David Fine

Here we have one of Bwog’s favorite green sock wearers: David Fine.

Name, Hometown, School: David Fine, Dallas, TX, CC

Claim to fame? Editor of The Current, wearer of green socks, SGB chair.

Where are you going? Working in New York, occasionally reliving the glory days with fellow CU alumni on Low Steps heckling current students.

Three things you learned at Columbia:

1. Everyone talks about a triangle with work, sleep, and socializing at each corner, saying you need to pick two points to succeed. That is the biggest load of codswallop you’ll hear here (and there’s certainly a lot of codswallop floating around, least of which is my own). Don’t make charts for how you should live your life. Instead, figure out what balance works for you and stick with it. When it stops working for you, change it—even in the same day, even in the same hour! The stuff that we call socializing here should enhance every other aspect of your time at Columbia, especially academics. In sum: fret less about how you should do Columbia, and just do it.
2. All is fair in love and war (with administrators) and finding open booths at 1020. It’s the last that you truly must perfect if you’re to have any success at all. Here’s a good story that explains all three. I love Barnard, I think it’s the best. When last semester Barnard Student Life imposed a pre-approval on student fliers, as SGB chair I knew it was my job to help fix something I love. I sat down with a Barnard administrator for over an hour trying to explain that this policy was bad and that they wouldn’t win a fight with SGB or other student groups over this. As the meeting was winding down, the administrator sincerely looked me in the eye and pleaded, “I hope I could’ve said something in this meeting that would avoid you opposing us on this.” I said something like, “suspend the policy immediately and work with us on creating a new one.” The administrator deadpanned, “we won’t do that.” We both looked at each other and kind of shrugged, shook hands, and went our separate ways. It was basically a declaration of war. Less than a week after that meeting Barnard had repealed the policy. So, if you’re keeping track, I’ve got love (for Barnard) and war (with administrators), what does this have to do with 1020 booths? The first rule of securing 1020 booths is that when you jump into a just emptied booth, you must stare down any would-be booth thieves without blinking. You must be vigilant and you must be steadfast in your commitment to the booth. I applied the same principles when faced with obstinate administrators, broken bureaucracy, and intransigent interests at Columbia. Everything I learned worth knowing, I learned at 1020. (more…)

What makes you happy?

It’s not unusual to wake up after a night at 1020 with some unexpected texts on your phone. In Bwog’s case, we woke up to find an interview in voice memo form. On Tuesday, two adventurous seniors, Anna and Diana (anonymity requested), CC and SEAS’13, decided to stay in 1020 from opening to closing. At 2:20 am, 10 hours and 20 minutes into their stay, Bwog sat down at the front table to check in with them.

Bwog: How long have you been at 1020? 

Diana: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1, 2…10 hours!

Anna: 10 hours and 20 minutes.  Since 4 o’clock, opening time.

Bwog: And how long are you going to be here till?

Anna and Diana: Until it closes! [agonized shouts]

Anna: I thought it was gonna be 3, but considering the crowd that’s come out, I think it’s gonna be more like 4:30. I think last call will be 3:50 and everyone will be gone by 4:30.

Diana: Are we gonna be the last people here?

Anna: I think so, yeah.

Diana: I assumed we would.

Anna: It’s all a work in progress.

Bwog: When did you come up with this idea?

Anna: Two nights ago!

Diana: We wanted to do it for a long time, and then we just were like “fuuuuck, let’s do it.”

(more…)

After a police sting involving a 19-year-old who looks 30, 1020 might lose its liquor license.  In honor of all those late nights spent hunched over sticky booths—whether there’re to be more of them or not—Bwog Editor Alexandra Svokos writes about the 1020 murals in this month’s issue of The Blue and White.

“Why, yes, I know the story well: the paintings are post-WWII constructions—”

“You’re a post-WWII construction. Be more specific.”

“It’s post-WWII, that’s all I know! They were made to represent the struggle of America to come back from war and rebuild their lives from the dust of inhumanity.”

“You’re pulling this out of your ass, aren’t you?”

Of course he’s pulling this out of his ass; no one knows what 1020’s twin murals mean or where they came from. Indeed, few of 1020’s patrons even notice the paintings.

On the left is a propeller plane that looms over the viewer; on the right stands a cavernous train station. In dark shades of brown and beige, they are indistinct from the bar’s wood paneling. Although they cover a huge amount of wall space and must have taken some time and effort to bring to life, they do not beg for attention. But the incisive, if temporarily clouded, minds of Columbia are eager to analyze it.

Analyze it!

In happier times

In case you missed it while you were out last night, Spec posted a late-night story about 1020 getting fined for serving an underage, undercover police recruit.  The underage recruit stopped by around 7 pm yesterday and cops came by later to serve the charge.  A little after opening today, Bwog stopped by 1020 to talk to bartender Tim–who is understandably pissed as shit.

It was a manipulative sting operation that Tim finds despicable and, to him, pointed out “everything that’s bad about cops.”  The police recruit they sent in, as noted in the Spec article, was six and a half feet tall with a beard.  Moreover, he was a big, intimidating looking guy that you wouldn’t want to offend.  ”He looked like he was thirty-five,” Tim shook his head.

When told there was a Spectator article about the incident, he stormed out to get a copy at V&T’s, where he told the story to the hosts.  They asked if there was a bouncer out, but it was too early in the evening.  Back at the bar, Tim read through the article several times on a phone–the story didn’t make it to print today–and pounded his fist.  1020 was fined $1,500, but they intend to fight it.  When NYPD came back last night, Tim asked if they had seen the recruit.  He said he would take the case to court and specifically request the man be present as evidence of how ridiculous the situation was.

This isn’t the first time 1020 has run into trouble.  In March 2009, they were hit by another sting operation and in April 2011 a bunch of students were caught with fakes in several bars in the area.  Seems like this even-numbered bar has a problem with odd-numbered years.  We can only wish them the best.

Are you surrounded by roses and condoms and candy today and itching for some love to go along with it? See if one of our fine young eligibles strikes your fancy on this Valentine’s Day — nothing says “spontaneity” like asking one of them out via personals@bwog.com very late tonight. Meet Christopher Vela and Shelley Farmer.

Name, Year, School, Major: Chris “TOPHER” Vela, Junior, CC, Stats and CSER

Preference: Guy for Woman

Hometown: Edinburg, TX

Your dream date in seven words or fewer: Brews and hating on Taylor Swift +1020

What redeem you as a human being? I just chill and enjoy the little things in life.

Obsessive book series of choice: As cliché and lame as it is I would say Harry Potter. Totally want a Death Eater tattoo on my arm.

Library room of choice: 4th floor. Aka the place where one loses his/her soul.

What you think the sexiest animal is: Cougars.

Guilty pleasure song: Any Marvin Gaye song cause obviously that guy was BO$$.

Do you watch “Girls” ironically or unironically? Hate on Girls as much as you want, if Judd Apatow is the executive producer then they must be doing something right. I’ll leave it at that.

Historical hottie: Jackie Kennedy.

Read on for Shelley’s personal.

Here is the dénouement to Robert and Kristine’s 1020 story. He’s currently waiting on the Steps.

Curious onlookers are currently there waiting for something to happen. Go there or read our tweets to find out what happens.

UPDATE: She never showed up and he left after a few minutes. He tore up the rose and left the petals at the base of Alma Mater.

1020 on a Saturday night

This evening, Bwog received a tip that is unusual both for its length (long) and its topic (love).

In it, Robert (not his real name) goes to 1020, meets two girls named Kristine and Kristine (not their real names) and falls in love with one of them. Upon her leaving, he asks her to meet him at Alma at dawn, where he’ll be waiting. She does not show. It is a hard read, no matter which way you approach it. But for the names, which have been changed, the tip is unedited.

Read on for social anxiety, a booth, coconut water, David Foster Wallace, and a very long night.

To: tips@bwog.com
From: robert@gmail.com
Subject: (minor edit, read this one) I need your guys’ help in trying to find the girl I fell in love with (last night at 1020)

Dear Bwog,

I need your guys’ help in trying to find the girl I fell in love with (last night at 1020)

Yes, I’m serious. Yes, I said love. I also know that you laughed at the (last night at 1020) bit in the subject, but I can tell you with all my heart, that doesn’t matter. You can’t control where it happens.

I swear to God, all of this happened.

All I know about her is that her name is Kristine.

If you want to see why you should help me let me tell you the story:

Last night, we received the following picture, captioned (edgily) by a tipster:

British rugby takeover of 1020—a freshman's dream.

From another anonymous tipster:

Three first-years on Broadway and 114th:

F1: …then we found out that he’s the son of the diplomat to Belgium.
F3: Good thing it wasn’t Libya! Ohhh!
An awkward silence.
F2: Too soon? Too soon.

More anonymous eavesdropping from a third tipster around drunk o’ clock:

”As Homer said in The Odysseý, ’the eyes are the window to the soul’ or maybe that was Winston Churchill. I don’t give a fuck.”

The unofficial drink of 1020

Bwog: What’s the hands-down craziest thing you’ve seen happen?

1020 Bartender: A girl once wrote a large number of profanities on a guys beige jacket—which was hanging on the back of his chair—since he didn’t offer her his seat. She wrote it in red lipstick. I thought that was pretty crazy.

Bwog: Anything crazy ever happened at closing time?

1020 Bartender: Last year a guy walked in about 20 minutes before closing and declared it was his birthday. I told him I had already done last call, but he said he wanted to buy everyone at the bar a shot to celebrate with him, so obviously I let him. I told him I could give everyone a Sambuca shot and light it on fire, which he thought was the coolest thing. And, to get an even bigger tip (this was the whole idea…), I told him I could light his on fire in his mouth as long as he was careful and didn’t let sambuca drip onto his chin or cheek.

He didn’t succeed—a small part of his cheek lit on fire and I slapped him to put it out. I didn’t get a very good tip.

Bwog: How many shots is the most you’ve seen someone do in one sitting? What were the shots of?

1020 Bartender: Another bartender once served 150 shots of 1800 Tequila to a group of around 5 people.

Bwog: What are the habits of a good 1020 customer, as far as you’re concerned?

1020 Bartender: I’ll answer this question in advice form:

Tip high on the first drink, but don’t try to talk too much. The bartender will probably engage you in conversation when you come back to order thinking that you will continue to tip generously. (After all, we are there to make money.) Don’t use a credit card if you’re not buying over $20 worth of drinks, and don’t crumple money or leave it in a pile of beer. Take a shot if offered one, and don’t ever complain if it’s Jameson.

Jameson is the unofficial drink of 1020.

Bwog: Do a lot of guys hit on you?

1020 Bartender: Ehhh, its not what people normally think of. I don’t normally get comments that refer to anything specifically. It’s mostly just that guys want you to like them, think they’re cool, and consequently make them feel cool. So they act “cool,” whatever their interpretation of that word may be.

Read more

Last night, Bwog might have been mentally preparing for 420 by letting off some steam at 1020, where we might have played some darts. Our game might have evolved into a screaming rivalry, and we might have gone Hulk mode after losing. There’s no way to know for sure—all we have to go by is this cellphone photo we awoke to. At least we didn’t maybe poke somebody’s eye out…

"What do you mean you thought there was a secret vault there"

Businesses are preparing for a fourth quarter in 2012 that will surely be devastating. That one special on History Channel about Mayan calendars has forced those in retail to start packing their boxes, and those in the alcoholic beverage industry to start stocking up on glow sticks and PBR for their spin on “The End of the World” party. Whether or not all of your friends are dead, take comfort in the fact that you will be able to pick up a beer at 1020.

There are many ways to celebrate the Super Bowl, but it’s pretty much a universal law that they all involve chili. With that said, the line has to be drawn somewhere—and it’s here:

We suspect that the main ingredient is gin.

Does 1020 even have a kitchen? And if so, what’s it being used for the other 364 days of the year?

The life of a second-semester senior is usually pretty relaxed—we’re nearing the time of year when you realize that you’ve wrapped up your major requirements and now are pursuing a concentration in 1020. But alas, these hazy, lazy days will soon come to an end, and there’s no better wake up call than an alarming email from the straight-outta-the-nineties-named Student Affairs Graduation Zone with the all-caps title “ARE YOU PLANNING TO GRADUATE THIS MAY? If so read this!” Yep, they realize that after seven semesters here you only read about 4% of your emails anymore. But there is useful information to be had here, and in order to prevent you from having that awkward conversation with your folks about how you forgot to actually “Apply for the Degree” and can’t leave, we’ve pasted the email below. Hey, it may be useful, and then you can get back to your daydrinking.

(more…)

It's a good thing sex isn't this complicated

Some times the devil is in the details. Other times its in the name.

Girl 1: Where’s 1020?

Girl 2: On Amsterdam somewhere…

Girl 1: Like, where? It’s a pretty long street….

Girl 2: I don’t know… I’ve never been there before.

Bwog recommends brushing up on your celestial navigation before setting out on this evening’s escapades to protect yourselves from the same fate as these unfortunate souls.

Fancy looking device via Wikimedia Commons