To All Participants in Next Wednesday’s Commencement Ceremonies (10:30 a.m. and 2pm):

We are looking forward to seeing you on Commencement Day. It promises to be an amazing day full of memorable events. A few brief reminders that you’ll want to make note of:

1. Congratulations!

2. There are still tickets available if you have not picked up your maximum number to both ceremonies. See Kenny Wong in 305 Dodge, or e-mail him at soagrad@gmail.com no later than 5pm on Tuesday, May 20.

3. Caps & gowns, which are required at the morning ceremony (but not at the SoA afternoon ceremony) will be available in the Columbia University Bookstore in the basement of Lerner Hall until Tuesday, May 20th. We are covering the cost, so you’ll just need to have your Columbia ID with you. You’ll be given a cap & gown immediately at no charge. Columbia-wide Ceremony at 10:30am: Where to Gather

4. Important: Participants in the Columbia-wide ceremony: Please assemble on the south side of Revson plaza (the overpass over Amsterdam Avenue, just north of college walk, between 116th & 117th) beginning at 9am. Please arrive no later than 10am! Be on the lookout for Jamie Sosnow, our School of the Arts Marshal, who will be standing by the stanchion marked "School of the Arts." She will be carrying a bag filled with goodies. For a map showing where to assemble and where you’ll actually be sitting, click here

Some important tips: You may want to bring a bottle of water with you, as it sometimes gets a bit warm. In addition, you’ll want to check the weather. In case of rain, you’ll want to bring an umbrella, though we will have beautiful and luxurious ponchos for each of you. No joke. Also: Make sure to use the restroom before the procession. Also no joke. Really. You’ll thank us. Box Lunches:

5. Please remind your guests to keep their morning commencement tickets! Each ticket will entitle you and them to a complimentary box lunch in Dodge Hall between ceremonies, beginning at 12:15pm. They’ll need their ticket, but your cap & gown will suffice for you… School of the Arts Ceremony at 2pm in Miller Theatre: Where to Gather

6. For the 2pm SoA Ceremony in Miller Theatre, please arrive NO LATER than 1:30pm on Broadway outside of Miller Theatre. Look for the sign with your Division name on it and look for your Program Manager, who will give you further instructions.  

7. Immediately following the SoA ceremony (around 3:45ish), there will be a reception on Dodge Plaza until 5pm. Please join us for this event in your honor!

8. For all information related to Commencement, see: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ceremonies/commencement

9. Congratulations again!

—Hanna

On behalf of President Lee C. Bollinger and Jean Magnano Bollinger, the Arts Initiative and the Columbia Alumni Association are pleased to offer every Class of 2008 graduate a free one-year Columbia Alumni Arts League membership. CAAL Members have access to discounts and special benefits at more than fifty of New York City’s finest cultural institutions and take part in exclusive arts events with fellow alumni and artists.

http://www.cuarts.com/membership/classof2008

There are many great shows with hot young writers, directors and actors happening Off-Broadway in the coming weeks, so the TIC chose some of the best shows with the best deals and is making them available to all Columbia students.  Here’s your chance to see something fresh and to help discover the next Laura Linney, Al Pacino or Aaron Sorkin!

FIND ALL EVENTS & RESOURCES AT: http://cuarts.columbia.edu

Nicholas Lemann, Dean of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, cordially invites you to the annual Hearst Foundation New Media Lecture

Brian Storm
Thursday, April 3, 2008 (6:30-9 pm)
Columbia Journalism School
116th St & Broadway (#1 train to 116th St)

Join us to hear Brian Storm, president of MediaStorm.org and former director of multimedia for MSNBC.com – one of most exciting and influential minds in journalism today (bio below). See the work of his company at http://mediastorm.org

6:30-7:00 pm -  reception – drinks and light food
7-9 pm – lecture + Q&A (dessert will be available after the Q&A)

No charge; no RSVP required; all are welcome.

Read/hear previous Hearst New Media Lectures: (more…)

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for the Annual CCE MEDIA NETWORKING NIGHT (now with a pre-night workshop!)

Networking (Practice: Role Play) Workshop
March 26th, 1pm, 413 Dodge Hall
Get some hot tips for leaving a lasting impression when networking.

followed by:

MEDIA NETWORKING NIGHT
Wednesday, March 26th, 7pm, Low Memorial Library
It’s your chance to shine, come to this event and get to know the media industry’s movers and shakers.

This is a HUGE event, attended by some of the largest names in many industries. DO NOT MISS THIS!

For a rundown on the success of last year’s event, click here.
(more…)

The Museum of the City of New York presents:
Spotlight on Design: The Legacy of Donald Oenslager
Thursday, March 27 at 6:30 PM

Reservations required. $5 for Columbia Students and Faculty

For reservations or program information, please call  (212) 534-1672, ext. 3395.

George and Ira Gershwin’s Girl Crazy (1930), Red, Hot, and Blue! (1936) (with music and lyrics by Cole Porter), and Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning You Can’t Take It with You (1936) are just a few of the landmark productions that featured pioneering sets by Donald Oenslager, one of the most influential scenic designers in American theater. Creator of designs for more than 250 plays, musicals, and operas, he also established the scenic design program at the Yale Drama School. Arnold Aronson, Professor of Theater at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, will (more…)

B-Sides
Four Short Plays
Written by Columbia M.F.A. Class of 2010 Playwrights

Friday March 7th @ 8pm
Saturday March 8th @ 8pm
Columbia University School of the Arts
@ Schapiro Studio (in the basement of Schapiro Hall)
605 W. 115th Street (Between Broadway and Riverside Dr.)
*nearest subway stop—116th on the 1/9

Totally Free!

Featuring plays by
Steven Gaultney, Jeffrey James Keyes,
Libby Leonard, and Jason Platt  
 
Stage Managed by Melissa Denizard (Stage Management ‘10)

Space is limited! RSVP to columbiabsides@gmail.com.

These works include: (more…)

Dear SoA student, Research Artist, or Alum,

You’re an artist. You need people to know about your art. The Arts Initiative knows these people.

• 35,000 monthly visitors to http://cuarts.columbia.edu
• 16,000 subscribers to the CUArts weekly newsletters
• 10,000 tickets sold or distributed since January at the TIC in Lerner and tic.columbia.edu
• 8,500 members of CAAL, The Columbia Alumni Arts League
• 100s of student and alumni arts events posted to TIC and the Alumni Arts Calendar
• 700 Facebook friends
• 300 online profiles of alumni in the arts.
  

The Arts Initiative wants to know you too. Please keep in touch at Columbia and beyond. We’ll help spread the word about your events and achievements to the entire CU community.

Best wishes,

The Arts Initiative

http://www.cuarts.columbia.edu

http://alumniarts@columbia.edu

Center for Career Education: Peer Networking Workshop

Does the thought of arts "networking" bring to mind shameless self-promotion, smarmy handshakes and "let’s do lunch?"  If so, then it’s time to revise your perception.   Networking simply means learning to take advantage of opportunities that happen around you every day.  Come to this free workshop on developing your networking skills, sponsored by the Columbia University Center for Career Education.

Join fellow graduate students for this hands-on workshop about professional networking. Instead of simply talking about it, we will share several exercises with the goal of making networking a more comfortable strategy to use in exploring careers and pursuing jobs.

February 21, 2008 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm 
Center for Career Education Conference Room
East Campus

Register for this Event by clicking here.

For further information regarding this event, please contact Center for Career Education by sending email to careereducation@columbia.edu or by calling 854-5609.

Contact Beth Olson at bo2145@columbia.edu for more information.

Dear Students:

In light of the recent events at Northern Illinois University, Hanna Seifu and I  wanted to take the time to remind you of some important steps you can take to ensure that you are promptly notified in the event of a campus emergency.     

At a Deans of Students meeting last week, we were told that only 32% of School of the Arts students had registered for CU’s free EMERGENCY text messaging service.  I want to take this opportunity to nudge you to make sure that all of you are registered for this critical service.

Consider yourself nudged – details below on the process, which you should do right away via your computer (though the messages are for your cell). If you are already signed up, no need to do anything else on this – except to remind your friends to sign up via the link below.  It only takes around 45 seconds.  Really.  

For information on enrolling in the emergency text messaging system, I am including a message from Jim McShane of Public Safety below. Please take a moment to read it, then enroll. It’s that easy.

As Jim’s e-mail says:

"In order to receive text messages, Columbia students must register their mobile numbers, which can be done securely and confidentially in Student
Services Online (SSOL). Please register now by clicking here https://ssol.columbia.edu/?tran[1]_tran_name=seni
or by logging in to your SSOL account and clicking on "Text Message Enrollment." These numbers will not be used for any purpose other than important communications."

I also wanted to let you know that drop-in appointments are being offered from the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. today (Saturday). Students are encouraged to drop in to the offices on the 8th floor of Lerner if they would like to have a conversation with a member of the CPS team.

Our hearts go out to the friends and families of those affected by the tragic events at NIU.

Be safe.

—Dave Beeman & Hanna Seifu

For the full e-mail from Jim McShane of Public Safety, click here—> (more…)

Columbia Stages Presents:

THE GREAT GOD BROWN
By Eugene O’Neill
Directed by MICHAEL RAU

February 20-23, 2008

The Riverside Theatre
91 Claremont Avenue
Between 120th and 122nd Streets

$15 General Admission
$5 Seniors

Free with Columbia University ID or other valid student ID
(Subject to availability) 

All Students and CUID holders: To claim your ticket, you must go in person to the box office at The Riverside Theatre and present your I.D. Box office hours are Thursday – Saturday, 4p-8p and Sunday noon-4p as well as one hour prior to performances. One complimentary ticket per CUID. Complimentary student tickets are subject to availability and cannot be reserved. (more…)

SAVE THE DATE

Ahhhhh.Winter. The lack of snow!  Temperatures in the 60s (at least yesterday)!  The Giants and Tom Petty! Ticker tape parades!    20-minute Golden Globe telecasts!  The warm winter glow of light emanating from your local H&R Block office!  Barack, HIlary, John (M, not E), Mike, Ron, Mitt (Oops.  Scratch the last one)!

What better time to remind you to file your FAFSA?
(Doh! Such a buzzkill, I know, however…)

If you (a) are a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident and (b) want to be considered for federal aid next year, you must (more…)

The School of the Arts takes pride in presenting the list of its February 2008 graduates, who, as of Wednesday, February 13, having met or surpassed the requirements of their respective programs, have thereby been awarded the Master of Fine Arts degree from the Columbia University School of the Arts.

Congratulations to all these students.  We wish them success in all their future endeavors.  Should you be in contact with one or more of them, please take a moment to acknowledge their hard work and to wish them well: (more…)

The Columbia University Center for Career Education presents a series of presentations entitled: Career Essentials for Masters Students.  The first is entitled:  Career Exploration. 

Date: February 12, 2008 from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm EST
Location: Center for Career Education, Conference Room
Contact: For further information regarding this event, please contact Chandlee Bryan at cb2573@columbia.edu or by calling 212-854-5484.
Info & Registration: http://www.careereducation.columbia.edu/events

NOTE: YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT ONLINE BY VISITING THE URL ADDRESS SHOWN ABOVE.

February 12, Part 1: Career Exploration: Career fields of interest to liberal arts students; how to explore and identify appropriate industries

February 19, Part 2: Tools for the Job Search: Writing effective resumes and cover letters

February 26, Part 3: Job Search: Techniques, strategies, networking skills, timeline

March 4, Part 4: Interviewing: Interview process, interviewing techniques, negotiating (more…)

FREE PIZZA and SOFT DRINKS: For all SoA Students

The Artists’ Resource Center presents:

An Introduction to the ARC Website:
Finding Scholarships and Grants

We put the “Fun” in “Funding!”

Wednesday, February 13th, 1pm, Dodge Hall 413

Learn how to navigate the hip new Artists’ Resource Center Website for grants and scholarships; find out about important upcoming application deadlines; get to know the staff of the ARC and all they have offer!

Are you planning to attend? Do you have questions that you want answered? Please RSVP at arc@columbia.edu


Columbia University School of the Arts
Artists’ Resource Center
arc@columbia.edu

Are feeling blocked creatively?  Do you need some Metamucil for your soul?  Come take part in this set of workshops addressing issues and solutions to creative blockages!

Spring 08 Work Block Group Available
Location:  Counseling and Psychological Services: Lerner Hall 8th Floor
Day and Time:  Mondays 1-3PM
For 6 sessions: February 25, March 3,10,24, 31 and April 7

To register or for more information contact Dr. William Sommer at (212) 854-2878 or email wgs2@columbia.edu.

These workshops are sponsored by the Columbia University Office of Counseling and Psychological Services.

Attn: THEATER, VISUAL ARTS, FILM, WRITING
You are hereby invited to the first School of Art party of the year!

THURSDAY 9PM SEPT 27
HAVANA CENTRAL @ THE WEST END
(2911 Broadway, between 113th & 114th)
FREE DRINKS
(first come, first served)

MIX SWAP! Make a music mix for the party and bring it on! CD or iPods in heavy rotation – gong show style. (as you know, ASC is all about ‘collaboration’ so see if you can get the inter-divisional masses moving as one)

Brought to you by your Arts Student Council.