Posts by Jesse Hartheimer

Tonight, starting at 6:00 PM and ending at 6:00 AM, over 800 volunteers will be in the OMAC, fighting for the cure. Relay For Life first began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, walked and ran around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, one man’s determination to battle cancer has become the world’s largest crusade against the disease, with over 3.5 million American participants each year, as well as thousands of others from communities in 20 different countries across the globe. (It’s the largest fundraising event ever.) [Read more →]

If you still have that gripping urge to ask Ashley, battle Reptar, or drink orange soda (I do, I do, I do, I do-oo), then we have some good news and some bad news for you.

The Good News:

After previous speculation that Nickelodeon would bring back the classics, we now have confirmation that this rumor is true. Our favorite childhood shows will soon premiere on TeenNick after midnight in their original glory. Though the exact shows haven’t been confirmed yet, some of the top contenders include The Rugrats, All That, Kenan and Kel, The Amanda Show, and Pete & Pete, among others.

The Bad News:

Brown IPTV does not have Nickelodeon! Of the eight “Entertainment” channels, we have BET, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, TBS, TNT, USA, FX, and CW—but no Nick! Cartoon Network gets the green light, but lonely old Nick doesn’t? Blasphemy. Every child of the ’90s knows that Cartoon Network is inferior to Nickelodeon. If (classic) Nickelodeon were Kim Kardashian, Cartoon Network would be Khloé. If Nick were Vince, CT would be Drama. Nick = Batman, CT = Robin. Point landed.

All we can do in this cartoon quandary is stay hopeful. Perhaps one day we will have the opportunity to re-watch those timeless episodes on our own IPTV. Until that time, however, we must learn to manage.

Tired of scrolling through the endless announcements of Brown Morning Mail? Looking for a better place to find out what’s happening on College Hill?  Well, Grant Gurtin ‘13, a San Diego native and the creator of the upcoming BrownU.me, may have a solution for you. His website, which launches this Wednesday at 8:00pm, hopes to become the cozy and reliable home(page) for Brown and RISD students. Read the exclusive interview with Grant after the jump! [Read more →]

It has been an exciting few weeks for colleges across the country, to say the least. Temperatures are rising, spring break is upon us, and  March Madness is basically here. Here are just a few stories to remind you of some recent strange–dare I say ridiculous–events in higher education:

If you are unaware of what’s been happening with Charlie Sheen recently, then just leave now. Charlie Sheen’s influence has inspired people all over our country to try to understand what really matters in life. His many words have been so inspirational that even some GW students want him as their commencement speaker. This GW Facebook page (with over 1,500 “likes”) implores Mr. Sheen to attend GW’s graduation. Other sites have followed, and even our very own Diddy tweeted at him. No one knows what the future hold for Sheen, though we must trust that it will be nothing less than epic.

Not in Providence, but in Provo, Utah, Brandon Davies, one of Brigham Young University’s finest basketball players, was suspended for having premarital sex (#sinning). According to BYU’s honor code, students are required to “live a chaste and virtuous life,” a rule which Davies apparently violated simply for attending sexction. The question remains: how did they find out about Davies’ sexual endeavors? [Read more →]

Attention all college applicants! It appears that your nightmare has come true. According to a recent Kaplan survey of admissions offices, more than 80 percent of college admissions officers consider an applicant’s social media presence. In short, your Facebook is under scrutiny. The degree to which your Facebook profile really influences your admission chances, however, varies per school and per officer. See what a Brown admission officer has to say and read up on precautionary steps to take all after the jump! [Read more →]

It has happened to all of us. Lying in bed—can’t sleep. Not even a late night Hulu session can do the trick. It’s time to nip this problem in the bud. Here are some healthy ways to get the well-deserved sleep you need:

1. Exercise more. It wouldn’t kill you to take off those sweatpants you’ve been wearing since Presidents Day weekend and head over to the OMAC.
2. Don’t nap. It will likely make you less tired come bedtime.
3. Avoid doing work on or in your bed. You want your bed to be a soporific sanctuary, not a worry ward.
4. Steer clear of caffeine (and other stimulants) after the sun sets.
5. Try to maintain a regular sleep pattern. Going to bed around the same time every night can help normalize your biological clock.
6. Stop stressing about it! Worrying about insomnia can make it worse. Put sleep on the back burner and focus on other things.
7. Avoid bright lights when approaching bedtime. Light late at night can trick your body into thinking it is daytime.
8. Get off before you doze off. Take a page out of Marvin Gaye’s book and try some Sexual Healing.
9. Meditate before bed. It will calm your nervous system and clear your head.
10. Melatonin. This naturally occurring hormone is secreted by your pineal gland and can be taken over the counter to treat insomnia.

And of course there are the less healthy methods:

1. Alcohol. From a glass of red wine to the SciLi Challenge, alcohol can help get the job done. While it might help you pass out fall into a slumber more easily, BEWARE, because too much of it will reduce the quality of your sleep.
2. Marijuana. Mary Jane is probably good at tucking you in, but her continual use before bed may cause an unhealthy dependency.
3. The Owen Wilson method. It’s quick, effective, and kind of scary.

For many people here in the 21^st century, Twitter is not a just a means of broadcasting personal tidbits, but rather a stage on which to entertain and amuse.  While this blog uses its Twitter for posting updates, others take alternate routes.  A popular route to take is the route of girl problems. This recent fad takes a certain demographic or category of girls and pokes fun at their ridiculous lifestyles (via Twitter). However, as you will find out after the jump, they are all apples from the same tree. [Read more →]

Mariya Petkova (‘09), a graduate of the IR program at Brown, works as a journalist in Egypt covering the events there for the local and Bulgarian media. Since January 25, she has been documenting her personal account of the events in Egypt on her blog, A Bulgarian in Egypt.

Her inspiring blog features illuminating photos (like the one shown above), personal interactions with Egyptian citizens, commentary on the political situation in Egypt, and much more. In one poignant post, Petkova describes, in full gruesome detail, her arrest and detainment by Egyptian authorities:

“…Next they brought in 6 blindfolded arrestees that looked particularly poor and destitute. They made them kneel down facing the wall which was already bloody from previous beatings. The officers started mocking them and eventually one grabbed an army knife and started beating them with it on the head and back. They were kicking them so hard that the arrestees would hit their heads in the wall….”

It is a true understatement to say that Mariya is brave in her journalistic endeavors in Egypt. Her inspirational work reminds us here at Brown that there is much more to a Brown education than simply an Ivy League degree. Rather, our experiences here should embolden us to go out and have a positive impact on the world, as Mariya is doing currently.

It’s been decided, Zach and Tila, if forced to drop a nuclear bomb on one state, would screw over good old Rhode Island (while friend-ly Jennifer Aniston would kill us all). This episode of Between Two Ferns features two very different but famous guests, Tila and Jennifer. If you need a study break or just want a good laugh, enjoy the ingeniously awkward workings of host Zach Galifianakis (especially when he rags on RI at minute 2:45).

From taking exams to taking shots, from attending section to having sexction, from smoking Buddha to learning about Buddha, college is defined by a variety of experiences. Whether you know it or not, all of these experiences affect your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This new series hopes to explore and discuss the psychology behind phenomena you might otherwise overlook. Item one on the menu is the depressive nature of Facebook:

Let’s be real. When was the last time you were stalking that person’s Facebook whom you secretly admire (be patient, Valentines Day is near!) and found yourself thinking, “Wow. This person has a lot of friends and seems to be having an inordinate amount of fun in every one of his/her photos.”

According to a recent article in Slate Magazine, Facebook may be, in fact, making us feel crummy. And seeing as depression is on the rise in college students, is it possible that Facebook is to blame? [Read more →]