09 18 17 entire issue hi res

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INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880

The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 134, No. 13

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017

News Trevor Takes The Stage

!

ITHACA, NEW YORK

Arts

Sports

Weather

There It Is

Off on Wrong Foot

Mostly Sunny HIGH: 81º LOW: 59º

Columnist Chazan ‘19 talks about unique storytelling techinques that comics can offer. Also a review of “It.” | Page 6

Trevor Noah performs Sunday night at Barton, reminding Cornellians of | Page 3

12 Pages – Free

Football opened its season with a 41-14 loss at Delaware Saturday. | Page 12

‘State of Emergency for Black Students’ Student arrested after black junior says he was punched,called N-word By NICHOLAS BOGEL-BURROUGHS Sun City Editor

Following an assault in which a black Cornell student said he was called the N-word and repeatedly punched by a group of white students in Collegetown on Friday, Black Students United at Cornell declared a “state of emergency” for black students over the weekend and President Martha Pollack issued a series of initiatives meant to improve the campus climate. Ithaca Police arrested one Cornell student after the fight on Eddy Street at about 1:30 a.m. on Friday. The arrested Cornell student, who had not been identified as of Sunday evening, was charged with misdemeanor assault, Ithaca Police Lt. John Joly said, adding that the department is investigating “any racially biased motivation.” Pollack said in a message to the campus community that Cornell, pending a final investigation, will not consider reinstating the Psi Upsilon fraternity, which had its recognition revoked in 2016. At least four student groups said in separate statements that members of Psi Upsilon were responsible for the assault, although that has not been confirmed. On Saturday, “You Rasist Fucks [sic]” was seen in paint on the Psi Upsilon’s uninhabited former house. Delmar Fears ’19, a co-chair of BSU, said in an interview over the weekend that the organization had declared a “state of emergency for black students” following the assault and had warned black students not to attend Interfraternity Council or Panhellenic Council parties because of concerns for their safety. “Are we safe walking home from class — from the library at night?” Fears asked. “Are we even safe at our own Collegetown parties?” Traciann Celestin ’19, a co-chair of BSU, added. See ASSAULT page 4

CORINNE KENWOOD / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Collegetown | A black Cornell student says he was called the N-word and beaten by a group of white students on Eddy Street on Friday.

Cornell investigating unaffiliated fraternity following assault By NICHOLAS BOGEL-BURROUGHS and GIRISHA ARORA

part in the assault “has any association with our fraternity at any time in the future.” Ithaca Police arrested one Cornell student and charged the Two days after a black Cornell student said he was punched student with misdemeanor assault, Lt. John Joly and Ryan in the head by a group of white men who called him racist slurs Lombardi, vice president for student and campus life, said. in Collegetown, President In an unsigned statement to Martha Pollack said the The Sun late on Sunday, The “The student involved in the incident University would not allow the Alumni of the Chi of Psi Psi Upsilon to return to camon [Friday] is not and has never been a Upsilon at Cornell said, “The pus, pending an investigation. student involved in the incident member of the Chi of Psi Upsilon.” “Based on what we know, on 9/15 is not and has never and pending final investigabeen a member of the Chi of Psi The Alumni of the Chi of Psi Upsilon at Cornell tion, Cornell will not consider Upsilon.” Psi Upsilon’s reinstatement as The association added that it an affiliated fraternity,” Pollack said in a message to the campus. is “confident” the arrested student “was not a member of Psi At least four student groups said in separate statements that Upsilon prior to the fraternity's status being revoked.” members of Psi Upsilon, which had its recognition revoked in The alumni association said that Psi Upsilon at Cornell, this 2016, were responsible for the assault, although that has not semester, submitted a list of students to the University who been confirmed. On Saturday, “You Rasist Fucks [sic]” was seen were seeking to re-establish the chapter and that the arrested in paint on the Psi Upsilon’s uninhabited former house. student “was not one of those students on our list.” Thomas Fox, executive director of the Psi Upsilon The black student, a junior at Cornell, told The Sun that a Fraternity, said in messages to Black Students United that he plans to investigate the matter to ensure that no one who took See FRATERNITY page 4 Sun City Editor and Sun Assistant News Editor

Student leaders consider banning ‘hate speech’ By DREW MUSTO Sun City Editor

JASON BEN NATHAN / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Psi U | Cornell is investigating Psi Upsilon following an assault on Friday.

In the wake of two raciallycharged incidents, including one that sent a black Cornell student to the hospital on Friday, some members of the Student Assembly are considering a push to ban “hate speech” on campus. Several S.A. members and other student leaders met on Sunday night to discuss, among other things, whether to forbid hate speech at the University, S.A. members told The Sun. Assemblymembers Matt Indimine ’18 and Mayra

Valadez ’18 have been working together to draft changes to the Campus Code of Conduct that would aim to curtail hate speech. Any addition to the Code regarding speech would need President Martha Pollack’s approval. At the meeting on Sunday in the Collegetown eHub, nearly 50 students met to discuss the recent events relating to hate speech. The meeting was not officially a S.A. meeting, but rather one that assemblymember Joe Anderson ’20 described as part of a “community input phase.” “While we are extremely

grateful Pollack has come out in support of these communities, she’s in the process of implementing some cool structural changes, but that’s not to the extent that we want to have this movement happen,” Valadez said at the meeting. “It has to be a complete cultural change of this community if we want real community change.” Valadez purposefully noted to the crowd that they intended to make “sure that culture changes, not just policy.” Varun Devatha ’19, S.A. executive vice president, wrote See HATE SPEECH page 5


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