Issue I: April 9, 2025

New Beginnings at The Morningside Post

The past year at Columbia has been filled with extraordinary challenges and changes. Throughout it all, The Morningside Post has remained committed to fostering open dialogue, thoughtful storytelling, and critical reflection within the SIPA community. Amidst this evolving environment, we thank you for your continued readership.

A Change of Leadership

Like much of the SIPA community, recent political events have affected the leadership of The Morningside Post. In light of this, we have restructured our board. While we are saddened by this turn of events, we remain deeply concerned about the chilling effect on free speech caused by the current political climate.
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Despite these challenges, TMP remains committed to fostering an inclusive and engaged community that encourages open, critical dialogue on issues that impact the global community. We are proud to be the leading independent news publication at Columbia SIPA, and we believe that now, more than ever, fact-based journalism is critical for an informed populace and a robust civil society.

We are proud to introduce our current board:

  • Sophia Petros, Editor-in-Chief

  • Bridgette Lang, Opinions Editor

  • Isabel Hou, Head of Communications

  • Varun Thotli, Podcast Editor

We thank you for your continued support of free expression and student journalism. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions.

Call for Applications

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and we encourage you to apply as soon as possible (deadline is Tuesday, April 15)!
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🔗 Apply here! If you’re passionate about journalism, free speech, and building community, we would love for you to join the team.

Recent Articles

📬 We’re always looking for new voices and perspectives. If you have a pitch or article idea, we’d love to hear from you here!

Student Senator Writes Open Letter to Acting President Claire Shipman
University Senator for SIPA Gabriella Ramirez wrote an open letter to Acting President Claire Shipman. On April 4, Senator Ramirez issued a version of this letter at the University Senate's plenary. The Morningside Post has reproduced the contents of the letter.
By Gabriella Ramirez

Debate Erupts Over Mike Pompeo’s Appointment at SIPA’s Institute of Global Policy
Should the Institute of Global Policy prioritize experience, or values?
By Inés Saldivar-Arias

Thank you for standing with TMP as we continue to champion open dialogue, critical inquiry, and student-led journalism. We are excited for what lies ahead — and we hope you’ll be a part of it.

With appreciation,
The Morningside Post Editorial Board

 Ending The Semester With The Morningside Post

As the semester winds down, The Morningside Post is closing out the year with a fresh batch of new stories, ideas, and voices. We’re so grateful for all the readers, writers, and supporters who made this an incredible year of growth—and we’re just getting started. Stay tuned for even more in the year ahead. Thanks for being part of our community!

The Social
Thank you to everyone who joined us for The Morningside Post Social at Harlem Tavern! It was wonderful to take a break from finals stress, meet new faces, and celebrate all the creativity and community that made this year so special. From great conversations to plenty of laughs, it was the perfect way to wrap up the semester together. We’re so grateful for your support. Stay tuned for even more TMP events coming soon!

This Month's Articles

📬 We’re always looking for new voices and perspectives. If you have a pitch or article idea, we’d love to hear from you here!

Culture:
New York City’s Arts and Cultural Sector is Reshaping Immigration Narratives 

In an era of rising xenophobia and political fearmongering, New York City’s arts and cultural institutions are offering a powerful counternarrative—one that celebrates immigrants as vital threads in the city’s fabric. From subway photo exhibits to museum tours that breathe life into immigrant histories, these cultural spaces are challenging exclusionary rhetoric and reshaping how New Yorkers see themselves—and each other.
By Juliet Nadis

Campus News:
Speak Out: Faculty-led Initiative Brings Attention to Columbia Administration Inaction 

Over 25 hours, students, faculty, and staff from across Columbia University stood united at the gates of 117th and Broadway in a show of resistance against what they called federal overreach and university inaction. Organized by faculty, the “Speak Out” brought impassioned testimony, urgent calls to protect student safety, and a defense of academic freedom.
By Sophia Petros

Office Hours @ TMP: Michael O'Hanlon

Dr. Michael O'Hanlon is the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy and a senior fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution. To listen to the full podcast, click here.
By Celia Saada, Varun Thotli, and Bridgette Lang

Opinion:
SIPA Students Discover Shocking New Talent: Being Funny

A totally biased review of Boat 3, the SIPA Follies 2025 show.
By Felix Wang

Campus News:
Do SIPA Student Polls Impact Columbia University Administration’s Decisions?

Recent polling shows strong student opposition to recent campus security and other administrative policies. How has the administration responded?
By TMP Editorial Board

Thank you for standing with TMP as we continue to champion open dialogue, critical inquiry, and student-led journalism. We are excited for what lies ahead — and we hope you’ll be a part of it.

Good luck on finals, and here’s to a strong finish!

With appreciation,
The Morningside Post Editorial Board

Issue I of TMP Fall 2025: The State of SIPA

As the semester kicks off, our first issue sets the tone for a year of inquiry and creativity. This edition moves fluidly between culture and campus, capturing the rhythms of Buena Vista Social Club, unpacking the realities of overenrollment and funding cuts, and spotlighting the voices of first-year students finding their footing at SIPA.

We’re excited to launch Issue I: The State of SIPA, and with it, another year of The Morningside Post.

Culture

Articles
Yearning for Cuba Libre
Yearning for Cuba Libre

Read TMP Editor-in-Chief Sophia Petros’ review of Buena Vista Social Club.

What We Carry, What We Choose
What We Carry, What We Choose

Read TMP Head of Communications Isabel Hou’s review of Buena Vista Social Club.

The Conductor
The Conductor

Read TMP Managing Editor Sneha Sinha’s review of Buena Vista Social Club.

The Legacy of Buena Vista Social Club
The Legacy of Buena Vista Social Club

Read TMP Campus Editor Giselle Bradshaw’s review of Buena Vista Social Club.

Buena Vista Social Club’s Pursuit of Authenticity and Memory
Buena Vista Social Club’s Pursuit of Authenticity and Memory

Read TMP Opinions Editor Bridgette Lang’s review of Buena Vista Social Club.

Featured
When the Muse Becomes the Machine: How AI Is Changing the Rules of Creativity
When the Muse Becomes the Machine: How AI Is Changing the Rules of Creativity

When “The Velvet Sundown” hit a million streams and a Rolling Stone feature, fans thought they’d found the next great psych-rock band…until it was revealed that the group didn’t exist.

Campus News

Articles
Screenshot 2025-10-01 at 9.36.30 AM.png
“The hope is still alive”: Columbia Students and Faculty Gather in Support of Palestinian Student Facing Re-imprisonment

On Monday, September 29, 2025, Columbia students and faculty gathered in silence at the campus gates to protest the detention and possible re-imprisonment of Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi.

Politics

Articles
No Artificial Ingredients: Higher Education Grapples with AI
No Artificial Ingredients: Higher Education Grapples with AI

As AI detectors misfire and universities race to redefine “original work,” the authors ask: what does learning look like when every sentence might be suspect?

Opinion

Articles
First Month In Review: Waitlists, World Leaders, and (almost) Making It To Brooklyn
First Month In Review: Waitlists, World Leaders, and (almost) Making It To Brooklyn

From crowded lectures to spontaneous friendships and brushes with world leaders during UNGA, first-years reflect on their whirlwind first month at SIPA.

More Students, Less Resources, and the Impact on our SIPA Education
More Students, Less Resources, and the Impact on our SIPA Education

From missing chairs to waitlisted classes and crowded hallways, SIPA’s record-high enrollment has stretched resources thin. This article examines how overenrollment is reshaping student life.

📬 We’re always looking for new voices and perspectives. If you have a pitch or article idea, we’d love to hear from you here!

Thank you for joining us at the start of a new year with The Morningside Post. As classes, events, and conversations pick up across campus, we remain committed to championing open dialogue, critical inquiry, and student-led journalism. We’re excited for what’s ahead, and we hope you’ll be part of it.

To kick things off, join us tomorrow, Thursday, October 2, at Amity Hall (7–9 PM) for The Social, an evening of food, drinks, and conversation co-hosted with the Responsible Tech Club (RSVP here). And next week, don’t miss TPI’s event on (Self) Censorship of Student Journalism in the Age of Trump with Adelina Yankova (RSVP here).

Here’s to a great year ahead of us.

With appreciation,
The Morningside Post Editorial Board

Issue II of TMP Fall 2025: In Terms of Intelligence

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Sophia Petros

MANAGING EDITOR: Sneha Sinha

OPINIONS EDITOR: Bridgette Lang

CAMPUS EDITOR: Giselle Bradshaw

CULTURE EDITOR & TREASURER: Irmak Ersoz

COMMUNICATIONS HEAD & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Isabel Hou

FACULTY ADVISOR: Anya Schiffrin

To Our Dedicated Readers:

The Morningside Post has traversed a bumpy road this past year. As you may remember, last spring, the international students on TMP’s board resigned due to safety concerns over free speech under the new federal administration. At one point, there were only three of us left. Since then, we’ve rebuilt the editorial board, enlisted a team of staff writers, and doubled our podcast team. We’ve published articles that challenge university administration decisions alongside ones that showcase flippant fun at Follies, all while struggling to balance student risk and journalistic integrity. It hasn’t been easy.

As our first print issue in nearly 15 years, In Terms of Intelligence looks to the future. We investigate the ethical dilemmas surrounding artificial intelligence across sectors, including education, creative arts, and employment. Our Opinions section elevates powerful voices against oppression, on topics ranging from the current political moment to the very architecture of our campus. From Mexico City to our own laptop screens, our culture writers investigate the origins of the cultural events we participate in and the content we consume. In Politics, we demystify the complicated issues up for debate, from international affairs to the mayoral elections right in front of us. All of this is contained in sixteen sweet pages brightened by delightful drawings and clever cartoons.

The Morningside Post comes to you free of charge! As with all of our issues, our staff writers and guest contributors have worked through multiple rounds of edits to produce these pieces. I’d like to thank TMP’s incredible editorial team that has sifted through articles, liaised with writers, and debated Oxford commas throughout the past month. There would be no newspaper without you. As you read, please also take a moment to admire the beautiful drawings of our Artistic Director and Communications Head, who not only spreads the word about the newspaper but also lays out every article we publish. And finally, thank you to our readers. While you might not number in the millions, those of you who engage with our work and use it to spark dialogue at SIPA are the reason we spend our time on this publication. So please, enjoy.

Campus News

Featured
How AI is Reshaping the Job Market for SIPA Graduates
How AI is Reshaping the Job Market for SIPA Graduates

As AI transforms policy and development careers, SIPA’s Career Advancement Center is helping students stay ahead of the curve.

Palumba’s Pigeon Wants You to Vote in NYC’s Mayoral Election: Can New Tech Increase Voter Engagement?
Palumba’s Pigeon Wants You to Vote in NYC’s Mayoral Election: Can New Tech Increase Voter Engagement?

A new app is swooping into New York City’s mayoral race. Palumba, named after the common pigeon, columba palumbus, turns voter education into a game.

from the archives

Articles
Recent Expulsion Highlights Plagiarism Problem at SIPA
Recent Expulsion Highlights Plagiarism Problem at SIPA

The following article is from Communiqué, SIPA’s former print newspaper. It was originally published on December 4, 2002. In light of our discussions in this issue on AI and plagiarism, we decided to reprint it.

Opinions

Articles
Columbia University and Moral Failure in the Age of Authoritarianism
Columbia University and Moral Failure in the Age of Authoritarianism

As President Trump’s second term nears its end, Columbia University finds itself at the center of a national reckoning over academic freedom.

Tug of War between Automation and Augmentation: Where Will You Stand?
Tug of War between Automation and Augmentation: Where Will You Stand?

With 25% of global jobs exposed to generative AI and most developing economies lacking the infrastructure to adapt, the challenge ahead lies not just in innovation, but in inclusion.

Reading Columbia’s Colonial Campus: How Architecture Shapes Student Consciousness
Reading Columbia’s Colonial Campus: How Architecture Shapes Student Consciousness

Tracing how neoclassical design shapes what, and whose, knowledge we venerate, Sathuluri argues that true decolonization demands “landscape literacy,” a conscious rewriting of the spaces that define how we learn.

Politics

Articles
No Artificial Ingredients: Higher Education Grapples with AI
No Artificial Ingredients: Higher Education Grapples with AI

As AI detectors misfire and universities race to redefine “original work,” the authors ask: what does learning look like when every sentence might be suspect?

AI’s Scarcest Input is Reshaping Capital Flows, Supply Chains, and Geopolitics
AI’s Scarcest Input is Reshaping Capital Flows, Supply Chains, and Geopolitics

Chan unpacks how OpenAI’s $100 billion deal with Nvidia and a second pact with AMD have effects that extend far beyond Silicon Valley, fueling a new front in the geopolitical struggle over AI dominance.

The Fight for Energy Sovereignty in Puerto Rico
The Fight for Energy Sovereignty in Puerto Rico

This article examines how corporate mismanagement by Luma Energy and government inaction have deepened the island’s energy crisis, and how community-led solar projects like Casa Pueblo are lighting a new path forward.

Beijing’s Cambodia Push: Soft Power, Hard Interests
Beijing’s Cambodia Push: Soft Power, Hard Interests

When the Trump administration dismantled USAID in 2025, canceling 83% of its programs, China moved quickly to fill the void, launching new education, health, and development initiatives in Cambodia that mirrored suspended U.S. projects.

Culture

Articles
Why is "Bad TV" So Good?
Why is "Bad TV" So Good?

From The Summer I Turned Pretty to The Recruit, our screens overflow with shows that are just…well, fine.

When the Muse Becomes the Machine: How AI Is Changing the Rules of Creativity
When the Muse Becomes the Machine: How AI Is Changing the Rules of Creativity

When “The Velvet Sundown” hit a million streams and a Rolling Stone feature, fans thought they’d found the next great psych-rock band…until it was revealed that the group didn’t exist.

When Fiction Writes on Tradition: James Bond and the Day of the Dead, 10 Years Later
When Fiction Writes on Tradition: James Bond and the Day of the Dead, 10 Years Later

What happens when Hollywood invents a holiday tradition, and a nation adopts it? Aguilar revisits the legacy of Spectre’s now-iconic opening scene.

overheard at sipa

office hours: interview with stephen biddle

A leading scholar in military strategy and international security, Professor Stephen Biddle is the International Security and Diplomacy Concentration Director at SIPA, where he teaches the course Foundations of International Security. He is also a member of the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies and Adjunct Senior Fellow for Defense Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Coming soon

We’re always looking for new voices and perspectives. If you have a pitch or article idea, we’d love to hear from you here!