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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. ARTS + MEDIA = CULTURE FALL/WINTER 2011
FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS OF 15 COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO
ROCK ’N’ ROLL How Columbia Shaped RADIO Powerhouse Station 93XRT COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO PRESENTS
CONVERSATIONS PRESENTING SPONSOR
INTHEARTSConversations in the Arts offers in-depth dialogue with some of the world’s most notable cultural figures in a select and intimate setting. This season, our guests are innovators in disciplines taught through our School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Film Row Cinema Columbia College Chicago 1104 S. Wabash Ave., 8th floor All lectures start at 7:00 p.m.
REGISTRATION begins 4-6 weeks before each event at colum.edu/ conversations. Tickets will be available at no charge on a first- come, first-served basis. Theater seating is limited, so RSVP early. OCTOBER 25, 2011 FEBRUARY 7, 2012 QUESTIONS? Email [email protected] DONNA BRAZILE GLORIA STEINEM or call 312.369.7420. Veteran Democratic political Writer, lecturer, editor, and strategist, commentator, and analyst feminist activist
colum.edu/conversations
HOTEL SPONSORS FALL/WINTER 2011 15
FEATURES
Rock ’n’ Roll Radio For nearly 40 years, 93XRT has ruled the Chicago airwaves with the same format and same core staff—many of whom got their start at 10 Columbia. By Jon Graef (MA ’12)
2011 Alumni of the Year Columbia salutes David Cromer (’86), John Hellerman (BA ’95), and 18 Nobuko Oyabu (BA ’95) for their ingenuity, ambition, and achievements. By Audrey Michelle Mast (BA ’00)
Portfolio: Brian Dettmer 23 Artist Brian Dettmer (BA ’97) transforms the pages of old books into new masterpieces. By Liz Harmon Miller
DEPARTMENTS
5 Vision A question for President Warrick L. Carter 6 Wire News from the college community 36 Get Lit New books by Greg Foster-Rice and John Rohrbach, Idris Goodwin, Ivan Brunetti, David Anthony Witter, and Rea Frey and Stephany Alexander 38 Out There Our alumni section, featuring class news, notes, and CAAN updates COVER 44 Point & Shoot Caught on camera around the country 47 Events What’s coming up on campus What started as an experiment in the early 1970s has become a bonafide institution. 49 Backstory Student-run radio station WCRX is fresh on the See how Columbia played a major role in air in 1982 shaping the people and personalities of “Chicago’s Finest Rock” station 93XRT. Story, SPOT ON page 10. Photo: Drew Reynolds (BA ’97) 28 Sound engineer Jeremy Lemos (BA ’99) sacrifices sleep to produce pitch-perfect music for the masses 30 Photographer Diane Dammeyer (’01) establishes a scholarship to encourage Columbia students to enrich communities through their art 32 Bob McNamara (BA ’66), Emmy Award-winning journalist, kept Americans informed for four decades 34 Journalist Parisa Khosravi (BA ’87) leads CNN’s international newsgathering efforts, bringing home the stories that shape our world
DEMO1 Boutique. Columbia’s store atshop.colum.edu. (and expanded) spaceorournewonline Visitfor customers. ournewlyremodeled Ashoppingemerging destination artists. and more. for Alearning laboratory accessories, stationery, music,media, jewelry,student andalumniart, fashions, ShopColumbia features thebestof Mia M.Delano (BA ’99) James R. Daly (BA ’87) Kadi Cunningham L. (BA ’08) Dana D. (’97)&Joseph T. Connell April M.Castro (BA ’96) Andrea K. Brown (BA ’ 86) BrittBill (BA ’92)&Stacy A.Blinn(BA ’95,MA’04) & Mary Bob J. Blinn(BA ’73) Joel (’98) A.Bleifuss Jane M.BishopLillegard (BA ’85) Sheila A.Barnes-Chapman (BA ’85) Celeste M.Ball(BA ’10) Jamie A.(BA ’04)&MarianoArena Jasmine N.Allgood(BA ’08) Anonymous JOIN THE 623 S.Wabash Ave. /312.369.8616 It’s Vibrant.It’s Urban.It’s You. shop.colum.edu It’s theManifest ClubFounding: Members Tara Losoff L. (BA ’05) Kimberly A.Leukaufe (BA ’96) Shay Lessman (MFA ’12) Louis E.Lavigne (’53) Veronica (BA ’97)&Paul LaPlant S.Langan (MFASusan ’94) Joseph F. Laiacona(’07) Abageal W. Kelley (MAM’10) Dennis A.Keeling L. (’91) T.Martin Kane Jr. (BA ’06) Christopher M.Greiner (MFA ’04) Mark A.Gonzalez(’91) Karen J. (BA Gabriel ’89) George H.Friedman (BA ’00) Ann K. Engelstad (BA ’93) Reynaldo F. Dumas(BA ’06) FOR DETAILS, VISIT colum.edu/ Brian G. Shaw (BA ’86) (BAAreli ’08) G. Santiago Jay S.(BA ’77)&Barbara S.Robinson Cherie A.Richardson (MA’99) PintoJames L. M.D. (PCRT. ’07) Benjamin J. Pfeifer (PCRT. ’06) (BAAdele L. ’92)&Robert F. Osmond Gustavo (BA ’93)&NormaOlivares J.Sarah Ogeto (BA ’06) Teresa Nino(BA ’86) A.MossAnthony E.(MAM’10)&Inessa & Dwayne Booker-Mosley Mosley (BAApril L. ’82) Mongerson Wunderlich (’91) Susan Raymond O. (BA ’65)&Andrea R. Meinke Daniel J. Meeker (’95) manifestclub the collegeyoulovemost! months getsyouin.Give tothearea of pledge ofatleast$10amonthfor12 if youjoinby December31,2011.Your You, too,canbecomeafounding member Melinda A.Wilson (’04) E.WeaverMichael (’92) Loraine T. Washington (BA ’82) Aleece R. Vogt (BA ’88) E.VaynermanSonia (BFA ’06) V.Cyn (BA ’01,MFA ’13)&CesarVargas Angela R. Turner (BA ’02) Vernell Taylor (BA ’77) Lauren M.Targ (MFA ’05) Lisa H.(BA ’08)&Jeremy A.Sutton & John Dowd M.Strong-Dowd (MFASusan ’97) (BACaitlin Strokosch ’98) (BAMatthew ’06) M.Staed Arlie F. (’97) Sims Shaw L. & Stephanie (BA ’92,MFA ’09)
Photo: Nicole Yoder (BFA ’12) FALL/WINTER 2011 ALUMNI EVENTS Contact the Office of Alumni Relations for details 312.369.6987 / [email protected]
September 23–25 EXECUTIVE EDITOR/VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT 15 2011 Alumni Weekend Eric V. A. Winston, PhD Come back to campus for the 2011 Alumni Weekend. Don’t miss EDITOR this weekend full of reconnection, networking, and, most of all, fun! Kristi Turnbaugh Contact Cynthia Vargas at 312.369.8640 or [email protected]. EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Jon Graef (MA ’12) October 20 Benita Zepeda (BA ’11) Career-based Workshop: Emotional Intelligence ALUMNI CONTENT MANAGER Workshop facilitated by Career Transitions Center of Chicago. Michelle Passarelli (BA ’99) Contact Cynthia Vargas at 312.369.8640 or [email protected]. CLASS NOTES EDITOR Shay Lessman (BA ’12) October 26 CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marketing Communication Presents: Ad Autopsy Ben Bilow Witness a lively debate between an advertising executive and a
ART DIRECTOR cultural critic analyzing the merits, implications, back story, and Abigail Friedman technicalities behind television commercials. Contact Michelle Passarelli at 312.369.6987 or [email protected]. COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO
CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES Allen M. Turner
PRESIDENT Warrick L. Carter, PhD colum.edu/alumni/events VICE PRESIDENT FOR Eric V. A. Winston, PhD INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF Diane Doyne PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING AND ADVERTISING
ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT Mary Forde FOR CREATIVE SERVICES
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF Michelle Passarelli (BA ’99) ALUMNI OPERATIONS
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF Cynthia Vargas (BA ’01) ALUMNI EVENTS AND PROGRAMS
DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS, Sarah Schroeder (BA ’00) WEST COAST
DEMO (volume 6, number 3) is published by Columbia College Chicago. It is mailed free of charge to alumni and friends of the college. The ideas and opinions expressed are those of the writers alone and do not necessarily reflect those of Columbia College Chicago. © Columbia College Chicago 2011. MAKE THE CONTRIBUTION OF A LIFETIME.
EMAIL US: [email protected] The Alexandroff Legacy Society recognizes the generosity CALL US: of alumni, faculty, and friends who affirm their commitment Columbia College Chicago: 312.369.1000 to Columbia’s future through a deferred gift. By designating DEMO magazine: 312.369.8631 Columbia in a will, trust, retirement plan, life insurance MAIL US: policy, life income arrangement, or other planned gift, you DEMO magazine, Columbia College Chicago, become a member of the Alexandroff Legacy Society. 600 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605 For more information, please contact Chandra Dennis DEMO is online at 312.369.7795 or [email protected]. Read, comment, and share at colum.edu/demo Become a fan! DEMO magazine is on Facebook.
DEMO3 Columbia College Chicago Columbia College Chicago recognizes the following individuals recognizes the following who joined Founding Members of THE PRESIDENT’S CLUB COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO
between May 1, 2011, and August 1, 2011. as of August 1, 2011
JEHAN ABON (BFA ’04) ANONYMOUS (3) DANA (’97) & JOSEPH CONNELL CAROL A. COHEN ADRIENNE C. DRELL & FRANKLIN W. NITIKMAN WILLIAM COLLINS (BA ’10) ROBERT JOHN RICHARD FOLLETT BRUCE A. CROWN MARTIN FORMAN DIANE N. DAMMEYER (’01) H. JOHN & KATHRYN GILBERTSON MICHAEL & SUSAN FRANK LAUREN MCLAIN (BA ’05) JOHN & KIM GALLAGHER PETER TILL RADKE (BA ’81) LENORE WADSWORTH HERVEY & OSCAR VALDEZ (BA ’05) RICHARD HERVEY BURTON* & ANNE KAPLAN EARL & PAMELA KLUFT H.J. KOVLER & SALLY MEYERS KOVLER JEAN KRALKA ELIZABETH A. LIEBMAN, PHD MICHAEL & MARGARET MEINERS MARK J. & LINDA L. MICHELI PHILLIP MOLL JOHN D. & ALEXANDRA NICHOLS ANNE-MARIE OMBREGT & KAREL COOL MICHAEL & SANDRA PERLOW COL. JAMES N. PRITZKER CYNTHIA S. RASKIN STERLING STUCKEY (HD ’89) STEPHEN SWARD REBECCA FORD TERRY PETER (’80) & GLORIA TESCHNER ALLEN M. & LYNN TURNER GREG ZEMAN
This newly established giving society recognizes Founding Members as those who contribute between September 1, 2010, and December 31, 2011.
TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT BRENT CABURNAY AT 312.369.8188 OR VISIT COLUM.EDU/GIVING.
*Indicates donor is deceased. Photo: Bill Frederking Photo: A QUESTION FOR PRESIDENT CARTER
DEMO: This issue highlights how internships can help students gain experience and visibility in their chosen fields. Can you talk about the importance of such opportunities and how alumni can help?
DR. CARTER: One of the things that separates us from a lot of institutions is that our internships are structured as part of the curriculum. Internships are real- world learning experiences to help students try out skills they’ve learned in the classroom and gain new skills within the environment they plan to work. Around this town, our students are so respected, and the institution is so respected, that we get more internship offers than we can fill. There are many more places that want our kids than other kids.
I had a wonderful conversation with John Johnson, the founder and publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines, when I first moved here. He said that he liked to get our interns, and he liked to hire our graduates. The reason, as he put it: “They come ready to work. I don’t have to teach them what to do.” So there are some good long- standing relationships that continue.
Our new bachelor’s degree program in Art and Materials Conservation, which starts this fall, will provide some exciting opportunities. It builds on our strengths as an arts Photo: Alexa Rubinstein (BA ’09) institution, and there is no other program in arts conservancy in the Midwest. Many of the museums in town have indicated their willingness to use our students as interns—the Art Institute, Museum of Science and Industry, and the Field Museum. This promises to be a good opportunity for us.
We recently combined our Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing and Merchandising programs into the new Fashion Studies program. We now have the nation’s largest fashion program, with more than 900 students. We need to get some larger visibility of this program in New York. We need our successful alums in these areas to bring our kids in for internships. As we begin to get some kind of foothold there, we’re going to need their support in helping us to carry the flag in that city.
For any of our alums who are looking to give back, one way is to create internship opportunities for our students. The one thing you can always tell your employer is, “If you like me, you’re going to love them.”
DEMO5 News from the Columbia Community
COLUMBIA ESTABLISHES FIRST NAMED CHAIR POSITION In May, Columbia College Chicago honored long-time supporters and arts patrons Allen and Lynn Turner by naming an academic chair in their honor—the first named chair in the college’s 121-year history. John Green, PhD, chair of the Theatre Department, became the first Allen and Lynn Turner Theatre Department Chair in the School of Fine and Performing Arts.
“Allen and Lynn have become fixtures at Columbia College and throughout the Chicago community for their involvement and ongoing support of any number of arts events and nonprofit organizations,” said Warrick L. Carter, PhD, president of Columbia College Chicago. “The theater has been a particularly special love for both of them through the decades, and this chair seemed a fitting way to honor them.”
Mr. Turner is a member of The Pritzker Organization and chairman of the Columbia College Board of Trustees. Ms. Turner is a member of various arts and philanthropic organizations, and serves on the board of Metropolitan Family Services.
Photo: Tim Klein
NEW ALUMNI SITE LAUNCHES In May, Columbia launched a new alumni website. The site features a reorganized main navigation menu with drop downs for easier navigation; ColumAlum Twitter feed to show what’s happening with fellow alums; slider images that promote signature events, Alumni of the Year, and more; and content tabs for easy access to information that’s either specific to the Alumni Relations department or Columbia as a whole.
Once logged in, you’ll see even more content including news from your academic department. To see the site, go to colum.edu/alumni. For information on the site development team, see page 40.
DEMO6 TEEN BLUES CAMP INSTRUCTS EMERGING STARS
Photo: Jeanette SanchezPhoto: Music-loving teens from all over the United States (and even a few from other countries) gathered at Columbia College Chicago on July 11-16 for Fernando Jones’ second annual Blues Camp. Jones, an adjunct faculty member in Columbia’s Music Department and director of the Columbia College Blues Ensemble, is the creator and one of the instructors of this week- long camp. More than 60 students in grades 6 to 12 were selected during open auditions to receive free instrumental, vocal, and music writing instruction in a hands-on environment with leading blues musicians on Columbia’s South Loop campus. On July 16, the 2011 camp culminated with a public concert at Buddy Guy’s Legends.
Budding musicians kick out the jams at Buddy Guy’s Legends during Columbia’s Blues Camp.
NEW MEDIA ARTS COLUMBIA HOSTS FIRST YOUTUBE INSTITUTE DEAN BEGINS This summer, Columbia College Chicago held its first YouTube Creator Institute program, hosting 10 aspiring Robin Bargar, AMusD, took over as dean of and rising content creators from around the world. the School of Media Arts, and as professor in During the two-month program, participants learned the Interactive Arts and Media Department, everything from story arcing to cinematography, on June 30. monetization strategies to social media tactics, from Bargar comes to Columbia from The City University of New film, TV, and video professors. York’s College of Technology, where he was a professor of Entertainment Technology and served as dean of the “Joining forces with YouTube for this one-of-a-kind program represents the School of Technology and Design. Before that, Bargar leading edge of media trends, exploring emerging forms of television, and served as director and CEO of Hexagram in Montreal and what’s next in the media landscape,” said Michael Niederman, chair of the coordinator of the Creative Technology Program Feasibility Television Department at Columbia College Chicago. “The training with our project at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. experts, of course, embodies the creative aspect of content development but also includes the vital aspect of marketing that content.” Bargar succeeds Doreen Bartoni as dean of the School of Media Arts. Bartoni, the school’s founding dean, will The YouTube Creator Institute summer programs were the first in a series return to the faculty of the Film & Video Department after of developmental opportunities for YouTube users. For more information a sabbatical during the 2011-2012 academic year. on the YouTube Creator Institute, visit youtube.com/creatorinstitute.
DEMO7 , Shane Welch (BFA ’10), (BFA Welch Aquiline , Shane Danielle Photos: ’97) (BA Reynolds Drew Turner, Markas Carol Rozansky, Peter Fitzpatrick, Onye Ozuzu, and Debra Riley Parr
On August 1, Australian artist Peter Fitzpatrick Ozuzu spent the summer teaching at the COLUMBIA INTRODUCES became chair of the Columbia College Chicago EarthDance Workshop and Retreat Center in NEW DEPARTMENT CHAIRS Photography Department. Working primarily with Massachusetts, where she taught African-based analog and digital photomedia technologies, contemporary dance techniques. Columbia College Chicago has named Fitzpatrick has exhibited his work at the four new chairs to its Education, Canberra Museum and Art Gallery, Plimsoll On August 16, Associate Professor of Art and Gallery, Australian Centre for Photography, Design History Debra Riley Parr became chair of Photography, Dance, and Fashion the Fashion Studies Department in the School Studies departments. Casula Powerhouse, and the Centre for Contemporary Photography. Fitzpatrick also co- of Fine and Performing Arts. Parr, who has also served as associate dean for the department Carol Rozansky, PhD, became chair of the founded Australian National University’s Inkjet and as associate chair in the Art + Design Columbia College Chicago Education Department Research Facility in 2004. Department, will work closely with both faculty on July 15. Rozansky, who comes to Columbia Onye Ozuzu, an internationally renowned and students to foster research and production; from the University of Nebraska, is a renowned performer and 2010 recipient of the University of guide the renewal of teaching practices including educator and widely published scholar with Colorado’s Innovative Seed Grant, began her work active learning and collaborative teamwork; and extensive experience as a faculty member. as the head of the Dance Department on June develop new programs and degree options for Rozansky’s areas of expertise include pre-K–12 29. Ozuzu was most recently the associate chair, students interested in fashion. literacy education, learning theory, urban director of dance, in the Department of Theatre education, and critical pedagogy. and Dance at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
ANNUAL REPORT 2010 CAPTURES THE MOMENT
Columbia College Chicago’s Annual Report 2010, an online experience called Capturing the Moment, uses the power of video to reveal the unique personalities of seven Columbia College Chicago leaders, donors, and students—individuals who help make the college unlike any other in the world. The stories spotlight the Campaign for Columbia College Chicago, with a focus on scholarships. The three students profiled—one from each school—are scholarship recipients.
You can experience the report at colum.edu/AnnualReport.
DEMO8 COLUMBIA CHRONICLE BACK ISSUES NOW ONLINE
Back issues of the Columbia Chronicle are now online. The collection, digitized by the Columbia College Chicago Library, includes issues from 1978 through spring semester 2008. Each issue is searchable by keyword. To access the collection, go to colum.edu/ChronicleArchives.
Issues from fall 2008 to the present are available at the Columbia Chronicle website at columbiachronicle.com/
archives. ’12) Jacob Boll (BA Photos:
Ann Gunkel and Suzanne McBride
PROFESSORS RECEIVE FULBRIGHT AWARDS Two Columbia professors, Ann Gunkel and Suzanne McBride, have received lecturing awards through the Fulbright Scholars Program.
Gunkel, PhD, an associate professor of Cultural Studies and Humanities in the Department of Humanities, History, and Social Sciences, will serve HAIR TRIGGER as visiting professor at the Institute for American AND FICTIONARY WIN Studies and Polish Diaspora at Jagiellonian University SCHOLASTIC PRESS in Kraków, Poland. She will be at the institute from AWARDS September 2011 through February 2012.
Hair Trigger 32 and fall 2009 McBride, associate chair of the Journalism Fictionary, publications produced Department, will lecture at the Dublin Institute of THE F***ING EPIC by students in Columbia’s fiction Technology and conduct research from January to TWITTER QUEST OF writing program, received Silver May 2012. Her research will focus on hyperlocal @MAYOREMANUEL Crowns on March 12 and 13 at the news outlets that provide coverage of underserved AVAILABLE annual Columbia Scholastic Press and unserved areas in Chicago, Dublin, and other Association (CPSA) convention in major cities. Dan Sinker, former assistant New York City. These awards make Gunkel, meanwhile, will teach two semester- professor in the Journalism the 18th Gold or Silver Crown for Hair long seminar courses: “Food & Culture,” an Department and creator of the Trigger and the first Silver Crown for interdisciplinary seminar in Cultural Studies, and wildly popular Twitter account Fictionary. “Philosophical Issues of American Film,” a course @MayorEmanuel, has published examining American media texts and practices. a book chronicling the humorous, The CSPA judged entries on writing, editing, design, content, concept, profanity-laden fictional tale The Fulbright Scholar Program is an educational photography, art, and graphics. based on Rahm Emanuel’s run exchange program administered by the Council for A total of 1,558 magazines, for mayor of Chicago called The International Exchange of Scholars and sponsored newspapers, yearbooks, and digital F***ing Epic Twitter Quest of by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Education media sites were eligible to enter in @MayorEmanuel. and Cultural Affairs. their respective categories this year. Radio
DEMO10 Rock ’n ’Roll
BY JON GRAEF (MA ’12) / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DREW REYNOLDS (BA ’97)
For nearly 40 years, iconic radio station 93WXRT has ruled the RadioChicago airwaves with the same format and same core staff–many of whom got their start at Columbia. This is their story.
Talk to veteran staff at “Chicago’s Finest Rock” radio station by day, broadcasting from the far West station 93WXRT about their time at Columbia College side at Belmont and Cicero avenues. Chicago and a common theme emerges. Before finding Columbia, they were unsatisfied with their scholastic From midnight to 6 a.m., DJs played an eclectic roster or professional paths, and by making a change, they of artists ranging from Frank Zappa to The Velvet would together ensure the legacy of one of Chicago’s Underground to Bob Marley—all with a helping of most distinctive radio stations. the Chicago blues, which no Windy City station could do without. The station was also among the first to AIRWAVES DREAM embrace punk and new wave, then burgeoning art forms. “XRT was really the way I thought radio should Just as Columbia College Chicago started humbly, be done,” says Johnny Mars, who would become a as a small oratory school, so did radio station WXRT DJ years later. “It was intelligent and diverse, WXRT. In 1972, WXRT began as a brokered block of and the DJs were doing their own work, picking a wide programming on frequency 93.1, a foreign language range of songs.” (CONTINUED ON PAGE 13)
Clockwise from top right: Marty Lennartz, Johnny Mars, John Farneda, Terri Hemmert, and Frank E. Lee DEMO11 DEMO12 In the mid-1970s, however, a teenaged Johnny Mars A 1970 graduate of suburban Elmhurst College, “XRT WAS had no way of knowing he’d become a key part of Hemmert came to WXRT in 1973 after being fired— what was then a fledgling rock station. Back then, he along with nearly the entire air staff—from WCMF in REALLY thought he wanted to become a teacher, so he enrolled Rochester, New York. A former colleague from defunct THE WAY at Northeastern Illinois University—but eventually Chicago station WGLD invited Hemmert to serve as the dropped out. public service director and part-time overnight DJ at the I THOUGHT fledgling new station. After spotting an ad in theChicago Reader advertising RADIO a five-week broadcasting course at Columbia taught by Two years later, in 1975, Hemmert also took a teaching legendary radio announcer Al Parker, Mars enrolled. job at Columbia College at the request of Al Parker. SHOULD With Parker’s encouragement, he began attending Thirty-six years later, Hemmert still DJs at WXRT and Columbia full time in fall 1976. teaches at Columbia. In 2010, she was inducted into BE DONE.” the National Radio Hall of Fame. And although she Mars soon met fellow radio student Frank E. Lee in didn’t know it back then, she would go on to influence a class taught by ABC television broadcaster Buddy countless future radio professionals who learned their Black. Lee, who had previously attended a more craft at Columbia. traditional liberal arts college, was seeking a more practical education. “I knew that a lot of professionals NEW WAVE worked [at Columbia],” Lee says. “I wanted to learn as As a teenager in the ’70s, John Farneda idolized much as I could as quickly as I could to get a job.” Terri Hemmert. In high school, he says he often cut Mars and Lee interned together at 97.9 WLUP when class in order to go listen to WXRT in his car. In 1981, it was transitioning from adult contemporary to unsatisfied with studying computer programming what is now classic rock. “We both went and got the at Cicero’s Morton Community College, Farneda internships, and our friendship grew from there,” transferred to Columbia to pursue his passions for Mars says. music and radio.
The two went on to host Sunday night programs at the The eager student says he had to “beg and beg and University of Illinois at Chicago’s radio station and also beg” Hemmert for an internship. Not only did he work the closed-circuit station at Columbia. They both eventually get it, he did the job so well that Hemmert even got their first professional radio jobs at KPAS-FM asked him back for another semester. He never left. in El Paso, Texas, because the programmer at WLUP Over the past 28 years, Farneda, now operations was also a consultant at that station. manager/music director, says he has held nearly every title at WXRT except on-air DJ. By the late 1970s, WXRT’s progressive rock format had taken over 93.1’s programming 24 hours a day—much Although he didn’t have to plead, Marty Lennartz also to the consternation of the station’s original loyal found his way to WXRT through Columbia College. He foreign language audience, who picketed in protest of enrolled as an arts and entertainment management the format change. major in 1980, but he soon discovered he wanted to break into the radio business. When a position opened up at WXRT in 1979, Mars jumped at the opportunity to work for the station he’d During Hemmert’s “History of Rock and Soul” class the admired for so long. After supplying demos to program following year, Lennartz so impressed the professor director Norm Winer for months—“an anxiety-filled with a paper he’d written about soul dance crazes time,” Mars says—he was hired to DJ the night shift. that she hand-picked him to produce her morning Mars then encouraged Winer to listen to a tape Lee show (she was the first woman to host a morning-drive had made. “He liked what he heard,” Mars says, and program in Chicago). WXRT hired Lee as a DJ, too. DJ Johnny Mars calls By the mid-1980s, Lennartz had worked his way up the field of radio “a By the time Mars and Lee arrived at WXRT, Terri to on-air DJ, a position that also allowed him to create small world. The key Hemmert was already well established there—and at “The Regular Guy,” a folksy Chicagoan who earnestly is getting your foot in enlightens listeners with (CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE) the door.” their alma mater.
DEMO13 his “Going to the Show” movie reviews. THESPIRITOFRADIO In 2008, he took on a new role as WXRT DJs reminisce about their favorite radio moments creative assistant to programming. Thirty years after starting his career, Lennartz credits Hemmert for his longevity in the business.
“Terri’s been my mentor,” says Lennartz. “I learned a lot from her from being her producer for many years.”
Although she was instrumental in shaping many young careers, Hemmert remains modest. “I share what I know in order to make [students’] dreams come true,” Hemmert says. “But I didn’t make Marty and John [Farneda]. They made themselves.”
HAIL COLUMBIA! On the tenth floor of Two Prudential Plaza in downtown Chicago—a long way from the corner of Belmont and Cicero—WXRT DJs research artists for the station to play, prepare for interviews, and program their own shows—a rarity in the industry, where Terri Hemmert with the Ramones (from left to right): Dee Dee, Marky, Joey and Johnny. preprogramming is the norm, says Lee.
“XRT is kind of a unique station in that TERRI HEMMERT, TOM MARKER, FRANK E. LEE, they put a lot of responsibility on the individual DJs to come up with delivery, ON THE RAMONES: ON WHY HE BECAME A DJ: ON JERRY SEINFELD: music, and [writing] promotional “They were just the sweetest “When I was a kid, I was a rock- “I got to interview him once, announcements,” Lee says. “Columbia guys. They were going to go on and-roll radio fan with an AM when he appeared after was great training for this. They trained and do an interview, but Dee transistor radio. I would try to Catch a Rising Star. He was a you to be a broadcaster, and not a Dee [Ramone, the group’s pick up stations from faraway little upset that I didn’t laugh certain niche-type announcer. They bassist] wasn’t anywhere big cities. By the time I was at every one of his jokes. made you a more rounded broadcaster to be found. I ran out of the in my late teens there were One of the appealing things with a capital ‘B.’” studio and found Dee Dee. really cool radio programs about being a DJ is meeting He said he wasn’t really into on the FM—not cool stations the stars. You can’t get too In addition to teaching students interviews because he had a but cool programs. One was starstruck because it makes essential radio mechanics such bad experience before [with at a college within walking for bad radio. It’s a very as speaking into a microphone another DJ]. And I said to him, distance of a friend’s house. difficult thing to do, to have an ‘Don’t talk to me. Talk to your We went over one evening, intelligent conversation with fans. Talk past me.’ We had a walked right in, and sat there a complete stranger. I think really great time. I was at the as the DJ did his show. It was there’s very few people who show at Park West afterwards, an eye opener. I told myself do it consistently well.” and he brought over his wife I could do that. A couple —JON GRAEF (MA ’12) AND and said, ‘This is the DJ I was of years later, I enrolled at ROCK ’N’ ROLL REA FREY (BA ’04) telling you about!’” Columbia College to take the radio courses.” (Editor’s note: FANTASY Marker’s son, Dan Marker- Through the years, WXRT DJs have Moore, attended Columbia in gotten to meet many of their idols. the late 2000s.) Here’s a sampling, from left to right:
DEMO14 HEMMERT WAS INDUCTED INTO THE NATIONAL RADIO HALL OF FAME IN 2010. In 1981, Terri Hemmert became the first woman in Chicago to host a morning-drive program. “If I’d listened to all the people who told me that a woman couldn’t make it in radio, I’d be a retired school teacher,” she says.
properly, running a control board, and writing Lennartz’s integrated format was a success with STILL THE SAME and improvising commercials for broadcast, station managers and helped usher in a new era Though it started as an oddball progressive rock Columbia professors such as Parker and Art of creative programming at the college station. radio station nearly 40 years ago, WXRT has Hellyer “prepared us to do any possible type of Lennartz credits Columbia with giving him carved out its status as an unstoppable force in radio there was,” Lee says. professional focus and confidence that he did Chicago radio. not have before. Lennartz agrees that Columbia’s approach In January 2011, WXRT was the fourth (out of helped train him to think creatively. As a student “Columbia is such a wonderful training ground, 20) most-listened-to radio station in Chicago DJ working at what became Columbia’s student- and such a jewel in education,” Lennartz says. from 6 a.m. to midnight among ages 25 to run station WCRX in the early ’80s, Lennartz “It just got me out there. If you haven’t done 54, according to marketing and research firm says he invented and pitched his own radio [radio broadcasting before], you’re like, ‘How Arbitron. The previous year, WXRT ranked ninth. format: a combination of then-current funk acts could I even start doing that? Where do you like Parliament-Funkadelic and emerging new begin?’ And Columbia certainly told you where to More recently, WXRT was voted third best station wave and post-punk groups like New Order and begin and how to do it.” in Chicago by readers (CONTINUED ON PAGE 16) Gang of Four.
Terri Hemmert with Muddy Waters; Frank E. Lee with Bryan Ferry; Johnny Mars with Lou Reed (that’s XRT DJ Lin Brehmer peeking through
the middle); John Farneda 93WXRT courtesy Photos with Tina Turner; and Marty Lennartz with Elvis Costello.
DEMO15 Veteran DJ Frank E. Lee hosts the afternoon shift at 93XRT. He credits Columbia with making him “a more rounded broadcaster.”
of the Chicago Reader. The station has won awards As promotions, programming, or newswriting interns, “COLUMBIA from Billboard magazine, the National Association of Columbia students are responsible for researching IS SUCH A Broadcasters, and the Association of Independents in and preparing for artist interviews, writing behind-the- Radio. scenes blogs, monitoring breaking news, and compiling WONDERFUL data about music the station plays. TRAINING While much of radio has changed over the decades, WXRT has not—and many staff say this is why the WXRT staff say that, compared to students from other GROUND. station has succeeded for nearly 40 years. In addition schools, Columbia students have a more hands-on, IT JUST to maintaining the same frequency and same core active learning approach to working at the station. staff of DJs, the station has evolved with its primary GOT ME OUT audience by adopting an Adult Album Alternative “For the most part, they’ve been consistently dedicated THERE.” (AAA) format, a spinoff from the station’s early roots in and willing to do what it takes to learn at least my progressive and album-oriented rock. perspective on the business,” Lee says. “I’ve always had good luck with Columbia students.” (See sidebar.) Many also credit the work of Hemmert, renowned Beatles expert and barrier-breaking radio personality, GIVING BACK as their inspiration for wanting to work at WXRT in the In addition to providing valuable experience for first place. budding radio professionals, WXRT gives back to Columbia through sales of its ONXRT: Live From the Hemmert, in turn, credits WXRT’s nearly 40-year Archives CDs, which feature live recordings from top relationship with Columbia as a key ingredient to the artists. A portion of the proceeds go to the Al Parker station’s success. Since the 1970s, one of the vital Scholarship, named in honor of the radio professor who threads connecting the two institutions has been an spent 54 years at Columbia, where he was chairman of internship program. the Radio Department.
DEMO16 ON THE RADIO WXRT interns move on to airwaves careers
Interning at radio station WXRT has helped many Columbia students gain valuable real-world experience in the industry. Just ask Russ Mitera (BA ’93), now production director and director of creative services at WSCR, The Score, and Eric Pribramsky (BA ’11), writer, editor, and producer at FM News 101.1. Can you talk about your time as Russ Mitera and Eric Pribramsky an intern at WXRT? them, and they said OK. They liked Mitera: The Score was in the same them and ran them. There is just so building, and it was a brand-new much more that you can get out of station [in fall ’92]. [Diamond an internship than just being in the Broadcasting Company] told me classroom. You get the nuts and bolts that I would be doing work for both of how to do things in the classroom, WXRT and The Score. I got a lot of but it’s not until you get into the real experience from things you cannot world when you can start to apply that learn in school. The guy I was working stuff. That is definitely key. under [Tom Couch, production Pribramsky: Being at XRT helped manager] let me observe…how he me to get my full-time job because I would edit and write, and all the was able to have a chance to write talent would come in to read things. news and learn how to write it for We had lots of famous musicians broadcast, and, when I was submitting come in, and I got to work with them all my writing samples with my and record them. As time went on, applications, it really came across. I built up a great relationship there, did two semesters at XRT, and upon What else was memorable about Also, in February, Hemmert hosted an ’80s dance night graduation, [the company] hired me. the internship? fundraiser at Neo for Columbia alumni in collaboration Pribramsky: I was there in spring Mitera: XRT would do these elaborate with the Office of Alumni Relations; all proceeds went to 2011 working with Mary Dixon on April Fools’ bits where they would try the Parker scholarship. the morning show, writing news for to fool their audience for an entire her. I was responsible for writing day. We told listeners that XRT was news, sports, and weather. She would going to be a pay-per-listen radio “I owe Al everything,” Hemmert says. “He was my assign me other stories, stuff that station, where they could buy certain mentor and got me my first teaching job. I learned came across the wires or something levels of services, like XRT silver, gold, about my passion for Columbia from him.” that was breaking that she couldn’t and platinum. There were a lot of address right away. Then it was angry people, and actually some who WXRT Operations Manager/Music Director Farneda my role to write about 30 seconds were excited about the new level of echoes Hemmert’s sentiment that, without Columbia’s of copy to insert in the segment. I service they thought they’d have the guidance, he would not be in the professional position would end up blogging for the station opportunity to have. about entertainment or music news, Pribramsky: Just being able to work he is today. especially artists the station played with Lin Brehmer and Mary Dixon. or our listeners were interested in. “I could’ve been a computer programmer, but I That right there was the best radio would’ve been bored to tears, and I would’ve hated Was your internship vital to your time that one could spend in any future success? market. Just being around them gave it,” Farneda says. “Columbia opened doors for me. you a total appreciation for what they Mitera: Absolutely. I tell students If I hadn’t walked through the doors of Columbia, I do, and being able to be behind the all the time that they really need to scenes and seeing how much skill is wouldn’t be as happy in my life as I am right now. get internships. But it’s not just any there as well. The rest of the talent at That’s a fact.” internship, you need to get a good the station are also truly some of the one. XRT was a good one because best people in the business. Adds Hemmert, “Columbia attracts creative people they allowed me to do things—they let who want to think outside the box. It’s a well-rounded me take some initiative. I had some education. We’ve been good to it, and it’s been good ideas for promos, asked if I could do —BENITA ZEPEDA (BA ’11) to us.”
DEMO17 DEMO18 2011 ALUMNI
Each year, Columbia College Chicago honors three alumni who have demonstrated remarkable OFTHE ingenuity, ambition, and achievements as Alumni of the Year. This year, the college salutes John Hellerman, Nobuko Oyabu, and David Cromer
BY AUDREY MICHELLE MAST (BA ’00) YEAR PHOTOGRAPHY BY VLADIMIR ZAYTSEV (’12)
DEMO19 After prep school in Massachusetts, Hellerman says one of his strengths The Connector Hellerman attended Tulane was his ability to build relationships John Hellerman University in New Orleans, where with his teachers. “I thought [the he says he had “a very fun time,” Columbia experience] was just (BA‘95) before transferring in his junior invaluable, and I still do,” he says. year to his hometown of Chicago. He went to Columbia, where After graduation, Hellerman AS A CO-FOUNDER and partner of Hellerman says he “got serious” got involved in several political Hellerman Baretz Communications, about his education. campaigns—a milieu in which he John Hellerman helms a strategic met legal professionals for whom he communications agency with a Hellerman says the environment at worked on writing projects, including client list that includes some of the Columbia appealed to him because crafting fundraising letters. world’s premier law, financial, and he wanted to “mingle with real consulting firms. professionals, who weren’t just “This was in the really early days of teaching from a textbook, but were marketing for lawyers,” Hellerman Named 2008 Agency Executive of really teaching you how it shook out says. It was a taste of a field in the Year by PR News, Hellerman in the real world.” which he would later flourish. takes on smart, tech-savvy projects 2 that range from US Supreme Court A political science major in his He also worked at Comm , a cases to an award-winning blog first two years, Hellerman studied small firm founded by Chicago PR discussing the legal implications of communications and public legend Kathy Posner. “We had a workplace hijinks on the TV sitcom relations at Columbia. He cites tremendous amount of fun every The Office. professors Alton Miller, Jane day,” he says, reminiscing about Canepa, and Mort Kaplan as directing the Brach’s Holiday Parade But his route to business-world mentors who offered hands-on and planning a fundraising event for stardom was a circuitous one. experiences that helped prepare St. Mary of the Angels Church. him for an ever-changing and competitive field.
DEMO20 Hellerman eventually narrowed invaluable,” a skill he says he understand visual language as an his focus, finding out what he learned at Columbia. As a PR editor—in other words, to “learn to didn’t like (pitching products to professional, Hellerman has really see the pictures. the media) and discovering that become an invaluable connector his true passion was “thought between the public, and the movers “From there, I fell in love with leadership PR for professionals.” and shakers who shape our world: photography and changed my someone truly invaluable. major,” Oyabu says. “[Professionals] have a very specific expertise or talent to share with a A picture she shot for veteran Sun- specific, targeted market and need The Change Agent Times photographer John White’s help to communicate with that Photojournalism I class, taken market,” Hellerman says. “At the Nobuko Oyabu from the John Hancock Building, core of it, it’s someone’s opinion received a national award. “From about something—an analysis, not a (BA‘95) there, I got a little more confident, I product, which from my perspective guess,” she says, laughing. makes it a little more worthwhile.” NOBUKO OYABU wanted to be a writer when she arrived in Chicago By the time she graduated from After this discovery, Hellerman from her native Osaka, Japan, at Columbia in 1995, she was a moved to Washington, DC, in the age 19. She enrolled as a general part-time staff photographer for the late ’90s and started his own education major at Columbia in Oshkosh Northwestern in Wisconsin. company. Today, his award-winning 1991, and like many freshmen, she She spent the next seven years as a boutique agency, based in New tried a number of things before she photojournalist at newspapers in the York, is one of Inc.’s 5,000 fastest- found what stuck. Quad Cities and Omaha, Nebraska. growing private companies. Initially attracted to photography Oyabu is now a freelancer based Hellerman says one’s most through courses in magazine in Arlington, Virginia, where she important job, no matter what production, Oyabu took photo focuses as much on motherhood the field, is to “make yourself classes to help her better as she ( CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE)
DEMO21 does on writing and photographing Noting that the relatively small to play minor roles in their large- for the Japanese media. (Much nation is still reeling from the cast productions (“like ‘Brutus’s of the work she exports to Japan recent earthquake, tsunami, and servant,’” Cromer says with a laugh). is human interest stories about nuclear disasters, Oyabu says everyday American life.) there’s still much work to do. She “Work begets more work, and sees the project as a way for herself then the parts of me that were Oyabu also works on her personal and others to heal as well as a way not ambitious enough were sort project, STAND: Faces of Rape to create change, a way to bring of compensated for because I was & Sexual Abuse Survivors. The darkness to light. lucky enough to be given some project is an ongoing series of opportunities,” Cromer says. moving, elegant black-and-white portraits of both men and women the genius “Columbia has been like a parent,” accompanied by text identifying he says. “It’s a giant part of my life.” the survivors and describing their David Cromer Post-college, when Cromer decided experiences. It’s an attempt to to try directing, Patinkin, then literally give faces to statistics, as (‘86) chair of the theater department, Oyabu herself is a survivor. Her mentored him. Cromer audited his rape in 1999 was the catalyst for DAVID CROMER told Columbia’s courses and was hired to teach the work. 2011 graduates in his May commencement speech that his theater at Columbia. STAND is international in scope. professors called him “the walking Cromer worked in the department Oyabu says she spends at least argument for open admissions.” for about 15 years while honing two months out of the year taking his craft in local theaters including portraits, making speeches, and His former professors were right. Journeymen, Writers’, and exhibiting the series in Japan, Cromer, a 2010 MacArthur Fellow Steppenwolf, racking up awards where the stigma of rape can still (an award nicknamed the “genius and accolades all the while. be quite strong. grant”), was a Skokie native and His stripped-down, conceptual “There’s no solid support system high-school dropout who earned a approach to the Thornton Wilder for survivors there,” she says. GED when he came to Columbia “by classic Our Town, which he first “There’s not even a really solid rape chance,” he says. He says he chose staged in Chicago, soon moved crisis center.” Columbia simply because it had a theater department and an open off Broadway, winning both Lucille Through her photography, and admissions policy. Yet he found the Lortel and Obie awards. Even publicly speaking about her school to be a “completely, utterly before he moved to the Big Apple in harrowing personal experience, life-changing experience.” 2009, the New York Times profiled she is creating awareness and him, with the opening gambit: “Is inciting action, particularly among Cromer studied acting, and, though David Cromer the most talented government officials and other he found his first year quite difficult, theater director that Americans authorities in her native country. he eventually “figured out how to do have never heard of?” the work.” “Once they start identifying who the These days, more theatergoers victims are, instead of [just] looking “The self-examination, the self- than ever have heard of him. at the numbers … looking at the assessment, the assessment from Among other projects, he is pictures of the real survivors’ faces faculty just chipped away at the directing Nicole Kidman in a and hearing their voices—that really problem, at figuring out how to do Broadway revival of Tennessee does something,” Oyabu says. it, how to be on stage,” Cromer Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth. says. The real difficulty, however, Those in power started discussing “was getting the nerve to go out The production is the latest in a what they could do. “Within five into the world and do it,” he says. long line of his successes, which years—since I started speaking in Cromer defined as “placing yourself 2006—things have changed a lot, But professors Sheldon Patinkin in the path of the highest number although there’s still no [support] and Jeff Ginsburg, who were of fortuitous accidents.” It’s a path system [for survivors] in place yet,” accomplished, prolific local theater that for Cromer, as well as for his Oyabu says. directors, encouraged Cromer fellow alumni, began at Columbia.
DEMO22 BRIAN DETTMER (BA ’97)
Brian Dettmer is a real bookworm. The Atlanta-based artist began by cutting words and images out of books to affix to his canvases. Soon, he was using books instead of canvases, burrowing holes through the covers and into the pages. One day, while carving a book, Dettmer had an artistic epiphany.
“I came across [the image of] a landscape that I began carving around. Then a figure emerged and I began to carve around that,” Dettmer says. “That was my ‘eureka’ moment. It was exciting because I didn’t know what would come next.”
Saturation Will Result, 2011, What would come next was a Altered Set of Vintage body of work that is capturing Encyclopedias, 46½ x 35 x ( CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE) 16 with pedestal, piece is 34½ x 27 x 11
Image courtesy of the artist and Kinz + Tillou Fine Art
DEMO23 New Books of Knowledge, 2009, the imaginations of the art world. Since 2002, be,” he says. “I’m also playing with ideas of our Altered Books, 16” x 26½” x 10” Dettmer’s work has been showcased in 118 group information becoming completely intangible as Image courtesy of the Artist exhibitions and nine solo exhibitions in cities everything goes digital. I’m trying to suggest the and Packer Schopf Gallery ranging from Chicago to Barcelona. threat of loss as formats constantly shift.”
OPPOSITE PAGE: Using clamps, rope, and weights to hold a book in That’s why Dettmer says he prefers to work with Smith’s Scientific Series, 2011, place, Dettmer applies a clear sealing varnish to nonfiction and reference books—the least able to Altered Books, pedestal, the outside. He then carves through the cover and compete with online substitutes. 61½” x 10” x 4” pages one at a time, with X-ACTOs, tweezers, and (80” x 12” x 16” with pedestal) other tools. Dettmer says that, as books, music, and photos Image courtesy of the Artist are digitalized, consumers put themselves at the and Kinz + Tillou Fine Art “No [content] is ever moved or added,” Dettmer whim of technology companies, who Dettmer says. “It’s completely subtractive so everything says serve their own interests best by continually you see in the final piece is where it always has changing the software and hardware. been inside the book. And I have no idea what will emerge while I’m working.” Also, he says digital isn’t always the most efficient or satisfying format for storing information. The Naperville native works on several projects at a time, logging up to 60 hours per week in his “I could find a picture of my grandfather faster studio. “Pieces can take anywhere from a week to by digging through a box of photos than trying to several months to complete,” he says. search electronic files from the past decade,” he says. “And what about a book that you read as a Dettmer says he thinks books are endangered by kid, that changed your life?” Dettmer wonders. new media, particularly computers and e-readers. “How do you share that with someone now?”
“I want people to look at my work and think about —LIZ HARMON MILLER what role books played and what their future may
DEMO24 DEMO25 Brave New World, 2008, Altered Books, 5¾” x 11” x 8”
Image courtesy of the Artist and Toomey Tourell Fine Art
DEMO26 World Series, 2009, Altered Books, 16¼” x 26½” x 10¼”
Image courtesy of the Artist and Kinz + Tillou Fine Art
Vertical Knowledge, 2009, Altered Books, 16” x 13¾” x 14”
Image courtesy of the Artist and Kinz + Tillou Fine Art
Libraries of Health, 2008, Altered Book, 10¾” x 10¼” x 8 ½”
Image courtesy of the Artist and Toomey Tourell Fine Art
DEMO27 Photo: Jacob Boll (BA ’12) DEMO28 “In high school, I never sat in the front of the class. At Columbia, I sat by the seat closest to the teacher every time.”
JEREMY LEMOS (BA ’99)
Imagine having to travel from Tennessee to Illinois to Since graduating in 1999, Lemos has toured with some of rock’s Massachusetts to Michigan—all in a period of three or four days of most acclaimed acts: noise pioneers Sonic Youth, Internet frenzied, never-ending work. Sleep is fleeting, and your job consists Americana sensations The Head and The Heart, and Oscar winners of using your skill set in immediate, high-stakes situations. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Lemos also ran his own studio, Semaphore, for 10 years until January 2011, and has worked with How high are the stakes? For Jeremy Lemos, who studied audio producer Jim O’Rourke (Wilco, Beth Orton) as an audio engineer engineering at Columbia, he’ll often mix and engineer sound for on multiple projects. Lemos will tour the country later this year as a band he’s just met—without the benefit of even a sound check sound engineer for both Iron and Wine and Irglova, whose solo where musical kinks can be worked out—in front of festival crowds album will debut in the fall. of 10,000 people. During his spare time, the multi-instrumentalist Lemos twiddles Such situations, which Lemos recently encountered while knobs in ambient duo White/Light, and plays in experimental engineering sound for modern folk-rock superstars Iron and Wine rock quartet The High Confessions alongside Sonic Youth’s Steve at Bonnaroo Festival, may be the height of panic for some. But for Shelley and former Ministry member Chris Connelly. Lemos, the chance to travel around the country and the world in order to play, mix, and listen to music is an irresistible opportunity. About his time at Columbia, Lemos says he most vividly remembers the ear-shredding antics of Professor Malcolm “I won’t sleep, but I hate saying the word ‘no,’ and it’s been very Chisholm, who taught an active listening course. Lemos describes difficult for me,” Lemos says. “People are like, ‘You wanna go do Chisholm, a former Chess Records producer, as a “super foul- this kick-ass show in Cape Cod?’ [and I say] ‘Yes!’ Can I physically mouthed, chain-smoking, beret-wearing mad scientist” who would do it? Yes. It kills me to say no.” play music so loudly that students came armed with earplugs by the second day. Lemos says that because of instructors like Originally from suburban Wheaton, Lemos says he spent his teen Chisholm, who taught him to expertly hear music, the college gave years driving to Chicago to attend punk shows at the Fireside Bowl direction to his young life. and to shop at Reckless Records. “Columbia represented a direct line between who I was and who I After initially considering a career in radio—he even interned at wanted to be,” Lemos says. “In high school, I never sat in the front WXRT at one point—Lemos transferred from Southern Illinois of the class. At Columbia, I sat by the seat closest to the teacher University to Columbia College after taking an audio production every time.” class at Columbia on what he says was “a lark.” —JON GRAEF (MA ’12)
DEMO29 “I’m not talking about learning just to photograph or write, but how the student can involve themselves in the mission of that organization...”
DIANE DAMMEYER (’01)
Diane Dammeyer believes in the transformative power of film, design, or fine arts—to support at least one Chicago-area storytelling. After finishing a career in real estate on Chicago’s community nonprofit or nongovernmental organization (NGO) North Shore, she enrolled at Columbia College Chicago to develop through graduation. The scholarship will be awarded every three her skills in photography, unsure precisely where they’d take her. years afterward.
She now describes herself as a “philanthropic photographer,” Dammeyer wants winning students to become active participants capturing images of children and young adults and their economic in the work of their chosen organizations−not just reporters or circumstances around the world. observers.
“I’m trying to give a voice to individuals who don’t have the “The idea here is to find students during their freshman year opportunity to tell their stories,” Dammeyer says. who want to tell the story of an NGO through photography, film, journalism, or other communications discipline to explain their After leaving Columbia in the late 1990s, Dammeyer went to social mission to a wider audience,” Dammeyer says. “I’m not work as a volunteer documentary photographer with the Chicago- talking about learning just to photograph or write, but how the based Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights. student can involve themselves in the mission of that organization She began traveling all over the world recording images of through their medium.” children in impoverished, war-torn settings like Rwanda, Uganda, and Guatemala. Dammeyer, who lives in southern California, believes the scholarship won’t be a hard sell to organizations where recipients A longtime supporter of educational causes with her husband, Rod, want to volunteer their time. Dammeyer says her work at Heartland inspired the creation of a new Columbia annual scholarship program. The scholarship will “I think these NGOs would want to make themselves known to make its first award in 2012. Columbia students. They can benefit from this,” Dammeyer says. “At Heartland, I wanted to give time, passion, and work. I never The Diane Dammeyer Scholarship will award a Columbia freshman took money, and I had a lot of work published in their newsletters with full tuition, as well as room and board, for the last three years and magazines. That will happen for the students in this program, of their undergraduate education. so the student’s work will get exposure while the organization gets all this talent without a high cost,” she says. “It’s a win-win.” In exchange, the winning student will use their primary artistic or communication skill—journalism, creative writing, photography, —LISA HOLTON
DEMO30 Photo: Dan Hughes DEMO31 Photo: Michael McNamara DEMO32 “I didn’t put a lot of emphasis on being a performer as much as I did being a writer.”
BOB McNAMARA (BA ’66)
Throughout four decades, Bob McNamara was welcomed into Another favorite McNamara recalls was when he covered the 1992 family rooms all over America. The five-time Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles riots from the perspective of a 10-year-old boy, Rudy journalist filed reports for theCBS Evening News, The Early Show, Campbell. 48 Hours, and Sunday Morning. And he credits Columbia College Chicago with helping him get there. “We found [him] on the playground after school,” McNamara says. “We filmed him watching the riots, which were very close to his A self-proclaimed news and geography junkie, McNamara says he house. A guy in San Francisco saw the story and ended up putting knew he wanted to see the world but had little idea about how to Rudy through college.” do it. While attending Milton College in his native Wisconsin, he learned about a broadcast school called Columbia College and McNamara says his goal throughout his journalistic career was to soon transferred. He got his foot into the broadcast business as a tell a story that viewers would remember beyond the course of the copy boy at WBBM TV. evening. Storytelling remains his strong suit. “I didn’t put a lot of emphasis on being a performer as much as I did being a writer,” “I went to school from eight until noon and worked as a copy boy McNamara says. from two through 11 at Channel 2,” says McNamara. During his time at school, McNamara forged connections, paid some dues, One of Columbia’s three “Alumni of the Year” honored in 2010, and eventually made a name for himself at a CBS affiliate in McNamara remembers fondly what seemed like the “one-room” Minneapolis. school days of his Columbia experience.
His resume reads like a lesson in US history, which he helped to He says he learned valuable lessons from his working professors, document on a nightly basis. He covered five school shootings, including writing instructor Tom Fitzpatrick, a Pulitzer Prize winner, several hurricanes, and the Oklahoma City bombing, to name a and Al Parker, a radio instructor who “worked nine to five, seven few historical events. But he says he enjoyed the human interest days a week as an announcer at Channel 7. These were folks who stories most. knew what they were doing because they were doing it every day.”
“One of my favorite stories was a piece about a small-town guy who Through hundreds of stories—from the Lebanese Civil War in the brought bluebirds back to North Carolina,” McNamara says of Jack 1970s to the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster—McNamara brought Finch (real name), who built and distributed birdhouses with his the world home to his viewers. And many of those stories, like wife. The nesting sites created a bluebird trail that helped revive the one about a Kansas woman who cashed in enough beer and the dwindling population. After the story aired, the New York phone pop cans over a 30-year span to fund a swimming pool for her lines were flooded with inquiries about how to get the birdhouses. hometown, will never be forgotten.
—WILLIAM MEINERS (MFA ’96)
DEMO33 “In order to break through, you have to have something different about you. That’s why I chose Columbia.”
PARISA KHOSRAVI (BA ’87)
Parisa Khosravi left her home country of Iran for Arlington Heights, In an on-campus interview shortly before graduation, CNN offered Illinois, just before the Islamic revolution in 1979. Two years her an entry-level job as a video journalist on the spot. later, as a high school sophomore watching live coverage of the American hostages’ release, Khosravi saw her future. Khosravi says Columbia helped prepare her for the fast-paced world of international reporting. “I decided I wanted to be a journalist,” Khosravi says. “I was just mesmerized. I was just thinking, ‘I want to be right there in the “[Columbia] was a very different type of school,” she says, noting middle of it.’ It was such an incredible moment.” the college’s hands-on approach to learning. “It was very open. It was very out-of-the-box at that time. In order to break through, Her teacher at the time, however, dismissed her dream, saying you have to have something different about you. That’s why I she’d have little future in the competitive world of TV news as a chose Columbia.” non-native English speaker. Khosravi has had a hand in covering most of the world’s major He couldn’t have been more wrong. news events of the last quarter century: the fall of the Berlin Wall, genocide in Rwanda, the end of apartheid, Tiananmen Square, Khosravi, who earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism war in the Balkans, the tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, and from Columbia in 1987, has spent nearly 25 years with CNN, many others. helping cover some of the world’s most historic moments. “Every story has had its own impact,” Khosravi says. “You see a lot She has worked her way to the top of the organization, where she of hardships. You see a lot of misery. At the same time, there are now serves as senior vice president of international newsgathering stories that really inspire and give you hope.” for CNN Worldwide. Khosravi oversees more than 70 reporters and 33 bureaus around the world, along with the international While directing coverage of the humanitarian crisis in Somalia in assignment desk and International Newsource with more than 200 the early 1990s, Khosravi convinced a commercial airline to divert international affiliates. a plane to ferry CNN journalists so the reporters could be on the ground for the fast-breaking news. Even as a freshman at Columbia, Khosravi displayed her resourcefulness and persistence, becoming the rare first-year “I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” Khosravi says. “I go after a story. student to score an internship. She ended up completing seven I’m persistent.” internships during her time at Columbia, building an impressive —HEATHER LALLEY resume before the ink had even dried on her diploma.
DEMO34 Photo: Gregory Campbell DEMO35 new books by Columbia alumni and faculty send publication notices to [email protected]
Reframing the displays summarizing trends in architecturally, systematically, burnt Hollywood. Once the smoke New Topographics contemporary photography.” and naturally. With Reframing the cleared, he made family movies.” Edited by Greg Foster-Rice New Topographics, Foster-Rice and John Rohrbach More than 35 years later, Columbia and Rohrbach have provided an Goodwin demonstrates his full [Center for American Places, College Associate Professor Greg occasionally dense yet plenty range of verbal gymnastics in 2011. $34.95 hardcover] Foster-Rice and Amon Carter accessible map for navigating this this book. The title piece is one of Reviewed by Kim Bellware Museum of American Art curator ever-evolving discussion. the most poetic, using traditional John Rohrbach have assembled line breaks to imitate the sound “New Topographics” marked a a framework for approaching the of hip-hop’s break beats: “Yes,/ definitive turning point in 20th influential exhibition. we ex/plode/on the/break is the These Are The Breaks century landscape photography, place where the poem gets laced. By Idris Goodwin (BA ’00) one that shifted away from the Reframing the New Topographics Let rhythm hit us first in the face.” [Write Bloody Publishing, stark, reverent style of the natural puts the original collection into Other entries, such as “Sol Food” 2011. $12 paperback] vistas popularized by artists such context with both its difficult and “The Idris Goodwin Dojo For Reviewed by Anna Washenko as Ansel Adams, and toward a conception in the mid-’70s and The Rhyming Arts,” also echo the present-day issues it still bleak—at times banal—view that Playwright, spoken-word poet, spoken word, but his tone turns speaks to, from environmentalism unsettled and fascinated with and Columbia College Chicago conversational in the stories about to cultural mapping. equal measure. The examination of alum Idris Goodwin has turned to his own life. In “Don’t Be A Sellout,” the post-war American landscape he details his desire to affiliate with The editors’ own research, joined the printed word with a collection being recut with tract houses, hip-hop culture while living in the by essays culled from a 2008 of essays titled These Are The turnpikes, and urban sprawl drew gentrified suburbs of Detroit. College Arts Association panel, Breaks. With a voice reminiscent tepid reactions—the majority of of the sharpest rappers, Goodwin shows compelling examples of how “Something About Lying” captures which were at best dismissive and chronicles the music, history, the questions raised through Goodwin’s experience teaching at worst repellant. and politics shaping the lives of “New Topographics” continue to speech and drama at a charter African Americans. When curator William Jenkins weave through discussions of art school, while “Me and Mahmoud and environment. assembled the 1975 exhibition, the He combines national and Down By The Dead Sea” has ambitions were modest: The show’s Goodwin making discoveries about The combination of history lesson personal histories to present catalogue was a sparely assembled stereotypes and prejudice during and cultural analysis explored pointed social commentary on paperback, the entire presentation a visit to the Middle East. These throughout the book unlocks black identity and hip-hop culture. itself only one part of what essays capture a powerful voice of insight into the feelings of positivity “The Gangster Rap Question” Reframing the New Topographics contemporary hip-hop. Goodwin’s or deep malaise surrounding lists many of his responses when co-editor John Rohrbach calls complex perspective on the world how our landscape is changing people ask if the genre is “bad,” “an intermittent series of including the rebuttal, “Ice Cube is both lyrical and provocative.
DEMO36 Cartooning: showcasing his natural talent for writes that his goal in documenting guidebook of lists—with each entry Philosophy and Practice the art. the oldest structures still standing serving as an evocative view of By Ivan Brunetti strong in the Windy City was not Chicago’s past, its present, and, [Yale University Press, 2011. Sprinkled throughout each to “be a guidebook of lists, but a with any luck, its future. $13 paperback] chapter are history and cartooning series of small stories and articles.” Reviewed by Sarah Luckett philosophies taking the reader past Whether these businesses and their initial assumptions and diving buildings are remnants of a MORE... To the untrained eye, cartooning deep into the professional art of forgotten Chicago era (film studios, looks like a relatively simple task: creating a successful cartoon. bathhouses, and slaughterhouses) The Cheat Sheet come up with something witty, and Brunetti is supportive of his or neighborhood institutions as By Rea Frey (BA ’04) and then draw a picture conveying it. students’ attempts, but stern and popular today as when they were Stephany Alexander Easy, right? Wrong. serious about readers following built (movie theatres, ice cream [Adams Media, 2011, $14.95 his instruction. parlors, and hot dog stands), Witter paperback] In Cartooning: Philosophy and argues the book will help readers Practice, Columbia College faculty Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice In an age of Anthony Weiners, view these structures as unique member Ivan Brunetti breaks teaches lessons beyond the realm John Edwardses, and Arnold time capsules in the context of down the various intricate aspects of cartooning. Brunetti’s almost Schwarzeneggers, infidelity has mega malls and big-box stores. of creating a compelling cartoon stream-of-consciousness style never had a higher profile. So that is intriguing, clear, and allows the reader to be inside the For the most part, Witter succeeds how can spouses know for sure entertaining. mind of an artist, teaching them in his goal of illuminating Chicago’s whether their partner is engaging how to develop and convey a lost gems. Some entries are in suspicious behavior because Brunetti describes Cartooning theme in a way that’s clear to the better than others—their quality they’re covering up an affair?The as a “classroom in a book,” and outside world. depends on how extensively Cheat Sheet, written by alum Rea his description couldn’t be more Witter interviews owners, or their Frey and Stephany Alexander, aims accurate. family members, who can provide to provide lots of quick reference guides to help determine whether Oldest Chicago illuminating quotes and context. At The book begins with Brunetti the reader’s partner is being By David Anthony Witter (BA ’86) the very least, Oldest Chicago shows suggesting specific tools for the unfaithful. Through anecdotes, [Lake Claremont Press, 2011. readers entirely forgotten parts of novice cartoonist. Cartooning is multiple-choice quizzes, and $16.95 paperback] Chicago, on the Northwest, South, structured by week, each offering helpful advice, The Cheat Sheet not Reviewed by Jon Graef (MA ’12) and West sides of the city—places different lessons, and assigns only strives to help spouses see the various exercises for readers to like Superdawg, Army and Lou’s In the acknowledgments section of signs of cheating, but to help them try on their own. He also offers his Restaurant, The Clarke House, and his book, Oldest Chicago, Columbia cope with the aftermath in order to own examples of each assignment, Merz Apothecary. Oldest Chicago College alum David Anthony Witter makes its case quite well as a build better relationships.
DEMO37 Columbia Alumni Association & Network
alumni / faculty news & notes Contact your local CAAN chapter leader: CHICAGO Joan Hammel (BA ’86) [email protected] DEAR ALUMNI, ATLANTA Susan Fore (BA ’99) [email protected] Michelle Passarelli (BA ’99) We elected a new Columbia College Chicago Alumni Association DENVER Assistant Director & Network (CAAN) National Board on August 17. Members of this Pat Blum (BA ’84) Alumni Operations board are strategizing on how to make your alumni association [email protected] 312.369.6987 even stronger. One of the CAAN National Board’s primary [email protected] objectives is to establish a cohesive, national voice for the alumni DETROIT of Columbia College Chicago. Patrick Duffy (BA ’02) Sarah Schroeder (BA ’00) [email protected] Director of Alumni Relations With the recent election, CAAN was restructured by region; LAS VEGAS West Coast city chapters fall under each region. Each region (Northwest, C. J. Hill (BA ’99) 323.469.0443 Southwest, Great South, Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast) [email protected] [email protected] has one elected board representative. The six additional board LOS ANGELES members are members-at-large from throughout the country. See Cynthia Vargas (BA ’01) Sarah Schroeder (BA ’00) Assistant Director the sidebar to find the board member nearest you. [email protected] Alumni Events and Programs In addition to holding monthly conference calls, the CAAN NASHVILLE 312.369.8640 Ross Rylance (BA ’84) [email protected] National Board meets at an annual assembly during Alumni Weekend. The board is forming committees, including one that [email protected] will further establish the hugely successful Textbook Fund and a NEW YORK METRO committee that will hold nationwide social events. In their role as James “Woody” Woodward (MA ’03) alumni ambassadors, CAAN National Board members will also [email protected] promote Columbia College Chicago within their communities. Kristie Borgmann (BA ’04) [email protected] Sound like fun? Look for your representative, and if the CAAN spirit moves you, reach out to them! PHOENIX Don Fox (BA ’85) Thank you to all who have been a part of this incredible growth in [email protected] the alumni association. You are making a real difference. Donna Jaglieski (BA ’90; MAT ’96) [email protected] Best regards, PITTSBURGH Mike Moscato (BA ’94) [email protected]
PORTLAND, OREGON Sarah Schroeder (BA ’00) Howard Shapiro (BA ’53) Director of Alumni Relations, West Coast [email protected]
SAN FRANCISCO Beth Barnette (BA ’03) [email protected]
ST. LOUIS Matt Staed (BA ’06) [email protected]
DEMO38 NEWS&NOTES COLUMBIACOLLEGECHICAGOFALL/WINTER2011 WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT THERE? WE WANT TO KNOW! To submit your news, log in to the alumni online community at colum.edu/alumni. The listings here are edited for length; the website features expanded news, notes, and pictures.
CLASSNEWS
Center for Nonprofits, the Alliance for Director Hesham Issawi (BA ’94) and 1950s Nonprofit Management, and for AFP 1990s cinematographer Patrik Thelander Donald Smetzer (BA ’59) was hon- International in 2011. Ted Ansani (BA ’90) celebrated the (BA ’95) teamed up for their second feature together, Cairo Exit, which ored by the American Society of Media Michael Goi (BA ’80) was elected for memory of his former Material Issue received a US premiere at Tribeca Photographers with its first Living a third term as president of the Ameri- bandmate and fellow alum, Jim El- Film Festival in April 2011. Earlier this Legends Award. He received the honor can Society of Cinematographers. Goi lison (BA ’90), by performing a reunion year, the film won Best Non-European for his still photography career span- also wrote and directed a film called concert at the 10th annual Internation- Independent Dramatic Feature at the ning more than 30 years. Smetzer has Megan Is Missing about Internet preda- al Pop Overthrow festival in Chicago. credits on 30 motion picture produc- European International Film Festival. tors and child abduction. In addition, Karyn Bosnak (BA ’96) is the author tions and 20 television shows. He was he was the director of photography for of the novel 20 Times A Lady, which Dr. Lisa Sharpe’s (BA ’90, MA ’96) dis- also a pioneer in the stock photogra- the ABC sitcom Mr. Sunshine. recently inspired the filmWhat’s Your sertation was chosen as Outstanding phy industry as founder of CLICK/Chi- Dissertation of the Year by the faculty Thomas McNulty (BA ’88) has written Number?, starring Anna Faris, Chris cago, a stock photo agency that was of Roosevelt University. The disserta- work that runs the creative gamut Evans, and Joel McHale. To learn more purchased by Tony Stone Images, then tion topic was adjunct faculty and from Hollywood biographies to action- about the film, opening September 30, by Getty Images. university mission. Sharpe is head of packed westerns. Coming next is visit whatsyournumbermovie.com. the graphic design program at Robert an academic study of werewolves in Mary P. Carroll (’90) was named to Morris University Chicago. 1960s folklore, fiction, and film.Werewolves! Who’s Who of American Women 2010-11. Pat Sajak (’68) received the Lifetime will be published by Bear Manor Keturah Stickann (BA ’98) has been (BA ’94) won a FOLIO: Achievement Award from the Daytime Media. For additional information, visit Michael Costa working as a director and choreogra- Magazine “Eddie” award, placing first Emmys for his long career as host of thomasmcnulty.com. pher in opera for the last six years and in the B2B, Food Service/Hotel, Single toured as the choreographer for two Wheel of Fortune. Fellow game show host Dominic Scianna (BA ’84) is assistant Article category. He won the award world premiere operas, Jake Heggie’s Alex Trebek also received an award. vice president of media relations for St. for a story he wrote about the Hyatt Moby-Dick and Jose Martinez’s To Cross John’s University in Queens, New York. Regency Waikiki’s room service menu The Face Of The Moon. The latter is be- Scianna and his wife, Kerri, celebrated 1970s in Hotel F&B magazine. ing billed as the first mariachi opera. their 25th wedding anniversary this Alfred Bergstein (BA ’77) recently Leonard Foglia directed both pieces. past May. They have two sons, Peter John Doline (BA ’99) has written for finished a video for the Puget Sound and Anthony. many publications and advertising Jason Tinker (BA ’95) wrote and di- Partnership called Voices of the Strait, agencies in the Detroit and Ann Arbor rected The Tinker Show, which was per- a 16-minute documentary about the John Strysik (’84) and Aaron Vanek areas, including The Furnace, Ann Arbor formed July 8-9, 2011, at StageWerx changes seen in the last 70 years by (’03) met and inspired the Lovecraft Paper, Northwest Gazette, and Meridian in San Francisco. The Tinker Show people on the North Olympic Pen- Film Festival 15 years ago. The festival Advertising. Find more information at features live sketch comedy, improv, insula. Watch it on Vimeo at vimeo. takes place on September 16-17 jackdoline.com. and short films. For more information, com/12452315. at the Warner Grand Theater in San visit TheTinkerShow.com. Pedro near Long Beach, California. Adrian Fulle (BA ’95) produced Earl Smith (BA ’72) founded Order of Special guests include film icon Roger Rock The Route, a TV show about two Kush International and its subsidiaries Corman. More information is available Chicago bands competing for a chance Kush University, Museum Africa, the 2000s at hplfilmfestival.com. to record in the world-famous Red Bull Sons and Daughters of Africa Network, recording studio that was sold to a ma- Rhiannon Alpers (MFA ’05) was select- and, most recently, the Adopt-A-School Peter Teschner (’80) edited the jor cable network. She also produced ed as one of six artists to teach courses Program. Order of Kush International filmHorrible Bosses, which arrived in live concert TV pilot Soundclash Project during spring and summer sessions at has been supporting people of African theaters in July. The film stars Jason for Red Bull. The concert featured Cee the Sonoma Community Center. Alpers descent since its inception. Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Lo Green and The Ting Tings, who both taught a course called “Intertwining Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin performed Green’s hit song “F**K You” Patterns and Stitches: Mono-printed 1980s Spacey, and Jamie Foxx. Watch the in the finale. Artists’ Journals” at Sonoma. trailer at horriblebossesmovie.com. Katie Baker (BA ’08) won a Gracie Penelope Cagney (MA ’88) signed Aaron Hartline (’98) was an (’89) is the subject of a Award for her work as an associate copies of her book, Nonprofit Consulting James Vallo animator on Toy Story 3, which was documentary about independent film- producer for The Laura Berman Show Essentials: What Nonprofits and Consul- awarded an Academy Award for Best makers trying to make it in Hollywood. at Harpo Radio. The Gracie Awards tants Need to Know, at the Association Animated Feature. The documentary,Chasing Hollywood, “recognize exemplary programming of Fundraising Professionals Inter- was scheduled for release in summer Sheila House (’99) is working on a created for women, by women, and national Conference at McCormick 2011. Vallo also released a feature master’s degree in communication about women in all facets of media.” Place in Chicago on March 21. Cagney film calledNot Another B Movie in July. and recently produced a segment for a presented webinars for the Georgia TV magazine show, InBox.
DEMO39 Diane Baldwin (BA ’05) produced a web lion and will be distributed theatrically. series titled Less Than Heroes. The series Jessica Hernandez (’09) taught herself was launched on May 18, 2011, at to play several musical instruments lessthanheroes.com. The show is while she attended Columbia. Her band, available through the Less Than Heroes The Deltas, has released an EP and has website, Blip TV, and YouTube. been successful in modest-sized tours. Samantha Barrett-Rogers (BA ’01) The Deltas are represented by Punch En- handcrafted couture feather accessories terprises and hope to sign with a record designs were accepted into the Illinois label soon. Artisan Program. Her artistic feather Joseph Hernandez (BA ’09) moved to designs will be shown and sold at one New York to take the position of manag- or more of the Illinois State Museum ing editor at Galavanting Magazine. artisan shops throughout the state. Visit To learn more about his work, visit soundchickaccessories.com. gogalavanting.com.
(BA ’12) Jacob Boll (BA Photo: Jetta Bates-Vasilatos (BA ’02) was a Kelsie Huff (BA ’03) brought her 2010 special contributor for Essence maga- solo show, BRUISER: Tales from a Trauma- zine. She has her own website at jetta- Jehan Abon (BFA ’04), James Kinser (MA ’05), and Michelle Passarelli (BA ’99) tized Tomboy, to the Gorilla Tango Theatre setting.com, a lifestyle blog that features in Chicago. Huff also wrote and starred writings about her traveling and living in another solo performance in 2005 departmental news feeds that experiences, including trips to Japan, called Huffs. Graduates alumni can see after logging Kenya, and Cuba. in. This targeted information, Katie Ide (BA ’03) and Omar Miller Congratulations to produce new relevant to one’s degree, helps Chris Charles (MAM ’06) work for the Harris Theater. (BA ’07), (’06), alums stay in the know about Kevin Moss Philip S. Ide was promoted to the position of (BA ’10), (BA alumni site news that is important to them. Plowden Brian Caunter director of marketing and sales, and ’06), and (BA ’06) for the Alumni can even use career- John Bosher Miller joined as the marketing manager, When Columbia’s new alumni distribution of Chicago Overcoat. The website debuted in May, you building tools, such as website digital media. and resume workshops via the film is now available to rent, download, might have been impressed Jason Klamm (BA ’03) appeared in A Portfolio Center. or purchase at Netflix, Redbox, Family by its design and features. Video, Amazon, and iTunes. Drinking Game, a stage readings show. However, you may not have “Being able to elegantly Klamm described A Drinking Game as (BA ’04) edited known that Columbia graduates and effectively create Jacquelyn Dean a combination of Rocky Horror, your Hamill, the opening night movie for the were the driving workforce communications is something favorite ’80s and early ’90s movies, and Cleveland International Film Festival behind the revamped site. that I really groove on, and I a drinking game. think we achieved that with this on March 24. The film was also in the Using the skills they learned Angela LaRocca (BA ’08) is back in her site,” Kinser says. “Our previous Miami International Film Festival as one as Columbia students and the hometown of St. Louis after working ex- site was like Air Jordans. Now of only 10 films in the World Competi- experience of being alums, tensively in the Los Angeles and Chicago we’re wearing wing tips and a tion. Find out more about the film at Assistant Director of Online markets. She was cast in the lead role of tuxedo—it’s just that much more hamillthemovie.com. Communications James Kinser the film7 Minutes, which began produc- successful and sophisticated.” (BA ’09) was named by (MA ’05), Assistant Director of Lindsey Dietzler tion in May 2011. She is represented Windy City Times as one of the 30 Under Alumni Operations Michelle Abon says it was important to by Talent Plus and recently became a 30, a distinction honoring individuals Passarelli (BA ’99), and create a service that not only producer for Murdoch Street Productions. Senior Graphic Designer/Web looks good but serves alumni in who’ve made significant contributions to Shawn Lent (MAM ’07) served as a Specialist Jehan Abon (BFA ’04) a new way. the Chicago LGBT community. Dietzler led the team that brought the was honored for her activism in Video dance teaching artist for the Most Mira “Knowing the amount of content Bridge of Peace Youth Arts Festival in redesign project from concept Action League, an organization she co- that existed, I knew that we northwest Bosnia. The festival, in its third to reality. founded. needed to filter all the news year, is located in the fields surrounding a (’06) was cast for the The site redesign aimed to and content in a way that was Harmony France highly politicized community center in the starring role of Bailiwick Chicago’s fall improve user friendliness and digestible, organized, [and] not village of Kevljani, where residents were production of Violet: A Musical. provide ways for alumni to overwhelming,” she says. victims of genocide in the 1990s. To learn interact online, the team says. more, visit mostmiraproject.org. All three leaders say being Jess Godwin (BA ’05) performed at Pairing these features with a Gem Theatre in Detroit on July 15 to Columbia alumni helped make Roberto Meza (BA ’05) recently launched sleek new design that arranged debut her latest EP, Klutz. this project run as smoothly as Vanessa Pan- Black Maria, an urban art-inspired apparel content more efficiently was a (’06) choreographed the music possible. erosa project based out of Chicago. He seeks to major goal that Passarelli says video for “Katy’s Side.” Godwin has also further collaborate with local artists as well she had from the start. “As an alum you naturally have acted at Steppenwolf Theatre, Porchlight as maintain unique online content. Visit this passion and affinity for the Theatre, and Long Wharf Theatre. “Within 48 hours, I had a young blackmariachicago.com. place that helped transform alum say that it was much easier Jasmine Greer’s (MFA ’09) photography your own life,” Kinser says. Mario Panagiotopoulos (BA ’03) was to navigate and find what she exhibit Empty Spaces was unveiled at The “There’s a level of familiarity you the cinematographer on the Chaz Bono was looking for,” Passarelli says. Historic Arkansas Museum for Second get in being a student here.” documentary, Becoming Chaz. The film Team members say they Friday Art Night. To check out the alumni premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film are most proud of the new (BA ’00) was the direc- Festival and was picked up just prior website, visit colum.edu/ John Guleserian forms of communication on tor of photography for the filmLike Crazy, to the festival by the Oprah Winfrey alumni. the homepage, such as the which recently won the Grand Jury Prize Network. OWN aired the documentary live Twitter and specialized — BENITA ZEPEDA (BA ’11) at the Sundance Film Festival. The film in May. was purchased by Paramount for $4 mil-
DEMO40 Michael Parrott (BA ’00) is a director zine, OCHO, Inkstains, Columbia Poetry cased her talents everywhere from and lead technical director for the Review, and other journals. academia to nightclubs, boutiques, Nick Charles KDVR/KWGN duopoly in Denver, Colo- and museums. She also was the Amy Shuster (BA ’05), along with rado. Previously, Parrott was employed resident curator for Gallery 718 in two other Columbia alumni, Nikki (1946–2011) as an assistant editor for E! Entertain- Chicago’s East Pilsen Arts District. Her Brown and Gabby Sanalitro (BA ’93), ment Television in Los Angeles. individual DJ career includes perfor- recently starred in a production of Eve Nick Charles (BA ’70), best mances nationally and internation- Dean Peterson (BA ’08) made his Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues at the known as the first sports ally at venues such as AKIRA, The debut as a first-time Chicago film Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Los Ange- anchor at CNN, lost his two- Athenaeum Theater, Armani Exchange, director. His film,Incredibly Small, is a les. This particular production raised year battle with cancer in and many other notable venues. bittersweet romantic comedy starring money to benefit Peace Over Violence June. Born Nicholas Charles Susan Burke and Stephen Gurewitz. and Women & Girls of Haiti. Sarah Marie Young (’08) was se- Nickeas, the Chicago native The film showed at the Gene Siskel lected as one of nine finalists traveling took his first television job at Adam Silver (BA ’07) debuted his pro- Film Center. to Switzerland to compete in the Shure Springfield, Illinois, station duction company, Sixth Avenue, with Montreux Jazz Vocalist Competition WICS, where he adopted his Daniel Pico (BA ’02) announced the world premiere of the play Fact & at the Montreux Jazz and Heritage professional name. After leav- the inaugural 48 Hour Hollywood Fiction by William Nedved, starring him- Festival. The competition took place on ing Springfield, Charles worked Fight Club Film Challenge, which took self, directed by Damaso Rodriguez, July 9-10, 2011. in Baltimore and Washington place in April. Each team created and this past June as part of the Hollywood before starting work at CNN in finished a five-minutes-or-less short Fringe Festival. More information on George Zwierzynski (BA ’02) Atlanta. film using a prop of the Fight Club’s the show and Sixth Avenue is available created a web series called Guys Book choosing. Participants then delivered at 6avenue.org. Club. Check it out at guysbookclub.tv. For 20 years, Charles co-hosted the finished film to The Hollywood “CNN Sports Tonight” with Andrew Terhune (MFA ’09) recently Fight Club Theater within 48 hours. his co-anchor Fred Hickman. received his MA degree in Cinema Awards in a wide variety of categories 2010s Charles most famously covered Studies at Savannah College of Art & were given. Kellie Bartoli (BA ’10) was hired the London Olympics and the Design and is pursuing his doctorate in as a reporter for WTWO. WTWO also Rose Bowl, and he interviewed Benjamin Reed (BFA ’06) was pro- English at Oklahoma State University. employs Morgan Moore (BA ’10), Muhammad Ali about the moted to associate creative director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (BA ’06) is do- another alum of the TV journalism boxer’s battle with Parkinson’s for Plan B, Inc., a creative agency ing three episodes of Death Valley for program at Columbia. syndrome. His successful and that collaborates closely with clients MTV with Christian Sprenger. He was colorful career propelled him to and creates hyper-efficient marketing offered a feature with the studio that national prominence, and even solutions. made Little Miss Sunshine. In Memoriam landed him the title of “one of Jacob Saenz (BA ’05) was the recipi- Joseph Kafka (BA ’94), the owner of the most handsome men in Bennie Woodell (BA ’06) cast Katie ent of the Letras Latinas Residency Fel- a popular wine shop in Lakeview that America” by People Magazine. Lanigan (BA ’10) for the starring role lowship. Saenz received $1,000 and a was his namesake, died on June 26 at He is survived by his wife, Cory; of his latest feature film,The Sad Café. summer in residence at the Anderson the age of 38. Kafka graduated from daughters Giovanna, Melissa, Center. Saenz’s poetry has appeared Sadie Woods (BA ’00) is an indepen- Columbia College with a major in film and Katie; and son, Jason. in Poetry, Buffalo Carp, Apparatus Maga- dent curator and DJ who has show- editing and production.
colum.edu/alumniweekend
SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY 30 ROCK STAR SCOTT ADSIT (’89)
Friday, September 23–Sunday, September 25
DEMO41 FACULTY & STAFF NOTES
Robin Bargar (Media Arts/IAM) Fred Camper (Film & Video) and Bill Angela Fowler (Early Childhood Edu- Associate Professor Marlene Lipinski became the new dean of the School Stamets (Film & Video) were panelists cation) presented at the World Forum (Graphic Design) was elected to serve of Media Arts and professor in the at a three-day conference, “Illuminat- on Childhood Education. The presenta- on the Board of Officers for national Interactive Arts and Media Department ing the Shadows: Film Criticism in tion, “Using an iPad as an Educational arts organization Foundations in Art: on June 30. Bargar comes to Columbia Focus,” about the state of film criti- Tool for Teachers,” was based on an Theory and Education (FATE). Lipin- from The City University of New York’s cism, which took place the third week Undergraduate Research Mentorship ski will serve in her position through College of Technology, where he was a of April. Initiative project and was aimed to spring 2013. professor of entertainment technol- examine the efficacy of the iPad for James Falzone (First-Year Seminar) Wojciech Lorenc (Television) was ogy and served as dean of the School educators. The conference took place was featured on alarmpress.com on awarded two Hugo Television Awards of Technology and Design from 2004 in Hawaii in early May. April 14, 2011. The article and Q&A for his web series “YouTupolis,” a until 2010. focused on Falzone’s accomplish- Ann Gunkel (HHSS) received a lectur- sci-fi-minded satirizing of social media Beau Beaudoin (Television) and ments as a clarinetist and his knack ing award through the Core Fulbright communities. Co-created with Valen- Michael Niederman (Television) pre- for “cross-pollinating classical in an Scholar Program. From September tina Trevino, a social media veteran, sented at the 2011 Broadcast Educa- avant-garde ecclesia.” 2011 through February 2012, she will “YouTupolis” took home awards in tion Association Conference from April serve as visiting professor at the Insti- the categories of “Online Television Ron Falzone’s and Jack Newell’s 9-13 in Las Vegas. tute for American Studies and Polish Series” and “Special Achievement: Low (Film & Video) Typing was accepted Diaspora at Jagiellonian University in Budget.” The Hugo Television Awards Dave Berner (Radio) was awarded the into the Cannes Film Festival Short Kraków, Poland. honors the most innovative members 2011 Grand Prize at the Royal Dragon- Film Corner and was also selected for of the television community. fly Book Awards for his teaching memoir Cannes’ Emerging Filmmaker Show- Anna Kunz (A+D) was curatorial Accidental Lessons. In addition to win- case at the American Pavilion. It was consultant for an exhibition of local, Vaun Monroe (Film & Video) directed ning the Grand Prize, which recognizes one of six short films in competition for national, and international artists and the play Birthright, which opened excellence in literature, Berner also won the best-in-show prize in May 2011. artist teams at the Morton Arboretum March 17, 2011, and ran through May first place in the education category. in May. 8, at ETA Creative Arts.
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Photo: Alexa Rubinstein (BA ’09)
DEMO42 Luke Palermo (Television) succeeded Barbara Williams Perry as the newly Spotlight on: elected president of National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/Midwest Bruce Sheridan and on June 15. Palermo has taught at Co- lumbia College for more than 25 years. Wonjung Bae Pangratios Papacosta (Science and Mathematics) presented his paper When Film & Video important statement about “Core Images and their Cultural Sig- Department Chair Bruce what a college like Columbia nificance” at the 17th annual meeting Sheridan took over one of is about. of the Association of Core Images and Courses in April. The conference was his colleague’s courses, little [Bae’s] film is winning awards sponsored by Yale University and was did he know that he and his because she has a wonderful Bruce Sheridan attended by more than 400 scholars graduate student Wonjung cinematic eye and she doesn’t and academics. Bae would be showcased in spoon feed the audience. She the same film festival. Paul Peditto (Film & Video) discussed lets them find their own way dialogue on April 3 at a Chicago The Jewish Eye–World Jewish into the film, and that is pretty Screenwriters Network-sponsored Film Festival, to be held in tricky with a 10-minute film. event. Ashkelon, Israel, in November, Bae: It will take a lifetime Teresa Puente (Journalism) will be will celebrate more than 80 to really learn about what it the Newsday/David Laventhol Visiting films that deal with Jewish means. Right now I am still Professor at Columbia University’s identity, history, and culture. looking for my first job, my Graduate School of Journalism for Sheridan’s documentary, This fall 2011. funder for my next project, Song is Old, is about a Chicago and my [future] boyfriend or Alexa Rubinstein (BA ’09) (BA Rubinstein Alexa Photos: Kevin Riordan (Creative Services) was man who brings a Torah to a husband too. I am still working awarded an Individual Artist Profes- Wonjung Bae group of people in India that on the same questions before sional Development track (IA-PD) grant descended from Israel but from the Illinois Arts Council. The IA-PD and after. I will learn the real don’t have the basic tools meaning probably later as before I am a filmmaker, I am grant is an offshoot of the Illinois Arts to practice Judaism. Bae’s Council’s Individual Artist Support Ini- I grow into a more serious a film lover. film,Vera Klement: Blunt Edge, tiative, which helps support individual filmmaker. I am very honored, What are your three artists’ careers through state-assisted follows Klement, who is an and it was quite a coincidence artist and holocaust survivor, essential, nonfilm things financial opportunities. Riordan was for sure that we are showing that get you through a one of 56 grantees and received $750. as she starts a new project films at the same festival. nearing her 80th birthday. project? Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa (Film & Video) What is the best part about I always need one discussed contemporary foreign films, DEMO: What do you make Sheridan: attending film festivals? of my guitars. I used to be a the struggle of people in other parts of the fact that your film professional musician, and of the world, and new approaches to was accepted into the same Sheridan: You meet people I still do a lot of writing and filmmaking at “Contemporary Foreign film festival as another that you might want to make Cinema: A Window to the World” on playing, and it’s my way of Columbia filmmaker? films with, and you learn about April 20 at East-West University. films where people have used meditating and processing Sheridan: Columbia is a Francine J. Sanders (Film & Video) techniques or an approach things so I am able to get an was awarded a $10,000 grant by the unique institution in that that maybe you didn’t think of idea of what I am missing. I Richard H. Driehaus Foundation from we really do have a deep, that you might want to learn need either the iPad or laptop its newly created investigative report- intellectual, and analytical from. It’s just a good place to or something. I need the ing fund. The grant will fund a one-year interest in things, but we make learn. You learn from people subject. I like to make films research and writing project dealing stuff. This is a place where all the time. that have human beings at the with police accountability and police people learn by actually heart. So I need the people. brutality. Sanders hopes to expand doing it. Bae: I went to Washington, I am interested in the light, the project into a short documentary DC, for SilverDocs, and I felt the dark, and the whole thing or book. We’re going to both be at like it was the Olympic games that festival, at least our about human nature. Bruce Sheridan (Film & Video) was for documentary filmmaking. films will be, and no one is interviewed by artist Philip Hartigan Yes, I was a filmmaker there, Bae: I need to have a really in April. going to go, ‘Oh, well she’s a but if I could have been good sleep. Fruit because fruit student, and he’s a teacher.’ eligible to win any of the is super important, and I love Fereshteh Toosi (First-Year Seminar) They are just going to see two received $5,000 from the Illinois Hu- awards there I would have it. I also need to have a good filmmakers. Even though I’m manities Council, the highest amount been “best audience.” I was relationship with my subject. many years older than her of funds offered to community groups, crying, laughing, and I realized —BENITA ZEPEDA (BA ’11) for the project “Garlic & Greens: Acces- and I have made more films, I just enjoy watching good sible Soul Food Stories.” that’s irrelevant. It’s just two documentaries. Good ones filmmakers. I think it’s a very Mia Wicklund (Film & Video) was really shake my heart. I guess recently featured in Graduate Edition, a Columbia publication highlighting the work of graduate students. DEMO43 MANIFEST & COMMENCEMENT Manifest, Columbia’s urban arts festival that showcases the work and creativity of students, celebrated its MAY 13–15, 2011 10th anniversary this year. Thousands of students, faculty, staff, parents, friends, alumni, patrons, donors, industry professionals, and neighborhood residents took part in the May 13 festivities. Columbia held its 2011 commencement ceremonies on May 14 and 15 at the UIC Pavilion. More than 2,000 students were honored in three ceremonies.
Photos by Louis Byrd (BA ’90), Robert Kusel (BA ’78), Kris Wade-Matthews (’12)
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[ 1–2 ] Graduates celebrate the hard work completed and the new journey ahead [ 3 ] Samira Robinson (BA ’89) performs in the Alumni Lounge [ 4 ] Manifest attendees check out the Combat Paper Project, which encourages veterans to turn their combat uniforms into cathartic works of art [ 5 ] A Columbia ensemble warms up the crowd at commencement [ 6–7 ] 2011 grads party at the Hilton [ 8 ] Performers entrance the audience during Manifest’s The Great Convergence [ 9 ] An aerialist captivates the crowd at Manifest
DEMO45 CAAN CHICAGO VOLUNTEERS FAT BITCH!, LOS ANGELES JUNE 8, 2011 APRIL 29–MAY 1, 2011
CAAN Chicago volunteers at a WTTW pledge drive on June 8, 2011 Steve Pink (’86) hosts Erica Watson’s (MA ’05) one-woman show, Fat Bitch!, in Los Angeles. [ Top Row ] Leah Banks (MA ’07), Cynthia Vargas (BA ’01), Jane Bishop Lillegard (BA Photo by Alex Kinnan (BA ’95) ’85), WTTW Board of Trustee Member Carey McMillan, Emory Brown (’02), Alphonso Myers (BA ’01) [ Bottom Row ] Debby Rabeor (BA ’85), Joan Hammel (BA ’86), Stephanie Sarto (BA ’04), Shannon Amoako (BA ’98)
1 2 PRINTERS ROW LIT FEST JUNE 4–5, 2011
The 27th annual event featured author talks, music, entertainment, and more.
[ 1 ] Jess Godwin (BA ’05) performs [ 2 ] Cora Jacobs, managing editor of Court Green, shows off Columbia
work [ 3 ] Jeffrey Allen (MFA ’11)
reads his poetry [ 4 ] Fest attendees
4 enjoy an afternoon reading
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DEMO46 From Wood Type Now: Daf Kühne at the Center for Book & Paper Arts: Old newspaper (detail) by Dafi Kühne, 2011 From Our Origins at MoCP: UPCOMINGEVENTS Mullet, by Alison Ruttan, 2006; SEE MORE AND GET MORE INFORMATION AT COLUM.EDU/CALENDAR. Courtesy of the artist EVENTS ARE FREE UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE. From Color: Fully Engaged at A+D Gallery: Himeji Castle and Houses of Parliament, by Susan Giles, 2008
SPECIAL EVENTS Conversations in the Arts GALLERIES Zurich University turned into both a Film Row Cinema magazine and an online database of Columbia at The 47th Chicago The following exhibitions 1104 S. Wabash Ave., 8th floor graphic design techniques. International Film Festival are held at the Center for colum.edu/conversations October 6–20 Book and Paper Arts, Our Origins This series offers in-depth dialogue Various locations 1104 S. Wabash Ave., 2nd floor Through October 16 with some of the world’s most notable colum.edu/chicagofilmfest Museum of Contemporary cultural figures in a select and Wood Type, Evolved: As the presenting partner of the 2011 Photography intimate setting. Experimental Letterpress Festival, Columbia will participate 600 S. Michigan Ave., 1st Floor & Relief Printing in the in opening night festivities, offer an Donna Brazile, October 25 colum.edu/mocp 21st Century exclusive Columbia Night program, Veteran Democratic political Our Origins considers the human September 8–December 10 and bring festival filmmakers strategist, commentator, and inclination to trace our beginnings Curator Tour and Open Studio to campus in special forums for analyst beyond recorded history and Event: October 6 at 6 p.m. students and the community. explores our limited capacity to Gloria Steinem, February 7 Held in association with Chicago draw conclusive answers about the Open Doors Gala 2011 Writer, lecturer, editor, and Artists Month. Wood Type, Evolved meaning of life from such efforts. November 5 feminist activist curator April Sheridan leads an in- colum.edu/gala2011 depth tour and lets patrons view Color: Fully Engaged Columbia at Sundance Join Columbia for a gala evening artist demos in the letterpress, September 29–November 5 Film Festival of exhilarating performances from binding, and papermaking studios. A+D Gallery, 619 S. Wabash Ave. January 20–23 our creative students. Proceeds colum.edu/adgallery Park City, Utah Wood Type Now: Dafi Kühne will benefit scholarships enabling colum.edu/sundance (Marilyn Sward Visiting Artist) This exhibition investigates color Chicago Public Schools graduates Columbia will host a series of events October 27 at 6 p.m. symbolism and hierarchies within to attend Columbia. Linda Johnson during Sundance, including an open Kühne talks about his letterpress historical, cultural, and theoretical Rice, chairman of Johnson Publishing house, a Chicago lunch, a cast and and graphic design studio contexts. Company, Inc., will receive the crew dinner, and more! babyinktwice and how his thesis at inaugural Chicago Legacy Award. (CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE)
DEMO47 Marcie Munnerlyn and Rashaun Mitchell perform with Merce Cunningham Dance Company in Antic Meet. Photo: Yi-Chun Wu
Trinidadian trumpeter/ percussionist Etienne Charles performs with CJE as part of Musica Panamericano. Photo: Laura Ferreira
LITERARY Cloud Gate Dance Theatre Opera in Cinema MUSIC of Taiwan Film Row Cinema, Creative Nonfiction Week Chicago Jazz Ensemble (CJE) October 28–29 1104 S. Wabash Ave., 8th floor October 17–20 The following performances take Tickets: $20 at 800.838.3006 Various locations Merce Cunningham Dance place at The Harris Theater for Music or brownpapertickets.com/ colum.edu/cnfw Company and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St. producer/15985 Creative Nonfiction Week presents November 18–19 7:30 p.m., Tickets: $18–$48 at Opera in Cinema is back with a a range of voices--familiar and new, 312.334.7777 or Margaret Jenkins Dance Company season of stunning operas from renowned and emerging--all helping harristheaterchicago.org February 9–11 Europe’s landmark theatres. to define and redefine the genre of colum.edu/chijazz Visit colum.edu/opera for the creative nonfiction. Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak Musica Panamericano February 23–25 full schedule. Story Week Festival of Writers October 7 THEATRE March 18–23, 2012 The Space/Movement Project, Musica Panamericano is an Various locations Rachel Damon/Synapse Arts The following performances exploration of music from the colum.edu/storyweek & Erica Mott take place at The Theatre Center Caribbean and the Americas, fusing Columbia’s Fiction Writing March 8–10 72 E. 11th St. original music with classic Caribbean Department presents the 16th Ballet Hispanico Tickets: $6–$16 at 312.369.6126 songs. The program features Annual Story Week. Story Week March 22–24 or colum.edu/theatre Trinidadian trumpeter/percussionist offers free events open to the public, Etienne Charles and compositions by Splendora including readings, conversations FILM CJE founder William Russo. October 26–November 5 with authors, panels, performances, Cinema Slapdown New Studio Theatre Beneath the Underdog: The and book signings. Film Row Cinema Musical World of Charles Mingus Celestial Bodies DANCE 1104 S. Wabash Ave., 8th floor January 20, 2012 November 30–December 10 Cinema Slapdown events feature Bassist Christian McBride and The following dance performances Getz Theatre a film screening and provocative bassist/vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello take place at The Dance Center pro/con debate. Operation Sidewinder join the CJE for an evening of 1306 S. Michigan Ave. February 15–25 music by Charles Mingus written in Tickets: $26–$30 at 312.369.8330 Black Swan Getz Theatre collaboration with Joni Mitchell. or colum.edu/dancecenter September 14 The Shipment Ornithology: The Music Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Exit Through the Gift Shop March 14–24 of Charlie “Bird” Parker Dance Company October 10 Classic Studio Theatre February 24, 2012 September 29–October 1 Inception RENT Grammy-nominated Puerto Rican Pick Up Performances Co(s) November 17 April 25–May 5 saxophonist Miguel Zenón celebrates October 13–15 Getz Theatre with the CJE the rich musical legacy of the great Charlie Parker.
DEMO48 MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER ALBUM IS RELEASED THE UNITED NATIONS HOLDS ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE THE WHO ENDS ITS FIRST FINAL TOUR IN TORONTO, CANADA 1982 THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL WALL IS DEDICATED
BY HEIDI MARSHALL Offering professional on-the-air experience, WCRX Heidi Marshall is Columbia’s college On December 17, 1982, Columbia College’s student- replaced the closed-circuit radio station, WVRX, archivist. If you have photos or materials you run radio station, WCRX (88.1 FM), went on the which had been in operation for years. The college’s think might be of interest for the archives, let her air. The station, whose license was purchased by 1982 expenses for the station setup were $25,000 know! [email protected] / 312.369.8689. Columbia from the University of Illinois early that year, for a transmitter, studio equipment, remodeling Visit the Columbia archives online at lib.colum.edu/archives. has always offered diverse and varied programming the Radio Department’s facilities, and a fee for the to its listeners. transmitter’s location.
DEMO49 Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Woodstock, IL Permit No. 58
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