the close of the th century and the beginning of the th brought significant changes in high school curriculum and school management the board of education had by now replaced the old board of trustees in  "manual training" was offered in school by  sciences had been added to the course of study a tradition of excellence was beginning to evolve and in  two columbia graduates were admitted to cornell university musical enrichment was added in  with the hiring of a singing teacher from new york city early in the s the value of athletics was recognized and encouraged at columbia by the organization of boys and girls teams the student council was formed in  and the columbian student newspaper followed in 