bacchanal-alternatives

Although the COVID-19 outbreak has forced the cancellation of annually-anticipated events across campus, including the springtime concert Bacchanal, both the Bacchanal committee and the do it yourself concert-throwers Hi Fi Snock Uptown (now playfully rebranding themselves as Wi-Fi Snock Uptown) insisted that the show must go on—virtually, of course.

In deciding to move Columbia’s undergraduate spring concert to an off-campus venue, the Bacchanal committee cited the need to reserve funds for hiring the headlining artists. In response, students voiced concerns over the decision’s threat to Bacchanal’s culture as Columbia’s only community-wide undergraduate event.

The cast and crew of the 126th Annual Varsity Show hosted the West End Preview for an intimate audience in the Glicker-Milstein Theatre. This year, it was all about Bacchanal.

For years, Bacchanal has drawn thousands of students to the center of campus, filling the lawns and College Walk with a rare, lively energy. The annual spring concert has become a hallmark of community on a campus that often struggles to cultivate it.

Most students may only think of Bacchanal when reminiscing on Columbia’s biggest outdoor party each spring. This year, the Bacchanal Committee is making plans to change that.

During a packed last meeting of the semester, the Columbia College Student Council discussed the implementation of procedures to remove ineffective representatives, potential changes to club funding allocation based on measures of inclusivity, and the creation of a Bacchanal Governing Board that would include the undergraduate councils in financial decisions made by the Bacchanal Committee.

Barnard’s Student Government Association awarded an $8,000 increase to Bacchanal and announced the creation of a Bacchanal governing board, which will require feedback and approval from council members across all four schools for Bacchanal lineups and decisions, at its annual budget meeting Monday night.

Bacchanal had its first all-womxn lineup this past Saturday featuring Rina Sawayama, Tierra Whack, and SOPHIE. Oswald Fresh was the student opener after his win at Battle of the Bands. The blaring music was met with a shining sun and students lounging on the grass.

Bacchanal almost didn’t happen this year. At least, that’s the narrative the Bacchanal Committee propagated in the weeks leading up to the music festival, which was later revealed to be an elaborate prank on the student body.