From Wake Up Cornell!

Japan: The death toll has risen to 10,000. Approximately 2,000 bodies found in Miyagi Prefecture on Japan's east coast, Kyodo News Agency reported. Thousands have been left homeless and millions are without water, power, and transportation. The Japanese Prime Minister has called this the worst disaster since World War II

As Japan is dealing with the rescue, clean-up, and recovery, it is also facing urgent concerns about its nuclear plants. Yesterday, there was an explosion at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Engineers are working to avoid meltdowns, but some radioactive material has been released. The levels of radioactivity are twice what Japan considers safe. Tens of thousands of people living in the surrounding area have been evacuated. When they will be allowed to return home is uncertain. Officials are flooding the reactors with sea water to avoid a bigger problem. This is the worst nuclear emergency since Chernobyl.

The plumes of radioactive activity are heading across the Pacific and possibly towards Hawaii, Alaska, and the west coast. The White House has tried to calm fears and reports that any levels of radioactivity will not be dangerous.

For background, a 9.0 earthquake struck Japan on Friday, March 11. The earthquake also caused a devastating tsunami.

At Cornell, events are being held to support the Japanese people. There will be a fundraiser on Ho Plaza on Wednesday and Thursday from 10 am to 5 pm. People will be collecting donations and there will be the opportunity to fold cranes. The Japanese Graduate Students and Scholars Association (JGSA) and Johnson Japan Club (JJC) are holding a fundraising event at Sage Hall on Tuesday, March 15.

Two Cornell students are studying abroad in Japan; however both are located in Kyoto, where the earthquake was not felt.

Random Tidbit: Today is Pi Day, that’s pi without the e. Pi day celebrates the mathematical constant pi of which the first three digits are 3.14. In 2009, the House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day. The day was first celebrated in 1989 by physicist Larry Shaw at San Francisco Exploratorium. For the first celebration staff members marched around a circle and ate fruit pies. Now, common ways to celebrate are contests to see who can memorize the most digits of pi and eating pies. Happy Pi Day!

Cornell:

Robert Harrison was unanimously elected next chair of Cornell's board of Trustees on Friday. He was a member of the class of 1976 and chief executive officer of the Clinton Global Initiative. He also served as a student trustee during his time on the hill. His term will begin on January 1, 2012 and he will succeed Peter C. Meinig '61.  Meinig’s term was extended by 6 by the board.

Did you notice less activity on campus last weekend? The Interfraternity Council or IFC voted to cancel all weekend social events after increasing pressure following the death of George Desdunes ’13. The ban also came while the Board of Trustees was meeting. Ten chapters were planning on holding parties open to all students. The vote was 32 to 0 with three members abstaining. The Panhellenic Council voted to agree with the IFC’s decision. The last time parties were canceled was in Fall 2009 due to the swine-flu outbreak.

Written by Jennifer Schlesinger