The-Catcher-in-the-Rye

Julián Pérez—or, a pixelated approximation of Julián Pérez—appears in a video box on Zoom. We “meet,” or rather, both of our faces populate my laptop screen. This is just the way things are now. Normally, I could notice the subtleties of our interaction—their body language, clothing choice, the setting—and describe them here. But all I can see is what anyone could see of Pérez in a driver’s license photo. Pérez sits (or stands, or reclines) in front of a plain white wall. The camera only captures their head down to the tops of the shoulders. I only know that they are in their Columbia dorm room because they tell me so. Pérez and I, like so many others during the COVID-19 pandemic, are isolated from each other, but for Pérez, that might not be such a bad thing. Isolation during the pandemic has given Pérez an unprecedented opportunity to explore what gender means to them.

Artist Liam McGrane, GS ’24, depicts students’ lack of preparation for the summer semester after a turbulent fall and spring semester.

“The Worst Genre That Needed To Shut Itself Up: Emo. Just, gross. You know?” This quote from a Spectator music review, affectionately titled “Emo Go Bye-Bye: The Best and Worst of 2003,” perfectly captures how my adolescent self viewed the entire genre of emo music. I just didn’t get it—Why was Kellin Quinn singing five octaves out of human perception? Was it even singing if half the song was screaming?

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.

“I went to death row and really just saw what America says are the worst of the worst, and realized they’re human beings at the heart of these cases that you hear about.”

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.

In the film industry, the adjective “emerging” typically has a negative connotation. However, this need not be the case, as the process of emerging is never-ending—the process of reinvention is constant in a world where success is not easily defined. To emerge in the film world, one must grow and evolve into a successful individual.