The price of higher education is a cost heavy on many students' minds. At Ithaca College, the cost of tuition, room and board and other fees totals $75,013. Because of this price, a majority of students rely on financial aid in pursuit of their degree. However, recent changes to the billing system makes the college even more financially inaccessible to students.
Ithaca College prides itself on being a residential college. However, this translates to students being required to live on campus for at least three years before moving off campus. While in an ideal world, this may result in fostering community, the realities of on-campus housing are less than ideal.
College is an advantageous time for many young adults because there are so many academic, social and career opportunities available to them. This is a sentiment echoed constantly by parents and, for the most part, it is true. It’s the messaging hidden behind statements like this that causes a problem.
When I first stepped foot into Cinemapolis as an introverted first-year student struggling to find my place, I immediately felt a sense of belonging within Ithaca’s independent film scene. From greeting the smiling, dedicated faces at the box office to deciding what seasoning I wanted on my popcorn, I knew it would be just the first trip of many throughout my college years.
On one Friday every month, I host late-night programming with my student organization, IC After Dark. ICAD was formed in 2001 to create late-night events on Ithaca College’s campus. It has since stayed true to that original mission and continues to be one of a few main student organizations that function to serve the need of large-scale programming for all students.
Since I started using a camera and editing videos in high school, I realized that I wanted to work in film and photography. The joy I find in being able to express myself visually and working through an artistic process has become a key part of my life. However, as I learned more about the structure of classes at Ithaca College, I often felt as though I wasn't truly learning anything and questioned if I had made the right decision with what I wanted to do.
A common gripe with Ithaca College's prospective, current and former students is in our name: the Ithaca Bombers.
Two apparently unrelated items spark this commentary. First was the headline in The Ithacan, March 28, 2024 editorial: “The College Must Support Student-Driven Advocacy.” Second was my finishing Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt—in which she spends considerable space explaining FDR’s decision-making: how he brought the fiercely isolationist American public along to support America’s role in World War Two.
When some think of art, they may think of big, prestigious museums or theaters with expensive entry fees and Eurocentric works. While those spaces may serve a purpose in the art world, local artistic spaces are just as, if not more, important, especially when it comes to promoting accessibility in the arts.
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