I am second to none in my disdain for most American colleges and universities.  Their leftism means that they've abandoned any pretense of teaching in the liberal arts and are now steadily chipping away at the STEM programs, too.  (And that doesn't even touch upon their fealty to the Chinese Communist Party.)  Cornell, though, has decided to outdo most other academic institutions by announcing that all new students must get flu vaccines to attend Cornell — unless they're "Black, Indigenous/, or ... a Person of Color."

Like most modern colleges, Cornell is a leftist institution, one that saw 98% of its employees' political donations go to Democrats.  Here are just a few of the ridiculous news stories Campus Reform has assembled about what was once a fairly decent little college:

To fight racism, Cornell's English department changed its name to the "department of literatures in English" (an example of clunky writing only an academic could love).

Cornell's faculty and graduate students want to abolish "colorblind recruitment" of faculty because the Civil Rights Act apparently doesn't apply to them.  This is both condescending and racist.

Cornell wants to provide direct support for illegal aliens.  It seems appropriate to note that Cornell received $12.8 million in federal funding under the coronavirus aid act in April.  Since money is fungible, it's using your taxpayer money to support those who break American laws.

Students at Cornell helpfully compiled a list of almost 40 race and racism courses the school offers — classes they think everyone should take.  These include "Representing Racial Encounters; Encountering Racial Representations" and "The Future of Whiteness."

The Student Activities commission gave student funds to BLM.

Cornell dropped standardized test requirements because they're potentially "biased" against women and minorities.  Again, that's both condescending and racist.

Someone just discovered that, this year, Cornell has announced that "Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC)" can make their own decisions about whether they want to be exposed to the risk of getting the flu, all in the name of racial justice.

Cornell, like other colleges, has long mandated that new students attending must take some traditional, tried-and-true vaccines to prevent the spread of diseases that can plague dormitories and classrooms — and kill students.  It still has those requirements, which you can see here.  Before this year, Cornell did have exemptions for medical and religious reasons (required under state law).

Now, though, there's a new reason to avoid vaccines: you can reject the flu vaccine if you're a member of an oppressed class (although one has to wonder how oppressed someone is if he's entering one of the most prestigious colleges in America...but whatever):

Ithaca students with other concerns / extenuating circumstances may request an exemption from the Fall 2020 flu vaccination requirement that is part of the university's COVID-19 Behavioral Compact. (Learn more about why Cornell is requiring flu vaccination for students.) Students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or as a Person of Color (BIPOC) may have personal concerns about fulfilling the Compact requirements based on historical injustices and current events, and may find this information helpful in considering an exemption.

It's unclear whether avoiding the flu vaccine is actually a benefit to these students.  The flu, after all, can be nasty, and it does occasionally kill people.  And "the science" has led Cornell to dictate its use to all other students.

Additionally, to the extent that this policy treats people differently based on race, it is another example of Cornell's unconstitutional race-based decision-making.  I'd like to think Trump will address this kind of racist activity in his second term.  What I do know is that if Biden staggers into the White House, it won't be addressed; it will be encouraged.

Meanwhile, in light of all the shade cast on white people of late in the leftist world and the corollary benefits flowing to those People of Color, I think it's important to note that I too am a person of color:

You'll note from the photo above that my skin, although not very dark, is most decidedly not white.  If it's not white, then it's a color, and I am, as I said, a Person of Color.

I'm now ready for reparations, freedom from obligations placed on white people, and the absence of racial imprecations hurled at white people of late (toxic, fragile, aggressive, etc.).  I'm also thinking of applying for a job at Cornell.  Perhaps I can teach them legitimate anti-racist thinking...

Hat tip: Campus Reform.

Image: Cornell Campus by Eustress.  This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic, and 1.0 Generic license.