Classroom

It might have been difficult to find the perfect study spot on campus during finals season, but how about during a global pandemic? For students living either on or off campus, it can be exhausting to search for a place to sit and work with the physical distancing guidelines. Spectrum’s got you covered with tips on where to study around campus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With a growing student body and a stagnant classroom inventory, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences has been increasingly compelled to look elsewhere for classroom spaces—including event spaces in Lerner, the Kraft Center, and buildings more than a mile from Morningside Campus. Without a clear solution, the growing pressure has led faculty, students, and administrators to question whether Columbia must eventually abandon its historically centralized campus for one that sprawls across Morningside Heights and, more and more, into West Harlem.

Preliminary plans to overhaul Uris Hall reveal a vision that is far removed from the current state of the building, featuring expensive and drastic changes to a currently “claustrophobic and privatizing” space. The renovations would aim to create a space dedicated to modern interdisciplinary research and intellectual community, according to a draft of committee recommendations obtained by Spectator.

In a certain sense, I agree with the frustration that is being expressed in “Eat the Wealthy.” I have been known to “Canada Goose-shame” those around me and point out the absurdity of college breaks since they are just another excuse for some students to flaunt luxurious vacations on social media. Being an international student, I was surprised to learn that the stereotypes of wealthy Americans portrayed in The Real Housewives of New York and Keeping up with Kardashians may, in fact, be true. I have also frequently been accused of being that kind of international student and had to awkwardly explain that I will not be dishing out the $1,000 to fly home for fall, spring, and winter breaks.

Despite a 35 percent increase in Arts and Sciences and Engineering student enrollment over the past decade, the number of usable classroom spaces on campus has largely remained fixed. This trend has led to an increase in the number of classes held on Fridays and Saturdays, and has placed the burden of bargaining for space onto individual departments.

“The Square is a sanctuary of trust and caring.”

“Sorry for being annoying,” “sorry for being so excited,” “sorry for bothering you,” “sorry for spamming you,” “sorry!” Sound familiar? If not, welcome to the top phrases employed by a serial over-apologizer (yours truly). It’s not a habit I’m proud of; given the chance, I would erase this trait in a snap. But it takes work and painful self-awareness to change a habit, especially when it’s one as sneakily intrusive as over-apologizing. This phenomenon is a recurrent social problem, including at Columbia, and especially among women. To reach one’s full potential and reclaim the meaning of the word “sorry,” we need to shed the habit of over-apologizing.

My first Latin American Politics discussion class gave me food for thought—literally. “Let’s start by introducing ourselves,” said the teaching assistant. “Why don’t you say your name, year, school, and… favorite Latin American food?”

Discuss the political role of University employees, especially in light of growing tension toward the federal government. Do professors take openly criticizing Trump or his administration a step too far? What about other employees, such as in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, where addressing the stresses of minority students’ is considered foundational to its mission?