GS Class Day moved
There’s been a last-minute change of plans for graduating seniors in GS: Because of the extensive setup required for President Obama’s commencement address at Barnard, your Class Day event is now on Sunday, May 13 at 9 a.m. Here’s an email from General Studies’ Dean Peter Awn:
Dear Graduates,
Since the announcement of President Obama’s decision to speak at Barnard College, it was apparent that the security requirements surrounding the President’s visit could potentially disrupt the Class Day of GS, if not SEAS as well. We were informed last Friday that, if we were to continue with our original plan to have Class Day at 9am on Monday, May 14th, your families would have to arrive at least three hours before the event (5:30 am) to undergo a lengthy security check to attend a ceremony that is not associated with the President’s visit. In fact, neither you nor your families would be able to remain on campus to hear President Obama speak. We would also be confined to the Butler lawn with no ability to roam around the campus. Frankly, I find that unacceptable.
There are no easy solutions. President Bollinger and his Commencement team have tried very hard not to disrupt our Class Day schedule, but we have not found a way to achieve that goal. We will be obliged, therefore, to move GS Class Day to Sunday morning, May 13th, at 9am on Low Plaza in front of Alma Mater, with Low Library as the backdrop.
I realize that, by this point, your families have made their plans and that, not only will this be an inconvenience, but that it also will force you and your families to incur additional expenses. In addition, GS Class Day will overlap with the Baccalaureate Service, in which GS students are involved and scheduled to speak. And finally, Sunday May 13th is Mothers Day. Despite these realities, I believe that if we want to have a truly celebratory event and not feel confined on our own campus, changing the day is the only option.
I would ask that you take me seriously when I say that this breakdown in planning has not been caused by President Bollinger and his Commencement team. Nor is it the fault of President Obama’s security team, who are only doing their job. This situation could have been avoided with more time to explore solutions – which we were not given. There are times during my fifteen years as Dean when I have felt that the least I and my colleague leaders of undergraduate colleges should strive to do is emulate a core principle of the Hippocratic oath, namely, “Do no harm.” I apologize that, in this case, that has not happened. The problem is not principally the change of date and venue, but the fact that the Class Day schedule is being changed this close to Commencement week.
I have taught at Columbia now for thirty-four years and found engaging GS, Barnard, CC, and SEAS students to be an extraordinary experience. The four colleges at Columbia , in their uniqueness and common commitment to excellence, embody in a very special way the ideals of this great University. We should not allow the difficulties we experience to divide us. But I share your frustration that we now find ourselves in this predicament. I am reminded of an epigram of the first century Latin poet, Martial, in which he mentions the “digitus impudicus” which, I suspect, many of you will believe has been directed at us. But rather than dwell on the negative, I hope we will focus on the last line of this epigram, “Non est vivere, sed valere vita est,” “Life is not just being alive, but life is being vibrant, strong.” So do not forget what your time at Columbia has meant to you and to the people whom you love. If there are any seniors who have faced challenges and come out vibrant and powerful individuals, one only needs to look to the 2012 GS graduates. This is a time for celebration, despite the circumstances.
Again, please convey to your families and friends our sincere apologies.
We will be sending to you today all of the necessary information about GS Class Day, which will be held on Sunday, May 13th, at 9am.
Peter J. Awn
Dean
this scandal to be half to 2/3 as big as Obamanard, but with all of the hate directed at the university administration.
*MXC voice* “Let’s get it on!”
Barnard should not be allowed to host their speaker on Columbia’s lawn.
the blame for this lies squarely and unequivocally on the shoulders of the columbia administration. it is not an excuse to put down the women of barnard.
Telling Barnard not to host their graduation at Columbia is not putting Barnard women down. It is keeping up respect for General Studies. Columbia can’t adequately organize the hosting of distinguished guests. And since they failed, somebody has to pay for it. Once again, the burden falls on the students.
Columbia should keep General Studies graduation on the same day at the same time (May 14th at 9:00am), but pay for an alternate venue (a hotel, a high school gym, a banquet hall). Columbia should pick up the bill for failing to properly coordinate with the White House, instead of dumping the burden on our family and friends who might not be able to afford to change plane tickets or make other arrangements.
I suggest that if Columbia refuses to work it out, that all GS graduates refuse the ceremonial hand-shake with Bollinger, who told GS students to remember that in hosting Obama we are being ‘good citizens.’
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Graduation is for the graduates, not for Columbia’s PR politics.
Forget Columbia’s Politics, Why are We/Our Families/Our Friends/Our Loved ones being forced to move because of the president’s desire to capture women votes…
I will also be boycotting the Bollinger handshake if they move GS graduation!
I seriously doubt that the bulk of the fault lies with the university on this one. Secret Service is probably throwing new requirements at them on a by-minute basis.
Dear Dean Awn:
I am a senior class day marshal. I attended the marshal meeting last Friday. We were told that you would not change our graduation ceremony date because you simply wouldn’t do that to us. We were told that you would sooner boycott graduation than change the date.
I look forward to standing with you in solidarity with the GS graduating seniors in boycotting graduation. I look forward to holding you to your word.
Do the right thing and keep our graduation on May 14th. To do otherwise would be to give your students a slap in the face along with their diploma.
Jessica Durdock
…and by keeping graduation on May 14th, I mean sponsor us at another venue.
JD
Celebrate your day…but…
BOYCOTT THAT BOLLINGER HANDSHAKE!
Dear Jacqueline Thong (Student Body President, GSSC),
Thank you for reaching out to the General Studies students and for letting us know that you are working on straightening out this massive disappointment. While you didn’t get us into this mess, I appreciate you trying to get us out of it.
In the survey you sent us, you asked for messages to be passed along to the faculty and staff regarding this situation.
Please let Bollinger know that, while I feel that I am the ‘good citizen’ he asks me to be, I, in turn, ask him to reconsider treating the GS graduating seniors like second class citizens.
Good luck finding another venue.
Jessica Durdock
Pace University has their graduation at Radio City Music Hall.
This is a disgrace. The venue for GS should be changed, not the day. Families and friends have already made extensive and expensive plans to be present on the 14th and that is the day on which graduation should take place. No ifs, ands, or buts. It is a major snafu and the only ones suffering are the graduates. Their long awaited day has been stolen.
The administration needs to meet the challenge and give the graduates and the families their special day without “doing no harm.”
Move class day to Lamont-Doherty campus. The school should shuttle guests and students to Lamont.
to baker field. then everyone can go, and GS can keep its class day on campus
Everyone needs to chill out. We all know Dean Awn – does anyone really believe for one second that he is not doing the best he can with a crappy situation? There’s no intent to screw us here. If there were, Awn would be standing up for us. Likely what has happened is that the Secret Service has extremely onerous security requirements that would just make life miserable for all GS class day attendees if the schedule weren’t changed.
If they changed the venue to a “high school gym,” as someone suggested, plenty of people would be pissed that we were being kicked off campus. Yes, this whole situation is not great. But just once, maybe we should just acknowledge that sometimes not everything in life goes exactly the way we want it to, and there’s not always someone to blame. Or are we really going to begrudge Barnard their opportunity to have the President of the United States as their speaker?
Seriously, people. Chill the fuck out.
I would rather have my graduation from Columbia at a high school gym with my family and friends present, than graduate by myself at Columbia because my family can’t afford to change their flights.
If Columbia is going to screw GS, at least my family could be there.
“Chill the fuck out.” How eloquent.
Failure of CU to properly plan should not result in GS students having their day ruined. Why can’t the President speak on Barnard’s campus?
The Lawrence A. Wien Stadium. would also be an excellent venue for either of the two Class Days. Besides, being a stadium, it would make the security measures easier.
Really? It really is exnlelect to witness anyone finally begin addressing this stuff, however I’m still not really certain how much I agree with you on it all. I subscribed to your rss feed though and will certainly keep following your writing and possibly down the road I may chime in once again in much more detail. Cheers for blogging though!
While I feel for my fellow GS’ers and their families, my real concern of for the tunnels. Will they be even further restricted henceforth as a result of this pageantry?
The cost of changing tickets for a family of 4 on the West Coast are breathtaking. I always try to imagine how this would play out if the Barnard girls were the ones moving their ceremony to accomodate George Bush and GS.
Excellent read, I just passed this onto a coglealue who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch because I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch! Any man would be forsworn to gain a kingdom. by Roger Zelazny.