The Barnard Leadership Initiative becomes the Barnard Leadership Institute, results of this switch remain a little fuzzy A new month, a new proposal for gender-blind housing Wait, what grade inflation? That’s only in Cambridge, silly Spec! Broadway and Amsterdam are different avenues, and different people frequent them. The first of December heralds in finals season, […]

Things slow down before reading week, but there’s plenty of winter cheer and music to look forward to. Monday Crash Test Dummies: We all love those slow-motion videos of dummies in cars, but what about the science of engineering for safety?  11:00 AM @ Davis Aud, Schapiro. Tuesday Columbia Classical Performers: Morningside’s musicians come out […]

Look which local bookshop has made New York Magazine‘s recent quasi-advertorial article thing about how to be “independent”: it’s Morningside Books! Says New York: The Crowd: Caters to the Upper West Side’s erudite collectors (with first editions from Jimmy Breslin, Updike, etc.) as well as cost-averse Columbia students (a wall’s worth of Penguin Classics). Sample […]

New Hawkmadinebwog contributor Courtney Douds takes us on a vicarious five-minute hike across campus, satisfying the urge for a walk in the woods without requiring anyone to get too cold. Most photographs of Hawkmadinejad depict more than just one fascinating species. For the arboreal enthusiasts whose interests have thus far been ignored, here is a map of […]

Today’s New York Times Sunday Book Review includes a letter to the editor from philosophy and English professor Philip Kitcher, in which he masterfully corrects Slate overlord Jack Shafer. The latter had hypothetically asked in last week’s review of Roy Blount, Jr.’s Alphabet Juice: “Who before Blount thought to construct a complete conversation using only […]

The thirteens are coming (really, they are), and everyone is taking notice. Thirteens cometh, thirteens goeth: Because without a scholarship, we’re far too expensive. And there’s always those pesky test scores to stop people. And the oh so quotable: Chalfie: “I basically tickle worms.” CU Neurosurgeon Richard Anderson: “Since there are a million different types […]

While you were relishing waking up in your bed at home yesterday, Bwog joined the vast crowd of Manhattanites who schlepped downtown in the cold early Thursday morning to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The procession of giant balloons—an enjoyable if odd holiday ritual, when you think about it—included a few new characters among […]

Shoppers thronging the streets outside of Macy’s Someone’s going bankrupt Friday—either you, because you scraped the bottom of your bank account taking advantage of sharply reduced prices, or the nation’s retail stores, because their discounts couldn’t reverse months of slumping sales. Whatever happens in the final accounting, the crowds out shopping Friday in Manhattan were […]

Bwog will be taking it easy today in deference to Thanksgiving and hope you will be too. And as per our tradition, we’ve compiled a list of everything and everyone for which/whom we’re thankful. People Andrew Sarris Lil Wayne Michelle Obama Alan Brinkley Giambattista Vico Andrew Revkin Robby the Vending Machine James Franco (and the […]

Even more awful terrorism-related news today, as the FBI has recently issued an alert that “al-Qaida suicide bombers were contemplating an attack on New York’s mass-transit systems during the holiday season.” The would-be attacks are being described by law enforcement as “plausible, but unsubstantiated.” No futher details have been made available, and no arrests have […]

Thanksgiving weekend can be a tumultuous time for first-years. For many, it is the first time home since August, a hectic four-day period where one must see everyone one loved or cared about since pre-school at breakneck speed. This includes much obligatory bonding time with parents and relatives and a lot of “yeah I know […]

Remember how James Franco is actually an actor?  Well, it’s time to get your holiday cheer on early because Franco is starring alongside Sean Penn in Milk, the story of California’s first openly gay elected official.  Franco is playing a hippie (for a change) who becomes Milk‘s campaign manager.  The film, opening today, will be […]

Spec is off for break, but we want to make believe that they’re still here!  This is some of the best of the other Ivy dailies. Yale loses at football.  Sound familiar? Hugo: not such a big deal! There were elections on November 4.  And not just for Obama! People are sad at Princeton too!  […]

Bwog would like take this time to officially welcome our new Hawkmadinebwog editor, Courtney Douds. You might remember Douds from her many magnificent photo contributions. There’s been a lot going on Hawk-wise this week, here’s what you might have missed: The hawk knows to eat students right after they leave Butler — they’re at the […]

Ooh, what’s going on over at Fox News? Much the same thing that’s happening here, in fact! It’s a debate about ROTC at Columbia, with a special Fox twist. And by “twist”, we mean that they chose a photo of a 1972 student riot to accompany the article. But no matter, let’s see what the […]