Monday blues got you down? Why not let the Brown Music Department serenade you back into sobriety? The Brown University Department of Music has four iTunes U episodes up on the iTunes. Take a break from the dubstep and try something more traditional. Whether you prefer orchestra performances or sultry jazz, they got you covered with some of Brown’s own productions.

Check out other Brown collections on iTunes U here.

Today’s SPEC Us Out: Del’s and Donuts is the latest in a series of genius moves from SPEC. Take advantage of the beautiful weather today to bust out of that library (or classroom if your profs aren’t observing reading period) to get some free Del’s lemonade and Dunkin’ Donuts. Better hurry up! The event lasts until 1:30 PM, but the donuts are going fast!

Blue State Coffee is giving away FREE small coffees (iced or hot) today in honor of the company’s $250,000 in donations to a wide variety of charities selected by their patrons. Get it while it’s hot (or cold)!

The label for Chateau Jiahu, one of the Dogfish Head brews available to sample at tonight's event

Who knew, in a world of Natty Light, Budweiser and PBR, that we have actually demonstrated an improvement in the area of beer making… in the last 10,000 years, that is.

Tonight, students, professors and community members alike piled into an auditorium to hear “Uncorking the Past,” a lecture about ancient beverages from the Director of the Penn Museum’s Biomolecular Archaeology Lab, Patrick McGovern, and to await their turn to sample recreations of the ancient brews made by Dogfish Head. When you say “free beer,” people come a’running. Literally every seat was filled.

McGovern’s work uses a combination of archaeology, ancient texts and art, and scientific experimentation to analyze vessels that once held food or drink to determine exactly what ancient peoples were eating and drinking. [Read more →]

The Brown Concert Agency has just announced a raffle for free admission to both days of Spring Weekend concerts. Sound too good to be true?  It isn’t.  BCA needs to test out a brand new print-at-home and scanning ticketing system.  This new service will help avoid long lines to purchase and pick-up tickets by letting students order and print tickets at home.  And you may win a free Spring Weekend ticket package in the process! Specifics after the jump. [Read more →]

The Outside Reading publishing company is giving away free copies of Rich Shaperd’s book Wild Animus on Thayer across from Soldier’s Arch as part of a promotional campaign.  According the back cover of the book (reporting ftw), the novel follows the story of Ransom Altman, a Berkeley grad who strongly identifies with the wild mountain ram and seeks to live  in a world of “inexhaustible desire”–sounds a little bit like a party being hosted by the Queer Alliance tonight.

Though some free iced coffees aren’t really free, today we do have real reason to celebrate.

On this very summery day? Yes please, Au Bon Pain. We’ll see you there.

UPDATE:

In honor of today, this intrepid blogger made the voyage to not one, but two, local Dunkin’ Donuts, only to learn that (a) the event is something stores must opt into and (b) Providence has selected to hold their special day later in May. But here’s the catch: it’s not even “free” iced coffee day when PVD celebrates; now it’s 50 cent day. (No, not that fiddy cent.)

If you’re willing to drive to Massachusetts, New York or Philadelphia, you can get your free fix there today — local franchises are all respecting the holiness that is Free Iced Coffee Day. Otherwise, we’ll see you in the Blue Room.

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Today is the greatest day of the year. Many make that claim, but there is nothing that can compete with the legendary nature of Dunkin Donuts’ Free Iced Coffee Day.

For those who ever frequented the Thayer Street franchise, today is the day when its absence is most painful.

Understanding that free coffee is worth great leaps and bounds, here is what the general Providence area can offer you:

1. 141 Westminster Street
2. 78 Dorrance Street
3. 133 Gano Street
4. 81 Washington Street
5. Providence Place Mall

Go ahead Brown, have no shame. Drink it all in.