Events Newsletter 2025-26

This Week at Columbia: Events & Opportunities 11/11 - 11/20

November 11, 2025
Events & Opportunities on a pink background

Dear Students,

We hope you can take a break from studying and join us at some of the events below to unwind and connect with others.

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

  • Orientalism, Enlightenment, and Human Endarkenment (In-Person). Join us for a lecture exploring how Orientalism is not just prejudice of West against East, but also functions at a deep structural level and stems from an epistemology that constituted the Enlightenment itself. It argues that in all our systems of modern life, Orientalism is philosophically and materially anti-human. Wednesday, November 12, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Islamophobia and the Challenge of Inclusion (In-Person). These sessions will explore definitions of Islamophobia, its manifestations, and the distinctions between interpersonal and structural forms. Participants will come away with increased awareness and knowledge of Islamophobia and how to recognize it, and their role in creating an inclusive campus environment.
  • Leading and Engaging in Society – Creating Positive Change (In-Person). Reflect on your impact as a global citizen and an agent of positive social change in this workshop geared to help you strengthen your skills in empathy, collaboration, and community engagement.
  • Jewish Identity and Antisemitism (In-Person). Through interactive discussions and reflection, these workshops explore the roots and modern realities of Jewish identity and antisemitism. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of Jewish identity, practical tools for addressing antisemitism, and resources for continued learning.

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

  • 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. Today, November 11, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. Learn more.
  • Sacred Music Concerts (Hybrid). Religious Life is hosting sacred music concerts throughout the Fall semester. Find a moment for quiet reflection and beautiful music.
  • Community Connections: Celebrating the First Gen Graduate Experience (In-Person). Join the Graduate Initiative for a Wicked-themed Community Connections event centering the experiences and achievements of Columbia’s first-generation graduate students. Connect with your peers, swap stories, and celebrate your journey. All students are welcome to attend. Thursday, November 13, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. Register here.
  • 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. Thursday, November 13, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Register here.
  • Coffee Conversations 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. Friday, November 14, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Register here.
  • Get to Know Student Group Conduct & the SGARB Process! (Online). We’re excited to introduce a dedicated group committed to supporting and advancing the success of student organizations through education, collaboration, and compliance. This is your opportunity to get to know the team, learn about the resources available to student groups, and share your thoughts. Friday, November 14, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Office Hours w/ Case Management and Student Support (Online). Chat one-on-one with The Center for Student Success and Intervention (CSSI) to get connected to campus and community resources you need. Tuesday, November 18, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Grad Hangout: Friendsgiving (In-Person). Enjoy a Friendsgiving evening of delicious food and laughter, in partnership with the Black Student Union and the School of International and Public Affairs. Gather around the table with friends (old and new!) to celebrate the spirit of gratitude and community. All students are welcome to attend. Wednesday, November 19, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Low Lounge: Snowplace Like Low (In-Person). Celebrate the end of the fall semester at the 8th annual Low Lounge: Snowplace Like Low, co-sponsored by University Programs and Events and the International Students and Scholars Office. This festive event is the perfect way to unwind, enjoy treats, and soak up some seasonal cheer with friends. Tuesday, December 9, 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Learn more.
  • Calling all student singers! Religious Life is looking for singers to join the choir in the annual Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols at St. Paul’s Chapel. All singers are welcome to join this exciting service of traditional Christmas music and readings. Learn more.
  • CSSI Online Puzzle Search (Online). Explore the many resources and support services CSSI offers through a fun, interactive online scavenger hunt. Follow clues, uncover answers, and discover tools to help you thrive at Columbia, all while competing for prizes (perfect scores will receive a grand prize!). Monday, November 3 - Monday, November 17. Learn more.
  • Fill the Pantry Fridays at Community Impact. Help us keep every shelf stocked! Every Friday, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., the Community Impact Food Pantry is accepting donations to support our neighbors. If you’re able, please consider donating canned and dried goods to help make sure no one goes without. Learn more.

 

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.

  • The Listening Tables (In-Person). Connect with students, faculty, and staff at a Listening Table for open conversation, reflection, and a shared meal. Multiple sessions available.
  • Summer Government Internship Information Session (In-Person). The Office of Government and Community Affairs is hosting a session to help you learn about different internship opportunities for Summer 2026 in Washington, D.C., including opportunities provided by Congress, the White House, as well as state and local opportunities. Former interns and the Center for Career Education will be available to answer questions. Wednesday, November 12, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Identity & Inclusion: CU Safe Zone (In-Person). Join this training session aimed at providing foundational knowledge and helpful resources needed to support and act in solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities at Columbia University. Wednesday, November 12, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Crafts on The Corner: Sketch Sessions (In-Person). Take a creative break and head to the Lee C. Bollinger Forum and spend some time drawing the views and activities around Manhattanville, as seen from inside the Forum. All materials provided, and no previous experience required. All are welcome! Wednesday, November 12, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Sleep 101: Well-being Workshop (Online). Join Alice! Health Promotion for a workshop exploring strategies to help improve good sleep hygiene and to provide practices to overcome common barriers to sleep. Thursday, November 13, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud (In-Person). Attend a screening and discussion of the film Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud. Honoring the life of a journalist and filmmaker whose work spanned the Iraq War and the ongoing war in Ukraine, the screening will be followed by a conversation with Juan Arredondo and Lucy Westcott, moderated by Azmat Khan. Thursday, November 13, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Lunchtime with IRCPL: There is Too Much to Know! (In-Person). If you’re struggling with information overload, have lunch at Casa Hispánica with The Institute of Religion, Culture, & Public Life Director Seth Kimmel to talk about how readers and writers in the past have dealt with information overload, and to see what we might learn from their strategies today. Lunch is provided; all students are welcome. Monday, November 17, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Register here.
  • Free Self-Defense Class (In-Person). Brush up on your self-defense skills with CU Public Safety and the Columbia Shotokan Karate Club at the CUIMC campus. Participation is limited, and it is recommended that you wear comfortable and breathable clothing. Monday, November 17, at 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Register here.
  • Lights on the Plaza (In-Person). Head down to “The Plaza” for Columbia University’s annual Manhattanville winter tree lighting ceremony. Enjoy refreshments and live music with your neighbors before the lights countdown begins promptly at 5:30 p.m. Festive dress optional, but encouraged! Tuesday, November 18, 5:15 - 6:15 p.m. Register here.
  • Pop-Up Concert: Quince Ensemble (Online). Don't miss this free performance from Quince Ensemble, a deeply expressive and creative quartet, returning to Miller Theatre to perform works from their recent studio album, Dust Bowl, a personal project that weaves stories of their own family history into narratives about the 1930s American Dust Bowl. Tuesday, November 18, 6:00 p.m. Learn more. 
     

Campus Resources to Support You

  • Visit the Center for Veteran Transition and Integration. The Center for Veteran Transition and Integration (CVTI) offers a dedicated space and a range of programs to support student veterans and military-connected students as they move from service into academic life and beyond. CVTI, located in Kent Hall, invites all students to stop by Monday through Friday from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. for Community Hours, a relaxed and welcoming environment to meet, study, connect, and find peer support. Learn more.
  • Find Space for Reflection and Community with Religious Life. Religious Life welcomes students of all faiths and worldviews to a supportive, inclusive community where spiritual growth, reflection, and connection go hand in hand with academic life. Located in Earl Hall on the Morningside campus, Religious Life offers prayer and meditation spaces, interfaith programs, one-on-one guidance from religious-life advisers, and opportunities to join student groups across traditions. Learn more.


Wishing you all the best, 
University Life