Law-School

The hustle and bustle of a film set has a palpable energy and atmosphere that often goes unnoticed by film fanatics. The chaotic yet meticulous nature found on film sets blends all of these elements of lighting, cameras, makeup, and sound to create a unique visual story. Some of the people who are extremely familiar with this energy are the Master’s of Fine Arts film program students and alumni from the School of the Arts. As the noise died down over the past year as a result of the pandemic, the Columbia University Film Festival was canceled, a festival that annually showcased all of these students’ thesis work. Now, CUFF is back in full swing, ready to put the “action” in “lights, camera, action”.

“These are unprecedented times” has become a common refrain, and they indeed are. One thing Columbia students can count on, however, is a well-intentioned administrative decision that turns into a disaster for many.

After closing last November, New York City high schools have reopened for in-person instruction. While high schools in West Harlem have welcomed students back, many community members have expressed concern over safety measures to protect students, teachers, and their families from COVID-19.

The School of General Studies’ 2021 Class Day ceremony will feature Elegance Bratton, GS ’14, as keynote speaker and Christopher Thompson, GS ’21, and Qimeng Shi, GS ’21, as the class of 2021′s valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively. Bratton, Thompson, and Shi will each address the General Studies class of 2021 virtually on Wednesday, April 28 during Class Day.

Shih-Fu Chang has been named interim dean of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, according to an email sent by University President Lee Bollinger Friday. His term will begin on July 1,as the school’s current dean, Mary Boyce, transitions to her new role as University provost.

Imagine a typical New York City elementary school classroom: littered with half-chewed pencils, decorated with neon alphabet posters, filled with students’ voices as they work through books, with the ease of their reading serving as an unwitting indicator of their educational future. While not a complete determinant, a child’s reading ability can predict much of their scholastic trajectory—for example, a student who does not reach a third-grade reading level by the third grade is four times less likely to graduate high school by 19.

With the world keenly focused on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s easy to forget other pressing issues at hand that need to be addressed. A Zoom webinar held by the Center on Global Energy Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs with Bill Gates on Feb. 23 brings our attention back to the climate crisis that is still ever-present.

For many years, the sultry and mysterious presence of Hollywood film noir has remained a genre of intrigue in the world of cinema. Films like “Sunset Boulevard,” “The Big Heat,” and “In a Lonely Place” are still popular today, with recognizable stars like Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall emerging and film movements like French New Wave drawing inspiration from the genre.