Cornell Campus Update: Events at Big Red Barn, Renovations, Leadership News, and Sports Highlights for August 2025

Hello, Cornell community! It's Monday, August 11, 2025, and here's what's happening on campus this week. - Join us for Weekly Trivia at the Big Red Barn from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Come with a team or solo and get matched up. All are welcome! - Show off your vocal talents at Weekly Karaoke, also at the Big Red Barn, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Remember, all songs must be non-explicit and submitted via the provided Google form at the event. - Get your dancing shoes ready for Weekly Salsa from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Big Red Barn. No partner necessary, and all levels are welcome! - Celebrate the end of the week at T.G.I.F. from 4:30 to 7:00 PM at the Big Red Barn. This event is catered to graduate and professional students, who can bring one guest each. - The extensive renovation of Balch Hall is nearing completion. North Balch Hall reopened for the fall 2024 semester, and South Balch is set to reopen this fall, increasing capacity from 436 to 470 beds and enhancing accessibility. - Michael Kotlikoff, who began serving as interim president on July 1, 2024, following President Martha E. Pollack's retirement, was formally appointed as Cornell University's 15th president on March 21, 2025. - A new 135,000 square-foot building for the Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science is scheduled to open this year, accommodating the rapidly increasing enrollments in computing and information science subjects. - The 2024–25 season marked the final year for head coach Mike Schafer, who announced his retirement after 29 seasons. Casey Jones, a Cornell alumnus, has been named his successor. The team returned nearly all players from the previous year, aiming to build on their strong defensive performance. - The 2025 season will be led by second-year head coach Dan Swanstrom. In the Ivy League preseason poll, Cornell was selected to finish seventh. That's all for this week's update. Stay engaged, stay informed, and as always, let's go Big Red!