1968 anniversary

This week’s events commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1968 protests made for an interesting study in alumni relations. With 1968 protester Hilton Obenzinger’s new autobiographical novel Busy Dying in hand, I headed to Saturday night’s reading by alumni, most—if not all—of whom took part in the protests.

Casa Italiana hosted over a hundred Columbia alumni Thursday as former students returned for a night of reunions and panel discussions. The opening reception kicked off a weekend of reminiscing for those who participated in or witnessed the demonstrations in the spring of 1968. In those weeks, Columbians occupied school buildings and administrative offices to protest the proposed construction of a private gymnasium in Harlem and Columbia’s affiliation with a Defense Department-related think tank.