How much are you willing to pay for these?

It’s not news to anyone that textbooks are ridiculously expensive – a beginning-of-the-semester trip to the Columbia Bookstore can cost as much as a bulk shopping trip to Costco, and that’s just criminal. In order to help you pinch some pennies this fall, editor Betsy Ladyzhets has compiled a list of places where you can buy or rent books for relatively reasonable prices.

1. CLIO: The Columbia library has a vast amount of resources, including many textbooks – both physical copies and PDFs. Search for all of your books on CLIO before you go literally anywhere else. And even if all the physical copies of your desired book have been checked out for the semester, there are likely some extra copies on reserve; if you know you’re only going to need the book a few times for problem sets or right before midterms, you should consider relying on those rather than buying the full book.

2. PDF searches: Another first step before you set out to pay for books is a PDF search. Literally all you need to do is Google “[your textbook title here] pdf” and look through the results. However, before you decide a pdf you found from some marginally-sketchy site is your book for the semester, you should cross-reference a few pages with a physical copy (from the bookstore or library reserves), in order to ensure it’s the real deal. (And then, after you’ve checked, send it to all your friends in the class.)

3. The Strand: NYC’s oldest and most famous bookstore boasts that it’s home to 18 miles of books; there’s a good chance you can find at least one you need, probably used or at a lower price than what you’d get at Book Culture. It might be good to check the store’s online database before you make the trek down to the East Village, though. (This one is likely more useful for humanities classes requiring fiction or essays.)

More options after the jump!

We wish all books had illustrations

It takes a lot of nerve to write in the Bible, the most commented-on book of all time. It takes even more nerve to write in a Butler Stacks copy of a book that doesn’t belong to you. Head the Stacks 8, and you’ll find books defiled by the ballsiest students on campus. In Butler’s dozens of copies of the Good Book (English and otherwise), decades of students have left their marks, undoubtedly thanks to Lit Hum and CC. Check out some of the most memorable marginal markings below.

Good Student, Bad Student

A well-preserved study guide (click to enlarge)

Some students put more work into the Bible than others. Maybe they’re very religious and fancy themselves a savior of the class, or maybe they’ve yet to become entirely jaded thanks to Columbia. Whatever the reason, a few very good students have trudged through Stacks copies of the Holy Book. Some students use blank pages to make study guides pointing them to important chapters (ButlStax BS 185 1997 .O94 1997, left). Honestly, this one is pretty hard to understand, but it must have really helped at the time.

Others go even further above and beyond the call of duty. Someone took a Bible and put annotations at the bottom of nearly every page all the way from Genesis to Ezra! If you’re having a hard time getting the gist of each verse, consider picking up the New English Bible (ButlStax BS 192 .A1 1970 N42).

Others, however, are definitely not so astute. If you look closely at these two images, you can actually see the very moment at the bottom of the third page of Job when the student falls asleep (ButlStax BS 191 .A1 1982 P5).

Pay Attention, Class!

The bible is basically just a calendar, right?

“Noah and God sitting in a tree! P-R-A-Y-I-N-G!”

It’s important to remember that all reading, even of the Bible, happens in context. For some people, that context is a busy social life. Sure, you need to read the book of Ezra, but you also have a date at Dig Inn! (ButlStax BS191 .A1 1994 .N38). And also, you’ve got to return that lightbulb on the warranty. That’s $3 that won’t go to waste!

Alternatively, a romantic life might inform your bible reading. Just as a middle schooler might let everyone know that Travis has a thing for Meghan, one Lit Hum reader wanted everyone to know how Noah really felt about the big guy upstairs.

Illustrated Copies

1584 was a simpler time for breasts

The neat thing about the Bible is that people care so much about it. As such, many copies feature elaborate illustration and illumination. At the top of the article is a Middle English 1560 copy (1969 facsimile) of the Geneva Bible’s Exodus scene (ButlStax BS 170 1560a). This is, by far, the oldest copy, facsimile or otherwise, I’ve come across in Butler. Coming in at a close second is the Dalmatin Bible, a 1584 translation into Slovene (ButlStax BS 296 1584). If you love huge books with page-wide illuminations, this is the copy for you. If you love English… maybe it’s not your copy. But check out those lovely pictures.

Finally, I leave you with this, also from the Dalmatin Bible. Feel free to use this as a reaction image for your favorite artist’s next single.

AN EXCELLENT SONG

We see you, haters.

Welcome to our first Bwog Video! Brought to you by Camille Ramos (’20), we plan on continuing to deliver relatable, interesting content to Columbia through yet another form of multimedia. We’re pioneering our new platform with a video of y’all telling us why you hate our site. Come to our first meeting this Sunday in Lerner 510 at 9pm to find out how to get in on the fun ;)

Email tips@bwog.com why you hate Bwog for a chance to be on Bwog~~~

The only table worth going to is ours tbh.

Things you won’t regret doing:

1. Dropping that insanely hard CS class that you thought you should take to “challenge yourself.”
2. Staring at your phone to avoid eye contact with your ex that you thought graduated last year.
3. Getting drunk as hell tonight because you made it through the first week!

Things you will regret doing:

1. Wearing pants and a sweatshirt on a warm day.
2. Giving Hewitt another chance: that shit won’t ever get better.
3. Not joining Bwog.

We get it: the activities fair is probably going to be just as unbearable as last year. With hundreds of people desperately trying to squeeze themselves between club tables, you’re going to sweat your ass off trying to find some clubs that are somewhat interesting. Why not save some time by coming to our table or just sending in a Staff Writer application?

As a Staff Writer, you’ll be generating content for our site by creating write ups of events and pitching ideas at our weekly meetings. Bwog has everything: creative people, great content, and some pretty great DWBs. If you’re a first year just trying to ~find yourself~ or even a senior that’s just squeezing out the remaining creativity you have before real adulting starts, then give Bwog a try.

Email applications to editor@bwog.com by Friday, September 15 at 11:59 pm.

The Application

About Bwog:

Tell us about one Bwog post you liked, one post you didn’t like, and why for both.
What is your favorite tag?
Come up with three sample post ideas that you would like to see on Bwog.
Draw Bwog.

About you:

Why do you want to join Bwog?
What do you think Bwog is?
You’re taking Bwog out on a date! What would you do? Where would you go?
What about Columbia might you be interested in writing about?
Send us a screenshot or list of the bookmarked Favorites on your browser.
Do you have prior experience writing or editing for a publication? If yes, describe this experience.

Image via Bwog

When your professor goes straight into lecture after giving out the syllabus…

Happening in the world: Protests have erupted in cities all over Togo, as thousands of people took their discontent with President Faure Gnassingbe to the streets. President Gnassingbe has held the position for 50 years, and the current opposition is demanding changes to the constitution, specifically the voting system currently in place. (Al Jazeera)

Happening in the nation: Hurricane Irma is projected to be one of the most destructive hurricanes in history. The Caribbean Islands have been hit with over 185 mph winds, and it appears that Florida will experience similar Category 5 hurricane conditions. (New York Times)

Happening in NYC: NYC public schools will now offer free lunch to every student. As 75% of students appeared to qualify for free lunch in the past year, the city took initiative to grant both free breakfast and lunch to all students. (ABC7NY)

Happening on campus: There will be an outdoor film screening of a French film, The Wild Child at Low Plaza from 7:30-10pm!

Overseen: Seriously, where did the bananas go…again…

Images via Flickr and Bwogger Rachel Deal