For many college students, it may feel as though you have been inundated with information about the upcoming presidential election, the youth vote and the importance of using your voice to enact political and social change. The important issues that galvanize young voters and exhaustion surrounding political systems exist in an era of increasing national anxiety and turbulence. While these feelings — trepidation, apathy, exhaustion — are valid, they cannot create inaction in the youth voting block or in our response to national and local political figures. Outside of the eyes fixed on the presidential race, college students should pay attention to local political figures. This includes student government officials. 

With the closing of The Range in downtown Ithaca, many patrons of the beloved ThursGays events were concerned about the survival of what has become a pinnacle of the LGBTQ+ community in the area. In 2024, there are few designated spaces for social events that cater to  LGBTQ+ clientele in upstate New York. ThursGays has since moved to Lot 10. 

While the current staff of Ithaca College’s BIPOC Unity Center do an admirable job, the postponement of the college’s search for a director is endemic of many community-based issues in Ithaca — the options for support fall consistently on the same leaders, who can be stretched thin by the responsibilities with which they are tasked. Both the students they serve and the leaders themselves deserve an attitude of increased urgency from administration.

Over the last couple of weeks, Cornell University experienced the longest employee strike in the institution’s history. The strike lasted 15 days, with Cornell workers picketing around Ithaca. Workers were striking because the school, despite its steady financial growth, has been paying its workers low wages with incredibly small raises each year. The cost of living has been on a relentless climb in the past few years and many Cornell employees, some of whom have worked at the institution for two or three decades, were struggling to survive.

Are you a clean girl or an office siren? Do you like cottagecore or dark academia? Do you have blueberry milk nails or tomato girl makeup? Are you alternative or coquette? When society urges people to conform to neat, clear-cut identities like "clean girl" or "office siren,” a sense of identity and uniqueness is lost. As the intensity of aesthetic crosses over from only fashion to things like interests, music and personality, people start to define themselves not by who they are, but what they consume.

My first year of college was a new chance for me to meet other disabled students. During the club fair, I immediately signed up for DEAR@IC, Disability Education Advocacy and Resources at Ithaca College, hoping to do just that. I quickly learned that a good portion of those involved were non-disabled students. While it’s nice to see support from the student body, it wasn’t the community I wanted or needed. I acted briefly as its education liaison and took part in a presentation on accessibility at the college. Its programming did not fit my personal needs at the time, so I left and eventually assisted in filling the void for an accessible social organization with The Disabled Students’ Alliance. 

While the aim of security for the college, its employees and its students is admirable, concerns surrounding background checks are also valid.

Living on campus can be an overwhelming experience, which can make it seem impossible to truly feel at home. During my time at Ithaca College, I have learned that the best way to create that sense of home is through campus involvement. Getting involved is not just a way to fill my schedule, it is about finding my place in a community and growing as a person.

Artificial Intelligence has been around since the mid-20th century, but it's a technology that has garnered increased attention in the past few years. AI involves creating machines that can think and act like humans, with goals such as recognizing patterns, making decisions and forming judgments similar to human reasoning. From writing and art to photography and video production, AI is making a significant impact across various fields, becoming an integral part of our lives — a change I believe we must embrace.