INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 131, No. 1
MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2014
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ITHACA, NEW YORK
32 Pages – Free
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The Center for World University Rankings named Cornell as 11th best university in the world. | Page 3
Eric Schulman ’17 describes how Facebook is going to sell your political affiliation for money. | Page 11
Without Jeff Mathews ’14 under center, the Red has a new look under head coach David Archer ’05. | Page 32
Lawsuit Against Univ. Over 2010 Gorge Death May Proceed,Court Rules Witness said student fell in gorge after attending party, according to police By TYLER ALICEA
University was shielded from liability due to a law that “grants a special immunity to owners … from the A lawsuit charging the University usual duty to keep places safe” when with negligence after a sophomore individuals use the land for specified student fell to his death into a gorge recreational activities, including hikin 2010 will not be dismissed, the ing. appellate division of the New York Ultimately, the New York State State Supreme Court ruled July 17. Supreme Court denied Cornell’s The parents of Khalil King ’13 motion in August 2013. The sued Cornell in University then August 2012, just “I can’t imagine how a appealed that two years after decision. parent would feel after their son suffered The appellate a “skull and ver- dropping their [student] off division of the at an Ivy League ... and tebral fracture” Supreme Court, after falling into then to lose [that] student.” however, agreed the Fall Creek with the previous Leland T. Williams Gorge on Aug. court, arguing 28, 2010 while that Cornell did walking along a trail behind the Phi not establish that King was hiking Gamma Delta fraternity house. under the law the University claims Steven King and Alexis Mercedes protects it at the time of his death. Godfre, Khalil King’s parents, claim In addition, Cornell also claimed in their lawsuit that Cornell did not that since the dangers of the gorge provide adequate lighting, warnings were “open and obvious,” the or signs about the dangers of the University was not responsible to gorge or barriers preventing gorge warn of any hazards. access. The appeals division, on the Cornell attempted to have the other hand, again agreed with the case dismissed, according to court documents, arguing that the See LAWSUIT page 4 Sun Managing Editor
BRITTANY CHEW / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Bags, boxes and bulletin boards | An orientation leader helps a first-year student move into his dorm room on Friday.
Officials: Class of 2018 to Increase ‘Positive’Campus Environment By ANUSHKA MEHROTRA Sun News Editor
As members of the Class of 2018 prepare for their first week of classes, officials say the new students — who are the most selective and diverse class in University history — are likely to give Cornell its most “positive and productive” learning environment to date. Cornell’s Class of 2018 accepted only 14.2 percent of applicants — the lowest admission rate in University history — from its record setting pool of 43,037 applications, according to the University. Additionally, 42.9 percent of freshmen self-identify as students of color, a
2.1 percent increase from last year. According to Associate Vice Provost A.T. Miller, a diverse pool of skilled students will help to enrich the campus environment in multiple ways. “With such a fantastic pool of extremely well-qualified individuals, we can produce a class with the spectacular level of diversity that will provide the most positive and productive learning and research environment,” Miller said. International students — who come from 50 countries around the world — also comSee 2018 page 5
At Convocation,Skorton C.U.Bhangra Performs on National Television Addresses New Students By ANNIE BUI
Sun News Editor
By NOAH RANKIN Sun City Editor
Addressing new students and parents, President David Skorton told Cornellians at Convocation Saturday to take advantage of what Cornell has to offer. Skorton began by welcoming the newly-arrived first-year and transfer students, noting that the Class of 2018 is the most selective and most diverse class in University history. “For me, and for many of us on the campus, today is the most optimistic day of the year because with your arrival the University is
renewed,” he said. “With all the wonderful skills and perspectives you, our newest students, bring to the campus — I have no doubt that we’ll be an even stronger university going forward.” In honor of Cornell’s sesquicentennial, Skorton compared the incoming students to Cornell’s very first class in 1868, who sat for examinations in Ithaca before the University opened for enrollment. “Those judged qualified … were, like you, a diverse and interesting group,” Skorton said. “Some were, See SKORTON page 4
KELLY YANG / SUN NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Shake it out | Members of Cornell Bhangra perform in the fall of 2012.
Millions of viewers nationwide who tuned in to NBC’s America’s Got Talent August 12 were treated to the high-energy moves and music of Cornell Bhangra. Dressed in a vivid array of colors, members of the dance troupe, which performs Punjabi folk dance, performed a 90-second routine that was followed by a standing ovation from the crowd, as well as positive reactions from the show’s judges during the week three quarterfinals of the show. Cornell Bhangra had garnered the highest number of votes in an online poll following their performance in the The Today Show’s “Today’s Got Talent” competition on July 23, allowing them to enter America’s Got Talent See BHANGRA page 4