Alumni Weekend Schedule

Dear Alumni,

I join the faculty and staff of the Journalism School in welcoming you back for Alumni Weekend. While much takes place at the Journalism School, it is first and foremost a school, teaching students the reporting,writing and thinking skills associated with all forms of journalism. We invite you to return, reconnect and rediscover the school and relive your student days once more. Several of our outstanding faculty members will teach courses ranging from workshops on the case study method and digital media to developing book proposals. The weekend will also include the awarding of the Dean’s Medal for Public Service to Robert H.N. Ho ’58 at Saturday’s Alumni Luncheon, which will also feature a keynote speech by Jonathan Landman ’78. Steve Kroft ’75 will present Alumni Awards to Myron Belkind ’62, James McBride ’80, Susan Page ’74 and Tim Weiner ’79.

I look forward to seeing you on campus.

Warm regards,

Nicholas Lemann
Dean

Thursday, April 23, 2009

5:30 – 6:45 p.m.

Happy Hour with faculty and staff

7 p.m.

2009 Hearst New Media Lecture
Ken Lerer, co-founder and chairman of The Huffington Post

Friday, April 24, 2009

10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

How To Develop A Book Proposal
Prof. Samuel G. Freedman

Samuel G. Freedman teaches a course on how to prepare a book proposal. Freedman is the author of six books, most recently “Who She Was: My Search for My Mother’s Life” (2005) and “Letters To A Young Journalist” (2006). Freedman was a staff reporter for The New York Times from 1981 through 1987. Freedman was named the nation’s outstanding journalism educator in 1997 by the Society of Professional Journalists. His class in book-writing has developed more than 45 authors, editors, and agents, and it has been featured in Publishers Weekly and the Christian Science Monitor.

12 – 1:30 p.m.

Lunch

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Behind the Pulitzer Prize
Prof. Sig Gissler, Administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes

Sig Gissler, former editor of The Milwaukee Journal, joined the faculty in 1994 and became administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes in 2002. Gissler worked on the Libertyville (Ill.) Independent-Register and was executive editor of the Waukegan (Ill.) News-Sun before joining The Milwaukee Journal in 1967, working as a reporter, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editor. Gissler was a Professional Journalism Fellow at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center. At Columbia, he founded the “Let’s Do It Better” workshops on journalism, race and ethnicity. In 1997, he served as the Journalism School’s interim associate dean. In 1998, he was named “teacher of the year” by journalism students, and in 2002, he received the university’s Presidential Teaching Award.

1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Career Services Open House
Meet the staff from the Office of Career Services and hear about programs in place to assist our community of students and graduates. Pose questions about your career and get a few pointers about transitioning to a new position or advancing in your current job. As part of the open house, Gina Boubion, assistant director, will offer a workshop on the secrets of a winning cover letter and resume.

2:30 – 3:30 p.m.

The Case Study Method in Journalism School
Kirsten Lundberg, Director, Knight Case Studies Initiative

The case method is a novel one for the Journalism School. Students are given a case—an actual narrative about an event in the life of a news gathering organization—in which someone has to make a decision, or a series of decisions, whose impact will be felt by employees, sources, subjects of stories and, in some instances, the industry.Through class discussion, students have the opportunity to examine in depth a wide range of editorial, ethical and economic issues. Lundberg was acting director of the Case Program at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and her case studies have been widely used and published. Before joining Harvard, Lundberg worked for United Press International in Moscow, Stockholm, Brussels and London.

3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

The Obama Administration: The First 100 Days
Moderated by Susan Page ’74, Washington bureau chief, USA Today
Panelists include: Matt Bai ’94, The New York Times; Elisabeth Bumiller ’79, The New York Times; Patrick O’Connor ’04, Politico.com; Athena Jones ’99, NBC News; and Michael Powell ’84, The New York Times.

Join Washington reporters as they share what it’s like covering power and their analysis of the first 100 days of the Obama presidency. Pagehas covered the last eight presidential elections, including the 2008 campaign, and with the inauguration of Barack Obama will cover her fifth presidency. Bai writes on national politics for the New York Times Magazine, where he recently covered the 2008 presidential campaign. He is the author of “The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics”, which chronicled the rise of the first Internet-age political movement and the people who built it. O’Connor barely knew the difference between the House and Senate when he moved to Washington in the fall of 2001 for a job with ESPN, but he now understands why members spend so much time on the floor speaking to an empty chamber. Powell covered the recent election and followed John McCain and Barack Obama on the campaign trail as they battled each other for the presidency.

5 – 6 p.m.

Dean’s Panel
Nicholas Lemann, Bill Grueskin and Sree Sreenivasan ’93

Student-led tours of building
Meet in Journalism Lobby

6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Alumni Awards Ceremony
Awards presented by Steve Kroft ’75, 60 Minutes

The Alumni Awards are given to alumni of the Graduate School of Journalism for a distinguished journalism career in any medium, for an outstanding single accomplishment in journalism, for notable contributions to journalism education, or for achievement in related fields.These are the 2009 Alumni Award winners:

Myron Belkind ’62 was a senior news, administrative and business executive for The Associated Press from 1962 to 2004, with multicultural experiences internationally in a wide range of disciplines in Japan, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. He teaches and speaks on topics related to professionalism in journalism and has made seven trips to Eastern Europe and Central Asia since March 2005 related to an emerging free press in emerging democracies. He is currently adjunct professorial instructor in journalism at George Washington University.

James McBride ’80 is an author, screenwriter and musician whose memoir “The Color of Water” is an American classic: the story of his widowed, white, Jewish mother who raised 12 black children in New York City and sent all to college and most to graduate school. He is also the author of “Miracle at St. Anna” and he wrote the screenplay for the feature film directed by Spike Lee. His most recent novel is “Song Yet Sung.” McBride is a former staff writer for The Washington Post, People Magazine and The Boston Globe. As a musician, James has written songs (music and lyrics) for Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr, and Gary Burton and served as a tenor saxophone sideman for jazz legend Little Jimmy Scott. He is the recipient of several awards for his work as a composer in musical theater.

Susan Page ’74 is the Washington bureau chief for USA Today, where she writes about the White House and national politics. She has covered the last eight presidential elections, including the 2008 campaign, and with the inauguration of Barack Obama, will cover her fifth presidency. She regularly guest-hosts The Diane Rehm Show, a public-affairs call-in program syndicated on NPR stations across the country, and often appears as an analyst on PBS, CNN, MSNBC and other broadcast outlets.

Tim Weiner ’79 is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The New York Times who won the National Book Award for “Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA.” He has been with The New York Times since 1993, serving as a foreign correspondent in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Kenya, Liberia, Cuba, Mexico and throughout Latin America, as well as covering the CIA and national security in Washington, DC. Prior to 1993, he was a reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Kansas City Times. He is also the author of “Betrayal: The Story of Aldrich Ames, an American Spy” and “Blank Check: The Pentagon’s Black Budget”. He is currently at work on a history of the FBI and national security.

7:30 – 9 p.m.

Alumni Awards Reception and Book Signing
By Alumni Authors in the Low Library Rotunda
Books will be for sale and alumni authors will be available to sign their books from 7:30 – 9 p.m.

Alumni Book Fair
The Alumni Book Fair has become one of the most popular events during Alumni Weekend. This year, over 40 authors are participating. Please click here for the full list of authors.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

9 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

9:30 – 11 a.m.

10 New Tech Things to Try Today: Become More Skilled and Efficient on the Web
Prof. Sreenath Sreenivasan ’93

Having a tough time keeping up with all the technology changes around you? Worried that there’s some new tech tip or cool site that all your friends and family already know about but you don’t? Then this fast-paced seminar aimed at writers and other media professionals is for you. You will learn about some terrific new ideas that will make you more efficient, help you with your work, and improve your online life. You will leave with more than 10 ideas, a useful handout and a whole new outlook on technology. After this YOU will be the one showing off to your friends and family.

11 – 11:50 a.m

Class Photos
11 a.m. 1954
11:05 a.m. 1959
11:10 a.m. 1964
11:15 a.m. 1969
11:20 a.m. 1974
11:25 a.m. 1979
11:30 a.m. 1984
11:35 a.m. 1989
11:40 a.m. 1994
11:45 a.m. 1999/04

12 p.m.

Alumni Luncheon in Low Library Rotunda & Presentation of the Dean’s Medal for Public Service to Robert H.N. Ho ’58
Robert H.N. Ho is the founder and chairman of the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation. Born in Hong Kong, he first worked as a reporter with the Pittsburgh Press in 1958, then with the National Geographic Magazine from 1959 to 1962. Returning to Hong Kong in 1962, he worked in the Kung Sheung Daily News, which was established by his late grandfather, Sir Robert Ho Tung. He was elected Chairman of the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong in 1985. In 1987, he retired from journalism and joined his family business.

Ho believes that the arts are fundamental to the growth and health of a society, and every person should have the opportunity not only to appreciate art, but also to participate in its creation. He put this philosophy into action by establishing The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation in January 2005. The Foundation is a significant supporter of the arts, particularly education in the arts, in Hong Kong and Mainland China. It also endeavors to bring a deeper understanding of Chinese arts, both traditional and modern, to the rest of the world. Another aim of the Foundation is to promote a better understanding of Buddhist philosophy and it has made donations to support Buddhist studies at major universities around the world. He has also established the Robert H.N. Ho Interdisciplinary Science Center at his alma mater, Colgate University, and supported the Advanced Cardiac Imaging Center set up by the Vancouver General Hospital & The University of British Columbia Hospital Foundation.

Keynote Speaker Jonathan I. Landman ’78, deputy managing editor of The New York Times
Until his August 2005 appointment as deputy managing editor of The New York Times, responsible for digital journalism, Landman was assistant managing editor. In his 21-year career with The Times, he has served as metropolitan editor, editor of The Times’s "Week in Review," acting culture editor, assistant managing editor for enterprise and deputy editor of the Washington bureau. Prior to joining The Times, Landman was deputy city editor at The Daily News, a reporter at Newsday, and a reporter covering education, City Hall and investigative news stories at The Chicago Sun-Times, where he was also assistant city editor. He worked at The Ford Foundation in 1978 and 1979 as assistant to Fred W. Friendly, who was the program advisor of communications. He was assistant editor at Scholastic Magazines from 1975 until 1977. Landman is married to Bonnie Van Gilder ’79.

2 p.m.

Student-led tours of building
Meet in Journalism Lobby

2:30 – 3:15 p.m.

Reinventing Yourself with Caroline Ceniza-Levine, founding partner at the career coaching firm SixFigureStart
Caroline Ceniza-Levine has 15 years in professional services as a management consultant and executive and corporate recruiter. She has recruited for leading companies in diverse industries including DisneyABC, Time Inc., Accenture, Booz Allen & Hamilton, Pfizer and Citigroup. Caroline began her career in management consulting / investment banking, as an engagement manager at Oliver, Wyman & Company and as a summer analyst at Goldman Sachs. SixFigureStart (www.sixfigurestart.com) is a career coaching firm that helps professionals to launch fulfilling and financially rewarding careers. The founders of SixFigureStart are former Fortune 500 recruiters who have hired thousands of people and have developed a six-step job search process based on how the hiring process really works and what employers really want.

3:15 – 4 p.m.

Career Panel: Journalism and Beyond
Moderated by Eric Marcus ’84, CEO, the JEM Group Real Estate Development; President, Together Media LLC, and author
Panelists include Neil Barsky ’84, managing director, Alson Capital Partners; Devi Kane Zinzuvadia '04, editor, Convent & Stuart Hall Bulletin; Ernest Sotomayor, assistant dean for career services, Columbia Journalism School; and Caroline Ceniza-Levine.

Class Meeting
Class of 1959

4 – 5 p.m.

Covering a Crisis
Moderated by Tim Weiner ‘79, The New York Times
Panelists include Borzou Daragahi ’94, Los Angeles Times, and Farnaz Fassihi '99, Wall Street Journal; Prof. Judith Matloff; Peter Morello '99, associate professor of journalism, University of Missouri-Kansas City; and Lew Simons '64, Pulitzer-Prize winning foreign correspondent.

Journalists have a unique and exceptionally important role to play when covering a crisis, whether it is in a war zone, reporting a natural disaster or matters of national security. Tim Weiner, a reporter with The New York Times, won a Pulitzer Prize for covering national security issues and the National Book Award for “Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA.” He is currently working on a history of the FBI and national security. Borzou Daragahi is the Middle East correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and a regular contributor to public radio. Farnaz Fassihi is the Middle East correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. Prof. Judith Matloff worked as a staff foreign correspondent for 20 years, specializing in areas of turmoil. She covered a total of 62 countries, heading the Africa and Moscow bureaus of the Christian Science Monitor. Peter Morello teaches broadcast and online journalism and produces documentaries as a contributing correspondent for Kansas City Public Television. Before joining UMKC, Morello spent 15 years in Europe as a correspondent for PBS’ “European Journal,” covering the emerging democracies of eastern and central Europe, the breakup of the Soviet Union, the war in Bosnia and famine relief in Somalia. Lew Simons covered Vietnam and Far East events for over 20 years. He was AP bureau chief in Malaysia/Singapore, Knight Ridder bureau chief in Tokyo/Beijing and Time magazine foreign policy correspondent. HRH Rym Ali is the executive commission of the Royal Film Commission of Jordan. She previously worked with the BBC World Service, United Press International, Dubai TV, Bloomberg International and CNN.

State of Sports Reporting
Moderated by Prof. Sandy Padwe
Panelists include Matt Futterman ’95, Wall Street Journal Sports Business Reporter; Jane McManus ’97, beat writer New York Jets, Journal News, Westchester/Putnam Counties; and Josh Elliott ’99, anchor, SportsCenter, ESPN.

Prof. Padwe and a panel of alumni discuss the state of sports reporting today. Padwe has worked as a reporter for United Press International and the Newspaper Enterprise Association. He has also published a column for the Philadelphia Inquirer, worked as a reporter and deputy sports editor for Newsday; an editor for Sports Monday; deputy sports editor for The New York Times; senior editor for Sports Illustrated; and a consultant for ESPN. In addition, he has served as associate dean for academic affairs and acting dean of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. He is the co-author of “Secrets of Power Golf ” (1967) and the author of “Basketball’s Hall of Fame” (1969) and “Basketball Lingo” (1971).

5 – 6 p.m.

Dean’s Happy Hour for 25th and 50th Reunion Classes

6 p.m. & on

Class Socials

Journalism Library Hours:
Thursday 1 – 8 p.m.
Friday 1 – 6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday 2 – 8 p.m.

Alumni will have access to computers with Internet in the Toni Stabile Student Center.