Issuu

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Cornell Report

I See You

Message from the guest editor The summer 2021 Cornell Report is not a typical issue. With the theme “I See You,” the goal is to begin to construct a necessary platform for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)related work and amplify as many alumni of color voices as possible. For some, these pages will affirm experiences, and for others, there may be a temptation to question the need for transformation. For the latter, I ask you to invite humanity into your homes. Some articles will require you to pause, reflect, reread, and sit in your discomfort. I ask you to resist the urge to dismiss people’s experiences and invite curiosity and understanding. I welcome respectful and courageous conversations. Understand for some of us, we’ve been having this dialogue for decades, and the labor is substantial. By no means does this issue cover the entire spectrum and complexity of DEI work. We desire to continue highlighting diversity and the wide range of stories represented on Cornell’s campus and beyond. I want this work to live on past this particular issue. I could not have done this without the contributors’ trust and vulnerability in my vision. I spent many days in tears of joy. The stories presented here are real—believe them. I am honored to share this space with you as the Cornell Report’s first guest editor. The contents in these pages are just the beginning. I dedicate this special issue to all Cornellians, especially the overlooked, the invisible, or the disregarded. You are not alone. I SEE YOU. Let the conversations begin.

Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09

We are planning talk backs on this issue of the Cornell Report with Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09. We invite respectful and courageous conversations. Email ISeeYou@cornellcollege.edu to get started.

ON THE COVER:

Images submitted by Cornellians for this special issue.

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CONTENTS

I SEE YOU —21—

Person ’15

Dam ’14

Ndjungu ’08

Pineda ’08

Reyes ’91

Create lifelong friends

Find your passion

Seize the view from the margins

Feverishly Get involved build your community

Gregory ’96

Hayes ’77

Seek support

Persevere and be excellent

FEATURES

for other girls who dont believe colored girls deserve the rainbow Intentional Momentum: The state of diversity, equity, inclusion on campus Dehumanization: An American ingredient examined How to unlearn White Privilege Conference: The birthplace of possibility

28 Around the world in a weekend:

30 ‘If you were white, you’d be Joe College’

Culture Show

32 First-gen’s journey

El camino de un estudiante de primera generación

34 Decolonizing the curriculum:

Creating space, resources, dialogue

36 Dear Cornell: 3 alumni offer memories, advice for students

DEPARTMENTS

3 You Said 38 Ram Report

40 Alumni News 46 In Memoriam

48 Last Word

No. 3 Volume 4 4 / SUMMER 202 1

Cornell Report

Foreword from the president

GUEST EDITOR

Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09 EDITOR

Dee Ann Rexroat ’82 drexroat@cornellcollege.edu 319.895.4241 ASSISTANT EDITOR

Lisa Gray Giurato DESIGN

Amy Belice Graphic Design PRINTER

Lane Press CLASS NEWS CONTRIBUTORS

Michael Geneser Zoe Russell

Cornell Report is published fall, spring, and summer for alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of the college by the Office of Marketing and Communications, Box 1648, Cornell College, 600 First Street SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314-1098

877.MVERNON (683.7666) giving@cornellcollege.edu ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT OFFICE

319.895.4204 alumni@cornellcollege.edu REGISTRAR

319.895.4372 registrar@cornellcollege.edu

I am extremely thankful for the passion and spirit that Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09 has devoted to this issue, which makes progress possible. Though this issue of the Cornell Report may cause some of us discomfort, its goal is to raise awareness and advance the conversation with the most powerful information we have—the honest and heartfelt perspectives of Cornellians. Through their lenses, we understand the causes and effects of racism. And, starting at home is the most obvious first step. I was admittedly hesitant about people’s readiness for this issue of the Cornell Report, even as I have been engaged in learning more fully about racism and creating room for these conversations across campus and with the Board of Trustees. Yet, it is clear that the time is right to have these discussions, and that we need to recognize and support the voices of our Cornell family. I am thankful to all of them for sharing their contributions to this issue. I see you. Please join me in listening. Jonathan Brand

ATHLETICS

319.895.4230 athletics@cornellcollege.edu ADMISSION

800.747.1112 admission@cornellcollege.edu cornellcollege.edu/cornell-report

ONLINE-ONLY OPTION To opt out of the printed magazine and be notified by email when each issue is online, contact the editor at cornellreport@cornellcollege.edu

You Said WOMEN’S HISTORY APPRECIATED I want to express my appreciation for your recent article about the history of women at Cornell. Although one is pleased to note that this is a big topic, the article happily combined many insights heretofore little known, as well as succinctness.

Hugh Lifson Professor emeritus of art, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

ROBYN SCHWAB AARON ‘07

PIONEERING WOMEN—IN 1978

Said on campus “Your success in the block plan shows the strongest of work ethics and a mindset of persistence. These are the unmeasurable outcomes of your time here that matter most for workplace success, graduate training success, medical school success, and quite simply, life success, that put you ahead of anyone. You can do anything in 18 days. You did. You are ready.” Steven Neese Associate Professor of Psychology Class of 2021 faculty speaker

Thanks for the great article on pioneering women at Cornell! I learned things about the history of women at Cornell that I didn’t know before. It was also great to see Diane Crowder featured. She really made a difference. I remember back when she was the advisor to the Women’s Action Group (WAG), a group of budding Cornell feminists. I’d like to add just one small thing about women’s history at Cornell, which is that when I was a first-year in 1978-79, one of the new coaches started the first women’s track team. For some wacky reason, I decided to join. We were terrible, and I was truly awful. But every time we ran, we set school records! I ended up with really painful shin splints from running in inadequate shoes, later traded in for neon banana colored Nikes with a bright blue swoosh (which, if I still possessed, would probably be valuable “vintage” shoes!). I almost quit, but stuck out the season, and women’s track continued at Cornell the next year without me.

FEMALE FIRSTS DISTINGUISH CORNELL Thank you for the article in the Cornell Report about Pioneering Women. As always, it was beautifully written and a wonderful tribute to the many women who paved the way for us at Cornell. The many fascinating “female firsts” really serve to distinguish Cornell College as a progressive and inclusive leader in higher education.

Ann Parker Foote ’79 Naples, Florida

Mel Wensel ’82 Port Orchard, Washington

REFLECTING ON CLIMATE CHANGE I want to convey how well the fall 2020 Cornell Report article on climate change reflected on the college, its faculty, its alumni, and, as well, on those of your staff who pulled together a story certainly worth telling. The comments excerpted from Stephen Chu’s Delt Lecture appearance at Cornell really served to punctuate the story just as the very fact of his appearance served to underscore the school’s progressive position on climate change.

Bob Bowman ’62 Glenview, Illinois

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION We invite respectful and courageous letters and social media mentions in response to this special issue. Tag @cornellcollege to be considered on social media. Send letters to ISeeYou@cornellcollege.edu or Cornell Report, Box 1648, 600 First St. SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314-1098. Submissions are edited for style, length, and clarity.

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is there one called for white girls? —an ex-friend, 2014

for other girls who dont believe colored girls deserve the rainbow

for the club i didnt ask to be invited to but found to be home, for the theatre department that never had an all black cast until 2009, for my tears acknowledged & shapeshifted inta productions, for the blue lights on black girls, for the nude anythin i waz posed to wear, for the comb too fine to untangle me, for the smoke alarms in merner hall when my hair rejected flat irons, for the swastikas, the hangmen, the nooses, for the amount of times they wanted to call me a nigger, for the amount of times they did, for the amount of times there werent any repercussions, for the meetin where my mama apparently gave birth to a ghost, for the explanations of the new diversity committee, for the count on one hand of the professors of color, for the lost count of the custodial staffs kiswahili(ed) whispers, for the times a volcano erupted from my mouth, for the stories i waz forced to digest widout entry, for the televisions soiled fingerprints of the atlantic, for my tongue twistin round columbus, for the chitlins seared inta my nostrils, for my non-double dutched welts, for my hips jukin way before becky or miley, for the repetition rumbled underneath these bones, for my protection against fear, for the tremors my body cudnt silence after sandra bland, for my rainbow buried under chicagos smog, for my transformation, my humanization, my refuge, for

Poem by Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09 Illustration by Zoe’e Jordan ’15

Intentional

MOMENTUM

THE STATE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION ON CAMPUS By Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09

MEGAN CISZEK

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A mural in Stoner House, the home of Cornell’s Intercultural Life Office.

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The work of contributing to making the campus more inclusive as an alumna of color, former interim director of Intercultural Life, and social justice advocate is personal.

I SPENT 16 YEARS, DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY, MOVING THE CONVERSATION FORWARD. The time for Cornell to take the next big step resulted in the creation of the senior diversity officer role in July of 2020 to address systemic racism on campus.

“We are trying to fix a system that started in 1853 when conversations about privilege were not at the forefront of people’s minds, and it’s not going to change overnight.”

Language matters

Director of Intercultural Life and senior diversity officer

When terms like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) caught traction for individuals outside of the field, the phrase “now more than ever” resurfaced, and honestly, it irked me to my core. As if the gut-wrenching work of Nat Turner’s Revolt (1831) to Brown v. Board of Education (1954) to Black Lives Matter (2013) were not urgent enough. My body, this fight, these conversations are not a trend. For some of us, we have been exhausting ourselves and justifying our existence all of our lives. For others, the real work, the ownership, the accountability, has just begun. Before diving any deeper, it is essential to take the time to define the key terminology used. The Office of Intercultural Life defines the following terms: • Diversity—the differences in identities and practices regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, ideology, geographic origin, age, etc. • Equity—the fair and respectful treatment of those people and their differences • Inclusion—the understanding, respect, and acceptance of those differences To be clear, you can have diversity and not have inclusion, and without equity, we miss the opportunity to ask who is not at the table and why aren’t they here. There can be a diverse room; however, the environment needs to be psychologically safe to express oneself freely, feel heard and valued. These concepts work anywhere from the boardroom to the student experience. The more intentional the efforts, the easier the transformation. DEI work cannot just be transactional; it needs to be relational similar to our Each One Teach One orientation.

When Hemie Collier first stepped on campus in 2008 as a football coach, he connected immediately to the Office of Intercultural Life and by 2016 he was assistant director of the office. Now, 13 years later, Collier is the senior diversity officer and in the position to enhance the college’s vision around DEI initiatives. One of Collier’s goals is to be at the forefront of DEI work and serve as a model for other small liberal arts institutions. With this understanding, Collier wasted no time moving initiatives forward to set the mission, vision, and direction of diversity and making Cornell a more diverse and equitable place. The campus is currently examining itself and asking questions like, what are we doing to make sure all students feel safe on campus? How can we enhance education for everyone on campus? How are our students affected? All of this work begins with examining Cornell’s foundation. Collier admits, “Some things we are looking at are easy fixes like making an intentional effort to figure out what is going on. We are trying to fix a system that started in 1853 when conversations about privilege were not at the forefront of people’s minds, and it’s not going to change overnight.” Re-examining and dismantling these structures will take time. The Cornell student body is diverse; 73% of the students are not from Iowa, one out of every four students on campus is of color, and various socio-economic, political backgrounds, and sexual orientations comprise today’s Hilltop population. The question then becomes, how do we learn how to navigate these differences?

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Tracking Momentum HERE’S WHAT HAS HAPPENED UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF HEMIE COLLIER in the nine

months since he was named Cornell’s senior diversity officer: • Presented the Board of Trustees with a plan on how to best diversify the institution, including diversifying the Board of Trustees. • Expanded diversity, equity, and inclusion employee training. • Restructured the Diversity Committee to provide a sustainable and efficient model of support for the senior diversity officer and the institution. • Recruited Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09 as the first guest editor of the Cornell Report, giving her and other alumni of color an official college platform in order to be fully seen and heard. • Delivered over 20 episodes of the Office of Intercultural Life’s Power Hour on Facebook, ranging from the LGBTQI+ experience as a Cornell student to an Opening Convocation discussion with Claude Howard ’97 on his experience as a Black man in law enforcement. • Partnered with the Posse Foundation to provide full-tuition leadership scholarships for a diverse and talented group of 10 student-scholars each year. • Contributed to the Associated Colleges of the Midwest Anti-Racism Initiative by presenting on the topic of Culturally Responsive Student Mentorship to over 200 faculty and staff. * Created a Cornell athletics diversity mission statement. • Launched diversity, equity, and inclusion web content. IN PROGRESS • A land acknowledgement statement recognizing the ancestral lands of the Ioway, as well as the homelands of the Sauk and Meskwaki Nations and others who once inhabited the land where Cornell is located, and a plan to build a relationship with the local Meskwaki and Sauk. • Appointment of a faculty equity officer to partner with the staff equity officer and senior diversity officer on hiring and retaining a diverse faculty. • Redesign of the ethnic studies major, now called race, ethnicity, and social justice. • Review of institutional policies and practices for impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion. • Development of a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plan. • Formation of an Alumni of Color Association that will assist the institution in the development and support of students of color.

WEB EXTRA

Track our progress at crnl.co/DEI

“Every hire is an opportunity to strengthen our community by diversifying its perspectives and experiences.”

The three-to-five-year plan

The work of examining ourselves starts at the top, as President Jonathan Brand continues to support Cornell’s foundational shift. “I was acutely aware that I am not an expert in DEI-related matters,” Brand said. “As a result, I decided that I needed to educate myself. I have made it a priority to attend as many DEI-related programs on campus as possible, particularly those led by students. I’ve asked several on campus to explore and share how we spend our money on campus to determine whether we have been unintentionally acting in an inequitable way.” Here is where Brand began reading numerous key texts in the field including “White Fragility,” “How To Be An Anti-Racist,” and “Me and White Supremacy.” DEI efforts continue to expand into the short-term, threeyear plan with three areas of focus: • The student experience and campus environment • Academics • Athletics Within these three main categories live 16 initiatives spanning campus. This includes the development of an Indigenous land acknowledgment, a statement affirming that the college occupies the unceded territory of the Meskwaki Nation, and building a working relationship with them. There is also work around decolonization of the curriculum, and evaluating Cornell’s Title IX compliance, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or educational program that receives federal money. In addition, the Office of Intercultural Life, Director of Athletics Seth Wing, the NCAA Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC), and the Midwest Conference SAAC are working together to implement a Unity Pledge for Cornell student-athletes starting the fall of 2021. Following the lead of the NCAA and Cornell’s SAAC, Wing said, “will allow our student-athletes an opportunity to collectively take a stance of a united front for equality for all.”

The diversity strategic plan includes evaluating the direction of the institution over a two- to three-year period. “It is not just about reviewing our programs. I really want to dive into policy, culture, and practices on campus because some of our policies, past and present, have affected marginalized populations,” Collier said. The college’s commitment to the recruitment and retention of faculty of color is critical to the learning experience for all students. Provost and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Ilene Crawford ’92 is addressing this head-on. Through her new role, Crawford is making longterm shifts including working with the Faculty Council to appoint a faculty equity officer who will advise and oversee faculty searches. “Every hire is an opportunity to strengthen our community by diversifying its perspectives and experiences,” Crawford said. “The faculty officer will also develop a faculty retention initiative with campus stakeholders to contribute to larger discussions and decisions about diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus.” There has also been work around the restructuring of the Diversity Committee for sustainability and efficiency purposes. The ongoing DEI employee seminars have expanded and the launch of a new section of Cornell’s website dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion demonstrates the beginning of Cornell’s commitment. To make sure we are continuing the multi-layered approach, there are ways we can support Cornell’s DEI initiatives, Collier, and the Office of Intercultural Life.

What can you do?

Thankfully there are a lot of people on campus who want to see change, and the process of building a new foundation and much of the work starts within. “I’ve learned that when people interact with each other, there is a lot going on in that interaction and we need to be

“There are good bones here. This initiation may start with me, but it can’t end with me.”

alive to the nuances of human communication. Many small, seemingly innocent, transgressions can actually add up to big problems,” Brand said. When posed with the question, What calls to action do you have for the campus, Collier said: “Take inventory of yourself. Take the next step of understanding everything is not about you. Ask yourself, what are you doing to better society? How are you contributing to the success of the community? Sometimes that can be just listening to somebody’s story. Finally, understand just because you do not understand someone’s story does not mean it is not valid. Your experience is not the only experience.”

“For some of us, it’s in the classroom, for some of us, it’s what they do on the field, for others it’s policy. We all play a part in how this works,” Collier said.

For alumni

Contributing to making an institution better than when we left it is crucial to the success of any college. We need to do a better job of supporting students. Collier’s dream is to create great alumni who want to give back, whether it be with their time as a mentor, focusing on strengthening the Cornell alumni network, or donating to a cause on campus focusing on DEI work. Ask yourself, what can I do as an alumna/nus to assist current students? Ultimately, Collier’s dream is for Cornell to be the premier place people think of when talking about DEI work that goes beyond the surface: “I want to create an environment where students are allowed to be themselves,” he said. “There are good bones here,” Collier said. “This initiation may start with me, but it can’t end with me.” This work is not a trend. We are past the time where we are checking boxes and having the luxury of returning to our lives and calling ourselves allies. The world has shifted, and for some of us, the world is exactly the same. We must unlearn that we can do it ourselves. We all have different perspectives in life. We all bring different elements to this community. Evolution is messy, but we keep moving. There is work to be done. The outcome will outweigh the challenges and allow for a necessary rebirth.

For students

A lot of the things you learn at Cornell are going to apply to your experience inside and outside of the classroom. There are different identities on campus. “As a student, you must be active in your education and be willing to learn outside of the classroom,” Collier said. “There is not only the academic piece associated. You have social and emotional learning happening simultaneously, so how can we skill-build together? Cornell is where you can work through how to navigate your challenges and successes together.”

For faculty, staff, and administration

Following in President Brand’s footsteps, it is important to take the time to educate oneself in DEI-related texts. The thought transformation is essential and requires everyone to be on the same page in defining and educating students on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We’ve reached the point where we need to walk the talk with creating a base for DEI work on campus. The efforts to transform the campus should not solely land on the shoulders of the Office of Intercultural Life. The entire campus needs to be involved in the shift.

WEB EXTRAS

Review Cornell’s DEI ongoing work at crnl.co/DEI See President Brand’s list of recommended reading at crnl.co/DEIbooks Read the NCAA student-athlete pledge at crnl.co/pledge

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Alumni of Color Association creates community for Cornellians IN OCTOBER 2019 I WALKED INTO the Thomas Commons, excited about my 10-year class reunion, but I found myself isolated again. After a close observation, I realized 99% of the alumni celebrating their return did not look like me. I immediately became conflicted. My memories of learning how to navigate a new environment full of microaggressions and difficult conversations were mixed with the celebration of Lyrically Inclined’s first poetry slams and laughter in the dining hall. My entire reason for staying at Cornell was the amount of energy and compassion poured into me from the Office of Intercultural Life. Even though I stayed after graduation to provide support for students, the disconnect and lack of support for students of color can give alumni of color very little reason to return. Recognizing this disconnect, the senior diversity officer and a few key alumni jump-started the Alumni of Color Association. The grassroots initiative develops positive relationships between alumni of color and Cornell College while assisting students of color in their academic journey, civic participation, campus engagement, and career development. The Association’s role with students will be vital to building

the connection between future alumni of color and the college. “I’m most excited about connecting Cornell students of color to extraordinary opportunities beyond Cornell and being a resource to students of color as they matriculate,” said founding member Ariel Harris ’13. Associate Professor of Chemistry Jai Shanata ’05, also a founding member, said the Association is needed as there is no single organization representing this constituency. “Creating this organization will create a voice for Cornell’s alumni of color,” he said. “I’ve had more contact with alumni of color in the past several months than I had in the preceding several years. This has been a rewarding and cathartic experience.” Founding members also include TaSheena Cunningham-Rimmer ’06, Gordaki Moore Pook ’07, and Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09. If you identify as a person of color and are interested in enriching the student and alumni of color experience through networking, student mentorship, giving, or just want to learn more about the association, I invite you to reach out to cornellcollegeaoc@gmail.com — HEATHER ‘BYRD’ ROBERTS ’09

By Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09

AS AN ALUMNA OF COLOR, I remember the extra burden of making sense of myself, by myself, without the language to describe my experience at a predominately white institution. There was a constant balance between being a full-time student and having to educate about my existence. The exhaustion alone is enough to reconsider my belonging.

Dehumanization An American ingredient examined Dehumanization affects the oppressed and the oppressor. In order to actively dismantle it, we need to transform the world by acknowledging and denouncing the process of dehumanization. We need to examine the ways we are dehumanizing others on the Hilltop and beyond, evaluate it, and find ways to revitalize our humanness. If we reevaluate our relationship to violence and power, we can dream of a newer and inclusive society. We all watched with eyes peeled and mouth agape when the gates parted and the walls were scaled at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. We observed the contrast between that insurrection and the protest eruption on May 30, 2020, surrounding George Floyd’s death. The unfortunate responses to

Dehumanization affects the oppressed and the oppressor. obvious pain in 2020 were met with force. The contrast was stark and sadly familiar. The words I needed were untraceable. While checking in on friends, we sat in silence, with a few periodic scuffs and bursts of inaudible disbelief. Only a few seconds passed before I remembered the forces at work and why contrasting images in May of 2020 swept across my television. According to Merriam-Webster, dehumanization is “to deprive someone of human qualities, personality, or dignity; to demean that person’s humanity or individuality.” In addition, when we dehumanize others, we dehumanize ourselves, and this country is constructed on the basis of dehumanization: American chattel enslavement of African and African Americans between 1776 to 1865, the Indigenous genocide that’s estimated to have taken 13 million lives since 1492, the World War II Japanese American internment camps from 1942-45 of 120,000 people on U.S. soil, the 19321972 Tuskegee Airmen experiments on 600 Black men who were not advised on the real nature of the research study, the forced sterilization of 60,000 poor women across 32 states by Eugenics boards from 1932-1966 with the majority of those sterilized being Black women, the 69,550 migrant children held in 2019 in U.S. detention centers and in more recent history, the ongoing fight for marriage equality and transgender rights. We move through this world with a violent, revolving history rooted in dehumanization. Our ingredients include power, prejudice, bias, irrational fears, and cognitive dissonance. This is our devastating recipe for the United States of America’s land of the “free.”

Each ingredient is unconscious, ingrained behavior and unchecked can be detrimental to the safety of others. We need to slow down, examine, and listen to the things we do not always want to acknowledge. However, humans do not enjoy discomfort. We end up falling into one of three categories: the need to save people by fixing their problems without the proper acknowledgment, admitting harm and addressing it collaboratively, or justifying the act by removing humanity by saying things like “they deserved it.” In many cases, we default to the latter option by presenting individuals as subhuman, allowing cognitive dissonance to take root. The way in which our minds disassociate from someone’s humanity to justify behavior leads to dehumanization. Dehumanized actions such as neglecting the school-toprison pipeline, the denial of a person’s pronouns, and the discrimination continuing in Black women’s health is a new little hurt every day. At times, living in this body is like being an invisible entity in a warm body. The isolation alone is detrimental. I live in this skin, and the world needs to acknowledge the work we need to do in order to transform centuries of dehumanization and societal oppression. We need to re-examine how to talk to each other, reclaim the importance of showcasing all narratives, and say all our names. By making the commitment to educate ourselves, we awaken critical awareness of the world, which is a humanizing action. The worst thing we can do is pretend dehumanization does not exist. We have to make the commitment to dismantle the machine if we want real change.

WEB EXTRA

See video of Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09 talking about the process of writing and editing this article at crnl.co/dehumanize

Unlearning lane: Stories from Cornellians These examples were taken from Cornell student surveys, however, these responses are by no means exclusive to Cornell. They happen all around the country. As Cornellians, it is our responsibility to acknowledge, address, and unlearn what causes harm so everyone belongs.

“AS A STUDENT at Cornell, I was told that I could never be beautiful because of the color of my skin. I have been around people who think that it’s okay to use the N-word because it’s ‘in private’.”

“IN CLASS, I’M SOMETIMES the only person of color and am called on in conversations of race as if I’m a representative for my race or even for all people of color. Or I’m told that I speak very good English as if I’m expected to speak any other language because I look different.”

“UPON COMING TO CORNELL, not only is my name often mispronounced, it’s often misspelled. It seems as though often others don’t even attempt to try to properly pronounce my name and assign me a name they find easier or more Americanized.”

“ONCE, I WAS SPEAKING on the phone with my family and one of my ‘friends’ joked as if I was talking to Al-Qaeda about something. I’m a pretty upbeat and resilient person, but these things really hit deep.”

“AS A TRANSGENDER STUDENT, I’m told that I pass so well and that no one would’ve known I used to be a girl. I know that they were just trying to be accommodating or respectful, but I clearly have breasts. On the other end, I’ve been told, ‘Well, you still wear girl’s clothes. That makes it a little confusing don’t you think?’ ” “I’M TOLD sometimes how I’m not seen as anything different (than white). One of the biggest things that happens to me and others like me on campus is not being ‘seen’ or heard or taken seriously in our experiences.”

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How to unlearn As we age, life requires us to learn, unlearn, and relearn. There comes a time when our old ways no longer serve us, and we need to tear down and build a new foundation. In order for us to dismantle, we need to first look at ourselves and our privilege. By Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09

Let me tell you a story. Robyn visits Cornell with their parents from Atlanta. Robyn, a high school soccer captain and valedictorian, desires to be a college professor. While visiting, they shadow an education class, have lunch with the Sustained Dialogue president, and play a game of frisbee golf. During a presentation, their dad raises his hand and inquires, “how many Black professors are on campus?” The host replies, “Unfortunately, one. There are not very many qualified candidates.” Robyn’s head cocks to the side in confusion. They do not quite know how to interpret this response. Their father makes eye contact with Robyn and sighs. Words have power. We need to recognize the responsibility we all carry. We have the autonomy to repeat or break cycles. Unlearning is the process of taking our thoughts and behaviors, examining their origins, questioning their impact, and developing a new understanding. The art of unlearning is a shift in our perspective; it bulldozes our foundation, and at times, may contradict our previous beliefs. The internal reckoning can be difficult to navigate, and we need to acknowledge the amount of difficulty and vulnerability this work requires to achieve the goal of a more inclusive and equitable world. We need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. When leaping into difficult conversations, we need to reprogram our brains and create space for new information. Before anything else, make the commitment to be an active listener. Do not listen to be right; listen to understand. Let go of the need to defend.

Throughout the conversation: • Work toward an understanding counter to your own. • Take a mental note of your implicit and inherent biases, and acknowledge them. Learn to question, ask why, and truly listen to the response. • Believe them—I cannot stress this enough. I will say it again. Believe them. • Find the best course of action that will support the person talking to you. Make sure they feel heard by asking “what can I do to help?” before assuming you know what’s best. • You need to accept and adapt. We are creatures of habit, and change doesn’t occur overnight. Be committed and acknowledge the process. If you find yourself struggling and need to step away, acknowledge it, politely excuse yourself and find a time both parties agree can continue. Important: do not force anyone into a conversation only when you are ready. The ability to establish when and where the conversation should take place is a privilege. Respect their space. In the meantime, ask yourself why you were uncomfortable. Are your experiences real? If so, why aren’t theirs? Are you trying to be right, or are you trying to learn? After the conversation, make the commitment to continue to reflect. Where have your thoughts and ideas come from? How has your view shifted? NOW IS THE TIME. We are fighting against years of systematic oppression ingrained in our DNA. Let’s get to work.

White Privilege Conference The birthplace of possibility

CORNELL COLLEGE ARCHIVES

Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09 interviewed former director of Intercultural Life (ICL) and founder of the international White Privilege Conference at Cornell College, Eddie Moore Jr. ’89, and two former ICL work-study students who assisted him in its launch, Laura Gonzalez Muma ’03, and Jose A. Suarez ’03. Their conversation is condensed and edited for clarity. HEATHER: WHAT IS WHITE PRIVILEGE AND THE WHITE PRIVILEGE CONFERENCE (WPC)?

EDDIE: White privilege, simply put, is a benefit, a reward you get simply because you’re white. America was started by white people, for white people, laws were organized around it, advantages and opportunities were given for hundreds of years in that direction. The White Privilege Conference is working at the highest level of diversity and inclusion. When you think about Spanish 101, if you’re going to be fluent, you got to get to 401. It takes a certain amount of training, prerequisites, and experience before you get into the topic of white privilege. The White Privilege Conference is for people who want to do the work.

Cornel West (Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy at Harvard University and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University), spoke in King Chapel at the second White Privilege Conference in 2001. “Cornel at Cornell was one of the highlights of my life,” said Jose A. Suarez ’03. “You’re talking about an eye-opening experience of bringing somebody of that intellectual capacity and being able to listen and get a close, firsthand view into the inner workings of that mind.”

HEATHER: WHAT WERE THE CONVERSATIONS LIKE WHEN YOU TOLD YOUR PEERS YOU WERE PUTTING ON A WHITE PRIVILEGE CONFERENCE?

LAURA: I threw myself into the work and it just consumed me. My experience with people was different in that they saw me more as an agent of the Office of Intercultural Life. Some people were engaged; but then there were the people who, no matter how much you attempted to make it relevant in their lives, showed not even the most basic interest. I struggled with that because it’s something we cared about so much. JOSE: We have to remember there was a divide on campus, a tangible feeling of racial tension and it ignited conversations that people weren’t ready to have, but they were needed. When I talked about the White Privilege Conference, the 18

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initial reaction was, “What is that? Why do we need that?” The simple fact that they were asking those questions meant that they were living a life of privilege. A lot of what I was trying to do was bring awareness to it, and bring allies to a cause. HEATHER: HAVE WE MOVED THE NEEDLE AT ALL SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF WPC?

LAURA: The needle has been moved, because you do hear these conversations more, and more headlines address the issues. But on a micro level we’re still having the exact same conflicts; and a lot of people just don’t understand or, again, immediately are offended by, the fact that we’re even raising these ideas or issues as something that needs to be discussed.

“Now in this era of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we’re starting to understand that being different is a good thing. It should be celebrated and nurtured.”

HEATHER: THE CONFERENCE IS NOW INTO ITS 22ND YEAR. HOW HAS IT GROWN SINCE ITS INCEPTION?

EDDIE: Our first year we had maybe 150 people. Now we average almost 2,000. And when you say white privilege today, I think it’s more readily received than it was in 1999. We can really discuss white supremacy ideology and learn about it. I don’t think any of us imagined that the January 6th insurrection is something we’d be dealing with in 2021. But I do think that when something like that happens now, people know there’s a place they can go and talk about that. HEATHER: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF WPC LOOK LIKE?

EDDIE: I’m looking at not just being a conference of workshops and keynote speakers, but people actually sharing research at the conference. I’d love to use that platform as a way to look at what’s going on in our society and growing future consultants and scholars. I’d like to have the conference be a training ground for people to contribute back to society over these next 25 years, and being one of the places and spaces that impacts the nation, if not the world. HEATHER: WHAT LESSONS DID YOU TAKE FROM CREATING THE WHITE PRIVILEGE CONFERENCE?

JOSE: The lesson I learned is, instead of hiding who you are, fully embrace who you are and use that as a strength. Now in this era of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we’re starting to understand that being different is a good thing. It should be celebrated and nurtured. LAURA: Jose and I grew up absolutely immersed in our culture. Seeing people who looked like us was the norm. Then

“I would say to all young professionals— never let somebody put out your fire.”

came the Twilight Zone: small town in Iowa where you absolutely stick out like a sore thumb. We were processing the friction that comes with being so different. However, having the opportunity to do it there, I believe, really allowed me to be successful later in life. I see a lot of professionals entering the workforce and dealing for the first time with these same thoughts and emotions and conflicts. It allowed me to develop personally and deal with self-identity issues, but then to also understand and truly accept that some people are just never gonna get it. You can try to explain things to people a million times over, and some are just blissfully ignorant and privileged enough to be able to turn around and walk away. Maybe those are not the people you need to place your energy into.

And I think that idea can be applied to a lot of things in life. EDDIE: I would say to all young professionals—never let somebody put out your fire. I remember being called into someone’s office, and they said to me, “if you have this conference here, nobody’s going to come.” Here we are 20-something years later. I really want to reiterate the importance of going with your gut, going with your dream. Don’t let somebody put that dream out.

WEB EXTRA

To view the full interview visit crnl.co/WPCQ&A. To learn more about WPC visit theprivilegeinstitute.com

White Privilege Conference resources

A short list of resources from The Privilege Institute (theprivilegeinstitute.com) 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge—For 21 days, do one action to further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity

“Investigating Christian Privilege and Religious Oppression in the United States (Transgressions: Cultural Studies and Education)”

“Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice”

WEB EXTRA: crnl.co/21Days

by Warren J Blumenfeld, Khyati Y. Joshi, et al.

“I Have Been Waiting: Race and U.S. Higher Education”

“The Myth of the Model Minority: Asian Americans Facing Racism”

“Class matters: Cross-class Alliance Building for Middle-Class Activists”

by Jennifer S. Simpson

by Rosalind S. Chou and Joe R. Feagin

“Everyday White People Confront Racial & Social Injustice: 15 Stories”

“Exile & pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation”

by Eddie Moore Jr. (Editor), Marguerite W. Penick-Parks (Editor), Ali Michael (Editor), Paul C. Gors

by Eli Clare

“The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness”

by Abby L. Ferber, Kimberly Holcomb, et al.

by Michelle Alexander

“Sex, Gender, and Sexuality: The New Basics”

“Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race”

by Debby Irving “Teaching Against Islamophobia”

by Joe L. Kincheloe, Shirley R. Steinberg

by Paul Kivel

by Betsy Leondar-Wright “Witnessing Whiteness: First Steps Toward an Antiracist Practice and Culture”

by Shelly Tochluk “White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son”

by Tim Wise “Teaching to transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom”

by bell hooks

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I See You

Persevere and be excellent Charles Thomas Hayes ’77 had high expectations of himself when he arrived on the Cornell campus from Chicago. “As an African American kid growing up in the ’60s and ’70s, we were taught we had to strive over 100% in order to be successful and to be respected. This was coupled with the ethic of carrying ourselves with dignity,” he said. “Carrying that mantra, when I was given the option of majoring in music education, concentrating in instrumental or vocal education, of course I did both.” Hayes studied piano with Professor Julian Bern and voice with Anne Swedish Moses, sang in the concert and chamber choirs, played piano in orchestra, and participated in jazz band as a trumpeter and vocalist. It was Hayes who renamed the former Madrigal Singers the Chamber Singers and lobbied for participation to qualify as academic credit. Hayes also worked as one of the main piano accompanists, as co-stage manager for the

music department, and as choral and instrumental music librarian, a position he shared with his roommate of four years, Pat Flaherty ’77. Their friendship endures to this day. He says he loved the campus atmosphere and small town Mount Vernon and felt very little racial tension. “I was an unusual person because I grew up having many positive experiences with people of various cultures and ethnic backgrounds. So, when I arrived at Cornell, there was no shock of being absent from my childhood community. I focused on music and friends. When you’re in music, that can encompass your life. I could surround myself with music 24-7.” After graduation, Hayes received a master’s degree from the University of Iowa and commenced a teaching career. He’s currently in his third year as coordinator of choral, vocal, and piano studies at Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically Black college in Louisville. Hayes is in his eighth year as 22

director of music at University Church, Chicago, in addition to his 29th year as founder and artistic music director of the Chatham Choral Ensemble. He also directs a community choir on Chicago’s northside, and plays piano for another. Hayes follows the Cornell College Office of Intercultural Life on Facebook and was impressed to catch their weekly Power Hour show, a livestream dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. If Hayes were on campus today, he would tell students who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latin@, and other people of color, to “open your mind to being exposed to other things, but be true to yourself. Part of your going there is to foster awareness of the African American experience. Be proud of your identity and share it freely. Don’t allow yourself to be disrespected. Persevere and always work to be excellent. And don’t be afraid to come to Black alumni. Embrace your village; the older adults.” — DEE ANN REXROAT ’82

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Find your passion When Addy Dam ’14 was in high school in Vietnam, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study in college or what career she should pursue. It was exactly this uncertainty that convinced her a liberal arts education would be the perfect exploratory method of finding out what her passions and interests were. She knew a couple of Vietnamese friends who were students at Cornell and the idea of studying One Course At A Time seemed a good fit for how she wanted to construct her education. Eventually, Dam developed a passion for marketing and pursued a business administration major. One of her work-study positions was focused on marketing for what is now the Berry Career Institute. After graduation, she worked for two different marketing agencies for several years in Myanmar. Then she discovered another interest—data analytics. She decided to get her master’s in business analytics, pursuing her desire to learn more coding and programming. Today, she works in Irvine, California, for a boutique consulting firm that specializes in business analytics. She keeps her marketing skills fresh by writing blog posts and newsletters for her company in addition to the data systems work she takes on. Dam says her relationships with professors and friends while at Cornell made her appreciate how valuable a close-knit community can be. “I was extremely proud of Eyes of the World. I was an active member. I was always proud of what we did to bring diversity to campus like the Culture Show and the International Dinner and other activities,” says Dam,

who returned to campus after graduating for an International Dinner. “We brought together students from different backgrounds and from different student organizations to bring the best performances on campus or even just to have different dishes to cook and to do a lot of community outreach.” Dam hopes that Cornell will continue to support, maintain, and grow student organizations like Eyes of the World and the events that bring the campus together like the Culture Show. She also hopes Cornell will continue to bring international students to the Hilltop from an even bigger and more diverse pool of countries.

Her advice to marginalized students is to get involved. “I am speaking from my experience, but participate and be involved in groups on campus,” she says. “Expose yourself to different clubs and hopefully, you will find something that you will become passionate about like Eyes of the World was for me.” She also advises that you get out of your comfort zone. Take an off-campus studies course or study abroad. “Take advantage of your advisor and build your relationships with professors,” she says. “They want the best for you.” — LISA GRAY GIURATO

Be active, create lifelong friends Tynisha Person ’15 arrived on campus in the first cohort of Each One Teach One students, then became a mentor for the program its next three years. The pre-orientation program for students of color enters its 11th year this fall. “We got to know the other students of color,” she recalls. “We got to talk about things and really bond with each

other. That’s really what kept me at Cornell, to be honest. It really motivated me to make something out of my stay there, not just go through the motions.” The track and field coach recruited Person, and her campus visit included an overnight with Ariel Harris ’13, who convinced her to apply. Person fully embraced campus life, majoring in kinesiology and participating in track, PINQ, dance team, Sister 4 Sister, BACO, and Phi Omega—among other activities. “I personally don’t think I ever felt hardships,” she recalls. “I noticed there weren’t a lot of people of color there. There weren’t hair stores for us and certain foods were difficult to come by. Honestly I adjusted to it as I’m so used to moving around a lot because my parents are in the military.” She is pleased with the continuation of Each One Teach One and likes seeing student-athletes be more integrated into campus life. Now she would like to see the college ensure that students of color play important roles on campus, and offer alumni of color reunions. That would bring her back to campus—even all the way from Bakersfield, California, where she is an Army signal support specialist and recruiter with plans to become a physical therapist. If she were back for Each One Teach One, she would tell students like her to be open-minded and involved. “Do something, be involved, find a group you really relate to, get a role in that group, get more active. You can start your own group if you want to. Stay busy.” If you do that, she says, “you do create lifelong friends and family ties.” — DEE ANN REXROAT ’82

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Seek support, be a voice There were times as a Black woman on campus that Thandiwe GregoryJallow ’96 did not feel supported. Yet she spoke up, sought help, and ultimately used those experiences to prepare for life after Cornell. She says a support system is critical for today’s students of color. “If you don’t have a support network, get one because you need it at school—and you’re going to need that throughout the rest of your life. It’s good to develop healthy habits,” she says. “If you’ve experienced insensitivity, educate them, stand up, be a voice. Use the Intercultural Life Office, use whatever Cornell has put in place as a sanctuary. We can’t make ignorance go away, all we can do is educate and take care of ourselves in the process.” Today Gregory lives in Highland, California, as a licensed clinical social worker-clinical supervisor for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. She came to Cornell from Chicago, attracted by One Course At A Time. She says One Course and good relationships are why she stayed for four years. She majored in comparative religion, minored in music, and was involved in numerous organizations including BACO (Black Awareness Cultural Organization). She is pleased that the college named the BACO affinity house after Frank Armstrong, the first Black graduate, and she says she would like to see that extended to all the ethnicities of Cornell. She is also excited that faculty are incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into the curriculum. “I’m really optimistic about what can transpire now that the senior diversity officer position has been created. I just don’t want it to be some type of lip service the school is putting out there because it’s the in thing to do. It’s going to be a community effort.”

When asked how the college can improve, she was ready with answers. She was surprised that the faculty doesn’t yet reflect the diversity of the student body. She felt the same about this magazine: “I love it but if I glance through it and don’t see anyone who looks like me I just throw it away. A section on diversity in every issue would be helpful.” Gregory would like stronger administrative support for students of color (based on her own experiences and echoed by those of a recent alumna she helped recruit): “I had some issues that happened at school. I would talk to whoever I needed to speak to and they would try their best to help but in the long run I felt unsupported, and students would continue their behaviors because they didn’t have 25

consequences for their actions.” She wants the relationship between alumni of color and the college to improve. Ideas for that include Zoom breakouts for alumni of color and inviting alumni of color back to share their career successes and campus experiences, which would help normalize and validate students like them. Going further, Gregory would like to be part of a mentorship program at Cornell (she’s involved in one at the University of Southern California, where she received her Master of Social Work). An alumni mentor just might have made her feel more accepted as a Cornell student. — DEE ANN REXROAT ’82

Get involved, make connections One Course At A Time lured the Chicagoan Odin de los Reyes ’91 to Cornell where he majored in chemistry. As a podiatrist in Connecticut, Reyes reflects on how well the block plan prepared him for medical school. “It paid off in med school. We studied one system at a time, the integumentary, the respiratory, the digestive system,” he says. “And what made me stay was the relationships I had at Cornell, many friends that I’m still in touch with today.” Reyes says he’d love to come back and see the new STEM spaces and to reunite with friends like the Beta Omicron group. “I always felt welcome at Cornell,” he says. “I don’t think people realize how welcoming it is. My parents were Filipino; their decision to come to the U.S. was the greatest gift to me.” His advice to marginalized students is to get involved. Reyes says it’s the same in any professional field. You’ll make connections. Reyes has fond memories of announcing basketball games and learning leadership skills as the intramurals director. Reyes ends our conversation by noting that his greatest accomplishments are his two daughters, one a nurse at the top of her class and the other a successful dentist. He works every day with his wife (the manager of his practice), bouncing ideas off of her, and he continues to learn lessons from his patients, who have taught him to embrace his love for his family. ODIN DE LOS REYES

— LISA GRAY GIURATO

Feverishly build your community Claudia Pineda ’08 works as a social worker in Renton, Washington. She also is an executive analyst for King County for three years now, developing and implementing local government policy on an initiative called Zero Youth Detention, which has a goal of reducing and eliminating youth being held in detention. Pineda came to Cornell as a transfer student from a junior college determined to complete her bachelor’s degree at all costs. “I was looking for a close-knit setting and a socially liberal space that could embrace my queerness and Mexicanness,” she says. When asked what would bring her back to the Hilltop, she says she’d like to reconnect with old friends. Her hopes for Cornell now are the same as they were when she was a student on the Hilltop herself. “That it [Cornell] fully lives into the commitments outlined in its mission and values. Especially so that the burden of moving toward this isn’t inequitably on the shoulders of the staff, faculty, and students from groups who have been historically exploited. It can be extra challenging to learn radical ideologies in the classroom while living in a space that is disconnected from those ideas.” Pineda’s advice for marginalized students is to find people on campus with shared experiences, identify accomplices, and feverishly build community with them. — LISA GRAY GIURATO

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Seize the view from the margins As a junior college student in Jacksonville, Texas, Chris Nkemba Ndjungu ’08 applied to Cornell University. Then came an acceptance letter from Cornell College. A generous scholarship and the opportunity to step away from the demands of Division I soccer led Ndjungu to choose the college over the university he thought he had applied to. He stayed, he says, for the “academic rigor, small classes, the block system, and friends who today have become family.” That Cornell family, along with his unofficial advisor, Professor of Economics and Business A’amer Farooqi, are the two things that would bring Ndjungu back to campus. Ndjungu, who once pursued a business career, today is a pastor in St. Louis, Missouri. He was drawn to his profession, he says, through “spiritual awareness, indignation in the face of injustice, and very specifically, the desire to be equipped to offer pastoral care and counseling to survivors of war atrocities in eastern DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo].” Since 2017 he has led a ministry in St. Louis, Missouri, and Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, his birthplace. The church has a partnership with three independent social service entities. Bridge Builders STL creates cultural awareness by putting St. Louis youth in relationship with Lakota Sioux youth. InExcelsis works with the St. Louis homeless population. The Espoir Foundation offers services, including medical treatment, to children in the DRC. Ndjungu has thoughtful advice for marginalized students. “Being on the margins does not mean that you are forever excluded. Instead, it means that you have a big

picture view of the center,” he says. “You can see what those in the thick of it cannot, and you can therefore choose your moment to jump onto the main page. Being on the margins does not rob you of your agency. So use this agency to decide who you want to be and what you are going to accomplish. Then use that same agency to seek out an ally and/or advocate who will help you integrate and subsequently navigate life in the center because no person is an island, as the saying goes.” But first, he says, people on the margins must acknowledge their marginal reality and own it instead of living in denial: “Only then can we begin the work of dismantling the barriers which confine us to the margins in the first place.” — DEE ANN REXROAT ’82

Around the world in a weekend OVER THE COURSE OF 18 YEARS, Culture Show, put on by members of Eyes of the World, has been one of the highlights for students, parents, and alumni alike during Homecoming and Family Weekend. With representation from around the world, this showcase has evolved from the constraints of the Orange Carpet to a packed house in Kimmel Theatre. Here are just a few memories that brought so many together.

Tiffany Monreal ’14

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Right: Performing the Vietnamese conical hat dance in 2014 are Linh Nguyen ’16, Linda Nguyen ’14, Julie Hoang ’16 (from center left with faces visible), Anh Pham ’16, Ngoc Nguyen ’17, Addy Dam ’14, Bao-Chau Do ’15, Thao Luu ’16, and Theresa Dinh ’16. Below, left to right: Ve’Amber Miller ’15 leading PINQ; Albina Alieva ’12; Hillel performing the Horah with (left to right) Anna Fox ’13, Josh Berger ’11, Rachel Fendrich ’13, Lidia Pruente ’12, and Samuel Hedine ’12 in 2010; Kathy Manuzak Miller ’14; Capoeira Club; Maricruz Gutierrez-Villa ’14; Christopher Ryerson ’18. 8

MEGAN CISZEK

Who is Joe College? By RJ Holmes-Leopold ’99

“If you were white, you’d be Joe College.” That was the phrase a Cornell faculty member used to describe me as she went around the room describing individual students. To be honest, I wasn’t shocked by the descriptor. I had spent most of my time on the Hilltop conforming to white expectations. I was a two-time president of Student Senate, played club volleyball, was a member of a men’s social group, led admission tours to prospective students, was a resident assistant for three years, and was on the Dean’s list multiple times. I was a prototypical poster child for Cornell College. The only flaw was that I wasn’t white. To be Asian American at Cornell, and really in American society, you are expected to fall in line with the model minority myth. Except for being great at math and science, I conformed to the stereotype. I worked hard, got good grades, wasn’t overly confrontational, and had demanding expectations from my family. There were only three Filipinos on campus, and it was totally feasible to use one another’s ID cards and not be questioned about it. Ultimately, I did my best to live up to people’s expectations of being a good minority in a predominantly white community. The problem was, and still is, that the standard set up for Asian Americans doesn’t really lead to authentic success. Instead, being a model minority contributes to a sense of internalized oppression and self-hatred because you will never really live up to the standards of white America. No matter how successful you are in school or in your professional life, you will always be “the other.” When you walk into a room of high-profile leaders, you will look around and notice you’re probably the only person of color there—and everyone knows it. Your success will be used against other people of color as a demonstration that racism doesn’t exist in America. Your hard work is proof that meritocracy, not intergenerational and systemic privilege, is what fuels advancement. When you do try to advocate for other communities of color, you don’t really know how, and you may be shunned. You aren’t really a person of color because as a model minority, you don’t rock the boat that white privilege floats on. You haven’t experienced the perils of racism like Black Americans have for centuries. Your people haven’t been criticized for being illegal border crossers like Latin@s. And you’re not rendered irrelevant because your people were cast aside on

RJ Holmes-Leopold ’99

a Native American reservation a long time ago. Your success isn’t good enough to be seen as comparable to white people and your community’s lived experiences with racism aren’t daunting enough to be comparable to other communities of color. In our current climate of racial reckoning, you’re still othered. The Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) classification still renders you less visible in the context of race in America. When elder Vietnamese are shoved to the ground on the streets of Los Angeles because they brought the China Virus to the U.S., it’s not seen as a systemic issue of white racism that has gone on for more than a century. When Korean massage workers are killed around Atlanta, people question whether racism, sexism, and misogyny played any role in the massacre. When Asian Americans around the country stop being timid and raise public objections to the discrimination happening to our communities, it’s dismissed as an anomaly and voices of protest aren’t taken seriously in the media. Amidst all of this, you still push through. You push through as a college student educator to help the next generation of Asian American students live with fewer indignities on campus than you did. You push through as a researcher to disaggregate the experiences of Asian Americans to highlight the unique qualities that comprise the full ethnic diasporas of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi Americans (APIDA). You push through as a cisgender gay man to support the stories of LGBTQI+ people who have persevered racism, misogyny, and heteronormativity for the privilege of being out in America. You push through as a naturalized citizen from a former U.S. colony to remind others that immigrants are still active contributors to this country. You push through to make your community a better place because that’s what Cornellians do. RJ Holmes-Leopold ’99 is the director of the career center at Carleton College. He is also enrolled in the Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. He is married to Marvin Holmes-Leopold ’11 and lives in Eagan, Minnesota. 31

By Diego Verdugo ’12

You can’t be what you can’t see … or can you?

WEB EXTRA

Verdugo’s success was the focus of a presidential white paper on serving first-generation students: crnl.co/firstgen

Diego Verdugo ’12

I’m a first-generation Mexican immigrant and came to the U.S. with my family in pursuit of the American dream in 2001. I’ve battled a chronic immunodeficiency disease since birth and survived cancer in 2016. I’m a firm believer that education has generational and equalizing power, and I wish I would have seen more people that look like me in the field. It was a culture shock when I landed in Iowa with no return ticket, two days early, with my suitcase, a backpack full of frozen tamales, and $60 in my pocket for a taxi. When move-in day arrived, I didn’t expect to have one of the saddest days of my life. As my peers were being dropped off by their families, I was alone, 1,500+ miles away from home. I cried myself to sleep that night and many more. Every morning I woke up, I asked God to give me the strength I needed to continue. With time, my college life got easier and more enjoyable. I became a student leader and took advantage of every opportunity I could to grow. I was fortunate to receive the support I needed from the faculty, staff, classmates, and my fraternity brothers to not only survive but to thrive. 32

One morning during my senior year, as I stepped out of the shower, I got a call from a recruiter at Principal offering me a position to join their leadership development program at the company headquarters. My life flashed before my eyes: leaving Mexico, every doctor and hospital visit, every late-night shift at Subway, every financial difficulty my family faced, became worth it. I ended up running down the hall in a towel in joy. I wasn’t just offered a formal job offer, I was getting an opportunity of a lifetime, a shot at changing the course of history for generations. Thirteen years later, I’m still with Principal and back in Arizona. I share a life with a woman I love, and I’m a father to the most loving, smart, silly, sassy, and kind little girl that I know. I’ve been a first many times, but I know I won’t be the last. I encourage any first-generation student from a Latin@ home to keep fighting, be patient, trust the timing of your life, and work hard to accomplish your goals. I can promise you one thing: the best is yet to come.

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Por Diego Verdugo ’12

No te puedes convertir en lo que no puedes ver, ¿o sí? Soy un inmigrante mexicano de primera generación y vine a los Estados Unidos con mi familia en busca del sueño Americano en 2001. He luchado contra una enfermedad de inmunodeficiencia crónica desde que nací y sobreviví al cáncer en 2016. Soy un firme creyente de que la educación tiene poder generacional e igualador y me hubiera gustado ver a más personas que se parecieran a mí durante mi camino. Fue un choque cultural cuando aterricé en Iowa sin boleto de regreso, con mi maleta, una mochila llena de tamales congelados y $60 dólares en el bolsillo para un taxi. Cuando llegó el día de mudarme, no esperaba tener uno de los días más tristes de mi vida. A medida que algunas familias iban dejando a mis compañeros, yo estaba solo, a más de 1500 millas de distancia de casa. Aunque no es fácil confesarlo, esa noche y muchas más lloré hasta dormirme. Cada mañana me despertaba y le pedía a Dios que me diera fuerza para continuar. Con el tiempo, mi vida universitaria se hizo más fácil y agradable. Me convertí en un líder estudiantil y aproveché todas las oportunidades que tuve para crecer. Tuve la suerte de recibir el apoyo que necesitaba de los profesores, del

personal, de mis compañeros de clase y de mis hermanos de fraternidad para no sólo sobrevivir sino también prosperar. Una mañana durante mi último año, cuando salí de la ducha, recibí una llamada de un reclutador de Principal. Me ofrecía la posibilidad de unirme a un programa de desarrollo de liderazgo en la sede central de la compañía. En ese momento se me vino a la mente toda mi vida: cuando llegue de México, cada visita al hospital, cada turno nocturno trabajando en Subway, cada dificultad financiera que mi familia enfrentó, todo había valido la pena. Terminé corriendo por los pasillos lleno de alegría, envuelto en una toalla. No me estaban dando una simple oferta formal de trabajo; era la oportunidad de mi vida, una oportunidad para cambiar el curso de la historia

y de impactar generaciones venideras de mi familia. Trece años más tarde, todavía sigo trabajando en Principal y ahora vivo de nuevo en Arizona. Comparto mi vida con la mujer que amo y soy padre de la niña más amorosa, inteligente, traviesa, y amable que conozco. He sido el primero en muchas ocasiones, pero también sé que no seré el último y que habrán muchos más como yo. Les propongo a todos los estudiantes latinos de primera generación que sigan luchando, que sean pacientes, que confíen en el tiempo y que trabajen duro para lograr sus metas. Les prometo que lo mejor ESTÁ POR venir.

From Cornell College’s 2017 Commencement: I did it for them. Ceremonia de graduación-Cornell College 2017: Lo hice por ellos

DECOLONIZING THE CURRICULUM Creating space, resources, and dialogue By Assistant Professor of Art History Khristin Montes

I WRITE FROM A PRIVILEGED position, as an academic and

by historically dominant voices … and voices have languages,

as a U.S. citizen. I write from the ancestral lands of the Ioway,

and languages have terms.

and the traditional homeland of the Sauk and Meskwaki

Terminology itself can be an act of continued colonization

Nations. As an art historian specializing in “Precolumbian” art

and aggression. For example, “Precolumbian” (before Colum-

history, I have spent my adult life researching and teaching

bus) privileges a European event as a way to define a field

Indigenous American art created before the 15 century

that has nothing to do with Europe. Though slightly better,

in Latin America. The very existence of something called

“Indigenous Art of the Americas” is also problematic. Both

Precolumbian art, its presence in art history curriculum in

“Indigenous” and “American” homogenize incredibly diverse

Iowa, and the fact it is being taught by a woman with Mexican

groups of people and give a name to this place never used

ancestry, is already a practice in decolonizing the curriculum.

before European contact.

We’ve come a long way, but we have much further to go.

It can be overwhelming to know where to start in decol-

In my field our colonial past is present in the Western art

onizing our curriculum. However, we must persist in this

history “canon”—what (i.e. who) has traditionally been part

work. In her book, “The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How

of it, and what (who) has not. This canon has been a space

to Decolonize the Creative Classroom,” Felicia Rose Chavez

dominated by white, cisgender (one whose gender identity

notes “too often writers of color conclude that workshops are

matches their sex assigned at birth) male artists, writers,

hazardous because [students/writers of color] are not rep-

and researchers. Historically, non-binary individuals (gender

resented among the faculty, they’re not represented in the

identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine),

syllabus, and they’re not represented within the class cohort.”

women, and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color have

I, myself, have much work to do in decolonizing spaces of

been excluded. This trajectory is slowly changing. However, in

learning. However, following Chavez, I think a promising

many ways, the discipline and its curriculum is still controlled

place to begin this work is in the syllabus itself.

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Terminology itself can be an act of continued colonization and aggression. For example, “Precolumbian” (before Columbus) privileges a European event as a way to define a field that has nothing to do with Europe. I’ve heard the syllabus referred to as a variety of things, as

Black, Indigenous, Latin@,

a “road-map,” as a “calendar,” as a “legal document.” I imag-

and other people of color

ine it can be all of these. Can we challenge ourselves to see

authors and speakers in

the syllabus less as a space of single authorship and more

reading lists and events?

as a context for “braiding knowledge”? The term “braiding

As many of my col-

knowledge” is not my own. It is a Native American Anishi-

leagues are already doing,

nabe concept I borrow from my colleague Sonya Atalay, who

can we design final projects

introduces it as a way to create more equitable partnerships

that engage students in a

between community members and academic researchers.

manner benefiting the com-

The process of braiding reflects a winding and, at moments,

munities they are studying?

adaptable intertwining of different strands. One element

Can we seek to invite those

not only comes into contact with others, but works with the

communities in as possible

others so that together they are stronger.

syllabi coauthors? Can we turn to our own student body as

Assistant Professor of Art History Khristin Montes

the third strand in a system of braiding knowledge? I wonder, I WONDER, can we make similar efforts to braid more knowl-

is there a way to ask our increasingly diverse student body

edge systems together in our syllabi and classrooms? If we,

what is missing in terms of diversity and inclusion in our

as faculty and staff members, represent one strand in the

syllabi and curricula?

braid, can we waive our power to the other two strands

I have no doubt many of us are already asking these ques-

reflected by our curriculum and our student body? Can we

tions and so many of my colleagues have been doing this

increase the number of LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual,

work long before I arrived. Yet, I know we all have ways we

transgender/transsexual, queer/questioning, intersex) and

could improve and new work we could begin. What does your braid look like?

We asked Cornellians to highlight favorite memories on the Hilltop and provide sound advice for future underrepresented students. Thank you for the good times, the lessons, and the laughter. We would not be who we are today without your encouragement and rigor.

Dear Cornell Every student deserves to feel at home

Janah Cook Dawson ’09

Dover, New Hampshire Family and photographer/owner, Quiver & Arrow Photography Major: Psychology

One of my favorite Cornell memories is making history as part of the first all women of color ensemble to perform as Lady in Brown in Ntozake Shange’s “For Colored Girls ...” It meant so much to me to be a part of this student-led production because I didn’t find much art on campus that I could identify with. A lot of the material performed, from music to theatre, felt very Eurocentric. I participated in Concert Choir all four years and enjoyed being exposed to works to which I’d no prior exposure. However, I remember once being asked how tall my afro might be on the night of the performance so we could determine my placement on the riser. I chuckled then, and still laugh about it now, but I realized that day that without some level of “cultural assimilation” on my part, it would always be pretty difficult to not stick out like a sore thumb. “For Colored Girls ...” allowed us to find time to connect and share our stories without having to qualify our feelings, which was refreshing and validating. When we got on stage, we didn’t have to alter our hair, our posture, our accents, or any part of the way we existed. We were delivering our lines, but not feeling as though we had to stretch ourselves to deliver them. Much of our time on campus was spent code switching, shrinking our personalities, or contorting to fit in. I cherished the affinity between my fellow actresses and myself. I hope current and future underrepresented Cornell students find a community 36

that will allow them to be their authentic selves in every area of their lives. If they don’t find that community, I hope they are allowed to voice their exclusion without having to qualify their experiences and feelings. Every student deserves to feel at home on the Hilltop, and it is their right to be validated. Some students have the privilege of being able to arrive on the Hilltop and quickly feel included and represented. There are others who will inherently feel out of place, in both obvious and inconspicuous ways. Students who experience the latter should not also carry the burden of having to educate their peers or convince their academic institution of their needs. If an underrepresented student feels the need to create their community, I hope they do not feel pressured to have to explain why. “Self segregation” was a term that was thrown around a lot during my years at Cornell. It unfairly assumed there was an equal choice available for every individual student to simply blend in. For students of color, “blending in” meant constantly ignoring or laughing off microaggressions. It meant altering and stifling some part of themselves. It meant being responsible for holding peers accountable for saying or doing problematic things. It could even mean having to hide or downplay how their general experience on campus affects their ability to perform academically. My hope is that these things are worked out for underrepresented students instead of being worked out at the expense of their peace of mind and mental well being.

C O R N E L L R E P O RT | S U M M E R 2 0 2 1

Make your voice heard Many of my favorite Cornell memories come from time spent working with devoted students, faculty, and staff to improve Cornell for future students. I’m grateful for the opportunities I had to make my voice heard on many committees. On a subcommittee of the Diversity Committee, I watched faculty and staff members use their free time doing extensive research and drafting proposals to diversify the curriculum—something students have been requesting for decades. When I was at Cornell, there was a course on the history of baseball, but no courses in the history department that focused on African or Asian history. It was inspiring and motivating to see the level of care and effort Cornell faculty and staff are willing to put in for students, regardless of the outcomes. In the ’60s, students had to take over Old Sem to make their voices heard, and even then it took decades to have most of their demands met. Progress has clearly been made. I hope it continues, and I hope that Cornell students will have more opportunities to have their voices heard in the ways that I did—to truly have a say in the things that impact them as Cornell continues to grow to meet its students’ needs.

Laura Sanchez-Lopez ’13

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Lab manager, military base water lab Major: Biochemistry and molecular biology Minor: Kinesiology

Seek or be a mentor, and unplug

Ujjesa Dhanak ’19

Denver, Colorado Relocation Manager Majors: Economics and business, Spanish Minor: Ethnic studies

My junior year was the first year [then-Intercultural Life Director] Ken Morris rolled out the Each One Teach One program. Seeing the rest of the mentors that first day gave me this warm feeling that all our work and efforts with this program were going to be very rewarding. I’d say the first hour upon our arrival at Stoner House was hugs, catching up, laughter, and so much joy! We were all from various cultures, backgrounds, states of mind, and majors. Yet, the one thing that united us all was this willingness to help the next person transition into college and feel like they had a support system. We left Stoner House that day closer to one another than we had ever been before. We were determined to teach a fellow Cornellian that they had a family they could rely on! I’d give anything to be able to spend more time with my friends who are now thousands of miles away. Now that I’m in a stable position, thanks to my education, my Cornell support system, and all the difficult experiences I went through, I have the means to meet my friends in a different state or even country. I am that person, 10 years ago, I would have followed on social media and wished I could have her life in the future. I still talk to my friends from college periodically and we pick up where we left off. Unplug yourself and work toward that goal! You are capable of so much. All you need to do is get up and go! 37

Ram Report

Then & now Basketball players separated by 30 years compare experiences By

Dee Ann Rexroat ’82

Rams basketball players Wes Butterfield ’91, who came to Cornell from Florida, and Rose Shimaoka ’20, who came from Hawaii, compared their experiences on campus during a Zoom call. Their conversation was edited for length.

and checked up on me. There were also some in my grade from California and Colorado, and we bonded over being far away from home.

ROSE: I found Cornell online. A family friend sent a high-

those basketball guys. That’s part of what kept me going and thinking about coming back and working hard. It’s that bond that you have with your teammates. That’s one of those things that spans generations.

WES: We have lots of the same memories, like meeting

light video to Coach Brase, and he invited me to visit. I thought, why not? I loved the girls, the small community, and how everyone knew each other. I loved the block plan for sure. Something called me to do something new. I wanted to go far away from home as well.

ROSE: I totally agree. If I wasn’t in sports, I don’t think I would’ve stayed for four years. They really helped me when I got homesick during the winter. We did a lot of things as a team. We did Chili Cookoff on Main Street, visited the nursing home and the Mount Vernon elementary school. We also did faculty feast week, each inviting at least one faculty or staff member to eat lunch with us as a team.

WES: I never visited the school. I was far away from home, a person of color, didn’t know hardly anyone on campus, and during New Student Orientation my roommate and I didn’t go to anything. But I had no intentions of ever leaving. I just had the greatest experience. Those four years were so wonderful.

WES: Rose, we never did anything like that! That sounds so great. I had a great experience, but I don’t have those kinds of memories of doing things in the community. We played hard, we practiced hard. Cornell gave us space to do other things—a good balance between

ROSE: Wow, that’s so funny that you didn’t go to orientation. I thought it was a big thing, so I set three alarms because I was still adjusting to the time zone difference. The basketball girls were there Wes Butterfield ’91 (right) with Scott Denker ’91 and Coach Gary Grace.

C O R N E L L R E P O RT | S U M M E R 2 0 2 1

WES: That was probably lack-

academics and extracurriculars. I think that’s terrific that Cornell does that now.

ing when I was a student there, but I always felt welcomed. I lived on zero deck of Olin Hall. The entire residence hall was all men. My floor was a terrifically diverse floor. We had a great time. I always felt welcomed and supported, particularly by my floormates.

ROSE: That’s another reason I came—they told me all the things they do. We got involved with other sports as well. Coe games were the games that brought everybody together. Nonathletes and athletes.

ROSE: I agree with you on that.

way. That was the game that we marked on the calendar at the beginning of the season. Everybody wanted to score that first bucket. When the toilet paper flew, we’d take our technical, clean up the floor, and keep on playing.

ROSE: Yes, I think everyone

ROBYN SCHWAB AARON ’07

WES: It’s always been that

Rose Shimaoka ’20

I never once felt unwelcome at Cornell. Plus I was a person wanting to learn other people’s culture and lifestyle.

WES: When you think back over your four years at Cornell, what would you tell somebody interested in playing sports or coming to Cornell?

ROSE: I would just say try whatever is calling your name or sparking your interest because everyone is willing to accommodate you.

was so hyped. I was nervous, but hyped. You would go out and see so many people in the stands holding the TP and waiting for that first bucket. My freshman or sophomore year, I made the first bucket. I love the tradition. It’s meaningful.

WES: I would agree with that. The biggest takeaway was, everyone wanted to win so much but we also balanced that with making sure we could graduate in four years, and we did many other things. I’m a big believer in the liberal arts. Try lots of things and see what sticks. You leave a changed person and hopefully for the better.

WES: What’s your favorite basketball moment? ROSE: Sophomore year winning the conference championship game.

WES: We won conference at least a couple years. One of the

ROSE: That’s for sure. Coming into Cornell I was very shy.

nice things about DIII, I can say I competed in a track meet and played in a basketball game on the same day. It was neat that Cornell gave me the opportunity.

I ended my senior year getting involved with the community and the school. Definitely, my teammates and friends helped me reel it back in if I ever got stressed out. They were my second family that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the whole wide world.

Rose, talk about being a person of color on campus.

ROSE: My freshman year I started to realize that I was in a PWI [predominantly white institution], and I kind of felt weird. But there were a bunch of other Asians and people from China and Japan that I got to be friends with, and other people from Hawaii. BACO, which is the Black Awareness Cultural Organization, helped out too. I thought Cornell did a good job of intertwining the cultures. I applaud Cornell for all they have done to improve inclusiveness and diversity on campus.

Butterfield majored in history and is senior vice president, consulting services, at Ruffalo Noel Levitz. Shimaoka, who majored in kinesiology-exercise science, is a medical screener and a rehabilitation behavior technician.

ALUMNI NEWS

Alumni News

A 50-year span of graduation photos were among those submitted by Cornellians, and found in campus files, for this special issue.

C O R N E L L R E P O RT | S U M M E R 2 0 2 1

CONTRIBUTE

We love receiving updates. Submit your news to crnl.co/classnews

1960s

1970s

Bloomfield, Michigan, retired from full-time ministry in 2002 and lives in a fourthring suburb of Detroit with his wife, Jane. Until 2020 they enjoyed the freedom of retirement to sail in Lake Huron and visit their daughter in Phoenix, Arizona. As of late they’ve been sheltering from the coronavirus, so their movements have been reduced.

Journeys of Dreams, a travel agency specializing in babyboomer and multi-generational family travel, and has traveled to over 60 countries. She is also the author of a memoir titled “Journeys of a Boomer” and writes a blog by the same name at journeysofaboomer. com. She is the mother of two grown daughters and has five grandchildren.

Chuck Sonquist ’62,

Jane Strasma Randall ’64,

Toledo, Ohio, still works halftime as a criminal defense attorney. It’s too interesting to give up entirely, she writes, and half-time is a stress level that still lets her enjoy life and meets her need to give back to the community and serve the poor. With COVID, she’s explored Toledo’s many Metroparks, some of them new. To “get away,” she and her husband went to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, where the fall foliage was magnificent, and climbed along the river at Tahquamenon Falls. They had a car full of camping gear but, given COVID, the state and national parks mandated reservations, so they initially stayed in motels and then later camped. After 47 years in California

Alice Hastings Toppen ’65

moved to Clermont, Florida, to be close to her daughter and family. She writes that the almost daily rain showers are a big change from the long droughts in California, and that she’s learning to cope with the humidity, adding, “Getting to see my family and grandchildren often will be a huge plus.”

Thirty-eight years after completing his postgraduate training in internal medicine, Bill Ebinger ’76, Mequon, Wisconsin, is retiring from practice at the end of 2021. “I have witnessed my original physician-owned, multispecialty practice grow and ultimately be absorbed into a large regional healthcare system,” he writes. “My career in medicine has been very rewarding, allowing me not only to practice but also to take on administrative responsibilities, including stints as a medical director, hospital chief of staff, market management chair, and board of directors member. In retirement I anticipate traveling with my wife, Kimberly, primarily to see our children and grandchildren who are in every time zone.”

Holly Anderson Richardson ’70, Scottsdale, Arizona, owns

Linda Gable Watson ’70,

Decorah, Iowa, reports that seven alumni and spouses have made monthly Zoom gatherings their new way to stay connected during the pandemic. Their yearly reunion in Lanesboro, Minnesota, had to be cancelled but not the spirit of laughter and fun, she says. Alumni and spouses on the calls with Linda since June have been Bob Watson ’69, Chuck Hyser ’71 and Ruth Ann Hyser, Lilia Saarion Behr ’70 and Jeff Behr, Sue Morrow Petrosky ’70, and

Nancy Horney Davis ’78,

Elmwood, Illinois, semi-retired in January to spend more time with her 99-year-old mother, who lives independently next door, and to babysit her grandson one to two days a week. She works from home two days a week writing grants and doing leadership coaching for a not-for-profit providing services to people with disabilities. Her youngest son is getting married in the fall after postponing his wedding. “We are still loving life in our small town,” she writes, “and blessed to have our family nearby. Looking forward to seeing more of them once everyone is vaccinated!”

Barbara Evans Hansen ’70 and Bob Hansen ’70.

Mebias Discovery, a biotech company co-founded by Lawrence C. Kuo ’74, Denver, Colorado, has received $7.1 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to advance MEB-1170 through phase 1 human clinical studies as an analgesic drug candidate for the prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder. Dr. Jeffrey Unger ’74, Etiwanda, California, has published three medical textbooks on diabetes management in primary care and one on treating migraine headaches. He has also served as the team physician for the World Wrestling Federation and the Anaheim Angels baseball team.

1980s

Susan Taylor King ’80,

Sandia Park, New Mexico, is an arthropod keeper at the Albuquerque BioPark BUGarium. She is responsible for the care, breeding, and display of multiple species of mantises, roaches, and aquatic freshwater invertebrates, along with many other species. “I am thoroughly enjoying this amazing and interesting career!” she reports.

Tracy Curtright Reinhard ’82, Ogden, Utah, was

hired as the instructional elementary music coach for the Davis School District, where she offers training for 68 elementary music prep teachers in the district. With 37 years teaching experience in private and public schools, she has a wealth of knowledge to share, from creative lesson plans to assertive discipline techniques. She shares monthly workshops, visits the teachers, and offers support. After over 30 years of teaching anatomy and physiology at the two-year college level, Beth Becker ’83 has retired and moved back to St. Cloud, Minnesota. With the pandemic curtailing her travel plans, Ann McGregor ’84, Dunedin, Florida, took a full-time position with Johns Hopkins University as a supervisor in the computer science department for the Center for Talented Youth. Since then she’s been writing online Java programming courses. “Remembering back to being one of the earliest computer science majors at Cornell, and still working as a woman in tech today, is pretty amazing! My husband and I, recent empty-nesters, have moved to the Gulf Coast of Florida and enjoy all the wonderful outdoor activities that are just outside our door.”

ALUMNI NEWS

John Gilliland ’89, Van Meter, Iowa, has been promoted to vice president at Morgan Stanley. John has been a financial advisor and portfolio manager in the firm’s wealth management office in Des Moines. He joined the firm in 2012.

David Syring ’89, Duluth,

Minnesota, wrote a chapter for “The SAGE Handbook of Cultural Anthropology” (March 2021) about a foundational approach to anthropology that treasures human diversity and experience in all its variety. In 2020 Syring also published “Golden Animals: A Lyric Essay on Animacy and Resilience” in Anthropologica: Journal of the Canadian Anthropological Society. The essay emerges from collaborative research

with an Ecuadorian indigenous farmer and thinker. David has become the director of graduate studies for the master’s in professional studies in multidisciplinary research at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

completing his doctoral degree this year at Drake University on the topic of personalized learning.

Angela Patten Yarbrough ’92, St. Paul, Minnesota,

1990s

Tom Meyer ’92, Bellevue,

Iowa, is superintendent of schools in the Bellevue Community School District. He and his wife and two sons have been in Bellevue for the past 17 years, where he has been superintendent for seven years, and previously served eight years as the high school principal and two years as curriculum director. He is

Jerry Worsham ’78 and Joe Vernon ’80 met in March for an Arizona Diamondbacks spring training game.

2000s WEDDINGS Nola Haugberg ’07 to Sid

enjoys spending time with Luke, her husband of 17 years, and their two Portuguese water dogs. She works full time as a clinical pharmacist for Prime Therapeutics, having earned her doctor of pharmacy from the University of Minnesota in 2016. “What can you do with a degree from Cornell? Decide at age 40 to change careers from theatre costuming to pharmacy,” she writes. “I transitioned to working from home due to the COVID pandemic and will likely continue working from home moving forward. The dogs seem to enjoy this arrangement, and they are good company to me during this strange time.”

Schlueter, Feb. 13, 2021

Matthew Lang ’96, Castle

their rambunctious 4-year-old moved from the East Coast to Port Orchard, Washington, in October. With Genevieve’s job going completely remote, it was time to move closer to family and friends, including Courtney Himmah Kallstrom ’01. Erik now has a music room and is finishing up his final semester of library school. “We’re hoping that Cornellians near and far have been able to stay safe during this incredibly turbulent time,” she writes.

Rock, Colorado, writes that Ryan Sweeney ’16 recently completed two years as an investment advisor for Lang Investment Services, Matt’s business. The two met at an AXE event at Homecoming in 2013 and stayed in contact. The connection proved valuable for both of them when Matt hired Ryan to join his team in 2018.

Timothy Serewicz ’96,

Austin, Texas, was able to get his most recent film onto Amazon. The movie, “Chess Match,” stars Paul Bright and includes an appearance by Brian Gardes ’95.

BIRTHS & ADOPTIONS Mara Rhey Weatherford, Dec. 18, 2020, to Lindsey Mesner Weatherford ’02 and Ross Weatherford Evangeline Grace Compton, Nov. 11, 2020, to Chad Compton ’06 and Kirtley

Hitt Compton ’12

Laurene Elizabeth Magyar, Aug. 15, 2020, to Lisa Kowalke Magyar ’09 and Paul Magyar

Genevieve Gilson ’01, her husband Erik Bauer ‘01, and

Aaron Rosenthal ’01 is living

the condo life in Falls Church, Virginia, with his partner Nicky and their geriatric dog. He recently switched jobs to work at a more socially conscious company called Granicus where he supports county clerks and recorders offices. He’s been spending time fishing and hunting to get out as much as possible.

Lenora Sundstrom ’01

spent the past five years in Coolgardie, Western Australia, at Christian Aboriginal Parent-Directed

School teaching physical education, health, science, and outdoor education; running a specialized basketball program; assisting with the school’s Bush Rangers program; and introducing the Big Picture Education model. She relocated this year to Northam, Western Australia, where she is coordinating the About Us program for at-risk Aboriginal youth.

Tony Wilber ’01, Tempe,

Arizona, and his partner, Dr. Nichole Shiffler, recently opened a primary care medical clinic called Be Well Medical, PLLC, in Chandler, Arizona.

Anna Norstedt ’02, St.

Paul, Minnesota, supports pre-K students. When school is in session, she works in a classroom with reduced enrollment. When school is not in session, she works in a childcare classroom to support distance learning. “It is a hard year, but I am glad to be employed,” she writes.

Krystal McKinney Manka ’04, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,

defended her dissertation, “A Causal-Comparative Study of Student Engagement and Credit Attainment in Alternative High School Settings,” in March. She will be earning her doctor of education in educational leadership from Northcentral University and hopes to pursue her educational administrator endorsement next.

Nick Gallagher ’05 and his

wife, Tylar, live in rural Belle Plaine, Iowa, with a daughter, son, and another child on the way in August. Nick is in his 14th year working at Manatts Inc. for Brian Manatt ’03.

Jessica Jones ’08, Brooklyn,

New York, was promoted to portfolio manager of Southern Hemisphere Brands at Winebow, where she will

celebrate her third anniversary May 1. She resides with her dog, Kristofferson.

Erin Casey ’09, Iowa City,

Iowa, is director of The Writers’ Rooms (thewritersrooms. org), a literary organization in Iowa City. They released their newest community anthology in April 2021 called “Writers of the Aether” and are looking for writers for their next anthology. She intends to publish the third book in her Purple Door District urban fantasy series in late 2021. To learn more about Erin’s writing, visit erincasey.org

Kevin Lawrence ’09 will

begin his residency as a naval medical officer at Balboa Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California, in June following his graduation from medical school at the University of Iowa in May.

Lisa Kowalke Magyar ’09

writes that 2020 was quite the year, with a move to Woodbury, Minnesota, and the birth of their second daughter. She reports that their 3-year-old, Maddie, takes her big sister duties seriously and “loves her sister to pieces.”

EMBARK ON A LEARNING ADVENTURE

2010s WEDDINGS

Announcing the Cornell College Alumni Travel Program

Victoria Levasseur ’11 to

Dilan Patel, Nov. 20 and 21, 2020

Jacob Gehl ’13 to Leia

France

McWhorter-Pustateri, Sept. 19, 2020. The couple will use the last name Henry-Camille

June 25–July 3, 2022

Discover the history and culture of Normandy with hosts President Jonathan Brand and Rachelle LaBarge

Ve’Amber Miller ’15 to Asia Dye, Sept. 22, 2020

Ella Peitz ’16 to Buddy Mattern ’16, Oct. 31, 2020

Italy

BIRTHS & ADOPTIONS

September 17–25, 2022

Experience the treasures of Tuscany with Cornell Art Professor Chris Penn-Goetsch

Evangeline Grace Compton, Nov. 11, 2020, to Kirtley Hitt Compton ’12 and Chad

Compton ’06

See crnl.co/travel for more information.

ALUMNI NEWS

The more the student life experience changes, the more it stays the same, as evidenced in these images Cornellians submitted for this issue.

HOM E

OMING

& R EU N I O N W E E K E N D

OCTOBER 8-10, 2021 Come home to the Hilltop or join in wherever you are. In-person and virtual events will be available so everyone can take part. See crnl.co/homecoming for more information.

Leonardo “Leo” Edward Hartmann-Hayes, March 3, 2020, to Jillian Hartmann ’12 and Eric Hayes ’10 Nicholas Dugan-Starr, Feb. 18, 2021, to Angela Dugan-Starr ’13 and Richard Dugan-Starr

’13

Konner Grace Gratz, Aug. 7, 2020, to Kerbee Koehler Gratz ’13 and Dan Gratz ’12

Jillian Liu ’10, Portland,

Maine, matched into the ophthalmology program at the University of Tennessee Hamilton Eye Institute in Memphis. She will train at a number of hospitals over the next four years including the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “I’m looking forward to the journey, the warm Southern weather, and the promise of new adventures at home and abroad after COVID,” she writes.

orthopedic surgery, has been admitted to A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri, and is grateful to Mark Kendall and the Cornell Dimensions program for their committee letter that helped Chase get into more than a couple of schools. Hopefully, the cats will tolerate yet another move, Chase writes.

Victoria Levasseur ’11, St.

Louis, Missouri, was married on Nov. 20 and 21, 2020, to Dilan Patel. They are both physicians at Washington University, where Victoria is doing fellowship training in multiple sclerosis.

Justin Brown ’12, Chicago,

Illinois, graduated from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business with his MBA and moved to Chicago to begin working as a consultant for Boston Consulting Group.

Nicole Potter Therrien ’14 and Derek Therrien ’14 relocated to Peachtree

Corners, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. After graduating with the doctor of pharmacy, Nicole accepted a position as a pharmacist consultant contractor for ASRT Inc., working with the CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention on applied research and translation projects. Derek accepted a position as a 7th-grade school counselor at Georgia Cyber Academy. They moved from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and are loving the warmer weather of their new home.

Chase Barnwell ’13 (formerly

Brittany Barnwell), Columbia, Missouri, transitioned from the pharmaceutical laboratory industry to clinical medicine in 2017 and has been working as an EMT in emergency rooms and urgent care centers during the pandemic. They moved from Northern California to Missouri to pursue in-hospital experiences and found a rugby team and cycling opportunities along the way. Chase, who plans to specialize in

Yesenia Hernandez ’15, San Pedro, California, received her master of arts degree in education, social and cultural analysis of education, from California State University, Long Beach, last summer.

Kelsey King ’15, Ankeny, Iowa, received a fellowship from the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center to study the impact of climate change on the habitat of the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly, and recently passed her Ph.D. candidacy exams.

Ve’Amber Miller ’15, Chicago, Illinois, married her lifelong best friend, Asia Dye, on Sept. 22, 2021. Ve’Amber received her master’s degree in public history from Loyola University Chicago on May 11.

Peter Tran ’15, St. Louis,

Missouri, will start his doctoral

ALUMNI NEWS

In memoriam program in biostatistics at St. Louis University in the fall of 2021.

2020s

After a six-month postponement due to the pandemic, Ella Peitz Mattern ’16 and Buddy Mattern ‘16 finally tied the knot on Halloween 2020 at Brophy Chapel in Phoenix, Arizona. They reside in Glendale, Arizona.

Arlington, Virginia, started her own organization, the Nuclear Fusion Project (NFP), to help increase accessibility in the nuclear field and the broader national security field. The NFP offers weekly happy hours, mentorship, and other professional development opportunities open to all. The company received its first grant this month and is quickly expanding across the world.

Elisabeth Sage ’18, Marion,

Iowa, has been admitted and will be continuing her education in psychology through the counseling psychology doctoral program at the University of Kansas.

Jessica Budlong ’20,

Lynn “Bear” Stiles ’50

Cynthia Valenzuela ’18,

Former Cornell Trustee Lynn “Bear” Stiles ’50 of Muscatine, Iowa, died Jan. 18, 2021. He was 92. Stiles was a three-sport athlete at Cornell, setting track records in shotput, participating on the 1947 national championship wrestling team, and playing football. He earned his master’s degree at the University of Illinois. Then while serving in the Navy he started the first self-service military post exchange store. He owned Stiles Drug and Ace Hardware in Muscatine and built a chain of Ace Hardware stores across Iowa and Illinois. Football was his life passion. After retirement, he and co-founder Jim Miller started the Youth Sports Foundation, acquiring the equipment and coaches needed for a football program for children in 3rd through 7th grades. The program has grown exponentially and now also offers cheerleading, volleyball, and track and field programs to more than 300 communities in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Stiles was a loyal and generous supporter of Cornell athletics, including donations to the Ash Park field renovation in 2014 and the 1986 construction of the Small Sport Center arena. In addition to serving on the Cornell College Board of Trustees from 1981–1990 and 1991-1996, Stiles provided leadership to the boards of his local Wesley United Methodist Church and Chamber of Commerce. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, honorary alumna Sally Stiles, four children, and six grandchildren.

Aurora, Colorado, reports that she and John Bendewald ’17 are engaged.

Jamie Rhoads ’19, St. Charles, Illinois, was hired as a service coordinator at ComPsych Corporation in Chicago.

Did you change your life? Let us know For a future article we are looking for alumni who changed the direction of their lives. This could include leaving a job in order to live where you desire, or moving somewhere unknown to pursue your dream job. It could mean leaving a job you loved for better life balance, or leaving the working world altogether. To be part of the story, email cornellreport@cornellcollege.edu

C O R N E L L R E P O RT | S U M M E R 2 0 2 1

Deaths Forest Johnson ’42, Mechanicsville, Iowa, March 12, 2021 Ann Arganbright Nielsen ’44, Lafayette, California, Jan. 12, 2021 Jane Hall Ries ‘44, Casco, Wisconsin, July 18, 2020 Alberta Hall Randall ‘45, Iowa City, Iowa, Feb. 4, 2021 Mary Witte Duncan ‘46, Wichita, Kansas, Jan. 30. 2021 Joan Overholser Houghton ’46, Iowa City, Iowa, Jan. 23, 2021 Marcella Killey McDowell ‘46, Columbia, South Carolina, Jan. 24, 2021 Mary Wick Brandenburg ‘47, Altoona, Iowa, Jan. 21, 2021 Charles Maguire ‘47, Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 25, 2021 Thelma Wendel Kerkman ‘48, Maquoketa, Iowa, March 4, 2021 Gail Hubbard Tilleman ‘48, Bolivar, Missouri, Jan. 11, 2019

Arthur W. Nienhuis ’63 Gene therapy pioneer Arthur W. Nienhuis ’63 died Feb. 3, 2021. He was 79. Nienhuis, a physician-scientist, was an early proponent of gene therapy as a discipline. He was past director and CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and a founder and past president of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT). Nienhuis was born in Michigan and attended Cornell before moving to Los Angeles to receive his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He completed clinical training in internal medicine before working for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1970. He completed training in pediatric hematology at Boston Children’s Hospital and returned to the NIH in 1973. Over the next two decades he established a bench-to-bedside research program, leading a series of clinical trials demonstrating that fetal hemoglobin expression could be reactivated pharmacologically, laying the groundwork for FDA approval of the first drug to treat sickle cell disease. In 1993 he left the NIH to direct St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he directed an enormous expansion of the facilities and research while continuing his own active research. He joined with George Stamatoyannopoulos and other gene therapy pioneers to found ASGCT in 1997 and served as its president in 2008. He is survived by his wife, Corinne; four children; and multiple grandchildren.

Virginia Chambers Ferguson ‘50, Placerville, California, Jan. 1, 2021 Arthur Hammond ‘50, Alpharetta, Georgia, Jan. 6, 2021 Thomas Bowen ‘51, Forest City, Iowa, Jan. 26, 2021 Marlin Cook ‘51, Davenport, Iowa, Jan. 29, 2021 Andrew Kolzow ‘51, New Orleans, Louisiana, Dec. 24, 2020 Mason Scholl ‘51, Evanston, Illinois, Dec. 12, 2020 Robert Weick ‘51, Oak Lawn, Illinois, Dec. 27, 2020 Beverly Boysen Cameron ‘52, Portland, Oregon, Jan. 25, 2021 Jon Kosek ‘52, Stanford, California, Oct. 16, 2020 Truman Chaffin ‘53, Pebble Beach, California, Dec. 23, 2020 Barbara High Kummerfeldt ‘54, New Glarus, Wisconsin, Jan. 20, 2021 Shirley McCall Olson ‘54, Anchorage, Alaska, Jan. 1, 2021 Walter Johnson ’55, Waukon, Iowa, Jan. 16, 2021 Robert Lange ‘55, Elmhurst, Illinois, Feb. 4, 2021 Richard McKeen ‘55, Iowa City, Iowa, March 9, 2021 Douglas Anderson ‘56, Chicago, Illinois, April 3, 2020 Norman Stephenson ‘57, Frankfort, Kentucky, Sept. 6, 2020 Donna Smith Bell ‘58, Westminster, Colorado, Jan. 22, 2021 Chauncey Wells ‘58, Freeport, Illinois, Feb. 2, 2021 Thomas Nelles ‘64, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, Nov. 15, 2020 William Rohde ‘68, Boston, Massachusetts, Jan. 27, 2021 Eve Young Visconti ‘68, Foster City, California, Jan. 4, 2021 Linda S. Caldwell ‘72, Gladwin, Michigan, Jan. 13, 2021 Mary Smafield-Green ‘73, Elkhorn, Wisconsin, Jan. 26, 2021 Nicholas Scott-Craig ‘96, Des Moines, Iowa, Feb. 28, 2021 Cassandra Lease ‘06, Medford, Massachusetts, Feb. 2, 2021

L A S T WO R D

Illustration by Zoe’e Jordan ’15

We asked you to imagine Cornell and tell us, in one word, what diversity, equity, and inclusion should look like on campus. This is what you told us.

WEB EXTRA

We gave alumni the option to include a further explanation of their word. See the responses at crnl.co/imaginecornell 48

ROBYN SCHWAB AARON ‘07

Members of Phi Omega celebrate at the King Chapel squares following Commencement.

Linda Wang ‘21 celebrates during the Class of 2021’s Commencement on May 16. Wang and her class persevered through the COVID-19 pandemic that kept many away from the Hilltop following spring break during their junior year followed by a changed campus that was adapting to a new reality throughout their senior year.

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CORNELL COLLEGE

ROBYN SCHWAB AARON ’07

600 FIRST STREET SW MOUNT VERNON, IA 52314–1098