INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 143, No. 27 News
WEDSESDAY, APRIL 29, 2026 n ITHACA, NEW YORK Features Science
Colorful celebrations
Purple physics
Around 400 Cornellians gathered on the Arts Quad on Sunday to celebrate Holi.
Calgary’s Castagna
A former Cornell professor brings physics to Ithaca in an unorthodox way: a refashioned school bus.
Castagna is the NHL’s “newest diamond in the rough,” writes Hockey Editor Jane McNally in her final piece.
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16 Pages – Free
STEPHAN MENASCHE / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Boris Johnson Speaks on Campus By GISELLE REDMOND Sun Assistant News Editor
Former prime minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson spoke to a sold-out crowd in Call Auditorium about Iran, democracy and sovereignty during an event hosted by Cornell Republicans on Monday. The event, named “The West is Worth Saving,” was sponsored by Young America’s Foundation, a non-profit that works to promote conservative ideas on college campuses. Johnson, a member of the U.K.’s conservative party, served as prime minister from July 2019 to September 2022, when he resigned amid a revolt from his ministers and a series of scandals. This included ‘Partygate,’ a series of parties hosted by Johnson that violated COVID-19 lockdown protocols, the details of which Johnson was found to have repeatedly lied about. Notably, Johnson spearheaded Britain’s exit from the European Union in 2020, informally known as ‘Brexit.’ The Associate Dean of Students Christine Nye, Provost Kavita Bala and Cornell Republicans President Max Whalen ’26 took the stage to introduce the former prime minister and emphasize the necessity of protecting free speech on Cornell’s campus. Nye gave the disclaimer that “audience members who disagree with the speaker may make their views known, so long as they do not interfere with the speaker’s ability to be heard or the right of others to listen and see the member.” Any violators could be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, she warned. Johnson stepped up to the podium to speak for about 30 minutes before the event transitioned to a Q&A, moderated by Whalen. Johnson began by expressing his sadness regarding the recent “crazy attack” on President Donald Trump, referring to an assasination attempt at a White House Correspondent’s dinner on Saturday. Johnson noted his own connection to Cornell, sharing that his great grandfather graduated from the University in 1902 and praising the University’s rejection of “proprietary, ideological or religious dogma.” The foundation of Johnson’s speech focused on the reasons why western democracies, such as the U.S. and the U.K., must fight against countries Johnson described as autocracies, and the methods they should take to do so.
Repeatedly, Johnson mentioned the current conflicts in the Middle East. Johnson described a 2010 attack on a water park in Gaza, called Crazy Water Park, that occurred two weeks after Hamas had shut the park down. He described that women would visit in their “undraped form” and that the park was widely successful. “It was such a success that Hamas couldn’t stand it,” Johnson said. Johnson asked the audience: “Whose side are you on? Are you on the side of Hamas? Or are you on the side of Crazy Water Park?” and was met with a ripple of laughter from the audience, followed by applause. He also praised the U.S.’s recent attacks on Iran, calling President Trump’s objectives “sensible. Johnson described Iranians as “absolutely ruthless brutal liars,” and referenced incidents where the Iranian government has exerted violence against women and protestors. “Iran is the black widow spider at the center of a web of terror,” Johnson said. He condemned the nation launching drone attacks on “blameless” allies of the U.K. Johnson argued that “it is frankly in the interest of every country in the world, including Iran, that we should have a peaceful and non-nuclear Iran.” He believes that at the end of the war, Iran’s military will be diminished and western democracies will benefit. Iran was also mentioned among a “mutually reinforcing coalition of autocracies” who are against western democracy — including Russia, China and North Korea. Because these nations benefit one another, Johnson emphasized the importance of a Ukrainian victory, as it would not only mean defeat for Russia, but also for the other nations in the group he described. He said that he “[doesn’t] like to see America isolated,” and expressed his desire for the rest of Europe to aid in the U.S.’s efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Johnson also argued against the drawing of “false moral equivalencies” between the nations he named as autocracies and democracies. Throughout his lecture, Johnson praised the U.S.’s global interventions and technological innovations. Specifically, he praised the U.S. for the invention of rock music, sang his praises for Elvis Presley, and then sang a rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” in French, referencing the original arrangement by JeanPaul-Égide Martini. See JOHNSON page 10
Ithaca Wins $10M to ‘Revitalize Downtown’ By LILA DAVIS and ATTICUS JOHNSON Sun Contributor and Sun News Editor
I
thaca won $10 million in state funding for downtown developments, Walter Mosley, the New York Secretary of State, announced at the Ithaca Downtown Convention Center on Thursday afternoon. The funding was disseminated by Mosley as part of the New York State’s Downtown Revitalization and New York Forward initiatives created by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). The villages of Margaretville and Stamford also won $4.5 million each in state funding. “You’re here today to watch the beginning of Ithaca’s downtown renaissance,” Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo M.A. ’20 told the crowd of local elected officials. “This money is going to have a transformational impact on our city.” Ithaca’s planned developments include hundreds of new housing units along West Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, which runs from the Ithaca Commons to NY Route 13, supplementing separate state investments in the SouthWorks facility, Mosley announced at the event. This is a force multiplier type of initiative,” Mosley told The Sun. “We get this public-private partnership that we believe will pay immediate dividends.” While early construction will begin in “late 2027,” Judy McKinney Cherry, regional co-chair of the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council, said that people will not notice changes for 18 to 24 months. Ithaca has applied for this grant for the last 10 years and though they have never received it, the city has taken feedback to improve their application each time, according to State Assemblymember Anna Kelles (D-125th District), who represents Tompkins County. See DOWNTOWN page 10
Jane Lynch MFA ’84 to Cornell Student Studying in Jordan Speak at Convocation Sent Back to U.S. Due to Iran War
By VARSHA BHARGAVA Sun Managing Editor
April 27 — Five-time Emmy winner and Golden Globe awardee Jane Lynch MFA ’84 will take the stage at this year’s Senior Convocation Ceremony to deliver the keynote address, the Senior Convocation Committee announced at Ho Plaza on Monday. The Senior Convocation Ceremony is an annual celebration led by the student-run Senior Convocation Committee that honors Cornell’s graduating class with
student performances and speeches from a well-known keynote speaker, University leadership and a Cornell student. This year’s ceremony will take place in Barton Hall at 1 p.m. on May 21.
Varsha Bhargava can be reached at vbhargava@cornellsun. COURTESY OF PETERB1234/ WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
By JAMES COVIT Sun Staff Writer
April 23 — Nicolas Jaimes ’27 began his spring semester in Amman, Jordan as part of an Arabic-immersion program called CET Jordan. But after nearby military strikes raised safety concerns, Jaimes was forced to return to the U.S. on March 5. Jaimes’ first six weeks abroad included spending three to four hours per day studying Arabic, and one to two hours per day studying regional political issues, such as Jordan’s refugee crisis. When he was not in the classroom, Jaimes said he
spent time strolling through Amman’s downtown ‘Souk,’ Arabic for market, and eating lots of “tasty” koshari — a popular Egyptian dish filled with rice, macaroni, lentils and spicy tomato sauce. On Feb. 28, however, his semester took an unexpected turn. That morning, as part of the U.S.’ Operation Epic Fury and Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion, the nations launched joint military strikes against targets across Iran. At first, Jaimes and his peers did not know how their semester would be affected, as Jordan was not directly involved in the
attacks. Then, on March 2, as tensions in the region escalated, the U.S. Department of State encouraged all Americans to leave the country immediately. “There has been an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran and significant disruptions to commercial flights,” the Department of State wrote in a travel advisory released on March 2. Following the Department of State statement, CET Jordan told all students in the program that they had to return home, while the program would continue virtually, according to Jaimes. See JORDAN page 10