All next week is spirit week with lots of giveaway opportunities, starting tomorrow, Sunday, September 28th. For a complete list of events happening during Spirit Week and Homecoming Weekend, click here. There'll be everything from chalk challenges to sweatshirts to Movies On The Arts Quad (MOTAQ). This year, they will be showing Superman! More information here.
Don't miss out on the Drone and Laser Light Show, sign up here! You can also get tickets for the football game against Colgate here. Please read the caption under CORNELL STUDENTS before purchasing tickets.
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.
Sylvia Mendez
Civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent and was at the center of Mendez v. Westminster in 1947. Mendez’s parents brought the lawsuit against a school in Westminster, California, when it refused to allow Mendez and her siblings to enroll because they were Hispanic.
Other Hispanic families joined the case, and in 1946, a judge ruled in favor of ending the segregation of Hispanic kids across four school districts. The ruling helped usher in a ban on segregation in all public California schools in 1947. Mendez’s case set the precedent eight years later for 1954’s landmark decision Brown v. Board of Education that segregating students based on race was unconstitutional.
Mendez went on to enroll in a newly desegregated Westminster elementary school, eventually attending Orange Coast Community College and then California State University (Los Angeles) where she earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing. For her work as a civil rights activist, including speaking at schools about the value and importance of getting an education and lobbying politicians to include Mendez v. Westminster in California history books, Barack Obama awarded Mendez the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
Pedro Pascal is a Chilean American actor best known for his leading roles in The Last of Us and The Mandalorian. Born in Chile in 1975, Pascal’s family was forced to flee the country during Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. They moved to Denmark as refugees before settling in San Antonio.
Pascal developed a strong interest in movies as child, acting out scenes from films like Indiana Jones. After fifth grade, his family moved to California, where he attended a performing arts school. He then studied acting at New York University’s famed Tisch School of the Arts. Even so, Pascal struggled for years to get cast in recurring roles. His big break was on the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, and he later found success on Narcos, portraying real-life DEA agent Javier Peña.
He earned a 2023 Emmy nod for his performance in the post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us as a hardened survivor named Joel. With that, he became just the second Latino actor to be nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Pascal received a total of three Emmy nominations last year, becoming the most-nominated Latino in a single year.
Carolina Herrera built a fashion empire after moving from Venezuela to New York City. Venezuelan-born designer Carolina Herrera has been creating haute couture pieces for her eponymous brand since 1981 when she moved from her hometown of Caracas to New York City to pursue a career in fashion. Carolina, whose business only had 20 dresses when she first launched it, has outfitted former first ladies including Michelle Obama and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and has a large A-list fanbase that includes actors Zendaya and Lupita Nyong’o, singer Katy Perry, and Princess Kate Middleton.
Herrera’s line is especially beloved among brides, and some of her high-fashion wedding gowns are priced upward of $10,000. Herrera is proud of her Latin heritage and has implemented elements of it into her designs including using the colors of the Venezuelan flag in some of her pieces.
October 1st is also the start of Filipino American History Month!
A Message from Fuertes Observatory
Our neighbors at Fuertes Observatory need our help! Because our building is located right next to the observatory, light from our windows can interfere with their evening sky observations.
To support their work, we kindly ask residents to lower window shades and minimize indoor lighting during the evening hours—especially on Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 PM to midnight, when public stargazing events are held.
Even small changes make a big difference:
Lower your shades after sunset
Turn off lights when rooms are unoccupied
Use minimal lighting when possible during those key hours
Fuertes Observatory truly appreciates your cooperation in helping preserve the night sky for all to enjoy!
Community Living Standards reminders -
Our facilities, building care, and RA team are noticing a couple of Community Living Standards issues so I wanted to share some reminders. It you haven't already, please make sure that have looked over the Community Living Standards page. The concerns of late include -
Items begin stored in the pod bathrooms
Items being left/stored in the hallway
Please be sure to look over your space and address any outstanding violations you may have.
Some addtional reminders:
When using the showers, please ensure the shower curtain is fully closed to prevent the water from flooding the bathroom.
While New York State has legalized the recreational use of cannabis for adults over the age of 21, Cornell University is subject to federal laws (per the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and the Drug Free Workplace Act) that expressly prohibit the possession, use or distribution of cannabis on University property, including all residential communities.
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
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.
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)
