The conductor entered the stage, turning to an oboist for a tuning note. Once the tuning subsided, he composed himself and the room went silent. He lifted his arms, the ensemble took a collective breath, and on the downbeat, the tuba began to play.

Models wearing vibrant pieces that display cultural influences walk down the runway, performance groups move swiftly as one, and a poet captivates the audience under the spotlights of Roone Arledge Auditorium.

An array of colorful couches and lounge chairs provides a comfortable meeting space in the Sulzberger Lounge on the second floor of the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life. Photos of smiling students are hung along the walls and polaroid pictures are displayed near the kitchen of Kosher eatery Café Nana.

Vendors unloading bins of fresh rhubarb and spinach from their trucks, customers crowding around stands selling homemade bread and jam, sellers chatting with Columbia students about farming techniques and food sustainability—this is a typical day at the Columbia Greenmarket.