Award Recognition
Senior Marshal
Jonas Du CC’25 is a student journalist and writer who has dedicated his time at Columbia to promoting free speech and campus discourse. During a period of great polarization for both Columbia and the nation, Du founded and served as the first editor-in-chief of the Columbia Sundial, a monthly magazine dedicated to spreading new ideas and encouraging dialogue on campus. Under his leadership, Sundial has grown from a staff of ten writers to a nationally recognized nonprofit publication of nearly fifty journalists, editors and photographers who are dedicated to breaking down echo chambers through intellectual conversation. Du’s writing has been featured in outlets such as USA Today, National Review, and The Free Press, and he has frequently appeared in the national media, including CNN, Fox News, and NewsNation, to discuss his journalism. After graduation, Du will cover politics and culture as a fellow at The Free Press.
To everyone who has ever disagreed with me but had the intellectual courage to still speak to me — thank you for making me a stronger thinker. To everyone who has ever picked up a copy of the Sundial — thank you for supporting the kind of discourse we so desperately need today. To my professors — thank you for teaching me how to think. And to my mother and father — thank you for always believing in me.