Cheering on New York City Marathon runners, relaxing on the Jersey Shore, and wandering through various city streets—these were just a few things Spectator’s photographers were up to over fall break. Through the lenses of their cameras, take a closer look at what they captured on their days off.

Around 100 pro-Palestinian protesters held an “Emergency Rally” in the Lawrence A. Wien Reading Room in Butler Library on May 7, hanging a banner that read “Liberated Zone,” which resembled a banner hung during the April 2024 “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.”

A group of Jewish demonstrators chained themselves to the gate near St. Paul’s Chapel on Wednesday, calling for the University to “provide the name of the trustees who reported Mahmoud Khalil” to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

This spring break, Spectator staff photographers, like many other Columbia students, took a break from the office to explore—both throughout New York City and abroad. Despite being outside of their natural habitat, scurrying around campus taking stock pictures, they still produced amazing photos. See a collection of our photographers’ adventures over break.

Women’s basketball captured its first outright Ivy League championship in program history on Saturday, following two consecutive seasons ending in ties at the top of the conference.

Nearly four hours after pro-Palestinian protesters set up banners and flags in the lobby of the Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning and declared the building the “Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya Liberated Zone,” dozens of New York Police Department officers entered campus with helmets and zip ties, arresting nine protesters.

Always on the other side of the camera, you might wonder what a day in the life of a Spectator photographer looks like. Who are they? Do they only take stock images of Alma? Do they exist outside of Spec? Seven photographers take you behind the scenes and share what a typical week looks like, whether they are in or out of the office.