Thinking about Ambedkar by thinking beyond Ambedkar. By Maya Lerman Illustration by Truman Dickerson In May of 1916, a 25-year-old Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar wrote and presented a paper, entitled “Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development,” for a Columbia anthropology seminar. “ Subtler minds and abler pens than mine have been brought to the task of unravelling the mysteries of Caste,” Ambedkar remarked, “but unfortunately it still remains in the domain of the ‘un

By Iris Eisenman Illustration by Truman Dickerson Ted Schmiedeler, CC ’26, fills every moment. Transported halfway across the country from Chicagoland, within weeks of setting foot on campus Ted threw himself into the historic corner of Lerner Hall occupied by WKCR, Columbia’s radio station. Eager to get involved, Ted flew through the licensing process and soon began staying overnight to program the radio show Transfigured Night  from one to five in the morning. But instead o

Barnard’s production of Trojan Women and its historical antecedents. By Jack Bradner Illustration by Truman Dickerson An email from my Lit Hum Professor popped into my inbox with the playbill for Barnard Theatre’s then-upcoming rendition of Trojan Women . Set in a Greek war camp, the play stages the aftermath of the Trojan War with Troy’s women detained and kidnapped by various Greek soldiers. On Oct. 17, Barnard and Columbia students recreated Euripides’ play with the Troja