10-11-23 entire issue hi res

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INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880

The Corne¬ Daily Sun 8 Pages – Free

Vol. 140, No. 15

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2023 n ITHACA, NEW YORK

News

Arts and Culture

Sports

Weather

Independent Incumbent

Hill House Horrors

Ivy Rivalry

Cloudy

Cynthia Brock (D-1st Ward) runs for the Common Council as an independent candidate.

Sophie Gross ’26 praises Netflix's "The Haunting of Hill House."

Cornell football struggled in its game at Harvard on Oct. 6.

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HIGH: 57º LOW: 44º

Council to Vote on Cornell Contributions to City By SOPHIA TORRES AND ASLI CIHANGIR Sun Staff Writers

The Ithaca Common Council will cast their votes on the proposed $4 million annual payment in lieu of taxes payment from Cornell University to the City of Ithaca, with provisions for yearly adjustments to account for inflation, on Oct. 11. Cornell's annual payment to the city presently stands at $1.6 million, a figure stipulated by a memorandum of understanding set to expire in 2024. In September, the University and the City of Ithaca stalled negotiations over disagreements for a renewed contract. Following the announcement about the pause in negotiations, The Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America held a rally and march to demand an increased annual con-

tribution of $8 million from The University. Cornell faculty and City of Ithaca Common Council members were in attendance at the rally. In a Sep. 28 press release, the Ithaca Public Workers Coalition noted support for increased contributions from the University. Founded in 2022, the IPWC strives to address certain community issues, such as low staffing in city departments, deteriorating city infrastructure, homelessness and Ithaca’s diminished police presence. Recently, the IPWC has been actively engaged in discussions with Cornell University aimed at finding a resolution to the ongoing issue of increasing the funds allocated by the EMILY VO / SUN MULTIMEDIA EDITOR University to the city, according to Tax tensions | The Ithaca Common Council will vote on Oct. 11 on the proposed $4 million the press release. annual payment in lieu of taxes from the University to the City of Ithaca.

See MOU page 3

Alum Aims to Help Rural Ghana Student Survey Reveals

OKB Hope Foundation gives communities health support By SOFIA RUBINSON Sun Managing Editor

When Osei Boateng ’18, MHA ’20, a native to a small village in southern Ghana, witnessed the tragic loss of loved ones due to preventable diseases during his childhood, he made a vow to improve the health care system in the country. Now, he is on a mission to deliver essential health care to rural Ghanaians through a pioneering mobile health clinic. “My grandmother and aunt died because of inefficiencies in the health care system,” Boateng said. “At that very young age, I knew that I wanted to do something to really improve the health care situation in Ghana.” As the full-time executive

director for his nonprofit, OKB Hope Foundation, Boateng has turned his childhood promise to a reality. Starting his mission as an undergraduate at Cornell, he has aided thousands of Ghanaians by providing preventative screenings, vital mental health support and essential medication to rural communities where access to health care remains a significant challenge. Health Care in Rural Ghana Rural communities in Ghana often have no access to modern health care facilities, according to the U.S. International Trade Association. Boateng said rural Ghanaians typically must travel hours away to the hospital, and cost concerns and the availability of medical staff deter many from

COURTESY OF OSEI BOATENG ’18 MHA ’20

Mobile medical care | Osei Boateng '18 MHA '20 aims to provide rural communities in Ghana with health care through a mobile clinic.

seeking care. “I lived in a community where access to health care was a challenge. Most of my community members had to travel several miles to the urban areas to get access to health care,” Boateng said. “Even if they get to the hospital, they are not guaranteed that they will get to see a doctor because there is no booking system — you just walk in and hope that you are one of the lucky ones who is able to see a doctor.” Preventable chronic diseases — like diabetes and high blood pressure — constitute major health problems in rural communities. Chronic non-communicable diseases were Ghana's leading cause of death in both 2017 and 2018, according to a 2021 research study examining mortality rates in the country between 2014 and 2018. Malaria also remains endemic and perennial throughout Ghana. Starting the Foundation Boateng began his studies at Cornell in 2016, intending to complete the pre-med track and become a medical doctor to serve communities in rural Ghana. But a human anatomy and physiology class in Bailey Hall changed his outlook on the health care situation in Ghana and how he could best address its challenges. See OKB HOPE page 3

Sexual Misconduct Increase By SOFIA RUBINSON Sun Managing Editor

Six percent of students experienced nonconsensual sexual contact involving force or incapacitation in the 2022-2023 academic year, Cornell’s Sexual Assault and Related Misconduct survey revealed on Thursday, Oct 5. This is a twofold increase from three percent in the 2020-2021 school year, but is the same percentage as both the 2016-2017 and 2018-2019 academic years. “[We] remain deeply concerned about the continued prevalence of sexual misconduct and related violence on Cornell’s campus,” Vice President of Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi said in an interview with The Sun. “We’re glad that we haven’t seen tremendous spikes, but we’re disappointed that we haven’t seen it decline at the same time, so [we’re] grateful to people for continuing to inform us of that, and [it’s] really a charge for all of us to stay committed to eradicating this behavior on our campus.” The SARM survey was administered via email to a random sample of 6,000 students in Spring 2023 in accordance with New York State Education Law Article 129-B, which requires Cornell to conduct a survey of campus sexual violence no less than every two years. The survey estimates the prevalence of different forms of nonconsensual sexual contact,

harassment, stalking and domestic and dating violence among students at Cornell and examines the context within which these forms of violence occur. A total of 2,163 students responded to the survey, for an overall response rate of 36 percent. Nonconsensual sexual contact involving force or incapacitation is defined as penetration or sexual touching during which an individual was experiencing or threatened by physical force, incapacitated due to drugs or alcohol, coerced by, for example, threats of non-physical harm or promises of rewards, or did not provide affirmative consent. In the 2022-2023 academic year, 13 percent of undergraduate women reported that they experienced nonconsensual sexual contact involving force or incapacitation. In the 2020-2021 school year, six percent of undergraduate women reported the experience. Administrators said this increase may be attributed to Cornell’s return to “mostly normal” after two years of significant interruption during the COVID19 pandemic. This may have led to “an increase in risk-taking behaviors by Cornell students, including increased alcohol and drug use, which contribute to incidences of sexual violence,” according to the report. See SURVEY page 4


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