Welcome to Columbia! Your first year here marks a new chapter—not just for you but for the University, as it seeks a fresh start after four years of unprecedented upheaval.

After months of escalating negotiations and years of on-campus antisemitism allegations, Columbia announced a $221 million settlement with President Donald Trump’s administration on July 23, 2025. The agreement, which many in the University community viewed as a concession, resumed the flow of federal funding that the government cut four months prior and settled investigations brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission into Columbia’s alleged civil rights violations.

Three months ago, when the University announced that it would break from tradition and relocate its Universitywide Commencement ceremony from the Morningside campus to Baker Athletics Complex, the senior class used its voice. Organizing meetings with senior administrators, members of the class of 2026 advocated for their peers and, before long, the decision was reversed. While seemingly insignificant among the long list of challenges the class of 2026 has faced—from the mass arrests of their classmates to heightened federal scrutiny on their community—their instinct to speak up in a moment of discontent reflects a skill they have developed over these last four years: adaptation.

This season, Columbia basketball once again finds itself at a pivotal moment. On the men’s side, change has taken center stage: With the hiring of new head coach Kevin Hovde, the program has entered a new era—one that is already showing promising results. Under Hovde’s leadership, the Lions have matched last season’s conference win total, signaling progress and renewed energy.

October is LGBTQ History Month, when we celebrate the legacy and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Columbians and West Harlemites throughout history. This special edition, written and produced by Spectator staff, seeks to highlight this history and explore the various ways in which Columbia, West Harlem, and Morningside Heights have long played host to LGBTQ history.

As alumni and parents flock to Morningside Heights for Homecoming, we’ve been reflecting on the past year of athletic accomplishments. In 2024, football reached new heights as the Lions topped the Ivy League table for the first time since 1961, while basketball, fencing, tennis, and others also had impressive seasons come winter and spring.