18 Comments
Like many other college campuses, Columbia sees an explosion of events every April, as the warm weather and the pending exam period leads groups to trip over each other in occupying Low Plaza. The overlaps are hardly without amusement, of course: Bwog looks forward immensely to the 4/20 screening of Alice in Wonderland coinciding with the second half of Days on Campus (“Yeah, Mom, Columbia’s just like Brown!”).
Other screw-ups, though, verge somewhat more into the embarrassing category, and this year’s best example comes courtesy of our friends on the Columbia College Student Council, who scheduled not one but two events during the annual Take Back the Night march. Yes, tomorrow night students will be able to choose between marching against sexual violence, a Class of 2010 dinner at Campo, or, for the other three classes, King’s Ball: Bollywood Adventure in Roone (UPDATE: CCSC 2010 has moved now its class dinner to 7 p.m., though King’s Ball remains overlapping). Not since the days of “Pregame Lol!” vs. Barack Obama has such a critical event showdown confronted the campus.
In CCSC’s defense, the council has recognized the conflict, and has already taken steps to show its support for the march: CCSC members will be joining the march as it passes by Campo and then the Columbia campus. Nevertheless, since this is not the first calendaring mishap this year, perhaps next year’s council should check out this helpful site.
– JCD
Loading …
18 Comments
@... “Just because women get to lead the march, that doesn’t mean it leaves men out”
You’re right, they get to trail behind while self-flagellating and begging for mercy for their collective sins.
The argument from statistics doesn’t hold�many rape victims, if not the vast majority of them, are male, and as such they should be allowed to march in the ‘safe zone.’ I don’t understand why acknowledging the violence of rape means excluding men from the status of victimhood.
@uh? Seriously curious: where the shnikies do these statistics you cite come from?
Because that’s certainly not a statement I’ve ever run into before.
@... Umm.. the fact that 1 out 3 women have been victims of sexual violence speaks to the issue of women being more targeted.
No one is saying that men are not survivors of sexual assault, but you have to understand that historically women have been the ones who are victims. It’s only right that women get to lead the march.
The fact that men are marching speaks to the progress and the inclusion of the march. By having men in the march, it’s including and acknowledging male survivors.
@totally separate but equal is totally a step in the right direction
@Seriously? Since when is it a “snafu” if one student group schedules an event at the same time that another student group schedules an event? If the Class of 2011 held a dinner at the same time that CSC had a formal, it would hardly be considered a “snafu”- it would simply be a case where people are forced to choose what they are going to do. Same goes here. TBTN is a great cause and all, but every single student group on campus is not forced to cancel what they were scheduled to do on Thursday just so they can support this march.
@Dude You sure are getting worked up over a silly-sounding word.
@i alice in wonderland on 4/20
@Why not Do a mobile King’s Ball integrated into the March?
Though, I guess so many potential unwanted sexual actions in the eyes of the marchers may occur that it may spontaneously combust.
@also, Bwog kings ball is in roone…..not low
@Robyn CCSC was forced by UEM to schedule King’s Ball on Thursday because of the SEAS Days on Campus taking place in in Roone Arledge on Friday & POD on Saturday. We pre-calendared for all of the College Days events last November before any word of Take Back the Night was made known to the entire college and because it is an outdoor event coordinated mostly through Barnard, it did not appear on the list of pre-calendaring blackout dates. Because this is a full week of events, it was nearly impossible to place College Days at another time, especially given the neighboring religious holidays. And, if you understand university guidelines, there is no other space at Columbia to host a large-scale student event with alcohol so shifting the date of the event within the week was also not an option.
There are lots of events here so there will always be conflicts. This one is particularly unfortunate, but in writing this article, it would seem that the Bwog has made no effort to understand the particularities of this discrepancy .
CCSC encourages guests to visit Take Back the Night before and after joining us for a spectacular night at King’s Ball.
@asdf that was a fucking thorough response. an obama-like command of policy and detail. i’m an alum, so i don’t know ccsc, and say what you want about their capacity to accomplish stuff, but this robyn is obviously on her fucking grind trying to make things better for cu students. cheers.
@Obama Donated $1000 to Columbia. He *does* love us! Our puppy dog eyes still persuade.
@biology versus identity I dont feel like it discriminates, it just realizes that there are survivors who prefer to march around other IDENTIFIED women. I’m pretty sure the space at the front of the parade is meant for those who identify as women on a daily basis and is not at all based on biological sex..
@damn How unfortunate.I’m going to TBTN! It’s more important.
@... yes, i suppose it would be, if it didn’t actively stereotype and discriminate based on biological sex. “safe zone” = “man free zone”? really?
i will not be attending for this reason.
@TBTN for the record, TBTN members had many long discussions about the make-up of the march and are trying to be as inclusive as possible. if the women-led space doesn’t work out we will figure out how to restructure the march.
still, though, the event will be amazing! come one and all!
@damn I think that Take Back the Night has done an excellent job at including men into the march. Just because women get to lead the march, that doesn’t mean it leaves men out.
It’s unfortunate that usually men are the ones that commit acts of sexual violence, but that’s not what this march is about. It’s about acknowledging ALL SURVIVORS of sexual violence.
@CC2010 changed their class dinner — it’s now from 7 to 9, so people can go to the march…