Bwog’s latest Defense project is of an architectural persuasion: Revson Plaza and its sculptures. Claire Sabel bravely takes on the task.

For some, Revson Plaza, the elevated walkway over Amsterdam connecting SIPA, EC, and the Law School to the rest of the campus does not sit comfortably among the rest of the Morningside architecture. There are those that feel it is ‘ugly’ or ‘stupid’ or even both. Ought we to take these claims seriously?

First and foremost, consider Revson Plaza’s location. Regardless of ornamentation, the benefits of its orientation to the rest of the campus can hardly be denied. Elevated above Amsterdam, it provides pedestrians with a safe crossing over the busy street, so notoriously dangerous as to inspire Balanchine’s 1936 ballet, “Slaughter on 10th Avenue.” Not only does the Plaza let you avoid choosing whether to wait fretfully for the light to change or to break the law (thereby risking death), but it goes so far as to complement your safe stroll with a luscious lawn and surrounding shrubbery. (more…)

It’s the return of “In Defense Of…” Here, a writer defends something that most students consider useless, inferior, or downright loathsome. In doing so, Bwog hopes to bring you a new perspective, and give the subject the appreciation it deserves…or not. For the first installment of the new year, daily editor Liz Naiden defends all those squares making your route to class hell.

One of the first great discoveries of a Columbia education is that you cannot walk diagonally to class. First-years quickly realize that all their manifold achievements and superpowers will not teleport them through the hedges and fences surrounding the South Lawns.  It’s equally impossible to cross the upper half of the campus, because Low, raised on high, prevents all attempts at diagonal movement. You can’t even walk through it diagonally in the basement; like a mouse in a maze, you’ll be forced by the layout to walk a right angle in order to emerge from the exit catty-corner to the one you entered through. It’s even impossible to walk through small spaces like the Fayerweather/Avery courtyard diagonally. In fact, the one area on campus that has diagonals is Lerner, where, we can all agree, they are thoroughly useless.

Few people manage to make it through four years at Columbia without at least once complaining about this injustice. The annoyance of running late to class is only exacerbated by the realization that there are almost no shortcuts to that destination, only long cuts. But while we all share the outrage, the right angles probably aren’t as responsible for all those tardy marks as you might think, and its other benefits more than make up for lost time. (more…)