http://www.columbiaspectator.com/sites/default/files/issues/archive/09-24-10%20Web by Spectator Publishing Company

Vol. CXXXIV—No. 84

Friday, September 24, 2010

State-funded Barnard program shuts down

New rules for gardens offer temporary protections

Admins say Liberty financially unstable, parents launch protest

BY DAMIAN HARRIS-HERNANDEZ Columbia Daily Spectator New York City gardeners, who were once vulnerable to city evictions, will be able to see next year’s harvest to fruition. In West Harlem, local gardeners said they are pleased with a new piece of legislation passed last week by the Bloomberg administration, which offers an umbrella of protection to the city’s 282 embattled community gardens. The newly adopted Community Garden Rules go into effect next month—promising limited protection to tidy and well used gardens. Activists say they are relieved the gardens are currently off the chopping block, but are still very concerned about the future. “We are very happy about it,” said gardener Ivy Walker, who lives across the street from the Carrie McCracken TRUCE Community Garden in West Harlem, a community garden that benefits from the city’s new rules. Before the city enacted the guidelines, the garden fell under the jurisdiction of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, which reserves the right to evict gardens at any time on two weeks notice. The new rules brought the garden under the control of the Department of Parks and Recreation, which now says it has committed to protect gardens from commercial development, as long as they are well maintained. As an active garden member, Walker tends to the flowers and teaches on-site gardening classes. “I hope we never lose it,” she said. But green activist groups like New York City Community Gardens Coalition say the new rules do not offer community gardens lasting protection from developers eyeing “unused” space. “The new rules don’t give the gardens permanence,” said Steve Kidd, a NYCCGC board member, who initiated the revitalization of the McCracken garden in 2008: “They only offer us a respite.” A flaw that critics cite with the

SEE GARDENS, page 2

BY MADINA TOURE AND CHELSEA LO Columbia Daily Spectator

EMBRY OWEN / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

EPIC NEW WEBSITE | Christia Mercer, chair of Lit Hum and a philosophy professor, oversaw the redesign of the website, which now features images, paintings, video clips, and audio files.

Literature Humanities website gets makeover BY AMBER TUNNELL AND SCARLETT TOHME Columbia Daily Spectator Literature Humanities has now arrived in the 21st century. The website for Lit Hum— one of Columbia’s trademark Core courses—has previously only given basic information about the class. Now, after a full-blown makeover, the website features images, paintings, video clips, and audio files that complement the works read in class. The change is meant to make the course more engaging for students, said Christia

NEWS BRIEF

Barnard investigates Grant’s Tomb for commencement location If Barnard has its way, the class of 2011 will hold its commencement off campus below a national memorial. The administration is currently investigating the possibility of Grant’s Tomb as the commencement location, Barnard President Debora Spar said on Thursday. It’s still a work in progress, and a complicated one, she said, because this location involves working with different public agencies. If approved, the ceremony would be held in the park extending southward from the steps of the tomb—a federal monument on 122nd Street. Spar said she and other administrators presented several options to a group of students recently. “We were interested to see that they

columbiaspectator.com

were pretty unanimous in their view,” she said. This process so far has been less controversial than last year’s selection—administrators had initially settled on Dodge’s Levien Gym, but after students protested, they moved the ceremony to Ancel Plaza outside the International Affairs Building. If Barnard can’t work out the logistics of Grant’s Tomb, South Lawn is a back-up, administrators said. “It’s a spectacular spot,” Spar said of Grant’s Tomb. “As a number of students pointed out, it feels very Barnard because it’s leafy and green and quite elegant, but it’s in the city and you’ll cross city streets to get there. It’s a beautiful processional.” —Sam Levin

Mercer, the chair of Lit Hum and a professor of philosophy, who oversaw the overhaul. For example, for Plato’s “Symposium,” the site has a clip from of the song “the Origin of Love” from the film “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” where a singer sings a song based on Aristophanes’ speech about love. “I want to combine intellectual seriousness with edginess,” Mercer said. “We want to make Lit Hum intellectually cool.” Elizabeth Bonnette, a Ph.D. candidate who is teaching Lit Hum this year, said she plans to utilize the website in her

class through weekly responses which incorporate a piece of art from the site. Bonnette said her class recently started “Gilgamesh” and that she liked how students could actually watch videos of people carving on tablets—the manner in which the work was originally written. “It’s going to be nice for them to explore things we don’t get to in class,” Bonnette said. The Lit Hum website is also meant to encourage connections with other required Core classes, such as Art and Music

SEE LIT HUM, page 2

Wi-Fi may come to city parks, but only at a price BY VALERIYA SAFRONOVA Columbia Daily Spectator Wireless Internet may be coming to Riverside Park–but it will cost you. Time Warner Cable and Cablevision recently agreed to provide Wi-Fi to 32 parks

“If you don’t have a credit card, it sounds like you can’t use the wireless at all.” —Gale Brewer, City Council member across the five boroughs as early as next year, but it will only be free for three

Arnell Benjamin, a 15-yearold high school student, froze when he heard that the Liberty Partnerships Program would be closing. “I didn’t react. I was just dead,” he recalled of the moment he learned that the Barnard tutoring program was shutting its doors. “I just froze.” He had been a part of the program since 7th grade, and his grades in school had improved as a result. “I met a lot of good friends here. I got my grades up. I had fun,” he said. Benjamin attended a demonstration at Barnard on Thursday afternoon, joining a small group of parents and students protesting the administration’s recent decision to eliminate the Liberty Partnerships Program due to financial concerns. The state-funded program— which provided academic and social support to neighborhood students—consisted of an academic-year curriculum in which students came to Barnard twice a week and received individualized tutoring from a tutor-counselor, as well as a summer program in which students volunteered at an internship site. To some parents, Liberty is irreplaceable. But to administrators who built and promoted the program, Liberty in recent

a state of uncertainty Barnard had no choice but to end the state-funded program, Vivian Taylor, vice president for community development and Barnard President Debora Spar’s chief of staff, said in an email sent to students at the end of August. “We are extremely proud of the program we have built at Barnard over the last twen-

“We are not abandoning our young people, our youth, who need help.” —Vivian Taylor, vice president for community development ty-plus years and very much regret having to take this action,” Taylor wrote in the email. “However, the ongoing unreliability of New York’s financial support for Liberty and a serious lack of functionality at the state level leave us with little option.” The program—the proposal for which was written by Taylor herself in 1989—was initially funded by the New York State Education Department,

SEE LIBERTY, page 2

Portugal’s PM touts alternative energy progress BY AARON KIERSH Spectator Senior Staff Writer Portugal’s Prime Minister José Sócrates celebrated his country’s achievements in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and developing alternative energy sources during a Low Library Rotunda address Thursday evening. This World Leaders Forum program, titled “Energy Policy and the Portuguese New Growth Agenda,” drew a capacity crowd—part of a week in which several heads of state visited Columbia.

10-minute chunks per month. After that, the service will cost 99 cents for each day. It may be a while before students can decide whether this wireless plan is worth their dollar. According to Eddie Borges, spokesperson for the city’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, the borough presidents and cable companies will begin the process of choosing which parks will get wireless in the first quarter of 2011. For now, it’s unclear whether either Morningside or Riverside parks will be among the lucky ones. Before the changes can officially take off, formal requests must be made,” Borges said, adding that by the end of 2010, the project will be started. Time Warner Cable and

SEE WIFI, page 2

years became no longer financially sustainable.

Sócrates focused on the “pragmatism” and “strategy” of his administration’s economic and energy policies. Sócrates, introduced by School of International and Public Affairs Dean John Coatsworth, repeatedly stressed the links between developing renewable fuels, “going green,” and strengthening Portuguese society. Unlike some other speakers this week, Sócrates rarely mentioned his nation’s place on the European scene

SEE WLF, page 2

KATE SCARBROUGH FOR SPECTATOR

HEADS OF STATE | Portugal’s Prime Minister José Sócrates spoke at Columbia on Thursday, discussing Portugal’s progress.

OPINION, PAGE 4

SPORTS, PAGE 6

EVENTS

WEATHER

Lone Leaders Forum

Football season continues Saturday

Geoengineering the Climate

Today

The Lions will play their second home game in a four-game streak this weekend against Towson. The Tigers bring athleticism and experience to the table against the Light Blue.

As part of Climate Week NYC, the Columbia Climate Center will present a talk on the ethics and politics of geoengineering. Satow Room, Lerner Hall, 2 p.m.

Rhonda Shafei argues that a country’s forum includes more than one leader.

Tomorrow

85 °/ 69 ° 82 °/ 56 °

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NEWS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2010

City implements new rules for gardens GARDENS from front page

KATE SCARBROUGH FOR SPECTATOR

GARDEN RULES McCraken Garden in Harlem benefited from the new rules the city enacted last week to protect city gardens. Some say the rules will only help temporarily and not solve the long-term issues. |

Community Garden Rules is that they can easily be overturned by a new city administration, sending the garden preservation effort back to square one. Until last week, New York City’s gardens were under the protection of the Spitzer Agreement, a hard-won piece of legislation enacted in 2002 that prevented the city from selling the gardens to developers for eight years. “Unless you have something in writing, they will destroy it,” said Bill DiPaola, executive director of Time’s Up!, an environmental

activist group. “I’ve always believed the taxpayers and the gardeners own the gardens,” DiPaola said, adding that Time’s Up! recently led a campaign to highlight the history of New York’s community gardens. He reasoned that back in the ’80s, when the city was broke, community members reclaimed the many vacant lots that blighted their neighborhoods. By themselves, they transformed the derelict land into muchneeded gardens. As New York began to prosper in the ’90s, Mayor Rudy Giuliani began selling off the gardens to developers

for housing. Time’s Up!, along with More Gardens! Coalition, Lower East Side Collective, and other groups, organized to save the gardens and keep them in the hands of the people who created them. According to Kidd, the new rules are vague and need to be carefully analyzed from a legal standpoint to fully determine their implications. He said he hopes to take the gardens’ plight to the state level to ensure their continued protection. “We got to get the message out,” Kidd said. “Save all our community gardens.” news@columbiaspectator.com

Literature Humanities website gets modern makeover State-funded BC program shuts down, parents protest LIT HUM from front page Humanities, by including pieces of art and music relevant to the Lit Hum syllabus. “I think people who teach Art Hum don’t know as much about Lit Hum as they should,” Mercer, who has taught both, said, explaining that the site will help bridge that gap. The site also has a comprehensive timeline for the material covered in the Core classes, which will help them understand what was going on in the other disciplines at the time the Lit Hum works were written. Susan Boynton, the chair of Music Hum and a music professor, said that Music Hum plans to also use the new site to establish connections between literature and music. “In the interest of creating more intersections between

the Core courses, we hope in the future to link from the Lit Hum page to related materials for Music Hum,” Boynton said in an email. There are also additions that only faculty can see, such as example questions, exams, and grading criteria. The extra resources are meant to make it easier for the faculty, who come from a range of fields— from Italian to religion to Slavic languages—to teach the works to students. Mercer also hopes this will convince more senior faculty to get involved with the course by making it easier to teach. “I think this new website will help those of us who live outside the literature world get into the classics mind-set,” Anna Couturier, CC ’10, who helped Mercer organize the material for the site over the summer, said in an email from

Berlin, where she is studying. “It will also give the Columbia community an opportunity to discuss … the strengths and weaknesses of the core,” she said. While resources for only the first semester’s material

“I want to combine intellectual seriousness with edginess.” —Christia Mercer, chair of Lit Hum have been added, Mercer said they are now going to work on the second semester of the course. Then, next year, the University plans to work on

the website for Contemporary Civilization, the yearlong philosophy course all Columbia College sophomores are required to take. Not all students were enthused. Adie Wadles, CC’14, has never heard of it. “I didn’t hear of the new website, and I wouldn’t go on it. And I probably wouldn’t really care about it,” Wadles said. Olivia Harris, CC ’14, was more excited about the change. “I would use the site because we read really deep and sophisticated works like “The Iliad,” and it would be really useful and helpful to use images, music, movie clips, and other supplements to aid in understanding the texts,” Harris said. To view the site, visit http://www.college.columbia. edu/core/lithum. news@columbiaspectator.com

Wi-Fi may come to city parks, but only at a price WIFI from front page Cablevision agreed to spend $10 million on the Wi-Fi initiative as part of a renewal of their cable franchise contract with the city. City Council member Gale Brewer, who represents the Upper West Side and who has been at the forefront of the fight for free Wi-Fi, sees major problems with the agreement between the city and the cable companies. “If people are in the park, it means they’re probably not working for IBM or Columbia University or Exxon. They’re probably working for a small business and free wireless is

important to them,” she said. Brewer believes that free wireless could also be useful for “low-income residents who might be fortunate enough to have a laptop but don’t have Internet at home, and could use the opportunity for their business.” But the potential payment plan would exclude those people. “If you don’t have a credit card, it sounds like you can’t use the wireless at all,” Brewer added. Some potential users near Columbia aren’t worried about the payments. “As long as I can pay with my credit card, it sounds cool,” said Stephanie Zhang, CC ’12. But not everyone is as eager

to pay for what’s already available nearby at cafes and restaurants—not to mention on most of Columbia’s campus. Kiran Stallone, BC ’13, who is worried about the costs, said, “I guess I just don’t like paying for stuff like that when we can walk two blocks up and get Columbia’s wireless for free.” Lucy McClellan, an economic analyst who works near Riverside Park, agreed, saying, “I wouldn’t pay 99 cents a day because I’d just go to Starbucks where it’s free.” Brewer wasn’t the only one complaining about the new initiative. Dana Spiegel, the president of the nonprofit NYCwireless,

which pushes for free Wi-Fi throughout the city, recently wrote in a statement on the group’s website that DoITT is “selling out NYC residents and taxpayers.” “I’m personally offended that DoITT would allow a CableCo to make money off of our tax-funded parks,” Spiegel wrote. Still, some say that the ability to be online on a park bench is enough of a draw. Stephen Frizell, an IT consultant and regular Riverside Park visitor, said, “99 cents a day? It would be a wonderful amenity at some point. My wife would definitely use it.” news@columbiaspectator.com

Portugal’s prime minister touts alternative energy progress WLF from front page

KATE SCARBROUGH FOR SPECTATOR

REFORMS | Portugal’s Prime Minister José Sócrates, lecturing at the World Leaders Forum, spoke about alternative energy progress.

or described his outlook for Portuguese-U.S. relations. The prime minister was first elected to office in 2005, and won re-election in 2009, even as his Socialist Party lost its legislative majority. He could run for a third term in 2013, but has not yet declared his intentions. “It’s possible to make structural reforms, important reforms, in a short period of time—see the situation in Portugal,” Sócrates said at the opening of his address. He went on to explain how Portugal had reduced dependency on fossil fuels during his five years in office. This “transformation” resulted in Portugal enjoying an energy trade surplus and reducing the nation’s overall deficit. Sócrates projected that by 2020, 60 percent of Portugal’s energy will be derived from local, renewable sources. Student questioners expressed admiration for the prime minister’s commitment to sustainable development, but also had other matters on their minds. In response to an inquiry about Portugal’s approach toward Iran, Sócrates only noted that Portugal respects “international law.” Fielding a question about education, Sócrates guaranteed that a greater proportion of Portuguese young people would be able to attend college in the next few years. Sócrates also commented extensively on Portugal’s recently liberalized drug laws, saying, “We

changed from an ideological policy to a pragmatic policy.” One issue that did not factor into the address was corruption—though experts say it has been a major problem. “Although some efforts have been made, tackling corruption has not been a major priority [for Sócrates],” said João Gama, a tax law and public finance professor at Lisbon Catholic University, currently based at New York University. “Much more can be done.” Fiscal and economic issues remain the number one concern of many Portugal watchers. One attendee Thursday evening was left somewhat unsatisfied by the program because her questions about Portugal’s economy were not addressed. “There are a lot of political tensions in Portugal right now, especially with respect to different budget proposals,” said Rachel Roosevelt, a parttime SIPA student. “I wanted to hear about them. I wished [Sócrates] had touched on some of his budget proposals.” Kevin Puhlmann, GS, was simply grateful for the chance to pepper a head of state with questions. “I come out to as many World Leaders Forum events as possible,” said Puhlmann, who waited patiently to speak with Sócrates after the address. “This is a phenomenal opportunity to actually be able to ask questions verbally without any filter.” aaron.kiersh @columbiaspectator.com

LIBERTY from front page but according to Taylor, cash flow problems forced the college to subsidize the service over the past several budget cycles. Dealing with the state’s administrative bureaucracy could be frustrating, Taylor said—but the main problem was the financial uncertainty with funds from the state. “It took us a year to get the money for last year, so you’re constantly having to advance money,” Taylor said. Spar said that it’s been a constant struggle to keep the program afloat. “Liberty’s been sort of on the chopping block, if you will, for two years,” Spar said. “It’s been saved at the last minute, but it’s very, very hard financially to plan ahead when you don’t know what the fate of the program is.” Making the choice to shut Liberty down was not easy, Spar said, but considering the financial liabilities, it became necessary: “This was a really tough decision.” shock and protest “Please call the college. Ask them to give Liberty a second look,” Judith Sturgis, whose son participated in the program, said to passersby Thursday afternoon. She and a group of parents, students, and former tutors were asking for support in protesting the elimination of the program. “We parents decided we weren’t going to follow like sheep,” Sturgis said in an interview. “This is the college action. Our reaction is to hold a protest.” She added, “I guess I became sort of a revolutionary. I said, ‘We need a protest. We need a letter to the college. We can’t just take this sitting down.’” Koree Woodley-Adjei, 12, who had been in the program for one year but was involved earlier through meetings, banquets, and other events, showed up to speak out against the closure. “It’s very friendly. Everybody gets along,” she said of Liberty. “It’s a happy environment to be in.” Sturgis said that Barnard did not make an effort to speak with students and their families, and for her, it was a shock. “They [the administration] didn’t consult us. We were just given a memo, goodbye,” she said, arguing that there was little advanced communication about potential financial woes. On Sept. 15, Taylor said, students and parents were invited to meet with Barnard administrators, and Spar said they’ve extended a further invitation to talk with participants and parents. At the September meeting, Taylor said, parents asked why Barnard did not approach them about the financial difficulties—arguing that they could have engaged legislators to deal with the state on behalf of the program. Students also spoke, citing how the program helped them succeed in their studies. “I was really moved because the program had helped so much,” Taylor said. “One young man said that it saved his life.” moving forward Administrators say they are currently reviewing community outreach at Barnard and are looking for short-term solutions to the loss of Liberty as well as long-term plans to fill that void. “These families here, we’re working with them to try to connect them to other programs that fit their needs,” said Jason Wolfe, who joined the program in 1998 as associate director and served as director

for two years before the program was terminated. “We are very much committed to finding other ways of serving the population that has benefited from the Liberty program. We just want to do it in a different way so that we are not always vulnerable to what is happening in Albany,” Spar said. Despite the explanation of financial problems and the regret that administrators expressed, parents whose children participated in the program were not satisfied. Stephanie Woodley, the parent of a Liberty Partnerships student, questioned the argument that it was financially necessary to shut down. “Many of the parents were angered by this because any successful program should have more than one funding source,” Woodley wrote, adding that she wished parents had known sooner and could’ve helped with fundraising. Taylor said she was not sure how to respond to such complaints. “I’m not sure how any of us could change the way the State Education Department runs itself,” she said. Woodley said the college— which has expanded its global programs—prioritized international commitments over the needs of students in the United States, but Taylor said that was not the case. “We are still committed to the New York City neighborhood youth,” she said. Developments abroad do not affect local initiatives, she said. “I made it clear to the families that it was important for me and the program to help connect them to different services in the community,” Wolfe said. Though the Liberty program will not be revived, Taylor said that, as a temporary solution, Barnard plans to devote a component of the New York City Civic Engagement Program—a pre-existing partnership—to help Liberty students who need immediate assistance. According to Taylor, Barnard student volunteers have signed up to act as tutors for these students. But she has a larger goal for a homegrown institution. “We want to work on a more long-term, sustainable program that will provide tutoring and support for youth in our community,” she said. “We are not abandoning our young people, our youth, who need help.” coping without liberty In this time of transition, students and parents say they are struggling to move on from the program. “I felt disenfranchised,” Woodley said of her initial reaction. “We were very upset.” Brittany Pavon Suriel, BC ’09 and a tutor since her freshman year, said that Liberty was much more than just a place to do homework. “They just want to sit down and talk. Just life—boys, girlfriends, their neighborhood, school, teachers.” For students who have depended on Liberty, it’s nerve-racking that it’s gone. “I’m worried because now I’m in eighth grade and I’m struggling in some subjects,” student Morgan Fox, 13, said. “I really want Liberty back.” Figuring out the best solution going forward is a personal priority for some administrators. “I hired the first directors for it … so I love the program,” Taylor said. “It was one of my babies.” Re-evaluating Liberty and thinking critically about Barnard’s relations with the neighborhood is key, Spar said. “Clearly, Liberty has been a wildly successful program,” she said. “It’s really touched people’s hearts.” Sam Levin contributed reporting. news@columbiaspectator.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2010

GAMEDAY

PAGE 3

Ivy play ahead for Light Blue soccer team BY SARAH SOMMER Spectator Senior Staff Writer While the Columbia women’s soccer team recently faced a regional powerhouse in Hofstra and a Big East foe in St. John’s, it has not yet been tested by an Ivy League squad. That changes this weekend. The Lions (5-2-0) begin Ivy play when they host Cornell on Friday night, and they are well aware of the importance of a victory. A win would be the first step in Columbia’s chase for the Ivy title. After suffering a seasonopening loss, Columbia has won five of its last six matchups. The Lions’ one defeat in that span came in double overtime against Hofstra, which is tied for first in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America MidAtlantic Region rankings. The Lions, ranked fourth in the MidAtlantic, allowed just one goal against the Pride. Four of Columbia’s five wins have been shutouts, a testament to the efforts of senior defenders Kelly Hostetler and Lauren Cooke as well as junior goalkeeper Lillian Klein. “We take a great deal of pride and personal responsibility in our defensive play, and that is the most tangible way of measuring

COLUMBIA VS. CORNELL

COLUMBIA VS. LEHIGH

Baker Field, Friday, 7 p.m.

Baker Field, Sunday, 1 p.m.

that,” McCarthy said of blanking opponents. “It’s a great positive factor for our team when the leaders like Lauren and Kelly and Lillian take that personally, and it’s started to extend to the rest of the players.” Klein was named the Ivy Player of the Week on Sept. 13, while Cooke received the honor on Monday. With its fast start to the season, Columbia has the best nonconference record among Ivy League teams. The Lions have taken 78 shots this year, 13 fewer shots than their opponents, yet they have outscored the competition 12-4. Klein has made 34 saves and has a save percentage of .895. Eight players have scored for Columbia this year, four of whom have tallied two goals apiece. Cooke netted her first goal of the season against St. John’s on Sunday, while junior forward Marissa Schultz scored her second. Cornell (3-3-0) has scored 14 goals this year, but that total is misleading. Half of the Big Red’s goals came in one matchup, a 7-0 win over Delaware State. Still, Cornell won its last two games after losing three of four

to start the season. With that type of momentum, the Big Red could pose a threat to the Lions. “I think there is a consensus in the Ivy League that the only team to beat is the team that you’re playing that week, and that certainly is our philosophy,” McCarthy said. “I can’t speak for the other programs, but the team to beat for us right now is Cornell.” Come Sunday, however, Columbia will try to defeat Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks (3-1-1), like Cornell, enter the weekend with a two-game winning streak. Lehigh hosts LaSalle on Friday before traveling to Columbia. The only team to defeat Lehigh this season has been Dayton, which sits atop the Mid-Atlantic rankings with Hofstra. Last year, the Lions battled the Mountain Hawks to a 1-1 draw. Columbia achieved a 1-0 win against Cornell last season. This year, the Lions will fight for another victory. “We’re very excited to begin the Ivy League season,” McCarthy said. “We’re doing our best to prepare, both mentally and physically, for peak performance Friday night.”

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Light Blue hits the road for Cissie Leary Invitational The women’s tennis team is on the road again. This time, the Lions are on their way to the annual Cissie Leary Invitational in Philadelphia. At the invitational, the Light Blue will face Penn yet again, as well as three Ivy rivals not yet seen this season: Cornell, Dartmouth, and Princeton. Last season at the Cissie Leary, the Lions had an impressive showing, as current sophomore Nicole Bartnik made her collegiate debut by advancing to the final match before falling to the No. 1 seed, Eastern Tennessee’s

CISSIE LEARY INVITATIONAL Philadelphia, Sept. 24-26

Yevgeniya Stupak. This year, the team expects to see similar success stories from its rookies. In the Columbia Invitational last weekend, three freshmen— Bianca Sanon, Ioana Alecsiu, and Tiana Takenaga—wasted no time proving themselves to the team. In her first collegiate tournament, Sanon boasted the team’s best result in singles Flight “A.” Delivering a performance

reminiscent of Bartnik’s in the Cissie Leary last year, Sanon powered through her matches to advance to the semifinals, where she lost to the eventual champion, Monica Chow of Princeton, 6-2, 6-3. Expectations are high for Alecsiu and Takenaga as well. After losing all but one of their matches last weekend, the two freshmen will play again as partners in the hope of mirroring their recent success. The annual Cissie Leary Invitational will be held Sept. 24-26 in Philadelphia. —Lauren Seaman

EDITORIAL & OPINION

PAGE 4

The 134th year of publication Independent since 1962

Without guidance, freshmen cannot navigate CCSC

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 EMILY TAMKIN Editorial Page Editor RAPHAEL POPE-SUSSMAN Editorial Page Editor CHRISTINE JORDAN Arts & Entertainment Editor MICHELE CLEARY Sports Editor MAGGIE ASTOR Head Copy Editor EMBRY OWEN Photo Editor HANNAH D’APICE Design Editor YIPENG HUANG Staff Director ADITYA MUKERJEE Finance Director ANDREW HITTI Sales Director

BY GRACE BICKERS I am still not sure I understand the freshmen Columbia College Student Council election process. Even the candidates seemed to echo my sentiments in their debate this past Sunday night. Almost all the potential officers reverted back to the tired script of, “well in high school I was president of…” and nearly every party brought up the same issues, including composting food waste, Wi-Fi in dorms, and the implementation of the new dining plan. The dining plan issue was by far the most “debated” given the long lines at Ferris Booth Commons on weekends, but the general consensus seemed to be that as first-years without anything to compare this to, we consequently have no framework to provide many suggestions. Almost every party spoke of “practical promises,” a nice way of telling us not that they won’t promise what they cannot deliver, but that they have no clue what sorts of things they are supposed to be delivering. The debate itself was only heard by a handful of students with the number of candidates outnumbering the audience. I’m all about political involvement and making our university a better place to live and learn in, but forgive me if I’m skeptical that this is the way to do it. All of the candidates deserve accolades for putting forth the effort and taking the initiative to get involved so soon. I do not think the failing is on their shoulders, but on those of the process. And once elected, I am sure officers become much more involved. But why is there not some sort of training session for potential candidates to attend where they can learn exactly what it is the CCSC does and what role freshman officers play in that process? Currently, the only information candidates receive during NSOP week is about the logistics of the elections, not instruction to actually prepare them for service. Knowledge as basic as how the system is structured would certainly help candidates grasp what they can and cannot do, at least allowing them to know who or what organization to seek guidance from when

uncertain. For example, when asked in the debate about how to fund their proposal to subsidize part of the cost of subway tickets, the one major party was unable to name the appropriate administrative office it would need to work with. (Subsequently, the presidential candidate met with the Division of Student Affairs). The class of 2014 is not very enthusiastic about elections, but how could we be when we haven’t had a chance to figure out what we want? Without comprehending what exactly it is that we’re voting for, our votes become meaningless. Yet to give them meaning, we would have to somehow look into the future and tell who will be successful at working a system we still do not understand.

I’m all about political involvement and making our university a better place to live and learn in, but forgive me if I’m skeptical that this is the way to do it. It seems that it would be in CCSC’s interest to provide potential members with the information they need to properly serve their class. I am assuming the goal of CCSC is to represent the student population and serve as a liaison between the administration and the students. This goal cannot be met if a quarter of their constituency lacks the knowledge to thoughtfully vote. The democratic process loses its meaning without engaged citizens, and if the turnout Sunday was any indication of student involvement, something more needs to be done to get students actively participating in their class or school government. Starting early to get new freshmen excited is a logical step in sustaining involvement throughout the students’ four years. Unfortunately, the opposite is happening. Left behind and confused without a clear picture of who we are and with no leaders to unite us, the class of 2014 will likely never feel they have a voice in the bureaucracy of Columbia. If CCSC wants to change that, they’ll have to do a better job preparing freshmen before the start of the electoral process. The author is a Columbia College first-year.

COLIN SULLIVAN Alumni Director NILKANTH PATEL Online Content Editor

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Handling Hezbollah

s we conclude President Bollinger’s World Leaders Forum, it’s worth looking back and asking ourselves: What have we learned about politics? There are certainly positive aspects to the forum, but we also need to critically analyze its implications. By RHONDA hosting a forum of leaders, Columbia SHAFEI is promoting the notion that poliThe tics are state-centric: Leaders are the sole agents over their nations. From Politics of a Middle Eastern standpoint, a solely Hu m m u s state-centric reading of politics neglects the most influential players of today. We are living in a post-state world and need to approach politics with this in mind. Hezbollah, the paramilitary organization and Lebanese political organization, is a prime example of the ascendancy of non-state actors. One particular story left out of Western media sources illustrates the growing strength of Hezbollah and the paradigm it proposes in opposition to traditional politics. This past August, Hezbollah presented to the U.N. tribunal investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri evidence implicating Israel—not Syria—in Hariri’s murder. The evidence contained Israeli aerial reconnaissance footage intercepted by Hezbollah. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stressed that his evidence would “open new horizons.” And surely it did. One month later, in almost a complete about-face, current Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri—son of Rafiq Harriri— said he made a mistake for blaming Syria in his father’s assassination. He said that “deceitful witnesses” were to blame for destroying the relationship between Lebanon and Syria. Six days later, a man named Jamil al-Sayyed took the stage. Al-Sayyed, a former Lebanese security chief, held a press conference where he demanded that Saad Hariri be held personally accountable for supporting the false witnesses and spearheading the anti-Syria March 14 political coalition. Exactly one day after al-Sayyed hosted his press conference, he was summoned to court for an interrogation. Al-Sayyed, at the time traveling in Paris, was to be arrested upon entering Lebanon. In comes Hezbollah. Hezbollah officials were quoted as saying that the party would “cut the unjust hands” off those who forced al-Sayyed to interrogation. Lebanon stood at a political standstill on Saturday, Sept. 18, in anticipation of al-Sayyed’s arrival from Paris. Would the government arrest him or would it heed the words of Hezbollah? Lo and behold, al-Sayyed arrived untouched by Lebanese officials. In fact, Hezbollah threw al-Sayyed a large welcoming party at the airport as a demonstration of its defiance.

That Hezbollah was able to openly question the rule of law in Lebanon without repercussion and that al-Sayyed remains free to this day are testaments of Hezbollah’s position as one of the strongest players in the Middle East. It would be foolish to think that al-Sayyed, Hariri, and Hezbollah are strictly Lebanese domestic concerns. Internal politics in Lebanon are reflective of the Palestinian problem. At the same time Hezbollah was organizing a bash for al-Sayyed’s arrival, Middle East Envoy George Mitchell was meeting with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman over the issue of Palestinian refugees. The U.S. has been pushing Lebanon to naturalize the 400,000 Palestinians taking refuge in Lebanon. While Sleiman rejected this option on the basis of the Lebanese Constitution, Hezbollah has vociferously opposed naturalization because it maintains that refugees deserve the right to return to their occupied lands. But perhaps another consideration is in play as well—Hezbollah could see the naturalization of Palestinians as an influx of a Sunni voting bloc that could counter its Shiite resonance throughout Lebanon. The heightened tension between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah cannot continue as is without conflagration, beckoning the question of how to move forward. The international community should criticize Hezbollah for neglecting the rule of law. However, the international com-

We are living in a post-state world. munity should also bring the injustices of the U.N. tribunal to light. While it’s appalling that false witnesses could testify in a U.N. investigation, it’s more appalling though that none of the false witnesses have been brought to trial either in an international or Lebanese court. Moving forward, the tribunal process needs to be completely revamped and revisited, accepting the testimonies of all Lebanese citizens. Hezbollah’s words need to be taken into consideration both domestically and in the larger realm of Middle Eastern politics as if it were a legitimate state actor. In a post-state world, unpredictable and often dangerous groups will increasingly make decisions that will alter the course of history. A platform—whether physically situated in Low Library or granted through media exposure—needs to be extended to these groups, our friends, and foes alike in order to best prepare us for the world to come. Rhonda Shafei is a Columbia College junior majoring in history. She is an executive board member of the Columbia International Relations Council and Association, and the secretary general of the Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition 2011. The Politics of Hummus runs alternate Fridays.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Casual Fridays: Crazed days T

he autumnal equinox—that day on which nighttime and daytime hours are exactly equal—signals not only the changing of the season, but also many behavioral changes. Wardrobes are augmented with vests and scarves. Flip-flops are discarded for boots. A voiceless generation of crunchy leaves is laid waste underfoot. And yet, all of this pales in comparison to that symptom of the equinox most relevant to Columbia students: Professors get comfortable piling on work. The days get shorter and the nights spent in Butler Library longer, until they get so long that they turn into mornings. As we walk to class from Butler in the same clothes we wore the day before, the autumnal equinox begets that notorious Columbia tradition: the Butler Walk of Shame. We began the year with something like dignity. We did not stay up late with

Homer or Plato and did not spend long nights with the pages of our chemistry textbooks. Our professors spent class time explaining the syllabus, and we spent evenings out and about—or at least in the comfort of our own rooms. But Homer couldn’t continue to take things slow, Kant muttered something about our posteriori, and our instructors announced the date of the first of many midterms (which, by the way, completely undermines the entire point of having a test named after the middle of the term, but we digress). So we have re-entered our relationship with Butler. We lose ourselves as the covers fly open, the books come off the shelves, and the elevators zip up and down through the notorious Stacks. We forget to mind the time and neglect the promises we made to ourselves about how we were going to be better. In the morning, none the wiser, hair disheveled, rushing past the judgmental stares (whatever, research librarians), we hurry off without saying goodbye. We will try to forget that this ever happened, but we know full well that we will be back. Because despite all of our good intentions, we just can’t stay away from our bad behavior. We blame the autumnal equinox.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2010

Don’t mourn meatless Mondays BY HELEN KILIAN The phrase “for the greater good” has become taboo in modern American society. This sociopolitical phenomenon demonstrated itself on our campus when Barnard College decided to take a stand for sustainability in its dining hall, and students cried foul, indignantly citing limitations on their personal freedoms. When did this rabid individualism become acceptable? The idea of institutionalizing positive change has been branded with that dirty word—socialism. Yet it cannot be denied that the very document upon which our nation was founded serves not only as a government charter, but also as a moral compass that points the nation toward action for the collective benefit of society. Although a far cry from a reaffirmation of the Constitution, formalizing sustainable choices in Hewitt Dining Hall is nonetheless deeply important. Not only do programs such as “Meatless Mondays” carry positive environmental effects, but they also harbor symbolic significance in our national political dialogue. Our campus is a microcosm of the countrywide political and social dynamic in which the issue of over-arching regulation raises contention. Striking a balance between maintenance of individual liberties and governing litigation is the age-old conflict be-

They are also validating the moral theory that institutions should mirror their constituent members’ values...In a society that so often feels enveloped in every-manfor-himself rhetoric, it is a breath of fresh air to know that a place of higher education still has the integrity to live up to its creed of responsibility to advance society. tween liberals and conservatives and is therefore strongly manifested in our microcosmic campus. Yet politicizing green dining initiatives is not my goal, nor was it the goal of the college to make a political statement by enacting them. As a small, liberal arts institution, Barnard is committed to building community, and doing things for the greater good. The new “Meatless Monday” program is an excellent example of this. By eliminating meat dishes once per week, Barnard is not forcing students to become herbivores. Instead, on this one day, Barnard encourages students to be conscientious through their diet. There is a fundamental difference between forcing an action and forcing thought in hopes to inform action— “Meatless Mondays” aims to do the latter. Of course, students maintain the choice to dine in Hewitt or to go elsewhere, but those who elect to participate in the program are supporting more than just the Barnard administration. They are also validating the moral theory that institutions should mirror their constituent members’ values. Barnard is a college full of mindful women, and though some may want their hamburgers on Mondays, I can’t imagine that a single Barnard student would spurn the idea of the college progressively acting on a cause that she cares about. In a society that so often feels enveloped in every-man-for-himself rhetoric, it is a breath of fresh air to know that a place of higher education still has the integrity to live up to its creed of responsibility to advance society. We often laud the World War I and II food conservation efforts, and Barnard is—in its own, albeit small, way—reproducing them. As at Barnard, those wartime movements started at the top and permeated through society, inspiring individuals to act for the greater good. Both WWI-era and Hewitt Dining Hall “Meatless Mondays” have a measurable impact. At Hewitt Dining Hall, between 100 and 150 pounds of chicken is served at an average dinner, says Director of Operations Goldi Juer, and the savings that amount from eliminating meat on just one day each week are therefore not just a drop in the bucket. So, in the end, whether you’re a vegan or a meat-lover, the importance of institutionalizing lifestyle changes, such as “Meatless Mondays,” carries profound significance. It’s time to combat the augmenting individualism that threatens to deteriorate our national spirit, and in our short-reaching campus lives, that means supporting communal efforts for sustainability. The author is a Barnard College sophomore majoring in environmental policy. She is a lead activist in College Democrats and Barnard EcoReps.

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BY JODY ZELLMAN

SEPTEMBER 24, 2010

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PAGE 6

GAMEDAY

SEPTEMBER 24, 2010

COLUMBIA (0-1) vs. TOWSON (1-2) SATURDAY, 12:30 P.M., ROBERT K. KRAFT FIELD RADIO: WKCR 89.9 FM, WWDJ 970 AM • SPECTRUM.COLUMBIASPECTATOR.COM

Lions still seeking identity in ﬁnal game before Ivy play begins BY JACOB LEVENFELD Spectator Senior Staff Writer In Towson’s three football games this season, the Tigers have been outscored by a combined 139 points to 71. Don’t read too deeply into these numbers, though. Their two losses came in blowout fashion against national powerhouse Indiana and last year’s Football Championship Subdivision champion Villanova. With three crazy games behind them, the Tigers (2-1) will take the field tomorrow against a 0-1 Columbia squad that already faces an early-season identity crisis. After fumbling the ball at the four-yard line on last week’s potential tying drive against Fordham, the Lions face a number of fundamental questions heading into tomorrow’s contest—their last before league play begins against Princeton in a week. In a major blow to the Light Blue’s season prospects, number one wide receiver Mike Stephens was recently confirmed to have suffered a broken arm on a punt return late last Saturday and will

be out for the remainder of the season. Stephens, a captain, was just stepping into Austin Knowlin’s vacated spot as Columbia’s go-to receiver and punt returner. “He’s a weapon,” head coach Norries Wilson said. “A kid that could catch punts for us, he could return kicks, he was a leader for his group and on his side of the ball. But to his credit, he’s been out there casting off, cheering his teammates on and just trying to still stay a part of the team.” With Stephens on the sideline, Wilson will have to reach farther down his depth chart on deep passing plays and kick returns. “Mark Muston is going to move up to that spot, and Nico Gutierrez and Brian DeVeau are going to get a lot of time at the other two spots, and then Ian Cummins and Kurt Williams are going to have to come on if we need them,” Wilson said. “They’ve had a pretty good couple days of practice.” After one game, Muston leads the Lions with five receptions and Gutierrez has the most receiving yards with 88. The Light Blue had plenty of early-season kinks to iron out

during practice this week, too. A blocked extra point attempt, a couple of shanked punts, three second-half fumbles (two for possession loss), and an inability to hold a fourth-quarter lead all contributed to Columbia’s downfall on opening day. But Wilson is starting from the top on the practice field with sophomore quarterback Sean Brackett. “He was high with everything— high and wide with everything on Saturday,” Wilson said. “He’s got to get himself settled down and ready to go early.” Brackett went 13-for-21 with 170 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and 43 rushing yards against Fordham. Wilson also stressed that the tight ends need to work on their passing routes, the offense must be more physical in the running game, and the punting game has to continue to seek consistency. Defensively, the Lions were solid overall last week after a rough first few minutes. Senior linebacker Alex Gross, a captain, led the team with 14 tackles. Junior Neil Schuster picked up 11 tackles and a fumble recovery out of the secondary.

The defense will be facing a Towson attack that features a number of explosive players. Junior quarterback Chris Hart has thrown for 339 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions over three games and has contributed 223 additional yards on the ground. Senior Hakeem Moore, the Tigers’ most dangerous receiver, is having a monster year already with 242 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore Tremayne Dameron is Towson’s go-to running back. He has 162 yards on the season and has reached the end zone twice. Although the Tigers have suffered a pair of blowouts this year, they also pulled off a 47-45, quintuple-overtime victory over Coastal Carolina two weeks ago at home. Towson came back from 14 points down in the final 10 minutes of regulation, and a touchdown pass to Moore in the fifth extra period was followed by Hart’s successful twopoint conversion via the rush. The Tiger defense yielded a touchdown to the Chanticleers on the ensuing drive, but held strong on the conversion to seal the thrilling win.

JASPER L. CLYATT / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SECOND START | Sophomore Sean Brackett will be starting in this season’s second game. The Lions take on Towson on Saturday. With a tough schedule on its plate this season, Towson may regard Columbia as one of its weaker opponents. Wilson is ready to challenge that conception. “They’re going to be more athletic than we are across the

board,” he said. “They’ve got a quarterback that can hit it and they’ve got a tailback and two wideouts that are just flat fast. They’re physical on defense, so it’s going to be a fight on both sides of the ball.”

Bored with football? Go watch women’s soccer

Hart, Moore imminent Second fall tournament lies threats for CU football team ahead for Light Blue rackets

BY ROBERT WREN GORDON Columbia Daily Spectator

hat a humdrum week of football. Ladies and gentlemen, after a dis- LUCAS appointing SHAW 16-9 loss to In the Fordham, your Refrigerator Columbia Lions welcome the Towson Tigers. Huh? Where’s Towson? Why are we playing them? I can answer that first one— Maryland. The second, I’m still not sure. Towson’s the team that lost 43-7 last week at Villanova… and 51-7 at Indiana three weeks ago. Well, at least they tried. Its football program may be best known for its affiliation with Johnny Unitas, but he didn’t even go there. (His children did.) Before I get too sidetracked with how Towson University killed Johnny Unitas—look it up; the stress of working there gave him a heart attack—let’s get back to that bit about this week being boring. College football is supposed to be great because every game matters. Who needs a playoff when every game is already a playoff game? In many cases, this is true—witness the Boise StateVirginia Tech season opener. If Boise had lost that game, their title chances would have been over, especially after Tech fell to James Madison the next week. Unfortunately, in Ivy League football this maxim is far from the truth. It’s rare that an Ivy League team is competing for the FCS crown, and almost implausible that Columbia would be. That brings us back to Towson. Sure a couple of Ivy games are taking place this weekend, Harvard at Brown being the highlight, but in Manhattan we get Towson. Why should anyone care? I’m not sure. This is not another column about booking a high-profile opponent, merely an assertion that the Lions’ nonconference games don’t matter. Go to root for your friends. Go in hope that the Light Blue builds some momentum. Go because … I ran out of reasons. It’s too early to evaluate the offense or defense, or even specific players. The Lions’ lack of preparation against Fordham can be blamed on the coaches, but I suspect we’ll be tackling that subject later. For now, let’s say that the team’s high energy is a credit to coaching and leave the hot seat conversation on the back burner. So since I was given today’s column to write about tomorrow’s game and I just said it

was largely irrelevant and that there is not much for me to say, let’s see what else is going on this weekend. Are we seeing the Ewing Theory with Light Blue women’s soccer? All-everything forward/midfielder Sophie Reiser graduated last May as one of the more decorated soccer players in Columbia history. Much to her dismay, the same could not be said about the team she played on. After winning the Ivy title Reiser’s freshman year, the Light Blue slumped to middling results each of the past three years. The blame for their inconsistency does not fall on Reiser, who shined—so much so that she is now playing as a professional, I might add. Yet, all of a sudden, with Reiser gone, the team appears to be on the march. As with all the teams, it is foolish to base too much on their early performance. Still, the remarkable defense exhibited by the Lions thus far leaves one hoping for more. Since dropping their first game, they have won five of six, the only loss a heartbreaker in double overtime to Hofstra, which is close to cracking the national top 25. For now, the Light Blue must settle for being ranked fourth in the mid-Atlantic region. But with the Ivy opener this Friday against Cornell, its aspirations should only grow larger. Finally, when did the Spectator Sports section become a band of homers, focusing on the positive after every loss? This week’s football story opened by ignoring the result, and then hid it with all of the ways Columbia looked “strong.” You know, the whole ‘Columbia lost, but…’ idea. Yes, we are a school paper and should be supportive. I called the game on Saturday for WKCR and repeatedly made it known that I was rooting for Columbia. That didn’t preclude me from criticizing the Lions for silly mistakes, dropped catches, and poor coaching decisions. Was it after one too many reprimands from the Athletic Department, the fleet of “sports information directors” intimidating everyone in their midst? Was it because our reporters were so dumbfounded by the final play that they came away from that game feeling optimistic? I say it was because my fellow staff writers got so tired of writing about losing, they had to try and turn losses into wins. I told you there’s something to this whole boring concept, so let’s stick with women’s soccer and hope for the best.

Lucas Shaw is a Columbia College senior majoring in political science. sports@columbiaspectator.com

This Saturday, the Lions will line up against the Towson Tigers for the first time in two years, and they’ll try to use homefield advantage to avenge a 31-24 loss back in September 2008. On the other side of the ball, the Tigers will be trying to maintain a 3-0 win streak against the Lions. This will only be the teams’ fourth matchup in the past thirty years. Several key offensive stars will aid the Tigers in their attempt to go 4-0 in their series against the Lions. For the second consecutive week, the Lions will be facing a dual-threat signalcaller in Chris Hart. Thus far, Chris Hart has led the Tigers to a 1-2 record while passing for 339 yards and 6 touchdowns. Hart has also rushed this season for an additional 223 yards on 45 attempts, averaging nearly 5 yards per carry. Hart’s best game of the season was two weeks ago, during which he led the Tigers to a thrilling 47-45 win over Coastal Carolina in quintuple overtime. Trailing Coastal Carolina 21-7 in the fourth quarter, Chris Hart marched the Tigers down the field twice, passing for two

touchdowns and tying the game, forcing overtime. However, the Tigers are no one-man show. Aiding Hart is senior wide receiver Hakeem Moore. Moore has had a phenomenal season so far in 2010. With only eight receptions this season, Moore has an impressive 242 receiving yards, averaging over 30 yards per reception. Moore has also proven to be Chris Hart’s best friend in the end zone—of Hart’s six touchdown passes this season, four have been reeled in by Moore. Yet a solid start to the 2010 campaign has been no surprise, considering Moore’s previous three years as a Tiger. Last year, after missing the first two outings due to a broken hand, Moore came back to start in five games and play in nine, during which he not only tied for the team lead with 28 receptions, but also took the team lead with 286 receiving yards and 33 kickoff returns. It should be interesting to see how Hart fares against a Lions defense that limited Fordham’s Blake Wayne last week to under 150 yards passing for the first time this season, preventing him from scoring any touchdowns, and giving him both his worst rushing average and quarterback rating of the season.

COURTESY OF TOWSON ATHLETICS

FORWARD MOTION Wide receiver Hakeem Moore will be a focus for the Lions’ defense when the Tigers come to town Saturday. |

BY KUNAL GUPTA Spectator Senior Staff Writer

TENNIS CENTER INVITATIONAL Flushing Meadows, Friday, all day

The men’s tennis team will play its second tournament of the fall this weekend when it travels to Queens to take part in the National Tennis Center Men’s College Invitational, which is held at the site of the U.S. Open. The Lions are coming off a subpar performance at the Princeton Invitational last weekend, where only one of the returning starters from last spring won a first-round match. Last year, then-senior Jon Wong won the “A” singles flight at the College Invitational, and freshman John Yetimoglu won the “D” singles draw. Current senior Kevin Kung was the only returning starter to win a singles match last weekend, beating Erik Blumenkranz from Yale before falling to Penn State’s Russell Bader 7-5, 7-6. Kung also beat the No. 5 singles player from Princeton in straight sets in the consolation draw. “Kevin played really well,” head coach Bid Goswami said. “Especially for not having played much this summer since he was working. I thought he played really well.” Junior Haig Schneiderman, who is expected to play No. 1 singles in the spring, lost to Jason Lee from Penn State in the first round of the “A” singles draw, despite winning the first set. “Haig played well in the first set, but then Lee took an injury break and the trainer didn’t come for a while—almost 35 to 40 minutes—and Haig’s back stiffened up,” Goswami said. “After the first set, he played poorly.” Cyril Bucher and younger brother Tizian both struggled in the outdoor conditions at Princeton. “Cyril and Tizian both didn’t play well,” Goswami said. “I think the outdoor conditions hurt them the most—they like to time the ball.” “They played a lot of

tournaments outside this summer on red clay,” Goswami continued. “But there, maybe they have to hit one or two good shots to win a point. Here they have to hit three good shots, and I think that hurts them a bit. We’ll have to work on that going forward.” Freshman Ian Laster won his first round match against a fellow freshman from Cornell in straight sets. “Laster has a lot of talent and he played a good match against a kid from Buffalo [in the second round],” Goswami said. “Unfortunately, he hurt his knee a bit.” The Lions found more success in doubles, particularly with the team of Kung and sophomore Nate Gery. “Ian and Haig and Nate and Kevin played good doubles,” Goswami said. “I think Kevin and Nate were unfortunate to lose to the [No. 1 seeded] team from Penn State. They had a lot of chances early on.” Goswami has set moderate expectations for the team as they continue to prepare for the spring season, when they will go for their third straight Ivy League title. “I just want us to keep getting better each week. Let’s see if we can keep improving,” Goswami said. “It’s small steps all the way until March and April. We’re working hard and we want to do well.” The College Invitational will feature players from all of the Ivy League schools, along with several of the other top schools from across the Northeast, as teams continue to prepare for the ITA Regionals in a few weeks—the most important tournament of the fall. The College Invitational is scheduled to begin on Friday and continue through Sunday.

Lions to take on Blackbirds this weekend on soccer field BY MRINAL MOHANKA Spectator Staff Writer

COLUMBIA VS. LONG ISLAND Columbia Soccer Stadium, Friday, 5 p.m.

The Columbia men’s soccer team (2-4-1) will be aiming to make it consecutive wins at home as they host the Long Island University Blackbirds in the third match of a four-game homestand. The Lions go into the game on the back of a narrow 3-2 win against Seton Hall, and will be hoping for more of the same from their offense as they look to improve defensively. Goals from freshmen David Najem and Henning Sauerbier, in addition to a header by Mike Mazzullo gave the Light Blue its first home win of the season against the Pirates. Junior centerback Ronnie

Shaban has been pivotal at the heart of the Lions’ defense this season, and added to his offensive exploits with an assist on co-captain Mike Mazzullo’s match-winner against Seton Hall. In what seemed like a well rehearsed routine, Shaban headed Najem’s corner right toward Mazzullo, who had the simple task of nodding the ball over the line. “We have well defined roles for corners, and we definitely executed that one well,” Shaban said. “It was our first goal from a set piece this season and

hopefully there will be more to come.” “We’re on the rise as a team, having bounced back from the St. Peter’s defeat, which was a game we had no business to lose. There’s momentum building now—and there’s no better time since the Ivies are just around the corner,” he added. “We showed great character against Seton Hall by responding immediately when we were trailing, and that’s got the morale going as well.” The Blackbirds (2-4-0) are aiming to end a four-game losing streak, having just been crushed by No. 20 St. John’s 5-0 over the weekend. They have failed to find the net in any of their past four games.

One of their two wins came against Ivy foe Cornell, as the Blackbirds won 1-0 with senior Juan Lanza netting the winner. In last year’s affair, the Lions triumphed 3-1 in Brooklyn with goals from current sophomores Nick Scott and Will Stamatis, along with the now-graduated James Prince, proving enough. The lone Blackbirds goal came from now-junior Steve Jakubowski. “We should probably have kept a shutout, but it was a good victory nonetheless,” Shaban said of last year’s victory. “Hopefully we can build on that today,” he added. The Lions kickoff the action at 5 p.m. today at Columbia Soccer Stadium.

FRIDAY FOURTH DOWN

PIXBOX

week

Towson at Columbia (+2.5)

Yale at Cornell (+13.5)

Sacred Heart at Dartmouth (-19.5)

Lafayette at Princeton (+3.5)

Harvard at Brown (+5.5)

Penn at Villanova (-17.5)

Tennessee Titans at New York Giants (-2.5) Alabama at Arkansas (+7.5)

Columbia Cornell Sacred Heart Lafayette

Baby blue

Marquis

Victoria Jones (3-5)

Crimson Nova Remember ‘Bama

Both Brackett and Hart are newcomers to the teams playing this weekend. This is Brackett’s first full season as a starting quarterback, and he has one game under his belt, a 16-9 loss to Fordham last week. Hart, a transfer from Georgia Military College, has played three games with the Tigers. Hart rushed for 227 yards in Towson’s win against Coastal Carolina.

Stopping Hart Towson QB Chris Hart has a strong running game that the Lions’ defense will have to work hard to contain. Hart is not afraid to pull down the ball and take it past the line of scrimmage himself if he needs to. Columbia’s defense will have to be on the ball this Saturday to contain him.

Lions Red

Giants

COLUMBIA leon ivery #43/rb

Arkansas

When I win Pixbox (again), my victory column is just going to be a house ad of everyone I demolish.

Wildcats

steve jordan #73/oc

yaky ibia #64/dt matt morgan #92/de

donte blakey #28/lb

chris patterson #4/lb

nick oates #8/db

adam mehrer neil schuster #47/fs #38/ss

marcus valentine #55/dt

eric pike #71/lt

hakeem moore #6/wr

ollie thomas #26/cb

frank beltre #27/de

dameron winn #33/olb

jordan dangerfield #20/s

Elephants Columbia

BROWN VS. HARVARD

Cornell Sacred Heart The Laf Harvard Penn CJ2K Bama

Kunal Gupta (2-6)

Mufasa Sacred Heart Princeton Harvard Villanova

Just keeping everyone where I can see them...

G-Men Bama Norries Safety School

Break out the vuvuzelas!

dan hurley #66/og

Cornell

Zach Glubiak (2-6)

alex gross #37/olb

Lucas Shaw (3-5)

Crimson

Still protesting the McCourts.

nick mistretta #57/ilb

jeremy gardner #25/cb

Lafayette

seyi adebayo #91/de

Big Red

craig hamilton #25/cb

josh smith #50/de

matt moretto #33/olb

Light Blue Sacred Heart

Bama

matt stotler chris groth #92/dt #61/nt

erron banks #16/wr

Mighty Titans

Lauren Seaman (3-5)

Nova

mark muston #81/wr

henry glackin john esposito #74/ot #77/rg

calvin otis #24/cb

Princeton

scott ward #68/rt

kyle stupi #75/c

Yale

ian quirk #67/rg

chris hart #14/qb

nico gutierrez #3/wr

SHU Harvard

bob hauschildt #63/lg

justin harris #82/wr

jeff adams #76/lt

Columbia

Dark horse? Yeah ... let’s go with that.

sean brackett #10/qb

ryan hanley #49/te

Penn NY Giants

Jim Pagels (3-5)

Lafayette

andrew kennedy #82/te

tyler wharton #44/fb

Dartmouth

Ivy League football: where +19.5 spreads happen.

Sacred Heart

nathan lenz #30/fb

tremayne dameron #34/rb

Columbia Yale

TOWSON

Bama

Bart Lopez (3-5)

Oatmeal

Illegal Leopard

Crimson

With Mike Stephens out for the season, Muston will slide over to his spot with the intention of being Columbia’s main wide receiver. Muston will have steep competition on Saturday, as Moore is the Tigers’ leading wide receiver. In just three games this season, Moore has already racked up 242 receiving yards on eight passes.

STARTING LINEUPS

Green

This week sucked. Hooray for football.

Hakeem Moore

Chris Hart

Zach Braff

Jacob Levenfeld, you’ve been officially called out. You’re going down.

Mark Muston

Sean Brackett

Cornell

Perenially known for having a weak kicking team, Columbia has already proven this season how important kicking can be. Against Fordham, Greg Guttas shanked two punts and Dean Perfetti missed a PAT. If the Lions want to be in contention for a winning record this season, they’ll need to clear up such mishaps.

Arkansas

KEY MATCHUPS

Kicking

Giants

Michele Cleary (3-5)

TOWSON

Penn

TOWSON

332.0 376.0

COLUMBIA

Harvard

16.0 46.3

COLUMBIA

BAMA

YARDS ALLOWED

Titans

TOWSON

For reasons passing understanding, Jacob seems to be in first place. Not for long, though.

Nova

275.0 314.0

COLUMBIA

POINTS AGAINST

Jacob Levenfeld (4-4)

Harvard

TOWSON

Princeton

Now that Mike Stephens is out with a broken arm, the Lions will have to find a replacement. The Light Blue needs a new go-to wide receiver and a new player to take kick returns. For the moment, it looks like Mark Muston will try his hand at the position, but the Lions may have to be flexible.

9.0 23.7

COLUMBIA

Replacing Stephens

Yale Dartmouth

Loving the view from up here. Already wrote victory column. Focuses heavily on Kunal’s wardrobe.

YARDS GAINED

Roman Legion

POINTS FOR

BY THE NUMBERS

KEYS TO THE GAME

Big Green Lafayette Harvard Penn NYG Bama

Michael Shapiro (2-6)

CORNELL VS. YALE

The Bears and the Crimson begin their conference slates this weekend with a matchup in Rhode Island. Both squads won their opening games last weekend, but Brown needed two overtimes to defeat Stony Brook. The Seawolves took an early lead when quarterback Michael Coulter connected with Matt Brevi on a 67-yard pass for a touchdown less than three minutes into the first quarter. The Bears eventually came back to tie the game in the fourth and outscore Stony Brook 13-10 in two overtime periods. Harvard, on the other hand, dominated Holy Cross 34-6. The Crimson held the Crusaders scoreless until the fourth quarter.

Cornell and Yale will face off in a rematch of last year’s dramatic 14-12 Cornell win, in which Yale quarterback Patrick Witt was just one two-point conversion away from sending the game into overtime. Despite last year’s loss, Yale is favored to win the game by 13.5 points. Yale is coming off a 40-35 win over Patriot League leader Georgetown, in which Witt scored on a quarterback sneak on the last play of the game. Cornell, meanwhile, struggled in its opener, getting blown out 41-7 at Wagner College. Cornell’s quarterback tandem of Jeff Mathews and Adam Currie struggled: Mathews threw for 97 yards and was picked off once, and Currie passed for 20 yards and also had an interception.

DARTMOUTH VS. SACRED HEART

PRINCETON VS. LAFAYETTE

The Big Green opened its season with a 43-20 victory over Bucknell. Dartmouth fell behind early, trailing 13-0 with over eight minutes left in the second quarter. Behind the strong play of running back Nick Schwieger, the Big Green mounted a comeback, scoring 34 unanswered points in the second half. The Pioneers will be looking for their first win since their season opener, after falling to Robert Morris and Saint Francis (Pa.).

The Tigers (0-1) will have to face Lafayette this weekend in their final matches of nonconference play. Princeton had a tough outing in its season opener, dropping a match to Lehigh 35-22. This game will be Lafayette’s second in a row against an Ivy League opponent, as the Leopards fell to Penn 19-14 last weekend. Princeton will have to try to protect quarterback Tommy Wornham more in Saturday’s game, as Lehigh recorded two sacks for a loss of 23 yards in last weekend’s competition.

VILLANOVA VS. PENN Reigning Ivy League champion Penn will face off against NCAA Division I FCS champion Villanova this weekend. Penn won its season opener against Lafayette 19-14 on a 12yard rush by running back Lyle Marsh midway through the fourth quarter. Villanova will be playing in its fourth game of the year. The Wildcats stand 2-1 and are coming off a 43-7 blowout over Towson. Villanova quarterback Chris Whitney passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more in the win.

PAGE 8

SEPTEMBER 24, 2010

Weekend

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 • PAGE B1

Architecture professor builds a curating career “I think the level of architecture on this campus has skyrocketed out of decades of extraordinary mediocrity. ” —Barry Bergdoll, MoMA curator and Columbia professor

SHIVINA HARJANI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

CITY SKYLINE | “Rising Currents,” curated by Barry Bergdoll, explores New York’s architectural future. BY MADDY KLOSS Spectator Senior Staff Writer In the eyes of Professor Barry Bergdoll, CC ’77, Columbia is home to a giant toaster. As a student, Bergdoll participated in the long-standing tradition of mocking campus architecture—which began decades before today’s students criticized the Diana Center’s burnt orange glass and gave the building a slew of crude nicknames. “It was always said that the Law School was the toaster... and the Engineering School was the box that it came in,” Bergdoll said. Today, Bergdoll has progressed from mocking boxy, gray Jerome Greene Hall to working at the Museum of Modern Art as the curator of architecture and design and teaching a seminar at Columbia once a year. His most recent project, the exhibition “Rising Currents: Projects for New York’s Waterfront,” is on view at MoMA through Oct. 11. Bergdoll has been working at Columbia for 25 years, and at MoMA for three. Although it may sound like he has a lot on his plate, Bergdoll’s delicate balance of careers has been years in the making. “I’ve always been curating and teaching,” he said. “It’s just, in the past, it was a oneshot deal, guest curator for a specific exhibition.” Continuing to teach while working as a curator is, in a way, a form of research for Bergdoll. “Still having the seminars and still working with students always allows me to be testing ideas in relationship to an audience so I don’t forget that they’re consumers of this,” he said of his work at MoMA. But while the students Bergdoll works with in his seminar have already expressed a strong interest in architecture, he must cater his curatorial ideas to people who do not share such an interest, and who do not come to MoMA to see the architecture exhibitions. “The overwhelming majority of our visitors are not professional architects, so we’re not preaching to the converted. We’re trying to convert new people,” he said. “MoMA has always been associated with proselytizing

in a certain way, getting more people into architecture, and therefore trying to improve the state of architecture.” “Rising Currents” is the most recent front in this ongoing campaign. “At the moment, people might go to see the unbelievable exhibition on Matisse—everybody loves Matisse—and they stumble by accident into the ‘Rising Currents’ exhibition that I have up at the moment,” he said. Accidental crowds are better than none, after all, and this unexpected audience is helping to make “Rising Currents” a success. “We know we’re capturing an audience—and the show is always crowded—that we wouldn’t get if that same show were at ... a stand-alone gallery,” Bergdoll said. The exhibition functions better in the context of MoMA as a whole because on paper, “Rising Currents” is not an attention-getter—it showcases the work of emerging architects asked to re-envision the New York waterfront in the face of global climate change and a rising sea level. But even though “Rising Currents” grapples with a concrete architectural issue, for Bergdoll architecture is as much about appearance as practicality. He can never settle on a single favorite Manhattan high-rise, but he favors buildings with enduring beauty. “I get wildly enthusiastic about a lot of buildings when I see them for the first time, so for me then the test is if I’m still wildly enthusiastic about them when I see them for the third time,” he said. “I can never pick a favorite.... It’s just like life—you know, you’re always torn between the old friends who you wish you would see every week and the new people who seem so exciting you wish you could have more conversations with them, and architecture is the same way.” At times, Bergdoll comes off more like an everyman reminiscing about his college roommates or long-lost relatives than an architectural historian discussing buildings. However, one glance at the books and files that overflow his office shelves and spill onto the floor is a reminder that he is a busy professional who, like many scholars, just happens to have a quasi-sentimental attachment to the objects of his studies. Yet while Bergdoll follows and loves architecture from all parts of the city and the world, he has paid particularly close attention to the new buildings cropping up on the Columbia campus. “I think the level of architecture on this campus has skyrocketed out of decades and decades of extraordinary mediocrity into something really quite extraordinary,” he said. “I’m really excited to see what the new science building is going to look like, once the connection between the campus and 120th and Broadway opens up.” While the appearance of the Northwest Corner Building designed by cutting-edge Spanish architect José Rafael Moneo isn’t universally heralded among the Columbia community, Bergdoll advocated its potential to bring a new style of architecture to campus. “The Moneo building is a very intellectually challenging building, so I think obviously in its scale and its change in materials, it is startling for many people,” he said. “I suspect... that people will feel differently about it once they’re inhabiting it rather than seeing it as an alien object that has arrived.” Although the descriptor “alien object” may not seem like a step up from “giant toaster,” Bergdoll continues to defend the Northwest Corner Building and what it means for Columbia’s architectural growth. When faced with the thought that the building looks like little more than an oversized air conditioning unit, he simply replied, “Well, there are some pretty beautiful air conditioners.”

Modern Korean films echo artistry of Old Hollywood BY CLAIRE AUSTIN-KULAT Columbia Daily Spectator

EMBRY OWEN / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SHAKE IT | African dance and outdoor salsa dancing are unorthodox ways to get exercise, and both workouts are easily accessible to students in the city.

Students can move and groove with unconventional workouts BY LUDOVICA PAGNI Columbia Daily Spectator For Columbians who feel like their daily exercise is simply walking to and from Butler (or, even worse, the dining halls) and who have already exhausted the options in Dodge, Manhattan is home to a variety of off-the-beaten path ways to get some exercise. Students looking for a fun and challenging way to get their hearts pumping should consider trying out the Western African dance course offered at the Alvin Ailey Extension (West 55th Street at 9th Avenue). Even students utterly unfamiliar with African dance can benefit from the class’s blend of core-strengthening exercises, stretching, and

traditional movement, which in this case includes a lot of tiring jumping. Interested participants of any age and with any kind of experience should take off their shoes, dust off their colorful sarongs, and get in the mood to work out to the rhythms of live drum players. Each intense session costs $17, or two for $25, and lasts for 90 minutes. For completely different kind of workout, students seeking something more relaxing can head to Yoga To The People, in the East Village at St. Mark’s Place. This spot offers both regular and candle-lit Power Vinyasa yoga classes at four or more different times every day. There is no fixed cost for attending a class—instead, a very reasonable donation of $1 to $10 is recommended but not mandatory. However,

at such an unbeatable price, the classes are often crowded—make sure to get to the studio a little early. Columbians who get lazy during the week, or tend to replace their monthly living expenses with costly shopping items, can turn to on-campus resources for several original ways to work out without the added effort and cost of transportation. One of such option is the Tae Kwon Do club, where students can improve their agility and self-defense skills. The group meets four nights each week in Dodge. Whether students are seeking a more adventurous exercise routine, or are just sick of aerobics and treadmill sign-up sheets, there’s hardly an excuse not to get moving.

Name three Korean films off the top of your head—and remember, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is Chinese. Couldn’t think of anything? Don’t worry. Students can gain exposure to Korean cinema at the New York Korean Film Festival 2010, where the Museum of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Academy of Music join forces to bring the best of modern Korean film to New York through Oct. 3. In the past 10 years, the South Korean film industry has garnered international attention at major festivals. Following its “Golden Age” in the mid-20th century—when internationally-acclaimed films such as Kim Ki-young’s “The Housemaid” were released—government censorship stunted the Korean film industry. In the 1980s, U.S. studios were finally allowed to release their films to the Korean market, ushering in a new era of American influence in Korean filmmaking. After major studios such as 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers opened distribution offices in South Korea, domestic conglomerates began to invest in Korean films. Thus, the modern South Korean film renaissance began. There is no defining characteristic of modern Korean film. There are movies about gangsters, high school, and monsters (most horror film buffs have probably seen the 2006 monster-flick blockbuster, “The Host”). However, the most famous films seem to have a few similar elements:

SEE KOREAN FILM, page B2

page b2

Best of

WEEKEND

september 24, 2010

Local veggie burgers A truly delicious veggie burger is often hard to come by, but within a few blocks of campus there are multiple options bound to please vegetarians and die-hard carnivores alike. —BY KIMBERLY TOPILOW

Strokos

ANTHONY CLAY FOR SPECTATOR

VEGGIE TALES

Strokos’ veggie burger is not the best in the neighborhood, but the price is so reasonable that it almost doesn’t matter.

The Heights

Community Food & Juice Community Food & Juice’s (Broadway between 112th and 113th streets) veggie burger makes for a much more interesting meal than the one at Strokos. This burger, available during lunch and brunch, is topped with an avocado “mayo”—a fancy way of saying “guacamole”—as well as a “spicy tomato jam,” red onion, and lettuce. Community’s patty is perfect in terms of thickness, rising about an inch off of a lightly toasted, pillowy brioche bun. It is endowed with a meaty texture and earthy flavor by chickpeas. One bite yields a sharp, spicy note from the tomato jam. Unfortunately, though, the jam quickly gets lost in the mix throughout the majority of the burger. The guacamole topping

During peak lunch hours, neighborhood deli Strokos (Amsterdam at 114th Street) is busy and bustling. Locals and employees from St. Luke’s Hospital can be seen enjoying wholesome lunch fare, their choices seemingly unlimited. Vegetarians can accompany friends who want to try Strokos’ popular buffalo burger, because an equally satisfying veggie burger awaits for only $3.95. It consists of a warm, tender brioche bun, thinly sliced tomato, lettuce, and the veggie patty. The patty’s dimensions are satisfactory, though it could benefit from being a little thicker. The flavor is quite subtle, making mustard or another condiment of choice a necessary addition. It is by no means the best veggie burger, but for students who are hungry, frugal or just craving a quick, starchy meal, this is the way to go.

is creamy, chunky, and delicious, but it does not inhabit the role the chef may have had in mind when writing the recipe. Instead of serving as a cool, creamy counterpoint to the piquant tomato spread, the guacamole overwhelms it to the point where, a lot of the time, one cannot tell the tomato spread is there at all. The sliced onion is detectable, imparting a nice, tangy crunchiness. Foodies interested in unique ingredients and flavor pairings should try this burger, even with its $12 price tag. Add in Community’s efficient and attentive wait staff, lilting jazz soundtrack, and abundance of cozy tables for two, and the restaurant serves as the ideal locale for a relaxed burger run with a friend.

The Heights (Broadway between 111th and 112th streets), unlike Community, allows for students to take their veggie burgers on the go with take-out service—something all Columbians can appreciate when they have hours of studying ahead of them and limited time for eating. Only five to 10 minutes elapse between placing an order and walking out with dinner. This veggie burger ($8.50) comes with a small plastic container filled with some smoky-sweet creamy condiment, probably a type of mayonnaise. Also, if requested, a plastic container of decent guacamole will be included. The bun is a little too dry and, overall, nothing incredibly special. It lacks the warm, flaky tenderness of the bun at Community. However, it is surprising to note that the patty, though also a bit dry,

is the best of the bunch. The salt and seasoning are very well balanced. The patty is thin but dense and meaty, packed with savory goodness. Though it may be tempting to jazz the burger up with a layer of guacamole, most condiments will likely end up being scraped off—less than a teaspoon of condiment is necessary, since this patty can truly hold its own. The side salad, which comes tossed in a light, slightly acidic dressing with carrot slivers and diced tomatoes, is also quite tasty. It makes for a well rounded, satisfying meal—a necessity when school-induced stress seeps in. In the end, The Heights’ veggie burger is no less flawed than others in the neighborhood, but its memorable patty flavor earns it the title of Morningside’s best.

Modern Korean films echo artistry of Old Hollywood with moody, multilayered plots KOREAN FILMS from page B1 high technical quality, domestic struggles, and Old Hollywood story-telling and presentation. One of the most lauded films in the BAM series is “The Housemaid,” a loose interpretation of Ki-young’s 1960 film of the same name. It tells the story of an illicit affair between a boss and his live-in maid. The maid, Eun-yi, played with expert innocence and naïveté by Jeon Do-yeon, takes a position working for a handsome piano virtuoso/ businessman, Hoon, and his young, pregnant wife. Hoon’s wandering eyes soon fall upon the maid, and so begins their doomed romance. From Hoon and Eun-yi’s fated first night, the audience is held in suspense—this fling can have no happy ending. Director Im Sang-soo’s directorial approach resonates in an electrifying, Hitchcockian manner. The suspense of the film holds the viewer from the beginning, but the art direction— typical of many of the films in the festival—is what ultimately awes viewers. The mansion in “The Housemaid” is the biggest set in Korean film history and functions more as an art gallery than as a home—reflecting the shallow and empty lives of the rich couple. Yet it also acts as an extension of the characters and their drama: Its minimalist black and white halls endlessly wind, turn, and open new doors for every scandal. In one particularly memorable shot, Hoon stands between two doors, one leading to his clueless wife in their lavish, blood-red and black bedroom, and the other leading to Eun-yi in a clean, simple, black and white bathroom. Sure, “The Housemaid” stabs at upper-class values and presents complex characters with an interesting plot, but the beauty of the film is what draws the viewer in. Many of the films in the festival share the moody tone of “The Housemaid.” “Land of Scarecrows” tells the story of a transgender installation artist, focusing on his relationship with his Filipino mail-order bride, a mysterious young man who believes he was adopted from the Philippines, and how their lives weave together

against a bleak but beautiful rural setting. For a lighter tone, seek out the fantasy/action/comedy “Woochi.” Part “Enchanted” and part “Batman,” “Woochi” follows an ass-kicking

Taoist wizard freed from his entrapment in a 1509 scroll to defeat goblin-demons in modern times. Expect lots of time-traveling gags. Seeing at least one film at the Korean Film

Festival will give students with no previous knowledge of Korean cinema hipster cred at any Alpha Delta Phi party. That’s reason enough to attend, right?

COURTESY OF IFC FILMS

ON SET

Director Im Sang-soo’s sensual “The Housemaid” is one of the movies featured in the New York Korean Film Festival 2010.

Lower East Side galleries: In a neighborhood not known for its art, two exhibitions shine through LOWER EAST SIDE from page B4 the paintings. Lipstick red hues and hot pinks draw attention from not only their unique hues, but also their textures. Subtle details of thicker paint raised slightly above the rest of the canvass generate geometric shapes that barely assert themselves, creating tension between the painting’s subliminal doubt and inquiry. Perhaps one can attribute this hesitance to

PEET’s tendency to address political issues through his artwork. “Swimmers” is currently open at Museum 52, located in an apartment building at 4 E. 2nd St. between Bowery and Second Avenue. Also narrow and diminutive, the Museum 52 gallery feels somewhat more open than On Stellar Rays with its higher ceilings, but remains intimate enough for close viewing of the works on display. Goldman explained the eight-piece

exhibition “Swimmers” by saying that, “after completing a painting of a swimmer, I used it to make another. I traced the figure and placed it on a new canvas in a different position. Miraculously, it worked. She was still swimming. The human figure, the most sensitive and legible subject, somehow became flexible.” The fluidity between the paintings is evident through Goldman’s distinct manipulation of brush strokes to create a sense of movement that flows from one painting to the next.

Soothing hues of yellows and blues intensify and fade within each painting with varied strokes indicative of submersion in water, capturing a calm yet simultaneously shifting environment. Strong silhouettes of swimmers can easily be distinguished, yet a play on shadows and light leave room for abstraction to merge with representation of these silhouettes. As Goldman said, she tries to rely on flexibility “without preconceived narratives or much respect for my imagination ... to initiate pictures.”

september 24, 2010

WEEKEND

page b3

Finding the perfect mate in bed and beyond

courtesy of crossing the line

ABSTRACT ARABESQUES | Dancers in “Madame Plaza,” part of the annual “Crossing the Line” festival perform unusual movements accompanied by chanting and stomping.

Dance show melds sound and movement BY CYDNEY HEDGPETH Columbia Daily Spectator Four rather large women sit on stage, moving in an almost unbearably slow, lethargic manner for more than 20 minutes. Then, one of the women starts chanting loudly. Another woman begins shaking and stomping, flailing and flopping around on stage. Another remains seated on a mattress-like cushion, while the fourth stands facing the audience with a grimace on her face. It is contemporary dance taken to a whole new level. This unorthodox scene is from “Madame Plaza”, which took place on Wednesday at Florence Gould Hall. The performance is part of “Crossing the Line,” the fourth annual fall festival produced by the Danspace Project and the Institute Alliance Française. Its series of festival programs called “Platform 2010: certain difficulties, certain joy” showcases artists who seek to delve into and spread cultural practices from around the world—artists like Bouchra Ouizguen, the choreographer who created and performed in “Madame Plaza.” “After dedicating myself to the research of these women, my convictions of what is dance and what is choreography turned upside down,” Ouizguen said at a Q-and-A session after her the American debut of her work. “Madame Plaza” pays tribute to the music and full engagement of the body in Dance of the Aïta, a group of traditional Moroccan singers

who performs songs with wailing and incantations. Festivals like “Crossing The Line” manipulate the audience’s perception of what contemporary art truly is. Because these events and performances are founded on the idea of global diversity, this festival lends itself readily to the Columbia community. However, traditionalists who perhaps need a smoother transition into the abstract world of contemporary art should bypass this festival. “I sat through that whole thing and was reminded of some bad LSD trip I had back in the day,” said a slightly disgruntled audience member after the “Madame Plaza” performance. Despite the atypical nature of the performances, the “Platform 2010” experience is unforgettable. The remaining events in the festival take place this weekend. On Saturday, discussions about how to shape the future of urban agriculture will occur during the Farm City Forum ($15 for one session). An audiovisual experiential installation called “Electrochroma” will also debut on Saturday (free and open to the public). On Sunday, “Bodies in Urban Spaces” leads audiences through the streets around Wall Street at sunrise to encounter human sculptures blended into the surrounding architecture (free and open to the public). Twelve hours later, a brass-woodwind-string trio will perform “Naldjorlak”—a three-part work composed by a leading figure in the electronic genre of music ($20), which is just another example of the diversity of Platform 2010 performers.

did something very self-destructive as part of my research for this article. I bought The Millionaire Matchmaker’s book, “Become Your Own Matchmaker: 8 Easy Steps VALERIYA for Attracting Your Perfect SAFRONOVA Mate.” In fact—and this makes me hide my face in Sex i n the shame from my readers— I actually read some of it. Lion’s D en Now I’m sitting at my desk, which is covered in the pieces of the pencil I broke while trying to stab this bright red excuse-for-a-book to death. I’m exaggerating, of course, but honestly, the woman annoyed me. I’ve been wondering lately whether such a thing as the perfect mate exists, and in my confusion I decided the best place to find answers would be the “Sex and Relationships” section of Barnes and Noble. An image of Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stranger—that scary woman who yells at gold-diggers for their frizzy hair on Bravo—holding a bow and arrow seduced me into a purchase. A quick summary of Stranger’s wisdom: all women want a soul mate, they’re deluded if they think they’ll find one with their imperfect smile and chapped lips. Once they see someone they like, they better put together a list fast and make sure he fits in the check-boxes. Otherwise they’ll end up as incomplete hags on the sidewalk. The unfortunate part is that Stranger isn’t the only one who subscribes to these theories. There are piles of books like hers and they all make overbearing promises along the lines of, “We’ll help you find him!” We may only be in college, but the pressure of finding the socalled perfect mate has started to seep in. I’ve heard the question “Do you think you could marry him?” asked more than once on College Walk. I’m sure you or a friend of yours has been confronted with a meddling relative proclaiming that so-and-so isn’t a worthy match. And even friends of mine who spent the first two years at Columbia inviting different girls or guys up to their room on a regular basis have suddenly decided they want girlfriend or boyfriend. So is it real, this concept of a soul mate? Or is it a pointless search? According to new research, the elusive “click” does exist, and it can happen with more than one person. Apparently, over in Switzerland, there is a company called GenePartner. For $99, it will take a sample of your DNA and match you up with a list of

people whose human leukocyte antigens, an integral part of the immune system, are different from yours. The varied genes make for a stronger immune system, lower the risk of inbreeding, and are the bad boys that cause what the GenePartner website calls the “rare sensation of perfect chemistry.” However, GenePartner’s founder, Dr. Tamara Brown, doesn’t believe that the gene test is all that the lonely hearts out there need to find their significant others. In an interview with the Telegraph, she said that “people also need to match on a social level— to have similar life goals, ideals and education levels.” So is that all there is to finding the perfect mate? A few categories and a gene test? That leaves me just as unsatisfied as the 10 Must-Haves list Patti asked me to make in her book.

We may only be in college, but the pressure of finding the so-called perfect mate has started to seep in. Mark Thompson, a man who used to write formulas for Match.com and Yahoo! Personals, presents a different argument in his upcoming book, Who Should You Have Sex With?: How to Find (or Reignite) Great Sexual Chemistry. From the bits and pieces I gathered from his recent interview with Marie Claire magazine, Thompson believes that the best way to find a match is through compatibility in the three aspects of sex: “a similar emotional approach...a similar activity level...and a complementary power dynamic.” He believes that these qualities line up with what people want outside of the bedroom. It may seem different from accepted theories about values, money, and kids, but it’s a perfect excuse for taking your date to bed tomorrow night—quote Thompson and insist you’re inviting them to EC just to figure out if you have long-term potential. And if that doesn’t work out, you can always bring the “2-D lovers” culture to the Hudson’s shores, and buy yourself a blow-up anime doll to love. Valeriya Safronova is a Columbia College junior majoring in East Asian Languages and Cultures. Sex in the Lion’s Den runs alternate Fridays.

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WEEKEND

september 24, 2010

Picks 2 WHEN IT’S AT Time: Opens Friday. Rating: »»»»

courtesy of ifc films

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE | Paz de la Huerta stars as a stripper followed by her brother’s ghost in “Enter the Void,” a film by Gaspar Noé opening Friday. Over the course of the movie, the audience is taken on a drug-addled technicolor trip through Tokyo.

‘Enter the Void’ Noé creates cinematic roller coaster

BY ZARA CASTANY Columbia Daily Spectator Sex, drugs, and death—Gaspar Noé isn’t famous for sugarcoating the facts of life. In the auteur’s new film, “Enter the Void,” the audience experiences the psychedelic journey of life and death through the eyes of Oscar, a drug-dealing young American living among the neon lights of Tokyo. As Oscar falls deeper down the rabbit hole of his mind, Noé takes viewers of his film into a world stranger and more real than most would care to explore. “Enter the Void” is the tale of Oscar and Linda, portrayed by lesser-known actors Nathaniel Brown and Paz de la Huerta, siblings who are reunited several years after the tragic death of their parents in a car accident. Connected by more than just genetics, Oscar promises Linda that he will never leave her and, after his death in a drug deal gone bad, he remains tied to her existence, watching forever from above. Drawing inspiration from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, a book that Oscar is given prior to his death, Noé’s film meditates on the seemingly meaningless cycle of life, a perpetual journey with no end. Beginning with an opening credits sequence that resembles

a pulsating light show, accompanied by a techno drone loud enough to make ears bleed, Noé makes it clear from the start that “Enter the Void” is not only a film, but an experience. Told in three parts, scenes are filmed from the sight perspective of Oscar during the events prior to his death, from the back of his head in flashbacks to his past, and from an aerial view after his death. Huerta is the driving emotional force of the film, pulling viewers in with her effortless portrayal of a playfully seductive stripper who grieves for the only family she had left. Known for his experimentation with cinematography, Noé constructs a cinematic world that encases the viewer in a hypnotic cocoon. When Oscar takes hallucinogenic drugs, the audience watches as the screen is distorted by his psychedelic fantasies. When their parents are killed, the audience is in the car with them as an eighteen-wheeler collides into the windshield. And when Oscar dies, the viewer, seeing as he sees, dies with him. The entrancing cinematic style that Noé so carefully constructs, however, is ultimately his downfall. While the film maintains a level of excitement and imaginative storytelling, it falls apart in the last half hour, languishing in dizzying aerial shots and a scene so frankly sexual that it had many audience members gasping in their seats. Like a roller coaster, the film leaves the viewer with a feelings of both nausea and accomplishment. At times eerie, at times heartbreaking, and at times absolutely absurd, “Enter the Void” will take the viewer into the darkest depths of the human experience, whether they like it or not.

2 WHERE IT’S AT Place: On Stellar Rays (133 Orchard St., between Delancey and Rivington streets) Time: Now through Oct. 24. Wednesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 12-6 p.m. Rating: »»»» Place: Museum 52 (4 E. 2nd St., between Bowery and Second Avenue) Time: Now through Oct. 14. Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Rating: »»»»

Bettolona courtesy of on stellar rays

JJ’S PLACE | Artist JJ PEET’s work is currently on view at On Stellar Rays gallery in an exhibition titled “Shadow.”

Lower East Side galleries In a neighborhood not known for its art, two exhibitions shine through BY VIVIAN LUO Columbia Daily Spectator Bored of the standard Chelsea galleries? Take a trip down to the Lower East Side for two small, but intriguing, exhibitions that recently opened—JJ PEET’s “Shadow” and Julia Goldman’s “Swimmers.” “Shadow” is JJ PEET’s second solo exhibition at On Stellar Rays, an unassuming yet distinctive gallery located on 133 Orchard Street between Delancey and Rivington streets. PEET’s paintings feature unique paints that are crafted from collected minerals and crushed ceramics and later mixed with pigments. These special paints allow for texture variation and lay the basis for PEET to create stories linked to meanings literally embedded within the paintings themselves. Over the past decade, PEET has linked the tangible world and its events with contemporary social issues through his art, transforming his experiences and his environment into paintings in this innovative manner. The paintings featured in “Shadow” are emphatically abstract, but simultaneously empowered by the strong emotions conveyed by PEET. Varying hues of gray and neutral tan shades lose their monotonous character juxtaposed against stark contrasts of light and dark shadows created by objects pictured in

SEE LOWER EAST SIDE, page B2

events

Pizza joint is a cut above Koronet BY JASON BELL Spectator Staff Writer Calling Bettolona (3143 Broadway, between La Salle Street and Tiemann Place) a mere pizzeria is a grave, serious injustice. In Morningside Heights, a neighborhood where “pizza” usually means droopy, greasy slices from Koronet, expectations for pizzerias remain strictly collegiate. Not just another college town pizza joint, the newly opened Bettolona and its wood-burning brick oven serve as a temple to bubbly, crispy pies painted with tomato and adorned with mozzarella. Sebastiano Cappitta, owner of Upper West Side restaurants Bettola and Acqua, presides over this temple as high priest of quality Italian fare. Outfitted with warm filament bulbs, Bettolona’s interior feels welcoming and open, a spot to linger over pasta without hurry. Brown paper bags abound—when in Rome, bring your own—Italian conversation saturates the air, and dough whirls about the pizzaiolo’s hands. With prices that permit daily indulgence—pizzas and pastas max out at $12.50—customers wander in off Broadway after little deliberation. For just having opened last Friday, Bettolona serves remarkably well-developed food. Carciofi, an appetizer of fresh artichoke hearts roasted in garlic and olive oil is lovingly coaxed to tenderness and dressed with lemon. The dish’s aroma of sweet, thick garlic entices pedestrians loitering on stoops as far as a block away to investigate. Perched on a simple salad of mixed greens and marinated tomatoes, grilled calamari is similarly alluring. Whole grilled squid, minus tentacles, appear distant from the typical frozen fried-ring variety. Sumptuously yielding, the calamari alla griglia merits a try even from ardent cephalophobe. Bettolona makes all of their own pastas, setting an entirely new standard for competitors around Columbia. Springy and delicate spinach fettuccine mingles with sweet sausage, peas, and tomatoes, all covered in a luscious cream sauce. Although

dance

music

Beta Jam

—Beta House, 550 W. 114th Street, Saturday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., $4.

The Betas, in conjunction with CU Records, is holding an all-night jam session, featuring both DJs and live music, including Columbia bands Blaxel and Life Sized Maps. There will be kegs, and a portion of the proceeds goes to VH1’s Save the Music fund.

NYC Barn Dance —Philip Coltoff Center, 219 Sullivan Street, Friday, Sep. 24, 7–11 p.m., $12 for students. If city life is getting you down, spice it up with a little country square dance. The annual NYC Barn Dance promises to make you do-si-do until the banjo strings break. And if you’ve never square danced before, no fear— come early for some free clogging lessons.

WHERE IT’S AT Place: 3143 Broadway (between La Salle Street and Tiemann Place) Cost: $12.50 and under Rating: »»»« christina phan for spectator

SUPER SLICE | Bettalona’s pizzaiolos craft tasty, affordable pies that make for top-notch neighborhood dinners. penne Siciliana usually features hard ricotta cheese, Bettolona makes the soft variety work in their interpretation of the classic dish. Bettolona’s vibrant tomato sauce shames jarred specimens, rivaling well-worn family recipes. Pizzas at Bettolona begin life as a ball of elastic dough. Once stretched into a disc, the dough takes on sauce and toppings before finishing in a roaring oven. Emerging blistered and infused with char and smoke, Bettolona’s pizzas taste surprisingly light. Of course, Bettolona may not serve the best pizza in the city— ever-so-slightly soggy centers and unfortunately chewy cheese separate Bettolona from hotspots like Keste and Motorino. Nevertheless, no other restaurants anywhere near Columbia offer better. The Affumicata pie features smoked mozzarella, hot sausage, and cherry tomatoes on tomato sauce. Raspy and dark, this creation whispers sultry nothings into the pizza lover’s ear. Diametrically opposed to the tomato-laced Affumicata, the Bianca includes mozzarella, Parmigiano, mushrooms, and truffle oil. If it only received more for its intense truffle oil dosage, the Bianca might achieve serious crave-ability. Food-savvy students and the entire Morningside Heights community can enjoy and take advantage of this affordable restaurant. Visit Bettolona before the few tables comfortably crammed inside its friendly walls fill up for good.

food & drink

NYC Dumpling Festival —Sara D. Roosevelt Park between Chrystie and Houston streets, Saturday, Sep. 25, 12-5 p.m., free. A day full of dumplings is any college student’s heaven. NYC Dumpling Fest, one of the most popular food festivals in New York, is back again with dumpling tastings from around the world and the ultra-competitive and wildly entertaining dumpling eating contest.

style

Big Throw Frisbee Action —Central Park, Sheep Meadow, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m., free. A documentary crew are recreating and filming a stunt called the Big Throw from the 1980’s, attempting to bring together thousands of people to throw frisbees as high into the air as possible and catch it on camera for their frisbee documentary. In addition to being in a movie, the first 500 people get free frisbees!