INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The CorneÂŹ Daily Sun Vol. 135, No. 79
THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019
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16 Pages â Free
ITHACA, NEW YORK
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A group of Cornell staďŹ called for major housing and well-being improvements in the weekly assembly meeting. | Page 3
The poet is returning to town tomorrow night. See what else is happening in the Ithaca arts scene this weekend. | Page 9
The Red poised for an Ivy playoďŹs run after nearly upsetting No. 5 Syracuse. | Page 16
HIGH: 66Âş LOW: 49Âş
Committee Disqualifies Student Trustee Candidate, Sparking Outrage
Supportive email from sports official cited as reason for decision By DYLAN McDEVITT & RAPHY GENDLER & MEREDITH LIU Sun Senior Writer & Sun Sports Editor & Sun Assistant Managing Editor
JT Baker â21, a football player who ran for student-elected trustee, was disqualified because of an email a Cornell Athletics official sent alerting athletes to Bakerâs campaign and encouraging them to vote in the election, according to the emails and two people familiar with the decision. âIf anyone deserved to win, it was JT,â said sophomore linebacker Erik Andreasson. âHe put in maximum effort to his campaign, sacrificing time he could have spent on school and football, got more than enough votes, and has nothing to show for it because they took it from him. The Trustee Nominating Committee announced Tuesday that it had disqualified Baker, ruling unanimously that the email violated election rules by implying that playersâ support of Bakerâs candidacy was a condition of their affiliation with Cornell Athletics. The committee also determined the email âaltered the fairness of the election.â Its decision drew rebuke from both Cornell President Martha E.h Pollack and Board
âThey took it from himâ: football players livid over teammateâs D.Q.
of Trustees Chair Robert spread the word!â she conThe disqualification on By DYLAN McDEVITT & Harrison â76, who said they tinued. Tuesday was followed by RAPHY GENDLER Sun Senior Writer & Sun Sports disagreed with but would Rogers and Cornell statements from Cornell Editor honor the ruling. Athletics declined to comPresident Martha E. Pollack The email, which was ment. and Board of Trustees Chair Members of the Cornell Robert Harrison â76 sayobtained by The Sun on The nominating comfootball team denounced ing they disagree with the Wednesday and verified by mittee also disqualified a committee committeeâs member, highdisqualifilighted Bakerâs cation of candidacy but Baker from did not explicthe race, but that they itly endorse would abide the cornerback by its ruling. for trustee. Itâs âIf anyunclear how many athletes one deserved received the to win, it email. was JT,â âI am consaid sophotacting you to more linelet you know backer Erik that JT Baker, a Andreasson. member of the âHe put in football team, maximum is running effort to his for Student campaign, E l e c t e d sacrificing Trustee,â time he C a r m e n could have Rogers, assisspent on school and tant director football, got of athletics for more than student serBORIS TSANG / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR enough vices, wrote votes, and to athletes on Out of the running | JT Baker â21, a football player, was unanimously disqualified by the has nothing March 18, a elections committee due to an email that allegedly implied the support of Cornell athletics. to show for week before the disqualification of cor- it because they took it from voting began. âHe would Baker for not notifying the nerback JT Baker â21 from him.â be the first ever student ath- committee of the potential the race for student-electDue to the use of a lete in this critical leader- violation in a timely maned trustee on Tuesday and ranked-choice voting sysship position. ner. Members voted 6 to Wednesday. Baker was dis- tem, it is unclear if Baker âThis election for the 1, with one abstaining, that qualified for an email sent would have won the elecStudent-Elected Trustee this altered the fairness of by a Cornell Athletics offi- tion had he not been disposition is incredibly the election. cial to athletes and coaches qualified. Jaewon Sim â21 important and we encourduring the campaign. was announced as the winage you all to vote, please See DISQUALIFIED page 4
Rocket man
ner on Tuesday. Cornell football players agreed with Pollack and Harrison that the committee shouldnât have disqualified Baker. But some student athletes called on Cornellâs top two officials to go further and reinstate him. Baker did not respond to a phone call requesting comment on Wednesday evening. Soon after Bakerâs disqualification, dozens of football players and other student-athletes took to social media to support Baker. Many posts decried the choices of both the committee and Pollack, and some said race may have been a motivation for the perceived injustice against Baker, who is black. âItâs clear that the repeated efforts to silence [Bakerâs] Voice is an example of an unready, corrupt inner circle at this school. The Voices of Undergraduate black men and student-athletes have been silenced far too long here at Cornell,â cornerback Jake Watkins â19 wrote on Twitter. Some accused the committee of another form of discrimination, alleging that the committee and the administration have a vested interest against a student-athlete holding a position of such influence. Athletics officials had told See REACTIONS page 15
Ithacaâs Top Cop to Retire After 28 Years By AMANDA H. CRONIN Sun News Editor
DOUG MILLS / THE NEW YORK TIMES
North Korea tested a new guided weapon last week, putting the breaks on the United Statesâ increasingly warm relationship with the reclusive nation.
After 28 years of service, Ithaca Police Chief Pete Tyler will retire from his post on May 31 after spending just two years as the Cityâs top cop. Tyler served two of his 28 years on the police force as chief, replacing Chief John Barber upon Barberâs retirement in 2017. The IthacaCayuga chapter of the Kiwanis Club â an international service club
â presented Tyler with departmentâs top post. an award commending A native Ithacan, him for his dedication to Tyler made headlines in protecting the Ithaca area 2017 when he became on Monday. the first black police chief Watching in Ithacaâs Tylerâs âleadhistory. One ership after the of his main retirement of missions as Chief Barber chief, he told through several The Ithaca high profile and Voice, was challenging incito âwork to dents,â Mayor serve the PETE TYLER Svante Myrick public and â09 became âconvinced would prioritize training he is the right person for officers to use non-lethal the job,â he said before defensive tactics to deesTyler was elevated to the calate dangerous situa-
tions.â Tyler also entered the position aiming to tackle the opioid epidemic that has hit much of upstate New York particularly hard in recent years. Tompkins County registered nearly 20 overdose deaths in 2018 â up from just 8 in 2013, according to a government report. âHeroin is a huge problem in our city,â Tyler previously told The Sun. âThatâs not going See POLICE page 4