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AROUND THE QUADS

Campus News

HAVEL:

The Columbia University Arts Initiative welcomes Czech leader Václav Havel for a seven-week stay as artist in residence October 26–December 15. In two scheduled highlights of Havel’s stay, the human rights activist will deliver the fall coursewide Contemporary Civilization lecture on November 10 and will participate in a panel discussion with former President Bill Clinton, moderated by University President Lee C. Bollinger, on November 15.

Students had the chance to hear the real-life experiences of working journalists at "Read All About It," a panel discussion presented by Alumni-Student Programs on September 26. From left, host Barry Levine '65, vice-chair, student-alumni programs, CC Alumni Association Board of Directors; panelists Kirsten Danis '92, deputy city editor, New York Daily News; Jonathan Lemire '01, reporter, New York Daily News; Tej Hazarika, '75E, publisher, Cool Grove Publishing; Michael Azerrad '83, editor-in-chief, eMusic; and moderater Steve Moncada '07, editor in chief, Columbia Daily Spectator.

Photo: Paul Stetzer

Havel is a prominent artistic and political figure whose impact extends beyond his native Czech Republic. He gained initial recognition as a writer and dramatist, but his political attitudes angered the government, leading to 20 years of incarceration or virtual house arrest by the Czech Communist regime. Havel was a leader of the overthrow of Communism, and on December 29, 1989, was elected president of a democratic Czechoslovakia. On January 26, 1993, after the country’s 1992 breakup, Havel became the first president of the newly created Czech Republic and held the position for 10 years. He recently released his first book in 15 years, Prosim stru×cne× (Briefly, Please), a literary collage framed in a theatrical structure.

“President Havel embodies the convergence of the arts and humanities with civic leadership,” said Bollinger. “We are honored to have him be part of our academic community.” Bollinger noted that one of Havel’s plays, The Golden Party, was added to the Literature Humanities syllabus this year.

In honor of his wealth of accomplishments, all of Havel’s plays will be performed by United Theater Company #61 between October 26–December 5. One play, The Beggar’s Opera, will be performed at Miller Theatre December 1–2.

For more information on Havel’s stay at Columbia, visit www.havel.columbia.edu.

LENFEST:

H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest ’58L, a University trustee, has pledged $48 million to endow faculty chairs in the Arts and Sciences and at the Law School. Lenfest, a prominent philanthropist, has now given more than $100 million to the University.

“What makes Columbia unique is its great tradition of outstanding teaching in all of its schools,” said Lenfest. “I hope that my gift will highlight the importance of teaching, as well as research, and will motivate others to join me in increasing the number of endowed chairs in law and in the arts and sciences.”

The pledge will provide a one-to-one match so donors will be able to endow professorships with gifts of $1.5 million, with $37.5 million going to Arts and Sciences and $10.5 million to the Law School.

This is not the first time Lenfest has contributed to Columbia’s faculty: A gift of $12 million last year established the Distinguished Columbia Faculty Awards.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH:

In the wake of student demonstrations at an appearance last month in Alfred Lerner Hall by Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, President Lee C. Bollinger issued a statement reaffirming the rights of free speech and launched an investigation that could lead to disciplinary action against protesters if they are found to have violated University policies.

“Students and faculty have rights to invite speakers to the campus,” Bollinger said in his statement, issued on October 6, two days after the event occurred. “Others have rights to hear them. Those who wish to protest have rights to do so. No one, however, shall have the right or the power to use the cover of protest to silence speakers. This is a sacrosanct and inviolable principle.

“It is unacceptable to seek to deprive another person of his or her right of expression through actions such as taking a stage and interrupting a speech.”

The Columbia University College Republicans hosted the speaking engagement by Gilchrist and two other officials of the Minuteman Project, which is described on its website as “a citizens’ vigilance operation monitoring immigration, business and government.” Minutes into Gilchrist’s remarks, protesters bearing a banner took to the stage, interrupting the speech. After several minutes, security officers broke up the demonstration, closed the stage curtain and cleared Roone Arledge Auditorium.

In an update delivered by e-mail to the Columbia community on October 12, Bollinger said, “We are moving ahead in three broad areas: discussions throughout the community on the rights and responsibilities associated with freedom of speech on the campus, initiation of University disciplinary proceedings, and responses to any misconduct by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia. Additionally, the University’s review of student-sponsored event management and procedures continues.”

For the full text of Bollinger’s statement on free speech, log onto http://www.columbia.edu/cu/president/communications%20files/freedomofspeech.htm.

INTERNSHIPS:

The Center for Career Education (CCE) is partnering with alumni to help students who receive financial aid during the school year pursue unpaid summer internships that they otherwise might not be able to afford to do. The two-year-old Alumni Internship Fund each year has provided about 15 rising juniors and seniors with stipends between $2,500 and $5,000 to offset living costs while they pursue these internships. Since the right internship is increasingly mentioned by employers as a factor that can distinguish one job applicant from another, this program is designed to help equalize opportunities for lower-income students.

Students during the past two years have undertaken work for the United Nations, the Legal Aid Society, WABC, the Food Bank of New York City, CARE Uganda, the Bible Lands Museum and the Council on Foreign Relations. Julia Rabinovitch ’07, a 2006 recipient, points out that the fund “selected interns from as many fields as possible. Grants were given to people working on everything from space elevators to event planning.” The fund, she says, “was simply looking for students who were passionate about what they were going to be doing.”

For students such as Rabinovich, who spent the summer working at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, the grant meant not having to worry about working an extra job to support her internship. “I’m excited to come to work,” she said during the summer. “And I know part of that it because I don’t have to worry about how to support myself.”

For further information on the Alumni Internship Fund, contact CCE: 212-854-5609 or careereducation@columbia.edu, or log onto www.cce.columbia.edu.

TRANSITIONS

ALUMNI OFFICE:

Rose Kernochan ’82 Barnard joins CCT as assistant editor, with primary responsibility for the Class Notes, along with writing features and overseeing the Bookshelf, Columbia Forum, First Person and 5 Minutes with … sections. Kernochan has many years of writing and editing experience as senior editor at Word.com, as a contributing and features editor and book reviewer, and as a freelance writer on arts, current trends and books for The New York Times Book Review, Ms. and the Village Voice, among others. Kernochan, whose father, John, was a longtime professor at the Law School, earned a master’s in literature from King’s College at the University of London.

Taren Cowan joins the CCT staff as advertising manager, working to grow CCT’s advertising program. She also will run the annual voluntary subscription drive and work with CCT’s vendors on the production and distribution of the magazine. Cowan earned a bachelor’s in corporate communication from Mercy College and is an experienced advertising sales representative, having worked with Cablevision, Verizon and Multiplier Industries.

Kurt Deschermeier joins the alumni office as associate director of electronic/Web communication. Deschermeier has a bachelor’s in classical and medieval studies from Bates College. For the past six years, he was project manager at StructuredWeb and has created e-marketing campaigns, overseen the development of Web-based customer relationship management systems, designed sales and marketing tools and worked on user interface and database design. Deschermeier will write and produce the alumni office’s e-newsletter as well as oversee its IT infrastructure and Web projects.

ANDERSON: Lisa Anderson, dean of SIPA since 1997, will resign at the end of the academic year. Anderson joined the Columbia faculty in 1986 and served as chair of the political science department and director of the Middle East Institute before being appointed as dean. She plans to continue as a faculty member at SIPA and in the political science department after she steps down as dean.

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