Michael Shannon

The seeds of intellectual racism have found fertile ground on 36 acres in Morningside Heights these past few years. Columbia has established itself as a prominent site in the recent emergence of the thinking man's brand of bigotry, a phenomenon that has swelled on college campuses around the United States.

Without senior co-captain Brandon Kinney, the Columbia wrestling team would be coming back from Las Vegas empty-handed.

With a couple of tournaments, several high-powered foes, a few casual wins, and a blowout loss, Thanksgiving weekend displayed the best and worst of men’s basketball in the Ivy League, and all the mundanity in between.

The three-point shot fell through and the crowd went stark wild. Not our crowd. Our crowd was made up of infants whose tender minds couldn’t have cared less for the action on the court.

The buzzer rang as the final seconds of the first half expired, and a three-pointer from Michele Gage slid down the net. Columbia up two against Oakland. The Lions left the court for intermission with the wind at their back, homecoming sails struck and billowing.

Height and depth­—the two aspects of the women’s basketball team that were left in question once the season finished last February.

This past Sunday, the Metropolitan New York Rugby Union Collegiate Rugby Championship was hosted by Vassar in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., just 90 miles north of Manhattan.

After hosting two matches this weekend against Penn and league-leader Princeton this weekend, Columbia volleyball (3-17, 0-9 Ivy) finds itself two losses deeper in the bottom of the Ivy League standings. With those back-to-back losses, Columbia’s winless streak in the Ivy League is now at nine games.

A new member has been inducted into the hall of Columbia sport.

THAT’S IT? I MEAN, WE BEAT VILLANOVA.
1. Yale 10-0 (7-0 Ivy)
2. Harvard 8-2 (6-1 Ivy)
3. Penn 7-3 (5-2 Ivy)
Except for Penn, my preseason predictions for the flag-bearers of Ivy League football are being realized. Then again, I wasn’t going out on a limb by naming Yale the undefeated and undisputed Ivy title holder. With four games left, who is going to beat them? Columbia? Brown? Princeton? Only Harvard—on the road at the Yale Bowl, mind you—stands a chance of ruining a perfect season for the Elis. It’ll be a helluva game, anyway, no doubt. Harvard will be facing the best team to come out of the Ivies in a long, long time.

Columbia’s volleyball team went to New Haven this season with a list of grievances. For starters, the Lions had not had a win against an Ivy League opponent so far this season—none since October 27, 2006, in fact. Secondly, the squad has been in a losing slump for the month of October. Finally, they had suffered far too many shutouts this season, held scoreless in nine of their 17 matches. The squad traveled to Yale this weekend, intent on reversing their luck—unfortunately, the team returned home with yet another bullet point for their list.

Columbia volleyball traveled to Philadelphia for its third Ivy League matchup of the season on Saturday. It returned home with its third loss, this time in three games to Penn. With this weekend’s defeat, Columbia’s record on the season drops to 3-11.

The other day in class I was sitting in a big lecture hall behind a young man clicking away at his laptop.

Thirteen days ago, Lafayette’s starting running back left the game against Princeton late in the first quarter with an ankle injury.

It might as well have been first and goal the way Jordan Davis was eyeing the end zone, but Columbia was a full 28 yards out from the Marist goal line.

My last column attempted to rally the Columbia community for athletics expansion into the hitherto untouched realm of Ivy League bull riding. To my dismay, which apparently I am alone in, the campaign was ahead of its time.

Columbia volleyball didn’t extend any courtesies—at least on the court—to their hosts from American University when the two teams met to open the American Volleyball Tournament. But the six-time Patriot League champion Eagles weren’t about to treat their guests to any special privileges either.

Saturday night’s game in the Bronx becomes the latest chapter of the Columbia football story, not merely adding another season or scene to an already verbose novel, but also revealing a brand new set of characters clad in blue and white.

The 2007 season has been one of the toughest that Columbia lacrosse has known. Head coach Kerri Whitaker said that this year's squad is the best she has ever coached at Columbia, as evidenced by so many close games against talented opponents.

The 2007 Columbia lacrosse season has come and gone, ending as it began-with a sound defeat. But the team that began its season with a 14-4 loss to Denver is a very different team than the one that lost last Friday to Princeton, 19-8. Against the 14th-ranked Tigers, Columbia put up comparable numbers in the possession-deciding areas-ground balls, draw controls, and turnovers.

Columbia lacrosse twisted and turned its way through another season and has now reached its final match.

Lions softball finished up the last of its Ivy League games last weekend in Ithaca, N.Y. It was not the end of the Ivy season that the team was looking for. Three losses in four games against Cornell dropped Columbia to the bottom of the South Division, and the Lions are without another chance to face the Ivies.

The scoreboard at Harvard Stadium ticked away the final minutes of the lacrosse match last Saturday, and the Lions watched their best opportunity for an Ivy victory slip away as the Crimson escaped with a 14-12 victory.

It had been tight for most of the match, with neither team playing particularly attractive lacrosse or able to sustain an offensive run.

The Columbia lacrosse team had been anticipating its match against Harvard since the season began in February, not only because the Crimson had provided the lacrosse program its lone Ivy win in 2005, but also because the close match-ups with Harvard in the past have generated something of a rivalry.

It was a rain-soaked, blustery afternoon in late April when the Columbia lacrosse squad faced off against the Crimson, at Harvard's Jordan Field, and secured its first Ivy League win.

Columbia lacrosse faced Lehigh last night for the team's final non-conference game of the season. The Mountain Hawks came out onto their own field looking energized and keyed up for the imminent match, but it was the Lions who lit up the night sky over Bethlehem, Pa.

The final nonconference game of the season has descended upon the Columbia lacrosse team, and unlike past seasons, this year's non-Ivy schedule has been a grueling one. Having faced top-20 teams from across the nation, the Light Blue arrives at the end of its nonconference trail in Bethlehem, Penn.

A certain, singular sense of anticipation accompanied the Lions lacrosse team as they took the field at Wien Stadium yesterday afternoon. The Lions were hosting Yale in their final home game of the season, with the memory of last year's agonizing loss to the Bulldogs still lingering.

It's been four days, but last weekend's last-minute loss to Brown still lingers like a thorn in the side of Light Blue lacrosse. Saturday's 11-10 defeat was not the first time this season that Columbia came close, only to fall short at the end. But certainly this loss-the fourth consecutive to the Bears by a single goal-stung more than usual.

The physical and mental demands of playing 60 minutes of lacrosse are significant, especially in the last few minutes. Players need to be able to make precise passes, create scoring opportunities, and put pressure on opposing defenses, even as their stamina decreases over the course of the game.

For a moment, it looked like the Columbia lacrosse team had finally broken through.

The Lions' fourth Ivy League match of the year came down to the final minutes, when sophomore Rachael Ryan put in the tying goal against Brown with less than three minutes remaining.

A five-game losing streak came to its long-awaited end Wednesday when the final horn announced a 20-10 victory for Columbia women's lacrosse over Fairfield.

The rain and cold yesterday evening led to expectations of a correspondingly dreary game-the Columbia lacrosse team had come up dry in the last four consecutive home games. Despite the weather, the Lions finally broke a five-game losing streak with a 20-10 win over Fairfield.

Columbia lacrosse will take the field at Wien Stadium today for its fifth and final consecutive home game, but so far the team's own field has hardly been home sweet home. The Lions have lost four in a row at Wien and have won only one match there all season.

During the March 31 game against Penn, the Columbia lacrosse team (3-6, 0-3 Ivy) turned the ball over 27 times-the most turnovers the Lions have accumulated in a single game so far this season. Coupled with their slow start, the turnovers severely limited the team's offensive capabilities, robbing the Lions of scoring opportunities and disrupting any consistent flow they were attempting to establish.

A slow start may have set the Columbia lacrosse team up, but turnovers knocked it down. It has become an all-too familiar story for the Lions this season, and the story ended Saturday evening with a 14-6 loss at home to Penn. Columbia dropped to 3-6 on the year and is still winless after three Ivy League matchups.

Three Ivy lacrosse teams will get their first shot at conference play this weekend and each squad will be looking for a win to start off league play. The Lions have had two chances already, where they came up empty against Cornell and Dartmouth. The weekend will be a chance for three teams to bust into the Ivy season with a victory, but for Light Blue lacrosse, the weekend is about landing a victory now before conference play drifts too far downward, as the Lions (3-5, 0-2 Ivy) host #14 Penn (7-1, 2-0 Ivy).

Three goals in a one-minute span before halftime and another two scores in the last minute and a half of the game were not enough to overcome the Lions' sluggish start yesterday against Oregon.

The first half of the women's lacrosse team's season culminated in a 3-4 overall record and two Ivy League losses. The latter half remains undefined and is entirely unpredictable, given how different the character of the team is from what it was just a month ago.

With its 11-5 loss to Dartmouth on March 25, the Columbia women's lacrosse team suffered its second Ivy loss of the season. After a disappointing 2006 season, Columbia finds itself in a league with no clear favorites as of yet-three Ivy teams have yet to play a conference game-and five more opportunities to improve its record against the other Ivy teams.

The Columbia women's lacrosse team dropped to 0-2 in the Ivy League, losing to Dartmouth 11-5 yesterday. Dartmouth (4-3, 1-1 Ivy) managed to split its opening Ivy weekend after a loss to Cornell on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Emma Mintz had a career day yesterday against Dartmouth at Wien Stadium.

Columbia lacrosse is still carrying the disappointment with them from its spring break matches against a top-20 team, Richmond, on March 13 and Ivy rival, Cornell, on March 17-a pair of losses that certainly could have turned in Columbia's favor. This Sunday, Columbia will get another chance to prove itself against both a highly ranked team and another Ivy team as it takes on eighth-ranked Dartmouth on March 25.

An integral element to the success of any sports team is the ability to maintain intensity and quality of play for nine innings, four quarters, or, as the case is with women's lacrosse, two 30-minute periods. Head coach Kerri Whitaker has realized in her six years of Ivy League coaching experience that in this sport, and particularly in the Ivy League, there is an especially strong demand for consistent performance.

The Columbia lacrosse team wasn't going to have a typical spring break. No trips abroad to Jamaica or Canada, no visits to the ocean shores of Long Beach or Daytona, not even a good chance to forget the winter drudge of Morningside Heights.

Instead, the Lions traveled to central Virginia to face fourteenth-ranked Richmond and then back to Manhattan for their Ivy opener against Cornell.

By michael Shannon
Spectator Staff Writer

Columbia women's lacrosse is riding a two-game win streak as it takes to the field today at 4 p.m. at Wien Stadium. With a win over Quinnipiac (1-0) today, the Lions will cruise into spring break on a high note before they battle against two top-25 teams.

With a stunning second-half effort, the Columbia lacrosse team (2-1) soundly defeated Lafayette (0-3) on the road this weekend.

For the first thirty minutes of the game, both teams were plagued by turnovers and unable to consistently develop their offensive tactics.

Columbia lacrosse (1-1) returns home from its first road trip of the season with a 16-7 win over Wagner (0-1), its first of 2007.

Columbia women's lacrosse faces Wagner this afternoon on Staten Island. With one game under its belt, the team aims to define Columbia lacrosse, here and now, as a formidable challenger.

Following Columbia's 14-4 loss to Denver on Saturday, head coach Kerri Whitaker drew attention to the comparative advantage of nonconference teams starting practices and matches earlier in the year than in the Ivies.

The Columbia women's lacrosse team (0-1) dropped its first game of the season 14-4 to Denver (1-1) at home on Saturday.

The Lions appeared hesitant in their season opener at Wien Stadium against the top-20-ranked Pioneers.

Twenty-five seconds into the game, Denver's Ali Flury hit a free position shot to score the first goal of the game.

As the lacrosse team practiced this week in preparation for the season opener, coach Kerri Whitaker continually emphasized the fundamentals of Columbia play.

The Columbia lacrosse season starts off its season at home on Saturday against top-25-ranked Denver. Even with the fresh season ahead of them, the Lions feel that they have a great deal left to prove from last season. Tension and excitement have spread throughout the ranks as the team aims to redefine and invigorate Columbia lacrosse.

Twelve minutes into Saturday's game against Princeton, it seemed that the Columbia women's basketball team was treading the familiar ground of slow starts, inspirational halftime speeches, and a strong second half rally that, ultimately, would come up short against an admittedly beatable team.

The paint is still unfriendly territory for the Lions. In spite of the adjustments and head coach Paul Nixon's willingness to experiment with strategy, a lack of points below the basket, as well as rebounds-and consequently second-chance points-have dogged the Columbia offense all season long.

Saturday night, the Pizzitola Center lit up as the Columbia women's basketball team jogged onto the court for their pre-game drills. The team came out eager to play-Columbia was ignited by their lone Ivy win, achieved the night before against Yale. Every single Lion had a smile on her face and truly looked as if she was enjoying herself.

With a little over nine minutes remaining in the Dartmouth-Columbia game last Saturday night at Levien Gym, the Lions held a two-point lead and the ball. Freshman Sara Yee put up a jumpshot that missed the mark, and a Dartmouth guard got the rebound. Rolling down the court, the Big Green waited to set up its offense before sending the ball over to Ashley Taylor for an open three-pointer.

Senior Milena Kachar speaks in a gentle manner, her voice softly tinged with an Eastern European cadence. She sits in the lobby of Broadway speaking of her tennis career, her upbringing in Yugoslavia and the United States, as well as her plans for the future with the composure and self-assurance befitting a talented, yet modest athlete in her last year of college.

In the first half of Jan. 27's game against Cornell, women's basketball head coach Paul Nixon looked on with frustration as his squad put on a dispirited performance and fell behind by 15 points. But back on the court for the second half, the Lions seemed like an entirely different team, rejuvenated and confident, scoring 44 points in the half.

Throw everything you've got out there. Sooner or later, you're bound to hit something.
This season, with the women's basketball team, Columbia head coach Paul Nixon has put the "spraying" theory, or some refined form of it, into practice by spreading playing time throughout the roster and revising his starting lineup almost every game.

It is fair to say that the women's basketball team has seen its fair share of struggles this season. Columbia is currently riding a losing streak that is now five games long, with losses to Princeton and Penn in the opening weekend of league play. The Lions rest at the bottom of the Ivy League, but after two dominating performances from freshman guard Danielle Browne on Friday and Saturday nights, they can take pride that the future will be brighter.

Five minutes into the Columbia women's basketball game against Army last night, Black Knights junior Stephanie Stone hit a jumper to extend Army's lead to ten. So ended single-digit deficits for the Lions in the evening. Army coasted to a 68-43 victory at home as Columbia's struggles on the road continue.

After a disappointing start to the season, the Columbia women's basketball team will have a good chance to turn their fortunes around when they travel to Brooklyn to play a struggling St. Francis squad.

Last season, the Lions bested the Terriers at Levien Gym, winning 61-55.

A lack of senior leadership is nothing new to John Baumann.

During his junior year of high school at the Staples Academy in Westport, Conn., Baumann and his fellow juniors became the de facto leaders of a team that had no seniors. Only 16 years old, Baumann was forced to lead by example as well as learn on his feet.

Senior defender Emma Judkins, for the first time in her Columbia career, is within striking distance of an Ivy League title. She could not be more excited.

"I still get nervous. I am a senior in college, and I get nervous before every game," Judkins said.

Although both teams are chasing league leaders Dartmouth, Columbia and Princeton's eyes will be focused on each other this weekend, as women's soccer takes the field Saturday against Princeton in its fourth Ivy League match of the season.

Columbia will come into the match riding a two-game winning streak, after defeating Penn last Saturday and, in a tightly-contested 1-0 win, moving the Lions' record to 5-4-3.

Though controversy on any football team will garner some attention, Harvard and Yale are two teams that have the prestige and talent to really draw a crowd. That has been the case this season, as both the Yale and Harvard football squads have suffered arrests of star players and been left with seasons tainted by misbehavior.

Both Columbia's and Brown's women's soccer teams suffered bitter losses on Sunday-defeats that have not escaped the minds of players and coaches as they practiced this week. Equally inescapable has been the desire to cultivate a unique and competitive identity.

The Crimson may be picked to win the Ivy League title this year, but not even Harvard can escape the dangers of the offseason. In the summer months, Harvard's 2005 roster took several major hits. The Crimson charge headfirst into their 133rd season with a superstar running back and stonewall defense, but a young offensive line and receiving corps will have to step up for Harvard to be a balanced team.