Welcome to the 2015 finale. This year we inaugurated Your Event Stories written by our colleagues. We hope they inspire your New Year’s resolution to (1) attend at least one Columbia event a season; (2) invite a friend, prospect or alum along; and (3) share your stories here.
Thanks, Carolina Castro, Brian Chapman, Linda Ury Greenberg, Ryan Hart, JoAnn Huether, and Lily Shen for your stories. You can read them all here.
See you next year!
REMINDERS
Tonight: An Evening with Jules Feiffer
December 8: Learning to March: Selma 1965 and its Legacy with Congressman John Lewis and
Death and Dying in West Africa
December 9: Justice Poetry Featuring the BreakBeat Poets and Global Exposure
December 11: Women, Music, Power: A Concert by the International Contemporary Ensemble
December 12: Rudresh Mahanthappa: Bird Calls
PICKS
December 10
7 p.m.
School of the Arts
Mat Johnson – Creative Writing Lecture Series
A conversation with Mat Johnson, professor at the University of Houston creative writing program and author of the novels Loving Day, Pym, Drop, and Hunting in Harlem; the nonfiction novella The Great Negro Plot; and the comic books Incognegro and Dark Rain. Dodge Hall, Room 501. (Public Square)
December 11
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
European Institute | Harriman Institute
Cold War Public Diplomacy: The Power of Culture
A student conference with Adam Tooze, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of History and director of the European Institute; Victoria Phillips, lecturer in history; Richard R. John, professor of history and communications; and Lynn Garafola, professor of dance at Barnard. Panel topics include “World Leaders and Propaganda,” “Soft Power,” “The Performance of Cultural Exchange,” and “Broadcasting ‘Truth’”. Full list of speakers and program here. RSVP here. Hamilton Hall, Room 302. (Global, Just Societies)
December 14
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Presidential Scholars in Society and Neuroscience
The Complexities of Choice in the Real World
Panelists will discuss individual mechanisms that underlie decision-making in social environments. Including Michael Platt, the Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor at the University of Pennsylvania; L. A. Paul, professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Alessandra Casella, professor of economics. Moderated by David Barack, 2015 Presidential Scholar in Society and Neuroscience. Reception to follow. Maison Française, Buell Hall. (Zuckerman Institute and the Future of Neuroscience)
8 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Maison Française | Heyman Center for the Humanities | Center for Contemporary Critical Thought | Film and Media Studies Program
Radical Grace
Philosopher, playwright, novelist, and political activist Alain Badiou will be in conversation with filmmakers and James Schamus about the role of art in response to present tragic circumstances, including the recent attacks in Paris and around the world. Columbia Law School, Jerome Greene Hall, Room 101. (Just Societies, Public Square, Global)
December 19
1 p.m.
CAA Arts Access | Columbia Alumni Association | Miller Theatre
The Carnival of the Animals
Miller Theatre inaugurates a new holiday tradition with a playful production that brings to life the 19th century French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ musical The Carnival of the Animals. Camille Saint-Saëns’ zoological fantasy comes to life on stage with a modern twist on the Victorian toy theater combining music, scenic elements, puppetry, and movement, along with the poetry of Ogden Nash. Join the CAA for a pre-performance pizza party and art making activities at the Columbia Alumni Center at 1 p.m. The performance starts at 3 p.m. at Miller Theatre. Purchase tickets here.
For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. We always appreciate hearing from you about future events!