Need a car or van for a few hours, but don’t want to pay the outrageous cost of a full-day Manhattan-priced rental?


Did you know that Zipcar offers a significant discount to members of the Columbia community? (more…)

Looking for props for your film shoot or theatre production?  Do you need some materials for your visual arts project?  Materials for the Arts (MFTA), part of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, provides a vast warehouse full of free materials for use in your project, provided you meet their qualifications and follow their instructions carefully.

The Film, Theatre Arts and Visual Arts Divisions of the SoA are each independent members of MFTA and can provide you with the appropriate documentation you need to pick up your free items.  An appointment, made by your Division, is required and you are limited as to how many people you can take with you.  You must also be in possession of a letter, on Columbia letterhead, signed by the appropriate contact in your Division, in order to gain entry during your set appointment time. You are also required to write a thank you letter.  Transportation is your responsibility (Hey…what a perfect time to use your new Zipcar membership!)

For a complete listing of their requirements, their hours and their location, visit their web site at: http://www.mfta.org/recipients.html (more…)

From personal works to assignments to scholarship & grant applications, artists write.   Sometimes, it’s helpful to have another set of eyes to help copy-edit and review what you’ve written.

Did you know that Columbia University offers a free-to-students center for just such a purpose?  The Columbia University Writing Center, part of the Undergraduate Writing Program (UWP), is designed to help students develop their writing, from nearly-completed works to works-in progress to scholarship and grant applications.

The Writing Center
310 Philosophy Hall
212-854-3886
writingcenter@columbia.edu     (more…)

Sometimes, as artists, it’s easy for us to get "stuck in our heads."   With the end of the semester a few short weeks away, this tends to be the time of year when academic pressures begin to increase slightly in intensity.  This can result in frustrating, but normal & temporary artistic blockages.  Guess what?  This makes taking breaks from your work more important, not less. 

Julia Cameron, in her popular book The Artist’s Way*, discusses the importance of "filling the bowl" from time to time.  Sometimes, even a simple walk around the block or a subway ride to an unfamiliar neighborhood can help cure what’s ailing you (personally, I love Jackson Heights in Queens).  At other times, you may need to get away for a slightly longer period and experience the world outside of Dodge Hall. Hence we offer today’s Blue Plate Special:  "MTA One-Day Getaways" (more…)

What is CenCom?  CenCom (aka "The Center for Communicaion") is one of most important free resources available to students in NYC.   In addition to its many functions, CenCom provides free seminars to students that range from an insider’s view of Mirimax Studios to "An Evening with Brian Williams of NBC news" to "The Importance of Being Funny" to pitching your idea to cable television.  Again, these seminars are FREE to students.
In addition, the CenCom website contains a fairly vast listing of media-related jobs & careers. (more…)

J&R is offering Columbia University employees and students the same corporate pricing and buying power afforded the University. You may buy from J&R at the same prices the University receives. (more…)

See Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway and live music shows for a fraction of the price! Theatermania offers Columbia students,  faculty and staff their best discount.   Pay the yearly membership (discounted 40%!) then see shows for as little as $4.50 per ticket.

See an entire year’s worth of theater for just $59! (more…)

Need a car or van for a few hours, but don’t want to pay the outrageous cost of a full-day Manhattan-priced rental?


Did you know that Zipcar offers a significant discount to members of the Columbia community? (more…)

Note: We are pleased to present the first of what we will be calling "Blue Plate Specials." These postings will be listed only on this site and will not be e-mailed, so check back regularly. Blue Plate Specials are sizzling hot tips regarding discounts, special offers, free performances, screenings, etc. available to SoA students.

Today’s BPS:

Did you know that your validated Columbia Student ID Card entitles you to FREE admission to 27 different New York museums, including the Met, MoMA, the Studio Museum of Harlem and the Brooklyn Museum? (more…)