SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 TheRecord 7 In the Community MANHATTANVILLE Columbia 250 Community Festival IN WEST HARLEM Community Employment odden ground and hefty debated. For Council Members Development Program gusts of wind didn’t slow Robert Jackson, Bill Perkins and s part of Columbia down a steady flow of neigh- Gale Brewer, who were carefully University’s com- bors, students and faculty examining the proposal before S mitment to stren- through a diverse array of events them, this was the familiar stuff of gthen ties with the and activities for Columbia Uni- democratic process. For the ten A diverse residents and institu- versity’s 250th anniversary at the high school students each taking a tions in Upper Manhattan, Columbia 250 Community Festival: turn to testify in this mock public the University is enhancing Celebrating with our Neighbors. hearing, it was an exhilarating les- Music, food, art, sports clinics, son in thinking critically about the its employment practices to health screenings and interactive complexities of public issues. U.S. improve its ability to hire exhibits brightened up the campus Representative Charles Rangel, qualified applicants from the and beyond on Saturday, Sept. 18. who was on hand to welcome the local communities. oso “Community Day, part of the audience gathered in Low Library r In the initial phase of this University’s 250th anniversary, is a and initiate the proceedings, cap- effort, Columbia has em- time to celebrate the social, cultur- tured the spirit of the day when he barked on a relationship with al and educational connection we told the young citizens that they all Managed Work Services share on a daily basis with our had a hand in making things better. (MWS), which will identify neighboring communities,” said The students, all part of Columbia’s community applicants for President Lee C. Bollinger. Double Discovery Center, drew positions and, where needed, “We want to open the doors of from their experiences to identify a help prepare them for work- our campus to our neighbors and proposal for the council to consid- ing at Columbia. MWS was to all of New York City to help us er and then prepared, organized t; top right and bottom, Eileen Bar chosen because of several celebrate this special occasion. We and presented information to the aggar important strengths: they hope that community organiza- committee. Double Discovery, currently work closely with tions, residents and elected offi- begun by Columbia College stu- Columbia managers and so cials—along with students, par- dents in 1965, provides education- deeply understand the work ents, faculty and administrators— al programs and services to low- and the work environment; will use the day to reflect on the income, first-generation college edit: top left, Chris T their assessment and coach- education,health,environment and bound, middle and senior high cr ing skills enable them to Clockwise from top left: children enjoy interactive features; Taj Mahal bright- arts aspects of our extended neigh- school students in New York City. identify candidates that are a ens the day; an exuberant crowd braves the weather. borhood, while having a good time After the mock trial Jean Mag- good match for a job; and at Columbia University,”he added. nano Bollinger presented Norman they provide selected candi- While many events took place Messiah with the first prize in the in front of damp, yet eager fans on nis clinics, Levien Gymnasium was dates with targeted support outside, Low Library was host to a Community Festival Art Compe- the South Lawn. Dee Dee Bridge- host to lively basketball clinics for so that each individual can mock trial featuring real politicians tition for his oil on canvas piece, water closed the afternoon’s perfor- participants of all ages. On 116th succeed. and young scholars. As befitting a entitled,“Community Block Party.” mances,receiving a bouquet of flow- St. between Morningside Drive and MWS has solid connec- New York City Council hearing, Meanwhile, world-famous musi- ers from Bob O’Meally, Zora Neale Amsterdam Ave, children’s art tions with community passionate testimony elicited prob- cians such as Taj Mahal and Eddie Hurston Professor of English and exhibits, carnival games and other resources as well—enabling ing questions as the facts of a pro- Palmieri y La Perfecta II braved Comparative Literature and direc- activities for the younger members them to connect candidates posed change in a transit program strong winds and the threat of tor of the Center for Jazz Studies. of the community packed the to social services or training were examined and its merits downpours to deliver rousing sets With the rain washing out ten- entire block. resources, improving the can- didate’s ability to qualify for or be ready for active work. MWS stays involved after each placement, working with supervisors and employ- ees, providing support and coaching. This fall, MWS has been working with the CU departments Facilities, Student Services and Institu- tional Real Estate and has al- ready placed 15 local resi- dents in positions. Columbia Human Resour- ces plans to open an Employment Programs Infor- mation Center at 3180 Broadway at 125th St. in December. MWS will have a full-time daily presence at the center. Simultaneously, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and HR are working ROAR, LION, ROAR! together on an innovative program that improves COLUMBIA 250 CLOSING FESTIVITIES employability called SLICE, HOMECOMING WEEKEND 2004 which stands for Service Learning in a Community Environment. This program Friday, October 1 LOW PLAZA introduces local residents to basic technical and work- 1:00 p.m. ROAR! Football Fever Pep Rally place skills, such as collabora- Free Event—Everybody Welcome tion, communication, prob- lem solving and project man- Saturday, October 2 BAKER FIELD ATHLETIC COMPLEX (218TH STREET AND BROADWAY) agement. They learn how to 10:30 a.m. Homecoming Big Top Festival and Gourmet Barbeque apply basic computer tech- Andy Coakley Baseball Field BBQ Tickets: Adults $15.00, Children under 12 $7.00 (Cash Bar additional) nologies, such as Web design, Homecoming Carnival: Free to All word processing, spread- 12:15 p.m. Columbia 250 Parade of Alumni sheets and presentation soft- Practice Field Parade Assembly and Line-Up ware to actual, client-orient- ed community projects. The 1:00 p.m. Columbia 250 Closing Festivities and Ivy League Football: Columbia vs. Princeton participants use the state-of- Lawrence A. Wien Stadium Game Tickets: Adults $15.00, Children under 12 $7.00, Undergraduates with CUID FREE the-art multimedia, interac- At Baker Field tive facility, the Botwinick Free round-trip shuttle buses from Morningside campus to Baker Field run from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Gateway Laboratory, and are (Buses depart from Amsterdam Avenue at 116th Street.) a part of an engineering design class. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON COLUMBIA 250 CLOSING FESTIVITIES, VISIT: C250.COLUMBIA.EDU/CLOSING c250.columbia.edu.