Our last  Actual Wisdom takes a radical leap from professors to other really cool people at Columbia. Dean Peter Awn discusses the merits of monasteries, socks, and gives you your daily dose of soul (music). 1. Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer. Solon claims you’re not counted happy until you’re in an urn. […]

GS’s Dean of Students, Scott Halvorson, resigned today in order to return “to his first love, writing.” Halvorson actually got an MFA from SoA in 2001, and has won some awards from his screenwriting. So he’s going back to that. At least he isn’t going to Stanford. (/USNews) Dear Students, It is with mixed emotions […]

According to an email sent out by Dean Awn, General Studies is undergoing changes to its Core Curriculum in order to “bring about closer alignment between the GS Core and the Columbia College Core.” These changes include the adoption of Literature Humanities, Contemporary Civilizations, and the Global Core. The changes go into effect for students […]

According to an email from Dean Awn, the date for GS Class Day has been changed late in the game, due to the amount of set-up and security checks required for Obama’s Barnard Class Day visit. Instead of taking place on Monday, May 14th, the ceremony will occur on Sunday, May 13th. Spoiler alert (literally): it will […]

An email today from Dean Peter Awn (DeAwn?) announced that the 2012 GS Class Day speaker will be Thomas Reardon, GS ’08. Reardon was the architect behind Internet Explorer, a founding board member of the World Wide Web Consortium (which we at Bwog vaguely know about from a brief stint in 1004), and did lots […]

While some of us are snapping out of that movie marathon malaise and contemplating on working on that paper due Monday, or something, a fraction of the student body taking Peter Awn’s Islam class had the pleasure of opening their inboxes to this e-mail: I hope you all had a wonderful spring break. As I […]

Dean Peter Awn sent out this email to all GS students earlier today, subject line: “Meleagris Gallopavo.” (That’s the Wild Turkey, to you plebs) If this (or this) doesn’t get you in the mood for Thanksgiving, we don’t know what will. Dear Students, They cluck, they flail, they fold their necks back to catch the […]

We continue to respect our heritage/amorous affair with our mother-magazine, The Blue & White (see About) by posting each issue of the magazine online. The latest issue, available this week around campus, is a cornucopia of delights: the quest for a Columbia quidditch team; drugs, sex and ROTC; and a discussion of the institution of the Columbia presidency. In the Conversation, […]

It’s no fun to be stuck in a sweaty classroom while those of us who skip class the rest of the world frolics outside in the sunshine. Over the past week, Bwog has reached out across academic disciplines, to professors young and old, to assess their stances on teaching out of doors. While some highly respected […]

After nearly suffering a nose bleed from the 11 floor climb through IAB to hear Direct General Wadah Khanfar speak on“Media Revolution in the Middle East,” Sarah Camiscoli was both star-struck by Wadah Khanfar’s presence and impressed by his thoughts on current US Policy in the Middle East, his opinions on reclaiming the responsibility and […]

Now there’s a novel idea! The CQA will host another of their “Third Thursday” Speaker Series tonight. The event will focus on Religion and Sexuality, and speakers will include GS Dean Peter Awn and our very own Learned Foote, among several others. Free food happens at 7:30, and the discussion begins at 8, all in […]

For a few years now, the General Studies Student Council has lobbied to receive a diploma written in Latin–like the College and Law School currently give. (GS, along with the other 13 schools, award an English diploma.) Peter Awn, the GS dean, took a break from being totally awesome to let down GS students easily: […]

Our favorite professor cancellation e-mail of the day followed by his previous warning after the jump. By his passing coyote reference, we have a sneaking suspicion we might count him among our illustrious readers. Sadly, the University has decided to shut down at 3pm, cancelling all subsequent classes and activities.  I know how traumatizing this […]

As you may have heard, there’s a bit of a to-do in Gaza right now. Being an utterly uncontroversial source for Israel-Palestine conflict analysis, Columbia hasn’t been able to keep its name out of the media, with several professors offering their thoughts on the latest clash. Some samples: Just before the start of the conflict, […]