1) Reimagining Cornell: The financial crisis of 2008 made a significant dent in Cornell’s endowment, prompting an initiative to cut costs and restructure the budgets, faculties, and operations of all seven colleges. This story is still unfinished, and will likely be among our list of top stories for 2010 as well. Here is just a brief overview of the news and commentary.

2) Swine Flu: By the middle of September, more than 600 students had been diagnosed with probable cases of swine flu. In addition to increased anxiety and stress, this miniature pandemic resulted in an IFC moratorium on open parties, new hand sanitizer stations all over campus, scared townies, and the tragic death of a Cornell student. Even though most of us emerged unscathed (minus a missed week of classes and several rescheduled prelims, in my case), the H1N1 virus left a permanent mark on our campus this fall. After 1600+ reported cases (and many other unreported cases), Cornell looks ahead to a healthier spring semester.

3) The Program House Debate: It all started with the announcement that program houses would be put under review, which instantly sparked a symbolic funeral march for the death of program houses in early April (followed by Review commentary). Over the summer, there was the Ken Glover debacle/reassignment, then the re-reassignement, which was followed by another reinstatement (followed by more Review commentary). Then there was the Program House panel, which was followed by even more Cornell Review commentary and input. In the end, nothing changed. Program Houses are still here to stay, just as Vice President for Student and Academic Services Susan Murphy ’73 told Review reporters after the initial protest in April.

4) Sports Disappointments: Despite the innumerable accomplishments of Big Red athletic teams and individual athletes this year, 2009 was also marked by two tremendous shortcomings. Just when we all thought it was over, when we all thought that Cornell would claim its first NCAA Lacrosse title since 1977, the unimaginable happened. Up 9-6 with 5:37 remaining in the game, the Big Red somehow managed to clinch defeat from the jaws of victory and lost 10-9 in overtime. Earlier in the year, the Big Red Ice Hockey team fell short of a Frozen Four appearance when it lost to the surging and energized but clearly under-talented Bemidji State. Two national championships slipped through our fingers tips in 2009.

5) “The Great Ivy-League Snob Off”: Although this probably isn’t the kind of national news attention most Cornellians want, the Ann Coulter-Keith Olbermann argument over the authenticity of Cornell’s different colleges was splattered all over the blogosphere (here, here, and here, for example).  Of course, our opinion of this news story does have a certain bias, what with Coulter’s affiliation with the Cornell Review and the fact that this was our most popular and widely read story of the year.