INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 128, No. 111
FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012
Gannett Screens for High Risk Drinking, Drawing Student Ire
!
ITHACA, NEW YORK
12 Pages – Free
The wingmen
By SHANE DUNAU
four or more drinks in a sitting in the past two weeks and — if they’re male — if In an effort to address they’ve had five or more,” high-risk drinking on cam- Lewis said. pus, on Feb. 6 Gannett According to Lewis, no Health Services implement- student, no matter his or her ed a policy of screening reason for scheduling an every student patient for appointment at Gannett, is signs of alcohol dependency exempt from being asked or abuse –– a decision that this preliminary question about alcohol be“I think that in so many cases, havior. think that in alcohol use can be connected so “I many cases, to issues that bring students alcohol use can be connected to issues to the health center.” that bring students to the health cenDebra Lewis ter,” she said. If a student some students say they con- answers yes to the first quessider an invasion of privacy. tion, he or she is then asked According to Deborah to fill out a 10-part quesLewis, Gannett’s alcohol tionnaire called the Alcohol projects coordinator, both Use Disorders Identification the World Health Test, according to Lewis. Organization and the U.S. The AUDIT contains Department of Health and questions such as “How Human Services recom- often during the last year mend screening for high- have you failed to do what risk drinking and alcohol was normally expected problems as a routine part from you because of drinkof health care. ing?” and “Has a relative “When students come in or friend or doctor or for their appointment they another health worker been are asked — if they are female — have they had See GANNETT page 3 Sun Staff Writer
The new Old Goat
ALEX HOLM / SUN CONTRIBUTOR
Ben Kessler ’15 (left) attaches an appendage to the frame of the dragon built by first-year students in the College of Art, Architecture and Planning in preparation for today’s Dragon Day celebrations.
As Search Proceeds, Avicii Rejects Slope Day Gig By JEFF STEIN Sun Managing Editor
Electronic music phenom Avicii is one of three musicians who has rejected an offer to perform at Slope Day, according to a member of the Slope Day Programming Board who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Despite percolating rumors on campus, Slope Day had not secured a headliner as of Thursday night, the source said. A fourth invitation to play is pending, according to the source.
This is the first year since 2009 in which Cornellians will go home for Spring Break without knowing the artist slated for Slope Day, the annual celebration fueled by drunken revelry, a sudden liberation from classes and a big name musical performer. Confirming that an artist had not yet been found, Sam Breslin ’12, selections director of the SDPB, said that many colleges, including Cornell, have struggled to secure popular performers this semester. “A bunch of other schools are announcing but, on average, schools
are announcing late,” Breslin said. “A lot of people aren’t touring … it’s a tough semester.” Slope Day will be held on May 4. Recent headliners have included Nelly in 2011 and Drake in 2010. “We are working very, very hard to get the best artist we [can] have in the current situation,” Breslin said. “As soon as we know for sure, we’ll announce it. Right now, we’re just waiting.” Jeff Stein can be reached at jstein@cornellsun.com.
U.S.News Releases Grad Rankings Assessment of majority of C.U. programs unchanged By ELIZABETH KUSSMAN Sun Staff Writer
ALEX HOLM / SUN CONTRIBUTOR
Old Goat Gear Exchange, a store that sells outdoor clothing and gear, had its grand opening on E. Green Street Thursday.
U.S. News and World Report released its 2013 rankings for graduate schools on Tuesday. Cornell was ranked 10th overall in engineering, 14th in law and 16th in both the business and medical fields. Although the majority of Cornell’s rankings did not change since U.S. News’ report last year, the University’s fine arts field jumped from 50th place to 36th. Unlike most of fields included in the assessment, the University’s arts program had not been evaluated since 2008. “We are very pleased that our visual arts program has been recognized for excellence by its
peers,” said Barbara Knuth, vice provost and dean of the Graduate school. “Peer institutions may have become more aware of the strength and quality of our program and the accomplishments of the faculty, including some relatively new faculty.” In the field of engineering, Cornell ranked third among biological and agricultural engineering programs and jumped five spots to 15th in biomedical engineering. Additionally, the University’s mechanical, industrial, civil and computer engineering programs were each ranked among the top 10 in their respective categories. Outlining their methodology for assessing rankings, U.S. News
lists factors including admissions selectivity, research activity, faculty resources and evaluations from corporate recruiters. Cornell currently holds the 15th spot in the overall national University category, according to U.S. News Report’s 2012 rankings. However, Knuth said that since U.S. News does not assign the University an overall score at the graduate level, methods of assessment may differ from year to year within each field. “Generalizing about why an individual field may have gone up or down is challenging,” Knuth said. Elizabeth Kussman can be reached at ekussman@cornellsun.com.
News Stepping Down
The president and CEO of Cayuga Medical Center will resign at the end of the year, the hospital announced. | Page 3
Opinion Drive My Car
Nick Kaasik grad stresses the need for laws for autonomous cars. | Page 5
Arts Puppet Master
The Sun reviews an Indonesian puppet show in Bailey Hall. | Page 8
Sports Final Four
The third-ranked women’s hockey team heads to the Frozen Four. | Page 12
Weather Thunderstorms HIGH: 72 LOW: 48