As we say goodbye to another eventful year for our alma mater, we look back to the turbulent events of the last twelve months.
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Free speech and the “Year of Free Expression”
After Cornell alumna Ann Coulter was prevented from delivering a talk last November, it seems only more challenges arose to free expression on campus.
In early February, several student organizations (including the Review) hosted the Executive Vice President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), Nico Perrino, to talk about academic freedom on college campuses.
Shortly thereafter, university president Martha Pollack addressed recently passed Florida legislation during her annual address to staff. The Faculty Senate also voted to apply Cornell’s policies on academic freedom to its global hubs later in February.
However, in March, the Student Assembly passed SA Resolution 31, which would have required “trigger warnings” for “traumatic content” in the classroom. FIRE blasted the resolution as violative of “open inquiry” and “a gross infringement of faculty members’ academic freedom to discuss pedagogically relevant material in class in the manner of their choosing.”
This very paper also slammed the resolution, saying, “Hiding from ideas is no less than intellectual cowardice. It’s exactly the opposite of what this country needs.”
At this time, the University Assembly also considered another, similar, resolution (passed by the Student Assembly) calling for “space and protection for the peaceful expression of all views and opinions.” University President Martha Pollack rejected the resolution, writing, “Such a policy [as SA Res. 31] would violate our faculty’s fundamental right to determine what and how to teach, preventing them from adding, throughout the semester, any content that any student might find upsetting.”
The many challenges to free expression last semester prompted the Review and other student groups to host American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) fellow Steve McGuire to speak on protecting free speech on campuses.
Pollack and VP of Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi faced the Student Assembly in mid-April. She made the case for the importance of free speech in light of national events. Shortly after, the university president announced a “free expression theme” for the upcoming academic year, titled, “The Indispensable Condition: Freedom of Expression at Cornell.” Many praised this move, including alumnus Bill Maher ‘78, who gave Pollack a “Cojones Award.”
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Although, there were some who were skeptical of the university’s upcoming theme year. Cornell alumni pressured the university to adopt the Chicago Principles, a declaration not only in support of free speech, but also institutional neutrality. These demands came, despite Cornell’s longstanding free speech protections and the university president’s rejection of SA Resolution 31.
This also came after FIRE noted to the Review in June that Cornell failed to address how free expression rights intersect with allegations of bias or harassment. It was also announced that Cornell’s constituent schools and colleges would be expected to implement required antiracism classes by 2024-25. Cornell subsequently dropped in FIRE’s free speech rankings.
In spite of doubts, the free expression year commenced. President Pollack introduced the theme year in an email to Cornell students. The university has organized a number of events so far.
Cornell Law School hosted a panel of law professors. The university also held a discussion with Eugene Volokh and Jameel Jaffer on the limits of free speech. New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie spoke on “Constitutionalism, Reform and the Press’ Role in Helping the Public Think About Institutions.” University of Florida professor Sharon Austin gave a talk at Cornell on “The Battle to Preserve Academic Freedom in Florida and the Nation,” sponsored by the ILR School.
Students and other groups also actively hosted events. The Cornell Review, Cornell Republicans, and Program on Freedom and Free Societies hosted FIRE’s Director of Engagement and Mobilization, Connor Murnane, to talk about “Free Speech and a More Perfect Union.” The Cornell chapter of the Heterodox Academy and Program on Freedom and Free Societies brought Heterodox Academy president John Tomasi to campus. During his talk, Tomasi advocated for institutional neutrality, using the Kalven Report as a guide.
Towards the end of the fall semester, the Cornell Republicans brought Daily Wire host Michael Knowles to speak on “The Mirage of Free Speech.” Addressing a crowd of 260, Knowles discussed a wide-range of subjects, including the current political climate and free speech.
RELATED: So Much For the “Year of Free Expression”
Student Assembly
In addition to Resolution 31, the Student Assembly was the setting for electoral drama earlier this year. Due to a high-volume of election challenges, the results of the spring elections were withheld. With a 5% increase in turnout (to an anemic 15.6%), Vice President of Internal Operations Pedro Da Silveira ‘25 won the presidency, and ILR School representative Claire Ting ‘25 became Executive Vice President.
However, the Assembly’s electoral troubles were not yet done, with two College of Engineering candidates at risk of disqualification. Additionally, the incoming Assembly entered an interregnum, with members adopting a motion to dismiss Assembly president Da Silveira. After the president’s chair remained vacant for a week, the Assembly met to resolve its leadership issue. Members selected Patrick Kuehl ‘24 to be the body’s next president.
Campus response to events in Israel/Gaza
The spring semester featured two anti-Israel protests. A small group of activists assembled near the parking booth at Carpenter Hall to protest Cornell’s alleged ties with Lockheed Martin, with much of the advertising of the event including references to Israel. In response to Israeli raids in the West Bank, a group of more than 30 protesters assembled on Ho Plaza, chanting “from the river to the sea!” and “occupation is a crime, from New York to Palestine.”
In the following semester and after Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack, tensions dramatically increased on campus. University President Pollack sent an initial email to the campus community declaring Hamas’ acts “brutal” and followed-up six hours later to apologize for omitting that the atrocities were acts of terrorism. Cornell’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter and the Arab Graduate Students Association (AGSA) issued a “Statement of Solidarity” on the ongoing conflict, holding Israel “accountable for both sides’ ongoing tragic loss of life.”
The Student Assembly, meanwhile, narrowly refused to consider Resolution XX, titled, “Acknowledging Palestinian Suffering under Israeli Apartheid.”
Despite the lack of coverage from the Cornell Daily Sun, the Review chronicled the saga of history professor Russell Rickford. Footage surfaced of Rickford telling a crowd assembled in the Ithaca Commons that the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel were “exhilarating.”
This prompted multiple reactions, with an Alums for Campus Fairness-sponsored advertisement truck appearing on campus bearing messages such as “President Pollack: Fire antisemitic professor Rickford now!”
A crowd of counter protestors, consisting of students of the Cornell Progressives and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), followed the ad truck and forced it to leave campus. Eventually, Rickford requested and received approval to take a leave of absence from the university.
Campus tensions continued to increase, with anti-Israel graffiti staining Campus Road in late October. Later that month, CUPD, Ithaca police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated antisemitic threats made against the campus Jewish community on the greekrank.com website. A Cornell junior was later arrested.
In early November, around 70 students held a “die-in” protest in Klarman Hall to raise awareness of Palestinian deaths in the Israel-Hamas war. SJP also staged building occupations, demanding meetings with senior Cornell officials.
There were several responses to the rise in antisemitism at Cornell and other campuses. On November 16, the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education announced it would be investigating Cornell and six other schools. Following her testimony to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill resigned. Cornell law professor William Jacobson held an online panel event talking about “Campus Antisemitism Crisis: Cornell, The Ivies, and Other U.S. Universities.”
Additional battles for the soul of campus culture
Cornell was also the site of several union organizing efforts. Starbucks unionization organizers occupied Day Hall in mid-May, demanding a campus-wide switch to an “ethical” brand before the beginning of the fall semester. However, President Pollack rejected two Student Assembly resolutions calling for a ban on selling Starbucks coffee on campus.
And in September, Cornell Graduate Students United (CGSU) started a drive to form a union representing the research assistants, teaching assistants and fellows of Cornell. In November, after two earlier rejections of a union, graduate students voted to accept CGSU as its collective bargaining agent. However, the union would not represent post-doctoral students, undergraduate teaching assistants, or graduate students holding fellowships.
2023 was also a year of change for Greek Life, following the university’s most recent suspension of activity in November 2022. In an early February joint email, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life announced that fraternities will be able to apply to host social events again. Meanwhile, Sigma Phi was placed on probation through Fall 2023.
This past semester, the IFC also wrote a comprehensive set of rules to govern fraternity recruitment. On November 21, Kara Miller McCarthy, Director of the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life, left Cornell after 17 years. Two others in that office left earlier in the year.
Reportedly, Greek Life voters played a role in Patrick Kuehl’s 49-40 election victory over incumbent Fourth Ward Common Council member Jorge DeFendini ‘22. Kuehl was not on the ballot yet conducted a successful write-in campaign to win a 4-year term.
This past year was also filled with stories about Plan B vending machines and “Sex in the Dark.”
In February, the Student Assembly passed a resolution, which would expand access to emergency contraception across campus using vending machines. The University Assembly also approved its own Plan B vending machine resolution.
In mid-February, Cornell’s LGBT Resource Center advertised its “Valentine’s Edition” Queer Sex Ed event, inviting students to learn about “fisting” and “scissoring.” The High Rises Community organization released an advertisement on CampusGroups for a “Sex in the Dark” event.
The Review also dug deep into the changing sports culture at Cornell. We discussed the decline of intramural hockey, specifically decreased access to Lynah Rink. Our writers also explained the historical scrapping of recreational facilities during the construction of West Campus. They have also highlighted the benefits of intramural volleyball and lamented the demolition of the historic Hoy Field. After the end of the football season, Cornell hired Dan Swanstrom as its new head football coach.
We have also commented on the changing landscape of both Cornell’s campus and Ithaca, starting with rebuilding projects commenced over the summer. Our now Editor-in-Chief demanded that Cornell bring back the iconic books and model boats in the Willard Straight Browsing Library. Not neglecting the Arts Quad in rebuilding efforts, Cornell also announced that renovations to McGraw Hall would begin in 2025.
Students arrived this fall to find scaffolding quickly erected around McGraw Tower and the main pedestrian thoroughfare at the top of Ho Plaza shut down. After initial reports that the area would remain closed to pedestrian traffic through 2024, the area reopened in early December.
Positive developments
But despite all that has happened this year, there were some positive developments. The university finally disassembled the “Circulating Matters” (lovingly referred to as “The Gallows” on these pages) biennial exhibition on the Arts Quad.
Cornell law professor William Jacobson sat down with Tucker Carlson to talk about his experience with “cancel culture” and journalism in an hour-long interview on Fox Nation.
Most importantly, the McGraw Tower pumpkin made a triumphant return this fall after last being seen 26 years ago. And we’ve also provided a conservative voice on campus for the issues facing students today, from the culture of Safety-ism to the lack of a truly liberal education.
