Just add strong, beautiful Barnard women.

Free anything can be hard to come by, especially in New York, especially alcohol. For the 21+ set, underage investigator Roberta Barnett tastes her way through a social networking event in the name of Bwog. 

Upon applying to a number of colleges like Columbia, I often heard myths of professors and students getting together over food and libations to discuss democratic theory or pretentiousness or whatever it was people in those old black and white Ivy League photos did.  Upon meeting many of my professors, all of whom were more socially functioning than I had imagined, I was quite excited to get to know them on a more personal basis outside of the classroom.  I felt a disappointment to my naive expectations. *sigh* Should have gone to Williams.

Recently, I was happy to discover the Sherry Hour, a social networking event run out of the office of President DSpar.  Last semester, Sasha Stedronsky and several other Barnard women were inspired by sherry hours at other collegiate institutions, such as Williams College, which bring together students, professors, and alumni over a glass of sherry.

At any gathering, thirty-five Barnard students are invited to Sherry Hour, and each one of them can invite one member of the greater Columbia community as long as they are not a Barnard student.  It is always held in Sulzburger Parlor at a time determined by the committee.  Guests over the age of 21 can visit the bar area for a glass of sherry, while those under 21 “there is also a wonderfully fancy non-alcoholic ‘fake sherry’ (juice) provided.”  Members of the committee work out the logistics of the event, including ambiance, music, and food.

When I attended Sherry Hour, it felt like such a small community event where conversation flowed easily.  I definitely forgot I was at a school; everything felt so relaxed and casual while still feeling put together.  I wouldn’t be unhappy attending more events of that sort at Columbia, and it looks like the committee would agree.

“Our vision for Sherry Hour is to create a lasting tradition that people come to expect and look forward to.  We would love to have people embrace the idea and use it as a platform to network with other students, gain closer relationships with professors, and really just establish great friendships with the people they meet.”

If you are interested in attending the Sherry Hour,  the upcoming event will be sometime at the end of November.  The exact date will be announced soon! To attend, either email Sherry Hour at barnardsherryhour@gmail.com or fill out the form online.

Classiness via Shutterstock