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My thoughts and prayers are with Governor Andrew Cuomo and his family during this difficult time. Our state and nation have lost one of the most eloquent progressives in the last half-century and a model public servant. He was a passionate progressive in both ideology and action. Cuomo, the child of Italian immigrants, stood strong for the values of recently arrived New Yorkers. He diversified the bench, appointing the New York State Court of Appeals’ first female, African American and Hispanic justices. He was a strong advocate for the most vulnerable among us, expanding programs for children and health insurance for those in need. Governor Mario Cuomo was daring; unabashedly entering contentious debates about the death penalty, abortion, and the role of government in responding to the AIDS crisis. His contributions to those debates undoubtedly moved our city, state, and nation forward increasing our embrace of the values of human dignity and self determination. While I was a student at City College, Governor Cuomo met with my fellow students and I who were protesting proposed tuition hikes. The benevolence he showed during the meeting as well as in his decision to halt the proposed hikes will always remain with me. We have lost a giant today; the shadow of his legacy will continue to remain over our state and nation for decades to come.