Graphic design is their passion

In two short weeks, Columbia’s campus will be invaded with hordes of first-years. They’ll wield nervous smiles, blue bins, and newly minted fake IDs as each new student attempts to capture that elusive prize: an NSOP victory. What does it mean to win NSOP, exactly? Is it a perfect friend group? A successful city adventure? Not being CAVA’d? We’re not really sure, but we do know this: if you’re already reading Bwog, you’re on the right track.

This year’s NSOP theme is “It’s your turn” (to… stride dramatically down college walk, apparently), as showcased in the NSOP committee’s Facebook page and promo video. It’s also your turn to clear up some space on your phone and download yet another app, so that you can view your college’s schedule. The schedule for CC and SEAS is its own app; for Barnard and GS students, download Guidebook and then search for your school. Bwog is here to help you out by highlighting some of the best events of the week.

• Morning Run and Sunrise Stroll: Every weekday morning starting on Monday, August 28 at 8 am, groups will meet at the sundial to go exercise in Riverside Park. You can run or walk at your own pace, or get competitive. Even if you only try this on one morning, it’s a good way to familiarize yourself with the park and make new friends. (Or, if you’d prefer a more chill kind of exercise, there will be yoga at 8 am on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in Studio 2, Barnard Hall.)
• Bed Bath & Beyond Excursions and EcoReps Green Sale: It’s almost guaranteed that you will forget something, whether it’s extra coat hangers or moustraps. The Bed Bath & Beyond excursions (happening regularly on Sunday from 8am to 3pm) and EcoReps Green Sale (Thursday from 10 am to 4 pm) are your best opportunities to fill in those gaps. The Green Sale is particularly great because all proceeds fund sustainability initiatives and environmentally oriented projects on campus; either try to get there either earlier in the day before all the microwaves are gone, or much later in the day when prices will drop.
• Take Me Out to the Ballgame: Columbia tries to get its students to care about sports early with this event, bringing new students to the Yankees vs. Red Sox game on Thursday, August 31 at 4 pm. Jokes aside, this can actually be a fun excursion, if more for the sight of east coast baseball fans getting emotional than for the game itself. Tickets will be available at the Barnard Gates and the Columbia sundial from 7:30 am to 5 pm on Wednesday and Thursday.

• Community Iftar and Eid Al-Adha: The wider Columbia student body is welcome to join the Muslim community on campus in celebrating the holiday of Eid Al-Adha (or the Sacrifice Feast), which this year falls on Friday, September 1. On the day before this holiday, the Day of Arafat, millions of Muslims performing the pilgrimage make their way to Mount Arafat, and many Muslims who are not spend the day fasting. There will be a community Iftar (breaking the fast) at 7:30 pm on Thursday in the Lerner Party Space, and a community prayer at 9 am on Friday in Earl Hall. Refreshments will be served at both.
• Shabbat Dinner: Speaking of religious holidays, all students are welcome at the Kraft Center’s weekly Shabbat dinner, at 8:15 pm on Friday evening. Walk-ins are welcome, but space is limited, so if you plan on going, you should RSVP.
• CU Glow: NSOP’s glow stick party on Low Steps (at 9:15 pm on Friday night) is the most “literally” “lit” you will get all week. The first person to get a glow stick hanging on Alma wins… our eternal love and appreciation.
• Bear Mountain Excursion: Did you miss COÖP? Are you a Barnard student who wasn’t able to sign up for COÖP? Do you want to climb a mountain anyway? If your legs didn’t just grow heavy from the mere thought of hiking, you might want to sign up for COÖP’s hike in Bear Mountain State Park, from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday, September 2. Sign up in Lerner 515 between 9 am and 5 pm any day from Monday to Friday (but maybe closer to Monday, because space will be limited).
• Neighborhood Tours: On Saturday and Sunday, several different tours will be offered that take students to various parts of NYC, from the Williamsburg Bridge to the American Museum of Natural History. These tours are great ways to explore the city without worrying about getting lost on the subway, and most of them include stops for great food. If you plan on taking one of these, show up early and bring a metro card.
• Performance Showcase: You’re not going to want to miss this medley of performances from Barnard and Columbia’s best groups, ranging from acting to dancing to instrumental music, if only because this might be your only chance to see some of these groups for free. The showcase will be on Sunday night at 8:30 pm, in Roone Arledge Auditorium.

Photo via the NSOP Committee’s Facebook page