INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 130, No. 130
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
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Former U.N. Secretary Luc Gnacadja spoke on the importance of land preservation Tuesday. | Page 3
Cornell softball delivered a 1-3 series outcome against Ivy rival Columbia last weekend. | Page 16
Emma Court ’15 discusses gender inequity on late night television in the wake of Stephen Colbert’s move. | Page 10
U.A.Supports Free TCAT Passes for Freshmen
Would increase Cornell’s subsidy to transit provider
Infrastructure Committee to investigate ways to address the deficit. According to Ruizcalderon, the committee determined that cutting the free bus passThe University Assembly called on Cornell to es was the best solution, given that the University increase its subsides to Tompkins Consolidated Area Budget Office denied the committee’s funding request Transit and continue offering free bus passes to for the $500,000 needed to address the deficit. Several U.A. members and incoming students at a meeting undergraduate students at the Tuesday. disagreed with The U.A. amended and “If we were really committed meeting Ruizcalderon and expressed passed this resolution in a 12-0to accessibility and carbon frustration over the University’s 3 vote after a lengthy discussion neutrality, we would not get “unwillingness” to increase its regarding budget transparency, TCAT subsidies to address the quality of student life concerns rid of free bus passes.” deficit. and the University’s ability and “Tuition has been increased unwillingness to increase its Gregory Mezey ’09 by approximately $2,000 for all TCAT subsidies. The resolution students. That’s roughly a $27 had originally proposed removmillion dollar increase just for undergraduates alone,” ing the free bus passes. Transportation Services faces a $700,000 annual Aline Schechter ’16 said. “When the administration budget deficit — approximately $500,000 of which is says it can’t afford [to increase TCAT subsidies], it’s caused by an increase freshman ridership of the TCAT, hard as a student to believe that.” Ulysses Smith ’14, president of the Student according to George Ruizcalderon ’15, the sponsor of the resolution. While increasingly more students take Assembly and a U.A. voting member, said he rejected TCAT, the University has not increased the subsidies the premise that the University could not afford to it pays to the bus service. Facilities Services asked the U.A.’s Campus See TCAT page 4 By SOFIA HU
Sun Staff Writer
DYLAN CLEMENS / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Pass it on | George Ruizcalderon ’15 discusses a resolution addressing Cornell’s potential removal of free first-year TCAT bus passes Tuesday.
Panhel: New Sorority Will Increase Greek Involvement By RACHEL WEBER Sun Staff Writer
Members of the Cornell Panhellenic Association say that Phi Mu — announced in February as Cornell’s newest and 13th sorority — will provide more opportunities for women once it arrives on campus. Katie Billotti, a national Phi Mu representative, said the sorority applied for colo-
nization because they were “impressed by the academic reputation of Cornell” as well as “the size and strength of the panhellenic community at Cornell.” Billotti said Phi Mu will hold a 10-day recruitment process at the University in September, following a campus marketing campaign held by Phi Mu representatives. The Cornell Panhellenic Association decided to invite the sorority after seeing
Cornell Receives $600K for Rice Production Research $6 million awarded to10 universities By NOAH RANKIN Sun City Editor
The United States Department of Agriculture will award Cornell $600,000 for research on the effects of climate change on agriculture, the USDA announced Tuesday. This grant is part of $6 million awarded to 10 universities from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in an effort to adapt the nation’s agriculture and forests to climate change, according to a USDA press release.
The other universities include University of Colorado, Florida International University, Iowa State University and West Virginia University. Cornell’s grant in particular will go toward evaluating rice production in the face of climate change. This project will develop “models integrating historical rice yield data at the county and farm level, weather variables and genotypic parameters,” according to the press release. Noah Rankin can be reached at nrankin@cornellsun.com.
record numbers of women participating in formal recruitment, increasing new member class sizes and an uptake in women not receiving bids, according to Panhel President Erika Whitestone ’15. Whitstone said that adding a new sorority will likely allow more girls to join houses. “There are more opportunities for women to join the Greek system with the 13th chapter,” she said.“We are getting pre-
pared for the possible influx of women who want to go Greek.” Anne Pincott ’15, president of Phi Phi Sigma, said she is unsure about how Panhel’s pledge class quota will be affected, based on experiences with her own chapter. “When Phi Phi Sigma was added, quota didn’t go down, it actually went up a little See PHI MU page 4
New Haven ANTHONY CHEN / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Jevan Hutson ’16 delivers a speech at the elections for Haven, the LGBTQ Student Union. Hutson, currently the LGBTQ liason for the Student Assembly, was elected as Haven President Tuesday.