As Malcolm X strolled onto Cornell campus 47 springs ago, you could just imagine the resolve in his eyes. He was here to debate James Farmer, head of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), on the topic “Separation vs. Integration.” The question was simple. Should blacks in America continue to push for equality in society or should they remove themselves from it completely? Farmer argued to keep up the fight, Malcolm argued against. For anyone sitting at the debate it must have been not only intense but eye opening. They were witnessing two major figures in our country debate an issue both salient and close to their hearts. The arguments were strong and not held back. It was an intellectual slugfest of the highest order. It was here.

To the Editor:

Re: “Incorrect information and misleading stereotypes plague college wars,” Letters, March 12

To the Editor:

Re: “This Is a Column about the Holocaust, Not Gaza,” Opinion, Feb. 26

This article highlights a campus-wide rift that has been exposed by numerous recent events: the division between politically correct complacency and progressive dialogue.

According to Wikipedia:

- Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) collapsed and died on Inauguration Day.

- Former Assistant Attorney General John Seigenthaler masterminded the assassinations of both John and Bobby Kennedy.

- Sarah Palin is “a politician of eye-popping integrity.”

One usually doesn’t need a reminder that Wikipedia, as great as it is, contains false, biased and misleading information. That is why many students were shocked when Prof. Nic van de Walle read information directly from a Wikipedia article on the Arab-Israeli conflict when moderating last Wednesday’s “Gaza in Crisis” panel because he lacked fundamental knowledge of the situation.

“There’s not much dialogue on campus,” said Khullat Munir ’09, outgoing president of the Islamic Alliance for Justice and one of the organizers of the Arts Quad display. “We wanted to get out awareness.”

— “Protest Gone Wrong: Gaza Display Ruined,” News, The Sun, Feb. 9

I had originally intended this piece to be a point-by-point refutation of the “facts” displayed at the now-infamous “black flags” display. However, I concluded that there are larger issues at hand than Israel’s reputation.

Polls for the School of Industrial and Labor Relation’s 2008 mock presidential election opened yesterday, giving ILR students a preview of how their colleagues will be voting come Nov. 4. The mock election was organized by “Educate for ’08,” a non-partisan group within ILR whose goals include running “get out the vote” drives and informing the campus community of relevant issues.

In addition, volunteer ILR students represented the positions of candidates McCain and Obama on five major issues yesterday in Ives Hall during ILR Educates for 2008, a mock debate sponsored by the ILR Student Government Association, the ILR Women’s Caucus, the Minority ILR Student Organization and Educate for ’08.

Watching the third and final presidential debate from the Media room at Hofstra University was like being in a gym lined with dozens of rows of tables spanning the length of the room, each equipped with several phones, extension cords, and high-definition televisions.

In the hours leading up to the main event, politicians and media members milled about — eating, schmoozing, and sporting their souvenir Hofstra mugs. As Bob Schieffer took the stage and said a few words to the audience — “welcome all, turn off your cell phones and shut up during the debate” — the media members scurried to their seats and began typing away.

The reaction in the room was fairly muted until the fifteenth shout-out to “Joe the plumber,” which drew a chorus of hearty laughter.

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — The high security fortress known as Hofstra University was brimming with energy yesterday in preparation for the third and final presidential debate. Barricaded off by the Secret Service, orange parking cones, police cars and officers patrolling the crowds on horses, the outwardly militant environment conveyed a strong message: no messing around on debate day.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Republican John McCain is looking to turnaround his fortunes in the final presidential debate with Democrat Barack Obama, a forum focused on pocketbook issues and domestic policy Wednesday night.

Both candidates released proposals this week designed to boost the economy as financial institutions wobble and voters feel the pinch of a faltering economy. The debate is at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., with the candidates seated at a table with moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS.

With the economic crisis fueling public unease, Obama has built leads nationally and in key states as the turmoil has returned the nation's focus to the policies of the unpopular President Bush. The burden now is on McCain to try to reverse his slide.