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.

2020

Food Stamps on the Ballot: What Does This Election Mean for Those Facing Food Insecurity During the Pandemic?

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As the U.S. faces a third wave of coronavirus cases and some cities and states prepare for another round of shutdowns, thousands of households are continuing to face economic hardship and food insecurity. Earlier this year, the Trump administration finalized a proposed rule change that would have blocked nearly 700,000 people from getting essential food assistance, one of three of the administration’s efforts to overhaul the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 
The new rule would have affected the eligibility criteria for able-bodied adults with no dependents, limiting states’ ability to waive existing work mandates and requiring individuals to be employed to receive benefits. It was struck down last week by a federal judge after Pennsylvania and California residents sued Trump’s Agricultural Department. Critics say that this proposal is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to continue its deregulatory war on existing safety net programs, even as businesses struggle and the number of newly unemployed households remains high as a result of the pandemic. “The Final Rule at issue in this litigation radically and abruptly alters decades of regulatory practice, leaving States scrambling and exponentially increasing food insecurity for tens of thousands of Americans,” explained D.C Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell, in a 67-page opinion.

Opinion

WAITE | 2020 and the Trauma it Reignited

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When my brother and I were younger, we often used his magnifying glass to try and start mini fires amongst the dehydrated weeds in our backyard. I know that it is cliche to write this; but gosh were those simpler times. A few weeks ago, I read a tweet that said “stop saying ‘fuck 2020.’”

The tweeter (@elinamarchh) continued on to say “[stop] acting like police brutality, medical racism, extreme poverty, etc. are part of some weird curse. They’re not specific to 2020.

Columns

GUEST ROOM | Being a Cornell Alumnus Is Harder Than Being a Student

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“I never threw an illegal pitch. The trouble is, once in a while I toss one that ain’t never been seen by this generation.”
—Leroy Robert “Satchel” Paige (1906-1982)
As a lifelong active Cornell alumnus who attended the Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference, I have been following The Sun’s coverage and op-ed pieces about Paul Blanchard ’52, the alumnus who gave an acceptance speech that included a description of Satchel Paige as a Negro Baseball League pitcher. The Sun’s “Mind the Gap” editorial called for “preventative measures” to avoid a recurrence of an alumni event offending student guests. Sun columnists Laura DeMassa ’21 and Canaan Delgado ’21 called for “disrupting the structural manifestations of discrimination” within Cornell’s alumni organizations. Cornell Alumni Affairs will convene a task force “of students, alumni and staff in response to the incident to ‘develop productive new ways for Cornell’s different generations to work together with even more mutual respect and understanding,’” The Sun reported.