Posts by Jenny Bloom

Dear Deferred ED Applicant,

Allow me to put words to your feelings.  You feel like you’ve been punched in the stomach.  Rather than feeling angry or upset, you’re merely resentful.  You poured your heart and brain onto a page, committed yourself to a school and the image of four years in Providence, among the antiestablishment youth and the trustafarians.  You waited patiently for 6 weeks, perhaps checking your account before the admissions date in the hopes that some large-scale computer glitch released decisions and you would be the primary beneficiary of a university oversight.  The moment of truth came and, alas, no decision. You don’t know if you should be upset or happy you weren’t openly rejected. Rather than make a decision on you, one not unlike a choice you recently made, the University has decided to continue your wait for five months.

I’ve been there. I like to joke that the wounds are still raw four years later. Questions and decisions start running through your head, primarily whether or not Brown is still your first choice.  Should you stick it to the administration for not seeing your inherent amazingness? Give them the figurative middle finger for their ambivalence and reluctance to welcome you with open arms? Don’t. [Read more →]

Until the class of 2012 up and leaves us, BlogDH wants to highlight all the interesting things the class has been up to. Each featured senior will tag another senior for the next installment. Find this year’s other “Last Call” chain here.

Then + Now

People might know me as… People definitely know me as a Sigma Chi bro. I think (really hope) that people who get to know me find there is a different side to me, but Sigma is a label that I carry with me.

Gabe’s Question: What’s your go-to meal on College Hill? One of my favorite things about Providence is the food, so this is a tough question, Gabe. Undoubtedly though, my go-to meal is Haruki Express. In fact, it is possible that I single-handedly have put the Haruki children through college because I go there so often. “Ruks,” as my friends and I affectionately call it, is a good, quick meal that is consistent. After seeing Jiro Dreams of Sushi last week at the Avon, I was reminded that Haruki may not be a world-class eating establishment, but I love what it brings to the table nonetheless.

What is the greatest lesson you learned through your time in Sigma Chi? I mastered the skill of wearing pastel colors and backward hats… But seriously, I learned a lot about conflict resolution and how to work with others. Any time you are part of an organization of more than 100 people, differences of opinions are going to come up. Learning how to talk through those successfully was a big lesson for me to hold onto when moving forward. [Read more →]

As the semester progresses at the speed of light, the senior class is beginning to make peace with that fateful day in May: Commencement. Until the class of 2012 up and leaves us, BlogDH wants to highlight all the interesting things the class has been up to. To this end, we are (re)starting a series, Last Call, featuring seniors reflecting on their experiences at Brown. Each featured senior will tag another senior for the next installment. Find this year’s other “Last Call” chain here.

Then + Now

People might know me as… the dude interviewing a Red Sox player in those posters in front of the treadmills in the Keeney and Pembroke gyms.

Mark’s Question: A day with Ruth Simmons, what do you do? I’m just gonna go ahead and assume that Ruth has her own private jet, and then, in no particular order: hit up a theme park, check out Mount Rushmore, play H.O.R.S.E. with her and Obama, go scuba diving, catch up on all the Corporation gossip, and make it back in time to watch the sunset from Prospect Park.

You were GM of WBRU, a student-run radio station. What was the coolest part of your job? I feel like not many Brown students really know too much about WBRU, so I’ll just do a brief overview first. We’re a student-run, independent commercial radio station that is completely funded by revenue received from advertisements, which are sold by a full-time professional sales team. Only students are allowed on the air, but we have eight professional employees who help us with various functions, including an engineer, accountant, and Program Director. We have about 250,000 listeners across Southern New England and a multi-million dollar budget. Along with the student Station Manager, Max Ashby, I was responsible for overseeing the entire operation, including the student and professional staffs.

I really can’t even begin to describe all the incredible opportunities BRU affords its student volunteers, but I’d strongly encourage you to read about a few of them here. Everyone who contributed to that list had an “aha moment,” in which they said to themselves, “How the hell am I allowed to be doing this right now?” I had my share of those moments, from interviewing my hero, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, to conceiving, planning, and MCing WBRU’s 75^th anniversary celebration last year, in which I got to accept a certificate from Mayor Taveras on behalf of the station. All that aside, I’d still have to say that the coolest part of being GM was witnessing and occasionally facilitating moments like those for so many BRU students (and listeners) and getting to watch their faces as they met their own childhood idols. That never gets old.

What is the hardest part of your job? I don’t think any 20 year old can possibly be prepared for the responsibility of overseeing an organization on the scale of BRU, let alone while simultaneously trying to be a full-time student. [Read more →]

As the semester progresses at the speed of light, the senior class is beginning to make peace with that fateful day in May: Commencement. Until the class of 2012 up and leaves us, BlogDH wants to highlight all the interesting things the class has been up to. To this end, we are (re)starting a series, Last Call, featuring seniors reflecting on their experiences at Brown. Each featured senior will tag another senior for the next installment. Find this year’s other “Last Call” chain here.

Then + Now

People might know me as…  Google girl, “Cookie” (I bake a lot…), the girl who marketed an underwear start-up, an ex-field hockey player (“squib”)

Sami’s Question: If you could design a “Caitlin Theme” for the Google homepage logo, what would it look like? A mix of sparkles, sprinkles, cookies, soccer balls, charcoal drawings, pretty shoes, outdoorsy fun, NY pizza, with an interactive playlist of Rihanna and Dev. Actually, can you ask me again in 30 years? I think I might have a more streamlined idea then.

Sami’s (second) Question: Can you please share your cookie recipe with us? I don’t bake and tell… but you can come over for cookies any time!!

Greatest lesson you learned from your college field hockey experience? Wear serious sunscreen during preseason, unless you feel like guaranteeing yourself a frightful tank tan line and wardrobe options of nothing but crew necks all of fall semester. On a more serious note: It is what it is, but it is what you make it. Some situations aren’t going to be ideal. There will be exhilarating highs and discouraging lows. You may not always be able to control the outcome, but you can always control your mindset. [Read more →]

Then + Now

People might know me as… the girl with the bright orange bag; that girl with the loud laugh that carries through quiet spaces; or this semester’s editor-in-chief of BlogDailyHerald.

I never thought the most interesting people I would meet in my senior year would be fresh through the Gates. Freshmen. People who were really just kids; who had never known Fish Co., Liquid, the old Blue Room, or life before pizza-in-a-cone. But they kept me from putting my foot out the door too soon, reminded me how far I had come and how far they had to go before leaving. I have tried to give first-years advice so they can find their own paths without getting discouraged, scared or close-minded. (I’m not a Meiklejohn, but I’ve indulged myself with the title of “Meikle-jen.”) Their outlooks, their fearlessness and their enormous hearts have awed me many times over. As I have tried to teach them what I know, they have taught me so much more. This is dedicated to my first-year biddies — always keep reaching higher and wider, but make sure that whatever your achievements are, they bring a smile to your face. If they don’t, you missed something.
[Read more →]

As the semester progresses at the speed of light, the senior class is beginning to make peace with that fateful day in May: Commencement. Until the class of 2012 up and leaves us, BlogDH wants to highlight all the interesting things the class has been up to. To this end, we are (re)starting a series, Last Call, featuring seniors reflecting on their experiences at Brown. Each featured senior will tag another senior for the next installment. Find this year’s other “Last Call” chain here.

Then + Now

People might know me as… a coordinator of Brown Science Prep or that creepy Neuro dude with a beard that already somehow knows too much about you.

Ralanda’s Question: Brown Bares, Spotted at Brown or Brown FML? Is this even a question? Brown Bares, hands down. Expression at its finest. Although I guess Brown FML is a great source for first world problems.

How did you get involved with SciencePrep? I’ve always enjoyed science and teaching, so I decided to join BSP freshman year. Junior year, I became a coordinator of the program because I loved it so much. It’s been a phenomenal experience. Probably my most rewarding one at Brown. There is something extremely beautiful in seeing a student finally grasp an idea, that “Aha!” moment, and this realization that comes with it: “Yes, I can do this. I am capable of something.” Honestly, I love the idea of mentoring, not necessarily teaching facts, but rather empowering people and making them realize we’re on the same level. I don’t treat the high schoolers like students, but rather friends. And this is powerful. People don’t realize the huge impact you can have with words; a simple friendly conversation telling someone they are capable of anything really is enough to make a difference. I have a potential within me to create — to tell a story — and you have that same potential. If I want anything out of this life, it’s to make others realize this potential, discover a passion, and have fun telling their story. We should all being do this. Get out there and mentor someone.

What is your favorite experiment to do? In life or BSP? Probably mixing Mentos and coke. It’s exciting and pretty much sums up basic experimentation: What happens when I mix these two things?

Why neuroscience? I think we’re all striving to understand ourselves in one way or another. For me, science has been an incredible avenue for that. Physics and chemistry can explain the natural world — biology, the human body, amongst other things. I find it incredibly beautiful that we can ask these questions and then through simple, elegant experimentation derive answers. Neuroscience fascinates me because, in many ways, it’s the final frontier into understanding who we are. How does my brain produce a sense of self? What governs our behaviors? At the same time, I love genetics. I’m convinced genes control our behaviors. Well nature vs. nurture, you might say. But nurture is basically epigenetics (fascinating stuff, look it up, I wish I had space to explain), which relies on the underlying genetic code. I also love “genetic trickery.” That is using existing biological systems to manipulate an organism’s genome to investigate a hypothesis. We can now create “knockout” mice that lack a certain gene, and then study behavioral outcomes. I’m rambling. I chose to study neuroscience because people are strange, and I want to know why. [Read more →]

As the semester progresses at the speed of light, the senior class is beginning to make peace with that fateful day in May: Commencement. Until the class of 2012 up and leaves us, BlogDH wants to highlight all the interesting things the class has been up to. To this end, we are (re)starting a series, Last Call, featuring seniors reflecting on their experiences at Brown. Each featured senior will tag another senior for the next installment. Find this year’s other “Last Call” chain here.

Then + Now

People might know me as…The short Chattertock or that musical theatre girl who was in Spring Awakening

Chelsea’s Question: What was the most rewarding part of Spring Awakening this semester? The fact that it actually happened! It started as this crazy idea, and we had no idea if it would materialize or not. There were so many times along the way I wanted to give up and cancel the whole thing, but the cast and crew really persevered. Doing Spring Awakening taught me that with a little dedication and positive energy, you can really accomplish anything.

Chelsea’s (2nd) Question: Literally, what was the best day of your life ever? Chelsea asked this question because I’m one of those people who will consistently claim that something is “the best thing that ever happened to me” or that it is “the best day of my life.” Hyperbolic as it may be, it usually does feel that way at the time! After thinking long and hard, I’ve decided that the literal best day of my life ever was probably one of the days I spent on vacation in Paris while I was studying abroad in London. It started with beautiful April weather, pain au chocolat, and a picnic in the Tuileries Garden and ended with museums and a trip to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Although this was a wonderful day, I’d like to think that the real ‘best day of my life ever’ hasn’t happened yet (unless you count the day I sang the bungins)!

Tell us about your time recording music for Kidz Bop…I spent most of Middle School and the first few years of High School recording in the studio for Kidz Bop. I ended up singing on seven Kidz Bop CDs, including 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Halloween, and Latin (I know…Latin). It was actually a really cool experience. I was working with a lot of the kids who were either currently on Broadway or had been on Broadway in the past. I sadly got fired from the job by the time I was 15 because I sounded too old, but I’ve still retained my “Kidz Bop Shout” and will sometimes insert it into particularly energetic Chattertocks arrangements. [Read more →]

As the semester progresses at the speed of light, the senior class is beginning to make peace with that fateful day in May: Commencement. Until the class of 2012 up and leaves us, BlogDH wants to highlight all the interesting things the class has been up to. To this end, we are (re)starting a series, Last Call, featuring seniors reflecting on their experiences at Brown. Each featured senior will tag another senior for the next installment. Find this year’s other “Last Call” chain here.

Then + Now

People might know me as… captain of the rugby team, original short-haired Chattertock, Econ 11 TA

Lorena’s Question: If you got the chance to do one thing over from your Brown experience, what would it be? If I could do Brown again, I would do it with a trademark. Some people on campus are just huge characters, you know? My preliminary idea is running everywhere in moon boots, but I’d worry that the tread would wear down too quickly, so I’ll have to think on it…

You play women’s rugby. What’s the worst injury you’ve ever gotten? In March of my junior year I shattered my nose on a teammate’s/opponent’s knee/head. (Even after careful film review, it’s unclear exactly what went down). But I had my nose reconstructed and had four-inch splints sewn through my septum. It was looking great after recovery, and I even joked that the “excuse for a nose job” made my nose look better than ever. But then I broke it again in January at All-American camp and have had some minor fractures since then so now it is forever crooked.

What is something about rugby that you’d never know unless you played it? How empowering it is. Most spectators just see rugby as an 80-minute brawl, or as my dad said once, as the barbarian version of soccer. But there is something so beautiful and primal about the physicality, that someone has to physically take me down to stop me from scoring. Also, rugby is the ultimate team sport. We literally sacrifice our bodies for each other on the pitch, and that creates a bond that is truly unmatched.  [Read more →]

The audio didn’t really come through on our impromptu recording of Brown’s dance group flash mob at the campus celebration for President Simmons, so, for the full effect, play this link to Beyonce’s “End of Time” while you watch the video.