Columbia Spectator - Latest Comments

Re: A Rocky four years

Jan Wolf — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 09:24:18 -0000

Researchers have discovered an interesting pattern: it turns out that children are more attentive and diligently engaged in the lessons, if before that they had classes in the open air - https://www.amblesideprimar...

Re: Left and Lefter

Robert — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 20:50:23 -0000

Columbia is that an University in its spare time? It seems like nobody has any more tolerance for anybody they are all on parallel lines with their specific flavor of the English language and their main subject of study is "activism". Their democracy will die in ignorance and the Chinese are just around the corner to pic up the pieces.

Re: The Station

rforzani1@optonline.net — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 17:26:39 -0000

WKCR????
I thought it was Phil Schaap FM radio.
So, the man clearly knows and loves jazz. But I have never heard a more narcissistic self-centered host on any medium. Before allowing his audience the indulgence to play a cut, he first drags it painstakingly through every possible detail of the recording, such as what the artist had for breakfast that day, what type of car they rode in, etc. Arcane details that have little if anything to do with the enjoyment of the music but demonstrate Phil's anal obsession with his ouvre. If he would edit things down to what might provide unique insight and appreciation, it would work. But I believe he truly enjoys the sound of his own voice.
I cannot list how many times I have switched to WBGO because of his incessant babbling. 10 minutes of showing off to 5 minutes of music.
Past that annoying and off-putting behavior, I have it anecdotally that he is responsible for WKCR no longer carrying sports (notably football) on their broadcast. Forget streaming; I mean radio How obnoxious is that? This is a campus/school station. The only one I know that doesn't broadcast its games on the actual station. How arrogant, out of touch and pompous is that?
The student hosts are fine. They enjoy their work and treat it seriously, and I like listening to them. But Phil...........................

Re: The Station

petertripp — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 11:50:12 -0000

Can one hear WBAR via WKCR-HD2 (if it has HD)?

Re: The Station

Wmr Recherche Musicale Mondial — Sun, 10 Dec 2017 19:10:25 -0000

? I don't understand that comment!
We must mention that the people who are working at WKCR are volunteers who dedicate their time to the radio station, students at exams times or during the holidays or whenever it is inconvenient, let their Adult host wait for their appearance hours... We know many students who were delighted of their experience at WKCR , we do not quite understand that someone who does not really listen to WKCR can voice such a severe statement, We listen to the station , and we know the name of the hosts (students), we know when they are gone and who replace them, at least for the Latin department! Which we listen to avidly. , the interviews are very informative, and the music broadcasted in all genres, everything is prepared with active participation of the students.

Re: The Station

Anon — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 13:09:11 -0000

They should probably have a television or youtube station rather than a radio station.

Re: Here Comes the High-Rise

Benjamin P. Feldman — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 20:46:25 -0000

From 1971 to 1976 I lived in a tenement on 122nd Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway in the days when heroin was all around. The Jewish Theological Seminary had vacated 529 West 122nd Street and 540 West 123rd Street already, throwing out hundreds of rent-controlled tenants from affordable housing in order to build a library that took it many more years to finance and build. The result was a three-story fortress-like structure that excluded the neighborhood. Fast forward to 2016 and we have the hideous, secretive deal done between JTS and Savanna Partners; $77,000,000 of the $96,000,000 paid to JTS by Savanna was allocated to the air rights for the block-through site (adjacent to the Seminary's extant property and the lot that will contain a new seminary addition). Contrary to the actions of other responsible institutions in the neighborhood as well as city-wide, JTS did not require a nickel of the proceeds of the sale to be allocated to affordable housing or community benefits. And both JTS and Savanna have turned a blind eye to the numerous requests by community organizations and local residents to act in a community-minded way. A non-union contractor, Gilbane Construction Corp., with a publicly disputed safety record City-wide was employed by JTS to demolish the old library, is building the new JTS addition and has been employed by Savanna to construct a monumental tower on the site for luxury housing. To me it is all sad, shockingly immoral and greedy.

Re: Are Columbia students the most stressed in the Ivy League?

Simona — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 03:29:45 -0000

Of course, what did they expect? the Ivy League the hardest thing to study. They knew what they fighting for. But i can't understand why columbia students are the ones that are the most stressed out. Maybe they should unload their time little and order some works at https://pro-papers.com/ama-... . Cause psychology condition of student is very important in education.

Re: Here Comes the High-Rise

Boston Lion — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 13:14:31 -0000

In re the previous comment: Absolutely right! Columbia should absolutely acquire as many of those adjacent properties as possible. And, somewhat related to the real estate issues being discussed, Barnard should come out of its stupor (rhymes with stupid) and just do what it should have done decades ago--merge.

As to the article, I'm familiar with the subjects being covered as I hold city planning and law degrees and have work experience in those fields. Even to a person who's got a background in these areas, this piece is a gobsmackingly impressive piece of research and writing that contains a wealth of information and a depth of treatment that I'm amazed is coming from an undergraduate. Very well done! Keep up the excellent work.

Re: Here Comes the High-Rise

Anon — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 15:20:23 -0000

Columbia should buy UTS, JTS, Manhattan School of Music, as well as some of the properties of St. Lukes. These properties are contiguous with the campus and are invaluable.

Re: Does Barnard Have a Housing Problem?

rick131 — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 20:04:24 -0000

Barnard and Columbia need to decrease their class sizes and take fewer students so everyone has comfortable, descent housing on campus. Jamming people ten blocks away in an apartment is unacceptable.

Re: Does Barnard Have a Housing Problem?

Boston Lion — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 12:33:53 -0000

Columbia and Barnard both need to be much more farsighted and deliberate in building legitimate, purpose-built dormitories that are ACTUALLY ON their campuses, and not just near their campuses. And by "on their campuses," I don't mean by jamming buildings onto the existing campus acreage; I mean by expanding that acreage through acquiring adjacent acreage and then "knitting" that acreage into the existing campuses. Going to college and living in an apartment building nearby is not a college experience. It is a young-singles experience. There is a difference.
I was very fortunate to have lived in Carman and Hartley with three campus-facing rooms, and that felt like a real college experience.

Re: Does Barnard Have a Housing Problem?

Cato — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 07:54:58 -0000

Fascinating read. Especially the bit about loan collateral issues the non-Barnard tenants have in CG (it wan a really interesting perspective I never would have considered if not for the article)

Re: Does Barnard Have a Housing Problem?

Anon — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 16:08:54 -0000

Fantastically researched article. However a lot of these problems could be avoided if both Barnard and Columbia accepted fewer students. There is no reason why every year has to be a struggle to find housing like this. On campus housing must be guaranteed to all Barnard and Columbia students for all four years. This is one of the big draws. Columbia should be like the other ivies and accept fewer students, see what the yield is, then accept off a wait list. There is no reason to over accept, then not have housing. Princeton had a very high yield a few years ago, and took over a hundred fewer students the following year to correct.

Re: New Gallery on the Block

m-dash — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 17:25:06 -0000

I'll spell it out for you: clowning on the article by comparing Columbia's treatment of its surrounding community doesn't make Columbia look good. It just means Columbia and the rest of the Ivy League (plus Stanford) are shitty community partners.

Re: New Gallery on the Block

Anon — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 12:50:52 -0000

Uninsightful troll comment. Nothing learned by this comment.

Re: New Gallery on the Block

m-dash — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 11:30:50 -0000

You are so close to making a smart point... so so so so close. Just a step further and you'll get there.

Re: New Gallery on the Block

Skeptic — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 19:16:20 -0000

A website is great. And it's important, of course. But a website alone will not bring the community into the space. The phrase "reach out" conveys what Columbia should be doing. In contrast, a website is passive and requires people to Google it and find it. Most people in the community haven't even heard of Lenfest Center for the Arts. They are not going to Google it. Do you think that the performing groups at Lincoln Center would be filling those seats in those theaters if they relied on a only a website, instead advertising? Of course not. Do you think visitors would be flocking to the Met or MoMA if it weren't for the print, radio, email, and many other forms of advertising that these museums do? In contrast, the Hispanic Society of America Museum in Harlem, is an example of a cultural institution that has completely failed to encourage the public to visit. There are many possible ways to interact with the public--or not interact with it. It remains to be seen whether or not Columbia will rise to the challenge and fund such efforts adequately.

Re: New Gallery on the Block

rick131 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:52:32 -0000

Uh, all you have to do is google Lenfest Center for the Arts. They have a full website and calendar of events all on line.

Re: New Gallery on the Block

Skeptic — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 17:08:45 -0000

Excellent reporting! I just hope Columbia has concrete plans to reach out to the community and make us feel welcome in these new spaces. How about some advertising, for instance? I hoped to join an email list about events at Lenfest, for example, but so far I haven't been able to find one. Columbia's ability to reach out and draw community members into these new spaces will be the truest test of its real intentions. It's great to fund the arts. But the arts aren't anything without a diverse and local audience.

Re: President Bollinger’s Bathtub

Anon — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 11:23:18 -0000

https://drive.google.com/fi...

Re: New Gallery on the Block

Anon — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 08:28:05 -0000

I wonder how much Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford care about serving their neighbors and poor communities with their endless art galleries?

Re: Bidding farewell to six years in Morningside Heights

Vic Voss — Sun, 30 Jul 2017 19:48:21 -0000

Who is Connor Voss?

Re: The Chinese elite at Columbia

TheMagnificentDeplorable — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 08:25:18 -0000

I never even heard of it until I stumbled on a link to this article.

Re: The Chinese elite at Columbia

TheMagnificentDeplorable — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 08:23:27 -0000

Its a liberal propaganda piece soliciting compassion for communism in diguise is what it is.