Posts by Sydney

On Thursday, President Ruth Simmons will deliver the State of Brown address at 4 p.m. in Salomon 101 on behalf of the Undergraduate Council of Students. Simmons will hold a Q & A session after she speaks about the University’s current state of affairs and her vision for the future. Here are seven serious questions for Simmons:

1) When you came to Brown in 2001, you introduced the Plan for Academic Enrichment as a way to raise the University’s national profile as a research institution. As you get ready to begin your tenth year as president, do you think the Plan has been effective?

2) During last month’s Corporation meeting, a number of initiatives were approved that directly influence research and graduate programs. How will the University continue to advance its research mission while maintaining its commitment to undergraduates?

3) It’s clear that Brown’s commitment to creating a “knowledge economy” in Providence will benefit the intellectual community. How will it benefit undergraduates?

4)  At the beginning of the Plan, you said you wanted to revolutionize graduate education so it would correspond with the New Curriculum. How, if at all, have you accomplished this?

5) Despite the economy and rising tuition costs, the number of applicants to the University has skyrocketed. How has the Plan contributed to this increase?

6) You are traveling to India during spring break for the first meeting of the recently formed India Advisory Council, whose purpose is to increase outreach and boost alumni support. What will you emphasize to the Council in terms of achieving these aims?

7) Ratty or V-Dub?

If you think that guy wearing chainmail in your 9 a.m. biology class has an interesting fashion sense, wait until you see the pants on the Norwegian Olympic Curling Team. The brainchild of Scott Woodworth ’82, these Argyle knickers caused a red, white and blue stir the world over as the team vacuumed — er — curled its way to a silver medal on Feb. 27 in Vancouver.

Woodworth designed the outlandish pantaloons for his company, Loudmouth Golf, which he founded in 2000. The Norwegian team apparently saw Woodworth’s Web site and ordered pants in the country’s colors. And though the team didn’t snag gold from the boringly black-pants clad Canadian powerhouse, at least the Norwegians did it with more style.

Take that, chainmail dude.

In a surprise move, the V-Dub served chicken fingers at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. After apparently running out of Beef Stew, the dining establishment turned to its most trusted fare for the last 15 minutes of the lunch session.

At the time, there were only a handful of diners huddling over their remnants of Tomato Quiche (unappetizing), and few seemed to notice the surprise arrival (more appetizing).

Even if it was an obvious cost-saving measure (leftovers, thawed), we’re not complaining (yet). Although that mystery Chocolate Cinnamon Cake Roll that kept appearing (Friday, Monday lunch, Monday dinner)? Not cool.