Our first full meeting with the new Engineering Student Council of 2017-18!
Check out the minutes for our latest meeting above as well as the livestream of the meeting here.
Our first full meeting with the new Engineering Student Council of 2017-18!
Check out the minutes for our latest meeting above as well as the livestream of the meeting here.
In response to the recent chain of tragedies that have affected our campus community, the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) of the University Senate has composed an extensive memorandum to the Offices of the President and Provost on mental health, suicide prevention, and student wellness. In support of this memorandum, the Engineering Student Council has written an addendum, which we believe complements the recommendations in the SAC’s memorandum by offering recommendations for improving mental health and for responding to campus tragedy.
Read our addendum here, or over on the Policy Committee page. Also check out a related memorandum written by Sidney Perkins last year on mental health.
Regards,
ESC
Check out the minutes for our latest meeting above, or here, as well as the livestream of the meeting here.
In addition, ESC passed a resolution tonight. We encourage you to take a look through it, as it pertains to our interaction with the administration and the continuing dissonance between student needs and administrative actions with regards to initiatives on reducing student stress.
In an effort both to increase our own transparency and to demystify the workings of the administration of Columbia, the Policy Committee is excited to announce the publication of our internal projects tracker.
Please note that we have removed the direct links to survey results, but we are working to include links to the ones whose results are public. All reports and resolutions remain linked.
Check out the project tracker here: Policy Committee Project Tracker, or on our Policy Committee webpage.
As always, we welcome any and all suggestions and feedback.
Cheers,
ESC Policy
CW: Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Homophobia
In light of recent events regarding the statements said in a forum by several senior members of the Columbia Men’s Wrestling Team, the Engineering Student Council stands with the communities that feel victimized, silenced, wronged, and unsafe. We stand with the survivors of sexual assault and the victims of racism, misogyny, sexism and homophobia . We will provide support in any way possible. No student should feel unsafe at any time on this campus, and we are acutely aware that the aforementioned statements force students to question the foundations on which their whole community is based.
CW: Election
As representatives of a diverse student body, we recognize the unrest that the current American political situation has generated within the Columbia community. Therefore, it has been our priority to provide unconditional support to every member of our community. As a way to provide immediate support, council reached out to faculty and administrators in order to care for the mental and emotional well being of those who are affected. Going forward, we will continue to be a resource to any student who needs it. The members of our Engineering Student Council will not tolerate hate, in either action or speech. We will intervene, not solely as bystanders, but as devoted, passionate members of this Columbia community, to ensure our community is a welcoming place for all members of our diverse and vibrant student body...
Who are students with disabilities?
The connotation of the word disability for the general public is often a person who faces challenges when walking and uses a cane or wheelchair to get by; or someone who has an inconvenience physically interacting with the environment, whether it is through mobility or language. Although these are indeed defined as disabilities, they are just some of the many shapes that disabilities can take.
Therefore, describing a student who happens to have a disability does not necessarily depend on physical traits: according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, an individual with a disability is a person who has an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. This impairment might be physical or mental.
Most of us are familiar with physical disabilities, or those distinguishable through our senses, but we often disregard disabilities that are not readily apparent — the ones we can’t ‘see’. A huge range of disabilities currently recognized in today’s medical community are completely invisible and can hardly be reduced to an exhaustive definition or symptom. Chronic pain, for instance, may leave one capable some days and absolutely crushed on others. On the other hand, epilepsy can create a seizure with no warning whatsoever. Anxiety might stop someone from completing the simplest of tasks; and diabetes, which is often overlooked as a disability, can affect vision and cause fatigue.
Moreover, disabilities have no set timeline. They might be permanent, meaning they are always present, such as local and generalized paralysis and dyslexia; but they also might also be chronic, which means their symptoms repetitively ‘come and go’ with time, such as Crohn’s Disease or seizure disorders. A condition might affect a person from birth, like genetic conditions such as hereditary hearing loss and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or might develop later with age such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Consequently, there is no one sign or symptom to define a student with a disability. A student with a disability is anyone who falls under the umbrella of having a condition that affects their ability to interact with their internal or external environment.
The Office of Disability Services has resources on campus available for all students who experience any condition that might interfere with their development at Columbia. If you feel that you or someone you know might have a condition that qualifies as a disability, Disability Services has walk-in hours Monday through Friday with coordinators available to answer all your questions. The hours are listed in:
If you have any questions or concerns that could not be adequately addressed otherwise, feel free to reach out to ae2502@columbia.edu.
The Columbia Space Initiative (CSI) is a group of students of all backgrounds and majors dedicated to advancing space technology through the pursuit of technical projects and space-related programming. We are involved in everything from space mission design, high altitude balloon design, miniature satellite design, space industry outreach, model rocket launching, and more!
Over the summer, CSI competed in two challenges sponsored by NASA. The first, the Micro-G design challenge, involved designing, machining, and testing a space-related tool at NASA’s National Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL). In late May, CSI members visited the NBL. They had an asteroid anchor of their own design tested by professional divers. Their anchor had to hold at least 10 lbs of force when embedded into sand. It was able to withstand more than 30 lbs of force during testing!
The second challenge, the RASCAL challenge, involved designing a hypothetical mission plan for NASA. Team members designed a mission plan for visiting Deimos, one of Mars’ moons. The mission plan included technical outlines, budget specifics, and a timeline for completion. Team members were invited to Cape Canaveral in late June, where they presented their mission design to NASA judges and were awarded multiple honorable mentions!
Hi everyone!
As your Engineering Student Council, our goal is to make the world a better place by empowering and enabling our engineers to fix the problems that they care about most. We’re looking forward to working with you throughout your time here at Columbia.
We’ll be updating the members pages with more information soon, as well as creating an area where we will publish our survey results. In the weeks to come, we’ll also be creating a better disabilities information page, and we’ve got a blog series planned for engineering student groups on campus.
Feel free to email esc@columbia.edu with any questions or concerns, or drop us a suggestion in our suggestion box when it comes online!
Sincerely,
The Members of Engineering Student Council
While it’s a common misconception that foreigners cannot own property in Vietnam, it’s the opposite that’s actually true. In fact, it’s really easy for a foreign investor to start getting into buying real estate in the country.
However, there are some conditions that you need to keep in mind when looking into good property for sale.
Here’s what you need to know about buying property in Vietnam as a foreign investor:
Buying Property as an Individual
When you’re looking to invest in a Vietnam property as a private individual, there’s definitely no shortage of good home purchase for foreigners here. In fact, Saigon property prices are currently low and good property for sale is easy to find.
Some of the ideal districts in Ho Chi Minh City you should look out for include the following:
• District 1 – When you’re looking for a place that’s in the middle of everything happening, then District 1 is the district to be with plenty of high-class condominium choices, as well as apartments that will definitely suit you tastes.
• District 2 – District 2 is a quieter district compared to the previous one, but it still has many bars, villas, and malls, which makes it a great place for a condominium purchase for those looking for a balance between quiet and fun.
• District 4 – Being the smallest district in HCMC, District 4 is also a residential district that’s great for food lovers, and the best place to look for an apartment for sale or rent if you want to truly immerse in the local culture.
When you do decide to look into buying a property, keep in mind that there are also many other places where you can find good apartments to invest in. If you want high-standard facilities and strategic location that can easily get you around Vietnam, try to find resale flats at vin central. If you’re considering to invest in HCMC, whether for residential or commercial purposes, Vinhomes Central Park is definitely worth looking into.
Foreign Ownership of Land
While you can’t buy the land itself – foreign property ownership only extends to the property itself, similar to citizens or local organizations, and not the land – the state will certainly lease it that’s similar to having ownership rights in a lot of ways.
The good news is that the maximum length of any lease agreement in the country is 50 years, and it’s possible to renew the agreement for another fifty, which is plenty of time enough for you to get a sizable return from your initial investment.
Buying Property as a Company
One of the options you have when you want to buy property is to do so as a foreign-owned company based in Saigon, which is easy since state laws allow for full foreign ownership of companies in the country.
Foreign investment companies usually take about four to six weeks to register, and usually don’t need additional licenses except for certain cases.
You can get started on this by applying for two things: first, the Investment Registration License, which allows you to start doing business in the country, and a Business Registration Certificate, which certified that you are indeed a registered business.
Buying Property via Joint Venture
Another option when it comes to property investment is by forming a joint venture with a shareholder, given that this shareholder is Vietnamese and is currently residing in the country.
With a locally-owned company, you can purchase properties such as households, buildings, and prime pieces of real estate as well as new project launches for sale, lease, or even for a lease purchase. Local companies can essentially own the property until the company itself is terminated.
What You Need for Your Real Estate Business
There are a number of advantages you can get when starting up a business specializing in property, such as the following:
• Lease property for subleasing, such as apartment units or entire buildings
• Build or sell property on the land that the state has leased to you
• Build, rent, or sell property belonging to a commercial project
When you’re in Ho Chi Minh City and would like to get into buying and selling property, keep in mind that you can only buy the property for company use.
You will also need a registered company if you plan on sub-leasing the property, so be sure to check if the company you’re dealing with is registered before doing business with them.
So what are you waiting for? Invest in property in Saigon today!
In our time today, aesthetic treatments are becoming sought by more and more people in Singapore and all around the world. It is being done for many medical reasons like birth defects or for cosmetic reasons like getting rid of scars, skin discoloration, treatment of excess fat, and etc. Two of the more common treatments you’ll find in an aesthetic clinic today are rhinoplasty and
Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty is a treatment that involves changing the appearance of the nose and/or improve its function, basically what many people call a nose job. In an operation, the surgeon makes cuts within the nostrils to reshape its bone and cartilage. A nonsurgical nose job is also available for those inconvenienced by surgical procedures.
Fillers
Rhinoplasty is advantageous because there are fewer bruises and swelling after the treatment as it is typically non-invasive. Having
Again, nose fillers are used to augment different parts of the nose. Usually, any recommended rhinoplasty clinic here in Singapore can show you pictures of people before and after having nose fillers. Before undergoing a non surgical rhinoplasty procedure, some clinics typically take pictures of your nose to help them better study its structure. The doctor/s, then, can show you an altered picture of your nose after it is filled.
The cost of nose fillers generally ranges from 450-600 SGD, sometimes even more. Even so, you should still be very careful and aware, especially of cheap nose fillers because filling the nose ineffectively can lead to necrosis.
Other fillers used in aesthetic treatments are:
Facial fillers – or wrinkle fillers is considered a cheaper way to look
Chin fillers – because the chin is one of the defining features of the face, these fillers serve to add definition to the jawline and sometimes adds tightened look to the neck.
Cheek fillers – these filler injections allow for a strong and youthful outline of the face through the curve in the cheeks.
Cryolipolysis
Cryolipolysis or
It has been found that when you lose weight, your fat cells only become smaller and are not completely gone. The elimination of fat cells has then been the foundation of Zeltiq
As said earlier, fat cells are eliminated, so the chances of regaining weight are significantly reduced. That’s possibly why many say slimming with
Although
Though it may look like a safe weight loss procedure,
The average price of cool sculpting is said to be about 3000 to 6000 SGD per session. The cost of fat freezing also depends on the body part.
Before you go to any aesthetic clinic in Singapore, do your research well and make sure to go to a recommended aesthetic clinic. Whether it’s nose fillers, chin fillers, cheek fillers, or fat-freezing, some procedures are irreversible. So, make appointments andask about the procedures so that you won’t regret it!
The quality and price range of the apartment rental in Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam, will depend on several factors but most expats forget that usually it is the proximity to the city center and facilities that make a lot of difference. For travelers in Vietnam who want to look for an affordable rental property, it is a good idea to look for deals outside the central districts, usually in the 5 rural districts and less busy urban districts.
To give you an idea what it’s like to rent apartment at HCMC, here is an overview of the 19 urban districts.
• District 1. It is considered the central hub for all commercial, industrial and administrative offices and is the fastest-growing city in Vietnam, rivaling that of Hanoi, the nation’s capital. With the number of attractions and establishments in the area, it is not surprising that condominium rental in district 1 or D1 is more expensive than in the surrounding districts. However, with the help of a great home renting agent in Ho Chi Minh City, it’s easier to find spaces for reasonable prices. Check out websites and see for yourself how many expat housing options you have for your budget.
• District 2. Priorities in foreign and local investment here in Vietnam has made district 2 an attractive alternative to District 1, especially with the better transportation projects. If you like the vibe of D1 but is intimidated by the prices, it is a viable option to lease a flat at district 2 here in HCMC. You can also find less expensive villa rental in this district, although the government is soon planning to put up more multi-story abode leasing zones. For expats, these projects will mean more options for accommodation, especially in areas with sizable foreign community.
• District 3. Less crowded than District 1, it is much easier to rent a place in D3 because there are a lot of options for travelers such as French-style villa rental and competitive apartment rates around this part of HCMC. The district is also known for its local and international cuisine.
• District 4. Considered the smallest of the urban districts in Ho Chi Minh City, District 4 is located right next to District 1. Tourists love this spot for its array of affordable choices for room rentals at gold view condo in Vietnam. This is the best place to look for a cheap place to live if you want to experience both the old and the new of the city.
• District 5. Named the Chinatown of Ho Chi Minh City because of its large community of Chinese immigrants, District 5 has a lot of shops, restaurants, and pagodas. You can look for an affordable Saigon apartment rental here and still travel to District 1 within a few minutes by car.
• District 6. This is also part of Cho Lon or Chinatown in Ho Chi Minh City. Anyone who wants to get to Districts 5 and 8 within a few minutes should consider D6 when looking for an apartment rental in Ho Chi Minh City. They are also known for their specialty goods and fruits.
• District 7. Considered the best place for expats, you might want to stay at D7 because of the variety of shops, restaurants, cafes, exhibits, shows, concerts, and nightlife in the district. If you want fully-serviced units or houses, this is the best place to rent an apartment here in the city.
• District 8. If you want to enjoy both the old and new traditions of the city, you can rent a house in District 8. It’s also one of the most accessible districts in the city, with connections to the major highways for public transport.
• District 9. Although not yet well-known to most travelers, District 9 has a lot of attractions for families and friends who want to get away from the hectic life in the busy districts. It also has one of the most affordable deals to rent apartment in Saigon.
• District 10. Low rental rates make district 10 an ideal place to rent a house if you are bringing with you your family or planning a get-together with friends or co-workers. Although there are fewer tourist attractions, District 10 has hospitals, schools, and universities.
• District 11. Saigon apartment rental rates in District 11 are much more affordable because it’s less busy than the central districts. However, it has attracted the interest of a lot of foreign workers, paving the way for more specialized shops and restaurants.
• District 12. It is much easier to look for special rates in District 12 than in the busy districts of Ho Chi Minh City, including dozens of villa rental options if you want to enjoy your vacation like a boss.
• Go Vap. It takes about an hour to get to District 1 from Go Vap, but it’s a lot quieter in the relaxed neighborhoods. It’s a good place to have walks with family or friends and to enjoy the local cuisine.
• Tan Binh. The district has everything you need without having to go to District 1, plus it will be easier to connect with the locals if you are a backpacker traveling in the country.
• Tan Phu. It will take 30 to 40 minutes travel to get to District 1 from Tan Phu District, but there are affordable rental deals if you want to stay in less crowded and less noisy neighborhoods.
• Binh Thanh. This district is full of mysteries to discover with its meandering streets and the variety of shops, cafes, and restaurants that dot the area. Food is good and affordable, and there are a lot of things to do here without the hassle of traffic and overcrowded streets.
• Phu Nhuan. It’s only ten minutes away from District 1 but the rental prices are more affordable if you need to rent apartment in Saigon. There are plenty of places to visit, too.
• Thu Duc. This district is known for the universities located nearby, and has a community of foreign students, teachers, and workers. Food and items are affordable, too.
• Binh Tan. Sometimes called the inner city of foreign workers, it borders Districts 6, 8, 12, and Tan Binh. It is also home to the most popular shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City and a major bus station if you want to easily travel to the other parts of the country.
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