Ithaca
- campaign, District 5, Ithaca, News, Off Campus, Prof. Judith Hubbard, Tompkins County District 5, Tompkins County elections, Tompkins County Legislature
Prof. Judith Hubbard Announces Bid For Tompkins County Legislature
Ithaca native Prof. Judith Hubbard, Earth and atmospheric sciences, announced that she will be running for Tompkins County Legislature District 5 on Feb. 24. Her campaign will center on protecting funding for academic institutions, defending the environment and reevaluating property taxes. Tompkins County District 5 includes parts of Fall Creek, Cornell Heights and Cornell University. Hubbard looks to fill one of two seats that were added to the county legislature in 2022 after a county-wide redistricting process. After graduating from Ithaca High School, Hubbard majored in geology at the California Institute of Technology before earning a Ph.D. in geology from Harvard. She spent the next 10 years as an assistant…
- Campus issues, Cornell University, DEI, Department of Education, Diversity equity and inclusion, DOE, Ithaca, News, On Campus, race-conscious decisions, Trump Executive orders, Trump policies
Department of Education Appears to Relax Stance on DEI Ban
The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights released a “Frequently Asked Questions” document on Feb. 28 clarifying its stance on the Feb. 14 directive urging the elimination of race-conscious decisions in higher education. The ED’s Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter instructed schools to eliminate “racial preferences” and otherwise race-conscious decisions in areas including admissions, hiring and institutional programming within two weeks or risk losing federal funding. However, after this sweeping directive sparked weeks of confusion and controversy, the ED has signaled a softer stance on race-conscious programs. The FAQ document indicates that not all diversity programs are banned outright — offering some flexibility for institutions to continue certain DEI…
- Cornell, Cornell University, District 3, ILR, ILR Cornell, Ithaca, Ithaca County Legislature, ithaca news, News, Off Campus, Packman
ILR Research Associate Iris Packman ’06 Announces Candidacy For County Legislature
School of Industrial and Labor Relations faculty member and Ithaca native Iris Packman ’06 announced her candidacy for the Tompkins County Legislature seat for District 3 on Feb. 24, receiving endorsements from Susan Currie, the current county legislator for the district, and the Working Families Party. Packman currently works as a senior research and policy development associate at the ILR School’s Climate Jobs Institute, noting that she hopes to utilize her expertise in labor and climate policy when in office. “As a lawyer, to watch the constitution at a federal level be really threatened is terrifying [and] kind of shakes the foundation of what I believe in and what I…
- Chili Cook-off, Chili Fest, Cornell, Cornell University, downtown ithaca, Ithaca, Ithaca Commons, ithaca news, News, Off Campus
27th Annual Chili Cook-Off Draws Thousands to Ithaca Commons
Thousands of attendees braved cold weather and wind on Saturday to crown the best chili in Ithaca at the 27th Annual Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off, hosted by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance. The event, which ran from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Ithaca Commons, boasted over 40 vendors serving chili or chili-inspired products. 29 businesses and nonprofits served vegan, vegetarian and meat chili to compete for the first-place People’s Choice Award. Last year, Statler Hotel’s Taverna Banfi won first place for the best chili. Taverna Banfi executive chef Eric Szymczak said “there’s no doubt” that his chili will take home first place again this year. Szymczak credited his untraditional…
- Cornell, Cornell Admin, Cornell Health, Gender-affirming, Ithaca, News, On Campus, trump, Trump administration
Cornell Health Adjusts Gender-Affirming Care Page Following Trump Executive Order
Cornell Health has deleted several lines from its gender-affirming care page. The move follows an executive order from President Donald Trump directing federal entities to withhold funding from medical providers that offer gender-affirming treatments to individuals under 19 years old. Cornell Health’s gender-affirming care page previously noted that “New York State has legislation in place to protect access to gender-affirming care” and that they “do not anticipate any future changes to the services [they] provide,” as of Jan. 9. Cornell Health added that “students enrolled in Cornell’s Student Health Plan and other New York-based employer and exchange insurance plans in 2025 will continue to have coverage for gender-affirming care.” However,…
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ELMORE | Praise for Ithaca Chili Fest
One of the perks of college life is that otherwise normal days often morph into holidays, and at Cornell, this phenomenon is especially true. The spring Wednesday after our last day of classes? That’s no normal Wednesday — it’s Slope Day. The men’s hockey game against Harvard? That’s no ordinary weekend match — it’s a rivalry weekend. And Homecoming is no normal day — it’s an all-day darty. For my roommate and I, the first Saturday in March is more than just an ordinary Saturday — it’s the most important day of our school year: The Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off (better known as the Ithaca Chili Fest). Celebrating its 27th…
- Administration, Cornell, cornell administration, Cornell finances, Cornell University, Finances, Hiring Pause, Ithaca, ivy league, News
Cornell Announces University-Wide Hiring Pause, Citing ‘Significant Financial Uncertainty’
The University announced a hiring pause, effective immediately, across all colleges, schools, divisions and administrative units in a statement on Thursday afternoon, citing a “time of significant financial uncertainty” along with “all of American higher education.” The decision comes amid Cornell and 11 other universities filing a lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health for funding restrictions that would cost the University $80 million. Several other universities, including Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Northwestern University, have also announced hiring freezes in the past two weeks. “The potential for deep cuts in federal research funding, as well as tax legislation affecting our endowment income, has now been added…
- Elon Musk, hate crime, Ithaca, Ithaca Police Department, Local news, News, News Story, Off Campus, Tesla, Tesla Supercharger
Ithaca Tesla Supercharger Station Vandalized With Swastikas, Nazi Messages
Editor’s note: This article contains antisemitic language. A Tesla supercharger station located at 740 S Meadow St. was defaced with swastikas and other Nazi messages. At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Monday, the Ithaca Police Department responded to a report of vandalism involving the superchargers. Seven of the eight chargers were vandalized with swastikas, with two having “Hail Hitler” written on them. The eighth charger had a “Tesla is Fascist” sticker. The chargers were not damaged. No suspect has been identified or charged by the IPD at time of publication. In an email to The Sun, Thomas Kelly, the chief of police at the IPD, confirmed that they are investigating the…
- Ithaca, kava, kava bar, News, NYSDOH, NYSDOH regulations, Off Campus, sacred root kava bar, Sacred Root Kava Lounge & Tea Bar, scared root kava lounge, social spaces, tea
New NYS Regulation Blocks Sacred Root Kava Lounge & Tea Bar From Selling Signature Kava Drink
Sacred Root Kava Lounge & Tea Bar is now barred from selling its signature kava drink due to a new New York State Department of Health regulation. Located at 139 West State St. beneath The Sun’s office, the downtown Ithaca staple offers a space for customers to relax, enjoy live music and connect with one another. As the only kava-focused establishment in Tompkins County, Sacred Root has built a dedicated following. Sacred Root’s kava drink was made by steeping the root of the kava plant in water. Kava, a shrub native to the South Pacific, has been used by Pacific Islanders to promote physical relaxation for medicinal and ceremonial purposes. …
- Cornell, cornell administration, cornell protests, Cornell University, Ithaca, News, News Story, On Campus, student arrests
‘There’s No Due Process’: Pro-Palestinian Student Activists Speak Out About Suspension Proceedings
For Sara Almosawi ’25, the Fall 2024 semester was life-changing. Almosawi was suspended by the University following her involvement in a Sept. 18 protest that shut down a career fair featuring defense contractors Boeing and L3Harris. According to her, the suspension, which was lifted on Dec. 3 before she received an alternate resolution on Feb. 3, caused stress that led her to develop a sinus infection and digestive issues so severe that she visited the emergency room for treatment. “This process has put me through hell,” she said. At least 15 students were suspended for participating in the career fair protest organized by the Coalition for Mutual Liberation — a…