<p>johnwesley: Exactly. "Liberals" who treat things like hurricane relief and promoting the Democratic party as hobbies are not activists. The "liberals" here are really just upper-class moderates.</p>
<p>By the way, do you go to Wes? I was actually enrolled there until a few weeks before school started, but then my financial aid got ****ed.</p>
<p>Well, for one thing, it sort of begs the question, "What did happen on Orange Friday?"</p>
<p>It was a rally organized by CPJ to protest the war. Basically, it was a bunch of rich white college kids making noise in Ho Plaza and in the Commons to look pretty. All the speakers were professors, for one thing. No student speakers. Also, they have been really disorganized and uncooperative.</p>
<p>Yes, as you can see, I'm a Wesleyan rabble rouser. I'm sorry about what happened to your fin/aid. I won't even ask what happened, I'm sure you tried every avenue to get it fixed/adjusted, whatever. Btw, usually I am a big Cornell booster; two of Wesleyan's greatest presidents (Victor Butterfield and Colin Campbell) graduated from Big Red; the country as a whole is going through a bit of a rough patch right now.</p>
<p>Butterfield. Are the Butts named after him?</p>
<p>What sort of activism have you partook in here at Cornell, Antaeus, besides whining and bashing the rich kids? Just wondering.</p>
<p>I am active promoting the socialist cause and awareness, conducting paper sales of the Socialist Worker twice a week. I am an active, dues-paying member of the International Socialist Organization, working on a lot of publicity. I went down to D.C. last Saturday to participate in the massive anti-war rally and march. I write for Turn Left, and soon, Black Perspectives. I will be helping to plan a blood drive in protest of the Red Cross's homophobic blood donation policy. I am working with various groups on the issue of the Cornell American.</p>
<p>And you seriously expected tons of kids to do all those things here at Cornell?</p>
<p>btw, though I'm not too fond of your posts, it's commendable that you're doing all that.</p>
<p>I wish I had the time to partake in all those activites, but I can't. I've had a lot of work so far in engineering, and this past week was especially rough preparing for two perlims. I am not trying to complain here, but I am trying to make the point that a lot of kids on campus while they may want to do the sort of stuff you are doing, do not have the time or monetary resources to do so. Some students must work on the weekends or during the week to pay for school. Other students in a science or pre-med track have a lot of work, and most engineering students have a decent amount to a lot of work too. And although I know specifically of these types I am positive others on campus get trapped under the work. So maybe the feeling you are getting that most Cornell students are apathetic, is because they would rather devote time to their studies than protest, protest, protest. It's just something to think about.</p>
<p>I wonder, then, why Cornell students have so much time to party and go to hockey games?</p>
<p>Wait a minute here--So you're saying if somebody has time to enjoy himself that means he is a selfish and apathetic individual? This is pure nonsense</p>
<p>The key in life is balance. I'm afraid your problem is that you don't have this balance in your life because you are so focused on one thing and leave little time and energy for everything else. Also, because you are so focus on this one thing, you don't realize how one-sided your arguments are. Even the most dedicated and hardworking individual gotta have fun sometimes</p>
<p>I completely agree with what Agrophobic said.</p>
<p>To add. Not all students "party" in the sense of go to fraternities and get drunk, but as agrophobic said, need to have fun once in a while. Also the amount of students going to hockey games, if you base it off of season tickets is roughly 1500, which is about 10% of the population at Cornell. I wouldn't consider that Cornell students going to hockey games, I would consider that the dedicated and faithful hockey fans going to hockey games.</p>
<p>Antaeus:</p>
<p>You've presented your arguments totally out of context. Citing the Cornell American as indicative of the average cornellian's viewpoint is absurd! Based on the numerous people I have spoken with on campus about it, the vast majority of cornellians find the article rediculous, offensive, borderline-racist, and embarrassing.</p>
<p>Socially conscious and rabidly activist are different things, as well. While you mouth off to everyone who opposes your viewpoint because you consider them intolerant of you and your beliefs, you completely overlook the fact that they are entitled not to be as active as you, as well.</p>
<p>I don't think many people would consider me not socially conscious. I will fulfill my obligation to vote in the elections, I currently donate my change to the Katrina relief corrections (and not to get a cool wristband, just because I feel it's the right thing to do), I perform community service on occasion (not that often, but I do actually do it sometimes), and I am a generally friendly and helpful person. (think along the lines of helping an old lady with her groceries or directing a prospective freshman to the library context) I am not actively involved in politics, but just because of that fact I think one would be hard pressed to call me socially negligent.</p>
<p>I don't think you'll find many a mainstream campus where average students are significantly more interested in activism than parties or school spirit.</p>
<p>
[quote]
People here epitomize rich WASPs who are absolutely complacent with their Starbuck's and J. Crew.
[/quote]
For someone who wants his views respected, you are awfully intolerant inattentive, and irresponsible. Preceding your sentance with "there is a significant presence of people here who" would have made your sentance acceptable, even to those who disagree with it. It is simply a fact that the blacks, asians, and hispanics here would have some trouble epitomizing W-hite A-nglo S-axon P-rotestants. Anybody will grant you that there are WASPs and JAPs on campus, but to say they are indicative of the student body is rediculous. People are much less likely to believe you if you're going to throw random and often untrue punches. Had you made a more measured, rational, and thought-out argument, perhaps this thread would have turned into a discussion or heated debate rather than a flame war. Your activities are honorable and you deserve praise for them, but your thought process and argument presentation are off the wall.</p>
<p>What's so bad about partying and hockey again?</p>
<p>Antaeus,</p>
<p>As another South Korean, I really hope you phrase your arguments to come across as less ignorant. You probably don't mean it, but according to your first several posts, you seemed like an extremely ignorant idiot.</p>
<p>A couple of items you all may want to consider:</p>
<p>1) 1500 hockey fans would equal the entire undergraduate populations of several of our best LACs; how many Cornellians went down to the Washington March a week ago?</p>
<p>2) Antaeus - Realistically speaking, you have to consider the fact that 100 students at Cornell doing activism may seem tiny compared to the number of hockey fans, BUT, the same 100 activists at Wesleyan would be enough to land them on the front page of the Hartford papers (I'm serious!) - Needless to say, we rarely get that large a number at local demonstrations.</p>
<p>3) Also for Antaeus - Yeah, the Butts were named for Cornell grad, Victor Butterfield.</p>
<p>anteaus,</p>
<p>You strike me as the person who's not content with just getting straight A's - you're someone who needs to take part in multiple clubs and have a very active campus life without having to worry about too much competition and rigor. </p>
<p>In your situation, I would highly recommend you transfer to Brown. Their students are involved on campus activities to quite an impressive degree and I think you'll be much happier there. From what I hear, classes at Brown are also more discussion oriented and the competition isn't as cutthroat as cornell. </p>
<p>So, don't blow your grades at Cornell, work hard, and transfer out when the time comes.</p>
<p>Well, it's not that I ignore my schoolwork either. Actually, it's quite the opposite; I spend all my time on schoolwork or activism. In fact, the academic atmosphere at Cornell is a bit too laidback for me.</p>
<p>"In fact, the academic atmosphere at Cornell is a bit too laidback for me."</p>
<p>Okay, just stop talking now.</p>
<p>i'll second that spanks.</p>
<p>Go to another college, please. If you think cornell is laid back, i can't wait for the day you leave, realize you were wrong and can't get back into the school. I'm speaking as a transfer student who has taken classes at another top-tier school. You just wait for that one prelim you flunk beyond all belief. It's a typical freshmen mistake - underestimating a real test at Cornell. I speak from experience.</p>