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COLUMBIA COLLEGE TODAY
AROUND THE QUADS
This issue of Columbia College Today focuses on student-alumni
engagement — the growing number
of programs designed to build bridges between
these two segments of the Columbia family and
the value and enjoyment this interaction can provide
for both.
Shortly after becoming editor of CCT, I had the pleasure of being
asked to participate in a program in which an alum would
speak to a group of students, in an informal setting, about his
or her career path and the twists and turns along the way. The
program was a forerunner to the Dinner & Discussion Series and
others described in our cover story.
When I got to the lounge on the top floor of
Schapiro Hall dormitory, the site of the event, I
was unsure exactly what I was going to say and
why any 20-year-old would find my words to
be of value. But as I began to speak, I found the
students to be attentive listeners with provocative
questions, and I enjoyed relating the way
my career had evolved while mentioning some
of the people who had influenced me, albeit indirectly,
along the way.
One of those people was Robert Lipsyte ’57,
’59J. When I was in school, Lipsyte was a sports
columnist for The New York Times who often
wrote about what he labeled SportsWorld and
Jock Culture, the interaction between sports and
society. He didn’t celebrate athletes but rather
contextualized them, and this fascinated me; it
also seemed to validate my subsequent career
choice as something more than a frivolity, to say nothing of a
waste of a Columbia education. Lipsyte’s career has included a
stint as an Emmy award-winning TV correspondent; authorship
of numerous young adult novels as well as an acclaimed book
about his battle with cancer; co-authorship of Dick Gregory’s autobiography,
Nigger; and now a post as ombudsman of ESPN.
Another influence was Leonard Koppett ’44, who was more
of a traditionalist than Lipsyte. Koppett, who died 10 years ago,
was old school; he loved analyzing the games and the people
who played them, and he relished the statistics of sports and the
meaning behind the numbers. His perceptive analysis led to his
induction to the writers’ media of both the Baseball and Basketball
Halls of Fame.
I describe them as indirect influences because, unfortunately,
programs that promoted interaction between alumni and students
such as the ones detailed in our cover story did not exist at the
time I was a student. I admired Lipsyte’s and Koppett’s work and
knew both were College alumni but felt too awkward as a student
to reach out to them on my own. I did not meet Koppett until 15
years after graduation, after I had left AP and was working for the
National Basketball Association in charge of its editorial department.
And it wasn’t until I interviewed for the editorship of CCT,
nearly 27 years after my graduation, that I finally met Lipsyte.
W I T H I N T H E F A M I L Y
Influences and Inspiration
PHOTO: EILEEN BARROSO
I’m glad programs now exist that promote interaction between
students and alumni and urge members of both constituencies to
participate.
Dean James J. Valentini welcomed the 1,169 members
of the Class of 2013 into the ranks of Columbia College
alumni on Class Day, May 21, with remarks that
touched upon — in typical Deantini fashion — the humor
of Dr. Seuss, the wisdom of William James and the inspiration
of Juan Manuel Fangio.
Valentini quoted from Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, published
in 1990, before nearly all the graduates
were born: “You have brains in your head, you
have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself
any direction you choose.” He noted that the
students had brains and feet before they got to
Morningside Heights but that Columbia provided
the shoes in terms of a College education
featuring the Core Curriculum. Then he quoted
another line from Dr. Seuss’ book, sales of
which annually peak around graduation time:
“You’re off to great places, today is your day,
your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!”
For wisdom, Valentini cited James’ words on
how to spend one’s life: “The best use of life is to
spend it for something that outlasts it.” Then he
offered some more concrete advice of his own:
“Work hard, try hard, play hard” and “Life’s an
adventure — enjoy the ride.”
As for Fangio, an Argentinian Formula One
race car driver, and why he should be a source of inspiration, the
dean said, “No Deantini address to students is complete without
a quiz,” and drew laughs when he said he would provide
the answer in his blog a week after graduation. So I quote from
the Deantini blog of May 28 (college.columbia.edu/about/dean/
blog):
“In the German Grand Prix on August 4, 1957, Fangio was in
first place when he took a pit stop at lap 13. The stop was a disaster
— a mechanic changing a wheel lost the wheel nut and spent
nearly 30 seconds looking for it (an eternity in racing) — and Fangio
fell way behind to a very distant third place. But over the next
10 laps he achieved what seemed impossible. He made up the
time lost in the pit stop, setting lap record after lap record, and
won the race. This is often cited as one of the greatest achievements
in racing history.
“Fangio was put way behind due to an error by someone other
than himself — a member of the pit crew — but he did not let
the mistake keep him from trying. He seemingly had no chance
of winning the race, but he was undeterred by his unfavorable
circumstances. He could have given up, but he didn’t; he simply
tried harder. He did not let the seeming improbability of success
limit his effort.”
AROUND
Lit by the glow from colored
floodlights as well as their fastapproaching
graduation, more
than 900 seniors gathered on
May 7 to celebrate the annual
Senior Dinner. At the time of the dinner, the
2013 Senior Fund was well on its way to
raising more than $25,000, the most of any
senior class in Columbia College history.
Members of the 255th graduating class
gathered under a tent on South Lawn,
donned foam crowns and enjoyed food,
music, a slideshow and remarks from
Class President Ryan Mandelbaum ’13,
Senior Dinner Co-chairs Helen Bao ’13 and
Erin Connell ’13, who gave the evening’s
toast, and Columbia College Student
Council President Karishma Habbu ’13.
Wearing a green bling sign with “7DD”
(the hexadecimal number for 2013) around
his neck, Dean James J. Valentini also addressed
the gathering, declaring, “I’m only
going to say two things. One, pass the
swim test, and two, congratulations to the
Class of 7DD, the best class ever. And if
you don’t understand that, ask a computer
science major.”
A highlight of the evening was the an -
nouncement by Senior Fund Chair Maria
Sulimirski ’13 about the fund’s recordsetting
year. More than 750 seniors contributed
to the campaign, 294 of whom
opted into Valentini’s “3-2-1 Challenge” to
contribute for three years, encourage two
friends to do the same and have their gifts
matched one-to-one by an alumnus/a (for
the second year running, Board of Visitors
member Gene Davis ’75). Because of meeting
the participation goal, the Class of 2013
secured an additional gift of $100,000 from
Charles Santoro ’82, also a BOV member.
Attendees also enjoyed a rousing rendition
of Sans Souci led by CC Alumni
Association Executive Committee member
Jess Drabkin ’79 and CC Young Alumni
President Calvin Sun ’08.
To view photos from the dinner, go to facebook.
com/ccyoungalumni/photos_albums.
THE
QUADS
Class of 2013 Celebrates at Senior Dinner
Members of the
Class of 2013
turned out in
their finest for
the annual Senior
Dinner on May 7;
for some, a foam
crown offered the
finishing touch.
PHOTOS:
GENE BOYARS
A Million Reasons to Give
The Columbia College Fund raised
more than $2 million through a new
campaign, “A Million Reasons to
Give,” which ran throughout April. Nearly
2,500 Columbians made a gift, meeting a
$1 million fundraising challenge to earn
the full $1 million matching gift pledged
by an anonymous donor.
The campaign used a multichannel
approach including mailings, social media,
video and email, all touching upon the
million reasons to give to Columbia; these
ranged from fond memories of late nights
in Butler to recollections of first stepping
onto College Walk to the bonds formed
from debating Dante in John Jay.
Gifts to the Columbia College Fund bolster
all aspects of the undergraduate experience.
The donors’ generosity will enhance
financial aid, provide the resources necessary
to maintain the Core Curriculum,
foster improvements in student services
and help fund summer internship stipends.
Alumni support of the College Fund has
made possible enhancements to Columbia’s
academic and student programs.
SUMMER 2013
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SUMMER 2013
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