As per (sort of) tradition, we asked a select few of our favorite people what tops their holiday wish lists. Read on to find out how you can regift that bunny your mom got you again even though you already have like SIX…

• Deantini wants a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, which he says has been what he’s wanted every year since he got his driver’s license. “But, more seriously,” he adds, “For my son, Corporal Colin Valentini, USMC, to return from Afghanistan unharmed.”
• Spec wants a bunny, citing that bunnies are an essential component to any newsroom.
• KevSho wants to thank his amazing students for making Columbia an incredible place, and “may the puppies return next semester!” He also hopes to get some more “likes” to the new Columbia Student Affairs Facebook page, too…
• For HANUKKAH (emphasis hers), Eliza Shapiro would like a sophisticated frame for her academic probation letter, and a reservation at Noma.
• Bwog Tech wanted Claire to help Bwog Tech with its Econ final, since Bwog Tech knew Claire did it already, and Bwog Tech really didn’t want to fail that class.
• Columbia’s resident Coner wants “These doods to play at Bacchanal” and the Nat King Cone Christmas album.
• Pat of Hardcore fame wants this and for everyone at Columbia to know that every time he says he loves them he truly means it.

From us to you: a Limited Edition Louise McCune Original poster of all of our Butler Archetype friends. We’ve left a stack on the shelves in the back of Butler Café, and a few around 209. If you don’t nab one today, don’t worry, we’ll be sprinkling them around the library over the coming week.

Love, Bwog

You may have trouble making the trek from Hamilton to Butler without losing blood circulation, but the winter has its merits. Bwog strives to maintain its record of being jolly (even with purple fingers!). Including a few old faves, consider:

Garb:

With the trees lit, phase two of holiday-zation has begun. Initiate cookie sequence. Matt Powell of Cooking With Bwog is here with a triple whammy of festive treats that will make you and anyone you decide to share them with jolly. 

Coming from California, I associate the holidays with about 60 degree weather. Even though I’ve moved back East, my body is still programmed to 60 degree winter. Therefore, I started baking Holiday Cookies back in October. If you don’t believe me, check out these cookies.

Double Gingersnap Cookies:

For my first cookie, I improved on my gingersnap recipe, adding in more spice and of course, a white chocolate drizzle.

Yields: 24

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ C flour
• 1 ¼ tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. cloves
• ¼ tsp. salt
• Pinch of Nutmeg
•  ¼ C (1/2 stick) butter
• ¼ C vegetable shortening
• ½ C light brown sugar
• ¼ C molasses
• 1 egg
• 1/3 C crystallized ginger, chopped
• 6 oz. white chocolate, melted

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the butter, shortening, and sugar. Cream until fluffy, about 3 minutes on medium speed. Lower speed to low and add in molasses, egg, and crystallized ginger. Mix until incorporated. Add dry ingredients and carefully blend together until incorporated. Place the dough in the refrigerator covered with plastic for 30 minutes.
3. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from the fridge. Scoop out 1 tbsp. of dough for each cookie and roll into a ball. Space apart on the baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes, until the tops are crinkled. Let cool on racks after baking.
5. Using a fork, drizzle the white chocolate on top of the cookies. You can drizzle as much (or as little) as you like. I typically allow the white chocolate to cool and harden before serving, but you can serve them when the chocolate is still gooey.

Deckin' the hallz

In this edition of Getting to Know, Connoisseur of Conifers Alex Enyon stopped to chat with the woman who runs the Christmas tree stand on Broadway between 111th and 112th. See anyone around campus you’d like to know about? Tell us!

Molly Hatfield has Christmas in her blood. The cheerful mother of two grew up around her father’s Christmas tree stand, and at age nineteen she took over his current location on Broadway between 111th and 112th Streets. For the past nineteen years, Hatfield has been making the trek to this strip of pavement and opening her stand for a month leading up to Christmas. The hours and conditions are grueling—Hatfield’s schedule is divided evenly between “sleeping and trees;” she arrives at the stand at seven or eight in the morning and spends the twelve to fourteen hours guarding and selling her pines, rain or shine. Another brave soul watches the trees and meets deliveries at night.

Despite the tough schedule, Hatfield insists that the people she meets in the community make her job rewarding. “People usually are wonderful”, she declares, although she admits that she’s encountered her fair share of scrooges. She also pointed out that “about two-thirds” of her customers are regulars who return year after year, and their relationships have become an ongoing tradition. Hatfield recently saw one of her favorite client’s son, who had helped her with her trees for a couple of years, start his own stand.

When asked how she celebrates Christmas, Hatfield laughs and admits that she harbors a “love-hate” relationship with the holiday. Her personal festivities are always “late and low key.” Not making a big deal over material things, she says that arriving home to her husband and children after a month away makes the holiday very sweet indeed.

They’re here! But what shall we call them? Bwog has learned some things during our time at Columbia, namely that all the things you thought you knew are probably wrong and everything you hold dear is probably the cause of some deep-rooted societal problem. We figure our readers are pretty smart, and could help us figure out how to avoid continuing this centuries-old tradition of political incorrectness. Find us a suitable replacement for the “Christmas tree” by voting in our poll. Here are your options, ordered to reflect the current standings:

• Dank Pine
• Presents’ Umbrella
• Holiday Bush
• Communitree
• Capitalist Conifer

Maybe we should just ask them

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through McBain 6
Not a student was stirring, not even a (rhymes with six)
When through the door St. Nicholas came with a bound
Triggering Christmas lights, a zipline, and Christmas sound!

These are surely the verses that Clement Clark Moore (CC 1789) would have penned had he chanced upon this McBain double containing a high-tech Christmas display, complete with fake snow falling from the ceiling, Christmas lights that flash to the beats of shuffled Christmas tunes, and a miniature Santa who ziplines across the room in his sleigh.

Astoundingly, it’s all triggered when you walk in through the door! Chief creator, Joe DelPreto, SEAS ’13, explains the magic of photoresistors is at work. “There’s a flashlight above the door that shines onto a photoresistor taped to the floor. When you walk in and break the beam, the photoresistor triggers the lights and music. It’s really a pretty simple process.”

It may be simple, but required lots of time and labor. “ I started working on it during finals week,” Joe recalls, “and I was almost done in time for break, but there were still some issues. So I actually finished two days after break.”

But pulling off this project takes a lot more than ingenious engineering. The display is spectacular specifically because it’s contained within a cramped McBain double. If this were a blind double, Joe might never have gotten permission to hang dozens of Christmas lights and a ziplining Santa over his roommate’s bed. But his roommate Juan Gonzalez, also a SEAS sophomore, has known Joe since early freshman year, and has a certain admiration for Joe’s elaborate vision. “It all makes sense when he explains it,” he admits, “but I could never think to do something like this.” That raises the obvious question: why convert your room into a motion-activated, multimedia Christmas display? “Simple,” Joe answers. “I just really like Christmas.”

Video and all images except the last from Joe DelPreto.

We hope your Christmas morning isn’t like this. Sleep late, be happy, eat Chinese food (we are!), etc. It’s been a long semester.

That is all.

Bwog asked some of our favorite people what they want for Christmas (“Happy Holidays is what terrorists say”).

• Sir Mike of Carman Hall: “Life.”
• Elizabeth from the Hartley Hospitality Desk wants a semester in Istanbul.
• Amy from HamDel wants “maybe flowers,” and asked Bwog what we want for the holidays.
• Zak of BwogWeather wants to go to Canada this summer with Pat and Jasmine, for my parents to condone me devoting my time in Hong Kong to becoming a deadly assassin and martial arts expert, 4 new pairs of boxers and matching socks, and the rest of my time at Columbia to be as fuckin’ sweet as this last semester.
• Pat of BwogWeather wants everyone at Columbia to know how special they are. I love hearing how people are making a difference at our school and in the world … it really is amazing to see such talented people brought together in one place. Sure we can joke about hating school, but I really love seeing people in action. Everyone here is so enthusiastic and so passionate about what they do. I really hope everyone realizes this and doesn’t stress about finals.
• Gareth Williams said, “Well, nothing. I already have everything I want,” as he smiled and shrugged with his hands in his overcoat pockets.
• Karen the Librarian: “Same thing I want every day–for more undergraduates to come let us show them how we can make their lives easier!”
• Benny, Hewitt grillmaster would like your [our Bwogger's] love. And a nice sweater.
• Gerry Visco: “Huh…nothing. Well, actually for people to stop saying shit about me on the internet. I already get enough of that. Or maybe some clothes. Or if you have a crazy costume, drop it off.”

HOLIDAY CHEER! Special thanks to XMAS 5! A Corporate Carol – go see it next Monday night! Also thanks to Eli Grober for playing guitar, Wallen and D’Offit for vocals, Matt Star for orchestration, John Nordin, Eduardo Santana and Nathan Bailey for dancing, Bwog staff for helping with lyrics and Kenny Durrell for his filming talents.

As soon as Thankgiving is over, it’s Christmas/Hannukah whatever wintry holiday you choose to celebrate time! With the influx of decorations and festive cheer, there’s the bitter cold, and of course, renovated ice-cream stores. Bwog brings you neighborhood minutiae courtesy of Boringside Heights…

Fro-Yo next to M2M is being revamped, apparently into Hershey’s

Decorations at MoWi

Trees for sale on the east side of 112th & Broadway, also available on the southwest corner of 110th and Broadway

Depressing Festive windows at Banco Popular

Nussbaum outside seating revealed! (Just in time)

45 degrees out, no signs of heat in most dorms, and the Christmas lights are going up.

Photo by JYH

The lights have officially been cut from the trees on College Walk. Until, December, friends. Here’s to spring!

Speaking of which: Bwog goes on spring break, too. We’ll be posting occasionally for the next week, but expect us back in full swing a week from Monday. Happy travels/sleeps!

Photo by AB

The Morningside minutiae in our little Bubble Above 110th Street is what keeps us together. The tiny parts of our neighborhood that make it both boring and wonderful would seem trivial to anyone on the outside. Occasionally, we’ll be taking the time to share the minor details with you.

• The Entitled Sophomores indignantly note that the price of a Brooklyn Lager at 1020 has increased from $3 to $4, and blame it on imagined gentrification.
• Those Perpetually in Fear of Slipping need fear no more. The mats outside Butler have been upgraded to rubber ones with exquisite traction.
• The upgrades continue inside with Blue Java now filling your cup of coffee for you, while Butler Café hosts its own new vending machine.