Senior Days are the week between the end of finals and the commencement ceremony. For many years, the Senior Class Council and various student activity coordinators have offered an extensive array of special programming to fill the week with fun and memories. These events are funded by the Student Assembly from mandatory student fees as well as by ticket sales.
Although one would hope that graduating seniors would be treated with respect during these celebratory days, a new agreement—which is required of all participants—shows that Cornell disrespects and expects the worst from its graduates.
As with the Cornell Code of Conduct, instead of guaranteeing at least the degree of free expression that is in the Student Code, seniors participating events were asked to sign away their rights to free expression:
Although a violator is still a Cornell student, this document frees Cornell from the bothersome task of following due process under the Student Code before punishing its students during Senior Days. Event staff are both untrained and all powerful in making up and enforcing conduct expectations
However, state-mandated Rules for the Maintenance of Public Order already apply to “govern the conduct of students, faculty and other staff as well as visitors.” By redundantly imposing overlapping rules, Cornell might deprive participants of important due process rights.
So, the free expression rights of students during Senior Days is only as broad as the thickness of the skin of event staff. This document itself brings “shame, embarrassment or ridicule” upon Cornell.
