02 13 14 entire issue lo res

INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880

The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 131, No. 89

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

!

ITHACA, NEW YORK

12 Pages – Free

News

Arts

Sports

Weather

A Heartfelt Story

Forget Me Not

On the Mat

Partly Cloudy HIGH: 4º LOW: -4º

Rebecca DeRoller talks abour her experience receiving a heart transplant. | Page 3

Laura Boland ’15 reviews Still Alice, a film which chronicles a woman’s battle with Alzheimer’s. | Page 8

The wrestling team will host Drexel for the first round of “National Duals” on Sunday. | Page 12

Administration Addresses Health Fee Protesters require every student not enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan to pay $350 a After protests against the year — is intended to help pay new mandatory student health off “borrowed funds” that were fee, Susan Murphy ’73 Ph.D. used for increased flu treatment ’94, vice president for student and mental health services.

“There was not sufficient academic services, released a statement Wednesday calling permanent funding available to pay for those expanded services, the fee “necessary.”

“The University student health so we relied initially on gifts and fee introduced last week under- reserves, and then borrowed standably has created concern for funds internally to cover the costs,” she some students said.

“We and their fam“It is our responsibility now must ilies,” Murphy said. “How- ... to make sure everyone in resolve the ever, the fee is our community who needs f u n d i n g issue, includnecessary to help gets it.” ing paying create a susback those tainable model Susan Murphy ’73 Ph.D ’94 borrowed for health serfunds so they vices while also increasing accessibility and can be used elsewhere.”

According to Murphy, $200 protecting student privacy.”

Murphy said Cornell has of each student’s $350 payment been forced to change its health — approximately 57 percent — care funding model because of will go towards paying back “two major public health crises” those borrowed funds.

In addition to paying off the — a H1N1 outbreak and a rash of suicides, both of which University’s debts, Murphy said occurred during the 2009-2010 the fee is intended to address school year. In addition to these “longstanding access issues” crises, Murphy said Cornell has reported by students not experienced increased enroll- enrolled in SHIP. “The additional funding ment, and consequently more generated by the health fee — demand for healthcare.

According to Murphy, the See GANNETT page 4 new health fee — which will

By ZOE FERGUSON Sun Senior Writer

#FightTheFee | Susan Murphy ’73 Ph.D. ’94 addresses questions from students about the new health fee in the Williard Straight Hall Memorial Room Thursday.

JENNIE LI / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

V.P. Murphy details Gannett finances at town hall meeting

By SOFIA HU Sun Senior Writer

Addressing a crowd of over 80 students, Susan Murphy ’73 Ph.D. ’94, vice president for student and academic services, fielded questions on the $350 student health fee and University finances at the Student Assembly forum Thursday.

Even with the new health fee, it will take Gannett Health Services an estimated six or seven years to pay off its $4 million debt.

“The total amount that we had to borrow for the two years plus interest is in excess of $4 million,” Murphy said.

See FEE page 5

Indie Rock Band Dr.Dog Will Perform at Cornell in March

In memory

By GABRIELLA LEE

for their live shows, according to Rolling Stone.

“Loved for their original melodies and thought provoking lyrics, Dr. Dog takes pride Dr. Dog — a six-man indie rock band from in creating a unique and unforgettable live West Grove, Pennsylvania — will perform at experience, unlike any studio album,” the Bailey Hall on March 15, according to the release said.

Cornell Concert Commission.

Scott McMicken, guitarist-vocalist of Dr. The band, who debuted their first album Dog, said in past albums the band drew inspiration from other musical groups “Now is the perfect time to bring Dr. Dog as — like the Rolling Stones and the Velvet Underground — with roots they are just coming off the release of in live presentations, according to their first live album.” the band’s website.

“Concert Commission has Ryan Enderby ’16 already received a great deal of positive feedback and heard excitement Toothbrush in 2002, released their first live from the Cornell community,” Enderby said. album Live at Flamingo Hall in January, accord- “We are very much looking forward to the ing to a Cornell Concert Commission press show and we are thrilled that so many students release. on campus are as well.”

“Now is the perfect time to bring Dr. Dog Tickets will be available on the Cornell as they are just coming off the release of their Concerts website beginning Feb. 17 for stufirst live album,” said Ryan Enderby ’16, exec- dents and Feb. 18 for the general public, utive director of the Cornell Concert according to the release.

Commision.

Dr. Dog is known for creating exciting live Gabriella Lee can be reached at performances and has acquired a strong following glee@cornellsun.com.

Sun Staff Writer

CONNOR ARCHARD / SUN SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

A vigil at the Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room mourns the deaths of three students killed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earlier this week.

2 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, February 13, 2015

Today

Friday, February 13, 2015

weather FORECAST

Daybook Today Immigrant Worker Rights and Organizing: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Doherty Lounge, Ives Hall Botanical Cyanotypes by Laurie Snyder 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Nevin Welcome Center, Cornell Plantations Challah for Hunger 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Mann Library Strange Bedfellows?: Abolitionism and White Supremacy – Louis Agassiz, Ezra Cornell and A.D. White 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Hoyt Fuller Room, Africana Studies and Research Center

Wild Flowers for a Winter Season 8 a.m - 5 p.m., 2nd Floor Mann Gallery, Mann Library Staged, Performed, Manipulated 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Floor 2L, Johnson Museum Margaret Bourke-White: From Cornell Student To Visionary Photojournalist 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Floor 2L, Johnson Museum C.U. Jazz Jam Session 5 - 7 p.m., Jansen’s Dining Room, Hans Bethe House

.com

w.cornells ww

un

The Corne¬ Daily Sun INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880 Editor in Chief

ALL DEPARTMENTS

Business Manager

Catherine Chen ’15

(607) 273-3606

Business: For questions regarding advertising, classifieds, subscriptions or delivery problems, please call from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

News: To report breaking news or story ideas, please call after 5 p.m., SundayThursday.

SEND A FAX VISIT THE OFFICE THE SUN ONLINE E-MAIL

Today

Tomorrow

Hi: 4° F Lo: -4° F Partly Cloudy

Hi: 27° F Lo: 2° F Snow

Quotes of the Week News, “Skorton Will Hold Meetings to Discuss University Finances,” Monday Speaking about the imposition of the new health fee “The administrators gave an orverview of the Gannett funding model and said they were being squeezed [financially]. Then they introducerd the consideration of a fee, but it seemed like they were already set on heaving the fee and the meeting was just a formality..”

David Vakili ’16, S.A. Representative News, “Students Confront Skorton,” Tuesday Speaking about the student occupation of Day Hall in protest of the $350 health fee “Ms. Zoner informed me that at this point in time, if we continue being disruptive, and disruptive means having a lot of speeches or having music, she’s going to have to consider accountability options. What that means is J.A.s.”

Michael Ferrer ’16

Tomorrow

Haley Velasco ’15

DAYBOOK

(607) 273-0746 139 W. State Street, Ithaca, N.Y. www.cornellsun.com sunmailbox@cornellsun.com

Postal Information: The Cornell Daily Sun (USPS 132680 ISSN 1095-8169) is published by THE CORNELL DAILY SUN, a New York corporation, 139 W. State St., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850.

The Sun is published Monday through Friday during the Cornell University academic year, with three special issues: one for seniors in May, one for alumni in June and one for incoming freshmen in July, for a total of 143 issues per year. Subscription rates are: $137.00 for fall term, $143.00 for spring term and $280.00 for both terms if paid in advance. First-class postage paid at Ithaca, New York.

Postmaster: Send address changes to The Cornell Daily Sun, 139 W. State St., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850.

Opinion, “Learning How to Fail,” Wednesday Speaking about the importance of growing through failure “At Cornell, much of one’s success is ultimately defined by a job offer or acceptance letter, and I empathize with the stresssful nature of the internship and job hunt. All this work and effort put into the ultimate goal of success bargins for introspecive moments, in which we decide how we plan to react to failure.”

Philip Susser ’16 News, “Faculty Discuss Provost Search, Inauguration Day,” Thursday Speaking about the importance of seeking support to relieve stress “Someone who is a scholar with a reputation in the academy; someone who is focused on academic excellence in the highest priority.”

Alan Mathios, Vice-Chair of the Provost Search Committee

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, February 13, 2015 3

NEWS

Heart Transplant Recipient Shares Her Story

By EMILY FRIEDMAN Sun Contributor

Rebecca DeRoller, assistant to the director of the Latin American studies program, described her experience receiving a heart transplant at the Soup and Hope lecture series Thursday.

In her talk, DeRoller said she needed a heart transplant after she experienced a heart failure the summer after the birth of her third child. According to DeRoller, she began experiencing symptoms, such as exhaustion, coughing and nausea, which eventually became so severe that she decided to go to the emergency room.

“I was nauseous and bent over a bucket, and a voice in my head said ‘Rebecca, you’re dying,’” DeRoller said.

It was at the emergency room that DeRoller said she was told she was experiencing heart failure as a result of the improper functioning of her left ventricle.

She needed a transplant and was even admitted to hospice care because of the high chance that she would die before a donor heart became available.

After months of waiting, DeRoller said she was ecstatic when she was told she would receive a heart donation. However, she faced another medical challenge when she had a bad reaction to the anti-rejection medication, resulting in brain swelling and meningitis. She was rushed into emergency brain surgery and placed in a sedative induced coma. Eventually, after weeks of recovery, DeRoller said she was cleared to go home.

“I was so grateful to be back with my family… I vowed to stay active and do as

CONNOR ARCHARD / SUN SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Change of heart | Rebecca DeRoller shares the story of her heart transplant as a part of the Soup and Hope speaker series in Sage Hall Thursday. much as I could,” DeRoller said.

DeRoller described her experience as a transplant recipient as a defining moment.

“In my experience, hope takes root in every moment when you decide to make a shift in your identity from victim to victor,” DeRoller said. “Transplantation is unique in that it involves not only the illness, the patient and the doctor, but also the unselfish generosity of an often anonymous donor.”

In January 2014, DeRoller said she experienced another medical emergency when her body rejected her transplanted heart.

According to DeRoller, the doctors doubted whether she would survive this setback.

“This last time I was in the hospital, they had to do what they always do — very invasive and painful procedure,” DeRoller said.

“There is no certainty whether or not what the doctors are attempting to do is going to work. Without hope, and by this I mean making the choice to be a victor rather than a victim, I would have very little chance of pulling through.”

Throughout her experience, DeRoller said she has expressed her gratitude to her donor and his family by keeping her heart healthy, competing in the Olympic-style Transplant Games and taking every opportunity she has had to thank the families of organ donors.

DeRoller said she has stayed active by learning to rollerblade and snowblade alongside her children. Although she has limited contact with her own donor’s family, she said she has learned that he was an 18year-old boy who also enjoyed rollerblading.

“I felt strong, and I wanted to give back to the transplant community … It is quite the responsibility, having someone else’s heart in you,” DeRoller said. “It makes you want to do everything possible to keep that heart healthy.”

DeRoller said she deeply sympathizes with families facing the difficult decision about organ donation following the death of a loved one, but also urges those to consider the impact that organ donations can have.

“It is hope that propelled the donor mom to say ‘yes, although my child is no longer with me, I’m going to give someone else the chance of life,’” DeRoller said.

“That mom would have no idea how many lives she affected by her unselfish decision.”

DeRoller concluded by saying she knows many have experienced similar struggles, challenges and losses. She said she believes that humor, hope and gratitude can help everyone cope with the hardships in their lives.

“These are the moments of hope, the times when you look at things differently, when you decide that you don't want to suffer life’s challenges like a victim, but rather ride the wave of hope,” DeRoller said.

“Hope is all around us.”

Emily Friedman can be reached at ebf42@cornell.edu.

C.U.Roosevelt Institute to Benefit From Grant

By STEPHANIE YAN Sun Contributor

Local Ithaca Company Recieves Federal Grant for ADIS Testing

Ithaca company Rheonix Inc. received a $1.5 million federal grant from the National Institute of Health this week to finish the development of a new HIV/AIDS test kit, according to The Ithaca Journal. The new initiative would use an automated assay, capable of detecting HIV/AIDS antibodies and viral RNA in a single specimen.

Ithaca Named Best College Town

Ithaca was named the number one college town in America by the American Institute for Economic Research, according to its website. In a list of the top 20 college towns, Ithaca is awarded the top spot due to its entrepreneurial activity, re search and development and natural beauty.

National FBI Chief Speaks About Police and Race

FBI director James Comey said Thursday that the cynicism of the police that can taint their attitudes about race, according to The New York Times. His speech was intended to encourage a national dialog, The Times reported.

The Cornell Roosevelt Institute plans to capitalize on publicity from a $750,000 grant — awarded to the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network by the MacArthur Foundation on Feb. 5 — to encourage student involvement in public policy on campus, according to Hilary Gelfond ’16, president of Cornell’s chapter.

The MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions is the equivalent of the foundation’s “genius grants” for nonprofit organizations, according to a Roosevelt Institute Campus Network press release.

The institute, which was founded in 2004 and aims to engage young adults in public policy, has had an active chapter at Cornell since 2009, according to Gelfond. She said she hopes the MacArthur award will help the chapter continue to expand their campus presence. “[We’re] really grateful to have been given the MacArthur Award, and we’re definitely going to be building on it,” Gelfond said. “It’s a great opportunity to get our name out there.”

The Roosevelt Institute Campus Network is the first and largest public policy think tank aimed at college students, Gelfond said.

According to Joelle Gamble, the Campus Network’s national director, the institute will put some of the MacArthur grant in reserve and use the rest to create a better communications infrastructure and new training pro-

grams for students.

“I think the best way for [Cornell students] to think about it is that we’ll be a stronger, more efficient organization,” Gamble said. “It is an investment in future Roosevelters. So [the changes will] be impactful now, but the biggest impact will be felt several years from now.”

Gelfond said Cornell Roosevelt Institute members participate in one of seven policy centers and write proposals for related policy issues. These proposals are published online and in print at the end of the semester. “[We seek] to introduce policy writing to students who haven't been exposed to it before,” said Nicholas Raskin ’16, the Cornell chapter’s senior

policy chairman.

According to Gelfond, some Cornell students have had their proposals published in the institute’s national journal, and a few members have even gone on to work for the institute itself.

“One of our analysts last semester had the opportunity to go to the White House and present a policy proposal on the environment,” Gelfond said.

“That just shows how much of an impact we can have.”

Gamble said she believes that the program’s success in connecting students to the resources they need to implement their ideas in real-life situations contributed to its MacArthur Award win.

“A lot of times, young people are asked to be campaigners, they’re asked to make phone

calls [and donate] money … we’re never asked for our ideas, and we’re never given the agency to create the kind of change we want to see,” Gamble said.

Raskin added that Cornell’s Roosevelt Institute encouraged him to explore policy making in education reform.

“I always had an interest in education reform, but it was only through joining the Roosevelt Institute that I really began to think about the pros and cons of proposed solutions and [even] my own ideas,” Raskin said. “[Joining] has helped me understand how reform can begin at a local level.”

Stephanie Yan can be reached at smy43@cornell.edu.

Divest now

CONNOR ARCHARD / SUN SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Student sustainability group Divest Now gives out hot chocolate and starts conversations about sustainability and the University's dependence on fossil fuels on the Arts Quad Thursday.

4 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, February 13, 2015

Attention Advertisers: Presidents Day Break Deadlines Display Advertising Deadlines:

Thursday, February 12 at 3:00 p.m . for the Wednesday, February 18, 201 5 issue.

Friday, February 13 at 12 noon for the Thursday, February 19, 2015 issu e.

Classified Deadline:

Thursday, February 12 at 2:30 p.m . for the Wednesday, February 18, 201 5 issue.

The Sun’s Business Office will close at noon on Friday, February 13. W e will reopen Wednesday, February 18 at 9:00 a.m.

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

139 W. State Stree t • Ithaca, N 607-273-3606 Y 14850•

NEWS

Vice President Murphy Defends New Controversial Health Fee

Proposed advisory committee will address concerns,Murphy says DEBATE

Continued from page 1

sentation in the decision-making process. Murphy said she intends to create an advisory committee which will including students, faculty and administrators, in order to address these concerns.

“The committee will function much like the Student Insurance Advisory Committee does for the insurance plan, providing guidance to balance needs and costs each year,” she said.

Murphy said students must collaborate with

$150 per student — will be used to eliminate most charges at the time of care, reducing barriers that have proven increasingly problematic for many,” she said.

According to Murphy, revenue from the fee will also go towards addressing “privacy concerns” about Gannett services voiced by students on private insurance plans.

“It is our responsibility to work together, to Though Murphy did not explain how the health fee will lead directly make sure everyone in the community who to the resolution of those issues, she said Gannett’s new funding model needs help gets it. That is a burden, would “alleviate” questions of student confidentiality. and a benefit, we all share.”

“Currently, if students are on Susan Murphy ’73 Ph.D. ’94 their parents’ insurance and a claim is submitted by any healthcare provider, the family is notified by the insurance company of services billed through a administrators to alleviate the shared “burden” of type of receipt called an Explanation of Benefits,” meeting the health needs of a large university.

Murphy said. “Under the new model, services “It is our responsibility to work together, to delivered at Gannett such as tests for sexually make sure everyone in our community who needs transmitted infections are covered without needing help gets it,” she said. “That is a burden, and a to file an insurance claim, improving student con- benefit, we all share.” fidentiality.”

The health fee has been widely criticized by stu- Zoe Ferguson can be reached at dents who say they did not have adequate repre- zferguson@cornellsun.com.

www.cornellsun.com

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, February 13, 2015 5

NEWS

Murphy: Univ.Put Student Assembly in ‘Awkward’ Position FEE

sent by S.A. President Sarah Balik ’15 to representatives, urging them to keep quiet about the information.

It is uncertain whether the fee “Because of the focus groups, will be reduced or removed once we sort of knew that this would be Gannett’s debt is paid off. The likely to spread,” Murphy said. administration will have to reeval“We were still having a work in uate its health care funding model progress, so … we were asking not once the debt is paid off and deterto go put it on the front page of the mine whether the new building paper, because it might not turn expansion will lead to increased out the way we were having the maintenance costs, according to discussion.”

Murphy.

Transparency Needed In addition, because the roles of Many students also asked about students and administrators are Not the Only Cost Increase the level of transparency in “different,” there is some informaStudents brought up several University governance and why tion that it is inappropriate for stuconcerns about the fee, including students were not more involved in dents to have, according to what students receiving financial the decision to implement a fee.

Murphy. aid can do if the fee is a finan“There’s informacial hardship, since financial “If you’ve ever [thought] how much tion that involves staff aid does not cover the fee. salary and benefit plans “If you’ve ever given a Cornell is going to cost you, you’re on a and some of the inforthought to how much Cornell tight budget and you just can’t take out mation is not appropriis going to cost you, you’re on another loan. Is there another option?” ate for students to a tight budget and you can’t have. And in some just take out another loan. Is cases, that’s not why Stephen Masterson ’16 there another option?” you’re here,” Murphy Stephen Masterson ’16 said.

“Why aren’t students included said. “You’re here to go to class, to “At this point, we do not have in decisions that affect us?” asked learn, to become active. I’m here to another path,” Murphy answered. Daniel Marshall ’15. be an administrator, to try to run “We’ll have to see whether we end Murphy said that, while the organizations. It would be unfair up with students who really have administration consulted focus to burden you with the full no place to turn. That is not our groups of students, the University amount as I try to figure out our expectation.” had made a “mistake” in not budget issues.”

Additionally, the new $350 involving more students in the However, while Murphy admithealth fee for students not enrolled decision and had also put S.A. rep- ted that the fee was introduced to on Cornell’s Student Health resentatives in an “awkward” posi- students without enough detail, Insurance Plan will not be the only tion. she said that information on cost increase Cornell students will Some S.A. representatives were University finances is openly availface in the next academic year. told “confidential information” able.

Tuition costs are expected to rise as about the fee before its announce“My personal feeling is its not well, according to Murphy. ment and recently came under fire for a lack of information,” Murphy “Yes, there will be a tuition following the surfacing of an email said. “It’s for a lack of making the Continued from page 1

increase,” Murphy said. “In my 45 years [at this] University, I have never seen [a year] that there has not been one.”

In March, the Board of Trustees approved a $1,920 increase for undergraduate tuition, from $58,808 to $60,728, The Sun previously reported. Tuition has increased by more than $10,000 in the last five academic years.

information understandable and accessible.”

Open Mic

Many students stayed after the town hall and continued to discuss Cornell’s financial and governance structure after Murphy left the meeting.

Emma Johnston ’16, arts and sciences representative for the S.A. and chair of the S.A. community life committee, expressed frustration over the University’s “funding priorities.”

Johnston said that while working on community life issues with administrators — issues such as adding Blue Lights or bike lanes on campus — she is often told that “the funds are dried up.”

“I don’t know what that says about our funding priorities,” she said. “Why can’t philanthropy be funding student health?”

Students also talked about the criticism recently levied against the “#FightTheFee” protesters on social media. Following the Day Hall occupation and confrontation with President David Skorton on

Monday, many students criticized the protesters for being rude and disrespectful to administrators.

“There’s been a lot of flak for being rude [and] for not using the proper channels,” Allison Lapehn ’17 said. “But the proper channels are not working.”

Joseph Fridman ’17 added that the administration was being “disrespectful” to students for not involving them more on such issues.

“It’s important for us to keep in mind that the way this University, the way that universities and colleges are run in America, are not the only way that the can function,” Zakiya Wells ’17 said.

“We’re paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to attend this University. I don’t know about you but if I’m going to pay that amount of money to something, I’m going to make sure I have some sort of stake in that.”

Christopher Byrns contributed reporting to this story.

Sofia Hu can be reached at shu@cornellsun.com.

OPINION

Ross Gitlin |

The Corne¬ Daily Sun Independent Since 1880 132ND EDITORIAL BOARD HALEY VELASCO ’15 Editor in Chief

CATHERINE CHEN ’15

TYLER ALICEA ’16

CAROLINE FLAX ’15

ZACH STEELE ’15

NICK DE TULLIO ’15

SCOTT CHIUSANO ’15

Business Manager

Managing Editor

Associate Editor

Advertising Manager

Web Editor

Sports Editor

RACHEL ELLICOTT ’15

ALEX REHBERG ’16

Blogs Editor

Multimedia Editor

ELIZABETH SOWERS ’15

KELLY YANG ’15

Design Editor

News Photography Editor

CONNOR ARCHARD ’15

NOAH RANKIN ’16

Sports Photography Editor

City Editor

ANNIE BUI ’16

ANUSHKA MEHROTRA ’16

News Editor

News Editor

KAITLYN TIFFANY ’15

SEAN DOOLITTLE ’16

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Arts & Entertainment Editor

KATHLEEN BITTER ’15

KAY XIAO ’16

Science Editor

Dining Editor

CHARDAE VARLACK ’15

SYDNEY ALTSCHULER ’16

Associate Multimedia Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

EMILY BERMAN ’16

ANNA FASMAN ’16

Assistant Sports Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

NICOLE HAMILTON ’16

MANU RATHORE ’15

EMMA LICHTENSTEIN ’16

KATHLEEN SHIM ’15

Graphic Design Editor

Outreach Coordinator

Marketing Manager

Social Media Manager

LUISE YANG ’15

CHRISTOPHER UHLER ’15

Human Resources Manager

The Spot Manager

ARIELLE CRUZ ’15

ALEXA DAVIS ’16

Senior Editor

Senior Editor

MICHELLE FELDMAN ’15

DARA LEVY ’16

Senior Editor

Senior Editor

JAYNE ZUREK ’16 Senior Editor

WORKING ON TODAY’S SUN PHOTO EDITORS ONLINE DESKER

Kelly Yang ’15 Connor Archard ’15 Sierra Pregosin ’18

EDITORS IN TRAINING EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR DESIGN EDITOR ARTS EDITOR NEWS DESKERS SPORTS EDITOR

Alex Rehberg ’16 Annie Bui ’16 Anushka Mehrotra ’16 Jayne Zurek ’16 Troy Sherman ’18 Phoebe Keller ’18 Rebecca Blair ’17 Anna Fasman ’16

& Villains

VillSAins And C-Town Heroes As the VILLAINOUS onslaught of winter storms before February Break continues to send the proletariats of Cornell University indoors to skip class and watch Netflix, the true HEROES and VILLAINS stepped into the snow, only to immediately face-plant in a VILLAINOUS snow bank. No winter maintenance, indeed.

Protesting the VILLAINOUS health fee, over 100 HEROES stormed Day Hall to take on the VILLAINOUS administrators. Through screaming, interruptions and loud music, the students — who only believe in movements that utilize hashtags — reminded the VILLAINOUS President David Skorton the true meaning of the word “rude.” Without the HEROIC acts of these protesters, who would protect students from the VILLAINOUS Gannett Health Services asking us whether or not they’re pregnant?

And who could forget the VILLAINOUS Student Assembly, which HEROICALLY developed a new process for Cornellians to introduce referenda to the greater student body? On a campus full of VILLAINS who refuse to participate in the HEROIC shared governance system, we’re expecting the first referendum to HEROICALLY call for the abolition of the VILLAINOUS S.A. And, with a HEROIC Weill Cornell study revealing that hundreds of types of VILLAINOUS bacteria reside in New York City subways, someone — anyone — needs to HEROICALLY inspect the VILLAINOUS C-Town scene for “germs.” We’re looking at you, CTP. More important than anything else that has happened on campus during this semester of VILLAINY, the HEROIC Rulloff ’s Restaurant and Bar reopened last week, giving HEROIC seniors a sophisticated place to run into their VILLAINOUS freshman-year hookups. With the reopening of everyone’s favorite College Avenue establishment (only surpassed by the HEROIC Oishii Bowl), the HEROIC hipsters can finally reclaim the Chapter House from the VILLAINOUS plaid-donning posers. But if you’re looking for us, The Sun’s VILLAINOUS editors, we’ll be at Loco (or Dunbar’s on a good night).

S

Trustee Viewpoint

Reducing Our Campus Speed Limit

oon after Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Further, over the next two years, inauguration as the 109th Mayor of University Planning and Transportation New York City, he embarked on an will be creating new Wayfinding and aggressive campaign to improve pedes- Pedestrian and Bicycle Plans to make trian safety in all five boroughs: Vision clear travel routes with appropriate sigZero. The Vision Zero Action Plan nage and make campus more friendly for states that programs, such as those in pedestrians and bicyclists. Your input is NYC, “combine strong enforcement and critical in making the wisest changes for better roadway engineering with the safety of our community. improved emergency response and high But we can always do more. I hope visibility behavior campaigns to discour- that we can bring different stakeholders age dangerous behavior on roads and to the table — students, staff, faculty, streets.” In effect, the program fully administrators, law enforcement and revamps how New York City approaches local Ithaca policymakers to share inforsafety on its roads — reducing the city- mation and collaboratively create a comwide speed limit to 25 mph; redesigning prehensive plan, such as in New York roads, crosswalks and signage; establish- City, to improve safety across campus ing an educational campaign to encour- and in Ithaca. age safer driving, among many other iniBut one factor concerning safety contiatives. And it’s working. The New York tinues to stand out to me, and I believe Daily News reports: “It’s never been we should address it immediately. A 30 safer to cross a New York City street.” mph speed limit is too high. We can and The city ended 2014 with the fewest should change this. The speed limit, pedestrian deaths since 1910. especially on main roads that have sigThough Tompkins County’s popula- nificant pedestrian and bicycle traffic, tion is significantly smaller than New should be reduced. According to Vision York City’s, we still encounter tragedy. Zero, “Driving at or below 25 mph According to the Ithaca Journal, decreases stopping distance, gives drivers To m p k i n s and pedestrians County has avermore time to see aged less than other and In collaboration with Cornell each one pedestrian react and death annually. improves drivers’ Police and University However, since ability to avoid December, three Relations, we should conduct crashes. Vehicle individuals in stopping disan ongoing educational To m p k i n s tance improves County have by 45 feet (23 campaign to encourage been killed in percent) when pedestrian-vehitravelling at 25 safer practices by drivers, cle accidents. mph versus 30 cyclists and pedestrians.

Our thoughts mph. This small are with the famfive mph deilies and friends crease in speed of Angela Stedwell, a staff member in means that many crashes can be avoided the college of Human Ecology, altogether.

Oluchukwu Onuora ’15 and Rosalyn The speed at which a vehicle is travelDegraw. One life lost is too many, and ling directly impacts the likelihood of we must do everything within our death for pedestrians who are struck. capacity to prevent any further tragedies Pedestrians struck by vehicles traveling at Cornell and within the greater Ithaca at 25 mph are half as likely to die as community. We can learn from the those struck at 30 mph. If crashes do example set in New York City and take occur, the severity of injuries is reduced best practices from college campuses and at lower speeds.” I commit to work with towns across the country to address this the administration to convene a group issue. of key stakeholders to consider reducing In her guest column this week titled the speed limit.

“Reprioritizing Safety on Our Roads,” In the meantime, while we work to Lucy Stockton ’17 effectively illuminat- make these changes, we have a collective ed the concerns of many students, facul- responsibility to ensure our community’s ty and staff across our campus about the safety. In collaboration with Cornell safety of our streets for pedestrians and Police and University Relations, we bicyclists. Stockton created a survey, should conduct an ongoing educational which is being supported by the mem- campaign to encourage safer practices by bers of the assemblies to learn where and drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. what improvements are needed to make If you have any questions or suggesindividuals feel more safe while travel- tions, please do not hesitate to reach out ling across campus. to me. Together — in partnership with And Cornell is taking this charge seri- several offices throughout the University ously: We’ve reopened Tower Road with — it is my hope that we can have an additional lights, wider sidewalks and impact and improve the safety of our full bus pull-offs; we’re planning to add campus for everyone travelling by foot, additional lights to North Libe Slope bicycle or car. and further hope to make changes to one of the busiest intersections on camGitlin is a senior in the School of Industrial and pus at Tower and Garden Roads. We are Ross Labor Relations and the undergraduate student-elected engaging in studies in areas facing chal- trustee. He may be reached at rhg68@cornell.edu. lenges, such as West Avenue and East Trustee Viewpoint appears alternate Tuesdays this Avenue, in an effort to improve safety. semester.

CORRECTION The headline on a Feb. 12 arts story, “Middle Aged Momentum: The New Pornographers at the Haunt,” incorrectly stated that the New Pornographers performed at The Haunt, while in fact they performed at the State Theatre.

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, February 13, 2015 7

OPINION

Emmanuel Hiram Arnaud |

Web

The Enduring Comment of the day Legacy of Rivera Barely Legal

“There is a wrong way to cross a crosswalk. Even NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law acknowledges this. As a pedestrian, if you contribute to a steady stream of people walking while a car has been waiting for a while, you're crossing wrong. If you jump in front of a car at the last minute, you're crossing wrong.”

I

n 1981, a Federal District Court convicted Oscar López Rivera, a young man from San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, of seditious conspiracy and sentenced him to 55 years in prison. The United States of America categorically rejects the existence of any political prisoners within our borders. However, Rivera's conviction, and that of his comrades, is a dark reminder that the land of the free and the home of the brave denies the very essence of our nation's founding — popular sovereignty — in its territories.

Rivera has spent 34 years behind bars for a series of offenses tied to seditious conspiracy, which makes it a federal offense to conspire against the authority of the United States of America by force, among other offenses. A seditious conspiracy requires an agreement to commit a certain crime and an “overt act.” An overt act is an “open act that shows an intention to commit a crime.”

The threshold for an overt act is extremely low, and many small acts “in furtherance” of the crime can satisfy it. The United States government lacked evidence of Rivera harming Americans, but the government possessed sufficient evidence to show that he conspired to fight for the independence of his home through a Puerto Rican revolutionary group. Though the law is quite clear in this case, and a competent court found that Rivera’s actions satisfied the law’s requirement, it is still unclear why our government is so keen on punishing non-violent inhabitants of one of its colonies. Indeed, the law runs into particularly muddy waters when we think of our own nation’s history. It is especially interesting to think that our most lauded heroes, like George

Oscar Lopez Rivera was not convicted of murder, of bombing government facilities or of endangering anyone’s life. He did not throw government mandated goods into a harbor. He did not kill soldiers of the hegemonic polity.

Washington and Alexander Hamilton, would certainly have been guilty of this crime. In fact, they were guilty of actual sedition against their colonizers.

In 1898, the United States “acquired” Puerto Rico from Spain like chips after winning a round of poker. In 2015, many scholars agree that Puerto Rico remains a colony of the United States. Officially, Puerto Rico is a “commonwealth” with an “autonomous” popularly elected local government since the mid-twentieth century (the United States government appointed the governor of Puerto Rico up to 1947).

However Judge Torruella, of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, poignantly refers to the commonwealth and Puerto Rico's status as “political apartheid” and an “enigmatic condition” because of the various legal double standards concerning the application of the United States Constitution in Puerto Rico. In essence, the courts pick and choose when they deem a section of the Constitution “fundamental,” and they also pick and choose what federal laws apply to Puerto Rico, even though Puerto Ricans have no stake in the creation of federal laws; a situation eerily familiar to our own colonial history with England.

The commonwealth status is more of the same colonial result because, although it lends the island local political autonomy, islanders have no federal representation. Furthermore, as Professor Laura Briggs of University of Massachusetts Amherst notes, the United States effectively neutered any potential of the Puerto Rican economic machine by using the island as an economic experimental laboratory and destroying its infrastructure during the first half of the 20th century.

The United States was, and in many respects still is, an imperialist force throughout the world. From the Monroe Doctrine, which was essentially a mask for the economic circumvention of Latin America, to the control of semi-autonomous lands like Puerto Rico, the parallels between the United States and our previous colonizers is apparent.

The actions that would have likely led to the death of the Sons of Liberty, and that we applaud with such eagerness, led to the imprisonment of those who have perpetrated less. Oscar López Rivera was not convicted of murder, of bombing government facilities or of endangering anyone’s life. He did not throw government mandated goods into a harbor. He did not kill soldiers of the hegemonic polity. He did not command an army to rise up against a government that did not represent his interest, as our nation's forefathers did. His conviction rested on an agreement to fight for the economic, ideological and spiritual liberty of his island.

I do not condone the notion of causing harm to the United States and not suffering consequences. However, I categorically reject the idea of a nation, which prides itself on its own violent history of sedition and rebellion, imprisoning those who band together in the pursuit of genuine democracy and autonomy, in the absence of violent action.

Emmanuel Hiram Arnoud is a student at Cornell Law School. Responses can be sent to associate-editor@cornellsun.com. Barely Legal appears alternate Fridays this semester.

Sixth Amendment Re: “LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Another Bus Driver’s Perspective,” Opinion, published February 12, 2015

Jake Forken |

My Forken Opinion

Homeland Security Funding Should Not Be a Negotiation

R

emember the rhetoric pass anything but a clean that newly empow- bill without riders.

Senate Majority Leader ered Republican leaders pushed shortly after the Mitch McConnell mainNovember 2014 midterm tains that the existing bill elections? The GOP was in a simply cannot reach the 60 transformation process. votes required for approval They were going to emerge in the Senate and that, “The in 2016, not as the “com- next move is obviously up to plaining party,” but as the the House.”

However, Speaker John “governing party.” Well, six weeks into the 114th Boehner responded that the Congress and the House has done their job by Republican Party has passing a bill and claimed already demonstrated an that there is, “Little point in incapability of engaging in additional House action.”

Yes, it is true that the anything that remotely Republican-controlled resembles governance.

Without further legisla- House did pass a funding tion, the Department of bill. But it is a bill that Homeland Security will Republicans openly admit cease to be funded on Feb. has no chance of clearing 27. In other words, the the Senate or the President’s Department entrusted with veto. The inability to bring providing counterterrorism a pragmatic bill to the intelligence as well as pro- House floor displays an tecting and securing airports unwillingness to actually will shut down in two weeks govern and highlights the if a funding bill does not dysfunction between the pass the House and Senate. GOP establishment and As there is a widespread consensus throughout The GOP is delusional if it truly C o n g r e s s believes that the brunt of public that the Department criticism will fall squarely upon the must be fully Democrats amid a DHS shutdown. funded to ensure the safety of the nation, there should be a hard-liners. While McConfairly simple solution: Pass nell is awaiting a new bill to legislation to fund the debate, Boehner is handDHS. While this is the solu- cuffed by the conservative tion offered by Democrats wing of the House.

Prominent Republican and even some Republicans, a large faction of the GOP Senator Jeff Sessions said he refuses to put forth a fund- believes that as, “The ing bill without including Democrats are refusing to immigration riders that pass the bill that fully funds would roll back President Homeland Security, I don’t Barack Obama’s executive see how it’s possible they actions, which shield mil- can blame the Republicans lions of immigrants from for not funding Homeland Security when they filibusdeportation.

The funding bill that tered the bill that would passed in the House, which fund it.”

Here’s how: When there guts Obama’s unilateral actions on immigration, has exists bipartisan support for already been blocked thrice a piece of legislation, such as in the Senate due to fili- fully funding the DHS, one busters by Democratic party doesn’t then get to members who decline to hold the legislation hostage

to advance their own agenda. Both parties are in agreement that the Department must be funded. This should not be a negotiation process.

If Republicans disagree with Obama’s executive actions regarding immigration, fine — open debate on comprehensive immigration reform that would nullify the President’s unilateral actions.

If Republicans believe that Obama overstepped his Constitutional authority by implanting his executive actions, fine — let the court system decide.

With the upcoming President’s Day recess, Congress has a mere seven days to engineer a solution to DHS funding. While neither side of the aisle wants to resort to a short-term funding agreement that would have to be debated yet again in a few months, that is increasingly appearing to be the only possible outcome; an outcome that is fitting for a Con gress that has so often lurched from crisis to crisis of late.

The GOP is delusional if it truly believes that the brunt of public criticism will fall squarely upon the Democrats amid a DHS shutdown. You can’t shake hands with the Democrats on funding the DHS while simultaneously holding an immigration gun to their head with the other hand.

Funding the DHS isn’t a Democratic proposal, it is a bipartisan necessity and Republicans must stop attempting to tie their agenda to national security.

Jake Forken is a junior in the College of Human Ecology. He may be reached at jrf285@cornell.edu. My Forken Opinion appears alternate Fridays this semester.

A&E

8 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | Friday, February 13, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT From Perry Mason to Tom Hagen: Better Call Saul SEAN DOOLITTLE Arts and Entertainment Editor

I hate to admit it, but I’ve really missed Breaking Bad. It’s not that I didn’t like it; I thought it was just a good show — probably the best one on the air at the time — but I knew it would pass, and a new show would usurp its position and all would be righted. And yet, here I was, a year and a half out, finally realizing that no combination of vicepresidential threesomes, crossbow assassinations or flat-circular philosophizing could fill the winnebago-sized void in my heart. Vince Gilligan truly had captured lightning in a bottle with his Mr. Chips-to-Scarface tale of blood, meth and tears, and we were likely to never see anything like it again.

We all had our reservations when Gilligan and Peter Gould revealed that they were going ahead with their Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul. As is often the case with bottles and lightning, that level of success is nearly impossible to replicate. There were too many questions to be answered. Would it be a comedy? A drama? A prequel? A sequel? Could Saul Goodman carry an entire hour of television? Saul hadn’t even filmed yet and it had already jumped the shark.

Well, after watching the two-night premiere, I can unequivocally answer each of these questions with a “yes:” Saul is part comedy, part drama, part sequel, part prequel, part Bob Odenkirk’s greatness. Oh, and it’s really good.

Saul opens with an extended black and white sequence, picking the story up sometime after the end of Breaking Bad, as The Ink Spots’ “Address Unknown” plays, bittersweetly. Saul Goodman, now called Gene, cuts lengths of cinnamon roll dough and gazes across at some mall escalators, his eyes shaded from the harsh fluorescent lights by his visor. It seems his vacuum store prediction at the end of Breaking Bad — “If I’m lucky, in a month from now, bestcase scenario, I’m managing a Cinnabon in Omaha” — has mostly come true. After his shift, he returns home, fixes himself a Rusty Nail and pops a videotape into his VCR. His monochromatic eyes light up with color, reflecting on

a collection of his own — sorry, Saul Goodman’s — commercials, and he begins to tear up. The camera pauses on him, uncomfortably, for a good minute or so. It’s one of the saddest things I’ve ever watched. And then the title card pops up.

Gilligan and Gould absolutely nail the Breaking Bad style and tone that we’ve come to expect. The odd musical taste, the trademark camera angles, the brilliant dialogue, it’s all there, like a serialized Tarantino show with (a little) less violence. Like Saul’s precursor, the cinematography is

defending necrophiliacs and trespassers, Jimmy wants to get ahead in his career but refuses to use any underhanded, sleazy tactics, a far cry from the Saul Goodman we are familiar with. He struggles to support his mentally-ill, virtuous older brother Chuck (an excellent Michael McKean), a once-successful lawyer who now spends most of his days huddled in a “space blanket,” living off the grid.

Bob Odenkirk never really had much to play with while co-starring on Breaking Bad. Saul was a one-dimensional character relegated to comic relief most of the time, but he has been given a lot more room to spread his wings since Breaking Bad came to and end, with COURTESY OF AMC Fargo this past year and now Saul. Although he is first and foremost a comedy actor (and writer), Odenkirk proves his dramatic chops right off the bat in the first two episodes of Saul. The tone of the show has Odenkirk ping-ponging between emotions: One minute, Jimmy is quoting movies and joking around, the next he is moping and depressed. One scene, in particular, finds Jimmy watching an act of despicable violence in the heat of the Chihuahuan Desert, disgusted that he has caused it and ashamed that he can do nothing to stop it. He tries to look away, but can’t, his gaze frozen with real fear. This is the criminal underworld, and this is his baptism by fire. Odenkirk captures moments like these perfectly. He embodies the weakness, the naivete and the fundamental goodness of Jimmy. Just as Bryan Cranston found the complexity in Walter White, Bob Odenkirk has already begun mining his character for all he’s worth. I hope (and expect) that Odenkirk will be showered with awards if beautiful and relishes surprising the audience with unex- his performance continues at this level. pected shots, the kind no other film or television show can Television spin-offs are almost never a good idea. For provide. Gilligan is a master of telling stories with nothing every Frasier or The Colbert Report, there are three Joanie more than a camera and some lights, and when he decides Loves Chachi’s. Better Call Saul is definitely in the former catto open his pilot with a dialogue-free five-minute sequence, egory, for now. Gilligan and Gould have finally made their you can’t blame him. triumphant return to television, and it was worth the wait. I After the first commercial break, we’re back in the good can’t wait to see where they take this character and this show. ol’ ABQ. The year is 2002, six years before Jesse, Walter and In the words of the lawyer himself, “It’s all good, man.”

Saul had their fateful meeting in the desert. Saul isn’t even Saul yet. He’s James McGill, a struggling public defender Sean Doolittle is a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life with the gift of gab and not much else. A fast talker stuck Sciences. He can be reached at sdoolittle@cornellsun.com.

The Art of Losing: Still Alice She plays Words with Friends with Anna and asks herself a series of essential questions every morning at 8 a.m. to gauge how much of her faculties she still has. At one point her doctor comments that To convince people to care about a disease and its potential the more educated a person is, the faster they decline, as if Alice’s cure, you must convince people to care about the people who are intelligence is her hamartia. suffering. Still Alice takes up the struggle against Alzheimer’s. Alice Julianne Moore’s performance is what carries the film. The way Howland (Julianne Moore) is a professor of linguistics at Columbia she carefully strips Alice away as the months wear on is masterful.

University. Smart, ambitious and poised, she commands the room, Early in the film, Alice describes her moments of confusion as if both in her lectures and at a small family gathering in honor of her the bottom of her mind suddenly dropped out, and in the many birthday. But the person she is now will not last for long — already scenes where the camera lingers on Moore’s face, you can see the she is forgetting words in the middle of presentations and getting precise moment when Alice no longer knows what she is doing. lost in familiar places. The audience knows what is happening to There is a scene where Alice watches a video of herself instructing her, and soon so will she. her how to commit suicide using sleeping pills she stashed away When the diagnosis comes, it is absolute: Alice has a rare form soon after the diagnosis. The difference between the old Alice and of early-onset Alzheimer’s that she’s inherited from her father. This the empty Alice that Moore embodies in the later parts of the film tragedy affects her family in is striking. It is also a strength of the script that there are different ways. Her husmany moments of humor and passion that allow band John (Alec Baldwin), Still Alice Moore emotions other than sadness. an equally ambitious acadThe supporting characters turn in solid perforDirected by Richard Glatzer mances, emic, must consider how but the one that truly shines is Kristen and Wash West Alice’s deterioration will Stewart. Lydia ends up taking an active role in caring affect his career. Her oldest for Alice, since her other siblings are busy with careers Starring Julianne Moore daughter Anna (Kate and babies. In her scenes with Moore, Stewart is magand Alec Bosworth) gets genetic netic, carefully balancing compassion and disappointtesting before attempting ment and trying always to reach her mother through Baldwin in vitro fertilization, and art. They discuss scenes from plays together, and discovers that she carries Lydia practices monologues for Alice. Stewart underthe gene and will suffer her stands that Lydia can still bond with her mother mother’s fate. Her brother through the expression of emotions, which require no Tom (Hunter Parrish) dodges the bullet. Lydia (Kristen Stewart), memories, and pours everything she has into these small moments. the youngest daughter and a struggling actress, decides she would For all its moments of emotional realism, this film is a romanrather not know. ticized version of Alzheimer’s. Alice’s particular disease is a tragedy There is no cure, and nothing to slow the progress of the dis- more rare than a lightening strike, and the loss of her great intelliease, so Alice scrambles to keep her life and memory intact for as gence makes it even more tragic in the eyes of many. But in the long as possible. She continues to lecture, with disastrous results. film, the disease is not as great of a burden as it could be. Alice and LAURA BOLAND Sun Staff Writer

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

COURTESY OF KILLER FILMS

John are financially stable enough that John is able to move to Minnesota for a job while Alice stays in New York where she feels comfortable. Their children are able at times to care for her. When she needs a paid caretaker one is brought in seamlessly. Alice tours a nursing home for those with Alzheimer’s and there she confronts the specter of her future in the elderly patients who are constantly monitored by nurses and alarm systems. But the nursing home is warm, inviting and clean — and probably expensive — and Alice doesn’t have to go there just yet.

All of this is very different from the options that are presented to many of the estimated 5 million people living with Alzheimer’s in the United States. The quality of Alice’s healthcare is never in question, and for that she is very lucky. This movie has received praise in the press for an honest portrayal of the disease and Moore has been nominated for an Oscar. It is good that this film exists to raise awareness and support, but I think it is telling that one of the few films to deal directly with Alzheimer’s focuses on an intelligent, beautiful, young, rich individual. If she was not any one of those things, if she was more like the elderly at the nursing home, would we care as much about her plight? It seems our empathy does not extend as far as we would like it to.

Laura Boland is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at lboland@cornellsun.com.

A&E

I

Friday, February 13, 2015 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | 9

Taboo Topics, Soapboxes and Clickbait

t’s an old rule of thumb that one should never talk about religion, politics or money, unless in a very comfortable environment and surrounded by people you know, respect and trust. The advice is not so much about avoiding difficult conversations or confrontation, but about being polite.

When you take a large group of unacquainted people and somebody takes some sort of opinionated stance on any of these topics, somebody is bound to take offense. It’s best to just avoid them altogether — unless, once again, in good company.

However, it seems that the advent of social media and technology has brought with it a burning of this golden rule. Whether because of the personal soapboxes to stand on granted to anyone through Twitter and other social media, the ability to post anonymously in comment threads or the click-baiting nature of mainstream news outlets, it seems that these forbidden topics — particularly religion, race and politics — have become hot topics.

Any time you scroll down to the comments section of a serious article (and no, Buzzfeed doesn’t qualify), it’s a safe bet that some argument involving race, religion or politics is going on.

And, to my own frustration, this has crept into our discussions about the arts, especially in recent months.

I am not saying that these discussion should not be held, just that they should not

be forced into every conversation about the arts. They should be had in a mature, openminded manner.

If one were to list my most visited webpages from the past few months, the IMDb message boards for director Clint Eastwood’s much talked about American Sniper would likely be toward the top. That place is a certified train wreck: Violent, disturbing, confusing and hopeless. But, for some reason, I can’t seem to look away.

If you peruse these message boards, one thing will become abundantly clear: A lot of people just can’t approach this film without their political agenda framing their opinion.

And for such a controversial topic, I don’t even ask that you turn that light off. Just please, at least dim it a bit.

I’m sure you have heard the gist of the Ultra Liberal vs. Extreme Conservative arguments about the film. The former say that Chris Kyle should not be lauded as a hero, and Needell in a latter the claim that he Crapstack should. But the anonymity of the IMDb message boards just takes it to whole new level.

Here’s a taste, and please keep in mind that I’m paraphrasing. I’ve seen everything from the likes of, “If you don’t think this movie was the best of the year, then you’re a p****, liberal f*****!” to “Those of you saying that Chris Kyle is a hero must think that

Evan Needell

German snipers in WWII were heroes, too!”

Let’s be real. American Sniper is a pretty solid war film that was unfortunately overhyped. It was promoted as a poignant insight on the post traumatic stress that many veterans suffer after their tours, but it does not accomplish this as well as it claims. It takes a deeply flawed man (as admitted by the late Chris Kyle himself), largely ignores his shortcomings and broadly paints over any actual suffering by telling, rather than showing. All in all, it is a fair movie that does not quite meet the hype in any area, other than the brilliant performance by its lead, Bradley Cooper.

Now that my personal opinions on the film are out in the open, let’s move on to my point. How often do you see well-reasoned opinions on American Sniper? How often do you see click-baiting headlines and heavily slanted opinions? Even ignoring comment sections and message boards, and focusing on (ostensibly) credible news sources, I bet that the latter greatly outweighs the former.

Another example is all of the outrage about director Ava DuVernay’s Selma being omitted from any of the acting categories for this year’s Oscars. Please, take my opinion here with a grain of salt, because I have not yet gotten around to seeing this Best Picturenominated film. Nevertheless, I find it frustrating that almost any opinion circulated about the film is “David Oyelowo wasn’t nominated because the Academy is racist,” rather than “It’s a shame that David Oyelowo didn’t get nominated in what is one of the strongest fields of leading males we’ve seen in the past decade.”

While I am all about freedom of speech, I

find it frustrating that everybody gets a metaphorical megaphone nowadays. Beyond that, I find it maddening that the voices that are most often heard are not necessarily the most credible, but the most controversial.

Realistically, though, which headline gets more traffic? “American Sniper: Ambitious, but Disappointing,” or “American Sniper: the Best Damn Film of the Decade, and Fuck You Liberal Sissies if You Think Otherwise!”

To reiterate, I’m not trying to say that these discussions are unnecessary, or shouldn’t be had. Just that they should not always take the forefront, and when they are had, they need to be approached respectfully.

Ten years from now, “We shouldn’t have fought that war” should not be the first thing I think about when I think of American Sniper. “The Academy was particularly racist that year” should not be the first thing I think about when I hear Selma. But in all likelihood, this is where we are heading. People like to bring up taboo topics wherever they can. They like to stir up controversy wherever possible, and the mainstream media is cashing in on it.

That is the real shame. The needless controversy distracts us from the art. I just wish that people could watch and form opinions for themselves, without their views being obstructed by a crowd of people standing on soapboxes (he says, as he steps off of his soapbox).

Evan Needell is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be reached at eneedell@cornellsun.com. Needell in a Crapstack appears alternate Fridays this semester.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

10 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, February 13, 2015

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Word with cake or meal 4 Doctrinal suffix 7 Pat Nixon’s real first name 13 Classic sci-fi play 14 Tres equivalent 15 Clinton’s birth name 16 Bush spokesman Fleischer 17 Part of DAR: Abbr.

18 Busy enterprise?

19 *Site of preserved ancient gaucho weapons?

22 Grouse 23 Humana option 24 Cut (it) 27 Blitz 31 MLB “minors” 32 *Hip curriculum?

36 Banned chem. pollutant 37 Protective bauble 38 Capital SE of Tallahassee 40 GPS datum 41 *Second-hand seat?

45 Canadian sentence enders?

46 Worse 47 __ Men: “Who Let the Dogs Out” band 49 Andalusian aunt 50 Emerald City princess 54 *Heroine in a reprised fairy tale?

59 “Ditto” 61 Thought 62 French handle?

63 Modernize, in a way ... and when divided into three parts, a hint to the answers to starred clues 64 Functions 65 One of quarterback Archie’s boys 66 Lover’s request 67 Stylish, once 68 Symbiont on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”

DOWN 1 Colgate competitor 2 Halos 3 8-Down, e.g.

4 Culinary author Rombauer 5 Sexy, in some ads 6 San Diego Marine Corps station whose name means “sea view” 7 Trick 8 Arizona natives 9 Archie’s wife 10 Himalayan canine 11 Spoil 12 ’70s White House daughter 14 Indian lentil stew 20 Taking everything into account 21 Versailles rulers of old 25 Evergreen bean 26 Capital where Pashto is spoken 28 Rhyme $yndicate Records founder 29 Certain IRAs 30 Driller’s prefix?

32 Biblical spy 33 Home of the Beef, an indoor football team 34 Makes more baskets than 35 Fund drive appeal encl.

39 Eponymous brewer Bernhard 42 Roast, in Rouen 43 Atomic number 77

44 “‘Tis true, sorry to say” 48 Certain choristers 51 Subdivided 52 Scratch 53 Blend 55 Not a happy fate 56 Function 57 Mandatory item 58 It can be natural 59 Vex 60 Agnus __

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

COMICS AND PUZZLES

Sun Sudoku Fill in the empty cells, one number in each, so that each column, row, and region contains the numbers 1-9 exactly once.

Each number in the solution therefore occurs only once in each of the three “directions,” hence the “single numbers” implied by the puzzle’s name.

(Rules from wikipedia.org/wiki /Sudoku)

#1972 4

2 2

5

8

4 7

2

8 7

9 2

1

6

7

9 3

3

The Lawn

1

8

1 9

6

Ads are accepted at The Sun’s office at 139 W. State Street downtown, by phone or e-mail.

Deadline: 2:30 p.m. at The Sun’s office on the day preceding publication. Monday’s deadline: Friday, 2:30 p.m. at The Sun’s office.

Standard Rate: $3.40 per day for first 15

8

7

4

CLASSIFIED AD RATES

7

4

words, 32 cents per day per word thereafter.

Five or more consecutive insertions, $3.15 per day for first 15 words, 30 cents per day per word thereafter.

Commercial Rate: $5.20 per day for first 15 words, 33 cents per day per word thereafter. Five or more consecutive insertions, $5.00 per day for first 15 words, 31 cents per day per word thereafter.

The Sun is responsible for only one day makegood on ads.

273-3606

by Liz Popolo ’08

classifieds@cornelldailysun.com

23 PARKING xwordeditor@aol.com

02/13/15

Parking Collegetown College Ave., Dryden Rd., Linden Ave., Cook St. 607-330-2442, 607-273-9414

AVAILABLE NOW AND 2015-16 College Avenue Dryden Road

607-272-3000

www.ithacarenting.com

Parking Collegetown Available Now 607-277-1234

By Mark McClain ©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Classic Doonesbury (1981)

’15 Spring Parking Oak Ave

02/13/15

Odd/Even got you? Great price up from CTB avail Spring Semester

by Garry Trudeau

607-256-3778 nick@lambrourealestate.com

24 R OOMMATE WANTED ROOMMATE WANTED to share 3 bedroom house downtown (off S. Albany St.) with 2 PhD students at Cornell.

Hardwood floors, laundry, parking, in quiet residential area. Email Leilah for more details or to arrange a viewing and meet the roommates. Please include info about yourself in email. Available Immediately.

lrk73@cornell.edu

Mr. Gnu

by Travis Dandro

26 A PARTMENT FOR R ENT 2015-16 317 Upper Eddy Street One bedroom apartment available 1 August 2015.

Heat, water and gas provided.

Phone or text 607 227 0924.

2 BEDROOM All included. $850.

Free parking. Laundry.

Big beautiful bedrooms.

607-229-5116 www.pjapts.com 5 BEDROOM Opposite Cascadilla Dorms All included. $895 per person.

607-229-5116 www.pjapts.com

Campus Hill Apts.

709 Stewart Ave. We are not near the campus, We are ON THE CAMPUS, The only privately owned apartment complex literally on Cornell University's campus.We have three 1 bedrooms, two 2 bedrooms, one 3 bedroom, and three 4 bedrooms LEFT! 1. Walk to Campus in minutes 2. Most have wood burning fireplaces 3. Balconies 4. Two on site Laundry rooms 5. Free high-speed roadrunner internet 6. Free Standard Cable (70 channels) 7. On site parking 8. Furnished with TVs

www.kimballrentals.com 257-0313

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, February 13, 2015 11

SPORTS

Seniors Wrestle at Home for Last Time

26 A PARTMENT FOR R ENT

26 A PARTMENT FOR R ENT RIGHT BY CORNELL 1, 2, 3 & 4 BR APTS. BEST PRICES 607-592-7694

PJ APARTMENTS COLLEGETOWN STUDIOS TO 18 BEDROOM MANSION 607-229-5116 WWW.PJAPTS.COM PJAPARTMENTS@GMAIL.COM MANY NEW BEAUTIFUL RENOVATIONS COMPLETED. TOURS AVAILABLE M-F, NOON-6PM OR BY APPOINTMENT. AVAILABLE FOR 2015-2016

Houses, Apts, Parking 1 to 3 Bedroom Collegetown - College Ave, Linden Ave, Dryden Rd, Bryant Ave, Cook St 607-330-2442 Office at 307 College Ave. info@urbanithaca.com www.urbanithaca.com Collegetown Terrace Apartments 1 and 2 Bedroom / 2 Bath Apartments Available now and for Spring Semester!

2 bedroom apartments also available to share.

Heat, hot water and high speed wireless internet included.

Stackable washer and dryer in apartments.

Novarr-Mackesey Property Management www.collegetownterraceithaca.com office@ithacastudentapartments.com Free State of the Art Fitness Center Covered parking available for a fee.

607.277.1234

QUALITY, AFFORDABLE, CONVENIENT! 1–4 Bedroom Apartments & Houses In Collegetown PARKING, LAUNDRY, UTILITIES! (607) 273-7368 www.IthacaApartmentRental.com

Apartments, Houses, Parking Central Collegetown Superb Panoramic Views Modern Elevator Buildings Collegetown Plaza: Fitness Room, fantastic Cayuga Lake Views Studio, 1, 2, 5, 6 BRs Parking Collegetown Center: Concierge Service, quiet building, Fitness Room Studio, 1 BRs Parking Collegetown Court: Super convenient, exceptional value Studio, 1 BRs Other Collegetown Locations: Dryden Road, Eddy Street, Buffalo Street: 3 BRs, Rooms with kitchen privileges Parking Rent Smart. Live Well.

607-272-3000 Visit our office at: 119 Dryden Road

Ithaca Renting Company www.ithacarenting.com 227 LINDEN AVENUE 2&3 BR LUXURY APTS ********** COLLEGE AVENUE 1&2 BEDROOMS ********** 607-272-3389 BEFORE 7PM www.avramisrentals@aol.com 312 College Ave Collegetown’s Best Address Beautifully Furnished Studio, 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedroom & 3 Bedroom units.

Office Open M-F 9-9; Sat 10-5; Sun 11-4.

273-9777 or 312collegeave.com

NOW renting.

Apartments without hassle.

Hudson Heights Apartments are located on South Hill, 8 minutes from Cornell.

Prices start at $680/month.

Rent includes: all utilities, parking, garbage and recycling. There are two laundry facilities on the premises and the bus route is on the block.

Contact ILS for an appointment: 607-280-7660 or email renting@ithacaLS.com.

110 Heights Court 3 bedroom furnished apts. in historic mansion on North Campus just 1 block from Thurston Ave. and walking distance to Suspension Bridge.

Spacious living areas with high ceilings and balconies. Gas heat, Standard Cable, High Speed Modem Internet, Water and Dumpster all included.

Coin-op washer/dryer on premises. $675/person. Some 3 bedrooms can accommodate 4 people @$550/person.

Call 257-0313 for showings.

North Campus Apartments Near your Sorority/Fraternity. Stay close! 3,4 and 5 bedrooms available with free roadrunner internet, cable, water, furniture and TV. Some apartments have 2 baths, dishwashers and fireplaces.

Call or email for a viewing. Checkout 110 Heights court and Westbourne Apts. at www.kimballrentals.com Kimball Real Estate 257-0313

Newly Renovated Apartments 1, 2 & 4 Bedroom 100 Ft. from main gates of Cornell Starting at $595 includes all utilities.

592-9482

Now Renting for 2015-2016 1-6 Bedroom Apartments Collegetown and Near Vicinity Call Today Certified Properties 273-1669 certifiedpropertiesinc.com 2015-2016 WESTBOURNE APARTMENTS We are located within a beautiful 10 minute walk to campus in the historical district of Cornell Heights and are managed by concerned Cornelians with 42 yrs. experience in caring for the residential needs of Ithacans. Our apts. have all the features you would expect in the very best area residences. Some of the units have fireplaces and two bathrooms. We provide free Roadrunner internet and standard cable service. Resident parking available.

RATES BEGIN AT $575-$700/person plus electric 257-0313 www.kimballrentals.com

27 H OUSE FOR R ENT 2015-2016 Collegetown Linden Ave. 5 Bedroom House 2 & 1/2 Bathrooms.

Parking Included.

Fully Furnished. $775 per bedroom.

Must See! 607-793-8681 607-564-7190 6 BEDROOM 10 MONTH LEASE Summer renovation. Available August.

Huge house on 2 floors. Large porch.

607-229-5116 www.pjapts.com

RENT REDUCED!!

118 Cook St 12 BR House 607-277-1234 www.ithacastudentapartments.com

WRESTLING

Continued from page 12

For Villalonga and the other 10 seniors on the Red’s roster, Sunday will also mark their final moment under the spotlight of a home crowd.

It’s the last home dual of the season,” he said. “[For] some of us [it’s] the last time we will ever wrestle in front of the home crowd, so there’s always a little extra motivation to put on a show for our loyal fans that support us throughout the entire season.”

The Red comes into the dual meet with its characteristically strong core of wrestlers in Garrett, Villalonga and sophomore Gabe Dean. Garrett is the defending national runner-up at 125 pounds, Villalonga is ranked No. 7 at 149 pounds and Dean is nearly unanimously ranked No. 1 in the country at 184 pounds. This trio of contenders is supported by sophomores Brian Realbuto and Dylan Palacio, who are both on the rise in their respective weight classes.

Though the Red’s focus is on getting through Drexel first, the wrestlers have their sights set on bigger milestones at the same time.

“A national title is on our minds, both as a team and individually,” Garrett said. “We are shooting to reach the highest goal and are challenging ourselves to get there.”

With a reinvigorated and healthy lineup competing together for the first time this season, the Red now has its best chance to achieve that goal.

“This is the first time this season that we will have our full lineup in competition, and that is very exciting,” Villalonga said. “We are looking forward to showing the country how good we are when all of our starters are out there. My personal expectations are similar to the team’s expectations — national champions.”

Scott Chiusano can be reached at schiusano@cornellsun.com.

Crimson Proves Itself as Tough Opponent BASKETBALL

Continued from page 11

ability to vie for the top of the Ivy and it has the ability to do so this weekend if they take down the Green.

“With Dartmouth, we need to play our game and focus on the details, because the [team] has been competing well this season,” Campbell said.

Then on Saturday, the Red will have one of its toughest games yet against Harvard. The Red has a steep tradition of tough games with Harvard, and the Crimson has proven itself as a tough opponent so far this season. Harvard is an extremely offensively geared

team with three players averaging double-digits. The Crimson squad is 2-4 in the Ivy League and beat Yale last weekend in demanding fashion. The Red looks to exploit Harvard’s struggling defense, and shut down its fast paced offense.

“Harvard has always been a top team in the league, so taking them down will be huge and will send a message to the rest of the league,” Campbell said. “We aren’t messing around.”

LeDuc explained that the key to the team’s success this weekend will be identifying the other team’s strengths and targeting them on the court.

“We really need to know what their personnel do and we need to

be able to shut that down. If we can make each team do what they aren’t accustomed to, it will bring us one step closer to being successful,” she said.

The Red looks to make this the weekend a time to separate itself from the rest of the Ivy League.

The team has proven that it has the ability and can be a serious contender.

“Ultimately, we need to defend our home court this weekend and to that it comes down to stops on defense and execution on offense,” Campbell said. “Big weekend for Red.” John McGrorty can be reached at jmcgrorty@cornellsun.com.

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Sports

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2015

12

February,the Month Of Little to No Sports W

BRIAN STERN / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

On the mat | Sophomore Mark Grey is likely to wrestle Kevin Devoy of Drexel this weekend, a repeat of last year’s meet.

WRESTLING

Red to Start National Duals

Cornell faces Drexel this weekend for first match of duals

By SCOTT CHIUSANO Sun Sports Editor

After capturing its unprecedented 13th consecutive Ivy League title last weekend with a 38-0 drubbing of Columbia, the Red will host Drexel in the first round of National Duals on Sunday. A takedown of the Dragons would earn the team a trip out West to Iowa for the rest of the competition.

With a 68 dual meet win streak against Ancient Eight Competition, the wrestling team has won the most consecutive titles in one sport in conference history.

“It’s always nice to go out and dominate conference and Ivy League opponents, especially when we were able to set the record for all Ivy sports in the process,” said senior Chris Villalonga. “It’s truly a reflection of how hard we train day in and day out, and it’s a great feeling when it pays off.”

Because of this continued success, junior Nahshon Garrett said the team is heading into the Drexel meet with conviction.

“I think we are going to have a lot of confidence,” he said. “We are competing well together and unifying as a team, which is one of the best parts of this sport.”

The Dragons currently sport a 7-10 record on the season and their biggest asset is nationally-ranked Kevin Devoy, who is No. 16 in the country at 133 pounds. He will likely match up against sophomore Mark Grey, a rematch of a meeting last year that Grey dropped, 5-1.

“There are a few key matchups we’re looking forward to against Drexel, but as we did this past weekend, the expectation is to dominate them and carry on that momentum into national duals,” Villalonga said.

See WRESTLING page 11

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Ballers Face Important Weekend

By JOHN MCGRORTY Sun Staff Writer

The Cornell women’s basketball team will face off twice this weekend against league rivals Dartmouth College and Harvard University. The Red (13-7, 4-2 Ivy) will compete on Friday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. against Dartmouth in Newman Arena. Then, the Red will go on to play again at home the next day, Saturday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m., against Harvard. This will be a big weekend for the Red, as the squad looks to play at home for the first time in over three weeks Junior guard Maddie Campbell explained that this set of games could be decisive for the Red, determining Cornell’s league standing going into the last stretch of the season.

“The team realizes this weekend is huge for us, because it is our chance to separate ourselves in the league. We can position ourselves to be top contenders for the Ivy League title if we produce this weekend, so naturally, the team is focused and excited,” she said.

Sophomore guard Megan LeDuc looks forward to playing on her home court.

“We're excited for both games and to have the opportunity to really separate ourselves in the Ivy League. We're also happy that we finally get to play at home again.”

The Red looks to have a hard fought competition against Dartmouth as Cornell and Dartmouth have back-and-forth history. Dartmouth had a successful start to its 2014-15 season with

a win over Harvard, but since then, has struggled in Ivy League play. The Red looks to show its strength within the league and its See BASKETBALL page 11

elcome to February, what is in literal terms, the shortest month of the year but the one that feels the longest thanks to a combination of cold, snow, onset of “ugh-Ihave-work” complaints, Valentine’s Day “I will die alone/what do normal people buy significant others as presents?” angst, postSuper Bowl boredom syndrome, more snow, panicked — nay desperate — summer internship cover letter writing and arctic cold, among other things. All of which are problems we don’t have solutions for, unless giving advice to ignore the real world and concentrate on this subpar season of sports counts. In which case we would be the most efficient, but least effective, Ask Amy columnists ever. And so, on to the sports news ...

L.A.: I’m Lisa Awaitey, and when I was 13 I lost my middle school’s Vice Presidential election and cried on stage, which might explain why I use humor as a defense mechanism.

E.B.: I’m Emily Berman, and I literally had a baby attempt to

Emily Berman

Lisa Awaitey Around the Gorge: Sun Sports Banter

wail me off stage in my first and only time singing publicly. Which might explain why I partake in writing instead of singing, speaking or various other pursuits in which a baby might hear my voice and give me another lifelong trauma.

This Week In: Football’s Over, Do We Get to Go to Disney Now?

L.A.: Tom Brady proved to the world, yet again, that he’s more than a successful Ugg model; he can also play sports pretty well, even when he’s not allegedly cheating. But we can save the Tom Brady mockery (will it ever get old?) for another day. Let’s get to the most interesting play of the game. In a momentary lapse of judgement, or loss of sanity — call it what you want — the Seahawks decided on a pass play for second and goal, on the one yard line, while they had Marshawn Lynch, more formally known as “Beast Mode,” one of the greatest players in the game, as their running back.

E.B.: Here’s the thing, though: the Super Bowl was all of, like, two weeks ago, and it’s already old news, the way anything Ryan Seacrest promotes is old news. The stories about Tom Brady as GOAT faded quickly; anger at the Seahawks’ play-calling lasted only a little longer. Left Shark is really the only piece The Super Bowl was all of, of that game with any cullike, two weeks ago, and it’s tural relevance remaining. In short, Super Bowl XLIX’s already old news, the way postgame limelight had the anything Ryan Seacrest brevity of a Marshawn Lynch press conference promotes is old news. comment. We’ve moved on, and talk now is about next season, about offseason trades, about what Super Bowl 50 might be. Credit where credit is due though. The NFL season lasts all of 17 weeks, plus playoffs, but this monster machine of a league keeps people talking 52 weeks a year (yes, Super Bowl 50, not Super Bowl L. Shed a tear for the disappearance of the last vehicle for American kids to learn Roman numerals).

L.A.: Truthfully, Emily is right. It was more than a week ago, that ship has sailed. Still, though, the Seahawks’ final play will go down as one of the worst calls in the history of the Super Bowl; twitter absolutely exploded after that play. Any casual Madden player knows to give the ball to Marshawn Lynch.

E.B.: Snooze. Is it Super Bowl 50 yet? I’m predicting another appearance by the Patriots (look, unless Brady blows out another knee and Belichick gets suspended for, oh, say, cheating, it’s the safest pick you can have), with Miley Cyrus and a team of twerking teddy bears traumatizing the audience at halftime.

TINA CHOU / SUN FILE PHOTO

Pressuring Red | The Red will take on Dartmouth and Harvard this weekend.

To read the rest of this article, visit www.cornellsun.com.