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April 14th, 2011
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Desperate for Praise and Attention, Olbermann Comes to Visit Cornell Olbermann ’79 calls conservatives “wildly stupid” and stomps on this very publication, all while apologizing for his former cable news show’s vitriolic tone.
GAWKER
By Michael Alan and Hannah MacLean
H
ow can you argue with a man who discounts any one to the right of Howard Dean as being “wildly stupid?” Well, you can’t… so you mock. That’s exactly the route the Review took with Keith Olbermann ’79 in a satirical article written under the pseudonym Ephram Smith, a sixth year senior and liberal Eco House cannabis enthusiast, published in the February 16th edition. When the article, which praises Olbermann’s “sharp, biting shots [at conservatives], such as ‘Bushitler’ and ‘stupid Nazi liar,’” was presented to Mr. Olbermann by an audience member looking to defend the “Edward R. Murrow of Our Time,” the deposed cable host reacted predictably. According to the Associated Press’ account of the temper tantrum, “he quickly crinkled it and threw it on the floor,
pouring water over it and then wiping it up with the paper.” As he stomped on the paper to wipe up the water, Olbermann quipped that “it absorbs more than Ann does,” referring to Ann Coulter ’84, who cofounded the Review and was mentioned at least half a dozen times throughout the evening (we stopped keeping a tab when it stopped being funny—oh, wait…). His outburst later proved to have backfired, as traffic spiked at the Review’s blog the day after the event thanks to Capitol Hill news source Politico, Glenn Beck’s Blaze blog, and conservative media aggregator Hot Air. Ironically, during Olbermann's talk with Cornellians and other guests, he almost continuously repeated his theme of trying to bring people together. His (apparent) reason for attacking Coulter so much was because she Keith Olbermann ’79 came to Bailey Hall last accused him of not having a real month to reminisce about his rocky tenure at
MSNBC and (desperately) plug his new gig at Al
Please turn to page 4 Gore’s Current TV.
Telling the Truth
Ying Ma’s Chinese Girl in the Ghetto Noah Kantro Staff Writer
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ing Ma is not afraid of the truth. She proves this time and again in her book Chinese Girl in the Ghetto, her personal anecdote about race, freedom, China, and coming to America. Ma is a Cornell graduate who was a member of the Cornell
Review, and remains on the paper’s board of directors. However, the road she took to get here was longer than most. Her path began in Guangzhou, a Chinese metropolis of the first order, in a two bedroom apartment shared by the entire extended family. In her early years, though, she was not
troubled. “If our unit was cramped, I did not notice,” she writes, “Across the hall, a couple close to my parents’ age and their two children shared a room no larger than my living room.” Although their standard of living was poor, so was that of everyone else. To the young girl, squat toilets and showering in a bucket of water next to the kitchen stove were just as ordinary as getting into mischief with her older brother, or making friends at kindergarten. She was unaware of the pervasive authoritarian nature of her schools, yet they Please turn to page 7
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Roving Maniac
Just Ham and Cheese, Thanks
Humor page
Opinion
Karl Rove’s presence will elicit a show in campus intolerance
Virginia Postrel, WSJ columnist, is in touch with her inner consumer
Other uses for Africana’s new $1.2 mil; coal is our friend.
What to expect from Crazy Qaddafi and his disjointed nation
Page 8 Lupe Fiasco economics Despite heavy scalping, CCC plans to maintain prices.
New Student Political Union Gears Up for 2012 Oliver Renick Editor-in-Chief
A
s a Class of 2012 Cornell student, it was nearly impossible for me to go an entire day without the 2008 presidential election sneaking its way into my life somehow. With campaign signs plastered along students’ dorm walls, political information sessions in community centers and emails encouraging students to register to vote, reminders of the election loomed behind every corner. Especially for freshmen, the election as a conversational ice-breaker was nearly a mandate for any first meeting. Compounded with heavy popular dissent from incumbent President Bush’s tenure, students at Cornell in the fall of 2008 were energetically participating in American politics. Nearly three years later, the ‘Hope’ posters have come down, resentment against the current president is not nearly as strong as it once was with his predecessor, and speech among students in political circles seems slightly less vitriolic. The approaching election buzz is mild. That doesn’t mean there’s no more hope, though. In the face of what students label as an apathetic political climate on campus, a few individuals are working to stir the masses. Among Cornell’s politically-oriented student groups are the Cornell University Democrats, Cornell Republicans and College Libertarians. For each, fostering a political ideology amongst the populace and garnering support for a presidential candidate is the end goal. Cornell Political Union, a budding new student group, aims to facilitate this process. By harnessing the influence of groups like the Dems, CRs and Libertarians, CPU hopes to encourage political awareness on campus. Inspired by the Yale Political Union, an 80-year old group known to host major American political figures like Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Howard Dean, CPU aims to serve as a podium for debate and discussion. “We hope to end political apathy on campus,” Cristina Lara ’14, CPU President said to The Review. “We want to do that by hosting debates, panels, discussions, and social gatherings. Our mission is to bring people Please turn to page 7
April 14 2011
Campus
KOVA-TV Tucson
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Protestors of Arizona’s ban of a controversial ethnic studies program sported militaristic garb reminiscent of Che Guevara’s communist revolutions in front of Tucson High School.
Panel Discussion of Arizona’s “Raza” Studies Ban Leads to Complaints of Institutional Racism on Cornell’s Campus Campus groups brought attorney Richard Martinez to Cornell for a discussion on the banning of a controversial ethnic studies program in Tucson, AZ Michael Alan Staff Writer
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omplaints of institutional racism both at Cornell and elsewhere were aplenty at last week’s panel discussion with the attorney leading the charge against Arizona’s banning of a controversial ethnic studies program, Richard Martinez. “I had pretty normal teachers [in high school,] but there wasn’t really anybody who looked like me, so I had no connection,” said Christian Zamarron ’11, who wasn’t alone in those sentiments. Students and faculty from several racially oriented student groups and academic units, such as the Asian Studies department, La Asociacion Latina, Asian Pacific Americans for Action, and the Africana Center, were in attendance at the event. Zamarron was touting the benefits of ethnic studies, like Cornell’s Latino Studies program, in response to legislation passed in Arizona to ban classes in public high schools that “promote the overthrow of the
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United States government, promote resentment toward a race or class of people, are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group, or advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.” Tucson Unified School District is the only district to offer ethnic studies programs in Arizona. Although they offer classes in several fields of ethnic studies, only the Mexican-American Studies department (which is also referred to as “Raza” Studies by various Tucson faculty and students, referring to the Spanish term “La Raza” or “The Race”) is being targeted by officials enforcing the new law. Attorney General Tom Horne, formerly Arizona’s Superintendent of Schools, wrote the legislation specifically with Tucson’s MexicanAmerican Studies program in mind and, in public debates with Martinez’s “Save Ethnic Studies” coalition, has presented evidence he says “proves the classes are designed for a particular ethnic group.” At the end of his term as state superintendent,
Horne released his findings with regard to the program and his successor commissioned an audit of the program that is currently underway. Horne’s findings offer revealing insight into the curriculum at one of the country’s few ethnic studies departments in a public high school and confirm that, of all of the eth-
“If the gringo doesn’t get out of our way, we will stampede over him.” nic studies programs in TUSD, only the “Raza” Studies department is receiving complaints. One Hispanic
teacher who previously taught in the “Raza” Studies program, John Ward, told Horne that the classes “are vehemently anti-western […] and tell students that they are victims and that they should rise up.” Another Hispanic teacher, Hector Ayala, complained to Horne that the director of “Raza” Studies referred to him as “the white man’s agent” for questioning the program’s oftentimes subversive and anti-American curriculum. A textbook used in the classes entitled “Occupied America” quotes and praises the founder of the Mexican-American separatist Raza Unida Party who said, “if the gringo doesn’t get out of our way, we will stampede over him.” Further, Horne notes that the TUSD website lists “The Pedagogy of the Oppressed,” a work of Brazilian Marxist Paulo Freire, as the “basic text” for the program. Martinez, a Tucson immigration and self-described “civil rights” attorney, is touring the country to promote his group’s documentary on the Tucson program, “Precious Knowledge,” which was recently purchased for distribution by PBS, a federally supported leftist propaganda outlet. His lecture in Goldwin Smith Hall, which was mixed with video clips from the documentary and his debate with Horne, seemed to reflect the ideas state auditors are looking for in the curriculum. Martinez spoke of “critical race theory” being crucial to a high school education, as it “teaches you who you are, what you are, and where you came from.” These statements seem to prove Horne’s conclusion that “the program is designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group,” despite the assertions from Zamarron and others that students of all races would benefit from the Mexican-American Studies program. Another panelist, Alyssa Clutterbuck, was on hand to represent the campaign to reject additional funding for the Africana Studies and Research Center. Clutterbuck, who inexplicably is a student in the ARSC herself, claimed that “we have the right not to be grateful for $5, $5,000, or $5,000,000” and that the recent decision to increase the ARSC’s budget by more than 50% was “secretive” and made in the interest of undermining the center’s autonomy. Despite Clutterbuck’s nearly fifteen minute long disquisition, it remains unclear why, if its faculty and students are more concerned with maintaining a level of autonomy President Skorton calls “anomalous” than gaining additional funding and academic opportunities, the ARSC chooses to remain affiliated with the University at all. Michael Alan is a freshman in the ILR School. He can be reached at mja93@cornell.edu.
The Cornell Review
Founded 1984 r Incorporated 1986 Ann Coulter Jim Keller Jerome D. Pinn Anthony Santelli, Jr. Founders
Oliver Renick Editor-in-Chief
Dennis Shiraev Editor-at-Large
Joseph Bonica Executive Editor
Lucas Policastro Managing Editor
Raza Hoda President
Hannah MacLean News Editor
Kathleen McCaffrey Campus News Editor
Lucia Rafanelli
National News Editor
Anthony Longo
Treasurer, News Editor
Contributors
Michael Alan Tianye Liu Peter Bouris R. P. McCaffrey Conant Schoenly Alfonse Muglia Brendan P. Devine Sam Pell John Farragut Chris Slijk Noah Kantro Gregory Stein Karim Lakhani William Wagner
Board of Directors
Christopher DeCenzo Joseph E. Gehring Jr. Ying Ma Anthony Santelli Jr.
Faculty Advisor Michael E. Hint
meh26@cornell.edu The Cornell Review is an independent biweekly journal published by students of Cornell University for the benefit of students, faculty, administrators, and alumni of the Cornell community. The Cornell Review is a thoughtful review of campus and national politics from a broad conservative perspective. The Cornell Review, an independent student organization located at Cornell University, produced and is responsible for the content of this publication. This publication was not reviewed or approved by, nor does it necessarily express or reflect the policies or opinions of, Cornell University or its designated representatives. The Cornell Review is published by The Ithaca Review, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The opinions stated in The Cornell Review are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the staff of The Cornell Review. Editorial opinions are those of the responsible editor. The opinions herein are not necessarily those of the board of directors, officers, or staff of The Ithaca Review, Inc. The Cornell Review is distributed free, limited to one issue per person, on campus as well as to local businesses in Ithaca. Additional copies beyond the first free issue are available for $1.00 each. The Cornell Review is a member of the Collegiate Network.
Editorial
April 14, 2011
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In Karl Rove, a Way to Expose and Embarrass the Campus Left O
f all of American liberalism’s favorite targets, few inspire as much vitriol and blind rage as Karl Rove. As the architect of former President Bush’s two presidential and gubernatorial campaigns, many on the left see him as an insidious puppetmaster, pulling the strings behind every policy decision in the administration and thus public enemy number one. In fact, if not for the rapid ascension of Sarah Palin to the top of the list of people liberals love to hate, Karl Rove would probably still be the cocaine used to fuel the far left’s rage. This is not to say that only liberals criticize Mr. Rove; many on the right also take issue with his techniques and policy stances. However, their criticism of him is based typically in logic and actual thought rather than sheer partisan rage. This general attitude towards Mr. Rove will make April 13th a very interesting day indeed, as on that day he will speak in front of a Cornell University crowd that hasn’t been too welcoming to the idea thus far. Certainly, though, in an institution that prides itself on rational discussion and the presentation of all sides of an argument, the student body would be willing to see someone they disagree with and ensure a fair intellectual atmosphere, correct? Theoretically, yes; however, the initial reactions don’t seem too promising. Here, for example, are direct quotes assembled from the event page on Facebook: “I hate this man with a passion… which is exactly why I am going to see this.” “Christ, it’s like meeting Darth Vader. Who wouldn’t want to?” “You’ve GOT to be kidding me for sending me the invite! I’d rather chew rusty tacks!
I abandoned the Republican Party in 2000 and it remains the best thing I ever did for myself in the previous decade! So thanks, but NO!” While this is obviously a small sample size, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to assume that many students will be attending the event for the same kinds of reason. They won’t be attending to actually listen to an alternate political reality to their own; debate doesn’t really seem to be their thing. Rather, they are attending for the sheer novelty of meeting the bad guy and get a chance to air their grievances with him. One must wonder whether or not there are projections of a fantastic battle in their minds, one in which they and their ideological enemy fight to the death over a volcanic crater. So preoccupied are they with the thought of encountering “Lucifer” himself that they fail to prepare their minds to process the potential intellectual nuggets Mr. Rove may present to them in his speech. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is not a good starting point for healthy intellectual conversation. This especially doesn’t bode well, however, for the day Rove actually stands a few dozen feet away from them and outlines his thoughts on the upcoming elections. While the reactions and debate will likely be largely civil, it’s hard to imagine the most enraged far leftist will be able to halt themselves from enacting their borderline sexual desire to stand down the great “war criminal” himself. Evidence of some kind of protest has already been seen; on the comment board of the Ithaca Journal, one intrepid poster has the bright idea of printing fake tickets to get into the event and cause a little bit of chaos. It is fully expected that there will be
at least a few moments of aggression, self-righteousness, and outright rage from audience members upon confronting Rove himself. And who can blame them? After all, Mr. Rove (they claim) murdered millions of people, intentionally drove up the price of oil, and stole money from the poor to give to the wealthy. Surely, he isn’t just some campaign strategist and
Joe Bonica Executive Editor political adviser; no, they claim, he is something far more evil. This farce would be funny if it wasn’t so frightening. From this, a question inevitably arises: is this behavior of a tolerant political ideology? Anyone who follows any kind of politics knows that the American left prides itself on “tolerance” and “openness to alternate ideas.” These ideals sure sound nice and are immeasurably important to the proper running of a republic, but in practice we see that many “liberals” are in fact far more tyrannical than the other side of the aisle. It is this very lack of tolerance among the left, especially the campus left, that transforms an event such as Karl Rove’s speech from an informative discussion to an opportunity to act out a repressed Empire Strikes Back fantasy; to preserve the intellectual integrity of this environment, this thought process must change. Joseph Bonica is a junior in the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences and can be reached at jmb582@cornell.edu.
The Cornell Review prides itself on letting its writers speak for themselves, and on open discourse. We do not all agree on every issue, and readers should be aware that pieces represent the views of their authors, and not necessarily those of the entire staff. If you have a wellreasoned conservative opinion piece, please send it to thecornell.review@ gmail.com for consideration. The Cornell Review meets regularly on most Mondays at 5:00 pm in GS 162. E-mail messages should be sent to
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Copyright © 2011 The Ithaca Review Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Campus
April 14 2011
free to choose: the mirror of consumerism Kathleen McCaffrey Campus News Editor
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irginia Postrel, former editor of Reason Magazine and current columnist at The Wall Street Journal, gave a presentation at Cornell as a part of the Freedom & Free Societies program entitled “Consumer Choice in a World of Exploding Product Variety.” As a libertarian, Postrel implicitly believes in free minds and free markets. However, Postrel’s talk was not just a pep rally for free markets. In the second half of the twentieth century, the world was consumed by the Cold War, which pitted an international tension between the communist states of Europe’s Eastern Bloc and Western capitalism. Amidst the political tensions and nuclear arms races, news media portrayed the idea of consumer choice as the most imposing “practical” difference between life the West versus life in the Soviet
OLBER-MAYHEM Continued from the front page Cornell degree because he went to the “Old MacDonald School” rather than Arts and Sciences (yet later he admitted that the pundit does not consider herself a news source but a kind of witty satirist; maybe he could have at least attempted to put two-and-two together and realized that Coulter was not trying to divide Cornellians but to mock a liberal who took himself entirely too seriously and thought of himself as
Union. While the Soviets mass produced “one size fits all” products for their centralized economy, the competitive spirit of capitalism rendered the West a bastion of variety in the post-war era. Of course, even in the early sixties, the variety of consumer choices in America would look austere compared to today's. Commerce was not about producing “excellence” tailored to the consumer. Rather, marketing campaigns assured the consumer that products were “not bad.” (Postrel later compared “No Child Left Behind” to making education “not bad.”) Consistency was seen as a great equalizer. Postrel presented the example of Holiday Inn. Their success in the sixties was marked by the assurance that, in every city, there would be a clean bed at a reasonable price. As the century progressed, consumer trends shifted toward a “Me Generation” mentality. Burger King
epitomized this sentiment with their campaigns to have their fast food “your way.” This was the beginning of the “variety revolution”, as Postrel sees it. For the past forty years, the world of commerce has been shaped by businesses trying to tailor goods to their consumer bases.
During the question and answer session, Cornell Republicans ViceChair Adam Woodward ’11 called Olbermann out on talking about how we should be unified and then constantly reverting to name calling, discounting conservatives instead of addressing their arguments. Olbermann, whose marquee segment was “The Worst Person in the World,” responded by informing Woodward that he uses that debate tactic because “most conservatives are wildly stupid” and immediately moving on to the next question. Wow,
the ability to strike "the greatest progressive act, indeed the greatest progress, since the emancipation of the slaves". What Olbermann was angry about was a clause that would deny an increase in food stamps if a worker was taking part in a strike (of course this would not apply once the strike was finished); however, the family would continue to get whatever food stamps they already received. Olbermann made it sound like the government was cutting off all food from and taking away the firstborn of each union worker who participated in a strike. Please don't get us wrong; we think unions are wonderful when they are serving their purpose: protecting helpless workers (we repeat: we are not anti-union). But we know that that is no longer the purpose they serve; in reality, they are often far happier to use their leverage to bully legislators, executives and companies (although nothing about this would trouble Olbermann, of course). The saying, “if you don't work, you don't eat” seems fitting here; essentially, what the clause in HR 1135 seems to us to be trying to do is to prevent people who are striking to ask for more money (food) from the government while they are not getting paid because they are striking. This does not seem unreasonable; it would be far more unreasonable if the government took away the food that the workers were already receiving.
We're so sorry, Olby—we are wildly stupid, so it just takes us longer to understand how your talk of unity and progressivism can be reconciled with your bombastic name-calling and otherwise demeaning of conservatives. entirely too clever). In perhaps his most charitable words all night, he told Bailey Hall, “We are not a center-right country. We are not leftist and we are not conservative and we are not socialist and we are not Christian and we are not Muslim and we are not Jewish and we are not Protestant. We are a Progressive nation.” Of course that was the closest he came to attempting unity during his speech. But then…
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Mr. Olbermann… what an original comeback! We're so sorry, Olby— we are wildly stupid, so it just takes us longer to understand how your talk of unity and progressivism can be reconciled with your bombastic name-calling. Olbermann’s prepared remarks were just as perplexing to those not used to immature rhetorical style and gratuitous use of hyperbole. As far as we could tell, Olbermann was certainly sincere during his mantra on union rights… in which he called
be matched by local stores. Logistics have made it simple to consume almost anything we can conceive of in a reasonable amount of time. Goods that were previously endemic and hard to find are now everywhere. In our generation we want our consumption to reflect
In the past fifty years, shopping has gone from an exercise in finding the most consistently “least bad” product to finding one that reflects a person’s identity. We’ve never been freer to choose. The typical supermarket now stocks twice as many items as it did in the 1990s. The hallmark of internet shopping is variety that cannot
who we are, frankly, because we can. So, we’re less like the Soviets than ever. What’s not to love? Please turn to page 8 At the end of the evening, the Review walked up to the microphone to question Olbermann on his contribution to the corrosive tone in the national conversation lamented by both the left and right following the events in Tuscon, AZ. Acquitting himself of a lion’s share of the blame, Olbermann referred us to “the 1800 election, when the candidates made outrageous statements about each other.” To his credit, however, Olbermann did concede that violent imagery had become a problem and apologized for his role in creating that climate. He told us that he got rid of his "Worst Person in the World" segment (before he got fired) in case it could be construed wrongly, and he lamented that other political talking-heads refuse to do similar things. After Olbermann had completed his answer, we revealed ourselves to be from the Review, the publication he had stomped on earlier that night. Forgiving his rudeness, we told Olbermann, “we love you, like we love all of our Cornell alumni, even the ones we disagree with.” The former WVBR sportscaster proceeded to fix the mutilated newspaper and accept the warm embrace of the article’s author. An embrace Mr. Olbermann clearly needed. Michael Alan is a freshman in the ILR School. He can be reached at mja93@cornell.edu. Hannah MacLean is a sophomore in Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at hem47@cornell.edu.
The Review welcomes and encourages letters to the editor. Long, gaseous letters that seem to go on forever are best suited for publication in the Cornell Daily Sun. The Review requests that all letters to the editor be limited to 350 words. Please send all questions, comments, and concerns to thecornell.review@gmail.com
Humor
April 14, 2011
5
Cornell Hates Coal (and America, too) By Raza Hoda
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orkers at Cornell’s Central Energy Plant celebrated the last lump of coal burned by the University on March 21st. More like celebrated yet another dagger in the heart of the American economy. Coal is America’s energy commodity. Liberal enviro-fundamentalists prevent us from tapping into the vast Alaskan oil fields. So, we are forced to rely on the combustible rockproduct of the honest, hard-working men of Eastern Kentucky. Cornell University believed in this American energy source and proudly burned 60,000 tons of it annually. Not only did that delicious black coal keep me warm at night over the last four years, it stimulated the American
economy. In a time of economic turmoil and with a President who is a Democrat, we Americans cannot afford—survive—to cripple the oncerobust national economy. Why should Cornell choose to support another country financially? America was the one who got hit hardest in the global economic crisis. Also, currently, that particular region of the world where we would get our new fuel source is extremely unstable, especially in political terms. With governments falling right and left, Cornell should not be bound to
them for energy. Eastern Kentucky is safe and reliable. There are no political uprisings in Bowling Green or corrupt tyrants in Louisville. Even if there was any political instability, we could always turn to West Virginia. As part of its Climate Action Plan, Cornell has decided that switching from American coal to foreign oil would be better for the environment. Part of that very plan is the Lake Source Cooling (LSC) project, which is anything but environmentally friendly. LSC involves piping lake water through the
walls of our buildings to cool campus facilities. While the only immediate environmental affect of LSC is a slight increase in the water temperature, small fishes and shrimp can accidentally be sucked up into the pipes. These small fishes play an integral role in Cayuga Lake’s food chain, and their demise would surely have long-term effects. There really is no environmentally friendly way to produce energy. Oil, natural gas, and coal are bad for the environment any way you look at them. The fact of the matter is one of those energy sources helps America. For me, the choice is easy. Raza Hoda is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. He may be reached at rsh94@cornell.edu.
161 uses for the Africana center's $3.2 million budget boost... #73 #5
Build a Quidditch Stadium on the Arts Quad
#94
PAY FOR A GOT MILK AD FEATURING PRESIDENT SKORTON
TROJAN CAMPUS CONDOM DISPENSER PLEASE SCAN CARD NO CHARGE WILL BE MADE TO YOUR ID EACH CONDOM COMES WITH FREE CORNELL PROGRESSIVE ISSUE Comments: What an incentive!
Comments: Oh, wait, they've already done that... CORNELL UNIVERSITY QUIDDITCH
Comments: As if we haven't already scared away enough prospective students...
#26
NORTH KOREAN CULTURE FEST
NO FOOD FOR YOU, BROSKI. HAHAHA I AM COOL
#52 Purchase digital signs to replace those highly politicized signs on the Arts Quad. I'm a Guido AND I'm pre-Law.
#1
Re-fund programs that have received budget cuts, like dance, education, modern Greek, and math
#106 Out of political correctness, fund a new event called:
"The Penis Monologues" Kama Sutra disguised as Academia
Comments: Unfortunately, we could only book one of his body doubles.
Marquee 5000 KIN....I DO NOT HAVE ORANGE SKIN.........I DO NOT HAVE OR
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April 14 2011
Opinion
Why We Shouldn’t Be Surprised If Qaddafi Remains in Power Conant Schoenly Staff Writer
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ver since Col. Muammar elQaddafi came to power in September 1969, Libya has not been the same. Qaddafi’s appetite for outlandish outfits, female body guards and expensive toys—just to name a few of his hobbies—has made him one of the most colorful leaders in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa). In his over forty years in power, little has changed in the Qaddafi regime, which has come to be known as one of the most repressive in the region. For the first time in decades, in February, the Qaddafi regime was challenged after Libyans witnessed the overthrow of the Mubarak government in Egypt and Ben Ali in Tunisia. In a matter of days the rebels were at the doorstep of the Libyan capitol in Tripoli, and it seemed probable that their autocratic ruler would be forced from power. Now, the question is, “Why haven’t Qaddafi and his sons been forced from power, especially with all the support the rebels have been receiving from NATO and the U.S.?” “We cannot match their weapons (and) if the planes don’t come back and hit them we’ll have to keep pulling back,” Mughrabi, a 64-yearold member of the rebel army told the Associated Press. While a nofly zone has been established by the U.S., and extensive bombing raids have taken out an estimated 30% of
Qaddafi’s army, the rebels seem too weak and disorganized to capitalize on the devastation of the bombings, even with CIA operatives helping them coordinate. With his international funds frozen and his military being bombed, where does this leave Qaddafi? Holding Benghazi and a few other towns, the momentum of the rebel army seems to be waning while in-
and take a heavy toll on the country.” While this is a very biased view, it does contain some truth. Should the Qaddafi regime topple, the status quo might be disrupted more than it already is, with multiple wars breaking out among various tribes to determine who should rule. To some extent, this internal strife is playing out in the rebel army as many supposed leaders all vie to be recog-
ternal division threatens further divisions in the rebel government. It even seems as though pro-Qaddafi forces may win the day after seizing key costal towns such as Brega from the rebels. Shokri Ghanem, the Libyan oil minister, pinpoints one of the key arguments for why Qaddafi is still in power, saying, “You need security in Libya before democracy.” Libya is comprised of many different tribes, each vying for power. Mr. Ghanem says that Qaddafi’s exit from power would create a “dangerous vacuum
nized as the leader of the revolution. Further, Qaddafi knows that if he surrenders, he will likely be brought to court and executed, so he has nothing to lose by continuing to fight until his army deserts or he is killed. Obvious as it may sound, Libya is not Egypt. In Egypt, the military was semi-independent of Mubarak. In Libya, the army is paid directly by Qaddafi, reinforcing the fact that their loyalty is for the most part to Qaddafi, not the Libyan people. In Egypt, you had a less repressive government than in Libya and a history
Budget Cuts and the Republican Era of Symbolism R. Patrick McCaffrey Staff Writer
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truggling to pass a budget for the remainder of this fiscal year, Democrats and Republicans agreed on which budget to sign into law just hours before the midnight deadline. The GOP was pushing for an additional $22 billion in cuts that did not transpire. Thirty-nine billion is a lot of money, and it is a good place to start when it comes to reining in the national deficit and looming debt problems. But when the national debt is on the order of
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$14 trillion, $39 billion is chumpchange. Here are a few tricks I use when I trying to understand how much money these figures represent. First, try reading “14 trillion dollars” as “fourteen million millions of dollars.” It takes a couple seconds for that to sink in. This past weekend’s budget cuts are barely 0.27% of the nation’s deficit. If the deficit and inflation held constant (they won’t), it would take 371 years of similar cuts to eliminate the federal debt completely. So why all the hullabaloo? The answer seems to be that the cuts, despite what real and
direct effects they may cause, are mainly symbolic. Let me explain. Turn back the clock to November of last year. The GOP is feeling pretty good. They won six new seats in the Senate and sixty-three in the House. They’re thinking ahead to the 2012 election cycle. What issues are going to be the heavy-hitters in the next election, and what can we do about them? If you guessed the national debt, then dear reader, you would be spot on. Republicans needed to demonstrate their commitment to reducing the national debt. The GOP, in an effort spearheaded by Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee Chairman, has proposed a budget with ten-year spending about $6 trillion less in spending than our President’s budget. That is a plan that’s going to pull this nation out of debt. So what we see here is GOP’s two-fold approach: The longterm goal actually closing the deficit accomplished via broad federal cuts, and the short-term proof of concept and showcase of willingness via the $39 billion in cuts for this fiscal year.
of minor uprisings. For years Egypt has been a stronghold for the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic organization seeking to take over the government. The Muslim Brotherhood has staged many attacks on the Egyptian government, such as the assassination of Anwar Sadat, giving the people of Egypt experience with regime changes. The Egyptian protesters had a well-organized network of thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members who rallied support, while Libyans have virtually no experience with revolts. Unlike Egypt, Libya has easy access to oil. Its production is nationalized, providing large amounts of money to Qaddafi that in turn allow him to pay his army, assuring they will remain loyal to him. Unlike in Egypt, Qaddafi has resorted to violence to squelch protests including this current attempt to retake Libya. Because of the fact that Qaddafi and his sons remain in control of the army with very few defections, and considering the disorganized state of the rebels, it appears as though Qaddafi may remain in power. Now it is simply a matter of time: If Qaddafi can retake all of Libya before his money runs out, he stands a good chance of remaining in power. If he runs out of money before retaking most of Libya and restoring his cash flow, he will likely lose power.
Conant Schoenly is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be contacted at chs79@cornell.edu. Looking deeper into the budget cuts scheduled for this year, the legislation is itself representative of Republican doctrine of this time. With cuts aimed at Planned Parenthood and NPR, Republicans leadership is swinging the proverbial budget axe at some of the biggest conservative pet-peeves of our time. Both these provisions were dropped before the bill passed the senate, but what’s important are that programs liberals once believed to be untouchable are now in the crosshairs. If the NPR scandal has moved to your peripheral, here’s a recount. In a situation blistering with irony, the president and CEO and NPR was caught on tape with gems like “And not just Islamaphobic but really xenophobic. I mean basically, [the tea-party] are, they believe in sort of white, middle-America, gun toting. I mean, it’s scary. They’re seriously racist people.” NPR never was known for practicing discretion. Live by the sword; die by the sword. Please turn to page 8
Campus Ying Ma Continued from the front page even denied her such small things as wearing nail polish or practicing kung fu with her classmates outside of school. The real horrors of Chinese life were reserved for the adults. Her grandfather was detained and humiliated during the Cultural Revolution; food and supply rations were a way of life; her aunt was forced to have an abortion. It was enough to make them go through the arduous process of escaping to America. Nevertheless, in China her parents worked hard and were dedicated to their family, as were all the adults she observed in the country. They reserved whatever luxury they could afford for their children. This was taken to an extreme: they went as far as to leave the country to give their children an opportunity for a free life. Ying Ma was in fourth grade when she arrived in Oakland. Suddenly she had a bathtub, a real bed, and an unimaginable variety of food. Her father, though, went from being a master mechanic to a working as a menial laborer. The city across the bay was not welcoming to a Chinese family. While their standard of living
Politics Continued from the front page together, and we hope to tap into our resources in order to do that.” For an Ivy League university, the political culture on campus may seem typical. Though arguably more engaged than your average state school, the students at Cornell either take their politics very personally, or just don’t take to politics at all. Political newspapers like The Cornell Review and The Cornell Progressive espouse beliefs ranging from right to far right, and left to far left, respectively. For students not actively engaged in writing or discussing politics, the issue of an impending presidential election may not carry the weight one may expect on the mind of an elite student in higherthan-higher education. When asked to describe the anticipation surrounding 2012, the heads of the CRs and Dems gave elucidating responses. “Excitement will be much lower because Dems won't support a Republican, and their man Obama has not governed as they hoped,” Peter Bouris ’12, Chair of the Republicans, said. Strangely enough, President of the Democrats Terry Moynihan ’11 foresees the opposite situation for a similar reason. “I think there will be a very high level of student excitement, especially when students are faced with the prospect of a Republican candidate seeking to take our country back to the 1950s,” he said. Partisan as they may be, the two groups are pulling their weight when it comes to getting students rallied
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was instantaneously higher than it had ever been in China, being immigrants in an inner-city ghetto revealed a dark side of the country. When she went to school in Oakland, not only could she not speak English, she could not comprehend American culture. In China, a strict code of respect and a strict hierarchy of authority were the norm. In the ghetto, with few exceptions the students thought nothing of stealing, lying, demanding things from others, and refusing the benefits of an education. She also discovered a new concept: racism. In the racially homogenized society of China, there were no inherent differences between the people. They knew themselves to be part of a single group, and the pervasive communist ideology only reinforced this. In the multi-racial, liberal society, it was all too easy and all too natural to identify others by race. It is in understanding this concept that Ma’s book excels. The self-sustaining downward spiral that existed in the ghetto fed from racial identification. The majority blacks hated the whites for having things they did not, but rarely worked to better themselves, preferring blame over effort. The Asians who lived amongst them, though, were merely targets of convenience.
They often spoke little English, tried to be respectful, and did not defend themselves. Of course, they were identified as such, prompting an easy form of racism for the majority. The people Ma found in Oakland thought nothing of attaching racial epithets to every insult. The one thing in all this that seemed to bother Ma the most was that Asians would not even stand up for each other. For example, after Ma got in a fistfight with a Hispanic girl, her friends were incredulous, asking, “You called her a Mexican ho. Why?” The response: “Because she called me a Chinese bitch.” Her friends seemed to think that there was no point in defending the integrity of their identity in the face of such overwhelmingly racist surroundings. They preferred to focus on their own problems rather than get involved. However, the reason for the fistfight, and in fact the focus of Ma’s book, is the idea that the double standard in condemning and combatting racism cannot be silently tolerated any longer. The Chinese immigrants preached the common American values of honor, self-reliance, and self-improvement. Ma was absolutely devoted to her studies so that she might capitalize on every opportunity that America allowed her. Tenacity brought her to the Ivy League.
Her parents, after twenty years of work and dedication, were able to buy a house far away from the Oakland ghetto. In Ma’s book, this culture of taking advantage of American freedom is compared with one that squanders it. The difference is clear: one leads to success and equality, the other to hatred, violence, and cultural stagnation.
for the election. Cornellians of Republican persuasion are known for their loud voice as minorities, and will get to work as soon as a candidate is elected. “We’ll hold rallies, put up signs, and debate the College Democrats,” Bouris said. “This campus is predominantly Democrat, but not as much as people think. Most of the Republicans on campus actually have goals for their future, so they don't have as much time to waste on piddly activism.” Perhaps busier than the average tree-huggers, the CU Dems often get directly involved in campaigns. In 2008 The Democrats had two large campaign trips of over 55 students to Pennsylvania in support of the Obama campaign. Though Monynihan couldn’t speak for what will go on in fall 2012, he said a typical election year will see the first major trip a few weeks into the fall semester and the second the weekend before the election. The Dems also have weekly local campaign trips, usually for congressional candidates. Outside of the two groups, which boast a combined membership of around 100 students in a school of 13,000, political engagement on campus is considered by students and faculty to be minimal. Cornell Political Union has lofty ambitions to be the much-needed spark to light a fire under those inactive students. “We understand that politics isn't everyone's bag; and that many students just don't have the time to stay seriously involved in one of the myriad political organizations on campus,” said Tony Montgomery ’13, CPU Vice President. “Therefore, our goal is to offer a wide array of
discussion topics and guest speakers on various subjects so that students can pick and choose those that interest them the most.” That is, if students can get amped enough to take part at all. Less than 18 months from the voting date, excitement seems to be running low on the Ithaca campus. The apparent silence could be inevitable though, as anything short of fanaticism may come off as a drop in excitement when compared to the record youth turnout of 2008. In 2008, students were “primarily identity driven because a black man and a woman were the primary contenders…not much by way of ideology,” Richard Bensel, Associate Chair and professor in Cornell’s Government Department told the Review. In 2008, Cornell students were one of the many groups to contribute to the 51% youth voter turnout. The 2012 election could be less pivotal, he said, and excitement may not be as high. “[Student interest] depends on the Republican candidate. There are some polarizing possibilities that might stimulate students to volunteer for Obama in higher numbers.” Lara and the rest of the CPU have their work cut out for them. As Government Professor Theodore Lowi notes, the likelihood of Cornell students trading their books for picket signs is slim. “I’m proud of the students, but they don’t have a lot of time for politics. In November, they’re back behind too much to get less than an A-,” he noted. “What drives Cornell students is success, what drives them is not being like their parents, not being like anything else, they’re out there to win, and I love them for it. As a consequence, there has to be some really
substantial issue that might separate them, therefore outside of class they might clash, but there is very little of that kind of momentary dispute over ‘why elect so-and-so.’” Lowi, Cornell’s John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions, has seen student political involvement from several different perspectives over the course of 50 years. And apart from the Vietnam era, where students were inspired by revolutionary behavior and opposition to military conscription, he believes 2008 brought the most interest by students due to an overwhelming warming to the idea of a person of color becoming President. “For those who liked him they’ll like him more so and will want to defend him more so because the intensity against him is even greater. The social conservatives are desperate to have him done, the mainstream Republicans, who are not the social Republicans, have accepted him and are proud to have him as a person of color as a real American, but there’ s a desperate interest to see him lose. I think there will be a return to support him because he’s an icon,” he said. The CPU hopes to revitalize the campus like in 2008 without becoming a ‘swing group.’ “Once season comes about, we'll definitely be setting an agenda for 2012. We want to make sure that we don't sway anyone's votes. We only want to increase political awareness, and perhaps most importantly, bring Democrats and Republicans together in a civil/respectful manner,” Lara said. Oliver Renick is a junior in the College of Engineering. He may be reached at ojr5@cornell.edu.
Noah Kantro is a freshman in the College of Engineering. He can be reached at nk366@cornell.edu.
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April 14 2011
Campus
The Show Goes On with the CCC Club sacrifices for big names as scalpers profit Alfonse Muglia Staff Writer
B
arton Hall is set to rock again. The field house that has seen the likes of Elton John, Grateful Dead, and Bruce Springsteen will welcome its newest occupants on April 16 when Lupe Fiasco and K’naan take the night. The show marks the Concert Commission’s fifth of the school year, as the club continues to bring top names to campus for the benefit of students. This show, however, is special for the non-profit club, as it represents the quickest sell-out in the organization’s history. Tickets went on sale at 9:00am on Tuesday, March 1st and were sold out by 9:59AM. “This is a momentous occasion for the CCC,” Executive Director Harris Nord proclaimed in an email to the group that morning. The concert is the fourth sell out of the year. As the CCC celebrates their good work, however, many students are left wondering how the tickets could sell so fast. The reality of the situation is that the quick sell-out is a result of students buying more tickets than they actually need. They then turn around and sell the tickets for a profit once the show sells out.This underground market first revealed itself with the Kid Cudi concert in November, with students posting messages on the CCC’s Facebook event, putting their tickets on the market for as much as $100. Others, desperately seeking the coveted ticket, posted messages expressing willingness to spend comparable amounts. How many of these tickets
Budget Continued from page 6 Following this incident, along with the firing of Juan Williams, no one could really argue NPR was broadcasting a fair-and-balanced agenda that deserved federal funding. I already feel some nostalgia for debates I held with my friends over the allocation of federal funding for NPR. Melancholy is but a small price to pay for sanity. As far as Planned Parenthood goes, we’ve heard the rote line from Democrats over and over: “Federal funding isn’t used to fund abortions, so what have you got to complain about?” Here’s the problem: Planned Parenthood likes to describe itself as an organization that helps lowincome women with family affairs. Where does such an organization get around to forming a political action committee that donates $286,986 to politicians, and
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actually sold for this price is unclear but should not be underestimated. “I made $200 from selling my three extra [tickets],” remarked a Cornell sophomore who requested to remain anonymous. The CCC is
persistent bargainers. Pre-show prevention, however, is not on the agenda.Students are allowed to buy up to four tickets on their Cornell Cards. These economists-in-training, understanding the concept of supply
students who have every right to sell their tickets for a profit, as others due on a much larger scale on eBay or StubHub. No one is forcing ticket hunters to pay extra for a ticket. That is the price determined by the market. Nevertheless, given this market demand, the CCC is miss-
Lupe Fiasco Sunday, April 17, 2011 07:00 PM Loopy Fizasco Monday, April 05, 2011
well aware of the practice, but does and demand, generate cash profits ing out on profits that can help bring by selling the tickets at a price estab- bigger names to campus. Thus is the not see it as a threat to its success. tug and pull of the CCC financial “The underground market does lished by the underground market. IMPORTANT: PLEASE TREAT THIS E-TICKET AS YOU WOULD ANY OTHER VALUABLE OR CASH Meanwhile, the CCC is losing adpose a threat to the people that want operations. ditional revenue that can be used to to just see shows,” commented Fihow much you paid The unique bar code on this ticket allows only one entry to the event. The firstRegardless copy of an of E-Ticket (if there bring names campus. nancial Directorcopies Yang made) Zhao. to “CCC are multiple arrive at the even eventbigger will gain entrytoafter scanning and validation. Other copies for your ticket, Lupe Fiasco and thisthings ticket in willthe bepast denied entry. has of done to reduce “At the end of the day, CCC is here K’naan should prove to be a great the effects of things such as scalpers, to provide music to the students,” show. You’ll never know, however, should ahandle thisthat E-Ticket would any other valuable or cash. but You it remains problem won’tas you continued Zhao. “If that means los- Please be very cautious if how person next to you someone offers to sell you this document-- it has no official resale value and maymuch be anthe unauthorized be fully solved anytime soon.” ing some money to put on a great copy. paid for his or her ticket, and who Some of these precaution- show, then so be it. Prices are espegot the better deal. lowisatenforced the benefit of students.” ary Cornell measures, Zhao Campus describes, in- of cially University Code Conduct at all times. No refunds or exchanges available Alfonse Muglia is a freshman unless eventa isnumber canceled. canceled, contact sponsoring for details regarding refunds and/or in clude keeping of Iftickets The students whoorganization paid $15 for rescheduling. Participation in disruptive prohibited theHe venue and/or the ILR from school. can be reached at on reserve until the show to sell to theirorticket and activity enjoyedmay theresult showin ejection referral to the appropriate authorities. Cornell University is committed to ensuring that students, faculty, scalpers. Cops are also told to send aren’t complaining. Neither are the arm267@cornell.edu. staff, and guests with disabilities have equal access to all university programs and activities. If you require special assistance for this event, please contact the sponsoring organization. sends 99% of this to Democrats. An Consumers presented the example of Starbucks, which roseUniversity in popularity thanks in organization can’t go on receiving If this event is sponsored by an independent registered student organization, Cornell does not Continued from page 4 part to how it provided “third placassume responsibility and/orsupliability for the event, it's content, and/or artist(s)/performer(s). federal money and unilaterally Well, in the sixties variety was es” or casual hangouts. Ironically, port one party. It should be supportthis idea came from a social criting any political party. It should be condemned for wasteful duplicaic who thought the cause of this using that quarter of a million dol- tion. Which is to claim that com- void in “third places” was capitalpanies would create “unnecessary lars to subsidize one of its legitimate consumer demand” by trying to ism. As it happens, the solution was practices, not lobbying. It’s like bar- sell seven types of, essentially, the capitalism. gaining with the same party on both same product. Another critique was The free market has provided the West with more variety than ever sides of the table. that consumerism led to conformibefore. As a result, our expectations Politics have always been mea- ty and a massive loss of quality and and quality of life have changed drasured with an element of symbol- individualism. After the advent of the “variety matically. The popularity of operism (see: the presidential election revolution” in the 1970s, people like ations research and personalized of 2008). There are three things we Barry Schwartz claimed that variety recommendations, consultants, and now know to be true: Republicans was too overwhelming. “The Jam forms of mediated shopping rehave made their point and made it study” has become the favorite ex- flect consumer desires to have perwell, Democrats are getting nervous, ample of this, to showing that having sonalized products that fit every and Charlie Sheen is still winning too much choice hampers consum- individual. In the past fifty years, shopping (duh). But save the pats on the back ers’ motivation to buy goods. One would think, though, that has gone from an exercise in findfor 2012. “hampering motivation” would be ing the most consistently “least bad” a problem for the producer, not the product to finding one that reflects a consumer. After all, studies show person’s identity. We’ve never been R. Patrick McCaffrey is a fresh- that having more choices makes freer to choose. people happier. Kathleen McCaffrey is a junior in man in the College of Engineering. Postrel also showed a depth of the College of Arts and Sciences. She He can be reached at rpm77@cor- knowledge about entrepreneurial can be reached at kam424@cornell. solutions to “social problems.” She edu. nell.edu.
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TEACHER'S LOUNGE HEARD
BY MICHAEL ALAN
Robert Hockett, professor of law and international finance expert March 16, 2011 On the economic impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan: “In the short term, product lines with critical Japanese inputs could suffer temporary shortages, Japanese firms could in consequence briefly lose some market share, petroleum consumption will decline a bit as Japanese demand temporarily slackens, and Japanese purchases of U.S. debt might slacken temporarily as well. In the longer term, the crisis could galvanize the people of Japan as nothing has done since the need to rebuild after World War II. The need to pull together and replace critical infrastructure might well jump-start Japan’s economic growth, renew demand for domestic and foreign supplied goods and services, and ultimately trigger a return by Japan to its role as one of the principal leaders and sources of demand in the global economy.”
Michael C. Dorf, professor of law and former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy March 22, 2011 On President Obama’s decision to commence military operations in Libya without first seeking authorization from Congress: “U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 made the Libya action valid under international law, but compliance with international law does not automatically ensure compliance with the Constitution. […] Echoing an argument made by Alexander Hamilton, some observers see unilateral military action by the President as a necessary accommodation to the demands for quick, decisive action in the field of international relations. To these Presidential maximalists, the constitutional separation of powers is outdated. But Congress clearly thinks otherwise, as reflected in the War Powers Resolution of 1973. It makes clear that except in cases of an attack on the U.S. or its armed forces, the President must seek prior approval from Congress.”
Francis J. DiSalvo, professor of physical science, director of the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, and co-director of the Cornell Fuel Cell Institute March 30, 2011 On President Obama’s call to reduce imports of foreign oil by one-third in the next ten years and the most viable alternatives to oil available to reach this goal: “A 10-year goal to reduce foreign oil imports is doable, but will take a focused national effort to make it happen. We need to couple a short-term strategy with much longer-range planning. In 10 years, we can really only hope to increase efficiency in sectors that use oil, and simultaneously research alternatives that will take 30 to 50 years for a real replacement. Two-thirds of the oil we use is imported – and 70 percent of the oil we use goes to transportation. In 10 years we likely will not have a good replacement fuel for transportation. In that time, it is possible to build diesel engines for 50 miles per gallon or diesel hybrids of 80 miles per gallon, but this can only happen with a massive priority push. Batteries and fuel cells will take a longer time to replace enough of the sector and they are not sufficient for heavy duty vehicles and equipment.”
Thomas Overton, professor of animal science and director of Cornell’s Pro-Dairy industry education program April 5, 2011 On reports from the New York Times and other media outlets that radiation from the nuclear reactor crisis in Japan had reached U.S. milk supplies: “Any potential risk to human health from this is extremely small. It looks like the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency are on it, and are doing a good job of pointing out that the levels are many thousands of times below any threshold for concern. Iodine 131 has a half-life of eight days, which means that any elevation in the food supply – likely due to low levels of contamination from the atmosphere coming into contact with feed and water consumed by cows – will be very transient.
LOBBIED Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is planning to pitch an amendment to the 2012 Farm Bill, which was protested in Willard Straight Hall last week by the newly formed Students and Workers for International Free Trade, that would set aside $20 million in research and subsidies for the maple syrup industry. Michael Farrell, director of Cornell’s 200-acre, 500-tap maple research center in Lake Placid, said in a University press release touting Schumer’s efforts that New York producers tap less than one percent of available maple trees. “There’s no reason why New York can’t do more. We have the most maple trees of any state and some of the biggest markets for syrup,” Farrell said. Farrell is hopeful that new maple syrup subsidies would help New York surpass Quebec, which controls 80% percent of the maple syrup market despite the Empire State’s clear advantage in potential taps. Farrell’s research found that if producers across the state tripled the number of trees they tapped, an additional $80 million Northern New York Agriculture Development Program in revenue could be generated annually, although it remains unclear what exactly the subsidies would do to facilitate this.
GIVEN The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded a $1.5 million grant to Cornell researchers, led by Professors William Fry and Christine Smart in plant pathology, to study the pathogen that caused the contraction of “late blight” in Irish crops that led to the infamous potato famine of the 1840s. “Late blight kills the entire plant – the stems, leaves and fruit – and it can appear to happen overnight,” said Fry in a press release. “A field can be green, and only one week later it can be dead. The destruction is stunning. [...] My hope is that this grant will enable growers to use fungicides more efficiently and effectively, with savings for the environment and the growers,” he continued. Even faculty from the communications department are involved, in order to examine possible uses of smartphones and social media in contacting growers. “It is remarkable that we currently are unable to get rapid information on the fungicide resistance of local pathogen strains to growers so they can make critical disease management decisions,” said Smart.
PUBLISHED Professor Tarleton Gillespie, Communications, has published a study on the “digital divide,” the gap between those with access to the internet and those without, along with Communications doctoral student Dmitry Epstein and Dr. Erik Nisbet of Ohio State University at Columbus. The study, which appears in the current issue of the academic journal The Information Society, found that how one views the responsibility for closing the digital divide depends on his or her political affiliation. “A conservative audience tends to view the individual and private enterprise as responsible for resolving the digital divide, whereas liberal respondents would allow government a greater role,” Epstein said in a press release. “That sounds intuitive, but it was interesting to see actual empirical support for this assertion.” The researchers seem to have concluded that the actual responsibility lies somewhere in between these answers. “Governments and corporations can help to move us toward greater access and ability to take advantage of the Internet as a civic resource,” said Gillespie. “There's clear support, here and abroad, for this to be a global project. But the partisan gap in how responsibility is perceived that we found may be its biggest obstacle. How the issue is framed for the public can really affect whether this becomes a public mandate, or stalls on the legislative table.”
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April 14 2011
National
Going Nuclear Greg Stein Staff Writer
T
he news headlines over the past few weeks have left US citizens troubled about the threat of nuclear contamination in light of the recent disaster in Japan. On the West Coast of the United States, people are stocking up on iodine capsules and worrying about what they should do about the possible effects of the small amount radiation that’s coming from Japan in the aftermath of the Tsunami almost a month ago. Concerns are on the rise, not just from the alarming condition of the tsunami-damaged nuclear reactor Fukushima Daiichi, but about the possibility of a “worst case scenario” here in the United States. With 104 nuclear power plants, our country may need to take steps to ensure that its citizens are safe. According to an article published by Reuters this past Wednesday, some Democratic lawmakers are beginning to question how our nuclear plants would fair through almost unforeseeable events like the recent 9.0 magnitude earthquake that sent a powerful tsunami through Northern Japan. News media was particularly concerned with a reactor in
Pennsylvania that shares a similar construction to the Fukushima Daiichi. Though the Pennsylvania plant is over one hundred feet above sea level in a low-risk area, it does raise a number of interesting questions about the role nuclear power should play in the future of electricity generation in the United States in the future.
So what should be done right now? A recent Gallup poll shows that the majority of Americans (56%) still believe that Nuclear power is safe. Though in his address to the nation on March 17th, President Obama announced that he has “asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to do
a comprehensive review of the safety of our domestic nuclear plants in light of the natural disaster that unfolded in Japan.” In reality, not much has changed in the way of nuclear power plant safety in the United States over the past month and, while necessary action is being taken by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the plants that are currently in place are already subject to intense scrutiny at every step of their operation. Even though the ongoing crisis in Japan has brought to light the possibility
WORLD NUCLEAR ASSOC
of an unforeseen calamity endangering the lives of those who live in the immediate area surrounding the plant, it is important to remember that the plants are as safe as they have been for years and continue to pose virtually no risk.
Cuban Doctors Unable to Practice in the U.S. Lucia Rafanelli National News Editor
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uban immigrants have a special place in US history, traditionally being welcomed to the country after fleeing their communist homeland. And recently, the US government made it even easier for some Cubans to make the move to the US by creating a program specifically designed to award visas to Cuban doctors on foreign missions who wish to defect to America. While over 1,000 medical workers from Cuba have taken advantage of this program, a growing number of them face unexpected complications when they arrive in the US. Although they were originally granted visas because of their status as medical professionals, they are often unable to pursue their careers once here, because Cuba refuses to furnish documents proving they have in fact studied medicine. This is, needless to say, devastating to the doctors, some of whom have gone through significant hardship and overcome great obstacles to obtain their visas, reach the US, and bring their families here in search of a better life.
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Without the proper documents to prove they are in fact qualified to practice medicine, they are clearly not able to do so in the US– and for good reason. It would indeed be a careless decision, to say the least, to allow people with no records of having studied or been evaluated in the field of medicine to work as doctors. However, there is a certain poignancy to the plight of these particular Cuban immigrants. After all, they have come to the country legally and, more specifically, through the use a government program created expressly to draw them here. The potential to deal effectively with this problem, then, seems to lie more with the Cuban government than with American legislators. For, it is only the Cuban government that can ultimately decide to acquiesce and furnish immigrants’ academic transcripts and other proof of medical competence. This, though, is seemingly a quite unfortunate circumstance, as Cuba has little incentive to encourage its doctors to immigrate to the US. Since Cuba began sending its doctors on oversees missions about 50 years ago, it has received much international praise and “soft”
bargaining power in world forums. But this missionary program also has its disadvantages for Cuba. For instance, one of the main characteristics that attracts qualified doctors to apply for the program is its known tendency to heighten the chances of successful defection to the US. If the Cuban government continues its popular and politically advantageous medical missionary program, it stands to lose more and more doctors to the US. If Cuba ends its medical missions in order to decrease emigration rates, the country could easily be painted as sacrificing a valuable and necessary humanitarian endeavor to further self-serving, nationalistic goals. This would likely
As for the future of nuclear power, it is important that the United States maintain its goals concerning the proliferation of nuclear plants. At the moment, approximately twenty percent of our electricity is generated from one form of nuclear reaction or another. The primary downside of this type of power is its importability. Cars that run on gasoline have no way of benefiting from better electricity generation, but, with the recent rise of electric cars, having nuclear power sometime in the near future when it will become necessary to cut ourselves off of fossil fuels. Even though there has always been skepticism surrounding the safety of nuclear power and its long-term sustainability, it is important to listen to the facts. Despite rumors that there is only a fifty year supply, nuclear power has the capability to last into the nearly infinite future. Additionally, the plants are still safe and, after reviewing all of the semi-unnecessary tests done by the NRC, those who live near a nuclear plant should rest easy knowing that they are getting their electricity from what may be the future of this country.
Greg Stein is a sophomore in the College of Engineering. He can be reached at gjs58@cornell.edu. result in the loss of much, if not all, the influence Cuba has gained in recent decades on account of its apparent humanitarianism. Thus, Cuba is in a difficult political position. Perhaps it is this position and the aforementioned concerns that drive the country to withhold critical documents related to the qualifications of recently emigrated doctors. If this is the case, Cuba is also guilty of self-serving nationalism, though probably in a less obvious– and less readilycondemnable by the international community– manner. Whatever Cuba’s motives, however, it is essential to the many doctors who have left their home country for the US that they have access to their own academic and professional records. They must receive credit for the many years of training and experience they worked to gain. Lucia Rafanelli is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at lmr93@cornell.edu.
Blog
April 14, 2011
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CORNELLINSIDER.com
a blog by the writers of the Cornell Review
Student Trustee Election Kicks Off . . . With Another Rap Video
Posted by MICHAEL ALAN
Alex Bores ’13, a recently announced candidate for the undergraduate spot on the University’s Board of Trustees being vacated by Asa Craig ’11, has taken a page out of the playbook of Student Assembly President-elect Natalie Raps ’12 and made a rap video to kick off his campaign. Perhaps looking to get on an episode of BET’s “Beef” with Raps, Bores has stepped his game up, dropping a video with a high production value studio track and professional quality video from Slope Media Group’s “Television” department. Despite the respectable flow of campus emcee talent Kia Albertson-Rogers ’13 and Chiddy Bang’s opening act from their Noyes concert earlier this year, Chauncey “Chance Fischer” Jenkins ’11, the Insider is disappointed that Bores himself didn’t truly take on Raps and rap a verse himself. In all seriousness, while it is funny to see an overly-ambitious undergraduate lip syncing a rap at the top of McGraw Tower about “budget cuts gettin’ ugly,” “sayin’ oohlala about my résumé,” and “understanding the gravity of making them unilateral decisions” (an obvious pander to the underrepresented LEGO constituency), is this really what it takes to get people as smart and engaged as Cornell students excited about campus politics?
Rudy Giuliani is Convocation Speaker
Posted by OLIVER RENICK
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will speak at senior convocation this year. The 66 year-old Brooklyn native served as NYC Mayor from 1994 to 2001, when he received acclaim from New Yorkers and Americans as a whole for his leadership in the wake of September 11. In 2008, he made a short-lived run for the Republican presidential candidacy. Among his role as mayor he’s also known as a previous recipient of Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, a guest on Seinfeld, and a man with a characteristic lisp. Giuliani, a moderate Republican who has traversed political party affiliations, will likely bring a different tone than Pelosi, who spoke for the class of 2010.
Pottery Update: Supporters Get the High Hat from SUB Posted by nkantro Since the Insider first broke the news that the Student Union Board would be closing the ceramics studio at the end of the semester, the situation has broken wide open. Spring break ended, the Sun reported on the issue, and the denizens of the ceramics basement have begun to mount a resistance to the decision. Yesterday, about fifty studio supporters went to the SUB’s meeting to give anecdotes about the studio and a voice to their side of the argument. Their arguments: • The board made the decision to close the studio without consulting anyone involved in the ceramics program • Ceramics is a stress-relieving activity that supports the school’s recent mental health initiatives • The shop is used academically by architecture and art students for projects involving clay, and by archeology classes as a hands-on learning activity • Having a wide range of features such as a ceramics studio is what sets Cornell above other institutions • 700 signatures have been gathered on a petition to keep the studio open – including 300 from undergraduates • Harvard has one However, the board contends that there are not enough undergraduate studio users to justify its existence in WSH, and that the space occupied by the studio is sorely needed for other programs. Still, the board remained silent about its motivations at yesterday’s meeting. SUB advisor David Bell said, “We are not prepared to do any discussion, we just want to make sure everyone is heard first.” The board plans to respond to the supporters by email in the next several days. Expect updates. To raise awareness of the studio’s existence, there will be ceramics workshops all this weekend in the WSH basement.
CORNELLINSIDER
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April 14 2011
Wisemen & Fools I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully. George W. Bush I would say the best moment of all was when I caught a 7.5 pound largemouth bass in my lake. George W. Bush on his best moment in office The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind. Thomas Jefferson A wise and frugal Government, which shall retrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and
improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. Thomas Jefferson Hillary is married to Bill, and Bill has been good to us. No he ain’t! Bill did us, just like he did Monica Lewinsky. He was riding dirty. Jeremiah Wright You're likable enough, Hillary. Barack Obama
I'm Al Franken. I hate you, and you hate me. Al Franken
socialism is the equal sharing of miseries. Winston Churchill
There is no terrorist threat. Yes, there have been horrific acts of terrorism and, yes, there will be acts of terrorism again. But that doesn’t mean that there’s some kind of massive terrorist threat. Michael Moore
The fact is, if you're not born in the United States, you cannot be president. He is having a hard time— he spent millions of dollars trying to get away from this issue, millions of dollars in legal fees trying to get away from this issue. And I'll tell you what, I brought it up just routinely and all of a sudden, a lot of facts are emerging, and I'm starting to wonder myself whether or not he was born in this country. Donald Trump
I did not have sexual relations with that woman. Bill Clinton
Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong. Ayn Rand
Sometimes I feel like a fire hydrant looking at a pack of dogs. Bill Clinton
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of
Part of the beauty of me is that I am very rich. Donald Trump
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