Videos

The West Campus Experience

Timeless Cornell: Reflecting on the Past and Preparing for the Future 
Cornell Class of ’66 in Conversation with West Campus Residents

"You cannot step into the same river twice.” Versions of this quotation, attributed to ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, convey a philosophy of constant change. But what does this mean for Cornell? Can you step foot on the same campus twice? What has changed and what has remained? Our three-part conversation series between West Campus residents and members of the Cornell Class of ’66 engages questions of constant change and what we can learn from the past as we look to the future.

Valuing Community: Life on Campus Then and Now
Bruce Mansdorf (’66) and Judy Kurtz Polcer (’66) in conversation with Erica Kirchhof (’22, Cook) and Adigun Olusola (’24, Keeton), moderated by Prof. Andrew Hicks (House Professor-Dean, Hans Bethe House) 


Unprecedented: Campus Life in Times of Change
Ivan Wolff (’66) and Diane Stein Dobrow (’66) in conversation with Shehryar Qazi (’24, Becker) and Sparkle Sillim (’22, Bethe), moderated by Prof. Lindsay Anderson (House Professor-Dean, William Keeton House) 

Lasting Connections: Lessons for Futures beyond Cornell
Ralph Janis (’66) and Mary Jansen Everett (’66) in conversation with Anuli Ononye (’22, Rose) and Salaiha Mughal (’22, Bethe), moderated by Prof. Rosemary Avery (House Professor-Dean, Flora Rose House) 

Highlight Reel from All Three Interviews 

 

These video conversations have been generously supported by ThrivingRED and the West Campus House System. They were edited by Matt Gorney and CIT Video Engineering.
 

2020-2021 "...and (In)justice for All" Series

In response to a partially-remote academic year, the West Campus House System partnered with eCornell to host a year-long virtual Learning Where You Live (LWYL) course titled "...and (In)justice for All."  By transforming this from an in person to a virtual program, we are excited that both alumni and students can benefit from exposure to these thought-provoking lectures. This LWYL course was designed to explore the foundational causes of and responses to racial and social injustice in the United States. It will feature leading experts in five primary areas: democracy and voting rights, incarceration and criminal (in)justice, educational institutions, climate justice, and urban housing policies and segregation. Over two semesters, students engage in five webinars that focus on social justice and public policy and five webinars that intersect justice advocacy with artistic expression.

Each policy webinar is sponsored by the Koen-Horowitz Lecture Series in the College of Human Ecology. Jennifer Koen, Human Ecology Class of 1993, and her spouse, Mark Horowitz, sponsored this program to raise awareness among students of key public policy topics facing our nation.  The College of Human Ecology and Policy Analysis and Management Department are grateful to the Koen Horowitz family for bringing together this group of experts to examine the important and far reaching role that public policies can have on all aspects of our society – and in particular our academic institutions.

Sponsoring the art conversations, the Cornell University Class of '66 has expanded and extended the impact of its endowment, ThrivingRED. To honor their 50th reunion, the Class of '66 created an endowment within the West Campus House System, ThrivingRED, to promote and enhance personal connections that nurture resilience and help students thrive. To honor their 55th reunion, "ThrivingRED the Arts" encourages students to find new paths to thrive, creative expression, and engagement in the arts.

You can view recordings of each webinar below:

FALL 2020
SPRING 2021