"Wikileaks: The Inside Story" comes to campus.

Could the Women's Basketball Team continue their winning ways?

Stabbing Update

It was reported last week that Columbia employee Akeem Ajimotokan was tied-up, thrown into his own trunk, and stabbed during a carjacking attempt last week. The suspect seen here is 6 foot 8 inch, 230-pound Barion Blake. Blake is still on the run, and it came to light this week that the suspect has 11 prior arrests going back to 1999 and that he violated parole twice in the past few months but was not sent back to prison. NYPD's investigation is ongoing.

Operation Ivy treatment

When news first broke that five Columbia students were arrested in a massive drug bust on fraternity row in December, it seemed inevitable that several if not all five would spend time in prison. Not so fast, say their attorneys. Two of the five students' attorneys requested that the defendants receive treatment rather than serve time in prison  Judges are permitted to use more discretion since the 1973 New York state Rockefeller laws, which set a minimum sentence for drug offenders, were overhauled two years ago. It remains unlikely that Harrison David, the only one of the five students who is charged with a felony for selling cocaine, will avoid a prison sentence. All five students targeted in Operation Ivy League have plead not-guilty but their fate remains unknown until they are back in court in March.

Intro: Wikileaks

Wikileaks on Campus

Wikileaks has received international attention and criticism for its campaign to reveal government secrets, including U.S. diplomatic cables, accounts of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and other dispatches. Though Wikileaks, led by Julian Assange, released information on its own website, cooperation with major news organizations such as the New York Times and The Guardian resulted in widespread publication of these government secrets.

This Thursday, the Journalism School hosted New York Times Editor Bill Keller, The Guardian Editor Alan Rusbridger and former Assistant Attorney General Jack Goldsmith in a panel to discuss the impact of Julian Assange and Wikileaks'  impact on society and the future of journalism.

The panelists extensively discussed their relationship and interactions with Assange to obtain and process government secrets in an ethical way, characterizing Assange both as a journalist and an unpredictable agent with ulterior motives. They also analyzed the impact of organizations like Wikileaks on mainstream journalism, citing Wikileaks' actions as a transformational event in the information age.

Spider-Man Burglar

A burglar who has been evading Columbia Public Safety for over a month now is still on the loose. The suspect, seen here, has been dubbed the “Spider-Man” burglar because he has broken into four buildings on campus within a span of five weeks by scaling the sides of the buildings and entering through unlocked windows on the upper floors. Columbia Public Safety has urged everyone to lock their windows and to call their emergency line at (212) 854-5555 if they spot the suspect.

Students Return from Egypt

A group of eight Columbia and Barnard students who were in Egypt for an archaeological dig were evacuated to Dubai and then returned to Columbia. Two Columbia students in other programs were also evacuated, but CTV cannot confirm that they have returned back to campus. Egypt has been in turmoil for over a week after political tensions led to violent uprising against the government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

France Expansion?

There could be new plans on the table for an expanded Columbia presence in France. The University of Florida announced last week that it will be closing its research center in Paris, located in a Columbia owned building, because Columbia needs the space. Columbia has not yet said how it plans to use the location.

Athena Film Festival

The first ever Athena Film Festival comes to Barnard on Friday February 11th through the Sunday the 13th. The festival places an emphasis on female empowerment in film, whether it be a film directed by a woman, or a film about a strong heroine. Two films that are confirmed for this weekend's festival are Desert Flower and Real Women Have Curves. A panel of several major female filmmakers will be on hand to speak about women and film.

Diana Center Awards

Barnard’s Diana Center, designed by Weiss Manfredi, was awarded the American Institute of Architects Honor Award for Architecture. The Center has been praised for its innovative design and extensive use of glass paneling that allows light to pass directly through the building. The Diana Center is also nominated for architecture magazine ArchDaily’s 2010 Building of the Year Award. Voting is open to the public and a link can be found on Barnard’s website.

Sports Brief

Columbia Senior Jeff Moriaty ran the fastest ever 1000 meter dash by an ivy league athlete at the New Balance Invitational. Moriaty had a time of 2 minutes and 20.77 seconds, beating out athletes from Baylor, Villanova, Texas A & M, Duke, Tennessee, and LSU. Columbia Junior Sharay Hale also finished second in the 400 meter dash with a time of 53.75 seconds.

The Columbia men's basketball team continues its struggles on the road. The Lions dropped games to both Brown and Yale over the weekend. Columbia nearly erased a 19 point deficit in the second half, but their valiant effort was not enough to overcome the Bulldogs, who improve their record to 11-9 while Columbia's falls to 12-8. Sophomore Center Mark Cisco scored 17 points and had eight rebounds in Saturday's game, career highs in both categories.

The Columbia Women's tennis team won again on Saturday, beating Stony Brook five matches to two. Stony Brook won two singles matches, but Columbia swept their opponents in doubles. The Lions are 3-0 to start the season and will go for 4-0 on Friday against Eastern Tennessee State.

Senior Hyun Lee set a Uris pool record for the 200 free against the Navy on Friday, but that was not enough to lift his team to victory. Columbia would have several first place finishes, but the Navy would get points even in defeat by finishing second and third. Still, Columbia put forth an excellent showing against a team very few thought they had a chance against.

Women's Basketball: Lions neuter Bulldogs

Heading into Saturday, Columbia Women’s Basketball had won 4 of their last six games, after starting the season an abysmal 0-13. Their 72-49 drubbing of Brown on Friday sent a strong message to the rest of the Ivy League. Would they be able to overcome longtime rival Yale?

Columbia started out strong, thrilling the crowd who dressed in pink to pledge support for women suffering from breast cancer.

But the Lions would become unnerved by the Bulldogs aggressive play.Columbia also had difficulty stopping Yale’s Megan Vasquez, one of the top shooters in the conference.The Lions would take the lead at the end of the 1st period with big shooting from Melissa Shafer, Taylor Ball, and Brii Orlich. Yale’s play became more erratic. Columbia's Kathleen Barry, meanwhile, proved once again why she is the conference leader in rebounds with eight on the day.The game would tighten up at the beginning of the 2nd period. But Yale’s defense came close to a complete meltdown, offering no resistance in the key.Lions ensured there would be no late game rally, and gave the Bulldogs a parting gift on their way back to New Haven.

The once lowly Lions have now beaten Dartmouth, Brown, and now Yale in succession. They take on the Princeton Tigers in Princeton on Friday.