INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 132, No. 93
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2016
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
16 Pages – Free
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Make Room for This
Long Weekend
Scattered Showers HIGH: 44º LOW: 23º
Business people, staff, faculty and students attend the first Social Impact Conference on sustainable enterprise. | Page 3
Oscar-nominated film Room presents a “new and different story,” writes Emily Kling ’16. | Page 8
Men’s hockey drops to eighth seed in the playoffs after a winless weekend against RPI and Union. | Page 16
Schumer: EPA Should Investigate Ithaca Schools Water
After shutting off water, school district welcomes government help in preventing future contamination
fying the water. “Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy that robs many families and children of their future,” Schumer said. “We need to do everything we can to elimiFollowing complaints and safety concerns in Ithaca’s nate this hazardous lead from upstate New York homes, public schools last week, Senator Chuck Schumer (Dwhich are vulnerable because so many were N.Y.) called on both the Environmental Protection Agency and Congress to help eval- “Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy built before 1978 when lead paint was banned.” threat to children in Ithaca’s school sysuate and address the presence of lead in the that robs many families and children of their future.” temThe is a cause for concern and demands immedistrict’s water supply. diate action, Schumer said in the press release. “I am calling on the federal EPA to step up Senator Chuck Schumer “According to the National Institutes of to the plate and get all hands on deck to help Health, lead is much more harmful to chilthe community test this water … and move forward with ways to remediate this situation,” Schumer and staff,” Brown said. “We thank Senator Schumer for dren than adults because it can affect children’s developsaid in a press release Friday. “We need the EPA inspectors his support and advocacy on our behalf, and we welcome ing nerves and brains,” the release stated. “That is why it and lead experts here, on the ground, as soon as possible federal health expertise to the area to work collaboratively is particularly concerning this lead-water issue is occurring within a school system, and underscores the need for to work with the school district to develop a plan and pre- with the school district to remedy this situation.” Schumer stressed that New York state deserves vent any future contamination.” See LEAD page 4 Ithaca superintendent Luvelle Brown — who said Congressional legislation to expedite the process of puriWednesday’s water shut-off was motivated by an “abundance of caution” — welcomed the intervention of the government on the state and national level. “The Ithaca City School District is committed to working diligently to ensure the safety of our students
By ZACH SILVER
Sun Staff Writer
War on drugs | Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 and a panel of local experts presented the Ithaca Plan in a press conference at Tompkins County Public Library on Wednesday morning.
Mad Men Writer and Executive Producer To Speak at Cornell most notably for two episodes of season five which she co-wrote with series creator Matthew Semi Chellas — the writer and Weiner. Her work on these executive producer of the critical- episodes catapulted her to runly acclaimed AMC drama Mad ning the writers room for the Men — will speak about her show’s final two seasons, accordexperiences in the television ing to an interview with The industry on March 10 in Globe and Mail. Chellas is most known for her Klarman Hall. Chellas’ lecture, “Telling Se- work on Mad Men, which centers crets: Notes from the Writers’ around the enigmatic and deeply Room,” will explore the processes flawed character, Don Draper, and inner workings of television who is a wildly successful ad execwriting, including the dynamics utive in the 1960s struggling with of writing for an auteur, accord- his own identity and sense of purpose in the series’ seven seasons. ing to the University. Chellas is also the co-creator, The writer will also discuss how facts and research shape the cre- executive producer and head writer of the ation of a storyline award winning and how to Canadian televiapproach writing sion series The for characters creEleventh Hour. ated by someone Many students else. said they are excitChellas was ed to hear from a born and raised in writer who was Palo Alto, Caliinstrumental in fornia and grew the creation of a up in Alberta, CHELLAS beloved series. Canada. She “I’m super excited to see earned a B.A. in literature from Yale University, studied English as Semi speak. I’m a really big fan a Mellon fellow at Cornell and of Mad Men — it’s smart and studied the Canadian Film Centre sophisticated with a great in Toronto, according to her story,” said Marina Watts ’16. “It opens up viewers to the senIMDB profile. The acclaimed writer has sational world of advertising received six Emmy nominations See MAD MEN page 4 for her work on Mad Men — By DEVON GILLIAMS
Sun Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY CAMERON POLLACK / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Myrick’s Drug Policy Receives Mixed Reactions From Cornellians,Ithacans By RUBY YU Sun Staff Writer
Mayor Svante Myrick’s ’09 controversial new drug policy plan — which proposes the implementation of the country’s first supervised heroin injection site — has been met with mixed reactions from both the Cornell and broader Ithaca community. At these proposed injection facilities, drug users would be able to receive monitored injections of opioids to reduce the risk of overdose without the fear of arrest. The mayor’s plan is billed as focusing on rehabilitation rather than punishment, as it will instruct police officers to direct users to the social service system rather than perpetuate incarceration for low-level offenses.
Several Cornellians expressed enthusiasm for the plan, saying they are hopeful about the larger changes the initiative could spark. Maria Chak ’18 said she appreciates the mayor’s efforts in reforming the system “from a punishment to a more rehabilitative framework.” “For more than four decades, law enforcements have been arresting low-income, people of color for drug abuses but it has proven to have little effect,” Chak said. “Now, Mayor Svante’s proposal to implement supervised injections facility will provide the support for drug addictions and prevent the number of deaths related to an overdose.” Shayra Kamal ’18 said she approves of how the See REACTIONS page 5