In the silent morning hours of a bustling city, Alexandra Houx Grounds, GS ’22, finds peace and productivity in her Chelsea studio. Walls covered in clothing mock-ups, color samples, and a selection of aptly organized oil paints surround large, dynamic paintings boasting vibrance and emotion, awaiting their final installation.

A broom, a burning candle, and a saxophone. Seemingly mundane items are put to erotically ecstatic use against faceless sculptural figures, sparsely populating the all-consuming pallidity of the white cube.

In the middle of the gallery space, a poem by the artist divulges the intimate origin of the exhibition’s title:

As Columbia opens its gates to welcome first-year students on campus, many new creative students will be eager to join the bustling art scene and creative community here in Morningside Heights. Here’s a snapshot of three incoming first-year artists sharing their artistic practice and aspirations.

Located in a city full of seemingly endless artistic opportunities, Columbia lacked a space for students interested in exploring the circus arts. With significant circus experience under their belts upon coming to Columbia, Sam Landa, GS ’22, and Emma Owens, BC ’22, aimed to fill that gap. Three years and one pandemic later, the Columbia Circus Collective came to life in fall 2021.

Bright lights shifted from a vivid blue to a neon green as popular music remixes pulsated through students’ ears in Lerner Hall. Attendees eagerly moved throughout the building, exploring everything the night had to offer, from karaoke sing-offs to old-school arcade games to a photo booth.

After an entirely virtual academic year with no in-person performances, Columbia’s student dance groups are ready to take the stage. As they restart showcases, dance lessons, and video productions, as well as randomly approach people on campus, dancers are excited to be back in the same space as one another, with an audience to hype them up.

It is no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic has had large global implications, disproportionately affecting some communities due to a range of social, economic, and political factors. Female leaders like Prime minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand and Prime minister Erna Solberg of Norway are being praised for their immediate and effective response to the pandemic Yet the United States’ response is not being lauded for that same sense of urgency.

Amid COVID-19 restrictions and reopenings, the Metropolitan Museum of Art currently operates with limited capacity and recommends booking reservations before visiting. These protocols have also led to the reconceptualization of the museum’s internship programs. While the pandemic has made some internships entirely remote and other assignments within certain departments impossible due to their in-person nature, the Met has made immense strides in developing an inclusive internship program.

As a result of the ongoing pandemic, the entertainment industry was forced to shut down production almost entirely. While the theater industry remains essentially dormant, with in-person productions extremely limited, according to Ruthie Fierberg, BC ’10, film and television opportunities are starting to emerge with strict COVID-19 protocols in place.