INDEPENDENT SINCE 1880
The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 136, No. 11
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019
n
16 Pages – Free
ITHACA, NEW YORK
News
Arts
Sports
Weather
Medicaid and Federalism
Cannes
Kicking Off
Sunny And Clear
Government Prof. Jamila Michener talks about the impact Medicaid policy has on political participation. | Page 3
Film festivals are an oasis of cinephilia, effuses fanatic Rudy Que ’20. | Page 10
Cornell football starts its 2019 season at Marist on Saturday.
HIGH: 72º LOW: 47º
| Page 16
Employee Assembly Talks Accessibility of Mental Health Services By GIRISHA ARORA and SOURABH CHAKRABORTY Sun Senior Editor and Sun Contributor
Members of the Employee Assembly discussed the availability and state of mental health benefits for Cornell employees and staff vacation day policies at their meeting Wednesday afternoon. In light of the passing of Dr. Gregory Eells, a member of the Cornell community for 15 years and former director of Counseling and Psychological Services, a significant portion of the meeting was an open discussion where assembly members dwelled on current mental health resources available to staff and the stigma attached to being an employee with mental health issues on campus. Assembly members in particular highlighted how the
resources available to students are significantly advertised, whereas staff are not often aware of how to best seek help. “There is such a focus on student mental health and I totally get that … but I’m not quite sure why there are two tiers –– we’re all people,” said Anne Sieverding, the representative for the School of Industrial and Labor Relations and chair of the Benefits and Policy committee. The current avenue for staff to voice their concerns and seek help is the Faculty & Staff Assistance Program and employees are often referred to licensed practitioners in the Ithaca area if the limited number of staff cannot meet the demand. Sieverding talked about her See EMPLOYEE page 5
JING JIANG / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Faculty health | Members of the Employee Assembly discuss the state of mental health services for faculty and staff.
Sustainability | Anabel’s Grocery is MICHELLE YANG / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
currently open on campus for students to buy bulk foods and spices.
Reformed Anabel’s Grocery Opens With New Food, Hours By AMINA KILPATRICK Sun News Editor
On Wednesday, Anabel’s Grocery reopened after closing for the Spring 2019 semester. The grocery now has a membership system, bulk food options and offers mainly plant based foods. Anabel’s is currently open from Wednesday to Friday during the week from 3 to 7 p.m. The current hours are a change from its prior six-day-a-week operating structure, which the executive director of the Center for Transformative Action Anke Wessels said was unsustainable. At the grand re-opening, Anabel’s offered samples of their kombucha and encouraged shoppers to sign up for their membership. Anabel’s is operated under CTA as a non-profit organization. The store officially opened its doors in 2017, but only remained open for three semesters before having to close to reevaluate its program structure. One of the main reasons for the shuttering was an unsustainable business structure, according to Wessels. As a smaller store, Anabel’s did not have the buying power to purchase the range of goods they would have liked. “The bulk model allows us to buy a lot of oats
and grains … [and] the spices and legumes at a price where we can then turn it around and sell it at a low price,” Wessels told The Sun. “There is a sustainability aspect that we haven’t thought about before that is definitely present.” One noticeable change: There are no meat or dairy products in the store. Wessels said the main driver for this change was affordability, but also cited animal agriculture concerns and the health benefits of a plant-based diet. The store does sell eggs. The store offers the materials necessary to purchase items in bulk, with containers available for use and purchase. “I would never go buy a bunch of mason jars, but they are here for me to use. They make it easy and accessible, and also sustainable at the same time,” said Liz Davis-Frost ’20. “So you can tell they really thoroughly thought through their processing.” The store has adopted a “buy what you need” model that focuses on sustainability and meeting the variable needs of students. In the store, students are able to buy grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables and even seasonings in variable quantities. This helps reduce food waste, encourages sustainability with reusable containers, and allows people to only buy See GROCERY page 3
David French Discusses Free Speech, Cultural Conservatism By TAMARA KAMIS Sun Staff Writer
“When is the first time you encountered true ideological diversity?” asked David French, a conservative writer, Iraq War veteran and former lecturer in the Cornell Law School who spoke in Goldwin Smith at the invitation of the Cornell Republicans. French’s speech spanned a variety of topics, but spotlighted what he sees as “the necessity of living in healthy pluralism that includes cultural conserva-
tism.” He explained his belief that the answer to partisanship and division is the defense of free speech and religious liberty, citing the Federalist papers, the Constitution and the early history of the United States. French differentiated his religious beliefs from what he thinks the government should do. “As an evangelical Christian who is pro-life, I would like every single person in my life, it would be my ideal, if they came to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ,” French said. “However,
what should hapDANIEL RA / SUN STAFF pen in my view, PHOTOGRAPHER versus what the state should do, are two totally different things.” French warned of political polarization, partially blaming geographic sorting by ideology for the divisiveness of American poliFree speech | National Review commentator tics today. “If you remem- David French speaks about the intersection between ber nothing else religion and free speech.
tonight, remember this — the law of group polarization. When like minded people gather, they tend to become more extreme,” he said. French acknowledged polarization on both sides of the aisle, and was particularly critical of what he sees as conservative hypocrisy regarding free speech. To read the rest of this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com. Tamara Kamis can be reached at tkamis@cornellsun.com.