Saturday, July 6, 2013

Some Observations

Unlike a few hundred Brown summer students, I decided not to go to the Newport trip. I had yet to receive my spare glasses (which I did receive in the afternoon) and had yet to recover from the sunburns I got at Scarborough Beach on the fourth of July. After I received my glasses in the afternoon, I took some time to get to know the campus better. The Faunce House and the Rockefeller Library were especially nice. The interior of both buildings were given a modern touch when they were renovated. The first floor of the Faunce House serves as a lounge and cafe. The Rockefeller library provides plenty resources for students and allows after-hour access for students with a Brown ID. I feel that both buildings provide a relaxing atmosphere for students, especially since there is no air conditioning in the dorms.

After getting to know more people, I realized that many, possibly a majority, of the students come from families of privilege. This can be inferred when the students decide to give their laundry to a service on campus to do it for them since many have never done their own laundry before and wouldn't try it independently. Some dress up for dinner and others buy items that Plato may deem as an "unnecessary desire." Of course, I have nothing against them; it's just something I noticed. There's a meaning behind a tendency for wealthy families to send their children to an Ivy League school for a summer program, but I'm still trying to figure it out.

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