Students walk through the Soldiers Memorial Gate, which is surrounded by trees.

Legacy preferences in admission were originally conceived as a way to limit the number of Jewish students at highly-selective, elite institutions. But today, according to The Herald’s fall 2024 poll, 39% of legacy students at Brown are Jewish despite making up 14% of the student body.

Behind a contested admissions policy, a century-old legacy of antisemitism

By Talia LeVine | November 22 | University News

The University’s net assets increased by 8.3% to $8.3 billion in its 2024 fiscal year, despite ...

Brown University sees 8.3% net increase in assets in 2024, outperforming peers

By Anisha Kumar | November 22 | University News

The University’s net assets increased by 8.3% to $8.3 billion in its 2024 fiscal year, despite ...

Brown’s coed sailing team coasted across the finish line of the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association ...

Sailing rounds out successful fall season with second-place finish at Match Race Nationals

By Aura Machanic | November 22 | Sports

Brown’s coed sailing team coasted across the finish line of the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association ...

PPSD students see effects of RI youth mental health crisis, discuss state’s solutions

By Joy Chen | November 22 | Metro

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Growing concerns over a statewide mental health crisis among school-age youth has led the Rhode Island Department of Education to launch a new student mental health support program, state officials announced last month.

As Brown’s transfer population grows, new communities emerge

By Elena Jiang | November 22 | University News

Days before most students flocked to campus for the fall semester, Sami Nourji ’26 was already at Salomon Center surrounded by new faces.

Opinions

Sandhu ’25: Two households, two parties — what Romeo and Juliet can teach us about political division

By Meher Sandhu | November 22

We have all come across the “Romeo and Juliet” story countless times, in one form or another. Perhaps it was introduced to you by Leonardo DiCaprio’s dreamy film portrayal, the lyrics of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” or best of all, Shakespeare’s original text. This fall, I saw the story ...

Marcus ’26: A return to calm on campus

By Ben Marcus | November 22

In recent weeks, there has been a palpable shift on campus. Classes feel more collaborative, students have returned to relaxing on the Main Green and we’ve all been able to watch the leaves fall as autumn settles in. The atmosphere is more peaceful as the divisive protests that dominated campus for ...

Aizenberg ’26: What a religious Israeli political party and a Nebraskan mechanic can teach the Democrats

By Benjamin Aizenberg | November 19

The 1999 Israeli elections sent shockwaves through the small nation’s political landscape. Though the well-established Likud party and One Israel coalition led the parliamentary vote count, the ultra-religious Shas party emerged as an unexpected challenger, finishing just one percent behind. Led by ...

Davis ’27: Rural America isn't the enemy, moral superiority is

By Christian Davis | November 19

As election season draws to a close, another American tradition takes its place: scapegoating. The discourse surrounding rural voters has reached an all-time high across social media and, more worryingly, across campus. In an effort to place blame for the result of the presidential election, students ...

Letter: Response to ‘US spent over $22 billion on Israel’s military operations in the past year, Watson study finds’

By Abby Doft, Frederick Horowitz and Justin Steinberg | November 19

To the Editor:

University News

Eric Estes smiles in front of bookshelves.

‘Incredibly invested in community’: Friends, colleagues remember VP of Campus Life Eric Estes

By Aniyah Nelson | November 22

Eric Estes, a leader in education, passed away on June 4 at the age of 55. Estes served as the University’s vice president of campus life since 2016.

Members of BURP posing with a massage table on the Main Green

Stress relief right on campus, courtesy of the Brown University Relaxation Project

By Sophia Wotman | November 20

Are exams bringing you down? In need of a free massage, right on Brown’s campus? Look no further than the Brown University Relaxation Project, or BURP, a wellness group that trains student volunteers to offer free back massages and other stress relief resources to the Brown community.

University-backed solar farm receives final approval

By Tom Li and Julia Vaz | November 20

Travelers taking the Boston-bound train through North Kingstown may have noticed a new expanse of blue in the landscape. As passengers lean closer to their windows, what initially appears to be a lake materializing in the distance quickly transforms into rows upon rows of newly installed solar panels. ...

How Brown’s police force knew of the pro-Palestinian encampment before it began

By Owen Dahlkamp | November 19

On April 23, Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management Rodney Chatman and other members of the Department of Public Safety were aware of an imminent pro-Palestinian encampment set to begin the next morning.

Ariana Palomo ’25 named Rhodes Scholar

By Samah Hamid | November 19

Ariana Palomo ’25 was named one of 32 American Rhodes Scholars for 2025 on Saturday. She’s the first Brown student to be selected for the scholarship since 2021.

Arts & Culture

‘Small Things Like These’ is an emotional call to action

By Alyssia Ouhocine | November 20

For moviegoers looking for both tension and inspiration, “Small Things Like These” is a perfect choice. Starring Cillian Murphy, the historical drama explores the age-old question of moral responsibility through the lens of the controversial Magdalene Laundries of Ireland.

Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) and her roommate Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande-Butera) look into the mirror.

‘Wicked’ is sure to be popular with audiences and at box office

By Manav Musunuru | November 19

When “Wicked” — the musical adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” — premiered on Broadway at the Gershwin Theater in 2003, it was met with mixed reactions. Critics lauded the show’s production and the performances of Idina ...

Metro

Brown residents file for unionization, gear up for elections

By Ethan Schenker and Claire Song | November 21

Residents and fellows at four Brown-affiliated hospitals filed to unionize Friday. It’s the group’s first steps to holding elections that, if successful, would result in 950 physicians joining thousands of other unionized doctors nationwide.

City of Providence, RIDE reach agreement on school funding

By Ciara Meyer | November 20

On Wednesday, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and the Rhode Island Department of Education reached a deal on how much the City must increase funding for the Providence Public School District. The deal still needs to be formalized in writing. The parties expect to announce the details of the agreement ...

Brown medical residents at RI hospitals seek unionization

By Ethan Schenker and Claire Song | November 19

Nine hundred and fifty medical residents and fellows at four hospitals affiliated with Brown’s Warren Alpert School of Medicine are seeking union representation, according to public filings with the National Labor Relations Board.

RI awarded $24 million in federal funding for energy bill assistance to low-income households

By Ivy Huang | November 18

Late last month, U.S. Representative Gabe Amo (D-R.I. 1) announced that Rhode Island was awarded $24 million in federal funding through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Sports

Volleyball vaults to Ivy playoffs with late-season surge

By Linus Lawrence | November 20

With a win on Saturday night against Columbia, the Bears clinched a spot in the Ivy Tournament for the third consecutive season.

Men’s soccer comes up short in semifinal loss to Penn

By Gus Bailey | November 19

Men’s soccer suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss to No. 12 Penn in the Ivy League semifinals in Philadelphia on Friday. The defeat ended the Bears’ 2024 season and sent Penn to a championship matchup against Princeton.

‘Fight until the end’: Women’s rugby closes 15s season with semifinal loss to Dartmouth

By Dennis Carey | November 19

In a bid to defend its 7s title from last spring, the women’s rugby team squared off against the top-seeded Dartmouth Big Green in the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association semifinals this Saturday. Despite playing a great game in Hanover, the Bears were unable to punch their tickets to the upcoming ...

Bears struggle to round out senior-day home game

By Lydell Dyer | November 17

24 seniors and seven fifth-years finished their last game at Brown Stadium with a 21-12 loss against Columbia.

Volleyball jumps into playoff picture with pivotal weekend sweep

By Linus Lawrence | November 14

This past weekend, the women’s volleyball team (9-13, 6-6 Ivy) added a pair of pivotals wins in Providence over Harvard (10-11, 5-7 Ivy) and Dartmouth (10-12, 3-9 Ivy) to their recent surge.

Science & Research

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 ...

Photo of RFK Jr. at a podium delivering a speech.

‘An extraordinarily bad choice’: SPH Dean Ashish Jha criticizes RFK Jr. nomination for Health and Human Services

By Elise Haulund | November 20

At an October rally, now-president-elect Donald Trump said that he would let Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has gained notoriety for his anti-vaccine views, ...