CLIFFORD | The Middle Man in the Middle East

TOBIN | The Hidden Costs of Prestige

Opinion Columnist Lali Tobin MPA '27 takes a fun look at how the productive environment at Cornell comes with hidden prices students pay emotionally and mentally. Tobin uses campus data and surveys to show how living up to excellence becomes an obligation, shaping who people are and how they feel. In the end, she asks the reader to think about if true prestige can really go hand-in-hand with a healthier and more genuine college experience.

COMMITTEE ON THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | A Matter of Expectations: Universities and Their Evolving Relationship With Government and the Public

The Committee on the Future of the American University looks at the long-standing but largely unspoken agreement that has shaped the relationship between Cornell and the federal government. Under this arrangement, federal funding supports universities in advancing research, expanding access to education, promoting social mobility and engaging with the public, while universities retain academic independence and public trust. Long taken for granted, this understanding is now under strain as skepticism grows around issues of cost, value and institutional accountability. In this article, the FAU calls for a clear articulation of mutual expectations and collaboration to protect academic freedom, rebuild public trust and reaffirm Cornell's land-grant mission of serving society through knowledge, education and public engagement.

HAN | Campus Dialectic

Associate Editor Eric Han '26 introduces Campus Dialectic, his new column which will review recent Sun op-eds to speculate on cultural and political issues.

BUTLER | Fall Funding Frenzy

In this edition of Beyond Ivory Towers, Natalia Butler M.S./Ph.D. reflects on the grant writing experience in a tumultuous period for academia.

WALTER | From the Trespasser’s Perspective: Welcoming Right to Roam in Ithaca

Opinion Columnist Kira Walter '26 advocates for the right to roam in Ithaca after an encounter with the police.

STUDENTS FOR A DEMOCRATIC CORNELL | What Admin Doesn’t Want You To Know About the Referendum

VINK | Take Back the Code of Conduct

Senior Opinion Columnist Adriana Vink ‘27 discusses her experience being penalized under the Student Code of Conduct for protest, outlines critical proposals to democratize the Code procedures and urges students to vote yes on the upcoming referendum.

PETROVA | Ethical Consciousness in a Consumers’ Republic: We Can Make Injustice Unprofitable

Opinion Columnist Mina Petrova '29 advocates for individual participation in the Boycott, Sanctions, Divestment movement for Palestine. She offers three crucial steps to encourage ethical consumption.

CARUSO, TOBIN & BADAWI | One to Rule Them All

Reflecting on this years’ Student Assembly elections, columnists Paul Caruso, Lali Tobin, and Leah Badawi take on the Editorial Board for its role in the election process. The columnists shine a light on The Sun’s monopoly power. 

COMMITTEE ON THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | We Must Expand the Timeline of AI in Higher Education

On behalf of the Committee on the Future of the American University, Professor Phoebe Sengers situates generative AI within decades of technological transformation and calls for Cornell to strengthen resilience and rethink Cornell’s role in proactively shaping emerging technologies.

GUEST ROOM | The Value of Interfaith Engagement

Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making and Cornell United Religious Work Joel Harter writes about the importance of interfaith engagement and connecting across difference at Cornell.

GALPERIN | Ideas, not Ideologies

Opinion Columnist Ezra Galperin ’27 argues that political identities have become substitutes for actual thought. Drawing on local politics, national elections and his experiences at Cornell, he argues that confirmation bias leads people to defend their side and dismiss any information that challenges it. In a university dedicated to testing hypotheses, he calls for treating our beliefs the same way: not as identities to protect, but as ideas that must withstand scrutiny.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Cornell Students and Alumni Have Career Tools Worth Using

Cornell's Career Services' Executive Director Erica Kryst, PhD responds to the recent Sun article “Unemployment Is a 'Full-Time Job’: Recent Grads Struggle to Navigate A Difficult Job Market,” emphasizing resources that Cornell provides to both alumni and students as they navigate the job market.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR | Until The Sun Rises Again

Editor-in-Chief Julia Senzon '26 describes her gratitude for the readers, advertisers, donors, alumni and reporters of The Sun as Fall 2025 publishing comes to a close.

GROSS | The Right to Privacy, and Why We Need to Exercise it More

Senior Opinion Columnist Sophie Gross ‘27 writes about the different realms of personal, digital and institutional privacy and how unknowingly exposed most of us leave ourselves to violations of our privacy. 

AGRAWAL | Tar, Traffic and the Butterfly's Silent Scream

Opinion Columnist Professor Agrawal argues that America’s dependence on roads and cars inflicts silent ecological harm and that investment in rail, via the “All Aboard Act” currently being considered by congress should be adopted. Let’s limit our hyper-mobility and replace this destructive “freedom” with a more sustainable future for all.