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A New Era for the Academy: Oscars Revitalized
Some could argue that the 97th Oscars competition was one of the most controversial of all time. Though no Oscars ceremony has been without scandal and uproar, the most recent performance put on by the Academy and the films it chose to recognize — or not — rivals that of last year’s Best Actor winner Cillian Murphy in terms of pure entertainment. From the use of artificial intelligence in The Brutalist to the complete dismissal of Dune: Part Two by Academy voters, the 97th Oscars was a show to remember. However, no piece of entertainment is complete without a big finale, and for the Academy, they are attempting to turn…
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My Experience Acting in Rumors
Since the day Spring Break ended, I have felt like a masked vigilante, except instead of wearing a spandex suit to physically fight criminals, I was wearing a red dress to verbally fight my on-stage husband. By day, I have been a student, meticulously taking notes and (trying my best) to participate in class. By night, I have been an actor, yelling and prancing around a stage at rehearsal. My journey into this Cornell double-life began at the beginning of the semester when I auditioned for the shows being produced by Cornell’s student-run theater company, Cog Dog Theatre Troupe. In February, I was offered the role of Claire Ganz in…
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Student Assembly Passes Resolution to Create a 5-Day Study Period Before Final Exams
The Student Assembly sent Resolution 43, which calls for an extended study period before finals, to President Michael Kotlikoff’s desk last Thursday, where it now awaits approval from him. A three-day study period is currently in place for this year and is not subject to change. Implementing a five-day study period will require the administration and faculty to change the academic calendar per New York State’s requirement that colleges and universities have a minimum of 15 weeks per semester for a two-semester system. The study period does not count towards the 15-week minimum requirement — increasing the study period would likely lengthen the academic year. The resolution highlighted the need…
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Graduate Students Revive Push for Divestment, Elect 2025-2026 Representatives
Cornell’s Graduate and Professional Student Assembly presented its 2025 election results — including results of a ballot question about divestment — during their final meeting of the year on Monday. Graduate student Nicholas Brennan, current executive vice president of GPSA, was elected to be the next president in a sweeping victory, garnering nearly five times as many votes as his two competitors, Bhagvat Patel and Mario Keputa. The election results also revealed broad support for divestment from the voting graduate student body, with about two-thirds of voters believing Cornell should divest from weapons manufacturers. The divestment ballot question was modeled after the Spring 2024 Student Assembly referendum, in which 69.3…
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Christian Flournoy ’27 Plans to Maximize Student Voices as Executive Vice President of the Student Assembly
Heading into his second year of being on the Student Assembly executive board, Christian Flournoy ’27 said that there are two ideals he envisions for his term as executive vice president: “[maximizing] the student voice” and “ensuring community representation.” Flournoy was announced as the next executive vice president for the Assembly on Wednesday, April 25, beating out three competitors in a narrow race. He currently serves as the vice president for diversity and inclusion for the Assembly, sitting on its executive board. Flournoy is pursuing the pre-medical path and noted a passion for promoting student health and well-being. Amid a string of campus tragedies in the Fall 2024 semester, Flournoy…
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Misty Copeland Announced as 2025 Senior Convocation Keynote Address Speaker
Renowned ballerina Misty Copeland will be the 2025 Senior Convocation Keynote Address Speaker, as announced by Cornell Student Activities, Cornell Convocation and Cornell Student & Campus Life in an Instagram post on Monday. Each year, the student-led Senior Convocation Committee invites a guest speaker to impart advice to graduation seniors in a keynote address during the Senior Convocation event held during the Senior Days that lead into Commencement Weekend. In addition to the guest speaker, the event includes performances from student organizations, a student speaker and comments from University leadership. Past keynote speakers at Senior Convocation have included former President Bill Clinton in 2004 and science communicator Bill Nye ’77…
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‘The Patients Are the Ones that Suffer the Most’: Researchers Left in Limbo After Cornell Funding Freeze, Stop-Work Orders
A quantum materials professor. A space weapons researcher. A breast cancer oncologist. In the wake of at least 90 stop-work orders sent to Cornell University by the federal government just in April, researchers across Cornell’s campuses have seen their projects halted and are left grappling for answers. An April 21 statement from Cornell administration noted the federal stop-work orders began in February of this year, impacting “vital research” across its main Ithaca campus, Cornell Tech and Weill Cornell Medicine. Cornell Media Relations confirmed that stop-work orders on more than 80 research grants were from the Department of Defense and the Department of Agriculture. The stop-work orders impacted research focused on…
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Calling for Violence Isn’t “Political Opposition”: Why CFI Petitioned Against Kehlani
Dear Professor Kamtekar, We are the Cornellians for Israel Executive Board. Allow us to be clear about why we petitioned against Kehlani: It is not because she supports the Palestinian people, nor that she has criticized the war in Gaza — it’s that she calls for violence against Jews. You defend Kehlani’s rhetoric as “political opposition to Israel and the Israeli government.” However, Kehlani’s beliefs extend past political opposition: Kehlani posted on her Instagram “DISMANTLE ISRAEL” and posted a map of the region that eliminates Israel. You argue your disapproval of the Indian government does not make you anti-Indian. Criticizing a government is political discourse; calling for the eradication of…
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CARUSO | The World Just Lost a Champion. Cornell Needs Its Own.
At 1:35 a.m. on Easter Monday, his holiness Pope Francis passed away after briefly recovering from pneumonia. Despite doctor orders to rest and step away from work, he refused, conducting the papacy from his wheelchair and bed. The passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday rattled the world. Though tragic, many believe that the timing of his death was at least symbolic, if not a direct act of God. Regardless, many Catholics like myself felt a vacuum left by his large presence due to his 13-year tenure. Despite the small size of the Vatican, its role in global affairs has been that of a convener and reliable neutral. While anyone…
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GUEST ROOM | Neurodiversity in the Trump Era
April is Autism Acceptance month, a time to intentionally include, faithfully affirm and openly embrace autistic people, who make up around 3% of the population. While the Biden administration formally recognized Autism Acceptance month, President Trump has proclaimed it Autism Awareness month, reverting to the outdated and harmful terminology which emphasizes alertness to a threat rather than welcoming of differences. “Awareness” campaigns serve only to perpetuate stigmas and medicalized attitudes rather than promote belonging and inclusion while acknowledging both our humanity and our uniqueness. Acceptance month centers on an act you take through purposeful learning, reflection and practice. Accepting someone requires educating yourself about their life; unfamiliarity breeds misunderstanding, disdain…