New digs

In an email sent out to Barnard students, DSpar announced that this year’s commencement, on May 19, will be held at Radio City Music Hall as opposed Columbia’s campus, where it typically happens.  The short email explained that there will be a Baccalaureate Service at St. Paul’s Chapel and academic receptions at Barnard.  There will be bus service for grads and faculty to Radio City later in the day.  Graduates will be able to have up to six guests in this bigger venue.

Full email below

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If you’re planning to attend Barnard Commencement, get ready to be searched/checked/wanded/stripped/violated-in-all-sortsaways. To avoid the possibility of a nightmare scenario, Columbia University Commencement and Barnard College have been working with The White House and the Secret Service in order to ensure the security of POTUS. This means almost every gate, sidewalk, window, and building will be closed next Monday. Plan your travel routes according to this list sent in from an anonymous Agent Smit—… an anonymous tipster. If you’re not a senior and just procrastinating in Butler, you should still check out how thoroughly this is going down. Also, be on the lookout for rooftop guards that resemble statues in the next few days.

Dear Colleagues:

As you may know, President Barack Obama will be on campus Monday, May 14 for the Barnard College ceremony on the South Field Lawns beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Columbia University Commencement and Barnard College planning team members have been working closely with the White House and Secret Service team to finalize plans. As expected, the President’s visit will require extensive security measures. The following information details campus logistics, as of today, Monday, May 7.

CAMPUS IMPACT

Monday, May 14, Midnight – 6:00 a.m.

• All gates south of 117^th Street, Low Plaza, College Walk, South Field and the following buildings must be vacated and locked down. There will be no entry or activity permitted [Unless you want to get tasered].
• Lower campus: Journalism, Furnald, Lerner Hall, Carman, Butler Library, John Jay, Wallach, Hartley, Hamilton, and Kent
• Upper campus: Low Library, Kent, Dodge Hall and Miller Theater
• Earl Hall (117^th Street and Broadway) and Chapel gates (117^th Street and Amsterdam Avenue) will be open to allow entry to upper campus [Only if you say the password. The password is boogie shorts].

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According to an email just sent out by Dean Shollenberger and his GS counterpart, all graduating seniors in CC, SEAS, and GS will be able to enter the lottery for tickets to Barnard’s Commencement ceremony (the one with the President speaking)—which was previously open only to Barnard students. The full email, with the most important parts highlighted, is below:

Dear Graduating General Studies, Columbia College and Columbia Engineering Student,

As you know, Barnard College will welcome President Obama on Monday, May 14th, as their 2012 Commencement speaker.

We are pleased to announce that Barnard has reserved a block of tickets for Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, and General Studies seniors to attend the ceremony on May 14th. For those of you who wish to attend the ceremony where the President will deliver the keynote address, we offer you the opportunity to enter your name into a lottery to receive one of the tickets.

To enter the lottery, please complete the survey by Wednesday, May 2nd at 5:00 p.m. Applicants will be drawn at random and those selected will be notified via email by Monday May 7th. Students will be required to sign a confirmation form upon receiving their ticket. Tickets are non transferable and may not be sold.

Best of luck as you finalize your last papers, problem sets and presentations and prepare for your last final exams as Columbia undergraduates!

Sincerely,

Scott Halvorson
Dean of Students
School of General Studies

and

Kevin G. Shollenberger
Dean of Student Affairs
Columbia College / The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Student Life
Arts and Sciences

“Mark Zuckerberg’s most valuable friend” and TED lecturer extraordinaire, Sheryl Sandberg, will speak at the Barnard Commencement. Girls, you’re in for a treat. The Facebook COO is known for her superb speaking skills and business savvy. A tireless advocate for woman’s leadership, Sandberg managed to pierce the Frat-boy bubble of Facebook and become Zuckerberg’s go-to woman. Meanwhile, she juggles a family back home. On why we have too few female executives, Sandberg insists: “woman systematically underestimate their own abilities.” Sure, many have discussed the career woman’s balancing act, but it’s still refreshing to hear someone explain it all so eloquently and genuinely.