Events Newsletter 2024-25

This Week at Columbia: Events & Opportunities 2/18 - 3/4

February 18, 2025
pink background with text that reads "university life events and opportunities"

Dear Students, 

We hope you can take advantage of some of the events and opportunities below.

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

  • Community Connections: BIPOC (In-Person). This event is designed to bring together BIPOC graduate students for a safe space to share experiences, build networks, and support one another. All students welcome. Light refreshments will be provided. This event is part of The Graduate Initiative for Inclusion and Engagement. Wednesday, February 19, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Black History Month (BHM) Game Lounge (In-Person). Join this annual celebration of Black-owned and community-favorite games! Enjoy an evening of trivia, board games, card games, great food, and even better vibes. Make new friends, share laughs, and create unforgettable memories. This event is part of The Graduate Initiative for Inclusion and Engagement. Thursday, February 20, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Register here.
  • CUMBE Dance & Fitness Workshop (In-Person). Get ready to move, sweat, and vibe! Join us for an electrifying dance and fitness workshop with CUMBE: Center for African and Diaspora Dance. This isn’t just a workout — it’s an experience. Expect high-energy moves, rhythmic beats, and a space to celebrate movement, culture, and community! Friday, February 21, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Virtual Office Hours w/CSSI Case Management and Student Support (Virtual). Do you have questions about on-campus services or need help identifying resources in the community? If so, join office hours for an opportunity to chat one-on-one with a member of CSSI's Case Management and Student Support team. 
    Friday, February 21, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Register here
  • Am I Alone or Lonely? Exploring Loneliness and its Impacts (In-Person). Loneliness is more than just a feeling – it can have a significant impact on both individual and population health. Dr. Weiyen Chung will help us unpack this national crisis, understand why we feel loneliness, explore why this matters, and give us tools to combat its impacts on ourselves and our community. Lunch will be provided. Monday, February 24, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Fair Play in the Classroom: Navigating Academic Integrity (In-Person). AI is reshaping higher education by making learning more efficient, personalized, and inclusive, but it also raises challenges related to ethics, data privacy, and the role of human educators. Join the CSSI team for the opportunity to win prizes by playing trivia to test your knowledge of academic-related policies at Columbia! Tuesday, February 25, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Register here.
  • Joyful Jots: Gratitude Journaling Workshop (In-Person and Virtual). Come by for a peaceful, grounding session designed to help you pause, reflect, and capture the little moments that bring you happiness and peace. Dr. Sophia Godkin, author of the best-selling, "The 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: Give Thanks, Practice Positivity, Find Joy," will share insights from her work. Please note: Five Minute Gratitude Journals will be available to the first 50 attendees. 

Wednesday, February 26, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Register here

  • Munch & Chat with CSSI (In-Person). Munch & Chat is a series of roundtable discussions with staff from the Center for Student Success and Intervention while munching on snacks! We will discuss the proper use of Artificial Intelligence and how to navigate conflicts you may experience on campus. Thursday, February 27, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Vibes on College Walk: Performer Application. The Campus Collaborative Fund (CCF) is excited to introduce the College Walk Live Music Series, which aims to turn College Walk into a vibrant performance space, bringing light and energy as we inch closer to the spring. Interested in performing? Apply by February 28!
  • Sacred Music Concerts (Hybrid). Join Religious Life’s free, weekly concert series in St. Paul’s Chapel. Learn more and register for an upcoming concert.
  • Yoga Class (In-Person). Take a break and relax with yoga in Earl Hall hosted by Religious Life. Please bring your own mat and arrive 10 minutes early to sign in and set up! Thursdays, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Learn more.

 

More Events and Opportunities Happening Around Campus

  • Audre Lorde Week: Free’d Between the Lines (In-Person). Join Multicultural Affairs for their annual celebration of Audre Lorde LS’60. This creative writing space will investigate Lorde’s work among others and will explore how we can use language to both interrogate our current reality while building bridges to a new one. Tuesday, February 18, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Self-Defense Class (In-Person). Public Safety and Shotokan Karate Club are teaming up to provide a free self-defense class. Learn about situational awareness, street smarts, commuter safety, and basic self-defense tactics. Tuesday, February 18, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Register here.
  • From Death Wishes to Disability Rights (In-Person). During World War II, Nazi policies targeted individuals with psychiatric illnesses and cognitive disabilities, leading to widespread atrocities that remained unacknowledged for decades. In this talk, historian Dagmar Herzog discusses her book The Question of Unworthy Life, exploring the origins of these policies, their lasting impact, and the urgent need to unlearn eugenic thinking today. Wednesday, February 19, 12:15 - 2:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Using AI to Improve the Information Environment (In-Person). Hear from Columbia AI scholars sharing new research on potential pro-social applications of AI tools, followed by an interview with Sayash Kapoor, co-author of AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference. Thursday, February 20, 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Register here.
  • Global Food Systems' Effect on Nutrition and Food Security (In-Person). This year’s theme for Grand Rounds on the Future of Public Health series is Urgent Care: Public Health and the World Today. This discussion on global food systems features Francesco Branca, MD, PhD, and is moderated by Jessica Fanzo, PhD. Thursday, February 20, 11:30 a.m. - 12:50 p.m. Register here.
  • Lunar New Year 2025 Celebration (In-Person). The CUIMC Asian and Pacific Islander ERG invites you to join a celebration of the Year of the Snake with a lion dance performance, interactive activities, and snacks! Thursday, February 20, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Register here.
  • Happy Birthday, Audre! An Open Mic Night Celebrating Lorde's Legacy (In-Person). Honoring Audre Lorde's belief in the power and necessity of poetry, Multicultural Affairs closes Audre Lorde Week with an open mic night. Share your work and support fellow creatives. Prizes will be awarded based on committee and audience choice. Friday, February 21, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Register here.
  • War Game: The Risks of Unrestrained Presidential Power (In-Person). Join the Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights for a screening of War Room followed by a discussion with Lipman Center director Robe Imbriano and filmmaker Tony Gerber. Monday, February 24, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. Register here.
  • Pop-Up Concerts: Wael Farouk (In-Person). Praised as a “formidable and magnificent pianist,” Egyptian-American pianist Wael Farouk is known for his groundbreaking performance projects. Farouk returns to Miller Theatre to share solo piano works by Bach, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Scarlatti, and more. Tuesday, February 25, 6:00 p.m. Register here.
  • The Naomi Prawer Kadar Lecture with Hannah Pollin-Galay (Virtual)
    Join the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies & The Naomi Foundation for the 2024-2025 Naomi Prawer Kadar Annual Memorial Lecture with Professor Hannah Pollin-Galay, Tel Aviv University; Yale University (2024-2025) for a talk titled “Turning Holocaust Slang into Art: Between K. Tzetnik and Chava Rosenfarb.”
    Monday, March 3, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. Register here
  • Columbia AI Summit (In-Person). The Columbia AI Summit spans our three Manhattan campuses, marking the formal kickoff of the Columbia AI initiative, a University-wide effort to advance the frontiers of AI to address pressing societal challenges. Learn from leading experts on the effects of AI on healthcare, business, public policy, engineering, the arts, and more. Tuesday, March 4, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Register here.

 

Take care,

Joseph Defraine Greenwell, Ed.D.
Senior Vice President for Student Affairs
University Life
Pronouns: He/Him/His

Ixchel Rosal
Senior Associate Vice President for Student Life
University Life
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers