The Ear

On Columbia’s and Barnard’s campuses, what clothes you wear make up more than just an outfit—they become a language. In this episode of Pod-Tone 292, reporter Sharanya Maulik explores how students navigate professional fashion while balancing cultural identity, industry expectations, and pressures tied to gender and race. Featuring conversations with students across disciplines and Anne Higonnet, the Barbara Novak professor of art history, this episode unpacks the archives, influence, and complexity behind looking “professional” at an Ivy League institution.

The School of General Studies doesn’t provide full financial aid, has no dedicated housing for its student body, and recently received a $30 million investment from the University. In this episode of The Ear, Alexander Miles dives into the relationship between General Studies and the rest of the University, raising questions about financial transparency and equality.​​Credits• Edited by Melina Nath and Namya Manghnani• Engineered by Eesha Ramanathan• Original Music by Matthew Lucia• Music from Solid Ground by Roie Shpigler• Illustration by Zoe Villalobos

On this episode of A Look at the Lions, Spectator sits down with twin sister sophomore forwards Kate and Ashley Kim, who make up one of three sister duos on the Columbia field hockey team this season. From pushing one another through training to sharing tips in Korean at practice, the Kim sisters have used their sisterly bond to bring each other to new heights on the pitch.​​Credits• Edited by Melina Nath, Eesha Ramanathan• Produced by Emily Michaelsen• Music by Matthew Lucia• Illustration by Mila Petolani

In this edition of Pod-Tone 292, audio reporter Shanthi Ashok explores the influential career, life, and legacy of University Professor Emeritus Jagdish Bhagwati. Through interviews with Bhagwati’s former peers, students, and colleagues, this episode dives deeper into his character and impact.​​Credits• Edited by Eesha Ramanathan and Melina Nath • Produced by Shanthi Ashok • Illustration by Saumya Chaudhry

As the search for Columbia’s 21st president continues without student representation, four members of Spectator’s editorial board sit for a discussion of what they’re looking for in Columbia’s next chief executive. Moderator Achilles Frangos, Spectator’s editorial page editor, leads a roundtable discussion in search of the ideal candidate.The Spectator editorial board is independent of Spectator’s news coverage and coverage by other Opinion columnists and writers. Spectator’s corporate board, including the editor in chief and managing editor, are not members of the editorial board.​​Credits• Edited by Luisa Sukkar• Sound Engineering by Eesha Ramanathan• Original music by • Illustration by Ramona DelyserFollow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

In this edition of The Ear, reporter Shanthi Ashok explores the nuances and repercussions of Columbia’s concession to President Donald Trump’s administration through interviews with three Columbia professors. ​​Credits• Edited by Nicole Sandrik-Arzadi, Melina Nath, and Luisa Sukkar• Produced by Shanthi Ashok • Illustration by Sally Li Weitzner Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

Many Columbia and New York City musicians find solace, joy, and support through Postcrypt Coffeehouse, an intimate musical venue in the basement of St. Paul’s Chapel. Listen as these musicians and organizers of this space share how they found this community and what its future holds as campus restrictions continue.​​Credits• Edited by Melina Nath and Luisa Sukkar• Produced by Namya Manghnani and Eesha Ramanathan• Music by James Krivchenia, Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek (Performed by Maraki Tamrat); Paul Stookey, Mary Travers, Peter Yarrow (Performed by Maraki Tamrat); Kayte Grace, Matthew Lucia, Gabriela McBride, Federico Stock• Sound effects by newagesoup, calebowenw, and Garuda1982 • Illustration by Mila PetrolaniFollow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

Welcome to “The Keepers: Who Holds Our History?”—an episode of The Ear exploring the critical and often overlooked role that archivists play in shaping historical memory. In this episode, reporters Ellie Carver-Horner and Shay Stulman interview Olivia Newsome, Barnard’s records coordination and processing archivist and coordinator at the Lesbian Herstory Archives. Join us as we delve into the ethical challenges that influence how history is established, examine who controls the past, and question who gets to tell the stories that define us.​​Credits• Edited by Sophia Cordoba and Lara-Nour Walton• Produced by Eesha Ramanathan• Music by Murat Gulcelik, Matthew Lucia, and Eva Scholz-Carlson• Illustration by Ruth WeaverFollow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

On March 5, pro-Palestinian protestors occupied the Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning at Barnard, condemning the reported expulsion of three students. Over the span of five hours, Barnard’s campus transformed from a place where students were speeding to class to the site of an active bomb threat, with nine protesters at a sit-in arrested by NYPD. Join reporters Luisa Sukkar, Melina Nath, and Nicole Sandrik-Arzadi in the on-the-ground sounds from these events. Credits: Produced by Eesha Ramanathan• Music by Eva Scholz-Carlson• Illustration by Ramona Delyser Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

Humans and dogs have an undoubtedly strong connection. However, how well do humans really know their canine counterparts? In this episode of The Ear, Melina Nath explores the work of Barnard’s Dog Cognition Lab, the first lab of its kind in the country, to answer questions about how dogs truly see the world.Credits​ Edited by Sophia Cordoba, Lara-Nour Walton​ Produced by Melina Nath with assistance from Eleanor Moseley and Eesha Ramanathan​ Music by Eva Scholz-Carlson and Matthew Lucia​ Illustration by Eva Vu SternFollow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

After 12 days of occupying South Lawn, pro-Palestinian protesters escalated their operations by occupying a building on April 30. Tune in to listen to reporters Lara-Nour Walton and Sophia Cordoba chronicle Hamilton Hall’s historic transformation to Hind’s Hall and the violent police crackdown that followed. ​​Credits • Edited by Sophia Cordoba • Produced by Sophia Cordoba • Music by Eva-Scholz-Carlson • Illustration by Kelsea Petersen Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

On April 17, over 100 Columbia students erected an encampment labeled the “Liberated Zone” to demand complete University divestment from Israel. They remained for 33 hours until University President Minouche Shafik authorized the New York Police Department to sweep the encampment, resulting in their arrests. Join reporters Lara-Nour Walton and Sophia Cordoba in living the sounds of the first “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.” ​​Credits • Edited by Sophia Cordoba • Produced by Sophia Cordoba • Music by Eva Scholz-Carlson • Illustration by Kelsea Petersen Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

Founded in 1930, Riverside Church in the City of New York strives to be interdenominational, interracial, and international. While many in the Columbia community have seen Riverside Church, few are aware of its rich history—hosting the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mandela. In this episode of The Ear, Sophia Cordoba unpacks the history behind Riverside’s prominence in the struggle for racial justice. ​​Credits: • Edited by Lara-Nour Walton • Produced by Sophia Cordoba • Music by Eva Scholz-Carlson and Matthew Schwizter • Illustration by Macy Sinreich • Voice Acting by Ted Schmiedeler Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

The idea of neurodiversity intentionally moves away from a “correct” method of thinking, so how might this present itself at Columbia, where students are selected based on “intellectual” capabilities? Students who are neurodivergent are a diverse population that should not be generalized. A shift from preconceived standards of how academic and social settings “should” be approached might allow populations at Columbia to recognize more diverse perspectives contributed by neurodivergent students. In this episode, reporter Luisa Sukkar speaks with students who identify as neurodivergent, representatives from Columbia offices for accommodations, psychological care professionals, and researchers in the field of neurodiversity. ​​Credits: • Edited by Claire Schnatterbeck and Sophia Cordoba • Produced by Claire Schnatterbeck • Music by Sofia Schuster with additional music by Obi Okoli • Illustration by Jonas Ma Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

In this archival episode of The Ear, reporter Alicia Theologides Rodriguez commemorates the 50th anniversary of a controversial Columbia study that explored whether chimps possess the cognitive capacity to learn sign language. While the Nim project ultimately failed to prove its hypothesis, it revealed much more about the ethical precarity of anthropomorphizing animals in experimental settings. By contrasting Nim’s fate with that of other animals in Columbia’s care, this episode explores the unique privileges and perils that Nim encountered because of the way he was humanized. ​​Credits: • Edited by Claire Schnatterbeck and Sophia Cordoba • Produced by Julia Hay • Music by Christina Li • Illustration by Lizzie Melashvili • Voice Acting by Claire Schnatterbeck, Jorge Hernandez, Vasily Tselioudis, Donovan Barcelona, and August Phillips Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

In this episode of The Ear, reporter Shay Stulman explores the link between Columbia and the opium trade. She explores the profound impact this historical association has had on shaping esteemed American institutions. How do we reckon with the violent histories of philanthropic families? How did the opium trade shape prestigious American institutions? Tune into this episode to reflect on the implications of Columbia’s connection to this complicated history. ​​Credits • Edited by Claire Schnatterbeck, Sophia Cordoba • Produced by Claire Schnatterbeck, Sophia Cordoba • Music by Christina Li • Illustration by Connor Sund • Voice Acting by Ciro Salcedo Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

Columbia boasts a student body that is known for being politically engaged. How did the institution earn the label? And does it still deserve the title today? In this episode of The Ear, reporters Nicole Sandrik-Arzadi and Lara-Nour Walton explore these questions and more. ​​Credits: • Edited by Sophia Cordoba, Claire Schnatterbeck • Produced by Claire Schnatterbeck • Music by Murat Gulcelik • Illustration by Macy Sinreich Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

In this episode of The Ear, Ellie Carver-Horner and Charlotte Fay explore the complicated history of the atomic bomb, a controversial scientific creation that began at Columbia University in the basement of Pupin Hall. What role did Columbia play in the intricacies of nuclear discovery? How did those making these discoveries justify their role in mass destruction, and how does Columbia reckon with that violence in 2023? Learn alongside Ellie and Charlotte as they engage with Columbia’s complex history of innovation, a story of conflicting moralities, and the foundations for a piece of science that altered the course of human history. ​​Credits • Edited by Claire Schnatterbeck • Produced by Julia Hay • Music by Murat Gulcelik • Illustration by Saumya Chaudhry Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!