I graduated from the College in 1981 and I looked forward to Orgo Night each year. The movie "Animal House" was popular then and the bar in the basement of John Jay had toga parties. Could they remake "Animal House" today? Naw, woke snowflakes would ruin it.
I'm not sure it's possible to draw broad cultural conclusions from Orgo Night or its fate. I think the bigger story is the administrative "War on Fun," as it was called in the 2010s. A lot of people in the band were aware of the climate they were operating in and were sensitive to it; it was a group of people who wanted to push the envelope but also be good stewards of a more raucous strain of campus culture. (I was among the last poet laureates, and I can tell you that scriptwriting sessions were tough because people wanted to be funny — above all else! — but also thoughtful about the jokes' targets.) I would argue that the Columbia administration did more to stamp that out than any students or generation. The people who actually attended Orgo Night loved it.
As a two-year manager of the CUMB in the 80's, I can assure you that full scripts and the derisive and hilarious nature of the performances were in place then as well. This was not a product of the 2000s but for decades the band was performing adminstration-censored jokes from the previous fall's football season along with timely and campus cultural references and scripts. It was also a semi-annual tradition as there were two semesters of Organic Chemistry. For years, this ritual showed up as one of the more unique campus traditions in the nation and was even listed in prospective college guide books. It's a shame the administration dismantled it along with the fun antics of the Marching Band.
I graduated from the College in 1981 and I looked forward to Orgo Night each year. The movie "Animal House" was popular then and the bar in the basement of John Jay had toga parties. Could they remake "Animal House" today? Naw, woke snowflakes would ruin it.
I'm not sure it's possible to draw broad cultural conclusions from Orgo Night or its fate. I think the bigger story is the administrative "War on Fun," as it was called in the 2010s. A lot of people in the band were aware of the climate they were operating in and were sensitive to it; it was a group of people who wanted to push the envelope but also be good stewards of a more raucous strain of campus culture. (I was among the last poet laureates, and I can tell you that scriptwriting sessions were tough because people wanted to be funny — above all else! — but also thoughtful about the jokes' targets.) I would argue that the Columbia administration did more to stamp that out than any students or generation. The people who actually attended Orgo Night loved it.
As a two-year manager of the CUMB in the 80's, I can assure you that full scripts and the derisive and hilarious nature of the performances were in place then as well. This was not a product of the 2000s but for decades the band was performing adminstration-censored jokes from the previous fall's football season along with timely and campus cultural references and scripts. It was also a semi-annual tradition as there were two semesters of Organic Chemistry. For years, this ritual showed up as one of the more unique campus traditions in the nation and was even listed in prospective college guide books. It's a shame the administration dismantled it along with the fun antics of the Marching Band.