Athena-Film-Festival

Two children play by the hammock in the back of the hut, yelling and looking into the camera. Piti sits on the ground, preparing traditional cloth while recounting her struggles and successes. This Brazilian terrain has become her home. She reflects on how her life now is very different from her upbringing in a white Brazilian family, yet her attraction to this indigenous group and terrain led her to start her life anew.

In a few short weeks, in partnership with Women and Hollywood, the Athena Center for Leadership will host the 10th annual Athena Film Festival—an ambitious effort to address the underrepresentation of women in Hollywood, in front of and behind the camera. Films drive culture; they have an enormous impact on how we feel, think, and perceive the world around us—including who we see as leaders. If all we see are men, what does that tell us?

Origami cranes, a cappella and beatboxing, powerful performances: These are just a few of the artistic delights that greeted students in attendance at Columbia’s first International Human Rights Art Festival.

A woman with curly black hair stares intently at the viewer as fast jazz music plays in the background.

Film students on campus can have it a little rough. Standing out among similarly qualified students in Columbia’s film major sometimes requires production experience and money, and both of those things are hard to come by as a broke avant-garde wandering the streets of Morningside Heights. Not to fear, however, for Barnard has a film equipment rental department to address this exact problem, and it’s not just film majors that can take advantage of it—all students can.

The Athena Scholars Program might have been part of what drew you to Barnard in the first place, but how much do you know about actually becoming a Scholar? Spectrum’s got you covered with all of the information you need to know so you can make an informed decision of whether to apply.

It’s that time of year again. Bright-eyed first-years and exhausted seniors alike participate in the chaos that accompanies the first few weeks of class. There’s no escaping it—unless there is.

Summer break is almost here, and you’re bound to have a bunch of downtime in the next three months. While you might be doing an internship, taking summer courses at Columbia, or just spending time with friends and family, you should also take some time to relax.