The Blue and White
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THE UNDERGRADUATE MAGAZINE OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, EST. 1890 THE BLUE AND WHITE Vol. XIX No. IV Orientation 2013 The Deciders Four Trustees share the view from the top No Sugarcoating A conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates Al so InsIde: InsIde nsoP elevAtors THE BLUE AND WHITE vol. xix fAmAm extendimUS fACtiS no. iv Columns Features 4 BlueBook Alexander Pines & 10 at two sworDs’ leNgth: are you goNNa Be my Best frieND? Conor Skelding, CC ’14, Editor in Chief 6 Blue Notes Alexandra Svokos Our monthly prose and cons AnnA BAHr, BC ’14, Managing Editor 8 Campus CharaCters 12 Verily Veritas Staff 13 we kNow what you DiD last summer Will Holt, CC ’15, Senior Editor torSten odlAnd, CC ’15, Senior Editor 20 Curio ColumBiaNa B&W staffers bring back tales from the real world Somer omAr, CC ’16, Senior Editor 32 measure for measure nAomi SHArp, CC ’15, Senior Editor 44 sketChBook Somer Omar 15 the DeCiDers JeSSie CHASAn-tABer, CC ’16, Layout Editor 46 Digitalia ColumBiaNa Four Trustees share the view from the top leilA mgAloBliSHvili, CC ’16, Senior Illustrator 47 Campus gossip Alexander Pines 21 growiNg paiNs ZUZAnA giertlovA, BC ’14, Publisher One transgender B&W staffer’s experiences Staff Writers Will Holt 23 thiNkiNg aND DriNkiNg nAomi CoHen, CC ’15 AlexAnder pineS, CC ’16 Alex Hall gets back to basics at d.b.a. dAniel Stone, CC ’16 AlexAndrA SvokoS, CC ’14 Torsten Odland 25 wilsoN Contributors Two fresh-people navigate NSOP miCHelle CHeripJA, CC ’16 kAtie donAHoe, BC ’16 Angel JiAng, CC ’15 Torsten Odland ND ll hat azz lUCA mArZorAti, CC ’15 29 a a t J AngeliCA modABBer, BC ’16 Why radio still matters after the college DJ’s halcyon age ClAire SABel, CC ’13 mAttHeW Seife, CC ’16 HAllie nell SWAnSon, CC ’16 Conor Skelding 34 moNkey BusiNess Artists On the latest from Columbia Business School Publishing Britt foSSUm, CC ’16 Angel JiAng, CC ’15 kAtHArine lin, CC ’16 Will Holt 35 DoN’t roCk the Boat mAddie mArtin, CC ’16 Kayaking one of America’s dirtiest canals AlexAnder pineS, CC ’16 Anne SCotti, CC ’16 HAnk SHorB, CC ’16 Daniel Stone eighBorhooD atCh AngelA Song, CC ’15 37 N w Claire Sabel 39 No sugarCoatiNg A conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates theblueandwhite.orgCOVER: “Move-In Day” by Maddie Martin B LUE B OOK B LUE B OOK We at the Blue and White know that matriculating to college is a Big Transition. In hopes of slightly smooth- help you pick up the lingo. For, “Intemperance in talk makes a dreadful havoc in the heart.” And the absolute last thing college should wreak is havoc in the heart. “i’m really looking forward to lit Hum” means, “i’m smart (and relatable, too!).” parts of the reading i did blew my mind.” means, “i’m numb to this bullshit.” “He’s a golden nugget,” means, “maybe this letter From tHe eDitor transaCtions vidual living in a world of harsh realities.” Here is the letter i almost wrote, in brief: arriVals “We’re going out tonight,” means, “nikolai on “’t Carman 12!!!” “i’m going to Avery,” means, “i need more, more ” “that’s heteronormative,” means, “We are no than the average person.” So i won’t go there, despite this being the orientation issue longer friends.” and probably the best time of year for mawkishness. instead i will be “i got tapped,” means, “the frats are interested “negative,” “What dorm do you live in, where are you from, in my style, and they want to see if it will mesh By the end of last spring, some vital stuff in me had been and what’s your major?” means, “name, rank, and serial number?” Departures “heart of @sree, Columbia’ POSTCARD FROM MORNINGSIDE Arkansas.” - word “ideal” what would be a long morning. Come again!? “We hope students will follow - – so worthwhile, and too little of it will render your undergraduate nSop theme, — Conor Skelding 4 The Blue and WhiTe OrientatiOn 2013 Postcard by Leila Mgaloblishvili 5 B LUE NOTES B LUE NOTES of what the rest of the garden would be like, i wasn’t orgy of metaphor and symbolism gone wrong. Scholar’s Lion statue, the Peace Fountain in twisted metal: the moon smiles as numerous protrude from the pedestal. good triumphs over evil - the bar has survived turbulent times. “We’ve mony, light and dark, life and death. the plaque at Blues Bar on 122nd and Adam Clayton powell. i settle for talking with other insiders on the i - - ’s will. - borhood. the really bad parts were when martin - - ers head inside to set up. home and my job. there were times when we were just barely making it, and it was tough, but we stayed from her upstairs neighbor. She said she sometimes hears bangs, but those are from the boiler room. the bar by the door, and a large group of tourists ’ gets up to leave. with his family and live above the bar he owns. “i surround the Peace Fountain at the edges of the Samuel J. Hargress Jr. presides over it all. “i’m the founder, the owner, the president,” most of my neighbors did. Just a brownstone on my York in 1962 to join his brothers after being dis- the title page of thoreau’s Walden way i see it, somebody’s using it and it wasn’t being - used before.” - - in the lab. history will tell you that the people who owned the folding out front. “i’m doing a renovation,” Sam bars in Harlem, the Jews and the italians, started to it. i want it to look its age.” i’ve returned to the garden several times — Hallie Nell Swanson th garden is strong as ever. Still, the Peace Fountain Street seems an unlikely home for a nASA labo- t our planet in danger?” ’s statues ratory. it’s unremarkable—it blends in with surround- remind us of our own histories—our own art aliens to be seen. the movies.” York. no matter how th — Angelica Modabber (giSS) on 112 - many times you walk passed the West 111th around the thing, a new i inside. Sitting in the shadow of St. John’s Cathedral, angle, poking its head through the ivy. —Michelle Cheripja 6 Illustration by Leila Mgaloblishvili The Blue and WhiTe OrientatiOn 2013 Illustrations by Britt Fossum and Katharine Lin 7 memory.) Campus Characters - ground to good karma. “i think i’ve been a good friend and a good person, and that’s why a lot of this the Blue aND white is happening,” she says. if that would sound trite introduces you to a handful of Columbians who are up to interesting and extraordinary things and whose stories beg to be shared. If you’d like to suggest a Campus Character, send us an email at [email protected]. — Naomi Sharp Rebekah Lowin - Jack waLden try to see everything as a blessing—it’s true, “i okay? it’s true!” protests rebekah lowin, CC new York fringe festival. this fall, she’ll perform at r i believe them.” ” word “dragon.” - - on a windless, hot July afternoon. from the moment over,” remarks Solomon Hoffman, CC ’14, the musi- XMAS!6 eleanor Bray, BC ’ for the 117th and 118th varsity Shows, among other - ’ jokes. Bwog, the Columbia Daily Spectator, the Greenwich fellow funny-man eli grober, CC ’13, says Time She talks animatedly, interrupting herself to dart he’s most importantly a loyal friend. “He’ll pay for my - ’t like the idea of people beer if i forgot my wallet,” he says. “But i didn’t forget talking about him when he’s not there, he says. my wallet. He knows that. He’ll still pay for my beer.” wanted to answer!” Columbia for playing the role of high-strung antago- speed of everyone else’s,” says emily ellis, CC ’14, one: he let his twin Charlie push him aside on their Core, in the 118th varsity Show. lived together in Carman. Jester, stand-up shows, - sabotage and indian burns. the youngest brother is XMAS!6: A Mall-y Jolly XMAS! by Charlie, will kill him prematurely. - despite his high energy and high visibility on able.” even as she works toward Broadway, rebekah With Charlie, a television writing student - show business. “i love singing. it’s the biggest part of “But for me, the most important thing is to have a var- ’ - time to write poetry, do yoga—“i’m trying to be a lovers. “Columbia’s broken my spirit,” he says. “it’s — Naomi Cohen 8 The Blue and WhiTe OrientatiOn 2013 Illustrations by Leila Mgaloblishvili 9 AT TW O SWORD S’ LENG TH AT TW O SWORD S’ LENG TH Are you gonna be my best friend? that i never saw you posting.” ho do you think you are, Carol? no, i’m seri- “W - Wous. - wasn’t kidding when she said you were awesome—i’m ing nSop. days on Campus was awesome—singing do you think everyone will think you’re some everyone from home goes to nYU, so Bri and the highlight of my senior year (besides retaking the see straight through that blue eyeshadow and grey i are going downtown to meet up with a friend at a people online as possible, so.... but i’ve never had this many friends before. or any. in her nSop group and that you invited yourself over. - taking (and speaking) latin and reading Homer in thanks, but we’ve got all boots you’ve been eyeing friends. Sweaters, tees, blouses, underwear—and it looks like you’re a spring, like me.