BADAWI | Cornellians, the Time to Act Is Now!

If the true spirit of a university lies in its ability to set a good example for its students, Cornell has failed us. As an academic institution with not only a responsibility, but a moral imperative to protect all of us, Cornell has promoted Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruitment and denied any measures to sincerely keep its students from harm. In the wake of recent ICE arrests in Ithaca, this has become an even greater threat to the well-being of our campus and fellow students. We must mobilize and hold our University accountable after three years of complicity.My fellow students, I compel you: Do not forget the injustice. Do not forget how the University tried to sell us the lie of compromise after kicking Kehlani from Slope Day for opposing genocide, how this administration hosted a panel of famed war criminals and had the nerve to call this event "Pathways to Peace," an event that reportedly did not result in as many arrests as President Kotlikoff was "hoping for."Do not forget how the land acknowledgement read at every major meeting is treated like an unskippable cut-scene rather than a genuine call to action for justice for the Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ, who continue to lose land claims cases and don't have any land of their own in their homeland; do not forget how this University weaponizes growing autocracy on all levels, to the point where it forced student activist Momodou Taal to self-deport last year following his activism efforts; how our divestment referendum which passed by a margin of more than two-thirds of the student body in 2024 was blatantly ignored by Cornell 'leadership;' how Cornell hasn't once paid its share to the city as an organization that pays taxes for only about $8 million dollars worth of property when its property exempted from taxes totals more than $2.7 billion.Is this the lesson Cornell University wishes to impart upon us? That money goes above all student interests? That, as a Palestinian student, the existence of my home country has not once been acknowledged by an institution that no less proclaims its own "open, collaborative, and innovative culture" and holds the mission "to do the greatest good," yet in a way that is completely conditional to a student's background and political beliefs?Where is this "greatest good"? In some terrible twist of irony, the same Cornell that memorialized the takeover of Willard Straight Hall in 1969, describing it as an event that "gave birth to enormous social, governance and ideological change," demonizes student resistance when it threatens political comfort. The worst thing is that it is certain that in a number of years, the University will memorialize the encampment, the protests, the referendum - all of the efforts we made for justice. I suppose justice is only desirable when the University has something to gain.Telling the University to take action is not enough. Cornell has shown time and time again that it will not go out of its way to bring about change, and, to be honest, why would it? It is not like the senior administration is going to get deported by ICE anytime soon, nor do they seem to come from any background that would inform them of the true struggles we face. If anything, the University is a microcosm of our own rapidly decaying democracy. With its restrictions on our freedom and its ever-growing authoritarian presence, Cornell has so far followed the path paved by the Trump administration.The revolution will not be televised. Angela Davis wrote that resistance and rejection on every front are integral elements of the voyage towards freedom. We are all under attack, and we all must protect each other and hold Cornell's feet to the fire. If the administration continues its ways, the responsibility lies with us to hold this University to its original values and prevent it from decaying any further. More than that, this is the community we share, and we must ensure that it is safe for every student, regardless of what Kotlikoff does or doesn't do. Justice can never be negotiated. We will have liberty, or we will have nothing.The saving grace of this campus is in its students. We are not only the future donors, we are the future of this country, and it is integral we use our privilege for good. Our need to mobilize is now more pressing than it ever has been.What we need is a well-organized, sustained and clearly defined movement. In the words of Senior Opinion Columnist Hannia Arevalo '27, "resistance comes in trickles, not floods." Our most important weapon is numbers.Through peaceful acts of resistance such as sit-ins, walkouts, boycotts and strikes, we can take hold of the University and wipe away the clouds that haunt Cornell's legacy. There are a large number of campus organizations to get involved with, including the Students for Justice in Palestine, the People's Organizing Collective, Cornell Young Democratic Socialists of America and many others. Similar organizations also exist throughout Ithaca, many of which have already sponsored acts of resistance.Besides physically showing up, talking about these issues with friends and in class is vital to mobilizing those who are hesitant to act and those who lack the understanding of campus and Ithaca politics. Simply reminding people of injustices occurring is an incredibly underestimated way of resisting the apathetic status quo.The word 'university' stems from the late latin 'universus' meaning 'all,' 'together,' 'whole.' The true spirit of a university is supposed to be a community, where love and safety are prioritized over administrative logistics and authoritarian policy. And when our community is threatened, we must fight for it! We must strive for a community where everyone feels safe, included and receives equal treatment by this administration.My fellow students, if you stand for nothing, what will you fall for? I repeat, do not forget the injustice! Act now, or forever hold your 'peace.'The Sun is interested in publishing a broad and diverse set of content from the Cornell and greater Ithaca community. We want to hear what you have to say about this topic or any of our pieces. Here are someguidelineson how to submit. And here's our email: opinion-editor@cornellsun.com.