Columbia Spectator 04/14/08

Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader Against Tigers

What a difference a day makes. Happy to see Saturday turn into Sunday, the Columbia baseball team rebounded from a poor start to a four-game series against Princeton behind fantastic efforts from the team’s starting pitchers.

Vote Berg

The General Studies Student Council’s elections have assumed special significance in the wake of former GSSC President Niko Cunningham’s drama-filled impeachment and removal from office. Though each of the four candidates running for student body president brings unique strengths to the table, we believe that Brody Berg is best positioned to deliver what GS needs.

ESC Names Class Presidents after Voting Delays

After pushing back the voting deadline a day to accommodate technical difficulties, the Engineering Student Council announced the results of the class president and vice president positions in the council’s internal elections on Saturday afternoon.

It’s Your Crisis Core, and You’ll Cry If You Want To

In all of video games, there is not a fan base more devoted than that of Final Fantasy VII.

Nathaniel Rich Writes in Tongues

There’s nothing better than a meta-book, as every true bookworm knows.

Besnoff Elected President of SGA

After an uncontested election, Sarah Besnoff, BC ’09 was officially named next year’s Student Government Association president in results released Sunday evening. Along with Besnoff, the new SGA executive board will be VP of Student Activities Maria Morad, BC ’09, VP of Communications Katie Palillo BC ’10, and VP of Finance Amy Chen, BC ’10.

Softball Gives up Four-Game Series to Undefeated Princeton Team

Coming into the weekend, the Princeton softball team (15-19, 12-0 Ivy) sat atop the Ivy League Southern Division with an 8-0 record, looking to clinch the division. The Tigers looked every bit the part of a first place team as they swept the Columbia softball team (12-14, 3-9 Ivy) in four games to continue their 12-game win streak.

A Constructive Mission for Columbia

If we were drafting a mission statement for Columbia, what would we want it to say? What factors would we want it to take into account? A mission statement should talk about the things we value, but what are they?

On MTV, The Paper Beats Rock—Sort Of

Say what you will about MTV reality shows—call them trashy, exploitative, or amazing—and you’ll probably be right. One indisputable fact, though, is that MTV is incredibly adept at developing the reality villain.

Parents of Yu Arrive in NYC, Friends Plan Upcoming Memorial Service

The parents of Minghui Yu—the 24-year-old graduate student whose death shocked Columbia’s campus and garnered widespread media attention just over a week ago—arrived in New York Thursday evening and met with University President Lee Bollinger Friday.

Trust the Process

Unlike other isolated attempts at multicultural programming at Columbia, where one community plans an event and later asks another to attend, the social justice project sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Hillel was filled with a genuine desire for understanding and a commitment to growth.

All Is Not Groovy at Paul Simon Celebration

If a musician is only as good as those who surround him, then Paul Simon is the greatest musician alive.

GS Deans Uphold Niko Cunningham’s Impeachment

After several days of review, the office of School of General Studies Dean of Students Mary McGee announced Friday that it would uphold the impeachment of General Studies Student Council President Niko Cunningham.

There's A Concerto In My Pocket!

On March 27, the International Contemporary Ensemble, joined by a flutist, violinist, and pianist, premiered three new pieces by John Zorn, Laura Elise Schwendinger, and Ichizo Okashiro, as the third installment of Miller Theatre’s Pocket Concerto series.

Park West Village Resident Files Suit Against NYC Department of Buildings

After vocally opposing the continued construction of Columbus Village—a commercial and residential development being built amid the affordable housing complex, Park West Village—PWV resident Paul Bunten filed a lawsuit Friday that would force the developer to comply with land regulations.

J-School Grad Finds Calling as Vatican Spokesman

He sauntered into the Journalism School’s lecture hall on Friday, wearing a three-piece black suit, a large cross around his neck, and the requisite red ring. “Thank you for dressing more like a Cardinal than me,” he said, his blue eyes gleaming, to a woman in the front row wearing a bright scarlet suit and a matching cap.

At-Large Candidates Spar Over Diversity

After initially drawing from a broad mix of talking points, ranging from sexually transmitted infections testing to academic advising, the debate for the Columbia College Student Council at-large candidates gradually centered around one subject: community diversity.

Asian-American Conference Strives For Intercultural Dialogue

Hoping to “redefine” perceptions of Asian-Americans, Columbia’s Asian American Alliance joined forces with NYU, Fordham, Hunter, and Baruch to hold its second annual New York City Asian American Student Conference Saturday.