From September 15th to October 15th, each week we'll be sharing the stories of various influential Hispanic figures. If there is a particular individual you'd like to see included, please email RHD Cristina at cn345@cornell.edu.
Selena Quintanilla
Selena Quintanilla was a Mexican American singer born in Texas on April 16, 1971. Known simply as Selena, the Queen of Tejana Music released several hits including “I Could Fall in Love,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “Dreaming of You,” “Amor Prohibido,” and “Como La Flor.” Selena won a Grammy award for Best Mexican American Album in 1994, making her the first Tejana to win in this category.
Tragically, Selena’s life was cut short when she was shot by one of her employees and fan club manager, Yolanda Saldívar, on March 31, 1995. Droves of fans were left bereaved as they mourned the loss of the beloved singer who passed days before her 24th birthday. Selena’s legacy continues to live on through the profound impact she had on Latin American music and culture. In 2021, she won a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy.
In just a few short years, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has become one of the major leading voices for Hispanic Americans in politics. Also known by her initials AOC, she was born in 1989 in the Bronx, one of New York City’s boroughs, to a Puerto Rican mother and a Bronx-born father of Puerto Rican descent. She excelled through high school after her family moved to the suburbs and was in her second year at Boston College when her dad tragically died of lung cancer in 2008.
After graduating college in 2011, Ocasio-Cortez returned to the Bronx and later campaigned for Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. She visited Flint, Michigan, and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota after the general election, where she attended the Dakota Access Pipeline protests and decided to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ocasio-Cortez eventually challenged Democratic incumbent Joe Crowley, the first to do so since 2004, and pulled off a surprise primary win in June 2018. Through a grassroots campaign, she became the youngest person elected into the House during the midterm elections that year. Since her arrival in Congress, Ocasio-Cortez’s vocal support of left-leaning ideas, including co-sponsoring the Green New Deal to combat climate change, has made her a popular figure in progressive politics. She was reelected to serve New York’s 14th congressional district in 2020 and 2022—running unopposed in the latter.
Ellen Ochoa made her mark by becoming the first Hispanic American woman to go to space with a nine-day mission in 1993. Ochoa was born in 1958 in Los Angeles, years after her paternal grandparents immigrated from Mexico. She first obtained her physics degree from San Diego State University and by 1985 also had earned her master’s and doctorate degrees from Stanford University’s Department of Electrical Engineering.
Through her impressive research work, NASA selected Ochoa to become an astronaut in 1991. Two years later, Ochoa made history on board the space shuttle Discovery on a mission to study the Earth’s ozone layer. She later completed three more missions. Ochoa became the first Hispanic American director of the Johnson Space Center in 2013, only the second woman to take the helm. After retiring with 30 years of service, Ochoa continues to advocate for women in STEM. “I think we need all the best and brightest people working in science and engineering fields, and that is certainly not limited to men or white men or anything like that,” she told NBC News in 2019.
Just a reminder that there's a community black-and-white printer available for your use in the McClintock Breakout Room (Room 120). Whether you need to print class materials, forms, or anything else, feel free to take advantage of this shared resource.
It's there for everyone in the McClintock community—no need to trek across campus just to print a few pages!
If you have any questions about how to use it, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Happy printing!
Items in the Bathrooms/Hallways
Items are not permitted to be stored in the hallways or in the bathrooms. Please make sure that you are removing any boxes, shoes, suitcases, trashbags, etc. from the hallways
If items (such as bathmats, shelves, personal hygiene items, etc.) are left in bathroom, Building Care is not able to clean the space.
Please note that Items in the Bathrooms and/or Hallways are Community Living Standards violtation. These space must be clear of belongings at all times.
Please be sure to look over your space and address any outstanding violations you may have.
Bike Room
If you have brought (or are planning to bring) a bike, scooter, e-bike, e-scooter, etc, to campus, please note they are prohibited from being stored in the community and your bedroom.
They must be stored in the Bike Room, which is located in Hu Shih Hall. This is a secured location that you scan your ID to get into.
When you arrive between Hu Shih and RBG, turn left.
When approaching the P-space (proformance space) of JAM (Just About Music), turn right.
Walk toward the parking lot on Program House Drive
Toward the left of the Hu Shih Main Entrance, you will see a pump and entrance to the Bike Room.
To enter the space, you must scan your Cornell ID.
If you have any issues finding the location, let RHD Cristina or your RA know and we can help you find it.
Quiet Hours
Quiet Hours are:
Sunday-Thursday from 11 PM to 7:30 AM
Friday and Saturday from 12 AM to 9 AM
Keep in mind that there are 24 hour Courtesy Hours.
Some helpful hints
During quiet hours:
amplified sound, loud talking in hallways, and other noise or behavior that might prevent others from sleeping or studying is prohibited.
noise that can be heard from one door away with your door closed is defined as too loud.
During Courtesy Hours:
sound is too loud at any time of day two doors away when your door is closed
These policies are also in effect in the lounges near residential spaces.
If you are in the lounges with a group of friends, please keep quiet and courtesy hours in mind.
As a reminder, every night, our RAs complete community walks to engage with our community and ensure safety. Know that they will knock on bathrooms as they complete their walks and enter all bathroom spaces. Please do not be alarmed. All we ask is that you respond when you hear a knock. Our RAs will enter each bathroom to check for safety and security concerns and facilities issues that may need attention.
The Barbara Board Eboard Elections are LIVE!
As a resident of Barbara McClintock Hall, you are a general member of the Barbara Board. In additional to general membership, the Board will also have Executive Board composed of two Co-Presidents, a Treasurer, a Secretary, two Residential Student Congress (RSC) Representatives, and one to five Unit Representatives. Elections for these positions are now live. Please cast your votes by using this link:Barbara Board Elections 25-26
If you would like to see the position descriptions or learn about the Barbara Board, here a link to the presentation: Barbara Board Interest Presentation
Elections will be open until Tuesday, September 23rd, at 11:59 PM. Voting will take place online through Campus Groups on Thursday, September 18th to Tuesday, September 23rd. You will have until 11:59PM to cast your votes!
Elected candidates will be notified by Noon on Wednesday, September 24th, and have until Friday, September 26th at Noon to accept or decline the position.
Please reach out to your RA or RHD Cristina if you have any questions.
Roommate Agreements are available!
What is a 'Roommate Agreement'?
The purpose of a roommate agreement is to promote discussion and to provide roommates with the opportunity to reflect on their needs, develop and practice communication, and reflect on the needs of everyone in the space. This is a collaborative process.
RAs are able to utilize the Roommate Agreements when assisting with roommate mediation. If roommates have not completed the roommate agreement and are in conflict, the roommate agreement serves as a tool to assist roommates in discussing their expectations of their rooming experience and articulating their needs with one another.
Roommates are not limited to the questions included in the agreement. The agreement is a foundation for a conversation!
How do I find the 'Roommate Agreement'?
Roommate agreements are electronic and located within StarRez and found through the Housing and Dining Portal (as a tab).
One roommate will need to initiate the form on StarRez to capture responses (roommates can work on this when they come together).
This roommate will then submit the completed form and the form will then be sent to the other roommate(s). The other roommate(s) should then review to ensure everything was accurately captured. If everything is accurate and they agree on the content, they should then submit the form. If anything was missed and an edit needs to be made, the resident can make edits. Once the edits have been made, the form will be sent back to the other resident(s) for their review. This is to ensure that everyone is aware of and agrees to the documented information.
Once we make the 'Roommate Agreement'... then what??
Part of the living experience is also recognizing that needs evolve and as they do, mistakes happen/agreed upon expectations are not met.
It is important to remember that this agreement is a living document and can be revisited at any time!
Can my RA help us with our 'Roommate Agreement'?
Yes! Please reachout to an RA for support with completing your roommate agreement, or locating the agreement on StarRez!
RHDs are also available to assist with skill building and facilitating mediations.
WANT TO BE A 2026-2027 RESIDENT ADVISOR?
Attend an Info Session or the RA Q&A Session to learn more!
Registration Information can be found on the Selection Process Overview website linked below!
Curious to explore a fascinating subject outside your intended major?
Want to meet a fantastic and friendly professor?
Still looking for an extra credit or two without the pressure of grades?
Check out these Learning Where You Live courses held primarily on North and West Campus. They are all 1-credit courses offered S/U (with one exception noted below). Former students have raved about these courses, noting their ability to really get to know a faculty member and other students in a low stress and interesting course. All are open to you regardless of where you live. Register for them during add/drop just as you would any other course and email the faculty member with any questions.
RA on call: The RA on call's phone number is 607-391-5291.
RA on-call hours:
Sunday-Thursday:
7 PM to 8 AM
Friday- Saturday:
7 PM to 7 PM
*When contacting RA on-call, call the RA On-Call number (not text), during the hours listed above to ensure timely assistance.
Cornell University Police Department (CUPD): If there's an emergency, contact CUPD at (607) 255-1111.
Service center hours: Remember to check the student service center hours page to stay in-the-know about important updates and hours of operation. The service center also supports with lock outs.
Maintenance requests: Use this page to troubleshoot and submit maintenance requests for your residential space.
Barbara McClintock RHD: Know that RHD Cristina is also here to support you, along with our RAs. Her working hours are Monday -Friday from 9am to 12pm and 1pm-5pm. Here are some of the ways you can reach out to her:
Office: Stop by BAMC 106 (this to the left of the RA office)
