Earlier this morning, our august print newspaper, the Columbia Daily Spectator, announced that they have put a limited number of their archives online. Until today, Spec’s archives have been read by a very small number of people—smaller, even, than the number of people who read contemporary editions. Why? Spec’s archives have only been available in […]

Once upon a time (the 1930s), the Upper West Side’s Metro Theater played movies—the real, live kind that you have to buy a ticket for. Since then, it’s provided a roof for a brief foray into the “adult film” industry, a couple of big-shot cinema chains, and a host of legal kerfuffles and vacancies. But as the old adage tagline […]

You can go back to sleep! The end of Daylight Savings has delivered another sweet sixty minutes to your day, so it’s now an hour earlier than you thought it was. Though it happens every year, one national news outlet or another perennially feels the need to narrate the history of this curious organizational phenomenon. […]

Today’s Bwoglines challenge the things you love most: Cartoons: Pinocchio should be punished, Spongebob will destroy our children (Slate, Atlantic) Cigarettes: The future of smoking is e-cigarettes. (NYMag) Sex: Has been displaced by Facebook. (Gizmodo) World History: It’s whatever. (New Yorker) Take-Out: It’s evil! (Gothamist) Emoticons: Sometimes they look like vaginas. (NYT) Google: Is actually taking over the world. (WSJ) There’s one exception! Beavis and Butthead […]

He’s an important guy. Here are some things you should know about him: he founded the New York Post; he went to college here, but did not graduate; he is Michael Cera. If you want to learn even more, a biopic on Alexander Hamilton airs tonight at 10 pm on Channel 13. According to the […]

History Professor Eric Foner strikes gold—for the second time! Yesterday, Columbia University awarded the Bancroft Prize to Foner for his book “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery.” Thanks to CU, Foner will also receive $10,000 (!) in prize money. Damn, it must feel good to be a Tweedster. (ABC News) There’s good food in […]

An event being held to mark the recent release of “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery” by history professor and avid collector of newspaper clippings Eric Foner is happening right now. Attendees are packed into Davis Auditorium to hear some of America’s most prominent historians (Ira Berlin, David Brion Davis, and Robin Blackburn, […]

Eric Foner, Most Famous Professor of All Time and CC ’63, stopped by the Colbert Report last night to talk textbooks and Texas. Mr. Colbert was discussing a recent Texas Schoolboard vote approving a “conservative stamp on history and economics textbooks.” Who better to comment than the author of your AP US History textbook: Sir […]

The Department of Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures (MEALAC) is now the only-slightly-less pronounceable Department of Middle East, South Asian and African Studies (MESAAS). The name changes comes with the addition of African Studies to the larger, interdisciplinary department. The Earth Institute announced a new undergraduate major in Sustainable Development. Previously students studying […]

History Professor David Eisenbach, who served as communications director for Mike “I’m bat-shit insane and running for President” Gravel, is about to make it big. He announced via an email to, as far as we can tell, his entire address book that he will finally fulfill his life’s dream this Sunday. What do history professors […]

It was three years ago today (and a short time after Bwog’s birth) that an intrepid photographer captured the mythical Snow Baby Starfish on film for the first (and, tragically, only) time while the creature posed on College Walk in the newly fallen snow.  We’d like to take this opportunity to share the pink-cheeked love […]

Just a quick note that Michael Mallick and the good people at the English Department have begun posting admit lists for Spring 2009 seminars. Complete list should be up by Tuesday. The deadline to apply to most history seminars was about an hour ago, but expect announcements about admit lists anytime up until next semester. […]

Bwog has noticed that over the next week or so there will be a smorgasbord of learning opportunities for those who are not going home to spend their magnificent four days of fall break.  Whether you are interested in theater, bioethics or academic freedom, there’s something going on that’s right up your alley. Human Genetic […]

Here are some more activities to keep Mom and Dad busy because Bwog loves you and your parents and because Bwog has secret tour guide aspirations…. Wallach Art Gallery Columbia has its own mini-museum in Schermerhorn! Who knew? The Wallach Gallery’s classy digs will undoubtedly impress your parents. Maybe you’ll even impress them with your […]

For many of us, it’s difficult to even imagine a Morningside Heights without Pinkberry and West Side Market—not that we would ever want to. What would such a haunting reality even look like? Bwog Webmaster Zach van Schouwen stumbled upon a collection of historical photographs of the neighborhood that will give you a good idea. […]