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Forever Young
Fiction writers find major success with the minor demographic By Kristi Turnbaugh Photography by Jacob Boll (BA ’12) Think back on the first book you ever really loved—maybe something written by Judy Blume, Mark Twain or J.D. Salinger, an author who summed up adolescence so precisely that it resonates with you through the years. The…
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Big Audio Dynamite
By Audrey Michelle Mast (BA ’00) Photography by Julia Stotz (BFA ’08) and Maia Harms (BFA ’09) Imagine your favorite television or movie scene—then hit mute. No dialogue, no music, no sound effects for gunfights or slamming doors. Although perfect sound is integral to any screened production, the creatives behind the magic rarely take the…
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WIRE, News from the Columbia Community
Hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the life of Chicago theatre giant Sheldon Patinkin on Jan. 26, packing the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, Ill. Chair emeritus of Columbia College Chicago’s Theatre Department and an essential figure in the Chicago arts community, Patinkin passed away on Sept. 21 at the age…
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Dedicated and Decorated
Countless people fantasize about becoming Olympic athletes, but few make it to the gold; even more dream of success in Hollywood but get no further than waiting tables in LA. But Hal Haenel (BA ’81) is lucky: As the executive vice president and general manager of studio operations at 20th Century Fox and a two-time Olympic medalist, he’s tackled both of those…
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Running with the Devil
Bill Hillmann (MFA ’13) ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, more than 87 times—and then he got gored. In July 2014, Bill Hillmann (MFA ’13) joined the throngs of people streaming down the streets of Pamplona, Spain, for the San Fermin festival: the famous running of the bulls. Since 2005, Hillmann has run with the bulls more than 87 times.…
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Frank Waln, Revolutionary Rapper
By reconnecting to his indigenous culture, rapper and activist Frank Waln (BA ’14) found a sense of purpose. Now, he hopes to help other Native youth do the same. Waln grew up on a ranch on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, one of the largest and poorest reservations in the country. “The reservation where…
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Peter the Great
Columbia’s first Academy Award winner fought for screen credits for sound editors, mentored Steven Spielberg and later reinvented himself as a versatile writer. “I knew nothing about what I was getting into,” says Peter Berkos (BA ’51) as he reflects on the beginning of a career that spanned half a century. The 92-year-old Columbia College…
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Questions For President Kwang-Wu Kim
DEMO: You’ve been meeting with alumni frequently since becoming president two years ago. What are you learning? PRESIDENT KIM: One of the primary things I hear when I talk to alums [are requests for] some kind of career development opportunities: networking opportunities amongst themselves, connecting into industry, and then chances to come back to Columbia and redevelop new skills. That’s going to be…
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Disappearing Act
Chicago artist Don’t Fret says 97 percent of his art no longer exists. And he’s just fine with that. He began using the moniker Don’t Fret as a teenager, long before the Chicago Reader called him the “Street Artist of the Year.” Even before the paper praised his “established work.” Before he slid quietly through…
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CAAN Updates
See what’s happening in your city, and get involved with the Columbia Alumni Association & Network! Atlanta The Office of Development and Alumni Relations hosted a mixer for local alumni at Olmstead banquet hall on Jan. 22. Alumni enjoyed an evening with President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim. Chicago In December, CAAN Chicago and ShopColumbia hosted…