Nexus

In her final public appearance as Barnard’s president, Judith Shapiro sang happy birthday in Portuguese to a roomful of Barnard donors at June’s 2008 scholarship gala and auction.

In what could have been her final public appearance as Barnard’s president, Judith Shapiro sang happy birthday in Portuguese to a roomful of Barnard donors at Monday’s 2008 scholarship gala and auction.

In an e-mail to Barnard students and affiliates today, outgoing President Judith Shapiro announced slight delays with construction of the new Nexus building. The center, originally scheduled to open for the Fall of 2009, should now be ready by January 2010.

Though Lerner’s eight floors house student mailboxes, administrative offices, food courts, and lounge space, many Barnard students say they don’t feel at home. “I definitely feel out of place in Lerner,” Natalie Reilly, BC ’11, said.

The construction of the Nexus, Barnard’s new student center, is progressing as planned and is on track to be completed by the start of the 2009-2010 academic year, administrators say.

Much of the student body remains unaware of any of the plans for the Northwest Science Building, or how construction will affect their lives in the meantime.

Unless you've been living under a rock, or one of the many pieces of brick that have fallen off Sulzberger Tower during Barnard's unending "facade repairs," you're probably aware that Barnard is building the Nexus.

At most construction sites, those who draw or post fliers on walls may be considered vagrants. The Nexus isn’t most construction sites.

The Morningside makeover continued over the past months as Columbia began and completed a variety of construction projects.