Just another crossed Columbia student.

Here we are again: you, Bwog, and a long break that separated us apart. With five days off for Thanksgiving, Bwog Staff made sure to have some fun, get into sticky situations, and do the most, per usual. Below are some highlights of our weekend, carefully curated just for you.

Bwog with Family and Friends:

• Had to explain the phrase “I’m back on my bullshit” to my grandma after I accidentally said it aloud while downloading the Animal Crossing app.
• Found out my parents got my younger brothers a car that they’ve all been keeping secret from me.
• Defended philosophy as a good use of ones time in college because what is a family gathering without someone questioning my liberal arts degree.
• Hung out more with my aunt’s dog more than I spoke with my brother.
•  Danced around the kitchen with my mom.
• Hooked up with my ex from high school.
• I tried to push my hair back when a boy was looking at me and I ended up almost throwing my laptop off my desk.
•  Met with a friend from high school primarily to see her dog which I have been missing for the past three months.
• Played some intense games of Uno with my family. Lost every time.
• Surprised my mom by visiting her at work and the first thing she said was “You look like a hooker.”
• Survived staying with my family for four days.
  • Did not survive staying with my family for four days.
• Threw a napkin at my father across the Thanksgiving dinner table when he started to bring up Trump’s new tax plan.

More Thanksgiving break stories found here.

Closes earlier than Cinderella’s curfew

After Bwog published a few joke posts about stacks sex, people being kicked out of the stacks, and stacks boner killers, Deputy Editor Youngweon did some actual investigation about why the stacks close at 11pm. She interviewed Francie Mrkich, Director of Access Services at Butler Library, and here are all the answers.

Many students want the stacks to stay open later; the library administration hears us, and they are working on it. The salutary neglect after 11 pm ended around last spring because that’s when the library hired a new overnight staffer, who is the lovely man in charge of patrolling the stacks and kicking everyone out. He is also the only full-time staff member (other than the security guard) working the misery-stricken night hours in Butler.

That leads to the reason that the stacks close at 11 pm; the main concern is student safety, Ms. Mrkich said. She noted that Butler is a big building, and the stacks are large and can be isolated, especially at night. As there are only the security guard and the one staff member working at night, the administration does not want to take risks regarding student safety, even though there has been no particular incident. As for the 6th floor, which also closes at 11 pm, an additional concern is that the research reading rooms on the floor hold some very rare and expensive books. Given Butler’s current staffing situation, the administration prefers to have those materials in a controlled environment overnight; that’s why parts of the floor remain closed after 11 pm even during reading weeks and finals, when some rooms on the floor have extended late-night hours.

The simple solution seems to be to hire more overnight staff (Columbia does have a $10 billion endowment, after all), and the library is working on it. According to Ms. Mrkich, there is an ongoing semester-long project to assess Butler’s nighttime usage. It’s easy to know how many people simply enter the building because everyone swipes in upon entry, but since we don’t swipe out, it’s difficult to know how many people are in Butler at any given moment. They are gathering that data manually; the overnight staffer goes around the building and counts the number of people in each room at 2 am, 4 am, and 6 am every night. This data will help the administration to look more broadly at the building space overall to evaluate students’ needs and respond accordingly. They are indeed looking at whether they can have another person working overnight.

In short, the administration is aware of the students’ desire to have the stacks and some other study spaces open later at night. Their primary concern is student safety (and the security of the library’s collections as well), and they are looking at ways to address student needs without compromising precautions for safety.

Stacks via Bwog Archives

Drinks are expensive. Which trust fund baby abandoned their full drink?

Happening Around the World: Syria has accused Russia of participating in air strikes that have left at least 53 civilians dead. Russia has been an important ally to Syrian president al-Assad and has previously been reprimanded for their role in the continuation of the Syrian crisis. (BBC)

Happening in the US: With accusations of sexual harassment spanning across both the Democratic and Republican parties, Congress has been scrutinized and pressured to take action on the rising issue of sexual harassment through legislation. With an increase in the number of victims speaking out and revealing their stories, responses from Congress have ranged from calls for those accused to resign from their positions to publicly renouncing those who have assaulted individuals. (Washington Post)

Happening in NYC: After a mere six months of being in service, five ferry boats have been docked due to officials finding holes in their infrastructures. Though they believe improperly installed cooling systems may have resulted in the development of holes, the true cause is unknown, prompting investigation in order to prevent future disasters from occurring on similar boats. (Pix11)

Happening on Campus: Still used to using Canvas instead of Courseworks? Attending “Course Management: Introduction to Courseworks” in Butler Library today from 12:00-1:15 PM in Room 204 may be the perfect event for you. This training session will focus primarily on the instructor portion of the website, but all are invited to attend and learn more about Courseworks!

Overseen on Campus: A full drink abandoned at 1020 (see image above).

Trust fund babies are wild via Bwog Staff

Ever since the daylight savings time change, the sun has decided to set its sorry ass at 4pm every damn day. By the time I get out of my CC seminar it’s already starting to get dark. What gives, sun? You used to be a source of such light and warmth. Now all you do is exacerbate my depression.

The sun setting this early has numerous detrimental effects on my wellbeing (and, given the dismal state of mental health on this campus, I’m guessing on that of my peers as well). First off, when I get back from my 4 to 6pm seminar and it’s already dark, finding the willpower to get up and leave my room again is achingly difficult. Dinner at John Jay? Sorry, gonna pass. I’d rather just eat the food in my room that I bought a few weeks ago and in no way constitutes an actual meal. Going to Butler? Hell no. I’m not about to brace the cold darkness of these New York City streets just to shatter my soul in the stacks.

Second, when it’s totally dark by 5pm, it makes 9pm feel like fucking midnight. By the time I get around to starting my homework it feels like bedtime. How am I supposed to have enough time to get all my work done if my body begins to shut down by 10 pm? My circadian rhythm is all fucked up. (And yes, I have one of those SAD lamps. It doesn’t do a damn thing.) Darkness also means no outside time. I feel unsafe running outside alone, I can’t sit and read outside after class. What’s a girl gotta do to get some goddamn fresh air around here?

It’s SAD season, bitches. For all my homies whose depression gets a thousand times worse during this dark time of year, you’re not alone. Stock up on snacks, sweaters, SSRIs, and weed because hibernation has begun.

Note: Bwog does not condone the use of ~illegal substances.~

Featured image via Nebraska apparently?