On Nov. 29, I resigned the Student Assembly presidency at the end of a long and challenging byline funding process. Since then, I’ve anonymously been accused of being a “third-rate coup artist,” and comment after comment has followed suit. It’s been said that I’m shady, sleazy, “smell like cod that’s been fished from the Hudson River,” and the list goes on.
Some of those things were on Juicy Campus.
Some of those things were in The Cornell Daily Sun.
On Nov. 29, I resigned the S.A. presidency following what many believed was among the most equitable distributions of the Student Activity Fee (SAF) in recent memory. The final vote was cast with the near-unanimous approval of your student representatives.
Any accusations leveled against me and my executive board by writers for this paper were settled at that final meeting, and those accusatory statements proven to be untrue were, in fact, retracted in due time. This is not to say that damage wasn’t done, but that’s what I get for putting myself out there, isn’t it?
I resigned the S.A. presidency because I needed to make a point.
Hear me out …
I, and others, noticed a long time ago that the S.A. was hurting, and leading our meetings, accommodating all byline funded groups, being honest and open and forthright just wasn’t enough. I certainly could have finished the year free- riding the good spirit of a job well done. We passed a Student Activity Fee and the administration approved it! But what good would that have done?
Put yourself in our shoes …
Despite the best of intentions, despite truly, in our heart of hearts, wanting to do things right and make things better and cleaner than they had ever been before, we were immediately labeled some pretty awful things by a small group of writers for this paper. Often, they lacked the courage to ask us for our side of a story (journalism, right?) Often, they got the facts just plain wrong. Sometimes, they didn’t even put their names on their articles …
Nice.
When I resigned the S.A. presidency, I, and others, observed that the S.A. needed an institutional facelift. And just a few weeks ago, it instituted a major internal change — Resolution 12 — calling for the direct election of the S.A.’s President and Executive Vice President by all undergraduates.
I know that my decision to resign was in the best interest of the S.A. and the Cornell community because it did exactly as I had hoped: it made you pay attention. It forced you to scratch your head and take an interest in an institution that ultimately affects every single one of you: the student activity fee and your student government that allocates it.
For the duration of the semester, members of the Student Assembly — with the assistance of trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members — will be conducting a formal analysis of the role of the S.A. at the university. At the conclusion of the semester, a formal collection of recommendations will be presented to the incoming executive board for review. All members of the community are encouraged to participate. More information will be made available at assembly.cornell.edu.
In the meantime, here’s what I learned from all of this …
First, it’s a lot easier to accuse somebody of being ill-intentioned and corrupt than it is to understand them. What good can come when we’re afraid of what we don’t understand? Understanding actions and intentions is hard, but it’s impossible when you don’t take the time to ask.
Secondly, you cannot take yourself too seriously. You have to have thick skin.
Finally, you have to put things into context. Waking up to your picture in the paper, a disgusting accusation, and 33 text messages warning you of what you’re about to read, you have to realize that such things will pass in due time.
If you are ever falsely accused of something publicly, heed this advice — you still know the virtue in your actions. And when you look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day, let the necessity and justness of your actions keep your head held high.
I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. The honor of holding this position aside, I learned so much about how freedom (of the press) without responsibility can become poisonous for those caught in its wake.
I hope the new editorial board of The Cornell Daily Sun will continue to acknowledge the magnitude of the responsibility they have to all members of the Cornell community.
This paper’s monopoly on campus news must be used with caution.
The professional and personal reputations of classmates, faculty, and administrators are at stake.
Now, as I write what will likely be my final statement in The Cornell Daily Sun, which has remained gracious enough to give me this opportunity to “clear the air,” I wish you all great success as you complete your Cornell adventure.
Elan Greenberg is a senior in the College of Human Ecology and former president of the Student Assembly. He can be contacted at ehg6@cornell.edu [1]. Guest Room appears periodically.
Links:
[1] mailto:ehg6@cornell.edu