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2 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Graduation Issue Contents Four Years at Cornell 2019-2023: TAKING A PAUSE TO REFLECT The Sun takes you back to some of the most momentous events of the last four years, tracing back headlines from this semester to the fall of freshman year. Re-read coverage of events that undeniably changed the Hill — most notably the spring 2020 arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic, and its manifold and legion repercussions on the University and its students.

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MICHAEL SUGUITAN / SUN FILE PHOTO

Live From The Field BIG RED PRIDE

Arts and Culture Ithaca, though miles away from the metropolitan music haven of New York City, has nevertheless wrangled quite the lineup of stars to come entertain the Cornell masses. Reminisce over Vince Staples jumping at the State Theatre in 2019, Steve Aoki energizing Slope Day in 2019, Flo Milli heating Barton Hall in 2022 and other crowd-pleasers from the last four years.

Whether you counted yourself a Lynah Faithful or the friend who had to be dragged to games by Big Red fanatics, relive the biggest headlines in The Sun’s sports archives from 2019-23. The wins and heartbreaking losses alike await you.

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Contents Four Years at Cornell 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 Opinion

3-10 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-13

Senior Send-Offs Graduating Sun Staffers 161 Things Four Years in Photos Arts & Culture Sports

14-26, 31-50 16 27 28-29 30 54-56

Graduation Issue Staff

Angela Bunay ’24, Sofia Rubinson ’24, Vee Cipperman ’23, Noah Do ’24, Stella Wang ’24, Julia Nagel ’24, Aimée Eicher ’24.

Cover Design: Isabelle Jung ’26 (base illustration), photo department (photos on the illustration).

Cover: The Class of 2023 graduates after a tumultuous time at Cornell, the last class to experience the University in all phases before the pandemic, during and after.

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The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 3

A RECAP OF EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE DURING OUR TIME IN I THACA FALL 2019

TimeLine 8.6.19 FAMED WRITER TONI MORRISON M.A. ’55 DIES AT 88: One of only two Cornellians to be awarded both the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes, Toni Morrison M.A. ’55 died after a short illness in August. Morrison studied creative writing at Cornell. She is the author of many popular works, including Beloved and Song of Solomon.

9.16.19 WEILL CORNELL TO PROVIDE DEBT-FREE MEDICAL SCHOOL: Students in Weill’s Class of 2023 — and all classes onward — will have their loans replaced by scholarships. Sticker price for Cornell medical school tuition is currently $58,760, and Weill Cornell’s website states that the program currently has 1,390 students enrolled across its programs.

9.20.19 C.U. STUDENTS SUPPORT GLOBAL CLIMATE STRIKE: Amid chants of “system change, not climate change!,” Cornell students and faculty marched to the Commons on Friday. The march, one of over 4,000 protests occurring this week for the Global Climate Strike, called for divestment from fossil fuels and a federal Green New Deal, among other reforms.

10.26.19 MISSING STUDENT’S BODY FOUND IN FALL CREEK GORGE: Antonio Tsialas ’23 was last seen at a fraternity event at the house of the Phi Kappa Psi on Thursday night. The next afternoon, his family reported that he was missing when he failed to meet with them during First-Year Family Weekend.

11.17.19 HONG KONG PROTESTS CAUSE STUDYABROAD TO LEAVE: After five months of protests in Hong Kong, the city’s universities became epicenters of increasingly violent conflict, prompting Cornell to encourage the four students studying abroad there to leave.

11.20.19 FRATERNITIES VOTE TO BAN ALCOHOL FOR RECRUITMENT: Following the death of Antonio Tsialas ’23, the Interfraternity Council voted to ban alcohol, and tighten other rules, at spring rush events following President Pollack's annoucements for Greek reforms.

BORIS TSANG / SUN FILE PHOTO

Climate crisis | Protesters march northward on Garden Avenue during the climate strike on Dec. 6, 2019. Activists threatened to distrupt “business as usual” if a pledge to divest was not met by Fossil Fuel Divestment Day — Feb. 13, 2020.

Calls for Fossil Fuel Divestment Escalate

Student activists protest, stage a sit-in University for divestment As calls for fossil fuel divestment escalate, the protesters have moved from the sidewalks to the streets.

On Dec. 6, a coalition of student activist groups flooded Ho Plaza. These groups included Climate Justice Cornell, the Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter at Cornell, the Vegan Society and the Ithaca chapter of the Extinction Rebellion. Organizers gave speeches and led chants, and then the crowd marched through the streets before returning to Day Hall to stage a sit-in.

“A non-profit university should not act like a corporation,” Nadia Vitek ’19, an organizer for CJC, told the crowd as she advocated for divestment from fossil fuels.

In Day Hall, four students delivered a letter from CJC and a larger list of demands to President Martha Pollack’s receptionist. While the president did not receive the demands, 12 protestors waited outside Martha Pollack’s office until 5 p.m.

The CJC letter demands the divestment from all fossil fuel companies by Fossil Fuel Divestment Day — Feb. 13, 2020. If this demand goes unmet, the protestors threaten to disrupt “business as usual” on the Ithaca campus

until the Board of Trustees pledges to divest.

Protestors downstairs staged a sit-in of the Day Hall lobby until 4 p.m.

Efforts to maintain a presence in the building were stymied by CUPD’s decision later in the afternoon to not allow protestors back into the building if they left to use the bathroom.

Video calls connected the protestors who were stuck outside, those in the lobby and those outside the waiting room to Pollack’s office, while faculty and students with appointments in the building were escorted in and out by CUPD. In the lobby of Day Hall, protestors sang movement songs and did group bonding exercises.. With three CUPD officers — present throughout the sit-in — looking on, protestors took turns reading from a MLK speech.

“The Cornell University Police were not notified of yesterday’s protest but still managed to redirect traffic in order to ensure participants’ safety when the protest unexpectedly moved into the streets,” Chief of CUPD Dave Honan told The Sun. “When the protestors entered Day Hall and interrupted the normal business operations of offices in that building, the CUPD secured the building to maintain operations and then

assisted students and staff needing access to the various offices and services in Day Hall,” Honan wrote.

The list of demands includes not only divestment and decarbonization of the university’s resources, but also the expansion of plant-based protein options in Cornell Dining, a Citizen’s assembly to increase power sharing, and orientation education about the the peoples of the Cayuga Nation.

“I will not donate to the university until they divest,’’ Sheila Out ’72, a Cornell alumna who attended the rally, told The Sun. The board’s current standard is that divestment will only occur when a company’s actions are “morally reprehensible” and divestment will have a real impact on the issue at hand without too many unintended consequences, or when the company contributes to a problem so serious it conflicts with the university’s goals and principles.

If divestment is not implemented, activists’ tactics may continue to escalate.

“We are choosing confrontation after fruitless attempts of working with the administration and a failed vote by the Board of Trustees,” CJC wrote in their letter to President Pollack.

Remembering Antonio Tsialas’23: “A Gem of a Person” Law enforcement recovered the body of a Cornell freshman from Fall Creek Gorge on Oct. 26. The tragedy shocked the campus community, as Cornellians remembered Antonio Tsialas ’23, who was 18, as a “gem of a person.”

The Cornell student had been missing since Oct. 24, after he was seen leaving a Phi Kappa Psi fraternity party. He met with his mother on Thursday night for dinner and planned to take his parents, who were in town during First-Year Family Weekend, on a tour of the campus over the next few days. His parents reported him missing when he failed to meet with them on Friday.

This semester, Tsialas was taking classes in microeconomics, computing, linear algebra and writing across cultures as an undeclared freshman

in Arts and Sciences. He was interested in studying chemistry in the future, Arts College Dean Ray Jayawardhana said in a college-wide email.

“A full investigation of the circumstances of his death is underway,” wrote the CUPD in a statement Saturday night.

Tsialas attended Ransom Everglades School in Miami, where he was involved as a stellar academic, debater and goalie on the soccer team.

“He was so kind, inclusive, intelligent and personable,” said Cole Hunter ’20 in a message to The Sun, describing Tsialas as a “gem of a person” whom Hunter had interviewed before the freshman was hired as a campus tour guide.

He also played on the Cornell Mundial F.C. club soccer team as an outside back.

The president of Cornell’s club soccer team, Alex Jacobs ’20, said the team was heartbroken over the news. Teammate Alex Schindler ’23 described Tsialas as someone who was easy to talk to and said that the pair became close as they went through the tryout process together.

“It was fitting that Antonio was a goalie, as he always seemed to be watching over his teammates,” Townsend said in an email. “He brought energy, enthusiasm and drive to all he undertook, and he elevated the spirits of those around him.

He was truly a special young man, and we are all deeply saddened by the loss of Antonio.”

Teammate Sebastian Barquin-Sanchez ’22 referred to Tsialas as a “little brother.” The club soccer team plans to retire his jersey number, 19.

COURTESY OF THE TSIALAS FAMILY

Bringer of light | Antonio Tsialas ’23 was remembered with admiration and affection by family, teammates and friends.

4 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Four Years at Cornell

SPRING 2020

President Pollack Suspends All Classes TimeLine

1.23.20 NEW GREEK EVENT RULES MANDATE BYOB, 15 PERCENT ALCOHOL MAXIMUM: The Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life rolled out sweeping new regulations for Greek Life events after reforms were promised in the fall. It restricted events to only four days per week, required catering services for all alcohol served and limiting co-sponsors on approved events. The new policy also outlined requirements for security, advance event registration and “good standing” for a chapter to host an event.

2.7.20 CORNELL CANCELS CLASSES AFTER AN UNPRECEDENTED BARRAGE OF SNOW: Cornell canceled classes at the Ithaca campus as of 10 a.m. Friday morning, officially closing the entire campus around noon. The controversial delays in announcements left questions unanswered about who should make the trek to campus, even as the University asked staff and students not to travel. This was the second snow day of the academic year, the first coming right after Thanksgiving break, and the last of the year.

3.10.20 CORNELL CANCELS IN-PERSON CLASSES AFTER SPRING BREAK; WILL SHIFT TO ONLINE INSTRUCTION: Cornell became the latest university to announce that it would go digital after Spring Break, following a wave of colleges nationwide that had canceled in-person classes due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Although no case of the virus had yet been reported in Tompkins County, students were asked to leave campus at the start of Spring

Break and stay home for the rest of the semester.

3.13.20 PRESIDENT POLLACK SUSPENDS ALL CLASSES, EFFECTIVE AT 5 P.M.: In an unexpected move, President Martha E. Pollack announced that Cornell would suspend all classes as of Friday, 5 p.m., amid widespread concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. Virtual instruction was set to begin April 6.

3.13.20 S.A. PASSES FOSSEL FUEL DIVESTMENT RESOLUTION AND POSTPONES ITS OWN ELECTIONS: Resolution 56 demanded that Cornell sever ties with the fossil fuel industry “as rapidly as possible,” following protests favoring that course.

Cornell’s five constituent assemblies have all passed similar resolutions, including the Faculty Senate. The S.A. also voted unanimously to postpone its elections until the fall, keeping all current members in place with “no legislative power,”according to S.A. President Joe Anderson ’20.

4.5.20 NO UNIVERSAL S/U GRADING; OPT-IN DATE MOVED TO LAST DAY OF CLASSES: While the opt-in grading system would remain, in a concession to students, the deadline to change a course’s grading basis to S/U was moved from April 21 to May 12, the last day of classes, according to an email Provost Michael Kotlikoff sent to members of the Faculty Senate. In addition, each transcript would include a “notation that explains the anomalies associated with the Spring 2020 semester.”

In an unexpected move, President Martha E. Pollack announced that the University would suspend all classes as of Friday at 5 p.m. in Ithaca, amid widespread concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak.

Virtual instruction is set to begin April 6.

Cornell decided to suspend all classes to accelerate social distancing, to give students more time to figure out their moving out plans and to assuage students’ stresses over the outbreak. The country anticipates a public remark to be issued

by President Trump at 3 p.m. today, with many presuming he will declare a state of emergency.

“I implore each of our students to comply with this directive,” Pollack said. “You can do your part to help de-densify the campus and make it safer for those who need to stay by leaving as soon as possible.”

All undergraduate and professional students are encouraged to return to their permanent residencies as soon as possible, the statement

read. Students have until March 29 to move out, if they do not have housing accommodations.

These rules do not apply to Cornell Tech students, graduate students conducting research on campus or professional students with required clinical rotations.

Undergraduate students and professional master’s students with research or other projects will not be able to continue them, Pollack said. Students are permitted to stay on campus if they are international students who cannot return home.

The surprise announcement comes after Pollack announced on Tuesday that the University would shift to online instruction and encouraged all students to leave campus at the start of spring break. As of Thursday, all eight Ivy League schools have canceled in-person classes.

Now, students have been asked to leave campus as soon as possible as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in New York State has increased significantly

in the past week. The announcement now leaves students frantically figuring out flights, transportation and other moving out plans.

New York State has 421 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Friday afternoon — tying with Washington State for the most cases in the U.S. There are currently no confirmed cases in Tompkins County, but 15 people have pending test results for the virus as of Friday at 3:33 p.m.

Major events like graduation are still up in the air and it is unclear how online classes will look. The University of Michigan announced on Friday that it would cancel its commencement ceremony.

Professors are still scrambling to figure out how to use Zoom for classes and how to implement assignments and finals. It remains unclear how this recent COVID-19 development will affect classes until spring break.

In Ithaca, stores are beginning to face shortages and long lines as many are stocking up

on essentials such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer and non-perishable foods in the wake of the pandemic.

Pollack added that students in Ithaca must be prepared for “severely curtailed activities and services.” Cornell Tech and other New York City programs have already begun virtual instruction.

The University is also arranging plans for employees to work remotely, with departments across Cornell finalizing their plans.

These plans must be implemented no later than March 20. Pollack added that the University will continue to follow up on the evolving situation. Employees can expect on-time pay for now.

“I know that many students are concerned about the impact that this disruption and transition to remote learning might have on their academic progress,” Pollack said. “This is foremost in our minds, and faculty will provide flexibility and alternatives as needed to students.”

Collegetown Bagels to Reopen in Expanded Location Though Collegetown Bagels will depart from its justoff-campus corner — where students have bought latenight eats for decades — once the building is demolished in June, its owners have already begun work on the chain’s next location: directly across the street.

The new store will occupy most of the first floor of Cornell-owned Sheldon Court, safely out of the path of the wrecking ball. Owners Gregar Brous and and Lindsey Brous ’12 hope to keep the building’s original spirit while expanding the square footage in the new space.

“We’ve been planning this for almost six months,” said Gregar, who opened Collegetown Bagels’ first location next door to its current space in 1972.

He and his daughter, Lindsey, said they had heard for years that building owner Student Agencies was eyeing the prime-location property for redevelopment. The student-owned company announced plans to tear down the aging structure and rebuild a luxury apartment building in its place last fall.

The Sheldon Court space was the first choice for a relocation, the owners said — potential talks began with Cornell over five years ago, and a spokesperson for the University noted that it was “happy” to provide the store’s new home. The lease was finally signed on Christmas Eve, the owners said.

Sheldon Court, a 119-year-old building home to 164 upper-level students on its five floors, houses a retail space on the first level separate from the current residential space. Work to gut the 4,900-square-foot space, previously home to Kaplan Test Prep, kicked off on Jan. 3.

The standardized exam preparatory service transformed the space into a conventional office, covering up much of the old brickwork. CTB’s design and construction team are working to reclaim some of the original features, Gregar said, such as the six stone fireplaces that were used to heat the building in the early 20th century — paying heed to the building’s history.

Sheldon Court was constructed as a private boys’ dormitory in 1901 by Ithaca businessman Charles Lacey Sheldon, Jr., and previously housed the Triangle Bookshop on the first floor. The building was renovated in 1982, which included the removal of many of the stone fireplaces that weren’t hidden in the walls of the downstairs space.

Gregor said that after the move, the bagel shop plans to name a sandwich “The Sheldon” after the architect.

Other plans — though the design process is ongoing

— will also transform the outdoor patio into a gathering space, with tables and chairs to wrap around the building.

These renovations follow the continuity of CTB’s current, popular outdoor space, which owners and even local government officials expressed concern over losing when the building lost out on landmark status last year.

This redesign comes within a year of the downtown branch’s move into the City Centre building, which came with a swanky decor upgrade from its North Aurora Street digs.

“We kind of felt like that was practice for this,” Gregar said. “We knew these two things were kind of happening following each other.” He and his family are managing this redesign themselves as well, and said they plan to incorporate some elements of their history and some “new twists” as well.

CTB will continue to serve beer and wine, and also

plans to include a private room in the back of the building, which will be available for third parties to rent out.

Though the business will be housed in a private student dorm, the sections of the building that allow access to the residences are separate and will be protected by key-card readers, Gregar said.

The new Collegetown Bagels location, left, and the student dormitory entrance, right, at Sheldon Court on Jan. 19.

An opening day has not yet been scheduled, Gregar said, as he is continuing to appeal to current landlord Student Agencies, Inc. to delay the demolition day to after the first week in June, allowing alumni to return for a grand farewell.

“We love this space,” Brous said. “That would be a fun way to go out.”

BORIS TSANG / SUN FILE PHOTO

Something old, something new | Collegetown Bagels announced that, after leaving its decades-old location (left), it would move into Sheldon Court (right), directly across College Avenue.

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 5

Four Years at Cornell

FALL 2020

‘Big Red, White and Biden!’

Biden Win Erupts Campus Into Joyful Cheer Cheers, honks and relief filled the unusually-warm Ithaca autumn air after President-elect Joe Biden officially clinched the presidency at 11:25 a.m. on November 7, 2020, surpassing

270 electoral votes after winning Pennsylvania.

Cornell’s campus had been extraordinarily quiet all semester, since the coronavirus made student gatherings impermissible. But after news outlets called the election for Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on that Saturday morning, Cornell

launched into loud celebration.

Students, half-looking down at their phones, turned to marvel: “Biden won.”

Parades of honking cars drove up and down Collegetown; some blasted “Party in the USA,” and students showed off “Fuck Trump” signs and Biden shirts through sunroofs to whoops from passersby. Reveling in the weekend announcement, students took to porch celebrations and picnics after five days of waiting and eyeing the electoral map.

In-

side a bustling Collegetown Bagels, many employees including Ithaca College student Olivia Kirschbaum found out while on shift.

“When everyone was honking today, that’s when it was really setting in,” Kirschbaum said. “I was in France for the World Cup, and it feels like this is our version of that.”

“I’m just so excited,” said Danielle Mangini ’23, a Biden supporter “since day one.” Mangini, in line at CTB waiting for a Brooklyn bagel and smoothie, heard the news and began fielding a “barrage of calls” from her mom and her friends.

Sitting beside Mangini on a stone bench, Daniela Rodriguez-Chavez ’23 digested the news as she munched on her bagel. “I am so relieved this is over,” she said. “The fear mongering had to stop, and enough people realized to not give into fear.”

“This whole week has been so stressful,” Mangini continued. “Now that this burden is lifted off of my shoulders, I’m so happy.”

Honking and cheering | Shortly after Joe Biden’s presidential election victory was announced, honking cars with cheering passengers began circling Collegetown and downtown Ithaca. The horn blasts continued for several hours.

BEN PARKER / SUN FILE PHOTO

TimeLine 6.30.20 CORNELL ANNOUNCES FALL ACADEMIC CALENDAR: Cornell will reopen campus for the fall semester, offering in-person and online instruction, President Martha E. Pollack announced Tuesday, June 30. While students will have to follow strict health precautions when on campus and participate in the University’s extensive COVID19 testing program, Pollack said reopening for the fall was the safer option. Classes were originally supposed to start on Aug. 27 but will now start Sept. 2; students will go home for the semester by Thanksgiving break. The fall semester will end with online classes and exams, and the spring semester is currently slated to start some time in February.

7.8.20 CORNELL JOINS HARVARD AND MIT LAWSUIT: President Martha E. Pollack announced that Cornell will join Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a lawsuit challenging recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement visa restrictions for international students.

8.19.20 RESIDENT ADVISERS GO ON BRIEF STRIKE BEFORE FALL SEMESTER BEGINS: Fed up with unsafe working conditions and what they call a lack of concern from Cornell officials, campus resident advisers went on brief strike.

9.18.20 RUTH BADER GINSBURG ’54 DIES: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54 died Friday of complications from cancer. Serving on the Supreme Court since 1993, Ginsburg was one of Cornell’s most notable alumnae, recently transformed into a liberal cultural icon, commonly known as “Notorious RBG” to her following. She was 87 and passed away in her home in Washington,

surrounded by family. The second woman appointed to the country’s highest court, Ginsburg attributed many of her life’s influences to her experiences at Cornell when she returned to Ithaca in 2014, according to a 2014 University press release.

11.3.20 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAUSES STRESS BEFORE AND AFTER ELECTION DAY ITSELF: The most fraught election day in a generation turned into a high-stress week; many students voted early or sent in mail-in ballots despite confusing processes and many hiccups. The presidential election would not be called until Saturday morning.

11.11.20 NYS GOVERNOR CUOMO RELEASES NEW COVID REGULATIONS: Per a Wednesday, November 11 announcement by Governor Cuomo, as of Friday at 10 p.m., all gatherings at private residences larger than 10 will be banned, a measure that takes particular aim at house parties and other social gatherings. Bars, restaurants, gyms and any establishment with a license from the New York State liquor authority also must close at 10 p.m. –– sans takeout service. These measures come as the state faces a resurgence of COVID-19 that public officials had worked for months to keep at bay, with the state reporting daily new case totals not seen since late April and early May. Tompkins County’s health department reported 19 new cases on Wednesday.

12.12.20 STUDENT ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR CORNELL POLICE DISARMAMENT: The Student Assembly passed a hotly debated resolution calling for Cornell Police disarmament during its last meeting of the semester, a reversal from when disarmament failed to pass almost one month earlier.

March Downtown From Ho Plaza Decries Police Brutality, Violence Event follows murder of George Floyd by police officer This was the first protest Devonte Parker ’21 ever organized.

He said that after the news broke about the murder of George Floyd, he kept watching and waiting for someone in the Cornell community to plan something.

When he didn’t see what he was looking for, he and other members of Phi Beta Sigma — a historically Black social fraternity of which he is president — got together on Saturday, May 30, 2020 to plan a protest,

contacting other on-campus and local organizations.

The event, co-sponsored by La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc., as well as the Nigerian Students Association, Black Students United, Occupy Ithaca and the Southside Community Center, went live the next day. By Sunday night, news of the peaceful protest was circulating widely on Facebook and social media.

Looking around Ho Plaza about an hour before the Wednesday, June 3, 2020 event as protesters trickled in, he said that the strong online traction was when he realized that “this might just be something.”

By 12:15 p.m., hundreds upon hundreds of people packed Ho Plaza. Organizers handed out donated bottles of water, snacks and supplies to make protest signs.

Also distributed were face masks made by The Protest Mask Project emblazoned with “I Can’t Breathe.”

Even in protest, the COVID-19 pandemic stayed close to mind — nearly every protester of the hundreds that gathered sported a face covering. Some masks were surgical-grade, some were only bandanas wrapped around faces and some had similar slogans of the movement drawn on with paint and marker. Speeches condemned the disproportionate number of Black and Brown people who have fallen victim to the coronavirus.

“Enough is enough,” said Maureen Ekwebelem ’21, who is the vice president of internal affairs for the Nigerian Students Association, as she handed out supplies. She said that while many of their members have left Ithaca, she worked to mobilize everyone who could march.

“We came out here to show that we want the police brutality to end.”

MICHAEL SUGUITAN / SUN FILE PHOTO

Equivalence | A protester holds up a hand-made sign during the Wednesday, June 3 march from Ho Plaza to the downtown Ithaca police headquarters.

6 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

SPRING 2021

Four Years at Cornell

Graduation returns to Schoellkopf

Late change allows two guests per graduating students limiting those in attendance In a typical year, thousands of seniors would crowd into Schoellkopf Field to celebrate their graduation as loved ones snapped photos from the stands. This year however, graduating seniors will receive their diplomas without their families or many of their peers.

Many graduating Cornell students were pleasantly surprised by President Pollack’s April 6 announcement that commencement will be reduced and in-person, but lamented that their families couldn’t take part.

The modified event is set to take place during the weekend of May 29 at Schoellkopf Field, in three smaller, socially-distanced ceremonies separated by college, instead of the usual, university-wide event.

Attendance is open to students from the graduating classes of May 2021, August 2020 and December 2020.

Unlike previous commencements, guests are not allowed into Schoellkopf Field and discouraged from traveling to Ithaca.

The change has prompted a range of reactions from graduating seniors, many of whom did not expect to have an in-person commencement at all, especially considering the cancellation of other annual University events like class reunions.

Stephanie Wong ’21 was studying abroad in Australia when Cornell closed campus last spring.

Upon hearing that commencement will be held in-person this May, Wong was pleasantly surprised.

“When I got that email, there was a lot of excitement, because for so long, basically, since I had come home from Australiaback in March, it was just kind of assumed that it wouldn’t be in person,” Wong said. “Those hopes died with everything that kept happening last year.”

Aside from graduating seniors, the commencement ceremony has particular importance to their families, who may have few other experiences on the campus.

Asma Khan ’21 distinctly remembers her sister’s graduation from Cornell in 2019, during which she showed her grandparents, who had traveled from Pakistan to attend the ceremony, around campus. She recalls looking through past yearbooks with her family in Willard Straight Hall and spotting her uncle, who also attended Cornell.

YI-KE PENG / SUN FILE PHOTO

Back to the future | Though many more rules and precautions were in place compared to the May 24, 2009 Graduation festivities seen above, last year’s celebration nevertheless marked a welcome return to Schoellkopf Field and Stadium.

“Having it being their granddaughter’s graduation, and then them finding their own son in the yearbook, I think it was like a very proud moment for all of them.”

Khan’s family had gotten their vaccine this year in hopes that they would be able to attend her own graduation but because they would not be permitted to attend the commencement ceremony they cancelled their travel plans.

Shivank Nayak ’21 said they are disheartened by the ceremony’s restricted guest attendance, reflecting that the event is perhaps more important to their relatives and loved ones than it is to themselves.

Anishka Singh ’21, also felt the sadness of not having her family at the ceremony.

“I feel like my parents helped me get through a lot in the past four years. Whenever I would need something or if I had a bad exam I’d always turn to them,” Singh said. “And my sister’s a freshman now. So I feel

like it would have been really rewarding to have them see me walk across or do the graduation in person.”

Despite some disappointment with a limited ceremony, many students are still grateful for the opportunity to attend an in-person event in any form.

“I think it’s not necessarily bad to have a smaller ceremony, because we are a class of thousands of students and there is something to be said for a closer setting, but it’s definitely not what I visualized,” Nayak said.

Emily Hollis ’21 plans on celebrating with her own family in Ithaca after the ceremony, fully agreeing with the University’s decision to disallow guests from attending.

“They did the best they could do,” Hollis said. “It makes complete sense. It’s not what I wanted out of my senior year, but it’s the best outcome from the circumstances.”

New York Legalizes Cannabis, Cornell Keeps Restrictions Weed, grass, the “devil’s lettuce” — whatever students call it, adult recreational use of cannabis recently became legal in New York State. Some students across the Cornell community expressed their excitement toward the new legislation — even though marijuana won’t be legal on Cornell’s campus anytime soon.

On March 31, the New York State Legislature passed a bill allowing adults 21 and older to possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis or 24 grams of concentrate, both of which can be smoked anywhere tobacco use is legal, except in motor vehicles.

The new New York legislation comes after years of unsuccessful lobbying and stymied attempts, which primarily stemmed from disagreements over the distribution of tax revenue from marijuana sales.

“I’m 100 percent in favor of legalization, and I believe it’s far overdue,” said Joseph Mullen ’24. “I believe that there is nothing harmful about it, and it should be treated like it.”

However, the National Institute on Drug Abuse warns against the potentially harmful effects of marijuana usage, including breathing problems and hallucinations.

Some students said they thought legalizing marijuana could destigmatize the drug.

Keaton Danseglio ’24 said he hoped the recent legislation would “allow people to be more open-minded and not stigmatize the drug just based on its legality status.” A growing acceptance of marijuana use could, according to Danseglio, transform social life around campus and facilitate new norms.

But Cornell isn’t changing its policies to allow cannabis on campus. In an April 2 email to the Cornell community, Joanne DeStefano, executive vice president and chief financial officer, clarified that the possession, use and distribution of marijuana on Cornell’s campus would remain prohibited in line with the unchanged federal law. Nearby schools, like Binghamton and Ithaca College, will hold to similar policies.

According to the email, Cornell’s position can be partially attributed to the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and the Drug Free Workplace Act, which control the University’s federal funding based on it implementing programs and policies that ban any illegal drug.

The night Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) signed recreational cannabis use into law, Housing and Residential Life sent an additional email to students living on campus, reminding them that Cornell doesn’t allow smoking in University-owned housing.

Some students said that they understand why Cornell has left its policies surrounding marijuana use unchanged.

“While I think it is restrictive, it does make sense as smoking and stuff is still banned,” said Hailey Choi ’24. “I guess that nothing has really changed for most students at Cornell.”

But outside of campus, the recreational legalization of marijuana may pave the way for a potential $4.2 billion dollar industry in New York State. Although it will not be immediate, the introduction of dispensaries into the local area will make regulated marijuana more accessible to consumers and provide economic benefits to the state.

Although the recreational legalization of marijuana was a breakthrough in progressive politics in New York State, the work is far from done, according to Mullen.

“The criminalization of marijuana has ruined peoples’ lives, disproportionately people of color,” he said, referencing the mass incarceration of people of color in the United States for non-violent marijuana offenses.

The bill will also erase cannabis-related felonies for those who had a previous marijuana conviction.

However, Mullen said he believes that the New York State Legislature should put more effort into repairing the damage caused by the past criminalization of the newly legalized drug.

TimeLine 2.21.21 BIG BOX ARRIVAL: Under slow flurries and gray skies, dozens of excited Cornellians and Ithacans lined up outside Trader Joe’s for its highly-anticipated opening.

3.31.21 NEW YORK STATE JOINS POT LEGALIZATION BANDWAGON: The New York State Legislature passed a bill allowing adults 21 and older to possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis or 24 grams of concentrate for recreational use. Individuals with some types of marijuana convictions will have the latter expunged from their records.

3.30.21 AS VACCINE ELIGIBILITY EXPANDS, STUDENTS RUSH TO GET FIRST DOSES: The Sun announced that while many Cornell students were not yet eligible, most staff members and faculty would now become qualified to receive vaccines on March 30 under guidelines that allow them for adults 30 and older. The state also plans to make the vaccine available to all adults on April 6, according to a statement released on March 29 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) — a significant development for Cornell students. Josh Figueroa ’24 recently received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the State Fair Expo Center in Syracuse. While Figueroa was pleased with how his appoint-

ment went and how organized the vaccine clinic was, he said he had some difficulty registering. “The registration process was pretty stressful because appointments were being booked by the minute,” Figuerora said.

4.22.21 THIS YEARS’ VIRTUAL SLOPE DAY PERFORMERS ARE ANNOUNCED: Last Dinosaurs and Ari Lennox will be this year’s Virtual Slope Day performers on May 14 and 15, announced the Slope Day Programming Board. Though only half of the student body has experienced an in-person Slope Day, the board nevertheless expressed hope that this year’s festivities would be fun. “The hope is that we as a student body can celebrate the end of the year as safely as we can, given that we’re still in a pandemic, with these concerts,” said Estefania Perez ’21, the board’s executive director.

7.8.21 CORNELL ADOPTS AN OFFICIAL LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, EXPANDING RECOGNITION FOR THE CAYUGA NATION: For the first time in Cornell’s 156-year history, announcers presented an official land acknowledgment at the 2021 commencement ceremonies. The statement recognizes the University’s place on the traditional homeland of the Cayuga Nation.

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 7

Four Years at Cornell

FALL 2021

TimeLine 9.6.21 CORNELL REPORTS RECORD COVID CASES; STUDENTS MISS FIRST CLASSES: Nearly 400 Cornell students tested positive for COVID during the first weeks of classes, scrambling to get tested and find isolation housing. The University linked these cases to “informal, off-campus gatherings” among undergraduates, as Cornell responded by asking students to put off parties and to mask up. Students kept up with coursework in isolation with few live classes to attend, as faculty weren’t required to provide remote course access.

10.17.21 IN-PERSON CAMPUS TOURS RESUME AFTER TWO-YEAR HIATUS: Since spring 2020, prospective Cornell students could only get glimpses of campus through virtual tours and Zoom information sessions — but October 2021 marked the return of the campus tour. Nico Modesti ’21, who had been a tour guide for three years, told The Sun he was excited to interact with prospective students in person again.

“You never know who you’re going to meet on a tour, where they’re coming from and what stories they have,” Modesti said.

10.24.21 CORNELL ANNOUNCES PLAN TO RAISE $500 MILLION FOR FINANCIAL AID: President Martha Pollack announced the launch of “To Do the Greatest Good,” a campaign that is aiming to raise $500 million for undergraduate financial aid. According to Pollack, the money raised for the campaign would help the University to educate future leaders, address major world problems and increase Cornell’s global public engagement.

11.17.21 PURITY ICE CREAM USHERS IN NEW OWNERSHIP: The owner of several local restaurants including Luna Inspired Street Food and Jack’s Grill has a new eatery under his ownership: Ithaca’s Kevin Sullivan has continued the legacy of the “ice cream of the Finger Lakes,” serving up a variety of ice cream flavors and family favorite foods to students and locals.

Bomb Threats Hit Campus Threats ultimately found ‘not credible’ Cornellians were bombarded with a combined 22 alerts — over text, email and phone — throughout the afternoon of Nov. 7, urging students to evacuate Central Campus following a bomb threat that authorities found “not credible.”

An hour and a half following the first alert — when Cornellians, shocked and panicked, scrambled home — the University confirmed that the earlier calls to evacuate and shelter in place on Central Campus were due to bomb threats.

The first alert notified the campus community to avoid the Arts Quad and Goldwin Smith Hall, adding that those in the area should shelter in place, offering no explanation. Before sending the official CornellALERT at 1:57 p.m., the University sent two blank crime alerts, with the subject line “Crime Alert - [INSERT subject here].”

A frantic second alert arrived just 15 minutes later in all caps, urging

Cornellians to evacuate and avoid the Law School, Goldwin Smith Hall, Upson Hall and Kennedy Hall: “PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE CORNELL POLICE UNLESS YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY,” the text alert read.

By 3 p.m., the University told students, faculty and staff once again to avoid Central Campus and to evacuate areas in or nearby the four buildings. Police blocked off Feeney Way and multiple other sidewalks with caution tape, and stationed cars from multiple statewide agencies across Central Campus.

In Sunday evening campus-wide email, Joel Malina, vice president for University relations, clarified that Tompkins County 911 received an anonymous call from someone threatening with automatic weapons and explosives just before 2 p.m.

About an hour and a half after the first alert Cornell officially said the evacuations were due

to bomb threats at 3:23 p.m. By approximately 4:06 p.m., the latest CornellALERT notified the Ithaca campus that Cornell police, along with other law enforcement agencies, were investigating the bomb threat — and by 5:30 p.m., law enforcement agencies were sweeping buildings, as Cornellians awaited updates on when they could leave shelter.

Five and a half hours later, the seventh and final CornellALERT announced that law enforcement found no credible threats after concluding a search of the Ithaca campus — saying that “it is safe to resume all normal activities.”

For the hour and a half after the first alert, rumors wwirled online and among Cornellians huddled together — without further information that the evacuations were due to a bomb threat. People remained in their dorms and apartments, unsure if they were under active threat or safe away from key buildings.

From popping student union to empty halls

Upperclassmen Lament Willard Straight Changes Alia Adler ’22 remembers when Willard Straight Hall smelled like popcorn, the lobby bustling with students exchanging a freshly popped bag and a conversation before heading off to class.

She remembers the crowds of students who used to rush through the student union during her first two years at Cornell — catching up with friends in the lobby, waiting in line for Carli Lloyd tickets or even napping on browsing library couches after a long day.

But 19 months after campus first shut down, the Willard Straight Hall lobby smells like hand sanitizer.

Students wandering into the building are greeted by signs that read “Please do not sit here,” rather than club representatives tabling. The longest lines aren’t for free popcorn at the Resource Center, but for a slot at one of Cornell’s busiest COVID testing sites.

“That big library where the testing is in?

That’s where I used to study all the time,” Adler said. “You could take a nap there, you could go study. And right next door was free popcorn. I was there all the time.

Now those spaces are gone, so I barely go anymore.”

Even as campus springs back to life this fall, with students spilling onto quads between classes, Willard Straight Hall is not yet the hub for student and campus life that it was before the pandemic.

Lobby run-ins are a pre-COVID memory to just upperclassmen, the main floor of the student union now largely dark and empty. Many students say they rarely linger in the Straight, heading inside just for weekly nose swabs.

Some of the old events, however, have returned: Cornell Cinema is back with movie screenings, a renovated Okenshields has moved entrances and Student Assembly

meetings once again convene in the Memorial Room.

But the Willard Straight Hall Resource Center (renamed the Campus Activities Resource Center in fall 2019) has remained closed since March 2020. The lobby nook popped up free popcorn for decades, filled with a steady stream of visitors stopping by for a buttered and nutritional yeast-dusted snack.

“Given the various public health precautions put in place in response to COVID it was determined to pause the distribution of popcorn to limit building traffic and prioritize testing and concentrate food consumption in dining hall and eatery areas within Willard Straight Hall,” campus and community engagement, a unit within student and campus life, wrote to The Sun. Linda Siptrott, campus activities program coordinator and former Resource Center manager, said

BORIS TSANG / SUN FILE PHOTO

2019: Free popcorn | Willard Straight Hall was once known as a spot to receive free flavored popcorn.

HANNAH ROSENBERG / SUN SENIOR EDITOR

2021: COVID testing | Students wait for a COVID test in The Straight. After the pandemic, the building was re-made into one of the busiest testing centers on campus, but its other spaces are now sparsely used.

one of the primary functions of the center was to support student groups — from organizing campus mail to offering directions and booking club meetings.

Now that many of these resources are available online, the campus and community engagement team no longer needs to staff the center for this purpose. Student employees on the campus activities

engagement team can meet with students in 520 Willard Straight Hall to support campus organizations, answering questions about everything from registration to funding.

But to the student workers who staffed the Resource Center, it was more than just a job. It was also about finding community, former popcorn workers said. It was about cultivating kindness

and connecting with strangers. It was a place for students to be themselves.

Adler, who worked at the center from her first year until the campus shutdown, remembers changing into her red Resource Center polo and keeping the popcorn machine running (while trying not to spill butter on herself).

She recalls her favorite garlic bread popcorn seasoning and the

regulars from Cornell Health — and Adler also remembers engaging with students at the popcorn stand as a key part of her job.

“It’s the idea that no matter what is happening in the world, a snack and a short conversation with a stranger can make it a little bit better,” said Maya Cutforth ’20, who worked at the Resource Center from her sophomore to senior year.

8 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Four Years at Cornell

SPRING 2022

Cornellians Rally to Support Ukraine in Midst of War

By SAMMIE LAMBOURNE Sun Contributor

In the midst of a crowd on Ho Plaza, a woman hands out yellow roses from a bouquet, each individually tied with a blue bow around the stem. The woman, Maryna Lytvynova Mullerman grad, a Ukrainian veterinary student, uses torn pieces from SAMMIE her navy-blue LAMBOURNE / SUN veterinary scrubs STAFF WRITER to make strips of fabric to mimic a ribbon. The colors of the rose and ribbon are a representation of the Ukrainian flag, a symbol of solidarity for those currently affected by the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

Students, faculty and other sympathizers joined together in support of Ukraine on Feb. 26 at Ho Plaza as the conflict continued to escalate in Europe. Attendees of the peaceful protest waved blue and yellow banners as the Ukrainian national anthem played. Some protesters offered poster supplies to create messages against the war.

The protest comes after Russian military forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, causing uproar and leaving an impression on the global scene.

Supporters of Ukraine across the world have held protests, vigils and religious movements in response to the attacks, calling for peace. The devastation that comes with war is difficult to bear alone, and those in Ithaca with ties to Ukraine are leading movements to find a sense of community.

While passing out her roses to protesters, Mullerman shared how she received overwhelming support from friends, family and peers while processing her initial reactions to the daily updates from home.

“Nobody could predict this; nobody could expect this,” Mullerman said. “Me and my fellow Ukrainian students are in complete, complete shock.”

Mullerman was born and raised in Ukraine, only immigrating to the United States when she was 15 years old for schooling. Her family and friends remain in Ukraine, and her grandparents were unable to be evacuated. “[There’s been] bombs for the past three days nonstop; I just hope all of them are in bomb shelters,” Mullerman said. “My heart is still there, my home is still there. It is extremely hard to watch this and not be able to do much.”

Prof. Olena Vatamaniuk, soil and crop sciences, expressed disbelief that the conflict is occurring.

“We knew there were forces that were surrounding Ukraine, we knew it may happen, but we still didn’t believe it was possible in the 21st century,” Vatamaniuk said.

With a sense of urgency, Vatamaniuk further explained the significance of the event.

“What’s happening right now goes beyond Ukraine.

It really touches Europe, it touches all parts of the world because it’s a fight for democracy,” Vatamaniuk said. “It’s an assault on democracy, people need to understand this.

Which country would be next?”

One protestor, Cassi Wattenburger, grad, said that prior to the conflict she was on a “news diet”and hadn’t been reading the news. That changed as soon as she heard about the invasion and had thought about her friends who might be affected.

“It became difficult for me to continue to read the news,” she said. “However, I came here to support my Ukrainian friend [Olenka Zavodna].”

Olga Zimina, a visiting scientist in biology, and Olenka Zavodna, grad, organized the protest on Ho Plaza. They urged Cornellians to support Ukraine and spread awareness about the conflict. They encouraged students to donate to humanitarian organizations and message their local government officials to push more sanctions on Russia.

“One of the reasons why we organized this protest is to show people at Cornell that we are here,” Zavodna said.

“Ukrainians are here, and we will protest against the war.

Hopefully, Cornell will follow our lead and give some sort of statement, because it was disheartening not to see one.”

Along with Zavodna, Vatamaniuk expressed hopes that Cornell will make a statement soon in support of international students from the eastern European region.

“I am very appalled at Cornell,” Vatamaniuk said.

“There was not a single word from the Cornell administration in support of Cornellians who are Ukrainians.

I did write a letter, and they did not write back. We are getting letters from people around the world; we don’t need a political statement, just a statement of support. I can’t focus – my mind is with Ukraine.”

TimeLine 1.24.22 MAYOR SVANTE MYRICK ’09 RESIGNS: Cornell alumnus Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 announced his resignation as the 44th mayor of Ithaca at a Jan. 5 Common Council meeting after he accepted an offer with a progressive advocacy group. At 24 years old, Myrick became the youngest person in city history to be sworn into mayoral office and Ithaca’s first mayor of color. His agenda primarily focused on expanding affordable housing options, working toward resolving Ithaca’s substantial $3 million budget deficit and improving city-wide infrastructure.

2.18.22 UNIVERSITY ENDS SURVEILLANCE TESTING REQUIREMENT FOR VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS: For the first time since August 2020, Cornell announced that it would lift surveillance testing requirements for individuals who are fully vaccinated and boosted. This announcement marked the end of biweekly nose swabs that marked campus life for three semesters at Cornell.

4.13.22 DRAGON DAY RETURNS AFTER TWO-YEAR HIATUS: On April 1, College of Architecture, Art and Planning students in elaborate outfits grabbed hold of the two-headed dragon they had designed JULIA NAGEL / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

and embarked on the Dragon Day parade, a Cornell tradition returned to campus after a two year pandemic-induced hiatus.

Despite rainy weather, participants and observers alike were excited to see the tradition return. “I have long heard about the enormous dragon they built for this parade,” said Noon Son ’25. “It was very magnificent to see.”

4.18.22 ITHACA IS THE FIRST CITY TO UNIONIZE ALL STARBUCKS LOCATIONS: Following efforts extending back to October, all three Ithaca Starbucks locations voted to unionize this past Friday, April 8. The outcomes of the votes for the College Avenue location, the Ithaca Commons location and the Meadow Street location were 19-1, 15-1 and 13-1, respectively.

5.11.22 SLOPE DAY RETURNS: Students celebrated the end of finals with the first in-person Slope Day since 2019, with a line-up slated with Aminé, Loud Luxury and Luna Li. “I am still looking forward to my first Slope Day at Cornell,” Isabel Hou ’24 said. “I am excited that Slope Day is happening.”

Capital idea | Upperclass architects celebrate Dragon Day on April 1 by dressing up as ornate classical columns.

Four Years at Cornell

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 9

FALL 2022

IFC Temporarily Suspends All Social Events TimeLine

9.12.22 U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT RANKS CORNELL #1 IN N.Y., SURPASSING COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Cornell was named the best university in all of New York state, according to the 2023 Best National Universities rankings published

by U.S. News and World Report. While still remaining the 17th best university in the nation, Cornell has now surpassed Columbia University, which saw a significant drop this year in rank, falling from No. 2 to No. 18. Columbia’s downfall came after Columbia University Prof. Michael Thaddeus, mathematics, started questioning the program’s soaring ranking, which in 2021 tied in second along Harvard and MIT. 11.9.22 SEVEN CORNELLIANS SET TO SERVE IN 118th CONGRESS: Seven Cornellians — mostly incumbents — won their elections to serve in the 118th Congress. In addition, one candidate lost the general election. The seven congress members-elect as well as Jamie McLeod-Skinner, M.R.P. ’95, whose race is too close to call, represent several parts of Cornell: Reps. Katherine Clark J.D. ’89 (D-Mass.) and Sharice Davids J.D. ’10 (D-Kan.) are graduates from Cornell Law School, Rep.

Elissa Slotkin ’98 (D-Mich.) majored in rural sociology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, while Rep. Dan Heuser ’88 (R.Pa.) was a government major in the College of Arts and Sciences. Katherine Clark J.D. ’89 (D-Mass.) won re-election handily over Republican challenger Caroline Colarusso (R-Mass.) with nearly 75 percent of the vote. This is Clark’s fifth full term since entering office in a 2013 special election to replace then-Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) following his successful election to the Senate. She also serves as Assistant Speaker of the House.

11.30.22 NICKI MOORE FIRST WOMAN NAMED DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS: Nicki Webber Moore was named Cornell’s first female Meakem Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education.

12.6.22 EARLY MORNING COLLEGETOWN CENTER FIRE LEAVES STUDENTS DISPLACED AMID FINAL EXAMS: On Dec. 6, a fire began at Collegetown Center, an apartment complex on Dryden Road that many students reside in. Residents of the building were safely evacuated. The University gave affected students temporary support through campus housing and dining.

As a response to the release of a crime report on Nov. 4, alerting the Cornell community to at least four drugging incidents and a sexual assault allegation, the Interfraternity Council has temporarily suspended all fraternity parties and social events.

In a university-wide email, President Martha Pollack and Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi issued a joint statement condemning the reported incidents and calling for solidarity.

“We are outraged and saddened… we strongly condemn the actions of all individuals responsible for these criminal violations,” Pollack and Lombardi wrote.

“Crime is never the fault of those who are victimized.

The university is providing support services to the victims… our campus community is stronger together.”

According to the C.U.police crime report log, within the past two months at least four students have reported being exposed to Rohypnol, a depressant and benzodiazepine also referred to as “roofies” or a “date-rape” drug.

According to the report, the incident occurred between Oct. 28 and Nov. 3 at 800 University Avenue.

“Students reported to have consumed little to no alcohol at an off-campus location but became incapacitated while attending parties,” the police report said.

On Nov. 6, at approximately 4:45 a.m., the C.U.police crime report log shows that another student reported being sexually assaulted while attending an event at 140 Thurston Avenue. There has not been a release of further details, as the investigations are ongoing.

Given the recent chain of events and past rumored incidents of drugging allegedly involving needles being used, students voiced increased safety concerns.

“Day to day, I feel safe going to Cornell,” said Zoe Yao ’23. “However, given everything that has happened and everything from last year as well, similar drugging rumors, I would say I do not necessarily feel safe going to certain fraternities.”

In response to the rising concerns, the IFC, which governs more than 30 IFC-recognized fraternities at Cornell, is working with the University to implement stronger health and safety plans for students. As its first step, IFC

voluntarily made a decision Sunday evening to suspend all fraternity social events.

“The IFC Executive Board and current IFC Chapter Presidents made the decision to suspend all fraternity functions on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022,” wrote the IFC executive board in an email to The Sun. “The IFC is currently working toward enhancing plans to keep the community and students safe and will use subject matter experts and available resources to promote health and safety.”

In the past, Cornell fraternities have been implicated in the deaths of two students. In 2011, Sigma Alpha Epsilon was temporarily suspended and returned this year after hazing George Desdunes ’13 to death, and in 2019, Antonio Tsialas ’23 was found dead at the Fall Creek Gorge after attending a “dirty rush” event at Phi Kappa Psi. The last ban on Inter-Fraternity Council social events was put into place in 2019 following the death of Tsialas.

“My freshman year Antonio Tsialas passed away,” Yao said. “From there, Martha Pollack, our president, made a good move and reformed Greek life in the spring of that year. It has definitely had implications on the social scene and Greek life for the past couple of years since then” However, despite the changes, Yao said that more incidents of laced drinks and drugging have recently surfaced.

“We already have regulations on alcohol at the parties: registering parties, having bands and sober monitors,” Yao said. “[They] all feel like bandages to the fundamental problem.”

The IFC wrote to The Sun that it is looking into “current practices” to ensure a safe and welcoming community.

“We take these reports extremely seriously as this directly infringes upon the principles that the IFC stands for,” the IFC executive board wrote. “The IFC strives to create a safe and welcoming community on campus and we plan to take a hard look at our current practices and see where we can change holistically to better support our campus.”

In a statement to the Sun, the IFC recognized the bravery of the students who came forward and reported the incidents.

“Furthermore, we affirm the bravery of those individuals in our campus community who made the important choice to come forward,” IFC executive board wrote.

10 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Four Years at Cornell

SPRING 2023

Cornell Looks Back Three Years Out of the Pandemic

TimeLine 4.7.23 UNIVERSITY REJECTS S.A. PROPOSAL FOR CLASSROOM CONTENT WARNINGS President Pollack and Provost Kotlikoff rejected Student Assembly Resolution 31 — which asks the University to implement content warnings for what it calls “triggering” classroom content. The resolution sparked national debate on free speech.

tial end to Cornell COVID-19 policies.

5.8.23 DEAD AND COMPANY PERFORM AT BARTON HALL: 46 years to the day after the Grateful Dead’s iconic Barton Hall performance, Dead and Company performed at the same location as part of their summer 2023 farewell tour.

Droves of Cornellians flocked to Ithaca for the event.

said. “I just remember there being mixed emotions.

People were happy, they were scared, they were confused.”

4.10.23 COIN ANNOUNCED AS On March 20, SLOPE DAY HEADLINER: COIN 5.12.23 STUDENTS OCCUPY 2020, the first report- was announced as the slope day DAY HALL TO PROTEST ed positive cases headliner, openers were CoCo CORNELL’S PARTNERSHIP WITH STARBUCKS: Student of COVID-19 at and Clair Clair and Snakehips. organizers and Starbucks Cornell were docuU N I V E R S I T Y employees occupied Day Hall mented. In the new 4 . 2 8 . 2 3 COVID-19 for almost two full days to urge era of social distanc- ELIMINATES VACCINE REQUIREMENTS: the end of the University’s parting and uncertainty, A The University elimated all- nership wth the coffee brand students and faculty COVID-19 vaccine requirements ater they announced the closure SUN PHOTO DEPARTMENT had to readjust cours- as of May 20, marking a poten- of all the Ithaca locations.

Three years later | Following a campus shutdown, students have begun to return fully es and learn how to back to normal after years of masking up on campus and limiting contact with one another. teach and participate students and faculty were inoculated against the virus. in classes virtually.

On March 13, 2020, Cornellians sat next to each other Pollack announced on June 30, 2020 that Cornell’s Several days prior, on April 2, 2021, Cornell announced in classrooms and chatted face-to-face, while professors that it intended to require vaccination for students spoke, maskless, to lecture halls full of students. They campus would reopen for the Fall 2020 semester, offer- returning to campus for the fall, as well as several plans to thought this would be the last day of classes for three ing a range of in-person, hybrid and online classes. In resume in-person instruction. weeks. It turned out to be more than two years before the the announcement, Pollack said that students’ returning As the summer approached, the University relaxed its to Ithaca would be the safest option for public health. campus would return to a sense of normalcy. physical distancing and masking policies for fully vacciOn March 10, 2020, Cornell announced that the However, students also had the option of attending all nated members of the campus community.Toward the University would go virtual for the remainder of the classes remotely for the Fall 2020 semester.

For students who chose to come to campus in the Fall end of the Fall 2021 semester, the COVID-19 variant Spring 2020 semester following spring break on March arose — omicron. Though Cornell initially intended to 27. However, in a move that was described as “unex- 2020 semester, they remember a campus riddled with complete finals period in person, the University ended up pected,” President Martha Pollack released an update regulations and social distancing requirements.

Throughout the 2020 to 2021 academic year, Cornell moving exams to an online format, as well as beginning on March 13, 2020 that all in-person instruction would the first two weeks of the Spring 2022 semester virtually. be suspended immediately and students were strongly tracked the number of active cases per day on its COVIDWhile high-quality masks were still required in all 19 dashboard. Though the University experienced several encouraged to return to their permanent residences. campus buildings, the mandatory surveillance testing Chris McDermott ’23 recalls waiting for the COVID-19 spikes and transitions to alert level yellow requirements were lifted in February 2022 for those who — instituting increased restrictions on student activity — University’s announcement email in his dorm building. were fully vaccinated. The University suspended its mask“People were just running out into the hallway, campus remained open for the duration of the year.

As the first COVID-19 vaccine became available to ing requirement for most on campus spaces on March 14, just reading out what the email had said,” McDermott New Yorkers aged 16 and older on April 6, 2021, many 2022 — and 10 days later, moved to code yellow.

Featuring the area’s largest selection of Finger Lakes wines OP E N 9 -9 MONDAY- SATURDAY S U ND AY 12- 6 IT H A C A S HOPPI NG PLAZA (A C R OS S F R OM STAPLES) 6 0 7 . 2 7 3.7500 www. nor t hsid e wine. c om

P L EN T Y O F F R E E P A RKI NG

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 11

Opinion

The Corne¬ Daily Sun Independent Since 1880 140th Editorial Board VEE CIPPERMAN ‘23 Editor in Chief

SERENA HUANG ’24

ANGELA BUNAY ’24

EMMA LEYNSE ’23

TRACY ZENG ’24

SURITA BASU ’23

DEVAN FLORES ’24

NAOMI KOH ’23

KATHERINE YAO ’23

ELI PALLRAND ’24

SOFIA RUBINSON ’24

Managing Editor

Business Manager

Advertising Manager

Associate Editor

Katherine Yao Hello Katie

Web Editor

Assistant Managing Editor

Opinion Editor

Assistant Web Editor

News Editor

News Editor

JOHN COLIE ’23

ESTEE YI ’24

Arts & Culture Editor

News Editor

DANIELA WISE-ROJAS ’25

KAYLA RIGGS ’24

Katherine Yao ’23 is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She served as Opinion Editor of the 140th editorial board. She can be reached at kyao@cornellsun.com. This is the final installment of her column Hello Katie.

Dining Editor

City Editor

AARON SNYDER ’23

JULA NAGEL ’24

Sports Editor

Photography Editor

TENZIN KUNSANG ’25

MEHER BHATIA ’24

Science Editor

Science Editor

ANDIE KIM ’24

KATRIEN DE WAARD ’24

Multimedia Editor

Production Editor

PAREESAY AFZAL ’24

AIMEE EICHER ’24

JIWOOK JUNG ’25

SARAH YOUNG ’24

ADITI HUKERIKAR ’23

NIHAR HEGDE ’24

Assistant News Editor

Assistant News Editor

Assistant News Editor

Assistant News Editor

Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

CLAIRE LI ’24

JASON WU ’24

Assistant Photography Editor

Assistant Photography Editor

GABRIELLA PACITTO ’24

GRAYSON RUHL ’24

Assistant Sports Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

RUTH ABRAHAM ’24

KEVIN CHENG ’25

Assistant Sports Editor

Newsletter Editor

DANIEL BERNSTEIN ’23

HANNAH ROSENBERG ’23

Senior Editor

Senior Editor

MADELINE ROSENBERG ’23

JYOTHSNA BOLLEDDULA ’24

Senior Editor

Senior Editor

Congratulations Class of 2023 Columnists:

Katherine Yao | Hello Katie Isabelle Pappas | Like It Iz Halle Swasing | Goes Witbout Swasing Brendan Kempff | Slope Side Patrick J. Mehler | The Mehl-Man Delivers

Isaac Chasen | Cut to the Chase Jack Kubinec | You Don’t Know Jack Lia Sokol | My So-kolled Life Emma Plowe | With Gratitude Roei Dery | The Dery Bar

Daniel Bernstein | Feel the Bern

From the 140th Associate Editor and Opinion Editor

Goodbye to This Wonderful Rollercoaster The time has come for us to watch one last Libe sunset, to spend our final day (and night) in the library, to take those cheesy pictures in the West Campus memorial arches and to say goodbye to this incredible and crazy place. As I’m sure all Class of 2023 students can all agree, our time at Cornell has been a rollercoaster: From the pandemic halfway through our freshman year to the regular overwhelming chaos of Cornell, we’ve all had our ups and downs as students here. But as is the case for us, and we hope for you too, we also have a whirlwind of happy memories to look back on. As we all prepare to graduate and step outside the Cornell bubble into the real world, I hope we can all say that we’ve gotten something unforgettable out of this place.

For us, one of those great things has been The Sun. Our time on The Sun, first as writers and later as editors, has been a defining part of our Cornell experience. The Sun is truly an education of its own, one as unpredictable as the Cornell undergraduate rollercoaster ride. One of late-night catastrophes, triumphant publications and the greatest community. And one that we will miss dearly.

Thank you, beloved readers, for supporting our one-of-a-kind student publication and keeping this important part of Cornell alive. Thank you to the writers and editors who did it all with us. Thank you to the passionate alumni, and especially to John Schroeder ’74, for keeping us all afloat.

So yes, it’s time to say goodbye to this wonderful rollercoaster we affectionately call Cornell. But it won’t be goodbye forever. Even if we never return, Cornell will stay with us as we shape the rest of our futures. While four years may be short in the grand scheme of our lives, the impact of these four years, filled with profound lessons, treasured friendships and invaluable experiences, will be long-lasting.

— Emma Leynse ’23 and Katherine Yao ’23

I

Saying Goodbye to ‘Hello Katie’

’ve been accumulating ideas for this final column since freshman year.

Amorphous thoughts stored in the back of my mind, half-baked phrases in the notes app on my phone, 3 a.m. text message wisdom to friends. Yet now, when I have to transform my jumbled miscellanea into coherent sentences, nothing I can write feels adequate. After all, how do you consolidate four years, one pandemic, a million existential crises and a billion more memories into a cohesive narrative?

This is the 29th and final piece that I will ever write for Hello Katie, so to say The Sun was a big part of my time at Cornell would be a gross understatement. I admittedly chose the name Hello Katie for my column because my 19-year-old brain thought wordplay on Hello Kitty was the apex of wittiness. But my column name also signaled an introduction. Hello Katie became my way of making sense of Cornell and the strange, terrible, wonderful ordeal that is college — and it allowed me a voice so that Cornell could make sense of me.

I joined The Sun as a freshman in January of 2020, and for the next four tumultuous semesters, these articles served as a constant in my life. Like clockwork, the biweekly Sunday deadline provided me stability through the first, daunting days of the pandemic, when my fledgling college career took a steep nosedive into u n c h a r t e d waters. I documented the weeks in limbo where I had all the time in the world to ponder my existence, my major crisis (literally), my decision to stay home sophomore fall and my decision to return to campus sophomore spring. As life returned to a normal-adjacent state — and I panicked over how limited my time in the college bubble truly was — my column bore witness to a slew of upperclassman introspection. In the safety of my Google Docs, I grappled with the discombobulation of being a junior with the traditional college experience of a freshman, learned what it meant to grow up and grow independent and raced to chronicle the small joys I had missed out on for 1.5 years.

I hadn’t planned on running for an editorship at any point, but a conversation with Odeya Rosenband ‘22 and Catherine St. Hilaire ‘22 in November of 2021 changed my mind and the trajectory of my Sun tenure. I will be forever grateful for their unwavering guidance as my editors, for answering my extensive questions about compet and, most of all, for believing in me when I was filled with self-doubt.

My time as The Sun’s opinion editor introduced me to the most brilliant, creative community. I am beyond thankful for Emma Leynse ’23, my wonderful associate editor and Sun playlist connoisseur.

Every day I wonder how I got so lucky to call you a friend. And for Vee Cipperman ’23, the best editor-in-chief I could have

asked for (I dedicate any and all Sun puns I make in the future to you). For all the other editors and writers who poured countless hours into this organization, sacrificing sleep, school and sanity to keep the cogs of The Sun turning for 140 years and counting.

In the words of my amazing first opinion editor, Pallavi Kenkare ’21, “Working at The Sun, gleaning insight into the joys and woes and ideas of Cornellians from all over campus, was the only way to love Cornell properly.” The opinion section, especially, in all its quirky, controversial, poignant glory, has taught me more about Cornell’s eclecticism, resilience, flaws and beauty than anything else I have been a part of. To me, loving Cornell meant shining a light on these student voices, challenging the status quo and seizing the opportunity to write (and edit) Cornell’s history.

With that, I officially say goodbye to The Sun. To writer’s block. To churning out an article on the day of the deadline and letting the editors work their magic.

To columnist pitch meetings and archaic rules about Oxford commas (or lack thereof). To Thursday evening edit meetings in Klarman. To laying out the masthead (re. sobbing at midnight over the Herculean task of laying out the masthead). To the unparalleled rush of knocking out an Adobe InDesign page in 15 minutes and the overwhelming anguish of forgetting to press save. To the best parties (thanks Sun social team!). To Hello Katie.

And, I say goodbye to Cornell. To attending acapella concerts and dance performances and midday music recitals. To the absolutely lovely and not at all fraught process of pre-enroll. To despairing over failed prelims and embarrassing job interviews and crushing imposter syndrome.

To wondering, in the nascent hours of the morning, why loving Cornell is so hard. To playing the pipe organ in Sage Chapel and throwing frisbees on Libe Slope. To the Johnson Museum, my favorite building on campus. To marveling at the immense talent and drive of my peers and the ingenuity of my professors. To learning, losing sight of and rediscovering what it means to be in the good old days while I’m actually in them.

I realized, as a heartbroken freshman haphazardly packing her bags in March of 2020, the precarity of Cornell’s ivory tower. But I can tell her that I’ve snapped photos of the Ithaca cherry blossoms and danced my heart out on Slope Day and done so, so much more. I have spent my four years in Cornell’s ivory tower — some half-asleep in front of a Zoom meeting, some socially distanced and masked-up, some completely maskless. But, my freshman self predicted correctly: It’s been four years that I have cherished. Four years of memories that nothing but time can steal away.

12 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Opinion

Timekeeping up. Year after year, there’s a comfort in the inevitability of certain landmarks that dot every fall or spring.

Surita Basu Surita Basu is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She was an Assistant News Editor on the 139th Editorial Board and was the Assistant Managing Editor on the 140th Editorial Board. She can be reached at sb2629@cornell.edu.

M

ay 2023 has been on my mind for a long time.

For years, it felt unbelievably far — the date I selected when signing up for college tours, filling out the Common App, when completing internship and eventually job applications. And yet, all that time, the countdown was going. May 2023 is here, and I can’t believe how easily it snuck up on me.

This is partly due to how normal the last few months have felt. Even knowing May 2023 was hurtling towards me, I fell into the same rhythm of classes, extracurriculars and all the other familiarities of a Cornell semester.

But in many ways, that rhythm is what I’ll miss the most. When I first transferred in the fall of 2020, Cornell was impossibly huge and three years felt like a long time.

But it got smaller, as I found the places and people I could rely on.

In the same way, as I started to look forward to the familiar routine of a new semester, time seemed to speed

When I first transferred in the fall of 2020, Cornell was impossibly huge and three years felt like a long time.

But it got smaller, as I found the places and people I could rely on.

There’s always a first day of classes. Prelim season.

Club recruitment. Hockey games. Sitting on the slope for the first time each spring, on one of those unseasonably warm days. And now as a senior, I’m acutely aware that so many of the traditions I’ve come to rely on will be my last.

This sense of rhythm was noticeably absent when I first arrived. Instead, it was a blur of virtual classes, homework and internship applications, mostly completed from my dorm on West Campus.

While I spent a lot of that semester hearing about all the things I would have been doing during a normal O-week or Halloween or fall break, the pandemic left little to look forward to as the semester slipped by, week after week.

Luckily, I joined The Cornell Daily Sun that first semester. The routine of writing and eventually editing, even virtually, provided some of the structure I craved.

Instead of just 15 weeks, a semester became 35 print issues and 12 late nights spent at The Sun office. Even in the days when campus was deserted, I knew I could walk into a building every Tuesday and Thursday and see the new issue we had created.

As we adjust to a post-COVID-19 Cornell, the Class of 2023 has been playing a lot of catch up. We’re still experiencing some firsts alongside the lasts. Maybe that’s why May 2023 feels like it arrived too fast. We’ve spent the last two years finding this rhythm of life at Cornell only to lose it so soon.

Even in the days when campus was deserted, I knew I could walk into a building every Tuesday and Thursday and see the new issue we had created.

Graduation offers an exciting new sense of freedom.

For many of us it will be the first time without the strictures of an academic schedule. Some of us don’t know where we’ll be next year and even for those that do, whether it’s a job or graduate school, our everyday lives will probably be drastically different from what we’ve known for the last four years.

But as ambiguous as those first months and years may be, I’m optimistic that we’ll find new ways of keeping time. But I hope we also remember those familiar traditions, big and small, that made our life at Cornell so special.

The Class That Saved Cornell raged across the country, weeks turned into months. My future became unclear. As I tried to finish the semester, I suffered mental health difficulties, including an intense anxiety that still persists. I retained some of my earliest acquaintances, who have now become four-year friends, through Zoom socials. Most of my fledgling Cornell communities fell away, except for Kitsch and The Sun, which continued to publish with unflagging dedication through the chaos.

Vee Cipperman Vee Cipperman is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a Senior Editor on the 141st editorial board and previously served as Editor in Chief on the 140th editorial board. She can be reached at ocipperman@cornellsun.com or veecipperman@gmail.com.

E

very graduating senior knows some version of my story at Cornell. The class of 2023 is unique, and unified, in our trials and triumphs through COVID-19. We alone have seen the before and after.

We are the class that watched Cornell fall apart, and we are the class that rebuilt it — preserving and restoring the traditions, cultures and communities that make this place worthwhile. For once, I write not to break news in The Sun, but to express generational solidarity. Our class, despite all odds and administrative difficulties, saved Cornell.

In spring 2020, I started my first semester at Cornell.

I couldn’t wait to write esoteric English essays, poetry for Kitsch Magazine and breaking news for The Sun. I was ready to spend long, sunny days on the Slope, get boba in ctown and explore the quirky city of Ithaca.

Most of all, I looked forward to building new communities — friends, fellow thinkers and artistic collaborators. I’d done my research on Cornell, and I knew that I would find a huge range of perspectives, talents and life experiences in my fellow students.

For eight short weeks, I made a start. Then, on March 13th, 2020, Cornell announced that it would suspend classes for three weeks and send students home to protect against a rising global COVID-19 pandemic.

I returned home for a presumed three-week break.

When Cornell moved all classes online and the pandemic

For once, I write not to break news in The Sun, but to express generational solidarity. Our class, despite all odds and administrative difficulties, saved Cornell.

I made it through quarantine and remote learning, alongside most of my class. But the impacts of the pandemic extended, threatening lives and decimating Cornell’s communities. When my peers and I emerged from our confinement in 2021, it became clear that we couldn’t pick up right where we left off.

People were still scared. People were still depressed.

People had fallen out of the habits of participation and friendship — the pandemic had forced a cultural shift from which we might never fully recover.

The impact felt most obvious in the context of student organizations. Many traditional orgs, similarly to Ithaca businesses, struggled to stay afloat through COVID-19.

The biggest challenge was drawing new members — because how can you possibly motivate busy students in an unpaid organization without any fun or community development? In spring 2021, I stepped into leadership positions for multiple orgs and experienced some barebones operations.

The Sun had severely diminished as a community; I barely knew my fellow news editors after a mostly virtual compet season, and our staff was nonexistent. I remember writing three or more articles a week just to keep the paper going. I remember leading Zoom meetings for my

creative writing club with four people or less. I remember attending my first real launch party for Kitsch Magazine, where no more than eight unacquainted editors sat together on somebody’s porch. The situation was dire on all fronts.

So, in fall 2022, all my organizations turned to aggressive recruiting. As soon as we could do things safely in person, we left the monotonous boredom of Zoom behind.

We slowly brought new students into the fold over the course of several semesters. We built out our teams — the faster operation — and developed new community cultures — the trickier and longer one.

As editor in chief of The Sun, most of my work was internal and regenerative: making The Sun a sustainable, productive community that wouldn’t break a too-small group of students. We persevered and began to grow — another familiar story to all those whose campus communities didn’t totally dissolve. I’m not exceptional; I did this work parallel to all of Cornell’s student leaders.

The class of 2023 has done some truly important, invisible work. We are the class that restored Cornell’s culture. While the University shut units down, withdrew mental health support and left clubs and communities to flounder, the students pieced our campus back together. We recreated a worthwhile, fulfilling four years out of disaster. It was back-breaking work, and I’m forever proud of my classmates and friends who bravely took it on.

As we celebrate the students and communities that survived the pandemic, we also need to remember the many that didn’t. We must continuously recall the Cornell students who lost their battles to mental health struggle. We must dig back into Cornell records and recover the support systems that have died. We must uplift our former Cornell peers who dropped out, or were forced out, due to the emotional and academic difficulties of college life during a pandemic. We must learn from our challenges to become better, and do better, as we build meaningful careers and retain our voice at Cornell as alumni.

Soon, the class of 2023 will leave our college experience behind. I hope we can look back with fair critiques, with much-earned gentleness and with pride.

It’s not easy to graduate from an Ivy League college, much less during global societal collapse, and we have done more than persist. We’ve rebuilt. We’ve adapted.

We’ve grown and worked together, ensuring that future classes will find their place on campus. For that, I say: thank you. I love you. Goodbye.

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 13

Opinion

In Praise of Lingering

Jack Kubinec You Don’t Know Jack Jack Kubinec is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at jak525@cornell.edu. This is the final installment of his fortnightly column You Don’t Know Jack.

C

ornell’s most famous structure is not a classroom or a library — and certainly not a baseball field.

The building we love most is a giant clock. We grin and point whenever the clock lights up pink or green.

Aspiring chimesmasters go through olympic trials every spring for a chance to play music from the clock. The clock has more followers than I have on Instagram.

Not to go all opinion-writer-run-amok, but recently, I haven’t had the rosiest feelings for McGraw Tower. Its quarter-hour clanging feels obnoxious. I get it! Time is running out! No need for the constant reminder!

And at a deeper level, I’ve been realizing my time at Cornell unfolded under clocks — not just beneath the four-sided face of McGraw Tower, but under Google Calendars, Canvas deadlines, and the ever-present sense that time is running out.

Cornellians have a tortured relationship with time,

and our clock tower is a reminder. After losing touch with who they were, the ancients built the Tower of Babel. For much the same reason, we built the Tower of Time.

In the mid-1800s, colleges faced an existential crisis.

America was industrializing, the scientific method was ascendant, and universities where students skimmed the surface of a predetermined variety of subjects with a theological veneer seemed outdated.

Enrollment was in decline, and reformers began pushing for universities to offer more elective classes, build more laboratories for scientific experiments, and teach practical subjects like engineering and agriculture (for more on this, check out Julie Reuben’s The Making of the Modern University).

It was in this environment that a feisty upstart University in Ithaca declared, counter-culturally, that it would provide any person instruction in any study.

Cornell was at the forefront of making college a place where students could pick up useful skills and prove themselves worthy of gainful employment.

This is a good thing, but it has also made education a commodity where the most savvy are able to extract the most possible value from their 120 credits. You only get four years at Cornell, and you’d better make the most of every second, so you can set yourself up for a lucrative career.

College being a means to an end is why a cascade of students in lecture halls always pack up two minutes before class ends. It’s why I click away at my laptop during my 30 minute lunch breaks, hoping to knock out some task now to free up time to watch the new episode of Succession later. It’s why we overcommit and flake out on obligations. We’ll never do enough. We’re in a race against time, and we’re losing.

But in the midst of this, there is a group of Cornellians I’ve never been able to understand. I’m going to call them the lingerers. You surely know one — the kid who sticks it out at boring parties, who you haven’t seen actually doing work, who never pats his knees and says “Well, I should probably get going” after precisely 45 minutes of

lunchtime chatting.

Lingerers aren’t glorified at Cornell, but I think you should admire them. In fact, I think you should want to be more like them. Lingerers watch everyone around them marching on towards Wendell Berry’s Objective and choose human connection instead. They’re the ones who will take a bad prelim grade to be with you during a breakup. Lingerers are able to defy the cruel logic of the clock.

Cornellians have a tortured relationship with time, and our clock tower is a reminder.

In my year of column writing, I’ve harped on all manner of things wrong with Cornell. Why Big Red Bucks are a scam. Why our love lives don’t work. Why we shouldn’t have razed our baseball field. But for my final column, I want to present my vision for how you can be positively formed by Cornell: Spend more time lingering. Stand under the Johnson Museum roof late at night. Listen to the silence of the Arts Quad on a snowy morning. Let your conversations trail off and restart and trail off again.

Even in our captive state, there are a few instances under the clock’s dominion when time becomes sacred. If Apple calls to set up an interview, we clear our calendar.

If a professor is taking attendance, we don’t skip class. If a close friend has a health crisis, we make the time to be there.

But I wonder if someday we won’t look back at all those little moments of mundane sweetness in between — the surprise birthday parties, the afternoon runs to Purity, the late-night delirium — and realize those times were sacred, too.

Thank You, Steven

Patrick J. Mehler The Mehl-Man Delivers Patrick J. Mehler is a senior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He can be reached at pjm344@cornell.edu This is the final installment of his fortnightly column The Mehl-Man Delivers.

W

hen putting down my name on The Cornell Daily Sun’s “Graduation Column” Excel sheet for my final word in our newspaper, I intentionally picked the last date possible.

Not because I just published a separate opinion piece last week or that I had other commitments coming first, but because I had hoped to come up with something inspiring to write about with some more time. As I am sure my editors have learned by now, I have a habit of waiting for inspiration to strike but ultimately writing down six hundred words of whatever I was thinking about a few hours after the submission deadline. This time is no different, but I have one final piece of advice for all Cornellians.

I read through what the other columnists have written and reread some of my own past pieces to see if there was something I had meant to say these past two years as a columnist but never got around to.

My first column, You Should Walk to

Class, encouraged students to look around themselves at Cornell. The columns after that included advice on taking certain classes, playing a club sport, identifying with our Collegetown, being civically engaged, exploring Ithaca, watching television, adventuring outside, visiting every corner of campus, knowing your rights, how to write a resume, enjoying snow days, celebrating your birthday, watching our athletics, understanding (and re-understanding it for those who missed it the first time) our restorative justice system, becoming a teaching assistant and more.

However, during the summer in between my junior and senior year I wrote my favorite column, The Importance of Fine Art in the Dormitory Experience. While I encourage you all to go read it rather than having me recount it, it marked a substantial shift in my time at Cornell.

I was walking into senior year knowing I was almost done and was beginning to step away from all my involvements, even though there was still an entire year to go.

Although I had done it every day in high school, I had forgotten the importance of reflection and I began my last year as one with intentional reflection.

My first column told people to slow down and look around. This one said not to slow down, but to stop and look around.

This column and that first reflection of senior year involved an alligator-crocodile named Steven, my dorm’s mascot and continued watcher over our apartment on East Buffalo Street. Steven made me reflect. And it would not be a The Mehl-Man Delivers column without a positive piece of advice for all Cornellians that Steven has bestowed upon me.

Steven wants you to reflect and enjoy Cornell. During my final stints as Cornell’s and ILR’s ambassador for prospective students, alumni and other Cornellians, the same phrase appeared again and again: You pay too much money and spend too much time at Cornell to be miserable. You simply cannot afford to be.

Those of us from New York and attend-

ing a contract college pay $267,336 to attend Cornell; everyone else pays $352,600.

There is no scenario in your life where you should ever spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to hate your time and self in central New York.

I must admit that I do not have the panacea to not be miserable at Cornell.

How to be happy at Cornell is something that every Cornellian must find themselves, and it is something everyone might have to rediscover as they grow throughout their four years here.

For me, it has looked like sixteen different jobs, eleven different executive board positions in over a dozen clubs, a semester’s worth of credits over what I needed to graduate and changing my career path endless times. When I found myself frustrated with my situation at Cornell, I took the active steps to change it. Sometimes that meant dropping a class, quitting a club, not returning to a job the next semester or simply calculating how much my grade would decrease if I opted for more sleep instead of doing another assignment.

Steven wants you to reflect and enjoy Cornell.

I personally discovered what made me happy at Cornell. But as that changed over four years, I continued to learn what made me happy and I actively worked to change it. It is too easy to succumb to the cold and dark skies of Ithaca and despise your situation. But the reward for admitting what makes you dislike your time at Cornell and what makes you love it cannot be understated.

I found what and who I love here at Cornell. Even at graduation’s door, I am finding out more about what I could love further. I know there is more here for me

and that has convinced me enough to stay one more year for a master’s degree. But for every other student, I know you are either graduating or returning for classes next year.

I found what and who I love here at Cornell.

Even at graduation’s door, I am finding out more about what I could love further.

Regardless, you are most likely reading one of the last things you will read in The Sun for either three months, three years or even three decades. For that, I have my final piece of Cornell advice: reflect. Find what makes you reflect and actively do so.

Reflect as much as you can and reflect with the intent to change your time at Cornell for the better.

I decided before writing this column that despite the allure to thank people in my graduation column, I knew that if I attempted to do so I would forget at least one person who truly should not be forgotten. So instead, I want to thank two “people.” Firstly, you, the reader, who has much better things to do with your time than reading what I write; you have my deep gratitude for reading. I hope you learned something about Cornell, yourself, and, ideally, both from my two years of writing.

And thank you, Steven. You represent more than a reptilian plushie but an idea that if every Cornellian stopped, reflected and appreciated all that they have, changed what they did not like, and lived their best lives at Cornell, we can do just about anything and everything.

-PJM

14 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 15

Senior Send-Offs

Congratulations!

Albert Charles

Congratulations on your graduation from Cornell University.

Your entire family and village are extremely proud of your accomplishments.

Words cannot express the joy we feel.

You are the best event that ever came into our lives. You are a talented leader and caring young man. You are an extraordinary person, and we are so proud to call you Son. Our hearts are filled with much love and pride for you today and always.

We are sure today will only be the first of many successful moments in your future.

We are cheering you on as you set off on new adventures and we are confident you are destined to do great things.

We know you will achieve your goals.

Keep Dreaming BIG!!!

We wish you success in everything and a lifetime of health and happiness.

God Bless You! We Love You! You’re an inspiration!

16 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

JOSEPH LUCAS BENDER We are so proud of you, Joe! Congratulations!! #hotelie — Mom, Dad & Rose —

FALL 2022

Cornell Ranked Top University in New York State Columbia tumbles to No. 18 amid U.S. News and World Report scandal Cornell has been named the best university in all of New York state, according to the 2023 Best National Universities rankings published by U.S. News and World Report.

While still remaining the 17th best university in the nation, Cornell has now surpassed Columbia University, which saw a significant drop this year in rank, falling from No. 2 to No. 18.

Columbia’s downfall came after Columbia University Prof. Michael Thaddeus, mathematics, started questioning the program’s soaring ranking, which in 2021 tied in second along Harvard and MIT. In February, Thaddeus published a detailed, analytical report, exploring explanations for Columbia’s abnormally soaring ranking.

“A few other top-tier universities have also improved their standings, but none has matched Columbia’s extraordinary rise,” Thaddeus wrote.

“It is natural to wonder what the reason might be.”

Thaddeus’ findings suggested clear signs of number manipulation by Columbia to produce favorable but misleading data sets.

“Key figures supporting Columbia’s high ranking are inaccurate, dubious, or highly misleading,” Thaddeus wrote. “[We found] discrepancies,

sometimes quite large, and always in Columbia’s favor.”

On Sept. 9, upon a thorough internal review and investigation, Columbia released a statement, admitting that the data it provided had signs of inaccuracy. In the statement, Columbia followed up with detailed plans to improve its data accuracy.

“We determined we had previously relied on outdated and/or incorrect methodologies,” the statement said. “We have changed those methodologies for current and future data submissions, as reflected in the newly posted Common Data Sets.”

According to the U.S. News and World Report, the Best Colleges ranking provides an assessment of 1,500 national bachelor’s degree programs on 17 measures of academic quality. This year marks the 38th year of releasing these rankings.

Cornell received an overall score of 86 out of 100, scoring a point lower in comparison to last year. The University scored high in multiple categories, ranking fifth in best colleges for veterans, ninth in undergraduate engineering programs, eighth in business programs and fifth in computer science. However, Cornell lagged behind in several areas, ranking 270 in social mobility, showing much room for improvement.

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Congratulates its 2023 Graduating Seniors: Mihika Badjate Surita Basu Daniel Bernstein Isaac Chasen Vee Cipperman John Colie Jessica Dai Roei Dery Mitch Hoy Aditi Hukerikar Ananthi Jayasundera Brendan Kempff Naomi Koh Lal Kosematoglu Jack Kubenic Roman LaHaye

Emma Leynse Brian Lu Charlee Mandy Patrick Mehler Isabelle Pappas Domenico Pasquini Emma Plowe Megan Pontin Hannah Rosenberg Madeline Rosenberg Aaron Snyder Lia Sokol Noor-e-jehan Umar Alyson Wong Katherine Yao Ashley Yu

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 17

Senior Send-Offs

Congratulations, Kendall!

Beyond proud!

Far above Cayuga’s waters, With its waves of blue, Stands our noble Kendall Ann, Ever free and true

Love, mom, dad, aidan & coyle

18 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

Beloved Abigail...

CONGRATULATIONS, BEAUTIFUL!

We have seen you bloom into a successful young lady; we are just as excited as you in reaching the next milestone that awaits you at Brown University! You will accomplish magnificent feats and conquer all obstacles.

We are your biggest support! You are our Pride and Joy. You are an extraordinary human being—so intelligent, kind and wise at such a young age.

God bless you on your next chapter.

Love you! Dad, Mom and little sissy Joelynn

Senior Send-Offs

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 19

20 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

Senior Send-Offs

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 21

CONGRATULATIONS Class of 2023

Hotel School of 2023

and our special young lady...

Caroline Paul Paul Caroline

Mom. Dad. Alex. Tinsley.

Taylor. Seira.

Leina. Jack & Elle.

22 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

John H. Rosero

CONGRATULATIONS, JOHNNIE! We are so proud of all that you have accomplished, but even prouder of the young man that you have become.

You are an exemplary son and brother, and we are fortunate to have you in our lives.

With your strong character, determination, and hard work, you will achieve all of the goals you set in your life.

May the Lord bless every step in your life’s journey.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 With love, Dad, Mom, Luke, and Bella

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 23

Senior Send-Offs

Cornell College of Arts & Sciences—Class of 2023

Isabel Tess Dhar

Xo

congratulations, hunter delor!

From Big Red Football to the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, you did it, Gooze!

We are so proud of you!

Cornell Class of 2023!

love, mom, dad, hannah & hayley

24 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

We are so proud of you, Shaun!

Love, Casey, Luke, Mom & Dad

Congratulations, Sam! Take pride on how far you have come & have faith in how far you can go.

Love you! Mom, Gabe & Jacob

Senior Send-Offs

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 25

Congratulations, my beautiful girl!

We are very proud of you, and we love you with all our hearts!

Keep going, mija!

—DeTu Mami y Papi

Congratulations Sarahi Elizabeth Rivas!

26 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

Congratulations T om!

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 27

Take-Home Test #

Big Red Ambition:161 Things Every Cornellian Should Do HOW MANY DID YOU DO? o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

1. Make the library into your bedroom and have sex in the stacks 2. Finally meet the dazzling Denice Cassaro 3. Go to the Cornell-Harvard men’s hockey game and throw fish on the ice 4. Sing along to the Alma Mater with the marching band at a hockey game 5. Sled down Libe Slope during a snow storm 6. Take Hotel Administration 4300: Introduction to Wines 7. Streak across the Arts Quad 8. Take Psychology 1101: Intro to Psychology 9. Test out Olin Library’s musically calibrated steps by throwing stones on them 10. Attempt sake bombing at Plum Tree in Collegetown 11. Order ice cream at the Dairy Bar 12. Climb the Lindseth climbing wall in Bartels Hall 13. Listen to a full chimes concert from the clock tower and guess the songs played 14. Order the same thing off the Collegetown Bagels menu all four years 15. Register for classes during Freshman Orientation, then switch out of every single one by the time Add/Drop ends 16. Wear flip-flops to class in January 17. Go to the Fuertes Observatory on North Campus and gaze at meteor showers 18. Have a snowball fight in May 19. Milk a cow 20. Skip class to play frisbee on the Arts Quad 21. Bury a bottle of Bacardi on the Slope. Dig it up on Slope Day. 22. Observe the golden hour from the Newman Overlook in the Cornell Plantations 23. Attend the Apple Festival on the Commons 24. Flirt with your professor 25. Bomb a prelim 26. Ace the next one to save your grade 27. Attend Hotelie prom 28. Meet Happy Dave from Okenshields 29. Turn your face blue from screaming at midnight before the first finals 30. Get heartburn at the Chili Cook-off on the Commons 31. Enjoy Ithaca’s two months of warm weather — spend a summer here!

32. Go to a Shabbat dinner at 104 West 33. Watch the AAP students parade down East Avenue on Dragon Day 34. Drive an hour and a half just to visit the closest drive-in movie theater 35. Build a snow penis or count how many you see around campus 36. Dress up and view The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Risley 37. Take a class you think is impossible just for fun 38. Go on a wine tour 39. Kiss on the suspension bridge at midnight 40. Sleep through your alarm for a 1:25 p.m. class 41. Shop at the Friends of the Library Book Sale 42. Get out of a University parking ticket 43. Buy an Ithaca Is Gorges t-shirt, then get sick of wearing it and buy a variation (Ithaca Is Gangsta, Vaginas Are Gorges, Ithaca Is Long Island...)

44. Learn the “Alma Mater,” “Evening Song” and “Give My Regards to Davy” 45. Attend an opening at the Johnson Museum of Art 46. Smuggle food from the dining hall and run for your life as they try to get back your stolen cookies 47. Do the Walk of Shame 48. Have dinner at a professor’s house 49. Get wasted at a professor’s house 50. Take a #selfie with a Cornell president 51. Play a game of tag in the Kroch Library stacks 52. See a play in the Schwartz Center 53. Rush the field at the last home football game of the season 54. Start your freshman year pre-med. Graduate as a Hotelie.

55. Gamble at Turning Stone (try not to lose money) 56. Watch dancers fly through the air at a Bhangra show 57. Have a midnight picnic in the Cornell Botanical Gardens 58. Wait in line for half an hour for a salad at the Terrace 59. Ignore “No Winter Maintenance” signs … slip and fall on the icy stairs 60. Sit in Libe Café when you have no work to do and watch the worried studiers down gallons of coffee 61. Write an angry letter to the editor of The Sun 62. Go to Wegmans on a Friday or Saturday night 63. Explore the secret underground tunnel between Uris and Olin libraries 64. See the library’s Rare Book Collection 65. Pretend you are Harry Potter and study in the A.D. White library (looks like Hogwarts) 66. See the brain collection in Uris Hall 67. Eat at Taverna Banfi and charge it to CornellCard 68. Buy beer at Jason’s in Collegetown and charge it to CityBucks 69. Take Plant Pathology 2010: Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds 70. Take part in a psychology experiment 71. Take an unplanned nap in a library 72. Take over a building 73. Following the legend, watch a virgin cross the Arts Quad and then witness A.D. White and Ezra Cornell shake hands 74. Live through an Ithaca blizzard and tell your friends how you survived frostbite 75. Throw a flaming pumpkin into the gorge 76. Play co-ed intramural innertube water polo 77. Spend all your lectures figuring out the day’s crossword. While sitting for the final, wish you had taken notes instead.

78. Hook up with your T.A. 79. Order a PMP at Shortstop Deli

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

80. Play trivia at Rulloff’s on Sunday nights 81. Make the trek down the hill: Go to a townie bar 82. Make a fool of yourself at karaoke at Loco on Tuesday 83. Buy a drink at every on-campus establishment that serves alcohol 84. Go bowling at Helen Newman Lanes 85. Hand out quartercards on Ho Plaza 86. Drive your car up and down Libe Slope or Ho Plaza 87. Have a friend’s parents take you out to eat at John Thomas Steakhouse or Boatyard Grill 88. Eat a chicken parm sandwich from Louie’s Lunch 89. Order at Wings Over Ithaca at 3:59 a.m.

90. Get thrown out of Balch Hall 91. Hook up with a freshman 92. Go skinny dipping in a gorge 93. Walk to the Commons and back 94. Go to an a cappella concert 95. Go ice skating at Lynah Rink 96. Instagram the cherry blossoms in the spring 97. Sell back your books; use money to buy alcohol 98. Drink bubble tea 99. Eat a Pinesburger 100. Walk to a fraternity party with your entire freshman floor 101. Go to a fraternity party as a senior; convince yourself you were never one of them 102. Get lost in Collegetown during Orientation Week 103. Get negged at a bar because the bouncer is actually friends with the person whose I.D. you are using 104. See a foreign film at Cinemapolis 105. Eat mongo at RPCC 106. See a concert at Barton Hall 107. Gain the freshman 15. Pay $145 for a gym membership and don’t go 108. Eat brunch on North Campus 109. Go to Buttermilk Falls for a hike and to take pictures to put on Instagram to prove you did something outdoorsy 110. Fail your swim test, just for kicks 111. Tailgate for homecoming 112. Model for the Cornell Fashion Collective’s annual fashion show 113. Host a prefrosh 114. Request a song to be played on the clock tower 115. Get guilt-tripped into giving blood 116. Get asked if you are pregnant at Cornell Health (regardless of your gender) 117. Drink with your R.A. 118. Make a chalking; weep when it rains that night 119. Sing drunk on the drunk bus 120. Meet Bill Nye ’77, “The Science Guy,” and give him a hug 121. See how long you can go without doing laundry 122. Go on a road trip to Canada, flirt with the border patrol, smuggle booze back 123. Try to order pizza from a Blue Light phone 124. Go to the sex shop on the Commons 125. Get drunk on Slope Day, run into a vice president 126. Complain about the Slope Day headliners 127. Get tapped for a secret society 128. Go to The Shops at Ithaca Mall, realize it is severely lacking, then drive to Destiny USA in Syracuse 129. Lose a friend over signing a lease in Collegetown 130. Run out of BRBs in March; live off campus events’ free food for the rest of the year 131. Walk holding hands around Beebe Lake 132. Visit the Sciencenter 133. See Yamatai bang it out at Pulse 134. Get J.A.’d for urinating on the Law School 135. Hook up with someone randomly and then see them every day afterward 136. Go to a coffee house in JAM 137. See how many people you can cram into your dorm room 138. Claim a big table near an outlet in Temple of Zeus and occupy it all day 139. Write dirty messages with rocks in the gorge 140. Ride a horse at Oxley Equestrian Center 141. Ring the giant bell in the Botanic Gardens 142. Crash a political rally on Ho Plaza 143. Do the COE ropes course 144. Attend a show at the State Theatre 145. Prank call the CIT HelpDesk 146. Wake up at 7 a.m. for pre-enroll; realize that your choice classes are full anyway 147. Ski at Greek Peak 148. Take a night prelim near the vet school, walk back in the dark 149. Trespass on Alumni Fields 150. Find your way onto the roof of a Cornell building 151. Take the BASICS program 152. Walk to class in the snow, uphill both ways 153. Buy a Cornell-grown apple from a vending machine 154. Furnish an apartment entirely with items from the Dump & Run 155. Eat at each dining hall at least once 156. Ask for an extension on a term paper 157. Take part in Holi and get colorful 158. Pull an all-nighter in the Uris Library Cocktail Lounge 159. Tell a professor what you really think of his/her class 160. Attend a Sun organizational meeting 161. Climb all 161 steps to the top of McGraw Tower

28 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 <<< 3.26..22 During the Cornell Fashion Collective’s “Twilight Exhibition” preview show, a model on Milstein Hall’s concrete staircase transforms a dirty and stained yellow Vulcan Classic motorcycle strap into an avant garde fashion statement.

Four Years in Photos <<< 9.29.19 The Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival is a three-day celebration of upstate New York’s most iconic and valuableagricutural exports. On Sept. 29, 2019, local farmers and vendors fill the commons to sell apple treats including cider and donuts. It is a hallmark of the fall semester.

3.17.. 20 >>> In front of Teagle Hall, the statue of Touchdown, Cornell’s mascot bear, wears an N95 respirator and a bright red scarf four days after classes had been cancelled until April 6 and students had been urged to leave campus as soon as possible.

2.19..20 >>> Protesters blocking East Avenue traffic opposite Sage Hall display “oil” — simulated by molasses — that had been dramatically poured over their heads. They were demanding that Cornell divest from the fossil fuel industry. Other demonstrators chanted, “System change, not climate change.” <<< 3.9..21 As spring arrives, students look longingly out at the Arts Quad from upper windows of Goldwin Smith Hall. At this point in the pandemic, all Cornell students who were New York State residents or lived in campus housing or University owned coops were eligible for vaccination.

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 29

Four Years in Photos

<<< 11.13.21 Hockey games and other sports matches resumed in the Fall 2021 semester with attendance caps and all antendees masking up to view the games. Here audience members are watching a game against RPI. Photos: Leilani Burke / Sun Staff Photographer: Cornell Fashion Collective •

Claire Li / Sun Assistant Photography Editor: Dragon Day • Julia Nagel / Sun Photography Editor: cherry blossoms; Hockey vs. RPI • Michael Suguitan / Sun File Photo: Apple Fest • Ben Parker / Sun File Photo: students in Goldwin Smith windows • Katie Sims / Sun File Photo: “oil-drenched” protest • Boris Tsang / Sun File Photo: Touchdown statue; Biden win celebration • Ming DeMers / Sun Assistant Photography Editor: March Snow Day.

> > >

3.14..23 In March 2023, the University announced a snow day due to inclement weather meaning all classes were cancelled. Students took their day off as an opportunity to sled down the slope and have some fun in the snow.

11.7. 20 Two students joyously wave a Biden-Harris banner from the open roof hatch of their car — one of many rolling through Collegetown and Ithaca with loudly honking horns and cheering passengers to celebrate the Democratic ticket’s victory over Donald Trump. > > >

> > >

4.01..22 A two-headed beast lifted aloft by freshman architecture students romps past Willard Straight Hall on Dragon Day, an annual tradition in which freshman architects parade a custom-built dragon and upperclass architects frolic around it in fanciful array.

> > >

4.10..21 The spring blossoms of cherry trees between Sage Chapel and Olin Library frame McGraw Tower and offer a beautiful beacon of hope after an extremely stressful “virtual” semester with masks, with Zoom but without any real breaks.

Centerfold Design: Rob Lieberfarb

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30 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

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The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 31

Senior Send-Offs

Congratulations David Glen Hirschhorn Third Generation at Cornell From Grandpa Larry ........... CU ’58 Grandma Janice ........ Hunter ’59 Grandma Sally .......... CU ’57 Mom Diane................ CU ’87 Dad Steve ................. CU ’88 Cousin Jonathan ....... CU ’22 David ........................ CU ’23 Sister Lauren ............ CU ’25

32 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

! !

S E Y Jason will be employed by IXL Learning as a software engineer in San Mateo, CA, beginning in August Way to GO, Jason!!!!!

I’m so proud of you!!

Love, Mom

Alexandra Lew Leach

Class of 2023 Cornell University College of Arts & Sciences

Girl, you’re amazing!!!

We’re so proud of you, Alexa!

Love, Mom, Dad and Hunter

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 33

Senior Send-Offs

Congratulations Rayan

on your graduation from the Cornell University School of Engineering

We are incredibly proud of you & love you very much

Mom & dad

Thank You Janice • For letting me spend my senior year tuition on long-distance phone calls to you • For marrying me 7 months after I graduated Cornell • For working as a clerk, a typist and as a secretary to pay my way through graduate school • For enriching my life beyond measure for the 64 years we have been married, to date • For raising our three daughters • For loving and caring for me as we aged • For being a terrific kisser all these years

I love you Larry

34 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

Congratulations Mine’ Okoloko

we are so proud... dyson 2023 Cornell University From: the park family

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 35

Senior Send-Offs

Vallan Roan

Congratulations on your graduation!

We are so pr oud of your r elentless ef forts and continuous achievements.

Looking for ward to your brilliant pr ospects.

We will always be her e for you.

We love you Mom, Dad, Dallan & Kallan

36 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

Dear Sebastian— Congratulations on reaching the summit of your college education!

Just as you have climbed mountains to reach this point, you have shown incredible strength, determination, and perseverance. Never forget the values and principles that have guided you thus far. Stay true to yourself, maintain your integrity, and hold fast to the things that matter most to you.!

Now, as you stand at the peak, take a moment to savor the view and reflect on all that you have accomplished. It is hard to believe how much distance you have covered in such a short amount of time. It is also hard to overstate how much we have enjoyed the climb with you.

So go forth with confidence, courage, and optimism. You have the power to make a difference in this world, and we have no doubt that you will.!

Congratulations again, may this be just the beginning of many more peaks you will conquer in your life's journey and best of luck in all your future endeavors!!

We love you with all our hearts and could not be more proud of you...

Hunter, Mom, and Dad

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 37

Senior Send-Offs

FALL 2019

Author Toni Morrison M.A. ’55 Dead at 88 One of Cornell’s most prominent alumnae, Toni Morrison M.A. ’55, died on Monday night, her publisher confirmed on Twitter.

She died at Montefiore Medical Center in New York after a brief illness. Morrison was a prize-winning author who penned eleven books, including “Beloved” and “The Bluest Eye”.

“It is with profound sadness we share that, following a short illness, our adored mother and grandmother, Toni Morrison, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by family and friends,” Morrison’s family said in a statement shared by Princeton University.

“While we would like to thank everyone who knew and loved her, personally or through her work, for their support at this difficult time, we ask for privacy as we mourn this loss to our family,” the statement continued. “We will share information in the near future about how we will celebrate Toni’s incredible life.”

After her death, many took to social media to mourn the death of one of America’s most prominent authors.

“A writer’s life and work are not a gift to mankind; they are its necessity,” Morrison wrote in “The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations,” her most recent book that was published this year.

Throughout her career as an essayist, professor and editor, Morrison penned nearly a dozen books. She also wrote children’s books with her son, Slade Morrison, who passed away in 2010 from pancreatic cancer.

Her work centered around African Americans, a decision that was deliberate on Morrison’s part.

When asked about writing about white people, Morrison referenced how other authors structure their work.

“I never asked Tolstoy to write for me, a little colored girl in Lorain, Ohio. I never asked Joyce not to mention Catholicism or the world of Dublin. Never. And I don’t know why I should be asked to explain your life to you,” Morrison said in conversation with Thomas LeClair in 1981.

As the first African American woman to be an editor at Random House, she made a point to work with black authors including Angela Davis, Huey P. Newton, Toni Cade Bambara, Henry Dumas, Muhammad Ali and Gayl Jones.

“I look very hard for black fiction because I want to participate in developing a canon of black work,” Morrison said in an interview quoted in The Dictionary of Literary Biography the New York Times reported. “We’ve had the first rush of black entertainment, where blacks were writing for whites, and whites were encouraging this kind of self-flagellation. Now we can get down to the craft of writing, where black people are talking to black people.”

Her accolades, spread out throughout her life, included the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for her book Beloved and a 1993 Nobel Prize in literature. She was the first African American woman to be awarded a

Nobel Prize in Literature and one of only two Cornellians to be awarded both the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes according to Prof. Corey Ryan Earle ‘07.

In 1978, she was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Song of Solomon”. In 2016, she was honored with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Emerson-Thoreau Medal.

Additionally, she received the National Medal of Humanities in 2000.

Morrison also achieved international acclaim, and was chosen for the French Legion of Honor in 2010 and the Commandeu de l’Orde des Artes et des Lettres in 1993.

This past May, she was one of four Cornellians who received an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2012, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

“Toni Morrison has, over the years, shaken us out of the ruts of our ordinary perspective,” the Academy of Arts and Letters said in May of Morrison. “She has allowed us to walk through various shades of the national experience, always incisively, provocatively, generously.”

When she attended Howard University, people struggled to pronounce the then-uncommon name Chloe, so she went by Toni according to an NPR interview with Morrison in 2016. At Howard she studied English and graduated with a B.A. in 1953. During her time there, she joined the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.

After graduating from Howard, Morrison studied creative writing at Cornell, and graduated with an M.A. in 1955. At Cornell her master’s thesis was entitled “Virginia Woolf’s and William Faulkner’s Treatment of the Alienated.”

After graduating from Cornell, she did not immediately embark on a writing career. Instead, she ventured into the world of academia, teaching English at Texas Southern University for two years and at Howard University for seven years.

During this time, she gave birth to two children and married Harold Morrison in 1958.

After her divorce from Harold in 1964, Morrison then started working in the publishing industry.

Her first job was as a textbook editor in Syracuse before she began her tenure at Random House in New York as a fiction editor for nineteen years.

In 1970, she published her first book, “The Bluest Eye”, about a black girl who yearned for blue eyes. She originally thought of the concept two decades prior, during a creative writing workshop at Howard University according to her profile on Cornell’s Graduate School site.

After nearly two decades of publication, her work was largely unrecognized, prompting a 1988 open letter in the New York Times signed by leading black Authors including Maya Angelou and Alice Walker. Beginning with the publication “Beloved” she began seeing widespread critical acclaim and recognition.

Haley—

We are so proud of your college experience at Cornell. You embraced everything Cornell had to offer you. You attacked your major with determination, broadened your athletic career, fervently took part in the solar boat team, all the while finding time to develop close friendships and enjoy life.

We love you so much.

Mom, Dad, Shane & Myles

Robert, Congratulations on your outstanding accomplishment!

Love, Mom, Dad & Anna

38 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

SPRING 2020

Connor William Pugh ’23 BS in Information Science, Systems and Technology College of Engineering

Congratulations!

We’re proud of you!

Lisa, Bill (PhD ’88), Evan & Alyce

Kotlikoff Says No Universal S/U While the opt-in grading system will remain, in a concession to students, the deadline to change a course’s grading basis to S/U will move from April 21 to May 12, the last day of classes, according to an email Provost Michael Kotlikoff sent to members of the Faculty Senate.

In addition, each transcript will include a “notation that explains the anomalies associated with the Spring 2020 semester.”

According to Kotlikoff, the policy change was made in response to input from students and the Faculty Senate in order “to provide the maximum amount of flexibility possible” that will “enable students to make fully informed decisions that take into account their personal situations.”

Students who do not change their grading system or drop a course by the May 12 deadline may still petition to do so before May 23, the last day of the semester.

This decision comes after students expressed a desire for a universal S/U grading basis after it was allowed during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Facebook profiles adorned with “Universal Pass” filters and contentious squabbles over changing to a universal S/U grading scheme occupied Cornell’s student body for weeks. The issue even made its way up to the Student Assembly and Faculty Senate.

Now, the grading debate has effectively ended, leaving some students disappointed and others satisfied with the outcome.

On Sunday, Provost Michael Kotlikoff announced that opt-in S/U would be extended to May 12, the last day of classes. Universal S/U was no longer a viable option for the spring semester.

Tomás Reuning ’21, the Student Assembly LGBTQ+ liaison at-large, was frustrated with the University’s decision to not adopt universal S/U. “I am disgusted,” Reuning said in a message to The Sun. “This institution disgusts me. I genuinely regret choosing to come to Cornell.”

Reuning had previously written a blistering email to the Faculty Senate, after it voted against a universal S/U resolution on Thursday.

In the email, Reuning wrote, “A record 10 million Americans applied for unemployment this week. It is a privilege to have been able to sit there and discuss something as frivolous as grades in the midst of a global crisis.”

On the other hand, Big Red Choice — a movement that supported extended opt-in S/U until after finals — organizers saw Kotlikoff’s announcement as a victory.

“Collectively, we are all satisfied and happy with the decision, that they decided to extend the deadline to opt-in for S/U,” said Big Red Choice co-founder and organizer Sareh Ghadersohi ’21. “We believe that it allows more flexibility and it accounts for unforeseeable circumstances, and that the goal of the campaign was to ensure everyone’s voice was heard and accounted for.”

Kotlikoff’s announcement came after the S.A. passed a universal S/U resolution whereas a similar resolution failed to pass the Faculty Senate, signifying a compromise

between the diverging votes.

Some didn’t see Cornell’s new grading policy as a compromise.

“I am both disappointed and shocked,” said Cindy Dou ’19 grad.

“I didn’t know this could be worse, but the provost and vice provost made it worse.”

The provost also wrote in an email to the Cornell community that transcripts will include “a notation that explains the anomalies associated with the spring 2020 semester.”

At the Faculty Senate meeting, Prof. Risa Lieberwitz, labor relations, law and history, argued that the validity of grades given this semester would be diluted due to the unprecedented circumstances surrounding them. However, some students expressed a need to keep grades for graduate school programs or to maintain external merit-based scholarships.

Alex Gutierrez ’20 — who was an organizer for Big Red Choice — advocated for an opt-in option after experiencing a slew of health issues in past semesters that hindered her ability to academically perform at her best, especially because she is looking to apply to graduate programs in the future.

With the latest decision, Gutierrez said that there were pros and cons to both grading schemes.

“By taking away the semester, that would really do a disservice to the students who did not start at Cornell with the right footing,” Gutierrez said. “However, I will admit that it is a disadvantage for students that do come from a low income background, a minority background and are extremely affected by the pandemic currently.”

Roland St. Michel ’22 said he mentally prepared himself for this outcome.

“I was kind of expecting it,” St. Michel said. “After the senate vote, it was kind of like, ‘Alright, this is what’s going to go through, nine times out of 10, probably’ …

Either way, I’m going to have to deal with whatever decision gets made.”

One of the biggest points of contention during these past few weeks was if such a grading system was the most beneficial for low-income students who may not have proper internet access to online classes or resources.

On Facebook and Reddit, students who identified as low-income or first-generation argued over which grading policy would benefit them the most, with some saying that they had a lack of resources at home and others saying they needed the grades for a GPA boost after an uneasy start to college. Students with difficult home situations also told The Sun contrasting viewpoints on the issue.

There was no consensus.

Both Big Red Choice and Big Red Pass believed that their campaigns benefitted Cornell’s most disadvantaged students.

“It was always about just providing a voice for students who believe in different ways of solving this super nuanced and complex issue,” said Big Red Choice co-founder and organizer Amelia Ng ’21.

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 39

Senior Send-Offs

FALL 2020

RA Strike Ends, Admin Starts Convo After nearly a day, Cornell RAs will suspend their strike 2 p.m. Thursday. Many RAs went on strike because they felt underpaid, unprotected from COVID-19 risks and unheard by the administration.

On Twitter, the campaign tweeted, “because the university has agreed to begin a larger process of communication and dialogue, we will be suspending the strike and returning to work at 2 p.m. today.”

Campaigns benefitted Cornell’s most disadvantaged students.

“It was always about just providing a voice for students who believe in different ways of solving this super nuanced and complex issue,” said Big Red Choice co-founder and organizer Amelia Ng ’21.

The strike that started with just over 50 signatures from current RAs rapidly garnered support from hundreds of students, faculty and alumni.

The petition gained over 800 signatures on Wednesday, giving the R.A.s more leverage.

On Wednesday afternoon, in response to the strike and public outrage, Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi said he would meet with the organizers “as soon as possible.” On-campus move-in for thousands of students starts in just a few days.

Diego Galvan ’23 spent Wednesday on strike, along with many of his colleagues.

“I bought groceries, played piano and sat back and watched it all unfold,” Galvan said. “It is really nice to see we had 800 people in just one day already standing on our side.”

Galvan said that he was disappointed in the working conditions that led him to strike, but he felt that the issue was a still low priority for the administration.

“During my experience as a Cornell student as a whole, it has felt like the administration has the sole interest of their own financial benefit,” Galvan said. “They don’t take into consideration the interests of students, from my experience.”

According to Jason Chang grad, the administration told RAs that they are not responsible for enforcing the campus behavioral health compact, but he, Galvan and other RAs felt that they are often left with no other choice. If they don’t enforce the rules, then they live with the risk of sharing spaces with undergraduate students behaving unsafely, some of whom have not yet been tested for COVID-19.

The strikers’ list of demands included a mix of safety measures, representation in decision-making processes and hazard pay. The live-in student advisers also wanted more protective equipment, and cost-ofliving raises that take additional workload into account.

Since RAs are expected to shoulder more responsibili-

ties this semester, they wanted administrators to notify them first before they address the larger campus community.

To ensure their interests are represented in the future, they also asked for an RA representative present at Housing and Residential Life meetings and a professional staff liaison. The organizers specifically named the Housing and Residential Life department — and not residence hall directors and area coordinators, who they thanked their RA advocacy.

“R.A.s are integral to this reopening plan,” the strike organizers posted on social media. “We need PPE, we need sanitation, we need our concerns to be heard, we need not be overburdened, we need consistency, we need communication. We need empathy, then you can ask for grace.”

The RA strike organizers shared their demands in a series of graphics on Twitter and Instagram The RA demand slide deck had 500 retweets, and their Instagram page gained 880 followers in just over a day.

Jeff Pea grad was one of the organizers behind recent graduate student advocacy for more autonomy in deciding to teach in-person or not. Pea thought that the RAs strike strategy was effective, although risky.

“When we saw how the administration responded to feedback from the community, it seems like the most effective approach is either through volume [of people advocating] or critical action,” Pea said.

“I think it was really smart [to strike], and will get them leverage to get those minimum protections that should be there but aren’t.”

www.cornellsun.com

Dear Sabrina, Congratulations on an incredible four years at Cornell.

We are so glad that you “stumbled upon it” during your college search, and that all your hard work at Dracut High got you in!

You were so lucky to meet Bri on Day 1, but everything else, the two of you made happen.

You refused to let COVID stop you from making the most of your college experience. Graduating with engineering degrees is an incredible accomplishment, and you made it look easy.

We will not be surprised to see your senior project in stores soon!

You also managed to fit in a side job so you could fund spring break in Hawaii, a cruise, and a post-graduation European tour!

We will miss the hockey games, the hikes, and the duck races.

It’s good to be you, and you deserve all the credit!

Congratulations!

Love,

Mom & Dad

40 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

SPRING 2021

C.U. Adopts Official Land Acknowledgement

Alexa Crist

We are so proud of you, Lex, and wish you many adventures, much success, & lots of happy times ahead!

Love, Mom & Dad, Ray & Tyler

For the first time in Cornell’s 156-year history, announcers presented an official land acknowledgment at the 2021 commencement ceremonies. The statement recognizes the University’s place on the traditional homeland of the Gayogohó:no' (pronounced Guyyo-KO-no), or Cayuga Nation.

Announcers delivered the acknowledgment after the procession at all four commencement ceremonies last month. The statement’s usage at a university-wide event follow years of development culminating in its official approval by traditional Gayogohó:no' leadership on April 9.

Corey Ryan Earle ’07, American studies, expressed that the gesture is an important step in the right direction for the University. “The story of Indigenous communities is part of the story of Cornell University, even though it’s often been left out of official histories in the past,” he wrote in a statement to the Sun. According to current director of the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program Kurt Jordan ’88, anthropology, the acknowledgment should be featured at all major University events, on department websites and in official Cornell communications.

The land acknowledgment is as follows: Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogohó:no' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogohó:no' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogohó:no' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogohó:no' people, past and present, to these lands and waters.

This land acknowledgment has been reviewed and approved by the traditional Gayogohó:no' leadership.

The AIISP collaborated with traditional Gayogohó:no' leadership on the land acknowledgment for several years before its approval.

Previous AIISP director, Prof. Jolene Rickard, history of art and visual studies, initiated the project when she began her directorial role over a decade ago.

According to Rickard, she aimed to build on a movement of land acknowledgments beginning in Canada and other Commonwealth countries. She thought that Cornell, as a land grant institution, had a responsibility to recognize and address its history.

“I thought it was an important gesture by institutions to signal their awareness about several ongoing conditions of settler complacency, or settler innocence, to how the spaces that we work in and live in, in countries like the United States, actually came into existence,” Rickard said.

Rickard took inspiration from a broad land acknowledgment movement as well as specific initiatives. She cited the Indigenous Governance Program at the University of Victoria, one of the first programs to initiate a land

acknowledgment, which was founded by Gerald Taiaiake Alfed ’94, Ph.D. According to Rickard, it took several years to mobilize Cornell’s own land acknowledgment initiative, but AIISP finally drafted a statement, made several rounds of revisions and shared it with traditional Gayogohó:no' leadership before the spring of 2020.

“We were never asked by the administration to do this,” Jordan said, “but we took it upon ourselves to come up with something.”

AIISP students and faculty jumpstarted the movement in the summer of 2020, Rickard stated, inspired by the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement and its emphasis on racial equality. Jordan expressed that Cornell administration moved forward with adopting a provisional land acknowledgment during this time, as well.

He stated that AIISP has been in contact with Cornell administration about the “land grab” controversy, a wave of recent criticism arising from a March 2020 research study.

The study concerns universities still profiting off the Morrill Act of 1862, which allocated millions of acres of Indigenous land to new schools, prominently including Cornell. “[The study] labeled Cornell and the other land grant institutions as ‘land grab’ institutions and really tied the existence of the land grant universities to Indigenous dispossession and genocide,” Jordan said.

The Cornell websites for several schools, including the College of Human ecology and the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, featured the provisional land acknowledgment in spring 2020.

In June 2020, AIISP formed the Cornell University and Indigenous Dispossession Committee to assess the impacts Cornell has on Indigenous communities.

On April 9, 2021, the ten traditional Gayogohó:no' leaders and clan mothers approved the land acknowledgment with no further revisions. Since the approval, the University has committed to delivering the statement at significant events. According to vice provost for engagement and land-grant affairs Katherine McComas, it encourages academic units to raise awareness for the Cayuga Nation’s contemporary and historical presence.

“The administration appreciates the effort by members of the AIISP faculty to work with the traditional leadership of the Cayuga Nation to develop this land acknowledgment for our Ithaca campus,” she wrote in a statement to The Sun. Jordan stated that an awareness of the Cayuga Nation’s historical and current presence in Ithaca should become a central, expected part of Cornell’s culture. As a next step, he suggested giving the Gayogohó:no'a larger role in Cornell events and historical projects.

“We need to actually see and hear from the original owners of this land,” he said.

Jordan also stated his interest in expanding AIISP from a program into a department. “I hope it inspires the recognition that almost every place you go in the world,” Rickard said.

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 41

Senior Send-Offs

FALL 2021

C.U. Waives Standardized Testing Requirement Undergraduate students applying to Cornell over the next two admissions cycles won’t have to submit their test scores.

The undergraduate admissions office announced Wednesday that the University will waive SAT and ACT requirements for Fall 2023 and Fall 2024 first-year applicants — a decision that was made following ongoing COVID-19 risks.

This policy comes after Cornell became the first Ivy League University to waive SAT and ACT requirements in April 2020 for first-year applicants in any of its seven colleges.

Cornell’s decision to extend this policy acknowledged the ongoing risks of COVID-19 in testing centers across the globe. The statement added that Cornell is also entering a two-year “deliberate experimental review” period to guide future admissions testing policy requirements.

“We will engage both in selfstudy about the role of testing in promoting access and success at Cornell and systematically review admission assessments in partnership with other universities and higher education organizations,” the statement reads.

Under this policy, three colleges –– the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and the College of Architecture, Art and Planning –– will not accept standardized test scores. The Colleges of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and the College of Human Ecology, along with the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, maintains a test-optional policy for SAT and ACT scores.

Requirements for SAT subject tests, in addition to the essay section of the SAT and ACT, were also waived and will be discontinued in 2021, according to Cornell’s standardized testing website.

The decision to change standardized testing requisites has become more common in recent years. In May 2020, the University of California Board of Regents unanimously voted against requiring standardized testing in the admissions process.

All eight Ivy League schools suspended testing requirements for Fall 2022.

Many of these adjustments follow ongoing conversations about testing equity, an issue that has only been amplified by COVID19’s disproportionate effect on low-income students.

“Research has shown that test scores do not accurately reflect teaching and learning,” writes education journalist Valerie Strauss in a March 2021 Washington Post article. “Rather, they overwhelmingly reflect levels of poverty and other non-school factors such as housing insecurity, food insecurity and access to health care.”

The Wednesday announcement also stated that Cornell will follow Ivy League testing policies for student-athlete applicants. For the current academic year, applicants who plan to participate in a varsity sport did not need to sub-

Congratulations Teddy and the Class of 2023

mit test scores. The Ivy League has not yet announced its plans for future years.

The University encourages applicants to consider their health and safety above testing.

“Please do not feel you need to take exams unless you are able to take the exam locally near your home and you feel safe in doing so,” Cornell’s current standardized test policy site reads. “As a reminder, we will evaluate your application without standardized testing.”

GO big red!!!!

Congratulations, Katie!

We are so proud of you!

BING BONG IT’S SUN TIME

Love, Mommy, Khuong, Sarah & Robby

42 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

Clara Harman, BA Psychology 2023 CLARA!

Eavery, shown with her sister, Alexis (taller), Cornell HumEc, Class of 2019

Congratulations, Eaveryll Braden Espe Henriquez!

Arts & Sciences 2023, Computer Science and Information Science Double Major!

You worked your 1s and 0s off, president of Alpha Phi, waited countless tables at the Statler Hotel in Regent, AND somehow had time to grow up into one of the best human beings we know!

“You is kind, you is smart, you is important!”

We love you so much!

Mom and Dad, Alexis, Chase, Barley and Oat

Congratulations Ashley!

“Take pride in how far you’ve come.

Have faith in how far you can go.

But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.”

We are so proud of you, not only for all of your academic accomplishments, but for the mature, loving, kind, beautiful young woman that you are.

We love you!

Mom, Dad, Alex, Jesse, your grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins

Thank you for taking us on this adventure with you by calling, Facetiming, texting, Strava-ing, running and biking “with” us, and Instagramming!

We love you so much, and we’re so very proud of all you’ve accomplished in your four years at Cornell, from move-in day with Touchdown and Opening Convocation Ceremony, to all that you’ve learned in academics, including the labs and the summer internship working with children, to RA’ing for the PreCollegiate Summer Scholars Program (PSP/PSSP) to joining the Touchtones a cappella group, to leading students with Outdoor Odyssey to meeting some of the most wonderful people, shout out to Zoe and Liv and Tanya and Olivia and everyone who’s supported and loved you and triple shout outs to their amazing families, and to learning from your mentors through all your various endeavors with a special place in our hearts for your Cross Counry/Track & Field family with Coach K to Coach Henderson/ ”Coach Hendo” and all the coaches and all your athlete superherosuperfriends, to earning your sash at Indoor Heps with your 1000 PR which put you at Women’s #8 All- Time Indoor Cornell 1000 and your Outdoor Heps 800PR, which put you at Women’s #9 All-Time Outdoor 800!

#YellCornell #GoBigRed! #CornellClassof2023

David,

We have loved watching your Big Red journey and can’t wait to see what the next chapter will bring.

We are so proud of the incredible person you are.

We love you to the moon and back, and don’t you forget it!

Love, Mom, Dad, Marissa & Matthew

Senior Send-Offs

Congratulations Daniel Lee!

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 43

Congratulations Daniela!!!

Cornell University Class of 2023

We are so proud of your achievements!

Love, Mom, Dad & Sharon

Congratulations

Kazuma!

Congratulations, Jonah!

We are so proud of you!

Go Big Red!

Love, Mom, Dad & Jaden

We are so proud of being your parents!

What an honor to see you grow from Day One and become the amazing adult you are today.

You make the world a better place. Berkeley will be so lucky to have you around for the next step of your career. Keep following your dreams!

Te queremos mucho, Mamà y Papà

Congratulations,

Megan Birmingham!

Cornell Class of 2023

We love you so very much and

we are enormously proud of you, today and every day.

Love always, Mom and Dad

44 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

CONGRATULATIONS, Emma Leynse!

Rachel Hercek College of Engineering—Class of 2023

To our beautiful, unique & hardworking graduate...

We are so very proud of you and all you’ve accomplished during your time on the Hill!

Humanities Scholar, accomplished student in English and Psych, active in clubs—go Quill Guild!

And special kudos for your wonderful work on The Cornell Daily Sun! Associate Editor, Arts & Culture Editor, Writer, Podcaster—Wow! As you wrote in your final column, you have, indeed, found your voice. You have a bright, successful future in front of you!

May you have many, many “Sunnie” days ahead!

LOVE, Mom, Dad, and Ben

We love you very much and are so proud of you.

We’re honored to celebrate Graduation Day with you.

Congratulations on your graduation!

With much love, Mom, Dad David & Peter

CONGRATULATIONS MATTHEW! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU! GO BIG RED! LOVE, MOM, DAD, ALYSSA & EMMA

You did it, baby girl!

After four years of hard work as a student athlete, you have left your mark at Cornell.

We can’t wait to see what’s next for you.

Whatever it is, we know you are prepared.

Keep up the good work and continue to believe in yourself. We are so proud of you!

With much love & admiration, Mom, Dad & Gillian

Senior Send-Offs

Congratulations Duncan!

We knew from an early age you could do just about anything you set your mind to.

We are so proud of you!

Love, Mom, August & Jack

Congratulations Danika!

We are so proud of all you have achieved and are looking forward to your next adventures!

Love, Mom, Dad, Austin, Papa, & Grandma

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 45

Isabel Nicole We are beyond proud of you.

From your solid values and morals to your dedicated work ethic, to just being an all-around amazing young woman— we don’t know how we got so blessed to be your parents.

Thank you for being you.

Thank you for being a bright light in our family.

Thank you for showing and exposing us to things we would otherwise be oblivious to.

Thank you for all the memories, from the moment we laid eyes on you, to now.

You are one in a million and don’t ever forget it.

We cannot wait to be by your side, and cheering you on, as your next chapters unfold.

We love you—beyond what we can ever convey to you.

Mom & Dad Congratulations on your college graduation, Melissa!

This is a major accomplishment that you should be incredibly proud of.

You’ve worked hard, overcome challenges, and have achieved something truly remarkable.

We cannot wait to see where your future takes you— you are our shining star!

We know that you will continue to succeed in all your future endeavors.

Congratulations again on this incredible achievement!

You make us so proud! We love you!

Love, Your Family

Congratulations!

My dear son, Michael Ebuka, for you have achieved another great milestone in your life.

We are always proud of you and grateful to Almighty God for his love and blessing of having you in our lives.

Love you, son.

46 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

CONGRATULATIONS HAGEN! Keep living life to the fullest and never stop climbing mountains!

We are so proud of you and love you!

Mom, Dad & Henley xo

Congratulations, John Coffee!

We are all so proud of you and your accomplishments.

We’re looking forward to seeing where your dreams take you.

With lots of love, Your proud family

Way to go Hagen Cornell 2023

Leah!

Isabel Mercedes Smrstik

Congratulations, Isabel,

Your family is so proud of you for all that you have accomplished (and during a pandemic!) over your college career!

We’re so very excited for your future!

All our love, Mom & Dad

Congratulations, Melissa Psaras!!!

for successfully completing your college degree!

We are so proud of your journey and are confident you will continue to make a difference in the world.

Be the girl who went for it!

Love you so much— Daddy, Mami, Emma and Tuyche We are all very proud of you!! pctcornell

Love, Mom, Dad, zak, & Jon

Senior Send-Offs

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 47

Cong ratulations to the Class of 2023 We are so proud of you, Lev! Love, your family

The baby of the family

grew up to be a smart and mature young woman!

Always believe in yourself.

Bless you and love you always!

Love from your family.

48 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Senior Send-Offs

SPRING 2022

Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 Resigns

Play on, Geoff!

Keep developing your passion and igniting your dreams.

We love you, Alyssa, and are so proud!

In a Jan. 5 Common Council meeting, Svante Myrick ’09 publicly announced his resignation as the 44th Mayor of Ithaca after accepting an offer from People for the American Way, where he will serve as executive director.

At 24 years old, Myrick became the youngest person in City history to be sworn into mayoral office and Ithaca’s first mayor of color.

Throughout his 10-year, three-term career, Myrick’s agenda primarily focused on expanding affordable housing options, working toward resolving Ithaca’s substantial $3 million budget deficit and improving city-wide infrastructure.

Under his leadership, the City has seen a $37 million plan to rebuild Ithaca water treatment, the development of housing units like Magnolia House and West End Heights, renovations made to famed city attractions like the Ithaca Farmers Market and more.

“I have spent my entire adult life serving the City of Ithaca – and I’ve given all of my effort to the largest challenges we face,” Myrick wrote in a Facebook post earlier this month.

However, citing growing concerns for the “state of our democracy,” Myrick will step down from the mayorship and work at People for the American Way alongside organization President Ben Jealous.

People for the American Way was founded as a progressive advocacy organization in 1981 to fight “right-wing extremism and build a democratic society,” according to the group’s website. The non-profit, based in Washington, D.C., currently runs a variety of campaigns ranging from the defense of voting rights to protection of immigrant communities.

Myrick’s affiliation with the organization dates back to 2017, when he was appointed as Director of Youth Leadership Programs after a nine-year membership with the Young Elected Officials Network. Myrick will be joining People For the American Way in a full time role at the beginning of next month.

“I believe my service can make a difference in the national conversation on voting and elections,” Myrick said. “I want to protect that American dream for people of all backgrounds.”

In Myrick’s place, Acting Mayor Laura Lewis will assume office on Feb. 7. Lewis, an alderperson for Ithaca’s fifth ward, was elected to the Common Council in 2017 and has predominantly lobbied for affordable housing, volunteering on the board of directors of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services prior to her term.

In more recent years, Lewis has worked on the Ithaca Eviction/ Displacement Defense Project and successfully proposed legislation in November to the Common Council providing legal representation to tenants in eviction court Upon her swearing in, Lewis will need to pick up where Myrick left off, including working on Ithaca’s Green New Deal and the Reimagining Public Safety Plan.

“I have the utmost confidence that she will do an outstanding job,” Myrick wrote. “I believe in many ways her empathetic, earnest and tactful leadership is exactly [what] our community needs right now.”

The CorneDaily Sun

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 49

Senior Send-Offs

FALL 2022

Nicki Moore First Named Woman Director of Athletics Nicki Webber Moore is set to become Cornell’s first female Meakem Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education when she begins the position in January 2023.

With Moore’s appointment, Cornell joins four other Ivy league universities with female athletic directors. Brown University, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University currently have female athletic directors.

“I am very proud to be named as Cornell’s first woman A.D. [athletic director] during this 50th anniversary year of Title IX [a 1972 law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at federally funded schools],” Moore said. “It’s a step that is aligned closely with the founders’ original ‘any person, any study’ vision for the University.”

Moore’s appointment comes after the retirement of previous athletic director Andy Noel, who served at Cornell for 40 years and as A.D. for 23 years. Noel announced his plans to retire in March, and said he would continue to serve in the role until the University would announce a successor.

The search for a new athletic director began over the summer, and now Moore will begin her duties on Jan. 17, 2023.

Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi announced the appointment on Wednesday afternoon to the Department of Athletics and Physical Education, voicing his excitement for bringing Moore on board. “[Moore] is a seasoned, collaborative and strategic leader who is deeply committed to the success of student-athletes both within and outside of the competitive arena,” Lombardi said. “I look forward to seeing all she does to build upon Cornell’s rich tradition of intercollegiate athletic excellence and to amplify the tremendous impact that a robust recreational and physical education program has on the academic and personal growth of all students.”

Moore has 18 years of experience in athletic administrative roles at numerous universities including the University of Oklahoma, the University of North Carolina and Colgate University. She said she is honored to be appointed for the role.

Moore was previously recognized by Women Leaders in College Sports as the 2022 Football Championship Subdivision Executive of the Year, and recently served as the president of the FCS Athletics Directors Association.

Moore holds a bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri, where she was a four-time captain on the track and cross-country teams. She is also an Academic All-American and the inaugural president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Additionally, Moore has earned postgraduate scholarships from both the NCAA and the Big 12 Conference.

“I can’t wait to get to work,” Moore said. “Cornell is such an

exciting opportunity, as a place committed to true excellence in both academics and athletics where student-athletes can pursue all of their aspirations at the very highest level.”

In taking the new position, Moore will leave her role as vice president and director of athletics at Colgate University, where she leads an athletics program that includes 25 NCAA Division I varsity athletics programs, as well as club sports, intramural and recreational programs.

Moore noted that her two highest priorities as athletics director at Cornell will be to promote diversity, equity and inclusion and promote the mental health and well-being of student-athletes and the campus community.

W W W .

C O R N E L L S U N .

C O M

Surviving four years of Cornell, With physics and humanities as well, You’ve hit the ball out of the park, While giving it all of your heart.

And now that you’ve come to the end, With thesis and music and friends, We’d just like to say YOU’RE THE BEST! And we can’t wait to see what is next!

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR GRADUATION, SOFIA—WE LOVE YOU!!!!

YOUR FAM Where there’ s a Will, there’ s a way!

WILL POWER!!!!

Congratulations, William Charles Zec! YOU DID IT!!!! SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

Love, Mom, Dad, Dave and Taxi

50 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

Congratulations, Yoeli!

Over the years we have watched you grow from an adorable little boy to a strong, kind, caring, funny, and scholarly man.

Dream big, work hard and always stay true to who you are. We will be cheering for you as you start a new chapter in life.

With enormous love and pride,

Mama, Papa, Dman, Gman and Naia

Dead and Company Rocks Barton Hall One Final Time Dead and Company — which is a band comprising John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti as well as former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart — performed on May 8 at Barton Hall as part of their summer 2023 farewell tour. The concert took place 46 years to the day after the Grateful Dead’s performance at Barton Hall on May 8, 1977.

The original performance, known simply as “Cornell ’77,” has become legendary amongst “Deadheads” — the nickname for the Grateful Dead’s fans — as one of the band’s greatest performances in a storied 30-year career.

“It was an amazing show,” Bill Sherman ’78, who attended the 1977 show, said. “The memory I think all of us have is, it was 60 degrees and sunny before we went into the show. Everybody was playing Frisbee in shorts and T-shirts. We came out four hours later, six inches of snow. You never saw so many people going, ‘Woah, how long were we in there?’”

The recording, which was captured from longtime sound engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson’s soundboard, is noted for its high quality and popularity even amongst Grateful Dead tapes, which were considered a forerunner of viral marketing. Due to its iconic reputation among Deadheads, CantorJackson’s recording was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2012.

Even Deadheads who did not attend the 1977 show held the show in high regard. Leona Kassoff ’83 — who did attend the 1980 and 1981 shows, along with her friend Sherry Sussman ’83 — said both the recording and performance quality of the show were extremely high-quality, among the best of the bootlegged tapes that she was able to acquire at the time.

“It’s iconic,” Kassoff said. “I remember it was one of the best bootlegs that I got to that point, because it was such a fine tape. The bootlegs we had back then were garbly and not that great. And [Cornell

’77] was just a pristine, beautiful show.”

For some longtime Deadheads, the 2023 show was an opportunity to share an experience with their family, who are often also deadheads.

“My sister lured me into it,” said Kathy Holub, who attended Monday’s show with her husband and her sister, Maureen Lynch M.B.A. ’93. “It’s been a wonderful thing that we share. We still go to shows across the country — Boulder, and we’re going to San Francisco — and have been for 40 years. It’s been a great thing to share as sisters, and now I have my daughter and my husband with me as well as my sister. So it’s a great family thing.”

Some, like Todd Wolleman ’88, even brought their children, raising them as Deadheads and attending the show together as well. Mr. Wolleman, who attended the 1977 show, expressed excitement for being able to share the experience with his daughter, Lauren Wolleman ’18.

“I’m looking forward to it as a combination of the Grateful Dead and Cornell,” Mr. Wolleman said. “I’m looking forward to just being in that same room [as the 1977 show] sitting with my daughter.

It closes the loop, if you will — it’s the circle of life.”

However, not all was sunshine and roses. Tickets were allocated via separate lotteries to students and alumni. Those who did not win the lottery faced an expensive secondary retail market. For a comparison, general admission tickets for the 1977 show were $7.50 — or about $37.36 in today’s money — while the cheapest tickets for Monday’s show were only available to students and sold for $77 apiece.

Students who did not attend the concert but won the lottery sold their tickets for over $300 in some cases. To procure a ticket, some students, like Max Horowitz ’23, even resorted to measures such as building bots to track social media and other digital spaces to find tickets being sold for the lowest possible price.

“I set a [price] range that I was willing to consider a deal, and whenever it would hit that range, it made an instant purchase,” Horowitz said.

Senior Send-Offs

SPRING 2023

Students and Starbucks Employees Occupy Day Hall

In response to the announcement that all Ithaca-based Starbucks locations will be permanently closed by May 26, student organizers and Starbucks employees occupied Day Hall on Thursday, May 11 to urge Cornell to end its relationship with Starbucks.

On both North and Central Campuses, most Cornell dining halls and cafés serve Starbucks brand beverages.

Rally organizers primarily demand that the University publicize its contract with Starbucks and sever its relationship with the corporation, switching providers for all on-campus dining establishments that serve Starbucks products.

According to Nick Wilson ’26, a former Starbucks barista in his hometown of Wilmette, Illinois who now is a student activist with the People’s Organizing Collective, organizers require a campus-wide switch to an “ethical” brand that is approved by the student activists occupying Day Hall and Starbucks Workers United before the fall semester.

Organizers discussed expanding the number of locations offering Gimme! Coffee — which is currently sold at Bill and Melinda Gates Hall and in three other Ithaca locations. According to Wilson, Gimme! Coffee is ideal due to being a local, unionized worker-run co-op. On Tuesday, organizers offered free Gimme!

Coffee in front of Starbucks stores and campus dining establishments selling Starbucks products while discussing their cause and asking for optional donations, which ultimately raised over $700 in support of the strike.

To Wilson, specifically targeting Cornell’s relationship with Starbucks — rather than Starbucks as a whole — is a way to leverage the organizers’ authority as students of the University.

“You can’t negotiate with Starbucks — that’s a boardroom full of multinational executives who won’t listen to us,” Wilson said.

“Where power is, is we have this affiliation with the University [as students], and we have the ability to democratically rise up and say, ‘This is what we demand.’”

Wilson noted that organizers believe Starbucks is making a profit of millions of dollars through its relationship with Cornell, but this contract is not currently public.

In turn, disrupting the agreement between Cornell and Starbucks is a way for organizers to demonstrate to the corporation that there are economic consequences to what they consider to be a national union-busting campaign.

The Occupation Prior to the occupation of Day Hall, organizers urged Cornell students to send over 900 emails to the University demanding that they sever all University ties to Cornell, although Ryan Lombardi, vice president of student and campus life, denied receiving an email until 30 minutes prior to his and Dean of Students Marla Love’s initial arrival in the lobby of Day Hall shortly before 5 p.m., where students had already been gathered for hours.

“The President wants to engage with you in good faith and talk

about this,” Lombardi said. “[We] can’t make a commitment today to honor the demands that you’ve brought forward — we just haven’t had time to look at all the ramifications and implications of that. We know that some emails were sent this week. I got my first 30 minutes ago.”

Lombardi then called into question the veracity of some of the emails, saying they were generic and did not appear to come from Cornellians, but Wilson refuted the accusation, saying students had endorsed the sending of each message.

Following this exchange, Lombardi and Wilson began discussing the policy demands made by the demonstrators. Lombardi said President Pollack was out of town and accused the demonstrators of negotiating in bad faith with the administration.

“I’m willing to make that commitment to have this dialogue and try to figure something out — see what we can come up with,” Lombardi said. “But I cannot make this commitment today that you’re asking us to make. And I think it’s unreasonable to ask us to make that on the spot. That’s not giving us a fair chance to really look at all the implications.”

Wilson questioned the unreasonability of the demands, saying Starbucks’ departure of Ithaca caused an emergency due to what the demonstrators deemed as violations of federal labor law.

“What do you think is unreasonable about the demands?

Because for us, it seems pretty clear.

You have this contract — or there’s someone that you could get in contact with given the emergency circumstances of Starbucks’ illegal union busting who could obtain that contract — and you could give it to us,” Wilson said. “All we’re asking you to do is commit to not Starbucks next fall, and commit to working with us… as to what that next vendor will be.”

After an extensive back-andforth, Lombardi and Love returned to their offices.

Love then came back to the lobby at 5:40 p.m. to inform the demonstrators that the building would officially close at 6 p.m., and offered to allow them back into the building at 8 a.m. on Friday when the building reopens. The demonstrators countered with an agreement to leave the building if Love and Lombardi agreed to a definitive meeting between the demonstrators and President Pollack, as well as all “relevant” decision-makers.

According to both the University and the demonstrators, relevant decision-makers include the University cabinet as well as attorneys representing the University.

Organizers affirmed that they intended to stay in the building until the requested demands were reached or until they received more details affirming legitimate reasons for the University’s inability to meet their demands at the time — such as an explanation of the legal provision that states Cornell cannot be released from its contract with Starbucks or information on why essential individuals cannot be reached.

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52 The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023

cornellsun.com

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Four Years in Sports

Remembering Four Years in Cornell Sports FOUR YEARS

Continued from page 56

Junior Year (2021-22)

Aug. 6: Five Cornellians compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with Kyle Dake ’13 taking the bronze medal in the men’s wrestling freestyle 74kg event and Taylor Knibb ’20 earning silver in the Olympic Triathlon Mixed Relay.

Aug. 27: Cornell Athletics marks its return to intercollegiate competition since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as women’s soccer tops Canisius, 2-0, at home.

Aug. 28: Men’s lacrosse’s Jonathan Donville ’21 is selected by the Panther City Lacrosse Club with the No. 1 overall pick of the National Lacrosse League Entry Draft, joining Jeff Teat ’21 as the second Cornell player to be drafted No. 1 in as many years.

Sept. 14: Men’s soccer’s Tyler Bagley is named Ivy League Player of the Week and Top Drawer National Soccer Player of the Week after tallying five goals and two assists, leading Cornell to a 3-0 week.

Sept. 25: Women’s soccer defeats Columbia, 1-0, to win its first Ivy League game since Nov. 5, 2016.

Sept. 29: After dropping three one-goal decisions, field hockey bounces back for its second win in a row — a 1-0 triumph over Lock Haven — to elevate its record back above .500.

Oct. 4: Junior Samuel King shoots a 66 at the Matthews Auto Collegiate Invitational, tying a golf program record for lowest tournament round.

Oct. 23: Following a 28-2-3 season that was cut short due to COVID, women’s hockey returns to the ice by splitting a weekend series with Mercyhurst, dropping a 3-2 decision before rebounding with a 4-0 shutout.

Oct. 26: Volleyball edges out Columbia in a thrilling five-set match to pick up its second conference victory of the year.

Oct. 29: Sprint football grinds out a 6-0 victory — its second of the season — in a mud- and rain-filled contest at Chestnut Hill College.

Nov. 6: Searching for its first

Trustee’s Cup in eight years, Cornell claims the trophy as well as its first Ivy League win of the season in a 15-12 victory over Penn.

Nov. 6: In its final home match of the season during Senior Day, Volleyball sends its upperclassmen off with a straight-set win against Harvard.

Nov. 8: Men’s hockey junior Ben Berard earns Ivy League Player of the Week honors after notching his second career hat trick in a chaotic 5-4 win against Dartmouth.

Nov. 10: Women’s basketball returns to Newman Arena with a 53-34 smothering of Colgate in the season opener.

Nov. 13: In an 11-3 smackdown of RPI, men’s hockey scores 11 goals, the team’s highest scoring output in 42 years.

Nov. 20: Wrestling welcomes No. 23 Stanford, now led by longtime former Cornell coach Rob Koll, to the Friedman Wrestling Center, where new head coach Mike Grey’s ’11 squad triumphs, 30-9, over the Cardinal.

Nov. 27: Men’s hockey stays hot in its Red Hot Hockey showdown against Boston University at Madison Garden, racing past the Terriers, 6-4, to preserve a six-game winning streak and improve to 8-1 on the year.

Dec. 4: In their season-opening showing at the Greg Page Relays, the men’s and women’s track and field teams impress as Beatrice Juskeviciute, Brooke Overholt, Margaux Rawson and Dominic Barresi all set program records at the event.

Dec. 4: Men’s hockey keeps its streak alive with a 4-1 victory over St. Lawrence, which featured a third-period hat trick by junior Matt Stienburg. But the team collapses the next day against Clarkson as Cornell squanders a four-goal lead in the final five minutes of regulation and loses in the subsequent shootout.

Dec. 5: In a 122-64 blowout against Keuka College, men’s basketball sets program records in points, field goals (49) and assists (41) to improve to 8-1 on the season.

Dec. 14: With the Omicron

Variant of COVID-19 rapidly driving case numbers up in Ithaca, Cornell announces that the men’s and women’s basketball games scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 19 are canceled.

Jan. 8: Freshman goaltender Ian Shane records 32 consecutive saves and backstops men’s hockey to a 3-1 victory over No. 5 North Dakota, completing the weekend sweep.

Jan. 22: Ben Berard powers men’s hockey to a 2-1 upset against No. 1 Quinnipiac, scoring both of the Red’s goals, including the game-winner in overtime.

Jan. 25: Women’s hockey earns another victory over a top-10 opponent as Lindsay Browning’s 35 saves help the Red defeat No. 10 Clarkson, 4-0.

Feb 2: Men’s heavyweight rowing coxswain, captain and beloved teammate Jack Robinson passes away after an 11-year battle with osteosarcoma.

Feb. 6: At the Northwestern Duals, fencing picks up 13 more victories to preserve its perfect season and improve to 32-0, the most consecutive wins to start a season by a Cornell varsity team since men’s hockey’s flawless 29-0-0 season in 1970.

Feb. 6: Handing Penn its first Ivy loss of the season, wrestling claims its 41st Ancient Eight title and its 18th in 19 seasons.

Feb. 7: Placing fourth in the individual free skate during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games, Karen Chen helps the U.S. figure skating team take home the silver medal in the team competition.

Feb. 19: After enduring mid-season struggles with head coach Mike Schafer ’86 absent due to a bout with COVID-19 as well as a cardiac stent surgery, men’s hockey scores a resounding 6-2 win over No. 15 Clarkson on Senior Night.

Feb. 25: Ian Shane posts a 42save shutout as men’s hockey edges out Quinnipiac, 1-0, to mark a season sweep of the Bobcats. Cornell claims a first-round bye in the ECAC playoffs the next day by defeating Princeton, 4-0.

Feb. 26: Women’s hockey’s season ends in the ECAC quarterfinals as the Red falls to Colgate in two

games.

March 2: After spending 23 years as Cornell’s Director of Athletics, Andy Noel announces his plan to retire this year. Noel, whose contract expires in June, will finish the academic year and serve into the 2022-23 year until his successor is named.

March 6: With six individual competitors earning NCAA Tournament berths, wrestling captures its 26th EIWA in program history and its first since 2017.

March 6: Squash’s Siva Subramaniam defeats Harvard’s Hana Moataz and wins the national individual championship, putting the bow on her perfect individual record of 19-0.

March 11: Beatrice Juskeviciute and Leone Farquharson are named Second Team All-Americans at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship after Juskeviciute places 11th in the pentathlon and Farquharson finishes 16th in the long jump.

March 12: Making its first appearance in Ivy Madness in three years, men’s basketball’s promising season ends in a narrow 77-73 loss to Princeton.

March 13: Men’s hockey’s season concludes in the ECAC Quarterfinals as the Red drops the third game of the series, 2-1, to Colgate.

March 19: Freshman gymnast Sydney Beers posts a 9.850 score on the vault, a career-high mark that wins her first place in the event.

March 28: Director of Athletics Andy Noel admits that the pools at Teagle Hall and Helen Newman hall “are and have been operating beyond their expected lifespan.”

April 24: Legendary men’s lacrosse coach Richie Moran passes away at the age of 85. Moran coached the Red for 29 seasons, leading the team to three national championships and 15 Ivy League titles, cementing Cornell as a premiere men’s lacrosse program.

April 30: Women’s lacrosse shows out for Senior Day, beating Dartmouth, 16-13, in the regular season finale to clinch the No. 3 seed in the Ivy League Tournament.

April 30: With an Ivy League ti-

tle on the line, men’s lacrosse defeats Princeton, 18-15, to claim a share of the Ancient Eight crown, its 30th title.

May 15: After bowing out of the Ivy League Tournament with a loss to Yale, men’s lacrosse earns the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where it comes back from a 4-0 deficit to defeat No. 12 Ohio State in the first round, 15-8.

Senior Year (2022-23)

Aug. 19: Cornell Athletics makes a return to fall sports for another year since their return from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sept. 5: Men's soccer sweeps California road trip games. The Red won against UCSB 2-1, and bested U.C. Irvine with a 1-0 victory.

Sept. 12: Cornell Women's Volleyball closes out the Cornell Invitational without a win, losing 2-4 in the annual event.

Oct. 1: Cornell Football dominates against Colgate, winning 3431 against the Raiders.

Nov. 2: Women's Soccer defeats Princeton for the first time since 1995, winning 2-1.

Dec. 2: Men's hockey falls to rival Harvard in overtime. Crimson beat the Red 2-1.

Jan. 21: Men's hockey takes down top-ranked Quinnipiac with a save shutout by Ian Shane '21.

Feb. 25: Men's Hockey defeats Yale 5-1 securing its 25th Ivy League title. The commanding win sent Cornell into a bye week on a high note.

March 20: Wrestling's Arujau and Diakomihalis are crowned national champions ater winning championship matches in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This is Diakomihalis's fourth national championship win.

April 29: Men's Lacrosse clinches 31st Ivy Title with Aiden Blake scoring the final two goals leading the Red to victory past the Princeton Tigers.

May 9: Gavin Adler was selected first overall in the Premier Lacrosse League Draft meaning his lacrosse career will not end at Cornell as he joins the Atlas Lacrosse Club.

The Cornell Daily Sun | Graduation Issue 2023 55

Sun Athletes of the year

SUN SENIOR FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

SUN SENIOR MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Subramaniam’s Resilience and Devotion to Squash Highlighted

By RUTH ABRAHAM Sun Sports Editor

Five years after a successful career on the Cornell squash team, senior Sivasangari Subramaniam will leave the University as one of the most accomplished squash players in recent history.

Subramaniam got her start playing squash with her older brother in her home country of Malaysia. She began competing in junior tournaments at 9 years old and developed a strong relationship with the sport.

When the chance to compete in collegiate squash came around, Subramaniam was resistant at first.

“When I was in high school my dad asked me if I wanted to go to any Ivy League schools in the US. I actually said no, because I just didn’t want to leave home and I had the fear of slacking off in squash and things like that,” Subramaniam said.

But what changed her mind was the coaching and team at Cornell. Having a former number one player as coach — and a team with a history of success — was enough to convince her to make the 9000 mile journey from Malaysia.

Subramaniam immediately emerged as one of the best collegiate squash players in the country, going 9-1 in her freshman year at the No. 1 spot. She capped off her season as the runner-up in the Ramsay Cup, the individual national championship for women’s squash.

As the national runner-up, Subramaniam returned to Ithaca for her sophomore season looking to take it one step further.

She finished the regular season with a 15-1 record and ranked No. 2 in the country. She earned All-Ivy League and All-American honors after falling just short of a national championship in the semi-finals.

After COVID-19 canceled her next season, she returned in 2021 on a mission. For the first time in her career, she was undefeated, winning 19 matches in a row to finally get a hold of the national championship.

With her win, she became the first Cornell squash player — man or woman — to win a national individual title. She was a unanimous All-Ivy selection and earned All-American honors once again.

After a record-breaking season, she was set to take a semester off to compete at the Commonwealth and Asian Games, representing her home country of Malaysia. Her success continued that summer, with her being named as flag bearer for Malaysia at the Commonwealth Games, and then in

July 2022, she rose to a career-high ranking of No. 16 in the World Squash Rankings.

Riding on such a wave of momentum going into the Commonwealth Games, everything fell apart in an instant. Subramaniam was in a car accident in Kuala Lumpur and was forced to withdraw from both games. Her injuries were so severe she had to retrain her body and didn’t know if she would be able to recover to her original state.

“It was a tough summer. Obviously, I was very sad, like suddenly it was very unexpected, and everything was [put] on hold,” Subramaniam said. “But the good part is I’m alive, it was a crazy accident and I’m just happy to be back and be playing again”.

Subramaniam said it was tough coming back. Once the physical injuries healed, it was the mental side that she had to overcome to return to playing.

“In the beginning it was a bit tough when I was first coming back, I was like, am I going to be like how I was or like better?”

Subramaniam said. “There was no doubt in my mind that it was very tough mentally. I think I just tried to stay positive each and every day when I came in for training and things like that.”

But she was strong and was able to pull through.

“My coaches here helped a lot, they always talked to me and things like that, but I think it was more of the mental strength that pushed me throughout these tough times,” Subramaniam said.

She returned for her final year this past season.

Her first match back gave her the confidence she needed to get back to her winning ways, both in collegiate squash and in the professional circuit.

“My first match back after the accident was playing Penn [at home]. Playing the college matches really gave me a bit of confidence going into the professional circuit.

It was a good confidence booster of getting wins in the college matches,” Subramaniam said.

She once again earned All-American honors, first-team All-Ivy and Ivy League Player of the Year honors. And, she once again remained undefeated in the regular season with a 9-0 record.

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

Ruth Abraham can be reached at rabraham@cornellsun.com.

COURTESY OF ELDON LINDSAY / CORNELL ATHLETICS

Accolades | Subramaniam was unanimously named Ivy League Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons.

JULIA NAGEL / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Record-breaking | Diakomihalis became only the fifth four-time national champion.

Wrestling’s Diakomihalis Makes History for Cornell

By RUTH ABRAHAM

Entering his sophomore season on an 18-match win streak, Diakomihalis returned to action winning match after A four-time NCAA national champion, match, culminating in his second straight four-time All-American and four-time Ivy NCAA Championship. He concluded a League Wrestler of the Year, senior Yianni perfect, 29-0, sophomore year with a unanDiakomihalis has achieved everything a imous first-team All-Ivy selection and as college wrestler would want — plus so a finalist for the Hodge Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding wrestler. much more.

It would be 973 days until Diakomihalis If you asked him 15 years ago if he thought he would be in this position, would wrestle for the Red again, after taking an Olympic redshirt season in 2019 and Diakomihalis said he doubts it.

Diakomihalis got his start in wrestling as then the 2020-21 season being canceled a kid after his father, a relatively successful due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Especially with the pandemic, and the wrestler in his time, wanted his children to learn. His father, a Division III All- unpredictability of if competition would American wrestler, did not just want them ever return, Diakomihalis could have left to learn how to wrestle, but he wanted Cornell and gone professional, not riskthem to learn the skills it took to become a ing losing further years of competing and training to COVID-19 or champion. anything else that may have “Yianni’s the best ever “He really wanted me come up. and my brothers to be But he chose to remain tough, hardworking, disci- to wear a Cornell wresat Cornell and with the plined… he felt like he got tling singlet, period.” team. a lot of [those skills] from Mike Grey ’11 Chasing Dake and his wrestling.” records was a reason to stay, The more he and his but really the main factor brothers wrestled, the more Diakomihalis got invested and committed keeping him at Cornell was the relationto the sport. Over time, as he put it, “I got ships he built with his teammates. “[Wanting to win four national champipretty good.”

“Pretty good” was an understatement to onships] played a factor, but the big thing his accomplishments early on. A four-time for me was the team. I’ve been with them NYS champion in high school wrestling and for so long that it would have felt like kind only one of two Americans to win two cadet of a slap in the face for me to leave a little world championships, among his numerous early just because things weren’t going the other accomplishments, Diakomihalis was a way I wanted to,” Diakomihalis said. “The stellar athlete. He was good enough to get main factor that kept me around for those offers from schools all over the country with last few years was just my loyalty to the guys.” top wrestling programs.

This loyalty expanded farther than just Due to the success of the program, combined with the high-level academics, relationships off the mat. Diakomihalis had stepped into a leadership role, helping Cornell had become an easy choice.

“I could’ve gone pretty much anywhere, the team improve and setting an example [but] with Cornell, I always had that option of success that everyone could strive to where I could wrestle and I have a future emulate.

“He’s the heart of the team and I think outside of the sport,” Diakomihalis said.

“The system at Cornell, the way that they he demands [that] everybody holds himself treat guys, that stuff matched up with me to a higher standard… to the Cornell wrestling standard, which is really great to see,” really well.”

Diakomihalis began his collegiate career said head coach Mike Grey ’11.

And 973 days later, Diakomihalis on high-speed. He began his rookie season on a 19-match win streak, posted an 18-0 returned to the mat to compete for the record against wrestlers from EIWA schools Red for his junior season. He concluded and went 5-0 in Ivy League competition. the season undefeated, with a third NCAA He won the Bearcat Open, New York State championship in hand.

Intercollegiate, Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite and the EIWA Championship. He capped To continue reading this article, please off his historic season with his first NCAA visit www.cornellsun.com. national championship at 137 pounds, becoming only the second wrestler to win a national championship after four-time Ruth Abraham can be reached at rabraham@cornellsun.com. champion, Kyle Dake ’13.

Sun Sports Editor

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Sports

GRADUATION ISSUE 2023

56

PHOTOS BY BORIS TSANG / SUN FILE PHOTO

A Journey Through Four Years in Cornell Athletics Freshman Year (2019-20)

Sept. 2: Women’s soccer doubles its 2018 win total in its second game of the season. The team would continue on to a four-game win streak.

Sept. 7: Head coach Andy Smith leads field hockey to a 2-1 upset win over No. 18 Syracuse in his first game at the helm. By season’s end, the Red has a 10-7 record after going 5-12 in 2018.

Oct. 12: An already-struggling Cornell football program announces that starting quarterback senior Mike Catanese has sustained a career-ending injury. The team loses to Harvard that afternoon, 35-22.

Oct. 17: Matt Morgan ’19 signs an NBA deal with the reigning champion Toronto Raptors.

Oct. 19: Volleyball’s 11-game winning streak finally comes to an end with a loss to Yale.

Nov. 9: New York Rangers draft pick junior forward and captain Morgan Barron notches Cornell’s first hat trick in two seasons in a 6-2 rout of Yale.

Nov. 16: Football pulls off the upset of the year and spoils Dartmouth’s perfect season for Cornell’s second Ivy win of 2019. Cornell came back with 5:32 left in the tilt to down the Green 20-17 in Hanover. With a win over Columbia the next week, the Red secured its first top-half Ivy League finish since 2006.

Nov. 23: Women’s cross country earns 29th place at the NCAA Championships. The Red had not gone to the tournament since 2013.

Nov. 29: Women’s hockey surrenders its first loss in its 10th game of the season. The 3-1 defeat at Ohio State would be the team’s only regular-season loss of 2019-20.

Nov. 30: Men’s hockey records its first shutout in its sofar unbeaten season against Boston University at Madison Square Garden in the Red Hot Hockey Classic. The Red would lose its first contest a week later at Dartmouth.

Jan. 13: Houston Astros assistant general manager Brandon Taubman ’07 is banned from Major League Baseball for life after an investigation of the Astros organization.

Jan. 19: News that women’s soccer coach Dwight Hornibrook resigned surfaces. Under his reign, the Red had not won an Ivy League game in three years.

Jan. 25: Wrestling records its 300th all-time Ivy League win with a 32-9 mark over Harvard.

Jan. 25: Women’s basketball senior forward and guard Samantha Widmann becomes the 15th Cornell player ever to score 1,000 points. By season’s end, she reached 12th on Cornell’s all-time points list with 1,159.

Feb. 7: Both senior defenseman Jaime Bourbonnais and junior forward Maddie Mills score their 100th career point one day before women’s hockey clinches the Ivy League title. That Monday, the team would earn its first No. 1 national ranking in the USCHO.com polls since 2010.

Feb. 8: Senior Claire Kao sets a Cornell pole vaulting record at 4.08 m at the Sykes and Sabock Challenge in State College, Pennsylvania.

March 7: Women’s hockey shuts out Harvard in the ECAC Tournament Semifinals after sweeping St. Lawrence the weekend before. A loss the next day to Princeton for the ECAC title would be Cornell’s only loss at home all season.

March 7: Wrestling earns 2nd place at the EIWA Championships. Wrestlers Yianni Diakomihalis, Max Dean and Vitali Arujau all took the year off to redshirt for the Olympics, leading to an overall down year for the squad.

March 8: Squash’s Siva Subramaniam and Veer Chotrani are named first-team All-Americans.

March 8: Men’s lacrosse upsets Penn State with eight seconds left on the clock with a ‘Hail Mary’ goal. The win was enough to earn the team the No. 2 ranking in the national polls.

March 10: The Ivy League announces that the upcoming playoff hockey games at Lynah Rink will be played without spectators as concerns around COVID-19 rise.

The next day, both Harvard and Yale would pull out of the men’s ECAC Tournament.

March 10: Cleveland Browns center J.C. Tretter ’13 is elected head of the NFL Players Association.

March 11: The Ivy League is the first athletic conference to cancel the remainder of spring sports seasons due to COVID-19 fears.

March 12: The NCAA cancels all tournaments for winter sports. Hours earlier, the ECAC canceled the men’s hockey tournament. Both of Cornell’s top-ranked hockey teams’ seasons come to an abrupt halt.

March 24: Men’s and women’s hockey both are ranked No. 1 in the final national polls.

March 30: The NCAA officially grants all spring sport athletes an additional year of collegiate eligibility due to their having lost a season because of the COVID-19 cancellation. Days later, the Ivy League announces that it will not honor the additional year, staying true to its policy of only allowing undergraduate athletic competition.

April 27: Men’s lacrosse head coach Peter Milliman announces that he is leaving Cornell for the head coaching job at Johns Hopkins. He will be replaced by now-former

assistant coach Connor Buczek ’15, MBA ’17.

Sophomore Year (2020-21)

June 30: Cornell confirms that an incoming freshman who planned to compete on the football team “will not be a Cornell student” after he was found to have used a racial slur in a video. He had previously lost his spot on the team.

July 8: The Ivy League announces that due to the pandemic it will not hold athletic competition during the fall semester.

Nov. 9: Cornell women’s hockey, after surging to the top spot in the nation before the pandemic ended the 2019-20 season, earns the No. 2 spot in the preseason national poll.

The men’s team was ranked No. 6.

Nov. 12: The Ivy League cancels its winter sports season, extending a hiatus that began in March.

Nov. 17: Eddie Marinaro, the son of legendary running back Ed Marinaro ’71, commits to play football at Cornell.

Nov. 17: Four seniors on Cornell’s men’s basketball team enter the transfer portal, opting to play out their remaining eligibility elsewhere after their senior season was canceled.

Feb. 14: The Ivy League grants a one-time waiver for student-athletes whose seasons were canceled to compete during the 2021-22 season.

Feb. 18: The Ivy League cancels the spring athletic seasons. “As campus and community leaders, we believe that our public health responsibilities and educational principles preclude us from sponsoring Ivy League athletics competition this spring,” the university presidents wrote.

April 3: Kyle Dake ’13 qualifies for the United States Olympic Wrestling Team. Dake becomes the fifth Cornellian to compete on the Olympic wrestling team, and the first to do so in 57 years. After defeating four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs, Dake will compete in Tokyo at the rescheduled 2020 Olympic Games, which will kick off on July 23.

May 1: Morgan Barron ’21, a former Cornell men’s hockey captain, makes his NHL debut with The New York Rangers. He scored his first NHL goal against the Washington Capitals on May 5.

May 8: Men’s heavyweight rowing beats Hobart and Marist in the team’s return to action. The regatta was the first Cornell sporting event since the pandemic shut down competition in March 2020.

See FOUR YEARS page 54