Columns

WEIRENS | Coming to Terms With Our Ivory Tower

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I don’t speak out on politics, or controversial issues in general, much less write about them in my column. I usually stick to ranking bathrooms, discussing cute animals on campus and judging ice cream competitions. 

But I had some observations about the aftermath of the election. As a government major, there was serious build-up in my classes to this election, as well as a significant analysis afterwards. The degree of partisanship here not just in the government department, but also other humanities departments, is significant but not surprising. 

I’m no Trump fan, and know that most of my classmates aren’t either, but I think the level of partisan behavior in Cornell classrooms is inappropriate. And it shouldn’t matter if you’re a Trump fan or not.

Opinion

TIAS | Whatever Happened to Freedom of Speech?

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Thus, college level disobedience often feels like the only way for students to get their voices heard. When universities suppress that power of expression, they rob students of a platform to stand up for their beliefs. This creates a deadlock between administration and students, polarizing both sides and creating hostility on campus.

Columns

SCHECHTER | Tough Love

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The three best speeches I’ve ever heard have been given by presidents: former President George W. Bush’s 2021 address at SMU; former President Barack Obama’s keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention; and Martha Pollack’s 2023 convocation address.

I have seen twelve-years’ worth of boys-schools’ convocations, which left me with limited expectations on the Sunday after O-Week. As President Pollack began her speech, though, comfortable behind her wooden Cornell University podium, I knew she was confident in her message. As her speech unfolded, I felt myself filled with hope. Hope for my future here. Hope for my classmates’ futures. Hope for the future of the school. And hope in knowing through all of Cornell’s rigid toughness, my classmates and I will make it through.