"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

News has it (or shows, rather) that Barnard radio station WBAR has unleashed a new website, featuring a new-and-improved albeit bizzarely colonial layout. Noteable changes also include a "Now Playing" sidebar that features a photo for the show currently on air, a more organized online schedule, and a "Show of the Week" feature if you're uncertain about what's playing.

As far as our suggestions go for specific radio shows, we hear that Play With Your Radio is pretty badass -- although for a real explanation of what it's about, you should listen for yourself. Also a good bet (and with a two-year [plus?] WBAR history) is Turtles All The Way Down with David S. Another favorite, Side A/Lado B, plays a mix of Latin and English rock on late Thursday afternoons. Also, Friday morning talk show Disgruntled Optimism promises an interview with Senator Joe Lieberman every week, "as well as taped segments with various members of Columbia's most outspoken housing staff."

Only on freeform college radio.

Outside of the typical airwaves: a team of Columbia students premiered their own new station, S.O.A.P. Box Radio Collective, from of a campus dorm room last Friday. Defined as an alternative media project, that is a "collective first and a radio station second," S.O.A.P. Box has been publicized around campus and within some grassroots activist circles, as well as IndyMedia.

For something away from the vicinity of Morningside Heights, Bwog editor Jessica Cohen suggests Fordham Radio WFUV's CityScape and CD of the Week. The award-winning CityScape covers an array of New York City issues every Saturday morning while CD of the Week promises a newly released album on Thursday nights.

College radio lives?

- MIP

Vampire Weekend is not a bunch of hipsters, puh-lease. The band, comprised primarily of the most recent batch of Columbia graduates, is preparing to break out beyond the campus music scene. Sure they all live in Brooklyn but, come on, they love Africa and LaCoste. Just last spring they played at a Yacht-themed party at Saint A's - that's about as un-hipster as you can get. Bwog music correspondent Justin Goncalves recently had the opportunity to talk with the band in between the recording of drum loops in Park Slope.

First things first, who is Vampire Weekend?

Ezra: Vampire Weekend is traditionally me on guitar and vocals, Chris [Tomson C'06] on bass, Rostam [Batmanglij C'06] on keyboards, and Baio [C'07] on bass. John Atkinson [C' 00] is going to be joining us soon. You might know him from his stuff with Aa (BIG A little a).

Where did the name Vampire Weekend come from?

Ezra: Some might think it's a weekend where you sleep all day and stay up all night, but that's not what we're going for. Me and my friends from home made a movie after summer vacation with a plot that someone's country is being taken over by vampires. Walcott has to go to Cape Cod to tell the mayor that vampires are coming.

Rostam: And the song's actually about Walcott leaving.

Ezra: Yeah it works on a bunch of levels.

What is the ideal Vampire Weekend?

Ezra: The ideal avatar, preppy African with equal parts of fresh and clean. Preppiness with West African guitar pop, a perfect fusion of happy world music with Western, New England preppiness.

So who would you cite as your influences?

Ezra: Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Kanda Bongomen, Reggaeton. I want to call it bodega music but I'm pretty sure that's not politically correct. It's called Bachata, I think.

More stuff you shouldn't have saved on a public computer.

This result of political justice is capitalism. Everyone benefits in the end. The US government shares the same view as the kallipolis when it comes to capitalism, since humans tend to "watch their back".

Many may take this as a purely negative aspect, shrapnel from the grenade of conquest and empire, but for any reader to be able to wrap their minds around this concept (native-via-Spanish), said reader will find many gems and jewels amongst the mountains of political, religious, and European understanding.