Opinion

SALTZBURG | A Grain of Salt

By Ashlyn Saltzburg · Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Opinion Columnist Ashlyn Saltzburg '29 introduces her column, A Grain of Salt.

EDITORIAL | President Kotlikoff, It’s Time To Hit the Brakes

By The Editorial Board · Tuesday, May 5, 2026

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Students, Get Over Yourselves

By Guest Author · Tuesday, May 5, 2026

CLIFFORD | A Legal Overview of Birthright Citizenship

By Elise Clifford · Tuesday, May 5, 2026

BURZLAFF | A Final Is Never Final

By Jan Burzlaff · Monday, May 4, 2026

Opinion Columnist Prof. Jan Burzlaff comments on the stress of finals season, his own experience as an undergraduate and some important advice to students from the perspective of a professor who no longer assigns finals to his students.

YUCESIR | In Transit

By Defne Yucesir · Monday, May 4, 2026

Opinion Columnist Defne Yucesir introduces her column, In Transit.

VILLAFUERTE | La Vie en Frenzy

By Vie Villafuerte · Friday, May 1, 2026

Opinion Columnist and Ph.D. student Vie Villafuerte explores empathy, identity and environmental care through her lived experiences as a Peruvian environmental engineering Ph.D. student in the U.S. Blending personal reflection, cultural references and social critique, she asks readers to become more aware of injustice, bias and disconnection while still holding onto kindness, connection and love for both people and nature.

SCHWARZ | How to Resist When Universities Are Under Siege

By Daniel R. Schwarz · Friday, May 1, 2026

Professor Daniel R. Schwarz, English, offers his perspective on what a university should stand for and proposes 11 steps that Cornell students, faculty and administration should adopt to preserve the ideals and values of the University.

TOBIN | From Iran to Ithaca: Brooks Student Takes on the Ongoing War

By Lali Tobin · Thursday, April 30, 2026

Opinion Columnist Lali Tobin MPA '27 looks at the growing tensions between Iran and the United States by focusing on both policy issues and the personal stories of Iranian students at Cornell University. Through an analysis of public policy, she dives into the tricky balance between national sovereignty and human rights, while also examining how U.S. actions really affect people's lives. She argues that that to truly understand Iran, we need to go beyond just theories and consider the human impacts of global policy choices.

PETROVA | It's Fascism, Here's What

By Mina Petrova · Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Opinion Columnist Mina Petrova ’29 argues that we are currently living under a fascist government and suggests ways in which we can respond.

CROUSE | The Ethics of Engineering

By Trevor Crouse · Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Opinion Columnist Trevor Crouse ’28 argues that all engineers should abide by the Order of the Engineer's vow of ethics to ensure that safety, quality and ethicality are always every engineer's top priorities.

BELMONTE | Greek Life Is Coming Out of the Closet

By Adrian Belmonte · Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Opinion Columnist Adrian Belmonte '28 reflects on how his sexuality intersects with his role as a brother in a fraternity on campus, and discusses the broader increase in acceptance of homosexuality in Greek Life.

EDITORIAL | The Sun Endorses Policies, Not Candidates

By The Editorial Board · Monday, April 27, 2026

The Editorial Board sat down with several Student Assembly candidates for the positions of president and executive vice president. This year, The Board has decided to endorse policies, not individual candidates. Here are our takeaways and recommendations for the next Student Assembly.

GUEST ROOM | In Defense of Defense

By Guest Author · Friday, April 24, 2026

Bryan Kim ’27 argues in defense of defense contractors, citing their contributions to civilian technologies students use every day, funding of Cornell programs and the role they play in deterring wars from happening, among other reasons.

COMMITTEE ON THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | Seeking Feedback on Our Future

By Committee on the Future of the American University · Thursday, April 23, 2026

The Committee on the Future of the American University releases its initial frameworks and invites the Cornell community to provide much-valued feedback to better inform its final report.

GUEST ROOM | Cornell Taught Us Better Than That, Ms. Weingarten

By Guest Author · Thursday, April 23, 2026

Dana Stangel-Plowe ’92, Chief Program Officer at the North American Values Institute, rebukes Randi Weingarten ’80, criticizing the hypocrisy in her leadership of the AFT and arguing that open inquiry at Cornell must be preserved by rejecting the oversimplified "oppressed/oppressor" binary that Ms. Weingarten's ideology espouses.

A Critique of The Editorial Board's Student Assembly Endorsements

By Leah Badawi and Paul Caruso · Thursday, April 23, 2026

Opinion columnists Leah Badawi '27, and Paul Caruso, MPA, defend their criticism of The Sun Editorial Board's annual endorsement of Student Assembly candidates.

AGRAWAL | Dedicated to My Readers

By Professor Anurag Agrawal · Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Opinion Columnist and Environmental Studies Professor Anurag Agrawal writes this column to reflect on his writing process and the ways we see the world. He discusses insecurity, fulfillment and success, and explores how we can learn from the natural world when interacting with each other.

MOON | Reports Won't Stop Rape

By Melissa Moon · Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Melissa Moon '28 argues that Cornell’s response to sexual assault has been ineffective and overly bureaucratic, failing to match the seriousness and persistence of the problem on campus. She claims that real change will require stronger action, accountability and systemic reform, not just recommendations or symbolic educational measures.

VINK | In Defense of Shared Governance

By Adriana Vink · Monday, April 20, 2026

Opinion Columnist Adriana Vink '27 criticizes the Student Assembly's failure to address the real concerns of the student body and explains the platform she is running on for Student Workers' Representative.