The Ithacan

Editorial: Return of flu vaccination program is beneficial for campus community

By The Ithacan • October 16, 2024

It’s that time of year again: classrooms fill with coughs. Professors receive apologetic emails about rising temperatures, flu symptoms and fever. The weather begins to turn colder, and many students fall ill. As of Fall 2023, 33.7% of college students had been diagnosed with the common cold during their tenure on campuses in the U.S., and the second most common illness was the flu virus.

Editorial: Increase in hiring of diverse faculty must be followed by retention efforts

By The Ithacan • October 9, 2024

While as of Fall 2024 the college employs more women than men, there are still gains to be made in representation and support of Black, Latino, Asian and Indigenous faculty members.

Commentary: Internet use creates an alarming distraction economy

By Jade Ferrante • October 9, 2024

The internet is rife with distractions: from advertisements to the endless scroll of the explore page, there is no escape from the barrage of things to click, watch or buy. Smartphones, computers and game consoles have noticeably shrunk our attention spans. There are so many options for things to do digitally that it seems obvious why no one can focus; we're drowning in entertainment.

Commentary: International students lack free speech protections

By Nyx Bhatt • October 9, 2024

As an international student, I came to this country with a strong belief in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution — the one that protects the right to free speech, expression and peaceful assembly for social, political, economic and religious purposes. Because of this, I cannot ignore how Cornell University's recent actions against doctoral student Momodou Taal starkly contradict this core American value.

Commentary: Campus community shares thoughts on 2024 elections

By Chloe Johnston, Opinion Editor • October 2, 2024

These responses were selected through brief, impromptu interviews with campus community members.

Commentary: Democracy does not start or end at the ballot box

By Richard Martin • October 2, 2024

As the 2024 election rapidly approaches, both parties dove headfirst into existential rhetoric. “This will be the most important election of our lives,” said 75% of Americans according to PBS. This was supposed to be the case in 2020 and 2016. Come to think of it, why would any party tell you otherwise? Isn’t the goal to motivate the most people to go vote? Americans are increasingly frustrated with the state of politics. No matter who has power, things are incredibly expensive, our global reputation continues to plummet and we are faced with ongoing fascism. We must have a candid conversation and ask ourselves: “What did we get out of our vote?

Commentary: Passing Prop 1 is needed for New Yorkers

By Lilly Tollin • October 2, 2024

As restrictions increase nationwide, Prop 1 places rights and access in the hands of voters rather than politicians. With an uncertain political climate, it is up to voters to cement equal rights for historically marginalized groups in New York.

Editorial: Diversity of opinion on campus must be encouraged

By The Ithacan • October 2, 2024

Ithaca College is well-known as a liberal leaning space — it was ranked as #22 in Princeton Review’s list of “Most Liberal Leaning Students.” This does not mean that we should discourage academic discourse that includes conservative voices. In fact, the opposite is necessary. When students are constantly hearing the same ideas or talking points, this means that they are existing in an echo chamber that narrows their viewpoint of the world.

Commentary: The college must prioritize educational decolonization

By Emma Miller • September 25, 2024

There are no classes offered at Ithaca College within Native American and Indigenous studies other than the introduction course. Only one-fifth of the necessary credits for the Indigenous studies minor is explicitly an Indigenous studies course. For most people, hearing there is only one class dedicated to a minor that shares the same name would be shocking.

Commentary: What can be learned from Ithaca’s linguistic landscape

By Shuzhan Li • September 25, 2024

My undergraduate class, Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in K-12 Schools, conducted a linguistic landscape project this fall. The goal of this project was to enable students to, in the ethos of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, read the word and read the world. Research tells us that people rarely pay much attention to the linguistic landscape around them. Therefore, for this project, students are encouraged to imagine themselves as fish trying to see the water around them.

Commentary: We must dare to envision radical change for the film and television industry

By Jeremy Larkin • September 25, 2024

I often notice an unease in the eyes of many film students whenever our lives after graduation are brought up — an unease I’m sure can also be seen in my own eyes. While the nation’s current challenges of inflation, unaffordable housing and crushing debt remain unsolved, pursuing a career in the film industry is the riskiest it has ever been for people who don’t come from affluent backgrounds. It’s much easier to wait for new opportunities in cinema when you aren’t relying on them to eke out a living. Stable, rewarding careers in the movie business aren’t a guarantee for people who come from wealth, either. Ultimately, filmmaking is a considerably volatile field.

Editorial: New LGBT Center initiative is an important accessibility tool

By The Ithacan • September 25, 2024

Gender-affirming clothing and care can be a lifesaving measure. The pilot Binders and More (BAM!) program at Ithaca College, which allows students to order one free gender-affirming garment, is one of the first of its kind, and shows the college’s continued commitment to its transgender and gender-nonconforming student population.