Despite being a veritable household name, Zadie Smith’s at-ease presence transformed the Great Hall at Cooper Union into an intimate space. After an introduction from Columbia adjunct assistant professor Jared Jackson, the lights dimmed to midnight blue, with a spotlight on Smith and fellow author Yaa Gyasi, to discuss Smith’s new novel “The Fraud.”

With a neon yellow jacket and a warm, witty presence, Booker Prize-shortlisted translator Anton Hur regaled spectators with tales of his journey to translation enlightenment.

Dubbed a phone-addicted generation, it is easy to critique Generation Z’s social media usage as a superfluous distraction. But a growing number of Gen Z influencers are utilizing technology to attain financial freedom through brand deals. Behind many of these deals is JUV—a consulting firm created by Gen Z individuals to enhance marketing techniques and revamp the stale status quo.

From Rice-A-Roni to westernized chow mein, American culture has diluted ethnic foods from countries around the world, simplifying their origins in order to assimilate them into American culture. As the child of Bengali immigrants, Columbia creative writing professor Mayukh Sen is acutely aware of this. He seeks to spotlight those in the food world whom American culture has historically disregarded in his 2021 debut book “Tastemakers,” which profiles seven immigrant women and their impact on the food world.

Floating lilies, fantastical saturated compositions, and sprawling matchstick structures filled Wallach Art Gallery as the Sound and Visual Arts Class of 2022 MFA Thesis Exhibition commenced. Curated by Elisabeth Sherman, an assistant curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the quiet exhibit brought the work of 33 sound and visual artists to life with its expansive light and staggering city view.

Among a black Ferris Wheel constructed of interrogation tables and a green organic sculpture elevated on a pedestal, visitors crowd the Whitney’s vast gallery hall against the scenic backdrop of the Hudson River. Yet, inside the exhibition hall, incoherence and disorder cloud the Whitney Biennial’s commentary on the dynamic American art landscape. The chaos of the exhibit certainly encapsulates, intentionally or not, the eclectic and bizarre nature of contemporary America.

Chronically online with the attention span of a goldfish, or technologically-advanced multitaskers? While stereotypes of internet addiction and lack of social skills make it easy to disregard Generation Z, Riya Goel, BC ’25, seeks to reclaim these connotations and turn them into a source of power in her Amazon bestseller “The Gen-Z Book.”

Is’nana, the son of the African folklore trickster god, becomes the savior of humanity after mastering his powers under the guidance of his father; Harriet Tubman, the renowned pioneering abolitionist heroine, gains supernatural abilities as she liberates Black people from slavery while fighting demons and vampires. Drawing upon the rich history and folklore traditions of the African diaspora, new generations of Black comic book creators sculpt fascinating personalities with an aspiration for a brighter future. This year’s Black Comic Book Festival, hosted by the Schomburg Center, is filled with educational and empowering messages.