The Far Side of the Familiar

By Amanda Gutterman

About The Far Side of the Familiar

Amanda Gutterman is a Columbia College junior majoring in English. At the start, her column strove to present a fresh slant on campus and global issues, an undertaking that in spite of its vagary has persisted to run in the Spectator for a fourth semester. This time around, she hopes to cover unexplored angles of the election among other things, thankfully, because no one wants to hear about the election all the time.

Articles

Foreign flight

By Amanda Gutterman
Dec 7 01:26 am ET

Studying abroad can provide a personal experience that is more than just formalized tourism.

A million little pieces

By Amanda Gutterman
Nov 8 08:07 pm ET

Reevaluate the value of "diversity."

The Ideas of March

By Amanda Gutterman
Oct 25 08:23 pm ET

A political column that is thinly concealed by a film review.

Protesting part-time

By Amanda Gutterman
Oct 11 07:30 pm ET

Columbia students as part-time protesters are analyzed for what they are.

I'm with stupid

By Amanda Gutterman
Sep 27 07:43 pm ET

America does not prize education as a necessary institution.

Keep the pages

By Amanda Gutterman
Sep 13 10:37 pm ET

The page program taught students what Congress is really like.

Compromising memory

By Amanda Gutterman
Apr 26 09:19 pm ET

The Business School ethics controversy shows that students should be wary of self-censorship.

Elections and discontent

By Amanda Gutterman
Apr 12 08:43 pm ET

Columbia campus politics focus on inconsequential issues.

A test for College Board

By Amanda Gutterman
Mar 29 06:32 pm ET

It's time for a change in standardized testing.

Take to the streets

By Amanda Gutterman
Mar 8 09:10 pm ET

Women need to ride the global wave of protest to defend their rights.

Koch got your tongue?

By Amanda Gutterman
Feb 22 07:40 pm ET

The reason Clarence Thomas doesn’t have to worry about his participation grade.

Take the multitask to task

By Amanda Gutterman
Feb 8 08:22 pm ET

When did the news become another form of entertainment?

New kid to own the block

By Amanda Gutterman
Jan 25 08:53 pm ET

As Wal-Mart moves in, New York can expect social problems to follow.

Don't cheat on me

By Amanda Gutterman
Dec 8 12:13 am ET

Academic integrity and the sanity of over-achievers are at stake.

Embrace the insanity

By Amanda Gutterman
Nov 9 07:23 pm ET

What did the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear accomplish?

If I may comment

By Amanda Gutterman
Oct 26 06:36 pm ET

Let your voice be heard by refraining from anonymous comments.

The politics of a name

By Amanda Gutterman
Oct 12 08:35 pm ET

What does it mean to have a Center for Palestine Studies?

Safety in numbers?

By Amanda Gutterman
Sep 28 06:27 pm ET

Students considering the economics major need to do a serious cost-benefit analysis.

Following the money

By Amanda Gutterman
Sep 14 07:00 pm ET

Academic institutions rely on philanthropy, but money comes with a real cost.

Trapping an elusive spirit

By Amanda Gutterman
Apr 12 08:39 pm ET

“The mere athlete is brutal and philistine, the mere intellectual unstable and spiritless. The right education must tune the strings of the body and mind to perfect spiritual harmony.” — Plato

Notice: The wilderness is under new management

By Amanda Gutterman
Mar 29 08:39 pm ET

Despite the best of intentions, I must profess that I think our generation, and perhaps our progeny even more, has been betrayed by a concept of wilderness that set us up for disappointment.

Love in the time of capitalism

By Amanda Gutterman
Feb 22 08:26 pm ET

Despite the commercialism of its peer holidays, Valentine’s Day endures the most persecution by cynics. Complaints of “cliché” or “commercialization” of love suggest that our celebration of Valentine’s Day antagonizes a higher societal ideal of love. I am skeptical about whether we actually have this. Is our concept of love really so passionate, so unique, so unbridled by capitalism?

The university lifestyle line

By Amanda Gutterman
Feb 8 06:22 pm ET

Appealing to an older and wealthier demographic, expensive college-wear transcends the name or reputation of a particular institution and rather serves as an affirmation of an idealized collegiate lifestyle.

Should we, like, like like?

By Amanda Gutterman
Jan 25 09:59 pm ET

At its birth, “like” was tightly confined to the Valley Girl stereotype. However, the verbal tic grew up and went to college.

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