GS and SEAS class day ceremonies today
The graduation festivities continue today with class day ceremonies for the School of General Studies at 9 a.m. and the School of Engineering and Applied Science at 5 p.m. Both events will be held on the South Lawn.
GS grads will hear from Nicholas Dirks, chancellor-designate of the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia’s former executive vice president of Arts & Sciences. Dirks—who stepped down in November after being chosen to lead Berkeley—served for eight years as EVP, one of the University’s top administrative roles.
This evening, SEAS grads will hear from Robert Bakish, SEAS ’85, Business ’89, and president and chief executive officer of Viacom International Media Networks. At Viacom, he’s responsible for all media networks and associated businesses outside the United States, including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Channel, and VIVA.
Meanwhile, read our profiles of the school’s valedictorian and salutatorian here.
Barnard Class Day: Peace Be With You
Today at 4 p.m., Barnard’s class of 2013 will hear from the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee at its class day, which is taking place downtown at Radio City Music Hall.
Barnard will also award medals of distinction to human rights activist Jimmie Briggs, renowned architect Elizabeth Diller, and “Girls” creator and star Lena Dunham, who tweeted about it earlier today.
While President Barack Obama won’t be speaking at this year’s class day, be sure to follow Spec’s Abby Abrams, who will be tweeting during the ceremony using the hashtag #barnard2013.
PrezBo confirms: Merit Janow will be next SIPA dean
Whoops, while you were all enjoying your first day of freedom/moving out day/time wherever you are since you finished your finals like a week ago and have already gotten out of MoHi, University President Lee Bollinger confirmed what SIPA publication The Morningside Post reported weeks ago: international finance and economic policy professor Merit Janow has been appointed the next dean of the School of International and Public Affairs.
Janow has worked at Columbia since 1994. Provost John Coatsworth served as SIPA dean until last year, when he was appointed provost. Robert Lieberman took over as interim dean while Bollinger chaired the search committee, but Lieberman was appointed provost of Johns Hopkins last month. SIPA’s vice dean Miguel Urquiola will take over as interim (interim) dean in the brief period between Commencement and July 1, when Janow takes over. The full email below:
Dear members of the Columbia community:
I am delighted to report that I have appointed Professor Merit E. Janow as Dean of Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs effective July 1, 2013.
Merit’s strength as a scholar and her deep experience with international public policy make her ideally suited to lead SIPA, the most global school of public affairs in the United States and, perhaps, the world. More »
And the winner of the #CUSpectrum Instagram contest is…
Thanks to all who submitted photos to our Instagram contest! After a close race, there’s a clear winner: @alemineo’s photo, seen below:
We’ll use the picture as our cover photo — thank you to everyone who voted! There were some really great submissions, which you can take a look at on our Facebook page.
We hope everyone has a great summer, whether you’re Instagramming a beautiful beach or a tray of Starbucks iced coffees in the office.
John Jay gets a makeover
First-years and nostalgic upperclassmen rejoice: Dining has announced its plans to beautify John Jay Dining Hall.
After last year’s remodeling of JJ’s Place, now John Jay will get the renovations and updates it’s (arguably?) needed for a while.
Here’s what Dining posted on Facebook, showing part of the new serving area.
For those of us who know and are comfortable with John Jay in its current state, though, there are some things we’ll surely miss.
1. The sauna
Senior football captains respond to last week’s events
The rising senior captains of the football team have spoken out about the arrest and the tweets that gripped campus last week. In a letter sent to Spec, they report that head coach Pete Mangurian has had two meetings with the team to discuss the incidents and “has made it clear that our teammates will be held accountable for their actions.” The captains write that it is their job “to lead in a way that all of our teammates embrace and respect all the diversity within our University community.”
Full email below and after the jump:
Members of the Columbia community:
Given the events of the last week, we feel it is important for us to address the actions of some of the members of the football team. We understand that what has happened reflects poorly on the University, the student body and our football team as a whole. It is unfortunate that the inappropriate actions of some of our former and current teammates have had such a negative effect on our entire University. We apologize for that. More »
Don’t you worry, String Theory’s back
You remember them as the Coldplay and Maroon 5 playing quartet/quintet, but String Theory has switched things up with a cover of Don’t You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia. Cellos and house music?
It can be—and is—pulled off, with abundant additions of soulful glances, artsy camera shots, and broad smiles of utter musical absorption.
Check out the video below for a smoothly electrifying cover guaranteed to put a spark in what little brain cells you have left at this point, and don’t forget to listen to their incredible Game of Thrones theme song cover!
Columbia takes Buzzfeed: Nonseq edition
Nonsequitur, one of Columbia’s esteemed a capella groups, was featured on Buzzfeed today, in video #11 of a classic Buzzfeed list.
While you were bemoaning/taking your finals, Nonseq went down to Union Square to take part of some kind of citywide, Oreo-themed sing along featuring Owl City. The nature of this event? Your guess is as good as mine. But who doesn’t like Oreos?
Ezra of Vampire Weekend says he’d use Columbia degree to read at library
Today, the guys of Vampire Weekend, the loveliest of Columbia alums, did a Reddit AMA. They answered questions from Reddit users on everything from where they buy their salmon-colored shorts to some of their songs’ origins.
Ezra Koenig, lead singer and guitarist in Vampire Weekend, commented on his time at Columbia in response to a question about how their parents felt about them going into music after time at an Ivy League school.
‘Arrested Development’ banana stand comes to NYC, plus a new trailer
If you missed yesterday’s Bluth banana stand because of finals (or were too lazy to go below 59th St. … cough cough), it’s not too late to get a Bluth banana (or a poster or stickers). According to the “Arrested Development” Twitter account, the #ADWorldTour — bringing banana stands to cities worldwide — will take Columbus Circle by storm today from 12-7 p.m.
Each day, the stand offers 1500 free chocolate-covered bananas. Fans who arrive after the bananas run out can do a chicken dance to earn posters and stickers that say “Mr. Manager” on them.
And if you weren’t already procrastinating with “AD” re-runs, might as well kill two birds with one stone — enjoy the last days of the semester, and finally go below 110th St.
Check out some pictures from yesterday’s banana stand across from Radio City Music Hall — as well as the newly-released Season 4 trailer — after the jump. More »