
Vivian Richey
The graduate showcase is seen through the window of ShopColumbia at 619 S. Wabash Ave on Friday, May 16, 2025. The artist reception for the showcase will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Manifest kicked-off with student performances and exhibitions for the college’s annual arts festival.
The all-day event happens at the end of every spring semester and showcases graduating senior and graduate student work. It is open to all campus members, as well as their friends and families, to bring together a community that celebrates Columbia’s creativity.
Over 80 student-led events will take place across campus this year, including performances, exhibitions, club activations and an outdoor festival featuring various student groups.
Christopher Shaw, associate professor in the School of Design, stood in the lobby of 623 S. Wabash Ave. handing out wristbands to students and their families as they entered.
There will be several events in the building throughout the day including an interactive musical instrument display, a derby race hosted by the School of Visual Arts, an acoustic kitchen performance this evening and the fine art major exhibit titled “Aeipathy.”
Shaw said that as a person who sews a lot, he’s excited to review the work that students in the School of Fashion have done over the year.
“I always do really love seeing any of the performances, and I especially love going to the fashion exhibition, because I feel like that craftsmanship is really cool,” Shaw said.
Derick D. Jones Jr., an assistant professor in the School of Design and Manifest volunteer said that they’re excited to see the senior fashion show.
“I saw the junior fashion show the other week, and I was like, ‘Oh my God’ and then I have some students who’re actually doing the senior fashion show, so I’m very excited about that,” they said. “I’m excited just to see students perform.”
In the lobby of 618 S. Michigan Imani Wagner, a 2022 graduate and current admissions officer, was hosting financial planning appointments for admitted students going into the fall semester before heading over to the new student mixer in 754 S. Wabash beginning at 11 a.m.
“We’ve been kind of switching over to a new student information system for a few months now, so I’ve been kind of preparing for all of our financial aid planning appointments,” Wagner said. “We’ve created new worksheets that help students truly understand their financial aid offer letter, how to get into that new system, how to navigate, you know, transitioning from high school to college.”
Wagner said that she’s looking forward to the mixer for new students to get to know each other.
“We are going to have this opportunity for them to make friends before they even get on campus,” Wagner said. “That way they have the rest of the summer to kind of really establish those friendships.”
Copy edited by Matt Brady