This masthead design appeared atop The Sun’s front page from September 1882 to June 1887
VOLUME 136 – NO. 9
I THACA , NEW YORK , M ONDAY , S EPTEMBER 16, 2019
12 PAGES – FREE
The Sun Celebrates Its 139th Birthday This declaration by the founding staff appeared in The Sun’s inaugural issue, published on September 16, 1880. Without any apology for our appearance, we make our bow to the college world, and especially to that part of it in which Cornell, her students, friends and alumni are most interested. We have no indulgence to ask, no favors to beg. Believing that the interests of the University and of the students would be subserved by the publication
of a daily paper, one which should present news not only from the various colleges, but whatever was of especial interest to students where it occurred, we determined to publish the Cornell Sun. Its financial success is already assured; and we can announce unhesitatingly that it will make its appearance every day during the term time of the coming year. Our principles are those of the institution which we shall endeavor to represent, — liberty of thought, liberty of speech and liberty of action; but we shall strive earnestly not to
allow this liberty to degenerate into license. That there are many obstacles in the path of a college daily we fully realize. The labor required to edit such a publication will be no small addition to our college work; and though we undertake it willingly, it is not without some misgivings as to our ability to perform the extra duties in a suitable manner. We expect to receive severe criticism at the hands of many, but we ask that it be deferred until a fair trial shall have shown that we deserve it.
Mars Rover Prof Leaves Cornell By SARAH SKINNER Sun Managing Editor
Famed astronomy and planetary scientist Steve Squyres ’78, Ph.D. ’81, James A. Weeks Professor of Physical Sciences, announced that in just nine days — enough to travel 24 miles on the surface of Mars — he’ll retire from Cornell to take a post
as chief scientist at Amazon’s private space venture, Blue Origin. As principal investigator of the Opportunity and Spirit rover missions, Squyres led NASA’s exploration efforts on the surface of the red planet, directing the search for life and knowledge from See ROVER page 4
Vapes, Juuls Losing Their Cool
Collegetown sales start to slide; NYS bans flavored e-cigs
CAROLINE TOMPKINS / THE NEW YORK TIMES
E-vape-eration | The health risks of vaping have risen to national attention with new calls for regulation from multiple levels government. By ALEC GIUFURTA Sun Staff Writer
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced an emergency executive action to ban all flavored e-cigarettes Sunday –– the latest development in the retaliation against vaping over a surge of reports linking it to pulmonary illnesses. A national ‘hysteria’ around e-cigarettes has student-activists and Cornell health professionals pushing their message: It’s not cool to Juul. In tandem with the release of new research, local shops told The Sun that sales of e-cigarettes near campus have declined after
the boom of recent years. The Food and Drug Administration, on Monday, sent a warning letter accusing Juul Labs of illegally advertising
their products as a safer alternative to tobacco products. Over the past few weeks, the CDC reported an outbreak of severe lung diseases which, as of Sept. 11, included 380 cases of illness and six deaths. The report also specified that in all of the cases, the patient reported a history of e-cigarette use or vaping. “There’s a lot of hysteria,” Dr. Jonathan Avery, director of addiction psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, told The Sun. But, he said, “your average Juuler is not going to die tomorrow from lung disease.” Avery said that doctors are still trying to “get a sense” for the harm and health effects potenSee JUUL page 3
ALEC GIUFURTA / SUN STAFF WRITER
Sliding sales | Collegetown shops that sell the devices and pods report a decline in sales. The new ban might exacerbate this trend.
ANGELA LI / SUN STAFF WRITER
Rainbow residential hall | Members of the student committee celebrate the grand opening of the new program house on Saturday.
After Long Fight, Loving House Cheers Grand Opening With Bash By ANGELA LI Sun Staff Writer
Love and joy was in the air at the grand opening of the LGBTQ+ program house “Loving House” on Sept. 14 in the Mews Hall first floor lounge. In attendance were residents of Loving House, Mews Hall residential staff and members of campus administration involved with housing and student life. Refreshments for attendees included a festive spread of fresh fruits, vegetables and different kinds of cake. Adorning the entrance to the lounge was a bright rainbow-colored balloon arch. The original location of
Loving House was supposed to be 112 Edgemoor Lane, a university-owned co-op on South Campus. However, those blueprints fell apart when the student-staffed development committee decided to establish the program house in Mews, citing several reasons for the switch. First, the building at 112 Edgemoor Lane is inaccessible for those living with disabilities, said Ian Wallace ’20, former LGBTQ+ Liaison At-Large for Student Assembly. With inclusion central to Loving House’s mission, Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility was a requirement. See LOVING page 4