INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 140, No. 22
8 Pages — Free
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2023 n ITHACA, NEW YORK
CORNELL STUDENT ARRAIGNED Dai to Remain in Custody Who is Patrick Dai '24? Pending Trial for Threats By JULIA SENZON and MARIAN CABALLO Sun News Editor and Sun Assistant News Editor
By SOFIA RUBINSON, GABRIEL MUÑOZ and ERIC REILLY Sun Managing Editor and Sun News Editors
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Cornell student Patrick Dai ’24 waived his right to an immediate detention hearing before Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks in the Northern District of New York at his arraignment hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 1. He is federally charged with posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications in connection with the series of threats against Jewish students that was posted online on Saturday, Oct. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 29. If convicted, Dai will face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of up to three years. Dai, who is from Pittsford, New York — which is outside Rochester — is a student in the class of 2024 and is a computer science
major in the College of Engineering. After his arrest, Dai was detained at the Broome County jail overnight awaiting the hearing. Dai will continue to be held in Broome County. Dai is currently represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Gabrielle DiBella. On Wednesday, the courtroom in the Northern District of New York was packed with reporters and Dai’s mother and family friend, who appeared calm in court. Dai kept his head down for the majority of the hearing. Dai’s arraignment comes four days after a multitude of posts to Greekrank — an online forum dedicated to discussing Greek life — that threatened harm against Jewish students and a mass shooting at the kosher dining hall and Center for Jewish Living, 104 West. See ARRAIGNMENT page 4
ESTEE YI / SUN SENIOR EDITOR
Detained | Patrick Dai '24 appeared in front of a judge on Wednesday, Nov. 1 in the Northern District of New York to hear his charges for allegedly posting antisemitic threats online.
Patrick Dai ’24 was charged on Tuesday, Oct. 31 for allegedly posting antisemitic threats on Saturday Oct. 28 and Sunday Oct. 29, with one post threatening a mass shooting at 104 West — the address of the University’s kosher dining hall and the Center for Jewish Living. At his arraignment hearing on Nov. 1, Dai waived his right to an immediate detention hearing before Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks in the Northern District of New York. Dai will next appear in court on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. for a preliminary hearing, where he will be evaluated in probable cause related to the charges. Dai, who was immediately suspended from Cornell upon his arrest, was a computer science major in the College of Engineering. He is originally from Pittsford, New York, a predominantly white, affluent suburb just outside Rochester, where he graduated from Pittsford Mendon High School in 2020. Another student at Cornell in the class of 2026 who previously attended MHS but did not know Dai personally said that MHS typically sends a few students to Cornell each year, including other students from Dai’s graduating class. Before coming to Cornell, Dai selected his senior yearbook quote from the character Patrick Star in Spongebob Squarepants, writing, "Knowledge can never replace friendship." Dai participated in numerous clubs including Model United Nations and was a high-achieving 12-time AP student and Rochester General Hospital volunteer, according to his now-deleted LinkedIn profile. The Pittsford Central School District
COURTESY OF THE BROOME COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
Patrick Dai | Considered a typical student by his peers, Dai was detained and photographed above on Oct. 31.
and Pittsford Town Supervisor declined to comment on the situation. Pittsford’s population is 85 percent white with an $124,780 per year median household income — compared to an $74,580 median income nationwide and an $40,083 median in Rochester, which is 45.1 percent white. The town and its high schools have grappled with several racist incidents in recent years, including a swastika and the n-word written on a table at MHS in 2019. Within Pittsford, students have walked out of classes, attempted to sue the school district and left the district entirely due to frustrations with racist incidents and inadequate prevention and response policies.
See DAI page 3
Cornell Cancels Classes Friday Due to "Extraordinary Stress" By MARIAN CABALLO and JULIA SENZON Sun Assistant News Editor and News Editor
Classes will be canceled this Friday, Nov. 3, which will serve as a “community day” for students amid recent news of an unfounded weapon sighting on campus, antisemitic threats and increased tensions on campus, following the start of the IsraelHamas war on Oct. 7. University faculty and staff — except for employees who provide essential services — will also be excused
from work. In an email to the Ithaca and Geneva campus community members, Michael Kotlikoff, provost, vice president for student and campus life, and Christine Lovely, vice president and chief human resources officer, acknowledged the “extraordinary stress” of the past few weeks. “No classes will be held, and faculty and staff will be excused from work, except for employees who provide essential services,” the email said. “We hope that
everyone will use this restorative time to take care of yourselves and reflect on how we can nurture the kind of caring, mutually supportive community that we all value.” In the past few days, some professors have already offered Zoom class options and written messages expressing support for students who may be struggling, according to numerous emails obtained by The Sun. Activities and events previously scheduled for Friday may continue to proceed if preferred.
The email acknowledged that some activities — including athletic, non-credit bearing academic activities and other special events — may be significant for participants and hard to reschedule. Students can check with event organizers and department heads with questions, according to the email. Updates about facilities and services in operation on Friday can be accessed through Campus Emergency Updates. On Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 11:12 a.m., Cornell Police pub-
lished a crime alert reporting the sighting of an individual displaying a pistol at the 600 block of University Avenue — which is close to a few fraternity houses, the Redbud Cooperative house, the Cornell Veterans House and the Roitman Chabad Center — at 9:44 a.m. The Sun verified that there was no known direct threat to the center or the surrounding buildings, but the CUPD is still investigating the incident in the area. See COMMUNITY page 3
News
Dining
Science
Weather
City Attorney Resigns
Jewish Cuisine
Found Again!
Partly Cloudy
During the Common Council meeting on Nov. 1, City Attorney Aaron Lavine announced his resignation. | Page 3
In light of recent attacks, The Sun's dining department highlights Jewish culinary heritage. | Page 5
Researchers find lost bird species, in Papua New Guinea and discuss media coverage of the 'discovery.' | Page 8
HIGH: 44º LOW: 26º
News
2 The Cornell Daily Sun | Thursday, November 2, 2023
CUPD Reports Armed Individual Near Campus By GABRIEL MUÑOZ and ERIC REILLY Sun News Editors
Cornell Police published a crime alert on Nov. 1 at 11:12 a.m. reporting the sighting of an individual displaying a pistol near campus at 9:44 a.m. The incident occurred in the 500 to 600 block of University Avenue near a couple of fraternity houses, the Redbud Cooperative house, the Cornell Veterans House and the Roitman Chabad Center. The Sun verified that there was no known direct threat to the center or
the surrounding buildings. The suspect was described as a college-aged, Asian male wearing all black clothing, including a hoodie. He was reported to be holding a semi-automatic style handgun, according to an Ithaca Police Department press release. The suspect reportedly left in an unknown direction. CUPD and IPD are still investigating the incident in the area, and Tompkins County Sheriff Deputies and the New York State Police also assisted in the investigation. “Cornell and Ithaca City Police arrived on the scene and actively
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searched for the suspect. The search has been completed and the report is unfounded at this time,” the report said. “Police are still investigating and remain in the area. … Do not approach.” The CUPD report encouraged community members to report suspicious activity to Public Safety Communications at 607-255-111 or 911. IPD has asked members of the public who were in the area at the time of the report to contact the Ithaca Police. Gabriel Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@cornellsun.com. Eric Reilly can be reached at ereilly@cornellsun.com
JULIA NAGEL / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Armed suspect | Cornell and local police are investigating the sighting of an individual carrying a handgun near campus on the morning of Nov. 1.
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The Cornell Daily Sun | Thursday, November 2, 2023 3
News
Dai Known as Reserved, Quiet By Cornell Peers DAI
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JULIA NAGEL / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Lavine resigns | City Attorney Aaron Lavine ’01 announced at the Nov. 1 Common Council meeting that he would be stepping down from his role after 12 years in the position.
Ithaca City Attorney Resigns After 12 Years
By SAMANTHA JOHNSTONE Sun Staff Writer
At the Ithaca Common Council meeting on Nov. 1, in which city attorney Aaron Lavine resigned and lengthy disputes over the release of funds from the 2023 Restricted Contingency Account were held. City attorney Aaron (Ari) Lavine ‘01, J.D. ‘04, announced he would be stepping down from his role after nearly 12 years in the position. Born and raised in Ithaca, Lavine attended Cornell for his undergraduate and law degree. When former mayor Svante Myrick ’09 was still a mayoral candidate, he asked Lavine over lunch to consider joining him as city attorney in the new administration. “I agreed because I saw in Svante a partner in good governance infused with responsive innovation. At that lunch, I told him I would do it and that we would re-evaluate in two years. That was my way of saying I didn’t think I’d stay a full floor. And here we are, 12 years later, making me the longest-serving city attorney in history,” Lavine said. Lavine reviewed through some of his most notable achievements, including his roles as chair of the Sidewalk Improvement District Task Force and chair of the city Stormwater Task Force, as well as the statewide precedent set in the 201 Collegetown Litigation, which established that limits on public use of public streets are a matter of public discretion. “It was a privilege to serve this great city across that first decade in office, and a duty to see it through these past two years,” Lavine said. “I am announcing my departure from city governance with deep gratitude for the opportunity to accomplish all that we did with fervent hope for the future of this exceptional city that we all love.” Mayor Laura Lewis then opened the floor for Common Council members to share messages of gratitude to Lavine, which all 10 chose to do. “Public service is about much more than personal reputation, in fact, the two can easily run counter to each other. Ari has never sought the spotlight, but his record of public accomplishment is real and impacts the way our city lives every day,” said Alderperson Donna Fleming (D-3rd Ward). “As a city resident, I am grateful for his 12 years of service and as an alderperson I appreciated his expertise, of course, but also his patience, persistence and clear headedness.” Before moving on to further agenda items, Mayor Lewis took the time to address the acts of violence and hate that rattled the Cornell and surrounding Ithaca community earlier in the week. On Monday, Lewis published a public statement denouncing the threats and reirating that “attacks on people, businesses or any institution within our city will not be tolerated.” The meeting then took a moment of silence for peace across the world, before
moving on. Common Council also discussed Item 4.3, Release of Contingency Funds for Black Hands Universal, and Item 4.4, Release of Contingency Funds for Unbroken Promises Initiative, both of which sparked some controversy during the meeting. Both resolutions were presented by Robert Cantelmo (D-5th Ward) and would release $50,000 for Black Hands Universal, Inc. and $50,000 for the Unbroken Promise Initiative from the 2023 Restricted Contingency Account, which means the money is only released if the Common Council specifically votes to do so. Black Hands Universal is an independent, grassroots nonprofit organization focused on helping disadvantaged community members get jobs and appropriate training, mental health resources, financial coaching, cultural or educational resources and more. Harry Smith, who represented Black Hands Universal at the meeting, came under scrutiny recently after posting on his personal TikTok account about recreationally using marijuana at 706 West Green Street, an address previously associated with Black Hands Universal. Alderperson Cynthia Brock (D-1st Ward) opposed passing the resolution to grant funding to the organization due to Smith’s behavior. “Even if only for a matter of weeks, it demonstrates a failure to act [with the] trust and faith of the public places in city funded organizations and services,” Brock said. “I cannot in good conscience vote in support.” Smith explained that Black Hands Universal is no longer affiliated with 706 West Green Street, and he expressed frustrations that the city is reluctant to work with the organization and support their initiatives. “You wouldn’t have to give me the $50,000 if you guys would just work with our program and allow us to do some of the work in the city. But we’re invisible until something bad happens. We’re always invisible until something negative happens,” Smith said. The resolution ended up passing 7-2, opposed by Brock and George McGonigal (D-1st Ward). Unbroken Promise Initiative is a grassroots nonprofit serving over 320 low to moderate income residents in Ithaca’s West End community, helping to increase their access, education and equity. Director Jordan Clemons represented UPI at this meeting, and McGonigal expressed frustrations with lack of communication and follow-through in preparation for today’s hearing. Despite this frustration, the resolution to provide UPI funding passed 9-1, opposed by Alderperson McGonigal. Samantha Johnstone can be reached at sjohnstone@cornellsun.com.
Dai’s only Instagram post — a gray square supporting the Black Lives Matter #BlackOutTuesday social media trend — has drawn criticism on social media, especially from conservatives such as Chaya Raichik, creator of the far-right platform Libs of TikTok. Due to mental health challenges, Dai took two semesters off from the University in Spring 2022 and Spring 2023 — which a doctor recommended — according to text messages from Dai’s father to the New York Post. Dai’s father attested that his son was not guilty. “My son is in severe depression. He cannot control his emotion[s] well due to the depression,” Dai’s father told the New York Post. “No, I don’t think he committed the crime.” Dai’s mother, alongside a family friend, attended today’s court appearance but did not respond to requests for comment. Dai admitted that he posted the threatening messages in an interview with the FBI on Oct. 31, according to a federal complaint. The federal complaint states that Dai suffers from “severe depression,” which concerned his mother, who drove to Ithaca and contacted Cornell police Tuesday after receiving a text message indicating suicidal intentions from Dai. Dai’s father did not respond to a request for comment by The Sun. Dai states on his LinkedIn profile that he was heavily involved on campus, participating in Cornell Tech Consulting, CU GeoData and Cornell Mars Rover during his first years at Cornell. Dai also served as a consultant for CS 1112: Introduction to Computing: An Engineering and Science Perspective for multiple semesters and took on various leadership positions with the Science
Olympiad at Cornell, including safety officer. Dai served as a winter orientation leader in January and February of 2021 and subsequently became an orientation supervisor from March 2021 to February 2022, according to his LinkedIn. Dai wrote in his old Science Olympiad at Cornell biography that when not participating in extracurricular activities, he enjoyed playing tennis and video games. The Sun reached out to 29 professors that teach classes Dai took or potentially took, six former and current Cornell students who attended MHS and 64 current and former Cornell students with overlapping extracurricular activities and work experiences as Dai with corresponding years of commitment. Of the seven students who participated in overlapping extracurriculars or jobs who responded, the majority did not remember interacting with Dai or any notable or questionable behavior. Some students told The Sun that they did not even remember Dai participating in their same activities. One student from a listed project team, however, noted that Dai was reserved and quiet in social settings. “To hear that one of our students is alleged to have betrayed our values and violated our community standards is shocking and profoundly disappointing,” wrote Kavita Bala, dean of Cornell Bowers CIS, and Lynden Archer, Joseph Silbert dean of engineering, in an email statement to the Cornell Bowers CIS and Cornell Engineering communities — in which Dai was involved. “The current circumstances, while heartbreaking, do not diminish our commitment to coming together to shape a better future.”
Julia Senzon can be reached at jsenzon@ cornellsun.com. Marian Caballo can be reached at mcaballo@cornellsun.com.
University Cancels Classes COMMUNITY
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According to the press release, the subject has not been located or identified. The release encouraged members of the public to contact Ithaca Police if they witnessed the subject in question. On Saturday, Oct. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 29, antisemitic threats were posted on Greekrank — a sorority and fraternity message forum — with one message threatening a shooting at 104 West, where the University’s Kosher Dining Hall and Center for Jewish Living are located. Patrick Dai ’24 was charged in connection to the messages on Tuesday, Oct. 31 and arraigned on Wednesday, Nov. 1 on federal charges for posting threats to kill or injure using interstate communications. Earlier today, President Martha Pollack released an email statement to the Cornell community addressing recent events, including Dai posting antisemitic threats. “While we take some mea-
sure of relief in knowing that the alleged author of the vile antisemitic posts that threatened our Jewish community is in custody, it was disturbing to learn that he was a Cornell student,” Pollack wrote. The email also doubled down against antisemitism and announced numerous initiatives addressing doxxing and “all forms of hatred on our campus.” Pollack said that plans to combat antisemitism include increasing the focus on antisemitism in diversity and equity programming, bringing speakers to campus with expertise in antisemitism and Jewish history and establishing anti-doxing policies and support services. The University will also develop a small group of trustees dedicated to addressing these problems through a governance perspective and a group of external advisors to recommend additional antisemitism and anti-hatred measures. “Let me say again clearly. We will not tolerate antisemitism at Cornell; indeed we
will not tolerate hatred of any form, including racism or Islamophobia. What does this mean? It means, first and foremost, that when there are threats or incitement to violence, we will respond rapidly and forcefully, as we did in this case,” Pollack wrote in the statement. Pollack also stressed the importance of community strength. “I want to conclude by reminding everyone that we have more than 27,000 students, 4,000 faculty and 13,000 staff across our campuses. We cannot let ourselves be defined by the acts of one person, or even ten,” Pollack wrote. “While we denounce hatred loudly, we must also remember to cherish and celebrate all the good that so many members of our Cornell community do and live every day.” Marian Caballo can be reached at mcaballo@cornellsun.com. Julia Senzon can be reached at jsenzon@ cornellsun.com.
4 The Cornell Daily Sun | Thursday, November 2, 2023
News
Power Outage Strikes Goldin ’67 Discusses Career North, Central Campus By GABRIEL LEVIN Sun Opinion Columnist
Outage remains unresolved for nearly three hours By XINYU JOANNE HU Sun Assistant News Editor
North Campus and part of Central Campus lost power starting at approximately 2:57 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1. Power was restored to North Campus at 6:40 p.m. Buildings identified to have been impacted include dorm and service buildings on North Campus, such as High Rise 5 and Robert Purcell Community Center, and Central Campus halls, such as Goldwin Smith Hall and Corson Hall, according to Information Technology at Cornell’s website. Campus Wi-Fi network services may be disrupted due to the power outage. Cornell Facilities and Campus Services have begun repairs within the buildings identified to be impacted. As of 7 p.m., no updates about
the power outage have been directly communicated by Campus Alerts — the University website that provides information on urgent situations on campus — aside from the alert regarding the possible network outage. The New York State Electric and Gas website has also not been updated to reflect the power outage. An email sent to residents of Ganedago: Hall — obtained by The Sun — stated that the power outage impacted the domestic hot water and heat exchanger facilities. Residents were asked to close their windows and refrain from taking a shower until further notice.
Xinyu Joanne Hu can be reached at xhu@ cornellsun.com.
JULIA NAGEL / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Lights out | Students navigated a dimly lit Robert Purcell Community Center on the afternoon of Nov. 1, when a power outage struck all of North Campus and parts of Central Campus.
Dai Awaits Preliminary Hearing in Two Weeks ARRAIGNMENT
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The threats calling for the mass murder and rape of Jewish Cornellians — whom the posts referred to as “pigs” and “animals” — resulted in immediate condemnation by University officials and New York State, with Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) visiting the CJL the morning after the threats were posted. Hochul then announced the New York State Police had brought a person of interest into custody on the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 31. Later that evening — shortly before 6 p.m. — the FBI, New York State Police, CUPD, and Ithaca Police Department entered an apartment at 317 Eddy St. It is currently unknown what, if anything was seized or if any arrests were made during the raid. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York released Dai’s name in a press release shortly after the raid occurred. According to court documentation, Dai admitted to making the posts on Greekrank in an audio and video recorded interview at the Cornell Police Department with FBI
Special Agent Michael Renn. Dai has been charged with Interstate Communications under Title 18 § 875 (c). “Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both,” the clause states. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Brown laid out the maximum penalty for the charges, which are as follows — five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and supervised release after three years. Dai will next appear in court on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. for a preliminary hearing, where he will be evaluated in probable cause related to the charges. Angela Bunay ’24 and Jonathan Mong ’25 contributed reporting. Sofia Rubinson can be reached at sjrubinson@cornellsun.com. Gabriel Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@cornellsun.com. Eric Reilly can be reached at ereilly@cornellsun. com.
Prof. Claudia Goldin ’67, who has taught economics at Harvard for more than three decades, was honored with the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences just weeks ago, cementing her place in history as the first woman to win the award individually. She has turned down most requests for media appearances and speaking engagements since but agreed to an interview with The Sun. Goldin is the first woman to have been offered tenure in the economics departments at Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard. Her groundbreaking work examining wage and labor market inequality has informed women’s rights movements across the globe. In an exclusive phone interview with The Sun on Thursday, Oct. 26, Goldin discussed her time at Cornell, the power of investigative journalism and whether more women now going to college than men could help bridge the gender wage gap. Segments of this interview have been edited and condensed for clarity. Interview Transcript: Levin: Can you tell me about how your undergraduate years at Cornell influenced who you are today and what your reasons were for picking economics as your area of study? Goldin: So, I went to Cornell to study bacteriology, and I came to Cornell very excited about doing that. But I soon realized that I didn’t know a lot of things. I didn’t know the field of political science. I had no idea about economics. I wasn’t very informed about literature. And history, you know, it was something that I knew a bit about, but not enough. And so I switched from bacteriology to I didn’t know exactly what. And then I took a course with Alfred Kahn, who was a faculty member for many, many years at Cornell — a beloved faculty member. And he was very passionate about the subject of economics and industrial organization and regulation in particular. And he’s a fascinating person. He was the head of the Civil Aeronautics Board, and he deregulated the airlines. He was amazing. And so he really made me realize that I can do something and I could be an economist. Levin: And what are some other formative memories that you have? What were some other classes, perhaps even outside of economics, that you took that really impacted who you are today? Goldin: Walter LaFeber, who was a member of the faculty until not that long ago, gave courses in history and in particular in American foreign policy. And his courses were large. And I would sit in this class, and there must have been like 250 people in the class. And his delivery was so personal that I always felt that he was speaking only to me. So he was a real influence on me. Levin: How do you think Kahn and LaFeber’s examples influenced how you teach your classes today? Goldin: Oh, that’s a very, very good point. In some sense, I teach my classes as they did in that I feel passionate about the subject as well, and I take a real interest in my students as they always did. And I try to deliver a class in an organized way and prepare in advance. They were always extremely prepared, but LaFeber in particular had just a meticulous preparation. Levin: Alright, now I want to get to some questions specifically about your research into the gender wage gap. At Cornell and beyond, more women are now going to college than men. How do you think that will impact the gender wage gap going forward? Goldin: Sure. I mean, the gender wage
gap is complicated. I mean, rather than just saying the gender wage gap, we can say: What about the distribution of earnings in the economy? The gender wage gap, the way we measure it, is too simplistic. We measure it as a single number, and the single number is produced in a very particular way. It’s produced using data on annual earnings. It takes a group of men and a group of women. To continue reding this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com.
In that group, it takes only those who work full time, full year. It takes the earnings of the median woman and the median man and takes that ratio. And that’s it. Isn’t that interesting? We have all of this data and we boil it down to a single number. In fact, the real issue is that if I did that for a man and a woman who just graduated from Cornell and who were both working, that number would be pretty high. In other words, it would be pretty close to one. Their earnings would be very similar. And then if I looked at them ten years later and 15 years later, that number would be smaller and smaller. So in fact, what we really want is a full distribution of that number over people’s life cycle. That didn’t really answer your question, because you said: What if we had a lot more women who are college graduates who major in subjects that are demanded in the economy relative to what they had been doing ten, 20, 30, 40 years ago. That is clearly something that serves to narrow the gap. And we have seen that over time. So let’s leave it at that. Levin: How much farther do we need to go to achieve full equality both in the workplace and in society at large? And what are some steps that we can take to do that? Goldin: There’s a very big reason why there is a gap. There’s a gap because there’s a gap in what women and men do within their own homes. And as long as that gap persists and as long as the world of work is sort of a greedy world and rewards long hours and weekend work and evening work and vacation work and putting out a lot of effort work, then those who are the caregivers are going to be earning less than those who are less the caregivers. It’s really as simple as that. Levin: But aren’t gender roles radically shifting today? And don’t you think that can have a very important impact? Goldin: I would hope so. Levin: Now, I wanted to ask what your advice is to young women who are embarking on careers in historically male-dominated fields, who are going to Cornell, following their dreams and trying to make the world a better place? Goldin: I would say that my advice to everyone is, number one, follow your passions and keep on following them. And number two, what I would say to a woman in particular is find a spouse, a partner, who wants what you want. Levin: With the groundbreaking research that you’ve done into inequality in the distribution of earnings, what more research needs to be done as time goes on? Goldin: I think there’s always questions about inequalities and there are always questions about — I spoke about why the gender earnings gap exists, having to do with the world of work and the world at home. But there are still issues, and I’m not dismissing issues having to do with stereotyping and bias and the importance of transparency of pay and many of the other issues that have been emphasized by others who have examined this problem. To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Gabriel Levin can be reached at glevin@cornellsun.com.
The Cornell Daily Sun | Thursday, November 3, 2023 5
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Dining Guide Your source for good food
ARCHIVES: Significance of Jewish Culinary Identities, 104West! Review
I
n light of recent campus events involving attacks on Jewish students, the Sun dining section wanted to emphasize the importance of Jewish culinary identities both on and off campus. Here are two archival articles about such, one highlighting the importance of Jewish culinary identities from 2020 and another reviewing Cornell’s Kosher dining hall, 104West! from earlier this year. Feel free to reach out to our section with feedback and suggestions by emailing food@cornellsun.com. Sincerely, Cornell Daily Sun Dining Editor, Daniela Rojas dwise-rojas@cornellsun.com
A Flavorful Celebration of Jewish Culinary Identities: 08.24.2020 BY AMELIA CLUTE Sun Staff
D
espite making up just about two percent of the U.S. population, Jews remain keepers of an incredibly varied culture. We see this first-hand in the wide range of Jewish identities which exist in America alone — an Israeli Jew may arrive in the U.S. cooking with chickpeas and pomegranates, only to balk at the copious amounts of “white food” which many Ashkenazi Jews consume. Likewise, latkes and gefilte fish may seem so intrinsically Jewish to these Eastern European Jewish communities that shunning them is to eschew Judaism entirely. Jewish culture is, therefore, dependent upon the interpreter’s own experiences, creating a collection of identities as varied as its people. Yet despite their differences, these groups unite themselves under the larger “Jewish” title, celebrating tradition and commitment to the community in similar ways: Through food. Gil Marks, rabbi and author of Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. notes that “there is no way you can practice Judaism religiously or culturally without food. Food has been intrinsic to Jewish ritual, life and culture from the outset.” With this in mind, it’s easy to see why many non-religious “cultural Jews” are turning to food in order to solidify their identities; though this may seem like a modern phenomenon, Jewish cuisine has always been more than just fuel to keep the body running. In the 19th century, Claudia Roden points out, a large number of American Jews stopped keeping
Kosher in the 19th century upon moving into cities. However, this did not significantly diminish participation in Jewish culinary tradition as one might expect. More than ever before, “food became one of the things that [Jews] held onto to remind themselves of who they were, of their past and their ancestry.” This emphasis on ancestry and keeping tradition is hugely important to Jewish culture, says Elexa Perlman ‘20. As an ethnic religion, the community is maintained when its members thoughtfully and purposefully pass down their practices to future generations. These rites and rituals are not strictly religious, however. Since most American Jews cite ancestry and culture as the cornerstone of Judaism rather than religion itself, we can see why family recipes and holiday meals can mean more to some people than reading from the Torah. Chelsea Frisch ‘22 emphasizes how gathering around the dinner table at the weekly Shabbat meal can aid in community cohesion — “When everyone puts their hands on the Challah to rip it apart, it really creates a sense of togetherness. Even if it isn’t your favorite meal, the repetition of bringing everyone together every week makes [Shabbat] a really special experience.” The importance of the Shabbat dinner is amplified with every repetition as the diners remember generations of ancestors who came together in much a similar way. Additionally, food is one of the ways in which we continually solidify our values and sense of self. Many Americans interact with food three or more times a day, giving us multiple chances to make a statement through what we
do — or don’t — consume. Vegans solidify their values every time they refuse meat, and others may do the same when they choose to buy from one company over another. Interacting with cultural food operates similarly. Andrew Buckster writes in his article “Keeping Kosher: Eating and Social Identity Among the Jews of Denmark” that “eating [a cultural food] always involves an individual choice about connection to that group.” When Jewish individuals come together for a Seder, celebrate Shabbat or tear a loaf of challah in unison, they make a powerful declaration about who they are and the traditions which they will impart upon their children. In a world which can often pressure its residents to assimilate and become a part of the static, firmly asserting one’s undeniable Jewishness is an act of brave defiance.
104 West! Dining Hall Review: 02.09.2023 BY JAKE FISHMAN Sun Staff MARGARET HAYKIN Sun Staff CATHERINE ZHANG Sun Staff
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etting tired of going to the same dining halls? Then look no further. 104 West!, located by the Center for Jewish Living, offers a kosher dining experience with many delicious options for those following religious and special diets. Jewish or not, any student can enjoy a meal here and all you need is a meal swipe! This Sunday, Feb. 5, we made our way to 104 West! to review the food options in a similar fashion to our A Comprehensive Review of West Campus Dining article. When that article was written, we did not have enough time to come to 104 West! despite its proximity to the West Campus and have been itching to try it since. Margaret specifically has been eager for a taste of this kosher dining hall because she has not been able to give it a try yet despite being Jewish. Catherine: I honestly didn’t know what to expect going into this considering that I’ve never really heard of people talking about the food at 104 West!. Margaret and I consider ourselves frequenters of the West Campus dining halls, but we tend to stick to the ones on the main West Campus “island.” I was surprised that 104 West! closes at 7 p.m. as most of the other dining halls on West close at 8 p.m. It might have been our fault for not checking the opening schedule, but we walked in a few minutes before closing so this may have influenced our experience. As indicated in the picture, I chose to go with the mac and cheese, meatless meatballs and roasted cauliflower and potatoes. The mac and cheese was on the gooey side (as opposed to having a crispy top layer)
and had a strong cheesy flavor. I think I prefer the mac and cheese at Alice Cook House more, but this could be my personal preference to white cheeses over yellow cheese — that’s not to say it wasn’t delicious. The roasted cauliflower and potatoes were perfectly crispy on the outside and the seasoning was well-balanced. The meatless meatballs were not my favorite, but I am biased because I tend to avoid vegan meat options. It was good for what it was though. To me, the star of the show was the blueberries: In my one semester at Cornell, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten any sort of berry at a dining hall. As berries are my favorite fruit, I indulged in a hefty bowl (not pictured) after my meal. Margaret and Jake can confirm. They were not mushy (which is important) and absolutely delectable. Starting a petition to have blueberries at every dining hall, thanks. Margaret: As per mine and Catherine’s article on the West Campus dining system, I maintain a pescetarian diet when eating on campus due to abiding by some of the laws of kashrut (keeping kosher). I cannot eat pork, unkosher meat or shellfish and cannot mix meat and milk. I was very excited to come to 104 West! and feel free to eat anything without restriction. We chose to go on a “dairy” day at 104 West!, meaning that no meat was served. Although I could have eaten the meat here if I so pleased, I typically do choose to avoid it anyway, so I was more than happy to review the kosher dairy options provided. I grabbed a heaping plate of mac and cheese, meatless meatballs, potatoes, cauliflower and guacamole. The mac and cheese was quite good, with the seasoning helping to balance the creaminess. It may not compare to the mac and cheese at Alice Cook house, but it was still comforting, warm and delicious. Because I eat meatless meatballs so often on campus, I consider
myself somewhat of an expert on them. And I have to say, these were wonderful — crisp on the outside, tender and well-seasoned on the inside. Had I not known they were meatless, I definitely would have thought they were typical beef meatballs. My love of meatless meatballs may be biased, but I still feel that this evaluation is valid. The potatoes and cauliflower were fairly standard: well-seasoned and crispy, but it is important to note that they were both quite oily. I preferred them to the steamed or fried vegetables typically found in other West Campus dining halls, though, and appreciated the effort to offer a tastier vegetable option. The guacamole was similar to that on West as well. Overall, I greatly enjoyed my experience at 104 West! and will definitely be returning for a meal free of fear. Jake: The star of the show for me was the chocolate chip cookies. These cookies were mushy and gooey, and the chocolate chips melted on the tip of my tongue. These cookies were better than the ones I have had at any of the dining halls on West as I feel the ones on West are too crunchy. I would honestly go back to 104 West! just to get another bite of these. As experts on West Campus dining, we, as well as Jake now, feel that 104 West! is definitely on par with the rest of the dining halls we’ve reviewed. It truly is the perfect place for kosher-keeping Jewish students, as well as non-Jewish students who simply want to mix it up or learn about Jewish eating practices. Jake Fishman ‘25 is in the Nolan School of Hotel Administration. He can be reached at jf838@cornell.edu Margaret Haykin ‘25 is in the College of Industrial and Labor Relations. She can be reached at meh369@cornell.edu. Catherine Zhang ‘25 is in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She can be reached at cz456@cornell.edu.
6 The Cornell Daily Sun | Thursday, November 2, 2023
Opinion
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Independent Since 1880 141st Editorial Board ANGELA BUNAY ’24 Editor in Chief
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Daniel R. Schwarz is the Frederic J. Whiton Professor of English Literature and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow in the College of Arts & Sciences. He is The Cornell Daily Sun’s 2023 visiting columnist. He can be reached at drs6@cornell.edu.
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Further Thoughts on the HamasIsrael Conflict
I
received a great number of positive responses to my recent Cornell Daily Sun piece, but subsequent events have evoked further thoughts on the intractable situation in Israel and Gaza. The response of so many people thanking me for “the courage to speak up,” as if I were risking my professional standing or my stature at Cornell or even my personal safety, for my opinions on the significance of Oct. 7 tells us something about the current fraught environment. It is as if, without realizing it, I had become the proxy or surrogate for a great number of Jewish students, alums and even Jews beyond Cornell. I find this a bit frightening because it suggests some Jews and other supporters of Israel’s right to exist have been cowed into silence not only about Israel but also several other issues. Many of the letter writers expressed outrage at President’s Pollack’s first letter and more than a few threatened to withdraw financial support from Cornell. Her second letter changed the minds of some but far from all those who wrote me. As Dan Okrent, the first Public Editor of the New York Times, proposed in what is now known as Okrent’s Law, “The Pursuit of Balance Can Lead to Imbalance.” That is, sometimes the quest for evenhandedness, when a strong statement on the side of the wronged party is required, can itself be a major mistake in terms of truth and morality. Several people, including myself, thought the eloquent first paragraph of President Pollack’s third letter recognizing fully what had occurred on Oct. 7 was all that was needed and should have been sent immediately after the atrocities committed by Hamas were known. The Oct. 15 video of Cornell Professor Russell Rickford asserting that he was “exhilarated” by the Hamas attack was the subject of many letters I received that were critical of Cornell University. I recognize that no matter how wrong-headed his views, they are not a sufficient reason to fire a tenured professor. In another well-publicized statement supporting Hamas’s terrorist attack even before Israel’s retaliation, a Johnson Business School Diversity Officer — who one expects to value all lives, including Jewish ones in Israel — certainly called into question whether he should be in that sensitive position. Why, I have been asked by nonJews, has virtually every Jewish family — including those who identify themselves as “left” or “progressives”— reacted so strongly to the outrageous Hamas attacks which included killing and kidnapping babies and the elderly?
The answer is that we Jewish people feel vulnerable. Our views are shaped to an extent by grandparents and others who remember the Holocaust even if they did not experience it personally. Lives are shaped in part by what Marianne Hirsch has called “postmemory” in which our memories are informed not only by our own experience but also by experiences about which we have heard from family members, teachers and friends. Even families like mine that have lived here since the 1860s or 1870s never feel completely comfortable. We are not only aware of how assimilated Jews were in Germany before the Nazis came to power, but we all have heard stories of exclusion, rudeness, stereotyping, insensitive language (“Jewing” has been a synonym — and still is in some circles — for negotiating a lower price) and heard and overheard anti-Semitic comments. In recent weeks all Jews in the entire world who attended religious services on the Jewish High Holy days found their synagogues guarded by hired security staff. Jews my age live with a sense of the precariousness of their place. I have taught at Cornell since 1968 and can point to instances of blatant anti-Semitism that I have experienced, mostly in my early years but also again in recent years when a senior colleague lumped me with “old white men” — a homogenizing term that people often used. Trump’s equivocation about the Aug. 11-12, 2017, white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, cut deeply for most Jews whom I know, including our students. Calling some of those who spewed “Jews will not replace us” and wore Nazi paraphernalia, “good people” became a verbal quivering arrow that we cannot forget. Most Jews are aware that some of Trump’s support, including those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, comes from white nationalists who are blatant anti-Semites. I ask myself whether apologists for Hamas hate Jews, as some of the rallies and statements indicate, or are they morally dense due to an educational failure that prevents them from recognizing the difference between war and inhumane atrocities visited upon innocent civilians. Perhaps these apologists don’t know that Israel had been the land of the Jews since over 1000 years BCE. The 1948 founding of Israel was in large part a result of the Holocaust necessitating the creation of homeland for dispossessed Jewish people. But well before that, Jews made up at least a third of the population of the area known as the Palestine Mandate... To continue reading visit Cornellsun.com
The Cornell Daily Sun | Thursday, November 2, 2023 7
Comics and Puzzles
Sundoku Fill in the empty cells, one number in each, so that each column, row, and region contains the numbers 1-9 exactly once. Each number in the solution therefore occurs only once in each of the three “directions,” hence the “single numbers” implied by the puzzle’s name. (Rules from wikipedia.org/wiki/ Sudoku)
Puzzle 2007
ARPEGGIO
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The Cornell Daily Sun | Thursday, November 2, 2023
Science
SCIENCE
C.U. Researchers Speak on Finding “Lost” Bird Species, Subsequent Media Coverage
By YOON LEE Sun Contributor
Since 1896, ornithologists had labeled the Black-naped Pheasant Pigeon as a missing species until a recent 2022 study reported its survival. Cornell researchers are now learning more about this once “lost” bird species to better understand its biogeography. The Black-naped Pheasant Pigeon is a large pheasant-like ground pigeon, endemic to the rainforests of New Guinea and nearby islands. However, it was presumed to be extinct because no official records of the species existed since the American Museum of Natural History collected a preserved specimen from Fergusson Island back in 1896. Jordan Boersma, postdoctoral researcher at the Lab of Ornithology, and his team of American and Papua New Guinea-based researchers set out on an expedition — co-led by Boersma — to Fergusson Island, where they had previously worked with hunters that knew of the ground pigeon species. During their expedition, the researchers tested residents’ knowledge of local bird species using graphics and audio recordings to help guide their next steps and determine what places to visit next. They discovered that
elders in villages close to the center of the island reported seeing the Black-naped Pheasant Pigeon in the 1980s and 1990s but had not been to those regions since that time. Upon contacting villagers still living in those areas, researchers found hunters that could both accurately recognize different species and had recently seen the bird. By taking their advice on where to set up trail cameras and recording equipment, the team succeeded in capturing a video of the elusive bird walking around and fanning its tail. This finding circulated quickly among Western news outlets — such as the BBC, USA TODAY, and CBS News — as well as social media. The newfound attention highlighted the significance of this discovery and the threat of environmental degradation in the indigenous lands of Fergusson Island, but John C. Mittermeier — co-leader of the expedition — and other researchers voiced their concerns over the coverage. “Me, Jason [Gregg] and John [Mittermeier] — the three Americans on this expedition — have been really centered in the narrative,” Boersma said. Although Boersma expressed gratitude for the recognition of
their hard work, he emphasized that the expedition was only made possible by local partners like Eli Malesa, who translated for them, managed logistics and conducted many of the interviews. The researchers also expressed reservations over the media portrayal of these findings as a re-discovery of a “lost” bird species, even though the bird had never been considered missing by the indigenous New Guinean communities. “This was not a question of discovering something nobody knew about but joining knowledge networks,” Mittermeier said. Boersma and Mittermeier both said that although finding concrete proof of the bird’s survival was scientifically important, framing their team as the first to see the pigeon since 1896 delegitimizes local ecological knowledge. “The embedded cultural narrative around conservation, discovery and exploration is often about We s t e r n e r s ‘ d i s c o v e r - ing’ things’,” Mittermeier said. “Some of the media coverage has a tendency to fall into that.” Boersma also noted that many of their local partners regularly
JOHN C. MITTERMEIER / AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY
Fergusson Island | A sighting of the “lost” bird species on Papua New Guinea’s largest island. went off the grid, making them difficult to contact. Doka Nason, a local partner made famous by a viral video of his reaction to the discovery, could not be reached for an interview. The expedition’s Institutional Review Board also mandated that the identity of their interviewees be kept anonymous. Mittermeier explained how places like Papua New Guinea are seen as “untouched” or “undiscovered” by Western audiences because of headlines like those following the Black-naped Pheasant Pigeon. These
portrayals often lead to outsiders opposing local residents’ development towards improving their living conditions, which reinforces the island’s “untouched” image. “Historically we’ve done a bad job, in science, of acknowledging indigenous or local knowledge,” Boersma said. “Local people should be controlling the narrative of the places they are native to.” Yoon Lee can be reached at ycl5@ cornell.edu.
Milner Lab Develops New Metal Organic Frameworks Method to Capture Toxic Gases By KAITLYN LEE Sun Staff Writer
Prof. Phillip Milner, chemistry and chemical biology, Kaitlyn Keasler grad and the Milner lab published an article on Sept. 29 on the utilization of metal-organic frameworks to capture and store fluorinated gases. Their novel methods can prevent these gasses from contributing to climate change and potentially produce pharmaceutical drugs and agrochemicals. The Milner lab focuses on studying porous, sponge-like materials containing cavities for materials to interact with. They recently have been working with metal-organic frameworks, which are porous compounds with organic and metallic components, to study the compound’s potential applications in controlling organic reactions and synthesis. The lab is particularly interested in how MOFs can be used to adjust reactions involving fluorine because it is a significant component in medications and agrochemicals. These reactions either use dangerous and unstable reagents or simpler reagents that are greenhouse gasses and difficult to work with. “Protocols typically require multi step synthesis or the use of dangerous and highly unstable reagents,” Keasler said. “And many simple fluorinated building blocks are gasses, which are challenging to work with in the lab. And unlike solids and liquids, it is difficult to accurately measure the mass or volume of gaseous reagents.”
According to Kealser, MOFs have been TAMIR KALIFA / THE NEW YORK TIMES found to be capable of reversibly storing fluorinated gasses within their pores. This is due to the Hard-Soft Acid-Base theory, which states that hard acids interact with hard bases and soft acids interact with soft bases. Because the MOF contains magnesium ions that act as hard acids, it interacts with fluorine, which are hard bases, transforming the gasses into crystallized solids and forming gas-MOF reagents. These reagents allow for fluorination reactions to proceed much more rapidly with fewer steps compared to standard fluorination protocols. The use of MOFs in fluorination reactions also enable storage of gaseous fluorine compounds in various conditions, such as embedding them within wax capsules or on benchtop for up Climate Change | New studies on MOFs can help curb the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, produce pharmaceutical drugs and agrochemicals. to two months. aims to make the application of MOFs Milner shared that by capturing fluosuccessful, it poses limitations such as to fluorinated gasses more generalizable rinated greenhouse gasses, such as sulfur and commercialized in order to grant hexafluoride, MOFs can also reduce the excess waste. “When the MOF has absorbed gas, other chemists easy access to these new effects of climate change. Sulfur hexafluoride, a strong greenhouse gas that can stay it is about 30 percent gas and 70 percent methods. “Fluorine is this really fascinating elein the atmosphere for thousands of years, other mass,” Milner said. “So you have a lot of extra solids and if you don’t reuse ment that is in drug molecules and agriis released from semiconductor industhem, there’s a lot of waste there. That’s chemicals, but it’s also got this dark side,” try emissions and has a global warming potential that is tens of thousands of times something we’d like to address by making Milner said. “That’s something we’re tryframeworks that are cheap, lighter and can ing to now explore on both sides: how do more potent than carbon dioxide. we capture these destructive greenhouse Like sulfur hexafluoride, fluoroform use even less to bind the gases.” In addition to improving their capa- gasses, and how do we develop new kinds has a global warming potential that is much more potent than carbon dioxide. bility, the Milner lab plans to expand of ways to install fluorine in more ecoThe toxic and corrosive nature of both the number of greenhouse gasses that nomical, cheap and user-friendly ways?” gasses allow for creation of medical and the MOFs can bind to. They also hope agricultural products upon capture by to utilize captured fluorinated gasses to produce compounds that can selectively Kaitlyn Lee can be reached at klee@cornellsun. MOFs. label proteins. Keasler said that the lab com. While the usage of MOFs has proven