Looks comfy and spacious

Looks comfy and spacious

There are a few staple lectures that most people will take during their time at Columbia, and one of those courses includes the Introduction to American Politics. Loved/loathed by almost every Political Science major, this large intro course usually ends up with a heavy roster upwards of 380 students. Given the huge crowd (even though most people will just end up skipping lecture and borrowing notes from a friend), the course usually requires a pretty spacious lecture hall à la IAB 417. However, things have gone awry with this year’s scheduling.

Upon checking their schedule, one Bwogger noticed that the course will be held in the Diana Event Oval. Once described as “looking like an ovary,” the space is typically used for special lectures or events at Barnard. However, the Oval will now have the new role of an uncomfortable lecture hall with not enough space. Just think about it—there will be no desks or tables. If you are someone who likes to handwrite notes, perhaps bring your lap desk or write on a friend’s back.

Another perk to the new lecture hall is the stage. Known for performing a diddy or two, Professor Michael Miller will have the perfect platform (literally and figuratively) to perform his unforgettable lectures about the riveting inner-workings of the Judiciary Branch. Because we’re real journalists, we asked Prof Miller about his thoughts on the room change via Twitter. His response can be found below.

We’re not entirely sure if this change will work out for students, but the Diana Event Oval is bound to be an interesting experiment for Barnard to make any space a lecture hall. Next up—Maggie the Magnolia’s grave!

A portrait of the Oval via Barnard’s website