Cornell kicked-off the first of its regional sesquicentennial celebrations in New York City Sept. 12-13, 2014.
The weekend's signature event, "The Big Idea!" at Jazz at Lincoln Center, mixed humor, music, video, skits and appearances by dozens of Cornellians with a narrative of exploring the "Cornell brain" to chart several big ideas that began with the founding of Cornell: the blending of the sciences and humanities; the challenge of making Cornell accessible to students of all backgrounds; and the determination to use knowledge and discovery to improve the world.
The show was hosted by Kate Snow '91; actor Jimmy Smits, MFA '82; actress Adepero Oduye '99; and actor and former NFL star Ed Marinaro '72. Cornell Bhangra, the Cornell University Glee Club and the Big Red Marching Band performed. Lon Hoyt '79 led the house band, and Wynton Marsalis, artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, performed two pieces - joined for the second by President Skorton on his flute.