Klemens-von-Metternich

When I am asked who my favorite historical figure is, I cannot help but say Prince Klemens von Metternich. Throughout my life, the majority of the responses I’ve gotten to this have been incredulous. Most people have no reason to know who Metternich is, and the majority of those who do scoff at the idea that an 18th-century Austrian aristocrat who is most often remembered for his repressive conservatism is a fitting exemplar, let alone one relevant in the 21st century. Well, I beg to differ.

In an effort to broaden the curriculum’s diversity, Literature Humanities will now include a “Contemporary Core” component consisting of an annually rotating text to be chosen based on annual faculty and student discussion, the first major syllabus update since Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” was added in 2015.

Columbia and Barnard’s public responses to incidents of anti-black harassment and racism on campus extend back decades, often displayed on the campus news section of their respective websites.

More than a month after Julian von Abele, CC ’21, harassed a group of mostly black students outside of Butler Library, Columbia has declined to release any information regarding potential disciplinary measures to be taken against von Abele. Meanwhile, Barnard’s December decision to ban von Abele from the college’s campus remains in effect, according to a College spokesperson.

Barnard has banned Julian von Abele, CC ’21, the student who harassed and grabbed a group of primarily black students on Columbia’s campus earlier this week, from its campus, according to a statement released early Wednesday morning.

It began with Danish directors Lars von Trier's and Thomas Vinterberg's dedication to eschew special effects in film and return to traditional methods of storytelling. Since its inception in 1995, Dogme 95 has grown into a significant avant-garde filmmaking movement. On March 13, the movement was installed in New York City at the Museum of Arts and Design, where a series of its movies can now be viewed.

For those uninitiated: do not scroll down. Drop everything and watch this video without context.  Like, pick up a thing, drop it, and then press play.