winter

Finals might be frightful, but the holidays in New York are delightful. The few weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break can be a stressful time for students. Between studying for finals, throwing the last events of the year for clubs, and packing up to go home, we tend to forget that December is also a really fun time of the year—especially in New York. So, if you have some time during reading week, or if you are planning to stay in the city over break, don’t miss out on these festive activities!

December is here, meaning that it’s time for holiday songs to replace your usual work playlist. With the thousands of songs available, there’s one for every emotion. Here’s a list of what to listen to to get you in each mood.

I am writing this in my dorm room, alone, on Thanksgiving. My Christmas Day will likely also look something like this. No, I won’t be seeing family or friends—I will be alone.

Though it might feel like school has just started, we’re rapidly approaching the end of the semester, and with it, plunging temperatures, snow, and strong winds characteristic of winter in the city. If you call a warmer climate home and this is your first NYC winter, don’t worry—we here at Spectrum have made a comprehensive guide on how to bundle up this winter.

Some people, especially in New York, spend a pretty penny on their clothes for many reasons: durability, fashion, or just to show that they can. Canada Goose jackets are certainly a status symbol more than a fashion statement. There’s nothing revolutionary about a bulky black parka. The only thing that visually distinguishes a Canada Goose jacket is the patch on the right arm with an image of the Arctic Circle—as if the hatless wearer were planning on visiting. But why do you need to advertise that you’re wearing a coat that would nearly cover the cost of one Columbia credit? Canada Goose jackets are an affront to good manners, sound judgment, and all attempts at environmentalism.

Every year when the temperatures start to dwindle, the leaves discard their beautiful spectrum of sunset shades, and the noise of chirping birds begins to fade, my heart sinks a little. But it’s the Sunday when I have to turn back my clock that I despise more than anything else.

2018 has been another thrilling, chaotic, and transformative year for many of us But no matter how your year has been, you deserve to end the year the way you want to! Of course, you’ve got the iconic countdown and ball drop in Times Square, but if you’re a city-dweller who’s not a fan of large crowds, Spectrum’s got you covered with some equally-as-exciting alternative events in NYC.

Need help dealing with Columbia’s cold campus? Feeling helpless in this harsh habitat? With precipitation prevailing and frost foreboding, Spectrum has you covered with the best ways to stay warm!

When the first snow layers onto Low Steps, and the vanilla chai tea bags you’ve been snatching from Ferris start piling up in your room, you know the holiday season has begun. Don’t use the cold as an excuse to stay huddled up in your room to work endlessly on papers and finals prep; instead, follow Spectrum’s guide on how to do winter here in the city—holiday market edition—for a good time in the winter wonderland of NYC.

I didn’t even know they were coming. Like the one freak sunny day in February, I stumbled into them by accident, completely unaware that other people had been anticipating them for weeks. I was sprawled in an armchair on the fifth floor of Wallach on a chilly Friday night, taking a study break with some friends, and turned my head fractionally to glimpse whatever everyone was cooing over on the cracked lounge TV. The sight of the eight-pack abdominal muscles of Pita Taufatofua hit me like a brick wall. They rippled and glistened in the subzero weather. A chorus of appreciative (and objectifying) murmurs went up from the people around me as the Tongan athlete swooped the opening ceremony flag from left to right.