A CU Weekend for all tastes

Five things to do at home

Those heading home this fall break can use the time to rejuvenate sleep-deprived minds and spice up a Butler-dominated lifestyle.

Sleep
Although keyboards can be temporary cushions, nothing beats the comfort of sleeping at home. Take time to catch up on guiltless sweet dreams, undisturbed by 3 a.m. partiers or a sleeptalking roommate. If haunting thoughts of problem sets and English papers intrude, turn on some relaxing music or cuddle up to a favorite stuffed animal.

Cook
If the thought of eating yet another meal at John Jay or Hewitt activates the fight-or-flight syndrome, choose fight and learn some cooking skills. Put those hours of aimlessly watching “Top Chef” to good use and discover the wonders of a fully satisfied stomach. Finally, the meat package section at Westside Market won’t seem so alien anymore.

Read
Look at literature with fresh eyes without the pressure of term papers. It may seem like a thing of the past, but relaxed reading can provide an easy—and free—escape from the thought of midterms. Finish a book sitting on a dusty shelf, or peruse the newspaper for insight on events that occur outside the Columbia bubble.

Enjoy family time
Alleviate the nagging homesick feeling by spending some quality family time. Whether enjoying the outdoors or simply eating dinner together, make sure to answer parents’ questions with more than one word. Express appreciation, and perhaps get the benefit of a home-cooked meal. But most of all, remember to give every family member a big hug and a smile—a solid family support network is priceless.

Volunteer
Contribute to the local community by volunteering at a local shelter, food pantry, or nursing home. Not only an act of charity, volunteering can also help put tests and GPAs in a greater perspective. Perhaps volunteering will reveal a life passion. If not, at least there’s the accomplished feeling of a good deed well done and an opportunity to get out of the house.
—Olivia Lu

Five things to do near campus this weekend and every weekend

Eat
Knock out one of the 116 Columbia traditions and order up a Spicy Special ($4) at West 109 Gourmet Deli, alias CrackDel, or take a seat at Sylvia’s (328 Malcolm X Blvd., between 126th and 127th streets) in Harlem. Founded by Sylvia Woods, the so-called “Queen of Soul Food,” the latter offers the best of fried chicken and waffles ($12.95) and Bar-B-Que Ribs ($16.95).
Drink

Pull up to an upturned wine barrel at Vareli (2869 Broadway, between 111th and 112th streets) for a $5 glass of house white, red, or rosé during happy hour (4 p.m. to 7 p.m.).

Stargaze
New York nights may be hazy, but there is still much to be seen through a telescope from Pupin’s rooftop. Every other Friday at 7 p.m., Columbia Astronomy Public Outreach holds speaker events followed by an hour and a half of stargazing. The Nov. 4 one is entitled “Captain Cook and the Cosmic Yardstick.”

Warm Up
Though not technically a weekend to-do, visiting Barnard’s Arthur Ross Greenhouse should be on more student radars. Located at 513 Milbank Hall, the conservatory features over 1,000 tropical plants, cacti, and other species. The greenhouse is only open to the public on Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. But that’s time enough to discover plenty: the flowery Mauve Dancing Girl, the Pink Powder Puff tree, and the Peruvian Old Man, a cactus that looks like it has thinly spun white hair.

Listen
1) Descend into the crypt—Postcrypt that is. “Folking around since 1964,” this coffeehouse in the basement of St. Paul’s Chapel takes place every Friday—except this one. Check back on Nov. 11.
2) However, this weekend features a performance by West African guitarist Lionel Loueke at Miller Theatre. Students can get their jazz fix watching his band of African, Italian-Swedish, and Hungarian musicians on Saturday, Nov. 5th at 8 p.m.
—Allison Malecha

A day trip worth the trek

Fall break offers a rare respite from stress and, with it, an opportunity to escape the city for a day. One worthwhile destination for an extra-metropolitan romp is the Dia Art Foundation’s gigantic contemporary art museum in Beacon, NY, fittingly titled Dia:Beacon.

The museum is a quick five-minute walk from the Beacon Metro-North station, though the trip from the Harlem-125th Street station takes a little over an hour. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and charges $7 for students. Metro-North offers discounted round-trip and museum entry tickets at its ticket booths as part of its One-Day Getaways program.

This former Nabisco printing factory was one of the first industrial spaces to be converted into a museum—a now popular procedure—and the museum uses its immense space well. Each artist in its permanent collection has a dedicated, carefully designed room for his or her artwork. All of Dia:Beacon’s works are contemporary, and most of them are highly conceptual in nature. Fans of this sort of art will delight in the museum’s massive collection and gorgeous, naturally lit rooms. Those who are bored by minimalism and extreme abstraction, however, might want to stay away—quite a number of the pieces are visually little more than geometric arrangements of colors. There are more aesthetically complicated works, such as John Chamberlain’s crushed-automobile-part sculptures or Dan Flavin’s fluorescent tube-light installations, but these are still designed to be appreciated on a more conceptual basis.
—Stefan Countryman

CU apparell to stock up on

With temperatures steadily dropping and the ever-present possibility of freak fall snowstorms, many Columbians find themselves in need of a few extra layers. Columbia-themed apparel, which ranges from socks to mittens to the classic hoodie, helps students stay warm, fashionable, and school-spirited—the triple threat of wintertime collegiate style.

Brooks Brothers Columbia University Sweater
Available in a navy blue merino V-neck or charcoal gray lambs’ wool crewneck, this classic example of preppy Ivy League style is part of Brooks Brothers’ new Collegiate Collection. At $109.50, it may be pricey, but its high-quality material and understated style make this sweater a great investment piece. For guys who know that it doesn’t take a massive logo to show school spirit, the blue-and-white “C” positioned over the wearer’s heart will do just fine. Although Columbia Bookstore lacks its own Brooks Brothers outpost, the nearest location of the menswear empire is only a short subway ride away, at Broadway and 65th Street.

Alta Gracia Hoodie
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This classic cotton-polyester sweatshirt proves to be a tried-and-true standby of cold-weather dressing. Compared to Brooks Brothers, its $36.98 price tag is a steal. The light-blue Columbia insignia emblazoned across the chest serves as a simple, no-frills demonstration of school pride. Perfect for layering over various CU T-shirts, the hoodie, paired with Columbia sweatpants, completes the classic roll-out-of-bed-and-into-that-nine-a.m.-lecture look. It’s also conveniently available at the campus bookstore.

Columbia Lions Merge Left Rugby Knit Gloves
The name may be a mouthful, but these gloves are a simple accessory for Lions looking to get creative with their school-spirited attire. Striped with blue and gray and embroidered with Columbia’s initials, they are available for $16.98.

Under Armour Heat Gear Catalyst Training T-Shirt
Dropping temperatures mean moving workouts indoors, and Columbia has plenty of options for the fitness-minded students making the daily trek to Dodge. This shirt from noted athletic-wear brand Under Armour gives gym rats a choice between black and gray varieties and sports Columbia’s name, founding date, and signature crown along with the Under Armour logo. It’s even eco-friendly, made from 100 percent recycled fabric. Those looking to hit the track, elliptical, or weights can find the shirt at the bookstore for $34.98.
—Alison Herman

Top 12 Going Out Songs

1) “Otis”—Watch The Throne (Jay-Z and Kanye West). This is what happens when two of the biggest names in hip-hop collaborate—and the smooth soul stylings of the legendary Otis Redding are thrown in.
2) “Around The Bend”—The Asteroids Galaxy Tour. A great pop song with an insanely catchy chorus by a couple of Danes.
3) “Hey Ma”—Cam’Ron. Killa Cam can always be depended on to get the party going. This one sounds as good today as it did in middle school.
4) “Praise You”—Fatboy Slim. This song (and Spike Jonze’s guerrilla-style video) will always be cool.
5) “Hello”—Martin Solveig & Dragonette. It's extremely overplayed, but some never get sick of hearing it.
6) “Murder She Wrote”—Chaka Demus & Pliers. There’s nothing like a little reggae to give a pregame some tropical flavor.
7) “No Sleep”—Wiz Khalifa. For those who aren’t the biggest Wiz fans, this song is one of the best off “Rolling Papers.” The chorus makes listeners crave the weekend.
80 “Shutterbug”—Big Boi. Big Boi lays down some heavy funk with his quick rhyming, spanning the genres of electro, rock, and hip-hop.
9) “All My Friends”—LCD Soundsystem. Amazing retrospective about being young and having a whole life ahead of you. This one makes students want to grab all their friends and seize the night.
10) “Fantasy”—Mariah Carey. It’s always good to still hear this one play. An oldie but a goodie.
11) “Gold Digger (Diplo Remix)”—Diplo. Diplo edited the chorus to sound like Ray Charles.
12) “Rockin’ Robin”—Bobby Day. Dig up this one-hit wonder to really rock the night.
—Claire Stern

Drinking games, Columbia style

Guess the CU Celebrity Heads
Inspired by a pivotal scene in “Inglourious Basterds,” this name-that-celebrity game is made even more fun with the inclusion of figures close to every Columbian’s heart. Distribute pieces of paper, face down with the name of a Columbia famous face. Names can range from the classic—Alma Mater, Alexander Hamilton, or Roar-ee—to the current—Sir Mike, security guard and R&B recording artist, or Hallelujah Man.

Participants choose a paper at random, and without looking at the name, place it on their foreheads. Each person is awarded 20 yes-or-no questions to determine who they represent. During each turn, the person in the hot seat asks a yes-or-no question. If the answer is yes, everyone drinks. If the answer is no, just the questioner drinks, and the next person asks a question about his or her “celebrity head.” The first person to find whether they are Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Kelly Killoren Bensimon wins bragging rights as the rest of the players finish their drinks.

Spot CU
A film/TV drinking game that fuses two student loves—obnoxiously pointing out “Oh, that’s my school!” and imbibing alcohol. Take a drink every time Columbia or Morningside Heights is shown on screen. Take two drinks if the characters refer to Columbia or Barnard. Take three drinks if Columbia is referred to as a different university or location—for instance, Havemeyer 309 is made out to be a Wellesley classroom in “Mona Lisa Smile.” Also take three drinks if a different location is referred to as Columbia—Ted Mosby’s LA soundstage doubles as a Columbia architecture classroom in certain episodes of “How I Met Your Mother.”
—Maricela Gonzalez

Drink in CU spirit

Slip on a winter jacket of the liquid variety with one of these Columbia-esque drinks.

1) Blue Lion
1 1/2 oz. white rum
1 oz. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. grenadine
2 dashes bitters
1 tsp. powdered sugar
dash of blue food coloring

2) Nuclear Blue Shooter
1 oz. Blue Curacao
1 oz. Malibu Rum
1 oz. vodka

3) Butler-Bound
1 oz. 5-Hour Energy
1 Red Bull
—Allison Malecha

Best of a night in

When the usual drinking games have been played ad nauseam, MetroCards have been depleted to mere cents, and the weather gods have conspired to ruin all plans that involve travel, students find themselves stuck at home. But sober nights in aren’t the end of the world. They can result in some of the best memories when looking back on carefree college life.

Stave off boredom with board games
While board games may seem so 1998, revisit the ones that made or broke elementary school friendships. If The Game of Life could waste away the hours of third graders, it can still waste those of third-year college students. Other addictive games include the medieval-themed Settlers of Catan, anti-Occupy Wall Street Monopoly, and the overwhelming Uno variation, Uno Attack. For another trip down memory lane, mooch off someone’s gaming console to play Mario Party, Mario Kart, or another multiplayer game to see who can still remember their expert controller skills.

Watch a movie, or two, or three
Evade homework guilt by setting up a movie marathon. Go through all six Star Wars films in chronological order to determine if they hold up as a six-episode saga. Reminisce on childhood while watching Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson grow up through the eight Harry Potters. Popcorn and candy are necessary to stay strong—and awake—during this endurance challenge.

Sporcle and other Internet treats
As communal as it is, the Internet can often be isolating. Enjoy the delights and quirks of StumbleUpon, YouTube, and other sites to share the rare treasures the Internet holds. Collaborate on an especially difficult Sporcle quiz—the Disney song lyrics challenges prove to be harder than one would imagine—and discover how much useless knowledge clouds students’ exam-addled minds.

Potluck dinner
These meals aren’t just for residents of Potluck House. Celebrate a pre-Thanksgiving dinner with friends while secretly judging their culinary ability. Split dishes according to the resources and competence of each person—don’t stick the roasted chicken on the guy whose best culinary move is pressing the button on the microwave. For a creative twist, use only what’s readily available without making a trip outside the comforts of the dorm.
—Maricela Gonzalez