A few parting words…

For my dear, dear Columbia College…(warning: it gets real sappy, real quick)

To my professors and admins: Thank you for supporting me (and putting up with me) through this time of growth. I know and appreciate how much you care.

To my E-board and council: Thank you for an amazing year where you drove me to my limits (i.e. drove me crazy) and then helped me push them further than I thought possible.

To my suitemates: There’s nothing like coming home to all of you, ranting about something or other, and you handing me a glass and saying “We didn’t want to start without you.” Thank you for being my family.

To my friends: I can’t even begin to name how many people at this school have touched my life in amazing and profound ways. From the nights out to the nights in, from the steps to the ramps, from the love to the…ahem, love…you were what got me through everything else and showed me how blessed I am to know such incredible people. Thank you for being you.

To the first-years, sophomores, and juniors: Mazel tov on another year completed. Take care of this school. I’m trusting you to love it as much as I do, so don’t eff it up. Nah, just kidding…but actually.

To my fellow seniors: Well, this is it, we made it. And I wouldn’t have done it with any other class. 2012, let’s live it up for one last week.

To Columbia: Thank you for the most unbelievably fantastic four years of my life. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up for this, but I’m so grateful for everything you’ve given me. I only hope that one day I can give a fraction of that back.

And finally, to all of you: Writing Alma Matters has been one of the many highlights of my year, thank you for listening.

John Jay once wrote, “Hold fast to the spirit of youth, let the years to come do what they may.”

I’ll be at 1020 in about fifteen minutes doing just that, and I hope to see you there.

Roar, lion, roar,

Aki Terasaki
Student Body President
Columbia College ♔

1. Puppies…AGAIN! | 5/6, 1pm | JJ & Furnald Lounges

2. Committee on Instruction/Committee on Core Applications

3. Ivy Council Head Delegate Application

4. Notice for Student Groups re: NSOP Schedule Book Ads

1. Puppies…AGAIN! | 5/6, 1pm | JJ & Furnald Lounges

What: Puppies (well, therapy dogs)! Crafts! Back rubs! Lemonade and iced tea and parasols!
When: 1-4 pm Sunday, May 6th
Where: John Jay and Furnald Lounges
Why: Because Columbia can make all of your wildest dreams come true.

Stressbusters will be present in Furnald for back rubs and stress busting love!

If you’re interested in joining us to make this event and ones like this happen more and always and forever, send an email to puppycoalition@gmail.com with:
- Your name, year, major
- Any clubs you’re in, cool things you do, awesome people you know, great jokes you’ve heard, favorite puns you wanna share with the world
- Ideas, dreams, and/or aspirations you have for Columbia/life at Columbia/Columbia students
- Why you wanna join us (and in what capacity, ie how much time/energy you’d be willing to put into stuff like this)
- Your favorite dog at the event

2. Committee on Instruction/Committee on Core Applications

The Committee on Instruction (CoI) and the Committee on the Core (CoC) are now accepting applications for the 2011-2012 year. Both are great opportunities to work with the Columbia administration on academic policies and curricula. If you are interested in joining either committee, fill out the corresponding application.

The Committee on Instruction (CoI) oversees all policy and curriculum for the college. The drop period, P/D/F policy, course approvals, syllabus changes, major requirements and changes, are among the issues vetted and approved by the CoI. The committee’s voting members consist of two tenured faculty from each humanity, social science, and science, an untenured faculty member, and two student representatives (which could be you!). It is chaired by the Dean of the College and also includes the Dean of Academic Affairs and administrators from affiliated schools.

CoI Application: http://bit.ly/COIApp

The Committee on the Core (CoC) oversees all parts of Core policy and curriculum. Recent activities by the CoC have included the creation Global Core requirements, and Frontiers of Science. The student representatives are traditionally very active and involved in committee discussions and deliberations.

CoC Application: http://bit.ly/K2gW2N

3. Ivy Council Head Delegate Application

The Ivy Council is a 501c3 Federal Tax-Exempt Organization comprised of student government leaders, student organization leaders, and students at large from the colleges and universities of the Ivy League. The Council was established in 1993 by members of the Ivy League student governments in order to facilitate effective communication between the student governments of their respective institutions and to provide a unified voice for the Ivy League student governments. Since then, the Ivy Council has expanded the scope of its activity both nationally and internationally with programs such as the Ivy Leadership Summit and student-exchange opportunities in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

We are currently looking for a Head Delegate. Please fill out the attached application here and email it to Arvin Ahmadi, aa3036@columbia.edu.

4. Notice for Student Groups re: NSOP Schedule Book Ads

Some of you may know that we have gotten rid of ads for this year’s Schedule Book. We know that some groups and offices relied on putting ads in the Schedule book to advertise to new students. As a compromise, we will be listing one event from each student group that has been designed to assist getting new students to know Columbia. So new member meetings, open houses, etc. are what we are looking for that occur after the conclusion of NSOP.

Please share http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/orientation/group_advertising with your student groups. More information is included on that page.

As a reminder, NSOP does not allow student groups to have individual events during NSOP. They will be contacted this summer with information about the NSOP Meet and Greets from members of the NSOP committee.

FADE IN…

INT – EC Bedroom – Night

A boy sits on his bed, typing away on a laptop. A song is playing, Happy Ending by Mika. He pauses for a moment and looks out the window to the city below. He speaks to no one in particular, but to everyone at the same time.

AKI: My last Notes and Keys concert. My last King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe play. My last Varsity Show.

After four years at this school, I still find it difficult to understand and express how incredibly talented some of our peers are here. This weekend I have seen just a few of the wonders that they can create, and I think how fortunate we are to know them. The art, the music, the acting–it is all phenomenal and words cannot do it justice.

While I lack the ability to articulate just how moved I felt when I saw these performances (and I would probably have a bit of a breakdown if I tried), I can tell you this: your fellow students are absolutely brilliant and we would all be remiss if we did not acknowledge their contributions to this campus and to the world. Columbia has brought us together, and I, for one, am so thankful to have had the opportunity to see the product of people’s dreams, ambitions, and hours upon hours of dedicated work.

Besides, where else will you ever see a retelling of the life and times of Jesus Christ through the songs of pop-sensation Britney Spears that achieves moments of poignancy and hilarity in under an hour. Folks, it just doesn’t happen outside these gates.

End scene,

Aki Terasaki
Student Body President
Columbia College ♔

PS: It’s official. For the next two weeks, I will be an emotional train wreck. Plan accordingly.

1. FRIEZE | 5/2, 4pm & 7pm | Lerner Black Box Theatre

2. Complex Systems Approaches to Population Health: Panel Discussion | 4/4, 9am | CU Medical Center

3. Tough Mudder Race | 5/1 Deadline

4. SACBO Survey for Club Officers

1. FRIEZE | 5/2, 4pm & 7pm | Lerner Black Box Theatre

FRIEZE: A Theatrical Independent Student Production
Date/Time: Wednesday, May 2, 2012 (4-6pm—doors open at 5:30pm; 7-9pm—doors open at 6:30pm)
Location: Black Box Theatre (Lerner Hall)
· Have you been waiting for your experiences as a student of color to be reflected in the overarching narrative of Columbia University?
· Have you felt unsafe at parties, in the classroom, or even in the privacy of your own dorm room?
· Have you ever been asked to compromise your identity to fit “neatly” within a heterosexist framework?
· Remember the safe space forum?
· Do you often interrogate the names etched into the FRIEZE of Butler Library?
If any of these questions resonates with you, come see FRIEZE, a multi-media theatre production exploring the experiences of Black students at Columbia, peppered with larger socio-cultural commentaries.
Please contact Emeka Ekwelum (nce2106@columbia.edu) with any questions. See you soon!

2. Complex Systems Approaches to Population Health: Panel Discussion | 4/4, 9am | CU Medical Center

The Columbia student group Complex Systems Approaches to Population Health (CSAPH) at the Mailman School of Public Health is very excited to sponsor a panel discussion next week on Friday, May 4th between 9-11am in Hess Commons, Allan Rosenfield Building; 722 W 168 Street (Columbia University Medical Center).

Join CSAPH for an interdisciplinary panel discussion to promote methodological awareness and to encourage collaboration among researchers seeking to implement complex systems modeling approaches to address public health questions.

Speakers and topics are as follows:

Nathaniel Hupert, MD, MPH
Weill Cornell Medical School
“Bioterrorism Attack Simulations”

Van-Ahn Truong, PhD
Dept. of IEOR, Columbia Engineering School
“Surgical Scheduling in Healthcare Facilities”

Mark Orr, PhD
Dept. of Epidemiology, Columbia University
“Agent Simulations in Health Behavior”

Nathaniel Osgood, PhD
Dept. Comp. Sci., U. of Saskatchewan & MIT
“Sensor Informed Computational Epidemiology”

Moderated by:
Claire Wang, MD, ScD
Dept. Health Policy & Mgmt., Columbia University

We anticipate engaging presentations and discussion and, as it is an interdisciplinary panel, we hope to attract a diverse audience.

3. Tough Mudder Race | 5/1 Deadline

TOUGH MUDDER tristate race will take place this October, tentatively on either the 20 or 21st!
In order to help foster a greater understanding and sense of community among veterans and non-veterans on campus, 25 Milvets have been challenged to partner with 25 non-veteran Columbia students for the event.
The Deal:
You and your partner will enjoy a ticket price of $40 each ($400 value).
Participating:
• Teams must register through Milvets before May 1st (no exceptions).
• Teams must submit a short bio (1 paragraph each) to TM Registration explaining why you are “tough mudder” type of person.*
• If you would like to participate with a randomly selected partner from the Columbia community, please send your bio to TM Registration* and include that in subject line.
*You and your partner may be selected as featured Mudders on the TM website and other publications.

4. SACBO Survey for Club Officers

The Student Affairs Central Business Office (SACBO) is currently undertaking important research with student leaders, and as a leader on our campus, your input is vital to our continuing efforts to enhance services in advising at Columbia University. You received a link to access the Student Group Financial Advising and Processing online survey about your experiences with SACBO sent from Elizabeth Girgis-Salib.
Responses to the survey will remain anonymous. Please respond as candidly as you are comfortable.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this research, please contact SACBO at studentleaderssurvey@columbia.edu
Thank you very much for your consideration and for all of the work you put into your organization. We look forward to hearing from you.

You know, even though I’m a senior, schoolwork is still a really high priority…

APRIL FOOL’S (oh wait…too soon?). But actually…

So this was last weekend and I know that we’re all nice and tan from laying out on the steps everyday, but it’s everyone’s favorite time again…the homestretch. That’s right, one week of class left (plus that extra Monday that we’re all going to skip anyway because at that point, life’s like this.)

If you aren’t graduating in 24 days, now’s the time to sharpen those pencils and crack open your Lit Hum books for the first time since the summer.

Before you set up camp in Butler, if you care about the Core and want to see changes made, CCSC is hosting a focus group next Friday with Roosevelt Montas, Director of the Center for the Core Curriculum, and Professor Jones, Chair of Contemporary Civilizations. Sign up here. This will serve as an opportunity for students to discuss their issues and feedback about the Core with the people directly in charge of improving it. Naturally, there will be free lunch provided, and if you have any questions, just email us at ccsc@columbia.edu.

So go on and work it, make it, do it (harder, better, faster, stronger) because those group projects and final papers aren’t going to finish themselves.

Waiting until it’s kosher to say this,

Aki Terasaki
Student Body President
Columbia College ♔

1. SACBO Survey for Club Officers

2. “This Columbia Life” Radio Program: Accepting Submissions | Airs 5/6

3. CORE Pre-Incubator Workshop | 4/24, 7pm | Lerner 477

4. CU Forum on Cuba: “Demystifying Che” | 4/26, 8pm | Hamilton 306

5. Gender Equality Dinner & Symposium | 4/27, 5:30pm | Schapiro Lounge

6. Application for CU Ivy Council Head Delegate | Deadline: 4/28

7. Jubilation! Spring Concert | 4/29, 8pm | Lerner C555

8. WEAI & CU Photography Society Exhibition: Call for Submissions | Deadline: 9/14

9. Teach For America

1. SACBO Survey for Club Officers

The Student Affairs Central Business Office (SACBO) is currently undertaking important research with student leaders, and as a leader on our campus, your input is vital to our continuing efforts to enhance services in advising at Columbia University. You received a link to access the Student Group Financial Advising and Processing online survey about your experiences with SACBO sent from Elizabeth Girgis-Salib.

Responses to the survey will remain anonymous. Please respond as candidly as you are comfortable.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this research, please contact SACBO at studentleaderssurvey@columbia.edu

Thank you very much for your consideration and for all of the work you put into your organization. We look forward to hearing from you.

2. “This Columbia Life” Radio Program: Accepting Submissions | Airs 5/6

Imagine if you captured “Columbia” in a jar – all the people, places, and things that populate your life as a Columbia undergraduate – and opened it up. What would it sound like?

“This Columbia Life” is an hour-long talk radio program and oral history project dedicated to that open-ended question. A collaboration between the Arts and News departments of WKCR 89.9FM NY, “This Columbia Life” that will air Sunday, May 6th from 9 to 10PM to explore the theme of what it means to be a Columbia student through first-person narratives, music, and sound. The program will be knit together by students, for students, and entirely from the contributions of students. We are every so curious, keen, and hungry to hear your stories of what being a part of this eclectic, sometimes wonderful, sometimes not-so-wonderful, Columbia community means.

Interested?

Our e-mail is thiscolumbialife@gmail.com and you can contribute to this project in several ways:

1. Hit record and tell a story. Record your environment or an experience you are having. Hit record for a friend and interview one another. Be creative! These don’t have to be of professional quality. You can use the recorder on your cell phone or laptop. Speak clearly and descriptively, paint your story for our listener, but keep it short (no more than 3 minutes unless the story calls for more). Send us your masterpiece and if the file is too large, We Transfer is a free service that can send an audio file up to 2 GB: https://www.wetransfer.com/

2. E-mail us at thiscolumbialife@gmail.com and with the permission of those involved, we’ll come to you! We’ll record any individual interview, group interview, or the sounds of your day, be it your musical rehearsal or your afternoon class.

3. Come to our open recording sessions at WKCR’s studios on Sunday, April 22nd and Sunday, April 29th from 10AM to 5PM. WKCR is on the northwest corner of 114th and Broadway, beneath the “WKCR” awning. E-mail us at thiscolumbialife@gmail.com and we’ll provide more details!

Reach out to us to share any thoughts on the project and PLEASE pass this story call along to your friends, lovers, enemies, classmates, club mates, and the fish housing permits you to own. Visit us on Facebook for updates http://www.facebook.com/events/270646023025821/. We’re looking forward to seeing – and hearing – more from you!

3. CORE Pre-Incubator Workshop | 4/24, 7pm | Lerner 477

Be sure to come and check out CORE’s (Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs) 4th installment of our Pre-Incubator workshops!

We will be hosting guest speaker David Whittemore, co-founder of ClothesHorse, former president of Columbia Venture Community, and participant in the DreamIt Ventures accelerator program.

Dave will teach you how to condense your startup business plan into an effective business pitch to present to potential investors.

Event detals:
Tuesday, April 24th : 7-8:30PM
Lerner 477
https://www.facebook.com/events/278149935607031/

4. CU Forum on Cuba: “Demystifying Che” | 4/26, 8pm | Hamilton 306

DEMYSTIFYING CHE: Che Guevara and His Legacy
Join the Columbia University Forum on Cuba this Thursday, April 26th at 8 p.m. for an open discussion on Che Guevara and his legacy. Our moderator, political science professor emeritus Douglas Chalmers, will guide the discussion, but all students are welcome to join the dialogue and bring in their own questions or talking points. Some topics we hope to discuss are the evolution of Che as a pop culture icon in the decades after his death, as well as his involvement with the Cuban revolution of 1959, and the revolutions of many other Latin American countries. This event will be in Hamilton 306, and there will be free food and drinks. For questions please contact columbiauniversityforumoncuba@gmail.com.

5. Gender Equality Dinner & Symposium | 4/27, 5:30pm | Schapiro Lounge
Date: Friday, April 27, 2012
Time: 5:30 pm
Location: Schapiro Lounge (115th st.)
Suggested Donation (not necessary): $5 individual, $50 table (10 individuals)
Dinner will be provided!

GEQUA – Ecuador! – Symposium Dinner
The student group Gender Equality – Ecuador (GEQUA) traveled to Picalqui, Ecuador during spring break. They will be hosting a Dinner and Symposium on Friday, April 27, 2012 at 5:30 pm in Schapiro Lounge (115th st.) to showcase what they learned and discuss a sustainable relationship between Columbia and where they stayed at La Fundacion Brethren y Unida.

The aim of the trip was to understand the culture of indigenous communities in rural Ecuador as viewed through the lens of gender equality issues such as women’s empowerment.

Support your classmates and peers and find out about internship opportunities at FBU in Ecuador! And remember dinner is included!

6. Application for CU Ivy Council Head Delegate | Deadline: 4/28

Now accepting applications for Columbia University Ivy Council Head Delegate!
The Ivy Council is a 501c3 Federal Tax-Exempt Organization comprised of student government leaders, student organization leaders, and students at large from the colleges and universities of the Ivy League. The Council was established in 1993 by members of the Ivy League student governments in order to facilitate effective communication between the student governments of their respective institutions and to provide a unified voice for the Ivy League student governments. Since then, the Ivy Council has expanded the scope of its activity both nationally and internationally with programs such as the Ivy Leadership Summit and student-exchange opportunities in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

We are currently looking for a Head Delegate. Please fill out the application here and email it to Arvin Ahmadi, aa3036@columbia.edu, by April 28th, 11:59pm.

7. Jubilation! Spring Concert | 4/29, 8pm | Lerner C555

4/29 Jubilation! Spring Concert: No Turning Back
8:00pm in Lerner C555
Come celebrate the (almost) end of classes with an awesome a cappella concert put on by Columbia’s Christian a cappella group!
Forget the woes of finals and enjoy some fun, fellowship, and free food!

8. WEAI & CU Photography Society Exhibition: Call for Submissions | Deadline: 9/14

Undergrads, will you travel in East or Southeast Asia over the summer? Did you study abroad there over the past year? If so, we want to see your best photographs!

The Weatherhead East Asian Institute and the Columbia University Photography Society will be organizing a 4th annual undergraduate photography exhibition on the theme of:

“Environment and Cities”
and we want you to contribute!
Submission Deadline is Friday, September 14, 2012
Photographs must:
• Have been taken in East or Southeast Asia between September 1, 2011 and September 1, 2012.
• Reflect the 2012 exhibition theme of “Environment and Cities”
• Have been taken by a current Columbia College, SEAS, Barnard, or GS student*

Each student may submit a maximum of five photographs, shot digitally or on film, in color or black and white. Please submit prints in hardcopy to Room 922 International Affairs Building, or via email to weaiundergrads@columbia.edu, by Friday, September 14, 2012. If shooting digitally, please photograph at a sufficient resolution to be printed 16×20″ at 300 pixels per inch. Photographs in the exhibition will be selected by a jury, professionally printed and mounted, and exhibited on-campus during the Fall 2012 semester.

Questions? Please email weaiundergrads@columbia.edu>.

*Eligible students also include graduates from the Class of 2012

9. Teach For America

Are you interested in Teach For America? The time to start learning more is now!
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates and professionals who commit two years to teach in low-income urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity for all. Our mission is to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting our nation’s most promising future leaders in the effort. In addition to a competitive salary and comprehensive health benefits, Teach For America corps members are able to defer their college loans, receive a $10,700 Americorps Education Reward, and qualify for scholarships to a range of graduate and professional schools. If you are interested in learning more and specific opportunities for getting involved at Columbia and Barnard, please take a minute to fill out this survey.

- In attendance will be all three of the student representatives on the committee. Professor Christia Mercer and Professor Cathy Popkin, 2 faculty from the search committee, will also be in attendance to weigh in and field questions.

- We want YOU to share your opinion on what the Dean’s job description entails, their responsibilities, their qualities… We also want to try to answer your questions! This is for the undergraduate community – REPRESENT!

We’ll see you all there

HOLI s#!t…I can’t move my body.

Today was a Big Gigantic ball of fun, especially because I looked like this for most of the day. After a 6am bus from Penn (you know, for that other concert) and the most epic paint war (shoutout to the Hindu Students Organization), I almost dyed on the steps. Hopefully I still make cents since I’m curren$y in recovery mode.

If you want to make some Wavves, submit your nominations for CC Dean by tomorrow (nominations@columbia.edu), and attend the Town Hall on Tuesday to share what qualities you’d like to see in the permanent dean. Also, we’ll be hosting Joe Ricciuti, the new head of University Event Management in our Sunday night meeting this week–stop by Satow at 8pm if you’ve ever had issues hosting an event on campus (so I’ll be expecting everyone).

And since I’m in such high spirits (all of them), I’m cutting this one short. Appreciate it.

Love and Bacchanal,

Aki Terasaki
Student Body President
Columbia College ♔

PS: Big Gigantic’s frontman? Wouldn’t mind a little sax on the side with him…

1. Sanctum: Religion and Gender | 4/15, 5pm | Lerner 569

2. CPU: Discussion with Former Ambassador Karl Eikenberry | 4/16, 5pm | Wien Lounge

3. CORE Pre-Incubator Talk: Francis Pedraza | 4/17, 7pm | Lerner 477

4. GlobeMed: Ugandan Activist on KONY 2012 | 4/17, 8pm | Hamilton 602

5. Holocaust Commemoration Memorial Ceremony | 4/18, 8pm | Roone Cinema

6. Consilience: Sustainability Lecture with David Smiley | 4/19, 6:30pm | Lerner 568

7. PoliSci-Econ Rivalry Game | 4/20, 12pm

8. SHPE: Hispanic Engineering Forum | 4/23, 8pm | Hamilton 602

9. Tough Mudder Race | 5/1 Deadline

1. Sanctum: Religion and Gender | 4/15, 5pm | Lerner 569

Religion/Spirituality and Gender

When: Sunday, April 15, 5-7pm
Where: Lerner Hall, Rm. E569
Who: Anyone and everyone! (Non-CUID: Please RSVP)
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/424813330866348/
FREE FOOD WILL BE SERVED! (Kosher-friendly, vegan dinner)

How has religion influenced our perception of gender? Are unequal gender roles encouraged by religious law and practice? What is the role of gender in faith and spirituality?

Sanctum, Columbia’s Journal of Religion, will be hosting an event on Religion and Gender featuring Nigerian-born HH Bhakti Vaduseva Swami (Vasudev Das) on Sunday, April 15, 2012 in Lerner 569. A doctoral researcher and renowned scholar of the social sciences, as well as a spiritual leader of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), HH Bhakti Vasudeva Swami will share his valuable insights on the subject as he leads the discussion.

The purpose of the event is to provide a platform for students to listen to and discuss issues related to the intersection between gender and religion as they apply to our lives and the lives of others. Refreshments will be served following the lecture. You will not want to miss out on this event!

2. CPU: Discussion with Former Ambassador Karl Eikenberry | 4/16, 5pm | Wien Lounge

AN OPEN DISCUSSION WITH FORMER AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN
KARL EIKENBERRY
April 16th, 2012 Wein Hall Lounge 5:00 PM
Join Karl Eikenberry, the current Frank E. and Arthur W. Payne Distinguished Lecturer at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and former Commander of Combined Forces in and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, this upcoming Monday at 5 pm in the Wein Hall Lounge for an open discussion on Afghanistan and related issues. From the state of U.S. relations to Afghanistan and the Afghan government to the potential for a regional oil pipeline deal that could bring peace and stability to the region, there are few more knowledgeable voices on policy in the area than former Ambassador Eikenberry. Do not miss this opportunity for a spirited discussion of one of the nation’s most pressing regional concerns.
Hosted by the Columbia Political Union (CPU).

3. CORE Pre-Incubator Talk: Francis Pedraza | 4/17, 7pm | Lerner 477

CORE Pre-Incubator Week 3: Francis Pedraza, CEO and Founder of Everest
Held in conjunction with COREs Pre-Incubator Series
Tuesday, April 17th: 7-8:30PM
Lerner 477

Francis will talk about his experiences building two start-ups, including his latest – Everest. Everest is an iPhone app that helps you achieve your personal goals. It keeps you taking the next step, it lets you capture your journey, and it surrounds you with a community for support and inspiration. The company has a team of six and is backed by extraordinary partners like The North Face and Quiksilver, and a set of investors and advisors that includes Peter Thiel, Scott Belsky, Yves Behar, and Peter Diamandis. For more info, see http://evr.st.

Francis is a contrarian. His talk will systematically dismantle the most prevalent dogmas of the “lean startup” school of thought. Highlights will include: why failure is… failure, why constant iteration is toxic, and why you should raise money before you launch, because it takes a million bucks to do anything worth doing, right.

There will be Q&A at the end. Francis will also touch upon:
- Who is worth what? Parsing out equity amongst founders.
- They don’t speak our language! How to involve the business team/founder in product and vice-versa.
- Whom do we seek feedback from, and how do we filter in? How to involve advisors and deal with other outside inputs.
- Is it possible to raise money without traction? And what would we use it for?
- What makes an idea valuable?

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/193159950800460/

All are welcome to attend; non-CUID guests, please RSVP.

4. GlobeMed: Ugandan Activist on KONY 2012 | 4/17, 8pm | Hamilton 602

Uncover the Voice: A Ugandan Activist’s Perspective on KONY 2012
Date: Tuesday, April 17th
Time: 8:00-9:00 pm
Location: Hamilton 602

We have seen the video.
We have followed the controversy.
We have seen the stickers and posters of Joseph Kony that will plaster the city on April 20th.

But before you cover the night for KONY 2012, come uncover the voice with Ugandan human rights activist, Pamela Angwech.

Pamela worked on the ground in Northern Uganda with the World Food Programme during the war with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of GlobeMed at Columbia’s partner organization, Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-G). She lived through the war, worked through the war, and persevered through the war to become a force of social change. Her experiences will shed light on the current grassroots efforts led by Ugandans to restore peace to their communities.

Pamela will give voice to these solutions and provide her perspective on Invisible Children’s social media campaign to “make Kony famous.”

Facebook event:

http://www.facebook.com/events/324335074299513/?ref=ts

5. Holocaust Commemoration Memorial Ceremony | 4/18, 8pm | Roone Cinema

Holocaust Commemoration Memorial Ceremony
When: Wednesday, April 18th at 8 PM
Where: Roone Cinema in Lerner Hall
What: The main program for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) will consist of hearing from a survivor and participating in a ceremonial candle-lighting ceremony. Following the ceremony, for those interested, there will be candle lighting at the Kraft Center and butterfly-making as part of The Butterfly Project from the Holocaust Museum in Houston. Students can also make butterflies on campus at the Reading of the Names at the Sundial. The Holocaust Museum in Houston is collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies to remember the 1.5 million children that were killed in the Holocaust.

For a full schedule of events taking place throughout the week on campus in honor of Holocaust Commemoration please visit: http://www.facebook.com/events/357741314261695/?notif_t=plan_user_joined

6. Consilience: Sustainability Lecture with David Smiley | 4/19, 6:30pm | Lerner 568

Defining Sustainability: A Few Questions for an Expanding Discipline

Please join Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development for our final dialogue series event of the year with David Smiley, Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies at Columbia University. Thursday, April 19 at 6:30 pm in Lerner 568. The event will feature a presentation followed by a discussion. Light refreshments will be served.

Sustainable development is a broad, interdisciplinary topic of study and can be defined in various ways. But what do the terms “sustainability” and “development” actually mean, both as individual words and as a combined term? Who gets to define these terms, much less conjoin them? What should be included in a project of sustainable development? Professor Smiley will discuss his take on defining such terms and how these terms are applied in today’s society.

7. PoliSci-Econ Rivalry Game | 4/20, 12pm

PoliSci-Econ Rivalry Game 2012: Anticipating the Apocalypse.
4/20 12-3pm

On April 20th, the world will stop. The powers of Economics and Political Science will meet on the battlefield to determine, once and for all, who reigns superior. Declare your loyalty, and help kick the ass of Economics/Political Science (depending on your allegiance). Free bandanas for all, and PoliSci warriors will receive a water bottle. Details are here: http://bit.ly/polisciecon2012. See you on the battlefield.

8. SHPE: Hispanic Engineering Forum | 4/23, 8pm | Hamilton 602

Please RSVP for the event here: http://tinyurl.com/SHPE-Forum

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is hosting an event on Monday, April 23, 2012 to help identify the academic issues that hispanic engineering students at Columbia face.

We will have a special guest speaker, Dr. Alicia Abella, Executive Director at AT&T Labs Research, come speak to us about her work as member of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science at Columbia and was recently named Top Five Women of the Year by Hispanic Business Magazine.

After the guest speaker lecture, we will have a panel of advisors from Center for Student Advising serve as moderators for an open discussion among the students. The goal of the event is to allow the students to discuss the challenges they have encountered at Columbia and how they think the school can help address them. We would love for you to be part of this event and we greatly appreciate your input!

Date: Monday, April 23
Time: 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Location: 602 Hamilton

9. Tough Mudder Race | 5/1 Deadline

TOUGH MUDDER tristate race will take place this October, tentatively on either the 20 or 21st!

In order to help foster a greater understanding and sense of community among veterans and non-veterans on campus, 25 Milvets have been challenged to partner with 25 non-veteran Columbia students for the event.

The Deal:
You and your partner will enjoy a ticket price of $40 each ($400 value).

Participating:
• Teams must register through Milvets before May 1st (no exceptions).
• Teams must submit a short bio (1 paragraph each) to TM Registration explaining why you are “tough mudder” type of person.*
• If you would like to participate with a randomly selected partner from the Columbia community, please send your bio to TM Registration* and include that in subject line.
*You and your partner may be selected as featured Mudders on the TM website and other publications.

If so, please join us and share your feedback and suggestions about UEM.

CCSC will be hosting Joe Ricciutti, the Director of Columbia University Event Management, at our weekly meeting this Sunday April 15th at 8pm in Lerner’s Satow Room. Ricciutti oversees on-campus event coordination, catering services and technical support for venues like Lerner Hall, Low Library, Faculty House and outdoor grounds.

See you there.

Hey girl…this one’s about the ladies.

B got a tumblr, Hill got some texts, and you got a new president.

[So…awkward…I’m didn’t actually resign (yet). But last week’s slightly mistimed April Fool’s joke aside, I do want to introduce you to the kids who will be leading CCSC next year.]

A huge shoutout to your soon-to-be student body president, Karishma Habbu (to be known henceforth as Prezbu), and her fantastic 212 crew: Will Hughes, Daphne Chen, Yanyi Luo, and Jared Odessky. Hold them accountable, keep them on their toes, and most of all, help them remember that they’re here to serve Columbia College and its students.

Of course, a standing ovation for the runners-up, Alex Jasiulek and the Block Party—their points about engaging with student groups would be well-heeded by the incoming council.

Speaking of girls running the world, your VP Campus Life Jasmine Senior and her committee have put together an incredible line-up for your favorite event of the semester, College Days! The theme is CU Then, an exploration of historical issues in various spheres that still impact student life today. Starting Thursday, get ready for an explosion of excitement, school spirit, and most importantly, free shirts (keeping me clothed since I ran out of clean laundry two weeks ago). See you there!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T,

Aki Terasaki
Student Body President
Columbia College ♔

1. College Days: “CU Then” | Schedule 4/12-16

2. Host for Days on Campus

3. OPS Hangama 2012 | 4/8, 2pm | Low Plaza

4. TRACT & SFER Panel “Under the Looking Glass: Your Ivy League Education” | 4/9, 6pm | Satow Room

5. SEADS Movie Screening | 4/12, 8pm | Hamilton 702

6. Raas: Morningside Masti | 4/13, 7:30pm | Earl Hall

7. Columbia Political Union Exec Board Elections | Deadline 4/14

8. CU Wind Ensemble “Perspectives” | 4/14, 12pm | Roone Arledge

9. Hillel Spring Semester Service Hop | Deadline 4/15

10. African Students Association: Affirmative Action Panel | 4/16, 9p, | Lerner C555

11. Take Back the Night | 4/19, 8pm | Barnard Gates

12. Tips on New Courseworks

1. College Days: “CU Then” | Schedule 4/12-16

It’s that time of year again…COLLEGE DAYS IS HERE!!! FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/148473661945478/

For those of you who don’t know, College Days is an annual celebration held by the Columbia College Student Council Campus Life Committee (CCSC-CLC). This celebration is meant to build community within Columbia College through events that center on some theme or issue relevant to CC students. This year, the theme for College Days is “CU Then”. We are examining the history of Columbia College through various spheres that still impact student life today.

“Activism in Columbia College”
4/12, 7-8:30pm, Low Library, Faculty Room
We will be reflecting on and understanding the history of Columbia College departments, the activism that helped create them and the representation of marginalized communities on campus. This event will include a free dinner, student presentations as well as a keynote address by Professor Mae Ngai from the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race.

“Lion’s Den: JJ’s Pub”
4/13, 4-7pm, JJs
Let’s turn JJs back into an open student space: let’s dance, eat and have a good time! Entry and food are free but limited space so come on time!

“Athletics at Columbia”
4/15, 2-4:30pm, Low Plaza (tentative)
Come celebrate athletics on our campus by attending the finale of the annual Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) Soccer Tournament.
We will also have an opening presentation by current SAAC President and soccer player Zach Glubiak!
Free BBQ, an awesome game, and hanging out with your peers, you don’t want to miss out!

“Columbia in Film”
4/16, 8-10pm, Low Plaza
Screening of Spider-Man and clips of Columbia in the media throughout history on Low Steps! Free snacks and extra giveaways!

CU THEN! *Free College Days shirts will be distributed at each event*

2. Host for Days on Campus

It’s April and April means Days on Campus! Days on Campus is a huge factor in admitted students making their decision to attend Columbia, and in order to help Columbia yield the best class possible the Undergraduate Recruitment Committee needs your help. Please read the information below and follow the link to sign up to host!

http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/urc/hosting

Registration is now available for you to get started. Sign up through the hosting website now!!

• You are eligible to host if you live in one of the following dorms: Carman, John Jay, Furnald, Hartley, Wallach, Ruggles, Hogan, Broadway, Schapiro, McBain, Watt, Wien, East Campus, River, Woodbridge, IRC, Greenborough, 600 W. 113th Street, 536/542/546 W. 114th st.
• We recommend hosting a minimum of 2 students so that your admitted student guests have a buddy system to rely on each other.
• Lounges in Wallach, Hartley, and River should not be used for DOC hosting, although common spaces within suites or apartments are okay.
• Once you register, mark your calendar, mark the time to meet for host-match, and please be at host-match on time or have a proxy there to meet your guests.*
• Please make hosting a firm commitment like an athletic meet or concert that you would not miss even with an exam/paper due or a slight cold. We want to have as few untied ends as possible as we gear up for the big days.

*Proxy hosts for host-match pick up is allowed and encouraged if you have a prior commitment on any of the evenings at 5:45PM. However, the admitted student guests will need to be able to leave their stuff in your room or your proxy host’s room until you are available, and it is your responsibility to arrange a successful transition in hosting for the admitted student guest.

Thank you in advance for your help with these exciting programs. If you have any questions or concerns please email Mary Kircher (mrk2144@columbia.edu) for CC DOC, or Jonathan Balsano (jrb2194@columbia.edu) for SEAS DOC.

3. OPS Hangama 2012 | 4/8, 2pm | Low Plaza

YOU are Cordially Invited to the MOCK WEDDING of the YEAR!

The Columbia University Organization of Pakistani Students in collaboration with the NYU Pakistani Students Association proudly present: HANGAMA 2012!

An afternoon filled with color, music, dance, and food. Come celebrate our Annual Mock Pakistani Wedding at Low Steps! This year featuring KITE FLYING in collaboration with AHIMSA from 4-5pm!

Will the MYSTERY man from NYU sweep our COLUMBIA bride off her FEET??? Come find out who will ride the HORSE and who will be carried in the DOLI.
*DRESS IN YOUR PAKISTANI BEST!*
Get there early to get the first look at the GROOM as he awaits his BRIDE!

Entertainment throughout the afternoon:
Performances by CU DHOOM, TAAL, RAAS, JHATKA and the boards of CU OPS and NYU PSA!

Get delicious Pakistani food, participate in the traditional Pakistani Wedding rituals, experience a Pakistani Wedding and come fly kites with the boards of CU OPS, NYU PSA and AHIMSA on this beautiful Spring Day!

4. TRACT & SFER Panel “Under the Looking Glass: Your Ivy League Education” | 4/9, 6pm | Satow Room

TRACT is hosting an event with Students for Ed Reform titled, “Under the looking glass: Your Ivy League Education.” It will take place on Monday, April 9th, from 6-8 pm at the Satow Room in Lerner. We have invited Professor David Hansen, Philosophy of Education, from Teacher’s College and Professor Shamus Khan, Dept. of Sociology, from Columbia to look at the education we receive critically. Some questions that we hope to address include: “What is the educational philosophy of a school like Columbia? What are its points of emphasis? What’s missing? Are we overfocused on achievement?”

5. SEADS Movie Screening | 4/12, 8pm | Hamilton 702

What: New Year Baby Screening and FREE FOOD
When: April 12, 2012 8PM-10PM
Where: Hamilton 702

SEADS challenges you to ask yourself: Have you ever heard of the Khmer Rouge or what they did? What about the “Cambodian Diaspora”?

Instead of googling the answers, come and join SEADS on Thursday, April 12 (the day before Cambodian New Years) for a screening of the award winning documentary, New Year Baby. This event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! As always, we will be providing snackies for you to munch on as you laugh, cry, and enjoy this wonderful documentary.

The documentary follows Socheata Poeuv, founder and CEO of Khmer Legacies, on her journey to find out more about her family’s harrowing experience with the Khmer Rouge, an experience that many who have survived choose to stay silent about. She asks, “What does it take to heal?” and gives voice to her family’s journey on their way to becoming Americans.

For more info, check out our facebook event or new year baby’s website: newyearbaby.net, and for more info on SEADS, check out our tumblr, seads.tumblr.com.

6. Raas: Morningside Masti | 4/13, 7:30pm | Earl Hall

Columbia Raas presents: Morningside Masti, A Spring Garba
When: Friday, April 13th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Where: Second Floor of Earl Hall
What: Join Columbia Raas at their first annual FREE cultural celebration. Come see the team showcase the traditional garba/raas dance style in addition to an amazing performance by CU Sur, our very own South Asian a cappella team! There will be FREE INDIAN FOOD, DRINK, AND HENNA TATTOOS! Cu Raas will be teaching attendees how to dance garba/raas, twirl dandiya, and 3 step. The night will finish off with a Navratri style dance party!

7. Columbia Political Union Exec Board Elections | Deadline 4/14

It’s time to get engaged (politically engaged, that is). Elections for CPU’s Executive Board will be held at 8 PM on April 16th. Do you have to have prior experience on CPU? No! Are you allowed to be on our board and that of another political group? Yes (so long as you don’t act on behalf of that other group, obviously)! What are the positions? So glad you asked:
General Manager (president), Director of Operations (vice president), Treasurer, Events Coordinator, Communications Director, Publications Director, Tech Director, Blog Editor, and Publisher of the Columbia Political Review.
Elections are held on one night (you’ll come in, talk to the Governing Board and to me, and then wait for the decision announcement), and they’re drop-down, meaning you can run for one, not get it, and then run for another.
What do you need to do?
Write up a one paragraph/half page statement of interest for the position of your choice. Tell us why CPU, why the position, experience you have, etc. Email it to etamkin@cupolitics.org by 11:59 PM on April 14th (that’s the Saturday before the elections). And feel free to email that address if you have any questions at all, or if you just want to talk about running.

8. CU Wind Ensemble “Perspectives” | 4/14, 12pm | Roone Arledge

Cu Wind Ensemble presents “Perspectives”
Saturday April 14th from 12:00 to 1:30pm
For the end of the year, we will honor the graduating class by performing pieces chosen by our seniors.
The concert will include pieces by Jose Pablo Moncayo, Gordon Jacob, Gustav Holst, and Modeste Moussorgsky. Complimentary snacks and refreshments will follow the performance.

Tickets will be on sale at the Lerner Hall TIC Booth.
The facebook event can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/events/324181957634837/
FREE with a Columbia University ID
$5 General Admission

9. Hillel Spring Semester Service Hop | Deadline 4/15

The weekend of April 20-22, we will be hosting our second session of service hopping. Participants will be matched with members of another faith to visit each others’ services and can also opt to be only a host or only a visitor if they like. The weekend will culminate in an interfaith dinner giving people the chance to discuss their experiences and share what they learned! Sign up by 4/15 at: tinyurl.com/servicehopping2012. Everyone is welcome! Questions? Contact interfaith@hillel.columbia.edu.

10. African Students Association: Affirmative Action Panel | 4/16, 9p, | Lerner C555

Event Title: ASA Presents:” Affirmative Action Past, Present, and Future: What it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters.”This is the talk is the latest in the ASA’s ongoing Political Roundtable Discussion series (Our roundtable series discusses issues that extend beyond the walls of Columbia. Our aim is to inform and discuss issues with a great geo-political, social, and historical implication. Past discussions have dealt with land-grabbing in Zimbabwe, The NATO intervention in Libya, the History and Practice of African Studies, among other topics. ASA Presents:” Affirmative Action Past, Present, and Future: What it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters.”

Event Description: The event is a response to the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a case on affirmative action related to UT-Austin in the fall. It will discuss the history of Affirmative action and on its accomplishments and its relationship to both historic and contemporary forms of discrimination. We will learn just what the stakes in this forthcoming trial are for students of color. We will unpack the common myths of affirmative action and learn what it actually is and why it continues to be necessary.

Event Date: Monday, April 16th, Alfred Lerner Hall, C555, 9pm-11:00pm. Doors open at 8L45pm and event promptly begins at 9pm!

Event speakers:
1) Professor of History Eric Foner (Noted scholar of American History and one of the nation’s most prestigious historians; he is one of only two scholars to serve as president of the three major professional organizations: the Organization of American Historians, American Historical Association, and Society of American Historians, and one of a handful to have won the Bancroft and Pulitzer prizes in the same year. His research concentrates on the intersections of intellectual, political and social history, and the history of American race relations; author of, most recently Our Lincoln and Forever Free.)

2) Professor of Law Ted Shaw (Professor of law at Columbia law school and former director-counsel and President of the NAACP legal defense educational fund (LDF) from 2004-2008. One of the nation’s leading voices in civil rights. He was lead counsel in a coalition that represented African-American and Latino students in the University of Michigan undergraduate affirmative action admissions case;

3) Professor of Law Patricia J. Williams (Practiced as deputy city attorney, office of Los Angeles City Attorney. Has served on the faculties of the University of Wisconsin School of law, CUNY law school, and Golden Gate University School of Law. She has been at Columbia since 1991. She has published widely in the areas of race, gender, and law, and on other issues of legal theory and legal writing. Her books include “The Alchemy of Race and Rights; “The Rooster’s Egg; “Seeing a Colorblind Future: The Paradox of Race.” She is a regular columnist for The Nation and maintains her own website, mad law professor.

4) Journalist Janine Jackson. (Ms. Jackson is the program director of FAIR-Fairness and accuracy in news reporting and the co-host and co-producer of Fair’s syndicated radio show Counterspin- a weekly program of media criticism airing on more than 150 stations around the country. She is a frequent contributor to FAIR magazine’s Extra!, which writing frequently about media coverage of labor and economics, racism in the media, and media regulation. She co-edited the FAIR reader: An Extra! Review of Press and Politics in the ‘90’s. Her articles have appeared in many publications, including In these times, and UAW’s Solidarity.

Moderator: Kambi Gathesha-Political Chair of ASA. Columbia Class of 2013.

11. Take Back the Night | 4/19, 8pm | Barnard Gates

TAKE BACK THE NIGHT
Thursday, April 19th
March and Rally start at 8pm, Barnard Gates
Speakout starts at 10pm, LeFrak Gym

The mission of the Take Back the Night March and Speakout is to break the silence about sexual violence by inviting the Morningside Heights community to gather together, as survivors, allies, family, friends, neighbors and strangers, to support each other and protest the violence that affects all of us. The march is an opportunity to reclaim the streets of New York City, the neighborhood of Morningside Heights, and the Columbia campus as safe spaces. After the march, we host a Speakout, during which community members speak anonymously about their experiences. The march is wheelchair accessible. Marchers are encouraged to make their own signs to bring to the march! For more information contact TBTN.at.Columbia@gmail.com

RSVP to: https://www.facebook.com/events/356511327721239/
Take Back the Night 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9bQwcptMbM&feature=youtu.be

12. Tips on New Courseworks

FROM THE NEW COURSEWORKS TEAM:
Student Helpful Hints:
You may not be aware of the Student Help Section that is contained within the New CourseWorks Home Page. Not your fault! We have been directing you from the old system and jumping you right into the New CourseWorks Landing page.
Video Clips Library: Please check these clips out. We have been recording video clips instructions of the cool stuff within New CourseWorks. Many of the tutorials have topic headers and expand as you click on them, exposing the full selection of video clips.
The URL is: https://newcourseworks.columbia.edu/welcome/
DOCUMENTATION: We have developed quick start guides for students. You can download and print them from the Home Page or access them online. A great help tool for your first venture into New CourseWorks.
CALENDAR: You can learn how to view and merge your calendars from your courses. And you have the option to export to your personal calendar, for example, your Google account. Now you can see your daily schedule of classes.

For those of you who don’t know, College Days is an annual celebration held by the Columbia College Student Council Campus Life Committee (CCSC-CLC). This celebration is meant to build community within Columbia College through events that center on some theme or issue relevant to CC students. This year, the theme for College Days is “CU Then”. We will be examining the history of Columbia College through various spheres that still impact student life today.

“Activism in Columbia College”
Date: 4/12
Location: Low Library, Faculty Room
Time: 7-830pm
We will be reflecting on and understanding the history of Columbia College departments, the activism that helped create them and the representation of marginalized communities on campus. This event will include a free catered dinner, student presentations as well as a keynote address by Professor Mae Ngai from the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race.

“Lion’s Den: JJ’s Pub”
Date: 4/13
Location: JJs
Time: 4-7pm
Let’s turn JJs back into an open student space: let’s dance, eat and have a good time! Entry and food are free but limited space so come on time!

“Athletics at Columbia”
Date: 4/15
Location: Low Plaza (tentative)
Time: 2-430pm
Come celebrate athletics on our campus by attending the finale of the annual SAAC Soccer Tournament. This is an annual event held by SAAC. Find out more info here:
We will also have an opening presentation by a member of CU Athletics, reflecting on the history of athletics at Columbia. Free BBQ and an awesome game, you don’t want to miss out!

“Columbia in Film”
Date: 4/16
Location: Low Plaza
Time: 8-10pm
Screening of Spider-Man and clips of Columbia in the media throughout history on Low Steps! Free snacks and extra giveaways!

*Free College Days shirts will be distributed at each event*

“Thirteen new projects, ranging from an experimental water bottle art piece to a showcase of senior music and dance performances, are the recipients of up to $1,500 in funding from the Columbia College Student Council’s new Student Project Grants initiative.

Zhai said the “gimmicky publicity campaign,” which included a video starring him clad in a Speedo and cape, attracted a variety of proposals.”

Vote NOW! https://apps.college.columbia.edu/college/election/