It’s easy to get caught up in the grind of grad school—endless deadlines, research setbacks, and, now, growing uncertainty around funding. It can feel isolating, even suffocating, like you’re in it alone. That’s exactly why the Graduate Student Executive Council (GSEC) at Weill Cornell has been prioritizing community-building events that bring students together.
As vice president of GSEC, I’ve been working to create opportunities that remind students they’re not navigating this journey alone. Living in NYC, we’re in a unique position to build a community that extends beyond the Tri-I. This was the motivation behind our first inter-graduate program event.
In June, Weill Cornell Graduate School and Columbia Engineering co-hosted a picnic event/softball game in Central Park. It was a beautiful day in the park, warm but not blistering hot, and the forecasted rain held off (at least until the last five minutes). I arrived early to set up, and students slowly trickled in. By the time the games started, we had almost 100 people.
The matches were more competitive (and fun) than expected, and the skill level varied from people who had never touched a softball to people with more than a decade of experience. But the best part wasn’t the game—it was connecting with other graduate students. Most of the attendees just came to hang out and relax, enjoy the weather, and spend a day mingling with other students instead of working. I got to meet so many people, including master’s students at Cornell who don’t often come out to events. People arrived in small groups, but it didn’t take long for those circles to blend. Even within Cornell, students who hadn’t met before were connecting—and that’s not even counting all the great conversations happening between Cornell and Columbia students. We had tons of drinks and food and the overall atmosphere was extremely positive. We even got a dog visitor who kept running onto the field and pausing the game but who was too cute to stay mad at.
In the end, Cornell came out on top (maybe because we actually have a softball team), even though our own GSEC president was playing for Columbia. But more importantly, it was a truly fun day that gave students a chance to relax and connect with a larger community of graduate students.
We’re already thinking about future events—not just with Columbia, but with other NYC schools as well. These won’t all be sports-related; some might be as simple as a happy hour or a casual meetup. Whatever the format, the goal is the same: creating spaces where we can connect, unwind, and support each other. I hope to see even more of you out there next time!
Photos by Alexander Walsh