Pod-Tone 292

Living in New York City, Columbia students are surrounded by vibrant and plentiful nightlife opportunities—but at a price. Going out and even staying in can get costly, prohibiting students from socializing in certain circles and spaces. In this Pod-Tone 292 episode, reporter Andrew Kirdahy speaks with Columbia students about the socioeconomic boundaries in their social lives. This episode was produced by Julia Hay and composed by Obi Okoli. 

Every once in a while, there is a great professor who is not only able to teach content but able to demonstrate how to meaningfully engage with it. In this episode of the Pod-Tone 292 series “Office Hour,” reporter Aliza Abusch-Magder explores the pedagogy of professor George Chauncey, known for his pioneering work on queer U.S. history. Through talking with his students, we learn about what makes his teaching so inspiring. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer. 

In the second episode of “The Grownups are Talking,” reporter Abby Thayananthan, CC ’24, invites Narayan Kini, CC ’24, and Maya Nalawade, CC ’24, to reflect on their experiences working over the summer. In many ways, interning over the summer involves adapting to a lifestyle that is very foreign to us as college students but very normal to adults. We learned that adulting requires skills such as the ability to prioritize and balance multiple commitments and that ultimately, you learn a lot from just being thrown into it. This episode was produced by Chase Cutarelli.

In this episode of the Pod-Tone 292 series “Fake Names, Real Love,” host Natalie Goldberg interviews “Sarah,” a junior at Barnard, about the particular difficulties of feeling unwelcome in queer spaces as a result her relationship with her current boyfriend. They delve into topics like internal versus external validation, how unique it is that Columbia can feel like a place where being gay is the norm, and whether or not straight people belong in queer spaces. In listening to Sarah’s story, we seek to understand the complicated social and cultural dynamics that lead to acceptance, both from oneself and from one’s community. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer with music by Obi Okoli.

As the summer of 2022 waned, reporter Lilienne Shore Kilgore-Brown invited fellow Columbia students to call her on Spectator’s new late-night call line, Sleepless Somewhere. Their conversations drifted from discussions of magic grandmothers to the ethereal blue color of glaciers and reminded us of the quiet beauty and intimacy that our slowed down, sleepy moments can hold. This episode was produced by Julia Hay with music by Eva Scholz-Carlson.

In this special episode of Pod-Tone 292, reporters Natalie Goldberg and Avery Reed document the last lesbian locales left in New York City for LGBTQ History Month. They speak with Columbia and Barnard students about their opinions on and experiences in these establishments. They also reflect on our city’s rich queer history and why we need to preserve queer spaces and prioritize queer joy. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer with music by Eva Scholz-Carlson.

Professors can make or break a class, and sometimes can even make your college experience. There are a number of highly esteemed professors at Columbia and Barnard who have developed cult followings of students. So who are the magnetic personalities shaping our community culture and their fields of study? Why have they gained traction? How did they become the person they are known as? What influences do they have in our community? By exploring the people behind the professorial personas, we will start to build a greater understanding of our Columbia community. In this episode of the new Pod-Tone 292 series “Office Hour,” host Aliza Abusch-Magder dives deep into the pedagogy of professor Marisa Solomon. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer.

As college students, we’re approaching the weird and wonderful period of our lives that is adulthood. But the label “adult” is one that carries so much weight and we are often afraid to assign it to ourselves. In this episode of “The grownups are talking,” reporter Abby Thayananthan invites fellow students and young “adults” Ruby Lark Mendelsund and Anna Olivia Sommer to share their personal stories and thoughts about moving away from home, a catalyst for adulthood for many of us. In particular, they discuss how a geographical shift, or lack thereof, may impact one’s perception of their own independence and adulthood, and they compare perspectives from their own distinct lives. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer.

In this episode of the Pod-Tone 292 series “Fake Names, Real Love,” host Natalie Goldberg interviews “Jamie,” a Columbia College sophomore, about being outed to her conservative Catholic parents during her first relationship with a woman. She describes the imbalance of desire within her relationship, the extreme reaction that her parents had after finding out she was a lesbian, and her take on dating while closeted versus out. In listening to Jamie’s story, we take a deep dive into how wanting versus being wanted plays a significant role in lesbian sex and relationship dynamics, and the emotional turmoil that unsupportive parents can cause. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer with music by Obi Okoli.

In this episode of the Pod-Tone 292 series “Fake Names, Real Love,” host Natalie Goldberg interviews “James,” a Columbia College sophomore, about what hooking up with his boarding school roommate taught him about his own sexuality. He describes the buildup to the moment and the covert hands in a dark room, and plays up the scandal—they were both in long-term relationships with women. In listening to James’ story, we take a deep dive into the blurred line between romantic and platonic relationships among queer people. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer with music by Obi Okoli.

In this episode of the Pod-Tone 292 series “Fake Names, Real Love,” host Natalie Goldberg interviews “Serena,” a Columbia College junior, about her experience dating an older man she met on Seeking Arrangement. Serena tells us about the extravagant dates that he takes her on, the benefits of dating older men, and whether or not “daddy issues” play a role in her dating preferences. In listening to Serena’s story, we take a deep dive into the ways that power and control play into relationship dynamics, especially between younger women and older men. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer with music by Obi Okoli.

In this episode of the Pod-Tone 292 series “Fake Names, Real Love,” host Natalie Goldberg interviews Georgia, a sophomore at Barnard, about her recent experience getting ghosted. Georgia discusses how her parental trauma and abandonment issues inform the way that she interacts with men, and offers a fascinating perspective on how to deal with losing someone you care about. This episode contains mentions of self-harm, suicide, mental illness, and emotional abuse, so please listen with caution.

Credits:

• Hosted by Natalie Goldberg

• Produced by Matthew Schwitzer

• Music by Obi Okoli

• Illustration by Liza Evseeva

While Columbia students were stuck at home because of the pandemic during the past year, many had to turn to the Internet for meeting new friends and engaging with the Columbia community. As campus opens back up, friends are reuniting for the first time in person. In this episode of Pod-Tone 292, host Claire Schnatterbeck explores the question: Are these online connections translatable to the offline world?

Credits

• Hosted by Claire Schnatterbeck

• Produced by Chase Cutarelli

• Music by Matthew Lucia

• Script edited by Sam Hyman

• Illustration by Noelle Hunter

Overwhelmed by the prospect of joining clubs and activities at Columbia? Then this is the podcast for you! In this episode of the Pod-Tone 292 miniseries Columbia Crash Course, host Avery Reed, BC ’24, brings on a variety of Columbia students to discuss how to navigate the school’s daunting club scene.

Credits:

• Hosted by Avery Reed

• Produced by Sam Hyman

• Music by Matthew Lucia

• Illustration by Carlos Ochoa

Craving a good slice of pizza? How about the best slice of pizza? Host Sam Hyman brings on Michael Sepulveda to talk about the finest pizza joints both near campus and in New York City.

Credits:

• Hosted by Sam Hyman

• Produced by Sam Hyman

• Music by Matthew Lucia

• Illustration by Carlos Ochoa

Interested in joining Greek life at Columbia? In this episode of the Pod-Tone 292 miniseries “Columbia Crash Course,” host Natalie Goldberg speaks with fraternity, sorority, and general community members to help you decide whether Greek life is right for you.

Credits:

• Hosted by Natalie Goldberg

• Produced by Sam Hyman

• Music by Matthew Lucia

• Illustration by Carlos Ochoa

For new students, Columbia’s Core curriculum can be daunting, confusing, and anxiety-inducing. In this episode of the Pod-Tone 292 miniseries “Columbia Crash Course,” host Claire Schnatterbeck invites two upperclassmen to demystify the Core and offer advice to new students.

Credits

• Hosted by Claire Schnatterbeck

• Produced by Sam Hyman

• Music by Matthew Lucia

Morningside Heights and Harlem contain countless local eateries that represent various cuisines and cultures. In this episode of the Pod-Tone 292 miniseries Columbia Crash Course, host Bella Druckman and guest Jack Weissman discuss some of the best local restaurants to visit during your time at Columbia. Listen to find an appetite for eating local!

Credits

• Hosted by Bella Druckman

• Produced by Sam Hyman

• Music by Matthew Lucia

As the lights on the stages turn on and the curtains rise once again, what can thespians and audiences be hopeful for? On the final episode of “Ghost Light,” host Claire Schnatterbeck sits down with the Columbia Musical Theater Society, Columbia's oldest producer of musical theater revivals, to talk about how theater has adapted to the constraints of virtual platforms and what changes need to be made when it returns to physical stages.

Credits

• Reported by Claire Schnatterbeck

• Produced by Sam Hyman

• Music by Matthew Lucia

In this Pod-Tone 292 standalone episode, host Lily Glaser takes a moment to check-in with students and reflect about how they feel. Taking the end of Columbia’s first fully virtual year as a moment of pause, students discuss the state of their mental health 13 months into a global pandemic. COVID-19 ushered in rapid change, isolation, and impending fear of what is to come. What takeaways, skills, or mentalities do they plan to integrate into a future return to normalcy?

Credits:

• Hosted by Lily Glaser

• Produced by Sam Hyman

• Illustration by Liza Evseeva

Music:

• “Pure of Heart” - Siddhartha Corsus

• “A Convocation” - Chad Crouch

• “Speaker Joy” - Blue Dot Sessions

How do you involve yourself in a community that you’ve never interacted with in person? The Varsity Show is Columbia’s oldest theater tradition that celebrates what makes life at the University unique. But with a portion of the student body never having set foot on-campus, the show had to not only adapt to a new format, but also cater to an audience less familiar with life at Columbia. On this episode of Ghost Light, host Claire Schnatterbeck sits down with members of the Varsity Show creative team to discuss their experience adapting the iconic show to an online format and maintaining a sense of community.

Credits

• Reported by Claire Schnatterbeck

• Produced by Sam Hyman

• Music by Matthew Lucia

When was the last time you sat down to think? And maybe write? Not school-related, but really stopped doing whatever else was causing you stress to assess where you are and what’s surrounding you. In this episode of Overheard, Andre Williams, CC ’24, reveals a lustrous account of a morning at The Hungarian Pastry shop. Listen in for some juicy philosophical insight and snippets of coffee-shop conversation.

Credits:

• Reporting by Avery Reed

• Produced by Sam Hyman

• Sound Design by Sam Hyman

• Music by Maxwell Lu

• Illustration by Liza Evseeva

Whether familiar with theater or not, many people know the iconic Shakespeare quote “All the world’s a stage,” but what happens when the world’s stages are closed and moved online? In this episode of Ghost Light, reporter Claire Schnatterbeck chats with members of the King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe to discuss how they are bringing the iconic works of William Shakespeare to the virtual stage and the implications of using Zoom as a modern Globe Theater.

Credits:

• Reported by Claire Schnatterbeck

• Produced by Sam Hyman

• Music by Matthew Lucia

What would you do if Florence Welch from Florence + the Machine jumped on you and asked if you were OK? In this episode of Overheard, we take you back to a pre-pandemic scene of a music festival where Carlos Sanchez, CC ’24, embraced his idol in a moment he calls “divine intervention.” In response, reporter Avery Reed raises questions about monotonous routines and human connections.

Credits:

• Reporting by Avery Reed
• Produced by Sam Hyman
• Sound Design by Sam Hyman
• Intro and Outro Music by Maxwell Lu
• Other Music by Sam Hyman
• Illustration by Liza Evseeva

The coronavirus pandemic has left theaters and performance spaces worldwide, and on Columbia's campus, empty. But is the theater world completely dark? In this first episode of the Ghost Light miniseries, Columbia comedy groups Fruit Paunch, Third Wheel, and Latenite Theatre discuss how they have adapted to the online school year and the importance of laughter.

Credits:

• Reported by Claire Schnatterbeck

• Produced by Joshua Steele

• Music by Matthew Lucia

• Illustration by Julian Michaud

Was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez really on the Columbia campus a month ago? Well, not exactly. In this first episode of the Overheard mini-series, Priya Chainani, CC ’24, tells us what really happened on Feb. 26. Through her story, we dive into how social media distorts our perception of other people’s lives and how these interactions fool us and leave us feeling left out.

Credits:

• Reported by Avery Reed
• Produced by Sam Hyman
• Music by Maxwell Lu
• Illustration by Liza Evseeva

Spectator proudly welcomes you to Pod-Tone 292. Stay tuned for captivating stories, hot gossip, thoughtful insights, and more.