Trends to track

The beginning of this week marked a new semester for Columbia and a new volume for Spectator. As an editorial board, we look forward to taking on new developments that concern us both as a student newspaper and as a group of students. Yet the new semester also brings with it topics of interest that we inherit from the past. The following are some general themes we will be monitoring throughout the semester:

WELLNESS—On a campus in which excellence and talent are the expected norm, an intense environment and a culture of ambition are unsurprisingly ingrained in the Columbia psyche. Unfortunately, the pressure to achieve good grades and find attractive career options can come at the expense of our general well-being. While the concern about ambition seems timeless, the concern for wellness has only recently come to the forefront. Before Wilfred Chan and Sarah Ngu took on this conversation in their Eye lead, "How we're doing,"“How we’re doing,” wellness was seldom a topic of conversation. Since then, wellness has penetrated Columbia’s collective mindset, producing tangible changes, such as the recently revamped Go Ask Alice! website. We are enthusiastic to see this conversation develop and continue to bring change.

DIVERSITY—As a perennial issue at Columbia, diversity is simultaneously a topic of pride, debate, frustration, and confusion. Though we often hear that we are more diverse than our peers, the conversation is not over, nor should it be. This conversation is further complicated by a lack of consensus on what Columbia understands diversity to mean. With President Bollinger’s Jan. 15 Washington Post op-ed, “College diversity at risk” defending college diversity in public universities, we are once again reminded of the importance of this discussion at Columbia. During the coming semester we expect to see the conversation continue and grow.

FACULTY ACTIVISM—Last semester’s high degree of faculty activism is unique in recent memory. Professor Delbanco’s very public criticism of the University administration’s decisions with regard to Columbia College, the SEAS faculty’s open letter to the New York Times questioning Dean Peña-Mora’s leadership, and some high-profile instances of faculty support for Occupy Wall Street are especially of note. We will be mindful to watch the evolving relationship between faculty, students, and the administration.

ACCOUNTABILITY—With the resignation of Dean Moody-Adams and developing unease with the leadership of Dean Peña-Mora, accountability seemed especially pertinent last semester. We believe it should continue to be and will look for current administrators to directly address the evolving roles of the deans of these two schools. Likewise, concerns over F@CU’s operations last fall reflect similar concerns about student groups and student government. Transparency in the University governance, at both the administrative and student government level, is integral for continued improvement in student life.

While we will look to comment on these issues, we recognize that our voice is only one part of what should be a larger campus discussion. To facilitate this, Spectator is looking to expand the breadth of conversation in its editorial pages. We plan to streamline the process for submitting op-eds and letters and to expand our presence in print, social media, and online. More than ever, we hope you will join us.