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At White House, C.U.Outlines College Access Plans By TYLER ALICEA Sun Managing Editor
With President Barack Obama and hundreds of other leaders in higher education, Cornell outlined plans it is taking in order to increase access to higher education for low-income students during a summit Thursday. Over 600 actions aimed at DOUG MILLS / assisting stuTHE NEW YORK TIMES dents from across
the country to prepare for earning a college degree were announced during the second College Opportunity Day of Action in Washington, D.C. “Our higher education system is one of the things that makes America exceptional,” Obama said at the conference. “No place else has the assets we do when it comes to higher education.” Still, he said other countries around the world have begun to catch up the to the United States in education, and that the country has more work to do in order to increase access to higher education. “I want to make sure the United States leads the world in education again, not just because it’s right to have more young people chase their dreams, but because it’s critical to our economic future,” he said. Through The White House’s initiative, Cornell highlighted two programs: increasing the number of students from underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics — or STEM fields — to
Higher ed. | President Barack Obama speaks at the Summit on College Opportunity in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.
match the number of STEM students from majority groups and helping to increase the number of “highachieving, low-income, rural youth who become first generation college students.” “Both of these commitments are examples of Cornell’s commitment to engaging broadly with society to have an impact on college access and academic achievement,” said Barbara Knuth, senior vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, who represented Cornell at the summit. The College of Arts and Sciences is working to redesign eight physics and biology courses, which the University says serve approximately 1,600 undergraduates each year and fulfills “key prerequisites” in engineering and life sciences disciplines. The modified courses in physics and biology — which aim to assist in increasing STEM parity across all demographics — focus on “the most effective, high-impact, engaging teaching and learning practices,” and are made possibly by faculty and college leadership at Cornell, according to Knuth. “This initiative would not have happened without See WHITE HOUSE page 4
Multimillion Dollar Gift Will Target Childhood Diseases By ANNIE BUI Sun News Editor
With a $25 million dollar gift from Ira Drukier ’66 M.Eng. ’67 and wife Gale Drukier, scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College will now be able to pursue research on the causes of devastating diseases in children, the University announced Thursday. The goal of the cross-disciplinary Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children’s Health will be to “rapidly translate basic research breakthroughs into the most advanced therapies for patients,” according to a statement from the medical college. The gift from the Drukiers will also enable Weill to hire a team of five leading scientists who will conduct this research. The Drukier Institute — which will be housed on
the 12th floor of WCMC’s new Belfer Research Building — will also reinforce the medical college’s current research and clinical care programs that target
“The Drukiers’ investment will better the lives of children in New York and beyond.” Sanford Weill ’55 childhood and adolescent diseases such as asthma, cancer and autism, according to the release. Sanford Weill ’55, chair of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers, said in the release that the Drukier’s “gen-
erous” gift is a testament to their “commitment to advancing human health.” “The Drukiers’ investment will better the lives of children in New York and beyond, and will leave a lasting mark on our next generation,” he said. Echoing Weill, President David Skorton said the gift would allow the University to achieve an “unprecedented level of excellence in pediatric research.” “The bench-to-bedside approach of the Drukier Institute will have a lasting impact on children and their families, giving hope when they need it most,” Skorton said in the release. In addition to the institute, the Drukier’s gift will allow the medical college to obtain research equipment See WCMC page 4
‘Rulloff ’s Lives,’ New Owner Says By TYLER ALICEA Sun Managing Editor
ALEJANDRO HERNANDEZ / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
It’s alive! | The Rulloff’s restaurant and bar, which unexpectedly closed its doors in September, will reopen next semester.
“Rulloff ’s lives.” The two words Cornellians have been waiting to hear since the restaurant and bar unexpectedly closed its doors at the start of the semester. Gregar Brous, owner of Collegetown Bagels, confirmed in an interview with The Sun Thursday that he has purchased the Collegetown staple with plans to reopen its doors for next semester. The sudden closing of Rulloff ’s in early September shocked Cornellians and employees of the restaurant, who were laid off on Labor Day when it shut its doors. When Cornellians return to Ithaca next semester, however, food will be served and liquor flowing as Brous said he hopes to reopen the doors at 411 College Ave.
“I’m very proud of the history and what exists in Rulloff ’s,” he said. “It needs to be brought back to its original luster.” After obtaining a liquor license and doing some renovations and cleanup, Brous said he plans to reopen the Collegetown staple around the beginning of the spring semester, specifically shooting for the end of January or shortly after. Brous said he intends to operate the restaurant independently from Collegetown Bagels, which has one restaurant just two doors down from Rulloff ’s. He cited his belief in the Collegetown and Cornell communities, as well as the “history and value of the brand,” as reasons for his purchasing of the space. Tyler Alicea can be reached at managing-editor@cornellsun.com.
2 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, December 5, 2014
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Quotes of the Week News, “Fellow Cornellians Remember Senior Shannon Jones as ‘Lively,’ Brilliant,’” Monday Speaking about Jones, who died on Nov. 27, and her work on the Violet Satellite Project Team “I picked out her resume and application from a pile of almost a hundred others because her passion towards space exploration was the srongest. I still remember the day I first met her — she was incredibly curious and interested in our subsystem’s star tracker. She is the one who was eventually able to get it to work.” Abhiram Sundaram ’14 News, “Events Educate Students About Impact of AIDS,” Tuesday Speaking about the third annual Cornell AIDS Awareness Week and the stigma associated with HIV “As an HIV-positive student and experiencing first hand the stigma and poz-phobia on campus, I felt that something sbould be done. ... I put most of my effort in trying to bring HIV and AIDS awareness back to campus, to show that global includes the United States, not just everywhere else.”
News, “U.A. Continues Dialogue on Sexual Assault Prevention,” Wednesday Speaking about the need for student leadership to address sexual violence issues “As vice president, I know that if I am the one crafting, I know that if I am the one crafting messages to the students, there is going to be a disconnect, so we have to find a way to have the students take [on] more leadership roles.” Susan Murphy ’73 Ph.D. ’94, vice president for student and academic services
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News, “Cornellians Gather Following Police Violence,” Thursday Speaking about his concerns about an unjust police system at a town hall in remembrance of Eric Garner and Michael Brown “We do not realize, as the prophets have been telling us, that peace is not an absence of conflict. It is the presence of justice.” Prof. Russell Rickford, history
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, December 5, 2014 3
NEWS
Italian Eatery Will Open in C-Town
Right on key
By MOLLY KARR Sun Staff Writer
This month, couple Sam Epps and Kami Drake will open Gola Osteria, a new restaurant in Collegetown focusing on local ingredients and Italian tastes. “We will cook in a way that an Italian would: with Upstate New York ingredients,” Epps said. “The difference between our restaurant and others [around the area] is that our menu will be a little more focused on Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, whereas other menus are little more eclectic.” Located in an historic buildng within the Colegetown Terrace complex at 115 South Quarry St., the couple hopes the new restaurant — which will open at the end of the month — will bring an authentic slice of Italy to Ithaca, according to Drake. The restaurant will be open on evening from Tuesday through Sunday. “All in all,” Drake said, “We want people to feel like they are walking in and out of a party and enjoying the food and drink along with it.” The menu consists of a variety of dishes ranging from grilled octopus to pumpkin ravioli. It is meant to embody authentic Italian cuisine “with an upstate twist,” according to Epps. “There are classic dishes here, but also things other than typical tradition meals, which I really like,” Reversi said. Having learned the nuances of Italian cooking while studying at the French Culinary Institute and teaching a cooking course at Toscana Saporita in Italy, Epps said he wants to find ways to support the local Ithaca community. “We want to utilize local [markets] as much as we can and work with local wineries,” Epps said. In addition, many of the restaurant’s decorations
ALEJANDRO HERNANDEZ / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Faculty members from Cornell’s music department perform 19th century German songs by composers such as Schubert, Schumann, Brahma and Wolf at the Midday Music event at Lincoln Hall Thursday.
are also local with Prof. Stan Taft’s, art, artwork featured on the walls. The restaurant owners also said they hope to have their customers experience a “fun” and high-quality dining experience, with Drake adding that customers of all ages want to have “a really nice dining experience.” “We are doing formal dining and service in a vibrant and fun way,” Drake said. “Our music selection each night will be based on whoever is in the mood to pick the Pandora station,” Drake said. In addition to ordering regular entrees and appetizers, customers will have the option of trying a fivecourse Italian meal with wine pairings at the restau-
rant, according to Drake. For new customers, Epps suggested trying a dish that is characteristic of Gola’s culinary style. “The entrée that really represents our Italian food in an Upstate New York sort of way would be our fried Cornish game hen, which uses Cayuga pure organics polenta and is finished with local honey,” Epps said. Giulia Reversi ’18 said she was excited that the new restaurant was opening in Collegetown. “I would definitely check it out-because students without cars can get to it,” she said. Molly Karr can be reached at mkarr@cornellsun.com.
At Panel,Professors and Experts Argue for Prison System Reform By SAMANTHA ACRICHE Sun Staff Writer
To increase dialogue about issues within the American prison system, the Cornell Prison Reform and Education Project sponsored a panel discussion in Goldwin Smith Hall Thursday. The panel featured various professors and experts on America’s criminal justice system. Prof. Travis Gosa, Africana studies, discussed arguments for the need to both reform and abolish the criminal justice system and mass incarceration. “I am only here to complete abolition of prisons as part of a complex of surveillance policing incarceration, which has been used to reestablished an apartheid nation,” he said. Both Gosa and Prof. Paula Ioanide, race and ethnicity, Ithaca College, agreed that mass incarceration is a “new Jim Crow [law].” “There is an infrastructure of ideas which continues to legitimize the incarceration of so many people,” Ioanide said. She said she believes Americans are “taught to fear” under what she described as the new Jim Crow system. “The criminal system is unjust for all people, but specifically and unproportionately for people of color,” Ioanide said. Ioanide said she believes that the prison-industrial complex prevents people from thinking of other ways to solve societal issues in America. “This country equivocates justice with punishment,” Ioanide said. “That removing this person has actually solved this problem, but all it does is sicken the entire country. [I want a] shift in consciousness around notions of justice.” Prof. Joe Margulies, government and law, also discussed the impact that students may have in reforming the prison
system. “Criminal justice reform has never been so prevalent,” Margulies said. “It is apparent that there is more energy surrounding these questions now. This is a moment where people can get involved.” Margulies also encouraged students to use the resources that Cornell offers in order to make an effort to improve the prison system. “You’ve gotta take the first step,” Marguilies said. Matthew Clauson ’15, co-founder of PREP, said he hopes the panel will
encourage Cornellians to understand problems within the country’s prison system. “We hope that audience members will gain a deeper understanding of the many injustices that exist within the prison system today and learn what they can do to fight against these injustices,” Clauson said. Garrison Lovely ’16, a co-founder of PREP, echoed Clauson’s sentiments. “We hope to both educate the student body on the prison industrial complex and start a campus dialogue about
issues;relating to mass incarceration and criminal justice,” Lovely said. The panel — titled “Reform or Abolition? A Conversation on Ending the American Prison Industrial Complex” — was co-sponsored by the Africana Studies and Research Center, Black Students United, the Cornell Roosevelt Institute and the Cornell Public Service Center. Samantha Acriche can be reached at sacriche@cornellsun.com.
DIANA MAK / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Ready for reform | Prof. Paula Ioanide, race and ethnicity, Ithaca College; Robert Scott, executive director of the Cornell Prison Education Program; Prof. Travis Gosa, Africana studies; Prof. Joe Margulies, government and law; and Garrison Lovely ’16 discuss prison reform Thursday.
4 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, December 5, 2014
NEWS
Cornell Hopes to Decrease Barriers to Higher Education WHITE HOUSE
Continued from page 1
the commitment of the faculty and the leadership of the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in supporting this faculty-led initiative and in securing the donor funding to make it possible,” Knuth said in an email. Findings from the effectiveness of these modified courses will be shared through the Center for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning and the Council of Graduate Schools, according to a University press release. In addition, Cornell will collaborate with New York 4-H — a program working with the Cornell Cooperative Extension — to reach out to 180,000 children in order to prepare them for college, according to
the University’s plan. Cornell hopes to create an additional 2,000 college graduates in New York State by 2020 through this collaboration. A.T. Miller, associate vice provost for academic diversity, said research has shown that many talented children in rural regions do not apply for college and that this outreach program aims to address that issue. All of the programs outlined are donor-funded, another important aspect of the efforts submitted to The White House, according to Knuth. “This emphasizes the importance of philanthropy in supporting Cornell’s excellence and commitment to students,” she said. “This is part of our university culture and fabric from which we all benefit in the work and academic pursuits we undertake — students, faculty and staff.”
Miller added that alumni support will help the University pursue these measures without placing undue strain on Cornell’s tight budget or increasing tuition. “It’s wonderful to have our alumni see this as things they want to support Cornell doing,” he said. Knuth added that both of the programs will have “broader impacts beyond Cornell.” “4-H students will be empowered to attend a wide array of colleges and universities, and the findings and evaluation from the STEM course initiative will be disseminated through professional societies in each discipline and through training programs that support the future professoriate,” she said. Tyler Alicea can be reached at managing-editor@cornellsun.com.
Past Drukier Philanthropy Includes Art Museum, AAP such as sequencing and informatics technology as well as “an infrastructure to establish a biobank,” according to the release. The Drukier Lectureship — an annual lecture on a topic in the field of
pediatric health — will also be established, in addition to the Drukier Prize, which will be awarded annually to a junior faculty member for “excellence and achievement” in pediatric research. This is not the first philanthropic move the Drukiers have made at Cornell. The couple has a “legacy of
philanthropy” at the University, having previously provided support to the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art and the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, according to a University press release. Ira Drukier said that with the gift, the medical college will now be able to focus on pediatric research under a sin-
gle cohesive institute. “As parents and grandparents, Gale and I appreciate the tremendous impact medicine can have on growing children,” he said. Annie Bui can be reached at abui@cornellsun.com.
W W W . C O R N E L L S U N . C O M ALL THROUGH WINTER BREAK
WCMC
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THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, December 5, 2014 5
NEWS
Police Begin to Clear Out Islamic Militant Attacks in Chechnya’s Homeless Encampment Capital Result in at Least 20 Deaths Located in Silicon Valley
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — About 50 muddy souls dragged their meager belongings out of a trash-strewn California creek bed Thursday as police and social-service workers began clearing away one of the nation’s largest homeless encampments, a collection of flimsy tents and plywood shelters in the heart of Silicon Valley. The people forced out of the camp known as the Jungle ended up alongside a busy San Jose road, startling passers-by who slowed down to watch. “People drive by and look at us like we’re circus animals,” said a sobbing Nancy Ortega. More than 30 police officers and dozens of construction workers in white hazmat suits joined about 15 social-service workers in the effort to take apart the treacherous community that at its peak housed as many as 350 people living in squalor just a short drive from tech giants Google, Apple, Yahoo and eBay. Ortega shuddered and clutched her fleece blanket while watching tractors cram couches, tents, blankets, rotten food and pails of excrement into roaring garbage trucks. “It’s just junk to everyone else but to us, that’s home. That’s our stuff,” she said. On a nearby sidewalk, Al Palaces, a former truck driver who settled into the encampment about eight months ago, said he was trying to think of a plan. “I just grabbed whatever I could because I don’t want to go to jail,” he said, standing next to an overloaded shopping cart stuffed with dirty plastic bags. For months, social workers have been trying to house camp residents. And four days earlier, they were warned they had until dawn Thursday to leave or face arrest for trespassing. Still, city officials estimated about 60 people remained at the filthy site when cleanout day came. After a rainy night, skies cleared Thursday, and one person after another in varying states of mental clarity and sobriety dragged their belongings in suitcases, shopping carts and on bicycles out of the camp through ankle-deep sludge. By midmorning, dozens had reached the sidewalk, abandoning most of their possessions. But some remained in the slum. Valentine Cortes, who said he was a journeyman construction worker, said he had no plans to leave his makeshift shelter built into a steep, muddy slope. “I don’t know why people got all chaotic today,” he said. “We don’t have to go.“ Asked about the warning that he could be jailed, Cortes shrugged, pet a 6-week old puppy in his palm and said, “Then I guess I’ll be arrested.” Dogs and cats still roamed the square-mile camp, some of them pets, others wild. Rats hopped through the muck. A few dozen protesters gathered at the site holding signs
reading “Homeless people matter” and “Stand with The Jungle.” The encampment stands in stark contrast to the surrounding valley, a region that leads the country in job growth, income and venture capital. Palaces said he liked the Jungle better than the streets because people would bring food and police didn’t bother the residents. “Even a job wouldn’t give me a house” because housing prices are so high, he said. Officials found shelter for about 10 residents Thursday, said San Jose homelessness response manager Ray Bramson. Many more refused the city’s offers, citing concerns about safety at homeless shelters, their need to stay with pets and their dislike of sobriety rules.
GROZNY, Russia (AP) — Police waged hourslong gunbattles with Islamic militants who attacked Chechnya’s capital Thursday, leaving at least 20 people dead and underscoring Russia’s vulnerability just as President Vladimir Putin used patriotic and religious imagery in his state-of-thenation address to defend his standoff with the West. The clashes in Grozny, the city’s biggest in years, dented a carefully nurtured image of stability created by Chechnya’s Kremlin-backed strongman after two separatist conflicts. The new violence raised fears of more attacks in Chechnya and widening unrest in the rest of Russia’s volatile North Caucasus region. The Kavkaz Center website, a mouthpiece for Islamic militant groups operating in the North Caucasus, carried a link to a video message by an individual claiming responsibility for the attack. The man in the video said he was operating on orders from Emir Khamzat, reportedly a nom de guerre of Chechen warlord Aslan Byutukayev. The claim could not immediately be verified. The insurgents in Chechnya and other Caucasus regions want to create an independent state governed by their strict interpretation of Islamic law. Some Caucasus militants have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join up with the Islamic State group. I.S. has vowed to launch attacks in
Russia, but there have been no indications to date that it has followed through. The fighting in Grozny began about 1 a.m., when roughly 10 gunmen riding in three cars fired on traffic police who had stopped them for a check, killing three officers. Some of the militants then holed up in a nearby office building and exchanged gunfire with police who quickly cordoned the area. The battle left the 10-story Press House, which housed local media offices, gutted by a blazing fire that also spread to a nearby street market. Some gunmen fled to an empty school nearby. It took police more than 12 hours to kill 10 militants, according to Russian authorities, who also reported that 10 officers were killed and 28 wounded. Russian state television showed video footage of police officers firing automatic weapons and grenade launchers at the three-story school, its windows left shattered and charred. The gunbattles were still raging when Putin began delivering his address in an ornate Kremlin hall, and the Russian leader sought to cast the violence as a legacy of what he described as foreign support for Chechnya-based insurgents in the past. “We remember high-level receptions for terrorists dubbed as fighters for freedom and democracy,” he said.
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Letter to the Editor
Context matters To the Editor: Re: “THROWDOWN THURSDAY: Freedom From Speech At Berkeley,” Opinion, Sept. 17. Crafting a hard-hitting but true criticism requires a complete and honest handling of the subject’s facts, and in “Freedom From Speech At Berkeley,” Julius Kairey ’15 fails in this regard. The article ignores facts which drastically alter the analysis. Berkeley has not invited Mr. Bill Maher for a unilateral speech or debate. The forum here is a commencement speech. Commencement speeches have a specific purpose — to congratulate the class. They mark the completion of college and provide insight of the world ahead. They are, simply put, a day for the graduates. Julius states “larger share[s] of the student bodies of universities … want their schools to be “safe spaces” where those who hold positions they disagree with are kept out. These students are far more interested in using political correctness to silence beliefs they disagree with then having an honest debate.” But this situation is not a debate. Bill Maher is not coming to campus to discuss his opinion on religion, climate change or anything else. He is coming to campus to congratulate and impart wisdom on the graduating class. Berkeley graduates are petitioning chiefly because of Maher’s views on Islam. They feel his statements are filled with hate and bigotry and are a personal attack on their identity. Some of Maher’s statement which lead to this backlash include: “Talk to women who’ve ever dated an Arab man. The results are not good,” and “The Muslim world has too much in common with ISIS.” Julius conveniently ignores these statements. With statements like these, it is not unreasonable for graduates to feel objectified by these comments, whether on an objective or a subjective level. This day of commencement is for the graduates and the graduates alone. They should not need to feel like they are being attacked on this day, whether rightly or wrongly so. If the students of Berkeley had petitioned to have Maher banned from being a guest of a debate or giving any topic-specific speech, I would agree with Julius. The fact is that no one petitioning to have the invitation of commencement speaker revoked is saying they want to ban Maher from speaking in any form on the campus. They are simply saying that this is not the time or place. To forget the purpose of the event is to misunderstand the position. When Columbia University invited former Iranian President Ahmadinejad to speak at their annual World Leaders Forum, many people were outraged. I disagree with that criticism as I, like Julius, believe that good ideas will stand up to the scrutiny of criticism and logic, while bad ideas are killed through exposition of their logical fallacies. This is why I supported Columbia. Had President Ahmadinejad been invited to be the speaker of that year’s commencement speech, I would not have felt the same way. I would not welcome this invitation. Time and place matter. Context matters. This day is for the graduates and they feel threatened by Maher. This is not a freedom of speech issue. Ralph Labaton grad
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, December 5, 2014 7
OPINION
Emmanuel Hiram Arnaud | Barely Legal
Mobilizing The Body Politic
Web
Comment of the day
“There's nothing conclusive about a hypothetical poll. Sure, many Americans claim that they WOULD vote for minority candidates, but many of them say so simply because they do not realize how deeply internalized prejudice can become, or they are aware that their views are not socially acceptable.”
E
arlier this year, in the wake of the Michael Brown shootings, many articles attempted to define, or redefine, activism within the lexicon of a more passive form of protest. Although less confrontational forms of protest are always a good tool for activism, I believe that we must go further than this in our everyday lives. I challenge students, and especially those wielding the power of the law, throughout this country to view their every step as a protest against the status quo, but furthermore, I ask that we view our positions critically and engage in more than a passive discussion of our ailments and present conditions. True, transcendent change within any nation-state requires an intrinsic metamorphosis within both the legal scheme that defines the parameters of our social contract, and the patterns of socialization that are inextricably linked to the legal process. In short, neither law nor social change, in isolation, will propel a population in any given direction. True change requires the development of both spheres. I believe that we can do several things to effectively incite meaningful change that leads to the fundamental paradigm shift that our country requires. A few of these actions include pure and substantive dialogue, holistic political activism and community building. Transformative ideas are never singular in nature, but rather, flourish through a combination of encapsulated and understood experiences, which are then put into motion. This idea, known as “praxis,” is a common topic in the writings of Plato, Aristotle and Paulo Freire. As Freire noted, actors “must act together upon their environment in order critically to reflect upon their reality and so transform it through further action and critical reflection.” Our fragmented country, as reflected in the current heated political factions, created an embankment foreclosing the opportunity for the creation of real discourse. The impetus is on us, the citizen, to act as catapults and destroy that wall, and partake in holistic discourse with one another. As sociopolitical actors, we are not on a crusade; rather, we are on an exploratory expedition. I challenge you to engage in honest discussion with your peers. Discuss issues, no matter how small, in your local schools, classrooms, cafeterias, libraries, streets, Starbucks, in your Goldman Sachs elevator and your one floor non-profit. Open up new forms of pure and substantive dialogue. One simple way of doing this is reflecting upon, and demystifying, our own personal and social identities and realities. In essence, critically reflect on the current structures in your purview of society, and challenge those around you to do the same. However, we must do so with the idea in mind that we are never “right” about everything. We all have subjective experiences that inform our worldview. It is our duty to use these experiences for the progress of society. Do so with respect for other people's ideas, and the reality that their ideas may compliment or enrich yours. This is a simple concept, however, it is one that is too often forgotten. We are brothers and sisters tied by the beautifully flawed neurology of humanity. We should treat ourselves as such, and promote honest discourse regardless of our comfort levels, in a respectful and intelligent fashion. Ask a question, be kind, be honest, enjoy truly symbiotic discourse and be open to change and the possibility of being wrong. Honest, substantive dialogue — it starts with us. Another action is political activism. This begins with voting. As Alexis de Tocqueville simply put it, “everyone has the vote and this is an indirect contributor to law-making.” We entrust people we have never met with immense political power (or capital). However, we do not lose our political power through this delegation. We still have political power within our local political communities. I challenge you to attend your local school board meetings, your local town hall meetings, and speak up. Stay true to your values and challenge everything in order to better serve your community. However, our political activism does not stop there. We are all political actors within the local and national political economy. Whether it is in your workplace or your home, act in a way that serves whatever change you hope to see. Challenge microaggressions, and stand up for what you believe in not just in the classroom or at the voting booth, but in everyday interactions. Simply put: Our constitution endowed you as a sociopolitical actor; embody this role. Finally, build bridges in your community. There are two easy steps to actualize this. First, get and stay involved in essential functions of your communities. This is easier than it sounds. I challenge you to take a peek at your town’s budget, and stay in tune with what is going on in your government by attending local meetings that are open to the public. Who watches the Watchmen? You do, and you should start doing it. Second, get involved in peaceful protests on issues that you care about. Through peaceful protests that garner media attention to issues that you care about, the political actors with the most say in decision-making may do something about that issue. Through protests and large gatherings you start creating bridges and networks with the people you meet. Protest, meet people, get your ideas out there, get them in the national spotlight and watch change unfold. This is not, by any measure, an exhaustive list, or a nostrum for the nation's smooth recovery. I only provide three ideas to help us get closer to seeing fundamental changes within our country, no matter what your political view is. I invite you to take this often forgotten call, and to not just live your life, but rather to take hold of your position as a sociopolitical actor. Emmanuel Hiram Arnaud is a student at Cornell Law School. Responses can be sent to associate-editor@cornellsun.com. Barely Legal appears alternate Fridays this semester.
Lucy Re: “THROWDOWN THURSDAY: After Ferguson,” Opinion, published December 4, 2014
Jake Forken | My Forken Opinion
J
Hold Police Accountable
ust nine days after a grand Only five witnesses testified jury in Ferguson, Missouri that Brown reached toward his declined to indict Officer waistband at any point during Darren Wilson following the the confrontation. shooting death of unarmed Was there enough evidence Michael Brown, the mockery of to convict Officer Wilson? the American justice system Probably not. If only there were continued in Staten Island. some method afforded to our There, Officer Daniel Pantaleo justice system that weighed eluded an indictment stem- conflicting witness testimony ming from the July choking before coming to a verdict. A death of unarmed Eric Garner. trial however, was never going Dissimilar from the Michael to be an option because an Brown case, which was plagued indictment was never an by conflicting witness testimo- option. Prosecutor Robert ny, a bystander recorded the McCulloch intentionally threw death of Eric Garner, clearly the case. displaying the excessive use of According to CNN legal force from Officer Pantaleo. analyst Jeffrey Toobin, On July 17, Eric Garner “McCulloch gave Wilson’s case was approached by a group of special treatment. He turned it police officers that accused over to the grand jury, a rarity Garner of illegally selling ciga- itself, and then used the investirettes. When the officers gation as a document dump, an attempted to handcuff Garner, approach that is virtually withone officer leaped on Garner, out precedent in the law of placing him in a chokehold Missouri or anywhere else.” the New York Police The National Bar Department deemed illegal in Association released a state1993. A few seconds later, ment, saying, “The National Garner was gasping for air as Bar Association is questioning his head was pinned to the ground by a group of But it’s evident that a racial bias police officers. exists when lethal white men are It was captured on arrested alive and unarmed black video. His last men are killed on the spot. words were, “I can’t breathe.” The medical examiner ruled how the grand jury, considering the death a homicide. Eric the evidence before them, could Garner was murdered in broad reach the conclusion that daylight on a sidewalk in Darren Wilson should not be Staten Island and, according indicted and tried for the to our justice system, that shooting death of Michael doesn’t warrant a trial. Brown.” Though the refusal to indict Video evidence confirms Officer Wilson in Ferguson was that in the case of Eric Garner, troubling at a minimum, there there was no scuffle with offiwere at least conflicting reports cers, except for the one manuregarding witness testimony, factured by police that resulted with some witnesses claiming in Garner’s death. Garner that Brown had rushed towards posed absolutely no threat to Officer Wilson. However, the safety of the surrounding according to a PBS NewsHour officers, save for being big and report on witness testimony, 16 black. How is that a police out of 29 witnesses claimed officer — who was in no danthat Brown held his hands up ger — can kill a man using an when Officer Wilson shot him, illegal chokehold and not go while more than half of the on trial? Why was Eric Frein, a white statements maintained that Brown was fleeing from Officer man who murdered one officer Wilson while being fired upon. and seriously wounded another,
taken alive after a two-month manhunt in Pennsylvania? Why was James Holmes, the white suspect in the Aurora theater shootings, who was donned in full combat gear and stocked with weapons, taken alive after killing 12 people and injuring 58? Why was a black 12-year old, Tamir Rice, shot and killed for holding a BB gun that was reported as fake, in less than a two second confrontation by a police officer on a playground in Cleveland? Why was Eric Garner murdered for selling cigarettes and standing on a sidewalk? I’m not advocating that police should have killed Frein or Holmes, but it’s evident that a racial bias exists when lethal white men are arrested alive and unarmed black men are killed on the spot. Police have an unenvious occupation and deserve to be recognized for their sacrifice and service, but that doesn’t excuse the few that abuse their power and position as a license to kill. Eric Garner’s death was not an unfortunate accident; it was an avoidable catastrophe resulting from a reckless police officer that had little fear of retribution from the judicial system. Police are justified in deploying lethal force either when they reasonably believe their life or the lives of surrounding bystanders to be in imminent danger or when keeping a suspect of a dangerous felony from escaping. Eric Garner was neither deadly nor dangerous, yet he is dead. Rather, he was murdered at the chokehold of an officer who was himself breaking the law. It’s time to hold police accountable. Jake Forken is a junior in the College of Human Ecology. He may be reached at jrf285@cornell.edu. My Forken Opinion appears alternate Fridays this semester.
A&E
8 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | Friday, December 5, 2014
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Sun’s Top 10 Movies of 2014 The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson
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Boyhood Richard Linklater
As easy to love as to hate, Boyhood has attracted and sustained so animated a discussion because of its perceived “relatability.” Some see themselves in Mason Jr.’s every milestone and indecision, while others resent that the all-encompassing sweep of the title points to yet another white boy from Texas. Both takes are correct, but what else is there in Boyhood? Its main subject, more than Mason, turns out to be time, and how it shapes who we are by virtue of its passing alone — doesn’t matter if you change for the better or keep making the same mistakes, because you’ll always be defined by your past. The film responds by moving ever forward, to the point where the story merely stops rather than ends. Past and future are palpable specters in Boyhood, pinned loosely by the enrapturing present of watching them all collide at once. — Zachary Zahos
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Snowpiercer Bong Joon-Ho
Snowpiercer, the first English language film from South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho, takes place aboard the Rattling Ark, a train that travels around a frozen, postapocalyptic world, carrying the only human survivors of said apocalypse. The film contains action sequences so thrilling and innovative (and non-reliant on special effects), I sat there saying to myself, “how did they even think of that?” This movie has something on its mind too, with the final act philosophically complicating the film beyond its simple 99-percenter premise. Snowpiecer may not be the best movie I saw this year, but it’s certainly the boldest and least pretentious one, one that doesn’t care whether people see it as a pure action film or an intellectual class allegory. How refreshing. — Jesse Weissman
Wes Anderson’s trademark appeal is providing audiences with elaborate visual mediums through which he conveys utterly absurd plots, characters and themes. While we are drawn to his quirky characters (and of course the actors who portray those idiosyncrasies), often times his convoluted, semi-psychoanalytical and illogical plots and themes distance some viewers. However, The Grand Budapest Hotel offers a historical fiction with relatable insights into the suffering in post-war Europe and what it means to overcome past struggles. The hotel itself serves as symbol of the characters’ journeys vacillating between success and slow decline, ultimately ending in a comfortable and content middle. Above all, the power of this film lies in its ability to highlight the universal human strive for relevancy even through the typical Anderson-esque eccentricities. — Harini Kannan
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Gone Girl David Fincher
The highly anticipated film adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s 2012 novel shocked audiences everywhere and created a realistic sense of horror. Ben Affleck played the unsettlingly stoic Nick Dunne, who fell under heavy suspicion when his wife Amy, made eerily calculating by Rosamund Pike, went missing on their fifth wedding anniversary. The lead actors perfectly portrayed the transformation from a happy and loving relationship to a marriage damaged beyond repair, and made the bizarre plot feel relatable. With a strong cast and constant twists and turns, the film kept the endless investigations from dragging and led entire theaters to jump out of their seats upon the dramatic revelation halfway through, never letting the suspense die down in this haunting tale.
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Whiplash Damien Chazelle
Whiplash, winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, is a virtuosic mediation on what happens when an artist goes too far with his craft. It is by turns exhilarating and punishing, far and away the most intense film of the year and certain stretches of it are downright painful to watch. I expected a leisurely paced indie drama, but a case could be made that this is one of the most violent movies of 2014 — on a psychological level. Razor sharp editing, wicked fast whip pans and tour de force performances from Miles Teller and a volcanic J.K. Simmons add up to an experience that leaves you drained and exhausted and yes, whiplashed, by the time it crashes off its last downbeat. — Mark DiStefano, Originally printed Oct. 14, 2014
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Melancholy is rarely done well in film. It is far too easy to drift into cynicism or, even worse, nihilism. Anton Corbijn managed the impossible with A Most Wanted Man, creating a spy flick that is impossibly sad but not once cynical. Philip Seymour Hoffman is impeccable in one of his final roles as the very dedicated German counterterrorist agent Gunther Bachmann. His acting is so methodical, so streamlined that it can seem plain or bland, but it is anything but. PSH worked in a league of his own, endowing each glance, scowl and cigarette — and the movie is full of them — with a mountain of passion and ferocity unlike any I’ve ever seen. Damn, we truly lost one of the greats. — Sean Doolittle
Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of the isolated sociopath, Lou Bloom, in Nightcrawler is already being compared to De Niro’s big roles of yore, due to its chilling misanthropy (“What if my problem wasn’t that I don’t understand people, but that I don’t like them?”) and clammy, desperate physicality: His eyes are bulging out of his head at all times, his hair is slicked back when he’s dressed to impress and tied up in a ridiculous top-knot when he’s setting in to do some grunt work (a twisted Violet Baudelaire) and he delivers every line, from chummy workplace jokes to blackmail demands to sermons on self-help with impossibly unnatural timing and inflection.
Anton Corbijn
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Birdman Alejandro González Iñárritu
Birdman is the actor’s film of the year. Not a single performance is anything less than a revelation, an exercise in commitment and passion toward a role. Michael Keaton should be a top contender in this year’s Oscar race for Best Actor for his comeback performance as washed-up action hero Riggan Thomson. Ed Norton’s role as the Daniel Day-Lewis-esque method actor Mike Shiner may be the funniest thing I’ve seen all year. It isn’t often that a Hollywood film about showbiz simultaneously skewers and exults the creative process this sharply and with such wit. In fact, I’ve never seen anything quite like Birdman, and I doubt I ever will. — Sean Doolittle
— Emily Fournier
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A Most Wanted Man
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Nightcrawler Dan Gilroy
— Kaitlyn Tiffany, Originally printed Nov. 3, 2014
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Guardians of the Galaxy James Gunn
In addition to Chris Pratt’s portrayal of the bumbling, music-loving underdog Star-Lord, the eponymous Guardians includes a vengeful alien assassin (Zoe Saldana), a kleptomaniacal raccoon (Bradley Cooper), a humorless superhero (Dave Bautista) and the world’s most lovable tree (Vin Diesel). Their mission? Stop the eye shadow-slathered, sledgehammer-wielding Ronan (Lee Pace) from destroying the entire galaxy. James Gunn and Nicole Perlman’s inventive screenplay delivers all of the bravado and excess of superhero movies while still crafting poignant backstories for the protagonists. In the end, Guardians of the Galaxy is a movie for comic book nerds, animal lovers, audiophiles, adrenaline junkies and anyone who just wants to see stuff blow up. — Shay Collins
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FoxCatcher Bennett Miller
Oscar forecasters are predicting multiple nominations for Foxcatcher, but rest assured the movie is better than that. There are few art house films, let alone mainstream films starring Steve Carell and Channing Tatum, that trust the eloquence of silence as much as Foxcatcher does under Bennett Miller’s direction. Prideful, solitary men exchange charged glances or else give one another the cold shoulder for long stretches of this multivalent and mysterious film, which critiques our plutocratic, flag-waving country with such precision that it’s doubtful any viewer can leave the theater without his or her mind racing. — Zachary Zahos
A&E
Friday, December 5, 2014 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | 9
All I Want for Christmas Is You Not Being a Jerk E very year, the morning after Thanksgiving, I find myself overcome by an odd sense of relief. A considerable contribution to this feeling has got to do with the fact that waking up provides me with the reassurance that the previous day of food consumption did not damn me to an eternal, inescapable food coma. But the larger aspect of this relief is that I can finally let myself enjoy the holiday season. See, I am a bit of a purist when it comes to the appropriate date to put up the tree or light the menorah (coming from a mixed religious background, I get to celebrate both Christmas and Chanukah, #SoBlessed). This means that no decorations should go up and no music should be played until after Thanksgiving. Call me a Grinch, call me a curmudgeon — both are likely appropriate titles. Yeah, it’s kind of messed up that other people’s joy for the holidays can bring me such frustration. But that is who I am. Give Thanksgiving its due respect, then prepare for whatever is next as much as you would like. Now, Christmas music can be a wonderful thing. As long as nobody jumps the gun, I really do enjoy the upbeat, carefree tunes that lead us to late December. The unifying excitement and good vibes are a nice break from the braggadocious chest-thumping that pervades so much of our current popmusic scene (come at me, Calvin Patten). So when I saw all the heat that Mariah Carey got for her recent performance of her classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” the other night, I was caught off-guard. And, frankly, kind of bummed out. To be clear, I am by no means an avid fan of Mariah Carey’s. Other than her Christmas classic and “Touch My Body” (a guilty pleasure, if I ever had one), I feel basically indiffer-
ent to her and her music. I hope this does not come off as my “LEAVE MARIAH ALONE!” moment. But I think her admittedly uninspiring (okay, totally brutal) performance of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and the subsequent criticism brings up a couple of questions. First, I think it brings up the lip-syncing conversation. And this is a conversation that I believe to be a bit more layered than one may assume. I think I can speak for pretty much everybody when I say that, in a perfect performing world, nobody would lip-sync, and everybody would be awesome. I don’t think I know anybody who would not prefer a genuine and impressive performance to a prerecorded track. People pay to see a good live performance, and expect to get what they paid for.
Evan Needell Needell in a Crapstack And people get pissed when they don’t. This has been made extremely clear by several instances of lip-syncing performances gone bad — notably Ashlee Simpson’s notorious Saturday Night Live mishap. That said, it is important to consider the artist’s perspective here. Let’s use Mariah Carey as an example. She has a song that a lot of people see as synonymous with their favorite time of the year. People want to see her perform, and she probably knows that seeing a live performance of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” will always be a holiday highlight for these
fans. But, maybe her vocal chords are not quite what they used to be. Those high notes get a bit harder to hit each year. Or maybe she has a cold. Or she does not work well with the frigid air. For whatever reason, this performance is not going to go well. So, there are two options. She can opt to lip-sync the song and risk disappointing fans and attracting criticism from self-righteous viewers who question her sincerity. Or, she can give a really bad performance, and become the butt of jokes from now until New Years. Clearly, both are far from an ideal situation. In an oddly admirable (but not particularly listenable) move, Mariah chose the latter option. And she is paying for it. I have seen countless people cracking jokes at her inability to hit her trademark high notes. Somebody even went as far as to isolate her vocal track completely, so you can really hyper focus on the star’s struggle. Under normal circumstances, I am not sure I would feel pity for Mariah. I am admittedly a bit harsh when it comes to underwhelming performances, and probably could be a bit more sympathetic toward celebrities (but, should I really be?). However, context is key here. Which brings me to my next point. Can’t people just be nicer during the holiday season? Like, c’mon people. This is a woman singing a holiday song that has been a staple for years. A light, feel good love song. All she’s trying to do is do her part in ushering in the holiday season. Mariah put herself out there, in a vulnerable position that few people have or ever will
COURTESY OF COLUMBIA RECORDS
experience and understand, and she has been made a laughing stock because of it. Aren’t the holidays supposed to be about treating each other kindly? Sure, it’s easy to blast her when you’re laying in your bed on your laptop. But you let me know when you have even a fraction of the impact on even a fraction of the number of people that Mariah Carey has had during holiday season. Maybe it’s just all of the holiday spirit that I have been warding off until after Thanksgiving crashing over me all at once. But if this cynical, overly critical Scrooge can give Mariah Carey a pass here in the name of the holiday spirit, so can you. With that, I will say happy holidays to you. Be kind, be generous. And remember — all I want for Christmas is you not being a jerk. Evan Needell is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be reached at eneedell@cornellsun.com. Needell in a Crapstack runs alternate Fridays this semester.
Yeezy Taught Me W
hen I was 13, I got really into Nirvana. Like many people, something about Cobain’s lyrics, sound and story captured my adolescent attention. I downloaded all of the songs I could find and bought a Nirvana shirt at JC Penny’s and for the first time in my life was truly a fan of an artist. Somehow, these grunge dudes from 15 years prior had made music that captured my frustration and angst and general discomfort with the world. For the next few years, I used YouTube to find new music. I listened to some really
Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and my life was changed. From then until I left home for Cornell, Fantasy was always on in my car. I knew (and still know) every word to every song. Subsequently, Kanye quickly imprinted himself on my brain. I can listen to “Runaway” and almost cry with him about self-hatred or “Monster” and erupt in accordance with Nicki’s uncontainable aggression or “Gorgeous” and consider the ramifications of existing racism. For a middle class white kid growing up on his family farm in the middle of nowhere, this was not just music, it was a gasp of fresh air. To listen to someone just pour himself out over some of the most beautiful tracks ever composed was a transcendent experience that changed many of my preconceived notions of art. Fantasy only briefly tempered my interest in other music — as I familiarized myself with it, I was left burrowing COURTESY OF KANYE WEST deeper into music, esperegrettable music, but I also started to find cially hip-hop. My initial forays were largely things that I liked but had not really been limited to commercially recognizable artists, exposed to previously. Among them was but I gradually expanded my horizons. Kanye West, whose hits I would occasionally Around that time, I discovered DatPiff and listen to. Somehow I learned about GOOD started downloading the hyped mixtapes of Fridays and, always one to take advantage of the day. Instead of merely passively consumeasy to find free music, downloaded the ing music that was placed in front of me via tracks. I immediately found some of the the radio or television, I gradually started to most beautiful, enticing music I had ever search out new acts and projects. Mixtapes heard. That Christmas, I received My by Meek Mill, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole,
Freddie Gibbs and many others quickly found their way onto my iPod. And as I walked around Cornell as a freshman, scared and confused by the size of the school and the various new demands, at least I had all these exciting artists and mixtapes tucked into my pocket. I will not claim to be the
Calvin Patten Patten Pending first onto the scene for any artist, but it still left me feeling like I had a secret and a friend. The last three years have seen me grow as both a music consumer and as a person. While hip-hop is still my most listened to genre, I have found myself enamored with artists from a vast swath of musical styles. It has been incredibly exciting to find new bands or acts, and I try and spend a lot of time listening to new projects. This is what led me to The Sun — I started reading all the music reviews it published, searching for good albums. Finally, fall of my junior year I made up my mind that I could do a passing job writing about music and sent in an email. What I quickly found was that, for me, writing for The Sun was not actually about being published, but instead was a weekly challenge to experience a piece of art and articulate my feelings about it. Finding time in between all the problem sets and studying and pressure of impending reality to really listen and consider a project in a
critical lens helped me balance myself and find a voice; it kept me sane. As you possibly inferred, this is my final column. I graduate this month, headed off to new and different things. It is an event that incurs both handwringing and celebration. But through whatever passes, I know that I have music and a critical opinion and Kanye West’s Fantasy. Is it enough to get me a job? Almost certainly not. I recognize my limitations. But it is enough to accompany, challenge and encourage me. One of the most upsetting things I have personally experienced in my time at Cornell is a general flight of enthusiasm. For people, for my studies, for my potential — a couple years here and you are left questioning what it is you ever saw. Music has been the most significant thing that has defied that trend: Every great new band and album continues to be a legitimate source of inspiration and joy. And for this, I really have to thank Kanye. Maybe I would have found out the beauty that lay beneath the top 40 veneered surface anyways, but between GOOD Fridays and Fantasy he genuinely changed what I believed music could do to a person spiritually. And from him to Kendrick to Danny Brown to Radiohead to Majical Cloudz to War on Drugs, I have spent the last few years on an accelerating free fall of musical discovery. Ultimately, what can I say? Yeezy taught me. Calvin Patten is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be reached at cpatten@cornellsun.com. Patten Pending runs alternate Fridays this semester.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
10 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, December 5, 2014
HOLIDAY COMICS (FEATURING POGO AND MR. GNU)
The Sun Wishes Its Readers a Happy Holiday Season
Pogo
Mr. Gnu
by Walt Kelly
The Woodruff series will continue next semester
by Travis Dandro
Mr. Gnu
by Travis Dandro
Mr. Gnu
by Travis Dandro
Mr. Gnu
by Travis Dandro
Mr. Gnu
by Travis Dandro
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, December 5, 2014 11
HOLIDAY COMICS (FEATURING MR. GNU)
Mr. Gnu
Mr. Gnu
by Travis Dandro
by Travis Dandro
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 SEC nickname 5 Seating choice 10 Skills 14 Islamic leader 15 What recon may provide 16 Famille member 17 Baseball, vis-àvis jai alai? 19 Award for Jessica Tandy 20 Poetic preposition 21 Short time, shortly 22 Wood shop tool 24 Scoff at 26 “Hooked on Bach” company 27 GE range, vis-àvis an Easy-Bake toy? 33 Spread 36 “A Challenge for the Actor” author 37 Commercial ending? 38 Appear dramatically 39 Hemingway and others 40 Letters on a cross 41 Tulsa sch. 42 Shell rival 43 Ryan of “Bones” 44 SpongeBob’s underwear, vis-àvis Mickey’s? 47 __ block 48 Certain evergreen seed 52 One taking a shot 55 Grub 57 One or more 58 “Sin City” actress 59 Jeep, vis-à-vis a Cadillac? 62 Buck 63 Its second movement translates to “Play of the Waves” 64 First name in design 65 Socks 66 Delight 67 Hill workers
DOWN 1 Human, e.g. 2 Love abroad 3 Auto attachment? 4 “__ being unreasonable?” 5 Like some rescues 6 “Picnic” playwright 7 Mus. direction 8 10-Down vehicle 9 Ins 10 Mission program 11 Self-named sitcom 12 Cut 13 Percolate 18 Fund 23 Large Hadron Collider acronym 25 It’s checked when it’s done 26 Capital of Rwanda 28 Inferior 29 Piglike animal 30 Grape site 31 Poet friend of T.S. 32 10-Down first name 33 Challenging roommate
34 1989 Lawn-Boy acquirer 35 Gravy base 39 Easily moved 40 Part of MIT: Abbr. 42 Yom Kippur War prime minister 43 Helpful 45 Film with Manny the Mammoth 46 Complete 49 “Heart of Georgia” 50 Sign into law
51 Wrap relatives 52 Get money for 53 “__ Rhapsody”: Brahms vocal work 54 Many CEOs have them 55 Stone of “The Help” 56 Miffed, with “in” 60 Flier with Chicago H.Q. 61 Kelly Clarkson label
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
12/05/14
xwordeditor@aol.com
By Marti DuGuay-Carpenter ©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
12/05/14
Sun Sudoku
Puzzle #1
Mr. Gnu
Mr. Gnu
by Travis Dandro
by Travis Dandro
Ljubljana, Slovenia’s Dragon Bridge is covered with 2004 holiday-season snow 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)
3 5
7 8
9
6
7 7 6
2
3
1
7 1
1
4 3
by Travis Dandro
6 5
5 4
3
8
9 C
Mr. Gnu
1
12 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, December 5, 2014
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Happy Holidays
to the Cornell Sun Staff From Travis Dandro
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, December 5, 2014 13
14 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, December 5, 2014
SPORTS
Big East Basketball Kicks Off With Bang Richardson,Native NEW YORK (AP) — The Big East got an early start on its conference season with eight of the 10 teams opening on Wednesday. It’s the second time in four seasons that the conference got a jump on play. The early start was caused by a new schedule that has the league playing its conference games on Friday and Sunday. The way the calendar falls with holidays and such it wouldn’t have been possible to start the final weekend in December which the conference did last year.
TIM CLAYTON / THE NEW YORK TIMES
Jump ball | Big East basketball got started on Wednesday with Seton Hall and Villanova both playing.
The men will begin their conference play in a New Year’s Eve marathon. The games Wednesday were competitive for the most part. Villanova and Providence got the day started with the Friars winning on Tori Rule’s running layup with two seconds left. No. 25 DePaul trailed Butler by six at the half before rallying for the 92-76 win. Seton Hall beat Creighton 79-74. St. John’s was only up three at the half over Xavier before turning the game into a rout in the second half. “This is the third game in five days for us,” St. John’s coach Joe Tartamella said. “They were excited and energized. I think it gave us a focus knowing it was a conference game.” Tartamella was an assistant at the school in 2011 when the conference also had an early opening date. “I can see it being weird for those who haven’t gone through it before,” he said. “However, as far as scheduling is concerned we control what we can.” The Red Storm (6-0) have been together since the summer after spending time overseas in Spain and Italy on a foreign trip. So the team has had more time than some others to get ready for the upcoming season. “We’ve been working for a long time now,” said Danaejah Grant, who had 23 points in the 65-42 win over Xavier. “It’s a good test for us to see where we’re at in our conference.” Marquette and Georgetown were the only two teams not to play conference openers. The Golden Eagles lost 79-53 to Auburn on Tuesday night. The Big East wasn’t the only conference to open early. The Big South began play on Monday with Charleston Southern facing UNC Asheville. The Metro Atlantic Athletic conference also opened Wednesday with one game on the schedule. The earliest a conference has opened its women’s schedule since 2000 as when the Colonial Athletic Conference had a game between Towson and Old Dominion on Nov. 16, 2001 according to STATS.
Of St. Louis,Calls For Peaceful Protest FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Sheldon Richardson felt helpless as he watched the scenes near his hometown unfold on TV and social media. The New York Jets defensive tackle was born and raised in St. Louis, just a few minutes away from the suburb of Ferguson, Missouri, where police officer Darren Wilson was not indicted by a grand jury last week in the shooting death of Michael Brown on Aug. 9. Protests, looting and burning buildings followed, and Richardson couldn’t do a thing about it. “Destroying Ferguson was not what I wanted to come from the verdict of the grand jury,” Richardson said Thursday. “I actually wanted my whole city to stay intact and I don’t think we’ll bounce back from that. Well, the area of Ferguson, anyway. That’s just how I feel about it. I just want my hometown to stay as peaceful as possible, but I don’t blame them. “I know where they’re coming from and I understand,” he added, “but that’s not the solution.” Richardson found out about the ruling after the Jets lost 383 to the Buffalo Bills in Detroit on Nov. 24. He wrote that night on Twitter that he wasn’t a “happy camper” because of the game, and because “they let this pig get off.” Last season’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year reiterated his frustrations — along with his “pig” comment — in an interview with the New York Daily News published Wednesday night. He stood by them again in the Jets’ locker room after practice Thursday. “Don’t get the word ‘pig’ wrong,” said Richardson, wearing a navy St. Louis Cardinals sweatshirt. “I mean, I meant that, but don’t take away from my message.” And, that message is? “A guy got murdered and a guy got off for it,” Richardson said. “It’s just that simple. It just happened out here in New York, too, so it’s not just in St. Louis. It’s pretty bad everywhere now. So much for the justice system.”
SPORTS
With so Much to Talk About, All Voices Deserve to Be Heard CHIUSANO
Continued from page 16
allow everyone to voice their opinions in whatever forum most suits them. And that extends from subtle forms of protest that may go unnoticed to more overt forms when a significant portion of the population is tuned in to watch. To say that it is unfair for athletes to try to be political activists because they receive so much screen time and media attention is counterintuitive. It’s true that American culture places too much emphasis on the sports and entertainment industries, but that’s just the nature of the beast. It seems backwards to me that we religiously watch football players beat up on one another, but when they take a stance on something actually important, we ignore it or condemn it because they are, after all, “only” athletes. There is an extensive and important history of athlete activism, dating back to household names like Kareem Abdul Jabar, Bill Walton (who was once arrested for barricading an administration building to protest the Vietnam War), Muhammed Ali and Bill Bradley. Some of that history is starting to resurface; NBA players expressed public outrage at Donald Sterling’s racist statements last year, members of the Miami Heat wore hoodies after Trayvon Martin was murdered and now the St. Louis players have spoken out. I truly hope that this athlete activism continues and is never squashed. When will NFL players fight back against the racist naming of one of their football teams? When will athletes across all leagues come together to create a truly accepting environment for homosexuals instead of sweeping the topic under the rug and only acknowledging it when a well-known
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Friday, December 5, 2014 15
Falling short
player comes out? A college football player died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound last week after repeatedly complaining about the effect of concussions on his mind. When will NFL players start talking about the crippling effect the game they are paid to play has on their bodies and minds? Athletes have important things to say, and we need to create an open environment for them to speak so issues like these can begin to be resolved. My brother went to the protests in New York City last night after yet another police officer was not indicted by a grand jury in the death of an unarmed man. When I spoke to my parents on the phone, they said they were worried about my brother getting involved. But I know they were speaking only as protective parents. My dad was tear-gassed himself while protesting the Vietnam War; he knows what it means to stand up for something and to think any differently would be hypocritical. Just as the opinions of athletes are sometimes brushed aside as unimportant, I think the ideas of young people are equally overlooked. As students we sometimes feel helpless, or even as though expressing our opinions is futile. Maybe it is. Maybe we don’t know anything because at 20 years old we haven’t experienced a hell of a lot. But there is no harm in talking about it, and there is so much to talk about. If any good has come from the incredibly depressing, often demoralizing last few weeks we have experienced in America, it is that people are talking, people are uniting. No voice is too small or insignificant. No voice should ever be silenced. Scott Chiusano can be contacted at sports-editor@cornell.edu. Who’s On First appears alternate Fridays this semester and next semester.
CONNOR ARCHARD / SUN SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Despite a career-high six steals and two blocked shots from senior guard Christine Kline, the Red was unable to defeat Buffalo last night.
Red Big Men Will Prove Pivotal Against Red Hawks Courtney credits depth of team, coupled with experienced veterans as keys to recent success M. B-BALL
Continued from page 16
those numbers did take a hit against the top competition at
the Charleston Classic, since its return, the Red has done well to play solid team defense. After allowing guards Sindarius Thornwell (South Carolina),
XIAOYUE GUO / SUN FILE PHOTO
Laying it in | After a year away from the team, sophomore guard Galal Cancer is back and playing a big role for a much improved team. He scored 24 total points in the Red’s two most recent victories.
Looking at Saturday’s D.J. Newbill (Penn State) and is a valuable asset for a Cornell Damion Lee (Drexel) to pick team that will look to turn matchup with UMass-Lowell, apart the Red defense for a heads throughout the season, the Red has to contend with combined 68 points in especially against top-notch another guard heavy lineup. Charleston, the squad has come squads like Syracuse, a team The top three scorers for the River Hawks are back with a balall guards, led by anced defensive sophomore Jahad attack focused on “We have started slow in the first half a Thomas who is playing suffocating few times, but our bench and experienced averaging just defense for a full shy of 16 points game, according to guys have kept us going by stepping up as per game. The head coach Bill the game progresses. ” Red holds a Courtney. major size advan“We didn't play Bill Courtney tage, with seven a full 40 minutes of players 6’7” or hard defense in Charleston, but we have been that plays the legendary and taller, while the Red Hawks able to improve on that in these unique 2-3 defense. Teams who only have one. With the senior big man past couple games,” Courtney rely heavily on one player for said. offensive production often trio of Deion Giddens, Ned Another factor that has become exposed very early in Tomic and Dave LaMore proven to be a significant the season. Courtney said that showing leadership and control advantage for the Red thus far the work of the bench com- in the past two games, they, is the versatility of its roster. bined with some veteran leader- along with Miller and Onuorah, should be heavily With a guy like Miller who can ship has targeted. Regardless of their stretch the floor with his shoot- made for an Cornell lack of size in the frontcourt, ing ability and battle inside, the attack that the River Hawks have managed Red has the ability to compete can fire to win six straight games since against a myriad of defenses. from all dropping their first two to start With three guards who can c y l i n d e r s the season, and the Red has the explode for 20 points a game w i t h o u t vs. opportunity to snap that on any given night in Cancer, relying on streak. Cherry and Hatter, along with starpower. The River Hawks should not the improvement of sophomore The Red be overlooked, as they bring a guard Darryl Smith, the Red c u r r e n t l y unique offense and quick has the unique ability to defer has four UMass Lowell defense to the table. If the Red scoring to a variety of players p l a y e r s can replicate the solid defense it throughout a game. averaging Tomorrow, 4 p.m. has featured for the last two “Our guys understand their double figNewman Arena games and utilize its size, the roles and have been executing ures. squad will be in a good position game plans well. We have been “ W e to remain undefeated at home getting the ball into the right have started hands, and stepping up in the slow in the first half a few and extend its win streak to second half,” Courtney said. times, but our bench and expe- three games. Being able to defer offensive rienced guys have kept us going production, coupled with some by stepping up as the game pro- Amir Patel can be reached at multi-faceted offensive players gresses,” Courtney said. sports@cornellsun.com.
Sports
The Corne¬ Daily Sun
FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014
16
MEN’S HOCKEY
Surging Icers Take On Tough Denver Squad By JOON LEE Sun Staff Writer
The Cornell men’s hockey team is approaching a pivotal point in the season with its upcoming weekend series against the University of Denver. The Red rides a threegame winning streak into the weekend following a lackluster start to the season. With the team’s record back even at 4-4-1 (3-3 ECAC), head coach Mike Schafer’s ‘86 squad looks to build on its recent offensive prowess when it matches up against the Pioneers and potentially complete the turn towards what could be a winning season. The Red and the No. 10 Pioneers (8-3) will face off at Lynah Rink for the first time since an early January series in 2013 in the Mile High, a set of games that Denver swept 5-1 and 2-1. During the series, senior forward and team captain John McCarron was involved in a brawl that led to 30 penalty minutes for obscene language and abuse of officials, claims both the senior captain and Schafer repeatedly denied. For Schafer, the weekend series represents more than just two games. “It’s like a playoff series, and coming “We want to be physiinto it, you know it’s cal and disciplined.” a 120-minute game,” Schafer said. “The Mike Schafer ’86 things you do in the first 30 minutes on Friday are going to pay dividends in the last 30 minutes on Saturday. We want to be physical and disciplined, and make sure that we put bodies on people as often as we can.” Schafer said that the team’s past history with the Pioneers is irrelevant. The entire Denver coaching staff were not a part of the series. “There was a lot made of that at the end of the
MICHELLE FELDMAN / SUN SENIIOR EDITOR
Leaving the past behind | Senior forward John McCarron was involved in a scuffle last time the Red faced off against Denver, but head coach Mike Schafer ’86 said that the conflict is “water under the bridge” over a year later.
Saturday night game, but it’s water under the bridge,” Schafer said. “In looking back at it, it was a long time ago, and a lot of players on both teams weren’t even in that series. It’s about two teams right now, with a great opportunity for both teams.” The recent winning streak is the result of a spark on the offensive end for the Red. After struggling to put the puck in the back of the net despite multiple scoring opportunities, Cornell appears to be making it’s way out of the darkness on the offensive end. During its win streak, the Red has outscored opponents by a 10-3 tally. While the weekend games against the Pioneers are nonconference games, senior forward Joel Lowry, who is tied with sophomore forward Matt Buckles for the team lead in goals with three, said that it is imperative for the team to collect out-of-conference points. “Getting only one point against [University of Nebraska, Omaha] really hurt us, and we really need these two wins,” Lowry said. “Especially against a team from the
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Red Looks to Extend Win Streak Courtney’s squad will use height advantage against UMass Lowell By AMIR PATEL Sun Staff Writer
ENOCH NEWKIRK / SUN FILE PHOTO
Coming alive | Sophomore guard Darryl Smith had his first big game of 2014 last week, scoring 13 points while going eight-of-nine from the free throw line.
NCHC, [Denver] is going to have some big wins and nationally, if we can get these two wins, it’ll help us a lot.” The Pioneers come into Ithaca riding a winning streak of their own, lighting the lamp eighteen times against their last three opponents. Denver’s top line, featuring freshman wing Danton Heinen, center Daniel Doremus and wing Trevor Moore are tied for the team in points with 13 apiece. Sophomore goalie Mitch Gillam, who currently ranks third in the nation in save percentage while stopping nearly 95 percent of pucks shot in his direction, will certainly be put to the test against the fifth best offense in all of college hockey. “It’s going to be a great challenge for us,” Schafer said. “They’re a great hockey team, they’ve got one of the best power plays in the country and some of the most mobile defensemen in the country.” Joon Lee can be reached at sports@cornellsun.com.
Athletes Can Be Activists,Too
O
n Sunday, the St. Louis Rams made headlines for more than their 52-0 shellacking of the Raiders. Five Rams players walked out onto the field before the game with their arms raised above their heads in the “hands up, don’t shoot” pose that has swept the nation following the decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson. The gesture by the players was both lauded and decried in the aftermath, and a New York Times article reported that the
With some excitement surrounding the Cornell men’s basketball program again, the Red looks to extend its win streak to three on Saturday when it welcomes UMass Lowell (6-2) to Newman Arena. After dropping three games at the Charleston Classic, the Red rebounded with wins against Canisius and Binghamton to secure consecutive wins for the first time since February, 2013. The Red has put an emphasis on defense and utilizing its experience, both of which are major parts of the identity that the team is forming. This gradual formation of a true identity has been a big plus for the squad. It is clear that the Red is heavily dependent on the backcourt for offensive production, with guards Galal Cancer, Robert Hatter and Devin Cherry combining to average 34.4 points per game, more than half of the team’s overall average. However, the maturation of sophomore forward David Onuorah, along with the return of senior forward Shonn Miller, has given the Red an evenly balanced attack both offensively and defensively. On the defensive end, the Red leads the Ivy League in opponents field goal percentage (37.3%) and defensive rebounds per game (27.6). While
St. Louis Police Officers Association said it was “profoundly disappointed” with their actions. In a press conference, St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher said, “It’s my personal opinion, and I firmly believe, that it’s important that I keep sports and politics separate. I’m a head coach. I’m not a politician, an activist or an expert on societal issues.” It’s true that Fisher is no political expert. Neither are his players and neither are, seemingly, the millions of college students and young adults across the country who are trying to make their voices heard through peaceful protests and sit-ins. When it comes to social politics, nobody is an expert, and that is why it is both important and productive, I think, to
See M. B-BALL page 15
See CHIUSANO page 15
Scott Chiusano Who’s on First