As I see it, affection is practically invisible on this campus. Maybe it’s a New York thing. Or maybe it’s a generational thing—I have no clue. It absolutely doesn’t parade around in the open. Still, it’s there, and it fits into little interstices throughout the day: on a bench between classes, through small talk in passing, in dorm rooms, or on the job. On this campus—where it seems that people don’t have the time or expendable energy for extravagant gestures—love and affection come in short bursts: in moments that are indiscernible to most of us because they’re too short, too discreet, or too subtle.

Tania Maree Giordani, BC ’20, will be taking an academic leave next semester. In this installment of Spectrum’s “My Mental Health Story” series, Giordani explains how she decided to take time off for her mental health.

For our first My Mental Health Story, Gabe Garon, CC ’21, speaks about his transition to Columbia from a small high school in San Diego. In his story, Gabe explains how starting college caused some of his past struggles with anxiety and body image to resurface. He describes his hesitation to meet with a therapist—specifically, the folly of “my problems aren’t big enough for therapy”—and the stigma he has felt about reaching out to Counseling and Psychological Services.

You don’t need to be a bona fide chef to upgrade from your boxed mac ‘n’ cheese dinners.

In a protest organized by the Graduate Workers of Columbia against President Donald Trump's recent immigration ban, hundreds of students and faculty members assembled in front of Low Library to share personal testimonies and calls to action.

Last Saturday, we sent our photographers to document Columbia students and protesters at the Women's Marches on Washington, D.C. and New York. Over a hundred students attended the historic event, which drew nearly half a million people.