Last week I went to a Rose cafe where we talked about development in Ithaca. I found it really interesting that Cornell doesn’t pay property taxes. I guess that makes sense since Cornell is an educational institution and it benefits all of NYS. I do think that because we don’t pay property taxes, Cornell could stand to lower housing prices a little bit. This year I was lucky enough to get a single in Rose Main, but last year I lived in Founders. It was terrible: we had to keep the windows open all year long because there was no way to turn down the heat, the bathrooms were just awful, and there were bugs everywhere. One of my professors actually lived in Founders when he was an undergrad and he told me that we have the same problems that they did 50 years ago! I understand that Cornell can’t renovate every dorm because that would get really expensive, but I don’t think that those who live in the gothic should have to pay the same price as someone living in Rose Main! This year I am lucky enough to live in a dorm that has AC (in the hallways), no bugs, nicer bathrooms, a dining hall, tv lounge, piano room, elevator, etc. Obviously the main houses are way better than the gothics, and so this is a potential solution to the problems on West Campus.