11-10-22 entire issue hi res

New York Democrats See Victories in Midterm Elections

Local and statewide elections call results for the 2022 midterm elections prior to absentee ballot counts

By SOFIA RUBINSON Sun News Editor

At the local and state level, this Election Day brought sweeping victories for the Democratic party, with the notable exception of the New York District 19 House race. On Nov. 8, students were able to vote at polling sites on or close to campus, with other Cornellians sending out absentee ballots.

Outside of Alice Cook House, Cornell’s first on-campus polling site, students told The Sun why they turned out to vote.

“Climate justice is my biggest issue,” said Brandon Restler ’23. “I’m an EAS major and I think it’s an important issue for my generation with a big impact on people.”

Catie Michael ’25 felt a sense of urgency to be an active part of the community.

“How can you live somewhere without taking an active role?” Michael said.

For some students, like Pranjal Jain ’23, being able to cast a

ballot represented a commitment to her civic duty.

“I grew up undocumented, so voting for my rights is some thing that is really important to me,” Jain said.

The results of the 2022 midterm elections are largely in, though results are not officially final until a week after Election Day when mail-in ballots will be counted.

Democratic candidate Laura Lewis was elected as mayor of Ithaca, having stepped in after the resignation of previous incumbent Svante Myrick ’09. She is now slated to finish the remainder of his term for one year.

Lewis was victorious with 65.33 percent of the vote, with Progressive Katie Sims ’20 and Republican Zachary Winn gain ing 25.32 percent and 8.61 percent of the vote, respectively.

Leading up to the election, Lewis’s and Sims’s campaign spending far exceeded Winn’s. According to The Ithaca Voice, Lewis’s campaign had raised $6,893 and spent $4,057; Sims’s had raised $6,845 and spent $2,698 and Winn’s had raised $769 — $489 of which the Tompkins County Republican

Party contributed.

Lewis's campaign addressed issues including housing, infra structure, staffing needs, public safety and sustainability, telling The Sun that she supported development within the city center and in public transportation. Lewis was also known for her lax campaign style, including not using lawn signs to campaign due to the waste they produce.

Both of her opponents gracefully accepted defeat and wished Mayor Lewis well in her term.

“This is my home. I wish Acting Mayor Lewis every possi ble positive outcome now that she has fully assumed the role of mayor,” Winn said. “I hope that whoever fills her vacated council seat represents the interests of all Ithacans and not one particular subset or group, as the role of a council person is now greatly amplified in significance due to the passage of the city manager ballot referendum.”

Seven Alumni Elected to Congress

By JONATHAN MONG Sun Staff Writer

Following the results of Tuesday’s midterm elections, seven Cornellians — most ly incumbents — will serve in the 118th Congress, with one remaining race being too close to call at the time of publication. In addition, one candidate lost the general election.

The seven congress mem bers-elect as well as Jamie McLeod-Skinner, M.R.P. ’95, whose race is too close to call, represent several parts of Cornell: Reps. Katherine Clark J.D. ’89 (D-Mass.) and Sharice Davids J.D. ’10 (D-Kan.) are graduates from Cornell Law School, Rep. Elissa Slotkin ’98 (D-Mich.) majored in rural sociology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, while Rep. Dan Heuser ’88 (R.-Pa.) was a government major in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Katherine Clark J.D.

(D-Mass.) won re-election hand ily over Republican challenger Caroline Colarusso (R-Mass.) with nearly 75 percent of the vote. This is Clark’s fifth full term since entering office in a 2013 special election to replace then-Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) following his successful election to the Senate. She also serves as Assistant Speaker of the House.

Clark’s policy priorities include focuses on families, such as paid family leave initiatives, improvement of child care access and closing the gender pay gap.

In an interview with the Sun in 2019, Clark emphasized family issues as her reasons for running for office.

“I decided to tackle the issues around women and children that have always been priorities for me from the legislative side, instead of the advocacy side,” Clark said.

Adkins (R.-Kan.) in a rematch of the 2020 election with 54.7% of the vote.

The Third District encom passes the Kansas City, Missouri suburb of Overland Park, Kansas.

Davids, along with Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), is the first Native American woman elected to Congress and is now the only Democratic member of Kansas’ congressional delegation.

Rep. Dan Meuser ‘88 (R.Pa.) won re-election in a strong ly Republican district. Prior to becoming a congressman in 2018, Meuser was the Pennsylvania Secretary of Revenue.

IFC Suspends All Parties and Socials

By JIWOOK JUNG Sun Assistant News Editor

As a response to the release of a crime report on Nov. 4, alerting the Cornell community to at least four drugging incidents and a sexual assault allegation, the Interfraternity Council has temporarily suspend ed all fraternity parties and social events.

is providing support services to the victims… our campus community is stronger together.”

’89

In an election expected to be among the closest in the nation, Rep. Sharice Davids J.D. ‘10 (D-Kan.) defeated Amanda

Meuser’s name was also list ed in The New York Times’s list of 97 members of Congress facing potential conflicts of interest regarding recent finan cial trades, along with those of Rep. Katherine Clark J.D. ’89 (D-Mass.) and outgoing Rep. Kurt Schrader ’73 (D-Ore.).

In a university-wide email, President Martha Pollack and Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi issued a joint statement condemning the reported incidents and calling for solidarity.

“We are outraged and sad dened… we strongly condemn the actions of all individuals responsi ble for these criminal violations,” Pollack and Lombardi wrote. “Crime is never the fault of those who are victimized. The university

According to the C.U.police crime report log, within the past two months at least four students have reported being exposed to Rohypnol, a depressant and benzo diazepine also referred to as “roof ies” or a “date-rape” drug. According to the report, the incident occurred between Oct. 28 and Nov. 3 at 800 University Avenue.

“Students reported to have con sumed little to no alcohol at an off-campus location but became incapacitated while attending par ties,” the police report said.

To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com.

Jiwook Jung can be reached at jjung@cornellsun.com.

Lining up | Students line up to vote at Alice Cook House, the first on-campus polling site.

JASON WU / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Moral support | A voter's dog accompa nies her as she casts her vote at Town Hall.

JASON WU / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

A Reward | Poll workers hand out stick ers for voters to don as they exit.

JULIA NAGEL / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Drop-off | A local voter submits his bal lot to be counted in this year's elections.

NINA DAVIS / SUN CONTRIBUTOR

Daybook

Today

Thursday, November 10, 2022

A LISTING OF FREE CAMPUS EVENTS

The Disappearance of the Dharma Noon, Virtual Event

Virtual Architecture Graduate Open House for Prospective Students, Fall 2022 10 a.m., Virtual Event

Student Fundraiser: Pie-a-Professor & SMP Empanada Food Truck 11 a.m., Ag Quad

NBB Seminar Speaker: Eva Fischer; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 12:30 p.m., Corson/Mudd Hall A106

Quecha Conversation Hour 3 p.m., Stimson Hall G25

MSE Fall Seminar Series: Speaker Thomas Kempa 4 p.m., Kimball Hall B11

Linguistics Colloqium Speaker: Josef Fruehwald 4:30 p.m., Morrill Hall 106

President of Iceland: Can Small States Make a Difference? 4:30 p.m., Klarman Hall Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium

The Rise and Decline of Black Bands in Popular Music in The 1970s

4:30 p.m., Africana Studies and Research Center Multipurpose Room

Cornell Men’s Basketball vs. SUNY-Delhi 7 p.m., Bartels Hall

Tomorrow

MPA Program Open House, Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy 8 a.m., Brooks School

4D Textiles 10:30 a.m., Virtual Event

Social Justice Sewing Academy Workshop Noon, Johnson Museum of Art 2L Lecture Room

Ezra’s Roundtable / Systems Seminar: Rui Shi (Penn State) 12:15 p.m., Frank H. T. Rhodes Hall 253

Jack Catlin Memorial Lecture: Department of Psychology Colloquium Series 12:20 p.m., Virtual Event

Zakhary Mallett: Inequitable Inefficiency: A Case Study of Rail Transit Fare Policies 12:25 p.m., Abby and Howard Milstein Auditorium

Indonesian Conversation Hour 2 p.m., Stimson Hall G25

Philosophy Department Talk: Monima Chadha, Karp Fellow 3 p.m. Stimson Hall G01

Cornell Classical Chinese Colloqium with Mara Du 3:30 p.m., Rockefeller Hall Asian Studies Lounge

CHS Speaker Series: Professor Peter Shapinsky: “Dressing Like a Pirate: Ethnic Ascription and Commoner Transformation in Fifteenth-Century Maritime East Asia” 5 p.m., Rockefeller Hall 115

COURTESY OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Small country, big impact | The President of Iceland believes that a commitment to peace, disarmament and human rights is why his small state makes an outsized impact on international relations.

Sims feels that the large turn out, especially for an Independent candidate, indicates that progres sive goals should continue to be prioritized in Ithaca.

“I really hope that she will con tinue to take the issues of housing, public safety and the Green New Deal very seriously and implement them with courage,” Sims told The Sun. “Not policies that equivocate or are complacent, but policies that really get to the heart of the issues and take a bold stance on protect ing people’s livelihoods.”

Both Sims and Winn intend to stay involved in local politics.

“I would feel like I was betray ing people who put their trust in me if I was to simply walk away from the concerns I have expressed about the West End,” Winn said.

“A lot of the people who voted for me showed a lot of care and excitement for the vision that we were presenting,” Sims said. “You really have to go out of your way to vote on an Independent line. So the fact that so many people did is really telling.”

The city manager referendum passed with 77.77 percent of Tompkins County residents voting ‘yes’ on the proposition.

The referendum will create a new position in Ithaca appointed by Common Council. The city manager will work closely with the Council, providing manage ment experience and building the budget. The proposition also gives the mayor, Laura Lewis, a vote on

Common Council.

In New York’s 19th district — a newly formed swing district encompassing Ithaca, which can didate Josh Riley (D-N.Y.) called the seventh most competitive in the nation at a Friday town hall in Goldwin Smith Hall — Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) defeated Riley by 2.18 percentage points district wide. At the county level, Riley received 73.28 percent of the vote.

Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive, portrayed him self as a moderate Republican, tell ing Middletown’s Times HeraldRecord that he supports “com mon-sense legislation to keep our communities safe from gun vio lence” and banning stock trading for members of Congress and their families.

In Riley’s concession statement, he expressed his good wishes for Molinaro’s term and his appreci ation for Molinaro’s commitment to opposing a national abortion ban, improving funding for mental health and creating jobs in Upstate New York.

“With the ballots cast, votes counted and campaign ended, it’s important to set aside our divisions and do our best to unite,” Riley wrote.

Democrat Lea Webb won the NY-52 State Senate seat, defeat ing Republican and former Binghamton mayor Rich David. Webb received 49.82 percent of the vote district-wide and 71.54 percent of Tompkins County votes.

Webb formerly served on the Binghamton City Council and currently works as a diversity edu

cation coordinator at Binghamton University. She was previous ly a community organizer with the grassroots nonprofit Citizen Action.

At the state level, following a bruising campaign that wound up significantly closer than many pre dicted, especially given New York’s strong Democratic tilt, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) has won the race for governor of New York. At the time of publication, Hochul won 52.11 percent of the vote statewide and 71.98 percent of the vote in Tompkins County.

Hochul has been elected to her first full term as governor, having stepped in after the resignation of the previous incumbent Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) due to a sexual harassment scandal.

She is the first elected female governor of New York, as well as the first governor from Upstate New York since Nathan L. Cortland (R.-N.Y.), was elected governor in 1921. Hochul is a moderate liberal who focused on corruption in Albany, voting rights and ending the shortage of teachers and healthcare workers in her 2022 State of the State address.

The race was originally seen as a race that would be safely Democratic, but Lee Zeldin’s focus on crime catapulted his own candi dacy and the race into the national spotlight.

To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com.

Seniors Refect On Last Pre-Enrollment

By JULIA SENZON Sun Contributor

While every pre-enrollment period can be stressful for Cornell students, many seniors graduat ing next spring found the process effortless and exciting.

Pre-enrollment allows stu dents to register for the follow ing semester’s classes months in advance. Each class year is assigned a three-day period in which they can enroll in classes and adjust their schedule.

The first undergraduate enrollment period is usually allotted to seniors, followed by juniors, sophomores and firstyear students. Priority enrollment allows seniors to secure spots in the classes needed to fulfill their graduation requirements and those that appeal to their person al interests. This year, pre-enroll ment for seniors took place from Nov. 2 to Nov. 4.

Nika Colley ’23 is double majoring in animal science and environment and sustainability. She found the enrollment process much easier than in her first year at Cornell.

“I knew exactly what [classes] I needed and had friends who recommended the best classes when I had to make choices,” Colley said. “I also got all of the classes I wanted during pre-en roll, which never happened in my [first year].”

Some seniors, like Cullen O’Hara ’23, find that they have more flexibility regarding their course load compared to earlier semesters that prioritized the ful fillment of major requirements.

“As a senior, I now know what I want to take and am much more excited about enrolling for classes and finding what is inter esting,” O’Hara said.

For his final semester, O’Hara specifically chose classes that would expand his political and philosophical perspective.

“[The] two classes I am most excited about [are] GOVT 4021: American Conservative Thought with Professor Bensel [because I am] looking to hear

some differing viewpoints among the faculty [and] PHIL 4570: Chinese Philosophy with Professor Lin [because] I want to have a stronger background in some non-western thought,” said O’Hara.

Like O’Hara, Chris Yeung ’23 was able to choose classes that fulfilled the requirements for his communication major and lead ership, media studies and edu cation minors, while also taking classes relating to his personal identity.

“One class I am taking next semester is COMM 4292: Sexual Identities and the Media,” Yeung wrote in a statement to the Sun. “I chose this class because it is the final class I need to complete the communication major, and it is an important topic of interest to me as someone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community.”

Samantha Krevolin ’23 explained that she also enjoyed choosing from a larger selection of classes.

“I also think I was able to consider a wider variety of classes since I can take upper-level ones, which freshmen cannot always do,” Krevolin said.

For her final semester, Krevolin selected classes that she has been wanting to enroll in throughout her time at Cornell.

“I enrolled in COMM 4360: Communication Networks and Social Capital [because] my advi sor teaches it and I’ve always wanted to take one of his cours es,” said Krevolin. “I also enrolled in HD 3620: Human Bonding, as I was told this was a must-take class before I graduate.”

Some seniors also found that they have clearer academic goals than when they were first-years.

Emily St. John ’23 is major ing in biological sciences with minors in nutrition and health and health equity.

To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com.

Sofa Rubinson can be reached at srubinson@cornellsun.com.

Julia Senzon can be reached at jfs287@cornell.edu.

Seven Cornellians Will Serve A New Term in Congress

CONGRESS

Continued from page 1

Wesley Hunt M.P.A. ’15, M.B.A. ’15, M.I.L.R. ’16 (R-TX) won his brand-new, heavily Republican 38th district, which represents the outskirts of Houston. A West Point gradu ate, Hunt won an endorsement from former president Donald J. Trump (R.-Fla.). His campaign centered around abortion restric tions, immigration restrictions, voter ID laws, gun rights and police advocacy.

He will become the third Black Republican serving in the 118th Congress House of Representatives.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin ‘98 (D-Mich.) has defeated chal lenger Tom Barrett (R.-Mich.) in Michigan’s 7th congressional district in a tight race that was called early Wednesday morning..

Slotkin has served as repre sentative of Michigan’s 8th dis trict since 2019, but following Michigan’s redistricting, her dis trict became the 7th. Prior to serving in Congress, she was a CIA agent and did three tours in Iraq along with the United States military.

Beth Van Duyne ’95 (R.-Texas) will serve as a congressional rep resentative in Texas’s 24th district for a second term.

She previously served as the mayor of Irving, Texas and as an regional administrator for former President Trump’s Department of Housing and Urban Development. Van Duyne was first elected in 2020 and her district is located in the suburban area in between Fort Worth and Dallas.

Incumbent Melanie Stansbury ’07 (D-N.M.) will serve a second

term as the congresswoman in New Mexico’s 1st congressional district. She is an alum of the development studies program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and now works on the food insecurity crisis.

Mike Itkis ‘91 (I-N.Y.), who majored in electrical engineer ing while at Cornell, lost his election bid for congressman from New York’s 12th congres sional district.

His campaign was atten tion-grabbing and controversial, not least because of the sex tape he produced and released in an effort to come off as “sex-posi tive.” Itkis’s other views include the legalization of sex work, ending the requirement to pro vide child support and redefin ing the abortion debate as the right to have unplanned sex. His campaign slogan was “Not married. No kids. Not celibate. Atheist.”

Itkis failed to garner one percent of the vote, losing in a landslide to Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)

Jamie McLeod-Skinner, M.R.P. ’95 (D-Ore.)’s race remains too close to call, with her opponent Lori ChavezDeRemer leading her 52 per cent to 48 percent at the time of writing, with 69 percent of the votes counted and released.

If she wins, McLeod-Skinner will be the first openly lesbian representative in Oregon’s his tory.

To continue reading this article please visit cornellsun.com.

Jonathan Mong can be reached at jcm482@cornellsun.com.

U.S.P.S. Commemorates Toni Morrison, Ruth Bader Ginsburg

By MARIAN CABALLO Sun Contributor

The United States Postal Service will honor trailblazing Cornell alumnae Toni Morrison M.A. ’55 and Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54 through new postage stamps set to be issued in 2023. Morrison and Ginsburg’s stamps were revealed on October 24, alongside the Postal Service’s preliminary list of new designs.

The stamps celebrate two of Cornell’s most prominent graduates. As Forever stamps, these commemorative works will always represent the existing price of one ounce First-Class Mail post age.

A Pulitzer Prize-winner and the first African American Nobel Prize-winner for literature, Morrison was an accomplished author best known for her works like The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon and Beloved.

“Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison was truly a genius and among the preeminent authors of world literature who helped to theorize and rev olutionize American literature, while consistently reflecting on its history and culture in her vast body of writing,” Prof. Riché Richardson, africana studies, wrote in an email to the Sun.

Morrison’s stamp, designed by USPS art director Ethel Kessler, features a photograph of Morrison taken in 2000 by Deborah Feingold.

Alyiah Marie Gonzales grad did not know about Morrison’s new stamp but is excited to add a meaningful touch to her letters.

“ Toni Morrison both exploded my world and shined a brilliant light on all of the different worlds I’ve been living in,” Gonzales wrote in an email to the Sun.

Gonzales hopes that those who see the stamp are inclined to learn more about Morrison.

“Maybe like the dandelion spores at the end of Sula, these stamps can be their own little seeds scattering across our mail and messages to each other,” they wrote.

In an email to the Sun, Shacoya Kidwell grad wrote that she is skeptical of performances of inclusivity, but finds poetry in using a Morrison postal stamp to seal messages back home.

“Morrison’s oeuvre, in many ways, tells an American story — not what lies in its periphery, but the roots and guts of this place,” Kidwell wrote.

According to Kidwell, the postal stamp is a small way to honor that.

Morrison died in 2019, at 88 years old. She has since been celebrated at Cornell through var ious English classes and commemorative events, including “Cornell Celebrates Toni Morrison” for her 90th birthday last year.

Alongside Morrison’s stamp, Ethan Kessler designed Ginsburg’s stamp in coordination with painter Michael J. Deas. Deas painted Justice Ginsburg based on a photograph taken by Philip Bermingham.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the 107th justice and second ever woman to serve on the Supreme Court and was a relentless leader in the fight for equal rights and gender equality. Ginsburg died in 2020 at the age of 87.

“Ruth Bader Ginsburg was resilient, trusted her values and led a life of service in fighting for women’s rights. I am a proud resident of RBG, and I hope to be as strong as her someday,” said Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall Council president Maha Nallabola ’26.

Cornell has celebrated both Morrison and Ginsburg across campus. Last year, Toni Morrison Hall and Morrison Dining opened its doors to Cornellians. Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall opened to first-years this semester as part of the final stage of the North Campus Residential Expansion.

“Those on US Postal Stamps should represent influential figures in America that deserve to be remembered for their contributions,” said Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall resident Steven Markman ’26, who hopes that future generations of students will learn about her impact.

Sharon Zou ’26, also a resident of Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall, said she is excited because stamps are a constant that will help keep Ginsburg’s leg acy alive.

Mitchell Hill ’26 said that although it is a small gesture, the small things in life count the most.

“To me, she will always be the Notorious RBG, and I couldn’t be happier to live in a residence hall dedicated to her legacy,” Hill said.

Both Morrison and Ginsburg’s stamps will be issued in 2023 and can be purchased through the USPS Postal Store or at nationwide USA Philatelic or Post office locations.

Marian Caballo can be reached at mcc284@cornell.edu.

Dining Guide

Your source for good food

Meatless “Meat:”

Animal-Free Eating at Cornell

By KYLE ROTH Sun Contributor

It is no secret that consum ing various animal proteins comes with many costs re lated to morals, nutrition, the environment, production eth ics and economics.

With animal-based meat being widely available and accessible at virtually every restaurant and grocery store along with being deeply in grained into American and

and they’re only growing in popularity as tasty, affordable, “guilt-free” substitutions to animals.

Here, we will take a closer look at what animal-free eat ing options are available at Cornell’s dining halls along with where these trends might be taking us in the future.

Seitan (pronounced “saytan”) is a two ingredient mix ture of flour and water that most closely resembles the look and texture of chicken.

Made of vital wheat gluten, this product is high in pro tein, chews like chicken and is rich in a tasty savory “umami” flavor according to the Food Network.

With unique properties able to absorb flavors paired and introduced with seitan, the Food Network explains that “Seitan is often knead ed with spices and flavorings such as nutritional yeast and soy sauce as well as vegetable stock for extra flavor.”

Bob’s Red Mill goes into detail of the nutritional con tent of seitan, describing it as “loaded with nutritional value, [in which] just a halfcup serving of this vegan meat alternative provides about 46 grams of protein.”

Tempeh (pronounced “tem-pay”) is a fermented soybean cake that originates from Indonesian cuisine, where meat is generally eat en sparingly and is made by introducing the special bio

ing, baking, and much more.

“Tempeh is the world’s richest plant-based source of vitamin B12 and shares the same high protein content as beef” the highly-renowned food magazine Bon Appetit reveals. “It’s also highly di gestible compared to other soy and bean products be cause the fermentation pro cess enables nutrients to be come more soluble [in the digestion process].”

Tempeh can be found in Cornell’s dining halls and is commonly paired with redbean jambalaya or barbecue flavors.

Finally, tofu is an extreme ly popular soy-derived meat alternative that is made by setting soy milk and can be made to have extra soft, soft (silken), firm, or extra firm textures.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture points out that “Tofu … is cholesterol-free, low in saturated fat and high in polyunsaturated fats [and] can be part of a healthful diet for most children and adults.”

Firm tofu is available ev eryday at certain Cornell dining halls and is marinated for salad bars, stir-fried, deepfried, and scrambled.

a few of the new products to the ever-growing line of meat less products that are stocking shelves around the world.

As these meat-free protein alternatives continue to make their way into diets, their ac cessibility and affordability for those who choose to eat them is drastically improved and fortunately, Cornell Din ing prioritizes having these options available at just a meal swipe away.

Whether you are interested

international cultures, the issue of transitioning away from animal products and looking towards alternatives is not as steak-and-potatoes as it may seem.

Fortunately, meat-alterna tive proteins are becoming the norm in our grocery stores and fast-food establishments,

The whole-grain oriented food company adds on, “It is also low in carbohydrates and fat, making it a favorite amongst individuals follow ing a low-carb diet.”

Seitan can be found in Cor nell’s dining halls in vegetable stir-fries labeled as “Meatless Chick’n Breast Strips.”

logically-active starter Rhizo pus oligosporus with wholecooked soybeans. DIt also has a deep umami, nutty flavor with a chunkier, wholesome texture and can be easily pre pared with pan-frying, grill

The future holds great promise for the innovation of delicious, nutritious, sustain able and ethically produced proteins as technology ad vances to support these prod ucts.

Beyond Meat jerky, veg an eggs and cell-cultivated sashimi-grade salmon are just

in trying some of these new foods, considering cutting back on your meat consump tion, or have been on the lookout for meat-substitutes, these options are definitely worth a taste and a spot on your plate. Happy dining!

Kyle Roth is a sophomore in the College of Human Ecology. He can be reached at ksr73@cornell.edu.

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Independent Since 1880

VEE CIPPERMAN ’23 Editor in Chief

SERENA

SURITA BASU ’23 Assistant Managing Editor

NAOMI KOH ’23 Assistant Web Editor

ELI PALLRAND ’24 News Editor

ESTEE YI ’24 News Editor

KAYLA RIGGS ’24 City Editor

JULA NAGEL ’24 Photography

ANGELA BUNAY ’24 Managing Editor

TRACY ZENG ’24 Advertising Manager

DEVAN FLORES ’24 Web Editor

KATHERINE YAO ’23 Opinion Editor

SOFIA RUBINSON ’24 News Editor

JOHN COLIE ’23 Arts & Culture Editor

DANIELA WISE ROJAS ’25 Dining Editor

AARON SNYDER ’23 Sports Editor

TENZIN KUNSANG ’25 Science Editor

ANDIE KIM ’24 Multimedia Editor

AIMEE EICHER ’24 Assistant News Editor

SARAH YOUNG ’24 Assistant News Editor

NIHAR HEGDE ’24 Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

CLAIRE LI ’24 Assistant Photography Editor

GABRIELLA PACITTO ’24 Assistant Sports Editor

RUTH ABRAHAM ’24 Assistant Sports Editor

DANIEL BERNSTEIN ’23 Senior Editor

MADELINE ROSENBERG ’23 Senior Editor

to the Editor

Re: “Ann Coulter is Not Welcome Here”

To the Editor:

The Guest Room “Ann Coulter is Not Welcome Here” denounces Cornell’s decision to host a lecture by Ann Coulter ’84 to be held on Nov. 9. The op-ed is more perfor mance art than a reasoned argument for violating Cornell’s commitment to free speech and viewpoint diversity.

First, Cornell has already flatly rejected the request to cancel Coulter’s lecture. The authors cannot cajole Day Hall into censoring Coulter’s message nor label her content as heresy. Indeed, President Pollack opened the academic year by urging the community to be accepting of free speech: “Don’t avoid people whose viewpoints you think are wrong. Don’t try to shout them down. Hear them out. Ask them questions. Put in the effort to understand their point of view.”

Second, I believe the authors have no more right to block a right wing speaker than the Network of Enlightened Women has the right to block a left wing speaker. The authors write, “Free speech assumes that there are no inequalities, which allows everyone to have an equal voice.” But that is not true. Free speech grants everyone an equal voice, so that we can debate how to work through inequalities. All Cornell students have an equal right to participate in organizations and to sponsor speakers, regardless of whether you like their national umbrella groups or their ideals.

Third, I view Cornell (and all higher education) as an intergenerational gift. Students, faculty, staff and alumni all work together to make Cornell better by transferring knowl edge, new ideas and resources so that current students can have a great education and learn to think for themselves. Some alumni dedicate their careers to Cornell and others just donate money. Many other alumni, like Coulter, are invited back to campus to discuss what they have learned as alumni. Students should value these gifts by keeping an open mind and then thinking for themselves. No Cornellian agrees with Coulter completely. The educational value comes from sorting through the ideas that she will present and then deciding what is worth keeping and why.

Finally, robust exchange of ideas is the heart of a Cornell education. The energy that the authors are squandering on “canceling” Ann Coulter could be better placed into listening carefully to her talk and then critiquing her lecture afterwards. They could even work to invite one of her many critics — say Keith Olbermann ’79 — to talk on campus as well.

Robert C. Platt ’73 Law ’76

ED Plowe With Gratitude

Bipolar Blues and Books

Rightnow, I am riding a stable moment in the middle of a mixed episode. It has lasted about two weeks, amplifying over the past week. My brain feels like a blind infant mouse, soft and incapacitated. But I am expected to be a College Scholar! An editor! A writer! A friend! What should I do?

My Student Disability Services (SDS) accommodation vaguely informs my pro fessors that when I am absent from class, it might be a mental health concern — I’m not just skipping. The accommodation lays out no further boundaries for grading.

When I’m in the middle of an episode, pulling the SDS card somehow feels like an unethical act. Can’t I just push through? All

When I share with people that I am bipolar, and suffering, I am tasked with reciting to them which Web MD symptoms I possess and which I do not.

the anxious and depressed kids are pushing through! Sometimes, I convince myself that I am faking my mental illness. How do I get permission to take time off when I am not bleeding out or actively suicidal?

Psychically, I want to beg my professors: please understand how much I wish I could be in class today.

Every time I have sat down to write or do homework over the past two weeks, it has felt like trying to swallow a potato whole. I have been up, agitated and down, frozen, in spin cycles lasting days. I have felt stuck in myself, filled with fluttering bats. I get frustrated when I cannot think, ashamed of the brick walls between each neuron.

Literature has been my refuge. Books slow down my mania, and open me up from my depression. I have been reading The Sentence by Louise Erdrich and The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Both books balance brightness with dark ness, play and death.

Word by word, I learn each character’s hope and grief and euphoria. The spinning of my brightness and darkness is no longer as disorienting when I read about the pain ful dualities within other characters.

Word by word, I also string together poems to express my longing to exit my cycles of self-judgment. I want to accept my pain, my stuckness, my agitation, my mania. But I am so embarrassed, and I turn to write about missing my long distance partner instead.

I am embarrassed to examine my need to relate differently in a world which expects my passion, generosity and creativ ity to flow from me like a persistent river. I am not a river. When I am going through a mixed episode, I am barely a person. I do not know how to ask for space from my life when I am going through a mixed episode.

I do not know who understands that bipolar does not mean that I am crazy or psychotic or paranoid. When I share with people that I am bipolar, and suffering, I am tasked with reciting to them which Web MD symptoms I possess and which I do not.

When I tell people I am bipolar, it is as if I have whispered to them that I am a witch. Some people react with delight that I trust them with the information, some cower with fear. Most stare silently at me in befuddlement.

I care deeply about connecting with my professors and peers in a meaningful way. I do not want to disappear from them. But I am not sure who will understand, and because of that, I grieve for the gap of knowledge.

I hope that my experience of facing bewildered faces when I share that I am bipolar does not reflect the reality of what my community understands about bipolar disorder. But the awareness of mental ill ness at the University seems pretty imma ture. We discuss depression and anxiety, but other neurodivergent challenges seem to be unknown and ignored by the com munity.

Asking for help is hard, especially within the context of grading. I have hovered for hours above an email asking for an exten sion, worried about seeming like an intel

Literature

lectual wuss. Some of my professors speak openly about their personal struggles with mental health, which helps me feel more comfortable sharing my challenges.

When professors model kindness and gentleness with themselves, it makes stu dents comfortable to arrive to class as their full selves. No frigid mental health email from a University administrator can com pete with that.

I have no idea how I will feel in an hour. It is a miracle I got this article out. When I am struggling to discern that I am coming up or falling back down in an episode, I appreciate the compassion and patience my community offers me.

Thank you for supporting me and other students with mental illnesses by reading this article.

ED Plowe is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at eplowe@cornellsun. com. With Gratitude runs every other Tuesday this semester.

has been my refuge. Books slow down my mania, and open me up from my depression.

Letter

What Ithaca Learned From the 2022 Midterm Elections

and online in races for the Governor of New York as well as for the New York State Senate. So what have we learned about all the candidates in these races?

Isaac Chasen

Cut to the Chase

Ifyou are pretty much anywhere in the United States, you will know by now that the 2022 Midterm Elections are upon us. You will have seen the yard signs, the billboards and the deluge of television advertising that has descended upon the American people. You will have heard everyone from politicians to pundits say that this is one of, if not the most important midterm elections in the history of our country.

In Ithaca, and in the Central New York region as a whole, advertising is more ubiquitous than ever. We have become accustomed to seeing massive amounts of spending in polit ical advertising ever since the Supreme Court’s decision on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010. We have seen ads for races in multiple competitive Congressional districts, with Democrat Josh Riley facing Republican Marc Molinaro in New York’s 19th District, along with Democrat Francis Conole facing Republican Brandon Williams in New York’s 22nd District. We have also seen advertising on T.V.

In sort, if these advertisements are to be believed, we have learned that all the candidates running for ofce in 2022 are extremely dangerous and have no business representing us. Tis is because the defning trait of the advertising this year is how apocalyptic and negative it has been. We are being told that if the other party gains a majority in the House or Senate this year, then the United States will cease to exist as we know it. We are presented with numerous reasons to vote against candidates from both the Democratic and Republican Party, on issues ranging from reproductive freedom to the economy. However, we are presented with startlingly few reasons to vote for any particular candidate.

So why have political ads devolved into constant attack ads? Well, beautifully-produced, slick negative ads are more eye-catching than talking about a list of policies you will pursue. After all, fear can be an extremely powerful emotion to appeal to. Tis can be dangerous, however, as when vot ers are inundated with attack ads stoking fear, we become desensitized and unable to respond to actual threats to our

in funding. However, while these groups are funded by the national Democratic and Republican parties and have more money than the candidates’ campaigns themselves, they are much less equipped to speak on local issues, and understand what matters to voters in Ithaca and Tompkins County.

country’s well-being.

But secondly, and perhaps more importantly, most of the advertising we have seen for Congress, Governor and State Senate has not been coming from the candidates themselves. Instead, they have been coming from national political action committees (PACs) with millions of dollars

So what needs to change? First, to state the obvious: we must shift our advertising focus away from constant attack ads. We need to focus on why voters should vote for a candidate, rather than why they should vote against their opponent. Candidates should provide hope that their poli cies would beneft the communities they are elected to serve, rather than fear about the opposition party.

Additionally, and more importantly, we must stop relying on national PACs to decide our elections. Te ads attacking Josh Riley and Marc Molinaro, for example, would not have been out of place in most congressional districts across the country. Yet candidates should be given adequate leeway to appeal to their communities in unique ways, rather than be beholden to the advertising strategies of their national parties. In fact, campaigns will probably be more efective if they cater their advertising directly toward community stakeholders.

Now I’m not naïve. I know campaigns rely on PACs for a large percentage of their funding, and fear is often a power ful motivator for voters. So due to the nature of our politics, it may not be likely that all of these problems get solved. But after seeing the same advertisements from the same groups for months, it’s clear that something needs to change, and it is important that we speak up and address it directly. Our local leaders and communities are counting on it.

Cornell’s Underground Jazz Culture

way. I discovered the amazing jazz culture at Cornell — one of the biggest among all the Ivy League!

Back to the party. Shortly after me and my friend (now boyfriend) arrived at the destination, made several rounds around the house and fnally overcame our intim idation and entered the house, a bunch of passionate young people appeared with their fne musical instruments. Little did I know that those instruments would later light up the whole atmosphere of the party and create one of the most unfor gettable jazz concerts/parties of my life.

You know how they say “Love was in the air?” Passion for music and love for jazz was in the air when they were improvising on the fow, somehow intu

the language of music and producing this jazz piece that is doomed to be the

edge has increased exponentially. I even jokingly say that I am the adopted child of this group, as every Saturday you can fnd me listening to their live music (and perhaps studying) at Bethe House, just as I am doing as I write this now. Since then, these people have become the most wel coming faces on campus that light up my mood whenever and wherever I identify them to wave a hi.

one in its way. When improvising, every music piece becomes a unique one-time experience.

The statement,“I am going to this ‘Jazz’ party, if you want to come” was my lucky yet very coincidental ticket into Cornell’s underground jazz culture one year ago. Te idea of a jazz party was intriguing yet very intimidat ing; it was at someone’s house whom I didn’t know at the time, with people that I hadn’t met, on a topic that I couldn’t contribute much to, other than the fact that I like jazz.

However, when you are a freshman you are eager to participate in anything and everything, if only to reduce your loneliness, fnd something to spend some time on and meet people. You know the drill. For that reason, I took a chance and went to that party. To my surprise, the party was like nothing I had ever previ ously experienced, in the best possible

itively understanding each other through

Trough this wiley bunch of college stu dents, I could hear the ruminations of the jazz greats that came before them. Shades of Herbie Hancock and Charles Mingus fowed, with intermittent excursions to Birdland as the musicians slid efortlessly down notes. I never understood why the term “chromatic scale” originates from the Greek word for “color” until I saw the fu orescent vignette they were painting right in front of my eyes.

Tat party was the frst time I got introduced to Cornell’s Jazz+ club — a club for everyone interested in playing jazz. Since then I learned that this talented group of people not only hold jazz parties but also do weekly jazz jam sessions in Hans Bethe House, participate in the Big Red Icon and perform on Slope Day.

Since then, I have participated in ample events where these talented stu dents would play their instruments. Even when they weren’t playing, I’d hear them talk about Japanese jazz, what the most important jazz instrument is, world events and more.

Since then, my knowledge on the topic that I previously had little to no knowl

Not only is the Cornell jazz culture one of the biggest among all the Ivy League institutions, but we also have the biggest academic jazz program. Tat’s right, stu dents take jazz to improve their skills, earn credits and have fun. Tey train with the best professors in the feld as well as take master classes from famous guest musi cians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton

Marsalis and Joe Henderson.

I hope this column inspired you to stop by the jazz jam sessions and listen to these up-and-coming jazz musicians. See you then!

Lili Mkrtchyan is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at lm688@ cornell.edu. Tea With Lily runs every other Monday this semester.

Lili Mkrtchyan

Tea With Lily

Isaac Chasen (he/him) is a senior in the Dyson School. He can be reached at idc28@cornell.edu. Cut to the Chase runs every other Tuesday this semester.

Not only is the Cornell jazz culture one of the biggest among all the Ivy League institutions, but we also have the biggest academic jazz program.

I never understood why the term “chromatic scale” originates from the Greek word for “color” until I saw the fluorescent vignette they were painting right in front of my eyes.

To state the obvious: we must shift our advertising focus away from constant attack ads.

More importantly, we must stop relying on national PACs to decide our elections.

That party was the first time I got introduced to Cornell’s Jazz+ club.

1 P ERSONALS 1 P ERSONALS 1 P ERSONALS 1 P ERSONALS

A

Now presenting the Absolutely AmAzing, Awesome, AlwAys Aligned, Adventurous, AAAAAAAAA screAming, Attentive, Athletic, Amusing, Astounding, Aweinspiring, All-stAr rAnk in the Ivy LeAgue… Rank A!!

Maalini “the grAss is greener on the green er side” Krishna

Laura “oh how the turns hAve tAbled” Lin

Elliot “I’M A SAILOR PEG” McGinnity Schneider

Sunaya “AmAzing pinwheel center” Reddy Megan “sAxes Are greAt!” Chang

Jenna “whAt if i’m stinky on the inside” Mertz Lin “cAt!” Jin

Michelle “dAncey dAnce” Yang

Caleb “instrumentAl polyglot” Schmitt

U

Now presenting the thrice-married, thrice-divorced, made-out-well-in-thedivorce-and-now-extremely-wealthy, Uool, Uaptivating, Uhaotic, Ureative, UoUrageous, Urisp, Uharming, Uhatty, Uheerful, Ulassy, Uommitted, Ulever, UUte, Uhampions in the Ivy LeagUe... Rank U!

Megan “casually half of bandstaph” Chang Catherine “knows exactly how to channel divorced bird vibes” Frank Niccolaas “man versus bee is actually really inspiring” Justice Katherine “has all the lyrics to Hamilton memorized” Manning Hales “no really, I’m a freshman” Rugh Steven “sleep is for the weak” Urdaneta

B

And now, presenting the BEST, Baddest, Boldest, Brainiest, most Beautiful, Bodacious, Bandtastic, and unBelievable rank in the Ivy League… Rank B(ee)!

Maddie “doesn’t care but does babe” Perry Erin “singing bad for band babe” Baum Lauren “Only had to move for a gate turn once babe” Jang

Isabella “rehearsal screwing up my bedtime babe” Zahl

Jorge “Playing while dancing >> just dancing babe” Mariño Emily “Scavenger hunt enthusiast babe” Fan Amanda “Sunscreen is mandatory babe” Xu

D

Now presenting the most show-stopping, show-stealing, dazzling, delightful, dynamic, dependably dancing rank in the Ivy League, Rank D: Kiarra “the real rank leader here” Coger

Emily “cool as concrete” Kerstetter Izzy “big red bandit” Cowan Yunnie “dressed to impress (and to the 50)” Kim

Ari “turf as hair chalk” Schor

Sabrina “actually knows how to march” Sheridan

Sylvia “instant pro” Han Megan “rank D is just a side chick” Chang Amaya “Mr. Worldwide” Aranda

Z Znow zintroducting, ze zupreme, zestiest, zaniest, zauciest, zlittest, zbestiest, genz-est, zuko-est, zippiest zrank zin ze Zivy

Zleague… Rank Z!

Alia “Fortnite” Navqi Amy “slaying in Lynah” Chen Ava “mech-e girlboss” Ianuale Emily “manifesting Taylor tickets” Jones Jonathan “Morrison dining enthusiast” Chen

Kate “gotta catch em all (the bugs)” Burger Minnie “cabbage man” Nguyen Trung-Nghia “rubber cup” Le

J Jnow Jintroducing, je Juiciest, Jazziest, Jarrrriest, Jollyest, Jellyest, Jaunty, Japanesest, Jumboest, Jurassic,Junglyest, Jugglyest, .... Rank J!!!!!

Tyler “Comes in hot like Superman” Harker Caleb “Multi talented woodwind beast” Schmitt Justin “I’m concerned, but I’m not in charge” Han

Jith Jlove, your rank leaders, Al “Loves Canola Oil :)” Palanuwech Eli “Who let the dogs out” O’Connor Lucas “omg the blond manbun” Tapia

L

…and now, presenting the most Lovely, Legendary, Lollygagging, Laid-back, Loopiest, Ludicrous (maybe even Ludacris), Sappho-of-Lesbos-worshipping, Lizarding Ladies of rank L!

Lillie “best pet mom to our rank mascot, otto” Steen

Liz “friendship bracelet baddie” Brantley Retna “resident culinary queen” Arun Anna “saver of moths” Vozzelli Nila “rank L: It’s what makes a Subaru a Subaru” Narayan

aaaaaand guest starring for show 3, Justin “the best man rank L will ever have!!” Han

And, as tribute to our rank J homies that we merged with for shows 3 and 4, here’s to Al “slayyyyyyy all day” Palanuwech Lucas “best point during drag me down fo sho” Tapia

Tyler “speediest drill writer in the world” Harker

N

It’s a bird!?!? It’s a plane!!!

NNNEEEOOWWWW

Iceman “ok wait, wait, what if we…” Ahmad Duck “…no” Haig Chuckles “Horses in the Back” Alexiadis Mugs “Not me, Not Hermione, You!!” Canova Oliver “10:23” Matte Ben “Sexy Chewbacca” McNulty Sugar “Disrespecting the Fifty” Nazario Sofia “Demon from Kansas” Thomas

O

And now, presenting the Omazing, Owonderful, and Oreoest rank, rank O!!

Lukas “wait when” Vera Cheddar “donate to my project team” Wolf Mew “touch grass” Skeete Claudia “hockey hockey hockey” Slivovsky Maha “cayuga socks” Mohamed Bernadette “against humanity” Batuncang Kelly “toga baby” Leiby Hex “I’m dead” Constant Niamh “crocs” Gunning Leah “harry potter” Goddard Beats “see you at okies” Sussman

P

Now Presenting… the most Precise, Powerful, Preeminent, and Pulchritudinous PRank in the Ivy League, RANK P!

Gizmo ”Plus 10 rank points!” Esponda Dubs “Minus 23 rank points!” Kaprielian Goob “Emergency powers” Sugarmann Chestnut “Head major” Stoner Pauws “MORE VISUALS!” Ellison

Limbo “Unorthodox frisbee whiz” Chargois Toast “Keep the men hungry” Holst Fancy “Gate turn gaming” Lau James “I am all the bandstaph” Press

H*

Now presenting the most H*, H*, WAHHH* rank in the Ivy League, Rank H*

Caroline “retiree” Herzog Derek “3D conductor” Thompson Jen “long island gyal” Joaqui-Almendarez Michael “I see, they see, IC” Mezzo Nathaniel “potoo, potoo, loris!” Kisslinger Owen “he was number one” Wetherbee Ryan “Can we fix it? Yes we can!” Pinard Chris “Oxford scholar” Desir Isaac “actual published poet” Salazar

W, V Guard Personals

Skyler “what yard line do we start on again?” Krouse

Helen “prelim season never ends” Ma Cyrus “first my eye then my knee” West Ola “so true bestie” Taha

Crystal “love hate relationship with Catnapple” Grissom

Elliot “RIP my shoulder” Overholt Abi “rifle goddess” Hsu Ariel “whole show one day” Kang

Drumline

To our many adoring fans, you’ll be happy to know that the drumline has been killing it this year! Everyone pitched in to make this year something truly special. None of it would have been possible without the hard work and fearless leadership of our subsection leaders, as well as hard work of many others! Together we did a whole heck of a lot! We took the opportunity to go bowling, apple picking, pumpkin picking, paintballing, and of course watched many movies and shows! Each of the new mem bers are wonderful and it was a joy bring ing them into the fold of the section this semester! Now, on the field, we brought the hype with some fun parts, sick visuals, and a kick-butt drum break! Those weren’t the only fun things we added as we also brought in some new cheers! (You know it’s a hype cheer when the saxes want in on it too!) Fall came and went too quickly, but that’s part of what makes it so special. Once again, we’ve been killing it this year, and we’re excited to see where the future takes us.

Until next time, Respectfully, the drumline.

And now presenting the only REAL drum line in the Ivy League!

Snares Sam Schirmacher*^ Ana Suppe* Kieran Galloway!* Jiho Cha Dennis Chen!

Tenors Oliver Matte*^ Noah Sergio* Patrick Thieblemont Lucy Cheely!

E

And now presenting the most Electric, Ebullient, Effervescent, Enduringly Epic, Elliterate and confusEd rank in the Ivy League, Rank E!

Carol “slayE” Montejo

Abbie “only onE rEEd?” Harrison

Bella “our SwiftiE HEad ManagEr” Burgess

Caidan “bari sax or clarinEt” Pilarski

Claire “am I in thE right placE?“ Cho

Dora “two pErson rank“ Donacik

Elliot “drop spin thE nEt“ Overholt

Majd “whErE arE wE” Aldaye

Krystal “quiEtly EmErgEs“ Yan Beyan “hE’s adoptEd“ Kesselly

Skylar “bachata quEEn“ Bush

Ethan “squinglish muffins” Meleen

F

Now presenting the most Fierce, Fantastic, Fabulous, Fiery, Fearless, Ferocious, Fiercalicious, Fashionable, Flawless, and Flovely rank….Rank F!!!

Emily “environment-saving girlboss” Mawhinney

Hong Zhang “our Favorite Field manager <3” Kow

Jess “ poke bowl dealer and winds baddie” Sakamoto

Kareena “hips don’t lie” Dash

Katelyn “the statistics prove rank F is da best” Tai

Linsey “section dance mom” Chen

Matthew “takis aren’t spicy” Kushner

Siddhi “new cat mama!” Balamurali

Talia “you should check out Andrew’s soundcloud” Rubeo

Trinity “putting E.motion in her inFrastructure designs” Wu

DM

Hey Band! And now introducing your 2023 Drum Major… Nina “Pauws” Ellison!

Stay true to yourself, protect the legacy, and always remember to keep your eyes filled with pride.

Love, Kozma, Matte, Romero, Kozma, Curtis, Crosby, Preciado, Olson, Albanese, Reno, Richmond, Gerson, Seery, Caulfield, Tucker, Kerman, Ball, James, John, Wolf, Minster, Gerbracht, Frank, Cohen, French, Meier, Chamberlin, Gordon, Murray, Kohen, Dolan, Baxter, Mandarano, Kelin, Vicks, Fish, Metsa, Vicks, Bonnano, and Sherman

Bella,

I am tremendously thankful that I had the opportunity to lead the band alongside you this year. I could not have asked for a better Head Manager to help me tackle the hardships sent our way, but also celebrate the victories with. Your poise in tough situa tions is extremely admirable and has helped me and the band deal with these situations while keep moving forward. I would not have been able to lead the band without you by my side (or at least stay on top of the ladder without you). This season has proven to me that you are more than just my Head Manager, you are one of my best friends at Cornell. You have made my last season in the BRMB so special and for that, I cannot thank you enough. Enjoy the rest of the Victory Lap!

Love, Zack

& Now presenting the ampiest & fierciest & lampiest & saxiest rank of the Ivy League, rank &&&!!

Vanessa “Matt’s Spanish Teacher” Arriaza Simon “da Jankees lose” Kapen

Antonia “‘Marie Antoinette’ -Santiago” Pellegrini

Daniel “Pandemic Skip” Hur Joshua “The Real-er Rank Leader” Williams

Lalo “Adolphe Sax Reincarnate” Esparza

Lillie “Favorite radio host ” Steen

Ryan “Concrete man” Schanta Santiago “Automatic Farmer” Blaumann

Eli “letting the dawgs out” O’Connor M

Mnow

Tails “Mip Mip” Addo Seven “Mooray” Thomas Scotch “dubs slayer” Rho

Dutch “Cheeky method extraordinaire” Renenger

Claire “Cowboy boot back march” Wilson

Apples “Tap that (tree)” Chuhta Sunaya “I like trumpets more than flutes” Reddy

Sven “Yay another visual” Van Hoesel

R

We rank the most out of all the other ranks. Presenting The Rankiest Rank in the Ivy League!

Yawen “yrsk” Ding Alfonso “Slay” “Epic” “Fred” Mora Lizzie “Bug Freezdger” Viebranz Imani “ma” Thompson (“ma”) Zoe “EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT” Reay-Ellers Cameron “It’s a great day to be a Bomber!” Thornton Pilar “where did she go” Seielstad John “Hey guys” Coffey Mahalia “what’s going on?” Donaldson Kai “safety tents” Nielson

S

And now introducing … the Silliest, Smartest, Sassiest, Sweetest, most Satisfactory, Super Successful (?) and occa sionally Solo rank in the Ivy League …... Rank S!

Marc “SJuice” Scocca Sami “Soulful” Wolf Sarah “Subtle Star” Kolodny Willem “SFlanked” Light-Olson Willow “SBoofus” Martin Corey “Sorry^2” Neil Max “HaS a heart/Soul?” Mu

K

Needing little introduktion, the most eklektik rank in the Ivy League!

J “bus guitar hero” Nation

Slice “an apple a month” Scialabba Nikolett “power pony” Blackham

Andre “perfect attendance” Oganesian En “poké purchaser” Lo Effie “coocoo for coconuts” Albaña Josh “chick fil a menace” Faber

Bass Seth Norman^ Payton Spandow Abbey Downes* Andre Alvarez* Kasey Gray! Jonathan Lee! Anand Bannerji!

Cymbals

Angelleigh DeTroy^ Liza Wadell^ Jess Sakamoto Al Palanuwech* Ruth Rajcoomar Griffin Blotner Jake Walter! Eduardo Novoa! Jesse Lin!

Bells Nick Vanden Berk*^ Jenna Mertz* Peter Bell^ Claudia Slivovsky Sarah Stevenson-Peck! Ludia Cho!

*=Senior ^=SubSection Leader !=New Member

HM

Hey Band!

T?

Alex “Lights, Camera, Action!” Coy Bowen “Return of the Jedi” Jiang Carter “The Pagemaster” Larsen

Jonathan “National Treasure” Miller

J “Pitch Perfect” Nation Davis “Legally Blonde” Postell Micah “Spider-Man: Far from Home” Toliver

AJ “The Prodigy” Villaruel

I am so proud of the Big Red Marching Band and all that we’ve accomplished this year! To all of our members new, and old, it has been an honor to be your Head Manager this year. Watching you all play and seeing the energy, humor, and friendship you bring to every rehearsal and performance has brought me so much joy. Although my time as HM is coming to a close, I will always be in your corner Bandstaph, thank you so much for all of your hard work this year and your com mitment to making the BRMB a fun and welcoming space for all of our new and returning members. To Zack, thank you for being my teammate, for supporting me throughout every triumph and obstacle we’ve faced, and for the positive energy you always bring. It has been a pleasure to lead the band with you this year. Thank you, Band!

Much Love, Bella Burgess

YELLOW FLASH

Fill in the empty cells, one number in each, so that each column, row, and region contains the num bers 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 wiki pedia.org/wiki/ Sudoku)

I am going to be small

26 A PA R TMENT FOR R ENT

by Ali Solomon ’01

Mr. Gnu

by Travis Dandro

Mr. Gnu by Travis Dandro

SC I ENCE

Insectapalooza Returns to Campus After Two-Year Hiatus

By ANNA LABINER Sun Contributor

On Oct. 22, the Cornell Department of Entomology hosted Insectapalooza in Stocking Hall after postpon ing the event due to COVID restrictions.

“It’s Good to Bee Back” was the apt theme for this year’s annual one-day insect festival, which returned this October after a two-year hiatus. The event was well-attended by both Ithaca locals and Cornell stu dents and faculty and featured interactive booths and work shops aimed towards sharing the entomological sciences with the community.

Insectapalooza’s objective has always centered on scientific communication. In 2005, Prof. Linda Rayor, entomology, was asked to create an event for the department that would serve as a chance to interact with the public and share entomological knowledge.

“That first year I thought we were going to be lucky if we had 300 people show up. We had over 1,500,” Rayor said.

Since its initial success, Insectapalooza has continued to grow and has become such a largely attended event, it was moved from Comstock to Stocking Hall in 2019. This

year was no different, and the much-anticipated return of Insectapalooza brought in bug enthusiasts of all ages.

“I think I learned more about insects from the younger kids than I taught them myself,” said Insectapalooza volunteer Luke Martini ’25 “It was really cool to see a young population really interested in insects and bugs.”

The event featured hundreds of live arthropod specimens, including a comet moth, walk ing sticks, beetles and spiders, as well as insects from the Cornell Entomology Collection.

Besides the more interactive exhibits, such as the butter fly room and arthropod zoo, the event also featured infor mative booths that detailed tick safety, plant-insect interac tions, drosophila diversity, mos quito morphology and other insect-related research lined the perimeter of the building.

30-minute workshops led by students and faculty were a new addition to Insectapalooza this year, and included topics like macrophotography, Beekeeping, the Spotted Lanternfly and Careers in Entomology.

“We tried workshops because I think there’s a place for lon ger interactions over certain issues,” Rayor said. “[One] of the goals I [had] was to really

up the diversity of what we’re doing,” Rayor said.

Besides infotainment value, Rayor sees Insectapalooza as a method of recruitment and out reach to young people interest ed in entomology. The addition of a Careers in Entomology workshop, led by Cole Gilbert, director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Entomology, served to show budding entomologists the diverse career paths available

within the field.

“It gives us a chance to be personal with the public and future entomologists in a way that I just don’t think you can beat,” Rayor said.

The 17th annual Insectapalooza was embraced warmly by both the department and attendees after its twoyear postponement. Rayor and other involved members of the department hope to continue this annual tradition and stay

connected to local bug-lovers.

“Part of being a scientist is giving back and sharing the science,” Rayor said. “I see Insectapalooza as important to the public, important to kids , people who are trying to find their way as future entomolo gists, and for [students]... inter acting with the public about science,” Rayor said.

CU Researcher Builds Bioacoustics Machine Learning Toolkit

By ADITYA SYAM Sun Staff Writer

A recent breakthrough has been made in bio-acoustic deep learning techniques — a method for automated detection of animal sounds — at Cornell’s K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics. Dr. Shyam Madhusudhana, a postdoctoral researcher in the Lab of Ornithology, built a toolkit enabling bio-acousticians to create complex audio recognition models with just a few lines of code.

The toolkit, Koogu, was used in a recent study that bested marine analysts in the detection of blue whale D-calls.

Blue whale D-calls are calls of varying frequency that are produced by male and female whales, unlike the well-known

whale song which is produced only by males. While whale songs are often pre dictable and easily recognizable, D-calls are erratic and produced less repetitively.

However, while blue whale D-calls are more difficult to identify, monitoring their presence allows for a much better understanding of their migration patterns and acoustic behaviors.

Acoustic monitoring has long been pursued as a viable method of recording rare species which lack sufficient visual data. In recent years, machine learning algorithms have demonstrated promising results in analyzing acoustic monitoring data. In the marine biome, where visual surveys are hardly feasible, this method becomes all the more relevant. This is where Koogu comes in.

“As long as someone has their own

annotated data set [of acoustic monitor ing], they could take Koogu and build a model of their own,” Madhusudhana said.

This methodology was adopted by a team of researchers at the Australian Antarctic Division, led by Brian Miller. The researchers used Koogu to build an automated detection model for their study of blue whale calls. Their study, which was co-authored by Madhusudhana, is titled “Deep learning algorithm outper forms experienced human observer at detection of blue whale calls: a dou ble-observer analysis”.

It found that human experts detected 70 percent of the D-calls whereas the model detected 90 percent of the whale calls accurately. The model’s rate of detec tion was also considerably faster than the marine analysts, lacking the fatigue factor associated with human analysis.

The study is only the first instance where Koogu has been used effectively. However, according to Madhusudhana, Koogu is far from limited to only detect ing marine auditory data. “Koogu isn’t a toolkit just for whale calls – [it is] just a convenient way to build machine learn ing solutions – anything from whales to birds as well as insects,” Madhusudhana said.

Koogu has the potential to be an impactful tool in the bioacoustics field. While there has been significant devel opment in the machine learning domain, most of the development in the acous tics domain relates to human speech. Madhusudhana said Koogu bridges the gap between the two.

Koogu transforms acoustic data into a form that visual classification machine learning models can use. Madhusudhana ensured that most of the model was

left configurable. Any bio-acoustic expert could vary the parameters and then mod ify how the audio is transformed to imag es. Following this, the images are classi fied using an image classification model.

“If you try to develop a neural net work-based solution for bioacoustics, there are probably a few hundred lines of code needed. What I’ve done is [enabled you to] call three or four functions and you’re done,” Madhusudhana said.

The goal was for bio-acousticians and other researchers to be able to use their own data and domain knowledge and combine it with Koogu’s functionality to efficiently analyze sounds. Koogu’s unique relevance lies in its audio-to-im age conversion process.

As Madhusudhana explains, every sound is turned into a colored map to easily distinguish one audio signal from the other. When compressing this into an image for image classification, there is significant data loss that occurs. Koogu avoids this data loss, greatly increasing accuracy.

This advantage is especially apparent in audio recordings with low or moder ate intensity. Such recordings make blue whale calls harder to detect – especially in the case of human experts. The opensource toolkit for universal audio recogni tion has significantly streamlined the pro cess of automated acoustic recognition.

But whale acoustic monitoring is just one part of the equation, according to Madhusudhana. “Our goal is to conserve biodiversity across species – that was Koogu’s goal – [to] have something very generic that everyone across the world can use.”

JASON BEN NATHAN / SUN FILE PHOTO

Blue whales | A recent study involving the detection of blue whale calls demonstrates the groundbreaking potential of Koogu — a machine learning bioacoustics toolkit.

Aditya Syam can reached at asyam@cornellsun.com.

Anna Labiner can reached at abl93@cornell.edu.

Successful return | The annual entomology festival “Insectapalooza” made a return to the University on October 22 during Cornell Family Weekend after a two year COVID hiatus.

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