INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 133, No. 21
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
16 Pages – Free
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Road to Rio
Sunny HIGH: 74º LOW: 46º
Library Assesment Analyst Gabriela Castro Gesner discusses her archaeology career. | Page 3
Catherine Hwang ’18 reviews Prof. Robert Lieberman’s, physics, documentary Angkor Awakens. | Page 11
Follow hammer thrower Rudy Winkler’s ’17 journey to the Rio Olympics. | Page 16
Cornell Faces Fifth Title IX Investigation
OMAR ABDUL-RAHIM / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Looking out for labor | Members of the Cornell Organization for Labor Action wait outside Day Hall to deliver a letter urging President Rawlings to ensure suitable working conditions at Nike factories in Vietnam.
COLA Protests Nike Factory Conditions
Group’s second letter to Day Hall advocates production supervision
By DAVID BROTZ Sun Staff Writer
After securing several victories in advocating for improved labor conditions in clothing factories, 15 members of Cornell Organization for Labor Action urged the University to continue fighting for increased supervision of the production of Nike materials. In 2015, Nike denied the Worker Rights Consortium — an independent labor watchdog — access to its factory in Hansae, Vietnam, which produces university logo goods, according to COLA’s letter to administrators. This denial of access was the result of a worker walkout over
labor abuses and poor working conditions — including pregnant women fainting due to extreme heat. Since then, Nike has granted the WRC access to the Hansae factory for 24 hours, according to the letter. However, COLA requests that Interim President Hunter Rawlings encourage Nike to allow the WRC 48-hour access to the factory, so the WRC can formulate a more accurate picture of the factory conditions. “Twenty-four hours is not enough time to accurately inspect a factory if the group is to thoroughly inspect documents and interview workers,” said Katy Habr ’18, a See COLA page 4
Even after the University updated its policy 6.4 — guidelines for handling issues of discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault and violence — the Department of Education announced that it has opened its fifth investigation of Cornell for possibly violating Title IX regulations. The fourth investigation of Cornell’s sexual assault policy was launched in August and has yet to be resolved, in keeping with a national trend of proliferating Title IX cases. These policy changes were designed to ensure a more balanced approach in how the University responds to reports of sexual misconduct, The Sun previously reported. The policy amendment also follows two lawsuits in which students alleged that the sexual assault investigations leveled against them were mishandled by Cornell. One of the suits was filed by former President of Psi Upsilon Wolfgang Ballinger ’17, who claimed that the University’s “flawed” investigation of his alleged sexual assault of a female student did not comply with state regulation. Another student, using the name “John Doe,” filed a civil suit in May asserting that Cornell did not allow him a hearing before suspending him in a process he called “arbitrary and capricious.” Both students referenced the now outdated policy 6.4 in their suits. The new inquiry into Cornell coincides with investigations of Arizona State University and the College of Wooster by the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights. At both colleges, open title IX investigations are ongoing. — Compiled by Josh Girsky
Employee Assembly Seeks to Sustain Emergency Care Fund By SHIVANI SANGHANI
the cause. E.A. Executive Vice Chair B. J. Siasoco also discussed how the assembly will work on “increasing The Employee Assembly the visibility” of staff members on stressed the necessity of its campus this year. Emergency Care Fund — an alloThe assembly plans to focus cation of employee donations on “shared governance” between that can be distributed to staff and administraemployees with “severe tors with the “main family and financial crises” — at its meeting “It’s very hard to keep an open mind. goal being to advocate Wednesday. Some of the things that our fellow for the staff ” and highlight the new The fund has disbursed approximately employees suffer are truly upsetting.” restructuring of the E.A., according to $21,000 and $19,000 in Hazel Hall Siasoco. grants to about 20 employees so far this year, Siasoco also anMcKinney described the nounced that the annual presiaccording to Beth McKinney, the Emergency Care Fund as being dent’s address to staff is scheddirector of Cornell Wellness. McKinney called on E.A. “truly active.” She said employees uled for next Tuesday. He added members to assist the functioning who are granted access to the that the Interim President of this fund, asking them to join a funds received between $200 and Hunter R. Rawlings’ address to committee that reviews employee $1,500 in their paychecks. the staff community will be “a She added that the fundraising good way for staff members to applications to access funds or to join another committee that committee plans to host an interact with administrators.” online auction, collect money at a organizes fundraising events. Joining the application review preseason hockey game and orga- Shivani Sanghani can be reached committee can be challenging, as nize a concert to raise money for at sps255@cornell.edu. Sun Contributor
OMAR ABDUL-RAHIM / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
E.A. cares | Members of the Employee Assembly discussed the functioning of its Emergency Care Fund at a Wednesday meeting.
committee members must “keep an objective mind when reading applications,” according to McKinney. “It’s very hard to keep an open mind,” said E.A. member Hazel Hall. “Some of the things that our fellow employees suffer are truly upsetting.”