A listing of Cornell Insider bloggers and a short profile.

Alfonse Muglia is a junior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Cornell Review. Hailing from central New Jersey, Alfonse is a strong believer in the rights of states and individuals. On the Cornell campus, he is committed to unmuting the students’ voices in the ongoing proceedings of the University. Alfonse can be reach at arm267@cornell.edu.

Noah Kantro is a junior in the College of Engineering. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Cornell Review. He can be reached at nk366@cornell.edu.

Laurel Conrad is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences and is the Campus News Editor of the Cornell Review. According to Laurel, “I was blessed to be raised by parents who instilled in me the principle that the ideal role of US government is one that is as limited as possible and strictly based on the Constitution. They also taught me values of the free market, personal responsibility, national defense, and a strong protection of liberty. I hope that my writing shows other conservative students on campus  that they are not alone in their beliefs.”  She can be reached at lrc54@cornell.edu.

Kushagra Aniket is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. He is currently the National News Editor of the Cornell Review, and can be reached at ka337@cornell.edu.

Lucas Policastro (lukepolicastro) is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. He will pursue a career in surgery, but for now he’s getting started by studying Chemistry. A proud New Jerseyan, Lucas speaks softly but carries a big stick. Though he agrees in principle with the Tea Partyers, he prefers to avoid trendy labels—call him a traditional social conservative. His photography can sometimes be seen here on the blog. Lucas currently serves on the Academic Integrity board for the College of Arts & Sciences, and is Editor-in-Chief for the Review. His email is ljp74@cornell.edu.

Anthony Longo is a senior Biology (POS: Animal Physiology) major and Italian minor in the College of Arts and Sciences. Hoping to pursue a career in medicine, Anthony will attend medical school after graduation. He considers himself a true ultra-conservative in every aspect, believing in fiscal responsibility, small government, Catholic values, and unbridled capitalism. Born and raised in Northern New Jersey, Anthony witnessed how a conservative upbringing and a sense of self-reliance can help propel future generations to succeed. He enjoys writing poignant opinion pieces. Anthony is President of The Cornell Review.

Lucia Rafanelli is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a double major in government and philosophy. Born and raised in Orange County, California, she considers herself a conservative with a libertarian philosophical background. Her professional goals include attending graduate school and eventually pursuing a career in politics.  She hopes to be involved in policy analysis or interest advocacy or other work with/as an elected official. She strongly believes that informed political debate is critical to the health of any democracy and thinks that if people learn to disagree without disliking each other for it, there would be a substantial increase in meaningful political dialogue and the world would be better off.  Lucia is Managing Editor for The Cornell Review.

Past Contributors

Dennis Shiraev is a class of 2012 graduate of Cornell University. He was a Economics major and College Scholar in the College of Arts and Sciences. A classical liberal at heart, Dennis derives all his political views from the idea that man has the right to freely exist for himself and preserve his liberty against the coercion of the state. Although many of his views coincide with those of the Libertarian party, he considers himself to be a mainstream socially-liberal conservative when it comes to real, pragmatic dialogue about pertinent political and economic issues. He can be contacted at des255.  Dennis is a former Editor-in-Chief of The Cornell Review, serving in that capacaity in the fall of 2010.

Oliver Renick is a senior Materials Scientist Engineer in Cornell’s College of Engineering. Politically, Oliver considers himself a Jeffersonian democrat. He believes that he is entitled to very little from the state government and prides himself on his individuality and selfworth. His core beliefs revolve around a very small national government and a strong emphasis on national security as a primary concern. Although an engineer by trade, Oliver is very interested in both editorial writing and journalism, which he has continued to develop through an internship at The New York Post. Oliver is a former Editor-in-Chief of The Cornell Review.

Kathleen McCaffrey (kmccaffrey) is a 2012 graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences, where she studied history and philosophy. Born in New York and raised in nearby Bergen County, Kathleen attended NYU for two years before transferring to Cornell. She considers herself a libertarian and sympathizes with the Chicago School. Kathleen is a News Editor for the Review.

Joe Bonica (jmb582) is a class of 2012 graduate Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, where he was a Biology major. His political beliefs are a happy balance between fiscal conservatism and social conservatism, and tolerates peaceful beliefs different from his own as long as the person does not try to force their views on to him. He is a firm believer in individuals liberties, the freest possible markets, and the vitality of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, and is concerned by this and the previous administration’s strides against the document.  Joe is a former Executive Editor of The Cornell Review.

Brendan Devine is a Class of 2012 graduate of Cornell, where he studied Economics and History in the College of Arts and Sciences. A conservative out of the mold of Burke and Adams, Brendan is a stout Federalist and social traditionalist. He dismisses overly eager philosophies that purport to have all the answers as imprudent, instead relying on ancestral wisdom and old prescription. Just as some believe in separation of Church and State, Brendan believes in the separation of Business and State. Above all, Brendan follows John Randolph’s old axiom: “I love liberty, I hate equality;” men are not equal because no two men are alike. At heart, Brendan values the sanctity of tradition and the individual.  He was Campus News Editor of The Cornell Review in 2010. He can be reached at bpd8@cornell.edu

Peter Bouris is a 2012 graduate of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.  He is Hamiltonian who eschews the social conservatism of neoconservatives and ‘liberty/anarchy at all cost’ mentality of libertarians.  He is a supporter of government providing internal improvements along with protection and subsidy of manufacturing, believing that this creates the most suitable environment in which business can flourish and wealth can be created.  Peter was an occasional contributor to The Cornell Review.