AKA a list of my Columbia pet peeves.

I think Columbia’s campus is beautiful. One of the reasons I came here was to have the traditional college campus feel in a big city. The red brick, expanses of green space, and blend of new and old architecture make it one of my favorite places to be. Nothing is perfect, though, and there are many things that now pain my heart to see (and walk on) when I’m on campus.

  1. The asymmetrical stairs on either side of Low Plaza

I actually didn’t notice this until I read another Bwog article about how annoying they are, and now it’s all I can think about when walking up these stairs. Why does one staircase have longer steps than the other? Is there something hiding under those stairs that protrudes out more? I need answers.

  1. Weird floor numbering

I’ve only noticed this in a few buildings so far, but I hate it so much. Fayerweather’s numbering sort of makes sense—campus level is the third floor, while the first floor is at street level. The same goes for Lerner. However, Butler’s second floor is on campus level, but I have yet to see a street-level entrance that would make that make sense. The worst culprit is the International Affairs building. I walked in there on the second day of classes to try and find Intro to Public Health, which was on the fourth floor. No one told me I had to go downstairs from campus level, which turned out to be the sixth floor. Even worse, though, street level wasn’t even the first floor—it was the fourth. What secrets are they hiding below ground?

  1. Law Bridge stairs

Whenever I go to Fac House, I have to mentally prepare myself for these stairs. Half ramp and half stair, they make me take either weirdly long or short steps to get up to Revson Plaza. It’s definitely also a safety hazard when returning from an EC party.

  1. Lerner

Yes, the entire building. I thought Lerner was so cool and futuristic when I first got here, but after a few months, I’ve realized how inconvenient the ramps are. The stair placements aren’t any better. As part of a student dance group, I’m also quite perplexed that we have to perform on said ramps next semester. The outside isn’t much better. While I like the look of the glass and spiral staircase on the campus side, the Broadway facade is a failed attempt at making Lerner blend in with the rest of Columbia. The windows are set too far back, and the roof lacks a characteristic chimney. Maybe another fifty years will help it age gracefully enough to look cohesive.

  1. The Low Plaza fountains

You know what I’m talking about.

Columbia’s campus via Bwarchives