Local News: April 1, 2024

- Cornell issues comments about ongoing protests, Congress sends second letter -

Cornell President Martha Pollack and Provost Michael Kotlikoff remain critical of ongoing protests on Cornell’s campus. In an op-ed in The Cornell Daily Sun, they say the protests are disrupting university activities. They say there should be “a robust campus discussion about what ‘disruptive’ means: how much is tolerated in support of free expression and where the line is drawn.” WSKG Public Radio reports the officials’ response was published 4 days after a letter from the Republican chair of the House Ways and Means Committee  to Pollack. That letter described the protests as disruptive and expressed concern about the university’s “approach to protecting Jewish students and combating antisemitism on its campus.” It was the second letter from the Committee questioning the university’s tax-exempt status. The letter does not mention Islamophobia on campus which some students, staff, and faculty say is also a serious problem.

- Dryden schools closed Friday because of threats -

Dryden schools were closed on Friday because of a threat directed at the district. The Ithaca Voice reports the superintendent sent an email on Thursday night saying the decision was a precaution and the threat didn’t mention a specific individual or building.

- There’s lots to do leading up to the eclipse on April 8-

There’s a lot going on leading up to the solar eclipse on April 8. This week we’ll tell you about some of the eclipse-adjacent things happening in the area. Today, a peek at a play opening at The Cherry Arts in Ithaca on Friday.

The play Carbon, is directed by Samuel Buggeln the artistic director of The Cherry Arts. He says the play is by an Italian playwright but its inspiration has ties to Ithaca.

"It’s sort of based on The Golden Record that went out on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. And it’s amazing to us, these records got made and planned in Ithaca by Carl Sagan and Linda Sagan," says Buggeln.

He says like witnessing an eclipse, the plot of this play lets the audience explore our place in the universe.

"A kind of idea of an alien encounter that happens that’s maybe connected to The Golden Record, to explore what it is to be human, what it is to be carbon-based life in the universe," he says.

Carbon will have 8 performances between April 5 and 15 at The Cherry Arts Theater in Ithaca. It can be viewed in person or by livestream. Here's a link to more details.