How long has it been since you’ve visited the Columbia College campus?

Maybe you were here last fall for the alumni Homecoming & Reunion. Maybe you caught Spectacle Fortuna or the Lupe Fiasco show at last year’s Manifest. Maybe it was Manifest 2006, when folks braved the coldest May 12 in Chicago’s history to celebrate our graduating students’ accomplishments and creativity. Or maybe you were here for a performance at the Dance Center a few years ago. Maybe it was when you took classes in the twentieth century in the old building on the S-curve.

If it’s been more than a couple of months since you’ve been here, you might be surprised at how spiffy your campus is looking these days. With more than 12,000 students, Columbia is the largest arts and media college in the nation. It’s also the largest property owner in Chicago’s South Loop, occupying 23 buildings to accommodate all those students—and the faculty and staff who support them.

Just in the past semester, a slew of new student spaces have been rolled out. The Buckingham, an apartment-style dorm in a historic 1930 building at 59 East Van Buren Street, brings the college’s student-housing capacity up to 2,600—about 22 percent of all students. The 731 South Plymouth Court residence hall now features a Wellness Center, with a fitness center, yoga studio, and the Student Health and Counseling Centers, as well as a new lounge and stage. The 623 South Wabash building has a new lobby, student gathering spaces, a “Database Center” where students can go for information on everything Columbia, and a new Art and Design lab. The Getz theater has a new box office and spruced up student lounge. Take a virtual tour here.

But an actual tour would be even better, wouldn’t it? If you haven’t been on campus for a while, maybe it’s time to visit your old department. Or come to campus to see alum Margi Cole and The Dance COLEctive at the Dance Center (February 21 – 23); the winning entry in the Theodore Ward African-American Play Contest at the Getz (March 12 – 22); or the StoryWeek Festival of Writers (March 16 – 21). Or come for Manifest 2008 on May 16. The Office of Alumni Relations will host campus tours, an alumni reception, and more. Get the details at www.colum.edu/alumni or www.colum.edu/manifest. We’ll see you there!

Regards,

Ann Wiens/Editor