12-4-24 entire issue hi res by The Cornell Daily Sun

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

‘Te New Jungle’: Asteri Apartments Residents Share Living Struggles

By CEREESE QUSBA Sun Contributor

Dec. 4 — A woman threatened with an axe.

Another reportedly attacked in her apartment. A man stabbed in the chest.

Since residents began moving into the building in early June, Asteri has endured a spate of criminal activity.

Asteri, a $96 million affordable housing development in the Ithaca Commons, opened in August 2024 to provide 40 housing units with on-site support services speciﬁcally reserved for previously unhoused individuals. Some residents, however, told The Sun they feel unsafe in these accommodations, voicing concerns about the transition.

The 181 affordable housing units were built to combat increased homelessness in Ithaca. Households earning 80 percent or less of Ithaca’s Area Median Income of approximately $45,000 are eligible for affordable rent. Tompkins County, along with state and federal partners, contributed to funding this public-private development project.

Many residents, however, are unhappy with the conditions inside and around the development. The visibly broken key-card scanner has rendered the building entrance constantly open

for over a month, according to some residents.

Despite ‘No Smoking’ signs, people smoke cigarettes in hallways where “you literally cannot breathe,” one resident said.

“It’s a sh*t hole,” said Joshua Fenton, a resident of four months. “Personally, I don’t want to live here no more.”

Soon after Asteri opened, frequent reports of assault, instances of ﬁres and overdoses in and around the building were ﬁled. In addition, the police have responded to complaints about individuals sleeping outside the entrance, increased waste around the premises and public disturbances.

Chief of Police Thomas Kelly conﬁrmed in an interview with The Sun that “Asteri has increased calls for service.”

Through regular surveillance checks and responses to the calls near Asteri, Kelly said that the Ithaca Police Department takes “a more proactive approach with Asteri to deter activity,” noting that this does detract from patrols and requires more resources than other sectors of the City.

To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com.

Cereese Qusba can be reached at cq78@cornell.edu

Cornell Course on Gaza Sparks National, University Backlash

By MARYAM ISMAIL

Sun Contributor

Dec. 2 — Last month, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) condemned Prof. Eric Cheyﬁtz, American studies, on X, claiming that he “demonizes Israel and lionizes Hamas”

The criticism came amid escalating tensions surrounding Cheyﬁtz’s Spring 2025 course, “Gaza, Indigeneity, Resistance” which, according to Cheyﬁtz, was approved by the curriculum committee. The course has drawn scrutiny for its alleged antisemitic bias.

In an email quoted by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Interim President Michael Kotlikoff described it as presenting “a radical, factually inaccurate, and biased view of the formation of the State of Israel and the ongoing conﬂict.”

In a separate statement to The Sun, Kotlikoff clariﬁed that his comments were intended to remain private.

“I do not comment publicly about faculty courses or faculty curricular decisions. Recently my private comments

to a colleague were obtained by the press. Those comments reﬂected my personal view that courses should challenge and provoke independent thought, rather than seek to convince students of a particular point of view,” Kotlikoff said.

Menachem Rosensaft, law, has been openly critical of Cheyﬁtz’s course, accusing it of “using the curriculum in their courses for political purposes” in an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. In an email to The Sun, Rosensaft described the course description as “inﬂammatory, constituting antisemitism on steroids.”

Rosensaft conﬁrmed with The Sun that he was the one who shared his correspondence with Kotlikoff to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency upon their request.

Rosensaft took issue with the omission of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel in the course description.

“Ignoring this event casts doubt on the course’s legitimacy,” Rosensaft wrote.

In an interview with the Sun, Cheyﬁtz countered, “I teach facts — not alterna-

tive narratives. The curriculum committee reviewed and approved this course based on its academic merits.”

Cheyﬁtz argued that his course seeks to explore the complexities of Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, not to justify violence. “This is about a deeper understanding of history and human rights,” he said.

Last semester, Cheyfitz hosted a teach-in on Gaza, an educational forum designed to foster discussion and raise awareness about pressing issues. Teach-ins, unlike traditional lectures, often include interactive elements and encourage open dialogue among participants. This particular event explored themes closely tied to his controversial course.

“[Kotlikoff] called me before the teach-in, not to ask about the content or raise concerns, but to ask if I needed security,” Cheyﬁtz said.

To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com.

New Documents Reveal Details of Cornellian’s Trespassing, Assault Case

Noah Rebei ’25 faces criminal charges after hiding under a female student’s bed

By BENJAMIN LEYNSE Sun Senior Writer

Dec. 4 — Editor’s Note: The content in this article discusses a 2015 incident of sexual assault.

Near midnight on Oct. 30, Noah Rebei ’25 was discovered underneath the bed of a woman in Keeton House. The following day, he was arrested by campus police and charged with second-degree criminal trespassing and third-degree assault before being turned over to the Tompkins County Sheriff on Nov. 1.

Now, previously unreported details about the case reveal conﬂicting accounts from Rebei, the victim and her roommate after their statements made to Cornell University Police were released to The Sun by the Ithaca City Court. The women, whose names The Sun is withholding for their privacy, did not respond to requests for comment.

In Rebei’s statement to CUPD, he said that when he saw a group of women leave their room around 10 p.m., he “came up with the idea to scare them” on Halloween Eve. Once the women left the area, he went into their room, which was “left open.”

“I started to look for somewhere to hide and then I became very nervous when I heard them coming back. I quickly went under the bed,” Rebei said in his statement to the police.

Rebei told the police that he stayed under the bed for around 10 minutes. Later, in a statement to The Sun, Rebei said that he stayed under the bed for no more than 30 minutes.

However, according to the women’s statements, after they came to their dorm between 9 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., they never left the room fully unattended. The victim added that

she only discovered the intruder sometime after 11:40 p.m., and according to the crime log, CUPD responded at 11:57 p.m., over two and a half hours after the room would have last been left empty.

According to the victim’s statement, in the time between returning to their dorm and discovering Rebei, she and her roommate showered, changed clothes in the dorm and engaged in personal phone calls. When the two women discovered Rebei, they were lying in bed, their dorm room entirely dark beside the light of their phones, they told the police.

The victim said she was about to get off a phone call with her boyfriend when she reportedly felt three taps underneath her legs. Moments later, after hanging up, she said she discovered “a head of curly dark hair” under the bed. She told CUPD she immediately yelled as loud as she could and ran to open the door, shouting at him to get out as he began to crawl out from under the bed.

An altercation ensued.

“He rushed toward me and when I noticed he was unarmed — unsure if he had any other objects on him — I reached my right arm out to grab the chest area of his shirt,” she told CUPD.

She held on as the man pushed around her before running out the door and down the stairwell, according to her statement. She said she could no longer hold onto him and was forced to let go as he reached the bottom of the stairs, reportedly rolling her right ankle as she fell onto the platform below. She told police that he then escaped out the exit door. Soon after, police and emergency medical services arrived on the scene.

Cornell crime | Noah Rebei ’25 takes the stand in Ithaca City Court on Nov. 6.

MING DEMERS / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

See REBEI page 13

Maryam Ismail can be reached at mmi26@cornell.edu.

Law, Economics and Policy Seminar With Max Schanzenback 11:40 p.m. to 12:55 p.m., 225 ILR Conference Center

Asian American Studies Program Wednesday Lunch Series With Adhy Kim 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., 429 Rockefeller Hall

Guided Mindfulness Meditation With the Let’s Meditate Initiative 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m., 106 Upson Hall

Cornell Soft Matter Discussion With Max Bi (Northeastern) 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. , 128 Olin Hall

Midday Music for Organ: The Cornell Organists 12:30 p.m., Sage Chapel

Development Workshop With Anna Vitali 1:25 p.m. to 2:40 p.m., 525 ILR Conference Center

Last Lecture With Corey Earle ’07 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., G01 Uris Hall

Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease Journal Club

9:05 a.m. to 9:55 a.m., 2124 Comstock Hall

Coffee & Co-Workers

9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Mattin’s Cafe Dufﬁeld Hall

Center for Innovative Proteomics Journal Club

11 a.m. to 12 p.m., 321 Weill Hall

World Soil Day Celebration: Community Art Event with Soil Painting 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mann Library

Cornell Department of Astronomy & Space Sciences Fall 2024 Colloquium Series

3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., 105 Space Sciences Building

The Fall 2024 Ammons Reading 5 p.m., Groos Family Atrium Klarman Hall

SUNBURSTS: Winter Wonderland

In the weeks before fnals, Ithaca experienced its frst snowfall of a long winter. Before hitting the books, check out this week’s Sunbursts

By SUN PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT

FIRST SNOW | The ﬁrst snow of the season falls outside the Townhouse Community.

COCOA AND COFFEE | A popular refuge from the Ithaca winter, Libe Cafe is known for its holiday decorations. Catherine Martin ‘25 and Jon Duvao ‘25 wait to receive their drinks.

UNDER MY UMBRELLA | As the day progressed, the snow turned to rain, causing many students to break out their umbrellas.

FOUNTAIN | A fountain covered in snow sits near the Big Red Barn.

CKB | Snow coats the lawn outside Court-Kay-Bauer Hall on North Campus following Ithaca’s ﬁrst snow.

SAGE SNOW | A ﬂurry falls near Sage Hall on Dec. 3.

SWEATER WEATHER | In tune with the chilly holiday season, a Christmas tree in the Cornell Store towers above racks of hats, scarves and other winter clothing.

CHILLY CONDITIONS | Despite the cold weather, construction workers continue to repave Libe Slope.

Rachel Eisenhart/Sun Staf Photographer

Matthew Korniczky/Sun Staf Photographer

Karlie McGann/Sun Assistant Photography Editor

Matthew Korniczky/Sun Staf Photographer

Karlie McGann/Sun Assistant Photography Editor

Nathan Ellison/Sun Staf Photographer

Jaein Ku/Sun Staf Photographer

Nathan Ellison/Sun Staf Photographer

Who are Cornell’s Trustees? An In-depth Analysis by Industry, Position Level and Financial Contributions

By EVELYN MULLEN WALSH and CAROLINE KELLY Sun Contributors

Dec. 3 — Cornell’s Board of Trustees has sweeping power over University affairs, from choosing the president to green-lighting the creation of new colleges.

Of the trustees, 28.8 percent work in the ﬁnancial industry, according to a recent Sun analysis.

The Sun recently researched Kraig Kayser MBA ’84’s, the chairman of Cornell’s Board of Trustees, connection to Moog, a weapons manufacturing company where he serves on the Board of Directors and owns more than 30,000 stocks valued at over $6.5 million. Kayser serves as a non-executive chairman of the board of Seneca Foods Corporation, after having previously served as its president and CEO for nearly 30 years.

To learn more about the complete Board of Trustees, The Sun scanned articles, LinkedIn proﬁles and other publicly available sources to gather information on 59 of Cornell’s 60 full trustees, including their occupations, industries and ﬁnancial contributions to the University.

The Board is made up of 43 board-elected trustees, eight alumni-elected trustees, two faculty members, one undergraduate trustee, one graduate trustee, one employee-elected trustee, seven ex-ofﬁcio members and one life trustee who is a direct descendent of Ezra Cornell. Sun analysis excluded ex-ofﬁcio members and the life trustee — who did not have a public job history.

Trustees serve for four-year terms, with the exception of student trustees whose terms last two years. The full board only meets four times a year, three times in Ithaca and once in New York City, with the majority of the Board’s work happening across its 12 committees centered on topics from academic affairs to student life.

The Board’s Makeup by Industry

7 board members hold jobs in the financial industry, including stock trading and venture capital. Of the remaining trustees, six work in consulting, five are in hospitality, five are in law and four are in medicine. Two or fewer trustees are employed in the remaining represented industries, which include agriculture, architecture, technology and government, among other disciplines.

While a substantial 28.8 percent of Cornell’s trustees work in the ﬁnancial industry, this number is comparable to the other Ivies which average 30.13 percent. However, Brown and Harvard have lower percentages of 7.3 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Notably, 49 percent of the University of Pennsylvania’s trustees work in ﬁnance.

The Sun interviewed Prof. Risa Lieberwitz, industrial and labor relations, about the signiﬁcance of the makeup of the board.

Lieberwitz said that a board dominated by executives from the ﬁnance and investment industries “skews the number of voices that will be heard, that represent different perspectives.”

One change proposed by Lieberwitz was the inclusion of more leaders from nonprofits, social justice and labor organizations to diversify representation on the board.

The Board’s Makeup by Position Level

Outside of careers in ﬁnance, three trustees are academics, two hold executive positions in nonproﬁts and two are students. Of the remaining two trustees, one works in government as Brooklyn’s district attorney and one is an attorney.

Eric Gonzalez ’92 is currently serving as the district attorney of Brooklyn, the ﬁrst Latino to hold the position. He is the only non-ex-ofﬁcio trustee who holds a government position.

While at least 14 trustees have made donations to the University of over $1 mil-

lion according to press releases from Cornell, not all of the individual donation amounts are known. However, The Sun calculated at least $123.85 million was collectively donated publicly to the University by trustees by adding up information provided through University press releases.

To continue reading, please visit www. cornellsun.com.

Evelyn Mullen Walsh and Caroline Kelly can be reached at eam435@cornell.edu and cck84@cornell.edu.

Tompkins County Plans to Develop New Homeless Shelter at 227 Cherry St.

Nov. 28 — Tompkins County ofﬁcials announced plans to purchase 227 Cherry St. in Ithaca for $1.1 million to develop a long-term homeless shelter facility on Tuesday. The Tompkins County Legislature will vote on the property acquisition at its Dec. 3 meeting.

The Cherry St. site, which is located near several pre-existing homeless encampments, was chosen after an extensive search of over a dozen locations, according to a Tuesday statement from Tompkins County. Expected to open in 2026 or 2027, the shelter will house up to 100 people with limited requirements for entry.

This announcement follows the Nov. 7 closing of the St. John’s Community Services shelter — Tompkin County’s only emergency homeless shelter. The shelter announced its closing when county ofﬁcials and the shelter’s operator were unable to come to a contract renewal agreement. SJCS originally planned to close mid-November, but closed early due to “staff capacity issues.”

The county has allocated an additional $1 million toward development costs.

Additionally, it plans to apply for $6.1 million in New York State Homeless Housing and Assistance Program funds in 2025.

The Code Blue program requires all New York State counties to provide shelter for all individuals at night when temperatures are expected to drop below freezing with wind chill for at least two consecutive hours. In response to immediate sheltering needs, Tompkins County has implemented several temporary measures.

To accommodate for the loss of SCJS, Tompkins County has repurposed the vacant KeyBank building on Tioga Street as a temporary Code Blue shelter. The facility, which opened on Nov. 26, will operate from November through April and provide overnight accommodations for 60 to 80 people from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily.

During the day, warming centers will be available at the Human Services Building Lobby at 320 W. Martin Luther King Jr. St. and the Code Blue facility between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to an Oct. 29 Tompkins County statement.

Isabella Pazmino-Schell and Reem Nasrallah can be reached at ipazminoschell@cornellsun.com and rmn56@cornell.edu.

By ISABELLA PAZMINO-SCHELL and REEM NASRALLAH Sun Staff Writer and Sun Contributor

Cornell Student Assembly Annouces Results After Fall 2024 Election Cycle

By VARSHA BHARGAVA, JEREMIAH JUNG and THEODORA CURTIN Sun Contributors

Dec. 4 — The Student Assembly announced the results of its Fall 2024 election on Monday. Four freshmen and one transfer student were chosen from 11 freshman and three transfer student candidates. Freshmen and transfer students received digital ballots to vote in their respective elections between Nov. 20 and Nov. 24.

The Sun spoke with the ﬁve elected representatives to learn more about what they hope to accomplish while in the assembly.

Freshman Representatives

This year’s elected freshman representatives include Daniel Addoquaye ’28, John Purcell ’28, Thor Waguespack ’28 and Jinzhou Wu ’28.

In total, 1077 valid votes were cast from eligible students. The election took the form of ranked-choice voting, and according to the seventh round of counting, Wu received 325 votes, Waguespack received 180 votes, Addoquaye received 171 votes and Purcell received 152 votes.

In an interview with The Sun, Purcell emphasized his hope to foster a close-knit community within both the freshman body and the University.

“I live in Donlon, and that in and of itself is a tight-knit community,” Purcell said. “Living with so many different people and creating those bonds has shown me what Cornell as a whole can really be like.”

Drawing on this experience, Purcell hopes to organize more community-oriented events in the future, such as a class-wide sunset-watching on Libe Slope or peer-on-peer counseling sessions.

Purcell also emphasized that mental health awareness is his greatest priority.

“Creating more spaces and even just advocating for more mental health days can go a long way,” he said. “I want to create an atmosphere where everyone can feel comfortable and connected to those around them.”

Waguespack echoed similar sentiments to Purcell, promoting more accessible drop-in hours and mental health days.

“Students should never have to jump through so many hoops to get the help that they need,” Waguespack said. “We’re living in the past, but we shouldn’t have to be.”

Waguespack also highlighted practical reforms, including streamlining the housing portal website, improving dining options and expanding free Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit passes to upperclassmen.

Primarily though, Waguespack champions transparency, aiming to make the assembly more approachable and focused on student concerns.

“There are a lot of things that most undergraduates collectively want, like extended dining hours,” Waguespack said. “I want to hone in on those concerns and keep the Student Assembly actually working for the students.”

Echoing Waguespack’s focus on student concerns when it comes to dining, Addoquaye plans to advocate

for more food options in the dining halls, a suggestion he says he has heard from many students.

Addoquaye also wants to foster more accessible communication between freshmen and their representatives.

“Something I want to do in this position as freshman representative is not only collaborate with my fellow representatives … but have a social media account or another source for freshmen to reach out directly to us,” Addoquaye said.

Another issue Addoquaye wants to tackle is building career opportunities early on for freshmen. He wants to expand access to career services for underclassmen by increasing the career center’s outreach to them.

“As for careers … [I want to] expand the outreach of the career center to freshmen. [The career center] focuses more on upperclassmen, so we should start [access to internships] with freshmen, to have career advancement on the freshman timeline,” Addoquaye said.

Wu primarily aims to bridge the gap between the assembly and the students. Wu said that before he ran for the assembly, he did not know how to contact any representative, and he wants that to change.

“My goal is to establish a continuous communication channel between representatives and students,” Wu said. “The students should know what’s going on inside the S.A. — if proposals are not being addressed and what is [actually] being addressed.”

Like fellow representatives, Wu said he wants to learn what the students need to make sure they feel “truly represented.”

“The representatives need to know what are the problems that students care about before we actually dive into solving them,” he said.

Transfer Representative

Michael O’Donnell ’27 was elected as this year’s transfer representative. O’Donnell received 51 votes out of the 93 total valid votes cast.

After studying at Fordham University for his freshman year, O’Donnell transferred to Cornell to study Industrial and Labor Relations through the Transfer Option. His focus areas as transfer representative include student spirit, engagement and approachability.

To increase spirit, O’Donnell hopes to work with Student and Campus Life to provide more Cornell merchandise to transfer students so they can “proudly afﬁliate” with the University, he said.

For O’Donnell, recreational clubs are a critical part of the student experience. He aims to help these clubs “go out and do great things,” like participating in national events to garner popularity and further Cornell’s excellence.

In an interview with The Sun, O’Donnell emphasized the importance of creating a comfortable space for transfer students to advocate for themselves. He said that any transfer student should feel empowered to stand with him in front of the assembly with reasonable concerns or requests.

Varsha Bhargava, Jeremiah Jung and Teodora Curtin can be reached at vb372@ cornell.edu, wj66@cornell.edu and tac232@ cornell.edu.

Immigrants in Ithaca Brace for Trump’s Return

By TAEHEE OH Sun Staff Writer

Nov. 26 — Ithaca’s immigrant communities and local organizations expressed concerns over the uncertainty of the security and status of immigrants and temporary visa holders in a second Trump presidency.

President-elect Donald Trump has made immigration one of the top focuses of his second administration, with promises of mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and restrictions on legal immigration.

Limitations of Ithaca as a Sanctuary City

Drawing from Trump’s actions against sanctuary cities in his ﬁrst term, Hilary Boyer —- the co-director and student services coordinator of an English as a second language school for adults named Open Doors English —- raised concerns over the possible impact of Trump’s immigration policies on sanctuary cities.

A sanctuary city is a municipality that adopts policies that restrict the extent to which local law enforcement can collaborate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement. Ithaca — which declared itself a sanctuary city in 2017 —- placed restrictions on when and how the Ithaca Police Department should respond to federal requests related to undocumented people residing in the city.

However, the restrictions have limitations, as the IPD cannot prevent the ICE from arresting and detaining undocumented people, nor can it prohibit its ofﬁcers from reporting someone’s immigration status due to a federal law.

“It was my understanding that sanctuary cities were intentionally targeted by ICE [during Trump’s ﬁrst administration], and so I think that I could see that happening again and having people be afraid that they’re going to be picked up by ICE,” Boyer said.

Despite Ithaca’s sanctuary status, there were several high-proﬁle arrests of undocumented individuals in the city and Tompkins County in the ﬁrst Trump administration.

To counter these fears, the Tompkins

County Immigrant Rights Coalition is considering relaunching the Rapid Response Network, a volunteer-based system designed to alert the community if someone is detained by ICE, “if needed,” according to an email statement from the organization to The Sun. Providing Know Your Rights and Emergency Planning Workshops

In preparation for a possible mass deportation, some local organizations are conducting Know Your Rights workshops for immigrant communities.

The Cornell Farmworker Program — which aims to promote recognition of farmworkers’ contributions to society and foster their inclusion in local communities — has been holding Know Your Rights and Emergency Planning workshops to help undocumented parents designate guardians for their U.S.born children and educate immigrant workers on their constitutional rights according to Mary Jo Dudley, the director of the Cornell Farmworkers Program.

Similarly, Open Doors English is planning to give Know Your Rights presentations to students to instruct them on how to navigate interactions with immigration authorities and reduce risks of legal trouble, according to Boyer.

The presentation, which will draw on resources from the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center, will cover actions to take if stopped by immigration ofﬁcers, steps to follow if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents come to their home and preventive measures to avoid unnecessary stops like ensuring vehicles are in proper working order, adhering to trafﬁc laws and avoiding minor infractions like having items hanging from rearview mirrors.

To continue reading, please visit www.cornellsun.com.

Taehee Oh can be reached at toh@cornellsun. com.

Professor Accurately Predicted Election Results for All 50 State

By YUHAN HUANG Sun Contributor

Nov. 26 — A month before the presidential election, Prof. Peter Enns, government, published a model with three other researchers that would correctly predict the results for all 50 U.S. states.

Besides correctly predicting the Electoral College results, the group’s forecast also projected that President-elect Donald Trump would win 50.3 percent of the popular vote — nearly the same as Trump’s actual win of 49.97 percent of the popular vote, with over 99 percent of the results inputted as of Monday evening.

As far as Enns can tell, the model, for which he was the lead researcher, “was the most accurate.”

“I haven’t heard of any forecasts that got every Electoral College vote correct and also got within one percentage point of the popular vote,” Enns said.

Enns also led a forecast for the 2020 presidential election that correctly predicted President Joe Biden’s win and the results in every state except Georgia.

Enns said the model’s “primary innovation” was to measure presidential approval ratings and economic conditions for each state, rather than for the nation as a whole.

The researchers gathered national survey data on economic conditions and presidential approval ratings from at least 100 days before the election, then recalibrated the data to represent the presidential approval ratings of dif-

ferent demographic groups in each state. They used the mathematical technique of multilevel regression with poststratiﬁcation — a method that corrects estimates based on differences between a known population and a target population.

Enn’s original forecast found that Biden had less than a one-tenth chance of winning the presidency. After Vice President Kamala Harris replaced Biden in the presidential race, Enns adjusted for Harris’ approval rates and found she had a “substantially higher” chance of one-fourth.

“[This] still indicated that Harris faced an uphill battle,” Enns said. “[Given this context,] Harris should have distinguished herself more from Biden and further deﬁned her unique vision.”

This sentiment was echoed by Prof. Tracy Mitrano J.D. ’95, information science, who said Biden committed a “tactical mistake” by dropping out of the race too late and not giving Harris enough time to clarify her policies.

Mitrano, who unsuccessfully ran for New York’s 23rd Congressional District in 2018 and 2020, said that interacting with voters in a traditionally red district made her understand that “the Democratic Party is not speaking to people who feel as if they’ve been left behind.”

To continue reading, please visit www.cornellsun.com.

Yuhan Huang can be reached at yh2273@ cornell.edu.

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

JULIA SENZON ’26

Managing Editor

ERIC REILLY ‘25

Assistant Managing Editor

MARISA CEFOLA ’26 News Editor

DOROTHY FRANCE-MILLER’27 News Editor

OLIVIA HOLLOWAY ’25

Assistant News Editor

KAITLIN CHUNG ’26 Science Editor

SYDNEY LEVINTON ’27 Arts & Culture Editor

JADE DUBUCHE ’27 Social Media Editor

MING DEMERS ’25

NICOLE COLLINS ’25

PARIS CHAKRAVARTY ’27

Jack Aherne '27

Ximena Balli '27

Varsha Bhargava '27

Emma Cohen '28

Teodora Curtin '28

Loma Ding '28

Kendall Eddington '27

Emma Galgano '27

Jonathan Brand ‘27

Breanna Ferreira ‘26

Shubha Gautam ‘28

Rafaela G. Bustamente '28

Jane Haviland '28

Yuhan Huang '28

Maryam Ismail '27

Leena Jalees '28

Jeremiah Jung '28

Kate Turk '27

Isabella Hanson ‘27

Adin Choung '26

Aurora Weirens '25

Julia Poggi 25

Daniela Wise-Rojas '25

Armand Chancellor '25

Emma Robinson ‘27

Leah Badawi ‘27

Ili Pecullan ‘26

Alexandria Fennell ‘26

Eirian Huang ‘26

MAX FATTAL ’25

Associate Editor

SHEILA YU ’26

Business Manager

MATTHEW KIVIAT ’27 News Editor

GABRIEL MUNOZ ’26 City Editor

DINA SHLUFMAN ’27

Assistant News Editor

JANE MCNALLY ’26 Sports Editor

JENNA LEDLEY ’27 Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

MADELINE KAPSALIS ’25

Assistant Social Media Editor

LEILANI BURKE ’25

Assistant Photography Editor

ALLISON HECHT ’26 Newsletter Editor

AUDREY IM ’26

Human Resources Manager

News Board

Sophia Koman '27

Ashley Lee '28

Shannon Lee '27

Julia Lian '28

Sofa Loayza '25

Michael Masci '28

Matthew Michailof '28

Evelyn Mullen Walsh '27

Skylar Kleinman ‘27

Reem Nasrallah '28

Isabella Pazmino-Schell '28

Opinion Board

Ilana Livshits '27

Henry Schechter '26

Ayman Abou-Alfa '27

Serin Koh '25

Sophia Dasser ‘28

HENRY SCHECHTER ’26 Opinion Editor

COURTNEY HUANG’26 Advertising Manager

CHRISTINA MACCORKLE ’26 News Editor

ANUSHKA SHOREWALA ’26

Assistant News Editor

LAINE HAVENS ’25

ERIC HAN ’26 Arts & Culture Editor

KIRA WALTER ’26 Lifestyle Editor

MARIAN CABALLO ’26 Multimedia Editor

KARLIE MCGANN ’27

Assistant Photography Editor

JOLIN LI ’27

JESSIE GUILLEN ’26 Graphics Editor

Avery Prince '28

Cereese Qusba '27

Giselle Redmond '28

Talia Richmond '28

Xavier Rolston '28

Aarush Rompally '27

Benjamin Leynse ‘27

Grace Liu ‘27

Caroline Michailof ‘26

Dalton Mullins ‘27

Carlin Reyen ‘25 Seth Berman ‘26 Noah Farb ‘28 Sophie Gross ‘27 Asf Tias ‘27

Arts & Culture Board

Rachel Cannata ‘25 Aidan Goldberg ‘25

Caidan Pilarski ‘26

Melissa Moon ‘28

Mia Roman-Wilson ‘28

Will Cawley ‘28

Dylan Drongsen ‘26

Zeinab Faraj ‘28 Eli Fastif ‘26

Sarvesh Prabhu ‘28

Jake Zajkowski ‘26 Lauren Hsu ‘28

Yaelin Hough ‘28

James Palm ‘27

Jane Abigail Locke ‘28

Lusine Boyadzhyan ‘27

Matthew Rentezelas ‘28

Sports Board

Dylan Graf ‘28

Sam Kimball ‘27

Anika Kolanu ‘25

Paul Kurgan ‘27

Kyle Chun ‘28 Bhavya Anoop ‘27

Val Kim ‘28

Angelina Tang '28

Kristie To '28

Max Troiano ’28

Rohith Tsundupalli ’28

Rowan Wallin ’28

Taehee Oh ’27

Sofa Principe ’26

Christine Savino J.D. ’28

Avery Wang ’28

Nick Wilson ‘26 Sophia Arnold ‘26 President Michael Kotlikoff

Nicholas York ‘27

Rafaella Gonzalez ‘26 Sophia Romanov Imber ‘28 Pen May Fang ‘28

Alexis Rogers ‘28

Avery Sohn ‘28

Adam Vasserman ‘25 Tomas Vollaro ‘27

Gillian White ‘28

Marissa Gaut ‘27

Andrea Kim ‘28

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Gabriel Levin ’26

Current Cornell Sun & Sun Alumni Association Employees & Contractors

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From the Editors

Robert Armstrong ’75

As We Move Forward

As Cornell prepares to shut down for the holidays, we at The Sun are putting the paper to bed for the last time in 2024. As the oldest continuously independent student newspaper in the country, we want to give our deepest gratitude to you, our readers. Without the students, professors and community members like you who read the pages of our paper, none of our work would ever be possible.

Every day, the objective writers and editors of The Sun work, write and research so we can show the student body an unvarnished vision of Cornell. Our writers dig deeper than the ofﬁcial narratives that our University shows to the public because, as young journalists, we think our peers deserve nothing less than the absolute truth. We hold our institution accountable by bringing the Cornell community reporting that dives deep into the inner workings of our University.

While our news writers work to unveil and uncover relevant stories, our subjective writers strive to articulate the voice of the community. We go to work every day so Cornell and its administration can hear the concerns of the students, professors, alumni and others. Over the last year, we have amplified community perspectives about free speech, protest, mental health, governmental oversight, corruption and race. Administration listens to the voices in the pages of The Sun — you can see it in their statements and actions. As a 144-year-old stakeholder in Ithaca, we won’t ever stop fighting to share the perspectives, stories and concerns of those who keep this campus alive. We hope that you will continue to join us in this fight.

Chloe Asack ‘26

Kitty Zhang ‘28

Matthew Cheung ‘26

At the end of the day we are here to support all of you, our readers. You drive us and Cornell forward. You give our school its shining reputation. You force us all to live up to our institutional promises. Keep ﬁghting for the right thing, for change in our society and for a better Cornell. We’ll join you.

— Henry Schechter, Opinion Editor

Tseng ‘27

Korniczky ‘28 Karlie McGann ‘27

The Cornell Daily Sun Ofﬁce | Since 2003, each editorial board has made its way to 139 West State Street: home to the Cornell Daily Sun. Here, we produce

Ithaca

DRAWING BY KATELYNN LE

Sophia Dasser

and social justice. She can be reached at sdasser@cornellsun.com.

If Oppenheimer Was Religious

We often throw around the joke that if Oppenheimer had taken an ethics class, maybe we wouldn’t have nuclear bombs. But would those lectures have changed anything? Actually, we’d have been better off if he had spent his Sundays in a pew absorbing a sermon centered around community, humility and accountability. This isn’t just a quip; it speaks to a profound question about the effectiveness of ethics education versus the deeper influence of religious or community-based moral frameworks. If our goal is to cultivate a society with stronger moral convictions, religion or at the very least structured community engagement would offer a more effective solution than any ethics lecture.

This isn’t to say that ethics education is pointless — I’d never dismiss the value of learning to reason through moral dilemmas. I believe, and have often argued, that education is the most powerful driver of societal change. But when it comes to ethics classes, I find myself questioning whether they’re truly impactful, especially for engineers. Do they truly affect the decisions students make in the workforce, or do they just make us more aware of the compromises we’re already planning to make?

Ethics classes in universities, especially for fields like engineering, are meant to shape our moral compass, to help us evaluate the impact of our decisions. Yet, studies have shown these courses often fall short of their intended goals. One study published in Science and Engineering Ethics highlighted that while students who took Responsible Conduct of Research courses gained knowledge about ethical guidelines, their moral reasoning and decision-making skills didn’t significantly improve. They were better informed, yes, but not necessarily more ethical in practice. This begs the question: Are these courses really making a difference, or are they simply making us more aware of the harm we might cause?

Take my own circle, for instance. Some of my classmates are well aware of the ethical dilemmas tied to working for defense contractors like Boeing or Lockheed Martin. Yet, at the end of the day, they’re still drawn to these jobs — whether for prestige, paychecks or practicality. Knowledge alone doesn’t seem to bridge the gap between awareness and action.

Now, contrast this with findings from studies on religious education and community influence. In the Journal of Education and Practice, a study on individuals in Nigeria revealed that religious beliefs and community values significantly shaped career choices. Respondents in one study described how their faith guided them toward professions that aligned with their values. One participant said, “Anything we do is by the grace of God…without faith, it is impossible to choose on your own.” Similarly, research in the Journal of

Cross-Cultural Psychology found that religious people were more likely to pursue careers aligned with their values, often with a stronger commitment to ethical principles. So, should we replace ethics classes with Sunday services? Of course not. This column isn’t meant to undermine the importance of education. But perhaps we’ve been looking at ethics education the wrong way. Instead of standalone classes that students check off for their degree requirements, what if we focused on creating environments that cultivate ethical living through deeper engagement with spiritual or communal life?

Imagine a pre-med student, who instead of spending hours memorizing theoretical frameworks of health policy and ethics, shadows a doctor at an Islamic health clinic like Muslim Community Health Center where the focus is providing care to underserved populations, emphasizing values like zakat (community-centered charity) and operating under an open door policy, ensuring that no patient is denied care based on their ability to pay. This kind of experience wouldn’t just teach ethical principles in theory — it would instill them into practice, sending future doctors into the world ready to challenge the inequities of our healthcare system rather than conform to them. But the engagement doesn’t have to be religious, it can just as easily be community based. Imagine an engineering student, who instead of writing a term paper on environmental ethics and politics, is tasked with collaborating with communities affected by industrial pollution. Rather than recalling some case study from class, these future engineers would carry with them faces, voices, and stories of the people they personally helped — an experience far more likely to guide their future decisions than theoretical exercises ever could.

The data doesn’t lie — religious upbringing and community participation provide a moral scaffolding that sticks with people long after they leave the classroom. Proposing “spiritual life as the solution” might raise eyebrows. After all, spirituality is deeply personal and far from a one-size-fits-all remedy. But if religion offers a deeper, more enduring foundation for ethical behavior, shouldn’t we seriously consider it as a more effective path to cultivating moral conviction in students?

In a world where a lack of ethical reasoning can lead to disastrous consequences, we must ask: Are we doing enough to foster genuine moral integrity within students at Cornell? It’s time to rethink ethics education — not just as a class to take, but as a way of life to live. Oppenheimer might have built the bomb anyway, but perhaps with the right moral grounding, he’d have thought twice before pressing the proverbial button.

Prof. Jon Parmenter

Jon Parmenter is an Associate Professor of History at Cornell University whose research focuses on the post-contact history of northeastern Indigenous peoples. He can be reached at jwp35@cornell.edu.

Cornell Must Return Its Mineral Rights

The Morrill Act of 1862 created 52 land-grant universities across the United States, funded by the sale and development of federally owned public land. Over ten million acres of that land were taken from Indigenous nations in forced treaty surrenders.

Foremost among the beneﬁciaries of this law was Cornell University, which received nearly 1,000,000 acres of public land, approximately half of which its founder, Ezra Cornell, converted into real estate in the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kansas. The University managed these lands as a speculative investment for the better part of seventy years. But the seemingly distant nature of this history has signiﬁcant implications in the present day.

One quarter-section (160 acres) of the land obtained by Cornell in 1867, in present-day Barron County, Wisconsin is home to Ozhaawashkonaagwad: also known as the “Blue Hills” Quarry, a sacred site for the region’s Indigenous peoples.

Today, Cornell retains an interest in the mineral rights associated with the Quarry parcel but has an opportunity to restore those rights to their original Indigenous caretakers – going beyond mere verbal acknowledgments of a painful past of Indigenous dispossession and setting an example for other institutions whose ﬁnancial histories are structured by foundational injustices.

In 1938, after failing to devise a means of mining the site’s unique stone in commercial quantities, Cornell sold the land containing the quarry to a private buyer. The deed of sale retained for the University “an undivided one-half interest in all minerals which have been or may be discovered on or under the above-described land.” The property is currently owned by Barron County and has since 2003 resided on the National Register of Historic Places as a component of the Wajiwan ji Mashkode Archaeological District. Cornell’s acquisition, ownership, and sale of Ozhaawashkonaagwad led to disruptions of longstanding patterns of Indigenous access to the site that persist today. Yet by transferring its mineral rights in Ozhaawashkonaagwad to the site’s Indigenous proprietors, the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, Cornell could take a step toward repairing the damage caused by an opportunistic nineteenth century grab of a sacred place used for millennia by the region’s Indigenous peoples. For much of the past year, we have sought to persuade Cornell University ofﬁcials to convey the institution’s severed mineral interest in Ozhaawashkonaagwad to the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe. The quarter-section containing Ozhaawashkonaagwad represents less than one-tenth of one percent of the University’s current portfolio of over 150,000 acres of reserved mineral rights in Wisconsin derived from the Morrill Act. Wisconsin state law requires

the owners of severed mineral interests to maintain their rights by “using” them at least once every twenty years — “use” may be accomplished by exploitation of the minerals, conveyance of the interest, or recording a statement of claim in public records. Cornell University has adopted the latter approach since 1987, which requires fees paid to attorneys for up-to-date title searches and associated ﬁling costs. Transfer of the mineral rights to the Barron County Quarrel parcel to the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe would not only represent a modest cost savings over time to Cornell, it would also greatly enhance the prospect of an enduring set of equitable, negotiated arrangements between the Tribe and the surface owner (Barron County) that uphold the values of preservation while also providing secure opportunities for Ojibwe harvesting of the culturally signiﬁcant pipestone.

Recent precedent exists at Cornell for the repatriation of items of cultural patrimony to Indigenous nations: in November 2020, the Cornell Library returned the papers of Fidelia Fielding to the Mohegan Tribe to facilitate a language revitalization initiative, and in February 2023 the University (acting in compliance with federal NAGPRA regulations) returned ancestral human remains found in its possession to the Oneida Indian Nation. There is no more time to be lost. Pipes formed from the Quarry’s special stone play an essential role in Midewiwin ceremonial practice which members of the Lac Courte Oreilles community are endeavoring to revive. As a result of the lapse in community access to Ozhaawashkonaagwad over the past three generations, there are fewer people knowledgeable about the sacred uses of the site who can pass on those traditions to younger generations. In addition to the obvious beneﬁt to the Lac Courte Oreilles community, transfer of the University’s mineral interest in Ozhaawashkonaagwad could initiate the rethinking of Cornell’s long standing extractive orientation toward the natural resources of northern Wisconsin. It could also, in a small but highly symbolic way, foreground instead the values and perspectives of Indigenous peoples concerning their relationships to ancestral homelands and the sacred sites therein. Finally it could help change perceptions about Cornell University’s commitment to Indigenous peoples. Today, land-grant colleges and universities in the United States pride themselves on a mission that includes “building a better future for everyone” and “working to appropriately and respectfully serve as ready and willing partners to help address community challenges and needs.” We believe that Cornell University’s transfer of its mineral interest in Ozhaawashkonaagwad is fully in keeping with those principles and we urge the institution’s senior leadership to make this happen. There is no more time to be lost.

Sophia Dasser is a freshman Computer Science and Philosophy major in the College of Arts and Sciences. Her fortnightly column Debugging Ethics explores the intersection of technology, ethics,

Annual Big Red THON Raises Over $20,000 for Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital

By VAL KIM Sun Contributor

The Big Red THON 2024 event raised $20,502 for Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse. This marks the ﬁrst time the annual event has brought in more than $20,000 since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Big Red THON, founded in 2015, is the extension of the nationwide Dance Marathon movement. Cornell is the ﬁrst Ivy League school to adopt the movement. In total, the organization has raised over $115,000 for Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, according to Vice Executive Director Josie Vogel ’25. The club’s main focus is to support children receiving cancer treatment.

The annual performance event features various festivities and performances. This year, performances were presented by several Cornell dance groups including Illuminations Chinese Dance, LOKO and Rise Dance Group. There are also family games and food for attendees to enjoy.

The club uniquely invites families and children to the event.

“Our whole club is around seeing the family and meeting the family. It is not just raising money and sending a check. I think that is very fulﬁlling,” said Communications and Marketing Chair Joanne Lin ’27. “Everyone is encouraged to stand up for as long as possible, for children who cannot.”

While members joined Big Red Thon for different reasons, they are

united by their desire to help children in need.

Ava Butz ’26 said, “I was always interested in medicine, and I had friends in the club. I thought the club would be a fun way to help children in need.”

Vogel described that it became a tradition for members of the lacrosse team to get involved with Big Red

THON.

“It’s fulﬁlling to see the miracle parents speak and how Upstate Golisano Hospital and our project positively impacted their lives,” Vogel said.

At the end of the event, they held a reveal of the total amount of money raised.

According to Lin, the COVID-19 pandemic posed a slight setback to the organization, but she is excited for how the organization is growing.

Lin said that “the only issue is that a lot of people don’t know about it.” Since most thons happen in the spring, they are planning to shift the event to the spring semester next year, according to Lin

The club is open to any Cornell students, and non-members can donate to the club or attend its events.

“I love fundraising. In middle school, I went door to door for hours to fundraise for world hunger,” Lin said. “It is cool that I am able to continue this at Cornell.”

Val Kim can be reached at vbk3@cornell. edu.

Cornell Community Reflects on Carl Sagan’s Legacy in Science at 90th Birthday Celebration

By MATTHEW CHEUNG

Sun Contributor

Students, professors, alumni and stargazers alike gathered in Kennedy Hall on Nov. 9 to celebrate the life and legacy of Carl Sagan in a 90th birthday celebration hosted by the Carl Sagan Institute.

Sagan was an astrophysicist, author and science communicator who was a faculty member at Cornell for nearly 30 years. He is widely credited for popularizing astronomy, pioneering efforts in the search for extraterrestrial life.

The event’s speakers included Sagan’s widow Ann Druyan, renowned National Aeronautics and Space Administration ﬂight surgeon Joseph Dervay and the founding director of the Carl Sagan Institute, Prof. Lisa Kaltenegger, astronomy. Festivities also included a performance by members of the Cornell Symphony Orchestra.

“I didn’t know Carl Sagan until three years ago, so for me, he’s new in my life,” said Jonas Biren, a postdoctoral research associate in Earth and atmospheric sciences, who gave a talk about “lava worlds” at the event. “I’m hoping I can carry on his legacy and do the same with my career.”

Rebecca Payne, a postdoctoral research associate in astronomy, worked in Sagan’s old ofﬁce. Payne gave a presentation entitled “Worlds on the Edge and the potential for Space Dinosaurs” at the event.

“You feel the web of everything related to him, and it’s neat to see all those connections actually panning out with everyone in one

place,” Payne said.

Gillis Lowry ’24 is an assistant researcher at the Carl Sagan Institute. Lowry, who coincidentally has the same birthday as Sagan, was ﬁrst introduced to him when she watched his documentary Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.

“It was really fundamental to my future path that I was able to see someone who is both a writer and scientist,” Lowry said. “I saw someone who was both a poet and scientist.”

Lowry created an interactive map of Carl Sagan-related spots around Ithaca and Cayuga Heights.

Michael Sheinkman ’80, reﬂected on taking one of Sagan’s class-

es. Sheinkman currently works for the United States Agency for International Development in the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.

“I’m hoping I can carry on his legacy and do the same with my career.”

Jonas Biren, postdoc

“I took Astronomy 101 when Carl Sagan was the professor teaching it,” Sheinkman said. “It didn’t change the track of my career, but it certainly gave me a great appreciation for the role of space exploration and the role of

astronomy in giving us a view of our own planet.”

Prof. Bruce Lewenstein, communication and science and technology studies, highlighted the legacy of Sagan at Cornell.

“The Carl Sagan Institute is a wonderful example of what makes Cornell great,” Lewenstein said. “Every school, every university I know of, talks about doing interdisciplinary work. Cornell is one of the few places that believes in it. And the Sagan Institute is an example of that.”

Matthew Cheung can be reached at mcc296@cornell.edu

Determined dancers | The Big Red Thon hosts an event with Cornell dance groups and family festivities to raise money for a local New York hospital.

COURTESY OF DANIEL SHI ’25

Lasting legacy | Members of the Cornell community gathered in Kennedy Hall on Nov. 9 to celebrate the life and legacy of Carl Sagan in a 90th birthday celebration.

COURTESY OF SEUNG YEON KIM / CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Is It Worth It? Navigating the 161 Tings List.

By Kaitlyn Bell

Kaitlyn Bell is a freshman in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She can be reached at kbg57@cornell.edu.

There’s a good chance you mortified someone in your household when the Cornell Daily Sun arrived on your doorstep after your admission. They opened the paper to see “161 Things Every Cornellian Should Do,” and the first item on the list was: “1. Make the library into your bedroom and have sex in the stacks.” While that is arguably the most suggestive task on the list, there are definitely some that are either unachievable or way too accessible.

Being a freshman within my first five months at Cornell, I argue that I can deduce the likeliness of something from this list occurring. With a mix of personal knowledge and some common sense inferences, I will be discussing the outdatedness of the list (considering it was originally created in 2005) and whether it accurately reflects the average Cornellian.

Inevitable Cornellian Moments…

Starting off strong is the top ﬁve things I believe are bound to happen whether you want them to or not. This will be either from my experience or what I’ve heard but they are almost objectively essential to complete.

Number 37 is done every semester by a ton of STEM majors, who either regret their decisions later or are oddly proud. This step is “Take a class you think is impossible just for fun,” which is completely unnecessary but, welcome to Cornell.

I believe that most people learn from their mistakes unless you are completing number 40, “Sleep through your alarm for a 1:25 p.m. class,” because you must have some lack of lesson-learning ability to do this. Albeit, I have done it but that’s relative. Believe it or not, when staying up till 6 a.m., it is very easy to see a 1:25 p.m. class the same as a 9 a.m.

“Ignore the “No Winter Maintenance” signs … slip and fall down the stairs,” number 59, is a fair warning and I appreciate the heads-up. I am fully prepared for this to happen, you should be too. Unfortunately, we will all have to drop the ego once Ithaca winter weather gets involved in the mix. If I fall at any point after seeing a “No Winter Maintenance” sign this is my full warning to Cornell Administration that I will be stealing a sign and hanging it in my dorm. Thanks.

Please do number 88, “Eat a chicken parm sandwich from Louie’s Lunch.” This really might be the only one you have to do. Bonus points if all three of these things occur at the same time: you do it after trekking back to North campus from Collegetown and it’s 2 a.m. and at least one of your friends is lying down on the grass.

Speaking for my friend who sleeps face down in Uris Cocktail Lounge every other day, number 158 “Take a midnight nap in Uris Library Cocktail Lounge and wake up three days later” is highly achievable. If you haven’t slept in a library I’m sorry for you. Let’s see what ﬁnals week brings.

Up For Elimination…

These are some that I’d argue time and time again you should not do and can probably be taken off

the list for good. Whether they’re boring, a little embarrassing to complete or could instead be replaced with something more fun or entertaining. For anyone who has already done one of these things, sorry. To come out swinging number 16, is a personal gripe I have so sorry if you have or ever considered “Wear flip-flops to class in January” but I don’t think anyone should be wearing flip-flops ever unless you’re at the pool or beach. If I see anyone in flip-flops in January on campus, I might have to go home for a couple days and reconnect with the real world. Albeit, Long Island might not be that much better for flip-flops. Jumping to a stranger challenge on the list, number 19 encourages Cornellians to stick their hands “inside a fistulated cow.” This is not something I would’ve thought possible before Cornell, so thank you Cornell for making all of the weird stuff achievable. While I can’t say I’ve done this, conversation proves that my pre-vet animal science friend has. She is unfazed by the concept of “a cow that has been surgically fitted with a cannula” in case you needed a more clear definition. Overall, this might be more realistic for animal science students, but for the rest of us? Let’s just say Google Images suffices. Then there’s number 25: “Bomb a prelim.” Harsh, but if this isn’t the first thing you check off the list, you’re lying. Unfortunately, number 26: “Ace the next one to save your grade,” feels, for most, overly optimistic. The likelihood of completing both? Low. So, for most, instead of being able to recall achieving “Hit up Fishbowl Wednesdays at Level B,” you can fondly remember bombing the general requirement you would’ve done anything to get out of. This is why it must be removed because regarding number 83, on Fishbowl Wednesdays, an anonymous source told the Sun that this is a “freshman canon event,” no further comment was provided. But, if you see any toy animals lying around somebody’s dorm I’d imagine the step has been completed.

Number 110 is “Fail your swim test, just for kicks,” –I honestly considered doing this for the purposes of this article, but I’m not a terrible swimmer and was reminded by my friend that I would have to take PE 1100: Beginning Swim and that sounds like an absolute nightmare. Unless you’re taking PE 1100, in which case it sounds great. This can be taken off.

“Go to ClubFest as a first-year and sign up for a dozen clubs that you’ll never go to,” number 151, the first item on the list that was done despite advice I should’ve taken. Whoever you are reading this, probably didn’t take it as well. Because of this I have five clubs in my email spamming me every week, and because I don’t clean anything out of my laptop, I have 1,036 emails from my Cornell email that shouldn’t be there. Could live without this one…

Can’t Miss List…

My opinion is that these are some of the easier on the list or entertaining enough to consider completing.

One that catches my eye is number eight: “Enroll in BIOEE 1540: Introductory Oceanography as a joke, then fall in love with Bruce Monger and attend every class.” While I took Oceanography to fulﬁll a requirement this fall, I would argue that the part about falling in love with Bruce Monger is quite achievable. His passionate lectures about sustainability and life as we know it, combined with his side stories of Cornellian romance, make it believable that love—or at least admiration— could bloom. This one feels timeless and very Cornell.

Number 23 is one that I was originally hesitant about but, thanks to my roommate, I did get to experience and would do every year moving forward. This item is “Attend the Apple Festival on the Commons.” While it is one of the tamer ideas, the Apple Harvest Festival, which occurred on September 27 through 29, was followed by endless food pics for parents and cider stains covering our dorm carpet. Despite the mess, I highly recommend it. This one is doable and well worth the small amount of effort.

Believe it or not, for a reason that involved being handcuffed to a friend for a game “Go to the sex shop, called the “Adult Outlet,” on the Commons,” number 124., is a step I saw completed but didn’t do myself.

Originally this step almost wasn’t achieved considering you can’t see into the store unless you are actually

inside but, a second attempt was made. That’s all, sorry, if you can’t see inside until you go in you’re going to have to brave it yourself, no details will be provided.

I’m sure that I would cry if I could complete number 120, as you all probably would as well because it’s “meet Bill Nye ’77, “The Science Guy,” and give him a hug.” Only note I have about this one is that my mom recently discovered he is a Cornell alum and got really excited, so this one is a generational goal to complete.

“Climb all 161 steps to the top of McGraw Tower.”

Considering “the tower is currently an active construction zone, and is closed to the Cornell community and the public” this is a tricky one. But, if you are me, you will drag your friend with you to attend a Cornell Chimes Concert and climb the 161 steps. So, now this has to stay in the 161 spot on the list forever because I didn’t do that for no reason. Thanks.

Straying Away From The 161 List...

Now, I would like to stray slightly away from the 161 List and suggest, in my opinion, some reasonable and modern items to be added to the list. Whether they are inevitable, achievable or a pipedream these are the things I think are important:

1. Spend all 400 of your BRBs before ﬁnals week and crash-out because you can’t buy a calzone or caffeine from Nasties.

2. Fall-asleep on the slope at 3 a.m. and consider staying there all night.

3. Go into the Uris Library Cocktail Lounge after a night out to use the bathroom and see people studying at all hours of the night.

4. Get in trouble with an RA during quiet hours for playing the piano.

5. Get written up in Mary Donlon Hall and try to talk your way out of it.

6. Make a fairly dangerous decision at Second Dam, come out unscathed, and speak about it like you survived the impossible.

7. Have a long conversation with a parent trying to explain the deﬁnition of a “prelim,” have to re-explain it during Winter Break.

8. Get scammed at Temple of Zeus after buying an $11 sandwich.

9. Snap somebody you met during Orientation Week but never make eye-contact or say “hi” when you see them in person.

10. Come in undecided or semi-decided and end up an Economics major in CAS.

My ﬁnal note is about item 160: “Attend a Sun meeting.” While not achievable for all, without it, this article would not have been written, and I wouldn’t be trying to make one of my friends complete “7. Streak across the Arts Quad,” for the purposes of writing about it of course… Hopefully you are now considering the possibilities of the list and getting out there to complete some of the interesting stuff it has to offer. Who knows, you may have already done more of it than you think.

KAITLYN BELL / LIFESTYLE WRITER

KIRA WALTER / LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Students Question Administrators at BSU Town Hall Discussion

By DOROTHY FRANCE-MILLER and OLIVIA HOLLOWAY

News Editor and Sun Assistant News Editor

Nov. 23 — After a semester of debate over free speech and suspensions of student activists, Interim President Michael Kotlikoff, Dean Marla Love and Dean Michelle Van-Ess held a town hall- style meeting with members of Black Student United Friday evening . BSU members leading the event presented questions to the administrators based on submissions to a Google Form.

The meeting followed outrage from BSU regarding statements made by Vice President of University Relations Joel Malina during a private Hillel Zoom meeting. In the meeting, Malina told Jewish parents that “if there were a faculty member that invited a KKK representative to speak or a student group that invited a KKK representative to speak, yes, we would allow that.”

Malina later clariﬁed his statement in a Sun Letter to the Editor. While he deemed the KKK “abhorrent” and said the analogy he made in reference to the group was “terrible” in the letter, he did not ofﬁcially apologize, a point brought up on Friday.

This lack of apology was publicly criticized by BSU, and prompted a central question raised by several students during the BSU Town Hall meeting: “Why was there never an ofﬁcial apology or acknowledgment of wrongdoing made on behalf of the University?”

In response, Kotlikoff referenced Malina’s clariﬁcation statement saying that it was a “bad analogy,” and explained that Malina was trying to describe the University’s commitment to First Amendment rights.

Students also raised questions on the suspensions of student protesters. One speaker in the audience, graduate student Amandla Thomas-Johnson, was subject to sanctions that conﬁned him to his place of residence as a result of his participation in the Statler Hall career fair protest. Thomas-Johnson expressed frustration with the lack of evidence or explanation that had been presented to him at the time of his suspension, as well as the terms of his sanctions, which he described as a “house arrest.”

“How can you live with yourself while doing that to Black people at this University?” Thomas-Johnson asked the administrators. “Do you think that is a fair and proportionate response to people peacefully protesting against the slaughter of innocent people?”

In response, Kotlikoff explained that nobody had experienced sanctions for peaceful protest, even those who violated policies — such as volume constraints by using megaphones. Kotlikoff differentiated peaceful protest and campus “disruptions,” stating that only students who had been “disrupting” the community — with actions such as breaking windows, shutting down a career fair or pushing past police — experienced sanctions.

“We’ve tried to say, ‘Full support for First Amendment rights, full support for you to protest and express your political opin-

ion about what’s going on in Gaza — But when you start to infringe on other people’s rights, that’s where we have to get involved’” Kotlikoff said.

Admissions and afﬁrmative action were also a prime concern for the BSU community. Director of Undergraduate Admissions Pamela Tan and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Lisa Nishii, who sat in the audience, helped answer questions about the effects of the Supreme Court’s July ruling that banned afﬁrmative action.

“We too are very concerned about the impact of the Supreme Court ruling,” Nishii said. “We have to act within the boundaries of the law.”

While the decision restricts admissions officers in their effort to accept a diverse student body, the administrators explained that the office now utilizes outreach efforts such as the National Education Equity Lab and other community-based organizations, as well as reaching out to specific more diverse schools to ensure diversity in Cornell’s student body.

Tan explained that even though applicants have the option to register their race on the application, the admission office cannot see it. So admissions officers instead rely on indicators including the newly instituted community essay, students’ membership in affinity organizations and clubs and Questbridge scholar status to target underrepresented student populations.

“I cannot undo centuries of inequities in one year,” Tan said. “But the team and I are going to try.”

Although he expressed dissatisfaction with the administrators’ answers on protest response, Dayo Omokanwaye ’26 said that the discussion of afﬁrmative action was comforting, as he feels the drop in Black student enrollment has been noticeable on campus.

“[Tan] did seem a little passionate about coming up with solutions for afﬁrmative action,” Omokanwaye said.

Administrators also addressed concerns over ﬁnancial aid among Black students. Student presenters asked how the University intends to ensure that it meets the ﬁnancial needs of Black students in the wake of the election, with the “potential consequences” the incoming Trump administration could have on federal loans and federal work-study funding.

“It’s a difﬁcult question to answer, because we really don’t know fully what’s coming,” Kotlikoff said in response. “[Financial aid relies] somewhat on federal grants, and it’s a little hard to predict, … but I can assure you that Cornell’s commitment to need-blind admissions and meet[ing] full need for our student body is rock solid.”

To continue reading, please visit www.cornellsun.com.

Dorothy France-Miller and Olivia Holloway can be reached at dfrancemiller@cornellsun. com and oholloway@cornellsun.com.

Several Students Suspended Amid Chi Phi Investigation

By DOROTHY FRANCE-MILLER Sun News Editor

Nov. 26 —“A number of students” have been temporarily suspended following reports of sexual assault and drugging at the Chi Phi house, according to a Tuesday morning email statement sent from Interim President Michael Kotlikoff to the Cornell community.

Chi Phi remains temporarily suspended amid an ongoing criminal investigation by campus police, Kotlikoff added.

The investigation began after an individual reported being sexually assaulted and coerced into consuming ketamine and other drugs by several males at the Chi Phi house on Oct. 25. The fraternity was temporarily suspended on Nov. 8.

The University issued temporary suspensions to “protect the immediate physical health and safety of all

students,” Kotlikoff wrote, adding that “Cornell’s Ofﬁce of Student Conduct and Community Standards and the Ofﬁce of Institutional Equity and Title IX have been diligently reviewing all reported information regarding the many allegations that have been received pertaining to events at the fraternity.”

It is unclear how long the temporary suspensions will last, and the suspended students were not named.

Jon Yeung ’26, president of the IFC, wrote, “The Cornell Interfraternity Council supports Cornell in its recent decisions and ongoing investigation of this tragic incident, and continues to offer our most sincere sympathies to the survivor(s),” in an email to The Sun.

The Chi Phi president did not immediately respond to a request for

Dorothy France-Miller can be reached at dfrancemiller@cornellsun.com.

Project Team Leaders Adapt to New S/U Grading System

By JANE HAVILAND

Nov. 24 — After two years of discussion, project team administrators, team leads and faculty advisors have begun a phase-out period of the letter grading system for project team credit courses. These changes to the project team academic framework were approved and project team members were notiﬁed late in the Spring 2024 semester.

Project teams are an undergraduate-run program where students gain real-world experience by collaborating on technical computer science and engineering projects. Project team members can build and design robots in Combat Robotics @ Cornell, implement sustainable water treatment technologies in Aguaclara, restore and race off-road vehicles in Cornell Baja Racing and much more.

Members enroll in three courses that count for credit in the Student Project Teams Program. All students involved in project teams enroll in ENGRG 3400: Engineering Student Project Teams after completing ENGRG 1400: Project Team Onboarding, an orientation course for new members. Members who want to graduate into team leadership roles must then complete ENGRG 4400: Project Team Leadership.

In previous years, students had the choice of a letter grade or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading system for the ENGRG 3400 course. Now, all courses are S/U, meaning that grades earned in project team courses will not be factored into their Grade Point Averages.

Project team administrators, faculty advisors and members of the College Curriculum Governing Board, the council responsible for the College of Engineering core curriculum and degree requirements, approved these changes to the academic framework in a May 24 vote. One month later, project team members received an email from Lauren Stulgis, the Swanson director of Student Project Teams, informing them of the new grading system to be implemented in the 2024-2025 academic year.

In this email, Stulgis wrote that “The

majority of input leaned toward S/U only grading for ENGRG 3400, in part because advisors report that their ability to supervise students’ work and assign letter grades is not at the level of academic courses or individual projects, raising concerns about the extent to which grading continues to be largely student-led.”

Now, project teams must adapt to the recent grading changes.

“Without the ‘incentive’ for credit for their work reﬂected in their GPAs, some students may be less inclined to remain on their project team,” wrote Sweksha Mehta ’27, the Aguaclara recruitment chair, in an email statement to The Sun. “And for future applicants, some may be less inclined to apply.”

Michael Constant ’25, team lead of Cornell iGEM, anticipates a potential decline in motivation among project team members in the absence of letter grades. Constant said that in response to the changes, team leadership “will likely have to implement new means to maintain high motivation within the team and recruit harder to combat any lost interest in students who are choosing work, research or classes over project teams due to the loss of the graded credit.”

iGEM polled the reactions of their new recruits from the Fall 2024 application cycle. According to Constant, “When asked which [grading system] they prefer, they mentioned they would have liked to have the grading option.”

1,885 students applied to Cornell University Project Teams in Fall 2024, a 10-percent increase from the previous year, according to Stulgis. The new batch of project team members will be introduced to the recent grading changes.

Despite some negative feedback from project team leadership, Stulgis afﬁrmed that the new grading scheme will bring beneﬁts to students.

“The ﬂexibility afforded by the new grading scheme will enable us to lean into working with team leads and members to ensure that all of our participants are developing meaningful leadership skills,” Stulgis said.

Sun Contributor

Jane Haviland can be reached at jnh88@ cornell.edu.

Concern andquestions | Interim President Michael Kotlikoff, Dean Marla Love and Dean Michelle Van-Ess answer students’ questions at the Black Students United town hall on Nov. 22.

STEPHAN MENASCHE / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

A Special Cornell Crossword

Undocumented Students Face Anxiety Following Trump’s Re-election

By MAYA SCHMALING Sun Contributor

Nov. 24 — The reelection of former President Donald Trump on Nov. 5 renewed concerns among undocumented students on campus, who fear being directly affected by Trump’s stringent border policy promises. The Republican president-elect, who will be sworn in January, has highlighted immigration as a top priority on his agenda and stated that he will carry out mass deportations while in office.

“For many, election season is a period of stress, bringing to the surface intense fears, especially for undocumented students or those who have loved ones unfortunately affected by immigration policies,” wrote America Casanova ’26, social media coordinator and event programmer for the DREAM Team at Cornell, in a statement to the Sun.

The DREAM Team — named after the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act — is a student-run organization advocating for undocumented students and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a 2012 policy protecting individuals who entered the country as children from deportation.

The DREAM Team hosts events designed to provide undocumented and DACA students with practical knowledge and skills through financial literacy workshops and discussions about immigration.

Many members of the DREAM Team are undocumented themselves. Some, like Casanova, are DACA recipients. Casanova recalled the worry of deportation and the uncertainty surrounding the impacts of immigration policy during Trump’s first term.

“I vividly remember the fear as I watched the news, going to bed in tears, terrified that I might wake up to [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents at our door, coming to take my family and me away,” Casanova wrote. “This is not a unique experience — undocumented students and loved ones live this reality every day, facing the possibility that a change in policy could disrupt lives in an instant.”

Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric and policy threats are a source of anxiety for many students, compounding the preexisting challenges some face in accessing healthcare insurance, financial aid and employment, according to Casanova.

“Students worry that increased raids and heightened enforcement could make it harder for them to feel safe on and off campus, once again disrupting their education and personal lives,” Casanova wrote.

However, according to Prof. Jaclyn KelleyWidmer, law, it would be infeasible for the Trump administration to carry out deportations at the magnitude promised on the campaign trail.

“I think that the mass deportations are unrealistic logistically and legally for several reasons,” KelleyWidmer said. “One is that there are about 11 million undocumented people in the U.S. And right now, the systems that we have wouldn’t be able to accommodate a mass deportation.”

Kelley-Widmer said that other challenges the Trump administration might face include the cities and municipalities that would limit cooperation with ICE without violating federal law as self-proclaimed “sanctuary cities.” Further, deportation necessitates a lengthy legal process in an already overcrowded court system.

“It’s not like there’s some list of people who could automatically be deported if they were found,” Kelley-Widmer said. “Right now, the immigration court has a backlog of 3.7 million cases. So some of the people that Trump would seek to deport are in court right now and have a waiting time of four or five years before their cases can even be decided.”

In 2017, the Trump administration rescinded DACA, only for the decision to be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020. The legitimacy of the policy, which has faced years of legal challenges, will be decided again in an anticipated ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. If the court decides again that DACA is unlawful, the case will go back to the Supreme Court.

“If the Supreme Court rules that DACA was unlawfully created, we’ll expect to see the program likely ending, which means that those who have DACA will slowly lose their DACA status as their

work authorization expires,” Kelley-Widmer said. “It’s possible that work authorization and DACA status could be ended immediately, but it’s more likely that the program will have a phase-out because every person’s DACA status is valid for two years at a time, and they renew it at different times of [the] year.”

According to Kelley-Widmer, while the Trump administration could attempt to end DACA again, doing so might not be necessary given the fact that the policy is already being contested in the courts.

“I think it’s less likely, both because it would result in more litigation from pro-DACA advocacy groups or because it’s more likely the courts will just end DACA without Trump having to do anything,”

Kelley-Widmer said. “I think that for DACA recipients, the best thing that they can do right now is prepare themselves for the end of DACA.”

Recipients of DACA do not need the documentation provided by the policy to study, but they do in order to work. Upperclassmen affected by the program are concerned about their ability to enter the workforce post-graduation as the future of DACA hangs in balance.

“They are uncertain about their future, wondering if the new administration will provide any support for work visas or even a path towards citizenship, or if these opportunities will become even more restricted,” Casanova wrote.

Kelley-Widmer recommends that recipients of DACA take precautions in anticipation of the policy’s potential discontinuation. One resource available to Cornell students is Path2Papers, a program KelleyWidmer runs at the law school, which assists DACA students in acquiring legal permanent residency and provides legal assistance. DACA recipients can sign up for a free consultation.

“Even if [the end of DACA] is a year or more away, they should look into resources to get a consultation and learn what other options they might have,”

Kelley-Widmer said.

Casanova hopes the University administration will take steps to ensure the safety and health of undocumented and DACA students, such as releasing a statement to put students’ minds at ease amid Trump’s deportation threats.

“It is very important that Cornell re-establish its status as a sanctuary campus and publicly commit to protecting its students from federal immigration enforcement,” Casanova wrote. “This could come in the form of a statement explicitly stating that they will not cooperate with ICE authorities, ensuring that students can continue their education without the fear of a deportation raid.”

Casanova also hopes that the University will consider providing more inclusive healthcare options for undocumented students, including scholarships to assist in healthcare affordability and expanding mental health services for students most affected by Trump’s immigration agenda.

After Trump’s first election victory in 2016, Interim President Hunter R. Rawlings III released a statement promising that the University would protect the privacy of undocumented students and confirming the continuation of need-based financial aid for DACA recipients.

The Sun asked a University spokesperson to confirm whether the assurances made by Rawlings eight years ago still apply as the country enters a second Trump presidency.

“Cornell remains committed to continuing its support of undocumented and DACA students and will protect their privacy and personal information from unauthorized or unlawful intrusion,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Sun.

The spokesperson did not respond to The Sun’s questions about whether additional resources would be provided to support undocumented students’ mental health, whether DACA students’ financial aid eligibility will remain the same or whether the administration will release a statement addressing these concerns for the purpose of alleviating worry among students.

To continue reading, please visit www.cornellsun. com.

Pete Meyers Leads Fight for Workers’ Rights as Local as Living Costs Soar

By EMMA COHEN Sun Contributor

Dec. 2 — As the cost of living surges in Ithaca, the Tompkins County Workers’ Center aims to protect labor rights through advocacy, mentorship and education. Since its founding, the Workers’ Center has gained an annual client base of over 450 workers and secured judgments exceeding $1.3 million in wage theft cases.

Directing the Workers’ Center is Pete Meyers, who has played an instrumental role in the organization’s success since co-founding it in 2003. According to Meyers, the Workers’ Center has also helped start 11 successful union drives.

Even before his involvement in the Workers’ Center, Meyers was an advocate for employees of the Flatbush Food Co-op, a grocery store in Brooklyn, where he worked as a produce manager.

“It seemed unfair that I was making twice as much as the people that I was supervising,” Meyers said. In response, he decided to redistribute his wages to the lowest-paid workers at the co-op.

After a year and a half, although the workers’ wages had not been changed, the experience had committed him to the idea of living wages, Meyers said.

Meyers moved to Ithaca from South Bend, Indiana in January 2000. He was a mentor in a Welfare-to-Work program through Catholic Charities in Tompkins County, primarily working with single mothers in need of employment.

Knowing these workers would likely obtain minimum wage jobs — which at that time paid $5 an hour — Meyers decided to take action.

Alongside labor activist Carl Feuer, Meyers founded the Tompkins County Living Wage Coalition, an initiative to establish living wages for workers in the county. Six months later, the project grew to include a workers’ rights hotline — one of the few in the country at the time, Meyers said.

“The government doesn’t really support people that well,” Meyers said. “When you contact them, they’ll tell [you] how to fill out forms. [The Workers’ Rights Hotline] is there in an emotionally supportive way, and we’re still doing that many years later.”

Since its foundation, the hotline — now called the Tompkins County Workers’ Center — has had over 5,600 cases, with about 1,500 claims of wrongful termination.

As director of the Workers’ Center, Meyers heads the Living Wage Campaign, which aims to increase the minimum wage for workers in Tompkins County.

In Tompkins County, the living wage — a measure of the cost of basic living expenses, such as food, rent, transportation, healthcare and communication — was most recently estimated to be $24.64 per hour by the MIT Living Wage Calculator. The current minimum wage in Tompkins County remains at $15 per hour.

Tension over low wages came to a head during the United Auto Workers Local 2300 strikes earlier this year, during which the Workers’ Center provided support for Cornell employ-

ees, Meyers said.

In 2023, the living wage for county residents saw its highest annual increase in 30 years, rising by 9.6 percent, a measurement estimated by Industrial and Labor Relations Senior Researcher and Ithaca Co-Lab Director Ian Greer M.S. ’03 Ph.D. ’05.

Tompkins County has the highest income inequality in Upstate New York and New York State has the highest in the country, Greer explained in an interview with The Sun. According to Greer, the county has faced weak wage growth in recent years, and the Workers’ Center plays an important role in finding solutions to these issues.

“Pete knows all the legislators. He can call them up anytime,” Greer said. “He really has his ear to the ground in the workplace, so he knows what’s going on in workplaces.”

In 2006, the center started the nation’s first Living Wage Employer Certification Program, an initiative to accredit employers who pay their workers a living wage, according to Meyers. The program has since been expanded to states including North Carolina and Virginia. The organization also offers internships in social justice for local high school and college students.

Despite the program’s many successes, unstable funding presents an ongoing barrier to the Workers’ Center’s efforts. The center relies on about $200,000 annually, including individual contributions and grants.

“They’re very effective at getting donations from individuals, but they also need grants,” Greer said. “If they lose their funding, then they have to lay people off.”

Following the 2024 election, labor rights activists’ worries about low funding have deepened. Meyers expressed concerns about potential cuts to agencies under Trump’s second administration.

“The big elephant in the room is with Trump being elected,” Meyers said. ”Does that mean the National Labor Relations Board, which is a federal agency that we work with, is going to be emasculated?”

Stephanie Heslop, a member of the Tompkins County Workers’ Center Board, said she is also concerned about the potential impact of the incoming Trump administration on unions and labor rights.

“The living wage is not extravagant — it is just the bare minimum that people need to make, and that there are people who are against it is shocking to me,” Heslop said. “It’s frustrating that it has taken all these years and we still don’t have [a minimum wage equal to a living wage] locally.”

Still, the fight for a living wage is far from over. The center continues to uphold its mission to “empower working people, to provide [them] with resources and knowledge about their rights, to connect [them] with resources to form unions, and to support [those] who don’t have unions,” Heslop said.

Bufalo Street Books Experiences Low Sales

Amid fnancial difculties, the book store plans to shift to a non-proft status

By DALTON MULLINS Sun Senior Writer

Nov. 21 — Buffalo Street Books plans to shift towards a nonprofit model after low-profit margins put a financial strain on the local bookstore. Community support has raised over $55,000 for Buffalo Street Books to sustain operations as they transition to a nonprofit format.

Buffalo Street Books has been located on the street of its namesake since 2011 and is currently cooperatively owned, meaning members own and run the business and share beneﬁts and decision-making powers.

According to an October email obtained by The Sun from Buffalo Street Books, very low sales at the beginning of the year have left the business “in danger of having to close if [they] don’t raise the needed funds,” and announced their fundraising campaign process and plans to alter the business model from a co-op to a non-proﬁt.

The bookstore’s general manager Liza Swayze said that becoming a nonproﬁt is advantageous for the bookstore because it both opens the door for more funding from grants and more closely ﬁts the community-oriented purpose of the store.

“Being a nonprofit model better fits what we actually do, which is a lot of community service,” Swayze said. “[We also] hope that through some grants and other opportunities that are only available to nonprofits will be able to fill that difficult niche, that difficult missing dollar amount that has always made it hard to survive.”

Swayze said that through fundraising efforts, Buffalo Street Books has raised about $55,000, currently falling short of the store’s goal of $100,000 by the end of the year.

Buffalo Street Books raises money through its membership program. Members can pay $10 for a monthly membership or $100 for an annual membership that gives them a ﬁve percent discount on all purchased books.

The bookstore has also planned fundraising events, such as a ticketed Books, Bread, & Wine event on Dec. 8 that will feature local writers.

“We’ve had a couple of larger donations, but also just so many people willing to help have the bookstore survive to transform into this new nonproﬁt,” Swayze said.

Swayze said that it is difﬁcult for bookstores to make a proﬁt selling new books. According to Swayze, larger corporations such as Amazon take up a big portion of

the bookselling market. She also said brick-and-mortar bookstores lose business to Amazon because it is able to offer large discounts, since the corporation’s proﬁts do not solely rely on book sales.

Swayze said Buffalo Street Books’ community involvement has translated to the support they have received throughout their transition.

“We host [events] every year that are mostly free for people to attend and meet authors and learn about books and hear readings,” Swayze said. “[We] work in partnership with so many local organizations and schools and libraries to help them order books at discounts and get those books into the hands of kids.”

Nonproﬁt status would allow Buffalo Street Books to take in work-study students, which Swayze said she was excited for.

“Working in a bookstore will be a really nice opportunity for any student who’s interested in writing or publishing to immerse themselves in the local literary landscape and also to learn about the ways that in the bookstores interact with authors and publishers,” Swayze said.

Reﬂecting on the transition, Swayze said, “I don’t think the indie bookstores are going anywhere soon.”

“People often talk about bookstores as those kind[s] of vital third spaces where you can hang out and be together, … and you have connection to the people around you and conversations. So that’s a piece of it,” Swayze said. “The other piece is just the energy that goes into cultivating connections with our community.”

Student Hides Under Female’s Bed,

Faces Trespassing, Assault Charges

In a prior statement to The Sun, Rebei denied that he assaulted anyone and called the incident a “terrible decision” and a prank gone wrong.

The victim and her roommate told police that they were not familiar with the man, but they noted that they had seen him earlier in the evening. The roommate said she noticed him walk by their door at least four times in quick succession, according to the roommate’s statement, after they rode up in the same elevator. According to Rebei’s statement to CUPD, he lived just one door down.

Rebei told police that he ran away from the building and did not return until 5 a.m., later leaving in the late morning to get a haircut in order to change his look.

“I knew what I did was wrong and messed up so I needed to change my appear-

ance,” Rebei said in his statement.

This is not the ﬁrst time women at Cornell in recent years have found male intruders in their rooms. In 2023 a student came back to their dorm in Court-Kay-Bauer, took a nap and awoke to a rotten smell and an intruder under their bed. In 2015, a string of intrusions in quick succession occurred in off-campus locations, including one instance where a Cornell student reported waking up while an unknown man tried to remove her underwear.

When asked why incidents like Rebei’s keep occurring and how the University plans to respond, Vice President of Public Safety Dave Honan reiterated the duty of each individual in securing campus safety.

“While the blame lies with the offender, we all have a role to mitigate this threat and prevent unauthorized persons from entering secure

areas,” Honan wrote. He went on to reference his Nov. 1 email to the Cornell community in which he discussed the importance of preventing tailgating, when non-residents follow residents into buildings

In the weeks following the event, the University has provided few updates on the Rebei case since the initial information release by CUPD. On Nov. 21, Keeton Hall residents received an email about the incident from Keeton House Professor-Dean Prof. Lindsay Anderson, biological and environmental engineering, and Perdita Das, the Bethe House assistant dean.

“While we cannot share details due to the ongoing investigation, please rest assured that we are taking all necessary actions and providing support to those directly affected,” Anderson and Das wrote.

When asked by The Sun for speciﬁc updates as to whether Rebei is still living

on campus, taking classes or facing University punishment, Director of Cornell Media Relations Rebecca Vali declined to comment.

On Nov. 13, in Ithaca City Court, Deputy District Attorney Veronica Fox amended a stay-away order of protection to ban Rebei from Keeton House for six months. Taped to the residence hall’s front desk is a sign reading “URGENT: Do not issue keys or temp cards to Noah Rebei. If seen, call the [house assistant dean] on call.”

In court, Rebei was arraigned on charges of second-degree criminal trespassing and third-degree assault and entered into not-guilty pleas. If found guilty, each charge is a Class A misdemeanor. A Class A misdemeanor holds a maximum penalty of one year in prison and up to a $1,000 ﬁne.

Benjamin Leynse can be reached at bleynse@cornellsun.com.

Local Man Arrested After Treatening Woman With Axe

By CEREESE QUSBA Sun Contributor

Nov. 26 — An Ithaca man was arrested Sunday night and faces a felony assault charge for allegedly assaulting a woman and threatening her with an axe on the Ithaca Commons.

On Sunday, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Ithaca police responded to reports of a physical domestic dispute at 118 E Green St., located within the Asteri housing development.

Ofﬁcers located the woman upon arrival and took 31-year-old Cameron McCaffery into custody without complications.

McCaffery was arraigned on multiple charges of Assault in the Second Degree, Unlawful Imprisonment in the First Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, Menacing in the Second Degree, and Assault in the Third Degree.s Judge Seth Peacock ordered McCaffery to be remanded to the Tompkins County Jail without bail. He is scheduled to appear in Ithaca City Court at a later date.

Cereese Qusba can be reached at cq78@cornell.edu.

Buffalo books | Due to low proﬁt margins, local bookstore decides to change their business model after 13 years.

JASON

REBEI

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&

Like a Phoenix: Te ‘Parallax’ Revival Issue

By MELISSA MOON Arts & Culture Writer

Asian Pacific Americans for Action is a campus group dedicated to Asian American activism at Cornell. Since 1972, APAA — formerly known as the Asian American Coalition — has pursued their mission of empowering and advocating for the Asian American students on campus. The organization was integral to the establishment of Cornell’s Asian American Studies Program, just one example of a rich history of meaningful change made on campus. APAA has held teachins, screened films and documentaries and collaborated with other minority student groups to continue working toward its goals of activism and justice. Day-to-day and year-to-year, APAA displays a commitment to social justice and fostering change. This semester, they are taking it a step further and will be publishing their literary magazine, Parallax , for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Established in 1991 as a socio-political journal, past Parallax issues have discussed migration, diaspora, political education and apartheid, among other topics. The pandemic put much of the world on

hold, and Parallax was another of its victims. The last issue came out in 2019. But, having regained footing and determination, APAA is ready to dive in once more. This semester’s revival issue takes a broad stance: Radical APIDA Activism. In the words of Editor-in-Chief Grace Nivera ’27, the theme is “a tribute to the power, resilience and revolutionary spirit that has defined Asian American and Pacific Islander struggles for justice across generations.” Radicalism means embracing risk in ways that can be uncomfortable or stretch the boundaries of what is generally deemed “acceptable.” It can be difficult or intimidating to pursue a radical approach to activism, but it is also vitally important.

As an entirely student-curated publication, Parallax contains a variety of perspectives from burgeoning activists across campus. For the past three months, a talented team of student writers, designers, editors and artists have worked tirelessly to create a cohesive, impactful and wide-ranging literary magazine. Personal narratives, investigative articles, creative essays and current events think-pieces provide a strong array of subjects ranging from informational to intensely introspective. Because of the diverse backgrounds of the contributors, Parallax

speaks to both individual and collective experiences across different Asian cultures. Through reviving Parallax, APAA seeks to fuel the fight for change on campus and contribute Asian American voices to it. This fight is especially important now, with a growing culture of apathy stifling potential activists. However, Parallax doesn’t just voice discontent and advocate for change, it is also deeply celebratory of the Asian American experience. The beauty and joy of connecting with your culture is something that can so easily be pushed aside when pursuing broader ideas of justice. In reality, it is all that goodness that activists are fighting to protect.

The symbol chosen to represent this issue — and adorning the cover of the magazine — is a phoenix. Representative of rebirth, there is no iconography more apt to the revival of Parallax . It serves as a reminder that, no matter what socio-political defeats we may suffer, advocacy will always be reborn out of the ashes. As long as someone cares deeply about what is right, and is willing to be a little radical about it, the spirit of activism will persist. So, too, has Parallax persisted, rising this semester out of the hiatus of the pandemic years; it has survived because of a real commitment to change. Rekindling Parallax shows

that the students on our campus are ready and willing to share their voices, something that is becoming more and more important.

Parallax is bound to be a poignant read for anyone, not just members of the Asian American community. With many more issues to come in the future, APAA is aiming to forge bonds and break down borders, to share the message of Parallax with everyone. After all, social justice is a group effort; nothing truly revolutionary can be accomplished alone.

Asian Pacific Americans for Action can be found on Campus Groups or @ cornellapaa on Instagram.

Marisol’s Portrait: Existence in Modernity

In late 2023, the largest retrospective of the artist Marisol began its journey at the first of four museums. Marisol (full name: Marisol Escobar) was a French-born Venezuelan artist who is associated with the Pop movement and best known for her largerthan-life wooden sculptures.

Marisol: A Retrospective is an expansive exploration of Marisol’s artistic eras: her earliest works in sculpture, her height of Pop sculpture, 2-D color pencil drawings, ocean inspired art, costume creation for dance companies, anticolonial solidarity and public monuments.

In his accompanying essay “You Will Not Catch Me Alive,” artist Alex Da Corte writes: “Two faces have I, one to laugh and one to cry. And for Marisol Escobar, through closed eyes and mouths cast in plaster, one to scream and one to shout and one to pierce the night.”

Corte’s words are apt: Marisol’s works pierce, present in my mind long after I left the museum. One thing that struck me throughout Marisol: A Retrospective was how she sees . Marisol seemed to see in a way that cut right down to the core of an object or action, and she manages to recreate that perspective so transformatively. Perhaps part of this is how sculpture works in general. Sculpture is embodied physically in space and also cannot be seen fully; looking from different angles will yield a different result.

Marisol’s sculptures force you to look multiple times in multiple ways. Departing from realism, she uses the multiple faces of a shape (such as a

rectangular prism) to offer multiple perspectives. The same body parts like hands or torsos are rendered differently on different faces. You look at different sides of the sculpture, representations that are visually different yet it is understood that they are all one body, and the same body. Marisol herself is inseparable from her own art. She uses casts of her own face, hands, and feet recurrently, adding an incredibly voyeuristic element to the viewing of the pieces.

“So many of these works on paper seem designed to break down a Cartesian worldview,” curator Cathleen Chaffee writes in the introduction of the exhibition catalog Marisol: A Retrospective , “based, as is much of Western thought, on belief in a stable, unified self, a confident certainty in the separation of mind and body,and that it is through our thinking selves that we access all knowledge.”

Self Portrait (1961-62) by Marisol is a mixed media sculpture including wood, paint, plaster, gold and human teeth. There are seven bodies for, presumably, seven days of the week. Starting from the left: Monday is masked by a hat, no visible eyes despite the recognition of Marisol’s nose and mouth. Tuesday is barely there, painted eyes and carved wood shapes and an open mouth with what looks like human teeth. Wednesday features Marisol’s nose and mouth again, but before she can appear, the rest of the wooden face takes over. Thursday is confined to only a mouth smeared in red lipstick. Friday is like Tuesday — are we still looking at a human face? We must be. These shapes together are what we recognize as a face. Saturday is flat and painted,

the most recognizable of a face we get in this lineup and lifeless all the same. Sunday bears Marisol’s face in yawning, an open mouth and painted closed eyes that fade into the wood.

The entire sculpture features two arms, both painted on the wood. One reaches across Monday’s chest, almost protectively. The other reaches from Friday into Thursday, just barely, as if trying to reach another part of the self and utterly unable.

Corte draws parallels between Self Portrait and Monet’s Rouen Cathedral paintings. Monet was trying to capture the same thing at different moments. The cathedral is the same cathedral despite the different times of day. But it is not a singular, fixed thing, made clear by the more than thirty paintings Monet created. Marisol does something similar, capturing a self at multiple points throughout a week. They are all the self, no matter how different. But I think, more eerily, in Marisol’s Self Portrait , no portrait makes quite the full self, even when they are together. Placing all these faces side by side renders any single face incomplete. Rather paradoxically, I think the incompleteness is conveyed by the wholeness of the seven days together.

Marisol’s larger sculptures are sometimes uncanny, acting in a way similar to body horror — the way she transforms and mutates the bodies of her sculptures is evocative because we, as the audience, have a body. And on some subconscious level, we understand that this transformed, mutated body could be ours. The uncanniness of Self Portrait helps convey the horror of putting all the different selves together. The horror, then, lies in the incompleteness at the end of every -

thing coming together. Marisol may be able to put together all these selves, but there is still something jarringly missing when it comes to the person creating these selves. Any cast of Marisol’s facial features are arranged in a way that feels as if it is protruding or being revealed from the wood, never fully her.

Maybe it’s Marisol’s easy assumption that the multiplicity of self is a simple truth of being that drew me to this piece. The self, these seven bodies that are one, is dissonant and ever in flux. But further than that, I think it was also the viscerality of the loss of self that was displayed. The juxtaposition of shape, color and depth that is used to understand the body is viscerally reflected in my own understanding of my physical body. And it becomes easy to feel as if I am as malleable and disjointed as the wood in her artwork. Self Portrait feels like a reassurance about the shared experience of fractured identities, which feels increasingly relevant as social media continues to influence more and more of our lives and the world evolves at breakneck pace. Further, Marisol’s work reminds us to look at multiple and non-normative perspectives. It so easily accepts that we exist as contradictions. It embodies themes of multiplicity of identity, dissolution of self, enmeshment of human and nonhuman so physically, complicating what it means to see and exploring the complicatedness that is being. Her work is a radical way of seeing and also a welcome reassurance.

Pen Fang is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. They can be reached at amf337@ cornell.edu.

Melissa Moon is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at mm3457@ cornell.edu.

PEN FANG Arts & Culture Writer

COURTESY OF ÅSIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS FOR ACTION

Breaking Down Date Night & Formal Venues

By Tiffany Ma

Tiffany Ma is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at tcm96@cornell.edu.

Admittedly, Ithaca isn’t exactly bursting with entertainment options, especially as the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop. But as the fall semester winds down, one activity remains a reliable constant: date nights. The success of a date isn’t just about who you’re with; it’s about where you go, the getting-ready ritual, the carefully chosen outfit, and, of course, the vibe.

But not all date night venues are created equal, and some definitely deserve more praise (or a warning label) than others. So, allow me to share my personal ranking of Cornell’s date night venues, from standout favorites to avoidat-all-costs disasters.

Argos

We all have that perfect little black dress in our closets, the one you reach for when you need something absolutely foolproof it just works every time. And if that little black dress were a place, it would be Argos. The cozy atmosphere, justright lighting, and decor all contribute to its perfect ambiance, making it the ideal spot to spend a date night. The seating is just right for meaningful conversation but spaced out enough that you won’t overhear someone else’s awkward first-date spiel. Honestly, the cocktails alone are worth coming for. Even if your date fizzles out, the Argos Paloma won’t disappoint.

Random Farm in the Middle of Nowhere

Now, I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out. There’s something oddly appealing about a farm venue miles from Collegetown. Sure, you’re sitting on a bus for what feels like forever, but the distance gives it a sense of adventure. Besides, the bus ride is just an added bonding expe -

rience. You’re forced to disconnect (literally, since there’s zero service), and for someone who’s clocking in nine hours of screen time a day, that’s a rare blessing. Plus, without your phone, you might actually focus on your date for once. The forced digital detox has definitely contributed to feeling more connected to those around me on these particular nights out. And if it’s a warmer evening? Those sunsets make for the perfect night (and Instagram backdrop).

Creeker Fall Creek House Bar, affectionately nicknamed “Creeker,” sits near Ithaca Falls, making it a hidden gem for a laid-back date night. This dive bar is unpolished in all the right ways. It’s got cheap drinks, a pool table, and a small, intimate space that forces you to engage. Sure, it’s a little rough around the edges, and unassuming is putting it kindly, but that’s what makes it endearing. Its easygoing atmosphere makes it a great spot to actually spark up conversation.

Moonies

Let’s be honest... Moonies is…interesting, but not exactly ideal for a date. Honestly, I would describe it as date night gone rogue where romance goes to die. The open dance floor and dim lighting are fun, but maybe a little too diabolical for a date night. It’s a place to let loose and embrace a night out, but if you’re looking to actually get to know someone? Not happening. On the bright side, the commons has a decent amount of food options if you want to start the night off with dinner. That said, it still might not be enough to salvage the night. Unless your idea of romance is yelling into each other’s ears over blaring music, Moonies is proba -

bly best saved for a night out with friends.

Level B

This place is one of freshman-year nostalgia: Level B has probably seen the worst of your eighteen-year-old self. Nestled on Eddy Street, this basement bar isn’t just a venue: it’s a rite of passage. Personally, I cracked a tooth during a Level B date night, which pretty much sums up the experience. Dates here feel less like a romantic endeavor and more like a battle for survival. If you’re into nostalgia and don’t mind risking your dignity, Level B might be worth a laugh. Otherwise, I would probably skip this one.

Deep Dive

Deep Dive is what happens when a venue can’t decide if it’s a bar or just an awkwardly large room. The space is too open, and instead of feeling intimate, it feels like you’re trying to have a date in a garage. There’s no way to hide from anyone, and the vibe is just... off. It’s the kind of layout that’s only suited for maybe a high school dance—but even that’s a stretch. Honestly, I’d rather stay home than subject myself to a date night here: it’s just unjustifiable.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re sipping a cocktail at Argos or shouting over the music at Moonies, the truth about date night venues is this: it’s not just about the place—it’s about the energy you bring. But having the right backdrop certainly helps, especially when fall in Ithaca practically begs you to make the most of it. Even if you’re stuck with a less than ideal date night venue, there’s always a way to make the most of the night. My best advice is this: maybe skip Level B unless you have a really good dentist.

Layering Up: How To Survive Cornell Winter In Style

By Vivien Dobrescu

Vivien Dobrescu is a freshman in the School of Architecture, Art, & Planning. She can be reached at vmd33@cornell.edu.

It’s that time of year again! The cold weather is catching up despite the unseasonably warm autumn this year, and the Aritzia puffers and Canada Goose parkas are finally being broken out across campus. It can be difficult to showcase your unique style and taste as the temperatures drop but fear not, here is a short guide to surviving Cornell winters in style.

Long Coats

The one piece of advice I was given as an incoming freshman at Cornell was to invest in a long coat. The brand, type, or style didn’t matter, so long as it went down to my knees. Cornell winters seem to be a different breed and even the warmest, puffiest, waistlength jacket doesn’t seem to cut it.

Luckily, jackets longer in length are one of the most versatile outerwear options on the market. From classic khaki trench coats, patterned wool peacoats, and weathered leather, to heavy-duty adventurer parkas, there really is no shortage of options. Thrift stores also tend to have a plethora of unique long coats at reasonable prices and are probably the best way to find a coat in Ithaca. You’ll be sure to find a long coat that suits your style.

Layering

We all know about layering for wintertime. Layering could come in the form of thermal leggings and undershirts, sweaters over tops, and vests under jackets. Clever layering skills take time to develop, but with the right pieces, layering a longsleeved top over a t-shirt or thermal leggings underneath skirts could help extend your more exciting summer wardrobe into the winter months.

Some favorite layering techniques of Cornell students include wearing leggings under jeans, collared dress shirts underneath knit sweaters, tights under long jean skirts, and turtlenecks.

Scarves

After the first 40-degree day in Ithaca, scarves seemed to appear every -

where almost overnight. Probably the most beloved layering technique of Cornellians, you really can’t go anywhere on campus without spotting someone wrapped up in a scarf.

Scarves offer another unique opportunity to express your personal style as they come in so many different iterations. You could go with a classic tassel scarf, fuzzy stripes, stay on trend with the overpriced Acne Studios pastel plaid, or knit your own. Again, you really can’t go wrong with a scarf and they actually do help keep you warm!

There are also tons of different ways to style scarves. Lots of students simply toss the end of a scarf over their shoulder and call it a day, but you could create an infinity scarf, do a slip knot, craft a headscarf, or wear it as a shawl. Pair it with a fun beanie, hat, or earmuffs, and you’re set.

Boots

Boots are another wardrobe staple that come in endless varieties. For the cold, Uggs are essential around campus and the ultra mini platform Uggs trend is still going strong. Workwear boots like Blundstones and Timberlands are also popular among Cornellians. Knee-high boots paired with skirts or dresses help keep you warm with more coverage and are also a great way to elevate outfits from day to day. Hiking or snow boots are pretty practical for Ithaca’s environment. Motorcycle or cowboy boots are some other trends that actually could keep you somewhat warm this winter. Boots are also easily thriftable, with true potential to spice up your look while still being practical for Ithaca.

It’s easy to get into the habit of monotonous outfit formulas by throwing on the same big sweater and pants as winter rolls around.You might not feel like your true style is being showcased. Don’t let the cloudy gray days and 4:30 p.m. sunsets dull your style. A little tinkering here and there along with a trip to the thrift store could help you survive this winter season in style.

Staying Fashionable Through The Cold | Jacqueline Rangel ‘26 has mastered layering during several of CALS’s outdoor fieldwork courses.

KIRA WALTER / SUN LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Men’s Hockey Ties Quinnipiac at MSG

A come-from-behind efort led Cornell to win the shootout

By JANE McNALLY Sun Sports Editor

NEW YORK –– Under the brightest of lights and on the biggest of stages, No. 11 men’s hockey has often ﬂourished.

Unbeaten in eight of its last nine games at Madison Square Garden, New York City has served as a home away from home for the Red, rallying Cornell fans and alumni together to watch what has often been some of their team’s best hockey.

Saturday’s game was no exception. Despite a second-period scare that saw the score change from 2-0 Cornell to 3-2 Quinnipiac, the Red rallied back and forced a 3-3 tie. Junior forward Dalton Bancroft scored in the shootout while senior goaltender Ian Shane made two saves and forced a Quinnipiac miss that clinched the shootout victory for the Red.

“It was a special night. [It’s my] last time being down here at Madison Square Garden as a coach,” said head coach Mike Schafer ’86. “Not too often do you get a team that, after that second period, can come back in the third period. It just doesn’t happen very often in sports.”

The ﬁrst 20 minutes couldn’t have gone much better for Cornell, searching for its eighth win at Madison Square Garden in its last 10 matchups. Two goals, including a shorthanded one late, sealed an opening-period effort that saw the Red outshoot the Bobcats 15-6.

It didn’t take the Red long to get on the board at the “World’s Most Famous Arena.” A coast-to-coast effort by sophomore forward Jonathan Castagna ultimately found senior forward Sullivan Mack in the slot. Mack ripped a wrister that beat Quinnipiac goaltender Dylan Silverstein. Mack’s goal came after the Alaska native missed the last four games due to injury.

“Sullivan is one of our best players. We’ve missed him. He’s been out of the lineup now for two weeks,” Schafer said. “He stepped up to the plate. … For not [being able] to play for a couple [of] weeks, then com[ing] back in and overcom[ing] injuries and [on the] big stage –– [it’s hard] to come out and play the way he did.”

It took nearly seven minutes for the Bobcats to register a shot on goal –– by that point, the Red mustered ﬁve on Silverstein.

The teams traded tripping penalties midway through the period, both successful penalty kills. Cornell’s power play –– looking to ﬁnd its groove after it registered two goals against Princeton last Saturday –– came up short, but the team moved the puck well along the perimeter and generated four shot attempts.

“It was a special night. [It’s my] last time being down here at Madison Square Garden as a coach. Not too often do you get a team that, after that second period, can come back in the third period. It just doesn’t happen very often in sports.”

Head coach Mike Schafer ’86

Late in the ﬁrst, a senior forward Jack O’Leary tripping penalty tasked the Red with another penalty kill.

After a key save from Shane, sophomore forward Ryan Walsh picked the pocket of a Quinnipiac skater and the Red found itself two man up against zero Quinnipiac defenders.

An easy play saw Walsh dish the puck to Bancroft, seamlessly ﬁring it over a sprawling Bobcat netminder to double the Red’s lead on the power play. It was the second goal of Cornell’s that has come shorthanded this season, a goal that Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold called “embarrassing.”

“Scoring a penalty kill goal was the craziest thing for me,” Bancroft said. “It’s my ﬁrst year on the penalty kill as a junior, so that was pretty cool to get one of those.”

After a quick start to the ﬁrst by the Red, Quinnipiac began the second even quicker. 14 seconds into the middle frame, the Bobcats beat Shane, and Cornell’s lead was halved.

And then by the 15:05 mark, the game was

tied. A strong shift by Quinnipiac in its offensive zone led to a cross-crease pass that Aaron Schwartz buried past Shane. On the ensuing faceoff, Castagna was nabbed for a faceoff violation penalty that sent Cornell back on the kill for the third time that evening.

Just as easily as Cornell amassed a two-goal lead, it lost one. Castagna left the penalty box with the score unscathed but with all the momentum in the Bobcats’ favor.

Another Castagna penalty –– this time for high-sticking –– imposed the Red with its fourth kill of the night. But just 16 seconds into it, senior defenseman Tim Rego drew a hooking penalty while carrying the puck into the Cornell offensive zone.

Just as Cornell was readying for a brief power play after 1:44 of four-on-four play, Quinnipiac stormed into the o-zone and riﬂed the puck past Shane on a one-timer from the right circle. The goal was counted as a shorthanded goal for the Bobcats, giving it the lead for the ﬁrst time that evening.

Then senior defenseman Hank Kempf was called for interference, forcing Cornell to kill yet another Quinnipiac power play. Discipline got away from the Red in period two, as Cornell was sent to the sin bin four times in the second period alone.

While the PK unit delivered, the offense did not. After notching three shots in the ﬁrst two minutes of the second, Cornell went 10 minutes without registering a shot. After outshooting the Red 14-4 in the middle frame, the Bobcats had the edge in overall shots after 40 minutes, 20-19.

As the puck dropped for the third period, a quick retaliation was what the Red would need to sway the Bobcats’ momentum.

And a quick response is what the Red would deliver. O’Leary cleaned up a rebound from Mack’s shot just 1:12 into the third period, knotting the score at 3-3.

“It’s pretty cool. Lynah [Rink] is obviously great, but [this] is a little different atmosphere,” said Mack, who made a great individual effort on O’Leary’s goal. “And it seemed like there [were] a ton of people here this year, I think even more than last year. So it was really cool.”

The Red looked much stronger in the

third, notching 10 shots on goal in the ﬁrst 12 minutes.

Despite giving up three goals –– his most at Madison Square Garden in three games played –– Shane came up big for the Red when needed in the third, albeit infrequently compared to Cornell’s offensive pressure. A highlight-reel glove save by the senior netminder came with around ﬁve minutes to go, keeping the score leveled.

Cornell nearly took the lead with less than a minute left after not generating much down the stretch. A flurry of opportunities hit the rubber of Silverstein, as the Red mustered five shot attempts in the final 30 seconds.

Extra hockey was needed to settle the score between two ECAC rivals, and the Bobcats seemed to control it from the opening faceoff.

Sophomore defenseman Hoyt Stanley, Kempf and O’Leary stayed on the ice for nearly three minutes as Quinnipiac sustained pressure in its offensive zone. The Bobcats ate the clock down to just 18.6 seconds, barring the Red from getting a shot until just a second left in the extra period.

“They just gutted it out and did whatever they needed to do in order to get a whistle,” Schafer said. “That was an outstanding effort by those guys.”

That shot, which came off the stick of sophomore defenseman Ben Robertson, nearly beat Silverstein with no angle. The puck wasn’t visible under the Quinnipiac goaltender’s pad, and a challenge from Cornell conﬁrmed the no-goal call.

In the shootout, one Bancroft goal was all the Red needed. Shane forced a Quinnipiac miss and made a pair of stops, as his team swarmed him and sent the 16,593 fans ––many of them Cornellians –– home happy.

“It’s just another home game,” Bancroft said. “When you’re standing on the blue line for the national anthem and you hear ‘red’ echo through the stadium, it’s going to be a good night. So just a really cool atmosphere [and a] really cool venue to play in. And obviously, the boys found a way to get it done tonight.”

Jane McNally can be reached at jmcnally@cornellsun.com.

MEN’S HOCKEY

CAROLINE SHERMAN / CORNELL ATHLETICS