Awards Season
The start of the spring semester always feels anticipatory. The anticipation of winter’s end and spring’s promise of our campus’s full blossoming. It is the time when we begin to take stock in what has preceded us and what lies ahead. The spring semester also signals the start of the awards season when we begin to look around and notice who’s doing the good work; who’s the shining example that we admire, appreciate and seek to emulate? In the culture at large we honor our stars with Globes, Oscars and Grammies. Here on campus our recognized students are awarded Crown Pins and are designated Horizon awardees, Leadership Legends at the annual Kings Crown Leadership Awards (KCLA) ceremony or are recipients of endowed awards or have the honor of being a Senior Marshal at Class Day.
As important and meaningful as these awards are, they are not necessarily the true aspiration of the recipients. Instead these acknowledgements are just the icing on the cake. CU students get involved out of passion, personal conviction and a desire to contribute meaningfully to this great institution. For the many who are awarded at these annual ceremonies – there are the legions among you whose praises may go unsung. Let us take a moment to notice and offer appreciation to those unsung “He”-roes and “She”-roes flying under the radar. Should someone come to mind – first, thank them for all that they do and then bring them forward so they, too, may be acknowledged.
Take a moment now and visit the nomination page: http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/awards You may nominate as many worthy students and organizations as you wish prior to the deadline of Thursday, March 1. We hope you do.
How to Best Engage in Our Community (becoming involved, but not too involved!)
The Columbia universe is a vast and evolving place - providing abundant opportunities for students to partake in its offerings, discover new pieces of one self and refine the talents which lie within. Ours is a dynamic, kaleidoscopic and polychromatic environment that I imagine no two people see in the same way. Yet somehow we create a real Columbia identity, and yes, even a Columbia community!
Being “in community” at Columbia means “engagement with it” – applying your attention to an area of interest, and contributing to the presence of that interest here in the environment, creating multiple, inter-related communities. Stepping back to view the big picture, these multiple, inter-related communities create a vibrant whole that really defines who we are as a campus. CU Students make things happen! They innovate, agitate and push us all forward through their myriad involvements.
As a student “in community” here we call on you to move from the sidelines into participation. While you are here and have the opportunities to do so, find and engage your passion. There are many campus offices that can be pertinent resources to help you do so. Particularly, the Office of Student Development and Activities (SDA)! When asked - “SDA?” “What does it do?” “What does SDA offer me?” I respond in earnest – “think about SDA as a portal through which you can fulfill an ambition, test out your interests, learn valuable lessons and gain experiences that can serve you throughout your life.” Recognizing that this may sound a bit “cheesy,” I nonetheless believe in what I am saying. In my decade here, I’ve seen the impact that co-curricular involvement has on a student’s life and how the experiences you are now collecting reverberate long after your time here. Whether it involves working with other members in your student groups to make something happen; or finding your voice through student government; or learning how to navigate our environment through the Emerging Leaders Program; or ushering in a new class of first years as a New Student Orientation Program Leader, or meeting new friends and exploring NYC together through an Urban NY excursion – awaiting you in SDA are numerous opportunities to learn about who you are and to demonstrate what matters to you. And if not in SDA, we can guide you to others areas that may better meet your needs. But you have to engage in these opportunities, otherwise you just may miss out on what could be a foundational experience of your lifetime. We are here when you are ready and look forward to meeting and working with you.
Our best wishes to you,
Robert Taylor
Executive Director
Office of Student Development and Activities
About Student Development and Activities (SDA)
Student Development and Activities (SDA) is committed to helping students enhance their leadership skills and to explore the co-curricular opportunities available at Columbia University. SDA forges a sense of community by providing opportunities for social interaction and student participation in community life and student governance. Whether you are looking for advisement with running your organization, planning an event, organizing your financial records, starting a student group, or if you just want to brainstorm, the SDA staff is here to support you.
We provide student organizations with invaluable resources. Advisers are available to assist in your development as a campus leader as well as to support student organizations in their particular objectives.
Additional programs sponsored by Student Development and Activities include the New Student Orientation Program, Columbia Outdoor Orientation Programs, Columbia Urban Experience, Urban New York, Live@Lerner and a variety of other campus events.
The Student Development and Activities staff, as well as the student groups across campus, are here to help you become a part of campus life. You can visit our office Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9:00AM and 5:00PM, to meet our staff and learn more about our student groups and programs.