INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 131, No. 76
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
12 Pages – Free
News
Arts
Sports
Weather
Handling the Truth
Musical Gymnast
Four Straight Wins
Snow HIGH: 23° LOW: 14º
Cornell’s Mock Trial team earned second place in the Big Red Invitational Classic Tournament. | Page 3
Christopher Stanton ’17 says Lupe Fiasco is a “weird dude” and an “acrobat with words.” | Page 8
The wrestling team picked up two wins, making four straight for the Red. | Page 12
Amid Controversy, Cornell To Partake in AAU Survey
Interfaith faces
26 universities opt out of sexual assault survey By JEANETTE SI Sun Staff Writer
Though 26 universities have declined to participate in a sexual assault survey conducted by the Association of American Universities, Cornell announced Thursday that it still plans to participate in the survey. Two dozen colleges belonging to the AAU — including Princeton, Stanford and Johns Hopkins — have decided to refrain from participating in the survey, citing concerns about its efficacy, according to Inside Higher Ed. The anonymous survey will compile data from 800,000 undergraduate and graduate students across the nation, and
produce a publicly available set of aggregate results, although each university’s data will only be released to its respective administrators, according to the AAU. With the exception of the names of university-specific organizations, all participants will also answer a uniform set of questions. Sixteen researchers wrote a letter expressing their concerns about the survey in a Nov. 17 letter to the leaders of AAU universities, where they urged university leaders to reject the survey. Led by Jennifer Freyd — a University of Oregon professor — the researchers point to the survey’s lack of transparency, a $85,000 participation fee per university and uniformity as some of its main short-
MICHELLE FELDMAN / SUN SENIOR EDITOR
Members of various religious groups conversed at the Faces of Faith event in the Memorial Room Monday.
comings. “Without comparative data among institutions, the practical value of a nationwide survey will be severely limit-
ed. ... Furthermore, spending $85,000 for a non-transparent survey may well See SURVEY page 4
Cornell Employee Killed in TCAT Bus Accident Monday Following second fatal accident, mayor addresses pedestrian safety
By ANNIE BUI Sun News Editor
A Cornell staff member was killed Monday in an accident involving a Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit bus on North Campus, according to the University. Angela Stedwell, the pedestrian struck in the fatal accident, was an administrative assistant for the Department of Human Development in the College of Human Ecology. The incident occurred on the 200 block of Jessup Road, according to police. Stedwell was hit by the TCAT bus as she was crossing Jessup Road near the A Lot. Responders were called to the scene at around 7:30 a.m. An investigation into the circumstances of the accident is ongoing, according to the University. The Cayuga Heights Police Department is leading the investigation. TCAT is working with local authorities as well as the New York State Public Transportation Safety Board during the course of the investigation, according to Patty Poist, communications and marketing manager for TCAT.
By SOFIA HU Sun Senior Writer
CHRIS PHARE / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Do not cross | Emergency responders were at the scene of a TCAT bus accident Monday morning.
A state investigator was on-site to speak with the bus driver and TCAT’s operations team, Poist said. The name of the bus operator will not be released. “At this juncture, there is no way of telling how long the investigation will take,” Poist said. “TCAT extends heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to Angela's loved ones.” Mary Opperman, vice president of human See TCAT page 4
Following the deaths of two pedestrians, Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 addressed how the Ithaca community can increase the safety of pedestrians and drivers. In a fatal acident on Saturday morning, Oluchukwu Onuora ’15, a student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was struck by a motor vehicle on Route 96 outside of Ithaca. No charges are being pursued against the driver, according to the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office. On Monday morning, Angela Stedwell, an administrative assistant for the College of Human Ecology, was hit by a Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit Bus while crossing
Jessup Road at around 7:30 a.m., according to police. “We’ve been dealt a series of tragic blows,” Myrick said. “The pain their families are experiencing is unimaginable, and I know that the entire Ithaca Community holds them in our thoughts.” The quick succession of the two fatal accidents has led many to question how to improve the street safety, according to Myrick. “Safer streets require two things: better awareness and better infrastructure,” Myrick said. In 2014, Ithaca added several features to improve pedestrian safety, including new traffic signals with “improved pedestrians features” and ‘bump outs’ at intersections that See SAFETY page 5
Gabe Kennedy ’12 Wins ABC Reality Cooking Show The Taste By GABRIELLA LEE Sun Staff Writer
Gabe Kennedy ’12 was crowned the champion of ABC’s cooking competition show The Taste on Thursday, winning a $100,000 prize and his own cooking show on ABC’s website. Kennedy — who graduated from the School of Hotel Administration — won the finale with his three-course meal of
scallop wrapped oysters, spiced honeyglazed duck breast and a donut dessert. Kennedy described his food as not only refined, but also accesible and approachable. According to Kennedy, his food philosophy centers on maintaining a connection with his creations. “I transport myself to a rice paddy in Indonesia if I’m cooking a curry or the fishing docks in Baja if I’m grilling up some fish,” he said. “I think its impor-
tant to have a connection with your food, so the products I use are local, they’re seasonal they’re sustainable.” Kennedy said his goal of making an KENNEDY ’12 impact on the food industry eventually led him to Cornell, which felt like a “natural progression.”
Kennedy enrolled in Cornell through a collaborative joint degree program between the University and the Culinary Institute of America — where he trained at before joining the hotel school. “I want to make an impact in the world and I want to make a difference See TASTE page 5
