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From Native American History to Martial Art: Exploring the Murals of Ithaca
A Haudenosaunee-Dutch treaty. A form of martial arts. Mentorship program participants. Marine biology. These are the focus of four of over 400 vibrant murals that together embellish nearly every street in Ithaca. Each mural contains intricate details that tell a unique story, from historical events to environmental protection. The Sun spoke with four artists about the inspirations behind a few of Ithaca’s many murals. “Two Row Wampum 400 Year Anniversary” by Brandon Lazore A mural painted on the Seneca Street Garage honors the 400-year anniversary of the Two Row Wampum. On Seneca Street Garage, community members get a snapshot of Native American history through artist Brandon Lazore’s mural, “Two Row…
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POGGI | Ithaca Is Monopolized
What comes to mind when you think of Ithaca? Is it the famed Moosewood restaurant, cascading gorges or Cornell University overlooking Cayuga Lake? Ithaca’s identity seems rooted in its alternative, hippie culture — hikers at every turn, farmers markets in full swing, arts and crafts fairs and community events like Porchfest drawing crowds. But that image no longer tells the full story. The reality of Ithaca today is an increasingly monopolized city, shaped largely by Cornell University and its surrounding neighborhood, Collegetown. The most obvious monopolies in Ithaca are the landlords. Property giants like Lambrou, O’Connor and PJ dominate the apartment and housing markets, owning a huge portion of properties…
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ELMORE | Mark Your Calendar: Ithaca Take Back the Night
I’ve expressed praise for many community events in Ithaca: Chili Fest, Apple Fest, Ithaca Fest, etc. Take Back the Night holds an equally special yet uniquely serious place in my heart. This Friday, April 25, community members and students from Tompkins Cortland Community College, Cornell University and Ithaca College (myself included) will come together for a night of “reclamation, empowerment, and celebration,” and you won’t want to miss it. Take Back the Night (TBTN) is a London-born grassroots organization dating back to the 1970s, which formed as a response to rising violence against women. Today, the organization exists all over the world and facilitates marches, rallies, protests and more to…
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Ithaca Farmers Market Reopens Amid New Tariff Policies
The Ithaca Farmers Market reopened on Saturday, bringing the community fresh produce, crafts and products for the start of spring. With the tariffs from the Trump administration affecting markets nationwide, both customers and merchants were concerned about how they would impact the Ithaca Farmers Market. Nonetheless, the market was lively with a crowd of customers excited to support their local farmers. Despite the recent policies, merchants are optimistic about the season and the community’s willingness to shop locally. However, when asked about how recent economic policies have affected them, some merchants mentioned that they had to increase their prices.Jacques Schickel, owner of Jacques Schickel Pottery and member of the Ithaca…
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‘Together for Tomorrow’: Earth Day Festival Returns to Ithaca
The rain did not stop Ithaca community members from exploring Ithaca’s second annual Earth Day Festival, held Saturday afternoon on the Ithaca Commons. Hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension alongside the City of Ithaca, this year’s festival centered around the theme “Together for Tomorrow” — promoting actionable climate change solutions, showcasing local businesses taking steps to reduce carbon emissions and hosting entertaining programming for families — including performances, facepaint and other activities for kids. Over 25 organizations were present at the event, ranging from Tompkins County government advisory boards, transit groups and local food vendors. Many Cornell students tabled at the event — including Nicole Collins ’25, an intern for Sustainable…
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‘Ithaca is Under the Microscope’: Amid Immigrant Crackdowns, Open Doors English Fosters Belonging Through English Learning
Operating out of the third floor of Ithaca’s First Presbyterian Church, Open Doors English teaches English as a second language to adults through beginner, intermediate and advanced level classes taught four days a week. ODE serves students who speak 29 different languages, and just within the last year they have enrolled over 260 new students “regardless of their personal circumstances or ability to pay,” according to a March 27 press release from the organization. Hilary Boyer, co-director of ODE, said the organization grew out of a wish to “serve everybody that needed [ESL services] in the community.” Previously, Boyer and five of the eight current educators and administrators at ODE…
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Mate Mission: Your Guide to Finding Yerba Mate in Ithaca
If there were an “if you know, you know” drink, it would be Yerba Mate. Yerba Mate is a South American herbal drink similar to tea that has energizing properties and deep-rooted cultural value. Today, Yerba Mate has become a cult favorite drink because of its natural caffeine properties that give you a boost in energy without the typical caffeine crash. The drink has become quite commercialized and is widely distributed and marketed as a canned caffeinated tea, popular among college students as a healthier energy drink alternative. As Yerba Mate drinks become more popular, demand for them is increasing, specifically on college campuses, including at Cornell. While you definitely…
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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…
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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…
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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…