Wednesday, June 8, 2022

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Visits Roosevelt Island Last Night To Attend Cornell Tech 10th Anniversary Celebration, Mayor Says He Loves Roosevelt Island, Comes Often And It's His Sneak Away - Cornell Excludes Press From The Event Ignoring Request From Local Elected Officials To Allow Local Press Offering No Real Explanation Or Reason

NYC Mayor Eric Adams made his first known visit to Roosevelt Island last evening to attend the Cornell Tech 10 year anniversary celebration 

with former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Cornell University President Martha Pollack, Cornell Tech Dean Greg Morrisett as well as many others involved in the building and continued development of the school.

I learned Mayor Adams would be visiting Roosevelt Island for the event the night before and asked the Mayor's Office to cover the event because:

His first visit is big news to Roosevelt Island community. 

Will he be taking the Tram to Roosevelt Island?

The Mayor's Office replied it was a closed press event, meaning no press is allowed to attend.

I persisted by asking Cornell Tech Dean Greg Morrisett and Assistant Director of Government/Community Affairs Jane Swanson in an email message if I could cover this important event of the NYC Mayor visiting Roosevelt Island and:

... What reason could Cornell Tech have for not allowing local press to cover the NYC Mayor attending this Roosevelt Island event?

Whenever Cornell Tech asks me to promote an event for you, I am always happy to oblige as part of the obligation to inform the Roosevelt Island community.

I think Cornell Tech has a similar obligation to the Roosevelt Island community to allow local press to cover an event that Mayor Adams attends at Cornell Tech.

Cornell Director Of Communications Adam Conor-Simmons responded that it was Cornell's decision to make this a closed press event and they would not allow me to cover the event for the Roosevelt Island community. Local elected officials NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and NYC Council Member Julie Menin were attending the event and intervened with Cornell asking that I be allowed to cover the event but Cornell refused their requests as well. 

Assembly Member Seawright and Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg At Cornell Tech 10th Anniversary Celebration
 According to Assembly Member Seawright:

The 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Cornell Campus is unquestionably a news event of Island-wide interest, especially with Mayor Adams and former Mayor Bloomberg in attendance. I intervened and expressed my strong support for coverage when I learned Roosevelt Islander Online was excluded from an event of great interest to the public.

Cornell Tech has a great story to tell. It is in everbody's interest for the media to be informed and involved.

Despite being excluded from covering the event, I did manage to get a few words from Mayor Adams as he was getting out of his car walking towards the event entrance and as he was leaving.

Mayor Adams said that he loves Roosevelt Island, loves Cornell Tech, comes here often and Roosevelt Island is his Sneakaway.

I followed up asking the Mayor's Press Office today: 

I am preparing a story for publication today on Roosevelt Islander Online about the Mayor's visit last night.

What does the Mayor mean that Roosevelt Island is his "sneakaway"?

What does the Mayor like about Roosevelt Island that makes it his sneakaway?

How often does the Mayor come to Roosevelt Island?

What does he do?

When was the last time before last night that the Mayor visited Roosevelt Island?

Does he take the Tram, Ferry or drive?

May I have an interview with the Mayor on his next Roosevelt Island sneakaway?

Have not received a reply from the Mayor's office yet.

This was an important Roosevelt Island public event. It was very disappointing that Cornell chose to exclude local press from reporting on this event to the Roosevelt Island community. 

UPDATE 6/9 - Roosevelt Island resident Stephen Quandt shares a message he sent to Cornell Tech Assistant Director Community/Government Relations Jane Swanson this morning: 

I don't understand why Cornell excluded the press from the Mayor's event yesterday and the terse non-explanations seemed as capricious and anti-democratic as the decision itself. While Cornell may be allowed to ignore the constitution, assuming you get no public funds, you are also an institution of higher learning and inasmuch connected to the free expression of ideas, hardly expressed yesterday. The fact that Cornell's written declaration not allowing the press was without an actual explanation suggests that Cornell had no explanation or at least their unwillingness to provide one seems as secretive and condescending as the decision itself.

By being "secretive" you advance the narrative of institutional elitism, distrust, and the idea that so much of what transpires on this island (RIOC as an example) is non-transparent. What I wonder did you gain from excluding the press? Is it worth the ill will you foster in the community? Imagine though the alternative? You let the press in. They cover the event, and then everyone goes home. Instead, 14,000+ people get to read how Cornell is tone deaf to the expression of freedom enshrined in our constitution. Lucky us.

Cornell University and Cornell Tech receive millions of dollars in public funds. Although a private institution, Cornell University is also a NY State Land Grant university which should have greater public service obligations. 

I am not aware of any Roosevelt Island residents invited to the Cornell Tech 10th Anniversary Celebration nor did I spot any going into the event on Tuesday other than one who was working the event and another invited not in the capacity as a member of the Roosevelt Island community.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 8:56:00 PM

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