Columns

MEHLER | Budget as a Moral Statement

By |

Every October, the Ithaca Common Council dives into its budget process and decides our tax rates, which departments receive funding, the allocation of federal money and more. My role as a city councilman representing Collegetown and West Campus allows me to directly contribute and vote in the budget. But the influence constituents and students have on the budget cannot be understated. As the process is only halfway through, I encourage all Cornellians to take a look, form an opinion and tell the city what you want to see.

Columns

MEHLER | Choosing To Be An Ithacan

By |

Coming to Cornell, I believe all students understand that they are choosing to make Cornell one of their homes. What we seem to  forget (and what I forgot as a 17-year-old applicant), is that we also have  the opportunity to choose Ithaca as our home when we choose Cornell. Whether you arrived as a freshman or transferred as a junior, Ithaca is where we live, eat, work and sleep. Ithaca provides for us, and we in turn provide for Ithaca. It’s our choice  to identify as Ithacans or just temporary visitors.