Winter 2017–18 MORGAN PARKER ’10 ON BEAUTY AND BEYONCÉ A DIRECTOR IN D.C. STEPHANIE STEBICH ’88 LEADS THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM TOUCHDOWN! Columbia LIONS FOOTBALL College BRINGS THE FIRE Today Changing Why campuses nationwide are prioritizing their students’ mental health MINDS MICHAEL EDMONSON CC’20 Help us build a vibrant community that strengthens the past, present and future of Columbia College. GET INVOLVED TODAY! As a Mentor As an Ambassador Join the new Odyssey Mentoring Program Interview applicants to the College and provide support and guidance to by representing Columbia wherever students and young alumni, while also you are. (Each interview takes less expanding your alumni network. than an hour!) As a Leader As a Supporter Volunteer with one of our many alumni All gifts to the Columbia College Fund committees to help shape programs and support alma mater through the activities for students and fellow alumni. Core to Commencement campaign. college.columbia.edu/campaign/volunteer • [email protected] Contents features 20 Under Pressure Anxiety on campus is a national concern. How are colleges supporting students’ emotional well-being? By Alexis Boncy SOA’11 26 The Work of Art Stephanie Stebich ’88 boldly steps into her new role as a Smithsonian director. By Anne-Ryan Heatwole JRN’09 30 Think Ink Publisher Louis Rossetto ’71 kicks off a new book venture — with an old-fashioned twist. By Boris Kachka ’97, JRN’98 Cover: Illustration by Scott Bakal Contents departments alumninews 3 Message from Dean James J. Valentini 38 Message from CCAA President How the College is prioritizing student Michael Behringer ’89 mental health and wellness. How lucky we are to be Columbians right now! 4 Letters to the Editor 39 Alumni in the News 6 Around the Quads 40 Bookshelf The launch of the Eric H. Holder Initiative Bed-Stuy is Burning, by Brian Platzer ’04; an excerpt for Civil and Political Rights. from our online “Like Minds” conversation with author Paul Auster ’69 and publisher Dan Simon ’79. 16 Roar, Lion, Roar Lions football catches fire, finishing with an 42 Lions 8–2 record; celebrating the 1967–68 kings of Juliette Finzi Hart ’96; Alicia Yoon ’04; David Heim ’68 Ivy League basketball. 45 Class Notes 34 Columbia Forum: There Are More Just Married! Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé Morgan Parker ’10’s new book of poetry is 84 Obituaries “a love letter to black women.” Ray Robinson ’41 88 The Last Word Tim Towler ’77 is reunited with his College class ring two decades after it went missing. Now on CCT Online CCT LION’S DEN | NOV. 16 PRINT EXTRAS THE LATEST “These two [Thanksgiving] • Homecoming 2017 Facebook album TAKE FIVE | DEC. 1 celebrations at opposite ends of • Kenny Ridwan ’21’s acting demo reel the Black experience centered • Juliette Finzi-Hart ’96’s virtual tour “How many followers would my identity and made me the of the Santa Monica beach Julius Caesar or Pliny the cook I am today. The differences Elder have on Instagram?” between them could be tasted in — Director and photographer the macaroni and cheese.” Like Columbia College Alumni Mike Mellia ’02 — Food blogger Robyn Burgess ’10, from facebook.com/alumnicc “Rewriting the Rules of Mac and Cheese” View Columbia College Alumni photos instagram.com/alumniofcolumbiacollege LIKE MINDS | NOV. 28 Follow @Columbia_CCAA “I’ve never been able to compose on a keyboard of any kind. I still don’t have Join the Columbia College Alumni network email. I don’t have a cellphone. I’m college.columbia.edu/alumni/linkedin making a stand. I want to be a dinosaur.” — Author Paul Auster ’69 college.columbia.edu/cct Message from the Dean The Importance of Student Wellness ince I became dean in 2011, I have been host- ing “Dine with Deantini” lunches — oppor- tunities for groups of students to join me for Slunchtime conversations about their lives, their intellectual pursuits and what they like best (and least) about Columbia College. At many of those gatherings, students have talked about the stresses of college life and what kinds of institutional support they need for their well-being. This is not just a Columbia issue — and it is not new. As this issue’s cover story explains, nearly a quarter of college students nationwide experience anxiety, and institutions of higher education have been grappling with how to better prioritize student health and wellness. Columbia has been focusing attention on our well- ness efforts for a long time and we have a strong sys- tem in place, including professional Residential Life staff and student RAs in all of our residence halls; academic, study abroad, fellowship, financial aid and student organization advisers; and access to University resources such as Columbia Health, and Counseling and Psychological Services. Even so, we continually strive to enhance and expand our support. In fall 2016, the College created a director of student wellness position, which focuses on the one job that the RUDD SCOTT title clearly conveys. Last spring, we augmented gate- keeper training to help all College staff — including me and provide funding to make Senior Week more acces- Dean James J. Valentini — recognize and respond effectively when students are sible to all students. speaking at Low Rotunda in distress. And each year we update our New Student And during the past few months, we have been in November. Orientation Program to create more ways for students working intensely with The Jed Foundation, the to find community as soon as they arrive on campus nonprofit founded by Phillip Satow ’63 and his and to prepare them for satisfying and rewarding lives wife, Donna Satow GS’65, and directed by John A. at Columbia. MacPhee ’89, PH’12, to review, assess and enhance In recent years, we have also expanded support — our campus wellness efforts. This past fall, members including creating a Deans’ Student Assistance Fund of our Mental Health Steering Group, which includes for unanticipated personal expenses — for students students, faculty and staff, spent a half-day with JED who might face additional challenges. Columbia Dining representatives and heard their evaluation of our self- is now open 24 hours and during all school breaks to assessment materials. JED found that we have many ensure students have a friendly and comfortable place to effective programs and policies, but identified several go when they want to be with others. We provide subsi- areas where they could help us to develop, expand or dized travel to attend scholarship interviews and awards strengthen our efforts. We are working with JED to ceremonies, as well as funding for unpaid and low-paid develop a strategic plan to accomplish that. I will keep internships and research opportunities. Since academic you posted on our efforts. year 2016–17, we have been waiving our fees for stu- dents on financial aid who take laboratory, language, film, writing and visual arts courses to allow students to choose the courses that interest them most without regard to cost. We also offer graduation caps and gowns James J. Valentini at no cost to students with the highest financial need, Dean Winter 2017–18 CCT 3 Columbia College Letters to the Editor CCT Today VOLUME 45 NUMBER 2 WINTER 2017–18 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alexis Boncy SOA’11 A Lion-Hearted EXECUTIVE EDITOR Lisa Palladino Escapade DEPUTY EDITOR Jill C. Shomer While I was reading the article on the ASSOCIATE EDITOR Big “C” in the Fall 2017 CCT [“Roar, Anne-Ryan Heatwole JRN’09 Lion, Roar”], I was surprised to find FORUM EDITOR my own name staring back at me from Rose Kernochan BC’82 the page with the allegation that I had EDITORIAL INTERN written an “outraged” letter in the 1980s Canwen Xu ’20 deriding the repainting of the “C” as a ART DIRECTOR “harebrained stunt.” Eson Chan I have no recollection of having writ- PHYLLIS KATZ ten such a letter, but if I did I hereby Published quarterly by the wish to retract it. This was clearly not a harebrained stunt but rather a Lion-hearted Columbia College Office of Alumni Affairs and Development escapade, worthy of all praise and admiration. In this case, what was written in the for alumni, students, faculty, parents 1980s stays in the 1980s. and friends of Columbia College. Edward R. Green ’79, SEAS’83 ASSOCIATE DEAN, Brooklyn, N.Y. COLUMBIA COLLEGE ALUMNI RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS Ah, Memories I saw it every day as we launched our shells Bernice Tsai ’96 and as we came to dock every evening. After reading “Oh, Say Can You ‘C’?” in Also, a coda to the item about the clos- ADDRESS the Fall 2017 issue, I find myself reflecting. ing of West 116th Street [in “Alumni Columbia College Today During 1956–57, I was a 16-year-old, 115- News”]: Uniting the Columbia campus Columbia Alumni Center lb. freshman coxswain. As a part of my crew continued in 1962–63 with the “bridge” 622 W. 113th St., MC 4530, 4th Fl. “initiation” — sitting on a narrow board — I from the main campus to the Law School New York, NY 10025 was lowered to, and painted (simply using over Amsterdam Avenue between West a bucket and brush), a long segment of the 116th and 117th streets. Interestingly, the PHONE “C” equal to my arm span. One row was concrete for the supporting pillars did not 212-851-7852 quite enough! My children, grandchildren meet specifications and jackhammers had EMAIL and friends have been suitably impressed on to break the concrete out of the reinforc- [email protected] seeing the site. ing rod so that the supporting pillars could WEB Ah, memories ..