Columbia Love Stories 2014 Part II

“Vivien and I met at a Barnard/Columbia lawn party in the spring of 1960. We got married 3 years later and celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary last September. Here's a picture of us at the celebration with our 5 grandchildren. Last weekend we visited in south Florida her Barnard classmate Joyce, whom she met on the first day of freshman year, and husband Marvin, who was my Columbia classmate but left early to go to medical school. Still great friends of ours after 55 years!” – Vivien D. ’62BC and Paul ’60CC 

“In a time long ago before online dating, I met my future wife on the Columbia campus at one of a series of folk dances held at Ferris Booth Hall on Friday evenings during the summer. These were a combination of traditional American square dances and various international folk dances. They were led by Dick Kraus of Teachers College, a leading square dance caller and authority on recreational activities. The dances were popular and drew well over a hundred participants each session. On Friday the 13th of August 1965, I attended. The last dance of the evening was a square dance and I was looking for a partner. I saw a tall dark-haired young woman. “Well, my heart went ‘boom’ when I crossed that room and I held her hand in mine … Whoah … and before too long I fell in love with her.” (The Beatles) We promenaded and dosey-doed and before the evening was over I asked for and received her phone number. I was a graduate student in chemistry at Columbia and she was a graduate student in history at NYU. Magic happened and we were married one year after our first date. Years later about 1970, watching a sing-along with Mitch Miller on TV we were interested to see Dick Kraus as a guest calling a square dance, and a couple on the show were acting out a romance that ended in their marriage. For us the magic remains; we are happily married forty-eight years later.” - David S. ’68GSAS 

“We met Prospective of Color Weekend 1993. I was a Senior in High School and he was Freshman at the College. My dorm room host introduced us. At the time all I thought we had in common was the fact that we were both Dominican American. Little did I know that I was meeting my soul mate, future husband, and amazing father to 2 incredible children, Sofia, 7, and Daniel, soon turning 4. Once I started at the College in September 1994, a friendship developed as we created the first Dominican cultural society on campus, Grupo Quisqueyano. Feelings grew but we were afraid to explore them for fear of ruining a wonderful friendship. On February 10, 1996, we decided to explore those feelings and went on our first date. (I actually asked him out because I knew someone else was getting ready to ask him and wanted to beat her to it.) The date lasted 12 hours! He picked me up at my dorm room at 7 PM and took me to have Indian food. It was my first time trying Indian cuisine; already I was impressed he had introduced me to something new. We spoke for hours during dinner; it was crazy how much we had in common. We then played billiards and ended the night watching 3 movie rentals: “While You Were Sleeping”, “Friday”, and “Once We Were Warriors”. The date ended at 7 AM with a sweet simple kiss goodbye. Today I still remember every vivid detail of that first date as I write this note, and today precisely, we celebrate 18 years since that first magical date, which is why I felt so inspired to send this in. To demonstrate how amazing he is, he actually called me from work this morning to wish me a happy “first date-versary”. I must admit I was too wrapped up with work to remember, but his call put it all in perspective and now I sit here writing this love note. This is why he is the yin to my yang.

He graduated CC’97, I graduated CC’98 and in late 1999 we got engaged. We married March 10, 2001 and will soon celebrate 13 years of marriage. In 2004 we purchased our first home and a Shih Tzu dog named Barry White, whom we consider our first born. Sept. 7, 2006 we had our first child and I still remember the beautiful tears of joy streaming down HIS face as he looked into Sofia’s beautiful inquisitive eyes for the first time. Feb. 17, 2010, our little tough guy, Daniel, whom punched my OB/GYN in the face as he held him up for us to see, was born. We have made so many wonderful memories and I look forward to making so many more. I entered Columbia in 1994 in search of degree, never would I have imagined how much more it had to offer.” -Gisela  ’98CC and German ’97CC 

“meeting in the S.W. Mudd elevator in '84
she a SIPA grad student,
he a SEAS assistant prof
their lives intertwined
and daughters are now grown.”

“We met in August of ’79 as we worked on the Freshman Orientation Program. Holly was my Crew Chief, and I, a lowly Crew Member, decided to ask her for a date after I sang “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain” for her at a party our crew was assigned to run, at Ferris Booth-- I was the party’s very inexpensive entertainment, so I had command of the microphone. We met for our first date at the Sundial, as I expect still occurs to this day, and we dated throughout my Senior-- her Junior—Year. However, Holly credits the Graduate Department of English with really cementing our relationship, since its University Fellowship allowed me to stay another year at Columbia to get my Master’s, until she graduated from Barnard in ’81. See the photo from the 1981 Commencement—note the “classic” eyewear! Having come to Barnard in 1977 from Denver, immediately following the “Summer of Sam” and the NYC Blackout—imagine the parental blowback-- Holly really put down some local roots and married me, a native New Yorker, on June 10, 1984, at St. Paul’s Chapel. Our wedding day is especially memorable for its 94-Degree temperature, with comparable humidity. We and our wedding party glowed, indeed, shone, with at least as much sweat as excitement. We began our careers and our family in the New York Metro area—Holly in her major subject, biochemistry, and I in TV advertising, and we have raised two children: Will, 26, and Liz, 23, who will help us celebrate our 30th anniversary this June. Every year we are able to observe that it is simply not as hot as it was inside St. Paul’s Chapel, on that sunny day back in ’84.” - Holly BC '81 & Lou CC '80, GSAS '81

“We sat next to each other during the orientation week (by coincidence), and at first sight he thought I was a Korean as I was one of the very few Asian students that were wearing makeup in class. Then he started to walk me back to my dorm after class (110th Broadway), and bought me Tropicana orange juice when I was diagnosed with flu. We could literally talk all the time. We helped each other a lot in the recruiting process and we traveled to Brazil together during our first Spring Break. After we were back, we started to prepare for CFA exams together. I never felt we were apart even though we did our internships in two different cities (Shanghai & HongKong) during the first summer. Finally, he proposed to me with an engagement ring in front of our Low Memorial Library when our second year started. He spent all he earned from the 10-week summer internship on the engagement ring. Upon our graduation from Columbia Business School, we registered our marriage at New York City Town Hall with our parents and school friends being there for us. At that time, I had already made up my mind that I would follow him no matter where he went. Fortunately, I also landed a job in Hong Kong (with my dream firm). We had our wedding banquet at four seasons hotel one year after our graduation. It was a very sweet and elegant wedding. At least 20 friends from Columbia Business School flew all the way from Singapore/Beijing/Shanghai to celebrate with us. I got my MBA degree, a dream job and much more importantly, a life-time soul mate from Columbia.” – Hua C. ’11BUS and Tintak C. ’11BUS

“It was 2005 and I was a newly arrived SIPA student, trolling the classrooms listening to directors pitch their concentrations to earnest and debt-laden students, most us past our prime and returning to school for a second shot at glory, when I noticed her sitting in the first row, all dark features, a bit stand-offish and brooding. The professor had us introduce ourselves and when she said she was from Kosovo it made sense, and I had an angle. I approached her after the lecture, quickly mentioning my time in Bosnia as a way to open up the conversation. She responded with the kind of insult that I continue to find attractive to this day, almost a decade later. Some weeks after, while on a school trip to DC, I ran into her again behind the Treasury admiring the statue of Alexander Hamilton. I explained why he was my favorite Founding Father too, and from that moment forward not even Dr. Betts’ strict rules against fraternization could keep us apart. We were the best of friends, debating Clausewitz on the floor of the philosophy section at Barnes and Noble on Broadway and 86th, attending evening lectures on the existential nature of French historical writing from the 17th century, and collaborating on statistics projects. Our first real fight was over U.S. bombing policy in Kosovo, and even though I walked out of the bar in anger, I respected her position on the dynamics of coercion as a valid foreign policy tool; she had me at Melian Dialogue. Eventually we joined the real world and one day as her work authorization was about to run out, I asked that Balkan princess to marry me, putting an end to the incomprehensible discussions about the byzantine U.S. visa system. Today our adventure continues, overseas for almost four years now, with a dog and a child, and I am reminded every time that I receive a student loan bill from Sallie Mae that whatever the cost, and however long it takes to pay it off, it was more than worth it. Columbia provided me with much more than a degree. Happy Valentine’s Day, Vilma.” - Jimmy F. & Vilma S., SIPA 2007

“Our story is simple. We met and fell in love. Columbia was the backdrop for every step along the way: our first date, our first kiss, the L-word, and engagement. Having Columbia in common made getting to know each other easier. We’ve been married since 2002 and have two children. And our diplomas hang in matching frames, side-by-side, on a wall in our home in Connecticut.” – Shiloh ’02BUS & Dr. Constantin ’98SEAS

“In 2012 my Columbia sweetheart and I welcomed our third child to the world. I say Shon and I met as Columbia Dental School schoolmates in 2004 at Hammer Library up at the medical Campus, he a third year and me a first year. However, Shon says we met when I was a Barnard undergrad in 2003 at Butler Library when a mutual friend introduced us. Regardless, there was a lot of time over the next 4 years or so spent in the library. Our romance budded over books, the drill, runs over the George Washington Bridge, more books and plastic teeth.

Shon graduated from Columbia Dental School in 2006 with plans to stay in NYC at a pediatric residency. We moved out of the dorms and in with each other in a one bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side. Shortly after, when I was a third year dental student Shon proposed to me in that tiny apartment with a diamond from my mom and a setting from his tax refund. At my graduation ceremony in May of 2008 my soon to be husband hooded me and welcomed me into the world of being a doctor. One month later, our closest Columbia Dental School friends and my Barnard College friends were there to help us celebrate our marriage in my home state of Vermont. I now had a DDS and an MRS.

We moved to Vermont to start our careers and family. Shon is an owner in a pediatric dental practice and I work as a general dentist. We have three beautiful children named after my late sister, Sara Ann Grayson, who died when I was at Barnard College: Sara 4 years old, Summer Ann 3 years old, Grayson 15 months. And, our dog Bowden, who lived with us in the Columbia dorms.

We recently went back to Columbia for my five year dental school reunion. We visited 10 C in Tower I, Shon's dorm room where it all began, overlooking the George Washington bridge. It is hard to believe that a chance meeting in, well one of two libraries, brought us all the way to here.” - Erica D. ’04BC, ’08DM and Shon D., ’06DM

"When I went to Columbia I couldn't have imagined how fortunate I would be to meet my future wife. In the fall of 2005 she first caught my eye at a recruiting event where her elegance lit up the room. We chatted at a Happy Hour shortly after that and hit it off immediately, both loving the atmosphere and stimulation of business school. Our first date was at a speakeasy in the West Village and, after dinner, we ran through torrential rain for a nightcap at the White Horse. Countless dates, dinners and trips later I met her at the clock in Grand Central and led her to the Waldorf to propose. We married a year later at St Paul's Chapel on the Columbia campus, perhaps 100 yards from the Uris terrace where we had talked for the first time. Now we live back down in the West Village, right by the first date speakeasy. We seem magnetically drawn to these places that have meant so much to us. When I push our two kids past in their stroller, I always think back to that night and smile at how far we have come. I hope New York, and perhaps Columbia, will feature in their lives too - and perhaps enable them also to meet the loves of their lives." – Robert B

“Lainey B. and Sam S. first crossed paths during Orientation at Columbia Business School in the fall of 2010. Lainey a first year student, Sam her peer advisor. Ignoring rules against peer advisor/advisee romance, the two kept their relationship secret at first, but couldn't hide it forever.

21 months later after 36 CBS happy hours, a few exciting vacations together, and two graduations, the two got on a plane for Los Angeles (Lainey was excited for the sun; Sam just wanted to put a ring on it). At the top of the Santa Monica mountains, Sam asked her to marry him and Lainey said yes.” 

"It was 1967, and I came to Columbia from Princeton as a first year Law Student to be harassed and intimidated by ponderously authoritative Law School faculty members. It was dreadful, and the coffee from the 116th Street floor vending machine at the School was always bitter and most often cold. But that building also had a radiant vortex in the form of a beautiful and mysterious woman that floated about every day. Short skirt, silent, Gretta Garbo hat covering the side of her face. Long brown hair and beautiful legs. I was smitten. But also confounded as to how to get to know this siren without losing my wits.

One of my classmate friends, Fred R., who was infinitely more aggressive than I and who had actually talked to this vision, sprung to action and intermediated a New Year’s Eve date for me with her that year. We went to Trudi Heller’s in the Village and celebrated the arrival of 1968. She looked gorgeous in a sensuous pants suit of yellow chiffon. We drank a lot of scotch that night. The expensive variety, but it was worth every extra cent that I did not have then. It turned out she was not only beautiful, but very smart, and even more importantly an enormous amount of fun. We partied all night. She must have been attracted to me too because we went back to her apartment. The next day in my small dormitory room in Harmony Hall we watched college bowl games from my cot-like bed eating Fritos and drinking wine. Thereafter for a year and a half we spent every day together. Not virtually every day. Every day. It was glorious.

Carol H. a graduate student in the South Asian Institute of Columbia’s School of International Affairs. That School did not have its own building then so it took its classes at the Law School. Carol had been graduated from Stanford in 1967 after being valedictorian of her class at Darien High School.

We had a close set of friends and drinking buddies then, all fatalistically facing potential death in the jungles of Vietnam. George P., Richie L., Steve W., Rick G., Mike K., Orin K., Larry O., Jim L., Spencer H.. Carol and me. I was called Buzzie then. I called her Gretta, and it stuck. Buzzie and Gretta were the item at Columbia Graduate School in those days. Storybook.

The two of us were inextricably in love with one another; undistracted by anything else; even the Days of Rage that swarmed around us then, closing buildings occupied by unkempt kids screaming and demanding. We had other interests. The only interest outside us was my work in Bobbie Kennedy’s office midtown. But I even slacked off on that for beautiful Carol.

We neglected classwork and study. But the Lord works in mysterious ways. As a result of all the campus turmoil the University declared a two-week reading period before the spring’s exams which it proclaimed would be Pass-Fail. Carol and I opened the books for our spring courses for virtually the first time, studied together and passed our courses.

We spent that summer together at Cornell where

Carol learned Indonesian in an immersion program while I changed light bulbs in the cow stalls in the Ag School.

Back at Columbia in the fall, with war drawing nearer, I enlisted in Naval Officer Candidate School. It was the terminus of her driving me to that School in Newport, Rhode Island in April of 1969 that led to our first separation in one and a half years. After OCS we married, moved to Italy where I was stationed and romantically toured Europe together.

We returned to New York in 1972 where I finished Law School and went to Wall Street and Carol became a successful advertising executive. We later moved to Connecticut, had three amazing children and then moved to Princeton where we have lived for twenty five years, I a successful serial biotech entrepreneur and she the CEO of our personal care products company. In August of this year we will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the formalization of our forty seven year love affair. And by the way, the fire is still alive, and she looks like she is still 35.

It has been quite a ride from our Columbia launching pad. And the world has been better for it. The story goes on. Stay tuned."

“In the beginning there was just a rivalry. Eash and Christine both ran for SEAS student council class president. Eash won, and that was the end of their interactions for a year. Second year, in true SEAS-y fashion, a friendship developed over late night Java programming. They both became Resident Advisers third year, and they started dating senior year. In 2008, Eash graduated with a major in operations research, and Christine graduated with a major in applied mathematics. Eash is now head of corporate development at Basin Holdings, a company that manufactures & distributes oilfield supplies globally and provides oilfield services. He is based in the Chrysler Building in New York City. Christine is a surgery resident in urology in New Jersey. They’re getting married in May at – where else – Columbia!” - Easwaran & Christine, ’08SEAS

I met my husband on the day I moved into Carmen 6 in 2000. The introduction was thanks to whoever decided to choose his good friend from high school to be my suite mate that year. He was helping her move in when I was trying to set up my desktop. Not one to turn down help I gladly accepted his offer to set up my computer. We all became great friends as the year went on and for the next 4 years we shared the same group of hilariously wonderful but quirky friends. It was not until the summer of 2004, after graduation, that we would start dating. Another 4 years would pass before he would ask me to marry him. Our first decision in planning the wedding was easy. We both wanted to get married at the chapel on campus. And so 2 weeks after our 5 year college reunion we got married on a beautiful sunny May afternoon. As we approach our 5 year wedding anniversary and our 10 year college reunion I cannot believe how much time has passed or how lucky I was to have met my best friend and created so many wonderful memories at our Alma Mater!” - Leena S., MD, ’04CC and David C., ’04SEAS

“I grew up in Maine. Margie (Margarita R.) grew up in Brooklyn and was attending Barnard and we met at a Freshman Week mixer. I was there with my roommate, John H. and she was there with her roommate, Juanita B. We enjoyed the dance and afterwards went to Tom's (more recently of Seinfeld fame) for ice cream sodas and apple pie. However, she ended up sitting next to John and was clearly interested in him. That next week Margie left a note in my Furnald Hall mailbox saying she was having problems with calculus and could I help her, but if I was too busy would I ask John. With memories of the early pilgrims, I decided to "speak for yourself Bill," and said I would be glad to help, which I did for a few sessions. Then miraculously she no longer needed help. I kept calling to see if she wanted to get together, but Juanita said she was not there, or had just gone out to the library, at which point I would rush over to see if I could find her. Finally she said she would go out and I took her to the world's first trivia contest (October 14th pitting Columbia against Princeton - Columbia won), and by late November I asked her to go steady, pinning her with my Sigma Alpha Mu pin. Later that year she brought me to meet her parents in Red Hook, Brooklyn. She parked me at the library while she prepared her folks for this "Anglo" she was bringing home. Her mother prepared a wonderful meal of pernil (roast pork) and arroz con gandules (yellow rice with pigeon peas) and her father grilled me on how important it was that we did well in school (Margie was the first in her family to go to college). We would visit her grandmother in Spanish Harlem and Margie would converse with in Spanish as her grandmother did not speak English. The first semester of my sophomore year I took Spanish 1 that I referred to as my "defensive Spanish course" so I could get some understanding as to what they were saying, especially if it concerned me. Later that year Margie made me an Honorary Puerto Rican! We were engaged at the end of our Sophomore year and were married at the end of our junior year with Rick Prouser, my fraternity brother and roommate as best man, Juanita as the maid of honor and John as master of ceremonies. We had our first son in November following graduation, Billy, (SEAS '90) followed by Jonathan, Christopher and Meghan and now have seven grandchildren. I have many wonderful memories of our times together at Columbia - taking the 104 bus to the Cloisters, hot cider at the Post Crypt (under St. Paul's Chapel) football and basketball games, and finally graduation with both our parents beaming! But, my best memory is meeting my love and life partner. Happy Valentine's Day mi querida!” - Bill S. ’69CC and Margarita S. ’69BC 

“My love story is unconventional—some would even say controversial. It involves myself and five women, and although we don’t “match” most of the stories you’ll receive, our love story will beat the pants off of yours. I met the women that will shape the rest of my life while attending Columbia College. We met during the freshmen year fervor, somewhere between John Jay, Carman and the Lerner Party Space. We came from across the world – West Coast, East Coast and my own particular nook of Johannesburg, South Africa. We met across time, space and culture, and supported each other through the four years that would mold the people we are to become. My best friends, Morgan O., Lucy S., Tiffany R., Jacqueline T. and Sabaah J., walked me through my Columbia career with all of the finesse that 5 late adolescents were capable of. We made feasts out of John Jay dinners, found seven ways to repurpose the HamDel breakfast sandwich and laughed our way through multiple nights strapped to desks in Butler. We made it to (almost) every homecoming, sporting event, club event etc., and represented our own brand of awesome throughout the Columbia community. In every corner, we let our freak flags fly (sometimes more obnoxiously than not), and never let lectures diminish our laughter. In short, I fell in love with these women because they encouraged me to fall in love with myself. I am a better person because of my time at Columbia, certainly, but I wouldn’t have my diploma if they hadn’t been by my side for every minute of my Columbia career.

I’ve found that making friends in the real world is that much harder, that much stranger; I find myself holding potential candidates to the golden mean of spontaneity: would I have had as much fun with you on Low Steps, at 3 a.m., with a final at 9? Would you be able to convince me to finish my thesis in the eleventh hour? Would you walk me through the madness of the Ivy League experience with the humility necessary to come out unscathed? Thus far, not much luck. My friends have left New York to pursue the adventures that spurred us to meta-conversation at 2 AM. This Valentine’s Day, I send my heart to them. Or at least, I would, had I not left it on a bench in East Campus, to the left of a PBR can. ...That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. I hope you'll use it! P.S. The picture attached is a picture of all of us, with our mothers, when we graduated last May.” - Jasmine S. ’03CC 

“It was September 1971, the first day of our respective graduate careers. As I walked into the first class of Old Church Slavonic, taught by the great Slavic linguist, George Shevelov, I found another student already there. Knowing that I was French, he had taken the trouble to find a French grammar of Old Church Slavonic in the library and was pretending to read it. I was greatly impressed. Weeks later, he admitted that he had been faking it as he did not then know French (which he subsequently mastered). After that first class, we became inseparable, taking many courses together in Russian literature (his specialty) and in comparative literature (my specialty). We took our qualifying exams together. I wrote my dissertation on Stendhal and Tolstoy. He left Columbia to become a literature bibliographer at Princeton University.

During our time at Columbia, we were privileged to study with two remarkable visiting professors: Joseph Frank, the celebrated Dostoevsky scholar, and Tzvetan Todorov, the French philosopher and theoretician. Among the Slavic Department faculty, professors Belknap and Malmstad were particularly important, along with Professor Rufus Mathewson. We were both fortunate to have Prof. Mathewson as a mentor. He instilled in Gaylord a life-long love of Chekhov and ultimately inspired him to embark on translating a series of Chekhov’s stories. Because of his double expertise in Russian and French literature, Professor Mathewson made a case for what he called the literary traffic between France and Russia. This led me to the discovery of George Sand, the foremost 19th-century French woman novelist, whom the Russians read avidly, most notably Dostoevsky. The study of George Sand’s works and her place in French literary history has been my main area of research for the past 35 years.

We eventually married, had two sons with names that could work in French, Russian and English—Nicolas and Alexandre. Tufts University is where we have made our home. Gaylord taught Russian there for many years. I still teach French literature and co-direct the comparative literature program.” - Isabelle N., PhD ’82 and Gaylord B., MA ’74, MPhil ’78

“I was in my final year of a two-year program in Urban Planning at Columbia. I had been invited to a party that was given by a friend who was a graduate student in Architecture. It was March 1966. I decided to take in a tennis tournament at Madison Square Garden that evening so arrived late to my friend’s place just off the campus. When I finally arrived at my friend’s apartment I was greeted by John, a fellow student in the

Planning program. He said, “Hey, here’s Jack—he’s just been interviewed for an article in Mademoiselle Magazine.” Actually John and I had been invited to the brownstone of Barbara K’s in the West Village near Union Square just that week to provide input for an article on The City of the Future which was to appear in the May issue. Barbara was the managing editor of the magazine. John’s proclamation caught the attention of Peggy who was standing nearby. She said that was very ironic because she had just been going over the galley proofs of the article that very day. Peggy was the Publicity Director for Mademoiselle Magazine at the time. This small world happenstance led to a conversation between Peggy and me. At the end of the evening we carried our conversation to the street and, as I put her in a taxi, I suggested we get together. When we met again I told her I was finalizing my thesis for my Master’s degree. Being the willing soul that she was (still is) she suggested that she help with the typing. Being blown away by her largesse I readily accepted. Our first real date consisted of a type-athon on a pair of Selectrics (with the then-innovative “typeball”) at her office. By that time I was smitten and thought it was time to show my appreciation. I pulled out all the stops and made a reservation at the original Peter Luger’s in Brooklyn. After properly feting my new crush I took the check and paid the waiter. It all soon fell apart when I had nothing left to pay the coat check person. Peggy, once again, came to the rescue. I guess they say, the rest is history. We got married in December of that same year. We are now in year forty-eight and living the good life in San Francisco. Viva la Columbia! Oh, and, by the way, I got a high mark on the thesis.” - Jackson F. M.S. Urban Planning ’66, M.S. Architecture ’67

“Sharon and David's Columbia love story is about two vegetarians meeting at a barbecue. They first met each other at the orientation barbecue held for incoming graduate engineering students at Columbia University in August of 1997. David, noticing that Sharon had only salad and corn on the cob on her plate, conjectured that she might be a vegetarian like himself and thought that was the ideal hook to start a conversation with the pretty curly haired girl he spotted. They carried on a long conversation, hours in duration, discovering that they had more than vegetarianism in common. Only sunset and the arrival of the cleanup crew led to their parting; they were the last to leave the barbecue.

Immensely enjoying their time academically and socially at Columbia, David and Sharon without fail attended every Engineering Social held for the graduate engineering students. David played oboe in the Columbia Orchestra and sang with the Collegium Musicum. Sharon lived at International House while attending Columbia, taking part in numerous activities there, including the Harlem Tutorial Program. In 2002 David was awarded a Presidential Teaching Award from Columbia, and he remains one of only two graduate engineering students to ever receive the award. He used the prize to fund the purchase of an engagement ring. Sharon received her Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering, and David received his Master of Science and Doctorate in Operations Research from Columbia.

In August of 2002, five years after meeting at Columbia, Sharon and David were married at the Church of Notre Dame, located just a few blocks from campus in Morningside Heights. They hosted their rehearsal dinner at Columbia University’s Faculty House. Their 'love story' was featured in the Wedding/Vows section of the New York Times and the SEAS Engineering News.

Sharon and David continue to reside in Manhattan, and both love New York City so much that they plan to be lifelong New Yorkers. They now live in the ‘other Heights’, Washington Heights, with their two children. Sharon is an urban educator in the South Bronx, teaching AP Calculus AB, BC, AP Statistics and Statistics, while David is the lead developer and head of client services for a financial software company in Brooklyn. The Columbia spirit is in both our children’s genes. The baby’s favorite book right now is: “That’s not my lion…” and when our eldest is asked where he wants to attend college, he resoundingly replies: ‘Columbia!’.”

“Jacob and LeAnn met in their freshman year on Carman 11. They were talking by the second day of school and dating by the end of the first semester. They also lived next door to each other throughout their time on campus. Favorite memories together include serving in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, working as NSOP leaders, running in Central Park, and hanging out at JJ's Place. They recently celebrated their first anniversary of marriage on February 10, 2014. Jacob is an associate portfolio manager at JPMorgan Asset Management on military leave currently serving as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and LeAnn is pursuing graduate studies in education policy at Harvard University.” - Jacob T., ’10SEAS and LeAnn T. ’10CC

“Frederic Yang and JiHong Yin met in Uris Hall. Our mail folders were next to each other, marked -Yin and Yang. We frequently ran into each other when checking mail. Yin married Yang on Valentines Day'99. Fifteen years later, we celebrated our wedding anniversary in Monte-Carlo (see photo attached).” - Frederic Y. ’97BUS and JiHong Y. ’98BUS

“I first remember meeting Elizabeth in the checkout line at the now defunct Furnald Grocery. She was behind the cash register and I was probably buying coffee and a bagel. I made nervous small talk but it took me years to get up the nerve to ask her out. We dated briefly our senior year, but in the end she dumped me for another guy, but she says that she sort of knew that we would end up together. After graduation, I went to Med school and she to Vet school and our paths separated for quite some time. Every now and again they would cross but the timing was often poor. 17 year after graduation, She dropped me a line that she would be in the city and I invited her to meet in my office and then we would go out for a drink. I had my office manager make her wait, so I could straighten up my office and try to appear impressive. I guess it worked, and we were married about a year later.

That was eight years ago. We have a son and couldn't be happier. We often find ourselves discussing the core and have set up a mini curriculum for our nieces and nephews. On their 16th birthday, we buy them 16 books that they should read before college. The discussions on which books to choose lasts hours and is an oddly moving target. But what we agree upon is how important and formative those years at Columbia were. We also agree that I was a bit of a dope back then, that the other guy turned out to be a bit of a jerk, and that she is still perfect (or at least in my eyes.)” - Thomas N., M.D., ’89CC and Elizabeth Z., D.V.M., ’89CC 

“Cesar and Christina met at the 28-hour long Columbia University Dance Marathon in January 2007 where Cesar was sporting a metallic purple toga in a toga competition representing his Fraternity, which Christina was judging. In a moment of madness and delirium, it appeared to be love at first sight for Christina, as she thought - what better outfit to match her infamous gold lamé “spandex! Ever since then they have complemented each other in more ways than just metallic clothing.

Starting their adventure in NYC, over the last seven years, they have traveled the world together. From Colombian jungle treks to the Serengeti, from cycling through Paris to eating their way throughout Southeast Asia, they have shared their curiosity and passion for experiencing new cultures and cuisines.

In 2010, they set sail for Singapore where they are now currently based, both having found their calling and forging exciting career paths in a dynamic cosmopolitan melting pot. On June 1, 2013 they returned to where it all began, on the steps of Low Library, their old stomping grounds, to tie the knot amongst their dear ol’ CU crew. Having grown together from "Team Butler" to Team C., Cesar and Christina’s love story has come full circle. Having embarked on the married chapter of their lives, they are thrilled to ride their next big wave, ready for another adventure.” – Cesar C. ’07CC and Christina S. ’09BC

“We met while both attending the EMBAG Americas and Europe program, and found in each other what we had both been seeking for many years. We started dating halfway through the program, and now we are getting married in June! We also had the opportunity in the EMBAG program to travel and see the world in the early stage of our relationship. Our first few dates were all in different countries! Thank you Columbia for having a great program that attracts great people!!” - Kelsey K. & Jonathan A., EMBAG 2013

“For the past 13 years, there has been a picture frame on my bookcase with a wedding card from our dear friend Andrew SEAS '96, "... I thought about the term 'we grew up together' and immediately applied it to you both." That is what Raymond '95CC and I have done for the past 21 years, since we met at Columbia in 1993 when I was an 18 year old freshman and he was a 19 year old sophomore....growing up together. Columbia holds a special place in my heart because it is where I first saw Ray as I passed by a window of Shapiro Dorm on my way to an Asian Student Union meeting regarding an upcoming ski trip. Not sure what caught my attention, maybe it was his fantastic hair but later it was how he never stopped making me laugh. I look back at our wedding photos, ones of us walking across campus after our ceremony at St. Paul's Chapel and we're laughing together. It was such a special day because old college friends were there and it felt like we were back at school again. Many years and three kids later, Ray is still making me laugh. It is the bedrock of our relationship. Now we share that laughter with our children. Campus is a few blocks away so we hop on the 1 train with the kids to Columbia so they can run around campus laughing as we talk about how this is where mommy and daddy met.” – Katherine ’96SEAS and Raymond ’95CC

“It was a marriage made by Martha in the housing office. I came right out of the subway from Nebraska to the School of the Arts. I moved into my apartment and discovered that there were two engineering students living upstairs – “Great” I thought, dreading the noise that I feared would emanate from above. We first met after my roommate had locked us out of our apartment. He was the engineer from above sent to fix the doorknob – “So you’re Greg” I said as he came down the stairs, screwdriver and drill in hand. Later I would see him often as we ran laps in the gym. As the weeks ticked by we would pass each other in the hallway bundled in our winter coats. And then in the spring there appeared a stickie note on my door with an invitation for dinner upstairs. Swordfish grilled on his rooftop deck was on the menu in the apartment decorated in maiden aunt and packing crates. He greeted me at the door and then walked over to the cheap patio clock on the wall and set it to 6 p.m. Curious. He then explained that this controlled the speed of the overhead fan which he had mounted with the cable running down the wall to the clock which now housed the fan mechanism to be controlled by the hands of the clock. Of course. His department was in the SW Mudd Building, which I walked through daily on my way to my department. Even though it was on the Northeast corner of campus I referred to it as the South West Mudd building, not the Seely Witherspoon Mudd building as he later corrected me. Our next date was sushi. And on one rainy day after returning from Lincoln Center I listened to the message on my answering machine which said “ look out your window”. To my delight I found a dozen pink roses perfectly perched on my windowsill. My engineer had discreetly lowered, from his window to mine, roses wrapped in tissue paper, weighted with bolts strategically placed so that they could rest on the windowsill without falling off. The note read “hope you had a nice day, I missed you.” We picked out our first Christmas tree walking down Broadway, at the time of year when the entire city smells of pine. He discovered ice cream (how could one not like ice cream?) and Mrs. Fields, who he said would never last. We supported Mama Joy’s , H & H bagels, Paul’s and Symposium. We saw “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the first time at the Regency and we listened to Selected Shorts at Symphony Space.

We were married in St. Paul’s Chapel joining our families from Nebraska and New Jersey. We now have four daughters and next month will celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Thank you Martha.” - Marcia W., MFA, ’88SOA and Gregory D., M.S. ’83SEAS, Ph.D. ’89SEAS

“My entire extended family is one big Columbia love story. My parents, Evelyn (Barnard College ’70, Columbia Law School ’73) and Bruce (Columbia Law School ’73) met at Columbia Law School and married in 1974. Evelyn was one of only a handful of women at the Law School at that time, and she likes to say that she had her pick of the class! Bruce and Evelyn have three children who all attended or married Columbia graduates.

Their oldest child, Matthew, graduated from Columbia College in 2000 and holds a Master of Science in Real Estate Development, 2003. Rachel, their second child, graduated from Barnard College ’03 and Columbia Law School ’06. Rachel married her Columbia sweetheart Damian (Columbia Law School and Columbia Business School 2003). Rachel and Damian met at a bar in Morningside Heights 13 years ago and have been together ever since. Laura, Bruce and Evelyn’s youngest child, did not attend Columbia but she married Jason who graduated from Columbia Law School in 2002.

Evelyn and Bruce just celebrated their 40 year wedding anniversary last week, and they now have three grandchildren. We shall see if their grandchildren continue the Columbia love story tradition!”

“Aishwarya and I met over the course of our graduate degree at the Engineering School. We both joined the CS program at Columbia in Fall 2010. One of the few classes we ended up taking together was Network Theory. We would occasionally walk back home together after class but our interactions were few and far between. During the second semester though, we were both TAs and had overlapping office hours. We became good friends, and often studied together. It was always fun hanging out with her; we would talk for hours on end. I would sometimes stay back at her place for dinner; some of my best memories of Columbia are of the times we cooked together since it was such a pleasant change from the stress of classes and assignments. I was going to be interning in California for the summer. The week before I left we spent every waking minute together and it hit me that I wanted a lot more than being just friends. I confessed my feelings to her. She told me she felt the same way but added that she did not want to be in a serious relationship at the time. We wanted different things and hence it did not work out. When I returned to New York for my final semester, things were definitely not the same. We didn’t speak much and we were both busy with campus placements. We did patch up before Columbia ended, and decided to put the past behind us. Aishwarya knew that I really missed Choco, my pet dog back in India. On my birthday, she gifted me a collar for Choco that would tweet based on his movements. It was the best birthday gift anyone had ever got me. After Columbia, I relocated to California to take up a job there. Six months later, I was going to be in New York for commencement and I was excited about meeting her again. I had been stressed with work the previous week and somehow talking to her made it all so much better. I knew then that I still wanted to be with her in spite of us living on opposite coasts. I asked her out on commencement day before the ceremony began. When she said yes, it was one of the happiest moments of my life. It has now been almost 2 years since that day. Though we were 3000 miles and 3 time zones apart, we managed to fall in love, get engaged and even plan our wedding. We are living together in California now. Columbia and its neighborhood evoke many fond memories in us. We are both very glad we chose Columbia over other schools for several reasons but most importantly because we found each other.”

“So how does a SIPA girl stumble across one of these rare finds, you may ask? Surely one cannot plunge blindly into the APAM corridors, where a new female presence is immediately detected and where half of the lab doors are labeled “Radioactive: Do Not Enter”. Another challenge is that these scientists often hide their fascinating personalities under an external screen of shyness—which although endearing, complicates the first approach. Here comes the second secret: meet the man outside of the lab, preferably in a more relaxed environment. I chose Uris Pool, which comes with two additional advantages: first, you may have a higher chance of catching the eye of the man in question if you glide by in a swimsuit rather than wandering the corridors of his department looking lost (and fully clothed); and second, sharing a lane in the pool means crossing each-other over and over again, providing repeated opportunities for striking up casual conversation even for the shyest among us. Now to be perfectly truthful, I am quite shy myself and not really as scheming as it may appear. Rather, mutual shyness made Matt and I swim in the same lane, at least three times a week every lunchtime, for about six months without exchanging more than polite pleasantries. “Oh, I’m doing kicks now, I’ll be slower, you first”; “No no, you first, I’m switching to breast-stroke”. But eventually, in May 2010 it happened – on the first stormy day of the sticky New York summer, after a memorable downpour, we met at the gates of 116th and Broadway for coffee. “It was hard to recognize you with clothes on”. A killer pick-up line, but I wouldn’t recommend trying it in too many other situations. As it was, when he said that I just remember noticing how the very dark grey of the sky matched his gorgeous eyes. We’ve been caught in somewhat of a whirlwind since that coffee on a Riverside Park bench (during which, I admit, I oh-so-charmingly choked on a chocolate chip cookie…) We now live in Paris and have travelled to multiple countries together, but one place will always remain particularly dear to us: Uris Pool on the Columbia campus.” – Carole, ’11SIPA and Matthew, PhD, ’13APAM 

"Although this may sound like the cliché beginning of some romantic comedy, this is just how it happened 15 years ago: the moon was full above the water as the Orientation Boat Cruise being celebrated on the Circle Line slowly made its way along its usual track on the Hudson River. As close as we were to shore, the city skyline, and urban noise that often filled the night time, we were surrounded by silence- the only thing that could be heard within earshot were the DJ’s Music selection and the rest of the passengers’ palpable excitement at embarking on a new journey into adulthood, into college, and into first-time adult, college friendships. We were all Freshmen being initiated on the water, mingling with our future classmates from Columbia and Barnard, and starting a new life away from home. No one expected it to happen, the odds were for the most part against it, but it was on this very first voyage that a lucky few would meet their soul-mate (… or at least 1st year significant other- “boyfriend” or “girlfriend)- and as it should be clear from me writing this, I was one of the lucky ones, one of the chosen few. My name is Francis, LCSW (CC’03, CUSSW’09), my wife is Jennifer (BC’03) and this is our story and part of our school’s history, legacy, and impact- not just bringing people together and preparing them for academic purposes, but facilitating life changing encounters with one another.

Given the amount of time spent together over those early adult formative years in academia and the social networks that develop, it is not at all surprising just how common Barnard-Columbia couples are. I, myself, have often joked that I was an honorary Barnard student given just how many courses I ended up taking across the street during my time at Columbia. What is odd is how it took ending up together on that fateful night aboard that cruise ship, two complementary souls open to the possibilities, for us to have met, rather than meeting casually in our very own neighborhood. See we didn’t just dance with each other all night, we also talked and learned a lot about each other, and it turned out that we had very similar stories and histories and that in fact, we had grown up essentially 3-Blocks apart. To think that before this day, we hadn’t so much had even seen each other, exchanged passing glances, or anything. This is why we feel that Serendipity, Synchronicity, Fate, Cupid, Chance… whatever you want to call the force was hard at work when circumstances introduced us to each other when the timing was just right. And so it is that today, we can celebrate 15 years together, 5 years of marriage, and our son, Alejandro’s 3rd Birthday this August.” – Francis '03CC, '09CUSSW and Jennifer '03BC

“In 2006, despite both attending Columbia at the time, Sharon and Keith actually met in Hong Kong over the summer where we were both completing internships. While Keith repeatedly asked Sharon out on dates during the time, he was usually ignored. It was not until that fall, when we returned to campus, that by chance (or perhaps destiny), we realized that we lived two doors down from each other in Broadway. We began to hang out more closely - taking Music Hum together (despite Sharon being in CC and Keith in SEAS), getting bubble tea in Tea & Tea in Uris, cramming for finals in the Butler and SIPA libraries - and eventually got together. After graduating, Keith moved back to Hong Kong, and Sharon followed a year later. Nevertheless, Columbia remains an integral part of our lives. After Keith proposed in late 2012, we made sure to come back to New York and take our engagement photos at Columbia. We had a blast being back on campus, and reminisced about our time there with fond memories. We got married in June 2013, and guess what, our best man and maid of honor were also our classmates from Columbia! With any luck, we hope our future kids would also be able to attend Columbia, and perhaps even meet their other half there.”

“Ralph and Kaitlyn first met on a hot summer day in Dodge Fitness Center in August 2006. Kaitlyn was a freshman on the varsity field hockey team and Ralph was a sophomore on the football team. They saw each other at a party at Sigma Chi that October and learned that they both were from New Jersey and had a passion for sports. After a few weeks as friends, they went on their first date – to none other than Tasti D-Lite in Lerner Hall. Their relationship was very casual during Kaitlyn’s freshman year, culminating with Ralph being Kaitlyn’s date at the field hockey team’s Spring Formal. They officially started dating in August 2008 and spent much of that summer at Kaitlyn’s home by the beach in Longport, NJ. Ralph graduated in 2009 and started working for JP Morgan, while Kaitlyn was a senior living in East Campus. Kaitlyn graduated in 2010 and started working for Bank of America. Kaitlyn and Ralph have a passion for traveling, both in the US and abroad. They have vacationed together in Washington, DC, Napa Valley, CA, Key West and Miami, FL and have skied in Park City, UT, Stratton, VT and Breckenridge, CO. Their greatest adventure was in the summer 2011, when they visited Istanbul, Zurich, Zanzibar and Stuttgart, while traveling to the wedding of Gary M. (CC ’09) and Feryal H. (Barnard ’09) in Tanzania. Kaitlyn and Ralph are also avid triathletes. Kaitlyn has participated in seven races, including the NYC Triathlon in 2012, and Ralph has done four. Last summer, they both did three races, including the Escape the Cape (Cape May, NJ), Escape the Wildwoods (Wildwood, NJ) and the Atlantic City Triathlon. Kaitlyn and Ralph have now been dating for five and half years and are passionately in love. They both live in NYC and work in finance. They continue to be actively involved in the Columbia Alumni community, especially within Athletics. You can catch them on campus every once in a while, eating at Community Food or Covo, grabbing a drink at O’Connell’s, or watching a field hockey or football game at Baker. Kaitlyn was recently accepted into the Stanford Graduate School of Business, so she and Ralph will be moving to Palo Alto, CA in the fall.” - Ralph D. '09CC and Kaitlyn '10CC 

"Ziggy and Zoey never expected to have so many wonderful women in their lives but as many of the DG women have worked part time for a small company owned by their Mom, Ellen, they have been in heaven! They get snuggled, tickled, taken to the park, fed lots and lots of treats, and given more love than they could ever have hoped for. So, here's to the women of DG from Ziggy and Zoey. Thank you for taking such good care of us. We will always love you. Attached are our photos! XOXOOX...Happy Valentine's Day!

“We entered Columbia as freshmen in the fall of 2008. It just so happened that, as engineering majors, we were housed on the same floor and same suite of Wallach (8C). At 18 years old, we were unaccustomed to our new lives away from home and all the people we knew. As such, it took time for us to forge new friendships among our suitemates. But even still, we were the last ones in our suite to meet. The convenience of our living arrangement and the similar courses we took made our early interactions primarily “business-only,” going over problem sets and studying for exams. It wasn’t until the spring semester of that first year that we began to develop into something more than just colleagues. We began to realize how many seemingly random interests we had in common; we both enjoyed discussing theoretical physics and astrophysics; we both loved “Pride and Prejudice”; we both grew up playing Chopin on the piano. Our relationship grew further in the dining hall of John Jay as we began sharing meals together. We spent more and more time together, talking and sharing ideas, hopes, and dreams. Before we realized it, our relationship had developed into one continuous conversation. We stayed in close contact that first summer after our freshman year and visited each other every week. By the following fall semester, our relationship was official as we finally decided to give “us” a try. Our romance continued as we attended astrophysics lectures at the Museum of Natural History, made midnight trips to Westside Market, and stargazed beneath clear night skies at the observatory in Pupin whenever a public astronomy lecture was held. It did not take us long to realize that what we had was incredibly special and our fondness for each other quickly deepened into love. As our time at Columbia went by, we grew closer every day. And on Commencement Day 2012 we knew that our lives were truly just beginning. We were engaged the following October in Princeton, NJ, where Mike is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. And on September 22, 2013 we were married in Princeton. We are so happy that we are able to share the rest of our lives together, to grow together, to learn from one another, and to continue what began at Columbia.” - Michael F. '12SEAS and Kristina C. '12SEAS

“420 W. 119th Street was where it all started. We were a motley mix of graduate and PhD students—urban planners, a creative writer, a sociologist, an urban designer, a geologist and the lone MBA. We hailed from all over the US, from CA to NY, MA to OH and as far as Puerto Rico and Canada with a zany German in the midst. The geologist paired with the creative writer. The GSAPP planner and MBA had an instant attraction as best mates, wandering New York to check out housing developments, bike paths, adaptive reuse projects and pubs. Fast forward two years the best mates were meant to be part of a group pub crawl for Valentine’s Day in the East Village....and quickly became each other’s valentines. I met my husband, my soul mate, my best friend at Columbia University in 1996 and married him in 2000. We’ve travelled the world together, lived in London, moved to California and have Columbia and 420 W. 119th St to thank for helping us to find one another. Thank you, Columbia!” - Jennifer T. '96 GSAPP and Chris T. ’96BUS

“I clearly remember walking into Levien Gymnasium to see the basketball game- Penn vs Columbia and I even recall what I was wearing; sailor buttoned jeans and a Ralph Lauren peach- colored western shirt. It was March 3, 1978 at 7:00pm and I was a freshman at Barnard. Columbia’s basketball team was having a great season so we were all excited to cheer the Lions. The gym was filled to the rafters. As I walked through the gym door, a handsome, burly student handed me my program and I looked twice into his eyes. I asked my friend Nancy who was accompanying me, if she knew him. She said, “Oh yeah, that’s Shawn, he is a jock-plays on the CU Football team.” For the remainder of the game, I must admit that I was looking at Shawn rather than watching the team earn another victory. After the game, we all went to our regular spot on campus- King’s Pub, which was in the basement of John Jay Hall. They served beer, soda, pizza and they had a great DJ named Joe, who favored classic rock, even though disco was coming on strong. Columbia was not yet co-ed, so Kings Pub was the place to dance and mingle with Columbia guys. I walked into the Pub and there he was again. I just had to meet him and asked Nancy to introduce us. She was definitely not encouraging, but she finally walked up to Shawn and said, “ Hey Shawn, this is Jolyne, you guys should meet”. I then started talking to this shy, smart sophomore from Boston who was soft-spoken and very sweet. After about an hour, Joe, the DJ played one of my all-time favorite songs- Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird and I just had to dance. So I grabbed Shawn’s hand and led him to the dance floor. Freebird is a long song – about 14 minutes- and it starts out very slow. As we were dancing and holding each other quite close, I was falling in-love with this CU jock. After about 8 minutes, Freebird gets really fast but we were in our own world and did not stop slow dancing. While all my friends watched this crazy couple slow dancing in the middle of a cranking loud rock and roll song, we were oblivious. I went back to my dorm room at 3am and called my sister to tell her that I met the man I was going to marry. That is how it all started and 36 years later, this Columbia/Barnard couple is happily married, with two children including our son who is a freshman at Columbia. While there is no more King’s Pub and Joe the DJ, is long gone, the memories of that night remain vivid and the love affair continues.” - Shawn F. '80CC and Jolyne F. '81BC

“One morning in May in 1949, I was sitting at a table in the Philosophy Room of Butler Library where books were kept that did not circulate, working on my dissertation. The topic assigned to me by Professor Roger Sherman Loomis was the Legend of the Wood of the Cross. Having perused the first volume of a two-volume set titled the Apocrypha and Pseudepigraphya of the Old Testament, I realized that I also needed to consult the second volume. I rose to get it from the shelves, but when I returned to my seat, I was surprised to see that the book was not there. As I looked around for it, I saw a tall, smiling young man coming toward me. He had not taken it, but he told me that the librarian, assuming that the person who had been consulting it was finished, had put it in the cart, where books were placed to be re-shelved. I was much relieved, and retrieving the book, continued with my work. Some time later, as I was leaving for lunch, the young man joined me as we headed for Johnson Hall, a women's dormitory where there was an excellent cafeteria. Other lunches followed, walks in Riverside Park, and movies, so the chance meeting in the library led to a friendship--each learning more of the other--he had a BA from Columbia, she from Hunter College. Each met the other's family, and yes, there was kissing, caressing, and talk of marriage. Then came the wedding and the birth of two sons, also two MA's, two PhD's, and three published books. Next came the grandchildren, and finally, a great grandchild--altogether, so much to love! And yes, my Alma Mater, fostering both my affectionate and intellectual life, has earned a place in my heart and mind forever.” - Esther Q.

"In 1965, Bob '61 was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Business School when he met Berit ’66. In 1966, Bob left Columbia to go to work at McKinsey. A year later, Berit was hired as one of the first women consultants at McKinsey. McKinsey had a non-fraternization policy and when Bob and Berit decided to get married, Bob quit to go to Wall Street. For the past 15 years, Bob and Berit have worked together at Sutter Securities in San Francisco, where Bob is CEO and Berit is CFO."

"One summer day in 1992, I was eating breakfast when my phone rang. "Hi, my name is Ilana, and I'm calling about the College Development Fund," said a lovely voice on the other end. Through a mouthful of half-masticated Cheerios, I told this nice young lady that I was not in a position to donate money, and that if I was, I would likely not be to the College. Just a matter of personal preference, I explained. However, she had clearly been trained in sales, and continued trying to convince me to donate at least some small amount. At that point, I politely declined and hung up the phone. Thirty seconds later, the phone rang again. It was her, and suffice it to say, she was not pleased. "How dare you hang up on me?" she asked. "How rude!" I was about to retort, when I caught myself. Something about her tone intrigued me. It was indignant, but... well, how can I say this: cute. "What are you doing tomorrow night?" I asked. There was a sharp intake of breath from the other end, and I feared another onslaught -- this one more invective-based -- was on its way. "Nothing," she said quietly. We made plans to meet at the W Hotel, in Westwood by UCLA. Nearly twenty years of marriage later, here are two pictures of us as we looked back then.” – David K. 

“I fell in love on a Columbia Journalism School field trip. My National Affairs Reporting class was visiting Washington, D.C. to see various news operations and meet famous alumni. Instead, I met a classmate I'd never seen before. She was a television journalism major, a recent Oxford grad and just fascinating. She told me she liked camping (she didn't). I told her I could speak French (still can't). I didn't pay much attention the rest of the week and didn't land a job in national affairs reporting. But we met up at a career fair a few weeks later and started dating about a month before graduation.

With our master's degrees earned, however, we were headed in different directions. She got an offer from the career fair and joined NBC in the Washington bureau. I got no offers and went to New Orleans for a job writing about fishing for the local paper. We talked about breaking up, but flew back and forth on Southwest for five years instead. Finally, it came down to the career I prepared for at Columbia or the woman I met while preparing. I quit my job, flew to New York and asked her to marry me. Now we have a daughter (6) and a son (3). We all live in a too-small, too-expensive apartment in Park Slope. Recently, a group of Columbia journalism students visited the large news organization where I washed up after the wedding alongside several former classmates. After our presentation, one of the students raised his hand and asked what we'd taken from Columbia that had proved most important to our lives and careers. "I'll field this one,'' I said.” – Aaron and Liz '98JRN

“My wife, Edna, and I met through a Grad-Fac gathering that my friend (not I) and she attended. Then my daughter, Rebecca, a Columbia College student, met her future husband, Judah, through the good offices of Rebecca’s roommate, Shira, a Barnard student.”

“The year is 1951 and the month is April. A young man has just completed a final senior project at Columbia Engineering School and is celebrating with his two best friends at the Lion’s Den, a popular student pub located in the basement of John Jay Hall in the space that is now JJ’s Place. Across the room, he spies a pretty girl, having a bite with a date and another couple. Smitten from afar and egged on by his friends, he gets up the courage to interrupt their meal and ask this young lady to dance. As it turns out, she is on a blind-date and not finding her escort terribly interesting. (He is not a Columbia man.) And so she takes a chance and, to the consternation of the poor guy buying her burger, dances with the handsome stranger. That bold young man and the girl who dumped her date are my parents, Ted and Cecil, now married 61 years. Ted (Tullio J.) is still very actively involved with Columbia’s Engineering Alumni Association, and one of their grandson’s, Nicholas H., is a freshman at Columbia and lives in John Jay Hall, the scene of that memorable first meeting.” - Submitted by Catherine B.L.

“Thirty years ago. I didn’t know a soul in NYC. That changed with my orientation as a first year medical student at P&S August 1984. Mitch Chess, a second year, was running orientation, so I got to see a fair amount of him. We watched movies together as he ran the movie club in Bard Hall. During the P&S Booze Cruise around Manhattan we realized we really enjoyed each other’s company and danced the night away. Our first official date was going to the San Gennaro Street Festival. He encouraged me to get to know other people. I explained I already had a date planned with another classmate. He pushed to find out who it was with- it turns out it was with his roommate. I never went on the date. He agreed to help me teach a ballroom dance class in Bard cafeteria helping to give our classmates a study break. Years later when I asked a fellow classmate for a clinical care favor for a patient, he replied, “How can I say no to the person who taught me how to dance for my wedding?” We performed in the Bard Hall Players together, spent many evenings studying together and then taking the subway down to Greenwich Village for ice cream for study breaks. The following fall my Mom lost her 3 year battle with Lung Cancer. He was at my side as she slipped from this world, as we said our last goodbyes. I started thinking that there were more important things drawing us together than the difference in our religion that seemed to be the insurmountable obstacle to our committing to a long term relationship. We supported each other through the rigors of medical school. Living a few floors apart in Tower 2 the one with less homework or the lighter rotation got to cook dinner. We married June 28 1987. Our honeymoon was a few days in the Poconos since he was starting internship and that was all he could get off. We moved to Rochester NY to continue our residency and fellowship training, in the process raising 4 children, now 17, 20, 23 and 25yo. My husband opened an outpatient radiology office in an underserved area in Western NY and is a Clinical Associate Professor in Pediatric Neuroradiology and I am Vice Chair of Pediatrics and Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatology) and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Rochester. We have published together and now rather than studying together we discuss complex patient diagnoses and management. We still enjoy ballroom dancing, movies, and going out for ice cream (although now after a bike ride along the Erie Canal rather than a subway ride down to Greenwich Village). We are excited to be helping our oldest daughter plan her spring wedding- to her college sweetheart, whom she met 7 years ago his first day at the University of Rochester when she, as a second year, ran his orientation…” - Patricia C. ’88P&S and Mitchell C. '87P&S

“It would have been way too easy in Paris, so life decided for us that it would have to happen in NY. At Columbia University. Henri, 23 years-old, already knew the City. He thus considered a year in NYC as the coolest way to conclude his engineering studies in Paris. This would be with an Msc at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and in the company of a bunch of fellow French engineers. Ombeline, 19 years-old, had never lived in another place than her parents’ in Paris. She saw that year abroad mandated by her school, Sciences Po, as a wonderful opportunity to discover NY as well as the very unique model of American Women’s Colleges. Joining Barnard College for a year as a visiting student would be so exciting. 2008-2009 was going to be a very intense year. The financial world collapsed in September with Lehman Brothers. This would affect New York City as a whole, as well as the professional perspectives of many of our friends. The United-States would be experiencing the most important political change of the decade – or even more – with the election of their first African-American President in November. This would be one of our best memories of that year, this evening on Time Square – with the cheering face of Henri recorded somewhere on the BBC. This year would however also be a turning point , a year of change, a year with before and after, for us two. We had friends in common in Paris, who decided that we should definitely be in touch if staying a whole year in the same university. We had no choice but to meet once both on the same campus. Henri was very nice to Ombeline, helping her getting acquainted with this fascinating city that he knew already well. Ombeline was more than happy to share her “on campus” experience, introducing her new American friends from Eliott Hall and inviting him to the dance show of her roommates. We quickly realised that we were enjoying the same things, from the evenings at Carnegie Hall (thanks to the $10 tickets for Columbia students) to the door-to-door campaign in Philadelphia to invite citizens to register to vote. Together, we got to discover the American University culture, strange marshmallow-cookie-chocolate sandwiches or cheering up for our team at a football game. Together, we also understood how amazing Columbia was, not only allowing us to attend a speech by Hillary Clinton but also to discover new disciplines, taught by the best Professors, be it International Politics for Henri, Women & Leadership for Ombeline or participating in lab experiments for both of us. 2 days after Obama’s election, 65 days after the start of our classes, respectively 75 and 73 days after our arrival in NYC for this exciting year, that evening happened. Henri was kindly waiting with Ombeline at the Lincoln Center for her bus back to 116th. It was midnight in the City. A first bus passed, then a second arrived. And then we realised it was even more than all this that we would like to have in common. Since then, five years have passed. We have moved to Paris, New Caledonia, Istanbul, Brussels, sometimes together but most of the time separately. This made us realise how much we were missing living in the same city and discovering new cultures and new people. Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, is now our new home. And, as we know this is how we want to live for our entire life, together, we will get married next August. Thanks Columbia, New York City and the clock when it strikes midnight!”- Henri, '09SEAS and Ombeline,'09BC

“My husband, Steven E. (GSAS ’84), and I (Paulette B. GSAS ’80) met as graduate students at Columbia University's College of Physicians & Surgeons. I was working in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Gershon when a new, considerably younger (gasp!), graduate student arrived. It wasn’t love a first sight but we became friends and after a year, became more. That was 36 years ago and after 31 years of marriage and 3 children we are still together and very happy.” – Steven '84GSAS and Paulette, '80GSAS 

“We were at an outdoor concert in Addis Ababa, sitting on the grass listening to Casey Abrams, an American songwriter sing about love. How many people in the audience have found true love- he asked- raise your hands? Well – I looked around- a few hands went up- I’m not the type of person who raises a hand – but on my left, Sharon’s hand went up, so I also raised my hand. Heck, we’re married 29 years, we’ve been through much together- if this isn’t true love, then I don’t know what true love is. We were in Ethiopia visiting our daughter Miriam who was working with the blind in Gondar and had told us that she was thinking about applying for a program at Columbia. This was the first time that any of children had mentioned Columbia and it brought back warm memories of our good times at Columbia- when we met and began our journey through life together. In 1981 I was in my last year at SEAS at Columbia and a student leader at Freshman Orientation. It was always exciting to see the entering class of Barnard women and the weekend before school starts was a perfect chance to meet them. So I saw Sharon the first time at Orientation- and I knew that this was the girl that I wanted to get to know. She was from California, I was from NY, our backgrounds were similar, but she was beautiful, lively, easy going and fun. “I wish they all could be California girls” the popular Beach Boy song that shaped our culture in those times- was certainly true for me- and this was my chance! I heard that Sharon had a boyfriend, and I asked a friend to see if she was open to being asked out- and I waited with anticipation to learn that she was quite willing, so we went on our first date- to the Thalia movie theatre on Broadway. It was a success- we got on well- we continued getting closer, learning about each other, spending time at Reid and Furnald hall, the libraries- SIA, Architecture, the College, the social events – OFO- Earl Hall, sharing friends and the life of students on Morningside Heights. The year flew by, and I was contemplating different options for graduate school I realized that I wanted to be near Sharon- so I stayed at Columbia and continued for an MBA. Sharon felt the same way- her time at Barnard flew by- and soon she had the same choices- and decided as I did to continue her studies at Columbia- but Law was her interest. After I graduated we married, Sharon completed her degree and between us we had 4 Columbia degrees, many years on campus, and many friendships that were born and nurtured on campus. We lived in NY, then moved to Los Angeles, and then followed our dreams together to Israel, where we are raising our family with three children, and in our home proudly hang the 4 diplomas that remind us of our days at Columbia and our memories of how we met.” - Ed F., '82SEAS, '84BUS and Sharon S. F., '83BC, '86CLScollapse

“It was August 1987, the first day of classes at the Graduate School of Journalism. Dan and I both were in Helen Benedict’s RWI core class. A native New Yorker and fresh out of college, Dan pooh-poohed my conservative choice of a tuna sandwich from the New York deli that first afternoon as we ate on the lawn with other students. He quickly became one of the more outspoken members of the class—commandeering our walking tour of Brooklyn and offering his hometown knowledge and insights, even when he wasn’t asked.

While I knew his outgoing, domineering personality would make him a successful journalist, I also found it off-putting on a personal level. I was more a classic Bostonian—a bit more aloof and quiet—and was three years older. As we became good friends through the fall, it became clear he was looking for something more. But I was not interested. In February, my political reporting class headed to New Hampshire to cover the 1988 Presidential Primary. Dan, not in that class, followed with friends, through a snowstorm, to experience the primary, and also to help me celebrate my birthday. Following with a home-cooked dinner in my disgusting graduate housing kitchen and an official date, Dan started to win me over.

By spring we were a couple: spending time together, meeting each other’s parents and families, and even talking about life after Columbia. I had no intention of staying in New York after our graduation in 1988, but something inside was telling me I’d be a fool to leave. A job offer kept me in New York, and our relationship blossomed over the next few years, even after I moved to the Boston Herald in 1990 and we had to adjust to a weekend commuting romance.

In the summer of 1991, during a weekend visit to New York (more specifically to Jersey City, where Dan was writing for the Jersey Journal), Dan said he had to stop by the J School on our way to dinner to drop something off for a friend. We took the elevator to the third floor, where Dan suggested we see if the World Room—in which we had shared many classes, parties and dances—was open. It was.

As we walked toward the front, I noticed him stop and press play on a boom box. Our song, “Moondance” by Van Morrison, began to play. Dan asked me to dance, then got down on one knee as he pulled a small box from his pocket. After I said yes, he said we’d better return the key from the professor he had called, before class was dismissed. As we walked into the room, he nodded, and we received a rousing round of applause from the journalism students, all in on the plan.

We called out friend Antony, who had helped Dan with the arrangements, and met him at V&T Pizza on Amsterdam. The following year, our wedding at Plimoth Plantation (on the 500th anniversary of Columbus Day) was filled with J-school friends. In fact, our reception was during a 1992 Presidential debate, so that later in our hotel suite, our bed was covered with journalists at 1 a.m. watching the rebroadcast!

Twenty-two years later, Dan and I still are going strong. We have two beautiful children: 16-year-old Anna, a high school junior (teachers tell her she is an excellent writer), and 10-year-old Jack, a 5th grader, who has a reporter’s instinct for facts. We’ve survived crazy work schedules, coverage of stories from Princess Diana’s death to 9-11, and watching the newspaper industry change and saying goodbye to it. I have transitioned from a Boston Globe editor to an editor for a specialty medical publisher, and Dan was executive city editor of the Boston Herald and managing editor of the New Bedford Standard-Times before becoming an English/Writing teacher. All in all, we have a very happy life together, all begun at Columbia.” - Cheryl R., J’88 and Dan R., J’88

“I graduated from the College and went into Graduate Faculties immediately. The first day of my class in Earl Hall (nee), I was mesmerized by the cobalt eyes of another student in the third row. For the second class, I moved next to her. We got along well. The cosmic factor was that her father and mother had met in the very same building some decades earlier when it was used for the Law School. Her mother had complained to her (prospective) dad about his making noise in the library. They had 4 charming daughters and have passed. Our marriage produced 2 charming daughters and 2 decades of alum companionship. Is it the building's Feng Shui? Or?” - David M. 

“It was about 4:00 p.m., warm. The sun was dipping over the Hudson. Columbia’s campus was exciting and alive. Students, faculty, and the melting pot of New York City were passing by. I walked out of the Journalism building just as she arrived. She had a short Afro, and wore a yellow blouse, tan mini-skirt, and those rust-colored shoes with the tall ivory heels that accentuated her long legs. To this day, all these years later, that image of her, happy, smiling, and walking towards me amid the Columbia crowd, takes my breath away.

Neither of us waved. We just smiled, big smiles, as we approached each other. We hugged. We kissed. We laughed and kissed again. Someone’s radio played Marvin Gaye’s, What’s Going On? I grabbed her waist and we went off to The African Chef for dinner.

It was fall, 1971. I was 21 and was still, “Sam” in those days. She was still, “Loretta.” We had met just a few months earlier at Sister Sonia’s writers’ workshop at the Countee Cullen Library in Harlem. I was a student at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She was a student at Fashion Institute of Technology. We had spent the spring and summer dating, and had become inseparable. Very quickly, we had fallen deeply in love.

She lived up in Westchester and commuted. I was driving that green ’69 Tempest and was living in a Harlem brownstone apartment off Riverside Drive. I had no phone; but, somehow, we kept in touch. Talk about distraction! I was a television and radio major preparing to intern at CBS News. It took all the discipline I had to focus and study. Columbia’s campus was an inspiring, romantic kingdom.

We performed our poetry, with Sister Sonia and the workshop, all over the city, especially The East in Brooklyn. We later joined John O. Killens’ workshop at Columbia. We were smack dab in the middle of the Black Arts Movement.

One night, Denis, my Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brother, stopped by my place. He was in Columbia’s med school. Loretta was cooking. She asked him if he was staying for dinner. He said, “No, thanks. Gotta go” Then he looked at me, looked at her, then looked back at me again; and, his expression said, “Man, she’s over there banging pots and pans! What’s going on in here?”

Then, the winter came. It was a cold winter. Very cold. A, Baby, It’s Cold Outside, winter. I proposed just before Thanksgiving. She accepted. We were married on January 8, 1972 during Columbia’s Christmas break. I graduated that June.

Last month we celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary. We have three children, Kolonji, Johari and Niambi. Johari and her husband, Agustin, live in Spain, with their children, Ajani and Johari Ashar. Johari graduated from Columbia’s Teachers’ College.

Every once in a while, Damali Loretta M. and Hwesu Samuel M., hand-in-hand, stroll across Columbia’s campus; and, we remember that first fall and winter of being in love.” 

“CJ and I first met in cybersecurity class in fall 2012. Being among rare Korean students at SIPA enrolled in international security program, we soon became good friends. But it wasn’t until the second semester that our friendship grew into something “more than just friends”. As we were placed in the same Capstone Project group, the time we spent together outside the classroom increased dramatically. CJ often invited me over to his studio and prepared lunch before discussing the project. Especially, he was not only a gifted but also “thoughtful” cook. As soon as he discovered that I was a big fan of Kabocha squash and salmon, he impressed me every time with the new recipes he created with these ingredients. After we began dating, we tried our best to take full advantage of being in New York together. We took our time out of SIPA’s endless course assignments and made it to Alicia Keys concert at Barclays Center, chic restaurants in Midtown, jazz performances at Dizzy’s Coca Cola and Smoke, DUMBO and even to UN Security Council. Life is about changing and nothing stays the same. Our relationship as well, entered a different phase with our graduation. As the majority of SIPA graduates, each of us embarked on an adventure in a new world: one working in Africa and the other in Asia. However, no matter how far apart we are from each other, our shared memories and laughter from Broadway and 116th Street will always keep our hearts together.”

“When I was in the 8th grade, my father came back to our home in Washington, D.C., after three years in the Pacific during WW II. He was an outpatient at Fort Meade Hospital. Five weeks later, he shot and killed himself. I was determined to graduate from an Ivy League university in his memory. My family wanted me to go into a women’s college but I insisted on attending, at least, a sister institution with a male college. So it was off to Barnard. By the end of my sophomore year, my share of my father’s life insurance money had run out.

I learned that if I worked at a job on the campus, six credits would be free. I found a job as a filing clerk and later as editorial assistant at the Alumni News. I transferred to the School of General Studies. With some help from the President’s Fund and the GS Alumni Association, I was able to take five courses at night, during vacations, before work and during lunch while struggling to make magazine deadlines.

On my first day of registering for classes and starting work, I walked into the office of the Alumni News, located next to Low Library. A student was sitting at the desk I had been given. Outside I could see the replica of Rodin’s Thinker. The sun was shining through the French doors onto his light brown hair. I was sold. My next memory of us was walking together to the dry cleaners, holding hands. I thought it was romantic.

I lived with two roommates on Morningside Drive; he lived around the corner on 113th Street in a brownstone with three roommates. He was sports columnist for the Alumni News, a full-time student in the College, an employee of the sports information office,

a part-time news writer at night for the New York Times and a scorekeeper for multiple sports. We hardly saw each other except when we would meet for dinner at the West End or breakfast at Chock Full o’Nuts. On weekends, we would study, hang out at the Spectator offices or walk to Riverside Park, except during football games, when he sat in the press box and I sat in the stands.

Don was an editor at the Spectator when it endorsed Adlai Stevenson rather than Columbia President Eisenhower for president in 1952. There was a major media dustup over that. The board was interviewed on television. I watched on a tiny black and white screen.

Finally, two years later, after Don had earned degrees from Columbia College and J-school, and I graduated from GS, we were married in the University Chapel. Our pledge was to celebrate, not tolerate, our differences. We had three wonderful sons and a good and productive life as journalists, education editor and activists.

On June 12, we celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary. Thank you 'Alumni News and thank you, Columbia.” - Val, '54GS, and Don, 53’C, '54J

“When we met in September 1974, Kristi and I were both 17, and in our freshmen year at Barnard and CC. During orientation, I first saw her standing in the shade of Butler Library, faded blue jeans, peasant blouse, and startlingly bright blue eyes washed by blonde hair. She glowed. I soon learned she was studying art, she was born in Brooklyn, and she knew the city and subways well. On campus we became classmates, friends, lovers. We printed Lithographs with Bob Blackburn, absorbed lectures from James Shenton, and danced to the music of our rough edged college night life. Off campus, Kristi and I began to explore the collections and majesty of New York’s museums, subways, parks and boardwalks. Graffiti and grime were everywhere yes, but that reinforced the tolerance and street smarts that were an essential part of our 70’s core curriculum. Love and luck prevailed, we graduated in 1978, and married in 1983. We have raised our three sons here in NYC and just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. Kristi still ignites a passion for the arts that is contagious-she is an art maker, art teacher, art lover. I often recall that first sight of Kristi standing in front of Butler Library, and now know that the people she has touched could fill its halls with their arts. Love feeds passion, and as her sketched iPad drawing here shows, our glass is more than half full. It is full.” James H. and Kristi P. '78CC

“In May of 1978, I gave up my apartment in Brooklyn and job as a Director of Social Services to move into Johnson Hall and attend the School of Social Work. I was looking out the window of my eleventh story room when I spotted a very handsome man walking towards Johnson Hall. I felt curious so I ran down eleven flights of steps and stood at the elevator as if I were waiting to go up. I even pressed the up button. The man soon stood besides me. I said, "Hello." He said, "Hello." That was it. The next time I saw the man he was getting into the elevator with his laundry. I ran up eleven flights and threw some clothes into my dirty clothes basket, ran down to the basement with my basket in tow and said, "Hello again." He said, "Hello." That was it. The third time I saw this man he was crossing Amsterdam Avenue in the middle of the afternoon. I said, "Hello." He said, "Hello." He continued crossing the street. That was it. I yelled out, "Hey, we have to stop meeting like this." He smiled. I asked him to dinner. He accepted. I proposed two weeks later and he accepted. We were married two years later and have been married thirty-four years. We have taken our four children to see where we fell in love and pointed out the eleventh floor window where Mom spotted Dad outside Johnson Hall. Thanks for the memories.” – Janice L. 

“Our Columbia Love Story began almost 13 years ago. I was a 4th year dental student and Tom was a 1st year pediatric dental resident. It was not love at first sight, more like “Did you really just ask me that question?” Dr. Martin Davis, former Dean of Alumni Affairs and our unwitting matchmaker advised me to talk to Tom Mulvey, a first year pediatric dental resident, about pediatric dental programs. I was in the process of applying and needed some advice. I went to the Pediatric Dental Clinic and was told by the receptionist that Tom was on his way back from lunch. I sat in the waiting room and he arrived a few minutes later. When I saw him, I thought, “He's cute”. I introduced myself and told him Dr. Davis gave me his name. He was very gracious and said he would be happy to tell me about his experiences with different programs. We talked in the operatory as he was preparing for his afternoon patients. So then he asks, “Are you married?” Am I what??!!! I responded very tersely, “No, are you?” He sensed that I was taken aback, so he just smiled and explained that being married will influence which program I choose. “Oh, OK.”, I said. Yes, things were going very smoothly.

Fast forward to about a year later and now I am a 1st year pediatric dental resident and he is my chief resident. A month or so into my first year as a pediatric dental resident, I get a phone call. It's Tom. He lost his schedule and wanted to know where he was supposed to be the next day. “You're in clinic tomorrow”, I say. Then he says, “So what are you up to?”. “Just reading some journal articles. Did you need anything else?” I said. “No I guess not” he says. A few weeks later, I get another phone call from Tom. Same thing. The conversation went pretty much the same way. We ended up dating other people during the first half of my first year of residency.

One night in January 2002, all the residents went out for a post clinic dinner. Tom and I sat next to each other and started talking. We found out that we were both available, as our previous relationships had ended. Finally, a light bulb went off. At one point during the night he leaned over to me and said, “You know when I called you to ask about my schedule, I was really trying to ask you out.” I laughed. I guess the light bulb went off for him earlier. He proposed a year later. I said yes, and we got married at St. Paul's Chapel on the Morningside Campus. Ten years and three kids later, we still look back at our Columbia experience with much affection because that's where our love story began.” - Tom & Farisa M. (SDOS '96, Peds '02; SDOS '01, Peds '03) 

“My wife and I met as Graduate students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in the summer of 2000. The fortuitous occasion was a French class that was divided into two smaller sections because of a high enrollment. I have often wondered about how the odds of our meeting were compounded by the randomness of the selection process that put us into the same section. I believe it was during a language exercise on geography that we first noticed each other as we discovered that we shared a mixture of Northern European and Mediterranean ancestry (Sweden/Greece; Ireland/Lebanon). She says that she helped me with my homework, but I have no recollection. In what was probably a Columbia tradition, we had our first date at the now defunct Chinese restaurant on 110th st., Dynasty, which even then seemed an inauspicious location; yet it proved to be perfect. This was soon followed by a comically romantic second date involving my faking my way through a yoga class just to be able to see her again, and then we had a particularly long walk back uptown because (for once I say, happily), the 1 train was out. We married two years later, have been together ever since and I still don’t know much French.” - Michael M., '04GSAS and Kristina O., '07GSAS

“On a fine fall morning in 1964, I got off a train in Manhattan, ready to start my new life as a graduate student at Columbia. I had spent four years in a small all-male college, and was ready for the Big City. I wanted to taste it, to feel it, to experience it completely. In particular, I wanted to meet some of the women of New York.

So, I checked my luggage at Penn Station, and walked uptown, unencumbered. I would fetch my bags later, after securing my dorm room. I walked east, then north along Broadway, through Times Square and Columbus Circle. I was blown away by the tall buildings, and the small shops, and the busy traffic. But, mostly I was blown away by the women: beautiful, self-confident women, striding haughtily through their city. I felt completely intimidated; I spoke not one word, not to anybody. But, when I got up to the Columbia campus on Morningside Heights, the atmosphere seemed very different. It was a campus, right in the middle of the city. Here I was on familiar ground again. Students were strolling on College Walk, even playing tennis on the clay courts in front of John Jay Hall. Here, the women seemed approachable. I would try my luck with them.

Just inside Butler Library and up the stairs, I found myself face-to-face with the loveliest girl I had ever seen. She was petite and slender, with olive skin and fine features. Her lustrous brown eyes shone with intelligence and a serene independence. She was standing behind the Circulation Desk, and she was looking directly at me! Then she spoke, with a slight accent that I could not identify: “May I help you?”

I replied, suavely, “Where is the Card Catalog?” These were the first words I had spoken aloud, to anybody, since arriving in New York City.

Of course, she dismissed me, curtly. I was just another library customer, and apparently not a very bright one. But, three weeks later, we happened to meet again, at a Columbia social occasion. I handled that encounter better, and at the end of the evening, I walked her to her apartment. She was a senior in General Studies, the daughter of Punjabi immigrants. There were not very many Indians living in New York in 1964; this contributed to her mystery. One thing led to another, and a year later, we were married. The ceremony took place in the beautiful chapel of the new Interchurch Center, a block from campus. We had use of it because of a Columbia connection, long-since severed. Shortly after the ceremony, the Interchurch management decided, in their wisdom, to allow no weddings there, so ours is the only one ever held in that lovely chapel. The photo has been in my wallet for almost 49 years, a near-golden reminder of a moment long ago, offered by fate, and seized by instinct. Holding hands today, we think, 'We were so lucky!’” - Leon '69GSAS and Purnima '65GS

“During her first week of classes at Barnard College, Nadimire J. BC '04 along with a friend eagerly shopped for textbooks at the Columbia University bookstore. It was at that time this mutual friend, France BC 04’, introduced her to Yves-Richard CC '02, a junior at Columbia at the time, also at the bookstore attempting to resell some textbooks.

However, it was not until the spring semester of that academic year and countless AOL instant text messages did their friendship blossom. On one memorable evening after a campus event, they wined down at Seinfeld's famous Tom's Restaurant. Time flew by as they got to know more about each other. They even realized that at one point they had gone to the same elementary school. Although they differ by two class years, who knows how many times they've bumped into each other in the schoolyard. Since that night, a long romantic relationship ensued.

The two married on Long Island, NY on April 15, 2012 and currently reside in lower Manhattan. Nadimire and Yves-Richard are both in the medical field, with a focus in Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology, respectively. Above their greatest accomplishment together is bringing beautiful baby Audrey into the world on July 15, 2013. Columbia and Barnard served not only as a foundation for their education, it catalyzed their friendship, and so will always have a permanent place in their hearts.” - Nadimire '04 BC and Yves-Richard '02CC 

“Our love story started in Carlton Arms on Riverside Dr. in September 2011. We were two of 14 suitemates that were randomly placed in suite 8A. He was getting his second degree in Applied Physics through the 3-2 Program, and I was getting mine in Chemical Engineering. My closet sized room in our suite had one window that faced a brick wall while his was huge and had an amazing view of the Hudson, so I spent a lot of time in there. After completing multiple problem sets in his NY Giants chair, we got to know each other very well. We began to have lunch in Carleton Lounge and cook dinner in our suite’s kitchen together almost daily. We spent more and more time together, and it was apparent that we had a connection, however, both of us denied it, trying to stay only friends. We would joke about dating since we spent so much time together, but after a few unofficial dates, those jokes started to become real. We finally had to admit to ourselves that we were more than just friends, and when we did that our love grew. Thanks to Columbia University we were able to find each other, and here we are now, two and a half years later, living happily ever after.”

“I met my future wife, Linda, at a snowball fight at Barnard Dec.1957, but she paired up with one of my football teammates. A year later I called Barnard to invite my friend to a wrestling team rally, and Linda was on phone duty. When my friend was not available and Linda identified herself; she accepted my offer. After the rally we wound up at Hartley Hall lobby's fireplace, with a box of marsh mellows and two wire coat hangers which I turned into roasters. We had such a great time sharing and talking that we dated seriously for the next three months. Discussions include the type of person we wanted to live together. Linda returned from spring break and told me she had broke the news to her parents( who I had never met) that we wanted to get married! Shocked but not in any opposition to marriage; I was concerned because I'm Jewish and she was Protestant. Linda also said her family was planning next weekend to come to Barnard to meet me. Nervous but seriously in love, it was the best decision I've made in my whole life. Her family and mine have totally accepted each of us, our children are both grown and chosen their spouses and religious followings. But never have I questioned that Linda has been the love of my life! This year will be our 55th anniversary. And they said it would never last???” 

“It was my first year living in NYC. At the entrance of Dallas BBQ, corner of Columbia medical campus, Yeli, my classmate at Institution of Human Nutrition, introduced me to Brandon. It was October 10th, 2010. I was applying to dental school at the moment and a few interviews were coming up. Yeli very kindly set the lunch for me with a few dental students to help me prepare for the interviews.

“Hi my name is Brandon, 3rd year dental student” said Brandon wearing a red hoody with shorts and slippers. There were 6 people together, very delightful and informative conversations happened that day, including this – “so do you like to sing? We can go karaoke sometimes! What’s your number? Add me on Facebook! I am Brandon OH THE SINGLE one!” said Brandon.

The boys walked us home that day. He found out where I lived and would text my friend or check my class schedule to wait and create moments of “wow what a coincident!” I gave him my MSN but in fact I didn’t use MSN. He got discouraged. We bump into each other in front of Presbyterian Hospital and he said “HEY!!” with both arms in the air blocking the whole road. I was too shy so I turned my head the other way and sneaked into the entrance without even said hi back. He was further discouraged. He would search the whole library to say hi and bye to me. He’d ask me out and I always said no. Finally, he called me, and I invited this handsome and humorous big boy to go shopping with me, because, another quote, “I want to protect you! It’s pretty dangerous out there!” He’d go to main campus library with me, attend speaker events (that I’m sure he’s not interested in), visit me in the lab on 7th floor in dental school, show me around in NYC, and deliver hot chocolate to my apartment door. One night he cooked a full thanksgiving dinner for me. And then I said yes to him the first time. We’ve enjoyed every bit of life in Columbia together.

Life had a little twist on us when I got accepted to dental school away from NYC. We planned so many dates out to create memories together preparing for the long distance. So much flying and hard times and he finally moved to my city after graduation. I planned a surprise trip back to Columbia and I captured his most shocked face on camera. The day before the final checkout, we woke up very early in the morning; to walk around the medical campus, looked at the stores and pigeons, and enjoy the morning peace in this unforgettable place full of memories which had accompanied Brandon through his DDS degree and my MS. Life in Columbia has best prepared me for my career and found me the love of my life. And on August 25th, 2013, I said YES again.”

“A fellow-student I had never met who sat behind me in a class -- I think it was Professor Patterson’s Insurance Class) -- stopped me after class one day and asked me if I would like to meet his fiancé’s friend, Gail. I don’t know why he picked me. Maybe it was something about the back of my head, which is the only view he had of me. I said okay. Gail and I went on a date. We married later in the year and have been together since that time. That was 1958. He is gone. Gail and I remain grateful to him and his fiancé, who is still our close friend, for their matchmaking skill.” – Norman S., '58LAW

“My wife, Peggy, and I met at Columbia Business School in the Fall of 2005. We were both pursuing our MBA and were assigned to the same Cluster (section). We met the first day of school and in December we started seeing each other exclusively. In 2008, we were married. We had a wedding in New Hope, PA and New Delhi, India. It was a week long affair that started with a rehearsal dinner, into a church wedding with her in a beautiful white wedding dress and me in a tuxedo, into an airplane trip from Newark to New Delhi to a week long celebration that culiminated in me riding in on a horse flanked by elephants for a full traditional wedding. We have two children, Atri (4), and Asha (2), and we now reside on the UES. We often joke that at Columbia we not only received an education but also our soulmate. Thank you!”

“My great Columbia love story is one of sibling love. My brother James B., Class 1977 was attending Columbia Law School having just graduated from Princeton University with honors. I was attending Drew University and dreaming of an international life. I was teaching assistant for Professor Robert Smith's constitutional law class at Drew and fell in love with the law. My brother suggested that I apply to Columbia where my heroes Oscar Schacter Louis Heinken and others were teaching. I was accepted and my first year was wonderful because unlike other long suffering first year students, I had a brother who was third year and a big man around campus. He gave me his books, his notes and most importantly his love, advice and attention. Through the ups and downs of my first year Columbia law school adventure (and there were a few "downs"), he was always there for me.” - Jo B. '80

“I started my first year at Barnard in September of 1991. Just a few weeks later, I met my future husband, Scott M. (CC '92) at an AEPi party. We had one year together on campus then dated long distance for the next 3 years when Scott went to law school in Boston. Greyhound or Peter Pan buses and the occasional Delta shuttle for one or the other of us every weekend for 3 years! After my junior year at Barnard, Scott proposed. We got married right after my Barnard graduation and his Boston University Law School graduation in May of 1995. Who would have guessed I'd meet my future husband my first month on campus?” – Sheryl, MD, '95BC, '99P&S

“I attended GBS and graduated June 1965. I went to one, only one mixer at GBS in October 1963 and met a charming, intelligent, attractive [understatement] young woman from Finch College. We had a wonderful time together. I had a date with a great girl from my high school the next weekend. That was the last date I had with anyone other than that beautiful girl from Finch. We were married in July 1965. We have raised two wonderful daughters, and are still more than happily married. I have attached a photo from about six years ago. I look older now and my wife Ellen looks even better! I may have learned many important facts and methods at GBS, but the best part of my experience at Columbia was meeting Ellen. Hope they still have the mixers.” - Chip L., '65BUS

“As a three-time Lion, I figured that my chances were good for finding love in some form while at the University. But it was not to be. When I was a College assignments editor at Spectator, the editorial-page editor who set my heart aflutter had eyes only for the editor-in-chief. At the Journalism School, the object of my affection had a boyfriend back home. At GSAS . . . well, as a part-timer, I wasn’t exactly part of the mingling crowd.