Obama, McCain on campus tomorrow

Barack Obama and John McCain will be on campus here tomorrow to address a summit on community service. It's also September 11th, so it's fitting a summit on community service should take place in New York that day. Should be a good event. Here's an email we received this morning:

To all members of the Columbia community:

On Thursday, September 11, Columbia University will host a ServiceNation Summit event in Alfred Lerner Hall featuring presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. The purpose of this message is to provide important information about campus access and the events taking place this Thursday.

Please carry your University ID card with you on Thursday to ensure that you can access campus at all times.

LIMITED ACCESS TO LERNER HALL
Lerner Hall will be open only to University ID holders on Sept. 11. Beginning at 2:00 p.m., the Broadway entrance to Lerner Hall will be closed, as will the Lerner Gate at 115th St. and Broadway. After that time, please enter through the building's campus entrance by using your University ID. The first floor of Lerner and the 4th floor corridor near Ferris Booth Commons, including the Package Center, will also be closed at 2:00 p.m.

All other Lerner Hall offices, Café 212, the 3rd floor of Ferris Booth Commons, and the Columbia Bookstore will be open during normal business hours. After 2:00 p.m., the Bookstore will be accessible via the Lerner campus entrance only.

STREET AND SIDEWALK CLOSURES
114th St. between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave. will be closed to vehicular traffic from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. "No Parking" signs will also be posted. Please do not park your car on 114th St. overnight on Wednesday or it will be towed by the Police Department.

Pedestrian traffic on 114th St. will be restricted to the south side of the street beginning at 2:00 p.m. At that time, the Carman and John Jay gates will also close.

The east side of Broadway between 114th St. and 116th St. will be closed to pedestrians beginning at 2:00 p.m.

ADDITIONAL GATE CLOSURES
From 5:00 p.m. onward, the campus will be open to University ID holders only, through the following gates:

- 116th St. and Broadway (north walk only)- Note: this gate may be subject to closure depending on pedestrian traffic on Broadway
- 116th St. & Amsterdam Ave. (north walk only)
- Earl Hall Gate (117th St. & Broadway)
- Chapel Gate (117th St. & Amsterdam Ave.) until 6:00 p.m.
- Grove (119th St. & Amsterdam Ave.)
- 120th St. Gate until 6:00 p.m.
- Mudd Building entrance on 120th St. until 6:00 p.m.
- 115th St. & Amsterdam Ave. Gate

** You must present your University ID to enter campus at any gate after 5:00 p.m. **

ACCESS FOR TEMPORARY STAFF
If you have temporary staff who do not have a University ID and who need access to campus on the afternoon of Sept. 11, you will need to make the following accommodations for them. Please prepare a letter on University letterhead stating that the person is reporting for work, specify the campus location, and sign the letter. Please give this letter to your temporary workers before Sept. 11, and please instruct them to carry a photo ID, such as a driver's license, matching the name in the letter.

VIEWING AND PARTICIPATION IN CAMPUS EVENTS
The ServiceNation Summit event will be simulcast on a large screen facing Low Plaza. All University ID holders are invited to view the event here. The simulcast will begin at 7:00 p.m. A live feed of the event will also be accessible via CTV in all Columbia residence halls. It is likely that the event will be broadcast live on major media networks, and we encourage schools and departments to organize screenings where possible.

A series of student-organized events, including a food drive, will run throughout the day. Please check the Columbia homepage for updates on these plans.

Your cooperation during this busy and historic day is greatly appreciated. We hope that you will take advantage of the events surrounding this summit and join the University in recognizing the importance of public service.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Scott
Executive Vice President
Student and Administrative Services

James McShane
Associate Vice President
Columbia University Public Safety