Columbia Campus Visits

edsall
Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:00:03 +0000

My son goes to SHP every Staurday. Sometimes I come to pick him up and stroll along the campus trails.

My first visit to the CU campus was just before Christmas. Let me tell you, with all decorations and beautiful chandeliers lit in the main library it was a truly astonishing, gorgeous and breath-taking view!

The CU architecture is a grandiose and pompous incarnation in stone of the American dream for might, greatness and glory. When I saw it, I thought I plunged into one of Theodore Dreiser’s novels. City of Golden Calf – Wall Street, Park Avenue, Columbia campus….

As for the CU’s educational approach, I do not know much about it, but I share the view, that to become a modern civilized intellectual one must first enrich his/her knowledge with the treasures of culture, science, literature that have been created by our great predecessors. These days when kids are not reading books at all, the core curriculum IMHO would be very helpful. It will be appreciated by students later when they finish CU and become more mature.

I wish I could have studied at Columbia but it is a bit too late for me now.

I wanted to finish my input on this high note, however, I can’t. The tour and the tour guide were useless. The kid did not know much beyond what is written in the brochure. It is always embarrassing to hear from someone who has been designated to enlighten you “I do not know” for an answer.

The tour does not take tourists into labs or dormitories, nor allow to meet professors and teachers.

I think Columbia should look more critically at the way these tours are conducted and save the brand by making them more professional.

P.S. Maybe with the current speedy development of internet capacities, touring of campuses is a dying tradition? I personally acquire 95% of information via virtual tours on web-sites.