Editorial
Welcome Back
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From The Editor
June 5, 2008 - 11:00pmOn behalf of The Sun’s 126th Editorial Board, I’d like to welcome all Cornell alumni back to campus for the weekend. It’s been years since some of you were last on the Hill, and we hope this issue gives you a hint of what’s been happening at your alma mater. And for all those returning Sunnies, welcome, as well: We hope that a fresh issue of The Sun reminds you of all the good times and long nights spent in downtown Ithaca, losing sleep and laying the foundation for what we have today.
This past year was an historic one for the University. The Weill-Cornell Medical College in Qatar graduated its first class of students in May, an important milestone for Cornell in its continued effort to engage a worldwide academic community. Founded in 2001, WCMC-Qatar has contributed to the development of a growing and international academic partnership, and continues to function as a cornerstone of the University’s international academic outreach.
Cornell may have been graduating its first med school class in Doha, but for the better part of the spring, the conversation stateside was all about financial aid. Prompted in part by a financial aid revolution within the Ivy League, Cornell made some changes to its own financial aid program, guaranteeing loan-free tuition to families with an annual income below $75,000. The revamped financial aid offering was dwarfed by new programs at schools like Harvard and Yale, but still improved a system that desperately needed a change.
Cornell may still struggle to keep up with the Harvards when it comes to finance and endowment, but the University is no fundraising slouch. This year, C.U. announced it had reached the halfway mark in its $4 billion Capital Campaign, a fundraising effort begun in October 2006 and slated to run for five years. The Campaign is the largest in Cornell’s history and continues ahead of schedule.
Along with the rising cost of tuition and a growing University endowment, on-campus health was a major topic of conversation this year on the Hill. Last March, two students were diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, a potentially fatal disease most common in young people on college campuses. The meningitis scare brought on-campus health issues into the spotlight and underscored the importance of a healthy lifestyle for young people living in a college environment.
On-campus health was highlighted again later last spring, when a sharp increase in reported cases of syphilis infection in Tompkins County turned the campus conversation to the issue of sexually-transmitted disease. And earlier in the semester, on-campus safety became a topic of heated debate after the tragic shootings at Northern Illinois University. The shootings inspired a proposed resolution in the Student Assembly that promoted the concealed carry of handguns on campus. The resolution was voted down by the S.A., but not before it had provoked considerable controversy over the issue of on-campus safety.
It’s been quite a year for us here on the Hill, and we hope you have time to catch up with the rest of the University news over the weekend. We’re proud to publish for the Cornell community during the school year, and we’re happy to provide you with a glimpse of contemporary University life as you reunite with old friends and a familiar campus. Enjoy your time back on the Hill, and keep checking cornellsun.com for ongoing coverage of the Cornell community. Thanks for reading.
—NLG