For this LGBTQ History Month special episode, reporter Natalie Goldberg highlights The Bush, New York City’s newest lesbian bar. Following up from last year’s “The Last Lesbian Locales in New York City,” Natalie reflects on the importance of queer bars as spaces for both fun and community building.

In this Spectacle episode, reporters Natalie Goldberg and Abby Thayananthan go behind the scenes of CMTS’s recent production of “In the Heights.” The show tackles issues of gentrification, complicated by Columbia’s role in gentrification throughout New York City, including in Washington Heights, the musical’s setting. Through discussions with the director, production team, lead actor, and sound designer, as well as audience members, Goldberg and Thayananthan provide a detailed picture of how the team worked toward an accurate and respectful depiction of Washington Heights and its residents.

In this episode of the Pod-Tone 292 series “Fake Names, Real Love,” host Natalie Goldberg interviews “Sarah,” a junior at Barnard, about the particular difficulties of feeling unwelcome in queer spaces as a result her relationship with her current boyfriend. We delve into topics like internal versus external validation, how unique it is that Columbia can feel like a place where being gay is the norm, and whether or not straight people belong in queer spaces. In listening to Sarah’s story, we seek to understand the complicated social and cultural dynamics that lead to acceptance, both from oneself and from one’s community.

In this special episode of Pod-Tone 292, reporters Natalie Goldberg and Avery Reed document the last lesbian locales left in New York City for LGBTQ History Month. They speak with Columbia and Barnard students about their opinions on and experiences in these establishments. They also reflect on our city’s rich queer history and why we need to preserve queer spaces and prioritize queer joy.