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Vol. CXXXIV—No. 74
Friday, September 10, 2010
columbiaspectator.com
School of the Arts grad student dies Tara Riesner remembered for kindness, writing talent BY ALIX PIANIN Spectator Senior Staff Writer
alex golec for spectator
THE FINANCIER | Vince Morgan speaks at a candidates forum at Mt. Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church in Harlem. While Morgan used to be Rep. Charles Rangel’s campaign manager, he is now a community banking officer running against the congressman.
For Morgan, journey from Rangel’s assistant to competitor BY KIM KIRSCHENBAUM Spectator Senior Staff Writer In a bustling congressional office in the heart of Harlem in 2002, one of Charles Rangel’s campaign directors was assigned an ardu- chasing ous task: to teach charlie the then-72-yearold congressman This is the how to use a laptop. third piece in And so began Spectator’s a weekly ritual series on for Rangel and the crowded his young cam- primary race paign director on for Charles Friday afternoons, Rangel’s conwith the latter ex- gressional plaining the ins seat. and outs of a new Dell laptop, and the former struggling to catch on to this Internet
phenomenon that younger generations had already mastered. “It was always a pleasant experience, because it was just me and him and it wasn’t this bravado of a Congress person,” his now-former campaign director Vince Morgan told Spectator while sipping iced tea at Harlem’s Chez Lucien restaurant. “But we’re going into a new time now. Things are moving faster than ever, and it’s not as simple as just saying, ‘I’m gonna sit down and teach you the Internet.’ We need someone who’s going to be able to grasp these new things.” And that’s why Morgan, a community banking officer for TD Bank, is now fighting to unseat Rangel. He was the first to announce back in October 2009 that he would run for the seat, only to be told by those close to him that
trying to take down one of the most senior and influential members of Congress was downright quixotic. “People were just shocked that I could announce that I was running against him,” Morgan said. “They said, ‘Don’t do that, you’re gonna get struck by lightning, Rangel’s the lion of the House.” Indeed, times have changed as Rangel entered what has been widely declared the twilight of his career. He faces a growing ethics controversy and a public trial slated to begin Sept. 13—the day before the New York Democratic primary on Tuesday. And as leaders within Rangel’s own party call for him to step down, Morgan says it’s his turn to assume the 15th congressional district seat. Half Rangel’s age and often told he’s a dead ringer for President
Barack Obama, Morgan embodies the new guard of Harlem politics: young, invigorated, and anxious to tackle the slew of problems in Harlem that he said Rangel has failed to address in recent years. He took great pains during the interview to separate himself from Rangel, erring on the side of paranoia at times—especially when the song “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” started playing at the restaurant, which just so happens to be Rangel’s campaign theme song. “Did you plan that on purpose?” he quipped, yet still seemed to ask with an underlying seriousness. But there are at least a couple of similarities between the two men: They both grew up poor, and both were high school dropouts. SEE MORGAN, page 2
Demolitions draw ire from some, shrugs from others BY LEAH GREENBAUM Spectator Senior Staff Writer
leah greenbaum for spectator
DEMOLISHED | A tractor demolishes a nearby brownstone. The University plans to create a parking lot there for CU vehicles.
A gaping vacancy at the end of 115th Street, just before Morningside Drive, plays out one of the Upper West Side’s most commonly told stories. This past summer, Columbia demolished a set of brownstones that were deemed by some to be historic and by others decrepit. This move came despite protests from a group of passionate preservationists and local politicians. The University has plans to pave the lot, currently strewn with red brick rubble, and create a parking lot for Columbia vehicles. Barbara Hohol, a resident of Morningside Heights for more than 50 years, said it’s painful to see her old neighborhood go, but wonders what sense there is in holding on to it. “If they tried to tear my building down, I’d fight like hell to save it, but I know it’s not worth saving. I live there, so I know how poorly it was built,” she said. Harry Schwartz, a longtime resident who headed up the coalition to save the brownstones,
said he disagrees. He claims that reports from the New York State Historic Preservation Office, Landmarks West, and Columbia’s own graduate Historic Preservation Program show that the buildings, erected in 1898, were in fact historic and worthy of preservation. The three brownstones that Columbia purchased in 2002 formerly sat at 408, 410, and 412 115th St., and, for the last year, had been shrouded in scaffolding and black tarp. Nancy Kricorian, who lives in an apartment on Morningside Drive overlooking the site, said she was disappointed that the buildings were demolished abruptly, amid protests from residents and local politicians, such as Assembly member Daniel O’Donnell. “I think they did it because they were afraid of people organizing to protest it, so they just went ahead and got rid of them [the brownstones],” she said. According to a sign posted on the fence surrounding the site, the buildings were demolished SEE DEMOLITIONS, page 2
School of the Arts student Tara Riesner died Wednesday. Riesner, was a third-year student in the writing division of the Arts MFA program. She graduated from Biola University in southern California and had been studying short fiction writing at Columbia. Professors in the department described her as sweet, quiet, kind, and a talented up-and-coming short story writer. Riesner took her own life. SoA alerted its students and faculty of her passing Wednesday afternoon via email. Riesner’s family is currently in town and has been meeting with faculty and administrators, including School of the Arts Dean Carol Becker. “It is a great loss for our community,” Becker said. “Tara was a very talented young writer. It’s always a blow to the community when you lose a young person like that.” SoA administrators held meetings Wednesday evening for any students or faculty members who needed group support. Becker said Columbia’s Counseling and Psychological Services office had been accommodating, in particular by extending their hours to provide more time for Riesner’s colleagues. Faculty members within the writing
department opened their doors Wednesday for students seeking support, according to Becker. “We’ve been trying to create situations where people can talk if they’d like,” Becker said. Binnie Kirshenbaum, professor of professional practice and chair of the creative writing program at SoA, said Riesner was a beautiful writer and a promising member of the
“Tara was extremely talented, really an artist.” —Binnie Kirshenbaum, creative writing chair program. “Tara was extremely talented, really an artist. She had a wonderful sensibility,” Kirshenbaum said. “She just had this lovely aesthetic about her.” “It was not the least bit commercial,” Kirshenbaum added. While Becker anticipates that there will be an on-campus event to remember Riesner, the school hasn’t decided what form it will take and is still in discussions with the family. alix.pianin @columbiaspectator.com
NEWS BRIEF
Bollinger: Kluge took wide view in his University philanthropy According to University President Lee Bollinger, John Kluge, CC ’37, was an unusual donor: a philanthropist who was eager to give back to the University as a whole, rather than picking and choosing favorite schools or niches. Kluge, one of the University’s most generous benefactors and a close personal friend of Bollinger ’s, died Wednesday at the age of 95. In 2007, the billionaire businessman pledged $400 million to Columbia, the largest amount ever donated exclusively to student aid. Among the programs he enabled were the Kluge Scholars Program, the Kluge Presidential Scholars program, and the Kluge Faculty Endowment. Kluge, Bollinger said, felt an “enormously loyalty” to Columbia. “I think this was someone who felt that the education he received, the experience he received, had shaped his life,” he said. Kluge was also competitive and determined to keep Columbia in the best possible shape and at the top of its field. “He was loyal to the whole University,” Bollinger said. “That was
one of the things that marked his philanthropy. ... I think that it is unusual, something we’re trying to encourage more of.” Bollinger and Kluge agreed to allocate Kluge’s part of the 2007 pledge—$200 million— for financial aid across various schools within the University, both graduate and undergraduate. The next installment of his donation will come out of his estate. On a personal level, Bollinger said he typically saw Kluge every few months, and the two would spend several days together. “Over the years, we have built up quite a friendship,” he said. “I regarded him as a very, very close friend. He loved Columbia, but he was very loyal to people and very idealistic.” Kluge’s belief in what could be accomplished at the University was particularly striking, Bollinger said, considering Kluge’s success as a businessman in “very practical affairs.” “He was completely decent through and through,” Bollinger said. “I admired him tremendously and miss him.” —Alix Pianin
OPINION, PAGE 4
SPORTS, PAGE 3
EVENTS
WEATHER
Carrots, not sticks, for Darfur
Women’s soccer aims for fourth straight win
First Friday
Today
Tomorrow
To end the conflict in Darfur, Rhonda Shafei supports representation and relaxed sanctions over separatism.
With two solid wins under its belt, Columbia hosts local rivals Fordham and Stony Brook this weekend with hopes to continue an early-season winning streak.
74 °/ 57 °
79 °/ 63 °
Columbia Queer Alliance throws its first First Friday dance of the semester. Sept. 10, Lerner Party Space, 10:30 p.m.
Potluck Dinner Bring your own dish and mooch off others at the Potluck House. Sept. 10, 606 West 114th St., 7:30 p.m.