4-23-24 entire issue hi res

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

University Reinstates

Requirements for Standardized Testing

Since the 2021 admissions cycle, Cornell University's eight undergraduate colleges have adopted test-optional and testblind policies. However, starting in the 2026 admissions cycle, all colleges will mandate prospective students to submit a standardized test score with their applications.

Although colleges will continue test-optional and test-blind policies for the Fall 2025 admissions cycle, students are encouraged to submit SAT and/or ACT scores.

Test-Optional Schools for Fall

2025 Enrollment:

- College of Arts and Sciences

- College of Engineering

- College of Human Ecology

- Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy

- School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Test-Blind Schools for Fall

2025 Enrollment:

- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,

- College of Architecture, Art and Planning

- Cornell S.C. Johnson College of Business

Cornell initially suspended standardized test requirements for applicants in April 2020 due to SAT and ACT test cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many peer institutions — including Yale and Dartmouth — recently announced that they would reinstate the standardized testing requirement. Other universities including Columbia stated that they would remain test-optional.

The University decided to

Students Vote Yes to Divest

The majority of student voters chose “yes” to the ceasefire and divestment referendum questions by a 2:1 ratio, according to an email sent by Student Assembly President Patrick Kuehl ’24 to the student body. 46.77 percent of the Cornell undergraduate student body voted on the referendum.

“The students of Cornell University have raised their voices together, and spoken out definitively against violence and the killing of civilians,” Kuehl wrote.

Cornell students were able to vote “yes” or “no” on the two referendum questions from April 18 to April 19:

1. Should Cornell University call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza?

2. Cornell has investments in companies supporting the ongoing war in Gaza, which has been deemed as a “plausible genocide” by the International Court of Justice in South Africa v. Israel. Should Cornell University follow their 2016 Guidelines for Divestment and divest from the following weapons

manufacturers: BAE Systems, Boeing, Elbit Systems, General Dynamics, L3Harris Technologies, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX and ThyssenKrupp?

The Student Assembly previously rejected a resolution calling for divestment, but voted to hold the referendum with a 15 to 10 vote on March 21. The Assembly released a collection of student-submitted pro and con statements ahead of the referendum.

On the first day of voting, opponents to the referendum argued that the second question allegedly violated the S.A. Charter which states that a “referendum must contain a single or a series of referendum questions that are neutrally worded and call for a yes/no response.”

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

Ming DeMers

Eric Lechpammer

be reached at elechpammer@ cornellsun.com

Julia Senzon can be reached at jsenzon@cornellsun.com.

reinstate its standardized testing requirement based on evidence from a multi-year study conducted by the University’s Task Force on Standardized Testing in Admissions.

The task force found no clear indication that reduced testing policies brought a major increase in diversity and instead found a slight decrease in diversity along some metrics.

When the policy was first implemented in 2021, the percentage of Black, Hispanic and Indigenous students and first-generation students in the first-year class increased compared to 2020.

However, as scores continued to not be required from 2021 to 2023, the percent of students who identify as Black, Hispanic and/or Indigenous in the firstyear classes decreased from 28 percent to 25 percent.

Standardized test scores can give the admissions committees a better understanding of the students' academic potential when contextualized to students’ backgrounds, including the high school they attend and their familial income, according to the task force.

Under current test policies, students may not submit test scores when they fall below the average admitted Cornell student scores, despite having scores that would advantage them in the admissions process once contextualized to social factors.

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

A month after allegedly spitting on a Muslim student in Collegetown on March 19, Salim Dridi grad has been charged with harassment in the second degree by the Ithaca Police Department, according to an April 19 University statement.

Dridi, who is no longer enrolled in the University but was pursuing a master of engineering degree in computer science at the time of the incident, faces charges in several other local crimes.

On March 31, Dridi allegedly damaged a glass door by throwing a brick at it. Dridi also allegedly falsely activated a fire alarm four times during this week. Dridi has been charged with third-degree mischief and second-degree falsely reporting an

incident.

In the statement, Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina said that the University is “saddened that a member of the Cornell community is a suspect in this vile act targeting another student.”

Muslim and Arab students have previously spoken out about what they see as an insufficient University response to Islamophobic incidents, including threats toward hijabi women posted on Greekrank and death rape threats sent to the Students for Justice in Palestine’s Instagram account.

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

DeLorenzo ’24 Resigns From S.A., Lederman ’26 Retains Position

T

e two members committed a series of ethical violations

By SOFIA RUBINSON Sun Senior Writer

Vice President of Finance

George Rocco DeLorenzo ’24 resigned from his position and seat on the Student Assembly amid controversy over alleged hostile behavior toward women during his role as chair of the Appropriations Committee.

DeLorenzo declined to speak on the record after his resignation.

The Student Assembly also voted to retain Vice President of Internal Operations Clyde Lederman ’26 to his position in an 11-6-10 vote, failing to reach the two-thirds majority needed for removal.

A Sunday report by the S.A. Office of Ethics recommended that the Assembly consider a recall of the two high-ranking members for a series of ethical violations, including their role in planning to protect Greek life on the Assembly and their handling of complaints about DeLorenzo’s behavior towards women.

This comes after an article published by The Sun exposed text messages containing plans to shield Greek life from scrutiny and oppose women’s health resolutions.

DeLorenzo called for the Assembly to enter executive

session, a closed-door meeting, to discuss the findings of the report and allegations against him as he had information to share of a sensitive nature. While the meeting was not open to the public, multiple Assembly members spoke to The Sun on condition of anonymity to share what was said that was not sensitive in nature.

According to three Assembly members, DeLorenzo appeared apologetic and argued that much of the negative discourse about his actions and leaked text messages were taken out of context. The three Assembly members also said multiple men in the Assembly argued that DeLorenzo did not deserve to be ousted for his personal opinions. Several women serving on the Appropriations Committee voiced their concerns about retaining DeLorenzo after he allegedly subjected them to demeaning comments throughout his time as V.P. Finance, according to two Assembly members.

They said DeLorenzo apologized for creating an uncomfortable work environment for some, but maintained that he was not biased in allocating funding to different student groups, a claim

substantiated by an Office of Ethics investigation released last weekend.

Multiple Assembly members said that right before entering a vote about whether DeLorenzo should remain on the S.A., DeLorenzo decided to resign from his position. He later resigned from his undesignated seat on the Assembly as well.

Zora deRham ’27, current freshman representative and candidate for S.A. president, was voted into the role of V.P. Finance.

The S.A. opened the room to the public for discussion about Lederman and whether he should retain his position. Several students pointed to his actions in pre-planning the removal of ex-president Pedro Da Silveira ’25 despite not being a member of the Assembly at that time, but others defended his actions in aiding the removal of someone who then had a Title IX allegation against him. Da Silveira was later found “not responsible” for the charge.

Ultimately, Lederman retained his position as Vice President of Internal Operations, though the last Assembly meeting is next week.

15-Year-Old Dufresne Leads Sunrise Ithaca

By SILOCHANIE MILLER Sun Contributor

Standing before a crowd of approximately twenty people anxious to hear about the latest climate legislation at Southside Community Center in February, Ace Dufresne was keenly aware of his most surprising quality — despite his seasoned presence within climate organizing, he is only 15 years old.

While Dufresne’s age rarely directly affects his leadership of the Ithaca chapter of the Sunrise Movement — an organization advocating for local and national climate legislation — he said that his approach to organizing has been shaped by his perspective as a young person.

Dufresne sees young people as striving for perfection with climate actions, which he believes comes from a distorted view of progress. Dufresne finds it more productive to strive for small improvements.

“From a net position of society being terrible, maybe we can move a little bit in the positive

direction,” Dufresne said.

For as long as he can remember, Dufresne has been both civically engaged and interested in science. He is the son of two Cornell professors — Prof. Eric Dufresne, engineering and Prof. Alexandra Dufresne, public policy, who is also an immigration lawyer and advocate for refugees.

“I do have sort of a STEM side and the policy side and I’m sort of a weird combination of those. I am really happy and grateful to have both of those forces in my life,” Dufresne said.

When Dufresne lived in Switzerland, he joined Young Greens, the youth organization of the nation’s Green Party. Dufresne latched on to the group but found it struggled to progress materially.

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

Sofa Rubinson can be reached at srubinson@cornellsun.com.

Ace advocates | 15-year-old Ace Dufresne works to inspire other teenagers to engage in climate justice movements with his leadership.

COURTESY OF ACE DUFRESNE

Silochanie Miller can be reached at nsm88@cornell.edu.

TCAT Board to Vote on Route 14S and 83 Suspensions

By DALTON MULLINS Sun Senior Writer

Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit routes 14S and 83 were temporarily suspended in October 2023 due to bus and driver shortages. But with continued driver retention challenges, suspensions may persist if the Board of Directors votes in favor of continuing route closures at its meeting on Thursday, April 25.

Route suspensions have been met with disappointment from local riders, who cited accessibility concerns for elders and individuals who cannot drive due to disabilities.

Route 14S commuted between West Hill and the southwest retail district, which includes Wegmans and Walmart, while route 83 commuted between Cornell’s West Campus and Central Campus and the residential area of Highland Avenue.

The suspensions led to a 20 percent decrease in the bus miles of the geographical areas that routes 14S and 83 serve — West Hill and the residential areas of Highland Avenue, respectively. With this substantiating a “major service reduction,” TCAT policy allows for temporary major service cuts of less than 180 days but necessitates a public comment period and a vote by the Board of Directors for a longer suspension.

TCAT General Manager Matthew Rosenbloom-Jones told The Sun that a shortage in drivers stretched the operating capacity of TCAT so thin that it was forced to suspend 14S and 83, which had very low ridership.

Rosenbloom-Jones said that TCAT is in the process of hiring new operators, who must have a commercial driver’s license. However, retaining drivers can be difficult due to competition with other employers who also seek drivers with CDLs.

“Transit has notoriously difficult work hours. It’s not the job for everyone,” Rosenbloom-Jones said. “We try to do everything we can to retain the drivers but ultimately, once you get that CDL it’s just a very competitive job market.”

TCAT also cited bus shortages for contributing to the suspension of both routes. This follows an announcement by TCAT that all seven of their Proterra electric buses have been taken out of service out of precaution after one of the electric buses was discovered with its axle separated from its frame.

On Wednesday, April 17, TCAT hosted a public hearing for those who wished to express their concerns with proposed continued route reductions.

Former route 14S rider Patricia Frazier said that alternative routes can be unreliable and unsafe.

TCAT currently recommends that those who once used route 14S now use route 14 to travel downtown and then transfer to

route 15 to travel to the southwest shopping areas. For route 83, TCAT recommends that riders now use routes 10 and 31.

Frazier, a Cayuga Meadows resident, said that with a 10-minute walk between where route 14 drops off and where route 15 picks up, riders sometimes miss bus 15 if bus 14 is late. She also noted that because many of the residents of Cayuga Meadows are over 55 years old, the walk can be hazardous with rain or snow.

Margaret McCasland M.S. ’88 said a permanent suspension of route 14S would be a “disaster” and a “disservice” to many local individuals who rely on public transport and are unable to drive, due to conditions like epilepsy or visual impairments.

McCasland also said that Cornell should more extensively finance TCAT to make it easier to hire and retain bus drivers and bring back suspended routes, noting TCAT’s benefits to the Cornell community.

In October 2023, Cornell and TCAT agreed to a four-year payment plan with Cornell to pay TCAT over $3.3 million per year through 2027.

“[Cornell] should be kicking in so much more, McCasland said. “I’m really hoping with the 14S that [TCAT brings] it back as soon as [they] possibly can. Yell and scream at Cornell to help make that easier to do.”

Rosenbloom-Jones emphasized that though the board will vote on the proposal to extend the temporary closure of routes 14S and 83, TCAT is working to bring the routes back as soon as possible.

“Even though our intent is to restore the service as quickly as possible, we do have to go through this mandated process,” Rosenbloom-Jones said. “We’re just looking to get these two routes back right as soon as we have the resources to do so.”

Dalton Mullins can be reached at dmullins@cornellsun.com.

www.cornellsun.com

Pain to Poetry: Te Tortured Poets Department

By AYLA KRUSE LAWSON Sun Contributor

All is fair in love and poetry, but both are not without torture.

Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department is finally here. Tortured Poets presents an ethereal collection of hushed midnight musings that are vulnerable, brutal, unhinged, hopeful and, of course, tinged with torture. Swift provides us with a look into her life as she struggles with emotions determined to drown her while continuing to go above and beyond for her fans. Tortured Poets is a revealing and cathartic album that comes with claws that spare no one, even Swift herself.

On April 18, fans, now members of the department, gathered around the world for the first meeting of the Tortured Poets clad in black and white, ready for heartbreak. As the clock struck midnight, Swifties were met with steady synth beats reminiscent of Midnights, sultry breathless vocals and sepia-shrouded ballads. As one of those expectant Swifties, I excitedly started the album at midnight, but left my first listen feeling underwhelmed. The songs began to blur together as I recognized the same synth beats and the same low agonized vocals and soft melodies. But then the chairman extended the meeting! In a surprise, but very Taylor-esque twist, the megastar announced a double album release at 2 a.m. after leaving a trail of hints involving twos. Yet I again felt myself questioning the necessity of the repetitive style whose lull detracted from the powerful lyrics beneath.

In “Fortnight,” the first song and lead single on the album featuring Post Malone, Swift laments “I was a functioning alcoholic / ‘Til nobody noticed my new aesthetic.” She starts the album by illuminating her despair hiding behind the facade she puts on as a performer while falling through tumultuous relationships in the midst of her famed Eras Tour. Following “Fortnight” is the title song “The Tortured Poets Department,” which is relatively unremarkable, as are many of the other songs in the 31-song double album. The repetitive use of synth and drums unfortunately lock Swift into a relatively simple time signature that lulls listeners into a haze. While this haze may be intentional and in line with the vibe of the album, it makes it harder to appreciate Swift’s iconic lyricism.

“My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” again follows the same sonic formula of the songs before it; however, it stands out in its sweeping chorus. Using the metaphor of a doll, Swift details the ways she felt used and discarded in her relationship, seemingly with her as an unwitting bystander to the affair. There is something about the vocals in the chorus, especially the achingly beautiful glissando on “toys” and “destroys” that coaxes me into pressing replay.

“Down Bad” was one of the only songs, along with “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” that stood out sonically to me with a layered saxophone

melody and a melancholy but catchy chorus. The song has recurring celestial imagery from cosmic love to desired abductions that won’t come which suspend the verses in whimsy while the chorus crashes back to reality full of anguish and a lot of f-bombs. In one of my favorite lyrics from the album, Swift muses “For a moment, I was heavenstruck,” which offers beautiful imagery of feeling more than wonderstruck, but lost in a land of gilded ideals.

Track four transitions abruptly into “So Long, London,” the famed and feared track five of the album. In a pattern familiar to Swifties, track five is often the most devastating and vulnerable song in the album with previous track fives including “Dear John,” “tolerate it” and, of course, “All Too Well.” “So Long, London” delivers in terms of subject, dealing with the heartbreak of letting go of the floating remnants of a relationship. Swift asks “How much sad did you think I had / Did you think I had in me?” which painfully captures what it feels to grasp for something that is dead and how its decay leeches into one’s soul. In the final verse, Swift sings “You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues? / I died on the altar waiting for the proof,” a devastating line made even more so by a connection to “False God” from Lover where Swift describes this same “altar” with undiluted love.

Jumping over to track 9 is “Guilty as Sin?” which I believe to be the most achingly beautiful song on the album and maybe even the best on the whopping 31-song album. “Guilty as Sin?” creates vocals and rhythms that, together, transport the listener away from reality and into gauzy clouds and heady fantasies. However, this is also a song I felt is best enjoyed if the lyrics are ignored. There is something about Taylor Swift’s music that can never be isolated in words, that can only be felt. Many songs have done it in the past and in The Tortured Poets Department, “Guilty as Sin?” is the magical song imbued with power that doesn’t seem to be from this world.

This song epitomizes the album in the best way, a collection of lilting euphonies wrapped in the intoxicating embrace of a hopeless romantic.

Swift asks “Am I bad? Or mad? Or wise?” and really who knows because the careful

listener will leave the album asking themselves the same question. Am I bad because society labeled me this way for daring to break the mold? Am I losing my mind trying to find my place in a world not built for tortured poets? Or really, is there strength in wonder and fantasies? Will the world be saved by the dreamers? Swift thinks so, and I am inclined to agree.

Swift develops on the idea of existing in a world not large enough to accommodate one’s hopes and dreams in “I Hate It Here” from the extended anthology. She sings, “I hate it here so I will go to / Secret gardens in my mind,” a familiar call for the dreamers of the world. As a reader and a lover of fantasy, this song epitomizes midnight longings and subdued reveries stemming from the frustration with the world and its stringent norms. Swift discusses the deepest desires of the poets and dreamers of the world who long to escape into our minds and stare at the stars, wishing for them to stare back.

There are many debates on which relationship Swift sings about in each song, but I believe that is hardly the point. Taylor Swift is one of the most accomplished songwriters of all time because of her musical and literary

prowess, not because of the men in her life. It is far past time we stop linking a woman’s successes to the romantic relationships, breakups and heartbreak she undergoes. This album is not for the fans, not for the critics and certainly not for the men in her life. This album is for Taylor Swift. She is the author of her life, not just a character. This is her story.

All this to say, The Tortured Poets Department is definitely not my favorite album. With the easter egg-laden promotional craze leading up the release, the album itself felt underwhelming and monotonous. So was it the best album? No. But will I keep listening to a few songs on repeat? Absolutely. And that’s the magic of Taylor Swift. As she puts it “[I] put narcotics into all of my songs / And that’s why you’re still singing along.” Aside from its downfalls, the album is an incredibly vulnerable translation of pain that need not be viewed through the lens of a critic. In the end, all that is left is tortured poetry.

Ayla Kruse Lawson is a freshman in the College of Human Ecology. She can be reached at ark278@cornell.edu.

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Independent Since 1880

142nd Masthead

GABRIEL LEVIN 26 Editor in Chief

Today, the Cornell Undergraduate Student Body voted by a ratio of 2:1, with 46.77 percent participation, to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and to divest from the following weapons manufacturers: BAE Systems, Boeing, Elbit Systems, General Dynamics, L3Harris Technologies, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX and ThyssenKrupp.

In this time of conflict, the students of Cornell University have raised their voices together, and spoken out definitively against the violence perpetrated in the Middle East. I speak from my experience in the back of an ambulance and in refugee communities when I say that any loss of life is too much and any distance that a family is displaced is too far.

The results of this referendum are a statement against the killing of civilians; against the structural situation that creates cyclical violence; and against the actions of the Israeli Government — not the people of Israel or the Jewish people. We stand by the humanity and the right to exist of the Jewish and Muslim, Israeli and Palestinian people, and acknowledge that a structure of freedom, equality and peace based in

Zoran Naroo

What an Editorial Is — and Isn't

Personally harassing members of a student-run newspaper over the content of an editorial is immature and unacceptable, especially when those members were not involved in the creation of that editorial. Only the editor in chief, associate editor and opinion editor write editorials at The Sun.

It’s vitally important that the Cornell campus understands the deliberative process that goes into writing Sun editorials. So here’s what you should know about what a Sun editorial is — and isn’t.

The Sun is a newspaper that embraces different perspectives on the issues that matter. Editorials that appear in The Sun don’t necessarily represent the personal viewpoints of every member of The Sun.

Editorials serve as a testament to our paper’s long-standing values. They are a way for the Editorial Board of The Sun to take a stand when history calls for it. They are a voice for what The Sun as an institution believes in. The Editorial Board, which consists of the editor in chief, associate editor and opinion editor, work closely together to produce editorials that are bold and well-researched.

It should never be assumed that the opinions outlined in any given editorial speak for every member of The Sun individually. Editorials also are entirely independent of The Sun’s news coverage, meaning that the views they express have no influence on the facts of objective news stories or the process that goes into writing and reporting on them.

The Cornell Daily Sun has been a fiercely independent, community-driven organization for 143 years, and editorials are one important way The Sun has remained that force for positive change all along.

justice are ultimately to the benefit of all. It is essential, in the spirit of democracy, that we be able to criticize the actions of an institution without condemning the people it claims to represent, just as we must continue to be critical of the actions of our own governments and institutions, even as they claim to represent us.

It is important to remember that while actions abroad can seem so far away, we are no more than six connections away, and often fewer, from every other person in this world. We as a society in these times need to recognize the humanity of our peers and to have empathy for the challenges they face that are not immediately clear.

Everyone deserves the right to peace, security and freedom. While ambitious, it is certainly an impossible dream while oppression, violence, and inequality remain unchallenged. This statement by the Cornell Community is an affirmation of life, and a cry for peace in a grieving world.

Let us embrace it with courage.

Zoran Naroo is a sophomore in the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. He can be reached at zyn4@ cornell.edu.

Kotlikof, Invite David Duke.

What makes peaceful protest destructive, while open and flagrant hate speech isn’t? To Provost Kolikoff, the difference lies in whoever is better suited to line Cornell’s pockets, and stir the least controversy. For Kotlikoff, controversy surrounding the emotional and personal suffering of minorities in the United States and abroad is dangerous but controversy surrounding sending them back is clearly not!

Freedom of speech means many things. To some, it plainly means that people should not be censored for the opinions they have. To others, it means holding alternative perspectives while being respectful of the stories and backgrounds of your peers. For everyone, it seems rather simple to abide by basic rules regarding respecting the speech of others.

For Provost Kolikoff, freedom of speech is an enigma. It’s fine when the good people give their opinions, but it’s slanderous when the bad people give theirs. Like putty, Kolikoff games the concept of free speech to support his ideals when useful, and pushing back when speech is against the status quo.

Provost Kolikoff seems to think that freedom of speech means freedom to prosecute those who disagree with the University. See his stance on the Interim Expressive Activity Policy, calling student activism in favor of Palestine destructive. What makes Ann Coulter deserving of more protections than the students and staff that work and pay for the University to operate?

Provost Kolikoff, any person with access to Google will be able to tell you that hurtful rhetoric leads to hurtful actions. If you see antisemitism and other problems as detrimental to the students of Cornell, inviting Ann Coulter will only encourage more hate on this campus. You seem to be agitating more for a race war than mutual understanding, though you frame the invitation of Coulter as the latter. Would it really be shocking to think

that “respecting alternative perspectives” does not entail giving racists a platform?

If alternative perspectives are to be welcomed, why were students not allowed to bring cameras and recording devices to her talk so that they can record the vitriol spewing from her mouth in real time for the world to see? If she is so capable of giving her opinion, why not then allow students to showcase her thoughts?

It seems that Ann Coulter isn’t actually fine with respecting differing perspectives, shown when calling Communications professor Monica Cornejo a crybaby for giving her opinion. Would she be fine with non-whites in this country, given how she speaks out against non-white chain migration?

Provost Kolikoff is fine with Ann Coulter talking about the lesser value of Afghan and Mexican immigrants, the lesser value of people who don’t “speak our language” (America does not have an official language) and overall uses the same rhetoric clean-shaven white nationalists have used for decades in defending white American heritage. It is reprehensible rhetoric that any student wise enough to be at Cornell (or any professor wise enough to educate here) should condemn. Provost Kolikoff doesn’t mind in the slightest; even when he personally disagrees, he believes that “freedom of expression” trumps the physical and emotional safety of students on this campus. If this is his sincere belief, then I only have one suggestion, in line with his support for inviting white nationalists to campus.

I would recommend inviting David Duke as a guest speaker, as it falls squarely in line with the precedent Provost Kolikoff has now set. As long as he does not advocate for violence in his lecture, he is fine to give his opinion on matters such as non-white immigration to the United States and the rise in antisemitism since October 7th. If anything, it should help loosen controversy after the Coulter debacle, and as far as Kotlikoff is concerned it will help boost Cornell’s image by helping us understand alternative perspectives. Really, why say no?

The Sun's View

Charlie Green, PhD

Charlie Green in a senior lecturer in the department of literatures in English.

Ann Coulter ’ 84 Demonstrates

Her Own Worthless Ideas

To the Editor:

I commend Dina Shlufman, Matthew Kiviat and Benjamin Leynse for their story on Ann Coulter’s most recent visit to Cornell. In simply reporting the event, they demonstrate the worthlessness of Coulter’s ideas in a university setting as well as the problem in the administration’s understanding of “open inquiry.”

Cornell emphasizes the diversity of its student body. That diversity includes our many international and first-generation students, but Coulter sees that diversity as a threat; she titled her talk “Immigration: The Conspiracy To End America,” a title so intentionally ridiculous that it’s impossible to take seriously. In her talk, she offered an immigration policy based on eugenics: that “bringing millions of people from incredibly backward cultures” ultimately “blocks out other countries where we might be able to get the ones who are smarter, taller, more athletic.”

Professor Randy Wayne called Coulter’s comments “reasonable, evidence-based [and] clear. You could disagree with it, but it was civil.” There is no civility in

referring to “incredibly backward cultures” or in forwarding eugenic beliefs; nor is there factuality in the claim that the United States blocks immigrants from Coulter’s preferred countries. These are the extreme rantings of a propagandist who expresses white-nationalist preferences in exchange for money and fame.

Despite that, Provost Michael Kotlikoff again defended inviting Coulter, saying that “Cornell values free and open inquiry and expression and strives to create a community where diverse opinions can be expressed.” I think Kotlikoff misunderstands the value of open inquiry at the University. It does not mean platforming people whose ideas wouldn’t pass five minutes of basic scrutiny in a university classroom; it doesn’t mean platforming a speaker whose ideas insult the lives and work of Cornell’s students, staff and faculty.

That said, I do see a good reason to invite Coulter to Cornell. She is, after all, a Cornell alum, and it’s worth asking how this university produced someone so averse to the values of the University and so in love with the values of fascism.

AVERSION

Nuclear Apocalypse by Halle Buescher

Prof. Shimon Edelmen, Psychology

Written with Lea Esipov ’27; Prof. Eli Friedman, Global Labor and Work; Sivan Gordon-Buxbaum, MPS, Inegrative Plant Science; Prof. Dan Hirschman, Sociology; Vera Kelly ’ 25; Sydney Rosen ’24; Eliza Salomon ’24; Everly Walker ’27; On behalf of Cornell Jewish Alliance for Justice and Cornell Jewish Voice

Jewish Students and Faculty Against Coulter

Dear President Pollack,

We are a group of Jewish faculty, students and staff writing to express our dismay at yesterday’s lecture by Ann Coulter. As you are certainly aware, Coulter has a long track record of making xenophobic, racist, homophobic and antisemitic remarks, even suggesting that Jews should convert to Christianity if they are to stay in the United States.

The title of her talk, “Immigration: The Conspiracy to End America” is a direct reference to antisemitic “replacement theory,” which holds that Jews are conspiring to increase immigration to demographically overwhelm the white race. There is no question that her many white supremacist admirers will understand this dog whistle as intended.

We know that you do not sign off on every speaker who comes to campus, nor should you. Nonetheless, the Provost’s letter in The Sun has put the imprimatur of University leadership on this overtly antisemitic and racist event.

We find it particularly galling that the University would co-sign for this event after all that has transpired since Oct. 7, given how much Cornell has done to restrict free expression among members of its own community — often in the name of Jewish “safety.” At Cornell and elsewhere around the United States, we have seen the claim that critiquing Zionism or advocating for Palestinian freedom is, in and of itself, anti-Semitic. Indeed, the letter you received from House Ways and

Means Committee Chair Jason Smith pointed to people chanting pro-Palestine slogans as evidence of deeply rooted antisemitism at Cornell. Your silence on the matter suggests that the University may agree that anti-Zionism is equivalent to hate speech. We do not. However, given that Coulter unarguably espouses actual antisemitic conspiracy theories, we find the University’s choice rather odd at best, especially since it is touted in the name of promoting protected speech.

We reject the notion that demanding security, dignity and freedom for Palestinians poses a threat to Jews, nor do we feel our “safety” and “comfort” should be marshaled to punish folks on campus. Nonetheless, giving a prominent platform to someone like Coulter serves to normalize bigotry, and runs directly counter to your stated aim of “fostering a community of belonging.” The University’s active support of the Coulter talk suggests a hypocritical invitation of right wing hate speech while left wing political speech is being actively criminalized.

In a moment of an ascendant white supremacy that espouses hatred of Jews along with people of color, Muslims, immigrants, queer people and other marginalized populations, we need morally consistent leadership more than ever. It is therefore particularly distressing that, in bowing to pressure from right wing extremists, Cornell’s leadership has relinquished any legitimacy it may have had to adjudicate what in reality counts as antisemitism.

for Peace

Men’s Lacrosse Defeats Harvard, Secures Spot in Ivy Series

By JANE McNALLY Sun Sports Editor Men’s Lacrosse

When Harvard hosted men’s lacrosse in a consequential Ivy League matchup last year, Cornell walked off the field in Cambridge, M.A., sulking and lamenting what had been a weak offensive outing.

This year, in its home finale, the Red made sure not to relive that feeling. No. 8 Cornell knocked off No. 19 Harvard on Saturday, 15-8, avenging its 2023 loss to the Crimson and clinching a berth in the Ivy League Tournament.

Nine players scored for Cornell, including six with multi-goal games. Senior attackman CJ Kirst, who was recently named a nominee for the Tewaaraton Award, led the way with two goals and three assists on Saturday.

Kirst, though a senior, wasn’t one of the 15 seniors honored after the win. He’ll return next year for one more season donning the Carnelian and White, playing out his final year of eligibility with Cornell.

Among other impressive performers for Cornell stood junior goalkeeper Wyatt Knust, who made 16 saves on Saturday for an impressive 67 percent save percentage.

The Crimson (7-5, 1-4 Ivy) got on the board when Logan Ip fired a rocket that blasted past junior goalkeeper Wyatt Knust. Both goalkeepers stood strong for the majority of the first quarter, while Harvard’s defense kept the prolifically offensive Red off the board for the first nearly seven minutes.

Cornell (8-4, 4-1 Ivy) ultimately got on the board when freshman attackman Willem Firth converted on a brief man-up chance for Cornell, knotting the score at one. The Crimson took the lead less than a minute later, but failed to separate itself any further.

The Red then switched on its offense, embarking on a 4-0 run to close out the quarter with the exception of a late Harvard goal with a minute left. First, junior attackman Danny Caddigan converted on the man-up, a result of a minute-long unreleasable penalty from Harvard. Firth then converted on a wicked rising shot to extend the lead, before

BASEBALL

freshman midfielder Luke Gilmartin and senior midfielder Andrew Dalton scored consecutively to make it 5-2.

Up 5-3 entering the second quarter, Cornell wasted little time getting back on the board. Senior attackman CJ Kirst got in on the scoring around three minutes into the second frame, restoring the three-goal lead.

Knust continued to come up big when Harvard had chances in transition. The Cornell keeper made six saves in the first half and limited Harvard to just three goals.

Cornell cashed in once more in the second quarter, as freshman attackman Ryan Goldstein converted an unassisted score with 3:10 left in the half, closing out a second quarter free of any Harvard offense.

The Red took a five-goal lead at the 11:33 mark of the third when Dalton tacked on his second of the day. Harvard got one back a couple minutes later, as Knust allowed his first goal in nearly 23 minutes of play.

But Cornell had an answer, as it did all afternoon, as Kirst collected his second goal of the day and 41st of the year off a pass from fifth-year faceoff Angelo Petrakis, making it a 9-4 game. The Red hit double-digits when Firth found senior midfielder Hugh Kelleher, who made no mistakes in finding the nylon for the six-goal lead.

Fifth-year attackman Michael Long became the eighth Cornell scorer of the afternoon when he fired a shot from distance into a vacant Harvard net with just over three minutes left in the quarter. The goal extended Long’s scoring streak to 29 games, the seventh longest in the nation.

It was only a matter of time before Harvard’s Sam King got on the board, and he did so with 1:23 left in the third. King, who beat Knust cleanly, averages the second-most points per game in the nation with 6.09. King, who finished with two goals on Saturday, was marked well by Cornell’s defense in one of the corps’ strongest showings this year.

But the Crimson couldn’t escape the third unscathed –– Kelleher posted his second tally with just 15 seconds left in the quarter to suck the wind out of Harvard’s sails. Cornell

capped off yet another dominant third quarter, outscoring the Crimson, 5-2, continuing a year-long trend of dominance for the already red-hot offense.

Harvard opened the final frame with two quick goals, including one on the man-up. But just 40 seconds after the second of those two, fifth-year attackman Spencer Wirtheim fired a beautiful shot to interrupt Harvard’s offense.

Not only did Cornell’s attack come up big on Saturday, but it did a particularly strong job at halting any Crimson momentum and barring large runs, as it did in Sunday’s game against No. 1 Notre Dame.

Goldstein and Wirtheim both collected

their second goals of the game in the final few minutes, separated by one Harvard goal, taking a 15-8 score to the buzzer.

The win secures Cornell a spot in the 2024 Ivy League Tournament. The location is to be determined and will be hosted at the No. 1 seed. Cornell is in contention to host, particularly if Princeton defeats Penn on Saturday.

The Red will take the field for its season finale next Saturday, where it’ll take on Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. Cornell has the opportunity to host the Ivy League tournament with a win.

Jane McNally can be reached at jmcnally@cornellsun.com.

Baseball Secures Fourth Sraight Ivy League Series Against Yale

By SAM KIMBALL Sun Staff Writer

Following a come-from-behind victory in a four-run ninth inning on Tuesday against Binghamton, baseball (13-14, 10-5 Ivy) traveled back home for a weekend set against Yale. Having won three of its first four Ivy League series thus far, the Red looked to continue its strong stretch.

Cornell picked up yet another comeback victory in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader after a seven-run eighth inning brought the Red back into the game, setting up an extra-inning walk-off hit in the tenth. Saturday evening saw Cornell pull away in the later innings to secure an 8-2 win, but Sunday’s matchup went to the Bulldogs in a tight 6-3 battle.

“Yale came in hot having won a series against Columbia who is in first place. We knew it would be a challenge but we were ready for it,” said head coach Dan Pepicelli.

Yale controlled Saturday’s game for seven of the ten innings but came

out with the loss. The Bulldogs began the scoring in the second inning when outfielder Kaiden Dossa knocked in a run with a single. The next batter Garrett Larsen added on with a single of his own to pick up Yale’s second run of the game.

The Red’s pitching struggled throughout the game with sophomore pitcher Carson Mayfield surrendering seven hits and five earned runs in only three and one-third innings of work. In relief, freshman pitcher Huxley Holcombe only went three innings, giving up three runs and walking five batters through his three innings of work.

Falling behind 8-0, the bottom of the eighth proved to be the turning point for the Red. After two runners reached base, junior infielder Max Jensen doubled home Cornell’s first run of the game. Three batters later, freshman catcher Mark Quatrani came up with a single in the clutch to bring home two more runs and cut the deficit to five.

But the Red wasn’t done just yet. A single by sophomore infielder TJ

Swidorski loaded the bases, leading to the largest moment of the game. Senior infielder Matt Barnhorst launched a pitch to right field for a grand slam, marking his fourth home run of the year and cutting the lead to one.

In the ninth, a hit and a walk by Cornell set the table for sophomore outfielder Caden Wildman who tied the game on a single through the left side, sending it to extra innings.

“I was most impressed with the battle and fight in the team,” Pepicelli said. “There was some frustration that we did not have more success earlier in the game, but the team was ready to go [when the time came].”

In the top of the tenth inning, the Bulldogs led off with a triple but only managed to score one run to take the short lead. In the bottom of the inning, two quick outs put the Red at the doorstep of defeat, but a rally kept its hopes alive. A single and walk brought up junior outfielder John Quinlan who doubled home two runs and sent the Red home happy.

“It was a huge win,” Pepicelli said.

“They are all big but we know we can come back and we are dangerous in that way. There is a special chemistry right now that the coaching staff is enjoying watching. I think it speaks to the leadership of the upperclassmen.”

In Saturday’s second game of the doubleheader, both Yale and Cornell picked up two runs in the early innings before the Red began to slowly pull away. In the fourth inning, Quinlan continued his hot day at the plate with a home run to right field to put the Red in the lead, 4-2.

On the mound, sophomore pitcher Noah Keller excelled, allowing only four hits and two runs over his six innings of work.

Cornell added another run in the sixth and three in the eighth to lead the team to an 8-2 victory and a sweep of the doubleheader.

In Sunday’s series finale, a comeback attempt in the late innings proved to be too little too late in the 6-3 loss. Both teams recorded a run in the second inning with a hit by Larsen knocking in a run for Yale,

and Quatrani launching a solo shot over the right-field fence.

Yale continued to add on throughout the game, scoring in the third and fifth and adding three more runs in the seventh to take a 6-1 lead and went on to win 6-3.

With the series win, the Red improves to 10-5 in the Ivy League. It is in second place in the league behind Columbia (19-14, 12-3 Ivy League), whom Cornell will face next.

“[Columbia] will be a big challenge,” Pepicelli said. “We are trying to make sure over the weekend that we are the good version of ourselves. If we are, it will be a very competitive series and we will put ourselves in a position to have a very favorable weekend.”

The series will take place at Booth Field beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 27 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. followed by Sunday’s finale at noon.