It’s New Year’s Eve! But before you go popping the champagne corks, strap in for an announcement and a look back at the last semester of the Aughties/Naughties/Zeroes. First, starting tomorrow, former daily editor and current magazine senior editor Eliza Shapiro, CC ’12, will be taking over as Bwog editor; joining her as deputy will be three-semester (!) daily editing veteran Anish Bramhandkar, SEAS ’11. Once again, it’s been a privilege to edit this blog for y’all this past year – thank you.

- JCD

The year began with improvements: JJ’s got WiFi; the JSchool got shiny. Then 2013 took the 2 train too far uptown and taught us all a thing or two about forced friendship.

After the fresh-people were tucked in to their tiny Carman beds, the hot-button issue of the Fall semester exploded. As the leaves turned, Marky Mark stopped by Happy Hour at 1020. Plus: famous people hung out in Low; PrezBo looked funny. Westboro protested at JTS. The Columbia Bartending Agency re-opened and the War on Fun was pretty much unaffected.

During midterm season, the hot dog saga continued. Everyone went swine-crazy. The Community Food & Juice Inferno ’09 finally stopped raging, 6 months later, and we all guzzled $5 hot chocolates in celebration. Read more…

Dear readers,

With the end of the exam period and the holiday season, Bwog is officially moving into winter break mode. Stick around, though: we’ll be updating the blog, of course, and announcing next year’s editorial staff in a few days.

More importantly, we want to thank our readers for another successful semester. Students often complain that Columbia lacks a sense of community, but we hope that group events like the snowball fights and features like the staff profiles have given everyone a chance to get at least a little closer during the semester. And, at the very least, without all of you readers keeping us honest through your comments, Bwog would not be what it is today. Thanks again.

Sincerely,

James Downie, Bwog Editor, and the rest of the Bwog staff

‘Tis the commercial season, and the Bwog staff has its own list for the big man in the red suit.

In Dear Old Butler

A slightly warmer 209 and slightly cooler Butler everywhere else

Wifi faster than molasses on the 4th floor

A 1:1 ratio of Guys:Girls bathrooms

The return of free hot water in Blue Java

Opening of the tunnels for warmer and faster access to buildings (like Butler…)

More (leather) armchairs in libraries

Housekeeping

Fox Soccer Channel on Columbia’s cable system

A working dishwasher

Reversal of dorms’ anti-air conditioner unit policy

Renewed sense of decency that leads men to flush toilets regularly

That Housing lets me keep my dingle Read more…

It’s not too late to find a present for your pet—you can always give the gift of swine flu. (Daily News)

If you’re flying anywhere this Christmas, be sure to arrive at least an hour before departure, and you might want to bring elbow pads. (NY Times)

BlackBerries are working again, so exercise caution when texting under the influence of eggnog. (1010 WINS)

Because gifts can turn out to be defective or not at all what you were told you purchased, always keep the receipt. (Gothamist)

Oh, and God rest ye merry gentleman—may ye be on your way. (NY1)

Even if exams have otherwise prevented that most corporate of holidays from getting through, the rest of Morningside is getting into the decorating spirit. Here’s some of our favorites.

Snowman – Morningside drive

Bear and Reindeer – 115th and Broadway Read more…

Copenhagen summit. “The two-week summit is a solid indication of a world in dire need of courageous and imaginative leadership — and a case where President Obama failed to rise to the occasion.”

“>While holidays, exams, and snow are a-swirlin’, some Columbia professors are adding to their Google hit count.

• MEALAC’s Hamid Dabashi strays a little from his typical topics by writing about the Copenhagen summit. “The two-week summit is a solid indication of a world in dire need of courageous and imaginative leadership — and a case where President Obama failed to rise to the occasion.”
• Michael Studinger from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory was one of the leading scientists on a groundbreaking study of Antarctica’s Gamburtsev Mountains. Hey, if the BBC has an article, it must be worthwhile.
• The new director of the architecture school’s real estate development program has been named one of the New York Observer‘s “Insurgents of 2010.” Because when you think of insurgencies, you think real estate development.
• Joseph Stiglitz says the US will need a second stimulus when economic growth slows in the second half of 2010.

Wallach 6B sent us some pictures of the tapeart of one of their suitemates, Sophie Whitin, CC ’13.

One of her suitemates wrote, “Sophie’s from Providence where she’s seen a lot of artists do tape art. She wanted our suite to look more interesting + she didn’t want to start studying for finals + 4 hours and sore thumbs from tearing all the tape = what you see here.”

More pictures after the jump. Read more…

Good news for GOP, #1: Newly-revised numbers showed the economy only grew 2.2% from July to September. (Times)

Good news for GOP, #2: Rudy Giuliani is expected to announce today he will not run for Senate in 2010. (Post)

The president of Stevens Institute of Technology is under investigation for “plundering its endowment” and receiving illegal loans. (Times)

New crime scene tape being introduced by the NYPD is “meant to ward off curious onlookers, mostly other cops.” (Daily News)

It’s not surprising that JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark are madhouses; it’s a little more surprising that cops have already been called to quell “unruly crowds.” (Gothamist)

The new issue of The Current is out! A gander at some of the articles within:

What is TFA teaching its members?

Simon Schama on teaching, choosing topics, and the digital revolution.

Gays in the GOP: past, present, and future.

“How two of Israel’s leading diplomats emerged from a 1970s Jewish commune at Columbia University.”

One student’s time in the IDF.

Tipster extraordinaire Ron Gejman found some strange graffiti by the East Campus Guard post.

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As you may have seen on Ye Olde Facebook, a “Petition to Change Columbia University Winter Break Calendar” has received over 1800 signatures since being started a few days ago. At the same time, with the (at least temporary) death of Bored@Butler, some commenters have asked us for an open thread, if only for more efficient procrastination.

Unrelated? Maybe not entirely. Since most of our longer comment threads have already detoured at least once into Winter Break issues, and since the looming shutdown of Postcrypt showed that even administrators read Bwog comments now, we’ll try opening up the comments on this post to ask: how are you being affected by the late end of exams? How should students protest (if at all)? And what’s the best way to change the calendar that might save 2011, 2012, and future classes from this thoroughly unpopular situation? Fire away.

The Fed’s latest edition is online, just in time for more procrastination.

What Mall Santa’s really thinking about.

The Catholic Church flexes its takeover muscles.

A Christmas update from the WASPs.

An Iranian commentary on Hannukah.

Top 10 lists weren’t meta enough already.

For your viewing pleasure, video from last night’s snowball fight, courtesy of Danielle Noujaim:

In a party-line vote, Democrats broke a Republican filibuster to pass an overhaul of the health care system. (Times)

Actress Brittany Murphy died yesterday of “natural causes” at the age of 32. (Post)

A cool time-lapse video of the snowfall in Brooklyn. (Gothamist)

Off-duty Washington D.C. cop has his Hummer pelted by snowballs, decides to wave his gun around. As if the Hummer wasn’t overcompensation enough. (Daily News)

James Cameron’s Avatar opened to $73 million and $159 million at the domestic and the international box offices respectively, despite the blizzard hitting ticket sales hard. (Box Office Guru)

– Photo by HEH

As you choose your dining options tonight, French Fry bureau chief (and Philip J. Fry doppleganger) James Downie confirms that M2M’s fries have returned to their glorious tempura-based covering. Rejoice and be glad (and slightly larger around the waist)!