With spring classes coming to an end and final projects being turned in, students have more to look forward to besides their upcoming summer vacation: Manifest and Industry Night.

Columbia hosts many events throughout the year to help students gain exposure for their work and meet potential employers, but these end-of-the-year happenings surpass every other occasion, drawing in thousands of professionals, South Loop residents, parents, faculty and students.

Industry Night, which begins on May 11, is an exceptional opportunity for graduating students to network by handing out business cards and having professionals review portfolios. Because of Industry Night’s success, the event was extended to three days instead of two. This will allow for the schools to be divided up. The evenings will be less crowded and more organized.

Manifest will conclude the three-night long event on May 14. Manifest is a South Loop celebration where upperclassmen can showcase their exceptional portfolios and perform live on one of the many stages provided by Columbia.

Because there are various performances throughout the day, it’s difficult for visitors to see every showcase and some majors receive more attention than others due to their entertainment value.

It’s easy for some sections, such as the writing displays, to be overshadowed among the theater performances, live music and art presentations. However, to showcase any kind of work at an event like Manifest, is something to be proudly added on a résumé.

To make the writing presented at the event stand out against the other acts, students’ written work should also be featured on the Manifest Web site along with the videos and musical performances.

The Web site also offers an outlet for online student profiles to be posted who will be featured at Manifest, giving them even more exposure outside of the one-day event.

Because Manifest and Industry Night have become renowned events across the city, students should use these resources and become involved in the events for résumé and networking purposes.

The college works exceptionally hard to give students exposure and experience through events such as these, giving Columbia students an advantage over other surrounding art colleges.