Leon Hu ‘29
Executive Opinion Editor
On Sept. 21, 2026, the Cornell Daily Sun released an editorial demanding that Cornell take accountability following horribly inadequate punishments for seven students accused of sexual violence on an unnamed Jane Doe. The ensuing media coverage capitulated Cornell into the spotlight, triggering extensive media coverage and a reinvestigation of the case from New York’s State Attorney General, Letitia James, bringing to light a crime that occurred almost two years ago.
Had the Daily Sun not written their editorial, the case would likely have remained untouched. Clearly, Cornell was not willing to properly engage with the matter — not until the Daily Sun’s editorial forced the issue out into the open, that is. The work of student journalists brought the case back into the open and, hopefully, closer towards the justice that it truly deserves.
None of this would have happened if the editorial board chose to remain silent. Nothing would have happened if they didn’t use their voice. And the Daily Sun are not the only people with platforms to raise awareness about the issues that matter. At Trinity, we, too, have a voice. You, too, have a voice.
It should come as no surprise that Trinity, like the rest of American higher education, has its own slew of issues. In November of 2025, our administration had such an absurdly adverse reaction to pro-Palestinian messages chalked in classrooms that it drew national attention to Trinity’s policy on political demonstrations, resulting in Trinity falling tremendously in national free-speech rankings. In October of 2025, dining hall employees went on strike after Chartwells announced that it would be cutting their hours. More recently, our official policy on AI has come under fire by our faculty body for its failure to recognize the pitfalls and dangers of unregulated AI usage on critical thought.
As students, we are not mere spectators to the social, political and educational unfoldings of campus. We are — or should be — active agents in the process that recognize the potential harm or benefit of these events and speak our opinions on events as they happen. I, as just one of over 2,000 undergraduates at this college, have written about every topic that I mentioned above: Trinity’s protest culture, the role of Chartwells in dining and our administration’s concerning stance on AI.
I do not want to be the only one who voices their concerns about the happenings of Trinity; thankfully, I am not alone. In this year alone, four non-staff writers and three other members of the editorial board have contributed to our Opinion section, which I am immensely grateful for. But we can do better. There are more than seven other people on campus who have feelings about what is happening to us at Trinity and out in the larger world.
Students — recognize that change is possible. As stubborn as Trinity may be, it is still willing to change. Although flawed, Trinity did change its protest policy after the backlash following its response to chalking protests. The Student Government Association is more than willing to listen to what other students have to say. Despite our differences, our administration — including President Lugo — reads the Tripod. They may not always like what we have to say, but they read it.
In fact, students, faculty and staff alike frequent our paper. Some of my most cherished memories of being part of the Tripod have been when professors, fellow students and dining hall staff have stopped me and expressed support for a piece that I wrote the previous week. It is immensely rewarding to know that you, a single student, have a voice that other people are willing to give time to and hear.
If you are reading this, recognize that you are the audience that you could reach through writing. Next issue, it could be your opinion that other people could read, argue with, ponder, reconsider, dismiss or act upon. I want to hear what you have to say. The Tripod wants to hear what you have to say. Trinity wants to hear what you have to say.
Everybody has an opinion on what happens around us. If you disagree with that prior statement, that, too, is an opinion. We have too little time on campus, too many issues in our divided world and too many buried Jane Does for our voices to go unheard. Silence is not a luxury that we can forever afford. So, please — speak. Write. Make yourself and your feelings heard as loud as possible. I promise you that there are people who care, and action can be sparked from your voice.
If you want to get involved with the Tripod, check out the “Write for the Tripod” section of our website. As always, my email (leon.hu@trincoll.edu) is open to any opinions you may have.