comics-club

Whether it is a Glossier pink bubble wrap pouch, a paper Sweetgreen bag, or a “V” plastered on a pair of Veja sneakers, the Columbia Marketing Club knows that branding and marketing are inescapable in students’ daily lives—and not enough people on campus are talking about it.

Although students often spend Sunday nights alone, working on next week’s homework to make up for a weekend spent with friends, Matthew Wang, Columbia College junior and president of the Columbia eSports team, spends the night on Discord with more than 200 other members. At first glance, the server may seem quiet—nobody is constantly chatting or playing music when in fact, everyone is immersed in gaming as shown in their profiles: League of Legends and Overwatch scrimmages, or their nightly game of Minecraft or Hearthstone.

It’s a couple of months into the start of a new school year, and sections of New York City are starting to turn bright red and orange. Looking around Van Cortlandt Park, fall has arrived, painting the park in a stream of colorful hues. Trees and grass aside, the park is eerily empty. On a weekend when visitors would typically see flying disks streaking through the sky, college teams from around the tri-state area dotting the fields, and a steady stream of high school cross country runners grinding through their 5K races, you can only spot one woman taking her dog out on a morning stroll.

Like many students, first-year Alexa Schlotter hoped to join a club sport when she got to campus. Schlotter has played soccer since she was three years old, pursuing the game throughout high school. Despite not wanting the stress and time commitment of playing varsity soccer, Schlotter still hoped to participate in the sport at the club level.

During the 2010s, Columbia Athletics was able to clinch 33 Ivy League championships and 11 national team titles. Under two athletic directors—M. Dianne Murphy, who served between 2004 and 2015, and current Athletic Director Peter Pilling—Columbia Athletics began toto transform, developing nationally-recognized programs such as fencing, men’s tennis, and cross country. Such teams have routinely found themselves among the top 25 in the nation.

Hundreds of students flocked to their seats in Roone Arledge Auditorium, their arms full of complimentary sweets and bottled green tea. Tables were covered with signature red tablecloths, boba drinks, and take-out box lanterns; the atmosphere buzzed with lively conversations as the house lights dimmed to blue.

Some nights, Bruce Baker is lucky to get to bed by 2 a.m. The Columbia men’s ice hockey coach does not set this bedtime by choice; rather, the Lions can only afford ice time from 10:30 to 11:45 p.m and most games end after midnight.

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.