Cornell University student found dead in Collegetown apartment

A Cornell University student was found dead in a Collegetown Center apartment on the evening of Aug. 30. The university has identified the deceased as junior Darryl Wu.

The investigation by the Ithaca Police Department into Wu’s death is ongoing, but Nathan M. Lyman, chief operating officer of the Ithaca Renting Company, said the death did not seem to be the result of any foul play, appearing instead to be natural.

When Wu was discovered by staff members in the building late Aug. 30, Lyman said he appeared to have been dead for several days, possibly more than four. No video of what happened exists, but an autopsy will be conducted.

Lyman said further updates will be provided by the “police and the University” as they become available.

“Nothing like this has ever happened in Collegetown Center in my memory,” Lyman said.

Wu was a chemistry major, and Gretchen Ritter, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell, described him as a “talented student” and a “remarkable linguist and mathematician.”

College to host two book reads

Two book readings focused on diversity and inclusion will take place in the coming weeks, the first being a campuswide book read of “Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do” from noon to 1 p.m. Sept. 9 in the Ithaca Falls Room. The book was written by social psychologist Claude M. Steele and explores stereotypes and ways to reshape American identities. The event will be facilitated by Nicole Eversley Bradwell, director of admissions, and Sean Eversley Bradwell, director of programs and outreach in the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Educational Affairs, and the discussion is open to all members of the campus community. Those who choose to participate in the book reading will convene every other Friday through the end of November.

Ithaca’s Multicultural Resource Center will host a community book read of “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander, which examines the contemporary system of mass incarceration in the U.S. The kick-off event will take place at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at the GreenStar Natural Foods Market downtown, but further programming will occur on campus.

For more information on the book reads or to receive copies of the books, contact Sean Eversley Bradwell.

Members of administration set  to participate in diversity panel

As part of a series of events revolving around issues of diversity and inclusion on campus, there will be a diversity and inclusion discussion panel from noon to 1 p.m. Sept. 13 in Textor Hall, Room 101.

The event will take the form of a Q&A session facilitated by panelists Roger Richardson, associate provost for diversity, inclusion and
engagement and interim chief diversity officer; Wade Pickren, director of the Center for Faculty Excellence and Sponsored Research; Terri Stewart, director of the Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management; Brian Dickens, vice president for human resources; and Mary Knapp, applications developer in the Department of Engagement and Implementation. Sean Eversley Bradwell, director of programs and outreach in the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Educational Affairs, will moderate the panel.

Poet and activist to visit campus for Latinx Heritage Month event

Latinx Heritage Month will run from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, with programming and events to take place throughout that time on Ithaca College’s campus. Many of the events are sponsored by the student organization PODER, which aims to unite students of Hispanic and Latino descent.

The first PODER-sponsored event will be an evening of spoken word with Elizabeth Acevedo, poet and social-justice activist, at 7 p.m. Sept. 7 in IC Square. Acevedo’s poetry highlights the Latinx connection to the African diaspora. She has been a featured performer on BET and Mun2 and has delivered TED talks and performances at venues including the Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, the Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts and South Africa’s State Theatre.

Latinx Heritage Month events will take place each week, and some are sponsored by the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach and Services and the Latin American Studies program.