INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 130, No. 81
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
16 Pages – Free
News
Arts
Sports
Weather
A United Way
Return to Washington
Ivy Rivals
Evening Snow HIGH: 28° LOW: 24°
Cornell’s United Way fundraising campaign still remains below its final goal of $815,000. | Page 3
Arts takes a look at Season 2 of House of Cards, which returns on Feb. 14. | Page 8
Women’s ice hockey won two consecutive games against rivals Brown and Yale over the weekend. | Page 16
Miller:H.S.Quality Not Factor in Student Success
Strumming along
Available resources ease transition for some
By GABRIELLA LEE
Finding that high school quality is a key determinant in the variation of college grades, the study predicted that students Although a recent study conducted by from high-performing high schools were the National Bureau of Economic Research more likely to earn better grades than stufinds that economically disadvantaged stu- dents of similar socioeconomic backgrounds dents do not perform as well as their peers in from low-performing schools. college, Cornell students from underHowever, Miller said that Cornell would resourced high schools do not struggle as not be able to do a comparable study due to differences in the University’s “Because we’re so selective, process from admissions that of the we pretty much know that University of Texas. “Because we’re so every student we admit can selective, we pretty graduate from here.” much know that every student we admit can A.T. Miller graduate from here,” Miller said. much, according to A.T. Miller, associate During Cornell’s admissions process, an vice provost for academic diversity. academic index is calculated for every appliThe study measured college grades of cant to Cornell through a formula that is University of Texas at Austin students used across the Ivy League, according to admitted through a policy in which the top Miller. The index measures a variety of fac10 percent of Texas high school students are tors that include a student’s academic backguaranteed admission. ground in addition to the quality of the high
Sun Staff Writer
RYAN LANDVATER / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Phil Shapiro MBA ’69 instructs an intermediate level folk guitar class hosted by the Student Union Board in the International Lounge in Willard Straight Hall Monday evening.
school attended. Because there are many factors that are considered when evaluating applicants to Cornell, Miller said a relatively small weight is placed on high school quality in the admissions process. Students admitted from under-resourced high schools have generally proven “ready” for Cornell despite lacking the “background of other students here,” Miller said. Still, Miller said it is more difficult for students attending disadvantaged high
schools to find their way to college. “It’s just a fact that there are a whole bunch of students that don’t even apply to college, who are good college material, because they went to a high school where nobody goes to college,” Miller said. He added that it is “very unfair” that students from weak school systems do not receive all the academic advantages of those from higher-performing schools. See SCHOOLS page 5
Much of Composted Materials New Group to Bring Awareness Rejected Due to Poor Sorting Of C.U. Asexual Community By SLOANE GRINSPOON
Sun Staff Writer
A large amount of compostable waste is generated at Cornell each year. However,
approximately 50 percent of material coming from retail dining locations and waste from major events is rejected due to a high concentration of inorganic conta-
KELLY YANG / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Food scraps | Sierra Helmann ’16 chooses to compost her leftovers in Trillium.
mination, according to Claire Siegrist ’15, an intern in the Campus Sustainability Office. Cornell collected 835.7 tons of just dining compost in 2013, according to Spring Buck, manager of R5, which stands for “respect, rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle,” Operations, the facilties department that oversees Cornell’s recycling and solid waste operations. The compost generated at Cornell comes from many different sources, according to Buck. “We do a huge amount of compost[ing] on campus, and it varies from everything from [material from] the greenhouses to animal bedding to food and dining,” she said.
See COMPOST page 4
By EMMA IANNI
sexuality and asexuality,” according to the ACE Facebook page. G.F. said she came up with the idea of Human sexuality is a “spectrum” with creating an asexual group last semester, asexuals and sexuals on opposing ends, when she was struggling with the way according to ACE, the new asexual sup- being an ace was affecting her personal port group at Cornell. life. ACE was founded last semester as a “I found myself isolated and yearning suborganization of for a network of support Haven: The LGBTQ for people who really “Finding someone to — Student Union, accordunderstood me — so I ing to Jadey Huray ’14, talk to and figure things decided to create what I president of Haven. wishing already out with can be more was The cofounders of existed,” she said. helpful than just about ACE said they hope to Casey said students spread awareness of asexwould find it helpful to anything else.” uality and create a safe, connect with people confidential community going through similar Erin Casey ’15 for everyone in the range experiences. of students who experi“We felt Cornell ence sexual attraction to varying degrees, would benefit from a group like this the co-founders of the group said. because it brings together a community of Xiana G.F. ’15, who created the idea like-minded people,” Casey said. “At least for the group and formed it with Erin in my own personal experience, finding Casey ’15 and Matthew Weatherly ’15, someone to talk to and figure things out said the term “ace” stands for whoever is with can be more helpful than just about asexual or finds himself or herself in the anything else.” “space between sexuality and asexuality.” She added that the group has three “The ace umbrella encompasses every- main objectives: providing a safe space for one who is asexual or falls in one way or another within the ‘gray’ area between See ACE page 4
Sun Staff Writer