Still can't wrap your head around the categorical imperative? The 2010 Class Council wants to feed your bodies and your minds at 10:30 tonight, according to an email from President AJ Pascua:

"Take a break from midterm cramming and enjoy free ice cream, toppings,
and CC study guides! Expect condensed versions on the writings of: Kant,
Rousseau, Smith, Olympe De Gouges, Frederick Douglass, Bentham, Marx,
Burke, Wollstonecraft, and Tocqueville. KANT Get Enough Sleep? will take
place THIS Sunday at 10:30pm on the ramps of Lerner. We will not be
emailing these study guides out after the study break so please come and
claim your copy!"

AJ Pascua of the 2010 council has eye-smarting t-shirts for sale on the Lerner ramps. Their slogan, obscured in this photo: "Our grass is greener."

Last night, a sizable and enthusiastic crowd gathered in JJ's Place to see the three parties running for 2010 Class Council debate (and eat free chicken fingers). While Mark Modesitt's reconstituted Alma Matters [Remix] Party has the advantage of incumbency, the other two parties, AJ Pascua's Go Party and Maximo Cubilette's TOGA Party, seemed to possess far more energy — and focused that energy on ways to improve upon Modesitt's policies.

There's not a lot of original stuff you can say as a serious student council candidate — everyone hit on increasing aid to study abroad programs — but debates are the time to make as many promises as possible, and they did not disappoint. Modesitt's ticket (dressed, inexplicably, in somber black) focused on "class cohesiveness" and proposed a class email highlighting the achievements of class members, while Cubilette's party suggested further off-campus programming and dinners with constituents at local restaurants, and Pascua's promised to move back the CC Add/Drop deadline and throw another Winter Wonderland-esque party (Go VP candidate Sue Yang claimed responsibility for the success of the first-year formal).

For probably the first time ever, each party had a green plank in their platform. Modesitt promised to focus on environmental concerns in a second term, going so far as to question other parties as to their plans to reduce Columbia's "anthropogenic effects" on the environment. The sitting president recommended awareness — "turning off lights when you leave the room" — in his opening statement, which TOGA largely echoed, while the Go Party (dressed in green!) suggested campus-wide dorm room inspections over winter break to ensure windows were closed and appliances unplugged.

The results are in, and CCSC has five new members! The Alma Matters ticket triumphed, with a whopping 27.2% of the vote--25 votes ahead of their nearest rival, Party of Five (even with an extended voting period, CC freshmen fell short of the national turnout average by about 10 points). President-elect Mark Modesitt picked up his ROLM phone on the first ring, and Bwog sat him down for an interview.

How did you campaign in the last few days?

Mainly, we reinforced for people to get out and vote. Our main thing is we ran a clean campaign, we weren't attacking the other parties or candidates, and that was our mission from the very beginning.

Were there attacks?

There were a few attacks, but mainly it was just competitive.

It seems like most of the candidates live on the same few floors in John Jay.

We all get along pretty great. We're all pretty good friends. AJ and I, we go to church together sometimes.

How do you deal with some of the negative campaigning?

I just know that I'm in the public eye, you just have to deal with it. You're putting yourself out there to get put down. I really wanted to be class president, I just had to fight for it. If you let it get to you, you're letting them do what they wanted to do.

Why, exactly, do you want to be class president?

As I came to Columbia the first time, I really just loved the campus, I loved everything about it. I really felt the urge to represent my class, and the more and more I meet people in my class, the more I love Columbia, and everything about it.

You only won a little over a quarter of the vote. How does it feel to be not the favorite of the majority of the class?

It kind of just proves how great out class actually is, we have such great candidates to choose from. I don't feel that as a negative aspect, I just feel more of an honor, that I was chosen among such qualified candidates.

Name, Party: Matthew Kudelka, Columbia Undergraduates Supporting Progress

Home town: Houston (TX)/Katonah (NY)

Home Dorm: John Jay

The Man: I'm Matthew Kudelka. I grew up in Texas although for the past two years I've lived in Westchester County, New York. I've played tennis and soccer most of my life, started Scuba Diving at age twelve, and enjoy improv comedy as well as surfing. In school, I like most subjects, like English, history, and math, although, presently, I want to be a scientist. I'm friendly, kind, and am passionate about whatever I do. Want to meet me? Just say hi. I'd love to chat.

The plan: I want to pull students more into NYC by providing more free and discount event tickets and discount Metrocards. I want to continue to reform financial aid for both students from low-income households and for students from non low-income
households. I want to improve student health services by requiring a student
health services representative to be available on each floor in each dorm a minimum of once a month and ensuring condoms are replenished regularly. And I want to decrease Columbia's negative impact on the environment by instituting a lower-emissions policy for Columbia affiliated vehicles.

If I were an historical figure, I'd be: Thomas Jefferson, of course!

If I could be an ice cream flavor, I'd be: Snickers, because everyone
loves a good laugh.

So much for party unity--50% of SEAS freshman turned out for the ESC 2010 election this evening, selecting four candidates from three different parties. Your new class officers are:

President - Heather Lee, the SHT!
Vice President - Lili Gu, Nonstop
Class Representatives - Gunnar Aasen, Nonstop, and Kelly Chen, Fuugle

Bwog is confident that bipartisanship will prevail.

This week, Bwog will be featuring candidates for leadership of the Columbia College class of 2010. Tools? Visionaries? You decide--vote next Tuesday!

Name, Party: Matthew Lemle Amsterdam, Freshmen First

Hometown: New York

Home Dorm: Carman

The Man: I have always felt a profound love for Columbia. One of the first songs I ever learned as a small child was "Roar Lion Roar" when my father would take me to the Lions football games. Now that I am finally here, I want to make a difference and make Columbia even better. I'm from New York. I'm a huge fan of the Yankees, Giants and Knicks. My favorite book is "All the King's Men," and my favorite movie is "Goodfellas."

The plan: Columbia is obviously really great. But we think that there are some things that can be improved on. We want to work on making dorm life better, by fixing the elevators and showers, reexamining the dry-dorm policy, etc. We want to make this year as fun as possible by having some great social events. We'll work with the administration and Alumni Board on issues such as financial aid and studying abroad. We call ourselves "Freshmen First" because we will always put the needs of the freshman first.

If I was an historical leader, I'd be: FDR, only, you know, without the polio.

If I was an ice cream flavor, I'd be: Rum Raisin. Make of that what you will.

Ian Crone of The Party, who did not send a picture, is after the jump.

This week, Bwog will be featuring candidates for leadership of the Columbia College class of 2010. Tools? Visionaries? You decide--vote next Tuesday!

Name, party: Jon Hollander, Stella

Hometown: Vancouver, Canada

The Man: I'm from Canada and i am majoring in Economics/Political Science. I've spent every one of my past 7 summers attending (as both a counselor and camper) a Jewish camp in central Alberta. I am a huge fan of the Colbert Report, i enjoy classic rock, and my favorite movie is Lord of War.

The Plan: As President i will want to tackle issues such as meal plan reform and wireless internet connectivity. I also want to place a strong emphasis on student council programming. I, along with my party have a great deal of experience planning large scale events, and we would like to use those skills for the benefit of the class of 2010.

Historical figure with whom he most identifies: Winston Churchill

If I were an ice cream flavor, I would be: Cookie dough, because it combines the two best things in the world.

In the best attempt yet to make this election about issues, the seven parties running for CC 2010 class council participated in a debate last night moderated by the ever-stylish Subash Iyer. Vertical transportation featured prominently. Highlights follow.

Starting out, each party got the chance to introduce itself.

- The Columbia Undergraduates Supporting Progress party wants to give you condoms on every floor, low-emissions engines in every vehicle, and to "increase the student joy." Sounds like a platform, guys.

- Alma Matters started out its comments with a citation from Bwog. And they have two cheerleaders, and they talked to former freshman class president Jess Cohen. A+ for doing your homework.

- Nonstop brought the hype in their signature orange...but president Sue Yang was a little too much for Bwog. "We'll take you guys to the 105th floor of success, no matter if you take the stairs, or the elevator," she bubbled. "And we'll make the elevators better!"

- The TOGA party would like to give everyone subsidized Metrocards so students can better explore the city, "which is one of the reasons you all chose New York University." Ouch.

- Freshmen First, in a jab to Nonstop, opined that "the elevator to success is working just fine." Also, they want to "take care of your every little need," including making sure that showers are warm and that elevators don't skip floors. Bwog's air conditioning has been acting up lately...

This week, Bwog will be featuring candidates for leadership of the Columbia College class of 2010. Tools? Visionaries? You decide--vote next Tuesday!

Name, party: Sue Yang, Nonstop

Hometown: Rochester Hills, Michigan

Home dorm: John Jay

The woman: I would describe myself as an independent, decorating obsessed, font
addicted (I have 2,789 fonts!), optimistic, sleep deprived but still always energetic, self-motivated, and hardworking individual. I love marketing, advertising, and entrepreneurship with a passion and dream of working in the business realm. Currently, I plan on majoring in Economics-Political Science with a concentration in Psychology. I am a shopaholic...in New York...enough said. I love New York, but I am HEAD OVER HEALS in LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE with Columbia, which is why I now serve as an overnight visit coordinator on the Undergraduate Recruitment Committee...GO COLUMBIA!!

The plan: Whether or not I am elected as president, I will strive with 110% effort to
put the incredible, incredible Class of 2010 (CC 'X!!) in the record books! As president, I will empower each fellow classmate and advocate his/her needs and wants at Columbia. As CC 'X, we are the new generation of Columbia students setting new traditions. We will throw the most memorable socials and events including possible blacklight toga parties, powderpuff football among the classes, staff vs. student games, and "Room Raiders: Columbia Edition". Aside from fun and games, I also hope to work with student council and the entire class of 2010 in creating a student life fund to provide for improvements in the laundry room, dining plan, dorms, and various other aspects of student life. Class of 2010, join me in nonstop passion, nonstop commitment, nonstop spirit, nonstop community, and nonstop party!

Historical leader with whom she most identifies: I identify most with one of my greatest role models, Michelle Bachelet. I greatly admire her strong independence, relentless dedication to her country, and unwavering will. These virtues helped her overcome oppression and torture, eventually rising her current position as the first ever female president of Chile!

If you were an ice cream flavor, what you would be, and why: I
scream, you scream, we all scream for Moose Tracks ice cream!!

Voting for the SEAS 2010 class council started today! All you fresh engineers have until 6:00 PM on Friday to cast your ballots online (yes, the ESC has its shit together that much). Barring a hacker in the system, one of the three candidates profiled after the jump will lead your class for the next year, and perhaps beyond. Choose wisely!

Oh, there are actually four candidates, but Joseph Youssef of the SOC declined to answer Bwog's request for information. Shame, shame.

This week, Bwog will be featuring candidates for leadership of the Columbia College class of 2010. Tools? Visionaries? You decide--vote next Tuesday!

President, Party: AJ Pascua, Party of Five

The man: I'd normally refer you to my publicist, Mark Zuckerberg. But I'll make an exception. My name is Anthony Guiuan (Ghee -wan) Pascua Jr. but I go by AJ. I'm a political science major and I want to practice law in the future. I live for conversation and I love to watch comedies; I'm not much of an intellectual but I try. One of my favorite things to do here is to dissolve the palpable awkwardness of elevator rides. Music: hip hop and alternative, and even a little Beethoven.

This week, Bwog will be featuring candidates for leadership of the Columbia College class of 2010. Tools? Visionaries? You decide--vote next Tuesday!

President, Party: Mark Modesitt, Alma Matters

Hometown: Evansville, Indiana

Home Dorm: John Jay

The man: I am from Indiana where corn and cows are more abundant than people. My floormates often kid me about my Midwestern accent, but overall, I am an outgoing, well-rounded guy. I am an Eagle Scout, stay active by running and swimming, and enjoy nature as much as I enjoy the city. My most treasured experiences have definitely stemmed from by involvement in Student Government. My prior leadership positions have included Class President, Youth Mayor of Evansville (IN), high school representative on Senator Evan Bayh's Youth Council, and Student Council State Vice-President.

The plan: There are many ideas I plan to implement that I believe will enrich our first year here. First and foremost, I want to set up an efficient Class Council that will serve as an effective means of communication and networking for the Columbia College Class of 2010. In addition, I would like to add new programming components to the Freshman Class Council while maintaining continued programs such as the Grandfather and Father Class functions and the Winter Formal. I hope to be able to unite our class and promote a positive atmosphere for inter- and intra-class interaction.

Historical figure with whom he most identifies: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Ice cream flavor with whom he most identifies: My friends say I should be bubble gum because I'm a little goofy, but I would want to be Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip because I'm cool like that.

The arrival of a quarter of the undergraduate population has expanded the pool of dateable singles. In the interest of facilitating romance, Bwog culled through first-year flesh to find these strapping young gentlemen.

Either one look like the guy of your dreams? Email bwgossip@columbia.edu with the single's name in the subject line, put in a sentence or two about yourself, and if our bachelor picks you out of the teeming hordes, the Bwog will spring $5 for a coffee date (we're in a recession). That's a tall coffee each, at least.

Guy for Girl	Guy for Girl

Yesterday, Bwog correspondent Addison Anderson brought you a critique of the facebook's expansive features section. Today, he surveys the book's real offering: new kids on campus! To those who entertain us with your awkward visages: we salute you.

The prize for Coolest Outdoor Picture Background goes to Gabriel Schubiner's chain-link fence. Campus bad boy!

Michelle Meleski comes in a very close second for her Japanese paper wall squares.

Haley Vecchiarelli, I'm citing you for the Most Flagrant Head Tilt. Nice job.

Jae Chung shows off a wonderful Yearbook Fist on Chin pose. Keep it up.

The Best Name prize goes to Brandon Hammer, along with Most Likely to Be a Badass Rogue Cop.