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The CCRA blog is authored by Columbia undergraduate researchers, who are invited to reflect on all aspects of the research process and their own undergraduate research experiences, beginning (but not ending) with the Core.
Category Archives: courses
The Politics of The Core
What would Thomas Hobbes say about Covid-19 lockdowns? Would John Stuart Mill approve of the restriction on speech in the form of Twitter and Facebook banning Donald Trump from their platforms after the January 6, 2021 attack on the US … Continue reading
Posted in courses, Coursework, COVID-19, Life, The Core, The Humanities, Uncategorized
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Why Take the Core’s Religious Texts Seriously?
Of what purpose are the Core’s religious texts to the resolutely irreligious? The notion that the works of the Core enable us to understand ourselves and our world is thrown around without substantive analysis or reflection; it’s no wonder, then, … Continue reading
Posted in courses, Coursework, Life, The Core, The Humanities
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Discovering Humanity Through The Core
When reflecting on what is most valuable about the Core Curriculum at Columbia, I always think about the community it fosters. But a closely related benefit of the core, which is both a product of and a contributing factor to … Continue reading
Posted in courses, New York City, The Core
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Why Care about Latin and Greek outside of Classics?
Why did Columbia historically require Latin and Attic Greek, and what can we learned from the annulment of this requirement? And why care at all? As is no secret, Columbia College once enforced a Greek admission requirement and required all … Continue reading
Posted in courses, The Core, Uncategorized
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The Evolution of A Thesis’ Archetype
Every department goes through the senior thesis process differently. Some have their students complete a thesis in junior year, some require 4 semesters of continuous work. In this article, I would like to share how my thesis idea has evolved, and … Continue reading
Posted in courses, Faculty Mentors, Libraries, Senior Thesis, Uncategorized
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Approaches to Interdisciplinary Research
It is rarely ever the case that our attitudes are binary or one-dimensional. In fact, life is characterized by the many beliefs, opinions, and preferences that we embrace. Ascribing to one thought or ideology while resisting others is not only … Continue reading
Posted in Archives, courses, Faculty Mentors, Libraries, major research, Uncategorized
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The Stress Counterweight: Interpreting the World, and the Work of CC
The numerous manifestations of stress are all becoming more salient to us. Whether we are feeling agitated, having trouble focusing, losing sleep, or clenching our jaws, the anxiety of our current historical period is reflected in our mental and physical … Continue reading
Posted in courses, COVID-19, major research, The Core, Uncategorized
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Aesthetics and Pedagogy in the Historical Core
What in the world does beauty have to do with the Core, and especially with the teaching of the Core? I did a deep dive into its history to find out. It wasn’t all that long ago that Columbia University … Continue reading
Posted in courses, The Core, Uncategorized
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Tips for writing a seminar term paper
It’s the start of a new semester and you’re drowning in new syllabi. Luckily, you glance at the reading list for your niche major seminar, and feel a glimmer of hope: the readings somehow look both interesting and manageable. This … Continue reading
Posted in courses, major research
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Eyes to See and Ears to Hear
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning” (Proverbs 9:9). It’s a fortunate staple of most undergraduate students’ experiences of the CORE curriculum at Columbia that … Continue reading
Posted in courses, The Core, Uncategorized
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