04 24 15 entire issue lo res

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The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 131, No. 132

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Arts

Opinion

Sports

Weather

Going Wild

Bloody Hell

Come Back Kids

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Mark DiStefano ’16 recounts the “vibrant dance” in Risley’s production of Wild Party.

Students at Weill Cornell Medical College discuss the properties of human blood.

| Page 6

The men’s baseball team looks to end their losing streak against Princeton.

| Page 9

| Page 12

Arts College Faculty Protest Budget Cuts

By GABRIELLA LEE Sun News Editor

Ahead of this weekend’s Charter Day celebrations, approximately 70 faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences have signed a letter addressed to Gretchen Ritter ’83, dean of the arts college, stating they will forgo Monday’s faculty procession over grievances relating to budget cuts in order to restate their commitment to a liberal arts education.

The letter, written by Prof. Durba Ghosh, history, is planned for submission Friday and reaffirms the importance of the arts college and its ability to offer a liberal arts education. The letter states that the college’s “liberal arts mission is under threat from the budgetary policies

adopted by Cornell’s central administration.”

The letter describes how the professors will spend their day instead of attending the Charter Day festivities

“It’s a change that’s basically due to a central administrative policy, not because we’re working less hard or we’re teaching less.”

Prof. Durba Ghosh on Monday.

“In lieu of attending the Charter Day ceremonies on

the morning of April 27, we will be working on our research, compiling notes for an article or book chapter, writing a grant proposal, working on our teaching, grading papers or preparing to teach our classes for that week,” the letter states.

The College of the Arts and Sciences will be facing a $5 to $10 million budget cut in the coming fiscal year due to reduced allocations from the provost’s office, The Sun previously reported.

The reduction is being implemented to fix a structural deficit in the provost’s budget which was created when allocations exceeding the office’s revenues were allotted to help colleges manage the financial crisis of 2008 and See BUDGET CUTS page 4

S.A.Hears Grocery Store Proposal Grease Fire Breaks Some decry store’s funding source, financial aid allocation plans

By RUBIN DANBERG BIGGS Sun Staff Writer

Some students expressed opposition to the proposal for a student-run campus grocery store presented to the Student Assembly on Thursday, citing concerns over the store’s funding sources and plans to allocate financial aid to students.

The proposal was given by two of the store’s long-time proponents: Emma Johnston ’16, DAVID TICZON / SUN STAFF WRITER arts and sciences representative Food fight | Members of the Student Assembly meet to discuss the for the S.A., and Matt Stefanko proposal to open a student-run grocery store on campus. ’16, vice president of finance for saying it would provide fresh Kushagra Aniket ’16 said this the S.A. The pair gave a formal pre- produce, as well as pots and pans leaves the door open to potential sentation on the proposed store for rental, to give students abuse. “[The proposal] does not — as well as the financial aid sys- expanded options in the Cornell tem that would accompany it — region, which he described as a identify any criterion according to which subsidies will be awardwhich they said will begin to “food desert.” ed,” he said. “For address the problem of instance, I receive a food insecurity among “On campus options have really large amount of finanCornell students.

The proposal has high price hikes, while off campus cial aid from Cornell and I have low family drawn criticism from students on campus who options are simply too far away for income. A strong argument can be made for cited biased surveys, those without cars.” the subsidy to be poor funding and an awarded to me even ambiguous model for Matt Stefanko ’16 though I don’t need handling aid for students it.” as evidence of the proFurthermore, Casey Breznick “On-campus options have posal’s flaws.

The model the store plans to really high price hikes, while off ’17 wrote in a recent article for use to allocate aid has also come campus options are simply too The Cornell Review that the under fire — critics of the pro- far away for those without cars,” proposal lacks provisions which might mitigate the risk of poor posal have claimed that it is he said.

Although Stefanko and allocation of resources. ambiguous and may be either “There is also no indication intrusive or lead to misuse of the Johnston proposed that the store offer varying levels of aid to stusystem.

See GROCERY STORE page 4 Stefanko defended the store, dents based on financial need,

Out in Statler Hotel

By ANNIE BUI Sun Managing Editor

A fire broke out at the Statler Hotel Thursday morning due to a kitchen grease fire that spread to duct work in the building, according to authorities.

A call regarding the incident came in just before 8 a.m., according to a release from the Ithaca Fire Department. A worker from Cornell Environmental Health and Safety found a fire in the ventilation duct work. The Ithaca Journal reported that the fire originated in the Statler’s Terrace Restaurant.

Fire crews were on the roof of the building, working to ensure the fire did not spread to that area, according to the

release. Plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the building.

Approximately 100 evacuated individuals were taken to a conference room in Ives Hall, The Journal reported.

By 8:30 a.m., responders were able to knock down the fire and clear the building of smoke, authorities said. No one was injured.

By 10:20 a.m., both Statler Hall and the Statler Hotel had reopened, according to the University. Classes resumed in the building at 1:25 p.m.

Thursday’s blaze will not affect upcoming Charter Day events held in the building.

Annie Bui can be reached at managing-editor@cornellsun.com.

CAMERON POLLACK / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Catching on | Fire trucks gather outside the Statler Hotel Thursday morning to fight a grease fire, which originated in the Terrace Restaurant.

2 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, April 24, 2015

Today

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Quotes of the Week

How Strong is Putin’s Russia 3 p.m., 106 White Hall Take Back the Night 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Ho Plaza

Opinion, “An Ode to Diversity,” Monday Speaking about the cultural diversity she has experienced on campus “Diversity does exist on this campus, we just don’t realize the extent or appreciate it ... Nevertheless, I doubt my life will ever be as full of diversity as it has been over these few years on the Hill.”

Cornell Chimes Sesquicentennial Concert 6:45 - 7:15 p.m., McGraw Tower CULTURA: Poetry Open Mic Night 7 p.m., 139 W. State Street, Sacred Root Kava Lounge Jonathan Schakel Organ Performance 8 - 9 p.m., Chapel, Anabel Taylor Hall

Tomorrow Barnyard Fun Day 9 a.m. - Noon, Livestock Pavilion Revolution in the Humanities in the Last 50 Years 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Alice Statler Auditorium, Statler Hall

Aditi Bhowmick ’17

News, “Vice President Charles Phlegar Will Depart C.U.,” Tuesday Speaking about Phlegar taking a new position as vice president for advancement at Virginia Tech “Charlie was the first person I hired when I came to Cornell, and I have valued his counsel and partnership every day since. While Cornell will miss him, I am happy that he is heading home to Virginia Tech, an exceptional institution where he has such deep, personal roots.”

President David Skorton News, “U.A. Urges Divestment from Fossil Fuels,” Wednesday Speaking about a University Assembly resolution that calls for divesting from fossil fuels “I’m pleased that we voted yes ... and I hope that the Cornell community continues to support these efforts, even now after the resolution has passed because now is where all of the hard work begins.”

Sarah Balik ’15 News, “Charter Day Organizers Prepare for Celebrations,” Thursday Speaking about final preparations for Cornell’s sesquicentennial celebrations “[The Sesquicentennial should be] a time to showcase the contributions of student organizations to campus life and and to highlight the history of the student experience on campus over the past 15 decades.”

Second Annual 5K Run: Destination Haiti Noon - 1 p.m., Cornell Plantations 101st Annual Student Livestock Show 1 - 4 p.m., Livestock Pavilion

Jonathan Schmidt-Swartz ’15

more fun than gooo!

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THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, April 24, 2015 3

NEWS

Ithaca Police to Be Equipped With Cameras Local

City Review Of Proposed Downtown Student Housing to Begin Campus Advantage of Austin, a company that specializes in building student housing located near universities, plans to construct new housing at the triangle east of the Ithaca Commons, according to The Ithaca Journal.

Only a few details have been released to the city Planning Board. The building will have a maximum height of 120 feet due to zoning. The ground floor will most likely have retail use, The Journal reported.

Across the Ivies Columbia Student Sues University for Lack of Protection From Rape Allegations A male Columbia University student, Paul Nungesser, filed a lawsuit against the school yesterday in Manhattan federal court, according to The Associated Press. His complaint alleged that the university did not protect him after a female student, Emma Sulkowitz, went public with claims that he raped her. Sulkowitz gained national attention after she vowed to carry her mattress with her until either her rapist was expelled or she graduated. However, Columbia did not pursue disciplinary action against Nungesser following the rape allegations, The AP reported.

National Police Officers Quit After Town’s Election of First Black Mayor After Tyus Byrd became the first black mayor of Parma, Missouri, four of six members of the town’s police force resigned their positions, The New York Times reported.

Randall Ram sey, who had served as mayor for the last three and half decades, defended the officers, saying they resigned for “safety concerns,” according to The Times.

International Two al-Qaida Hostages Accidentally Killed In U.S. Strike Two hostages held by alQaida were accidentally killed in a United States-led Pakistani drone strike, according to The New York Times. President Barack Obama responded with an apology and said he takes “full responsibility.” One of the hostages was an American, while the other was Italian, The Times reported.

— Compiled by David Ticzon

protocol issues regarding cameras, such as whether or not officers have to declare that they are filming events. “[These issues] have to do with when the cameras are going to be The Ithaca Police Department has partnered with the Tompkins turned on and when they’re going to be turned off — what needs to County Sheriff ’s Office in an effort to equip all local police officers be captured, what needs to be taped … whether or not the officer has to confirm to other people that he or she is videotaping them, with body cameras.

Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 first introduced the initiative in August what would happen to an officer … if he or she did not turn their camera off,” Williamson said.

2014, saying that it “will greatly The IPD will work in conjunction enhance the ability of the Ithaca “[The cameras] will document the officers’ with city administration and the Police Police Department to deliver high quality, community-oriented ser- activities, bolster their investigation and hold Benevolent Association in order to negotiate body camera regulations, vices.” officers accountable to their actions.” according to Williamson. He also said The cameras have received positive he believes these negotiations will profeedback from the community at Jamie Williamson ceed smoothly. large, according to Jamie Williamson, “[In] the overall scheme of things, public information officer of the they’re pretty minor issues that the police Ithaca Police Department.

“I think the main players that are involved — the police depart- department, City Hall … and the Police Benevolent Association ... ment, City Hall and the city administration and the public — all will [work out, because] they’re all eager to start utilizing cameras,” realize the value of our officers being equipped with body cameras. Williamson said.

Williamson said the police department is currently narrowing It will document the officers’ activities, bolster their investigations and hold officers accountable for their actions … if they do act down a list of companies to purchase their cameras from.

“We’re looking at a couple different vendors,” he said. “We have unprofessionally,” Williamson said.

Williamson said the department is currently working to reconcile not formally announced which vendor we’re going to be using, but that vendor that we do choose will meet all of our criteria at an affordable price.”

Hot wheels Williamson said while he does not yet know the overall costs of the project, the department is hoping to have all officers equipped with cameras by this summer.

“We’re looking [at] sometime this summer — we were shooting for this spring, but there’s just a lot of legwork in making sure that we purchase the right cameras and the right service agreements,” he said.

Though proceedings are slower than expected, Williamson said it is because all parties involved in this project want to thoroughly address all the complex financial and regulatory issues. “[W]e don’t want to go into this hastily. We really want to be methodical because we realize the value of having these body cameras and … how [beneficial] they would be to not only the officers, CONNOR ARCHARD / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER but the public as well,” he said.

By JEANETTE SI

Sun Staff Writer

The Infiniti Redbull F1 car is on display on the Engineering Quad Thursday afternoon as part of a recruiting exhibit.

Jeanette Si can be reached at jsi@cornellsun.com.

Prof Discusses Sustainable Food Production “We don’t really feel that impact very will “play a major part in feeding the world much because these primary foodstuffs are a and fueling the world from plants by 2050.”

“I hope they get the vision that these really small part of our household budgets,” Cornellians gathered to hear Prof. Long said. “But in some parts of the world, things are possible — that we can increase Stephen Long, crop science and plant biolo- 60 to 70 percent of household budget goes to food production without using more land, gy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, basic foodstuffs. So if they double in price, without destroying more of the environment, that’s a catastrophe for that we do have a way forward and we should discuss food security, the be using that,” Long said. “[I also want them those areas,” Long said. use of bioenergy without “The United States could Long then spoke about to] get the view that the United States could conflict with agriculture and social barriers to crop develop renewable sources the use of biofuels as possi- develop renewable sources of liquid fuels ble sources of sustainable without impacting food production.” yield improvement at a of liquid fuels without Long ended the talk by stressing the energy in the future, citing lecture Thursday. impacting production.”

Brazil’s use of sugarcane to importance of science communication in Long began by affirmproduce fuel and sell more making these advances in crop production. ing the need for greater Stephen Long “Today we have the availability of comethanol than gasoline in crop productivity in the 2012 as a model other munication and discommunication, which future. He said this is neccountries should aspire to. makes the communication of science critiessary because while the “They’ve managed to do this by using cal,” he said. “From a scientific perspective, United Nations food and agricultural report predicted “that we [will] need 70 percent abandoned sugarcane land and moving on to we could have it all by 2050. Whether polimore primary foodstuffs by 2050 than we fairly low-grade pasture,” Long said. “So it cy and society will allow us … we don’t have today,” crop yields will not improve pro- really isn’t competing with their food produc- know.” tion in any significant way.” portionally based on current trends.

Long said he wanted attendees to develop Stephanie Yan can be reached at “Over the last decade, the average yield of wheat per hectare of land has not improved at a better understanding of how innovation syan@cornellsun.com. all,” Long said. “We’re rather getting into a stage where we’re seeing a flattening out of yield improvement year by year. Part of this may be that we’re just reaching biological limits on some aspects of crop improvement.”

Long emphasized that the United States is pivotal to production of primary foodstuff; thus, any change in food output would have a lasting impact on worldwide food production.

“Although we only have a tenth of the world area devoted to maize, in fact we produce over a third of the world’s maize, we produce about a third of the world’s soy and a significant part of the world’s wheat as well,” Long said. “And the United States remains the biggest exporter of these primary foodstuffs. So what happens in the United States is actually very important for costs of many of these foods globally.”

He explained that while the rise and fall of JENNIE LI / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER the price of basic foodstuffs is not a pressing matter for Americans, it greatly affects others Agricultural awareness | Prof. Stephen Long, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, discusses around the world. how fluctuations in American crop production would massively affect parts of the world Thursday.

By STEPHANIE YAN

Sun Staff Writer

4 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, April 24, 2015

NEWS

Some Question Funding of Proposed Student Grocery GROCERY STORE Continued from page 1

of whether students must apply for this subsidy, or ‘food scholarship,” Breznick wrote. “If FARC and SRGS executive board members instead assess each student’s application on a case-by-case basis, what is the expected efficiency of this method? A student in need of food immediately cannot wait weeks for these students and administrators to assemble and review potentially hundreds of applications.”

Renee Alexander ’74, associate dean and director of intercultural programs, said at the S.A. meeting that methods exist for the store to counter any problems critics point to.

“The data will be self reported,” she said. “One way to test this honor system is to be able to check one [out of every] four or five of the applications. The other option is to ask students to bring in financial documents ... We would eventually be setting up a criteria for scanning or auditing every fourth or fifth application.”

The store’s source of funding has been a further point of controversy, according to Stefanko. The Students Helping Students fund, which is an endowed fund, is the planned initial source of funding. The interest earnings from this fund each year are used every year to provide emergency aid to low income students. Some critics believe that the funding of this grocery store does not constitute as emergency aid.

Critics like Breznick say the proposal, which asks for $400,000 to cover startup costs — or 25 percent of the

principal investment of the fund — will put the fund in danger of being unable to meet the needs of the students it is intended to help.

Breznick further cited concern that much of the costs would go towards capital investment rather than solving the problem of food insecurity.

“There are several more cost-effective methods to address the issue of food insecurity,” Breznick wrote. “[These methods] do not require capital costs in excess of $300,000, and therefore will reach more students and more students’ needs.”

“There are several more cost-effective methods to address the issue of food insecurity.”

Casey Breznick ’17 Aniket echoed this sentiment, criticizing the high opportunity cost of the project.

“The store will cost $400,000, which forms 25 percent of the contingency fund,” Aniket said. “Over 75 percent of the proposed cost is going to be ‘sunk,’ [meaning] it cannot be recovered if the plan fails.”

However, Stefanko insisted that the $400,000 estimate is a generous guess, saying it would likely would end up being closer to $300,000. He also said this investment will be necessary to form a sustainable program.

“This is not a program that we want to end in two or

three years when its founders leave, but something we want to be helping students in 20, 30, 40 years,” he said.

“This will give students better options and provide opportunities to learn how to cook and eat better.”

Johnston said that enduring stigma prevents many other potential solutions to this problem from taking root.

“The problem with food pantries is that there is a very large stigma attached to them,” Johnston said. “Students will often visit the small pantry at 626 Thurston either very early in the morning or very late at night to avoid being seen by their peers.”

Stefanko said he agreed that alternative remedies to food insecurity often go underused due to social pressure.

“We’ve heard stories from students who have not taken advantage of these services because of the stigma attached to them,” he said.

Stefanko further emphasized the need to have a clear source of funding in order to get necessary partners on board.

“Not having funding that we can point to is a real burden, so when you’re trying to convince people to begin conversations with you regarding sourcing, or you’re trying to get people to invest in the store, when you’re trying to get construction companies to bid on the space, you need some kind of tentative budget structure,” Stefanko said.

Supporters say they hope that the proposal will come before the S.A. for a vote in the coming weeks.

Rubin Danberg Biggs can be reached at rdanbergbiggs@cornellsun.com.

Professors Protest Arts College Budget Cuts BUDGET

“My sense is that a lot of faculty don’t understand why we went to this new formula,” Ghosh said. “It’s a change that’s basically due to a central administrative to adjust to a new University budget model first imple- policy, not because we’re working less hard or we’re mented in fiscal year 2014, The Sun previously report- teaching less.” ed.

Earlier last week, the Faculty Senate passed a resoluOne of the policy changes under the new University tion that expressed similar concerns and called for budget model reduces the tuition revenue colleges greater faculty input on administrative decisions, The receive when students from other colleges enroll in Sun previously reported. their classes, according to Ghosh.

Ghosh emphasized, however, that the letter does Previously, when students enrolled in a course out- not constitute a boycott of the sesquicentennial events side their home college, the college offering the course this weekend. Rather, she said it is a formal statement would receive 75 percent of the students’ tuition, while to signify that faculty will choose not to attend the other 25 percent would go back to the students’ Monday’s ceremony. home colleges. In the new model, host colleges only “Many people had already decided not to go [to the keep 60 percent tuition paid by Charter Day ceremony] out-of-college students, with 40 because they were not feeling percent diverted back to the stu- “These budgetary policies ... committed to the idea of dents’ home colleges, she said. marching, so I think it only have very deliberately The endowed colleges, includmakes visible that we’re not ing the College of Arts and drawn resources away from going to march on Monday.” the arts college.”

Sciences, were the most affected by However, Ghosh acknowlthe new budget model as it differed edged that she believes faculty Prof. Durba Ghosh greatly from the model they used in members who chose not to sign the past, The Sun previously the letter had valid reasons for reported. abstaining.

Ghosh said the arts college has seen reduced revProf. Rayna Kalas, English, who chose not to sign enues that in the past had been in part mitigated by the the letter, said she was sympathetic to the letter’s cause provost’s allocations. But as of July 1, the provost allo- but was unsure of how it would be perceived. cations will be reduced. The combined loss of income “Faculty are less involved and less frequently conwill be a large blow to the arts college’s liberal arts mis- sulted than they once were about matters of strategic sion, according to Ghosh. and financial planning that have an impact on the eduGhosh said she believes this reduced funding is cational mission of the University,” Kalas said. “I share emblematic of the decreased respect the University has the very genuine concerns of the letter writers. My for the arts college. reservation was that the letter might reinforce the mis“I’m not someone who is likely to write a letter like taken perception of a faculty standing apart from the this, but for me it does feel like there’s been a real institution, when we are in fact foundational to it.” change in the culture of Cornell in terms of not showUltimately, Ghosh said the adjustments to the buding as much value or respect for what constitutes the get were only symptoms of a larger concern that the critical liberal arts,” Ghosh said. “I think of lot of that University is not maintaining the strength of the arts is expressed by these budgetary policies that have very college. deliberately drawn resources away.”

“I think in some sense this is really about drawing Beyond the immediate impacts of a decreased col- attention to a larger shift in the administration away lege budget, Ghosh said she is frustrated by the new from some of the core activities of a liberal arts educabudget policies because she sees these decisions made tion,” she said. from the central administration without much explanation or consultation with the faculty as an insult to Gabriella Lee can be reached the faculty. at glee@cornellsun.com.

Continued from page 1

Comeuppance:

Stories from the 1960s

by Michael C. Ahn ‘69 Eleven compelling tales set in Ithaca, NY, including: A brilliant physics professor does not yield to a desperate student 8

A sophomore sells paper dresses to buy a car 8

A student has flashbacks of a Vietnamese woman and of a former teacher 8

A returning senior is caught between the hip and the conventional while trying to avoid the draft 8

A Chinese Texan is invited to join a Jewish fraternity Available on Amazon.com

NEWS BRIEFS

United States Announces Plans To Reduce Agricultural Carbon Emissions

DETROIT (AP) — Federal agricultural officials announced Thursday voluntary programs and initiatives for farmers, ranchers and foresters meant to build on President Barack Obama’s efforts to combat global warming — and they don’t require congressional approval.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled the plans at Michigan State University, where Obama signed the sweeping farm bill into law last year. The efforts, many of which have their roots in that law, aim to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions, boost carbon capture and storage and come with various enticements, including grants, low-interest loans and technical assistance.

Vilsack said the agriculture industry accounts for about 9 percent of U.S. emissions, adding that compares favorably with the rest of the globe but can be improved.

“American farmers and ranchers are leaders when it comes to reducing carbon emissions and improving efficiency in their operations,” he said in prepared remarks. “We can build on this success in a way that

combats climate change and strengthens the American agriculture economy.”

Before the event, Vilsack said officials “want to do this in a way that will help not only the environment but also improve agricultural productivity with improved yields, and we can also improve the bottom line of producers with greater efficiency.”

Obama administration aides have said the issue of climate change became even more attractive after the November election, because the Democrat has considerable leverage to act without Congress. Such actions, though, have drawn fierce objections from Republicans and the energy industry.

Specific actions include reducing the unnecessary use of fertilizer and methane emissions from cattle and swine, reforesting areas damaged by wildfire and disease and encouraging tree planting in urban areas.

For methane reduction in particular, the federal program promotes installing more anaerobic digesters, which use naturally occurring bacteria to break down organic waste to produce biogas, a fuel similar to natural gas.

Prosecution Rests in Penalty Phase of Tsarnaev Trial BOSTON (AP) — A video played Thursday at the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev showed a mother crouched over her 8-yearold son as he lay dying on the sidewalk, a scene prosecutors hoped would linger in jurors’ minds while they determine whether Tsarnaev lives or dies.

Prosecutors rested their case after playing the video during the testimony of a man who lost his leg in the bombings, and jurors watched as the mother pleaded with her little boy.

“I heard ’please’ and ’Martin’

being uttered by Denise Richard,” said Steve Woolfenden, who was lying on the pavement next to Martin and his mother after the second bomb exploded.

“Just pleading with her son.”

The boy bled to death.

Prosecutors presented the testimony and searing images to give the jury one last reminder of the brutality and heartbreaking consequences of the bombings before the defense begins to present its case next week. Prosecutors argue Tsarnaev, now 21, deserves to be executed for his crimes, while his lawyers say his life should be

Ash Piles Up From Eruption Of Chile’s Calbuco Volcano ENSENADA, Chile (AP) — Twin blasts from the Calbuco volcano in southern Chile sent vast clouds of ash into the sky, covering this small town with thick soot and raising concerns Thursday that the dust could contaminate water, cause respiratory illnesses and ground more flights.

Ensenada, in the foothills of the volcano, looked like a ghost town but for an occasional horse or dog roaming its only street. Most of the 1,500 residents had evacuated after the initial eruption Wednesday, with only about 30 people refusing to leave out of worry for their homes and animals.

Daniel Patricio Gonzalez left with his wife, seven-year-old son and four-year-old twins, but he returned to town Thursday night to assess the damage. The roof at the restaurant he manages had caved in from the weight of the mounting ash.

“This hurts a bit, but there’s nothing to do against nature.

The important thing is that my family is fine,” Gonzalez said.

The volcano erupted Wednesday afternoon for the first time in more than four decades, spewing out a plume of ash more than six miles (10 kilometers) high. Emergency officials were taken by surprise and had only a few minutes to issue an alert.

Calbuco had another spectacular outburst early Thursday with lightning crackling through a dark sky turned red-

dish orange by the explosion.

As the ash cloud spread Wednesday, “people went into a state of panic,” said Miguel Silva Diaz, an engineer who lives in Puerto Montt, a city about 14 miles (22 kilometers) from the volcano. “Then, at around 1 a.m., I heard a loud noise, as if somebody had detonated an atomic bomb.”

Winds blew ash in a widening arc across to Argentina. No injuries were reported and the only person reported missing since the eruption was located Thursday.

Authorities evacuated 4,000 people as gas and ash continued to spew, and they closed access to the area around the volcano, which lies near the cities of Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt, some 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) south of Santiago.

“I was shocked. I had just arrived home when I looked through the window and saw the column of smoke rising up.

We called our families, posted photos,” said Daniel Palma, a psychologist who lives in Puerto Varas.

“We woke up today with a blanket of fog and it hasn’t cleared. We have a layer of smoke above us,” Palma said, adding that many were concerned about the possible effects of the ash on their health.

The Chilean national geology and mining service warned that people should prepare for a third and “even more aggressive eruption.”

spared because his late older brother, Tamerlan, was the mastermind of the attack.

Woolfenden’s left leg was sheared off below the knee. He described frantically trying to get his 3-year-old son, Leo, out of his stroller after he heard him screaming and saw he was bleeding from the side of his head. As he lay helpless on the pavement, he spotted Martin and Denise Richard.

“I saw Martin’s face,” Woolfenden said. “I could see a boy that was, looked like he was fatally injured.”

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, April 24, 2015 5

You may find the apartment you’re looking for

in The Sun classifieds.

A&E

6 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | Friday, April 24, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Lorca at the Schwartz: Blood Wedding

BY EMILY FOURNIER Sun Staff Writer

wedding day, it was clear that the two were still in love despite their relationships with other people. Their decision to run away from the wedding and to leave their respective spouses resulted in the sudden halting of festivities and a call to search relentlessly for the pair. Woodcutters dashed through the forest, which was created by a simple turn of the flower-covered structures. The performers ran through the audience and searched from Kiplinger’s balconies, frightened by the presence of Death disguised as a beggar, until the play’s final act of horrific violence was revealed. Upon the announcement of this news, the hanging structures were further turned to resemble two tombstones on

The Schwartz Center’s performance of Federico Garcia Lorca’s 1932 tragedy Blood Wedding tells a tale that seems to have been transported directly from a soap opera, but is based on real events. Directed by E.D. Intemann and Emily Ranii, the play will be performed over the next two weeks in Kiplinger Theatre

by Cornell’s Performing and Media Arts Department. The actors’ intensity and the play’s balance between drama and realism make this a captivating production, for which I was able to attend a dress rehearsal.

The play opened to a stage that immediately appeared to be elaborately decorated, with two hanging structures covered in vines and flowers; otherwise, though, it was a simple set with only a single chair on the floor. Beginning the story, a mother (Sarah Coffey ’16) and her son (Chandler Waggoner ’15) argued about the dangers of being a young man in their neighborhood in Seville, Spain. The mother revealed that her husband and other son had both been killed in acts of violence, so she hesitated to allow her living son to walk around with a knife just to cut the grapes in his vineyard. Her concern and loneliness both weighed on her son, but she ultimately permitted him to leave and to COURTESY OF SARAH ECKERT BERNSTEIN marry the girl he had been seeing for the past three years (Claire Roberson ’15). However, others suggested that this girl the flower-covered lawn of a cemetery.

The play mixed genres, feeling at times like Romeo & Juliet had been with another man, Leonardo (Alex Quilty ’15), who belonged to the family that killed the future bridegroom’s father. and at others like a fantasy horror film, which could have made As Leonardo had since married another woman (Carla Perez ’15) it difficult to determine how the characters should have been and had a son, it was decided that there was no true obstacle to played. However, the actors were able to remain consistent in their portrayals. The mother was at first rather hard to read due this new marriage, despite the mother’s reservations.

While the importance of violence was present from the play’s to her volatility, but Coffey managed to portray her various and opening scene, its influence became impossible to deny as the rapidly changing states quite effectively. As the play came to a show progressed. The bride expressed her reservations to her close, she became more resolved and Coffey’s utter despair was maid (Jillian Holch ’16), and upon Leonardo’s appearance on her very convincing. Quilty’s rage and Roberson’s near-constant dis-

tress were equally strong and helped the somewhat fantastical play seem more realistic. The actors’ steadiness helped the show — which, with its personification of both death and the moon, could well have come off as outlandish — seem much more plausible, as well as legitimizing the intense chaos.

Though singing and dancing were important aspects of Blood Wedding, the production was performed not as a musical, but as a play with music in it. The songs — such as the lullaby Leonardo’s wife and her mother (Katelyn Pippy ’15) sang to the baby — all served their purposes and fit naturally into the story.

In some scenes, characters consciously treated songs as such, but occasionally music was used for expository purposes.

Composer Danny K. Bernstein ’14 and choreographer Jumay Chu, Performing and Media Arts faculty, helped to incorporate the elements of music and dance into the play. Though the acting was of a higher quality than the singing and dancing, the latter elements were quite impressive for a play that was not predominantly focused on these arts, and some of the actors had very pleasant voices.

Incorporating elements of both modern and traditional tragedy and of both reality and fantasy, this intriguing play makes contradictory features work well together. The actors ensured that the play maintained its serious tone through the dramatic moments that could otherwise have elicited laughter. While certain events and characters were clearly invented, the strong acting helped the this story’s truth seem possible. Full of hatred, music, romance and drama, this play has widespread appeal and is strengthened by actors who really seem to understand their characters.

Blood Wedding will be playing at Kiplinger Theatre April 24 and 25 and May 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m., and May 2 at 2 p.m.

Emily Fournier is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at efournier@cornellsun.com.

Risley Goes Wild With Wild Party

BY MARK DISTEFANO Sun Staff Writer

When I was asked to come to a first preview of The Wild Party, I had no idea what to expect. I knew nothing about the show, but the name intrigued me. Maybe it was something like last year’s Subculture — a show mostly about hardcore raging and drugs — which Risley hosted in the Spring of 2014. On arriving at the theater, it seemed like I had wandered into the Jazz Age, judging by the flapper dresses the ladies were wearing and the suspenders over the backs of the men. I had guessed the right era, but as I watched the first run-through of the show, I discovered that this was not exactly like Subculture.

This was not a musical like I had seen at Risley before. Housed in the theater’s modest accommodations was a fairly large ensemble cast and a full pit, conducted

by Risley’s Artist In Residence Emily DiAngelo, who is music directing the show while Risley Residence Hall Director Steve Jenks is directing. The pit was in fact a small jazz band, highlighting blues guitar and brassy riffs PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARK DISTEFANO

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

on the trumpet. The era of prohibition is evoked by the music alone, which is a particular achievement considering the preselected soundtracks usually used to score a show at Risley. The pit by itself was strong enough to give a nice concert without any narrative to go with it.

But there was a narrative; there was a play to accompany the band, and indeed it does take place in an atmosphere of jazz and cigarettes and moonshine. It’s Manhattan during the decade of Gatsby’s story, and the title Wild Party is a little misleading, except when put in the context of the Roaring Twenties. It’s a wild 1920’s-themed party. The book, music and lyrics are by Andrew Lippa, based on a 1928 narrative poem by Joseph Moncure March. The story concerns blonde bombshell Queenie (Shanti Kumar ’17) and her romancer Burrs (Sean Doolittle ’16), a hot-tempered vaudevillian. Queenie’s first entrance immediately recalls Roxie Hart from Chicago, and her violent bickering with Burrs makes us expect she, like Roxie, may land herself in prison.

But instead of murder, Queenie decides they’ll throw “the party to end all parties,” and in comes a colorful parade of guests.

The show was captivating, but a few scenes in particular stood out as highlights. For example, Madelaine’s (Chisom Awachie ‘17) number “An OldFashioned Love Story,” with a different kind of twist.

Mae (Shira Polan ’15), a blonde ditz, and Eddie (Evan Czako ’18), a dim jock, demonstrate how they were made for each other with “Two of a Kind.”

Everything screeches to a halt when Kate (Amber Hillhouse), who is trouble on wheels, bursts in with a bottle in hand. Her number “Look At Me Now” is a real showstopper. Her companion Mr. Black (Andy

Gonzalez ‘17) takes a liking to Queenie while Kate sets about seducing Burrs. There’s a lot of terrific work from the rest of the ensemble which is comprised of Phyllis (Gloria Majule ’17), Olivia (Chelsea Rance ’17), Nadine (Jessi Silverman ’17) and Sam (Ethan Fuld ’16). While they function as a Greek chorus in the background during many of the numbers, each of the ensemble members also gets a moment to shine.

The play is, in a word, fun. It’s got a lot of vibrant dance in it and is easy to follow, unlike some of the other more experimental work that goes up over the course of the year. The choreography is sleek and polished and the costume design is bright eye candy. Rehearsals started over two months ago and the result of so much preparation is a uniquely immersive period musical in the small package of a blackbox theater. The show goes up this weekend with four performances: Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available online at cornelltickets.com. Go forth, theatergoers, and get lost in the Jazz Age. Mark DiStefano is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at mdistefano@cornellsun.com.

A&E

I

Friday, April 24, 2015 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | 7

The Age-Old Trick of Political ‘Normcore’

magine taking a woman’s order for a burrito bowl and having absolutely no idea that the lady behind the dark sunglasses and pink dress-suit is Hillary Clinton, a presidential candidate. Surrounded by her closest staff members, Clinton enjoys her meal and walks out to continue her campaign journey. Moments later, the manager of the Maumee, Ohio branch of Chipotle learns that their store has, in fact, just served the potential President of the United States.

Although the manager is probably beating himself over the head for failing to have recognized the former Secretary of State, I do not blame him. American politicians, especially during election season, are constantly going out of their way to prove that they are much more like common citizens than the public perceives them to be. From wearing cowboy boots to formal functions like George W. Bush to sporting normcore turtlenecks à la Rand Paul at the Koch brothers’ most recent fundraising event, it seems every like American presidential candidate is obsessed with blending in with the crowd.

The tactic of playing with appearance in politics is tied not only to American presidential elections, but also to political philosophy on a greater scale. In Government Professor Isaac Kramnick’s final course, Introduction to Political Philosophy, he has recently introduced his class to Edmund Burke, an elo-

quent Irish statesman from the late 18th century. One of Burke’s most famous and influential essays, “Reflections on the Revolution in France,” reveals his absolute hatred for the state of French politics immediately following the French Revolution and preceding the Reign of Terror.

In a series of arguments as to why France should return to its long history of nobility and tradition, he also states that the only difference between a woman and a queen is her clothing. Stripped away of all external appearances, each individual is simply the same as the next. In his words, by way of pursuing equality, “all the decent drapery of life is to be rudely torn off,” leaving royalty and commoners indistinguishable.

Burke saw this to be an absolute nightmare, a foreshadowing of anarchy and extreme The Melting violence in a Pot world without hierarchy. And he was right. During the Reign of Terror, over 15,000 individuals were beheaded.

Burke advocated that citizens respect their social ranking to uphold a hierarchical community, in which the guillotine would play a far less prominent role in coloring French history.

Letitia Chai

COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK TIMES

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, the American Revolution had recently ended and the colonies were transitioning to a state of independence. Inherent in the revolution was the goal to pursue equality and freedom.

Hundreds of years later, American political figures still carry these ideals through their sartorial choices. They are, whether they know it or not, responding to Burke’s emphasis on appearance in politics.

By dressing in ordinary clothing and carrying casual conversations with common citizens, they remind America that it is a country conceived by the vision of equality — one that subverts tradition and hierarchy.

However, unlike French aristocrats, U.S. presidents are not usually born into their position. They must, like Hillary, travel

from coast to coast and prompt the public to believe that there is no hierarchy in American politics. She, like you and I, enjoys a burrito bowl from time to time.

There is no silver spoon over here, she seems to say.

Ideally, identifying presidential candidates in public should be like a game of “Where’s Waldo.” At first, she is indistinguishable from the sea of people dressed in similar apparel. Then, after several moments, you catch her in the center of things, popping out with a cheeky grin as if to remind you that she is truly just one of us.

Letitia Chai is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Melting Pot runs alternate Fridays this semester. She can be reached at lchai@cornellsun.com.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OPINION

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Letter to the Editor

Minimum enrollment policy explained

Independent Since 1880

To the Editor:

133RD EDITORIAL BOARD TYLER ALICEA ’16 Editor in Chief

EMMA LICHTENSTEIN ’16

ANNIE BUI ’16

Business Manager

Managing Editor

SLOANE GRINSPOON ’17

HALEY XUE ’17

Associate Editor

Advertising Manager

AMBER CHEN ’16

ANNA FASMAN ’16

Web Editor

Sports Editor

NATALIE TSAY ’18

KIKI LI ’17

Blogs Editor

Multimedia Editor

JAYNE ZUREK ’16

BRITTNEY CHEW ’17

Design Editor

News Photography Editor

MICHAELA BREW ’18

JOEY WALTER ’17

Sports Photography Editor

Online Managing Editor

SOFIA HU ’17

GABRIELLA LEE ’16

News Editor

News Editor

JAEL GOLDFINE ’17

MIKE SOSNICK ’16

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Arts & Entertainment Editor

NOAH RANKIN ’16

RACHAEL CUSICK ’17

Science Editor

Dining Editor

REBECCA BLAIR ’17

MADELINE COHEN ’18

PAULINA GLASS ’18

PHOEBE KELLER ’18

TROY SHERMAN ’18

ADAM BRONFIN ’18

Assistant News Editor

Assistant News Editor

Assistant News Editor

Assistant News Editor

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

JOON LEE ’17

SHANE LEWIS ’18

Assistant Sports Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

ADDY PAI ’16

SAMANTHA BRIGGS ’16 Assistant Design Editor

Marketing Manager

ADELE GU ’17

DARA LEVY ’16

Human Resources Manager

Senior Editor

ALEX REHBERG ’16

ANUSHKA MEHROTRA ’16

Senior Editor

Senior Editor

MADELINE SALINAS ’16 Senior Editor

WORKING ON TODAY’S SUN DESIGN DESKERS PHOTO NIGHT EDITOR NEWS DESKERS SPORTS DESKER ARTS DESKER NEWS NIGHT EDITOR

Jayne Zurek ’16 Madeline Salinas ’16 Connor Archard ’15 Rebecca Blair ’17 Madeline Cohen ’18 Joon Lee ’17 Troy Sherman ’18 David Ticzon ’18 Daniel Zimmerman ’18

Re: “LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Course Enrollment Minimums Run Contrary to University values,” Opinion, April 21 Small, seminar-style courses are an important part of an excellent liberal arts education. The new policy that the senior associate deans and I have crafted in consultation with department chairs over the course of the past several months to establish a minimum enrollment policy is not intended in any way to discourage small classes.

We believe that undergraduate seminars with six or more students provide many opportunities for rich intellectual exchange.

We offer more than 2,000 courses in the College of Arts and Sciences each year, and our responsibility to our students requires us to use all our resources as effectively as possible, and to make sure our allocation of faculty effort to undergraduate teaching is optimal.

“Any person, any study,” cannot mean “every study, every semester.” If a class is being taught year after year with only a couple undergraduate students within the entire university choosing to take that class, then the rest of our students have less access to that faculty member.

Moreover, the minimum enrollment policy requires no one to cancel a class. Faculty can continue to teach very small classes or even independent study courses with individual students, but it will not count toward their full teaching obligations. There is an issue of equitability and fairness, particularly when other faculty — sometimes within the same department — are consistently teach-

Apply to join The Sun’s Editorial Writing Board.

Email associate-editor @cornellsun.com for more information.

CORRECTIONS An April 23 news story, “Trustee Hopefuls Talk Platforms,” misquoted Blake Brown ’17 as saying “until we … get men to participate in rape culture at Cornell,” students will not be able to make progress addressing sexual violence issues. In fact, Brown said “until we … get men to participate in the conversation about rape culture at Cornell.”

An April 22 science story, “Synchotron Laboratory Welcomes New Particle Accelerator Module,” incorrectly stated that Prof. Ralf Eichhorn, physics, works at the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics. In fact, this refers to a separate Ralf Eichhorn, who is also a physicist.

Gretchen Ritter ’83, the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts and Sciences

Letter to the Editor

Delegitimization of student grievances by Day Hall To the Editor:

Do you have strong opinions about University issues and events?

ing larger classes.

While this proposal is still in draft form, we have solicited feedback from faculty throughout the college. Currently, classes exempt from the six-student minimum include language, studio and ensemble classes, as well as undergraduate courses concurrently offered to graduate students, new courses and courses offered by new faculty in their first year. Whatever the final details of the policy, it will certainly include exemptions on a case-by-case basis, to ensure flexibility across the College.

Many of our Ivy Plus peers have minimum enrollment expectations similar to our new policy, as do other colleges and schools at Cornell, as well as some of our departments within the College. While we expect that there will be some transition issues involved in our shift to a more consistent and equitable approach, we are confident that this policy will do nothing to harm — in fact we expect that it will ultimately enhance — the excellent educational opportunities available to our students.

Finally, when we speak of “administration” I believe it is important to keep in mind that our senior associate deans, chairs and myself, as dean, are faculty members. We have many years of experience teaching in the classroom and we can appreciate the benefits gained by both faculty and students in small classes. We believe strongly that we can preserve our cherished intellectual diversity and deep engagement with students within this new framework.

Re: “LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Administrators’ response to Robert Harrison ’76,” Opinion, April 12 It is extraordinarily detrimental to “free speech” at a university when campus administrators threaten disciplinary action for students who have taken part in a political demonstration on campus. A letter to the editor on April 12 by Vice President for Student and Academic Services Susan Murphy ’73 Ph.D. ’94 and Vice President for Human Resources and Safety Services Mary G. Opperman demonstrates that administrators would rather usurp due process and enforce discursive norms than remedy legitimate student grievances.

In their letter, Murphy and Opperman insist that the protests on March 26, “are a violation of the Campus Code of Conduct and will have consequences, the severity of which will depend on the violation.” In the same letter where they produce a verdict before any hearing has taken place, two of Cornell’s highestranking administrators also urge students to read the Campus Code of Conduct, which outlines a clear institutional hearing and appeals process. Given the disproportionate presence of police at any sign of protest on this campus, it hardly seems necessary for Murphy and Opperman to remind demonstrators that they are subject to the campus judicial code. As a “campus community” we are now faced with a fundamental problem: whether dissenting “community members” can be assured of their limited due process protections under the Campus Code when administrators — including Opperman, who is Chief of Police Kathy Zoner’s immediate superior — opine a verdict before charges have even been disseminated.

Most troubling in this letter is a tendency to dismiss legitimate grievances instead of providing a “coherent argument” in response.

Students aren't the only group on campus dissatisfied with the empty administrative rhetoric about “shared governance.” Two weeks ago, the

faculty senate passed a resolution compelling the administration to comply with procedures of shared governance in response to draconian budget cuts and the implementation of “revenue enhancement.” (All the while, Cornell’s endowment continues on an upward tear.)

This is not the first time the faculty senate has passed a resolution of this kind, and they will probably have to do this again the next time that administrators ask everyone to “share the pain” of their blunders. Perhaps some student protestors felt driven beyond the (very limited) bounds of “civil discourse” on this campus after recognizing that all claims to theoretically equal positions through “dialogue” with administrators are practically false, especially in situations where students’ financial ability to continue studying at Cornell comes under threat.

Administrators will continue to condescendingly delegitimize student grievances by criticizing discursive tactics (and to discredit protesters’ tactics by publicly lying about them).

Indeed, Murphy and Opperman never engage in a “coherent argument” as to why students, faculty, and other workers should continue to bear the logical consequences of administrators’ corporate vision within moribund bureaucratic bodies that are meant to contain and perpetually defer dissent. It is not enough for Harrison, Murphy and Opperman to simply dismiss students' material concerns and claim that they violate the campus social compact by disrupting private meetings in which administrators impose their own will as that of the “campus community.” The rhythms and chants of protesting masses must have been an alarming reminder of that delusion.

Alex Brown grad Conall Cash grad Jonathan Davenport grad Jack Frost grad Jane Glaubman grad James Ingoldsby grad Nadia Shebaro ’15 Dan Sinykin grad Tatiana Sverjensky grad

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, April 24, 2015 9

OPINION

Xiang Li & David Roy |

S

What’s Up Doc?

Magical Blood

orry, but I am not talking about some dragon blood in a witch’s cauldron that can rejuvenate life, nor some artificial serum from sci-fi movies for instant healing. I am referring to actual blood itself and its potential for medical purposes. One may think that blood is too accessible in every living person to be considered miraculous. Yet, beyond maintaining our lives (What can be more important than that?), it is able to perform more magic if we cast the right spells.

The healing and rejuvinating effect of blood does not only belong to some mysterious medieval remedy — scientists have long sought to demonstrate that blood from a young and healthy animal may actually improve certain physiological conditions of an older counterpart.

The first evidence came from a series of experiments called parabiosis, invented more than a century ago. It is an experimental procedure to surgically connect the circulatory system of two animals — mostly rodents — together at the flanks of their bodies. Specifically, in 1957, Dr. Clive McCay, a professor of Animal Husbandry at Cornell University reported that by joining an old rat with a young one, the bone weight and density of the old rat were improved toward similar levels of the younger counterpart. Recently, more exciting findings emerged. This past January, Nature published a 4-page news feature with fresh evidence that young blood might help restore function to aged tissues.

We know that stem cells in the blood (i.e. hematopoietic stem cells or HSCs) have the capability of unlimited self-renewal and also give rise to all blood cells in the body. These stem cells reside mostly in the bone marrow, though low numbers of them are also found in the blood itself. Dr. Irving Weissman’s research team at Stanford University demonstrated that these circulating stem cells could migrate between “parabionts” or physically connected organisms. Could these stem cells be the key to the improved health of the older rodents? Also, what other components in the blood are responsible for this observed rejuvenation?

Research groups such as the Rando Lab, the Wager Lab and the WyssCoray Lab carried out further studies on stem cells, as well as possible signaling molecules in the young blood that might stimulate the anti-aging process. Signaling molecules are usually protein or steroid hormones that deliver a certain message by binding to receptors on its target cell. The message could be to grow, or to change or even to die. It is likely that these molecules (ex. growth factors) work in many different ways in the young blood. Some of them help repair the DNA damage in aged cells, while others engage in stimulating the metabolic efficiency of an aged system.

Instead of implementing the ghoulish technique of parabiosis or blood fusion to cure our ills, scientists aim to further elucidate the specific blood components necessary to fight aging, among other diseases. In fact, related studies may lead to treatments for additional maladies such as heart disease or Alzheimer’s disease. For example, a recent clinical trial found that 20 of 23 patients with type 1 diabetes became “insulin free” for periods as long as four years following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

It is certainly positive news that HSCs hold promise for treating diseases other than just blood disorders. However, even for the treatment of leukemia, a cancer of the blood, one of the biggest challenges is the shortage of compatible blood/bone marrow donors. As a result, many have sought a means to expand the population of HSCs in the laboratory to produce an ample supply.

It turns out that magical potions might also need magical containers to brew them. The answer for the right “brewing container” to expand blood cells may seem too simple to be true — endothelial cells, the sealant lining of our blood vessels.

Emerging evidence indicates that endothelial cells not only provide blood vessel structure, but also actively participate in biological processes by secreting signaling molecules. Furthermore, it is believed that HSCs originate from the vascular bed (i.e. primitive blood vessels) during embryonic development. Therefore, the contact between these budding stem cells and endothelial cells may play an important role in the stem cell generation process.

Dr. Shahin Rafii and his research team at Weill Cornell Medical College grow endothelial cells in the tissue culture dish and exploit their use as a “feeder layer” for blood cells. They put umbilical cord blood cells directly in contact with these endothelial cells. Within only 12 days, blood cells were expanded 400-fold. They also found a 23-fold expansion of the stem/progenitor cells of the blood. If this technique becomes more mature, we may one day use cord blood from a single donor for multiple patients in need.

The magic even goes beyond this. Endothelial cells can do more than cast spells on the HSCs to cause them to expand. In fact, these blood vessel cells can undergo transformation into blood itself. In 2014, the Rafii Lab reported that human endothelial cells could be reprogrammed into cells that have blood progenitor or stem-like features. They first identified four critical “transcription factors” (i.e. cell regulators of gene expression) for HSC generation. Then, they introduced these factors into endothelial cells.

Weeks later, these endothelial cells became blood-forming progenitor cells in the culture dish. This finding brings us closer to the promise of producing blood de novo using our own endothelial cells, which are both easily accessible and abundant.

While much progress has been made through exploiting the power of blood and its vessels, we have much left to explore in the vast unknown of the blood system. Technical challenges and ethical concerns give rise to countless hurdles in the fight against diseases and aging. Regardless of all these scientific “tricks” one can perform with blood, the normal function of our blood system is a marvel by itself. Just at this very moment your blood is busy trafficking oxygen, nutrients, immune components, waste, hormones and other chemical messengers throughout your body.

Simultaneously, it maintains the proper pH and temperature for your body. The complexity required to fulfill these everyday tasks is extraordinary. In this way, the blood is performing magic for us all the time.

Xiang Li is a first-year graduate student in Weill College,David Roy is a seventh-year MD-PhD candidate at the Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Programe. Comments may be sent to associate-editor@cornellsun.com.

Web

Comment of the day “Cornell is VERY liberal and most students are not mature enough to handle intelligent opposition without resorting to personal attacks. It’s easier to dismiss Kairey as a person than to dismiss his ideas. He is incredibly brave to continue to share his ideas in the face of ad hominem attacks and very little structural support.” #jesuiskairey Re: “Letter to the Editor: The Burdens of Free Speech,’” Opinion published April 23, 2015

Nikhita Parandekar |

Hoof in Mouth

Finding Balance T

his will be my last column with the Sun. In trying to find the best way to sum up my vet school experience, I started by re-reading some of the columns I’ve written throughout the years. I was sure that I would find things that I had written in my first year at least that I disagree with now, but I was surprised to find that this wasn’t the case. The main difference is that I was a little more dramatic and prone to make sweeping statements, and over the years I’ve learned how to live in the shades of gray. There are two topics that I would like to cover for this last column that I think show the most abstract areas where I’ve experienced the greatest growth in the last four years.

The first is confidence.

Throughout my life, I typically used to be one of those students who liked school.

Academics, especially when I enjoyed the subject matter, came fairly easily to me. So when the first few months of vet school — probably the most difficult portion of the curriculum — were the first time I felt seriously challenged, I was a little concerned and wondered if I was doing the right thing with my life after all. I think that ultimately this was a productive way to feel though, because it prevented me from becoming overconfident and allowed me to then build my confidence throughout vet school. This is especially true of clinics, where I learned to trust myself and the education that has gotten me to this point. That being said, one piece of advice that many experienced clinicians offer to us almost graduates is “don’t start believing in your own bullshit” — in other words, don’t become so overconfident in your knowledge and abilities that you start fabricating facts you’re not sure of, just blindly trusting that you’re right. I think that finding the balance between confidence and humility is some-

my career aspirations. I still can’t relate even a little to the women who want to throw away years of schooling for raising a family. I personally know a handful of these women, and we’re told by older veterinarians that in the past, at least, it happened relatively commonly. In my case, although there were a few bumps in the road, I’ve always found veterinary medicine to be a calling — the satisfaction I get from the work itself contributes to my general satisfaction, and I feel that I would be unhappy to ever let it go. Proportionally, females will soon dominate the veterinary profession (veterinary classes these days have typically no more than 25 percent males, if that), and there is talk of I think that societal private pracpressures often make us feel tices transithat as young, highly educated tioning to a women we have an obligation multi-owner to take life by the horns and model so that aggressively pursue our veterinarians careers. can be practice owners and therefore earn vet school, I was fairly commit- more money than being associted to following the path of an ates, but will also have the flexiinternship, residency and eventu- bility to instill a work-life balal specialty position in academia ance.

This is a significantly more as well as being a crazy cat lady.

However, I met many extraordi- personal column than I normally nary professionals around the write, but I suppose it’s to be world throughout vet school, and expected from a final column.

I began to see that those (both Anyways, I’ve covered most of men and women) who had the more practical aspects of vet thrown themselves into their school (developing good learning careers like I planned to didn’t habits, the importance of interseem to have as much life satis- acting with people, how to be faction as those who had actually compassionate in the face of difconsidered this balance. So I ficult decisions, etc.) in previous began to offer myself a little more columns. After eight years at life. School was always the prior- Cornell (and with the Sun!), my ity and especially in clinics I time on the Hill is drawing to an would be willing to drop every- end — for now, at least. I’m thing for a patient, but I started immensely grateful to have had to consciously take time to see the opportunity to meet so many my horse, hang out with friends, outstanding people and be talk to my parents, cook, exercise offered such amazing opportuni— the little things that bring ties, and would like to thank enjoyment to daily life. I’m still everyone along the way who has going to do an internship after I offered support. graduate, but pursuing a specialParandekar is a fourth-year veterinary ty is more up in the air now. I Nikhita student in the Cornell College of Veterinary was fortunate enough to also Medicine. She may be reached at meet an amazing man to spend nparandekar@cornellsun.com. Hoof in my life with who also supports Mouth appears alternate Fridays this semester.

thing that all of us will have to work on for the rest of our careers, and in vet school we were able to experience a large range of this spectrum and start working on this balance.

The second topic, which also deals with moderating two extremes, is the work-life balance. This is a term I turned my nose up at until the last couple of years. I think that societal pressures often make us feel that as young, highly-educated women we have an obligation to take life by the horns and aggressively pursue our careers — essentially, pursue an all work and no life un-balance so that we can break the glass ceiling. When I started

10 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, April 24, 2015

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

ACROSS 1 Hogwarts cofounder Hufflepuff 6 Claimed in court 10 In a funk 14 Betelgeuse’s constellation 15 Pad opening 16 Exude 17 Rue Morgue killer 18 Stout trees 19 Considerable effort 20 Advice to a shaken quarterback?

23 Prom attendees: Abbr.

24 Language of Southeast Asia 25 Square 27 Eschew a potassium source?

31 King’s downfall 34 Style 35 Grissom on “CSI” 36 Where some natives speak Azeri or Luri 37 Feudal lord 39 Singer commonly seen wearing sunglasses 40 Site for aspiring idols 41 “Star Trek” race 42 Throw in a chip 43 Excuse that last jeer?

48 Big fight 49 Balancing aid 50 Indian state known for its beaches 53 Take a vow of silence?

57 Musical souvenir 59 Russell’s “Tombstone” role 60 They’re heavier than foils 61 You may look through one 62 Luyendyk of auto racing 63 Discovered accidentally 64 Puts in 65 Put up, in a way 66 Isn’t straight

DOWN 1 Legs (it) 2 Slip 3 Humbugs 4 Big ringer 5 San __, Texas 6 SLR buff 7 Mother of Judah 8 Paul’s “The Prize” co-star 9 Convince not to 10 Prankster’s cry 11 Gawking, perhaps 12 Gun designer __ Gal 13 Porky’s longtime voice 21 It’s on the road 22 Last Stuart queen 26 Coat material 27 Swampy area 28 Horseshoeshaped letter 29 Swampy area 30 Liquor-flavoring fruit 31 Rile 32 Woolf’s “__ of One’s Own” 33 Source of extra spending money 37 Place where three’s a crowd

38 Snit cause 39 Cricket __ 41 Oktoberfest quaff 44 Geography aids 45 Supplied in abundance 46 Boat propeller 47 Creator of the language Newspeak 50 “On the Record” host Van Susteren

51 Pope’s “__ Solitude” 52 Gps. with similar goals 54 Kitchen attachment 55 City seen from Presque Isle State Park 56 Old sitcom redhead 57 Hotel amenity 58 Little

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Sun Sudoku

Puzzle #22

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)

The Lawn xwordeditor@aol.com

COMICS AND PUZZLES

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SPORTS

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has been senior Brian McAfee, who currently ranks second in the Ivy League in ERA and ranks third in wins.

Despite the team’s recent problems, players said they are still confident they have what it takes to compete.

“I’m confident that our team will go out and have a good series this weekend,” said junior outfielder Jordan Winawer. “We have all the tools that it takes to consistently win ball games and it’s just a matter

“Whether we’re down in a game or coming off of a loss, this team has shown fight all year.” of putting all of everything together on a more consistent basis.”

With division title aspirations out of the way, the final Ivy League series will mainly be a matter of pride for the Red. A Princeton sweep would give the Tigers a third-place finish in the Lou Gehrig division.

Cornell needs to win at least one game to avoid being stuck in the division’s cellar. Regardless of the situation, players will continue to play hard.

“Whether we’re down in a game or coming off of a loss,” said sophomore infielder Francesco Padulo, “this team has shown fight all year."

Shane Lewis can be reached at slewis@cornellsun.com.

How Baseball Can Capture Young Fans LEE

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BASEBALL

Continued from page 12

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Baseballers Seek Win Versus Tigers

the level of Yasiel Puig.

And that’s what bothers me; baseball is the only sport in America where emotion is almost frowned upon. The traditions of baseball from the good ol’ days have long said that showing up a pitcher after a long home run is bad form. Baseball culture in America has become gentrified to the point where the sport almost expects every player to be the same, or otherwise face the wrath of opposing players.

In basketball, the pimped out dunk is celebrated as a feat of athleticism. In football, people love a great touchdown dance or celebration. In hockey, fans love watching players celebrate goals in a unique way.

In baseball, if you take too long to circle the bases, drop your bat in too emphatic a manner or celebrate for too long, there’s a good chance you’ll get plunked. In baseball, the culture encourages punishment for celebration, for personality, for emphaticism.

In Chris Rock’s monologue for HBO on why baseball is struggling to capture Black America, he mentions how issues like money don’t hold back third-world countries like the Dominican Republic from becoming a powerhouse in baseball.

In Korea, bat flips and the general pimping of home runs is an art form. Over the last 20 years, the growth of baseball in Korea has been exponential. I’ve been lucky enough to have the chance to attend a couple of games in Korea, and there’s one incredibly pronounced difference. Games are a celebration, a party for athletic achievement. People encourage flair, excitement and pizzazz.

People watch baseball in Korea because it’s an opportunity to see something different every single night.

The notion that baseball is dying right now is untrue.

Attendance numbers are at an alltime high, but that statistic, at the moment, isn’t quite relevant for judging whether or not the sport is relevant. The demographic that baseball is struggling to reach right

Baseball isn’t dying yet, but the foundations for its demise are being dug. now cannot pay for tickets. The youngest group of people buying tickets to baseball games are those who grew up in one of the most diverse, entertaining periods in baseball history.

Those attendance numbers that suggest that the game is thriving, however, are irrelevant when considering if baseball is dying. The people who are going to determine the future of baseball aren’t the people paying for tickets right now, it’s the people in high school and college who can’t yet pay for tickets.

The culture of baseball discourages individuality, for players to have their own identity on the field. Individuality, unique players and the chance to see something new every night is what attracts my generation to the screen. Baseball simply doesn’t provide enough of that. Baseball isn’t dying yet, but the foundations for its demise are certainly being dug right now.

Joon Lee can be reached at jlee@cornellsun.com.

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Sports

BASEBALL

Red Hopes to End Losing Streak

MICHELLE FELDMAN / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

McAfee the ace | Senior Brian McAfee has been one of the lone bright spots for the Red, who were eliminated from division contention this season.

By SHANE LEWIS Sun Assistant Sports Editor

It seemed they only thing that could put the Red’s losing streak on hold was the weather. Cornell’s match against Binghamton was cancelled due to inclement weather. Previously, the Red (9-25, 6-10 Ivy) had been losers of six straight games, including a sweep from Columbia. The team has now being eliminated from division contention and a spot in the Ivy League Championship Series.

The Red will look to end their losing streak against

Princeton, who has lost eight straight games and has dropped 16 of their last 20 matchups. Over these past 20 games, the Tigers have scored three or more runs only nine times and have been shut out twice.

Princeton ranks last in the Ivy League in hits and RBIs and is near the bottom in almost every other hitting category. Bright spots for the Tigers include infielders Billy Arendt and Danny Hoy, who have both hit over .300 under the season and have been the team’s main source of run support.

The Tiger pitching staff also ranks near the bottom of the Ivy League. Princeton has given up 6.24 runs a game and is last in the Ivy League in strikeouts. No pitcher on Princeton’s staff has a winning record or an ERA under 4.00. Over the course of teams eight game losing streak, the staff has surrendered nine or more runs four times.

Fielding has been just as big of an issue for the Tigers, as they rank second to last in the Ivy League in both errors and fielding percentage.

While all of these factors should bode well for Cornell, the Red is going through many of the same problems.

Cornell ranks below Princeton in batting average and has fewer total hits on the season. While there have been flashes of quality hitting during the Red’s losing streak, the team has shown to be incapable of keeping up with teams that can score six or seven runs a game.

The Red pitching staff, commonly thought to be the strength of the team as well, has struggled recently. The unit allowed a staggering 57 runs over the six game losing streak, including 30 runs in a Sunday doubleheader against Columbia. The Red has fallen to sixth in the Ivy League in ERA, giving up an average of 6.07 runs a game.

One pitcher who has continued to stand out for the Red See BASEBALL page 11

SOFTBALL

Softballers Look to Ride Momentum

By JOHN McGRORTY Sun Staff Writer

This upcoming weekend, the Cornell women’s softball team will play two doubleheaders against Princeton University. The Red (1221) look to close out regular season Ivy League this weekend in competitive matches against the league rival Tigers. Coming off of a two-game sweep on Thursday against Siena College, the Red looks to carry strong momentum into this weekend.

“We’re really excited about this weekend,” said senior infielder Claire Feely. “This will be our last Ivy League matchup of the year and a special weekend for [head coach] Dick Blood and us seniors. This matchup the last few years has been pretty competitive, so we’re expecting the games ahead to be no different.”

The Red knows that this weekend will be extremely competitive.

However, they have shown poise in their recent games that will help them exceed in this competitive atmosphere.

“We really seemed to hit our stride last weekend against Columbia, coming up with clutch hits and defensive stops throughout the series,” Feely said. “To be successful in our upcoming games we’ll need to stay aggressive and consistent on both sides of the ball.”

Senior catcher Sophia Giaquinto said the teams hopes to carry momentum into the weekend.

“I don’t think our record is a good representation of our team,” Giaquinto said. “We have so much

FRIDAY APRIL 24, 2015

12

Baseball’s Culture Problem I ’m a young person (19 years old) and I’m living in an age where I have, literally, unlimited sources of entertainment at my fingertips. I, like most of my classmates, cannot stand a minute of

are, however, a couple of things that will get me to turn on a game on MLB.TV: 1) An unbelievable pitching matchup 2) The chance to watch history (a player’s

Joon Lee Sports Joonalism boredom. If we feel bored even for a moment, we take out our phone and find something to consume ourselves with.

The main way I know what’s going around in baseball is through Twitter and Vine snippets; the majority of those Vine snippets are something that I wish I could’ve seen live and, in recent years, a lot of those snippets contain Yasiel Puig, the theatrical Cuban star of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s a freak of an athlete and pumps excitement into any game he plays, highlighted by his bat flips at the plate. If there were a Yasiel Puig NFL RedZone type channel, I’d subscribe without hesitation.

But many baseball tra-

debut, a perfect game, etc.)

3) The chance to watch something I’ve never seen before.

More than ever before, the gentrification of baseball is discouraging individuality, and that’s the source of baseball’s issue.

Puig, on almost a nightly basis, makes you laugh and drops jaws in awe. He makes dumb mistakes and he hits flips bats like nobody else in baseball. He makes baseball exciting. He shows emotion and shows that he cares about the game of baseball.

It’s not that Puig is an amazingly gifted player (he is) or that he plays he’s one of the best young players in baseball (he is) that draws me to him.

The gentrification of baseball is discouraging individuality, and that’s the source of baseball’s issue.

CONNOR ARCHARD / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Senior backstop | Senior Sophia Giaquinto said she believes that Cornell’s record is not indicative of the team’s performance this season.

talent and potential, but we have struggled to get it done on the field. If our defense holds up, I’m confident that our offense will get the job done, and we will be successful this weekend against Princeton. It’s our senior weekend, so it would be very rewarding to go out with a bang.”

Sophomore infielder Chloe Pendergast was recently named the Ivy League Player of the Week. This coupled with freshman Maddie Orcutt being named the conference’s pitcher of the week. With games against Princeton and Binghamton still left on the schedule, the Red looks to continue their strong upswing.

“The season as a whole hasn’t gone quite the way we planned in the scorebook,” Feely said. “However,

We’ve been playing some of our best softball recently, showing a great deal of promise for the future. Our young squad has grown tremendously this year and is delivering in key situations on the mound and at the plate.

Moving forward, consistency and good team energy are key both for improvement and long-term success.”

With this being the last home games of the season, the Red will celebrate their senior day for the class of 2015. This senior day will also be momentous because it will act as the last home games for Blood, who he announced he would retire after this season.

John McGrorty can be reached at jmcgrorty@cornellsun.com.

ditionalists take issue with Puig’s bombastic play, saying he’s disrespecting the integrity of the game. This led Puig to tell the Los Angeles Times that he would work on cutting down his bat flips.

“I want to show American baseball that I’m not disrespecting the game,” Puig told The Times.

Herein lies the reason why baseball continues to struggle capture young fans. Baseball is a game with a lot of down time; studies have shown that approximately 14 to 18 minutes of a baseball game are actual action.

Beyond watching the Red Sox, I don’t have a lot of time to spend watching baseball. There

Mike Trout is all of those things and more. What draws me to Puig is that he has pizazz and flair. He provides the opportunity to watch something that you can’t find anywhere else in baseball.

Trout, by all measures, is the best player in baseball and could go down as one of the all-time greats when he decides to hang up the cleats in 15 years.

But Trout is almost great to a fault; he’s so consistently amazing, evenkeeled, that it can get monotonous and boring.

Now, I understand how entitled that can sound, but beyond the occasional home run-robbing catch, Mike Trout is too routinely great to be exciting to See LEE page 11