A photo of University Hall on a cloudy day with a tree in the lower left corner.

Facing a structural deficit of $46 million, Brown is looking for solutions.

Brown will restrict faculty, staff growth and reduce PhD admissions to address budget deficit

By Cate Latimer | December 17 | University News

Facing a structural deficit of $46 million, Brown is looking for solutions.

Eric Gottlieb ’25 was one of 36 students awarded the 2025 Marshall Scholarship, the British government ...

Eric Gottlieb ’25 awarded Marshall Scholarship

By Hadley Carr | December 16 | University News

Eric Gottlieb ’25 was one of 36 students awarded the 2025 Marshall Scholarship, the British government ...

Local business owners and sustainability advocates discuss online shopping trends as the holiday ...

Trends point to a preference for online shopping this holiday season

By Maya Kelly | December 16 | Metro

Local business owners and sustainability advocates discuss online shopping trends as the holiday ...

Brown’s early decision acceptance rate soars to 18%, the highest in six years

By Talia LeVine and Ciara Meyer | December 13 | University News

Photo of the Van Wickle gates with the sun setting in the background

On Friday afternoon, Brown University welcomed 906 of its 5,048 early decision applicants to the class of 2029 — the highest acceptance rate in over half a decade.

How computer science TAs’ newest contract was negotiated

By Ethan Schenker | December 12 | University News

When Brown reached a three-year contract with Teaching Assistant Labor Organization in late October, the union’s members became the first undergraduate student workers to secure a long term contract with the University.

Opinions

Barth Wu ’26: Chew on This: Rise n' Shine

By Eleanor Barth Wu | December 9

SciLi stacks got you down? Tired of having to hear the breathy chortles of people whispering in the first floor of the Rock? When I find myself in one of these situations, I often ride my bike down the gloriously steep College Hill, beyond South Main Street to Rise ‘n Shine, a little coffee ...

Editors’ Note: A farewell to 2024 and our time at The Herald

By 134th Editorial Board | December 6

When senior year comes along, most students think of the first time they walked through the Van Wickle Gates. But, for us, a different entrance comes to mind — the door to our office at 88 Benevolent St.

Editors’ Note: Announcing The Herald’s 135th Editorial Board

By 134th Editorial Board | December 6

The Herald is proud to announce the members of our 135th Editorial Board, which will oversee the paper through its 134th year.

Ricks '27: The left must embrace Progressivism if it wants to save democracy

By Kendall Ricks | December 5

When Kamala Harris lost the presidential election in early November, many different theories emerged to explain why. The campaign was criticized for not doing enough to distance itself from the Biden administration, appeal to the working class or ease voters’ concerns about inflation. However, one ...

Rahman ’26: Brown has a liberal problem

By Tasawwar Rahman | December 2

On Nov. 6, I, like many of my classmates, woke up disappointed by the results of the U.S. election. As a lifelong liberal, I thought the choice was clear — a prosecutor over a felon. But I was not surprised that so many of my fellow Americans turned to Trump.

University News

Students walk in and out of the Center for Information Technology on a sunny evening.

Brown is running out of academic space

By Ethan Schenker and Kate Rowberry | December 12

“Over the past several semesters, we have experienced an increasing demand for classroom space across all our curricular endeavors,” Provost Francis Doyle wrote in September. This demand has “placed considerable strain on our classroom facilities,” Doyle said.

Brown's Graduate Center. A lit lantern and a lichen-covered tree stand outside.

Survey shows decrease in food insecurity for grad students, but organizers aren’t so sure

By Grace Hu | December 10

Graduate Student Council members cited cost of living and a lack of affordable stores as key risk factors contributing to graduate food insecurity.

A photo of computer science teaching assistants dressed as Lion King-themed characters bowing around a table. One TA in a costume holds a plush toy in the air, standing on the table. A scene of animals from The Lion King plays in the background.

Outlandish skits bring flair to one of Brown’s largest CS courses

By Leah Koritz | December 9

In its first class of the fall semester, CSCI 150: “Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming and Computer Science” drew a crowd of 510 students who flooded into the Salomon Center auditorium.

Is Brown giving out too many As? Professors discuss grading practices, grade inflation

By Kate Rowberry | December 9

Just over half of Brown undergraduates described their courses as very difficult or somewhat difficult, The Herald’s fall 2024 poll found. But 63% of grades were an A in the last academic year.

‘Possibly’ podcast takes a bite-sized approach to tackling environmental questions

By Sophia Wotman | December 9

The student-reported podcast produces short episodes on sustainability and climate issues.

Arts & Culture

Two roman Gladiators played by Paul Mescal (left) and Pedro Pascal (right) square off in a fight in the Colosseum

‘Gladiator II’ is an entertaining watch despite an emotional letdown from the original

By Gabriella Wrighten | December 5

Within minutes, the plot of ‘Gladiator II” is clear to those who remember the film’s prequel, or are familiar with the action genre.

Seven club members pose side by side carrying their instruments.

Healing Through Harmony gives back to community through melodies

By Isabel Hahn | December 2

For the members of the club Healing Through Harmony, music is not only a pastime, but a way to give back to their community. The group aims to promote healing and positivity in Providence community spaces by sharing and performing music.

Metro

An orange Spin electric scooter is parked on a sidewalk corner lined with specks of snow. A bush and parked cars are in the background.

Five years of Spin scooters: Are community members dizzy?

By Amelie Chin | December 11

Since Spin’s introduction to Providence five years ago, zipping bright orange scooters have become a regular sight on College Hill. With a scan of a QR code, users can unlock a scooter for a $1 fee and ride them at a rate of 41 cents per minute.

In tense battle, Rhode Island Senate Democrats choose their next leaders

By Pavani Durbhakula | December 6

On Nov. 7, the Rhode Island Senate Democratic Caucus convened to determine its leadership for the upcoming session.

RIPTA’s new service changes to increase route frequency, improve students’ commute

By Ciara Meyer | December 6

New bus service proposals aim to make the commute of students across Providence’s Public School District more efficient. Additional bus routes and increased frequency were also proposed, following potential cuts earlier in the year due to a driver shortage.

Human Rights Campaign gives Providence perfect score on LGBTQ+ index

By Lev Kotler-Berkowitz | December 5

Providence received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2024 Municipal Equality Index. The MEI reports ratings on hundreds of cities throughout the U.S. on LGBTQ+ equality in the city’s policies, services and programs. This is the 11th year in a row in which Providence has earned a score ...

Sports

Athletes are huddled together in front of a volleyball net.

Women’s volleyball drops Ivy League Tournament semi-finals

By Lydell Dyer | December 6

After a four-game win streak propelled the women’s volleyball team (11-14, 8-6 Ivy) to the Ivy League Tournament, the Bears challenged the Princeton Tigers (15-11, 12-2) in the semifinals on Nov. 22. But after losing three straight sets, the Bears’ season ended early.

Women’s hockey wins two out-of-conference matchups

By Dennis Carey | December 3

This weekend, women’s hockey played their post-Thanksgiving match-ups, feasting on two victories over Providence College and Holy Cross. The two wins break a six-game winless streak that saw the Bears lose four games and tie twice.

Men’s ice hockey comes home undefeated, beats Clarkson for first regulation win

By Ben Goldberg | November 25

In 59 minutes of men’s ice hockey on Friday, nothing could separate Bruno (2-3-1, 2-3-1 ECAC) from nationally-ranked Clarkson (9-4-1, 3-1-0). But with only seven seconds remaining, Bruno won an offensive zone faceoff, securing a 1-0 victory for its first win in regulation this season.

Football falls 56-28 in season finale against Dartmouth

By Lydell Dyer | November 25

Clouds speckled the sky and rain fell in buckets as the football team (3-7, 2-5 Ivy League) took on Dartmouth (8-2, 5-2 Ivy) in their final matchup of the year. Mirroring the dismal weather, the Bears’ 56-28 loss marked a gloomy end to the season.

Swimming and diving teams see massive success at Bruno Invitational

By Aura Machanic | November 25

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams swept last weekend’s Bruno Invitational meet with successes seen across the board for both teams.

Science & Research

A presentation slide that says "Reproductive Gerrymandering Bureaucratic Violence, and the Erosion of Abortion Access in the U.S."

Postdoctoral fellow lectures on the impacts of reproductive gerrymandering

By Claire Song | December 5

The lecture revolved around Basamajian's ethnographic fieldwork in Ohio, where she dove into the politics of abortion care.

Brown researchers study Bennu samples to unlock the mysteries of life and our solar system

By Alex Bruce | November 20

From an orbit of over 186,000 miles from Earth, to Utah’s Great Salt Lake Desert, to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, to College Hill: That’s ...