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Crossing the Line
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The Police Benevolent Association criticizes Svante Myrick’s ’09 recent proposed reforms to IPD. | Page 3
Zachary Zahos ’15 calls Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For a “lifeless, often insidious, failure.” | Page 10
Junior quarterback James Few will take over the starting quarterback position this season. | Page 16
Cornell Will Not Increase Subsidies toTCAT University should pay $500K more to address deficit,TCATsays By SOFIA HU Sun Senior Writer
The University will not further subsidize TCAT for free first-year student bus passes, President David Skorton said 12 days after he announced on May 9 — in front of student RULA SAEED / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
protesters at Day Hall — that he would work to retain the passes. “I cannot at this time find a way to subsidize TCAT beyond what we are already paying,” Skorton wrote in response to a University Assembly resolution in support of the bus passes in May. Currently, the University pays TCAT an annual total of $3.43 million — $830,000 as part of an agreement with City of Ithaca, Tompkins County and TCAT and $2.6 million as a bulk fare for all Cornell ridership — according to University Spokesperson John Carberry. However, since 2011, there has been an increase in the number of students who ride TCAT, Carberry said. Ridership reached over four million total rides in 2013, increasing more than 1.6 million rides since 2004, according to data provided by TCAT. Despite the increase in ridership, the University has not increased the subsidies it pays to the bus service. As a result, Cornell’s payment per ride has decreased from $1 per ride in 2010 to 84 cents currently, according to Carberry. TCAT officials said they are worried that this will further increase TCAT’s deficit.
DATA COURTESY OF TCAT
Slice of the pie | The above chart shows the relative ridership of TCAT stops with an annual ridership of over 100,000 rides. Cornellians accounts for 71 percent of all TCAT ridership, according to TCAT. Call to Action
In March, the University Assembly deliberated over a resSee TCAT page 5
Completion of Commons Construction Further Delayed Until Spring 2015 By JONATHAN SWARTZ Sun Senior Writer
The Ithaca Commons redesign project — which was originally set to be completed in July — will not be finished until next spring, due in part to the fatal crash at Simeon’s Restaurant in June, according to Project Manager Michael Kuo. Originally scheduled to be finished on July 31, the renovation was subsequently delayed for
completion in November. However, project officials no longer expect to meet that deadline either and have further delayed the anticipated completion date to spring 2015, Kuo said. In the aftermath of the June 20 accident — which severely damaged Simeon’s and claimed the life of bartender Amanda Bush — the New York State Electric and Gas Corporation was unable to replace its gas pipes near the
Univ.: Touchdown Not Official Mascot Thought Touchdown the Bear was the University mascot? According to President David Skorton, this is not the case, nor will it be in the foreseeable future. Rather, the official Cornell mascot is simply the Big Red Bear, according to Skorton. At the end of the last school year, the Student Assembly passed Resolution 85 — “Supporting the Creation of an Official Cornell Mascot” — which proposed that the University officially recognize Touchdown as the Cornell mascot. Touchdown’s history at Cornell dates back to 1915, when the varsity football team collected $25 to buy a black bear cub, which it named Touchdown, according to the resolution, which was submitted by several alumni and current S.A. members. “Since that day, Touchdown the Big Red Bear has served as the de facto mascot of Cornell University,” the resolution said. However, on June 19, Skorton said in a response to the resolution that he and several other administrators believe the mascot is the Big Red Bear — not Touchdown, the bear cub. — Compiled by Sofia Hu
restaurant, resulting in further setbacks, according to Kuo. Although NYSEG has now completed its work, the setback will not allow for the project’s completion by the end of the season in November, Kuo said. “As the weather gets cold it will be a challenge to get the finish paving completed from endto-end, but that is still our goal,” Kuo said. “We are excited to say See COMMONS page 5
DIANA MAK / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Heart of town | In part due to the Simeon’s crash on June 20, construction on the Ithaca Commons will no longer be completed by November.
Students Contest Campus LGBT Ranking By EMMA QUIGLEY Sun Staff Writer
While Cornell’s recent rating as a Top 50 LGBT-friendly campus has received positive press and promotion in local news and social media, some Cornellians — particularly leaders within the LGBT community — question how the rating was assessed and the message it conveys to new students. The list, which also features Ithaca College in the top 50, was compiled
by Campus Pride, a national non-profit aimed at providing a safer college environment for LGBT stu-
based on criteria such as campus safety and counseling and health services. Though a spot on the
“One can’t encapsulate the queer experience with a checklist.” Jevan Hutson ’16 dents, according to its website. Cornell received an overall rating of five out of five stars on Campus Pride’s online index, which ranks schools
Campus Pride index is often cited by colleges and universities in promotional materials, some within the Cornell community question the high value placed on this
system of rating. “One can’t encapsulate the queer experience with a checklist,” said Jevan Hutson ’16, President of HAVEN, a student administrative umbrella for many LGBT social and support groups on campus. “Cornell would have definitely received a different ranking if it were gauged in a more student-centric fashion.” A September 2013 report on the survey preSee LGBT page 5
2 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, August 29, 2014
Today
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Daybook Today Finding Your Way: Maps 101 2:00 - 2:30 p.m, Olin Lower Library Human Development Colloquia with Karin Sternberg, Ph.D. 2:15 p.m., G87 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall Walking Tours of Olin, Kroch and Uris 3:00 - 3:40 p.m., McGraw Tower, Uris Library Eudemian Ethics Workshop 3 - 6:15 p.m., 206 Stimson Hall Brownie and Ice Cream Social 7:30 p.m., Carl Becker House
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Quotes of the Week News, “Officials: Class of 2018 Will Add to ‘Positive’ Campus Environment,” Monday Speaking about the positive effect that the most diverse freshmen class will bring to the campus “With such a fantastic pool of extremely well-qualified individuals, we can produce a class with the spectacular level of diversity that will provide the most positive and productive learning and research environment.” Associate Vice Provost A.T. Miller News, “Actions of Officer Who Pulled Weapon on Unarmed, Black Teens Not ‘Race-Based,’ Investigation Finds,” Tuesday Speaking about his faith in IPD’s service despite understanding reason for public skepticism “Our officers routinely provide excellent, professional police service; I can understand why some members of our community would be concerned about this incident, which is why we conducted a full and thorough internal review.” Police Chief John Barber
Tomorrow 9th Annual Barbara L. Kuhlman Student Scholars’ Fiber Arts Exhibition 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Jill Stuart Gallery, Human Ecology Building
Opinion, “Ithaca and Rhinoceros Adrenaline Tablets,” Wednesday Speaking about the fact Cornell students should make the most of their time here “Being a Cornell student will at times feel like working a full-time job. Sometimes, it feels like more. But as I said earlier, don’t just punch your timecard and keep your head down.” Christo Eliot ’15
Surrealism and Magic 10:00 a.m., Johnson Museum of Art Walking Tours 10:30 a.m., Day Hall Farmers Market Trip 1:00 p.m., Carl Becker House
News, “Cornell President Skorton, Susan Murphy Take Part in Ice Bucket Challenge” Thursday Speaking about the importance of non-profit organizations such as the ALS association “The ALS association does so much to raise public awareness and to help patients and their families to understand and cope with a very, very difficult disease.” President David Skorton
Today on cornellsun.com
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President Skorton, Susan Murphy Take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge President David Skorton participates in the ice bucket challenge to raise awareness for ALS.
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THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, August 29, 2014 3
NEWS
Ithaca Police Union Criticizes Mayor’s Proposed Reforms
Knead some help?
By ANUSHKA MEHROTRA Sun News Editor
Members of the Ithaca Police Benevolent Association — a union that represents members of the IPD — criticized Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick’s ’09 plan to reform the city’s police department in a response the organization released Thursday. On Monday, Myrick proposed eight changes to the city’s police force, including a 10 percent increase in staffing, a mandatory body camera for all officers and a city residency requirement that would require all officers to live in the city. In a statement, Officer John Joly, president of the association, listed the association’s grievances with Myrick’s proposed reforms, claiming the mayor failed to acknowledge the force’s “excellent job” of serving the Ithaca community. “The level of restraint, compassion, training and professionalism that the officers of the Ithaca Police Department demonstrate every single day far exceeds that provided by any surrounding agency,” Joly said. The mayor issued his “Plan for Excellence in Policing” as a result of an Aug. 9 incident in which an IPD sergeant pulled his gun on two unarmed black teenagers. The officer’s actions were later found to be in accordance with police protocol, Myrick announced Monday after an internal police review. Joly said that imposing a residency requirement for all Ithaca police officers would be “a slap in the face,” because it suggests that officers who live in the City are more invested in their work. “The notion that resident officers would have a quicker response time is also absurd, since officers rarely, if ever, are called to immediately respond from home,” Joly said.
RIO JACOBBE / SUN STAFF PHOTGRAPHER
Katherine Nachbar ’16, Judy Zwillenberg ’15 and Sara Gonzalez ’16 make challah bread to raise money for charity yesterday.
S.A. Approves New Budget for 2014-15 Operating budget decreases by over $10,000, according to S.A. official more efficiently,” Stefanko said. “Our operating budget is close to half of what it has been in the The Student Assembly geared past few years.” Even after cutting the S.A.’s up for the 2014-15 academic year Thursday by approving a new — operating budget by almost oneand substantially smaller — oper- third, the S.A. managed to double its commuating budget. nication and This year’s “We were telling other election budbudget has byline funded groups gets, according decreased by that they needed to to Stefanko. over $10,000, the In from $36,700 to trim their budgets.” 2013-14 acad$26,050 for the emic year, the year, according Matthew Stefanko ’16 elections comto Matthew Stefanko ’16, S.A. vice president mittee received $10,300 but only for finance and undesignated at- managed to spend about $2000. “New elections director large representative. “We were telling other byline Kushagra Aniket has a lot of diffunded groups that they need to ferent ideas on how he wants to trim their budgets and operate spend money,” Stefanko said. To
By ALISHA FOSTER Sun Staff Writer
implement these ideas, he and Aniket agreed upon a budget of $4,000 — effectively double what was spent last year on elections. Similarly, the communications committee received $4,000 in 2013-14 but only spent $775.07. To boost the communication with the student body, the S.A. allocated the committee $2,800. “The S.A. managed to get rid of unnecessary spending and be efficient with its budget,” Stefanko said. “We hope other groups can do so as well.” Sofia Hu contributed reporting to this story. Alisha Foster can be reached at afoster@cornellsun.com.
However, Myrick said in his plan that residental police officers maintain a unique sense of familiarity and community with the citizens that they are protecting. “Officers who live in the community that they serve will be uniquely invested in our community ... and best able to respond quickly in emergency situations,” Myrick said. The PBA also called Myrick’s plan to increase staff “misleading,” claiming that the IPD has been the target of a 13 percent staff reduction since 2011. “The mayor and City Council voted to remove the nine positions from the 2013 budget,” Joly said. “This decision was made by the mayor despite pleas from ... community members and business owners not to cut these positions.” Despite their numerous criticisms against Myrick’s plan, the PBA said that body cameras are “certainly” a topic that the IPD should explore. The cameras — intended to increase accountability among the police force — would be placed on the person of every police officer and the dashboard of every vehicle, according to Myrick’s proposed plan. “Body cameras have a civilizing effect,” Myrick said. “Recording each interaction will bring a greater level of accountability to our police-community interactions.” However, the PBA noted that an already understaffed police staff would have insufficient time to review camera footage. “The PBA is concerned that if there is not sufficient staff for policing, who would be tasked with reviewing, managing and archiving all of the video,” PBA said. Anushka Mehrotra can be reached at amehrotra@cornellsun.com.
Cornellian Wins Award for Advancing Excellence in Higher Education Kathy Burkgren, director of organizational development for faculty and staff at Cornell, was awarded the Brent Ruben Award for “advancing excellence in higher education” by the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation July 18. The network has presented the Brent Ruben Award several times since its inception in 1999, and Burkgren — who also served as NCCI’s president from 2011 to 2013 — is its seventh recipient. “Dr. Burkgren’s inclusiveness of staff and faculty helped raise the bar and bring congruence to Cornell’s performance man-
We the students | The Student Assembly holds its first meeting of the semester in Willard Straight Hall Thursday.
— Compiled by Eric Oberman
Burning Question How would you describe your first day of classes?
“Shweaty.”
“Snore-tastic.” — Forever Bored ’16
“Frizzy.”
“Super-tastic!” — Mini Leslie Knope ’17
“A day.” — Literal Genius ’16
“Forever alone.” — Kawaii Potato ’17
“Too much class, not enough coffee.” — Caffiene Please ’15
“Dead.” — Rest in Peace ’16
ALEJANDRO HERNANDEZ / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
agement and unit strategic planning methods,” according to an NCCI press release. Burkgren oversaw a large expansion of the organization’s membership during her term as NCCI president, which had decreased significantly after the recent economic recession, the release said. NCCI is a non-profit association dedicated to improving higher education through promoting a “collaborative network for change leadership,” according to its website.
“What is class?” — Grumpy Editor ’16
— Pete ’15 — Curly Sue ’15
“My T.A. is so hot.” — Love at First Sight ’16 — Compiled by Ashley Collis-Burgess
4 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, August 29, 2014
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THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, August 29, 2014 5
NEWS
TCAT’s $740K Deficit Set to Double in Next FourYears TCAT
Continued from page 1
-olution that would have eliminated the free bus passes for first-year students. By passing the resolution, the assembly hoped that the University would help address TCAT’s $740,000 deficit — approximately $500,000 of which was a direct result from the increased freshman ridership, according to George Ruizcalderon ’15, a former U.A. member. However, following several student protests and lengthy discussions the U.A. ultimately passed a resolution in support of the firstyear bus passes, calling on the University to increase budget transparency and find a long-term solution to the deficit. Following the U.A., the Student Assembly also passed a resolution supporting the first-year TCAT passes. The U.A. and S.A. sent the resolutions to Skorton — who had 30 days to responsd to its recommendations. In the meantime, students held “mock bake sales,” gathered over 550 signatures on an online petition and organized a May Day protest. Some students — worried that Skorton would not respond to the resolution before the end of the 2013-14 academic year — gathered in front of Day Hall on May 9. Skorton publicly addressed the students and announced his intention to continue the bus passes. Following Skorton’s announce-
ment, students said they were “optimistic” about increased subsidies from the University. “His announcement ... was definitely a victory on many fronts — for TCAT workers, for students and for Ithaca in general,” said Nadia Shebaro ’15 in May. “It’s important to note that the reason we were trying so hard to get this decision before the end of the year is because the United Automobile Workers is starting contract negotiations in June on behalf of TCAT workers, and this outcome will definitely help them to be successful there. Of course it is also great that next year's freshmen will actually be given the free bus passes that were advertised to them. A Growing Deficit
On Thursday, the TCAT Board of Directors passed a resolution asking the University to find a way to increase its payments to reach $1 per ride by 2015. The resolution passed 5-3, just barely met the required five votes to pass. The three board members who voted against this resolution — Kyu-Jung Whang, Kellie Page and David Howe — are also all current Cornell employees. Whang serves as both the chair of the TCAT Board of Directors and as Cornell Vice President of Facilities; Page is the director for finance and administration for Cornell’s Division of Student and Academic Services; Howe is a College of Veterinary Medicine administrator.
According to the resolution, if no changes are made in TCAT’s income, its current $740,000 deficit will double in the next four years. If Cornell had paid $1 per ride in 2014, TCAT would only have one third of the current deficit. Whang asked some of the members of the board — including Frank Proto ’65, vice chairman
“The administration is effectively saying that they don’t care about our bus drivers.” Michael Ferrer ’16 of the TCAT Board of Directors — to meet with Skorton over the next month to discuss the issue. “We really just want to open the door to sit down and talk with the University with regard to the contribution that accurately reflects the increase in ridership,” Proto said. “The ridership has gone up something like 26 to 29 percent. To reflect this, the fee should be about $3.1 million [not $2.6 million].” However, Proto said it was “a little hard” to completely blame the shortfall on the University. “Cornell is a victim of its own success,” Proto said. “Promoting public transit has been a real positive thing. Everyone is interested in lack of emissions and getting people off the road.” Proto said TCAT hopes not to
cut routes that run through Cornell and that Cornell does not stops offering the first-year passes. Since TCAT receives money per ride and per mile from the state government, reducing Cornell ridership — which accounts for 71 percent of all ridership — would also reduce TCAT’s funding, according to Patty Poist, communications and marketing Manager for the TCAT. TCAT’s financial troubles will eventually affect bus drivers, since the United Automobile Workers is currently in collective bargaining negotiations with the board of directors, according to Poist. The board usually approves a budget in December. Since the budget is in flux depending on Cornell’s payments, the board members said they do not know how the University’s decision will affect UAW members. “It could affect our bottom line. But since we don’t have all the pieces together on the new contract … I really don’t know how this will affect TCAT personnel,” Proto said. This uncertainty worries many, including Michael Ferrer ’16. “By not taking responsibility for the financial problems that Cornell has caused for TCAT, the administration is effectively saying that they don’t care about our bus drivers,” he said.
claimed to not have sufficient funds to increase its payments to the TCAT. “President Skorton’s decision does not reflect the verbal agreement between organizers and administration discussed outside of Day Hall on the day of the study-in. Students decided not to occupy his office because they believed that Skorton would keep his word and fund first-year bus passes,” Ferrer said. “The decision to keep bus passes without funding them makes a mockery of the student outcry against the administration’s financial priorities.” Some students are also seeking clarification on what they call Skorton’s “vague” decision. “His verbal agreement to us last semester was that he would keep the bus passes. This was made with the understanding that this can only happen if subsidies are increased. And he knew that full well,” said Rudy Gerson ’15, a student involved in the protests. “If this is his way of finding a linguistic or bureaucratic loophole, I would be sorely disappointed. I would like clarification.” S.A. President Sarah Balik ’15 said the S.A. will address the issue that affects all Cornell students. “I can assure you that several representatives are already working on new potential solutions for the problem,” Balik said.
Many students were disappointed that the University
Sofia Hu can be reached at shu@cornellsun.com.
Uncertainty for Drivers
‘Not the End’
Cornell Listed Among Top 50 Commons Redesign Delayed ‘LGBT Friendly’ Universities Business owner: Delay will hurt holiday sales Student leaders say there is more work to be done LGBT
see it as an impediment to continued change and progress within the Cornell pared by Institutional community. Research and Planning con“Campus Pride’s ranking cluded that Cornell students will not lead to complacen“identifying as queer reportcy,” Peterson said. “I do not ed the highest incidence of believe that the ranking will feeling insulted or substantially impact threatened.” The Cornell’s queer culreport also observed “[While] gay and lesbian students ture. I imagine that it that “compared to will foster continued ... have certainly become a lot heterosexual peers, debate around the students reporting more accepted and integrated into strength and characother sexual orienta- the mainstream Cornell culture, the ter of our queer comtions felt less safe and munity.” same cannot be said for less valued at Habib, however, transgender people or people who said the way “LGBTCornell.” Abu Yusif Habib otherwise choose not to conform to friendliness” is ’15 said he does not defined remains a believe Cornell “or identify by the gender assigned to central issue. them at birth.” any other school” “[People] fail to deserves a five star consider that what Abu Yusif Habib ’15 ranking for LGBT some queer people friendliness. on this campus desire “[While] Gay and is an end to heterolesbian students … have cer- perfect ranking. normativity as a system, an tainly become a lot more “Cornell has done quite a end to a gender binary sysaccepted and integrated into bit and the support they give tem which oppresses both the mainstream Cornell cul- our organization is substan- ‘men’ and ‘women,’” he said. ture, the same cannot be said tial; however, I wish Cornell “We want a Cornell where for transgender people or and other universities were we do not feel pressured to people who otherwise choose more excited to be as actively conform to society’s expectanot to conform to identify by involved in queer communi- tions of us ... a Cornell that the gender assigned to them ties as they were to post addresses racial and class at birth,” Habib said. “For Campus Pride’s rankings,” oppression.” queer people of color, they Hutson said. Despite critiface a double whammy cism of the rating, Arthur because they are oppressed Peterson ’15, vice president Emma Quigley can be reached on multiple fronts as a result of HAVEN, said he does not at equigley@cornellsun.com. Continued from page 1
of their gender/sexual identifications and behaviors as well as their belonging to particular ‘race’ or ethnic community.” Hutson agreed that the University has more work ahead in order to deserve a
COMMONS
Continued from page 1
goodbye to the utilities work and have commenced the surface program on Bank Alley.” Gary Ferguson, executive director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, said the project team remains hopeful that the surface for the new pedestrian mall can be completed by the holiday season. “Every effort is being made to ensure that businesses and pedestrians will have a clean, fresh surface in front of their place of business,” he said. “If the weather cooperates and we do not encounter any further surprises, there is a chance this can occur.” Ferguson also said business owners, landlords, city officials and downtown employees want the project to end as soon as possible.
“Impact on businesses has been mixed. Some merchants continue to post strong growth. Some show flat or stable sales,” he said. Some store owners say the construction “needed to be done,” even if it has a negative impact on businesses. "I think the delay to spring 2015 will hurt retail sales, as it has already, and particularly versus the intended excitement of a holiday completion,” said Ian Golden, owner of the Finger Lakes Running and Triathlon Company. “With that said, I don’t feel as a retailer that there’s much that could have been done. It’s a project that needed to be done, and there’s never a convenient time for it to happen.” Jonathan Swartz can be reached at jswartz@cornellsun.com.
COURTESY OF THE CITY OF ITHACA
More in store | A rendering depicts the Ithaca Commons upon its completion. The project, which was originally slated for completion in July, has been delayed twice.
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zra's Oracle welcomes inquiries from all members of the Cornell community about anything and everything related to the University. We seek out answers to campus mysteries, research rumors and investigate issues of relevance to Cornellians. Not sure where to find the answer to your Cornell questions? Too lazy to use Google? Siri can’t help you? Ask Ezra’s Oracle. Did a Cornellian really invent chicken nuggets? (Yes.) Will campus construction be finished before you graduate? (No.) Does Cornell actually have a secret weather-controlling machine in Bradfield Hall? (Maybe.) Ezra’s Oracle has the answers. Questions can be submitted via email to ezrasoracle@cornellsun.com. Or whisper them in the ear of the Ezra Cornell statue on the Arts Quad.
ANNA FASMAN ’16
Q: With Cornell celebrating its sesquicentennial this year, what sort of special events are planned?
NICOLE HAMILTON ’16
MANU RATHORE ’15
— Birthday Bash ’15
EMMA LICHTENSTEIN ’16
KATHLEEN SHIM ’15
A: Compared to its Ivy League peers, Cornell is still a mere child. Harvard celebrated its own 150th birthday over 200 years ago. But that won’t stop Cornell from celebrating in style throughout the 2014-2015 academic year. The big celebrations kick-off in New York City with two gala events for alumni on September 13, followed by similar events around the world over the next year, from London and Hong Kong to Boston and San Francisco. On campus, Homecoming weekend will have a distinct “sesquicentennial” flavor to it, particularly the Friday night fireworks and laser show at Schoellkopf Field on October 17. Cornell’s exact 150th birthday will be celebrated in April 2015 with Charter Day weekend, commemorating the signing of Cornell’s charter in 1865. The four days of activities kick-off with a presentation by Bill Nye ’77 (“The Science Guy”) and Prof. Steve Squyres ’78, PhD ’81, astronomy (of Mars Rover fame). The rest of the weekend will include panels, performances and presentations from notable alumni, faculty, and student organizations. And keep an eye out for a special sesquicentennial ice cream flavor. To stay informed about Sesquicentennial events, visit 150.cornell.edu.
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Diana Mak grad Alejandro Hernandez ’15 Sean Doolittle ’16 Kaitlyn Tiffany ’15 Noah Rankin ’16 Annie Bui ’16 Ashley Collis-Burgess ’16 Scott Chiusano ’15 Elizabeth Sowers ’15 Megan Zhou ’15 Lily Shi ’17
By Ruben Bolling
Q: Is there a Cornell connection to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? — Wet Philanthropist ’15 A: You’re probably tired of seeing buckets of water in your Facebook newsfeed, and now even President David Skorton and Vice President Susan Murphy ’73, PhD ’94 have completed the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. But it’s tough to deny the challenge’s success at raising awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Many credit the challenge’s inspiration to Pete Frates, a former Boston College baseball captain with ALS, who challenged his friends and families. Frates is the son-in-law of Cornellian Joe Kowalik ’74. As a student, Kowalik knew Michael Goldsmith ’72, J.D. ’75, who passed away in 2009 after being diagnosed with ALS. Goldsmith was a major advocate for ALS fundraising and awareness, inspiring Major League Baseball to declare July 4, 2009 as ALS-Lou Gehrig Day. On that day, every MLB game included ceremonies to raise awareness, and Goldsmith himself threw the first pitch at Yankee Stadium. Baseball legend Lou Gehrig actually has his own Cornell connection. While playing for Columbia University’s baseball team, Gehrig hit the second home run on Cornell’s Hoy Field in 1923. Q: I just got back to campus after the summer, and everything is under construction. What projects are currently ongoing? — Tired of Detours ’16 A: It was Ezra Cornell who famously said, “I would found an institution where any person can find construction in any study,” or something like that. Newcomers to campus may not have realized it yet, but Ithaca only has two seasons: winter and construction. With fewer people around during the summer months, plus relatively cooperative weather, summertime is when the University catches up on capital projects. Here are a few you might have noticed: • Early preparations have begun for the new addition to the Gannett Health Center to the south of the current building. But be patient; expected completion is Fall 2017. • Closed for much of the summer, the east end of Tower Road has reopened with a new pedestrian walkway replacing the parking spots on the south side of the road. • Statler Hall has a shiny new main entrance and expanded classroom space. • Klarman Hall, the humanities building attached to Goldwin Smith Hall, continues to keep East Avenue closed. That project will hopefully finish by the end of 2015. At the same time, scaffolding surrounds Goldwin Smith as the roof is replaced. • The commemorative Sesquicentennial Grove is being installed at the top of Libe Slope and will be dedicated during Homecoming weekend in October. But look on the bright side. Construction is a sign of a vibrant, healthy university. Buildings require maintenance and upgrades. And without construction, we wouldn’t have the great new Dairy Bar and a nice new sidewalk that leads right to it from central campus. Curious about Cornelliana? Looking for Cornell lore behind a legend? Submit your questions to ezrasoracle@cornellsun.com. Ezra’s Oracle appears alternate Fridays this semester.
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, August 29, 2014 7
OPINION
David Roy | What’s Up, Doc?
Type A Can Save a Life M
y sister Hilary and I are connected by blood, quite literally. At 12 years old, she was diagnosed with leukemia and subsequently underwent a bone marrow transplant. I was my sister’s bone marrow donor, which left her with my XY blood and DNA coursing through her veins, a source of amusement to the inner science nerd inside both of us. My sister’s sheer willpower her overcome the cancer and brutal therapies that later allowed her to mother three children and run in as many marathons. Despite her diagnosis and poor prognosis, it was something far more innocuous that came closest to killing her — a blood transfusion. In the first few days following a bone marrow transplant, the new marrow isn’t very efficient at producing enough blood cells to survive. As a result, a series of blood transfusions are required. For my sister, this meant that all transfusions should be type O blood — my blood type — instead of her original type A blood. One day, the wrong blood type was hung on my sister’s IV pole, ready to be transfused. My mother, who had started obsessively checking labels on all medications, objected and this potentially deadly error was fixed immediately. Regardless, this experience yielded an important lesson in navigating the healthcare system. The medical team is composed of many individuals, though the one most often forgotten is the patient themselves. Unlike medicine’s hierarchical and paternalistic past, today’s system relies on input from many sources to function efficiently and smoothly. Perhaps most fundamental is the interaction between doctor and patient. In fact, due to an emphasis on shared decision-making, patients not only exercise more autonomy than ever before, the system relies on it. Like the example above, patients and their families who are involved, engaged and active in their medical care experience improved results. Knowing exactly how to do this is not without some trial and error, though the following areas may represent some of the best ways to improve the overall experience. Communication is key In a recent published study, 72 percent of correct medical diagnoses were made from the case history alone, as opposed to 18 percent for physical exam and 10 percent for laboratory tests. As such, the initial dialogue one has with a doctor is arguably most important. For example, in emergency medicine, one of the most critical things to convey is what brought you in today, or what feels different than other chronic or recurring symptoms. Being open and honest is vital. Although it is the doctor’s responsibility to elicit critical information and establish a diagnosis, it is equally important for the patient to feel comfortable enough to describe even the most embarrassing of concerns. Many problems have painless and easy solutions that patients are unaware of, so be vocal and speak up! Be your own historian Since visit times are becoming progressively shorter, patients can accomplish more in a single appointment if several things are already recorded and written down. These include current medications (i.e. name, dose, frequency), past surgeries and major illnesses of immediate family members (i.e. diabetes, cancer, etc.). In addition, young adults are frequently relocating due to education and/or jobs. As a result, adequate continuity of care is a common concern. Therefore, it is very helpful to have the names and contact information of current and former doctors at your disposal. This way, prior medical information may be obtained quickly when switching health care providers. Even better, ask your doctor for test results so that you may have them on hand. Do your homework Due to the rapidly increasing body of medical knowledge, providers are simply unable to possess the encyclopedic knowledge required to treat every possible malady. Although doctors are quite skilled at obtaining the information they require, patients can expedite the process by arriving prepared and focused on their specific goals. For example, choosing the right birth control is a daunting process for both doctor and patient — there are over 12 different types and even more formulations of pills alone. In this case, even knowing one’s general preferences (hormone vs. not, length/frequency of desired periods, etc.) can help a patient achieve the most desired outcome. Also, it is suitable to request more information from the doctor and go home to do additional research. You must feel comfortable with any decisions that are made. Interestingly, more patients are looking for answers outside of the traditional medical system. From genetic testing through 23andMeTM to self-directed research via available open access resources, medical knowledge is increasingly obtainable outside of a doctor’s office. Whether these new means hold real value should also prove intriguing. Don’t give up, be persistent Sometimes a visit to the doctor’s office will feel less than satisfying. Maybe there was no definitive diagnosis, the treatment plan was confusing, or you didn’t feel every concern was addressed. It is okay to express these concerns with your provider. Usually, this will lead to a more thorough conversation or even additional tests that can serve to assuage lingering fears. However, if you find that frustration and worry remains after seeing the doctor, go seek out another. Second opinions (or more) are a patient’s right and most health care professionals are happy to offer a referral to another doctor, if necessary. There’s simply too much at stake. Taking charge and being assertive will help you. Although most of the Cornell population is relatively young and healthy, almost all will intersect with the healthcare system eventually. Furthermore, for the new students, this may be the first time they do so without a guardian present. Since the process can be unfamiliar and daunting, it may be easy to be a more passive member and defer most decision-making to the medical professionals. This is not ideal. Communicate, take notes, be prepared and continue to ask questions and seek clarification. Work with your medical team and the system works much better for you. Good luck this semester, and stay healthy! David Roy is a seventh-year MD-PhD student at Weill Cornell/Sloan-Kettering/Rockefeller University. He may be reached at dmr2002@med.cornell.edu. What’s Up, Doc? appears alternate Fridays this semester..
Web
Comment of the day “If a fraternity did the Ice Bucket Challenge to their pledges, they’d probably be kicked off campus.” Anonymous Re: “Cornell President Skorton, Susan Murphy Take Part in Ice Bucket Challenge,” News, published August 28, 2014
Nikhita Parandekar | Hoof in Mouth
Clinics Unveiled The clinical part eight at night every of Cornell’s veteri- day, with a highly nary program is skilled technical staff roughly a year where available to help as the veterinary stu- needed. Depending dents spend two on the rotation, we weeks rotating are then on call for through the various emergencies during departments of the nights and weekends hospital. The as well. I started clinics in Cornell University Hospital for Animals March, and now that is located at the east I’m five months into end of Campus Road the process I feel like on Cornell’s Ithaca it is a good time to campus, and offers step back and evaluprimary as well as ate it all. Right off specialty care services the bat, I would have for any species you to say that I love it. I could imagine. We absolutely learn the start “clinics” any most from practical time from January to experience and I’ve May of our third noticed that during year and continue clinics I’m learning without any official more (in terms of breaks until gradua- both volume and tion in the May of our I’ve also learned to be fourth open to new ideas, y e a r, with a because five different very experienced people can semest e r ’ s have five completely worth of different methods to classes attain the same goal, and a l s o you can never assume interthat one is better spersed in that than the other. t i m e period. As students, clin- speed) than I ever ics are our opportu- have before. I’m sure nity to be “doctors” part of it is due to with the safety of the fact that all of complete supervi- the things we see sion. Generally, applied during our unless a patient is rotations are things critically ill, we have that we’ve learned the opportunity to about at some point evaluate them and during the academic discuss treatment part of the curricuoptions with the lum, but I feel like senior clinician, and my retention rate is then to participate in exponentially higher procedures when now. Aside from the possible. We are also responsible for all of veterinary learning, the treatments I’ve found that I’ve (administering med- learned a lot about ications, performing myself as both a perphysical exams and son and a future vetassuring a good level erinarian in the last of comfort) on our few months. I’ve patients from eight learned to be confiin the morning until dent in my knowl-
edge, because I haven’t gone through 20 years of schooling for nothing, and am completely capable of coming up with rational answers to questions. I’ve also learned to make sure to always be open to new ideas, because five different very experienced people can have five completely different methods to attain the same goal, and you can never assume that one is better than the other. On a more personal note, I’ve learned that after a certain amount of sleep deprivation I can physically feel my
brain moving more slowly than usual, and I need to make an extra effort to take advantage of sleep, food and time off when it’s offered to me. Along the same vein (pun kind of intended), I’ve found that I can be remarkably paranoid about the patients under my care. I want to make sure that I’m always doing the absolute best thing for them — at this point in my career, it’s probably good because it means that I ask a lot of questions and am constantly vigilant — but I can see that
at some point in the future I’m going to have to figure out how to draw a line between being anxious and being attentive to my patients. As for the downsides? There really aren’t many. I feel like the late nights and unpredictable schedule are all part of the process and not something to complain about — we signed up for this, and are dedicating ourselves to it for the rest of our lives. The only hard time I run into is that nonveterinary or medical-related people in my life sometimes don’t completely understand the process, and I inadvert e n t l y upset or confuse t h e m when I can’t make p l a n s weeks in advance. D o c t o r ’s appointments and life errands can also be a little tricky to squeeze in, but in the end, it’s just a year (well, actually two, but we’ll talk about the year after graduation some other time) and I think I’ve made it clear that the value of this time is more than worth the inconveniences. Nikhita Parandekar graduated from Cornell in 2011 and is a fourthyear veterinary student in the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine. She may be reached at nparandekar@cornellsun .com. Hoof in Mouth appears alternate Fridays this semester.
8 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, August 29, 2014
NEWS
Designs on Downtown
Projects Near East End of Commons Cleared by Planning Board
ARCHITECTURAL RENDERINGS COURTESY CITY OF ITHACA
Reaching new heights | On Tuesday the city Planning Board gave final okays to two major downtown projects.Top: The Board signed off on design modifications to the ten-story Marriott Hotel slated to rise at the northwest corner of the S. Aurora Street bridge at the base of South Hill. Right: Also approved was a five-story addition slated to rise at 314-320 E. State St., above the existing two-story 1927 brick Carey Building, which will be preserved. The project will feature apartments above retail and offices.
A&E
Friday, August 29, 2014 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | 9
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Jason Feathers
TE S T S P I N S O O new and notable O music in review O O O O O OO
De Oro Totally Gross National Product
O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O
O O
Arielle Cruz The first time I streamed De Oro, the debut album from Jason Feathers — the most recent side project of Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon — I didn’t know whether to laugh or not. I did laugh, it was hard not to, but I couldn’t help this feeling or, rather, insecurity, that maybe I just wasn’t getting the music. That is the kind of reputation Vernon has quietly garnered for himself over the last few years — talented, a little different and lowkey. Maybe this reputation is why someone didn’t stop him or ask too many questions when he put together De Oro, possibly one of the strangest musical style mixtures to make it onto the major music news sites in a while. Let me back up. This album is not actually billed under the moniker Justin Vernon or Bon Iver, the artist behind the album is a fictional person, Jason Feathers, who in actuality is the combination of Vernon, Astronautalis, a Florida-born inde rapper and Bon Iver veteran S Carey. In reality De Oro is a rap album, but done in Justin Vernon’s signature folky, open, autotune-curious style. The combination is certainly new and certainly interesting, the album is an experimental one, however not all experiments give you a good result, and while De Oro is not quite a failed exper-
iment, it is one that is unlikely to be repeated. One of the boldest points of this album is the production. Between the long story that goes with the album that gives each band member a new stage name and a dark, seedy background, the lavish white suite-filled photoshoot (which was on Pitchfork earlier this week) and the music itself, filled with autotune, reverb and what sounds like a lot of expensive styling, this album was indulgent in every way. Indulgence isn’t always a bad thing, a lot of the techniques that Vernon uses in the production sound almost like Kanye West during the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy days. In fact, Vernon produced a track or two for West. But this time Vernon took the idea of combining two very different music styles just a little too far — his very distinguishable croon-rock clashes hard with Astronautalis gangster rap. I’m not talking about your Jay-Z style of gangster rap either, I’m talking Schoolboy Q and Tyler the Creator. In “Young as Fuck,” one of the more fun tracks on the album, the rap is great — entertaining, funny, well produced, no complaints — but then, out of nowhere, without a satisfying transition, we are plopped in the middle of a louder, more guitar-heavy indiefolk version of Bon Iver, unsure how we got there
O
O
and why. What in any rap album should be the pinnacle, fuck you line of the song, “I am young as fuck, I am young as fuck,” we instead get Vernon crooning “young as fuuuuuck” with autotune on the “u” as if he is bemoaning some kind of lost love. In one introduction in “Pay the Guard,” the autotune makes Astronautalis sound identical to the voice on Madonna’s “Barbie Girl.” Some things just didn’t connect. If this album had been a rap album it would have been awesome. If it had just been indie-rock it would have been good too. It contains lines like “fuck math, take a bubble bath” and “leave your stain, I’m gonna make it rain,” and an eightminute song that sounds like a creepy reading of a Harmony Korine script. The ideas behind the album were fun, the background story enjoyed mocking itself (I hope) by creating a ridiculous and extensive band history. Vernon’s collaborations with West in the past worked well and almost everything he has tried his hand at has been lauded by someone. If he got one wrong, I would chalk it up to a bad day. Arielle Cruz is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She can be reached at acruz@cornellsun.com.
The Last of the Dystopians? KAITLYN TIFFANY Arts & Entertainment Editor
During the height of Hunger Games fervor, I forced my 12 year-old sister to read all four installments of Lois Lowry’s classic Margaret-Atwood-for-preteens series, the first of which is The Giver. The point of dystopia, I thought to explain to her, is not glorified terrorism or flashy costuming or love triangles or sadism or shitty, plot-driven prose, but thoughtful speculation on how time may or may not manage to mutate the human condition. The Giver does that, positing the notion of a society that has chosen to forget the entirety of human history and live without pain, war, competition, jealousy — difference of any kind. People live in a calm world of sameness, in which there is a place for everyone and everyone is in their place. Family members are genetically engineered and rationally assigned to each other to create utilitarian “units,” in which individuals may “enjoy” each other or “take pride” in one another’s accomplishments, but never hope to experience anything resembling “love.” In fact, most citizens of “The Community,” don’t even know the word. The 1994 Newbery medal-winning precursor to all of the post-Millennium young adult dystopian fervor, the real, the first, the most imaginative and moving of the best-selling rebel-children-in-the-dark-future adventure stories, was the most recent to be made into a feature length film — and decidedly the worst. While Divergent rode the Hunger Games wave through Hollywood and the box office last summer, The Giver seems to have just barely trickled out (probably green-lighted only because of the promise of seeing what a post-Scientology Katie Holmes might do), finishing fifth place in its opening weekend. The book, and now the movie, follow a young man named Jonas (Hollywood newcomer Brenton Thwaites) who, upon his “graduation” day into adulthood at age 18, is assigned a very special job. While his closest friends slip comfortably into their positions as drone pilots and nurturers (OBGYN/geneticist/nanny), he is assigned to become the new “Receiver of Memory.” In other words, he will be responsible for holding all of the memory of the past world — that which included color, love, joy, pain, suffering and loss — for the purpose of advising a council of Elders
whenever they have need. The old Receiver (a grizzliCOURTESY OF THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY er-than-ever Jeff Bridges, who I think was talking with cotton balls in his mouth) dubs himself “the Giver,” and dedicates himself to transferring the memories at an appropriate pace. The story in the novel is complex, fascinating and steeped with questions about what it means to be safe, to be human, to risk, to aspire, to love or to be twisted by pain. But the movie’s first misstep is it’s most unforThe Giver givable — Jonas is told Directed by Phillip Noyce repeatedly that he is special, that he has been chosen for Starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl reasons, that there is someStreep, Brenton Thwaites, thing unique about him which has made him the first Katie Holmes to be chosen in a decade for premise of The Giver is that every single person in the the position. And while this is community is literally emotionless, ignorant and true of the Jonas in Lowry’s uninteresting. Jonas’ curious mind and uncommon novel, it is painfully untrue of ability for empathy and compassion is conveyed the Jonas in Phillip Noyce’s mostly through interior monologue and very rarely film. This Jonas is boring, cookie-cutter, with a face out of a toothpaste commercial and all the personality of wet bread. He through action. There was no way that watching these people is probably the worst protagonist in recent memory. But if he was was going to be interesting, especially when Noyce had to find a stock photo, the movie’s villains were mere stick figures — time to kowtow to his demographic’s expectations for kissing, Katie Holmes as Jonas’ frigid bitch mother and a high-ranking chasing and killing. Most of the movie is in black and white, a pretty solid effort official in the Community’s Justice Department and Meryl Streep as the Community’s Chief Elder and apparent keeper of towards loyalty to the text, but it is also nearly unbearable when the memory of straight-across bangs were given almost nothing paired with such a dull slate of characters. The bulk of the 94interesting to do. Streep’s final monologue is well-acted because minute run-time is taken up by short clips of the “memories” duh, but the stale screenwriting bastardization of Lowry’s central that the Giver is transferring to Jonas and painfully repetitive diaquestions ensures that her argument is futile and super-villainy: logue between the two about whether or not Jonas can “handle “When people are given the choice to choose, they choose the pain.” The memories are nice to watch … I guess? It’s kind of like watching the trailer for YouTube’s Life in a Day on repeat. wrong.” Okay, you’re obviously evil. At first I was outraged at the handling of Lowry’s work, nos- But also paying 12 dollars to do that. If a Taylor Swift cameo isn’t the worst part of a movie, it’s a talgically assigning it an aura of sacredness. But expecting great books to be turned into great movies is the basest of crimes bad movie. against both art forms and righteous anger over a director’s fail- Kaitlyn Tiffany is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life ure to do so is a hackneyed response if I ever saw one. The basic Sciences. She can be reached at arts-editor@cornellsun.com.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
A&E
10 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | Friday, August 29, 2014
Sin City 2: NoirYou Serious? ZACHARY ZAHOS Sun Senior Writer
How would you react if you walked into your baby brother’s bedroom to find him flailing around a razor-sharp katana sword? With horror, I hope. Now, how about if he was just rapping the trigger to a toy machine gun, shouting lines from Predator? You’d laugh, though you might also worry that he’s watching too many R-rated movies at his age. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For thinks it’s packing all the shock and danger of the former scenario when it’s nothing more than a clearinghouse for obscene and tedious fantasies scraped together by over-stimulated little boys. I laughed, for one, at the sheer idiocy of it all, which means there’s a bit of that “so bad, it’s good” appeal here, but as a piece of art Sin City: A Dame to or even coherent the price of admission for some, and she uses her Kill For entertainment, Sin body to seduce both allies and eneCity 2 is a lifeless, Directed by Robert Rodriguez chiaroscuro-bathed mies. Her enforcer Manute (Dennis Haysbert, replacing often insidious failStarring Josh Brolin, Jessica the late Michael Clarke Duncan) tells scorned lover ure. Dwight (Josh Brolin) that Ava is “a goddess” who “makes Before I get to Alba slaves of men.” She uses the same men again and again, last week’s bomb, which is awesome, but Miller and Rodriguez shackle us to let me deflect with another question: COURTESY OF Did you like the DIMENSION FILMS first Sin City, from 2005? I did, back in the day, but I am now reluctant to revisit it. Because while this overdue sequel traffics a formless script and some criminally underwhelming combat scenes, its worst offense has more to do with the cheap and sadistic worldview of Frank Miller’s graphic novel universe, a through line in both this film and the last. Deformed, or else mutilated, men take pleasure in snuffing out the lives of rabid frat boys, gamblers and security guards, doing so slowly so as to drink in their suffering. Directors Miller and Robert Rodriguez (Machete) deploy violence not to confront (à la Cronenberg), gross out (Verhoeven) or indict the viewer’s sick pleasure in it (Hitchcock), but to titillate. There’s no divide between the ravenous on-screen anti-heroes and the presumed straight male viewer, who savors in the parade of scantily clad or the perspective of Dwight, a deathly bore, whenever she is on nude women as much as the splashes of white, red and yellow screen and so prop her up as a slice of buxom crazy. A better movie would follow Ava around, ruling shit, for the full durablood. Credit to Eva Green, then, for owning her psycho femme tion, but that would require an actual story and a bit of feminine fatale Ava Lord to such an extreme that, naturally, the men empathy, and besides, that’s why we have Lucy. In case you haven’t gathered, I am not laying down the behind the camera have no clue what to do with her. Ava wears expected plot summary for this movie because it is a) needlessly no clothes for about half her screen time, which will be worth
complicated and b) entirely predictable. Miller’s script checks in on four characters — Dwight, Marv (Mickey Rourke), Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Nancy (Jessica Alba) — as they avenge, revenge and drone on in purple prose-infected voiceover that laughably feigns poetic insight. One violent scene ends with Johnny saying, “Death is just like life in Sin City.” Dwight’s first words rip off, of all writers, Edward Bulwer-Lytton: “It’s another hot night. Dry and windless. The kind that makes people do sweaty, secret things.” This is all delivered straight, in a brooding, tough guy, Robert Mitchum-mocking way. It’s macho nonsense for the child who never reads. And the action isn’t even that good! You would think Rodriguez would be dependable for visceral, anti-humanist thrills, but he barely photographs human movement here. Punchy sounds like bone snaps attempt to hide stilted camerawork and hyperkinetic editing; in lieu of fluid, graceful combat, Miller and Rodriguez resort to the stomach-churning tactics of the YouTube Pooper. Furthermore, the utter disregard for human life backfires, in that there are no stakes, and thus no excitement, in watching bad and worse people slice each other apart. The directors have clearly seen some classic Hollywood film noir and would be eager to parrot the “film noir equals cynicism” cliché. But what they exclude from Sin City is the melancholy hiding behind Mitchum’s cigarette smoke and Bogart’s sunken eyes. To include melancholy is to admit weakness, and we all know a boy with a plastic rifle in his hands is the most fearless person in the world. Zachary Zahos is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at zzahos@cornellsun.com.
Ferguson: Why We Still Need Rap
“A
young nigga got it bad cause I’m brown / And not the other color so police think / They have the authority to kill a minority,” rapped Ice Cube on N.W.A’s 1988 iconoclastic “Fuck tha Police.” Whether or not N.W.A encouraged social progress is debatable (the same song featured Easy E rapping about, “a sucker in a uniform waiting to get shot”), but they at least helped publicize issues facing an underrepresented community. In the wake of Michael Brown’s death and the subsequent protests/riots, it occurs to me that rap, with only certain exceptions, has lost its way as a voice of the people. This vacancy has been especially notable given the platform for expression that rap has gained in American culture in the past 25 years. Musically, rap has never been better, with a constantly evolving range of sounds breaking down the walls between rap and other genres. And thematic content has not suffered either — Drake and Kanye’s introspective breakdowns, Kendrick’s “short film,” Danny Brown’s unflinchingly documented debauchery, etc. have quickly and deservedly been labeled classic by hip hop heads and dilettantes alike. But hip hop as “a voice for the revolution,” as Common referenced at the VMA’s, has generally lost its credibility. While some, including Common on this summer’s Chicagofocused Nobody’s Smiling, have continued to pursue social awareness, rappers are alternatively turning the camera inwards or reveling in excess and violence. I must emphasize that I see neither as lacking in merit, I sim-
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
ply see an absence of the political and socially inspired rap that helped bring rap to the forefront of American consciousness. As a result of the aforementioned evolutions and improvements in the genre, rap has gained major exposure in present day American music. The biggest rappers have transcended music, allowing Kanye and Jay to be something close to American royalty. Platinum rappers and mixtape hustlers alike
come to dominate police interactions with African Americans, in an interview with Complex. Game got together with 13 others (including Rick Ross, Wale, 2 Chainz and Diddy) to record “Don’t Shoot,” with sales proceeds going to charity. Still, these efforts feel more pandering than they do sincere. The most impressive response has come courtesy of Killer Mike. Mike first wrote an essay on Instagram that focused on the loss of a human and the collective pain that should be felt in light of such a horrific incident. He then followed that up with an Op-Ed on Billboard where he discussed the abuses of police power. He reiterated his sentiments in an incredibly articulate interview on CNN, connecting the militarization of the police and the general failures of institutions in many communities. Largely what was so refreshing about Mike’s statements was that this was not a change in direction for Mike — he has rapped and talked extensively about such issues previously. Furthermore, I thought he did a wonderful job of utilizing 2014 media resources. A combination of Instagram, a mainstream music website and major news media allows Mike to reach a massive audience. The impact of Killer Mike’s writing and appearances makes Kanye West’s absence even more unfortunate. West has the intelligence and credibility to address issues of institutional racism (having rapped and
Calvin Patten Patten Pending are praised by music blogs and in turn consumed by suburban (primarily white) kids and adults. I cannot help but wonder if the gradual change in rap fan demographics has contributed to the decline of social consciousness. Rappers and companies alike must be wary of alienating the very people that are handing over the dollars that keep them in business. Inspired by the rampant media coverage, some rappers have taken time to address the events of Ferguson. J Cole visited and recorded a song (“Be Free,” which unfortunately captures everything that makes J Cole’s rapping cringe-worthy), in addition to publicly lamenting the cynicism that has
spoken about it for years) but has apparently gotten shy of late. While it may not be his responsibility to serve as a social leader, he could at least help shape the way we discuss issues of police and communities. His failure to use his significant platform to advocate for matters outside of himself is an unfortunate culmination of his rise to superstardom. Notably, some musicians outside of hip hop have stepped forward, at least in regards to Ferguson. Cat Power and Billy Bragg both played quickly planned benefit shows in St. Louis while Sky Ferreira (inspired by Cat Power) donated the proceeds from a concert to protesters. Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) is always thoughtful and open in regards to racism and abuses of power, being even more so since he was assaulted by security at Lollapalooza. Ultimately though, I cannot help but believe that part of rap is serving as a voice for the voiceless. Every song, or even every album, does not have to be an exercise in political rhetoric, but rap is rooted in a sense of community. From Chicago to Atlanta, L.A. to New York, it is inherently tied to groups of people whose existence is often ground down to statistics. For the benefit of millions, hip hop cannot afford to abandon the very corners from which it arose. Calvin Patten is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be reached at cpatten@cornellsun.com. Patten Pending appears alternate Fridays this semester.
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, August 29, 2014 11
12 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, August 29, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Herding dog name 5 Pledge of Allegiance ender 8 Red Cross red cross, e.g. 14 Ember, perhaps 15 Cattle call 16 Diatribe 17 Valedictorian, typically 19 Duplicates 20 Muskrat relatives 21 Company with a bull in its logo 22 Highly skilled 23 When Juliet asks “wherefore art thou Romeo?” 25 Ici __: French “here and there” 28 First female Supreme Court justice 32 “Consider it done!” 36 “__ say more?” 37 Yeats’ land: Abbr. 38 Green gemstones 40 Get a move on 41 Walking aid 44 Currier of Currier & Ives 47 Netanyahu, for one 49 River to the Elbe 50 Boorish 52 Clay being of Jewish lore 56 King’s “__ Lot” 59 Picnic serving, and when divided properly, a hint to a hidden feature of six pairs of puzzle answers 62 Dodges 63 West Germany’s first chancellor 64 Musical Dion 65 Quarterback Tebow 66 100 C-notes 67 Big name in lawn care 68 1940s mil. zone 69 Language that gave us “clan”
DOWN 1 Italy’s La __ 2 Bamboozled 3 Invitation on a fictional cake 4 More roly-poly 5 “You’re so right!” 6 Extended 7 “__ luck!” 8 “Blah, blah, blah,” briefly 9 Great number of 10 Element #35 11 Path in a pool 12 River of central Germany 13 Boot camp meal 18 Word of agreement 24 Awaken 26 Great Society monogram 27 Self-titled 1991 debut album 29 Classic beverage brand 30 Cartoon canine 31 Cambodian cash 32 Not yet final, legally 33 Scraps 34 High-fiber fruit 35 Educator LeShan
39 “Zip it!” 42 Met the challenge 43 Agitate 45 One of the noble gases 46 Nursery arrival 48 Girls 51 Schedule 53 Gumbel’s “Today” successor
54 Idyllic places 55 Sign on an on-ramp 56 Brief moments 57 “__ plaisir!” 58 Composer of the opera “Le Roi d’Ys” 60 Adjust to fit, perhaps 61 One in an office exchange
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
Sun Sudoku
#23 skidoo
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
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Williams Extends Open Win Streak to Sixteen on Thursday NEW YORK (AP) — Good Meadows since Chris Evert took as she is, even Serena Williams four in a row from 1975-78. can find it tough to deal with For the moment, the 32-yearswirling wind, so much so that old Williams wants to stay she double-faulted three times in focused on avoiding the sort of her first service game Thursday at problems she had at the the U.S. Open. Australian Open (where she lost And, yes, even a 17-time in the fourth round), French major champion such as Open (second round) and Williams can lose in the early Wimbledon (third round). Not going at the sport’s biggest tour- since 2006 has she failed to reach at least one naments, as major final she has repeatedly in “I have to worry about my in a year — and she only 2014. first round, my second entered two Quickly round, and my third Slams that p u t t i n g behind a round. I can’t get too far season. So far poor-serving ahead of myself. ” this week, start, and she’s left the showing Serena Williams trouble to absolutely no others, and other signs of the type of up-and-down play Williams could wind up being that has plagued her at Grand the beneficiary. A pair of other Slams this season, Williams dis- past major champions, No. 8 Ana missed 81st-ranked American Ivanovic and No. 24 Sam Stosur, Vania King 6-1, 6-0 in 56 min- lost Thursday, as did No. 23 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and utes to reach the third round. “She never let me in,” said No. 27 Madison Keys, bringing King, who is 25. “She’s played at the total to 11 seeded women such a high level for so long, and gone after only two rounds. Williams could have faced I used to watch when I was a kid, growing up. So it’s kind of surreal Stosur — the woman who beat to see the person that you’ve been her in the 2011 U.S. Open final watching on TV in front of you — in the fourth round, and 2008 French Open winner Ivanovic in and playing. It was difficult.” While buzz around the tour- the quarterfinals. “You always hear about who is nament grounds built all day waiting for 15-year-old CiCi winning, who is losing. You hear Bellis to play her second-round about upsets. But for me, espematch at night, Williams ran her cially lately, I have to worry about U.S. Open winning streak to 16 my first round, my second matches as she tries to become round, and my third round. I the first woman to win three con- can’t get too far ahead of myself,” secutive titles at Flushing Williams said.
“I was a casualty before, so ... I can’t make anything of it,” she said of the rash of seeded losers. “At this point, I’m trying to stay alive.” After her singles victory, Williams went out and paired with older sister Venus for a firstround win in doubles. She last time Serena was seen competing in doubles at a major, last month at Wimbledon, she looked disoriented in warmups, then served four consecutive double-faults and quit after three games, saying she was ill. Ivanovic had seven doublefaults among her whopping 29 unforced errors in a 7-5, 6-4 loss to 42nd-ranked Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, who occasionally plays doubles with her twin sister and never had been to the third round at a major. Ivanovic, a former No. 1, wraps up 2014 with only one major quarterfinal to her credit, at the Australian Open. “I had great lead-ups to every Grand Slam. I played a lot of matches and won lot of matches,” she said. “At the Grand Slams I just haven’t performed that well.” Stosur, meanwhile, was edged 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8) by 50th-ranked Kaia Kanepi of Estonia. There have been fewer surprises among the men so far, and only one seeded player was sent packing Thursday afternoon, when No. 28 Guillermo GarciaLopez of Spain was defeated by Sam Querrey of the United States 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Minor’s Arm,Bat Lifts Braves NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Minor took a two-hit shutout into the eighth inning after hitting a double and single himself, leading the Atlanta Braves over the New York Mets 6-1 Thursday
night. Minor (6-8) had an RBI single in the second for the game's first run, then doubled and scored in the eighth. Minor was perfect for four
innings before Lucas Duda led off the fifth with a single that just barely touched the glove of leaping shortstop Andrelton Simmons. The Mets didn't have a runner in scoring position until Travis d'Arnaud opened the eighth with a double. Eric Campbell followed with an RBI single, finishing Minor. Minor gave up four hits, struck out five and walked none. Jonathon Niese (7-10) pitched into the eighth inning, when Atlanta scored twice for a 3-0 lead. Pinch-hitter Ryan Doumit hit a two-run homer in a three-run ninth. Emilio Bonifacio got four hits, drove in two runs and stole a base. Simmons drew a two-out walk in the second, Gerald Laird singled and Minor had a solidly stroked single to left for his fourth RBI of the season. Niese had only allowed one run until Minor and the Citi Field wind helped Atlanta score twice in the eighth. Minor led off the eighth with his fifth career double, a ball that the wind carried over the head of right fielder Curtis Granderson. Bonifacio hit a triple to center field that was also helped by the wind and scored on Freddie Freeman’s single.
14 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, August 29, 2014
SPORTS
Few Emulates Mathews’Game Avila’s RBI Single in FOOTBALL
and getting closer with them, and then also just the Continued from page 16 occasional text or phone call is something Coach Archer stressed. He kind of pulled a group of team “Just working closely with [Jeff ], one-on-one leaders into meeting rooms before the spring semestime, he shared a lot of knowledge with me,” Few ter ended and said ‘...just see how they’re doing, recalled. “He didn’t act like ‘hey I’m the man and check in with them, just [keep] the fire lit over sumthis young kid doesn’t need to know anything.’ He mer so we’re ready to come back to camp without pretty much taught me everything that he could and missing a beat,’ and it’s looking like that’s exactly everything else I got from just kind of watching how it’s going right now.” him.” For Few, the coming season has been two decades But the connection to in the waiting. Backed by Archer, Mathews hasn’t stopped in who Few describes as “relatable” Ithaca. Few’s uncle, Rich “That was my goal up to this and “hands down the best in the McKay, serves as president point, was to become the Ivy League, if not in the country,” and CEO of the Atlanta the kid who grew up on Florida Falcons — Mathews’ team starting quarterback and win high school football and Ivy this preseason. the Ivy League championship.” League aspirations is excited to “It’s been a really neat turn kick off a new era. of events for me personally,” James Few “It’s everything right now,” Few said. “Knowing Jeff so Few replied, when asked what it well and kind of being his means to be the starting quarterunderstudy, and now he’s with back for the Red. “That was my my family football team is really cool. I don’t know goal up to this point, was to become the starting how much contact he’s had directly with my uncle so quarterback and win the Ivy League championship. far, but I know he met my aunt and my cousins and I have the platform now, and now we just have to they said he’s a super nice kid, which he is.” come together as a team to do it. It’s a complete With Mathews’ departure leaving a leadership blessing. ... And now that I’m here, it’s just a platvoid, Few has begun to step in and reach out to his form to go and get the championship and bring this teammates — hotel style. university what it deserves.” “I worked at the Statler with a couple teammates, so that was really cool,” Few said. “Just being up here Chris Mills can be reached at this summer with that group of about 10 to 20 guys cmills@cornellsun.com.
Stewart to Make Return to Racetrack CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tony Stewart will return to Sprint Cup competition Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway, ending a three-race hiatus taken after he struck and killed a fellow driver during a dirt-track race. The three-time NASCAR champion has not raced since his car hit Kevin Ward Jr. at an Aug. 9 sprint car event in upstate New York. Stewart pulled out of the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen the next morning, then skipped races at Michigan and Bristol
Motor Speedway. Stewart, who was described by police as “visibly shaken” the night of Ward’s death, has been in seclusion ever since. StewartHaas Racing executive vice president Brett Frood has said the emphasis was on giving Stewart time needed to get him “in a better place than he is.” Stewart’s only comment since the crash was a statement the day after the crash in which he said “there aren’t words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward
Jr.” Ward had climbed from his car after it had spun while racing for position with Stewart. The 20-year-old walked down onto the racing surface waving his arms in an apparent attempt to confront Stewart. Authorities said the first car to pass Ward had to swerve to miss hitting him. The front of Stewart’s car then appeared to clear Ward, but Ward was struck by the right rear tire and hurtled through the air. He died of blunt force trauma.
Ninth Downs Yanks
DETROIT (AP) — Aside from one big inning, this was a forgettable series for the New York Yankees. Manager Joe Girardi’s team can’t afford many more setbacks in the race for a postseason spot. “We can’t let this gap get too big,” he said. Alex Avila hit an RBI single off the wall in right field with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Detroit Tigers a 3-2 victory over the Yankees on Thursday. New York arrived in Detroit having won five in a row before losing two of three to the Tigers. Detroit, still chasing Kansas City for the AL Central lead, pulled even with Seattle in the race for the American League’s second wild card. The Yankees are three games back. A day after David Price gave up nine straight hits in New York’s eight-run third inning, the Tigers sent Kyle Lobstein to the mound for his first major league start. The rookie performed well, allowing one earned run in six innings. Then Detroit’s bullpen held off New York until the Tigers scored in the ninth off Shawn Kelley (2-5). Victor Martinez led off with a double through a shifted infield and Kelley walked J.D. Martinez before striking out Nick Castellanos and pinch-hitter Torii Hunter. Avila followed with a drive to right that Ichiro Suzuki couldn’t quite get to. Kelley flung his glove to the ground as soon as Avila connected. “That’s about as bad as I’ve felt walking off a mound in my career,” Kelley said. “I got
myself in a hole, but then I got the two outs I needed, and I had a chance to keep the team alive. But I hung a slider, and Alex Avila can hit that pitch. Most guys can hit that pitch.” Phil Coke (2-2) got one very eventful out for the win. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Brian McCann hit a long foul ball to right field that nearly ended up being a threerun homer. Coke recovered to strike him out. “I thought we swung the bats well today, but we didn’t have any luck at all,” Girardi said. “We hit the ball hard a bunch of times, but everything was right at someone.” Hiroki Kuroda allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings for New York, but he’s still without a victory over the Tigers in his career. He’s beaten baseball’s other 29 teams. Avila opened the scoring in the second with a sacrifice fly, then Jacoby Ellsbury tied it in the third with an RBI single. McCann’s RBI groundout in the fourth put New York ahead, and Rajai Davis tied it with a run-scoring single in the fifth. OFFENSIVE WOES: Since that eight-run inning against Price, the Yankees have scored only two runs in 15 innings — and that was against the unproven Lobstein and Detroit’s erratic bullpen. At one point Thursday, New York made 16 straight outs. Derek Jeter continued to receive standing ovations in the state where he grew up. Barring a postseason matchup, this was the retiring shortstop’s final game at Detroit. He went 0 for 4.
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Aspirations of being a starting quarterback will soon be achieved
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, August 29, 2014 15
SPORTS
VOLLEYBALL
Fresh Faces Headline‘Brand New’ Look as First Match Approaches By EMILY BERMAN Sun Assistant Sports Editor
What makes a sports team "young"? Only one senior? Young. No juniors and three sophomores? Very young. Seven freshman? Very, very young. “We’re basically a brand-new team,” said third-year head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose, as her collection of mostly new players shuffled around the gym during warm-ups. “Of the people coming back, we have three starters returning.” With so few veteran players, the team needs the seven freshmen to step up early. Many new faces will take the court on September 5th for the team’s first match to fill in the empty starting positions. “I think having a young team will actually be really exciting, because it’s kind of like a fresh start,” said senior libero Natasha Rowland. “Everyone is really hardworking and motivated, so I think it’s definitely possible for us to be really successful this year.” Returning from last year’s squad, which went 8-16 overall and 4-10 in conference play, are Rowland and sophomores Macey Wilson, Alyssa Phelps and Jasmine Robinson. The Red lost four seniors to graduation, including middle blocker Rachel D’Epagnier, who finished her Cornell career ranked fourth in block assists with 266, sixth in total blocks with 331 and 10th in block solos with 64. Wilson, who spent much of the season as D’Epagnier’s partner in the middle, will continue to hold up the Red’s strength at the net this season, Batie-Smoose said. BatieSmoose listed the team’s presence in this area as the team’s
high point from last year. “I think our strength was our middle attack — we led the conference, we had the best middles,” she said. “The one thing I can bank on, I think, was [Wilson] as a freshman being top in the conference — you know, taking that strength and just keep moving forward because now she and Alyssa have a year under their belt working together.” Last season, Wilson’s .298 hitting percentage stood as the 14th best single-season performance in the program’s history. She ranked second in the Ivy League with 1.05 blocks per set and tallied a minimum of five blocks in half her matches. Her classmate Phelps also had a strong rookie season, putting together 923 assists, good for the 14th place in program history for a single season, and her 9.23 assists per set ranked her in second place in the Ivy League. Rowland, the lone senior, was the team’s lynchpin on defense last season and earned an All-Ivy selection for her efforts. With 5.06 digs per set, she finished 33rd in the nation and her 506 total digs in the season put her at third overall in Cornell history and 18th overall in Ivy League history. As the oldest member of the squad, Rowland is in a natural leadership position and Batie-Smoose noted her contributions during the preseason. “Tasha is doing a really good job of being a senior leader for us,” she said. “She has really been the one to step up and lead right now by example.” The team’s season opens against Seton Hall as part of a two-day tournament. The Red has been practicing since Aug. 22, putting in several days of two-a-day practices before classes began.
CONNOR ARCHARD / SUN SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Lone setter | Natasha Rowland is the only senior on the volleyball team’s roster this season.
“I think it’s going to be an exciting year,” Batie-Smoose said. “We know that we’re just young and that it’s a lot more of a learning environment. We’re a little bit more relaxed in that sense of just going one day at a time.” Emily Berman can be reached at eberman@cornellsun.com.
Dodgers,Nationals,Brewers Poised toTake LeagueTitles SHATZMAN
Continued from page 16
in batting average — and it all comes in the weakest division in the league. They are only one game out of a wild card spot, though, so there is time to get the offense going. The Nationals have it all: pitching, power, speed, depth and experience. With their potent offense and deep pitching staff, the Nats are among the favorites to win the NL pennant.
Will this be the year they finally break through? Prediction: Nationals win division, Braves miss playoffs. National League Central
Rarely is the NL Central decided before the final few days of the regular season, and the race almost always consists of more than two teams. This season has proven to follow a similar storyline. The first place Milwaukee Brewers lead the second place St. Louis Cardinals by
1.5 games, while the Pirates trail the Brew Crew by five games. The Brewers have been quite a surprise, after finishing well below .500 last season and fourth in the division. Their powerful offense led by Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Gomez and Jonathan Lucroy has the Brewers 7th in the MLB in runs, and they have received consistent pitching from their solid rotation (Gallardo, Garza, Lohse, Peralta). Mike Fiers (ERA
MLB PRODUCTIONS VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES
Making strides | San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum has struggled this season, but his lone bright spot was the second no-hitter of his career, which he threw in June.
1.54) has started of late and has The Dodgers boast an offense given the Brewers several quality that is 4th in the MLB in on base starts. The Cardinals are forever percentage, led by Yasiel Puig, nipping at their heels, though, Hanley Ramirez and Adrian and have just as good a pitching Gonzalez. Their leadoff man, rotation, but a less powerful Dee Gordon, currently has a offense. The loss of All-Star league-leading 57 stolen bases. catcher Yadier Molina has hurt Their rotation features four specthe Cards on both sides of the tacular arms in Kershaw (1.82 ball, but they have remained ERA), Zach Greinke (2.79 ERA), close to the division lead. They Josh Beckett (2.88 ERA) and acquired veteran pitchers John Hyun-Jin Ryu (3.28 ERA). The Lackey and Justin Masterson Dodgers are as dangerous of a from the Red Sox and Indians team as any in the league today. respectively, but the two have yet The Giants aren’t so bad, either, to deliver like the front office but even with their big-name had hoped they would. The offensive players like Buster Cardinals lack of power is con- Posey, Hunter Pence and Pablo cerning, but Sandoval, they conS a n The Cardinals lack of power stantly Francisco is deliver 18th in the is concerning, but they clutch hits, league in constantly deliver clutch hits, r u n s . and the defending Clearly danand the defending NL NL champigerous, if ons are as champions are as dangerous they sneak dangerous into the as ever this playoffs as ever this season. season. The their regular Pirates have season run faltered throughout the second total becomes moot. They, too, half of the season due to incon- have a good pitching staff, led by sistent pitching, but with the veteran Tim Hudson (2.99 ERA), return of Gerrit Cole’s superb Madison Bumgarner (3.17 ERA) arm combined with a lethal and Ryan Vogelsong (3.78 ERA). offense, the Pirates are bound to Former Cy Young winner Tim make a push for the postseason. Lincecum (4.64 ERA) has failed Prediction: Brewers win divi- to put up the same kind of numsion, Cardinals get Wild Card bers as in years past, but did hand berth, Pirates miss playoffs. his team a no-hitter in June. The National League West Dodgers will be a tough team to The Dodgers dominated the catch, but the Giants are one of West last season behind Cy the better teams in the league, so Young winner Clayton Kershaw’s a wild card berth may be in order unbelievable year and a consis- for San Fran. tent, run-producing offense. This Prediction: Dodgers win diviyear has not been as easy, but the sion, Giants get Wild Card Dodgers currently sit atop the berth. West, leading by four and a half games over the Giants in what is Ben Shatzman can be reached at a two team race for the division. bshatzman@cornellsun.com.
The Corne¬ Daily Sun
Sports
FRIDAY AUGUST 29, 2014
16
FOOTBALL
With Big Shoes to Fill,Few Takes Over Under Center
By CHRIS MILLS
downs off the bench in 2013 and won Cornell’s offseason quarterback competition. He now has the James Durham Few’s baptism near-impossible task of replacing onto the gridiron came at five days Jeff Mathews ’14 as the Red’s man young. Born into a football family behind center. Mathews started all — his father played while at four seasons of his Cornell career, Princeton — and almost fresh out setting numerous Ivy League passof the hospital, Few was carried by ing records and earning a stint his mom en route to his first high with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons this school game. Twenty years later, summer as an undrafted free agent. the junior from “He played Tampa, Fla. with “I’ve been around football my abandon,reckless has ascended to realwhole life and the quarter- ly,” Few said. the top of Cornell’s quar- back position just started to “That’s what I terback depth took away from consume me the more I chart and will watching Jeff lead the Red play. He literally watched the game.” into the 2014 sold out his James Few season. body whole “I’ve been every single around football game to the my whole life and the quarterback point where I was so sure I was position just started to consume going to go in because he was getme the more I watched the game,” ting banged up. We were losing Few said. “So just from a young and he was fighting like no one age it’s been Ivy League football, else. His leadership skills were quarterback.” through the roof.“ “[James] can manage the game During the tenure of former very well,” said head coach David head coach Kent Austin and Archer ’05. “He’s a guy who can throughout Archer’s first season as run and throw and he’s tough. head coach, the Red employed a That’s what you saw out of him wide-open, air-it-out style offense from one game ... last year on tailored to Mathews’ strengths as a Senior Day against Columbia. ... strong-armed pocket passer. Now This offseason, [with] our staff the offense will be adjusting to its working with him, he’s put in a new signal-caller and skill players. tremendous amount of hard “We’re sliding more towards work.” the run,” Few explained. “With Few led H.B. Plant High [offensive coordinator] Roy Istvan School to a Class 8A Florida state coming in, he recognizes our title, finished an impressive 15-for- strengths personnel-wise. ... And 19 for 193 yards and two touch- right now we’re going to do a lot of
Sun Staff Writer
smash-mouth football, come at you, run at you and throw over the top of you. It’s ... a more balanced offense.” Istvan has worked with considerable talent, including Philadelphia Eagles’ running back LeSean McCoy while at Milford Academy. During his time as offensive coordinator for the University at Buffalo (2001-2005), Istvan’s teams set new program records in rushing touchdowns and fewest sacks allowed since the Bulls’ entrance into Division I. Important to his offense will be
Few’s nimble feet and his ability to avoid the rush — one advantage the QB may have over his predecessor. “I’m definitely more mobile than [Jeff] is,” Few said with a small chuckle. “I’d say that to his face — it’s not a secret. I can move a little bit better. I’m smaller; he’s about 6’5’’, 6’6’’. I’m about 6’2’’. I kind of need to create those throwing lanes with my feet and that’s something that I feel is a strong point for me on mobility in and around the pocket.” The son of his high school
defensive coordinator, James Few is constantly working on his craft. This offseason he’s added 10 pounds, been brushing up on zone-read mechanics and is getting familiarized with the team’s protections and blocking schemes. Even as he continues to learn from Archer, Istvan and quarterbacks coach Shane Hurd, the man who wears number 11 for the Red still reflects on what he gleaned from his former teammate and mentor. See FOOTBALL page 14
KELLY YU / SUN FILE PHOTO
A few good men | Junior quarterback James Few has watched from the sidelines as Jeff Mathews ’14 became one of Cornell’s most decorated signal callers. Now Few has the chance to make a name for himself.
National League Women’s Sailing Gains Varsity Status Playoff Thoughts
WOMEN’S SAILING
By SCOTT CHIUSANO
Sun Sports Editor
This fall, there will be a new varsity team testing the waters at Cornell. The women’s sailing team — formerly a club program — has been elevated to varsity status as announced by Andy Noel, the Meakem Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education, over the summer. “This is an exciting announcement for many in the Cornell community, and I’d like to thank the loyal and generous alumni who have fully funded this move to varsity status,” Noel said in a statement. “It is a requirement that any additional sports be fully funded before we are able to consider adding to our varsity roster. We are excited women sailors will have the opportunity to experience a varsity program.” The idea of adding women’s sailing to Cornell’s varsity sports resume has been in the works, and was helped along by a group of alumni led by Ted Moore ’71, Rob Swanson ’74 and Doug Merrill ’89. With an extensive schedule and a 10-woman roster, the sailing
team will make its varsity debut on September 13 at the Cornell Fall Open, which will be held in the Merrill Family Sailing Center. Though the team was a club program last season, head coach Brian Clancy and his sailors have experience competing at this new level, since many of their meets in the past were against varsity competition. At the 2013 Intercollegiate Sailing Association Women’s National Championships, the Red finished third, defeating some varsity teams and jumping from eighth place to third on the final day of competition. Two members of that squad were named to the 2014 All-MAISA Conference team — Lindsey Ludwig ’14 and senior Jenny Borshoff, who returns to the roster this season. 14 other schools offer women’s sailing as a varsity sport, including three Ivy League opponents — Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale. After the Cornell Fall Open, the team will travel to New Hampshire for the Mrs. Hurst Bowl, hosted by Dartmouth. The Red has the luxury of its own training center in Ithaca, which, according to Noel, was an
important part in assisting the transition to varsity status. “The generous gift by the Merrill family toward the Merrill Family Sailing Center went a large way in allowing us to make this move,” Noel said. “Our women’s sailing program immediately has a training center as impressive as any in the country.” Cornell granted the head coaching position to Brian Clancy, a graduate of Hobart, where he helped his own sailing team to a pair of national titles. Clancy has been with the sailing club for four years. “We have been hoping for this move and our team members have been working hard to impress the Cornell community on and off the water,” Clancy said. “It is with tremendous support from our alumni, families and friends that we are able to make this happen for our team. We extend our deepest gratitude to those who have contributed their time and efforts to making this happen. We couldn’t be more proud to represent the Cornell Big Red.”
Scott Chiusano can be reached at sports-editor@cornellsun.com.
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n Tuesday I wrote up my predictions for the teams that would come out on top of the American League. Here are
anything this season. What is a bit surprising, though, is that the Nats currently lead the Braves by eight games. Every year it seems like the
Ben Shatzman Guest Column my thoughts about the National League’s playoff picture as October approaches. National League East
The NL East is the weakest division in baseball. It comes as no surprise though; the only teams with any real talent are the Nationals and Braves, who, as expected, sit atop the division. The weak offenses of the Marlins, Mets and Phillies left the three clubs with little chance to do
Braves will finally break through and make a run, and heading into this season it looked like that was the case. But frankly, Atlanta’s offense has been a total disappointment. With big names like Freddie Freeman, the Upton brothers, Jason Heyward and Evan Gattis, one would expect them to be among the top hitting clubs in the league, but they are currently 25th in runs scored, and 23rd See SHATZMAN page 15