Idris Leppla

I know why I chose Columbia: the campus is magnificent, the education is top-tier, and my peers are intelligent. I could look at a stranger, tell him or her that I went to Columbia, and hear the predictable, “Wow, you must be smart.”

When I ask Barnard students what comes to mind when they think of President Shapiro, they say one of two things: Convocation and Strong Beautiful Barnard Woman. These two images define what President Shapiro has done for all of us: she has helped shape our identity as women, as members of this college, and as future leaders.

How many times have you been in class taking notes only to glance over at the person next to you who is checking e-mail or shopping online? How many times have you seen fellow classmates switch back and forth between notes and iTunes for the entire hour and fifteen minutes? How many times have you used IM to say hi to a buddy in lecture? I certainly have, and to me this poses a problem because it shows how new technology may not be benefiting our ability to learn, but hindering it.