It takes a hero to get through college, but even more to make a change in the world.

Happening in the World: Australia’s koala population is threatened as annual bushfires spread across the east coast, but some are doing what they can to save the marsupials. A recent video showed a woman charging into the flames, wrapping a smothered koala with her shirt and rushing to the nearby Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, where at least 31 other koalas have been brought in to be treated for burns and dehydration. (CBS)

Happening in the US: The picture book Prince & King, a story about a prince and knight who fall in love, was pulled from a public library in West Virginia at the wish of a local pastor, drawing widespread criticism from both the public and nonprofits like the National Coalition Against Censorship, the American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom, and West Virginia Library Association. In response, the library is set to hold a review today to decide whether they should bring the book back. (The Guardian)

Happening in New York: This week at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Columbia graduate Denise Murrell will be announced as the newly created full-time position of associate curator for 19th and 20th-century art. Dr. Murrell came into the public’s eye last year when she presented her show “Posing Modernity: The Black Model From Manet and Matisse to Today” at the Wallach Art Gallery at Columbia, receiving rave reviews for calling attention to the overlooked black figures in contemporary art. (NY Times)

Happening on Campus: Take a walk to Manhattanville for the tree lighting in front of Lenfest from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and enjoy some holiday treats provided by local vendors in the Forum. The legendary Annual Harlem Holiday Lights parade starts from 9 p.m. on 125th street, so check it out while you’re there! More information here.