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New Era Begins At Cornell New beginnings | Elizabeth Garrett delivers her inaugural address as Cornell’s 13th president in front of hundreds on the Arts Quad Friday morning.

CAMERON POLLACK / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Elizabeth Garrett outlines vision at13th inauguration

By DANIEL ZIMMERMAN Sun Staff Writer

Hundreds of students, faculty, University dignitaries, alumni and staff filled the Arts Quad on Friday morning for the installation ceremony of Cornell’s 13th president, Elizabeth Garrett.

The ceremony began with a performance by Yamatai — Cornell’s taiko drumming group — immediately followed by the procession of the undergraduate and graduate colleges and professors.

Former Cornell presidents Frank Rhodes, Jeffrey Lehman ’77 and David Skorton were in attendance, as well as Kathleen Hochul, New York Lieutenant Governor and representatives from 84 universities and colleges across the globe.

Directly before Garrett’s speech, Robert Harrison ’76, Chair of the Board of Trustees, gave an introductory speech and led the Investiture of The President, a formal presentation of symbols related to the president’s responsibilities.

Trustee Ezra Cornell IV ’70, lineal descendant of

Cornell’s founder, symbolically presented Garrett with the Cornell Charter. Alan Mittman, the employee-elected trustee, presented Cornell’s seal, and Prof. Barbara Baird, chemistry, faculty-elected trustee, presented her with the University mace.

Garrett then addressed the community on the Arts Quad against the background of a large red square, framing her alongside the statue of founder Ezra Cornell.

Garrett’s speech, which was tied thematically to the See INAUGURATION page 9

Panel Addresses Impacts of U.S. Inequality Students Challenge Garrett

By JEANETTE SI Sun Staff Writer

President Elizabeth Garrett and a panel of five Cornell faculty discussed the effects of different types of inequality and how they could trigger a chain reaction in the American political economy as the concluding event to her inauguration festivities in Bailey

Hall Friday afternoon.

The panel, titled “Democracy and Inequality,” began with an introductory overview by Gretchen Ritter ’83, the host of the discussion and the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts and Sciences, followed by Garrett’s own opening remarks.

“While we celebrate a historic event in the light of our universi-

BRITTNEY CHEW / SUN NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Unpacking inequality | President Elizabeth Garrett and a panel of five professors discuss U.S. political and economic inequality in Bailey Hall.

ty, with ceremonies, picnics and fireworks, we much also affirm that the primary goal of a university like Cornell is to work to more deeply understand issues facing society and to help shape responses that would improve the quality of life for people in our state, country and the world,” Garrett said.

Garrett focused on the impact of income inequality and how the wealth gap in the United States today is at an all-time high — the country has not seen income inequality of this magnitude since the 1920s. She then invited her panelists to discuss this problem in the light of their various specialized disciplines.

Prof. Eswar Prasad, trade policy, began with the statistic that on average, inequality is actually decreasing on an international scale. However, he said this decrease is uneven across individual countries and income inequality reflects the unbalanced influence the wealthy have in goverSee PANEL page 9

On PoliceTactics,Labor Issues

By GABRIELLA LEE Sun News Editor

Activists from different student groups publicly challenged President Elizabeth Garrett to respond to instances of intimidation from University police toward protesters as well as alleged labor

gathered on Ho Plaza and on the Arts Quad to distribute an open letter airing grievances regarding campus police actions against student protesters.

The letter, addressed to Garrett and signed by the Cornell Independent Students’ Union, Cornell Graduate

“What [is President Garrett] going to do to remedy this situation and ensure that the promises of democracy and inequality on our campus are occurring at all of our campuses?”

Allison Considine ’17 rights abuses at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar during the inauguration events on Friday.

Beginning at 9:10 a.m., before Garrett’s inauguration ceremony, student activists

Students United, the Cornell Progressive and Students for Justice in Palestine, was distributed to visiting alumni, students and faculty members as See ACTIVISM page 5

2 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Monday, September 21, 2015

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THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Monday, September 21, 2015 3

NEWS

Mentors Honor Garrett at Inauguration Dinner

By SUN STAFF

Hundreds of Cornellians, dignitaries and friends of President Elizabeth Garrett gathered in Barton Hall on to honor her at the inauguration dinner Thursday evening.

Nearly 550 attended the event, mingling during a reception before being seated at the dinner, where Garrett’s mentors spoke highly of her accomplishments.

After a performance from Cornell Bhangra, Board of Trustees Chair Robert Harrison ’76 addressed the crowd, praising Garrett for bringing “together the perfect blend of academic accomplishment, public service and the experience” needed for running Cornell.

“President Garrett, we wish you good health, good judgment and bold vision. Go Big Red and welcome to Cornell,” he offered in a toast.

Former Sen. David Boren (D-Okla.), who is the current president of the University of Oklahoma where Garrett earned her undergraduate degree; C.L. Max Nikias, president of the University of Southern California, where Garrett was provost; and President Emeritus David J. Skorton also offered their remarks, speaking highly of Garrett.

“As we celebrate Cornell’s new president and all she has already brought and will bring to this university, let us also recommit ourselves — each one of us — to Cornell’s enduring values and join with Beth Garrett in reshaping them as our students and our world require,” said Skorton, who left Cornell in June to become Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. “That is the promise of Beth Garrett’s presidency and also the tradition and promise of Cornell.”

After Skorton and her mentors spoke, Garrett took

TYLER ALICEA / SUN EDITOR IN CHIEF

The land-grant university to the world | President Emeritus David Skorton delivers remarks on Elizabeth Garrett at her inauguration dinner in Barton Hall Thursday night.

the stage and spoke of the need for Cornell to continue to innovate and “reach greater academic excellence.”

“Cornell now stands in a crucial point in its history and in the history of higher education. If we have particular strengths that can propel us to greater heights and we have the history of boldness that can sustain us in a fast-changing world, we cannot let this moment pass through inaction or timidity,” she said.

The event concluded with a performance from the Bissett Jazz Quintet and the singing of the Alma Mater

by The Chordials.

Joel Malina, vice president for University Relations, and Gretchen Ritter ’83, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, held Thursday’s event. Guests were served mixed greens and a beef fillet with parsnip puree, roasted potatoes and a mushroom demi-glace, as well as a raspberry-lemon drop genoise for dessert.

The Sun’s news department can be reached at news@cornellsun.com.

Cornellians Gather Dozens Partake in Observatory Stargazing Event On Ag Quad for Picnic

By MAXWELL DOPSCH

Sun Contributor

Attendees enjoy new ice cream, 24 Garrett Swirl

By PHOEBE KELLER Sun Assistant News Editor

Cornellians gathered on the Ag Quad for a picnic following President Elizabeth Garrett’s inauguration on Friday to celebrate their new leader in a fes-

the sweet treat ahead of inauguration day and doled out approximately 5,000 servings.

One tent on the Ag Quad was entirely devoted to a cake made by Wegmans, which was decorated with images of waterfalls, Cornell and Cayuga Lake.

Cornell Dairy prepared 450 gallons of the sweet treat ahead of inauguration day. tive setting.

The Big Red Marching Band lead the procession of students, faculty, alumni and local residents to the Ag Quad after the completion of the inauguration ceremony on the Arts Quad.

There, attendees enjoyed box lunches containing a chicken or portabella mushroom wrap, cole slaw, chips and an apple and lounged on checkered blankets and hay bales, according to a University press release.

The dairy bar’s new ice cream flavor in honor of Cornell’s 13th president — 24 Garrett Swirl — also debuted at the community picnic. The ice cream combines hints of chocolate, caramel and mocha with fudge truffles, and was inspired by some of Garrett’s favorite flavors, according to the University.

Deanna Simons, Cornell’s dairy quality manager, said in a University release that her team blind taste-tested two versions of 24 Garrett Twist. Cornell Dairy prepared 450 gallons of

The cake was composed of 24 half sheets of cake, took the bakery at Wegmans roughly 25 hours to make and is big enough to serve approximately 900 people, the release said.

The picnic also featured an assortment of desserts made by local companies, including Wide Awake Bakery, Ba-Li Cravings and Kendra’s Culinary Creations. Wide Awake Bakery caterer Rachel Ost lund, who prepared coconut macaroons, said in the release she was impressed that Cornell “sought out local businesses to feature.”

Student and local groups also performed at the picnic, including the Cornell Klezmer Ensemble, The Touchstones, Chosen Generation Gospel Choir, Cayuga’s Waiters, the Chai Notes, Bakara Kwa gospel ensemble, the Ithaca Gay Men’s Choir and the Latin band Palonegro.

Phoebe Keller can be reached at pkeller@cornellsun.com.

Dozens of current students and alumni ventured to the Fuertes Observatory for a stargazing event on Friday night as part of Homecoming Weekend, compelled by what they said was a general sense of curiosity for the night sky.

The visitors used telescopes provided by the Cornell Astronomical Society, while CAS members pointed out sharp green laser-pointers to indicate various celestial formations in the cloudless sky.

“I love [the observatory] so much. I just keep coming back,” said Shianne Beer ’08, a former CAS president who was visiting the observatory. Beer said she initially returned to campus to see the fireworks alone, but found herself back at the observa-

tory.

Coming from a childhood where he spent a lot of time with his dad and a telescope, current CAS president Sam NewmanStonebraker ’17 said that a love of astronomy caused him to wander up the hill from his Mews Hall freshman dormitory and spend the night at Fuertes for the first time.

“It has its own unique feel,” Newman-Stonebraker said.

According to NewmanStonebraker, a significant part of the crowd on public observation nights are not actually Cornellians. Of those that were present, very few formally study astronomy. Many said they attended to fulfill a more casual curiosity.

“I’m not an expert, I just like looking at them,” said SharonRose Alonzo ’19, citing a sense of awe and wonder. “It’s like looking

at the sunset.”

The Fuertes Observatory has stood on its present ground just north of Beebe Lake since 1917, according to a brief history of the observatory written by Prof.

Phillip David Nicholson, astronomy. Cornell Astronomical Society, which hosted the homecoming weekend observation, has been running public observation nights at Fuertes for 40 years, according to CAS members.

Though the observatory is no longer the center for scientific research, it now serves as a tucked-away refuge for Friday night stargazing. Housed inside is a refractor telescope with a pair of 12-inch objective lenses. A few smaller reflector telescopes are mounted on the deck outside of the main telescope’s dome housing.

See STARGAZING page 5

Let’s go, Red!

CAMERON POLLACK / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Approximately 16,000 spectators fill Schoellkopf Stadium at the Cornell-Bucknell homecoming game on Saturday — the largest crowd at a Cornell football game since 2000.

4 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Monday, September 21, 2015

NEWS

VARUN HEGDE / SUN CONTRIBUTOR

Tackling the issues | Eighteen students running in the Student Assembly’s freshmen and transfer elections discuss student issues Thursday at a candidate forum in the Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room.

Student Assembly Hopefuls Face Off at Candidate Forum Address issues of student diversity,engagement,mental health the ability, and we really need to make it accessible to the student body.”

When asked about flaws in the S.A. and how Eighteen candidates competing for a spot on such problems could be addressed, freshman canthe Student Assembly gathered in Willard didate Marissa Block ’19 said she would increase Straight Hall Thursday for a forum on student awareness on campus of the shared governance issues that included diversity, campus security and group.

“I went up to a lot of people that didn’t even student engagement.

Out of the 18 candidates, 16 were running for know the Student Assembly existed. I know peofour freshman representative positions, and two ple who would’ve liked to run,” Block said. “ I think if we introduce them to Student Assembly were running for one transfer position.

The forum began with each candidate explain- earlier with a bigger voice, I think we can get ing what qualities they possess that make them a more people involved from the beginning.”

Co-sponsoring organizations of the event were good candidate and by giving a brief overview of also able to submit questions to candidates. The their platforms.

Many candidates, including Emmett Tabor Women’s Resource Center asked how to make the ’19, highlighted their previous experience in vari- Cornell community more inclusive.

In response to the question, ous forms of leadership and stucandidate Barbaria ’19 said dent government.

“Diversity doesn’t mean he believesDale some Cornell stu“In high school, I was having a lot of different dents may quickly find groups involved in student government where they belong and fail to pretty heavily because I really people. It’s finding ways move beyond those circles. enjoyed doing it,” Tabor said. “I in which those people “[The] Student Assembly really enjoyed [participating in student government] everyday can interact ... everyday.” should really do more to force groups to be involved with each … I had varied interest[s] and I Dale Barbaria ’19 other,” Barbaria said. “Diversity think that would help me doesn’t mean having a lot of difempathize and relate to other ferent people. It’s finding ways in which those people.”

After introductions, candidates answered ques- people can interact with each other everyday.”

S.A. Director of Elections Matt Henderson tions asked by moderators Jennifer Kim ’16 and Enting Lee ’17, president and vice-president of ’16 said he hopes that the representatives, once the Cornell Speech and Debate Union, respective- elected, will help the S.A. address the thoughts and concerns of the new freshman class and that ly.

Most candidates expressed support for mea- candidates will continue to reach out to fellow sures that would make the transition for freshmen students during campaigning in the next few and transfer students easier, such as candidate for days.

“We actually had lower candidate turnout for transfer representative Jordan Chessin ’18, who discussed his goal of getting students acclimated both freshman and transfers than we had expected, which was surprising at first,” Henderson said. as soon as possible.

“Sometimes people aren’t able to meet each “I think what’s been very encouraging is seeing other,” Chessin said. “Once you meet people, it how many applications we’ve gotten for commitcan be a really easy process, and that makes [for tees. I think a lot of the interest has translated more to that kind of committee think-tank role an] easier transition academically.”

After addressing the transfer candidates, the … I’m excited to see how the rest of campaigning moderators asked the freshmen candidates ques- goes.”

In addition to elected representatives, the S.A. tions about issues such as S.A. involvement and also includes committees that focus on specific mental health.

Freshman representative candidate Dustin Liu issues such as dining and financial aid. The dozen ’19 said he wants to encourage students to seek committees that students can also join vary from the Committee on Dining Services to the help if they need it.

“Mental health is an issue that sort of goes Communications Committee.

Voting for freshman and transfer representaunder the table because we’re sort of embarrassed to talk about it,” Liu said. “Someone shouldn’t tives will begin at 8 a.m. today. feel embarrassed to go to Gannett or go reach out if they need it. We have the resources and we have Josh Girsky can be reached at jeg329@cornell.edu.

By JOSH GIRSKY

Sun Contributor

NEWS

Activists Challenge Garrett On PoliceTactics,Qatar Conditions ACTIVISM

Continued from page 1

they entered the seating area in the Arts Quad.

“Last semester the Cornell Police used threats of jail time and fabricated charges to intimidate students who voiced dissenting speech,” the letter reads. “Police, wearing armor and carrying guns, are a common sight at peaceful political demonstrations on the Cornell campus.”

According to Alec Desbordes ’17, a member of CISU, the letter was written in response to a campus police investigation of student protester Daniel Marshall ’15 in April, in which the police investigator threatened criminal charges against Marshall if he did not cooperate by answering the investigator’s questions.

In response to the the police investigation and intimidation, 95 faculty members signed a letter that condemned the University’s actions and called for the administration to “respond meaningfully to the fair and pointed questions being asked of them by the students (and the faculty),” The Sun previously reported.

The letter also references a November 2012 incident in which members of Students for Justice in

“We take very seriously the health and well-being and safety of our staff, no matter where they work for us.”

President Elizabeth Garrett Palestine and the Cornell Israel Public Affairs Committee held competing protests on Ho Plaza at the same time. In the incident, CUPD evacuated SJP protesters from Ho Plaza due to them not having registered the event beforehand. A faculty investigation later revealed that campus police threatened protesters and forced a student to the ground during the evacuation.

“President Garrett, as students, we have the right to participate in dissenting speech, discussion and expression,” the letter reads. “We demand that police do not intimidate or harass students engaged in peaceful political activity.”

While Desbordes said the union’s ultimate goal was to making meaningful changes to how shared governance operates at Cornell, he said the distribution of the letter was not meant to disrupt, but rather to inform the attendees of Garrett’s inauguration.

“We are trying to set up a level playing field for us to organize more,” Desbordes said.

He continued that the use of police force in protests was a constraining factor in how much change the union could currently affect.

The letter concludes by asking Garrett to respond to the concerns outlined in the letter regarding past campus police intimidation and future policies on free speech by Sept. 28.

“If she doesn’t answer, it’ll show something about her administration,” Desbordes said.

Later in the day, Garrett also moderated a panel, “Democracy and Inequality,” in Bailey Hall.

During a question and answer session, Allison Considine ’17, a member of Cornell Organization for Labor Action, presented an oversized card to Garrett that congratulated her inauguration and challenged her to address allegations of exploitation and abuse of labor workers at Cornell’s Qatar campus.

“In the face of reports that workers on our medical campus in Qatar are facing exploitation and abuse, what are you going to do to remedy this situation and ensure that the promises of democracy and inequality on our campus are occurring at all of our campuses?” Considine asked.

Garrett thanked Considine for the card and said she appreciated COLA’s efforts in delivering a letter to her office last Tuesday.

“We take very seriously the health and wellbeing and the safety of our staff, no matter where they work for us,” Garrett said. “I am confident that we are treating our staff in Qatar the way we treat our staff here and that we work very hard to have labor conditions of which we can be proud no matter where they are.”

While Garrett promised to give a longer response to COLA in the future, she also said she believed it was important for residents of developed countries to question the best ways to affect change in exploitative labor conditions abroad.

COLA’s action during the panel is the latest in their Weill Workers Suffer campaign, which kicked off earlier last week when members of COLA delivered a letter to Garrett’s office that outlined their concerns with Cornell’s potential abuses of labor rights in Qatar.

In addition to campaign demands for a University acknowledgement of the alleged abuses and for an independent investigation on WCMC workers’ conditions, COLA also requested that Garrett respond to a 2014 International Trade Union Confederation letter addressed to university presidents by Sept. 29.

“So far, we haven’t received much of a response from President Garrett,” said Michael Ferrer ’16, a member of COLA. “She has assured us, as President [Emeritus David] Skorton did, that the labor conditions in Qatar are up to Cornell standards. The initial investigation by the [ITUC], however, says otherwise.”

The ITUC letter highlights problems taking place in Education City, Qatar, where WCMC is located, as well as in the greater Qatari labor system, according to COLA’s letter to Garrett.

Ferrer added that COLA was optimistic that Garrett would respond to their letter and attend their teach-in on Oct. 1, which will aim to educate Cornellians about labor abuses in Qatar.

Gabriella Lee can be reached at glee@cornellsun.com.

At Homecoming Event, Cornellians Stargaze at Fuertes Observatory STARGAZING

Continued from page 3

The observatory’s instruments were once used “to accurately determine time and location using the stars,” according to Newman-Stonebraker.

“The official time of the University was once likely kept using a specialized clock kept at the Observatory, and the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey reference marker for the exact location of Cornell’s campus is found at the northwest corner of the building,” he said.

Despite recent renovations and fresh coats of paint, the

building has preserved an endearing mustiness that guests immediately encounter upon entering, according to NewmanStonebraker.

“Cornell in general is my home, but this place in particular is the focal point.”

Shianne Beer ’08 “I’m glad that Cornell provides things like this for free,” Alonzo said.

Though she has been a student at Cornell for only a few weeks, Alonzo said she felt a sense of belonging at the observatory, even though she did not know anyone there previously.

For many, including Beer, the observatory has provided a home during their time at Cornell. Beer said she spent many late-nights talking with her friends at Fuertes when she was an undergrad.

“Cornell in general is my home, but this place in particular is the focal point,” Beer said. “It’s just such a special place.”

Maxwell Dopsch can be reached at myd3@cornell.edu.

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Monday, September 21, 2015 5

A&E

6 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | Monday, September 21, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Show Me a Hero: An Understated Treasure JESSE WEISSMAN Sun Staff Writer

The conventional wisdom about David Simon, the creator of The Wire (yes it really is the greatest show of all time as many people annoyingly but correctly remind you), Treme and Generation Kill is that he is a pessimist: that his shows are about the inability of society to resolve its ills.

And while this is true to some extent, it does not paint the full picture of his work. Simon’s shows can be optimistic about people — ordinary people just trying to get by and do the right thing.

Rather, he seems to be deeply pessimistic about human institutions. These institutions, whether they be government bureaucracies, drug gangs or entire cities, are unable to reform themselves, and often in their structure, prevent individuals from doing the right thing. The people of western Baltimore are ruined by

drug wars; the enthusiastic citizens who love New Orleans cannot get a simple loan to repair their home from Katrina damage; the mostly virtuous soldiers of Operation Iraqi Freedom have to follow the morally and practically disastrous policies of the Rumsfeld military administration. Thus, it is pattern-breaking but also refreshing that Simon’s new miniseries, Show Me a Hero, is about a rare case where government, despite dragging its heels, ultimately does the right thing and contributes to the collective good.

Show Me a Hero takes place in late 1980s-early 1990s Yonkers (just up the river from Manhattan) when a federal judge orders that the city build 200 affordable housing units in the well-off and white, east side of Yonkers.

The ostensible protagonist of the series, Mayor Nick Wasicsko, played by the wonderful and understated Oscar Isaac, faces severe opposition from many of the East siders as he has no choice but to enforce the law, lest the city be fined

COURTESY OF HBO

into bankruptcy for its refusal to comply with the court order. The title of the show refers to the F.Scott Fitzgerald quote, “show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.” And there certainly is a tragedy by the end of the show (I would avoid Googling the real story or any of the key players) and the “hero” aspect is a little less clear.

Wasicsko gets elected as mayor in the first place by opposing the affordable housing orders, and only changes his mind when he realizes that he simply has to follow the law. However, as the opposition mounts and the racial ugliness rears its head, Wasicsko begins to realize he is on the right side of history.

Similarly, in a great arc, Mary Dormer (Catherine Keener), begins as a East Side resident virulently asserting ‘not in my backyard,’ but has to reevaluate her stance when she realizes that the building of the units is an inevitability. Therefore, the show correctly eschews creating ‘white knight’ characters, and more properly shows how the advances of history often involve dragging the reluctant along until they see the better angels of their nature.

While I loved Show Me a Hero, the first two hours of the show (it is a total of six) are a bit of a slog. The sessions in the council chamber with Wasicsko are a bit too typical for what you usually see in those types of scenes (fast-talking, a little too cynical for its own good, etc).

In addition, the show spends the majority of its time with various residents of the public housing projects who will possibly move to the new units being

built. In the first two installments, their stories are almost too understated to fully enjoy. A single mother moves back to the United States while her kids are in the Dominican Republic so she can make more money; a pregnant teenager struggles with her circumstances; a single mother tries to refuse the temptation of the drug use prevalent in her community.

While I usually find distasteful the thinking that one ought to enjoy boring art for its intrinsic value, by the end of Show Me A Hero, the purpose to the understated nature of these stories became clear. After all, what could be more basic yet vital than a decent home to live in? In fact, the power of these stories becomes so clear that in the last chapter that I wished the plot had abandoned the stories of Wasicsko and his fellow politicians so the entire episode could be devoted to which of the characters would win the housing lottery to move into the new units. I won’t spoil their fates, but I will just say that the show works its magic such that the conclusions to their tales left me in tears.

It is surprising that a series about housing policy could be so compelling.

Many people may complain that the show lectures its viewers, and that these stories are making the audience “eat their vegetables,” but I would have to disagree with any person who claimed the show wasn’t serving those vegetables perfectly sauteed.

Jesse Weissman is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at jweissman@sun.com.

Are You Ready, Kids?

S

eldom does a work of art feel so unnecessary, so unwarranted, that it ceases to be art. Like Son of the Mask. Or the fact that we’re on our third Spider-Man franchise in less than 15 years. An endless stream of theatrical anesthesia has dulled our sense of quality and merit, to the point where every two-bit sequel and reboot feels like the best goddamn thing I’ve ever seen. And just when I thought the state of entertainment couldn’t get any worse, it astonishingly — nay miraculously — did. And we have our dear friends at Nickelodeon to thank.

A few weeks ago, the production team of The Spongebob Musical, which will begin previews at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago next June, announced that the show will transfer to Broadway for the 2016-2017 season. I think I speak for all of us when I say, “About time!

I was getting tired of these pretentious, hoighty-toighty musicals like Fun Home or Hamilton!” Oh, sorry, I actually meant literally the exact opposite. Slip of the tongue.

The Spongebob Musical is a shotgun marriage of the lowest of the low-brow and the highest of the high-brow, necessitated not by any semblance of passion but because the bride is expecting. Lots of dollars, that is. What other reason is there?

In a statement, director Tina Landau said, “I was drawn to this project not only for its wild theatrical possibility, but also because I felt Spongebob, at it’s core, is a layered and hilarious ensemble comedy.” “Wild theatrical possibility?” Oh, come now, this musical isn’t meant to be groundbreaking, there’s no need to sugarcoat this saccharine drivel anymore than it already is.

You could say I’m a little agitated.

It’s not the first time a franchise has cashed in on the Great White Way. I mean, Disney has been doing this for 20 years. The difference between Disney and Nickelodeon is that Disney Theatrical has the decency to keep up the

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

pretense of authenticity while they stiff audiences. They bring in Broadway veterans like Alan Menken, fill their show with all the trappings of classic musical theatre and spend just enough money to polish the entire thing.

Theatregoers aren’t the only collateral damage in this disaster, though. The musical is to have a score produced in collaboration with what may be the most star-studded, unbelievable composing team ever assembled. I mean, these are artists with real integrity and talent, like John Legend and David Bowie! And some artists that lack those things, like Aerosmith. These artists will contribute songs along with Cyndi Lauper, They Might Be Giants, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Panic! at the Disco, Plain White T’s and T.I. I’m not even kidding. These disparate artists, united in their love for a fading (faded?) children’s television series, come together to make something great. Or, more likely, something wildly embarrassing and possibly fatal, career-wise.

There is a chance, slim as it is, that The Spongebob Musical Pulp FictSean won’t be a complete failure.

I’m referring to, of course, The Shrek Paradox: when a musical that has absolutely no business being good surmounts all odds and ends up being … passable? Fun, even? A similar air of “Why, dear God, why?” surrounded Shrek The Musical when it opened in 2008. But then it turned out to be pretty good. It even picked up a ton of Tony Awards nominations, thanks to its pretty stellar cast — Brian d’Arcy James, Sutton Foster, Christopher Sieber, sold — and music, written by Jeanine Tesori, of Fun Home fame.

While it followed the essential story of the movie, Shrek

Sean Doolittle

COURTESY OF NICKELODEON

the Musical added enough to the material to make it seem fresh, including fleshing out Shrek and Farquaad’s backstories. Even if you’ve seen the movie a hundred times, it is entertaining enough that you forget that you’ve wasted 200 hours of your life watching a movie about a green man and his donkey friend. Anyway, that’s all ogre now.

You can move on with your life.

What are the chances that Spongebob will be the new Shrek? I can’t really say. The recent Spongebob film, Sponge Out of Water, sported one of the most disheartening trailers I’ve ever seen and it turned out not half-bad. Recent pictures tweeted by the musical’s production team suggest that they won’t even be using elaborate costumes, makeup or prosthetics to bring the Bikini Bottom characters to life. While it may seem odd that Spongebob will be less Squarepants and more Humanactorpants, this one minute detail instills some confidence in me. Maybe they’re not totally risk averse.

When it comes to The Spongebob Musical, are you ready, kids? Oh, I hope so.

Sean Doolittle is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be reached at sdoolittle@cornellsun.com. Pulp FictSean appears alternate Mondays this semester..

A&E

Monday, September 21, 2015 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | 7

‘ E V E R Y T H I N G G O I N G T O T H E B E AT ’ :

Passion Pit at Barton Hall SHAY COLLINS Sun Staff Writer

Amidst the bacchanalia and school spirit, between the darties and the parties, waited Passion Pit. At first blush, the Cornell Concert Commission selected the perfect headliner. Taking into account their buzzing, adrenaline-stimulating synths, pulsing beats and frontman Michael Angelakos’ trademark falsetto, there are few better bands to get shamelessly sweaty to in a cavernous gymnasium than Passion Pit. The group tempers their serious indie roots (Angelakos first recorded Passion Pit songs as a Valentine Day’s gift EP for his girlfriend) with widespread listenability and chart success to boot.

Yet, Passion Pit stood to potentially exceed already-soaring expectations amongst the student body. In a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone’s Dan Hyman, Angelakos stated, “I’ve always loved smaller shows… like 2,500 people.” The Cornell Concert Commission sold over 5,000 tickets for the sold-out show, doubling Angelakos’ target, but still creating a relatively intimate crowd for a band that has played Madison Square Garden. Passion Pit is not a polarizing group (save for those who cannot bear Angelakos’ twee falsetto and melodramatic lyrics). As Larry Fitzmaurice writes for Pitchfork, Passion Pit creates music “perfect for placement in a cell phone commercial.” But how well would Passion Pit’s meticulous and heavily-produced indie pop translate to a live performance?

Enthusiastic Californian opener Robert DeLong jumpstarted the night with his all-systems-go EDM. DeLong expertly sidestepped the perennial challenge for electronic musicians — figuring out how to physically do enough on stage. DeLong tilted both of his MIDI controllers towards

the audience and, even when he pranced around the stage to pre-recorded riffs, always carried a modded Wii remote, a simple prop that screamed “I am always in control.” Even when Delong moved to his drum set (the instrument he studied at Azusa State University), slightly delayed cameras transmitted his every move.

DeLong anchored his set with the first four tracks off of In The Cards, an album he released just three days ago. “In The Cards,” “Don’t Wait Up” and “Long Way Down” all evidence DeLong’s signature melodic, compelling EDM, but “Jealousy” excelled beyond his other tracks as a song that packs in creative chord changes and electronic innovation in less than four minutes. DeLong’s set lagged slightly at the middle, and he failed to fully execute his final drop, instead pausing to walk to the drum set, but delivered an otherwise unflagging set for a one man band-and-entertainer package.

Passion Pit kicked off their set with “Little Secrets,” a song driven by twangy synths up top and a bubbling, synced bass line and, as Passion Pit tracks go, light lyrical subject matter. The band then rushed into new material: “Lifted Up (1985),” the opening track from 2015’s Kindred. The track does not feature a signature, unique synth riff like so many Passion Pit songs, but rather a simple, bass-heavy beat still drove in an absorbing chorus.

Throughout their set, Passion Pit touched on most of their hits from Manners and Gossamer to a consistently pleased crowd, pounding out “Make Light,” “Moth’s Wings,” “The Reeling,” “Let Your Love Grow Tall” and “Cry Like A

Ghost” among others during their approximately ninetyPHOTOS BY CAMERON POLLACK / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER minute long set.

Matthew Angelakos currently lists himself as the only member of Passion Pit, but performs with two utility men who trade-off between keyboards and guitars, and a steady bass and rhythm section. Chris Hartz, Passion Pit’s current touring drummer, contributed exceptionally to the band’s performance, oscillating between stolid chorus beats and intricate fills. The current touring permutation of Passion Pit is best described as a crew of professionals. The group lacked some of the fraternal goofiness and gleeful audience interaction of groups that have been together for longer than a half-tour, but when the audio lapsed for a few seconds coming out of a break during their smash hit “Take A Walk,” the band was unfazed.

Angelakos provided a requisite amount of on-stage chatter. He noted how hot Barton was, he told everyone to get louder; he acknowledged that he’d been to Cornell before.

For Passion Pit, the minimal chatter worked — the group performs viscerally, pacing from end-to-end as Angelakos soaks through his button-down (with matching looselyknotted tie) and pounds through falsetto after falsetto.

Without fail, Passion Pit filled Barton Hall with sound on every track without becoming cacophonous (I’m looking at you, Modest Mouse). Angelakos nails his soaring falsetto riffs so consistently that it feels ridiculous to slam him for not doing anything but singing. Passion Pit didn’t torture the encore process, either. The band played out the ritual of walking offstage (They didn’t play their biggest hit or turn the house lights on? Strange), and returned to electrify a seemingly even more energetic crowd with a hit that originated on larval, Valentine’s Day-era Passion Pit’s E.P. Chunk of Change — “Sleepyhead.”

In Ian Cohen’s review of Passion Pit’s 2009 Manners, he writes, “if you like one Passion Pit song, you’ll probably like them all.”

Cohen’s statement does not necessarily mean that once you’ve heard one, you’ve heard them all. Passion Pit excels at writing and arranging room-filling tracks that sound catchy, but not cheesy. During Angelakos’ four-album career he has yet to mail in a dud. If a group made, say, metal as consistently excellently as Passion Pit makes pop, they would be getting a lot more critical hype. Passion Pit’s inoffensive sheen, however, covers an arduous writing and performing process, and matching band member frustrations.

Angelakos has garnered positive but unwanted attention following his description of dealing with bipolar disorder while writing and performing. When he discusses touring, he speaks in a notably detached manner. “I need to make a living… This is what I do,” he told Rolling Stone’s Dan Hyman manner-of-factly. When he opened up later in the interview, he projected the stress to others: “Most people shouldn’t really be touring.” Angelakos' reserved manner glosses over months of mental and physical pain that forced him to suspend recording and tour dates. Former Passion Pit touring keyboard and guitar player Ian Hultquist spoke more emphatically on the topic: “That lifestyle is not made for [Angelakos]. You can see it on his face when he’s not doing well.” Such is the contradiction — despite personal and band strife and, at times, utterly tragic lyrics, you can’t help but enter the throes of the bubblegum pop sugar rush.

While Angelakos’ lyrics tend to evaporate as his falsetto blends in with synthesizers, his words plumb the depths of depression, substance abuse and suicide. Fitzmaurice reports

that Gossamer’s “I’ll Be Alright” and “Constant Conversations” so well evoke a period of his most painful mania that his fiancée Kristy Mucci “finds the tracks hard to listen to.” How strange it is then, to jam and scream along as Angelakos croons in “Sylvia:” “No one’s going to tell you enough’s enough / Enough’s always too tough.”

Passion Pit delivered a performance that reached towards a borderline-transcendent realm of great pop. Critics often describe Passion Pit’s aura in terms of visceral joy and exultation, a notion that is especially strange given the intensity of many of Angelakos’ lyrics. Therein lies the beauty and power of Passion Pit’s performance: the feeling of empowerment as Angelakos’ sings about his family’s financial struggles (“Take A Walk”) or his suicide attempt (“Where We Belong”), not in terms of despair, but rather power, confidence and utter joie-de-vivre. Few people exited Barton Hall at the end of Passion Pit’s set (which they concluded by facing the audience, hands clasped in a humble display of gratitude) looking exhausted, but rather like the awake, energetic listeners Passion Pit attracts.

Shay Collins is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at scollins@cornellsun.com.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

8 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Monday, September 21, 2015

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Monday, September 21, 2015 9

NEWS

Garrett Talks Growth, Engagement in Inaugural Speech INAUGURATION

ation to foster diversity of viewpoints, of experience, of identity, race and gender and of methodology.”

Garrett also focused on what she views as the faculty’s 1911 poem Ithaka by Greek poet C.P. Cavafy about responsibility: preparing students for their futures.

Odysseus’ journey home, focused on Cornell’s recent expan“None are more important than our responsibility to our sion through projects including Cornell Tech. Garrett students — to send them off on their own journeys to learn referred to Ithaca as a “journey [and] destination, but also a and go on learning as they set sail to distant and unknown way of perceiving the world.” harbors,” Garrett said.

“As Cornellians know, Ithaca is not only a place that proThe speech also focused on ways in ways in which foundly affects those who spend time on this campus, but Cornell can grow through the its New York City tech camIthaca — Cornell — is also a state of mind, both a begin- pus while simultaneously striving for excellence in Ithaca. ning and a destination for a jour“This opportunity [of ney characterized by a rare “The activities that have taken place on Cornell Tech] becomes a excitement that stirs the spirit, defining moment for Cornell this idyllic hill in upstate New York have only if we bring Ithaca to body and intellect,” she said.

Throughout her speech, had lasting consequences for the rest of Roosevelt Island and New Garrett referenced not only the York City and bring the higher education and for the rest poem, but also the words of hislessons we learned there, back of the world.” toric Cornellians including Ezra to faculty, students and staff Cornell and Carl Becker. Both here,” Garrett said. “We canPresident Elizabeth Garrett Garrett and Harrison made refnot allow physical distance to erence to Cornell’s dream of “an keep us from integrating all institution where any person could find instruction in any that we do in New York City with the long established excelstudy.” lence in Ithaca — the campus that will always represent the Harrison specifically focused on the continuing diversity wellspring of the Cornell spirit.” of Cornell, which he called a “revolutionary, democratic, Garrett said Cornell is situated as a global university to anti-elitist and quintessentially American institution.” help solve some of the serious issues facing society today, “The activities that have taken place on this idyllic hill in both locally and internationally. upstate New York have had lasting consequences for the rest “We must work together to understand difficult probof higher education and for the rest of the world,” Harrison lems of our age, among them: sustainability and climate said. “It is fitting that we turn the page on our yearlong cel- change, new approaches to health and well-being, the chalebration of the sesquicentennial that we begin the next 150 lenge of global and domestic income inequality, the influyears with an historic first: for the first time in 150 years, ence of technology and the design of effective democratic Cornell University has chosen as its president a person from institutions which revise solutions through interdisciplinary the great state of Oklahoma … and also a woman.” and campus collaboration,” Garrett said.

During her speech, Garrett also discussed how a diverse She said some of these issues can be addressed by a confaculty is key to the success of the university. stant effort to engage the different campuses towards com“Our objective with regard to faculty is to strive always mon goals. for excellence - excellence that is multi-faceted and manifest“I’ll work with the provosts, deans and faculty to put ed in a myriad of ways,” Garrett said. “It includes an oblig- structures in place that generate and nurture those collaboContinued from page 1

Professors Discuss Inequality Issues in U.S. PANEL

Continued from page 1

nance.

“The fundamental issue we need to think about is, ‘at what point does inequality stop being a sign of a functioning, democratic market economy and becomes a pathology [to the democracy]?’” Prasad said. “Once the democratic process becomes frayed, then it becomes difficult to put in place the policies that are necessary to generate good growth … and reduce inequality.”

Agreeing with Prasad, Prof. Suzanne Mettler, government, added that political grid“We’ve seen a cascade lock in of spending induced by Washington the higher income has only harmed the spending at the top.” working classes while Prof. Robert Frank benefiting those already privileged as it maintains the status quo. She also cited money in politics as a major cause of inequality, which allows people to essentially “buy out” candidates with campaign money.

“The question is, ‘why hasn’t the United States responded more effectively [to inequality]?’ because Americans truly do feel that there should be equality of opportunity,” Mettler said. “What's happened over the past few decades is that political parties have become much more polarized and … [are] not to giv[ing] an inch for public policy. That polarization creates great stalemates and gridlock, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why we’re not creating policies to better mitigate inequality.”

Prof. Nick Salvatore, industrial and labor relations, spoke of Eugene V. Debs and the Socialist Party in America. He said he believes that if inequality is to be changed in the United States, it must be through an organized movement similar to Debs’ campaign.

“The issue becomes one of ‘where is the organized force?’ Where’s the organized approach to dealing with these questions?” Salvatore asked. “At one point, people thought Occupy Wall Street was going to be a major event, but Occupy Wall Street … never really lasted much beyond Zuccotti Park and it never really invented a kind of program that

… [could] speak in the language of a democratic polity and a set of values that needed to be applied to the economic arena.”

According to Prof. Gerald Torres, law, Americans have already been trying to organize themselves in small grassroots campaigns.

Changing the bigger picture, Torres said, is only a matter of uniting these individual movements under the same overarching goal.

“When people say that there are not a lot of Americans trying to take control of things they feel up in arms about, I think that’s not true,” he said.

“The question is, how do you take these local movements and pull them together to make a social movement? We have to join these smaller public movements together [in order to influence the whole system].”

In addition to the problem of income inequality, Prof. Robert Frank, management and economics, also brought up the issue of consumption inequality. He argued that Americans in general have been pushed to spend beyond their means as they watch the rich get richer and set new consumption norms.

“We’ve seen a cascade of spending induced by the higher income spending at the top. So now the size of a median house in the U.S. in 2007 was 2,300 square feet. In 1980, it was 1,700 square feet,” Frank said. “The median family isn’t earning significantly more in the later years compared to the earlier ones — why are they spending so much more? Because people like them are spending more.”

Alice Rayner ’19, a student who attended the panel, said that while she believes the panel covered the issue of income and political inequality very well, she wished the panelists would have spoken more in-depth about the issue of racial inequality.

“I think the fact that they even acknowledged the lack of access of opportunity that exists in America — where everyone’s supposedly equal, and if you fail, it’s your own fault … they did a pretty good job with that,” Rayner said. “But the fact that they had an entire panel and only hinted at racial divisions is surprising to me, considering that’s … so much of what makes inequality in America unique.”

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

rations, not just internally, but through increasing our ability to obtain external funding from governments, foundations, corporations and philanthropies,” Garrett said. “The connections we are forming with outside entities eager to support our entrepreneurial ambitions, made salient by Cornell Tech, must benefit not only our faculty and campus in New York City, but they must reach this campus bringing new possibilities to faculty and students here and creating economic opportunities not just for New York City, but for Ithaca and upstate, as well.”

One of the particular issues she addressed was the negative view and a feeling of college’s declining value in society, saying that she realizes that “higher education in the United States is a subject of great public criticism.”

“Pundits and politicians contend the cost is too great, the value — questionable, the experience — not sufficiently valuable and the opportunity not fully accessible to all who deserve it,” Garrett said. “Certainly, there is room for improvement in any institution of great durability, but it is beyond dispute that an intense residential undergraduate experience at America’s great research universities is one of the very best investments that any family can make.”

Garrett ended her address to the audience by returning to the poetic theme of Ithaca.

“Let us conclude with his final words that will comfort us on his journey ahead: ‘Ithaca gave you a marvelous journey. / Without her, you wouldn’t have set out ... Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, / you will have understood by then what these Ithacans mean,’” Garrett said. “I look forward to working with all of the Cornellians: faculty, students, staff, alumni, parents, and supporters to navigate the next page of this remarkable journey — travelling to the many diverse Ithacas that await our discovery.”

Following Garrett’s address, Prof. Alice Fulton, English, read her set of inaugural poems, and members of the Graduate Assembly and Student Assembly read passages related to Cornell’s history.

Daniel Zimmerman can be reached at dzimmerman@cornellsun.com.

A sea of red | Thousands of chairs are set up on the Arts Quad days in advance of the inauguration of Cornell’s 13th president, Elizabeth Garrett.

You’ve got a friend in me | President Elizabeth Garrett pets a dog at Olin Library, just before her inauguration ceremony.

PHOTOS BY CAMERON POLLACK / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Sharing smiles | Elizabeth Garrett mingles with faculty members prior to the procession for her inauguration Friday morning.

OPINION

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Rubin Danberg Biggs | The Common Table

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Cornell’s Unintentional Harm I

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A Bold Vision For Cornell

THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE Homecoming and Inauguration weekend, President Elizabeth Garrett repeatedly reaffirmed her stances on the future of Cornell.

While she continued to outline her focus on faculty and academia, areas that she has brought up as prioritizing since arriving at Cornell, Garrett also unveiled her stances on a number of other issues facing Cornell and the rest of higher education moving forward. We believe the points made by the newly-inaugurated president this weekend represent a bold vision for the future of Cornell and are optimistic about what her presidency will do for the University.

Garrett, who provided small hints as to what her priorities are for both the coming year and the future of the University up until this weekend, began to outline her platform Thursday evening during her inaugural dinner. She stressed that Cornell “stands in a crucial point in its history of higher education,” and that seizing the moment is imperative.

Garrett’s remarks following this, while brief and unspecific, set the tone for the remainder of her public appearances this weekend, which were consistently upbeat and optimistic about the future of Cornell and higher education.

Most notably, during her inaugural address Friday, Garrett stood by the merit of higher education, arguing that “it is beyond dispute that an intense residential undergraduate experience at one of America’s research universities is one of the best investments any family can make.” As president, her stance on the future of higher education comes as no surprise; her support of the university experience and her job are intertwined. Still, her strong attitude toward the need to innovate and be radical ring true with the traditions set in place by Cornell’s founders. While she gave a glimpse into what being a more progressive university might look like, we are confident that her demeanor towards the criticism and issues facing higher education will be well-addressed.

Garrett also promised an increased focus on Cornell’s duality between Ithaca and New York City. As Cornell continues to expand its presence downstate within the traditional colleges and Cornell Tech, its new graduate campus, setting the tone for how the two campuses will interact will be imperative. Although the previous administration alluded to the collaborations that would take place between Cornell’s two hubs, Garrett specifically outlined her priorities in regard to Cornell Tech and New York City. First, she challenged each of the existing colleges to develop ways to collaborate with the tech campus. She also urged faculty to work to find solutions to common problems in the 21st century and to bring teaching skills developed in New York City to the Ithaca campus. By specifically outlining the relationship between Cornell’s campus at home and in New York, President Garrett provided insight as to what roles its New York City campuses will have in Cornell’s future.

Throughout the weekend, President Garrett offered strong support for higher education in the 21st century and highlighted what she believed Cornell’s role in the world should be.

Her vision for Cornell will likely continue to evolve and expand as her presidency does, but what she has presented so far is a bold vision for this university.

Because Cornell has a relatively thaca does not have enough beds. The last year has seen an explosion in local wealthy student body, and does a reasonmedia attention to what has been ably good job of providing its students on described as a housing crisis here. financial aid with access to funding for Compared to a nationwide vacancy rate off-campus housing, collegetown landof 9 percent, only 0.5 percent of Ithaca’s lords rarely have a hard time filling their rental homes are vacant at any given time. apartments. Additionally, the University This has meant high rents across the has added over 2000 students since 2006 board, a factor that contributed to Ithaca’s without building any new on-campus recent ranking by Market Watch as the housing. Cornell has spent $1.2 million 8th most expensive American city/town over the last six years constructing affordin which to raise a family. I should say, able residential housing units, and recentthough, that this does not apply to every- ly agreed to offer the same amount over one. In fact, this problem applies conspic- the next six years as well. But out of a uously to Ithaca’s residents who don’t yearly university budget of $3.6 billion, this number deserves a participation wear a backpack every day.

There are two populations who face award rather than a gold star.

This is where it gets tricky if you are a the brunt of the effects of Ithaca’s housing crisis. Firstly, there are low-middle student, because we have to live someincome families and individuals, who face where. On-campus housing is guaranteed prohibitively expensive rental costs. The for half of undergraduates and not for any best and most widespread option in graduate students, so most students will Ithaca for low-income housing comes by have to sign a private rental lease at some p o i n t . way of the Furthermore, I t h a c a there no active Neighborhood The dirty truth is that as we choiceis that stuHousing Service dents have made (INHS), a pricreep down the Hill in search that has led to the vate, non-profit dearth of housing organization. of better options, we take that Ithaca expeBut despite significant effort opportunities away from those riences. The dirty truth is that as we from both the INHS and the who have nowhere else to go. creep down the Hill in search of City, lowbetter options, we income units still often rent at around $1200 a month, take opportunities away from those who a very difficult bar for many to meet. As have nowhere else to go. Our impact, a result, many find themselves pressured albeit unintentional, is unambiguously to relocate to cheaper areas outside of the negative.

At Cornell, we assume that Ithaca is city, but for those without their own means of transportation, this distance can better off with us around. We recognize make holding a job extremely difficult. that there are some problems, and perConsider, also, the stress that relying on haps the University could do a bit more infrequent rural public transportation to help the town, but Cornell drives the places on a family with children. Even for local economy in a diverse and intricate those with a car, the added cost of gas set of ways. It is an indispensable force of good for everyone who benefits. This is itself can be a major challenge.

The second group that is most directly the attitude many of us take, and it’s a harmed is middle-income families seek- perfectly a reasonable one. But if we ing market rate housing. These are people believe that the presence of the University looking for child-friendly, multi-bedroom will ultimately result in good, it makes it very difficult to handle those instances homes, which are few and far between.

The primary issue, from a Cornell per- when it does not. When the simple presspective, is that the search for student ence of the college makes it harder for housing and residential housing are everyone else to live, it calls into question incompatible. Developers in the area pre- the role that Cornell plays in the region fer to build for students than for other around it. More pressingly, however, is Ithaca residents. The Residents will never that it directly challenges the way that we be able to compete with students for view ourselves as a student body and the housing. Quite simply, this is because effect we claim to have.

The way in which we interact with the renting to students is more lucrative and requires significantly less upkeep. people and the city around us is defined Consider a three-bedroom apartment by the impact we perceive that we have with two prospective groups to which a on their lives. Should students presume landlord can rent it. One is a family of that we are incidental benefactors to the three relying on a single parent’s income, rest of the city, we will deserve the percepwhile the other is a group of three college tion we have earned from locals as entijuniors. While the family would usually tled and unaware. Rather, the takeaway is be able to afford the rate, the landlord can to recognize the flawed relationship that rent the apartment to each of the students we have, and remember that any positive for $700 per month. The total is a collec- impacts do no good to a city whose cititive price that the family could never zens can no longer afford to live in it. afford. Furthermore, students tend to have far lower standards for the spaces Rubin Danberg Biggs is a sophomore in the they occupy, whereas families often College of Arts and Sciences. He may be reached expect more from their homes than the at red243@cornell.edu. The Common Table hospitality of a fraternity annex. appears alternate Mondays this semester.

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THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Monday, September 21, 2015 11

OPINION

Emily Hardin | Free Lunch

A New Minimum Wage

A

lmost a full year ago, Vice President Biden said, “No one in America should be working 40 hours a week and living below the poverty level. No one.”

Just a few weeks ago, in response to pressure from the Fight for $15 movement to raise the minimum wage to $15 as well as general labor market discontent, the Democratic Party has added a proposal to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour into their national platform. In a political climate in which multiple Republican presidential candidates would eliminate the federal minimum wage, this stance must not be taken lightly.

The classical notion that the decision to enter the workforce is made at the individual level ignores all structural barriers to labor market entry, such as disparate regional education systems, unequal social networks and institutionalized racism. The conventional understanding of the labor market assumes that, at a basic level, it functions in the same way as any other market. By this logic, the price of labor is determined solely by supply and demand, which implies that stagnant or declining wages must be the result of falling demand for labor. An increase in the minimum wage, therefore, must lead to a decrease in the

supply of labor, leaving fewer qualified workers with jobs when employers are unwilling to employ them at a higher cost.

This conclusion was disproven over 20 years ago (and has since been reconfirmed), when economists David Card and Alan Krueger discovered that an increase in the minimum wage increased employment at a higher rate than employment growth in the absence of a minimum wage increase. When the minimum wage is as low as it is in presentday America, there is no empirical evidence that raising wages will cost us jobs.

If you don’t believe me, ask the 600 economists (including nine Cornell professors and seven Nobel laureates) who signed a letter to Congress last year calling for an increase in the federal minimum wage.

The benefits of increased productivity as a result of higher wages are often enough to offset the economic cost of a wage hike. And while worker productivity has increased by over 74 percent since 1973, due in part to technological advances, inflation-adjusted wages have only grown by 9 percent over the same period. Had the minimum wage risen with the rate of productivity, it would be over $18 per hour today. In reality, real wages have declined almost 6 percent for the lowest-wage occupations since the

symbolic end of the recession in 2009.

Clearly, then, our failure to raise wages is not grounded in any economic truth. The wage decline can be interpreted as the visible result of a much widerscale cultural shift in how we view the structure of our society.

The neoliberal economic ideology — privatization, deregulation and monetization — that took hold in the 1980s is not without consequences for today’s political and social environment; the loosening of economic regulations translates into a cultural belief in dissociative self-reliance, in which true freedom can only be achieved in the absence of government influence. In this political and economic environment, our collective social issues (poverty, rising inequality, structural racism) have been privatized as individual challenges each person must face and overcome. The resulting narrative states that poverty is the individual result of individual choices, to which the only solution is individual effort and success.

Wages have never been an accurate indicator of one’s contribution to society.

The most dangerous error of the neoliberal mindset is to redefine the individual as a mere unit of human capital who must be continuously increasing his or her future and present value. When the

mindset of value-enhancement replaces the democratic ideal of self-rule, our freedom depends more and more on unpredictable market conduct.

Raising wages won’t correct the fundamental inequality of a market system that depends on sustained rates of growth and the exploitation of wage labor and the environment. It won’t address the rapidly growing CEO-to-worker compensation ratio. It won’t make for a more democratic workplace unless we also extend workers’ rights to include domain over workplace conditions, increase public investment and impose stricter regulations on the classification of full-time workers as independent contractors.

But a $15 federal minimum wage that will help keep many full-time workers above the poverty line is a good place to start.

The success of a democratic nation rests upon the economic security and independence of its citizens. The fight to raise the federal minimum wage may well be the most important intersection of socioeconomic rights and political rights of our time.

Emily Hardin is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at enh33@cornell.edu. Free Lunch appears alternate Mondays this semester.

Amiri Banks | Honest A.B.

T

Will You Simply Read and Nod?

wo things can happen after acts of terrorism.

Sometimes, the innocent victims’ deaths at the hands of brutal mass murderers can spark declarations of disgust from the media and outpourings of emotional support from the masses. The victims’ ghosts can cast an eerie shadow on the land, imploring humanity and society to change as the slaughtered wail in pain from beyond the grave. This is the expectation we have for the world in the wake of such tragedy.

Other times, however, we find ourselves quietly unsurprised. A few days later, we can watch the news and see “shocked” people, frighteningly oblivious, try to explain the killer’s motives away as mental illness. A few weeks later, the anger and grief tapers off and disappears from our social media feeds (although, for many, the anger and grief had never bothered to appear in the first place.) Three months later, no one talks about the event.

And, when another event occurs that bears similarities to Dylann Roof ’s escapades in Charleston, we can accept it willingly. We have become as desensitized to hate crimes as we are to school shootings.

Talking about Dylan Roof will accomplish little. After all, Roof equated white-black relations with man-dog relations, and he was easy to dislike. Roof is an obvious villain who cannot serve as the catalyst for change. He cannot engender a serious reevaluation of the

world because he was quickly biases that arise when you see deemed a fringe fanatic. certain types of people are natEveryone with a pulse jumped urally rooted in the subconon the opportunity to prove scious.

For so long, I thought I their moral caliber by spouting superficial words, empty of could get people to challenge, impact. Thus, Roof ’s identity question and critically analyze own subconscious as an extremist actually created their a slew of false heroes, proving through love. I would write counterproductive to the cause about empathy, talk about love and try my best to demonstrate of eradicating hatred.

We live in a complex and both towards all people. I imperfect world — all of the thought I could eradicate the intricacies of which I will not “isms” of the world by striving go into here — that allows the to accept and respect all genmedia, the government and ders, races, sexualities, religions society as a whole to openly and human beings. Yet, lately, and courageously denounce the I’ve grown tired of writing actions of a murderer without about love and kindness. I can showing that same level of still go out there and try my bravery when asked to grapple with this immutable and uncom- In what ways have we all ... fortable question: In what contributed to the sludge ways have we all — each and every one of us — that festered in Dylan Roof’s contributed to the sludge brain before boiling into that festered in Dylan unimiaginable hatred?

Roof's soul before boiling over into unimaginable hatred? Because we all have, best to have some kind of tiny through either our silence, impact on every human being I inaction, fear or ignorance, interact with on a daily basis. I contributed in some way. can keep my conviction that Everything starts and ends the world will get better, but with the subconscious. The what I absolutely cannot do is subconscious, without a doubt, sit here and write another is the single most difficult meaningless column about love aspect of your brain chemistry and kindness. to change. The subconscious, You see the isms that scare molded by the actions, obser- me don’t come in the form of vations and experiences of your overt acts of terror. The isms formative years, informs how that scare me come in a far you interpret the world. By the more sinister form: time you have become an Uncertainty. The uncertainty adult, almost nothing can of a million microaggressions, puncture holes in your subcon- which build up and build up, scious. Those tiny, offensive incubating inside others until

they manifest themselves as prejudice, oppression and an inability to empathize or listen.

Microaggressions result from suppressed, internalized, subconscious racism, sexism, homophobia, islamophobia, etc. The invisibility of it all plagues me with paranoia.

Implicit bias, with its vitriolic toxins and unseen tendrils, subtly invades every facet of society, slowly eviscerating us all.

This plague cannot be countered by illuminating the hypocrisies of the ignorant or the fallacies in their logic.

Elegant metaphors, entertaining comics and masterful articles, all extinguishing the foundation of poorly articulated arguments, still cannot challenge this plague. Evil lurks in us all, fueled by our ability to adamantly deny, ignore and refuse to believe that we possess any evil at all. So what’s the solution?

For those groups subject to all manner of nasty assaults on their psyche, identity and confidence: You carry a burden, but you don’t have to carry it alone. For with our privilege, we all have the power to lift a tiny bit of that burden off the shoulders of our oppressed peers. For example, if I’m hanging with a few of my fellow guy friends and they’re saying some misogynistic shit, even as a

joke, I can’t afford to shirk responsibility and not take it seriously. Unfortunately, many times, I have been a coward.

Oftentimes, the “obvious” villains act in a way that has resulted from an absence of anyone to call them out on their hatred — no one to suggest they ought to think otherwise. Eventually, they get to the point where if you try to dismantle their arguments, they will disengage. On the other hand, if you focus on their emotions and experiences as human beings in talking with them, they will be more receptive and this will gradually seep into their actions. I hope.

Remember that you are responsible for facilitating change one hundred percent of the time. You must always think about the implications of your subconscious on your actions. If you are out and about, be aware that any stranger, any acquaintance, any family member, and even any friend you encounter could be unknowingly contributing to the forces that forged the kind of subconscious and ideology of Dylan Roof, who walked into a church, ranted against a group of people, and shot them cold. A man who would have killed a five year old girl had she not played dead.

I am not exaggerating. We can create monsters with our cowardice. Silence is lethal.

Amiri Banks is a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He may be reached at abanks@cornellsun.com.

Honest A.B. appears alternate Mondays this semester.

12 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Monday, September 21, 2015

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

ACROSS 1 Light fog 5 “No ifs, __ ...”

9 Italian city known for a shroud 14 __’acte 15 Come in last 16 Have __ in the hole 17 Make laugh in a big way 18 *Pickled peppers picker 20 Deodorant choice 22 Raised one’s glass to 23 Play lightly, as a guitar 24 Greek X’s 25 Walked stealthily 28 Bandleader Artie 32 TV network with an eye logo 35 Reclined 36 1970s New York mayor Abe 37 *Miss Manners’ concern 41 Classroom assistants 42 In unison, in music 43 Paranormal ability, for short 44 MD’s “pronto” 45 Very, very old 48 Mailbox opening 49 Energy 53 Proud member of a select group 57 Breathe 59 *Clog-clearing company 61 Some old radios 62 Love to pieces 63 Grandkid spoiler, often 64 Cookie grain 65 Clearing-in-thewoods shelters 66 Breaks off 67 Water slide user’s cry DOWN 1 Flat-topped lands 2 Coastline recess 3 Fab Four drummer Ringo 4 *Compete, as for a role 5 Purina dog food brand

6 Christmas carol 7 Annual reason to reset clocks: Abbr.

8 Do a slow burn 9 Spanish appetizers 10 Les États-__ 11 Hanging on every word 12 Slurpee alternative 13 “The Big Bang Theory” type 19 __ rage: PED user’s aggression 21 Expresses happiness 24 Address book entry 26 Golf goal 27 Even score 28 Understand 29 Detest 30 Pts. and qts., for two 31 Cry one’s eyes out 32 Tax pros 33 London native, informally 34 Fizz in a gin fizz 36 __ Aires

38 Shelter adoptee 39 Dictator Amin 40 Canadian prov. bordering Vt. 45 “Just want to add ...”

46 Nary a soul 47 *Typewriter area, letterwise, for the answers to starred clues 48 Stable studs 50 Biblical prophet

51 Chatter endlessly 52 “Steppenwolf” author Hermann 53 Part of Q.E.D. 54 Miner’s bonanza 55 “Bring __!”: “Let’s fight!”

56 Civil suit cause 57 Tear violently 58 Gay Nineties and Roaring Twenties 60 Almond-colored

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14 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, August 26, 2015

SPORTS

Berman ’64 Looks Back Fondly at Time on Slope BERMAN

Continued from page 15

American Ideal, which was taught by professor Milton Konvitz, who previously worked under Thurgood Marshall and instructed future Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Under Konvitz’ tutelage, first learned about first amendment law and cases, something that eventually played a heavy role in his desire to pursue law. “That’s something I don’t think I would’ve contemplated before,” Berman said.

After graduating from law school at New York University, Berman practiced law as an associate for Davis Polk & Waldwell from 1970 to 1974 before becoming the executive assistant to Senator Jacob Javits of New York. “That was the greatest job I’ve ever had,” Berman said. Working under Javits, Berman began to develop significant experience dealing with the media.

When Berman moved on to work as executive vice president at Time Warner Cable, he continued to build experience working with the media, which lead him to lead the media relations committee when he was appointed as a federal judge by Bill Clinton in 1998. “I feel like I’m comfortable with, perhaps more comfortable, because of that experience that I might otherwise might be,” Berman said.

But nothing would measure to what Berman would experience with Deflategate.

‘Never Ruffled’

In three of his four Super Bowl victories, Tom Brady had to collect his composure, ignore the enormity of the stage and put together game-winning drives late in the fourth quarter. For Berman, Deflategate was his Super Bowl.

With the amount of media scrutiny and public interest in the case, Berman could do nothing but put in full effort.

“That means you’re more prepared than you otherwise might be and you try to be and appear to be more patient,

CHANTEL MCCABE / TWITTER

Making dough-nuts | A Dunkin Donuts franchise in Maine offered Judge Richard Berman ’64 free coffee for life.

more reflective, more fair,” Berman said. “You try to send the message that you are fair and open to both sides.”

From the get go, Berman tried to communicate that message to both the NFL and Brady. Chief judge Loretta A. Preska labeled Berman as “a famous settlement judge” to The Associated Press. “He’s very good at it. He understands people and the pressures on people and he’s always calm himself, never ruffled,” Preska told The AP. Ultimately, the NFL and DAMON WINTER / NEW YORK TIMES Brady were unable to reach an agreement on a settle- Patriots under fire | The New England Patriots found themselves at the center of another controversy. ment and Berman issued a decision that vacated Brady’s four-game suspension, which pursue that,” Berman said. “I think he saw himself as part of the NFL has since filed motions to appeal. “What they did the inner circle at the White House and told him he was getnot do was reach a meeting of the minds,” Berman said. “It ting a little ahead of himself. It’s not in the cards, but it’s very became clear that they were not going to reach an agree- flattering.” ment.”

He saw the offer for free coffee for life from the Dunkin The experience of going through the process of going Donuts franchise in Lewiston, Maine. Mike and Diane through an accelerated schedule and making a decision on Connor, who own the franchise, told Fox Sports that they DeflateGate was great, Berman said. are completely serious about the gesture. “If I’m up in “I was enthusiastic about working on the case, both the Maine, we usually don’t take gifts, but a cup of coffee, I settlement aspect and the writing of the opinion,” he said. would certainly stop by there and have a donut and a cup of “For me, it was a great experience.” coffee,” Berman said. “She has volunteered to go up there Berman said he was optimistic that both sides could because she [works] closer and may pick up a cup of coffee come to an agreement, although he is unable to speak for the before I get there.” mindsets of the NFL and Brady’s respective representation He saw all of the letters from Patriots fans. One scientist coming into the appeals process. “It may have been clear in sent Berman a letter, which he read after the trial, that rectheir minds [whether or not they thought they could agree ommended he conduct an experiment where he took four on a settlement], but in mine, I’m optimistic,” Berman said. footballs, wrapped them in wet towels and put them in a “We started the process, and I think both sides came to it in refrigerator for a certain amount of time and measure the air good faith and they went as far as they would go, each of pressure before and after. “Keep up your true American spirthem, but it turns out that was not close enough to get to an it,” one 92-year-old Patriots fan wrote to Berman. “You are agreement.” the real MVP!!” another fan wrote. “It was a lot of fun [to According to Preska, Berman gives lawyers a pen when see the reaction],” Berman said. they settle cases; the pen contains a quote from civil proceLike many other Americans, Berman likes to spend time dures that reads that rules should be “construed and admin- on Sundays watching football. His NFL allegiances, howevistered to ensure the just, speedy and inexpensive determina- er, remain tight to his chest. “I thought it would be best to tion of every action.” For Deflategate, Berman said he tried not say,” Berman chuckles. “If you want to say [Cornell] Big to do just that.

Red, that’s fine.” He seems to know that whatever he said “That is a process that I do in all cases, civil cases,” would fuel conspiracy theories, one way or another.

Berman said. “Most cases in our court, over 90 percent, do Throughout the trial, Berman’s wife, who teaches at settle. A lot of the times, they settle with you or without you. Wellesley College three days a week, would come back home Sometimes, you’re more helpful than in other situations.” to the couple’s apartment in New York and tell Berman about the coverage of the case in the newspaper and sports The Reaction to the Decision radio. “It’s unbelievable,” she told him. People would come After the news of Berman vacating Brady’s suspension up to her around campus and talk to her about her huswas released, New England went into a frenzy. Some Patriots band’s handling of the case, mostly in jubilation after fans called for a statue of the judge to be built outside Berman handed down his decision.

Gillette Stadium. Others brought signs to the Patriots games “She said that in Boston, I could become a celebrity,” glorifying Berman’s actions. He saw the signs. All of them.

Berman chuckled. “Or maybe I already am.”

“Oh my god,” Berman said. “It’s hard to miss that.”

He saw all of the people in New England telling him to Joon Lee can be reached run for President. “My first cousin who feels that I outta at joonlee@cornellsun.com.

Cornell Drops Opener Not Making Judgements on Patrick Kane’s Legal Situation FOOTBALL

Continued from page 16

Red was able to get the ball back for one last chance, but Somborn fumbled the ball on a sack and lost 24 yards. The game ended when a botched snap sailed past Somborn out of the end zone, giving Bucknell a safety.

Despite the loss, Archer said he saw many positives in the game.

When asked if Saturday’s performance was better than all of last year’s games, Archer said: “If you want to talk results, probably not. If you want to talk process and leadership and growth, it blows them all out of the water. I got a bunch of seniors who are really raising the bar in how we practice and how we prepare.”

“I’m really proud of our team and the growth we’ve had,” Hagy, a captain of the team, said. “This is an extremely tough loss, but in terms of the offense, we might have

only had 14 points, but we moved the ball. I don’t know if we had a three and out today. We got a first down on almost every drive, which is huge.”

In front of the largest crowd for a football game at Schoellkopf since 2000, Cornell brought enthusiasm to the game unlike at any point in recent memory.

“There was a lot of energy on the sideline that I haven’t seen in the past since I’ve been here,” said senior cornerback Del Barnes. ‘I just think we were in that game every step of the way, and the scoreboard doesn’t reflect how good of a team we were today. We’re not going to let it get us down. But moving forward I just think that what we saw on the sidelines today is really going to roll over into Week 2 when we play Yale.”

Adam Bronfin can be reached at abronfin@cornellsun.com.

SCAZZERO

Continued from page 16

woman making the claims against Kane.

Without the facts, it is not ethical to persecute and invalidate a woman’s claims just because they happen to be against your favorite hockey player. We cannot defend Kane’s moral compass because we do not know him personally and we cannot vouch for him based off of our enjoyment of watching him on the ice. That being saId, the other version of this story, which would be equally tragic, is the possibility that this young woman is using Kane’s celebrity to perhaps benefit herself financially, in which

case this ongoing investigation is bringing unnecessary distress to Kane, his family, his girlfriend (who has oddly been left out of multiple reports on the matter) and the organization.

At a news conference this past Thursday, Kane addressed the media, looking understandably stressed, “This has been an incredibly difficult time for many people,” Kane said. “I cannot apologize enough for the distraction this has caused my family, my teammates, this incredible organization, and of course, our fans. While I have too much respect for the legal process to comment on an on-going matter, I am confident, that once all the facts are brought to light, I will be absolved of having done

nothing wrong.”

The worst part about this whole situation is that it is a developing story and us as observers, as well as the media, do not have any of the facts and since it is a private matter, we will never really know what occurred. The best that we can hope for is that Kane is innocent of these charges and proven so. In these kinds of situations it’s basically impossible to come out unscathed, as it unfortunately sets in a permanent cloud of doubt on everyone involved.

Sophia Scazzero is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be contacted at sscazzero@cornellsun.com. Instant Replays appears every Monday this semester.

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Monday, September 21, 2015 15

SPORTS

How Richard Berman’64 Decided DeflateGate

By JOON LEE Sun Assistant Sports Editor

Judge Richard Berman ’64 was completely absorbed by the case. Nothing outside of his chambers, let alone the news media, could cross his mind. In mid-August, Berman was working on a case determining whether or not the manner in which the Securities and Exchange Commission appointed in-house judges, a case that had wide-reaching implications in a case against a former Standard & Poor’s executive, was constitutional.

As Berman worked on his decision in the case, one of his clerks came over to him.

“Judge, we’ve got the Brady case,” the clerk said.

“I had no idea what he was talking about,” Berman told The Sun. “I was really busy.”

The case, of course, was over the four-game suspension National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell gave to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as a result of an alleged ball-deflating scandal prior to the 2015 AFC Championship Game.

But even before he even realized the implications of what his clerk had just told him, the phones in his chambers started ringing and ringing and ringing as members of the media tried to get ahold of the judge, who has presided over New York City courts PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTINE MURRAY, since 1995.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS It was not just A lifetime in law | Judge football’s involvement Richard Berman ’64, has that brought the spotlight on Deflategate. ajudicated several It was the overwhelmhigh-profile court cases. ing criticism of Goodell following the mishandling of the Ray Rice situation last year. It was the New England Patriots, the most hated organization in professional sports. It was Tom Brady, the league’s picture-perfect cover boy for whom nothing had ever gone wrong, on and off the field. It soon became clear to Berman that the case was “unlike anything else I had ever done.” The media coverage. The star power. The egos. Deflategate was more than just an outlier for Berman. In its magnitude, it was a monster from another planet.

“Everyone is watching,” Berman said. “You need to bring your A-game.”

Berman set things in motion quickly, setting a conference for both sides as soon as possible to lay out a schedule

for the proceedings. Both the NFL and Brady’s representation agreed to have everything wrapped up before Sept.

4, a little less than week before the Patriots opened their season in Foxboro against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And suddenly, Berman found himself in a storm of media coverage. Coverage of the upcoming legal proceedings in his court were plastered across newspapers and televisions. It was everywhere.

“It captured the public’s imagination,” Berman said. “I guess everybody is interested in football.” He laughs, seemingly after realizing how much he undersold the popularity of a league that owns a day of the week.

“

itself. Having never attended summer camp growing up, Berman had never lived away from home. Before long, Berman’s sister, Judith, took him under her wing. He eventually got a job at her sorority, Sigma Delta Tau, and began waiting tables at the house. “Everyone in that sorority was older and more experienced. They really showed me the ropes up there.”

Judith, a popular senior on campus, helped Berman get through the first two semesters on campus in Ithaca, an experience he calls overwhelming. “If my sister was not there, I don’t know if I would’ve gone [to Cornell] at all,” Berman said. “I don’t know if I was mature enough to get through it.”

Through increased involvement on campus, Berman slowly began to come out his shell and began to form relationships with people through various activities and his fraternity, Tau Delta Phi. “Cornell was an enormous socialization experience,” Berman said. “It really helped me for socially in a way that I can’t imagine would’ve happened otherwise.”

The “socialization experience,” more than the time in the classroom, Berman said, played the biggest role in his eventual appointment to the United States District Court.

“It was fundamental to my development and the success that I’ve had,” Berman said. “The socialization was far more important in the next step and the step after that in becoming a federal judge or any judge.”

Everyone is watching.You need to bring your A-game.

Judge Richard Berman ’64

”

An Unanticipated Career

The ‘Socialization Experience’

When Berman got to Cornell University as a freshfaced, “sheltered” 16 year old, he did not how to handle himself. Every person, it seemed to Berman at the time, was incredibly successful. “A lot of them were more advanced than I socially in terms of partying and dating and drinking,” he said. “I don’t know if I had ever had a drink before coming to Cornell. It was a big eye opener.”

Being on a campus of 20,000 students overwhelmed Berman. Even as a native of New York City, living on a college campus was an entirely different beast within

Berman served as the executive vice president and general counsel for Time Warner Cable before becoming a judge in Queens County Family Court. But he never anticipated becoming a judge. It was really not something he thought about or expected to be doing during his legal career.

So in 1997, when the first high-profile case of his career fell onto his desk involving the police accusations of New York Mets outfielder Carl Everett and his wife abusing their children, Berman said he was not entirely prepared on how to handle the extra eyes on his courtroom.

“New York state family court had never seen that kind of high profile media attention. I had certainly never seen anything like it,” Berman said. “It turns out to have stood me in a very good place for future cases that I would get as a federal judge.”

As a federal judge, Berman ruled on several high-interest cases including a 2008 shooting involving Craigslist, a 2010 case where the son of movie star Michael Douglas pleaded guilty to dealing methamphetamine and a case from 2010-2012 where al-Qaida operative Aafia Siddiqui was charged with shooting American soldiers and FBI agents after her capture in Afghanistan.

“The high-profile cases are very different from any other cases you have,” Berman said. “Everyone is watching you. Everyone is reading about it each step of the way, which is vastly different from the typical case, which nobody ever really hears about unless they’re specifically interested. You have to get adjusted to being in the spotlight ... If anybody tells you that they’re like any other case, that’s not true.”

Learning About the Law

MADDIE MCGARVEY / NEW YORK TIMES

Deflated balls | DeflateGate became one of the biggest stories of 2015 after the AFC Championship Game between the Patriots and Colts.

Before his junior year of college, Berman, like many other college students, didn’t really know what he wanted to do with his life. Berman decided to enroll in the course See BERMAN page 14

Sports

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

16

FOOTBALL

Dealing With Red Falls in Last-Minute Miracle Patrick Kane Bucknell converts two fourth downs to inch past Cornell in season opener T FULL COURT PRESS

By ADAM BRONFIN

Sun Assistant Sports Editor

On Cornell football’s first drive of the game on Saturday, the team methodically worked down the field.

Behind strong runs from senior running back Luke Hagy, the offense found itself with a first down on Bucknell’s 20-yard line. A penalty and a couple of miscues later, and the team was forced to attempt a field goal on the 17-yard line. The snap was botched and freshman kicker Zach Mays missed the kick wide left.

It was that kind of day for Cornell.

The Red (0-1) was able to put together strong offensive and defensive drives, but mental lapses throughout the game caused the team to fall to Bucknell (21), 19-14.

The Red held a 14-10 lead with less than two minutes to go and faced a Bucknell fourth-and-goal at the Cornell 10-yard line. However, Bucknell’s quarterback R.J. Nitti completed a pass to Joey DeFloria as he was being knocked down by Cornell’s defenders for the go-ahead score.

CAMERON POLLACK / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Third-year coach | Head coach David Archer ’05 is hoping that the Red make a big jump in performance in his third year at the helm of the football program.

After a scoreless first period, Cornell and Bucknell traded touchdowns in the second quarter. Following the Bison’s touchdown, junior quarterback Robert Somborn found junior receiver Collin Shaw at the 20-yard line to pick up 41

CAMERON POLLACK / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Gunslinger | Junior quarterback Robert Somborn earned the starting job by beating out sophomore quarterback Jake Jatis during preseason camp.

Head coach David Archer ’05 called yards. After sophomore running back the play “miraculous.”

Josh Sweet was stopped for no game, “I thought we intercepted it,” Somborn handed off the ball to Hagy, Archer said. “As I saw Nitti going down who scampered around to the outside.

I thought, ‘we’re winning this football He eluded a defender before jumping game’ ... Then once I realized what hap- into the endzone, tying the game. pened, I’m still in disbelief.”

Hagy finished 114 rushing yards, The game winning drive was aided giving him over 100 yards for the by several mistakes from the Cornell fourth straight time, dating back to last defense. A missed assignment in the season. He also added a reception for secondary allowed the Bison to pick up 12 yards. All game, Hagy seemed to 26 yards on a 3rd-and-17 at Cornell’s find openings in the defensive line and 40-yard line. picked up long gains Another misread throughout the contest.

BUCKNELL @ CORNELL on defense let He averaged almost six 19 14 yards per carry.

Bucknell convert a 4 t h - a n d - f i v e , Game: 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH F Later in the second bringing the Bison Bucknell 0 7 3 9 19 period, with Bucknell 0 7 0 7 14 Cornell in the red zone. facing a third-and-17 “Mental lapses with less than a minute come with the first game,” Archer said. left, Nitti lofted up a long pass.

“I think part of that is first game stuff. Sophomore Nick Gesualdi and junior We’re not the NFL where we get presea- James Solomon swarmed the receiver son games to kind of work through it. batting the ball into the outstretched It’s unfortunate, but that’s the hand hands of senior Rush Imhotep. we’re dealt. We don’t have that margin All game, the secondary had broken for error and today it came back to cost up passes and made it difficult for Nitti us.” to find his receivers. The defensive

backs had a number of timely stops and broke up several passes that would have been long gains or touchdowns. On the day, Nitti completed just 18 of his 31 passes.

The defense as a whole did a much better job containing Bucknell than it did last year. The Bison finished with 286 yards of offense, far fewer than last year, when they amassed 420 yards.

“The defense did some really good things out there today,” Archer said.

“There’s going to be some plays that we look at and say, ‘I wish we had that one back,’ but there’s a lot of plays we’re going to look at and say ‘wow, we looked a lot better than we used to be in the past.’”

“I thought the defense played great today,” Hagy said. “They picked us up at times when we needed them. They got some big stops.”

Cornell’s second touchdown came in the fourth quarter when Somborn hit sophomore receiver James Hubbard with a 20-yard pass to give Cornell the lead. Hubbard’s three catches were the first of his career and his 60 receiving yards led the team.

After Nitti’s touchdown, mistakes plagued Cornell. Somborn was intercepted on the first pass of the drive. The See FOOTBALL page 14

CAMERON POLLACK / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Big time contributor | Sophomore wideout James Hubbard caught a touchdown.

here is something very sad when it comes to our favorite sports stars and scandals: people, based on whether or not they love that person as a player, start to make judgments about their personal lives and can skew the public view any which on a situation that they know nothing about.

This unfortunately happens a lot in the sports world, and regrettably it seems that nothing can be done that makes it any easier for the players or the fans. The Chicago Blackhawks are dealing with a very sensitive case of this nature currently with one of the biggest stars, right winger Patrick Kane.

Kane signed with the Blackhawks in 2007 with a three-year contract and soon became a star as the Blackhawks began their rise from complete irrelevance to what some are calling a “modern-day dynasty” franchise. His gamewinning goal in the 2010 Stanley Cup final against the Flyers signified the team’s rise, and with Kane’s help, the team has won three

Sophia Scazzero Instant Replay Stanley Cups in six years, in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

Kane was also a team member for the United States Men’s Ice Hockey team for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, where the team won silver. In the summer of 2014, Kane and teammate, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, both signed an eight-year contract with the Blackhawks, reportedly both worth $84 million. It is safe to say that Kane has a big impact on the Chicago team, and that general manager Stan Bowman sees him as a lasting player on the roster.

However, none of this matters in the public eye as of now. Currently, all that anyone can talk about regarding Patrick Kane is the ongoing investigation in his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., where the police are investigating claims of sexual assault against the player.

This is a difficult issue to handle for many reasons, there are fans that are die-hard and refuse to believe that their beloved star player could do anything wrong and who are quick to delegitimize the claims of the woman, but on the other hand, should the claims be true, the Blackhawks could be faced with a difficult decision on their part in regarding what steps to take. It would also be a big blow for the image of the franchise, which has rarely had incidents such as these, as well as for the fans and the city.

The problem with speculation in this case is that it does no good. No charges have been made, but there has been no release of new information either. The only recent update on the situation is that Kane is on the roster for the Blackhawks training camp, but there is no news regarding the investigation or the hearing, which was to take place earlier this month, but has been indefinitely postponed.

Earlier, it was reported that DNA tests taken from a rape kit conducted on the woman showed no trace of Kane’s DNA on the woman, but authorities are still examining other evidence to try and determine what exactly transpired. But in a society where rape has become a forefront issue, there is a big See SCAZZERO page 14