Cornell's President Calls It 'a Defining Moment' as Rape Allegations Draw a Wider Reckoning

NPR reports that the rape allegations emerging from a Cornell University fraternity house are leading many women to remember their own experiences — and to call for a wider reckoning over sexual violence. In a video statement, Cornell president Michael I. Kotlikoff said his university must do better and described the situation as a defining moment in Cornell's history, NPR reports. A president's words set the terms of an institution's response. Whether the phrase about doing better acquires concrete content is the part that won't be settled by a statement.