College Walk is a major thoroughfare, and when crowded with Columbians it's easy to forget that a lot of non-collegians walk in our midst. During the summer they're easier to spot, and few of them look all that happy to be alive. A quick sample of College Walkers, recorded between 5:19 and 5:23 this afternoon:


Above: College Walk is transformed into a postmodern tableaux of social isolation. I mean, just look at the guy in the upper left-hand corner. He looks so...lost. Can't you just like, feel the existential angst?

2: In another utterly depressing scene that looks like it was ripped straight out of an Ibsen play, an overweight fellow with a briefcase silently ponders the pointlessness of a probably quite disappointing existence. What am I doing here? he asks himself, although his slight but detectable slouch betrays (barely) submerged resignation. 

3: This wide-angle shot of the east side of the Walk happens to catch a quite attractive woman wearing a quite attractive blue summer dress. And yet she, like the rest of us, walks alone.

4: Another unfortunately corpulent man exuding hopelessness. While a troubled-looking fellow who is, incidentally, about 150 pounds too heavy would be depressing enough on its own, it's really the cellphone and small child that do it for me. Then again, far be it for us to laugh at a man so tragically overburdened with responsibility--for we, overextended college students, are just like him. I mean, we've got like, our best years ahead of us n'sh*t, but still...

5: On its surface, this is merely a picture of my friend Shayna posing for my photo essay on the Depressed Denizens of College Walk. In fact, it is a disturbing exploration of the alienating impact of technology. At this rate, it might be a few short years before a cellphone/crackberry-maintained metaworld totally replaces the real one. Looks like these crazy f*cks weren't so far off after all...

6: A picture that begs the question of just how bad a trip to New York must be going if you have to come to Morningside Heights for, well, any reason, actually. What, have you guys already toured historic Richmondtown? Hiked the Flushing Bay wildlife trail? Gone sunbathing at Orchard Beach? I hear Broad Channel is nice this time of year...

7: And last: a mid-afternoon view of lower campus. Huzzah!