INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2026 n ITHACA, NEW YORK
Vol. 143, No. 4 Lifestyle
News
Sports
Patsy’s Pizzeria
Packed Protest
Soccer Scores
The Lifestyle Department reviews the up-and-coming pizza spot in the Commons, noting its good pizza, sides and location.
Men’s soccer earned its 600th program victory, beating UCSB.
Over 100 students rallied on Ho Plaza for a “Student Not Bombs” protest.
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16 Pages – Free
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2026 Annual Security Report Released
Reported on-campus rape and dating violence decreased, while reports of stalking and non-campus building rape increased. By KRISTIE TO Sun Senior Writer
Sept. 2 — Cornell released its 2026 Annual Security Report on Tuesday morning, revealing decreases in reported on-campus rape and dating violence, but increased stalking incident reports and non-campus building rape reports. The notice was sent in an email to the Cornell community by Cornell Police Chief Eric Stickel, University Fire Marshall Timothy Ryan and David Honan, associate vice president for public safety. Under federal law, Cornell is required to publish an annual security report. It provides crime statistics from the previous three years, including reported crimes occurring on campus, in certain Cornell-owned buildings and properties, student organization spaces and public areas accessible from campus. A majority of crime reports decreased from 2024 to
2025, according to the report. On-campus reports of rape declined from 28 reported cases in 2024 to six in 2025, reports of fondling decreased from 22 reported cases to seven and reports of dating violence decreased from 35 reported cases to 14. However, reports of stalking increased from 22 reported cases in 2024 to 31 in 2025. The data also show that liquor-law violations remain the most common disciplinary issue, with 396 referrals in 2025, compared to 322 drug-law referrals in 2024. In addition to crime statistics, the report outlines Cornell’s policies and procedures for responding to sexual and interpersonal violence, alcohol and other drug use, hazing, emergency situations and other campus safety concerns. The 2026 report also reflects recent changes, including new federal hazing reporting requirements under the Stop Campus Hazing Act and updates to Cornell’s Student Code of Conduct.
Arson reports also fluctuated, dropping from 16 reported cases in 2023 to three in 2024 before rising to seven in 2025, with reported incidents occurring on campus and in on-campus residential facilities. Hazing reports emerged as a newly introduced figure, with 18 incidents reported in 2025 following a recent reporting requirement. Hate crimes remained present: in 2025, Cornell reported one incident of vandalism motivated by race and one incident of intimidation motivated by ethnicity. Cornell community members who would like a physical copy of the Annual Security Report can request one through the Public Safety Communications Center by call or in-person at G2 Barton Hall. Copies can also be requested by contacting the University Clery Compliance Office at clerycompliance@cornell.edu. Kristie To can be reached at kto@cornellsun.com.
SNL’s Jane Wickline, Josh Riley Votes to Withold Liva Pierce Visit Campus Federal Aid for Universities By ROWAN WALLIN Sun Senior Writer
Sept. 6 — Musical comedy duo Jane Wickline and Liva Pierce brought their Brooklynbased show, “Dukes,” to an audience of approximately 200 people in Statler Auditorium Friday night, incorporating original songs, sketch bits and crowd work into a humorous hour-long set. The show, hosted by the Cornell University Program Board, ran from 7 to 8 p.m. and marked the duo’s second visit to Ithaca, with their first in April 2025 at Ithaca College. Chesterton Back To The Source AD Wickline, a cast member on Saturday Night Live known for her dry sense of humor, and Pierce, who trained at Chicago’s The Second City improv group and has performed stand-up, improv and sketch comedy across the country, joined forces in New York to create “Dukes.” The pair began by discussing Ithaca itself, joking about the constant algae blooms in Cayuga Lake and describing Cornellians as an even split between “hippie” and “preppy.” From there, the set moved through a run of original songs
built around dating mishaps, phone addiction and the gloominess of a corporate workplace environment. One anthem told the story of a disastrous double date at a pizzeria, while another was built around the recurring line, “I hate my job,” that drew some of the loudest laughs of the night. The duo closed out this stretch of the set with a bit about their mutual phone addiction and a shared promise to limit their screen time. Later, Wickline and Pierce invited audience members to share anonymous gossip that they wove into their next number, before closing with songs built around a date with a self-proclaimed psychic and a satirical babysitting-crush storyline that veered into questions of gender identity. “This was my first time seeing a comedy show that was not a Cornell comedy group, like student-run, and it was really, really fun,” said Leah Condon ’29, who added that the psychic-themed song and the performers’ crowd work stood out most. “I would go back to something like this 100%.” To continue reading this story, please visit www.cornellsun.com.
Rowan Wallin can be reached at rwallin@cornellsun.com.
RILEY SMITH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Engaging in Israel Boycotts By ATTICUS JOHNSON Sun News Editor
Sept. 4 — Rep. Josh Riley (N.Y.-19), a Democrat who represents the district encompassing Cornell, Binghamton University and Ithaca College, voted for legislation that would withhold federal aid for universities that engage in boycotts against Israel during a Thursday morning vote. The Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act, which passed the U.S. House, 237-169, with mostly Republican votes, would make universities who engage in “nonexpressive commercial boycotts” of countries designated as “major strategic partners” — Israel is the only state labelled as such — ineligible for student aid funding. The bill, if written into law, would also limit federal funding eligibility for universities that restrict academic collaborations with Israel — including study abroad programs and joint research. Cornell Tech has a running partnership with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology which has faced criticism from students citing ethical and legal concerns related to Technion’s alleged involvement in the development of military technologies connected to human rights violations. A Student Assembly resolution calling on Cornell Tech to terminate this partnership passed in March 2026 after students packed two Assembly meetings in support. Riley’s vote comes as a student coalition at Cornell launched “Students Not Bombs,” a campaign pressuring the University to divest from weapons manufacturers that provide arms to Israel. In a Spring 2024 referendum, 69% of voters supported divestment from weapons companies who send arms to Israel, with just under half of the student body participating. “While Israel commits war crime after war crime, while Palestinians are killed in thousands and while basic humanitarian aid is systematically denied for them, our administration has remained complicit,” said Yasmeen Masoud ’28, president of Students for Justice in Palestine at Cornell and vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion in the Student Assembly, at the “Students Not Bombs” campaign
launch. Riley’s Thursday vote adds to his recent support for legislation upholding relations between Israel and the U.S. In July, he voted to maintain current U.S. aid to Israel and he voted to sanction the International Criminal Court in January 2025 over its issuing of arrest warrants to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. Though Riley has been critical of the Netanyahu government, which he described as “reckless and belligerent” in a statement posted on Facebook, he has stressed the importance of maintaining an alliance. “From a policy perspective, I believe the American-Israeli alliance is critically important and that we as a country need to continue to stand with our allies around the world,” Riley told The Ithacan in 2025. Riley, who is in the midst of a competitive re-election bid against Republican challenger State Senator Peter Oberacker, has previously faced criticism from some in Ithaca for being too supportive of Israel, which was classified as committing a genocide by the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory on Sept. 16, 2025. The bill now heads to the Senate for approval.
Atticus Johnson can be reached at ajohnson@cornellsun.com.
STEPHAN MENASCHE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER