So this kinda came out of nowhere, but apparently Brown’s UCS and RISD’s Student Alliance came together to put on the first ever Brown/RISD Lawn Party this Saturday from 1-5 pm on Benefit St. (between College and Waterman).  Not only will there be an actual lawn, the party will feature a beergarden (Ed.- the beer isn’t free, but still, yay beer!), food trucks, a photobooth, music, volleyball, and, most importantly, plastic flamingos.  This should be a pretty dope opportunity to take some time off from studies, (hopefully) enjoy the sunshine, and get some RISD kids to make you feel inadequate about your own artistic abilities paint your face.

Voting for our next UCS president has begun, and you should go and do it. Look, we get if it’s your first time, but seriously, it’s just a simple survey link this year, and it’s not that difficult. Depressing fact: only 28 percent of the student body voted last year, and that was somehow an improvement over last year’s turnout. Voting is American like the Fourth of July and baseball, so please stop reading and just vote. We will be waiting for you when you get back.

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Today, at 4 p.m. in Salomon DeCiccio Auditorium, the Undergraduate Council of Students will present President Paxson’s first  State of Brown Address. She will discuss current issues on campus and strategic planning for Brown’s future.

The address is open only to undergraduate students and President Paxson will answer questions from the audience following her speech. In addition, UCS will draw the names of 20 students who will have breakfast with President Paxson this Friday.

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Despite the lack of a working fireplace in the room (Brown is an intellectually stimulating but flame retardant school), UCS has been holding a series of fireside chats with Brown’s most impressive/interesting/scandalous people, and so it’s only natural that they would end up getting access to our new Supreme Chancellor, Christina Paxson. Yesterday UCS posted to their Facebook page a 6:30 clip jam-packed with the stuff you won’t find on Paxson’s CV. She was in a freshman-senior relationship! She has a personal trainer! She likes ice cream! And so on, into the abyss of throwaway questions.

However, nestled in the midst of the softballs being lobbed thick and slow is a glowing, white-hot fastball. At the 5:06 mark of the interview, the UCS representatives pull a quick one on Christina, and ask her to choose sides on a terrifyingly polarizing issue, a true puzzler submitted by yours truly: Spider-Man or Batman? Tune in above to see whether Paxson sides with DC or Marvel, 1% or kid-next-door, vigilante or lovable freak. We’ve found out her true character, folks…

Want to hear the t(Ruth) about the current state of Brown? The Undergraduate Council of Students presents the 3rd annual State of Brown address with President Ruth Simmons. Simmons will discuss the current state of Brown and her vision of Brown’s future.

Come out to support your beloved president one last time as she gives her final scheduled address to the entire student body TODAY (3/15) in the Salomon DeCiccio Auditorium at 4 p.m. 

Tomorrow, November 2, the Campus Advisory Committee is hosting an open forum about where we think the University should go and, more importantly, who’s going to fill the void in our hearts left by Ruth Simmons. It will take place in Salomon 001 from 4-5:30 pm, with appearances from Chancellor Tisch ’76, undergraduate representatives and “other members of the two committees.” We’re all curious to see what names will be dropped for the next University President, so go find out for yourself!

We know this clip has been up for a while, but viewing this BTV/UCS coproduction, like using the S/NC option, is an opportunity every Brown student should embrace. Though the video borrows a title from FDR’s precedent-setting radio series, it provides little insight into the big administrative policies here at the University. Instead, students Mitra Anoushiravani ’11 and Kyra Mungia ’13 pry at the personal life of Dean Katherine Bergeron. Watch as the Berg tells a story from her “esoteric” favorite course (Mobile Counterpoint), deftly avoids questions about her high school dating experiences and explains her decision to become the Dean of the College. Eye opening? Not quite. But now you can hear Dean Bergeron’s always eloquent voice on demand!

The leaders of student government for next year were announced today at 3:30 on the steps of Manning Hall.

Leadership Positions:

Undergraduate Council of Students President: Diane Mokoro ’11, 67.9 percent of the vote
UCS Vice President: Ben Farber ’12, 57.9 percent
Undergraduate Finance Board Chair: Adam Kiki-Charles ’11, 57.4 percent
UFB Vice Chair: No candidate garnered over 50 percent of the vote, so there will be a runoff between Tyler Rosenbaum ’11 and Jason Lee ’12 beginning on Monday.

UCS committee chairs:

AAA Chair: Eden Castro ’12: 54.7 percent
ASS Chair: Chris Collins ’11, 58.9 percent
SA Chair: Ralanda Nelson ’12, 53.5 percent
Treasurer: Ilyas Khimani ’13 (unopposed race)

UFB at-large representatives (unopposed race)

Devin Finzer ’13
Kelly Wess ’11
Raaj Parekh ’13
Michael Perchonok ’12
Zachary Fischer ’13
David Chanin ’12

The referendum to add instant runoff procedures for next year was also passed with 81.7 percent of the vote.

More coverage to follow in Monday’s Herald!

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?