INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 128, No. 109
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012
News Better Wages
Local residents held a rally Monday to push for increasing the minimum wage in Tompkins County. | Page 3
Opinion Good Morals
Jon Weinberg ’13 explains the importance of upstanding character in everyday life at Cornell.
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
Claims Against Police Lt. Tied to Discrimination Suit
20 Pages – Free
Sweet fragrances
City leaders link racial tensions in police dept.to allegations
This story was written by Jeff Stein, Liz Camuti and Michael Linhorst.
raise questions about the validity and motives of those whose testimony have impugned Byrd’s character. The accusations against Byrd — which were first published by The Ithaca Journal on Jan. 13 — remain unresolved. Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 and Tompkins County District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson are currently investigating the charges, but it is not clear why the allegations have resurfaced now. Though all the published evidence against Byrd originates with the arbitration of officer Chris Miller, damaging accusations have since been made by multiple sources. Miller, who is white, sued the IPD in spring 2010 for $17 million, claiming he suffered racial discrimination when Byrd, rather than Miller, was
Giddy Up
The allegations that a high-ranking Ithaca Police Department officer aided drug dealers stem from lawsuits that claim IPD racially discriminates against white officers — a crucial context that defenders of the embattled officer say has been missing from public discussions of the controversy. In interviews with The Sun, several city officials and community leaders said that Lt. Marlon Byrd, a black officer who was born and raised on Ithaca’s south side, is being targeted primarily because of his connection to the city’s black community — a community whose relationship with the IPD is often marked by tension, antipathy and sporadic violence, they said. These perspectives cast a new light on the debate over Byrd’s conduct and
Blogs
Despite Challenges, Gannett Receives Awards for Services
| Page 9
Science Fashion Show
A Cornell student attempts to save 12 endangered species by wearing 12 outfits inspired by the animals. | Page 10
Arts Night at the Opera
The Sun reviews a French opera performance held this weekend in Bailey Hall. | Page 12
Sports The equestrian team finished its most successful team to date this Saturday, placing second in its final show. | Page 20
By JINJOO LEE
Foreign Exchange
Sun Staff Writer
Kyle W. ’13 describes fun times, and mistakes made, while studying abroad. | Cornellsun.com, March 14
Weather Lots of Sunshine HIGH: 61 LOW: 43
Gannett Health Services received two official recognitions this month for its service as a health center over the last three years, a period that included health crises and concerns over staffing. Gannett was awarded the
See BYRD page 5
highest level of certification a patient-centered medical home can receive from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, a University press release stated on March 7. It was also accredited for the fifth time with the highest marks given by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. According to the NCQA’s
KELLY YANG / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Students observe a “corpse plant” — which smells like rotting meat — bloom for the first time in Cornell’s Greenhouse on Tuesday.
website, a patient-centered medical home is a health care setting that encourages individual patients, their personal physicians, and, when appropriate, the patient’s family, to work together. President David Skorton said that the two awards highlight Gannett’s dedication to preventive care. “The PCMH model, with its
emphasis on preventive care, is a good fit with Gannett’s longtime approach and goals,” he said in a press release. The period under review for AAAHC was three years from 2009 to 2011. During this period, Gannett dealt with a number of challenges, such as an H1N1 See GANNETT page 4
One Year Later, Students, C-Town Residents React to Plans for Grocery Store Profs Discuss Effects of Natural Disasters in Japan By KEVIN MILIAN
Sun Staff Writer
By ERICA AUGENSTEIN Sun Staff Writer
One year after an earthquake and tsunami devastated much of Japan, graduate students and professors from both Cornell and the University of Tokyo gathered to discuss the aftermath of the disaster in a conference on Sunday and Monday. On March 11, 2011, an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 hit Japan, triggering a tsunami that in turn damaged several nuclear reactors in the country. The disaster killed as many as 20,000 people, The
New York Times reported. One year later, it also has left Japan with questions about the safety of using nuclear energy, residual health hazards and reconstruction. “The question we posed is, ‘How can we bring closure to [a] crisis like Japan’s nuclear and natural disaster?”’ said Prof. Hirokazu Miyazaki, director of the East Asia Program. “It is a tricky question in the sense that the crisis in question is continuing, if not deepening.” Miyazaki said the See JAPAN page 6
On Tuesday, the Collegetown Neighborhood Council — along with the student organization, DesignConnect — solicited feedback from Cornell students and local residents on a new potential grocery store in Collegetown. Both the CNC and DesignConnect intend to
use feedback obtained from the meeting to pursue their plans to develop the store. Logan Axelson grad, a member of DesignConnect who led the session, said he hopes the grocery store, if built, will fill an existing need for access to fresh produce among Collegetown residents — particularly students. “Our purpose is to increase access to healthy
food for students, as well as help them make good nutrition choices,” Axelson said. A new grocery store in Collegetown could also make the neighborhood a “yearly community,” said Alderperson Graham Kerslick (D-4th Ward). “We need more than a grocery store; we need better
as well as their levels of interest in learning such skills. According to Wilkins, if the survey shows there is a strong demand for doing so, the grocery store could include a station designed to teach cooking skills. “Community members could come to take a class
“We need more than a grocery store; we need better selection of stores to make a more vibrant Collegetown.” Graham Kerslick
NATHAN SCHWARTZBERG / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Making plans | Students and local residents discuss plans for a grocery store in Collegetown on Monday.
selection of stores to make a more vibrant Collegetown,” Kerslick said. The first of five informational stations presented at the meeting was the “Food Learning Hub,” where Prof. Jennifer Wilkins, nutritional sciences, administered a survey in which students were asked to rank their levels of expertise in preparing food,
on making vegetarian meals, and the store would promote the ingredients of that week’s class,” Wilkins said. “It would be a place where students could talk about food issues and truly learn from expertise from Cornell, the community or the Cornell Cooperative See STORE page 4
2 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Today
DAYBOOK
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Weird News
Umpteen speedy televisions perused two sheep, then umpteen tickets towed Jupiter, and Dan untangles five progressive orifices. Umpteen quixotic aardvarks annoyingly bought two Macintoshes. Umpteen bureaux tickled two extremely putrid botulisms. Paul sacrificed one lampstand, then Jupiter marries the very quixotic pawnbroker. Five purple poisons laughed, yet umpteen chrysanthemums kisses five aardvarks. Batman noisily untangles one Jabberwocky. Two Macintoshes laughed, then one extremely schizophrenic Jabberwocky drunkenly untangles two sheep, however Quark telephoned umpteen obese Jabberwockies. Five irascible botulisms slightly lamely auctioned off the subway, and five chrysanthemums easily untangles one mostly speedy Klingon. Five dogs drunkenly perused Minnesota, however the mats ran away cleverly, although one partly progressive subway quite comfortably sacrificed
Daybook
of the Week
Today Seoul Rising: A Korean Spatialities Workshop 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Asian Studies Lounge, Rockefeller Hall
Kansas House Squashes Bid to Make Toto Breed Top Dog
Physician Decisions, Supplier-Induced Demand And Healthcare Efficiency 1:15 - 2:45 p.m., 153 Martha Van Rensselaer East The Visual Biography of Themistokles: Or How a Statue Recorded History 4:30 p.m., 122 Goldwin Smith Hall General Peace Corps Information Session 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., 100 Mann Library
Tomorrow Caregiver Support and Education Network: Hospice 101 Noon - 1 p.m., 254 Duffield Hall Energy Engineering Seminar Series: A Hands-on Intersection of Technology and Sustainability Noon, 155 Olin Hall
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — There may be no place like home, but don’t tell Toto. A Kansas House committee squashed a bid Monday to make the cairn terrier, a breed perhaps best known as that of Dorothy’s canine sidekick in “The Wizard of Oz,” the state’s official dog. Democratic state Rep. Ed Trimmer told the Wichita Eagle he plans to reintroduce the bill next year. And Brenda Moore, a South Central Kansas Kennel Club official who first proposed the idea, says she plans to drum up public support for it this summer. The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals opposed the measure, saying it believes it would cause Kansas puppy mills to “churn out litter after litter of the breed” and lead to fewer adoptions from animal shelters.
Ivy League Senior: Fraternity Pledges Swam in Vomit
C.U. Music: Deep Listening Workshop Noon, 6th Floor, Johnson Museum of Art
HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — Things have only gotten messier at Dartmouth College in the weeks since a former fraternity member went public with allegations of
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Foreign Publicity, the Democratization Paradox, And the Limits of International Intervention in Bosnia-Herzegovina 12:15 - 1:30 p.m., G08 Uris Hall
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hazing that involved swimming in and eating vomit. Senior Andrew Lohse raised the issue in January, when he wrote a column in the school newspaper describing “dehumanizing” experiences he witnessed at Sigma Alpha Epsilon. According to Lohse, the fraternity pressured pledges to swim in a kiddie pool of rotten food, vomit and other bodily fluids; eat omelets made of vomit; and chug cups of vinegar. He called those activities the norm rather than the exception on the Ivy League campus, and he criticized the administration for not doing enough when he made anonymous complaints last year. The week after the column was published, more than 100 faculty members wrote to the administration, describing hazing as an “open secret” and calling on the administration to set up an independent commission to address it. The college has since formed a task force and brought hazing charges through its judicial affairs office against the fraternity and more than a quarter of its members, including Lohse. Dean of the College Charlotte Johnson declined to comment on those charges, but the fraternity’s president, Brendan Mahoney, said all 27 accused students face identical charges relating to new member recruitment in the fall of 2011. But by that time, the fraternity had gotten rid of any traditions that would be “deemed problematic” by the administration, Mahoney said, and no current members of SAE were members in 2009 when Lohse was a pledge. As for Lohse’s graphic allegations, “None of these practices, and nothing remotely close to hazing, occurred at our pledge events in 2011,” he said in an email to The Associated Press.
2012-2013
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Cinemapolis.org PARIAH (R) 7:25 / 9:15 Ends Thurs. A SEPARATION (PG13) 7:10 / 9:25 PINA (PG) 7:00 THE ARTIST (PG13) 7:20 / 9:20 TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (R) 9:10 THE DESCENDANTS (R) 7:15 / 9:30 (No 7:15 show Thurs. 3/15) PLEASANTVILLE (PG13) 7:00 (Thursday, March 15th Only)
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012 3
NEWS
Protesters on the Commons Rally for a ‘Living Wage’ By JONATHAN DAWSON
Meidlinger, proprietor of Jillian’s Drawers — a retail store for babies — said that because of low profit margins, it is not Protesters, who rallied Monday on the easy for businesses to provide a living Commons to raise awareness about wage for their employees. Still, increasing Tompkins County’s minimum Meidlinger added, her company has wage, said that if workers are paid a “liv- made it a priority to provide all 10 of its ing wage” of $12.78 an hour, they will be employees with a living wage or higher. better able to afford basic necessities, sup“Owning a business involves responsiport a family, pay rent and accumulate bilities to the community,” she said. “We savings. provide one to two weeks paid vacation, At the beginning of the rally, event and for our full-time employees, we also organizers from the Tompkins County provide health insurance at no cost to Workers’ Center passed out bread from them.” Wide Awake Bakery to protesters to Ultimately, it is less expensive — and break a 40-hour fast. The fast, which more advantageous for businesses — to began on Saturday, commemorated a pay workers a higher wage, since worker 1912 strike in Lawrence, Mass., during retention rates and productivity are highwhich workers demanded that mill own- er when employees are paid well, ers symbolically provide them with bread Meidlinger said, adding that she spends and roses –– items that respectively repre- the equivalent of 30 percent of one of her sented decent wages and respect. worker’s yearly wage on finding and trainLaurie Konwinski, a coordinator at ing additional employees. the Labor Religion Coalition of the Tompkins County Legislator Leslyn Finger Lakes — the group that organized McBean-Clairborne (D–2nd District) the fast — said the purpose of the rally said many businesses “feel like they are was to be “part of the long haul to change going to suffer more” by increasing their society’s idea of what a minimum wage employees’ wages. However, she said, the should be.” more than 77 companies in Tompkins Echoing Konwinski, other protesters County that pay all their workers a living called for employers to expand workers’ wage have proven that this is not true. rights. “My hope is to bring to the county “Workers’ rights are human rights that legislature a resolution that supports cannot be denied by anyone,” said Rich increasing minimum wage to a living Rose, a pastor from the First Baptist wage, so the living wage becomes the new Church in DeWitt Park. minimum wage,” McBean-Clairborne P e t e said. “You don’t Meyers, the “The Occupy movement, in a have to have e ve n t’s four to five emcee and roundabout way, is calling for a living jobs to support a coordina- wage. If redistribution includes a living yourself.” tor at the Currently, wage, then so be it.” Tompkins many workers C o u n t y Phillip Price who are earnWo r k e r s ’ ing minimum Center, said wage are assistthat he estimated 150 protesters came to ed by programs run by the Department the rally, where various business owners, of Social Services, such as food stamps community members and government and Medicaid, Meyers said. leaders gave speeches. “If people are paid more, they won’t According to Meyers, the Alternatives need to use these services, which will Federal Credit Union determines what a hopefully lower taxes,” he said. “living wage” is based on the current price Between speeches, protesters chanted, of housing, food, transportation and “What do we want? A living wage! When other costs. Such expenses, Meyers said, do we want it? Now!” could not adequately be covered by New One attendee at the rally, Phillip Price York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon — the co-editor of The Occupied Ithaca Silver’s (D-N.Y.) proposal to raise the Journal, a bulletin that focuses on news minimum wage to $8.50 an hour. relevant to the local Occupy movement One Ithaca resident, Neisha Butler, — pointed out the relationship between said she went to school but has not yet Occupy Ithaca and the demands for the been able to find a full-time job, instead institution of a living wage. relying on many part-time jobs to make “The Occupy movement, in a roundends meet. about way, is calling for a living wage,” he “What am I doing wrong?” Butler said. “If redistribution includes a living said. “My son deserves to have a mom wage, then so be it.” that has the energy to take him to necessary outings.” Jonathan Dawson can be reached at Defending business owners, Mandi jed276@cornell.edu.
Sun Contributor
Petit Larceny
A student reported Friday that their unsecured Balfour Cornell class ring, valued at $800, was stolen from the basement women’s room of the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, according to a report from the Cornell Police. Graffiti
An officer was dispatched to Sibley Hall on Monday to take a report from a staff member regarding graffiti drawn by an unknown individual, according to a report from the Cornell Police.
Assault
A student was physically assaulted by an unknown group of males on Sunday, according to a report from the Cornell Police. Passing a Check With Insufficient Funds
A staff member reported receiving a personal check with insufficient funds on Friday, according to a report from the Cornell Police. — Compiled by Sylvia Rusnak
DAMON WINTER / THE NEW YORK TIMES
Hopeful victor | Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, mingles with his supporters in St. Louis, Mo. on Tuesday.
Cornell ProfessorsWeigh In on Republican Primaries, Romney By JONATHAN SWARTZ Sun Contributor
As Republican candidates, emerging from last week’s Super Tuesday primary elections, continue to compete for the GOP nomination, three Cornell professors said that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney stands the greatest chance of winning the primary. Prof. Elizabeth Sanders, government, said that Romney has garnered the most support of any candidate. “I do think it will be Romney,” Sanders said. “He has the Republican establishment behind him and is more acceptable to the broad audience of the general election.” Republicans also support Romney’s candidacy because they view him as the party’s best chance of defeating President Barack Obama, according to Prof. William Jacobson, law, who founded a conservative blog called Legal Insurrection. “While it is too early to declare it over, Mitt Romney is the front-runner because of organization, funding and a perception that he is best suited to beat Obama,” Jacobson said. However, Sanders said that some conservatives view Romney with skepticism because they believe he has wavered on important issues. In particular, Romney’s decision in 2006 to enact a health care program in Massachusetts that was similar to one that Obama pushed years later continues to shake Republicans’ faith in his ideology, she said. “Because he has taken so many stands, it is hard to pin [Romney] down,” Sanders said. “I have not seen a candidate whose principles were more flexible than Romney’s … He obviously has trouble in his own party because they
think of him as a liberal. It is as if there are two Mitt Romneys, and no one knows quite what to expect if he is elected.” Echoing Sanders, Prof. Richard Bensel, government, said Romney’s inconsistent policies have made Romney “very suspect.” “Is there a real soul in Mitt Romney? Who is to know?” Bensel said. Behind Romney’s vacillations, Bensel said, is a desire to adjust his views to successfully win each election he entered. “He took the positions he needed to take to become governor of Massachusetts, and he is willing to take the positions he needs to take to get the Republican nomination,” he said. “My guess is, if he gets the nomination, he will take the positions he needs to take to win the presidency.” While acknowledging that Romney has “had varying stances on social issues,” Jessica Reif ’14, vice chair of the Cornell Republicans, said that she believes that Romney is more consistent in his positions on economic issues. “I think a lot of people drawn to Mitt Romney are focused on the economy and see social issues as secondary,” Reif said. Additionally, Jacobson said that he thinks conservatives prefer Romney over four more years under Obama’s leadership. “Romney’s changes of position are problematic, but conservatives will rally around whoever the nominee is since the alternative will be Obama,” Jacobson said, adding that “the thought of four more years of Obama is too much for any conservative to contemplate.” “As independents start to focus, they will come to the same conclusion,” he said. Projecting into the future, Bensel said that if
Romney wins the GOP candidacy, he will probably offer Rick Santorum — ”a very fundamentalist conservative” — the position of vice presidential nominee. “It’s hard to imagine right now because it’s so bitter, but I don’t think it’s not out of line that he will offer it to Santorum,” Bensel said. “The reason for that would be to anchor his fundamentalist wing while he goes and moderates his stances on the presidential race.” In the general election, there is a chance that Romney could emerge victorious as well, Sanders said. “I think that if we continue on the path we are right now, Obama will win, but all the war talk surrounding Iran has raised gas prices,” she said. “If gas prices keep going up, that would slow the feeble economic recovery and be bad for Obama and the Democrats. It is almost impossible to predict what will happen, vis a vis Iran.” Jacobson, agreeing that Romney could win the election, said he believes that Obama did not live up to Americans’ expectations. “The main difference between 2008 and 2012 is that Obama now has a record,” Jacobson said. “In 2008, he was a mostly blank slate, someone onto whom the electorate could project all sorts of unrealistic hopes. Now, we know that the Obama of 2008 people hoped for never existed.” Still, Bensel said he believes that Obama has the best chance of winning the general election. “[Romney] has a chance. Not a good chance,” he said. “[Obama] will not make the same mistakes as Romney … My guess is that he will win.” Jonathan Swartz can be reached at jbs336@cornell.edu.
4 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012
NEWS
Orgs.Solicit Feedback for Grocery Store Gannett Health Services Receive National Acclaim STORE
Collegetown. “We’re working with a 2,600 square-foot model that works great in Collegetown due to its rectangular shape, unlike the Lshaped building at [DeWitt Mall],” Kane said. A GreenStar in Collegetown could offer students a delivery
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“Transportation and Walkability,” community members were presented with different Extension of Tompkins County.” scenarios in which they indicatThe second station, “Food ed their preference for driving or Choices,” asked students to indiwalking, taking into account faccate what purchases they believe tors such as variable weather and could be classified as “essentials,” the availability of parking. “occasionals” and “special John Mueller ’13, undesigtreats.” nated at-large repreThis questionnaire sentative for the was designed to deter- “I’m here to make sure there’s a positive Student Assembly, mine what factors representative for the students. said that the steepunderlie food choices, It’s important to have students involved ness of Cook Street as well as to gain a could deter potential general overview of in Collegetown issues.” from customers the future demands walking to the Mueller ’13 John the grocery store may Collegetown store. face, according to Molly “I’m here to Riordan grad, a member make sure there’s a of DesignConnect. service and increase the amount positive representative for the In the third station, called of organic produce sold in the students. It’s important to have “Ask a Grocer,” Brandon Kane, area, Kane said. Additionally, he students involved in Collegethe general manager of said that prices for items in the town issues,” Mueller said. GreenStar Natural Foods Collegetown store would match Market, answered questions those offered in the existing Kevin Milian can be reached at about his proposal to open a GreenStar in DeWitt Mall. new GreenStar grocery store in At the fourth station, kmilian@cornellsun.com. Continued from page 1
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GANNETT
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flu outbreak in 2009 and a cluster of student suicides in 2010. Gannett has been accredited by the AAAHC since 2000, according to Sharon Dittman, associate director for community relations at Gannett. The application materials covered 22 different categories of Gannett’s services, health care records, pharmacy, laboratory and health promotion. One of Gannett’s benchmark achievements was introducing electronic health records in the summer of 2009, according to Corson-Rykert. Electronic health records allow students to schedule appointments online, receive secure messages from their health care providers and communicate with different departments of Gannett through one electronic system, according to Jennifer Austin, communications specialist at Gannett. Susan Murphy ’73, vice president for student and academic services, said that these achievements reflect how Gannett has evolved significantly over the years. “Fifteen years ago, for example, students went to Gannett to seek help when they were desperately sick,” she said. “Now, this is not the case. People go in for counselling and other holistic health concerns.” Gregory Eells, associate director of Gannett, said the recent challenges have, in some ways, aided the center’s development. “The pandemic outbreak challenged how Gannett staff worked together across departments and how we supported each other,” he said. “The cluster of student suicides, again, challenged the system to work
together and respond really well together.” Despite this collaboration, Prof. Ron Ehrenberg, industrial and labor relations, who is also a former administrator, said that Gannett also struggles with staffing. “I know how understaffed they are both in terms of facilities and bodies and I know how hard they work,” he said. Murphy agreed, saying that while student enrollment at Cornell has increased, the number of staff members working at Gannett has remained relatively fixed –– a problem that caused officials to consider expansion. “We’ve been talking about expanding Gannett’s space since 2007 and the building plan was put out,” she said. However, after the financial crisis hit in 2008, the plan to expand Gannett was not carried out, according to Murphy. said that Ehrenberg Gannett’s goals to reach higher standards, even in uncertain times, speaks to the quality of care that is provided at the center. “The fact that they are constantly trying to benchmark themselves against what the profession fields define as important quality indicators suggests something about the well-being of the care that is being provided,” he said. Dittman said that though Gannett regularly receives accreditations, the frequency of the awards does not reflect the priority placed on patient care at Gannett. “We are not at all routine,” she said. “One of our core values is to change. Change to keep up with the needs of students, of our community.” Jinjoo Lee can be reached at jinjoolee@cornellsun.com.
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THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012 5
NEWS
White Officers Allege IPD Promoted Byrd Because of Race BYRD
Continued from page 1
promoted to lieutenant. That lawsuit gave rise to an arbitration with the IPD. Miller’s lawsuit and arbitration began after the IPD attempted to fire him for reportedly violating a variety of regulations, including “falsifying business records and official misconduct,” according to court documents. Miller argues that his attempted firing was just one example of IPD’s discrimination against him. To further his claim, Miller said that Byrd should not have defeated him for the lieutenant promotion, in part because Byrd is a “poor police officer.” Miller, as well as several other white officers, testified that they had reason to believe Byrd had assisted drug dealers. “There were times during some of our briefs, and talking to others, where they would always wait to the last minute to let us know about warrants because they didn’t want information getting out,” Officer Bob Brotherton testified during Miller’s arbitration, according to documents first obtained by The Journal. He added that there were concerns “Byrd would give out information to where we’d be going.” Miller is not the only white
officer to sue the IPD on claims same trait that made him suscep- who served from 1996 to 2003, said in an interview Tuesday. “But that he was passed over for pro- tible to the allegations. motion due to racial discriminaFor instance, when the fatal a good police department that tion. shooting of a black man by a practices community policing In a $10.5 million suit filed white officer in 2010 threatened maintains relationships in the last month, Sgt. Douglas Wright to bring racial tensions in the City community with all types of peoalleges that in 2007, he was passed of Ithaca to a boil, Byrd spear- ple including those who might be over in favor of Pete Tyler, a black headed an effort to reconcile the suspect — that’s one of the things officer who is now deputy chief of IPD with the city’s black commu- that [Byrd] has done over the the IPD. In 2009, Wright was nity, according to Audrey Cooper, years and can contribute to the again eligible for promotion, but director of the Multicultural suspicion of others.” In the aftermath of the 2010 was passed over for Byrd, accord- Resource Center. After the shooting, Cooper shooting, Byrd emphasized the ing to the lawsuit. “Byrd was promoted even said, most officers began riding importance of community policthough [Chief of Police Ed] two to a police car “for fear of ing — developing personal relationships with the resiVallely and Deputy dents of certain neighborChief [John] Barber concern is that the way the “My hoods — as an effective both had informameans of reducing tension. tion and evidence of information is being made public “My philosophy is that serious criminal alle- exacerbates what are already very disturbing if people get to know offigations which they cers as individuals instead failed to investigate. racial tensions in the community.” of as just the law, they The decision to proKirby Edmonds develop a mutual respect mote Byrd over for each other,” he told [Wright] was based on race,” the lawsuit states, refer- community retaliation” — except The Sun. “I want the police to ring to allegations that Byrd aided for Byrd, who she said worked to also see the community in not bridge the barriers between the just a negative way.” drug dealers. Many of Byrd’s supporters also While several white officers IPD and the community. Byrd sought to engage with said that the behavior of the offihave claimed that Byrd’s credibility is in question, several city offi- local residents in non-confronta- cers making claims against him cials, community leaders and tional ways, taking action that brings their credibility into quesmembers of the city’s black com- many city leaders told The Sun tion. “In this community the man munity called Byrd an exemplary was perceived as breaking ranks who brought the suit was noted to officer. According to them, Byrd’s with his own. “Some people believe that any be prejudiced and bigoted in his willingness to forge ties with the community — which they called degree of familiarity with others attitude toward the minority his biggest asset as an officer — is, that are suspect is inappropriate,” community,” Pastor Ronald perhaps paradoxically, also the former Ithaca Mayor Alan Cohen, Benson said. “[It] wasn’t a secret
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in our community that Miller was not friendly to minorities.” Cooper, echoing many of Byrd’s defenders, called on the public to refrain from passing judgment until the official investigation has run its course. She noted that Byrd has requested an independent investigation into the allegations made against him. “There’s a whole air surrounding him of questioning every move he makes, like he’s under a microscope. How can you live and work that way?” Cooper said. But the ramifications of the accusations affect more than just Byrd, according to Kirby Edmonds, senior fellow and program coordinator at the Dorothy Cotton Institute. “The most obvious concern is that if there is internal dissension in the department, it certainly affects how officers feel toward each other, affects the level of trust they have of each other [and] raises concerns both about their performance carrying out their duty and their safety,” Edmonds said. “My concern is that the way the information is being made public … exacerbates what are already very disturbing racial tensions in the community.” The Sun’s News Department can be reached at news@cornellsun.com.
Pa p e r • G l a s s • P l a s t i c • C a r d b o a r d • A l u m i n u m
6 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012
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Conference Participants Examine Future of Japan JAPAN
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conference, which commemorated the first anniversary of the earthquake, was meant to address the sentiment that “we need closure in order to move on.” “It is an important moment, the first anniversary of the crisis. It is not really ending,” Miyazaki said. The nuclear crisis, for instance, has continued to affect the Japanese fishing industry. Satsuki Takahasi, a postdoctoral associate at Princeton University, said that nuclear meltdowns have left potentially toxic levels of radiation in fish that are consumed by the Japanese people. Additionally, the nuclear disaster caused food to be contaminated from radiation, said one Cornell alumna, who spoke to participants through Skype from Japan. Despite the difficulties Japan continues to face as it recovers from the disaster, Miyazaki said that “U.S. newspapers are not really paying attention.” He noted, however, that many of these issues are still relevant. “There were topics that we felt were particularly important; for example, Japan passed a law about how victims of nuclear disaster should be compensated,” said Prof. Annelise Riles, law, who organized the event. The disaster has also given Japan an opportunity to consider alternatives for its infrastructure, Riles said. For instance, he said the distaster provided Japan the chance to “reconstruct the entire region as a sustainable place.” “It was very moving to think about how to provide hope to so many people who still feel so
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downtrodden and hopeless, even a year later,” Riles said. Miyazaki also noted that the conference included appearances by a number of notable Japanese scholars. “I have had long-term relationship[s] with a group of fellows; they agreed to spend this weekend with us,” Miyazaki said. “They are influential political figures.” Riles said that, in the wake of the disaster, she talked with many of those who were affected. “I was in Japan at the time of the earthquake,” Riles said. “We left but we were in touch with lots of people. People were emailing us with interesting reports from the ground.” In response, Riles said she worked to launch an online mode of communication, called Project Meridian 180, which allowed users to “have a discussion in three languages.” “We launched the forum months ago through that site [Meridian 180],” Riles said. “This conversation unfolded before the conference.” Drawing about 60 people, the conference was a success, Riles said. “It was one of the most meaningful and successful programs I have been involved in,” Riles said. Kayoko Hirata ’12, who also attended the conference, said she enjoyed hearing professors speak about the disaster. “I came because I went to northern Japan last semester to do volunteer work,” she said. “The lineup is all professors, so I wanted an academic perspective [on the earthquake].” Erica Augenstein can be reached at eaugenstein@cornellsun.com.
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THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012 7
NEWS BRIEFS
Day Seven in Virginia Tech Negligence Trial Concludes
CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (AP) — The state rested Tuesday after witnesses in a wrongful death lawsuit testified that Virginia Tech officials acted properly on April 16, 2007, when a lone gunman killed 32 on the Blacksburg campus and then himself. Circuit Judge William Alexander later adjourned the trial for the day and told jurors to return to court Wednesday to hear closing arguments and to begin their deliberations. Attorneys for the state, the lone defendant in the civil trial, presented only a fraction of the 50 potential witnesses they had listed in court filings. Lawyers for the parents of two students slain in the attacks planned to present a rebuttal witness. The defense called to the stand Virginia Tech officials, police and experts on campus security who all agreed that Tech police and school administrators did the right thing when they concluded the first two shootings were domestic and isolated. As a result, they delayed alerting students and faculty on campus because they believed the dorm attack was targeted and the gunman did not pose a threat to the wider campus. Less than three hours later, Seung-Hui Cho chained the doors to Norris Hall and killed 30 students and faculty in the classroom building. He then killed himself. University officials have said there was no way to anticipate the deadliest campus shootings in modern U.S. history. The parents of students Julia K. Pryde and Erin Nicole Peterson disagree. They persisted in bringing the lawsuit because they believe their daughters would have survived Cho’s attack if the campus had known of the first two shootings, which ultimately resulted in the deaths of both victims. Attorneys for the parents, who are each seeking $100,000, also contend President Charles W. Steger and other university officials attempted to cover their missteps. They have denied that. Steger’s reputation was the focus of state questioning Tuesday after attorneys for the parents suggested during their presentation that Steger attempted to cover missteps of university officials on the morning of April 16. State attorney William Broaddus asked Tech’s legal counsel about Steger’s reputation for truthfulness. “His reputation is excellent,” testified Kay K. Heidbreder, who said she had known Steger for 30 years.
Dugard to Remain in Hiding To Protect Daughters NEW YORK (AP) — Kidnapping survivor Jaycee Dugard made her first public appearance over the weekend at a star-studded New York awards ceremony, but she plans to remain in hiding until her daughters are mature enough to understand what happened to them, she said in a recent interview. Dugard, 31, and her two children, ages 14 and 17, have been living at an undisclosed California location since being found by authorities in 2009, 18 years after she was abducted from a South Lake Tahoe bus stop. She was held by Phillip and Nancy Garrido in their Antioch backyard, where she gave birth to two children conceived by rape. In an interview set to air Tuesday night, Dugard told ABC News that she’s spent the last three years healing and experiencing life with her family. “I want my girls to have a normal life as much as possible,” she told ABC News’ Diane Sawyer. “I feel like on some things I have to do it a little bit differently ... not be recognized ... for their sake.” “I think in time as they get older, they’ll know how to deal with it better, and that would be the time that we would come out,” she said. Dugard has been working to build the JAYC Foundation, which aims to support families dealing with abduction and other tragedies. She wrote a best-selling memoir last year, “A Stolen Life,” which recounts her years in captivity.
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Voters from Alabama and Mississippi voted Tuesday to set the outcome of the Republican primaries in the two states. Republican candidate Rick Santorum won a double victory; as of midnight, Gingrich was running second and Romney third in both states.
Former Butler on Trial in Conn. Extortion NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Held hostage on her Connecticut estate, philanthropist Anne H. Bass received an injection from masked assailants who made a chilling ultimatum: Hand over millions of dollars for the antidote, or die from a deadly virus. The men said Bass and her guest had 20 hours to produce $8.5 million. It was only later, after the men reconsidered and fled the house, that the victims learned that the substance was harmless, likely an ink. A trial is starting in U.S. District Court this week for Emanuel Nicolescu, a former head butler at the Bass estate, who is the only person arrested in the crime. Nicolescu, 31, has pleaded not guilty to
charges including attempted extortion. His attorney declined comment. Authorities say Nicolescu and at least two other men broke into the house around 11 p.m. on April 15, 2007, on the estate spanning several hundred acres in the western Connecticut town of Kent. The 69-year-old Bass, former wife of Texas billionaire Sid Bass, also has homes in New York and Fort Worth, Texas. An attorney for the victims said in court papers they have lived in constant fear that the attackers still at large could harm them again. Bass and the other victim “look forward to justice being done,” said a spokesman, Allan Mayer.
OPINION
Exercising ‘Supreme Control’
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Independent Since 1880 130TH EDITORIAL BOARD JUAN FORRER ’13 Editor in Chief
HELENE BEAUCHEMIN ’13
JEFF STEIN ’13
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Managing Editor
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“B
ylaws of Cornell University: ARTICLE II, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES “1. Powers: Subject to the Charter of the University and the laws of the State, the Board of Trustees shall have supreme control over the University, including every college, school, and academic department, division and center thereof.” Damn. There is nothing like reading that one sentence to give a Cornell trustee a massively inflated view of himself, an irrational superiority complex and alarming delusions of grandeur. Despite any redeeming qualities I may have, I must admit that anyone willing to campaign for the votes of 20,000 plus Cornell students
ed this year needs to be a graduate or professional student. If you are even remotely interested in representing this University and shaping the future of Cornell for decades to come, or perhaps just knowing what it is like to be David Skorton’s boss and to wield “supreme control,” please contact me. I will even buy you a cup of coffee as we chat about the office of trustee; that way if you find the work of a trustee to be tedious and boring (or you simply find me to be tedious and boring), at least you will have gotten something from our meeting. Being a trustee is no easy task. While not serving as a student advocate per se, you do serve as a student representative in the sense that it is your responsibility to
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Letters
Any action is better than no action To the Editor: Re: “#StopPhony” Arts and Entertainment, March 13 There is a misconception that dissenting and criticizing anything popular makes you seem more reasonable. The recent awareness campaign by Invisible Children through their video “Kony 2012” is undoubtedly not without controversy. I have a different problem with the attitude shown in the article “#StopPhony.” This sort of response promotes the feeling that doing small things like updating your Facebook status, sharing a video or signing a petition is insignificant and in fact, immature if you are not an expert on the intricacies of the subject. This type of feeling makes the world’s problems feel too big and too difficult to solve. This type of attitude is a selffulfilling cycle, causing inaction and future skepticism on activism with large goals. The easiest thing to do in the face of insurmountable odds is to do nothing. It is also the worst thing to do. There has never been any movement where mainstream society believed that the odds of success were high. Nor has there ever been a movement without possible negative consequences. No one has ever tried to change a regime, policy or societal status quo with large support or a flawless plan. All change originates from movement building, which consists mostly of small actions and small methods of participation. People have different abilities to donate time and resources, and contributing anything is important. Any demonstrated interest is better than no interest, no matter how pedantic and uneducated you presume the people on your news feed to be. Brandon Bass ’13
SEND The Sun YOUR FEEDBACK opinion@cornellsun.com.
to be elected to the Board of Trustees, as I did two years ago, is necessarily pretentious and ostentatious enough to get a high off reading that he or she will have “supreme control” over Cornell. That phrase is LSD for the aspiring student leader. My sense of power and self-importance was not diminished by an email of congratulations from President David Skorton upon my election, in which he addressed me as “Boss.” It is true that the trustees have a great deal of power and influence over shaping the future of this institution. Yet, to cite that overly applied cliché from the movie Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility. It has continually distressed me that more students are not aware of the work of the trustees or what it means to be a trustee when such a meaningful opportunity to shape our University is made available to students. Only 8 percent of private colleges and universities in the U.S. have current students serving as trustees. Beyond the ability of a student trustee to contribute more to Cornell as a whole institution than any other role available to a student, serving as a trustee is the ultimate professional development opportunity on steroids. For someone aspiring to spend his or her life in academia or the corporate world, I can tell you from experience that being a trustee teaches you more valuable lessons than your M.S. research ever will. The power, opportunity and responsibility that I have relished for two years are now up for grabs once again. My term ends on June 30, but in April, all 20,000 plus Cornell students will have the chance to elect the next student trustee. ALL STUDENTS VOTE, but the person elect-
reach out to and understand the perspectives of the student body at Cornell. I have undertaken several efforts to improve twoway communication between the trustees and the student body over my two years in the position; some have succeeded, some have failed, but the process continues. Connecting with and understanding the huge range of diverse students at Cornell will be a constant task and frustration of any student trustee, but it is also a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Cornell and his or her peers. Being a student trustee can also mean regularly sitting through nine hours of meetings only to make a few well-placed comments. This may seem painfully wearisome, but once you realize the importance of making the right comment at the right time to shape the long-term future of Cornell, you cannot conceive of your time as ill spent. Really, the only requirement to be a trustee is to hold a deep and unfailing love for this institution. Anyone with such love would find the strength, resolve and commitment to be an excellent trustee. So … perhaps it’s not all about “supreme control” (sorry, Dr. Freud). Perhaps being a trustee is more about your service to the University controlling you. Nevertheless, if working to improve Cornell alongside the most intelligent, driven and dedicated people you will ever meet is something that sounds appealing to you, you will welcome the opportunity to subject yourself to such control. Darrick Nighthawk Evensen is a graduate student in the Department of Natural Resources and the graduate student-elected trustee. He may be reached at dte6@cornell.edu. Trustee Viewpoint appears alternate Tuesdays this semester.
CORRECTION A news article printed Tuesday, “Muslims at C.U. Back Bloomberg,” incorrectly extrapolated the meaning of a quote provided by Tommy Bruce, vice president for the University’s communications office. In fact, Bruce did not comment on any action taken by the NYPD. Also, due to an editing error, the headline of the story incorrectly implied that the whole Muslim community at Cornell was backing Bloomberg. Sara Rahman ’12, president of the Committee for the Advancement of Muslim Culture and president of the Islamic Alliance for Justice, did not say she “backed,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg, but instead said simply that she understood why he was coming.
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012 9
OPINION
Bringing Character Back to Cornell I
always tell prospective students and friends that at Cornell we take everything to the extreme — academics, social activities, extracurriculars and the like. Here, there is a cultural emphasis on distinguishing oneself through rigorous and tireless effort, and achievement measured by quantified indicators. Absent from our daily lives, however, is an emphasis on character and moral action. Institutions within Cornell that historically purported to promote character no longer do so. As a result, material success tends to subjugate the importance of moral agency in our various pursuits. In a column published last week in The New York Times, David Brooks honored the recently deceased social scientist James Q. Wilson for returning “the vocabulary of character into discussions of everyday life.” Brooks echoed Wilson’s definition of character as the promotion of basic virtues such as cooperation, decency, responsibility and balanced behavior. In recounting Wilson’s work, Brooks emphasized the promotion of virtue not through religion or imposition but rather habit and daily reinforcement of “practicing good manners … being dependable, punctual and responsible.” In other words, the character Wilson defines and Brooks espouses results from constant practice of the values and actions consistent with living an honest, balanced and good life. Unfortunately, I have seen little promotion of the aforementioned moral virtues during my time at Cornell. That doesn’t mean character doesn’t have a place at a modern, secular university such as ours. Rather, it represents a failure or evolution on the part of institutions originally designed to encourage the development of a strong, balanced moral compass. Fraternities and sororities at Cornell have certainly evolved such that they no longer exist to instill character in their members. The creeds of many Greek organizations allude to moral virtues and daily activities, at one point, seemingly enforced their practice. Today, however, their purpose is primarily to provide a social outlet. This isn’t a bad thing; I am a proud fraternity member. But social and brotherhood activities don’t revolve around daily moral action. Our Greek organizations, instead of promoting
virtues, perpetuate the cultural norms inherent to East Hill. More formally, academic policies are designed to ensure students develop a strong sense of morality in academic settings. The Academic Code of Conduct encapsulates standards regarding honor and proper academic behavior. Despite serving as the seeming moral code for studies, it’s rarely read or understood. Instead, I see it regularly flouted. The first time I saw a professor actively discuss and require reading of the Code of Conduct was this semester, in the Introductory Statistics class I serve as a T.A. for. In a similar vein, the first time any course required me to complete a plagiarism tutorial was “Ethics at Work.” Generally, we as Cornellians seem to prioritize merely completing academic work over completing it properly. Ideally, student leaders would serve as models of proper character. As is true for our nation and society, however, leaders and role models aren’t selected based on their daily displays of honesty and decency. Student leaders are elected and admired because they are seemingly the most goal-focused, driven and future-oriented among us. Sometimes this leads to questionable moral decision-making; for example, a candidate implicated in a potential fraud scandal recently won election to the Student Assembly. Of course, this isn’t necessarily a judgment of student leaders themselves. I find many to be commendable individuals who greatly improve Cornell. The election process and results just happen to reflect our valuing of material success over daily moral virtue. The popular cultural values reinforced daily at Cornell are in line with the mantra of “everything to the extreme.” Whether it be our work, weekend activities or clubs we stress results at any cost. Much of this attitude is reflected in the career-mindedness that reverberates across campus. There is tremendous pressure to achieve quantified success in terms of prelim scores, beers consumed and positions
achieved. Such an approach to achievement compromises and rejects the importance of true excellence in our daily lives. I sometimes feel lost on campus as one who tries to value and appreciate the display of good character. Attempting to live honestly, responsibly, cooperatively and in balance is extremely difficult, in light of campus norms. I frequently find myself failing at self-control and thus not achieving the qualities of character I so admire. Nevertheless, it’s the attempts at and habituation of moral virtue that are important. Moral values can only been
Jon Weinberg In Focus practiced through habit, and so I hope that others too see the need to try practicing actions representative of good character. An appreciation for daily moral virtues cannot be inculcated and instead must be organic. While Brooks celebrates the role of character in American society, I find myself troubled by its lack of place at Cornell. Institutional limitations and shifts reflect not administrative failures but a cultural attitude. Simply put, the onus is on us to step back and question just what qualities we look for and value in each other. After all, happiness and true success post-Cornell will not come from quantified achievement but rather from having a strong moral compass. No grand action or unseasonably warm Ithaca winter can inspire us to improve our behavior in this regard. Instead, we have to try and, perhaps initially fail, at incorporating small actions in line with good character into our daily lives. Jon Weinberg is a junior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He may be reached at jweinberg@cornellsun.com. In Focus appears alternate Wednesdays this semester.
Listen to Your Elders, But Don’t Believe Everything You Hear I
vividly remember receiving a letter from my grandmother one summer while I was away at camp. It had a big red heart on the front and read, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” As an 11year-old, I found the message deep and very meaningful — absence from my family did, without a doubt, make me appreciate them more. However, as a 21-yearold, I now find myself falling out of touch with people because they are “out of sight and out of mind.” Some long distance relationships work because absence helps
now understand (I think) that we can’t be explained in a just few short words — especially if they rhyme. It appears this kind of folk wisdom is inconsistent, at best. And I need answers. No offense to grandma, but the skeptic in me started looking up some of her favorites to see how folk wisdom stands up to behavioral science. Boys Will Be Boys
According to developmental psychologists, although much of who we grow up
vational mantra, too. And, according to research, for good reason. Biopsyhologists have found that motor representations in the neurons of the brain change as a result of training and repeated use. For example, the primary motor cortex in piano players’ is significantly wider than in normal, nonpianist individuals. Similarly, as a movement or skill becomes more familiar, the neurons used to carry it out fire more efficiently, requiring less energy and fewer neuronal connections. So really, practice makes familiar. No Pain, No Gain
Hannah Deixler Shades of Grey to keep things alive, but some relationships fizzle because of failure to maintain contact. Do opposites actually attract or do birds of a feather flock together? Is patience a virtue? Or is he who hesitates lost? My grandmother imparted so much folk wisdom she probably could have written greeting cards for a living. I assume most grandmothers did. And when I was younger, Grandma’s catchy maxims helped me make sense of my feelings and of others’ behavior. But as a grown-up, I
to be comes from the environments we are reared in (i.e. how we are nurtured), girls, on average, talk sooner, walk earlier and excel in fine motor skills like drawing and writing. But boys (again, on average) show, perhaps due to differences in cultural environments, greater gross motor skills — they jump further, run faster and throw farther. So Grandma, boys can and will be boys if they’re encouraged to be them. Practice Makes Perfect
This was every teacher’s favorite moti-
Coaches everywhere borrowed this from their Grandmas — with research to support them. When we take on and conquer more challenging tasks, we show higher levels of self-esteem and happiness. However, with that said, research has also shown that when we set high goals and fail to achieve them, we show lower selfesteem than if we had we not set any goals at all. The struggle is only beneficial if we actually win in the end. Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Look no further than the social divisions at Cornell to recognize that we are attracted to people who are like us. Not only do we like to spend time with people who share similar interests and ideals, but we also take on their behaviors. In one study, when divided into groups based on an arbitrary characteristic, people were more likely to rate group members as their
“best friends” and to rate members of other groups as enemies. So, Grandma, you were, for the most part, kind of right. Folk wisdom, when put to the test of behavioral science, proves (as most things do when studied by psychologists) to be true — sometimes. My grandmother’s easy to remember and easier to understand short words of virtue were helpful to me when I was younger. But now that I better understand that no two birds are alike, it seems behavioral science should step in to further blur the contradictory statements and create a muck of “maybes” and “it depends.” So what about those long distance relationships? Not surprisingly, it depends on who you ask. In one study, over 40 percent of participants who were in a long distance relationship experienced “out of sight, out of mind” as the best descriptor of their experience. A large majority said the distance either ended or made worse their relationship. However, a study done in the same year but across the country found that 70 percent of males and 72 percent of females who were surveyed believed “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” So look before you leap, and certainly don’t count your chickens before they hatch … or something like that.
Hannah Deixler is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She may be reached at hdeixler@cornellsun.com. Shades of Grey appears alternate Wednesdays this semester.
10 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012
SCIENCE
Animal Activism
By SARAH COHEN
Environmental Sciences
Nutritional Sciences
Vet Student Gabby Wagner ’11 Campaigns to Save Endangered Animals
Sun Staff Writer
WATCH
THE VIDEO AT CORNELLSUN . COM
Under her pseudonym “Gabby Wild,” vet school student Gabby Wagner ’11 is on a mission to save twelve endangered animals through her “12 in 12 for 12” campaign, which combines activism with fashion. “It’s called ‘12 in 12 for 12’ because I’m wearing twelve outfits in twelve months for twelve threatened animals,” she said. “Each animal is either phenotypically, genotypically, geographically, or evolutionarily distinct, and I picked them based off of that. I wanted a variety of animals, but I wanted to choose animals that the public could relate to,” Wagner said. Wagner started her campaign in January with the Amur leopard, a critically endangered big cat from Far East Russia. According to Wagner, there are only 35 to 50 of this blue-eyed, thick-coated leopard subspecies left in the wild. Althea Harper, the season six finalist of “Project Runway,” designed the leopard spotted dress that Wagner wore every day of that month. The animal for February was the Bactrian camel, which is found in China and Mongolia. This camel is resistant to nuclear radiation, according to research conducted on a population found in China’s Lop Nur Desert, a nuclear weapons testing site. Cornell designers Laura Zwanziger’15 and Max Gengos’12 created the three-piece neutral sportswear outfit for Wagner. This month Wagner chose to highlight the Purple Frog, one of the oldest living species of frog. The amphibian is considered to be 130 million years old. Currently there are only 135 Purple Frogs discovered so far, of which only three are female. This month, Wagner is wearing a royal purple dress and a matching fleece designed and produced by EARTHTEC® which creates its clothing from recycled materials. The April animal, the Ganges River dolphin, is functionally
blind. One of four species of freshwater dolphins, it is found in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is also the National Aquatic Animal of India. For April, Wagner will wear a flowing onesleeved dress reminiscent of a river designed by Kristin Haskins Simms, a participant on “Project Runway,” season eight. May is the month of the Blue Morpho butterfly. These butterflies are able to see one another from very far away because their eyes can sense UV light. Although this animal is not endangered, its habitat is, and the campaign is trying to preserve the butterflies’ migratory path through Belize. Seth Aaron Henderson, winner of season seven of “Project Runway,” created a long blue dress based on the butterfly’s iridescent wings for Wagner to wear. June highlights the Red panda, which is native to China. These tree-climbing mammals, eat thousands of leaves of bamboo everyday, and are unique because, unlike most animals, they have a thumb. The Red panda dress was designed by Andy South, a finalist on “Project Runway,” season eight. It includes a striped scarf that looks like the animal’s tail.
July’s animal, the Chinese Giant salamander, is considered a living fossil. The world’s largest living species of amphibian, the salamander has lungs but breaths most efficiently through its skin. A patterned coral gown, designed by one of the pioneers of eco-friendly fashion, Luis Valenzuela, imitates the smooth skin of the salamander. The animal for August is the Rondo Dwarf galago. This animal from Tanzania is one of the top 25 most endangered primates in the world. As a nocturnal animal, it sleeps in nests during the daytime. For this month, Wagner will be wearing a silk pleated sundress created by Kara Saun, a finalist on season one of “Project Runway.” The Asian elephant, the animal for September, can live for up to 70 years. The largest land animal in Asia, females live in social groups while males usually travel alone. Mila Hermanovski, a finalist on season seven of “Project Runway,” constructed an elephant grey sportswear outfit for the elephant. October is the month of the Kakapo parrot. The heaviest parrot in the world, and the only nocturnal one, these New Zealand
PURPLE FROG / COURTESY OF S D BIJU
GANGES RIVER DOLPHIN /MANSUR BCDP
BLUE MORPHO BUTTERFLY / DIANNA ROBINSON
RONDO DWARF GALAGO / ANDREW PERKIN
COURTESY OF GABBY WAGNER ’11
Endangered apparel | Vet student Gabby Wagner’11 dons originally designed, animal-inspired outfits to promote awareness for threatened animals.
ASIAN ELEPHANT/ COURTESY OF ZSL
KAKAPO PAROT / CONSERVATION NEW ZEALAND
natives are unable to fly. The first season winner of “Project Runway,” Jay McCarroll, designed a short-fringed dress in the color of the parrot’s colorful plumage. November’s animal, the Sumatran tiger, is the smallest subspecies of tiger. These tigers have predator spots, also known as eye spots, on their ears so that animals approaching from behind will be scared away thinking the tiger is larger than it is. This month, Wagner will wear a striped ball gown, also designed by January’s designer, Althea Harper. Finishing out the year is December’s animal, the Red wolf. This canine from North America almost went extinct in back in the 1970s and 80s when there were only 14 left in captivity, but were successfully bred and became the
first carnivore to be re-released into the wild. A three-piece look composed of reds and browns designed by Gordana Gehlhausen, a member of season six on “Project Runway,” will be Wagner’s final look for the year. Wagner’s goal is to raise $10,000 each month to donate towards four wild life foundations; the Ya'axché Conservation Trust in Belize, Kakapo Recovery in New Zealand, The Red Wolf Coalition in the U.S. and the Zoological Society of London. At the end of her campaign, Wagner will auction off each dress and donate the money to her charity organizations.
AMUR LEOPARD / COURTESY OF JACKIE THOMAS
BACTRIAN CAMEL / COURTESY OF ZSL
RED PANDA / COURTESY OF TOMALIN
SUMATRAN TIGER / COURTESY MARK BUTCHER
Sarah Cohen can be reached at scohen@cornellsun.com.
CHINESE GIANT SALAMANDER / G. WAGNER ’11
RED WOLF / COURTESY GABBY WAGNER ’11
Critter calendar | Gabby Wagner’s yearlong ‘12 in 12 for 12’ campaign is focused on raising money to save 12 threatened and endangered animals, pictured above.
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012 11
SCIENCE
Prof. Ling Qi Examines Fat Cell Responses to Obesity and Diabetes By JENNIFER CHEN Sun Contributor
Obesity and diabetes share an undeniable connection, but what exactly is it? Prof. Ling Qi, nutritional sciences, and his team of researchers are trying to find out. His team is currently focusing on trying to understand the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes, Qi said. “The long term goal is to delineate a molecular mechanism that leads to the obesity associated type II diabetes,” he added. Lipids play an underlying role in the outcome of obesity related diabetes. When people eat a Western diet rich in lipids, these lipids induce cellular changes in cells that eventually confer insulin-resistance in those cells. More specifically, Qi’s research explores the response of these fat cells to stress. His work focuses on the endoplasmic reticulum, a protein factory in the cell that makes, folds and transports proteins. “When there are accumulations of mis-
OLIVER KLIEWE / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Molecular mechanism | Prof. Ling Qi’s explores the endoplasmic reticulum.
folded proteins in the ER, they tend to cause a stress response. We call this an ER stress response,” Qi said. A buildup of stress in the ER affects its ability to secrete proteins in fat cells that affect eating behaviors and metabolism. Thus, a reduced efficiency in their secretion changes the insulin sensitivity of cells throughout the entire body, according to Qi. To counteract this stress, “These proteins initiate a signaling cascade to the ER to the nucleus and the nucleus responds by upregulating ER chaperones,” Qi said. Chaperons in the ER help with protein folding and protein lipidation, which consequently reduce stress and improve systemic insulin sensitivity. In a paper he previously published in the June 2009 issue of Cell Metabolism, Qi described his discovery of an ER stress response pathway involved with the development of fat cells. He and his team found that when faced with stress, fat cells lacking in IRE1alpha, a chaperon protein that senses misfolded proteins and initiates the unfolded protein response to restore proper protein folding, were unable to transition from pre-adipocytes, or pre-fat cells, to mature fat cells. This interference in fat cell development sheds light on the mechanisms that produce obesity-causing fat cells. Currently, Qi and his research team are investigating how the ER stress response affects not only regular obesity, but also obesity associated with type II diabetes. “Nowadays, we are further addressing the question of whether ER stress affects the progression of obesity into type II diabetes,” he said. Qi’s work involves the use of mouse models to study ER defective mice that lack a central component on the ER membrane that produces the stress response pathway. “We are also specifically using conditional knockout mouse models and knockout genes in the macrophages, in the adipocytes, in other tissue cell types, and in the intestines as well, just to see how they affect systemic insulin sensitivity,” Qi said. Conditional knockout mouse models are genetically engineered mice that con-
OLIVER KLIEWE/ SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Biochemical bases | In addition to researching obesity and type II diabetes, Prof. Qi also teaches a class on human nutritional requirements.
tain tissue-specific inactivations of genes producing ER stress responses. One of Qi’s goals with his research is to translate his findings into therapeutic strategies for treatment for type II diabetes as well as other obesity-related health problems, he said. “I get up every morning, and I get so excited about what we do. And sometimes I can’t sleep because really what we’re doing is actually opening up a new area that may have significant implications for our understanding of the development of obesity associated type II diabetes,” Qi said. According to Qi, his enthusiasm for his research comes from his fascination with its application in everyday life. “By understanding how obesity develops it helps you to understand yourself,” he said. “That’s why I felt so interested and that’s what drives me—trying to understand myself better and how my tissues and how my organs work.” In addition to his active research, Qi also teaches NS3310: Physiological and Biochemical Bases of Human Nutrition. The course explores the fundamentals of human nutritional requirements with an
integrated approach that combines concepts from biochemistry, organic chemistry, and anatomy and physiology. He said that what he enjoys most about teaching this class is that at the end of the semester, students tell him how his class has changed their diet and affected the way they make food choices. “This class is so helpful because it is so applicable to your daily life,” he said. After students learn more about how certain foods translate into energy and fats, he added, they become more health-conscious about what they consume. While Qi shows great dedication to his research, he also finds teaching to be an equally rewarding experience. “I feel that research and teaching in class really goes hand-in-hand,” Qi said. “For me, If I could be a better teacher, it really motivates me to learn more about the materials I'm teaching and it also motivates me to do better research,” he said. And through this research, he added, that he plans to make new discoveries that are “meaningful for everybody.” Jennifer Chen can be reached at jchen@cornellsun.com.
Prof: Fracking Fluid Harmful to Animal Health By BOB HACKETT Sun Senior Writer
Animals are suddenly dropping dead, becoming ill and sterile, and birthing deformed offspring in places where hydrofracturing, or “fracking,” for natural gas is practiced reports a new study by Prof. Robert Oswald, molecular medicine, and his wife Michelle Bamberger, a private practice veterinarian. Their paper, titled “Impacts of Gas Drilling on Human and Animal Health,” appeared in the January issue of New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy and is one of the first peer-reviewed papers to discuss fracking’s potential negative health effects on both humans and other animals. The team analyzed 24 cases of affected animals, including cows, goats, chickens, horses, deer, birds, cats, koi, llamas and humans across six states (Colorado, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas). Reproductive problems were most common, but other symptoms in both animals and humans included upper respiratory issues, burning of the eyes, nosebleeds, diarrhea, vomiting, rashes, headaches and neurological prob-
lems. Poisoned animals portend danger not only because they may degrade the nation’s food supply but also because they serve as indicators of or, in the paper’s terms, “sentinels” for, human health. Since these animals have faster reproductive cycles and shorter generation times than humans, more can be learned and earlier about the health effects of gas drilling by studying them first, the paper argues. “The first case that really caught my attention, and really caught most people’s attention, was that case in Louisiana where 17 cows died within an hour that is highly unusual for cattle being exposed to petroleum products,” Bamberger said. “Usually, they’ll die within one to three days, not an hour.” By the paper’s logic, such animals are inadvertent “canaries in a coalmine.” “What I suspect is that if I follow these cases long enough I am going to start to see reproductive effects in people too,” Bamberger said. The paper compares the oil and gas industry’s approach to public health to the tobacco industry’s rejection of a link between smoking and cancer. Its abstract warns that
“Without rigorous scientific studies, the gas drilling boom sweeping the world will remain an uncontrolled health experiment on an enormous scale.”
the veterinarians or to the owners. It took [those animal deaths] for the doctor to do something that you would not normally do in a child that looked fairly healthy otherwise,
COURTESY OF PROF. ROBERT OSWALD
Cow tipping |Frackin fluids may be killing livestock on nearby farms. “I think the example we give in the paper that is probably the most compelling of all is case number one, where a child was sick from the get-go over there and had all these vague sorts of symptoms and some of the animals around that neighborhood were dying and dying in ways that didn’t really make sense to
and that is to look for signs of poisoning,” Bamberger said. A toxicology test revealed that arsenic poisoning caused the child’s sickness, the paper reported. Since arsenic naturally occurs in shale, the paper said that well water contamination by surface spillage of fracking wastewater was a potential cause
for the child’s illness. To resolve these uncertainties, Bamberger and Oswald advocate careful and complete testing of the air and of all water sources for animals and humans before and after drilling starts. If certain contaminants appear in the second round a person can then test for them in the tissues and fluids of people and animals thereby providing a “clincher,” in Bamberger’s terms, that fracking is to blame. It is difficult to implicate fracking with absolute certainty because in most states there is no law requiring hydrofracturing companies to disclose the proprietary chemicals they use, Oswald said. Nondisclosure agreements similarly prevent a thorough investigation of all possible data, he said. “That’s where we hit the wall as researchers,” Oswald said, “and where others doing health research will hit the wall too.” As New York State deliberates over its suspension on fracking, Oswald cautions: “Until they consider the health impacts I think there is absolutely no chance that fracking will be done safely.” Bob Hackett can be reached at bhackett@cornellsun.com.
A&E
12 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | Wednesday, March 14, 2012
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PHOTOS BY ZACHARY WU / SUN CONTRIBUTOR
BY LUBABAH CHOWDHURY Sun Contributor
What would one do without radio, TV and the like? Perhaps one would take a trip around the world. Perhaps one would listen to music and go to the ballet. Perhaps one would reflect not only on the meaning of love, but also on the political stature of our nation in the international arena. In short, perhaps one would have enjoyed 18th century French opera. And Les Voyages de L’amour: Operatic Flights, staged Sunday afternoon at Bailey Hall, allowed the spectator to do just that. Les Voyages de L’amour is an opera-ballet, a genre that consists of entrées, or acts, each of which chronicle separate stories, told through a mixture of opera and ballet. The featured works — Louis-Nicolas Clérambault’s “Orphée” (1710), André Campra’s “L’Espagne” from L’Europe galante (1697) and Jean-Phillipe Rameau’s “Les sauvages” from Les Indes galantes (1743) — are united by the theme of romantic love. Love is a rather perilous subject matter, especially in opera; the dramatic nature of both could easily spiral into trite melodrama. It is a testament to the skill and talent involved in this performance that those attending left the performance moved. “Orphée,” in particular, could have been laughably sentimental rather than a sweet celebration of love’s triumph against all odds. Drawing from the Greek myth, the miniature opera chronicles Orphée’s descent to the underworld to find his dead wife Eurydice. From the moment soprano Rebecca Choate Beasley took the stage, it was nearly impossible to pay attention to anything else. Graceful and poised, she used her hands expressively, gesturing to the bereaved Orpheus, played by Justin Coates of the New York Baroque Dance Company. Beasley implores the audience and the cold-hearted Pluto to take pity on him. Her role was especially difficult, as she also doubled as narrator, yet
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
An Afternoon At the Opera
she managed her multiple roles with ease. Her face was clouded with sorrow as she gave voice to Orpheus’ lament and wreathed with joy as she sang of his triumph. Rather than dominating the small ensemble of violin, flute and cello, Beasley’s voice mingled with the instruments and delighted the audience with its sweet, light beauty. At one point, the flute and the voice engaged in a duet that transcended the barrier between instrument and voice. The dancing was superb, with both Coates and Alexis Silver as Eurydice executing incredibly intricate footwork with precision and grace. As actors, Silver especially shone; her face lit up with joy at being rescued from the dark underworld by her beloved. “L’Espagne” is a light comic piece when compared to the pathos and heartbreak portrayed in “Orphée,” and yet it was no less impressive because of it. Dom Pedro (Ross Hauck) and Dom Carlos (Paul Shipper) are occupied with wooing their respective lovers when they stumble upon each other and engage in an inconclusive dispute regarding who is the more faithful lover. Hauck’s facial expressions only added to the comedy of “L’Espagne;” his hopeful glance toward his l ov e r’s window and his dejection when she fails to appear w e r e endearing and made the audience laugh. Shipper’s low notes resonated throughout the theater, while Hauck seemed to float through the complex ornamental passages rather than slog through them. The Chorus, composed of members of the Cornell Chamber Singers and directed by John Rowehl, was equally comfortable with its part. The singers highlighted the spectacular dancing and nodded in agreement to Dom Carlos’ assertions on love without being a distraction. “Les Sauvages,” the most elaborate of the three pieces,
was the perfect conclusion to the performance. Beasley reappeared as Zima, the daughter of a native chief, who is pursued not only by her lover Ardario (Owen McIntosh) but also by the Spaniard Dom Alvar (Shipper) and the French soldier Damon (Hauck). The undertones of the opera involve the French imperialist agenda in the New World. Damon dissuades Adario and Dom Alvar from fighting among themselves, effectively initiating the peace talks; this action implies that France, not Spain, was the best-fitted to colonize this new land. Rameau paid homage to indigenous culture and dance in the Dance of the Peace Pipe, which hybridized the intricate footwork of French ballet with the solid beats and drumming of indigenous music. Beasley again shone in her role, wearing not only her royal status but her scrumptious period dress with ease. McIntosh was wonderful as the stoic and wrathful Ardario. Hauck again lightened the mood when it was called for. The dancers, who were heavily featured in “Les Sauvages,” were impressive with their energy and their grace. An artistic feat of laudable proportions, Les Voyages de L’amour gave the audience a taste of an evening at the Paris opera in 1743, as well as the political and cultural environment of the time. The performance left little to be desired, with wonderful acting by the singers and dancers and their beautiful interpretations of some of the finest French Baroque music. The only request one could have possibly had was for another opportunity to be transported back in time by such gorgeous music and timeless tales of love. Lubabah Chowdhury is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be contacted at lrc57@cornell.edu.
A&E
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | 13
Staying Coarse The Kham region of China covers a massive body of land, spanning from the western Sichuan province to the Tibetan Autonomous Region, through windy plains, frigid marshes and barren mountains. Up until 60 odd years ago, large civilizations tended to avoid settling the region. Barring the intrusion of a few wayward armies over time, the Kham’s only regular inhabitants have been an ethnically diverse group of nomadic herders, who, after 4000 years, continue to use the region’s abundant pastures to feed their yaks. In the 2010 documentary Summer Pasture, filmmakers Lynn True, Nelson Walker III and Tsering Perlo portray Tibetan nomadic society in a historical transition: from a patchwork of small, independent herding communities to a culture contained in cities, washed over by Chinese modernization. The filmmakers’ vehicle in this anthropological inquiry is a small family of three: Locho, the father; Yama, the mother; and their tiny daughter, who have staked out their summer camp in a field between two hills. Why they’ve picked the spot is unclear. The documentary only tells us that each year, many families like Locho and Yama’s migrate between designated pastures to feed their livestock. They’ve brought with them their most important assets — a brigade of yaks, which provide the food, milk and wool needed to sustain them. But Nomads do not simply live to sustain themselves. They also engage in a small commodity trade that ties them to the outside world, but do not seek a profit. “No need to become rich like a king,” Locho tells the audience. “As they say, ‘it takes three years to become rich and it takes only three nights to become poor.’” Locho values the security of the nomadic lifestyle, which is guaranteed by abundant livestock — their “life savings.” In order to maintain their existential security, the
nomadic family must endure a strenuous lifestyle, industrially regimented such that, through a division of labor between the husband and wife, no task goes uncompleted. At various points throughout the film, Yama stresses about time constraints that she faces while doing chores. If she falters, nothing gets done. Yama spends all day producing the food; the film captures her churning butter from scratch several times, taking care of her child, fertilizing the field and heating the house. Sometimes, she admits, she doesn’t even have time to attend to her daughter. “It’s the woman’s fault if there is not enough dung to feed the fire, but man’s fault if there is nothing to eat,” Cornell Yama says. Gender roles are well according to the story that Cinema defined, the directors tell us, and crucial to maintaining a balanced domestic economy. Yet because Locho, Yama and their daughter live a relatively solitary life, they seem extra-sensitive to changes both in nearby towns and within the community of herders. Part of the film captures a trip that Locho makes to the county seat, Dzachukha, six hours away from their pasture. There he haggles for goods, sells caterpillar fungus — a valuable commodity that he and Yama collect — and retrieves medicine from the doctor to alleviate Yama’s chest pains. Both he and Yama indicate a discomfort interacting with the Chinese, which occurs on these types of trips. Neither one can speak or read the Chinese language and do not see their culture as compatible with Chinese development in the cities. Yama encounters cultural barriers during her visit to Xining City, the largest city on the Tibetan plateau, just after her first religious pilgrimage to Lhasa. “We talked to everybody, but nobody understood us. We didn’t know what to do. We walked around all day, but we never found where we wanted to go. We don’t understand
Joey Anderson
I
thaca, fashion hub of Tompkins County, nevertheless has very few opportunities for clothing shopping. There is Target, the affordable design superstore; Petrune, the local vintage boutique; Urban Outfitters, the typical hipster outpost … and not much else. But amidst the modest local options, there is one diamond in the rough. Bizarre as it may seem, it was founded in 1820, is technically a church and is a shopping goldmine. Yes, this is the Ithaca Salvation Army thrift store. The Salvation Army began as an offshoot of the Protestant Church in 19th century England. The organization offered poor citizens three things: soup, soap and salvation. This simple structure launched an organization that became one of the world’s largest independent sources of aid. The Army shops receive clothing as donations and sell them at lowered prices, allowing people of all budgets to shop there while donating the proceeds to free rehab centers. The wonder of shopping at Salvo’s, as some affectionately call it, is that it is accessible to everyone. On the flipside, however, lies the stigma associated with used clothing among the upper class. It is interesting to compare that stigma to the zeal among consumers for the “vintage” cache — that is, garments sold for their retro appeal at premium prices. But the secret of high-end vintage sellers is that actually they frequent estate sales and local thrift shops to find these garments that they then re-sell at a wide profit. The difference between “used” and “vintage” is just culling and marketing. Some of the vintage shops in New York
Chinese, you know? We were like yaks.” Outside the Tibetan area, the language barrier makes her feel like an animal. “Even yaks know where to go. We didn’t even know that.” Yama and Locho maintain their unfamiliarity with Chinese culture in good humor. They laugh about customary differences, like eating with their hands, not utensils. But behind the jokes lies a colder feeling of uncertainty about the future. Both hold their nomadic lifestyle very dearly, but still want their baby daughter to attend school in the city to gain literacy and become a nun. They do not suggest whether or not this entails abandoning their nomadic lifestyle or simply refining it, leaving the viewer neutral about whether it’s possible to reap the economic benefits of the modernizing towns while maintaining a traditional lifestyle. But as more nomads give up their summer pastures, the answer appears to be negative. In the face of the global attention paid to Tibetan independence, the macro political currents infused in Tibet’s steady, coerced modernization, Summer Pasture’s greatest success is the dispassionate view that the directors achieve. Any political ideas that emerge in the film are laid out by the characters themselves. They open up to the audience about problems they face, but only in the context of their daily lives. Some of the most candid moments occur when the Tibetans involve the filmmakers in the discussion, suggesting a strong sense of autonomy even as they answer politically charged questions. A group of males jab at Locho during a meeting between nomad males. “Locho and Yama will be in the west, even after they die,” they exclaim, displaying an awareness of their audience. “Locho must think he has become different.” The film suggests that, despite the changing social context facing the nomads, they still have a clear hold on their position in the world. Joey Anderson is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at janderson@cornellsun.com.
House of Salvation City are as exclusive, expensive and curated as designer flagship stores. And that is exactly what the customer is paying for: curation. They pay for someone else to sort through the dusty sweaters and find that gem, that silk Armani coat that got lost in the shuffle of a local thrift store.
pieces are hidden in the racks. The other joy of Salvation Army is seeing, through used clothing, the eccentricities of the people who originally wore or made these items. Case in point was a shirt and pant set festooned with fastidious hand beading and hand painting depicting a garish underwater scene. It looked like Lisa Frank had attacked the outfit with wild neon strokes. It was horrible, but fascinatingly so. Some grandma went to town on this outfit with her rhinestones and glue On and Off gun and it has yet to recovThe Bias er. Occasionally one will find a suitcase with old It was this kind of gem that I was look- maps in it or a blazer with someone’s ing for when I headed out on a “Salvo library card tucked in the pocket. It is these Road Trip” with a few friends to check out human touches that make shopping this not only the Ithaca Salvo but several other way its own little adventure. upstate New York Salvos also. After a day This is refreshing compared to the sterilfull of detours and sorting through ques- ized environment of boring chain stores. tionable grandpa sweaters, we came away Those retail outlets could actually learn with some great finds. something from the spontaneity of Salvo’s, Among my purchases were a fun, black the ad-hoc merchandising and odd catego60s patent leather raincoat with utilitarian rizations of garments that riff on the tradimetal buckles from Italian company tional shopping experience. The great Papagallo, an 80s Diane Von Furstenburg appeal of Salvo’s is that it is un-curated. leopard-print silk tunic and a pair of 90s The bored teenager working the register Bottega Venetta-style braided leather flats. won’t try to sell you anything, the sizing The damage for those three items? Nine won’t be obvious and there may or may not dollars. be a child’s Superman costume hiding in So for the price of lunch at CTB, you the women’s blouse section. Because of can pick up a whole new outfit at Salvo’s this, finding something cool in the racks is while giving to a good cause and support- rewarding and personal. ing recycling. It’s a win-win-win. If you are In many cases, people are making a budwilling to dig around, some beautiful getary choice between, say, Salvation Army
Amelia Brown
and Walmart. The Salvo is the more timeconsuming (though sometimes cheaper) choice, because of all the digging and sorting. But it can be worth the time for more interesting styles than the big box offerings. As for incorporating these clothes into a contemporary wardrobe, my friends across various style classifications and body types have managed to do this each in their own way. One girl buys up the 90s Levi’s highwaist cutoffs by the bag and wears them in summer with cropped t-shirts and aviators for a cool look. Another scouts out flowing dresses from local designer Flax, made in organic fabrics in simple cuts, and cinches them with stylish belts. Once you know your Salvo style, you go on the lookout for your era, your colors, your shapes. The truth about fashion is that it is one big recycling game. So it is surprisingly easy to pick out the trends of yesteryear that are back in style today, and Salvo-shop accordingly. Recycling sounds anti-fashion, but it is actually the definition of fashion. Just like the clothing, The Salvation Army is somewhat of a vintage organization in itself, based on a Christian duty to the poor. They see value in the underprivileged and under-loved, and similarly, in cast-off items that they give another chance. A trip to Salvo’s is a rewarding adventure and a boon to local fashion-seekers of all budgets. If you dive in, you will surface with treasure, ready to be re-styled, reinvented, saved. Amelia Brown is a senior in the College of Human Ecology. She can be reached at abrown@cornellsun.com. On and Off The Bias appears alternate Wednesdays this semester.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
14 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Diamond-studded tooth caps, e.g. 6 “High Voltage” band 10 Valence lead-in 14 Smash over the infield, say 15 “The Big Sleep” genre 16 Normandy city 17 Arctic digs 18 Refuse to grant, as access 19 Big hike 20 Standard of comparison 23 Be a buttinsky 24 Corner opening? 25 Saved to watch later 27 Oldies refrain syllable 28 Do one’s homework, so to speak 30 Casserole morsel 31 Like some kitchen cabinets 35 Go (for) 36 __ close to schedule 37 ’Enry’s ’ouse 38 Escape 39 Bad check letters 40 Govt. workers concerned with returns 44 Asian festival 45 Hi-fi spinners: Abbr. 46 Convenient connections 47 Fighting words 49 WWII USN carrier 50 Common college degs. 53 It includes a vest ... and what can be found in each set of circles in the long answers 57 Nile queen, familiarly 58 PTA part: Abbr. 59 Like a five-star hotel 60 Hide from a trapper 61 Spanish surrealist 62 Big chip maker 63 Not busy 64 WWII British gun 65 “With Reagan” memoirist
DOWN 1 Goodyear flier 2 Crossbred big cat 3 Parquetry design 4 Modernists, informally 5 “I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it” speaker 6 Actress MacDowell 7 Either “True Grit” (2010) director 8 “Correct answer!” sound 9 Formal glassware 10 When Juliet drinks the potion 11 13th-century globetrotter 12 One whose workplace is all abuzz 13 Printer’s purchase 21 Printer’s purchase 22 Add a little color to 26 Calendar entries 27 Cello sect. 28 PowerCat soccer cleats, e.g. 29 In __ of: replacing
31 “Reuben, Reuben” actor Tom 32 Yet to be paid 33 Crab variety 34 Pear choice 38 Mil. installations 40 Wrath, in a classic hymn 41 Checks carefully, as a contract 42 Backup medium 43 Provisional
48 Put pen to paper 49 Early Soviet leader 50 Former Montana copper-mining city 51 Clothing rack array 52 Vogue 54 Hurdle for a jr. 55 Cruise stopover 56 Trig ratio 57 Cost-of-living stat
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
xwordeditor@aol.com
03/14/12
COMICS AND PUZZLES
Sun Sudoku
Fill in the empty cells, one number in each, so that each column, row, and region contains the numbers 1-9 exactly once. Each number in the solution therefore occurs only once in each of the three “directions,” hence the “single numbers” implied by the puzzle’s name. (Rules from wikipedia.org/wiki /Sudoku)
Puzzle #3.14159265
4
6 1
Doonesbury
Mr. Gnu
Strings Attached
9
8
3
8 8
6 7 4
1
9
5
2
6
3
9 8
Circles and Stuff
By Steve Blais (c)2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
9
2 7
1
3
6
C
by Robert Radigan grad
We’re with you every step of the way.
03/14/12
by Garry Trudeau
Travis Dandro
by Ali Solomon ’01
The Corne¬ Daily Sun
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012 15
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16 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012
SPORTS
Red Looks to NCAA Nationals to Culminate Season WRESTLING
Continued from page 20
Perrelli looks to become a first-time All-American this season. Senior Steve Bosak, No. 4 at 184 pounds, also hopes to improve upon last season’s performance when he finished fourth. Bosak lost in the semifinals to Lehigh’s Robert Hamlin — a familiar foe who has given Bosak trouble over the past two seasons. If the two see each other again in St. Louis, it would be in the finals. Also qualifying for the national tournament for the Red by virtue of their performances at the EIWA championships are sophomores Nick Arujua (133), Mike Nevinger (141), Chris Villalonga (141) and Marshall Peppelman (165). At heavyweight, senior Maciej Jochym received an at-large bid, so he will also have the opportunity to compete. Jochym is set to face
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teammate Striker Lane’s older brother from Nebraska in his first-round matchup. Wrestling at nationals caps a great come-back story for the heavyweight, according to Koll. The coach noted that after Jochym’s freshman year, the senior took some time off from both the team and school. He returned to the team last year at 197 pounds, but with Simaz the undisputed starter at that weight did not have a chance to start. “This year he decided sitting on the bench was less entertaining than being a little heavy and making the team,” Koll said. “He’s come back and become a very popular, great team leader.” A strong performance at nationals will not only sweeten the end to Jochym’s story, but it may also help the team put up enough points to win a team title. TINA CHOU / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Brian Bencomo can be reached at bbencomo@cornellsun.com.
Tough competitors | Kyle Dake will try to grab his third national title to make him the Cornell wrestler with the most earned national titles and one of 24 wrestlers in NCAA championship history to have been champions exactly three times.
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012 17
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18 THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012
SPORTS
Cholish Balances Wall Street Career With MMA Lifestyle O’KASICK
Continued from page 20
“You were made to be a fighter,” Gracie told Cholish. “I have never seen someone smile so much while getting hit in the face.” From Wall Street to the UFC
it,” Koll said. “He was always extremely focused and hyper-competitive.” Cholish is not the only former Red wrestler to go into MMA and related martial arts. Jerry Rinaldi ’07, a two-time All-American, received his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) from Renzo Gracie last year. He started training in BJJ while at Cornell, and has continued due to the healthy lifestyle it promotes. “It was a very natural transition,” Rinaldi said. “I was open-minded with the jiu-jitsu technique, as I felt it complemented my wrestling technique and vice versa. Jiu-jitsu definitely improved my body awareness in unorthodox, fast-paced scramble situations that occur in wrestling.”
Nearly five years after that inauspicious start, Cholish has fought professionally eight more times and walked out of the cage victorious on every occasion. With a 8-1 record, the 155-pound lightweight has had only one fight go to a decision, winning all of his other bouts by submission or technical knockout (TKO). On Dec. 10, 2011, Cholish made his debut in the Bringing It Back to Jersey Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), MMA’s most Like Rinaldi and many Cornell wrestling greats prestigious stage, and he looked dominant again, defeating Mitch Clarke by TKO in the second round. before him, Cholish hails from the Garden State. He attended the prestigious Catholic private allFor all the glory in the cage, however, Cholish has drawn national publicity for a biographical detail nor- male institution, the Delbarton School in Morristown, mally overlooked when it comes to fighters — his day N.J., which is also the alma mater of Cornell’s current assistant coach, Mike Grey ’11, as well as 125-pound job. Having landed a gig on Wall Street as a financial senior Frank Perrelli. Coming from a family with several accomplished advisor not long after graduating from Cornell, Cholish now works with the Beacon Energy Group as an ener- wrestlers, Cholish started grappling almost before he gy broker for natural gas and crude oil futures, options learned to tie his shoes. Cholish’s mother worked as a librarian and his father and sloptions. managed a junkyard. In the buildup to some Cholish later learned of Cholish’s recent fights, “[Coach Koll] stressed time managethat his father sold his national sportswriters have dream car, a red 1964 delighted in profiling the ment and how to have a goal and stay Plymouth Fury, in “Ivy League energy broker focused ... That transferred ... to [now]” order to help finance turned fighter” and marhis son’s private school veled over how Cholish can John Cholish ’06 tuition. balance his two fast-paced, “My father said that grueling careers. Before fights, he trains sometimes twice a day, working out of was the best decision he ever made,” Cholish said. Now with successful careers, both as a professional two to three different gyms, while never missing a beat fighter and an energy broker, Cholish says he might just at the office. Of course, what many fans do not realize is that buy back a 1964 Plymouth Fury for his father one day. Cholish will have something of a homecoming on Cholish had four years of ideal training for such a lifestyle at Cornell, as a he wrestled for one of the pre- May 5 when he fights for the second time under the miere teams in the nation and kept apace for his degree UFC banner. Held at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., UFC on Fox 3 will pose Cholish’s in applied economics. “I have to credit coach Rob Koll so much,” Cholish biggest challenge to date, as he will face noted veteran, said of his former wrestling coach. “While we wrestled, Danny Castillo. While his fight will likely not be aired on the Fox he stressed time management and taught us to always have a goal and to stay focused both on wrestling and Sports Network that night, Cholish will certainly have our classes. That transferred right over to how I countless Jersey faithful friends and family members in the crowd, as well as many new fans who have been approach things now as a broker and a fighter.” Cholish continues to follow the Cornell wrestling drawn to his triumphant story and his fighting spirit. “I literally fight because it is fun,” Cholish said. “I program. He most recently attended the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championship love it.” Oh, he doesn’t plan on quitting his day job, either. finals on March 4 at Princeton. He also said he will be cheering on the nine Cornell wrestlers competing in the NCAA Wrestling National Championships this week- J.D. O’Kasick aspires to earn both a Ph.D. and a black belt one day — end in Saint Louis, Mo. or die trying. He is currently a grad student at Cornell. He can be con“I am not surprised at all that John [Cholish] can do tacted at jds482@cornell.edu.
Cornell Daily Sun
OLIVER KLIEWE SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Achieving excellence | Select members of the Red will
advance to the NCAA Championship at Ohio State in late March.
NCAA Championship Run Is Good Ending For Red, Says Dolgikh FENCING
Continued from page 20
on foil fencer herself, said she was very happy with the effort given by the fencers, as well as the results produced at the tournament. “The entire day fencers were fighting for each point and we’ve seen some great results come out at the end,” Dolgikh said. “The foil squad took all the accolades and even outperformed what was expected of them — April Whitney, Christine McIntosh and Rebecca Hirschfeld — went on to reach finals in this tournament. Even our freshman Allison Berdichevsky almost made it to the finals, but was one touch shy of achieving that. These girls have shown their true talents and fought with their best ability, and after the foil finals concluded, we had two fencers going to the NCAA national championship.” The saber and epee squads had varied levels of success, as they faced tough competition in their weapons as well. For saber, Audrey Speer finished thirteenth overall, Beverly Yang placed twenty-first and Mckellen Rattray finished thirtieth. For epee, Olivia Weller finished twentieth, Jenn Lee placed twenty-ninth and Christine Robinson ended the day at No. 34. Speer missed the finals by one touch, but recently learned that she is considered the No. 1 atlarge qualifier in saber, which could result in a third Cornell fencer attending the national tournament.
Last year Whitney and McIntosh made the national tournament and placed eighteenth and fourteenth, respectively. However, Whitney said she does not consider this to be to their advantage or disadvantage going into the tournament. “I think that it’s not really advantageous to have been in the tournament before; it doesn’t really help or hurt you,” Whitney said. “It is good to know what it feels like, having a lot of pressure, but I think that is something that I have seen before college fencing. It’s always a new venue, but if you know the people then it is always the same. I know all of the girls that will be in the NCAA tournament from prior experience and that is probably what will help me the most, rather than having gone last year.” Although only the foil squad has members going to the national tournament, as of now, Dolgikh said she was very happy with the results and was very proud of everyone who participated in the regional tournament. “Overall, this is a good ending for our team season with a trip to Ohio State for the NCAA Championships ahead of us with 2 or more qualifiers from Cornell University in late March,” she said. “I wish all our fencers to stay as energetic and as focused as they have been at the Regionals.” Zach Gayner can be reached at zgayner@cornellsun.com.
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Wednesday, March 14, 2012 19
SPORTS
EQUESTRIAN
Squad Eagerly Heads Into Postseason Competition By ARIEL COOPER
to Zones. “I think the most we have in any class is three … which will be really hard and sad Although the regular showing season because there [are] only two spots, so all may be over, the equestrian team still has three people from our team can’t move on in plenty to look forward to in its final compe- that division,” Kowachik said. titions. As regional champion, the Red will The top two riders in each division will definitely send a team to the Zones compe- move on to compete at Zones. From there, tition held at Skidmore in April. However, the top two riders in each division will this weekend’s regional show will provide 10 receive a bid to nationals, according to of Cornell’s riders the opportunity to indi- Kowalchik. vidually advance to Zones. After a season of Still, Kenny is looking forward to the competing together as a team, the riders will heightened caliber of the competition. need to adjust to competing on their own. “I’m looking forward to it being a little At regionals, it is every rider for herself. tougher competition and seeing some of the “For the first time all year … some of us best girls in the division and being able to are going to be competing against our own compete against them,” she said. teammates, which is really hard when we’ve Sophomore Grace Bradshaw will also be been accustomed to always rooting for each competing in regionals for the first time this other,” said junior co-captain Emily year. Unlike Kenny, she is the only rider Kowalchik. from the Red to qualify for her division. Kowalchik will be competing at regionals “It’s nice to not have the added pressure in the novice flat division and is one of the of having to beat someone that you’re four Cornell riders who has already experi- friends with,” she said. enced competing at regionals. For the other Although Bradshaw would have been six riders, Saturday’s show will be a new able to qualify for regionals as a freshman, experience. head coach Chris In order “I’m looking forward to it being a little Mitchell felt that to qualify it would be better for region- tougher competition and seeing some of for her to qualify als, a rider the best girls in the division.” as a sophomore, so must accushe would have mulate a Melissa Kenny more experience, certain Bradshaw said. number of The only freshpoints over the course of the season. Unless man riding in regionals this year is one is in the open division, the points carry Georgiana de Rham, who qualified for over from season to season, according to intermediate fences. senior Melissa Kenny. For many riders, “I’m really excited that I did make it this qualifying for regionals takes multiple sea- year,” Bradshaw said. sons. As the first post-season show and the “Some of these girls have been waiting only one that is a purely individual compefor three or four years to qualify … so that tition, regionals promises to be both physimakes it even more exciting and nerve- cally and emotionally intense for all. wracking for them,” Kowalchik said. “It’s a really hard day for us — it always Even though Kenny is a senior, this will is because some people are really happy, be her first time competing at regionals. some people are really sad, [for] some of the “I’m really pumped to finally qualify,” seniors this is the last time that they’ll show she said. “It’s taken me a long time and I’ve … ever, so that’s really really hard on them put a lot of work into this team — I’ve been if they don’t qualify [for Zones],” Kowalchik on it all four years.” said. “It’s always a really kind of draining Kenny qualified for both the novice flat weekend emotionally.” and novice fences divisions. With 16 or 17 To add to the stress of competing in riders in both divisions, the competition regionals, the Red will also be hosting the will be tough. In addition, Kenny will be up show. However, with only 10 riders comagainst teammates Kowalchik and senior peting, the show should be much easier to Caroline Rusk in novice flat. Unfortunately, run than the squad’s regular season shows, only two of the riders will be able to advance according to Kowalchik. The fact that the
Sun Staff Writer
Lauriane Rougeau Becomes Overnight YouTube and ESPN Star After C.U. Win After arguably the craziest Cornell women’s hockey game, the No. 3 Red triumphed over No. 5 B.U., 8-7, with only 10 seconds left in a third overtime period. The culminating shot, made by junior defensemen Lauriane Rougeau, took the win and sent the Red back to the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four for the third time.
“I was very excited! … [And so] happy that we were going back to the Frozen Four,” Rougeau said. The video of Rougeau scoring the goal, as of yesterday, received 22,381 views on YouTube and scored one of the top spots on ESPN Sports Center. — Compiled by Haley Velasco
OLIVER KLIEWE / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Viral video | Lauriane Rougeu’s winning shot ended up a YouTube and ESPN hit.
COURTESY OF KATIE FINK
Galloping Galileo | Senior co-captain Katie Fink said she was proud of the equestrian team making it to the regional tournament, as well as the team’s progress throughout the season.
show is also right before spring break should also help. This will be the second time that Cornell has hosted regionals, according to senior co-captain Katie Fink. “It’s a huge accomplishment to make it to regionals, so I’m so proud of our team for working so hard throughout the season to make it this far,” she said. During the show, Cornell will be formally recognized as the regional champions. With a nearly undefeated season, the squad came very far this year. However, it is not over yet. All of the riders who will be showing on Saturday are the best in the region, so
the competition will be tough. “Everybody [who is] actually riding is really nervous because you know how hard it is to get to the next step … being in the top two is not going to be easy,” Kowalchik said. “This is the time in our season where we should be at the top of our game and so is everyone else,” added Fink. “It’s [going to] be a challenge, but I think we’re ready for it.” Ariel Cooper can be reached at acooper@cornellsun.com.
Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey Sophomore Netminder Andy Iles Earns Nomination for ECAC Hockey Ken Dryden Goaltender of the Year Award As the men’s ice hockey team comes out of the weekend with a win against Dartmouth — which advances the team to the ECAC Hockey Championship finals for the fifth consecutive year — Lynah Faithful’s superstar sophomore goalie Andy Iles was named one of three finalists for the ECAC Hockey Ken Dryden Goaltender of the Year. The award is named after Ken Dryden ’69, one of Cornell’s most famous and celebrated goalies, led the Red to the 1967 NCAA Championships and three consecutive ECAC tournament championships. Dryden then played for
the Montreal Canadiens from 1971-79, where he won six Stanley cups and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. After another incredible bout of victories and Cornell pride, Iles was one of the key components to the successful season that Cornell hopes to culminate with a win. Four out of five of Iles’ shutouts this season came in consecutive league games, leading him to set a record for the longest in-league shutout streak (286 minutes, 54 seconds). To top off the plethora of achievements that Iles has racked up, he was named to the All-Ivy first team two weeks ago — becoming the sixth first-team Ivy
goalie for the Red in the last 12 years. Iles was also third in the league in goals-against average (1.99) and save percentage (.922). The Red last won the award in 2010 when it was awarded to Ben Scrivens ’10 during his senior season. Iles’ competitors for the honor are Union sophomore Troy Goresnick and Clarkson senior Paul Karpowich. The league will release this season’s award winner on Thursday, so Lynah Faithfuls will need to keep their fingers crossed for Iles as the week continues. — Compiled by Haley Velasco
Sports
The Corne¬ Daily Sun
WEDNESDAY MARCH 14, 2012
20
WRESTLING
Nine Wrestlers Head to NCAA National Championships By BRIAN BENCOMO Sun Senior Writer
The No. 5 Red has yet to earn a team title at the NCAA National Championships in its program history, but has been knocking on the door, having finished second in each of the past two seasons. Starting on Thursday, March 15 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., the team will look to wrap up its season as the best team in the nation. Quarterfinal and semifinal round matches are on Friday. Saturday morning will be the championship medal round, with the ten championship finals will take place beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night. All of the action will be broadcast on ESPN3.com, while the finals will be broadcast on ESPN. Like last year, the team will send nine wrestlers to compete. However, unlike last season the squad will not go into the tournament ranked as the best team in the nation. The Red is not as deep throughout the lineup, with fewer seeded wrestlers at the tournament — only four compared to seven. However, the team is top-heavy in talent, boasting two No. 1 seeds — senior Cam Simaz at 197 pounds and junior Kyle Dake at 157 pounds. “We have four guys on paper that should place, and we’re going to have to get some other guys wrestle significantly above their seeds, and we might need a little bit of help,” said head coach Rob Koll. “Penn State has a lot of fire power. We can wrestle well over our heads and still lose by 30 points if somebody doesn’t knock them off.” No team other than Cornell and the defending nation champion, Penn State, has more than one wrestler seeded No. 1 in his weight class. Penn State not only has three topseeded wrestlers, but also has No. 6 Quentin Wright at 184 pounds, who is a returning national champion. Traditional powerhouse, Iowa, with eight qualifiers — seven of whom are seeded in the Top-5 of their bracket — will also contend for a team title. This year’s National Duals champion, Minnesota, has nine qualifiers like Cornell, but no wrestler seeded No. 1 in his bracket. Oklahoma State also has nine wrestlers competing this weekend, as well as a No. 1 at 133 pounds. Both of the Red’s top-seeds have a lot to gain with an individual title. Not only would it cap an undefeated season for
TINA CHOU / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Senior aspirations | Senior Cam Simaz — the No. 1 seed in the 197-pound weight division — looks to cap his undefeated season with a national title.
both (an injury default is credited as a loss for Simaz), but it would enhance their legacies. Simaz has built an accomplished career with the Red — one which includes the third-most wins in school history and four EIWA titles, has yet to earn an NCAA title. The senior lost in the semifinals of last year’s national tournament, and has finished third each of the previous two seasons. Dake can add to his legacy not only in the annals of Cornell history, but also in those of collegiate wrestling history. The two-time national champion will have won more national titles than any other Cornell wrestler if he wins his third on Saturday. The title would also make him one of only 24 wrestlers in NCAA history to have been champions exactly 3 times. Only two men have ever been 4-time champions.
FENCING
Regionals Marks End of Team Play By ZACH GAYNER Sun Staff Writer
The fencing team came away from the NCAA regional tournament in Boston with a
few members qualifying for the National tournament set for next week. The regional tournament marked the end of team play for the Red, as well as the beginning of indi-
OLIVER KLIEWE / SUN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
10 pack | Cornell was able to send the maximum of 10 fencers to the NCAA regional Tournament in Boston.
vidual play, which will culminate in the NCAA national tournament held next weekend at Ohio State. Cornell entered the tournament with the maximum 10 fencers allowed. The Red entered three fencers for each weapon — foil, saber and epee — and chose to send one more foil member to the tournament, due to the fact that the squad had the highest team record during the season (18-5). Three of the foil fencers finished in the Top-10 and were in contention to go to the national championship. Sophomore April Whitney earned a bronze medal in the tournament, sophomore Christine McIntosh finished in sixth place and senior Rebecca Hirschfeld placed in tenth. Only two fencers were allowed from each school for a particular weapon, which meant that Rebecca Hirschfeld would be an alternate. When asked what she
worked on for NCAA regionals for her success and what she might look to improve on for the national tournament, Whitney stressed that her most important training tool is not working on new things, but rather establishing a routine that helps her become physically and mentally prepared. “There were about three to four weeks in between Ivy League championships and regionals,” she said. “For the first two weeks, I took it easy, and then the two weeks prior to the tournament, I fenced hard. I did a lot of training outside of practice, but I didn’t try anything new. I’ve been fencing for a while now so I have a routine that I do before tournaments. I focused on trying to get everything nice, clean and polished because this tournament is the hardest of the year.” Coach Iryna Dolgikh, a former world champiSee FENCING page 18
Neither No. 1 admitted feeling any extra pressure to win this year. “Pressure is only what you put on yourself,” Dake said. “I don’t really get nervous for matches, I just get excited.” “I’ve come to realize that pressure doesn’t help,” Simaz said. “I might be lying a little when I say that because I absolutely want that title really badly, but I try not to have any pressure on me.” Pressure has brought down many great wrestlers in the early rounds of previous tournaments, Simaz added. Also seeded for the Red is senior Frank Perrelli who is No. 6 at 125 pounds. After an early second-round exit last season, See WRESTLING page 16
Broker by Day, UFC Fighter by Night H is first pro fight went down in an outdoor baseball stadium in Fort Myers, Florida. At the time, John Cholish ’06 had been training in mixed martial arts for a mere three months. He already had a job as a financial advisor with
would be something cool that I could tell my grandkids about.” Cholish faced a more experienced opponent that night, and he recalled getting pounded with punches early on in the fight. Then, late in the third round, Cholish ended up in a
J.D. O’Kasick Fight Life in Ithaca Morgan Stanley, and did not plan on making a career change. But, when a fledgling promotion company offered him a fight in Hammond Stadium — the baseball spring training home of the Minnesota Twins — Cholish decided to take a shot on MMA. “I just wanted to have one fight to say that I had done it,” said Cholish, a former wrestler for the Red. “I thought it
deep guillotine choke, forcing him to tap out. Despite the submission loss, Cholish’s fighting spirit impressed his coach, Renzo Gracie — a former fighter and Brazilian jiu-jitsu guru of the famed Gracie family. Later that night in the locker room, Gracie motivated his student to look on the bright side of the beat down. See O’KASICK page 18