INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 137, No. 38
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021
n
ITHACA, NEW YORK
8 Pages – Free
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Student veterans welcome new progress through a dedicated program house. | Page 3
What happens if you drink a gallon of water every day for a week? Isha Vaish ’22 tries it and reports back. | Page 4
U.K. Variant Reaches Ithaca With Minimal Cornell Communication
After a year of sacrifices, the Ivy League should cancel spring sports, Liam Monahan ’24 writes. | Page 8
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More contagious strain announcement slipped in cluster email By ANIL OZA
According to a statement made on that day by Provost Michael Kotlikoff, the individual was not affiliated with the University. Nearly two weeks ago, Cornell detected a case A later University statement, sent on Jan. 28, of the more contagious and possibly more deadly urged students to follow public health guidestrain U.K. variant of COVID-19 — but the lines in response to these new variants, but the discovery was lumped into an emergency email University had not yet identified any cases in about a cluster. students. In an email to The Sun on Feb. 17, Gary Cornell identified the U.K. variant in a “few Koretzky ’78, vice provost for academic inte- students” through the arrival testing process, gration, wrote that the B.1.1.7 variant had been since then COVID-19 testing lab at the College detected in “a few students” on Feb. 5. The exact of Veterinary Medicine — which analyzes all number of campus cases tied to the B.1.1.7 vari- of Cornell’s tests — has been conducting full ant remains unclear. genomic sequencing on the positive samples There was no previous statewhen there is reason to ment explicitly stating that stuThe B.1.1.7 variant had believe the variant may be dents had tested positive for this present, such as a case tied been detected in “a few to international travel. new variant, except for a Feb. 5 email, primarily discussing a Koretzky wrote that less COVID cluster, that read, “We’re students” on Feb. 5. The than 2 percent of campus faced with increased virus prevcases that the University is exact number of these alence locally and in the nation, aware of are B.1.1.7. Since cases remains unclear. the email on Feb. 5, campus and, most recently, the emergence of one of the virus variants in our has seen 232 total COVIDcommunity.” 19 cases — which is just shy At the time, it was unclear if the Feb. 5 email of two thirds of the number of cases campus saw was referring to the emergence of the U.K. through the entire fall semester. variant in Tompkins County or the immediate “Given that our students were arriving from Cornell community. In the email to The Sun on so many different locations, positive samples Feb. 17, Koretzky confirmed that this indicated underwent additional testing for variants that a case of the variant in a Cornell student, faculty have been described around the world,” Koretzky or other member. wrote. “Due to our aggressive surveillance testing “Decisions regarding COVID communica- protocol, we have been able to contain the spread tions are made with a full consideration of guid- of the variant among our student population.” ance from TCHD and applicable state and fedCurrently, the U.S. is dealing with multiple eral guidelines and regulations,” Koretzky wrote. variants that have originated internationally, The U.K. variant was first detected in including variants from Brazil and South Africa. Tompkins County on Jan. 15, in a test that was sequenced by Cornell’s COVID-19 testing lab. See VARIANT page 3 Sun Science Editor
PETE MAROVICH / THE NEW YORK TIMES
COVID developments | Under President Joe Biden, the effort to vaccinate quickly has amped up, but it’s a race against new variant strains. Here, Biden visits the National Institutes of Health on Feb. 11.
New grads | President Pollack congratulates a 2017 graduate.
C.U. Nixes Promised Graduation Ceremony By ALEX HALE
their families will be invited.” Wednesday’s email walks back that statement. In March, Cornell promised “Last spring, we had every its outgoing seniors that they reason to hope that in-person would have a commencement celebrations would be possiin Ithaca. Nearly a year later, ble this summer, but we know the University officially rescind- now that these plans must also ed that promise. change,” Vaeth wrote. Associate Vice President Graduations in 2020 became for Alumni Affairs Michelle a tricky topic for universities, as J. Vaeth ’98 emailed alumni most schools canceled in-person Wednesday morning, saying ceremonies replaced by virtual that reunion ceremonies this ones. Cornell did send gradusummer will ates a message be held com- “[W]e know now that these from Pollack, pletely online. but held off Among these plans must also change.” on holding ceremonies a ceremony Michelle J. Vaeth ’98 is the Class of any kind. of 2020’s Winter 2020 commencement ceremony — graduates celebrated through scheduled for June 5 and 6, virtual ceremonies. a few days after the Class of The University has not 2021’s planned commence- announced full details of the ment. Class of 2020 ceremony, but “After consulting with alum- they plan to “create a special ni volunteers and campus part- recognition of our 2020 gradners, and carefully considering uates.” the continuing public health This will be the University’s risk and uncertainty due to will be hosting its second conCOVID-19, we have made the secutive virtual reunion, after difficult decision to host this moving all of its 2020 reunion year’s Reunion celebrations vir- events online last June. All tually instead of on campus as events have moved to June we had hoped,” the email read. 11 and 12. Most notably, this Last spring, the University includes the reunions for the decided not to give up entirely classes of 2015 and 2016, whose on hosting an in-person gradu- festivities were going to be from ation. When President Martha June 3 to 6, and the commencePollack postponed the Class ment ceremony for the class of of 2020’s commencement last March, she promised that an 2020, set for June 5 and 6. According to the Cornell in-person ceremony would Office of Commencement occur for those current seniors. Events website, commencement “We are not yet able to announce a date or location, in the spring for the Class of as that will very much be deter- 2021 is “currently unlikely.” mined by the progression of But the University plans on the current public health cri- making a decision regarding the sis,” Pollack wrote on March graduation for current seniors 20, 2020. “But I can say with in March. certainty that your celebration will occur. It will take place in Alex Hale can be reached at Ithaca. All of our graduates and ahale@cornellsun.com. Sun News Editor