It’s truly a tragedy of convenience that, apart from class and free food, the sole reason we leave our rooms is to find out what’s happening on campus.  And what better way to indulge our laziness than to eliminate the flyers that clutter campus walls and move them online?

PostATime.com, the first branch of a site with national ambitions, attempts to do just that. Its mission is to “replace those useless and wasteful posters” with what the site terms “event based social networking,” say its Columbia caretakers, Michael Vitrano and RJ Assaly, CC and SEAS ’12 respectively. (Vitrano and Assaly also say they weren’t aware of the existence of the strikingly similar CampusPlaybook–or the short-lived CampusBoxOffice–before launching PostATime).

Upon creating an account, Bwog found that the site was quite easy to use.  Plus, the interface is quite intuitive for users of CubMail or MySpace.

Actually, the site looks strangely similar to CubMail and MySpace.  A comparison and further discussion, after the jump.

Read more…

Bwog remembers its very first final exam as a first-year.  As a service to our youngest readers, Bwog staff and friends have compiled summaries of Lit Hum books…in limerick form!  Stay tuned for tomorrow’s very special CC study guide.

The Iliad

Achilles, the raging Achaean,

Agamemnon’s war plans was derailin’.

For the city of Troy,

And for Helen, a ploy

With a horse was the Greek soldiers’ way in.

The Odyssey

After Troy, brave Odysseus wandered,

Adventured and tarried and pondered,

Saw Calypso and Cyclops

‘Pon Ionian outcrops,

Thence home ere Pen’s honor was squandered!

Read more…

Thanksgiving weekend can be a tumultuous time for first-years. For many, it is the first time home since August, a hectic four-day period where one must see everyone one loved or cared about since pre-school at breakneck speed. This includes much obligatory bonding time with parents and relatives and a lot of “yeah I know I look tired but I swear I’m OK” lines aimed at worried grandparents.

There is no reunion more daunting however, than the meet-up with ones high school sweetheart. From coast to coast, Thanksgiving weekend has been dubbed “break-up weekend“: freshmen eagerly anticipate seeing their boyfriend or girlfriend, only to be massively disappointed when they actually see their significant other for the first time in months, resulting in the all-too-common “I’m waiting for this?!” effect when one considers the other options available to them at college in the big city.

Read more…

To give students a taste of those delightful pre-plumbing days, the forces of Columbia have decided to withhold running hot water from residents of John Jay this morning. Daily Editor Eliza Shapiro reports that it’s been gone for at least two hours.

People are wandering around with bath towels looking forlornly for an oasis and support groups have been formed for those whose laundry happened to be in the washers when the incident started.

Bwog hopes the smell of the unwashed doesn’t get too bad, and will keep you updated as the freshmen get more frantic.

The Center for Student Advising is throwing a free pizza party for the Terrible 12s right now until 2 PM on the Lerner Ramps.

We doubt anyone is checking IDs to make sure only 12s are grabbing slices, but if anyone looks at you suspiciously, just mumble something convincing-sounding about your 240,000 point SAT.

Mayyyyybe Bloomberg will run for reelection

Gamers: beware of exceeding University bandwidth caps, but only sometimes.  In fact, for most of the things you’ll be doing online, you will be fine.

Perhaps the University Senate is a place where debate within the University should take place.  As opposed to debating with kitchen knives.

Wait a second.  Local bars might allow students in occasionally? 

Freshmen: Maybe you should forget what classroom in Hamilton your next club meeting is in, walk into a debate between two warring heads of state, reconcile their differences and then walk out with your Nobel Peace Prize.

Hooray, the 2012 Class Council election results for ESC and SGA are here. Meet your new teams:

ESC:

President: Derrick Fu (SuperFu)

Vice-President: Jessica Wu (SuperFu)

Representative: Eric Harms (SuperFu)

Representative: Judy Kim (FuReal)

SGA:

President: Charlie Dinkin

Vice President: Bo Yun Park

Treasurer: Astrika Wilhelm

You might recall that “Stephan” did endorse SuperFu.  And probably would have endorsed Charlie, Bo, and Astrika had we asked for an SGA pick.

There’s been much commotion surrounding the possibility of a “Stephan” endorsement in the CCSC 2012 Class Council elections — three whole comments’ worth and a Facebook group update, to be exact!

Would “Stephan” keep things nonpartisan? Would he suspend the pregaming… lol to go to Washington, and fix the economy? Bwog spoke with “Stephan” who had the following to say:

“Just about every party SEAS and CC alike have asked me to endorse them. After a thorough analysis of all the groups, I have decided to officially endorse New York Connection in regards to the CC election and SuperFu for the SEAS. I firmly believe that these two parties will help take our class to the next level. Thank you for your interest.”

Oh and what’s this? A bonus SEAS endorsement for reasons unknown? Hooray!

Update, 11:15am: Mason Fitch of Vision 2012 would like it to be known that his party was not among those who sought “Stephan’s” endorsement. “Hooray for us,” he adds.

The list of all the 12s running for 2012 CCSC class council has been announced this morning, as campaigning began about an hour ago.

Come, let’s meet them, in alphabetical order! And then stick around later, and we’ll check out the groups’ Facebook offerings.

The Candor Party

Rolando Rodriguez, President

Jasmine Senior, Vice President

Alana Tung, Representative

Akito Terasaki, Representative

Suhaydee Tejeda, Representative

The Liberty Party

Syed Hossain, Representative

Read more…

Bwog’s Fu Foundation Bureau Chief Sean Zimmermann actually sat through the Night of 1,000 Speeches, or ESC’s 2012 candidate forum. His report, and some admittedly sub-par cameraphone pictures, follow.  

Gimmicks and costumes dominated the Engineering Student Council forum today, as each of the first year candidates concluded their campaigns with formal speeches. This year’s parties were: FuReal, Red, White, & Fu, Super Fu, Pirates of the SEAS, and JK. There were also unaffiliated candidates running in each category. The predominant themes of the speeches were expanding campus WiFi, improving food/dinning services, and building up the Columbia/SEAS community. 

Some quick observations, by the numbers:

• 0: Female presidential candidates
• 2: Male vice-presidential candidates
• 4: Candidates in costume (Spiderman, Arthur the Aardvark, and two pirates)
• 1: Gandhi quote
• 1: AWOL candidate (apparently complications stranded our hero in New Jersey)
  
  Read more…

Oh my, how time flies. Our 12s have only been on campus for about three weeks, and it’s already time for them to decide amongst themselves which of their kind should ascend to the glory of CCSC Class Council.

Campaigning doesn’t start until September 22nd — so don’t jump the gun 12s, you will be penalized — but Bwog’s received a list of group names, which are always the best part anyway. Let’s meet your CCSC hopefuls:

• New York Connection
• Vision 2012
• Candor Party
• Woof Party
• Real Party (the three person council)
• Liberty Party (the party of the independent representative)

The gumption! The spunk! We like them all, and look forward to seeing the names of the candidates released on the 22nd. Elections themselves are not until October 6th and 7th.

Bwog enlisted freshman correspondent Peter Thompson to report back with all the exciting details of the semester’s first Lit Hum class.

Notebooks and laptops in hand, the thousand or so 2012s filed in to Roone Arledge Auditorium this afternoon for their very first Columbia class. Professor Gareth Williams, chair of Lit Hum, started speaking at 12:35 PM, but it took almost a full minute for the 12s to quiet down.

Williams began by talking about how wonderful the Core, and specifically Lit Hum, is. Then he spent several eloquent minutes waxing poetic about the marvels of the Iliad, calling it a “human document” and saying it exists in a “timeless vacuum.” He also declared it a “miracle of advanced technology.” Just like an iPod.

The highlight of his lecture came when he asked the members of the audience whether they were on Agamemnon’s or Achilles’ side. The first girl who ventured to the mike was wearing a pink bandana, and at first had trouble getting the mike to work, but she told everyone not to worry, she could project.

Read more…

Embracing all things collegiate, Bwog joined the class of 2012 last night in Roone Arledge Auditorium for Class Act: Advance Screening.

Day One of NSOP challenged the wily troop of 12s with long lines, dorm room design, and familial farewells followed by awkward introductions and icebreakers.  But no odyssey draws to a close without its due reward. To initiate the 12s into dear alma mater, NSOP offered up an Class Act, an evening of campus tips and trivia and brazen leonine spirit.

As is tradition with all Columbia events, Class Act began a full half hour late. OLs and their charges kept busy with the multiple-choice quizlets projected on a screen at the front of the auditorium. Although this competitive and cognitive exercise quickly won the crowd’s attention, the first skit, featuring a cell phone toting personification of the Alma Mater statue, dragged on with repetitive, but well-received, nods to the new class.

Read more…

It’s Convocation time, and to celebrate, Columbia began by playing some warm-up music, including “525,600 Minutes,” which is a song from the tragedy RENT and is also what we predicted to be the amount of time this thing would start late. Fortunately, we were mistaken, and at 2:35 PM, the OLs marched in with colorful flags from many countries to the tune of many majestic horns — it was just like the Olympics, except no sports or competition. (We apologize for our thumb blocking your view of the top left corner of the photograph. There’s nothing behind it except more of Lerner and the tops of some flags.)

Interim Dean of Student Affairs Kevin Shollenberger welcomed the class of 2012 and congratulated them for being a part of our “family.” He talked a bit about alumni and how important they are (and then the 12s, and how diverse they are) before telling the the new students to stop by and have a cup of coffee with their adviser, all the time, just to chat. He then introduced Belinda Archibong, CC ’10, who is the coordinator of NSOP.

Read more…

Bwog spies report that the first batch of West Coast Terrible 12s have arrived on campus, with the others following in the next day or so. Because we were all once first-years — and the 12s need all the help they can get — we’ve put together a list of Surprisingly Useful Last-Minute things to pick up on the way to school. Use the comment section to suggest your own (or argue with ours). The 12s will reward you lavishly with praise and appreciation. 

• Stationery, even if it’s just a set of Post-It notes, you will make surprisingly good use of it
  
• A pair of scissors
  
• Stamps and envelopes
  
• A Sharpie, or perhaps a set of several
  
• For girls: A box — an old shoebox is fine — for all your jewelery. It will get dusty in desk/bureau drawers
  
• Towels, bring more towels than you think you’ll need
  
  Read more…