Barnard’s brand new student center, the Vagelos Center aka the Diana aka the Nexus aka the Vag, is open and ready for business as of yesterday. Hey, ‘Vag’ sounds like ‘vagina’. Weird!

The Diana is shiny, new and streamlined. It is much, much nicer than Lerner. The Vag’s first patrons seemed excited about their new space, and the eating, lounging and study spaces were crowded today around lunchtime. There was a long line at Liz’s Cafe and students seemed to be enjoying their healthy options; Bwog noted edamame in spades. The study spaces are abundant and well laid-out, with plenty of nooks for individual or group study, and the art and architecture studios on the upper floors are spotless. There were still a few signs of construction: blue tape, a dusty smell, the ongoing work outside the entrance.

Despite lingering work, the students we spoke to were impressed and pleased with the Diana overall. Still, a group students stood a few feet back from the Vag, still puzzling over the color scheme. A consensus was eventually: it could be peach, orange, red, salmon, pink, auburn or burnt auburn. The color scheme reminded Bwog of the new Renzo Piano-desigend NYT building in Midtown– and right across from Sulzberger, too! More pictures of the Vag inside and out after the jump.

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At the “coolest” part of Barnard’s Spirit Day – “Celebrity Scoops,” where administrators served free ice cream to students – President Deborah Spar announced that the Nexus will now be known as “The Diana” (yes, just “The Diana”).

The new moniker replaces the unofficial name of “The Vagelos Center,” a change that possibly maybe perhaps almost certainly came about because of the building instantly being nicknamed “The Vag.” Not only is it the first name of Diana Vagelos, whose family gave $15 million to the project, but, as President Spar noted in her announcement, “Diana is the goddess of female power and strength.” Spar did not note that Diana is also a virgin, the goddess of the hunt and chastity, and notable for her enjoyment of revenge, often taken on men.

A quick informal naming survey suggested that students in attendance approved of the name. Then again, several attendees also commented that, with that much money, the Vagelos family “can name it whatever they want.”

- JCD

Everybody will read today’s issue for some forum. But there is other news, apparently:

Madonna Constantine refuses to go away.

How quickly could you construct a “Vag?”

Professors aren’t gods? Whaaat?

Already tired of New York clubs? Some months-old options.

Earlier this morning, Barnard students received a message from outgoing President Judith Shapiro informing them that their would-be Vag will not be completed by its scheduled Fall 2009 date — something about subcontracting gone awry — but will instead open in January 2010. 

But there are silver linings abounds: Starting this fall Lewis Parlor will function as a cafe/student lounge, and Shaprio promises that student-oriented events will receive a higher priority when assigning space. The fully functioning Vag, Shapiro assures us, “will definitely be worth this uncomfortable wait.” Oh, we have no doubt.

Full email after the jump.

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Today is BC Spirit Day, and this afternoon, over what was reportedly a less-than-enthralling fireworks display, Barnard announced the new name of the Nexus, its new ominous-sounding student center. The Nexus’ new moniker? The Vagelos Center—the name was kindly spelled out in fireworks for all to see.

“We’re going to go to THE VAG,” said one exasperated Barnard sophomore.  

UPDATE: Today’s ceremony featured the word “Vagelos” spelled with fireworks, sending mixed feelings of anger and bemusement throughout the Barnard crowd. According to an official Barnard source, the fireworks honored the family of Diana Vagelos, who has been the project’s largest donor. Barnard has also previously stated that the namesake of the building will come from its major donor—hence the natural assumption that the fireworks spoke to both donor and new name. However, as of yet, it’s not been set in stone. (Pun intended.)

The naming of buildings at Columbia has always been a project undertaken with the greatest care. Indeed, the majority of buildings on campus carry the names of prominent alumni who have contributed much to the university and to society at large. One is hard-pressed to find a building on campus without a family name of some significance attached to it. Yet, Barnard has deliberately deviated from this fail-safe approach to the naming of edifices at Columbia, in its choice to name the new student center currently under construction at the heart of its campus, the Nexus. While Nexus may not even be the final name of the building, Barnard has suggested that it would consider selling the naming rights to the highest bidder over the Internet, many have claimed that the choice of the word “nexus” for a campus center is quite suspect. Some Bwog tipsters have  even recently suggested that the ignominious name of the new Barnard campus hub actually derives from the Latin root meaning “bondage in slavery or debt.” Bwog set out to clarify if Barnard’s new campus center will indeed be a campus hub of human bondage by emailing Barnard’s Media Relations Director.  Her response after the jump: Read more…