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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: RE: ‘Welcome to Cornell, Inc.’

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To the Editor:

The article “Welcome to Cornell, Inc.” by John Monkovic ‘24 raises many interesting ideas — some valid and others misinformed.  

He is correct that “shared governance” has become “nothing more than a buzzword.” For most of Cornell’s history, the faculty ran the show with very few staff in the central administration. The Trustees delegated power to the President, the faculty and a few specialized boards. In the turmoil of the 1960s, this changed. The Trustees delegated policy and budgetary control over what is now called Student and Campus Life to the University Senate, and the Senate also controlled the campus judicial system. Gradually, the Trustees and central administration clawed back power, until August 2021, when the last area of authority, the judicial system, was removed and given to Day Hall.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: RE: ‘A Deep Dive into the State of Cornell’s Pools’

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To the Editor:

Gabriella Pacitto ‘24 is to be commended for her March 29 article that discussed the deteriorated state of Cornell’s aquatic facilities. Athletic director Andy Noel’s statement that “Our pools are operating beyond their expected life span” is an understatement. As a long time user of the Helen Newman pool, I can attest to that facility’s decrepit state and frequent breakdowns and closures. While Pacitto’s article provides an accurate description of the dilapidated state of Cornell’s aquatic facilities, it does not give a complete accounting of how this situation is affecting the Cornell community. I agree that intercollegiate and intramural training and competition, as well as physical education should be the pools’ highest priority uses.

Letters To

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: RE: Ally Meets ALDI

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This sentiment, however, is not a testament to the actual quality of ALDI products, but is rather a privileged attitude coming from a poor understanding of the reasons why people choose to shop at ALDI stores.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: RE: A Pre-Med Reckoning

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Society often coerces us into disingenuous performances, promising that the applause we’ll receive at the end will pacify our perpetual anxiety. And the thought of stepping offstage to face the unknown rather than playing pretend in the presence of what’s familiar — well, that can be scary.

Letters To

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: RE: ‘Cornell’s ‘Zero-COVID’ Strategy Was Bound to Fail’

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To the Editor:

December 2021 officially marks two years since the initial known outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. Since then we have grown together through the pitfalls of novel viruses and their corresponding epidemiological impacts. But with the rise and fall of new variants, symptoms, illnesses and deaths, one thing is clear: we still have much to learn. 

Just as Cornell was reaching the tail end of the semester, a surge of cases erupted on campus, making national headlines, and led to a shutdown of all in-person activities. Many students responded diligently and in compliance with the mandate. While compliance with the COVID-19 mandates was outlined in the University’s behavioral compact, some students, including Matthew Samilow, expressed their fervent disapproval towards Cornell’s policies.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Cornell Football Program

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It’s time to make a change in the Cornell University Football Team’s leadership.   David Archer has had more time than any football coach in the long 100+ year history of Cornell University football to produce, at the very least, a winning record with the team.  He has failed to accomplish this in 8 seasons, despite leading the program for a total of 9 years.  Instead he has only a meager 21 wins over 8 playing seasons, averaging less than 3 wins a year!  A near decade of losing has to end, and Archer must be held accountable for his record,  just as any other coach would in another sport.  Cornell has attained great success in other sports like hockey and lacrosse.  There’s no reason not to demand that same level of success in football.

Cornell Health

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Cornell Health Needs a Gynecologist

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We are 136 current and former Cornell students.  We include members of the Pelvic Pain Association of Cornell, Disability+, Graduate Women in Science, QGrads, Women’s Health Initiative, Planned Parenthood Generation Action at Cornell, PERIOD@Cornell, Women’s Law Coalition, and the Women of Color Collective, among others.  We include students who suffer from pelvic pain and allies of people with pelvic pain.  We are writing this letter to urge Cornell to provide funding for Cornell Health to hire an MD gynecologist. Specifically, we need a gynecologist with experience diagnosing and treating chronic vulvovaginal and pelvic pain conditions such as vulvodynia, endometriosis, PCOS, and pelvic floor dysfunction. 

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: RE: Football Loses Early Lead, Suffers Loss in Season Finale to Columbia and Ties for Last-Place Ivy League Finish

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I am astounded by the kid-gloves coverage by the Sun of the Cornell football program.  In Cornell’s nearly 70 years in the Ivy League, the University  has somehow managed to share the title a total of only 3 times, and has never outright won the league.  

Head Coach David Archer’s record is 21-59.  Cornell should not countenance that kind of failure in anything it does, especially in football where it invests considerable resources, including many precious admissions spots.  We have recruited the last six University Presidents from Big-10 and Pac-12 schools, where records of 59-21 get coaches fired, yet they come here and support  a non-competitive football program.  

Week after week, year after year, decade after decade Cornell football is an embarrassment.  There is no accountability in the athletic department at any level.  The Sun’s coverage perpetuates this by failing to ask Coach Archer hard questions about the repeated failures of his teams, to question whether he should continue to retain his job and to ask the same of the athletic director. Andrew Wong ’89

Letters To

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: RE: ‘Cornell Doubles-Down Commitment to Sustainability Measures Despite Pandemic’

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It is encouraging to see Cornell’s ongoing, significant commitments to sustainability, as detailed in “Cornell Doubles-Down Commitment to Sustainability Measures Despite Pandemic.”  While the Cornell Climate Action Plan is admirable, larger scale, statewide initiatives are obviously needed, and change will not be delivered from experts alone. As New York residents, Cornell students must fight for an equitable energy transition. Why is this important? Climate change kills over 150,000 people per year, according to the WHO, while air pollution kills 6.5 million annually, as estimated by IEA. This annual death toll already exceeds the most deadly genocides of the twentieth century.