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Reading Period is a stressful time, no doubt. And for many of us, the weather can be an auspicious (at least for a few days, until it really hits us how gravely we need to hit the books) soporific. One thing I love about Brown, though, is that—assuming you are awake and willing to walk around campus—there are so many things that accent Reading Period with positivity. Candy Land, free pizza in the Rock and SciLi, Gingerbread S’mores in the Blue Room, and—dare I say—the Naked Donut Run are some good examples. While these four events involve food as we know it, there are other kinds of nourishment—there is indeed musical sustenance, food for the soul, “good vibes.”

Tonight, the Midnight Organ Concert‘s has us covered in this department. In Sayles Hall, you can enjoy the dulcet sounds of fourteen of Brown’s finest a cappella groups—The Higher Keys, Alef Beats, ARRR!!!, Bear Necessities, Brown’s Tones, Chattertocks, Derbies, Disney A Cappella, Harmonic Motion, Jabberwocks, Madrigals, Shades of Brown, Ursa Minors, and Wubappella—as well as those of student organist Joseph Cadabes. Doors will open for admission at 11:30. As the Facebook page advises, “Grab a blanket, a pillow and a friend or LOVER” and get ready for that ethereal musical experience you’ve been waiting for all semester.

Image via. 

The onset of finals means the return of a semesterly tradition: Pizza Nite at the SciLi and Rock.

For those of you who are freshmen, or just haven’t experienced it before, Pizza Nite is a semesterly event sponsored by Campus Life and the University Library featuring tons of free pizza as well as apples, cookies, and other snacks.

At its core, Pizza Nite isn’t really that special. It’s just a free pizza event, like the many others on campus. But it distinguishes itself in two ways:

1) The sheer volume of pizza. Several semesters ago, the total stood at 90 pizzas for the SciLi and 80 for the Rock — a little bit more than your typical free pizza shenanigans (and minus having to pretend to care about the student group or lecture that’s serving it).

2) The spectacle. Mainly due to #1, Pizza Nite usually attracts a pretty large crowd. And often the Madrigals singing carols.

It’s happening tonight in the Rock lobby and tomorrow night in the SciLi basement, both at 9 p.m. We’ll see you there!

This time of year is hard for everybody. Some are drowning in work, others are stressed about jobs; some are worried about getting through their holiday gift lists in time, others are worried about surviving the winter weather. We get it: everybody has something. And we all have different ways of coping with it. But one thing is unforgivable; one thing, we will not let you get away with: hogging up the precious sitting area that is a Blue Room booth.

The Blue Room is the epicenter of campus. It’s ideal for meeting up with people, for carbo-loading before a long night at the Rock, and for running into people you have been avoiding haven’t seen all semester. But somewhere between the social butterflies and the enticing aroma of muffins, people forget basic etiquette. I could go on about messy tables, huge crowds around a four-seat table, and the 4 p.m. dinner rush—but I’m fighting a different battle.  [Read more →]

Whether you were kickin’ in the front seat or sittin’ in the backseat, I’m sure you remember exactly where you were when Rebecca Black’s “Friday” became the song of the decade week back in 2011. But in her iconic song, Rebecca leaves us with a cliffhanger: “Today i-is Friday… Tomorrow is Saturday.” If you’ve spent every day for the past two and a half years wondering what her Saturday was like, as I have, the suspense is finally over: Rebecca released her new music video, “Saturday,” on Saturday, December 7^th. It has racked up 12 million views in three days, and it’s every bit as fun, fun, fun, fun as I could have imagined. [Read more →]

It is that dreaded time of the year again. No, I’m not talking about the winter, though that’s pretty awful too. I meant it’s finals period. The time of exams, papers and projects worth a gargantuan portion of your grade. While you might be sleep deprived or stressed (or most probably both), I have some good news for you — a new secret study space. This study space might at first look like a futuristic hermit cell. “That seems extremely uncomfortable,” you might think. You’re right, it is a bit cramped in there. However, the distinct advantage of this austere design is that you will never fall asleep while studying. Further, a small personal lamp has been provided to ensure that there’s enough light. There are also several power outlets, something which can’t be said of other spots on campus. Finally this study spot is a bit far from campus, though still within walking distance, an optimum combination that ensures you can get there, but the crowds probably won’t.

As for this academic nook’s location, let me give you a hint: the (ahem) design is rather radical isn’t it?

Table manners aren’t just for stuffy family functions. There is a proper etiquette to Brown dining, and the dining en masse nature of campus eateries doesn’t exempt you from basic table manners. Here are the three cardinal rules of on-campus dining:

DO NOT (excuse the caps) LEAVE THE TABLE MESSY WHEN YOU LEAVE.

The most common instance of this egregious behavior is at Jo’s. It’s understandable why people would leave the tables messy at Jo’s right around closing time on weekends. You’re blackout, and when the lights start flickering at 1:55 a.m., they trigger a zombie-like response within you: “mustt leavee jooos eattt brainnnss.” In fact, you don’t even know whether someone is switching the light on and off or if you’re just about to lose consciousness. This confusion may lead to you abandon your table and thus throw your table manners out the window. As the wise sage R. Kelly once said, “[you're] like ‘so what [you're] drunk.’”

However, there’s really no excuse to leave a Jo’s table messy at any other time. [Read more →]

Scenario: You find yourself at a house party, and your intrigue is piqued by an unfamiliar collegian across the room, wearing a paint-splattered t-shirt emblazoned with the RISD seal. It’s a classic conundrum: two kids from the opposite sides of town, searching for some common ground. You could initiate conversation with age-old ice breakers—”are your calves so defined from walking up the Hill every day?” or, “is it true that you have 8-hour-long studio classes?!” But why not distinguish yourself as the burgeoning free-thinker you are, and discuss the many artists who walked these streets before you did? Maybe you won’t run into any new RISD kids this semester (they won’t be seeing much daylight as they prepare for their impending final critiques), but why not go home for break and impress your mom with these fun facts about artistic beginnings on College Hill? After all, you live in Providence, the self-proclaimed creative capital of the US, and college has transformed you into a learned sophisticate!

Here is your cheat sheet of some eccentric and accomplished artists who have graced the College Hill grounds currently beneath your feet, after the jump:

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‘Twas the night before Christmas…and your wishlist sucked. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you this year, we put together a list of the 25 most practical (?) Christmas wishes of all time. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, it’s okay. Only one of us does anyway.

Stuff yo’ stocking.

1. Mandatory study guides for finals

Remember study guides? We don’t. The key to everyone passing high school has been stripped by many of our professors. Please bring them back. Please.

2. An actual idea of what is going on in the world

Yeah, we’re Brown students. We’re socially aware or whatever. We dabble in the New York Times. But life on College Hill can be so consuming that it’s easy to forget that the real world exists. Well, it does. [Read more →]

Unfortunately, December 1st has come and gone, which means two things: 1) the semester is ending soon, and everyone is entering finals mode, and 2) winter is coming winter has officially begun.

To be clear, winter weather has been present for some time, but now calendar-wise there’s no space to claim it’s still ‘fall’ and go about wearing shorts. There’s something about college— the lack of mothers around, probably—that makes people think it’s okay to wear flip-flops in 30 degree weather. It’s not. And we’re going to call you out on it (and other things that are no longer acceptable now that the temperature has dropped.) Here’s a FlogDailyHerald for all you cold weather fiends:

1. Shorts. Unless you’re going to the gym, are coming back from the gym, or are some sort of yeti, there is no reason to be walking around campus barelegged. (Also, I sort of think it’s not even that okay to wear shorts outside for gym-reasons; just change when you get there…) In the same vein, the female-presenting folk that walk around in shorts/skirts without tights: what are you trying to PROVE? Goosebumps flatter no one.

2. Open-toed shoes/shoes that don’t require socks. We love sandals as much as the next sartorially conscious phe, but spring/summer have come and gone. Let’s close that chapter until March April May. We promise that allowing your toes to bask in sunshine will be much more satisfying when they’re no risk for frostbite. [Insert joke about getting cold feet about your planned outfit here. Ha!]  [Read more →]

Earlier this week, we presented our first annual Senior Superlatives. You nominated seniors across 30 different categories. Your job now? Vote for one of the top five nominees in each category.

Everyone—freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, professors, their pets, your parents (well, maybe not your parents)—is eligible to vote.  Vote now (after the jump) or forever hold your peace. Voting will close Monday, December 9 at 11:59 p.m.

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