Zack Hoopes

With the election right around the corner, Botfeld, a Democratic District Leader, and local political groups the Three Parks Independent Democrats and the Broadway Democrats have joined together to transform the former Bear Farm, a produce shop turned derelict storefront on Broadway and 105th Street, into a local Democratic campaign headquarters for this November’s election.

For someone just graduating from college, Ron Towns speaks about teaching with a passion beyond his years. “When someone tells you, ‘Thank you for teaching me,’ or ‘Thank you for inspiring me,’” Towns says with an excited look. “There’s just no greater reward that a person can get.”

In his pink polo shirt and stylishly ripped jeans, 43-year-old Arthur Hoyt, Jr. is an archetypical local resident. He often stands outside his apartment building, cigarette in hand, watching the traffic go by in Harlem. Hoyt is the perfect example of the “new Harlemite”: white, in his 30s or 40s, with a family. In south-central Harlem, which extends roughly east-west from Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard. to Morningside Park and north-south from 125th Street to 110th, people like Hoyt are arriving in droves.

Boulevard and Morningside Park on the east and west—say that construction has exploded in the past five to 10 years. Buildings once condemned are now high-end residences. The new neighbors are, for the most part, white and wealthier than the long-rooted residents, who tend to be poor and black.

For many members of the community surrounding the northwest corner of Central Park, the completion of Frederick Douglas Circle will come as a huge relief for a community in limbo. The renovation of the intersectionbegan in June 2004 and was supposed to last just one year.

Hauling your old TV to the dumpster used to just be a chore, but now it might be illegal. Bills passed in both the New York City Council and the New York State Assembly would require consumers and manufacturers to recycle broken and obsolete electronics, making New York City the first municipality to do so.

Despite some cries of opposition from community activists, Columbia’s plans for Manhattanville are moving toward the first phase of development. But after a rash of tragic construction accidents in Manhattan—most recently the collapse of a high-rise crane on East 51st Street—Borough President Scott Stringer has set his sights on enhancing safety precautions around building sites.

Engineered and promoted by brand-new Governor David Paterson, CC ’77, and passed by the New York State Assembly on Wednesday, the 2008-2009 state budget includes a windfall $1.75 billion increase in state education funding. New York City schools will now receive $534 million, a fact which has prompted education campaigners to press ahead and call on Mayor Bloomberg and city schools Chancellor Joel Klein—this year’s class day speaker—to change their budget proposal as well.

At Thursday night’s Community Board 9 meeting, the meaning of Winston Churchill’s “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others,” quoted by a speaker, seemed to hit close to home. After almost two and a half hours of confusion and frustration, the meeting’s attendees shuffled out of the Manhattanville Community Center, having opened up as many new issues as had been resolved.

At Thursday night’s Community Board 9 meeting, the meaning of Winston Churchill’s line “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others”—quoted by a speaker—seemed to hit close to home.

If you thought the recent crackdown on parties in East Campus was bad, imagine living on campus 40 years ago.

Buying a vibrator is like buying a blender—always make sure it has a variable speed setting. Or so says Elise Schuster, BC ’04 and a representative for Babeland, a sex toy shop which put on a presentation last night in John Jay lounge about sex toys and their use.

First it was just available to those privileged Ivy League kids, then to all college students. Soon high schoolers got it, and then finally the general public. Facebook has been expanding rapidly lately. Who is the most recent to gain access to this online social network? According to New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, pederasts.

It’s midnight in Central Park, and Jezebel sees no reason to go home. No, she’s not a hooker, a drug dealer, or any other sort of miscreant. Jezebel is a dog, quite a large one at that, and her owner Rick is getting impatient.

The tricky red levers on rickety old polling machines fazed some voters nearly as much as making a choice in yesterday’s primary election.

Even the most personal experiences can be abstracted into a number. As Stalin once said, “The death of one is a tragedy; the death of a million is a statistic.”

Once a year, Eva Welch works twice as long as most people half her age. The 74-year-old poll inspector for the 87th election district arrived at her voting station in Wien at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, and stayed until it closed at 9 p.m. Despite the 15-and-a-half-hour day, Welch was surprisingly relaxed—as of 2:30 p.m., only three voters had come to her table.

David Eisenbach is, by his own terms, “not a political professional.” As a Columbia professor specializing in media and politics, Eisenbach had never personally invested himself in government affairs­ until he met former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel (D-Alaska).

Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell recently received a flier in the mail from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office. The mailing, which advertised how the mayor’s congestion pricing proposal could curb the asthma problem, was conveniently filled in with the names of local representatives that constituents should call to voice their support for the new traffic policy—encouraging O’Donnell to call, of all people, himself.

If you’ve ever felt guilty about being a girly man, now’s your time to make some changes. Even if you’re not going to the gym for the health benefits, or aren’t self-conscious about your flabby thighs, at least show up to try out the schmancy new equipment.

Prohibition might have died in the 1920s, but the war on booze is still on.

Though it may sound farcical, several students are advocating that Columbia change its fruit-purchasing policy on the grounds that bananas support terrorism.

Congressman Charlie Rangel might seem a far cry from Bismarck, but last night his sense of realpolitik showed through.

Some people like to know how big the needle is before they get the injection.

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-Manhattan, is willing to make some concessions in pork-barrel spending to stop a fight.

Charlie Rangel didn't know what he was getting into that day he signed up for the army.

The North American Free Trade Agreement battles formally ended 13 years ago, but now the ghosts of free trade liberalization have come back to haunt U.S. politics.

City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito held her yearly state of the district address yesterday afternoon in Low Rotunda.

A New York state-sponsored public service ad campaign hit TV screens and movie previews last week to tell underage college students not to drink.

Samantha Gorbirs was looking for the future of civic engagement when she came to the Iraq War candlelight vigil at Straus Park last night. Gorbirs, a resident of Morningside Heights, came to the event with her two children, ages 3 and 7.

A coalition of immigrant interest groups lobbied New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to support an act that would allow non-citizens to vote in city elections this week.

Panelists expressed contrasting views on the future of Iraq on Wednesday night at an event hosted by Columbia Political Union, Columbia University Veterans Association, and the CU chapter of Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

When 21 year-old Mark Krotov, CC '08 and Spectator Arts and Entertainment columnist, arrived at the West End one night, he didn't expect a problem. But after finding his actual ID being rejected at an establishment once noteworthy among students for its lax carding procedures, he came back with his passport.

They roam anonymously in the University community, but Columbia's librarians are as innovative in their field as rock-star professors are in academia.