Vol. 27, No.7 November 30, 2001 Kenneth Koch Awarded Inaugural Effect of Sept. 11 on Academia is Primary Phi Beta Kappa Poetry Prize Topic at Columbia’s Annual Media Dinner BY James Devitt

English Professor Kenneth Koch, Ph.D. ’59, has won the inaugural Phi Beta Kappa Poetry Award competition. Koch was named at a luncheon in Washing- ton, D.C. in mid-November. Prior to the announcement, he and the four other finalists participated in a public reading of their works at the Library of Congress. Koch’s entry, “New Addresses” (Knopf 2000), employs the poetic device of apostrophe to discuss top- Kenneth Koch ics ranging from World War II to the Unknown. The honor includes Beta Kappa Poetry Award were $10,000 and a bronze medal. Amy Gerstler, College of Design Koch’s other works include (CA), Ann Lauterbach, Bard Col- “Rose, Where Did You Get That lege, Charles North, MA ’64, Red?, Teaching Great Poetry to Pace University, and Dara Wier, Children” (Random House1990) University of Massachusetts- and “The Art of Poetry” (Michigan Amherst. This year’s judge was 1996). Koch, also a playwright, John Ashbery, an American poet, wrote the libretto for composer playright, novelist and critic. Marcello Panni’s “The Banquet.” Koch and the other finalists were He has previously won awards selected from nearly 200 poets from the American Academy of who submitted their published Arts and Letters as well as the Ful- works to the Phi Beta Kappa Poet- bright, Guggenheim and Ingram- ry Award competition.

RECORD PHOTO BY EILEEN BARROSO Merrill Foundations. In 1996, he Allan and David Winston estab- won the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt lished the award through the Win- More than two dozen journalists—including reporters from Time Magazine, The New York National Prize for Poetry, awarded ston Foundation to honor their Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times—met with eleven university presi- by the Library of Congress. Early in late parents, Joseph, MA ’39, Law dents for Columbia’s annual media dinner, Nov. 14. The focal point of discussion was how the his career, he was identified with the ’42, and May Winston. The Sept. 11 attacks have affected higher education as well as specific trends emerging in acade- New York School of poetry, which award’s purpose is to honor the mic settings across the country. Above, President George Rupp, right, responds to a question was in part inspired by the works of complementary missions of Phi while ABC News’ Jody Hassett, center, and Time Magazine’s Jodie Morse, left, look on. painters Jackson Pollock, Willem de Beta Kappa and the Winston Kooning and Larry Rivers. Foundation: to foster excellence Students’ Love for Art Inspires Innovative The other finalists for the Phi in the liberal arts and sciences. Programming on Columbia’s WKCR-89.9 FM He’s even exchanged on-air make up the art department of INSIDE BY Jo Kadlecek insights with Columbia film WKCR-89 FM (www. professors Richard Peña and wkcr.org). 2 Senate Commission reports Philipp Kuecuekyan, CC David Sterritt and New York WKCR radio began at on study identifying obsta- ‘03, was sitting in his film Times critic Janet Maslin. In Columbia in the 1930s as a cles for women faculty at studies class last spring when a fact, Kuecuekyan’s interviews radio club and secured its FCC Columbia University. friend asked if he might want have built such a following that license by 1941. It adopted its to use his interest in cinema as he’s now inundated with call letters—KCR for King’s a talk show DJ for WKCR-89.9 inquiries by publicists and Crown Radio—shortly after FM. Kuecuekyan, a native of filmmakers alike. “I have so WWII when the FCC began Berlin, Germany, hadn’t many requests, I don’t have codifying the formalities of thought much about the medi- time for them all,” he says. radio stations. Soon, WKCR um of radio before and didn’t Not bad for an undergraduate formally embraced the FM feel completely confident with film student who wasn’t sure convention and aired Columbia his interviewing skills. Still, he could pull off so much con- classroom events, classical the idea intrigued him and he versation in a non-visual medi- music and broadcasts of the agreed at least to try. um. And though he easily United Nations. But in 1968, Today, Kuecuekyan is a host spends ten hours a week the station redirected its mis- of “Film Focus”, an indepen- preparing for his thirty minutes sion to present non-commer- dent film show that airs Mon- of air time, Kuecuekyan does- cial programming of relevance day nights from 9:30-10 on the n’t earn a dime or an academic to the entire New York City Lauren Papalia, CC’02 student-run radio station and credit for his show. What he area. WKCR’s identity evolved includes reviews, interviews does gain is an insider’s view into “The Alternative” and has 3 Lauren Papalia balances a 5 Can Craig Austin help and previews. Kuecuekyan has of the New York film scene, in the past few years gained a superb soccer season with Columbia regain the scheduled and interviewed growing confidence in his worldwide audience—thanks strong academic perfor- men’s basketball Ivy directors such as Jacque Riv- skills and access to internation- to the Internet—of listeners mance. crown for the first time ette (“Va Savoir”), Griffin al filmmakers and actors. who tune in for programs they since 1968? Dunne (“Lisa Picard is The secret of his success? cannot get on other stations. Famous”) and Ang Lee Kuecuekyan is part of a team— Enter WKCR-Arts. In addi- 4 Acclaimed director, produc- 11 Graduate student in theatre (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden and a history—of equally tion to “Film Focus,” other er and screenwriter Nora arts becomes Columbia’s Dragon”) as well as actors like enthusiastic undergraduate stu- shows include “Art Attack,” Ephron offers insights to first Liberace Scholar. Marissa Tomei, Mira Sorvino, dents, who, since 1986, have School of the Arts students. and Mathieu Kassovitz. sustained the five shows that (Continued on Page 10)