We’re big fans of This American Life at Bwog—remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—so we were delighted to learn that this past week’s episode, “How I Got Into College,” mentions Columbia. Specifically, how insanely difficult it is to get in here. “At Columbia University in New York City, 33,000 people applied; 31, 000 […]

PoliticalLine: Our very own Jeffrey Sachs (director of Columbia’s Earth Institute) did not approve of Obama’s State of the Union Address. Media caught up with him on a bus from Zurich to Davos. That’s usually where Bwog goes, too, to express disapproval. (WSJ) HawkLine: Apparently we’re not the only news outlet with a thing for […]

Four Loko has inspired more than a few artists in the past, but now one of Columbia’s own has paid homage the ban-inducing alcoholic energy drink. A tipster spotted this hand-crafted door decoration in John Jay. In other freshperson debauchery news, Natty Light and someone’s jeggings were left just outside Carman during a particularly exciting celebration […]

The Class of 2014 has begun to trickle in. Bwog extends a warm welcome to the COÖP fresh-people currently spending their first night at Columbia sleeping under the huge Convocation tent on South Lawn. Bwog found COÖP leaders and freshmen in a semi-circle on the lawn this evening, singing “Roar, Lion, Roar” together. One “fearless […]

Pretty soon (August 30th doth approach!) dozens upon hundreds of fresh-things will run around campus screaming and sitting outside Carman just waiting for something, anything to happen. We want to help them out. We’re reviving an old Bwog tradition and sharing stories of our first nights at college (if you did something funny or sad […]

Look at how we caught your eye with that headline! Remember that sub-plot in V116 about Dean “Double D” Denburg’s Big Bear/Little Bear initiative? The one where DD matched Barnard first-years and upperclassmen in a binding friendship contract and Jenny couldn’t sneak out and meet Yonatan at 1020? That sucked for both of them, but […]

Do you hear that, Columbia? That’s the sound of 2013 rolling their blue bins (don’t forget to donate) towards the family car, stopping along the way to embrace their floormates like it’s the last day of sleepaway camp and the buses just rolled up. Most of you should be finishing up exams right about now, […]

Besides the students and faculty, there are many other members of both the Columbia and Morningside communities who make the years here a little more enjoyable. We at Bwog feel they deserve a little time in the spotlight for all their hard work. Today: Jared Frieder feels nostalgic, and asks Charlie White of JJ’s Place […]

Bwog tipster Frederick Havemeyer informs us that in John Jay, custom is slowly becoming law:   Good luck lugging Westside bags up five flights of stairs, freshmen — you can start preparing early for that walkup that awaits you after graduation.

To give students a taste of those delightful pre-plumbing days, the forces of Columbia have decided to withhold running hot water from residents of John Jay this morning.  Daily Editor Eliza Shapiro reports that it’s been gone for at least two hours.  People are wandering around with bath towels looking forlornly for an oasis and support groups […]

Bwog’s “In Defense Of…” returns with a look at a first-year’s worst nightmare: the Freshman Fifteen.   Let’s get one thing straight: gaining 15 pounds doesn’t mean you’re suddenly fat. For all Bwog knows, you came to Columbia weighing 90 pounds: forgetting to eat and do your homework second semester senior year. You may have […]

Bwog enlisted yet another freshman corresponder, Aseel Najib, to summarize this year’s incarnation of the NSOP-sponsored scavenger hunt, CU: Remix.  Before the Remix could start, Columbia continued its schedule of live PSAs.  Entitled “Community Forum”, this one aimed at bringing together students of various ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations, and highlighted the importance of social […]

This morning, the rest of 2012 has arrived on campus to be greeted by happy NSOP leaders and their first Columbia challenge: move-in lines. Reports from campus indicate that the lines are manageable, though. Free food mavens, be aware: the family lunch is starting right about now, allowing you to test the efficacy of NSOP […]

UPDATE (12:45 PM): It’s halftime at housing—the process of coming to terms with Wien or the McBain shaft will resume after a lunch break at 1:30 PM. The white board, creature of habit that it is, hasn’t been updated since our last photo. However, according to housing, about four or five groups have come in […]

This headline: “Go Ape For The New Version of the Old Mighty Beast” ESC’s claim that since America elected George Bush, democracy is bad. A good urban exploration column ruined by the claim that there are “tar pits” in Queens. And by its eighth paragraph. Oprah branching out into reality TV. A first-year’s need to […]