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The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 136, No. 68
MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2020
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
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COVID-19 Coverage From This Weekend
BORIS TSANG / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
COVID-19 Hits Tompkins County
A slope day | Students lounge on Libe Slope on Friday following the announcement that classes were canceled until April.
‘Fairly unchartered waters’
Cornell Suspends Classes For First Time in History
By JOHNATHAN STIMPSON and MEGHNA MAHARISHI
view with The Sun. With COVID-19 spreading seemingly unabated — the number of confirmed cases spiked 30 percent overJust as students booked flights and bus tickets, they night to 421 in New York State — Cornell officials said faced the latest COVID-19 pandemic shock on Friday the accelerated timeline was necessary to give students morning when President Martha E. Pollack canceled the chance to begin making travel plans. classes until April 6. “The greatest shift that I was feeling was the Uncertainty now permeates Cornell’s concern … travel, [which] is becoming campus, as students have now been told more difficult, certainly downstate, in to leave as soon as possible. New York,” said Sharon McMullen, The surprise announcement Assistant Vice President of Student reflects a looming concern that the and Campus Life for Health and current outbreak will worsen by Well-being. spring break. Vice President for The practical logistics of askStudent and Campus Life Ryan ing over 13,000 students to vacate Lombardi conceded that “in all campus is one that leaves a host of likelihood it’s going to show up in unsolved questions. the county if it hasn’t already.” Lombardi had sent out an email Even though Tompkins County to students living on-campus earlisaid that there were still no confirmed er in the week, asking them to fill cases in a Friday afternoon press conferout a form for housing accommodations. ence, Tompkins County administrator Jason COURTESY OF THE CENTERS While the form’s deadline has been extended Molino declared a state of emergency, shutter- FOR DISEASE CONTROL to Sunday, Lombardi said that the majoriing local schools. ty of students who filled out the survey said “As you look across the country right now, we’re in fairly unchartered waters,” Lombardi said in an interSee PRECAUTION page 4
On Saturday, the Tompkins County Health Departmet released in a health advisory that an individual in Tompkins County has tested positive for the COVID-19 disease. The individual, a member of the Ithaca College community, is in mandatory isolation. Along with this case, 52 others are under quarantine and 15 await test results. - See Page 5 New York State Calls State of Emergency
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the federal, New York State and Tompkins County governments have all called a state of emergency. In Tompkins Couny, secondary education schools have been closed until April 13. Peer institutions Ithaca College, Syracuse University and SUNY Cortland have instituted virtual classes. - To read the full story visit www.cornellsun.com
Sun Managing Editor and Sun Assistant Managing Editor
Despite Safety Warnings, Students Party On By ALEC GIUFURTA Sun Senior Editor
It’s a tale of two Cornells: There are parties, bars and profane bedsheets; but also panic, hasty departures and those self-quarantining after studying abroad. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some students are scrambling for plans to self-quarantine while others defy social distancing. On Saturday, daytime yard parties — colloquially known as “darties” — dotted Collegetown, including one at the East Seneca Street annex of a Cornell organization. Hanging
from the house’s balcony was a bedsheet-turned-banner, spray-painted to read “I’m not fucking leaving,” just a day after President Martha E. Pollack’s announcement to cancel classes starting Friday at 5 p.m. Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi condemned these parties in a Sunday afternoon email, writing, “Some students – particularly those living off campus in Collegetown – have chosen to use the suspension of classes to host or attend large parties,” he wrote. “Hosting or attending a large party is exactly the opposite of what you
should be doing in this moment,” he continued. Social distancing, a popular defense to the COVID-19 contagion recommended by experts, is what prompted Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) to cap bars and restaurants to 50 percent capacity. In a GroupMe called “martha can’t make us leave,” with over 2,000 student members, the conflict these parties posed to social distancing was on full display –– revolving around the Catherine Street Block Party schedSee PARTY page 5
Campus Reacts to Cancellations
From first-year students concluding their rookie year on campus, to international students considering for a second time if they depart from the U.S. and go home, to workers in Ithaca responding to recent economic changes, people from the Cornell community and greater Ithaca area react to Cornell’s decision to cancel classes. - See Page 3
BORIS TSANG / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Students Scramble to Box Belongings
With the announcement on Friday that Cornell classes were suspended for the rest of the month, students rushed to pack up and go home. In order to do so, they looked for boxed storage, which became overwhelmed with the unexpected demand at the time, causing large backups in stores like Collegetown’s UPS, shown above. - See Page 5 Weill Cornell Maintains Some Activity
Weill Cornell Medicine, while also transitioning classes to virtual instruction, has kept some of its operations open for the time being, such as their main residence hall or hands-on clinical activities. This differs from other institutions in the New York City area, as other medical schools in the area have shut down all operations. - To read the full story visit www.cornellsun.com
2 The Cornell Daily Sun | Monday, March 16, 2020
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The Cornell Daily Sun | Monday, March 16, 2020 3
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Freshmen Shocked as Move-Out Day Comes Early By MADELINE ROSENBERG Sun Assistant News Editor
Moving carts piled with stuffed duffle bags and cork boards rolled out of North Campus dorms on Saturday, as first-year students vacated their halls and gave up their room keys — less than 24 hours after the University suspended classes and urged them to return home two months early. As parents flooded campus and “I’ll miss you”s floated through residence hall stairwells, some first-year students fled campus as soon as President Martha E. Pollack’s Friday email reached their inboxes. Residence halls are emptying, and other first-years are packing up to leave Cornell in the upcoming days. “My world has flipped upside down,” said Ayesha Chowdhury ’23, helping a friend pack up her car outside of Jameson Hall. “The vibe on campus has shifted and we no longer enjoy it. Yesterday was fine before classes were cancelled, but now there’s nothing to look forward to. It sucks.” Chowdhury booked a flight home to Minnesota for later on Saturday, but according to William Melancon ’23, some first-years left campus in the middle of the night after they heard Friday’s announcement. Melancon managed to rebook his flight home to California, and waited for a car to the Ithaca airport on Saturday afternoon. “Between getting all my stuff together, packing up and saying bye to my friends, it’s been a very emotional and stressful time,” Melancon said. “I think it’s really unfortunate, but that’s how it is sometimes.” Sabrina Martin ’23 joins Melancon on a winding journey back to California. Martin has not yet booked a flight home to the golden state, but she departed campus on Saturday to temporarily stay with family friends in upstate New York after a “frantic” 24 hours. First-year students who hail from areas particularly affected by COVID-19 have been some of the fastest to rush out of campus.
BORIS TSANG / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Packing | Freshmen prepare to move out of their rooms in response to Cornell University’s notice to evacuate campus. Salima Ali ’23 of New York City said her parents drove the four hours to Ithaca less than 24 hours after they received Pollack’s email. Standing in her Donlon Hall dorm room beside bare walls and a stripped mattress, Ali would return to the city as soon as she finished packing. Her roommate had already left. Ali, like many other first-years lamenting the loss of what would have been their first Slope Day and cherry blossom-filled spring, longed for more time to process her departure. “It is really hard to go so quickly and say goodbye to freshman year,” Ali said. “I feel like I didn’t get a sense of closure because it ended so quickly, but I know the
University has its students’ best interest at heart.” Resident advisors must also navigate the departures of their hundreds of first-year students. Noah Russo ’22, a Donlon R.A., said he wished residential programming received more information from the University about the move-out process, which he called “hectic” and “very confusing.” “It’s sad,” Russo said. “I feel like a lot of people feel like their freshman year got cut off way too short. That’s the major sentiment that I’m getting.” Madeline Rosenberg can be reached at mrosenberg@cornellsun.com.
International Students’ Plans in Disarray Due to Policy Changes By GIRISHA ARORA
spreads. Paliwal appreciated that Cornell canceled classes while everyone struggled to situate themselves, but For first-year Lin Poyraz ’23, wished there had been a single uniCornell’s consistent policy changfied decision, instead of the current es over the last week have taken situation with numerous changes. an expensive toll: On Saturday “I just wish they had thought morning, she rebooked her flight through it first and said this all to Turkey for the fourth time in at once, than have three different five days. emails come out saying three difA Risley Hall resident, Poyraz ferent things — it’s consistently is currently booked on a Sunday changing,” Paliwal said. flight to her home country — The first announcement that changing her travel plans twice in students received about Cornell’s less than 24 hours, after she learned approach to containing the that Turkish students studying coronavirus was on March 10. in Europe have until Monday to President Pollack encouraged all return to the country. Turkey also undergraduate students to leave announced it was not accepting campus and go to their “permaflights from certain countries in nent home residence” Europe starting Friday, and after spring break, there are limited flights “If I go to Denmark, I can’t come back announcing that virtual incoming from Japan and instruction would begin South Korea. into the U.S., so me leaving, is me on April 6. The evolutionary biololeaving ‘till August.” Following this inigy and anthropology major tial announcement, the said it is only “a matter of Kenisha Paliwal ’22 22 percent of students time” before U.S. students at Cornell who are may be added to the list. international rushed to Poyraz added that she is find answers about how profesglad Cornell cancelled classes on semester. “If I go to Denmark, I can’t sors would deal with time zones, Friday, as she otherwise may have been blocked from her country by come back into the U.S.,” Paliwal whether they would be allowed said. “So me leaving, is me leaving to stay on campus and if the spring break. University would provide refunds Poyraz’s most recent flight till August. ” As of 11:59 p.m. on Friday, any or storage solutions if they did plan changes were motivated by President Martha E. Pollack’s foreign nationals trying to enter to leave. The initial announcement announcement Friday afternoon the United States who were in that the University would suspend Europe’s Schengen Area — 26 came on Tuesday and, just when all classes starting at 5 p.m, urg- countries stretching from Iceland students were getting used to their ing students to “de-densify” the to Greece — in the past 14 days semesters being cut short, Pollack campus to address concerns over will not be allowed to enter for announced Friday afternoon that the COVID-19 outbreak. This the next 30 days, according to classes would be suspended later reversed the administration’s deci- a directive issued by President that evening, with all students sion from earlier in the week to Donald Trump. It is unclear if encouraged to leave as soon as hold in-person classes until March there are plans to enforce further 27 as professors transitioned to travel restrictions as the pandemic See TRAVEL page 4 Sun Senior Writer
CAMERON POLLACK / SUN FILE PHOTO
Space needs | Ithaca’s restaurants can no longer exceed half capacity.
Ithaca Service Workers Condemn Gov. Cuomo’s Half Capacity Order
By CHRISTINA BULKELY Sun Sports Editor
Already reeling from an impending exodus of Cornell students, Ithaca restaurants were hit with yet another obstacle on Friday: Facing a seemingly unabated rise in COVID-19 cases, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) put forth an executive order on Friday afternoon requiring all businesses in the state to limit their capacity to 50 percent going forward. Most service workers heard about the decree shortly before the dinner rush hit, sending them scrambling to limit seating in order to comply. At Viva Taqueria, a Mexican-themed downtown restaurant, empty sour cream containers marked every other table as one that was unavailable to patrons.
“We normally have five table sections for servers, we’re down to three table sections now,” said Lexi, a hostess at Viva Taqueria, who did not want to be identified by her last name. “We took half the barstools out, but there’s nothing we can really do about people standing around the bar.” For servers, the executive order creates a direct constraint on their earning potential. As the number of patrons is forced into decline, money earned from tips is expected to see a dramatic dip. “I hate [the order] because we’re already gonna be strapped for trying to make bills and stuff because everybody’s afraid to go out,” said Spike Brooks, a bartender at The Chanticleer. “I understand we’re trying not to spread the disease, but [the order See RESTAURANTS page 4
online classes, with full virtual instruction set to begin April 6. Due to this latest development, international students’ decisions were flung into further disarray. Some who were earlier staying on-campus until the beginning of spring break or previously had plans to remain in Ithaca now scrambled to make plans to leave the country as soon as possible. Kenisha Paliwal ’22 of Denmark had planned to stay in her sorority house after Pollack’s initial announcement on March 10. Now, she is getting ready to vacate her room — a decision she is afraid of because it means that she might not be able to re-enter the United States until next
4 The Cornell Daily Sun | Monday, March 16, 2020
News
Policy Twists Frazzle Intl. Students’ Plans SUDDEN
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COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Taking flight | The Ithaca Tompkins International Airport deals with the fluctuating travel plans of COVID-19 triggered panic.
Ithaca Airport Faces Flight Turmoil By Ari Dubow Sun City Editor
Just two hours after Cornell announced that classes would be suspended Friday at 5 p.m., airplanes left Ithaca only partially full, with customers either canceling their tickets or simply not showing up for their flight at all. Airlines that fly in and out of the Ithaca Tompkins International Airport — American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines — have received a barrage of calls from customers hoping to reschedule their travel plans, since President Martha E. Pollack’s surprising Friday announcement, said Mike Hall ’86, director of the local airport. These airlines did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. Hall said that he had been informed by the Transportation Security Administration that the number of passengers on flights over the coming weekend is expected to drop by 20 percent. Yet, Hall was optimistic that a potential exodus of students could boost the numbers of passengers on flights. “The longer this goes, the greater impact this has on the airport budget,” Hall said, adding that airport administrators do not expect to reduce the airport’s services, and no employees will be laid off. The worse the situation gets, the more important airports become, Hall said. Closing the airport is out of the question. “That’s not something we even think of,” Hall said. “For something like that to happen there would have to
be an enormous meltdown of society.” Hall said that in an emergency of this scale, transportation centers become crucial hubs for facilitating relief efforts. “Our position here is to project determination and strength,” Hall said. The private and charter flights department at the airport also have reason for concern as a result of the cancellation of high percentage of flights travelling through Ithaca over the next week, according to Amy Jacot, a customer service representative for private and charter flights at the airport. “We’re going to lose a lot of business, we’re going to lose a lot of revenue,” Jacot said. As of now, schedules and security procedures at the airport remain the same. In the last several weeks, airport facilities have been taking thorough sanitation precautions, such as wiping down surfaces with disinfectant spray, as well as posting signs around the premises discouraging international travel. Hall, who is an Ithaca native and Air Force veteran, said he hasn’t dealt with a crisis of this scale since becoming airport director in 2018. “It’s kind of like a warm spring day with a strong cold front coming from the west,” Hall said, of the crisis. “You know it’s going to rain, you just don’t know how badly.” Ari Dubow can be reached at adubow@cornellsun.com.
possible. Later that afternoon President Trump declared a national emergency and Tompkins County Administrator Jason Molino also declared a state of emergency, closing all K-12 schools in the local area until April 13. There is currently one confirmed case of coronavirus in the county. Fabio Cabrera ’23 is also uncertain whether to stay in Ithaca or return home to Colombia. As a freshman, he is in a unique position as he is one of the few first-years living in off-campus housing. He currently plans to stay, but he is still evaluating the “many variables” to see whether he should go back to Colombia — from his visa status to his country’s health system. Cabrera said he thinks there is much more opportunity for the virus to be controlled in Ithaca than in Colombia, but is concerned that if Colombia shuts its borders to contain the virus, he would be stuck here. “The situation is very stressful,” Cabrera said. “I’m trying my best to stay here, but the cost of living is higher in the U.S.” While Cornell’s decisions created confusion for many internationals, others received word about their housing petitions being approved to continue staying on campus and were feeling secure about their near future for the first time in a week. At 4:30 p.m. Friday, Beijing resident Yue Ji ’23 received confirmation that her petition to continue staying on campus had been approved. She knew she had wanted to stay on North Campus from the start with all the resources to go to school and her plans have not changed, even with the two-week suspension. Ji plans on using the newfound free time to work on coding projects and making videos with her friends. Now that her petition has been approved, Ji is allowed to continue living in her room in Low Rise 7. However, it is possible that she could be asked to move to another residence hall if the University decides to shutter some on-campus dormitories. “When I confirmed my petition, the University made clear that they can ask me to move out and to go to another dorm any time,” she said. Overall, even though Ji has her housing secured, she is still confused in this “uncertain time” and not sure who to turn to for help. “I feel like I am kind of lost,” Ji said. Girisha Arora can be reached at garora@cornellsun. com.
Cuomo Orders Half Cornell Admin Explain Sudden Policy Change Students encouraged to leave and classes postponed until April 6 Capacity Policy PRECAUTION
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they intended to leave campus. Students living on-campus that leave will receive a rebate for housing and meal plans, though the exact amount has yet to be determined. In anticipation of swelling unemployment, President Donald Trump announced on Friday that interest on federally-backed student loans would be deferred — but the University has yet to address potential changes to financial aid or deadlines for tuition payment.
“We're going to be relying on all of the members of the community.” Sharon McMullen Despite Friday’s turn of events, many students living off-campus want to stay in Ithaca. But for those planning to remain, McMullen urged students
who plan to stay in Ithaca to not leave the city and travel to other states that have become epicenters of the virus. “We're going to be relying on all of the members of the community, both the Cornell community and the larger community to exercise caution during this unprecedented time,” McMullen said. With classes suspended for almost the next month, significant adjustments to Cornell academics are likely to take place. The drop deadline has been extended from March 17 to April 21. Though no plans have been confirmed, the University is also contemplating shifting the semester to account for the lost two weeks of instruction. “We are currently exploring the regulatory requirements related to our academic calendar,” said John Siliciano, deputy provost. “It is likely there will be some shifts later in the semester to account for the break from active instruction this month, however, no changes to the academic calendar have been made at this time." It is unclear if the pandemic will affect University operations in the fall
semester. Amidst widespread fear and frustration over the pandemic, Cornell Health will continue to offer its mental health
“It will require a lot of ongoing work and fluidity as we make our way through this.” Ryan Lombardi services to students who remain on campus for these next two weeks. “The full extent of how this bears out for, you know, for individuals for cities, towns, economies, everything is yet to be fully realized,” Lombardi said. “It will require a lot of ongoing work and fluidity as we make our way through this.” Johnathan Stimpson can be reached at jstimpson@cornellsun.com. Meghna Maharishi can be reached at mmaharishi@cornellsun.com.
RESTAURANTS
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is] not helping anybody.” Brooks was not alone in believing that business was already naturally cut down before Cuomo’s order. According to the bartender, fear among the general public has already kept business from being as busy as it would be sans-pandemic. According to Lexi, the Governor’s forced reduction in capacity takes the onus off patrons to monitor their own safety. “I sort of think that if you’re going to come out to eat, then that risk is on you,” Lexi said. And, though The Chanticleer does not generally fill to capacity, Brooks expressed anxiety at potentially having to
turn people away at the door. “That’s just going to be a headache,” Brooks said. But reactions to the order are mixed, ranging from Brooks’ “I hate it” to praise from Manpreet Chandhar, a server at Taste of Thai. Highlighting the importance of containing the coronavirus’ spread, Chandhar hailed the dramatic measure as a boon to public health. “If a government implements something, it means to take care of the people,” Chandhar said. “It’s a good rule.” The order went into effect at 5 p.m. Friday and is currently slated to last 30 days. Christina Bulkely can be reached at cbulkely@cornellsun.com.
The Cornell Daily Sun | Monday, March 16, 2020 5
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Despite Warnings, Students Pack Parties PARTY
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uled for Monday –– an event usually held post-finals week in May. As of Sunday evening, most Facebook events for the Catherine Street Block Party had been taken down. One Facebook event, that was started and then canceled, had 459 members that marked “going or interested” at one point. Lilian Hawkes ’21, currently trapped in Sicily, Italy, posted in the GroupMe chat denouncing Monday’s planned block party, stressing that the event may be “the reason [COVID-19] spreads to the Ithaca population.” “Like I’m sorry we lost our last semester here,” Hawkes wrote in the GroupMe, “but this is really not the way to handle it.” Some shot back. “If you’re so concerned just don’t show up, it’s simple,” Charles Plechner ’20 wrote. Collegetown bars have also been busy since Pollack’s original Tuesday announcement — which said at the time that classes would be canceled after spring break. On Wednesday, lines for Level B and Hideaway stretched down Eddy Street. At Loco, hoards of students visited over the weekend. “It’s been pretty packed … I was surprised by how many people were inside [the bar],” said Jacob, a bartender at Loco. The condemnation for the events were echoed across campus. Moving her daughter out of North Campus on Sunday, Ella Ilan said she felt “very torn for the students.” She understood how “sad it is for them,” but expressed the need to practice social distancing. Jeanette Melgor, another parent moving her firstyear out, was shocked that students weren’t acting with precaution, noting the counterintuitive nature of the parties: “The reason why we’re moving out is [social distancing].” Students who escaped Europe — witnessing the pandemic’s fury — held a more urgent attitude toward the virus. Livia Caligor ’21, who was studying abroad in Paris, France, watched the disease unfold. Caligor flew from Paris-Charles De Gaulle Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport on March 12, noting a complete lack of screening for COVID-19 at either airport. “I chose to go home when Cornell was giving us the choice,” she said. Cornell gave Caligor the option to leave on March 5. Now self-quarantined in New York City, Caligor shared her frustration with this weekend’s parties. In quarantine, Caligor lives isolated in an apartment. She has her own mini-fridge, and a small kitchen. “In the city I really love being out,” Caligor said. “I got
home three days ago and I’ve been doing pretty much nothing.” “People don’t really understand the privilege they have to throw those block parties,” said Caligor. Her family in China can’t leave their homes besides one the occasional grocery run by one family member, she said. Brianna Patek ’21 attributed her escape from a study abroad program in Madrid, Spain, to a 2:30 a.m. phone call from a frantic friend: Patek thought that President Donald Trump’s European travel ban applied to her And while she realized later that day that the ban did not apply to U.S. citizens, Patek made a dash for home: New Jersey, where she’s now self-quarantined. Patek paralleled the situation she experienced in Spain to that in the U.S. today. “I’ve seen how bad it got in Europe. I had to basically run from Spain, I see how bad it’s getting here and how unprepared we are.” Patek — calling from her basement — said that despite the boredom that comes with self-quarantining, it is necessary. Three days into self-quarantining, she’s passing time by facetiming friends “just to have that social contact,” and occasionally walking through her basement’s storm door to get fresh air in her backyard. “Hearing that there’s all these huge packed parties, I’ve seen the pictures, I know that this block party is happening tomorrow,” Patek shared. “People really need to start taking [COVID-19] seriously.” Lombardi urged students to depart Ithaca as soon as feasible, noting a possibility of domestic travel restrictions and plead that students try to “flatten the curve.” In an email to Cornell students on Sunday evening, Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi issued a plea, imploring students to leave Ithaca as soon as possible and refrain from attending large public gatherings. The message came in response to a weekend that saw some Cornellians attend off-campus parties in Collegetown, celebrating what suddenly became the final weekend of some students’ collegiate careers. “Hosting or attending a large party is exactly the opposite of what you should be doing in this moment,” Lombardi wrote. In addition to encouraging social distancing, Lombardi said students should leave Ithaca as soon as they can. “There is a possibility that domestic travel may soon be restricted by the federal government, so even if you have plans to leave in another week it might not be possible to do so,” he wrote, adding a reminder that university facility and services access would be “extremely limited.” Raphy Gendler ’21 contributed reporting. Alec Giufurta can be reached at agiufurta@cornellsun.com
ASHLEY HE / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Area first | As cases swell statewide, Tompkins County reported its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus.
Tompkins Gets First COVID-19 Patient By MEGHNA MAHARISHI Sun Assistant Managing Editor
An individual in Tompkins County tested positive for COVID-19, the Tompkins County Health Department announced in a health advisory on Saturday. The individual — a member of the Ithaca College community — became symptomatic on March 5, right before the college’s spring break. “While this is the first case of COVID-19 in Tompkins County, we are prepared to respond to limit future exposures and community spread of the virus. We are looking to our community to take shared responsibility by practicing social distancing and helping each other during the weeks to come,” stat-
ed Frank Kruppa, Public Health Director. The individual’s sample was tested at the New York State Department of Health’s Wadsworth Laboratory in Albany. Currently, the individual is in mandatory isolation at home and nurses in Tompkins County are working to determine if there was any additional exposure. The nurses are now in daily contact with any other individuals who were potentially exposed to the student on March 5 or later. As of Friday afternoon, there are 52 people in Tompkins County under quarantine and 15 waiting for test results.
Meghna Maharishi can be reached at mmaharishi@cornellsun.com.
Cornell Secures Free Student Storage, Cutting Into Local Vendors storage for their belongings in Ithaca, change their moving dates sooner or canthe administrators wrote, just under two celed their requests, presumably opting to hours after President Martha E. Pollack’s take advantage of the free option. announcement. Lombardi and Nishii “We’ve been cut out of so many of Since Tuesday’s announcement of canpromised forthcoming details. our markets,” Huber said of the concerns celed classes, students scrambled to secure These storage operabout losing business and a spot to store their belongings until the paying employees. ations started just after fall semester. “Cornell is not According to Huber, the initial announceThe rush threatened storage companies Cornell will be partnerment on Tuesday to around Ithaca, most of which weren’t precommunicating with shift to virtual instrucing with local companies us about what the plan including Storage Squad tion. to provide free storage Ezrabox, a is.” for Cornell's on-campus peer-to-peer storNick Huber ’12 students. He said there age platform, will be a five box limit sent a mass email per customer — worth to Cornellians Thursday to promote their services. $185 through Storage Squad. But Cornell hasn’t announced further They received hundreds of requests, according to Connor Reinhold ’22, details as of Friday evening. “I think storage was pretty far down chief marketing officer for Ezrabox. “We were getting people by the the list of critical campus situations,” minute,” Reinhold said, explaining Huber said. “Cornell is not communicatthat the sheer number of requests was ing with us about what the plan is. We also becoming “difficult” for the small learn information when the students do operation to handle. The storage plat- and we see a big spike in traffic on our form has since stopped accepting new website.” Storage Squad employees were also booking requests. Storage Squad, a Cornell alum- concerned about germs while moving ni-founded business, has seen over through dorms and possibly infected stu450 student requests since Tuesday — dents, Huber said. half of their typical yearly requests — The plan — as far as he knows — is according to owner Nick Huber ’12. to deliver boxes to on-campus residents, “Our whole world is a mess,” have students pack and label their belongHuber said of the nationwide abrupt ings and pick up the boxes in early April closures. When the announcement to mitigate contact. BORIS TSANG / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Campus exodus | President Martha E. Pollack’s Friday declaration that all students should leave dropped, Huber rushed to Ithaca to field requests and set up shop. Kathryn Stamm can be reached at campus immediately resulted in a swarm of students (above) scrambling for storage boxes. Scores of students have tried to kstamm@cornellsun.com. By KATHRYN STAMM Sun News Editor
pared to field an influx of business months before the end of the semester. However, these same businesses now will see a sharp decline in their yearly sales, due to the latest announcement from Ryan Lombardi, Vice President for Student and Campus Life, and Lisa Nishii, vice provost for undergraduate education. On-campus residents will receive free
6 The Cornell Daily Sun | Monday, March 16, 2020
News
HANNAH ROSENBERG / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Elections | The Student Assembly suspended its elections in light of the worsening COVID-19 crisis. BEN PARKER / SUN ASSISSTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR BORIS TSANG / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Loading up North | First-years began to make their exits as Cornell’s latest announcement encouraged students to leave and postponed online classes to April 6.
Hanging in there | Students make the most of a couple of free days.
BORIS TSANG / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Next steps | School spirit runs high as Cornellians lament the sudden end to the semester — the “Far Above Cayuga’s Waters” alma mater is scrawled across the steps.
HARRY DANG / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Sunny slope | Cornell empties out as Tompkins County announced its first confirmed case on March 14.
HANNAH ROSENBERG / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Ides of March | After Friday’s announcement, campus hubs like Ho Plaza have started to empty.
BORIS TSANG / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Boxed up | In a rush to move students out of Ithaca, Cornell partnered with local storage companies.
BORIS TSANG / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Final review | Students spend time studying at Duffield Hall on the final days of classes, before the announcement of class suspension.
HANNAH ROSENBERG / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Precaution | Masks and Purell are common accessories for those working under COVID-19 stress.
A&E
Monday, March 16, 2020 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | 7
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Brass Players on the Arts Quad
EMMA PLOWE SUN ARTS EDITOR
No one knew on Friday morning that it would be our last day of classes for the semester. But we had a suspicion that something would change, especially as The New York Times predicted Trump’s announcement of a national emergency. Day Hall must’ve paid attention to The New York Times’ warning; the fantasy of seeing our classmates until spring break evaporated Friday afternoon with the announcement of the immediate suspension of in-person classes, and the national emergency was soon after declared — and the strangest scramble off of campus began. Within an hour, music began to fill the sunny arts quad. Someone tried to fly a green kite, but it never quite got into the air. “Iaaahhh’m hooked on a feeling!” I sang along to someone’s speaker, interrupting my independent study mentor outside of Goldwin Smith Hall. We were talking about continuing our study online, but I couldn’t pay attention. Music seemed to come from all directions: rap filtered up from the slope, 70s music emanated from a building across the quad and a boisterous moan of brass instruments began outside of Lincoln. Three beaming music students stood in a circle play-
Students were drunk, skipping around and yelling to each other across the quads, glowering on the phone with their far away family. ing their french horns. I asked them to play me something that I could film, to document the moment. We all giggled together, over nothing in particular. Students were drunk, skipping around and yelling to each other across the quads, glowering on the phone with their far-away family, tucked in dorm rooms packing or joining masses at Wegmans and Nasties to stock
HANNAH ROSENBERG / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Genres of grief | As students sought to cope with the sudden cancelation of classes on Friday, music began to filter through the Arts Quad.
up on food and supplies. I watched freshmen steal street ments are playing us into a new age of whatever is signs and take photos with them outside of the dorm coming. Our mania, joy and grief all come out in the screams peppering campus, but we also sit they’ve called home since August. observing. The most fascinating groups Whether you break out your french of people, though, were the calm During this last weekend horn or sing your heart out, I hope you ones. The people that were out on at Cornell, we have take the time to appreciate and celebrate the quad enjoying the sunny day. been embracing our Cornell in these last few days (while My two friends who went to the uncertain reality taking the proper health precautions, of Johnson Museum to feel the light course). Join the pandemonium, be in the through the top floor’s window. moment, tell your crush you like them We have been just feeling Cornell. Friday’s intense wind paralleled the panic and and play them your favorite song. If music be the food change on campus, yet the sun kept us outside and of love, play on. warm. During this last weekend at Cornell, we have been Emma Plowe is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can embracing our uncertain reality — speakers and instru- be reached at eplowe@cornellsun.com
TikTok: Gen Z’s Unmatched Art Form With Vine’s tragic downfall in 2017, our been discovered. User content commonly generation was left without a social media found on the “For You” page ranges from platform that could showcase users’ content embarrassing personal stories to elaborately and reach the same extensive audience in planned sketches bordering on short film the same way. What TikTok has given us is statuses (which I personally think give the an even better alternative; Its addictive and Netflix stand up specials a run for their entertaining minisode-like format allows money). I’d be lying if I said I’ve never people from around the world to watch tried to recreate some of the most popular hours upon hours of content. sketches. Within the app, however, there is more Others have started a revolution of dance to it than simple 6-second bits like its popu- trends that have taken off ever since TikTok lar predecessor. TikTok has in essence given first emerged. Teens like 15 year-old Charli rise to a modern-day Renaissance. Millions D’Amelio have enamored the online world of users flock to the app to post original con- with synchronized and mesmerizing dance tent as well as parodies of influential TikTok routines. As deceptively simple as these short stars, who have routines may been idolized Every new TikTok stands as an art piece seem, however, one of the like some of the in itself, whether it’s a feat of videog- most remarkworld’s most successful celeb- raphy, music, dance or comedy ... [it is] able qualities rities. From its of these dancers Gen Z’s artistic voice. humble beginis their ability nings as a basic to make everything look so music video tool, TikTok has now gathered users who effortless. If you think the Renegade dance showcase talents of every sort, and it’s pretty is easy, feel free to give it a try yourself without looking incredibly awkward and dumb. amazing. Among the more labor-intensive TikToks Some take to the app to produce particularly vine-esque comedic sketches or are those that focus on the fine arts, includskits, which TikTok’s longer maximum ing paintings, drawings, collages and more. video length benefits greatly. With numer- This passion extends further, however, to ous visual and auditory effects in the hand minute-long cookie decorating tutorials and of each user, several thousand combinations even multi-tiered cake recipes. College stuhave given rise to a generation of amateur dents upgrading their meals (or showing off comedians who otherwise never would have personal food hacks) and “What I eat in a
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
COURTESY OF TIKTOK
day” formats are among the most common, while even employees have flocked to the app to debut or advertise their newest menu items. Of course there are singers on the platform who take advantage of its “Musically”inspired beginnings. Some of my favorite TikToks are by freestyle rappers, with many of them taking suggestions from their fanbase and comments about how to produce their next TikTok, much like a paid musician would. Unlike YouTube, the best part about being a TikTok creator isn’t receiving the profit from views.. Instead, TikTok stands as a visual art gallery unlike any other. Its users are a cohort of massive proportions, sharing their lives sometimes so candidly with the
world that one would think of them as a close friend. Every new TikTok stands as an art piece in itself, whether it’s a feat of videography, music, dance or comedy. TikTok, since its launch, has become one of the boldest and most influential representations of Gen Z’s artistic voice. I for one love what the app and its followers have to offer; scrolling down my “For You” page, I often lose track of time taking in the various creative endeavors. And if you disagree, then don’t enter the gallery. Don’t stifle the kids today and expect them to be okay later on. Zachary Lee is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at zlee@cornellsun.com
Opinion
The Corne¬ Daily Sun
From the Editor
In Uncharted Waters, We Remain Committed to You
Independent Since 1880 138th Editorial Board MARYAM ZAFAR ’21 JOYBEER DATTA GUPTA ’21
Editor in Chief
Business Manager
JOHNATHAN STIMPSON ’21 Managing Editor
PETER BUONANNO ’21
KRYSTAL YANG ’21
Associate Editor
Advertising Manager
MEGHNA MAHARISHI ’22
JASON HUANG ’21
CHRISTINA BULKELEY ’21
NIKO NGUYEN ’22
Assistant Managing Editor
Web Editor
Sports Editor
Design Editor
Working on Today’s Sun Ad Layout Production Deskers News Deskers Design Deskers Photography Desker Sports Desker Money & Business Desker
Jenny Huang ’22 Krystal Yang ’21 Ben Mayer ’21 Alex Hale ’21 Catalina Peñeñory ’22 Girisha Arora ’20 Hannah Rosenberg ’23 Raphy Gendler ’21 Maia Lee ’21
Editorial
From our office on 139 W. State Street, we try to serve the public by producing consistent, comprehensive reporting. We continue to bring you recent, responsible reporting regarding changes to campus and to the city online as they happen. But due to circumstances bigger than The Sun, we will cease regular print production after spring break until the fall. If our papers feel thin these next two weeks, know that we reduce our production to lessen the burden on the staffers and editors who work silently behind the scenes to bring the pages to your hands. We aim to always bring the highest quality coverage we can; but as our student staff is scattered across the globe and governments recommend cutting nonessential in-person work, we find that the best way to communicate to our readers will be in our online coverage. Pursuing these goals is no easy task, as our staff lives through the tectonic changes it reports on. We anticipate opportunities to spring up as we are not bound to the print schedule for those weeks, and we hope The Sun will be as regular a part of your day online. Please never hesitate to email us at editor@cornellsun.com with concerns or questions. Thank you for your compassion and empathy in this unpredictable and unprecedented time. Maryam Zafar ’21, editor-in-chief Johnathan Stimpson ’21, managing editor Peter Buonanno ’21, associate editor
Administrators Took a Shaky First Step. Walk the Walk, Cornell. THE UNIVERSITY’S DECISION TO SUSPEND CLASSES AND ACCELERATE THE TIMELINE FOR ITHACA DEPARTURE IS JARRING. In the few days since President Martha Pollack’s Tuesday announcement, many students booked travel based on the presumed knowledge that they would not be ushered off campus until March 28. Professors have worked with students assuming that they had some in-person communication to make the transition to online learning as smooth as possible. Now, students have been forced to amend their travel plans again. Entire course syllabi have been destroyed and the academic merit of the current Cornell semester has been called into question. Pollack’s recent decision could not have been an easy one to make: Cornell is as susceptible to the coronavirus as any other community, and given that many in Ithaca live in extremely close quarters, our campus is certainly an ideal place for an outbreak. And as whole countries shutter, is it strange that our Cornell might have to join them too. In her announcement, Pollack stressed that the University recognizes “the significant stress that students are under currently, making classroom learning difficult.” However, it is without question that these past weeks, not just days, were detrimental to the grades of some students. Students watched the virus — blissfully ignored by those here — impact their families and friends abroad. And now, as the threat comes home with us, if Cornell hopes to lessen the mental burden of its students, it must consider an alternative academic end to the semester. Like Princeton University, we, too, urge the University to follow the courageous and student-centered decisions of Smith College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to espouse mandatory pass/fail and pass/no record semesters. Despite the enormous shock caused by the twists in policy from Day Hall to D.C., Cornell’s administration must be praised for some of its actions. According to a message from Vice President Ryan Lombardi, the University has secured Ithaca storage for students in on-campus housing at no additional cost and has promised a rebate on housing and dining. Further, the decision to extend the drop and S/U deadline is commendable and will certainly alleviate some student stress. But these few accommodations do not nearly make up for the accelerated timeline; they do not compensate students who hear that their family is ill or dying; they do not compensate the students who will undoubtedly contract the virus; they do not compensate the students with limited internet access, who must take care of their families when their siblings are home from school and their parents must work. We acknowledge that this could pinch those who sought this semester as an opportunity to lift their GPA; as pre-professionals we know that this could be of concern. But a special mark on the transcript, and the knowledge that no corner of daily life has escaped the contagion on this virus, we are confident that future employers and admissions officers will be understanding. As life remains unprecedented, Cornell can create one vestige of certainty for its students. But students, too, are fostering more uncertainty and fear. One unfortunate side effect of the email blasts, non-stop push notifications and repeated declarations of “states of emergency” is an apocalyptic emotion settling in. Rather than following the advice of the educated and informed, students on and off campus are choosing to congregate beyond coping, to expose each other and their own selves to increased risk. Cornell administrators took an unprecedented step to pull the fire alarm and evacuate the school. Now, students must heed the warning. Administrators can help; broadcast the available telemedicine resources louder, suggest things for students to do while “social distancing” besides just pack up from the place they love and watch time they’ve coveted for three years tick by. Students, stay strong. Try to make the best of this nightmare. Go and be with your families, if you can. And if you intend to stay in Ithaca, be family for each other. The above editorial reflects the opinions of The Cornell Daily Sun. Editorials are penned collaboratively between the Editor in Chief, Associate Editor and Opinion Editor, in consultation with additional Sun editors and staffers. The Sun’s editorials are independent of its news
coverage, other columnists and advertisers.
Juliette Raymond | Guest Room
L
Better Safe than Sorry With COVID-19
ike many second semester juniors, I was thrilled to be studying abroad. Before my trip, I was looking forward to eating authentic pizza, exploring villages lined with cobblestone streets and getting the chance to learn a new language. Instead, I find myself planning my return trip to the U.S., where I will have to self-quarantine for 14 days. This semester, I picked an unfortunate place to be studying: Milan. I was recently forced to leave Italy due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. On Sunday, March 8, the government officially quarantined Lombardy — the region containing Milan — meaning that no one would be allowed to leave the region until April 3, at the earliest. Then, suddenly, the next day, the Italian Prime Minister took the extraordinary step of putting the entire country on lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. Lombardy now has the largest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Italy. As of March 10, there were over 10,000 cases and 827 deaths, most of them in the Lombardy region. The Lombardy quarantine was very unexpected and was announced late at night on March 7. The director of my abroad program called all students that night, begging us to take midnight trains out of Italy. At this point, he stressed that it didn’t matter where anyone ended up, as long as it was out of the country. At 2:00 a.m., my friends frantically packed their suitcases and ran to catch any train leaving Italy. Although most students were able to leave, some were not, and are now trapped and unable to get flights back home. They will remain in Italy until the end of the quarantine, whenever that may be. Italians also tried to leave Milan that day. A viral video of the Garibaldi station in Milan showed a group of people running to catch the last train to Rome before the closure of the entire region. Hundreds attempted to get on the last train, but the train was so full that many were forced off, leaving them stuck in Milan. The situation in Milan is dire right now. Highways are blocked by military police. There are no flights landing at major airports and no forms of public transportation are available. A Milanese friend of mine took a short walk outside and was asked by the police to go home and stay home. She is not even allowed to walk to the post office, which is just one block from her apartment. There areis not enough medical staff, and those who are working are exhausted and overworked. The Italian government has even called for
retired doctors and nurses to come out of retirement to offer extra assistance in local hospitals. Universities in Milan have not only hosted virtual graduations but have even graduated nursing students early so that they can immediately go to work. Milan, a city of 3.1 million, is in a crisis. I find it disheartening that Cornell students are not more supportive of the decision to cancel classes for the rest of the semester. Shifting to online classes and leaving campus is certainly a major disappointment, especially for the graduating class. However, students do not seem to understand that it is better to be safe than to create a potentially dangerous situation in which all of Ithaca becomes a containment zone. While students have been complaining about missing on-campus events such as Slope Day, Dragon Day and Commencement, they have failed to recognize the dangerous implications of allowing in-person classes to continue. The coronavirus usually creates mild symptoms for people who are young and healthy. However, as we know, Cornell is not merely comprised of young, perfectly healthy people. It is also made up of faculty, staff and students who may be immunocompromised. I fear for the professors and staff who are older or have health conditions. But more importantly, I feel as though Cornell students have failed to show compassion to those who are more vulnerable in our community during this challenging time and have not taken the global situation seriously enough. Although the Cornell administration has taken a step in the right direction, students will still need more guidance in the coming months. Choosing to hold virtual classes is a complicated decision that will undoubtedly involve more planning and guidance from the administration. But on top of this, there need to be resources in place for students who are unable to go home before or after spring break. The University should also accommodate students in Ithaca if they cannot return home due to coronavirus concerns in their hometowns. In order for the rest of this semester to be successful, the University needs to take action as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition after spring break. While the closing of the Ithaca campus will create many logistical, emotional and financial disappointments, the example of Milan shows us how necessary it is. Juliette Raymond is a junior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Comments may be sent to opinion@cornellsun.com. Guest Room runs periodically this semester.
The Cornell Daily Sun | Monday, March 16, 2020 9
Opinion
Julian Kroll | Losing My Edge
O
Is Leaving Better Than Staying?
n Tuesday, the University made the right call. The COVID-19 spread is picking up speed, and social distancing is the right tool to curb it. For many upperclassmen, though, the question remains: Do we really need to leave? Despite President Pollack’s request that all Cornell students return to our permanent residences, plenty of upperclassmen seem intent on staying in Collegetown apartments. While the idea of ‘senior month’ is attractive, we should temper our semi-enthusiasm with consideration for the implications of our choices. We’re likely in the preliminary stages of a pandemic. Whether we’d like them to or not, our actions count. There are a couple articles circulating that seem to do a good job of summarizing our current situation. One of my favorites is The Atlantic’s Cancel Everything. The article first notes that cases of COVID-19 increase in an
While the idea of ‘senior month’ is attractive, we should temper our semi-enthusiasm with consideration for the implications. exponential fashion. Though we’ve only seen a little over a thousand domestic cases thus far, we’re probably about to see a lot more. Second, the article talks about social distancing. This process involves limiting large-scale social gatherings in order to curb a disease’s spread. During the Influenza epidemic of 1918, for example, the health commissioner of St. Louis, Missouri essentially shut his city down. The Philadelphia health commissioner, on the other hand, refused to cancel a 200,000 person parade set to take place downtown. In the months that followed, the per capita fatality rate in Philadelphia was double that of St. Louis. Shutting Cornell down achieves de-socialization. Our
campus is fast-paced and large, vaguely comparable to the Philadelphia Parade. It’s conceivable that a single case of Coronavirus could create dozens more, even before the first case was detected. Our healthcare system could become overburdened, and the situation could spiral out of control. I still don’t want to go home. I don’t think it’s necessarily important that I do, either. How does living in collegetown create a larger public health risk than living … anywhere else? Unless you’re planning on spending the next couple months in full quarantine, small-scale social interaction is nearly inevitable. I practically live in my hometown’s Whole Foods. Frankly, that’s a more active social environment than anything collegetown has to offer. Having already cancelled classes and events, I question how much additional utility our collective exit would generate. Also, for those who share permanent residences with parents, grandparents, young children, immunocompromised individuals or otherwise vulnerable people, wouldn’t returning home create a more substantial risk? As Coronavirus spreads exponentially, doesn’t each additional person in a household increase that household’s chance of contraction? If the situation in the US becomes dire, more stringent actions will be taken. Loco could be temporarily shuttered, god forbid. But there doesn’t seem to be a way to predict whether Ithaca will pose a more or less significant risk than most hometowns. For students from the Bay Area, Westchester or heavily affected foreign regions, Ithaca may seem less risky. Though I’m no expert on the subject, I struggle to see a strong reason to return home. I do, however, see strong reasons to stay in Ithaca. Most importantly, I want a senior spring. I’ve loved my time at Cornell and the communities I’ve found on campus. I learned how to enjoy myself here. Having two weeks to say goodbye feels like an odd dream. I’m optimistic, though. Having talked to many upperclassmen who also plan on staying in Ithaca, I don’t think I’ll be living in isolation. It’s true we won’t have sporting events, real classes, clubs, date nights, formals or any of the other parts of Cornell we’ve come to love, but we’ll
still be here. Maybe the transition from our events-based social life into a more intimate scene will do us good. We should still try to avoid bars and larger parties.
It’s true we won’t have sporting events, real classes, clubs, date nights, formals or any of the other parts of Cornell we’ve come to love, but we’ll still be here. Moderately sized gatherings with friends can be just as fun and much less risky. Though I think it’s possible to balance our desire for a senior spring with our responsibility to mitigate risk, we actually need to hold ourselves accountable. Maybe storming fishbowls isn’t the best idea. Similarly, those who leave Ithaca for spring break should not return. If you want a senior spring, commit to it. Stay for the long haul. Don’t put others at risk. After the announcement was released on Tuesday, I couldn’t help but reminisce on my time at Cornell. Spending my first night in a sleeping bag on the arts quad. Lunch on the A.D. White statue talking about disappointing sex lives and promising exam curves. The first time I met my closest friends. That one time I dropped an entire quad-shot mocha on the counter at Zeus. Having to wrap all of that up in two weeks is unimaginable. I’m not leaving. We won’t have the senior spring any of us expected. But we still have the chance to make it memorable. Let senior month commence.
Julian Kroll is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at jkroll@cornellsun.com. Losing My Edge runs every other Monday this semester.
Christian Baran | Honestly
D
Does America Have Culture?
o Americans have culture? This question is usually not taken seriously, probably because America — as it is now — is filled with transplants from other countries and is still a relatively new nation. We tend to laugh at the notion of Americans having any sort of culture. Sure, maybe we don’t have the same rich history as France or Japan, but we undeniably have something. Call it whatever you want; there is something that ties us together and makes us a people. At Cornell, however, the answer to that question seems to be contingent on the tone of the conversation. If the conversation is praising something about American society, we don’t tend to attribute it to the concept of culture. If we’re being too loud or don’t know something about another culture, it’s because of our
I don’t think we can be characterized as loud, obnoxious and ignorant, words with abysmal connotations. American-ness. If we hold the door with a smile or lend someone money without thinking, it’s because we’re being nice. On the other hand, if the discussion has a negative hue, American culture exists, and it’s something of which to be embarrassed about. We tell ourselves that we should try to shove our “American-
ness” under the table and be more genuine; for example, a recent column in The Sun exhibited how American culture is perceived abroad. Sun columnist AJ Stella wrote that we generally hew to the American stereotypes of being loud, obnoxious, oblivious of our surroundings and worst of all, ignorant, especially towards other cultures. So, when denigrating Americans, we cast our behaviors as stereotypes, which can be considered to be manifestations of culture. This is a pessimistic view of America and its people. In no world would I say we are a model country with sterling citizens. However, I don’t think we can be characterized as simply loud, obnoxious and ignorant, words with abysmal connotations. What if we used words like overly friendly, eager and boisterous? What if we interpreted our cringe-worthy attempts to communicate with foreigners as misguided — albeit enthusiastic — attempts of being friendly? What if we started to see our loud, gregarious behavior as just enjoying ourselves? The typical American is certainly unique, but it would be wrong to say that our differences are a result of a culture of insufferable loudmouths. American society does have evil threads in its history. We practiced slavery, wove a system of discrimination into the foundation of our society and tried to
erase Native Americans from the country. The legacies of these actions continue today, and they undoubtedly influence any bit of culture that we may have. From what I see, progress in addressing toxic elements of American society is continuing apace. However, the progress we’re making seems to foster a dismissal of American culture and a milieu of America-hate. Before coming to Cornell, I’d never seen anything like the hostile attitude the typical Cornellian takes towards American society. I don’t quite understand it. This Americahate, in my mind, ignores the good things about the USA. I don’t see why one can’t appreciate America and see its culture while simultaneously working towards improving it. Personally, my love for the U.S. that exists now is part of what drives me to make a better future America. No one is arguing that America doesn’t need fixing. Our society has tinges of discrimination, we are environmentally irresponsible and, yeah, sometimes we may act a little ignorant. But America also tries its best to be a bastion of morality and order in the world. Maybe that isn’t our place. Maybe we’re doing a terrible job of it. But we’ll never stop trying. We’re among the most individualistic people in the world. We’re fierce believers in freedom and improvement, and are optimistic almost to the point of stupidity. Ingrained in our society is a burning drive to do better and never quit. We may not have the ancient archi-
tecture of Europe or the traditions that extend thousands of years in the past. But two hundred years ago, Francis Scott
This America-hate, in my mind, ignores the good things about the USA. I don’t see why one can’t appreciate America and see its culture while simultaneously working towards improving it. Key wrote our national anthem while watching my home city get bombarded in a drawn-out fight for our freedom. We have it now, and we use it well. Think about it. Kaleidoscopic lights lighting up a father and son’s upturned faces on the Fourth of July. Muscle cars rolling down thousands of Main Streets. The crack of a bat and the roar from a crowd at a high school baseball game. Hand out the window and sunglasses on while driving down a blue-sky backroad. Thirteen stars and fifty stripes flapping in the wind. Call it what you want. Call it American spirit.
Christian Baran is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at cbaran@cornellsun.com. Honestly runs every other Monday this semester.
10 The Cornell Daily Sun | Monday, March 16, 2020
Comics and Puzzles
Sundoku Fill in the empty cells, one number in each, so that each column, row, and region contains the numbers 1-9 exactly once. Each number in the solution therefore occurs only once in each of the three “directions,” hence the “single numbers” implied by the puzzle’s name. (Rules from wikipedia.org/wiki/ Sudoku)
Puzzle #719
DISTANCING
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The Cornell Daily Sun | Monday, March 16, 2020 11
Online Groceries See Surge Amid COVID-19 By EMMA DIGIOVANI Sun Staff Writer
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difficult. Early on, Nickitas and the Rosie team obtained funding after winning the Startup Labs Syracuse competition in 2013, through which they were awarded $150,000 in cash and $50,000 in in-kind marketing support. Since its founding, Rosie has grown to a team of 25 people, serving hundreds of grocery stores in over 40 states and partnering with over 11 wholesalers. Providing online shopping services to customers at this scale, however, means that Rosie has to compete against big names like Amazon and Walmart, and so do its retailers. According to Nickitas, the retailers that partner with Rosie are “companies that hire in our community, they invest in our community, they donate to our community, they’re sourcing products from local vendors [and] local farmers.” “[Local retailers] represent the
Nick Nickitas MBA ’14 unwilling to physically visit their stores and allow them to make orders through their mobile devices or desktops instead. To mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19 through increased use of its platform, Rosie is taking preventative measures such as reducing travel for its employees and following the best practices laid out by the Food Marketing Institute. The service aims to solve a two-sided issue among both grocery stores and shoppers. “[Local grocery stores] want to be able to compete online, but they don’t have the technology or the people like Amazon or Walmart,” Nickitas said. “And people want to shop local, but they want it to be super convenient. They want to be able to order from their favorite local stores, but with the same convenience as when they order online from Amazon.” After living in Manhattan for four years, where he frequently used online grocery service Fresh Direct, Nickitas found that there were no such services in Ithaca when he was an MBA student in 2012. “I had wanted to be able to order online from local stores with the same convenience as ordering online from Amazon,” he said, but no similar online platforms were offered in Ithaca. He founded Rosie after realizing that he “could figure out a way to help make any place, any community, not just a big city, super, super convenient.” While the company was initially founded to serve students, Nickitas said that Rosie has grown to target three main groups of shoppers — young families who find it inconvenient to balance errands with childcare, working professionals who struggle to find the time to grocery shop and impaired individuals for whom shopping in-store is
fabric of our country. And we want to see these local retailers survive and thrive,” Nickitas said. Near Cornell, retailers that partner with Rosie include P&CIthaca, Trumansburg Shur-Save and Minier's Express. In order to help make these stores more competitive, Rosie focuses on offering diverse platforms, such as mobile apps and prime technology centered around user experiences. In addition to e-commerce, Rosie provides drivers for delivery and data analytic services to improve the retailer’s ability to serve customers. In recent years, Rosie has found a new way to give back to the communities it closely works with. Through its partnership with New York retailer Dash’s Market, the platform has extended its services to families who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program . In 2017, Dash’s Market, with Rosie as its online shopping platform, was selected to participate in a USDA pilot program that allows SNAP payments to be processed online. Prior to the purchasing program, SNAP payments were restricted to in-store processing, a constraint that excluded SNAP recipients from the convenience of online grocery shopping. For students interested in entrepreneurship, Nickitas advised that “being an entrepreneur means finding innovative solutions to challenging problems,” to being “scrappy,” and uncovering useful resources. “If you have entrepreneurial instincts, you should go for it, try it and find opportunities to leverage those skills,” Nickitas said. Emma DiGiovanni can be reached at edigiovanni@cornellsun.com.
Sports
The Corne¬ Daily Sun
MONDAY MARCH 16, 2020
12
NCAA Cancels All Postseason Tournaments
By RAPHY GENDLER and CHRISTINA BULKELEY Sun Senior Editor and Sun Sports Editor
The 2019-20 seasons for Cornell’s hockey teams and their fans were filled with hope that, finally — after 50 years of waiting — this was the year. As the teams ascended to the No. 1 spots in the national rankings, dominated opponents and cruised into the playoffs, the excitement only grew that 2020 might be a year to remember in Ithaca, that the drought might come to an end: Cornell women’s hockey has never won a national championship. The men haven’t done it since 1970. But no postseason trophies will be presented and no national championship banners hung. Instead, both teams will forever wonder what could have been. BORIS TSANG / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Cornell’s No. 1 hockey teams’ championship dreams came to an abrupt end on Thursday when the NCAA What might have been | Cornell’s No. 1 ranked hockey teams won’t get the chance to win a national championship. canceled all its national tournaments. It capped a wild two days of cancelations across the world of sports. The cancellation came amid news that Major League scheduled to play Mercyhurst in the NCAA Tournament In addition to ending the hockey seasons in heartbreak- on Saturday. The men’s team was a near lock for a No. 1 Baseball and the National Hockey League were suspending ing fashion for Cornell’s skaters and hockey fans — and seed in the national tournament. their seasons after the National Basketball Association did ending the careers of the team’s seniors — the COVID-19 In addition to the end of the hockey season, the eight so on Wednesday. outbreak led to the cancelation of all spring sports in the Cornell wrestlers that had earned bids to the NCAA The early end to the season marks the end of Cornell Ivy League. Tournament will also see their seasons end hockey careers for the Red’s seniors. On the men’s team, The NCAA is expected to grant no opportunity to secure a national Jeff Malott, Yanni Kaldis and Noah Bauld have played their Both of Cornell’s teams with a fifth year of eligibility for spring title. Six of them had qualified automatically last games in carnelian and white. For the women, Kristin athletes. But it remains to be seen ended the season ranked in the EIWA Championships, while two O’Neill, Amy Curlew, Jaime Bourbonnais, Micah Zandeehow the canceled seasons will impact Hart, Paige Lewis and Grace Graham have also had their more had received at-large bids. No. 1 in the country. the Ivy League and Cornell’s teams Thursday’s announcement came as the last go-around as members of the Red. directly. With the imminent graduation of captains Kristin latest installment in a series of college sports’ Shortly after ECAC Hockey reaction to the spread of the novel coronavi- O’Neill and Micah Zandee-Hart in addition to a top and four other conferences canceled the remainder of rus. In canceling all spring sports on Wednesday, the Ivy defenseman in Bourbonnais and the rest of that large and their men’s conference tournaments, the NCAA followed League left it up to the discretion of individual institutions integral senior class, this season might have been Cornell suit. The NCAA had already announced measures to whether to allow winter sports teams to compete in the women’s hockey’s best opportunity in several years — and limit attendance Wednesday in response to concerns over postseason. But not long after — after the cancelation of maybe program history — to win a national title. COVID-19. conference tournaments across the country, most notably Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams have been in men’s and women’s basketball — the NCAA announced Raphy Gendler can be reached at rgendler@cornellsun.com. atop the national polls for multiple weeks. The women were that its tournaments wouldn’t take place. Christina Bulkeley can be reached at cbulkeley@cornellsun.com.
Schafer ’86: ‘Nothing Has Been More Painful’ in 34 Years of Coaching By LUKE PICHINI Sun Assistant Sports Editor
BEN PARKER / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Heartbreak | Mike Schafer ’86 said in a letter published to Twitter that meeting with his team after its postseason was canceled was more painful than anything else in his 34 years of coaching.
Head coach Mike Schafer ’86 has broken his silence following the end of Cornell men’s hockey’s season. In an open letter posted on Twitter on Saturday, Schafer explained how his team, which achieved the No. 1 ranking and appeared poised for a postseason run, reacted to the news of the season’s end due to COVID19 outbreak. “Yesterday, it was very difficult to speak to our team and watch young men cry as their chance of achieving their dreams had disappeared,” Schafer wrote. “In my 34 years of coaching, nothing has been more painful than yesterday’s meeting.” As the COVID-19 outbreak began to spread across the country, Cornell took the measure of enforcing a no-spectator policy for the ECAC quarterfinal. Soon after, the cancellations and withdrawals snowballed. Harvard withdrew from the ECAC Tournament, and Yale followed shortly after, sending the Red to the
ECAC semifinal and reseeding the tournament. But the trip to Lake Placid never materialized as the ECAC Tournament was canceled, along with other major conference tournaments. From there, the NCAA made the decision to cancel its tournament, ending Cornell’s season before
“Working for many years with different teams, you start to get a sense of which teams are destined to accomplish great things. This was one of those teams.” Mike Schafer ’86 it even saw the ice for the playoffs. “In sports, the season starts with an unknown,” Schafer wrote. “Everyone invests with all their heart and soul, without knowing what the end result will be. That result can hurt, due to the disappointing fact that there are so many uncontrollable factors in every season’s journey.”
With a star goaltender in junior goaltender Matt Galajda as well as four lines which contributed across the board, Cornell fielded one of its best teams in recent memory. “Working for many years with different teams, you start to get a sense of which teams are destined to accomplish great things,” Schafer wrote. “This is one of those teams.” The Red’s season ended with a bevy of accomplishments, including an Ivy League Championship, an ECAC regular-season title and its fourth straight bid to the NCAA Tournament. But with the slew of cancellations, Cornell never had the opportunity to end its Frozen Four drought or Whitelaw Cup drought, which date back to 2003 and 2010, respectively. “Despite not being able to have this opportunity, I am very proud of what our program accomplished this season, and of the season as a whole,” Schafer wrote. Luke Pichini can be reached at lpichini@cornellsun.com.