The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/tag/hunter-rawlings/)
The Dairy Bar has a tradition of dedicating ice cream flavors to important figures, such as University presidents, college deans and special guests. Cornell’s current president Martha E. Pollack is just the most recent continuation of this unique custom: Her “Bits and Bytes” flavor gets its tongue-in-cheek name from her artificial intelligence research.
Rawlings’ message to the Cornell community comes in light of other universities such as the University of Michigan and Harvard University, issuing similar statements to their students.
In a statement released Tuesday — after the sanctuary petition garnered over 2,000 signatures from students, faculty and alumni — Rawlings addressed concerns about the future of undocumented students at Cornell during Donald Trump’s presidency.
“If only we had a train,” he said, leaning back. “I could fit on a train.”
Cornell Tech, on Roosevelt Island, is beginning a life that is “inextricably tied to Ithaca” and will enable the University to build strong departments in both campuses via direct interactions among the faculty, according to Rawlings.
“I think most Americans are disappointed, or worse, with their political process, disappointed with their political leaders for a number of reasons you all well know,” Rawlings said. “Part of that is because those leaders are not focused on public service — serving the public. Mike understands what it means to serve the public.”
Brangan also said Rawlings misrepresented CGSU’s relationship with its national union affiliates — the American Federation of Teachers and N.Y. State United Teachers — by unfairly grouping their union objectives.
His ‘mantra’ includes reviewing undergraduate curriculum, mending racial divisions and encouraging Cornell to act as an example by being a “unified community” — all ideas that Rawlings has previously addressed before the Faculty Senate and Graduate and Professional Student Assembly.
The assembly also passed a resolution expressing support for the Maplewood Redevelopment Project, which would provide additional housing on East Hill.
“One of the reasons I came to Cornell was because it had the engineering school, but it wasn’t an institute, it had liberal arts in it,” he said. “In engineering you can learn what happens and how, but not the reason it matters. I think it’s important to answer those questions and enhance our understanding.”