At Brown, not all student jobs involve desk work or tutoring. Some students take on more unique roles, from guiding classmates home to fostering Bruno spirit or helping students in the darkroom.
The Herald spoke to three students about their experiences holding unconventional jobs on campus.
Nurana Atageldiyeva ’26: Donning the yellow vest
After a 1:30 a.m. trip to Josiah’s or a study session at the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, those walking across campus at night may encounter pairs of yellow-vested peers traversing the Main Green or accompanying a student home. The Safewalk program, launched by Brown’s Department of Public Safety in 1988, ensures students do not have to walk home alone in the dark.
Nurana Atageldiyeva ’26 has been a Safewalker since the spring semester of her sophomore year, but she knew about the program before she even arrived on College Hill.
“I’m an international student, and when I got into Brown and was planning to come here, my grandma was very worried about how I was going to be safe,” said Atageldiyeva, who hails from Turkmenistan. While researching safety measures on Brown’s campus, she learned about the blue-light emergency system and the Safewalk program.
“When I came here, I would see all of these yellow-jacketed people, and I wanted to be part of that side,” Atageldiyeva said.
While the initial 12 to 2 a.m. shifts were an adjustment, Atageldiyeva said she has enjoyed safewalking not only because it makes her more vigilant, but also because she gets to meet new people along the way.
“My very first semester, there was a guy who wanted to go to Insomnia Cookies to get his girlfriend a tray of cookies for their anniversary,” she said. “It was so cute.”
Julia Schriefer ’26: Bringing the Bruno spirit
Bruno is a staple at sports games, but the mascot also appears at other events to raise school spirit. Julia Schriefer ’26, a cross-country athlete, donned Bruno getup during Reunion Weekend last May.
Schriefer wanted to work Reunion Weekend because many of her friends were graduating this past spring. Scrolling on Workday, Schriefer spotted the Bruno mascot posting, and got the job after convincing her interviewer that she would bring spirit to the weekend’s events.
“It was weird because I couldn’t talk or anything,” she said. “I would see people I know and I wouldn’t be able to say ‘Guys, it’s me!’”
The minimum height criteria for Bruno is around 5 feet 4 inches tall, according to Schriefer. At 5 feet 3 inches and three-quarters, she barely made the cut.
“The head piece was kind of big on me,” she said, adding that the costume blocked her peripheral vision and she was aided by a guide who walked alongside her. Schriefer and a co-mascot alternated between wearing the costume and serving as Bruno’s guide, allowing for frequent breaks.
The guide also acted as a “spokesperson” for Bruno, interacting and conversing with alumni, Schriefer said.
“I definitely felt a lot of the Bruno pride,” Schriefer said. “A lot of alumni were coming up to me and saying ‘I remember when I was Bruno.’”
Julia Schriefer ’26, a cross-country athlete, became Bruno during Alumni Weekend in the spring. “I definitely felt a lot of the Bruno pride,” Schriefer said.
Dev Patel ’26: Bringing chemistry to the darkroom
The third floor of the List Art Building is home to the University’s darkroom, which is used to process black-and-white images. After taking VISA 0140: “Photography Foundation” in the fall of his sophomore year, Dev Patel ’26 started working as a darkroom monitor in January 2024.
Patel, who studies geochemistry, is responsible for mixing chemicals in the darkroom and helping students print their photos. Patel also manages the space and ensures chemicals are properly disposed of.
After nearly two years in the role, Patel is able to advise students on the brightness of their photos, “not from an artistic standpoint, but a purely technical one,” helping darkroom users develop photos to their liking.
“I can pretty much identify anything wrong with someone’s print,” he said.
Over semesters at the darkroom, Patel sees student photographers along their artistic journeys.
“Initially, it is always a picture of List or a picture of (the) Van Wickle Gates,” Patel explained, “but then (students) start to differentiate and think about what they are actually taking.” Soon, he said, “you start to see more and more developed photos.”
Emily Feil is a senior staff writer covering staff and student labor. She is a freshman from Long Beach, NY and plans to study economics and English. In her free time, she can be found watching bad TV and reading good books.
