politics

“If a student’s college’s endowment portfolio has fossil-fuel stock,” says Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org and a leader in environmental conservation, “then their educations are being subsidized by investments that guarantee they won’t have much of a planet on which to make use of their degree.”

On November 6, 2012, students walked the Ithaca College campus buzzing about more than just weekend plans and the upcoming Cortaca Jug: it was Election Day.

The general reaction of the campus seemed to be one of celebration following Tuesday’s late-night results, but can we really assume the political orientation of the school based on its reputation and location?

There's one image few today will fail to recognize: the president's face outlined in red, yellow and blue, "hope" the only word attached. This poster and emoticon has been attached to most of President Obama's first and second campaigns, as well as a large part of his presidency. Campaign posters have not always been so simplistic.

The famous Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli once described what makes up the image of a politician in his political treatise The Prince. He stated that when it comes to being a politician, “everyone sees what you appear to be, but few experience who you really are” (Machiavelli, Chapter 18). What Machiavelli is implying here is that humans have a knack for the apparent aesthetic.