-
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: The Humanities
Reflections on Language, Translation, and the Core
In September 2020, the first-ever assignment in my Lit Hum section was to develop an intralingual translation of the first seven lines of the Iliad. We had the standard version of the Iliad prescribed by the Core Office—Richmond Lattimore’s 1951 … Continue reading
Posted in Archives, major research, The Core, The Humanities
Comments Off on Reflections on Language, Translation, and the Core
A Month in Paris Researching Olivier Messiaen
I spent the month of July in Paris as an Undergraduate Research Fellow, researching the influence of Indian classical music, specifically the 120 desitālas, on 20th-century composer Olivier Messiaen’s body of work. Much of the previous research done on Messiaen’s music … Continue reading
Posted in Archives, Libraries, major research, Summer Research, The Humanities, Uncategorized
Comments Off on A Month in Paris Researching Olivier Messiaen
Endings and New Beginnings with the Core Curriculum: Seeking Wisdom from Dante:
“O you who are within your little bark, eager to listen, following behind my ship that, singing, crosses to deep seas, turn back to see your shores again: do not attempt to sail the seas I sail; you may, by … Continue reading
Posted in Coursework, Life, postgraduation plans, The Core, The Humanities
Comments Off on Endings and New Beginnings with the Core Curriculum: Seeking Wisdom from Dante:
Sapere aude! Have the courage to reason for yourself!
When Immanuel Kant penned those words at the end of the 18th century, Europe was ostensibly emerging from a dogmatic, intellectual slumber in which well-intentioned heterodox reasoning demanded great courage. That being said, perhaps my most sobering observation regarding academic … Continue reading
Posted in Archives, Coursework, Life, The Core, The Humanities, Uncategorized
Comments Off on Sapere aude! Have the courage to reason for yourself!
Riggio Travel Seminar: Studying Medieval Art in Germany
Last spring break, I had the good fortune of participating in the Riggio Travel Seminar, a program offered to undergraduate students at Columbia University that enables them to study art history by visiting the sites where the artwork was created … Continue reading
Posted in Archives, Historic Sites, Life, major research, Study Abroad, The Humanities
Comments Off on Riggio Travel Seminar: Studying Medieval Art in Germany
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
Comments Off on The Power of Right Living and Intellectual Humility
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
Comments Off on The Politics of The Core
How Do You Balance Taking Classes and Having a Job?
The mindset behind taking classes as a student and having a job as an entry-level employee are very different. While taking classes, we want to absorb knowledge and ask questions under high intellectual demand. While working as an employee, however, … Continue reading
Posted in Life, New York City, postgraduation plans, The Core, The Humanities, Uncategorized
Comments Off on How Do You Balance Taking Classes and Having a Job?
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
Comments Off on On Writing a Senior Thesis: Notes from the Field
How LitHum Allows Us to Consider the Nature of Reality (and question it…)
When I first enrolled at Columbia, I was convinced that I would study Biochemistry. While my profound appreciation for the discipline has not dissipated; my academic, professional, and personal commitments have pivoted. All this to say, LitHum was the first … Continue reading
Posted in Life, The Core, The Humanities
Comments Off on How LitHum Allows Us to Consider the Nature of Reality (and question it…)