Tonight at 10 PM in the Lerner Piano lounge is the last ever CCSC-sponsored I am Light Blue event. Like most I am Light Blue events, meta t-shirts and blue-hued frosted goods (by way of Kitchenette) will be plentiful.

In an email to Bwog, a good-natured, V-Show appreciating President Diamond explained, "Also we will have like SNACKS and like T-shirts in sizes that fit no one! Hee hee hee [insert head bobbing back and forth here]."

The study break will also feature a video that highlights the work of students who were awarded "light blue nominations" on the basis of positively impacting campus and city life. The video stars Josh Lipsky, Hannah Weinstein, Reni Jablonsky (AKA Reni Laine), Gabby Apollon, Jessie Leiken, Alex Greer, Jason Kim, Allie Feldberg, Nahema Mehta, Calvin Sun, Neil Mehta and others.

Throughout last night's CCSC meeting, scavenged foods drove members to use their appetite as a running motif. Satow Room Bureau Chief Martha Turewicz was there, although not feasting.

There was some in the back of the room left over from the last meeting of the '08 class council: chicken, biscuits, potatoes and gravy. Before the meeting, a tray of marzipan pieces shaped like fruit was passed around; outgoing President Michelle Diamond warned everyone that it contained nuts and was not actually a fruit.

Then Neda Navab mentioned the swim test party coming up in Dodge, at which pizza will be served: "Hopefully they'll eat the pizza after the swim test."

Mark Johnson brought up the anti-Manhattanville protestors who showed up during the Arts Fair. Thankfully, since the students at said fair were grilling hamburgers, the protest was diffused as the gatecrashers eventually lined up to buy them.

Here are the vote counts for every (contested) CCSC election. Uncontested races include 2010 and 2011 Class Councils and Pre-Professional Rep. A total number of 1921 votes were cast (including paper ballots), which is about 42% of the 4500 Columbia College students. Note: There are two spots for 1-Year Senate and Student Services Rep.

-JJV

UPDATE 8:54 PM: Shots of Jacks for Experience. (Now playing: "Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta" by the Geto Boys.)

UPDATE 8:50 PM: George just called his mom, screaming. (Now playing: "We Are the Champions.")

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Results are in from CCSC Elections Board: George Krebs is your new CCSC President. (Now playing in Krebs's Watt dormroom, "We Will Rock You".)

Mark Johnson defeated outsider Colin Drummond for Senior Class Council. Full results are in an email from Andrew Ness after the jump.

-JJV

UPDATE 8:38 PM: Alidad informed Bwog that he received a text message that he lost. However, Krebs has not received a text informing him that he won. Stand by.

Just over 45 minutes ago, voting ended for the 2008 CCSC Elections. Ballots were cast, the gauntlet was thrown. While the CC listserv won't receive an email announcing the winners til much later tonight, candidates are expected to receive a phone call around 9 PM with the results.

Bwog is going to embed itself with Experience Columbia and Connect Columbia, livebwogging all tension, awkwardness, and bravado of this very special night. Krebs and company will be gathered in Krebs' room in Watt, while Team Damooei is going to be holding a summit at the West End. Check back on this post for updates from both camps and around 9 PM for an announcement with the results. But no matter what happens tonight, I think we can all agree that the real winner is democracy.

UPDATE 2:42 PM: Damooei just called Bwog to inform us that the final word from Robert Taylor is that the Elections Board is not going to consider Krebs' rules violation complaint because of the deal struck between Ness, Krebs, and Damooei. No idea what we're talking about? Read on...

The front page of today's Spectator features an article about George Krebs' plan to file a rules violation against Alidad Damooei in response to a comment made by outgoing CCSC President Michelle Diamond's that Damooei and his party were "a stronger ticket."

The Spec article (and Damooei, when Bwog spoke with him) claims that a rules violations deal was struck between Damooei and Krebs. The deal, which was facilitated by Elections Board Chair Andrew Ness, specified that Krebs would not file a rules violation against Diamond's statements (Diamond is not allowed to endorse any candidate), if Damooei would not file a rules violation against Krebs' party for posting a campaign flyer on the glass window of an EC computer lab, which is a violation.

According to Damooei, Ness explained to Krebs and him that if either of them were to file rules violations this late in the game, hours-long judicial hearings would prevent them from going outside and getting people to vote. Krebs and Damooei agreed that avoiding this was appealing, and the three shook hands.

Did you know that lately, some students have been running for CCSC positions? Well it's true, and you can exercise your right to democracy by voting today and tomorrow, either at an old-timey voting site on Low Plaza or on online. Polls are open from 9 AM to 7 PM both days.

In case you're still torn between Experience and Connectivity, Bwog's compiled a list of all the students groups to endorse both parties:

Alidad Damooei and Connect Columbia:

• The Columbia Spectator

• The Black Students' Organization

• Columbia University Performing Arts League

• Columbia International Relations Council & Association

• Political Science Students' Association

• Korean Students' Association

• Taiwanese-American Students Association

• Sigma Delta Tau

• Beta Theta Pi

• Students for North Korean Awareness
  
  
  (Read more...)

The chickens have come home to roost. Krebs and Alidaddy slug it out for the final time.

Student group endorsements, here have one. They're handed out like candy.

Even with this, no one still knows what any of those funny acronyms actually mean.

Take a brochure, get more confused about Barnard.

Phillip Roth is glad its his birthday, not his funeral.

New York City has rats, really?

Well dressed and well rehearsed, CCSC E-board candidates strut their stuff for the final time this evening in Wien Lounge, as they debated for the second time, trying to wrangle every last vote before the moratorium on campaigning Tuesday morning. Alidad and George, both looking dapper with slightly loosened ties, recited their stumps as a meager crowd shuffled around trays of chicken wings and curly fries, clearly more interested in gastronomy than governance. A few interesting facts emerged, such as Donna Desilus's revelation that "Alidad is a critical thinker."

Mostly press and current CCSC members, the very brief question and answer period was devoted mostly to answering pragmatic problems posed by current VP Campus Life Lindsey Lazopoulos and Student Services Molly Conley.

Stay tuned tomorrow for Bwog Personals for Alidad and George as well as final endorsements counts.

-JJV

Welcome to yet another issue of Bwog Personals. This time we are advertising the most available 2009 Class Council candidates, so be prepared for some sexy electoral action. This post is D, for explicit manipulation of Democracy. Bwog is providing $10 for a date and as always, nominate your friends (or yourself) for a personal by emailing bwgossip@columbia.edu.

While Bwog is trying to avoid posting YouTube video after YouTube video about CCSC—well, no we're not—we couldn't resist this gem from the LE:MON boys.

Plus, it gives us a chance to tease the upcoming Bwog Political Personals™ feature, coming in the next few days. Potential "Kristens" take note.

With only a week more of campaigning left, both CCSC E-Board candidates are starting to gather up endorsements. While Spec, Christian groups and other heavyweights have yet to back a candidate, Camp Krebs got a big boost with a CU College Dems endorsement. Alidad countered with BSO's first ever endorsement and is currently leading Krebs in Greek endorsements 2-1 (Alidad is a member of Beta).

The Arab and Muslim student groups are following former MSA President Adil Ahmed in supporting George while Korean student groups are doing the same for Jen Choi and Alidad. More endorsement gossip to come later in the week--so fret you not. Full endorsement list to date are after the jump.

-JJV

As we reported earlier, CCSC presidential candidate George Krebs challenged his opponent, Alidad Damooei, to a basketball showdown which was to be played this Friday in Dodge. As we also reported earlier, Krebs threatened that Damooei and Connect Columbia "be there or be square."

Neither there nor, arguably, square, Damooei has re-buffed Krebs' basketball throwdown with a counter-challenge: "If we are going to play a game, let it be for a good cause and a fair fight. Let us join together in the spirit of community service. On Saturday night between 6 and 9PM, the Blue Key Society is doing a spelling bee for charity. You have to raise $30 to sign up a team of 20. You bring a team and I bring a team. This way, we can promote this service project and have our competition serve a good cause."

Oh, shit. Counter-challenge: issued! What say you, Krebs? Or rather, what spell you? Damooei's full email after the jump.

Three reminders of interest to the competitive games-playing community: Bwog's 1st Annual Mario Kart Tournament will be this Friday at 6:30 PM in Ruggles. All interested parties should email bwog@columbia.edu to sign up yourselves or your friends. We'll provide the food and drink, you bring sportsmanship and good cheer.

Also, on Saturday in the Wien lounge (6-9 PM) will be the Blue Key-sponsored All-School Spelling Bee. $30 signs up a group of twenty spellers, with all proceeds going to charity. There will be free food and the winner of the Bee will naturally be receiving an iPod touch. Email bluekey@columbia.edu.

And finally, on Saturday, a bit of March Madness comes to Columbia with a basketball throw-down for the ages. George Krebs and the Experience Columbia team has challenged Alidad Damooei and the rest of the Connect Columbians to a 5-on-5 basketball game in the Blue Gym in Dodge at 3 PM. "Be there or be square," Krebs warned in an email.

Satow Room Bureau Chief Martha Turewicz reports back from last night's CCSC meetings. Spoiler alert: Calvin Sun and Lindsey Lazopoulos hotly debate a theoretical photograph of Michelle Diamond theoretically shotgunning a beer.

The first thing I noticed at the meeting last night was that the audience was packed, since all the CCSC candidates were obligated to be there. Last time so many showed up was for the Great Juicy Campus Detente. Would tonight be just as interesting?

No, no it wouldn't. The bulk of the meeting entailed providing an example for the candidates of the progression of a typical meeting—while this was all very meta, a free speech debate it was not. This was not helped by the descent, during the last 20 minutes, into the bureaucratic depths of the constitutional review.

To be fair, there were a few bright points. For one, it was interesting to note the presence of previously unseen council reps, namely Max the Webmaster.