refusing politics in this instance could allow elected officials to get away with anything.

If the president can “[slump] back in his chair and [say], ‘Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I’m fucked,’” about the Mueller investigation and spin it as his victory, it will be our fault. Even as many of us Cornellians get lost in the ups and downs of college life, we shouldn’t forget to respond to serious and timely political issues.

Maybe we will forget Zeta Beta Tau’s “pig roast” contest, or Letitia Chai ’18, who presented her college scholar senior thesis in her underwear to protest a professor’s comments on her clothes. We’ve definitely forgotten Mitch McBride ’17, who worked to make the financial aid process more transparent by handing over a series of working documents that indicated the administration wanted to increase students’ debt burden. But we can’t keep doing this if we want to avoid a slippery slope into the implosion of responsible governance.

Don’t ever forget about the Mueller report.

Darren Chang is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at dchang@cornellsun.com. Swamp Snorkeling runs every other Monday this semester.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Claudia Rankine Reads, Details New Book

JESSICA LUSSIER SUN STAFF WRITER

Cornell’s Statler Auditorium buzzed with excited whispers as people settled into their seats. The famous cover of her bestselling book, Citizen, dominated the backdrop as we waited anxiously for Claudia Rankine, a celebrated poet and author of many works including Citizen: An American Lyric, Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric and, most recently, The White Card: A Play. Her reading was the culmination of the Barbara & David Zalaznick Creative Writing Reading Series, organized by Cornell’s English Department.

Through the reading and subsequent discussion, Rankine introduced us to her works, reading selections from Citizen and others. In her soft, melodic voice, words took on a different shape from the page, imprinting the air around us. Her poems came alive, heightening their visceral impact. She claims that writing is more like math to her and that the real emotional part of the process comes from the sharing of the stories themselves. Still, her work never fails to pack an emotional punch.

In addition to her previous works, Rankine also spoke about her upcoming book, Just Us: An American Conversation, the writing of which was a bit different. Interested in how conversations explore whiteness in American culture, this project involves transcripts of conversations, notes from fact-checkers and interpretations of these materials from a therapist.

Rankine’s new book will also feature some of her own pictures for the first time as part of a look into blondeness, asking women why they chose to dye their hair that color. She summarized the results: white women over 50 wanted to hide the grey, white women around 20 said the color made men treat them better and black women almost universally said: “Why not?”

As well as discussing this photo series, she also talked about the photo that dominates the cover of Citizen. Created by David Hammons, this piece, titled “In the Hood,” was first exhibited in 1993, not created in relation to Trayvon Martin as popularly believed.

Though it was wonderful to hear an author’s words in her own voice, I do wish there had been more time for questions. In the 10 minutes allotted, only three questions were asked and answered. And to me, they were the most interesting part of the night, offering glimpses into her own experiences and thoughts on her work.

Jessica Lussier is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at jll335@cornell.edu.

Poet Andrea Gibson Performs at the Hangar Teatre

Poet Andrea Gibson performed for a small, intimate crowd at the Hangar Theatre Thursday night. Gibson’s girlfriend, Megan Falley, a queer-femme author of three poetry collections, opened for them. Falley performed for a little over 30 minutes, addressing topics such as the impact of gender and sexuality on her relationship with Gibson, who self-identifies as genderqueer. She read well-known poems such as “Why so Many Penises” and made a reappearence at the end of the show to perform “Fight for Love” with Gibson. Falley’s performance was both funny and incredibly evocative. The pairing of Falley and Gibson certainly made for an enhanced experience. And being able to see both artists perform poems about the other was moving.

Following Falley’s performance and a short intermission, Gibson took the stage. It was clear from the first words that they were going to take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster. They somberly walked up to the mic, made a few jokes and commented on the audiences sobriety: “Usually the people at these shows are a little drunker.” They followed this with asking everyone to pretend to be drunk. Gibson’s performance was somber and tear-jerking — performing popular poems such as “Boomerang Valentine” and “After the Breakup.” “To The Men Catcalling My Girlfriend While I’m Walking Beside Her” resonated well with crowd, as well.

Perhaps the most emotional moment from the show was Gibson’s performance of “Orlando,” a poem dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Pulse nightclub shooting, a targeted attack against the LGBT community. The poem was met with a near-standing ovation.

On a lighter note, Gibson as a performer is unmatched by any other spoken-word artists . . .

To continue reading this review, please visit www.cornellsun.com.

Peter Buonanno is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He currently serves as the arts and entertainment editor on Te Sun’s editorial board. He can be reached at arts@cornellsun.com.

Grieving Notre Dame While

Flint Doesn’t Have Water

Immortalized in popular media through Victor Hugo’s novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and its spinoff animated Disney film, NotreDame de Paris is part of a select group of architectural wonders that exists only in animated form in my brain. So, last Monday, when the shocking pictures and live streams of Notre Dame engulfed in flames were passed around the lunch table, it took a moment for me to register the devastation. The image of the iconic spire, skeletal in incineration, immediately elicits an emotional reaction, inciting feelings of hopelessness in the face of tragedy. It quickly took over social media, with bystanders and news outlets alike providing live updates, allowing people around the world to view this tragedy. The resulting sympathetic outpour was immediately challenged on Twitter, with tweets pointing to the ongoing Flint water crisis and the burning of three black churches in Louisiana as worthier recipients of social media attention and donations.

These tweets highlight the power of social media as well as the inherent hierarchy of information that it perpetuates. A benefit of Twitter is its ability to democratize information, creating platforms for people to access more sources of information allowing the user exposure to stories across the world which they wouldn’t have had access to previously through the curated mainstream news cycle. This has created a context in which the user’s attention is valuable, where retweets and favorites can drive change and visibility for injustice. It is this context of competition for attention as well as the ensuing promises of funding exceeding 900 million euros that drove the frustration of those who challenged the media frenzy surrounding Notre Dame’s burning.

The burning of Notre Dame is powerful because of its symbolism. We search for landmarks and symbols as a means to feel more human, to connect to a larger population of people that we may have little in common with beyond existence in the same

geographic location. These icons are represented and reproduced over and over again in popular media, photographs and lore, situating themselves in a collective spatial memory. For the French, Notre Dame is a core symbol of French culture, an essentialization of a country’s values. However, in the wake of its burning and the ensuing fundraising frenzy in which French billionaires pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to the restoration, the country’s values came under fire as France continues to be defined by inequalities, which are currently being protested by the Yellow Vest movement. There is hollow hypocrisy that comes with pouring billions of dollars into a historical relic while living people who share the same identity struggle to live. The story of Notre Dame falls into a phenomenon in media called “grief porn,” which is the promotion of tragedy for tragedy’s sake. Kelly Conaboy of The Gawker describes its effect as “a packaged, heightened jolt that mimics a natural, human experience. It’s voyeuristic, addictive, and compulsively attractive. It grabs at a desire to indulge when indulgence is otherwise unavailable.” In a world full of tragedy, this poses the question — whose grief is more important?

I find this sentiment difficult because I believe that sadness can not be quantified. As human we do not have a set capacity for grief or feelings of loss. However, social media and its unpredictable oscillations of assigning importance should not be the only thing that dictates our grief. It is important to understand what we are grieving and acknowledge the space for reflection and reevaluation that grieving provides. It is this process that allows us to question the underpinnings of the things we love and reevaluate what values we hold close as we rebuild and recover.

Isabel Ling is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at igl3@cornell.edu. Linguistics runs alternate Mondays this semester.

Papadosio Perform At T e Haunt

DANIEL MORAN

ASSISTANT ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Papadosio brought their genre-bending space rock to The Haunt on Thursday night to a packed crowd for their first show in Ithaca since 2014. Cycles, an alternative rock band from Denver, set the tone with a brilliant opening set, easing the crowd into the night before Papdosio’s electric performance.

Cycles was one of the best bands I’ve seen live. When their set started, I counted five other people in the audience, but they performed as if they were playing for a sold out Wembley. Cycles is a three-piece act, and all three members were insanely talented. Their music was very individualized, often showcasing the skills of each member rather than trying to create a cohesive sound. This isn’t a bad thing; each member had the ability and stage presence to make it work. If you were listening from the next room over, you could almost convince yourself that you were listening to a Led Zeppelin cover band, but in a way that’s far more enjoyable than listening to Greta van Fleet. Additionally, they had a unique blend of classic rock and math rock with plenty of guitar loops and pedalboard effects to add a dash of psychedelia. Perhaps the math rock influence makes sense; the guitarist looked just like my freshman year calculus professor.

It often feels cliche to say that a band is genre-fluid, but there truly is no better way to describe Papadosio. Though labelled as space rock, they often incorporate hard rock jams, jazz grooves and electronic music. This was most obvious when watching the rhythm section, as the bass guitarist and drummer would often audibly switch their influences midsong, blending well with Papadosio’s signature atmospheric synths and saturated guitar effects. Papadosio also has a member dedicated entirely to sound effects, which felt like the secret ingredient in creating good space rock.

The environment of this show deserves its own paragraph. The Haunt is always a great venue, and this was one of the most unique crowds I’ve seen. Everyone looked like they were either a non-playable character in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 or they looked like Tony Hawk in 2019. There were adults as old as my parents dancing like they were at a rave, making it clear that all expectations and perceptions were left at the door.

The best song of the night was “Find Your Cloud,” Papadosio’s biggest hit. The band had explained to the crowd earlier in the show that this was their first show in Ithaca since 2014, and so they were trying to give a more unique setlist to make up for the lost time. They succeeded, creating a setlist drawing from the majority of their wide ranging discography, much to the delight of the audience. I wasn’t much of a Papadosio fan prior to this performance; in fact, I only began listening to them as background music for when I was studying. However, this performance was one of the most enjoyable live shows I’ve seen and I would highly recommend seeing Papadosio during their next show in Ithaca.

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Cornell G.O.P. Cheers Report’s Findings, Dems Express Doubt

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MUELLER

Continued from page 3

operatives,” Saupe stated. “The extent to which a foreign power interfered in our election, and the fact that the Trump campaign was working with that power rather than against them, is deeply troubling to us. “

Cornell Republicans responded differently.

“The report confirms that neither President Trump nor his campaign ‘colluded’ or otherwise conspired with the Russian government to impact the outcome of U.S. elections, as was widely circulated by the media and the President’s other opponents,” Michael Johns Jr. ’20, president of the Cornell Republicans, said in an email to The Sun.

While this may be true, Volume II of the redacted Mueller report brings a new host of allegations against Trump, all centered around possible instances of obstruction of justice.

“If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state,” the report asserted. “Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment. The evidence we obtained about the President’s actions and intents presents difficult issues that prevent us from conclusively determining that no criminal conduct occurred.”

In the report, Mueller provides 10 allegations of obstructive behavior against President Trump.

According to the report, these allegations include the following: “[T]he President’s conduct concerning the FBI investigation of Michael Flynn; the President’s reaction to the public confirmation of the FBI’s Russia investigation; events leading up to and surrounding the termination of FBI Director Comey; efforts to terminate the Special Counsel; efforts to curtail the scope of the Special Counsel’s investigation; efforts to prevent disclosure of information about the June 9, 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Russians and senior campaign officials; efforts to have the Attorney General unrecuse; and conduct toward McGahn, Cohen, and other witnesses.”

The report stated that while the investigation

did not charge Trump with a crime, it did not exonerate him. Since the Mueller investigation has been officially concluded, Americans are now looking to Congress to either resolve or confirm the obstruction of justice allegations taken against Trump.

The findings of the report has sparked talk amongst Cornell student organizations about the implications of the Mueller investigation.

“Following a two-year report, Robert Mueller could not find sufficient evidence in the list [of allegations] to find evidence to prosecute,” Johns said. “Clearly Mr. Mueller himself did not find these items sufficient enough to warrant further action.”

Others found the list of allegations more troubling.

“The report confirms that neither President Trump nor his campaign ‘colluded.’”

Michael Johns ’20

“The fact that [the report] examines 10 different instances in which the president may have committed serious crimes, and is unable to exonerate him, confirms to us what we already knew — Donald Trump is a liar who is only out for himself,” Saupe stated. “Despite technical legal reasons why charges can’t be brought, it’s important to us that the members of the Trump campaign who talked with Russia about interfering in our elections are held responsible, including Trump himself. Thus, we support efforts in the House to hold him accountable, and hope that the Senate will join in an effort to protect our democracy against corrosive forces both abroad and in the White House.”

Although the Mueller investigation is officially concluded, the report has generated 14 spinoff inquiries for outside prosecution.

Grace Lu can be reached at glu@cornellsun.com.

Cornell Takes 1 of 3 From Princeton at Home

Red explodes for 15 runs in game two to take down Tigers, loses games one and three

By KATHERINE FAIOLA Sun Staff Writer

While other Ivy League games faced rain delays and cancellations on Saturday, Cornell and Princeton successfully completed two long games for a total of five hours and 22 minutes of baseball.

Cornell split Saturday’s double header before losing Sunday’s contest to drop the series to the Tigers.

After a 7-2 loss in game one on Saturday, Cornell’s offense surged in game two, earning a 15-9 victory.

In game three on Sunday, the teams fought an even battle to a late 2-2 tie before Cornell squandered its lead in the ninth inning for a 4-2 loss.

“It’s been kind of a frustrating year because we’ve had a lot of [series] where we’ve just really battled our way in the games … and we’re just not getting the results we’re looking for,” said head coach Dan Pepicelli.

The Red currently stands 9-21 overall and 4-11 in Ivy League play.

Cornell’s defense and pitching kept up its pattern of solid fielding and long relief outings. Both freshman right handed pitcher Luke Yacinich and junior right hander John Natoli got the call to pitch for four innings of relief in game one and two, respectively.

“We’ve just really battled our way in the games ... and we’re just not getting the results we’re looking for.”

Dan Pepicelli

In game one the Red strung together solid hits in the bottom of the eighth inning to score two runs. Senior center fielder Adam Saks ripped a double to left center, and senior infielder Josh Ardnt followed with a run-scoring single. When senior catcher Will Simoneit grounded out, Ardnt advanced and sophomore Ramon Garza knocked him in with a single.

The Red’s offense came together in game two thanks to a combination of solid hits, stolen bases, advancements on wild pitches and a balk, eight walks and two hit batters.

While Cornell got on the board first in the top of the first inning, the Red was either tied with or trailed Princeton until the bottom of the fifth inning. After the Tigers put up a lopsided number in the top of the frame, Cornell came alive in the home fifth to score seven runs and force two Princeton pitching changes.

“It was nice to see us fight after we were down five runs,” Pepicelli said.

The offense did not stop after the momentous seventh inning, plating five runs in the seventh and eighth innings.

Highlights from game two include Ardnt, who scored four runs by going 3-for-4 and walking once. Freshman catcher Austin Flematti scored three runs, reaching base on a hit, walk and hit-by-pitch.

“[It] really was a good win for us and we haven’t really

‘Frustrating’ | Cornell’s rough 2019 season continued at Hoy Field in a three-game series with Princeton. In game three, the Red surrendered two runs in the ninth inning and lost to Princeton, 4-2.

done that all year, so it was a big deal,” Pepicelli said of the game two victory.

The Red was aggressive on the basepaths and successfully stole six bases in games one and two.

the course of the third game Cornell stranded eight runners.

The Red’s pitching was the consistent force of the game. Junior starter Jeb Bemiss threw complete game, a feat that was two days shy of being the first of its kind in exactly two years. Bemiss commanded the strike zone and frustrated the Tigers with a cutter mix.

“[Game two] really was a good win for us and we haven’t really done that all year, so it was a big deal.”

Dan Pepicelli

Cornell continued to run aggressively in game three — stealing second twice and advancing on a passed ball once — but ran into trouble once, when sophomore designated hitter Nicholas Binnie connected on a hit to the right-center field gap that got past Princeton’s right fielder David Harding, and sought extra bases but was thrown out at third.

While the Red continued to make contact in the third game, the team only stacked up five hits, compared to Princeton’s nine.

In two separate cases, Cornell struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities when Princeton’s pitcher Andrew Gnazzo’s inconsistent control loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings. Throughout

“[Bemiss] pitched his tail off,” Pepicelli said. “[He] made a mistake there at the end but he was making competitive pitches right up until the last pitch — struck the last guy out looking — he made competitive pitches right up until the end of the game.”

The tie game ultimately broke open for Princeton when an RBI grounder snuck past the diving junior shortstop Matt Collins and junior third baseman Alex Carnegie, who were both playing in. Princeton secured another run when Bemiss’ pick off attempt ricocheted past first base.

Cornell will travel to face Binghamton University in a night game on Tuesday before returning home to Hoy Field to host Penn next weekend.

Katherine Faiola can be reached at kfaiola@cornellsun.com.

C.U. Can Clinch Playof Spot With Senior Day Win

M. LACROSSE

Continued from page 16

of 12 saves on the day to keep the Red’s lead, and playoff hopes, alive.

Brown continued the pressure on attack in the fourth, cutting Cornell’s lead to one with eight minutes to play. The Red made it 10-8 and then got a boost from Piatelli. The sophomore attackman came up with two huge goals to push Cornell to a 12-8 lead.

With the victory, Cornell continues to control its own destiny with respect to the Ivy League tournament. If the Red defeats Princeton in the regular season finale Saturday, it will secure the No. 3 seed in the conference behind Penn and Yale.

If the Tigers prevail, however, there would be a threeway tie for the final two spots between Cornell, Princeton and Brown — leaving the scenarios

a bit more complicated. The first tiebreaker is record against each other, and all three teams would be 1-1 in that situation. The next tiebreakers are records against the top two teams in the conference, with Cornell, Princeton and Brown all 0-2, and records against the bottom two teams in the conference, with all three 2-0.

An Ivy League spokesperson told The Sun that the final tiebreaker would be goal differential in games amongst the three tied teams.

The Senior Day game against Princeton will take place Saturday at Schoellkopf Field.

Mike Seitz can be reached at ms2858@cornell.edu.

Dylan McDevitt can be reached at dmcdevitt@cornellsun.com.

MEN’S LACROSSE

Red Beats Brown, Inches Closer to Ivy Tournament

Cornell earns 12-9 win in Providence, can clinch Ivy playof spot next weekend

By MIKE SEITZ and DYLAN McDEVITT Sun Contributor and Sun Senior Writer

With its conference playoff hopes on the line, Cornell men’s lacrosse marched into Providence on Saturday and took care of business against Brown, securing a 12-9 victory over the Bears to move one step closer to a spot in the Ivy League Tournament. A home win next week against Princeton will guarantee the Red a chance to defend the Ancient Eight title it won a year ago. A loss would send Cornell into a tiebreaker frenzy.

The Red started off hot on Saturday, with senior midfielder Jake McCulloch scoring his 15th goal of the season less than a minute into the first quarter. McCulloch finished with a hat trick. Six-on-six play looked like bread and butter for the No. 10 team in the nation, and three more goals came from junior midfielder Cooper Telesco, senior attack Clarke Petterson and sophomore attack John Piatelli in the first quarter.

Despite season-long struggles at the faceoff X, Cornell showed well on draws early on.

The Red’s ability to keep up on possessions allowed its offense to work like clockwork. Canadian chemistry was on full display between Jeff Teat and

Petterson throughout the first half, highlighted by a crafty feed from the junior attack to Petterson for the senior’s 39th goal of the season.

The first half was a fluid goal-fest, with the Red taking a 7-2 lead at the mid-game whistle. Cornell put on a scoring clinic — no surprise for a team ranked second in the country in shot percentage.

Brown was able to regroup at half and came out with a compelling third-quarter performance. The

Red seemed to lose focus in the third with silly mistakes, and things heated up on the field: a fight in the substitution box broke out after Brown’s fourth goal, sending Teat off the field for a minute penalty. Freshman goaltender Chayse Ierlan had multiple big saves to put a damper on the strong attacking sequences formulated by Brown. Ierlan made a total

Cornell Locks Up Playof Spot Despite Road Loss

Dartmouth uses scoring runs to down Cornell in penultimate regular-season contest

By GRACIE TODD Sun Staff Writer

Women’s lacrosse fell to No. 20 Dartmouth 15-8 on Saturday afternoon in Hanover. However, the Red

received word that it will have another shot at taking down Dartmouth, as it received a slot in the Ivy League playoffs.

Despite the loss, junior goalkeeper Katie McGahan made 13 saves — a

season high that she has achieved in three games this year. But the Green’s offense was too strong for the Red to handle. Dartmouth outshot the Red, 44-20, and won 19 of 25 draw controls. Five of the Dartmouth’s goals — three in the first half and two in the second — came from senior Elizabeth Mastrio.

Cornell found the back of the net first, with a goal by senior Shannon Bertscha, assisted by junior captain Caroline Allen, less than two minutes into the game.

The Green responded with its first four-goal spurt of the half, to which the Red responded with two tallies of its own, both unassisted, by senior Tomasina Leska and sophomore Olivia Jensen, to cut Dartmouth’s lead back to one.

While Cornell threatened to take another lead, a second four-goal run by the Green extended the hosts’ lead to 8-3 and prevented Cornell’s comeback efforts from succeeding.

Cornell responded to the second four-goal Dartmouth run with two goals of its own, this time by sophomore Grace Paletta and senior captain

Sarah Phillips to stay within striking distance.

But the Green scored the final goal of the first half and the first three of the second half to add to its lead. The rest of the game saw back-and-forth play that resulted in three goals for each team. Leska and Bertscha both netted their second goal of the game for the Red in the process, and Allen scored as well. Freshman Genevieve DeWinter assisted Bertscha’s goal.

The eight-goal offensive output represents the first time the Red failed to score double-digit goals in over a month. But thanks to results around the league, the weekend provided good news for Cornell: it will head to the Ivy League tournament in early May.

Princeton, Dartmouth and Penn will join the Red in the tournament, which will take place at Columbia University. The league champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

But first, Cornell will face Princeton at home in its last regular season game at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Sheck Wes Announced

As 2019 Convocation Speaker

GOTCHA GOOD SUN STAFF WRITER

Following a tumultuous few weeks for the Cornell Convocation Committee, a group of random students have decided to take Convocation into their own hands. The group goes by the Not Cornell Convocation Committee, and they have recently announced that “Mo Bamba” star Sheck Wes will be the speaker at this year’s Convocation. The decision to do this was made following concerns that the committee was too busy roasting journalists.

On Sheck Wes, Speaker-dude ’19, a committee member said, “Although not his first choice, [he’s] excited to hear ‘Mo Bamba’ at convocation.” He added, “I got hoeeeeesssss.”

According to an anonymous source on the committee, “The idea to get Sheck Wes all started when Hasan Minhaj dropped out as the speaker. Someone shouted: ‘Oh! Fuck! Shit! Bitch!’ Immediately all of us locked eyes and we had Tommy put on ‘Mo Bamba.’ The rest is history.”

In an interview with IFC president wannabe and Delta Alpha Beta (DAB) social chair Chad Smith ’20, who “doesn’t even go here” according to Cornell President Martha Pollack, “Sheck Wes speaking at Cornell’s convocation is a huge win for GREEK LYFE.” Multiple “frat bois,” as Smith put it, will be thoroughly sloshed at the ceremony.

News spies informed The Sun that other candidates up for the speaking gig were “Old Town Road” singer Lil Nas X, the guy who voiced the dog in Up and the stars of Frozen on Ice. The Sun’s weather team expects Sheck Wes to “make it rain” at Convocation. Parents are advised to pack an umbrella just in case this turns out to be true.

In an email exchange with The Sun’s arts department, Sheck Wes provided a copy of his intended speech:

“I got hoes calling a young ****** phone. Where’s Ali with the motherfucking dope? I be ballin’ like a mo’fuckin’ pro. I be ballin’ like my ***** Mo. Sheck Wes, I ain’t a mo’fuckin’ joke (haha, hahahahaha). Steph Wes stay with the fuckin’ pole (pa, pa, pa-pa). You fuck around and get poled (you get poled, bitch). ‘Cause I got hoes (so many fucking hoes). Callin’ a young ***** phone. (Ring-ring, ring, ring-ring, ring, ringring). Where’s Ali with the (bitch with the) mo’fuckin’ dope? (huh) I be ballin’ like a mo’fuckin’ pro (like a mo’fuckin’ pro). I be ballin’ like my ***** Mo (Bamba, Bamba). Sheck Wes got so many flows (I do it all). Call me Drake how a ***** controlla.”

Gotcha Good is a sophomore in the College of Pissing Of Cornell Orgs. Tey can be reached at artsymofo@cornellsun.com.

‘Old Town Road’ Remix Named New Cornell Alma Mater

To much of the university’s surprise, Cornell president Martha Pollack really has nothing better to do than talk to the Ghost of Ezra Cornell. In a recent conversation between the two, Ezra said “Man, ‘Old Town Road’ Slaps.” He commented on how the song perfectly embodies the original Cornell slogan: “Any horse, any road.” To satisfy our founder, and so she doesn’t get haunted, Pollack has agreed to change the alma mater to the “Old Town Road” remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus.

In an interview with The Sun, Lil Nas X said that he “feels blessed and can’t wait to chill with Martha.”

In an email sent to the Cornell Community, Pollack commented on the similarities between the University and Lil Nas X. Citing Cornell’s legacy as the only Ivy League university with an agriculture school and our status as an outsider within our own academic community, Pollack explained “We also have the horses in the back. Lil Nas X was left off the Billboard Country charts despite clearly being country music. Harvard tries to leave us off the list of Ivy League schools despite our clear sense of elitism. In many ways we relate to Lil Nas X.”

The Cornell community has had mixed reactions to the announcement. One student, who is a self-proclaimed “racist,” says he feels that “Old Town Road” is not “really country” and that it must be removed from the iTunes Store. In almost more shocking news, this student still buys music.

Every-frat-guy ’22 ever says he “wants to take his horse to the Old Town Road.” And every music enthusiast has expressed their excitement for the change. Old Cornell Alumni have expressed distaste for the decision and believe that the Cornell “snowflake” professors are becoming too radical. The Sun is still confused as to why they gave comments on the professors given the question: “Have you heard ‘Old Town Road?’”

According to CUPB, Lil Nas X will “riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide” into Bailey Hall on Saturday following the announcement that his viral hit will be honored as Cornell’s Alma Mater. Other news spies, not the same ones from the last article, have told The Sun that Cyrus will open for Lil Nas X . . . this is weird considering Lil Nas X only has one song and it’s featuring Cyrus himself.

Cyrus told The Sun that he is planning to “ride down tower road in his Maserati sports car.” He also said that he will have his horses in tow.

Country Boi is a senior in the College of AGGGGGG. He can be reached at farmersonly.com.

Corne¬ Daily Sun

FIELD GOAL THE BEAR

Citing a lack of football success on East Hill, Cornell announces that its beloved mascot ‘Touchdown’ will be renamed ‘Field Goal’ starting this fall.

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