Opinion: Editorials

Spectator’s mission is to positively impact our community by shining a light on the actions of powerful institutions and holding them accountable. We, the 144th editorial board, aim to do so by using our collective voice to direct discourse around issues that will better inform our audience about their experiences with Columbia.

Tess’s death is a tragedy, one that has shaken our University in ways we are only beginning to understand. With heavy hearts, we extend our deepest condolences to Tess’s family and friends. Words fail to capture the spectrum of emotion felt across campus, and this is a loss we will all continue to endure for years to come.

Columbia exists on stolen land. Well, actually, all of Manhattan exists on stolen land. It’s no surprise that before the Dutch arrived in the 17th century and Christopher Columbus 100 years before that, the land that we now occupy belonged to Indigenous peoples. And on the second Monday of October, the day that has traditionally been celebrated throughout American history as Columbus Day, we stand behind Columbia’s Native American Council in calling for the University to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Throughout Spectator’s history, our journalism and business sections have failed to represent and reflect the experiences of students of color both in our coverage and in our organization. As the new leaders of this paper, we have all been complicit in or responsible for perpetuating these failures.

Spectator’s mission is to positively impact our community, and with that comes a responsibility to hold institutions of power accountable. We, the new editorial board, want to wield our collective voice in a way that creates this accountability. We want to discuss the issues we face within our organization, our university, and beyond.

The coveted East Campus suite, in all its glory.

The polls for Columbia College Student Council and Engineering Student Council are now open until Wednesday, April 11 at 5:00 p.m.