In this archival episode of The Ear, reporter Alicia Theologides Rodriguez commemorates the 50th anniversary of a controversial Columbia study that explored whether chimps possess the cognitive capacity to learn sign language. While the Nim project ultimately failed to prove its hypothesis, it revealed much more about the ethical precarity of anthropomorphizing animals in experimental settings. By contrasting Nim’s fate with that of other animals in Columbia’s care, this episode explores the unique privileges and perils that Nim encountered because of the way he was humanized.

In this special Homecoming episode of Pod-Tone 292, senior staff reporter Alicia Theologides Rodriguez sits down with Columbia and Barnard students to uncover their feelings about school spirit. Are these Lions ready to roar at football games? Or would they rather find community in other ways?

In this episode of The Ear, reporter Alicia Theologides Rodriguez speaks with Columbia students from different backgrounds to better understand how fear impacts the way that they navigate New York. This episode explores the underlying reasons for different students’ fears in an attempt to understand why there are discrepancies between the fears of students and New York Crime trends. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer.