VOL. CXXXIV—NO. 62
MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2010
WWW.COLUMBIASPECTATOR.COM
Greek life considers BC participation cap
SPRINGTIME COLORS
Lack of Barnard recognition for sororities sparks reevaluation BY ELIZABETH SCOTT Spectator Senior Staff Writer
photos by anthony yim, jasper clyatt
CELEBRATION | Students braved the rain to celebrate Holi, an annual Indian festival in which people cover each other in chalky paint.
Andy Kim, CC ’11, steps into vacated council seat BY ELIZABETH SCOTT Spectator Senior Staff Writer There is an afterlife for the After Party. On Sunday night, the Columbia College Student Council voted for Andy Kim, CC ’11, to fill an empty representative seat on the 2011 class council board, vacated by Roxanne Unger, CC ’11, who recently announced her decision to step down. Kim ran with the After Party ticket in the recent class
council elections, but was the only member of the party not voted into office. CCSC elections run on an instant-runoff voting system, meaning that students rank the candidates rather than choosing one. The lowest-ranked candidates are eliminated from the race, and his or her votes are redistributed to other contenders. Unger had run for a representative seat on the opposing Party Bus Party (Bus) ticket—helmed by current Vice President of Funding
Nuriel Moghavem, CC ’11—and was the only member of her party to nab a council seat. As she was the lone member of the opposing ticket on the 2011 council, Unger informed CCSC last week of her decision to resign. “To be the sole victor of my ticket does not feel right in light of all the time we put in together,” Unger wrote in an email. “I expect that the most productive and effective class council is a group that has a unified vision.”
In choosing a replacement, initially CCSC debated whether incoming members should be the ones to chose the representative, with some arguing that the general student body should be permitted to vote. But in line with the CCSC constitution, the council ultimately opted to make an internal appointment, with the incoming senior class council choosing nominees. Of the five SEE CCSC, page 2
With the Barnard student council declining to officially recognize Greek life, representatives from University sororities and fraternities are exploring potential measures to limit Barnard’s involvement in campus sororities. Earlier this month, Barnard’s Student Government Association voted down a proposal to recognize Greek life—a move which would give fraternities and sororities greater financial support and access to event spaces and other campus services at Barnard. SGA acts as a governing board that allocates funds to student groups. SGA has typically not recognized Greek life because Barnard’s constitution directly states that SGA cannot recognize sororities or clubs that choose members on a “discriminatory basis,” but recently the InterGreek Council, which is a Columbia governing board that includes three Greek life branches, has pushed for official SGA recognition. Since SGA shut down the latest proposal for recognition, the IGC has begun to explore potential courses of action, including possibly capping Barnard participation in sororities. In a formal statement the IGC made to the student council presidents of the Columbia College Student Council, the Engineering Student Council, the General Studies Student Council, and SGA, the IGC wrote, “The council [IGC] was left with some very tough choices to make regarding the future of Barnard students’ involvement in Greek life on Columbia’s campus. We cannot in good conscience continue to grow at this pace without basic recognition for our governing board.” Currently, all undergraduate student councils, including SGA,
do contribute money to Greek life funding. Though SGA does not grant sororities recognition, it has given gifts to Greek life councils in the past, in some cases exceeding the funds the councils would receive with recognition. Furthermore, any group, regardless of recognition, can also apply for cosponsorship with SGA. Despite fixed sums from SGA, the IGC argued in its statement that the lack of recognition limits Greek life benefits, “Those Barnard students involved in an IFC or MGC [IGC branches] organization do not have access to any of the benefits of being involved in a club recognized by SGA.” The possibility of a cap on the number of Barnard students that can rush in the future would not affect Barnard students currently in sororities, and the IGC said it will allow Barnard students to continue to participate in Greek life in the 2010-2011 year. While Nora Feinstein, president of the Panhellenic Council, one of the Greek life branches, said she cannot confirm that the capping method will be the ultimate path the IGC takes, she said that Barnard students will definitely not be barred from rushing sororities next year. The fate of Barnard students wishing to rush sororities in the future, however, may swing in the balance. The statement also said that should the Greek life councils not get the recognition they have requested from SGA, “We will be forced to take additional steps which may include the total restriction of Barnard students from involvement in Greek Life.” CCSC President Sue Yang, CC ’10, said she believes that the money that CCSC contributes to Greek life should go to supporting CC students and not Barnard students, SEE SORORITIES, page 2
After 40 years, USenate reflects on progress CU study explores asthma disparities The generation that drove the Columbia riots of 1968 made a rousing return to campus Friday afternoon to mark the 40th anniversary of the creation of the University Senate. Current and graduated students, former and incumbent senators, and participants in the ’68 protests joined in on a full-day program hosted by the Senate and the Office of the Provost. While some said that the Senate—which was born out of the riots—has lived up to the legacy of 1968, others commented that members have lost a sense of urgency.
At the event, attendees viewed a three-hour screening of filmmaker and Columbia Journalism School student Paul Cronin’s documentary detailing the occupation of five campus buildings by student protesters in 1968. An afternoon panel about the University’s internal restructuring followed the screening, which included the inauguration of the Senate in May 1969. Panelists included former University President Michael Sovern, CC ’53—whose administration first proposed the Senate—and former provost William Theodore de Bary, CC ’41 and first chairman of the Executive Committee. Also present were figures instrumental in
the Senate’s creation, including Harold Wechsler, CC ’67, Neal Hurwitz, CC ’66 and GSAS ’77, and Mark Weiss, GSAS ’68. Panelist and chemistry professor Ronald Breslow was among the first faculty senators elected in 1969. “Sometimes in the worst of times, good things are done which turn out to be worthwhile. I think that [the Senate] was one of them,” Breslow said, referring to the Senate’s creation in the wake of the riots. “I applaud the University Senate,” said Stefan Bradley, a professor of history at Saint Louis University and author of “Harlem vs. Columbia SEE USENATE, page 2
NEWS BRIEF
Man killed in shooting on 118th and Morningside A man was shot to death on 118th Street and Morningside Avenue early Saturday morning. According to the NYPD’s Office of the Deputy C ommissioner, Public Information, James Williams, 30, was found lying on the ground outside 357 West 118th St. with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. He was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital,
where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The investigation is ongoing, and falls under the 28th Precinct. On Sunday morning, an NYPD spokesperson added that two suspects had been taken into custody within 30 minutes of the shooting. They were apprehended on 110th Street and Manhattan Avenue,
and both matched the profile of the suspect as described by witnesses on site. One was arrested for criminal possession of a weapon, and the other was released. The suspect was described by witnesses as a black male wearing a grey sweatshirt or jogging jacket and blue jeans. Williams lived in Brooklyn. —Kim Kirschenbaum
BY ELIZABETH FOYDEL Spectator Staff Writer Although only 6 percent of Americans nationwide have asthma, roughly one in four children in Harlem suffer from the condition—and a recent Columbia study has shown that identifying the exact cause of this disparity is not an easy task. New Mailman School of Public Health research—which has particular resonance in Harlem—has identified more closely what actually triggers asthma’s onset and symptoms, and how this might explain neighborhood discrepancies. Matthew Perzanowski—an assistant professor of environmental health sciences, who co-authored the recent “NYC Neighborhood Asthma and Allergy Study” with several other doctors and researchers, said that children growing up in East and West Harlem are at two or three times the risk of having asthma, as compared to bordering neighborhoods like the Upper East Side and Upper West Side. Asthma, characterized by chronic lung inflammation and episodes of airway constriction, is an environmental disease, Perzanowski said. His study of seven-year-old subjects—recruited through their parents’ health insurance, most middle-class, and all are receiving health care—investigated
environmental exposures believed to have ties to asthma rates. Half of the children come from low-asthma neighborhoods and half from highasthma neighborhoods, such as Harlem and Washington Heights. After measuring environmental conditions in the
homes of all subjects, the study found correlations between mouse and cockroach allergen exposure and the onset or exacerbation of asthma symptoms. Children who had four or more episodes of wheezing SEE ASTHMA, page 2
2000-2007 ASTHMA HOSPITALIZATIONS
Gre enw Gra ich V me illa cy P ge ark Chels ea Upper East Side
Lower Wash. E. Side Hgt.
Gre enw ic Gram h Villa ecy P ge ark Chelsea Upper East Side
Morningside Heights
East Harlem
ide West S Upper
Ages 0-14 Years Lower E. Side
Wash. Hgt. Morningside Heights
East Harlem
ide est S er W Upp
Ages 15-34 Years Gree nwic h Vill age Gramec y Park
Upper
Lower E. Side
Chelsea e East Sid
e Sid est W r pe Up
Wash. Hgt.
East Harlem
Upper West Side Morningside Heights
Morningside Heights
Ages 35+ Years
INSIDE A&E, page 3
Sports, back page
Bacchanal bands’ antics keep concert energy high
Judie Lomax joins WNBA’s Connecticut Sun
On Saturday, Wiz Khalifa, Ghostface Killah, and of Montreal took the stage on Low Plaza at the Bacchanal spring concert. Each act pumped up the crowd in a different way, from call-and-response screaming to trippy light shows.
Judie Lomax will not play for Columbia her senior year, foregoing her final semester of eligibility to play in the WNBA. The Ivy League Player of the Year led the Lions to its first ever winning season and a third place finish this season.
Opinion, page 4 Cultivating well-rounded women Haley Vecchiarelli wants Barnard to put the “women” back in “women’s college.”
Technologic Sarah Leonard and Kate Redburn urge us to get our noses out of our iPads and debate face-to-face.
Today’s Events Columbia University Film Festival The Urban Research Workshop presents its study of the recent history of public housing in America. 323 Sixth Avenue, All day
Women and Leadership Jehmu Greene, Presdient Lee Bollinger, and Columbia students speak on the changing role of women leaders. 1161 Amsterdam, 6 p.m.
info@columbiaspectator.com
PHONE
(212) 854-9550
WEATHER Today
Tomorrow
55 / 48
58 / 43
data courtesy of department of health, graphic by jin chen
BY EMILY KWONG Spectator Staff Writer
Page 2
NEWS
Greek life considers Barnard cap SORORITIES from front page whose council does not recognize Greek life, “It is on principal that our money should be going to CC students,” she said. For many, the issue is more philosophical than fiscal. Nuriel Moghavem, CC ’10 and CCSC vice president of funding, said that the chunk of money that Barnard would contribute to Greek life funding if it recognized the IGC is insignificant in the larger financial scheme of student life. According to Moghavem, what Barnard would owe if it recognized Greek life is “a drop in the bucket really—which makes it seem like a philosophical issue.” Moghavem added that he “can’t
Andy Kim, CC ’11, steps into CCSC seat CCSC from front page
students nominated, two decided to run, and on Sunday the incoming members chose Kim over Laura Gabriele, CC ’11, who lost in the recent executive board race. This is not the first time a ticket has been split in elections—last year, two representatives from one party and one from the opposing were voted into office. But CCSC Elections Board chair James Bogner, CC ’10, said though that the resignation was unexpected. “I understand that party ties are important, but ultimately the events aren’t going to be tremendously different, and we’re all working toward the same things—so it is surprising,” Bogner said. “He’s extraordinarily dedicated to class council and is a great team player,” incoming class of 2011 president Sean Udell, CC ’11, said of Kim. “I’m really looking forward to working with him as class rep.” Udell added of Unger’s decision to step down, “I appreciate that she appeals to a different group of students, and that was a large portion of 2011ers who trusted her and trusted her ability to lead.” Unger said in an email after Sunday’s vote that the ultimate outcome was for the best. “Though I’m sure Sean’s group would have been great to work with, I simply felt that Andy was the better fit—after all, that’s how his party intended their group in the first place,” she said. Kim, after being voted in, said that he appreciated the opportunity to secure a seat on CCSC. “This is a role that I definitely wanted to take on. ... I knew that once it was vacated, I wanted to reclaim it and be able to serve for the class.” elizabeth.scott @columbiaspectator.com
see people getting too nervous about the money because it’s not a huge difference.” Gunnar Aasen, SEAS ’10 and vice president of Intergroup for ESC, overseeing funding, said, “We do want to take into account the fact that the contribution from F@CU [Funding at Columbia University] does not include a payment from SGA.” F@CU is a board made up of the incoming and outgoing presidents’ and vice presidents’ funding from GSSC, ESC, CCSC, and SGA, and at the end of the year, it holds a summit to allocate funding to the five governing boards—the Activities Board at Columbia, the Student Governing Board, Community Impact, club sports, and Greek life.
Katie Palillo, BC ’10 and president of SGA, said that the council members have been very involved in the decision-making process but that no conclusion has been reached as of yet. “The presidents of the other councils have been very aware and involved in the discussion since the very beginning. We met with the presidents and the president of Panhell about a month ago to talk about exact next steps for what the councils will be funding, and nothing has been finalized yet,” Palillo said. Aasen said that any decision made will most likely happen after the next F@CU meeting on May 4. He added, “We haven’t really made a final decision.” elizabeth.scott @columbiaspectator.com
ASTHMA from front page correlated with higher rates of pest allergens. The study also identified possible correlations between local sources of diesel particulates and rates of asthma symptoms. “We still don’t have a definitive answer on what leads to asthma,” Perzanowski said. “But we are trying to tease apart many factors, from genetic susceptibility to community and individual level differences and exposure to allergens.” According to New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene statistics, asthma hospitalizations are disparate both among and within boroughs. As of 2000, asthma was the number-one cause of hospitalizations in the city among children age 14 and younger. Perzanowski though said, “Hospitalizations, particularly in high asthma prevalence neighborhoods, have gone down pretty dramatically in the last 15 years through the efforts of the medical community and the Department of Health in educating parents and physicians.” He added though that the rates of asthma still seen today “have much to do with socioeconomic health care and how health care is accessed.” Cockroach and mouse allergens, he said of the recent study, are more common in lower-income homes and neighborhoods, often due to structural degradation of the home. Cracks or holes in walls, for instance, are conducive to the entry of the pests whose allergens affect asthma. Diesel exhaust, another likely trigger, is prevalent in areas where bus depots are located or where truck routes are common—often prominent in lower-income areas, and more common above 96th Street.
“We need to educate people to get appropriate therapy for their children, control versus emergency rescue medication, and to have an asthma action plan for how to monitor the disease and increase medications in order to avoid hospitalizations,” Perzanowski said. Although individual efforts to reduce home allergens, such as pest removal in a home, can be effective, “From a public health standpoint, we can do more community involvement in understanding what asthma triggers are and how to reduce them, as well as how to get the appropriate therapy,” he said. Local initiatives, such as the Harlem Hospital Center Asthma Prevention Project and collaborations with the Harlem Children’s Zone, have sought to address asthma disparities through neighborhood studies, child screenings, medical action plans, and programs for better management and reduction. And some say scientific research, like Perzanowski’s study, can help confront the ongoing challenges of a condition so common that it becomes a basic part of daily life in neighborhoods like Harlem. Vivian Williams-Kurutz, director of the nonprofit New Song Community Corporation’s Harlem Center for Healthy Living, said that many people tend to just accept asthma because it has become so common, and because there has not been a deep understanding of the causes of glaring neighborhood differences. “There are people who have been active in Harlem for years who have been passionate about this topic,” she said, adding, “but there just hasn’t been an incredible traction in creating something that has been able to get the monster.” elizabeth.foydel @columbiaspectator.com
the Senate reflect that sense of a legislative mission,” he wrote. “Inevitably, perhaps, the urgency faded as the university’s affairs returned to normal. Forty-one years out, the Senate certainly has work to do, but it sometimes feels a little like a cargo cult, with an array of powerful but underused legislative customs and procedures, waiting for a cataclysm that may never return.” But University senator and Middle East, South Asian, and African studies professor Frances Pritchett said that while the Senate may lack certain powers, it continues to play an important function on campus: “It doesn’t have a budget and can’t do certain power politics, but is important in terms of moral authority and policy-setting for the whole University.” She also believes that the Senate is the only place for some issues to be aired, recalling the Senate’s role in the anti-apartheid divestment campaign in 1978 and University relations with the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, which is banned on campus. Some Senate members said the event made them nostalgic
for the early days of the organization, despite the turbulent history that surrounds it. “Collectively they really conveyed the sense of urgency—shared by all the groups involved at the time—of the project of saving the university by rebuilding university governance after the turmoil of April 1968,” Mathewson wrote. William Phipps, Senate manager from 1982-1996, wrote in an email that the event was “stirring.” Phipps also said he considered today’s systems of University governance somewhat flawed. “Friday made me wish that all the energy and brains that went into establishing these governance bodies at colleges all over the country … had been sustained and renewed every year since. “It also made me nostalgic for the days when students were trying not only to stand up for their own interests, but were more politically involved and passionate about finding the right human ideals that are worth living for and fighting for,” Phipps said. emily.kwong @columbiaspectator.com
Study explores asthma triggers, disparities
USenate reflects on progress, after 40 years USENATE from front page
University: Black Student Power in the Late 1960s.” “It’s one thing to shout with a bullhorn and to take over buildings, but it’s another thing to sit down and do the very boring work of providing a structure and trying to do things and go through the political process. They needed this jolt to make the University Senate possible.” Though audience and panelist conversations focused largely on the birth of the Senate, panelist Hurwitz questioned the composition of the Senate today. As co-leader of Students for a Restructured University in the ’60s, he remarked, “The SRU never, ever wanted a Senate with 62 faculty, 24 students, six research folks, two administrative staff. … The bottom line was, I think the proposal was that we have equal power.” Moderator and current Senate manager Tom Mathewson said in an email that he did not believe the current Senate has kept up with the legacy of the 1968 Senate. “I think the accomplishments of the first few years of ADDRESS & EMAIL
Columbia Spectator 2875 Broadway, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10025 info@columbiaspectator.com
PHONE & FAX
Spectator (212) 854-9555 Editorial Fax (212) 854-9611 Business (212) 854-9550 Business Fax (212) 854-9553
EDITORIAL POLICY
For more information about the Columbia Daily Spectator and editorial policies, visit http://www.columbiaspectator.com/about.
ADVERTISING
For more information about advertising, visit http://spc.columbiaspectator. com/.
CORRECTIONS
The Spectator is committed to fair and accurate reporting. If you know of an error, please inform us at copy@columbiaspectator.com.
COMMENTS & QUESTIONS
For general comments or questions about the newspaper, please write to the editor in chief and managing editor at editor@ columbiaspectator.com.
April 26, 2010
April 26, 2010
Arts & Entertainment
TUNING IN
BY MOLLY SPEACHT Spectator Staff Writer
Columbians put down their essays and textbooks to attend Saturday’s Bacchanal concert
On Saturday, many Columbia students finally let their hair down, screaming, jumping, and stage-diving at the Bacchanal spring MUSIC concert. Although he was the least well-known of the three acts, Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa drew a large crowd to Bacchanal’s first set. He showed off his knowledge of how to interact with an audience, getting the crowd members to put their hands in the air and sing along on multiple occasions. Arguably the highlight of the act was when, at the rapper’s request, one excited fan even climbed on stage to tie Khalifa’s shoelaces. Next up, Ghostface Killah—the man, the myth, the legend—took the stage. Using the sound of gunshots to punctuate his raps, Ghostface’s act had a much rougher flow than that of Khalifa. However, Ghostface echoed Khalifa’s success at encouraging audience participation—the audience screamed his name and flashed Wu-Tang Clan hand signs. Highlights included Ghostface’s performance of a hit from his Wu-Tang Clan days titled “Wu-Tang Clan Aint
Nuthing Ta F’ Wit” and a cover of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.” Of Montreal’s set—with integrated performance art—blurred the line between hilarious and horrifying. The band’s show included figures clad in gas masks and robes, half-naked girls vacillating between desperately sucking their thumbs and dancing seductively, and diaper-wearing men covered in white paint. The band presented these crazy characters in front of a background screen displaying hypnotic images and a colorful light show. Somehow, all of these attention-grabbing additions did not overshadow the glam rock of lead singer Kevin Barnes and his crew. Opening with “Suffer for Fashion” and closing with “The Past Is a Grotesque Animal,” the band stuck with songs from one of their most famous albums, “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?” along with other favorites like “Disconnect the Dots.” Of Montreal, out of the three acts, arguably elicited the most enthusiastic response from audience members. Many Columbians in the crowd were
Page 3 perhaps inspired by the band’s trippy performance, seeing it as an invitation to loosen up. While some students merely tapped their feet, numerous others danced with abandon—the overall chaotic atmosphere of the band’s act highlighted the concert’s role as a much-needed study break with term papers and final exams looming overhead. A surprising number of Columbians also partook in stage diving and crowd surfing, and even of Montreal band member Davey Pierce and event mascot Chewbacca joined in on the activity. “The show was fantastic. The crowd was very respectful and nice. No one tried to touch me inappropriately,” Pierce said. “I accidentally threw one of my pedals out, and I think they actually gave it back to me.” Indeed, the of Montreal musicians seemed to enjoy the concert as much as the audience did. Pierce said, “It is a big honor to play with Ghostface Killah, and it was an amazing thing to play right out there on the Steps and actually have people pay attention to you.”
photos by kristina budelis, andra mihali, emma pattiz, colin sullivn, and rachel valinsky
Show promises belly dance but focuses more on story than movement BY DIANE WANG Columbia Daily Spectator Students who attended last night’s “PURE Reflections: Beauty Reimagined” solely to experience the art of belly dancing may have DANCE been sorely disappointed. As director Dixie Fernandez explained, PURE is not a conventional belly dance troupe. It is a troupe made up of real women—attorneys, professionals, interpreters, and even school vice principals—who care about and support each other and express themselves through belly dancing. These women took the audience members on a journey, exploring self-consciousness and issues of self-image.
The message expressed has real-life meaning for the members, each of whom has experienced a personal struggle over self-image. Through this production— which will travel to Connecticut next— the troupe members hope to share their experiences and encourage others to seek support. The chief choreographer and artistic director, Kaeshi Chai, explained that she “saw how healing belly dancing was, and body image was something I had struggled with throughout adolescence.” For her, this troupe is a 14-year-old dream come true. The dancers expressed real-life stories of battles with self-image in a moving progression of women’s birth to maturity. Four dancers were coupled with mirrors that caused their images to multiply
threefold—perhaps representative of themselves, their self-esteem, and their demons. The stories each reflected struggles against self-destructive behaviors such as binging, plastic surgery, cocaine, and cutting. Then, the dancers explained how, with maturity, they reclaimed their healthy self-perceptions—they then demonstrated this comfort with their bodies by dancing through the end of the performance. Live vocals and percussion supported each dancer’s struggle with the mirror, seen at first as a toy and then as the source of self-destructive patterns. However, the show overall lacked an emphasis on dance. The dancers relied on pantomime, music, and the background montage too often
to express their emotions and internal strife. These added elements distracted the audience from the raw and sometimes grotesque reality the dancers attempted to portray. Dance itself is such an expressive art that one has to question the need for props—even the mirrors that played such a large role in the production. Although all the dancers of PURE are women, Fernandez believes the message is “cohesive to men as well.” The mediadriven and body-conscious world can affect men and women equally. She left the audience with these words: “This show is an epiphany of sorts—we all have demons we struggle with. … It [the production] is ageless—there is no prejudice on the stage.”
zara castany / staff photographer
SEW GOOD | Prominent Asian Americans in the fashion world share their expertise.
Weaving stories of fashion Uneven dance performance still allows talent to shine through industry success BY LAURA TAYLOR Spectator Staff Writer
Although the past weekend’s production of the Barnard Dances program at Miller Theatre was largely amorphous and somewhat ungainly, the DANCE show also offered some dazzling moments of grace and compelling movement. This event was the most recent incarnation in a long line of programs that allows Columbia and Barnard students to engage with the professional dance world. Also known as the Barnard Dance Project, this particular performance created the opportunity for students to work with well-established choreographers from New York City. Students and choreographers showcased a jarring smorgasbord of concepts and styles, complemented by a live musical performance and occasionally mesmerizing movement. “Quarter Past Blue,” choreographed by Barnard dance department lecturer Jodi Melnick, lived up to its title as the dancers created a melancholic atmosphere with their emotionally drained expressions and minimalist gestures. Melnick seemed to explore issues of disconnect and miscommunication between individuals, facilitated by understated, sequential, and often stilted choreography. The piece juxtaposed extended periods of silence with bursts of music clips, including two different renditions of “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want,” originally by the Smiths. Occasionally, the dancers employed complex initiation sequences and angular, choppy motions as if to cry out for acknowledgement from their fellow dancers as well as from the stage itself. However, the overall lack of connection
andra mihali / senior staff photographer
ELEGANT ENERGY | Dancers in the Barnard Dances program perform Laura Dean’s “Sky Light” last night, a highly energetic but not entirely compelling piece. and emotion in the piece, coupled with an overwhelming sense that the movement was not being fully realized, yielded only three or four truly poignant moments throughout the 30-minute piece. The second piece, “Strung,” was without question the most compelling and most professional work of the program. As such, it was glaringly different from anything else presented that evening. The choreography pulsated and vibrated with life and energy. It was percussive, magnetic, and at times frenzied, while eerily calm and collected in other sections. Choreographed primarily by Bill Young, “Strung” espoused the unique, organic quality that is typical of his work.
The piece began with a bang—quite literally—as a dancer threw herself off the stage and onto the floor of the theater in order to escape the glare of a fellow dancer. Encased in navy uniforms, the “Strung” dancers scuffed, twitched, undulated, ran, jumped, and threw themselves about the stage. The piece was filled with emotional intensity and connection—the complete opposite of the previous piece by Melnick. There was even a brief period in which the movement stopped altogether and the dancers carried out whispered conversations on stage. These dancers seemed to work together against the oppressive, utilitarian sound design and sterile stage to fight
off a threat of dissolution and destruction. They moved together seamlessly until jumping off the stage to scream for several moments as they writhed on the theater floor. In another significant stylistic departure, Laura Dean’s “Sky Light” had a distinct ritual dance quality, as dancers whirled and jumped to the beats of live timpani, snare, and bass drums that shared the stage. The dance was remarkable for the sheer aerobic demands of its movement, which the dancers performed with mostly consistent energy. One dancer was mouthing the counts at one point, and a few others began to show signs of tiring, but the audience reacted enthusiastically to the dervish-like spinning solos that each of the six dancers had in a center spotlight. Lisa de Ribere’s “The Trout,” set to Schubert’s piano quintet of the same name, offered the fourth divergent choreographic concept and was the only ballet piece. Perhaps the program’s organizers thought that the night should end on a happy note, given the emotional and physical intensity of the previous numbers. “The Trout” certainly achieved that goal, with the smiling faces and sprightly, sometimes graceful, yet simple performances of de Ribere’s cast of dancers. Ultimately, the order of the pieces, awkward juxtaposition of such different types of dance, varying skill levels of the dancers, and inconsistent energy in the performance made the evening seem to lack a sense of cohesion. However, Young’s piece and a few outstanding dancers carried the Barnard Dances program through its rockier moments.
BY VIVIAN LUO Columbia Daily Spectator Well-established designer Phillip Lim, creative director of Elle and reality star of “The City” Joe Zee, and CEO of Opening Ceremony Humberto STYLE Leon were among the 10 panelists presenting at Asian Pacific American Awareness Month and Hoot Magazine’s panel discussion titled “Asian Americans in the Fashion Industry” last night. The panelists brought inspiration and insight to fashion industry hopefuls through captivating success stories and informative advice. Noel Duan, CC ’13—co-editor in chief of Hoot Magazine, arts chair of APAAM, and Spectator style writer— coordinated the event with Leon’s help. Duan envisioned this panel not as an opportunity to discuss the obstacles in the fashion industry, but rather as a chance to, as she said, “get across that it’s pretty easy to step into the fashion industry today—no one’s going to stop you from working in fashion because of your background.” When SuChin Pak, MTV correspondent and moderator of the panel, asked the panelists how they reached their current levels of prominence in the fashion industry, nearly all attributed their success to their undying passion and enthusiasm for their respective roles in the industry. Lim, who was nominated for Vogue’s Fashion Fund award in 2006, explained that he kept asking himself during college, “Why are you a business major when you suck at math?” One day, he had an epiphany in accounting class and SEE PANEL, page 8
Page 4
Editorial & Opinion
The 134th year of publication Independent since 1962 CORPORATE BOARD BEN COTTON Editor in Chief THOMAS RHIEL Managing Editor AKHIL MEHTA Publisher
MANAGING BOARD ALIX PIANIN Campus News Editor SAM LEVIN City News Editor CHRISTINE JORDAN Arts & Entertainment Editor EMILY TAMKIN Editorial Page Editor MICHELE CLEARY Sports Editor MAGGIE ASTOR Head Copy Editor EMBRY OWEN Photo Editor HANNAH D’APICE Design Editor BETSY FELDMAN Design Editor YIPENG HUANG Staff Director ANDREW HITTI Sales Director COLIN SULLIVAN Alumni Director NILKANTH PATEL Online Content Editor
DEPUTY BOARD: News Editors Sarah Darville, Leah Greenbaum, Kim Kirschenbaum, Elizabeth Scott, Madina Toure, Amber Tunnell La Página Editor Carolina Martes Arts & Entertainment Editors Joe Daly, Maddy Kloss Editorial Page Editors Caitlin Brown, Elaine Wang Copy Editor Raquel Villagra Design Editors Jin Chen, Joanna Wang Photo Editors Jasper Clyatt, Shelby Layne, Rachel Valinsky, Patrick Yuan Sports Editors Kunal Gupta Infrastructure Editors Daniel Lasry, Yufei Liu Multimedia Editor Kristina Budelis Online Business Zachary Sims Sales Mabel McLean, James Tsay Finance Aditya Mukerjee, Sam Rhee, Shengyu Tang Alumni Boyoon Choi, Anika Mehta, Andrea Collazo Staff Training Editors Joy Resmovits Jacob Schneider
ASSOCIATE BOARD: Art Editor Ashton Cooper Books Editor Claire Fu Dance Editor Melissa von Mayrhauser Film Editor Rachel Allen Food & Drink Editor Jason Bell Music Editor Angela Ruggiero-Corliss Style Editor Allison Malecha Theater Editor Steven Strauss TV Editor Logan Hofstein Editorial Page Editors Sarah Ahmed, Jennifer Fearon, Paula Gergen, Vickie Kassapidis, Rebekah Mays, Gabriella Porrino Editorial Board Members Josefina Aguila, Ana Baric, Shira Borzak, Samuel Roth, Tabitha Peyton Wood, Karina Yu Copy Editors Maggie Alden, Marissa Barbaro, Alex Collazo, Zuzanna Fuchs, Emily Handsman, Aarti Iyer, Christopher Johnson, Sierra Kuzava, Emma Manson, Katrin Nusshold, Laura Oseland, Lucy Wang, Maddie Wolberg Design Editors Ann Chou, Carolyn Lucey, Emily Shartrand, Jeremy Bleeke, Katherine Taketomo, Peggy Bermel, Rebecca Eis, Yishu Huang Photo Editors Rose Donlon, Talia Kori, Phoebe Lytle, Andra Mihali, Jack Zietman Sports Editors Philicia Davis, Zach Glubiak, Victoria Jones, Nina Lukina, Michael Zhong Sales Kate Huether Finance Brendan Barry, Oliver Chan, Tida Choomchaiyo, Gabriela Hempfling, Michelle Lacks Alumni Dorothy Chen, Kim Gordon, Mishaal Khan Staff Illustrator Matteo Malinverno Multimedia Training Editor Aaron Kohn SUNDAY NIGHT STAFF: Copy Lucy Hunter, Krystal Martinez, Samantha Saly Design Benita Trenk, Felix Vo
ADDRESS & EMAIL
Columbia Spectator 2875 Broadway, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10025 info@columbiaspectator.com
PHONE & FAX
Daily Spectator (212) 854-9555 Editorial Fax (212) 854-9611 Business (212) 854-9550 Business Fax (212) 854-9553
EDITORIAL POLICY
For more information about the Columbia Daily Spectator and editorial policies, visit http:// www.columbiaspectator.com/ about.
ADVERTISING
For more information about advertising visit http://spc. columbiaspectator.com/.
CORRECTIONS
The Spectator is committed to fair and accurate reporting. If you know of an error, please inform us at copy@columbiaspectator.com.
COMMENTS & QUESTIONS
For general comments or questions about the newspaper, please write to the editor in chief and managing editor at editor@columbiaspectator.com.
The Postmodern Clusterfuck, and goodbye to it all!
L
ast week, I saw the end of civilization. Turning the corner of Dodge from Low Steps to 116th and Sarah Leonard Broadway, I saw a man trudgand ing down College Kate Redburn Walk with the familiar stooped gait Sh o c k an d of someone sendAwe ing a text message. This guy was enthralled by that even rarer breed, the iPad. I watched him proceed, eyes still fixed on the flashing screen, and walk at full pace into a row of passersby. Not pretty. It was a sad footnote in the history of supposedly connective technologies, but more than that, the man and his iPad were the latest casualties in what I like to call the Postmodern Clusterfuck. Postmodernism has captured us. The way it obliterates hierarchies can be liberating, but the mistrust of any boundaries, the openness to literally anything, leads to a dogma of blind acceptance (emphasis on the blind). Tolerance and open-mindedness should be our highest values insofar as they promote egalitarianism and outright celebration of diversity. But those very virtues are tempting for the intellectually lazy. Openness becomes misconstrued as a disdain for opinion or judgment, and egalitarianism of ideas becomes an excuse not to stand for anything. Human beings need standards by which to sort out right and wrong
answers to life’s questions, whether mundane or world-historic. There are myriad standards that have proven both arbitrary and narrow-minded. But we haven’t replaced outdated-but-clear standards with better standards—we’ve done away with standards altogether, leaving us at sea. The most obvious examples from our lives seem to be in relationships: they can be open, polyamorous, “complicated,” hook-ups, or otherwise ambiguously committed. The Postmodern Clusterfuck has merged with radical politics to create a unique pressure that compels people to pursue relationships on terms that confirm their political ideals. The problem is that while we may have done away with harmfully restrictive sexual mores, we haven’t replaced them with any framework. It’s wonderful that norms about sexual relationships are being blasted away and that our cohort is open to a variety of choices. If you’re polyamorous, more power to you! The problem lies in the difference between understanding, even loving, the existence of myriad solutions to the same problem, and getting tangled in emotional knots trying to act out intellectually ideal politics within our emotional bounds. Thus, we arrive at the political result of the Postmodern Clusterfuck: the ascendancy of opinion. If all truth is relative, then the natural tendency would be to elevate opinion. Infinite possibilities to connect to other people await, but nothing can be evaluated as better or worse than anything else. We’re left in an echo chamber of global proportions, shouting at people about how we feel.
STAFF EDITORIAL
What’s in a (scholar’s) name? The Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program’s website says that this program “aims to foster the intellectual, social, and cultural growth essential to leadership in our highly specialized and culturally diverse world.” While this may have been the goal upon which CUSP was founded five years ago, most Columbia students probably would not use this semantically opaque phrase to describe CUSP, because most do not know what CUSP is, what it is supposed to accomplish, and certainly not what it actually does. We ourselves cannot say whether CUSP is doing a good or bad job, and this speaks to the biggest issue: The program, which allegedly fosters leadership at Columbia, is caked with misconception and shrouded in mystery. We cannot say that it achieves its aims, but there is plenty that needs to be said about CUSP. Every admitted student is eligible to be a Scholar. Through a subjective evaluation, roughly 10 percent of the incoming class is hailed as sufficiently elite to be admitted to CUSP, which comprises three programs: John Jay, Kluge, and Davis (for engineering students). The Global Scholars Program, which was meant to foster diversity, has been collapsed into the John Jay program, though it is characteristically unclear what this means for admission and expectations. These students are told that they are the best of the best, the true leaders of this school. But where is the show of this leadership? How can the Scholars call themselves or be called leaders if they do not actually interact with their peers in any such capacity? During their first year, the Scholars are required to attend events around the city, and from sophomore year on, participation is based on interest. CUSP has its own student council—the CUSP Alliance—and its students take part in such activities as community service in the city and raising money for a school in Nepal. To be sure, these are laudable pursuits. But doing community service elsewhere in New York does not necessarily make one a leader at Columbia (particularly if nobody knows what a Scholar is, that Scholars are supposed to be leaders, or how this program facilitates, encourages, or demands either service or leadership). From our perspective (and, admittedly, no member of the editorial board is a Scholar), this is a bit confusing—how can a program be built on pillars of “leadership” and “engagement” if its members neither lead nor engage with this campus? But from the perspective of many of the Scholars, it’s frustrating. While some do love the program, others wonder why they are forced to go to random events that don’t have anything to do with Columbia. This calls into question what, exactly, the purpose of CUSP is. There is no separate application process, and students seem to be accepted based on how well being a Scholar would enhance their experiences and not how they, in turn, would use acceptance to CUSP to engage with Columbia. Furthermore, though its four pillars are “lead, engage, excel, inspire,” CUSP is insulated from the rest of campus, and the fact that its list of partners and collaborators includes the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the
Columbia Business School does little to persuade one otherwise. In theory, such a unique opportunity should be extended to students that are fully committed to the program’s goals and will use CUSP’s resources to enhance their knowledge and contribute to their community. This is lost on students that are granted the title upon admission and then never pay another visit to the CUSP office after their first year. Although there will always be some students that are more involved than others, there is no reason that some Scholars should consider CUSP a negligible part of their time at Columbia. University President Lee Bollinger explained that, to him, CUSP has a purpose because a family’s wealth should not determine educational opportunities. This is fine, but not all Scholars are from lowincome families, and the financial component of CUSP is one of the most suspect. Columbia Admissions makes it quite clear that there is no merit-based aid given at Columbia. However, the CUSP website informs inquiring minds that “while participating in the Program may help you with your financial aid needs, all Scholars’ aid packages are determined on a case by case basis.” That this is all the aid information made available on a website with seven paragraphs and 25 testimonials dedicated to describing the greatness of the program is disheartening. So, too, is the fact that it is unclear whether Scholars who qualify for financial aid get more aid by being Scholars, which would be something of a subversion of the concept of “need-based aid.” This says nothing of the notion that some individuals seem to think that admission to CUSP is a way to lure regular-decision prospective students to Columbia. The lack of information made available about the financial facet of CUSP is characteristic of the general confusion, rumor, and uncertainty with which CUSP cloaks itself. Our original inquiry to CUSP director Lavinia Lorch was made on March 1. This editorial is running on April 26, so it was clearly very difficult to get even the most basic information about the program. Considering that CUSP is not (officially) a secret society, there is a tremendous lack of transparency from representatives of the program, and the vague language on the outdated website doesn’t help. It is entirely possible that there are simple answers to the above questions, or that there are specific sources for particular problems. That is understandable. What is neither understandable nor acceptable is the absence of openness and honesty. This is a young program, and one that can still be re-evaluated and improved. Nobody expected this program to be created without imperfections, but if that re-evaluation and improvement is not already underway, it should be seriously considered. Unlike CUSP, we are not in the habit of hiding our meaning behind indiscernible syntax—the substance of CUSP and the evasion of discussion thereof is inherently flawed. Naming four pillars and actually building an institution upon them are two completely different tasks, and CUSP would do well to consider which it is more interested in doing.
Opinion cannot be refuted except on the facts, and those are all topsy-turvy anyway. The implications on technology are enormous as well, and not just for personal safety when walking near people operating seductive Apple products. The advent of truly portable Internet will change the very definition of knowledge. Google reps often talk about “cloud computing”—the idea that instead of storing personal files on PCs, people will start storing data “in the cloud” online. Forget cloud computing—we’re heading toward the age
The implications of technology are enormous, and not just for personal safety. The advent of truly portable Internet will change the very definition of knowledge. of cloud knowledge. As the barriers to accessing data become lower and lower, there is decreasing pressure to retain any information in our heads. Cloud knowledge means that capability will be measured in an individual’s ability to find data and to synthesize multiple sources rather than to retain and improve upon information on their own.
April 26, 2010
How can we judge in this environment with the pressure to access existing data? Why actually think through an issue if I can find six opinions between Wikipedia and JSTOR? There are obvious problems with this trajectory. If all things are equal, how do we distinguish between instant messages and face-toface interactions? It’s not such a futuristic nightmare anymore to imagine full human lives conducted online. The Postmodern Clusterfuck traps us in a corner, unwilling to say that text messaging is cowardly or that cell phones in public are rude. Columbia is not immune to the Postmodern Clusterfuck, as we simultaneously champion the Western canon through the Core Curriculum and the most prominent criticism of the Western canon through our fantastic array of critical theory/subaltern/postcolonial studies classes. These are the big questions that confront our society in an age of collective cognitive dissonance where screaming Republicans and cutesy kittens have the equally insidious effect of distracting us from war, economic collapse, and social and political injustice. At the very least, let’s debate these issues in an open forum, one in which we can look each other in the eye. If trouble arises, just Google it or something. <Shock and Awe, over and out.> Sarah Leonard is a Columbia College senior majoring in history. Kate Redburn is a Columbia College senior majoring in history and African studies. Shock and Awe runs alternate Mondays.
Bring of Montreal (Out)back
L
ast Saturday afternoon, there was just one question on every Columbian’s mind. It was posed among the sunbathers on South Hill ary Lawn and the Busis diligent nerds toilAnd Another ing in Butler, from the corner of 114th T hing and Broadway all the way up to the wasteland at 120th and Amsterdam. SEAS senior or geriatric GS student, English major or econ wonk, cigarette-smoking hipster or Natty Lightswilling frat bro, all of us were asking the same thing: “When will of Montreal play that Outback Steakhouse song?” Let me back up and give some context for those of you who hate fun, television, and/or Australian-themed family restaurant chains. Of Montreal is a deceptively named band (its members hail from Athens, Ga.—the more you know!) that headlined the April 24 Bacchanal concert. The group is notorious among people who care about this sort of thing for playing psychedelic pop tunes and, during their live shows, either wearing wacky outfits or forgoing clothes completely (lead singer Kevin Barnes especially loves performing naked). But, despite those quirky signatures, the band is most widely known for something decidedly more mainstream. In 2006, of Montreal altered the lyrics of a bouncy, faux-erudite song called “Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games)”: “We’ll have bizarre celebrations/I’ll play the satyr in Cyprus/You the bride being stripped bare/ Let’s pretend we don’t exist”—to transform it into a jingle for Outback Steakhouse: “Let’s kick back for the moment/Toss all your worries in the air/’Cause you’ll forget them when you’re there/Let’s go Outback tonight.” Snooty indie rock fans, of course, were none too pleased to see one of their favorite bands selling out. “I personally can’t see why either party would agree to this, or who this commercial would appeal to,” one typical comment left on music site Stereogum in September 2006 stated. “The small portion of viewers who know the song will probably want to eat at Outback less because of this, and the rest will just be baffled. I’m disappointed in Kevin Barnes.” Even so, the commercial did introduce a lot of people, including me, to of Montreal. I haven’t really followed any sort of music scene since I stopped watching “TRL” religiously
around age 13, and I rarely listen to music at all—I can’t concentrate if it’s playing in the background while I do homework, although, for whatever reason, I can always read and write if there’s a TV playing in the room. That means I had never listened to of Montreal until I first caught the Outback spot. Regardless of people’s opinions about artistry versus commerce, the fact remains that “Wraith Pinned to the Mist,” aka “Outback Tonight,” is by far of Montreal’s most famous song. It’s also a given that musical artists should be prepared to play their most famous songs at any big concert. Would you be happy if you attended a Lady Gaga show and she didn’t sing “Poker Face,” or if you went to see Natalie Imbruglia and she never did “Torn?” Of course you wouldn’t. But, to the major disappointment of everyone assembled at Bacchanal, Kevin Barnes and his crew didn’t give the people what they wanted. Of Montreal’s set lasted for about an hour, and while it included the requisite crazy costumes (the band’s makeshift back-up dancers, three Columbia students, wore diapers and bras as the band played), the Outback Steakhouse song was nowhere to be heard. In a move that seemed like an intentional “fuck you” to the assembled audience, the band didn’t even play the song during its encore. Instead, of Montreal chose to end the night with an indulgent, 12-minute-long odyssey called “The Past Is a Grotesque Animal.” Maybe Barnes and company are tired of “Wraith Pinned to the Mist” by now. Maybe they’re just embarrassed about having allowed it to be used in a commercial for a restaurant that has a dessert called “Chocolate Thunder From Down Under” on its menu. Either way, the band’s intentional decision to avoid pleasing its audience irritates me. With a few notable exceptions (Ke$ha, orange juice), things are popular because they’re good. By that logic, “Wraith” is of Montreal’s best song. Outback wouldn’t have been interested in the song in the first place if it wasn’t fun and infectious. It’s all well and good for artists to try not to be pigeonholed, but purposefully choosing to do something that will let down fans of that artist’s work is obnoxious. Therefore, I demand that of Montreal come back to campus so that the band can perform the one song we all wanted to hear. Perhaps they could also bring us all Bloomin’ Onions as penance. If they don’t, I guess I’ll just have to pretend that the band’s dissatisfying performance didn’t exist. Hillary Busis is a Columbia College senior majoring in English and history. She is the former managing arts editor of The Eye. And Another Thing runs alternate Thursdays.
JODY’S DRAWINGS!
JODY ZELLMAN
April 26, 2010
EDITORIAL & OPINION
I know what you should do this summer... BY BRIANA WONG To a certain extent, the fear of taking risks is helpful and necessary. It discourages us from engaging in reckless behavior. But, unchecked, this fear can stand in the way of some of life’s most thrilling and defining experiences. This spring, I met a staff attorney from Safe Horizon, New York City’s largest nonprofit organization that provides assistance to victims of domestic violence. I decided to apply for a summer internship there because I expected that it would prepare me for my ultimate goal of attending law school and joining the International Justice Mission in order to fight for the rights of women and children who have been forced into sex trafficking in Southeast Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa. After interviewing for the internship at Safe Horizon and receiving the offer to work in its Brooklyn office for the summer, I learned that the position is unpaid. Since my family lives in Seattle, and I do not have the means to pay for an apartment, this posed a slight problem. I considered turning down the internship and spending the summer at home with my family. It could be a good thing, I told myself. Going home without anything to do would give me the chance to plow through the seemingly infinite list of random books that I wanted to read this semester but have had to push to the side thanks to certain courses—which shall remain nameless—that seem to have been designed for students who only signed up for one class. I thought about it, and prayed about it for a while, and I felt overwhelmingly that I was supposed to stay in New York this summer. So, without first securing a place to stay, I shot off an email to my employer announcing that I had decided to accept the position despite the fact that I had no idea how I planned to support myself. Some might consider such an action irresponsible at best and crazy at worst. Wouldn’t it have been more sensible to have just gone back to Seattle since I knew that I would have at least had a roof over my head? More sensible? Yes. Better? Maybe not. If something is important enough, sometimes you have to go out on a limb to get it. The story of how I came to be at Columbia is very similar. I remember getting my acceptance letter and being overjoyed—for one day. The next day, I received
When the real learning happens BY ISADORA CERULLO As the academic year comes to an end, one thing on everyone’s (read: my) mind is: What should I be doing with my summer? I do already have plans to come back to the city to conduct research from June to August, but questions remain. Am I spending this time wisely? Should I be taking time off, relishing the few months I have with friends and family? Will I enjoy myself, or can I be doing something more fun? Is this worth the other opportunities and plans I’m turning down? And, of course, what if I don’t have enough time to watch the World Cup? Every time I ask my friends and fellow Columbians how they plan to spend their summers, I’m always impressed with their motivation and curiosity. One is WWOOFing (working for the World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) in France and then returning to a fashion internship in Paris. Several
Be strong and beautiful, Barnard BY HALEY VECCHIARELLI When I joined Spectator as a first-year, everyone asked the same questions: Where are you from? What are you studying? What school are you in? Sometimes, when I answered that I go to Barnard, I would get a surprised, “Really? But you don’t seem like a typical Barnard girl.” This has always confused me—I don’t know what a “typical Barnard girl” is. Examining this concept and deconstructing the “strong, beautiful Barnard woman” identity would take more time than this column would allow. However, I want to use this column to briefly discuss my Barnard experience. I attend Barnard College: a (1) women’s, (2) liberal arts college, (3) located in New York City, (4) affiliated with Columbia University. I chose Barnard because of the combination of these four aspects. However, throughout my four years here, I’ve felt that Barnard truly succeeds at only two of these tenets: being located in New York City and being affiliated with Columbia University. I love attending this school—almost in spite of itself. The reasons why Barnard succeeds at these latter two are fairly obvious. New York City offers so many opportunities in almost every career, and Barnard facilitates this by offering a variety of funding opportunities and a well-connected alumnae network. Additionally, the city offers a variety of cultural and other activities which, combined with the lack of community on campus, promotes exploration of this amazing city. Combining the resources of the Barnard and Columbia campuses is not only beneficial to Barnard women, but to the entire community as well. Certainly, it is beneficial to be able to
SENIOR COLUMN
my financial aid package, which was less than impressive. Distraught, I began looking at other schools, figuring that there was no way my family could afford to pay the price Columbia expected of us. I almost laughed when my mother suggested that our family get together and pray every night for God to provide, but I assured myself it was worth a try. I spent the next month praying, applying for scholarships, and hoping against hope that everything would work out. Since I had applied early decision, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions wanted me to choose by the middle of January whether or not to attend Columbia in the fall. I would not hear from any of my scholarship organizations until March. Most people I knew encouraged me to keep my options open and apply elsewhere. I understood that risking decades of debt was dangerous, but I was willing to take the chance and leave the rest up to God. Finally, after two nerve-wracking months, Columbia informed me that it had substantially lowered my expected family contribution. The combination of Columbia’s dramatically increased aid
How should Columbians spend the time between May and September? Isadora Cerullo argues that time off should be spent practicing what is preached in class, Elias Stallard-Olivera suggests we spend our free time doing something new and freeing, and Briana Wong wants us all to have faith and take some risks this summer.
Three months of freedom BY ELÍAS STALLARD-OLIVERA
The author is Columbia College sophomore majoring in history. She is a member of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Mentoring Youth in New York City.
After nine or so months focusing primarily on next week’s big paper or that 15-page lab report due tomorrow morning, one may be somewhat at a loss with what to do with three months of “free time.” After looking at my calendar and realizing that my sophomore year will end in less than a month, I got to thinking about how I will spend my upcoming escape from the academic rigors that Columbia provides, or perhaps foists upon, us. From a perspective of sensibility and utility, it makes sense to spend the summer doing something you find interesting rather than wasting it lounging at home or in a dead-end job carried over from high school. For many of us, this means working in a lab, interning at a magazine, traveling, or working on some “big project.” Those sorts of jobs are great because they provide practical experience or enjoyment while warding off the brain atrophy that typically occurs when the summer is spent staring at the ceiling. If you do not yet have some idea of what your big goal for the summer is, now is the time to find one. Even if you do have such a job or travel plans, you will still have plenty of opportunities to do things that would normally conflict with schoolwork. That being said, I’ve come up with some ways to have fun and expand your horizons at the same time this summer. Whether you are an experienced gourmand or a culinary neophyte, it can never hurt to have new food experiences. One of the most rewarding ways to try new foods—especially in terms of gaining long-term benefits—is learning how to cook excellent food. Having free time when you are not too worried about school or work allows you to spend some time learning both basic and advanced kitchen techniques. Watch a Food Network show, skim a cookbook, or simply go online. Find something you like and throw a potluck dinner party—always a crowd-pleaser—with your friends. On another equally pleasing note, while American football, baseball, and basketball are much more popular in the United States, the most prevalent sport in the world is what we Yanks call soccer. The biggest event in soccer is the World Cup—which is sort of like the World Series, the
(including me) are participating in science research in neurobiology and pathology labs. Several others are taking the opportunity to travel inside and outside the United States. And, of course, there are still others who will be staying in the city while others will return home to relax or work and spend time with friends and family. Jobs, service opportunities, classes, and trips are all on the agenda. In all of these plans, I get the same sense of an underlying, unspoken significance of this time of year (especially as students at a school like Columbia). For one thing, summer is a time specifically for us. Certain moments of the past academic year have definitely felt like a whirlwind. Part of me cannot believe how fast the time has flown by and that my first year of college is already coming to an end. As everyone says, I better be enjoying it and making the best of it because it’ll be over before I know it. How do I know I’m
doing this whole experience correctly? And how do I put to best possible use the months of unstructured, free, filled-with-potential time that are summers? Perhaps my view will change as I’m exposed to more, but I feel like this is the time to do exactly what I want: to be productive, to enjoy every moment, to push myself. Summer is when the real learning can take place. What do I mean by that—“real learning?” It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in the intensity of an Ivy League education, the Core Curriculum, and the immense pressure to keep up with outstandingly intelligent peers. Time during the semesters, it seems, is planned out according to assignment due dates. As a result, I constantly struggle with how I approach my studies and the material presented in the courses I take. I don’t think it is enough to study simply to attain a grade. I try to grapple with concepts, themes, and questions in
If something is important enough, sometimes you have to go out on a limb to get it. offer and the generosity of a couple of scholarship foundations made it possible for me to matriculate without creating a financial burden for my family. I share this story often as a testament both to God’s faithfulness and to the importance of not disregarding something worthwhile just because an element of risk is involved. Likewise, God provided for me with respect to my plans for the upcoming summer. Two friends independently offered to help me with housing, and I soon had more housing offers than I had job offers. Situations like this certainly keep me on my toes. They remind me that every opportunity I have is a gift and that I have the responsibility to use what I have to bless other people the way that I have been blessed. They also teach me to resist the urge to only act when I am in complete control—because I am never in complete control. Certain factors will always be out of my hands, whether I like it or not, and I don’t want that to be an excuse to miss out on the richness and excitement life has to offer.
It’s during these months that I can try to take what I’ve been exposed to in the classroom and realize the potential of this knowledge beyond academia.
utilize Butler, Lerner, and the amazing faculty at Columbia. However, Columbia students also benefit from the Diana, academic programs that only exist at Barnard, and the equally amazing (if less well-known) faculty. Despite these benefits, Barnard has its faults. It is both easy and difficult to criticize Barnard. Attacking Barnard is something that is so pervasive in campus culture that it is difficult to be critical without worrying about coming off as menacing. The fact that Barnard has to fight for its identity makes internal review a neglected process. Even though I’m a scientist, I wanted to attend a liberal arts institution. Barnard was my top choice because of the Nine Ways of Knowing. In theory, the Nine Ways offer a broad range of disciplines with a slight structure. It even has a laboratory science requirement! However, there are many problems with the implementation of the Nine Ways. The laboratory requirement that I enjoy so much is highly contested within the school’s non-science population. Additionally, for science majors, there is hardly any overlap between major classes and Nine Ways classes. For most other majors, this is not the case, and students in those majors can take more elective classes or, potentially, fewer courses overall. Also, three of the humanities Ways are not clearly articulated by their titles: Reason and Value, Cultures in Comparison, and Social Analysis. Sometimes, when looking at the courses that satisfy each requirement, especially those three, it seems as though there hasn’t been an overhaul in five years. This is a problem, as new courses are not being added to the list while courses that are no longer offered remain. Additionally, there are other knowledge areas that should be added to the Nine Ways—specifically, there should be a new Way that emphasizes that Barnard is a women’s college. I believe in women’s colleges. I believe that there will be a need for women’s colleges as long as there is a need for safe spaces, as long as women still make 70 cents to every dollar that a man does, as long as people—despite continued inequality—refuse to identify as feminists, and as long as feminism has not reconciled internal issues with race, sexuality,
Super Bowl, and the NBA Finals—but more international, more valuable, and much crazier. So this summer, grab some friends and tune in to the FIFA World Cup to see the finest national teams compete against each other in the biggest sporting event of the year. Extra credit: If you thought Red Sox fans were bad, watch for some drunken European soccer hooligans after a big game. If you’re staying in New York over the summer and have not been able to get out of Manhattan, check out some of the other boroughs. Activities range from the pseudo-intellectual—including the Bronx Zoo, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, or the New York Transit Museum—to the more neutral—such as the exploration of the more international neighborhoods of Brighton Beach or Jackson Heights. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can even leave New York City. Consider taking
These are the last chances you have to do something crazy— like take a spontaneous vacation to Peru, or fashion blogging for Vogue. a long weekend. Pick up a copy of Weird NJ and go on a road trip tour of the Garden State. It is an experience guaranteed to leave you with memories, and probably quite a few nightmares to boot. There are, however, some things you should do regardless of where you are in the world and what kind of work you are doing. Besides the usual keeping in touch with friends and such, one should use the opportunity of relatively large amounts of free time to actually get a decent amount of sleep, say six to 10 hours instead of the usual three to six hours interspersed with the occasional all-nighter. Most importantly, just have fun with your summer! Once we leave college and enter the job market, most of us won’t have the chance to have three months of absolutely free time. These are the last chances you have to do something crazy—like taking a spontaneous vacation to Peru or fashion blogging for Vogue. So make the best of it, and, as always, remember to stay classy. The author is a Columbia College sophomore majoring in biophysics. order to arrive at some sort of knowledge that can be applied outside of the academic context in which they are presented. But therein lies the problem. We have so much material to cover in all our classes that I find myself plowing from topic to topic, text to text, with evenly spaced (or not) assessments along the way. The connecting what I’ve supposedly learned to real life and real-time circumstances is forgotten. And I think this is what I find so appealing about summer. It’s during these months that I can try to take what I’ve been exposed to in the classroom and realize the potential of this knowledge beyond academia. The questions that present themselves in the texts we read in Literature Humanities, and even in some of the material in University Writing, are questions that have been asked and will continue to be asked by humanity in relation to those texts but also in circumstances we can all relate to. While I am here at Columbia, I know I am (and will be) very well-schooled. But I hope to come away having learned well, too. Education cannot simply be cultivated within the physical location of a classroom. And during this summer I will try to realize just that. The author is a Columbia College first-year.
rebekah kim
Seeing God in the summer
Page 5
identity, and privilege. There will be women’s colleges until women stop wanting to attend them. But most of the time, Barnard doesn’t feel like a women’s college. Perhaps part of this is due to the affiliation with Columbia, but that doesn’t explain it entirely. As one of my friends says, “Barnard is misogyny by women.” I was recently tech-ing an admissions event when one of the prospies asked about the differences between Barnard and Columbia girls. One of the panelists answered, “Well, Barnard girls get to make themselves up before going out and seeing Columbia boys, whereas since Columbia girls have to live with the boys, the boys have to see them when they aren’t made up.” That comment made me want to turn off her microphone. I wasn’t the only one who was shocked. Here this panelist was, defining the women of Barnard and Columbia in terms of men. There are certainly isolated incidences in which I’ve experienced what I feel a women’s college should be like, but these are always isolated from Barnard as an institution. Maybe because
there is no course requirement on gender or sexuality or power dynamics, these conversations that should be started in the classroom hardly ever make it out of the women’s studies department. All in all, I love Barnard, and I just want the institution that I love to evolve and improve. I’ve enjoyed my college experience, though it hasn’t been without its faults. I just want to thank everyone, especially the Speccies that made it such a memorable experience (there are too many to name, but you know who you are). The author is a Barnard senior majoring in neuroscience and behavior. She served as an associate/ deputy production editor on the 131st board, the production editor on the 132nd managing board, senior Eye designer on the 133rd deputy board, and as a senior staff photographer. She is also a member of the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal, the Columbia Political Review, and the Common Cents Project.
Page 6
SPORTS
April 26, 2010
Women’s 4x400m team finishes in second with 3:40.67 time, sets school record TRACK AND FIELD from back page
jasper l. clyatt, embry owen / senior staff phtoographers
TAKING OFF | The men’s distance medley team set a school record with a time of 9:43.19 to finish eighth.
Columbia tennis needs outdoor courts GUPTA from back page Tennis, in its purest form, is an outdoor sport. I once had a coach when I was younger tell me that, and it’s absolutely true. In college tennis, the priority is to play outside if possible, which is why some of the most prestigious tournaments, including the NCAA Championships, are played outdoors. Next time a professional Grand Slam is on, check it out. Do you see the players playing indoors? Sure, today the Australian Open and Wimbledon have indoor facilities too, but unless it’s raining, they play outside. This year, and every year since I’ve been at Columbia, the men’s tennis team has practiced either at Riverside Park or at Horace Mann High School when it needed to prepare to play matches on outdoor courts. The only reason that the team can use the courts at Horace Mann, a private high school located in New York City, is because the tennis coach, Chris Lacopo, is a Columbia graduate and played on the team when he was at Columbia. Forget the fact that Columbia is the only Ivy League school and, to the best of my knowledge, the only Division I school without outdoor courts, how many high schools can you think of that don’t have outdoor courts? How come Horace Mann High School has them but Columbia University doesn’t? If they can’t use the Horace Mann courts—if for example, the Horace Mann team needs to practice—then the Columbia team goes to Riverside Park and waits in line to grab a court. Let me paint you a picture. The No. 46 Division I men’s college tennis team in the country—with one player (Jon Wong) ranked in the top 100 and another one (Mihai Nichifor) who absolutely should be—has to literally wait in line in a public park to get a court to practice on before it plays its biggest matches of the season. The guys on the team have to practice and refine their games while hackers like me and you go out and try to have some fun smacking a fuzzy green ball around. Does this really seem fair to you? Columbia athletic department, you make a lot of noise about “Achieving Excellence,” but excellence goes beyond what happens on the football field and the basketball court. And if you want to define excellence solely based on those two sports, then quite frankly Columbia hasn’t been doing a great job. Since 1982, when Goswami came to Columbia and started building the dynasty that men’s tennis is today, the football team has only finished above .500 twice, and the basketball team only three times. The tennis team has finished above .500 every time except once during that span. Forget championships for the
time being—can you really look yourself in the mirror and tell me that finishing above .500 twice is anything close to “Excellence?” To me, that’s promoting “Mediocrity in Athletics.” I’m not saying at all that Columbia shouldn’t fund football and basketball. I’m not stupid—I know that it’s a business and that those two sports almost certainly bring in the most revenue and alumni donations, but I’m not asking you to build a new stadium for the tennis team like they have at Yale. All I’m asking for is a couple outdoor courts that the team can practice on. You can say a lot about tennis in the Ivy League, but it’s good, and it’s getting better with four teams for men and women ranked in the top 75 nationally—highlighted by the Princeton women’s team at No. 33. In addition, schools are investing money into facilities. Yale, Harvard, Cornell, and Dartmouth have all built new facilities. As I mentioned earlier, it’s the only Ivy without outdoor courts, and likely the only Division I school without them as well. When a coach talks to a recruit and tells him or her that the school is going to give that recruit every possible opportunity to be the best tennis player possible, isn’t the coach lying just a little bit when the kid can’t practice regularly on outdoor courts? Is this really fair to the coach or the player? Are you really doing all you can to allow the team and the individual players to be as good as they can be? Despite this, the tennis team has been so successful. In the fall, Wong, Nichifor, and Haig Schneiderman went to Oklahoma to take part in the ITA AllAmerican Championships, which were held outdoors. The trio didn’t really have an outdoor court to practice on, and despite this, Nichifor beat the No. 17 player in the nation in the tournament. Don’t you think that they could have been more prepared if they had outdoor courts to practice on? Here’s another great thing about college tennis. There are men’s and women’s teams. I’ve talked a lot here about the men’s team because, quite frankly, they’ve had a lot more success and I know the team’s results a lot better, but the women’s team would benefit equally from outdoor courts. You could be helping two teams out with one investment. And I’m far from the only one who wants this. Take some time and ask alumni of both programs what their feelings are about the situation and see what they have to say. I can’t tell you where to put the courts, but honestly, I shouldn’t have to. That’s your job, not mine. I also shouldn’t have to ask you why there aren’t banners from the championship years for the tennis team in the Dick Savitt Tennis
Center or why the only way to play music for warm-ups in the tennis center is through a boom box that is older than I am. Or how about putting up a scoreboard instead of having the players manually change the score every changeover? Can you imagine the hoopla that it would be if the basketball team won the Ivy League? There would be banners decorating Dodge, pictures plastered everywhere. These don’t seem like hard things to get, and considering the program’s success, these are things that should already be in place. Columbia athletic department, you still have time to make this right. If you’re looking for an example, I suggest you make a trip up to Yale. It’s not far, about an hourand-a-half by car, but Yale’s new facility is literally one of the best in the nation. It’s no accident that they held the ITA National Indoor Championships there. Do you think that these things don’t make a difference to recruits? Because Yale hosted the tournament, it got an automatic entry into the singles and doubles draw of one of the most prestigious tournaments in the nation. Yale men’s tennis had the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation last year, and the women had the No. 14. Coincidence? I think not. How can Columbia tennis compete with that facility? Columbia isn’t competing with schools like Binghampton and Stony Brook, it’s competing with Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. These are some of the best schools in the world with the best facilities in the world. How can Columbia tennis compete with that with what they have today? How much can you really expect Goswami to do? The fact that Goswami and his staff have not only competed, but outplayed all of these schools year in and year out says more about them than I ever could in this paper. To me, it’s pretty straight forward, Columbia athletic department. It’s simply unacceptable for the No. 46 team in the country not to have adequate facilities on which to play and practice. There is no way that any Division I team should have to wait in line to play on outdoor courts. I could use more choice words, but if you really want to convince me, the rest of the student body, and every alum that ever graduated from Columbia that you are serious about winning, then build outdoor courts, get championship banners, buy a scoreboard, and put up a sound system in the tennis center. And do it fast. I’ve only got a year left here. Kunal Gupta is a junior in the School of Engineering and Applied Science majoring in operations research. sports@columbiaspectator.com
for No. 2 in the league and another great advancement for one of the underclassmen women jumpers. The women’s 4x1500m followed in the Championship of America section with a Columbia record of 18:04.62, besting league rival Princeton’s 18:06.75. The two finished seventh and eighth, respectively. In the College Men’s Distance Medley Championship of America, junior Jeff Moriarty got the Lions off to a great start, handing off the baton in second after a 2:56.50 1200m leg, much of which he led. Sophomore Justin Holloman ran a personal best 48.03 on the 400m leg to hand off still in contention at fourth. On the third leg, Oregon freshman Mac Fleet ran a 1:48.04 800m split to gap the field and set up teammate Andrew Wheating perfectly—he never looked back. Lion senior Mike Mark split an impressive 1:50.02, though, to maintain
Columbia’s fourth position. Sub-4:00 miler sophomore Kyle Merber ran with the chase pack through much of the 1600m anchor leg, but he faded in the last lap, splitting 4:08.65. The men set a new school record with a time of 9:43.19 and finished eighth overall. Oregon won in 9:30.69. On Saturday, much of that group returned for the College Men’s 4x800 Championship of America—a title that the Lions took home in 2007. Mark was unable to equal his Friday split and handed off buried in 12th, running 1:52.84. Pre-race favorites Penn State, Virginia, and Oregon opened one, two, and three, respectively. Junior Matthew Stewart had a stellar second leg, making up some ground with a 1:50.31 split. However, with three sub 1:48 splits, the top three were clear ahead. Merber split 1:52.55 on the third leg to get the baton to Moriarty in 10th. An awesome 1:48.23 anchor by the junior half-mile specialist was enough
to pull the Lions to ninth on the field of 12 in 7:23.93. On a better day, the quartet was certainly capable of a sub-7:20 run. However, this year’s race consisted of one of the deepest men’s 4x800m fields ever with the top four teams under 7:20. Virginia freshman Robby Andrews edged Wheating to the line in a photo finish 7:15.38 to 7:15.55. The women’s 4x400m squad— consisting of Ofoche, Caldwell, Hale, and freshman Yamira Bell—had a great rebound later in the day in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship heat. Their 3:40.67 finish was a new school record and good for second overall, defeating league rivals Cornell and Penn along the way. Next up the Lions send split groups to Palo Alto and Princeton for the Stanford Invitational and Princeton Elite Meet as final tuneups before the Heptagonal Championships, May 8-9 at Princeton’s Weaver Stadium.
Softball swept by first place Cornell
BY CHRISTOPHER BROWN Spectator Senior Staff Writer
The Columbia softball team (1128, 2-12 Ivy) lost both of its games in a doubleheader last Saturday against the Ivy League’s first-place team, Cornell (25-11, 12-2 Ivy). The Lions were shut out in the first game, losing 10-0 after the game was called in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Big Red scored three runs in each of the first two innings. Catcher Kristen Towne and center fielder Devon March each had two-out run-scoring hits in the first inning, while infielder Elise Menaker hit a 2 RBI triple in the bottom of the second. Senior Aimee Kemp held Cornell to one run in the third inning, but allowed three more
COLUMBIA
0
CORNELL
10
COLUMBIA
1
CORNELL
4
runs to score in the fourth inning. Cornell junior Elizabeth Dalrymple threw four innings of one-hit ball, while Lauren Marx added a scoreless inning of relief. Columbia sophomore Maureen O’Kane took her 12th loss of the season. In the second game, Cornell scored three first-inning runs off junior Maggie Johnson. The right-hander was able to hold the Big Red offense to one run over the final five innings, but she ended up taking her 11th loss of
the year. Cornell’s Dalrymple scattered seven hits in as many innings, with four strikeouts for a complete game victory, improving her record to 15-3. The Light Blue scored a run in the top of the sixth, on sophomore catcher Kayla Lechler’s fourth home run of the season—a solo shot to center field with two outs in the inning. She finished with two hits in the 4-1 loss. The final two games of the series were postponed due to inclement weather, with a make-up date to be scheduled for later this week. Columbia is scheduled to play its final nonconference opponent, against St. Peter’s on Thursday, before facing Penn in a four-game series to finish the season.
jose giralt / staff photographer
HOME RUN | Sophomore Kayla Lechler homered in the sixth inning to notch Columbia’s only run of the game.
April 26, 2010
CLASSIFIEDS
Page 7
CLASSIFIED AD RATES: $8/00 per first 20 words. 25¢ each additional word. Ad in all boldface $4.00 extra. All ads must be pre-paid. 2 business day deadline. Call 854-9550 for information; or fax ad to 854-9553.
1 BR LARGE co-op for sale. Bronx, near Pelham Pkwy. Just reduced to $130K, neg. All cash. Total sq ft 757. Pristine condition, self-managed bldg. No bank mortgages allowed. Private loan on your own OK. All cash required. Credit check, board interview/ approval. Maint $435/mo incl electric & gas. 1 (347) 703-6064; 1 (646) 4068217. Details on layout when you call owner, Gloria, retired RN from CPMC. MANHATTAN REAL ESTATE Buying, selling or renting an apartment? Work with a top-rated NYC real estate agent and Columbia alum (CC & SIPA). www.joshnathanson.com; jrn @corcoran.com. (212) 875-2970.
PROFESSIONAL EDITING by Columbia Ph.D. Dissertation and academic style expert (APA, Turabian, MLA, etc.). Typing services available. (877) 9229422.
HEALTHY WOMEN 19-29: EGG donors needed. Help women with infertility create families. Be compensated for doing good! To apply, e-mail info@mydonor.net or call (212) 3490011. Info will be kept confidential. www.MyDonor.net
NTERNSHIPS OFFERED Looking for highly motivated self-starter to take on Marketing and Advertising projects at Manhattan’s top real estate firm. You would be working directly with a SVP and VP on the UWS on multiple projects. Projects include, but are not limited to: neighborhood/ property specific market research and marking pieces, client interaction, assist with Open Houses/client tours and much more. Compensation would be a base + bonus. Please contact Timothy Rothman at trothman@corcoran.com or (917) 251-4676. HELP NEEDED downloading music to iPod and burning CDs. Call (212) 850-8125.
MEDICAL/DENTAL SPACE for lease. Ideal for any medical or health related use. Start or expand your business! Affordable rent $2300 w/heat! Fully renov. Office includes 6 rooms: waiting room, reception, 4 large examination rooms w/foot pedal sinks, consult office, supply area. Approx 1000 sq ft. Corner of Utopia Pkwy near St john’s, bus 31, 32. Near LIE & Grand Cental Pkwy. Signage on ave & bldg for max exposure. Call for appointment/viewing: (917) 750-3318. www. jennyhomesforsale.net
$$SPERM DONORS WANTED$$ Earn up to $1200/mo and give the gift of family through California Cryobank’s donor program. Convenient Midtown location. Apply online at: SPERMBANK. com
BERKSHIRE SUMMER RENTAL August thru Labor Day. See link: http:// picasaweb.google.com/greeneLama/EgremontSeptember2009’feat=e. 3 BRs, 2 family rooms, 2 baths, kitch, large dining room, living room (brick fireplace), patio. On country road, Prospect Lake, French Park, dog run. In Egremont, 5 miles south of Great Barrington. Contact Phyllis at (212) 6663400. E-mail phyllow@gmail.com READ, WRITE, PLAY, and contemplate in Columbia County/Berkshires pristine cabin. On 190 forested acres with swimming pond and walking trails. 12 mi to Tanglewood and Great Barrington. Fully furnished, new appliances. Master BR with queen bed; double loft sleeps 4 more. 2 full baths. Separate heated studio great for writer or musician, or guests. For the year at $2000/mo + utils, or for the summer at $2400/mo. No smokers. No pets preferred. E-mail jmurraylaw@ gmail.com
ALOPECIA MOTIVATIONAL Newly diagnosed or long-timer having alopecia areata totalis or universalis? Join other alopecians for a motivational get-together on coping and living with this disorder. Call (646) 241-1633. HUDSON RIVER SAILING Parties: Network, socialize or crew this Spring/ Summer aboard 50 ft sailboat. We’re a group of Columbia students who volunteer crew, with space for 25 per trip, and always need more revelers. Leaves from 79th St. No exp necessary. E-mail to join our exclusive free day trips: gfh2104@columbia.edu. For information about our sailing trips, please visit www.gothamyacht.com
Page 8
SPORTS / A&E
April 26, 2010
CU baseball splits four-game series with Big Red, Lions maintain division lead BY VICTORIA JONES Spectator Staff Writer The Columbia Lions have made it through yet another weekend of Ivy League play and still remain atop the Gehrig Division of the Ancient Eight. This weekend, the Light Blue traveled upstate to Ithaca to face Cornell (13-19, 6-10 Ivy) and split the four games over the course of two days. The contests began on Saturday with a twin bill. Both games were battles between pitchers, with the Light Blue and the Big Red splitting the pair of games. Cornell won the first matchup by a score of 1-0. Columbia’s Pat Lowery faced off against Corey Pappel, and the pair dueled through six straight innings of shutout baseball. Lowery pitched the entire game, allowing only three hits in 22 at-bats over 6.2 innings. In the bottom of the seventh, Lowery hit the second batter and then gave up a single, landing him with two men on. A fielder’s choice during the next at-bat put men on the corners, and a single to right-center brought around the first and only run of the game. The second game was yet again a late-scoring contest—this time it took until the sixth inning to put any runs on the board. Tim Giel took the mound for Columbia and allowed only four hits over seven innings, while Tony Bertucci represented Cornell with less success. Bertucci gave up two hits each in the third, fourth, and fifth innings before the Light Blue’s bats really exploded in the sixth. To start the sixth, designated hitter Alexander Aurrichio launched one down the right-field
shivina harjani / staff photographer
PITCHING IN | Freshman pitcher Tim Giel played in the second game of the series, allowing only four hits over seven innings in a 3-2 victory. COLUMBIA
0
CORNELL
1
COLUMBIA
3
CORNELL
2
COLUMBIA
4
CORNELL
1
COLUMBIA
0
CORNELL
7
line for a solo home run and Columbia’s first run of the weekend. Nick Ferraresi then doubled, Dario Pizzano flied out, and Alex
Ferrera doubled to score Ferraresi. The Big Red failed to respond in the bottom of the inning, and the Lions went on to increase their lead to three in the seventh when a single by Aurrichio brought Dean Forthun home. Geoff Whitaker came in to pitch in the eighth, and the entire inning passed without runs or hits, but the Big Red put together a small rally in the bottom of the ninth. The first batter knocked a solo home run and the second doubled. Another double two batters later put a second run on the board for Cornell. The Big Red failed to capitalize on the momentum, though, as the final batter of the inning struck out looking to close the
game with the Lions on top, 3-2. In the second game, Aurrichio led the charge from the batter’s box, contributing three hits to Columbia’s total of 14. Jason Banos, Forthun, and Ferraresi each added two in the game. In the first half of Sunday’s twin bill, it was Dan Bracey who first took the mound for the Light Blue, and it was Bracey who left the mound at the end of the game with the Lions ahead 4-1. Columbia’s first run came in the third inning off the bat of Jon Eisen. Eisen’s single through the right side brought around Billy Rumpke, who had led off the inning with a single of his own. The Big Red, however, was
able to tie up the game in the bottom of the fourth when the first batter up to the plate knocked one out of the park. Bracey struck out two of the next three batters, and caused the other r r Cornell batter to fly out to left. The Light Blue responded right away, posting another two runs in the top of the fifth. The run began with a single from Nick Crucet. Eisen then singled, and advanced to second on an error that also brought Crucet around home. Cornell committed yet another error, which allowed Forthun to reach first and Eisen to take home. Though both runs were unearned, the Lions were still up 3-1. The lead was stretched to three
in the sixth with a solo home run by Ferrera. Cornell was not allowed another run for the rest of the game. With the win, the Lions went up 2-1 in the series, giving Bracey his fourth win of the season. Eisen and Rumpke both went 2-for-3 in the game. The final game of the weekend featured a 7-0 loss at the hands of the Big Red in only five-and-a-half innings after the game was delayed due to rain and eventually called because of darkness. The first inning-and-a-half featured three Columbia hits, but no runs. Then, in the bottom of the second, Cornell drew first blood. The Big Red took starter Stefan Olson for a ride, recording four hits and three runs in just three outs. Eric Williams came in to pitch after the first two batters in the third. Williams didn’t give up any more hits, but the damage had already been done, and a flyout to center field brought around the Big Red’s fourth run. Columbia couldn’t respond with even a hit in the top of the fourth, so the Big Red went ahead and increased its lead to seven in the bottom of a frame that featured only two total hits, but two errors as well. The fifth and the top of the sixth saw little improvement before the game was eventually called due to darkness. Though the team went 2-2 on the weekend, the Light Blue is now 20-18 this season and 11-5 in the Ancient Eight, which is good enough for the top spot in the Gehrig Division. Next up, the Lions take the field for a doubleheader against local rival Fordham on Wednesday before their final weekend of regular conference competition against the Penn Quakers.
Weaving stories of fashion CU’s Lomax given opportunity to play professionally industry success LOMAX from back page
PANEL from page 3
simply walked out. “I think in a strange way, fashion found me because I had the guts to take the steps to pursue what I really love, which was clothes,” he said. “Now I have a job in the fashion industry that I love—I’m a dress-maker and a little bit of a business person.” Zee also charmed the audience with a bluntly honest story of how his memories of high school consist of him sitting at his locker poring over fashion magazines “cover to cover, looking at every single ad, the masthead. … In my head, they were my imaginary friends … I know, creepy, but that was just who I was.” He interned at various fashion magazines for no pay, but he did it with a smile because ultimately, everything was part of an experience that he loved.
After the panelists shared the intriguing paths that led each of them to their current careers, the audience engaged in a stimulating question-and-answer session, covering topics such as fashion as a business of aesthetics, finding a balance between creativity and wearability, and fashion as a form of communication and dialogue. The basic take-home message from these panelists? “Do what you love—the passion will come through and people will see that,” Zee said. Lim added that people should always maintain “humility, tenacity, and persistence.” Even for students not enamored by the fashion industry, EJ Samson, online editor of Teen Vogue said, “Be very honest toward what you’re interested in. … Unless you don’t need to work, working is a big part of your life, and you should really enjoy it.”
accomplishments that extend beyond the one performance witnessed by Thibault. She is the Lions’ all-time second-highest rebounder with 799 boards and their 10th highest scorer with 918 points, all in just two seasons of play. In addition, her 27 rebounds against Brown on March 6 is a Columbia singlegame record. While Lomax became the face of Columbia women’s basketball, she was not always a Lion. Lomax began her collegiate career at Oregon State University, where she averaged 10.9 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game during the 2006-07 season. Her field goal percentage of .645 was the best in the Pac-10 Conference that year, and Lomax was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team.
elaine burchman / staff photographer
MAKING WAVES | The lightweight crew was unable to keep the Subin Cup, losing to Dartmouth by three.
Men’s lightweight crew loses Subin Cup BY NINA LUKINA Spectator Staff Writer Crew saw many secondplace finishes this past weekend. Women’s rowing was runnerup in the Dunn Bowl Regatta against Brown and Cornell, while the heavyweight men came in second behind Syracuse on Saturday. The lightweights came in second behind Cornell at the Geiger Cup, and finished behind Dartmouth the following day at the Subin Cup. At the Dunn Bowl in Ithaca, N.Y., the women’s varsity eight boat came in behind Brown’s time of 6:29.5, with a time of 6:36.8. Although the Lions couldn’t outrace Brown, they still managed to narrowly beat Cornell. The Big Red had a final time of 6:37.6, less than a second behind the
Lions. This was an improvement over last year’s race, in which the Light Blue came in third of three, almost 10 seconds behind second-place Cornell. The men’s lightweight team joined the women when it traveled to Ithaca to compete in the Geiger Cup against Cornell and MIT. The rankings came out the same as they did last year, when the lightweight varsity eight raced the Big Red and the Engineers in Cambridge, Mass. This time, however, Columbia came in behind Cornell by a closer margin. Cornell took first place with a time of 5:52.17, Columbia followed with 5:59.36, and MIT finished in 6:02.8. The next morning the Lions traveled back home to compete in their last home race of the season. They were unable to keep their
Subin Cup from last year, losing it to Dartmouth by three seconds. Dartmouth came in first at 6:03.6 and Columbia followed, finishing with a time of 6:06.8. The heavyweight men also placed second in their race against Syracuse and Boston University at Orchard Beach. In this race, BU had the opportunity to take home two prizes, the Conlan Cup if it beat Syracuse, and the Doc Lusins Trophy if it managed to defeat Columbia. However, they went home emptyhanded as Syracuse won the overall race and the Conlan Cup with a time of 5:50.0 and Columbia came in second, about three seconds behind, with a time of 5:53.3. Boston closed with 5:55.5. The women’s and heavyweight crew will race again next Saturday.
But Lomax chose to transfer to Barnard College and play for Columbia, a program that had recruited her out of high school. She did not compete in the 2007-08 season due to NCAA regulations, returning to the hardwood for the Lions’ 200809 campaign. While Columbia finished that season with a disappointing 6-8 Ivy League record, Lomax compiled impressive individual statistics. She converted 53.6 percent of her field goals and scored 14.2 points per game while leading the nation with 14.3 boards per contest. As a result of her efforts, Lomax received allIvy first team honors. Lomax had little room for improvement following that season, but she continued to refine and expand her skill set in the Lions’ most recent campaign. She led the Ivy League with 18.6 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game
en route to being named Columbia’s first Ivy Player of the Year. Lomax scored at least 20 points on 12 occasions, two of which were 30-point performances. Lomax’s rebounding average was once again the highest in the nation, making her the only NCAA Division I women’s basketball player to achieve the distinction in consecutive campaigns. Lomax also garnered honorable mention All-American status from the Associated Press. Due to Ivy League rules, Lomax was left with just one semester of eligibility after the 2009-10 campaign. Nixon believes that this restriction made Lomax’s departure more likely than it would have been had she had an entire year of eligibility remaining. “If she had had the opportunity to come back and play a full fifth year, I don’t think that we’re having
this conversation,” he said. “I think she’s coming back to the team next fall, ready to pick up where she left off. But that’s, unfortunately, not the situation that she was in.” “It really put us in a difficult place,” Nixon continued. “Because, it’s like, how do you play half a year without the Player of the Year and then hope she’s able to come back and just jump right in? You just don’t ever know what that situation’s going to be like.” Nixon was not surprised that Lomax received an offer from a WNBA team, and he understands her decision to accept it. “The percentage of college athletes that get an opportunity to go on and play at the next level is so miniscule,” he said. “When your chance comes, it’s hard to pass up.” Lomax could not be reached for an interview as she is in Connecticut with the Sun.
April 26, 2010
SPORTS
Page 9
jasper l. clyatt / senior staff photographer
ELUSIVE | Freshman quarterback Sean Brackett avoids a tackle in the Spring Game. Brackett, who is competing with sophomore Jerry Bell for the starting quarterback position, finished with 40 rushing yards.
Wide receiver Stephens shines as White defeats Blue 9-0 in Spring Game
BY VICTORIA JONES Spectator Staff Writer For those in attendance, Friday night’s spring game was the first opportunity to see what lies ahead for Columbia’s football team once the class of 2010 graduates next month. Blue faced off against White in the evening game, and half of the Lions left the field victorious. The white team—made up of the first team offense and the second team defense—beat the blue team 9-0. The game was a tight one, as the white team didn’t put its first points on the board until there was 6:26 left in the third quarter. Brian DeVeau rushed into the endzone with the pigskin on a six-yard carry to put white ahead by six, and Greg Guttas made the extra point to make the score 7-0. The score remained the same until just 1:26 remained in the fourth quarter, when the blue team’s quarterback, Paul Havas, was sacked by Matt Stotler for a safety to give the white team a 9-0 lead to secure
WHITE
9
BLUE
0
the win. In the end, what really mattered was watching the Lions work together and seeing who stepped up to fill the holes left by the team’s future alumni. Wide receiver Mike Stephens noted, “Overall, it was a good game. There’s a lot of stuff we need to work on, but there was some good stuff.” Linebacker Matt Moretto added that in terms of the spring game, “it’s game time, we’re ready to go, and it’s just a lot of fun.” One disputed position left open after last fall is, of course, the starting quarterback spot. After Friday’s game, it looks like freshman Sean Brackett gained the upper hand to replace Millicent Olawale next season. Brackett led the white team in rushing with 40 yards, passed for 148 yards, and completed 10 of 19 passes. Havas and Jerr y Bell both put in some time as
quarterback for the blue team, with Bell passing for 62 yards and Havas for 52. “He [Bell] threw some decent balls. He short-armed a few,” head coach Norries Wilson said. “In the spring, I would say the starting quarterback is Sean Brackett.” But Wilson acknowledged that come fall, if Bell were to beat Brackett out, Bell would take over the position. “No position is solidified—you’ve got to earn your keep every day,” Wilson said. There are also several wide receiver positions open for this fall. Stephens played well on Friday, recording 109 receiving yards in the scrimmage, including a catch for 41 yards, and putting himself in prime position for a starting spot. “We’re young at wideout, but I think Mike Stephens really stepped it up and caught some good balls,” Wilson said. Ever since Ray Rangel went down with a season-ending injury last year, the spots for running back have remained unclear. However, Friday’s game
did show significant improvement by one potential replacement: Leon Ivery. “I think that Leon has really improved as a blocker— he’s getting a better understanding of what we’re trying to do in pass protection. Zack [Kourouma]’s improved as well, but Leon’s really come on. And I think David Chao has the opportunity to be our third back, because he’s gotten better as a runner,” Wilson said of the open position. Though there may not necessarily be a running back position for freshman Nick Gerst with the new season, Wilson acknowledged how valuable he could be for the team. “I think that with the speed that Nick Gerst has, we’re going to have to find a way to get him on the field,” Wilson said. One common observation when it comes to the offensive line is that there are a lot of younger, more inexperienced players who are just starting to find their niche. “There’s a lot of new kids on the offense. We don’t have that
many seniors on the offense, so we’re sticking new people into new positions—DBs are coming over and playing wideouts, so it’s all a learning process still,” Stephens said of the group. In terms of defense, though, the faces on that line have seen a lot more playing time in the past. “One thing that I think the defense has is a lot of experience,” Moretto said. “We have a lot of kids that have been playing since freshman year— they’ve had time on the field.” Wilson reacted similarly, noting, “The defense was playing pretty good, and that’s what they have to do.” Leading the blue team with five solo tackles each were Ben Popeck and Kalasi Huggins. However, it was Evan Miller who topped the charts for the white team with seven total tackles—three solo and four assisted. Josh Smith, who was named the most improved defensive player of the spring, contributed four tackles of his own and assisted in one during the game. For the offensive line,
Crimson cruise past Lions in second half en route to 18-10 victory BY JULIA GARRISON Spectator Staff Writer
In its final game of the 2010 season, the women’s lacrosse team fell to Harvard 18-10, ending the year with a record of 6-8 overall, and 0-7 in the Ivy League. The game was close throughout the first half, but Harvard dominated the second, coming out with the win, and improving to 7-7 and 3-4 in the league. At the beginning of the game, seniors Brittany Shannon, Frances Callaghan, and Megan Donovan were recognized for their four years of commitment to Columbia lacrosse. Combined, the three seniors scored 56 goals, had 10 assists, and 66 points in their final season. With the three goals she scored in the Harvard game, Shannon tied the record for goals scored in a season with 45 this year. Although the Crimson scored the first goal of the game, Columbia came back with three of its own by Shannon, Taylor Gattinella, and Kacie Johnson. Goalie Karlee Blank held back Harvard with five key saves on defense to hold on to a 3-1 lead. However, the Crimson evened the score with less than 15 minutes to go in the half, bringing the score to 3-3 before Columbia pulled ahead again with another shot by Johnson. Harvard followed up with another two goals to take the
HARVARD
18
COLUMBIA
10
lead, but the Light Blue kept up with a goal by Olivia Mann, before the Crimson shot two more, bringing Harvard’s lead to 7-5 entering the second half. After halftime, the Crimson widened its advantage again with a goal at the start of the half, and as Harvard continued to score, Columbia followed closely behind with goals by Gattinella, Gabrielle Geronimos, and Shannon that kept the Lions within two in the first 15 minutes of the second half. However, in the final 15 minutes of play, Harvard broke away, scoring eight more goals to close out the game. During this period, Shannon scored her 45th goal of the season, and freshman Johnson added one more point for the Lions in the final minute of play. In the 2010 season, many players made the record books. Freshman Mann tied the singleseason record for draw controls with 39, while Gattinella finished the year with a team-high 40 ground balls, and a second place ranking in draw controls with 37 for the second year in a row. Johnson scored three goals in the game and had an assist, for a season total of 49 points, ranking her fifth overall for points in a season. Amanda Goodhart added three caused turnovers in the game,
andra mihali / senior staff photographer
RECORD | Olivia Mann tied the single season record with 39 draw controls after recording one against Harvard. to finish with a team high 25 for 2010. Keeper Karlee Blank made 13 saves in goal for the match, bringing her season total to 130. In the league, Penn was crowned the 2010 Ivy League
champions for the fourth year in a row, after defeating Brown on Sunday. Also gaining entry into the Ivy League women’s lacrosse tournament are Brown, who came in second, Cornell
third, and Princeton, fourth. The final championship will be held on Friday and Sunday, when these four teams will be competing for selection into the NCAA tournament.
sophomore wide receiver Mark Muston was named most improved. Muston made one seven-yard catch. The team captains were also announced Friday night. Rising seniors Alex Gross and Andrew Kennedy, as well as Stephens and Moretto, were selected to lead the Lions for the 2010 season. At the end of the day, there is still plenty of time before the season commences in September, and the spring game does not foreshadow the season opener’s starting lineup. “You get an idea of who’s coming along in the offseason and that type of thing, but there’s a lot of work to be done over the summer,” Stephens said. “There’s still time to move up and down the roster.” While the Lions enjoyed being back out on the field, allowing coaches and fans to get a first look at what’s to come, there is still plenty of time and training left to be done before the 2010 football season truly begins on Sept. 18 against Fordham. SPORTS BRIEF
Field hockey announces new coach Last Thursday, Athletic Director M. Dianne Murphy named Marybeth Freeman the next field hockey head coach. Freeman replaces Jana Woolley, who served as head coach for one season after serving as top assistant for two years. Freeman has spent the last seven years as assistant coach at the University of Maryland. There, she helped legendary head coach Missy Meharg—who has been voted National Coach of the Year seven times in her 21-year tenure at Maryland—develop the defensive players and goalkeepers. During her time with the Terriers, she helped lead the team to three national titles and three conference championships. As an undergraduate, Freeman attended Old Dominion. As a fouryear starter, she helped her team earn four straight conference titles and two national championships. Last season, under Woolley, the Light Blue finished fifth in the Ancient Eight with a conference record of 3-4. The Lions finished with an overall record of 9-8, their third straight winning record. No reason has been given for Woolley’s departure. -Michele Cleary
SportsMonday Monday, April 26, 2010 • Page 10
Lomax headed to WNBA training camp Connecticut Sun offers junior forward contract BY SARAH SOMMER Spectator Senior Staff Writer
jasper l. clyatt, jenny hsu, and angela radulescu / senior staff photographers
GOING PRO | Ivy Player of the Year Lomax has been offered a training camp contract by the the WNBA’s Sun.
For the consummate “team player” who wanted nothing more than to win an Ivy League championship, leaving the Columbia women’s basketball team with a semester of eligibility remaining and the conference title still elusive could not have been easy. But Judie Lomax was forced to make a tough decision when she was given an opportunity to join the Women’s National Basketball Association. On April 23, the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun announced that it had signed Lomax to a training camp contract. The deal gives Lomax the chance to join a roster that includes the likes of Tina Charles, a first team All-American at the University of Connecticut and the No. 1 pick in this year’s WNBA Draft. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for her that she’s worked hard for, and she deserves,” Columbia head coach Paul Nixon said. “She’s definitely earned this chance.” Lomax impressed Sun head coach Mike Thibault when Columbia hosted Monmouth University on Dec. 13. In that matchup, Lomax scored 25 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in 30 minutes of action. Thibault—whose daughter, Carly, plays for Monmouth—was in attendance and spoke with Nixon after the game. A few months later, Thibault and Nixon again communicated, this time after the 2010 WNBA Draft. “He [Thibault] contacted me to let me know that they [the Sun] wanted to invite her [Lomax] to their training camp,” Nixon said. “From that point, I had to pass along information, and then Judie started communicating directly with them.” Lomax finished her Columbia career with SEE LOMAX, page 8
Give tennis Men’s golf wins Ivy League Championship for third consecutive year team place to practice BY LAUREN SEAMAN Spectator Staff Writer
D
ear Columbia
Athletic Department, As I’m sure you know, the men’s tennis team Kunal won the 2010 Gup ta Ivy League Championship Moving the Chains last weekend. The win was its second straight, third in four years, fifth since 2000 and eighth of head coach Bid Goswami’s illustrious 28 years at the helm of the men’s tennis program. Despite the tremendous success that the team has had really since the 1880s when it was founded as the first collegiate organized tennis team, the fact that the team doesn’t have outdoor courts to practice on is simply unacceptable really for any Division I tennis program, but particularly for such an exceptionally successful team. This spring, the men’s tennis team went 16-4 overall and is currently ranked No. 46 in the nation, the highest ranked Ivy team. Of those four losses, three came when the team played on outdoor courts. Last season, the men’s team went 16-5, and of their five losses, three of those came when playing outdoors. Two years ago in 2008, the team went 10-6, and of those six losses, three came on outdoor courts. I think you can sense a pattern here. Sure, the fact that all of those matches were on the road contributed to the outcome, but you cannot look at the bottom line and tell me that playing outdoors doesn’t put Columbia at a disadvantage. Opposing coaches know this, too. They know that they have a better chance to beat Columbia if they can find a way to play the match outdoors, and they take advantage of this. If you really strive to give all Columbia athletes and athletic teams the best chance to win, does this really seem like you’re giving the tennis teams the best chance to win day in and day out? SEE GUPTA, page 6
They’ve done it again. Successfully defending their title as Ivy champs, the men came out on top of the Ancient Eight with a final score of 890, three strokes better than second-place Yale. Helping the men’s team to the top of the league for three consecutive conference victories—and only league wins in the history of the men’s golf program—junior and two-time allIvy honoree Clark Granum maintained his history of success, tying for first in the individual standings. As the league champions, the Lions earn the Ivy League’s berth to the 2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship, which is slated to begin regional play May 20-22. With every stroke of the threeday, 54-hole tournament, the men’s team fought for victory. Struggling to get the ball rolling, the Lions failed to deliver after the first round, as they played the lower course at par 70 and had difficulty making shots. But with a two-year title to defend, the Lions’ pride was at stake. As the second round began, the men pulled themselves out of the hole and rallied back to finish the round at 596 through 36-holes with a two-stroke advantage over Penn. With a lead going into the final round, the Lions weathered the Bulldogs’ advances. At the end of the day, Columbia emerged victorious. Individually, four Lions made
courtesy of columbia athletics
CLARK GRANUM | The two-time all-Ivy golfer tied for first in the individual standings in the Ivy Championship, but lost in a tiebreak to Penn’s Scotty Williams. it to the charts. Granum stole the spotlight in all three rounds, ultimately tying with Penn’s Scotty Williams for first place with a score of 214. The tie was settled by a nailbiting playoff, in which Granum fell, handing Williams the No.1 spot overall. But the Lions’ triumph was salvaged, as two Lions tied at seventh place, with sophomore
Brendan Doyle and freshman Michael Yiu finishing with scores of 228. Junior Justin Lee shot a finalround 78 and tied for 16th, while freshman Ford Fischer ended the tournament at 23rd. In an equally heated tournament, the women’s team closed out its season on a lower note, finishing out the season in sixth place in Ivy
competition, just two points behind fifth-place Brown. Off to an incredible start, the Light Blue’s Lynda Kwon finished second overall in the first round, after firing an openinground 74, to give the Lions third place after the first day. However, the women were unable to continue their momentum, dropping from third place in the first round
to sixth in the second round, and then remaining there to end the championship. This weekend’s Ivy competition brings the women’s season to a close. The men, however, still have work to do, as they advance to the 2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship set to take place May 20-22.
BY GREGORY KREMLER Spectator Staff Writer
record 59.31—a time that currently leads the league. Freshman Uju Ofoche kept the ball rolling with a 6.03m (19’ 9.5”) long jump, a notable improvement upon her previous best and also a new school record. The leap was good for fourth in the College Women’s Eastern section and ranks No. 2 in the conference. Making a hat trick on school records for the day, the women’s DMR took five seconds off the previous Columbia mark, placing 10th in the College Women’s Championship of America in 11:19.47. The women’s 4x400m was runner-up to Cornell in the Heptagonal section, completing the 1600m in 3:41.96. Sophomore Sharay Hale
however, ran a blazing 52.03 anchor leg, which will surely boost her confidence heading into the championship season. In open events Thursday night, junior Julianne Quinn impressed with a 10:29.46 3k steeple to take fifth. The performance moved her to No. 2 in the Ivy League behind Princeton’s Ashley Higginson. Freshman Emily Lanois ran a breakout 5k in the Olympic Development section, finishing seventh in 16:48.96. Freshman Uzunma Udeh opened Friday with a fourthplace triple jump of 12.30m (40’ 4.25”) in the College Women’s Eastern section—a length good
Columbia track team sets six school records at 2010 Penn Relays
embry owen / senior staff photographer
RELAY | CU raced in front of a crowd of 54,310 at the Penn Relays.
For the Columbia Lions, the 2010 Penn Relays were a mixed bag. After three days of competition over the University of Pennsylvania’s famed Franklin Field, six school records fell, and numerous individuals had breakout performances. However, marquee Championship of America events came up a slightly short in spite of high expectations, though there were outstanding individual legs. The meet started out well with sophomore Kyra Caldwell conquering the 1-minute barrier in the 400m hurdles, placing third in a new Columbia
SEE TRACK AND FIELD, page 6