July/August 2009
Around the Quads
Student Council Members Meet with International Counterparts
Student government leaders from Columbia University and schools/ colleges in Colombia and China convened on campus and in New York City locales from April 3–5 for several days of discussions and exchange. PHOTO: DAVID BERKEColumbia College and SEAS Student Council members engaged in student diplomacy on campus from April 3–5, interacting with counterparts from Universidad ICESI (Cali, Colombia) and China’s top student body presidents through forums and during free time. Activities included a discussion about varying roles of student government, a student interfaith panel and site visits with organizations and companies downtown. Representing Columbia were Melissa Im ’11, Mark Johnson ’09, Huei Ong ’09E, Deysy Ordonez ’10 and Sue Yang ’10.
The Chinese student delegation visited as part of Ivy Council’s continuing exchange with the All-China Students’ Federation (ACSF), China’s official and state-endorsed student organization. Alumni include Chinese presidents Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin. Last summer, ACSF hosted Yang, George Krebs ’09 and student leaders from every other Ivy League school in Beijing, Wuhan and Shanghai.