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‘Til death

The death penalty inspires strong opinions in many Americans, and Columbia students are no exception. Cooper Vaughan suggests a wildly different method to the madness, Gabriella Porrino articulates why her anti-death penalty argument demands rationality, Tyler Trumbach puts the penalty in perspective, and Karman Lucero explains why he believes the death penalty is a symptom of a diseased justice system.

By Tyler Trumbach, Karman Lucero, Gabriella Porrino, and Cooper Vaughan | Nov 29 10:51 pm ET

Death to the death penalty

By steering clear of the hazy pitfalls of moral assertions and instead focusing on effectiveness, a better claim for abolishing the death penalty can be made.

By Gabriella Porrino | Nov 29 10:04 pm ET

Orchestral dissent

It makes sense for Juilliard players to pursue the highest level of practical musicianship—this is how they will make their living—but what good is holding liberal arts students to that standard if it means denying many of them a chance to play altogether?

By Aaron Liskov | Nov 29 09:48 pm ET

Election Season

It’s that time of year again. Election Day is coming up, and while the University-wide holiday will be a welcome break for Columbia students, it will also be an opportunity for many of us to exercise our civic duty. This Monday, Spectator Opinion takes a look at two mayoral races happening in our area.

By Matthew Parker, Elizabeth Kipp-Giusti, and Al Benninghoff | Oct 18 04:41 pm ET

Sons and daughters of knickerbockers

Spectator hears from four Columbians about their dual roles as students and athletes.

By Sean Leahy, Sarah Engle, Lauren Dwyer, and Harry Lang | Oct 11 10:50 pm ET

What it means to be a Columbia athlete

A notion floats around campus that athletes get accepted to Columbia because of our athletic capabilities, implying that we didn’t have to work as hard for this opportunity as the non-athletes. I’d propose a different way of considering the situation based on priorities, values, and merit.

By Lauren Dwyer | Oct 11 06:39 pm ET

Crossing Continents

Spectator Opinion hears from three international students who reflect on their unique experiences coming to Columbia from abroad.

By Pedro Sagesser Rodrigues, Flora Yuen Ying Chiu, and Duygu Yilmaz | Sep 27 10:16 pm ET

Birds of a feather

Columbia’s commitment to student diversity is second to none. Different voices are heard throughout our campus and there is not one activity performed at the university that isn’t in some way affected by the diversity of our student body.

By Pedro Sagesser Rodrigues | Sep 27 08:07 pm ET

When to listen to Bill O'Reilly

While I was flying over the vast Atlantic Ocean to come to Columbia for NSOP, I realized the enormity of the trip that I was undertaking.

By Duygu Yilmaz | Sep 27 06:50 pm ET

Voyage of intellectual discovery

Considering the legacy of social and political activism in America, from Alexander Hamilton to Theodore Roosevelt to Barack Obama, Columbia is, no doubt, where global leaders are nurtured. Therefore, I have decided to start my intellectual and cultural journey here.

By Flora Yuen Ying Chiu | Sep 27 06:42 pm ET

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