Undergraduate-Global-Engagement

Although approaching a professor can be intimidating at first, knowing the right thing to say can often help you get what you are looking for. There are many unwritten rules to writing an email, but maintaining a professional tone is one of the most essential. To get you started, Spectrum has outlined a few ways to approach your professors via email below.

During the infamous 1968 student protests, 1,000 protestors flooded Columbia’s campus, occupied five buildings, and were part of one of the largest mass arrests in New York City history. Over 50 years later, however, modern student activism rarely seems to rally the same momentum it drew in past generations.

With most classes and club meetings being held according to Columbia’s East Coast time zone, international students have been left to study or find community during the wee hours of the night. Most first-years and transfers haven’t even had the opportunity to explore campus or experience college life in daylight.

This semester, with students away from campus due to COVID-19 health and safety restrictions, many are no longer able to access Columbia’s libraries and other resources in person. In response, the University has made plans to accommodate international students through its Columbia Global Centers—traditionally international research outposts—which now provide an option for students who need a safe, communal working space outside of their homes.

Columbia Int Fic has found a solution to the isolation of social distancing—specifically, through an art form called interactive fiction. Ideal for an online format, interactive fiction allows readers to engage with stories by making decisions for the protagonist, similar to “choose your own adventure” books.

This semester, there have been three reports of swastikas being painted on the 16th floor of East Campus. This is the same floor on which Chinese students’ name tags were burned in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

A doctor receives a call in his car. He picks up his phone and hears a shy, young voice inquiring about the age at which you can get gender reassignment surgery. The doctor replies that in New York City, you have to be 18 years old. The young voice belongs to a 14-year-old.

The registration period for classes begins next week. For those of you keen on finishing up the Core, you might be interested in taking a Global Core class or two next semester. Here’s our list of five interesting Global Core classes you should consider taking in the spring!

I brace myself for rejections, and I brace myself for the success of others.