INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 128, No. 104
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2012
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
20 Pages – Free
After Skorton’s Vow, C.U. Rethinks Pledging Committee has not revealed changes By HARRISON OKIN Sun Staff Writer
RYAN LANDVATER / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
In the name of service | Michael Johnson, dean of the School of Hotel Administration, addresses guests at a student-hosted banquet in the Statler Hotel on Tuesday.
Hotelies Prepare for Banquet By KAITLYN KWAN Sun Staff Writer
Scurrying about the kitchen decked out in chef whites, hotel school students honed their skills Tuesday at the Ye Hosts Honorary Society Initiation Banquet, an annual event that serves as a trial run for a larger hospitality conference held in April. Despite some minor hiccups, student chefs and design managers said that they were pleased with the outcome of the banquet and feel prepared for the upcoming conferenc, which will culminate in a grand gala. The gala’s main chef, Jackson Kalb ’13, prepared the banquet’s appetizers and entrées, which consisted of pea soup, Atlantic black bass, a vegetarian option, and a Spanish tortilla. The dessert — chévvre pannacotta tarragon cake — was made
by house function manager Sam Ostergaard ’12, who oversees Hotel Ezra Cornell’s cocktail menu. “Basically, the idea is to run through part of the menu with a smaller crowd to get the flow right,” Kalb said. “I’ve made this menu for friends and family already, so I’m not too worried about it. But it’s [still] my name going on the menu, and I want to impress people.” Following the Ye Hosts Banquet, HEC members will make necessary changes to the event before the actual conference takes place. “The vision is complete, but we’re still working on the execution of how the vision is going to come together,” said Caroline Tawney ’14, function design manager for the HEC pre-Gala and Gala events. “I had things in my head of how this is going to look, but they didn’t quite come out
Prof Charts NYT’s ‘Endtimes’
Six months after its creation, a task force borne out of President Skorton’s pledge to end hazing has neither announced nor implemented changes to Cornell’s Greek system. However, members of the committee said that it has made significant progress toward planning reform. On Aug. 23, Skorton announced to Greek leaders that “pledging as we know it has to stop.” His announcement came in the wake of the death of George Desdunes ’13, a Sigma Alpha Epsilon brother who died after a pledging event on Feb. 25, 2011. Travis Apgar, associate dean of students for fraternity and sorority affairs, said he hopes the task force –– dubbed RARE, a reference to its
“If we are trying to get rid of hazing, we should have said, ‘Let’s get rid of hazing.’ But we have said that for decades, and it hasn’t been as effective as we would have liked.” Travis Apgar goal of expanding the definition of pledging to include recruitment, acceptance, retention and education –– will clarify some of the ambiguity surrounding Skorton’s request. “People interpreted his challenge in a number of ways,” Apgar said. “If we are trying to get rid of hazing, we should have said, ‘Let’s get rid of hazing.’ But we have said that for decades, and it hasn’t been as effective as we would have liked.” Both in response to Skorton’s vow to end hazing and in an effort to preserve the Greek system’s self-governance, students banded together with administrators and alumni to form RARE, said Dan Freshman ’12, former president of the Interfraternity Council. The task force finSee PLEDGING page 4
See HOTELIES page 5
Eddy St. fire
News Medical Debate
A Cornell professor discusses a book she wrote on traditional and modern forms of medicine in Africa.
By CAROLINE FLAX
shook the institution’s stability. Sun Staff Writer “It’s important to understand that The Times is resting on a shaky Despite a wave of scandals and fi- foundation, or, one might even say, nancial instability in a tumultuous quicksand,” Schwarz said. Schwarz noted that The Times has print industry, The New York Times stands out among newspapers today, a had to constantly adjust to the changCornell professor argues in a new book. ing market for print news by appealAt the last event in a Jewish ing to readers’ new preferences. “In the Internet age, the paper Studies lecture series, Prof. Daniel changed greatly and is conSchwarz, English, spoke tinually in search of a new Tuesday about the turbuidentity,” Schwarz said. lent history and uncertain “This is what has changed. future of The New York The Times morphed into a Times. Schwarz’s new hybrid newspaper-magabook, EndTimes? Crises zine-Internet site.” and Turmoil at The New Schwarz said that the York Times, 1999-2009, exdevelopment of the plores a decade in the newsPROF. SCHWARZ Internet has forced the paper’s history through the paper to restructure, which included voices of its publisher and editors. Despite the decline of print changes like downsizing staff and advertising and circulation, Schwarz moving towards a more web-based said, The Times is still a high quali- product. “The Internet really opens up the ty newspaper. “The Times, even in its moments informational world infinitely,” of crisis and turmoil, is the worst Schwarz said. “What has happened to newspaper in the world, except for newspapers? Many of them have cut back radically; this downsizing is the all the others,” Schwarz said. Though Schwarz noted The direction that the industry is moving.” In addition, Schwarz said, a Times’ comparatively strong reputation, he said that the declining popSee NYT page 4 ularity of print newspapers has
| Page 3
Opinion Rushgate
Maggie Henry ’14 examines the recent controversy involving Rush Limbaugh and Sandra Fluke ’03. | Page 9
Arts Night at the Opera
Martha Wydysh ’14 previews an 18th century French opera to be held at Bailey Hall Sunday. | Page 12
Sports One Bound Forward
The men and women’s track and field teams brought back championships last weekend at the IC4A/ECAC finals. | Page 20 PROVIDED PHOTO
Several people were evacuated on Eddy Street early Wednesday morning due to a fire that appeared to start in Miyake. No injuries were reported, according to an official from the Ithaca Fire Department.
Weather Sunny Times HIGH: 63 LOW: 41