It takes a certain degree of intellectual comfort to decide you’ve conceived a brilliant new direction for a century-old course. Writing it up and sending it to the entire roster of CC praeceptors, the Committee on the Core, and Deans Yatrakis and Quigley, on the other hand, takes an almost suicidal hubris. One sophomore did, […]

Armin Rosen reports on the big semi-annual, semi-mandatory sophomore class lecture. The title of this post is actually a wee bit inaccurate. This wasn’t just the biggest walkout of the year–it was also the biggest walkout of last year, and was probably bigger than any walkouts that were held the year before that one, too. […]

Today’s Sunday Times is chock-full of Columbia nuts. First, the lead story in the Magazine, by Mark Lilla, is regurgitated CC, and any good humanities student worth his or her weight in Enlightenment and secular/liberal theory should be able to follow his argument and add a dash of insight to boot. Then, the Lives essay is by […]

We LiveBwogging this shit*  6:00 PM – it has not yet started. 6:07 PM – this is still the case. I will say when it is not. 6:10 PM – First words: “is this working? yeah.”  One history professor is taking over for another in introducing the event.  He says it was an easy decision. […]

Looks like last Friday’s CC Coursewide Lecture by the esteemed President Havel has had a real effect on class discussions.  An anonymous tipster sends in this conversation, about Havel’s belief in the legislation of morality, from a recent class meeting. Student 1: I think that when private acts affect the community, that’s when the government […]

After the reform Kol Nidre service at Hillel, everyone wishing each other a good year:   (Jewish) Law Student 1: Rosenblum?  Yale ’02?  Seligman?  We graduated in the same class!   (Jewish) Law Student 2: Yeah, yeah, you’re in my litigation class now right?   (Jewish) Bystander (muttering): Bunch of Jews. Happy atoning! Heard outside […]

For those of you who get caught plagiarizing on your finals or otherwise, here are some essays you can write about why plagiarism is bad. The one Bwog used: Plagiarism (missing works cited) By Bwog Plagiarism is a distinguished sounding word. One would almost think that it sounds like some lofty philosophical ideal named for […]

Still winding down from that CC exam? Check out this mix, graciously relayed by a student of CC teacher Dermot Albert Ryan. Plato – “Quiet” – The Beta Band Aristotle – “We’re Going To Be Friends” – The White Stripes Hebrew Bible – “Israelites” – Desmond Dekker New Testament – “Jesus” – The Velvet Underground […]