On February 12, the National Portrait Gallery unveiled paintings of President Barack Obama ’83 and First Lady Michelle Obama. The portraits, by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, respectively, have caused a sensation, with The Washington Post reporting that “thousands of visitors lined up for hours to see the works and snap selfies in front of them.”
As chair of the JED Steering Committee, Dean James J. Valentini recently provided an update to students regarding Columbia’s multi-year plan to assess undergraduate health and wellness resources, which included 14 key objectives.
On February 6, composer and musician Nico Muhly ’03 did a Q&A with The New York Times, “Nico Muhly on the ‘Ecstatic Disruption’ of Philip Glass’s Music.” Muhly effuses about Glass’s work saying, “Philip’s body of work has these forgotten gems. Finding this is like finding a door in your house to a room you never knew existed.”
On January 24, the Eric H. Holder Initiative for Civil and Political Rights hosted American Voter Project: The Impact and Future of the Electoral College, the first in its five-part American Voter Project series being held this spring.
Robert K. Kraft ’63, owner of the New England Patriots, will be going to Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis. His team will face off against the Philadelphia Eagles on February 4. This will be the team’s tenth appearance at the Super Bowl; they have won five previous games (2017, 2015, 2005, 2004 and 2002).
Several Lions made an appearance at the Golden Globe Awards on January 7, with investigative reporter Jodi Kantor ’96 asking insightful questions on the red carpet and activist Ai-Jen Poo ’96attending as the guest of Meryl Streep. Eli Bush ’09, a producer of Lady Bird, came away a winner when the film won in the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category. Photographer Damon Winter ’97 was on hand to photograph the event; he was also featured in The New York Times’ “The Year in Pictures,” a roundup of the best photos of 2017.