A listing of Cornell Insider bloggers and a short profile.

Lucas Policastro (lukepolicastro) is a junior 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 junior Biology (POS: Animal Physiology) major and Italian minor in the College of Arts and Sciences. Hoping to pursue a career in medicine–however not in socialized 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.

Kathleen McCaffrey (kmccaffrey) is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences studying 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.

Lucia Rafanelli is a junior 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 a News Editor for The Cornell Review.

Joe Bonica (jmb582) is a senior Biology major at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 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 Staff Writer and a former Executive Editor of The Cornell Review.

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 Staff Writer and a former Editor-in-Chief of The Cornell Review.

Dennis Shiraev is a senior 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 Staff Writer and a former Editor-in-Chief of The Cornell Review.

Brendan Devine (bpd8) is a senior Economics and History major 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 is a Staff Writer at The Cornell Review.

Peter Bouris is a senior in 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 is an occasional contributor to The Cornell Review.

Alfonse Muglia is a sophomore in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is currently the Campus News editor of the The Cornell Review. Hailing from central New Jersey, Alfonse is a strong believer in the rights of individual states and the ability of small, grassroot, local governments to provide Americans with the laws and social amenities they seek. Some individuals are all theory, while others are all action; America should strive to be somewhere in between. Alfonse can be reach at arm267@cornell.edu