At 1:35 a.m. on Easter Monday, his holiness Pope Francis passed away after briefly recovering from pneumonia. Despite doctor orders to rest and step away from work, he refused, conducting the papacy from his wheelchair and bed.
The passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday rattled the world. Though tragic, many believe that the timing of his death was at least symbolic, if not a direct act of God. Regardless, many Catholics like myself felt a vacuum left by his large presence due to his 13-year tenure. Despite the small size of the Vatican, its role in global affairs has been that of a convener and reliable neutral. While anyone could agree that his papal administration was not perfect, he championed the environment, the downtrodden, the marginalized, global peace and most importantly, us.
This reminded me of the merits of a unifying moral figure. Given the uncertainty surrounding Cornell’s future and the present division on campus: Who is Cornell’s unifying figure? Who will champion us?
A reasonable first guess is President Michael Kotlikoff. After all, he does have the most power out of anyone to affect campus unity and, given the fact he is fairly new, has the greatest opportunity as he will ever to affect students’ view of him as a unifier. If he was such, I suggest we might see more favorable inaugural reviews, which have not materialized. While many surely see him as qualified, there are just as many who say he “engineered … repressive rules” and is Cornell’s own “uncharismatic Trump.” Regardless of the validity of those statements, the way Kotlikoff is viewed is the point.
I argue that Cornell University needs an internal, unifying figure — an individual who lives the university’s core values, represents them publicly and maintains positive relationships with the faculty, staff and student body.
Certainly there are those at Cornell who truly live the values, but do they unify the campus? I believe not. I hear no names from my fellow students, and I see no compelling presence of any given faculty or staff member. Fortunately, Cornell benefits from a legendary, and somewhat unifying history as being a center for excellence for everyone — summed up by the “any person, any study” motto. But this phrase, albeit compelling, lacks a face and a soul. However, applying one in this case may just make us more prepared.
According to interviews with education leaders (and not necessarily university presidents), rooting crisis-management actions in values and ethical principles both strengthens crisis readiness and increases policy effectiveness. Some basic values include transparency, dialogue, safety, justice and an ethic of care, but Cornell’s core values go beyond that and represent an original set of ideals we strive for.
This was most apparent with the rescinding of Kehlani’s offer to headline the Slope Day festivities. Among the brief chaos leading up to the decision, not once did the dialogue address concern for Cornell’s core values. This was a missed opportunity for anyone, President Kotlikoff included, to root the decision in the values of making everyone feel safe and encouraging public dialogue. Too often we get caught up in the little details of it all that we forget the things that should ground us and our decisions.
Among the lessons from Pope Francis is that we, regardless of faith or belief, should build together a community for “everyone, everyone, everyone.” Should Cornell be so different? It is not a religious idea that we should, with a renewed level of seriousness in uncertain times, reaffirm our belief in this university as a place where everyone can excel. Further, it may even make us safer in the future if we can find someone who truly embodies the idea that Cornell is a place for ‘everyone, everyone, everyone,’ and that we just have to find a way to keep it so.
While the ship may have sailed on President Kotlikoff being a unifier, it’s never too late for anyone else to step up. The task would require establishing personal relationships, showing up often at student activities, and above all rooting our actions as a university in our community values.
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Paul Caruso is a first year MPA student in the Brooks School of Public Policy and the Founder of the Cornell Negotiation Student Society. His column, Caruso's Compass, focuses on politics, international affairs, and campus life. The column seeks to identify issues with the status quo and provide solutions to them. He can be reached at pcaruso@cornellsun.com.
