The Cornell Daily Sun (http://cornellsun.com/tag/campus_life/)
The two administrators also announced a philanthropic commitment from a Cornell alumnus to support first-generation and low-income student initiatives over the next five years, a gift that the University will use to hire a full-time staffer who will implement programs and support for this student population.
Cornell’s 11 sorority chapters on campus came together last night to elect the Panhellenic Board that will lead them for the next year. The board — which is charged with coordinating between houses and making overarching decisions affecting all sororities — works with the Interfraternity Council and Multicultural Greek Letter Council to govern Greek life on campus.
Leading the Panhel board will be Alison Ewing ’10, a member of Kappa Delta sorority and last year’s vice president of programming.
“I’m really excited about this year’s board,” she said. “We have really great personalities and I think we will all work well together.”
Last week, the Asian/Asian American Center (A3C) Committee held the first of several information sessions in order to update and inform students of A3C’s progress. However, many students were angry to hear that proceedings were slower than had been anticipated.
At the information session, the students on the A3C committee presented on the importance of the center and answered students’ questions. Clara Ng-Quinn ’10, a member of the committee, gave a PowerPoint presentation to inform students of the purpose of A3C — that it would serve as a central hub for the Asian community at Cornell and in Ithaca and as an institutionalized resource not already available to Asian students.
“Human rights are meant to be of universal application,” said Hon. Louise Arbour, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. In her lecture, “Human Rights for All: Beyond our Reach?” Arbour spoke to a diverse group of students and members of the public last night about current threats to the universality of human rights.
“The principle of universality itself is now under attack,” said Arbour, who recently resigned from her post at the U.N. having served since 2004.
Dec. 10 will mark the 60-year anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which Arbour described as, “one of the most important secular documents in human history.”
Six weeks into her freshman year in the College of Human Ecology, Laura Morrison ’12 is already planning her next three summers.
Morrison, who has high hopes of becoming a doctor, wants to shadow a dermatologist or intern at a hospital. Increasingly across all fields, a high-profile internship is necessary to secure a top job or to get into the best graduate school, but only in some colleges within Cornell does internship experience count for academic credit.
“Records were made to be broken” is the new motto for Cornell’s Greeks, who broke the Guinness World Record for the most people to carry a baton 100 meters in a continuous relay. The Greek Relay from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday marked the conclusion of Cornell’s annual Greek Week, which is meant to bring together all of the Greek chapters for days of fun, games and camaraderie.
[video:node=31703] Among the requirements for world record status is that the event must have a certain number of witnesses sign off on the completion of the world record. Lauren Wein ’09 of Pi Beta Phi Sorority is one of these witnesses; she had to be present for the entire relay.
Seven years and $225 million after construction began, every brick of the West Campus Housing Initiative is in its place. One of the final steps took place on Friday with the announcement that the last house — formally House 5 — will be named in honor of Flora Rose, a nutrition professor and founder of the College of Human Ecology.
In a ceremony on Friday, Edna Dugan, assistant vice president for student and academic affairs and a Becker House fellow, announced the decision to name the house after Rose.
“We have investigated many, many deceased faculty’s biographies,” Dugan stated in a press release. “So it is so fitting that House Five should become Flora Rose House … to recognize her legendary status in Cornell history.”
A squad car rolls up to the sprawling mansion of a fraternity. The beer pong table needs a challenger, and the officers are more than happy to oblige, taking off their hats and rolling up their sleeves before letting the ping-pong ball fly.
Some, especially Cornell students who have found themselves involved with the Cornell University Police Department, wish the above scenario might occur — members of law enforcement in Ithaca remembering what it’s like to be college students.
Riding along with CUPD from roughly 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. on Friday showed much can also be learned from sitting inside the squad car. Reversing roles between the CUPD and Cornell students can enlighten both sides of the story.
On Patrol
In an attempt to protect the prosperity of the fraternity and the safety of its members, the alumni board of Psi Upsilon decided to shut down the fraternity until the board deems it fit. Though the members of the campus fraternity have been deactivated, the chapter maintains its official recognition in the eyes of the University.
“While Cornell University still recognizes Psi Upsilon as an active fraternity on campus, the alumni have de-activated all of its members,” said Travis Apgar, associate dean of students for fraternity and sorority affairs, in light of the recent events.
Mike Bergelson ’95, alumni president of the chapter, explained the alumni’s decision to temporarily suspend the fraternity.