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Vol. CXXXVII—No. 1

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

columbiaspectator.com

Health inspection shutters Absolute Roaches, flies, mice force closure of popular bagel joint

BY CHRISTIAN ZHANG AND CASEY TOLAN Spectator Senior Staff Writers

FILE PHOTO

SOLIDARITY

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Student-Worker Solidarity members protested two Upper West Side restaurants’ labor practices last semester.

Faculty House employees’ contract still not settled

BY CECILIA REYES Spectator Senior Staff Writer An agreement over the contracts of the Faculty House employees has still not yet been reached, despite repeated attempts from the workers to strike a deal with administrators since last March—and the Student-Worker-Solidarity group is looking to change that.

Since the beginning of December, SWS has been meeting with Faculty House

workers and Labor Relations administrators to discuss what they consider unfair contracts in preparation for the next negotiation meeting scheduled for Jan. 23.

The points of contention in the negotiations include the withholding of a 22 percent gratuity, little to no wage increases compared to those of other unions on campus, and the lack of unemployment benefits for laid-off workers during summer and winter breaks.

On Jan. 10, members of SWS delivered a petition to Jeff Scott, executive vice president of student and administrative services, demanding fair and transparent contract negotiations for Faculty House workers after SWS members George Joseph, CC ’16, and Jane Brennan, CC ’14, were denied access to December’s negotiations.

Joseph and Brennan met with Vice President of Campus Services Scott Wright on Dec.

6, a day before negotiations were scheduled to begin, to discuss the contracts of Faculty House workers, which they said do not afford workers a livable wage and inappropriately classify workers as parttime even when some work up to 80 hours per week.

Wright “completely agreed with us and he promised us that he would go to negotiations and fix the situation,” Joseph said.

SEE SWS, page 8

Absolute Bagels was shut down by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene last week after an inspection revealed live roaches, flies and evidence of mice in the popular Upper West Side bagel joint.

The inspection Thursday totaled a massive 73 violation points at Absolute, on Broadway between 107th and 108th streets. A score of 28 or more points translates to a “C” grade.

Besides “evidence of mice or live mice,” roaches, and flies, the inspection report, released Sunday, also details improper cooking techniques, such as cold food being held at too high a temperature and contaminated food.

The store’s shutters were pulled halfway down over the weekend, with a sign reading “We will be back on Wednesday” displayed on the door. While lines of hungry customers often stretch out the door and onto the sidewalk on weekend mornings, on Saturday, only a few pedestrians stopped by to gaze at the storefront.

On Monday, an employee at the store who only gave the name John said workers were improving Absolute.

“We’re just renovating, cleaning, fixing things,” he said. “We’re cleaning up and

renovating the holes and everything ... it’s getting old,” he said.

Management could not be reached for comment.

This isn’t the first time Absolute has run into trouble with the health department.

An inspection on Aug. 21 also revealed vermin and improper refrigeration, but only totaled 38 points, leading to a “grade pending” rating.

“Honestly, I’m kind of depressed right now because that place was the shit.”

—Noah Stebbins SEAS ’16 Other Broadway restaurants have also been shuttered in recent days, including M2M Mart at 115th Street, which racked up 90 points for similar violations on Thursday.

Students were divided Monday about whether they planned to return to Absolute after hearing the results.

“Honestly, I’m kind of depressed right now because that place was the shit,” said Noah Stebbins, SEAS ’16, who said he usually eats there once a month.

SEE ABSOLUTE, page 8

CCSC funds $11,050 in student projects

BY RAKHI AGRAWAL Spectator Staff Writer

in Student-Worker Solidarity, a recently established group that advocates for fair labor conditions, where members circulated a “Disorientation Guide” on organizing written in 2002.

As institutional memory often leaves Columbia when students who have become experts in activism graduate, Brennan said organizing knowledge is

never formally passed down or cataloged in print. She said she will contact recent alumni and “have them both contribute to the updated collection as well as work on some artistic instillation—a mural of sorts that is representational of some of the things collected in the

SEE PAPANDREOU, page 8

The eight projects that will be funded by the Columbia College Student Council Student Project Grants initiative this semester range from a humanoid robot to a documentary about scholar athletes to a chess program in sub-Saharan Africa.

CCSC distributed $11,050 through the initiative. The winning projects, which were announced late last semester, will receive grants from $615 to $2,160 and are expected to be completed by the end of the semester.

The winners were chosen by CCSC Vice President of Finance Daphne Chen, CC ’14; class representative Zach Vargas-Sullivan, CC ’14; and Ben Xue, CC ’14.

“We made some very tough decisions on the SPGs but we’re confident that these eight winners will bring some amazing products and events to the campus this semester,” Chen said in an email. Of the submissions, the winners “were the most innovative and kept the Columbia community in mind,” she said.

Jane Brennan, CC ’14, was awarded funding to publish a student activism orientation guide and organize a public oral history event. Brennan said her project, entitled “Do it! Change it! Tell it! Remember it!”, is intended to revive the spirit of student activism on campus.

“We thought it a good idea to recreate ... a sort of collective history of some campus activism that gets lost when students graduate,” she said.

Her inspiration for the project came from her involvement

A&E, PAGE 3

OPINION, PAGE 4

SPORTS, PAGE 6

EVENTS

WEATHER

Men of the Ivy League meet Tumblr

USA! USA!

Men’s basketball wins first Ivy game of season

CCE Summer Internship Programs Info Session

Today

After a back-and-forth start, the men’s basketball team found its rhythm on the court and pulled off a 67-58 victory over Cornell.

Learn about various Center for Career Education summer internship programs, including the application processes and timelines for each.

CCE Conference Room, 5 p.m.

COURTESY OF MORITZ HAGER / WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

GOING GREEK | Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will teach a seminar this semester.

Former Greek PM to teach SIPA course

BY SAMANTHA COONEY Spectator Senior Staff Writer Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will teach a seminar at the School of International and Public Affairs this semester, the University announced Friday.

Papandreou, who headed the Greek government for two years at the height of its debt crisis, will teach a course about the European financial crisis and has been invited to speak to the entire SIPA community.

“It is an honor for me to join and contribute to such timely discussions at SIPA,” Papandreou said in a statement. “New ideas and shared

Jimmy Toussaint, CC ’15, has

created a menswear blog that attracted the attention of Rugby Ralph Lauren.

perspectives are critical as we face mounting economic, environmental and democratic

“It is an honor for me to join ... such timely discussions at SIPA.” —George Papandreou Former Greek prime minister challenges on a global level.”

Interim SIPA Dean Robert Lieberman said in the statement that it was a “great privilege” to welcome Papandreou

to campus and called Greece a “living laboratory for some of the key global public policy challenges of our time.”

Papandreou, who comes from a prominent political family in Greece, was first elected to parliament in 1981.

After serving in a variety of other government posts, he became prime minister in October 2009 and inherited a $410 billion deficit.

After his popularity plummeted and a slew of protests broke out throughout the country in response to a proposal to raise taxes and cut public spending in exchange for a bailout, Papandreou agreed to resign from the

Bob Sun on applying for jobs as a foreign citizen.

All ears Wilfred Chan on sitting back and listening to others.

LUKE HENDERSON / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SHOW ME THE MONEY | Jane Brennan, CC ’14, got funding from CCSC to publish a guidebook for student activists.

SEE CCSC, page 7

27°/ 18°

Tomorrow

25/ 18°

NEWS

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JANUARY 22, 2013

From the editors

COURTLAND THOMAS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

It’s the first day of classes, so catching up on the news probably isn’t your top priority. We get it. But, somehow or other, you’ve made your way to this editors’ note, and whether you picked up a newspaper, or opened columbiaspectator.com, or clicked a link on Twitter, we just want to say thank you—thank you for taking the time to read today’s Spectator. A lot of people put a lot of hard work into making it happen.

Still, this is only the first issue of Volume 137, and we hope you’ll stick with us throughout the year. We’ll be working tirelessly not only to cover the stories most relevant to Columbia students, but also to give you more ways than ever to find and enjoy those stories. We’re excited to launch a redesign of our website in February, but that’s just the beginning. Expect to see more videos, slideshows, and interactive graphics accompanying our stories. Look out for breaking news on Twitter and Facebook—next time something big happens, you’ll see it first @ColumbiaSpec. And be sure to follow Spectrum, the best blog on campus, for commentary, jokes, and some new features that we can’t wait to roll out.

Whether you make Spectator part of your morning routine, scroll through our tweets on your way to class, or check the website before you go to sleep, we think you’ll have more reasons than ever to keep reading. That said, we know we’re not perfect, and we want to know how we can do better. Any time you have a tip, or a suggestion, or a critique, we want to hear it. You can comment on our articles, email us at editor@columbiaspectator.com, or tweet at us—we’ll be paying attention. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even stop by our office, at 2875 Broadway, any night from Sunday through Thursday. We’ll be here, putting out the newspaper, and we’d love to hear from you.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Here’s to a great semester!

Sammy Roth Editor in chief

Finn Vigeland Managing editor

WHILE YOU WERE AWAY

CB7 passes proposal to extend bike lane

BY AVANTIKA KUMAR Spectator Senior Staff Writer

BY TRACEY WANG Spectator Senior Staff Writer The Community Board 7 Transportation Committee approved a proposal to extend the Columbus Avenue bike lane from 65th Street to 110th Street this month.

The bike lane extension, which passed the committee 7-2 with one abstention, will be voted on by the full board next month. If the proposal is approved by the board, the existing protected bike lane on Columbus, which currently stretches between 77th and 96th streets, will extend thralmost the entire length of the Upper West Side.

Over 100 people attended the meeting, with the majority of those who spoke voicing support for the proposal.

The debate over the bike lane has been one of the biggest issues debated by CB7 over the last two years, and bike activists have consistently turned up in droves to lobby for it. Supporters have harshly criticized the committee, often in personal terms, for not moving more quickly on the issue. But they cheered as the proposal passed.

Representatives from the city Department of Transportation, which proposed the extension, announced several changes to the proposal in response to concerns raised at a meeting last month. After some residents objected to the loss of parking spaces at the December meeting, the representatives said they would remove regulations prohibiting some parking north of 96th Street during the morning rush hour, which would yield about 105 new parking spaces, they said.

The revised proposal also increased the size of spaces for cars to turn left, known as mixing zones, which DOT representatives said would increase biker visibility and

New first-year dining plan available this semester

FILE PHOTO

EXTENSIONS | The Columbus Avenue bike lane is one step closer to being extended from 65th Street to 110th Street. reduce the danger of crashes. It also included five new loading zones for businesses with deliveries.

“It’s been a very long, slow slog to this. This is a public health issue. A parking spot is not more important than the safety of our bikers.”

—Mary Beth Kelly biking activist “It’s not just a bike lane.

Lives are being saved and lives are being improved,” said Tila Duhaime, a former CB7 member and an organizer with Upper West Side Streets Renaissance, a group that supports transportation alternatives. She said that she hopes the board members will “do the right thing and approve the extension” at next month’s meeting.

Mary Beth Kelly, an Upper

West Side resident for over 30 years, said she was ecstatic about the approval. Since her husband died six years ago from a biking accident, Kelly said, she’s been advocating for safer conditions for bikers.

“It’s not over, but it’s been a very long, slow slog to this,” she said. “This is a public health issue. A parking spot is not more important than the safety of our bikers.”

CB7 chair Mark Diller, who voted for the proposal, said that he was glad the community was able to voice their opinions. He said that the existing bike lane on Columbus was too short and the DOT proposal “absolutely deserved a vote at full board.”

Others said they weren’t happy with the result.

Jaye Murray, who lives on Columbus, said that she wants safer conditions for bikers but that the protected bike lane actually creates more problems with trucks unloading.

“My chances of getting hit by a bicycle are greater than getting hit by a car,” she said.

The full board will vote on the extension on Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. tracey.wang @columbiaspectator.com

A new first-year dining plan that includes Flex will be available this semester in order to provide options for students concerned about the lack of oncampus dining during holiday breaks.

The new plan includes 19 weekly meals, 25 Dining Dollars, and $50 in Flex. It is the only dining plan offered that includes Flex. First-years can switch over for next semester until February 1 without paying a fee.

According to a statement on Columbia Dining’s blog, the plan aims to accommodate students who stay on campus during breaks.

“The new plan is being introduced to provide students on campus during breaks (fall, Thanksgiving, winter, spring) with an option to purchase food off campus via Flex when Columbia Dining units are closed,” the statement reads.

Columbia College Student Council representative Peter Bailinson, CC ’16 and a Spectator development associate, started discussions with the administration about the lack of dining options during break. He said that the issue affects a “significant

segment of the student body”— especially students on financial aid with little dispensable income for off-campus food.

Bailinson called the new plan “a great first step to targeting the problem.”

“During our meetings, Dining did realize that $50 may not be enough to cover all of these student costs,” Bailinson said, but added that future plans could increase the number of Flex dollars.

The issue also was highlighted in November by a petition to keep dining halls open for breaks created by Aubrey Alston, SEAS ’16.

Alston started the petition because he felt that friends on financial aid were “blindsided” by the lack of on-campus food options, he said. Although Alston said he wished a Flex option was created for upperclassmen and more Flex was available to students staying over winter break, he said he was satisfied with the new plan.

“I think that would work,” Alston said, adding, “I’m just satisfied that other people took notice.”

The administration saw keeping dining halls open over breaks as unfeasible— Vicki Dunn, executive director

for Columbia Dining, said in November that keeping dining halls open during fall break, Thanksgiving, and spring break could increase meal plan costs for all students by an estimated 7 percent to cover operating and labor costs.

Students interviewed Monday, however, said they didn’t think the new plan was necessary.

“Fifty dollars for a whole break? For winter break that wouldn’t be enough,” said Mariam Gulaid, CC ’16.

Meghan Boroughs, CC ’16, agreed, but said it might be enough for students who were only staying for shorter breaks.

“I’m already happy with the meal plan I have, so I wouldn’t switch,” she added.

Others said the idea of Flex in a dining plan didn’t appeal to them.

“I rarely use Flex outside of the laundry room because I can’t ever tell which places take it,” said Jeesoo Han, CC ’15. “Fifty for meals for Thanksgiving break might be OK, but for winter break, I don’t think it’s enough.”

Abby Abrams contributed reporting. avantika.kumar @columbiaspectator.com

FILE PHOTO

FRESHMAN 15

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A new first-year dining plan that includes Flex is available this semester.

JANUARY 22, 2013

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 3

How was he doing?

Ed Koch through the camera lens

BY KATIE RIETBERG Columbia Daily Spectator When former mayor Ed Koch took office in 1978, New York City was literally burning. He inherited a city on the brink of bankruptcy and battled overwhelming epidemics of arson, AIDS, and homelessness. Koch became an unlikely hero, rising from the status of an underdog to slay what he called “wackos,” “nuts,” and “schmucks” with his sharp tongue and larger-than-life public personality.

Now, as the subject of the new documentary “Koch,” opening Feb. 1 at Lincoln Plaza Cinema and the Angelika, Koch even has his own theme song, whose bouncy melody reflects how animated and theatrical he still is at 88, laughing about the time he almost “peed” on former Governor George Pataki in an elevator.

The team behind “Koch” includes three Columbia alumni: first-time director and filmmaker Neil Barsky, Journalism ’84, producer Jenny Carchman, BC ’94, and production associate Annie Salsich, BC ’10. Barsky first approached Koch’s former chief of staff, Diane Coffey, in the spring of 2010 with his plan for the project.

“I think all great movies need two things: great stories and great characters,” said Barsky. The story behind “Koch” is the city’s transformation, as it shows the neon decadence of 42nd St., the scorched shells of the South Bronx, the graffiticovered subway cars and looted shops in Harlem during the 1977 blackout.

“And Ed Koch is a witty, controversial, in your face character,” Barsky added. He is a cheerleader for the city, greeting commuters on the Brooklyn Bridge during the 1980 Transit Strike with his catchphrase: “How’m I doing?” And like a true New Yorker, he is never afraid to ruffle a few feathers.

“I would like the film to help us all understand how New York came to be what it is today.”

Neil Barsky, Journalism ’84

While Koch gained support with his no-nonsense attitude, his efforts were not without critics.

Even today many complain about the commercialized Times Square. However, “Koch” will surely make audiences appreciate how far the city has come. “I would like the film to help us all understand how New York came to be what it is today, because that period in the ’70s and ’80s was so critical,” Barsky said.

Carchman, a veteran filmmaker whose previous projects include Martin Scorsese’s “George Harrison: Living in the Material World,” was drawn to the project because she grew up during Koch’s three terms.

“The story of Koch was the background for my childhood and adolescence, and it was exciting to return to that time,” she said.

Drawing on Barsky’s background in journalism, using archival headlines, photos and footage to immerse audiences in the tumultuous history of New York City and Koch’s administration, “Koch” provides a unique look into the commanding public figure and the fragile man.

“It takes a solid person who understands fairness to be at the top,” Carchman said. “And it’s lonely up there.”

A particularly moving scene is Koch’s 86th birthday, when he quotes “The Great Gatsby” to describe the bridge newly renamed in his honor: “The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.”

“It’s a gorgeous description of the reasons why so many of us live here,” Carchman said.

While Koch and New York may seem like the oddest of couples—a little known reformer from Greenwich Village coming to own the commercial and cultural center of the world—the film shows, through all the ups and downs, that they truly are made for each other. arts@columbiaspectator.com

COURTESY OF ZEITGEIST FILMS

LIVING LEGEND | Ed Koch served as the mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989.

KRISTA LEWIS FOR SPECTATOR

SHARP-DRESSED MAN |

Men of the Ivy League creator Jimmy Toussaint, CC ’15, shows how Ivy League style informs fashion today on his blog.

CC sophomore covers Ivy style in Tumblr

BY OLIVIA AYLMER Spectator Senior Staff Writer Jimmy Toussaint, CC ’15, has turned Tumblr into a way to share his affinity for style with the world. As the founder of the blog Men of the Ivy League, Toussaint scours the web daily to curate his gallery of photographs which capture the classic preppy style first sported by guys on various Ivy League campuses in the late 1950s. Not only has he garnered hundreds of followers since launching the site last year, but he’s also caught the attention of menswear brand Rugby Ralph Lauren, which noted Men of the Ivy League as a blog worth following.

Spectator talked to Toussaint about Brooks Brothers, Oxford shoes, and the enduring legacy of Ivy League style.

Olivia Aylmer: What inspired you to start Men of the Ivy League?

Jimmy Toussaint: Last year I came up with a great idea. Online video was on the rise and more audiences than ever were consuming media via online video. I started StyleVlogger, which did what major fashion blogs did­—however, all of its content was in video form. I also intended it to double as a database for people who wanted to search for content pertaining to fashion … but I ran into a couple of problems with the designers and developers that weren’t doing what I was paying them to do. Unfortunately, I had to stop working on StyleVlogger in order to get all of its glitches fixed. In the interim, I started Men of the Ivy League as a sort of side activity.

While I was feeling quite dejected because of the StyleVlogger situation, I took to Tumblr and began to post images that inspired my own sense of style. It was one of those things to just pass the time while fulfilling the need to do something related to what I was interested in. I appreciate style and I know its

importance. When you walk down the street, you don’t speak to everyone you pass by. How you look ends up speaking for you.

OA: More importantly, what made you choose the Ivy League style theme in the first place?

JT: There’s an era—I would say 1950s-1960s— that inspired many menswear brands. It just can’t be ignored. These are brands like Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Gant, Brooks Brothers, and the like. They habitually mimic what men wore at Ivy League schools during that era. I’m not saying guys at Ivy League institutions had a crazy sense of style and put together outfits that they knew would influence generations to come. It was all by chance.

They were so used to wearing … uniforms that fit a particular way and were made out of particular materials that they continued to wear a jacket and tie to class.

Some rebelled and didn’t wear a jacket.

They rolled up their sleeves and their pant legs and skipped putting on socks. A lot of other schools had students that exemplified Ivy style, but Ivy League schools were just where most of these students were aggregated, so it’s easier to spot that distinctive style.

OA: This summer, you received recognition from Ralph Lauren’s Rugby blog—that must have increased your number of followers pretty quickly. How did that opportunity come about?

JT: I just kept doing what I do and they found me. It was completely random. It meant so much to me. Ralph Lauren is just one of those iconic companies. If I ever designed clothing it would look exactly like the items you would find in a Ralph Lauren Rugby store. They didn’t even let me know they had posted about me. Because I shop so much at Ralph Lauren Rugby, I get these newsletters via email. I usually delete them, but by complete chance, I clicked this one newsletter

and saw the blog post on Men of the Ivy League. I almost fell off my chair.

OA: What classic menswear trends do you wish would make a comeback on campus?

Are there any that you hope stay in their respective decades?

JT: Oxford shoes without socks are stylish.

The only socks that should be allowed with oxford shoes are colored and patterned socks. Every man should own a couple of pairs of these. I want the era of the Sperry Top-Sider to die. I don’t know where they came from, but they need to just go. If I can’t wear a football helmet to class, you can’t wear boat shoes either.

OA: Would you ever consider making blogging—or a similarly fashion-centric career— your full-time focus post-graduation, or is this just a fun hobby and outlet from the pressures of school?

JT: I enjoy what I am doing. Could it turn into a business? Certainly! I am about to make a plug—a friend of mine has a pretty successful sneaker blog called KicksOnFire. While people his age were interviewing for entry-level company positions he was riding around the city in a Lamborghini he purchased owing to the success of his blog. I know how much money a successful blog can make, and it’s way more than a lot of people would guess.

Men of the Ivy League is a delightful accident. The more it grows, the more seriously I take it. For now, I am banking on other projects. I am currently building a boutique hotel in a gated community near Haiti’s international airport. We’re 80 percent done in construction and I’m taking the spring semester off to make sure I get construction completed the right way in order to have a successful launch. I will be growing Men of the Ivy League from Haiti for the next couple of months. arts@columbiaspectator.com

New restaurant serves up friendly atmosphere, tasty tacos

BY DAVID SALAZAR Spectator Senior Staff Writer It was less than a week after news broke that Il Cibreo had closed its doors that I walked through those same doors to eat at Amigos.

Having replaced the restaurant formerly known as Campo, the Mexican eatery went up in five days’ time—a feat for even the shadiest burger joint, but especially notable for a restaurant whose food is so good and whose atmosphere is already so defined.

The walls, which are covered in Southwestern-style paintings, signs, and tin work, did more to remind me of New Mexico than Old Mexico, but certainly gave the day-old restaurant an established feel.

After only 24 hours, Amigos was already on top of its game—my waitress brought out chips and salsa almost immediately and touted the restaurant’s impressive drink specials ($5 margaritas all day) before sharing that the guacamole was made to order, and wasn’t to be missed. She was right— fresh and spicy (if you want it to be), the guacamole is a perfect companion to the restaurant’s house chips and salsa.

Since it was cold outside, I decided to order the posole soup, which is made with pork broth and came with avocado and fried tortilla strips in the center.

While the avocado was an unnecessary addition to the soup and the pork was fattier than I’m used to, the rest of it was tasty. It wasn’t my mom’s posole, but I enjoyed it all the same.

For my main course, I ordered the Baja Fish Tacos, knowing that the best measure of any Mexican restaurant is its tacos. I wasn’t disappointed. They featured a hearty piece of fried tilapia topped with citrus slaw, a large sprig of cilantro, and a house-made chipotle sauce. All of this, wrapped in a fluffy corn tortilla and with a little fresh lime

DAVID BRANN / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

QUÉ DELICIOSO | Amigos has replaced Il Cibreo with Mexican specialties and cheap margaritas.

Good food and well-defined atmosphere makes Amigos feel like a neighborhood staple already. juice, hit the spot.

With regard to cost, Amigos isn’t the cheapest restaurant in Morningside Heights, but everything—except perhaps the soup—was well worth the price. The tacos were a little pricey, at $15 for fish and adobo short rib, $14 for pork carnitas, and $12 for vegetarian, but each order comes with three tacos plus beans and rice, so it’s actually a reasonable value. The soups are priced fairly moderately at $6-7, but I’m not sure why the guacamole costs

$9, even if it is pretty good. I’ve certainly had better guacamole that costs less.

Even though it doesn’t lend itself to the party atmosphere that Il Cibreo and Campo had, Amigos is a nice place to grab dinner or drinks with friends on a Thursday night, especially with its happy hour specials.

Amigos is located at 2888 Broadway, between 112th and 113th streets. arts@columbiaspectator.com

EDITORIAL & OPINION

PAGE 4

JANUARY 22, 2013

International students need not apply The 137th year of publication Independent since 1962 CORPORATE BOARD SAMMY ROTH Editor in Chief FINN VIGELAND Managing Editor ALEX SMYK Publisher

MANAGING BOARD JEREMY BUDD Campus News Editor CASEY TOLAN City News Editor GRACE BICKERS Editorial Page Editor YASMIN GAGNE Editorial Page Editor LESLEY THULIN Arts & Entertainment Editor ALISON MACKE Sports Editor MYLES SIMMONS Sports Editor MEGAN KALLSTROM Head Copy Editor REGIE MAURICIO Design Editor RYAN VELING Design Editor DAVID BRANN Photo Editor STEVEN LAU Multimedia Editor SARA GARNER Spectrum Editor RIKKI NOVETSKY The Eye, Editor in Chief DOUG BIENSTOCK Online Editor ISAAC WHITE Online Editor ROB FRECH Chief Development Officer WES RODRIGUEZ Chief Revenue Officer ALAN SELTZER Chief Marketing Officer REBEKA COHAN Staff Development Director

DEPUTY BOARD News Abby Abrams, Samantha Cooney, Avantika Kumar, Chris Meyer, Cecilia Reyes, Tracey Wang, Christian Zhang Opinion Jess Geiger, Joohyun Lee, Daniel Liss Arts & Entertainment Emma Finder, Charlotte Murtishaw, David Salazar Sports Muneeb Alam, Caroline Bowman, Molly Tow Copy Emily Sorensen Design Alanna Browdy, Karen Nan, Sinjihn Smith Photo Luke Henderson, Douglas Kessel, Olachi Oleru, Jenny Payne, Kiera Wood Multimedia Derek Arthur, Jacqueline Morea, Eli Schultz, Morgan Wilcock Spectrum Jenny Xu Digital Outreach Max Marshall Development & Outreach Audrey Greene, Kristine Musademba Sales & Monetization Frederic Enea, Michael Ouimette Promotions Emily Aronson, Emily Sun Staff Development Lillian Chen, Tom Reidy

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T

his past winter break, I spent much of my time—when I wasn’t sleeping—trolling LionSHARE and writing cover letters for summer internships. That is, when I could find them, which is strange, since there is no dearth of jobs available BOB SUN to Columbia students. Especially for those students looking in industries Te r m s that have a large presence in New York City, the problem is one of havof ing too many options: It would be Engageimpractical to apply to the some 200 positions in finance currently open ment for this summer alone.

But not for everyone. Hidden somewhere in most job descriptions is a line that reads: “Candidates must have permanent work authorization to work for any company in the United States for an unlimited period of time without restrictions.” I would hazard a guess that it doesn’t even register with most prospective applicants. But for the 19 percent of us who are international students, myself included, it is a line that greatly reduces the number of opportunities we can pursue. For all the discussion of whether international students add to Columbia by enhancing “diversity,” there is little consciousness on campus of what the practical and political realities of having a large international population are. It becomes incredibly frustrating to realize that, regardless of whatever experience or qualifications you might have, most employers will not even look at you if you happen to be here on a visa. I’ve gotten into the habit of walking into company information sessions, asking if they hire foreign nationals, and turning right around and leaving if the answer is “no.”

Rightly so, a lot of Americans, including some on this campus, would say. The sentiment cannot simply be brushed aside as a caricatured, vocal fringe protesting that “dey tuhk err jobs.” Nor is it one that only concerns employers too small to afford the extra

paperwork and potential liability that comes with hiring international students, unless one considers the likes of Google “small.” The logic goes like this: if a domestic candidate is only marginally worse than an international one, it is simply easier to take the American. It does not make sense to offer someone a position that might turn into a full-time offer if that offer will be complicated by the ordeal of having to sponsor a work visa after graduation. The wait for such work authorization is inevitably too long, uncertain, and expensive to be worth most companies’ time.

After all, these candidates are not American. They probably won’t contribute to the country in the long term, and more specifically, Columbia cannot prepare them for future leadership roles within American society. Why not just send them home after their four years here?

It becomes incredibly frustrating to realize that most employers will not even look at you if you happen to be here on a visa.

For one, it makes little economic sense to do so.

Doing anything except hiring the best candidate for a given job would be reducing productivity—and hence slowing American economic growth. Keeping talented students who have specifically come to the United States to pursue what they perceive as the best education possible, instead of remaining in their home countries, can only be good for American industry and innovation. Limiting their opportunities only limits their potential contributions to this country.

America is a country of immigrants, and international students also happen to be some of the best candidates for immigration that one could ask for.

At the risk of stating the obvious, we speak English, are highly educated, and are already here legally.

Although a fraction of international students plan on returning home after their education, for those who are open to staying, working, and contributing, the process of doing so should be made easier—not more difficult—by the United States.

Columbia should not only be concerned with raising the number of international students on campus. If students are unable to explore and use their abilities (and what they have learned at Columbia), then it can hardly be a fulfilling experience for them.

Their American peers and colleagues suffer as well: An important dimension of life loses the richness of perspective that international students are supposed to bring with them. What’s more, when international students are pushed into the few fields where employers are willing to sponsor them after graduation, academic life as a whole reflects the lost potential. It is hardly adding to a diverse student body if all the international students in the college end up majoring in financial economics (hyperbole, to be sure, but not far off the mark).

A small piece of the solution might include having the Center for Career Education note more clearly which recruiting events, jobs, and employers consider international students. On a higher level, institutions of Columbia’s stature have the power to lobby on behalf of reform that would make it easier for such students to transition into the American workplace. In any case, remaining complacent and oblivious to barriers against work and immigration while parroting “diversity” can only hurt us. If one of Columbia’s duties is to educate leaders who will better this country, then we would be remiss if we did not fully support those who, rather than simply being born here, have chosen America.

Bob Sun is a Columbia College junior majoring in history and biology. He is a member of the Committee on Instruction.

Terms of Engagement runs alternate Tuesdays.

Athletes belong in the Ivy League

BY JOSH FRAM As a student-athlete, I could not count on two hands the number of times someone here at Columbia has condescendingly said to me: “Oh ... so you’re an athlete?” The connotations behind this are clear. To put it bluntly, a vast proportion of non-athletes at Columbia think athletes are not as smart as themselves.

Objectively, it is clear that these sentiments are based in truth. A 2007 study conducted by sociologists Douglas Massey and Margarita Mooney shows that Ivy League athletes scored on average 93 points lower than nonathletes on the SAT. They reported a similar discrepancy with regard to high school GPAs. And according to James Shulman and William Bowen’s book “The Game of Life”, published in 2002, these same trends persist in college.

Indeed, there is a substantial argument that says that stereotyping of athletes is warranted. The fact that the average student–athlete can score almost 100 points lower on the SAT than a non-recruited student and still be admitted speaks for itself. This statistic is especially disheartening for potential Ivy League applicants, because, as a 2007 study conducted by Stanford Law professor Barbara Fried shows, approximately 14 percent of students admitted to Ivy League schools are recruited athletes, and this number is trending higher. Such a large percentage of recruits leaves less room for more qualified non-athlete students.

Ivy League schools should admit the students they think will be the best graduates.

The facts are clear, and college admissions offices know it better than anyone. Why is it then that Columbia and the rest of the Ivy League continue to give preference to recruited athletes despite statistics showing that they significantly underperform in school? Why do athletes belong at these elite institutions?

Ivy League schools should admit the students they think will be the best graduates. And though recruited athletes may not be the most successful in the classroom, they tend to perform remarkably well in the professional world. Shulman and Bowen conclude in their book, “Athletes are more likely than others to be highly competitive, gregarious and confident of their ability to work well in groups.” This translates directly to success in two of the highest paying professional fields: law and finance.

Some may argue that producing “successful” graduates should not be the primary motivation behind the admissions criteria in the Ivy League.

Shouldn’t educational institutions prioritize academics? To an extent, the answer is yes. But as former Harvard Dean of Admissions William Bender famously proclaimed, “If you let in only the brilliant, then you produce bookworms and bench scientists; you end up as socially irrelevant as the University of Chicago.” Ivy League schools certainly could admit every student who scored a 2400 on the SAT—yet instead they spend a great deal of time and effort diversifying their student bodies to increase the variety of talents, backgrounds, and interests represented at their respective schools.

They justify this emphasis on diversity and character because the search for the future leaders of our world revolves around more than simply being intelligent. Figuring out who will be a successful graduate lies in what each student can do with their intelligence. If there are geniuses being admitted to Ivy League schools that aren’t able to get their act together and do anything with it, then what is the point?

This is where the rationale behind admitting athletes lies. The majority of athletes have the motivation and confidence that allows them to overcome what they may lack in quantifiable intelligence. Thus, if these unique attributes allow them to succeed in post-college life and statistics say they do–then Ivy League admissions offices are justified in giving athletes preference, and they do belong on our campus.

The author is a Columbia College first year. He is a member of the varsity heavyweight rowing team.

ILLUSTRATION BY IONE WANG

Let’s talk less

I

was always proud of being a good talker.

I liked being the kid in class whose comments left professors beaming.

The charismatic student leader who could command a room. The friend who everybody turned to for advice.

WILFRED Then, last year, one of my CHAN good friends called me out on it.

“Wilfred,” he began, clearing his Channeling throat. “I’m only going to say this Discourse because I care about you.” Uh-oh, I thought.

I was getting heavily involved with campus leadership at the time, and I guess he’d heard from a few friends who weren’t pleased with me. “You’ve been difficult to work with,” he said. “I know you really care about what you’re doing, but you’ve been acting selfabsorbed. You only want to talk about your own ideas, and you don’t really take in others’ suggestions.”

I bristled immediately. “Whatever. I know what I’m doing. I don’t care what they think.” His sad look showed I’d missed the point.

The critique lingered in my mind, though, and I slowly realized it was true. I thought of times as a student leader when I’d breezily dismiss people’s ideas so that I could get my way. Moments in class when I’d be so busy raising my hand, thinking of my next thing to say, that I’d barely pay attention to the discussion. Instances where I’d dole out advice to my friends without really trying to understand their situations.

It hit me: I was a bad listener.

What worries me is how I went so long without realizing this. Like a lot of people, I always assumed I was a decent listener, though honestly I never gave it much thought.

But that’s the problem. Many of us may be worse listeners than we realize.

After all, places like Columbia compel us to think quickly, speak well, and write fluently. We are trained to critique everything under the sun, taught to identify flaws in other people’s reasoning. We fire off caustic comments

on Bwog. We protest. We counter-protest. And when we’re not doing this, we’re daydreaming in class or checking Facebook in the back row. But hardly, I think, do we stop and consciously listen.

It’s not much better in the working world. As Jonathan Burton writes in the Wall Street Journal, “listening—really hearing what someone is saying—is often viewed as passive and even weak. In corporate culture, which includes financial advisers and market strategists, leaders speak their mind. If they listen at all, it’s to craft a response that proves their point.”

As Shaaz Nasir of Mindthis magazine puts it, “The number one flaw in most young professionals today is that they simply love the sound of their own voice.”

Good, conscious listening, on the other hand, is rare and difficult. It involves significant concentration and focus. It demands attentiveness and supportive body language. It means asking questions with a desire to truly understand. And most of all, it requires talking less. Our generation has been conditioned to “put ourselves out there,” but it may be even more important to learn when to put a sock in it.

Listening, after all, isn’t just a skill. It’s a mindset, a reflection of our attitude towards others. I realized that self-absorption often goes hand-in-hand with an eagerness to hear yourself speak. But when you stop talking and take the time to really focus on someone else, to discover life through their eyes—when you lose yourself and walk with them—you gain an understanding of a world that you would have never found on your own. In this way, listening is at once a posture of compassion and an act of love.

We do a lot of talking about talking on this campus— what words are OK to use, who is allowed to speak for who, how we should define free speech. And that’s all good. But if we we’re going to make any progress towards creating a more inclusive, more compassionate, more loving Columbia community, we need to think about how we listen.

This can be a counterintuitive exercise for a campus that’s so good at speaking. But I think we can do it. This semester, let’s elevate the dialogue ... by talking less.

I think I’ve said enough for now.

Wilfred Chan is a senior majoring in political science. He is the founder of the Student Wellness Project.

JANUARY 22, 2013

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PAGE 6

SPORTS

JANUARY 22, 2013

Overseas fan follows CU sports from afar

S

aturday’s victory for the men’s basketball team against Cornell was a strong statement— a pleasant rebound from their final nonconference game.

PETER Against Holy Cross, ANDREWS the Lions—very uncharacteristically— Lion in couldn’t stop Dave Dudzinski (31 points) L o n d o n or Justin Burrell (29 points), as the duo sank shot after shot to bury Columbia 78-69.

As the game neared its end, I let out a loud groan of disappointment and frustration. Though very restrained by my usual standards, this was enough to merit an urgent request for me to kindly shut the fuck up from the other side of my dorm room wall. Where I am, the game’s end came at 1:58 am, as—thanks to something called “time zones”— London time is five hours ahead of New York City.

I might have been the only person in all of Britain awake at the time.

That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much—the “Tube,” which is apparently what you get to call your subway once you eradicate the rats from it, stops running by 1 a.m. each day. So you’ve gotta be somewhere for the long haul at that point.

The talent calling these games is really impressive.

How do you follow Columbia sports if you’re studying abroad? I don’t know if anyone else has ever struggled with this question as much as I have. The possibility of the men’s basketball team making a run at the NCAA tournament was literally the biggest factor I considered toward not studying in England this semester. Ultimately, the potential for life-changing experiences and strangely shaped money outweighed my desire to see Brian Barbour layup over some Harvard player’s stupid face in person.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop following the team, though. The athletic department has provided a handy tool to keep me in the loop.

It’s called “SideLION Pass,” which is just about the most obvious pun of all time. The web app provides streaming video and audio of all men’s and women’s basketball games (except for some road games)—and, most usefully, the radio streams are completely free! (The video feed is an extravagance I have not seen fit to splurge on yet.)

The talent calling these games is really impressive. Jerry Recco, the play-by-play guy, is a true pro, providing exactly enough information to get a mental image of the game on the floor and providing space for the color commentary. That arrives courtesy of Dalen Cuff, a former Lions point guard who graduated in 2006. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve learned more of the nuance of basketball—offensive and defensive schemes, and the way tempo is created and maintained—in listening to Cuff call three Lions games than from watching countless games on CBS and ESPN. Recco and Cuff have an easy chemistry, the kind that invites the viewer to sit down and stay a while. Cuff is also the lead analyst for the new Ivy television deal with NBC Sports Network, and I can’t help but feel that we’re listening to a future star.

If puns aren’t your style, WKCR also broadcasts many of the games, including this weekend’s victory over Cornell up in Ithaca. You get a different experience from their feed, with the more audible crowd noise and the passion of the announcers (including fellow sports columnist Sam Tydings) doing a better job of getting you closer to the feeling in the gym.

After listening to a few games over break, it is now obvious that one technology has made all this possible—the Internet. The web enabled me to pick up not one but two different streaming audio representations of Columbia basketball games. The web allowed me to follow along on Twitter, where the six other people who care about Ivy hoops sit and chat about the merits of various teams. And the web even allowed me to get this column in to my editors on time, rather

SEE ANDREWS, page 10

FILE PHOTO

FAST TO THE FINISH

|

Both the men’s and women’s teams posted competitive results, but coach Willy Wood hopes for further improvement.

For track coach, tri-meet more of an evaluation than a competition

BY MELISSA CHEUNG Spectator Senior Staff Writer The Columbia men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams kicked off the season at the annual Ivy League tri-meet against rivals Yale and Dartmouth on Saturday. track and The women captured field second place with 60 points and seven firstplace finishes, while the men took third place with 42 points and five first-place finishes.

Despite the Lions’ dominance in several events on both the men’s and women’s sides, head coach Willy Wood does not view the tri-meet as a way to compare athletes against their Ancient Eight competition.

“We use this meet as a test to see where they are from a fitness perspective much more so than an actual competition. Very few of our athletes competed in their primary event,” Wood said in an email.

Even so, the Light Blue had promising performances in both field and running events.

The men had top finishes in the triple jump, the 500-meter dash, the 800-meter run, the 1,000-meter run, and the 4x800-meter relay. On the other side, the women took first place in the weight throw, the triple jump, the long jump, the 60-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the 60-meter hurdles, and the 4x400-meter relay.

“We had a few good performances, but overall we have a good deal of work to do. We will need to do much

better in one month, and we will,” Wood said.

With a long season ahead of them, both teams will have many chances to perform at the level Wood expects of them, and to reach their own personal goals as well.

The men are looking to carry the incredible success of their cross country season into the indoor season, behind the force of their distance runners.

“They are confident and fit, and will be significantly better as a result of this past fall,” Wood said.

For the women, the end of the cross country season means a fresh start. Early on in the season, the Lions suffered from injuries to several of their top runners, and never seemed to recover.

Men’s squash redeems back-toback losses with a pair of wins

BY ERIC WONG Spectator Senior Staff Writer The men’s squash team (5-4) split its four matches over the weekend at Yale, losing its first two matches to Franklin & Marshall, 2-7, and St. Lawrence, 1-8, before bouncing back with a pair of wins over men’s George Washington and squash Bowdoin.

Sophomore Ramit Tandon won three of his four matches, with his only loss to freshman Amr Khalifa of St. Lawrence, 3-2.

The Lions started with a Friday afternoon matchup against seventhranked Franklin & Marshall College.

Tandon and senior Graham Miao posted the only wins for the Light Blue.

No. 10 St. Lawrence posted an impressive win the next day over the Lions, with sweeps over Columbia in

four matches. Sophomore Mohamed AbdelMaksoud was the only Light Blue to win his match, defeating Ibrahim Khan 3-1. For St. Lawrence, this was its second win after snapping a four-game losing streak. The Light Blue finally got its first win of the weekend over George Washington with a convincing 8-1 score line. Five players swept their opponents, including Miao and Tandon.

On Sunday, the Lions secured their second win of the weekend over Bowdoin by an identical score line of 8-1. Miao and sophomore Daniel Saleem posted wins after their respective, decisive fifth games. Sophomore Kyul Rhee dropped his first game, but came back with three straight game wins to take his match 3-1.

The Lions continue their season in Vermont with a matchup against No. 11 Middlebury on Jan. 26. sports@columbiaspectator.com

“We struggled this past fall for the first time in over 10 years,” Wood said. “The women are excited to run at a level reflective of their potential, dedication and commitment to the team.”

Another source of motivation for the women this winter is their title as defending Ivy champions. The Light Blue won the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships for the first time in program history last season.

“We can be just as good. We just need to get healthy, stay patient, and work hard,” Wood said.

With all the differences between both squads in the cross country season, they certainly have one thing in common this winter: Both have their work cut out for them. sports@columbiaspectator.com

sports briefly MEN’S TENNIS

The Lions, ranked No. 44 in the nation, faltered in their first match of 2013, falling 4-3 to Brigham Young University on Monday at home.

The Light Blue took the doubles point from the No. 58-ranked Cougars thanks to a dominating 8-0 sweep by freshmen Dragos Ignat and Eric Rubin and a hard-fought 8-7 win by sophomores Ashok Narayana and Max Schnur, the No. 17-ranked doubles team in the nation.

But BYU bounced back in singles play, taking four of the six matches to seal the win. Playing in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, Narayana and Ignat were the only Columbia players to come out on top in their singles contests. In the No. 1 singles match, BYU’s unranked Patrick Kawka bested No. 44-ranked sophomore Winston Lin, helping the Cougars achieve their fourth win in the last 10 days. The Light Blue will look to get back on track this weekend in Oxford, Miss., when it takes part in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend.

—Steven Lau

WOMEN’S SQUASH

The women’s squash team won three of six matches over winter break, bringing its overall record to 4-3, 0-3 Ivy. The Lions started winter break by dropping consecutive matches when they fell to Brown and Yale. Although Brown defeated Columbia 6-3 in Stamford, Conn., Columbia freshmen Catherine Jenkins and Reyna Pacheco obtained their first wins of the season, while sophomore Kate Calihan also took home a victory after a five-set match.

The Light Blue then hosted Yale at the SL Green Street Squash Center but were defeated 9-0. The Lions were able to bounce back and capture their first victory of the season when they swept Franklin & Marshall, 9-0, at the Yale Round Robin on Jan. 18, winning all but one match in the minimum three sets. The Lions split a pair of matches on the second day of the Round Robin, though, falling to Stanford 8-1.

The Lions went on to defeat George Washington 8-1, and they ended the break with a 9-0 victory over Bowdoin, which marked their third win of the season. The team will travel to New England this weekend to face Middlebury on Saturday and Williams on Sunday.

HALEY SCHOECK FOR SPECTATOR

REDEMPTION | Graham Miao, along with four of his teammates, earned three-set victories for a win over George Washington.

—Mollie Galchus

JANUARY 22, 2013

SPORTS / NEWS

Despite strong showing, Lions fall to Cornell 54-68 on the road

BY LAURA ALLEN Spectator Senior Staff Writer

“Not enough” is how senior co-captain Brittany Simmons described her performance against Cornell on Jan. 19. The Big Red handed the Lions a 54-68 loss in the first women’s basketwomen’s ball game of Ivy sea- basketball son, despite the guard posting a career-high 18 points, eight steals, and five rebounds Saturday.

“On paper, it looks good, but it’s still kind of sad that we didn’t win,” Simmons said. “It has helped put the team in a better position to win, so I’m still going to try and continue that effort, and probably do more because obviously what I did wasn’t enough.”

Indeed, the guard’s execution was not enough to topple the Big Red, leaving the Lions with their fifth consecutive defeat.

The losing streak began after the team notched a close win over St. Francis, 49-45, on Dec. 11. The ensuing road games over winter break included losses to California State University Long Beach, CSU Fullerton, and Lehigh before the Light Blue returned home to fall in a heartbreaker to Lafayette, 49-47.

In Ithaca, the squad opened up an exciting first half of back-andforth play with six ties and seven lead changes. Freshman guard Sara Mead sunk the first two shots of the game from the charity stripe after drawing a foul from Cornell’s guard Spencer Lane.

Cornell guard Shelby Lyman replied with a trey, thanks to an assist from Lane. Grabbing an offensive rebound seconds later, senior forward Tyler Simpson dropped her first bucket of the game, ultimately totaling 13 points and four

rebounds. Forward Clare Fitzpatrick—who had been honored before the game for reaching 1,000 career points earlier this month—followed with her own layup for the Big Red. “We allowed her to get easy moves on the block. I think we could’ve thrown her some double teams in her way, because obviously she is a great player,” Simmons said of Fitzpatrick.

The Light Blue had shot 44.1 percent and 50 percent from the field and behind the arc, respectively, in the first 20 minutes, but those percentages dropped to 28 percent and zero percent for the second half.

Meanwhile, the Big Red upped the ante, finally outscoring Columbia by at least 12 percent in every aspect.

Notably, the Lions edged out Cornell with 39 looks over 38, but the team simply did not capitalize.

“We can have no excuses for missing some shots,” Simmons said.

“We got some great looks and I felt like, for one of the first times in our season, that our offense was really clicking. It was easy, makeable shots that we missed, so hopefully we can correct, coming in this weekend, playing on our own court.”

The second half began similarly to the first, as the rivals forced three turnovers in the first three minutes altogether. The Lions hung up five buckets, but Cornell answered with nine after a three-pointer from Long at 16:24. Nothing was dropping in the next few minutes until Cornell made its getaway with 12 minutes left.

“We allowed them to have a run at the beginning of the second half and they hit a couple threes on us, so I felt like the one thing we lacked and what I think was the one reason we lost was because we allowed them to have a run,” Simmons said. sports@columbiaspectator.com

Over winter break, the Columbia women’s swimming and diving team sailed to comfortable victories over Bucknell and Cornell in separate contests, setting several pool records in the process.

Their first test of swim the new year came at home against Bucknell, whom the Lions dispatched in a 109.5-108.5 victory on Jan. 5. The lone pool record of the meet came in the final event, the 800 free relay, when the team

of senior Katie Meili, junior Aileen Smith, and sophomores Sidney Drill and Salena Huang bettered the former pool record from 1998 by over 5 seconds with a time of 7:29.77. Diving swept the 3-meter event, with senior Kristin Hehir, junior Katie Furr, and sophomore Alyssa Menz taking first, second, and third, respectively. The Light Blue also took both the 100 and 200 fly races en route to their dominating win.

In a rare combined meet, the men’s squad also battled Bucknell, winning by an even greater margin, 209-91, and winning six events in the process.

More recently, the Lions squared

ALYSON GOULDEN / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

BALLIN’ BRITTANY | Although senior guard Brittany Simmons posted careerhigh stats, it wasn’t enough for the win.

off against Cornell on Saturday. In a promising start for Columbia, the Light Blue relays finished first and second in the 200 medley relay. In both the 100 back and 200 fly, however, two of the three Columbia swimmers were disqualified.

Despite these setbacks, the meet culminated in a 178-115 victory for the squad, largely thanks to the multiple sweeps on the part of the Columbia team, whose 100 fly, 200 free and 500 free swimmers helped stockpile valuable points. Meili and fellow seniors Caroline Lukins, and Kristina Parsons all obliterated former Cornell pool records in the 100

Lions beat Cornell in Ithaca for first Ivy win

BY ELI SCHULTZ Spectator Senior Staff Writer ITHACA, N.Y.—The Lions got conference play off to a strong start on Saturday afternoon, picking up a 67-58 road win over Cornell.

Columbia (9-6, 1-0 Ivy) started out sluggishly, as the Cornell (8-10, 0-1 Ivy) men’s press proved to be effec- basketball tive in the game’s first minutes. The Big Red held a five-point lead with 15:52 to play in the first half.

“We just had a couple miscommunications, and to be a great team we can’t have that and we gotta adjust a little more,” senior point guard Brian Barbour said of the Lions’ slow start. “I’m sure we’ll work on it this week knowing it’s coming again right back at us.”

Columbia clawed its way back, buoyed by the three-point shooting of sophomore guard Steve Frankoski and the hustle of senior forward John Daniels. A Frankoski three gave Columbia its first lead, and Daniels provided a spark defensively and on the glass.

“John brings a huge presence on the boards,” senior center Mark Cisco said of Daniels. “He’s a high-energy player, gets everyone excited, and it’s really vital to the team.”

As a unit, the Lions had trouble on the boards in the first half, getting outrebounded 16-11. But despite allowing six second-chance points in the first half, the Light Blue held a 34-31 halftime lead.

The first 10 minutes of the second half were tightly contested. Cornell closed the gap, and briefly recaptured the lead. Neither team was able to secure a convincing lead until Frankoski’s three gave Columbia a six-point advantage with 9:47 to play in the game.

Back-to-back field goals by Cisco and freshman guard Grant Mullins gave Columbia a 53-43 advantage with just under 8:30 remaining, and Cisco added another bucket to put the visitors up by

breast, 200 fly, and 100 fly, respectively—each by over a second.

On Friday, the men’s swimming and diving squad also chalked up a win against the Bears, 172-127. The men’s team is now 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the Ivy League.

Following the victories, the women’s team’s record now stands at 3-2 overall and 2-2 Ivy, though next weekend’s homecoming meet against Brown offers a chance to improve their Ivy standing. Currently, the Lions and Bears (also 2-2) are tied for fourth in the conference rankings after Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. sports@columbiaspectator.com

guide that could also be used for future events,” Brennan said.

She plans to use the $615 grant award to offset costs of the project’s two physical products: the printed reissue of the “Disorientation Guide” and the art installation.

While Brennan’s project is focused on campus, Chess in Africa, a human development project submitted by Matt Horwitz, CC ’13, and Kathryn Houghton, CC ’13, will develop a set of chess programs across sub-Saharan

“Because they got the grants from us they have to abide by our timeline. But we have to establish a timeline with each group based off of what they need.”

—Zach Vargas-Sullivan Class of 2014 representative

MIKE DISCENZA/ SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

DUNKIN’ DANIELS | Senior John Daniels had a strong game starting as forward with a monster dunk in the first half, bringing energy to the floor. put the Columbia lead back at 12 with just over three minutes remaining.

Cornell was unable to get back on its feet, as Columbia closed out the win to improve to 9-6 on the season and start off conference play with a win. sports@columbiaspectator.com

After a long hiatus, the Columbia men’s and women’s fencing teams returned to the strip at the Penn State Invitational on Jan. 12 and picked up right where they left off in late November. Thanks to an infusion of young talent and a more balanced fencing roster, the Lions emerged from the meet with nine combined wins and just one loss.

The women’s squad stole the show in Happy Valley as they dominated Temple 23-4 and Drew 25-2, narrowly edged out both Duke and North Carolina by a score of 14-13, and defeated host Penn State 15-12.

The men’s squad defeated Haverford 25-2, Drew 21-6, North Carolina 20-7 and Duke 17-10 but fell to Penn State 5-22.

The women’s squad was led by a number of strong performances, including senior epee Lydia Kopecky, who went 11-5; senior foilist D’Meca Homer, who went 8-1; and senior sabrists Loweye Diedro and Essane Diedro, who combined for a record of 10-2.

In addition, freshmen Margaret Lu and Jackie Dubrovich posted records of 12-0 and 7-2, respectively, in foil, while freshmen Laura Hunter-Thomas and Sarah Gruman notched records of 7-2 and 5-4, respectively, in sabre.

On the men’s side, the sabre squad was led by a trio of upperclassmen—junior Mel Rodriguez, sophomore Michael Josephs and sophomore Will Spear­­­—who combined for a record of 19-9.

However, the best performances emerged from the freshmen. In men’s epee, freshmen Brian Ro went 9-1, Jake Hoyle went 8-2 and Justin Wan went 7-3.

Freshmen Harry Bergman and Adam Mathieu notched records of 7-3 and 7-4, respectively, in men’s foil while freshman sabrist Geoffrey Loss went 6-4.

Not only will their performances give them a boost of confidence, but this meet will likely prove to be a tremendous learning experience for its youngest athletes, who experienced a high amount of bouts.

While a number of Columbia’s fencers competed at a USFA North American Cup event in Louisville, Ky. this past weekend, the entire squad will return to collegiate competition this upcoming weekend at the St. John’s Super Cup and NYU Invitational, both of which will feature most of the top fencing programs in the country. sports@columbiaspectator.com

Grants include chess program, robot, film about scholar athletes CCSC from front page

12 and cap off a 13-0 run.

A second-chance score by forward Shonn Miller halted Columbia’s run, and a three from Miller on the next possession cut the Columbia lead to eight.

After a couple back-and-forth possessions, a pair of Barbour free throws

CU fencing maintains momentum over the break

BY SPENCER GYORY Spectator Senior Staff Writer

Lions glide to key victories, setting pool records in process

BY CHARLOTTE MURTISHAW Spectator Senior Staff Writer

PAGE 7

Africa in order to promote chess education and global health.

Horwitz, the president of the Columbia Chess Club and a chess tutor and mentor for children, said that he recognized the “luxury of having someone with a developed skill teach them a fun and rewarding game.”

Because the project is large in scale, Horwitz and Houghton need about $3,100 more funding than the $2,000 grant awarded them, and are looking to the Davis Projects for Peace fund and crowdsourcing website Kickstarter for more help. They plan

to use their funds for plane tickets, chess materials, and food and lodging.

Grace Tan, CC ’14, and Constance Castillo, CC ’13, felt that Columbia’s athletic culture was one of social disconnect with the larger campus body, and so they decided to apply for funding for a three-part movie series that explores the dynamics between athletes and the rest of the Columbia community.

“We chose film as the medium to express these ideas because film easily conveys what immediately draws us to the athlete—the beauty of the body in motion, the display of physical exertion, determination, achievement—and it also has the potential to elucidate philosophical undercurrents through juxtaposition and staging,” Castillo said.

On the other hand, Jason Ravel, CC ’13, and Anton Mayr, Marc Howard, and Alexandros Sigaras, SEAS graduate students, chose a slightly more technical project: the construction of a humanoid robot that will be able to interact with people and objects and manipulate its environment. Although Ravel said the project will take “countless hours of work,” he said he found the prospect of creating a durable learning tool for the Columbia community fun and innovative.

Vargas-Sullivan, the CCSC representative, said that the way the council keeps track of the recipients’ progress will be decided on an individual basis, but “the product of the projects is supposed to be out and acceptable by the beginning of May.” “Because they got the grants from us they have to abide by our timeline,” he said. “But we have to establish a timeline with each group based off of what they need and the resources that we have to give them, and that has to be done in a conversation that we have to have with them in the first two weeks of school.”

Lillian Chen contributed reporting. rakhi.agrawal@columbiaspectator.com

PAGE 8

NEWS

JANUARY 22, 2013

Students denied access to labor negotiations meeting SWS from front page “But I guess he didn’t really intend on acting.”

Joseph said that Sheila Garvey, assistant vice president of labor relations, “immediately began yelling, demanding to know if we were students” after she saw him and Brennan at the meeting, and said that Garvey refused to begin negotiations while the students were present.

Not wanting to deter possible amendments to the contract, Brennan said that she and Joseph decided to leave the meeting.

Wright and Garvey did not respond to requests for comment.

“Everyone’s like, ‘Wait, that’s Jeff Scott.’ It was a crazy scene, seeing 25 workers running after him.”

—George Joseph, CC ’16 Disappointed with the response from Columbia administrators, SWS members and a group of Faculty House workers went to Scott’s office on Dec. 20 to present their grievances but were unable to speak to him.

“His secretary was there and said, ‘I think I know why you guys are here.’ Then this big guy, grayish hair, put his head down and power-walked through the room with his briefcase in hand, almost running through the halls, and everyone’s like, ‘Wait, that’s Jeff Scott,’” Joseph said. “It was a crazy scene, seeing 25 workers running after him.”

“There really was no backand-forth,” Brennan said of the SWS’s interaction with Scott.

“It’s why we sent him the petition: to respond and take a stance on what we had talked to him about.” ‘looking for something better’ According to Faculty House workers, their salaries have not increased by more than $1 in eight years.

The only contract listed for Local 100, the union that

represents the Faculty House workers, states that from 2001 to 2004, salaries increased by 2 percent each year. Columbia’s current offer consists of a $200 lump sum for the first year, a 1 percent increase the second and 0 percent the third year.

In contrast, the contract for Local 2110, which represents technical, office and professional workers, received a 17 percent salary increase over five years, starting in 2007.

Local 241, serving maintenance and custodial employees, received a 16.5 percent increase over five years, starting in 2008. Local 1199, serving cafeteria and clerical positions, saw a rise of 9 percent over three years from 2006-2009.

Osmond Cousins, a Faculty House chef who has worked there for over 18 years, said that he has sent letters to various administrators, including one to University President Lee Bollinger, but never received any responses.

“We’re concerned about money in our pockets—we’re looking for something better,” he said.

According to Cousins, the Faculty House workers are among the lowest paid.

Workers are paid each week in accordance with seniority, with new hires receiving a starting salary of $13.50 per hour.

Workers also said that they were upset that the University instituted a service charge without telling them.

Before the 1996 contract, Faculty House workers received a 15 percent gratuity.

But a provision added to that contract got rid of the 15 percent tip and instead included a 22 percent service charge.

Workers and the SWS claim this was a deliberately misleading way to withhold tips from the workers, since clients are told gratuity is included in their bill but would only know it is not destined for the workers after reading their contract.

In addition, workers are laid off summer and winter months during University breaks, which amounts to almost five months of unemployment each year.

Juan Aquino, a single father and caterer for Faculty House who has worked there for 25 years, said that he had to work overtime hours to make ends meet.

“For me to earn the same amount of money the person across campus makes in 40 hours, I have to work up to 80,

COURTESY OF RAQUEL LEDEZMA-HAIGHT

NEGOTIATIONS | Members of Student-Worker Solidarity are working to raise awareness of the employees’ situation.

90 hours a week,” Aquino said.

“Some can say, ‘I’m done here, I’m gonna get another job.’ Not me.” ‘we’re not going to settle’ During layoff season, workers are not paid unemployment benefits because of a 1983 amendment to the state Unemployment Insurance Law. Instead, full-time workers are given a $200 weekly stipend for the summer, which is “reduced by one-fifth for each day worked” during layoff season, as per the contract.

The type of employment offered at the time of a worker’s initial hiring assigns full and part-time classification, but it is independent from the years a worker has stayed in Faculty House or their weekly hours.

“We’re not going to settle under any circumstances for what’s on the table.”

—Osmond Cousins Faculty House cook

“If I worked today, I would get $40 taken off and be paid by the hour,” Aquino said. “It’s not supposed to be that way—they should add that money on top of the layoff money.”

Previously, workers received a stipend of only $150, which, according to Cousins, stems from a 1983-old clause in which minimum wage was $3.35.

Faculty House workers received an increase due to a stipulation in their contract that

Open House Meet the editors. Learn how to join.

requires their stipend to rise with Dining Services’.

But Cousins and Aquino said that part-time workers are paid half of the stipend, regardless of what the contract says.

The petition that the SWS issued on Jan. 10 demanded that workers and students be permitted to attend future negotiations and called for Scott to attend the meetings. It accrued more than 100 signatures in less than 48 hours.

Leonard Cox, assistant vice president of communications for student and administrative services, said that the University does not comment on ongoing labor negotiations.

In response, SWS issued a statement that said, “Columbia University’s outright refusal for transparent negotiations is unacceptable and leaves no doubt that the University has something to hide.”

As part of a weeklong protest, SWS members will hold a rally outside Faculty House during negotiations Wednesday and a “teach-in” led by Faculty House workers on Thursday to discuss their working conditions and provide a space for students to ask questions.

Faculty House workers said that they were grateful to the students who have spoken out on their behalf and that they are hopeful that they can still reach an agreement before their contract expires in March.

“It’s overwhelmingly emotional, how students having no business getting involved in this are so passionate,” Cousins said.

“We’re not going to settle under any circumstances for what’s on the table—something has to happen.” cecilia.reyes @columbiaspectator.com

Friday, Jan. 25, 4 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 26, 2 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 2, 4 p.m.

2875 Broadway between 111th and 112th streets next door to Pinkberry If the door is closed, dial #11 and we’ll buzz you up

CASEY TOLAN FOR SPECTATOR

DOORS CLOSED | Hungry residents of Morningside Heights were faced with shutters at Absolute Bagels this weekend.

Students mixed on whether to return to Absolute Bagels ABSOLUTE from front page “I think when they reopen, they should be inspected really closely,” he said. “I would only go there in the future if they get an A for sanitation.”

Nana Abrefah, CC ’16, called the inspection report “disconcerting.”

“It’s a good thing I only went there once,” he said, adding that he would only go back

“after some time.”

Sam Nicoll, CC ’15, said he had a bagel there “once every week or two.”

“I never noticed ... I had no reason to think that [there were health violations],” he said.

Nicoll said he would probably go back, though.

“It’s still kinda THE bagel place,” he said. news@columbiaspectator.com

Papandreou to teach course on European financial crisis PAPANDREOU from front page position in November 2011 to make way for a national unity government. He remains a member of parliament and the president of the political coalition Socialist International.

“George Papandreou has been a leader in challenging times,” Provost John Coatsworth said in the statement, adding that Papandreau “brings to Columbia and SIPA a wealth of knowledge and experience.”

Irene Finel-Honigman, an adjunct professor of international and public affairs at SIPA known for her work on the European Union, praised Papandreou’s new position at Columbia.

“Usually when we bring in former leaders—prime ministers, presidents, member of governments—we benefit greatly from their ability to present

probably a more straightforward perspective than when they were in power,” she added.

Finel-Honigman, who taught a course at SIPA on the European financial crisis last semester, said she hopes Papandreou provides Columbia with a “firsthand account” of what happened in Greece during his tenure as prime minister and how he thinks the problems that still plague Greece and the European Union can ultimately be resolved.

“We still have a lot of political discontent and political instability in Greece right now,” she said, citing recent violence and a tax evasion probe centered on former Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou.

“I think there are a lot of things he can address for us and hopefully answer a lot of our questions,” she said. samantha.cooney @columbiaspectator.com

JANUARY 22, 2013

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PAGE 9

PAGE 10

SPORTS

JANUARY 22, 2013

Finding new ways to follow Lions wrestle with shaky start over winter break CU athletics while abroad ANDREWS from page 6 than three weeks from now, when it would have done much less good.

The study-abroad student, the student who wants to follow a road game in Ithaca, and even the student so lazy that he can’t crawl the half a block to Levien on a Friday night now can all follow the Lions to their heart’s content. But whether it’s a substitute for being in the building will take a few more weeks to determine. For the rest of the semester, I’ll be trying to figure out how being in a long-distance relationship with the Lions

affects how I perceive their season, as well as writing about the relationship between sport (no “s” on the end in the UK!) and school in the British university system.

Also, I must figure out more about this sport they call “cricket.” If it’s anything like basketball, I’m sold.

Peter Andrews is a Columbia College junior majoring in history. He is studying this semester at University College London, and he is the head manager emeritus of the Columbia University Marching Band.

BY STEPHEN BABENDREIER Spectator Staff Writer

The Columbia wrestling team got the second half of its season underway during winter break. The team placed 15th of 32 in the Midlands Tournament and won two of four wrestling head-to-head matches during the break.

The Lions returned to the mat on Dec. 29 for the Midlands Tournament in Evanston, Ill. The team finished the day in third place, but the second session of matches were tough for the Lions. Senior Steve Santos lost his

first match of the season but managed to place fourth overall in the 149-pound weight class.

Columbia then headed west to the Mustang Duals, where it defeated Cal Poly and San Francisco State, but lost to California State University Bakersfield. Columbia won seven of 10 against Cal Poly and eight of 10 against San Francisco State. The Bakersfield team, however, proved too strong for the Lions, who lost three of the matches for a final score of 22­­­-12.

Columbia returned back east from its road trip to face Bucknell in Lewisburg, Pa., on Jan. 18. The Lions were unable to rebound from their loss to CSU Bakersfield and fell 24-14 in another 10-point match to the Bison.

FILE PHOTO

CHALK TALK | Coach Carl Fronhofer and his team struggled to

establish consistency in their tournaments over the winter break.

Columbia gave up a 15-point deficit early on but came back to within one point to put pressure on its hosts. Bucknell secured the

victory with crucial wins, one by decision and one by pin, in the final two matches. sports@columbiaspectator.com