886 Comments
In hugely unexpected news, Barnard has canceled Jill Abramson’s appearance at this year’s Commencement, in favor of the President of the United States, CC ’83. Barack Hussein Obama is confirmed to be delivering this year’s keynote address at Barnard’s graduating ceremony. Students have been campaigning to bring Obama to Columbia’s commencement for years, from casual sighs around this time of year, to the full-scale media onslaught that was the POTUS project of Sean Udell, CCSC class president of 2011. Apparently, all it took was Barnard’s Medal of Distinction.
For once, Bwog couldn’t agree more with PrezBo, who stated in the press release, “All of us can be proud that President Obama, the first Columbia graduate to serve in the nation’s highest office, has chosen to honor the importance of women’s leadership by returning to campus at our historic sister liberal arts college for women in New York.”
Barnard Prez DSpar sent the following email to the Barnard community at 10:00 am this morning:
Dear members of the Class of 2012,
I have exciting news to report. Each year, President Obama selects a small number of schools at which to deliver commencement addresses. This year, the President has chosen Barnard College and will address you, our senior class, on May 14th. This is a great honor and a testament to your collective intelligence and accomplishment. It will be a thrill for all of us to welcome President Obama and hear his words.
Jill Abramson, executive editor of The New York Times, was previously announced as the keynote speaker and has noted that she is happy to speak at Barnard at a later date.
As you might imagine, tickets for the ceremony will no longer be unlimited, but we will be as accommodating as possible to you and your families. We anticipate that each student will receive 6 tickets at a minimum. Dean Schneider and Lillian Appel will be contacting you with details on the logistics of the day, and we will continue to post updates on the Commencement website as the date approaches: www.barnard.edu/commencement.
I know that you share my excitement about this very special news. As ever, I look forward to celebrating your spectacular achievements on May 14th.
Super serious photo of Barack via Wikimedia Commons
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886 Comments
@Poll Nice site!
@Anonymous Having scanned this blog, many of the comments I have read do not reflect well upon either the manners or the intellectual standards of those who made them. It makes me think better of my own university in Australia where at least some recognition was awarded to both decency and the ability to argue through reason rather than vitriol. Moreover many bloggers seem to need remedial classes in English grammar and spelling.
@lark “The NY Times is now linking to this. How humiliating. Maybe it will cause people to see CU for what it is (a cesspool of entitlement and favoritism)…”
I’m here following media links. And hey! You Columbia guys are sordid and vile excuses for human beings. You launch torrents of abuse because you didn’t get what you wanted. Boo hoo. What a bunch of spoiled brats. What do you do to co-workers, to siblings, to ‘friends’, when you don’t get what you want? Beat them to a pulp? Is your frat house a rape chamber? Is your college nothing better than a pigsty?
For the likes of you we subsidize student loans? Now THAT is offensive.
Grow up.
@Anonymous Cuz it’s usually true. Misogyny is gross. Besides, give me a break. What college would turn down the f*ing PRESIDENT? If the president wants to talk to some ladies in an election year and tell them all about how much he respects them and will fight for their rights, then go for it. They’re not a special interest group, they’re women. Women are HALF of the freaking population (and over half of the voting population). I’d say it’s pretty justified.
@Alum Cut it out kids, this feed is reflecting poorly on the entire Columbia community as various national new organizations catch wind of it. Its embarrassing to all of us, past and current students.
@Anonymous I agree. The NY Times is now linking to this. How humiliating. Maybe it will cause people to see CU for what it is (a cesspool of entitlement and favoritism), and admissions to CC will drop… causing it be less selective.
If CC is less selective, would CC students stop their tired, old, vitriolic, hateful, despicable rhetoric that other students (who take the same classes with them and earn better grades) are somehow less worthy or intelligent than they are ?
Doubtful. People with emotional problems and insecurity issues don’t usually get over them when confronted with logic or reality.
@Vicky Barnard students have to write a thesis–CU students don’t (at least not when I went to BC).
BC has the country’s highest percentage of graduates who go on to get PhD’s (at least when I went, have not seen info on that lately).
My CC classes were large, impersonal lectures where some of the teaching and grading were done by TA’s. BC was a more personal environment–very competitive and hard, but more personal and individualized.
@Sqwerty Sheesh … I didn’t know that Barnard and Columbia were academic institutions for the intellectually disabled. The majority of the comments on this thread should embarass the student bodies of both. We may not have students as smart as some of you in our local community college … but for damn sure they are more intelligent than most of the students that have been posting here.
@Well_Seasoned After reading a random sampling of the comments on this thread, I can only conclude that the Ivy League … and Columbia in particular … has an overblown reputation. We would all be better served if the President would restrict his commencement addresses to service academies where the students are intelligent enough to avoid the stupidity and cat-fighting that has been demonstrated here.
@Linda On this page alone, there are about 400 reasons not to waste an expensive private education on 18-22 year old kids. If even half of these negative comments are actually coming from students at Barnard and Columbia, it may be time for some of you to take a few years off, grow up a little, and go back to school when you are mature enough to appreciate it.
@Lou The unfortunate thing about Barnard students is that they refuse to just be grateful for the advantages they’ve received. One of the best things women, or ANYONE for that matter, can learn is to keep his or her head down and work hard while the haters are hating.
Barnard girls, you are lucky to get an Ivy League education with the credentials for a lesser school, so take advantage of it! The President of the United States of America is coming to speak at your graduation. Listen! Take it on board!! Don’t waste your time arguing your right to what you have been given.
@maddalen Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaang peeps … yawl are crazee man. C’mon. Obama offered to speak because of the whole Sandra Fluke – Rush Limbaugh flap. It was the BEST move he coulda made. Shows treeeee-mendous support and respect for womankind, and is totally appropriate. I’m just a-mazed everyone’s so busy navel-gazing no one picked up on this little not very subtlety, and am a-stounded that this lil post of mine’s gonna be the FIRST mention of that flap in relation to Obama’s decision to ask to speak at the Barnard 2012 commencement. Personally, I think it’s fantastic. Wish I could be there to listen!
@Anonymous Whatever happened to this? (http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/comdev/principles)
Columbia University Community Statement:
Columbia University is a community of students, faculty, alumni, staff and visitors. As members of this community we understand that our actions as individuals impact not only our own lives but also those of our community. Through these principles we can continually engage each other in order to understand our differences and similarities.
We believe that intellectual discourse in all forms is essential to the University; as such it is vital that we give all perspectives a place to be expressed.
We are all responsible to this community and affirm that we treat each other with respect and dignity.
Members of our community act with honesty by accepting accountability for their words and actions, and maintaining the integrity of the community as a whole.
As members of the University with different experiences and ideas, we actively engage each other to understand, appreciate and accept our various identities.
We participate in a free and open community and ask that all those who come within our gates act in accordance with these principles.
It hangs right in Lerner Hall for everyone to see…does it not mean anything?
@Obama Aye, after party in the white house.
@kitties http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bmhjf0rKe8
@Anonymous fo ma ladiez- barnard AND columbia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um7-aXEhMfM
@Anonymous This was NEVER about Obama’s choice of Barnard vs Columbia. How incredibly stupid of everyone to think so. It is about Obama wanting a platform to discuss women’s issues. He chose Barnard. Good. His other choices would likely have been Wellesley, Vassar, Smith, and so on. BUT COLUMBIA WAS NEVER AN OPTION IN HIS MIND. This demonstrates how infantile and insecure the CC students are who have been bashing their colleagues at BC. I suppose you would all be happy if Obama changed his venue to Smith and screwing the whole of Columbia University ? How utterly stupid and self destructive.
@Anonymous This is a crisis of leadership. Barnard and the Columbia have not agreed on how to articulate their relationship. Embarrassed and dismissive comments by the respective presidents fan the flame at a time when the university looks to them for strong ethical leadership. As long as the administrations harbor a divide, students will follow suit.
It is time for a joint statement by the Chairs of both Boards of Trustees that formally clarifies the relationship, the reasoning behind it, and the shared mission of collegial integrity. Until then, students will continue to speculate, as they have for decades, to everyone’s detriment.
Trustees must be reading the shameful nature of the commentary, asking themselves, “Are these really tomorrow’s leaders in whom we are investing?”
@Anonymous From a Columbia College 01 grad: the real problem is that Columbia College never has a brag-worthy Class Day speaker. We never get Oprah, or Conan, or Stephen Colbert. For my class, we had David Boies. He is a lawyer. How freaking exciting. He represented Gore in Bush v. Gore and lost. Then he came to our Class Day and called the Class of 2001 “the Class of 2000”. So that was awesome. The year before that it was Brian Dennehy, the actor. I’m pretty sure his first line was, “You may not know who I am, but my name is Brian Dennehy, and I’m an actor.” Instead of getting pissy and jealous about what the people across the street are doing, maybe Columbia College should focus on getting a good Class Day speaker.
@CC '13 To all of the CC and SEAS students attacking Barnard students on their perceived intellectual inferiority: have you ever left the comfort of your John Jay single long enough to even interact with a Barnard student? Your comments would indicate that you haven’t. I implore you to take a good look at each of the students in your classes (apart from your Core classes); how many of your classmates are Barnard students that you have either: a) learned of their college affiliation and instantly discredited; or b) maybe never realized were Barnard students, but have been contributing members of your classroom community, just as every other student has?
@BMC '13 I am a student at Bryn Mawr College, which is another one of the “Seven Sisters” located in Pennsylvania. I was linked to this thread by a BMC friend.
The vitriol here is appalling. I haven’t felt so unclean since I last heard Rush Limbaugh. The comments range from the sadly ignorant (“Barnard women didn’t work as hard as us in high school”) to the shockingly misogynistic (“Blue and White Vagina”). Furthermore, if anyone who did not attend an Ivy League school is curious about the petty obsessions and insecurities that dominate the nation’s so-called “elite” educational institutions, this thread is pretty damn illuminating.
Seriously, I never realized that Columbia was so preoccupied with Harvard. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Columbia’s impressive billion-dollar initiative to expand facilities in Harlem is, among other things, an effort to restore the “balance of power” in the Ivy League to its dynamic prior to Columbia’s student riots of the 1960s. But here’s the thing: I guarantee you that the Harvard undergrads up in Boston don’t spend nearly as much time obsessing over their Columbia counterparts as you guys do over them. So, all this fussing comes across as just plain tacky. It also reeks of a huge inferiority complex, which is the only reason I can think of that Columbia students would direct so much anger towards Barnard. You feel small, so you try to make other people feel small.
Why can’t you guys get angry over something that really counts? Remove your heads from your insular butts and look around. The world is full of injustices. The fact that you sometimes have to share a classroom with students from Barnard College is not one of them. If you are so dismissive of people who did not graduate from the Ivy League now, I shudder to think of how limited the rest of your lives will be. Lee Bollinger, whose comments in the March 5 NYTs article indicated a blase attitude towards this whole mess, should think a little harder about the bubble his students are in.
Congratulations, Barnard, on landing Obama as a commencement speaker. Your envious Sisters at Bryn Mawr are cheering for you.
P.S. To the haters, just because I can’t resist: ever heard of Drew Gilpin Faust? The incumbent president of Harvard University? Know where she went as an undergraduate? Bryn Mawr. That’s right. A women’s college, where she clearly learned a little more than just “housewife training.”
Suck on THAT!
@CC Senior To everyone blaming Columbia students for this entire argument, please read through all of the comments above. Yes, there are some angry Columbia students spewing needless hate against Barnard, but there are just as many Barnard students spewing needless hate against Columbia.
The fact that some Barnard student up there felt the need to bring up Harvard out of nowhere and call us Columbia students “Harvard rejects” is no better than Columbia students calling Barnard students “Columbia rejects.” Yes, there are some angry Columbia students who have been degrading Barnard students and saying mean/hateful/untrue things, but as a Columbia student who has actually been speaking out AGAINST such hate, I’m extremely disappointed to see that there are Barnard students (and students from other schools) spewing mean/hateful/untrue things about Columbia students in retaliation.
Please remember there is a legitimate reason why many Columbia students are upset about Obama’s decision to speak at Barnard. Obama is, after all, a Columbia College alumnus — and as a Columbia senior, I can say it does sort of feel like we are being shafted for Barnard. Now, I think Barnard is a great school and I am not commenting in any way, shape, or form on the quality of a Columbia education vs a Barnard education. All I am saying is that I wish Obama would speak to Columbia students because this is his alma mater! I mean, wouldn’t you Barnard students feel a little insulted if a famous alum of yours decided to speak at Columbia’s graduation instead of Barnard’s? Especially if you guys had been trying to get that famous alum to speak at YOUR graduation for over a year now.
Now, I’m not trying to defend Columbia students who are degrading Barnard students–I think it’s awful that some Columbia students feel the need to release their anger by spewing hate against Barnard. It is obviously not Barnard’s fault that Obama decided to speak at their school instead of ours. All I am saying is that just like I wish Columbia students would calm down and stop insulting Barnard students, I wish Barnard students would try to be a little more understanding of why some Columbia students may be a bit upset by this and not try to insult us in return! Stop rubbing it in our face that you guys “got Obama.” Stop calling us “Harvard rejects.” Stop pointing out why a Barnard education is supposedly better than a Columbia education. There are good and bad things about both schools. Let’s leave it at that and stop the hate.
@really? As someone who was accepted to Columbia 5 years ago and turned it down, I have to say I’ve never been happier with that decision than today. You Columbia trolls are really, really, really embarrassing your university and basically disqualifying yourself from Obama ever speaking at your school in the future.
Grow up. Calm down. You’re elitist and need to realize that your supposed “superiority” and “accomplishments” count for little and inwardly you know that. That futility makes you angry. Angry like 3rd-graders throwing a tantrum and it’s nauseating for all of us to watch. A little quote from Joseph Conrad for you: Strength “is nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others.” It could all too easily flip the other way. Anyway, I don’t blame Obama for seeing more potential in a group of women from a college with a higher acceptance rate than from a place that produces toddlers like you. Enjoy graduation!
@jumbo mutha I think most of the frustration stems from the fact that CCSC dropped the ball big time this year. I don’t remember seeing his name on the possible nominees for speakers and I don’t think CCSC seriously pursued the idea. (CCSC- if I’m mistaken, please correct me).
The biggest frustration is the fact that of the eligible speakers (only Columbia alums) Obama is most well-known. He basically represents the pinnacle of a Class Day speaker and now Barnard gets him. Nothing against Barnard, but its kind of rude, considering the fact that THEY CAN GET ANYONE TO SPEAK (no grad requirement) and they picked our best man.
Kind of like a guy who breaks up with you and can get any girl, but he chooses your best friend.
@Anonymous People need to be happier with what they have/do so they’re less threatened by or unreasonably pissed about what others have/do.
Also, who doesn’t like a good sandwich? I know I do.
@BC '14 Wow, this whole thread has made me feel so much better about myself as a person! I can really see why we need all this wellness stuff. I didn’t realize how many students harbor serious insecurities about their educations and identities. It’s OK, people. Just learn and make friends and graduate! And try to remember that misogyny is wrong! Barnard’s not going anywhere – sorry! No, wait, I’m not.
If you think Barnard is taking away from your education, you’re seeing the world through a lens of narcissism. Hope somebody tries to pull this shit in a classroom with students from every school. Be fun to see what happens. Until then, thanks again for the self esteem boost.
@CC '14 Any time, Barnard. Always willing to help those chronically in need of self-esteem boosts.
@Anonymous Nothing like a bunch of spoiled entitled shitforbrains whining on the internet about their first world problems.
@Anonymous call us ‘cum dumpsters’ and ‘sandwich makers’ as much as you’d like. at the end of the day he still chose to speak here. revel in it, suck on it, take it out to breakfast, cause that fact is not going anywhere.
@Anonymous hey guys i really want people to stop hating on barnard. i just looked it up online, and their admission rates for males is like so low. one of the lowest in the country. if that doesn’t say exclusive institution i don’t know what does
@BC2013 It is an incredibly rare occurrence for me to even take note of the stuff floating around on BWOG, but after hearing my roommate read off some of the revolting comments on here, I had to stop and look. I can’t believe the useless arguing in this feed. What kind of community Columbia University anyway? I feel like whenever I find some intellectual solidarity I let overly pretentious comments like these sink under my skin. Barnard does NOT have to justify itself as an institution of higher learning, nor do Barnard students have to pit themselves against CC, SEAS, or GS students. We take the same classes, get over it.
The admissions statistics are not an end all be all for the value of an institution and have a variety of factors behind them, just as the university and college rankings do. Pay attention to them. If you’re claiming to be as “highly educated” as you say you are, then remember that critical thinking is a skill that both of our core curriculums aim to teach.
Barnard’s core curriculum is different than CC’s core, no doubt…. but look at GS and SEAS. To each his/her own.
This type of inter-community sexism and elitism is harmful to all here. If we are supposed to be high-powered intellectuals with worldly concerns, people need to grow up and come out of this cloud of SAT scores, philosophy quotes, and their own insecurity.
@Anonymous You are all the future leaders of tomorrow wherever you come from -GS, CC, BC or SEAS. Realize that in ten/twenty years, you are ALL going to be doing amazing things -prepping for the next surgery you are conducting, starting your own NGOs, building a start-up, finishing what feels like a never ending PhD or maybe even running for president. And you’ll all do these things together -dancing at each others weddings and sharing in each others success and sorrows along the way. In the process, you’ll meet hundreds of people more brilliant than you, from a range of different colleges, countries and backgrounds and the need to constantly validate yourselves will fade (for most, although there are some who never kick the habit if there is nothing else for them to hold on to). It will be what you give back to the world with the tremendous talents you are developing at this University, that confers degrees to the students of all four schools, which will speak for themselves once you are outside of an educational system.
With that in mind, it’s a sad day when it’s not one of your outstanding accomplishments, but internal hatred and jealousy that makes it to the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03…
Life is too short to engage in mudslinging, tribalism and sibling like rivalries. For the undergraduate students that are fueling this vitriolic dialogue -you are
better than this. Please get it together and stop slandering the name of an amazing University, with such juvenile and pompous behavior that is embarrassing for alumni to have to read and be indirectly associated with. Each of the four undergraduate colleges contributes to the rich history and unique fabric of this tremendous University. You are capable of so many positive possibilities Columbia -please focus your energies on that and keep building your community, which is much more powerful than dividing it. Congratulations to the Class of 2012 -there is a world full of CU alumni who are excited for you and your tremendous potential and know that you will live up to it.
@END OF STORY http://www.change.org/petitions/barnard-college-and-columbia-university-stand-in-solidarity-with-the-women-of-barnard-and-columbia-against-misogyny?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=own_wall
Sign the petition and let others know that you do not condone hatred.
@Barnard student This is so embarrassing.
@Anonymous Just want you all to please keep SEAS women outta this cuz, well, we’re too engrossed in problem sets and trying to make up for how blatantly outnumbered by men we are to care about all the other stuff Barnard/CC women do (and yes, I group you together because you’re all liberal arts, humanities, and sciences etc)…. And I find offense that you used COLOMBIA in front of bit$h, I’m from Colombia, so please, no more typos because nationality might just make this messier.
@King ALL OF YOU NEED TO SHUT UP.
Who cares if Obama is going across the street to speak at Barnard? Why does that make you any worse than the Barnard students? Your only association with Obama is that you attended an institution that views you as nothing more than a walking dollar sign.
You are disgracing the entire community with your sexist comments. If your entire college experience is being ruined by the President’s trip to Barnard, then you obviously should have attended another institution.
@The other side: Please refrain from making nonsensical momments about how you are proud to pilfer Columbia resources; I see nothing glorious about leaching off of others.
@kitty meow!!!!
@Anonymous i like kitties
@Pomona Student I’m sorry, I accidentally posted this earlier as a response to another comment that was not wholly relevant. I’m posting it again because I think everyone here needs to hear it.
I came to this page after reading an article about it on Jezebel. The comments I have read on this page are revolting. I am now confident that I made the right choice to avoid applying to the Ivy League altogether because the Columbia students have proven themselves to be the very same elitist, petty shits that they are stereotyped to be and that I had hoped to avoid.
I do not know anything from experience about the qualifications of Columbia vs. Barnard, as I did not consider either in my own application process. However, I do know that calling a woman a cum-dumpster, easy, or any other irrelevant name or slur to imply something about her academic abilities is despicable and mind-numbingly immature (not to mention a raging logical fallacy, which ought to be far below the intellectual standards that the Columbia students here have been puffing their chests out about).
I cannot believe that these horrendous comments are coming out of a little petty fucking jealously. You are so inappropriately proud of your University (and trust me, it is inappropriate – you are impressive, but not that impressive), yet your behavior smacks of appalling insecurity. If I were the POTUS and I witnessed students from my alma mater behaving in such a manner, I would apologize on their behalf and threaten to sever all ties until a formal apology was issued. I can only say that he seems to have made the right decision by not speaking at Columbia.
@Columbia 2012 Relax – we’re not all misogynists, only a few people arguing back and forth on an anonymous blog are.
Besides, you go to Pomona. It’s a private elitist education in a state with phenomenal public alternatives. You have a reputation too, and it’s far from perfect.
@not from CU or Barnard i think obama is a very gracious and fair individual. we need more presidents like him, he didn’t let his education, fame and wealth get to his head
@Anonymous http://jezebel.com/5890888/barnard-columbia-at-war-over-obama-feminazis-and-cum-dumpsters
Wowzers!
@Faculty Barnard College gives about 5 Million to the university a year for Barnard enrolled students to have access to university wide facilities. Additionally, all CU students take both BC and CU classes. My class last semester had 200 students in it. Approximately 40 % Barnard College, 40 % Columbia College, and 20 % general studies and / or engineering. I’ve taught here for over a decade and find that there is a range of ability across all of the undergraduate colleges. In general I would say that very few of the faculty have any idea which college the students in their courses are enrolled.
I’m in my office right now and a group of students are in the departmental lobby. I just asked them about all this and they said that they find the whole thing appalling and embarrassing and that they wish everyone would get back to studying for midterms.
@BC '12 http://jezebel.com/5890888/barnard-columbia-at-war-over-obama-feminazis-and-cum-dumpsters
@Anonymous Barnard College gives about 5 Million to the university a year for Barnard enrolled students to have access to university wide facilities. Additionally, all CU students take both BC and CU classes. My class last semester had 200 students in it. Approximately 40 % Barnard College, 40 % Columbia College, and 20 % general studies and / or engineering. I’ve taught here for over a decade and find that there is a range of ability across all of the undergraduate colleges. In general I would say that very few of the faculty have any idea which college the students in their courses are enrolled.
I’m in my office right now and a group of students are in the departmental lobby. I just asked them about all this and they said that they find the whole thing appalling and embarrassing and that they wish everyone would get back to studying for midterms.
@why barnard is important http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/are-womens-colleges-outdated/
@Q Everyone on this campus takes everything so damn seriously. Deep breaths.
@India Choquette For my entire life, people have presented me with seemingly objective reasons as to why I am inferior. A small sampling: You’re a woman. You’re from a poor family. Your father is an alcoholic. You weigh too much. Or, for example, you attend a less selective institution and therefore, your intellect is of a lesser value. And while I cannot argue as to my sex, my weight, or Barnard’s acceptance rates—for these are facts—I choose to ignore the conclusions people have drawn from them. Elitism—like racism and sexism—often employs and interprets hard data in a way that seemingly justifies their mentality. Racists glom on to any biological difference that discovered between blacks and white (Dr. Watson studies of DNA evolution are gleefully interpreted as proof!), sexists consistently study the physical differences between men and women (testosterone is the key to success! We should inject it in women if they want to be equal!). Elitism, while seemingly less extreme and somehow more palatable, falls into the same pattern. When it was announced that President Obama was coming to speak at Barnard, what ensued was an onslaught of hateful elitist comments from Columbia students, and upset Barnard students trying to defend themselves by labeling the CC students as sexists. I don’t know if they are sexists. I suppose it is possible. But I am certain they are elitists. And while there is nothing wrong with having pride in your accomplishments, using those same accomplishments in attempt to prove your superiority is quite an incredible feat of mental bull-shit-ery. The truth remains: it is impossible to find an objective means to create a hierarchy among people. Not money. Not alma mater. Not gender. Not even happiness. Any argument that claims to prove superiority is built a subjective, and therefore logically invalid, argument. To all my fellow students who feel offended and hurt by the comments of those few CC students, know that theirs is a rotten argument based on overly interpretive facts. And while it is said that nothing lasts, I would like to point out that rotten things ultimately last for considerably less time.
@Makes Sense? Let’s see.
1. Obama’s speaking at Barnard commencement.
2. Barnard is part of Columbia university.
3. Obama is speaking at a Columbia commencement.
Every Columbia student can say that Obama is speaking at their commencement.
@Makes Sense? 1. Obama’s speaking at Barnard commencement.
2. Barnard is part of Columbia university.
3. Obama is speaking at a Columbia commencement.
Every Columbia student can say that Obama is speaking at their commencement.
@Makes sense? 1. Obama’s speaking at Barnard commencement.
2. Barnard is part of Columbia university.
3. Obama is speaking at a Columbia commencement.
Every Columbia student can say that Obama is speaking at their commencement.
@hmmmm #ThatAwkwardMoment when you realize mid-argument that you’re deadthefuck WRONG.
@Anonymous has this reached a comment max?
@YOU...are a dumb ass I understand that you are trying to make a point but do NOT downplay other colleges and/or disregard them as “terrible” colleges because my sister AND her husband graduated from Hampton UNIVERSITY and she’s in her first year of residency and he’s the CEO for a corporate company now.
@Anonymous Hmmm…. so a national politician requests to be the commencement speaker at a women’s college coincidentally during a time women’s health is a nationally a political hot topic – sounds like a smart political maneuver. I don’t attend either Barnard College or Columbia College, just a liberal voter making an observation…
@Recent Engineering grad Simply put, Barnard classes are much easier than Columbia classes.
It does not matter if you are a Barnard student and you take Columbia classes and think you’re all high and mighty. This is how the world works. Barnard is a school with a higher acceptance rate, and that’s that. It does not matter why. That is what the world sees. No one really cares outside of your friends, family, and classmates how smart you are. The world sees Barnard as being under Columbia in prestige, academics, and difficulty. That is how the world works so grow up. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you’ll have the proper confidence to succeed in the real world without pissing people off with your arrogance.
Obama graduated from Columbia. Of course we Columbia students are going to bitch and moan when he chooses to speak at Barnard. This is obviously politically motivated, but we’ll get over it.
@Anonymous Drat, I guess I forgot about that age old universal law which states that the lower an institution’s acceptance rate, the greater the difficulty of its classes.
Or maybe this is the sort of (flawed and arrogant) reasoning one only learns by attending an elite engineering school…
@Anonymous Also:
SEAS acceptance rate is higher (albeit not by much) than CC. Will you still defend your comparison of acceptance rate to class difficulty in this instance?
http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2011/03/30/cc-admit-rate-drops-64-percent
@Sarcastic Hopefully you can get into a prestigious grad school with a 0% acceptance rate. That way you can truly feel accomplished in life! Omg flawed mathematical logic from a SEAS student. I never thought I’d see the day.
@Recent MIT Grad Simply put, Columbia classes are much easier than MIT classes.
It does not matter if you are a Columbia student and you take read MIT OpenCourseWare lectures and think you’re all high and mighty. This is how the world works. MIT is a school with a higher acceptance rate, and that’s that. It does not matter why. That is what the world sees. No one really cares outside of your friends, family, and classmates how smart you are. The world sees MIT as being under Columbia in prestige, academics, and difficulty. That is how the world works so grow up. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you’ll have the proper confidence to succeed in the real world without pissing people off with your arrogance.
Kofi Annan graduated from MIT. Of course we MIT students are going to bitch and moan when he chooses to speak at Columbia. This is obviously politically motivated, but we’ll get over it.
@Recent MIT Grad Simply put, Columbia classes are much easier than MIT classes.
It does not matter if you are a Columbia student and you read MIT OpenCourseWare lectures and think you’re all high and mighty. This is how the world works. MIT is a school with a higher acceptance rate, and that’s that. It does not matter why. That is what the world sees. No one really cares outside of your friends, family, and classmates how smart you are. The world sees Columbia as being under MIT in prestige, academics, and difficulty. That is how the world works so grow up. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you’ll have the proper confidence to succeed in the real world without pissing people off with your arrogance.
Kofi Annan graduated from MIT. Of course we MIT students are going to bitch and moan when he chooses to speak at Columbia. This is obviously politically motivated, but we’ll get over it.
@Anonymous So wait, Ahmadinejad is speaking at the CC commencement? That’s all I understood from this wall of bullshit.
@I wonder... Will the varsity show have the balls to include this controversy in 118?
@CCTTT I’m surprised with all this controversy about Barnard – that it hasn’t spiraled this discussion into the analogous topic of affirmative action
@Anonymous This whole thread just shows how pathetic some members of the Columbia community are. They need to bash Barnard to feel better about themselves because they are jealous that the President is coming to speak? How pathetic. People who are that silly should not even be bragging of being students at CC because if the admissions committee knew how pathetic they were, they would not let them in in the first place.
And please, instead of calling Barnard students dumb because the admissions rate is higher, can you please recall those 20 private tutors that did your homework for you and helped you get good scores on your SATs and also the professional who corrected your admissions essay for you? Let’s be honest here…
@Anonymous I am a CC grad of 1977. As such I spent two of the best years of my life dorming at Barnard. I took some landmark classes in Barnard. I have lost all perception of a Barnard-Columbia rivalry. We are both high powered shools with high powered students. United we stand! Let us all united welcome President Obama back to the academy where he belongs!
Brian Corwin CC ’77
@BC '12 All of you CC students really have no idea why students go to Barnard. I applied ED (no ‘rejected from Columbia’ BS here), and I applied not to gain a Columbia degree, but because Barnard fit everything that I wanted in a school. I didn’t want to be part of a huge research institution where the students are numbers and there are very few personal relationships between students and faculty. I didn’t want to be under an administration where I was part of a huge statistic, where I felt lost in the sea of students. I applied to Barnard because it is a small liberal arts college, with small classes, incredible professors, and the intimacy of a legitimate community. Yes, it’s great that I can take classes at Columbia, (though I’ve only found two worth taking), and yes, I’m sure my degree that says Columbia will prove useful. It is a beautiful affiliation, I’m not denying that. I do understand the frustration of CC students, though there are very few Barnard women who applied solely to leech off of Columbia. Just as there are very few CC students bitter enough to comment on this blog…..now everyone grow the fuck up and smile. If you don’t like the situation you’re in (this is directed at you, CC students) then do something about it, instead of hurrying off to grad school, and then hurrying off to the job that pays the most. You are the students who perpetuate your elitist reputation, just as you are the students who continue to graduate with bitterness about the lack of ‘community’ that you experience, without trying to address that issue.
On another note- any student who feels that their four years at CC will have a ‘sour taste’ because of your subpar speaker, that is the most pathetic thing I’ve ever heard. Your four years must have lacked any hint of passion for that to even be possible. Yes, Obama will be inspiring. I’m sure students will manage to remember one catch phrase, but perhaps not even that. In the end, no one remembers what the speaker actually says, and it’s all watered down to bragging rights. Anyone who actually cares about bragging rights has no sense of self esteem at all. I love my CC friends, but for the few who are making hateful comments…..it’s really not helping your case. At all. But if it makes you feel that much better, I’m happy for you.
@Anonymous This whole thread is a classic example of the idiocy of arguing on the internet.
@Irish Will Ahmadinejad wouldn’t have picked Barnard over Columbia.
@frattylight Obama is a GDI
@The V This is what we get for granting women suffrage.
@ohrlly Forever alone.
@GS '16 THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAVE A NICE DAY EVERYBODY :) <3 <3!!!
@Anonymous The NYT settles the debate:
“Obama’s decision to give the commencement speech at Barnard, and not Columbia, his alma mater across the street…”
@Paper of Record The NYT settles the debate:
“Obama’s decision to give the commencement speech at Barnard, and not Columbia, his alma mater across the street…”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/nyregion/with-obama-to-speak-at-barnard-strong-emotions-at-columbia.html?smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto
@Anonymous Look, we made the NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/nyregion/with-obama-to-speak-at-barnard-strong-emotions-at-columbia.html?_r=2
pathetic.
@prefosh BC'16 After following the coverage on Obama speaking at Barnard and then the surge of hate between the two schools on the Spec and Bwog (esp. Bwog), I am slightly terrified of coming to school next year. Before this happened, I was very ready to accept the tension filled relationship between the two colleges thinking it only occurs online, but now I’m not too sure. Perhaps this is just a general “welcome to the interwebz” sort of thing..
@Alum It’s only the idiots that care about the Barnard-Columbia “controversy”. It’s one integrated student body. The only time we give a shit about the distinctions is when we have to sign each other in at dorms.
For example, I was part of the CU Marching Band. One year, the top leadership was practically all Barnard. We don’t care if you’re BC, CC, SEAS, GS, etc. You just have to play an instrument (a stick against a mailbox counts), be loud, and be willing to offend good taste and decency. And hate Penn. Because Penn Sucks.
@BC 14 You should make up your own mind, but I can safely say that most of the people I know (Columbia AND Barnard) have been fairly appalled by what’s happening, and have found this inter-war incredibly pathetic and a bad reflection on their own schools. There are vile comments made by vile people, but in all honesty, anyone who will matter during your time here – the people who you will admire, the mature individuals who spend a lot of effort moving onto higher planes of thought, working steadily, and collaborating with others, regardless of their school affiliation – are too decent and awesome to give an honest shit about something as petty and useless as this. Most of these commenters don’t have the balls to say anything disparaging about Barnard in real life, and the ones who do provide a fairly accurate litmus test as to the ones you want to stay away from. I would encourage you to talk to some current Barnard students about this. I would be lying if I said that this kind of low-grade douchebaggery didn’t piss me off from time to time, but it hasn’t lessened my experience here in any significant way, and I love going to Barnard. Good luck.
@Anonymous Looks like even the New York Times picked up the douchebaggery happening here…
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/nyregion/with-obama-to-speak-at-barnard-strong-emotions-at-columbia.html?_r=1
@Anonymous Congrats guys, you made the new york times!!
“After Barnard Gets Obama for Speech, Tensions With Columbia Bubble Up” by Richard Pena
@Anonymous Congrats guys, you made the new york times!
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/nyregion/with-obama-to-speak-at-barnard-strong-emotions-at-columbia.html?_r=2&emc=eta1
@Anonymous Barnard students:
You keep trying, rather unsuccessfully in my opinion to put down Columbia students. But at the same time you call yourselves a part of Columbia which confuses the heck out of me. You’re with us when it works for you and against us at the first time a notable thing happens at your school. I for one am pretty happy that my graduation won’t be ridden with journalists and all about the graduation speaker.
@anon “You keep trying, rather unsuccessfully in my opinion to put down Columbia students.”
I really want to say something along the lines of “pot kettle black” down, especially in light of the fact that certain Columbia students put down Barnard students ALL THE TIME, but it’s safer to assume that you’re just trolling. Good day.
@Anonymous Here’s what I have trouble understanding: if Barnard and Columbia are two separate communities, then why are people from CC so mad? Did you complain when he spoke at Miami-Dade College last year?
@Faculty I am currently grading midterms. None of you are that smart.
@Daryl Seitchik I made a comic in response to all the nasty things people said on this thread:
http://darylseitchik.com/?p=522
@Anonymous Oh my god you rich white kids shut the FUCK up. No one cares. Go back to Connecticut. Go back to Westchester. Go back to Marin County. Go back to Laurel Canyon. Go back to Highland Park. Go home! You’re rich. You’re white. Get over it. This is just Exeter 2.0 for you dumb fucks. College is like fucking HOGWARTS for you KIDS. It’s retarded. For me this is work, not a game. I’m not here to fit in with stupid (really most of you are quite unintelligent), shallow one-percenters here on legacy. Rich kids are stupid and these comments just prove it. The one thing you have is your money and unfortunately that will get you farther in life than my hard work. Go kiss your mom and dad CEO. Go drive your BMW, Mercedes, whateverthefuckexpensivecar on winter/summer break. But when the revolution comes you better fucking hide. Because it will be OFF with your heads and we will be taking you little fucking rich bitches 2 by 2 to the gallows and 3 by 3 to the guillotine. You better fucking pray we don’t find you.
@SEAS '15 You really have no fucking clue, do you? Not everyone at Columbia got here because of money.
My family is by no means rich. I come from the lower middle class. My parents aren’t CEOs of anything. They work modest jobs. I get nearly full financial aid. I don’t live in a rich suburb. I live in a rural area. I went to a public high school. I didn’t get a car until halfway through senior year of high school. It was not a BMW, Mercedes, or anything of the sort. It is a 13 year old Chevrolet sedan. My summer break was spent working a blue-color job in a factory for barely over minimum wage so I could afford to spend money while at school.
I got into Columbia because I worked my ass off and I take offense at your notion that everyone is here because of “Daddy’s money”.
You need to get your shit straight before you make glaringly incorrect generalizations.
@Anonymous To Barnard:
Your worth is far too great to pay any mind to the repugnant comments made by Columbia’s minority of outspoken undergrads; you are distinguished and dignified young women and deserve the respect the community has for you.
Do not pay attention; you cannot be disparaged when you do not acknowledge their remarks.
Continue on the path you’ve cleared and revel in the fruit yielded by your endeavors.
You are strong, bold, beautiful Barnard women; the world eagerly awaits you.
We know that you will not disappoint…
Congratulations.
– LV, BC 2012
@fuck this shit lets talk about cornell.
GO BIG RED!!!
@anon I don’t understand why some of you Barnard-bashing students can’t make at least a halfhearted effort to act like a decent person with a proportionate-sized ego by expressing your disappointment in a healthy, impersonal way and grudgingly congratulate Barnard seniors for having the unbelievable honor of getting to hear Obama, like any other regular, normal human being. Are you this uptight in real life? Can you at least have the balls to say it to our faces?
And for the last time, for chrissakes, we GET that Obama is doing it for political reasons. No shit, he’s only modeled his entire career and presidency around politically-motivated decisions. No, most of us don’t think we’re getting Obama because we’re such Special Little Snowflakes, but I actually love that he’s trying to throw out a symbolic display of support for women’s rights in light of the recent shenanigans. It’s fantastic! No it’s okay, you really don’t have to feel bad for us. I think we’ll get over being parlayed into a feminist political gesture, being a relatively liberal all-women’s college in the first place and all that.
It really sucks and I wish Barnard could share its class day with the rest of Columbia University as well as the unfortunate non-senior Barnard students, but the rest of you need to take a deep breath, scribble your heartaches onto a piece of paper, let it float out of the window, and let it go. And then look at yourself in the mirror, proudly grin, and say aloud, “I am a COLUMBIA COLLEGE STUDENT and nothing can take that away from me. I’m a star, I’m a star, I’m a big bright shining star. That’s right.”
And then use some of that critical thinking you’ve acquired in Lit Hum or CC to rationalize why the existence of Barnard, or Obama coming to Barnard, isn’t the end of the world, and that Obama will probably come speak at CC after he leaves office. Finito.
@RUSH LIMBAUGH BC, CC, Georgetown….YOU’RE ALL SLUTS
@and now, the weekend is almost over... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA0IpS_3S-0
@Bahahahahahaha This is so funny. And I really hope no one wasted the time it would take to read all 723 comments.
@Student From a Barnard grad on Huff Post in the comments section regard the news that Obama is speaking at Barnard:
“What a cool thing. Madeline Albright spoke at my commencement. But we were all too hung over from the parties the night before to really enjoy it. My mom listened though lol.”
@ccalum88 I am very upset over all this hate and stupidity! Are CC women responsible for all this hatred and stupidity? If so, you are a disgrace! Or, is it a mixture of CC men and women. Equally disgraceful!
You are all taking your school down! You realize other people read this.
And, BWOG, you are responsible for providing a forum for this destructive exchange. The staff at BWOG should not allow this. Bwog is equally a disgrace!
@Anonymous http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMyyG_cIRlA
@this is the most relevant thing in this entire thread, both CCers and Barnardians combined.
finally someone with a head and whom i’m proud to call, “my fellow columbian”
thanks bud.
@Anonymous Haha i actually posted this because I legitimately liked the mashup. And the massively overweight people whipping their massive buns to and fro makes for the perfect backdrop. Sheer perfection.
@AreWeInMiddleSchool? If you are all claiming to be so smart, then why are you making the dumbest comments?
@AreWeInMiddleSchool? btw…. that was aimed at the haters. I know the general population of CC/SEAS/BC/GS is comprised of some of the best and brightest people, but it just seems like all the idiots of the University have chosen to comment on this article in the most ignorant way possible….
@columbia girl I’m all for this, but it’s so frustrating that all the great women speakers (and now Obama!) speak at Barnard. It’s not like there are no girls at Columbia. It really feels like the women at columbia get overlooked sometimes because they don’t go to Barnard.
@SEAS 12 It’s true. “Female leadership” is only acknowledged at Barnard because it’s an all-women’s college. What about the girls in the engineering school who are entering a male-dominated field, huh?!
@Anonymous They aren’t overlooked, Barnard just has better speakers overall. Columbia should consider not limiting speakers to alums.
@hey some of the people here should consider allowing their individuality define them rather than the name of the college to attend. <3
@Respone to the Embarrased "Alum" Let’s examine this paragraph: “A lot of Alum…read this page when there is big Columbia related news, we are collectively embarrased by your immaturity.” {So in essence you repeat your original argument, using the fact that Alum read bwog as justification that they collectively share your sentiment, nice try.}
“We do in fact have conversations about it, we are extremely embarrased by your behavior.” Repeat the argument once again but this time introduce potentially meaningful evidence: Columbia alum converse and sometimes share the same opinions. But here is where you make a flawed leap: Alums who speak with each other and agree about the inappropriate nature of this bwog thread necessarily represent the opinion of the entire columbia college alum community. There is no way you can declare that as a statement of fact but that sir is what you are doing.
“You are about to graduate into the Columbia University Alumna community, if you want to be accepted into that community it requires…”
So not only do you inappropriately speak on behalf of all alumni but you are also a pillar of knowledge and experience on alumni incorporation requirements? Please sir, explain to me everything I need to do to win the favor and acceptance of alumni.
Finally as an alum to a university that prides itself on the free expression of ideas, how can you tell us that we are immature for speaking our minds and expressing our discontent on a clearly controversial, political issue?
@Henry Kissinger Never are the fights so fierce where the stakes are so low.
@hey haha no offence but it doesn’t really matter what you think of barnard students, or why he’s coming here, cuz um…he’s coming here. the president of the united states. easily recognizable to any citizen of north america, wait no to any citizen of the world. he’s comin to lil ol barnard college. suck on it :) keep making fun of us during orgo night. laugh at her. go ahead. but guess who’s got our back? AWWWWW YEEEEAAHHHHHHH. :D
@observer the diatribe of the 1%…
“I have to make SURE everybody knows I AM better than you; my degree says so. Ivy League. THEY LABELED ME. I’M SPECIAL. I’M BETTER. LOOK, GIRLS ACROSS THE STREETS GET LOW TEST SCORES, THEY’RE INFERIOR. APES. LOOK AT ME. I’M AWKWARD LOOKING BUT, BUT I’M BETTER THAN YOU BECAUSE I’M LABELED”
Rise above–the world is laughing at you.
@Um You can’t pretend this is a class issue. Columbia has far better financial aid than Barnard and a significantly more diverse population. . . . Sure this may be because of a big endowment and the larger size of the school east of Broadway, but you can’t pretend Barnard is somehow the working class girl’s college just because it helps with the larger victim motif.
The simple fact is Barnard would not be what it is without Columbia, but at this point the school has become so much a part of the academic/social landscape that Columbia in return owes at least some of its strength to it’s sister school’s existence (a drama department for one thing, also more resources to fit a 600-more-per-class student body without really feeling the size increase). In terms of historic prestige and a competitive student body in the most traditional ways – Columbia simply is the “better” school and it’s kind of pointless to argue that. But that does not mean that Barnard is not an extraordinary academic institution in its own right or that Barnard students all necessarily share that dream of validation by prestige that many Columbia students sought when first applying. Also it’s not as if Columbia is just some generic Ivy League school – there are many things that make us unique from the other Ivies, from Barnard, and from most other schools (most obviously the Core) and for people who want those things and somehow had the luck and numbers to get into the school, yay for you! Then how hard should it really be to imagine Barnard hopefuls setting their own sights on the things that makes their own dream school unique?
Just be happy with your own accomplishments, appropriately bummed Obama has slighted us, and appreciative of living and studying in a complex academic landscape made up of several schools with lots of different strengths that all could ultimately benefit you some day if you could stop defining everything by the pressures put on you 1-3 years ago by parents/teachers/test prep courses/magazines.
@Anonymous this track button is pretty embarrassing — you’ve commented at least 10 times, and all of your comments are filled with the same sort of hate-filled rhetoric that you decry (real) columbia students of using. you don’t go to our school. and if you had actually chosen to apply to our school, you would’ve gotten rejected. i hate when barnard students say they CHOSE to go to barnard over cc. no student in their fucking right mind would choose a second-tier, all woman’s school over one of the most prestigious schools in the country. as a woman myself, i feel that you’re the type of person that makes all of womankind look bad. i’m ashamed by you. and i wish you would get the fuck off a website that was initially designed for the COLUMBIA (read: not barnard) community.
@Anonymous As a woman who attends a “second tier women’s college” that uses YOUR resources, has meaningful relationships with YOUR professors, eats YOUR food, goes to YOUR gym, and has a sense of a strong community that my career office/advisors and deans/peers have carved out so specially for me? Guess what, pragmatism > prestige whore. Always. Welcome to the real fucking world miss.
@lol And Bwog chooses to report on most of the events that occur on Barnard’s campus, so what does that say? I really admire what a classy, gracious individual you are.
@Anonymous Barack Obama’s half sister went to Barnard College people!!
@Anonymous false. Obama graduated in ’83. Columbia only let in women in ’83. I doubt Obama was an asshole to the only women on campus during his time here.
@BC2015 Sadly, all you’re going to get is TOTUS (teleprompter). Why are you so excited anyway, it’s going to be no more than a campaign stop.
@Please. Of course we Columbians have different opinions regarding safe spaces, but that is no reason to group us and act like we’re all against them. The opposition is a small number of people. As for my reading skills, they were good enough to get me an acceptance letter into CC AND the scholars program. Guess you can’t say the same.
@Anonymous I’m happy that you are able to attend an institution that validates your reading skills. I did not want to go to CC, which is why I did not apply! I am perfectly content with going to BC. I will say this until the day that I die. I do not care if BC is affiliated with CU or not. Elitist bigotry does not suit me very well.
@Jh Girls should be good housewives and take care of children, food, and dishes.
@Anonymous http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOGllz57RLk
@Bitches Ain't Shit Part 2 There is no solution to this at all. Politically: Obama chose Barnard because it is an all women’s college in the middle of NYC. Very high profile. Is Barnard’s prestige and popularity due to the ties to Columbia University? I don’t know. Does Obama hate Columbia? Still, I don’t know. So yea it’s perfectly fine to be JEALOUS. But no need to hate and complain about this ass-backwards relationship between Columbia and Barnard. Maybe in the future it will change for the better but as for now, accept the situation.
P.S.
I’m the same person who posted ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit’ just to troll everyone on here
@Anonymous THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS
@Anonymous We should all feel proud to be Columbia and Barnard students. We are the best! The president asked to speak here. Sorry, Harvard/Radcliffe, Columbia and Barnard are now the best!
@Anonymous This guy actually has a point at that I agree with. Columbia is a school that has nothing better to do than bitch about everything and separate the undergrad community with elitist garbage.
@blahblah
@raar
right on judy
@Um If the POTUS was chosen to speak instead of you, wouldn’t you gladly and gracefully step aside? What kind of ego-maniac would feel slighted by that?
@Anonymous http://i.unratedperez.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/kesha__oPt.jpg
@Anonymous Barnard pays over $5 million to Columbia every year to keep the affiliation. So, yes, we do pay to take Columbia classes and use Columbia facilities.
@Anonymous So as not to create confusion, these are simple cost allocations, because Barnard insists on running itself independently from an administrative point of view, setting their own curriculum, etc. It is still one of four undergraduate schools comprising the university.
@Anonymous Why are so many CC students so bloody ignorant of the colleges that make up the entire U?
@honest answer to your question I’ve often wondered why Barnard students are so “ignorant” about the school’s undergraduate composition, too – but I’ve since decided it’s the administration’s fault. Countless times on this thread people say there are 4 undergrad schools of CU, when CU claims “Undergraduate education at Columbia is offered through Columbia College, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of General Studies. Undergraduate programs are offered by two affiliated institutions, Barnard College and Jewish Theological Seminary.” In other words, it’s either 3 or 5. This seems unambiguous to me, but there’s just so much conflicting information out there…
@ARE YOU PEOPLE THAT RETARDED Obama is a democrat. he won the last election, largely (and you can argue all you want) because he is black and historically he beat even bill clinton in the number of black turnout voters PLUS the fact that many white people were unemployed/fucked under Bush, both poor and middle class combined.
And given the current situation regarding the economy and the national concurrence (as much as i dont COMPLETELY agree with this) that bankers and financiers are to blame for all our problems, and the fact that Ivy League schools are feeders into Wall Street, it’s not a good idea to give a speech at an elite institution where students spend $1200 on a pillow to decorate their dorm rooms.
I am a liberal. I am a democrat. I am on 100% financial aid. I come from a low income family. I fight for the poor and for social change. But when I wore a “Columbia” sweatshirt to the airport, a random woman struck up a convo with me and in it, the first thing she said was “oh my gosh you go to columbia? wow how can you possibly afford that? your family must live in the hamptons or something for you to afford that sort of tuition! are you planning on going to wall street?” Even I could not convince her otherwise.
Conclusion: Most Americans outside of our ivy walls do NOT understand us, do not understand how we work, do not understand that Columbia and the rest of the Ivies are now need-based, do not understand that so many of us at Ivies are in fact, very liberal and NOT rich. But they don’t know that. Unfortunately.
NOW onto Obama. What IDIOT would make a speech at an elite institution with a reputation for churning out corporate lawyers, bankers, and plastic surgeons? What IDIOT would make a speech at an elite institution that housed John McCain’s daughter, that housed the sons and daughters of several elite Wall Street CEOs, that boasts professors who formerly commanded $50 Million salaries at Goldman Sachs? (Emanuel, im looking at you, sir)
What IDIOT would make a speech at Columbia, when 80% of his voters have no fucking clue about what Columbia really is and that we do a lot for society other than churn out bankers and we’re an elite school for the top 1% to send their kids to?
Obama has it bad enough that he’s been reported to have accepted millions of dollars from Goldman Sachs. But Goldman has donated millions to him. How much has Columbia donated to his campaign? A mere $75000 for a commencement speech? Please. He’d rather take Barnard and woo women voters.
Now lets all shut the fuck up now about this tomfoolery. Roll up your sleeves and get the fuck back to work. You have a prestigious degree to earn and a future Presidency to run.
@No more interviewing on campus Honestly. This whole thread is the most disgusting run of hateful nonsense. Barnard has a tremendous success which will provide a halo effect for the entire university and all the CC students can do is spew out disgusting vitriol and angry drivel as if the Barnard ladies did something wrong. You CC students have such an awful reputation for this kind of petty jealousy which does nothing but bring the whole place down. I am repulsed for have attended and for supporting and furthering the recruitment efforts where I work. No more. You guys make me puke.
@is anyone even reading any of these comments anymore?!
@Obama Maybe Obama was like the leader of the haters on Barnard so much when he was here that now he feels sorry. We all know he’s talking at Barnard out of pity.
@Anonymous i’m gonna go out on a limb and say that the POTUS has more important things to worry about than petty infighting between a bunch of insecure, entitled college brats living in a bubble. that you think he should care about ‘slapping’ your feelings in the face is hilarious.
@PROUD BC'12 Keep talking HATERS, keep HATING,( PLEASE DO) because guess what, on May 14th, whether you live to see that day or not,( HOPEFULLY YOU DO, and you and your 5 friends are not spending a day in jail for being BUSTED by THE NYPD. Please, like I want to be associated with a college, where the students are accused of selling narcotics..smh) Barack Obama WILL be entering the Barnard College gates (117th and Broadway entrance). The real question is: hater, where will you be?
I’ll still be singing this song: Sticks and stones may break my bones (but words will never hurt me) while my Barnard Sisters and I rejoice!
I wish somehow Obama can see all the hatred that SOME( NOT ALL, because there are some sane Columbia students) Columbia students harbor in their disgusting, self- righteous hearts. maybe the reason OBAMA has never agreed to speak at CC of Columbia University commencement is because, he met so many self-righteous, disgusting, idiots when he attended Columbia for like 2 years!
Oh Columbia, when will you learn…
@Dare I’m sorry you feel this way. I know it’s hard to hear all those rude comments, especially when it’s anonymous and people can shout whatever they want (i.e.: bwog comments). I just hope it doesn’t anger you too much. Remember that you’re at a great college in a great city and that the majority of your brothers & sisters at CC are happy that Obama is coming to Bnard.
Please don’t fight fire with fire, it’ll only make things worse. Only love can conquer hate.
I hope you have a wonderful commencement =)
-CC13
@Truth Thank you
@CU '13 I find this confusing: “Barnard is an independent liberal arts college for women; it is one of the four undergraduate schools of Columbia and enrolls about 2,400 students.”
Per The New York Times.
PS, I think the latter part of the sentence is accurate: that Barnard “is one of the four undergraduate schools of Columbia,” but how can something be independent and a part of something at the same time?
@Anonymous well, since you signed this CU and not CC, you answered your own question.
@Quintessential Harvard Stereotype “As an outside observer, I think this is a textbook example of Columbia students being insecure about not getting into Harvard. Don’t take it out on Barnard women; they’re great, and just as smart as you (and as us).”
I once heard that Harvard students believe the world entirely revolves around them. I really hope the guy who said the above comment is joking because if he isn’t, he matches the negative Harvard stereotype perfectly. He examined posts involving Columbia and Barnard students arguing over where Obama chose to speak and made the enormous leap that it is “a textbook example of Columbia students being insecure about not getting into Harvard.”
This statement is completely ridiculous for two reasons. One, how would you know whether the students arguing did or did not get into Harvard? And two, what on earth is your method of reasoning to conclude that Columbia and Barnard students arguing with each other is in any way related to Harvard?
@Anonymous Yes the world revolves around Harvard and not Columbia. I will continue to remind you of this fact because you seem to think that there is a correlation between the prestige of a school and who DECIDES to speak there. You guys all swear that every Barnard student wants to be you. I know that there are some very lame Barnard students who do, but some of us like where we go to school. Also, you guys all like to assume that we all did not get in to Columbia or any other top notch school. You all assume that we did not make a CHOICE to attend Barnard. If you can continue to make these inane assumptions, I will continue to assume that you couldn’t get into a better ivy league school.
Obama wants to speak at Barnard commencement. Get over it! Maybe if you guys spent more time building a community instead of Barnard bashing, transfer students will enjoy their experience at Columbia. Continuing to bash Barnard will not make Obama, Oprah, or any other leader change their minds about CHOOSING to meet us.
PSA to Barnard students: Be proud of Barnard or transfer the FUCK out.
@cc 12 woman much<3 to my barnard friends! ignore the assholes on here
@PROUD BC' 12 thanks <3
@Anonymous We should protest him. On Barnard Commencement Day.
@Anonymous Columbia students are so secure but you spend all day shitting on a school that you don’t not feel you are on par with?????? How does that make any sense? Get the fuck over yourselves.
@Anonymous Two things:
1. If the amount of time you spend “shitting on a school” is proportional to how confident you feel in yourself, that statement ostensibly applies to you.
2. Your comments about “CRIMSON DICK” not only devalue the merit of everyone in the college, they especially devalue the experience of every other undergraduate affiliate of the university. If we’re going to measure the worth of a college based upon its international or national rankings, certainly CC/SEAS/GS will be considered inferior to Harvard. But by the same token, Barnard and JTS will be considered vastly inferior to CC/SEAS/GS and Harvard. Personally, I think this notion is fundamentally flawed, as I think prestige and value have very little to do with one another, but it is an implication of the method you’re using (and probably one you disagree with).
In either case, the same finger you point at us points back at you. I’m incredibly sorry that your experience has made you reject any positive notions of Columbia-Barnard relations, but please try not to be so awful about it? Like… retributive anger is cyclic: you’re not going to come out happy or secure with yourself by engaging in it. Anyway, I hope you have a nice week! I hope this petty Columbia-Barnard debate hasn’t brought you down in spirit (cause seriously, it’s not worth arguing about!) , and though we may never interact again, I hope you are successful in the rest of your life. :) Toodles~
@Anonymous What has happened to Columbia? I mean, there was always a bit of this but it was usually in good spirit. None of you snot-nosed brats of ’13 and ’14 and ’15 deserve to go to either school. You complain about the workload, bash any and all other schools, and yet do nothing to actually justify your intelligence. Get over yourselves and get a life.
@... You do realize it’s CC ’12 leading the charge, right?
@WingsOnLeBackLegs Guys.
Guys listen.
I have the best idea
guys listen
I have the best idea ever
guys
I’ll make a school
guys
school
I’ll make a SCHOOL
guys listen here
I’ll make a SCHOOL… for STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMEN… (for the fuckin’ lulz)
@Anonymous Someone kills herself and everyone at Columbia is like OMG BLAH BLAH WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL OMG, WE MUST LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER BULLSHIT. Despite coming across nothing but douchebags 24/7 at this place, I start to feel like, eh, maybe there’s some semblance of community and I just haven’t found it. Then you read comments like these and it’s like oh, right, everyone here IS a giant disrespectful inconsiderate cunt and people just get superficially sad when someone commits suicide because it’s like, omg, something cool and interesting has happened so let’s pretend we care for a week, give or take, and then go back to being full blown dildos. How is it possible to love a school so much when you hate every single one of its students?
@Why are there so many “Harvard” kids reading Bwog?
@Anonymous Instead of this endless CC-BC debate, we should define the relationship more concretely. CU says it are ‘affiliated’ with BC but then CU president signs BC’s diplomas – what’s up with that? I think we could share each other’s classes but still define ourselves as completely separate institutions, like several consortia colleges in Pennsylvania and Boston.
Also, BC sucks.
@Hey guys Given the large sample size, I’ve been wondering what kind of words people have been using in the comments.
Surprisingly, there’s really not that much hate evident from the most-used words — either because maybe there isn’t that much hate going on (ha-ha) or people are just creative. Out of the 3098 distinct words used, here are the top 20 (NOTE: I’ve omitted many commonly used words).
barnard: 440
columbia: 370
obama: 135
students: 120
college: 118
about: 113
because: 111
just: 110
get: 93
cc: 87
who: 82
school: 76
people: 74
like: 74
women: 73
Some honorable mentions:
seas: 50
bc: 50
commencement: 42
harvard: 29
political: 27
fuck: 24
fucking: 24
hate: 23
proud: 23
love: 19
shit: 18
happy: 17
dick, upset: 14
bitter: 13
mad, suck, sad, hell, wow: 11
If you want to look at the raw data, it’s found here: http://pastebin.com/tZ2vyx8M
Have fun!
@Anonymous I think an indicator of hate may be all the all-caps words being thrown around. Redo your analysis considering this fact?
@Hi guys Given the large sample size, I’ve been wondering what kind of words people have been using in the comments.
Surprisingly, there’s really not that much hate evident from the most-used words — either because maybe there isn’t that much hate going on (ha-ha) or people are just creative. Out of the 3098 distinct words used, here are the top 20 (NOTE: I’ve omitted many commonly used words).
barnard: 440
columbia: 370
obama: 135
students: 120
college: 118
about: 113
because: 111
just: 110
get: 93
cc: 87
who: 82
school: 76
people: 74
like: 74
women: 73
Some honorable mentions:
seas: 50
bc: 50
commencement: 42
harvard: 29
political: 27
fuck: 24
fucking: 24
hate: 23
proud: 23
love: 19
shit: 18
happy: 17
dick, upset: 14
bitter: 13
mad, suck, sad, hell, wow: 11
If you want to look at the raw data, it’s found here: http://pastebin.com/tZ2vyx8M
Have fun!
@stop http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eTNe1X89XTo#t=5s
@Anonymous wtf, the same barnard girl has been posting the ‘crimson dick’ comments, pretending that she goes to harvard…. erstwhile, she posts under ‘barnard girl’ with the same IP address. this is easily observed with the wonders of the track button.
So, i decided that i will use my columbia comp sci training to track ur ip, find ur uni and send you brochures about tap-dancing, one-eyed midgets on viagra pornography.
@Anonymous you are why we need weeder classes in the computer science department.
@Anonymous weed out… dumbass
@Anonymous I never said I went to Harvard, but since you guys are such elitist assholes I thought I would remind you of your place. Honestly, I think it’s dumb that people use schools to validate themselves. However, since rankings and acceptance rates are important to CC/SEAS students, I think it makes sense to include Harvard in this discussion. Yes, you fit under the ivy league umbrella but your football team and your academics are inferior to other ivy league schools. With such rampant grade inflation and a terrible football season Columbia’s status in the league is questionable. Let’s not forget the ivy league started out as a football league.
I love my school because of the experiences I’ve had. PERIOD. I do not feel entitled to anything, and the fact that you all think I envy you is laughable. I will relish in Barnard pride until the day that I die because I know I made the right choice by deciding to enroll there. I do not need another person’s opinion to validate my existence. However, I think it is time that you got a taste of your own medicine. Therefore, every time you bash Barnard I will remind you that a CRIMSON DICK is beating you at your game of elitism.
@BLUE AND WHITE VAGINA “I do not need another person’s opinion to validate my existence.” Which is exactly why you go out of your way in 10+ posts to rant about how awesome your mediocre Barnyard housewife training program is. You’re about as hypocritical as a mass-murdering rabbi.
“Therefore, every time you bash Barnard I will remind you that a CRIMSON DICK is beating you at your game of elitism.” First of all, what is with your obsession with dicks? I get it that Barnyard has brainwashed you into hating-men and you are thus sexually repressed, but there’s no way you’re gonna get a boyfriend if you’re that desperate. Watch porn or something. Maybe then your dick obsession will subside. I can date you if you’d like but I’m sorry, I don’t fuck on the first date. Thank god for vibrators!
Secondly, not only did many of us choose Columbia over Harvard, but nowadays, Columbia is something like .1% less difficult to get into than Harvard. Barnyard however, is close to 50% in ED admit rate. There are community college programs with lower acceptance rates.
Lastly, who the fuck said anything about sports. The connotations of the ivy league have nothing to do with sports nowadays and are essentially synonymous with the cream of the crop in society, many of whom go on to change the world. Like Obama. How many presidents went to Barnyard again? Oh that’s right, zero.
However, I digress. We’re pissed because Barnyard gutter-snipes DO NOT DESERVE the Columbia name. While you guys were perfecting your deepthroating techniques and experimenting with scissoring and anal play, we were learning Calculus (usually by sophomore year of High School). Trust me, if you actually deserved to go to Columbia and put in the work it required, you would understand our resentment.
Moral of the story is that feeble, ugly Barnyard women need to shut their jizz holes and just be happy that Columbia let Barnyard pretend it was affiliated for this long. However, I don’t forsee the connection lasting much longer considering this thread exposing the problem has engendered 630+ rightfully indignant comments.
@Anonymous Bitch please! Honestly you can keep the Columbia name. I would gladly hold a Barnard College degree without any Columbia association. In fact, I was first walked on this campus expected one. I am happy about my Barnard college experience but I am sick and tired of the Barnard bashing. I have a right to stand up against this oppression. Please help me understand why an acceptance rate is a mark of intelligence. It just tells me how many people WANT to go to that school. Stop pretending that everyone walking on your campus is GOD’s gift to mankind. Keep bashing Barnard as we continue to enroll into the best law schools, med schools, and fellowship programs.
I’m so happy that you finally got into an institution that has alumni who are presidents. I, and many of my Barnard peers, reached that goal in high school! Yes bitch, keep your 6%! Everywhere I go, I am beaming with Barnard pride. Fuck a blue and white pussy. I have a strong, beautiful Barnard vagina.
Call me a cum dumpster, a ho, a dike, or dick-obsessed all you want! When you wake up tomorrow morning, I will still attend your classes, eat your food, and continue to win at life. You Columbia women are funny. You complain that Oprah doesn’t want to talk to you about feminism, but you oppress Barnard women for people DECIDING to speak to us. Also, I love how you talk about Barnard not having any presidents but you fail to admit that there have not been any female presidents. Let’s face it… all notable Columbia alumni are men. You Columbia women have yet to accomplish something for yourselves! Please continue to gloat about alumni who went to Columbia when you were not even allowed to attend.
@BC '14 I took AP Calculus BC in sophomore year of high school, too.
Oh wait, nobody cares. Nobody SHOULD care.
@I'm confused has a small rodent been nibbling on your dick?
@Anonymous To the post: “Blue and White Vagina”
What you are saying is horribly disgusting. I’m not sure why have so much anger towards more than 2,000 women, but you are a disgrace to our educational system, and I have emailed your post to a close friend of mine, President Spar. If I were you, I would work on not being such a misogynist and attempt to clean up your language.
@BC '12 I don’t know what I feel worse about now, the fact that I took BC calc as a junior in high school, or the fact that I still can’t deepthroat. I should probably just kill myself.
@BC “While you guys were perfecting your deepthroating techniques and experimenting with scissoring and anal play, we were learning Calculus (usually by sophomore year of High School).”
OH PLEASE. In high school, I learned calculus, took higher math classes at a local university AND I perfected my deepthroating techniques while experimenting anal play and scissoring.
Oh wait, no one cares. Shoot, thought I had something on you.
@CC SENIOR Accidentally posted this in reply to a different post, so I’m reposting it here:
To everyone blaming Columbia students for this entire argument, please read through all of the comments above. Yes, there are some angry Columbia students spewing needless hate against Barnard, but there are just as many Barnard students spewing needless hate against Columbia.
The fact that some Barnard student up there felt the need to bring up Harvard out of nowhere and call us Columbia students “Harvard rejects” is no better than Columbia students calling Barnard students “Columbia rejects.” Yes, there are some angry Columbia students who have been degrading Barnard students and saying mean/hateful/untrue things, but as a Columbia student who has actually been speaking out AGAINST such hate, I’m extremely disappointed to see that there are Barnard students (and students from other schools) spewing mean/hateful/untrue things about Columbia students in retaliation. I, for one, did not even apply to Harvard. THE SAME WAY I’m sure many of you Barnard students did not even apply to Columbia. So let’s leave this argument aside. It’s not doing anyone any favors to argue about which school is better than the other.
@I'm not kidding Congrats to Barnard, despite everything, OBAMA IS COMING TO CAMPUS
Anyone wanna join me?
So I’m going to camp on the roof of Butler with binoculars and a camera with a mad good lens. Probably bring an icebox with some beer and scotch and some sandwiches. Just chill till he gets to the podium. Then I’ll whip out my high-powered Nikon, tripod, and lens and snap a few pictures. Secret Service and the entire NYPD will see the light reflected off my lens and mistake it for scope reflection. I’ll get shot a couple hundred times, but I’ll die having seen Obama. Sounds good, yeah?
@600 Comments And how many of these actually mention Barnard AND Obama in the same post?
@11:11! Make a wish!
Mine’s that Obama will stop shitting on his alma mater.
@BC '12 I completely agree. This has been one of my biggest issues with the Barnard-Columbia relationship. But it has nothing to do with the students and everything to do with the administration(s).
@All's Fair In My girlfriend and I are now going to officially try seducing Barnard seniors to get tickets for this. Does anyone have any tips? My girlfriend should be fine, but I’m not exactly Old Spice Guy/Ellen Page.
@600th comment I win! Also barnard sucks
@BC2015 This occupy-Barnard move by Obama seems to add to the sentiment that he’s the most divisive president in the modern history.
@It's so funny This fight somehow reminds me of Harry Potter, oh blood
@Anonymous http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx0Shn5Hvpc
@Anonymous There is no such thing as one deserves whichever name here
It’s a matter of if you have worked hard enough before, and after you got into this University, and deserve all the resources and advantages it offers you, from CC, SEAS,BARNARD, GS, SIPA, JOURNALISM, LAW, MED…EVERYWHERE
I respect students who value themselves, respect their peers, not because of their title, but who they are and what they do
@Anonymous Ooooh, you could probably get her! We (BC) were really mean to her after the jail fiasco.
@Anonymous ╔══════════════ღ☃ღ══════════════╗
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ Repost this if ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ you are a strong independent columbian ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ who don’t need no obama ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
╚══════════════ღ☃ღ══════════════╝
@... yeah, you guys totally have macarthur…. strong… independent…
claim to fame: using grandpa’s billions to buy harper’s magazine.
@Anonymous Wow. How embarrassing for everyone…
@Game of Thrones War is coming.
@CC '13 Hey guys, maybe if we post enough bitter and misogynistic bigotry on this website, we’ll get Santorum to speak for us!
@ehhem http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads18/graham_chapman_stop_that_silly1285308054.jpg
@School'Year DOESN'T MATTER WE ALL GO TO THE SAME FUCKING SCHOOL. GET OVER IT AND STOP FIGHTING. Please.
@... The world (read: The Village Voice) is watching, guys…
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/03/obama_to_speak.php
@Anonymous So we are Columbia students when you get insulted????? Pick a side
@Morningside Heights Student This, this, THIS is why we can’t have nice things. NONE OF THEM.
@Anonymous >543 Angry comments
Obama confirmed for greatest troll of all time.
@b0x this!
@Anonymous And your point is???? Why does any one bother to step foot on Columbia’s campus? Harvard is clearly a much more superior institution.
@Anonymous Wow.
The way that some Columbia students are acting on this is actually making me feel disgusted about being affiliated with this school. Are you really that low on self-esteem that when Barnard gets something good, you post 500 fucking comments that basically read “BUT THEY’RE NOT COLUMBIA.” Get the fuck over it and get a fucking life where you focus on real problems. If you have to put down the school across the street to make yourself feel good, you’re a pretty pathetic person.
@CC07 why isn’t he speaking at Wellesley College? a way better women’s college than barnard.
@Anonymous You’re CC’07 and yet you’re still logging onto Bwog to put down Barnard?
Dude, you’re like 26. Awkward.
@Anonymous Barnard is the most selective women’s college in the U.S.
According to many of you CC assholes, selectivity is the defining feature of a school. That would mean Barnard is the best women’s college.
Personally, I am really excited, and I’m even giving a couple tickets away to my CU friends. Those of you who aren’t total D-bags could probably get invited as well.
There’s a war on women out there right now, and I think this symbolic decision is both important and comforting. Anything to get him re-elected and to get republicans out of my vag.
@Anonymous Has anyone thought about the fact that Obama could have chosen any women’s college. BUT, he chose Barnard. Instead trying to spite Columbia, I think he was trying to honor his alma mater. This hostility is almost ridiculous, and quite frankly, everyone needs to grow up.
@Anonymous COLUMBIA COLLEGE YOU FUCKING SUCK. I’M SO GLAD I CHOSE HARVARD OVER YOU. EAT MY CRIMSON DICK.
@You have a red dick? That don’t sound healthy, son. You got an STD or something from a Back Bay hooker?
@Anonymous NOT CHO LAWN FOOL
@cc '12 I find it both interesting and ironic that Obama, a so-called champion of “female empowerment,” has actively pushed aside Jill Abramson–one of the country’s most powerful women, and the FIRST woman to hold such an esteemed position–so that he can further his own political aims. No matter how successful a woman becomes, there will always be a more powerful man–in this case Obama–to overshadow that person. No Barnard women take any issue with this? You’re all a bunch of fucking hypocrites. Get off my campus.
@Anonymous When did she become President of the US? When she does, call me. I swear Columbia is full of self-important rejects from more prominent ivy league schools. You guys are hating on the fact that the POTUS personally selected us. Yes be mad. Nobody cares about a shitty Columbia undergrad degree when they have a lovely Harvard Law degree. Go ahead…suck his giant first black president of the United States cock! CRIMSON DICK FTW!
@Bitch please You’re saying that if Columbia was in the same scenario, Prezbo wouldn’t do the same in a heartbeat?
@bc13 Oh honey, that shade of green doesn’t look good on you.
@Anonymous Amy stop reading this.
@typical http://static.flickr.com/4023/4617281124_7ee4e4bd25.jpg
I think they picked up the wrong color gowns….
@Deborah Spar stinks and deborah spar is to blame too. She doesn’t care about the NYT lady. I would of rather had her than Obama. Now we know D-Spar will quickly put a knife in your back if it furthers her agenda/fame/etc
-from a BC senior
@anon Did you seriously just call Jill Abramson that NYT Lady?
@Anonymous At the end of the day this was all just a political movement. I can understand why CC students would be upset by Obama’s decision but can’t we just all be adults about the situation and be happy that Obama chose to speak at Barnard out of the thousands of other colleges in the US. Barnard is a wonderful place and I love calling myself a Barnard student. Barnard girls are part of the CU community so by attacking Barnard this is just bringing shame onto the whole CU community. Please be respectful as happy for the Barnard community.
@Anonymous I really hope all of these CC students read their disgusting comments over once they calm down and realize how stupid and ignorant they sound.
Don’t worry, I’m sure you can find a Barnard woman to sell you one of her graduation tickets if it’s killing you inside =]
@Obama is to blame Stop with all the CC-BC bullshit!!! come on!!!! it just shows that you’re insecure about Columbia or something. The real person at fault is Obama. If you’re mad that he’s speaking at BC and not at CC–> blame him! He chose to speak at BC only because it is a women’s college at will look good for his campaign regarding women’s issues and contraception. He does not care about CC or BC or anything. He just wants to get more votes..no matter who he has to speak to!!
@BC of CU yes–sure, if you’re in BC, you should accept that you are in BC. But, I think all BC students do accept it and most are proud of it. And, they are not distorting the truth when they say that they go to Columbia University. Barnard is technically separate (because of the separate admissions, endowments, and administration). But, it is also technically one of the undergrad schools of Columbia University. That’s what it says on the official letters from Barnard, the Barnard website, the gate at the main entrance to Barnard. No BC students are falsely claiming that they went to CC..or SEAS or whatever. But, I am at BC, one of the undergrad schools under the umbrella of CU, took most of my classes at Columbia (just because that’s how it worked out)..and got high grades in everything. So, if a BC girl says she went to Columbia College and took the core..etc.. then, yeah, she’s making up lies. But, if you have a problem with BC technically being in CU..then you shouldn’t have gone to Columbia. Then you wouldn’t have to deal with the terrible associations it has with Barnard.
@To be fair I think it’s obvious that while it would be innappropriate to direct any criticism against BC students for this, the Barnard administration is fair game. POTUS or not, they should have just said “No, we are honored by your offer, but we already have a very good (female) speaker lined up.”
@Yeah, right! You’ve got to be out of your mind! This is a huge deal. When the PRESIDENT offers to speak at your commencement, you adjust your plans.
How is this not justifiable?
@Integrity Because BC had already announced the NYT lady….
@Anonymous But she isn’t the president of the US…
@confused since when did Crimson Dick become a thing?
@Anonymous To all the CC kids: all of your comments speak to why the president has chosen Barnard. You are rude, egotistical and seem to think that all Barnard girls are desperately trying to be you. Do yourselves a favor and stop now. It’s actually surprising that any leader wishes to be associated with the pretentious, self righteous pricks that you are. To conclude: we don’t fucking need you. Neither does Obama.
Also, if you are so much smarter than us shouldn’t you be using your Saturday night to study for midterms and not to think about Barnard girls? Just saying
@Chill out SEAS > Barnard/CC pissing contest
@... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL3-pb2K7DM
@Anonymous Funny cause he wouldnt be speaking at YOURS either
@Why are there 500+ comments on this thread?
@...
@Anonymous The obviously troubled person who just said that there is a “fee” to take Columbia classes clearly has reading comprehension issues. I SAID TUITION! Are you paying over fifty thousand a year in fees to take those Columbia classes??? I ddint think so. And by the way, maybe YOU can get into Columbia for your Masters to finally feel fulfilled in life. I, on the other hand, already am.
@Anonymous Hahahahaha! But according to your institution a portion of my tuition goes towards Columbia classes. Please continue to be upset. I will gladly continue to take your classes, study hard, and ace them. Also why would I need a masters degree from Columbia when I don’t have a complex about my undergraduate degree from COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. Please continue to do well as Barnard students continue to excel in their ambitions. Clearly you have reading comprehension issues because you failed to do proper research about the school you decided to attend. With the advent of google, how the fuck did you not know about Barnard before you came here!
Please let it be known to the world that Barnard’s success increases your insecurities. You think you are an member of a real ivy league school, when Harvard, Yale, and Princeton shit on your ass everyday. Please take a healthy serving of CRIMSON DICK you insecure piece of shit!
@S Shah Wow. Just. Wow. So much hatred and vitriol here. I know this comment may get lost in the shuffle, but I had to write something about this.
The anti-Barnard hatred from Columbia students comes from a minority. I can understand some frustrations that students may have (degrees, graduation robes, classes, etc.), but honestly, all those frustrations are pretty ridiculous. I have had many, many talented and qualified friends who graduated from Barnard that have gone on to do great things in life, and the same goes with my friends at Columbia.
Instead of spewing the anger, rage, and unnecessarily insults, we should instead focus on the opportunity here: TO END THE ANTI-BARNARD HATE.
Have I seen/heard Barnard students say they graduated or go to Columbia? Yes. But that situation goes back to the old adage: A few bad apples spoil the whole bunch. Like many newsworthy events in the past and present, people will take one juicy morsel of a story and push it forward as the agenda of the whole. I KNOW Barnard alumni are proud to have gone to BC, and they encourage young women to attend there.
That all being said, there is a BIG opportunity for BC women to grow the college in prominence, so we can stop hearing from others (and not just the handful of Columbia students who I would never associate myself with) about how inferior the college and its students apparently are.
It takes one quick Wikipedia search to find a list of notable Barnard alumni, from Zora Neale Hurston to Benazir Bhutto’s niece Fatima, from Cathy Horyn to Rachel Cohn, from Katherine Boo to to Martha Stewart and Julie Moos. Yeah, those names may not appear amazing to some of you, but that’s not my point. These great alumni have the opportunity to share their times at Barnard, to encourage young women to apply, and to encourage alumni young and old to give back.
The opportunity is at hand, Barnard students and alumni. Seize it. Be proud of your college. Scream it from the rooftops. Knowing the coursework and experience my BC friends went through, hell, I’d be damn proud.
S. Shah
SEAS ’08
@CC '14 Regardless of the hate, let’s just appreciate that Obama will be in Morningside Height (where BOTH colleges are, whether the same or not).
Completely understand how a CC/ SEAS student could be frustrated that Obama isn’t there for “OUR” commencement, but logically: caring so much about Obama not coming to CC/SEAS means
a) EITHER caring about Obama in general and so just having Obama around should be a happy thing, not point of contention
b)OR it means caring only that Obama is coming to Barnard and NOT Columbia, which is a little childish (like when you don’t really want a toy, but as soon as your bro/ sis has it, you MUST have it and you hate your sibling for having it).
=> Point is, this Barnard hate is logically speaking either hypocritical or childish, but not that rational.
Also, by now, we should just accept that by facebook standards Barnard and Columbia Undergrad are in a “it’s complicated” relationship. That’s all there is to it, and it ain’t gonna change, so hating it/ trashing it/ getting frustrated about it is just a waste of time and energy that could be spent in so many better ways.
Then again, this is just an opinion. But, it’s definitely a nice way to go about living on the upper Westside :-)
@who is obama
@above it all? and the generalizations never end. it’s truly a mark of an unintellectual person when he tries to criticize an entire school for the faults of a select few. not to mention your words are laced with the hatred for which you attempt to condemn us columbia students.
also, if harvard/princeton/yale are as above us as you say, why are you reading Bwog? And if you’re really that superior, why can’t you spell some words correctly? surely harvard teaches you english well enough. unless you’re one of those dudes who got in for legacy or a nice fat donation (taste of your own generalization medicine, although for you, it’s probably true).
@... hey bwog, do you think you could add some animated singing oompa-loompas to the sidebars for just this post? i really think they are the missing element that would really tie the room together…
@Harvard '12 As an outside observer, I think this is a textbook example of Columbia students being insecure about not getting into Harvard. Don’t take it out on Barnard women; they’re great, and just as smart as you (and as us).
@Anonymous This is an incredibly ignorant comment. Glad to know Harvard kids still think they know everything and are inherently everyone’s first choice. As someone who chose Columbia over Harvard (I know, you can’t even fathom why that would be the case, but I think your illogical and elitist comment is a pretty good indicator) your comments only further solidified my confidence in making the right choice. You and Mark Zuckerberg, as portrayed in Social Network, sound like you would be fast friends…
@Anonymous please stop. you are just making us sound worse.
@Anonymous So, why show the same ridicule to Barnard? As a whole, the University is looking REALLY BAD to the rest to the world
@Anonymous Cool story bro. Plenty of people also chose Harvard over Columbia.
@yo do all barnard students get to attend or just those with tickets provided by seniors???????
@Anonymous The latter.
@Anonymous no only the seniors and their families!
@Anonymous Ok. As mature people, i think we can all stop playing the ‘whose dick is bigger’ game and evaluate this situation intelligently. Fact: Obama is casting the whole contraception controversy as an issue of women’s rights, not religious freedom. He is doing this in order to get support from women and young voters. So why speak at Barnard? Because he wants to support women so that he can get reelected. And why does Barnard want him to speak at commencement? Because he’s the fucking president and because its going to be great publicity for the school. Maybe Obama is shitting on his Alma Mater by speaking at BC and not at CC, but lets not take that out on Barnard’s admissions process. The two colleges have a great relationship and you guys are embarrassing it with your ridiculously petty, foolish comments. Thanks.
@Anonymous Why all the attacks on Barnard? They scored a big one for the University! Celebrate!
@chill hahaha its crazy how jealous you guys are… get over it.
@Anonymous PrezBo needs to intervene and address this Barnard/Columbia feud instead of ignoring it. I swear the administration here does not care!!!
@I just have a lot of feelings... I wish we could all get along like we used to in middle school… I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy…
@Hey! She doesn’t even go here!
@Anonymous Two things alum:
1) “Begin to evidence a modicum of maturity.”
Who the hell talks like that? Just say “show some maturity.”
2) Also, “we are hoping…”
Who are you to be speaking on behalf of all alumni?
Please begin to evidence a modicum of information that you represent all alumni in your bwog post.
@Alum I suppose I could degrade language as you and your peers have chosen to do, but in your insolence you fail to recognize the baseline point. A lot of Alum, many of whom are your prospective or actual employers read this page when there is big Columbia related news. We are, collectively, embarrassed by your immaturity. We do, in fact, as the alum community, have conversations about it. We are, actually, extremely embarrassed by your behavior. Perhaps it would be easier if we simply said this–you are about to graduate into the Columbia University Alumna community, if you want to be accepted into that community, it requires more than holding a degree. Try to reflect the education you’ve received and not your most immature, base instincts. Grow up. Otherwise, worse than not having Obama as your speaker, or Barnard students on the Columbia University South Lawn, you will find yourself and the attitude you manifest, unemployed. A lot of good your degree will do you then.
@Anonymous I’m so glad the world get’s to see just how racist and sexist you Columbia bigots are :). You make Barnard look like an excellent decision.
@Anonymous gets*
@sad This is all really and truly, very sad. It has come to the point where everyone involved in this Bwog conversation has embarrassed the entire University. Shame on you.
I wonder what PrezBo, or Obama, would think of Columbia students after reading this thread. Political ploy or not, this is a time when women need support from people like President Obama to ensure the realization of full and equal rights. Obama’s choice to speak at Barnard is symbolic. As Ivy League educated students, you should all understand this and rally around the cause, instead of deploying hateful comments against women who are members of your own community. Shame on you.
Who cares if you consider Barnard part of Columbia or not? That is not the issue.
@Let's be friends http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfEfM-MnTGc
@BC '14 I love going through and reading all the hateful Barnard comments. It used to make me so upset and now I can just laugh.
Seriously, though, everyone needs to SHUT UP. Barnard students, just be happy that you have Obama speaking at your graduation. Don’t rub it in. It’s a graduation speaker, not anything that important. Yeah, it’ll be an amazing day, but it’s just that.
Columbia students, shut the fuck up with the hateful Barnard comments. As much as it gives me a laugh, it’s pathetic on so many levels. You look sooooo insecure and it perpetuates this divide between the schools that has no reason to exist. A lot of the Barnard comments along the lines of “suck it, Columbia” do this as well.
Yeah, we’re not exactly alike because some of us applied to a school that had the core curriculum and others applied to a small liberal arts college. But you know what? What fucking difference does that actually make?!?!! Why do we all continue to force this definition onto people based on a decision that was made in high school. I would surely hope that we’ve all changed at matured while at college, whether we’ve been attending it for half a year or almost four. I know that anonymous comments on the internet don’t actually reflect the tone of the relationship in real life, but seriously, why do we feel the need to constantly put each other down? It’s pathetic. I have Barnard friends that I love and I have Columbia friends that I love. And do I group them and divide them in my head based on what school they go to? Absolutely not. Because that’s dumb. Everyone needs to grow up.
TL;DR: Everyone shut up. It’s a graduation speaker. Barnard seniors, be happy. I’m sure it’s going to be a wonderful day—not only because the POTUS is speaking, but also because he is such an eloquent speaker. Columbia students, stop kfetching. It’s not the end of the world.
@anonymous maybe we’re all insecure because we didn’t get into harvard
@I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE YELLING ABOUT LOUD NOISES!
@BCVSCC is irrelevant. I thought we were talking about Obama speaking at commencement. Apparently not. Or so the comments indicate…
@Alum This is horribly embarrassing. We are hoping the Columbia College community can begin to evidence a modicum of maturity….
@Anon I wish Obama could see these commenters and he will probably decide never to speak at Columbia.
@Did it on 'em All you guys can eat out my Barnard College of Columbia University PUSSY! Seriously let me put this pussy on your sideburns after Obama just slapped you in the face with his big black dick! Yes I said it and I’ll say it again. I’m getting that motherfucking degree and you cannot do shit about it. In fact you can all eat my shit. I promise it’s nice and elite just how you like it!
@BC'13 Ew.
@Anonymous most of you either to eat some chocolate or have some good sex. seriously, chill out.
@Just throwing this out there... …let’s also not forget that Barack Obama’s sister attended Barnard in ’93, so he does have at least some personal connection to the school.
@alum I agree. The common denominators for Columbia students at our firm now are the words “cynical and snide” . We are doing well without them. We like Barnard.
@Jimmy McMillan The number of petty, inane comments about Obama/Barnard on this board are is damn high.
@OMG you totes copied FF from boredatbutler https://boredatbutler.com/post/2388176
on a related note: too much time spent on interwebz today
@I go to Barnard, sowwy :( Yes! Burn them at the stake!
Why you no like me, CC person? I give wu chocolate cookie and make it all bettew?
@Cody Haefner CC '12 I just really wish they let boys go to Barnard.
@Cody you are great. I have such a crush on you.
@Anonymous There are women at Columbia too you know
@Dear Bwog, Your site administration sucks. Your commenters suck.
@Anonymous Why does the site administration suck?
@Also... My school pride has been cut about by 90% from reading this board. I knew there were lots of arrogant pricks who attended this school, but I didn’t realize just how many.
@SEAS '14 Ironically, all the CC kids are trying to prove that they’re smarter than Barnard girls on this board are disproving their own points in the process.
SEAS Barnard solidarity.
@Anonymous word.
@Anonymous Obama wasn’t a GS student. tard.
@Anonymous Do your research. Everyone knows that Obama was a GS student. SMH
@SEPERATIST MOVEMENT ON BEHALF OF ALL COLUMBIA COLLEGE AND ENGINEERING STUDENTS, I HEREBY PROCLAIM ON SATURDAY, MARCH 3rd 2012, THE COMPLETE AND PERMANENT DISAFFILIATION OF BARNYARD COLLEGE FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. NOT ONLY DO THEY LACK THE COMPETENCE AND ABILITY TO MERIT THE COLUMBIA NAME (LETS FACE IT, EVEN NYU-CALIBER STUDENTS DESERVE IT MORE THAN BARYNARD DOES), BUT THEY HAVE CONSENTED TO ALLOWING THE FIRST GRADUATE OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE TO REACH THE HIGHEST OFFICE SPEAK AT THEIR GRADUATION. AS RETRIBUTION FOR THEIR INSOLENCE, NOT ONLY SHOULD WE REVOKE OBAMAS DEGREE AND IN PLACE GIVE HIM AN HONORARY BARNYARD DIPLOMA, BUT THE BARNYARD ANIMALS MUST BE EXPELLED FROM THE COLUMBIA PEN.
@You know sometimes speakers are given honorary degrees from the school. That’s the only part of this that makes sense.
@BC '13 Can we give obama an honorary degree?
@BC'12 This is unbelievably unpleasant. I don’t know if you mean it for real or as a joke, but this is hate speech. You should be ashamed of yourself, I’m sure everyone around you would be if they knew.
@Wizard of Ahs Separatist Movement,
Really? Do you not realize that Alexander Hamilton, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Eisenhower were also Columbia alums?
@Anonymous “Seperatist”???? Your spelling matches your incoherent prose. Moron.
@BC '12 You need to get a life. Also this is a dumb argument. Can’t we have more intelligent debates?
@Anonymous sorry you need to worry about the prestige of your engineering school. I am a proud strong beautiful Barnard woman who never applied to Columbia because I didn’t want to attend college with an elitist prick like you.
You guys act like Obama owes you something. You guys are singing all this praise about him yet you’re trying to shut down the Malcolm X lounge.
You guys are so sad and pitiful. You are finally beginning to understand that no one gives a flying fuck that you went to Columbia.
@What?!? Look, you can say what you want, but Columbia students are FIGHTING to keep the Malcolm X Lounge and are pissed to the core about its existence being in danger. You’d know that if you actually went here. Pathetic.
@Anonymous Yes and some of you are fighting to shut it down. I loved receiving those anti-safe spaces flyers at the beginning of the year. Nothing like starting off a semester with blatant sexism and racism!
You would know that we all received those flyers if you could read.
@Please. So there is a small fraction of the Columbia population that opposes safe spaces. That is not to say that all of Columbia’s students want this; majority are in favor of safe spaces. As for my reading skills, they were apparently good enough to get me into Columbia AND the scholars program. Guess you can’t say the same.
@GS '12 Your elitist snobbery is amusing. I love how Barnard’s existence makes you so mad. I am so sorry that life isn’t confirming how special you are!
@Spelling Police **Separatist Movement**
@Anonymous it’s sepAratist, dipshit.
@Anonymous lol seperatist
@Anonymous Just so you know, you’re a giant dick. Good luck getting laid by Barnard girls from now on.
@Anonymous thanks and like you said, I have a giant dick so luck is the last thing i need to bang barnard girls
@TO: Misogynistic Pig You should never have gotten into Columbia. Do not call Barnard students “barnyard” as if you are human and we are animals. Do not dehumanize Barnard students. You are disgusting and should never be able to call yourself a student. I hope no women ever trust you because you will hurt them by assuming they are just animals at your disposal.
People like you disgust me. I always wished the university had some kind of test to weed out people like you.
@TO: Misandrist Heffer Typical Barnyard student assuming that I am sexist solely on the grounds that I criticize Barnyard. It’s feminazi’s like you that give us women a bad name. If your reading comprehension skills were on par with say, a seventh grader, then maybe you would have realized your inference that I was criticizing women was completely invalid – I find fault with Barnard students and Barnard students only. I have absolutely nothing but respect for Columbia women as I AM ONE.
So cut your bullshit about me, a proud ACTUAL Columbia women, abusing women. Your Barnyard brainwashing clearly distorts your judgment. Not only are you sexist as your initial reaction was to blame men, but all your gender studies bullshit have made you completely paranoid. Try using your Daddy’s hard-earned cash in a respectable way if you want to be an ACTUAL role model for Women. That’s why I study Math and Chemistry rather than Home Economics. Unlike Barnyard financial leeches, I have NO intention of pursuing an Mrs. Degree. I came here to make myself successful, not try to plead at the knees of a Columbia boy to marry her. pathetic.
Truth is, I don’t hate Barnard girls. I just hate that you have taken advantage of a flawed system and refuse to admit it. It’s time to hone up to this so-called “Barnard pride.” Seceding from the Columbia umbrella is the first, natural step. Otherwise, you’re pride as about as authentic as your Columbia degree.
@GS '12 Who actually uses the term “feminazi” unironically anymore? C’mon, admit it, you are Rush Limbaugh, aren’t you? Don’t be so mad, Rush!
@Anonymous Barnard women are not dying to marry a Columbia man. We want a man that values us and many of the men we date and associate with do. If he attends Columbia, that would be convenient but it is certainly not a prerequisite. I don’t think that where someone goes to college determines the type of person you will become. Those of you who subscribe to this ideology will sadly be mistaken when you go out into the real world.
May I remind you that before attending Columbia University, Obama attended Occidental College, which is currently ranked #37 on the US News Report, for two years. This ranking is lower than Barnard’s ranking. Do you mean to tell me that he was unworthy of taking Columbia classes as well? He surely has done well for himself.
I will gladly support a separatist movement for Barnard College. You Columbia students are beyond oppressive and ignorant. Even after our succession, you will not be happy because prominent people will continue to recognize us. Prominent people will still continue to want to speak to us. We will still continue to be successful in life. We will still continue to have beauty and brains to match. When is the last time a MATH major from CC participated in a Miss America pageant? Keep on hating! Barnard is hot right now and as our popularity continues to grow so will our applications.
@Math Major from CC While I completely agree that Barnard hate is stupid and baseless, so too is your comment re: beauty pageants. Really? You want to use such an archaic and sexist metric to judge the worth of women? Honestly, all you’re doing is parroting the same tired rhetoric of anti-feminists who call their opponents “ugly” in order to discredit them. Sad.
@BC 12 I am so SICK of this bullshit. 1. My “Daddy” didn’t get me here. My mother– daughter of Irish immigrants and now the CFO of one of the largest MSOs in the country– paid for my tuition. 2. I study English and economics because I like it, because I’m good at it, and because I can make a living off of it, like you hope to do with your math and chemistry majors. That you imply any major not analytical is feminine and thus regressive is a bit regressive in itself, don’t you think? 3. It is because of “Barnyard” that you can go to Columbia College. 4. Phonetically, it’s “a Mrs. Degree,” not “an.” If you had written “an MRS Degree” (which, if you understand the joke, is how it’s meant to be said), you would at least sound cognizant. 5. I personally would never date a “Columbia boy,” mostly because I’m not a pedophile, but also because I’ve read enough BWOG comments to know better. However, my good friend’s parents are CC and Barnard graduates, so go to hell. 6. I don’t know what’s more pathetic: your misogyny, your elitism, or your pitiful clinging to intelligence, which is probably based on a high school GPA that, at most, could have been .05 higher than mine, and likewise, an SAT score that could have been, at most, 150 points higher than mine. 7. I turned down Cornell and Wash U in St. Louis for Barnard because I like Barnard. And no, CC did not reject me. 8. I am utterly ashamed to be associated with people like you.
@Dweeb They ARE Columbia University students….their diplomas say so. They are not Columbia College students
@Jill Abramson You think you’re in a deep, committed relationship with a college, and you’re going to give a great speech, and then as soon as the President booty calls, you’re out.
If I had a nickel for every time I lost a gig to Obama…
@Dragon-Ball Z The power levels of these comments are OVER 9000!!!!
@CC Students are all over this board because we’re pissed off, hurt, and disappointed and we can’t talk about it on campus because its infested with Barnards squealing about how “proud they are” that Obama is coming.
Obama is coming as a political ploy. Not because of something current Barnard students did well. He should have spoken at Smith for his political pandering, instead of a bootleg women’s college.
If Barnard ppl are gonna blow up Facebook of how proud they are of themselves, and get pissed when Columbia students express disappointment that OUR ALUM abandoned us, then I guess we’ll keep posting anonymous comments.
Maybe this will teach Barnard students to not be selectively proud of their school. Stop pretending you’re a Columbia University student until I find out you live in “600s.”
This is incoherent, but I’m fucking pissed!!
@lord almighty grow the fuck up.
@touche, douche If you’re so mature and emotionally evolved, why are you trolling these comments in the first place, instead of living your life?
@Anonymous So, you can’t tell the difference between a Barnard and Columbia College or SEAs student until you discover which college dormitory building they reside in? Funny how that works, eh?
@Recruiter Hey Anonymous. Those “undeserving BC Chicks” you so disparagingly refer to are carrying your sorry Columbia College ass reputationally. Oh, and it’s not “your” lawn….it is the university’s lawn on which there will be a graduation ceremony on May 16th which includes Barnard and every other college in the university. BTW, we hired more Barnard students this past year as compared to Columbia simply because they were better.
@CC'12 Please stop embarassing yourselves CC students, the world is watching this thread.
If you make it big someday, I’m sure our President would be happy to congratulate you on your achievements.
@Anonymous EVERYBODY JUST SHUT UP. Stop throwing temper tantrums! These same arguments have been made over and over and over and over… again, on possibly every single article that even mentions Barnard in every single publication on campus, and none of this bitching ever resolves anything. A friend visiting from Melbourne told me she gets such a horrible vibe on this campus… maybe because there’s so much HATE going around! What happened to all the love and empathy pouring out a few months ago? Does a tragedy have to occur for us to realize that the most important things in life are greater than what fucking school you go to, or who gives your fucking commencement speech? We’re all going to graduate in May, and once we get that piece of paper, none of this is going to matter. Do something better with the time y’all spend spreading bad voodoo — cross some items off your college bucket lists! Go outside, it’s a sunny day! Maybe some sunshine will relieve your shit dispositions.
@Anonymous To all the people who seem to join heated online debates just to say, “SHUT THE FUCK UP; stop with the vitriol; this is so childish; etc,” I just want to say,
please shut the fuck up. 95% of you guys are obsessing over the 5% of comments made by insecure, sexist weirdos.
One can simultaneously support the strong, beautiful Barnard sistas while debating the merits of CU’s relationship with the school, the use of CU on BC resumes, etc.
CC2010 (me)+SEAS+GS+BC = happy guy
@Anonymous We like your reply, and commend your being a happy man (no sarcasm, I promise). However, I still disagree that Bwog is a productive forum to discuss the CU-BC relationship. It has never helped to resolve tensions, nor will it ever, especially because “insecure, sexist weirdos” (can you even call them sexist if they too are female?) continually see even the most straightforward announcement of a commencement speaker as an opportunity to degrade Barnard women. And in the name of Homer, if all the people making horrible comments are so insecure, sexist, misogynistic, etcetera, how did they make it so goddamn far in life? ¡Qué horror!
In any case, the main point I was trying to make with my original comment was that we should all be friends, stop with the unnecessary propagation of negativity (midterms are upsetting enough), and engage in more fun/fruitful activities — together (yes, utopian naivete to the max)!
@... i really love how the only graduate of columbia university that was elected to the highest office in the land is a graduate of columbia college, yet he not only steadfastly refuses to give a commencement speech at columbia college, which actually requires that speakers be alumni, but he decides to speak at barnard, the school that is disparaged so often by columbia college students that it’s practically the only sport the college excels at.
i know you all know this, but i just wanted to restate it.
@SEAS 12 Wow. Thank you. You just made the pain of my last few psets melt away.
FYI, we SEAS students are very jealous of your paper writing skills.
@U MAD?!!?! U MAD DOGGY.
@Creampuff Turd Oh no! Women are getting an opportunity that some men (with disappointing sexual performance) aren’t getting across the street! This is terrible! Obama clearly hates men, his own undergraduate school, and dickbags with money. We should all revolt and make sure we are never laid again!
@SEAS 12 Not going to lie, SUPER STOKED about URSULA BURNS: a true female role model to speak at SEAS class day.
it’s not about the person, it’s about what that person says on graduation day.
the point of a speaker is not to have a bragging right “my person is more famous that yours”
they will hopefully say something that teaches us, touches us, motivates us.
it’s going to be okay CC folks, we see famous people all the time. you can watch obama on tv any time you like. his speech for one school to another won’t change that much.
@Anonymous Can Columbia College have Ahmadinejad as our speaker? Maybe Obama and Ahmadinejad could have a friendly debate about weapons of mass destruction.
@Columbia Student Wait, so OUR alum is using OUR south lawn to deliver an address to the one student body that’s NOT actually us?
@Yale Student Wow, the poster – Columbia Student is largely ignorant of his own school’s organization structure. How sad. Barnard does so well every year and all their colleagues can do is jealously complain.
@CC peeps we should protest this, write to the White House, etc.
@Anonymous wait I like barnard
@Anonymous oh aj
@CC13 you know what the midwest is? young and restless
funny how being an asshole who hates on barnard is correlated with being an east coast exeter douchebag
@Anonymous Unfortunately you didn’t make the cut for Harvard, Princeton, or Yale. Unfortunately, your logic is incredibly flawed. You lack great speakers because you fail to invite them. Duh.
Who the fuck cares about a Columbia undergrad degree after graduating from Harvard Law? Eat a CRIMSON dick. No one believes that you guys are a true ivy league institution. He got the degree he wanted and he won’t look back.
@Anonymous Um… Columbia has tried to get Obama to speak for them for at least the last two years. Don’t comment on shit you no nothing about idiot, and act all snobby if you want to but we have the better city. I mean who dreams about seeing Cambridge, MA.
@CC'14 I got into both Harvard and Yale, and came here because it’s what’s best for me. Quantify colleges however you want, but going to a place that suits you best is what’s important. Anyone who things otherwise is an elitist douchebag.
@CC'14 *thinks. I know I’m gonna get assaulted for that one :(
@Anonymous Can I say how relevant this is to Barnard women??
@Anonymous So if that is what matters most, why is there a 500+ post about how superior Columbia is to Barnard? Yes… Columbia is definitely the best fit for you. You are clearly insecure, and for the rest of your life you will have to acknowledge the fact that you got into Harvard and Yale to prove that you are intelligent. Sucks to be you.
@.... Going to a college is temporary. Being a dick is forever. You’re doing very little to dispel the Harvard stereotypes.
@Anonymous and what do these posts say about Columbia stereotypes? Keep it coming. You Columbia students have played this game for way too long. You need a taste of your own fucking medicine.
@Anonymous I would be surprised if this was a Barnard commenter because unless you don’t believe that Barnard is a part of Columbia, you have just insulted yourself. Even if you do believe that Barnard and Columbia are separate institutions, you still have insulted yourself because BC is a part of CU. Get a clue.
@Anonymous I wonder if this “Mine is bigger than yours” conversation would be happening had President Obama offered to speak at CC this year. I don’t think it would.
@Let's let the White House know how we feel: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments. Let’s organize a protest!
@different CC '12 Obama is not getting my vote this November
@Chill In the word of a great man … Columbia y u mad?
-signed by a SEAS Student
@Anonymous SERIOUSLY! Since when did going to any Ivy League institution make you unpopular. How come we never have good speakers? This sucks… whatever let them have the President, but we should seriously protest them having their commencement on our lawn! I’m tired of sharing everything with those undeserving BC chicks.
@BC '14 them ≠ their
– an “undeserving” Barnard chick
@Disgusted '12 As a Barnard senior who works two jobs to put myself through school, I have worked my ass off to put myself through school. Not to say I went to Columbia, but to proudly say I went to Barnard! As I am sitting through the graveyard shift at work and reading through some of these comments, I cannot help but laugh. You are all in for a rude awakening when reality gives you a swift kick in the ass. I am embarassed for you all, and hope you all grow up quickly. There is more to life than arguing over this asinine BC/CC/SEAS debate. You are all obviously brilliant if you have had the privilege to be educated at BC or CC/SEAS, and, come May 16 when our degrees are conferred, you will be even more privileged and powerful than before. Use this to your advantage, and make a change in the world…And stop arguing on message boards like childish cowards…
I hope the university’s various administrative depts will be smart enough to find a way to allow all university seniors to hear Obama speak…
@Wizard of Ahs This is a childish argument. Of course Barnard is part of Columbia! It is what makes Columbia a university. That would be like saying the Engineering school is not part of Columbia. The 4 undergraduate colleges which comprise the university are Engineering, Barnard, General Studies and Columbia College…….hence Columbia University. Barnard’s diplomas are issued by Columbia….which also grants tenure to Barnard professors and the students have columbia.edu email adresses. The fact that the alumnae want to maintain their identity by keeping the Barnard name, unlike Radcliffe which is completely defunct, is no matter at all. The colleges each have a graduation ceremony ….then the entire university has one all together with all colleges present 2 days later.
@Anonymous And, just to clarify one point in this excellent comment, it was Columbia that chose not to incorporate Barnard College into Columbia College (as Harvard did with Radcliffe) but to keep Barnard intact as a separate institution for women when CC went coed. We can only speculate as to the University’s reasons for doing this, but it’s possible that CC, as the last Ivy to admit women, looked at what its peer institutions had done and didn’t like the outcome for some reason. It’s also possible that, as the two colleges had by then evolved quite distinct curricula (with the Core taking up more and more credits at Columbia, while Barnard’s more flexible distribution requirements encouraged a different kind of intellectual experimentation), the University saw a benefit to having two quite different kinds of liberal arts college under its undergraduate umbrella — much as it has similarly seen a benefit to having a third type of liberal arts college, GS, under that same umbrella. The three different colleges cater to three quite different groups of students, and the presence of students from all three undergrad liberal arts colleges in most humanities and social science classes enriches the intellectual diversity in those classes. (There doesn’t seem to be much academic overlap between SEAS and the other three, but the presence of SEAS students on campus similarly contributes to the rich diversity of the intellectual community we have going here.)
You are quite right that Barnard faculty are reviewed for tenure by the very same University committee that reviews Columbia faculty for tenure, and when granted, it is Columbia University tenure. Also that Barnard and Columbia students have the right to take classes on each others’ campuses as a result of the intercorporate agreement, which also regulates the flow of tuition dollars between the two schools based on the proportion of students crossing the street in each direction. (In the early 2000s, more Columbia students were taking classes at Barnard than vice versa, despite the fact that Barnard’s campus and faculty are smaller. I understand that that trend has now reverted to the more expected ratio, however.)
The bottom line is, if you’re a CC student resentful of how Barnard “claims to be part of Columbia” (it is the University itself that “claims” this), or resentful of the fact that Barnard students have access to your classes, professors, and libraries (as you do to theirs), or wishing that you could just “sever the Barnard-Columbia connection” for once and for all, please realize that the Barnard students are not the ones who created the admittedly somewhat obscure structure of the Barnard-Columbia relationship. Columbia chose to create a college for women instead of letting women into CC, and when a century later they finally decided to start letting women into CC, it was Columbia who decided to keep Barnard around as the women’s college of Columbia University. If you don’t like this state of affairs, well, okay. (Although I think it’s a little immature to base your own self-respect on tearing other folks down.) But at least, please recognize that the Barnard students on campus with you did not create the situation that you don’t like. And if they *do* like it and take advantage of it, well, good for them. Maybe you should find a way to make it work for you, as well. Or else….transfer to a University of whose policies you do approve.
@Anonymous Your recounting of the Columbia Barnard relationship assumes that Barnard did not have agency to determine its fate. The reason why Barnard was never merged into Columbia University in the 1980s was because they did not want to. Do a Google search for Ellen Futter if you want to know the details of the negotiations that went on during that time.
@No Integrity Alright, this shows that Barnard has absolutely no integrity for two reasons:
1) They already had an excellent speaker, a woman who is truly a power player and a superb example of what women can do with their lives.
2) HE’S NOT A WOMAN. JEEEZ. How can Barack Obama, a man, inspire women at a women’s college to be successful and powerful women?
@So Much Integrity Alright, this shows that Barnard has absolute integrity for two reasons:
1) The speaker they already had, who was excellent, gladly bowed for POTUS and said she’d be happy to speak at Barnard at another time – truly a power player and a superb example of respect for our country’s political servants.
2) HE’S THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. JEEEZ. How can Barack Obama, a man, NOT inspire women at a women’s college to be successful and powerful women? Especially since he has two daughters!
@Anonymous You cannot learn from someone who is not of your gender. Duh.
@Anonymous is just speaking at Barnard because its a girls school. Not because its a good school. Hes just using you for political points. Yet you seem so happy about it.
@bc Someone else already put it much better than I will. He’s the goddamn PRESIDENT. Nobody give two shits about why he’s coming, even if it was ultimately revealed that he chose to come to Barnard for the sole purpose of hitting on DSpar. Hell, nobody would agree to be a commencement speaker in general if they weren’t promised a shitload of money for it. We all understand that it’s just the way it works. Obama’s coming and it’s gonna be awesome, period.
@Anonymous dear cc haters,
i’m so glad you got into COLUMBIA COLLEGE. congratulations. you’re soo smart. except i think you didn’t graduate from middle school. seriously.
@Anonymous I think that chemistry at Columbia is somewhat harder, but Barnard gives much less generous curves.
@Obama, Your mission is to give a better speech than Meryl Streep. Best of luck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-a8QXUAe2g
@Anonymous Best. Speech. Ever.
@Q In all honesty, I’m more upset that I couldn’t get into Meryl’s speech than the fact I’ll miss Obama…
@KN Kinda embarrassing how childish we are acting here…
@Bc'12 This is sad. The ENTIRE class of 2012 (regardless of your affiliation, undergraduate, graduate, whatever) has worked an incomprehensible amount over the past 4 (and in some cases, more) and we deserve recognition. Period. Bow down to us.
If you’re class of 2013 and later, and you’re bitching about this: shut the fuck up and put your binky in your mouth.
As a member of a Barnard Medalist Committee, I was PISSED we didn’t get Tina like we fought for. Am I still pissed at how things turned out? Fuck no. Even if Obama was speaking at CC/SEAS/GS (don’t forget about them!!!) I’d still be SUPER ELATED.
@Anonymous BC girls should understand why us Ivy League students are upset. For one you all parade around our campus and act like you go here, but when the president is coming to your school its all “Barnard Pride”. Secondly, Obama graduated from our University, so it seems a bit like we’ve been cheated out of something that is rightfully ours. Not to mention that the very reason why Obama is going Barnard is offensive. As if there aren’t bright, powerful women here. Please! Also Barnard has seen Ruby Bridges and Oprah already this year, so this is like the ultimate screw you to Columbia students. Like why are we constantly being insulted? I mean we can’t help it that we were smart enough to get into Columbia.
@Anonymous hahaha “Like why are we constantly being insulted?” puhleaze.
@Dear "We Ivy League Students" Go fuck yourself.
@BC '14 us ≠ we
@Anonymous columbia clearly fucked up when they decided to take you…that’s for sure. obama gives the speech he wants. you are not “entitled” to anything in the same way you’re not entitled to the education your’re getting. asshole. i’m ashamed to share space with you.
@Optional http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Bm_yxsMCpE
@BC Well, if there is no BC network, why don’t we create one? Just saying
@BC admin Believe me, the college has tried to get its own network for as long as Facebook has been around. It took Sheryl Sandberg coming to campus to even get them to listen to the pleas.
@Anonymous It’s Columbia, not Colombia. Looks like the admissions board let one through by mistake.
@question Will CC students protest this speech? I mean, it’s kind of an insult to speak at Barnard before returning to CC. I know it’s political. But so is a protest. Seems like the reasonable response if you are genuinely PO’d.
@Anonymous What good would a protest do? You can’t MAKE Obama speak at Columbia. In fact, didn’t he have a terrible experience here? Isn’t that why he’s turned down repeated offers to speak at Columbia? Protesting would make sense if the administration had any control over this situation, but they don’t have the power to decide where the President of the United States does or does not give Commencement addresses.
@BC 13 - BC 15 I dunno why y’all are so excited. This just means he wont be speaking at YOUR graduation.
@Anonymous because at barnard, we are taught a sense of community. as a member of the barnard community, i am immensely proud that obama is speaking at my school, and i’m thrilled for my friends who are graduating. i’m also thrilled that i have friends who are giving me a ticket so that i can see him speak!
@Anonymous I think that SEAS would have been a better idea, politically and otherwise. While Barnard does have its own physical science/math departments, I think we can all agree that the level to which undergraduates at SEAS master their respective subjects is far beyond ours. Many Barnard undergrads prefer to specialize in grad school, which is fine and doesn’t make them any less capable, but it’s worth recognizing the sacrifices SEAS students have made for the betterment of science. I’m a science major, and I know I’m not nearly dedicated enough to my field at this point in my life to tackle a SEAS workload. I can do research/work at labs/etc in the summer, but I really wanted a more dynamic undergraduate experience. I think Obama’s recognition of the importance of science, including the women of SEAS, would have been a bold, worthy, and relevant political statement to make, and a reward for SEAS students.
@Bwog wordpress didn’t include the fact that I’m a Barnard student, in case that wasn’t clear.
@Anonymous He’s already spoken at MIT. He’s had his opportunity to vouch for the sciences. From a political perspective, he doesn’t need to do that twice. He’s speaking at a women’s college now, and considering he has a personal connection to the one affiliated with columbia, it makes sense that he speak at Barnard.
@Anonymous Let’s be honest guys, people are making way too big of a deal about this. It’s not a fucking pissing contest.
Is getting Obama awesome? yes. But in the grand scheme who cares if we didn’t get him. It’s NOT a sign of prestige of our school. It doesn’t make any judgment on what you personally have done here. Will the CC speaker be a good or bad speaker? Who knows? He hasn’t spoken yet. Maybe he’ll be the funnier, more insightful, and much more interesting than Obama.
Will Obama give the commencement speech of the century? Most likely not, considering his position and the limitations that come with it. Who knows? Maybe Obama’s speech will just turn out into a long drone about why we should vote for him come November.
Commencement speeches will mean so little in the grand scheme of things that it’s incredible that people will take time out of their day to get pissed about it. Fucking priorities. ‘Cause after his speech is done we’re all going back to our lives anyway.
@Neil deGrasse Tyson For Columbia’s emergency replacement Class Day Speaker!
@I see what you did there We got a true redditor right here
@Anonymous The administration should open up his speech to the entire student body. He’s speaking on South Lawn, so it will already be set up to accomodate the 15,000+ that attend University Commencement anyway! That way, he could directly address Barnard for their commencement, but every Columbia/Barnard student could have a chance to watch our President speak.
@Anonymous NOOOOOOOW Barnard’s part of Columbia…
@Anonymous Bwog, c’mon, such a good opportunity to use the “bitches going crazy” tag
@I like to think that Maybe Obama read the Bwog comments and saw how rude the Columbia students are when considering his choice.
@Let's be real If half of you Barnard women had applied directly to Columbia and not Barnard, you’d be attending some school in the midwest right now.
@Let's be real No I’d be attending:
1) UPenn
2) Northwestern University
3) Williams
4) Amherst
5) Wesleyan
and plenty of other good schools.
Maybe if you got into Princeton you wouldn’t be so damn bitter. You guys were bragging about meeting Jeremy Lin, but the Attorney General comes to your campus and you don’t even know about it. Pitifulllllll
@lol Let’s get a couple things straight:
1. Like you, Columbia was my top choice. Unlike you, I was accepted.
2. As a true and avid basketball fan, I’ve known about Jeremy Lin far longer than most of the dick-riders you’re referring to.
3. If it seems like no one knew that Eric Holder would be here, it’s because you’re living under a rock.
Also, the point of my first comment was to say that you wouldn’t be attending Columbia, you’d be at another school (e.g. UPenn, Northwestern, Williams, blah blah blah).
@BC '13 I’ve had two best friends throughout college (and my whole life!)–one from BC and one from CC. I love being a part of the Columbia community and that I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many amazing and brilliant people on both sides of the street! I seriously hope Obama never sees this comment thread. It’s embarrassing for all members of this community!
@Anonymous 1) Who said I applied to Columbia. I did NOT apply to Columbia. You guys always assume that Columbia was EVERY Barnard student’s top choice! LMAO I am sorry to disappoint you. I would not give a flying fuck if this relationship was severed tomorrow. I am still happy with my decision. I am and will continue to be successful in life. As far as I am concerned, not going to Columbia College hasn’t prevented me from achieving anything. I have had top notch internship experiences. I am well traveled, and get to meet some of America’s most influential people. Keep hating and keep comparing. That will not stop me from being accomplished…period.
2) Just like Yao Ming, Jeremy Lin will soon be forgotten. Just like you think I am getting a Columbia degree through the backdoor. I think he is getting recognition through the back door. The Lakers have a bad game, and all of a sudden he’s something for us to be excited about? He most of his wins were against mediocre NBA teams. Oh and lets not forget to mention how he got SHUT down by the Miami Heat. Please call me when the guy gets the Knicks a ring. Until then, shut it!
3) Please believe what you want to believe about Columbia student’s excitement about his visit. I can’t recall a Columbia student rejoicing about meeting him.
@Anonymous Dear Office of Alumni and Development:
When Columbia treats us like crap–from housing to dining to fin aid to getting work study paychecks after running to 20 different offices to advising not knowing anything ever to career services being no help whatsoever to, well, most administrative aspects of this place–we will still hold a grudge against you 20 years later when we become Presidents, astronauts, great authors, etc. And we will never give you our money. Let this whole kerfluffle serve as a reminder of that fact. I know you guys read Bwog.
Sincerely,
CC ’12
PS Good job Barnard, I guess.
@CC '07 Well said.
@Anonymous THIS. As a Columbia student (and woman), my problem is not with Barnard women, but with the pain of being so close to a school like Barnard that fosters a sense of community in its students while attending a school that reminds us, at every turn, that we couldn’t matter less to our administration. It seems like the POTUS problem is a foreseeable outcome of that, though it’s shitty to think that Columbia has been fucking over undergraduates for this long and hasn’t bothered to do anything about it.
I would say that students should complain, should organize and work with the administration to address the problems that it seems a LOT of students have with the way things are run at this university, but who would listen?
@Anonymous Say what you want, but use you name. If your intent is to be a hateful misogynist, then please give me the chance to remove you from my life. If I don’t know you, give me the chance to refrain from ever knowing you, if at all possible.
Seriously guys it goes both ways. How often do you hear about Zora Neale Hurston or Margret Mead in affiliation with Columbia? Why isn’t that seen as problematic?
Without institutions like Barnard, women wouldn’t be able to attend CC or SEAS or any collegiate institution in America. So quit the hate. As a former student athlete and a member of a Columbia club that I love, I am thankful for the perks of Barnard’s affiliation with Columbia and I have a lot of respect for and pride in Columbia and the wonderful people in my life who go there. However, if you know me, you know I have so much Barnard pride. And if you don’t know me:
I, Bunge Okeyo, am a Barnard junior. I would never hesitate to proclaim that to anyone! I have no Columbia envy whatsoever.
In light of both Oprah and President Obama choosing my college, it seems many people see Barnard as I see it: Barnard is bomb!
The more productive quest would be to determine why Columbia alums seem to have much less school pride than alums of comparable institutions. The Barnard Alums that I know or the famous ones that I’ve heard of seem to have loved their time here. For those who feel slapped in the face by the president, maybe you should be more upset with your administration (both current and past) than with him or Barnard women. Literally Columbia has searched for people who knew Barack Obama while he was a student here and haven’t had much luck. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that he was denied campus housing and as a transfer student that transition was already going to be a more difficult one.
Whatever the reason, that should be where you direct your bitterness. Not at me (as I suspect while happen) or Barnard College, or the president.
ps: Barnard was named for the 10th president of Columbia, Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard, who was obviously less of a chauvinist than many of the people we encounter on bwog. Get it together guys, the world needs less people who think like Rush Limbaugh for real.
@Dude Nooo you broke the interwebzzz. anonymous people onlyyyyyyyyyy
@Anonymous so much barnard pride?
why do you list Columbia as your primary FB network?
@Anonymous because at the time i matriculated that was the only option and i AM a columbia university student. Wait you have columbia college pride? how come your network say columbia university?
dont you realize columbia university includes Union Theological Seminary, JTS, GS, all the graduate schools, as well as BC CC and SEAS? it’s actually a testament to the pride in Barnard that there is now an option to join that network. don’t hate bro.
@Anonymous because when i matriculated that wasn’t an option and i am, in fact, a columbia university student. why isn’t your undergraduate college (assuming you are a disgruntled undergrad) listed as your network? that network includes UTS, JTS, each graduate school, as well as BC CC GS and SEAS – a network of which i am a member in real life as well as on facebook.
@Anonymous Zora Neale Hurston or Margret Mead both went to Barnard when Columbia only existed at a mens college. Had they had the option, I’m sure they would have attended columbia (like Radcliffe students who now Harvard.)
@anon Buuut they didn’t. So your point is moot.
@Anonymous Radcliffe exists not, my friend…
@Anonymous Just to clear up the origins of Barnard College:
1864
F. A. P. Barnard becomes Columbia’s tenth president. A Yale graduate, he previously taught at the University of Alabama and presided over the University of Mississippi. His ambitions for Columbia know no bounds, and he fights unsuccessfully against trustees, faculty, and students to make Columbia coeducational—only to have an affiliated women’s college, whose creation he opposes, named in his honor.
from http://c250.columbia.edu/c250_celebrates/people_and_ideas/people_ideas_3.html
@Anonymous For those that doubt the political undertones of this gesture, ask yourself the following questions in this order:
Why would Obama make an announcement to speak at Barnard College directly after a Georgetown University student was called a “slut” and “prostitute?”
In choosing to speak at Barnard for the sake of female empowerment, news which has already gained national attention (hint hint), could Obama potentially gain the favor of a great deal of women in this country?
Finally, could the female support he earns be useful to him in the upcoming presidential election?
Stop thinking Barnard is so special because Obama is coming. You’re a political instrument.
@yawnnn A bit late to the party, aren’t you.
@CALM YO TITS No one was questioning the political undertones of Obama giving the commencement address at Barnard. There’s nothing here to prove.
@Anonymous I think Jill Abramson would have gladly canceled her own appearance to score a ticket to Obama’s commencement speech.
@Haters Gonna Hate [IMG]http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/VespertineIconoclast/Obama-haters-gone-hate.gif[/IMG]
@Anonymous Barnard students have taken our class spots, our campus space, and now our favorite alum. And I’m sick and tired of the inferiority complex. I hate how when I ask a girl if she’s from Barnard she immediately takes it as a diss. Let’s be honest here, the difference is pretty obvious. There have been times when I was asked to leave classes so that a Barnard senior who was close to the professor could take them instead. This is aggravating. Barnard students don’t pay Columbia tuition so they should stop kicking me out of my classes, and increasing the class sizes in classes that I actually am able to get into. Barnard students don’t go to Columbia yet they make me wish I hadn’t come here.
@Correction Barnard students pay an annual fee to take Columbia classes. Study harder and maybe you can get into Harvard for graduate school.
@CC 14 Study harder and maybe you can get into Columbia for grad school.
@Anonymous And if Barnard had turned down Obama’s offer no doubt all these comments would be insulting that decision as well.
I am sure had he extended an offer to speak on class day, PrezBo would have made the decision to drop any previously scheduled speaker as well. What college would turn down the President’s request to deliver the commencement address?
@Anonymous
@Anonymous Does this even matter? It’s very sad that this conversation is pitting Columbia students against Barnard students: we learn from the same professors, eat in the same dining halls, and participate in the same clubs. Barnard is an important part of Columbia’s history, and it’s really a shame that many Columbia students are being so disrespectful about this wonderful opportunity for the entire Columbia community and ultimately turning it into an argument about which school is more difficult to get into or popular or well-known. Have some respect for your fellow students: we’ve all put in a lot of work over four years– there is no one in this community who has not struggled and succeeded and failed together.
@For all the Barnard Haters http://legacy-cdn.smosh.com/smosh-pit/052011/haters-mario.gif
@Anonymous This is awesome for the whole university!!! Can we all just chill out and celebrate? Senior tailgate!!
@Barnard '12 http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac166/bonchatbonrat/GIFS/tumblr_lcb6unRZ7d1qzf96b.gif
@ObamaObamaObama OMFG its the President Of the United States. I think shes honored. And she will be speaking next year
@Anonymous Ack, so glad I went to Barnard before these Bwog comment boards existed, because reading this comments on this post scares the hell out of me. Barnard grad here who applied early decision (like half of the students at Barnard, so get the hell out of here with the Columbia reject stuff) and who never joined a network on Facebook because they only had Columbia’s, not Barnard. If people ask me where I went to school, I say “Barnard.” If they’ve never heard of it, I say it’s “part of the Seven Sisters.” If they have no idea what the Seven Sisters are, I give up. I was always happy to take advantage of Columbia’s facilities while at BC (though most of my classes were at Barnard) but I’ve never tried to use it to cover up Barnard. I’ve always been Barnard first and now I can unabashedly celebrate Obama’s speech (even if it is a political ploy.)
Also, all the awful Columbia commenters on here — you are the WORST! Good God!
@Anonymous You tell em! As a CC student I have nothing against Barnard, except that a number of the students lack school pride by saying that they go to Columbia. Barnard is an excellent college, and is unfairly compared to Columbia (an exceptional school, no offense meant) because it is affiliated. Don’t say you go to Columbia like you are hiding something, be proud to say you go to Barnard!
@Anonymous holy shit. 250+ comments and counting… and it’s fucking 2pm on a saturday. obama + barnard hating really brings the comments.
@Let's be honest... I have no problem with Obama speaking at Barnard (actually I’m a tad bit jealous), but my only problem with Barnard is their ties to us. Either make it part of Columbia aka no more all girls school or completely cut the ties. Barnard girls are so proud of their school yet, get mad at us when they are using all of our resources. I didn’t even know what Barnard was until after NSOP. You’re elite through association of Columbia. And Dassit!
@BC '12 completely agree. This has been one of my biggest issues with the Barnard-Columbia relationship. But it has nothing to do with the students and everything to do with the administration(s).
@ugh so columbia=barnard when it’s convenient, but when it comes to important things, like presidential keynote addresses, columbia and barnard are two distinct entities. WTFMATE.
@BC '12 Just to clear a few things up before I say anything:
1. I applied to CC early decision and didn’t get in. I ended up coming to Barnard because my only real criterion for picking a school was that it had to be located in New York City, so I picked the best school I got into in New York. It wasn’t because it was a backdoor into Columbia, although of course I see the irony that, as a film major, I have taken the vast majority of my classes at Columbia (99% of the film department is at Columbia).
2. When people ask me where I go to college, I ALWAYS say Barnard. Only when people say, “What’s Barnard?” do I then respond with, “It’s the all-girls college of Columbia” (to which some of those people then respond, “What’s Columbia?”)
3. My resume says I go to Barnard College of Columbia University, because that is the name of the school I attend. I’ve compared resumes with my CC friends (yes, I have those), and they say “Columbia College of Columbia University,” so I’m pretty sure I’m not doing anything wrong there. In job interviews, I always refer to my school as “Barnard,” and every interviewer I’ve had has been impressed by that name.
4. I’m in the Columbia network on Facebook because that is the only option. I do have Barnard listed as my college if you look at my education info. If there was a Barnard network, I would absolutely join it.
5. I can say that every single one of my Barnard friends behaves in the EXACT same way I do when it comes to my numbers 2-4. I can only assume that any Columbia student who says Barnard students act otherwise aren’t actually friends with anyone at Barnard. And that is most likely due to his or her attitude.
That said, it’s clear that Obama is speaking at Barnard as a campaign move. He is in the middle of a campaign, so that shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. So sure, he’s “using” us. But who freaking cares? He will give a great speech, and everyone will be happy (and as a supporter of Obama, I have no problem with him using us for his campaign). I completely understand why CC students would be a little bitter about this, but what can you do? The students didn’t ask for Obama, the administration didn’t even ask for Obama, Obama asked US. Attacking Barnard students because of Obama’s decision makes absolutely no sense, and is just unbelievably petty and immature (not that I’ve come to expect more from you, BWOG commenters). I have a sneaking suspicion that the bitterest of these commenters are only so bitter because their horrible attitude has kept them from ever befriending any Barnard students, and now they’re out of luck when it comes to procuring a ticket to our graduation.
@You miss the fact that... Columbia College *is* “of” Columbia University.
Barnard College is affiliated “with” Columbia University.
There is a difference, and your resume hides that.
@Anonymous Barnard College of Columbia University
Read it and weep: [IMG]http://spectrum.columbiaspectator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Barnard-Gates1-170×86.jpg[/IMG]
How you like them apples?
@Anonymous Just in case you missed it, here’s a nice wide version for all of you.
[IMG]http://fortydaze.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/alexa-006.jpg[/IMG]
@jasper thank you, this was good and sensible, i liked it
@Anonymous Playas, they gonna play
And haters, they gonna hate
Ballers, they gonna ball
Shot callers, they gonna call
That ain’t got nothin’ to do
With me and you
That’s the way it is
That’s the way it is
@CC'14 Part of me wants Obama to lose this election, because as long as he’s POTUS, there’s no way he’ll be Commencement speaker. Obama, you’re a bro, but I need you out of office before I graduate.
@pretty fucked up if this is how columbia treats its “sister.” We are all going to be in family therapy forever.
@Crazy Idea What if CC’12 as a group refuse to donate money to Columbia citing this as the reason…I guaranty the quality of Columbia Commencement speakers will rise dramatically
@Anonymous I don’t think it’ll work out that way.
@even crazier idea... maybe if you learn how to spell “guarantee” correctly, graduate, and become important in the world, you can come back and spew some graduation speech at a future cc graduating class…
@Anonymous I feel like this is karma for all of the Barnard hate and ridicule that is prevalent on Columbia campus.
@I feel like this is karma for history.
@ccalum Idea. All you Columbia guys, go get a Barnard girlfriend fast!!! That way, maybe she will invite you along with her parents to the Barnard graduation. My Barnard girlfriend ( now my wife) did that.
Barnard always has better speakers than Columbia. Just think about it. Barnard doesn’t invite the leader of Iran or engage in other sensational activities (think riots ).
@Future Husband/Bf of one This is exactly what I intend to do. I will have my cake and eat it at the same time. Her story will then become mine. Sucks for the female CU students, though.
@Anonymous Can’t we all just be friends?
@The audacity of pandering.
@Anonymous for all the people commenting about how this is just Obama using Barnard to gain the female vote… I for one am extremely offended that the holder of the highest office in the country is giving my school’s commencement address to express his support for a political stance that I fervently and wholeheartedly support.
@you are fucking naive maybe in 10 years you’ll become street smarter and know the true intentions behind people’s actions
in the meantime, people like me will continue to make money and gain power off people like you. hopefully. in the next 10-15 years.
@BC'12 Maybe in 10 years you’ll learn to read more carefully…
@whoosh lmao my comment was directed at the people above who felt the need to express the cutting edge political analysis of ‘oh he’s just trying to express his support for women’s rights to get votes’. shit sherlock, really? in an election year? how insightful of you, and thank you for the condescending assumption that we don’t already get that.
yeah, yeah true intentions, I’m so fucking sad that he’s trying to get my vote by supporting policies I support, crying a fucking river
@hahahha You win.
@Stay Frosty, Haters! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFkAAvDkj9k&feature=related
@Anonymous citizenkaneclapping.gif
@cls alum Interesting: both Franklin Roosevelt and Teddy Roosevelt attended Columbia Law School, but dropped out before graduating…Eisenhower was President, but didn’t graduate from here…so I guess it’s true that Obama is the first “Columbia graduate” to be President.
@CC'11 Just a political ploy because of the significance of woman’s rights in the upcoming election. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.
Let Barnard get this one thing to be proud of their school. Let’s be honest. It’s the only thing so throw them a bone.
Irony that they’re most proud of a Columbia Alum speaking at their school over any Barnard Alum.
@irony? When there is a female president in the U.S., we’ll be proud of that Barnard alum.
@Wait... So any Barnard alum that hasn’t been the President (a.k.a. all of them) isn’t someone of whom you should be proud? Shows how much you support Barnard. Proves CC’11’s point.
@CC '12 Lets not be so petty. You knew what she meant. The reason why we are all mad/jealous is cause its PRESIDENT OBAMA
@Anonymous Yes, because the reason people are excited about Obama is that he went to Columbia.
@Anonymous lol
@Alum This is really a dumb conversation and as an alum of several different schools at Columbia University, as well as Barnard, makes me highly skeptical about ever hiring any of the bitter, jealous students posting on this board. It’s just very silly and disappointing to see the bitterness expressed by those who don’t attend Barnard, or that Barnard students themselves think they need to be even remotely defensive against such stupid, ridiculous attacks. The “one” thing of Barnard to be proud about? Seriously, have you forgotten that two Secretaries of State, including Madeline Albright and Hillary Clinton have addressed Barnard commencements? The most powerful woman in business (soon to be one of the wealthiest women in the world), Sheryl Sandberg addressed Barnard? The most often nominated (and recent winner) of the Best Actress Oscar addressed Barnard? Are you kidding? Are you even remotely aware of the number of Barnard College phd’s, who occupy the highest positions in science and medicine? The number of best selling authors? The percentage of Barnard graduates who’ve gone on to lead global businesses and law firms? Several of the most powerful women on Wall Street….what? Barnard grads. Are you aware that in the past year, because of Barnard’s prestige and preeminence, that BEFORE the war on women began several weeks ago, the White House hosted a major forum on women in business/women entrepreneurs on campus, featuring again, some of the biggest names in business? Perhaps you missed that Oprah Winfrey was just on campus? Barnard is, has been, and will continue to be the most prestigious college for women in the world. I think the joke is on those folks who one way or the other do not open themselves to experiencing the incredible things that happen on Barnard’s campus, but instead resort to jealous anger and attempts to belittle a fine institution. All your jealousy is doing is ensuring that the Barnard women who will one day be in position to give you a professional opportunity will laugh you out the door, with your abusive, arrogant condescension. Just think about it. And grow up….
@Anonymous As a CC Freshman, I just want to praise this message. Columbia kids need to take a chill pill. The only thing that is frustrating as a Columbia student is the feeling that the administration does not care for us the way the Barnard administration cares about them.
@anonymous he’s the president of the nation, you IDIOT! Who wouldn’t be happy about that?! For once in your life, learn to celebrate with the women at BARNARD! It really won’t hurt you, I promise!
Columbia is great, Barnard is great and in the end, we are all receiving a top-notch education! It all depends on how you use the resources that both colleges provide… seriously, dig deeper, and ask yourself, why you are really mad about Obama’s choice…
@Anonymous …What about us? Columbia women participate in many feminist initiatives at Barnard, we care about the advancement of women, and WE HAVE VOICES TOO.
This plus Oprah are just a slap in the face.
We suffer because of Barnard (ppl thinking we go there, having WAY more heterosexual women at this school than heterosexual men, etc) and are excluded from some of the very few privileges of Barnard, while Barnard women use the Columbia affiliation to its full advantage.
I feel like a dumbass because I should have just gone to Barnard. I could wear blue robes, hold my “Columbia” degree, brag about having cool people visit campus, live in Columbia housing, take Columbia classes and date Columbia men, without having the Core and all the difficulties and bullshit of ACTUAL Columbia.
@BC '14 Holy shit, you are MAD.
@of course I'm mad I’m a fucking idiot for wasting my time at Columbia when there’s been a backdoor across the street the whole time!!
@damn if yall worked this hard in your freshman writing classes, you’d all have A’s
@look Lose the fat and I’ll have sex with you too. No need to get into jealous bitch mode. We have a great Gym at Dodge.
Really Barnard ladies work very hard as champions of female empowerment, and your jealousy stemming from having to compete a little and look a little nice to get with Columbia guys is just ugly.
I’m sure the women of CUNY also work hard as feminists, yet you don’t see any of them bitching about Obama speaking at Barnard. In fact, I bet they are happy to see the nation’s president speak at an all girls school.
You also live in New York City, a city with over 3 million heterosexual men. Columbia/barnard does not exist in the middle of nowhere Idaho, (sorry Idaho.) You have plenty of sexual options.
@Anonymous Wow, bitter much? Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do a great job of making yourself feel better by calling Barnard girls dumb sluts who used a back door to get into the school you ~rightfully deserved~ to get into.
@CC If you hate Columbia this much, why didn’t / don’t you transfer? And if you’re that involved in feminist activities, why don’t you recognize that the rhetoric surrounding Barnard women being dumb / having an easier time / stealing Columbia’s name comes from a compulsion within our sexist society to shoot down any attempt by women to do something outside of the constant male gaze?
I call troll on this whole comment because I’m going to choose to believe no student chosen to attend the illustrious Columbia University could possibly be this shortsighted.
@FUCK YOU COLOMBIA BITCH Call it a back door all you want! Be mad. Deciding to enroll in a premier women’s college is a conscious political choice. Great people Columbia’s campus all of the time. Eric Holder, Attorney General of US, gave a speech at CU THIS week. He is a Columbia alumnus and yet he gets no love. Ursula Burns, the FIRST black women to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company will be speaking at SEAS class day. Not one person seemed to be excited about what she accomplished. Mind you, she is also a graduate of Columbia. You guys are selectively haters. Like seriously, people cannot choose to speak at Barnard College?
You have chosen to go to a college where people recognize the accomplishments of their alumni, and are appreciative of a good education. Instead you chose to go to a school where people are upset about who DECIDES to speak at a graduation. Instead you chose to go to a school where people have a deep inferiority complex. Instead you chose to go to a school where people think the name on their diploma defines them. I find that to be incredibly sad and unfortunate.
@Anonymous You should have*
@Its *Columbia genius
@Seriously FUCK CU It’s a typo you CRIMSON dick sucking prick!
@Anonymous This is all rather silly. It almost sounds like a old, bitter and tired married couple bickering, and I think this should put the whole debate in perspective for everyone getting so invested in throwing horrible comments out there.
No CC student will not admit that this feels like a slap in the face and this is because while I am happy for Barnard, the problems is that I have to be happy for Barnard instead of viewing this as a triumph for the whole Columbia community. Sometimes the lines we have to draw between them are placed very awkwardly and personally, I get confused all the time on why some days we are one, but for other days we are separate. We can all try to sweep this under the rug and be friends, but it looks like just when we get going on that, those pesky lines come up again and we are forced to differentiate between them. You can be family in name, but not in spirit this is the problem here. Relying on the official connection as defined by administration has not been enough, and we need to talk about where we want to be together. The hate is about enough at this point.
Congratulations Barnard-Columbians. Obama will be great!
@cc alum '61 all me and my barnard wife ever bicker about is this shit.
in our nursing home, whenever she ever acts up, i always slap the hoe and tell her ‘get your ass back across the street bitch!”
@Clarity CC'12 As a senior who is very upset that the President did not chose to speak at Columbia College’s commencement, I think we really need to analyze why Obama made the decision to speak at Barnard. It is not surprising that Barnard undergrads will beam with pride at this news and feel particularly special that Obama decided to come to them. But in my opinion, Obama is ultimately speaking at Barnard to gain female support and votes in the upcoming presidential election. We must take into account the present political context. The New York Times describes what I am getting at very well:
“Word of Mr. Obama’s appearance comes as the White House and Democrats have seized on Republican attempts to block a requirement for contraception coverage in the new health care law, saying it amounts to a “war on women.” Democrats believe the issue could be an effective rallying point with women voters in a presidential election year, and the decision to appear at the prestigious women’s school could provide a high-profile forum for the president on that front.”
Obama is trying to win votes. He is the most powerful man in America in my opinion because he is a master at influencing public opinion and swaying problems to his advantage. I believe Barnard in his eyes is a means to a political end. Therefore, I am upset but I can’t be angry because I know that in speaking at Barnard, President Obama is improving the chances of a Columbia College graduate remaining in the White House.
@was this essay really necessary thanks for explaining the White House’s obscure motivations, we would have never figured it out otherwise.
Not.
@Seriously FUCK CU Yes we know you are desperate because it took so long for you to get an alumnus in the oval office. Like I said earlier all of you can eat a big fat CRIMSON dick!
I love how CC/SEAS feel rejected but also refuse to admit that Obama was a GS student. Where is their voice in all of this??????
@GS '12 Right here. Go to hell.
@GS Nationalist If Obama applied today, he would be a GSer. It’s no secret that the treatment he got as an underprivileged transfer student is why he virtually doesn’t acknowledge coming here even decades later. You’d think Columbia would have learned its lesson, since the next GS-alum President (fingers crossed lol) is sure to be even more spiteful.
However, he was a CC student. Some sites do claim he went to GS, but they’re incorrect. I was actually about to namedrop him in my admission essay until I triple-checked this at the last minute.
@Anonymous First of all, I go to Columbia NOT Barnard and unlike many of you I am honest abut that fact. Secondly, I know plenty of people at Barnard. Some of which, I didn’t even know went to Barnard until they shamefully had to explain what dorm they live in…
@Anonymous Shamefully? I’m sorry, but should my place of residence be the first thing we mention whenever we meet someone?
@Columbia College 2013 We should all write letters to Obama telling him we want him at our graduation next year. No need to be mad at Barnard. He can still come to Columbia next year.
@Yeah... Once he isn’t reelected and doesn’t have to base every decision off politics.
@LOL It’s cute, because like me, you look at this as “bad luck.” “No way will MY graduation speaker be as bad as this!” you say. “Obama might choose to come for MY graduation!” you say. And yet you don’t realize that every CC student for the last 4 years has gone through this internal monologue.
When the graduation speaker sucked last year, I thought to myself, “Well now that they ended up with a REALLY bad person, they’ll step up their game for MY year.” And now not only do I have a horrible graduation speaker, and not only is Obama not speaking, but he is LAUGHING IN MY FACE.
Your time will come. Just you wait. Enjoy your wishful thinking while you still can–I envy you.
@CC'11 Yes, every year everyone complains about the speaker being subpar. Yes, hardly ever does the graduating class get a Class Day speaker with a name that wows. Last year, the short list the seniors were asked to vote on included Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Alexandra Wallace Creed (our actual speaker) definitely didn’t get the most votes. In fact, I don’t remember her name even being in the list.
HOWEVER, just because she wasn’t super famous doesn’t mean she “sucked”. I would say far from it. Her speech was heartfelt and enjoyable, and it definitely made the day incredibly better. (Now, if it only hadn’t been so frickin cold and windy… )
Your speaker may suck or he may not, but don’t expect the actual speech to be terrible just because he’s not a flashy name. He may surprise you.
@BC 14 Maybe he’s just waiting until Sasha or Malia enrolls at Columbia!
@CC14 I initially was wondering why there were so many likes on Barnard comments, but then I realized it’s because Barnard people spend more time on BWOG than Columbia people, because they’re trying so hard to stay in the loop about what’s going on across the street.
Makes sense though, after all I know what’s going on here because I live here while you have to be signed in…
Side note: It would just sound absurd for a Wesleyan girl to say that she goes to Harvard, thats how dumb you Barnard girls sound to me when you say that you go to Columbia…THE COLLEGE
@how old are we? grow up.
@Really? Okay first off you mean Wellesley (our secretary of state is an alumna…) and secondly Wellesley was never associated with Harvard but nice try…
@Seriously FUCK CU You know that Wellesley and Wesleyan are two completely separate private institutions right?
I swear Harvard, Yale, and Princeton kids probably laugh at you when you try to claim that you are an ivy league student, with you core that covers prep school BASICS, and your football team that doesn’t seem to be well informed about how to actually play the came.
Eat a big fat CRIMSON dick you fucking piece of shit!
COLUMBIA will never be YALE, HARVARD, or PRINCETON. Your acceptance rate is low because you are in NYC. This is why you guys have a huge inferiority complex, because deep down inside you know that you are not the cream of the crop. Obama does not want to associate himself with you guys because you are all elitist, self-righteous fucks who would rather pick on a women’s college then focus on your own merits.
@GS '12 Wow…see I usually get this kind of hate from the actual Columbia College people, because I am a nontraditional student. It’s crazy to realize that the pretentious snobbery just never ceases…it’s turtles all the way down!
@I have a feeling that you are unattractive and that you have a small johnson.
@anon troll, why do you have a crown next to your name?
@mmm i love playing “the came”
@WOW I thought that the whole “Harvard, Princeton, and Yale are the only real Ivy Leagues” distinction only existed on Gossip Girl.
@Anonymous 1. why are you even on this blog
2. you salty that obama don’t want your crimson dick?
3. “prep school basics” … sorry we are not that entitled
4. you make the rest of your school look absolutely awful.
@Anonymous one more thing..
“who would rather pick on a women’s college then focus on your own merits.”
not sure what you doing here lulz
@CC Alumna “your football team that doesn’t seem to be well informed about how to actually play the came”
Definitely the best measure of an educational institution’s quality.
@Anonymous Perhaps in the future, when writing hateful messages on other universities’ blogs, you might make use of a nifty devise called “spell check”. It might save you the embarrassment of making grammatical and spelling errors when lambasting other institutions for their lesser educational merit. Just a thought.
@CC '12 again Well, you suck. My point is that I’ll be leaving with a bad taste in my mouth (insert pun here). This will be my last moment at Columbia, and it will serve to accentuate how little the administration seems to care about us.
@Anonymous you moron Obama CHOSE to speak at Barnard, Barnard didn’t chose to have him speak.
@CC '12 Oy, this is part of a comment thread from above that got displaced. We all know that Obama chose to speak at Barnard. My point was that it wouldn’t feel so shitty if our own speaker wasn’t so subpar.
On a side note — it sucks that you said “you moron”. I’m a little bit sad that Obama isn’t speaking at graduation. Don’t need the hate.
@Anonymous So much arguing! Clearly the more important issue is will there be a puppy study break the week before?
@Anonymous Clearly we need one.
@Anonymous http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6TE6RJmFkI
@Anonymous Obvi
@PUPPY COALITION WORKING ON IT
love you, everyone under columbia ‘brella.
@Oprah will introduce him “Barack ObamAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!”
@CC ok, barnard girls get to register for our classes a week in advance, they get our degree, and they get obama…dassit i’m transferring cuz they have us by the balls
@Anonymous who gives a fuck what you do or what your GPA was
@Sasha He’s just waiting until I got to CC instead of Barnard to speak at my graduation.
@Anonymous The reason people put Barnard College of Columbia University on their resumes is because the degree is conferred by Columbia and that’s the official name of the college used in many different settings. I’ve never run into a resume that only says CU. I’m pretty clear about it being an affiliate when I talk to people in person, even though I’ve taken a TON of Columbia classes and found them to be just as easy as BC classes, except with less professor-student interaction. In fact, I think I’ve gotten a number of jobs because employers are interested in female oriented leadership.
When I applied to Barnard instead of Columbia it was because I really wanted an empowering setting with peers that were interested in feminist ideals. This idea was cemented when I saw Butler covered in the names of men. If I hadn’t wanted to live in the city, I would probably have gone to another women’s college because I love it so much. Plus, the advising program and career services offices are both incredible, not to mention superior counseling and health services.
I love Barnard, but I don’t fault my Columbia peers for their decision to go to Columbia, a place that I feel stifles academic freedom through the strict core and fosters male-dominated ideals, as is evidenced by these comments.
In the end, Columbia students are often more miserable and in no way have an advantage in the workforce. It’s all about how you USE your time here, not how well you did in your senior year in high school or your decision to learn in a feminist environment versus a male-dominated environment.
@lulz male dominated environment? LULZ. what century is this?
columbia, both seas and cc, are approx. 51/49 male/female -MALE DOMINATED. LULZ. seas is a bit easier to get into if you’re a hot white chick because of that.
@Anonymous I wrote that because even when women are the majority, academics and politics still foster male ideals. If that wasn’t the case, these comments would be less hateful and gendered. And you’d be more likely to understand what I meant by that comment.
The core focuses on men more often than women (even if I don’t take the classes, I’ve looked at the course load for lit hum and other classes and have read pretty much everything on there), and the history classes I’ve taken tend to do the same, even when women’s issues are a huge deal.
@honest question and don’t wikipedia this before you answer, i want to know off the top of your head:
just how many noteworthy female authors were there before, say, at least the renaissance, if not “pre-enlightenment” or such?
@GS '12 What exactly are you driving at? If it is what I think it is, go read some Sappho, and hang your head in shame.
@lulz Male dominated environment? LOL shut up woman and let the man explain how you are so liberated now. Bitches, I mean.
@Anonymous This kind of talk just stinks of a double standard. It’s not relevant to this article, but to the comment I’m replying to: an enforcibly all-women’s school is as ideologically archaic as an all-male or all-white school, and does more to proliferate than to dissolve gender bias. Maybe nobody agrees, and this isn’t the forum for a rigorous, in depth argument, but comment threads like this are silly and anachronistic, and it seems clear to me that separation only squashes the possibility for clear, respectful discourse.
@OH WHO GIVES A FLYING FUCK i for one don’t give a flying fuck about the barnard/cu debate. honestly do you have any idea how many people put “columbia university” on their resumes ANYWAY without having gone to either barnard/columbia? i once saw a columbia college (the crappy one, not the ivy league one) guy sneak in his resume into our drop. it’s fucking bullsht.
i made away with a 3.7. twas easy for me to land a job. barnard girls don’t compete with me. and frankly its not their fault columbia chooses to give them @columbia email addresses.
as a guy, if you told me there was an all-men’s college affiliated with harvard law school, and that it was easier to get into (more of a surer thing), i’d take that as well! blame the system. but dont blame the girls for applying to barnard. sure some of them mightve not gotten in had they applied to columbia but they’re simply taking advantage of the system. you want change? change the system. break the affiliation between cu/barnard. otherwise, shut the fuck up.
SEAS Guy,
-Class of 2010 (who had no trouble landing a job with a 3.7 GPA with no competition from barnard girls whatsoever),
-2nd Year Analyst/Columbia Resume-reviewer – Mckinsey & Company
-Annoyed after frequently running across false resumes from people who never even attended columbia OR barnard
-Annoyed after seeing several Columbians put false extremely exaggerating statements in their resumes (you did not attend harvard summer school asshole)
-Annoyed at the whole barnard/cu debate
@Anonymous 1) You’re correct in most of your analysis
2) Oh, you work for the Enron consultancy? Wow, you’re cool. The Economist editors-in-chief wrote an entire book on fraudulent McKinsey & Company practices.
3) You clearly have a small penis.
@Anonymous FYI, I’m CC2010
@THIS MOCKERY WHEN THE FUCK CAN COLUMBIA CUT ALL TIES WITH THIS BARNARD PLACE?!?!?!??! WE ARE GETTING NOTHING FROM THESE THINGS
@Anonymous #BOLDBEAUTIFULBARACK
@Anonymous Guys. Perspective. I know this is huge news, and it’s awesome for Barnard and kind of sucks for Columbia, but at the end of the day, it’s still just about a graduation speaker. I’m sorry, but I can’t believe that so many people are taking this as a chance to be horrible to each other. It’s just a speech at graduation. It doesn’t really affect your future in any major way. Can’t we all be a little more mature about this?
@Maybe Obama had a subpar speaker for his commencement. :|
@Hey Columbia, Can we get a JumboTron again, a la ServiceNation?
@Guys This bickering is really very pathetic. Congratulations to Barnard for getting an awesome class day speaker; good luck to CC and SEAS on their next ones.
How distasteful.
@Anonymous He doesn’t even go here!
@CUCR Obama should just go home!
@Anonymous oh please, im at CC but would you really be bitter about being upstaged by the POTUS? she’s also a woman with children who just *might* have a stake in the whole birth control/abortion shitstorm and so just *might* appreciate the stance the prez. has taken.
anyways, im excited to year what he has to say.
@oh hey I found obama’s speech for commencement
http://www.americancivilrightsreview.com/docs-stevensononwomensplace(1955).htm
Nah, I kid. I want to hate on bc, but for what? columbia can’t help that it’s not an all women college, which is the (only) reason Obama is speaking there. It’s political, people.
@CC '12 God damn, I’m not mad at Barnard. I’m just really, really sad. It feels like the president of my country just slapped me in the face. Yeah, I get the calculated political move part of it, and I don’t think Barnard doesn’t “deserve” to have him. But this just feels like such a “FUCK YOU” from Barack Obama to Columbia College. And that sucks, because I love Columbia College, and now I have to graduate from the place I’ve spent 4 years of my life with this huge cloud hanging over the whole day. What a horrible way to end a really important life experience.
@CC '11 I completely agree, and I really feel for the graduating class this year. Especially as someone who was involved with the POTUS project last year….why did we even bother? CC was great but obviously it has its ups and downs, but this being the final event that marks the end of your college life is really, really disappointing.
@CC'13 I’m so upset that I think I’m going to join the College Republicans.
@May I remind you..... we had a particularly famous Harvard grad come to our bball game yesterday who you fawned over? And then Oprah and Steinam the other day? Columbia U (barnard + CC + SEAS) has a brand getting hot hot HOT.
@Anonymous Why are CC/SEAS so bitter about Obama speaking at Barnard over them? His decision to speak at Barnard is clearly a calculated political choice, what with the current “war on women” in the Republican party. He knows in order to secure the female vote he needs to support female leadership and feminism, and what better place to do that than at the most selective and arguably the most prestigious women’s college in the nation? On top of that, Barnard is a triple whammy for him: predominately left-leaning, female, and young. He’s not saying that one school is better than the other; he’s simply trying to secure the female vote.
@Anonymous Because Obama’s our daddy who never acknowledges us. We just want his love! Why don’t you love us, Obama?
(Because Columbia was and is a crappy school when it comes to student well-being)
@Whipped as in S & M? Didn’t think they’d be into that kinky stuff
@Anonymous Maybe Columbia Students wouldn’t be as upset if Barnard women didn’t choose to associate with Barnard only when it is convenient. It’s a slap in the face when many Barnard girls go around saying they go to Columbia, put Columbia University on job applications, and list Columbia as their school on Facebook. Now, all of a sudden Barnard girls are proud of going to Barnard. Make up your minds!
@BC'12 This comment tells me you don’t know anyone at Barnard. Do you even go here?
@I know a lotttt of (pretty awesome) people from BC. but what was said about using columbia when convenient remains accurate
@BC'12 Maybe people would be proud to say the went to Barnard if there wasn’t so much Barnard hate.
@CC12 But you forget that the barnard hate stems from the fact you call yourselves columbia.
@CC Barnard women who claim they go to Columbia all the time or selectively or only on their resumes or whatever are a straw man, just like man-hating feminists and welfare queens.
Everyone chooses to highlight their academic experience in a personal way. My resume reads “Barnard College of Columbia University” because the full name helps potential employers mentally place me in the rigorous academic environment that exists at both Barnard and Columbia. (The name alone isn’t going to get me or anyone a job; my GPA and honors and, most importantly, my work and internship experience that follow are going to do that.) When talking about how great my undergraduate experience was, I talk about Barnard because Barnard is a thousand times better at taking care of her own than Columbia is. When I’m talking about my Japanese background, I talk about Columbia because that’s where all the Japanese classes are so I identify with that as my “department”.
I don’t see what the issue is with any of this – the Barnard/Columbia relationship is complicated and has created coinciding complicated modes of discourse surrounding it.
@Anonymous I’m confused–your name is “CC” but you have Barnard on your resume. If you are indeed a BC grad, it sounds like the only reason you’ve included the “of Columbia University” portion is to intentionally make those unfamiliar with the institutions of Morningside Heights think that you’ve gone to Columbia.
I really stick up for Barnard when I hear the hate from my CC folk, but I gotta say, it annoys me that BC grads utilize the Columbia name when it serves them.
@Anonymous “of”…. lol
@BC alumna I’ve been out of the Columbia/Barnard bubble for a few years now, and it still BLOWS MY MIND how many people feel the need to put down others. Are you really so insecure about yourself?
Barnard is affiliated with but not PART of Columbia, a fact of which I am extremely proud. I would not have been happy as a Columbia student.
As it stands, I got a Fulbright in neuroscience and am in medical school now, so I have no doubt about the academic excellence of Barnard. And dealing with the few vocal assholes across the street made me a better person and better leader. Some people at Columbia were amazing, but others… Let’s just keep in mind only YOU can devalue yourself.
@CC '13 Amen!
@Anonymous In that case, couldn’t you get a degree with your own school’s name on it?
@BC alumna That’s a decision of the University, not CC, BC or SEAS. I’m going to guess that’s how it was written when the President of Columbia created Barnard College back in 1889. If you’re really so disgruntled about it, you have your own University to blame.
But glad you’re focusing on the really important points here… Being petty is SOOO lame.
@Why do you still read Bwog? Jesus.
@BC Alumna Haven’t been on here in years, but figured in light of this recent announcement and the extreme Barnard hate going around it might be time for another visit. And BOY have I not been disappointed!!
But really, have you really read through 150 comments to get to mine? Jesus.
@CC'12 Everybody needs to step away from their computers, breathe while counting to 10, and then calm down. It’s been a long week, guys.
@Anonymous Please, take one second to look at our alumni including Obama. We came to COLUMBIA COLLEGE or THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCES because we want a future for ourselves. And we have a network of people that have already made it and willing to help. Working for you? In the off chance, it would be the other way around Barnard.
@Anonymous So I guess the GS people (a significant percentage of whom can kill you in your sleep, if they so choose) and the graduate students that greatly outnumber you, are fish chum then?
(Not to mention the inherent misogyny in your statement.)
If the appeal of college is solely for its network, you should’ve gone to Harvard.
@Anonymous I’ve reported this comment to public safety. Threatening someone’s life is not only illegal but also quite cruel. I apologize that you will have to learn this the hard way through court and prison but death threats are not okay.
@Anonymous Oh, yes, because it’s impossible to have a future if you go to Barnard.
BC, CC, and SEAS are all incredible schools and I’m willing to bet that many employers look at them on the same level. It’s not about the school you go to as much as it’s about taking advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you, and the entire Columbia bubble (and NYC in general) has a myriad of incredible opportunities for students in every school.
Not to mention you very well could be working for a state school graduate as your boss some day.
@Just curious... Of those famous, powerful, successful, etc. Columbia alumni (since Columbia went coed.) are there significantly more men than women? what is the male to female ratio of Barnard students, if you had to guess?
@Relevant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHgOvf7710k
@Anonymous most.relevant.comment.EVER
@Anonymous Nicki Minaj is such a BOLD, BEAUTIFUL woman!
@TRACKED! And she still thinks you a stupid hoe, you a you a stupid hoe. Her words. Not mine.
@OperationFreeBarnard With all this Barnard Pride- I think we should liberate BARNARD!!!!
Take that DARN Columbia University seal off the degree and Prezbo’s signature too!
While we are at it! Let’s NOT wear the B&W cap and gown with the Columbia Crown!!
GRR BEAR GRR!
@CSEAS CC/SEAS would feel liberated as well.
Barnard should develop its own seal, its own robes, its own venue for graduation. . .
@BC'12 It doesn’t matter anyway, because Columbia only exists in your imagination. If you wish hard enough it’ll come true…
Y’all are fools.
@Anonymous No one would want to speak at Columbia if they read your comments. Shit. You guys are rude.
@Anonymous Barnard haters: you all sound bitter and pretentious. This is really exciting for Barnard. It’s okay to be upset, but be gracious.
@CC '14 I wouldn’t want to speak at CC either if I read these comments…
@Right? A lot of these comments sound like they come from bitter five year olds who actually know how to spell.
@Dean Pena Mora We here at SEAS would like to formally announce Steve Jobs as our Official 2012 SEAS Class Day Speaker…
@Anonymous :'(
@Ermmmm.... Steve Jobs is dead.
Awksauce.
@Anonymous i’m jelly. all SEAS seems to get is the president of a photocopy or electricity company or the chairperson of some warehouse operation. dull, unimaginative, utterly boring…
@Anonymous you’ve never liked us? How many classes have you taken at Columbia as opposed to Barnard? Now you’re insulting us after siphoning off our resources? Hypocrite
@CC/SEAS EXACTLY. Barnard gets to utilize our resources, yet when the tide turns the are ungrateful for what Columbia has provided them (some not all!).
@SEAS '14 Stop calling yourself CC/SEAS. I think we all know the Barnard hate is coming predominately from CC, not SEAS.
@BC '12 How many classes have YOU taken at Barnard? It’s a reciprocal relationship that Barnard pays a lot of money for, and unless you’re someone within the Columbia administration, it has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.
And yes, I rule at my Columbia classes also.
@Anonymous 4 at Columbia, 28 at Barnard. You?
@Anonymous seas should get Putin or Hu or something!
@Anonymous You would never hear of a Harvard alumnus speaking at Radcliffe instead of his/her alma mater. I feel bad for the CC students of 2012. Michelle must have Barack whipped
@DUH.... Probably because Radcliffe College no longer exists.
@CC What is with all the references to Michelle in these hate comments? No man could possibly want to support women’s leadership on their own (/for political reasons) so obviously he is being bullied by some domineering women!
Wait, sorry, I know I can’t expect Bwog comments on a post about Barnard to not be incredibly sexist.
@Anonymous to the contrary, it takes a real man to independently support women’s leadership
@Anonymous That’s because Radcliffe no longer exists as an independent institution…
Or were you being ironic?
@GS '12 Wow…you are a terrible person.
@BC '12 I was GOING to say something about how it’s clearly a very convenient decision that with issues surrounding abortion and women’s rights concerning contraception access coming to the fore, its obviously a clear political decision that Obama would choose to speak at one of the foremost women’s colleges in the nation.
BUT then I read all the self-interested and needlessly cruel rubbish in these comments from people who are too stupid or insecure to go out and meet real women before being sad and angry at them over the internet, and I’d like to now say SUCK IT COLUMBIA, I’VE NEVER LIKED YOU ANYWAY, AND OBAMA DOESN’T LIKE YOU EITHER.
I hope you all like yourself this much in ten years time when you’re working for me.
@CC It’s true. Obama doesn’t like us :(
@Da fuck? Um, I’m pretty sure you’ll be the one working for a Columbia student in the future. There’s a reason.
@BC'12 I wouldn’t hire you anyway, because you’re clearly extremely annoying. THERE’S a reason.
@columbia pride barnard students are columbia rejects! you have all the reason to hate columbia!
@BC '13 I’d like to make it very clear that you are a despicable person. As a matter of fact, I didn’t apply to Columbia. BC students’ treatment of this situation with excitement and pride is valid, and your ugly jealousy makes me ashamed to be a part of this community.
@CC'11, Proud Alumnae, and Woman Wow, your comment was just bitter. Just because there are a few commenters out there who are rude and self-interested doesn’t mean you should knock us beautiful Columbia folk as a whole. I’m soo jealous but happy for you all- don’t let some dumb fucks and their dumb comments ruin your relationship with Columbia, unless it’s been a hellhole for you.
@barnard the ultimate f you to columbia after four years of being put down by them for no educated or valid reason… woohoo!
@RIOTS Columbia rise up and protest Obama speaking at Barnard! Do what we were all born to do!
@Anonymous he had a shitty experience?
@cc No need to argue how Barnard got Obama. Cuz Barnard didn’t earn it. It’s Obama who chose to go as a calculated political choice…
@Did CC earn John MacArthur? Or whoever the fuck is speaking?
@Anonymous That’s because if we take classes at Barnard it doesn’t count towards OUR degree. Tons of people take Barnard classes if it’s simply to fulfill a requirement, and doesn’t count as a class towards our major. KNOW YOUR FACTS.
@Anonymous Wow hate reCAPTCHA. My comment now makes no sense – in response to the girl asking why people don’t take more classes at Barnard (above)
@Anonymous “KNOW YOUR FACTS”? You’re talking out of your ass…
@CC This is completely false. I’ve taken Barnard econ and spanish classes for my majors. Know YOUR facts!
@CC Econ Major No core courses and “a limited number of Barnard economics electives count toward the major”.
Know YOUR Facts.
http://www.college.columbia.edu/bulletin/depts/econ.php?tab=ugrad
@CC I know my facts.
Fact 1: I took 2 Barnard econ electives and both count towards my major.
Fact 2: I took 4 Barnard spanish electives and all count towards my major.
@CC '12 This is a really shitty way to cap off our years at Columbia. The biggest marker of our time spent here will be overshadowed by the women across the street. It wouldn’t be as bad if our speaker weren’t SO subpar.
This will actually be something I’ll remember when I consider donating as an alumni. You dun’ effed up, Columbia.
@Alum You don’t go to Columbia for the Class Day Speaker, you go for the 4 YEARS OF HIGHER LEVEL EDUCATION!!!! Vain idiot.
@CC '12 Well, you suck. My point is that I’ll be leaving with a bad taste in my mouth (insert pun here). This will be my last moment at Columbia, and it will serve to accentuate how little the administration seems to care about us.
@Anonymous So many CC ’12 grads commenting here sound like spoiled brats. How immature to dangle your future donations to the college and whine that you’re going to graduate with a distaste for your alma mater because Daddy Columbia didn’t get you the super awesome high profile Class Day speaker you wanted.
The fact that a certain person is high profile and all your friends will think you’re hot shit for having him/her as your speaker does not mean that they will deliver an outstanding speech. It is an insult to your fellow CC alumnus that you go into Class Day assuming his speech will suck because he doesn’t have a famous name.
Despite its faults (and outrageous price tag) Columbia has provided you with the opportunity to obtain an unparalleled education. However, with attitudes like this, it seems many have not taken advantage of the opportunity. It is due to this kind of attitude that so many roll their eyes at “Ivy League Elitism.”
@Anonymous Add to that the fact that it wasn’t the administration’s decision to not have Obama speak at CC’s Class Day. Obama CHOSE to speak at Barnard, no doubt in large part due to political strategy. However, we should all be proud that Barnard, a part of the Columbia community, was chosen over other women’s colleges in the country and that the President is choosing to show his support for women’s rights.
@CC '12 Yes, the administration didn’t choose Obama. But that administration has had a hand in choosing our class speaker and every class speaker that came before ours – and as all my friends in previous years describe it, they have all given uninspiring speeches. If you go on YouTube, you can see amazing speeches by incredibly accomplished people. I want that for my graduation. I want to be inspired.
And frankly, Columbia hasn’t left me very inspired. I have taken full advantage of everything that has been offered to me – study abroad, unique classes, fellowships, on-campus speakers. But the lack of administrative care has really made the experience much more impersonal than it needed to be. I know people throw the idea of a bad Columbia administration around, but it’s a very real problem. Everything from housing policies, work study checks, academic advising, career advising, public space requests, etc. are all bogged down by obtuse regulation and careless administrators. For me, the worst part has been the advising system. My academic advisor knew less than I did about policies at Columbia, and simply referenced the same online guide I had access to when I asked her for answers. My major advisor would never give me a time to meet with him, and ended up screwing up my study abroad registration so that I couldn’t register for classes in time. This same kind of a scenario played out across all forms of advising at Columbia, making it seem like they couldn’t care less about me or the other students. I wouldn’t know how to go about fostering more caring administrators, but it seems to work much better elsewhere.
Aside from all of this, I am still proud to be a Columbia student and I’m excited for my plans after graduation. This just seems like the cherry on top of the we’re-not-too-worried-about-your-quality-of-life Columbia cake. You shouldn’t be calling us spoiled brats – we’re not just trying to get a good class speaker so that we can brag to our friends.We understand and appreciate what Columbia has given us. We just want to feel like the institution that we’ve belonged to for the past four years cares about us in some way.
@Anonymous Thanks for the thoughtful reply, it really clarified the point you were initially trying to make. I think you raise a lot of valid concerns, and you have a right to be disappointed by these things. My advice to you in your future endeavors (for whatever it’s worth): don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself. If you don’t think think that your advisers are doing a good job, tell them how you feel. The same goes for the other concerns. It’s true that speaking up might not change a damn thing, but directing constructive criticism where it is warranted is more productive than complaining on the internet.
Columbia is shaped by the students who go here. Rather than thinking about how IT as an institution should inspire US, we should think about how WE can shape and inspire our school and each other.
My main point is to say that one’s disappointment in Columbia’s administration and/or in the 4 years they spent here should in no way be used to invalidate the huge honor Barnard has received. It is immature to think of this as Barnard “overshadowing” your big moment. Congrats to Barnard on this tremendous honor. Congrats to all Barnard and Columbia graduates equally for their accomplishments and contributions to the community over the past 4 years. And we should all focus on our accomplishments and those of our peers and be proud of all of that come commencement, rather than dwell over who has the “better” speaker.
@Anonymous There’s a breath of fresh air at Columbia, away from this.. it’s called Electrical Engineering department. They care for their students. Professors give legitimate class and life advice. The department feeds us, reserves rooms for us, and accommodates pretty much any idea that we want to implement, as long as it’s something that benefits students. The department throws parties for us for different holidays, and it’s always fun. We have mentor/mentee lunches every other week (part of the program launched 2 years ago), where students of all different years in EE and CE (CS also welcome), sit down together, family-style, and share awesome stories and advice. Every person in the department office is amazing and caring, and it’s always nice to drop in and chat with them. They hate bureaucracy as much as we do, and they do their best to minimize it. I feel very lucky that I chose this department. I got tons of help, advice, and inspiration throughout my four years at Columbia, and I will surely miss the people and the good times.
@GS '12 If I were the administration I wouldn’t care about you either, you misogynist little brat. It’s a shame you spent four years at this fine institution and didn’t learn a little tolerance, or even compassion.
@CC '12 What? I’m a woman and a huge feminist. Also, without giving out too many personal details, I’m spending the next couple of years of my life at a non-profit organization helping the less fortunate.
Gosh, people. Please actually read what I’m writing.
@GS '12 You can be a misogynist if you’re a woman…and I don’t really care about your personal details- I was responding to your sour grapes about how the “women across the street” are getting a better speaker than you. As a feminist, I would presume that you understand that your language is Othering to the Barnard women, as is your use of the term “less fortunate.” I do not begrudge Barnard this honor, and I consider them as much a part of Columbia as I am. To assert that you are going to withhold money just because of this does make you come off as spoiled and entitled, no matter how many of the “less fortunate” you save.
@oh god “your language is Othering to the Barnard women”
*vomit*
@GS '12 It’s appropriate to imagine you with spit-up all over yourself, since you are clearly such a whiny baby.
@@GS '12 Blast, i’ve been Othered!!
@poor kid at CU “I’m spending the next couple of years of my life at a non-profit organization helping the less fortunate”
paternalistic little brat. you have a hero complex, you class privileged jerk. I hate how rich kids at the school talk about “the less fortunate” as a way to make themselves feel better. go learn something
@CC I think this article should clarify that Obama contacted Barnard to offer to speak at commencement (to honor women’s leadership, etc.) He wasn’t lured by the Medal of Distinction, haha, what.
@bitter CC' 12 Let’s make one thing clear – Obama is using you, Barnard, just as much as you girls seem to be using this as ammo to make up for Barnard’s long inferiority complex. He’s using you to put out an image for his upcoming campaign – hence the reason why he contacted YOU and not the other way way around
Congrats, but celebrate with grace.
also, to the group that chose Columbia’s commencement speaker: You done fucked up. You done fucked up BAAAAAAADDD.
@Oh please. You’d gladly get used by Obama anytime if it meant getting him to speak at your class day.
And I find it amusing that you tell Barnard to “celebrate with grace” while insulting them by saying they have a “long inferiority complex”. And that he’s only using them.
Stop being an entitled and bitter ass.
@Anonymous I don’t see how this matters. You do realize that most commencement speakers charge a fee of thousands (and sometimes tens of thousands) of dollars for their service, right? The more well-known the speaker, the more expensive the speech. So by your argument, most speakers are “using” colleges for the money. What’s so different about Obama using this as a chance to promote his campaign? Nobody claimed that Meryl Streep was just using Barnard, though I’m sure she made a ton of money for her trouble.
@ifyou'resosmarwhyareyounotstudying? First of all, it’s absurd to suggest that an institution as a whole has an inferiority complex.
“Barnard” happens to consist of over 2000 different people. Some are stupid, annoying, ugly, and conniving bitches who use Columbia to get themselves jobs. But so are some Columbia College students. I was accepted to both CC and Barnard, and I chose Barnard, because I wanted the advantages of a small liberal arts school and a big university. I got both, and I enjoy it. I’m not a feminist by any stretch of the imagination, and I’m not here for “women’s power,” although that’s great. I’m here because it’s a good school and people who think that Barnard is the equivalent of Arizona State can go fuck themselves, because I might be getting a better grade in the same class they’re in. Who the fuck knows?
Someone at Barnard probably does have an inferiority complex. But so does someone at Columbia. That’s a good way to explain the intensity of some people’s vitriol. I’m not a senior, but am I going around saying that seniors suck because I’m jealous of their commencement speaker? Obama is coming to Barnard for politics, nothing else. And he’s NOT going to Columbia College for the same reason. If you think Columbia College is so much better, then use that elitism to explain why Obama is not speaking at the CC commencement, and accept the trade-off.
@Anonymous look at where obama spoke in the past few years: Hampton College, Arizona State. Stellar colleges all, right? NO!!! Presidents never speak at fancy (i.e. good) colleges, bc that would make them come off as elitist. Instead they only speak at either huge colleges (which can be decent, like Michigan) or tiny terrible colleges (i.e. Hampton, various community colleges) to make them seem one with the people. Thus the fact that Obama is speaking at Barnard should not be a sign of intellectual justification. Even funnier, its obvious that Obama is speaking at Barnard bc of the whole contraception controversy, so this looks like just another case of some dude complementing Barnard’s “great personality” and “impressive intellect” so as to make them cool with contraception.
@Anonymous I don’t know why you’re being downvoted, this seems like a pretty good point.
@Anonymous He/she is being downvoted because, even though this may be a strategic move on Obama’s part, the poster is implying that Barnard is not a good school.
@CC '11 Um, except for when President Bush (II) spoke at Yale.
@Anonymous thats because he had the opposite problem: he had to show he was capable of being in an intellectual elitist environment..
@anyone who is someone in tune with the latest political happenings knows that this is completely strategic.
@No shit Thanks, Captain Obvious, for informing us that you read the news.
@Anonymous ARCHERRRRR
@Anonymous I’m sure if Obama was Columbia’s commencement speaker, there would be students hating the choice and complaining.
Congrats Barnard Seniors, from a Columbia student.
@Anonymous The Barnard-Columbia relationship debate is tired and immature. This is really exciting for everyone that falls under the Columbia University umbrella. Let’s all be excited for the lovely ladies across the street.
@Anonymous You’re only saying that to get laid, Anonymous.
@anon Na, because he’s whipped by his gf
@Anonymous fuck, if that’s a dude, and he’s saying that only to get laid, i would totally fuck him.
phone #?
@Anonymous I would fuck him/her
@Anonymous Damn. Barnard always gets the best speakers.
@CC '12 Barnard, you get all the best speakers :-/
exciting, though! will all university ID holders have access to campus to watch the speech?
@Anonymous Even if they did, they just wouldn’t have the capacity.
@BC '12 Well, as awesome as Jill Abramson is, I have to say I’m thrilled that Obama is coming to speak at commencement.
Let’s leave the drama out of this – it’d be better to use that energy toward figuring out who picks CC/SEAS speakers and getting them to make selections of comparable quality. Getting Obama to speak at a given graduation is kind of like winning the lottery and you can’t blame the organizers for not getting him to come, but I think CC/SEAS organizers can definitely do a better job of getting awesome CC/SEAS alums to speak.
@Anonymous I can tell from your comment that you’re a Barnard student because you said CC/SEAS can find good speakers.
@BC '12 I can tell from my comment that I’m a Barnard student because I wrote in BC ’12 in the ‘Name’ field.
@BC '12 Sorry, I can be a bitch sometimes (all the time).
@Anonymous oh the track button… it’ll bite you in the ass everytime
@Anonymous LOL
@Anonymous *whoosh*
@Anonymous I think you missed the point.
@Anonymous This is exciting for Columbia University as a whole.
@Truth (CC'13) Some thoughts:
Everyone should be happy for Barnard seniors. We ought to be supportive, even though we are jealous, and not let this further perpetuate the Barnard v. Columbia bullshit that just pulls this campus community apart.
CC should get rid of the rule that states that its commencement speakers must be graduates of the college. No peer institution has this rule and it is a bummer for CC students who work just as hard as their peers in other institutions not to be rewarded with the same level of awesome speakership.
Obama is very cool for choosing Barnard, but also very political. This is an election year, women are a key contingent of Obama’s base if he is going to win in 2012. None of that degrades Barnard, it is one of the foremost women’s colleges in the world, but CC students also shouldn’t feel snubbed or demeaned in any way by the president’s decision
@Anonymous we have that rule???!!! shit, no wonder…
@CC'14 All true, but it still hurts a little
@CC has plenty of great alums They just don’t seem to pick them.
@WE HAVE A FUCKING ASTRONAUT, PICK HIM FOR ONCE
@Anonymous That’s not true, John McCain spoke at his daughter’s Class Day, and he didn’t graduate from Columbia. I believe they just have to have an university affiliation or as PrezBo says, part of the Columbia family.
This does mean Michelle Obama can speak at CC’s Class day Day though! http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/06/05/mccain.html
@Anonymous Thank you for this.
@Anonymous Barnard is not “one of the” best women’s colleges, it is the MOST competitive (and I guess to CC/SEAS student’s this means the “best”) women’s college in the U.S without exception. This means if you want to go to a women’s college, this is the best college in the world for you to attend.
This is why people choose Barnard.
@well, actually, I mean, it’s the best women’s college in the world except for Smith, Bryn Mawr, and Scripps, ranked 19, 25, and 29 respectively by USNWR liberal arts colleges. Barnard is 33. Check your facts. Don’t disregard your sister schools.
@Anonymous The original poster did not say that Barnard is the highest ranked of the seven sisters by the USNWR. He/She stated that it is the most competitive. This is true, as Barnard does indeed have the lowest acceptance rate among women’s colleges. The original poster further clarified that equating “most selective” women’s college with “best” women’s college is one interpretation.
@Anonymous because us world and news report rankings are so damn significant
@Anon Um, hi Wellesley?
@CC '11 It’s too bad he’s not speaking for CC but it’s really exciting for Barnard. Can CU students get into Barnard commencement?
@Anonymous Due to the change in speakers, Barnard will not be offering unlimited tickets, but 6 per graduate. So find a friend that’s graduating!
@BC '15 I’m pretty sure only Barnard seniors can go to commencment, but if he’s speaking on South Lawn, maybe Columbia students and Barnard underclassmen (underclasswomen?) can stand on the edges, or they will have live feed rooms where we can watch it!
Let’s hope!
@Anonymous Nope, can’t. Went to a BC friend’s graduation 2 years ago. They don’t let you there without a ticket
@Anonymous “It’s too bad he’s not speaking for CC but it’s really exciting for Barnard.” Perfect response.
@Anonymous On job apps and Facebook, they happen to go to Columbia, but when Obama comes around they go to Barnard. I should get a sex change and transfer, best of both worlds.
@ON FACEBOOK WE GO TO COLUMBIA BECAUSE THERE USED TO BE NO “BARNARD” NETWORK. WHY DON’T PEOPLE GET THIS?
@Anonymous Is there no Barnard network on your resume either?
@CC '12 So Barnard Students dont have the right to write Columbia University on their resumes through they go to Barnard College of Columbia University(see their gate) but we do because we are from Columbia College of Columbia University? Isn’t it the same Columbia University? Sounds hypocritical of us no?
@Anonymous Then they should write “Barnard College of Columbia University” on your resume.
@Anonymous I do…
@bc13 I do and the employers and researchers that I have given that resume to acknowledge both parts.
@Anonymous There is no Barnard facebook network. Not being in the school’s network makes friending people a bitch.
@barnard network https://www.facebook.com/barnardcollege.
I have lots of friends on it :)
@um network != fan page. No Barnard network exists.
@bc'14 thumbs up for !=
@ABSOLUTELY FALSE I just went on fb to try and see if I could taint my profile by saying I was from BC… guess what! It lets me list it!
@Anonymous how do you know barnard girls put that they went to columbia on job apps and resumes? are you a recruiter?
also hate to burst your bubble but many, many progressive, successful and dynamic organizations these days don’t give a shit where you went to college. in certain industries you will gain benefit because you have columbia on your resume–congrats–but in most it is about your skills, attributes, culture fit, etc. so stop being a pompous ass and perhaps you won’t have to feel so threatened in the job market.
@Anonymous If Obama wanted “to honor the importance of women’s leadership”, he should have spoken at SEAS commencement, for all the women engineers that are going out into the male-dominated field to kick ass.
Hopefully this will cause the Barnard women to finally admit that they went to Barnard and not to Columbia.
@of course because leadership only happens in the sciences!
@Anonymous I was talking about engineering, but I do believe that scientists, mathematicians, and doctors should be included. These people lead innovations, as they have more insight – not the talkers.
@Anon I’m very tired of scientists and engineers who think they’re more worthy than people in the humanities and social sciences just because the applications of their studies are more practical/visible. All are perfectly legitimate fields of human knowledge. Also, scientists should remember that their models only simplify things so as to make them accesible to our understanding; they don’t necessarily describe the universe as it is.
@Anonymous Anon, stop whining. There are not enough women engineers in America or the world, and that has nothing to do with whether engineers work harder/are better people or not. Grow up.
@anon Just to be clear, I would have had no problem if Obama had instead chosen to address SEAS because of all the women engineers in a male-dominated field, as other commenters have said, but it would be by virtue of there being a high degree of inequality in that field and not because engineers are in themselves special or superior to other professionals as “These people lead innovations, as they have more insight – not the talkers” seems to suggest in Anonymous’ comment. I was taking issue with that view and not denying the hardships women in that profession surely face.
@Anonymous Quoting you: “their studies are more practical/visible”, and in addition, “These people lead innovations, as they have more insight – not the talkers”. This is true. You decide if that implies that engineers/scientists/doctors are superior or not.
@Anonymous hey hey hey, stop lumping the scientists with the engineers!
All of the ‘pure science’ majors, ex. chem, biochem, physics,bio… are in the College. We get a Bachelor of the Arts degree, not science… something I’m still not over…
@CC Because Barnard doesn’t have any women in the sciences…
@CSEAS That is true!
A lot of Barnard girls like to wear Columbia sweatshirts apparel, not to mention set their facebook networks to “Columbia University” as well as say they’re from Columbia when trying to find jobs.
@O EM GEEZ you’re, like, so right! also, we should have different uniforms for Barnard students on the COLUMBIA teams, so they can’t parade around, playing their sports, pretending like they are actually full, contributing members of the COLUMBIA (=/=barnard) community. skanks.
@also I got an awesome research fellowship for this summer and I didn’t even pretend that I go to Columbia…so fuck you. and yes, some shitty Barnard women do say they go to Columbia but there are also some shitty Columbia people as evidenced by any bwog barnard/columbia debate.
@BC '15 Oh hai. I go to Barnard, and I have 3 classes at Columbia, I eat at Columbia, and do activities at Columbia. I did not apply to Columbia, but if I want to buy a sweatshirt, I’m going to buy a fucking sweatshirt.
@BC '14 There is no Barnard College network on Facebook, so the only college-related network for Barnard students to join is the CU one. Just putting that out there.
@Wants to Know How can I apply to be on the committee that picks the commencement speakers?
@Anonymous Obama picked us, actually.
@Anonymous He didn’t ask who contacted Obama. He asked how he could be on the committee. Read before you answer
@that track button though… referring to yourself in the third person? LMAO pathetic
@CC '12 HAHAHAHA priceless
@The CUCR President Will storm the podium before commencement, state that Obama is a “cruel a petty tyrant”, demand an apology from the liberal media, get manhandled by the Secret Service, and on the way out, knock over the teleprompter.
@Anonymous Regardless of the Barnard-Columbia relationship, this is incredibly exciting!
@BC '15 Michelle, please note that you are welcome to speak here in 3 years.
@bc'13 orrrr next year
@Anonymous It’s worth considering the election in this one – with all the recent hooplah regarding women’s reproductive rights, this was probably a very calculated choice. Columbia unfortuantely doesn’t have such a targeted audience for campaign stumping.
@Well yeah, I suppose that's a possibility, but honestly, I think Michelle made him do it. She’s the boldest of them all.
@Anonymous This is amazing! I could not be more excited! So much Barnard pride!
@Anonymous Doesn’t matter what you think of Barnard, whoever gets their speakers deserves that damn Barnard Medal of Distinction.
@Anon Obama *chose* to speak at Barnard. I don’t think Barnard had even asked.
@Anonymous to the 110 BC girls that liked this post: Obama chose Barnard out of a list of schools that requested him.
@Bc14 What school wouldn’t request the president?
@Sheesh So he is going to be across the street at Barnard while students from his alma mater listen to some guy… I am so glad I am not graduating this year.
PrezBo please share with us why Obama does not want to come back and speak at Columbia?
@Anonymous Nope, he’s speaking on South Lawn.
Now doesn’t *that* irk you?
@Anonymous Wait explain how the graduation ceremony works. Do Columbia and Barnard students graduate the separate days or the same day? I always assumed it was the same day and the Columbia Graduation was on Low and Barnard on Barnard’s campus
@Anonymous Barnard’s campus is much too small for commencement. Past locations they’ve used include Grant’s Tomb, Levien Gym, Ancel Plaza (EC / SIPA Plaza), and… South Lawn.
@Anonymous It was always planned for South Lawn, even before Obama. Were you upset about it then?
@yes gtfo of our campus
@CC '12 As a Columbia College student i am embarrassed by how my fellow peers are behaving. WE ARE JEALOUS. GIVE IT UP. South Lawn has always been Barnard’s commencement location
And to answer questions: Columbia College and Barnard College have their own commencement then we have the University Commencement (which includes all 4 colleges: BC,CC,SEAS, GS) which is on May 16th 2012.
Sometimes i think this intense debate between BC/CC comes from first years who are clearly misinformed to sad levels.
@CC'14 even worse, he’ll be speaking on OUR SOUTH LAWN. if you guys are gonna have one of our alumni speak, keep him over there. Don’t rub our face in it.
@bc '12 ..you’re not even graduating yet. this doesn’t concern you. YOU DON’T EVEN GO HERE.
@IronyPolice Not the best quote to use.
@CC'12 correct, Barnard, please do not use OUR south lawn!!! it’s COLUMBIA COLLEGE campus!
@Anonymous And SEAS, and GS, and most of the grad schools
@GS '12 Nope, sorry. It’s Columbia University’s campus, not just Columbia College. GS, SEAS, graduate schools, and Barnard. Get over it, and learn to share.
@Anonymous I’m SEAS, and I know that not being included in things sucks, but it does literally say “Columbia College Campus” etched in stone in front of the sundial.
@Think Is there still a giant granite sphere on the Sundial? Does it still tell time? Things can evolve beyond their original purpose/designation.
@Anonymous If this were about him not being the college speaker, then we would be equally pissed if a good speaker went to SEAS. We wouldn’t be. Barnard makes a point to say they’re a part of the college, just like CC and SEAS are, but choose to remain entirely separate, I think that choice should require you to live with the consequences… having a great speaker and no where to put him because you choose to be independent.
@OMG! …..Cry a little more about it, won’t you.
@Anonymous Ahmadinejad can speak at columbia’s graduation.
@teeheehee bahahahaaaa!
@CC '12 I understand why it might look bad for Obama to speak at an “elitist” ivy league institution, but I’m still really upset that he’s speaking at Barnard instead.
Is there any way we can still change our speaker? Or at least get some information about why our speakers always suck?
@bc'13 Even as someone who is ecstatic that Obama chose to speak at Barnard this year, I have a lot of sympathy for you guys. Barnard students would be really upset if a prestigious alum chose to speak across the street before speaking to us.
@waitwaitwait Martha Stewart, CC commencement 2012
@nonono MARTHA BC COMMENCEMENT 2013! PLZ
@cc'12 sigh. of course.
@Anonymous OBAMA is speaking at Barnard and not Columbia! He is clearly choosing Barnard and for all those haters out there – hate on that!
@Anonymous So are you saying Barnard isn’t Columbia?
@Anonymous Yepp! Well, I’m saying that
@Anonymous the only people who seem to think bc = cc are cc people.
@CC/SEAS Yeah he’s speaking at Barnard.
But he graduated from Columbia.
Just saying . . . we still get to say he is an alumni.
@fool it’s alumnUS, not alumni. alumni is the plural of alumnus. don’t troll abt CC being better than barnard when you have the grammar of a highschool freshman
@CC'14 Says the guy who can’t capitalize at the start of a sentence.
*about *high school
@cc' 13 Yes, we get to say that he graduated from Columbia College and never wanted to come back. duhh. its clearly evident. He had a bad experience here. He doesnt claim his Columbia College Alma Mater.
@Boris V. http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/36f9h8/
@Anonymous How can I, a junior, get to see Obama?
@bc alum WOOOOOOOOOO!
@you guys it’s fake, CUCR invited them
@Anonymous will be massive amount of traffic, good luck finding parking
@CC '13 Hopefully he’ll sense the jealousy of all us CC kids and will decide to come back and speak next year….
Probably not… Damn you, Barnard.
@YEEEEAHHHH SUCK IT CC
jk i love you guys, you’re good people, you know imma let you finish but president obama at barnard will be the best commencement speaker of ALL TIME
@Anonymous I thought Obama graduated from Columbia, not Barnard.
@Anonymous And whole lot of good that’s done you…?
@Anonymous what is this comment trying to say?
@cc Sure it has. I can say my school has an alum who became president. Unlike Barnard.
@CC '12 Rightfully so. Just like Barnard can say they had the President of the United States who graduated from Columbia College speak at their Class Day Commencement and not ours.
We should be embarrassed and at the same time happy for Barnard instead of saying very mean things about them. Lets be honest, it does say on their gates Barnard College of Columbia University as we are from Columbia College of Columbia University. That’s straight facts
@cc I’m not as annoyed with Barnard as I am with the POTUS who seems to really hate Columbia College. I get it, he’s a busy man and every single decision is filtered through politics. But to speak at Barnard before CC is kind of a slap in the face.
@Anonymous So… having someone that made it to POTUS, something that education does play a role in, vs. ooh! he came to my school once!
I’ll choose having him from here any day. Having him speech is only a political move, and we know it. It has nothing to do with you as a school
@CC'12 But Barnard can also say they got the President of the United States to speak at their class day. we can’t. Lets be honest we are all quite jealous. Congrats Barnard.
@Anonymous Maybe if Obama hadn’t had such a shitty experience at Columbia, he’d have some Columbia pride…
@'11 as an alum that had a shitty experience at Columbia, I support Barack Obama’s attempt to spite them. let this be a warning to all the self-import bureaucrats, it’s the students that make Columbia what it is, not you.
@Anonymous So on this point Barnard and Columbia are different? Not a part of the same school? #Smh
@GS Nationalist BO was a snubbed transfer student, brighter than his peers and cloistered socially, who was forced to live off campus. GS is his real alma mater.
@After the CUCR Shitshow I won’t believe it until I see it in the Spec.
@Anonymous You do realize that Bwog researched the shady story and waited for facts while Spec dumped out multiple botched articles, right?
@Anonymous What the hell? No, that’s actually the exact opposite of what happened.
@Anonymous Ah, so the CUCR board is still planning to invite Ahmadinejad (of all people) to campus?
@uh huh yea but under CCCC (C4) group
@Anonymous First of all, as a student in CC, I will not be saying that. Second of all, I don’t think it’s really a debate. Barnard is an undergraduate college affiliated with Columbia University.
@Anonymous Sorry, recaptcha bugged out and lost the “reply” thing. This is in response to the Columbia/Barnard “debate” comment.
@CC12 Yeah whenever I have to describe Barnard to people I always say it’s the all-girls school across the street that we share shit with.
@Anonymous If it’s just that, then why do Barnard students get a diploma with Columbia University printed on it?
@Anonymous What you SHOULD be asking is why students from Barnard get a diploma with Columbia University’s name on it when they never had to get in to Columbia (Barnard’s admissions process is completely independent of Columbia’s), satisfy the same requirements, or be graded on the same curve.
@why do we still care about admissions?
@Anonymous It’s not about still caring, which I don’t think many do, it’s just that it’s a pretty good indicator of whether or not a school is “the same”.
@Anonymous I disagree. As a women’s college, Barnard automatically gets a lot fewer applicants because of the single-sex aspect– not only because guys can’t attend, but because most girls want to go to a coed college. Girls who apply actually want to attend Barnard and are choosing it explicitly because they know that its strengths can complement theirs. Admissions sees this and recognizes the girls as a good fit for Barnard. etc etc
@Anonymous Great, that’s fine, couldn’t agree more. If anything, it just provides more evidence to the fact that they’re not “the same”. I’m not commenting on the “better-ness” or “worse-ness” or whether or not one is more right for a student than the other, I’m just saying their different institutions in many significant ways.
@CC/SEAS Or they applied to Barnard because they couldn’t get into Columbia College.
Sorry but I do know of individuals who have done that . . .
@Anonymous Keep telling yourself that. I know so many girls who applied early to Columbia, got rejected, and then applied to Barnard. Those girls do not attend Barnard over Columbia by choice.
@as one of those girls... admittedly yes, columbia was my first choice at the time. but i think it was entirely serendipitous that i ended up at barnard, which i love so so much. i truly don’t think i would have loved my time at columbia nearly as much as i have loved my time at barnard.
@Anonymous I feel the exact same way.
@probably because you have much less work
@in response to "probably" i have many a columbia friend, and i’m pretty sure i’m just as overwhelmed with work as the next person. but that’s beside the point. i have loved my time at barnard because i take (generally, but not all) great classes with professors and students who care. i have loved it because our administration does make us feel appreciated (for the most part), even if their efforts come across as corny or juvenile at times. from this thread alone the barnard environment seems to be better, since so many columbia students have had so much trouble with their administration, and a recurring theme among bwog commenters in particular is that they are frustrated with the climate at columbia. yes, a good chunk of that spills across the street. but i have had so many professors and administrators who truly seem to care and make the extra effort. i value my happiness along with my education, and i will not apologize for that.
@Anonymous but we are graded on the same curve when we take columbia classes…? if our classes are so easy, why don’t you just take most of yours over here?
@CC/SEAS Because for example, you can’t be a Bio major if you’re taking Bio at Barnard.
Yes, you can’t even be a bio major in the college if you take it Barnard, thus proving that even Columbia College has to raise its standards.
@ObamaObama Too bad your reasoning is flawed because its vise versa. Bio majors at Barnard cannot take their Bio classes at Columbia.
@Anonymous So the real test is the non-bio pre-meds… because they are the only ones that can choose. They generally go to Barnard because it is easier
@Anonymous I do. It’s awesome. every single barnard class I have taken has laughably lower expectations (in classes like history and religion, where it shouldn’t actually matter)
@Coincidentally The worst class I ever took was a CC class. And two really great classes were CC courses taught by Barnard professors. Your point?
@Anonymous Except you chose to take those “easy” classes so that you can feel superior and pick on girls on the internet. Who is laughing now?
@Pomona Student I came to this page after reading an article about it on Jezebel. The comments I have read on this page are revolting. I am now confident that I made the right choice to avoid applying to the Ivy League altogether because the Columbia students have proven themselves to be the very same elitist, petty shits that they are stereotyped to be and that I had hoped to avoid.
I do not know anything from experience about the qualifications of Columbia vs. Barnard, as I did not consider either in my own application process. However, I do know that calling a woman a cum-dumpster, easy, or any other irrelevant name or slur to imply something about her academic abilities is despicable and mind-numbingly immature (not to mention a raging logical fallacy, which should be far above the intellectual standards that the Columbia students here have been puffing their chests out about).
I cannot believe that these horrendous comments are coming out of a little petty fucking jealously. You are so inappropriately proud of your University (and trust me, it is inappropriate – you are impressive, but not that impressive), yet your behavior smacks of appalling insecurity. If I were the POTUS and I witnessed students from my alma mater behaving in such a manner, I would apologize on their behalf and threaten to sever all ties until a formal apology was issued. I can only say that he seems to have made the right decision by not speaking at Columbia.
@CC Senior thank you for trying to talk some sense into our student body. these comments are absolutely embarrassing to read.
@Anonymous Great job being upset about someone making an assumption about a group of people, while judging the entire school on one post. (We don’t want you anyway)
@Anonymous What do you mean not graded on the same curve? I am BC, but all of the required classes for my major happen to be at Columbia. So, what do you have to say to a BC student getting a 3.9 GPA –based on grades from Columbia classes. Aren’t we supposed to all be so stupid? Maybe you’re just insecure and can’t deal with the fact that students who didn’t have to deal with CC admissions for whatever reason can take the same classes as you, get higher grades than you, and get the same diploma. To me, this whole Barnard/Columbia BS just stems from some Columbia kids’ insecurity and jealousy. Listen, there are always going to be smart people and not so smart people–at both CC and BC. So, why don’t you just stop wasting your time putting people down and stereotyping all BC students.
@CC'13 Frankly, this is how I see it: If you were accepted to Barnard, accepted your place there, registered there as a student, took all your classes at Columbia… you still deserve a Barnard diploma. Because that is where you are enrolled as a student. Simple as that.
@BC14 Bro, we take the same classes, have the same professors, read the same texts, and write the same papers. We’re in the same intellectual community.
More importantly though, who fucking cares? Does it really cheapen the Columbia College prestige to share the Columbia University umbrella with us?
@Anonymous Because Columbia is nice enough to know that unless Barnard was associated with an ivy, it would eventually be incapable of thriving independently and close
@BC'14 Thank you. I don’t understand how people don’t get this.
@I would get it if Barnard had the same academic standards as the rest of Columbia
@bitter, much? I don’t even have to say anything in response to this…except that you’re an asshole
@oh, please seriously, lets be honest here. all the thumbs downs on “i would get it”‘s comment are obviously Barnard students.
@WOW People stick up for themselves on a public forum after being insulted?! Who would do such a thing!
@CC woman Can I get you some foreveralonery to complement those insecurities?
I will downvote this in-fighting shit forever as coming from people desperately clinging to a string of letters on a diploma because they have nothing more to say about the value of their educations and nothing more to contribute to the world beyond insecurity and vitriol.
@>vitriol And so it begins.
@GS 2012 It does…have you not noticed Barnard students in our classes?
@Anonymous okay I’m barely okay with GS students messing with the curve, we really don’t need Barnard students taking our classes either.
@Anonymous Clearly, it’s a debate given all the conflicting comments already.
P.S. My recaptcha bugs out all the time then goes to a “post too quickly” error! This is currently attempt number 4 at posting this reply…
@ObamaObama Isnt the topic on Obama coming to Barnard? Why does the Barnard/ Columbia College debate come up everytime?? OBAMA CHOSE BARNARD. we should all genuinely be happy
@Anonymous FUCK YEAH!!!!!
@Anonymous I’m pretty sure this will squash the “Is Barnard Columbia?” debate. CC/SEAS will definitely start spreading the news that Obama’s speaking at “their school.”
@Anonymous Or maybe Prezbo’s comment will squash the debate…
“…at our historic sister liberal arts college for women in New York.”
@Anonymous What’s up with the thumbs down?
I’m just saying the “Is Barnard Columbia?” debate exists and that CC/SEAS students will start posting facebook/twitter updates like “Obama’s speaking at Columbia!” and that some of those people would not have strongly associated themselves/Columbia with Barnard before.
@CC '12 Because that’s not true. I wouldn’t say that Obama is speaking at my school. Check your Facebook feed, that’s not what’s happening.
@Anonymous It is true. You seriously don’t think there are people who used to think “Barnard’s not Columbia” that will start agreeing “Barnard is Columbia” because of this? Or at the very least, make the association stronger?
My facebook feed shows CC/SEAS students and alumni posting news articles about Obama speaking at Barnard. Some mention “at Barnard” specifically while others have no messages. I’m sure an “at Columbia” post will show up in an hour or two.
I personally do think Barnard is part of Columbia. But on the flip side, looks at the comments below like “OBAMA is speaking at Barnard and not Columbia!”
@OH, FUCK NO –CC’13
@NEVER I will NEVER say that Barnard is Columbia.
@yawn i’m bored
@BC '12 Wait a year or two, freshman, and you’ll find that no one actually gives a shit about the Barnard/Columbia College rivalry. We’re all just here to learn and have fun, and if you’re not, that sucks for you.
@Wh@t @b0u+ S3A$ ?????
@Anonymous Why would we want to lower the implied standard of our education by saying that Barnard is part of Columbia?
My intensive freshman orgo professor used to say after each exam that if you’re getting Cs on your exams, drop the class and take it at Barnard for an A. Always made me lulz in my head.
@Anonymous uh, that’s bullshit. Everybody knows orgo and chem is waaay harder at barnard than at columbia. get your facts straight, asshole.
@Whoa there As a person who tutored for both this is throughly FALSE.
But back to the main point. WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK???
-disgruntled-ass CC’12
@Anonymous Well, that’s what Ronald Breslow said in our class.
@ObamaObama ignorance is bliss huh? I dont understand why we attack Barnard when they do well of getting the President of our country to speak at Commencment? Can we be genuinely happy about his?
@No. .
@logical fallacy …that could also just mean that barnard students find chem and orgo to be more difficult than columbia students do. if so, you’ve done nothing but further demonstrate the intellectual superiority (yeah, i said it) of columbia students by (1) not recognizing the fallacy, and (2) demonstrating that barnard students are much more likely to find chem and orgo to be difficult. way to go…
@Oops Accidentally thumbed up this post because I thought it was saying that Barnard wouldn’t want to imply a lower standard of education by being associated with Columbia. Oops.
@get your facts straight So Barnard is ‘lowering your implied academic standard’… boohoo. So how did I, a BC student, get all A’s in the highest level math classes at Columbia. If you’re so sure that all BC students are just dumb and getting a Columbia diploma without doing the work, why don’t you openly show all your grades that you’ve gotten here at Columbia ..and then we can compare them to the grades of some BC students. The point is you should stop stereotyping. Instead, if you have a problem, talk about the individual instead. Not all BC students are dumb. Some are very smart.. some are less so. The same at Columbia. I don’t know how many times CC students have made idiotic comments in my classes. So, CC has stupid people too. And, it seems like you’re one of them.
@Anonymous It seems that you have missed the point. I was not implying the Barnard students are stupid. I know a few that are amazing and smart people from Barnard and I’m friends with them. What I’m talking about is the curriculum at Barnard, and I think it’s of a different standard from Columbia.
Also, I’m in SEAS, my grades are awesome, and I’ll be starting at a great engineering company after I graduate this May.
@Anonymous Keep running your mouth about starting a company. News flash: No one cares!
@TRACKED! This one is worth tracking…OBVIOUS TROLL IS OBVIOUS!
@Anonymous It seems that you have missed the point. I was not implying the Barnard students are stupid. I know a few that are amazing people and I’m friends with them. What I’m talking about is the curriculum at Barnard, and I think it’s of a different standard from Columbia.
Also, I’m in SEAS, my grades are awesome, and I’ll be starting at a great engineering company after I graduate this May.
@Anonymous Where are all the GS kids? I want them to get angry about this! I guess they’re the only ones who are not in Kindergarten
@CC'12 the idea of Barnard = Columbia is BULLSHIT!
from a quick google search…
Barnard stats: For the class of 2012, the admission rate was 28.5% of the 4,273 applications received. The early-decision admission rate was 47.7%.
CC stats: “The admit rate for Columbia College dropped to its lowest point ever—just 6.4 percent for the class of 2015”
@ObamaObama Since we are talking about facts:
The graduation speaker for CC is….John MacArthur
The graduation speaker for BC is….President Barack Obama(graduate of CC)
Bigger OUCH!
@Anonymous clearly nobody thought through the concept of not everyone wants to go to a women’s college–barnard is much more self-selecting than columbia and gets significantly fewer applicants. the misogyny is disgusting.
@Anonymous it’s not misogyny though. people don’t hate on barnard because it’s a women’s college, but because of the relationship to columbia/ ambiguous status
@Anonymous I just want to point that Barnard accepts only women, already cutting the pool of potential applicants in half. And comparing the stats for 2012 and 2015 is not a fair comparison – admissions tend to get more and more competitive every year.
Just saying this from a statistical point of view. Not commenting on the reasons behind applying to Barnard or Columbia.
@Anonymous Completely bad statistic there. The fact that they accept only women is already *factored into* their admission rate, in the class size of the school.
Consider this: What if one year, Columbia decided to cut their class size in half? They said “Alright, anyone with an innie belly button cannot apply”. Assuming that the innie/outie split is 50/50, what would happen to the acceptance rate? *nothing*! Because the innie-outie distinction is irrelevant to academic achievement, the remaining outies who applied would have an equal acceptance rate as they would have before, because there are half the spots available!
Unless you want to claim that the male-female distinction is relevant to academic performance, noting that the class size of Columbia is almost exactly twice that of Barnard, you would expect a similar acceptance rate, assuming you think Barnard and Columbia have the same academic standards. But that’s not the case. You have to drop one hypothesis or the other.
Either
A. Women are significantly academically inferior to men.
B. Barnard is significantly less selective than Columbia.
I think we know which one is the right answer.
@dipshit stats Or you could just say that not as many people apply to Barnard, which is a fact!
@dipshit stats? or indignant barnard girl who doesnt understand stats?
@Anonymous Indeed, as it is too a fact that not as many people apply to Columbia College in Calgary, Alberta. Again, if you had any understanding of statistics, you would understand that this is precisely one of the things that measuring “selectivity” of a school is intended to reflect. You would also understand that due to the relative school sizes and potential applicant pools, this comparison is perfectly valid.
Or, in simpler terms: *That’s the point*. There is not as much competition for spots at Barnard as there is for those at Columbia.
@Anonymous That doesn’t mean that Barnard is better, it means it is CHEAPER. It is more women using the little loophole into getting a diploma that says Columbia.
Economy down= people looking for a bargain
@Anonymous YOU KNOW NOTHING. barnard is more expensive than columbia, and our financial aid sucks.
@Anonymous “CC/SEAS students will start posting facebook/twitter updates like ‘Obama’s speaking at Columbia!'”
Wow, you are seriously out of touch
@Anonymous i thought you guys prided yourselves for being an independent women’s’ institution…not as columbia…
@CC'12 As a graduating senior who has to listen to some random dude at commencement, all I can say is WTF?!?!?!?!?
@She doesn't even go here! Really though… HE DIDN’T EVEN GO THERE.
@CC'12 dear fellow CC seniors, we don’t want OUR once in a life time class day to be full of obama’s election year campaign rhetoric ! we want an AUTHENTIC and GENUINE class day speech from someone who actually has CC PRIDE!!! John MacArthur seems to be a cool dude with a long career in journalism. in a sense, MacArthur the writer can capture the essence of our COLUMBIA COLLEGE experience more than what Obama the politician can offer!
@ObamaObama the above is BS. Lets be honest
@ahhhh wtf a tag that will encompass many emotions today
@Anonymous PMSing much?
@Jordan Borgman I’m sorry, why is it that every time a woman makes a comment–good or bad–she’s “PMSing”? That’s an incredibly sexist thing to say, not to mention degrading.
Why whenever a man says something we disagree with we don’t accuse him of having an erection when he said it or being too hyped up on testosterone (since all of us women apparently can’t think due to our unfortunate estrogen)? Because, goodness knows, guys are having erections a lot more often then girls are having their periods….
Please don’t ever make such ignorant and sexist comments again. Or, if you do, why don’t you sign your name at the end of it. You know…like a man.
-Jordan Borgman
@Anonymous Why is it when a man says something he’s a “misgoynist” or “a loser” or “needs to get laid” ? Why don’t you cry me a river?
@sigh “Misogynist,” “loser,” and “needs to get laid” are non-gender-specific insults that can be addressed to women OR men.
In contrast, only women are ever accused of PMS-ing.
Get the difference?
@Sayee@NYU Congrats on getting Obama for commencement. Make the most of it !!!
@Anonymous Barnard gets the best speakers every year! Hilary, Streep, Sandberg, now Obama
@I, for one, could not agree less with PrezBo.
@PiggyBacking WE WANT FLOTUS
@Anonymous I agree with this comment and am actually miffed that a powerful woman like Jill Abramson was pushed aside for a man, even if that man is POTUS. If the White House wanted to make a statement, I would have loved having Michelle as speaker instead. I assume I’m in the minority though.
@No, it’s not “a man,” it’s the President of the United States. Get the fuck over it.
@ARE YOU PEOPLE THAT RETARDED Obama is a democrat. he won the last election, largely (and you can argue all you want) because he is black and historically he beat even bill clinton in the number of black turnout voters PLUS the fact that many white people were unemployed/fucked under Bush, both poor and middle class combined.
And given the current situation regarding the economy and the national concurrence (as much as i dont COMPLETELY agree with this) that bankers and financiers are to blame for all our problems, and the fact that Ivy League schools are feeders into Wall Street, it’s not a good idea to give a speech at an elite institution where students spend $1200 on a pillow to decorate their dorm rooms.
I am a liberal. I am a democrat. I am on 100% financial aid. I come from a low income family. I fight for the poor and for social change. But when I wore a “Columbia” sweatshirt to the airport, a random woman struck up a convo with me and in it, the first thing she said was “oh my gosh you go to columbia? wow how can you possibly afford that? your family must live in the hamptons or something for you to afford that sort of tuition! are you planning on going to wall street?” Even I could not convince her otherwise.
Conclusion: Most Americans outside of our ivy walls do NOT understand us, do not understand how we work, do not understand that Columbia and the rest of the Ivies are now need-based, do not understand that so many of us at Ivies are in fact, very liberal and NOT rich. But they don’t know that. Unfortunately.
NOW onto Obama. What IDIOT would make a speech at an elite institution with a reputation for churning out corporate lawyers, bankers, and plastic surgeons? What IDIOT would make a speech at an elite institution that housed John McCain’s daughter, that housed the sons and daughters of several elite Wall Street CEOs, that boasts professors who formerly commanded $50 Million salaries at Goldman Sachs? (Emanuel, im looking at you, sir)
What IDIOT would make a speech at Columbia, when 80% of his voters have no fucking clue about what Columbia really is and that we do a lot for society other than churn out bankers and we’re an elite school for the top 1% to send their kids to?
Obama has it bad enough that he’s been reported to have accepted millions of dollars from Goldman Sachs. But Goldman has donated millions to him. How much has Columbia donated to his campaign? A mere $75000 for a commencement speech? Please. He’d rather take Barnard and woo women voters.
Now lets all shut the fuck up now about this tomfoolery. Roll up your sleeves and get the fuck back to work. You have a prestigious degree to earn and a future Presidency to run.
@CC'12 THANK YOU.
@Anonymous Get over it! Columbia girls would gladly take Obama, you should be proud and privileged that such a prestigious Columbia College grad is crossing the street to speak to you at Barnard!
@not helping the whole CC pretentious clich We’re privileged and proud to have Obama as the commencement speaker because he’s the POTUS not because he’s from Columbia. Get off your high horse.
@Anonymous I’m so sick of CC students thinking they are entitled. Get over it. We’re all so fortunate to have to opportunity to go to Columbia. Some of us are clearly not intelligent to realize what they’ve been given and should have never been offered an opportunity to go here anyways. Fuck the misogyny.
@I see what you did there Smooth transition between accusations of elitism to accusations of misogyny! Don’t make this a gendered debate. Things are complicated enough as it is.
Oops, too late, everyone thinks we’re pigs now.
@Epiphany... Michelle Obama needs to become a rapper so her rap name can be FLOwTUS.
We need to make this happen.
@CC NEEDS Ron Paul to speak at commencement.
@Another note.. kind of a bitchy move by Barnard to cancel Jill Abramson’s appearance to have Obama’s instead. Poor lady probably had her speech ready and all.
@Eh Judging from her response, that she’d be happy to speak at Barnard in the future, I don’t think she was just dropped. It sounds more like she got a rain check.
@Well it was more like, “oh hey we got someone better to speak this year, we’re going to defer you for the moment.” Her response was more forced than one that was sympathetic towards the decision.
@Anonymous And if Barnard had turned down Obama’s offer no doubt all these comments would be insulting that decision as well.
I am sure had he extended an offer to speak on class day, PrezBo would have made the decision to drop any previously scheduled speaker as well. What college would turn down the President’s request to deliver the commencement address?
@Anon Barnard didn’t ask President Obama to speak, his office contacted DSpar and asked if he could speak. Having the huge honor of the President speaking at commencement is not something you turn down.
@BC '14 Ron Paul would be the only thing that could make me wish I were going to Columbia’s commencement.
@oh gawd I’m glad I don’t know you.
@Anonymous No, CC needs Ahmadinejad. haha
@Anonymous seriously though, barnard and cc/seas are gonna hate each other for another decade
@seas '13 Hey now, leave SEAS out of this.
@Anonymous this is true -___- congrats to them tho.
@Unite! Columbia and Barnard people, let’s stop fighting each other and gang up on this smug piece of shit from Harvard who’s trying to troll all of us: http://bwog.com/2012/03/03/breaking-obama-to-speak-at-barnards-commencement/#comment-347741
@SEAS '13 Hold on there, cowperson. Let’s not lump SEAS and CC together; there’s plenty of unfortunate animosity between those groups. I’m glad that none of my friends are dumb enough to think SEAS/CC/BC/GS makes any difference, but that’s kind of a result of selection, I guess…
@Anonymous Hahaha, this is actually the funniest thing; mad Columbia girls who despise, but at the same time are jealous of Barnard girls…