Posts by SectionEd

Battle for Change

8:00 p.m., Sayles Hall, FREE

Somehow, when I’m on campus I never manage to make it to as many concerts as I would like. Lupos is too far or  I don’t have enough money or I have two midterms due the next day… it’s a mess. Tonight, however, there can be no excuses. Battle for Change is a Fundraiser Concert for the International Humanitarian Foundation — but admission is free, and there will be free food! Not entirely sure where the fundraiser part comes it, but it’s on campus, it’s free, and it’s a Saturday night! Hell, Pawtucket Mudd, Cinnamon, Behaviors, and Ryan Lester will all be playing.

Purim at Hillel

This is actually THREE different events in one, which is THREE times as exciting. At 6:30 p.m., there will be a Tzedakh auction for charity and skits. At 7:30 p.m., Purim Peggplant (wha?) Parmesan dinner. And, from 9:30 p.m.–1:00 a.m., a party at Two Jerks Pub with free buses running from Faunce. Get your Purim on!

Transparent: the party

9:30 p.m.–4:30 a.m. 116 Waterman street, $1 drinks

Tonight, the Open the Books! Coalition is expressing “outrage, outrageousness, and the end of opacity” by… throwing a party. Partygoers are encouraged to wear bubble wrap, saran wrap, and other “transparent” clothing options. Keep it classy, Brown!

—Anne Speyer

Starla & Sons Longform Improv Comedy Show
Hunter Auditorim (89 Waterman St), 9:00 P.M.
$1
We hear they’re quite the witty troupe!

Date-a-delt
Delta Tau, 10:00 P.M.-2:00 A.M.
It’s like “The Bachelor” meets “Price is Right”— and no, you don’t have to date Drew Carey. The fine lads of Delta Tau are auctioning off a night of love and romance with the delt of your choice. Yes, it’s probably pretty creepy. But it could also be the start of something beautiful.

Barack Your Body
Phi Psi (Sears House), 10:00P.M.-2:00A.M.
Here is all of the information you need to know: there will be politically-themed drinks. Order a Nailin’ Palin or a Ridin’ Bidin and toast the first year of the Obama presidency!

—Brian Mastroianni & Anne Speyer

Janus Lecture: Religion in Public Life

4:00-6:00 P.M., Salomon 101

The Janus Forum’s involvement pretty much guarantees an interesting and lively conversation. Mark Lilla from Columbia University and Jose Casanova of Georgetown University will be speaking. A bona fide Casanova speaking about the role of religion in public life? Sounds just intriguing enough to work.

SPECtaculaire Paris

8:00-10:00 P.M., Sayles Hall

A mysterious entry for tonight. What exactly is SPECtaculaire Paris? Who is hosting this cryptic event? What will happen there? I’m picturing a lot of black and white striped shirts, berets, and baguettes, but that’s pure speculation. Here are the facts: if you go to Sayles Hall tonight, there will be a chocolate fountain, cheese fondue, pastries & fresh crepes. They had me at chocolate fountain.

A Thousand Voices

8:00-11:55 P.M., Production Workshop Upspace

Brown’s Listening LabOratory invites you to “listen and wander through” tonight, the first of three performance events that “aim to transform the listeners into performers within the community of voices.” Sounds like the perfect thing for a rainy Providence night, but do yourself a favor and SafeRide it.

— Anne Speyer

For those of us who won’t want to leave our rooms today to puddle-jump all the way to Worker’s Appreciation Day dinner, why not get some Ratty take out, stay in and watch our very own President Ruth Simmons address the Rhode Island General Assembly?

President Simmons will be the keynote speaker for the Joint Legislative Black History Month Celebration today at 5 p.m. Fans of the president can tune in to Capitol TV.

Read the full press release after the jump.
[Read more →]

Brown stole the show at the International Competition of Collegiate A Capella Northeast Quarter Finals Saturday night, with the Higher Keys in second place and the Jabberwocks taking the championship.

The showcase, hosted by the Bear Necessities in an overflowing Salomon 101, featured a capella groups from Columbia University, Bowdoin College, New York University, the University of Massachussetts at Amherst and Northeastern University, along with the two Brunonian groups, which will both compete in the semi-finals at the Massachussets Institute of Technology on March 20.

The Northeastern University Downbeats, the second runners-up, won’t be heading to the next round but nevertheless ended on a strong note with haunting and explosively energized renditions of Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy” and Kanye West’s “Heartless.” The excitement their routine sparked was palpable, and their vibe was anything but downbeat.

Emcee Matt Bauman ’10 of the Bear Necessities introduced the Downbeats as a group currently celebrating their tenth anniversary, but in response to the ensuing applause, he qualified this statement by saying, “I feel bad, I just made that up.”

The victors’ most memorable performance was of “Somebody” by Kings of Leon, for which Andrew Wong ’11 received recognition as outstanding soloist.

But the Higher Keys had the noisiest and most salient fan base, cheering from the audience with signs saying “classy,” “sexy,” and other descriptions with which Brown’s oldest co-ed a capella group identifies itself.

While the judges made their decision, a vocal percussion contest displayed the talents of the various competitors’ beat-boxers, and the Bear Necessities entertained the audience with such classics as “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” and a Britney Spears medley.

Other highlights included the Bowdoin Longfellow’s rhythmic and soulful blend of the folk songs ”Take me Home, Country Road” and “Wagon Wheel,” the UMass Amherst Dynamics’ movement-centered interpretation of Rilo Kiley’s “Portions for Foxes” and an animated and playful performance of “Sweet Child of Mine” by NYU’s Jewish a capella group Avi V’ata.

Bauman announced to the audience that his interview with Ani V’ata was intercepted by the members’ mothers, informing him that they were glad their children were ”getting this show biz mishigas over with.”

— Suzannah Weiss

International Competition of Collegiate A Capella Northeast Quarter Finals

8:00 – 11:00 P.M. Salomon 101

$10 for students, $15 otherwise

This showcase, hosted by the Bear Necessities, includes a capella groups representing NYU, Northeastern, UMass Amherst and Bowdoin as well as our very own Higher Keys and Jabberwocks, all competing to move onto the next round of the intercollegiate competition.  For more information, go to varsityvocals.com.

Women’s basketball game / breast cancer awareness benefit

7:00 P.M. Pizzitola Center

free for students, 5$ otherwise

To finish Breast Cancer Awareness Week, the team is raffling off an iPod for those who bring a breast cancer awareness button (given out at last week’s women’s ice hockey game) and Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation representatives will be collecting donations. Support the Bears and a good cause.

Men’s hockey final home game against St. Lawrence

7:00 P.M. Meehan Auditorium

free for students, $5 otherwise

Come cheer for Brown and have the opportunity to win prizes throughout the game.

Wishing you a sweet Cherry Pie Day,

— Suzannah Weiss

3:50 Acela to New York
Is life on College Hill getting you down? Do you long to see the familiar faces of your beloved kin? Do you dream about home-cooked meals that don’t cost you flex points? Well, kids, we’ve got the solution to ALL of these problems, and more! Go home! Just go home! Don’t think about it! Get outta here! We’re all sick of you anyway! Don’t think about the fact that you’re missing the first weekend of 40 degree weather in months, just GO HOME!

Men’s Hockey vs. Clarkson & Brown Band Ice Show
7:00 P.M. – 9:30 P.M.
Meehan Auditorium, Hope St
One of the things we’ve come to dearly love about Brown is the fact that our school band ice skates. Yes, that’s right. They ice skate! Playing a wind instrument on ice takes balls, my friend. Come out tonight to support them in their last on-ice game of the season. Rumor has it there might also be a hockey game going on…

Ghost Stories by the Fire
9:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M.
King House
Are you afraid of the dark?

Get Off My Lawn!
10:00 P.M. – 12:00 A.M.
ADPhi, Goddard House
If you’ve ever wanted to be a curmudgeonly old man, then break out that sweater vest and your favorite pair of corduroys and head over to ADPhi, where you will be rewarded with golf, poker and lots of rants about those damn kids these days.

—Brian Mastroianni & Anne Speyer

It’s Thursday night — free movies, free pizza and free arcade games await.

Israeli Film Festival

“A Matter of Size” – 5:00 P.M. Wilson 102; “Turn Left at the End of the World” – 7:00 P.M. Hillel Social Hall

Dissilusioned with the rigid dieting industry, a group of friends sets out to become the first Israeli sumo wrestlers in “A Matter of Size.” The second film, sponsored in conjunction with the Year of India, tells the story of two friends who overcome the boundaries between Moraccan and Indian Jews in Isreal. The screening of “Turn Left at the End of the World”  includes free Indian dinner and dessert.

After the jump: first pick competition video screening and free power cards at Dave and Busters! [Read more →]

What to do Wednesday night, including several events with free food!

Eastside Marketplace College Night

Eastside Marketplace, 165 Pitman Street, 6:00 p.m.-8 p.m.

You might think this is a bit more utilitarian than fun, per say (at the end of the night, it’s essentially a trip to the grocery store). You would be so wrong. WBRU will be there giving away prizes and a chance to win tickets to see Xanadu at PPAC! Plus, you get discounts and free samples! PLUS you get $10 donated to the Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund just by walking in with your college ID! Also, it’s really hard to find the Cheez-it boxes with two flavors (TWO) mixed in and they have them at Eastside. Not specifically related to college night, but if someone’s going to donate money to Haiti Relief just cause I bought the Sharp Cheddar/Parmesan combo (trust me, do yourself the flavor), it would make me a bad person not to go, right?

After the jump: pizza, sushi and crepes! [Read more →]

President Ruth Simmons has certainly been out and about on campus a lot this week.

To start off, her face has been plastered around campus on Brown Women’s Rugby Football Club flyers, advertising $2 raffle tickets through Friday to win a one-hour lunch with the president. For those without even $2 to spare, attendance at an entire team practice will suffice.

But even that price might be too steep for those residents of Barbour Hall that got to hang out with President Simmons for free, when she showed up as a surprise guest to the 2nd Barbour Family Style Potluck Feb. 8. Barbour’s Community Assistants invited the president to the first potluck last semester, but she was unable to come, Victoria Chen ’11, one of the CAs, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. President Simmons stayed at the potluck for about half an hour, chatting with students about — what else? — the upcoming Super Bowl.

But while she has appeared on posters around campus and in residence halls, there is one place where President Simmons doesn’t seem to be on students’ minds. Despite rumors that students were listing the president as a crush, not a single e-mail from Prospect & Meeting, Brown’s new dating site, has been sent to either of President Simmons’ two Brown e-mail addresses, Assistant to the President Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar ’87 MA’90 PhD’09 wrote in an e-mail to The Herald (though she added that they may have been caught by a spam filter).

“Maybe everyone is just TALKING about putting her down as a prospect!” Rodriguez-Farrar wrote.

— Nicole Friedman