INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 130, No. 30
MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013
!
ITHACA, NEW YORK
16 Pages – Free
News
Arts
Sports
Weather
Nymph Squad
Breaking Bad
Not So Lucky
Storms HIGH: 81 LOW: 46
Police search for a cult leader who was seen on campus handing out fliers recruiting white females. | Page 3
Arts and Entertainment Editor Sam Bromer and Zach Zahos rank Breaking Bad episodes. | Page 8
Men’s soccer lost its first Ivy League game Saturday night against UPenn. | Page 16
C.U. Apologizes for Oceanography:New Psych1101? Insensitive Campaign By LIANNE BORNFELD and MICHELLE YIN
Sun News Editor and Sun Contributor
Students:‘Cinco de Octubre’ was culturally inappropriate By AKANE OTANI Sun Managing Editor
Students and administrators alike condemned Cornell Athletics for running what they say was a culturally insensitive, Cinco de Mayo-themed marketing campaign that included encouraging community members to don sombreros and ponchos. The marketing campaign, which was launched Wednesday to promote Cornell’s football game Saturday against Colgate Uni“I was disappointed that versity, was meant to “develop a festive atmosphere at the football this theme was stereogame,” according to Jeff Hall, typing the Mexican culture associate director of sales and of which I identify.” marketing for Cornell Athletics. As part of the campaign, the Carmen Martinez ’14 University encouraged community members to participate in a “photobooth” activity that involved the person with the “best costume” winning a prize, according to Carmen Martinez ’14, who saw a poster advertising the game in Goldwin Smith. The University also sent a promotional email asking community members to celebrate “Ithaca: Cinco de Octubre.” Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that celebrates the 1862 Mexican victory at the Battle of Puebla, is celebrated on May 5. “I was disappointed that this theme was stereotyping the Mexican culture of which I identify,” Martinez said. “I was especially troubled by the ‘photobooth’ activity, especially after one of my colleagues pointed out that the winner [is the person] with the ‘best costume,’ implying the best Mexican costume was going to win a prize. What better way to invite stereotyping of our culture?” Several student groups and Latino community members contacted University officials saying the marketing campaign was offensive, culturally insensitive and inappropriate. As of Friday, the
Where Psychology 1101: “Introduction to Psychology” once stood as the most populous class at the University, now Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 1540: “Introduction to Oceanography” has taken its place. With 791 students enrolled this semester, oceanography leads “Introduction to Psychology” by about 50 students. About 600 student enrolled in oceanography –– which instructs students in both ocean functions and the current environmental threats they face –– last year, according to Prof. Bruce Monger, earth and atmospheric sciences, who teaches the course. Back then, Monger taught the course in Kennedy Hall, which has an maximum occupancy of 600 persons.
This semester, the class was moved to Bailey Hall to accommodate the approximately 200 student increase in class size. “People were turned away because I couldn’t sit more students in the room [in Kennedy Hall],” Monger said. With its home now in Bailey Hall, oceanography students fill two-thirds of the building’s seating occupancy. “I want to fill Bailey. I want 1,200 students to take this class,” he said. Five years ago, Monger said, about 130 students were enrolled in oceanography. Only when the class hit an enrollment of 300 students did the course relocate to Kennedy Hall, he added. See OCEANOGRAPHY page 4
Center for learning| Bailey Hall holds lectures for “Introduction to Oceanography,” the most populous class at Cornell. This year, 791 students have enrolled in the class. ELLEN WOODS / SUN FILE PHOTO
See CAMPAIGN page 4
31st Apple Fest Univ.Looks at Obamacare Moves Away From Health Insurance Marketplace opened Oct.1 Ithaca Commons By NOAH RANKIN
Sun Senior Writer
By CHRISTOPHER STANTON Sun Contributor
BRYCE EVANS / SUN CONTRIBUTOR
Having a ball | Juggler Nate Marshall performed on the Commons at Apple Fest on Sunday.
Due to an ongoing, $10-million redesign of the Ithaca Commons, the 31st Annual Apple Harvest Festival took place this weekend not in the Commons itself, but in different locations downtown. The event, which was coordinated by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, faced more challenges this year than usual because of the construction project in the Commons, according to Gary Ferguson, executive director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance. See APPLES page 5
On Oct. 1, the new Health Insurance Marketplace opened for enrollment as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The act requires all individuals not covered by an employer-sponsored health plan or public healthcare such as Medicare and Medicaid to enroll in a private insurance plan on the marketplace. These privately-owned plans, known as exchanges, are broken down into Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze plans based on their premium cost — the sticker price — and their level of coverage. Platinum plans cost the most and have the highest coverage, while bronze plans
cost the least and feature the lowest coverage. Gannett Health Service staff spoke to The Sun regarding how the new marketplace will affect students. “Young people are really a big piece of this story, because historically they have been uninsured in such high numbers,” said Jennifer Austin, health communications specialist at Gannett. “College students who have insurance will be bombarded with the same media messages as those who don’t. It may confuse them, making them think ‘maybe I need a different plan’ or ‘my family needs something different.’ “Part of our job at Gannett is to to help students on SHIP take a breath and say, See OBAMACARE page 5