A TCAT bus driving by Cornell's campus (credit: flyithaca.com).
The Cornell Review sent out a request for comment to every candidate for the Student Elected Trustee Election. The following details the candidates’ thoughts on infrastructure, political representation and other key issues affecting Cornell’s community. The candidates’ remarks are preserved as originally transcribed, albeit with occasional edits for clarity and grammar.
Ailen Salazar
Ailen did not respond
Alex Chalgren
What are some physical infrastructure investments you would like to see on Cornell’s campus?
I would like to see two different types of infrastructure investments: the first is investing in gender-inclusive fraternal housing and the second is building truly sustainable LEED certified residential housing.
Cornell is an extremely liberal institution. How will you ensure that the voices of conservative students are heard?
I am open about wanting the University to seek out and enroll conservative students. There are institutions across America that worry they are scaring away otherwise good students because they are conservative. Cornell is in Ithaca, N.Y., an artsy liberal enclave in what is otherwise a conservative part of the state. And while Ithaca is a draw for liberal students, it doesn’t beckon conservatives.
Some academic institutions say that the 2016 elections inspired their efforts, with many fearful that their institutions are disconnected from conservatives who make up a large number in much of the country. Another reason to consider the issue: some private college counselors are reporting that parents are vetoing their children’s college choices based on perceptions that institutions are too liberal. In fact, as a southerner I run into this problem with many of my friends who are scared away from Ivy League institutions.
Cornell should not appeal to just a sliver of the population. The image people have of the University as being home to only liberals hurts recruitment efforts, whether true or not. There is no need for us to apologize for being a place known as welcoming to LGBT students or concerned about human rights or sustainability. But we should broaden our appeal to those with all kinds of worldviews. Students with conservative perspectives should be viewed as an asset in interactions inside and outside the classroom.
How would this be implemented? First, there is public discussion of the issue. Faculty members should organize discussions of how they can promote the inclusion of a diversity of views in classes where all of those who generally talk are advocating progressive positions. These types of activities might make prospective students feel more welcome when they visit. And then there are specific admissions strategies. The University should up recruitment efforts in rural counties across America, high schools that might not have been a focus before and that — on average — tend to have students from conservative families.
How would you describe your ideological views, and how will it affect your performance as student-elected trustee?
I am an independent. I have voted for both Republicans and Democrats and will continue to do so. My political stance will have little impact upon my position as Student Trustee, because I will support what is best for the University and not my political position.
What is the single largest issue on Cornell’s campus that you would fix?
The single largest issue on Cornell’s campus concerns the future of Greek life. As a black gay man, joining a fraternity can be quite a daunting endeavour, but when I found my home, I knew that I was welcomed in my entirety. The Greek system should have a place for every type of person despite race, religion, creed, sexual preference, or gender identity etc. This belief is what has driven me to push for drastic reforms in the Cornell fraternal system. I am not referring to more administrative policies that seem to do better at helping weaken the system than strengthen it. I am speaking to implementing liberating policies that will enlarge the community, because it will be more of an open and diverse space for all.
After speaking with Dartmouth College’s Director of Greek life, Brian Joyce, it is my belief that the best way to reform the system is: 1) by offering national organizations the option of disaffiliating and going local and 2) continuing the University’s commitment to diversifying Greek life by also permitting gender-inclusive fraternities and sororities.
As Student-Elected Trustee, I will push for the Handbook to be amended to allow national organizations to become local and disaffiliate. Under this policy, organizations can choose, with their alumni, to become local. Fifty percent of all chapters at Dartmouth have gone local since they amended their bylaws. Since this policy change, the fraternal system has avoided the national anti-fraternal system fever and actually expanded. Greek Life has expanded because the system, that many consider to be antiquated and exclusive, became more inclusive through active and proven policy reform.
It is important to emphasize that these reforms will encourage more student autonomy and independent leadership, which are both integral to successful learning. Greek organizations will be able to experience a greater sense of autonomy, while also enjoying the support of Cornell University that is currently not available to them under their national chapters. Every chapter of the fraternal system should be given equal opportunity at the University. I am a proud proponent of a more diverse, open, and stronger Greek system.
My ideas are a means to help resolve problems the system faces, giving a safer and more open space to students, while also guaranteeing that one-third of the student body that is Greek maintains a contributory position on campus. I envision a Cornell where all of its students can find a place they call home in the Greek system, if they desire it!
What is your opinion on the decision to keep Cornell’s campus open despite the recent arctic freeze?
I do not believe it was in the best interest of the University to keep classes on normal schedule. Despite the free bus ride offer, students’ safety and well-being were not thoroughly considered. As I walked up the slope to class, I could not help but think of students with disabilities and how inconvenient that was for them. In similar temperatures, a University of Iowa student froze to death. We are fortunate no students were reported dangerously harmed by the arctic freeze.
JT Baker
JT did not respond
Jaewon Sim
Jaewon did not respond
Laurence Minter
What are some physical infrastructure investments you would like to see on Cornell’s campus?
Expanding the Cornell Center for Intercultural Dialogue and adding spaces for international students and other minority groups to organize is imperative. Also, there needs to be Increased support for individuals with physical disabilities to facilitate navigating campus. Prioritizing people with a physical disability through reforming the housing policy such that said individuals can be placed in more modern dorms will be crucial.
Cornell is an extremely liberal institution. How will you ensure that the voices of conservative students are heard?
Cornell is founded on the principles of any person, any study. Therefore, it’s not my duty to discriminate against other students based off their views. However, it is extremely important that people are seen as people before their political views are used to label and characterize them. My platform is centered around granting all people access to the board of trustees to be able to communicate their ideals. I will do that indiscriminately and include all students’ perspectives.
How would you describe your ideological views, and how will it affect your performance as student-elected trustee?
My ideological views come from my upbringing in a family of elementary school teachers and principals who embodied hard work and passion in improving the education system. As a result of my upbringing, I have come to realize how deeply intertwined this position is with my interest in education both currently and professionally. Alongside this, another way that my ideologies and upbringing distinguishes me is my genuine desire to connect with people on a personal level; a trait that I think a student trustee needs to have.
What is the single largest issue on Cornell’s campus that you would fix?
Lack of awareness and transparency is the biggest issue on campus. We need to work to increase transparency and knowledge of campus resources between students and the Board of Trustees. The issue is that students aren’t aware of what resources (social, mental, financial, academic, professional) we have access to. Due to this lack of awareness, we are not reaping the full benefits of being a Cornell student.
Therefore, we cannot effectively frame the decisions made by the board. The data from the presidential task force on campus response shows that more than half of all respondents believe it is important for them to hear from the president, vice president for student and campus life, and their school or college dean. This input suggests the need for coordinated messaging from university and school or college administrators.
I can be the one to hold these people accountable. I will use my platform to ensure that these issues are publicly addressed. This accountability to move toward increased transparency is something central to my mission as a potential student trustee. More specifically, this looks like implementing monthly emails to establish consistent communication with the entire student body and instituting a Student Trustee address, evaluating the state of the student life is an immensely important action.
What is your opinion on the decision to keep Cornell’s campus open despite the recent arctic freeze?
Cornell’s decision to keep campus open despite the dangerous arctic freeze, that showed its potential to be fatal, exemplifies how this institution continues to not act in the best interest of its students. Which, frankly, is unacceptable. This decision hit home for me because my family in Chicago was affected by similar conditions. To know that I was mandated to attend class and be subjected to weather that others suffered was disheartening. I understand that it may not be easy for Cornell to cease classes in such a short time span, but it has happened before and this was a time where it needed to happen.
Liel Stirling
Liel did not respond
Liz Cantlebary
What are some physical infrastructure investments you would like to see on Cornell’s campus?
Cornell needs to invest in better lighting infrastructure, including blue lights, on the Arts Quad and on North Campus. The lack of lighting does not only pose a safety concern when there is bad weather and icy sidewalks, but also prevents many students from feeling safe walking alone at night.
On top of this, transportation networks on campus and for students to access the greater community need to be improved, especially for students who don’t have the option to pay for Uber or Lyft. Services such as the Big Red Shuttle can improve both safety and ease of getting around campus at night. Expanding this program’s frequency could make it much more effective. Furthermore, the CU Lift program needs to be improved so all students with injuries can get to and from class. Regardless of severity or type, students who are hurt or differently-abled should not have to choose between their recovery and their education.
Cornell is an extremely liberal institution. How will you ensure that the voices of conservative students are heard?
As Student Elected Trustee, I will be hosting monthly coffee chats open to all of campus and meetings with on-campus leaders three times a semester. I believe that intentionally inviting leaders of conservative student organizations and publications to the meetings will present them with an opportunity to share their voices. Along the same line, advertising the coffee chats on listservs for these organizations will present conservative students with an informal setting to voice opinions and concerns. I also plan on being available to students on campus and through social media.
How would you describe your ideological views, and how will it affect your performance as student-elected trustee?
Simply put, I am liberal. As student-elected trustee, this will encourage me to promote progression of campus culture. With that being said, I also served as peer-led sex educator for Planned Parenthood in Utah, one of the most conservative states in the Union. In that role, I learned the power of political discourse, listening to other viewpoints and including everyone in the conversation to make change. Yes, I do want to promote inclusive spaces, sustainability, and equity on campus. Will I leave opinions and beliefs I don’t share out of the conversation to get there? Absolutely not.
What is the single largest issue on Cornell’s campus that you would fix?
I would break the wall that is put up between administrators and students. I understand that the administration must make difficult decisions that students don’t always agree with, but I believe students deserve to know why they are making those decisions. I understand that administrators and staff members are incredibly busy, but I believe they ought to support student endeavors and make time to listen to the people they lead. I understand that there are complexities to running a University that we might not know about, but I believe we should at least get a chance to learn about those unknowns.
What is your opinion on the decision to keep Cornell’s campus open despite the recent arctic freeze?
When a petition gets 11,000 signatures from students encouraging the University to close, Cornell could have at least issued a public statement explaining why. Students who cannot afford Uber rides, personal cars, and coats made for the arctic, or any coat for that matter, were forced to choose between their physical safety and attending class. That is unacceptable. Even for students who were able to squeeze onto the overflowing TCAT buses, grab a lift, or brave the cold in state-of-the-art snow gear, any exposed area was in danger of getting frostbite. Perhaps there were reasons Cornell decided to ignore the warning to stay indoors and put their students at risk. If so, an acknowledgement of student voices was in order.
Lotoya Francis
Lotoya did not respond
Natalia Hernandez
Natalia did not respond
Tarangana Thapa
What are some physical infrastructure investments you would like to see on Cornell’s campus?
Cornell University should be held accountable to increasing physical accessibility, ensuring campus safety and making decisions for long term economic sustainability from investments.
The geography of Ithaca makes the area difficult to navigate for people with disabilities. While the landscape itself may be difficult to change with physical infrastructure, there are small changes that can be made to ensure that the existing infrastructure is accessible for people with disabilities on this campus. These goals can be met by making sure that sidewalks have curb cuts, ensuring that buildings have working elevators and building permanent or temporary curbs for building entrances. To ensure that students are safe on campus, there needs to be more investment on lights and increasing the blue light system in areas like dimly lit quads, slope paths, and sidewalks that students often have to walk late at night. To reach the University’s goal of sustainability and to invest in long term economic return, there should be an increase in investment of solar panels across campus buildings.
Cornell is an extremely liberal institution. How will you ensure that the voices of conservative students are heard?
I believe that open and honest dialogue between students is the only real way to ensure that all voices are being heard on campus. As an academic institution, the University must encourage students to explore the diversity of thoughts that exist within the student body and present it as a means of learning from each other.
If elected, I will facilitate collaboration between student organizations that have the same goals as well as organizations that may differ on fundamental values so that there is civil, productive and thought provoking conversations between students on issues that are relevant to the campus. I will make sure to reach out separately to organizations and student groups to understand different perspectives and find the best methods of presenting them to the board. If elected, I commit to being open and available to learn from all students on campus.
How would you describe your ideological views, and how will it affect your performance as student-elected trustee?
My ideological views stem from my identity and experiences as a first generation college student, immigrant and woman of color. I have worked on issues of equity and accessibility, issues on amplifying student voice, and ensuring that no person feels silenced on this campus. And though I have worked on those issues through the lens of my salient identities, those are skills transferable to representing all student voices on this campus. The position of the Student Elected Trustee is one that transcends political lines; the trustee must represent the holistic voice of the student body, and I am looking forward to presenting a diversity of thought to the board.
What is the single largest issue on Cornell’s campus that you would fix?
I think that the biggest issue on Cornell, especially pertaining to the administrative- student relationship is the gap between administrative decision making power and the inclusion of student voice in the discussion and decision making process. If elected, I want to bridge the gap by creating opportunities for students to have direct communication with board through open forums, presentations and teach-ins on issues that students are passionate about in order to bringing change. These changes will evoke dialogue and create feedback methods to assess and understand student opinions on issues that the board is discussing.
What is your opinion on the decision to keep Cornell’s campus open despite the recent arctic freeze?
The two issues that the administration had to balance in making the decision to keep campus open during the arctic freeze was student safety and the complications of shutting down the University operations for the day. While it is true that there are complications and costs that come with the decision to shut down the University, there must be a balance between prioritizing University operations and ensuring the safety of students. It’s important to recognize that there are students on campus who do not have the resources to buy proper winter gear, especially gear suitable for an arctic freeze, and walking in the cold is a burden that students disproportionately bear in comparison to staff and faculty who have to travel less during the day and have more readily available access to transportation. If maintaining university operations was a necessary priority for the administration, then there should have been measures taken to encourage professors to be more lenient with attendance policies and use programs like Zoom and online learning to give students the choice to stay caught up with class material without jeopardizing their safety.
