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Columbia College Spring 2012 TODAY Coeducation: Then and Now hoose as many as you like. Co Business networking o Social mixers for all ages o Lectures and presentations o Meet the author o Concerts o Special meals and wine tastings o Young alumni events o Events with other Ivy clubs o Private museum tours o Family fun events o Sporting events o Special interest groups o Broadway shows and of all kinds… backstage tours o …or start your own group It’s always your choice at the Columbia Club. Come see how the club’s many stimulating activities and events could fit into your life. For more information or to apply, visit www.columbiaclub.org or call (212) 719-0380. The Columbia University Club of New York Columbia’s SocialIntellectualCulturalRecreationalProfessional Resource in Midtown. Contents 16 COEDUCATION: THEN AND NOW 18 Class of 1987 25 Women at Heralds New the Podium Era at Columbia Coeducation spurred the Women excelled in the recruitment of female College’s first fully faculty members, coeducational class, though parity remains and their impact was a work in progress. only just beginning. BY SHIRA BOSS ’93, ’97J, ’98 SIPA BY SHIRA BOSS ’93, ’97J, ’98 SIPA 28 Women’s 31 Den Mothers Wisdom A generation after the Columbia College College’s first women Women’s mentorship graduated, some of their program pairs students children are following and alumnae, with in their footsteps. exceptional results. BY KAREN IORIO BY SHIRA BOSS ’93, ’97J, ’98 SIPA COVER: Alma Mater and Alexander Hamilton (Class of 1778) take a break on the Van Am Quad. ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTOPHER BURRELL. Burrell is a journalist and illustrator in East Boston, Mass., whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe. FEATURES DEPARTMENTS ALUMNI NEWS 3 Message from 56 Message from the Dean the CCAA President Interim Dean James J. Kyra Tirana Barry ’87 Valentini cites the achieve- outlines the CCAA Alumni ments and leadership of Recognition Committee’s College alumnae. mission to honor alumni achievements. 4 Letters to the Editor 57 Bookshelf 6 Around the Quads A new exhibit showcases historical texts and Jason Epstein ’49, ’50 GSAS PHOTO: CHUCK ZOVKO manuscripts featured in the Core Curriculum. 34 Alumni 40 Publishing Icon, Reunion Weekend Perennial Student 48 Columbia Forum: Jacques Barzun: and Dean’s Day Editor and publisher Jason Epstein ’49, ’50 GSAS Portrait of a Mind Alumni Reunion Weekend Marguerite Tassi ’87 and Dean’s Day 2012 offer considers his long and PHOTO: SHAUN PADGETT prolific career an extension numerous chances to Featured: Passing Strange: of a journey that began at reconnect with old friends, Shakespeare, Race, and the College. rediscover the campus and Contemporary America by BY EUGENE L. MEYER ’64 take a class with outstanding Ayanna Thompson ’94 faculty. This preview in- and Women and Revenge in cludes general information, 46 Political Shakespeare: Gender, Genre, listings for all-class and Strategist and Ethics by Marguerite class-specific events, and Robby Mook ’02 works Tassi ’87. contact and registration tirelessly to help Democrats information. A longtime friend and win back seats in Congress. collaborator of Jacques 60 Obituaries BY JONATHAN LEMIRE ’01 Barzun ’27, ’32 GSAS praises the scholar’s rare 64 Class Notes and distinguished mind. Alumni Profiles BY MICHAEL MURRAY 66 Dr. Herbert Hendin ’46, ’59 P&S 103 Leilah Broukhim ’00 Like Columbia College on 107 Seth Flaxman ’07 Facebook: facebook.com/ columbiacollege1754 WEB EXTRAS 112 Alumni 5 More Minutes with Mark Mazower Corner Follow @Columbia_CCAA Jacqueline Bryk ’13 Hosts CTV Show Super U Brian C. Krisberg ’81, ’84L on Twitter describes his time as Leilah Broukhim ’00 Dances Flamenco in Spain Carman Hall head resident Coach Pete Mangurian Talks Columbia Football during the transition to Join the Columbia Alumni coeducation. Association Network on John Jay Awards Dinner 2012 Photo Gallery LinkedIn: alumni.columbia. edu/linkedin college.columbia.edu/cct MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Alumnae Enhance the College Through Leadership, Philanthropy ear Columbians, hear about its many accomplishments and goals. With task force This issue celebrates the 25th anniversary of members’ help, we hope to involve more alumnae as fundraising the graduation of Columbia College’s first fully volunteers and alumnae leaders and increase awareness of the coeducational class. I wasn’t at Columbia in 1987, opportunities for alumnae to become more involved in Columbia but by the time I arrived on campus four years lat- College and make a difference in students’ lives. er, it would have been im- CCW was founded by College alumnae Dpossible to imagine Columbia College with- in 1989 to create networks within the alum- out women. Female students have made nae and student communities and build the up 45–50 percent of every incoming class legacy of women at the College. Today, the since 1983, and as a professor of chemistry, I group provides resources and program- have taught more than a thousand women. ming for alumnae and female students My female students have gone on to gradu- through student scholarships and a success- ate school and successful careers in a wide ful mentoring program. This year, as I wrote range of industries. And, like the members in the Winter 2011–12 issue (college.colum of the first coeducational graduating class, bia.edu/cct/winter11/message_from_the_ they have unquestionably left their mark on dean), the CCW mentoring program at- the College. tracted more than 300 female students, who Since becoming dean, I am even more are matched with an alumna individually aware of the talents and accomplishments of or in groups. And a survey conducted last Columbia College alumnae and their dedica- year by the Dean’s Alumnae Leadership tion to the College through their work with Task Force found that more than 600 alum- the Dean’s Alumnae Leadership Task Force nae were interested in volunteering with the and Columbia College Women (CCW). CCW mentoring program. We encourage In 2010, the College founded the Dean’s more alumnae to get involved. (You can find Alumnae Leadership Task Force, a group of out more about the group at college.colum 23 women who aim to shape the future of bia.edu/alumni/getinvolved or by contact- James J. Valentini, Dean of Columbia College alumnae leadership, engage more alumnae and Vice President for Undergraduate Educa- ing Sarah Seredych Trimmer, assistant direc- in the life of the College and broaden phi- tion (Interim) tor, alumni affairs: [email protected] or lanthropy at the school. The group already PHOTO: EILEEN BARROSO 212-851-7977.) has raised a significant amount of money for the College. Alumnae giving to the Columbia College Fund s graduation approaches, we also are looking for ways rose 53 percent from Fiscal Year 2009–10 to Fiscal Year 2010–11, to keep seniors involved. In January, at the Columbia and several task force members made large commitments for College Class of 2012 Senior Fund Kickoff, I intro- scholarships. I met with this group in the fall and was excited to Aduced my “3-2-1 Challenge.” I asked seniors to give at least $20.12 to the College for three years, to ask two of their friends to do the same and to have their dollars matched 1:1 by Share Your Memories of an alumni donor. We’ve had a great response so far — 122 seniors donated and 41 signed on to the challenge as of mid-February. I the Move to Coeducation hope some of that response is due to my offer to match any dona- ere you on campus during the mid-1980s, tions made on the night of the kickoff. An alumnus also pledged to give $5,000 when the Class of 2012 reaches 250 donors. Our when Columbia College made the transition to goal is to reach 750 donors by the end of the semester. coeducation from the all-male school that it had W I am looking forward to seeing many of you at Alumni Re- been for more than two centuries? As the 25th anniversary union Weekend, Thursday, May 31–Sunday, June 3. All alumni of the graduation of the first coed class approaches (see are invited to Saturday’s Dean’s Day, one of the many events dur- special section in this issue), we invite you to share your ing reunion, and I hope that you will all be able to attend. In the recollections of that turning point in the College’s history and meantime, please continue to write to me at columbiacollege@ let us know about the impact that Columbia has had on your columbia.edu. life. Please submit your memories at college.columbia.edu/ coeducation. Roar, Lions, Roar, SPRING 2012 3 Letters to the Editor become superb scholars in their own right Volume 39 Number 3 and successors to your groundbreaking Spring 2012 work in the field of Asian studies. It is for EDITOR AND PUBLISHER that very reason that I am sending you one Alex Sachare ’71 of the unexpected fruits and perhaps un- EXECUTIVE EDITOR intended consequences of your encounter Lisa Palladino with one anonymous student. The en- MANAGING EDITOR closed book, What the One Reveals to All Alexis Tonti ’11 Arts People — Some Possibilities for Conversation and Action, would probably never have EDITORIAL ASSISTANT been produced except for the widening of Karen Iorio perspective my contact with you and Pro- FORUM EDITOR fessor Keene provided. Rose Kernochan ’82 Barnard Paul Luther ’68 CONTRIBUTING WRITER BERNARDSTON, MASS. Shira Boss ’93, ’97J, ’98 SIPA EDITORIAL INTERN Japan After the Storm Professor Gerald Curtis’ article “Tohoku Benjamin W. Gittelson ’15 Congratulations on a brilliant and beauti- Diary” in the latest CCT was both fascinat- DESIGN CONSULTANT ful Japan issue (Winter 2011–12).