INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 130, No. 90
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
16 Pages – Free
News
Arts
Sports
Weather
Chilly Fest
Thursday Night Live
Turn Around
Cloudy HIGH: 45° LOW: 23°
Downtown Ithaca celebrated its 16th annual Chili Cook-Off this Saturday. | Page 3
Arielle Cruz ’15 takes a look at Saturday Night Live cast member Kate McKinnon’s performance Thursday. | Page 10
Dean: Cornell Tech Resources Separate From Ithaca Campus
The men’s basketball team won its first game of the season by defeating Dartmouth Saturday. | Page 16
Playing with fire
By ALEXA DAVIS Sun Senior Writer
Since Cornell announced its plans to build its tech campus on New York City’s Roosevelt Island, there have been concerns regarding what this new development means for the success and future of the College of Engineering, according to engineering professors. Similarities between the schools’ graduate programs have raised questions about how this may affect the division of resources as well as student and faculty recruitment, engineering professors added. According to Lance Collins, “The faculty [at Cornell dean of the College of EnTech] have to have gineering, demonstrated their Cornell Tech entrepreneurial activity.” will begin to offer a one-year Daniel Huttenlocher MBA and Information Systems Masters Degree in May 2014 in addition to their current Computer Science Master’s Degree. The same general programs are offered at Cornell’s Ithaca campus; however, the New York campus has attempted to differentiate themselves by focusing on entrepreneurship, Collins added. The computer science master’s program in Ithaca requires students to take computer science courses and collaborate with research labs, he said. The same masters program offered in New York City, however, requires See TECH page 5
ANTHONY CHEN / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Brad Wham grad builds a test frame for a pipeline research project in the Thurston Hall parking lot Tuesday afternoon.
Students Conflicted Over Feb.Break Gannett: Break intended to reduce stress, promote mental health By AIMEE CHO Sun Staff Writer
Students are divided over the benefit of Cornell’s first February Break, with some viewing it as a helpful vacation from schoolwork while others thought it came too early in the semester. The two days off from classes this week were part
of a University-wide effort to alleviate stress by making changes to the spring semester calendar, The Sun previously reported. Catherine Thrasher-Carroll, mental health promotion coordinator at Gannett Health Services, said Cornell’s Council on Mental Health and Welfare See BREAK page 5
Students‘Uneasy’About Commencement Housing Former C.U.Wrestler By CHRISTOPHER YATES Sun Staff Writer
Despite an increase in commencement housing options to include the Ithaca College campus and recent renovations made to nearby hotels, some students said they are “uneasy” about their prospects of securing housing for their
families during commencement weekend. According to Brigitt Schaffner, who works with commencement housing, the on-campus housing lottery allows degree candidates to make up to eight reservations for family members and friends during Commencement weekend. Students must sign up for the March lot-
DYLAN CLEMENS / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Housing rush | Despite being the only hotel on campus, the Statler Hotel is only reserved for trustees during Commencement weekend, The Sun previously reported.
tery by Feb. 28. “Campus Life offers on-campus accommodations in residential halls for a three night commencement weekend package,” Schaffner said. “[Students] reserve spaces in order of their randomly assigned lottery number.” The fully-furnished accommodations — with spaces adapted for those with disabilities — will include rooms in Cornell’s undergraduate residential buildings on North Campus, West Campus, Collegetown and in Emerson and Quad Hall on the Ithaca College campus, according to Schaffner. “We plan to house about 2,000 guests on the Cornell campus and have partnered with Ithaca College to offer an additional 400 plus rooms on their campus,” Schaffner said. Despite the large number of rooms that will be distributed through the lottery, many students felt uneasy about their prospects of obtaining a room and have reserved other forms of housing. “My parents got a place in Cortland via an online booking site at the beginning of the Fall 2013 semester because See COMMENCEMENT page 5
Indicted on Charges Of Rape,Burgalry
By SOFIA HU Sun Staff Writer
A former Cornell wrestler was indicted on the charges of first-degree rape in Tompkins County Court Thursday. Peter Mesko ’13 was also charged with sexual abuse and burglary, according to The Ithaca Journal. If convicted of rape, Mesko could face up to 25 years in prison. Following his indictment, Mesko will be arraigned on Feb. 26, The Ithaca Journal reported. The case could proceed to trial if a plea
bargain is not reached. Mesko was arrested and charged with raping a female student last spring, The Sun previously re ported. He pleaded not guilty in April in response to the incident, which took place on the morning of March 30. Pending the results of the criminal investigation, Mesko was suspended from the University in April, The Sun previously reported. Sofia Hu can be reached at shu@cornellsun.com.