From the Columbia University Record

Thousands Don "Alma Crowns," Celebrate Columbia's 250th
By Kristin Sterling

The steady rain that crept across campus on Friday, Oct. 17, didn't dampen the spirits of the 3,500 students, alumni, faculty and staff members who gathered on South Lawn and Low Plaza and donned "alma crowns" in honor of the kickoff of the 250th anniversary of Columbia and the 100th anniversary of the landmark Alma Mater statue.

The Birthday Bash festivities began with an official proclamation, delivered by alumna Esther Fuchs, director of the Center for Urban Research and Policy, chair of the Urban Studies Program and Public Affairs as well as Mayor Bloomberg's Special Advisor for Governance and Strategic Planning. On behalf of the mayor, she pronounced Oct. 17, 2003, "Columbia 250th Anniversary Day" in New York City. The proclamation also stated that Columbia is one of the most renowned institutions in the city and will forever be intertwined with the city's history and its future. "Columbia University students are the minds that will capture the dreams which will shape the future of our planet."

In a letter to the University, former president Bill Clinton wrote that "excellence in education is the key to our future," and that "Columbia is poised to build on its grand past to create an even brighter future." Clinton added that he has enjoyed being Columbia's neighbor for the past two years, and is pleased to be working with the Mailman School of Public Health on his Presidential Foundation's HIV-AIDS initiative.

Reflecting on Columbia's past, President Lee C. Bollinger said that the size of our campus community today-23,000 students, 3,000 faculty and 9,000 staff members is a far cry from the university's size back in 1754. The incoming class of Columbia's inaugural year consisted of eight students-with one faculty member who also served as president. After noting that it is an honor to serve as Columbia's president during this historic time, Bollinger stepped up onto the 13-foot birthday cake replicating Low Library and cut a ceremonial slice of the red velvet cake from the Rotunda's dome.

As the rain picked up, the crowd devoured 10,000 cupcakes, enjoying performances by the Columbia dance team, jazz ensemble, marching band, gospel choir, cheerleaders, and other groups such as Notes and Keys, Raw Elements, Two Shots of Rye, Bacchantae, DOLE, The Kingsmen and the glee club.

School of the Arts student Ben Odell's short film "Columbia University Studios: The Dream Factory," a "mocumentary" of Columbia's history was shown on jumbo screens. Taking a more comical approach to Columbia's history than Ric Burns did in his documentary, Odell's film told of a much different, albeit fictitious, Columbia-one that started in the early 1900s, not as a university, but rather as a movie studio. According to Odell, the campus was created as a backdrop for "Big Nick" Butler's movie "Pride of the Yankees." Subsequent films brought the addition of new buildings to the set until the 1990s, when the industry shifted from New York to other locations. In the fall of 1999, the leftover sets began to be used as classrooms and labs, thereby serving as a source of employment for the ex-studio workers. The film concluded with well-wishes from campus regulars and superstars, such as Mayor Bloomberg and Art Garfunkel.