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We all know Rhode Island can be a little backwards at times. From continuing to allow indoor prostitution to flourish until 2009, to the racist awkward reality that we’re that only state in the nation with the word “plantations” still in its name (true story, look it up), this place can be a little behind the times every now and then. Throw in a dash of good ol’ fashioned Puritan anti-drinking fervor, and you’ve got a real recipe for success — a fact which might help explain why the news team over at NBC1o has been living under a rock for a better part of the  last decade.

In a recent video “exclusive” (posted not but two weeks ago) , the I-team over at the local news station exposed the perils of a “dangerous new drinking game” sweeping the Providence community by storm.  Now, if you’re like any other student on this campus, your ears probably immediately perk up upon hearing that magical phrase. I think the only four words I might like more in conjunction with one another are “here’s a free burrito” or “there’s the open bar.” Unfortunately for us, however, the dangerous “new” drinking game the investigative team has uncovered is about as new as Professor Hazeltine (we love you Barrett!).

What is this mystery pasttime, you ask? [Read more →]

These days, a pair of skinny jeans is one of the most basic staples in any wardrobe. They provide a foundation upon which you can experiment with your style—whether you dress them up or dress them down, you’ve got yourself a hell of an outfit. Just look around you—everyone (notably hamsters) is integrating this stylish essential into their wardrobe. Jeepers, even Mitt Romney is doing it! Put a pair of dungarees on that fella and suddenly he’s got mad swag.

Yet Romney’s Mormon bros at Brigham Young University-Idaho clearly haven’t seen how dapper he looks in a pair of skinny jeans. According to a report by independent BYU newspaper The Student Review, a girl at BYU-Idaho was turned away from the school’s testing center because her pants were too tight. Adhering to the provisions of the university’s rigid honor code, the testing center posted a flier on their door that deemed that “formfitting” skinny jeans were “not appropriate attire.”

No skinny jeans, you say? Unfathomable. We can commiserate with these students who now have to wear mom-jeans to class, but the reality is that we’ll stop caring in about ten seconds and go back to doing cartwheels in our jeggings. Sucks to be you (or shall we say, sucks to BYU?) But just for kicks and giggles, shall we imagine what Brown would be like if we had an honor code like that of BYU-Idaho? The Brown Experience as we know it would undoubtedly be entirely different—find out just how different after the jump: [Read more →]

Procrastination is both a value and a vice. In order to make it productive, we’ve provided you with a few quick facts that you probably didn’t know. Learn a new thing every day in higher education with BlogDailyHerald.

Library desk chairs cost $800. That black chair you’re sitting on right now? With the great lumbar support, height adjustment and super sprite wheels? It cost lots of dolladolla bills, according to Amazon. No wonder tuition keeps rising — we need places to keep our butts warm! Let’s hope Brown got a wholesale price.

Happy right now? Probably not, potentially in part because Rhode Island drinking laws prohibit bars from holding happy hours (and because you have finals, duh). Additionally, Rhode Island law prohibits the acceptance of out-of-state state identification cards — only licenses allowed. NYC drivers (and “drivers“), you should probably think about taking your road test.

What time is it? Game time! The new cupola on the Nelson Fitness Center formerly sat atop Marvel Gym, which used to stand across from Brown Stadium. The clock’s face does not have numbers, but instead reads A-L-D-R-I-C-H-F-I-E-L-D, where it had been located.  Fun fact: the bronze bear that stands on the Main Green also used to ornament the gym. Ra Ra Brunonia, FTW!

2/3 of grades awarded at Brown are A’s…? As you struggle in the library right now, this statistic is probably mocking your greater sensibilities. Last we checked, it was more like 54%. Try to keep the rumor going, though, and maybe you’ll help your GPA — get back to work!

It’s Friday, so we have a little riddle for you: What does a meme look like eight months past its prime? “A Person of Interest” (or a fourteen year-old holding back the awkwardness of adolescence with a bit too much makeup).

As certain people have so politely put it, true red-blooded Americans are under attack, with thousands of us dying every day.  Of course, by “us” I mean “our delicate Christmas spirits.” Yes, I’m talking about the recent smear campaign, launched by Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14, against the glowing spruce spreading its rearview-mirror-air-freshener scent all around our local State House rotunda. As reported by every news outlet west of the Holy Land, Gov. Chafee recently had the satanic audacity to call our Jesus Juniper a “Holiday Tree.”  Really, Chafee?  You thought your crucifix-rubbing constituents wouldn’t notice?

Well…okay, I didn’t notice.  But guess who did?  Jon Stewart.  The Pundit Prince himself took to the airwaves and gave all the crusading berserkers at Faux News a piece of his mind.  I won’t spoil the historical revelations for you, but let’s just say that the Pilgrims and the Founding Fuckin’ Fathers themselves all showed up to support Chafee.

So I guess the godforsaken gubernatorials got the upper hand this time. And that scares me. What’s next?  Islamic icicles?  Wiccan wreaths? On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen!  On Comet, on Cupid, on Donder and…BUDDHIST?  How am I supposed to explain that to my five-year-old son? Chafee, you’re what Alfred was talking about. You just want to watch Christmas burn.

It all evens out in the end, though, because despite Chafee pushing the Arboreal Antichrist on us, Sean Hannity still looks like the cigar-smoking bastard child of Newt Gingrich, Jay Leno, and a teddy bear.  (And on that note, I summon Rule 34.  You’re welcome.)

You can watch the clip here and the full episode here.

Shrimp on a treadmill set to “The Final Countdown.” Have you ever been more inspired?

The Brown Marching Brown outside Perkins carolling and handing out free hot chocolate!

WiSE Study Break
6-8 pm
SciLi 3rd Floor

Enjoy gingerbread, eggnog and Christmas specials with WiSE to take a break from all that studying. Humanities concentrators welcome, too.

Breakthrough Collaborative Informational
7-8:30 pm

Learn about opportunities to teach middle school students over the summer! There’s no indication of what kind of free food will be available at this info session, but we’re hopeful.

All Class Holiday Study Break
Petteruti Lounge, Faunce
7-8 pm

Schmooze with your classmates and enjoy hot chocolate while building gingerbread houses. The Class Coordinating Board has extended this invitation to faculty as well, so we can only hope that our favorite dean will be in attendance.

Movie and Food with the NeuroDUG
8-10 pm
MacMillan 115

Come to get free Kabob and Curry and see The Diving Bell and The Butterfly.

Sarah Doyle Women’s Center Parks and Rec Study Break
8:30-9:30 pm
Sarah Doyle Women’s Center

Watch the most recent episode of Parks and Recreation while enjoying cookies with the folks from the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center.

Everyone in the whole world agrees that Arrested Development was a brilliant show cancelled before its time. Those very same people are now up in arms about the fate of Community, which was recently put on hiatus midseason by NBC.

Vulture takes a rational look at the announcement and deduces that there’s a 70-30 chance that the show will see a Season 4. But if it does, will we demand that an even unlikelier Season 5 come next year (or, more accurately, six-seasons-and-a-movie)? Don’t get me wrong, I think Community is one of the funniest, smartest, bestest comedies on television, but when the study group graduates, where do they go next? Do they resort to teaching, like Dr. Cox and Turk in that last season of Scrubs we’d all like to pretend doesn’t exist? Does Ed Helms eventually take over and pretend no one notices that he’s pulling the exact same schtick as the last guy? Will anyone still give a fuck who the mother is?

I’m firmly in the camp that Community should be granted the four years necessary for a Greenvale diploma, but after that it might be time to call it quits. A show overextending its welcome is far worse than being prematurely cancelled. The entire basis of Community, as showrunner Dan Harmon conceived of it, warrants four years and nothing more (except maybe an awesome post-series movie).

Party Down (2009-2010) is widely considered another brilliant-show-cancelled-before-its-time. It aired on Starz, where it received almost no attention, and it’s known mainly for featuring a pre-Glee Jane Lynch, who ditched the show when Fox came calling. It follows the antics of a catering crew that works various absurd events, ranging from Pepper McMasters Single Seminar to the Stennheiser-Pong Wedding Reception. Party Down was smart, witty and endearing – it also ends on the perfect note, after two seasons and twenty episodes total. [Read more →]

In honor of reading period’s kickoff, we are making the transition from time-wasters to study breaks. Same deal, just more of them (and a different name). Good luck studying (and breaking)!

Today, part three of In Focus‘s photo series “2011: The Year In Photos” was posted.  This is the final installment of the three-day series, and you can view all 120(!) images by starting here and working your way through the galleries.  Ranging from funny to powerful to downright upsetting, these beautiful photos of interesting events, each accompanied by 2-3 sentences of backstory, are all fascinating.