INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 136, No. 72
TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020
n
8 Pages – Free
ITHACA, NEW YORK
CORNELLIANS FIGHTING THE PANDEMIC
C.U. Student Stabbed In Robbery Attempt At Campus Intersection Suffers back wound while fleeing By SEAN O’CONNELL Sun News Editor
ERIN SCHAFF / THE NEW YORK TIMES
Man of the moment | Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, displays guidelines to slow the spread of the coronavirus, during a news conference at the White House in Washington, Friday, March 20. Vice President Pence is in the background.
A Cornell student was stabbed in an attempted robbery on the intersection of South Avenue and West Avenue on Sunday evening. The student was treated by witnesses and the Ithaca Police Department before he was transported to Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania for treatment, according to a Cornell crime alert. The victim was approached by four suspects, one white male and three black males wearing dark clothes, walking down South Avenue. One of the suspects demanded he give up his phone and wallet. The victim fled, was chased by one of the suspects, who then stabbed him in the back, according to the crime alert. The suspects then fled westbound down West Avenue. The IPD reported that there was no further identifiable information about the suspects.
How Dr. Anthony Fauci M.D.’66 Became Trusted Disease Expert Student Online Petition Urges Mandatory Pass Grading Arrangement Sean O’Connell can be reached at soconnell@cornellsun.com.
By EMMA ROSENBAUM Sun Science Editor
When Dr. Anthony Fauci did not appear at a White House news conference on March 18, “Where is Dr. Fauci” began trending on Twitter — proving to many that Fauci has become one of the U.S.’s most trusted voices in the fight against the progressing COVID-19 pandemic. The head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and “the most influential man in American public health” is also a Cornell alumnus. Fauci received his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medicine in 1966, ranking first in his class. Two years after graduation, he began working for the National Institute of Public Health as a clinical associate, and eventually became the director in 1984. In this role, Fauci was at the forefront of the AIDS epidemic that hit the U.S. in the 1980s. While urging the federal government to increase funding for AIDS research and
treatment, Fauci spearheaded the development of combination drug treatments — when different types of drugs are prescribed so the virus is less likely to become resistant to all of them simultaneously — that increased the lifespan of HIV-positive individuals. Fauci is currently developing an HIV vaccine to completely eradicate the disease. During the SARS outbreak in 2003, Fauci and his team be-
(D-Mass.) and now teaches the class Biomedical Engineering 4440 Science Policy. Since the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, Fauci has served as a national expert on combating the disease. Appearing at press conferences alongside President Donald Trump and other White House officials, Fauci doesn’t sugarcoat the extent of the crisis. “When you’re dealing with an emerging infectious diseases outbreak, you are always behind where you think you are,” Fauci said at a news conference on March 16. Through various media appearances, Fauci’s main role in the outbreak has been educating the public on how the virus spreads and ways to prevent the spread from person to person, as well as being involved in the initial stages of developing a vaccine. Fauci has also been very vocal on the ways people can change their behavior in order to stop the diseases’ spread. “He’s helped us understand that if we feel like we’re over-
“He’ll be responsible for saving tens of thousands of lives if not more.” Prof. Chris Schaffer gan isolating the virus and developing a vaccine. The SARS outbreak was successfully contained within four months. He has also led government efforts to prevent the spread of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and the Ebola outbreak in 2014. “Fauci once again is playing an absolutely critical role in the face of an epidemic in this country,” said Chris Schaffer, biomedical engineering. Schaffer worked as a science policy advisor for Sen. Ed Markey
By TAMARA KAMIS Sun Staff Writer
While Cornell has extended the deadline for students to choose between letter grades and pass/fail to April 21, a growing number of students are advocating for a more radical approach: a mandatory, “universal pass” system for all students this semester. According to an FAQ page made by supporters of the movement, students would receive credit for all of their courses and have a “P” on their transcript, accompanied by a letter explaining the
circumstances. While other schools, such as Columbia, have moved to an allpass/fail grading system for the remainder of the semester, the group takes it a step further, arguing that all classes should receive credit no matter one’s final grade. According to supporters, this move alleviates inequities in technology access, the personal impact of COVID-19 on some students and other factors that may keep students from achieving their full potential during this time of crisis. “What unites all Cornell students is See PASS page 3
HANNAH ROSENBERG / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
See FAUCI page 3
Deserted classroom | Some students are calling for a “universal pass”
system since the pandemic shifted students’ living and academic arrangements.
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Two alumni have began a fundraising effort to assist Collegetown restaurants affected by recent closures. | Page 4
During the past two weeks, Cornell has placed most of its research work on hold. | Page 5
The past season of the men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams is reviewed. | Page 8
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