INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 131, No. 108
MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
12 Pages – Free
Arts
Opinion
Sports
Weather
Evil Stepmother
System on Trial
Starting Off Strong
Cloudy HIGH: 54º LOW: 36º
Natalie Tsay ’18 says Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of the stepmother in Cinderella stole the show. | Page 6
Aditi Bhowmick ’16 discusses what she says are the ills of India’s rape culture.
Women’s lacrosse defeated their Ivy foe, Columbia 18-12 Friday.
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| Page 12
Commons Construction Will Resume Today
Third season of rebuilding follows multiple setbacks; August completion slated By CHRISTOPHER BYRNS Sun Staff Writer
Workers will begin to lay the concrete foundation for a new western gateway arch in the Ithaca Commons Monday as construction crews resume work, according to project manager Michael Kuo. Local officials say the unusually cold winter, added work from the Simeon’s crash last June and complications from the New York State Electric and Gas Corporation have all contributed to delays with the construction. The project was originally slated for completion in July 2014, but the deadline has been delayed multiple times. Kuo, however, said he remains optimistic that the Commons construction will be finished by this summer. Kuo said he spoke with the contractors, who said the team was “confident they can get this thing finished ... by August.” He added that the team aims to have the Commons
BRITTNEY CHEW / SUN NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORR
Moving forward | Initiated in the spring of 2013, construction on the Commons is slated for completion this summer. prepared for the Ithaca Festival later this spring, according to The Ithaca Journal. According to Kuo, workers will continue to lay finished paving and will begin to place plantings and furnishings in the Commons. “Month by month, you’ll see more and more of the Commons with finished paving,” Kuo said. Crews finished laying the foundation for the eastern
gateway arch this past fall and construction teams expect the steel for the arches to be ready around early May, according to The Ithaca Voice. Kuo said in a Feb. 17 interview with The Sun that other than foundation projects, most of the remaining work will be on the surface. See COMMONS page 4
Harvard Professor Skorton Will Host Town Hall at Noon Named CIS Dean By SOFIA HU
Sun News Editor
By ANNIE BUI
Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard during his time as dean. Prof. John Gregory Morrisett received his B.S. in Morrisett, computer science, mathematics and computer sciHarvard University, has been ence from The University of named dean of Computing and Richmond in 1989 and Ph.D. Information Science, the from Carnegie Mellon University announced Friday. University in 1995, Morrisett, according to his who will be biography. He has returning to earned numerous Cornell after his awards for his work time as a faculty on programming member from languages and soft1996 to 2004, ware security, will assume his among them a new position Presidential Early July 1. Prof. Jon Career Award for MORRISETT Kleinberg ’93, Scientists and computer science, was named Engineers, an IBM faculty felinterim dean for CIS in lowship and a National Science November after Dean Haym Foundation Career Award. Hirsh took a personal leave. In a University press release, At Harvard, Morrisett serves Interim Provost Harry Katz said as the Allen B. Cutting he was “happy” to welcome Professor of Computer Science Morrisett back to Cornell. and was the associate dean for “He is a gifted scholar, computer science and engineer- teacher and administrator, and ing from 2007 to 2010, accord- his experience will help advance ing to his biography. He helped See DEAN page 4 to establish the new School of Sun Managing Editor
President David Skorton will discuss the University’s finances in a town hall Monday. The meeting follows significant criticism from students about the lack of financial transparency and the administration’s decision to implement a $350 student health fee for all not enrolled in the student health insurance plan. “Cornell is a complex place, and many of you are asking important questions that suggest we need to shed more light on some of that complexity through a community-wide conversation,” Skorton said in a University-wide email announcing the town hall last Tuesday. The University’s finances have come under student and faculty question, especially in light of an annual $55 million deficit in the provost’s budget. To address the deficit, Interim Provost Harry Katz said all of Cornell’s colleges and administrative units will see a 2 to 2.3 percent cut of their expenditures. In total, they will see a budget cut of $27.5 million, The Sun previously reported. While the town hall will broadly address Cornell’s finan-
cial structure, students began enough transparency, although I raising prominent questions and have tried to improve this during issues on the University’s my administration.” Skorton and Susan Murphy finances following the adminis’73 Ph.D. ’94, vice t r a t i o n’s president for stuannounce“I completely agree with dent and academic ment of the $350 health you that there has not been services, have stated several times — fee in enough transparency.” from a Feb. 12 February. Student Assembly Students President David Skorton town hall to a Feb. protesting 27 meeting with the health fee occupied Day Hall on Feb. 9 student activists — that the and asked Skorton to clarify the administration will host university-wide town halls and meetUniversity’s finances. Addressing their questions, ings with the shared governance Skorton said, “I completely agree See TOWN HALL page 4 with you that there has not been
Figures and finances | President Skorton will host a town hall today at noon in the Biotechnology Building to discuss University finances.
JENNIE LI / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER