FUSIA/CCIP interns went down to Morningside Heights in Manhattan on June 18 to visit Columbia University, one of the top academic and research institutions in the world. Students were offered a tour around the university's campus grounds and a glimpse into its history, vigor and rich student life.

FUSIA/CCIP interns saw the classical alive and well in the Greco-Roman influence in Columbia's buildings. A painting of the Goddess Athena in Butler Library captivated the interns. Set against the lights of the Manhattan skyline, the elegant Athena showed students that even in a world ever on the move forward there is still a place for the classical.

Many students wanted to know about Columbia's famous past students. Apart from current President Barack Obama, the interns learned of other alumni, including politician George Stephanopoulos and movie stars like Maggie Gyllenhaal and Julia Stiles. The interns also learned that Columbia itself has starred in movies (Spiderman, Ghostbusters and Mona Lisa Smile). To the interns’ disappointment, no crews were shooting that day. But many went back to the tour with imaginations abuzz and curiosity piqued.

Their tour into Columbia's culture brought students to a long series of granite steps leading from the lower part of the campus to its upper terrace: "The Steps" or the "Urban Beach." They form a gathering place for students to meet, relax or simply sunbathe. It also showed how students have made the architecture and the university their own.

"Our guide said that they often hold concerts and film screenings on the steps. It'd be amazing if I could attend one," commented Caroline Tan, a year 3 undergraduate from the National University of Singapore.

"Orgo Night," a curious tradition where the Columbia University Marching Band takes to the Butler Library the night before the first day of finals to distract students from studying caught a few laughs from the interns. The custom of throwing notes, course packets, and water balloons at the still playing band drew a few more laughs.

Cheung Pan Lok, a year 3 undergraduate of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University said, "It's a privilege visiting one of the Ivy League universities. It's more than prestige. The students love their school and it shows. The campus is just so alive."

About Columbia University: Columbia is known for its academic prestigious programs in medicine, science, the arts, and the humanities, and is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League. The campus features many neoclassical architectural styled buildings such as the famed Low Memorial Library, considered a national historic landmark.