The Corne¬ Daily Sun 2026 Homecoming Supplement
MAIN ISSUE INSIDE
PAGE 2 | THE CORNELL DAILY SUN
HOMECOMING SUPPLEMENT 2026
A Guide to Homecoming Weekend ZEINAB FARAJ Sun Senior Editor
With homecoming weekend approaching, Cornell students, alumni and visitors can enjoy a packed lineup of events across campus alongside Saturday’s football game against Lehigh. From hot air balloon rides and free bowling to tailgates and a slate of fall sports, here’s what to look out for during Homecoming weekend. Hot Air Balloon Tour Interested in catching the beautiful views of Cornell from above? Sign up for a 45 to 70 minute hot air balloon tour over the Finger Lakes which will cover scenic spots across Ithaca, namely, Cayuga Lake, local waterfalls, Cornell and the Finger Lakes countryside, according to the Cornell homecoming events schedule. There are a variety of times and dates available with a general Ithaca flight option priced at $380 for ages 11 and up and a private flight option at $1,000 per person. Free Bowling at Helen Newman Want to check out the newly renovated Helen Newman bowling alley? Cornell’s Alumni Affairs and Development is sponsoring free bowling from 7 to 11 p.m. at Helen Newman on Friday. Registration is available at this link and there is a one-hour cap for groups. Rappel off Schoellkopf Stadium Cornell Outdoor Education is offering the opportunity to rappel — or climb down with a rope — from the top of Schoellkopf stadium. No previous rappelling experience is required and participants will get the chance to go down the field. No previous rappelling experience is required and instructors will provide guidance and all necessary equipment. The activity
costs $20 per person and runs for 30 minutes. Participants must be able to physically climb stairs, a short ladder and be comfortable with heights. Time slots are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
tic range of pieces for treble, tenor-bass, and mixed choir ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary works,” according to the event’s website. Composers span centuries and continents, from groundbreaking American composer
ANTHONY CORRALES / SUN FILE PHOTO
School spirit | Students and Touchdown gather at Schoellkopf Field to show off their school spirit for the Homecoming game.
Cornell Chorus and Glee Club Homecoming Concert The Cornell Chorus and Glee Club will host its annual homecoming concert, “Shelter in the Storm,” from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday at Bailey Hall. The concert will feature “an eclec-
Florence Price to contemporary voices such as Latvian composer Laura Jekabsone and Shruthi Rajasekar, alongside choral masters Josef Rheinberger and Pavel Chesnokov. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased online and at the event, according to the
event’s website.
Tailgating Events Touchdown the Bear boosts spirit during a previous homecoming game. (Anthony Corrales/Sun File Photo) Looking to tailgate before the big game? Several organizations are hosting tailgating events, starting at 11 a.m. and slated to run until kickoff at 2 p.m. Tailgates are free to attend and will be hosted at Crescent Lot and Kite Hill Lot. A full list of those organizations can be found on the Cornell homecoming schedule website. Homecoming Beyond the Gridiron Several other sports will compete in Ithaca during homecoming weekend. To kickoff, field hockey will face No. 10 Princeton at 5 p.m. on Friday at Marsha Dodson Field. Women’s hockey will open its season on Friday at 3 p.m. with the University of Vermont at Lynah Rink. On Saturday, Lynah Rink will host a double header, starting with women’s hockey facing University of Vermont again at 3 p.m. and men’s hockey playing its season opener against the University of Waterloo at 7 p.m. Women’s soccer will host Princeton at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Berman Field and field hockey will go head-to-head with No. 7 University of Connecticut at 2 p.m. at Dodson field. Tickets to the soccer and field hockey games are free. Sales for the women’s ice hockey matches and men’s ice hockey season opener will open at 9 a.m. on Thursday. And of course, don’t miss football go up against Lehigh at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Schoellkopf Field. Tickets are free for students. Zeinab Faraj can be reached at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
Athletics Welcomes 13 New Coaches Across 10 Sports ZEINAB FARAJ Sun Senior Editor
As the Red’s teams open up their 2026-2027 seasons, 13 new head and assistant coaches have joined Cornell Athletics. The Sun reached out to the new coaches to understand their goals and background experiences before their new start with the Red. Reid Johnson: Men’s Lightweight Rowing, Head Coach Men’s lightweight rowing welcomed new head coach Reid Johnson following the resignation of former head coach Tyler Nase amid the team’s three-year probation for hazing. The team is currently on a three-year probation during which it will undergo several extensive hazing prevention education, leadership training and culture development programs. Johnson spent nine years at the Pelham Community Rowing Association following a two season stint with Princeton’s heavyweight team. In an email statement to The Sun, Johnson wrote that he was drawn to Cornell Athletics because of the “genuine passion and admiration” he found at Cornell and the long-standing tradition of the program. Johnson added that given
the coaching transition the team is going through, his goals are focused on demonstrating his care for the team. His coaching philosophy, Johnson explained, is that “how we do anything is how we do everything.” “I hope that one of my biggest contributions to this team will be that we’ve created a program that promotes a culture that fully has those at the front and center of the team,” Johnson wrote. Maite Sturm: Field Hockey, Assistant Coach Former All-American Maite Sturm joined field hockey’s coaching staff this summer after spending two years at Temple University. Before leading the Owls to an appearance in the Big East final in 2024, Sturm worked for two college recruiting agencies, Keystone Sports and Scholarbook. Sturm wrote to The Sun that as a former student athlete at Virginia Commonwealth University, she understands the demands of balancing academics, athletics and daily life — something she hopes to bring to her coaching time at Cornell. Her experiences both as a student athlete and playing professionally are ways she hopes to “connect” with and “support” the team. She added that the keys to success in her coaching book
are “strong relationships, communication, consistency, and a willingness to keep learning.” “I hope to contribute by building strong and lasting relationships with our student-athletes and coaching staff while bringing energy, attention to detail, and a strong commitment to player development,” Sturm wrote. “I also look forward to contributing in areas I am passionate about, such as recruiting, player development, and game analysis.” Caroline Ramsey ’23: Field Hockey, Assistant Coach Field hockey added another former All-American and familiar face as Caroline Ramsey ’23 returns to Ithaca after spending four years with the U.S. Field Hockey national team. The former three-year Cornell captain hopes to use her experience to “be a role model” for the team, Ramsey wrote in a statement to The Sun. “My biggest goal this season is for all of the girls to feel like they’ve grown, both on and off the field,” Ramsey wrote. “As a team, I think our goals are the same as they were when I was a player — to compete, win, and succeed on the field.” This will be Ramsey’s first collegiate coaching experience, and she wrote that she hopes to bring “an added layer of
experience” to the field hockey program. Ramsey wants to foster a culture of collective trust for the team, while also pushing the team to strive for excellence. “Having been in their position just a few years ago, I understand what they’re going through, and I want to push them outside of their comfort zones and encourage them to grow as players, competitors, and young adults,” Ramsey wrote to The Sun. George Drago: Men’s Heavy-weight Rowing, Assistant Coach The tradition and legacy of the men’s heavyweight rowing team is what drew George Drago to joining Cornell Athletics, he wrote to The Sun. While Drago has not coached a heavyweight team, his experience with the men’s lightweight program at the University of Pennsylvania included helping lead the Quakers’ V4+ to their first-ever Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship title in May 2025. Drago noted “consistency and goal setting” as keys to success for the team. He hopes to help athletes find a “sweet spot” between setting goals for themselves that are too challenging and ones that are too simple.
“[My goals] are to develop our athletes as best I can and do everything in my power to guide them towards winning a national championship,” Drago wrote. Dante Pulphus: Volleyball, Assistant Coach Coming to Ithaca from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Dante Pulphus wrote that she was drawn to come to Cornell for the community and the chance to work with head coach Trudy Vande Berg, in an email statement to The Sun. “Being able to learn from someone who has invested so much into the program and has such a clear vision for what she wants Cornell Volleyball to be was a really exciting opportunity for me,” Pulphus wrote. Pulphus was a defensive specialist at her alma mater Marian University. She wrote that she hopes to bring “energy,” “consistency,” and “a willingness to do whatever is needed to help the program succeed.” She added that she hopes to become someone that athletes can lean on. To continue reading, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Zeinab Faraj can be reached at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 143, No. 8
20 Pages – Free
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2026 n ITHACA, NEW YORK
Cornell Suspends Frat Parties and Social Events for Academic Year
Thousands of students and community members attended a “Justice for Survivors” rally on Ho Plaza on Oct. 5. Students also hosted a seven-hour sit-in at Toni Morrison Dining Hall in solidarity with Jane Doe on Oct. 7. The measure was put in place to help strengthen campus safety, Kotlikoff wrote, adding that it will allow time for the University to conduct a “thorough review” of fraternity life at Cornell and decide “whether and how” it can safely continue. “We will immediately engage students and faculty experts in the development of safe social alternatives and invest university resources in their establishment,” Kotlikoff wrote. Kotlikoff also announced other immediate initiatives to help improve campus safety and support survivors of sexual misconduct, including increasing staff at the Cornell Office of Civil Rights, working with New York State Police to create an independent and trauma-informed criminal investigation process and improving education regarding the bystander effect. “These are first steps toward systemic change on our campus,” Kotlikoff concluded. “We will take all necessary steps to address the conditions that led to Jane Doe’s experiences, and those of other survivors.”
By ZEINAB FARAJ Sun Senior Editor
Oct. 13 - All parties and social events held in Cornell Interfraternity Council houses have been canceled for the rest of the 2026-2027 academic year, President Michael Kotlikoff announced in an email statement Tuesday afternoon. The directive, effective immediately, indicates that any fraternities that host parties or social events will face an immediate emergency suspension. The decision comes amid national uproar following a Sept. 14 lawsuit in which a former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, alleged that she was sexually assaulted and gang raped after being coerced into consuming drugs at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. The Ithaca Common Council also voted on Oct. 6 to approve a temporary moratorium on student event permits, which primarily impacts Greek Life organizations. Kotlikoff wrote that his decision comes after receiving input from across the campus community. “These conversations, and campus protests, have underscored my deep conviction that we must do better: that the time for meaningful and lasting change at Cornell, and at campuses across the country, is now,” Kotlikoff wrote in the Zeinab Faraj can be reached at zfaraj@cornellsun.com. email.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General SUN EXCLUSIVE: ToFormer Lead Independent Review of Cornell Interview With Jane Doe’s Attorney By ZEINAB FARAJ Sun Senior Editor
By CEREESE QUSBA Sun Senior Editor
See ATTORNEY page 14
‘I Am Jane Doe’ Rally Draws Hundreds By CORAL PLATT Sun News Editor
Oct. 15 — Several hundred protesters gathered in the Ithaca Commons on Tuesday afternoon to rally behind Jane Doe — the former Cornell student who filed a lawsuit alleging that she was gang raped at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. See RALLY page 15
Frat Annex Parties Also Suspended By VARSHA BHARGAVA and EVERETT CHAMBALA Sun Managing Editor and Sun Assistant News Editor
Oct. 15 — Cornell Interfraternity Council’s fraternities cannot host parties or social events in off-campus locations or their annexes for the rest of the school year, The Sun confirmed with multiple people close to the guidance.
Oct. 13 - The Board of Trustees announced that Sally Yates, a former U.S. deputy attorney general, will lead an independent review of the University’s handling of the alleged 2024 Chi Phi gang rape — and sexual misconduct at large — in an Oct. 6 statement. A longtime federal prosecutor, Yates previously led an independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior in the U.S. Women Soccer’s team in 2022. Yates currently works as a partner at white-shoe law firm King & Spalding LLP and served as U.S. Deputy Attorney General from 2015 to 2017 under President Trump. Yates’ appointment comes after a former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, filed a Sept. 14 lawsuit alleging that she was sexually assaulted and gang raped after being coerced into consuming drugs at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. The case and details about the University’s response have since sparked national
outrage. “Sally Yates brings extraordinary experience, independence and judgment to this work,” said Anne Meinig Smalling, chair of the Board of Trustees, in the statement. “The questions raised by the Jane Doe matter warrant a rigorous examination of Cornell’s response to that case, but our responsibility is broader.” Smalling added that Yates and her team will be responsible for evaluating “Cornell’s overall approach to preventing and responding to sexual misconduct, identify where we are doing things well and where we can do better, and recommend changes that will help make our community safer.” Yates will complete the investigation independently and report to a newly formed Special Committee, chaired by Smalling and comprising other trustees including Jennifer L. Davis, Tara Holm, Howard L. Morgan, Beckie Robertson, Stephen C. Robinson, Martin F. Scheinman and Robert W. Selander, according to the statement. See REVIEW page 14
Seven Hour Sit-in By CORAL PLATT and VARSHA BHARGAVA Sun News Editor and Sun Managing Editor
See ANNEX page 7
Homecoming Lights, Drone Show Canceled By ZEINAB FARAJ Sun Senior Editor
Oct. 13 — The Ithaca Common Council passed a temporary moratorium on special event permits to Cornell and affiliated student organizations on Oct. 7. The moratorium, in effect until Nov. 5, impacts events with amplified sounds and music. See LIGHTS page 14
SAMANTHA MICULINICH / SUN PHOTOGRAPHER
See SIT-IN page 5
4 The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026
Daybook
Daybook
Friday, October 16, 2026
A LISTING OF FREE EVENTS ON CAMPUS AND IN ITHACA
The Corne¬ Daily Sun INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880 Editor in Chief
Sophia Dasser ’28
ALL DEPARTMENTS
(607) 273-3606
Business: For questions regarding advertising, classifieds, subscriptions or delivery problems, please call from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. News: To report breaking news or story ideas, please call after 5 p.m., Sunday-Thursday.
SEND A FAX VISIT THE OFFICE THE SUN ONLINE E-MAIL
(607) 273-0746 139 W. State Street, Ithaca, N.Y. www.cornellsun.com sunmailbox@cornellsun.com
Postal Information: The Cornell Daily Sun (USPS 132680 ISSN 1095-8169) is published by the Cornell Daily Sun, a New York corporation, 139 W. State St., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. The Sun is published Wednesdays during the academic year and every weekday online. Three special issues — one for seniors in May, one for reunion alumni in June and one for incoming first-year students in July — make for a total of 33 issues this academic year. Subscriptions are: $35.00 for fall term, $37.50 for spring term and $72.50 for both terms if paid in advance. Standard postage paid at Ithaca, New York. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Cornell Daily Sun, 139 W. State St., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850.
S
What’s Inside
The Sun’s Guide to Homecoming Chi Phi Lawsuit
SUNBURSTS: Coming Home Opinion Science Lifestyle
2
5, 7, 14
6
Friday
Crossword
13
“I Am Jane Doe” Rally
15
Arts & Culture
16-17
8-9
Women’s Hockey & Volleyball
18
10
Ryder Kurtz & Rivalry Rundown
19
11
Cornell Football History
20
Guided Cascadilla Gorge and fall foliage hike 10 a.m. - noon , Meet in front of Bartels Hall Dilmun Hill Fall Fest 3 - 7 p.m., Dilmun Hill Student Farm “Pumpkin Partayyy” 5 - 6 p.m., Mews Quad Women’s Ice Hockey v. University of Vermont 6 p.m., Lynah Rink Game Night 7 - 10 p.m., Willard Straight Hall 404 Bowling Night 7 - 11 p.m., Helen Newman Hall, Bowling Alley Open House at the Fuertes Observatory 8 p.m. - midnight, Fuertes Observatory
Saturday Ithaca Farmers Market 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Ithaca Farmers Market Homecoming 2026 Tailgate 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Kite Hill Lot Autumn on the Plaza 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Ho Plaza Women’s Soccer v. Princeton 1 p.m., Berman Field Cornell Football v. Lehigh 2 p.m., Schoellkopf Stadium Cornell Field Hockey v. Princeton 5 p.m., Dodson Field Men’s Ice Hockey v. University of Waterloo 7 p.m., Lynah Rink Bollywood Night 7:30 - 10:30 p.m., Big Red Barn
The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026 5
News
BSU, NAACP Host Seven Hour Sit-In to Support Jane Doe, Draws More Than 100 Demonstrators SIT-IN
Continued from page 1 “I’m here because sitting in Morrison for seven hours is easier than what Jane Doe actually had to go through,” said demonstrator Myshay Causey ’29. Over the course of seven hours, more than 100 students settled down in Toni Morrison Dining Hall to participate in a sit-in for Jane Doe, the plaintiff in a lawsuit alleging she was gang raped at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024, on Wednesday. Students also engaged in a campuswide economic blackout throughout the day, opting to halt all spending on campus in solidarity with Jane Doe and survivors of sexual violence, according to the organizers’ announcement post. Both initiatives, jointly called “Zero Day,” were spearheaded by Cornell BSU and Cornell NAACP. They were co-sponsored by Mecha de Cornell and Students for a Democratic Cornell. The sit-in was seven hours long “for the seven hours she endured,” the Instagram post announcing the sit-in stated. In the Sept. 14 lawsuit, Jane Doe alleged that she left for the Chi Phi house at 11 p.m. After arriving at the house, she alleged that the defendants engaged in sexual acts with her “all without her consent.” At 1:42 a.m., a defendant was alleged to have sent a message about “free pussy” to a Snapchat group entitled “Chi Phi Actives.” Jane Doe alleged she was then sexually assaulted by multiple defendants until around 5:45 a.m., when she claims the alleged assault ended. Four hours into the sit-in, which spanned 1:30 to 8:30 p.m., organizers with BSU and SDC hosted “teach-ins” about the intersectionality between sexual violence and identity and the history of student demonstrations on campus. “I hope the sit-in shows Cornell and other people from other universities and
other Jane Does that not only do we support them, but that we will be here and show up in support, and that we won’t just be willing to let the situation go,” Causey said. The organizers led three chants during the sit-in. In one chant, they shouted, “No justice,” to which the audience replied, “No peace.” In the other two chants, shared in call-and-response style, attendees chanted, “Seven hours, we can’t stand it, justice now, we demand it” and, “One in three, it could be me, let’s be clear, it ends here.” The World Health Organization estimates that approximately one in three women experience sexual violence in their lifetime. A sense of “powerlessness” motivated Max Troiano ’28, a Sun opinion columnist, to attend the sit-in for six out of the seven hours. “It felt important to me to take some small degree of action today,” Troiano said. “My worst fear would be a return to business as usual,” Purchases at the Cornell Store, at campus eateries, on printing services and on vending machines, along with using meal swipes and Big Red Bucks were all included in the blackout’s encouraged restrictions. “Ultimately, as a private institution or semi-private institution, … money is somewhat central to what can really count against the administration,” said Marianne Levitova ’28, community co-chair in SDC and participant in the blackout. For Cole Tao ’28, the blackout was a way to make a meaningful impact since, “being a Cornell student in such a big school, you kind of feel powerless at times.” Many students who attended the sit-in emphasized the importance of community organizing in addressing sexual violence and the alleged Chi Phi gang rape. Both initiatives echoed the demands of a sprawling “Justice for Survivors” rally, organized by over 20 student groups, that
flooded Ho Plaza with thousands of protestors on Monday. “If we’re taking arms with an administration that is acting very undemocratically, it is the best for us to try and incorporate as many voices as possible,” said Felix Jones-Rounds ’29, an SDC member. “There has to be a lot of people willing to do the right thing, even if it’s uncomfortable.” The organizers of Zero Day emphasized that their efforts are directed toward placing “pressure” on the University, not the dining workers. They told participants not to harass, block or intimidate any dining workers during the protest. Dustin Cutler, assistant vice president for Student and Campus Life Enterprises, described how the organizers worked with Cornell Dining to coordinate the sit-in, in a statement to The Sun. “I’m exceptionally proud of both the student organizers of this event and the Cornell Dining team for their collaboration and partnership in ensuring this evening could happen safely and in a meaningful way,” Cutler wrote. Troiano said that although “there’s going to be a time when the converstion
shrinks and fades on an international scale,” he hopes that the Cornell community will continue to speak out about sexual violence. Causey described the student activism in response to the alleged Chi Phi gang rape as a source of pride. “Seeing students so passionately against everything that happened gives me more hope for the future and reminds me of why I’m proud to be a Cornellian,” Causey said. “It’s the fact that people here are really standing up for what they believe in.” Sophia Xie Gong ’30, a member of SDC who participated in the sit-in, echoed Causey, and said she saw the student demonstrations as part of an opportunity for change related to sexual assault beyond of Cornell. “We’re at the center of a worldwide movement against rape culture,” Xie Gong said. “As students at Cornell, we are given a unique position to dictate the worldwide conversation around how universities police rape culture and how we can have a cultural shift against rape culture. Coral Platt and Varsha Bhargava can be reached at cplatt@cornellsun.com and vbhargava@cornellsun. com.
SAMANTHA MICULINICH / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Student support | Students came out in number for Thursday’s Student Assembly meeting voicing their support for two resolutions.
Cornell Concert Comission Cancels Homecoming Concert By ZEINAB FARAJ Sun Senior Editor
Oct. 10 — Cornell Concert Commission has canceled its homecoming concert with its headlining band Between Friends, according to a Friday Instagram post. The cancelation comes amid mounting pressure on Cornell to address its handling of sexual misconduct cases, following criticism from govern-
ment officials and large-scale campus protests over the University’s response to the alleged 2024 Chi Phi gang rape of a former Cornell student. “The Cornell Concert Commission is a student-run organization and, as students, we stand with Jane Doe and all survivors of sexual violence,” CCC’s Instagram post states. “It is essential that we advocate and stand up for those failed by the university’s administration.” The decision also comes after Ithaca Common Council’s vote on Wednesday to pass a temporary moratorium on student event permits for Cornell and its affiliated student organizations. The moratorium will last until Nov. 5 and impacts student organizations’ ability to obtain noise permits for any events with DJs that use amplified sound and those that exceed a certain noise level. “We know many of you were looking forward to this event, and we sincerely apologize for the disappointment and inconvenience,” CCC’s post states. “While we won’t be able to bring Between Friends to campus this fall, the group is looking forward to connecting with their fans in the area as soon as schedules allow.”
Between Friends is a sibling formed pop duo with over 2.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The band’s music spans several genres, including American alternative pop, electronic and indie bedroom pop. This year’s concert was previously slated to be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Barton Hall. Tickets were priced at $17 and refunds will be issued within seven to 10 business days, according to CCC’s post. CCC plans to hold a charity concert to support sexual misconduct prevention and to highlight local talent, including student bands and DJs. All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, according to CCC’s post. “It takes so much strength to come forward with such a painful truth, and Jane Doe needs all the support she can get to stay strong during this turbulent time,” CCC’s post reads. “We call on Cornell to create meaningful changes that protect and support survivors.”women’s movement and the rise of anti feminist, pro family groups.”
Zeinab Faraj can be reached at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
6 The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026
SUNBURSTS: Coming Home
Photo
Sifting through The Sun’s photo archive with Cornell pride blazing, editors chose a few Homecoming moments from the past.
By SUN PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT
Boris Tsang / Sun File Photo
Michael Suguitan / Sun File Photo
INSIGHT | Daya performing at the Homecoming Concert at Barton Hall on Oct. 5, 2019. Daya returned to Cornell to perform at the 2026 Slope Day.
AMPING UP | DNCE lead vocalist Joe Jonas hypes up the crowd at Cornell’s Homecoming Concert at Barton Hall on Sept. 23, 2018.
Michael Wenye Li / Sun File Photo PACKED STADIUM | Cornellians pack Schoellkopf Field sporting Big Red spirit for the game against Yale on Sept. 22, 2018.
Leilani Burke / Sun File Photo YELL CORNELL | Cornell cheer performs before the Homecoming game against Yale on Sept. 28, 2024.
Julia Nagel / Sun File Photo WAVIN’ FLAG | Cornell welcomes the Red into Schoellkopf Field for the Homecoming match against Yale on Sept. 24, 2022.
Michael Wenye Li / Sun File Photo SCHOOL SPIRIT | Cornellians pick up batons with University colors before heading to the Sept. 22, 2018 Homecoming game against Yale.
Michael Wenye Li / Sun File Photo
Leilani Burke / Sun File Photo LINE OF SCRIMMAGE | The Red line up at the yard line to start the possession against Yale on Sept. 22, 2018.
WARM UP | The Red warms up before the Homecoming game against Yale on Sept. 22, 2018.
To see more photos, visit cornellsun.com.
The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026 7
News
IFC Frat Parties Also Banned in Off-Campus Annexes ANNEX
Continued from page 1 Cornell Interfraternity Council fraternities currently cannot host parties or social events at their off-campus annexes, The Sun confirmed with multiple people close to the guidance. This comes after Cornell’s recent ban on on-campus IFC fraternity parties. The additional guidance was given by a Sorority and Fraternity Life representative to Greek Life leadership, The Sun independently confirmed. The representative did not clarify the duration of the ban on social events hosted at annexes. An “annex” describes an off-campus house associated with a fraternity, but typically not owned directly by the fraternity. An annex will typically form when individual fraternity members lease and live in the house together. These houses are often used by fraternities to host events. Two days ago, Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff announced that IFC fraternities cannot host parties or social events at their on-campus houses for the remainder of the school year in order to “strengthen campus safety” as the University reviews Cornell fraternity life. Any IFC fraternities that violate the ban will be put on immediate suspension, according to Kotlikoff’s statement. The University spokesperson did not directly confirm that IFC fraternities are banned from hosting social events at their annexes, when asked by The Sun. The spokesperson wrote that the ban extends to “any event hosted, sponsored,
endorsed, or organized by a chapter, on chapter property that would require registration through the University’s social event policy registration process.” An IFC fraternity member told The Sun that “the annexes are being viewed as chapter houses.” Panhellenic and Multicultural Greek and Fraternal Council organizations are not subject to the social event ban, a University spokesperson wrote to The Sun. While the social event ban does not apply to Panhellenic sororities, The Sun’s sources confirmed that sororities can face consequences if found attending or helping to host an IFC fraternity’s social event. If any Panhellenic sorority members are found attending a social event hosted by an IFC fraternity, both the sorority and fraternity will face immediate suspension, multiple sources confirmed to The Sun. Additionally, if a Panhellenic sorority is found to knowingly host an IFC fraternity’s social event during the school year, both the sorority and fraternity will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and put on immediate emergency suspension, according to a message from an SFL representative obtained by The Sun. When asked by The Sun, the University did not confirm these consequences for Panhellenic sorority members. Zeinab Faraj ’27 contributed reporting. Varsha Bhargava and Everett Chambala can be reached at vbhargava@cornellsun.com and echambala@cornellsun.com
Student Organizations Host Town Hall on Sexual Violence
Attendees Learned About Title IX, Asked Questions and Shared Personal Stories By GISELLE REDMOND Sun Assistant News Editor
Oct. 16 — Student organizers hosted an open town hall at Willard Straight Hall in response to the alleged 2024 Chi Phi gang rape on the evening of Oct. 6. Attendees learned about the sexual assault reporting process at Cornell, asked questions about recent events and shared their own stories. The town hall was organized by more than 20 different student organizations and featured panelists from the Cornell Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, Students for a Democratic Cornell, Planned Parenthood Generation Action, Black Students United and the Cornell NAACP. It was co-sponsored by the Department of Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
“We are here for three reasons: so the adminstrations hears us, so anyone who has felt unsafe or unheard knows they are not alone and so we leae this room ready to act.” Alyshi Adusei ’27
The event was planned in response to a Sept. 14 lawsuit filed by a former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, who alleges she was gang raped and sexually assaulted by multiple men at the Cornell’s Chi Phi house in 2024. The town hall opened with a presentation explaining the case and some of the entities involved, including the relevant University offices, policies and Greek Life organizations. An open forum followed, where students could share their thoughts and experiences regarding sexual assault or ask student panelists questions. “It took all of us to make tonight happen,” said Alysha Adusei ’27, vice president of Wanawake Wa Wari Cooperative, at the event. “We are here for three reasons: so the administration hears us, so anyone who has felt unsafe or unheard knows they are not alone and so we leave this room ready to act.” WARI is a co-op founded to provide a safe living space for Black women on Cornell’s campus. Adusei developed the idea for the town hall after reading about the alleged Chi Phi gang rape and feeling that Doe had been “failed” by the University, she wrote in a previous statement to The Sun. Adusei began planning the town hall by reaching out to organizations for Black women before expanding her outreach to women-run clubs and ultimately encompassing a wide range of student activists.
The presentation commencing the event was given by Cornell NAACP President Athena Holloway ’27 and Cornell ACLU President Jonathan Lam ’27. Holloway and Lam led the audience through a slideshow detailing several factors that affected Jane Doe’s initial report, including the entities named in the lawsuit, such as the Xi chapter of Chi Phi and Delta Delta Delta. They also mentioned the organizations Jane Doe went to, including Cornell’s Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. They then defined Title IX and Cornell’s Policy 6.4, described the formation of Cornell’s Presidential Task Force on Sexual Assault, and explained how the Office of Civil Rights and OSCCS oversee reported incidents of sexual misconduct and work to ensure student safety. Holloway told The Sun that her goal for the presentation was to “de-jargonize” the case for students, sharing that there were many elements of the University’s handling of the case that she found confusing herself. “I think it kind of illustrates why students feel a way about demands,” Holloway said, adding that at the town hall, “we can see a stark discrepancy between students who know what communication is happening from the University and what communication isn’t.” The final slide of the presentation included QR codes directing audience members to a Title IX fact sheet and an NPR article explaining Title IX in the context of Jane Doe’s case. After the presentation, students from WARI, including Adusei and the co-op’s president, Emmah Kabbah ’27, took the microphone to speak about how the town hall was organized and explain community guidelines for the event.
“We’re just trying to create a community where students can voice their fears [and] their concerns and hopefully we an help them process.” Melissa Bass ’27 “At its heart, WARI has been a space that prioritizes the safety and care of women on Cornell’s campus,” Kabbah said. “This institution has failed Black women before and when that happened, students refused to stay silent.” The panel for the open forum part of the event included representatives from many of the hosting organizations as well as Keten Abebe ’27, the student representative for Cornell’s Board of Trustees, and Juno Salazar Parreñas, the director of undergraduate studies in feminist, gender & sexuality studies.
During an off-the-record portion of the open forum, press were asked to leave large cameras outside of the room, cease recording and avoid noting students’ names.
“[When] you’re hearing the story face-toface, it’s so much different than reading it in an article ... I think this event brought the humanity back into it. ” Jordan Lubinsky ’27 “We’re just trying to create a community where students can voice their fears [and] their concerns and hopefully we can help them process,” Melissa Bass ’27, co-president of PPGA, told The Sun. Jordan Lubinsky ’27, PPGA’s other co-president, told The Sun that she was deeply moved by the survivors that shared their stories during the forum and how the community came together to support them. “I honestly did get chills,” Lubinsky said. “[When] you’re hearing the story face-to-face, it’s so much different than reading it in an article … I think this event brought the humanity back into it.” At the end of the event, students were encouraged to participate in “Zero Day,” and Parreñas informed students of a teach-in hosted by the Department of Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies on Thursday. “You have people calling for the resignation of Kotlikoff, you also have people talking about the banning of frats,” Parreñas told The Sun about the teach-in. “All of this is on the table, and I think we are at this point where we really need to brainstorm: What do we want? What will justice be?” Many students emphasized that their activism will continue until they see the University respond by making tangible changes, rather than responding to the situation as though it is a PR crisis. “Ultimately, at the end of the day, we want these demands heard,” Holloway said. “I think that it’s on us to continue fighting the good fight and pushing forward.” Bass stressed that this was just the start for student organizers. “We’re trying to show Cornell that we’re not going to be silent,” Bass said. “We’re not going to have this one protest and then stop our efforts. We are a force that needs to continue to be reckoned with.”
Giselle Redmond can be reached at gredmond@cornellsun.com.
8 The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026
Opinion Editor's Note: The following articles discuss sexual assault.
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Prof. Cristobal Young and Prof. Dan Hirschman Independent Since 1880 144th Editorial Board SOPHIA DASSER ’28 Editor in Chief
SOPHIA ROMANOV IMBER ’28 Associate Editor
VARSHA BHARGAVA ’27 Managing Editor
RAYEN ZHOU ’29 Opinion Editor
KATE TURK ’27 Assistant Managing Editor
ZARA CHEEK ’28 Opinion Editor JADE DUBUCHE ’27 Multimedia Editor KENDALL MURPHY ’28 Business Manager
CORAL PLATT ’29 News Editor ATTICUS JOHNSON ’28 News Editor MARY CAITLIN CRONIN ’28 News Editor EVERETT CHAMBALA ’27 Assistant News Editor
CHARLIE CLARK ’29 Director of Revenue & Partnerships
SHUBHA GAUTAM ’28 Assistant News Editor
VICTORIA WROBLEWSKI ’28 Human Resources Manager
GISELLE REDMOND ’28 Assistant News Editor
MELISSA MOON ’28 Arts & Culture Editor
ANGELINA TANG ’28 Science & Technology Editor TANIA HAO ’28 Science & Technology Editor SIMRAN LABORE ’27 Weather & Climate Editor
JAMES PALM ’27 Assistant Arts & Culture Editor MATTHEW RENTEZELAS ’28 Assistant Arts & Culture Editor HAZEL TJADEN ’28 Assistant Arts & Culture Editor
MATTHEW LEONARD ’28 Sports Editor GRACE REUBEN ’28 Sports Editor JANE HAVILAND ’28 Features Editor
MARC STAIANO ’27 Assistant Arts & Culture Editor KATELYN HALVERSON ’28 Lifestyle Editor AVA BETNAR ’29 Assistant Lifestyle Editor
NATHAN ELLISON ’28 Photography Editor
SANIKA SARAF ’28 Assistant Lifestyle Editor
NATHAN BO ’28 Assistant Photography Editor ADELAIDE CHOW ’29 Assistant Photography Editor
KATHERINE ISTOMIN ’29 Marketing Manager JACK MCAULIFFE ’29 Assistant Social Media Editor
MIA SOFIA ORENGO ’28 Video Editor
ASHLIN KWONG ’28 Graphics Editor TAVAN BHATIA ’27 Games Editor
OAKLEY DECRISTOFARO ’29 Video Editor AMELIA GARCIA ’27 Data Editor HUNTER PETMECKY ’28 Layout Editor
RENA GEULA ’28 Layout Editor
WORKING ON TODAY'S SUN MANAGING NEWS DESKERS SPORTS DESKER SCIENCE DESKER OPINION DESKERS LIFESTYLE DESKERS ARTS DESKERS PHOTO DESKERS
Varsha Bhargava '27 Kate Turk '27 Sophia Romanov Imber '28 Atticus Johnson '28 Everett Chambala '27 Giselle Redmond '28 Grace Reuben ’28 Matthew Leonard ’28 Angelina Tang '28 Rayen Zhou '29 Zara Cheek ’28 Katelyn Halverson '28 Sanika Saraf '28 Melissa Moon '28 Hazel Tjaden '28 Nathan Ellison '28 Nathan Bo '28
Charles L. Schlumberger Charles L. Schlumberger ’76 was a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division for four years, followed by 30 years of private practice. He is currently a senior staff attorney to Florida’s 19th Judicial Circuit.
Reserve Your Judgement on the Allegations
S
omething sinister, morally reprehensible and unforgivable occurred on Oct. 19 and 20, 2024. In this letter, I am questioning neither the victim’s claims as to those occurrences nor the consequences that should befall the perpetrators, both civilly and criminally, if they are found either civilly liable or criminally guilty. Instead, I am writing to urge your restraint and circumspection and avoid rushing to judgment, particularly against Cornell and the Cornell University Police Department , based upon the allegations of the civil complaint. The scourge of sexual assaults on campuses have vexed colleges across the country for decades, if not centuries. Cornell — like other schools — has consistently and vigorously pursued increased security for students, campus rules of conduct and procedure at all facilities (including fraternities, sororities and other organizations that are subject to its recognition and control) and the levying of consequences to students and organizations responsible for all misconduct, including sexual misconduct. Cornell does so because it must do so, not only to meet its legal responsibilities but also out of fundamental ethics and morals that are engrained in the very concept of an institution of higher learning. This case has received international news media and attention based solely upon a civil complaint filed for public record. I have been involved as a civil litigator, arbitrator and counsel to courts for nearly 50 years. Most Americans do not fully understand the adversary process of the American judicial system, which encourages, if not virtually requires, attorneys to zealously present their clients’ side of a dispute. As a result, the parties’ attorneys are allowed to present very slanted allegations of purported facts telling, and often embellishing on, their respective clients’ sides of the case. This adversary process is most prominent in the initial stages of a court proceeding. In criminal cases, it is the indictment or the information, which is written in language intended to convince the guilt of the accused. The same is true in civil cases: the complaint — the pleading that initiates a case — will paint a vivid yet slanted picture of a plaintiff’s claims designed to convince a reader that a defendant is unquestionably liable. I have read Jane Doe’s complaint, and indeed it influenced my initial reaction to the case, as it is aimed to do. Right or wrong, that is our legal system. Invariably, news organizations present the allegations in a complaint — liberally sprinkling the term “alleged” in their reporting — as strict “reporting” of the allegations, never explaining that under our adversarial judicial system a party’s complaint must be taken with at least a healthy spoonful of salt. In any event, the reporting of a complaint’s allegations — no matter how often the word “alleged” is used — ultimately causes public sentiment to sway in favor of the victim and against the defendants. That is simply a product of human nature and not necessarily the fault of the news media’s reporting of the allegations, though sometimes their reporting is itself slanted.
Cristobal Young is Professor of Sociology at Cornell University. Dan Hirschman is Associate Professor of Sociology at Cornell University. They can be reached at cristobal.young@cornell.edu and dan.hirschman@cornell.edu.
The Whac-A-Mole Ritual of Suspending Fraternities Is Not Working; It’s Time for Deeper Reforms
C
ornell’s own leaders have acknowledged that its Greek Life system has “a persistent culture of misconduct.” Cornell has suspended or revoked recognition of fraternities 28 times since 2008, involving 25 distinct fraternities. That amounts to roughly one or two suspensions a year. Hazing was the most common reason, sometimes involving sexual humiliation and coercion. Dangerous drinking practices also featured prominently, both in hazing and in other violations. We compiled a list of all 28 cases, drawing primarily on Cornell’s own records. Of the 29 currently recognized fraternities, 11 have returned after losing recognition, including Sigma Alpha Epsilon, whose recognition was revoked after a student died in a hazing ritual in which he was bound with zip ties, made to drink until he lost consciousness and left unattended. The accompanying list documents each case and links to the underlying records. Note that despite the prevalence of sexual assaults at fraternities, as far as we can tell, Chi Phi is one of only two cases in our list where Cornell’s action was tied to an alleged sexual assault. This pattern looks like a game of regulatory whac-a-mole: misconduct is a structural feature of the system, followed by an annual ritual of disciplining one of the chapters that gets caught. A fraternity is suspended or loses recognition for a few years, while the larger system absorbs the loss and continues much as before. What looks like a stern punishment for an individual fraternity becomes, from the perspective of the Greek system as a whole, the cost of doing business: a few glasses get smashed, but the bar stays open. Cornell has repeatedly punished fraternities while preserving the institutional arrangement that keeps reproducing the problem. Chapter-by-chapter enforcement is not enough; deeper structural changes are needed. We need a system that fosters social connections while uprooting the conditions that enable abuse and violence. What we find surprising is how accepting the campus has been of gender segregation in this institution that controls so much of social life on campus. Cornell is the only Ivy League university founded on the principle of co-education; and yet exclusive, male-only residential organizations dominate the infrastructure of social life on campus. Fraternity members occupy and control the space and young women enter as guests; men control admission, alcohol, party rules and access to private spaces. Scholars of sexual assault have long identified this asymmetry as a core problem: Fraternity men “have a home turf advantage, know each other better than the women present know each other, see the women as anonymous, and control desired resources.” The result is a party scene organized around an ancient logic, ‘you’re in my house, you follow my rules.’
The problem seems well understood by many on campus. As one student wrote in a 2025 Cornell Health survey, “Everything about the way [frat parties] are structured endangers women: events at their house where they control alcohol, hard to leave bc you are in a building they own/are familiar with/filled with their friends who would cover for them.” Students also describe feeling funneled into the Greek Life scene by the lack of alternatives. One student wrote, “Being in Greek Life is borderline necessary to have a decent social life here.” More vividly, another wrote: “It feels like if you want to party, there nowhere else to go but, ‘rape club,’ as my friends call it.” Strikingly, even the student president of Cornell’s Interfraternity Council, back in 2019, attributed sexual harassment to “structural inequalities in how these parties are set up,” where fraternities host the parties and “sororities don’t really have much agency.” The University has stated that fraternities and sororities are “extensions of Cornell’s educational environment,” and are empowered by the University to help structure campus life. Indeed, our dataset shows many of the houses are owned by Cornell, including 11 out of the 28 houses involved in suspensions and revocations. Three of the most disturbing cases — the death of George Desdunes (Sigma Alpha Epsilon 2011), the death of Antonio Tsialas (Phi Kappa Psi 2019) and the alleged sexual assault at Chi Phi (2024) — were tied to Cornell-owned fraternity houses. Continuing this system in its present form seems incompatible with Cornell’s responsibility to the safety and wellbeing of its students. A different model comes from one of our peer institutions. Princeton does not permit fraternities or sororities as “they do not add in positive ways to the overall residential experience on the campus.” The eating clubs on campus serve a parallel social function, but with two key differences: they are non-residential and provide meals. They still maintain and create social connections and host parties and events, but nobody lives there. More importantly, the eating clubs are all co-ed: Men and women join and manage the eating clubs together, rather than the set up of the Greek system, which physically separates students by gender and gives men the power to control the party scene on their terms. We need to change social life on campus. End the gender-segregated system and bring Cornell into the modern era. Keep the houses. Keep the social clubs. But remove them from the residential system and make membership co-ed. Call on alumni to help found a new generation of co-ed social clubs. Put an end to the power imbalance between male hosts and female guests. Preserve a vibrant social life while leaving its outdated and toxic traditions behind.
For these reasons, I respectfully ask the Cornell community and the general public to not rush to judgment based solely on the civil complaint that was filed, asserting that Cornell and the CUPD failed the victim and should be held civilly liable. Be circumspect and use common sense: Why, in our current world, would either Cornell or the CUPD shirk any responsibilities they have in an effort to protect any student from sexual assault, including the sordid events in October 2024? Likewise, why would Cornell or the CUPD shirk their duties to investigate and take action regarding those events? Cornell and the CUPD have explained, since the initial news reports, that they fully followed their protocols. We now know the depth of Cornell’s investigation and hearing process, resulting in the suspension or expulsion of seven students, the closure of Chi Phi, and that it did not direct the alleged perpetrators to only submit an “essay” as a disciplinary measure. The CUPD — a fully certified New York law enforcement agency with the same powers as the Ithaca Police Department and all other New York state law enforcement agencies — performed its investigation and referred the matter to the Tompkins County prosecutor. Neither Cornell nor the CUPD has the authority to bring criminal charges; that authority is solely the prosecutor’s. Consider this immutable fact: No matter the security measures taken to prevent criminal actions in any strain of life and society, such actions still occur. Even the most rigorous efforts aimed at preventing crime somehow can and will be defied by those having the affirmative intent and mission to commit the crime. For every human being, vigilance in protecting each other is perhaps the most effective means of preventing conduct the likes of that which occurred in the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. We all owe a responsibility to each other to protect against the alleged circumstances that led to those horrible events. No student enrolls in Cornell (or any other school, for that matter), with the expectation or desire to have Cornell play the role of helicopter parent over their college experience. To the contrary, student bodies would protest any such constant and intrusive surveillance by Cornell, even assuming it physically could do so. It is incumbent on all of us, including fellow students, to watch out for each other. If we see a classmate making social mistakes putting him or her in harm’s way (drinking, drugs or just plain stupidity), we must intervene and extract the classmate from such harm — take away their car keys, take them back to their rooms and if necessary, obtain medical treatment for the person. Equally, if we see a person, whether a classmate, fraternity brother or total stranger, committing criminal, physical harm to another individual, we must intercede and stop the perpetrator’s conduct, calling 911 if necessary. Please, do not rush to judgment against allegations made against Cornell and the CUPD in a legal system that promotes a very long leash in lodging them. And above all, let us all be committed to taking care of each other, particularly when a bad situation is apparent.
The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026 9
COLUMNS
Editor's Note: The following articles discuss sexual.
Trying to Screw Over the Patriarchy, Kotlikoff Screws Everyone
Francis X. Jaso
A Contrarian's Calamity Francis Xavier Jaso '28 is an Opinion Columnist and a Government and Economics student in the College of Arts & Sciences. His fortnightly column A Contrarian’s Calamity defies normative, dysfunctional campus discourse in the name of reason, hedonism and most notably, satire. He can be reached at fjaso@cornellsun.com.
I
n between chants invoking items usually found in the catch-all liberation toolbox, it seems that University President Michael Kotlikoff, from his Herman Miller Eames lounger, somewhere in Day Hall, heard one more loudly than the rest. Palestinians, transgender students’ rights, the Cayuga Nation and, of course, ‘Justice for Jane Doe,’ were natural talking points for organizers seeing no opportunity more fitting for breaking out the syllabus to Intersectionality 101. But underlying the dialectics of the Oct. 6 rally was the de facto indictment of Cornell’s archenemy: the fraternities. In a campus-wide email sent out on Tuesday morning, Kotlikoff made the fatal decision of imposing collective punishment unto the common man’s devil. Typical of the administration’s retroactive and historically unhelpful statements, the buzzwords delude students aware of its shortcomings and imagine our institution on the frontlines of a manufactured culture war. Charging himself with “sustain[ing] real change into the future,” Kotlikoff has, in the order listed, banned all
fraternity events held in houses “pursuant to the ‘Student Organization Recognition Policy;’” reinforced the Title IX office with new officers and allowed New York State to proceed with “trauma-informed” investigations; and addressed the “duty of care” owed to survivors through the charmingly named Presidential Task Force on Sexual Assault. To the ‘Flyover Freddy’ type or New York Times op-ed fanatic, these words come as sweet relief. An untouchable college known to propel promising scholars into suits has conceded the fight, and institutional change is underway. If only! Yet to students like you and me, it’s common knowledge that the University often facilitates the problems it seeks to sweep away. Kotlikoff, falling in line with his fellow discredited liberal elites, should know better than to solve complex problems with simple solutions, and through in-house changes, no less. The commands ratified, especially the fraternity party ban, will only backtrack from the promised “first steps towards systemic change.” Does anyone actually believe that shuttering frat doors, almost all overseen by the school, won’t result in a massive spillover into the annexes on the streets of Cook, Eddy and Catherine? Will increased administrative bloat be a cost the budget can reasonably bear when our new sexual assault counselors are left twidling their thumbs, after Greek Life exits Sorority and Fraternity Life’s jurisdiction? Can cracking down on alcohol and drug use seamlessly rid the hill of their allegedly “deeply disturbing prevalence” — or will students already restive over the mediocre social scene resort to consumption out of the school’s purview? One might’ve hoped these questions made it to the desk of the people in charge, but it’s much too late for takebacks. Using the fraternity system as his scapegoat, Kotlikoff and his academically decorated goons have demonstrated their neglect of students’ voices and rights of association, demonizing alone a keystone of the social infrastructure
and, well, Keystones. They believe blanket bans — not diligent reevaluations of campus’s bad eggs through rigid adjudicative procedures — can save face. His reckless decision, harping on not only the wants of a small minority of the school, but the now-international court of public opinion, is perhaps the most damning evidence of who our leadership really reports to: the mob. In trying to screw over the ‘patriarchy,’ he has screwed us all. Setting aside the internal implications of the statement, Day Hall has made it clear that it prefers the easy route. Pandering to its potential applicants and donors ashamed by association, Kotlikoff tried flattering high school counselors whose students “might feel conflicted” about applying, shortly after sending down the hammer. In singing ‘Kumbaya’ for the American press and dozens of low-level reporters presumably still camped out next to Collegetown Bagels practically begging for another kernel for their beat, we the students come to realize the ordeal is, and never really was, about us. Cornell does not care about Jane Doe. Neither does it seek a peaceable environment for our healthy academic and social cultivation. When the sun sets over Cayuga, we can safely assume that little beyond cobwebs, visions of Tel Aviv’s beaches and estimating when David Duffield ’62 will fund a particle accelerator of our own is circling through the President’s mind. Hence, it is on us to manifest our will to, in Kotlikoff’s words, “provide actionable ways we can improve.” That begins with continuing to make our voices heard, as we so commendably did last Monday. It’s furthered by associating on our own terms in a safe and responsible manner; and acknowledging the necessary, mutual obligations owed from men to women, and vice-versa. And it most certainly means having a stellar Homecoming this weekend, despite the toils. COURTESY OF ANDREW MOISEY / THE AMERICAN FRATERNITY
Cornell Cannot Ask Women to Trust an Institution That Has Given Them Reasons Not To Lali Tobin
The Tobin Times Lali Tobin MPA '27 is an Opinion Columnist and a master's student at the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. Her monthly column, The Tobin Times, explores public policy and politics through different lenses. She hopes to engage readers in hearing how politics is the most discussed topic in the media and why it is important to stay on top of current issues. She also hopes to tackle current social trends that can be connected through public policy. She can be reached at ltobin@cornellsun.com.
I
have spent a lot of time thinking about what it means to be a public administration student at Cornell. We are taught about institutions. We study policies, implementation, accountability and public trust. We learn that a government or university can write the most carefully crafted policy in the world, but if that policy does not actually protect the people it is supposed to serve, then something has gone terribly wrong. So when I read about Jane Doe, I cannot look at it simply as another news story. I look at it as a student. I look at it as a woman. And I look at it as someone who came to Cornell believing that the institution around me would take care of me and my peers. I am angry. I am frustrated. And, honestly, I am tired. I am tired of women being taught to be careful instead of institutions being held accountable. I am tired of women being told to watch their drinks, stay with their friends, share their locations, carry their keys between their fingers and never walk home alone. I am tired of the responsibility for preventing sexual violence being quietly placed on the people most vulnerable to it. And I am tired of hearing that the solution is another policy, another task force, another training, another website or another statement. Because women already know how serious sexual violence is. We live with it. We plan around it. We think about it when we walk home at night. We think about it when we enter a party. We think about it when we decide whether to trust someone. And now, at Cornell, we are being forced to think about whether we can trust the institution that is supposed to protect us. The allegations made by Jane Doe are devastating. In a civil lawsuit filed this month, she alleges that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven members of Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity
in October 2024 while she was unable to consent. She has named the seven men in her lawsuit. The names of the defendants are included so they can feel the frustration of not only Cornell’s Jane Doe but also the frustration of women attending universities around the country: Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar. The allegations are now the subject of renewed scrutiny after New York Attorney General Letitia James has been appointed by Governor Hochul as special prosecutor on the investigation. CNN has now devoted extensive national coverage to the case, including interviews with Jane Doe's attorney and Cornell students who say the allegations have fundamentally changed how they think about safety and trust on campus. Most recently, a transcript obtained by CBS News and reported by the Associated Press shows that Jane Doe told Cornell police shortly after the alleged assault that she was “100% confident” she had been raped. The transcript also reportedly contains more than the six-page statement that had previously been provided to the District Attorney's Office. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has acknowledged that his office did not previously review the full transcript and has said the reopened investigation could be presented to a grand jury. The dispute over what evidence was provided to prosecutors, and w h e n , has now become one of the central questions surrounding Cornell's handling of the case. T h e questions have now grown beyond Cornell's campus. The Cornell Daily Sun reports that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has called for a transparent, independent review of Cornell's response, while New York Attorney General Letitia James' office is reviewing the University's handling of the allegations. Cornell has maintained that it shared its investigative information with prosecutors and has emphasized that federal privacy laws limit what it can disclose about individual disciplinary proceedings. The University's position and the concerns raised by prosecutors, students and outside officials are now part of an increasingly public debate over whether Cornell's existing systems for reporting, investigating and responding to sexual violence worked as they were supposed to. The University's 2025 Survey of Sexual Assault and Related Misconduct found that 35% of undergraduate women who responded reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact during their time at Cornell, compared with 23% in 2023. The survey also found an increase in nonconsensual sexual contact across the student population. The University and The Sun have appropriately noted that the 2025 survey had a much lower
response rate than previous surveys, meaning the findings need to be interpreted cautiously. But even with that limitation, the numbers are deeply concerning. Thirty-five percent. Even writing that number feels unbearable. In Febuary 2025, Cornell implemented a Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault. It developed plans for education, prevention, transportation, communication and accountability. Those are important steps. But a recommendation is not the same thing as change. A policy is not the same thing as protection. A task force is not the same thing as accountability. And a statement is not the same thing as trust. How can a university implement and create ‘recommendations’ when they can't even follow them nor protect their student community? Students need to feel safe walking on campus knowing they have a university who will stand beside them during a time of crisis rather than brushing their issues aside and having them feel alone. And I want to say something very clearly: I am proud of Jane Doe for speaking up. I am proud of her for refusing to let her alleged experience disappear. I am proud of her for putting herself through the pain of telling a story that no person should ever have to tell. And I am proud of her for naming the men she alleges were involved. Not because survivors should have to publicly expose themselves to be believed. Not because women should have to go to court to make people care. And certainly not because speaking publicly is something any survivor owes us. But because silence is often what institutions benefit from. And Jane Doe refused to be silent. That matters. Her courage matters. Her voice matters. After reading the reports and watching the national coverage, I keep coming back to the same thought: How many women have been silent because they did not believe speaking would change anything? I do not want to graduate from Cornell knowing that we became better at writing policies than we became at protecting people. I do not want another woman to become another statistic. I do not want another survivor to wonder whether speaking up is worth it. And I do not want another Cornellian walking across this beautiful campus with her keys between her fingers, looking over her shoulder, wondering whether she is safe. We should not have to live like that. Women should not have to live like that. Students should not have to live like that. And Cornell should never accept that as normal.
10 The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026
Science
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Dogs, Radar and Babies: Seniors Begin Work on Honors Theses By FARRAH SCOTT Sun Staff Writer
As students begin the new academic year, some Cornell seniors are exploring the rigorous world of research through a unique milestone: the senior honors thesis. To learn more about what an honors thesis is, The Sun spoke with two seniors, Sophia DeSisti ’27 and Shawn Wallace ’27, who gave a glimpse into the work they have put in so far and what they hope to accomplish before graduation. Additionally, Jeff Huether ’26, a recent animal science graduate, reflected upon his experience defending his thesis.
What is a Senior Honors Thesis? At Cornell, a senior honors thesis offers students the opportunity to deeply research a topic they care about through an individual, faculty-guided research project. The thesis is designed to explore a question that researchers haven’t fully answered yet, which prepares students for graduate work and research-driven careers. The process of completing a senior thesis varies across colleges and departments at Cornell. Students are typically required to apply during their junior year of college and submit a written thesis by the spring of their senior year.
COURTESY OF SHAWN WALLACE '27
High honors | Senior honors theses prepare students for careers in research and are rigorous in nature.
After the written thesis is submitted, students are sometimes required to give an oral defense of their findings to classmates and professors. Once this is complete, it may be published in an online archive for unpublished research papers called bioRxiv. In fields like animal science, biology and society, psychology or other STEM areas, defending a senior thesis is more common than in non-STEM departments, such as English. Students across departments can choose to conduct a senior thesis by approaching their advisor and discussing potential research interests and eligibility requirements. Interested students must write an application and a thesis proposal to the department that aligns with their research idea. Deadlines for these applications among all senior theses are due no later than the first semester of senior year. Bad Bones and Dog Genes: Jeff Huether ’26’s Panosteitis Study For Huether, his honors thesis topic became not only a research question, but a line of inquiry he hopes to continue beyond college. Huether’s thesis, which he defended in May, focused on panosteitis, a painful bone disease that primarily affects young, large-breed dogs, causing lameness and impairing mobility. However, scientists are uncertain about the cause of the disease, he explained. Huether’s senior thesis provides a preliminary diagnosis method and recommends ways for scientists to move forward in discovering the origin of panosteitis. “You have this giant, whole project
you have to do at some point or whatever that big task may be, it's kind of like you have to figure out when you're getting that done and how you're getting that done. Obviously you try to set goals and deadlines, sometimes you fall behind those or get ahead of those, it's a time commitment but I think it’s worth it.” Unlike most coursework, Huether’s senior thesis had few checkpoints, with the majority of his work being managed independently. With his principal investigator Prof. Heather Huson, animal science, he set goals and deadlines that helped to evenly distribute the work over time. Huether aimed to understand some of the root causes of panosteitis, and if there are differences in how the disease affects different breeds of dogs. In particular, he focused on identifying genetic regions among dogs with panosteitis that are susceptible to the disease. He used a GenomeWide Association Study, a research method that scans the entire genome — or all of an organism’s genetic material — to find genetic associations. Huether analyzed genetic data from an organization in New Jersey called The Seeing Eye, which breeds and trains guide dogs for people who are visually impaired. The organization raises several breeds, including German shepherds, labrador retrievers and golden retrievers. To continue reading, please visit www. cornellsun.com. Farrah Scott can be reached at fas84@cornell.edu.
OpenAI Claims It Solved the Navier-Stokes Problem. What do Cornell Professors Have to Say About It? By SOFIA ROMERO Sun Staff Writer
OpenAI claimed in September that one of its models had solved a mathematical problem worth one million dollars: the Navier-Stokes Problem. The Navier-Stokes Problem is one of seven “Millennium Prize Problems” proposed by the Clay Mathematics Institute in 2000, each a famously unsolved mathematical problem with a million-dollar prize attached to finding a solution. On Sept. 8, OpenAI announced that an “internal OpenAI system” had solved the Navier-Stokes Problem — news that was followed by shock and uncertainty from mathematicians about how this solution was determined and who should get credit. Given that artificial intelligence seems to have solved a problem that challenged human mathematicians for decades, the announcement from OpenAI raised broader questions about the role of human researchers and the future of mathematics as AI capabilities grow. To explore these questions, The Sun spoke to four Cornell professors across engineering, computer science and mathematics. What Exactly Was Solved? The equations at the heart of the Navier-Stokes Problem describe the flow of fluids and are used across disciplines, from predicting weather patterns to informing aircraft design. Despite these real-world applications, the Navier-Stokes Problem at the center of breaking news is framed specifically as a math problem, not a fluid mechanics problem. Prof. Brian Kirby, mechanical engineering, explained that distinction. “It’s a mathematical problem that’s
inspired by fluid mechanics,” Kirby said. “It speaks to a physical question that one might have about fluid dynamics, but it addresses that question by going to a range that’s not physical.” In other words, the Navier-Stokes Problem investigates whether the equations might become unreliable for predicting fluid behavior under certain conditions. Under those conditions, the equations would predict fluids moving at infinite speeds — a potential outcome of the math problem but impossible in the real world. It remains unclear whether a solution to the Navier-Stokes problem would have KARLIE MCGANN / SUN SENIOR EDITOR any practical applications. Artificial answers | Many mathematicians have expressed concern about OpenAI's Prof. Donald Koch, chemical engiclaim that it has unraveled a famously unsolved mathematical problem. neering, said that while no application of the solution exists at the moment, “there matics community was strong. While AI is increasingly used by math might be eventually.” Just three days after the announcement, researchers, the mathematician commu“For it to make an impact, there has 25 Fields Medalists — recipients of a nity had been unprepared for what they to be understanding of this result,” Koch highly prestigious prize for mathematical viewed as a rapid progression of AI’s said. “All I know at this point is that some- achievement — released a signed state- mathematical capabilities, explained Prof. one at OpenAI has released 160 pages ment titled “A Severe Misalignment of AI Steven Strogatz, mathematics. of stuff and said that this is solving the in Mathematics.” They expressed concern Strogatz described what the math comproblem.” over the “misalignment” of AI companies’ munity's attitude around AI had been Without a human understanding of goals with mathematicians’ goals in solv- earlier in the year. OpenAI’s proposed solution, the possibil- ing math problems, stating that “solving “Mathematicians [felt] like, ‘Well, still, ity of the solution’s application can’t be problems is only a tool and proxy for it can’t really do research that competes confirmed or ruled out, he explained. achieving the primary goal of conceptual with those of us who are near the top of “I’m waiting for the mathematicians understanding and insight.” the profession,’ and that was the way that in the field to start giving me an underThe Clay Mathematics Institute released people were talking about it even into the standing [of the solution], and then to its own statement the same day, acknowl- spring of this year,” Strogatz said. transfer those ideas to engineers who will edging OpenAI’s proposed solution but say whether those ideas can be made prac- referring to its process for assessing soluTo continue reading, please visit www. tical,” Koch said. tions and awarding the Millennium Prize cornellsun.com. Shocking to Some, Expected to Others as “deliberately unhurried.” The Institute’s While OpenAI’s announcement rules state that a proposed solution must may have limited implications for fluid be published and withstand two years of Sofia Romero can be reached at mechanics, the reaction within the mathe- scrutiny before a prize can be awarded. scr226@cornell.edu.
The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026 11
Lifestyle
The Corne¬ Daily Sun
The Upperclassman ‘Upgrade’ Is a Myth By MAYA ROTHBARD Staff Writer
I
am on my 20-minute walk home from Central Campus, trying not to socialize with anyone due to this absolutely lethal combination: my noise cancelling headphones blasting Calvin Harris in my ears, and my laziness to wear my glasses or contacts that prevent me from recognizing faces. I don’t feel my best, and I certainly do not look my best after having hours of classes with no time to properly sit down for a lunch break. In between that anxiety of coming home without seeing or hearing anything, I hear my name faintly in the background. “Maya! How are you? Where are you headed?” I stop to converse for two seconds, and normally these interactions will happen on Ho Plaza or that one bridge over the Cascadilla Gorge Trail (my favorite shortcut to get home, despite the amount of stairs). I put on a smile, trying to conceal the level of stress I’m having behind my poor eyesight, and then I end with the words, “Alright, I’ll see you!” In my opinion, there is no better way to end a conversation than with that sentiment. If there are any other good ways to end small talk, let me know! Anyways, I complete my walk over to Collegetown, actively struggling to process that I am now a junior in college. I am 20 years old, with real responsibilities other than online shopping in my classes, learning how to maintain the “mold” of being a mature adult. However, that aspira-
tion cuts short while walking back to my dorm. While thinking the small talk was over, I come across Collegetown Bagels, an upperclassman’s favorite hangout. Of course, all class years know CTB and will spend their free time there if they are in the area, but now that I am a junior, it feels like the new Novick’s Cafe. I am desperately trying to get through the doors of Sheldon Court so that I can just lay in my bed, but to no surprise, I overhear my name once again. Ugh. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like having these small-talk conversations with people I run into on campus. But after a long day of classes and whatever comes in between, there is nothing I want more than a precious half-hour window to just lay on my bed and exist before the self-inflicted evening academic grind begins. Finally, I get into Sheldon Court, scan into the building and get to my bed. My body marinates into my mattress topper, and I have never felt better. Then, I remember: my mandatory meeting at 5 p.m. The reality of being an upperclassman is that the hard work never stops. It’s like high school, where your first two years were solely meant to experiment and find your “passion” — a word that used to trigger my 15-year-old self. I believed that there was a recipe that would get me into a top-tier college, and that my junior year of high school was when that process would really start. Now, at Cornell, that cycle is
NATHAN BO/ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
repeating, and I am just getting started. On a Friday afternoon, instead of seeing people enjoy the nice fall weather we are having, I see them dressed in business professional attire, waiting to go to their career networking event where the goal is to connect with someone on LinkedIn who can maybe land you an interview. That process, however, is daunting. 99% of the time, you are going to leave feeling unsuccessful at such networking events, largely due to the fact that there is always going to be someone more impressive. I’ve realized that as a junior, the academic competition has truly intensified amongst Cornellians. We are all trying to get a good summer internship that can lead to return offers, and instead of working as a team, we are indirectly competing against one another. The environment is unsettling, whether it is thinking about the investment bank we will be working at in the future
or the graduate school that is calling our names. The upperclassmen adjustment is real — we’ve all played the college admissions game before. Now, the new game is figuring out how to build successful careers as adults. With graduation slowly inching closer, it feels like we’re expected to have the next five years of our lives figured out before we’ve even finished the current one. And while no one really knows what they’re doing, it can certainly feel like everyone else does. Maybe that’s the hardest part of being an upperclassman: learning to navigate a new kind of uncertainty while watching everyone around you do the same. We’re no longer just adjusting to college — we’re adjusting to the idea of life after it. Maya Rothbard is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at mrothbard@cornellsun.com.
Inside Collegetown Jazz Club’s Masquerade By INES HWANG Staff Writer
O
n the night of Sept. 26, the Theta Delta Chi fraternity mansion was filled with masquerade masks, candlelit tables and the sound of live jazz. Guests entered with beautiful dresses and put on their masks before taking their seats for the Collegetown Jazz Club’s Masquerade. The club paired two set-lists of live jazz with small plates, turning the almost century-old mansion into an intimate jazz club for the night. At the center of the evening was the Nate Choi Trio, featuring Nathan Choi ’28 on piano, Ted Crall ’29 on bass, Theo Lobo ’27 on drums and guest trumpeter Tomás Comesaña ’27. The musicians have considerable experience: Choi received an Outstanding Performance award as a part of Cornell’s Herbert Gussman Jazz Septet in the 2026 DownBeat Student Music Awards and has previously performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Lobo performs throughout Ithaca with the Cornell Jazz En-
semble, and Crall received an Outstanding Bass Award at the Essentially Ellington competition. Comesaña ’27 serves as principal chair trumpeter in Cornell’s Barbara & Richard T. Silver Wind Symphony and runs the weekly Jazz+ Jam sessions. The musicians, like the guests, entered the stage wearing masks, which set the scene for the masquerade and shaped the pace of the room. Choi’s piano carried the melodic direction, Crall’s bass and Lobo’s drums grounded the trio and Comesaña’s trumpet added a distinctive fourth voice. Each musician had a solo moment, but Lobo drew particular attention and loud applause, his powerful drums ringing throughout the mansion. Yet, the appeal came less from a single musician but rather from watching the four musicians craft a musical story. The performance felt more conversational, both figuratively and literally. The audience, in close proximity to the musicians, could see the exchanges between them and their true passion and effort in the beautiful performance. Brief explanations before each piece, a few humorous moments and a well-chosen program, one that I particularly enjoyed was “The Girl From Ipanema” which
COURTESY OF OSCAR ZHENG
COURTESY OF OSCAR ZHENG
set the mood for a fun, comfortable night. The performance was accompanied by two small plates. During the first session, truffle-drizzled brie, fig jam and honey, baguette and water crackers were served. The second plate included Genoa salami, aged white cheddar, a baguette and grapes. The pairings, rather than distracting the audience from the performance, reinforced the night’s pacing. The audience enjoyed the music, food and the chance to look around the mansion, characterized by oak paneling, Italian stone and stained glass. The Masquerade felt intentional in a way most Cornell Saturday nights do not. The formal setting and the masks made that clear from the moment guests entered. The Collegetown Jazz Club has a broader goal of creating spaces where students who may not otherwise cross paths meet through jazz. It is an idea the club carries into its weekly performances on Wednesdays at Tres Leches and through a semester-long membership system that gives members early access to events like the Masquerade. According to organizer Ali Awada ’28, the Masquerade was the club’s “largest attempt at
[creating that kind of space] so far.” The evening reflected that goal in its structure and attention to detail. By the end of the night, the Masquerade felt less like a themed event and more like a space where the music gave people a reason to stay, listen and connect. Personally, what made the night memorable was how immersive the event felt. Sitting only a few feet from the musicians, I could feel the live music surge with energy through the room. There may be many chances to listen to live music on campus, but the people and the setting — both reflecting the efforts of those who wanted this event to succeed — made the performance feel more personal. I also appreciated the balance of the event, as it felt elegant but not stiff, with people dressed up, listening closely and laughing and talking comfortably between pieces. The night stood out for being able to enjoy something so thoughtfully put together, alongside new friends, old ones, food and live music. Ines Hwang is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at ish7@cornell.edu.
12 The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026
ADS
Comics
The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026 13
CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIED AD RATES
Ads are accepted at The Sun’s office at 139 W. State Street downtown, by phone or e-mail. Deadline: Noon at The Sun’s office two days preceding publication.
Standard Rate: $3.95 per day for first 15 words, 39 cents per day per word thereafter. Five or more consecutive insertions, $3.70 per day for first 15 words, 37 cents per day per word thereafter. Commercial Rate: $5.95 per day for first 15 words, 40 cents per day per word thereafter. Five or more consecutive insertions, $5.75 per day for first 15 words, 38 cents per day per word thereafter. The Sun is responsible for only one day makegood on ads.
607-273-3606 classifieds@cornellsun.com
Last week’s solution by Harry Zheng ’27
14 The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026
News
ATTORNEY
REVIEW
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1
As millions rally behind Jane Doe on campus and across the country, the woman at the center of it all faces threats and intense public scrutiny. Her attorney, Whitney Seals, says she remains hopeful that her experience could spare others from what she has endured. In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Seals reflected on the national attention surrounding the case, relayed challenges Jane Doe has endured and shared his hope for change. Jane Doe, a former Cornell student, filed a lawsuit on Sept. 14 alleging that she was gang raped after being coerced into consuming drugs by several men at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell in 2024. Since the civil lawsuit was filed, the media has thrust the case onto the national stage, while social media has become a central force in circulating information, applying pressure and mobilizing demands for institutional change. “Neither she nor I could see a worldwide movement coming — that wasn’t necessarily on our radar screen,” Seals said. Amid the movement, Seals addressed the volume of misinformation on social media, which he characterized as “upsetting, but to be expected.” Jane Doe and her family have been the subject of a series of escalating death threats, including a swatting incident — a deliberate false report to law enforcement to prompt an armed police response at her house. Seals said the public scrutiny surrounding the case underscores the roadblocks that can often discourage survivors from coming forward, including the fear of ridicule, shame and judgment. He hopes that survivors of sexual assault can “lower the barriers that may be imposed by society, or law enforcement, or colleges or even themselves on coming forward.” While Jane Doe “has endured an awful lot,” Seals said, “it appears she’s going to be enduring a good bit more.” Seals expressed gratitude that this case has sparked national conversation about campus rape culture, sexual assault, consent and how the country views survivors. He hopes that one day the world will be safe enough for him to introduce Jane Doe and “have her share her story from her heart.” “But right now,” Seals said, “I just don’t think it’s a safe environment.” Public outcry and pressure, as well as resurfacing evidence, prompted the Tompkins County District Attorney, Matthew Van Houten, to reopen a criminal investigation into the case. However, with growing mistrust about how Van Houten originally handled the case in 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) appointed Attorney General Letitia James (D-N.Y.) as special prosecutor to lead the reopened criminal investigation. While Seals acknowledged that he is not aware of all of the circumstances involving the police investigation or the Tompkins County District Attorney’s decisions in the case, he knows that Jane Doe “was not given the support that [he thinks] she probably deserved.” Seals acknowledged that the lawsuit filed on behalf of his client has created significant turmoil at Cornell. The filing of the lawsuit has galvanized impassioned supporters into action. Thousands of students, faculty and Ithaca community members flooded Ho Plaza on Monday for a “Justice for Survivors” rally, demanding accountability, transparency and substantive changes from the University. On Friday, over 100 students staged a sit-in for seven hours in solidarity with Jane Doe. “My hope is that the [Cornell] administration can shift their viewpoint to see this as an opportunity to right a wrong, and to take steps so that these things don’t ever happen at Cornell again,” Seals said. “Cornell has an opportunity to become a university with a positive, proactive focus on preventing sexual assault that could become a model for the rest of the country if they wish to do so.” Several individuals organized a GoFundMe after learning that Cornell did not refund Jane Doe’s tuition when she left campus following the incident. They reached out to Seals, hoping to help cover her expenses, but Jane Doe declined their offer. She requested that the money be donated to survivors of sexual assault instead, noting that the generous individuals “should not have to be paying for anything I’ve lost — the people at fault should.” “If there’s one thing I can tell you about Jane Doe,” Seals said, “It’s that she is awfully humble and has proceeded through this with a humility that is inspiring to me.” In a statement to The Sun, the University denied the claims that Cornell did not refund Jane Doe her tuition. “While we cannot disclose information about specific students due to student privacy laws, claims that no refund was processed are untrue,” a University sSpokesperson wrote. “When a student takes a leave during a term, a prorated refund is provided.” Throughout the national scrutiny surrounding the case, Seals shared his hopes for change. “If all of what happened, as terrible as it was, and all of the fallout and all of the noise, and all of the damage and the wreckage results in some change, so that there’s one less Jane Doe,” Seals said, “then I would chalk that up to an absolute, unqualified win.”
Cornell will provide Yates with releCornell agreed to an independent review after Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) vant policies, records, case files and access called for one in a statement on Sept. 29. to University personnel and leadership, New York State Attorney General Letitia while complying with applicable laws and James (D-N.Y.) is also conducting an privacy requirements, according to the investigation into Cornell’s response to the statement. alleged Chi Phi gang rape. Smalling also calls on Cornell to take a According to the statement, the review critical look at its own response to sexual will examine how Cornell handles reports violence and consider how it can improve of sexual misconduct, including its inves- moving forward. “It is imperative that Cornell be willtigation and hearing processes, disciplinary decisions, coordination with law enforce- ing to examine itself with the same rigor ment, student support resources, Greek we expect of others,” Smalling wrote. Life policies and the Board’s oversight of “We want to understand not just what happened in 2024, but how Cornell can sexual misconduct cases. Yates will also evaluate Cornell’s com- become a leader in preventing sexual viopliance with federal and state laws on mis- lence, supporting those who come forward conduct, as well as higher education best and responding to allegations rigorously, practices for preventing and responding fairly and compassionately.” to such cases. Title IX, the Clery Act, the Violence Against Women Act, Campus SaVE Act and New York State law will all Zeinab Faraj can be reached at zfaraj@corbe considered, according to the statement. nellsun.com.
University Cancels Homecoming Drone and Laser Light Show LIGHTS
Continued from page 1
The Common Council cited the University’s alleged “failure” in its handling of the Chi Phi case in the moratorium. The action is intended to pressure the University to adopt major changes in how it deals with sexual misconduct, including requiring the Cornell University Police Department to hand over sexual assault investigations to the Ithaca Police Department. Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo M.A. ’20 wrote that the moratorium should remain in effect “until such time that the University conducts an accounting of its protocols to prevent and prosecute crimes of sexual violence and publicly releases new standards and practices to keep our community safe,” in a statement calling for the action.
“We canceled this year’s drone and laser light show to respect the City of Ithaca’s moratorium on permits for student events,” a University spokesperson wrote to The Sun. The event was slated for 8 p.m. on Friday at Schoellkopf Stadium, with attendance being free and open to the general public and DJ Chris Washburn opening the event. The decision comes amid national uproar following a Sept. 14 lawsuit in which a former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, alleged that she was sexually assaulted and gang raped after being coerced into consuming drugs at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in Zeinab Faraj can be reached at zfaraj@cornellsun. 2024. com.
JAEIN KU/SUN CONTRIBUTOR
Cereese Qusba can be reached at cqusba@cornellsun.com.
Festive fireworks | The drone and laser light show annually kicks off Homecoming weekend.
The Cornell Daily Sun | Friday, October 16, 2026 15
NEWS
NATHAN ELLISON / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Protest march | Hundreds of protesters marched through the Commons on Tuesday rallying behind Jane Doe.
NATHAN ELLISON / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Handmade signs | Demonstrators held signs in support of sexual assault prevention.
Hundreds of Protesters Attend ‘I Am Jane Doe’ Rally in Ithaca Commons RALLY
Continued from page 1 Oct. 15 — Several hundred protesters gathered in the Ithaca Commons on Tuesday afternoon to rally behind Jane Doe — the former Cornell student who filed a lawsuit alleging that she was gang raped at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. At the rally, approximately 15 speakers took the stage, where they shared a letter from Jane Doe, discussed national and New York State sexual assault law, shared their own experiences as survivors of sexual assault and voiced support for Jane Doe. Many attendees and speakers hailed from Cornell and the Ithaca community, while others arrived from other states and countries to show support. The rally — titled “I am Jane Doe” — comes amid national uproar surrounding the alleged 2024 Chi Phi gang rape and concerns over Cornell’s handling of the allegations. Thousands also attended a “Justice for Survivors” rally on Cornell’s campus on Oct. 6, expressing solidarity with Jane Doe and survivors of sexual assault and frustration with the Univeristy’s handling of the Chi Phi case. At the beginning of the Ithaca Commons rally, Shannon Porter, one of the organizers, shared a letter written by Jane Doe which addressed the thousands of protesters who participated in the Oct. 6 rally. “Thank you for turning your belief into action,”
“I hope that this starts a national change for sexual assault survivors in the entire United States, in every campus, in every city, in the government, [Jeffrey] Epstein survivors, everything.”
a person is only considered unable to consent due to “mental incapacitation” if under the influence of a substance administered “without his consent.” “If you’re a survivor who chose to drink, the door to justice has slammed in your face,” said Lizzie Asher at the rally. Asher and Minister Peace, co-founders of the Justice without Intoxication Coalition, have been working to reform this law since 2019. “Let’s demand that our lawmakers make laws that prosecutors can use to make men and rapists and predators accountable,” Asher said. “All day today, we have been talking about changing the system. I want you to know that system is not just at Cornell.” Finley Muratova, a lead organizer and a Title IX advocate, also expressed frustration at the implementation of school Title IX policies, stating that they “have seen more survivors drop out” than “rapists expelled or even suspended.” “Colleges don’t really tell you about Title IX more than they have to,” Muratova said. “It is easier for them when survivors don’t know their rights after they’re sexually assaulted on their campus. No reports made means no problems for the school.” Ray Epstein discussed the need to create systemic changes in universities’ policies, rather than replacing administration or Title IX coordinators. “Nothing is going to change,” she said, “until we realize that this is a problem systemically across the country because colleges are incentivized as businesses first and learning institutions second.” Muratova also expressed support for the demands created by over 20 organizations on campus, which include expelling or revoking degrees of all of the seven alleged assaulters named in the lawsuit, implementing mandatory sexual assault trainings for students and
Samara Ferris Porter said, reading Doe’s letter. “Thank you for recognizing the countless difficulties and obstacles that come with being Jane and demanding that the systems that so often fail us can do better. Thank you for giving me hope in the courageous Cornell student body. Please continue to make your voice heard with conviction, compassion and peace.” The rally was organized by activists, primarily based in New York, who work to promote sex education and sexual assault preventions. The organizers found each other on Instagram and “got together naturally,” Samara Ferris, one of the organizers, told The Sun. “None of us had met until today,” Ferris told The Sun. “We did not know each other .… We just came together organically over our rage and desire to change things.” Throughout the event, speakers discussed Title IX and a provision of New York State penal law that creates a “voluntary intoxication loophole.” The “loophole” refers to the definition of mental incapacitation under New York State penal law, where
NATHAN ELLISON / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Enough is Enough | Activists spoke at the Bernie Milton Pavilion in the Commons on Tuesday to a crowd.
establishing trauma-informed trainings for the Cornell University Police Department. Speakers also expressed hope that the rally and larger movement in response to the Chi Phi case would spark systemic change. “I hope that this starts a national change for sexual
assault survivors in the entire United States, in every campus, in every city, in the government, [Jeffrey] Epstein survivors, everything,” Ferris told The Sun. Demonstrators hold signs and cheer in support of sexual assault prevention. Throughout the rally, speakers also addressed the impact that activism has on the movement for sexual assault prevention. Nigel Tatem ’28 spoke about how, in the span of a few weeks, international attention sparked by the Chi Phi case has led to the appointment of New York State Attorney General Letitia James (D-N.Y.) to lead the criminal investigation of the allegations and an independent review of Cornell’s handling of the case. “Those involved are being forced to answer and finally take accountability,” Tatem said. “That shows us what speaking up can help make possible, but we should not have to raise hell to get justice. A woman should not need millions of strangers watching before she can trust that her report will be investigated thoroughly and properly.”
“A woman should not need millions of strangers watching before she can trust that her report will be investigated thoroughly and properly.” Nigel Tatem ’28 Jess Michaels, a survivor of sexual assault by Jeffery Epstein, shared her experience during the drafting and passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act and discussed the need to stand up against sexual assault. “People are going to say things can’t change, it can’t be done, it’s impossible, [but] that’s a f*cking lie,” Michaels said. “We plan on being in this for the long haul, the beginning of the end.” Ferris also shared a statement written by Alva Johnson, a staffer in President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign who sued him for sexual assault in 2019. In her statement, Johnson also discussed the impact of activism against sexual assault. “There is something deeply powerful, almost spiritual, about reclaiming your own voice when others have tried to take it away, about knowing that even when the people entrusted with protecting you failed, you did not abandon yourself,” Ferris said, reading Johnson’s statement. “This is a kind of courage no institution can give you, and no institution can take away.” Ray Epstein expressed hope for the movement in an interview with The Sun. “As someone who’s been in the space for 10 years, through ‘Me Too,’ through my own case, through so many other cases, I’ve never seen people come out with this much belief,” Ray Epstein said. “There has never been support like this for someone who is a survivor that I’ve ever witnessed … and I think that that is promising for a better future.” Coral Platt can be reached at cplatt@cornellsun.com.
A & C
16 | Friday, October 16, 2026 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun
ARTS & CULTURE
By TYLER ST CYR
Uris Library’s ‘Unending Conversation’
Arts & Culture Contributor
As a freshman, I’ve been searching since August for undiscovered spots on campus, including niche study spaces. On Oct. 30, I found one. First floor of Uris Library — the main area, not the Harry Potter part — around the corner where the two handicap-accessible bathrooms are located and to the right exists the Uris Library stacks, which, while maybe not as impressive as those in Olin Library, house shelves and shelves of the written word. On the windowed side of these shelves sits a row of study carrels. My phone was dead, so I chose the closest one with an outlet. But, when I went to plug my adapter in, my eyes were drawn to the surrounding white-painted brick wall. The brick had been graffitied with black Sharpies and black pens — pens probably identical to the one I had used to take lecture notes with not even an hour prior. The graffiti revealed student thoughts and messages from years past. Some messages posed questions: “Did you get into med school and make mom and grandma proud?” and “Why did she leave me?” Some provided words of encouragement: “I look up to you. I love you [signed with a heart]” and “stay strong.” Some expressed anxiety, desperation and regret: “I have so much work,” with “work” double-underlined and “Send Help plz,” signed with a frowning face and “Should have gone to NYU.” Some delivered commands: “Stop scrolling on your phone!” or “Study … !”
One quoted Oppenheimer: “Theory will take you only so far.” One simply noted: “js was here,” signed “02/26/25” And one, signed, “G, ’22,” said “F*ck covid.” All across this section of the wall, people answered other students’ questions and responded to their comments. As my eyes shot across the wall in all directions, analyzing the interactions between the statements, written by different individuals all at different times yet all gathered in the same place, I started to think of the textbook my AP English Language teacher assigned to us in my junior year of high school. Specifically, the following term: the unending conversation. The term was coined by literary and rhetorical theorist Kenneth Burke (1897–1993) in his 1941 book The Philosophy of Literary Form: Studies in Symbolic Action, in which he describes discourse through a short hypothetical about a person walking into a parlor: “You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of the argument; then you put in your oar. … However, the discussion is interminable. The hours grow late, you must depart. And you do depart, with the discussion still vigorously in progress” (p. 110). This metaphor, I thought, was the perfect articulation of the Uris graffiti: Various individuals, across time, contributing to the same dialogue — the same conversation — that will never end. And I started to think about how not only do the books within a library symbolize an archive of human knowledge and experience, but so can the literal walls that surround those books.
The only aspect I’d add to Burke’s metaphor is this: Say, at a later date, you re-enter the parlor. You can come back as many times as you want — for the conversation is “unending.” You see some familiar faces, some entirely new. You can decide how frequently or infrequently you want to change your mind, but you will inevitably be exposed to opinions and ideas you hadn’t been exposed to before, and, of course, the conversation, being “unending,” shall never cease to be. I write this because one of the messages in particular stuck out to me; it was by a student who left a note as a freshman, then came back later during undergrad, shocked to see it was still there, then came back once more while in grad school: “you are loved [signed with two hearts]” Arrow pointing from first message: “omg i wrote this freshman year and its still here T-T … you are still loved [signed with two hearts]” Arrow pointing from second message: “back as a grad student (stockholm) literally how is this still here 5 years later … you’re STILL loved [signed with a heart]” We’re perpetually surrounded by people and perspectives, past and present. Sometimes, they just show up where you might not expect to find them — the walls of an old, musty library. We just have to look a little harder to see them. Tyler St Cyr is a member of the Class of 2030 in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a contributor for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at trs262@cornell.edu.
Making Modern Gods: Francesco Dimitri’s ‘Pan’ By WYATT TAMAMOTO Arts & Culture Writer
Editor’s Note: This article contains references to rape and sexual assault. Pan, written in 2008 by Italian author Francesco Dimitri and translated into English this year by Sophia McDougall, is not a proper book, but it’s not trying to be one. Overtly political and unapologetically contemporary, Pan artfully amalgamates a classic child’s tale to include every disillusioning thing such a tale should omit. In twisting a tale of innocence, Dimitri questions forces at work in maturity and wonder in modern society. Set in an early 2000s version of Rome, Pan begins with the dreams of the children on the city’s streets. To these children, the grit of the concrete and the darkness of the night are a harsh reality, but in their dreams, they can escape to an island born of myth and magic. Here, boundaries are defined as fleeting whims. Here, the children are free as they please to soar in the sky and spar with sticks, stones or sharpened steel. Here, there is no threat but adventure and no grownups but the pirates. The more sensible in society deny its existence, but to the children, the island is every bit as real as the concrete, steel and shadows of Rome. The island, the dream, is Neverland. Over the course of the novel, Dimitri slowly reveals his take on the world of James M. Barrie’s 1911 Peter Pan, the story of “the boy who never grew up.” The main characters — a trio of siblings named Giovanni
ARTS & CULTURE
Cavaterra, Wondrous Wendy (her real name, Angela Cavaterra) and Michele Cavaterra — naturally reflect their Darling family counterparts in Barrie’s story, John, Wendy and Michael. Other similar fixtures include Pan himself, the infamous Captain Hook, Tinkerbell and a horde of Lost Children. The plot, too, is a reflection of Barrie’s tale, revolving around the siblings’ attempts to navigate the unending conflict between the transgressive Pan and the calculating Hook. However, past the basic framework and a cast of familiar characters, the similarities end as Dimitri twists the stories of the past to suit the needs and themes of the present. The most natural of these changes was the relocation of the tale to modern Italy. In this setting, Giovanni is a university student struggling with his thesis, Wendy is an aspiring magician trying to catch a break in a soul-sucking artistic industry and Michele is a high schooler obsessed with superhero comics. As the Cavaterras struggle to grapple with the magic swiftly suffusing their everyday problems, the boundary between reality and fantasy grows more permeable and the two begin to blur together. This uncertainty manifests the limbo between childhood and adulthood that is explored in Peter Pan’s original tale but puts it in terms of contemporary academia, arts and culture. Also transmuted are the mystical characters, Pan and Hook, who take on more ominous incarnations. The boy who never grew up, enchanting and ageless, is remade into the Greek god and Lord of Arcadia, Pan, an
ancient and inherently unprdictable power. Hook becomes the Discordian entity Greyface, a force of authoritarian order standing in opposition to Pan’s chaos. In these characters, Dimitri depicts libertarian and conservative ideologies in their extremes with a haunting combination of empathy and condemnation. It’s easy, initially, to side with Pan, the font of freedom, inspiration and expression, in his pursuit of art and revelry. However, in scene after scene, Dimitri demonstrates that also within Pan’s sphere of influence are other unbridled acts of passion like vandalism, murder and rape in which one is given free-reign, if not urged, to force themselves upon others. Greyface, Hook, is the one who would check these impulses and protect the community, with the twin powers of omnipresent surveillance and omnipotent regulation. To Greyface, the world cannot achieve the peace it claims to seek until people commit to surrendering the personality of society in its entirety — craven impulses and beautiful individuality alike. Pan’s gods are forces every bit as primal and formidable as thunder or the sun, but despite personifying human attributes, they remain as numb as nature to the collateral damage inflicted by their pursuits. Fortunately, there is a third god dreaming with the children, growing alongside the Cavaterras and struggling to hold itself together as Pan and Greyface rip it apart: the city of Rome. As its people live in its buildings, on its streets, under its bridges, so too does the city live. As they bustle about their business, so too does the city move. As they whisper, hawk, cry
and scream, so too does the city speak. The city’s spirit beats in tandem with the hearts of its people, and without them, it would be nothing. It is brought to consciousness by their thoughts as surely as Pan and Greyface are, in the end, merely embodied concepts. Ultimately, this is not the gods’ world, it is humanity’s. The story centers Giovanni, Wendy and Michele because it is their decision, and, by extension, the decisions of everyone in Rome that will determine the outcome of the conflict. My greatest criticism of the novel would be the valiant attempt it makes at explaining the arcane mechanics of its magic, a decision which I would normally support. However, in trying to hold onto a sense of mysticism, the final result falls short of both, stranding the reader in the ether between awe and understanding. Dimitri draws on powerful forces to create the story of Pan, bringing them together in a terrific cautionary tale for the modern era. Blending together magic, technology, contemporary culture and pantheons old and new, Dimirti orders the pieces into a work that will delight fans of urban fantasy and certainly invoke contemplation in any who pick up its pages. There is so much more I could say about this book, including its army of viewpoint characters, the development of Tinkerbell’s character and explorations of sexuality. However, I will have to leave these, along with the ending, to you. Wyatt Tamamoto is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a contributor for Arts & Culture department and can be reached at wkt22@cornell.edu.
A & C
Friday, October 16, 2026 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | 17
&
AYSW? | Where Are All the Black Sitcoms? TAMI OMOLE ARTS & CULTURE CONTRIBUTOR
I’ve watched Girlfriends an embarrassing number of times. I know Joan will inevitably sabotage whichever relationship of hers I’m rooting for. I know Toni will say something so unbelievably out of pocket that it teeters between diva and disrespectful. I know William is about five minutes away from saying some conservative bull that would get him excommunicated from Black Twitter in seconds. I know every twist, turn and plotline, but I always find myself rewatching. I do the same with Living Single, The Parkers, Moesha, Everybody Hates Chris and The Game. My entire Netflix recommendations section is just Black TV shows from the ’90s. However, after finishing my 8th annual rewatch of Girlfriends and surfing through Netflix’s catalog for something new to watch, I realized something. Where are all the Black people? I can only think of a handful of TV shows from the past 10 years that had more than two Black lead characters. And once you remove shows created specifically by Black writers or showrunners, I find it even more difficult to think of a single TV show in the past 10 years that had at least one prominent monoracial Black woman in its cast. Here are a few things I’ve been watching lately that have made this shift in Black representation particularly hard to ignore. Girlfriends (2000)
Following four Black women navigating careers, dating and friendship in Los Angeles, Girlfriends is basically everything I want from a sitcom. Joan Clayton, Antoinette “Toni” Marie Childs-Garrett, Maya Denise Wilkes and Lynn Ann Searcy are all deeply flawed in completely different ways, and they don’t read as Black stereotypes but as archetypes of the type of young adults you would expect to meet in a major city. There was a period in American television when predominantly Black sitcoms were practically their own ecosystem. In 1996 alone, around 15 sitcoms starring predominantly Black casts were airing on television: most notably, shows like Martin, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Jamie Foxx Show and Living Single — the show Friends took inspiration from. There were as many Black sitcoms being released in the ’90s and 2000s as there are Power Rangers TV shows today — there were a lot of them. Compare that to now. There’s Abbott Elementary, which I’m absolutely obsessed with, and we had The Upshaws and Blackish a couple of years ago. While they were successful, many newer Black sitcoms have struggled to last more than a few seasons. This is why Girlfriends feels so refreshing. Joan is neurotic. Toni is vain. Maya is judgmental and ambitious. Lynn has 600 college degrees and somehow remains unemployed. None of them have to represent Black womanhood correctly because none of them are the only Black woman in the room. That abundance gives them permission to be flawed without those flaws becoming
an oversimplification of Black people as a whole. Don’t Worry Darling (2022) Don’t Worry Darling has KiKi Layne as Margaret, the only Black woman in the movie and the primary companion to Florence Pugh’s character, Alice Chambers. Margaret is the first to realize that something is wrong with their quaint little town, and, obviously, no one listens to her until Alice starts having the same suspicions. Margaret’s purpose is basically to warn Alice, suffer the consequences and ultimately push Alice’s story forward. Obviously, Black people haven’t completely disappeared from the big screen. If anything, Black actors have more freedom in what kinds of stories they can appear in. We have Black characters in fantasy, horror, science fiction, period dramas and prestige television. We no longer live in a world where a Black actors’ options are basically a sitcom, a cop show or being the first death in a horror movie. This is good progress, but the same patterns of typecasting are being replicated, just subtly enough to call it diversity. Black women often exist only in someone else’s story: the best friend, coworker or hyper-competent confidante who supplies our white protagonist with witty comments or poignant advice. Margaret’s role in Don’t Worry Darling fits neatly into that dynamic. Black men seem to get slightly more room, but even that tends to fall into familiar archetypes: the athlete, the criminal or antihero, the intimidating guy with a heart of gold like
Bullet Train’s Lemon, or the wise mentor, otherwise known as roughly half of Morgan Freeman’s discography. And when a Black character is allowed to be the messy, romantic, deeply interior center of a narrative, Hollywood almost always gravitates toward lighter-skinned, biracial or racially ambiguous actors. It is impossible to ignore that Hollywood feels more comfortable giving them access to vulnerability and versatility due to their closer proximity to whiteness. Abbott Elementary (2021) Set in an underfunded Philadelphia public school, Abbott Elementary follows a group of teachers trying to do their jobs while navigating money troubles, questionable leadership and tumultuous personal lives. Despite the show being a comedy, the characters aren’t parodies of what white people think Black people are like. They get to move the plot forward instead of existing to help someone else do it. And Abbott isn’t alone. Shows like Atlanta and Insecure similarly give Black characters room to be complicated and integral to the worlds around them. But there’s an obvious pattern: All of these shows were created by Black people. To continue reading, visit www.cornellsun.com
Tami Omole is a sophomore in the Brooks School of Public Policy. She can be reached at ofo3@cornell.edu.
You’re Using an Alleged Rape Case for Views REEM NASRALLAH SUN SENIOR EDITOR
Discourse is vital, and I am never one to discourage it. Social media is a powerful tool when wielded for good, and social media platforms have been very effective in increasing global awareness about Jane Doe’s lawsuit. But, I think it is safe to say that a line has been crossed. I have seen friends and internet strangers posting selfies and short clips accompanied by a little blurb condemning the “Cornell 7.” The comment section is inevitably filled with people praising them for speaking out or saying that other people should be more like them. Unfortunately, it is easy to get caught up in the ‘glamor’ of it all. There are major media outlets and camera crews parked all over our campus. We have watched our peers give poignant interviews and make national headlines. The feeling you get when a video you post goes viral can be intoxicating. To address the elephant — or camera crews — in the room, it is obvious that the press has infiltrated our lives in a way that most students have never experienced. It is difficult to suppress the initial excitement that comes with being invited to share a unique perspective on the situation for the whole world to see. But the logical part of my brain reminds me that my perspective might not actually be unique; my time could be better spent making tangible efforts to support the movement. Again, I encourage discourse. But to echo a previous Sun article, in this case especially, I encourage respect. Respect for Jane Doe. Respect for survivors of sexual assault everywhere. Respect for yourselves. This is not a glamorous situation. This is an alleged gang rape. We are not heroes, and no matter the outcome of the case, there will be no winners.
And while we are rightfully demanding accountability from this institution and our community’s ‘protectors,’ we should be careful not to turn that anger toward current students. Cornell’s students did not choose to make this case national news. They did not choose to have cameras documenting their treks to class and preliminary exams. The backlash that Cornell students are receiving online for simply attending Cornell is intense and, quite frankly, in poor taste. I have seen the Instagram comment sections of Cornell student organizations and even of individual students flooded with vicious messages. I have watched my peers get torn apart in Reddit threads and TikTok comment sections. At the end of the day, the Internet is filled with misinformation about this case and about student responses to it. Attacking students for simply attending the Ivy League institution that most of them fought tirelessly to get into is unhelpful, both in this case and in the broader fight against rape culture. Criticize institutions and scrutinize decisions, but do not treat ordinary students as pariahs under the guise of activism or solidarity, especially when so many students on this campus are survivors of sexual violence themselves. According to the 2025 Cornell Survey of Sexual Assault and Misconduct, 35% of undergraduate women reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact during their time at Cornell. The data goes to show that we have no idea what someone is carrying with them when they walk into a library, write an article, attend a protest or simply go about their day. If I could give one message to my peers and to the broader community, particularly now that this case has become the internet’s latest fixation for true crime aficionados, it would be to be cautious about what you post and how you post it. Do you really care about what happens with this lawsuit, or are you simply low on content for
the week? Are you really trying to help, or are you just using likes and views as a distraction from that hollowed-out feeling that is consuming so many of us? And are you really “raising awareness” about a case that is already making national headlines by posting a “Get Ready With Me While I Tell You About The Cornell Seven”? I don’t have a concrete answer for how we move forward from here. I don’t think that any of us really do. But while we heal, let us heal respectfully. Not everything that can be a viral video should become one.
HOWIE WANG / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Reem Nasrallah is a junior in the School of Industrial Labor and Relations. She is a Senior Editor on the 144th Editorial Board and can be reached at rnasrallah@cornellsun.com.
ARTS & CULTURE
18
Sports
FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2026
The Corne¬ Daily Sun
Women’s Hockey Welcomes Nine New Players By NORA KENZI Sun Staff Writer
Expectations for women’s hockey’s freshman recruitment were high this year after the team ran a lean 21-player roster in the 20252026 season — nearly five players short of the NCAA average. With an outstandingly small yet strong lineup, the Red needed a major boost of rookies. Head Coach Doug Derraugh ’91 delivered exactly that, bringing in the program’s largest freshman class in nearly two decades. Despite losing six seniors, including five to the Professional Women’s Hockey League, the team expanded its roster to 24 players. Forwards Taya Lonsdale / Shawnigan Lake, B.C. / Shawnigan Lake School (Canadian Sport School Hockey League) After not playing the entirety of last season, Taya Lonsdale comes to Ithaca with a passion to grow after proving herself valuable in the 2024-25 season. Winning Canadian Sport School Most Valuable Player two seasons ago, she brings a level of competitive intellect to the offense. In 2023 and 2024, she represented Team British Columbia and led her team to the podium at the Canadian National Championships. She is posed to be an intriguing player to keep an eye on as she returns to the ice in a collegiate lens. Zahra Nauhaus / Pittsburgh / Shattuck St. Mary’s (United States High School) Having spent four consecutive seasons with Shattuck St. Mary’s, Zahra Nauhaus provides stability to a team that just experienced major upheaval within their roster. She recorded 20
points across 31 games in the 2025-26 season and posted 108 points over 194 games. The Pittsburgh native joins fellow Shattuck St. Mary’s alum senior forward Delaney Fleming. The program produces players with consistent play style, as Fleming and Nauhaus both have similar edge to their offensive game. Keira Bruen / West Roxbury, M.A. / Phillips Academy (USHS) As a multifaceted athlete in softball, field hockey and ice hockey, Keira Bruen shows dedication and consistency across sports. With developed leadership experience after serving as team captain for Philips Academy, she led the school to two NEPSAC Class A Field Hockey Championship wins in 2024 and 2025. The 6’ 1” forward is a supportive force both on and off the ice, as her ability to build strong relationships with her teammates and coaching staff manifests through her cohesive playing ability. Jill McLaughlin / Oceanside, C.A. / Pacific Ridge School (USHS) A forward with expansive leadership experience, Jill McLaughlin has a notable ability to adapt to her surrounding players. After serving as an assistant captain for both the U19 AAA Tier 1 San Diego Angels and the Pacific Ridge School during her 2023-24 season, she joined elite RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna U18 Prep, where she posted 41 points over 30 games in her 2024-25 season and 34 points over 25 games in her 2025-26 season. Nationally, she represented Team USA and won the 2026 U-18 International Ice Hockey Federation Championship. With her diverse and seasoned background, she’s a premier offensive prospect as she enters collegiate hockey. Renee Bishop / Baie-D’Urfé, Q.C. / Etobicoke Dolphins (Ontario Women’s Hockey
League) Much like Grace Dwyer ’26 and Rose Dwyer ’28, Renee Bishop makes up one half of a sister duo on the women’s hockey team, as she joins the Red’s ranks alongside her twin sister Rachel Bishop. Unlike the Dwyers, this twin duo plays different positions. Renee is a fiercely competitive forward who prioritizes scoring points, as she posted 53 points over 48 games with the Etobicoke Dolphins during her 202526 season. During her time with Kent School, she earned forward MVP honors in 2025 and helped the team achieve victory during the Founders League Championship in 2023-24 with her sister on the blueline. Kayla O’Donnell / Buffalo / Bishop Kearney (USHS) With seven state championship wins between 2020 and 2026, O’Donnell brings a highly decorated background and remarkable offensive intellect. Her long list of victories at the state level paired with her 2025 USA Hockey National Championship win make her a significant offensive asset to the Red’s roster. While considerably shorter than other forwards in this recruitment cycle at 5’4”, her competitive nature, playmaking instincts and high energy play style make her a highly promising offensive weapon. Defense Rachel Bishop / Baie-D’Urfé, Q.C. / Etobicoke Dolphins (OWHL) Completing the sister duo, Rachel enters the roster as a powerhouse rookie with championship expertise and recognized defensive intellect. After winning a USA Hockey National Championship in 2023 with the Mid Fairfield Connecticut Stars, she went on to be awarded defensive MVP honors in 2025 with the Kent
School. With large-scale competitive experience after representing Team Quebec in the U18 team in her 2024-25 season paired with her Championship experience and on-ice chemistry with her sister, she proves to be a defensive asset. Carly Dann / Hanover, N.H. / The Loomis Chaffee School (USHS) At 5’0”, Carly Dann brings championship experience and consistently successful performances during high-stakes games. During her four seasons at The Loomis Chaffee School, she helped lead the team to three Founders League Championships between 2024 and 2026. In 2026, she put up 31 points across 28 games. With a high defensive IQ, she has the potential to provide stability on the Red’s blueline and develop a strong foundation for the team to develop in future seasons. Taia MacDonald / Toronto / Mississauga Hurricanes (OWHL) With a seasoned background in high-stakes games and championships, MacDonald provides leadership within the incoming rookies. In the 2025-26 season, she served as an assistant captain while she was competing for the OWHA U22 Elite League’s Mississauga Jr. Hurricane. She led her team to a podium finish at the 2026 OWHA U22 Provincial Championship. During the 2025 U18 Canadian National Championships, she represented Team Ontario and won a bronze medal. With a knack for balancing the scoreboard, MacDonald poses to be a key defensive piece in the Red’s upcoming lineup.
Nora Kenzi can be reached at nmk55@cornell.edu.
Volleyball Opens Ivy Play with 15-0 Record in Sets Played By BUZMAEL JOANUS Sun Senior Writer
15-0 across five games. A 15-set winning streak represents weeks of frustration, offensive tweaks and adversity. Over the past three weekends, Cornell (9-5, 5-0 Ivy) began finding its groove, emulating a similarly dominant run in the 2025 season where it went 7-0 in games played and 21-4 in sets. Early this season, the team relied on its elite defense to supplement its evolving offense. Fourteen games in, however, both sides of the ball have started to gel, culminating in this impressive run and a stronghold on first place in the Ivy League. Cornell’s five-set woes have started to pay dividends, evident by its resiliency in pulling through every single set despite being down late against the likes of Penn (10-5, 2-3 Ivy) and Princeton (5-8, 3-2 Ivy). Two weekends ago, the Red took on the University of Pennsylvania Quakers and Princeton University Tigers and swept both teams. In the opening set against Penn, Cornell got off to a slow start, in part due to slow defensive rotations and minor mistakes. The Quakers’ middle blockers made their presence felt early on and ultimately led the team to a 7-2 start. From this point, freshman outside hitter Kiran Rio took matters into her own hands, driving a kill into Penn’s back row to quell its run. A subsequent 9-3 run by Cornell featured its own vaunted front row. The persistent wave of middle blocker pressure, courtesy of junior Mackenzie Parsons and senior Ava Bogan, along with sophomore outside hitter Sophia Ahrens, resulted in five attack errors by the Quakers. A back-and-forth affair eventually saw the set knotted up at 21 apiece, ensuring that the Red was in for another red zone finish. “Red zone is when [the score] is 20 points and up,” Parsons said. “So we call those red zone games because it was so close. We work on it every day, and it’s just a matter of working through that pressure and working with it.” In this pivotal moment, Cornell once again turned to its front row, utilizing multiple blocks by Bogan, and outside hitters senior Jaida Sione and sophomore Sydney Zanca to steal the set. A final kill by Sione gave the Red a narrow 25-23 victory. The second and third sets featured even more fireworks. A sudden 6-0 run late in the second set saw Sione put on her superhero cape, generating three kills and a block in the short time frame. Despite facing game-point elimination four separate times, the Red relied on Parsons and Sione to generate clutch points.
A final 3-0 run featured two errors by the Quakers and a kill by Bogan. Despite the odds, Cornell had dug deep and found a way to take a 31-29 victory from the jaws of defeat. “A huge part of being on a team is who you have around you,” senior libero Sara Pomar said. “We push each other every day because we know there’s still so much room for us to get better.” In the final set of the night, both teams played a relatively clean brand of volleyball, capitalizing on quick tempo sets to create opportunities for their pin hitters and middle blockers. Another down-to-the-wire finish saw sophomore setter Mary Wolcott deliver beautiful sets to Sione and Bogan to shut the door on a late Quaker rally. The Red went on to take the set 25-23 and sweep Penn. “I think this team is just really competitive and hardworking,
“We push each other every day because we know there’s still so much room for us to get better.” Senior libero Sara Pomar and we don’t give up easily,” Pomar said. “Especially in those really close sets, I think we did a good job of not letting the pressure change the way we played. We trusted each other and kept competing.” On Saturday afternoon, Cornell faced the Tigers and took care of business, winning all three sets in close fashion. The first set was a game of runs. Cornell struck first, using kills by Bogan to take a 5-2 lead. Princeton then responded with a run of its own to eventually knot the score at nine apiece. A 5-0 run into the red zone saw the Tigers trim a six-point deficit to just 20-21. Despite a heroic effort from Princeton’s Ava Harrington, the Red closed the set on a 3-0 run, capitalizing on kills by Sione and Bogan, and won 25-22. The second set saw another 5-0 run from the Tigers turn a three-point deficit into a 22-20 lead. Cornell then broke the Dillon Gymnasium faithful’s hearts by ending the set on a 5-1 run on the backs of Sione, Bogan and Rio, again stealing the set late and winning 25-23. In the final set of the afternoon, both squads fought hard, trading blows and making incredible back row saves. A 24-24 tie favored the Tigers who had the ensuing serve. A well-placed serve resulted in an ace and the Red once again found itself facing elimination.
A clutch kill from Bogan calmed the raucous gymnasium before a duet block featuring Bogan and Zanca silenced the crowd for good. A subsequent service ace by junior outside hitter Haley Clark gave Cornell the 27-25, sweeping Princeton. “Our setter, Mary [Wolcott], kept our team at a hitting percentage above .300 in the Princeton match, so great job by her for spreading out the offense and consistently finding the middle [blockers] and making the right decisions at the right time,” Parsons said. During this weekend, Wolcott amassed 62 assists and just one setting error, paving the way for a hyper-efficient offense. The following weekend, Cornell hosted the Dartmouth College Big Green and Harvard Crimson at Newman Arena, making quick work of both matchups. Against the Big Green, the big three consisting of Parsons, Sione and Bogan led the way for the Red, combining for 32 kills and nine blocks in the matchup. In addition, Rio added a teamhigh 11 digs. A decisive victory saw Cornell take all three sets by scores of 25-12, 25-8, and 25-15. “We definitely didn’t expect that,” Parsons said. “Dartmouth is a real competitor and they’ve given us trouble in the past [including] winning a game last year against us. I think we finally got into that flow state, and it was just really exciting.” The following night, the Red faced a tougher challenge in the Crimson, but pulled away late, ultimately winning the final set 25-10. Like the contest against Dartmouth, Cornell’s big three combined for 28 kills and 14 blocks. Wolcott accounted for 63 assists and just two errors across the dominant wins. “We’ve got Jaida [Sione], Kiran [Rio], Sydney [Zanca], Mary [Wolcott], in the front row, and that’s dangerous,” Parsons said. “So, bring it on.” Next weekend, the Red will be on the road as the team prepares for a doubleheader weekend, first against Brown University (4-9, 2-3 Ivy) at 6 p.m. on Friday and then Yale University (10-3, 4-1 Ivy) at 5 p.m. on Saturday. The Red currently holds first place in Ivy League standings, and will be looking to extend its strong lead, especially against Yale who eliminated Cornell from the Ivy League tournament last season. “I trust the people around me, and I think if we focus on playing our game and executing what we’ve worked on all week, we’ll put ourselves in a good position,” Pomar said
Buzmael Joanus can be reached at bjoanus@cornell.edu.
HOMECOMING SUPPLEMENT 2026
R E W R I T I N G
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | PAGE 19
T H E
P L AY B O O K
MEET RYDER KURTZ ’27, CORNELL’S ALL AMERICAN PRO-PROSPECT
MATTHEW LEONARD Sun Sports Editor
Most touchdowns by a tight end in program history, most receiving yards by a tight end in program history and numerous All-America honors represent just a few of senior tight end Ryder Kurtz’s many accomplishments with the Red. With another 10 games on the schedule, Kurtz has a chance to solidify himself as one of the greatest players to step onto Schoellkopf Field. Football has been a major part of Kurtz’s life since he was about six years old, when his late father first introduced him to the sport. “This has always been my dream,” Kurtz said. “Me [and] my dad always talked about it when he was still with us. We lost him about four years ago. He first got me into football, and I really wanted to do it for him from the start.” Kurtz with his father and older sister, Tessa. (Photo courtesy of Ryder Kurtz) Kurtz explained that he realized his desire to play at the Division I level halfway through his sophomore year of high school. This led him to transfer into St. Paul’s School, a New Hampshire boarding school known for its strong football program. It soon became clear that Kurtz made the right decision, as his name began to circulate among Division I coaches. Despite offers from the Massachusetts Minutemen and Georgetown Hoyas, Kurtz decided to take his talents to Ithaca, choosing the Red. “Cornell was my first offer. That was probably halfway through my junior year, and I think that’s the happiest I’ve probably ever been in my entire life,” Kurtz said about his recruitment process. “I called my mom right away. Just a blessing to be in that position and thank God for just being able to play the game that I love for this long.” Like many collegiate football play-
ers, Kurtz did not see any action during his freshman season. He spent his first year developing his play and carving out his place within the Red’s roster. It was during the electric 2024 Homecoming matchup against the Yale Bulldogs that Kurtz had his breakout performance. While he only had two receptions, one was a 68-yard touchdown. From that game on, the floodgates were open as Kurtz secured 36 total receptions for 441 yards and four total touchdowns in nine games for the Red. His strong play earned him his first postseason honors, AP AllAmerica Honorable Mention and an All-Ivy Honorable Mention. “After my sophomore year, it gave me the confidence that I could play. I could do this,” Kurtz said about playing for a Division I program. “It’s not easy, I’ll tell you that. But if you have the right work ethic and the right mindset, I think anybody can do it.” Since that breakout season, Kurtz has continued to impress. During his junior season, he not only proved he was one of the best tight ends in the Ivy League, but one of the best tight ends in the entire FCS. He once again scored four touchdowns and firmly established himself as one of the Red’s main offensive weapons. Once the season was said and done, Kurtz caught 44 passes for 523 total yards, averaging 11.9 yards per reception. In total, he averaged an impressive 52.3 all-purpose yards per game. Unsurprisingly, Kurtz was awarded multiple postseason honors for his high level of play during the season. These honors included another AP All-America Honorable Mention, as well as being named to the FCS Football Central All-America Third Team and Stats Perform FCS AllAmerica Third Team. In just over a week, Kurtz will enter
his senior season with the Red, where he will have the opportunity to concretely demonstrate that he is ready to make the jump to the professional level. While Kurtz’s time with the Red may be coming to a close, he will not soon forget the time he has spent with the program. He specifically highlighted his time spent developing under head coach Dan Swanstrom and tight ends coach Andrew Dees, explaining how they taught him to watch film and transformed him athletically. “When I came here, [coach Swanstrom and coach Dees] developed me into what I am today, and I can’t be more grateful for them,” Kurtz said about the two coaches. “They’ve put me into this position. I’m super grateful for both of them.” After being asked about his favorite memory with the Red, Kurtz highlighted a game Cornell fans will remember vividly: the Red’s double-overtime victory against the Brown Bears. “That was probably the best memory I’ve ever had playing football,” Kurtz said about the game. “It was just such an electrifying feeling, playing a double overtime game in college at the Division I level … that’s what you dream of doing as a little kid.” The highlight of the game was Kurtz’s crucial 26-yard reception in overtime that put the Red in scoring position, which the Red immediately capitalized on. Kurtz finished the game with an impressive 90 receiving yards. Heading into his final season with the Red, Kurtz is ready to make an impact on the field and off the field. “Coming into my senior year, I think it’s something that I’ve taken on as a responsibility,” Kurtz said about being a team leader. “It’s my responsibility to lead these guys to perform, but also to know that they can come to me with whatever they need.” It is not surprising that Kurtz’s name has begun to circulate in conver-
sations regarding the 2027 NFL draft. If Kurtz’s play takes another leap, as it did during his sophomore and junior years, it will be difficult for NFL coaches to overlook him when putting together tight end shortlists. Kurtz’s draft prospects have not gone unnoticed by the media. He was recently included in a Sports Illustrated article listing the top FCS wide receiver and tight end draft prospects. The strengths attributed to Kurtz included his remarkable catching ability and proficiency as an efficient blocker. Reaching the professional level has been a goal fueling Kurtz’s motivation, pushing him to face and conquer adversity head-on. “It’s the dream, the dream to play in the NFL,” Kurtz responded quickly when asked about what drives him. “I do it for my family, my dad. I am very family-driven. That’s how I operate. They’re my support system through it all.” Kurtz with his family after a game at Schoellkopf Field. (Photo courtesy of Ryder Kurtz) Between Kurtz’s strong hands and solid frame that allow him to play through heavy contact, alongside his impressive agility, Kurtz emphasized that a coach would not only gain a tight end, but a player capable of filling roles all over the field. “I could catch the ball. I could block a defensive end. I could come across the line. I feel like I could do it all,” Kurtz said. “I think for me, I’ve been honing in on making every aspect of my game the best and trying to be the best there is.” Kurtz is a special player, the kind who only comes to Ithaca every so often. He has one more season with the Red. It’s time to sit back and watch one of the program’s greatest offensive players get to work. Matthew Leonard can be reached at mleonard@cornellsun.com.
Rivalry Rundown: A Homecoming Test Against No. 4 Lehigh ZEINAB FARAJ Sun Senior Editor
Football will suit up this Homecoming weekend against Lehigh for the 28th time in program history. The Mountain Hawks (6-0, 4-0 Patriot League) sit at No. 4 in the FCS, while Cornell (2-2, 1-1 Ivy) comes off a tough 29-41 loss to No. 17 Harvard (4-0, 2-0 Ivy). The two share a 139-year history dating back to Nov. 24, 1887, when the Red lost to Lehigh 10-38. Since then, Cornell has held a 17-9-2 record over Lehigh and claimed the victory in the teams’ last two meetings. Homecoming weekend has not always guaranteed a win for Cornell. Since 2015, the Red have lost seven of its homecoming games, and last year, Cornell lost to Colgate in a game head coach Dan Swanstrom said had “major mistakes.” Last year, fans got to see a glimpse of senior quarterback Garrett BassSulpizio, who took over for quarterback Devin Page during the Colgate
loss. Bass-Sulpizio struggled last year during Homecoming, throwing two interceptions. This season, BassSulpizio is the starting quarterback, and his second Homecoming game will offer another chance to see how he handles the role. The last time Cornell faced Lehigh on Homecoming weekend was in 2014 and the Red lost during a 14-point unanswered surge from the Mountain Hawks’ offense. At home, the Red have a 13-3-2 record against Lehigh. The Rivalry, This Year Lehigh’s offense has posted stellar statistics this year, averaging 33.7 points per game and 392.8 yards per game. The team is commanded by quarterback Hayden Johnson, who has missed the team’s last two games due to an injury. Derek Morgan has since stepped up to fill Johnson’s shoes, guiding Lehigh to three wins against William and Mary, the University of Pennsylvania and Fordham. Morgan has notably recorded six touchdowns and zero interceptions across the three games.
On the ground, the heart of Lehigh’s offense is Luke Yoder, who has recorded 12 touchdowns and is 286 yards away from a 1,000 yard season. In the air, Anthony Feaster and Nick Palumbo are the wide receivers to watch — both have over 200 yards this year and together found the end zone five times. Lehigh’s defensive unit is historically strong — last year, they were No. 2 for scoring on defensive. Luke Denny should cause some trouble on defense alongside Nick Peltekian, who both lead the team in interceptions and have a combined 47 total tackles. Look for senior wide receiver Samuel Musungu and Cornell’s AllAmerican Pro-Prospect senior tight end Ryder Kurtz to make several catches. 10 of the Red’s touchdowns this season have come from running backs, so expect Swanstrom to keep the ground game rolling. The Red will need to lean on its defensive leaders, including senior safety Tommy MacPherson, who has three interceptions and 35 total
tackles and junior cornerback Tyler Gibson, who has 26 total tackles and an interception. Football Cornell
VS
Lehigh Saturday, 2 p.m. Ithaca, N.Y.
The Red will face off against the Mountain Hawks at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Schoellkopf field. Zeinab Faraj can be reached at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
PAGE 20 | THE CORNELL DAILY SUN
HOMECOMING SUPPLEMENT 2026
T H E H I S T O R Y O F F O O T B A L L AT C O R N E L L
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF 139 YEARS WORTH OF THRILLING HISTORY Matthew Leonard Sun Sports Editor
Long before the Power Four schools dominated college football, the Red were a force to be reckoned with — winning 5 national championships, 3 Ivy League championships and seeing 18 members of the Red inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame. Here’s what to know about the Red and its nearly one and a half centuries of history. The Early Years The story of Cornell football began in 1887 when the Red played its first intercollegiate game, without an actual coach, against Union College. While the Red lost 24-10, this game represented the birth of the team Cornellians continue to flood the stands of Schoellkopf to watch. It did not take long for the Red to secure its first victory in program history, with a blowout 26-0 win against Palmyra in its third game. Marshall Newell became the Red’s first head coach in 1894, holding the position for two years while accumulating a combined record of 9 wins, 8 losses and 2 ties. The year was 1915 when the Red became a dominant force in intercollegiate football, securing a perfect 9-0 record under head coach Albert Sharpe. Cornell sports were revolutionized by Sharpe as he spent time coaching Cornell’s football, basketball and baseball teams. Charles Barrett ’1916, a two-time All-American and team captain of the Red, was a driving force behind the team’s championship run. Barrett is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes to ever play for the Red. In 1958, he was posthumously inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame. The 1915 team is honored on the benches surrounding the Touchdown the Bear statue outside of Teagle Hall. Success continued for the Red as it went on to win three consecutive national championships while never losing a game from 1921 to 1924. All-Americans and College Football Hall of Famers such as Eddie Kaw ’1923 and George Pfann ’1923 were core members of these respective teams. Jerome Holland ’39 M.S. ’41 became the first African American to play for the Red. Holland quickly rose to stardom, becoming a consensus
ROUND
1
All-American during his time with the Red. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985. The Red won its fifth national championship in 1939 after a perfect 8-0 season. 1951 saw the Red take down Michigan, who were reigning Big Ten and Rose Bowl Champions. The game drew the largest crowd in Schoellkopf history, as over 35,000 attended the game. The Start of Ivy League Play 1956 was a year notable not only for the Red, but for the entirety of college sports. While the Ivy League was formalized as a conference in
COURTESY OF DIVISION OF RARE AND MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS, CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Homecoming history | The Red at the line of scrimmage in 1977.
1854, the Ivy League conference officially began play in 1956. Unfortunately for the Red, it finished eighth, securing only one win against its seven new conference opponents. After years of struggle in the Ivy League, Ed Marinaro ’72 put the Red back into the limelight during his record-breaking sophomore season in 1969. Behind the play of Marinaro, the Red secured its first Ivy League championship in 1971, sharing the honor with Dartmouth since both teams finished with a conference record of six wins and one loss. Marinaro finished the season with a thenNCAA record 1,881 yards and 24 touchdowns. These stats resulted in Marinaro nearly winning the Heisman Trophy, finishing as the runner-up. Following his career with the Red, the Minnesota Vikings selected Marinaro in the Second Round of the 1972 NFL Draft. The Red secured its two other Ivy League titles, finishing as co-champions with Penn in
1988 and Dartmouth in 1990. Scott Malaga ’89, a member of the 1988 team, and Mitch Lee ’90, a member of both the 1988 and 1990 teams, would be inducted into Cornell Athletics’ Hall of Fame for their strong play and leadership. Notable Players of the Modern Era Chad Levitt ’97 nearly broke Marinaro’s alltime rushing record during the 1996 season, falling short by only 58 yards after missing his final game with the Red. Despite not breaking the record, Levitt, now a Cornell Athletics Hall of Famer, is still considered one of the greatest running backs to play for the Red. Ricky Rahne ’02 broke a wide range of Red records, becoming the Red’s all-time leader in passing yards, passes completed and passing touchdowns. These records would all ultimately be broken by legendary Red quarterback Jeff Matthews ’13. Keith Ferguson ’03 still holds the record for most receptions and receiving yards, statistically making him one of the greatest receivers to ever play for the Red. Grant Gellatly ’13 and Luke Tasker ’12 built resumes in the 2010s after finishing second and third for most receiving yards for the Red, respectively. As of recently, Jameson Wang ’24 was a star for the Red, finishing his career with 51 passing touchdowns. This placed him behind only Rahne and Matthews for most touchdowns in program history. Wang was recently named 2026 MVP of the American Football League Europe after finishing the season with 41 touchdowns. Now, names such as senior quarterback Garett Bass-Sulpizio, senior running back Ean Pope, senior tight end Ryder Kurtz, senior wide receiver Sam Musungu, senior safety Tommy MacPherson and head coach Dan Swanstrom continue to make their mark on the Red. As it did in its first season in 1887, the Red (2-2, 1-1 Ivy) will face off against No. 4 Lehigh (6-0, 4-0 Patriot), continuing a rivalry baked into the very existence of Cornell’s football program. This year’s homecoming game will begin at 2 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Schoellkopf Field. All the action will be available live on ESPN+. Matthew Leonard can be reached at mleonard@cornellsun.com.
Sun Editors’ Football Picks VARSHA RAYEN MATTHEW GRACE LEONARD REUBEN BHARGAVA ZHOU
MELISSA MOON
SOPHIA R.I.
ATTICUS JOHNSON
ZEINAB FARAJ
ZARA CHEEK
KATE TURK
NATHAN ELLISON
CHAMBALA
EVERETT
LEHIGH AT CORNELL
CORNELL
CORNELL
CORNELL
LEHIGH
CORNELL
LEHIGH
CORNELL
LEHIGH
CORNELL
CORNELL
CORNELL
CORNELL
COLUMBIA AT PENN
COLUMBIA
PENN
COLUMBIA
COLUMBIA
PENN
PENN
PENN
COLUMBIA
PENN
PENN
PENN
PENN
BROWN AT PRINCETON
PRINCETON
PRINCETON
BROWN
PRINCETON
PRINCETON
PRINCETON
PRINCETON
PRINCETON
PRINCETON
PRINCETON
PRINCETON
BROWN
RHODE ISLAND AT YALE
YALE
YALE
RHODE ISLAND
YALE
RHODE ISLAND
RHODE ISLAND
YALE
YALE
RHODE ISLAND
YALE
YALE
RHODE ISLAND
HOLY CROSS AT HARVARD
HARVARD
HOLY CROSS
HARVARD
HARVARD
HARVARD
HOLY CROSS
HOLY CROSS
HARVARD
HARVARD
HARVARD
HARVARD
HARVARD
MERRIMACK AT DARTMOUTH
DARTMOUTH
DARTMOUTH
DARTMOUTH
DARTMOUTH
DARTMOUTH
DARTMOUTH
MERRIMACK
DARTMOUTH
MERRIMACK
MERRIMACK
MERRIMACK
MERRIMACK
GEORGETOWN AT COLGATE
COLGATE
GORGETOWN
GORGETOWN
COLGATE
COLGATE
COLGATE
COLGATE
COLGATE
GEORGETOWN
COLGATE
COLGATE
GEORGETOWN
JETS AT PATRIOTS
JETS
PATRIOTS
JETS
JETS
JETS
PATRIOTS
PATRIOTS
COWBOYS
JETS
PATRIOTS
PATRIOTS
PATRIOTS
SAINTS
GIANTS
GIANTS
GIANTS
GIANTS
GIANTS
GIANTS
SAINTS
GIANTS
SAINTS
GIANTS
GIANTS
BILLS
BILLS
BILLS
BILLS
RAIDERS
BILLS
BILLS
BILLS
BILLS
BILLS
RAIDERS
BILLS
SAINTS AT GAINTS
BILLS AT RAIDERS