Sean Zimmermann reports from the first ESC meeting of 2011.

• Since Senior Class VP Eric Hirani is graduating early, Senior Class President Amanda Tan announced that she will accept applications to fill his position until end-of-day on January 28th. Class council VPs are chosen internally by current members of the class council, along with two other members of ESC’s E-Board. Kamal Yechoor, SEAS ’11, runner up for Senior Class President last year and Class President from 2007-2010, announced that he intends to run for the position. has withdrawn his name.
• Good news, everyone! SEAS Senator Tim Qin reported that the registrar will now publish exam schedules “as early as possible.” In the past, the registrar did not release exam schedules until late in the semester because the schedules occasionally need minor changes. Qin reports the register will now release this information earlier… Whether or not you’ll be able to book your flight in time still remains to be seen.
• JJ’s Place will now offer à la carte items for students without dining plans. This responds to a common complaint since JJ’s switched from a pay-per-item grill/mini-mart to a dining hall at the beginning of last semester.

Bwog spotted many new and slightly wondrous things this week…

New and fruity sandwiches at JJ’s.

New and fruity Westside samples! Almond butter with mixed berries and creamy strawberry dip.

Rickshaw Dumpling truck at 116th St and Broadway.

This mysterious new ‘Fast Food’ truck.

Uni café actually open.

Vandalism. What IS up with 2014??

Dosa battles.

Anna Wintour (apparently) on line to see Coriolanus.

Lasker Rink, on the east side of Central Park. Take a date!”>

can anybody verify? // via wikimedia

Ice hockey games at Lasker Rink, on the east side of Central Park. Take a date!

tips@bwog.com“>

via Wikimedia

Help us help you keep current: tips@bwog.com

The Study Day-Standoff: Last night’s CCSC meeting saw unanimous passage of a proposal to start the academic year a week earlier when Labor Day falls on September 5th or later. The passage was the first step by the councils towards forming a united undergraduate front in advance of Friday’s University Senate Plenary, in the face of what council members called “intractable” opposition from the Senate Education Committee. The proposal next goes to the other three undergraduate councils, where it’s expected to be passed, before debate begins on the proposal in the Senate on Friday. Senate sources told Bwog not to expect a vote on Friday however.

The New Meal Plan: As part of his visit to CCSC, VP for Student and Administrative Services Scott Wright announced a new meal plan for next year. The important points:

• First-year meals will be by week rather than by term (either 19 or 15 per week)
• JJ’s and Ferris will join John Jay as all-you-can-eat for the price of one meal, with the latter being open from 7:30 am – 8:00 pm six days of the week
• The number of meals will go up, but Dining Dollars will decline significantly, to no more than $200 per semester
• In total, students will be limited to four meals per day – “and after that,” Wright said, “we’ll send you to a vending machine.”

Part of the reason for the change is that business at on-campus eateries like Ferris and JJ’s has suffered as off-campus Flex spending has topped $2 million this year. The full plan is available at Dining’s website.

Read more…

Big changes could be on the way next year for how Columbia students do on-campus dining, especially for those on meal plans. According to student government sources, to meet student desire for greater flexibility in their dining plans and to encourage healthier eating habits, meal plans will be shifting from the current meals-per-semester system to a meals-per-week system. Furthermore, instead of the current lunch-and-dinner-only setup, there will be four different meal times: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and after dinner. The exact times of those four meals, and the amount of meals available per week, are still being settled.

In addition, Ferris Booth and JJ’s Place will now be incorporated into the meal plan, with Ferris Booth joining John Jay as an all-you-can-eat location. The changes will only apply to meal plans, with upperclassmen continuing to have the option of dropping the meal plan entirely, though they can of course choose the meals-per-week plan if they wish.

Finally, Dining will bow to convenience and also start accepting credit cards next semester at all locations.

- DH

Besides the students and faculty, there are many other members of both the Columbia and Morningside communities who make the years here a little more enjoyable. We at Bwog feel they deserve a little time in the spotlight for all their hard work. Today: Jared Frieder feels nostalgic, and asks Charlie White of JJ’s Place what his favorite Michael Jackson song is

What do strawberries, Austin Powers, and Paris have in common? I’m not exactly sure, but Charles White could be it. Charlie is a Brooklyn-bred New Yorker who first came to work at JJ’s Place in 1996 after his mom helped him score a position behind the sandwich counter. The strangest order he’s come across in those 13 years? A so-called vegetarian once ordered a Veggie-Chicken Burger.

When not watching his favorite movies, the Austin Powers Trilogy, Charles can be seen rooting on his favorite team, the Buffalo Bills. In fact, if he couldn’t serve up mozzarella sticks at 2 AM, the only other job that would satisfy Charles would be playing tailback for the Buffalo Bills. Fittingly, his JJ’s delicacy of choice is the Buffalo Chicken Wrap. Read more…

Bwog’s Sean Zimmerman reports from ESC’s first meeting.

“We’re pretty sexy, so I’d like to spread that sexiness around.” Varun Gulati’s personal goal for ESC was one of many discussed at the first Engineering Student Council meeting, in which council members congregated in Lerner Cinema to discuss the coming year.  A new year brings new concerns, so never fear: Senator Rajat Roy clarified that “NROTC will not be an issue this year.”

Council members got personal while discussing dining changes; in reference to Cafe 212′s new policy that students can no longer build custom salads, Rajat bemoaned that he “wants the ability to customize [his] salad.”  Council members suspected that Dining Services’ trademark thrift came into play — perhaps some students would often fill their salads with expensive items and pay the same price as students who ordered more basic salads.

Read more…

Three years after adopting flat screens, JJ’s Place has gotten another technological upgrade. Student Services confirms to Bwog that JJ’s Place has now added wireless internet access, along with “some structural renovations.” No doubt it’ll be handy for first-years taking a break from half-finished homework to Google useful JJ’s information, like “how much fried food before my heart stops.”

- JCD

It’s after midnight, and you’re tired. While Bwog can’t help you create your own individually tailored regimen of stimulants, we can provide your best nearby source of stimulating drinks to get you through that all-nighter: Morton, JJ’s or Hamdel.

The four drinks: Red Bull, generic coffee, Lipton tea, and Coke or Pepsi all of which have their Columbia constituencies. We’ve outlined below the price of a unit of these brain-enhancing beverages, and, for the caffeine-only stimulants, the bang for your buck in milligrams of caffeine per dollar). This comparison of course ignores other critical factors (steps from Butler, coolness of staff, availability of cookie products, etc.), but it still yields some surprising results.

For non-taurine fans, Hamdel is clearly the way to go, but, shockingly, Morton is actually your best source for Red Bull. Though The Market Basket’s official scoreboard says “Morton Williams: 0, Everyone else: 2,” those whose special tastes for instant soup and taurine are, amazingly, best served right across Broadway.  

- ESN

With the new year comes new dining policies, and none may be more threatening to freshman waistlines than the institution of “Order-by-Phone” pickup system at JJ’s. According to Dining Services, “you can order any food item from the menu in advance by calling 212-851-5801 and can pick it up approximately 15 minutes after the phone call.”

The service (which is also available for the Kosher Deli during the day) is available Sunday – Thursday from 6 pm to 1 am. JJ’s also now offers a catering service for student group events, ensuring that a steady supply of chicken fingers will make its way into our free food announcements. 

But while the actual JJ’s menu will remain unchanged, several other campus eateries have introduced new options for the semester, including new salads at Ferris, and Bento Boxes from Mill Korean at Uris. See the full list of new ways to spend your Dining Dollars after the jump. Read more…

An astute tipster informed Bwog today that he noticed odd hours at staple campus eateries Ferris Booth and JJs Place.  After a quick phone call to Dining Services, Bwog was able to dig up last year’s hours for comparison. 

Indeed, much has changed and no longer is it possible to make 3am romps to JJs from Butler study-forts in order to replenish diminishing Red Bull supplies. 

More to come on the administration’s reasons for these changes and cut-backs.  Full comparison of hours of these two locations after the jump.

Read more…

When last we left the great promises of Off Campus Flex, we were bemoaning its demise and then celebrating its resurrection.  But now, as part of a long list Housing and Dining improvements (which include a mini-Mill Korean at Carleton Lounge in Mudd, faux-vitamin water in John Jay, a taco bar in Ferris Booth, and churros and $9.99 cases of water in JJ’s), there is a new list of locations that currently and will soon accept flex.  Nussbaum, Fairway, Westside and University Hardware and Houseware currently offer the option, while Chipotle, CampusFood, Amir’s, The Heights, Samad’s and Camille’s will be up and running sometime this summer.  Once school restarts, however, the original Mill Korean and Community Food and Juice will join the flex-wielding ranks.  And if you need further excuse to discuss collegiate gourmet, Housing and Dining created a Facebook group just for you!

-JJV

Bwog’s new Satow Room bureau chief Martha Turewicz reports on last night’s meeting. 

As far as CCSC meetings go, some are pretty unremarkable. But others, like last night’s, stand out as veritable gems, with VP of Campus Life Lindsey Lazopoulos as the star of the show, proffering bon mots left, right and center.

To wit: Student council is putting a “Cherry on Top” with a study break this coming weekend featuring discounted JJ’s ice cream. Lazopoulos delved into the heart of the matter: “Will they have chocolate?”

Likewise, to Lazopoulos’s relief, John Jay’s new chef will be serving up new sustainable sea food (read: salmon) once a month. “No more swordfish!” she opined.

Read more…

As the New Year is still dawning, the Council is coming back with a renewed vigor that only 31 blissful days can create.  No new resolutions, however, events and notices abound.

To the dismay of many a late-night glutton, the University’s survey on JJ’s Place determined that it would not be financially viable to expand the establishment’s hours on weekends or weekdays.

In partnership with EcoReps and the Office of Environmental Stewardship, CCSC is sponsoring a school-wide Go Green Initiative where dorms compete in the months of February, March and April to see who can decrease their per capita energy consumption the most.  Prizes have not been officially announced, but Bwog has reason to believe that each winner will be given a brand new 2008 Ford F-150. Read more…

CCSC is back from break and fulfilling campaign promises left and right. 

Everyone’s favorite student council is on a fact-finding mission to discover when you the student use the mighty convenience mart.  Should it be open on weekends?  At non-nocturnal hours?  Let your voice be heard here.  Anyone can take the survey, so get on those public computers!

A couple weeks ago, Bwog reported on the sudden and upsetting disappearance of JJ’s spicy chicken. However, inside sources revealed that the finest culinary delight Columbia has to offer has been reintroduced to the menu of JJ’s.

That’s right. Spicy Chicken is back.

Reduced to a humble cafeteria by the loss of the famed dish, the reappearance may allow JJ’s to reclaim its gastronomic renown  amongst connoisseurs of haute poulet. 

Tony Hall, General Manager of Columbia Dining Services, said a new JJ’s manager cut the Spicy Chicken in an attempt to streamline inventory. This culinary Prometheus attempted to synthesize the glory of the Spicy Chicken with a profane combination of Seasoned Chicken and hot sauce.

Students were not impressed, and after a variety of petitions, the humbled manager bowed to popular will.  

- Joe Meyers