On this talk with Vice-President Ryan Lombardi, we got to learn about the insights of Cornell campus culture and our influence in shaping it as students.

Several topics were brought up in the conversation ranging from classroom culture to the social life of students. An interesting issue that was addressed due to its current relevance within the institution was Greek life on campus. I learned that fraternities and sororities are their own independent institutions. They are managed by separate councils and controlled by larger national chapters. This high level of independence that they have was a novel concept for me, which caused me to wonder how much power they hold over the school and its social systems. According to the Vice-President, when the university decides to “suspend” one of these fraternities, it means that the school no longer acknowledges the organization as theirs. However, this could mean that the “suspended” organization could still continue working behind the curtains of the situation.

Another topic that captured my attention throughout the discussion was the process of taking action to modify or establish a policy or structural change within the university. Cornell, unlike any other schools in the nation, has its own separate “judicial structure” that makes decisions within the realm of legal and political issues that occur within the university. The Vice-President explained that changing and shaping Cornell was a matter that did not only fall in the administration’s hands but also the students themselves. It is important that we, as students of Cornell University and residents of the Ithaca community, stand up for our beliefs and fight for the changes we want to see expressed by the time we graduate. Shaping campus culture is an essential concept for all of us, that we should all work together to establish and organize.