A Day on College Hill Special Issue 2026

Dear Class of 2030,

Welcome to A Day on College Hill! As the 136th Editorial Board of The Brown Daily Herald — Brown’s financially independent, student-run newspaper founded in 1891 — we’re delighted to congratulate you on your acceptance to Brown. You made it through the late nights, countless college essay drafts and hours of standardized testing. We’re excited for you to leave those days behind and finally begin to imagine your life on College Hill.

The magic of our campus can only begin to be explained in 20 pages. There’s simply too much about this place — the spirit of our student body, the enthusiasm of our professors, the sunset view from the 12th floor of the Sciences Library — that is crucial in understanding why there is nowhere we’d rather be than Brown.

Here at The Herald, we work alongside around 300 dedicated student journalists, artists and business team members to deliver news about Brown, Providence and Rhode Island to over 1 million readers each year. We’ve put together the special edition you’re holding right now — and inside, you’ll find glimpses of the Brunonian lifestyle.

As you become a Brunonian, you’ll want to build on this introduction to Brown and stay up to date on campus’s latest happenings — and we can help you out with that on Instagram at @browndailyherald, through our mobile app and via our newsletters (subscribe at browndailyherald.com!).

While our ADOCH edition is meant to help you get to know Brown, in August we’ll be reaching out to get to know you through The Herald’s annual first-year poll. Along with the poll, we’ll send out information about how you can get involved in The Herald once you arrive on campus.

We can’t wait to see you officially join the Brown community this fall.

Yours,

The Herald’s 136th Editorial Board

4 Meet the class of 2030

10 postmagazine

15 Community after Dec. 13

5 Brown’s coolest faculty

11 Unofficial summer syllabus

16 What Brown tradition are you?

6 Style @ Brown

12 Seasons at Brown, in photos

18 The best of Providence

8 Brown sports highlights

14 The Herald’s favorite courses

By Roma Shah University News Editor

Get to know Brown’s class of 2030

Daniel Kim

When Daniel Kim first opened his Brown acceptance letter, he was filled with shock. “I thought I wouldn’t get in,” he said. “It didn’t hit me for a while that I got in.”

Kim, an incoming first-year from San Carlos, California, plans to study environmental science at Brown. He believes that the University will offer him a “good chance to get real-world experience in applying environmental science” and opportunities to engage with the broader Providence community.

“I was just really happy that it worked out,” Kim said.

AnnaBelle Deaner

Hailing from Long Island, New York, AnnaBelle Deaner fell in love with Brown’s campus while touring. “It’s so beautiful, and it’s such a nice location,” she said. “I just loved it.”

She was drawn to the University because she “loved the idea of the Open Curriculum” and the opportunity to explore her interests by taking Spanish and music classes while being on the pre-medical track.

While Deaner is “definitely worried” about leaving home, she knows that she will get used to it over time. “I’m more just looking forward to the new experience and meeting everybody,” she added.

Ania Robinson

Ania Robinson, a senior from Milton, Massachusetts, applied to study literary arts. But she’s also interested in exploring neuroscience and disability studies, and is even thinking about creating her own concentration.

“I have a lot of different things that I’m interested in, and I didn’t want to just go to a school where I could only kind of do one thing,” she said.

Robinson currently writes for her high school’s newspaper and is interested in exploring journalism at Brown. She also hopes to join Project Sunshine, the Polish-American Club and the Black Student Union.

Jason Lu

As an incoming first-year from Barrington, Rhode Island, Jason Lu is no stranger to the Ocean State. Still, he looks forward to exploring Providence this fall. When decisions were released, Lu said he acted “like nothing out of the ordinary was happening” in an attempt to get “some extra karma” before checking his portal. Lu thinks other students entering Brown should be “proud of their achievement.”

Lu is interested in pursuing a career in medicine, but he also hopes to explore his interest in economics. During his off time, Lu looks forward to playing tennis and hopes to join Brown’s club tennis team.

Luis Dal Bo

When he was younger, Luis Dal Bo recalled helping his older brother, who attended Brown, with an excavation for a paleontology class. Now, as an incoming first-year student, he looks towards taking similar, “fun” classes.

Dal Bo is a senior at the Wheeler School, which is just a few blocks away from Brown’s campus. Both of his parents work at the University.

“I think the city of Providence is one of my favorite cities I’ve been in, and Brown being right here is just so convenient,” he said. “And then I get to hang out with my parents as well, which is fun.”

When admissions decisions came out, Dal Bo was eating dinner and decided to wait to open his letter. He eventually opened his decision with his brother, before going downstairs to tell the rest of his family. “They were all really excited,” he said.

Meet three of Brown’s

By Samah Hamid University News Editor and Seyla Fernandez Senior Staff Writer

On March 26, Dean of Engineering Tejal Desai ’94 was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a lifelong achievement that recognizes the impact of her work in scientific innovation. Her research focuses on using micro- and nanoscale techniques to develop therapeutic delivery systems. She has published over 290 research articles that have been cited over 27,000 times.

In 2024, Desai was also elected to the membership class of the National Academy of Engineering, making her the sixth active Brown faculty member to be a member of the NAE.

Dejal’s time at Brown first began as an undergraduate in 1994 when she studied biomedical engineering. Over two decades later, she returned to campus as the second dean of the school of engineering, the oldest engineering program in the Ivy League.

Andy van Dam, a professor of technology and computer science, co-founded the University’s Computer Science department after coming to Brown in 1965. Van Dam is considered to be the second person to ever receive a PhD in computer science in the United States.

Several of van Dam’s former students went on to work on the film “Toy Story.” At the film’s premiere, Pixar founder Steve Jobs gave him a book about the film, inscribed with the phrase “you made it so.”

At Brown, van Dam is also known for the famous skits held on the first day of his class CSCI 0150: “Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming and Computer Science.”

The skits have been a tradition since van Dam’s early years of teaching and are the product of months of planning by van Dam and CSCI 0150’s “humor TAs.” Fit CSCI 0150 into your shopping period schedule to catch the performance!

Keisha Blain, a professor of history and Africana Studies, has written three books — two of which were selected as one of the best history books of the year by the Smithsonian Magazine — and edited five others.

Before coming to Brown in 2022, Blain served as a columnist for MSNBC and she has provided commentary on outlets including the BBC, PBS, CNN, NPR and Al Jazeera. Blain also served as president of the African American Intellectual History Society and, in 2022, she was also recognized as both a Guggenheim and Carnegie fellow.

At Brown, Blain has taught everything from AFRI 0090: “An Introduction to Africana Studies” to graduate seminars on Black women’s history and transnational feminism. You can check out her latest book, “Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights,” at the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.

Noah

Matsunaga ’29 began playing with different styles after his departure from middle school, where he was required to wear a uniform. After he entered high school, Matsunaga found fashion as “just another way that I could express myself.”

Playing with proportion:

“I really do love a tight top and then a baggy jean or a boot cut jean and a good boot as well to give me a little bit of height,” he said, styled in Urban Outfitters boot cut jeans, a fitted diesel shirt and Tabi boots. For shopping around Providence, he recommended Savers and the Salvation Army.

Chloe

Chow ’26, who is concentrating in mechanical engineering and visual arts, said, “in my life, I like combining things that shouldn’t necessarily go

Here, she pairs a “girly skirt” with an “industrial kind of shirt” to experiment with a “surprising” combination.

Fashion culture at Brown:

“Compared to most other colleges I’ve been to, everyone here dresses a lot more experimental, and fun, and people dive into trends but also explore them in really unique ways,” said Chow, who is a designer with the student club Fashion@Brown.

@ Brown

By Marat Basaria

Senior Staff Writer and Seyla Fernandez

Senior Staff Writer

“Normally, I try to go with something kind of basic, a little bit elevated, but nothing too fancy, nothing too casual,” she said.

As pictured, Dillon is wearing a Brandy Melville sweater, with white tank top underneath with a lemon design, which is the rush symbol for her sorority, Kappa Delta. Her jeans are from Abercrombie, where she works.

Brown’s varsity athletes compete in 34 sports.

Andrew Reall ’28 takes home Brown’s first-ever 197-pound Ivy League wrestling title

Andrew Reall ’28 earned Bruno’s first Ivy League wrestling title since 2012 and the first ever in the 197-pound weight class. The nationally ranked wrestler entered the Ivy League Wrestling Tournament as the top seed in his division and cruised to victory in dominant fashion, going undefeated in matches against Columbia’s Jack Wehmeyer and Cornell’s Aiden Hanning to secure the title.

Reall, who was named First Team All-Ivy, earned a bid to the NCAA Men’s Wrestling Championships alongside teammates Alex Semenenko ’26 and Austin McBurney ’28 — the first time Brown has qualified multiple wrestlers for the NCAA Championships since 2019.

Volleyball star Jessie Golden ’26 three-peats as Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year

Last fall, Jessie Golden ’26 stepped off the volleyball court at the Pizzitola Sports Center for the final time and walked right into the history books. The libero was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year for three years in a row, becoming the only player in the conference’s history to receive the acco- lade thrice. Golden racked up an astounding amount of statistical merits and honors during her time as a Bear. The Tampa, Florida native secured 1,457 digs overall, was named First Team All-Ivy in each of the final three years of her college career and bagged a spot on the All-Eastern College Athletic Conference First Team. For a final flourish, she won the 2025 ECAC Defensive Player of the Year award.

By Miles Monroe Sports Editor and Sajiv Mehta Sports Editor

Women’s basketball clinches

Ivy Madness berth for first time since 2017

After defeating Cornell in late February for the team’s eighth Ivy win, the Brown women’s basketball team secured a spot in the Ivy League Women’s Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2017.

The team was anchored by First Team All-Ivy select Grace Arnolie ’26, who is currently sixth in scoring in Brown’s program history, and Second Team All-Ivy select Alyssa Moreland ’26, the only Ivy League player averaging a double-double this season as of early March. Though Brown fell to Princeton in a hard- fought semifinal matchup at Ivy Madness, the team’s record-breaking season enforces a winning culture moving forward.

Football

dethrones University of Rhode Island in annual Governor’s Cup for first time in seven years

Last October, Brown’s football team participated in an annual tradition: the Governor’s Cup game against the University of Rhode Island. Most years, the Bruno faithful can chalk up the contest in the loss column before it begins. There was little indication this year would be different — the Rams came into the Cup a topten team in the nation, while Brown entered off a 41-7 loss to Harvard.

But the Bears defied all expectations, orchestrating several lengthy touchdown marches and seizing two momentous interceptions to send URI packing 28-21. The triumph marked Bruno’s first Governor’s Cup victory since 2017, one of Brown’s radiant moments amid a 5-5 campaign.

by Coco kanders

…I can’t remember exactly what I wrote—only that, judging by the aftermath, it might have been a little racy for second grade. Something along the lines of: I think you are the most handsome boy in the whole school, and I would love nothing more than for you to be my boyfriend. Then, I think it said I’m in love with you. Love, your secret admirer.

We felt not only a great sense of accomplishment, but also gloriously corrupt. We had stepped one inch past the invisible chalk line drawn around our youth. We had written to a boy. We had written love. We had invoked forces previously reserved for middle schoolers with lip gloss. At eight, this was complete and utter debauchery. But I could tell the devious sparkle was brighter in my eyes than in Stewart’s; while hers was more of a porch light eerily flickering in a storm, mine burned steady and devotional. She seemed nervous, understandably; this was an enormous admission, heart laid bare on pink cardstock. But I reassured myself, in my benevolent internal monologue, that I was here to help her…

what is post-?

post- is the Brown Daily Herald’s creative nonfiction magazine. We publish digital issues every week with personal narratives, arts & culture analyses, lifestyle guides, multimedia pieces, mini crosswords, and anything else you can imagine!

post- is The Brown Daily Herald’s creative nonfiction magazine. We publish digital issues every week with personal narratives, arts & culture analyses, lifestyle guides, multimedia pieces, mini crosswords, andanythingelseyoucanimagine!

1. Guest appearance

A squirrel's snack

Person who has the lead role

“The eight-yearolds yearn for the gorges.”

“Time to write diaspora poetry about this.”

“Two sides of the same coin? You’re a dollar bill, she’s probably like a penny.”

“I do not dream of labor…Good night.”

for before you arrive at Brown this fall An

By Rebecca Goodman Senior Staff Writer

“James” by Percival Everett MA’82

Pulitzer winner and Brown alum Percival Everett’s novel “James” was the talk of the literary world when it came out in 2024. In his Kirkus Prize- and National Book Award-winning story, Everett retells Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from the perspective of the enslaved character called Jim, whom Everett renames James.

“Breath, Eyes, Memory” by Edwidge Danticat MFA’93

Edwidge Danticat — who gave a talk at Brown just last month — published “Breath, Eyes, Memory” as her debut novel when she was only 25 years old, freshly out of Brown’s Literary Arts MFA program. The book, which tells the story of multiple generations of women between Haiti and New York City, was selected for Oprah’s Book Club, and Danticat went on to establish herself as a prolific storyteller of Haitian history.

“Challengers” directed by Luca Guadagnino

Written by alum Justin Kuritzkes ’12, “Challengers” is perhaps one of the most talked about movies of recent years. With exciting tennis matches, a messy love triangle and an electric score, “Challengers” gets your heart rate up.

“Carol” directed by Todd Haynes ’85

Directed by alum Todd Haynes, “Carol” is a historical romantic drama following a love story between two women in the 1950s. The film appears on several course syllabi at Brown.

“Nickel Boys” directed by RaMell Ross

Directed by Associate Professor of Visual Art and Rhode Island School of Design alum RaMell Ross, “Nickel Boys” is the Academy Award-nominated adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-winning novel “The Nickel Boys.” The story, set in the ’60s and based on true events, follows two boys’ treacherous time at a racist, abusive reform school. Also, the film’s inventive and unforgettable cinematography was helmed by Brown alum Jomo Fray ’10.

By Maya Nelson University News Editor

Seasons @ Brown in photos

Fall

Before you start panicking about your first wave of midterms, take a breath — you might notice a hint of cinnamon and cedarwood in the air. There is nothing quite like New England fall, whether it’s your first or your twentieth. Walking to class becomes a game of finding the crispiest leaf to crunch, nearby farms open their orchards for apple picking and downtown cafes begin serving up their spicy pumpkin specials.

Winter

Just as the sunset time begins to rapidly recede, lampposts across campus are wrapped with fairy lights to ward off the winter scaries. As the first specks of snow begin to fall, Brown is transformed to a completely different campus. Not only will you have to develop entirely new routes to class, but you’ll learn a different face of your favorite campus buildings: Sayles Hall with white trimming, Barus and Holley with a newly-painted lawn and the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall with a two-feet deep pile of slush at its entrance.

Spring

After surviving three rounds of fake spring, you’ve finally made it to the real deal — green leaves emerge on branches, the Blue Room steps repopulate with sunbathers and we get the occasional, sometimes not so occasional, downpour. Not only is nature revived, but campus comes back to life. Traversing the Main Green becomes its own obstacle course, with frisbees flying and skaters gliding across the steps of Sayles Hall. Strong gusts of wind deliver petals to your hair, as cherry blossoms flood campus with a beautiful shade of pink.

By University News and Metro Editor

In “History of American Intervention,” award-winning foreign correspondent Stephen Kinzer takes students through the causes and effects of U.S. intervention around the globe, from Guatemala to Iran. Kinzer’s passionate lecture style and over 20 years of experience reporting for the New York Times — including stints as bureau chief in Nicaragua, Germany and Turkey — bring the class to life. Every lecture includes a detail you can’t quite find in a history textbook.

ENGL 0710V: “DEATH AND DYING IN

BLACK LITERATURE”

By Ivy Huang University News and Science & Research Editor

“Death and Dying in Black Literature” traverses a range of genres — from poetry to the novel to documentary to literary theory — to explore how Black writers and thinkers have conceptualized the intertwining of Blackness and death. Even though a few of the works on the syllabus are hard to get through, Professor of English Kevin Quashie fosters a class environment where students can face the texts’ tough questions together. Quashie even writes poems based on the class discussions and reads them aloud at the start of each class. If you are interested in challenging yourself as a reader, writer and critical thinker, this is a must-take course.

MUSC 0200: “COMPUTERS AND MUSIC”

By Ann Gray Golpira Arts & Culture Editor

In “Computers and Music,” students get to explore the expansive history of music production — from the first recordings of sound to Charli xcx’s “BRAT” and Vocaloid characters like Hatsune Miku. During the lab section, students learn how to use a digital audio workstation to produce their own music — whether it be creating a studio-ready soundtrack or a beginner’s piece, students of all musical talent are welcome. It is the perfect course for music lovers, makers and even just listeners.

ENVS 1554: “FARM PLANET: HUNGER, DEVELOPMENT, AND THE FUTURE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE”

By Michelle Bi Metro Editor

“Farm Planet” is like no other class I’ve taken at Brown. Over just a few months, we discussed the creation of today’s international food economy, corporate control over global crop production, the evolution of seeds as private property and more. In the course, Associate Teaching Professor of Environment and Society Mindi Schneider’s curriculum effortlessly ties together public policy, sociology and environmental science. This class is enlightening for anyone who’s ever wondered where exactly the food on their plate came from — and the political, economic and social implications it holds.

How the Providence community came together after the mass shooting at Brown

On Dec. 13, two students were killed and nine others were injured in a mass shooting in Barus and Holley.

In the hours and days that followed, students, faculty, staff and community members mobilized to support one another with shelter, food and care.

During the lockdown following the attack, local businesses like Ceremony and Coffee Exchange sheltered students in basements and backrooms. Many other Rhode Island residents — from Brown staff to campus neighbors — also opened their doors to students.

At the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center, volunteers and nonprofits provided food and supplies to hundreds of community members, with Red Cross teams serving more than 1,500 people over the weekend.

Various fundraisers and assistance forms were launched to provide financial support for the families of victims and students in need. The Undergraduate Council of Students opened a community assistance form — which received over 2,000 responses — while other students and alumni managed GoFundMe pages for medical bills and flights home.

But it wasn’t just the big gestures that made a difference. All the small ways the community came together offered students reassurance — whether these comforts came in the form of free meals from restaurants on Thayer Street, handwritten notes or “mom hugs.”

Across campus and beyond, the Brown community came together to display the type of care and kindness synonymous with the message of the University’s fight song,

By Talia LeVine Arts & Culture Editor

WHICH BROWN

1

If you had to be stranded on a deserted island with a Brown alum, who would you choose?

a.) Emma Watson ’14

b.) Daveed Diggs ’04

c.) John Krasinski ’01

d.) Janet Yellen ‘67

2

Which of the following courses would you take?

a.) CSCI 0150: “Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming and Computer Science”

b.) MUSC 0221A: “MEME Ensemble: The Rap Cypher & Freestyle Performance”

c.) BIOL 1530: “Emergency Medical Systems: An Anatomy of Critical Performance”

d.) COST 1705B: “Take Back Your Mind! Resisting the Attention Economy Through Critical Contemplative Practices”

3 4 5

Which of these Brown clubs would you join?

a.) Brown Ballet Company

b.) Brown Concert Agency

c.) Esports Team

d.) Cheese Club

What dining hall would you name your first-born after?

a.) Verney-Woolley Dining Hall

b.) Andrews Commons

c.) Ivy Room

d.) The Sharpe Refectory

What building nickname would be the namesake of your future pet?

a.) The Rock (The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library)

b.) Smitty B (Smith Buananno Hall)

c.) OMAC (Olney-Margolies Athletic Center)

d.) SciLi (Sciences Library)

Mostly A’s: Entering the Van Wickle Gates

The Van Wickle Gates, built in 1901, are only opened twice a year: for incoming students to walk onto campus during convocation and for graduating students to exit campus at commencement. Rumor has it that Brunonians who walk through the gates more than once before commencement will not graduate.

Mostly B’s: Spring Weekend

Spring weekend is Brown’s annual music festival, which celebrated its 75th birthday last year. Previous artists include Kendrick Lamar, Bob Dylan and Doechii. While the festival previously lasted for a full weekend, the last few years have only seen a single day of concerts.

TRADITION ARE YOU?

Mostly C’s: Harvard-Brown

The annual football game against Harvard is Brown’s largest sporting event of the year, and an opportunity for Brunonians to showcase their Bear pride. In 2024, Brown beat Harvard for the first time in 14 years — but the Bears succumbed 41-7 to the Crimson last year.

Mostly D’s: Ratty Challenge

all-you-can-eat dining hall the Ratty — breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Providence The best of

Best Boba: Charuma

By Talia Egnal

Though Thayer Street offers many yummy boba shops close to campus, downtown Providence’s Charuma is well worth the walk down College Hill. Tucked away on a side street, the cozy Taiwanese tea shop offers a wide selection of tea bases sourced from Taiwan, as well as their must-try house-made boba pearls. Using the shop’s student discount, Brunonians can get a taste of their high-quality ingredients at a reduced rate. For those in the mood for a snack, their Taiwanese chicken and sweet potato fries with seaweed salt never disappoint. Fair warning — there is not a lot of seating, so prepare to take your goodies to go.

Best Cafe: Coffee Exchange

Brunonians drink coffee for a wide range of reasons — and coffee culture at Brown is dramatically enhanced by the vast assortment of cafes within walking distance of campus. Coffee Exchange boasts an incredible drink menu, and each time I go, I am shocked that my drink was somehow better than the last. Just 15 minutes off-campus, the cafe sits in the center of the subtle buzz of Wickenden Street. The cafe has two floors and an outdoor seating area, usually occupied by Brunonians and Providence locals alike. Coffee Exchange truly embodies the spirit of Brown — it fosters community and is a source of joy for many.

Best Thayer Eat: East Side Pockets

Thayer Street is home to an overwhelming number of restaurants and cafes serving almost every genre of food. But one small shop at the end of the crowded street rises to the top: East Side Pockets. With affordable prices and late hours, East Side has been a staple for Brown students for decades, and for good reason. Their falafel is truly the best I’ve ever had — perfectly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and always piping hot. From salads to wraps to spinach pies, East Side has something for everyone, and you can even finish off your meal with a piece of baklava.

Best View: Prospect Terrace

A mini oasis on College Hill located just ten minutes from North Campus, Prospect Terrace offers a sweeping view of the Providence skyline. In the daytime, the grassy park’s high-up vantage point will let you see for miles across the city. As the daylight begins to fade, the west-facing terrace allows you to catch a perfect view of the sunset over Providence. And at night, when the city’s building windows glow brightly, the view is even more breathtaking.Every Brunonian I know has experienced at least one formative memory at Prospect Terrace — and in my humble opinion, there’s no place better to do so.