Columbia Spectator 04/24/08

Get a Whole New Perspective on a Major Culture at Dévi

Wouldn’t it be great if dining out could fulfill Barnard and Columbia academic requirements?

Lions Drop Doubleheader to Jaspers

The Lions hit a bump in the road Wednesday night, dropping a pair of games to local rival Manhattan College in Riverdale, N.Y.

Both Sides Now

Beginning tonight, many on campus are observing the 40th anniversary of the now-legendary week of protests against the Columbia administration. Whereas the more nuanced of the scheduled gatherings aim to provide valuable historical perspective, events commemorating the protesters might succumb to the assumption that 1968 had only positive effects on balance. Those in attendance should work to appreciate the complexity of the historical consequences of spring 1968.

Bloomberg To Speak At Barnard Class Day

Barnard’s 116th Commencement ceremony, which will be held at Columbia due to Nexus construction, will feature an address by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. New Yorker editor David Remnick, tennis player Billie Jean King, and Harlem activist and Head Start program organizer Thelma Davidson Adair will also be present to receive Medals of Distinction, Barnard’s highest honor.

It's Been a Long Time Coming

One of the dangers of looking back so lovingly on my time at Columbia is that I may isolate the efforts into particular outbursts or spectacles of energy, when in fact these movements were developed with enduring care and patience by many people over long periods of time.

Harking Back to the Time When Hip-Hop Raised Hell

All baggy-jeans-wearing, boom-box-toting, hip-hop-loving suburban kids owe both their fashion and their attitude to Run-DMC.

Chabon’s Mediocre Map Through Others’ Legendary Literature

Michael Chabon is a natural.

1968 Commemoration Exhibit Provides Plenty of Procrastination Time for Those Bored at Butler

“April is the cruelest month,” said T.S. Eliot.

When Looking for the Perfect Comeback Show, All You Need Is 5 Years’ Love, and Divorce

Love, marriage, divorce. Complicate the order, add two powerhouse singers, and you’ve got the best musical you’ve never seen.

125th Street Rezoning Raises Concerns About Preserving Harlem’s Affordability

Picket sign in hand, Michael Henry Adams stood in front of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s house on the Upper East Side several months ago to urge the mayor save Harlem. And although he stood there alone, there are many who join him in expressing apprehension about the area’s future.

American Catholicity and the Pope’s Arrival

Upon my arrival at Columbia, I could have easily made the decision to isolate myself from the Catholic community on campus. Instead, I became involved because I wanted to share a significant part of my life as a devout Catholic with other students who felt just as strongly about their faith as I did.

Student Claims Administrative Fears Led To Unwarranted Hospitalization

Instead of going out to dinner with his girlfriend as planned, Scott Massidda, SEAS ’11, spent Valentine’s Day at St. Luke’s Hospital, allegedly after University administrators deemed him dangerous. Since the event, Massidda—who believes school officials acted in an exaggerated reaction to the shootings at Northern Illinois University earlier that day—has been through a series of meetings pressing administrators to foot his hospital bill, admit wrongdoing, and release records documenting his psychological evaluation.

Chaplain Davis Reflects on Multifaith Audience With Pope

Nestled among a crowd of Methodist, Greek Orthodox, Baptist, Episcopal, Pentecostal, and Catholic leaders, Columbia University Chaplain Jewelnel Davis sat in St. Joseph’s Church in Yorkville last Friday awaiting the start of a service run by Pope Benedict XVI. Spectator’s Scott Levi sat down with Davis on Wednesday to review what she called a “worldwide experience.”

Residents Say Campus Is Not Always Welcoming

As plans for Columbia’s Manhattanville expansion forge ahead, some West Harlem residents have expressed concerns that the new campus will be unfriendly to it neighbors. However, the University says that it is committed maintain access to campus spaces for local residents.

Pope's Visit Brings Joy to Neighborhood Churchgoers

When visitors enter the Church of Notre Dame, located at 114th Street and Morningside Drive, they pass a picture of Pope Benedict XVI, smiling and dressed in full Church regalia. Usually, such images are as near as parishioners can reasonably hope to come to the man believed by Catholics to be the Vicar of Christ. But during the Pope’s recent visit to New York, some churchgoers got a closer look.

With Sex Toys and Penis Cookies, Event Showcases ‘Fun Part of Consent’

Penis-shaped cookies in hand, members of Columbia and Barnard’s Take Back the Night spent Wednesday afternoon tabling outside of Lehman Library as part of their 2008 version of the sex-positive festival Sexibition. “We wanted to promote a culture where sex can be talked about openly,” coordinator Robin Broder, BC ’09, said.

1968 Commemoration Begins Today

This week’s commemoration of Columbia’s 1968 student protests will kick off tonight with an opening reception at 7 p.m. in Casa Italiana, during which University President Lee Bollinger and Nancy Biberman, BC ’69, will speak. Organized by several alumni, the conference will include panels and social functions examining issues including the feminist movement, the civil rights movement, and 1968’s global climate.