2023.01.23 entire issue hi res

Students Bring Energy Back to Campus

Cornellians return from a winter break full of family, friends and travels

By JIWOOK JUNG Sun Assistant News Editor

As plow trucks cleared the streets of Ithaca after a full night of snow, many Cornellians strapped up their backpacks to trudge through the snow and secure a seat at their first morning lecture of the spring semester.

To many Cornellians, winter break meant a long journey back home. For Amanda Yongvanich ’26, it meant a 19-hour flight to Bangkok, visiting her family for the first time since starting Cornell.

“I was excited to see my family again, [along with] my sister and my dog, because this was the first time that I have been away from them for quite a while,” Yongvanich said.

Yongvanich told The Sun that she spent substantial time reconnecting with her hometown friends while unwinding and recharging from her rigorous first semester at Cornell.

“I was also excited to reconnect with friends because most of them were coming back from their colleges,” Yongvanich said. “[I] took time to relax and be away from the academic environment.”

Some Cornellians took meaningful trips that connected to their personal values and widened their views. Tobie Bertisch ’25 took this time to travel to Israel, a place of personal and religious

significance.

“I am Jewish, and going to Israel is meaningful and powerful. It’s a homeland,” Bertisch said. “The emotions are very high.”

According to Bertisch, her experience traveling provided opportunities to explore her interests and academic inquiries on current issues that Bertisch sees in the media.

“There is a lot of conflict in the Middle East right now. It was very interesting to hear the perspectives of the people who are actually living there,” Bertisch said. “More personal individual stories make the issue more

tangible. That was very powerful.”

Many students voiced that they missed the community, friendships and experiences Cornell and Ithaca foster.

“I missed my friends,” Bertisch said. “I love school. I love the people here and the energy.”

Yongvanich voiced that she missed the Ithaca campus and the independence of living alone in college.

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

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

New University Esports Facility Set to Open Soon

By CHRISTINA MACCORKCLE Sun Staff Writer

Later this spring semester, students can expect full access to the new Esports Gaming Lounge located on the second floor of the Robert Purcell Community Center.

According to Cornell’s Student and Campus Life website, the Esports Gaming Lounge will feature gaming PCs, popular PC games, TV stations and lounge seating. When the lounge opens, students will be able to attend drop-in times for unscheduled solo or multiplayer gaming and reserve spaces for student events.

According to Senior Director of Campus Life Marketing and Communications Karen Brown, the Student and Campus Life office hopes that the lounge will bring together students with a shared interest in gaming.

“While the lounge will help support our registered esports student organizations in their practice and help them participate in tournaments, it also provides an additional recreation space on campus for students to build community and socialize with friends,” Brown said.

Former Cornell Librarian Runs for Legislator Seat

By SOFIA RUBINSON Sun News Editor

Residents of Tompkins County District 3, which includes parts of Collegetown and North Campus, are eligible to vote on Tuesday in the special election for County Legislator.

Following the passing of Legislator Henry Graniston that left a vacancy on the Tompkins County Legislature, the Tompkins County Democratic search

committee selected Susan Currie as the Democratic candidate for District 3 Legislator.

Currie, former director of Tompkins County Public Library, is running unopposed, but write-in candidates are still eligible.

A resident of Tompkins County since 1979, Currie worked at Uris and Olin Libraries at Cornell for 24 years before starting her role as director of TCPL in the middle of the 2008 recession. Currie inherited a deficit of $750,000, which she closed while working closely with the County Legislature.

“It demonstrated to me the direct impact of the infrastructure of our government and the impact of local neighborhoods, and I became really interested in how the County managed all of its agencies and departments,” Currie said. “I saw a lot of issues when I was in the library: homelessness, mental health, health care needs, housing, so I saw the direct impact of the government on our community.”

While library director, Currie said

she led a fundraising campaign to

Popular on-campus esports organizations include Esports at Cornell, with teams in competitive gaming tournaments like League of Legend, Dota 2 and CS:GO. The opening of the lounge can help further these gaming interests.

Brown said she hopes this increased student connection will ultimately contribute to student well-being.

“Increased opportunities to make connections and create strong bonds with peers are critical to overall health and well-being — a key factor in personal and academic success,” Brown said.

Echoing Brown’s hope, students expressed excitement about the prospect that the new space would bring together amateur players and professionals.

improve the facility, which included establishing a new maker space, teen center, digital lab, local history room and increased space for special collections. Currie is also involved in the Tompkins County Historical Commission, which allows her to immerse in the local community.

In a Tompkins County Democratic Committee press statement, search committee co-chair Ann Sullivan said that Currie had a track record of good service to Tompkins County.

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

“There are defi- nitely lots of people dedicat ed to esports,” Sebastian Waizenegger ’26 said. “I know that there is a big gaming community in Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall, so maybe they will move to the lounge.”

Christina MacCorkcle can be reached at cmaccorkcle@cornellsun.com.

Voting | Susan Currie runs her campaign for legislator seat uncontested.

JULIA

First day | Bundled in coats, students head to their first day of classes ready to seek new challenges and growth opportunities.

MING DEMERS / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

“I saw a lot of issues when I was in the library: homelessness, mental health, health care needs, housing...”

Susan Currie

Students React to Spring COVID-19 Reminders

By ERIN YOON Sun Staff Writer

As winter break comes to an end, Cornellians are returning to campus and preparing for the semester ahead. Despite the lifting of COVID-19 precautions over the past semester, the University has conveyed its hopes to maintain a safe community through a mass email that was sent out to the student body on Jan.19.

The email covered a variety of protocols, ranging from COVID-19 testing to air travel. Students are still encouraged to wear masks, test for COVID-19 at various locations on campus and must provide evidence of a negative test upon returning from international travel. Such guidelines intend to provide a framework for a safe and seamless transition back to campus, according to the University.

William Liu ’25 emphasized the relevance of the message to the current situation.

“The first weeks [of the spring semester] feel like a very critical time, because students are coming from different places,” Liu said. “The guidelines on air travel specifically apply to international students and [those who] have traveled

overseas, so it’s clear that there are rules for all circumstances.”

According to Liu, the recent outbreak in China, Hong Kong and Macau is a major concern for students who are traveling from those areas. The negative COVID-19 test policy for airlines and masking options on campus relieve a bit of the stress produced by the virus, Liu said.

Jorge Rodriguez ’23 expressed dismay toward the implication that the pandemic lives on.

“I am concerned about how this semester will be spent,” Rodriguez said. “Because it’s my last one, I was hoping to feel more free from regulations.”

While Rodriguez believes that COVID-19 protocols are needed for the student community to stay safe, they still restrict a large portion of his everyday life.

“[COVID-19 regulations] have definitely loosened up compared to a couple of years ago,” Rodriguez said. “But it is a little frustrating to have these dangers around after such a long time of following regulations.”

Other students reported to have felt safer after reading the email.

“It’s relieving to see that the school still acknowledges COVID-19,” said Hannah Smith ’26. “I

appreciate that the email also mentioned the flu and RSV, which have also been going around this winter.”

According to Smith, the guidelines are a necessary set of regulations for students living both on and off campus. They remind Cornellians to consider their surroundings and demonstrate respect for both those who are ill and those who fear becoming ill, Smith added.

The protocols provided by the email are intended to be recognized and practiced throughout the entire coming semester. This spring, the University strives to establish a healthy living and learning space for students. Such intentions are executed best through collective efforts to keep one another safe from illness, according to the University.

“Considering guidelines is not only a reliable way to slow the spread of COVID-19, but to show affirmation for the rest of the community,” Smith said.

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

Erin Yoon can be reached at eyoon@cornellsun.com.

Currie Runs for County Legislator

ELECTION

Continued from page 1

“She brought a combination of experience and a record that made us think that she would be a super representative,” Sullivan said in the press statement.

If elected, Currie says her top priorities would be tackling housing, food security, mental health and women and children issues. She hopes to join the health and human services committee.

“As a citizen, what I read about is people not having adequate housing. I know that there have been issues with people having to live outside. That’s concerning, especially since we have harsh winters,” Currie said. “That is why it is something that is important to me. I used to see people in the

library who had great needs.”

Despite the election being uncontested, Currie still believes turning out to vote in this special election is an essential duty.

“Participation in voting is one of the civil liberties we have in this country. It shows support for the candidate. Every candidate needs the support of the community,” Currie said. “But there’s a practical reason too. By voting regularly, you keep your voter registration active.”

Since she would be representing many Cornellians, Currie said she hopes to stay engaged with the Cornell community.

“I would be interested in hearing from [Cornell students], what their concerns and questions and issues are,” Currie said. “I loved working with students when

I worked at Uris and Olin Libraries. I worked with a lot of student employees and I learned a lot from them. So I think it’s a real opportunity.”

Currie hopes to carry out the legacy of Graniston, who she worked closely with during her time at Cornell and TCPL. Before being elected Legislator, Graniston worked at Cornell Law School and volunteered at the Public Library.

Voting will take place on Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Alice Cook House at the corner of Stewart and University avenues, South Hill School on Hudson Street and the Bell Sherman annex on Cornell Street.

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

Postal Information: The Cornell Daily Sun (USPS 132680 ISSN 1095-8169) is published by the Cornell Daily Sun, a New York corporation, 139 W. State St., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. The Sun is published Tuesday and Thursday during the academic year, and every weekday online. Three special issues — one for seniors in May, one for reunion alumni in June and one for incoming freshmen in July — make for a total of 61 issues this academic year. Subscriptions are: $60.00 for fall term, $60.00 for spring term and $120.00 for both terms if paid in advance. Standard postage paid at Ithaca, New York. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Cornell Daily Sun, 139 W. State St., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850.

Upperclassmen Share Tips for Securing Summer Internships

By JULIA SENZON Sun Staff Writer

Summer internships are coveted positions for many Cornell students. While applying to internships can be overwhelming for many students, upperclassmen who found success in securing a spot at their dream companies, reflected on their experiences.

Many students dedicate time over winter break and the beginning of the spring semester towards internship recruitment. While some industries, such as consulting and finance, begin recruitment in Sept. and Oct., others like hospital-based healthcare and real estate, begin recruitment in Jan. and Feb.

Through summer internships, students can apply their classroom knowledge in labs, companies and nonprofits. Students have the opportunity to explore potential careers to determine their future career paths.

their search,” Beckwith said. “And particularly for STEM opportunities, even though a lot of applications close at the end of the fall [or] beginning of the spring semester, the earlier you can identify internships you’d like and get started on your

“It is so important to be flexible and coachable as an intern, and to consider what tangible and transferable skills you can gain from the experience to utilize in future endeavors.”

personal statement, the better.”

Spencer Thieme ’24 was a High Road Fellow while interning at Frontline Arts Buffalo. At the organization, Thieme researched and gathered data surrounding arts funding disparities in the greater Buffalo area.

“Talk to older students who are interested in the same kinds of things as you are.”

As a rising junior, Bianca Beckwith ’23 spent the past summer interning at Rutgers University.

“I was one of three summer research interns in Dr. Ron Hart’s lab studying DNA damage in brain cells resulting from chronic alcohol exposure,” Beckwith said. “The internship was through their NeuroSURP initiative.”

According to Beckwith, the hands-on lab experience at her job helped Beckwith grow her research skills in neuroscience research.

“There was a lot I did not know regarding the background of the research, so I had to take on the per-

sonal responsibility of doing readings on my own and filling gaps in my knowledge,” Beckwith said. “[This taught me to] pursue my own curiosities and seek out information in a way that is different from class.”

Paige Phillips ’24 interned at Peacock at NBCUniversal from June 2021 to April 2022. At Peacock, she reviewed Saturday Night Live seasons and worked on media age ratings.

Phillips also interned at Bank of America in its New York City office from June 2022 to Aug. 2022 where she worked as a wealth management summer analyst. In Aug. 2022, Phillips worked with Bain Partners and Consultants as a part of the Building Entrepreneurial Leaders Program. There, she helped music labels partner with streaming ser-

RPCC To Launch Student Esports Lounge

Cornell unites community through esports

ESPORTS Continued from page 1

Non-gamer students also agreed that the new facility would lead to a larger gaming community on campus.

“I am excited for the gaming community,” said Chloe Yun ’26. “I have people on my floor whose rooms are filled with gaming equipment — how great is it that in the lounge they can game together in the new lounge and bond over it.”

Other students had some

logistical questions regarding the space.

“I am a little confused about how we will save our progress — if I want to game, I also want to save my progress so I can continue later,” said Peter Radzio ’26.

Despite the uncertainties before the lounge’s opening, students on North Campus are excited about how it can bring peers together.

“I think as a freshman it’s easy to be confined to your dorm building in terms of who you game with because it’s easier to access people’s rooms who are close by,” Yun said. “But in the lounge, you can feel united.”

vices.

By immersing herself in various industries, Phillips gained greater industry exposure and a clearer understanding of her future career field.

“The media, entertainment and finance industries are dynamic and fast-paced — which is something I love,” Phillips said. “It is so important to be flexible and coachable as an intern, and to consider what tangible and transferable skills you can gain from the experience to utilize in future endeavors.”

In terms of gaining such exclusive positions, Beckwith said that it was helpful to network with older Cornellians and apply early.

“Definitely reach out to upperclassmen about what research experiences they had and how they started

Thieme also said that talking to other Cornell students can provide valuable insights.

“Talk to older students who are interested in the same kinds of things as you are,” Thieme said. “People are a lot more willing and excited to help than you would expect.”

Talking to Cornell alumni can similarly aid the internship search, according to Phillips.

“The Cornell Alumni Network was extremely helpful to me when looking for and securing an internship,” Phillips said. “It was quite beneficial to set up virtual coffee chats and informational interviews to learn more about potential career paths and how successful alumni navigated that landscape post-Cornell.”

Julia Senzon can be reached at jsenzon@cornellsun.com.

Clubs Prepare for ClubFest

By ERIN YOON Sun Staff Writer

As campus organizations prepare for spring recruitment, many Cornellians are looking forward to joining student-led organizations and clubs. ClubFest is held in Barton Hall on Sunday, Feb. 5, and offers students a space to explore various Cornell communities.

Ranging from publications to reuse initiatives, a multitude of student clubs will be promoting their visions and initiatives at the event.

Crème de Cornell, the university’s only student-run food magazine, works to connect students passionate about food at Cornell.

According to Robert Brooks ’23, president and editor-in-chief of Crème, the magazine has over 80 members.

Ultimately, Crème members aim to utilize ClubFest to recruit members and expand their social media presence, especially on Instagram Reels and TikTok, on which the future of food media lies, according to Brooks.

“We realized a great way to stir up excitement around the Crème brand is by hosting bake sales with an angle,” Brooks said. “For example, we launched a cannoli cart last semester where we’d sell cannolis and pass out magazines on Ho Plaza. We found that a lot of people discover us through sales like

this, and we’ll likely continue them this semester to create more buzz around recruitment.”

Similarly, Cornell Thrift, dedicated to promoting sustainable fashion and clothing reuse, hopes to gain momentum through ClubFest.

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

Karen Brown

Christina MacCorkle can be reached at cgm223@cornell.edu

“The main goal for the [Fall 2022 semester] was to create a more socially engaging experience for the club as a whole,” Brooks said. “The one main thing we’d like to improve upon for this upcoming semester is creating more opportunities for collaboration. This will primarily look like members across subteams working on creative projects with one another.”

“Increased opportunities to make connections and create strong bonds with peers are critical to overall health and well-being”

Internship search | Amidst recruitment schedule, students spend long hours in the library in efforts to secure an internship at their dream companies.

LEILANI BURKE / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

MING

/ SUN STAFF

Spencer Thieme ’24

Paige Phillips ’24

Editors in Training

Lili Mkrtchyan ’25 news deskers Jiwook Jung ’25 Julia Senzon ’26

Xinyu Hu ’24 sports deskers Grayson Ruhl ’24 arts desker Nihar Hegde ’24 ad layout Stella Wang ’25 photo desker Julia Nagel ’24

Te Rongo Band Brings Ithaca History to South Hill Cider

KIKI PLOWE SUN STAFF

There’s always live music at South Hill Cider on Thursday nights. On Dec. 8, I had the pleasure of listening to the Rongo Band, an Appalachian folk band steeped in Ithacan history. The Rongo Band used to play at the Rongovian Embassy, a famous local music venue about 30 minutes north of Cornell in Trumansburg, New York, until the venue closed in 2016.

An eclectic mix of characters filled the audience at South Hill Cider: A man with a bubble-braided beard, couples in Carhartts and women with floral knitted headbands. Women linked arms and danced. Strangers introduced themselves to people at different tables, shaking each other’s hands and swapping compliments. The venue served cider and small plates of food, including an excellent cheese plate. I felt like I had stepped through a portal to a tavern in a video game.

The Rongo Band played instrumental music for the first hour, with a viola, banjo, guitar and stand-up bass. Then, halfway through the set, they introduced some vocals and swapped out the banjo for a second guitar, shifting into a more folksy sound. The combination of two guitars with layered voices achieved a romantic and wistful tone, as the band sang, “You can tell winter is coming.”

The band kept time with tapping boots and the lumbering bass, with a fast-paced wandering energy. The quartet played together seamlessly — their 15 years of practice together came through in their tight sound and coordinated starts and finishes.

“It’s like Appalachian fiddle music. [...] This is actually still considered Appalachians,” said Richie Stearns, the band’s banjo player, in an interview with me. His kind of music has been in the Ithaca area since the music scene in the 60s and 70s. Dressed in denim overalls, with a gentle voice and affect, Stearns shared, “There was a scene here when I was a kid. I used to go hear bands play all the same songs that we’re playing now. And I learned from the older people around here that are very open about teaching them.”

While the band has been playing together for 15 years, Stearns has been playing the banjo for 45. He listed Maxie’s Supper Club, Deep Dive and West End Saloon as among the other venues that the band and other rock bands have played at since the late 60s. “Everything is just starting to come back [after COVID], and I just would encourage people to go out and hear local music to help bring the scene back,” Stearns said. Cider and cheese aren’t the only reasons for going out and listening to local music; it’s also a great excuse to get out of the Cornell bubble for a night. Driving only 15 minutes from my house on North Campus brought me to an entirely new world in Ithaca.

The town and farmlands around us are rich with culture and experiences. For aspiring musicians especially, get-

ting off of Cornell’s campus and into the community around us is even more important. There is much to be learned from the stories of local musicians.

The knowledge and legacy of the Ithaca music scene in the 60s and 70s is not somewhere buried in a vault — it’s all around us. Stearns imparted on me at the end of our conversation, “If you really love music, you should play it because you love it. You’re never going to make a nickel out of it. Don’t do it for money. Do it because you love it.”

JEENAH MOON / THE NEW YORK TIMES

Kiki Plowe is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at kplowe@cornellsun.com.

COURTESY OF GABRIEL DAVILA

The Corne¬ Daily Sun Independent Since 1880

140th Editorial Board

VEE CIPPERMAN ’23 Malvern, Pa. Editor in Chief

SERENA HUANG ’24

East Brunswick, N.J. Business Manager

EMMA LEYNSE ’23 Leonia, N.J. Associate Editor

DEVAN FLORES ’24 St. Augustine, Fl. Web Editor

KATHERINE YAO ’23 Dublin, Ohio Opinion Editor

SOFIA RUBINSON ’24 Islip, N.Y. News Editor

JOHN COLIE ’23 West Paterson, N.J. Arts & Culture Editor

JULIA NAGEL ’24 Wilmette, Ill. Photography Editor

MEHER BHATIA ’24 Edison, N.J. Science Editor

KATRIEN DE WAARD ’24 Naperville, Ill. Production Editor

ANDIE KIM ’24 Seoul, South Korea Multimedia Editor

AIMEE EICHER ’24 Manhattan, N.Y. Assistant News Editor

SARAH YOUNG ’24 Warren, N.J. Assistant News Editor

NIHAR HEGDE ’24 San Jose, Calif. Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

CLAIRE LI ’24 Palo Alto, Calif.

Assistant Photography Editor

GABRIELLA PACITTO ’24 Bronxville, N.Y. Assistant Sports Editor

GRAYSON RUHL ’24 Manhattan, N.Y. Assistant Sports Editor

DANIEL BERNSTEIN ’23 New Rochelle, N.Y. Senior Editor

MADELINE ROSENBERG ’23 Chappaqua, N.Y. Senior Editor

ANGELA BUNAY ’24 Staten Island, N.Y. Managing Editor

TRACY ZENG ’24 New York City, N.Y. Advertising Manager

SURITA BASU ’23 Lexington, Mass. Assistant Managing Editor

NAOMI KOH ’23 Mamaroneck, N.Y. Assistant Web Editor

ELI PALLRAND ’24 Los Angeles, Calif. News Editor

ESTEE YI ’24 Manhattan, N.Y. News Editor

KAYLA RIGGS ’24 San Jose, Calif. City Editor

AARON SNYDER ’23 Manhattan, N.Y. Sports Editor

TENZIN KUNSANG ’25 Chicago, Ill. Science Editor

PAREESAY AFZAL ’24 Rawalpindi, Pakistan Assistant News Editor

JIWOOK JUNG ’25 Seoul, South Korea Assistant News Editor

ADITI HUKERIKAR ’23 Canton, Mich. Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

DANIELA WISE-ROJAS ’25 San Ramon, Calif. Assistant Dining Editor

JASON WU ’24 Albany, N.Y. Assistant Photography Editor

KEVIN CHENG ’24 Newtown, Mass. Newsletter Editor

RUTH ABRAHAM ’24 Syosset, N.Y. Assistant Sports Editor

JYOTHSNA BOLLEDDULA ’24 Lexington, Mass. Senior Editor

HANNAH ROSENBERG ’23 Chappaqua, N.Y. Senior Editor

Editors in Training

Fresh Snow and Sun

FOR THE FIRST DAY of classes in the new year, Ithaca welcomed its students with a snowstorm. Yesterday morning brought crisp air, bright white quads and all the excitement of a fresh slate. Like the first day of any semester, it also brought The Cornell Daily Sun back to our regular publication schedule. We’ve resumed our daily stream of reporting on team sports, state politics, campus updates, student organizations, Ithaca sightseeing and more — all to facilitate an active, informed community. You’re here to make new friends and learn new subjects. We’re here to keep you in the loop.

Throughout 2023, our editors, writers and staffers will be hard at work breaking news and documenting Cornell’s history. As our editorial election season begins, we train a new generation of student journalists to take the reigns of The Sun. The 140th editorial board prepares to pass the torch to the 141st, ensuring another year of proudly independent student journalism. We promise to produce ethical, accurate stories for all members of Cornell and Ithaca’s varied communities, continuing our mission as we enter our 143rd year.

As always, we invite you to join us. We couldn’t do our unique work without committed readers, donors and friends, and we thank you for your continued support. This semester, you can catch The Sun daily on our website and twice a week in print. We welcome your input as we create dialogues, highlight multiple perspectives and chase the biggest stories on campus.

Each new semester presents new opportunities, for The Sun and for Cornell’s student body. We will strive to transcend our highest standards, and we hope you’ll do the same within your lives. This time of year, the days are short — but Cornellians make the most of each one, and The Cornell Daily Sun reappears every morning. – V.C.

Robert Gritton Guest Room

It’s Time to Stop Buying Bottled Water

Cornell’s year of water has come to a close. While Cornell’s Take back the Tap initiative’s water droplet shaped sculptures have educated students about the importance of our tap water, many Cornellians still seem to have missed the message.

According to the initiative, we buy between 350,000 and 400,000 single-use water bottles annually on campus alone. Students at the University continue to purchase single-use water bottles, even though our tap water is perfectly safe and much more cost effective. To help save both our wallets and our environment, Cornell students should stop buying bottled water today.

Choosing to drink from the tap could save us a lot of money. The Cornell campus community collectively spends $650,000 on single-use water bottles every year. That same volume of water would cost just $1,000 if it came from the tap — 650 times cheaper. For individuals, single use water bottles can cost a dollar or two, which doesn’t seem like much at first. However, over the course of an academic year, this can add up to several hundred dollars.

Tap, the bottles that we buy come at the cost of 115,000 tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to burning 265 barrels of oil. In comparison, drinking water from the tap has no associated plastic waste while emitting much less carbon dioxide than bottled water per gallon.

Many people prefer bottled water because they don’t trust the tap water. This lack of trust is understandable. Cornell’s students come from a wide range of places, some come from areas where tap water has a stigma against it, or is unsafe to drink. I am from Tennessee, where bottled water is quite popular. Tennessee’s tap water is perfectly safe to drink, but it nonetheless gets a bad reputation for supposedly causing kidney stones.

When I moved to Cornell, I opted not to drink the tap water out of habit. Since learning of the excellent water quality here, however, I have refrained from purchasing single-use disposable water bottles. Moving to Cornell is a chance for people like me — and the other 15,000 undergraduate students — to change their behavior. It’s a chance for us to switch on the tap.

Angela Bunay ’24 managing desker Gabriella Pacitto ’24 opinion deskers Hugo Amador ’24 Noah Do ’24

editor in chief

Lili Mkrtchyan ’25 news deskers Jiwook Jung ’25 Joanne Hu ’24 Julia Senzon ’26 sports deskers Grayson Ruhl ’24 arts desker Nihar Hegde ’24 ad layout Stella Wang ’24 photo desker Julia Nagel ’24 layout deskers Kate Kim ’24

Reusable bottles, on the other hand, are a one-time purchase, and a cost effective one at that. The Cornell store, for example, sells good quality metal bottles for $30. After only a month this bottle will have paid for itself, and continue holding your water for years to come.

Bottled water doesn’t just hurt our wallets, it hurts our environment as well. Each year, we buy around eleven tons of water bottles, most of which don’t get recycled. These bottles end up in landfills or as litter, cluttering the otherwise beautiful nature that surrounds our campus. According to Take Back the

If you’re an undergraduate: Safe, clean tap water is mere moments away from your dorm room. Buy a water bottle, from the Cornell store or otherwise, and bottle it yourself. All students and staff also have access to Cornell’s water bottle refill stations found in many buildings on campus, which makes filling a reusable water bottle just as easy as going out of your way to buy a disposable one. Tap water is cheaper, more sustainable, and just as convenient as bottled water.

There is no excuse to continue paying into the scam that is bottled water.

Robert Gritton is a freshman in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Comments can be sent to opinion@cornellsun.com. Guest Room runs periodically this semester.

TOAD MODE

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)

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Men’s Hockey

Men’s Hockey Beats Princeton

Te Red completed a weekend sweep with its 3-2 victory over the Tigers

By RUTH ABRAHAM and JANE MCNALLY Sun Assistant Sports Editor and Sun Staff Writer

After a stellar 21-save shutout from sophomore goaltender Ian Shane and a takedown of No. 1 Quinnipiac, No. 16 Cornell (12-6-1, 9-3 ECAC) looked to ride the momentum into its final regular season matchup against Ivy rival, Princeton (10-11, 6-9 ECAC).

Malinski’s wrist shot into the top corner of the net.

Despite some key saves by Shane in the closing minutes of the first, the Red could not finish the period unscathed, as Princeton’s Pito Walton collected his own rebound and fired it over a sprawling Shane.

With the game tied at one goal apiece, the second period once again brought more special teams action and quality saves from both netminders.

The special teams were what made the difference in the 3-2 win over the Tigers. All three of the Red’s goals came on the man advantage.

“The power play carried the day,” said head coach Mike Schafer ’86.

The opening minutes were evenly contested with significant saves on both ends, including a point blank shot from the slot that was smothered by Shane. Play shifted in Cornell’s favor when Princeton committed a holding penalty in the first period. The Red broke the ice 33 seconds into the power play when junior forward Gabriel Seger flawlessly tipped senior defenseman Sam

Princeton went on the power play for the first time after sophomore defenseman Hank Kempf was called for holding. Immediately after killing the penalty, Cornell was awarded their second power play. The Red applied pressure, but the score remained tied as time expired.

The Red once again went on another power play after a hooking call on the Tigers. Cornell’s persistence paid off when freshman forward Sean Donaldson broke the 1-1 tie with just under five minutes remaining in the period. Donaldson wristed a shot over the shoulder of Princeton goaltender Ethan Pearson for his third goal of the season.

But the Tigers were not done: Similar to the first period, Princeton sustained a long offen -

sive zone shift and figured Shane out, this time after junior forward Jack O’Leary took a slashing penalty. A cross-crease pass was tapped in by Princeton’s Liam Gorman with just over two minutes remaining in the period.

Cornell entered the third period tied once again. However, the Red was able to convert on its fourth power play of the evening with a goal by freshman forward Dalton Bancroft. It was Bancroft’s second goal of the weekend after scoring against Quinnipiac the night prior.

Special teams remained a consistent theme in the third when Bancroft and Princeton’s Mike Kennedy took coinciding minor penalties for cross-checking and embellishment, respectively. The Red dominated possession but could not pull away from its opponent.

Mitchell who blocked a final second shot, stood tall and came out with the win.

“Probably the best defense we played was the last seven minutes of the game,” Schafer said.

All three Cornell goals being power play goals were notable since Princeton has one of the toughest penalty kills in the ECAC. They are No. 1 in the conference and No. 5 in the nation with five total shorthanded goals. “They’re a tough team. They move their feet, [and] they work hard in the corners,” Malinski said. “[And it cost us] a couple times, not being as disciplined as we need to be with our sticks and we just can’t be taking stick penalties throughout any game because it’ll end up breaking the game or changing the whole pace in momentum.”

Both goaltenders had solid showings. Shane made 27 saves in the win, while Pearson finished with 24.

The Red will hit the road this Friday, Jan. 27, when it travels to Hanover, New Hampshire, to take on Dartmouth.

Despite some late offensive zone pressure by the Tigers after pulling their goaltender, Shane and the Cornell defense, including senior defenseman Travis

Ruth Abraham can be reached at rabraham@cornellsun.com. Jane McNally can be reached at jm2452@cornell.edu.

Shot block | Sophomore goaltender Ian Shane has been central to the Red’s success, racking up 21 saves on Friday and 28 saves on Saturday.

LEILANI

“Probably the best defense we played was the last seven minutes of the game.”

Mike Schafer ’86

“The power play carried the day.”

Mike Schafer ’86