Editor’s note: This image has been altered due to safety concerns.

Fall 2015 marked the fourth semester in a row in which a new board took the helm of Bwog: in August we lost former Editor in Chief Taylor Grasdalen to Duluth, Minnesota. Britt Fossum, CC ’16, took Grasdalen’s place as EIC. Joseph Powers, CC ’16, took Fossum’s place on the board as Internal Editor, with Courtney Couillard, BC ’17, continuing as Managing Editor. Our triumvirate’s time is up: we are replaced by the dynamic duo of Editor in Chief Mason Amelotte, CC ’18, and Managing Editor Maddie Stearn, BC ’17, long may they reign. We are additionally sad to say farewell to Publisher Jake Hershman, GS/JTS ’16, who is graduating this semester and heading off for the greener pastures of business. He is replaced by a new team: Publisher James Fast, CC ’19, and Associate Publisher Nikolas Huth, CC ’19. Courtney will continue her active involvement on Bwog as Alma Bwogger, a position that basically entails making snarky comments at meetings. Britt and Joseph are seniors and need to start getting their shit together with regards to post-college life.

The Semester in Brief:

Some things around here got better.

Psychological services on campus attempted to make improvements.

Laundry became free for Columbia students (sorry Barnard).

Football won a game or two (and Bwog lifted its ban on the f-word after a semester on probation).

In related news, Homecoming was Lit (and for once, Bwog went).

Just in time to save us from the stress of midterms Beta Jam returned from the grave.

The dreaded tarps are notably still absent.

Barnard’s Board of Trustees approved changes to the school’s admissions policy, beginning in Fall 2016, that allow trans women to be admitted to the College. Meanwhile Columbia Board of Trustees voted to divest from prisons.

FLIP introduced new initiatives and the Swipes application.

Luca Springer became our first Rhodes Scholar in a LONG TIME (and first ever GS Rhodes Scholar).

Sweetgreen sux tbh but it’s here to stay. Also Deluxe left and came back but still sucks as much as it always has. Also Friedman’s took campus culture too seriously and started assaulting people.

Barnard Winter housing policy somehow blindsided everyone even though Barnard has never provided winter housing. Seriously, they just got a bit stricter about it.

The Tab: Columbia arrived on campus, The Lion appointed a staffer to the position of editor-and-chief, and Spec ed-board changed. Farewell Michael Omelette.

Some things stayed the same as ever.

The Freshmen are still out of control.

Administrators handled consent education poorly.

COÖP faced a state of crisis: another skirmish in the war on fun?

Prezbo’s class was briefly not being taught by Prezbo?

On a more serious note, controversies and tragedies shook the campus (and in some cases the world.)

Paris experienced terror attacks. A former GS student went missing in Paris just before they happened.

A John Jay Resident Proved Wiser Than Resident Advisor.

BarnLib sang it’s swan song: the walls were Painted, Maggie Moved, and we all got a little torn up inside.

The Dam closed :(

Some tennis player got a little too drunk (and belligerent enough to be arrested) at Mel’s…oops.

Sororities Fall Apart. Also, we were incredibly surprised that people at this school didn’t get the reference.

Columbia students also proved to be intolerant shitheads with repeated perpetration of Hate in Carman.

Debate over POC Core Professors and same day Latinx ivy league demands.

In addition, the semester held its share of absurdities.

Ben & Viv got drunk more than once.

A senior in Hogan opened his own restaurant out of his room. Bwog considers this an absurd and decadent exercise.

Columbia Divest joined together with….every other protest group on campus to protest everything.

Bwog showed up in your compsci homework.

Meninists tried to take Barnard.

Deantini got lost.

The Ivy League snapchat story came and went and incited most of us to violence. We made our own snapchat filters as a quiet rebellion against what is basically a propaganda machine spreading lies about the prevalence of campus athletics.

We finally learned what is going on with the cryptic messages of the Broadway Presbyterian Church Signs….or did we?

Finally, someone took to Instagram to document the epidemic of Sad Columbia Boys haunting the campus. If those boys aren’t sad enough, never fear: Sadder Columbia Boys also exists. Or you could just pace the ref room at any hour of the day and see dozens that fit the description.

That’s it. We now declare the semester over. There will be no more controversies, no more parties (real or fake) to RSVP to on facebook without actually going, and absolutely no more scandals. Just let us here on Bwog get through the next week in peace so we can (maybe) pass our finals.

Photo courtesy of Mason Amelotte