The weather was quite extremely humid today. I woke up to a room that was already hot and stuffy. When I finished getting ready and walked outside my residential hall, the sun began to burn my face and body. Walking under the blazing sun was not enjoyable at all. Everyone was ready to get inside and eat breakfast in the new and air-conditioned dining hall at Sharpe Reflectory only to find there was no air-conditioning. The weather in Bay Area is never overly hot or overly humid so adapting to the weather here takes some time. One should be wearing shorts, sandals and a t-shirt in the day time, but in the afternoons, rain would unexpectedly start pouring heavily which is confusing.
Despite the overly warm dining room, we still stayed to give this place a try. For the past week, we have been eating at Verney Woolley or VW, so we decided to switch gears and give Sharpe Refectory (SR) a try. Both served the same level and type of food, except the SR had fewer options. The waffle machine wasn’t in sight, or the ice cream, and the salad bar only consisted of a few items that can’t really be deemed a “bar”. On the bright side, the SR dining hall is much more spacious and the ambience is more stylish. Large plates of lights hang about our heads as we enjoy our meal in the hot room. Large fans were running, but still did not do their job effectively to cool down hungry Brownies. Moreover, SR was closer to our dorms and classrooms as compared to the VW. Everyone prefered the VW over the SR, but in any case, we won't forget about eating at the convenient SR when we forget to wake up on time. Fulfilling your stomatch well before each activity is essential to performing your best and getting the most out of it.
The food here is not outrageously delicious, but it does meet a level of decency. After eating at an actual college dining hall, I can now narrow down my list of questions when I visit colleges. I can be more specific when asking these questions as well as other questions regarding the college itself. Not only can I be more specific when inquiring about basic necessities, but also about the class structure and the culture of the campus.
After class, Andrew and I went to the Admissions Building on Prospect and Angell. The lady at the front desk already knew we were part of the Summer@Brown program because of our red lanyards around our sweaty necks. I asked her if we could meet or even ask a few questions with an admissions officer, preferably the one who is in charge of the Northern California area. Unfortunately, she told me they can not do that but referred me to go on a tour and information session held frequently. I gave her a friendly smile and thanks and headed out to the Financial Aid department located a few blocks away in the modern J. Walter Wilson Building, on the second floor. There, fianncial aid counselor Liz, greeted both of us and asked if we had any specific questions. She answered a few questions for us and referred us back to Brown's website and the financial aid tab. She reasurred us that everything will be available there, and all the information we need can be obtained from the website. Nevertheless, she invited us to come back if we had any specific question not listed on the website. Once again, Andrew and I thanked her and proceeded with a financial aid pamphlet.
Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you took the opportunity to check out the admissions process and that all important financial aid. It's a shame, though, that you were unable to speak with the NorCal admissions person. Perhaps later and at another venue.
I'm seeing a recurring theme in many of the blogs about the food options while at Brown--I'm not really reading any glowing recommendations. I'll be emailing you all momentarily about this but this is an area we need to look at more closely with the idea that the Brown authorities need to be aware of this. Brown has a great educational institution but if students avoid applying to Brown because of the quality of the food options, then these officials might want to know about this.