Last week, Bwog brought you the daring discoveries of Columbia’s most intrepid research scientists; two weeks ago we uttered our approval (or lack thereof) for newsworthy alums. This week, we bring Columbia’s finest faculty and awesomest alumni together in a feature uncreatively titled Monday Medley.

Theatre of the Deterred, Honors for the Deserved

Perhaps the Havel residency was her inspiration; maybe it was just a childhood obsession with the Muppets. Whatever the case, Bwog was amused to hear from tipster Elizabeth Mooers that Barnard Professor Kimberley Marten used an overhead projection of battling finger puppets to illustrate the Axis of Evil to her Intro to International Politics class today. We guess making class like a morning cartoon is one way to trick students out of bed on Monday.

Meanwhile, History of Human Rights professor Samuel Moyn has been named a “Top Young Historian” by the History News Network. In his “personal anecdote” the prof confesses he prefers bookstores to libraries, but has since come to find the “taste of the archive” appealing. Also included: plugs for Moyn’s book on Levinas, and quotes rather selectively copied-and-pasted from his CULPA page.

Late Night Loathing, 2008 Foreboding

Apparently Leno was an all-CC lineup on Friday night ; Barack Obama and Maggie Gyllenhaal were the guests. The crowd reaction to the Columbia name has caused a bit of prestige distress on Columbia’s anxiety-ridden College Confidential forum page, where some are ashamed Alma Mater’s name did not yield as many oohs-and-ahs as Obama’s other alma mater, Harvard Law. Some posters took the letdown personally. “I guess since you’d have to be brain dead or borderline-retarded to sit through one of his shows and not contemplate cutting yourself, that apathy is to be expected,” one wrote. We’re sure the Columbia PR department is actively tracking down the audience members to make sure they gasp in proper overawe in the future.

Speaking of Barack, the Times has it that he’s semi-kinda-officially now thinking of making a bid for the White House in 2008. He may have to face GS alum Mike Gravel, a former Alaska Senator, who has been among the few Democrats officially file for the race so far. And if one of them winds up facing Columbia Law alum George Pataki in the general election? Bwog envisions the electoral map painted nothing but light blue.

-CJS