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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2023 n ITHACA, NEW YORK

News

Arts and Culture

Sports

Dean's List Removed

Art in Agreement

Beating Down on Brown

The University is beginning its phase-out of the Dean's List, citing equity issues with different college requirements. | Page 3

Haera Shin ’26 breaks down the filmmaking approach of director Céline Sciamma.

Weather

Football romped to a 36-14 victory over Brown, forcing three interceptions.

| Page 5

HIGH: 67º LOW: 51º

| Page 8

Pollack Lauds Tensions High After Rickford's Remark C.U.'s Successes By JULIA SENZON and GABRIEL MUÑOZ

ipetitions.com petition calling for Rickford’s firing has also gathered over 5,000 online signatures. A Change. org petition with over 3,000 signatures calls for the University not to dismiss Rickford under the principles of freedom of speech. Student organizations have also started distributing online petitions both supporting Rickford and asking the University to hold the professor accountable for his remarks. So far, a petition supporting Rickford has gathered over 1,200 signatures, according to the form.

remarks in order to defend him from grotesque attacks on his character, his safety and the safety of his family,” the A Cornell professor’s speech at a petition states. “Professor Rickford has pro-Palestinian off-campus rally on Oct. devoted his entire professional life to 15 sparked a nationwide debate over peace and justice for those who have whether he should continue to hold neither, and to slander him in this way is a position at the University. But his not only unjust, it undermines the very remarks revealed a deeper divide within values that Cornell seeks to uphold.” the Cornell community over the ongoThe petition to hold Rickford ing Israel-Hamas war. accountable for his words was co-writAfter calling Hamas’s initial invasion ten by Jewish student leaders and Hillel into Israel “exhilarating” and “energizstaff, according to Bernstein. It argues ing,” Prof. Russell Rickford, history, first that the remarks from Rickford were defended his remarks to harmful to stuThe Sun, stating that he dents and are at was referring to “those odds with the first few hours, when values of “free they broke through the and open inquiapartheid wall, that it ry and expresseemed to be a symbol sion.” The petiof resistance, and indeed tion expressed a new phase of resistance students were in the Palestinian strugintimidated to gle.” share opposing He subsequently views in the face issued an apology in The of the remarks. Sun over his choice of “We cannot words two days later. stand idly by Following Rickford’s as students are remarks, President traumatized by Martha Pollack and hateful speech MING DEMERS / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Chairman of the Cornell from a professor, University Board of Campus divided | Tensions rose after Rickford's speech, with demonstraas this creates a Trustees Kraig Kayser tions including a truck bearing Rickford's name and picture on campus. culture of fear of MBA ’84 said Rickford’s presenting alterwords were “a reprehensible comment The petition to reprimand Rickford for native perspectives, lest their academic that demonstrates no regard whatsoever his remarks has gathered 467 signatures, standing suffer,” the petition states. for humanity” and that the University according to Zoe Bernstein ’24, the It continues: “We are all students “is taking this incident seriously and president of Cornellians for Israel. at Cornell. Some of us are students in is currently reviewing it consistent The statement circulating among Professor Rickford’s courses this semeswith our procedures,'' in an Oct. 17 Cornell students in support of Rickford ter. We are outraged that our Professor joint statement. Rickford subsequently argues the words from his speech were has endorsed terrorism and is ‘exhilaratrequested and was granted a leave of taken out of context, and if reprimanded’ by a twenty-first century massacre absence from the University, a Cornell ed, the Administration would be acting of Jewish men, women, children and representative told The Sun. directly against the freedom of expres- babies. As a result of his decision to pubTwo petitions posted on Change. sion values they have promoted this licly endorse violence against Jews, we org call for the dismissal and removal year. feel silenced and unsafe in his classes.” of Rickford, each accumulating over “As a Cornell community, we do not 11,000 and 900 signatures, and an need to agree with Professor Rickford’s See TENSIONS page 3

Sun News Editors

By ERIC REILLY Sun News Editor

“Our core values are a reflection not just of our past and our present, but of our potential. They describe who we are and what we aspire to be,” said University President Martha Pollack at her semesterly State of the University address. “What I'd like to do today is place the achievements of the past year into the context of those core values, showing you just some of the many ways that we're working to be the university that Ezra Cornell imagined, but now reimagined for the 21st century.” Over 500 trustees, council members and guests packed into the David L. Call Auditorium on Friday, Oct. 20 to hear Pollack’s address, held as part of the University’s 73rd Trustee-Council Annual Meeting. Another several hundred watched via livestream as Pollack began her speech. As the Cornell community is currently grappling with the implications of the Israel-Hamas war, Pollack began by stating her stance against terrorism. “Before I begin my comments, I want to acknowledge the horror and the pain of the current moment. The atrocities perpetrated by the Hamas terrorist organization in Israel have left the world reeling with shock, horror, anger and grief. The brutal attacks have shattered countless innocent lives and challenged our very understanding of humanity,” Pollack said. “And along with the senior leadership of the Cornell Board of Trustees, I stand here to once again condemn terrorism in the strongest possible terms.” Pollack echoed the sentiment she shared in a set of statements last week surrounding the war. “I also want to acknowledge the extraordinary pain of all innocent people who are now suffering — Israelis, Palestinians and others with ties to the region. As I said earlier this week, I'm a grandmother, and my heart absolutely breaks for all the babies, all the children who are caught up in this violence,” Pollack said. “We've also watched with distress increasing acts of violence directed at Jews and Muslims here in the United States. See POLLACK page 3

The Sun's Guide on How to Vote in the General Elections By JONATHAN MONG Sun News Editor

Although Ithaca has no major statewide or national elections, all 10 seats in the Common Council and the mayor’s office are up for election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, as well as a seat on the State Supreme Court. The voter registration deadline is Saturday, Oct. 28. Registering to Vote New York State residents with a valid driver’s license can register to vote at the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles website. On the website, residents can click on “Change My Address” and input their Ithaca address, if their primary address is outside of the city. This will change the address on file at the DMV, but will not require obtaining a new license. Once the DMV issues confirmation of the address change, visit the voter registration webpage and fill out the

information required. After receiving a confirmation email, residents may go to the voter lookup site, input “Tompkins” for county and personal information to confirm registration and polling location. Those without a New York driver’s license, or who do not wish to register to vote online, can register by printing and filling out the New York State Voter Registration form, then mailing or bringing it to the Tompkins County Board of Elections at 128 E. Buffalo St. in Ithaca by Oct. 28. Early Voting New York offers early voting from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5. Anyone who is registered as a Tompkins County voter and wishes to vote early can do so at Ithaca Town Hall, 215 N. Tioga St. or at Crash Fire Rescue, 72 Brown Rd. Check Tompkins County’s early voting webpage for opening hours on each day of early voting, as they vary. See VOTING page 4

JULIA NAGEL / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Your choice | Early voting for the general election begins Oct. 28 and ends Nov. 5, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7.

2 The Cornell Daily Sun | Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Daybook Tuesday, October 24, 2023

A LISTING OF FREE CAMPUS EVENTS Today Work Talks: Work Authorization for International Students 8 a.m., Virtual Event Lunch and Learn: Oxford Nanopore Technologies Any Length Sequencing Noon - 2 p.m., G10 Biotechnology Building 30 Years In, Infinity To Go: arXiv’s Role in Today’s Open Access Ecosystem 1 p.m. - 2 p.m., Virtual Event 2023 39th Annual Hospitality Career Fair 2023 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Statler Hotel Ballroom Private Contributions for the Public Good: The Role of Philanthropy in Science 3 p.m. - 4:15 p.m., College of Veterinary Medicine, Lecture Hall 5 “Love Your Asian Body: AIDS Activism in Los Angeles”: Book Talk with Eric Wat 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., 231 Rockefeller Hall Cornell ReSounds PlayPen: New Instruments/New Works: CU Music 7 p.m., Barnes Hall Career Conversation: Jonathan Shank 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Virtual Event

Tomorrow AASP and A3C BeComing Lunch Series with Mayra Miranda Noon - 1 p.m., 429 Rockefeller Hall American Studies Fall 2023 Colloquium - Race, Class, and Black Radical Visions - Speaker, Fanon Che Wilkins Noon - 1:30 p.m., 404 Morrill Hall Food Security, Water Quality, and Climate Change: Global Challenges Requiring Local Empowerment 12:10 p.m. - 1:10 p.m., 135 Emerson Hall Open Access Books in the Fight Against Climate Change 1 p.m. - 2 p.m., Virtual Event Cantonese Conversation Hour 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., G25 Stimson Hall Coffee & Chat with Profs: EPOCH Literary Magazine 4:30 p.m., 258 Goldwin Smith Hall IES Fellows Research Workshop 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., G02 Uris Hall

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The Cornell Daily Sun | Tuesday, October 24, 2023 3

News

Rickford’s Remarks Fan Flames of Discord TENSIONS

Continued from page 1

A few days after Rickford’s speech, students hung flyers on campus with photographs of Rickford and text condemning his remarks. “‘It was EXHILARATING. It was ENERGIZING,” one flyer said, quoting Rickford’s remarks at the Oct. 15 demonstration. The flyer then featured a photograph of Rickford, followed by the text “Cornell’s Russell Rickford on the SLAUGHTER and KIDNAPPING of civilians by Hamas.” Black Students United — an umbrella organization that supports Black student organizations on campus released an Instagram statement Thursday, Oct. 19 calling for the defense of Rickford. “A false witch hunt has been launched against a valued, peaceful, non-discriminatory member of Cornell’s history department,” the statement read. “This witch hunt includes, but is not limited to, a poster smear campaign, death threats, calls for his resignation and defamatory LED billboard trucks being driven around Cornell’s campus. BSU defends Professor Rickford and vehemently acknowledges that anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism.” BSU leadership did not respond to a request for comment. A truck with digital billboards displaying a picture of Rickford and a protester holding a swastika, alongside a picture of a bloody bed in the background, was seen driving throughout Cornell’s campus on Oct. 19. The truck displayed the words “President Pollack: Fire Antisemitic Professor Rickford Now” and “Murder. Rape. Kidnapping. Is Hamas terrorism ‘exhilarating’ to you? Fire Professor Rickford” overlaying the images. The truck was sponsored by Alums for Campus Fairness — a nationwide organization that describes itself as “the alumni voice combating antisemitism.” On Oct. 20, while

the truck circulated campus for a second day, pro-Palestinian protesters followed the truck in an effort to defend Rickford. One student protester of Syrian ancestry, who requested anonymity out of privacy concerns, told The Sun the lack of physical demonstrations on campus calling for Rickford’s termination shows that students do not feel strongly in opposition to his statements. “It says a lot that there have been no physical protests calling for Prof. Rickford’s termination. The outrage, in my view, has been totally manufactured by donors, conservative media and trustee members, most of whom are either profiting off of the conflict or have capital ties to Israel,” the student said. “That’s why they have to resort to buying billboard trucks instead of mobilizing grass-roots. I see his apology in the same lens — he clearly implied that his family has been receiving threats and hate following the national media attention on his speech.” Approximately 75 students, members of faculty and local residents gathered in support of Rickford in front of the Statler Hotel on Saturday, Oct. 21, where events for the Cornell Board of Trustees were being held throughout the weekend. The group held two large banners that read “Anti-Zionism ≠ Antisemitism” and “Stand With Russell, Stand With Gaza.” The group chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” “Martha, Martha, can’t you see, you’re silent on genocide” and “Viva, viva, Palestina.” Attendees, including Common Council Alderperson Jorge DeFendini ’22 (D-Fourth Ward), also waved Palestinian flags and wore face masks to protect their identities for privacy, citing concerns of doxxing. Once gathered in front of the Statler Hotel, attendees shared words of support for Rickford and their personal testimonies about taking Rickford’s classes, working

alongside him, collaborating with him in local organizing and interacting with him as a member of the Cornell and Ithaca community. Many speakers at the rally expressed frustration over Rickford’s leave of absence and urged attendees to email the Administration in support of Rickford. Sadeen Musa ’25 is a Palestinian student who also serves as the outreach chair of Students for Justice in Palestine. In a statement to The Sun, she expressed her disappointment in the University for not supporting Rickford during the year of free speech. “I think it is Cornell’s responsibility to protect its faculty and students against malignity and smear campaigns, as well as encourage free expression and academic freedom. Now, it seems like Cornell is not providing this freedom for faculty and students to express themselves; the bus was Zionists’ attempts of trying to silence pro-Palestinian discourse,” Musa said. “It is unsettling that these Israel supporters are more upset about a Professor’s progressive speech than the ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide in Palestine.” The anonymous student protestor echoed the sentiments of feeling unsupported and silenced by the University’s response to Rickford’s remarks. “The idea that Prof. Rickford should face any consequences for freely speaking about the history of a major conflict at an off-campus event completely flies in the face of Cornell’s supposed “Freedom of Expression” theme year,” the student said. “The outrage against him has clearly been colored by antiBlack racism — he is an easy target for undeserved scrutiny because he is a Black radical professor. But hearing his words, I know he is not a violent person, he’s just someone who is passionate about justice for Palestinians, as we all should be.” However, Bernstein viewed Rickford’s remarks differently, as someone who lived

in Israel for a year, in addition to spending multiple summers living and working in the country. Many of her family members and friends still live in Israel. “As a Jewish student on campus, Professor Rickford’s words not only angered me tremendously, but threatened me. To call the atrocities Hamas has committed against my people ‘exhilarating’ and ‘energizing’ is woefully unacceptable and has genuinely petrified Jewish students,” Bernstein wrote in a statement to The Sun. “By endorsing Hamas’ heinous slaughter of Jews in Israel as resistance, Rickford arguably made Jewish students legitimate targets at Cornell.” Bernstein said she believes an investigation should be launched into Rickford’s behavior. She said that professors’ expression of their personal beliefs should not disrupt students’ academic progress at an institution with the motto “Any person, any study.” “I believe action must be taken against him in order to set an example for future professors that while they are absolutely entitled to free speech, like any other American, as someone in a position of power, as someone who is meant to be a role model for their students, they need to use discretion when exercising this right,” Bernstein wrote. “It simply cannot be the case that students on this campus feel nervous to go to class out of fear that their professors ideologically oppose them and their beliefs.” Simone Shteingart ’24, who serves as the executive vice president of Cornell Hillel and whose family fled to Israel following the collapse of the Soviet Union, also believes that Rickford’s words have produced “a hostile environment for learning.” She said Rickford was wrong to call Hamas “rife with contradictions” instead of labeling Hamas “for what it is” as a terrorist organization. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. See TENSIONS page 4

Pollack Celebrates C.U. University Begins Phasing Out Efforts in TCAM Address Dean’s List, Citing Equity Concerns POLLACK

Continued from page 1

And here at Cornell, our community feels a great deal of pain, anger and fear. I understand we live in a divided world, but I know that this community, our Cornell community, can come together in difficult times and stand as we always have against hatred of all forms. So today I asked all Cornellians to offer compassion and empathy and provide one another with the support that we all so need at this moment.” Pollack’s address centered on contextualizing the University’s accomplishments within Cornell’s current core values — purposeful discovery, free and open inquiry and expression, community of belonging, exploration across boundaries, changing lives through public engagement and respect for the natural environment. “We’re an academic institution, and our excellence rests on our academic distinction — on the work of our faculty and our students to expand the boundaries of human knowledge, and to deepen our understanding and our appreciation of all of our world in all of its beauty and complexity,” Pollack said. To illustrate Cornell’s commitment to purposeful discovery, Pollack highlighted the work of three faculty members — Prof. Sadaf Sobhani,

mechanical and aerospace engineering; Prof. Sara Bronin, city and regional planning and real estate; and Prof. Sasha Rush, computer science. Pollack noted Rush’s role in Cornell’s AI Initiative, which she said works “to shape a future in which human centered ethical AI benefits our lives, our society and our planet.” Pollack emphasized Cornell’s need to continue educating its community on the opportunities, limitations and risks of AI in accordance with new guidelines released last month. Pollack also noted the contributions of graduate students towards purposeful discovery, mentioning that 84 graduate students were selected as National Science Foundation research fellows this year, comprising four percent of all NSF research fellows. The goal of free and open inquiry and expression connects directly to the 2023-2024 Freedom of Expression theme year. Pollack explained the University’s goals to deepen the understanding of free expression and provide space for students and faculty to develop active listening, controversial discussion and advocacy skills, particularly as free expression is threatened. To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Eric Reilly can be reached at ereilly@cornellsun.com.

By DINA SHLUFMAN Sun Contributor

Cornell has begun phasing out the Dean’s List designation effective this semester. Students who matriculated during the Summer 2023 and all future semesters will no longer be eligible for the academic distinction, awarded by each individual college and school based on their own grade point average and credit hour requirements. However, all students who matriculated prior to the Summer 2023 semester can still be awarded Dean’s List recognition. The change comes after debate regarding the policy’s equity, as each Cornell undergraduate college had its own criteria required to earn a spot on the list. For example, the College of Arts and Sciences requires 15 credits taken for a grade to qualify for the Dean’s List, while the other six colleges only require 12 credits. Similarly, GPA requirements differ across colleges, with the College of Arts and Sciences requiring a minimum GPA of 3.6, but the School of Industrial and Labor Relations has a progressive requirement, with first-years needing only a 3.3 GPA and seniors needing a 3.6 GPA. In 2021, the Faculty Senate created a list of policy recommendations to address these discrepancies. Among the changes include the elimination of the Dean’s List as well as a standardized method of awarding Latin honors like Summa and Magna cum laude, as each college has different requirements for this distinction. The proposal cited the fact that only two other Ivy League schools — the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University — still use the Dean’s List as a marker of academic success. The report stated the elimination of the Dean’s List will allow students the freedom to explore classes outside of their comfort zone. “[The Dean’s List] continuously promotes the

centrality of high grades, thereby feeding grade obsession, increasing student academic stress and encouraging students to have a gradecentric approach to their education,” the recommendation stated. “Students may thus be discouraged from exploring the curriculum more broadly and taking more intellectual risks than they otherwise would if not so focused on grades.” Kyra Levin ’27, a first-year student in the College of Human Ecology, spoke favorably of the change as it will help alleviate some of her academic stress. “When you eliminate that additional competition between students, it will encourage group work and collaboration in classes,” Levin said. “I was always going to try my best to get the best grades possible. Personally, I wasn’t doing it for a Dean’s List title.” To continue reading this article, please visit www. cornellsun.com. Dina Shlufman can be reached at dfs225@cornell.edu.

CLAIRE LI / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Phasing out | New students no longer qualify for

the Dean’s List, as Cornell has begun phasing it out.

4 The Cornell Daily Sun | Tuesday, October 24, 2023

News

Fallout From Rickford’s Remarks Stokes Divisions on Campus TENSIONS

Continued from page 3

“Regarding Professor Rickford’s comments at the pro-Palestine rally, I’m feeling outraged, angry, upset, sad and extremely scared. I am scared for myself, my peers, the faculty and for all Jews on campus,” Shteingart wrote in a statement to The Sun. “Professors, who are in a position of power, set the discourse on campus. To have a professor endorse violence and terrorism as a means of resistance — equivocations aside — means that others will find it acceptable. His comments incite Jew hatred and violence.” Shteingart also told The Sun she was “really disappointed” with how Rickford’s apology did not condemn Hamas or terrorism, label Hamas as a terrorist organization or “acknowledge the harm of his statement

— supporting the murder of Jews.” Jeremy Zarge ’25, president of the Center for Jewish Living, said that he was “truly horrified” by Rickford’s comments. Zarge took a gap year in Israel before college and spent the last two summers interning and conducting research in Tel Aviv. Several of his family members and friends live in Tel Aviv, with some of his friends currently or recently serving in the Israel Defense Forces. Zarge said that he believes there is “no place at Cornell for a professor who celebrates terrorism” and that “the only course of action is for Cornell to sever ties with Professor Rickford.” “Just as there is no political context that can justify terrorism, there is no conceivable context in which Professor Rickford’s speech can justify expressing excitement over such

horrific actions,” Zarge said. “I’ve always felt a huge sense of pride being a Cornell student, but this incident has made me seriously question Cornell’s commitment to ensuring the safety of its Jewish students and its moral compass as a whole. Over the past few weeks, I’ve received numerous phone calls and emails from deeply concerned parents and alumni, both scared for their kids on campus and grossly disappointed in the University’s actions.” Matthew Small ’25 is a Jewish student who spent his previous summer in Israel through Big Red Onward Israel, an eightweek program in which Jewish Cornell students live in Tel Aviv and pursue internships. In Fall 2021, Small took History 1595: African American History From 1865, a class taught by Rickford.

“[History 1595] was actually a really great class,” Small said in an interview with The Sun. “[Rickford’s] teaching style was super interesting. I learned a ton.” Small said that learning about the historical reproduction of power through the class felt especially valuable with the Black Lives Matter movement spreading throughout the nation at the time and that he found Rickford’s lectures to be “inspiring.” Still, Small was disappointed with Rickford’s choice of words in his speech, stating that they “stung.” To continue reading this story, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Gabriel Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@ cornellsun.com. Julia Senzon can be reached at jsenzon@cornellsun.com.

Everything Important for Voting in Ithaca VOTING

Continued from page 1

Absentee Ballots The deadline to request a mail absentee ballot passed on Monday, Oct. 23, but the Tompkins County Absentee Ballot Application form can be printed out and mailed or brought to the Board of Elections office by Nov. 7. The ballot can be casted by mailing it to the Board of Elections office by Nov. 7, bringing it to an early voting location by Nov. 5 or bringing it to the Board of Elections office or polling site by 9 p.m. on Nov. 7. Once an absentee ballot is requested, the Board of Elections will automatically send an absentee ballot for every election until registration is canceled. Voting on Election Day A list of all polling places in Ithaca is available at the Tompkins County BOE lookup webpage. Users can input their address and find their polling location and a list of all incumbents. This is recommended, as the City of Ithaca has redistricted and the new wards will take effect with this year’s election cycle. Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Voters who are in line but have not voted by 9 p.m. will still be allowed to vote so long as they remain on line. Anyone with fewer than four consecutive non-working hours in which they can vote may take up to two paid hours off of work and as many unpaid hours as needed to vote, so long as you give between two and 10 work days’ notice to their employer under Section 3-110 of the New York State Election Law. To continue reading this story, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Jonathan Mong can be reached at jmong@cornellsun.com.

If Culture Has Come to a Standstill, We Can Now Céline Sciamma It HAERA SHIN ARTS CONTRIBUTOR

A recent New York Times article pointed out that our culture, something that had been moving in a forward direction, now seemed to be directionless and even at a standstill. I first found this statement absurd. The argument that culture had stopped while we — the whole world — were still alive seemed logically impossible. However, if this observation was true, and culture really had come to a degree of standstill, we should celebrate it. The progress of culture discussed in the Times article seems to suggest a culture contingent on a cycle of resistance and breakthrough. The article points out that many cultural works today seem to be either rehashes of past styles or exist in a state of timelessness, arguing that while there is still new content being produced, it often lacks the transformative and innovative qualities that were characteristic of 20th-century cultural movements. However, the idea that culture must take the shape of temporal linearity is questionable. Can’t culture be viable even when there is no great conflict ready to be reckoned with? Or, as Céline Sciamma puts it, what happens when the chicken gets what it wants? My response to the Times article came to me while reflecting upon Céline Sciamma’s approach to cinema. The acclaimed director of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Sciamma is not interested in antagonists propelling the narrative. Rather, she explores what could happen if the narrative moved away from conflict and the characters found themselves in agreement. Because now, the story is allowed to take any shape it desires. The first film I ever watched of Sciamma was Ma Vie de Courgette, a claymation feature co-written with Claude Barras. In the film, a group of children struggle to find the possibility of love after their respective burdens of trauma, slowly rediscovering hope through their time together at the orphanage. Here, the focus isn’t on triumph or achievement but on internal wish and experience — desire. The children want love, belonging and hope, and this constructs the narrative, resulting in a story that doesn’t follow the received ideas of how things usually unfold. The ingenuity of Sciamma’s take on cinema is at full force

during Portrait of a Lady on Fire, where the film explores what happens when obstacles and enemies are removed. Héloïse and Marianne construct the film by living moment by moment, putting forward what they want and could want. To me, the Times article’s description of culture is a lot like traditionally received ideas of narrative that are centered around conflict. I see culture as how the components of the world are perceived, and subjective experiences perhaps don’t have to be united by a distinct definition of an era. Like a Sciamma film, culture can be contingent on desire rather than a problem waiting to be triumphed over. I think the striking result of reframing culture as a reflection of desire is that humanity can be perceived through a universal lens. Like Sciamma’s films, the absence of an agon gives rise to human themes of love, togetherness, desire, loneliness, understanding and more. And, is this not what culture ultimately shapes itself upon? Essential themes of humanity are best illuminated during moments when we are free to choose, to consider the possibility of possibility. So the observation that culture is meandering is in a way an extraordinary sign. Because,

when identifiable elements JULIEN BOURGEOIS / NEW YORK TIMES of temporal culture dwindles down, we have to reckon with an intoxicating question: What do you want and do you still want it? In North America, I find that there is an overlooked tendency to frame the happenings of the world as a conflict, something that demands a glittering solution. Even at Cornell, I find that there is a culture of framing each day as a conflict, constrained by the uncontrollable passing of time. But while there are places in the world that feel like you’re living with time (New York, namely), there are also places where it feels like all the time has passed, and you’re living in the after (Paris, to be exact). There, culture doesn’t seem wholly contingent on progress. Like Céline Sciamma’s redefinition of narrative, perhaps we should view culture as a reflection of desire rather than the fight against conflict. There are still billions of people waking up and falling asleep every single day. Cadence of life tends to have a difficult time resisting culture. Haera Shin is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. They can be reached at hs943@cornell.edu.

ARTS & CULTURE

6 The Cornell Daily Sun | Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The Corne¬ Daily Sun Independent Since 1880 141st Editorial Board ANGELA BUNAY ’24 Editor in Chief

KATIE CHEN ’25

SOFIA RUBINSON ’24

Business Manager

Managing Editor

SHEILA YU ’25

GRACE XIAO ’25

Advertising Manager

Web Editor

NOAH DO ‘24

AIMÉE EICHER ’24

Associate Editor

Assistant Managing Editor

HUGO AMADOR ’24

UYEN HOANG ’25

EMILY VO ‘25

ANNA LIANG ‘24

Opinion Editor

Assitant Web Editor

Multimedia Editor

Assistant Advertising Editor

JONATHAN MONG ’25

ERIC REILLY ’25

News Editor

JULIA SENZON ’26

GABRIEL MUÑOZ ’26

JULIA NAGEL ’24

NIHAR HEGDE ’24

GRAYSON RUHL ’24

DANIELA ROJAS ’25

TENZIN KUNSANG ’25

RUTH ABRAHAM ’24

JOANNE HU ’24

MEHER BHATIA ’24

News Editor

Photography Editor

Arts & Culture Editor

Sports Editor

Dining Editor

Science Editor

Sports Editor

Assistant News Editor

Science Editor

MARISA CEFOLA ’26

MARIAN CABALLO ’25

Assistant News Editor

MAX FATTAL ’25

CARLIN REYEN ’25

Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

Assistant News Editor

MING DEMERS ’25

KIKI PLOWE ’25

Assistant Photography Editor

Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

KATE KIM ’24

CLAIRE LI ’24

Layout Editor

Assistant Photography Editor

ISABELLE JUNG ’26

DAVID SUGARMANN ’24

VEE CIPPERMAN ’23

KASSANDRA ROBLEDO ’25

Graphics Editor

Assistant Sports Editor Newsletter Editor

Senior Editor

ELI PALLRAND ’24

ESTEE YI ’24

Senior Editor

JASON WU ’24

PAREESAY AFZAL ’24

Senior Editor

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Opinion Editorial

We Must Not Be Punished for Our Words in a Time of War

FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS the Cornell community, and the entire world, has witnessed as the Middle East has burst up into war. As President Joe Biden mentioned in his Oval Office address on Oct. 19, the Israel-Hamas conflict can seem distant. But as many Americans and Cornell students, faculty, staff and alumni understand: This conflict is an inflection point on the growing threat to countries, their democracies and to the lives of innocent human beings. As of Oct. 21, at least 5,000 individuals have been killed and more than 17,000 have been injured in the enclave since Oct. 7. For the Cornell community and beyond, the war in the Middle East has become one of the most emotionally divisive issues in recent decades. As an institution that nests a premier staff of experts in every field and students with the conviction to change the world, people turn to us to parse through the issues that divide us in the modern century, past and present. They seek for us to aid in finding the answers against hatred; against terror and murder; perhaps, the language that can help us understand the rhyme and reason behind war. And we try: At Harvard, students and staff have professed their views, yet not without repercussions. At the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford, students for and against Israel have voiced their grief and their anger. At Cornell we’ve held vigils for both Israeli and Palestinian lives lost — a message we send that is rather mournful, silent. But even in our best attempt, we fail to truly capture the magnitude and complexity that is a war. It follows that the atmosphere of war is deadly not only to human life, but also to the very language that we’re used to: Our speeches and our chants cannot completely capture the lives we’ve lost while attempting to fully historicize the war that took them. Every shooting war is also a war between competing narratives. As a consequence, individuals who have spoken out have been threatened, injured or killed. It is concerning that our language, in the atmosphere of war, in order to preserve the very dignity and humanity of mankind, we fear must actually come to an end. But we cannot let this be the case. Just last week one of our professors, Prof. Russell Rickford, gained national attention for his public speech regarding the Hamas invasion into Israel, where thousands were killed and injured. Our reporters and journalists at The Cornell Daily Sun covered the event and spoke to Professor Rickford regarding his statements, who has now taken a leave of absence from the University. In the aftermath, students, faculty and alumni have villainized and threatened not only Rickford, but our journalists and the journalistic integrity we uphold to the highest standards and practice at The Cornell Daily Sun. Rickford’s statements unjustly glorified a terrorist group’s actions as a means to defend the rights of the Palestinian people. Violence and terror should never have been the answer. And it is clear now, more than ever, that Israel cannot win this war against terrorists solely by killing and dismantling the violence, terror and power of Hamas. And Palestinians cannot stand for the freedom of their people by condoning Hamas’s actions. Israelis and Palestinians must uphold the rules, morals and international social contracts in this conflict that Hamas so blatantly ignores. As in the war between Ukraine and Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, and now Israel and Palestine, human tragedy is everywhere, and so are war crimes. While there are multiple treaties the world has agreed to that govern the rules of war, sovereign states are not required to recognize the authority of international law. Thus no one can hold Israelis and Palestinians accountable for the death of the innocent other than themselves. Israel’s goal in this conflict is to destroy Hamas, and maintain political authority over land that has been contested for more than 75 years; Palestinians historically have been fighting for their land, their freedom and their lives. In attempting to achieve both, Israelis and Palestinians must, above all, protect those who have not taken up arms. Israelis and Palestinians must protect the lives of the innocent. And it is in that effort, the effort to protect the innocent, that the Middle East deserves the support of the Cornell community, the western powers and

the rest of the world. No matter how emotionally charged we feel — either in agreement or opposition — in response to the views of individuals within our community and beyond, threats and intimidation are not the solution. We must speak out in civility against ideas that are hateful or defamatory, but we cannot silence those whose beliefs we do not agree with; we cannot force others to conform to our beliefs; we cannot threaten or silo those who speak out of turn when they are themselves victims of a conflict that has no given vocabulary. In the wake of a war that has caused a rift within the nation and our very own Cornell community, there is a common understanding that no human soul should be lost. What has divided us are the motives that led to the violence: be it oppression, religious autonomy, statehood, nationalism, religious persecution etc. But no one at Cornell should be made to feel like a stranger for their political views, or their opinions as a whole. Cornell is, after all, a university — an institution of thought — not a political party. And especially in a time when America in its entirety is deeply polarized on issues, and individuals are more likely than ever to demonize language that goes against their own, we must, at Cornell, create a space where even the most extreme, radical, unorthodox ideas can be righteously challenged with reason and peace. In a time of such perilous divide, within a conflict that has brought us to the extremities of war, we feel as if we cannot do much other than spectate as the innocent perish, as the region clouds in smoke under the multiplicity of a burning sky. But as we all know, we have the power of our freedom to speak, to congregate, to exploit our written language. And we must not vilify our ability to speak on our understandings and atrocities of war, because in doing so, we let that very war be the death of our language. To our readers: For more than 143 years, The Cornell Daily Sun has worked tirelessly to shed light on the issues, opinions of our community and the world at large. Above all, our reporters aim to write objectively on the issues at hand, and do so with professionalism and poise to ensure no events and remarks are written without context. We unequivocally support our reporters in all that they do to carry the truth to the issues and conflicts that matter towards you and the rest of the world. To our fellow Cornellians, faculty & staff: You are entitled to grief, to challenge the notions of war and its cause, to call out barbarism, dispossession, oppression, kidnappings and rape, violence and murder. You are to research, learn, teach and discuss here at Cornell with a critical eye. But if there is anything that belongs to you solely, righteously and fundamentally, it is your right to language; your freedom to speak, no matter what side you stand on. So be prudent with your words, especially now — just as easily as our words can grant humanity and elicit peace, they can easily take both away. To the Cornell Board of Trustees, alumni and donors: Your beliefs and your support for our community must be completely separate. Our success as an institution and the success of thousands of Cornellians who will one day change the world to come cannot be teased by support and donations tied to a string of your personal morals and beliefs. The very discourse we find ourselves in is one which you should celebrate, for our ability to engage in the advancement of knowledge and discuss freely and openly towards common ground is the very essence of our University. We, along with future Cornellians, faculty and staff should not be reprimanded for our engagement in the discourse of ideas. And to President Pollack: As the very innocence of our youth is shattered by the cruelties of the outside world, but also as we come to learn that there is hope for a peaceful future, we need you here to remind us that Cornell is the place where we can begin to achieve just that

The Cornell Daily Sun’s Editorial Board is a collaborative team composed of the Editor in Chief, Associate Editor and Opinion Editor. The Cornell Daily Sun’s editorials are independent of its news coverage, other columnists and advertisers and represent only a majority view of The Cornell Daily Sun.

The Cornell Daily Sun | Tuesday, October 24, 2023 7

Comics and Puzzles

Sundoku Fill in the empty cells, one number in each, so that each column, row, and region contains the numbers 1-9 exactly once. Each number in the solution therefore occurs only once in each of the three “directions,” hence the “single numbers” implied by the puzzle’s name. (Rules from wikipedia.org/wiki/ Sudoku)

Puzzle 71

RATCAGE 8 5

8 5

Standard Rate: $3.95 per day for the first 15 words, 39 cents per day per word thereafter. Five or more consecutive insertions, $3.70 per day for the first 15 words, 37 cents per day per word thereafter.

1 1

8 2

6 9

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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 the first 15 words, 38 cents per day per word thereafter. The Sun is responsible for only one day make-good on ads.

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Sports

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

TUESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2023

Football Forces Three Picks in Win Over Brown

By GRAYSON RUHL Sun Sports Editor

ITHACA, N.Y. — Faced with the potential of having its season slip away, football needed to get back in the win column to right the ship. Hosting Brown (3-3, 1-2 Ivy) this Saturday, Oct. 21, the Red (3-3, 2-1 Ivy) did just that, racking up 434 yards and forcing three turnovers en route to a 36-14 win. “I’m really proud of the way we picked ourselves out of a slump and came out and played good football on all three sides,” said head Coach David Archer ’05. “Everybody contributed today — offense, defense and special teams — and the sideline. I thought the sideline energy was awesome, and it showed.” The Red was dominant on both sides of the ball in the first half. After both teams traded punts to start the game, Cornell took over with favorable field position on the Brown 49. Junior quarterback Jameson Wang was at his best, completing a 12-yard pass to senior wide receiver Nicholas Laboy on the second play of the drive before the Red rushed for a first down. On the following play, Wang rolled right on play action and found sophomore wide receiver Doryn Smith wide open on a corner route. Smith broke a tackle and took it to the house for a 37-yard score, his first in a Cornell uniform. Senior kicker/punter Jackson Kennedy tacked on the extra point, and Cornell quickly led, 7-0. “As soon as I got in the end zone I was

thinking about my family,” Smith said. “I was just harping on myself trying to score… I just took it one day at a time, one play at a time, and then it happened.” Brown’s offensive was nonexistent in the first half, as the team picked up just two first downs and 36 total yards of offense. The Bears punted on its first five possessions. At the start of the second quarter, the Red was driving in Brown territory. The 12-play, 80-yard drive featured multiple double-digit yard passes to Laboy, including a 25-yard strike on 3rd and 16 to set Cornell up with a goal-to-go opportunity. Two plays later, freshman running back Ean Pope found the end zone on a seven-yard rush, his first score for the Red. Following another Brown punt, Cornell’s offense went back on the attack. Starting on its own 25, the Red worked the ball down the field, converting a 4th down on a Wang QB sneak to keep the drive alive. Cornell eventually stalled just inside the red zone, and Kennedy drilled a 35-yard field goal to put the Red up by 17. With just under two minutes left in the first half, Brown got the ball at its own fiveyard line, looking for any offense to build momentum before halftime. Nevertheless, on the second play of the drive, quarterback Jake Wilcox’s pass was intercepted by senior safety Brody Kidwell. The pick was Kidwell’s second in two weeks, and it gave the Red an instant red zone opportunity. “[Kidwell] just keeps getting better and better and better,” Archer said. “And that was huge, because they were going to get

the ball after half. And we were able to take possession from them, not get it back and get points.” Operating with just over a minute left, Cornell ran the clock down before attempting a 28-yard field goal. Kennedy connected, and the Red went into the locker room leading, 20-0. In past games, the Red struggled holding on to leads in the second half. That was not the case today. Following a Brown punt on its opening drive, Cornell got the ball on its own 23, looking to do more damage. The Red’s offense continued to shine, as the team marched 77 yards down the field on seven plays. Wang looked particularly sharp on the drive, going 5 of 6 for 72 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown pass over the middle to senior tight end Matt Robbert. Not to be outshined by the offense, the Red’s defense continued to suffocate Brown. After picking up a couple of first downs on its second drive of the half, Brown looked to set up a quick screen pass. Recognizing the play, senior cornerback Paul Lewis III jumped in front of Brown’s wide receiver, intercepting Wilcox’s throw. With just the quarterback to beat, Lewis III got past Wilcox, and took it 58 yards to the end zone for a pick six. It was the Red’s first pick six since Oct. 15, 2022, when senior linebacker Connor Henderson had one against Lehigh. “I went inside and then I saw the QB staring right at the receiver,” Lewis III said. “And I just jumped it, and then as soon as I caught it I [knew] it was six. I’m not getting

tackled, nobody’s catching me.” Midway through the third quarter, the Bears’ offense finally found some life. On 3rd and 7 from its own 38, Wilcox hit receiver Solomon Miller over the middle behind the Cornell defense. Miller ran untouched up the seam into the end zone, putting Brown on the board. Following the Bears’ touchdown, the Red looked to respond, working the ball into Brown territory. Wang took a deep shot to Laboy from the Brown 44, but the pass was picked off by the Bears and returned to the Brown 31. Needing points fast, Brown quickly moved into Cornell territory with a pass interference call and a 23-yard rush. Four plays later, facing a 3rd and 22, Wilcox navigated the pocket and threw deep down the right sideline, finding Graham Walker for a 43-yard score. After being shut out in the first half, the Bears now trailed, 33-14. The Red punted on its following possession, giving Brown an opportunity to get back into the game. The Bears drove into Cornell territory, but on 2nd and 19 from the Red’s 37, Wilcox threw deep into the end zone into triple coverage. Sophomore safety Jeremiah Lewis undercut the pass, recording Cornell’s third interception of the day. It was the first time since 2017 that the Red had three or more picks. To continue reading this story, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Grayson Ruhl can be reached at gruhl@cornellsun.com.

Sun Staff Football Picks — Week Seven ROUND

7 PRINCETON AT CORNELL

BROWN AT PENN COLUMBIA AT YALE

DARTMOUTH AT HARVARD

SYRACUSE AT VIRGINIA TECH

MARYLAND AT NORTHWESTERN

OREGON AT UTAH

JETS AT GIANTS

FALCONS AT TITANS

BROWNS AT SEAHAWKS

LAST WEEK

TOTAL

GRAYSON RUTH RUHL ABRAHAM

DAVID SUGARMANN

ANGELA SOFIA BUNAY RUBINSON

AIMÉE EICHER

NOAH DO

HUGO MEHER AMADOR BHATIA

JULIA NAGEL

NIHAR HEGDE

CORNELL

PRINCETON

CORNELL

PRINCETON

CORNELL

PENN

BROWN

YALE

HARVARD

DARTMOUTH

HARVARD

DARMOUTH

HARVARD

DARTMOUTH

SYRACUSE

VIRGINIA TECH

SYRACUSE

MARYLAND

NORTHWESTERN

MARYLAND

OREGON

UTAH

OREGON

JETS

GIANTS

JETS

GIANTS

JETS

GIANTS

FALCONS

TITANS

FALCONS

TITANS

FALCONS

SEAHAWKS

BROWNS

SEAHAWKS

BROWNS

SEAHAWKS

6-4

5-5

3-7

4-6

6-4

7-3

42-18

31-29

37-23

35-25

34-26

36-24

18-42

22-38

20-40

35-25

25-35