http://www.columbiaspectator.com/sites/default/files/issues/archive/05-10-10%20Web

YEAR IN REVIEW OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER 01 02 03 04 05

01 02 03

06 07 08 09 10 11 12

04 05 06 07 08 09 10

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

27 28 29 30

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

01 02 03 04 05 06 07

01 02 03 04 05

08 09 10 11 12 13 14

06 07 08 09 10 11 12

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

29 30

27 28 29 30 31

JANUARY

FEBRUARY 01 02

01 02 03 04 05 06

03 04 05 06 07 08 09

07 08 09 10 11 12 13

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

28

31 APRIL

MARCH 01 02 03 04 05 06

01 02 03

07 08 09 10 11 12 13

04 05 06 07 08 09 10

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

28 29 30 31

25 26 27 28 29 30

MAY

01

02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

THIS YEAR IN NEWS.............................................................................PAGE 2 THIS YEAR IN ARTS..............................................................................PAGE 7

THIS YEAR IN OPINION.........................................................................PAGE 8 THIS YEAR IN SPORTS.......................................................................PAGE 10

THIS YEAR IN PHOTOS..................................................................BACK PAGE

Page 2

News

May 10, 2010

Uncertainty for Manhattanville

Campus expansion land battle continues at Court of Appeals

BY KIM KIRSCHENBAUM Spectator Senior Staff Writer

jasper l. clyatt / senior staff photographer

SHUT DOWN | While the legal battle for land in the campus expansion site continues, Ramon Diaz, Floridita restaurant owner in Harlem, and University tenant, had to temporarily shut his doors for repair work. Meanwhile, he and the University are sealing the deal for relocation.

USenate calendar debates draw in student body

BY EMILY KWONG AND AMBER TUNNELL Columbia Daily Spectator As Columbia’s University Senate celebrated its 40th anniversary, the policy-making body was marked this year by dissension among senators and a lack of administrative support.

While the Senate eventually passed a new policy intended to alleviate hardship for students taking late end-of-semester exams, it came after months of heated debate and left some students unsatisfied.

And as the Senate commemorated its 40th year as a school institution—it was created in the wake of the 1968 riots on campus, and currently consists of 96 representatives from the University’s schools and communities—it was wracked by questions of its own identity and place on campus.

University President Lee Bollinger caused a stir in September

when he was asked whether the Senate would have the power to implement a possible smoking ban on campus, and responded that the Senate’s job is to “advise the University about the policies, but we [the Senate] don’t have the power to implement them.”

“The Senate can’t force a policy,” Bollinger reminded the senators.

But Executive Committee chair Sharyn O’Halloran stressed that the “voice of the Senate on this kind of issue is very important.”

Bollinger’s comments appeared to have struck a chord with O’Halloran, as she broached the issue again in the second plenary meeting of the Senate— where she pointed out that based on the Senate’s bylaws, the body does have policy-making power.

Bollinger did not attend the meeting, though he sits on the Executive Committee. He missed four of the eight Senate meetings this year.

At the first plenary meeting, astrophysics researcher Daniel Savin, chair of the Research Officers Committee, also urged the University to release the results of a salary equity study for research officers that they proposed over three years ago, along with the Committee on the Status of Women. Despite promises from the administration saying the results are on the way, Savin said, the results had still not been seen—though he claimed that preliminary results “showed significant discrepancies in salaries among certain Columbia research officer titles.” As of the end of the year, the results have still not been released.

Senate confidentiality and the academic calendar became the focal points of this year’s meetings, overshadowing resolutions on dual degrees and changes in academic department names.

While the possible campus smoking ban and swine flu temporarily took center stage, the Senate’s own confidentiality policy emerged as the most contentious issue of the fall semester.

In October, Monica Quaintance, CC ’10 and chair of the Structure and Operations Committee, and astrophysics researcher Daniel Savin, chair of the Research Officers Committee, proposed a new set of confidentiality rules for the Senate that would have instituted a policy to make the minutes from committee meetings confidential for 50 years.

The issue was a polarizing one for the Senate. The current policy states that committees are supposed to release a set of minutes to the public, including the outcome of all votes. However, the current practice is not to release SEE USENATE, page 6

The University’s Manhattanville expansion plan faced a setback this year after a state court declared eminent domain for the project illegal in December. This surprise ruling, which will send the case to New York’s highest court in June, has significantly raised the stakes of this protracted legal battle.

The New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division declared in December in a 3-2 decision that eminent domain—the process by which the state can seize private property for “public use” in exchange for market-rate compensation—in the 17-acre expansion zone is illegal, dealing a blow to the University’s longterm plans. It was an unexpected victory for Tuck-It-Away SelfStorage owner Nick Sprayregen and gas station owners Gurnam Singh and Parminder Kaur, the last private landowners in the expansion area who have not struck deals with the University.

The Empire State Development Corporation—the state body that approved eminent domain for the project in December 2008—appealed the decision in January to the New York State Court of Appeals, which will hear the case on June 1.

In the interim between the December ruling and the June appeal, the plaintiffs and respondents have been exchanging legal briefs. These briefs have honed in on, among other things, previous eminent domain cases whose legal precedents could be a bellwether for the upcoming case. Of particular interest is the November 2009 Goldstein v. New York State Urban Development Corporation case, in which the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of eminent domain for the Atlantic Yards commercial development in Brooklyn.

The respondents in the Manhattanville Court of Appeals case—Sprayregen, represented by attorney Norman Siegel, and Singh and Kaur, represented by attorney David Smith—have sought to draw

distinctions between the two cases.

They cite as important differences hundreds of pages of documents they submitted to the court outlining an affirmative alternative to ESDC’s vision of the area as “blighted”—defined as a condition of disrepair beyond the potential for natural relief. They also argue that “collusion” allegedly occurred when ESDC hired the consulting firm AKRF, which was also working for the University, to evaluate whether the neighborhood was blighted. These circumstances, the respondents say, were not present in Atlantic Yards, and thus make for two very different lawsuits.

Though University administrators would not speak to comparisons between Manhattanville and Atlantic Yards, some legal experts noted strong similarities between the two cases and said that the Atlantic Yards verdict could be important for the upcoming Manhattanville case.

“I would be surprised if Judge Catterson’s decision stands up to the state level,” Julia Vitullo-Martin, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute think tank, said, referring to Justice James Catterson’s majority opinion in December’s Appellate Division ruling.

Robert Kasdin, senior executive vice president of the University, said only, “I have a lot of confidence in the New York State Court of Appeals— it’s a terrific court. The court is known across the country as an outstanding group of jurists.”

But should the Court of Appeals uphold the Appellate Division’s decision, administrators could have to go back to the drawing board, which could pose a problem for the expansion project in the long term. At this time, University officials say, they have no alternative plan if eminent domain is again ruled illegal.

Administrators emphasized that the remaining land they do not own is crucial for Columbia’s campus vision and the local environment. They say that a “checkerboard” development with SEE MANHATTANVILLE, page 5

New Gender-neutral stalled, students protest deans, new academics

BY LEAH GREENBAUM Spectator Staff Writer

BY AMBER TUNNELL Spectator Senior Staff Writer As new administrators settle into their positions, this year was the transition period that followed months—and in some cases years—of administrative searches. While Columbia’s new dean and provost continue to shape their roles on campus, the undergraduate pool expanded with the economy—and a changing market pushed the Journalism School to also expand its areas of research.

In an adjustment year for Columbia, departments renamed and re-alligned, as the University promoted the sciences, new media, and updated curricula. administrative changes After extensive and highprofile administrative searches that dragged through last year, Columbia experienced a transition period as new appointments settled into their roles.

After Austin Quigley stepped down as Columbia College dean last year, Michele Moody-Adams—who was then vice provost for undergraduate education at Cornell University—became the first woman and the first African American to hold the post.

Over the past year, she has become known to undergraduates for her philosophy lectures and her tea parties, similar to University President Lee Bollinger’s fireside chats.

And after a search that spanned two years, civil engineer Feniosky Peña-Mora— formerly the associate provost of the University of SEE ACADEMICS, page 4

This year, students, administrators, and several national media outlets found it difficult to remain “neutral” on a gender-neutral housing proposal that, if passed, would have allowed for mixedgender doubles at Columbia.

In February, administrators announced that they had turned down a proposal drafted by several campus LGBT groups, which had the support of all four student

councils. Dean of Student Affairs Kevin Shollenberger said administrators are considering a pilot program for the 2011-2012 school year. If approved, the option would be introduced for the 2011 housing selection process, and would not be open to first-years.

Shollenberger explained that administrators want to make sure they have time for a “larger community conversation,” as well as enough time to fully incorporate any changes to the housing lottery into brochures and tours, before

patrick yuan / staff photographer

WRITTEN RESPONSE | After administrators chose not to implement gender-neutral housing this year, student organizers banded together.

enacting the option. Still, the proposal’s authors have said they are baffled by the delay.

“We all thought this was going to pass. ... Housing seemed in favor of it ... and we were just really surprised that the administration wasn’t able to push it through,” said Anna Steffens, BC ’10, co-president of Q, and the Barnard Student Government Association’s representative for diversity.

Last week, Everyone Allied Against Homophobia delivered a petition in support of genderneutral housing, signed by 969 students, to Columbia College Dean Michele Moody-Adams, School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Feniosky Peña-Mora, and Shollenberger.

“One of the administration’s fears was that there wasn’t enough body of student support for it. We wanted to make sure that a huge portion of Columbia College is supporting this,” Sean Udell, president-elect of the Columbia College class of 2011, treasurer of the Columbia Queer Alliance, and one of the proposal’s original authors and most vocal advocates, said of the petition’s creation.

SEE GENDER-NEUTRAL, page 4

Harlem charter school debate intensifies

BY SARAH DARVILLE Spectator Staff Writer This academic year, debates about how much space charter schools should receive in city public school buildings, along with the fight for federal education dollars, have kept Harlem schools in the spotlight—and local State Senator Bill Perkins is still standing in the middle of Harlem’s charter school wars, in many ways polarizing the fight.

Charter schools, which are public schools overseen by private boards of directors, have

exploded in Harlem over the last few years, with 24 of Manhattan’s 29 charter schools located north of 96th Street.

The area is home to two equally passionate factions: those who believe that charters provide a focused quality of education better than Harlem’s district schools provide, and those who believe the growth of charters starves traditional schools of resources.

Perkins has firmly aligned himself with the anti-charter activists, a position that came into focus at hearings he held on April 22 as chairman of the New

York State Senate Committee on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions.

A few days after kicking off his re-election campaign, Perkins alleged that the ways in which charter schools compensate their directors and employees are not transparent enough.

“Schools should be in the business of teaching our children, not enriching corporations,” he said.

Perkins remains the area’s staunchest anti-charter school advocate, while statewide SEE SCHOOLS, page 3

sarah darville / staff photographer

CAMPAIGN TRAIL | Adam Clayton Powell IV announced his candidacy for Congress in Harlem this spring after he faced legal problems.

Harlem politicians in the spotlight amid controversies

BY AARON KIERSH Spectator Senior Staff Writer

Over the past year, several city politicians with Harlem roots have taken center stage in the New York media—some on the rise, and others struggling to stay afloat amid a string of controversies.

A few veteran local officials have endured perhaps the most difficult year of their careers.

New York Governor David Paterson, a Democrat who once represented Morningside Heights and West Harlem in the State Assembly, decided not to run for re-election after getting embroiled in a former aide’s domestic abuse scandal, seeing the state budget veer ever closer to collapse, and registering historically low approval numbers.

New York’s first AfricanAmerican governor may have seen signs of the struggle ahead as early as September 2009, when President Barack Obama appeared to snub him during a visit to New York and media reports surfaced that White House emissaries had urged him to step aside in 2010.

At that point, dissatisfaction with Paterson’s job performance was already quite apparent.

“What the governor didn’t quite do is give a rationale why he should continue to be governor,” a union leader active in state politics told Spectator last September, speaking anonymously because of his close ties to the governor. “The rationale has to be what you do in office, what you want to do in times of economic distress. He’s a different person than he was as a state senator. We don’t know where he stands on basic benefits.”

Paterson remained steadfast in light of a growing budget crisis and ballooning unemployment rates. And despite plummeting approval ratings, even among loyal Democrats, the governor continued to raise campaign funds and vowed to stand for re-election.

But allegations that one of Paterson’s closest staffers, David Johnson, assaulted a Bronx woman—and that Paterson attempted to scare the victim into silence—eventually delivered the knockout blow.

SEE POLITICS, page 3

May 10, 2010

NEWS

Page 3

Construction transforms Upper West Side streets

BY SARAH DARVILLE Spectator Staff Writer The pocket of the Upper West Side bordered by 96th and 100th streets has undergone a major transformation since last spring, and some residents say the feel of the neighborhood has fundamentally changed.

With construction projects nearing completion on every block, new retailers and tenants moving into the neighborhood, and pending development plans stuck at the drawing board, the fate of the local streetscape remains uncertain. breaking ground The influx of chain stores after construction has been a central part of the change.

Urban Outfitters finally found a home near the Columbia student market after a year’s delay, and is planning to open a two-floor store at 99th Street and Broadway this summer. Two blocks south, the reconstructed 96th Street subway station house opened in April, creating a central above-ground entrance for 1 train commuters.

This Metropolitan Transportation Authority project, which has been under construction since 2007, will be completed in September.

While many local subway riders appreciated this construction project, which will ultimately make entering the station more efficient, some residents two avenues over are criticizing the nearly complete Columbus Square development, located between 97th and 100th Streets on Columbus Avenue.

Kelly Gedinsky of Winick Realty Group, the company in charge of leasing space in Columbus Square, said in April that a Duane Reade, Crumbs Bake Shop, and Modell’s Sporting Goods are scheduled to open up this summer. A Borders bookstore and a Chase bank are slated to open in the fall, along with two private schools.

Already, Whole Foods Market, T.J. Maxx, makeup chain Sephora, and Michaels craft store have opened outlets in the complex, which also includes five new residential towers.

The east side of Columbus remains under construction.

The stores are busy, and many shoppers seemed thrilled to take advantage of bigger stores nearby. “To me, it’s very convenient.

I really think this neighborhood needed this,” Alida Glafals, a teacher at a nearby school, told Spectator in April.

labor pains As the Columbus Square development nears completion, some local labor advocates have been scrutinizing the developer’s practices amid tough financial times.

In the fall, labor union leaders stood in front of a giant inflatable rat to protest the decision by the site’s developers, Stellar Management and the Chetrit Group, to switch to what is called an “open shop” agreement, in which the developer employs both union and nonunion employees. Previously, the project had been entirely unionized, but the developers say that this became too much of a financial burden. According to Andres Puerta, organizer of the New York City District Council of Carpenters and inflatable rat owner, more than 80 workers on the site lost their jobs when the switch was made.

Puerta argued in the fall that without a fully unionized project, construction is not as safe, and an October crane accident, he said, proved his point. Developers maintain that safety standards have not changed.

“They increase profits by destroying labor standards,” Puerta said in the fall. But Kathy Cudahy, a spokesperson for Chetrit, responded by saying that the openshop workplace was a financial necessity. In a September interview, she said, “This is very simple. It is about cost.” new crowds Despite persistent labor protests, construction has continued, and the new stores have brought in significant foot and vehicle traffic, according to nearby residents.

Maggi Peyton, president of the Park West Village Tenants’ Association, expressed frustration with the traffic in January.

“We’ve become another shopping mall,” she said. “The congestion is unbelievable. The numbers of people who go in and out of Whole Foods, especially on weekends, are really huge.”

Of the new residential rental buildings, two are open and 85 percent full, according to Columbus Square manager Jeffrey Davis. But as more of the buildings are completed and tenants move in, local schools are concerned that their crowded buildings will be pushed over capacity.

PS 163 on 97th Street sits right next to the new development, SEE RETAIL, page 5

raul gonzales for spectator

MARKET SHIFT | A new Whole Foods on 97th Street is at the center of a neighborhood transformation on the Upper West Side this year.

tripp odom for spectator

GOING HOME | The New York City Housing Authority, which oversees public housing units like the General Grant Houses, above, in West Harlem, has struggled to maintain vouchers and other low-income housing options for tenants while facing persistent financial cuts and shortfalls.

With budget shortfalls, public housing strained in Harlem

BY KIM KIRSCHENBAUM Spectator Senior Staff Writer

In light of persistent budget woes, the New York City Housing Authority—the agency that oversees public housing—struggled to maintain its services this year, just when many Harlem residents said they needed them most.

In December, NYCHA voided 2,600 Section 8 vouchers, which low-income residents use to gain access to private housing, typically paying 30 percent of their income on rent while the city covers the rest. The vouchers revoked in December weren’t in use yet, but were reserved for families in the process of finding homes. Still, the

cut prompted protests from low-income families who worried that their current Section 8 vouchers were also vulnerable, in light of a $45 million budget gap citywide and decreased federal support.

These fears were confirmed in April when NYCHA announced that, due to further budget woes, it was considering

revoking the Section 8 vouchers of more than 10,000 low-income tenants in the upcoming months. At the time, NYCHA officials did not specify how those cuts would be made, but the announcement sparked an outcry from residents, tenant advocates, and local SEE NYCHA, page 5

Amid controversies, Harlem politicians in the spotlight POLITICS from page 2 On Feb. 26, Paterson announced that he would not run for re-election. This makes him the second consecutive New York governor to serve only one term, after fellow Democrat Eliot Spitzer resigned in 2008. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is seen as the favorite to replace Paterson on the Democratic ticket in November.

Paterson, though, was not the only Democratic officeholder with local roots to face controversies this year. Congressman Charles Rangel, who has represented northern Manhattan in Washington for nearly 40 years, departed from his post as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in early March. Rangel is accused of accepting a corporate-sponsored Caribbean vacation, failing to pay taxes on vacation properties, falsely disclosing his personal assets, and accepting a deal from a Manhattan developer on four rent-controlled apartments in Harlem. Under pressure from Democratic leaders fearing the political implications of these charges in an already difficult election year, Rangel stepped down from the committee.

Unlike Paterson, Rangel has remained committed to running for re-election in November.

Challengers vying for the solidly Democratic Harlem-based seat include former Rangel aide Vince Morgan, SIPA ’06, and State Assembly member Adam Clayton Powell IV. If Rangel runs for a 21st term, some experts say he is favored to win, due in large part to his incumbency.

“There is a lot of uncertainty about what is going to happen,” said State Assembly member Daniel O’Donnell, who represents Morningside Heights, after Rangel resigned from the Ways and Means chairmanship. “I take him at his word that he will, in fact, run for

re-election. It is my hope that he stays on the ballot.”

Columbia political science professor David Eisenbach added, “Rangel will win unless something more egregious comes out. An indictment or another serious allegation could change things.”

Still, Powell is challenging the very man who unseated his father four decades ago. Rangel originally replaced Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Powell IV’s father.

Though some think that Rangel has a good shot at securing the seat he has held for so long, Powell IV said just before he officially announced his candidacy in April that he was confident: “Harlem has a legacy of longevity in politics. ...

My father helped to create this seat.”

But Powell has also had a recent run-in with the law—he was found guilty in March of driving while impaired, a traffic violation less severe than driving while intoxicated,

which left him with a temporary license suspension and a small fine.

And while Paterson’s and Rangel’s seats may be at stake, according to some speculation, they themselves might be putting the seat of another Harlem politician at risk as well—New York State Senator Bill Perkins, who announced his bid for re-election in April.

A slew of new candidates for Perkins’ seat recently entered the limelight amid speculation that Paterson and Rangel are actively seeking people to supplant Perkins, who represents West Harlem.

Paterson and Rangel may have reason to be at odds with Perkins, who broke ranks with many black leaders in February when he said that Paterson shouldn’t seek reelection in the wake of his alleged interference in his aide’s domestic violence case. This was especially stinging, some contend, because Perkins holds Paterson’s old State

Senate seat. Others say he has likewise angered Rangel, after rumors swirled that he was considering a run for Rangel’s congressional seat.

Political consultant Rodney Capel, Parks Department Deputy Commissioner for Community Outreach Larry Scott Blackmon, and political strategist Basil Smikle were all mentioned as possible challengers. According to recent news reports, after the three conversed, they came to a consensus that Smikle would challenge Perkins.

But some experts say that Perkins will be able to hold his post.

Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic political consultant, said in a recent interview, “No one is going to beat him. It doesn’t matter what Paterson and Rangel want or don’t want. ... They can say whatever they want and it’s not going to affect Perkins.” aaron.kiersh @columbiaspectator.com

angela radulescu/ senior staff photographer

NEW BATTLES | Harlem State Senator Bill Perkins recently announced his bid for re-election after remaining silent for months. Several competitors have emerged as possibilities for the Senate position.

Charter debate intensifies in Harlem public schools SCHOOLS from page 2 momentum seems to be moving in the other direction. This week, the State Senate approved a measure to double the number of charter schools allowed in the state, although it was unclear whether this would also pass in the State Assembly.

In early April, backlash against charters spread to the Upper West Side, where Community Board 7 approved a resolution that would make putting a charter school in public school space much more complicated. Morningside Heights State Assembly member Daniel O’Donnell introduced a bill—which the CB7 resolution supported—that would make public school buildings subject to the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure before they can lease or sell space.

The ULURP process, a city protocol for land use review, includes community input, something that anti-charter advocates say has been lacking when the

city’s Department of Education decides to give a charter school space in a traditional public school building. Supporters of the bill argue that they are not opponents of charter schools, but rather support a more thor-

West Harlem, many parents—and Perkins—advocated for exactly that.

“We know you can’t put five schools in [one building] and make them work equitably,” CEC President Noah Gotbaum said at the meeting. “A lot of our public

“Schools should be in the business of teaching our children, not enriching corporations.”

—State Senator Bill Perkins ough process with neighborhood feedback. But ULURP is a lengthy process with many chances for requests to be denied, which CB7 member Cara Volpe worried could have drastic consequences.

“I think the end result will be charters not being able to use public space,” she said.

At a January meeting of District 3’s Community Education Council, which represents schools on the Upper West Side and in

school students are coming last.”

Throughout the year, the city’s Department of Education, in conjunction with Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, held “war room” discussions with politicians and school affiliates. The DOE also carried out physical walk-throughs of buildings that hold more than one school to help determine how to divide space fairly.

Still, charters boast that their students score higher on New York

state exams and that more of their students matriculate at colleges.

Teachers College, which is starting its own public school in the fall of 2011, has said it will attempt to use some of charter schools’ tactics, like a longer school day and year, while remaining a traditional public school.

“We’re looking to adopt features of charters that have been successful, based on research,” TC spokesperson Joe Levine said in March.

But Perkins has not wavered in his advocacy against charters, and Harlem parents like Kim Burke, who said that her son has been succeeding at KIPP STAR College Prep Charter School after leaving a district school, could pose a problem for Perkins in his re-election campaign.

Referring to KIPP, Burke said, “When I spoke to them about my concerns, they [school officials] were excellent. He is doing much better.” sarah.darville @columbiaspectator.com

Page 4

CU introduces common app as admit rate drops ACADEMICS from page 2 Illinois—was appointed dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Social psychologist Claude Steele took his place as provost, also becoming the first African American to hold the post. At the time, Steele was the Lucie Stern Professor in the Social Sciences at Stanford University and director of Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.

As for Steele, his style as provost is still in its formative stages. In recent interviews, Steele has suggested that he would like to take a more active role in budgeting. His predecessor, historian and former provost Alan Brinkley, saw control over budgetary decisions shift from the provost to the president and the newly created position of the senior executive vice president. more students and the common app In February, the University announced that it would be increasing Columbia College’s first-year class size permanently by 50 students to roughly 1,070 students per year, up from the previous of around 1,020—a decision expedited by the economy, dean of student affairs Kevin Shollenberger said at the time.

Last year’s admission cycle, for the class of 2013, marked the first year of this increase.

After reviewing how the change had affected the University initially, administrators decided to make it permanent. This will result in a total of 200 more students on campus after the first four years.

Dean of Academic Affairs Kathryn Yatrakis said that administrators had to make slight adjustments to Core Curriculum classes this past year to accommodate the larger freshman class. They added three sections of Literature Humanities and two sections of Art Humanities. They also raised the cap for University Writing courses from 12 students to 14, although Yatrakis said that only one section had 14 students this year, and the average was 13. She said that she did not foresee any changes being made for the Contemporary Civilization courses next year.

This year’s admitted class was again the most selective in history, with a combined CC and SEAS admit rate of 9.16 percent. This is the last class that will be admitted through Columbia’s unique application—beginning next year, Columbia will start using the Common Application instead.

“We offer one of the most generous need-based financial aid programs in the country and believe the Common Application will make applying to Columbia more accessible to students from every background,” Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jessica Marinaccio wrote in a statement released in March. expanding science, conflicting interests While student reaction to the required Frontiers of Science class has been notoriously mixed in the course’s five-year run, this year the administration ensured that it would continue by renewing the course.

The science department at Columbia also expanded this year, as construction continued on the Northwest Corner Building, located at the corner of 120th Street and Broadway.

Eight Columbia scientists were selected this past year to move into the new building, which will mainly consist of department laboratories. The University also plans to hire 13 new scientists, which makes a total of 21 scientists moving into the building.

Kenneth Shepard from the electrical engineering department said in January that his new space will be significantly larger than his current space, which is cramped and crowded. He also said the Northwest Corner Building should “help to create a lot of synergy between the physical sciences and life sciences” at Columbia.

But the future is not bright for all scientists at Columbia.

This fall, some astronomers who occupy the neighboring Pupin Physics Laboratory said the layout of the new building has blocked out one-ninth of the night sky from the telescopes in the Rutherford Observatory.

“It’s a shame,” David Hirsh, the University’s executive vice president for research, said in January. “This is something that has been a problem all along, and we just have to face this problem.”

The telescopes are used for both teaching and research, and some who use them have added that the light from the new building will prevent clear observation. new media for the times Columbia’s Journalism School has also seen an expansion this year in an effort to boost research on new forms of media.

In January, the J-School completed the Tow Center for Digital Journalism, and in April, it added a dual degree program in conjunction with SEAS for students interested in digital journalism.

“We’ve been moving in a digital direction very rapidly these past few years, and we’d like to keep moving and be a recognized leader in teaching digital journalism to students,” Nicholas Lemann, dean of the Journalism School, said in January.

In 2008, the Tow Foundation gave a $5 million gift to the J-School to found the digital media center, with the stipulation that Columbia raise an additional $10 million in two years. After the fundraising was completed this year, searches for a director began, and in April the position was given to Emily Bell, who plans to leave her post at The Guardian and start this summer.

In April, the University Senate passed a proposal to implement a “Dual Master of Science Degree in Journalism and Computer Science” between the J-School and SEAS, and the University hopes to launch it in fall 2011. The program is slated to have a specialized digital journalism curriculum.

“This was not a hard sale among our faculty or the faculty in the Senate,” said Bill Grueskin, dean of academic affairs for the Journalism School, referring to the pressing need for a program like this amid the changing atmosphere of journalism.

Shehrbano Saiyid, Journalism ’10 and specializing in broadcast, said in April that the J-School’s focus is in flux. “Old forms of journalism are going out,” she said. “The Journalism School is trying to make the students realize that it’s a part of our success to better know the Internet and digital media.” name changes, new majors, and new applications Columbia’s Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures d e p ar t me nt ( M E A L AC ) capped off what chair Sudipta Kaviraj said has been gradual curricular changes with a new moniker—Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies (MESAAS). The department has expanded to include South Asian and African courses, Kaviraj said, and has shifted from a focus on languages, cultures, and literacy studies to study of the history and social sciences of these regions.

In March, the Earth Institute, CC, and the School of General Studies announced that they will offer a major in sustainable development to undergraduates. Students already had the option of concentrating in sustainable development, and the high level of interest in the concentration spurred the University to develop a full major, according to the Earth Institute’s website.

Also in March, administrators for the creative writing program offered through the School of the Arts for CC undergraduates announced that, as of fall 2010, the program will require an application, which will include a substantial writing sample. amber.tunnell @columbiaspectator.com

NEWS

May 4, 2010

Revised meal plans at Columbia, Barnard

BY ELIZABETH SCOTT Spectator Senior Staff Writer Dining changes hit both sides of Broadway this year, though some policies proved to be more controversial than others.

When Barnard students return next semester, they will all be on a mandated meal plan, a departure from the current policy, which only requires first-years and residents of certain dorms to buy a meal plan. The announcement was met with significant student backlash—far more than accompanied Columbia’s new meal plan structure, which will turn Ferris Booth Commons into a dining hall and allow students to buy meal plans by the week rather than by the semester.

Matt Kingston, associate director for housing operations at Barnard, announced at a study abroad program meeting last

semester that meal plans would be required for all Barnard students starting in fall 2010. While a mandatory meal plan for Barnard had been rumored for months, nothing had been officially unveiled, and Kingston’s announcement was followed soon after by a school-wide email from Barnard Dean Dorothy Denburg confirming the change. Still, in a student forum in February, Denburg said that the administration had not planned on announcing the change until the room selection process began later that spring.

While Denburg’s initial email in the fall semester had stated that the mandatory meal plan was being introduced to foster community on campus, Barnard President Debora Spar later acknowledged that there was a significant financial impetus behind SEE MEAL PLANS, page 6 alexa davis for spectator

Gender-neutral housing delayed, students protest CU expands global reach with international centers JET SET | University President Lee Bollinger spoke at the launch of the European Global Center in Paris, France this March.

GENDER-NEUTRAL from page 2

Currently, a task force of students and administrators is meeting to draft a revised proposal to submit to administrators in the fall.

In December, several national media outlets published reports suggesting that gender-neutral housing would merely be a way for straight couples to “shack up” early, a claim the proposal’s advocates and authors have adamantly denied.

Advocates say gender-neutral housing would create a more comfortable living environment for LGBT students, and emphasize that the proposal was not written with heterosexual students in mind.

But some students wonder if the negative media attention—most notably from the New York Post, which said the proposal would allow couples to “live in sin on their parents’

dime”—may have played a role in the policy’s delay.

Udell said that the articles that framed the proposal as a push for “coed” housing, as opposed to gender-neutral housing, “gave the administration the ammunition to delay the process.”

Sydney Shaefer, CC ’12, said she was disappointed that she would not be able to live next year with her best friend, a male student who currently lives across the hall from her.

“I’m sure that [concern about couples living together] had something to do with it,” she said, adding that she hopes the administration comes around next year.

Although the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, and Stanford University all already allow for some form of genderblind doubles, students say that Columbia’s housing policies are generally more progressive than those of many peer institutions. leah.greenbaum @columbiaspectator.com

BY MADINA TOURE Spectator Senior Staff Writer While some have expressed reservations, Columbia administrators say the newly opened Global Centers have helped enhance the University’s position on the international stage.

Columbia has opened four Global Centers since 2009.

In March 2009, it launched two centers in Beijing, China and Amman, Jordan, and this March, it opened the European Global Center in Paris and the South Asian Global Center in Mumbai, India. The centers are meant to be low-budget research sites that offer curricular, internship, study abroad, or research opportunities for students, rather than satellite campuses abroad. Directors have previously said that the

centers will benefit locals while simultaneously offering students more international opportunities and resources.

According to University President Lee Bollinger, the centers have received good feedback and support from faculty members.

“On the whole, I hear very positive things about the centers, and the amount of faculty and school and department engagement through the centers is the most wonderful and heartening part of the whole enterprise,” he said.

In February, Vice President of Global Centers and Carnegie Professor of Public Affairs Kenneth Prewitt stressed that Columbia is the only university with a program encompassing SEE GLOBAL CENTERS, page 6

May 10, 2010

NEWS

Page 5

angela radulescu / senior staff photographer

IN TRANSITION? | The fate of the Manhattanville neighborhood in West Harlem is uncertain as eminent domain for expansion is questioned.

Manhattanville expansion stuck in land use battle non-University buildings scattered throughout would preclude the possibility of an integrated campus with a sprawling underground facility that would allow for below-grade deliveries, basement space, and parking, among other things.

“There is no plan B, and the reason for that is that in order to do something like this, you have to really just plunge ahead with the big plan, and you have to make the best case you can for it,” University President Lee Bollinger said in a recent interview. In December, immediately after the Appellate Division ruling, Bollinger had said that the

expansion might not happen at all without eminent domain.

But others say that an alternative plan is necessary—which may be easier said than done in an urban area already impeded by space constraints, according to legal experts. Columbia Law School professor Lance Liebman referred to New York University’s expansion plans, which have been particularly difficult in Greenwich Village, where opposition from local residents abounds. But, he said, NYU has come up with an alternative solution involving expansion not in the immediate area, but on a global scale instead.

“They need space, they know that in Greenwich Village they

can’t expand a lot—you need a long-term plan, and for them it’s to put half of it [additional campuses] in foreign countries,” Liebman said. “These are large and interesting questions about when you have big universities that need more space, but it’s in a big city rather than in Princeton, N.J., or Palo Alto [Calif.], where there’s tons of land.”

Meanwhile, an ongoing controversy was reignited in April regarding property Columbia already owns on Broadway and 125th Street, currently leased out to the popular Cuban restaurant Floridita. Columbia temporarily shut down the restaurant for necessary kitchen floor repair work, but whether it will reopen in full

in its current location remains uncertain, since—as owner Ramon Diaz and University officials confirmed—they are close to sealing the deal for a new location for Floridita. Both parties have said they are waiting on the other to sign the lease.

Though University officials maintain that Diaz was made aware well in advance that this temporary shutdown would be necessary because of the damage to the kitchen floor, Diaz said on the day of the closure, “It’s not so much me, but the 30plus families that are living off this work. This has real impact on real lives.” kim.kirschenbaum @columbiaspectator.com

graphic by yipeng huang

MANHATTANVILLE from page 2

Public Housing strained by budget woes NYCHA from page 3 politicians, who argued that cuts of that scale would intensify the housing struggle.

“We already have a housing crisis,” Nellie Bailey, director of the Harlem Tenants Council, a grassroots advocacy group, said after the April announcement.

“This will only exacerbate it.”

But at the end of April, the federal government stepped in to provide what some consider to be only a stopgap solution for a larger budgetary problem. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said just weeks after NYCHA’s threat to revoke vouchers that it would allocate $23.5 million to NYCHA for the Section 8 program. According to NYCHA spokesperson Heidi Morales, HUD allocations were awarded to public housing authorities such as NYCHA that

are in excess of their legal limit of vouchers.

“HUD’s allocation of more than $23 million to help fill that gap is an enormous help,” NYCHA chairman John Rhea said in a press release. But Rhea, along with local housing advocates, acknowledged that there is still an uphill climb ahead.

Sarah Martin, president of the Grant Houses Tenants Association, said after hearing about the federal funding, “We’re living at a big risk. …

It’s giving people false hope.

Gradually, I see it [Section 8] teetering out.” She added that she is skeptical of NYCHA’s ability to find additional funding.

New York City Council member Robert Jackson, who represents parts of West Harlem, said that while the long-term implications of HUD’s contribution may be difficult to assess, he is hopeful.

“Time will tell,” Jackson said.

“We have to be very optimistic.”

He added that NYCHA has an obligation to allow those currently living in Section 8 housing to stay where they are.

For local Section 8 tenants, the uncertainty surrounding the way in which the federal money will be allocated has led to further distress. For some residents who have been unable to join the program and were put on a waiting list, the situation continues to appear bleak. Jorge Martinez, a West Harlem resident who applied for Section 8 but was put on the waiting list, said, “I hope they’ll call me. It would be a big help.”

To sustain the program, Jackson said, the city should keep looking to the federal government for support.

“I’d prefer to give more vouchers than be conservative,” he said. kim.kirschenbaum @columbiaspectator.com

New projects transform Upper West Side RETAIL from page 3 and Wendy Clapp-Shapiro, the school’s community liaison, said in November that the school is already operating at 105 percent of its normal capacity, with kindergarten classes being held in trailers.

“We are very concerned that there are 700 apartments in those five new buildings, and over the coming years, we are concerned about having a large influx of students,” Clapp-Shapiro said.

The school could gain more space from a local nursing home, Jewish Home Lifecare, which is seeking to develop a new facility on 100th Street and has offered to allow the elementary school to expand into its new facility. land use battle Whether PS 163 gains more space hinges on JHL’s ability to actually develop on the site.

Currently, the nursing home operates in a building on 106th Street, but has a pending land swap deal with New York developer Joseph Chetrit that would allow the two parties

to essentially switch properties. This would allow JHL to build a new 22-story facility on 100th Street, and Chetrit, the Columbus Square developer, to build homes on 106th.

This swap originally ignited neighborhood fury when it was first announced in August, since residents feared that Chetrit would use a zoning exemption attached to JHL’s current property to build a tall, out-ofcontext structure on 106th. JHL has the exemption because it is a nonprofit, and representatives from the nursing home have said that JHL would pay for the costly process of downzoning the 106th Street property—but only once the deal is complete, since the swap is not definite.

Some residents who fear a tall Chetrit tower—despite stated commitments by the developer to build contextually—argue that the land must be downzoned immediately.

City Council member Melissa Mark-Viverito announced in October that she would try to make the downzoning happen herself, with the

support of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, even though it could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Meanwhile, JHL has been negotiating with community groups and lawyers to hammer out a restrictive declaration, which would legally bind Chetrit to build under stricter zoning laws once the deal goes through.

Though Upper West Side Community Board 7 chair Mel Wymore said in March that the agreement was “within days, if not hours” of being completed, CB7 member Miki Fiegel said recently that final negotiations could stretch into the fall.

Fiegel said that lawyers are now reviewing comments on the declaration, but concerns about the impact of construction on neighboring buildings and the ongoing debate about who will pay for the downzoning process have added time to the process.

“All of those issues haven’t been dealt with yet, but I think everyone is negotiating in good faith,” she said. sarah.darville @columbiaspectator.com

Page 6

NEWS

USenate takes on calendar, confidentiality gripped the Senate throughout the spring semester.

While confidentiality proved to be a mostly internal debate, the fight over the academic calendar pulled outside students and council leaders to the Senate floor.

Student dissatisfaction with the Dec. 23 end date for the fall semester sparked a 2,000-signature Facebook petition demanding that the academic calendar be changed or provisions made for students with late exams. The students brought the petition to the attention of the Senate.

The Education Committee, which is in charge of the decennial review of the calendar, explored conflicting options, support for which was largely divided along student and faculty lines.

By late March, the Senate body was caught between the student council-proposed solution to start a week before Labor Day two out of every seven years when the holiday falls late, and the faculty-proposed solution to hold classes on Election Day Monday and finals over the weekend. Neither camp appeared

USENATE from page 2 minutes from any committees. In December, Quaintance said, “The actual policy is meaningless because we don’t follow it.”

She and Savin argued that their proposed policy would be more transparent than the current practice of de facto permanent confidentiality, while others argued that the proposal would in fact create less transparency, if one compares it to the current written policy.

Andrew Springer, a student senator from the Journalism School, said that the new policy “will prevent journalists … from doing the kind of reporting that will hold this Senate accountable.”

In response to the controversy over the draft of the new guidelines, Quaintance and Savin solicited feedback from the other committees. In December, Quaintance said she hoped the proposal would come to a vote in January. As of yet, though, nothing has been publicly done on the issue, and it has seemingly been forgotten in the wake of the academic calendar issue, which

willing to accept the other’s proposal in full, and both options were ultimately dismissed, to the disappointment of student council leadership.

The Education Committee and Student Affairs Committee eventually presented a formal resolution, which passed unanimously at the final plenary meeting in late April. The new policy will allow students to reschedule exams set for the 23rd to an earlier date.

Responses to the resolution were mixed. Engineering Student Council President Whitney Green, SEAS ’10, felt the resolution “was not alleviating the problem we were looking to address in the first place,” while senator Alex Frouman, CC ’10, deemed it a compromise. “All of us were able to come together this morning and reach a solution,” Frouman said, adding that the Student Affairs Committee will review the policy’s efficacy next December.

Half a dozen students attended the last plenary in protest and urged increased communication on the part of the Senate. news@columbiaspectator.com

matt sherman / staff photographer

FOOD FOR THOUGHT? | Barnard students attended a forum at the Diana on the controversial required meal plan proposal administrators first leaked in December. Students questioned the role of finances in the decision.

Meal plans revamped at CC, BC

May 4, 2010

Unclear future for BC in sororities

BY ELIZABETH SCOTT Spectator Senior Staff Writer While this year saw a boom in Greek life participation, Barnard’s Student Government Association is still struggling to decide whether or not to recognize sororities officially, an issue that has financial implications for participating Barnard students.

In the past few years, participation in Greek life on campus has increased, culminating in a 30 percent rise in sorority participation this year. This year, 254 women entered the recruitment process, compared to last year’s 195. Ultimately, 170 women joined sororities, compared to the previous year’s 110.

Some believe it’s the nature of student life on an urban campus that has contributed to the increase in interest in Greek life.

Delta Gamma President Leila Mabourakh, BC ’11, said, “The Greek community is so involved and so close-knit, and I think it is becoming more and more attractive to new students when they come here.”

Currently, SGA does not officially recognize the InterGreek Council, the Greek life governing board, which includes three branches. A stipulation in the SGA constitution states that groups that choose members on a “discriminatory basis” can’t receive recognition.

In April, the IGC went to SGA to push for official recognition, which would afford them a variety of extra privileges, including financial help and access to more spaces for events.

Barnard students make up a considerable portion of Greek life, but the push was overturned in an SGA vote in April, leaving the IGC unrecognized by SGA. The Panhellenic Council, a branch of the IGC, currently has stage-one recognition at Barnard, which means that it has some extra privileges, including space to flier and the option to hire an adviser, reserve space, or hang banners.

Without stage-two recognition, though, the IGC cannot receive funding allocations for the academic year from SGA, as most Barnard groups do. It can, however, apply for co-sponsorship, which any group can do regardless of recognition status.

rose donlon / staff photographer

SISTERHOOD | Interest in Greek life this year boomed, but also sparked a contentious debate about Barnard sorority recognition.

Following SGA’s decision not to recognize sororities, the IGC addressed a formal statement to the presidents of the Columbia College Student Council, the General Studies Student Council, the Engineering Student Council, and SGA, which said that without recognition, the IGC would have to consider other measures for coping with the growth in Greek life and particularly Barnard participation. Such measures could include a cap on the number of Barnard students allowed to participate in sororities.

The statement also noted that without full recognition, the IGC “will be forced to take additional steps which may include the total restriction of Barnard students from involvement in Greek Life.”

Though the IGC does lack official recognition from SGA, SGA has contributed a fixed sum of money as a gift to the governing board for the past two years.

According to SGA Vice President of Finance Sharmin Ahmed, BC ’10, “We just give a flat-out amount of $1,000 because that’s the amount comparable to what we should give. … We didn’t want to contribute in ratio, because that would be making the statement that we recognize Greek

life, and we didn’t think that that is a statement we could make.”

The problem lies in the fact that the donation SGA gives isn’t accompanied by recognition, which would calculate the amount owed by considering factors such as sorority growth and participation. “Right now, the $1,000 is an arbitrary number. …

If they’re recognized, it would be grounded by factors taken into consideration,” CCSC President Sue Yang, CC ’10, said.

SGA has continued to explore the issue—it recently organized a number of focus groups, which consulted a range of Barnard students about sorority recognition—but how the council will ultimately fall on recognition is still up in the air.

Outgoing SGA President Katie Palillo, BC ’10, said that although the issue is a complex one, SGA does want to support Barnard students. “I think that SGA very clearly acknowledges that there’s a demonstrated interest in our campus and in being able to have students sustain that interest—and communities that Barnard students have become leaders in,” she said. elizabeth.scott @columbiaspectator.com

International centers take CU global

MEAL PLANS from page 4 the change.

Spar noted at the forum that because Barnard is such a small college, it is difficult to negotiate deals with Aramark, Barnard’s food provider, which typically caters to much larger collegiate populations. On bigger campuses, costs are spread out across a larger student body, but with the smaller population at Barnard, the dining plan is more of a burden on each individual student, she said.

Still, students said they felt they had received mixed signals from Barnard administrators about the purpose of the meal plan changes.

At the forum in February, Hannah Goldstein, BC ’13, said she thought “a lot of the resentment is from the fact that the financial situation wasn’t expressed in the original letter. Students feel like they were led on by the pretense of community.”

“Point well taken,” Spar responded. “Especially in such tough economic times, we could probably do a much better job of showing you all what the broader landscape looks like in the future.”

In February, the administration assembled a meal plan task force—a group composed of

GLOBAL CENTERS from page 4

students, student council members, and administrators intended to address concerns—and Denburg and Chief Operating Officer Gregory Brown later announced a final program.

Campus residents and full-time commuters alike will be required to purchase a meal plan.

First-years are still required to have an unlimited meal plan, and other students living in the Quad must purchase a meal plan ranging from 60 to 150 meals per term. All other students must choose from one of three $300 meal plans, including a pointsonly plan that can be used at any Barnard dining location to purchase à la carte meals and snacks.

On the other side of Broadway, Columbia announced a far less contentious change to its meal plan—come fall, John Jay Dining

Hall, Ferris Booth, and JJ’s Place will all require meal plans or Dining Dollars instead of Flex.

In the first option for firstyears, students may opt for 19 meals per week with 75 Dining Dollars per term, plus an additional 15 “floating” meals for any time and six “faculty meals,” or dinner with a professor on the house. In the second option, a first-year could have 15 meals per week and 125 Dining Dollars per term, with 10 floating meals and six faculty meals.

Upperclassmen, General Studies students, and graduate students will have four plans to choose from, ranging from 14 meals per week to 175 meals per term. They also have the option of guest meals. elizabeth.scott @columbiaspectator.com

seven or eight regions around the world.

But other institutions have established centers abroad as well. The University of Chicago has a center in Paris, Harvard University has one in Latin America, and the University of Michigan is considering opening a center in China.

Despite having satellite campuses, Cornell and New York University have already set up collaborations in Dubai.

Administrators said the establishment of the Global Centers was necessary to cement Columbia’s growing role as a global university, one of Bollinger’s stated goals. Provost Claude Steele said in February that the centers will be advantageous for Columbia’s academic programs.

“As time goes on, we will really want to take advantage of those opportunities academically. … That will be our high priority as an institution,” he said.

At the March 15 launch of the Paris center, Bollinger said that the institution “will make

it possible for students and faculty to reach out to others in the community and become a global university.”

Still, one criticism of the centers has been that the money being spent to fund them could be used for other purposes at the University. Bollinger said that these apprehensions may be the result of misunderstandings about the nature and source of the funding.

“I know that argument has been present over the past several years about how to think about setting up the global centers around the world, but that’s why I’m emphasizing that, largely, these are being ... funded on a very small scale,” he said. “This is not millions of dollars that’s going into every single center.”

To get an office running with staff and a program started, he said, costs anywhere from $250,000 to $1 million.

“The sources are not fungible with other University sources,” he added.

Prewitt also highlighted the importance of careful planning and administrative regrouping. He said that every

center should be monitored by a campus liaison who would aid those going abroad to the regions, and that each subject area, such as sustainability, human rights, and arts, should be represented by someone specializing in foreign activities.

In addition to its four existing Global Centers, the University is discussing possible centers in Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America.

Bollinger stressed that he did not put together a concrete plan for the institutions, but rather allowed those more directly involved to shape the centers.

“We just didn’t know whether the demand would be there to use the centers for advancing our understanding of global phenomena and advancing our educational purposes,” he said. “We just didn’t know, and we still don’t know. Part of my whole theory here is, ‘Do not plan this, do not over-plan this,’ and you see how people want to use them and then you help them, and so far we’re finding just wonderful efforts.” madina.toure @columbiaspectator.com

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2009-2010 12/02/2009

02/18/2010

03/15/2010

04/05/2010

06/02/2010

eminent domain rejected in court case

gender-neutral housing rejected

paris global center announced

anna quindlin, chair of barnard board of trustees, steps down

date scheduled for manhattanville court of appeals

12/08/2009

04/29/2010

bc meal plan announced

DECEMBER

usenate final resolution on academic calendar

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

JUNE

May 10, 2010

Arts & Entertainment

CU musicians play their part in NYC music scene

BY ANGELA RUGGIERO-CORLISS Spectator Staff Writer

When applying to Columbia, most students cite the academics as the main draw. For certain musically inclined students, though, the proximity to New MUSIC York venues and music scenes means that they can pursue two passions at once.

And, while many students complain that the Columbia bubble is too insular, the boundaries between the school and the city have proven to be surprisingly porous when it comes to the music scene.

Anthony da Costa, CC ’13, chose Columbia for its academics despite his devotion to music and performance. “I applied to a bunch of musical schools, and I got in.

But what I would experience at a music school and what I wanted to experience at Columbia University are two totally different things,” he said in an interview with Spectator in February. “Columbia is a huge melting pot with differing views, but with the same general objective: learning, growing, and appreciating life. That’s what I wanted.”

Da Costa frequently performs at on-campus venue Postcrypt Coffeehouse, but also exports his talent downtown. Along with fellow Columbians Tony Gong, CC ’11 and a Spectator opinion columnist, and Kayte DzimeAssison, CC ’11 and known by her stage name Kayte Grace, da Costa took his musical aspirations from Alma Mater to the East Village to perform at the Sidewalk Café, a stomping ground for anti-folk greats such as Regina Spektor.

For Grace, being separated from the more vibrant downtown music scene has its perks, as she draws inspiration from living in Morningside Heights. “One song I wrote called ‘Revolution’ was inspired by homeless people, by a lot of people in our neighborhood I’ve gotten to know, and about the gaps between people,” Grace told Spectator in February.

For Alex Klein, CC ’12, and his bandmate, NYU student Anthony Natoli, not being limited to one campus gives them license to explore wider city themes and have a

diverse fan base.

“Our music is very about New York, because we both grew up here.

It’s about the darker side of New York. People always talk about the glam New York nightlife. ... We’re more about the deviance of it,” Klein said in an interview with Spectrum in April. His band, Sssen, performed as part of the CMJ Music Marathon this fall after winning an on-campus battle of the bands, and performs frequently both at Columbia fraternities and in venues downtown and in Brooklyn.

Sam Reider and the Lost Boys consider being in New York City a chance to combine their shared love of jazz with less neatly classifiable interests. “The majority of young jazz talent comes to New York for college,” Jeff Picker, CC ’11, told Spectrum in May. “We’re able to play at jazz shows but also play in more, like, fun dancing atmosphere,” bandmate Sam Reider, CC ’11, added. The eightperson ensemble, which features three Columbia students alongside peers from Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, and the New School, has established a niche playing at the Harlem venue Shrine, as well as various other city venues.

Several Columbia alumni have remained in or around New York City to pursue careers in music.

Ishmael Osekre, GS ’09, currently fronts Osekre and the Lucky Bastards. “It [the on-campus music scene] can sometimes feel a little insular,” he told Spectator in April. But despite branching out into the city, he said, “My life is still Columbia.”

nomi ellenson / staff photographer

NYC FOLK | ­Anthony Da Costa, CC ’13, took his act off campus.

Page 7

New eateries satisfy M’side students

BY JASON BELL Spectator Staff Writer

Money flowed into Morningside Heights this year with the emergence of new dining options designed to appeal to the college demographFOOD ic. A handful of restaurant openings along Broadway overshadowed the loss of Columbia favorites as business owners capitalized on evolving neighborhood tastes.

In December, Crystal Gourmet (Broadway between 110th and 111th streets) entered the ongoing deli warfare among HamDel, CrackDel, and the various B-list spots peppering odd street corners around campus. Unlike the slightly unsavory—and perhaps largely imaginary—atmosphere these shady food shops offer boozy frat boys and freshmen playing pretend, Crystal Gourmet provides a clean, welllit space that shuts down before dark. Serving up homey sandwiches stuffed with high-quality meats, Crystal Gourmet nevertheless looks empty on early summer evenings months after opening—an inauspicious sign.

Just a block up Broadway, Tea Magic (Broadway between 111th and 112th streets) extended the East Dumpling House hold on Columbians. Already seducing students with frozen dumplings and bubble tea at Café East in Lerner, this company hoped to draw in even more customers off the street. A wider variety of tea flavors, including a lightly perfumed rose offering and a selection of Taiwanese pastries, has helped this shop succeed. Blindingly bright lights probably don’t hurt sun-deprived students, either.

When chains take over a beloved neighborhood establishment, locals typically protest vehemently. But with the Empanada Joe’s space dormant for so long, Maoz (Broadway between 110th and 111th streets) came as a relief for developers and vegetarians alike. Falafel reigns supreme at Maoz, where an unlimited salad bar encourages customers to eat even vegetables to excess.

Whether Maoz can survive the

jack zietman / staff photographer

FINDING FALAFEL | ­Maoz, a vegetarian falafel restaurant, is one of the many new options that have opened near campus, seeking to cater to the broad tastes and budgetary restraints of Columbia students. slow summer months, though, remains to be seen.

Beyond the ever-accessible chain restaurants, Morningside Heights and Harlem seem to be playing host to an upscale dining revolution. Vareli (Broadway between 111th and 112th streets) opened next to The Heights in March, offering students an eclectic Mediterranean menu and expensive drinks. Since throwing its chic interior open to the public, though, Vareli has focused on promoting its bar rather than its menu.

Across Morningside Park, Ryan Skeen brought his contemporary American cuisine to Columbia turf in April with 5 & Diamond (Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 112 and 113th streets), challenging downtown stereotypes of Morningside’s unsophisticated college cuisine. Skeen strikes a controversial pose in the Manhattan food world, but delivering such solid renditions of Italian and bistro dishes more than lives up to a reputation for strong technical skill.

While prices might deter students, trying this newcomer at least once seems worth the cost.

Another classic Columbia watering hole, La Negrita, gave way to 999 (Columbus Avenue at 109th Street), a British pub-themed bar complete with fireplace and

Maoz Vareli’s Tea Magic Crystal Gourmet

Mel’s Burger Bar

999

shepherd’s pie. Unfortunately, the loss of La Negrita left many underclassmen searching for an equally divey hangout, a vibe 999 never quite embraced.

This summer, restaurateur Nick Tsoulos plans to open Mel’s Burger Bar in Tomo’s old spot on Broadway between 110th and 111th streets. Trading in sushi for burgers, Mel’s will feature comfort food and spiked milkshakes, a guaranteed winner for stressed-out

5 & Diamond

students. Few will likely miss Tomo’s uninspired Japanese cuisine when faced with a griddled burger on white bread, a creation inspired by notorious New Haven institution Louis’ Lunch.

With more grand openings than closings, the past two semesters have given students more to look forward to in neighborhood dining than in recent memory. Hopefully, these exciting new options will remain open for semesters to come.

Page 8

Editorial & Opinion

May 10, 2010

Written wisdom

CORPORATE BOARD BEN COTTON Editor in Chief THOMAS RHIEL Managing Editor AKHIL MEHTA Publisher

MANAGING BOARD ALIX PIANIN Campus News Editor SAM LEVIN City News Editor CHRISTINE JORDAN Arts & Entertainment Editor EMILY TAMKIN Editorial Page Editor MICHELE CLEARY Sports Editor MAGGIE ASTOR Head Copy Editor EMBRY OWEN Photo Editor HANNAH D’APICE Design Editor BETSY FELDMAN Design Editor YIPENG HUANG Staff Director ANDREW HITTI Sales Director COLIN SULLIVAN Alumni Director NILKANTH PATEL Online Content Editor

DEPUTY BOARD: News Editors Sarah Darville, Leah Greenbaum, Kim Kirschenbaum, Elizabeth Scott, Madina Toure, Amber Tunnell La Página Editor Carolina Martes Arts & Entertainment Editors Joe Daly, Maddy Kloss Editorial Page Editors Caitlin Brown, Elaine Wang Copy Editor Raquel Villagra Design Editors Jin Chen, Joanna Wang Photo Editors Jasper Clyatt, Shelby Layne, Rachel Valinsky, Patrick Yuan Sports Editors Kunal Gupta Infrastructure Editors Daniel Lasry, Yufei Liu Multimedia Editor Kristina Budelis Online Business Zachary Sims Sales Mabel McLean, James Tsay Finance Aditya Mukerjee, Sam Rhee, Shengyu Tang Alumni Boyoon Choi, Anika Mehta, Andrea Collazo Staff Training Editors Joy Resmovits Jacob Schneider

ASSOCIATE BOARD: Art Editor Ashton Cooper Books Editor Claire Fu Dance Editor Melissa von Mayrhauser Film Editor Rachel Allen Food & Drink Editor Jason Bell Music Editor Angela Ruggiero-Corliss Style Editor Allison Malecha Theater Editor Steven Strauss TV Editor Logan Hofstein Editorial Page Editors Sarah Ahmed, Jennifer Fearon, Paula Gergen, Vickie Kassapidis, Rebekah Mays, Gabriella Porrino Editorial Board Members Josefina Aguila, Ana Baric, Shira Borzak, Samuel Roth, Tabitha Peyton Wood, Karina Yu Copy Editors Maggie Alden, Marissa Barbaro, Alex Collazo, Zuzanna Fuchs, Emily Handsman, Aarti Iyer, Christopher Johnson, Sierra Kuzava, Emma Manson, Katrin Nusshold, Laura Oseland, Lucy Wang, Maddie Wolberg Design Editors Peggy Bermel, Jeremy Bleeke, Ann Chou, Yishu Huang, Carolyn Lucey, Khalil Romain, Emily Shartrand, Katherine Taketomo Photo Editors Rose Donlon, Talia Kori, Phoebe Lytle, Andra Mihali, Jack Zietman Sports Editors Philicia Davis, Zach Glubiak, Victoria Jones, Nina Lukina, Michael Zhong Sales Kate Huether Finance Brendan Barry, Oliver Chan, Tida Choomchaiyo, Gabriela Hempfling, Michelle Lacks Alumni Dorothy Chen, Kim Gordon, Mishaal Khan Staff Illustrator Matteo Malinverno Multimedia Training Editor Aaron Kohn YEAR IN REVIEW STAFF: Copy Hannah Laymon, Krystal Martinez, Ren McKnight, Betsy Morais, Samantha Saly

W

e asked this year’s columnists for a sentence or two of wit and wisdom to sum up their year. Presented below are their pearls of wisdom—wear them well. “‘I didn’t really say everything I said.’”—Yogi Berra

—Amin Ghadimi, The Way That Can Be Told “If anything made perfect sense, philosophy would cease to exist, and I would have had nothing to question or write about this year. So I’m glad that nothing did (or ever will).”

—Y­urina Ko, 2+2=5 “Being a student at Columbia is just such an incredibly serious thing. So when we write about it, we should be totally serious, without any hint of humor or sarcasm at all.”

—Tony Gong, Tony Gong Explains the Universe “This year I learned that when you find something you want and love to do and run with it, great things happen. And that passion is contagious.”

—Monica Varman, Green Piece “Sometimes while writing an environmental column, you think, ‘This is changing things!’ And sometimes you think, ‘I just really want a burger.’”

—Elizabeth Kipp-Giusti, A Tree Grows in Morningside “Sometimes your life is like a tabloid, and sometimes you’re really glad it’s not. That’s what makes the tabloids so interesting. Life too, I suppose.”

—Aarti Iyer, Culture Vulture “There is a growing number of (ethical) hackers on campus, and they are going to bring Columbia the technological revolution that it has been dying for. Either that, or they are going to steal your passwords and sell your private information. So log out of any public terminals you use and join their cause.”

—Akiva Bamberger, Bits and Pieces “This past year as a columnist has convinced me that despite appearances to the contrary, there is no shortage of unquestioned assumptions on our campus. Simply pointing these out—not to mention refuting them—is a practice we would all do well to engage in.” ­—Derek Turner, Opening Remarks “I started writing a column for the fame and glory. I now get called a ‘blogger’ on a regular basis.

Something went terribly wrong.”

—Neil FitzPatrick, Excuses and Half-Truths

DARYL SEITCHIK

Dining

administration to clarify the take-out policy. More recently, the editorial board argued that the revised dining plan would break down first-year traditions, taking away the idea of late-night runs to JJ’s and—because meals will be purchased by the week and not by the semester—putting an end to the end-of-semester race to use up remaining meals. This, the board felt, will eliminate the forced-yet-poignant bonding experience that comes with having to eat only at John Jay. In the end, students sought more options in dining, called for greater communication with the administration, and looked to old (and new) dining traditions to strengthen the Columbia-Barnard community.

BY SARAH AHMED

Students had a plateful to say as rapid and fundamental changes occurred to both the Columbia and Barnard dining plans. Amy Chen expressed optimism for Barnard’s new mandatory meal plan policy, explaining the benefits of having the Diana Center as an alternative to Hewitt Dining Hall and Java City, while also offering a unique perspective on how the Diana’s cafés reinforced Barnard’s goal of building community.

Maria Lantigua brought attention to Columbia’s dining policy by challenging the restrictions on John Jay’s takeout option, calling for greater ease in taking out food in containers, shelly xu proposing an all-you-can-eat system akin to that of nearby restaurants, and urging the

Campus politics

Housing

BY REBEKAH MAYS

BY JENNIFER FEARON

This year, writers for Opinion tackled the two topics that could revolutionize our University’s bureaucratic system—the squabble over the academic calendar and the elections for student councils.

Regarding the first issue, Rajat Roy, Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein, and columnist Mark Hay all called for increased transparency in the inner workings of the University Senate and the administration. In a very different perspective on the same issue, Adam Sieff argued that we should defer to the faculty’s wishes to begin our school year after Labor Day rather than whining about the calendar.

Student senators, noting the “stalemate” between students and administration, weighed in as well, writing of the first steps toward an academic calendar that pleases everyone while also calling for students to be willing to compromise, just as they have demanded of the administration.

Meanwhile, writers also contributed to the dialogue about student council elections.

Amin Ghadimi put forth his philosophy about the troubles of such campus democracy. Spectator’s editorial board endorsed Stand Columbia for the Columbia College Student Council Executive Board and offered its congratulations to Learned Foote and the rest of Stand Columbia when they were indeed elected.

So, are we on the road to a more perfect University?

Next school year will tell.

Questions of where we live, how we live, and who we live with have been raised across the University all year, and student concerns, commentaries, and criticisms followed suit on the opinion page. In “Making room for room inspections,” Mary Chenoe Hart urged Barnard students to recognize that room inspections are for everyone’s well-being and safety, while also reminding RAs to exercise courtesy in this process. The second semester brought heated debate on gender-neutral housing.

In March, Janelle Batta made a case for the necessity of gender-neutral housing and decried the deans for halting the progression of this movement on the Columbia side of Broadway in “Perspectives on gender-neutral housing at Barnard.” In a similar vein, Isadora Cerullo argued that we should redefine housing as gender identities are redefined in “Rethinking true equality.”

But official University policies weren’t the only hot housing topics. Back in November, Aliko Carter touched on a lighter subject in his assessment of “elevator etiquette” in the dorms. In “Perspectives from a bottom dweller,” Carter argued that all students have the right to the ride the elevator—even to go only three flights. The themes of equality and respect—be it for mixed-gender roommates, RAs, students with contraband, or that kid that wants to ride the Carman elevator to the fourth floor—have pervaded the ongoing discussions of CU housing rules since September.

The author is a Barnard College sophomore majoring in English. She is a Spectator editorial page associate.

The author is a Columbia College sophomore majoring in neuroscience and behavior.

She is a Spectator editorial page associate.

Campus culture clash

wendan li

The 134th year of publication Independent since 1962

The author is a first-year in Barnard College. She is a Spectator editorial page associate.

BY VICKIE KASSAPIDIS Last semester, after Rajat Roy wrote a column asserting that too much money is given to cultural groups on campus, op-eds and letters poured in describing the importance of open organizations dedicated to cultural diversity on campus.

One of the most hotly debated topics on the editorial page this semester was the Israel-Palestine conflict. During “Israeli Apartheid Week,” otherwise known as “Peace Week,” many articles discussed the persecution of the Palestinians, while others wrote of the difficulty of the Israeli position. Students fought for their opinions to be heard, and this struggle is evident in the division that exists not only in Israel, but also on campus among different groups.

The Chicano Caucus and AEPi wrote of reconciling Cinco de Mayo parties with cultural sensitivities. The Chicano Caucus originally wrote of the offensive nature of a Facebook invitation, but later collaborated with AEPi on an op-ed that discussed the importance of coming together to resolve cultural tensions.

The past year highlights how many of the religious and cultural affiliations on campus are unable to accept one another and constantly augment the controversies seen in the world around us.

The author is a first-year in Barnard College.

She is a Spectator editorial page associate.

ADDRESS & EMAIL

Daily Spectator (212) 854-9555 Editorial Fax (212) 854-9611 Business (212) 854-9550 Business Fax (212) 854-9553

EDITORIAL POLICY

For more information about the Columbia Daily Spectator and editorial policies, visit http:// www.columbiaspectator.com/ about.

ADVERTISING

For more information about advertising visit http://spc. columbiaspectator.com/.

CORRECTIONS

The Spectator is committed to fair and accurate reporting. If you know of an error, please inform us at copy@columbiaspectator.com.

COMMENTS & QUESTIONS

For general comments or questions about the newspaper, please write to the editor in chief and managing editor at editor@columbiaspectator.com.

Manhattanville

BY PAULA GERGEN It’s been a crazy year for Columbia’s Manhattanville expansion. Right when the plan seemed to be solidifying, the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division declared the use of eminent domain for the project illegal last December. In June, the New York State Court of Appeals will take up the issue, meaning Columbia students have had much to debate in the interim. Ben Totushek and Tom Reed argue that the Appellate Division’s decision to deny Columbia the use of eminent domain in Manhattanville is good for both the University and the community, and that we should celebrate not having to belong to “an institution that runs roughshod over the Constitution.” Kate O’Gorman calls for a re-examination of the issue of expansion so that Columbia’s need for space is satisfied in an ethical manner, while John David Fernandez argues the libertarian viewpoint, citing John Locke’s theories of private property. Samuel Roth points out the similarities

between Columbia’s need for expansion today and the need for space 100 years ago while recalling the devotion of John B. Pine to the University.

The author is a Columbia College sophomore majoring in East Asian languages and cultures. She is a Spectator editorial page associate.

rebekah kim

PHONE & FAX

joanna wang

Columbia Spectator 2875 Broadway, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10025 info@columbiaspectator.com

May 10, 2010

CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIED AD RATES: $8/00 per first 20 words.

25¢ each additional word.

Ad in all boldface $4.00 extra.

All ads must be pre-paid.

2 business day deadline.

Call 854-9550 for information; or fax ad to 854-9553.

HOUSE TO SHARE Montclair, NJ. Beautiful house. Room with private sitting room/porch. Parking and laundry available. Furnished or not. Rent $775 includes most utils.

Close to NYC transp. Call Dawne (873) 746-8726 or dawne@attglobal.net MANHATTAN REAL ESTATE Buying, selling or renting an apartment? Work with a top-rated NYC real estate agent and Columbia alum (CC & SIPA). www.joshnathanson.com; jrn @corcoran.com. (212) 875-2970.

PROFESSIONAL EDITING by Columbia Ph.D. Dissertation and academic style expert (APA, Turabian, MLA, etc.).

Typing services available. (877) 9229422.

HEALTHY WOMEN 19-29: EGG donors needed. Help women with infertility create families. Be compensated for doing good! To apply, e-mail info@mydonor.net or call (212) 3490011. Info will be kept confidential. www.MyDonor.net

INSIGHT RESEARCH GROUP seeking freelance interview and focus group analyzers. Medical students or science majors preferred. Foreign language fluency a +. Earn up to $50/hour. Will train. E-mail resume to: k.houston@ insightrg.com

THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL campaign of NYC resident “Tom Edison” (2008 “Independent” US Presidential candidate) needs you. Website people, e-mailers, fundraisers, entertainment/ event booking agents, filmmakers/students, clothing manufacturers, media/ newsprint people, Tea Party and all other discontent with big gov people.

Contact (718) 705-2162. Your participation will help create the New American Economy (an “economy” not under the control of the “bankers”).

GREEN MOUNTAIN ENERGY Company seeks P/T Sales Agents interested in changing the way power is made and who have a sincere desire to help protect the environment. We are seeking local candidates with a stable work history and a great attitude! For immediate consideration, submit your resume to: NYJobs@ GreenMountain.com with job code: CDS011007.

SAT TEACHERS WANTED We are a private Queens-based SAT coaching center looking for young and enthusiastic teachers to coach students (7-week summer program) in small group settings. Previous SAT tutoring/coaching experience is highly desirable. Enthusiasm and ability to make the class interesting is a must!

Pay up to $50/hr. Please e-mail your resume and cover letter to Krishna. challenge999@gmail.com

BUSINESS CHINESE Learn Business Chinese (8 credits) or Chinese in Chinese Business Law (5 credits). Summer Program in Beijing. www.studyabroad-china. org

Page 9

$$SPERM DONORS WANTED$$ Earn up to $1200/mo and give the gift of family through California Cryobank’s donor program. Convenient Midtown location. Apply online at: SPERMBANK. com

COLUMBIA ALUMNUS SEEKS 1 BR apt for June 1, 2010. Excellent credentials. Tel: (646) 623-2281.

BERKSHIRE SUMMER RENTAL August thru Labor Day. See link: http:// picasaweb.google.com/greeneLama/EgremontSeptember2009’feat=e.

3 BRs, 2 family rooms, 2 baths, kitch, large dining room, living room (brick fireplace), patio. On country road, Prospect Lake, French Park, dog run. In Egremont, 5 miles south of Great Barrington. Contact Phyllis at (212) 6663400. E-mail phyllow@gmail.com HOUSE FOR RENT: Retreat to quiet community 10 min from Point Pleasant/Seaside Heights beaches, Pine Barrens. Small furnished 2 BR, 1 bath house with water view, large backyard, patio, laundry, central air. Good for 40 +. No TV or internet. Accommodates 4. Weekly $800; monthly $2000. Call Phyllis (212) 705-8946.

RENOV MEDICAL/DENTAL OFFICE for lease. Office includes six rooms: waiting/reception area, Consultation office, 4 exam rooms w/foot pedal sinks, and lab/supply room. $2,300/monthly Includes heat. Approx 1000 sq ft, located in Fresh Meadows, Queens.

Close to all transportation, public buses Q31, Q32, and L.I.E./Grand Central Pkwy. Call (917) 750-3318 or visit www.jennyhomesforsale.net for pics/ info

ALOPECIA MOTIVATIONAL Newly diagnosed or long-timer having alopecia areata totalis or universalis?

Join other alopecians for a motivational get-together on coping and living with this disorder. Call (646) 241-1633.

LOW FEE PSYCHOANALYSIS The CU Psychoanalytic Center offers diagnostic consultations and psychoanalysis at very low fees. The evaluation includes a research component in addition to the clinical consultation.

If psychoanalysis is not appropriate at this time, referrals to other treatment are part of the consultation. For further info and to request an application, please call the Columbia Psychoanalytic Center at (212) 927-0112 or visit us at www. columbiapsychoanalytic.org

CORPORATE PHONE DIRECTORIES wanted. Top dollar paid ($400-$500) for corporate phone directories of investment banking firms like Goldman Sachs. corporatecontacts.net. (301) 956-6706.

HUDSON RIVER SAILING Parties: Network, socialize or crew this Spring/ Summer aboard 50 ft sailboat. We’re a group of Columbia students who volunteer crew, with space for 25 per trip, and always need more revelers.

Leaves from 79th St. No exp necessary. E-mail to join our exclusive free day trips: gfh2104@columbia.edu. For information about our sailing trips, please visit www.gothamyacht.com

Page 10

Women’s Cross Country The Columbia women’s cross country team had another solid season this year, with a podium finish, third place, at the Heptagonal Conference meet. Juniors Jacqueline Drouin and Julianne Quinn led the way in an effort only six points short of runner-up Harvard. In addition to those two, senior Christina Henderson earned second-team all-Ivy honors and capped off a great CU career with her 14th-place run. Freshmen women also ran well in their debut Heps championships.

—Gregory Kremler

Women’s Soccer After nearly winning the Ivy League championship in 2008, the Columbia women’s soccer team struggled in 2009.

The Lions finished the year with a 3-3-1 Ivy record, tying Princeton for fifth place in the league standings. The Lions’ offense was inconsistent throughout the season, as they were held scoreless in five games and scored just one goal in seven of their matchups.The Light Blue ended the year on a promising note, defeating Yale—then tied with Harvard for first place in the conference—on Oct. 30, 1-0, and taking Harvard to overtime the next week. The Lions will lose three starters, including standout Sophie Reiser, but they return a bevy of talented players next season.

—Sarah Sommer

Field Hockey For the second season in a row, the field hockey team finished fifth in the Ivy League. The Light Blue’s (9-8, 3-4 Ivy) four conference losses all came against the top four teams in the league, including first place Princeton, which finished the season undefeated in the Ancient Eight.

Three Lions earned all-Ivy honors, as Julia Garrison was named to the second team and Leti Freaney and Katie DeSandis were honorable mentions.

—Michele Cleary

Volleyball Women’s volleyball opened its season strong, compiling a 9-4 record in nonconference play. Once Ivy League competition started, the team was unable to continue its early season successes, finishing sixth in the Ancient Eight with a 3-11 conference record. Despite a disappointing finish, the future is promising for women’s volleyball. Freshman outside hitter Megan Gaughn was named second team all-Ivy and finished third in Ivy play for kills. Sophomore Monique Roberts placed third in the conference for hitting percentage.

—Michael Zhong

Men’s Soccer Though the men’s soccer team finished the season in a three-way tie for last in the Ivy League, the Lions’ (412-1, 2-5 Ivy) season had a few bright spots. One of the two conference games the Light Blue won was against No. 15 Dartmouth. Columbia won 2-0 thanks to goals by Bayo Adafin and Peppe Carotenuto. Adafin earned all-Ivy honorable mention status. ­—Michele Cleary

F all S ports

May 10, 2010

Midseason lull ends football’s title hopes

BY MATT VELAZQUEZ Spectator Senior Staff Writer The 2009 edition of the Columbia football team started its season strong, experienced a detrimental lull in the middle, and ended on a high note with victories over Cornell and Brown. The Lions finished with a 4-6 record (3-4 Ivy), which was good enough for fourth place in the Ancient Eight.

In the season-opening Liberty Cup game against Fordham, the Light Blue reclaimed the Cup for the first time since 2006 with a 40-28 victory in the Bronx. Senior quarterback Millicent Olawale took home MVP honors for the Lions by virtue of throwing two touchdowns and running for a pair as well. The Columbia defense made life tough for eventual-NFL Draft pick John Skelton, intercepting him three times and sacking him twice. Skelton attempted 47 passes and threw for 383 yards, including four touchdowns.

After a loss in their home opener to Central Connecticut State University in which Columbia started strong but got manhandled in the second half, the Lions headed to Princeton to open Ivy League play. This game marked the Tigers’ first without star running back Jordan Culbreath, who had his career cut short due to an anemia diagnosis that week. It might not have mattered if Culbreath played or not, as the Lions dominated the Tigers on both sides of the ball en route to a 38-0 win. The victory marked the Light Blue’s first against Princeton since 2003 and was the program’s first road shutout in league play since 1961.

Columbia kept its momentum going in the first half of its next game against Lafayette and took a 21-10 lead into the half. However, the Leopards controlled the ball for over 20 minutes in the second half, and managed the clock perfectly to take the lead with just 13 seconds to go. Not only did the Lions lose the game, but they also lost junior all-Ivy linebacker Alex Gross, who tore his right ACL on the opening kickoff.

Homecoming brought eventual Ivy champion Penn to Wien Stadium, and the Quakers took advantage of seven Lions turnovers—six by Olawale— to earn a 27-13 victory. Despite four first-half turnovers the Light Blue only

trailed by eight at halftime, but it failed to score in the second half for the third time in five games, leading to its second of five straight losses.

Of those five straight losses, its loss to Dartmouth the next week was the most embarrassing. The Big Green entered the game winless, which was mostly a result of having played the strongest schedule of any Ivy League team to that point. Still, the Lions were heavily favored to win and they needed to in order to keep their hopes of an Ivy League title alive. However, the Light Blue played its most uninspired football of the season and was dominated by the Big Green, 28-6. Columbia also lost senior running back Ray Rangel for the rest of the season after he suffered a foot injury late in the game.

In a surprise move the next week against Yale, Rangel wasn’t the only regular starter to miss the game, as Olawale also sat out with a sprained right shoulder. Freshman Sean Brackett started under center for the Lions and was quite impressive in his collegiate debut. The Lions held a 22-10 lead with 8:32 left in the game, thanks to a touchdown toss from Brackett to senior wide receiver Austin Knowlin and overall great play by Brackett and the defense. Yale stormed back with a quick touchdown, and on Columbia’s next possession running back Leon Ivery sprinted for a 75yard gain, but was caught by the ankles at the two-yard line. Zack Kourouma fumbled on the next play to keep the Bulldogs alive. Yale was forced to punt, but took advantage of a Brackett fumble to take the lead for good and hand the Lions a 23-22 loss.

After being routed at home by Harvard, 34-14, the Lions went on the road to Ithaca looking to end their fivegame losing streak. Both teams got off to a fast start as the Lions led, 16-13, at the end of the first quarter, but for the rest of the game both defenses settled down and started to make stops. With the Light Blue trailing 20-16 in the third quarter, Brackett fumbled, and head coach Norries Wilson decided it was time to put in Olawale, who had missed the past two games with a right shoulder injury and was only expected to be used in a reserve role. Olawale’s entrance changed the game entirely, and he ran for two touchdowns to give the Lions their

lisa lewis / senior staff photographer

LIBERTY CUP | The Lions beat Fordham for the first time since 2006 to open the season. third win of the season. The Columbia defense shut down the Big Red in the second half and had a solid day in general with six interceptions and five sacks.

Though Olawale helped the Lions prevail against the Big Red, it cost him his senior day. On a 19-yard touchdown run that sealed the win, he gingerly jogged off the field and missed the team’s final game due to plantar fasciitis. With Brackett back under center, the Lions ended the season with a 2814 win over Brown. Though Brackett played well, this game will be remembered as the one that may have yielded the play of the decade when junior free safety Adam Mehrer intercepted a pass as time expired in the first half and worked his way down the right sideline to midfield. There, he saw some daylight to his left, so he turned and cut toward the middle of the field. It seemed as if

he were going to be taken down, but he alertly pitched the ball to senior strong safety Andy Shalbrack, who continued the return along the left sideline and, thanks to some key blocks, ran into the corner of the end zone.

The 2009 season did not yield the results that the team had been looking for at the start of the season, but there were many individual accomplishments. Knowlin set Columbia records for receptions (208) and receiving yards (2,442) and was named first team allIvy for offense and honorable mention all-Ivy for special teams. Senior defensive end Lou Miller—who had eight sacks and 13 tackles for a loss—joined Knowlin on the all-Ivy first team. Junior tight end Andrew Kennedy and Mehrer were selected for the second team allIvy, and seniors Corey Cameron and Shalbrack were honorable mentions.

Men’s cross country edges Princeton for Heptagonal championship

BY GREGORY KREMLER Spectator Staff Writer It was a sweet year for Columbia men’s cross country, as the Lions strung together a series of solid performances that culminated with the recovery of the Ivy crown.

Two Lions—junior Brendan Martin and sophomore Kyle Merber—made all-Ivy teams in what was the third Heptagonal title in the program’s history.

The season began with a dominant win at the customary opener, the Binghamton Invitational, with the men taking 12 of the top 14 spots. Three weeks later, with a tough September of training under their belts, they headed south to Fairfax, Va. for the George Mason Invitational. There, they were runner-up to the University of Virginia in a performance that showcased their depth—they put 12 men ahead of Virginia’s seventh.

After defending its title at the Metropolitan Championships, the Light Blue headed to Terre Haute, Ind. for the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet on Oct. 17.

The team finished 12th of 35 teams in a

jose giralt / staff photographer

FAST START | Men’s cross country defeated Princeton by one point to take the title. race that saw Martin and Merber solidify their roles as a 1-2 punch, taking 46th and 54th overall. Meanwhile, junior Terence Prial had a breakout run to win the open section individually. Two weeks later, the Lions were hosting the Ivy Championships at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

The 2009 Heptagonal Championships evidenced everything that is great about Ivy League cross country. In a fiercely contested race that came down to the fifth man, the Lions edged out the Princeton Tigers 60 to 61. Had any runner finished one spot off, the result would have been

a tie—or worse, a Tiger victory. Martin paced the group with a fifth-place, firstteam all-Ivy performance, with Merber right behind in eighth—good for second team all-Ivy. Prial rode the momentum of his Pre-Nats win to come up huge for the Lions, finishing 12th. When sophomore Justin Heck crossed the line at 15th, he narrowed Princeton’s lead from five to two. But it took junior Anthony Merra’s 20th-place run—ahead of Princeton’s fifth runner at 23rd—to secure victory. After a bittersweet three-point loss the previous fall, the Lions had clinched the conference championship.

The Big Dance was not in the cards for the Lions this year, as they finished fourth at the NCAA Northeast Region Meet.

The top two teams won automatic bids to NCAAs, while most of the at-large bids went to the West. However, the future looks very bright, as all five of 2009’s Heptagonal scorers will return. Though a great season in itself, the current makeup of the team would indicate that this year will be only the beginning of a transition for the Lions to the national scene.

May 10, 2010

W inter S ports

Jones departs after season ends, Smith steps in

BY MICHELE CLEARY Spectator Senior Staff Writer The 2009-2010 season was rather unremarkable for the men’s basketball team.

After three consecutive 7-7 seasons in the Ivy League, the Light Blue failed to break through and earn a winning record, finishing 5-9 in conference play (11-17 overall).

Though there were noteworthy individual performances and a few exciting victories, the most important event for the program happened after the season ended.

After seven seasons at the helm, former head coach Joe Jones left to take the associate head coaching position at Boston College under Steve Donahue, former Cornell head coach. Just over a week ago, Kyle Smith—former St. Mary’s associate head coach—was announced as Jones’ successor.

The season started off well for the Light Blue. Though they lost their first game to DePaul by six points, the Lions rebounded with back-to-back wins over Longwood and Bucknell. In those two victories, sophomore guard Noruwa Agho emerged as shooter, knocking down 11 of 12 3-pointers and scoring 47 points over those two games.

The Lions would go on to win three more games against Lehigh, Wagner, and Bryant, while losing four games to Big East powerhouse Syracuse, Sacred Heart, Stony Brook, and Quinnipiac, giving them a 5-5 record heading into winter break. That’s when the problems began. Though the Light Blue had struggled with consistency earlier in the season, often playing well for one half but not the other, this erratic play really took its toll over the break.

Columbia lost four of its five games, with its only victory coming against American. But in that 56-51 win over the Eagles, the Lions lost two of their starters—senior guard Patrick Foley and junior forward Brian Grimes—to injury. Foley sprained his ankle and Grimes strained his calf muscle. Though Grimes would only miss two games and Foley only three, their health issues were just the first of many that would plague the Light Blue.

One of the four games Columbia lost during that stretch was against eventual Ivy champion Cornell. In the Lions’ first conference game, they fell to the Big Red 74-53 at Newman Arena after making only 36.8 percent of their shots.

The Light Blue’s rematch with Cornell at Levien the next week was no better, as Columbia lost 77-51, shooting only 23.2 percent from the floor.

“I was just really disappointed in our offense tonight, because we didn’t move the ball at all,” Jones said after that game. “We didn’t make them work. We didn’t do a lot of the things we talked about.”

Things only got worse for Columbia the next weekend, as it lost to Harvard 74-45 in its second Ivy home game. Foley had returned the week before against Cornell, but shortly before halftime, he was injured again—this time it was his shoulder. Foley was sidelined for the rest

Joe Jones Next job: BC associate head coach Record at CU: 86-108 (39-59 Ivy) Jones turned a 2-25 program at CU into a respectable team

Women’s Track and Field Superstar sophomore Sharay Hale highlighted this indoor track season, setting an Ivy record and No. 2 all-time mark at the Indoor Heps in the 400m and 200m events— running 53.79 and 24.20, respectively. She single-handedly racked up 26 points and led the women to a runner-up performance, for which she was awarded Women’s Most Outstanding Performer.

Sophomores Kyra Caldwell and Monique Roberts were also first team all-Ivy in the 60m hurdles and high jump, respectively.

—Gregory Kremler

Men’s Track and Field

Kyle Smith jasper l. clyatt / senior staff photographer

Last job: SMC associate head coach Record at SMC: 183-103 In nine seasons, Smith helped take SMC from two wins to the Big Dance

get to the point where we’re competing from the jump ball, and we’re not doing it right now. ... We’re expecting to win without putting the work in and not doing the job. 27-46 is unbelievable.”

After the four-game homestand, the Light Blue took to the road the next weekend, falling at Princeton, 55-45, before defeating Penn at the Palestra 66-62.

After that, Columbia traveled to then-winless Dartmouth, which was looking for its first Ivy win. Fortunately for the Big Green, the Light Blue offense was not clicking that night, as Columbia scored only 15 points in the first half en route to a 48-44 loss.

“We were awful,” Jones said after the game.

The Lions lost again the next night at Harvard, 77-57, dropping them to 3-7 in the league. Columbia rebounded the next weekend, though, defeating Penn 56-55 in a nail-biter thanks to a jumper by Grimes, giving Columbia it’s first sweep of Penn since the 1967-68 season.

“We ran our play and the ball ended up in my hands, and I just tried to make the play,” Grimes said. “It happened to be a fadeaway spin shot, but that was the only shot that was available, and it went in.”

The next night was Senior Night—the final home game for Foley, Kevin Bulger, and Niko Scott. Though the Light Blue ended up losing to the Tigers 67-52, all three seniors received a standing ovation

when they were taken out of the game.

“It was a great turnout,” an emotional Foley said after the game. “I want to thank the fans that stuck with us all year, despite it all. It’s a good feeling, even though the way it turned out­—it was good to see all the support in the stands.”

While that was the final home game for Columbia, the players still had two road games left. In their final weekend, the Lions fell to the Bulldogs 65-48 before ending the season with a 65-56 victory over Brown.

The Light Blue finished the season tied for fifth with Brown and Penn, making it the first season in four years in which the Lions did not finish in the top half of the league.

On April 9, about a month after the season ended, Jones announced his decision to leave Columbia for the associate head coaching position at Boston College. Less than a month later, on May 2, the athletic department announced Kyle Smith, a former associate head coach at St. Mary’s, as the new head coach. Under Smith, the team will look to take the next step—an Ivy title.

“We have a great opportunity, we have a lot of talent coming back, a lot of good players—good young players—who are ready to work hard and make a push for an Ivy League title,” sophomore guard Steve Egee said of next season.

With six months until next season, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

RETURNING TALENT | Sophomore Noruwa Agho, who led the Lions in scoring this season, will be back next year to lead Columbia in its quest for an Ivy title. of the year, with the exception of his final home game and final away game, playing just three minutes or less in both.

Though things seemed bleak, as the Lions had lost their first three Ivy games by an average margin of over 25 points, Agho remained positive after the nearly 30-point loss to the Crimson.

“I think because we’re losing by so much, hopefully this can be a wake-up call,” Agho said after the Harvard game.

And the Lions did wake up, at least for a little while, winning their next two Ancient Eight matchups. First the Light Blue bounced back from the loss to Harvard with a 63-51 win over Dartmouth the next night.

“We probably hit all our game goals,” Jones said after defeating the Big Green.

“We haven’t done that since Barack got elected.”

The Light Blue won again the next weekend, defeating Brown 65-54. In that game, Agho had team highs in both points (18) and rebounds (10), recording his first collegiate double-double.

The next night against Yale, Agho would once again lead his team in scoring with 30 points, but Columbia would not experience the same results. In fact, the Lions were dominated by the Bulldogs, who outscored them 79-64 and outrebounded them 46-27.

“One of my teams hasn’t played like this in a long time,” Jones said after the Yale loss. “We have to get back and really

Women’s basketball earns first winning season in program history

BY SARAH SOMMER Spectator Senior Staff Writer Combining solid team play with stellar individual efforts, the 2009-10 Columbia women’s basketball team achieved the program’s first winning records in both overall and Ivy League play. The Lions went 18-10 on the season, with nine of their wins occurring against Ivy opponents. Columbia ended the year in third place in the conference standings, the highest finish in program history.

The Lions showed their strength from the start of the season, compiling a 3-1 record in their first four games.

Their only defeat in that stretch was a three-point overtime loss to Oakland.

After a loss to Nevada on Nov. 27, Columbia was competitive against Iowa the next night but fell by three points to the Big Ten squad.

Columbia regrouped in December, winning four of five games. The Lions’ only loss came against Big East opponent St. John’s. Columbia’s offense was virtually unstoppable throughout the month, with the Lions scoring 70 or more points in three of their December victories. In their Dec. 8 win over Wagner, junior forward Judie Lomax led all scorers with a career-high 30 points. The Lions beat Robert Morris in thrilling fashion on Dec. 30, when junior center Lauren Dwyer hit a buzzer-beating trey to give Columbia a 6463 victory.

The Lions continued their winning ways with a 10-point victory over American on Jan. 2, but their efforts did not prove as fruitful against North Carolina State. On the Wolfpack’s turf in Raleigh, Columbia fought to the finish but ultimately suffered a 60-58 loss.

Lomax and junior guard Kathleen Barry contributed respective game highs of 20 rebounds and 18 points, while Lomax also added 16 points of her own.

After setting a program record of nine nonconference wins at the

Page 11

angela radulescu / senior staff photographer

GOING PRO? | Next season, the Lions will have try to duplicate this season’s success without the services of Judie Lomax, who signed a training camp contract with the Sun. Division I level, Columbia continued to experience unprecedented successes during Ivy competition. The Lions opened league play with a sweep of Cornell, recording a 68-44 victory in Ithaca before achieving a 68-47 win at home. Lomax scored 30 points in the second of the two games, while sophomore guard Melissa Shafer added 12 points off the bench in that same matchup.

In addition to Cornell, Columbia swept Dartmouth, Brown, and Penn.

In Hanover, the Lions led the defending Ivy champions by 15 points at halftime and finished with a 72-59 victory. Lomax was her dominant self

that night, contributing 26 points and 16 rebounds. When the Lions hosted Penn, four Columbia players scored in the double figures.

The only Ivy squads to sweep Columbia this season were Princeton and Harvard, the top two teams in the league. The Lions came close to beating the Crimson in the teams’ second meeting, but Harvard escaped with a 69-67 victory. Likewise, Columbia was competitive in its second matchup with Princeton before falling to the Tigers by 12 points.

Columbia finished the season in style, beating Yale and Brown at home to achieve its first weekend sweep of

the year. The victory over Yale guaranteed the Lions the best Ivy record— and first above .500—in Columbia women’s basketball history, while the win over Brown assured them of being the outright third-place Ivy squad.

The Lions built a case for an at-large bid to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, but they ultimately were not selected to participate in postseason play.

Exceeding or even replicating its success next season will be a challenge for Columbia, which will enter the 2010-11 campaign with only two returning starters. The Lions will lose guards Danielle Browne and Sara Yee to graduation, while Lomax—an honorable mention All-American—forfeited her final semester of eligibility when she signed a training camp contract with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. Lomax was statistically Columbia’s best player and was named the 2009-10 Ivy Player of the Year, yet all three starters saw significant playing time and leave major holes in the lineup.

The Lions’ returning starters, Barry and Dwyer, should continue to excel next season. Barry proved herself on both ends of the floor this year, averaging 10.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while also using her speed to thwart opponents’ fast-break attempts.

Despite only one season as a starter and a knee injury that sidelined her for part of Ivy competition, she received allIvy honorable mention. Meanwhile, Dwyer contributed 10 points and 1.7 blocks per game in her third season as a starter.

While Columbia’s starting lineup will undergo massive changes, the Lions will enter the 2010-11 campaign having had their most successful season in program history. If Columbia finds a way to reshape its identity in the aftermath of the three high-profile departures from its roster, the Lions can remain Ivy championship contenders next year.

This season, Columbia men’s indoor track was highlighted by the performances of sophomore Kyle Merber, who broke the Columbia and then the Ivy indoor records at one mile with 4:02.60 and 3:58.52 runs in consecutive weeks. The distance medley relay, consisting of Merber, fellow sophomores Adam Behnke and Justin Holloman, and senior Chris Hays, also earned first-team all-Ivy accolades. The men finished fifth of eight at the Indoor Heps.

—Gregory Kremler

Wrestling Wrestling ended its season with consecutive victories over Harvard and Brown to finish with an 8-10-1 record (2-3, Ivy), improving over last season’s 1-4 Ivy record. Sophomore Kevin Lester and junior Eren Civan earned second-team all-Ivy honors, while senior Lou Miller earned honorable mention status.

—Michael Zhong

Men’s Swimming and Diving The men’s swimming and diving team finished the 2009-2010 season with an overall record of 5-6.

Though the team finished 2-5 in the Ancient Eight and entered the Ivy League Championships in fifth, the Lions put together an impressive performance and finished third overall. Leading the Light Blue was junior Adam Powell, who won two league titles and advanced to the NCAA Championships after setting a school record of 19.72 in the 50 freestyle.

—Victoria Jones

Women’s Swimming and Diving The women’s swim team ended its season with a winning record of 6-4 and 4-3 in the Ivy League. In the Ivies, the Lions defeated Penn 173127, Cornell 179-121, Brown 156144, and Dartmouth 176-119. The Light Blue finished in sixth place in the Ivy League Championships, and at the meet, freshman Katie Meili and junior Mariele Dunn earned spots on the all-Ivy League second team.

Seniors Caitlin Bertelsen, Allison Hobbs, Christina Hughes, Katie Omstead, and Delghi Urubshurow will be graduating from the team.

—Julia Garrison

Fencing The women’s fencing team finished second in the Ivy League, while the men’s finished in last. However, at the NCAA championships, both teams experienced success as the Lions finished seventh overall.

Junior Nicole Ross won the NCAA championship in foil, earning first-team All-American honors.

Sophomore Sammy Roberts and junior Jackie Jacobson earned honorable mention All-American status.

On the men’s side, senior Dwight Smith was named to the AllAmerican first team for his thirdplace finish in epee at the NCAA championships, while senior Jeff Spear was named to the second team.

—Michele Cleary

Page 12

S pring S ports

May 10, 2010

Women’s Tennis The women’s tennis team ended the season with a 10-13 record overall and was second-to-last in the league, one spot above Penn. The victory against the Quakers marked the end of a three-year dry spell in Ivy competition and was the first conference win under head coach Ilene Weintraub. The Lions say goodbye to only one senior this year, Carling Donovan, and plan to welcome three recruits for the 2011 season.

—Lauren Seaman

Men’s Track and Field The outdoor track season has featured top performances among Lion men thus far, ahead of the Heptagonal Championships at Princeton this weekend. Junior Jeff Moriarty leads the league at 800m with his 1:48.21—No. 13 in the NCAA—and sophomore Kyle Merber ranks first at both 1500m and 3000m in 3:40.85 and 8:09.01, respectively. Expect big runs from these two as they seek outdoor Ivy titles to accompany their indoor ones—Moriarty’s at 1000m in 2009 and Merber’s at 1500m this year.

—Gregory Kremler

Women’s Track and Field Columbia women’s outdoor track will seek to improve upon its runner-up indoor performance at this weekend’s Heptagonal Championships in Princeton, N.J. Sharay Hale has top league marks at 100m (11.68), 200m (23.77), and 400m (52.61), and will be crucial in the Lions’ attempt to unseat last year’s victor and current indoor champion Princeton. Junior Jacqueline Drouin has the top mark at 1500m in 4:23.56, while sophomore Kyra Caldwell has run league leaders at 100m and 400m hurdles, in 14.11 and 59.31, respectively.

Also expect big performances from the women’s 4x400m relay and from Monique Roberts in the high jump.

—Gregory Kremler

Women’s Golf Women’s golf struggled at the Ivy League Championships, placing sixth after achieving fourth place last year.

The tournament marked the end of an inconsistent year. The team finished second out of 10 schools at the Lehigh Invitational in October, but also placed ninth out of 13 teams at the Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate. This season marks the end of the career of two-time all-Ivy first-team senior Stevy Loy. Sophomore Lynda Kwon performed well at the championships, earning second-team all-Ivy honors.

—Michael Zhong

Heavyweight Rowing The Light Blue crew had a good season, bringing home a slew of cups.

The heavyweights started off well with their win at the Governor’s Cup in Florida and continued their winning streak up north, defeating teams from Rutgers, MIT, BU, and Navy to bring home trophies. However, they faltered in some conference races, losing to the formidable Yale and Princeton teams.

They will look to carry their mostly victorious season into the Eastern Sprints in Worcester, Mass. on May 16.

—Nina Lukina

Lightweight Rowing The lightweights had a difficult season. The varsity eights did not take any first-place finishes this spring, but did manage to come in ahead of MIT at the Geiger Cup in Ithaca, N.Y. They started the season off by coming in third of three at the Governor’s Cup, and struggled later on against crews from league teams Princeton, Yale, Penn, Cornell, and Dartmouth, as well as Georgetown and Navy. They will join the other Columbia crews at the Eastern Sprints.

—Nina Lukina

alyson goulden / staff photographer

THEY’VE DONE IT AGAIN | The Columbia men’s tennis team celebrated after Haig Schneiderman won his match against Princeton, clinching the Ivy title for the Lions.

Men’s tennis wins third Ivy title in four years

BY KUNAL GUPTA Spectator Senior Staff Writer

The men’s tennis team won its second straight Ivy League title this spring, finishing one of its most successful seasons in recent memory. The Lions finished the season ranked No. 46 in the nation, and the Ivy title was their third in four years and fifth since 2000. The team received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will play No. 22 Wake Forest. Columbia was led at the top two singles spots by senior cocaptains Jon Wong and Mihai Nichifor, who went a combined 12-2 in Ivy singles play. Both were unanimous selections for the all-Ivy singles first team.

Wong also became the first Columbia player since Oscar Chow, CC ’03, to be selected for the NCAA Singles Championship. Wong was the lone Ivy League player selected for the nation’s most prestigious singles tournament.

In 2003, Chow reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, losing in three sets to the eventual finalist and 2005 champion, and was named an AllAmerican for his efforts.

The season started strongly for Columbia in the fall, with Wong winning the USTA Collegiate Invitational

for his lone singles title. Wong, Nichifor, and sophomore Haig Schneiderman were invited to play in the D’Novo/ITA All-American Championships, one of the nation’s most prestigious tournaments. Wong and Schneiderman lost in the qualifying bracket, but Nichifor was placed in the main draw. Although he lost in the first round, he notched one of the biggest wins in recent history, defeating Dean Jackson, the No. 17 player in the nation in the back draw.

The ITA Regional Championships brought mixed results for the team, as Wong and Nichifor entered as the Nos. 1 and 3 seeds, respectively, but were defeated by lower-seeded players. Schneiderman, who was seeded No. 17, advanced to the semifinals but was defeated by Yale freshman Marc Powers in three sets.

The spring brought more good results for the Lions, as they were invited to play in the prestigious ITA Kick-Off Weekend, but they lost two close matches to top-50 teams from Indiana and Arkansas outdoors in Mississippi. Next up was the annual Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship, which Columbia entered as the top seed among all the Northeast teams. Columbia beat Ivy

rivals Dartmouth and Cornell on its way to the finals, but then lost 5-2 to Harvard, the No. 2 seed.

The Lions came back with a vengeance, as they won three straight matches before facing their first Ivy opponent—Cornell. Along the way, they beat Binghamton, which finished the season 25-1, with that one loss coming against Columbia. Columbia then traveled up to Ithaca to play Cornell, and won 6-1 after losing the doubles point but rebounding to win all six singles matches.

The Lions would next play in Texas on their annual spring break training trip, where they had one of their biggest team wins of the decade, beating No. 42 Texas Christian University 4-3.

They also beat Southern Methodist University and UT-Arlington, both in outdoor matches. The team also beat St. John’s in its final nonconference match of the season, and went into its biggest match of the season against Harvard on an eight-match winning streak.

Harvard came to the Dick Savitt Tennis Center, but was no match for Columbia in front of a raucous crowd of fans, alumni, and students. The team won a tight doubles point and then four of the six singles matches, winning the

match 5-2 to put them in first place in the Ivy League. Columbia would go on to beat Dartmouth and Brown, giving it an 11-match winning streak and a place atop the Ancient Eight. However, the Lions then lost a close outdoor match to Yale 4-3, which would put a slight damper on their chances for the Ivy title. Columbia won its remaining matches against Penn and Princeton, and that, combined with Yale’s losses to Princeton and Harvard and Harvard’s loss to Cornell, gave Columbia sole possession of the title.

In addition to the team title, Columbia garnered several individual accolades. Wong and Nichifor were both named to the all-Ivy singles first team, and Schneiderman was named to the all-Ivy singles second team, one season after being named the 2009 Ivy League Rookie of the Year. In addition to their singles honors, Nichifor and Wong teamed up to go 13-6 in doubles, and were unanimous choices for firstteam all-Ivy doubles.

Columbia will face No. 22 Wake Forest in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on May 15. Wong will participate in the NCAA Championships, which are scheduled to start May 26 in Athens, Ga.

Men’s golf wins third straight Ancient Eight Championship

BY KUNAL GUPTA Spectator Senior Staff Writer The Columbia men’s golf team won its third straight Ivy League championship in dramatic fashion, beating Yale by three strokes on the weekend. The Lions were led by junior Clark Granum, who shot a three-under par 67 on the final round to give Columbia the win.

With the victory, Columbia will take the Ivy League’s automatic bid into the 2010 NCAA Championships. The team will begin regional play on May 20.

Columbia started the year with the Spartan Classic in Michigan, finishing 11th out of the 13 teams that were at the event. Highlighting the individual play was Granum, who finished in 24th place, and shot the best score for Columbia that weekend.

The next weekend, the Lions got their first taste of Ivy play at the Cornell Invitational, where they finished sixth out of 15 teams. Once again, Granum led Columbia, finishing 13th. Columbia was playing well later in the weekend, but the event was shortened due to rain.

William & Mary’s Joe Agee Invitational brought even more success for Granum, as he finished in third place individually and led the team to another sixth-place finish.

Columbia finished its fall season with mixed results at the Ivy League Men’s Golf Match Play Event, although only two matches were played because of the weather conditions. Columbia beat Brown on the first day, but lost to Yale 3-2 on the second day. The match that would have decided third place between Harvard and Columbia was not played due to poor weather conditions.

The men’s golf team was off from competitive play until spring break,

courtesy of columbia athletics

ALL-IVY | Junior Clark Granum led the Columbia men’s golf team to it’s third consecutive Ancient Eight title with a second-place finish at the Ivy championships. when it took part in its most competitive tournament of the season, the USF Triumph. Columbia once again scored a sixth-place finish out of the 12 teams there, and at one point reached as high as fifth in the standings. Granum once again led Columbia with a low score of four-over par on the final day, although this time fellow junior Justin Lee was the best individual for Columbia, placing

13th individually. The top nine-hole score belonged to sophomore Brendan Doyle, who shot a one-over par 36.

The team next traveled to the Towson/Fireline Invitational and finished in seventh place as a team, with Granum once again taking the individual lead. Granum shot a 225 over the three-day tournament, and placed 21st overall with that score.

The consistent pattern of play until then didn’t hold in the next tournament, the Princeton Invitational.

Columbia finished 13th out of 15 teams. Freshman Michael Yiu led the Lions this time, finishing in 28th place with a score of 224. One stroke behind Yiu was Lee, who finished tied for 32nd place. Two strokes behind him was sophomore Brendan Doyle, who finished tied for 44th place. Yale and Harvard tied for the title in that tournament, with Yale ultimately winning because the fifth player had a lower score than the same player for Harvard.

Columbia got into form in its final tune-up before the Ivy League Championship, as it finished in third place out of 21 teams in the Navy Spring Invitational. Granum’s stellar season continued with his best-ever finish, finishing as the runner-up, one shot off Ben Hayes of Navy. Yiu and Doyle finished tied for 10th place, and each shot a 74 on the final day.

Columbia then played in the Ivy League Championship, and despite struggling on the first day, the team came back on the second day and took the lead for good, holding off Yale down the stretch at Baltusrol Golf Club.

Columbia shot a 294 on the final day, and Doyle made par on the 18th hole to give Columbia the win. Granum would come in second place for the individual title, losing to Scotty Williams from Penn on the 19th hole.

For his tremendous season, Granum was named to the all-Ivy first team for the third straight season. In addition, Yiu and Doyle were both named to the all-Ivy second team.

Columbia will next be in action at the 2010 NCAA Championship on May 20.

May 10, 2010

SPRING SPORTS

Page 13

Softball Columbia once again finished at the bottom of the Ivy League South Division, amassing a 4-16 conference record (15-32 overall). Two of the Light Blue’s four Ancient Eight victories came on the last day of the season, as the Lions swept the Quakers in a doubleheader, outscoring them 20-0. Senior Aimee Kemp pitched 10 shutout innings that day, ending her career with an Ivy League Pitcher of the Week title.

The Lions also took a game from both Princeton and Brown, but were swept by Yale, Harvard, Cornell, and Dartmouth. Columbia’s 4-16 record was not only the worst in the division, but also worst in the Ivy League.

—Michele Cleary

Women’s rowing alyson goulden / staff photographer

NOT THIS TIME | Nick Crucet and his team look on as Dartmouth celebrates winning the 2010 Ivy title. This was a rematch of the 2008 championship series, which the Lions won.

Baseball wins Gehrig Division, stumbles in Ivy championship

BY JACOB SHAPIRO AND MICHAEL SHAPIRO Spectator Senior Staff Writers Despite one of Columbia’s best conference finishes in program history, the Lions baseball team fell to Dartmouth in the Ivy League Championship Series this past weekend. After crushing the Big Green in game one, Dartmouth forced a tiebreaker with a big 15-10 win in Saturday’s nightcap. Columbia led for a short time in the deciding game three, but the Big Green’s timely hitting led it to its second consecutive Ivy title. Looking back on 2010, the Lions displayed all the makings of a championship team, and while they ultimately fell short of the championship, fans have reasons to look forward to next season.

With hopes that the 2010 campaign would bring them good fortune, the Lions opened up the season in Las Vegas with four games against a formidable UNLV team. After allowing double-digit runs en route to dropping the first three games of the series, Columbia roared back with an 8-6 win in the final game.

The following weekend, the team headed south to play Richmond and Virginia Tech. The Spiders took game one of the series in a low-scoring contest before Columbia’s offense posted its first crooked number of the season, scoring 12 times to win game two. As the spring break trip continued, the Lions dropped three straight games to Virginia Tech and Appalachian State before winning their second close game of the year by a score of 4-2 against Winthrop.

After beating Winthrop, the team participated in the Winthrop University Coca-Cola Classic Tournament, where they suffered three straight losses to Kent

State, Winthrop, and Penn State before returning to Morningside Heights.

On Wednesday, March 24, the team slugged it out against local rival St. John’s in a game in which 43 runs crossed the plate. But Columbia rebounded from the 22-21 loss to open the season at Robertson Field with four straight victories against Bucknell.

After a 9-0 shutout of St. Peter’s, the Lions opened the Ivy League season at home against Yale and Brown on April 3. Displaying its propensity to win tight games, the team snuck past Yale twice on Saturday (by scores of 5-3 and 5-4) before splitting Sunday’s contests against Brown.

Taking three games out of four during Ivy League weekends came to be a common theme this season, and in the second week of Ivy play, the Lions split a pair of games against playoff rival Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H., to start the weekend.

Columbia then hammered Harvard in two games in Cambridge, Mass., putting up a dominating score of 24-1 in the first game.

Returning to New York the following weekend, Columbia sent Princeton home on Saturday with two straight losses. On Sunday, April 18, the Lions lost game one and then beat the Tigers by five in game two to complete their third three-victory weekend against Ivy League foes.

Later that week, Columbia dropped a pair of games against Manhattan before heading farther upstate to take on Cornell in a Gehrig Division contest. On Saturday, Columbia lost a nail-biter by a score of 1-0 before claiming its own one-run victory later that day to take game two of the series.

The Lions then won another close ballgame on Sunday morning, but Cornell struck back, handing Columbia a split weekend for the first time on the season.

As April turned into May, Columbia hosted Penn, needing just two games to clinch the Gehrig Division and earn a chance to play for the Ivy League title for the second time in three years. The Lions responded instantly, beating Penn 5-2 and 10-9 to win the division on Friday.

On Saturday, Penn won the first game, and with home-field advantage on the line, the Lions took a 10-8 game for yet another three-win weekend.

Over in the Rolfe Division, Dartmouth cruised to a spot in the championship series after splitting a four-game series with Harvard to close the season. Two years ago, the Lions and the Big Green battled for the Ivy title in Hanover, and Columbia came out the victor in three games.

This season, the two teams clashed again in déjà vu fashion, as the clubs split Saturday’s doubleheader to force a decisive game three. The Light Blue came out of the gate on fire in game one with five runs in the first. Jon Eisen tripled and scored on a RBI single by Jason Banos before Dario Pizzano and Alex Ferrera teamed up for back-to-back jacks to put a big crooked number on the board.

Pat Lowery took the hill for the Lions and only faltered in the top of the second, in which he served up back-toback homers to Jake Carlson and Zack Bellenger. The Lions tacked on two insurance runs in the fourth and six more in the fifth en route to a 13-2 lead.

Despite the big win in the series opener, Columbia’s pitching could not hold Dartmouth’s bats in the nightcap. The Big Green grabbed an early lead against Dan Bracey with four runs in their first two frames. The Lions knotted the score at four runs apiece in the top of the fourth

as Ferrera and Dean Forthun drove in two runs. Over the next five innings, the teams traded runs fairly evenly, but James Wren muscled a grand slam to deep center field off Geoff Whitaker to cement a 15-10 Dartmouth victory.

The Big Green opened up the rubber match on Sunday with a sacrifice fly to plate one run in the first. The Lions surged back in the third and fourth innings for three combined runs, but Dartmouth struck right back with an onslaught of clutch two-out hitting. The Big Green extended its lead to 9-4 entering the top of the ninth, and more timely hitting plated an additional two runs to make it an 11-4 deficit. Ferrera led off the bottom frame with a double to deep left and came home on a Forthun sacrifice fly that nearly cleared the center field wall. After Billy Rumpke went down looking at an 0-2 fastball, Nick Crucet hit a sharp liner to second that was snagged by Jeff Onstott.

With the win, Dartmouth clinched the Ivy title for the second consecutive season, and will have a month off before representing the Ivy League in the NCAA regionals.

While the Lions’ loss comes as a disappointment, the team’s many highlights in 2010 should leave fans with little reason to be ashamed. The Light Blue’s 26 wins this season marked the second most in the program’s history, and the team’s 14-6 Ivy League record is its best in recent years. While the ballclub is losing three seniors to graduation— Clay Bartlett, Dean Forthun, and Derek Squires—several impressive freshmen have proven worthy of filling the void.

Columbia’s first-rate 2010 campaign should give fans hope looking forward to next season, when the Lions will look to reclaim the Ivy title once again.

The Lions saw a challenging spring season, starting off strong at the Governor’s Cup in Florida, in which they came in first of five teams. They had more trouble in the northern portion of their competition, falling to Ivy teams from Yale, Penn, Princeton, and Brown, but managing to narrowly outrow Cornell at the Dunn Bowl.

The women had an easier time against nonconference rivals, winning three of five races their second day at the George Washington Invitational.

Now they are preparing for the Eastern Sprints, which will take place May 16.

—Nina Lukina

Lacrosse The women’s lacrosse team finished its season with an overall record of 6-8 and 0-7 in the Ivy League, with the team’s most significant wins coming against Bucknell (16-8), Wagner (17-9), and Bryant (16-8). Senior Brittany Shannon led the team in goals and points with 45 goals and six assists—a total of 51 points—while freshman Kacie Johnson ranked second with 49 points. Sophomore Taylor Gattinella led the Lions in ground balls with 40 for the season. Graduating from the team will be seniors Shannon, Frances Callaghan, and Megan Donovan.

The Lions will be receiving a new coach next year as well, as head coach Kerri Whitaker recently resigned. A national search has begun for her replacement.

—Julia Garrison

2

3 1

this year in photos 4 1. The long-awaited new entrance to the 96th Street station opened in April.

2. Students celebrated the first snow day in years in February.

3. Men’s tennis won the Ivy League championship in April.

4. Students celebrated Holi in the year’s most colorful campus event.

6

7

5

5. CU alums Vampire Weekend achieved mainstream success with “Contra.”

6. Men’s basketball faced a difficult season, then coaching changes.

7. With the eminent domain ruling against Columbia in December, Manhattanville continues to be a contested issue.

8. The Diana Center opened to students in January.

8