Campus

OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM | The Time to Support Cornell’s Graduate Students Is Now

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 Last spring’s union election campaign may have ended with a disappointing result for the collective rights of Cornell’s graduate students, but Cornell Graduate Students United (CGSU) has continued to fight. In the past weeks, members of CGSU have been asking fellow graduate students at Cornell to vote about the future of their organizing strategy and the possibility of another election attempt. A secondary election attempt could make sense in this case. It is certainly not unprecedented; many unions, in all manner of industries, have had numerous elections before achieving recognition. In addition, graduate student turnover and the slim margin of defeat of the union in the election could mean a stronger possibility of a different outcome if a re-vote occurs.

Politics

OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM | OPPOSE EVERYTHING

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Trump’s anti-Muslim ban has had harrowing effects on the lives of real people, keeping loved ones away from each other, crushing the dreams of immigrants and trapping people in unfair and unjust situations. It is an aggressive act, designed to incite fear and hatred and put in place to validate a disgusting view of people around the world. Yet the question of how to oppose the ban effectively may prove difficult to answer. While some have put their faith in the judicial system, which may prove effective, Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court shows that if the case reaches the court after Gorsuch appointment, there is a good chance the ruling may stand. Personally, I think a more broad-based approach is necessary, which can be seen by what happened last Thursday night.

Culture

SUIT DU JOUR | Behind the Seams

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Do you know what happens behind the seams? Think about the very T-shirt you are wearing, the socks that keep your feet warm, even the backpack that you just shrugged off your shoulder. Do you know where these products were made, who made them and how it is possible for them to be in your hands at this very moment? Unfortunately, fashion (like other industries), is a dirty business because the answers to certain questions we ought to know are inexplicit. In fact, the answers we ought to know are often ignored because consumerism gets the best of us.