If It Ain't Broke...

I originally had intended this column to be a list of specific reforms that, if implemented, would benefit students at Columbia. Before I could write it, however, I was preempted by the announcement that Lerner 6 will be used to host a consolidated student advising center. I do have one large reform to suggest, however, one aimed at solving multiple problems simultaneously.

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?

Three components—the inferiority complex, the revolutionary complex, and the bureaucratic complex—play a dominant role in explaining the culture of Columbia as we know it today. Think of all the phenomena that can be explained as a product of one of these or of the interaction of two or more of these, or in the case of numerous protests, all three.

Surplus cash on hand creates breathing room for Columbia to enact programs that benefit the quality of life of its students.

It’s easy to harp on problems, but it’s much harder to creatively generate solutions from whole cloth. We need a vision. In this task, Columbia’s administration, and especially President Bollinger and Dean Quigley, must take the reins.

The lack of undergraduate focus on campus is lamentable and not just for purposes of building student happiness. Happy undergraduates go on to be happy alums, and happy alums donate to and speak proudly of their alma mater.

We feel a continual sense of disquiet when it comes to our alma mater. Why?