No smoking? Please.

We all know the feeling. Before coming to college, we vowed we’d never touch a cigarette. But, of course, that’s total bullshit. We all break that vow sooner or later, and where you smoked your first cigarette at Columbia actually says a lot about you. Read on to reminisce and find out which stereotype you are. 

Outside Butler.

If you smoked your first Columbia cigarette outside Butler at 1 am, you definitely weren’t alone. You’re a high-strung academic who’s probably always on edge. You went outside to get some fresh air, ran into that cool French girl from your Lit Hum and her mysterious foreign friends, and they offered you a cigarette. You didn’t realize how much you needed one until that very moment.

Outside Carman. 

It was during NSOP. You and all your brand new BFF’s had just gotten back from a sweaty party at Ruggles, and in the midst of everyone trying to impress each other with their badass-ness, someone whipped out a pack of cigs. They offered you one, and since you wouldn’t dare risk losing even an inch of your cool factor at a time like this, you obliged. You’re a tad bit of a wannabe, but to be completely honest, who isn’t during NSOP. This awkward cigarette was a right of passage, and odds are you weren’t the only one in that crowd who was doing it for the exact same reasons.

Outside 1020. 

It was a breezy November night and you and your squad were posted up by the pool table in the back of the bar, chatting and mingling. You made eye contact with a sexy, scruffy grad student from afar and he comes over to talk to you. After 20 minutes of flirting with Mr. Dreamy, he whispered in your ear that he’s going outside to smoke and asked if you’d like to join. You nodded yes, grabbed your coat, shot your friends a wink, and followed him outside. You bummed a cigarette outside the front window and ended up leaving together. You’re a hopeless romantic who’d do anything to convince this guy that you’re actually a senior.

On the lawns on a beautiful day.

This one is actually quite wholesome. You and your friend were all sprawled out on a blanket enjoying the afternoon sun, passing around a hidden bottle of champagne you bought just for the hell of it. The lawns were packed and everyone is in high spirits. Your friend offered you a cigarette and you thought, ya know what? I’d actually love one. You leaned back, resting your head on your crumpled backpack, and puffed smoke up at the sun. You’re probably really artsy and kind. This would be the first of many cigarettes you’d enjoy in a setting like this.

On the stoop of a frat house.

You were roaringly drunk. You were dancing your ass off downstairs until your friend came over, grabbed your arm, and aggressively told you they needed some fresh air. The two of you went and sat outside on the front stoop and your friend immediately started bawling about some miniscule piece of drama that had occurred earlier in the night. They were chain smoking cigarettes, and in that moment, you desperately asked for one yourself. You needed something to bring you back down to earth in this messily overwhelming moment.

Image via ClipArt Fest

This past Wednesday, University Senator Sean Ryan, CC ’17, changed his Facebook profile picture to the publicity photo of an underclassman running for CCSC (see first image below). Although he changed his profile picture back, the initial change was a direct show of openly campaigning for a student running for student council. Campaigning by students who currently hold positions in student government is against the Columbia Elections Board rules, including Facebook endorsements. When prompted to clarify, CEB stated in an email that there had been an issue regarding endorsements by current council members during a recent GSSC election. A ruling was made then that no current sitting member of the council is allowed to endorse a candidate, the logic being it is impossible to separate the individual from the position. In order to prevent such an issue from occurring again, the same ruling will apply to CCSC elections. According to CEB, the only way for an individual sitting on the class council to endorse a candidate would be for that individual to resign from the council position first.

We have reached out to Sean Ryan and the CEB for comment, and will update this post as we get more developments.

Screenshot of Sean Ryan’s profile picture change taken on Thursday

Section of the CEB constitution on current council members and campaigning

Email response from CEB

Raw Elementz power stance

If you didn’t make it to last night’s Rawcus 360, you really missed out on a supremely lit evening. Although this was a one-off and one-of-a-kind performance, Bwog writer Gabrielle Kloppers is here to give you all the details.

On campus this week, you could not have missed the hype about Raw Elementz and Rawcus 360. Raw Elementz is probably one of Columbia’s most prized performance group, and their performances always bring out record-breaking crowds. Last night’s Rawcus 360 was no different. Raw Elementz is truly a unique group, which explains the extent of their appeal to the Columbia community. Although they call themselves a “hip-hop dance crew,” their signature style tends to go far beyond this, with members bringing intimate knowledge of other dance styles to freshen it up and lend them a distinct appeal to the audience. This was in full evidence last night, when Raw’s mastery set the crowd into a frenzy. Beyond Raw Elementz, Rawcus also featured performances by Voltage, Onyx, Venom, CU Generation, and Party//of//Two, an offshoot of Thou Shalt Not, who played Bacchanal this year as the student opener.

Whirling around like dervishes under the jump

And who will be next?

Yesterday, the Barnard Speaking Fellows Program held a debate as to whether the next president of Barnard should have corporate experience. Guest Writer Ufon Umanah writes of his experience at the debate.

A funny thing happened on the way to Barnard’s Speaking Fellows’s debate on whether former Barnard President Deborah Spar’s successor should have corporate experience. They couldn’t manage to find anyone passionate enough about Goldman Sachs and salmon pants to argue for corporate experience. This was remedied by having two speakers, Joanne Kim BC’18 and SGA’s Representative for Inclusion and Equity Hannah Seymour BC’17, switch sides to have a debate with Talisa Ramos BC’18 and Rosie Fatt BC’18. What follows is a summary of those arguments and whatever meaning that could be gleaned for Barnard’s future.

Lean into the Gray Pantsuits

There’s no problem with running a college like a corporation. Corporations may be unwieldy beasts, but that means people with corporate management experience know how to unite disparate interests, in our case administrators and various academic departments, for a common goal. Corporate types know how to foster communication within and between teams. They know how to maintain and attract clientele, in our case donors. This is why while many people, including your local socialists and members of SGA, are disturbed by this philosophy, the trustees subscribe to said philosophy the most.

What else did the debaters say?

Mess

Happening in the world: Yesterday, the U.S. dropped one of the most powerful bombs in its arsenal on a tunnel complex in Afghanistan. The number of casualties — both militant and civilian — remains unknown. (New York Times)

Happening in the B(ig)ap(ple): It has recently been announced that on Earth Day, April 22, a large chunk of Broadway (from Union to Times Square) and other streets will be blocked off from cars. (Gothamist)

Happening on campus: Beginning 1 pm in Low Plaza, EcoReps will be holding Greenfest to celebrate the environmental groups and initiatives on campus. There will be performances and free shit.

Overseen: See featured picture — a notice sent a week after elevator repairs began.

Impromptu meal of the day: Instant oatmeal with either peanut butter or protein powder mixed in it.

Image via tipster