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Never Again
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President Pollack reinforced Cornell's policy condemning calls for genocide following Magill's resignation. | Page 4
Jenna Ledley ’27 discusses valuable books to read in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day. | Page 5
After a loss against Colgate, the Red avenged previous losses with wins against Princeton and Quinnipiac. | Page 8
HIGH: 35º LOW: 29º
Grad Student Sworn in as Mayor Dance Team Places Robert Cantelmo grad assumed the Ithaca mayoral position on Jan. 3 By KATE SANDERS Sun Staff Writer
Robert Cantelmo grad officially assumed the Ithaca mayoral position on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at the first Common Council meeting of the calendar year. Cantelmo, who represented the Fifth Ward on the Common Council from 2021 through 2023, is the first mayor of Ithaca to serve alongside a city manager. The city manager role was created by former mayor Svante Myrick ’09 in January 2021 to be an official who would handle the city’s operations. Because the position absorbs many former mayoral roles, Cantelmo will take on fewer responsibilities than his predecessor, Mayor Laura Lewis, and an over 50 percent decrease in salary. According to the City of Ithaca website, the inaugural City Manager Deb Mohlenhoff — who was selected on Nov. 15 and sworn in on Jan. 1 — will oversee administrative tasks previously allocated to the mayor. These tasks include supervising department heads, negotiating
with labor unions, developing and presenting the annual budget, appointing the city attorney, chairing the capital budget committee and serving as chief executive officer of the city. Cantelmo, who supported the referendum to establish the city manager position in November 2022, said in an email statement to The Sun that the new leadership organization has been successful thus far, though it may experience small changes over time “It is very possible that something may need to be tweaked along the way, as this is our first year operating with this form of government. Small, unforeseen challenges are bound to crop up when undertaking so massive a change,” Cantelmo said in the statement. “So far, however, things have been working excellently. The city manager and I have a great relationship and speak several times a week to ensure staff and Council are apprised of all important issues and so that the city can be responsive to the public’s needs.” See CANTELMO page 3
JULIA NAGEL / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Real-World Experience | Pursuing a Ph.D. in government, Cantelmo plans to apply his research to his work as mayor of Ithaca.
Eighth at Nationals By MARISA CEFOLA Sun Assistant News Editor
When Daniela Graffeo ’26 first heard announcers call the Cornell University Dance Team into the finals round of Division I Pom — a type of dance utilizing pom poms — at the Universal Dance Association College Nationals, she said she felt pure shock and joy. And she saw that same feeling reflected on her teammates’ and coaches’ faces. At that moment, Cornell became the first Ivy League university to qualify for finals, according to Shauna Cheatham ’19, the founder of CUDT. “To get to represent Cornell at a national level was so special, and having the Cornell seal behind us as we competed in finals made it all the more incredible,” Graffeo wrote in an email to The Sun. “We worked incredibly hard as a team, and to see that hard work pay off was truly amazing.” This is not the first year CUDT has traveled to Orlando for the UDA. The team qualified for nationals in 2020 and received a D1 Jazz Semifinalist award. This year, CUDT reached a program high with an eighth-place finish
in the Division I Pom competition, scoring 90 out of a possible 100 points and tying with the University of Nebraska Omaha. According to Cheatham, the team has grown from a casual dance squad to an established team at Cornell performing in Division 1 Ivy League games since its inception in 2017. “When I started the team in 2017, my goal was for dancers at Cornell to have the opportunity to perform at football and basketball games and compete in college dance team competitions,” Cheatham wrote in an email to The Sun. “I am so proud that in just seven years, the team has become a top 10 program in the country and has brought so much life to homecoming and other football and basketball games.” Graffeo attributed much of the team’s success to intense preparation. CUDT spent the week before nationals rehearsing for multiple hours every day in Orlando dance studios. To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Marisa Cefola can be reached at mcefola@cornellsun.com.
Lombardi, Malina Discuss Israel-Palestine Tensions at Cornell By SOFIA RUBINSON Sun Managing Editor
The Sun: Before we begin, I just wanted to state for the record what The Sun was told over email, which is that you are not able to comment on Patrick Dai’s legal process or the Department of Education’s investigation into either antisemitism or Islamophobia on campus. Is that still accurate? Vice President Joel Malina: Sure. The Sun: Vice President Lombardi, are you hearing concerns from students about how they feel in terms of their safety on campus? At The BORIS TSANG / SUN FILE PHOTO
Sun, we’re hearing reports that both Jewish and Muslim students are feeling increasingly marginalized with instances of both antisemitism and Islamophobia. Just wanted to know what you are hearing? Vice President Ryan Lombardi: I have been talking to a lot of students, as probably you have been hearing from a lot of students too. I think consis-
tently, a lot of students are hurting. They are fearful. And when I say fearful, when I talk to students about this, they often talk about, that is, not being afraid that someone in the community is going to hurt them. But it’s an environment of tension right now. And that creates a sense of feeling unsafe and uncomfortable for our students. And I’m hearing that very consistently. There are things that are said or things BORIS TSANG / SUN FILE PHOTO
that are done that are creating those conditions. From my seat in Student Life, we’ve been trying very hard. Our role, of course, on this campus is to focus on student support and trying to help create the sense of student safety, which we’re very, very focused on. We’re partnering with CUPD extensively on that and have been having them deeply involved in making sure that the community is safe, taking any reports of concerning behavior very, very seriously, investigating those thoroughly, to make sure that there are no threats that are perceived to be legitimate in that regard. See TENSIONS page 4
2 The Cornell Daily Sun | Tuesday, January 23, 2024
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Tuesday, January 23, 2024
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Quantum Information Processing With Trapped Ion Crystals With Or Katz 12:20 p.m., 700 Clark Hall
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The Cornell Daily Sun | Tuesday, January 23, 2024 3
News
Cantelmo Views Mayoral Role as Collaborative CANTELMO
Continued from page 1
Cantelmo is pursuing a Ph.D. in government at Cornell and serves as the associate director for grant writing and assessment at the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, where he researches democratic backsliding in the Democratic Threats and Resilience initiative. In a previous interview with The Sun, Cantelmo explained that his research — while at an international scale — had relevance to the role of local governments. “Even these hyper-local issues that we deal with about streets’ being paved, sidewalks’ being in good condition, fire departments’ being fully staffed — this is all service delivery stuff that matters at the local level, no matter where you are in the world,” Cantelmo said. “It’s when governments are unable to provide those basic services to their populace that some of these risks are generated about threats to democracy. I love having the ability to engage in good evidence-based policymaking at the local level.” In his Inaugural State of the City Address, Cantelmo praised the city’s work on infrastructure in 2023, which included securing $800,000 for flood mitigation efforts in a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The terms of the newly negotiated Memorandum of Understanding
The Corne¬ Daily Sun
between Cornell and the City of Ithaca — which Cantelmo had a role in shaping as an alderperson — also stipulated increased funding for infrastructure projects in Ithaca in coming years. Cantelmo explained that he has been working to continue the collaboration between the city and other levels of government in addressing city issues during the first month of his term.
“No city can solve all of its problems alone, and it’s imperative that we develop strong partnerships across all levels of government to advocate for our needs, ... build support on key issues and remind folks that Ithaca is a dynamic and progressive engine for change.” Robert Cantelmo grad
support on key issues and remind folks that Ithaca is a dynamic and progressive engine for change.” In his address, Cantelmo listed his policy objectives for the near future. He discussed implementing the Ithaca Green New Deal, resolving problems with public transportation and addressing what he labeled a “housing and affordability crisis.” He identified increasing the housing supply as a means to combat increasing unaffordability in the housing market, as home prices in Tompkins County increased by more than double the rate of inflation from 2012 to 2022. “I call upon my colleagues to work with me to expand the stock of housing in our community so that housing affordability and homeownership are achievable for all Ithacans,” Cantelmo said. “Placemaking must be a core element of this effort, to ensure every neighborhood has welcoming and inviting public space.” In his address, Cantelmo seemed to embrace the change he is set to oversee as mayor under a new leadership system and throughout the city. “Ithaca has always been a unique community, full of promise and potential,” Cantelmo said. “The charge before us is to steward this community through this time of change toward a future that delivers on that promise for us and for posterity.”
“I have spent a lot of this first month rebuilding and strengthening the city’s relationships with our partners around Tompkins County, in Albany and in Washington, [D.C.],” Cantelmo wrote. “No city can solve all of its problems alone, and it’s imperative that we develop strong partnerships across all levels of government to advocate for our needs — especially state or federal aid — build Kate Sanders can be reached at ksanders@cornellsun.com.
4 The Cornell Daily Sun | Tuesday, January 23, 2024
News
VPs Address Campus Tensions in Interview TENSIONS
Continued from page 1
JASON WU / SUN SENIOR EDITOR
Pollack’s policy | President Pollack, seen here on Oct. 14 2022, issued a statement clarifying Cornell’s policies following Harvard and UPenn’s congressional testimony and the resignation of UPenn President Liz Magill.
Pollack Clarifies Cornell’s Policy on Calls for Genocide Pollack’s Dec. 9 statement followed Magill’s resignation By SOFIA RUBINSON
While Pollack was not asked to give testimony before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Dec. 5, President Martha Pollack clarified Cornell has experienced increased turmoil Cornell’s policy around genocide in a since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conDec. 9 statement, following backlash over flict. The University was one of the first to remarks about antisemitism made by sev- make national headlines after Prof. Russell eral university presidents at a congressional Rickford stated he was “exhilarated” by Hamas’ attack on Israel at an off-campus hearing. rally and antisemitic threats were posted on a Cornell forum by a student, which “Genocide is abhorrent, and Cornell con- included calls for students to kill Jews on demns calls for the genocide of any peo- campus and a mass shooting at the kosher dining hall. ple. An explicit call for genocide, to kill Pollack has also been criticized for all members of a group of people, would her numerous statements since the war’s onset. In her initial statement on Oct. be a violation of our policies.” 10, Pollack compared the conflict in the Middle East to natural disasters such as President Martha Pollack earthquakes, fires and floods. Just six hours “Genocide is abhorrent, and Cornell later, Pollack released a second statement condemns calls for the genocide of any after apparent backlash. people,” Pollack wrote. “An explicit call for genocide, to kill all members of a group of “I am a grandmother and I weep for people, would be a violation of our policies.” the Israeli babies who were murPollack’s statement was published the dered or kidnapped; I weep for the same day University of Pennsylvania Palestinian babies now in harm’s President Liz Magill resigned from her position after stating that calls for the genocide way.” of Jewish people is “context dependent” in terms of violation of the university’s President Martha Pollack code of conduct at the hearing. Harvard University’s president Claudine Gay has been similarly under fire for declining to “I have heard from a number of you who give a “yes” or “no” answer to a question expressed dismay that I failed to say that from Rep. Elise M. Stefanik (R-N.Y.) on the atrocities committed by Hamas this past whether calls for a genocide of Jews would weekend were acts of terrorism, which I violate Harvard’s policies. condemn in the strongest possible terms,” Pollack wrote in the second statement. “I have heard from a number of you who The statements also received criticism from Palestinian activists who were disexpressed dismay that I failed to say appointed by the lack of mention of that the atrocities committed by Hamas Palestine in either of Pollack’s statements. In an Oct. 16 statement, Pollack menthis past weekend were acts of terrortioned Palestine for the first time. ism, which I condemn in the strongest “I am a grandmother and I weep for the possible terms.” Israeli babies who were murdered or kidnapped; I weep for the Palestinian babies President Martha Pollack now in harm’s way,” she wrote. Cornell is currently under investigation by the Department of Education for either Pollack’s statement also came the same antisemitic or anti-Muslim harassment on day Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) sent a campus. letter to colleges and universities across the state that said calls for genocide made on college campuses would violate New York State Human Rights Law and Title VI of Sofia Rubinson can be reached at the Civil Rights Act of 1964. srubinson@cornellsun.com. Sun Managing Editor
That doesn’t minimize the discomfort and the concern that many students have. From my seat and having those conversations, I think it’s so important. What’s become obvious to me is, every student I’ve spoken with has strong emotions and has strong feelings but by no means wants to inflict harm, emotional or otherwise, on their peers. I have spent so much time with so many different students — Jewish students, Muslim students, Arab students — who see the war differently in a lot of different spaces. But there is a consistent thread — none of them want to see their peers upset or hurt or any of those things, and they all have been deeply committed to being peaceful and to not falling into having violence or anything along those lines. So that thread is there. In the Student Life space, what I have to keep saying is, let’s think about our actions, let’s think about how we’re treating each other in this very difficult moment. And really try to continue to implore our community to stay focused on that. And then in the meantime, trying with the resources we have, from the student support perspective, to offer that support. I understand that sometimes that can feel unsatisfactory, because we can provide the emotional support we have listed, we’ve had many listening sessions, we’ve had CAPS come in and offer processing spaces. So some of this tension and discomfort is inherent to how difficult this issue is for our community to grapple with. The Sun: I know you said you’ve met with a lot of students. For students who haven’t had a chance to speak with you, do you have a message, specifically to the Jewish community on campus, who may still be grappling with the fact that such hateful threats were made by a fellow student on campus? Lombardi: I would say a couple of things. One, certainly the institution condemns those threats and aggressively pursued not only those, but anything else. We haven’t had other threats like that, but there have been other hateful, distasteful things that have been said and done. And we’ve taken those very, very seriously. What I would say to those individuals is first, absolutely let us know if they receive something and know that we’re going to take it seriously. Make sure they use the reporting tools. Make sure, especially if they feel like it’s threatening, to immediately work through the CUPD. In addition to that, really just again, focusing on thinking about how we want this community to be and how we want to treat each other. You would expect the Student Life person to be focused on that. And make sure that we continue to see the humanity in all of our students and all of our colleagues that we’re interacting amongst. Because again, I haven’t spoken with every student, as you rightfully point out, but many,
many, many dozens, and I have heard these consistent and universal themes over and over — condemning violence, condemning awful things that have happened, condemning the threats that took place on this campus that you reference and a desire for peace even if we see things differently. A desire for peace and a desire for everybody to be able to pursue their education — we have to stay focused on that. The Sun: Speaking with Palestinian activists on campus, a lot of them tell us that they are being doxxed online — I know there’s some websites that are putting personal information, photos, contact information — and they don’t feel particularly supported by the administration in dealing with that harassment. Do you have any message for this community? Lombardi: I think that behavior is deplorable. I think it’s really ugly and distasteful. I don’t condone it by any stretch of the imagination. One of the things I think you’re probably aware of is that on Nov. 1, the President announced that we would be creating an anti-doxxing policy. She reiterated that at the University Assembly meeting recently on [Nov.] 28. As we’re developing this, I have invited student perspectives to join us as that has developed not only the policy, which, frankly, will say that we don’t think this behavior is acceptable and we condemn it, and it’s against our policy. But more importantly, in some regards, because sometimes it’s very hard to understand or identify who’s done these things or who’s responsible for it, so really importantly too is what types of resources we provide to students who have been victimized in this way. That’s something that’s also under development. I have also invited students on campus to be part of its development and as we prepare for that. This is a process, doing these things. But I do want to say clearly that we condemn those things. I’ve said that directly to students. And I also encourage those to be reported formally — especially as we are developing new policies now and new resources. I have had conversations with students who reference past instances, and I don’t want to minimize those. But obviously, we’re intently focused on this now as we’re seeing that. The Sun: I’m curious if you have any thoughts on why Cornell might be so particularly polarized on this conflict? Does it speak to any uniqueness of the University? I know Cornell is constantly being referred to by the national media as a campus that’s really struggling with this tension. Lombardi: I want to offer that I actually don’t think that Cornell is unique in this regard. To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Sofia Rubinson can be reached at srubinson@cornellsun.com.
A&C
Tuesday, January 24, 2024 | The Corne¬ Daily Sun | 5
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Holocaust Remembrance Day: Books to Read JENNA LEDLEY SUN CONTRIBUTOR
International Holocaust Remembrance Day falls on Jan. 27 every year, a date that marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the Nazi concentration and death camps. There are many ways to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, such as attending commemorative events, lighting candles and, most importantly, learning about and educating others about the Holocaust. With antisemitism rising at a staggering rate internationally, it is critical that Jews and non-Jews alike take the time to remember the Holocaust. Given recent campus events from last semester, it is incredibly important that Cornellians especially take the time to think about this form of hatred and make sure it does not return to our campus. It is only if everyone joins together in calling for “never again” that we can be sure that something like the Holocaust can never happen again. If you wish to dedicate time to learning or thinking about the Holocaust this remembrance day, keep reading. Included below are book recommendations for people of all ages, spanning many genres. Despite the different types of books, there is a common theme between all of those chosen for this list. Instead of the more wellknown Holocaust books such as The Diary of Anne Frank and Night by Elie Wiesel — which are, of course, critical reads — you may not have heard of the books below. This is because I wanted to include books which will leave you with at least a shred of belief in humanity after you are finished. These will not be easy reads — the Holocaust is inevitably a hard topic to grapple with — but each of these books tells the story of someone, real or fictional, who took a stand against the Holocaust or Holocaust misinformation. These are books about everyday people who became heroes, who proved that even one person can do so much good. I firmly believe that each of these books are ones that everyone should read at least once in their lifetimes, especially now. Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family Anne Frank Remembered is the singular most important book I have ever read, besides perhaps the book it is related to: The Diary of a Young Girl. An autobiography by the woman who hid Anne Frank, Miep Gies, and her family, Elie Wiesel called the book, “A poignant account, vibrating with humanity.” Anne Frank Remembered
will make your heart break at the cruelty of the world — you should come prepared with tissues — but it will also make you marvel at the unbelievable goodness of members of humanity, in particular the astounding Gies. There is arguably no one more inspiring than Gies. The book begins with the story of her childhood. Gies was born in Vienna just before the First World War. Afterwards, the people of war-torn Austria were plunged into famine, leading many children to be sent to other European countries to recover from malnutrition. Among these children was 11-year-old Gies, who was sent to the Netherlands, where she ended up remaining indefinitely with her adopted family. When Gies was older, her job at an office in Amsterdam led her to cross paths, and become friends, with Otto Frank. Through this friendship, Gies met and came to love Frank’s daughter Anne. When the Nazis invaded the Netherlands and it became apparent that Jews like the Franks were no longer safe, Gies did not hesitate to hide the Frank family. The Franks were her good friends, and Gies, from her difficult childhood, understood how important it was to offer help to those in need. But Gies did not only hide the Franks; they were joined by an associate of Otto Frank and his family, as well as a Jewish doctor — a total of eight people in hiding — in a secret annex in Gies and Frank’s office building. During this time, Gies and her husband, Jan Gies, were also hiding a Christian college student in their own house, who was in danger for refusing to sign an oath saying that he would not act against the German army. Anne Frank Remembered is the story of how, for over two years, Miep Gies and her associates in the office provided food, news and friendship to those in the annex, using forged ration cards, the black market and incredible bravery. Despite Gies and the others’ best efforts, the hidden Jews, as well as two of the office workers who hid them, were arrested by the Nazis in August of 1944. After these horrible events, Gies snuck back into the hiding place and collected all of Anne Frank’s writings. It is thanks to Gies that the world was ever able to read the writings of the brilliant Anne Frank. Gies was incredibly brave and kind, but she makes certain throughout her book to get across that she was not alone. In the prologue of Anne Frank Remembered, Gies writes, “I am not a hero. I stand at the end of the long, long line of good Dutch people who did what I did or more — much more — during those dark and terrible times … More than twenty
thousand Dutch people helped to hide Jews and others in need of hiding during those years. I willingly did what I could to help. My husband did as well. It was not enough.” History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier History on Trial, also known as Denial, is a nonfiction, autobiographical book by Deborah E. Lipstadt, an American historian and diplomat. Though this book takes place half a century after the Holocaust, it is undeniably an incredibly important read, detailing the ongoing fight against Holocaust misinformation. The book covers the 1996 case, Irving v. Penguin Books Ltd, in which David Irving, a prominent Holocaust denier, sued Deborah Lipstadt for libel after she called him a denier in her 1993 book, Denying the Holocaust. This case took place in English court, where the burden of proof falls on the defendant, meaning Lipstadt had to prove her claims that Irving skewed evidence to support his ideology — an ideology aimed at exonerating Hitler of his crimes. The book details
Lipstadt and her team’s journey to support her statements, and prove Irving’s many claims about the Holocaust to be false. Despite being a nonfiction book that dives deep into facts and legal jargon, History on Trial is an incredibly engaging read. While the book primarily focuses on the trial, it also covers Lipstadt’s fascinating life before this case, such as her 1967 trip through Lebanon, Syria and Jordan to visit the Old City of Jerusalem at a time when Jews were banned from doing so, as well as a 1972 mission aimed at helping oppressed Jews escape the USSR. History on Trial deservingly won the National Jewish Book Award and was critically acclaimed by many, such as Newsweek International who called the book, “Compelling … Lipstadt’s vigorous account is a window into a Jewish community still grappling with the loss of more than six million souls.” The book is dedicated by Lipstadt to “the victims of the Shoah, and to those who enabled me — in so many different ways — to fight the attempt to ravage their history and memory.”
In this book, Lipstadt definitively proves that Irving was one of these people who attempted to destroy the history and memory of the Holocaust and its victims. Irving was found to have created a “knotted web of distortions, suppressions, and manipulations …. ” He, and other deniers, were proven to “distort, falsify, and pervert the historical record and, consequently, fall entirely outside of the parameters of any historical debate about the Holocaust.” However, before Lipstadt’s case — and, unfortunately, even afterwards — many listened to and believed Irving’s words. Lipstadt’s book is a critical read which looks into the danger of our present-day society, where some will believe anything they read, no matter how absurd and unfounded, especially when motivated by barely concealed antisemitism. To continue reading this article, please visit cornellsun.com. Jenna Ledley is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at jbl242@ cornell.edu
ARTS & CULTURE ARTS & CULTURE
6 The Cornell Daily Sun | Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Opinion
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Independent Since 1880 141st Editorial Board ANGELA BUNAY ’24 Editor in Chief
SHEILA YU ’25
SOFIA RUBINSON ’24
NOAH DO ‘24
GRACE XIAO ’25
Advertising Manager
Managing Editor
Associate Editor
Leo Glasgow
Web Editor
HUGO AMADOR ’24
AIMÉE EICHER ’24
Opinion Editor
Assistant Managing Editor
JONATHAN MONG ’25
UYEN HOANG ’25
News Editor
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JULIA SENZON ’26
ANNA LIANG ‘24
News Editor
Assistant Advertising Editor
JULIA NAGEL ’24
ERIC REILLY ’25
Photography Editor
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GRAYSON RUHL ’24
GABRIEL MUÑOZ ’26
TENZIN KUNSANG ’25
NIHAR HEGDE ’24
JOANNE HU ’24
DANIELA ROJAS ’25
MARISA CEFOLA ’26
RUTH ABRAHAM ’24
MAX FATTAL ’25
MEHER BHATIA ’24
Sports Editor
News Editor
Science Editor
Arts & Culture Editor
Assistant News Editor
Dining Editor
Assistant News Editor
Sports Editor
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Science Editor
MING DEMERS ’25
MARIAN CABALLO ’25
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KATE KIM ’24
CARLIN REYEN ’25
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ISABELLE JUNG ’26
KIKI PLOWE ’25
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VEE CIPPERMAN ’23
CLAIRE LI ’24
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Assistant Photography Editor
ESTEE YI ’24
DAVID SUGARMANN ’24
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PAREESAY AFZAL ’24
ALLISON HECHT ’26
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ELI PALLRAND ’24
JASON WU ’24
Senior Edito
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Editors in training Editor in chief Desker Managing Desker Associate Desker News Deskers Sports Desker Arts & Culture Desker Photography Desker Layout Desker
Gabriel Muñoz '26 Julia Senzon '26 Daniela Rojas '25 Marisa Cefola ’26 Anushka Shorewala ’26 Matthew Kiviat '27 Hamna Waseem '27 Max Fattal ’25 Nina Davis ’26 Ashley Koo ’25
SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OR GUEST COLUMN The Cornell Daily Sun is devoted to publishing a broad and diverse set of content from the Cornell and greater Ithaca community. We want to hear what you have to say about today's paper or any of our pieces. Guidelines on how to submit can be found at Cornellsun.com. And here is our email: opinion@cornellsun.com
Leo Glasgow is a second year student in the College of Arts and Sciences, The Levinson China & Asia-Pacific Studies Program. His fortnightly column Can We Talk focuses on student life, domestic and international politics and social issues. He can be reached at lglasgow@cornellsun.com.
As an Independent, I’m Voting for Trump
H
e’s coming back. I used to hate Donald Trump with every fiber of my being. I even drew him as the devil on January 6. In 2021, I fully believed that Biden was the solution to all of my problems and that Trump was the origin of them. I was brainwashed since age 11, and all of my teachers spoke out against his campaign announcement in 2016. But getting older has heightened my awareness of a truth beyond red or blue. Our country will flourish so much when we understand that both sides of the political spectrum are necessary — democracy thrives when all perspectives are heard. When I peered behind partisanship, I latched onto a candidate I would have never expected. The vilification and attempted silencing of Trump stems from systemic biases and censorship against Republicans. I will never support Twitter’s decision to remove Trump's tweets on January 6th, tweets that urged his supporters to remain peaceful and respect the officers and the law. Twitter and Facebook suspending a sitting president from their platforms only further diminished conversation and heightened divisiveness — wouldn’t you rather have everyone at one table? My president does not have to be nice; he needs to be complex and practical. When Trump asked Fox’s Bill O’Reilly “What, you think our country’s so innocent?,” people understood that Trump doesn’t just say what people want to hear. I feel heard when Trump speaks directly to voters and underestimates when other politicians try to sugarcoat. I give Trump credit for making politics less politically correct. In a posttruth world where we create our own reality, it’s good to have a straight-talking president. Democracy is about choice, and Democrats assuming my affiliation on the basis of race or sexuality perpetuates historical cycles of trauma that shackle minorities like me in mental hypnosis. Look at me: one-bedroom apartment in Queens, a single mom from the Soviet Union and the classic stereotype of a runaway Black dad. In this entire country, it’s just me and momma. And I still want to vote for Trump. Calling Trump supporters like me bigots, deplorables and white supremacists doesn’t erase the fact that I carry a name given to me by a slave owner. Nobody can get rid of the fact that I was raised by an immigrant. I’m going at it alone — generation number one, and I will vote for who I want. Trump is pragmatic in highlighting that a victim mentality does not improve conditions for minorities. Identity has been dangerously exploited to the point where people believe that certain sexualities and races can only vote a certain way. Biden said it best: “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.” Donald Trump elevates the Black community: He increased funding for HBCUs, advanced criminal justice reform and was great for improving Black unemployment levels. The guy threatened a trade war with Sweden just to release A$AP Rocky. Trump working with people like Kim
Kardashian on prison sentencing reform or pardoning Lil Wayne on his last day in office exemplifies my ideal American president. Just because I’m voting for Trump in November doesn’t mean I agree with him on everything. For example, I will always support access to abortions, no matter what. The very nature of our political system makes it impossible to find a candidate I fully agree with, and that is ok. Trump is not an extremist; he has never backed a national abortion ban, even calling Desantis’ six-week ban “a terrible mistake.” Before Roe v. Wade’s reversal, Trump said it would be left up to individual states, the type of thinking needed to keep 50 states together. I’m not the only non-Republican who agrees with Trump; beloved Cornellian Ruth Bader Ginsburg similarly criticized Roe v. Wade, saying that it had “stopped the momentum.” We cannot impose personal values over states without changing people's mindsets first. Ohio and Kansas proved that when voters chose to keep abortion as a right. An area I think Trump dominates is border security. Widespread, ongoing human trafficking, cartel exploitation and one of the greatest humanitarian crises in our nation's history should evoke concern beyond political correctness. Millions of people have been waiting so long just for visas, the crisis makes the backlog more extreme. Trump wants that to change. The trouble from an open border makes me regret believing that Trump was overemphasizing its magnitude in 2016. Between 4 million and 9 million undocumented immigrants entered through the border under Biden. Indian, Iraqi, Cameroonian, Chinese and even Ukrainian migrants are crossing the Rio Grande. A Brooklyn school recently forced students into remote learning so that it could house 1,900 migrants during a storm, and Biden still denies the crisis. If New York City has to take money away from valuable social services over a portion of migrants, a grave change has to be made to the permeability of our borders. Trump has maintained his stance on a tight border, and voters can rely on his consistency. He made the border a mainstream conversation, and the current crisis only confirms his incredible foresight. Climate Change is very real. But unlike Democrats, Trump is honest about his plans. For example, US oil production has hit a record under Biden, not Trump. Democrats sometimes certainly pass good climate policy, but it’s not enough to make a difference. By 2030, developing nations, excluding China, are projected to emit more than half of total greenhouse gas emissions, exceeding the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degrees Celsius goal. When the ice caps melt, a race will happen for trade routes and resources; oil isn’t disappearing and Trump doesn’t want our enemies capitalizing on what we won’t. How can we know that a climate catastrophe is here and still put so much energy into trying to prevent it? To continue reading visit cornellsun.com
The Cornell Daily Sun | Tuesday, January 23, 2024 7
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Sports
TUESDAY JANUARY 23, 2024
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Men’s Hockey Upsets Quinnipiac in Overtime By JANE McNALLY Sun Sports Writer
“I like shooting the puck a lot,” said sophomore forward Dalton Bancroft. It would take a lot of shooting and a lot of scoring for Cornell to overcome the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Saturday, who entered the game as the reigning national champions and sitting in first place in the ECAC. Bancroft led his team with four shots on goal, but it was his latest that rang off the post and into the back of the net that lifted Cornell men’s hockey (10-4-3, 5-4-1 ECAC) past Quinnipiac (15-6-2, 9-2-1 ECAC) in overtime, 3-2. The game-winner was Bancroft’s second goal in the game. “It was just a good college hockey game,” said head coach Mike Schafer ’86. “We had nine freshmen in the lineup tonight, which was crazy.’” Cornell was coming off a big win over Princeton on Friday, cruising to a 6-2 victory. Quinnipiac, however, came out with an edge after dropping its first regulation conference loss to Colgate, 2-1. It was a notable game even before puck drop: Quinnipiac center Zach Tupker made his first appearance at Lynah Rink since last March, albeit this time as a member of the Bobcats. Tupker, who played three seasons with Cornell and registered 21 points in his career with the Red, is already up to 14 points with the Bobcats this season. While Cornell came out of the gates flying against Princeton on Friday, the faster team to begin Saturday’s game was Quinnipiac. Junior goaltender Ian Shane was sharp, making sound saves and assuring no rebounds went too far from his crease. It was the Red that struck first with just 1:34 remaining in the first period. Off a hard shot from the point by freshman defenseman Hoyt Stanley, Bancroft masterfully deflected the puck down and through the five-hole of the
Quinnipiac goaltender, the puck slowly trickling into the net as Lynah erupted. The goal gave Cornell a 1-0 lead heading into the second period. The second started well for the Red, as it was given a quick power play chance 49 seconds in when Cooper Moore was nabbed for cross-checking Bancroft. Quinnipiac’s Lipkin made two stellar blocks, and goaltender Vinny Duplessis made a pair of saves on the Red’s extra-man chance. Cornell earned yet another power play chance at 11:19 of the second period. The Red had a couple of extended stretches in Quinnipiac’s defensive zone, but a turnover at the blue line by freshman defenseman Ben Robertson led to a two-on-one shorthanded rush by the Bobcats. It was a familiar face converting for Quinnipiac, as Tupker finished a CJ McGee cross-crease pass for the shorthanded tally. With the game tied at one apiece, Cornell still had 30 seconds left on its power play. And boy, did the Red make that count. 29 seconds after the Quinnipiac goal, freshman defenseman George Fegaras wristed a shot from the point. Junior forward Ondrej Psenicka deflected the puck past Duplessis for the go-ahead goal, a practical mirror image of Bancroft’s score. It was reminiscent of Friday’s game against Princeton, where Cornell retaliated 41 seconds after Princeton had tied the game. “We wanted to shoot pucks and get eyes in front of the goalie, and we did a good job of that with two deflection goals,” Bancroft said. A costly moment later in the third occurred when a hard shot hit Shane and rebounded out, causing commotion in front of the net. Shane made another save off a quick wrist shot, but that rebound ricocheted off of junior defenseman Hank Kempf. Kempf dove into the crease and covered the puck with his hand, robbing the
Bobcats of a goal. Quinnipiac successfully challenged this play, as a skater covering the puck in the crease warrants a penalty shot to the attacking team. Alex Power converted on the penalty shot attempt, a hard wrist shot that snuck under Shane’s glove. Quinnipiac was rolling, with the score evened and the Red’s lead quickly erased. A big hit by sophomore forward Nick DeSantis sent him to the box –– elbowing the call –– but not after an unsuccessful coach’s challenge for a major penalty. Shane shut the Bobcats down, making quality save after quality save. The junior netminder made four saves on the back-to-back penalties to end the third, each more impressive than the last. Shane finished with 11 second-period saves. “In the second period, we were definitely on our heels a lot, “ Bancroft said. “We knew coming back out that we had to step up our game. I think we did that. We started hitting again, we started playing on the forecheck, but obviously good defense leads to good offense.” Not long into the third, Penney –– nowhere near where the puck was being played –– was elbowed hard in the head. Upon review, no penalty was called, and Cornell lost its timeout following a coach’s challenge. However, Quinnipiac was later called for a penalty, where McGee was called for hooking during a Cornell offensive zone push. Two hard one-timers were fired by Bancroft, but Quinnipiac penalty-killers made three straight blocks and steered the Red away. To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Jane McNally can be reached at jcnally@cornellsun.com.
Women’s Ice Hockey Vaults Up in Rankings By HAMNA WASEEM
With three minutes left in the game, the Red would spend the next two minutes with a power play advantage. Despite facing a six-on-five empty-net situation from the Tigers, Cornell’s determined defense held strong, and senior forward Izzy Daniel scored an empty-netter with one second remaining to seal the victory. The next day against Quinnipiac was a battle from the beginning. Just over five minutes into the game,
sive plays. The Bobcats incurred a slashing penalty during a Cornell breakaway, and Guilday converted on Cornell’s second power play to advance the Red’s After falling to No. 5 Colgate (20-3-1, 11-1-0 lead to 2-1. ECAC) on Jan. 12 and 13, the then-No. 8 Cornell Entering the third period, the Red maintained women’s hockey set its sight on avenging its previous its strong offensive pressure. Sophomore forward losses against Princeton (12-6-3, 5-6-3 ECAC) and Mckenna Van Gelder seized an opportunity during Quinnipiac (21-5-1, 10-5-0 ECAC) earlier in the a delayed penalty, scoring in a six-on-five situation season. and giving the Red some breathing room. Flipping Cornell finished its weekend with two the script with less than three minvictories, defeating then-No. 11 Princeton utes remaining, the Bobcats scored two on Friday, 5-3, and then-No. 6 Quinnipiac goals in 39 seconds, tying the game at on Saturday, 4-3. 3-3. The game against the Tigers on Friday Despite the late setback, the Red started with a hitch as sophmore forward remained undeterred. In the final Avi Adam was called for a hooking infrac50 seconds, Cornell stole the puck tion early in the first period. Cornell defendfrom the Bobcats and Rud netted the ed the Tiger advantage, and freshman forgo-ahead goal. Cornell held on for the ward Karel Prefontaine scored shortly after, remaining moments of the game, securgiving the Red a 1-0 lead. ing a thrilling 4-3 victory for the Red. Despite a roughing penalty on Princeton The new USCHO Poll was released forward Sarah Fillier six minutes in, Cornell Tuesday, with Cornell vaulting up to couldn’t capitalize on the power play and No. 6 in the nation (sixth in Pairwise). extend the lead. However, during a later The Red’s sweep saw Princeton fall power play 10 minutes into the first period, to the No. 12 spot, and Quinnipiac junior forward Gabbie Rud capitalized and dropped to No. 7. Competing in increased Cornell’s lead to 2-0. this year’s particularly strong ECAC, The second period saw some back-andCornell sits at fourth place in its conforth play with an impressive five goals ference, behind Colgate, Clarkson, and between the two teams. First, junior defenSt. Lawrence. Colgate, who sits in third seman Rory Guilday scored, before the in the Pairwise rankings, is the only LEILANI BURKE / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER team among the aforementioned that Tigers roared back for two goals to cut the Red’s lead to 3-2. Freshman defenseman Swingin’ sweep | Senior forward Izzy Daniel scores a goal for the Red. Cornell hasn’t beaten yet, but recent Piper Grober, who has become a mainstay success against quality opponents has at defense for the Red, got the two-goal lead right back the puck reached Daniel after three consecutive shots aided the Red to a top ranking in the nation. for Cornell. However, a late shorthanded goal from the on goal for the Red, and she converted for the first goal Next week, Cornell will return to Lynah Rink to Tigers made it a 4-3 game going into the third. of the game. The Red had a chance to increase their compete against Ivy League counterparts Dartmouth The final period was more defensively oriented, lead when the Bobcats received a tripping penalty. and Harvard. The Red play Dartmouth at 6 p.m. with the Red facing a critical five-on-three penalty Quinnipiac successfully defended against the penalty, on Friday, Jan. 26, and will then verse Harvard on kill. Junior forward Kaitlin Jockims had a one-on-one and later utilized their own power play to equalize, Saturday, Jan. 27 at 3 p.m. opportunity but was ultimately denied a short-handed bringing the score to 1-1. goal. Cornell successfully killed off both of Princeton’s The second period started intensely, with both Hamna Waseem can be reached at power plays. teams taking risky chances while having solid defen- hwaseem@cornellsun.com. Sun Sports Writer