News & Events
CLIP Students Won’t ‘Fuhgeddaboud’ Visit to Boro Hall
Borough President Markowitz with City Tech CLIP class at Borough Hall.
Last spring, City Tech’s advanced-level CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP) students had a memorable experience touring Brooklyn's famous Borough Hall.
Sara Kaufman, event planner for the borough, took the students through the historic building, explaining its mix of architectural styles and its differing functions over the years. (The magnificent Common Council Chambers on the top floor of the building, for example, occasionally serves today as a set for television's "Law and Order.")
Then, when the group was seated in the glass-enclosed conference room, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz welcomed the students in many different native languages. In his talk, he connected their journeys with those of countless other immigrants who have settled in Brooklyn over the years. He also answered questions from the students and explained many of the ways he has sought to champion Brooklyn and its residents, and boost the image of New York's most populous borough.
When the class left the building, the students were calling to each other "Fuhgeddaboudit," one of many bits of Brooklynese that Mr. Markowitz has had added to the traffic signs greeting motorists as they enter or leave the borough.
CLIP, an innovative approach to the preparation and support of
immigrant degree students, was initiated by The City University
in 1996. Immigrants who have been accepted to the University can
choose to postpone matriculation to study English intensively for
up to a year -- boosting their fluency to meet the demands of college-level
coursework.
