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Gia Mar Ramos ’25 Featured in Inaugural Forbes Puerto Rico 30 Under 30 List
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Gia Mar Ramos ’25 was named to the first Forbes Puerto Rico Local 30 Under 30 List for empowering girls to pursue computer science.
The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/tag/puerto-rico/)
Gia Mar Ramos ’25 was named to the first Forbes Puerto Rico Local 30 Under 30 List for empowering girls to pursue computer science.
Welcome back from break! Whether you stayed in Ithaca or went abroad, I hope you were able to use this time to rest and recharge away from the stress of coursework.
While we’re all settling back into class-mode, I thought I would take some time to discuss ethical tourism in the context of Puerto Rico — fun, I know. Given how popular of a destination the island was for Cornellians this year (and most of my years at Cornell), and what I’ve noticed to be a widespread unawareness of Puerto Rico’s political, economic and cultural status, I wanted to take some time to reflect on and address the tourism industry in Puerto Rico, and how visitors can behave respectfully and ethically during their time on the island.
Cornell students chose spring break destinations based on friend meetups and trip finances.
Puerto Rican independent journalist Bianca Graulau will discuss the most pressing issues facing Puerto Rico in a Friday talk in Klarman Hall.
To the Editor:
As of July 19, 2019, the island of Puerto Rico, along with many cities across the mainland United States, have begun mass protests directed towards Governor Ricardo Rosselló. On July 14, nearly 900 pages of leaked group chat conversations were released to the public. The group chat designated Governor Rosselló as its administrator, as well as other government officials. The comments made in this group chat display misogyny, homophobia and denigration towards other government officials and fellow Puerto Ricans, as well as a mishandling of government information, which was freely and openly discussed in unofficial and inappropriate conversations. These revelations exposed a great deal that has left members of the Puerto Rican Student Association, along with thousands of Puerto Ricans across the island and the mainland United States, with feelings of contempt, disgust, frustration and flat-out disappointment in Governor Ricardo Rosselló and his administration.
“The simple act of walking outside of my household and seeing debris everywhere was surreal. The fabric of our everyday lives suddenly stopped,” Quijano told The Sun.
Today marks one year since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico. Maria immediately thrusted Puerto Rico into darkness as the electrical grid was devastated, cellular communication was rendered impossible and basic necessities such as food and water became scarce. Maria exacerbated the ongoing economic depression, with the poverty rate increasing to 52 percent (at least 3 times higher than the national average). Since then, the Trump Administration has displayed a blatant disregard for the needs of Puerto Ricans. For example, Trump praised how Hurricane Maria was not a “real catastrophe” like Hurricane Katrina, refused to extend Puerto Rico’s Jones Act waiver beyond ten days.
Approximately 30 protesters marched across the Arts Quad and around Ho Plaza, questioning the actions of the oversight board and Gov. Ricardo Rossello and calling for unity amongst the 11 campuses of UPR.
Student volunteers spent four days engaging in various volunteer work ranging from transporting water to senior homes and a middle school to providing check-ups for patients unable to travel to the clinic.
“While Resolution 28 is rooted in compassion for an important social and political cause, I do not believe it meets the Board of Trustees’ adopted threshold for divestment,” President Pollack wrote in a letter.