Ph.D. student Danielle Obisie-Orlu was chosen to serve as the graduate and professional student-elected trustee to the Board of Trustees, according to results announced by the Office of Student Assemblies on Oct. 8.
Obisie-Orlu is pursuing a Ph.D. in International Relations under the Department of Government. Her studies of how politics of memory turn into political capital influenced her decision to run for the Board of Trustees. Obisie-Orlu said that understanding political behaviors helps expose international struggles, and she hopes to apply this concept to her work on the Board of Trustees before gathering student insight to address major issues at the University.
As the graduate student trustee, Obisie-Orlu looks forward to helping international students, drawing on her experiences growing up in South Africa and living in Washington D.C. with her Nigerian parents. She views herself as a citizen of the world instead of being tied to one geographic area, and therefore believes she can help students from nonlinear backgrounds find their voice on the Cornell campus.
“One of the main things I’d like to address is: If we are situated in Ithaca, how do we understand the relationship between Cornell and Ithaca?” Obisie-Orlu said. This relationship includes ensuring students have access to non-predatory housing and that Cornell is investing in programs that serve students.
Many graduate international students particularly struggle to find housing, Obisie-Orlu said. She explained that in the past, international students have been taken advantage of by dishonest tenants when they sign their leases because they are unfamiliar with their new surroundings. She hopes to spread awareness to students of their rights while searching for housing to prevent this from happening.
“I believe in the power of using your voice to serve,” Obisie-Orlu said. “I want to make sure everyone knows the power of their voice.”
Obisie-Orlu said that international students particularly struggle to find a sense of belonging at Cornell. She believes that her experience in public speaking gives her the necessary tools to be the voice for a community of students who often feel overlooked.
Additionally, Obisie-Orlu hopes to address the information gap between students and University administration. She wants students to have the opportunity to engage with the Board of Trustees to limit the disconnect they feel with the administration, acting as a mediator between these two groups to understand the root of distrust students have toward administrators because of miscommunication.
“To be a liaison is a great opportunity. I want to make sure that we feel this is a place that we can thrive — thrive as a university and a student body,” Obisie-Orlu said.
While she considers her two-year term to be a short amount of time relative to the reforms she wants to implement, Obisie-Orlu is excited to listen and learn from the knowledgeable members of the Board of Trustees.
“The more I am there, the more issues I will come to understand and seek to address,” Obisie-Orlu said.
Hope Thomas ’27 is a Sun contributor and can be reached at [email protected].