To those who need to hear it: You are strong, you are capable, and you have power.

To anyone who needs to hear it: You’re not alone.

To anyone who needs to hear it: It’s okay to feel this way.

When I was five years old, I found a photo of my mother holding me as a baby while I was at school. I skipped my swimming practice that day, forgetting that my mother would be at her pottery class. I was in tears the entire time, looking for her in every room of our apartment in Hong Kong, believing she was hiding from me. I bawled until our helper had no choice but to call her back from her class, unable to calm my hysteric reaction to not being able to give her a hug. I don’t remember much after that, but when my mother tells me the story now, she says that when she finally got home, I clambered into her arms and refused to budge even to let her wash her hands. To this day, I still wonder what evoked that reaction from me at the sight of that photograph, and why I was calmed only in her arms. Perhaps it is simply because I had never imagined a world where my mother would not always be by my side. Maybe I just missed her.

With the adjustment to on-campus classes and activities comes uncertainty about the current COVID-19 rules and regulations. While the University continues to update its guidance as new data comes in, Spectrum has you covered with the most recent updates.

With Punxsutawney Phil predicting six more weeks of winter, the temperatures may be low enough that you’ll want to take your date inside. Combining the unpleasant temperatures with COVID-19 concerns and the city’s high prices, finding an affordable and warm date idea seems nearly impossible. However, if you’re worried that your Valentine’s Day might get a bit chilly, Spectrum has you covered with some warm date ideas across a variety of price ranges that’ll melt your partner’s heart.

This semester, with COVID-19 concerns in mind and a variety of hybrid and in-person class formats, professors have had to adjust how they administer examinations. Some have decided to continue assigning timed take-home exams, while others have resumed holding exams in person. No matter what you will be facing this finals season, as always, Spectrum has some tips to get you through it.

After months of waiting, Columbia students are finally able to explore holiday markets, watch Christmas-themed shows, and experience winter in the city. If you’re planning to stay in the city this winter break, or are simply looking for things to do between your finals, here are 22 winter experiences to check out before 2022.

Ever since daylight saving time ended last Sunday, your body clock has probably been slightly off. If you are wondering why, last weekend we officially made the shift from Eastern Daylight Time to Eastern Standard Time until March. If you are an international student, this change may affect the times that you communicate with family members back home, especially if their clocks have remained the same. If you are not familiar with the concept or just do notunderstand why the time shifts, here is an explanation.

With the temperature dropping significantly these past couple of weeks, you’ve probably already started worrying about the upcoming cold, hard winter. However, the effect of winter is not purely a physical one as it’s easy to be influenced by the early sunsets and colder temperatures too.