By: Sam Ferenc

For this issue, we've decided to pose a question about life at Cornell to students and print their responses. Look for this feature in issues to follow as well. If you'd like to share your opinion in this column, email cuprogressive@gmail.com.

This issue's question: How well do you think President Skorton and his administration have handled Cornell's financial difficulties? Have you been affected by budget cuts?

Mark Du '12 Arts and Sciences

"Although the budget cuts and reorganization within the university haven't directly affected me, I feel that there's going to be opposition to any proposed cuts, and we have to trust the administration to make sound decisions."

Tiffany Tsai '12 Arts and Sciences

"I definitely remember dining hall hours being cut last year on North Campus, which affected me and my friends, but as long as I continue to receive my financial aid, I'm not concerned."

Iris Hoxha '13 Human Ecology

"I haven't been personally affected at all. Overall I find that Cornell has remained true to its commitment to allow any person to enter any study; financial aid is still going above and beyond expectations to make this happen."

Angelina Brown '12 Arts and Sciences

"Being a resident of the Latino Living Center for two years, I have seen how the budget cuts have affected the program houses, specifically in that the LLC has very little funding to work with. I feel that continued investment in the Program Houses is not only important, but crucial if there will be a successful future for them at the university."

The financial crisis may affect us all, but not all students on campus have deep knowledge of Cornell's financial troubles. This could be interpreted positively or negatively. On the one hand, students' lack of involvement shows that the administration has been succeeding in managing the crisis effectively, in that is has not provoked widespread anger. On the other hand, this may speak to an apathy and ignorance on the part of the student body that has been lamented in several Cornell publications.

The truth perhaps lies somewhere in the middle. One cannot fault the student body for not understanding the workings of Cornell's dauntingly complex administration; in this season when we live from day to day and prelim to prelim, long articles in the Sun about fiscal policy are simply difficult to read, let alone internalize. That said, on issues directly affecting daily student life, such as dining, housing, and financial aid, concern is apparent, as these interviews show. It seems fair to say that Cornell's student body is not apathetic with regard to the bigger picture, but simply lacks the time and energy to devote to understanding it fully, while students remain actively engaged in issues that hit closer to home.