Columns

CHASEN | Whataboutism, False Equivalency and Campus Politics

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In the vast majority of countries across the world, universities are places where faculty, students and staff are free to study and pursue whatever passions most drive them. They are where students are prepared to enter the fields of their choosing and to make themselves and the world around them better. In general, universities, especially ones that stand for values like Cornell’s, are places where the free exchange of ideas must thrive.

As a result, Cornell must also be a place where students learn to advocate for their ideas in a civil, compassionate, respectful space. We need to become better at communicating our ideas on the merits of the ideas themselves, rather than as vehicles for personal grievances. So I wanted to talk about a trend that I’ve been noticing in our campus politics, one that increasingly threatens that civil exchange of ideas: Whataboutism and false equivalency.

Opinion

Chasen | The Best Four Years of Your Life to Explore

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After I move back to New York City in June, I will likely not have the chance to learn how to safely use firearms, or learn about oceanography, or explore the complexities of our capital punishment system. Having the chance to do all these things at Cornell has made me a better student, and a more open-minded learner.