10 29 13 entire issue lo res

INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880

The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 130, No. 44

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2013

!

ITHACA, NEW YORK

16 Pages – Free

News

Arts

Sports

Weather

Oh, No You Didn’t

Short and Elegant

We’re Going Down

Mostly Sunny HIGH: 47 LOW: 35

President David Skorton and Glenn Altschuler Ph.D. ’76 call President Barack Obama’s college ratings plan “flawed.” | Page 3

Demetri Martin’s show at Cornell was extremely funny and fast-paced, Emily Kling ’16 says. | Page 8

After a hard battle, the women’s soccer team fell to Brown this weekend. | Page 16

Many Reasons for Dark Storefronts In Collegetown Laws, high rents, competition cited

By SARAH CUTLER Sun Senior Writer

Landlords and tenants agree: commercial vacancies in Collegetown are on the rise. But there is no such consensus among parties on the reasons behind the increase.

While landlords blame national economic trends, city politics and business practices for vacancy, tenants accuse landlords of charging excessively high rent prices and having lease agreements that Chuck “The question is: Cooley, owner of what’s driving them out?” Classic Optical on Dryden Road, Chuck Cooley called “hostile.”

“If people are going out of business, the question is, what’s driving them out?” Cooley said. “Is it a poor business model, or are franchise fees too high, or is it the person who talked them into the lease who said there’d be more foot traffic than there is? There’s a ton

HAEWON HWANG / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

No faith in C-Town | Green Café, a former 24-hour eatery in Collegetown, has been closed since April 2010. The space, which sits on prime real estate on the corner of College Avenue and Dryden Road, is not the sole empty storefront in Collegetown.

of different things that go into it.”

Jason Fane, a Collegetown landlord and developer for the Ithaca Renting Company, said excessive available retail space, extensive regulations and competition with online businesses are behind vacancies in Collegetown.

He noted that much of the vacancy is in what landown-

Natural disaster | Japanese soldiers scour the waters for tsunami victims in Japan in March 2011. Japan was hit by more tsunamis and an earthquake early Saturday.

By GABRIELLA LEE

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54 is no Justice Antonin Scalia, but Ginsburg is still “a true comedian,” according to a new study.

The study, which built off of a 2005 study of Supreme Court humor that dubbed Scalia “the funniest judge,” found that Ginsburg is 200 percent funnier than the previous

Earthquake in Japan Unearths Students’Memories of ’11 Tragedy

By TYLER ALICEA Sun Senior Writer

After an earthquake and several small tsunamis hit eastern Japan Saturday, Cornellians from Japan expressed their relief that the event was not similar to the quake that devastated Japan in March 2011.

The magnitude 7.3 earthquake —

which was an aftershock of the magnitude 9.00 earthquake and tsunami that hit the region in 2011, according to an official from the Japan Meteorological Agency — struck Japan early Saturday, the Associated Press reported. Following the earthquake, waves from the tsunamis that measured up to 15 inches See QUAKE page 5

See BUSINESS page 4

Study: Justice Ginsburg ’54 Is Funny Sun Staff Writer

KO SASAKI / THE NEW YORK TIMES

ers see as “development sites,” where landlords must choose between long-term rentals to “good tenants” — who “stay for a long time, pay their rent on time, honor all the provisions of the lease and don’t cause noise or other

study thought.

The 2013 study added on to the previous study’s methodology, expanding its definition of laughter beyond only the instances written down by court stenographers to include all instances of laughter heard during oral arguments.

While the previous study measured the number of times “(laughter)” was transcribed in the oral arguments of the Court’s 2004-05 transcripts, the

new study — which examined 79 oral arguments in the 2011-12 Supreme Court term — recorded the instances of laughter that transcribers had missed, concluding that the justices were perhaps even funnier than thought of before.

Calculating the humor differential by comparing the number of instances of humor in the transcript to the instances of actual See GINSBURG page 4

Truck Crashes Into House Downtown A pickup truck crashed into a house in the City of Ithaca, injuring the driver, damaging his car and displacing one of the property’s residents early Saturday, according to the Ithaca Fire Department.

The driver of a Ford truck did not properly complete a turn from Hudson Street onto Aurora Street, causing him to collide into a house at 142 South Aurora St., according to a press release from the IFD. The driver was taken to Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa to be treated for his injuries. The City of Ithaca’s Building Department was also called to the scene — along with the property owner’s maintenance team — to repair a wall that had been damaged by the collision, according to the press release.

As of Monday, there had been no further developments in the investigation into the incident, according to Lt. Tommy Basher Jr., public information officer for the IFD. — Compiled by Dara Levy

2 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Today

DAYBOOK

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Daybook Today

“I’m a Mouse, Duh”

Behavioral Workshop, Vishal Singh 11:45 a.m., 141 Sage Hall Econometrics Seminar, Hiroaki Kaido 4:15 p.m., 498 Uris Hall

Animal ears are All you need for Halloween: Don’t pull a Cady!

The dr.T projecT: a Cornell hiTchhicker’s guide to culTure 4:30 - 5 p.m., Browsing Library, Willard Straight Hall C.U. Jazz: Jazz Underground Jam Session 10 p.m. - Midnight, The Gates, 422 Eddy Street

~ Jackson O. Lantern ’15 Tomorrow Seminar With Hannah Chapelle Wojciehowski 1 p.m., 258 Goldwin Smith Hall Lessons from the Past: Pompeii and Herculaneum in the 18th Century 4:30 p.m., G22 Goldwin Smith Hall

PUPIL POETRY

Interviewing Via Phone or Skype: Nuances You Need to Know 4:45 p.m., 105 Ives Hall

cornellians write verse

C.U. Music: Composers’ Forum 4:30 - 6 p.m., 316 Lincoln Hall

Students may send poetry submissions to news@cornellsun.com.

CD & RECORD FAIR SATURDAY NOV. SUNDAY SUNDAY, 3, 2013 FEB. 16, 2013 FEB. 17, 2013 10 5 AP.M. P.M. – 11 11 A.M . - 7A.M. .M. - 5 P.M.

123 E. State St. • On The Commons DEALERS SELLING & BUYING ALL TYPES OF MUSIC:

100,000 CDs, DVDs, RECORDS, etc. FOR SALE

Please Recycle this Paper in one of the recycling bins located on the Cornell Campus.

Bargains & Rarities

nyrecordfairs.com

www.cornellsun.com

The Corne¬ Daily Sun INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880 Editor in Chief

Rebecca Harris ’14

ALL DEPARTMENTS

Business Manager

Hank Bao ’14

(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., SundayThursday.

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 Monday through Friday during the Cornell University academic year, with three special issues: one for seniors in May, one for alumni in June and one for incoming freshmen in July, for a total of 144 issues per year. Subscription rates are: $137.00 for fall term, $143.00 for spring term and $280.00 for both terms if paid in advance. First-class postage paid at Ithaca, New York.

Postmaster: Send address changes to The Cornell Daily Sun, 139 W. State St., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850.

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, October 29, 2013 3

NEWS

Skorton: Obama’s College Rating Plan Is ‘Flawed’

Planting change

By CAROLINE FLAX Sun News Editor

Despite being well-intentioned, President Barack Obama’s plan to create a college ratings system that would be tied to federal student aid is flawed, say Cornell President David Skorton and Glenn Altschuler Ph.D. ’76, vice president for University relations.

“In our judgement ... some of the criteria for determining college values are flawed,” Skorton and Altschuler said in a Forbes column published Monday.

Obama’s proposed college rating system is a part of the administration’s plan to make higher education more affordable and to make colleges and universities more accountable, according to Forbes. Obama hopes that, by creating metrics to measure universities’ performances and linking student aid to university ratings, the country can move toward reforming institutions of higher education.

Skorton and Altschuler said that, even while they believe “the goal [of reforming education] is worthy,” Obama’s rankings system may be too simplistic.

For one, Obama has not defined enough ways of measuring an institution’s performance, the two said.

Currently, Obama’s plan includes figures such as the percentage of students receiving Pell grants, average tuition and graduation rates. Skorton and Altschuler said there should be more ways of measuring a university’s quality of education — for instance, by also looking at the quality of its faculty, its student-faculty ratio and alumni satisfaction.

The two also cautioned against giving some measures — such as graduation rates — too much weight.

“Some institutions, we fear, may be tempted to elevate

MICHELLE FELDMAN / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Mary Jo Dudley, director of the Cornell Farmworker Program, discusses how to improve farmworkers’ lives at the Plant Sciences Building Monday.

their graduation rate by ‘dumbing down’ courses or accepting fewer students from lower socioeconomic groups,” they said.

Even with such drawbacks, Obama’s idea to make a college rating system has merit, Skorton and Altschuler said.

“Setting minimum performance standards for all colleges and universities, non-profit and for-profit, residential and virtual, and ‘identifying the worst of the worst would be a huge step forward,” they said. “By doing so, we could spare many students a painful waste of effort and

money.”

The two concluded their column saying that although they think making metrics fair and beneficial will be difficult, but they “believe it can be done.”

“As thoughtful voices from the public as well as academic and public-policy circles weigh in, we hope the administration will be listening. We can and must make progress together,” they said.

Caroline Flax can be reached at cflax@cornellsun.com or twitter.com/csflax.

Cornell Real Estate Club Works to Be More‘Proactive’ Since last semester, club has started mentor program,toured real estate divisions in New York City

By LINDSAY CAYNE Sun Contributor

Since club co-presidents David Weinstein ’15 and Nicholas Baccile ’15 took over the Cornell Real Estate Club last semester, the two say they have worked to create a more “proactive” organization.

CREC, which serves undergraduate students in the real estate minor, aims to provides educational, professional and networking opportunities to students, according to Weinstein. In order to most effectively provide students with beneficial industry tools and resources, the club works with the real estate minor in the School of Hotel Administration, as well as the Associate Real Estate Council, the graduate real estate club at Cornell, Weinstein

said.

According to Weinstein, the club caters to a wide variety of career interests “within the field of real estate — not just consulting or development, for example.”

Bradley Walker ’10 started CREC about six or seven years ago, according to Weinstein and Baccile. Last semester, Weinstein and Baccile took control of the club and together “have teamed up with faculty and alumni of the real estate minor to make the club more proactive in the real estate community,” Weinstein said.

As part of the transition into a more proactive club, CREC has implemented a mentor program, according to Baccile. The club partnered with the Real Estate Minor Alumni of Cornell to provide students with alumni mentors to provide networking

It’s all Greek to me

opportunities access to possible internships and jobs. Mentors are assigned based on students’ career interests and past work experience, and mentor-mentee pairs are encouraged to call at least once a quarter, Baccile said.

Along with the new mentorship program, Weinstein and Baccile have organized professional development workshops, special events, and guest speakers to come and talk with the club’s members.

Weinstein said that these opportunities “complement what students of the minor learn in the classroom.”

On Oct. 18, 14 CREC members went to New York City to get an inside look into J.P. Morgan’s Real Estate department and observed the Lodging Investment Banking group. According to Weinstein, J.P. Morgan arranged for each of the club’s members to pair up with an analyst to ask questions and learn more about investment banking.

Students have also visited Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies and Ares Management, where they learned about funds, recent projects and the way the management approaches their development process, Weinstein said. After the office visits, students attended a meet and greet with

the real estate minor group from Cornell.

The trip not only gave members insight into the real estate industry but also “allowed students to meet some people in high positions and further their careers,” Baccile said.

Apart from visiting major real estate firms, the club has also hosted professional development workshops in which Cornell graduate students from the Associate Real Estate Council work with CREC members to critique their resume critiques and help prepare them for interviews.

CREC has also brought many industryleading guest speakers to campus, including Lee Pillsbury '69, the founder, co-chairman and CEO of Thayer Lodging Group, and Michael Barnello ’87, president and CEO of LaSalle Hotel Properties.

Baccile said he plans on bringing in more guest speakers to campus and hosting more professional development workshops for club members.

Baccile added that he hopes membership will continue to grow.

“As the real estate minor grows, so will this club,” Baccile said.

Lindsay Cayne can be reached at lnc36@cornell.edu.

Last Week in Review Mayor’s Budget Proposes New Police Department Position

SAMI BRIGGS / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Corey Ryan Earle ’07 tells students about Greek life at Cornell in Kennedy Hall’s Call Auditorium in Monday.

Mayor Svante Myrick’s ’09 2014 budget proposal includes the addition of a deputy chief for professional standards to the Ithaca Police Department. The position will oversee the newly created Professional Standards Division and report to both IPD Chief John Barber and the mayor. The deputy chief will also work to standardize procedures for officer candidate training and recruitment and to improve the process of reviewing officer conduct in addition to other responsibilities, according to the Ithaca Times.

— Compiled by Dara Levy

4 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, October 29, 2013

NEWS

Ithaca Landlords Lament Vacancies in C-Town BUSINESS

Continued from page 1

problems” — and short-term rentals, which tenants with strong businesses likely don’t pursue since they won’t have time to make up their investment during the course of the lease.

Fane also blamed some of the vacancy in Collegetown on novice businessowners.

“Many tenants in Ithaca rent a store and underestimate the cost to properly open the business, have a poor operation and go out of business quickly,” he said in an email. “Some confuse knowing how to cook with knowing how to run a restaurant business.”

In development sites in Collegetown, he said, landlords are waiting for the City to pass a form-based zoning code for Collegetown that has been in the works for four years. While he does not keep retail vacancy statistics, he said, it appears there has been an upward trend in vacancies since the City announced its plan to rezone central Collegetown.

“Until it is passed, landlords either can’t comply with the existing law or don’t know what to tell their architects to design,” Fane said. “Retail vacancy in Collegetown has increased due to many stores on development being held off the long-term market while owners wait for a

new zoning law.”

“Sometimes, people suggest that it’s a Common Council member Graham particular owner that is the reason spaces Kerslick (D-4th) disagreed with Fane, are vacant. We should find out if there saying that landlords should not wait for are correlations with vacancy rate and the new code to start filling their proper- how people do business,” Kerslick said. ties.

Collegetown tenants, however, seem “I don’t know why people would be to agree that what is keeping buildings waiting on a zoning law. Though there is empty are forbiddingly high rent prices. a Collegetown plan being developed, it’s Natalie Sweeney, owner of the new not suddenly going to change the struc- Natalia’s Boutique on Dryden Road, said ture of Collegetown overnight — these rent is “absolutely” the reason for vacanprocesses take cies.

For her 1,010 squaremany years, and foot store, she pays $2,000 in the mean- “Most restaurants are each month for rent. time, these trying to survive on nine Anywhere else, for the same vacant proper- months of income and 12 amount of space, Sweeney ties are going to said she would be paying be staying months of expense.” $1,000 per month. The vacant,” he Chuck Cooley rent just gets higher as said. “To be stores get closer to the frank, I don’t “main drag” of really buy that argument. Presumably, it’s better to have Collegetown, she said, with some of the two years of rent than two years of vacan- stores there paying more than twice her rent. cies.”

Michelle Green, the owner of Acute Though he does not know the cause of vacancies in Collegetown, Kerslick Style, added that, “the biggest thing is said he does not think the number of that the rent is super high — it’s getting vacancies is worse than it has been in the to the point where you can’t keep up with your profits.” past, he said.

Cooley called the number of vacancies Still, he said he is interested in “digging deeper” into the reasons that some in Collegetown “atypical,” pointing out streets are thriving, while others have the disproportionate number of vacancies across the street from his store in the more vacancies.

spaces owned by the Ithaca Renting Company.

The nationwide economic downturn has not helped matters, said Matthew Taylor, general manager of Stella’s.

Restaurants in particular are suffering because people do not have as much disposable spending money to go out, he said.

All Collegetown business also struggle with the “ebb and flow” of Cornell’s schedule, Taylor added.

“Our business is closely tied to student population, and when there are breaks, that hurts us,” he said.

While it is possible to own a successful business in Collegetown, it is not easy to balance the long breaks in the academic calendar, according to Cooley, who noted that some businesses, including Plum Tree, simply shut down during breaks.

“Most restaurants are trying to survive on nine months of income and 12 months of expense — it’s an awful business model,” Cooley said. “There are success stories — Aladdin’s been there for 25 years — but it’s difficult to get it done.

You have to have the right business, and you have to do all the right things for marketing.”

Sarah Cutler can be reached at scutler@cornellsun.com.

Study: Justice Ginsburg ’54 Funnier Than Previously Thought GINSBURG

Continued from page 1

humor, the study found that Ginsburg had the highest humor differential — 200 percent. The study said that, contrary to the previous study’s determination that Ginsburg was only funny twice, she was actually funny six times.

“Ginsburg’s dry humor apparently has been soaring over [the transcriber’s] head and perhaps some of the Court’s bar members,” the study said.

Ginsburg’s wit aside, Justice Scalia still led as the “funniest” justice with 136 instances of actual humor, with Justice Stephen Breyer following behind at 93 instances of actual humor.

The authors of the study, which was titled “Too Much Frivolity, Not Enough Femininity: A Study of Gender and Humor at the U.S. Supreme Court” and published earlier this month, were looking to study the relationship between gender and humor in the court. In addition to finding previously unrecorded humor in the court,

the study also found other noticeable gender differences in how justices engage with advocates.

Although humor and the Supreme Court may seem a surprising pair, it could be explained by the increasingly active role those on the bench have been taking, according to Prof. John Blume, law.

Blume, who has argued eight cases in the Supreme Court between the late 1980s and 2010, said that the justices have “definitely become much more active as a group.”

“The number of questions from the justices.

“In my mind, there is a time which were asked in general have gone up substantially, so the one and place for everything, and cerphenomenon, which I think is tainly sometimes in an oral argudefinitely true, is that the justices ment, a little levity or humor can are much more active participants help lighten the mood,” he said.

“Sometimes in in asking other types of many more argument, humor q u e s t i o n s , “A little levity or humor can be used to which counsel can help lighten the make an important has to respond mood.” rhetorical point.” to,” he said.

On the other Blume said John Blume hand, though, that because Blume added that justices have been participating more during “if the justices are participating in oral arguments over the past two a way or in a manner, which makes or so decades, quips or humorous it difficult for the lawyers to make remarks are more likely to emerge. their point, that’s not a good thing Blume said he does not see any- either.” thing inherently wrong with justices’ use of humor, adding that Gabriella Lee can be reached at there are potential benefits to jokes glee@cornellsun.com.

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, October 29, 2013 5

NEWS

Japanese Students Recall 2011 Earthquake QUAKE

Continued from page 1

hit areas along the east coast.

In March 2011, an earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan, resulting in the death of 19,000 people and the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, according to the AP. In July, it was revealed that the Fukushima plant was leaking radioactive water into the ocean.

Many students expressed their concerns when initially hearing about Saturday’s earthquake, which took place at 2:10 a.m.

Tokyo time — or at 1:10 p.m. (EDT) Friday.

“The first thoughts that came to my mind when I heard of the earthquake this weekend were, ‘What was the intensity of the earthquake?’ and ‘Was anyone injured?’” Rei Yamada ’15 said.

Tatsuhiro Koshi ’15 echoed Yamada’s sentiments, adding that he was afraid that the earthquake would be a precursor to a much larger earthquake.

The earthquake resulted in only one minor injury, and no damage was reported, according to the AP. Both Koshi and Yamada said that their families were not

affected by this weekend’s earthquake.

While her great aunt was safe and only “We don’t live near the coast, and the experienced tremors from her sister’s place we live has an altitude higher than 20 house, her great-aunt’s house in meters, so we [were not] concerned about Ishinomaki was destroyed. the tsunami,” Koshi said.

“She has told me that she still feels very Regardless, both Koshi and Yamada sad whenever the thoughts of 2011 cross her said they were both relieved to hear that mind,” Yamada said of her great-aunt, who is the effects of the earthquake were mini- now living outside Tokyo with her sister. mal.

In addition, her brother was attending “I was relieved to college in Tokyo at the hear that there have time, although he was been no reports of dam- “I hope it will never away on spring break in Boston and was not age to land or people be forgotten.” affected. Yamada said along the coast despite that her other relatives the ‘small tsunami’ alert Rei Yamada ’15 were less affected by the made by Japan’s author2011 disaster. ities,” Yamada said.

“My other relatives This weekend’s earthquake left some students reflecting on all live closer to Tokyo so they were safe, but they still experience the damage of the the 2011 earthquake.

Yamada said members of her family incident, as do all the residents of Japan,” were directly impacted by the damages she said.

While Koshi said his family are not caused in 2011.

Her great aunt, for example, lived in directly affected by the impact of the 2011 one of the most seriously affected cities, earthquake and tsunami due to their resiIshinomaki, Miyagi. At the time of the dence in the Kanagawa Prefecture south of incident, Yamada’s great aunt was staying Tokyo, he believes the event had broader with her sister near Tokyo in order to assist implications for the rest of the country.

For instance, people in Japan now often with chores.

Don’t get twisted up in knots The Sun is here!

check to see what the severity of a tsunami will be after an earthquake occurs in the region, Koshi said.

“After the 2011 earthquake, they became more vigilant and aware towards tsunamis,” Koshi said. “People began to pay more attention to TV tsunami alerts.”

Yamada added that many households in Japan have taken measures to ensure that damage caused by future earthquakes will be kept to a minimum, which according to Yamada is “very important [in] preventing accidents that can be controlled.” For example, some individuals have worked to make sure cabinet doors do not open as easily in the event of a quake.

Yamada said she is pleased by the assistance offered by the global community in response to the 2011 disaster.

“I was and remain to be very impressed by the help that people around the world have given to Japan after the March 2011 incident,” Yamada said. “I hope that it will never be forgotten.”

Tyler Alicea can be reached at talicea@cornellsun.com.

OPINION

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Prof. Steven Friedman |

Independent Since 1880 131ST EDITORIAL BOARD REBECCA HARRIS ’14 Editor in Chief

HANK BAO ’14

AKANE OTANI ’14

LIZ CAMUTI ’14

AUSTIN KANG ’15

Business Manager

Managing Editor

Associate Editor

Advertising Manager

ANDY LEVINE ’14

HALEY VELASCO ’15

Web Editor

Sports Editor

RACHEL ELLICOTT ’15

ALEX REHBERG ’16

Blogs Editor

Multimedia Editor

DAVID MARTEN ’14

REBECCA COOMBES ’14

Tech Editor

Design Editor

SHAILEE SHAH ’14

ZACHARY ZAHOS ’15

EMMA COURT ’15

LIANNE BORNFELD ’15

Photography Editor

Associate Managing Editor

News Editor

City Editor

JINJOO LEE ’14

CAROLINE FLAX ’15

News Editor

News Editor

ARIELLE CRUZ ’15

SAM BROMER ’16

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Arts & Entertainment Editor

SYDNEY RAMSDEN ’14

SARAH COHEN ’15

Dining Editor

Science Editor

BRYAN CHAN ’15

EMILY BERMAN ’16

Associate Multimedia Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

SCOTT CHIUSANO ’15

ARIEL COOPER ’15

Assistant Sports Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

MEGAN ZHOU ’15

HANNAH KIM ’14

Assistant Design Editor

Assistant Design Editor

BRANDON ARAGON ’14

LIZZIE POTOLSKY ’14

Assistant Web Editor

Outreach Coordinator

WORKING ON TODAY ’S SUN Design Deskers PHOTO NIGHT EDITORS NEWS DESKERS SPORTS DESKER ARTS DESKER

Editorial

Amanda Stefanik ’13 Jayne Zurek ’16 Michelle Feldman ’15 Ryan Landveter ’15 Caroline Flax ’15 Emma Court ’15 Haley Velasco ’15 Arielle Cruz ’15 Sam Bromer ’16

Reform Education From the Ground Up

IN A SURPRISINGLY AGREEABLE discussion Thursday, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) and Nancy Zimpher, chancellor of the State University of New York, discussed the current state and future of the American education system. Their consensus on several basic tenets of reform offers a shred of hope that this issue can be treated as a national imperative, rather than a partisan debate. But the U.S. needs to get serious about addressing failures in our nation’s public schools. Too many of the problems we see in higher education today — unpreparedness, racial disparities and discrepancies in graduation rates — can be traced back to their roots in the shortcomings of K-12 education.

In a perfect society, universities would not be forced to choose between admitting a diverse class or accepting only students whose primary schools adequately prepared them for collegiate education. But it happens all the time, because inequity in the current U.S. education system far too often breaks down along socioeconomic and racial lines. Students who lack the requisite skills to succeed in college are graduating high school in droves.

Illiteracy is rampant. Once this tragedy is set in motion, can we expect that institutions of higher education will be equipped to reverse it? Although improvements have been made, college graduation rates among underrepresented minorities remain comparatively low.

Even at Cornell, which has made efforts to combat such trends, recent six-year graduation rates for black and Hispanic students have been as much as 10 percent lower than for white and Asian students. This is symptomatic of a disease that begins in early education.

Public primary schools in the U.S. must be held accountable for the success or failure of their students. We agree with a fundamental concept Bush espoused during Thursday’s panel: Education must be reimagined to prioritize student needs above all others. Like any other social service or business model, education ought to be a consumer-driven industry.

Although teachers should be afforded some job security, the tenure system in its present form removes performance-based incentive and allows inefficient educators to remain in the classroom — to the detriment of students. This is unacceptable. Replacing tenure with a flexible and compassionate system of evaluating student and teacher performance would allow schools to reward educators who excel at their jobs and eliminate those who fall short of minimum expectations. This employment model seems to work for nearly every other industry.

In addition to enforcing higher standards of K-12 education and promoting early literacy, we share Zimpher’s and Bush’s similar stance on options that should be available to high school graduates. All students should have the right to attend college, and none should be tracked at an early age to a path other than acquiring as much academic experience as they can. However, for those who are not qualified to pursue an advanced degree or who intend to enter a career that does not require an advanced degree, it is a disservice to promote a “college or bust” mentality. We agree with Zimpher that the traditional broad liberal arts education should be available to all students who wish to undertake it.

But we also support Bush’s advocacy of competency-based learning — the teaching of concrete, practical skills rather than abstract thinking — as an option that should be made more widely available.

Expanding choice is a component of reform that can immensely benefit students once they reach high school. But the only way to provide that choice is to ensure that children have access to the same minimum standards of education at every stage from kindergarten through graduation. When the time comes for students to choose a path, that decision should be based on individual ability — not pre-determined by the quality of education received up to that point.

Guest Room

50 Shades of Grief or: A Father Drops His Daughter Off at College L

ast month, in an annual ritual performed by millions of parents around the country, my wife and I brought my daughter to college. Her new home is nestled within hundreds of gorgeous acres in upstate New York — Cornell has a fine reputation and most important, it was Jessica’s first choice. As we exited the campus after our visit last spring, Jesse asked me what I thought of the place and if I thought she had a chance of getting in.

“I wish I could go here,” I replied, and “of course you have a chance.” Jesse applied early decision and her acceptance spared us the anxiety of multiple applications and a prolonged waiting period. This trip should have been joyful, so why did I cry the whole way home?

As we pulled away, I made the mistake of glancing in the side-view mirror. There stood Jesse, waving solemnly.

I tried to focus on the five-hour drive ahead but instead recalled Jesse’s birth and the silent vows I made as I cradled her, to strive to be a good father as well as a template for the other men who would enter her life. Gentle weeping ensued. My wife glanced over, asked if I was ok and I said no.

An image of Jesse at age four entered my mind next, and that’s when the floodgates lifted. I remembered leaving the hospital with Jesse three days after the birth of her sister. Jesse reluctantly said goodbye again to her mother and new sibling, but when we got to the elevator she refused to get in. Instead she crossed her arms, stamped her little foot and screamed at the top of her lungs, “Why can’t my family just be together?”

As we turned onto another of the major highways home, I recalled Jesse’s first fall from a horse at age seven and the tears continued. She had just learned to canter on Reese and as they approached the railing he stopped abruptly, launching Jesse into a somersault. As I raced to her, imaging all types of bone-crunching injuries, Jesse popped up from the ground with dirt smeared into her helmet and face. She held me at arms-length when I reached to embrace her announcing, “I lost a

toof.” After a brief search during which Jesse wiped her face and spat turf, we found the tooth and Jesse remounted without a word. I never had a chance to console her because she cantered away.

Fatigued by grief, I napped for a while as my wife drove, gaining respite from all the manifold forms of crying.

When I awoke, an image of Charlie appeared, Jesse’s first boyfriend and tears filled my eyes again. There’s nothing more taxing on a father than his daughter’s first boyfriend, particularly if he’s unkind. My heart broke for Jesse with each of Charlie’s acts of disdain, but I knew she’d have to weather this on her own. Jesse eventually mustered the resolve I knew she had and told him to take a hike.

Next I recalled Jesse’s first nice boyfriend, with whom she remains friends. I remembered her returning home after bidding him goodbye when he left for college, tears streaming down her cheeks. I assumed he had broken up with her but as Jesse told me otherwise, and that she simply missed him already, my heart paused lengthily. Daughters can induce profound arrhythmias in their dads.

As we approached the Whitestone bridge, I recalled the day Jesse received her Cornell acceptance notice and I suppressed a chest convulsion.

Normally phlegmatic, Jesse’s jaw dropped and she repeatedly shook her head in disbelief. It was five minutes before she uttered a sound and only then in her self-effacing way did she say, “Must be a mistake.”

But it wasn’t a mistake, nor was it a mistake for me to choke out another “no” when my wife asked if I was ok upon our arrival home. In Jesse’s absence our house seems desolate. I find myself repeatedly wandering into her room, struggling to understand the chasm in my chest. Then I realize it’s because my heart now roams untethered in Ithaca.

Stephen Friedman is a Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. He may be reached at stf3001@med.cornell.edu. Guest Room appears periodically this semester.

Become a Sun Cartoonist.

Like to draw?

Submit editorial cartoons to

opinion@cornellsun.com.

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, October 29, 2013 7

OPINION

Deon Thomas |

It’s Not You, It’s Me

Let’s Have a Toast for the Douchebag D

ear Kanye West, today I’m going to do the thing that you like best: I’m going to talk about you. Kanye, it’s been a long journey hasn’t it? I remember meeting you like it was yesterday, though it was a little more than nine years ago. Finally, I had found a rap album my parents didn’t mind me listening to. I must admit, I was a bit confused at the time; how could somebody from the suburbs of Chicago make a rap album? What would he even rap about if he hadn’t struggled, sold drugs or killed anybody? How would this man garner any respect in an industry dominated by gangster personas? Well, 21 tracks, one near-fatal car accident and a couple pink polos later you had a triple platinum album and ten Grammy nominations. Which reminds me that not only do you have five platinum albums, one gold album, six consecutive number one albums upon release and 78 million in digital tracks sold worldwide but, you also have an astounding 21 Grammys. People would be quick to agree that Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney and Ray Charles are musical geniuses, but imagine a world in which you have more Grammys than any of them do.

Now take a moment to realize that you live in such a world.

Yes, in this letter, I’m talking about the man who interrupted a teenage girl while she was on stage accepting an award. Yes, I’m talking about the man who went on TV and blurted out that the current president didn’t particularly

Kanye, if I had your credentials, if I was one of the best-selling and most highly acclaimed artists of my generation, and nobody took the things I said seriously, I would lose my mind. care about black people. Yes, I’m talking about the man who, in a radio interview, was especially upset about not be credited for creating leather jogging pants. However, the fact of the matter remains that Beyoncé did in fact have one of the most influential music videos in recent memory, George Bush did in fact do a poor job of aiding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and okay, fine, I still don’t know what the hell leather jogging pants are. Nonetheless, I struggle to hate a man who attempts to speak the truth not because it will make him more popular, but because he simply wants us to see the world the way he does.

Kanye, if I had your credentials, if I was one of the bestselling and most highly acclaimed artists of my generation, and nobody took the things I said seriously, I would lose my mind. I would go on stage and after performing my songs I would spew rant after rant. I would go on the Jimmy Kimmel show and yell at the cameras until they were forced to concede to my argument. I would get drunk, show up to the VMAs and steal the microphone from teenage girls who were wrongly awarded. What does it take to be taken seriously? It’s extremely easy to write Kanye off as some kind of heretic when almost everything he says or does is taken out of context. He might have made an album called Yeezus and a song, “I Am a God,” but if you actually took the time out of your day to listen to the album, not once does he refer to actually being a God. It also amuses me that people are so upset by the album title, Yeezus, yet have not blinked an eye when Jay-Z calls himself Hova (Jehova).

Kanye, I want everyone to ask themselves why they seem to hate you so much? What vendetta do they have against you? It seems like the day you decided to step outside your boundaries and do something other than make music people got upset. The world is constantly yelling at you: “Stop what you’re doing! Musicians are supposed to make music!”

However, let me end my rant by raising a glass to the woman who was able to land the man of the hour: Let’s have a toast for the douchebag. For the rest of you, if you continue to spend your time streaming Kanye hatred, drowning yourself in pointless animosity just remember, it’s not me, it’s you.

Deon Thomas is a sophomore in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He may be reached at dthomas@cornellsun.com. It’s Not Me, It’s You appears alternate Tuesdays this semester.

Web

Comment of the day There is a reason why Senator McCain called Citizens United the “worst decision ever.” Citizens United is a non-profit media corporation.

Corporations only have rights because of judicial activism in the Court ...

No legislature in the U.S. has EVER granted corporations rights, and there is no basis for corporate rights in the Constitution.

Gadamer too Re: “THROWDOWN THURSDAY: Attempts to Overrule Citizens United are Misguided,” Opinion, published October 23, 2013

Maggie Henry |

Get Over Yourself

For a More Integrated Campus, Bring Grads and Undergrads Together O n Saturday, I had what may be my first real social interaction with graduate students in my time at this University. I attended the Law School’s Fall Ball with a friend and encountered an entire universe of Cornell life that I had never previously been exposed to. More than three years into my time at Cornell, it took until this year for me to engage with the graduate community in any substantive way.

The novelty of the situation made me think about how the undergraduate and graduate communities interact. Which is to say that I counted the arenas I could think of that facilitated interaction between grads and undergrads, and I came up with very few.

This thought process felt particularly prescient after a campus tour I gave that same day. A prospective student’s parent asked me whether there was “frequent interaction” between grad students and undergrads. I found myself providing a halting, awkward answer because, in truth, I couldn’t think of many organized channels that provide an opportunity for students from these two communities to mix.

Before considering what already exists in the way of graduate-undergraduate connections, however, we have to decide what results could arise from promoting interaction between undergraduate and graduate students. The opportunities in this respect are two-fold: academic and

social. On the academic front, there’s a lot to be learned between the two groups. In many respects, though graduate students have a more advanced level of education, the assumption that the two groups benefit from being kept largely separate in the classroom ignores the fact that each individual has a great deal to share in the classroom, regardless of year.

Socially, the opportunities also seem numerous. Take this weekend for example — spending time among the graduate community did me the obvious service of facili-

achieve the potential of what could exist between the two levels of scholarship. The greatest hurdle to that type of relationship is that TAs grade and assess undergraduate work — this creates a teacher-student dynamic that can, in many cases, impede potential conversation and relationships between two people who might otherwise be close in age and share things in common.

In a second organized instance, I have had the opportunity, like many upperclassmen, to take classes with Ph.D. candidates and law students.

Several grads I spoke to reported a general feeling of social alienation on the part of some graduate communities at Cornell. tating new friendships and broadening my connections on campus.

Furthermore, several grads I spoke to reported a general feeling of social alienation on the part of some graduate communities at Cornell. The mutual uninvolvement of those communities could be improved by both populations and the administration alike to help create a more open campus.

In my experience, I’ve encountered grad students through both organized and more spontaneous academic channels.

The first and most obvious is my relationship with TAs in class. This relationship has been enriching on many occasions but doesn’t really

These classes have been some of the best in my Cornell career, and I don’t doubt for a second that their participation was key in that. These classes are usually at the 4000 level, however, and frequently rely on an undergraduate student’s relationship with the professor to get into.

Another opportunity for connecting grads with undergrads is through campus clubs that actually solicit involvement from both graduate and undergraduate students.

A good example of this is the Cornell Prison Education Program, which brings graduate and undergraduate students together on the same teaching teams and

is one of the ways I’ve connected most with graduate students.

Finally, there are those grad students who I have met through activities in the greater Ithaca community off-campus.

These friendships have been by far the most fulfilling and have increased my sense of home and comfort at Cornell — and vice versa. Working at a yoga studio in the Commons was what brought me to law school functions this fall.

Unfortunately, this is a prohibitive way to engage with people outside of the undergraduate population because so many people lack the instantaneous transportation option that is owning a car.

There are a few programs that aim to bring students together across education levels, like a pilot program run by the Office of Inclusion and P r o f e s s i o n a l Development within the Graduate School and the CSTEP/CPOP programs within the Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives. This, however, is a woefully neglected element of University life and one that could be improved. Offering more mentorship programs, increased social opportunities and soliciting mixed involvement in student activities (particularly in byline-funded organizations) could all be steps toward a better and more integrated campus.

Maggie Henry is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She may be reached at mhenry@cornellsun.com. Get Over Yourself appears alternate Tuesdays this semester.

8 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | Tuesday, October 29, 2013

A&E

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT This Is a Review:

Demetri MArtin at Bailey Hall

BY EMILY KLING SUN CONTRIBUTOR

Last Friday, Cornell students packed Bailey Hall to see comic and film star Demetri Martin (Taking Woodstock, In a World...) perform. All the seats were filled — or rather, almost all of them were filled. “Who’s this asshole who didn’t come?” Martin said at the beginning of his performance, pointing to a seat in the front row. He then invited audience members to fill in the “cheap seats,” the ones that had been left unoccupied.

Part of what made Martin’s performance so enjoyable was his undeniable connection with the audience. In addition to evoking laughter — not one of his jokes fell flat — Martin also had casual conversations with audience members (including one from New Jersey about the Jersey Shore fire a few months back). It also helped that he doesn’t look older than any of the freshmen in the audience, who are roughly half his age.

Martin’s opener, Levi MacDougall, warmed up the crowd with his comic and absurdist story telling.

MacDougall, who wrote for the Comedy Central show Important Things With Demetri Martin, included jokes that centered around Navy SEALs spying while hiding under swiss cheese in the water (“you know in ’80s movies when there is a pool filled with swiss cheese and an army of navy seals just emerges from the water...”). He also told a hysterical joke about how he hates draining the water out of his pasta, so he “saves time” by bringing it through airport security who will get the water out for him.

While MacDougall used storytelling to paint a picture for the audience, Martin literally sketched his jokes for the crowd. Equipped with his usual large notepad, Martin flipped through a series of drawings including a product idea for a “Baby Silencer.” The Baby Silencer Martin displayed featured a funnel attached to the baby’s nose and mouth which hooks around to headphones on the baby’s head. This way, when the baby cried, it would hear itself and stop. Another one of Martin’s memorable drawings was a better representation of a love triangle as being a love angle (very true). He also showed a chart mapping how much someone looks like Jesus on the x-axis against the likelihood that they “have pot” on the y-axis.

In addition to the notepad, Martin was armed with a guitar that he played as he told some more of his jokes. The guitar itself didn’t really add anything to the act comedically, and I imagine his lines would have been delivered pretty similarly without the presence of the guitar (he told one about how a telemarketer can’t “call in sick”). Still, it was an interesting change of pace to

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

the rest of the performance.

Unlike his opener, Martin didn’t tell jokes requiring much set-up. Instead, he preferred one or two liners and didn’t leave much time between them. In an hour, I would predict that he averaged much more than a joke a minute.

This contributed to a sort of non-stop style that Martin so embodies, but it’s also the reason why I left his show struggling to remember many of his jokes beyond those I’m mentioning in this article. I laughed throughout the entire performance, but can hardly recall my favorites now that I’ve left.

One joke I can remember that I particularly liked was about how refrigerators are the only kitchen appliances that seem to have obtained a nickname — the “fridge.” “You don’t hear anyone calling a dishwasher the “ishwa,” Martin pointed out. This is representative of another element of Martin’s style — he tends to center around the use and manipulation of language. In one bit he pondered how it would be cooler to see a team’s mascots fight than it is to see the teams play themselves. “How cool would it be to see Wizards and Heat fight?”

Cornell was one of Demetri Martin and Levi MacDougall’s many stops as they circle the northeast, stopping also in Brooklyn, West Nyack and Binghamton. The duo performed in Ithaca earlier this year as well, at State Theatre, and hopefully they will be back again with new material next year.

For those of you who have yet to attend their extremely entertaining and witty performance — I highly recommend you try to see them.

OLIVER KLIEWE / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Emily Kling is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at eak243@cornell.edu.

In a world of laughs | BELOW: Demetri Martin in his recent film In a World...

COURTESY OF SEAMUS TIERNEY / ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

A&E JULIA MOSER Sun Staff Writer

Finding love is a difficult thing to do, as many a film has shown. That task becomes even more difficult for two individuals who are divorced, have children and a whole laundry list of emotional baggage.

This is the subject of Nicole Holofcener’s (Please Give) new film, Enough Said, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Eva, a middleaged, down-to-earth, yet insecure massagetherapist and divorcée with a teenage daughter about to leave for college. To combat Eva’s impending loneliness, her best friends, played by Toni Collette and Ben Falcone (Air Marshall John in Bridesmaids) drag her to a party to get her out of the house. Eva exclaims that she finds no one at the party attractive, and lo and behold, neither does Albert.

Albert (James Gandolfini) is also middle-aged, also divorced and also has a teenage daughter about to leave for college.

Despite the fact that neither one of them professes any attraction to the other, Albert gets Eva’s number from a mutual friend and asks her out. The two of them get along wonderfully and can barely pause to eat their food through all the laughs they have.

Everything is going swimmingly for Eva and Albert, who are beginning to build a relationship in which both parties are secure about their age and their flaws and have decided to accept those aspects about themselves and each other. Their banter is wonderfully written and a pleasure to watch. James Gandolfini is charming and witty and Louis-Dreyfus is hilarious.

There is only one problem with their blossoming relationship: Eva has met another charming individual, Albert’s exwife, Marianne, played by Catherine Keener.

Marianne becomes Eva’s new client, and eventually the two of them become friends

Tuesday October 29, 2013 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | 9

A Film Worth Watching:

Enough Said yet painfully embarrassing moments — especially when Eva literally must hide behind a bush to avoid meeting Marianne’s daughter, who she has already met with Albert.

Because this is a comedy with a happy ending, ultimately Eva is disEnough Said covered. However, my main probDirected by Nicole Holofcener lem with the film is that the awkwardly painful part went on far too Starring James Gandolfini, long. Louis-Dreyfus is unbelievably Julia Louise amazing and I would watch her Dryfus make funny faces and snarky comments all day, but Gandolfini’s character was so nice and unpresuming that by the time she got caught, I felt like Eva didn’t deserve catches on, and though she knows she Albert. I was almost annoyed by the hopeshould say something, she doesn’t want to ful ending.

Another problem is the side plots. lose Marianne, on whom she has somewhat of a girl-crush on, as a friend. Additionally, While Toni Collette and Ben Falcone were Eva, afraid of getting hurt again, is amusing and I thoroughly enjoyed their intrigued to know all the dirty details and presence for the most part, their marital complaints about her new boyfriend from problems didn’t seem to have a purpose in the story. They fought throughout the the expert.

The very premise of Enough Said is a tad entire film, and I wasn’t sure whether cringe-worthy. The fact that Eva knows her Holofcener was trying to imply that even new friend and boyfriend had been mar- happily married couples deal with relationried is by definition fraught with hilarious ship drama, or that that the two characters

— complaining about their exes and their current relationships to one another without realizing that there is some overlap between the two categories. Eventually Eva

would eventually get divorced too.

Additionally, a plotline that involved Eva’s daughter’s best friend, played surprisingly by the fashion protégé Tavi Gevinson (founder of Rookie Mag), seemed to lack further meaning.

I don’t mean to say that these plotlines were not enjoyable. Overall, the film was consistently funny while also being sadly profound about the insecurities and fears that limit one’s relationships. Yet those issues made the ending somewhat unsatisfying.

Both lead actors are phenomenal in their respective roles, and Louis-Dreyfus, who recently won an Emmy for her performance as the Vice President on HBO’s Veep, demonstrates a refreshing soft side in this film. Enough Said is also one of Gandolfini’s, who passed away this summer, final films. He is endearing and clever and perfectly suited to the role of Albert.

Though I definitely had some issues with overarching storyline, the film is definitely worth watching.

Julia Moser is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at jmoser@cornellsun.com.

The Rise of the Interculture

I

f this year in music will be remembered for anything, it will be for The Event Album. It seemed like every dormant, canonized artist of the past 30 years decided to release an album this year. Kevin Shields uploaded My Bloody Valentine’s 20-yearsin-the-making follow-up to Loveless with a shrug to the band’s website. Daft Punk capitalized on a new generation, discovering Discovery by whipping up a marketing frenzy for Random Access Memories that featured everything from interviews with everyone but the studio bathroom attendant to a launch party at an agricultural festival in New South Wales. A year after Wayne Coyne wondered “Is David Bowie Dying?,” David effing Bowie released his first album in a decade. Black Sabbath, Boards of Canada and Deltron 3030 followed. If Dr. Dre had said “screw it” this year and dumped copies of Detox out of the back of a cargo plane flying over Bulgaria, I’m wouldn’t be all that surprised.

What was particularly fascinating to see this year was how the euphoric highs of the people I saw rejoicing over each of these albums — people I never knew to be big music fans to begin with — tapered to modest praise. Take m b v, for example: Now that the dust has cleared over the album’s sudden release, the general consensus seems to be that the album is good, but not great — in line with what the band would have released in 1996, but hardly worth the 20year wait (but, to be fair, what is?). I have yet to meet a person who raved during the lead-up to RAM have an opinion of the album now that doesn’t amount to, “It’s pretty good. ‘Get Lucky’ is fantastic though.” A friend of mine threw a massive listening party the night of the record’s release, but decided to switch up the playlist half an hour in. I recall him playing “Get Lucky” intermittently throughout the night, though.

Meanwhile, popular artists decided to buck the trends in the music industry, releasing albums with intricate storylines and extended instrumental passages. After a year that provided conceptual commercial successes like good kid, m.A.A.d. city and channel ORANGE, as well as fantastic songs that well exceeded the eight-minute mark (see: The Sun’s top two tracks of 2012),

suddenly we entered 2013 with progressive music being cool again. Justin Timberlake (whose 20/20 Experience I would also file under the above paragraph’s category), hell, even Paramore released an album this year that flew past the one-hour mark with enough track numbers to make R. Stevie Moore blush. And though sometimes these ambitions were successful, they often brought down otherwise excellent albums.

I love Shaking the Habitual, The Knife’s seven year old follow-up to Silent Shout, but would I love it more if it didn’t feature a 10-minute noise piece called “Fracking Fluid Injection”? Yes, yes I would. I like Kurt Vile, but do I like him enough to sit through a seven minute song about a basketball-playing Golden Retriever? No, no I don’t.

This mix of massive hype and ambition exhausted me pretty early into the year, and, as a result, I found myself gravitating toward poppier and punkier albums like Caitlin Rose’s The Stand-In and, uh, Yeezus. So when Win Butler told BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe in early September that Arcade Fire’s fourth album would have two discs and many songs that exceeded the seven minute mark, I groaned. I knew this could only work out one of two ways: Reflektor could either be Paul another good-but-not-great record that Blank by no means justifies its length, or it could be the exception that proves the rule. Thankfully, in my opinion, it’s the latter, vindicating its mass by executing its concept effectively while still being musically engaging.

My guess, though, is that the reaction to Reflektor will be much like that of m b v and RAM: Critics will adore it, but fans will be optimistically ambivalent. And though one could see this dynamic as another indication of the blight and bloat of 2013 in Music, I wonder if this is such a bad thing. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of the way music is getting canonized these days. Artists tend to deliver exactly what their fans expect of them, opinions are set quickly and ensuing years are spent watch-

Guest Room

NILS AXEN / SUN STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

ing that opinion inflate. I had more conversations about music this year that started like, “What are your thoughts on The 20/20 Experience?” than “HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY?!” Or Meriweather Post Pavilion? Or Funeral? And I really, really enjoyed that.

I think it’s important that artists very much within the mainstream, like Arcade Fire in particular, seem to finally be willing to risk their “perfect” status and challenge their audiences by calling out their nostalgia or trying their patience. Doing this allows more people to enter the conversation. You and I may disagree about Reflektor, just like we may disagree about chart-toppers like Yeezus or Random Access Memories. But I’m genuinely thankful that these albums exist to create opportunities for casual music fans to think critically about what music means in 2013, because far too often, these discussions are conducted in smaller circles among insipid status-seekers (myself included). I think we’re finally seeing the backlash against pop’s rejection of the controversial, as well as the underground’s obsession with the CLASSIC that snowballed throughout the 2000’s. Many a critic has hailed this as the return of the monoculture, but I’ll politely pass on the term. The Rise of the Interculture sounds a lot more fun.

Paul Blank is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be reached at pblank@cornellsun.com.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

10 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, October 29, 2013

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

ACROSS 1 Tom, Ma or Pa, in “The Grapes of Wrath” 5 Ballpark judges 9 Greek i’s 14 Doing nothing 15 Put a stop to 16 Russian currency 17 Food Network’s “Throwdown!” host 19 Actor’s platform 20 Remove pencil marks 21 Vinyl flooring piece 23 Skin care brand 24 ’60s song about an insect who “hid / Inside a doggie from Madrid” 27 Palsy-walsy 31 Mongrel 32 Villainous Norse god in the 2012 film “The Avengers” 33 Musical pause 37 Guffaw 41 1996 R. Kelly hit 44 Baffling question 45 Sesame Street giggler 46 Increase, as prices 47 Singer Sumac 49 Deceives 51 Difference between money coming in and money being spent 57 Grand Ole __ 58 Beverage nut 59 Newton with laws 64 Squirrel away 66 Contagious dog malady 68 Take place 69 SOS responder 70 Fast horse 71 Bridge predecessor 72 Stadium that hosted a 1965 Beatles concert 73 Muscle firmness DOWN 1 Be in sync (with) 2 Febreze target 3 “Fantastic Four” actress Jessica

4 Society newbies 5 Frequency between 300 and 3,000 MHz 6 Island nation near Sicily 7 __ Jane 8 Touchscreentouching tools 9 Org. that’s the target of April glowers 10 Not close enough 11 Game for young batters 12 Aquarium buildup 13 “I’m outta here!”

18 Polite rural assent 22 PC bailout key 25 Pile that aptly rhymes with fire 26 Hawaiian dance 27 Film excerpt 28 Vagabond 29 26-Down instruments 30 Hannah Montana portrayer 34 Eden outcast 35 Poivre companion 36 Duncan of the NBA’s Spurs 38 Usually fuzzy tabloid pics

39 Market surfeit 40 Doc’s shot provider 42 Culinary maven Rombauer 43 Denver’s st.

48 Inquire of 50 Victor’s cry 51 “Never in a million years!”

52 Pleistocene, e.g.

53 “Baywatch” actress Bingham

54 Magician’s opening 55 Word with drive or memory 56 Cavalry weapon 60 “Save me a __!”

61 Bushy do 62 Arkin of “Argo” 63 Sugar bowl unit 65 2000 Richard Gere role 67 Red-and-white supermarket logo

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

COMICS AND PUZZLES

Sun Sudoku 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)

2

Puzzle #0189 9

4

3

9

4

7

5

By David Steinberg (c)2013 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Doonesbury

Mr. Gnu

Up to My Nipples

3

9

9 6

8

5

7

3 8

2

5

4 4

1

6

6

9

6

2

I Am Going to Be Small xwordeditor@aol.com

2

C

by Jeffrey Brown

10/29/13

10/29/13

by Garry Trudeau

Travis Dandro

by William Moore ’12 and Jesse Simons grad

Reaching New Heights The CorneDaily Sun

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, October 29, 2013 11

CLASSIFIED AD RATES Ads are accepted at The Sun‘s office at 139 W. State Street downtown, by phone or e-mail.

Deadline: 3:30 p.m. at The Sun‘s office on the day preceding publication. Monday’s deadline: Friday, 3:30 p.m. at The Sun office.

Standard Rate: $3.40 per day for first 15

words, 32 cents per day per word thereafter. 5 or more consecutive insertions, $3.15 per day for first 15 words, 30 cents per day per word thereafter.

Commercial Rate: $5.20 per day for first 15 words, 33 cents per day per word thereafter. 5 or more consecutive insertions, $5.00 per day for first 15 words, 31 cents per day per word thereafter.

The Sun is responsible for only one day make good on ads.

273-3606 classifieds@cornelldailysun.com

4 S ERVICES COLONIAL CLEANERS welcomes you back. Call us for

FREE PICKUP & DELIVERY of your drycleaning, shirt laundry and wash n fold laundry. Fast reliable service for over 60 years. Charge accounts can be arranged for your convenience. Call for full information 273-7121 ask for Candi or Glenn.

10 F OR R ENT 2 Bedroom Mobile Home available in a quite park located about 1/4 mile from the Cornell Vet School $750.00 plus utilities. Security deposit, credit check required, no pets.

Call 607-564-9057 for details.

14 M OTORCYCLES Free 2008 Honda CBR1000RR. Wonderful bike. Runs Perfectly I am giving it out for free due to my late son’s death if interested Email: (chrishrollins862@gmail.com)

23 PARKING College Ave Parking Available Now 607-748-1129

COLLEGETOWN 607-272-3389 AVRAMISRENTALS@AOL.COM Parking spots still available prime Collegetown locations.

Certified Properties of TC Inc 273-1669

PARKING

Central Collegetown Available Now and 2014-2015 www.ithacarenting.com 607-272-3000 Office at 119 Dryden Road

26 A PARTMENT FOR R ENT **************************** **************************** **************************** PJ APARTMENTS See our New Website

www.pjapts.com

26 A PARTMENT FOR R ENT **************************** **************************** **************************** 3 BR Apartment New Renovation Top of Williams Street $895 pp

2 BR Apartment Includes Parking & All Utilities $750 pp Weekend Tours Noon-4pm Weekdays 11am-7pm See our new website

www.pjapts.com 607-277-0910

***************************** ***************************** ***************************** 2014-2015 WESTBOURNE APARTMENTS Still Some 3 Bedrooms Left!!

We are located within a beautiful 10 minute walk to campus in the historical district of Cornell Heights and are managed by concerned Cornelians with 40 yrs. experience in caring for the residential needs of Ithacans . Our apts. have all the features you would expect in the very best area residences. Some of the units have fireplaces. We provide free Roadrunner internet and standard cable service. Resident parking available.

RATES BEGIN AT $545-$645/person plus electric 257-0313 www.kimballrentals.com 2014-2015 College Ave 12 BR, 7 & 6 BR Apts.

Parking & Laundry 315-559-9029 607-748-1129

312 College Ave Collegetown’s Best Address Beautifully Furnished Studio, 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedroom & 3 Bedroom units.

Office Open M-F 9-9; Sat 10-5; Sun 11-4.

273-9777 or 312collegeave.com

519/521 Wyckoff Rd. Arts and Crafts Style House on North Campus.

Two bedroom with hardwood floors, fireplace, dining area with built- ins, and upstairs attic loft $1270. Available 8/16/14 Two bedroom (one room is converted porch) with large living room with high beamed ceilings and hardwood floors $1200. Available 8/6/14.

Three Bedroom Lower level with spacious living room and fireplace $1350 ($450/3) Available 6/7/14.

Heat included.

Call to view 257-0313

College Ave, Blair St, Cook St 5 & 6 Bedroom Houses & Apts.

Free Laundry & Parking 2014-2015 1,2,3, Bedroom apts.

Starting at $800/person including ALL utilities.

Call/Text Mark 279-8080

College Ave. 5 Bedroom Fully furnished.

Large bedrooms with walk in closets.

Laundry & parking.

HOUSES, APTS, PARKING 1 to 11 Bedroom Collegetown - College Ave, Cook St, Linden Ave, Dryden Rd, Bryant Ave. 607-330-2442 Office at 307 College Ave. info@urbanithaca.com www.urbanithaca.com ITHACA RENTING COMPANY Apartments, Houses, Parking Central Collegetown Superb Panoramic Views Modern Elevator Buildings Collegetown Plaza: New Fitness Room Studio, 2, 6 BRs Collegetown Center: Concierge Service, quiet building Studio, 1, 2 BRs Collegetown Court: Super convenient, exceptional Value Studio, 1, 5 BRs Other Central Collegetown Locations: Buffalo St and Dryden Rd: 2, BRs Single Rooms in Shared Suites Rent Smart. Live Well.

607-272-3000 Visit our office at: 119 Dryden Road www.ithacarenting.com

NOW RENTING 2014-15 WALK TO CAMPUS Perfectly located 1 bdrm.

Professionally managed with 24/hr maintenance, free off-street parking, on-site laundry, w/w carpeting.

Newly renovated kitchen w/dishwasher in select units.

607-257-5444

NOW renting. Apartments without hassle.

Hudson Heights Apartments are located on South Hill, 8 minutes from Cornell.

Prices start at $660/month.

Rent includes: all utilities, parking, garbage and recycling. There are two laundry facilities on the premises and the bus route is on the block. Contact Tony for an appointment: 607-280-7660 or email renting@ithacaLS.com.

QUALITY, AFFORDABLE, CONVENIENT! 1 - 10 Bedroom Apartments & Houses In Collegetown PARKING, LAUNDRY, UTILITIES! (607) 273-7368 www.IthacaApartmentRental.com Sry 4 Prty Rockin 1,2,3,6, bedroom in Ctown ras629@cornell.edu 4 the deets

27 H OUSE FOR R ENT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7 PERSON HOUSE Prime Location! $895 pp 3 floors and 2 porches See our new website www.pjapts.com 607-277-0910

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ***************************** ***************************** ***************************** HUGE HOUSE! Humongous 3 floors and Full basement Enormous Bedrooms $695 pp for 10 people Great front porch and yard Free Parking Photos on our new website www.pjapts.com 607-277-0910

***************************** ***************************** *****************************

www.brooklanecornell.com

Now Renting for 2014-2015 4 Bedroom Apartments Eddy Street 402-404 Call 272-1585 or 227-6045

2014-2015 College Ave. 5 BR House.

Furnished. Laundry. Parking.

Call 607-273-8576 or 607-319-6416

Studio and 1 bedrooms and

1 bedroom apartments. Collegetown.

Available immediately. Starting at $900.

1 to 5 minute walk to campus.

Close to Law School. www.urbanithaca.com info@urbanithaca.com 607-330-2442

COLLEGETOWN APARTMENT, PARKING 2014-2015 STUDIO, 1, 6 & 8 BEDROOM. FURNISHED. HUGE. CALL 607-272-0781, 908-334-3665, 908-635-8009 FOR DETAILS.

All the single ladies (x5) Put your hands up 1,2,3,6, bedroom in Ctown ras629@cornell.edu 4 the deets

Collegetown Terrace Apartments 1 and 2 Bedroom/2 Bath Apartments Available now and for Spring Semester!

2 bedroom apartments also available to share. Heat, hot water and highspeed wireless internet included.

Free State of the Art Fitness Center Stackable washer and dryer in apartments.

Covered parking available for a fee.

Novarr-Mackesey Property Management www.ithacastudentapartments.com office@ithacastudentapartments.com 607-277-1234

Now Renting 2014-2015 Apartments/Houses 1-10 Bedrooms Call Today Certified Properties of TC Inc 273-1669 certifiedpropertiesinc.com

COLLEGE AVENUE

2 BEDROOM www.avramisrealestate.com 607-272-3389 before 7pm

2 or 3 Bedrooms on Blair St. 607-339-1137

Collegetown Plaza 6 Bedroom 2014-15 Gamer’s Special 55” LG 4K TV Your choice: PS4 or XBox One Wireless Gaming Headsets Streaming NetFlix GameFly Available for 2014-15 in select Collegetown Plaza 6 BR Apartments Contact us today for more information!

Limited Time offer, expires November 6.

Not Valid on previously signed leases.

Ithaca Renting Company 119 Dryden Road 607-272-3000 www.ithacarenting.com collegetown@ithacarenting.com

26 A PARTMENT FOR R ENT

607-339-1137

Weekend tours Noon-4pm Weekdays 11am-7pm pjapartments@gmail.com 607-277-0910

**************************** **************************** ****************************

26 A PARTMENT FOR R ENT

NORTH CAMPUS

Eddygate Heart of Collegetown

7, 6 and 5 Bedroom with 2 baths Fiber Optic internet Big screen TV Laundry on site kworden@travishyde.com 607 273-1654

www. cornellsun. com

Re cyc l e Yo u r Pa p e r To o !

12 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, October 29, 2013

SPORTS

McIlroy Won for First Time in 2013 Anthony Wants to HAIKOU, China (AP) — Rory McIlroy won for the first time this year — even if it was an 18-hole exhibition against Tiger Woods.

McIlroy made four birdies and an eagle over the last seven holes at Mission Hills for a 6-under 67, giving him a one-shot win over Woods. It was the second straight year McIlroy has defeated Woods at the medal match in China.

“I would like to play all my tournaments in China where I can beat Tiger,” McIlroy said.

Even an unofficial win has to count for something. McIlroy beat him last year at Jinsha Lake under far different circumstances. McIlroy was a major champion, No. 1 in the world and on his way to sweeping all the important awards. He signed a lucrative deal with Nike a short time later, and this season has been a struggle. McIlroy has had only one reasonable chance to win a tournament, and he didn’t even qualify for the Tour Championship on the PGA Tour.

He is using a new driver and a softer golf ball, even prompting Woods to say to him after one chip, “How did you do that?”

The banter was free and easy, mostly about equipment. Woods was trying to recover from a virus he picked up from his daughter, and spent most of the afternoon asking his caddie for cough drops.

The golf was spectacular over the final hour on the Blackstone Course, however.

Woods had a one-shot lead and hit a marvelous approach to 10 feet on the par-5 12th. McIlroy followed with a long iron into 5 feet, and both made

eagle. They both made birdie on the 13th, and McIlroy caught him with a 6-foot birdie on the 14th.

They birdied the 16th to reach 5-under, and the match turned on the next hole. Woods came up short on his approach to the 17th, and after nearly flying his pitch into the cup, he missed a 5-foot par putt. Woods had a 20-foot eagle putt on the 18th for the tie. He missed, and McIlroy knocked in his 3-foot birdie.

Woods could hardly raise his voice after the round.

“I don’t sound all that well now, but it was nice that it was warm out there today,” Woods said.

“That certainly helped because I think my fever broke and I can start feeling a bit better. But I tell you what, when you have kids, they bring home some strong bugs, and this one has definitely been kicking my butt for the last couple of days.”

McIlroy was headed back to Shanghai for the HSBC Champions. Woods is skipping the World Golf Championship, and will play next week in the Turkish Open.

“I’ve seen a lot of promising signs over the past few weeks in practice and also in competitive play,” McIlroy said. “I still have four tournaments left until the end of the season and I would love to finish 2013 strongly and get a little bit of momentum going into next season. But I think as I showed out there, I’m hitting the ball well.

“If I can just get the putter going a little bit more, then in these last four tournaments I can hope to contend and maybe pick up a win or two.”

Become Free Agent, Not Join New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Carmelo Anthony should focus on trying to get players to join him in New York, not creating uncertainty about whether he would leave.

That’s the opinion of TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, who are disappointed by Anthony’s desire to become a free agent after this season.

“He owns the city, he should be trying to get guys to come here and not like ‘I’ll stay here a couple of years — I forced my way here, No. 1, I got here, now I want to leave.’ That’s just not cool at all to be honest with you,” Barkley said Monday.

Anthony has never said he wants to leave New York. He just said he wants to experience free agency when he can opt out of his contract this summer.

That’s the wisest move financially, as long as he then signs another long-term deal with the Knicks. But as long as he refuses to commit to staying in New York, it creates doubt about whether that’s his plan.

“What he should say is, ‘The Knicks have to, they’re going to give me the max. I’m going to be in New York.’” Smith said.

Barkley and Smith, along with Shaquille O’Neal and host Ernie Johnson, spoke at a lunch the day before their “Inside the NBA” pregame show will take place outdoors in New York before the opening night of the regular season.

Smith, a New York native, said the Knicks need to get to a point where players would take less money because they want to come to the city to play with Anthony.

“What happened to the law of attraction?” Smith said. “Like, you’re good enough where you can attract guys that want to play with you.

And that’s what’s missing, I think from the Knicks, and I think what’s missing from Carmelo, is just the law of attraction. Like, there aren’t a lot of guys saying they want to come to New York and play here with this guy.”

The Knicks acquired Anthony in February 2011, months after he told the Denver Nuggets he wanted a trade to New York. He topped the league in scoring last season, leading the Knicks to their first Atlantic Division title since 1994, but O’Neal said he can do even more.

“Carmelo, to me, needs to stop being satisfied with being mentioned after LeBron,” O’Neal said.

Barkley said the Knicks could be good this season, but that with players such as Metta World Peace and J.R. Smith, they could “implode” if things went poorly.

Either way, the focus will be on Anthony once it’s over. Smith noted how Dwight Howard took less than he would have received from the Lakers to go play in Houston, and said other players need to view teaming with Anthony the way Howard did with James Harden.

“Once that happens, who doesn’t want to be in this city? Who doesn’t want to come here?” Smith said.

Get your message out to the crowd!

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

273-3606

M-F 9-5 for advertising information

SPORTS

Penn State Pays 26 Victims of Sandusky

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Penn State said Monday it is paying $59.7 million to 26 young men over claims of child sexual abuse at the hands of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, a man once revered as a university icon who is now serving what is effectively a life prison sentence.

Nearly two years after the retired coach was first charged with child molestation, the school said 23 deals were fully signed and three were agreements in principle. It did not disclose the names of the recipients.

The school faces six other claims, and the university says it believes some of those do not have merit while others may produce settlements.

University president Rodney Erickson issued a statement calling the announcement a step forward for victims and the school.

“We cannot undo what has been done, but we can and must do everything possible to learn from this and ensure it never happens again at Penn State,” said Erickson, who announced the day Sandusky was convicted in June 2012 that Penn State was determined to compensate his victims.

The settlements have been unfolding since mid-August, when attorneys for the accusers began to disclose them. Penn State has not been confirming them, waiting instead to announce deals at once.

Harrisburg lawyer Ben Andreozzi, who helped negotiate several of the settlements, said his clients were satisfied.

“They felt that the university treated them fairly with the economic and noneconomic terms of the settlement,” said Andreozzi, who also represents some others who have come forward recently.

Those new claims have not been presented to the university, he said.

One client represented by St. Paul, Minn., attorney Jeff “We cannot undo Anderson signed off on an agreement in the past week and what has been done, the other is basically done, he but we can and must said. Anderson counts his two clients as among the three that do everything have been classified as agreepossible to learn from ments in principle, which Penn State said means final docuthis and ensure it mentation is expected to be never happens again completed in the next few weeks. at Penn State.”

Anderson said his clients were focused on Penn State’s Rodney Erickson changes to prevent future abuse.

“I have to applaud them, because they said ‘not until we’re satisfied that no one else will get hurt,’” Anderson said. “The settlement of their cases in no way heals, in no way lessens the wound that remains open and the scars that are deep.”

Penn State has spent more than $50 million on other costs related to the Sandusky scandal, including lawyers’ fees, public relations expenses, and adoption of new policies and procedures related to children and sexual abuse complaints.

It said Monday that liability insurance is expected to cover the payments and legal defense, and expenses not covered should be paid from interest paid on loans by Penn State to its self-supporting units.

Clifford Rieders, a Williamsport attorney who negotiated one of the settlements, said the average payout matched other cases involving child abuse in educational or religious settings.

Rieders said the cases raised the specter of embarrassing revelations if they went to trial, and a university would have to consider the effect on the victims, its overall reputation, its ability to pay and its wider objectives.

“There are many considerations whenever you resolve a highprofile case involving serious misconduct, and I’m sure all of those and more came into play here,” Rieders said.

Sandusky, 69, has been pursuing appeals while he serves a 30- to 60-year sentence on 45 criminal counts.

He was convicted of abusing 10 boys, some of them at Penn State facilities. Eight young men testified against him, describing a range of abuse they said went from grooming and manipulation to fondling, oral sex and anal rape when they were boys.

The 32 claimants involved in negotiations with Penn State include most of the victims from the criminal trial and some who say they were abused by Sandusky many years ago. Negotiations were conducted in secret, so the full range of the allegations wasn’t disclosed publicly.

Sandusky did not testify at his trial but has long asserted his innocence. He has acknowledged he showered with boys but insisted he never molested them.

The abuse scandal rocked Penn State, bringing down football coach Joe Paterno and leading college sports’ governing body, the NCAA, to levy unprecedented sanctions against the university’s football program.

Three former Penn State administrators await trial in Harrisburg on charges they engaged in a criminal cover-up of the Sandusky scandal. Former president Graham Spanier, retired vice president Gary Schultz and retired athletic director Tim Curley deny the allegations, and a trial date has not been scheduled.

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, October 29, 2013 13

14 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, October 29, 2013

SPORTS

Who Will Take the NBA Atlantic Division Crown?

SHATZMAN

Continued from page 15

second team. The Nets will be a force to be reckoned with.

However, Paul Pierce is not even half of the player he used to be, and Garnett has seen his play decrease with age. That being said, they will take on lesser roles this season, as Williams, Johnson, and Lopez are among the best players in the league.

Jason Kidd is now the head coach, and he obviously possesses the high basketball IQ needed to coach a winning team. Kidd looks to lead the Nets where he did twice: the NBA championship. The Nets have the potential to compete with anyone, and are poised for a deep playoff run.

2. New York Knicks (Last season: 54-28, 1st in Atlantic)

Oh, the Knicks. The highly talented, underachieving Knicks again enter the season opener with championship expectations. The Knicks have more depth than in recent years, having acquired former first overall pick Andrea Bargnani and solid all-around nutcase Metta World Peace, as well as having drafted the exciting swingman from the University of Michigan, Tim Hardaway Jr. Tyson Chandler is a defensive stud who can protect the rim, while A’mare Stoudemire, when healthy, is one of the better forwards in the league.

The Knicks have great players and they can score the rock as well as any team in the league. It is their egos and lack of team play that consistently hurt them. If Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith can rid themselves of their constant need to shoot horrendous shots and instead play as a team using their multitude of weapons, they can be a phenomenal ball club. I don’t think this will happen, and I don’t think Carmelo Anthony will ever win a title. The Knicks will thrive in the regular season and then lose in an early round of the playoffs. But hey, Mike Woodson is a smart coach. If he helped to mature his players this offseason, the Knicks can be a dangerous team come playoff time.

3. Toronto Raptors (Last season: 34-48, tied for 4th in Atlantic)

The NBA’s only Canadian team enters this season looking to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2007-2008 season when they were led by up and coming superstar Chris Bosh.

Since then, the Raptors have been one of the biggest jokes of the NBA. However, the future of the Raptors looks bright heading into this season. Unlike last year, solid all-around small forward Rudy Gay begins the season with the Raptors, having been acquired from the Grizzlies in the middle of last season.

Any point guard controversy that existed last season between Kyle Lowry and José Calderón is extinguished, as the latter was traded in the Rudy Gay deal. Lowry played well in the games that he started, and has proved himself to be an above average point guard throughout his years with the Rockets. Lowry and Gay play alongside the pair of young, highflying guards in DeMar Derozan and Terrance Ross. Second year player Jonas Valanciunas, a 5th overall pick from Lithuania, will start at center and showed flashes of his loaded potential as a rookie.

The Raptors also strengthened their bench at almost every position this offseason, acquiring the likes of Tyler Hansbrough, D.J. Augustin, and three point marksman Steve Novak.

The ’12-’13 Raptors finished last in the Atlantic Division, but their record was not representative of their team. They improved greatly mid-season. They also suffered an abnormal amount of heartbreaking, close losses in which they were one possession away from being victorious. Rudy Gay will help to close out games and he demonstrated his ability to be the closer last season.

With coach Duane Casey at the helm, the Raptors have the talent to win many games this season and sneak into the playoffs. In an unusually strong conference, reaching the playoffs would be an enormous accomplishment for the young Toronto Raptors.

4. Boston Celtics (Last season: 41-40, 3rd in Atlantic)

The Boston Celtic’s biggest acquisition this offseason comes in the form of a 6’1, 37-year-old who played his highest level of basketball in college, playing for the Division III DePauw Tigers. This man is Brad Stevens, the now coach of the Celtics.

Stevens shocked the world when he led the Butler Bulldogs to the NCAA championship in both 2010 and 2011. Stevens now takes over the Celtics who have their weakest roster in over ten years.

Superstars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are playing in Brooklyn, leaving the last big-name Celtic, Rajon Rondo, in charge of taking the Celtics to the playoffs. However, Rondo is in the midst of recovering from a torn ACL that kept him out for the majority of last season, and is not expected back until December, at the earliest. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose suffered the same injury in the 2011 playoffs and missed signifigantly more time than expected. Celtic fans should prepare to be without Rondo well into 2014, and maybe they will be pleasently surprised.

Without Rondo, the Celtics are expectedly bad. They have several solid role players, but these players need high volume scorers on their team in order to succeed. Avery Bradley is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, but struggles on the offensive side of the ball.

Players like Kris Humphries, Courtney Lee, and even Brandon Bass are decent players, but they would be coming off the bench for most teams around the league, not starting.

Forward Jeff Green is the strongest player in the Celtics opening day lineup. Green can play both inside and out, and showed flashes of brilliance in the 2013 playoffs. Then again, he was rarely in the starting lineup during the regular season, and absolutely benefited from guys like Pierce and Garnett drawing the tougher defensive matchups.

The Celtics will be one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference until Rondo’s return. Even with Rondo, they will only be looking at a low seed in the playoffs if they are able to sneak in. Rookies Kelly Olynyk and Phil Pressey will gain valuable experience in this down year, and who knows, this may be the year when undersized forward Jared Sullinger breaks out. I

doubt it, but it is possible.

Expect the Celtics to be among the worst teams in the NBA this season. They will benefit from a high draft pick in what should be an incredibly talented 2014 draft. Brad Stevens is an incredible basketball mind, so there is plenty of reason to be optimistic in Boston.

5. Philadelphia 76ers (Last season: 34-48, tied for 4th in Atlantic)

I am from Philadelphia. I am a diehard 76ers fan. Take this for what it is: the Sixers are absolutely awful. They are by far the worst team in the NBA, with the only other teams even close to being on their pathetic level being the Magic, Bucks, and Rondo-less Celtics.

However, when talking about a bad team, there are always points of optimism. The 76ers traded their best player, Jrue Holliday, to the Pelicans for draft pick Nerlens Noel. He is recovering from a torn ACL and will likely miss the entire season. He is a great defensive player who protects the rim, a valuable asset on any basketball team. His offensive game is limited, though, and must improve drastically if he is to succeed at the NBA level. The Sixers used their first round draft pick on Syracuse point guard Michael Carter-Williams. He is another player with loads of potential, but who also must improve his offensive game signifigantly. He is an excellent passer with tremendous vision. He has shown improvement this preseason finishing around the rim and his shooting seems to have gotten much better, as well. If he can knock down perimeter jump shots, he will make for a challenging matchup for any opposing guard.

The Sixers leading scorer will likely be Evan Turner, the former second overall draft pick who has underperformed in Philadelphia. Turner loves to shoot and often does way too much, but if incoming coach Brent Brown can change his attitude, there could be hope for Turner. I, on the other hand, hope that Turner plays well early in the season so that he appeals to other teams for a potential trade.

Forward Thaddeus Young is an above average NBA player.

He is scrappy and can finish in the paint. If he has improved on his perimeter jumpshot (he has been shooting and making three-pointers in the preseason), he could lead the team in both scoring and rebounding.

The rest of the Sixers lineup has little to offer, though acquisition James Anderson looks to have some offensive skill. I mean, if he saw the floor under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, he will most definitely look good on the Sixers.

The Sixers are in serious rebuilding mode. Breaking the Bobcats record for least wins in a season is a real possibility. I struggle to see how they will win just 1 game. They have much less talent than the other bad teams in the league, and have less than half of the talent that the playoff contenders have. The Sixers will likely receive a high draft pick and will have promising players like Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle on their radar.

Benjamin Shatzman can be reached at sports@cornellsun.com.

The CorneDaily Sun

since

1880

THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, October 29, 2013 15

SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL

V-Ballers Take Down Columbia

By ELANI COHEN Sun Staff Writer

Due to the Red’s recent losing streak with two losses last weekend, the Cornell women’s volleyball team was determined to get back on track and win its game against Columbia Saturday.

Since the Red won its last game against the Columbia Lions (3-2) in September during the Ivy League Opener at Newman, the team was confident that the game would end in Cornell’s favor. The team lived up to its expectations and earn a season sweep over Columbia, winning three out of five sets.

The Lions, with a current record of 5-12, was a tough opponent for the Red, whose record is 7-11.

The Lions kept the Red on its toes, keeping up a back and forth battle that featured 10 ties. Due to each team’s competitive play, the set went into extra points, which ended in a loss for Cornell.

Due to a pair of kills from freshman Sarah Kramer and a kill from freshman middle blocker Macey Wilson, the Red had a 4-0 advantage over the Lions during the second set. The Lions attempted to pull back, but after another kill from Kramer, Columbia was not able to overcome the gap and Cornell won, 25-23.

By the third set, both teams were aggressive and determined to win. Columbia started the third set with an early 9-5 advantage — back-to-back kills from Wilson and freshman Grayce Campbell quickly put the Red back in the game. After a rough five ties

during the stretch and a service error by Columbia, right side sophomore Breanna Wong was able to make a kill and earn a 25-22 victory for Cornell.

Determined, the Lions gained another early advantage (a 6-1 run) during the fourth set. After a tough six blocks and 16 kills by the Lions, Cornell was not able to surmount Columbia’s initial lead and lost, 20-25.

The final, fifth set had both teams playing very competitively. Both teams were ambitiously vying for the win, with a combined nine kills over the first 13 points of the set.

However, after a kill from Cornell’s senior middle blocker Rachel D’Epagnier and a service ace from Campbell, Cornell earned a strong 7-1 run that Columbia just couldn’t beat. The final set concluded in favor of Cornell, 15-9.

The team had five individual players register double-digit kills, including Wong, Campbell, Kramer, Wilson, and D’Epagnier. Also, the team had four players earn a hitting average of above .300, with an overall team hitting average of .269. Freshman setter Alyssa Phelps achieved a career-high 65 assists and registered 11 digs throughout the five-set match. The Cornell defense also finished with 93 digs behind six team blocks.

The Red is preparing for the second half of Ivy League play, which will begin next weekend with games against Penn and Princeton.

Elani Cohen can be reached at ecohen@cornellsun.com.

CONNOR ARCHARD / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Ancient Eight takes the cake | Cornell fell to both Yale and Brown this past weekend, but beat Columbia Saturday.

Red Prepares NBA Preview: The Atlantic Division For Princeton O Next Weekend WOMEN’S SOCCER Continued from page 16

senior stuff exactly when it was happening and then focus on the game,” she said. “I think we didn’t start as well as we normally do, but some of that can be attributed to the different pre-game happenings and the emotional aspect of senior day.”

Apart from its faltering start, Growney said Cornell’s defense hurt the team in the long run.

“We weren’t defending our own box very well,” she said. “They scored on a corner. Our team defending across the board was not as intense as it needed to be, especially on set pieces and in the box.”

Brown currently holds third place in the Ivy League with 10 points. Prior to this weekend, the Bears had conceded just one goal in conference play in a 3-1 loss to Ivy leader Harvard.

Next weekend, Cornell will face defending champion Princeton (5-5-4, 0-4-1 Ivy). Following their impressive 7-0-0 season in 2012, the Tigers have earned just one point this season in a draw with Columbia (7-5-3, 0-3-2 Ivy). Last weekend, Princeton fell, 4-0, to Harvard.

According to Growney, the Red aims to finish the season on a high note and break its four-game losing streak.

“It will be big to get a couple more Ivy League wins,” she said. “Princeton is a team that we can play with, so it would be big for us to get a win against them. And obviously, Dartmouth would be a big win for us. We’d just like to end the season with a couple more wins.”

“We’ve shown a lot of improvement through this season and developed as a team,” Christ said. “Our focus is still on taking it game by game but we want to beat Princeton and Dartmouth.”

For its final game of the season, the Red will travel to Hanover to play Dartmouth (7-5-3, 3-2 Ivy). The Big Green is coming off a two-game winning streak, defeating both Brown and Columbia by two-goal margins.

Despite its disappointing record, the Red has had a number of very close games, Christ said.

“We’ve had several close Ivy games that could have gone either way,” she said. “I think it’s essential to come out strong and leave an impression for these last two games.”

Gina Cargas can be reached at gcargas@cornellsun.com.

pening night of the NBA season is Tuesday night, in what is one of the most highly anticipated seasons since the league’s inception.

The offseason was one full of bigname free agent acquisitions and trades. The 2013 draft lacked the talent of previous drafts. The Cavaliers selected Canadian Anthony Bennett out of UNLV, and though a solid big man with plenty of potential, he does not hold the promise of an Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, or John Wall, who were the first overall picks in the three years prior. So, with a weak draft class, multiple teams made draft day trades or offseason moves to bolster their squads. Numerous former middle-ofthe-road teams are now perennial contenders to make a playoff run.

In the Eastern Conference, the question remains the same as it has

been since LeBron James’ proclaimed his much-scrutinized “decision”: Can any team take down the almighty Miami Heat?

The answer, like the question, is recurring: probably not. LeBron James says he got better this offseason. That is all that must be said regarding the Heat’s chances to 3-peat. However, the

1. Brooklyn Nets (Last season: 49-33, 2nd in Atlantic)

Who is the best team in New York?

The debate heated up tremendously this off-season when the Nets acquired the Celtics via trade. Kidding. Sort of.

On draft day, the Nets traded for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry, boosting their already ultra-talented squad into one of the most bigname starting fives in recent memory.

This year, all-stars Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and Brooke will start Guest Column Lopez along with Pierce and Garnett to make Atlantic Division is home to some of up a dynamic five on both sides of the the most likely candidates to knock off ball. The Nets’ bench is among the best the Heat. Below is a team-by-team pre- in the league, too, with Terry, former view of the division. The teams are list- all-star Andre Kirilenko, and underrated in the order I predict them to finish ed Andray Blatche all part of the Nets’ the standings at the conclusion of the regular season.

See SHATZMAN page 14

Benjamin Shatzman

Red Takes the Road for Tiger Face-Off FIELD HOCKEY

Continued from page 16

more meaning to the win,” Plappert said.

Horner finished the game with three saves to earn her 16th career victory and slide into 8th place in Cornell History for career goalie wins.

Cornell travelled to Syracuse Sunday to matchup against the Orange. The Red could not keep the winning streak alive as it fell to the Orange, 3-2. Tight games have been trending this season, and this loss marked Cornell’s fourth one-goal defeat this season.

The Red now holds a 9-6 record overall.

The Red got off to a slow start this game as well,

allowing the Orange to of regulation but Horner jump out to a 2-0 lead in made two beautiful saves to the first half. Siergiej made send the game to overtime. the first move in closing the Junior forward Lauren gap when she converted a Brooks scored at the 79:12 penalty shot approximately mark to clinch the win for 20 minutes into the game the Orange. to put the Still, score at 2-1. the Red Standiford “Overall, our team p e r and Balleza played really well.” formed were creditw e l l ed with the Donna Hornibrook against a assist. The nationalRed capitally ranked ized on the team and positive momentum by proved it can play on that finding the equalizer in the level. The Red went into 53rd minute of play. Weeks the game riding on an collected a rebound and impressive winning streak sent it across the circle to and, despite the loss, Plappert, who slipped the walked away from the ball into the net. The game confident in its Orange had two chances to potential. score in the final moments “We felt confident that

we could go in and perform well against them. I feel like in that first 10 minutes we were a bit jumpy and we didn’t get the best start … but we settled in and we came back and got an important goal in the end of the first half which put us back in the game and we battled hard from then on,” head coach Donna Hornibrook said. “I was proud to see that. I think, overall, our team played really well and gained the confidence that we can play at that level.”

Cornell heads to Princeton Saturday, where it hopes to improve its Ivy record.

Sydney Altschuler can be reached at saltschuler@cornellsun.com.

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Sports

TUESDAY OCTOBER 29, 2013

16

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Red Falls on Senior Day During Double Overtime

By GINA CARGAS Sun Staff Writer

The women’s soccer team honored its seniors on Sunday afternoon prior to its last home game of the season, which ended in a double overtime loss to third-place Brown. The Red (7-6-1, 1-4 Ivy League) and the Bears (8-4-1, 3-1-1 Ivy) finished regular time at 2-2 before Brown senior Mika Siegelman headed in the winning goal in the 104th “We battled hard for minute. the entire game. It The Red, currently ranked sixth in the Ivy League, was a very evenly opened up the scoring in the 29th minute, when sophomore forward Caroline Growney touched in a loose ball matched game.” around the six-yard line. Brown came back quickly, scoring in the 40th minute and again in the 64th. Cornell Tori Christ came back in full force, stepping up the pressure until the 82nd minute equalizer. After a beautiful run up the right flank, Growney’s cross deflected off a Brown defender and into the net.

According to senior co-captain Tori Christ, the win could have gone to either team.

“We battled hard for the entire game,” Christ said. “It was a very evenly matched game.

We both had opportunities and parts where we each controlled the play. We had a quicker pace but I think we had a few times where we lapsed and they capitalized on it.”

This was the last home game for seniors Christ, Rachel Nichols, Rachel Schlobohm, Andi McIntosh, Mary Keroack and Kasia Jandura-Cessna.

The Senior Day festivities began Saturday, when the younger players presented the six graduating seniors with gifts, scrapbooks and personalized poems. The celebrations continued into

CONNOR ARCHARD / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Farewell to the seniors | Cornell women’s soccer lost to Brown Sunday on Senior Day in a tight 3-2 loss that ended up in two overtime periods.

Sunday, when the underclassmen decorated the locker room and sophomores serenaded their teammates just before the game. When the team finally emerged onto the field, each senior was accompanied by her family as the announcers summarized their Cornell careers.

“It’s a special and emotional day for both the seniors and the team,” Christ said. “We focused on each part of the day separately.”

“It was definitely kind of bittersweet,” Growney said. “Especially as a sophomore, we’d already spent a whole year with them and it was sad to see them go.”

According to Growney, the celebrations may have interfered with the team’s mindset during the first half of the game.

“Coach Farmer stressed to us that he wanted us to compartmentalize and think about the See WOMEN’S SOCCER page 15

SWIMMING AND DIVING

C.U.Competes to Raise Breast Cancer Awareness mer Katie Morin said.

The scrimmage was sponsored by Speedo as the Red hit the road to The Cornell swimming and div- visit Buffalo on Friday.

The team wore t-shirts and swim ing teams raised $1,700 to support Breastroke 4 Hope in honor of caps to support the cause and donated what it raised to October being the organization. breast cancer “It was really great that The front of the awareness month.

“It was really we got to give back to shirts said “I Heart while the great that we got to the community this year.” Breast” back said “Stroke.” give back to the The Red will community this Katie Morin begin its season on year. I think that Nov. 9 when both this was a cause Cornell teams welthat a lot of members of the team felt passionate about come Boston College to the Hill. and that showed by the amount of money we were able to raise in such Haley Velasco can be reached at a short period of time,” junior swim- sports-editor@cornellsun.com.

By HALEY VELASCO

Sun Sports Editor

FIELD HOCKEY CHRIS PHARE / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Double duty | The Cornell field hockey team hosted Brown at home Saturday and took to the road to face Syracuse.

Cornell Faces Bears, Orange

By SYDNEY ALTSCHULER Sun Staff Writer

The Cornell field hockey team hosted Brown Saturday and then travelled the following day to face Syracuse. The Red conquered the Bears, 2-1, to improve to 9-5 on the year and 3-2 in the Ivy League. On Sunday, however, the squad fell to the Orange in overtime, 32, making the Red 9-6 overall. Cornell will have the chance to advance its standing in the Ivy conference Sunday at noon, when the team competes against Princeton away.

The game against Brown featured a slow start by both squads. For the first sixty minutes of play, neither team managed to score. Finally, in the 64th minute of play, senior forward Elly Plappert got the Red on the board with a goal from the top-center of the circle. Freshman forward Katy Weeks was credited with the assist.

The Bears responded by pulling freshman goalie Shannon McSweeney from the game to give them the one-man advantage. Three minutes later, sophomore Marisa Seirgiej capital-

ized on the open net by successfully converting a penalty corner to give the Red the 2-0 lead.

Senior midfielder Hannah Balleza and sophomore Taylor Standiford assisted. The Bears had a big chance to come back, however, when a Red player was green-carded and taken out of the game.

Still without a goalie, the Bears now had a two-man advantage on the field. With just 58 seconds left in regulation, Brown finally got on the board when Meghan O’Donnell snatched a rebound off a save by senior goalie Carolyn Horner and netted the ball in the near post. The Bears couldn’t find the equalizer, however, and the Red took the win to advance in the Ivies.

“It was a confidence boost to go into an Ivy game with some wins behind us, but we also knew that we couldn't underestimate Brown, especially after a tough game last season. Ivy league games definitely bring more pressure in comparison to other conference games, but that isn't always a bad thing; it brings that much See FIELD HOCKEY page 15

COURTESY OF KIM JEROME

For a good cause | In the scrimmage against Buffalo on Friday, the Red sported gear that raised money and awareness for breast cancer.