The room was quiet as I settled into the slouchiness of the couch a few minutes before 9 a.m. on an August morning. I was used to the clamor of the office on production nights, but it had been over a year since one had been hosted in person at Riverside Church. Now, Spectator’s office was a snapshot of pre-pandemic life, untouched by time. Volumes of past editions were stacked haphazardly throughout the room. Half-broken chairs littered the space, and the cabinets overflowed with years of books and party supplies. In the massive exodus from the city in spring 2020, staffers had used the office to store belongings. A friend and I had packed up our bedding, dishware, and other large items and left them here, too. When I returned to claim them, it all came rushing back—the foggy uncertainty regarding what was to come, and how it had felt to weigh what to save and what to leave behind.

Between being sent home as a pandemic unfolded just before 2020 Nationals and now, Columbia’s fencing team has grown by about 55 percent, from 35 fencers to 54. The additional athletes mean extra shifting in the roster—and extra support in the gym, which was impactful on Nov. 19 as the Lions cruised to victories over Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University at the Columbia Invitational. With these wins, the Light Blue extends its unblemished record to 21-0 this season.

After his retirement from Columbia’s sports information desk in 2010, Bill Steinman was given the distinction of Athletics Historian Emeritus. It was not his only title, though. For those who knew Steinman, words like mentor, friend, and walking encyclopedia all rose to the top of the list.

They carried the flags of their countries; they took center stage on international television; they jumped, raced, fenced, twirled, rowed, and skated in pursuit of gold medals. Here’s how 12 Columbia Lions performed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Although the Olympics started on July 23 and some Lions have already started competing, there are plenty more chances to watch alumni and current students go for gold. Below, we created a schedule so you do not miss the chance to see Columbia athletes in action. All times are in Eastern Standard Time, and the Olympics are aired on NBC.

The Tokyo Olympics kick off today after a yearlong delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the over 11,000 athletes competing in this year’s Games are 13 Columbia athletes who will compete for seven countries in eight sports.

Mike Smith, CC ’20, a former star for the Lions who transferred to the University of Michigan last year, has announced that he will enter the NBA Draft. Smith was a key contributor to the Wolverines, who earned a spot in the Elite Eight in the NCAA March Madness tournament this year before being knocked out by UCLA.

Two days after winning a national championship in épée, Anne Cebula, BC ’20, went to the sports medicine room on campus to ask for ibuprofen.

The Ivy League Presidents voted in favor of canceling conference play for spring sports on Thursday, ending speculation that spring competition might resume. The conference previously delayed the start of spring sports until at least the end of February in a directive that canceled winter athletics.