Barack Obama, CC ‘83, becomes first Columbia College alumnus elected U.S. president

The presidential race that captivated the country for months held a special resonance on campus, as Barack Obama, CC ’83, became not only the first black person to win the office, but also the first Columbia College alumnus to do so.

By Betsy Morais | May 9 09:57 pm ET

Big Names, Swanky Crowd Attend Red White and Blue Inaugural Ball and Concert in D.C.

Of all the people I was prepared to meet at a cocktail party, Ann E. Dunwoody, the nation’s first female four star general, was not one of them.

By Shane Ferro | Jan 22 04:26 am ET

At Inauguration, Obama Pledges To Begin National Rebuilding Before Vast Crowds

WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 20—Barack Obama, CC ’83, made both Columbian and American history on Tuesday, when he officially became the 44th president of the U.S.

By Alix Pianin | Jan 21 03:57 am ET

On Low Steps, A Rare Show of School Spirit

Little can draw Columbians from the daily shuffle along College Walk, but one who once took to it and traveled his way to the presidency inspired a spirited crowd to gather at Low Library Plaza for the second time since September’s ServiceNation Forum. Tuesday’s inaugural broadcast again showed the distinct magnetism of Barack Obama, CC’83, on campus—even in the frigid cold.

By Kim Kirschenbaum | Jan 21 03:41 am ET

Reporter Gets Down in D.C., Parties with the Stars

I’m never one to pass up a good party. With Barack Obama, CC ’83, as the guest of honor, inauguration in Washington promised to be a rager.

By Nishi Kumar | Jan 21 03:37 am ET

CCSC Roone Event Provides Warm Watching Venue, Despite Mixup with Local School

Students unwilling to face the winter chill to watch the inauguration at Low steps found an alternative viewing area yesterday in Roone Arledge Auditorium thanks to the Columbia College Student Council. But unlike the crowd on the steps of Low, the audience in the auditorium did not include local community members, due to a change in the plans of a local junior high school.

By Stephanie Tecca | Jan 21 03:16 am ET

Selected Excerpts from Spectator’s Presidential Inauguration Blog

Marcus Brauchli, CC ’83, Missed Obama in College But Gets His Full Dose Now as Washington Post Editor

Marcus Brauchli, CC ’83, never crossed paths with Barack Obama while they were members of the same Columbia graduating class. Obama transferred in while Brauchli spent a year away. Obama was studying up for his LSATs while Brauchli was scoping out jobs at the New York Times. Yet Brauchli is now Executive Editor of the Washington Post, leading a newspaper that covers his classmate extensively.

By Spectator News Staff | Jan 21 03:11 am ET

In NYC, Locals, Travelers Unite For Swearing-In

For those unable to make the trek to D.C. to witness history in the making, venues around Harlem and the Upper West Side opened their doors on Tuesday for live screenings of the inauguration of Barack Obama, CC ’83.

By Lydia Wileden | Jan 21 03:00 am ET

Locals Watch Inauguration at Tom’s Diner, an Old Haunt of the New President

As church bells rang in the distance, the voice of Barack Obama, CC ’83, filled Tom’s Restaurant and a small but attentive crowd watched his historic inauguration on television. But some of those present were unaware that 27 years ago, Obama might well have occupied the chair next to them.

By Danny Ash | Jan 21 02:48 am ET

This Awful Thing Called Ideology

I felt slightly out of place as I walked through the crowded streets of Washington, D.C. Everyone seemed to be wearing some sort of Obama paraphernalia.

By Lauren Salz | Jan 21 12:14 am ET