Columbia Urban Experience

Columbia Urban Experience (CUE) is a pre-orientation program for incoming freshman. Participants spend the week before orientation doing community service work in different locations around New York City. Previous years have volunteered at organizations such as Women In Need (WIN), West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc (WEACT), and The New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH).

Before the program, participants are asked to read a collection of articles about the challenges and benefits involved with service. These ideas become the backbone for nightly small-group dinner discussions led by CUE leaders.

Every night, participants are led on "nightime activities" to introduce them to the various wonders of New York City. Past activities have included A New York Yankees game, a poetry reading at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, and several visits to food eateries.

Participants commonly refer to themselves as "cuers" and will often reference their "cue families." Cue love is one of the most powerful forces on earth. seriously.

CUE was founded by Eric Garcetti CC'92, now Mayor of Los Angeles.

Love, like string on wrists,
soft embrace that reminds-- I
will remember CUE.

How to apply to be a CUE leader

"The most important step is to participate in the awesome, life changing program that is Columbia Urban Experience. If one is prefrosh, apply right now so you don't miss out. If one is already colleging, you cannot apply to be a CUE leader (sorry); we are an internal organization who only provides one chance for Columbians to join our elitist, love filled, service oriented cult. Only those within the chosen are worthy enough to even apply to lead the sacred CUE'ers. We are perpetually amongst. Look around you, there are blue bracelets everywhere"