At long last, Bwog brings you the feature you’ve all been waiting for (but like, really—we’ve kept you waiting since 2009): a close look at Columbia’s best and brightest PowerSuites. In its inaugural installment, PowerSuites visits the den of four very influential juniors, through the lens of Examiner Extraordinare Alex Eynon. Join Alex as she rifles through their lair, and asks some nosy questions along the way. And remember, as Abraham Lincoln once (kind of) said, “Nearly all [wo]men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a [wo]man’s character, give him [her] power.”
The ascent to Ruggles five—specifically to suite 520-523—is a steep one, and not just because of the dawdling elevator. Rather, it’s the lofty pursuits of the quartet of ladies that comprise said suite; together, they are one mean political machine, and are naught but a force to be reckoned with.
Janine Balekdjian, Rebecca Ehrhardt, Sarah Gitlin, and Debattama Sen (whose suite crest is a hybrid between the CU Dems Logo and an Occupy Wall Street Banner, I’m told) manage their time impressively, and are somehow able to juggle an ardent opposition of the patriarchy and the one percent with a penchant for coffee runs, parties, and plenty of late night conversation. Their greatest collective cause, they say, is the Feminist Mystique Magazine, a newly formed group for which most of the suite sits on the board.
The young women met via some hodgepodge of UWriting interactions and CU Dems meetings (three of the roommates are CU Dems members), and have since managed to coordinate their talents, interests, and styles of décor into one suite. They claim to all share housekeeping duties and cooking, and Bwog was asked to NOT refer to Janine as “the one who cleans,” so we won’t do that (nor will we refer to her as “the one with the dorkiest PJs”). Suite hobbies include coordinating events and registering voters at Occupy Wall Street—it comes as no surprise that the young women claim Rosie the Riveter as an unofficial mascot.
The only foreseeable problem amid all the activism? Finding time to plan Halloween costumes. Luckily, the suitemates already have a few ideas kicking around, including Sarah Palin, Electra, the USSR and possibly Portable Gulag, and something they describe only as, “Definitely Not A Watermelon.” Perhaps the girls’ hidden talents—Rebecca is a martial arts champion, and Janine hunts down Soviet propaganda posters—will come into play closer to the 31st.
Until then, we wish the women of Ruggles five the best of luck as they continue to balance political pursuits and party planning alike.
21 Comments
@Anonymous Tilting against the 1% from dorms endowed by the 1%, with tuitions paid for, partially or entirely, by the 1% (parents, scholarship or endowment donors), with a likely future of becoming the 1%.
@Republicans These cats ain’t got nothing on us. I think at the very best they could be considered Bonerkillers.
@jangofish LUVV YAAA <3333333
@Dems Member Janine and Sarah are two of the smartest people at Columbia. Seriously.
(I don’t know the other two girls, but I imagine they’re brilliant too!)
@FemDems Aka Bonerkillers
@FemDems When FemDems want, we can cause some killer boners…
Too bad you’ll never have a chance to find out!
@except seriously none of you are hot. sorry
@Real men like real women If you prefer sticking to your blowup doll, that’s entirely your call. These girls got it and know how to work it too.
@Dont you dare bring my blowup doll into this.
@Anonymous First of all, wrong. Second of all, you are the reason I hate my fellow students half the time. Fuckwad.
@Anonymous Sorry you feel the need to advertise the fact that you suffer from erectile dysfunction at the age of 20…. Good luck with that!
@Anonymous These girls are a ton of ridiculously awesome crammed into one suite and it’s so great to see them featured. Feminist Mystique FTW!
@Anonymous Not surprised in the least bit to see this particular group of ladies featured. I lived in the same LIO suite as Sarah her Freshman year and she is seriously one of the most hard working, well-traveled, determined people imaginable. You go girl.
@ruggles 4 ahh these girls are so cool!
@lulz > fighting the one percent
> students at Columbia University
> not sure if trolling or just stupid
@sad > fighting the one percent
> with ninety-nine percent
> still losing *facepalm
@Anonymous > fighting one percent
> aligned with one of two major political parties
> not sure if trolling or just stupid
@Anonymous An awesome group of people doing great things in the word and making the most of college life. :D
@fan janine is amazing!
@another fan Janine really IS amazing! Then again, so is Sarah!!
@DM Deb Sen! Way to strike that pose!