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OBASEKI | Dealing With The Coming Pandemic

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Something is spreading among the student population: a fast-approaching scourge that will inevitably infect a significant portion of Cornell and other schools alike. Specific to seniors, this condition risks a student’s mental, academic and even physical well-being. Often dismissed jokingly, “Senioritis” still yields serious consequences for a small portion of students whose life circumstances may compound in a perfect storm of depression, apathy and burnout.

In a time when a mental health crisis is inflicting our youth, a decline in motivation and academic performance is something we should all take seriously. Especially given that many of us will apply to graduate schools, we should stay vigilant about our academics. Whether you’re wide-eyed and optimistic about a future beyond college, or a hardened senior, dreary at the thought of one more winter in Ithaca, you mustn’t underestimate when and how you can be affected by senioritis.

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SWASING | Give Me a Break

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In recent years, there has been a push from newer generations of workers for better work-life balance. This was exacerbated by the pandemic, which gave many workers a taste of having more time off and opportunities for remote work. Since then, social media has flooded with content encouraging Gen Z and millennials to reject the 24/7 hustle culture and instead advocate for their own personal time outside of work to be respected. This mindset shift needs to be applied to academics as well. Cornell should protect students’ rights to a real work-life balance rather than maintaining outdated policies that offer little to no protection of students’ personal time during academic breaks.

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KUBINEC | Dear Professors: Stop Banning ChatGPT

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The reviews are in. Professors really hate ChatGPT.

During syllabus week, I asked my friends what their professors were saying about ChatGPT, and the vibes were decidedly bad. “A word to the wise: DO NOT BE TEMPTED by Open AI platforms such as ChatGPT,” reads the syllabus of Archaeology and the Bible. “Do not rely on ChatGPT to complete this assignment,” said an Introduction to Global Health assignment description.

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BERNSTEIN | For These Upcoming Wellness Days, Try Something New

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It’s a simple message, but an old and important one. And as we begin our middle-of-the-week weekend — a phenomenon really only relevant to our current moment in time — we celebrate the theme of “wellness.” What better way is there to work on our own wellness but by trying something new? At Cornell, we often find ourselves stuck in the same ruts: promising to catch up on work, having the same worries, falling into the same habits and finishing the weekend in the same place we started. With the pressures of classes, jobs and extracurriculars, it can be difficult to try new things.This is especially true now. Because of the pandemic, it feels harder than ever to meet new people, make new connections, or do things outside your comfort zone — or, at the very least, outside of what we’re used to.