Those of you who have stepped onto the subway recently might have noticed a new series of advertisements featuring famous quotes from the likes of everyone from Edith Wharton to Galileo. The sponsor of the subway's most intellectual wallpaper? Alma Mater, naturally.

It's unclear what benefits the University is receiving (if any) by having its name plastered next to advertisements for law firms specializing in asbestos malpractice. Though against the backdrop of the sordid history of subway posters (remember The Tudors? The Six Degrees disasters of 2006?), Bwog's actually quite grateful for the quote-ads.

Unsure of how to entertain your parents in New York this weekend? Bwog staffer Mariela Quintana suggests Casa Italiana, where you can put your Art Hum skills to use.

Between the dank Amsterdam overpass and SIPA's bleak backside, stands the alabaster Casa Italiana, home of the Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America. With an imperious entryway articulating the ground floor and high arching windows coursing across the second level, Casa Italiana epitomizes the architecture of the Italian Renaissance.

Under the auspices of Michael I. Sovern and Francesco Cossiga, presidents of Columbia University and the Republic of Italy respectively, the Italian Academy was established in 1991 to ostensibly promote the study of Italian culture and society. Thanks to their courageous demands, the Italian Academy intends to promote the place of Dante, Baccaccio, Michelangelo, Verdi and other Italian masters in the academy. (Though it's been said that the palazzo was a gift of Mussolini, more affectionately known by scholars and party members alike as Il Duce.)

Name, School: Jesse Cooper, CC 08

Claim to fame: BWOG Mario Kart Tournament Champion,

Post-grad plans: Proctoring SATs, Mowing Lawns, going to the West Coast, finding a home, working for Steve and Barry's

Preferred swim test stroke? CHICKEN-T-SWIM BABY! The Inverted backstroke. Yeah, its alright.

What are three things you learned at Columbia?

1) I can drink a whole Hennessey fifth. Some call it a problem, I just call it a gift. (To plagarize Xzibit). Oh I guess I learned that too.

2) Anytime there is free anything, line up about 5 hours early. When student council advertises 100 free anything, keep in mind that 60 of them go to members of the student council and their closest friends

3) The ability to bullshit 5-7 pages about absolutely anything, with footnotes, in 5 hours or less. Its really a remarkable but invaluable skill.

The AP ran a story today in which they talked to Obama's old friends from his days at Alma Mater. There are tales of bravery, like that time on Broadway when Obama courageously fended off a hobo. And fun facts about Obama's developing fashion sense—did you know he was kind of into the grunge look? (So ahead of his time!). Also: he had a heart of gold. "Siddiqi would mock Obama's idealism -- he just wanted to make a lot of money and buy things, while Obama wanted to help the poor." He was also a vegetarian.

Ah, memories.

Bwog realizes that for the last few posts we've taken a cue or two from Craigslist, but in the spirit of usefulness, we're posting a list of items that students are currently selling. If you'd like to add your items to the list, use the comment thread or email bwog@columbia.edu.

Sanyo SR-3770S Counter-High Refrigerator, Black and Stainless-Steel. Bought it for $200. Used for a year. Good condition! Need to get rid of it by Saturday! (Original info).
Contact: ys2248@columbia.edu

Sony Triniton TV, black, 24 inch screen. Three years old, good condition, just too heavy for me to move. $20
Contact: amp2133@columbia.edu

Yamaha Clavinova CLP-130; Three years old, excellent condition; $2000
Contact: pbb2101@columbia.edu

White Raleigh Cruiser Bike; $75 SOLD
Contact: katelinthicum@gmail.com

FREE Fridge; 2 years old; door slightly damaged (by CollegeBox movers), but still runs perfectly. (Must claim by 8 AM Saturday morning)
Contact: kas2143@columbia.edu or 310 266 9774

Dell A920 Printer Plus Two Black Ink Cartridges Excellent Condition (Seller Just Purchased a New Printer)
$60 for Printer and Cartridges or Best Offer
Contact: crb2116@columbia.edu

Sanyo 3.5 Cubic Ft Refrigerator (w small freezer built in) $50 or best offer. 1 year old. Like new condition
Contact: crb2116@columbia.edu

Bwog received word that several Columbians are spending the first days of summer pining for the English class/Lion's Head/McBain romance that never was. If you think a missed connection is directed your way, email Bwog and we'll put you in touch with your inamorato/a.

• "I met you under the influence of alcohol at the Lion's Head. Then we walked to hamdel--just the way drunken nights should go. You're nice and it's too bad you're graduating, but at least it makes it less awkward to post this since I'll probably never see you again."

• "he was in mac adam's lit class. he sat in the back row of the middle section of the classroom and looked ever-so-sexy in his striped polo shirts and blue jacket."

• "You and I work together, and I have had a crush on you since the first day I met you, but I have never mustered up the courage to ask you out on an actual date out of fear of ruining the friendship that we have going on. I had a great time at senior ball tonight when I was with you. You probably don't even visit this website, but I figured what the hell. (Thank you alcohol)"
  
  (Read more...)

After so many hours locked up in Butler, Bwog couldn't help but notice a few smoldering glances flying from person to person across the brutally well-lit study spaces. It got us thinking, and we decided to start a feature that we'd been considering for a long time:

Missed Connections.

Oh, my, yes. While some of you have already moved out of the dorms, there's still a few days left to catch the eye of whoever's been sitting next to you in CC missing your incisive comments about Kant. You can just do it on the Internet.

Here's how it works: add a comment on this post with a description of the object of your desire, and some way to get in touch with you, like an email address. (The comments are hidden.) We'll repost these, without the identifying emails, and gather the replies, then make the appropriate matches. It'll be great. We await your responses with bated breath.

UPDATE: Since time is fleeting, you have one hour (til 1:30 PM today) to post a missed connection. At that point, we'll be posting the comments. It's the last day of school, so like every teen movie tells you, now's the last chance to talk to the girl/boy of your dreams.

With Spec on summer vacation for over a week now, it's time to check in with that other journalistic medium: the internet. And now, a closer look of what some of the blogs on the sidebar have been publishing.

Roar Lions Roar: Columbia athletics, the high school years

The Phlog: Diners go Greek

The Blaaag: Finals week, we're nostalgic already!

The One Train: Bwog can't quite figure out where this bench is. Any guesses?

Off Broadway: More from our Ecuadorian correspondent

Reflective Pundit: Fancy graph points to sensibility of Clinton nomination

We check in with Noam Harary (right)

Name, School: Noam Harary, CC 08

Claim to fame: Jewfro

Post-grad plans: Living on a friends couch in the city while bartending and acting. I'll be out West next winter teaching snowboarding.

Preferred swim test stroke? Butterfly, then desperately treading water once immediately exhausted.

What are three things you learned at Columbia?

1) You could forge your professor's signature on the add/drop forms, and the registrar never checks or keeps a copy of that document. Hoo-rah.

2) Deadlines are a state of mind. Extensions are always given if asked the right way... (hint: no one wants a jumper)

3) You can graduate with only a concentration. Seriously, no major, no thesis. What's lazy, has two thumbs and a B.A.? This guy.

As the school year comes to a close, free time, along with Bwog's Guide to the Weekend, makes a triumphant return. We'll continue keeping you updated every Thursday throughout the summer about concerts, movies, special events, and lectures.

All Weekend/Continuing:

The Films of Kenji Mizoguchi
IFC Center
Friday-Sunday; 11 AM
$11.50

Heavy Light: Recent Photography and Video from Japan
International Center for Photography
May 16 th- Sep 7; Tuesdays-Thursdays (10am-6pm); Fridays (10am-8pm); Saturdays-Sundays (10am-6pm)
This Friday, several of the artists will appear in person to sign exhibition catalogs
$12

No Fun Fest
Three days of noise-rock featuring Religious Knives, Thurston Moore, Tony Conrad, and Hair Police.
The Knitting Factory
Friday May 16 (7pm); Saturday May 17 (7pm); Sunday May 18 (6:30pm)
$20 - 22 daily / $50 three-day pass

Today is a momentous one in terms of free food: some stars somewhere are aligned marking this rarest of occasion when two dining establishments are simultaneously offering free products. First, McDonalds will be serving, until 7 PM, free chicken biscuit sandwiches (fine print: the sandwiches are only free with the purchase of a medium or large drink.) Second, it's free iced coffee day til 10 PM at Dunkin Donuts, and there's no fine print, just 16 oz. of really good iced coffee.

The nearest McDonalds: 125th and Broadway

Two Dunkin Donuts options: Amsterdam beween 105th and 106th and Amsterdam between 125th and 126th.

Name, School:
Laura S., Barnard College

Claim to fame:
Student Government President

Post-grad plans:
M. Levin, Project Analyst

Preferred swim test stroke?
Swimming isnt part of the Nine Ways of Knowing.

What are three things you learned at Columbia?
1) He's not the one...
2) Neither is the other guy...
3) Nor is that guy's roommate.

Justify your existence in 30 words or less.
As a Barnard woman I refuse to answer this question formally, as 'justifying my existence' is what I've been doing informally for four years.

A few commenters and tipsters have been asking about the whereabouts of CULPA, which has seemingly vanished from the internet. Bwog emailed CULPA man-in-charge Seth Berliner who explained that "CULPA is down while we move the site to a new (and more reliable) server, which will allow us to make some upgrades over the summer. We apologize to our loyal readers for the inconvenience; hopefully the new server and the summer improvements will prevent this sort of thing in the future."

So there you have it.

Hot off last week's swastika-in-Butler fiasco, it seems a rogue vandal or two continue to try to cram in as much vitriolic graffiti as they can before graduation.

A tipster reports that there might have been another hate crime in the 3rd floor men's bathroom in Lerner. Says the tipster, "Yesterday afternoon there were 4-5 policemen and public safety there, and for the rest of the night a guard was stationed outside not letting anyone in. Today, there's an 'out of order' sign on the door and maintenance guys frantically repainting two stalls. When they went on break I went in but couldn't find anything."

As is customary before any break, we've re-posted our peregrination pointers list in hopes that you will have the quickest, safest, cheapest, most comfortable ride home. And if you have a travel secret that doesn't appear on the list, email bwog@columbia.edu. Sharing is caring.

How to decide upon the lesser of the three evils: train, bus or car?

* "I'm going to Western Massachusetts, and booked a train two weeks ago to get there (already most days were filled up) and am booking a Greyhound bus today to get back. I figure the roads will be worse on Thursday�making Amtrak convenient�but not so bad in the middle of the day on Sunday, making the bus more flexible and economical."

* "If you live in Philly or its environs, any Chinatown bus during holiday season will be packed with everyone you went to high school with. NJ Transit, though a foul, foul beast, is a less awkward experience. I plan to take a very early (7:14) train on Thurs. morning, which will get me into 30th Street at 9:30 am. I hear Thurs. morning NJ Transit trains are pretty empty."