The Chinese Students Club (CSC) of Columbia University is a non-profit, student-run organization that promotes social, cultural, and political activities both on and off campus. We host various events and activities, ranging from social mixers to political forums, throughout the school year intended to promote awareness of Chinese culture at Columbia. All of our events are open to everyone; they are Chinese in theme, but not limited to Chinese in attendance.
CSC operates on a 3-tier system:
CSC's general body, or g-body, is the soul of each event. G-body members are people who we engage with on campus. For people who want to stay up-to-date with all the club's happenings and learn about related off-campus events, sign up for our mailing list here. There is no obligation to attend every event and there is no application process to join g-body. This year, our goal is to mobilize our g-body even more and make sure whatever commitment level you choose, we all feel a part of a tight-knit community.
Think of your Connect Family as a Chinese culturally-oriented friend group you will have throughout the
school year. Each family is around 5-6 people and is headed by 'parents,' usually two juniors or seniors at
Columbia, but are not necessarily a part of CSC's board. Anyone is welcomed to sign-up to be in a Connect
Family; the only requirements are a desire to meet new friends at Connect events and an interest in Chinese
culture. Families typically will meet together once a week (once a mutual time is decided) to do either
structured or unstructured activities, such as a virtual meal-time, movie-screening, or just enjoying each
other's company.
To join, you will need to fill out an interest form (to be released). No one will be turned away! Families
will then be formed by shared interests and commitments. Though your family is your main hub, there will be
opportunities to hangout with other families too!
Connect Families are organized by CSC's board but are considered separate from CSC's g-body and board
members.
CSC is completely student-run, meaning board members are responsible for every aspect of the club. For each of our main three events, work is divided up into subcommittees (e.g. logistics, food & culture). Members from different years will be spread amongst these committees, and you can expect to meet outside our weekly board meetings, to work on tasks alongside your team. Speaking from our experiences, we have found some of our closest friends through CSC, and we hope you do too. We encourage board members to attend bondings and form connections within and outside of the board. We want you to bring your interests, skills, and other affiliations to the table!
In previous years, CSC typically plans three main events (see here) as well as a diverse array of smaller events and collaborations. Our signature events are: Night Market, Taste of China, and Lunar Gala. Smaller events include: Bobagrams (our version of Candygrams!), dumpling study breaks, speed-friending, and movie-nights, and Chinese Conversation Club. You can also join a Connect Family and socialize on a weekly basis with others interested in CSC's mission.
As a board member, you would be working behind-the-scenes to bring your ideas to life. As a g-body member, you would receive the first word about opportunities to attend and participate in our events. However, you do not need to be a g-body member to attend any CSC event!
Due to the pandemic and capacity restrictions, our Board has decided that we will not be hosting our main three events this year (at least for the fall 2020 semester). Instead, we are planning to organize a larger number of smaller events geared towards our g-body and towards fostering community. These events will all be virtual; we hope to organize some hybrid events once it is safe to do so.
