October's Blue&White graces the World Wide Web today! A few gems from this month's issue:

Columbia Republicans kick off the year with open arms

A day of discovery and unsheathed broadswords at the Medieval Festival in Fort Tryon Park

Ever wanted to be a banker? Yeah, not anymore

A run-down of Morningside's ghosts

"When I was 14, I was abducted by aliens"

And...Babar!

The highly anticipated second Presidential debate of the 2008 election commenced mere moments ago. Tonight's affair should prove to be quite the slug-fest, as both camps have turned up the heat with nasty smears and negative ads as of late, with just under thirty days until election day. Also, tonight's debate from Belmont University in Nashville, TN will prove to be extra-interesting as it features the first and last time that Obama and McCain will square off in a Town Hall-style format.

In typical fashion, the Columbia Democrats, College Republicans and the CPU (and LionPAC!) have teamed up to turn the Lerner Piano Lounge into the campus debate-watching hub. So, stop by and grab a lime-green seat, a corner of the suede swirly thing. If you can't make it out to the Piano Lounge this evening, Bwog's got you covered with news from around the blogosphere.

Bwog headed to Roone Cinema this evening ready for our daily dose of lively intellectual discourse, today's source being the first of three debates between the College Democrats and Republicans on issues pertinent to the upcoming election. We settled into our cushy seat surrounded by a vast sea of argyle sweaters and watched the games begin.

Tonight's debate, hosted by the CPU, focused on foreign policy and energy solutions. Each side was told to stick to their respective party platforms, even if their personal views differed. The Dems kicked off the night, using their precious 120 allotted seconds to discuss the various failings they found with the Bush Administration, calling the War in Iraq "stupid" and explaining the economic policies of the Administration as forming a collective "wrecking ball to the economy."

College Democrats and Republicans gather in same room, give each other silent treatment.

Wait, being an English major is worthless?!?

Camels roam streets, Spec reporters kissed by llamas, all just a few short blocks away!

Queer sex controversy at Barnard like you've never seen it before! As if you've ever seen it before!

Over a month ago, CU Dems made plans to visit Northern Virginia to help push Obama and House and Senate candidates over the edge to victory.

Bwog has now heard that the Republicans will be going to campaign in New Jersey on Election Day.

Both trips will be funded entirely out of the groups' own pockets, as it is against University Regulations -- an argument originated last year by former CUGOP president Chris Kulawik -- for Columbia to fund any partisan campaigning, as it could jeopardize their 501(c)(3) IRS tax status.

Why is Google so biased against the Columbia University College Republicans?

A furtive, anonymous tipster, known only as "Dispose Me," just informed Bwog of some foul play at work within the liberal search engine.

"The Columbia Republicans site appears to have been plagued with viagra ads. And penis elargments. It's also quite visible when you google search for 'columbia college republicans'. For the lazy."

Also, according to well-places sources, this very Viagara-riddled website ceased to be the official online home of the CUGOP when Kulawik graduated. Apparently he didn't leave the new board instructions on how to access and edit the site. (Note how he's still listed as President). The new site, for those who want to keep their student group bookmarks updated, is here.

With the dual force of Obamacain four days from striking campus, student groups and councils are scrambling to inject themselves into the festivities. On Saturday, representatives from almost every governing council, as well as CPU, the College Democrats, and the College Republicans, met to plan programming for the run-up. They plan to send their outline to Columbia administration tomorrow morning.

The plan consists of two parts: speakers and service opportunites. Highlights will apparently include a voter registration drive led by CPU, the Dems, and the Republicans. Governing boards and individual community service groups will also put on a "service fair," highlighting service opportunities on campus. Finally, there will be a canned food drive led by the four student councils.

As for speakers, the ad-hoc coalition plans to bring in live speakers from 6-7 P.M., before the beginning of the forum. The speakers will focus on both service and September 11th. The pre-forum programming will close with a moment of silence for 9/11 victims. The councils hope to get a famous speaker (possibly a celebrity like Angelina Jolie) as part of the program. Bwog will bring you more specifics and reaction as they come in.

UPDATE 11:31 PM: The full plan to be presented to the deans is below the jump

Islamo-Fascism Awareness week, round one!: Kulawik and co. organize a non-partisan "candlelight vigil" at the sundial. Chopin plays tastefully in the background; more or less sombre-looking College Republicans mill about, ostensibly in remembrance of alleged "Islamo-fascism's" alleged victims.

But what's this? Revolution party folk handing out fliers and displaying some choice David Horowitz quotes? Seems even candlelight vigils can't go unprotested around here, although given the sticky subject matter Bwog isn't all that surprised. We are, however, gratified to see that protester and counter-protester are keeping out of each other's business. Hooray for civility!

Well we're giving them some anyway in light of the dapper gentleman they've chosen as their poster child (maybe Andy Samberg helped pick out the picture?). Oh, and their catchphrase is kinda clever in an inadvertently self-negating kind of way...

Also featured on CUCR posters for Friday's Horowitz visitation: a man hanging from a rope and a woman being buried alive. Reminiscent of Hillel's people who were active in Hillel but not posting on behalf of Hillel's posters heralding Ahmadinejad, actually, but less colorful.

Islamo-fascist Awareness Week is almost upon us, but it seems that promised guest Sean Hannity won't be among the celebrants. From a College Republicans listserv e-mail:

"Unfortunately, while Sean Hannity has been promoting his appearance at Columbia for weeks now and wants very much to come to our campus, there has been a serious illness in his family and his schedule is as of now undetermined. However, we are very excited to still host David Horowitz on that same day."

At least Hannity would have been new. Bwog can't see Horowitz--who's already baited the Muslim community on the Spec op-ed page--differing much from two years ago, with a few Ahmadinejad references thrown in. Meanwhile, the College Republicans are holding a series of fun events (we missed did not miss next week's last night's vigil for the "untold millions who suffer under tyrannical Islamic regimes"). But that's about all we know, since the GOP won't return Bwog's e-mails.

Meanwhile, if you notice a bunch of people wearing green next week, that's why.

- LBD

"Columbus was a criminal," bellowed Hakim from the Low Steps mere moments ago. Disagree!, reply the College Republicans, who are grilling burgers and hot dogs for their fellow Columbus Day celebrants. Yet CUGOP president Chris Kulawik, C '08 emphasized that they are not "celebrating" Columbus per se: "we're just recognizing it's a national holiday" he said, adding that the cookout is a long-standing CUGOP custom. He then went into an etymological explication of the day's significance: "Christopher Columbus. Columbia."

Of course, Kulawik doesn't seem to mind pissing people off--he's the one behind Fox flamethrower Sean Hannity's visit in a couple weeks. Maybe it was a trade for the number of times Kulawik has been a guest on their turf?

Later, a GOPer was overheard sending one of her ideological kinsmen to fetch veggie burgers at Morton Williams. When asked if vegetarianism conflicts with the GOPs presumed goal of laying the environment to waste, a first-year jokingly assured Bwog that the two are not irreconcilable.

-ARR

A few details from the Ahmadinejad event have just come to light: although the College Republicans are very good about getting themselves on TV, talking with their fellow students has proven more difficult. According to Columbia Coalition organizers, they didn't show up for their scheduled speaking slot. And after the event, they were nowhere to be found at their own scheduled debrief Monday evening.

Where can you find a Republican these days?

Bwog believes that you should absolutely judge a group by its flyers, and with recruitment posters blanketing campus, there are a lot of pre-judgments to make. But even if you're not considering joining any, you can at least appreciate what they say about the state of national politics, and how the clubs themselves are doing. The Columbia Dems, who recently won Chapter of the Year, appear to be in a triumphalist mood. And the Republicans...are being inclusive?

- LBD

We heard earlier today that the College Republicans had brought a bunch of black balloons out to the Sundial to "commemorate" May Day (traditionally a celebration of pagan ritual, the workers movement, and loyalty) while a band of merry activists subwayed it down to a march for equal rights in Chinatown. This is how adorable small children dealt with the symbolic protest.

This is how graffitists dealt with it.

Pictures by Alex Weinberg.