I am reaching the end of my two year term as your student-elected trustee and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have supported me. Together, we have accomplished a lot. Your response to the "nickel and diming" issue placed it squarely in front of the administration and they are actively working to rectify the situation. We successfully navigated President Lehman's untimely resignation. We found in incoming President Skorton a leader with vision and a passion to carry forward the legacy at Cornell. And we brought to the Board's attention a host of issues they had never before considered. 2,102,400 minutes later we should be pleased with ourselves, for we are leaving behind a better Cornell than the one we encountered as freshmen.

But there is still much to be done; there are still problems that need to be resolved. The following, in no particular order, are some of the most pressing issues Cornell students continue to confront. These problems are solvable. I hope that this column will prompt discussion, and God willing, action.

Student Governance - Let's be serious: no one respects the S.A. or the U.A. (that's University Assembly for those of your scratching your head). These assemblies have devolved into nothing more than "intramural politics," populated by students who want to be politicians when they grow up. This is one of those "chicken or the egg" type problems. Is the S.A. worthless because students know the admin doesn't really take it seriously? Or it is worthless because the admin knows the students don't really take it seriously? In either case, something has got to give. So here's my proposal: dissolve the current S.A. I'm completely serious. Next year is not a by-line funding year, so really nothing was going to get done anyway. Instead of playing politics for another year, let's have our representatives work together with the administration and students to refashion a new legislative body, one that would be taken serious by all parties. This would be a great way to reinvigorate student interest in student government, would show administrators that we are serious about being heard, and might even be educational in the process (a la the Constitutional Convention).

Club Sports - Did you know that Club athletes sometimes have to practice at midnight? Or that Cornell does not provide these students with medical coverage (by that I mean there are no doctors nearby during their games)? Club sports is the two ton elephant standing in the corner of the room. If Cornell is going to continue to allow these athletes to exist, then appropriate actions must be take to fund, field, and provide emergency medical support for these teams. Otherwise, one day we all might open up The Sun to find that over the weekend one of our friends died while playing a sport simply because he or she did not have access to a sports medicine technician. We can start to solve this problem by ensuring that these teams have proper financial support. I advocate the creation of a Club Sports Funding Commission modeled off of the SAFC. Dollars will come from the S.A. (or hopefully some new legislative body), the administration, and willing alumni. The development office could aid this effort by allowing concerned alumni to contribute funds to a "Cornell Club Sports Endowment" which would earn interest every year. Cornell is embarking on a huge capital campaign. Let's make some noise on behalf of such an endowment!

Hockey Tickets - Did you miss out on getting tickets this year? I did, and I was mad as hell. Cornell needs to stop sitting on the fence and choose a fair method for distribution. Either have a lottery whereby students win a chance to purchase tickets, thus making the whole process arbitrary and random (I do not support this scheme), or let us line up hours and days beforehand. This would ensure that the most die-hard fans might get tickets. Who cares if they miss a couple of classes? Twenty years down the line these are the same people who will give money back to a Cornell Hockey Team they fondly remember. One alternative to this proposal is to take attendance at all Cornell sporting events; points will be awarded for each one attended, and at the end of the year those Cornellians who have shown the most dedication to Cornell athletics would be granted the right to be the first to choose their seats for our most revered sport.

I want to repeat: these problems are not unsolvable! With a little bit of work and selflessness, they could be remedied in a year's time! Other issues that need to be dealt with include: the continued existence of Long Island (kidding …), the lack of ideological diversity in the humanities and the social sciences (totally serious …), and the lunacy of the radical, hippie, anti-patriot, pro-terrorist liberal student groups who support giving Iran the bomb (half and half … nothing here a Falcon Punch to the face won't solve). The list goes on, but hopefully this will prove to be a great starting point for leaders looking for a cause.

A lot of people have been there for me over the years and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them. First and foremost, my two best friends Tim Lim '06 and Melissa Kiedrowicz '06. I'd take a bullet for both of you. It's been a fun odyssey, and we even managed to do some good along the way; Danielle Hanley '06 (D$) I still owe you, plain and simple; John, Ryan, and Carly; the always salacious Heather G.; my partner in crime Doug M.; my three favorite conservatives: Jamie W., Paul I., and Sarah "still tryin' to convert me" B.; R.L.; my girl MC; Noyes; the original butthead; my mom and my dad; God; Venus; my generous sponsors at waytoococky.com; Matt Groening; E. Dantes; Jay Cutler; the pledges; crazy eyes; G; and of course Tyler Durden.

I am Josh's smirking revenge. 414.

Josh Katcher is a student-elected trustee. He can be contacted at jdk38@cornell.edu. Trustee Viewpoint appeared alternate Tuesdays.

Archived article by Josh Katcher