4-14-2023 entire issue hi res

Freshman 'Swatted,' Held at Gunpoint

By GABRIEL MUÑOZ Sun Assistant News Editor

While most Cornellians were away for spring break, some residents of George Jameson Hall were awoken around 4:30 a.m. on April 4 by police responding to a fraudulent call that claimed an armed individual threatened the safety of residents.

The Cornell University Police Department received a call at 2:32 a.m. from a male individual who was said he was armed and claimed to have injured a female subject.

The police responded to the call and conducted a search of the residency, particularly a room in a suite that was reported as part of the call.

Arsalan Ansari ’26, one of the residents of the room, recounted being woken up by the shouts of police officers asking all residents of the suite to walk out with their hands up. Once outside, Ansari was held at gunpoint by the police officers.

Cornell Aids ESL Students

Courses, clubs and tutors support language learning

By SOPHIA TORRES LUGO and XINYU JOANNE HU Sun Contributor and Sun Assistant News Editor

Many of Cornell’s undergraduate and graduate students consider English to be their second language. The ESL population includes individuals from many different cultures with varying degrees of English comprehension, and the University offers a variety of programs and multiple on-campus clubs to accommodate these students’ needs.

For graduate and professional students, the English Language Support Office offers peer tutoring, classes, workshops, a conversational English program and summer writing support.

Peer tutoring includes two types of tutors — some focus on writing and presentations, while others specialize in pronunciation. These tutors are usually also graduate students that have received training from ELSO. Michelle Crow, the founder and Director of ELSO, emphasized the importance of tutors’ training.

“At Cornell, there's no applied linguistics and there's no writing studies, so we have to give [the tutors] training in all of it — how to support writing, how to support speaking, how to tutor, how to support language [and] how to support pronunciation,” Crow said. “We do a lot of intensive training. This year, we have the most tutors [that] we've ever had.”

ELSO’s main offer is their half-semester courses, which students can take on a pass/fail basis for 1.5 credits — including classes on improving pronunciation, having discussions and delivering presentations, as well as four writing workshop courses.

These courses have a maximum of twelve students in order to ensure each student receives individualized attention. Although around 22 sections are offered per year, Crow noted that ELSO’s courses often have long waitlists.

Crow emphasized the significance

a lot — they really see them as valuable.”

Additionally, ELSO offers a workshop series, which is not credit-bearing. Each workshop focuses on a specific area of reading and writing — such as last week’s session, titled “How to Critically Review a Paper.” The workshops are interactive and offer multiple strategies and resources for the students. They include writing exercises as well as reading comprehension exercises in order to teach students new methods of reading and writing.

“I was terrified,” Ansari said. “It was unexpected and early in the morning at 4 a.m. or 4:30 a.m. — so, I didn't expect that. And I was terrified to see them with shotguns and rifles, and the seriousness of the situation.”

Once the police verified that the residents present were not armed, they proceeded to interrogate them about the incident. After verifying that there was no real threat, the police left the scene.

“Cornell Police, like all police, have an obligation to respond to all calls alleging a threat to our community,” wrote Anthony Bellamy, chief of the Cornell University Police Department, in a statement to The Sun. “In this case, we rushed to go to the specific suite the caller mentioned to make sure that no one was injured or being held against their will by someone with a weapon. We then had to search the rest of the building to make sure residents were safe.”

of these courses to graduate and professional students.

“We don't test students on language proficiency and then require certain students to take these courses. Students take these courses as electives, often on top of their regular course load,” Crow said. “For them to make time for these courses means

The Speaking Groups Program, ELSO’s conversational English program, is a low-stakes way to help students develop English fluency in a group setting. The program has around 30 groups of three to five students. The group leaders are volunteer community members, which include retired faculty, graduate students, undergraduates and other volunteers.

Religious Groups Face Uncertainty Amid Rule Change

By AIMÉE EICHER Sun Assistant Managing Editor

Home to numerous faith-based organizations and students from diverse religious backgrounds, Cornell recognizes and supports religious student organizations — including the Hindu Student Council, Muslim Education and Cultural Association, Cornell Hillel and more. But the rescission of a federal rule could change the way that universities across the country interact with faith-based student groups.

First implemented by former President Donald Trump’s administration in March 2019, Executive Order 13864, titled “Improving Free Inquiry,

Transparency and Accountability at Colleges and Universities” and known also as the “Free Inquiry Rule,” aimed to promote open debate on college and university campuses. With the goal of protecting First Amendment rights, the Free Inquiry Rule strived to protect free speech and academic freedom.

“The Department of Education revises its current regulations to encourage institutions of higher education to foster environments that promote open, intellectually engaging and diverse debate,” stated the Department of Education document from the Federal Register.

Presidential proposal | President Biden and his administration recently announced a proposal to reverse the Free Inquiry Rule, which aims to promote open debate on college campuses.

Jarred Jameson | An innocent Jameson Hall resident was the victim of a 'swatting' call that led to his being held at gunpoint.

HANNAH ROSENBERG / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

“For them to make time for these courses means a lot — they really see them as valuable.”

Michelle Crow

A LISTING OF FREE CAMPUS EVENTS

Clothing Exchange With Cornell Thrift and Epsilon Eta

11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Mann Library Lobby

Border Fortification and Legibility: Evidence From Afghanistan With Christopher Blair

11:25 a.m - 12:40 p.m., G02 Uris Hall

Environmental DNA Symposium

Noon - 5 p.m., S2-223 Cornell Vet School

The Capital Order: How Economists Invented Austerity and Paved the Way to Facism With Clara Mattei

Noon - 1:30 p.m., G08 Uris Hall

Water and the Grid: Virtual Water in the Context of Electricity With Ashlynn Stillwell

12:25 p.m - 1:15 p.m., 165 Olin Hall

American Ecofacism: Glaciers, Whiteness, Genre With April Anson

3 p.m - 4:40 p.m., 423 Morrill Hall

Magneto-Mechanical Modeling Of Electric Motors With Nicolas Tirantafyllidis

4 p.m. - 5 p.m., B14 Hollister Hall

Advances in Direct-Drive Fusion, HighEnergy-Density Physics and Laser Technologies With Chris Deeney

4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., 401 Physical Sciences Building

Impacts of Indigenous Peoples Uprisings In Ecuador With Leonidas Iza

4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., G08 Uris Hall

Southern Workers Organizing

4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., 305 Ives Hall

How Do We Protect Free Expression on Campus With Steven McGuire

6 p.m., 151 Warren Hall

What Can I Do With My Major at the Tatkon Center

7 p.m. - 8 p.m., 101 RPCC

Tomorrow

Body Ideals and the Media With Martin Tovee

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Virtual Event

Sew Creative: Hands-on Workshop in the Techniques of Basic Stitching Noon - 2 p.m., 102 Mann Library

Turkish Elections: A Pivotal Change? With Soner Cagaptay and Lisel Hintz Noon, Virtual Event

Mechanisms Regulating the Immune-Vascular Interplay During Neuroinflammation With Jorge Alvarez

12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., S1-165 Cornell Vet School

Launching an Interdisciplinary Approach to Measuring Perceptions of Fairness in Machine Learning With Malik Boykin

12:20 p.m., 115 Rockefeller Hall

Towards Agricultural Water Sustainability Through Closed-Loop Irrigation With Jinfeng Liu

12:25 p.m., 253 Frank H. T. Rhodes Hall

2023 Art and Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon

1 p.m. - 5 p.m., 107 Olin Library

Screening and Discussion of “These Days, These Homes” With Jenny Chio

3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Film Forum Schwartz Center

Discovery of a Pandemic Parvovirus With Jason Kaelber

4 p.m., 119 Baker Lab

Cornell University Music: Nathan Mondry, Organ 8 p.m., Anabel Taylor Hall Chapel

Career consulting | A student sits in the lobby of the Tatkon Center for New Students. On Thursday, the Tatkon Center is hosting a session titled “What Can I Do With My Major” at the Robert Purcell Community Center room 101.

HANNAH ROSENBERG / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Reversal of Free Inquiry Provokes Varying Responses

Particularly, a section of the rule required public institutions to not deny religious student organizations the rights, benefits and privileges afforded to non-religious groups.

In 2021, the Department of Education began a review of the rule’s impact, acquiring input from key stakeholders within higher education.

In February 2023, President Joe Biden’s Administration issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking indicating intent to rescind the portion of the regulation related to religious student organizations. The Administration stated the rule is unnecessary to protect the First Amendment right to free speech and freedom of religion, has caused confusion about schools’ non-discrimination requirements and has created an additional burden for the Department of Education, who must investigate cases of non-compliance.

To inform its review of current regulations and further action, the Biden-Harris Administration published a request for information from the public on Feb. 22. Acceptance of comments closed on March 24.

Members of Cornell’s community expressed a variety of opinions regarding the rescission, but their viewpoints are generally united by a sense of uncertainty for how its consequences will manifest.

Prof. Nelson Tebbe, law, and Prof. Alexandra Blackman, government, analyzed the situation through the lenses of their backgrounds in constitutional law and the intersection of religion and politics, respectively.

Tebbe, who is the Jane M.G. Foster Professor of Law, pointed to Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, a 2010 case in which the CLS chapter at University of California, Hastings College of the Law sued the school for violating its First Amendment rights. The CLS chapter required members to attest their religious beliefs in writing before they were granted entry into the group.

Hastings refused to recognize the CLS as a campus organization, as the group’s exclusionary behavior challenged the school’s non-discrimination policy. Hastings had implemented an all-comer policy, meaning that student groups had to allow any student to participate, regardless of their identity or beliefs.

Tebbe noted that the dispute eventually reached the Supreme Court, with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54 writing the majority opinion. Ginsburg held that Hastings could apply its all-comer policy to a religious organization, as student groups could still convene without registering with the university.

“Student groups could exist without registering, they could even have access to spaces in the building and they have a variety of other benefits but they wouldn’t get funding from the school,” Tebbe said. “That doesn’t really restrict their ability to form an organization according to

their beliefs — it just makes it more expensive. And the government doesn’t have to subsidize their organization in ways that the government believes are discriminatory.”

Though the CLS v. Martinez case was argued six years before Trump took office, Tebbe said the administration’s Free Inquiry Rule worked to undo the Court’s decision.

“It wasn’t all that surprising to see the Trump Administration promulgate a rule that sought to basically reverse CLS against Martinez,” Tebbe said. “The way the Trump Administration rule did that was to condition federal funding on universities’ not doing what the Supreme Court said that Hastings Law School could do constitutionally.”

Blackman noted that the Free Inquiry Rule reflects the larger national debate surrounding the interaction between religion and the state.

“Where all the debates in our society are right now around freedom of religion — they’re all around: how does freedom of religion interact with non-discrimination and equal protection? And the rule doesn’t really answer that question,” Blackman said. “It raises more questions than answers, I think, and puts a lot of the burden of answering that question on universities and on the Department of Education.”

At Cornell, Blackman said she has observed an inclusionary approach to religion, as the University houses many faith-based organizations that represent a diverse array of beliefs. She added, however, that Cornell had cultivated this inclusionary environment prior to the implementation of the Free Inquiry Rule.

“I think the Cornell approach has been one of trying to include various religious organizations as much as possible. … I think that’s a really useful way of [managing religion],” Blackman said. “But, I don’t think that [inclusion] has anything to do with this rule. That was already in place before the rule was in place.”

Abu Bakr Siddique ’24, president of the Cornell Muslim Education and Cultural Association, expressed a similar sentiment, saying that he and past leaders of the organization have felt supported by the University.

“We had such a great relationship with the University already, even prior to the implementation of this rule,” Siddique said. “My predecessors [the former leaders of MECA], leading up to now, they’ve all told me that they’ve enjoyed a very, very good relationship with Cornell. But that doesn’t mean that things can’t change.”

Shivani Singh ’24, president of the Cornell Hindu Student Council, also said she has had positive experiences working with University administration — specifically the Interfaith Council at Cornell, the HSC’s funding source. The ICC receives funding through the student activity fee, allocated to them by the Student Assembly’s byline funding process.

Innocent student interrogated during investigation

The incident comes after a rise in “swatting” calls, in which fraudulent reports are made behind a blocked caller ID so that the authorities, particularly a SWAT team, respond to a location. Reports of such calls have surged in school districts in the state of New York over the past week. The day before the incident, a group of four Black Harvard students were also held at gunpoint because of a “swatting” incident.

Ansari said he was not told that the call was specifically directed to his room, which made him question why he was being interrogated as an Afghan international student.

“I come from this country with this identity. So why did this happen to me? There are millions of others, thousands of others,” Ansari said.

Having dealt with gun violence previously, Ansari reported the incident was particularly triggering.

building’s Residence Hall Director, on behalf of Housing and Residential Life.

“While this call was determined to be uncredible, we recognize that this may have impacted some Jameson residents who are residing in the building over spring break,” Wendel-Crowe wrote in the email obtained by The Sun. “If you need support, please reach out to any of the resources on campus.”

CUPD also apologized for the incident, noting how it may be traumatic for students.

“We appreciate that Student and Campus Life has reached out to students in Jameson Hall to offer support resources, and we also have shared our empathy with the students who were frightened by the investigation,” Bellamy wrote.

“So why did this happen to me?

Ansari also received personal emails offering him support from Wendel-Crowe and from Reba McCutcheon ’96, an Assistant Dean of Students and case manager for Student Support and Advocacy Services.

“It intensifies that feeling of fear, anxiousness and all the emotions you felt when you were traumatized again — and live that for some time again and again,” Ansari said.

The CUPD explained that another incident of this nature had occurred this semester.

“This semester, Cornell University Police responded to two reports quickly determined to be false ‘swatting’ calls. In both cases, officers were dispatched immediately,” Bellamy wrote. “CUPD was assisted by Cornell University Public Safety Communications Center, Cornell Environmental Health and Safety and Cornell EMS, as well as local and regional authorities.”

The rise in these ‘swatting’ calls has received increasing national attention. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shummer (D-N.Y.) called on the FBI to investigate these incidents affecting schools across New York state. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) also released a statement denouncing the incidents.

A few hours following the incident, an email was sent to Jameson Hall residents later that morning by Nicole Wendel-Crowe, the

CUPD is conducting an ongoing investigation into the incident and urges anyone with relevant information to share it with them. They also explained that although there are no current procedures on how to address ‘swatting’ calls, they are working with other local, regional and national law enforcement agencies to address the issue.

“The investigation into these incidents continues and we encourage anyone with information to contact us at (607) 255-1111 or through the Silent Witness program,” Bellamy told The Sun.

Ansari expressed hope that this incident can help make more Cornellians aware of the rising trend in “swatting” calls and that the University will take the appropriate steps to protect students.

“There have to be better safety measures. That’s my concern,” Ansari said. “Whether you’re at Cornell or any other university, you should not be targeted [by] such traumatic incidents and through these false reports.”

Entrepreneurship Conference Celebrates Cornellians’ Success

By XINYU JOANNE HU Sun Assistant News Editor

Students, faculty and alumni will gather in the Statler Hotel on April 13 and 14 for Entrepreneurship at Cornell’s annual celebration, showcasing Cornellians’ achievements in building impactful ventures.

The conference will include entrepreneurship talks with guest speakers, business pitch competitions and networking sessions. Most Thursday sessions will be free and open to the public, with some of the business pitches and speaker events being live streamed online.

Entrepreneurship at Cornell is a Universitywide program that provides resources, mentorship and professional opportunities to students and alumni across the University’s colleges. The program annually confers the

Student Business of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year awards, which will be presented during the conference.

This year, Entrepreneur of the Year will be awarded to Barry Beck ’90, the founder of Evenly Technologies, a dental telemedicine platform, and Bluemercury, a beauty brand acquired by Macy’s in 2015. President Martha Pollack will present the award to Beck during the lunch session on April 14. Beck will also deliver the Student Business of the Year award, the winner of which will be announced at the event.

In addition to award announcements, the conference will host business pitches and showcases, including the BenDaniel Venture Challenge, an entrepreneurship pitch competition, and eLab Demo Day, a Cornell student business roadshow.

Hosted by Big Red Venture — Cornell’s venture capital fund operated by MBA and graduate students — BenDaniel Venture Challenge allows five companies to pitch their business ideas, with possibility of applying for at least $25,000 cash prizes. ELab Demo Day is the final showcase for students who have participated in this student entrepreneurship accelerator program. Teams of current Cornell students will present their businesses after developing them throughout their year in the program.

Student and faculty tickets, required for some of Thursday’s and all of Friday’s sessions, are available at respective discounted prices of $10 and $50, with regular tickets priced at $100.

Xinyu Joanne Hu can be reached at xhu@cornellsun.com.

Arsalan Ansari ’26

Rescission Sparks Worry Over Religious Freedom

“It’s been really great working with [the ICC],” Singh said. “They’re also really great at answering questions and just want us to feel supported in any way — and we have.”

Singh explained that the HSC is currently raising money to hire a chaplain. Many campus religious organizations employ part- or fulltime chaplains, who lead religious practices. Members of HSC, however, facilitate their organization’s religious services.

“Anything that HSC does —

whether it’s Diwali Dhamaka in the fall or, in the spring, Holi, any ticket sales we have are going towards raising money to try to get a chaplain,” Singh said. “[When we] have a religious service, we, as students, will perform the rituals ourselves in the best way that we know how.”

Cornell historically has not provided financial support to religious organizations for the purpose of hiring chaplains. According to Singh, campus organizations often solicit donations from alumni, but the HSC has a smaller alumni network as a newer organization.

Similarly to how Siddique and Singh expressed that the University

has supported their organizations, Joel Malina, vice president for University Relations, said that Cornell has seen student organizations respect the University’s non-discrimination rule.

“Cornell University requires that all student groups comply with its non-discrimination policy in order to register their organizations. This policy continues to govern student activity,” Malina wrote in a statement to The Sun. “With their consistent compliance, student organizations at Cornell have demonstrated their strong commitment against discrimination based on people’s protected status.”

Because the Free Inquiry Rule is an executive order, it has direct implications for public universities or universities that receive federal funding.

Although Cornell is a private institution, it still receives federal funding. Tebbe said that he believes the Free Inquiry Rule impacts all universities across the country, regardless of schools’ status as public or private institutions.

“Both public and private universities receive federal funding of certain types,” Tebbe said. “It just conditions funding on their adherence to the rule; namely, they can’t exclude religious groups, because of

their discriminatory practices, from recognition. I do think that Cornell would be subject to the Trump rule, and it would also benefit from the Biden rule in the sense that the rescission by the Biden administration would give Cornell the latitude to make this decision itself.”

Students like Avery Bower ’23, president of Cornell Republicans, expressed worry regarding how the University would treat religious student groups following the rescission.

“I think [the rescission is] a serious problem for the First Amendment,” Bower said. “And

I also think Cornell has a troubling track record when it comes to addressing students of all faiths and making sure that they feel that they’re getting equitable treatment. So I’m a bit concerned that there aren’t going to be federal protections for a lot of religious student groups.”

Bower cited the University’s handling of religious gatherings amid COVID-19 restrictions as a source of his concern.

One of the masking and physical distancing policies that Cornell enforced during the 2020-2021 school year was that organizations had to limit gatherings to 10 or fewer people. Bower explained that, in the Jewish faith, a quorum of 10 people is needed for certain religious obligations — the University’s COVID-19 restriction hindered many Jewish students from practicing aspects of their religion.

“When it came to the ability for students to be spiritually supported, the University was not there,” Bower said. “I think, without an added push from the Department of Education — in the event that there is some other sort of earth-shattering crisis — I don’t think that the University has demonstrated that it’s going to be able to look out for its religious students and allow them to further practice their religion.”

Siddique echoed this sentiment, saying that the Free Inquiry Rule provides valuable protection for religions that may be marginalized within different campus communities across the country.

“Having this law, or act, in place kind of codifies our protection, that no matter what external voices or chatter there might be — or the current political temperature — that Muslims and their voices, their thoughts and their core beliefs and identities are protected,” Siddique said. “At least, it’s another layer of protection for us, especially as a minority and marginalized religion, from being bullied around by voices which may not be friendly here in America.”

Dani Smith ’24, co-president of the American Civil Liberties Union at Cornell, said she anticipates the rescission will open up larger conversations about the rights to freedom of religion.

“My takeaway from the Free Inquiry Rule is that it’s a double-edged sword,” Smith said. “I think that it’s going to open up conversations about whether colleges have an interest in ensuring that student organizations are not being discriminatory in nature to other students. And, does the college have to support them and give them funding even if they do engage in that kind of discrimination?”

Campus Programs, Classes Aid in English Language Learning

ESL

Continued from page 1

For the past three years, ELSO has offered a summer writing program called “Write Together at Home.” Launched at the beginning of the pandemic, the program aimed to lighten students’ spirits in lockdown while also providing them English support. Currently, the program is four weeks long, and students form writing groups to set goals and work together to overcome language barriers.

As for undergraduate students, the University has recently started offering a First Year Writing Seminar — held this year as Writing 1380: Elements of Academic Writing — that offers a more hands-on and individualized approach to writing in order to accommodate students whose first language is not English. The course is altered to offer different topics each semester.

In addition to speaking the language, the main challenge many ESL speaking students face is adapting to American culture. Galiyan Zheng ’24, born and raised in China, struggled the most with using conversational English and understanding slang when he first moved to the U.S.

“[In] textbooks they used to teach us [to say] ‘how are you, I’m fine, thank you.’ But when you [come] here [you realize] that’s not what people actually say. People actually say ‘what’s up,’” Zheng said. “When I first heard the phrase, I didn’t even know what it meant — it was difficult.”

Speaking to the need of forging cultural connections, International Students Union provides students with a diverse cultural community and peer network.

Doga Dinçbas ’26, vice president of publicity for ISU, has been involved with the organization since her first semester at Cornell. Originally from Turkey, she expressed her appreciation for ISU as a resource and support system.

“I get support from ISU because it is a place where nobody actually

knows English perfectly, so you can just talk and it is relaxing,” Dinçbas said. “In the first semester, ISU was a really good place to start socializing, because it gives you a group of students that go through the same thing.”

ISU also holds a variety of events throughout the semester for both International Students and other undergraduates, such as their Spring Gala.

After spending two undergraduate years at China Agricultural University, Lucas Xu ’23 is an ESL speaker who improved her conversational English by going to club socials and talking with native speakers. She is considering further improving her English through Cornell’s teaching resources.

“I will consider the classes if my schedule is not too tight,” Xu said. “To be honest, I’m not sure if speaking with other ESL speakers would help. I prefer some organizations that can connect ESL with native speakers to practice English. In return, ESL students can teach those native helpers their first languages.”

Dinçbas is currently taking Writing 1380: Elements of Academic Writing. The Knight Institute offers a few classes per semester that have a curriculum specialized for students that do not yet have a full grasp on the English language. Dinçbas said she struggled with her normal FWS last semester but expressed that taking the specialized one has been a much better experience.

“I struggled with my last FWS because the English [was] too intense.” Dinçbas explained. “I was reading Dante’s ‘Inferno’ in really old English and understanding nothing. After that, they directed me to the international students writing seminar, and it’s going amazing, because the teacher is aware that nobody actually knows [English fluently].”

Sophia Torres Lugo can be reached at set77@cornell.edu.

Xinyu Joanne Hu can be reached at xhu@cornellsun.com.

Rest Stop

A Review of Lisle Spring Water on NY-79

By JIMMY CAWLEY Sun Dining Editor

Water all the people stopped on the road to Ithaca doing? The Lisle Spring water on NY-79 provides generations of clean water to passerbyers and locals alike.

A major aspect of Ithaca’s charming, quaint location is its isolated nature. No interstate highways run through Tompkins County, forcing the Cornell student body to rely solely on state highways to get to campus. One of these popular state highways that services traffic from Interstate 81 to Ithaca is NY Route 79.

This picturesque two-lane road travels from the east hill of Ithaca, past the onslaught of “no zoning” signs in Slaterville Springs, through the rural Tioga County hills into Lisle, eventually passing through Interstate 81 at Whitney Point in Northern Broome County. Those who frequently travel this route may have passed a clearing on the side of the road on one of the final bends. If you just so happened to glance over at the right time, you may have even seen people pulled over at the clearing filling jugs, bottles, glasses, whatever they could find, with water. Having passed by this water spout dozens of times, it felt like a crime to continue to drive past this spring without trying it and learning a bit more about it. The opportunity to stop and try this renowned water came

on my return from spring break back to beloved Ithaca (I went to the Bahamas, thanks for asking). It was a clear, cloudless Thursday evening around 5 p.m. when I took exit 8 off I-81 toward Whitney Point.

As I approached the clearing just past the Village of Lisle, I was shocked to see that no one was stopped to fetch some water on this fine evening. This was one of the only times I had seen this location empty. Nevertheless, I hit the brakes and pulled into the small loop.

I hopped out of the car and made my way over to the white pipe emerging from the side of the hill. My initial reaction to seeing the rustic pipe was questioning if this water was clean. The tube was covered by an array of stickers from the mouth to where it entered the hill. Further down, the interior of the pipe was covered in a brown film as far as I could see into the dark cavity of the pipe. Although there was no visible damage to the pipe, it certainly did not convince me that the water I was about to try was absent of any bacteria that could render me bed-ridden for my Easter weekend.

After mustering enough courage, I extracted my gas station water bottle from my car and held it under the steady stream. As I stuck the Deer Park plastic bottle under the pipe, I flinched at how cool the spring was. I was also pleasantly surprised to notice there was no murkiness to the water, indistinguishable from any tap water.

Without hesitation, I gulped a massive sip of the water, enough to provoke a large belch, startling some birds within the Lisle woods. The water tasted fresh and cold, extremely refreshing for the unseasonably warm day.

Although there was a slight aftertaste, one I couldn’t quite put my finger on, the water still tasted excellent and clean — far better quality than the subpar water in my dorm, Founders Hall. After refilling my bottle for the 40 minute drive home, I vowed from that day onward to stop at the Lisle Spring any time my future travels took me on NY-79.

Impressed by the water’s quality, I perused the Town of Lisle website to find someone who may be knowledgeable about this spring. After making numerous phone calls to the various council members, I finally received a response from Mitchell Quail, Jr., the Superintendent of Highways for the Town of Lisle. Although Quail was unsure when the spring was put together, he was emphatic that the spring has been a very popular spot for many decades.

Although the spring did not come from an identifiable lake or reservoir, Quail assured me that the water comes from “various hilltop springs, creating a constant flow of water.” After a quick glance at a map, it appears that the source of the water comes from various streams in the hills southwest of Lisle and Whitney Point, most serving as tributaries for the larger

Tioughnioga River. As to why this spring is such a popular spot in particular, Quail was unsure.

Much of the traffic at this spring was likely a result of a social domino effect — people stop-

visiting this spring.

Although many modern filtration systems for water exist today, clean drinking water is not always available. The Village of Whitney Point, located about one mile from the Lisle spring, derives their water from a series of wells.

The Village of Whitney Point wells, as well as much of Broome County, are in proximity to discharge facilities — industrial facilities that release wastewater into the environment. For this reason, the Village of Whitney Point classifies their wells at a “medium-high” to “high” susceptibility for harmful bacteria and viruses. Although this is merely one theory, fears over clean drinking water in this region of Broome County may have contributed to the initial acclaim of this spring.

The Lisle Spring, while mysterious to most Cornellians speeding on NY-79 trying to get as far from Ithaca as possible for break, is an instrumental source of fresh drinking water for many locals in Lisle and Whitney Point. Next time you pass by, I encourage you to stop. Although the pipe may look grimey or intimidating at first, fill up a bottle for the road. I promise you’ll be back for more.

ping to investigate why others are stopping, just as I did myself. However, there had to be an initial reason for why people started

Jimmy Cawley is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. He currently serves as the dining editor for the 141st board. He can be reached at jdc354@cornell.edu.

I flinched at how cool the springwas.I was also pleasantly surpised to notice there was not murkiness to the water, indistinguishablefromany tap water.

Claudia Leon Amplify!

Claudia Leon is President of the Puerto Rican Student Association and a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at cil8@cornell.edu. Comments can be sent to opinion@cornellsun.com. Amplify! runs every other Wednesday this semester.

People Live Where You Vacation

Welcome back from break! Whether you stayed in Ithaca or went abroad, I hope you were able to use this time to rest and recharge away from the stress of coursework. While we’re all settling back into class-mode, I thought I would take some time to discuss ethical tourism in the context of Puerto Rico — fun, I know.

Given how popular of a destination the island was for Cornellians this year (and most of my years at Cornell), and what I’ve noticed to be a widespread unawareness of Puerto Rico’s political, economic and cultural status, I wanted to take some time to reflect on and address the tourism industry in Puerto Rico, and how visitors can behave respectfully and ethically during their time on the island.

First, we need to acknowledge one fundamental fact: Puerto Rico is a colony of the United States. Puerto Ricans (and any American citizens) living on the island are not legally entitled to the same Constitutional rights and protections as American citizens living in the continental United States. Principles that we take for granted living in the 50 States, such as “one person, one vote,” don’t apply to Puerto Ricans, who have neither a voting representative in Congress nor a vote to cast in presidential elections.

“Commonwealth.” Make an effort to get to know Puerto Rico beyond the resorts, and appreciate the humanity of those making your relaxing vacation in paradise possible.

3) That being said, listen to the locals. Avoid areas that you are told to avoid, for the sake of both your safety and theirs. Every once in a while, stories come out of tourists who intentionally disregarded instructions to avoid certain areas and/or behaviors who met unfortunate consequences. These easily avoidable incidents then become further fuel to the fire of alienating and villainizing already marginalized neighborhoods.

This is only the tip of the iceberg, however, and I encourage everyone — regardless of whether you intend to travel — to read further about the political status of Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans.That being said, I wanted to provide the Cornell community with some reminders and suggestions for any potential travel to Puerto Rico.

1) Do your research! While Puerto Rico is a paradise to many, many of the island’s residents do not get to experience this luxurious version of P.R. As of 2020, nearly half of the island lives below the poverty line, compared to a national average of 12.8 percent. Recognize your status and privilege as a visitor, and act respectfully toward locals and the native flora and fauna.

2) Make an effort to learn about our culture — remind yourself that Puerto Rico is a nation with a rich and diverse history, and a culture distinct from that of the United States, despite our status as a

4) Look after the environment and clean up after yourself. At the bare minimum don’t litter, but if you’re feeling extra kind, consider cleaning up some trash before you head out, especially if it can pose a threat to wildlife. Don’t leave an area in a state you wouldn’t leave your own home in. My golden rule is to always leave somewhere better than you found it.

5) Make sure the money you spend goes into the hands of Puerto Ricans. When and where you can, frequent Puerto Rican-owned businesses and restaurants, which will not only grant you a more authentic experience but also ensure that the communities you are visiting are the direct recipients of any money spent during your trip. For lodging, consider staying at paradores or small inns, where you’ll receive a more genuine and oftentimes cheaper experience.

In the end, I want to emphasize that respect is the most important thing. I am so proud to be Puerto Rican, as are most of us, and it brings me joy to see people appreciating my island, its landscapes,seascapes and people. However, it also hurts to see the place where I grew up prioritize the interests of tourists over its local population while people are priced out of their neighborhoods, denied access to the very same lands and waters they grew up with and oftentimes left with no choice but to move to the continental United States.

So, if you go to Puerto Rico, make sure to do it right. Just listen to Bad Bunny, who partnered with journalist Bianca Graulau (whom PRSA brought to campus last semester!) to create a documentary-style music video for El Apagón titled “Aquí Vive Gente” (People

Here).

Make an effort to learn about our culture — remind yourself that Puerto Rico is a nation with a rich and diverse history...

As the last students who… [insert pre-COVID-19 shutdown anecdote].

You’ve probably heard this story more than a few times by now. As you know, we are officially three years removed from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, and yet, we’ve only begun to put the pieces back together. Tis is true also for Black Students United. Our organization, which we believe to be vital for the wellbeing of Black students on Cornell’s campus, has come a long way in the past year, and yet, must redirect and forge a new path.

In my experience, the spring semester has always hit Cornell’s Black community fast. February is Black History Month, and, for better or worse, student organizations serving the Black community are arguably most active during this first full month of the semester: Organizations within the BSU umbrella hosted over 20 events in February 2023.

Recentering

BSU’s theme for this past Black History Month was “Black 2 Te Future,” as a nod to the aesthetic and philosophy of Afrofuturism. We’ve done a lot of thinking about the future of our organization, and the ramifications that it might have for Black people at Cornell and beyond.

In addition to the game nights, movie nights and retreats, BSU has tried to foster deeper conversations within our community. Three events this spring stand out: Black History Month’s Opening Ceremony, which was hosted by the Africana Studies and Research Center, asked “what we owe each other as a Black community at Cornell, and as an African Diaspora at large.”

Sankofa (SAHN-ko-fa), our annual historical and educational event, showed a screening of Agents of Change, a film directed by Cornell alumnus Frank Dawson ‘72, which documents protests on university campuses, including Cornell’s, that led to the launch of Black studies programs across the country.

on the part of Black Students United. Te importance of educating the Black conscience on Cornell’s campus through thoughtful programming cannot be overstated, especially not now.

With the persistent threat of systemic racism and oppression, the attempted erasure of Black studies from curricula and the ever-rising influence of technology and moneyed interests on our information ecosystem, Black students must educate themselves and continue the work set out by previous generations of student activists.

Finally, we reinstated our “State of the Union” event, where we discussed inclusivity and representation of ethnic groups within the Black diaspora. It’s definitely been a reflective period for BSU.

We believe that the next step is action. Tere seems to be a marked reduction in political discourse and organization within the Black community, and especially

Recognizing this gap in our programming is one thing, but correcting it will take hard work. We’re hoping to realign our agenda to the work of Black liberation and future-proof the organization for these purposes. Divesting from individualism and leaning into solidarity will be foremost on this agenda.

We hope to achieve this solidarity by identifying common interests and working together despite differences within BSU, the Black community and the larger student body.

It is important that we recognize the injustices existing across communities as equally dangerous to those directly affecting Black Students at Cornell. Black Students United is at a critical juncture, and we’ll need to exhaust all possibilities to make sure we leave the organization better than we found it.

Learning Can Be Uncomfortable. Good.

a strong incentive for participation and learning. Under the resolution, offended students would not lose points for skipping classes or take-home reading assignments if the professor is teaching books like Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon (the novel depicts racial and domestic violence and its opening scene describes a suicide).

Gabriel Levin Almost Fit to Print

Gabriel Levin is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences He can be reached at glevin@cornellsun.com. Almost Fit to Print runs every other Monday this semester.

Not long ago, our Student Assembly proposed a resolution that would force professors to excuse students who wish not to read, discuss or listen to any course material that offends them, including anything that refers to “sexual assault, domestic violence, selfharm, suicide, child abuse, racial violence, transphobic violence, homophobic harassment, etc.” Conceivably, the resolution would apply to any and all social issues, triggers and distressing themes that a student might prefer not to engage with. Te President and Provost annulled the resolution, reasoning that it stands against Cornell’s founding vision of free inquiry. On this matter, I agree with the administration.

Whether we like it or not, grades are

If students no longer have an incentive to show up to class on days when professors examine social issues, students will stop showing up and professors will eventually stop teaching about real-world problems from poverty and war to sexism and racism. At a certain point, we students will be assigned only uncontroversial books that advocate for no particular position and comment on no social issues whatsoever.

If we are not challenged intellectually and emotionally in the classroom, what point is there to college? I, for one, would rather tune into TV static than be coddled in a humanities class that refuses to pointedly confront social issues. To learn is to feel uncomfortable, and professors should, of course, approach sensitive topics carefully.

I empathize with my peers who struggle with trauma and personal fears, but excusing students from class and homework on the basis of their discomfort is not a policy I can endorse. As the administration rightly explains, “Learning to engage with difficult and challenging ideas is a core part of a university education: essential to our students’ intellectual growth, and to their future ability to lead and thrive in a diverse society.”

More and more in my English classes, professors are avoiding discussing uncomfortable topics. Today’s professors are less willing to teach controversial books out of fear that students might get offended, but those books are often the most thought-provoking.

One of my professors assigned J.M. Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians but had to clarify dozens of times that she does not support the actions of the Conrad-inspired protagonist (duh!). At one point, a peer of mine raised his hand and explained that if she had not reiterated it so many times, he would have been morally outraged and protested the assignment by whatever means necessary.

Why are students quick to assume that a professor must agree with what they assign? I once thought the goal of a college education was precisely the opposite: that professors would present uncomfortable, even outright contentious, subject matter to spark meaningful dialogues.

Apparently, that approach is fading out of style. Nowadays, growing movements on campuses across America and the world want to allow students, not professors, to choose what information is taught in the classroom.

Te movements I am referring to are both conservative and liberal. On the right, students support the hateful politics of book-banning and suppressing Critical Race Teory. On the left, students promote dangerously overprotective policies, like the one put forth by our student leaders. As a progressive independent who values free inquiry, I feel like the odd one out. I came to Cornell to learn at all costs, even at the cost of my own comfort.

My message to my peers is simple: An education loses its value when students can selectively decide what pages of a required book they want to read, or which classes to attend for a course they are already enrolled in.

Tere is no film we can place over our eyes and no headphones we can smother our ears with to filter out the iniquities of the world. So, as changemakers, we Cornellians must confront these social issues head-on and in a responsible manner — first in the classroom, then in society. Making it harder for students to learn about sensitive topics, which is what this resolution would effectively do, is no good if our aim is to create a socially-aware school culture.

Obioha Chijioke is a co-president of Black Students United and a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. Comments can be sent to opinion-editor@cornellsun.com. BSU can be reached at bsu.cornell@gmail.com. Amplify! runs alternate Wednesdays this semester.

If we are not challenged intellectually and emotionally in the classroom, what point is there to college?

More and more in my English classes, professors are avoiding discussing uncomfortable topics.

We’ve done a lot of thinking about the future of our organization, and the ramifications that it might have for Black people at Cornell and beyond.

The importance of educating the Black conscience on Cornell’s campus through thoughtful programming cannot be overstated, especially not now.

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)

Bear with Me

SC I ENCE

Growing Crops in the Shade: Cornell Researchers Advance Efficiency in Agrivoltaic Farming

By OGDEN HUNTINGTON OLIVAS Sun Contributor

Arecently-published University research paper, “The potential for agrivoltaics to enhance solar farm cooling,” points to avenues for greater efficiency in agrivoltaic systems, as well as application in diverse landscapes. The research, conducted by Henry Williams grad, Khaled Hashad grad, Haomiao Wang grad and Prof. Max Zhang, mechanical and aerospace engineering, aims to increase solar efficiency through tools based in physical engineering, thereby increasing the potential for energy production in agricultural settings.

Agrivolatic systems are landscapes that combine solar infrastructure, such as solar panels, with agricultural crops — effectively doubling land use application and thereby meeting needs in sustainable energy and food security.

The use of a landscape for both agricultural and energy shareholding has implications for sustainable development

under increasing climate and food concerns.

“At present, most solar photovoltaic projects in agricultural regions are sited on agricultural land, creating conflict between food and energy production,” Williams said. “Combining these two land uses through agrivoltaic can alleviate some of these issues, but there is a need for robust modeling capabilities to demonstrate the physical implications of co-locating agriculture and solar PV.”

Climate change and rising popu - lation will require improvements in both sustainable infrastructure and food production. Agrivoltaic systems will become an increasingly important tool in finding sustainable solutions to these challenges.

As a result, the research group utilized physics and engineering to create a tool that could model for coefficient agricultural and solar PV production through agrivotaics.

“We develop a solar farm microclimate model to demonstrate how passive cooling from vegetation and taller panel

heights can lead to increased efficiency for solar panels in agrivoltaic systems,” Williams said.

In creating this model, the researchers determined viable ways to construct solar panels that would coexist with crop plants through assorted engineering techniques. For example, they considered photo-activity from reflective ground light, as well as rates of evapotranspiration — the process by which water vapor rises from the plants and soil.

Although agrivoltaic systems are more likely to be implemented in warmer, arid landscapes, this research shows the potential application in colder or moderate areas, such as in Canada, where the research was conducted.

“We show how moderate climates can also create environments in which agrivoltaic designs might prove advantageous over traditional solar PV,” Williams said.

This research advocates for further use of agrivoltaic systems going forward due to their fulfilling both food and energy needs and posing major impli -

COURTESY OF

AMENGUAL / THE

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cations for the future dynamic between land use types. Understanding potential synergies between food production and solar energy is a significant step in mitigating environmental issues.

Overall, the use of agrivolatic systems shows the potential for crop plants to receive the necessary resources required for their growth while still being covered by efficiently engineered solar units.

“We are showing potential for solar panels in agrivoltaic systems to produce more power than in traditional solar PV sites,” Williams said. “This sets a precedent for broadening the global applicability of agrivoltaics.”

C.U. Study Finds Symbiosis Between Eagles, Dairy Farmers

By CRISTINA TORRES Sun Staff Writer

A recently-published study, “A Win-Win Between Farmers and an Apex Predator: Investigating the Relationship Between Eagles and Dairy Farms,” by Ethan Duvall grad investigates the relationship between dairy farmers and bald eagles. This newly-discovered relationship will increase human-bald eagle interactions across various contexts.

Duvall, who studies ecology and evolutionary biology, began his research in Washington state, where he found that bald eagle populations concen-

trated around the Nooksack River migrated to nearby dairy farms. The dairy industry produces natural byproducts, such as cow placenta and carcasses. Although waste to the farmers, these byproducts offer nutrients and energy to eagles when they are unable to find the food they need at the river.

However, eagles are not intentionally migrating to farms.

“It’s not just that they’re moving directly to the farms — they’re dispersing away from the rivers to these other human-dominated areas where anthropogenic resources are available,” Duvall said.

The exact reason for the

decrease in salmon is still unknown, but Duvall attributes it to a response to hydrology, the study of the movement and distribution of water, and temperature.

Bald eagles traditionally scavenge for salmon carcasses when they wash up on river banks, because they provide an ample supply of food during cold winter months. However, due to global warming, the timeline of the salmon’s life cycle is changing dramatically.

Climate change is disrupting the life cycle of salmon and timeline of river water levels, as the salmon would previously end their life cycle when the

river water receded, allowing the bald eagles access to their carcasses. This is no longer true, as the salmon are completing their life cycles earlier, when the water levels are at their winter highs, therefore causing a decline in the number of salmon carcasses that the eagles are able to obtain and leading them to search for food in other places, like dairy farms.

“Even if you have the same amount of salmon in the river that are actually spawning, the amount of carcasses that are being available to the eagles is being reduced,” Duvall said.

Duvall further explained that, in the past 50 years, salmon have been returning to their spawning grounds, or birthplace, to die a month earlier — though the reason for this phenomenon is still unknown — indicating that salmon are now dying at different periods of the river’s cycle.

“So you see a total reduction in salmon carcasses nonetheless,” Duvall said. “And that’s forcing eagles that have historically relied on this abundant food source to seek other food sources during the winter, which are the hardest periods to survive.”

As a result, eagles have adapted to seek food from anthropogenic, or man-made, structures like farms and landfills rather than riverbanks.

This increase in interactions with humans is having observable effects on bald eagle populations. For example, since bald

eagles are now more likely to inhabit areas populated with humans, unprecedented rates of avian flu have been observed, killing large numbers of bald eagles.

There has also been an increase in lead poisoning among eagles in the Pacific Northwest, as these birds are scavenging in locations where hunters use lead bullets, such as forests.

The direct impact of humans on bald eagles will increase as bald eagles become more exposed to anthropogenic structures as a result of rising global temperatures.

“It’s not just as simple as [the bald eagles’] moving to the farms. It becomes a much more complicated interaction between [humans and] eagles across the board now,” Duvall said.

The future of these birds seems to be heavily intertwined with that of humans as these birds inhabit human populated areas, which Duvall said makes this interaction much more complicated and important to understand.

“For a half-century, as we’ve continued to put effort into conserving eagles, [we are] going to be continuing to discuss and make informed management decisions that enable conservation of eagles but also potentially maximize benefits for humans,” Duvall said.

Scarce salmon | Bald eagles are no longer scavenging for salmon carcasses that wash up on shorelines.

Cristina Torres can be reached at ct538@cornell.edu.

Ogden Huntington Olivas can be reached at oho4@cornell.edu.

Photovoltaic panels | Agrivoltaics use solar panels on agricultural land to efficiently increase crop yield while generating heat.

COURTESY OF TONY CENICOLA / THE NEW YORK TIMES

ADAM

NEW YORK