The University is a place for academic enrichment and political organizing. It’s been this way since the 1960s — the age of the New Left, Port Huron Statement and the ideal of participatory democracy. Students find themselves, radicalize politically and engage in political discourse. From Vietnam to Iraq university students led movements against war. They have demanded divestment from South African apartheid and fossil fuels. Most recently, university encampments were the highlight in worldwide protests against the genocide in Gaza.
Arriving at Cornell for admitted students day, I had a dual goal in mind. Decide whether it would be the place where I would dedicate the next four years of my life — arguably the most formative years — both academically and politically. I talked to people about history classes, global studies and humanities scholarship. At the same time, I sought out opportunities for activism. I spoke to members of Cornell’s Youth Democratic Socialists of America chapter and searched for the University's Students for Justice in Palestine — who I later found out the Administration suspended for protesting against weapons manufacturers on campus. Ultimately, the diversity of humanities classes and strength of student organizing convinced me to call Cornell home. I bought my college sweater less than an hour after talking to YDSA, solidifying my choice in my parent’s bank account.
I found my political haven on the left in high school. Specifically, the genocide in Palestine radicalized me. As did evidence regarding how US capitalism has decimated the environment, human rights and democracy.
Before that, my main fascination was history. In my junior year of high school I self-published a 200-paged book on the French Revolution. I was so obsessed with the topic that my fingers were magnetically drawn to the keyboard. It was a hunger that could only be satiated through writing. I was ready to become a historian, eager to dedicate my life to writing books in the safety of some university. Yet, my political radicalization quickly threw this dream off balance. How can I contend with divorcing myself from the horrific issues of today? Senior year, that love for the past found meaning in the present.
In my American Studies class, I learned about 1960s student activism and university protests. I interviewed Bill Ayers, a leading member of the Weather Underground, a revolutionary youth organization in the sixties and seventies that fought against US racism and imperialism. I joined New York City Shut It Down for Palestine meetings and marched in countless protests. As one of the only high schoolers there, I often sat in on the university student group’s seminars. I listened to undergraduates planning actions, fundraisers, film screening, teach-ins and more in solidarity with Palestine. I eagerly awaited my turn. I kept writing, but this time with a purpose. I discovered that through opinion journalism, I could utilize my knowledge of history to analyze the present by criticizing oppressive institutions and pushing for action.
With my first step on campus, I launched into my double major: academics and activism. I refuse to be a passive consumer in my education, preparing me for a corporate career while alienating me from real world problems. Already, I am learning just as much on the streets as I am in the classroom.
Hopefully my column, North Star, will prompt you to question your education. What am I actually learning? What perspectives aren’t being taught? How is this removed from real life, global problems? What is my tuition funding? Where is it going? Is Administration listening to student voices? In the realm of activism an organization’s North Star is the goal that they are striving for. This could be anything from a demilitarized college campus to a socialist democracy in our lifetime. Every leftist needs a North Star to march toward, or else we are all just blindly stumbling about.
Mina Petrova '29 is a Freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences studying English, History, and Government. Her fortnightly column ‘North Star’ studies the past and critiques the present, focusing on politics, protests and activism that strive toward a more equitable future. She can be reached at mpetrova@cornellsun.com.
