Andrew Migneault
Hold your judgments, but I had been eagerly awaiting the completion of Pembroke Hall since I first set foot on this campus over a year ago. An amateur architect myself, I always enjoy musing over the brickwork and window styles of our predominantly nineteenth-century East Side, often making sketches of the buildings that I would like to replace Grad Center. When I finally got my chance to tour the finalized Pembroke Hall this sunny Friday before Parents Weekend, the same sinking feeling came across my stomach as the times when I first saw the interiors of Smith-Bouanano and Hope College. I have long been irritated by “contemporary” architecture, but Brown seems to have a knack for mutilating the historic integrity of original buildings that defined the atmosphere of this campus years back. The main hallway (and for that matter, stairwells, classrooms, and bathrooms) of Pembroke Hall remind me of the refrigerator aisle in my local supermarket – frigid and blinding. Nearly every surface is painted a brilliant white that reflects the fluorescent lights that line the ceiling. And when I say nearly every surface, I exclude the opaque and clear glass surfaces that make up half the walls inside. I was surprised when I had to pull open the door to a large glass classroom – I nearly expected it to swoosh up with the veneer of a sci-fi spaceship. I hope that our dear University will realize in the near future to not make the mistakes of New Pembroke and Grad Center again. That is, architecture of the era. Let’s restore, not renovate.
Sean B. Quigley ‘10
What do you call a man who donated the maximum amount possible to a candidate in the primary, who was whispered to be that candidate’s vice-presidential nominee, who had been a life-long member of the same party as that candidate, and yet who endorses that candidate’s opponent in the general election? While turncoat and traitor certainly come to mind, shameless seeker of an artificial “racial progress” is probably more accurate. As many conservatives were shocked to see, Republican Colin Powell endorsed Democrat Barack Obama on October 19, 2008, after having supported Republican John McCain throughout the nomination process. Powell gave a rather unsatisfying explanation for why he endorsed the most left-wing member of the Senate, causing the honest observer to conclude that their shared race was perhaps the real reason behind the charade. General, may we remind you that the Republican vision of liberty and industrious entrepreneurialism has always been the engine of racial progress in this country. You chose the wrong candidate, and look like a fool for having done so.
Susannah Kroeber ‘11
I am a bored voter. As my parents live abroad, my only realistic option for this past election was to register in Rhode Island. I wish I had a valid excuse to register somewhere else. While voting for the next president and vice president of our country was exciting, the Rhode Island Senate and Congressional races were as good as uncontested, and and the state general assembly senator and representative races were uncontested. But to add insult to injury, Rhode Island had the most boring ballot initiatives in the US. California had gay marriage stem cells, and parental consent for abortion, Massachusetts had the income tax, marijuana and greyhound racing, Arizona and Florida had gay marriage, Arkansas had a prohibition on non-married couples from adopting, Oregon debated the degree foreign languages are used in schools, and even Nebraska had a referendum on affirmative action. What did we have here in Rhode Island? Two lousy bond issues. Any surprise that the state voted overwhelming for public transportation and state park bonds? Our issues were so boring, that in the detailed ballot initiative review organized by topic on ballotopedia.org, Rhode Island didn’t appear as an example of the bond issues on the state ballots. For any students still in Rhode Island in 4 years, I appeal to you to make it your mission to collect signatures for a ballot initiative that gets us to the polls excited. Perhaps an initiative to put the first elementary schooler on the moon?
