Cultural Offer

The World Room at the Columbia University Journalism School

By far, the most impressive thing about a big city of this caliber is the amount, the quality and the scope of its cultural offer. Case in point: a dialogue between a Pulitzer price winning journalist, the head of the Columbia University School of Journalism and a renowned philosopher, on the topic of Hannah Arendt and her controversial book Eichman in Jerusalem. Completely free, with complimentary fruit and cheese buffet, and with a warm welcome in American style. The event was entertaining both for its content and for the dynamics of dialogue, self representation, rebuke and boasting that could be observed. A type of debate that would hardly take place in Europe (exception made maybe for Berlin, where this specific topic would resonate particularly well with the local population), and if it were to happen, it would be at the very least publicised as a rare event. Here it is hardly mentioned on the university campus.

How much of this is due to the fact that this is a big city, and how much to this being New York, I cannot say, since we have neither back home, but the understated nonchalance with which they organise treasures-troves of intellectual exchange here is astounding. Be it a discussion on the relative merits of the two-state vs. one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or a talk on speech acts and how they relate to modern day politics, or a presentation on the future of classical music, you feel that all it is necessary to avail yourself of that offer is to step outside your house. For the inherently inert and mildly antisocial person that I am, I have never really found it this easy to get to "events".

Incidentally, this reminds me of comments from my family and friends about Paris. I might have to begrudgingly admit that Paris belongs with the other capitals of culture around the world. But despite my dislike for the french city par excellence it nevertheless underscores the advantages of living in a metropolis. Not because of the many museums and operas and theatres (although those are very much appreciated), but rather because it pushes you to take better advantage of the fantastic amount of cultural and intellectual matter that is available there.