Columbia College Chicago Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago Alumni Newsletters Alumni Fall 1995 re: Columbia Columbia College Chicago Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.colum.edu/alumnae_news This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. Recommended Citation re: Columbia College Chicago (Fall 1995), Alumni Magazine, College Archives & Special Collections, Columbia College Chicago. http://digitalcommons.colum.edu/alumnae_news/48 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Alumni at Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago. It has been accepted for inclusion in Alumni Newsletters by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago. class gift In their last semester at Columbia, several members of the Class of '95 showed their appreciation to the college by donating their time and money to the new Class Gift Fund. Senior Class Gift Committee members raised over $5,000 to purchase additional campus computers by contacting other seniors and local businesses and organizations. The deluxe system will be highlighted in a new computer lab slated to open this fall. A plaque honoring the donors and the Class of '95 will be displayed in the lab along with an original painting by alumna Patricia Olsen. (1-r) Class of '95 Gift Committee member Kevin Morrow with Class of '96 Gift Committee member Katja Lindy and student Liza Grisales. re: columbia no. 14/fall1995 tri-annual publication sent free of charge to alumni and friends PRESIDENT'S CLUB of columbia college chicago INAUGURATION evening's perfo rmers over an President's Club members play exquisite dessert buffet and a vital role in enabling Columbia enjoyed a panoramic view of to provide students fro m the lakeshore and the all walks of life with the financial city's skyline. support and academic resources essential to co mpl ete their The P r esi d en t 's Clu b educations. Membership Program was creat­ ed to provide Columbia friends Proceeds from this year's mem­ and alumni a forum with which bership program wi ll benefit to participate more fully in the several endowed student schol­ wealth of artistic and culturally arship programs. In future diverse activities at Columbia. years, President's Club mem­ This unique fundraising initia­ bers will decide on how to spend its new tive will also provide the college the endowment funds raised unprece­ with the financial support inte­ from this program. -------- gral to reaching its educational evening of elegance · and The benefit performance at goals. Membership gift cate­ Skyline Stage was sponsored entertainment in September. The new membership gories range from $500 to $5,000; by Co lumbia, WN UA 95.5 program began with "cool jazz New President's Club members members receive benefits such as Smooth Jazz, GRP Reco rding under the stars" at Navy Pier's were invited to a post-show VIP free tickets to Columbia-spon­ Company, and Musicland. Skyline Stage where the college's party at a spectacular new Gold sored events, performances, lec­ Chicago Jazz Ensemble, conduct­ Coast penthouse immedia tely tures and workshops correlating Steering committee co-chairs are ed by William Russo, was among following the performance: with their gift level. trustees Sydney Smith Gordon, the featured big bands. Grammy Members mingled with the Gordon J. McClendon and Award-winning Dr. John and Osvaldo Rodriguez, and Dance the Afterglow Big Band and Center Advisory Board member Tom Scott with the GRP All-Star Marcia E. La zar. Committee Band were also on the jazz members include George L. extravaganza bill. Joh nson, Averi ll Leviton, Judith H. Riskind , Jane L. Shapira, Helena Chapellin Wil son '76, Tom Kallen , Robert Remer, Jerry C. Wilkerson '69, Pau l Johnson and J. Dennis Rich. For more information about join­ ing the President's Club, call 312/663-1600, ext. 5287. and Amy Mendelson '86 William Russo, Alan Amos, Marcia Lazar and president John B. Duff Bobbi Wilsyn with The Chicago Jazz Ensemble develop a vision of its future suc­ In January, the President and the commencement honorees cess, based on its mission and Provost announced the appoint­ established strengths. The initia­ ment of the President's Planning tive began with a dialogue across Advisory Committee (PAC). The the college community to define committee will make recommen­ the central educational issues fac­ dations to the president on plan­ ing the college now and into the ning go als, priorities, and next century. processes for the college. In order to design and implement In the second issue of Designing a planning process that involved the Future, a newsletter published the entire college community, by the planning and institutional Mark Kelly, associate provost of research department, Barbara planning, and Anne Foley, direc­ Calabrese, PAC chair and tor of institutional research, radio/sound faculty member began by compiling a document wrote: "The discussions of the which contained statistical data PAC have thus far mirrored most of the concerns and issues voiced by the entire college community Ben Vereen during the planning forums ... Emmy and Tony Award-winning received the President's Medal These issues include, but have not entertainer Ben Vereen gave a for distingui shed service. been limited to: recruitment, rousi ng and inspirational Marketing/ co mmunications the co llege retention, the curriculum, the col­ keynote address to Columbia's major Frank Mark Kush was community, lege's relationship to the arts and 1995 graduating class at the com­ class valedictorian. including communications industries and mencement in June. The college trustees, professions, economic models, Randy Albers, who was recently awarded Vereen an honorary faculty, and growth ." appointed as acting chair of doctorate along with syndicated s t a f f , the fiction writing department, The committee created and dis­ columnist Ann Landers, Johnson students received the full-time Teacher of tributed "Voices," a summary Publi shing Company CEO a n d the Year Award. Interpreter train­ report of the planning forums. John H. Johnson, Polk Bros. alumni. ing instructor Ann Fancher Critical issues contained in the Foundation CEO Sandra Polk and marketing communication Next came document distilled from forum Guthman, and Eugene C. in structor Bill Fisher were co­ pla nnin g discussions include open admis­ D'Angelo, president of WENS­ recipients of the part-time forums which sions, college community, fa culty, TV in Columbus, Ohio. Teacher of the Year award . were focu sed curriculum, administration and Sydney Smith Gordon, a veteran discuss ions among management, technology, space radio and television broadcaster members of the college com­ and growth , with sub-topics and 25-year college trustee, In the Fall of 1994, President John munity eager to share their ideas within each category B. Duff, with the support and par­ about improving education for Members of the college communi- ticipation of the Board of Columbia students. Over 750 fa c­ ty are encouraged to contact Trustees, initiated a highly partic­ ulty, staff, students, alumni and the committee with concerns. ipatory process to explore how trustees participated in more than Posinonpalpers~<m~Je~Un~u~r----r--~~W.~~~--~~--~~~~~~-... ~r- --~~------~ best to build upon Columbia's 50 planning forums between to Mark Kelly. Call312/663-1600, strengths to design its future. October and December 1994. A ext. 5650 for more information. Columbia College undertook the commitment to the mission of the planning initiative, Celebrating the college was consistent through­ Past, Designing the Future, to out the forum s. "CELEBRATE COLUMBIA~~ A SELLOUT "A lot of people here tonight the sellout event drew 370 guests know about Columbia College, and, according to Wilson and co­ but they have no idea of the scope chairs Ave rill Lev iton and and magnitude of the students' Gordon McClendon, raised talents. For them, it's a lovely $55,000 for the Trustees Student night of discovery." That remark Scholarship Fund. by Helena Chapellin Wilson, co­ Arriving gues ts received an chair of "Celebrate Columbia - Academy Awards-style greeting: Take 2," summed up guests' reac­ impromptu interviews by roving tions to the college's dazzling student reporters from Columbia's benefit showcase of student talent tv and radio departments. Other on May 6 at the Harold students in bowler hats and Washington Library. A kaleido­ black-and-white outfits served as chainmail evening wear, a satin scope of performance, fashion, guides to the evening's events. College trustee Madeline Murphy Rabb and student reporter Jim Brunetti and paper clip shorts set, "club" film, and visual and literary arts, jackets (basic plastic rain jackets) with voluptuous fea ther boa trim, During the cocktail hour, guests music by members of Columbia's a flowerpot poncho trimm ed strolled through exhibits of stu­ Chicago Jazz Ensemble. with huge sunflowers, stunning dents' work in art, photography, Even the red and black table set­ Baroque-inspired evening gowns, film, computer graphics and fic­ tings displayed students' talent. and ensembles paying homage to tion writing. Next came a per­ Centerpieces of red tulips in black Korean architecture, traditional forming arts showcase of dance, vases rested on "nests" created of Amish attire, and a Magritte sur­ drama, and musical comedy, fol­ film from student productions. A realist painting. lowed by a sumptuous dinner black and red gift wrapped CD catered by George Jewell in the Benefit committee members produced by Columbia's student­ Winter Garden. An exuberant included trustees Cy nthia run record company was at each post-dinner runway fashion show Mitchell, Judith Riskind, Osvaldo place setting. of student designs, narrated by Rodriguez, Jane Shapira and Saks Fifth Avenue fashion direc­ The spectacular fashion show fea­ Ellen Stone-Belie. tor Nena !von, drew a standing tured some 80 student-designed College trustees and gala co-<:halrs Helena Chapellln Wilson '76, ova tion.