Sorority recruitment reached a new high this year, showing Greek life’s enduring presence on campus. A total of 207 female undergrads sought bids — a 48 percent increase from the 140 students who did so last year. A total of 135 students were ultimately offered bids from one of the three sororities on campus: Alpha Chi Omega, Kappa Alpha Theta and Kappa Delta. According to Theta’s President Meredith Heckman ’16, the increase in new recruits might come from the sisters’ community involvement, as all three sororities are “extremely involved on campus.”
Meanwhile, the snow continued to make headlines this week with the collapse of the Pizzitola roof early Wednesday morning. Though no one was injured, the collapse marks the second time the Pizzitola has suffered snow-related failures. Roofing contractors worked for eight hours to remove the snow and prevent any possible water damage on the court floors, while cranes have been on site to remove snow from the roof. Andrew Commons also suffered a pipe burst from the cold weather, but luckily for pho eaters everywhere, the dining area has since been successfully repaired.
Students have also been facing accessibility issues as a result of the storms. While Facilities Management has extensive strategies in place for clearing the ice, the heavy snowfall makes plowing all the more difficult. Despite efforts to clear sidewalks, students told The Herald they were unable to get around campus because of the build-up of snow, with some unable to get to class even when the University is open — a much better reason to miss class than most of us usually have.
Plans to implement a survey about campus attitudes toward sexual assault are on the agenda for this April, as Brown acquired the use of a survey by paying the Association of American Universities, $87,500. Many researchers have critiqued aspects of the survey, citing its lack of transparency and potentially troubling effects on students. They argue the survey limits definitions of sexual assault and sexual harassment, inadequately addressing survivors’ experiences and ultimately breaking the second Belmont principle which seeks to protect participants from harm.
President Christina Paxson P’19 also announced plans to dig a little deeper into students’ pockets Sunday by announcing that the Corporation approved a 4.4 percent rise in tuition for the upcoming year, making the total cost of attending Brown a whopping $62,046 — a cost that students may lament does not even include textbooks. We also learned from last weekend’s Corporation meeting that Brown is looking at a projected $4.4 million deficit for fiscal year 2016. The Corporation also accepted $63 million in gifts — more than most students get during the holidays.
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