The only thing that could have been better was watching the actual movie.

Bwoggers and Nick Young stans Elle Ferguson and Isabel Seplúveda attended the panel discussion “Crazy Rich Asians: Race, Representation, and Resistance?” The first event in the Transnational Asian-American Speaker Series, five super-star panelists discussed the positive and negative implications of the blockbuster rom-com and other popular Asian-American in American mainstream media.

For anyone living under a rock in 2018 (we don’t blame you), Crazy Rich Asians is a rom-com that premiered in the summer and was the first Hollywood film in over twenty years to star an all-Asian cast. It grossed like a billion dollars, and everyone should see it. It also sparked a conversation over the representation of Asian and Asian Americans in this cultural moment, along with Netflix’s adaptation of Jenny Han’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and sit-com Fresh Off the Boat entering its 5th season.

The panelists included Jeff Yang, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, David Hwang, Monique Truong, and James Schamus. The moderator was Denise Cruz, an associate professor of English at Columbia, who gave a brief introduction to the film be turning it over to the panelists to give their opening remarks.

Myuon-Ok Lee was the first to introduce herself. She commented on the considerable “cultural energy” among her fellow panelists and started her introduction by going back in time to the start of her career. In 1991, she and other Asian writers, “mostly medical schools drop-outs”, met together and found “a certain comfort in being together.” This inspired her to establish the Asian American Writers Workshop, a national not-for-profit arts organization devoted to the creating, publishing, developing and disseminating of creative writing by Asian Americans” according to the website. She spoke of the need to create spaces that aren’t exclusive only to Asian American, but where they feel comfortable expressing themselves creatively and highlighted the structural racism that can keep people from accessing creative fields.

Schamus, a filmmaker and professor in Columbia’s School of the Arts, came next, launching into a three-pronged introduction. Sensitive of his place as the only white man at the table, he noted that he would be steering clear of “ideology critique,” which often requires viewing media as a tool of oppression. He then went into an incredibly detailed description of a nightmare he’d had the previous night, about going to a theater to watch Crazy Rich Asians and instead viewing a spin-off by the name of “Crazy Rich Jews,” full of anti-Semitic stereotypes. His third point touched upon the absence of a paternal figure in Crazy Rich Asians, which strengthened the “insistence on the power of the matriarchal household.”

Truong, a novelist, noted “it [was] entirely unfair” for her to have to follow Schamus’s humorous stories and insightful analyses, but she offered plenty of insight herself. Truong celebrated the film as a watershed moment in American media but also criticized it for its narrow depiction of Singapore, which made it appear as the “Wakanda” of the Asian continent (one of many invocations of Black Panther that night). She also asserted her feelings that the movie was taken too seriously by some, saying she saw the movie as a “bowl of popcorn” while the media’s reaction made it seem like “like a beef dinner.” “It’s okay for it to be popcorn,” Truong noted at the end of her introduction.

It doesn’t mean we can’t learn from the popcorn though.

If you’re like me and need validation from the psychic unknown to feel like you’ve got a solid grip on your life, welcome. Midterms can be stressful, so here are some healing crystals that will positively change your experience as you go through hell week.

my babies

• Clear Quartz. Arguably the most reliable crystal, the clear quartz is dubbed as a “master healer,” good for storing and absorbing all kinds of energy, be it stress or not. It also assists in the retention of information and improves focus (to help you power through that all-nighter at Butler).
• Honey Calcite. This crystal enhances confidence and combats anxiety. Its calming effect helps stop you from overthinking all the work you haven’t done yet.
• Amethyst. The amethyst is a stress reliever, promoting strength and inner peace. It is associated with the crown chakra (located at the top of the head), promoting meditation and calm thoughts. It is truly the wholesome boi of the crystal world.
• Rose Quartz. If you’re a hopeless romantic struggling during this tough week, try a rose quartz. It is the love stone and the crystal of compassion, with healing properties that will help in your search for love this season. More importantly, the stone’s gentle energy lets you realize your own need for compassion, washing out toxic energies and emotions inside you (self-care is the best care amirite).
• Carnelian. This is one of the most powerful stones, promoting endurance, leadership, courage, and creativity. The carnelian allows its owner to take a look at life from a new perspective, channeling inventive energy perfect for a hot new take on that 8 paged lit paper.

Photo via Sam

when will he FUCKING LEAVE

Your roommate is having their boyfriend over, a perfectly innocent thing to do. However, there is a time limit on how long he can be in your room without it starting to irk you, and you’re just about getting to that point. Here are some of the ways you can send a subtle, yet impactful message that maybe it’s time to wrap it up.

• The classic: passive aggressive notes.
• Send them some tips on how to turkey drop like it’s hot.
• Make an effort to incorporate “I hate men” into every sentence you say around them.
• Every time he walks into the room, make a weird face and spray Febreeze in his direction.
• Move all of his stuff into the hallway.
• Tell your roommate you don’t like their boyfriend’s aura.
• Demand he bring you a gift every time he comes to the room.
• Pester him about his birthday so you can make his birth chart, then loudly announce that whatever he’s doing is because of the stars.
• Get a scary voodoo doll of him and stick more pins in it every time he is there.
• Call him, cry, tell him you’re in love with your roommate and having him around vexes you. (It works)
• Constantly shake burning sage in his face. (Note: Bwog does not endorse shaking burning things in people’s faces.)
• Interrupt everything they say to each other with “NOW KISS!!”
• Play “Kiss the girl” from The Little Mermaid loudly and on repeat.

Photo via Bwog Archives

Panelists at work

The Current U.S political climate is unusual, to say the least. Our country’s reactionary shift towards populism under Donald Trump calls into question national and international norms as they’ve been understood for the past several decades. Staff writer Sophie Murphy attended a panel hosted by The Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace (of the Columbia SIPA) of International Relations Scholars to discuss whether ‘The Liberal World Order’ is worth defending. Participating were Drs. Stuart Gottlieb, Robert Jervis, Rebecca Friedman Lissner, Jack Snyder, and Steven Wertheim. Moderating was Richard Betts, Director of the Saltzman Institute.

Perhaps fitting for the event I was about to attend, I bopped to Hamilton’s “What Comes Next?” on my way to the International Affairs building. The format of the event provided about a 5-10 minute speaking time for each panelist, with the remainder of the time dedicated to a Q&A session. To answer the question “Is the Liberal World Order Worth Defending?” we should define what exactly the Liberal World Order is. It refers to the international climate from post World War Two until the present. Key tenets include free trade and multilateral institutions such as the U.N that foster globalization and collective security. The West, particularly the United States, has been understood to be a powerful leader in this system, both economically and militarily. Each panelist was tasked with answering the question at hand.

Steven Wertheim, a visiting scholar at the Saltzman Institute, began by unequivocally saying the Liberal Order is not worth defending. However, as he continued his argument, his view became less drastic and more nuanced. Wertheim disputed the claim that Trump is destroying international liberalism as we know it. Says Wertheim, It is true that Trump’s and his supporters’ philosophies of unilateralism and protectionism have challenged the Liberal Order. However, American nativism long predates the 2016 election. Wertheim asserts that American problems with foreign policy that have existed since WWII are just being pushed to the forefront of the American consciousness by the Trump administration, and that it’s time to go in a new direction.

Rebecca Friedman Lissner, Assistant Professor of Security Studies at the U.S Naval War College, was the first of the panelists to support a “renovation” rather than abandonment of the Liberal World Order. She discussed the hegemony of the United States in the post-WWII world and how we have at times abused that power. The historically interventionist policies of the United States did a lot of good, along with plenty of bad. By and large, the dominance of democracy has offered stability to the world, but Lissner reminds us that this stability cannot last forever. U.S dominance is eroding with new powers catching up, particularly China. She insists that the Liberal World Order cannot continue as it is, rather it must update and adapt to the current international climate.

Stuart Gottlieb, Adjunct Professor of International Affairs, and Robert Jervis, Professor of International Politics, also conceded imperfections of The Liberal World Order, while still supporting its existence. Gottlieb draws a distinction between foreign policy following WWII and foreign policy in the 90s after the Cold War. He asserted that institutions such as the U.N, NATO, and W.T.O worked as they were supposed to for four decades. However, the George H.W Bush administration then went on to proliferate and overuse organizations such as NATO as a world police force in the 90s. Actions like this made people both in the U.S and abroad wary of U.S led multilateral institutions. Jervis agreed with the previous panelists, while further discussing Trump’s role in the problem. Jervis stated that Trump by no means started the debate over the Liberal Order’s role in today’s international climate, but he has certainly added fuel to the fire, which will not just go out when he leaves office.

Read more about the future of democracy as we know it after the jump!

Me trying to hear at GSSC with no mics

Are you ready to Give and Get?! GSSC lays down all details (seriously, every single one of them) about Giving Day, and Big Boy Bwogger Andrew Chee is here with the key facts for your morning read. GSSC meets every Tuesday night in the Jed Satow room in Lerner at 8:15 pm.

Despite some technical difficulties and a lack of a microphone, GSSC was fairly quick and straightforward last night as the council hyped everyone up for Giving Day today. If you are not already aware, Giving Day is an event in which alumni are encouraged to give back to the university financially, so that current and future students may continue to receive scholarships to assist their educational journey. In other words, Giving Day is pretty exciting since it directly impacts students! Dean Rosen-Metsch dropped by to remind people to show up at the GS Giving Day Celebration, which will occur today, Wednesday, October 24, at 6:30 pm. Dean Rosen-Metsch directly stressed that even if you are a student and/or not able to donate to Giving Day financially, it is imperative to show up anyway to meet the donors and bump up the atmosphere! Come out and show the alumni who they are giving to and why their support matters!

Additionally, for the first time, a $5000 gift was donated anonymously in which students are able to decide where they would like to see the funds allocated toward, provided that the community matches that amount. If you would like to support General Studies on Giving Day, you can donate all day right here. Lastly, Giving Day has an engagement challenge, and GSSC is asking everybody to show some social media love! Be sure to hashtag #ColumbiaGivingDay and #GSPride today, as well as tag Columbia GS in any posts you make today! The GS community has done well with social media engagement the past few years, and GSSC would like to see that streak continue, so make sure you bother all your friends and family about Giving Day today!

More fun GS events after the jump

bill nye? nope, just bill de blasio

Happening in the World: China now has the world’s largest sea-bridge, stretching 34 miles across the Pearl River Delta, connecting Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai. In total, the project cost about $20.7 billion and took 9 years to construct (NY Times).

Happening in the U.S.: The leaders of three San Francisco Bay Area dioceses were accused of covering up sexual abuse by 263 priests. While the names of these priests came from public documents, attorneys believe the bishops have hundreds of additional names of sexually abusive priests not released to the public (NBC News).

Happening in NYC: Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the city will provide unlimited sick leave to employees with 9/11 related health issues. This includes people who were at Ground Zero helping with rescue missions following the attack (abc7). Protestors are frustrated with de Blasio’s lack of urgency in implementing such a reform.

Happening on Campus: The SGA Food Advisory Board at Barnard is holding a focus group on food and dining from 6-8pm in the Diana Event Oval. The meeting will discuss Barnard’s controversial food service provider, Aramark, and the college’s renegotiation of its 10-year contract with the provider. Aramark is known to serve insufficient and unsanitary food to prisoners, among other prison abuses.

Word of the Day: Nefarious – wicked or criminal

Photo via Wikipedia Commons