Columns

ABUHASHIM | The Greatest Good for Whom? 

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“Cornellians are united by a shared purpose.” “To do the greatest good.” These quotes written by Ezra Cornell have been plastered on every known surface on campus. It begs the question: The greatest good for whom? This year, Cornell Progressives released the Disorientation Guide, a manual on all of Cornell’s shady business and not-so-known secrets. In the guide, stories of Cornell’s neglect and greed are overwhelming but not surprising. In 1985, Cornell’s trustees refused to divest from companies in South Africa despite the apartheid. Whose “greatest good” were they striving to achieve? Many low-income and BIPOC students could already testify that they knew this “greatest good” didn’t apply to them, but this guide made it clear to the masses. Diving deep into Cornell’s history, policies and actions, it’s evident that Cornell’s administration only caters to itself, the wealthy majority and the Global North.

2008 presidential race

BERNSTEIN | If You’re Voting Biden/Harris in New York, Do So on the Working Families Party Line

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The Working Families Party in New York State is at risk of losing its spot on future ballots if it doesn’t reach 130,000 votes for President. This third party is a left-wing advocate for social democracy and progressivism and it’s best known for its support of democratic challengers to moderate incumbents across the state. With new rules raising the minimum votes required for a third party’s spot on the ballot, WFP is at risk of fading away. In 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo formed a commission to reform the campaign finance system in New York. One of the commission’s decisions was to increase the threshold of votes necessary to keep a third party on the ballot in future elections.

Opinion

JOHNS | Cornell’s Activist Myopia

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Just how global is the focus of Cornell’s globalist activist community? At first glance, it is globalist without reservation: From climate crusaders demanding the University divest from fossil fuels to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel, campus progressive activists this semester repeatedly have called for Cornell to make dramatic changes to further their political vision. Cornellians certainly have the right to petition the University, and it is understandable why they would begin their activism here. President Martha Pollack, for her part, properly noted in her response to the BDS movement that “the principal purpose of our endowment is to provide income for advancing our mission-related objectives.” The endowment, she said, “must not be viewed as a means of exercising political or social power.” That is sensible logic. Of course, this will not deter activists from their quest to politicize the University endowment.

Columns

JOHNS | One Nation Under God

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Christians at Cornell and across the world this month observe the season of Lent — a religious tradition that calls upon adherents to re-embrace their faith through commemoration of the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the Judean Desert following His baptism. Lent is a solemn season, and an important time for Christians to examine their own religiosity and the state of the church more broadly. This Lent, at least at a glance, the church appears troubled and on the defensive. The unfortunate truth is that Christian churches, like most religious institutions in the United States, have been a diminishing feature of public life for some time. The Pew Research Center notes that 20 percent of Americans are “religiously unaffiliated,” a number that has increased by five percent over the last five years.