In this episode of The Ear, Ellie Carver-Horner and Charlotte Fay explore the complicated history of the atomic bomb, a controversial scientific creation that began at Columbia University in the basement of Pupin Hall. What role did Columbia play in the intricacies of nuclear discovery? How did those making these discoveries justify their role in mass destruction, and how does Columbia reckon with that violence in 2023? Learn alongside Ellie and Charlotte as they engage with Columbia’s complex history of innovation, a story of conflicting moralities, and the foundations for a piece of science that altered the course of human history. ​​Credits • Edited by Claire Schnatterbeck • Produced by Julia Hay • Music by Murat Gulcelik • Illustration by Saumya Chaudhry Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

With over 150 countries represented at Columbia, it is no surprise that the University must meet a vast array of language needs. For children of immigrants, learning their native language can mean a greater cultural connection. In this episode, reporter Sophia Cordoba speaks with professors and students alike to understand what it means to live and learn as a heritage speaker. ​​Credits: • Edited by Claire Schnatterbeck • Produced by Julia Hay • Music by Obi Okoli • Illustration by Cassie Wang Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

Welcome back to The Ear, Spectator’s podcast dedicated to documenting, excavating, and investigating Columbia’s past and present. In this episode, Claire Burke and Claire Schnatterbeck investigate what makes a rural student. How do Columbia and Barnard define “rural”? Does the quintessential “rural student” actually exist? Schnatterbeck and Burke use their own rural backgrounds as a starting point and begin to explore what it means to be a rural student at an elite institution. Credits: • Script Edited by Sophia Cordoba and Caelan Bailey • Produced by Claire Schatterbeck • Music by Eva Scholz-Carlson • Illustration by Julian Michaud  Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

In this episode of The Ear, Ellie Carver-Horner discusses the extensive archive of Indigenous audio recordings housed in the Columbia University Center for Ethnomusicology and the efforts the University is making to repatriate them. What is audio repatriation, and what does it look like to return something that isn’t physically tangible? Who owns these recordings, and why does their existence matter? Listen to explore the importance of being able to connect with the voices of one’s ancestors. ​​Credits: • Script edited by Claire Schnatterbeck • Audio produced by Julia Hay • Music by Murat Gulcelik Aakin Kuukin by Nicole Balsirow  • Illustration by  Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

Twenty years after the death of Edward W. Said, a Columbia professor, renowned intellectual, and outspoken advocate of Palestine,reporter Lily Glaser seeks to understand his life, legacy, and impact on campus. In this episode of The Ear, Glaser  rifles  through his personal papers, speaking with former students, listening to exiled authors, and attending lectures. ​​Credits: • Script edited by Claire Schnatterbeck • Audio produced by Matthew Schwitzer • Music The Ear Theme Stave - Obi Okoli State of the World - MakaihBeats Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 - West-Eastern Divan Orchestra Stave (Short) - Obi Okoli Dream Big - Audiobinger • Illustration by Gabe de la Cruz • Voice Acting by Matthew SchwitzerFollow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

In this episode of The Ear, reporter Alicia Theologides Rodriguez speaks with Columbia students from many backgrounds to better understand how fear impacts the way that they navigate New York. This episode explores the underlying reasons for different students’ fears in an attempt to understand why there are discrepancies between the fears of students and New York Crime trends. ​​Credits: • Script edited by Natalie Goldberg, Avery Reed, Claire Schnatterbeck, Abby Thayananthan  • Audio produced by Matthew Schwitzer • Music  State of the World - Makaih Beats The Ear Theme Dream Big - Audiobinger • Illustration by Cindy JinFollow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

From connections to horror stories, and from perks to unionizing. Resident Advisors, otherwise known as as RAs, navigate a complex role in a residential community. They are students like any other, and yet they are also responsible for ensuring the well-being of their peers, and even policing them when necessary. The complexities of the role are complicated even further by financial considerations, time commitment, and so much more. In this Ear episode, reporter Abby Thayananthan speaks with current and former RAs to discuss the job as well as the unionizing, a hot topic on campus right now.  Credits: • Produced by Matthew Schwitzer • Music by "State of the World" - Makaih Beats "The Ear Theme" "Dream Big" - Audiobinger • Illustration by Macy Sinreich Follow us on Instagram @SpectatorPodcasts and check out our other episodes!

Since the early 1950s, Columbia admissions has rapidly expanded its international student population, which currently totals 36.2 percent of the student body. But have the rest of Columbia’s academic expectations adapted to this change? Should international students be expected to have in-depth knowledge of Western culture? In this episode of The Ear, reporter Kelly Warner explores these questions and how expectations of cultural assimilation affects international students. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer, the theme song is by Coleman Hughes and the illustration is by Natalie Tak.

In this episode, reporter Adrien Wheaton-Schopp investigates the issues surrounding Iran’s recent wave of uprisings. In speaking with both Columbia students and protesters in New York City, he finds that themes of civic responsibility and compassion are repeatedly evoked as motivating factors for the relentless activism. Whether it’s demanding accountability from their University or the administration, Iranian Americans everywhere are looking to have their voices heard and offer solidarity to the protestors on the ground. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer and the introduction was composed by Matthew Lucia. 

Welcome back to The Ear, Spectator’s podcast dedicated to documenting, excavating, and investigating Columbia’s past and present. In this week’s episode, reporter Cyra Paladini speaks with members of the Purple Gang, an unintentional activist group that came into its own in the wake of an attempted murder of Dean Henry Coleman in the 1970s. This episode was produced by Matthew Schwitzer with additional music by Obinna Okoli, Matthew Lucia, and Eva Scholz-Carlson.