ROOTED (Respecting Ourselves & Others Through Empathy & Dialogue) is a group of trained facilitators dedicated to creating student-led spaces of solidarity, empathy and learning for members of the Columbia community to explore identity, power and privilege and how these forces impact experiences on campus and beyond.

We will be hosting three Dinner & Dialogue events in Spring 2023. Students of all identities and experiences are invited to participate in these powerful peer-facilitated conversations. Each conversation’s goal is to explore how power and privilege intersect with the topic; what participants can learn from hearing one another's experiences; and what can be collectively gained through recognizing our own power and social responsibility.

Questions? Email rooted@columbia.edu.

Upcoming Events

 Selling Out, Going Broke, Wasting Potential: Navigating Judgments About Majors and Careers (Thursday, October 26, 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Lerner Satow Room, 5th Floor)

 Affording the Future: The Unequal Financial Burdens of Students (Thursday, November 16, 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Lerner Satow Room, 5th Floor)

Deconstructing Desirability: A Dialogue About Perceived Worth (Thursday, December 7, 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Lerner Satow Room, 5th Floor)

Past Topics

Let’s Talk About Affirmative Action: Is it Here to Stay?

In this workshop, participants will learn about the history of affirmative action. Together, we will explore how different factors – including race, class, and merit – impact one’s access to selective colleges and universities. Lastly, we will discuss the impact of affirmative action on the Columbia community and the implications of its nullification.

Selling Out, Going Broke, Wasting Potential: Navigating Judgments About Majors and Careers 

This dialogue will invite students to examine their relationships to their own major and their peers’ majors through the lens of responsibility, values, and personal context.

All About Love: Care and Community at Columbia

In this dialogue, we will explore questions, like: How do social dynamics at Columbia make us feel about ourselves? Do you feel like you have community at Columbia? How do you care for others? How do you want others to care for you? What does love mean to you, particularly at Columbia?