Each fall, we students partake in a cathartic transition from summer love back to the rigor and routine of school. Freshmen throw frisbees in front of Appel, juniors and seniors (and some older looking sophomores) partake in the drunken debauchery of the Collegetown bars, and professors do their best to remind us that we’re supposed to be mature young adults focused on earning undergraduate degrees. And like clockwork, students turn to the many controversial and questionable study practices, including (but not limited to) SparkNotes, CourseHero and, of course, the powerhouse Wikipedia.

To the Editor:

Re: “Wikipedia and Obstruction of the Facts,” Opinion, Feb. 23

This week’s column “Wikipedia and Obstruction of the Facts” mischaracterizes the Cornell Democrats. While we represent the national Democratic party, we also have our own views and ideals independent of the national Democratic party as a result of our status as young Democrats from diverse backgrounds. It is not correct to presume as the author does that our mission is to parrot the views of the national Democratic party.

According to Wikipedia:

- Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) collapsed and died on Inauguration Day.

- Former Assistant Attorney General John Seigenthaler masterminded the assassinations of both John and Bobby Kennedy.

- Sarah Palin is “a politician of eye-popping integrity.”

One usually doesn’t need a reminder that Wikipedia, as great as it is, contains false, biased and misleading information. That is why many students were shocked when Prof. Nic van de Walle read information directly from a Wikipedia article on the Arab-Israeli conflict when moderating last Wednesday’s “Gaza in Crisis” panel because he lacked fundamental knowledge of the situation.

This week we’ve found ourselves in some seriously sticky situations — and, no, we’re not just talking about all the peanut butter that has gone bad. We’re talking about water and Wikipedia both making headlines as students across the spectrum were outspoken about a number of issues, from sustainability to Gaza, making claims both HEROICALLY awesome and VILLAINOUSLY shoddy in substance.