Columbia on Highest Security for McCain-Obama visit.

Columbia will be treating the security alert level at Thursday's Service Nation event “almost like [we would for] a sitting president,” said Public Safety Director John Murolo.

Security will be shared between groups from campus public safety, several branches of the NYPD, secret service, state troopers and private security details.

Attendees will have to go through magnetometers (think airport security wands) and may not be allowed to bring bags into the event.

Several campus entrances and streets including 114th with be locked down, but Lerner Hall's Student Center will continue to be open during the event.

Murolo said that he and his department started security preparation nearly two weeks ago, before Columbia was finalized as location.