As you crawl out of bed this morning, many of your classmates have braved the weather to get a chance to hear French President Sarkozy speak in Low. It seems however, that Columbia has over-registered the event and people who have been standing out in the rain are being sent home, and some people are none-too-happy.

The News desk reports in full here. Updates and pictures after the jump.

Jack Zietman

Amber Tunnell

Jack Zietman

(10:10): The event has just started and President Bollinger couldn’t help but to pat himself on the back, “In many respects, Columbia is a symbol for the historically strong relationship between the US and france,” and his wife, too, “I’d also like to acknowledge my wife Jean Magnano Bollinger this year.” He hasn’t acknowledged her in years.

(10:20): Apparently Sarkozy is having dinner with Obama tomorrow night, and PrezBo is a little bitter: “Would you please extend to him our very best regards from his alma mater.”

(10:25): Sarko hates prewritten speeches, but thinks we’re his friend! Score! “Speeches kill off creativity. If one comes simply to read a speech one might simply send a speech ahead of time and same time and carbon on the travel. Now I’m going to speak from the heart, as a friend.”

(10:27): Now things get a little serious and he calls us out. “In Europe, what we want is to be heard, to be listened to by the United States of America, that we should put our heads together and think together. You belong to a country that is the world’s number one power. … And you have to think about this very carefully because what does that mean, to be the world’s number one power?”

(10:31): Sarkozy is saving capitalism, hates capitalism: “What I am doing is laying the foundation for that which will save capitalism.”

“A few hundred irresponsible hotheads did mad things on the stock market, with derivatives, with other peoples money. Do you think we can defend capitalism … when there is so much injustice? I don’t think so because it is impossible to defend.”

(10:38): The Associated Press weighs in, Sarkozy calls out the UN’s antiquated system, asking “How can you expect us to regulate within the UN framework … if we are still in the midnset whereby we think we can do so without Africa, without three quarters of Asia, without Latin America, without a single Arab country? … Does that make sense to you? Is it even thinkable?”

And also, a shout-out! “In the room we have with us Professor Stiglitz, a man for whom I have a lot of admiration.”

(10:42): In a call to action of sorts, he asserts, “If we don’t change world governance we don’t stand a chance of being able to manage tomorrow’s conflicts” and that we “have to demand that world governance will be reformed to make room to the countries of tomorrow that are entitled to have their views listened to.”

(10:54): On ObamaCare, he says “welcome to the club of states that don’t turn their backs on the sick and the poor.” Yeah, we have been doing that, haven’t we…

(11:04): The Q&A has started and in case you didn’t know exactly how he feels about health care he reiterates, “healthcare is expensive. But you can’t let people simply die.”

(11:08): Bollinger concludes with his favorite phrase, “For the generostiy of spirit, the warmth that you expressed, Columbia reciprocates. Thank you very much for coming.”

And just to prove he was actually here:

Amber Tunnell

Unfortunately, we did not get the chance to snap a shot of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy who was sitting in the audience, but I am left excited at the thought of Carla and Michelle Obama together tomorrow night in what is sure to be a first-lady fashion-off.

UPDATE: We did get a picture of her!

Jack Zietman