Events Newsletter 2025-26

This Week at Columbia: Events & Opportunities 10/21 - 11/14

October 21, 2025
events & opportunities on a pink background

Dear Students,

Take a look at what’s ahead and find a few ways to relax, meet new people, and enjoy campus life.

Build Connections with the Community Citizenship Initiative
The events below are designed to help students fulfill their Community Citizenship Initiative (CCI) participation requirements. CCI is required for all newly enrolled students and optional for others.

  • Courageous Conversations (In-Person). Join this workshop developed by LeaderShape, Inc, for a session designed to help participants engage in honest, respectful, and authentic conversations across differences. Tuesday, October 28, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Register here. 
  • Leading with Others: Navigating Relationships and Building Community (In-Person). Enhance your leadership and interpersonal skills, such as empathy and active listening, through interactive exercises and guided discussions that promote intentional community building. Learn more. 
  • Managing Conflict: Leading with Courage and Care (In-Person). Learn practical tools and strategies to approach challenging conversations thoughtfully, manage disagreements constructively, and lead with respect and cultural awareness. Learn more. 
  • Visit to the Museum of the City of New York (In-Person). Step into the stories that have shaped New York City! Join us at the Museum of the City of New York to dive into exhibits on cultural movements, trailblazing change-makers, and iconic artistry that define the city. Friday, November 14, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. Register here. 
     

University Life Events & Opportunities
All events listed below are in Eastern Time (ET), free, and open to all students across all schools and campuses.

  • Deal Me In: A Card Game Social (In-Person). Come hang out and play a round of cards with new friends. Whether you’re into Spades, Crazy Eights, Slapjack, or any other favorite, this is your chance to mingle, relax, and build community. Friday, October 24, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Register here. 
  • Park Clean Up (Uptown) (In-Person). Enjoy an afternoon outdoors with peers and help keep Fort Tryon Park beautiful. After the cleanup, plan for a casual picnic in the park to unwind and connect with others. *New Time* Saturday, October 25, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Register here. 
  • Dance Fitness Series: Diwali Workshop (In-Person). Celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Light, through movement in this beginner-friendly dance class hosted by Ajna Dance Company. Get your body moving, meet new people, and discover how dance brings these Diwali traditions to life. Wednesday, October 29, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Register here. 
  • Journaling with Intention: Write, Reflect, Repeat (In-Person). Head to Earl Hall for a cozy night of journaling, intention-setting, and reflection. Take the True Colors assessment, pick out your own journal, and let your imagination run free. Wednesday, November 5, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Register here. 
  • Citizen-Leaders: A Conversation with the Obama Foundation Scholars (In-Person).  In collaboration with Columbia World Projects, University Life is proud to host the 2025 Obama Foundation Scholars at Columbia University for a discussion on how they use leadership, innovation, and collaboration to drive meaningful change. Don’t miss this insightful panel discussion – a Q&A will follow, with lunch provided on a first-come basis. Monday, November 10, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. Learn more. 
  • Take the Stage: Applications Now Open for Low Lounge Performers. Low Lounge returns for its eighth year on Tuesday, December 9, from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. We're inviting student performers to help make this Columbia favorite the cozy, creative escape we all need during finals season. Apply by Wednesday, October 29. Learn more.
  • CSSI: Using Artificial Intelligence Responsibly at Columbia. Always check with your instructor before using artificial intelligence (AI) for any part of an assignment or exam, since unapproved use may count as unauthorized assistance or plagiarism. Let AI be a helper, not a substitute, and if you’re unsure what’s allowed, ask early. Using AI ethically and effectively is a skill worth developing. Learn more. 
     

Recurring Events & Opportunities from Religious Life

  • Drop-In Hours: Earl Hall (Hybrid). Stop by Earl Hall or request a Zoom link for spiritual care and support. Sessions are open to all students, whether you’re religious, spiritual, questioning, or none of the above. Every Tuesday, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. Learn more. 
  • Yoga Class (In-Person). Take a break to relax and refresh with yoga in Earl Hall. Please bring your own mat and arrive 10 minutes early to set up; doors close at 6:35 p.m. Every Thursday, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Register here. 
  • Coffee, Conversation, and Spirituality (In-Person). Explore life, meaning, and purpose over breakfast with Religious Life. No beliefs required, just bring your sense of connection and curiosity. Every Friday, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Register here. 
  • Sacred Music Concerts (Hybrid). Religious Life is hosting sacred music concerts throughout the Fall semester. Find a moment for quiet reflection and beautiful music:

More Events and Opportunities Happening Around Campus
The events below are only some of the free, University-wide events open to all students. For a full list of events, visit the University Events Calendar.

  • Covering Politics: Journalism Through the Lens of Local Elections (In-Person). With Election Day just around the corner, please join the Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights and Columbia Votes for a discussion panel on the important role of journalism in New York City politics, featuring Jessy Edwards, Elizabeth Kim, Sara Lind, Jeffrey C. Mays, and moderated by Juan Manual Benítez. Doors will open at 5:30, and food will be served. Today, October 21, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Register here. 
  • Mental Health Awareness Event: Compassion. Connection. Support.  (In-Person). Join Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) and Columbia affiliates for a host of hands-on activities and workshops that support mental health and well-being. Wednesday, October 22, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Learn more.  
  • Translating Persian Poetry (In-Person). The Middle East, South Asian and African Studies Department is hosting a lecture at 403 Knox Hall with Professor Hamid Dabashi and Professor Saeed Honarmand, where they will explore how poetry has shaped Iran’s cultural and historical imagination. Wednesday, October 22, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Learn more. 
  • Matisse: An Artist for All Seasons (In-Person). Explore the final creative years of renowned painter Henri Matisse with Antoine Compagnon, Blanche W. Knopf Professor of French and Comparative Literature. Wednesday, October 22, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Register here. 
  • Noche de Juegos with LAACU and SACCA (In-Person). Join the Latino Alumni Association and the Student Ambassadors of Columbia College Alumni for a fun night of networking, games and treats! Wednesday, October 22, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Register here. 
  • Italian Academy Fellows' Seminars — #4 (In-Person). Attend a seminar featuring Stefano de Bosio, of the Free University of Berlin, Marianna Mancini, of Sapienza University of Rome, and Simone Picchianti, of the University of Cagliari. Moderated by Pamela Smith, Seth Low Professor of History and Director of the Center for Science and Society at Columbia University, this session will look at the often-overlooked artists and craftsmen who shaped early modern art, architecture, and design. Thursday, October 23, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. Register here. 
  • Dog Therapy with Alice! Health Promotion & Recovery Coalition (In-Person) Take a paws and relax with therapy dogs from New York Therapy Animals, courtesy of Alice! Health Promotion and the Recovery Coalition. Access is first come, first served and limited to 60 students. No registration needed, just bring your CUID. Friday, October 24, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Learn more. 
  • Student Health on Haven Flu Fair (In-Person). Student Health on Haven is hosting a flu vaccination clinic for CUIMC students at 50 Haven Ballroom. Students can schedule vaccine appointments online through the Student Health Portal or by phone at 212-305-3400. Friday, October 24, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Learn more. 
  • "Philip Roth: Stung by Life," a book talk with Steven Zipperstein (In-Person). Join the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies and the Center for American Studies for a talk with Professor Steven Zipperstein on his new book, Philip Roth: Stung by Life in Kent Hall. Zipperstein will explore Roth’s life and work, from Goodbye, Columbus to American Pastoral, offering an intimate look at one of America’s most influential writers. Monday, October 27, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Register here. 
  • Procrastination Workshop (In-Person). Need a productivity boost? Join this Columbia Health interactive workshop to tackle procrastination, sharpen your time management skills, and learn strategies to reach your goals. Fun, practical, and open to all. Monday, October 27, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Register here. 
  • Pop-Up Festival - Concert One: Celebrating 20 Years of Yarn Wire (In-Person). Tune into Yarn/Wire, a piano and percussion quartet, for their 20th anniversary this season with a special three-concert festival, kicking off Miller Theatre’s Pop-Up Concerts series. Monday, October 27, 6:00 p.m. Learn more. 
  • Leveraging Global Lessons to Advance Local Repair: Reparations, Truth, Healing & Reconciliation in NYC (In-Person). Columbia’s Negotiation and Conflict Resolution program and Center for Justice will host a panel on the NYC Commission on Racial Equity’s upcoming study on reparations. Featuring Chair Linda Tigani, Emmy Award winner Tyrik Washington, human rights expert Eduardo González, and NECR director Dr. Peter Dixon, and moderated by NYC Chief Equity Officer Sideya Sherman, the discussion will explore how New Yorkers can shape a community-led roadmap for reconciliation, truth, and healing. Monday, October 27, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Register here. 
     

Campus Resources to Support You

  • Support the Food Pantry on Columbia Giving Day. Your support for the food pantry helps ensure every student has consistent access to nutritious meals and essential personal care items all year long. Together, we can fight campus hunger, one meal, one student, and one act of generosity at a time. Learn more.
  • Practice your Civic Duty by Registering to Vote! Make sure your voice is heard this election season and register to vote by Saturday, October 25. Getting involved in civic life, however you can, makes a difference in our shared community. Learn more. 

 

Wishing you all the best, 
University Life