Meet the Butlerian Smokers

They’re more than just students who loiter; They’re best buds.

All photos courtesy of the author

Who are the smokers loitering outside Butler Library?

Since arriving to Columbia, I’ve passed by them each day on my way into Butler. They sport long, dark coats, stylish scarves, and hold a relaxed posture. Beyond their distinct aesthetics, I’ve long been interested in a more poignant observation: the fact that cigarette breaks feel more deep, unique, and intriguing than simply leaving Butler for some fresh air.

To better understand the smoker community of Butler Library, I took matters into my own hands. On a crisp early autumn evening I camped outside Butler, waiting for a crew of smokers to arrive. After about 20 minutes, a group arrived, and I went up to them and asked for a cigarette. They immediately said yes, and all of a sudden, I too was a Butlerian smoker. Here’s what I learned.

Most Butlerian smokers are of international origin. They are European, Arab, Asian, and African. While international students comprise just 16 percent of undergraduate students, they seemed to make up a large portion of the Butlerian smokers. While there are American smokers whom I met outside Butler, they take on a completely different aura: They have an international vibe, and many of them have lived or been schooled internationally at some point. It seems that smoking in front of Butler encourages an “European attitude” where one could take a step back and relax without worrying about your work while the cigarette is still burning.

The stories of two smokers I spoke with stood out to me. Bruce CC ’27, studying economics, and Nicholas CC ‘26, studying political science. They both picked up smoking as a “healthy habit” fostered by their home cultures. When I asked them, “Do you think smoking is healthy?”, both students didn’t hesitate with their response: “Yes!”.

But healthy for what? Their bodies? Or something else less obvious to the average Columbian?

The more time I spent with the smokers, the more I realized that their culture is not about smoking itself, but rather, everything else that comes with the practice. For these students, smoking a cigarette outside the library is deeper than simply lighting up. As they described to me, smoking is a way to take a conscious break from studying that lasts a known amount of time. The cigarette encourages them to have full conversations with fellow smokers, which can’t be easily abandoned halfway through for one simple reason: the cigarette isn’t finished.

Sharing a cigarette with a fellow smoker is a small commitment. All smokers in a given Butlerian smoking circle declare their presence in the conversation the moment they light up. The idea is as follows: we are here, we are smoking, and most importantly, we are sharing a moment together.

It came to my attention that this isn’t always the case when students have conversations outside Butler without cigarettes. You’re more than welcome to leave whenever you want, scroll on your phone, or take a walk, leaving the conversation unfinished.

Nicholas told me that his conversation topics are “hard to explain but definitely shit that would make Diogenes proud.” The smokers most often discuss topics such as philosophy, spirituality, and politics. They also debate issues relating to their community, such as hyper Gen-Z terms like “drip,” “aura,” “the cigarette economy,” and, as it came to my attention, the ethics of psychedelic drugs.

In regard to the cigarette economy outside Butler, Nicholas told me, “It’s lovely. Bumming cigarettes is a nice excuse to talk to whoever you want.” According to him, this economy is currently in poor condition. Nowadays, very few students carry packs of cigarettes with them—of the small Butlerian smoker community that does exist, many roll their own cigarettes. When asked if Zyns—nicotine pouches that consumers nestle in between their gums and lips—pose a threat to this economy, Bruce answered, “They do not. We smoke with Zyns in.”

Regardless of how well this “economy” is doing, I learned that bumming cigarettes has been a part of the Butlerian smoking culture for decades. It forces the Butlerians to take a leap of faith and face the chance of experiencing rejection. Often, there are no cigarettes available to bum.

Yet as the smokers explained to me, that’s acceptable, because they are some of the best people at dealing with rejection. To them, pushing themselves out of their comfort zones can provide an adrenaline rush, even if it was nicotine they were hoping for. This is how Bruce, Nicholas, and so many other smokers make new friendships during their time at Columbia.

I also became curious as to why Butler is seemingly the place to smoke on campus.

“No one ever thought of this before, and you better not be the first one to do so,” Bruce said.

Yet, as any Sundilian would, I went against his wishes and pondered this question. There are very few places on Columbia’s campus where socialization requires such little effort. To become part of the Butlerian smoker community, you don’t need to text a friend where and when to meet up; You simply show up. Without fail, if you’re patient enough, a Butlerian will arrive in time, and they will immerse you in their culture of hospitality.

When discussing the culture of library smoking, there is one category of people that must not go unmentioned: Performative smokers. The folks who smoke to portray an aesthetic that they hope others will perceive. One of the most overwhelming qualities I gathered from the—real—Butlerian smokers was as follows: They don’t care who’s watching.

Interestingly, I also learned about the foil of the Butlerians: They call them “closeted smokers”—the students who fear that if they admit they smoke, their addiction becomes real. So every day, these closeted smokers bum a cumulative half a pack of cigarettes and help foster the culture outside Butler (often with their hoods up and even occasionally with sunglasses on), but are too scared to reveal themselves.

According to the Butlerians, the biggest issue they face is Columbia’s continued apprehension towards the community. On October 21, 2024, Columbia held a town hall meeting where a resolution to ban smoking tobacco on campus was debated among the attendees. The resolution failed. The Butlerian smokers wanted to protest before the vote, which was supposed to take place at the Sundial. But the protest failed. “We were too lazy to protest at the Sundial, so we ended up smoking in front of Butler instead,” Nicholas told me.

Studying may happen inside Butler, but as I learned from my smoking adventure, culture is fostered right outside its steps. Butler’s steps create an environment for smoking, conversation, and relaxation, which—in the view of the smokers—helps them become better academics, artists, and thinkers. While stressed-out students inside are studying science, politics, and philosophy, the Butlerians are hard at work reaching and pushing beyond the frontiers of these domains, all while smoking and cracking jokes.

Smoking might not be good for our lungs. But many forget that stress also slowly kills people. Many will find it controversial, but this is something the Butlerians have never shied away from. While they don’t encourage anyone to begin smoking a pack a day, conversations, intellectual discourse, and fascinating stories are shared each evening among the smokers outside Butler. If you’re ever curious to take a break in a new way, or challenge what you thought to be true about the world or yourself, just know this: With a cigarette, a lighter, and open minds, the Butlerians will be waiting for you.

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Mr. Galbenus is a sophomore at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science studying mechanical engineering. He is a staff writer and photographer for Sundial.