Alfred Lerner Hall
Alfred Lerner Hall is the student center. It was built from 1996-1999, replacing Ferris Booth Hall, and is named for donor Alfred Lerner CC'55.
Lerner is notorious for its infuriating system of space-wasting and inefficient upward-spiralling ramps. The stairs in the 'exit' stairwells are actually the quickest way to navigate Lerner.
Contents
History
Lerner Hall came into existence when students began finding that Ferris Booth Hall didn't offer them enough space for their activities. As George Rupp had made investing in undergraduate resources a priority, the administration pursued a major gift as part of its ongoing capital campaign. With a $25 million donation in hand, the administation called in then-GSAPP dean Bernard Tschumi to choose an architect to design a new building. Tschumi's choice? Bernard Tschumi.
The design has been widely criticized for its slanted ramp structures, which are an inefficient means of moving about within the building and take up vital space - the very extra space that had been lacking in Ferris Booth. Tschumi and others justified the ramps as a social space that were supposed to respond and function just like the Low Steps. They don't.
After several years in which student groups had been exiled to a corrugated shack outside John Jay Hall, Lerner Hall opened. The administration wasted no time beginning a propaganda drive, distributing free T-shirts and other goodies with "CU on the Ramps" written on them. These were somehow supposed to encourage disinterested students to congregate on the ramps. They didn't.
Since, at least one student has proposed (successfully) on the ramps.[1]
More recently, then CCSC president Matthew Harrison tried to make Lerner cool with Glass House Rocks. This proved moderately successful - Lerner is packed, on one night. Harrison also wrote his senior thesis on the building, becoming the first known Lerner historian.
In later years, Lerner has been the focus of a tug-o-war between students and administration over the use of rooms. Spaces like the Satow Room and the Roone Arledge Auditorium are frequently taken up by admin meetings and conferences, exiling students to dorm rooms and classrooms. Lerner's empty sixth floor has become a particular bone of contention. After years of wrangling, during which the space was nearly converted into a temporary fitness center, among other uses, it was announced that the space would become...administrative offices. The claim was that this would free up space in other buildings for student use, which raises the question: is Lerner fully a "student center" after all?
Despite such contention, the ramps have come to be a place for students to study as well as a place for organizations to advertise. Beware on weekdays if you are heading to Ferris Booth for lunch or a snack! There will be people selling baked goods. They will approach you. They will yell at you, no matter how uncomfortable you look. Avoid their gaze and make a run for it.
Barnard is now building a Lerner equivalent, the Nexus, on its campus. By all accounts, the Nexus will actually have space for students.
Rooms
- Roone Arledge Auditorium
- Roone Arledge Cinema
- Black Box Theater
- Satow Conference Room
- Party Space
- 2 music practice rooms
- 5 conference rooms
- 2 ramp lounges
- 2 multi-purpose rooms
Finding quiet space
The piano lounge's name comes from the giant grand piano located next to the entrance. Because people are welcome to play, the lounge can sometimes be a noisy place to study. If you want peace and quiet, you could head up to some of the seating littered around the building, or down to the seating outside the Party Space entrance. Also try the Satow Room on the 5th floor, and the ramp lounges on the 2nd floor.
Dining locations
Facilities
- Mail Services
- Columbia Bookstore
- Citibank ATM
Offices
Health Services offices
- Alice! Health Promotion Program
- Office of Counseling and Psychological Services
- Office of Disability Services
Administrative offices
- Columbia Catering
- Dining Services
- Double Discovery Center
- Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Program
- Disciplinary Procedure for Sexual Misconduct (DPSM)
- Office of the Dean of Student Affairs
- Office of Financial Aid and Educational Financing
- First Year Sophomore Advising Center
- Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA)
- Office of Student Development and Activities
Opening hours
| Location | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Lerner Hall | 7am-1am | 7am-3am | 7am-1am | ||||
| Cafe 212 | 8am-2am | 8am-9pm | 9am-9pm | 9am-2am | |||
| Ferris Booth Commons | 10am-9pm | 11am-5pm | closed | ||||
| Tasti D-Lite | 12pm-11pm | 12pm-6pm | closed | 12pm-11pm | |||
| Columbia Bookstore | 9am-9pm | 11am-6pm | |||||
| Mail Services | 9am-8pm | 9am-5pm | closed | ||||
Note: Building hours are extended to 24 hours during final exam periods. The computer lab on the second floor (campus level) remains open 24 hours at all times, though requires swipe.
References
External links
Map
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