The settlement, TCAT, and Cornell’s hypocrisy
Newsletter #23 analyzes the principles revealed by Cornell’s settlement with Trump’s regime - which are diametrically opposed to the principles they claim to value in their negotiations with the local TCAT bus service. Corporate Cornell’s latest moves betray their core values, their community, and their climate commitments while treating one thing as sacred above all else: their ballooning endowment.
Institutional Voice from the grave
Newsletter #22 reviews Cornell’s draft report on “Institutional Voice,” concluding that its primary intent is to kill voice. The policy contends that “discretion,” rather than speech, is often more strategic for the university. This underpins a series of warnings to deans, departments, and units to restrain their speech. Faculty, students, and staff must wrestle power out of the hands of authoritarian bureaucrats, whose protestations of “neutrality” hide a conflict of interest.
Foes in the Right Places
Our Newsletter #19 issue updates from a hot July, inspired by legal cases posing the question: Will Cornell side with climate activists or climate criminals? Unfortunately, they’re currently criminalizing the activists and lionizing the criminals. But it’s not too late for Cornell to side with Youth and the International Court of Justice to protect their students’ human rights to a livable planet.
Expressive Activity: Theory vs Practice
On Graduation Day, Cornell authorities quashed our climate protests and catapulted them into front-page news that catalyzed solidarity across the movement. Help us subvert their attempt to silence our message by amplifying it!
Newsletter #12: Good Tidings of Decarbonization
Two of Cornell’s governing bodies weighed in on Cornell’s State of Sustainability this month, and their conclusions could not have been more divergent. As the administration doubled down on their well-intentioned incrementalism, the Student Assembly had enough: they advanced a resolution to dramatically expand and accelerate Cornell’s Climate Action Plan. We bring good tidings: the students are right, and a new white paper on Cornell’s Heating Decarbonization pathways underscores the strength of their case.
Cornell on Fire Post 10/24: The times they are a-changin’
Word is spreading. This week, an action by Cornell on Fire and co-organizers Fossil Free Cornell, Sunrise Movement Ithaca, TIAA-Divest!, and the Cornell chapter of the Association of American University Professors (AAUP) made front page news in the Ithaca Voice. Their message to Cornell’s Council and Trustees: for earth’s sake, stand up or step aside.
Cornell on Fire Weekly 5/15
In the entire history of the world, the Redbud trees were never so beautiful as they were this year. They arrayed themselves in splendor, even around the parking lot that Cornell bulldozed through our community nineteen years ago, in what was once called Redbud Woods. We hope the current cohort of Cornell administrators parked there last week, and saw the Redbuds, and that their hearts were broken open.