Presidential Day

Both John McCain and Barack Obama will be on the Columbia campus tonight, (although not on the same stage at the same exact time), to discuss volunteerism on this anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

Both men have deep ties to Columbia. Obama is a 1983 graduate of the College, although he transferred before his junior year from Occidental College. He lived off-campus at a time when undergrads could actually do that. Rents were not too outrageous in some neighborhoods near Columbia at a time when the College was not co-ed and not 100% residential. The dorm-building explosion hadn't happened yet, but it was on the way. I once met someone from the class of 1983 who actually lived one year in a cordoned-off ward at St. Luke's Hospital... yes, it was as bad as it sounds.

McCain's daughter graduated from the College in 2007 and the Senator gave the Class Day address in 2006.

Of course, today is September 11th and I do hope all the readers will take some time today to remember the victims of the terrible attacks. I am still very proud that Columbia and Fordham decided to make their annual meeting a permanent testament to those victims from both schools.