http://www.columbiaspectator.com/sites/default/files/issues/archive/08-30-10%20WEB

ORIENTATION choose your own

Columbia Adventure first-year edition

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3 mapping columbia As a first-year, you’re bound to get lost a few times. Hopefully our back-page guide will make Columbia’s surroundings a bit easier to understand.

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student groups Columbia offers clubs for every imaginable interest. Read about a sampling of the many groups here on page 4.

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8 neighborhood profiles Beyond Columbia’s gates lie West Harlem and the Upper West Side. Get to know them on pages 5 and 6.

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1. Congratulations! You’ve finally made it to Columbia University in the City of New York! There are places to go and people to meet. Where to begin?

• If you decide to stay on campus, go to item 2.

• If you decide to head out into the city, go to item 7.

2. You’re on campus, a beautiful oasis in the midst of the infamous concrete jungle. You’re going to get out and make friends, become king of the classroom, and join every club that’s ever interested you. You’re going to embrace the work hard, play hard attitude you’ve been practicing all summer.

• If you decide to explore the Columbia party scene, go to item 3.

• If you decide to hit the books, go to item 4.

• If you decide to get involved in extracurricular activities, go to item 5.

116 columbia traditions There’s a lot more to Columbia’s history than Alexander Hamilton and Lou Gehrig. Find out what on page 2.

3. Well, it’s not so much a scene as a room. In this one kid’s suite. Here are a couple ways to deal with the disillusionment: • If you decide to break the proud Columbia tradition of going to a frat house only once, go to item 6.

• If you decide to head out into the city in search of nightlife, go to item 7.

4. Welcome to Butler Library! You’ll be spending many a moment here over the next four years. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? You agree? That’s good. Remember that when you’re stuck in here on a beautiful day.

• If you would like to socialize IN the library, there’s always room 209.

5. Clubs, glorious clubs! You’ve signed up for quite a few. Good news: There is something for everyone at Columbia. Bad news: endless spam from club listservs.

• If you decide to go Greek, go to item 6.

• If you decide to join a cultural or political group, go to item 8.

• If you decide to go to a sporting event, go to item 9.

6. Party! Wait, this isn’t like Animal House at all. Why do we pay for this?

• Become indignant. Go to item 8.

7. New York City. The capital of the world. There are restaurants, museums, shows, bright lights—if it was enough to inspire Sinatra to inspire Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, it should be enough for you. Get an internship, see an exhibit, go into a different borough—the possibilities are endless.

• When you realize that you’re running out of money and/or actually need to occasionally get work done, return to item 2.

8. What? The food is bad, the academic calendar is ridiculous, student funding is wrong, there’s gentrification in Morningside Heights, globalization is happening, we don’t have a men’s studies department, there’s trouble in the Middle East, people didn’t come to your club’s event? There’s only one thing to do.

• PROTEST!

meal plan 101 9. Yeah, the sporting events don’t happen on South Lawn— they’re mostly at Baker Field. You might find it’s rather difficult to convince your friends to accompany you for the trip uptown.

• If you decide to stick it out—fare well, fair traveler.

• If you head back to campus, head into the city, head wherever, you’ll discover that Columbia’s a pretty great place. Find your friends, get some school spirit, and grudgingly admit that you like it here. Then go back on your way.

Columbia has overhauled its undergraduate meal plan. See how this affects you on page 3.

fight the apathy Columbia may not be an athletic heavyweight, and the Ivy League certainly isn’t a power conference, but there are still plenty of things to cheer for.

Find out what on page 11.

manhattanville 101 For the past seven years, some local residents and business owners have waged a vocal campaign against Columbia’s planned campus expansion into West Harlem. Now, demolition and preconstruction are underway and the project is essentially a done deal, barring intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court.

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116 TRADITIONS

august 30, 2010

94

COLUMBIA TRADITIONS

You have four years to cross these off.

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5

17 18 44

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76 ILLUSTRATIONS BY DARYL SEITCHIK

57 1. Enter the 116th Street gates and sing “Roar, Lion, Roar” on the first night of orientation.

2. Think your OL is an OG. Realize later she was only OK. 3. Make a spare key with an old credit card and an X-Acto knife (VingCard dorms only).

4. Pull an all-nighter with the rest of your floor studying for the Lit Hum final.

5. Eat a slice of Koronet pizza after a long night drinking.

Return another day to discover it’s inedible sober.

6. Go to Orgo Night.

7. Go to a World Leaders Forum event and shake hands with a foreign president, preferably a brutal autocrat.

8. Go to a fireside chat. Eat mini-burgers and chocolate chip cookies in PrezBo’s living room.

9. Explore the tunnels.

10. Watch a sunrise over (not in) Morningside Park after pulling an all-nighter.

11. Pretend to be interested in a club to get free swag. Get spammed for the next four years.

12. Get sexiled. Sleep in the lounge.

13. Watch the Varsity Show all four years. Notice repetition of tired Barnard jokes. Also GS jokes. And SEAS jokes.

14. Take a class in Hamilton.

Miss the first 15 minutes of every meeting waiting for the elevator.

15. Go to the campus tree-lighting and Yule Log Ceremony.

16. Take the Staten Island Ferry at night.

17. Lock yourself out of your room while in a towel and flip-flops. Proceed to Hartley or the security desk (normal people only).

18. Lock yourself out of your room while dressed. Borrow towel from floormate, undress in his/her room, and put on towel. Borrow cell phone and call Hartley or the security desk

to say you are locked out and in a towel (lazy bums only).

19. Protest something.

20. Counter-protest something.

21. Get stuck on the shaft. Make lame “shaft” jokes 10 times a day for the rest of the year.

22. Sled down Low Steps on a tray from Hewitt.

23. Forget to transfer at 96th Street and end up at Central Park North.

24. Actually explore Manhattanville and Harlem.

25. Find the owl on Alma Mater.

26. Rock the glass house.

27. Go to a campus group’s concert.

28. Go to Midnight Breakfast.

29. Catch someone moving your laundry.

30. Make friends with the people in maintenance and with your security guards (and buy their CDs).

Forget to transfer at 96th Street and end up at Central Park North.

31. Join PrezBo’s 5K run.

32. Attend a Columbia sporting event.

33. Go to your friend’s a cappella show. Never go again.

34. Drink on Low Steps.

35. Read a text from every author on Butler. Find out who Demosthenes is and let us know.

36. Participate in a walk of shame.

37. Study abroad. Trust us.

38. Change your major. Twice.

39. Go to services at Riverside Church or the “Blessing of the Animals” at St. John the Divine.

40. Take part in 40s on 40. If it

still exists. If not, pour out a 40 for another casualty of the War on Fun. 41. Enroll in a 9 a.m. or Friday class. Never go.

42. Volunteer with Community Impact.

43. See a movie filming on campus. When the movie comes out, go to see it and obnoxiously point out Columbia scenes to your friends.

44. Go to a frat party. Just one.

45. Sneak onto the roof of Mudd, SIPA, or Sulz for a picnic.

46. Take a class on something you know absolutely nothing about.

47. Take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Eat at Grimaldi’s.

48. Order the Spicy Special at Crack Del. Never actually find out its ingredients.

49. Get your parents to pay for dinner at Pisticci.

50. Get a Broadway shake at Tom’s.

51. Find a study spot in Butler.

Sleep there to keep it during finals week.

52. Go to the Hungarian Pastry Shop. Realize Artopolis and Café Amrita are better.

53. Spend a vacation on campus while it’s empty.

54. Go to Postcrypt in St. Paul’s Chapel.

55. Find the best pizza joint in New York, then openly mock anyone who hasn’t been there.

56. Learn the Columbia fight song.

57. Get a fake ID. Still get rejected from Havana Central.

58. Quote a Core text outside of class.

59. Take a class that meets in 309 Havemeyer Hall. Even if the class is awful, you won’t regret it.

60. Ignore the red flags on South Lawn.

61. Go to the Organization of Pakistani Students’ Hangama.

62. High-five Roar-ee. Don’t get

kicked by the visitors’ mascot.

63. Make a pilgrimage to Barack Obama’s old apartment. Try to find the alley he slept in once.

Write a term paper in 12 hours.

64. Call CAVA for a friend.

65. Avoid getting CAVA-ed.

66. Be “that guy” or “that girl” in a class.

67. Set foot in all five boroughs.

Alternatively, set foot in four and look at Staten Island on the subway map.

68. Check out the view of campus from Butler’s roof, preferably at night.

69. Explore Governors Island.

70. Start using Flex because it’s just like free money. Feel the wrath from your parents when it shows up on your tuition bill.

71. Get into museums free using your CUID. 72. Get into museums free using senior citizens’ discount (GS only).

73. Stay up for 48 hours straight.

74. Write a term paper in 12 hours.

75. Hang out in Williamsburg.

Hate it (non-hipsters only).

Ironically hate it (hipsters only).

76. Regret wearing heels after falling on College Walk.

77. Walk all the way up Lerner using the ramps only. Wonder why it’s built like that.

78. Lose friends in Senior Regroup.

79. Sample the various local supermarkets. Pledge your heart to Westside.

80. Pass without ever scoring above 60 on a test (SEAS only).

81. Get an A without ever doing

the reading (CC only).

82. Host a prefrosh.

83. Walk from the Battery to campus or vice versa.

84. Get a sandwich at 212.

Don’t pay for it.

85. Eagerly await the announcement of Bacchanal artists. Then complain that they suck.

86. Take science or lab requirement. Almost fail out (nonscience majors only).

87. Put off the swim test until second semester senior year (CC only). Consider inventing a water phobia to get out of it (slackers only).

88. Take Principles of Economics with Sunil Gulati.

Become an econ major.

89. Discover econ majors have to take Econometrics. Become an English major.

90. Try to go to a party in EC. Spend your whole night waiting to get signed in (Barnard/ GS only).

91. Explore New York City (NSOP only). Explore the area between West 96th and 120th streets (rest of college only).

92. Participate in Barnard Spirit Day. 93. Attend Homecoming once— the year you get free beer (seniors only).

94. Seriously consider dropping out. All the cool Columbians have.

95. Pledge to cook more. End up starting a line of credit at HamDel (cool kids only) or Milano (gourmet eaters only).

Or Morton Williams (imbeciles only).

96. Attend a ceremonial religious meal, but not for your religion.

97. Have a drunken hookup.

Awkwardly bump into said hookup everywhere.

98. Go to Health Services with a cold. Leave with condoms.

99. Take the M60 to LaGuardia.

Foot the taxi bill for JFK. 100. Join a campus tour and

ask the tour guide awkward questions.

101. Get dragged out of bed at 4 a.m. for a fire alarm—three times in one week (Carman/ McBain only). Swear to savagely beat the person who set off the alarm.

102. Attend a WBAR-B-Q. 103. Go for a run in Riverside Park.

104. Fall over after Dance Marathon.

105. Spend one summer living and working in the city.

106. Make friends with a General Studies student who is 10 years older than you.

Work an offcampus internship.

Don’t spill hot coffee on yourself.

107. Hear Jeffrey Sachs speak.

Experience liberal guilt.

108. Eat brunch terribly hung over at Community Food & Juice. Experience an even worse hangover when you see your bank statement and realize you spent 25 bucks on a plate of eggs.

109. Write a paper based entirely on Wikipedia. Earn a B. 110. Realize the value of research librarians.

111. Check out Citi Field and the new Yankee Stadium.

112. Work an off-campus internship during the year.

Don’t spill the hot coffee on yourself.

113. Figure out the Barnard/ Columbia relationship.

114. Hook up in the Butler stacks.

115. Remember that thesis you were supposed to write. Leave the stacks.

116. Graduate!

august 30, 2010

Surviving the 9 Ways of Knowing

BY MADINA TOURE Spectator Senior Staff Writer Every year, incoming firstyears at Barnard wonder how to fulfill the Nine Ways of Knowing requirements, which are meant to teach students to look at issues from various perspectives, from the quantitative to the artistic. For the aspiring premed student, a literature course seems to spell a slow death, and for the philosophy major, a three-hour chemistry lab seems impossible—and some of the requirements sound exactly the same. How is the average Barnard student to find her way through the Ways?

the self-explanatory The Visual and Performing Arts requirement is as straightforward as they come­— art, dance, music, photography, film, and theater courses all fulfill it.

Some classes provide an excuse to see performances off campus: Dance in New York City and New York Theater are popular choices. For the Historical Studies requirement, students can take any history course or certain classes in political science, religion, and women’s studies.

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Meal Plan

CAMPUS NEWS

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A brief introduction to the new Columbia and Barnard meal plans

New meal plan options on both sides of Broadway

BY AMBER TUNNELL AND MADINA TOURE Columbia Daily Spectator

New year, new meal plan policies.

If you don’t know a meal from a Dining Dollar from a Flex point, don’t look to last year for guidance—both the Columbia and Barnard meal plans have changed it up this semester.

Columbia first-years have options this year: They can buy 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.

Meals or Dining Dollars are now required at John Jay’s latenight favorite JJ’s Place and at Ferris Booth in Lerner, both of which had previously accepted Flex points. This is a change from previous years’ policies, which stated that meals could only be used at John Jay Dining Hall and Barnard’s Hewitt Dining Hall.

Dining Dollars are still versatile and can be used at all dining locations on both the Columbia and Barnard campuses, such as the Blue Java Coffee Bar in Butler and Cafe 212 in Lerner.

For the first time this year, all Barnard students are required to get a meal plan—so don’t expect to bid it farewell come spring.

Previously, with the exception of students living in Hewitt Hall, all upperclassmen had the choice of buying an unlimited meal plan, a

joy resmovits / staff photographer

MEAL PLAN CHANGES

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Students will have more options to pay for food on campus this year.

limited plan, or opting out altogether. However, all students are now required to be on at least a limited meal plan.

Despite the new meal plan mandate, the new policy offers

students more flexibility in terms of plan options. There’s no getting off your first-year unlimited plan, but upperclassmen living in Barnard Quad housing can choose a different plan with

fewer meals and at a lower cost.

All other students can choose from three options for $300 per semester. Kosher options will be available in all plans, but at a relatively higher cost.

Meet your administrators: the faces behind the names provost claude steele

the vague

Cultures in Comparison, Social Analysis, and Reason and Value require some demystifying, as it’s not always clear how they differ from one another. Cultures in Comparison is easy for anthropology majors, but can also be fulfilled by certain history, political science, Africana studies, and religion courses—anything that compares different peoples will do.

Social Analysis focuses on social institutions and lends itself well to the sociology, political science, psychology, anthropology, or economics major, though urban studies students sometimes fulfill the requirement with the Theorizing Civic Engagement course. And the broad Reason and Value­, which looks at how values shape thought, can be completed with anything from Nineteenth Century Art to Theoretical Foundations of Political Economy to European History Since 1789. Pick your poison.

math and science for the humanities-minded

The Laboratory Science and Quantitative and Deductive Reasoning requirements may seem daunting for students who were hoping to fill their schedule with English classes.

For Quantitative Reasoning, try philosophy courses such as Introduction to Logic or astronomy classes such as Life in the Universe. For those who aren’t big on math and science but can still handle numbers, Math Methods for Economics and Statistics for Economics might be appealing. Science majors may easily fulfill the lab science requirement several times over, but humanities students have a harder time. Psychology is a popular choice, but getting through the psych lab lottery can be a drag. Some environmental science classes also have labs. Whatever you pick, try to get the lab science requirement out of the way early­—it’s timeconsuming and not what you want to focus on while writing your senior thesis.

physical education

P.E. isn’t technically a “Way,” but it is a requirement. Even if you weren’t the star of your high school volleyball team, Barnard offers everything from swimming to self defense to the always-popular dance. Students must take two physical education classes to graduate, and one must be done by the end of first year, so start planning now—and make sure to enter the lottery on time if you want a say in what you’ll be taking.

e-bear is your friend Check out your schedule on eBear—it’ll give you a list of courses that fulfill each requirement, especially if you’re confused about why that one class fulfills Cultures in Comparison but not Reason and Value.

courtesy of columbia university

columbia college dean michele moody-adams joey shemuel / senior staff photographer

university president lee bollinger

Known to students as “PrezBo,” Bollinger has served as the 19th president of Columbia since 2002. Bollinger serves as the University’s chief executive officer and has the final say in important decisions, such as administrative appointments. He holds student fireside chats at his residence at 116th Street and Morningside Avenue, so keep your eyes peeled for the selection lotteries. In the past, he has taught an undergraduate course on the First Amendment, but this year he’ll be leading a Journalism School class called “Free Press for Global Society.”

Moody-Adams set a precedent when she became the first woman and first African-American dean of Columbia College last year. She is also the vice president for undergraduate education, a new position that involves the dean in academia as well as student affairs administration.

She is well known for her undergraduate philosophy lectures and tea parties, which are similar to Bollinger’s fireside chats. She is a professor of political philosophy and legal theory.

courtesy of columbia university

general studies dean peter awn

Awn has been dean of GS since 1997 and has worked to integrate GS courses with those of the rest of the University. He is also a professor of Islamic and comparative religion and the director of the Middle East Institute.

Awn has lectured widely on the role Islam plays in international social and political courtesy of columbia university development.

barnard president debora spar

Two years ago, Spar became the 11th president of Barnard. Known as “DSpar” among students, she has sought to broaden Barnard’s presence abroad and amp up student leadership initiatives with programs like the Athena Center for Leadership Studies. She has also written books on a variety of topics, including the economics of the human fertilfile photo ity industry.

Last year, Steele became the University’s 21st provost, otherwise known as the senior academic officer. He is the first African American to hold the post. Among many duties, Steele oversees all academic plans and policies at Columbia and decides who should be recommended for tenure.

He is also a professor of psychology, a field in which he gained fame for his theories on stereotype threat.

school of engineering and applied science dean feniosky peña-mora

andra mihali / senior staff photographer

Since he was appointed the 14th dean of SEAS last year, Peña-Mora has instituted a “Rising Superstars” strategy to attract the best faculty to SEAS and to reward the current top faculty. He has also focused on the new field of “CyberBioPhysical Systems,” which fuses the biological, physical, and digital worlds. He has said that he plans to promote interdisciplinary work among the applied sciences departments and to encourage engineers to take on leadership roles. Bollinger affectionately calls him “Feni.”

What to expect from your student councils

BY ELIZABETH SCOTT

Spectator Senior Staff Writer CCSC? ESC? Following Columbia’s student council scene requires some brushingup on acronyms.

Each undergraduate school— Columbia College, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of General Studies, and Barnard College— has its own board of student representatives who plan activities and work with administrators.

Despite differences in structure, the four councils often work together in shaping student life.

Columbia College Student Council Learned Foote, CC ’11, pulled away to win one of the most competitive CCSC presidential races in recent years. Foote’s party, Stand Columbia, was unique in that the majority of the ticket was composed of underclassmen, which he said is important for his board’s vision.

CCSC was involved in a number of hot-button issues last

year, such as their support of a proposal to allow gender-blind doubles in Columbia dorms.

The proposal was shot down, but with the possibility of a pilot program to test out open housing, the issue will likely be revisited this year.

Engineering Student Council If you’re an incoming SEAS student, Chris Elizondo, SEAS ’11, is your captain.

In a process unique to their council, ESC’s boards are chosen in internal elections, not by the general SEAS student body. The ESC constitution was changed last year to allow spectators to watch the council’s deliberations, but council members vote individually and their votes are private.

This past year, the council divided its two University Senate seats between the school’s undergraduate and graduate populations. Previously, there had been two seats, each of which could be held by an undergraduate or a graduate student, but after the council held a

referendum, one seat is now designated for each demographic.

General Studies Student Council Jacqueline Thong will be helming this year’s GSSC after an uncontested election. The council has some seats to fill—some positions were left empty after last semester’s elections due to poor voter turnout.

GSSC has pushed for enhanced GS financial aid for years, as well as for more comprehensive student housing. Last year’s GSSC also fought for Latin diplomas for their school (GS diplomas are printed in English), but the proposal was shot down by GS Dean Peter Awn. joy resmovits / staff photographer

Student Government Association While this year saw a boom in sorority participation, Barnard’s SGA is still struggling to decide whether to officially recognize sororities. While SGA does provide financial gifts to the InterGreek Council each year, its constitution states that it can’t

MEET YOUR REPS | SGA President Lara Avsar and Vice President Bridgit Donnelly, both BC ’11, pose in front of the Diana. officially recognize groups that choose members on a “discriminatory basis.” The Inter-Greek Council has said that if Barnard participation continues to increase without SGA recognition, it may consider capping

the number of Barnard students allowed to join sororities.

The issue was not resolved last year, and will almost certainly crop up again this semester under the watch of SGA President Lara Avsar, BC ’11.

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CAMPUS NEWS

august 30, 2010

An introduction to campus student groups

BY LEAH GREENBAUM Spectator Senior Staff Writer Prepare for spam: Part of college is four years of sifting through notices from all the student groups you signed on with at your first activities fair.

There’s something for everyone, but here’s a handful of groups that made news last year.

everyone allied against Homophobia, genderevolution, Q, and columbia queer alliance

These groups made headlines after members proposed that the University allow for mixed-gender doubles in the dorms. Administrators rejected the proposal. National media outlets picked up the story that Columbia students might soon be “living in sin” last fall, but representatives from Everyone Allied Against Homophobia and GendeRevolution countered that the proposal was intended to make homosexual and transsexual students more comfortable with their living arrangements.

Top administrators have said they will “seriously consider introducing a pilot program for the 2011-2012 school year” that would open up some mixed doubles, so you can expect to hear more from these groups throughout the year.

administrators became concerned about underage drinking at the group’s weekly folk music concerts. There’s no cover charge at Postcrypt, so the club relies on selling local, microbrewed beers to stay afloat.

Currently, they are required to hire one security guard and two alcohol proctors at each of their concerts—conditions that members claim are not financially sustainable. Expect to hear more as the club and administrators continue to update the terms and conditions of their agreement, but in the meantime, catch one of their free concerts while you can.

advocates of the arts initiative

Although it’s not a particularly large group, last year the Advocates mobilized in opposition to a proposed 30 percent budget cut to the Arts Initiative.

AI was founded in 2005 by the Office of the President to subsidize discounted theater tickets (which students can buy in the lobby of Lerner Hall), fund student arts groups and arts-related internships, and manage a number of other arts programs on campus. While their campus visibility waned at times, the Advocates re-emerged at the end of last semester.

columbia university college democrats and college republicans

While the Democrats and Republicans on campus aren’t quite as hot-headed as their comrades and liberty-lovers on Capitol Hill, you’re bound to hear about their activities during the upcoming election cycle. Both groups organize campaigning trips across the East Coast and invest themselves in local politics.

postcrypt coffeehouse

Postcrypt, a student-run music venue in the basement of St. Paul’s Chapel, found itself fighting for survival last year after

How to survive the Core and enjoy it too

BY AMBER TUNNELL Spectator Senior Staff Writer

Love it or hate it, there’s nothing in the Columbia experience that quite compares to the Core Curriculum.

The Core unites students in Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science with a common learning experience, albeit one with endless reading lists and discussion posts. Whether you sleep with “The Iliad” under your pillow or have long since chucked it out the window, the Core defines the University’s mission to cultivate critical thinking in undergraduates.

Here are some universal maxims (Kant, anyone?) for making your way through: 1. Tailor the classes to your interests. In many courses, you can choose your own essay topics. Love Jane Austen but hate Virginia Woolf? If you go with

what you like, you’ll make even your least favorite Core class more palatable.

2. Instructors are key. A good one can make you love a course, while a bad one can have you running for the hills within a week. When possible, use CULPA (www.culpa.info) to pick the professors that are right for you. Remember, though, that different students look for different traits in professors—you might actually love a professor who got poor reviews on CULPA. Also keep in mind that a good instructor can come from anywhere: Your favorite teacher may end up being a graduate student, while the class taught by that award-winning professor might turn out to be a bust.

Look at the amount of time they have for each of their students and how much they are willing to work with students, and don’t make judgments solely based on a professor’s field. Many Core

professors come from different departments. Even if your professor has only ever taught Italian, she could still be an insightful Literature Humanities professor.

3. Take Core classes that contribute to your major. A Global Core course or a class that fulfills the science requirement might force you to explore a different aspect of your major than you normally would have—and you have to graduate sometime, after all.

4. Read selectively. Even instructors will admit that you can’t read everything, and certain portions of the texts provide greater insight than others.

The Core is the one part of the curriculum that is uniquely, well, Columbian. Whatever you feel about it, know that every single student around you has to get through the Core for his or her diploma. It is the tie that binds us together as Columbia students.

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FINANCE 2875 Broadway (between 11th and 112th), third floor Dial #11 to enter.

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News, page 2

30 points

Urban Outfitters Fits In Metro Theater

house An art deco movie Side on the Upper West into a will be transformed hip fashion chain.

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Opinion, Page 4

No We Can’t

Salz Columnist Lauren reminds President Obama does not that political unity mean political uniformity.

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There are a scarily large It’s 31 number of these—47, to be groups precise. There are seven for East Campus six-person high seven rises and 40 EC six-person EC all-single townhouses, but a few are lost to RAs, and a few more are lost high rises and 10 to special interest housing. It’s possible that one of the very top fives in Hogan— groups will drop to general selection to snag the Watt studio those are the singles, but probably the cutoff here for everything EC sixes is choice options, around 2500. Groups below that, don’t despair yet—it’s possible and will probably that some of the groups in the 2000-2500 range will elect to both be gone bedrop to Senior Regroup rather than take one of the/dozen sixtween 30/1000 Staff Photographer Scheineson person townhouses that have one Andrew double. The others will have and 30/1500. Afto settle for the new six-person suites in Ruggles (with two ter that, we could doubles) or the one suite in Claremont, or drop to Regroup. see as many as 37 of the 58 of these, which is a rather terrifying prospect. Six 56 ECX suites available in Claremont, 10 in EC (though a few gone fall to 30-point to RAs), 16 in Hogan (with a few to RAs, again), eight groups—more in Ruggles (a few to RAs, once more). So probably half if other seniors of these groups are actually going to get four-person suites. EC/ regroup to get Ruggles/Hogan should be gone by 30/1200 or so. Claremont will them, less if probably drop some, but anyone in the back half of the 30-point all-senior groups draw here should get ready for Regroup. don’t want to take a double Eight of these, which should get everyone into either a and instead Claremont three or a partial suite with an RA in Hogan, regroup toward Ruggles, or EC, which are likely the targets of groups something else. with RA friends.

ion, CU 4 Nat of Firsts for Inauguration: A Day ges Obama, CC ’83, Pled ing To3Begin Rebuild 2

84 of these, it would appear. These will axe all 35 twos in EC, the 11 two-

BY ALIXinPIANIN bedroom apartments Watt, and most of the dozen one-bedroom Watt Staff WriterH, K, and C lines in Woodbridge apartments, too. All the high-demand Senior Spectator should go, too, and some of the medium-demand lines. Which of these opCC tions goes where will depend, as it always does, on Obama personal, preference—all of the Jan. 20—Barack D.C., TON,pros above have various and cons (except the two-bedrooms in Watt—those are on Tuesday, history WASHING American gold, gone

by Columbian 30/1000 at theand absolute latest)—but even worst off here can rest U.S. both of the the made ’83,easy with either abecame Watt one-bedroom or a Woodbridge medium-demand line. the 44th president afternoon, as when he officially Washington yesterday r All eyes were on the country’s first black commande in as graduate to hold Obama was sworn him the first Columbia in chief—making the Capitol and the office. people poured into oath and called Nearly 2 million his watch as Obama took to Mall National to support his effort on Americans the country There are 39 ECX of the 30-point variety ES (three seniors, two ing groups—23 reconstruct to begin non-seniors), 15 atand 26.67political (two seniors,DISPATCH one junior, two other non-seniors), economic in the face oneof20-point group (no seniors)—and 56 ECX suites. The count of 39 is, D.C. the numerous 23.33 FROM than last year’s reflecting disrepair.actually, far lower midst crisis58, possibly thewere left of and 20-point out. Juniors, to their credit, appear to have wised are in that at we groups “Th ,” Obama up. With 31 other five-person 30-point said, groups, there should be 14 that don’t get an understood now well isall-single and As always, we’ll have to wait to see how five-person in EC or Hogan.

Afghanistan insuite wars and inhealth schoolspace citing many ofthe those 14 decide to suffer the double to ensure EC and how many inadequate economy, as evidence seniors usecrippled Regroup to snap up some of energy best guess, then, is that usage Our , the Iraq cient the remainder. of in.effi all thesystems, groups atand 26.67lack sneak Meaning, knock onhard wood, that far and fewer ECX groups choices care make are likely to be disappointed—anfailure unusualtodevelopment, indeed. of the country’s “collective up, nation for war.” prepareAthe must pick ourselves Another nine of these— bunch of these,he andsaid, we can’t “wequite today,” remaking snag any remaining figure out why. Ruggles, EC,again and the work ofshould “Starting , and begin dust ourselves off

20-30 points

Sports, Page 6

5

Men’s Basketball Struggles Over Break

team The men’s basketball was unable to overcome strong opponents overtwo break, winning only four. games while dropping

4

Claremont

Houses a mix of all years with sophomores and juniors picking into the seven-person suites and seniors picking the smaller ones. It’s kind of far from campus, but nice and close to Riverside Park.

Elliot

Two large suites (eight singles, two doubles) on each floor. It’s a safe bet if you’re deadset on a single, but they’re miniscule.

20 points 8

A&E, Page 10

Pricey Gourmet Dining for Pennies

New York’s finest and most expensive restaurants dishes serve up signature for slashed prices during

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On Low Step s, A Rare Sho w of Scho ol Spir it

M

BY KIM KIRSCHENBAU Spectator Staff Writer e s from the daily shuffl Little can draw Columbian took to it and but one who once a spirited along College Walk, the presidency inspiredthe second for traveled his way to Low Library Plaza crowd to gather at ServiceNation Forum. Tuesday’s time since September’s the distinct magneshowed again ven in inaugural broadcast CC’83, on campus—e tism of Barack Obama, residents the frigid cold. faculty, and local Hundreds of students,and flooded the steps to watch snowfall and united Tuesday morning office, braving a sunny semester. Loud Obama sworn into classes of the spring foregoing the first appeared on the JumboTron cheers erupted as Obama as they witnessed the first ce. Several of screen, students rejoicing president taking offi their offices to Columbia College administrators left gloves. the University’s top donning scarves and even students, among squeeze in President Lee Bollinger At one point, University his wife. in an stood outside aside event,” Bollinger said the “It was a very moving he invited inauguration, when interview after the a meet and greet for hot cocoa and crowd to his home tears, feeling the brings you close to with his dogs. “It in this—there’s the threads many so moment. There’s race in America the core thread, the Columbia thread, thread.” liberties of civil the revision thread, this day signified the For many students, feels more demosystem to one that America’s political years past. cratic than it has in SEE LOW STEPS, page 2

WEATHER

Today

26 / 18

Tomrrow

38 / 27

6

Mostly singles on corridors. It’s the surest way to get a single as a sophomore, but the bathrooms are kind of gross.

Sulzberger Tower

Two suites per floor, six singles and one double in each suite. The views are amazing, but you share the building with first-years.

of the SymObama, CC filled all 760 seats Hundreds of people Lincoln CenJay Sharp Theatre of viewers phony Space’s Peter Arts, with additional ter for the Performingand wings to catch a glimpse of standing in the aisles and even overflowing into the the projection screen Thalia Theatre.

Staff Photographer Daniella Zalcman / Senior celebrate this 172-seat Leonard Nimoy the best place to “A public place is ‘Let’s throw the thought, just Unfortunately, those 10 seven-person suites in Claremont that were we so of of event, all-sophomore groups Director type Artisticyear once the domain of lucky likely won’t get said Isaiah Sheffer, this95th to any. doors With 12open,’” groups of sevenon before the 10-point even starts, and roundStreet.

Broadway Space Schomthey’ll likely all be gone to groups that wisely pulled in juniors, unless Symphony the the ocked to Harlem, crowds fl Culture on 135th some of those dropIn to General Central Selection. for Research in Black Center Some—like burgFor address.

10-point Obama’s groups, this is pretty much everybody else—any inaugural and Street to hear Andrews— groups of eight or six or four are certainly using the Florence English andalmost bestthe Beverly the restattendees Sophomore Pair-Up option, so theyIllinois. can be counted among The two and Michigan far as of two to pick here. Whereyears, dozens do they go? In very traveled fromofasgroups came thirty EC sixth for Schapiro, rough order: Broadway, Nussbaum, McBain, floor, been apart who hadFurnald, ceremony the have friends, watch Harmony, Wien. But there really is no order there—all of these dorms some up and to meet of miles hundreds rooms that are better than others, so to each his own. (Yours truly, again, bemoans the is . virtually all the same—no more fact that McBain rooms are now gems there.)

“Everybody in Harlem said.hidden English feeling,” Just do yourselves a favor around at all the floor plans when you into the warm everythatlook “It’sand people ...get old people,We housing cage to make sure you’re seeingyoung all the options. really do feel for rising is all ages, Everybody gathered, is smiling. sophomores—it’s probably going to be slim pickings once it gets to that point. But fear Everybody body in between.

Bank

Wireless

Grocery store

Computer Labs

York speLike English and Andrews, also came to New attendee Richard Friday SEE NYC, page 2

Lauren Weiss / Staff

INDEX

News A&E

2, 7, 8 10

This 20-story complex houses juniors and seniors in a variety of housing arrangements. Sophomores have a shot at the Exclusion Suites. Seniors will find themselves among friends and among the weekend party crowd.

616 W 116th

Doubles and singles in five- and six-person suites. The location is great and the rooms are big (especially the corner doubles, at 235 square feet). Unless you’re lucky enough to get the front-facing rooms in one of the six-person suites, though, you’re going to be on the shaft.

Wien

W 116th St

Schapiro

The two dorms are home to the Living Learning Center and are not part of Suite Selection or General Selection. Hartley’s two-level suites are particularly desirable.

Each suite boasts a large common area and kitchen. Drawbacks include the lack of control over suitemates and LLC rules against alcohol. LLC applications were due in December.

A quieter dorm for first-years and a handful of lucky sophomores, Furnald is on campus, close to Morton Williams, and a stone’s throw from Lerner.

River

The singles—many of which have views of the Hudson River—generally go to seniors, who live in suites with shared bathrooms and kitchens.

Hogan

W 114th St

Broadway

Rooms are mostly singles housing juniors and seniors with a few doubles on each floors at the corners of hallways that house sophomores. The kitchens are kind of small, but Broadway’s pretty nice.

Seniors reign in the highly soughtafter Hogan, which offers proximity to campus and Broadway combined with spacious suites composed of singles. Each suite comes with a kitchen.

Bathrooms on the top four floors were recently renovated—they’re nice. The rest of the bathrooms will be redone this summer. Wien houses sophomores in singles and doubles. Residents proudly call themselves “Wieners.”

Hartley / Wallach

Furnald

Home to mostly sophomores and juniors, Schapiro has nice kitchens and is in a good location— close to campus, Morton Williams, and that tasty halal stand on 115th.

Ruggles

Ruggles continues to increase in demand. Juniors will still take some big suites, but they’re no longer guaranteed to get them.

W 113th St

Watt

Nussbaum

This dorm houses sophomores in the doubles and seniors in the large singles attached to suites. The lobby is hotel-like, which is kind of nice, but space in some of the walkthrough doubles is inequitably distributed.

McBain

A very popular building composed of apartments and studios with their own kitchens and bathrooms. Rooms lack AC, though.

Features both spacious doubles for lucky sophomores and small doubles on the infamous “shaft”— our namesake!—for the lottery’s bottomfeeders. Singles go primarily to juniors.

W 112th St

W 111th St

7

not—just try to pick onto the same floor with a group of friends, and you’ll be fine. (And event each other.”may never have enjoy your last few weeks in Carman—you it that good again.)

Space hugging Symphony

East Campus

Mostly doubles in suites of between two and seven people (mostly sixperson suites). Each suite has a bathroom and kitchen, and there’s a TV lounge on the second floor. It’s very close to campus and a good option for sophomores, but it’s right above Ollie’s, so sometimes it smells.

Floors 1-4 are comparable to 616, with a mix of singles and doubles in mostly five- and six-person suites. Floors 5-10 (seniors only) are all singles in mostly four- and five-person suites. There’s no computer lab and no TV lounge—you have to go to 616 for that.

Juniors and seniors pick into the studio doubles of Woodbridge. Each room comes with air conditioning, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

fewer than 20 2

Five-person all-singles suites, four per floor. Each suite has a bathroom (with a bathtub) and a full kitchen with a refrigerator and gas oven/stove. It’s great because it’s all singles and they’re relatively large (especially the corner rooms), and there’s a big study lounge on the ground floor and a plasma TV, but it’s kind of far from campus, especially in the winter, and the common space is minimal.

W 121st St

620 W 116th

Woodbridge

In NYC , Loc als, 2 s Uni te Trav eler For Swe arin g-in the rest

Laundry facilities

600 W 116th

Hewitt

2

We applaud the gumption, page of the7 juniors All we can say here WASHINGTON gunning,SEE presumably, for the new Ruggles is wow. No fewer six-person suites. With seven suites than 24 (!) groups available and only five groups, seems like of eight are in play, chances are reasonable. Desperate seniors might and there are only 14 suites jump in, but we continue to find it hard to believe available. Sorry juniors, but that groups of seniors would accept a suite with not the days of an all-but-guaranone but two small doubles. teed spot in Ruggles with an eight-person group are long It’s possible that a few Woodbridge suites gone. (Advance prediction for from the low-demand lines slide through next year: some juniors start to the top few groups here, but don’t luring seniors by offering up count on even that. Most, then, will turn the singles in order to boost to Watt studio doubles. Some will drop to General point values—we thought Selection, certainly, as old junior standbys such as that might happen this year, McBain walk-throughs have been renovated out of but this might serve as a existence. Some others to Nussbaum, and maybe wake-up call.) One of the top some to Broadway. groups might drop to General Selection, but the cutoff

BY LYDIA WILEDEN here should be with one of Scattered fives and Staff Writer the three groups clustered Spectator Senior fours aren’t likely Photographer Staff / Lila Neiswanger around 20/2000. (It really is to have much luck to witD.C. painful to see this—yours down here to make the trek to (threes Harlem truly snuck in lastFor yearthose with unable still sneak into making, venues aroundmight a number thatness wouldn’t sniff in the on Tueshistory the RA suites they’re likely targeting, though)— doors opened their Side Ruggles this time around. again, maybe something in nClaremont, of Barackby and the Upper West Our thoughts go out to rising screenings chance,oforthe the inauguratio odd five-person suite on the first day for live juniors in this boat!) ’83. floor of Ruggles.

File Photo

Laundromat

W 120th St

Watt one-bedrooms and Hogan will be long gone. It’s conceivWoodbridge able, and under- medium or .” with a stretch, that a Claremont America to partisanship end low-demandplaguing suites. After Senior suite might slip through.

Beyond perhaps for anthat, also called Regroup and this round, the prime they Obama have eyes on the groups that can fill up the challenges confront unitytoto for Hard the need Watt/Woodbridge leftovers will likely RA townhouses in EC? know. Slim scored has pairs. be next nil for junior pickings here, though. thetoground is that the country.

to understand arguments that “What the cynics fail that the stale political shifted beneath them, so long no longer apply,” Obama said. for have consumed us became president before the ceremony came and Obama officially , as the noon cut-offswearing-in e. The had reached his swearing-in music performanc Chief Justice of went during a classical air of formality when ceremony broke its

Plimpton

Air conditioning

Harmony Hall

Cozy and removed from campus, Harmony Hall is a great place for people who like peace and quiet. It’s far from class, but close to essentials like Westside and Chipotle.

601 W 110th St

Two- to nine-person suites with a combination of singles, doubles, and triples. It’s more apartment-style living, if that’s your thing—nonstudents live there as well—but it’s also far from campus, and there’s no computer lab or printer.

W 110th St

AMSTERDAM AVENUE

INSIDE

Spectator’s comprehensive housing guide For the latest updates on the selection process, check out The Shaft’s liveblog at columbiaspectator.com.

Legend

WWW.C The housing lottery is a scary process— we’ve been here long enough to know that.

What it doesn’t have to be is complicated, and that’s why we’re here to help. Below, find your group by point value and group size, and find out where you’re likely to wind up.

Y 21, 2009 WEDNESDAY, JANUAR

2

BROADWAY

VOL. CXXXIII—NO.

The Shaft

Cathedral Gardens

Singles and doubles in four- to six-person suites, with a kitchen, bathroom, and common area in every suite. The suites are gorgeous, but it’s about a 15-minute walk from campus, which can suck in the winter.

(off map)

GRAPHIC BY JIN CHEN, HANNAH D’APICE, CHESTER DOLS, AND JOANNA WANG; TEXT BY MAGGIE ASTOR, BEN COTTON, YIPENG HUANG, AND THOMAS RHIEL

Photographer

Opinion Sports

4 6

Classifieds 5 Contact Info 5

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august 30, 2010

Manhattanville

CITY NEWS

101

page 5

A guide to Columbia’s newest mark on the neighborhood

angela radulescu / senior staff photographer

FOOTPRINT | Manhattanville, seen looking north from 125th Street and 12th Avenue, is the site of Columbia’s planned 17-acre campus, first proposed in 2003.

Columbia looks ahead to satellite campus after bitter legal battle

BY KIM KIRSCHENBAUM Spectator Senior Staff Writer En route to Columbia, you may have noticed some checkered construction sites along 125th Street. As easy as they are to overlook, what you might not know is that they’re part of a long and heated court battle over the University’s plans to expand beyond Morningside Heights.

The clash began in 2003 when University President Lee Bollinger announced Columbia’s plans to build a 17-acre campus spanning from 125th to 133rd streets between Broadway and the Hudson River—an area known as Manhattanville. The first stage of construction, slated to be completed by 2015, will include new buildings for the Business School, the School of the Arts, and the Jerome L. Greene Science Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior.

Since the project was proposed, Columbia has acquired almost every property in the expansion footprint.

One by one, it has struck deals with all of the businesses and property owners in the area, with just two exceptions.

Tuck-It-Away Self-Storage owner Nick Sprayregen and gas station owners Gurnam Singh and Parminder Kaur refuse to sell their land, which they say is their livelihood. And though the University has already done some preliminary construction work, officials insist they need these last properties in order to fully realize the University’s vision for expansion.

So Columbia decided to obtain the properties through eminent domain, the process by which the state can seize private property for the “public good,” with market-rate compensation for the owner.

But it isn’t so simple.

In order for eminent domain to be used, the area must be declared blighted, meaning in a condition of disrepair

M’VILLE THROUGH THE YEARS

beyond the potential for natural relief.

To show that the Sprayregen and Singh properties were part of a blighted area, the University turned to the Empire State Development Corporation, an independent state agency that has the power to invoke eminent domain.

In December 2008, ESDC declared Manhattanville blighted, setting off a fiery legal battle. Shortly after, Sprayregen and the Singhs filed lawsuits challenging ESDC’s determination, and since then, the battle has wound its way through the legal system. Columbia maintains that it is not a party in the case, as it is technically a matter between ESDC and the private property owners.

In December 2009, a surprise ruling by the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division reversed ESDC’s blight finding, declaring eminent domain in the neighborhood illegal—a major victory for Sprayregen and the Singhs. But ESDC appealed, and this June, the New York State Court of Appeals—New York’s highest court—ruled in the state’s favor, upholding the finding of blight and the use of eminent domain.

Sprayregen and his attorney, Norman Siegel, are now trying to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. By late September, Siegel will petition for a writ for certiorari. If this is granted, the Supreme Court will review the state court’s decision. But the odds are slim, as the Supreme Court has a grant rate of just 1.1 percent.

And so the fate of Columbia’s expansion plan hangs in the balance. We may not know for months whether the Supreme Court will even agree to hear the case, much less what it would decide if it did hear it. But while you’re getting acclimated to the Morningside Heights campus, keep in mind that there may be an entirely new one to explore just a few years down the road.

2003—Columbia announces its plan to build a new 17-acre campus in Manhattanville that would span from 125th to 134th streets and from Broadway westward to the Hudson River.

mira john / senior staff photographer

CHANGING LOTS | Construction is underway in Manhattanville, where new buildings will rise over the coming decades.

DEFINING M’VILLE bill perkins State senator who represents Harlem; opposes Columbia’s use of eminent domain to obtain the remaining properties and has held several public hearings on the matter in recent months.

joe ienuso The University’s executive vice president of facilities; oversees the construction and on-theground aspects of the expansion. lee bollinger University president; announced Columbia’s plan to build a new 17-acre campus in 2003; has ardently maintained that the University cannot proceed with its expansion plans without acquiring every property in the footprint of the expansion.

blight A condition of economic disrepair beyond the potential for natural relief; a criterion for eminent domain.

135th St. Nicholas Park

david smith The attorney for Gurnam Singh and Parminder Kaur. empire state development corporation

An independent state agency with the authority to seize private property; ruled in December 2008 that Manhattanville was blighted and eligible for eminent domain.

gurnam singh and parminder kaur Owners of two gas stations in Manhattanville; along with Nick Sprayregen, the last private landowners in the expansion area who have not sold their properties to Columbia.

JULY 17, 2008—The Empire State Development Corporation declares Columbia’s proposed expansion area blighted, thereby allowing the state to invoke eminent domain on the properties of Nick Sprayregen, Gurnam Singh, and Parminder Kaur.

SPRING 2004—Columbia submits its initial “197-c” rezoning plan to the city. The proposal then goes through the arduous Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, a city protocol for land use review involving votes by Community Board 9, the City Planning Commission, and the New York City Council.

122nd manhattanville The neighborhood in which Columbia’s planned campus would be located; loosely defined as the region between 122nd Street and 135th Street from the Hudson River to St. Nicholas Park.

MAY 21, 2009—David Smith and Norman Siegel bring their cases against the state to the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, where they question the legality of ESDC’s approval of eminent domain.

DEC. 18, 2008—ESDC approves the use of eminent domain on the University’s behalf.

new york state court of appeals The state’s highest court; ruled in July that eminent domain can be used to obtain private properties in the area, a major victory for Columbia. new york state supreme court, appellate division Unexpectedly declared in December 2009 that state seizure of private property in the 17-acre expansion zone was illegal. Its ruling was overturned this summer by the New York State Court of Appeals. nick sprayregen Owner of Tuck-It-Away SelfStorage; along with Gurnam Singh and Parminder Kaur, one of the last private landowners in the expansion area who has not sold his property to the University. norman siegel Sprayregen’s attorney and former New York Civil Liberties Union director; will soon petition the United States Supreme Court to review the New York State Court courtesy of of Appeals’ wikimedia commons ruling on eminent domain.

JUNE 24, 2010—The New York State Court of Appeals rules that eminent domain can be used to obtain private properties in the area, a major victory for Columbia.

DEC. 3, 2009­—The Appellate Division declares, in an unexpected 3-2 ruling, that state seizure of private property in the 17-acre expansion zone is illegal. The majority opinion, written by Justice James Catterson, calls ESDC’s blight study “mere sophistry.”

In Harlem, controversy meets vibrant community

BY SARAH DARVILLE Spectator Staff Writer

angela radulescu / senior staff photographer

HEART OF HARLEM | 125th Street—here, intersecting with Broadway beneath the 1 train in Manhattanville—is the commercial and cultural center of Harlem.

Just north of campus is West Harlem, home to soul food, charter schools, and Columbia’s biggest controversy.

The neighborhood is bordered to the south by 123rd Street, to the north by 155th Street, to the west by the Hudson River, and to the east by Morningside and St. Nicholas avenues.

It includes the smaller neighborhood of Manhattanville, which begins roughly where Columbia ends and where—you might have heard?—Columbia is planning a few new buildings.

Really, the campus expansion into Manhattanville is the most controversial and important issue facing the area, and understanding it is key to understanding the neighborhood as a whole.

(Check out our in-depth introduction to all things M’ville in this issue.) For now, know that some demolition is already underway along Broadway just a few blocks away.

You’re now a student at Columbia University in the City of New York, and that means it’s important to know what’s going on outside the campus gates.

Take a walk north and you’ll find a diverse pocket of Manhattan. West Harlem residents have a wide range of economic backgrounds, but with a large low-income population and a high concentration of public housing, affordable housing is always a hot-button issue.

A number of local housing projects, including the General Grant Houses on Broadway and 123rd Street, have made the news recently, as budget problems are forcing the city to reduce the vouchers that allow families to live there.

Other buildings, such as 3333 Broadway, an enormous complex between 133rd and 135th streets, are constantly fighting with landlords and management companies over rent prices and basic maintenance services—or lack thereof.

In the middle of it all is Community Board 9, a group that makes advisory decisions about West Harlem and Morningside Heights. Historically, the residents and activists that make up the board have often clashed with Columbia.

Maintaining affordable housing is not the only struggle for some of our Harlem neighbors. Recently, public schools have become another contentious topic for parents north of campus.

Harlem is now at the center of a huge, national debate about education. At the heart of this heated discussion is the question of whether increasing the number of charter schools—public schools that have their own boards and can essentially make their own rules—is the best way to improve the educational system.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has bet yes, and recent numbers show that for many families, charters are an attractive alternative to traditional public schools. One in five kids in Harlem now attends a charter

school, and thousands more are turned away by the often-dramatic lotteries that decide which kids get in.

Of course, big changes don’t happen without backlash. Charter schools are often placed in existing school buildings, and it’s not unusual for one building to house three completely separate schools.

Parents have complained that charter school students get the best classroom space and even prime lunch hours, and the city has gone so far as to convene “war rooms” to come to space agreements.

Meanwhile, tensions will continue to grow as new laws allow more charters to open next fall—at least eight are already in the works for Manhattan.

But there’s more to Harlem than debates over educational policy. Turn east on 125th Street and you’ll quickly hit the heart of Harlem. This is northern Manhattan’s retail hub and main strip, home to mom-and-pop stores and authentic African restaurants, as well as new chain arrivals such as Starbucks, H&M, and Old Navy. Go one block north on Malcolm X Boulevard and you’ll find Sylvia’s Restaurant, a famous soul food joint that sometimes plays host to important political meetings.

125th Street hasn’t escaped controversial zoning changes, but landmarks like the Apollo Theater, Bill Clinton’s offices, and the contemporary Studio Museum are here to stay—at least for now.

Regardless, this neighborhood is changing quickly. Be sure you don’t miss it.

page 6

TOP 5

CITY NEWS

things to know about the MTA

august 30, 2010

Locals engage in evolution of diverse Upper West Side

BY SARAH DARVILLE Spectator Staff Writer

angela radulescu / senior staff photographer

TURNSTILES

|

Navigating New York City’s public transportation system is simple once you know the tricks of the trade.

BY ANDREA GARCIA-VARGAS Columbia Daily Spectator

Subways and buses will get you everywhere you need to go in the city, and there’s no reason to fear the system. The closest stop is at 116th Street just outside the main gates on Broadway, where you can catch the 1 train downtown to the Upper West Side, Columbus Circle, Times Square, Penn Station, and beyond or uptown into Harlem, Washington Heights, and the Bronx.

A basic MetroCard is $2.25 per swipe through the turnstile or onto a bus. But watch out—continuing budget problems mean prices will probably increase in 2011. Here’s what else you need to know.

1

budget woes are hitting riders.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, along with many city agencies, is in budget crisis mode.

With the MTA’s budget swelling over $400 million, New York City commuters keep getting hit with rising costs and reduced services.

Last December, the MTA voted to reduce the number of overnight trains on the 1 line, but it held off on raising fares.

For days you plan to ride the subway more than four times, get your one-day unlimited Fun Passes—while you can. They will likely be eliminated as soon as next January, along with the 14day unlimited cards. The bonus discount (you pay less than $2.25 a ride when you buy a more expensive MetroCard) will probably decrease too, from 15 percent to 7 percent. The MTA even floated a controversial plan to take away free rides from public school students, prompting protests across the city. Despite expected fare hikes, the plan to take away student MetroCards is now off the table.

2

buses are not immune.

Buses are important, too—they can be the easiest way to get to Upper East Side sites such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and sometimes they’re the best option in the outer boroughs. Unfortunately, buses have faced some of the worst cuts, and the MTA has limited service on the lines that run through Columbia’s backyard.

The buses that run through Morningside Heights are the M4, M60, and M104 (which meets with the cross-town M96). A few blocks east, the M10 runs through Harlem.

The M60 route, which gets you to LaGuardia Airport, has been left untouched. The M104 and M10 had the southern ends of their routes cut off, with the M104 now ending at Times Square and the M10 at Columbus Circle, which is at the southwest corner of Central Park.

3

don’t be scared (except when you should be).

Riding the subway at 6 a.m. is nothing to be afraid of, especially on a weekday. New York commuters will join you for naps between stops. Late-night rides can get sketchier, so remember that a subway car with at least a few people in it—or the conductor’s car, which is located mid-train—is safer than an empty one. If it’s Halloween or any regular Saturday night, though, you’ve got nothing to worry about—mobs of the city’s best will join you.

4

avoid looking like a tourist.

Subway lines in New York go by numbers and letters, not colors. Calling the 1 line the “red line” is just as bad as pulling a “Where is HEW-ston Street?” (It’s HOW-ston.)

For the directionally impaired and iPhone-equipped, HopStop has an app that supplies subway and bus directions—they even account for construction delays and weird train changes.

The MTA’s app, NYCMate, is pretty good, too.

Don’t have an iPhone? That’s OK! You can get directions from hopstop.com before you leave or download Google Maps onto your phone—or you could, you know, buy an actual map.

5

the mta is not completely broke.

There’s actually some shiny new technology and construction in our neighborhood.

Despite all its cost-cutting attempts, the MTA managed to rack up some à-la-London train timekeepers—digital LED displays that tell anxious commuters how many minutes they have until the next train arrives, including at our humble 116th Street stop.

Three stops south of us at 96th, where you can transfer from the 1 to the 2 and 3 express trains, a sparkling new station is on the rise on Broadway. The final touches should be completed

by September, and believe us, it’s an improvement. Be sure to check out the flower sculptures hanging from the ceiling, too.

Welcome to the Upper West Side, home of development controversies, not-in-my-backyard land use politics, grassroots community activism—and most recently, Urban Outfitters.

Columbia sits at the very north end of the Upper West Side, a diverse Manhattan neighborhood that stretches south to the edge of Central Park at 59th Street. Within walking distance (the upper Upper West Side?) is a chunk of the city filled with historic architecture and current controversies worth keeping on your radar as a temporary resident of this part of the island.

The neighborhood’s boundaries and labels are blurry.

The Upper West Side blends into—or, some may argue, includes—Manhattan Valley, a region technically bordered by 110th Street, 96th Street, Central Park, and Broadway, but that’s debatable. The residential Upper West Side eventually becomes Morningside Heights, Columbia’s home, which quickly transitions into West Harlem.

Without worrying too much about names, you should know that the area just south of Columbia is under construction, with several new developments on the rise and classic real estate battles in full swing.

Between a major retail and housing development on Columbus Avenue from 97th to 100th streets—known as Columbus Square—and newly opened outlets of major retailers (most prominently the Urban Outfitters on Broadway between 99th and 100th streets), the increasing density of the upper Upper West Side has been all over the news lately.

The Columbus Square development includes stores such as Whole Foods, Sephora, Michaels, and TJ Maxx, as well as five apartment towers.

A look at Google Maps gives a good idea of why this has been so controversial—it forms a superblock of activity. Some locals like the shopping but hate the increased traffic and lack of independent stores.

That’s also why Urban Outfitters, which opened this summer, has been making headlines. Its 110-foot storefront is made to look like a group of mom-and-pop stores—exactly what some longtime residents say is disappearing from the area.

The storefront may fool some passersby, but others who fear the “mallification” of their city streets know better.

Still, any new development is controversial on the crowded island of Manhattan, and especially so on the Upper West Side, which is known for its community activism. Community Board 7 holds court here, and its monthly meetings bring advisory decisions about everything from bike lanes to the fate of huge housing complexes. (Fun fact: Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan grew up at 75th Street and West End Avenue, and her father, Robert Kagan, was chair of CB7 in the 1970s.)

New high-rises have also

put the spotlight on local education, mainly the growing problem of overcrowding in schools. Parents and principals routinely complain that the city’s Department of Education isn’t providing more space for kids as the population grows.

As a result, schools such as P.S. 163, an elementary school near Columbus Square, rely on portable classrooms or shared rooms for classes like art.

And with apartment towers on the rise and more families moving in, some education advocates think it’s only going to get worse.

Meanwhile, CB 7 has also been a central meeting place to voice concerns about a contentious land swap just south of Columbia. It’s pretty complicated, but in short, a nursing home, Jewish Home Lifecare, is brokering a deal to switch land with a somewhat notorious local developer, the Chetrit Group, so that the residential developer can build apartments on 106th Street and the nonprofit can build a tall nursing home in a lot on 100th Street.

Sound simple? The developers involved think it is, but they have run up against a group of lo-

The next time you venture “downtown,” look around you, and think about the local-level politics shaping this area in transition. cal residents and elected officials who strongly oppose the swap.

Though the neighborhood may have a reputation for being yuppie and posh, especially with the shiny new apartment buildings of Columbus Square, one unique feature of the Upper West Side is its relatively large number of “single room occupancy” buildings, or SROs. These housing options, which are often taken by lowincome residents, typically include rooms that share a bathroom or kitchen with the rest of a hallway. These apartments have made headlines recently as “illegal hotels,” with some local landlords accused of renting out rooms to tourists even though the buildings aren’t classified as hotels. This can hurt long-term tenants who call their SROs permanent homes. A new state law will make the practice illegal next May, but the concerns and controversy are likely to linger.

The neighborhoods south of Columbia can feel far away even when they’re so close. But the next time you venture “downtown”—maybe to buy some new jeans at the “mom-and-pop” Urban Outfitters—look around you, and think about the locallevel politics shaping this area in transition.

Quirky politicians of Morningside and Harlem vie for support in loyal community

BY KIM KIRSCHENBAUM Spectator Senior Staff Writer You’ll soon become familiar with the who’s-who of Columbia: those all-powerful administrators who make the big decisions that everyone loves to complain about. But outside the campus gates, there’s an entirely different set of movers and shakers, better known as the eccentric, dramatic, and sometimes corrupt politicians of Morningside Heights and West Harlem.

More likely than not, you’re already familiar with U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, whose face has graced the pages of newspapers for much of the summer. He’s been in quite a bit of hot water since July, when the House Ethics Committee charged him with 13 ethical violations. In midSeptember, he will face a public trial before the committee.

Worried about being associated with Rangel as the midterm elections approach, Democrats in Congress have been clamoring for

him to resign. He faces a crowded primary election on Sept. 13 against five other Democrats, all of whom have harped on his alleged ethical breaches during their campaigns.

But in spite of this vitriol, there’s one group that will almost certainly ensure Rangel isn’t going anywhere: his ardently loyal constituents. Just walk a couple blocks north of campus and you’ll see for yourself.

Rangel, who represents northern Manhattan, has been large and in charge of West Harlem since 1971. Strike up a conversation with any local, and it’s likely they’ll gush about Charlie.

They’ll tell you he’s a force to be reckoned with, a politician who helped pull West Harlem out of the urban decay of decades past.

Over the last 40 years, he’s used his congressional seniority and powerful committee positions to pass legislation and bring vast amounts of federal money home for local educational programs, job-creation

jasper l. clyatt / senior staff photographer

STILL STANDING | Rep. Charles Rangel, who recently marched near Columbia, is leading election polls despite alleged ethics violations. projects, and affordable housing, among many other things.

Still skeptical about how popular such an embattled congressman can be? Look no further than the numbers: Rangel is dominating the election polls with nearly double the support of the second-place candidate.

Even with all the achievements under his belt, you might be wondering why West Harlem residents would pull the lever for a politician who’s been widely decried as corrupt for months now.

Welcome to Harlem politics, where the power of incumbency reigns supreme.

This incumbent advantage has long been a trademark of Harlem. It’s a place where politicians rarely move through revolving doors. Instead, elected officials are long-serving and deeply entrenched in the community.

Take, for example, New York State Assembly member Keith Wright, who grew up in Harlem and has represented much of the neighborhood since 1992.

Thanks to his father, who was a well-connected judge, he grew up among the likes of Rangel, former New York City Mayor David Dinkins, and the late Percy Sutton, one of Harlem’s most prominent politicians and activists. Wright is very popular among his constituents and is running unopposed this fall.

Then there’s State Senator Bill Perkins, who was elected just four years ago to represent West Harlem but has already become a fixture here. After coming under fire recently for his adamant stance against charter

schools, he’s been given a run for his money by his only opponent, who just so happens to be an adjunct professor at Columbia: Basil Smikle, SIPA ’96. Still, the odds seem to be in Perkins’ favor, as he maintains a strong power base that consistently supports him at primary candidate events.

Fellow state senator and state attorney general hopeful Eric Schneiderman, whose district includes Morningside Heights, the Upper West Side, West Harlem, and Washington Heights, may be among the lesser-known names in the neighborhood, but it is right here where his career first took off: Morningside Heights was the first place where he brought prosecutions against drug dealers.

These names may not ring a bell now, but you need only wait until November to see these politicians take center stage in the Harlem arena. Then you’ll be able to observe the unique political dynamics of the neighborhood just outside the gates.

august 30, 2010

page 7

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TOP 5

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

august 30, 2010

Hangover-busting M’side eats

left: jason bell for spectator, right: embry owen / senior staff photographer

HANG-UNDER

|

Students seeking a hearty breakfast to help them wake up bright and early for NSOP activities after late nights can find all of that and more at places like Nussbaum and Community.

For every great night, there’s a MoHi meal to fix the next not-so-great morning

BY ALLISON MALECHA Spectator Staff Writer Hazy NSOP mornings call for hearty, fuelme-up breakfasts—especially for those who actually plan on attending all the cheery NSOP activities. Be sure to get familiar with the best hangover-banishing meals Morningside has to offer, because John Jay eggs can only do so much.

1

Nussbaum & Wu’s bacon, egg, and cheese: On an everything bagel, this classic is everything a breakfast should be in one tight little package. Served at the always-buzzing deli on the corner of 113th and Broadway, it puts McDonald’s fake egg version to shame. The upside—it’s cheap ($4.50), ready in a hurry, and, for those who already slept through every morning activity, served until 3 p.m. The downside—it’s not exactly low-fat, but let’s face it, the NSOP carb and calorie watch was blown with that first slice of Koronet pizza. Add fresh-squeezed orange juice for electrolyte replenishment and some vitamin C to make mom proud.

2

TIE: Kitchenette and Tom’s breakfast menus: The Kitchenette Special at Kitchenette ($7) is all-American breakfast at its best, with two eggs, crispy bacon, and melty cheese served up on a flaky, homemade biscuit. As an added bonus, free coffee that would’ve been worth paying for is thrown in for free until 11 a.m. For a $12 premium, the Lumberjane is also worth a shot: French toast, eggs, and turkey sausage.

This cozy space, located on Amsterdam between 122nd and 123rd streets, has a cutesy décor and friendly service that aren’t bad to wake up to, though guys might find the pink and black color scheme a bit much to stomach.

The alternative: Tom’s Restaurant (Broadway at 112th) serves up a cheap egg, bacon, and home fry breakfast with coffee Jerry Seinfeld-style on the side. The food is more basic all-American, but the spot is iconic Columbia.

3

Taqueria y Fonda carne asada burrito: Taqueria’s burrito is for those who wake up hungry. It’s meaty, it’s cheesy, it’s deliciously rice-y and black bean-y. It makes Chipotle’s steak burrito look like doll food. Located on Amsterdam between 107th and 108th streets, the eatery’s plain brown tables and dingy white walls leave something to be desired, but this burrito really is too big to carry elsewhere. Pile on the salsa verde and wash it down with cinnamon and rice milk horchata. Then roll back to Carman and into bed—there’s little chance of being up for NSOP gaiety after so much Mexican goodness.

Textbook buying

101

A rundown of coursebook options and costs

4

Artopolis’s cinnamon waffles: The cinnamon waffles at Artopolis will satisfy any morning sweet tooth. At $12.95, it’s also a more expensive option, but the price includes a choice of coffee or tea and orange juice or mimosa. For those already hunkering after more alcohol, the champagne and OJ option is delicious, although orange tang is not the best complement to cinnamon. Three doughy waffles are piled high and draped with apple-cinnamon gooeyness. This is topped with a scoop of vanilla gelato for good calorie measure. Artopolis also has a selection of savory, egg-filled crepes for a more protein-minded breakfast. Plus, the eatery’s location at Amsterdam between 113th and 114th streets means not having to drag those morning-weary feet too far.

5

Community Food & Juice’s house granola: Served with Greek yogurt, lavender honey, and fresh fruit, this breakfast treat ($8.50) is a health nut’s perfect morning pick-me-up. If that’s a little too healthy, add a side of North Country Canadian bacon ($4.50) or chorizo sausage ($4). Located on Broadway between 112th and 113th streets, Community is especially tempting for breakfast after the toughest night. It’s not the most wallet-friendly breakfast, but it will keep you feeling fresh and energized until the next meal—preferably on NSOP’s dime.

Before a night out, check the IDs of popular campus bars

New semester, new books, new ways to save dough

BY CLAIRE FU AND MELISSA VON MAYRHAUSER Columbia Daily Spectator A requirement-heavy Core Curriculum means many things, but for the average student on a budget, it mostly means a big headache over where and how to acquire all the readings. Weighing the many options for book-buying in advance can save students lots of time and money during the first week back, when both are in high demand.

The Columbia University Bookstore— also known as the Barnes & Noble in the basement of Lerner Hall—allows students to purchase used and new books. Students may sell these back at the end of the semester for a fraction of the original price—like $0.50 for some used Lit Hum books.

This year, some books may have a “rent” sticker on their covers, allowing students to save up to half the cost and return the books after classes end. Unlike other local options, the CU Bookstore’s selection is a cookie-cutter survey of course reading materials, which is to be expected of an official campus bookstore. Yet while the cement storeroom where students find course books may be lacking in charm, it holds a thorough supply of texts at reasonable prices—enough to win over the dealhunting student.

Book Culture—an independent store brimming with intellectual reading materials—has locations on 112th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam and on Broadway at 114th Street. Course books can be found at the original location on 112th. This Morningside Heights literary staple pays homage to its academic neighbor to the north, offering rare and out-ofprint books, foreign-language titles, and other arts and humanities works. It also works directly with many professors to supply books for their classes.

While Book Culture does provide bargain titles—and owner Chris Doeblin said it prices texts below Barnes & Noble costs—there are far fewer money-saving options here than there are in the CU Bookstore, with its large selection of used texts and box sets. But if students are captivated by the allure of the indie store and the idea of wandering past shelves piled with everything from French comic books to art deco encyclopedias, the added cost may be worth it.

Of course, students can also buy required texts without leaving their dorm rooms. Half.com—an online marketplace reminiscent of its parent company

BY JOE DALY Spectator Senior Staff Writer

1020

Located on Amsterdam between 110th and 111th, 1020 is the classic college bar, complete with dartboard and billiards table. The notquite-mahogany wood bar has beers on tap, strong mixed drinks, and Top 40 playing. Though this Morningside stalwart doesn’t have a dance floor, chatting can get pretty raucous by about 2 a.m., when the crowd peaks. 1020 plays to an older audience—it’s a watering hole for graduate students before midnight and turns over to a crowd of mostly upperclassmen afterwards. This might have to do with its strict door policy. Thursdays through Saturdays, there’s a bouncer at the door checking IDs.

campo

will brown / senior staff photographer

TEXTBOOK CULTURE | First-years looking to buy their books have many options to do so that are geared toward students, both online and locally.

comparing real costs Why run from store to store and website to website? To the right is the breakdown of prices and options available at a few popular booksellers on campus and online for one common text. Check Spectator’s blog, Spectrum, for a similar cost comparison of other popular coursebooks. eBay, only with millions of used and new books—offers drastically reduced prices, often more than half off. Search engines such as campusbooks.com and bigwords. com do all the work for you by scanning the Internet for the best prices. Although these websites boast comprehensive and cheap book selections, students should make sure they know the seller’s reputation and compare prices before buying.

Renting textbooks online is another smart option, especially for titles that aren’t available for rent in local stores.

The popular chegg.com allows you to rent books for a semester, with free return shipping. This gets rid of the hassle of reselling books when the semester ends, but students who like to underline and take

Hubbard, “Economics,” third ed.

(Principles of Economics): • Book Culture: $194.00 (new) • CU Bookstore: $186.25 (new), $139.70 (used) • Amazon: $147.32 (new, free shipping), $123.68 and up (used) • Half.com: $120.00 and up (used) • Chegg.com: $55.49 (rent) notes in the margins should consider buying their books instead.

Students can also soak in the Morningside Heights literary scene by browsing through the vendors along Broadway from 110th to 114th streets, which boast an eclectic array of mostly used books neatly set out on tables. It is possible to pick out a few Literature Humanities texts on the cheap, but these vendors have comparatively limited selections and usually don’t offer textbooks. It is a delight for the casual reader and the serious collector alike, though, to find treasures buried among the vintage prints and foreign novels—and maybe even rekindle a love of reading for pleasure, which is so easily stifled by hefty syllabi.

With doors that first opened a few years ago, Campo is the most versatile of Morningside’s nightlife venues. At the same moment, Campo can be an al fresco dinner spot, a chill bar, and a dance spot for bumping and grinding. The long, narrow front of the house has a long bar with inattentive but friendly bartenders. The raised back area can be transformed from overflow seating to a dance floor where DJs spin tracks on select Thursday and Saturday nights. Although it’s common for fraternities and sororities to make special deals with the owners to rent out the space for events, Campo draws a younger crowd than any other MoHi bar and is a favorite among first-years and some sophomores. The biggest surprise about Campo? No, it’s not the first-years hooking up in the corner. It’s the surprisingly tasty dinner menu served until midnight on weekends and 11 p.m. on weekdays.

the heights

Perched on the second floor of a storefront between 111th and 112th streets, The Heights is Morningside’s most elusive bar. Mostly a favorite of upperclassmen, The Heights is known for its strict door policy. Fakes are spotted easily and always rejected. For the lucky ones let in, the bar serves up cheap margaritas and offers comfortable, big banquets perfect for yelling to a friend about the hard week that just passed.

cannon’s

Although the sign reads “O’Connells Pub,” don’t be fooled—anyone who’s spent more than five minutes on the Upper West knows this dive bar is called “Cannon’s.” A favorite among first-years and athletes, Cannon’s is the frattiest of any local spot. Getting to Cannon’s takes a bit of athleticism, too, as it’s located at 108th and Broadway.

havana central

This behemoth, located spitting distance from Carman on Broadway between 113th and 114th streets, is a Cuban restaurant by day and a bar by night. The space is massive, with a square bar accessible from all sides and two large rooms that get emptied of tables and chairs each night. Thursdays through Saturdays, Havana fills up with 30-somethings, so the time to hit is Wednesday (yes, some people go out on Wednesdays), when the bar throws its weekly “Senior Night.” Then, Havana turns into a loud bar scene with dancing in the side rooms. But the ID policy tends toward strict, so the unprepared should beware.

august 30, 2010

page 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Illegal streaming alternatives for the TV-less How to make a mark on the CU art scene

BY RACHEL ALLEN Spectator Staff Writer As easy as streaming or downloading the latest TV show or newly released movie is, is it worth the risk of a large fine or Columbia shutting off your Internet? It may seem like the benefits outweigh the risks, but there are many ways to keep up with all the most popular entertainment without chancing a run-in with campus officials.

Columbia University Information Technology and Barnard Resnet abide by all federal copyright laws, and according to the CUIT website, if a student is accused of copyright infringement, Columbia “is required under the law to take away the infringer’s computer account and terminate all access to our network.” It seems a harsh punishment for watching that latest episode of “Jersey Shore,” and while many students do stream or download, there are easier (and legal) ways to do it.

All major residence halls have large, flat screen televisions in their main lounges—all high quality and worth a wait.

They get cable (unfortunately, not HBO or Showtime, but close to everything else) and HD channels as well. In more highly populated dorms, it can be hard to get the remote, so it’s always a good idea to get down to the TV early and stake out a bit. Bring homework an hour or so before the show, get the remote, and hang out. The TVs are first come, first served, so there’s no shame in making sure to be the first one there.

For students interested in keeping up with the latest blockbuster releases, there are many ways to avoid the steep $12-17 New York price range for a movie ticket. All AMC movie theaters (the nearest locations are on 125th Street in Harlem and on Broadway at 84th and 66th streets) have $6 matinee prices for any film before noon.

CUArts is an insider’s gold mine for cheaper movie tickets.

They sell premium gold AMC tickets for only $8, which can be used at any time for any film.

They also have $7 discount tickets for art house cinemas all over New York, including the Upper West Side staple Film

Society of Lincoln Center (70 Lincoln Center Plaza).

If waiting to get a TV or taking the subway to get to a movie doesn’t sound appealing, there are always the legal online outlets for watching films. Websites like Hulu put up many shows the next day, and all the major TV networks have full episodes available for viewing online. Purchasing episodes and movies on iTunes or Amazon is an option as well.

For not-so-new releases but still reliable entertainment, Netflix has an amazing selection of instant-watch movies and TV shows online, as well as an incomparable selection of DVDs that can be delivered even to campus mailboxes. And don’t forget that Butler has a collection of over 150,000 films that can be viewed whenever (though at the moment, they can only be watched in the library itself ).

Whether it’s a guilty-pleasure TV show or a new artsy film, don’t get desperate: There are endless options for keeping up with what you’re interested in without risking trouble on campus.

The first-year’s cheat sheet to the best of Morningside Exploring Morningside Heights can be exhilarating, but it can get tiring to waste time and money on neighborhood duds. For those looking to cut a few corners, check out A&E’s SparkNotes for enjoying Columbia’s environs to the fullest:

best barber shop and hair salon

Melvin & Pat’s Barber Shop, Amsterdam between 109th and 110th streets; Scott J. Lifestyle Salon & Spa, Broadway between 114th and 115th streets

best café

Max Caffé, Amsterdam between 122nd and 123rd streets

best coffee

Oren’s Daily Roast, Broadway between 112th and 113th streets

best dose of culture

Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Amsterdam at 112th Street

best chinese take-out

Columbia Cottage, Amsterdam at 111th Street

best columbia greenmarket stand

best john jay staple

best grocery store

Clean Port, Broadway between 98th and 99th streets

Samascott Orchards

Westside Market, Broadway between 110th and 111th streets

best hewitt staple Made-to-order hamburgers

Wilma’s omelets

best laundromat

best place to run Riverside Park

best view of campus SIPA roof

BY ASHTON COOPER Spectator Staff Writer You don’t need to take the 1 train all the way down to Chelsea to get a dose of the New York art scene. There are plenty of venues right on campus that give students the opportunity not only to see art, but to create and curate it themselves.

curate

Postcrypt Art Gallery is a space for undergraduates to show, curate, and view student art. They curate monthly shows, which allows students to both submit work for review and choose what goes on the walls. Last year’s shows were “The Obstacles Show,” “Scarlet Fever,” and “Human Graffiti.”

The gallery often hosts open mic nights, poetry slams, and live music, as well as public art installations. Last fall, they did an environmental piece on College Walk that was made of hundreds of plastic bags. The group also joins with Postcrypt Coffeehouse in the spring to present ArtsFest, which is an art auction and afternoon of live music on the lawns near John Jay. Postcrypt Art Gallery meetings are Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. in the basement of St. Paul’s Chapel (between Avery Library and Buell Hall), but check the group’s Facebook page for the most up-to-date information.

create

The Artist Society was organized by students who loved to create and wanted studio time, but couldn’t fit visual arts classes into their schedules. The group hosts a weekly figuredrawing session called “Friday Night Sketch” in which the artistically talented can take advantage of a live model from 6-8 p.m. This is a great place to meet fellow artists and get criticism and feedback. In the spring, the group also hosts “The Drawathon,” which has models posing in shifts for an entire night. Attendees also get free dinner. For students

emma pattiz for spectator

EYES OPEN

|

CU has endless opportunities to enjoy art culture.

interested in modeling, the Artist Society hires at $15 per hour. All of their events are free, and they provide snacks and supplies at most.

contemplate

There are several on-campus venues at which art is regularly shown for free. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery is run by the Columbia Department of Art History and Archaeology.

The gallery is intended to extend artistic conversations beyond the classroom. Students interested in gaining gallery experience close to home can participate in internships and fellowships with the gallery.

The Gallery at the LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies hosts many exhibitions during the year that feature arts faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and work created in the Center’s printshop. These exhibits allow students to have their work shown in a professional setting, and they are often edgier and more contemporary than the Wallach Gallery’s shows. The current exhibit is “On a Small Piece of Land” by Leilei Meng. It features gelatin

silver prints that chronicle the year the Beijing-based artist spent in a rural Chinese village.

The Macy Gallery is part of the Art and Art Education department at Columbia’s Teachers College. It shows work by unaffiliated artists, graduate students, faculty members, and even sometimes children. The gallery aims to present a wide range of international exhibitions that reflect a commitment to diversity. It also hosts several “Artists’ Talks and Lectures” throughout the year. The current exhibit is “Inside Out” by Donna Clovis, a photographer, performance artist, and journalist who specializes in gender and identity issues.

Wallach Art Gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday, 1-5 p.m., and is located on the eighth floor of Schermerhorn Hall. LeRoy Neiman Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and is located on the first floor of Dodge Hall.

Macy Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and is located on the fourth floor of Macy Hall on West 120th Street. Admission to all three venues is free.

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august 30, 2010

august 30, 2010

SPORTS

page 11

TOP 5

Dos and Don’ts for attending Columbia sporting events

Moments in Columbia sports history

DO:

• Take a picture with Roar-ee (our mascot).

• Pregame any sporting event you attend. It’ll either help you manage the pain or make victory that much sweeter.

• Mock any gingers on the opposing team. They’re asking for it.

• Participate in any crowd-wide chants (“Let’s go Lions,” “airball,” etc.).

• Take the fan bus to Baker instead of the subway. It’s free.

alyson goulden / staff photographer

jasper l. clyatt / senior staff photographer

Though Columbia’s athletic program has a long history of what can generously be described as mediocrity, there have been a few shining moments—more than you would think. Some of the Light Blue’s teams have achieved tremendous group success, while some individual Lions have gone on to win Olympic medals and enter the pros. Below is a list of the top five moments in Columbia sports history.

DON’T:

• Leave before the game ends— you never know what you might miss.

• Cheer for the other team.

• Hesitate to chant “safety school” when we play Cornell.

• Get mad if the people in front of you are standing. You’re supposed to do that at games.

• Wait until you’re a senior to go to a sporting event. You’ll regret it.

1

The Columbia crew team becomes the first international squad to win a race at the Henley Royal Regatta. The Lions defeat University College, Oxford and Hertford College, Oxford, marking the first loss of an English crew in English waters. This is the first year that the Visitors’ Challenge Cup—the race the Light Blue won­—is open to foreigners.

Why we’re better than everyone else

2

brown

Do you really think these peace-loving, flower wreath-wearing, hippies have the “killer instinct?” No. jasper l. clyatt / senior staff photographer

Cornell offers a course called “Sheep.” Yes, that’s the official title.

The Big Red may be able to hang a Sweet Sixteen banner this fall, but it’ll probably celebrate by going cow tipping.

dartmouth

Okay, so people say we suck at sports, but Dartmouth really sucks.

Probably because Hanover still doesn’t have indoor plumbing.

harvard

Jeremy Lin may be the first Ivy player in 15 years to enter the NBA (congrats, dude), but the rest of the team is a BUNCH OF DIRTY CHEATERS—or at least, their assistant coach committed an unintentional secondary violation.

penn

The Fighting Quakers? What an (oxy)moronic mascot. Also, we’re now ranked higher than they are in the U.S. News and World Report rankings—not that those are important—so Penn can suck it.

princeton

Do we even need to explain this one?

Eating clubs, lawn parties, popped collars—the list of reasons Princeton sucks goes on and on.

yale

No need to poke fun at the Bulldogs—they already have to live in New Haven.

april 18, 1923

In a game against Williams College, Lou Gehrig strikes out a record 17 batters.

In the only season he played for Columbia, Gehrig hit .403 with seven home runs—some of which landed near the Journalism building and Alma Mater, as the baseball field was South Field (now called South Lawn) at the time. After the 1923 season, Gehrig signed with the Yankees.

You may have heard that Columbia’s sports teams aren’t the greatest, but that’s false! Here’s a list of reasons why the other Ivies are all worse than we are:

cornell

july 4, 1878

HIGHS AND LOWS | The Lions have had their fair share of letdowns, but those only make the wins that much better.

Fight the apathy and give CU sports a chance

W

hether you’re a die-hard fan or a sports neophyte, following Columbia’s teams is probably unlike anything you’ve experienced. But don’t worry, I’m here to guide you through this treacherous adventure.

This week, you’ll probably hear at least one joke about the ineptitude of Columbia sports or student apathy toward sports.

Unfortunately, these jokes will be somewhat true.

Even within the Ivy League, Columbia, I concede, isn’t the greatest when it comes to athletics.

That being said, it isn’t the worst either. Some of our teams are actually really good! Fencing and men’s tennis perform consistently well on the national level. And within the league, baseball, cross country, and golf are all solid.

It’s mostly the marquee sports— football and basketball—that give the Light Blue its less-than-stellar reputation. But even those sports aren’t so bad—anymore. The reason the Lions are known as cellardwellers is that for years, these programs were pretty awful. But luckily for you, they aren’t anymore.

Football, for example, has come a long way since its 44-game losing streak that stretched from 1983 to 1988. Last season, the

Columbia Sports

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FOOTBALL How did they do last year?

4-6 (3-4 Ivy), tied for fourth in the league.

Who should I be watching out for?

Sophomore quarterback Sean Brackett (#10), senior linebacker Alex Gross (#37), and junior offensive lineman Jeff Adams (#76) Who’s running the show?

Head coach Norries Wilson has been at the helm since December 2005.

What should I expect this season?

The Lions were picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll, but they exceeded expectations last year, so a top-half finish isn’t unlikely.

Where can I watch?

The Light Blue plays its home games up at Robert K. Kraft Field. Just take the 1 train to 215th Street and walk two blocks north.

Lions tied for fourth in the league with a 3-4 Ivy record (4-6 overall).

Now, I realize it’s not the same as winning a championship, but the Light Blue appears poised to build on last year. Who knows?

If you can drag yourself to Baker Field one Saturday, you may get to watch your peers make a run for the Ivy title.

Who knows? If you can drag yourself to Baker Field one Saturday, you may get to watch your peers make a run for the Ivy title.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams have also improved tremendously over the past few years. The women’s team earned its first winning season last year, finishing with an 18-10 overall record and a 9-5 conference record, which was good for third place.

The men’s team stumbled a bit this past season, earning its first sub-.500 conference record in four

years. But the Lions’ 11-17 overall finish is much better than its 2-25 record from the 2002-2003 season.

So what does all this mean? It means you should actually care about Columbia sports.

I’m serious.

You may be thinking, “Why should I reject the time-honored Columbia tradition of ignoring athletics?” Here’s your answer: While cheering on your classmates is a novel concept for most students, you, the class of 2014, may actually have the chance to see your friends bring home an Ivy crown in a major sport. Get excited.

Older generations of Columbia students have an excuse to be apathetic, but you don’t. Sure, our teams still aren’t the greatest, but they’re worth cheering for.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it— being a Columbia Lions fan can be, at times, frustrating, difficult, and even depressing. But, as is true with all sports teams, the joy of victory more than makes up for the agony of defeat.

Even though I’ve experienced more than one disheartening loss, I’m still going to trek up to Baker for football’s home opener. And you should, too. After all, this could be their year.

—Michele Cleary

3

jan. 1, 1934

4

dec. 10, 1983

5

march 20, 1998

The Columbia football team defeats Stanford 7-0 to win the Rose Bowl—the only bowl game at the time. The Lions beat the Indians thanks to a tricky play by Light Blue quarterback Cliff Montgomery that led to a Columbia touchdown in the second quarter. Though the Rose Bowl Player of the Game award didn’t exist until 1953, Montgomery received the honor retroactively.

The men’s soccer team suffers a 1-0 double-overtime loss to Indiana in the NCAA Championship game. Normally, a loss wouldn’t make a top-five list, but to date, this is the furthest an Ivy team has gone in the NCAA tournament. The Lions went 18-0 that season before falling to the Hoosiers and were ranked first in the nation at the end of the regular season.

Cristina Teuscher, CC ’00, becomes the first female Ivy Leaguer to win an NCAA championship in swimming when she takes the 500-yard freestyle in 4:35.45. Teuscher won a gold medal in the women’s 4x200 freestyle relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley at the 2000 Olympics.

Everything you need to know about the major sports at CU

BASKETBALL How did they do last year?

11-17 (5-9 Ivy), tied for fifth in the league.

Who should I be watching out for?

Junior guard Noruwa Agho (#1), senior forward Brian Grimes (#2), and sophomore center Mark Cisco (#55) Who’s running the show?

Head coach Kyle Smith was hired in May after former head coach Joe Jones left for the associate head coaching position at Boston College.

What should I expect this season?

Under Jones, the Lions went from consistently last in the league to middle of the pack, but Smith could be what pushes the Light Blue into the top of the conference.

Where can I watch?

Men’s (and women’s) basketball play in Levien Gymnasium, which is conveniently located on campus in Dodge Fitness Center.

BASEBALL How did they do last year?

26-21 (15-5 Ivy), first in the Gehrig Division, lost to Dartmouth in the championship series.

Who should I be watching out for?

Sophomore outfielder Dario Pizzano (#25), junior first baseman Alexander Aurrichio (#30), and senior pitcher Dan Bracey (#27).

Who’s running the show?

Head coach Brett Boretti took the reins in July 2005 and has led the squad to two Gehrig Division titles and an Ivy League Championship in 2008.

What should I expect this season?

The Light Blue didn’t lose many players to graduation, so it should be poised for another title run.

illustrations by cindy pan

Where can I watch?

The Lions play at Robertson Field—part of the Baker Athletics Complex—which is right next to Kraft Field.

Mapping Columbia North of 123rd

Having trouble finding your way around campus? That’s okay.

You’re a freshman! You’re supposed to get lost. But maps can help. Let our guide help you navigate your way around Columbia and its surrounding areas.

131st st

Columbia’s influence extends well beyond its gates. Be sure to take a walk up to 125th to see Manhattanville construction in action. Also check out new retail and housing developments south of the University.

GENERAL GRANT HOUSES

lenox ave

NEWS

amsterdam

broadway

3333 broadway

APOLLO THEATER 125TH STREET RETAIL DEVELOPMENT ADAM CLAYTON POWELL JR STATE OFFICE BUILDING

123th st 120th st

debora spar

administrative office

feniosky peña-mora

campus dining dodge gymnasium

political office

diana center

president bollinger

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Columbians can get stuck on campus and in the surrounding area thanks to classes and general exhaustion. But that isn’t always a bad thing. Enjoying New York’s cultural offerings can be as simple as knowing the right places to look.

claude steele

peter awn hewitt

bookstore

postcrypt art gallery

amsterdam

michele moody-adams broadway

art gallery

wallach art gallery

leroy neiman gallery

116th st

bar

lerner hall

barnes & noble

restaurant

book culture university hardware

SPORTS

oren’s tom’s restaurant

community

the heights

MISCELLANEOUS Broke after spending all of your money at page 10’s eateries? Just add more to your Flex account and let your parents pick up the tab.

chipotle

accepts flex

milano market

110th st

taqueria y fonda

cannon’s

jewish home lifecare current site

urban outfitters clean port

amsterdam

broadway

104th st

jewish home lifecare proposed future site columbus square development

ps 163 alfred E. Smith School whole foods market

96th st

st. john the divine

112th st

book culture

mel’s burger bar

1020

westside market

110th st

South of 110th

jj’s place

artopolis

nussbaum & wu campo

mill korean restaurant

gymnasium

114th st

havana central

university housewares

You know all about how to be a Columbia sports fan thanks to page 9.

Now get out there and show your Lion pride!

john jay

ferris booth

SYLVIA’S RESTAURANT CLINTON FOUNDATION