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WEIRENS | Cornell’s Silence on Crime
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It began with the mass credit card fraud. Everyone I know who bought tickets to the latest Colgate hockey game and fashion show ended up getting their card information stolen. I would estimate that hundreds of students, if not more, were victimized. Some people discovered the charges early, while far more lived in ignorance while their savings were liquidated. It wouldn’t have cost Cornell any money or effort to inform their students. Why didn’t Cornell take responsibility for the technology error present in their systems that resulted in a major security breach? The reasoning for their silence is unclear, but I find it dishonest and dishonorable.
In another case of Cornell remaining silent during well-known happenings of student-targeted crime, Olin library is currently plagued by a random man who roams study spaces screaming, swearing at and harassing students trying to study. He’s been doing this for several weeks and is politely escorted out each time only to return time and time again. Another incident regarding libraries was brought to my attention through the student messaging app Sidechat — on March 5th, a student was chased from Ho Plaza into the Cocktail Lounge by a deranged man. Of course, none of this is confirmed through any official campus source, but it is well known throughout the student body. That being said, I don’t want to treat these rumors as facts, but rather express disappointment that what should be easily accessible facts continues to spread only via rumors.