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COLUMBIA COLLEGE TODAY
Alumni Relive Their Campus Days
Nearly 4,000 alumni and guests enjoy campus and NYC at
Alumni Reunion Weekend and Dean’s Day 2013
B y Lisa Palladino
Blue skies and festive banners welcome alumni to campus; Dean James J. Valentini chats with two alumni at the Saturday afternoon
affinity reception for varsity athletics.
PHOTOS: LEFT, EILEEN BARROSO; RIGHT, MICHAEL DAMES
Almost 4,000 College alumni and their
guests returned to campus and to venues
throughout New York City from May 30–
June 2 for Alumni Reunion Weekend and
Dean’s Day 2013. Gathering this year
were classes that end in 3 and 8, and all
alumni and parents were invited to Saturday’s
Dean’s Day, which offers lectures and Mini-Core Courses
that allow alumni to relive their classroom days while offering
parents a taste of what their sons and daughters experience.
Among the weekend’s highlights were Thursday’s cultural
events in Midtown; Friday’s Mini-Core Courses and the Young
Alumni Party aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid; and Saturday’s address
by Dean James J. Valentini, Public Intellectual Lectures and the
presentation of the Society of Columbia Graduates 65th Annual
Great Teacher Awards. Perennially popular events, such
as Camp Columbia for Kids, the Wine Tasting and the Starlight
Reception all were back and offered something for every age
group. Some classes also held panel discussions, giving alumni a
chance to revive their Columbia-honed debate skills as well as to
discuss a current topic of interest. Sunday offered a new event,
the Celebration of Service to Columbia, Community and Country,
an interfaith service held in St. Paul’s Chapel.
Another new event was the presentation of the Dean’s Leadership
Award, which recognizes those who demonstrate extraordinary
class leadership and honors an alumnus/a “whose
behavior raises the sights of all classmates and has a positive
impact on the College’s fundraising priorities.” The inaugural
recipients were CCT Class Correspondent Paul Neshamkin ’63;
University Trustee Jonathan S. Lavine ’88; and Board of Visitors
Member Andrew Borrok ’93, ’01 Business. Each was honored at
his Saturday class dinner by Valentini.
Several reunion classes set records with their Class Gifts this
year. The Class of 1963 presented the largest 50th reunion gift to
date with $1.925 million, the Class of 1988 presented the largest
reunion gift ever with $19.88 million and the Class of 1993 presented
$242,612, a class record.
To view more photos from Alumni Reunion Weekend, Dean’s Day and
the Young Alumni Party as well as to view class photos and the list of
Dean’s Pins recipients, go to Web Extras at college.columbia.edu/cct.
Even Butler Library dresses up for Saturday night,
which includes (left) dancing under the tent at the
Starlight Reception and (above, left) attendees
taking a break and reminiscing on Low Steps; on
Friday night (above, right) celebrants-turned-sailors
gather aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid at the Young
Alumni Party.
PHOTOS: MIDDLE ROW RIGHT, MICHAEL DAMES;
ALL OTHERS, EILEEN BARROSO
SUMMER 2013
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SUMMER 2013
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