Welcome to BwogAnswers, a new weekly series! Each week, we answer a question from our readers about Columbia. Leave us a question, or a response to this week’s Q, down in the comments!

The Amazon is burning. People are getting really excited to see the Joker movie. Things suck. But what keeps us going are the little things that suck, those tiny moments of rage that propel us through the day and wear down the enamel on our teeth. This week, the Bwog staff talks about those moments on Columbia’s campus.

 

Zack Abrams, Managing Editor: Y’all walk too slow
I really don’t understand how you people get anywhere walking at the pace you do. I acknowledge I’m on the higher end of the walking speed spectrum, which ranges from “Indifferent Zombie” to “Pissed off a swarm of bees,” but wherever I go there are people standing in the way! Do you want to spend most of your life in transit between place A and place B? I sure don’t, which is why I minimize that time. If you’re not so inclined, at least have the decency to not hog up the entire path.

 

Andrew Chee, GSSC Bureau Chief: No one knows how to use a door

Nobody seems to understand how doors work on this campus. The vast majority of entrances and exits have a left and a right door, but nobody thinks to use both doors at the same time. People either queue up in a giant line or crowd around one door and funnel through, even though everybody would move faster if they entered or exited through both doors. God forbid there is traffic going both in and out of that door at the same time. People will simply stand next to the open door looking cross, impatient, anxious, or all three that there is traffic currently passing through the door so they cannot use the door, yet the concept of simply opening the other door does not appear to cross their mind. In a related scenario, people will attempt to rush and squeeze through a door as it’s closing, and will neither hold it open for themselves nor hold it for the people behind them. It’s like people are terrified of opening their own doors. The most peculiar thing is that I’ve never encountered people in New York or anywhere in the world who do this, so I must conclude that people forget how to use doors once they step onto campus. I would rather walk barefoot on broken glass than enter or leave Butler around 6 pm.

 

Victoria Arancio, Alma Bwogger: Where’s the ground floor?!

Some of the “ground” floors are the fourth or even fifth floors. While I understand that this campus is situated on a hill, there aren’t enough signs to indicate what floor you’re on when you enter a building. Also, I really just want to take time to say how much I hate the Hamilton elevator. It’s too small to support so many of us that would rather skip class than get all sweaty climbing up to the 7th floor.

 

Jessica Hu, Senior Staff Writer: Dining dollar inequality/slippery Butler stairs

Something I have always pondered is why Columbia students can use their dining dollars or points or whatever they call it these days to buy things at Diana/Peets but Barnard students can’t use their points in the Columbia cafés. Honestly, at this point, it’s just inconvenient because I have to actually use physical money to buy coffee on the Columbia campus. But most importantly, I really hate how the stairs that go up from the Butler lobby are so slippery. I understand that that’s because they’re made out of probably really expensive marble or stone or whatever, and the fact that they don’t have sharp edges and are worn down is supposed to be a part of the history, and you’re supposed to think about how you’re a part of this great old institution as you walk up them, but that is very inconvenient for me because I am severely anxious about possibly slipping while walking. Honestly, steps/stairs are just annoying in general. In my opinion surfaces are supposed to make use of the brilliant concept of friction, but apparently not.

 

Isabel Sepúlveda, Events Editor: You are stress culture

I second Andrew Chee on the doors. But more importantly, I’m sick and tired of people complaining about stress culture and continuing to perpetuate stress culture!! Stop studying in study free spaces (e.g. the Lerner Lounge). Stop complaining about how busy you are to everyone! Take some time off your work and go get dinner with a friend sometime!!

 

Vivian Zhou, Senior Staff Writer: Where is the printer?

I feel like I have never ever encountered a printer on the ground floor. Every time I have to print something I must take the stairs, and while that is good for my fitness, I do not like stairs.

 

Youngweon Lee, Alma Bwogger:

when bitches dont know how to use punctuation [sic]