Whilst we suffer through finals…

…grandmothers protest the war(s) (NYT)

…the MTA budget continues to suffer (Gothamist)

…CUNY is forced to limit the number of applications (City Room)

…and Spec has video of Orgo Night

Tonight is the night before the organic chemistry final, and you know what that means. Yes: obscene humor, Barnard jokes, and chemistry word-play–all part of a typical Orgo Night. And that’s all this semester’s Orgo Night was: typical. However, it did have its entertaining parts, and it was a worthwhile Columbian experience, if only to say that you got to hear Barnard jokes in Butler.

The jokesters started off a little slow, and this slowness characterized much of the show, especially when compared to last semester’s performance, which was longer as well. The pair began making references to Deans and had a sly Varsity Show jab before moving on to cracking jokes about Bwog and Bwog commenters. These garnered laughs, but the main theme of the first act seemed to center around two controversial topics of the day: the Catholic priest molestation scandal and health care reform. The second topic’s story was based around Columbia enacting its own health care reform, and the audience seemed to receive this well. Again, there was your typical GS joke (Why is Health Services stopping coverage at age 26? “No one really cares about GS!”), but there were some better ones (CAVA will stop denying people due to pre-existing conditions, such as living in Carman).

As usual, the duo then continued lampooning current events. In this next segment, they managed to insult three major religions and joke about the crisis in Haiti, all while receiving the standard reaction of laughter-turned-groans from the audience. They then referenced Ahmadinejad’s recent return to the United States, asking why, if he hates America so much, he keeps visiting. This was craftily tied into a news topic of the day when it was announced that Ahmadinejad had just finished watching a Broadway play when he was shocked to discover his green 1998 Nissan Pathfinder was towed and Times Square cleared out. (To his credit, “bombs come standard” in Iran.)

Read more…

Freshpeople, seniors, and everyone in between should attend one of Columbia’s most enjoyable traditions: CUMB’s 69th semiannual Orgo Night. Same Band time, same Band place: Butler 209, 11:59- but get there early, it gets crowded quickly and you might get locked out. Laugh at Columbia, sing “Roar, Lion, Roar,” and resume your studies. Send video, pictures, and your favorite one-liners to tips@bwog.net.

Oh also, we know it’s confusing, but remember not to scream tonight: Primal Scream is Sunday.

Also also: Midnight Breakfast will be in LeFrak Gym tonight. Barnard seniors get in at 11, all other Barnardians at 11:30, then the rest of CU at midnight.

Update, 10:40: We have word that the Red Bull fairies are back in action- there are cans of Red Bull under some desks in 209, plus someone with a green duffle bag full of Red Bull sitting at one of the personal desks- if you want one, ask him.

Bwog Sousaphone bureau chief Peter Krawzcyk stood on some poor first-year’s desk in 209 to attend this fall’s Orgo Night extravaganza.

This may come as a surprise to anyone of the several hundred that packed into a sweaty Butler 209 at midnight last night, but not everyone attended the fall iteration of the Marching Band’s semiannual Orgo Night performance on Wednesday. If you were too dedicated to studying, writing papers, your grades, your career, your sanity, and/or yourself to take an hour-long break in the name of Columbia spirit and comedy, you probably made the utility-maximizing decision (you econ major you) but you still missed a sometimes funny, if perhaps overly long show.

The show officially began just after 12:00 with the band marching into to the obligatory “Roar, Lion, Roar,” but the comedy started about half an hour earlier, when the Butler 209 began filling with boisterous expectant revelers, bewildering would-be diligent Literature Humanities studiers uninformed of the Orgo Night tradition, who desperately turned up their headphones as loud as they could before leaving to find shelter from the crowd. Post-fight song, the band kicked off the jokes by targeting PrezBo’s salary (“Do you know how hard it is to wake up in the morning knowing the President of the University of Tulsa makes more money than you?”) and recent 125^th st.-Toast bar brawler Lionel McIntyre (His favorite building is Harmony, because “he likes having a building named after his baby mama.”). Read more…

Those who did not crowd Butler 209 on Thursday night can now see the whole show over on CUMB’s blog. We’ve embedded the first joke (about Ann Coulter) below as a preview.

- An eager crowd awaits the band’s entrance

If you missed Orgo Night, fret not – the show was recorded and will be available tomorrow on CUMB’s blog. Now, the Bwog review:

After entering to the usual “Roar Lion Roar,” the Columbia University Marching Band noted that, due to the recession, this year’s show would be sponsored by the Columbia University Show. “We also thank the Varsity Show,” a band member opined, “for lowering expectations for the past 35 years.” As the Hillel-distributed stress balls flew in the air over the spectators (one eventually landing in a tuba sousaphone), many were still looking for seats, but the band told them not to worry: “if you can’t hear the jokes, there’ll be plenty seats open by intermission.”

Thus began one of the best Orgo Nights in recent memory, though, in typical marching band fashion, some of the jokes skirted the edge of tastefulness. Surprisingly, the end of the election and the departure did not dampen the band’s taste for political humor- the first two segments focused on Ann Coulter (simply described as “fucking crazy” and Fox News respectively (with “Beat It” and “More Than A Feeling” mixed in), and mostly had fun at “Coultergeist’s” expense, including asking “If she thinks kindergartners are being taught fisting in kindergarten, what are they being taught in high school? Read more…

More specifically, join the Columbia Marching Band at midnight in Butler 209 for loud music and hilarity at Orgo Night.

To procrastination!

UPDATE (11:37 p.m.): Students have trickle in, and a Public Safety officer is standing ominously in the corner. Also, Hillel’s handing out stress balls.

UPDATE (11:50 p.m.): 9 minutes before start time, people have begun climbing on desks, and the Hillel stress balls are flying through the air. Bwog’s not sure that was their intended use.

UPDATE (12:45 p.m.): Show’s over folks – recap to follow shortly, followed by video tomorrow.

It was a dark and stormy night — and o! the rain, did it pour — but a fair number of umbrella’d visitors came to Butler tonight for this semester’s Orgo Night. Hm, what had happened this semester? Bwog wondered, who or what will find itself or themselves at the butt of the Marching Band’s jokes?  Well, quite frankly, we expected it to be the penis that CUMB brought along, it of Giant Inflatable Penis-Gate-fame, but it just bopped around in the background (see video), evidently the strong and silent type.

Most jokes actually revolved around Obama. According to CUMB, due in large part to his success (coupled with that of Attorney General to be Eric Holder and New York Governor David Paterson), Columbia is now the nation’s “foremost elite black college.” From there on in, things progressed, for the most part, chronologically. Bwog even received a shout-out when talked turned to Obamacain, September’s debate about the merits of service between Obama and “a trusty old white guy with funny arms.”

Read more…

It was just 11:35 PM when studiers started drifting into Butler 209 and perching themselves on ledges and chairs. 209ers, futility be damned, started Shh-ing the newcomers. One such 209er was one-half of Chromeo (the half that attends Columbia), though he soon made a quick exit. At midnight exactly, the spirited Columbia University Marching Band made their entrance as they played the CU fight song. Butlerites, amazingly, not only knew the words, but sung along.

Read more…

Overheard on College Walk, late last night: 

Guy: Well YOU go to Columbia! Shouldn’t YOU know where all the parties are?

Girl: Yeah. But it’s just a shame you’re not here on Orgo Night.

Guy: What is it? Wait- doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t want to go.

Girl: (angrily) Well its not like you would have a choice. You don’t go to Orgo Night. (pause) It’s more like Orgo Night goes to you.

 Tonight at 11:59 pm in El Butler. Be there, or don’t be there.