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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: Coursework
The Power of Right Living and Intellectual Humility
“Listen to me, my son, and acquire knowledge,/and pay close attention to my words./I will impart instruction by weight,/and declare knowledge accurately” (Wisdom of Sirach 16:24-25). There’s an interesting moment in one of Shakespeare’s sonnets where the narrator states: As … Continue reading
Posted in Coursework, Life, The Core, The Humanities
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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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Using Core Texts for Life Inspiration
The end of the school year is a time that initiates reflection on our academic involvements as well as the social dynamics that defined these experiences. Thus, it seems meaningful to me to spend some time reflecting on and attempting … Continue reading
Posted in Coursework, Life, The Core, Uncategorized
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On Writing a Senior Thesis: Notes from the Field
I originally wanted to write a blog post on the Core this month, connecting some seminal idea from a philosopher in Contemporary Civilizations to our day-to-day lives as Columbia students. However, every time I tried to begin writing, I found … Continue reading
Posted in Coursework, Faculty Mentors, Libraries, major research, Senior Thesis, The Humanities
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The Beauty of Suffering in Classical Poetry
“Arms and the man I sing who, forced by fate/And haughty Juno’s unrelenting hate, Expelled and exiled, left the Trojan shore” (The Aeneid, I, 1-3). All of us have a desire to be part of a larger story. Almost everyone … Continue reading
Posted in Coursework, Life, The Core, The Humanities, Uncategorized
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How to Narrow Down Your Research Interest – or Should You?
This blog intends to answer one of the frequently asked questions in the office of URF (Undergraduate Research & Fellowships): Help! I want to go to grad school, but I don’t know how to narrow my research interests from … Continue reading
Posted in Archives, Coursework, Faculty Mentors, Libraries, Life, major research, postgraduation plans, 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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