One guy is totally naked except for a covered wang. He has donuts, but does not seem to be affiliated.
Not happening here, says one member (person, not penis). SciLi guard threatened them with arrest on top floor, asking for names and threatening to review video.
— Seth Motel, freelance reporter
For more on the naked donut run — which after gracing the Rock and CIT in full-naked glory was brought to a screeching halt in the SciLi — check blogdailyherald.com.
Sunday, 21:36
There are so many people in the SciLi right now. Brown_EZ is SO overloaded that I am forced to view Gmail in "Basic HTML view." Unexpected boon for my productivity, or extremely frustrating reminder of what $50k/year doesn't buy me?
Saturday, 3:24 pm
Welcome to Cafe Frisc. Currently covering the computer table in the 25 decibels (mind you, there is no food or drink allowed near any University computers): six coffee cups, two Ratty take-out boxes, three paper bags from Starbucks, a container of Chinese food take-out, a box from the Creperie, a smoothie in an unmarked plastic cup and countless water bottles. Combined with the excessive number of people and computer wires present, this is a catastrophe just waiting to happen. Just keep your french presses off the table, plz.
Thursday, 8:54 pm
New tables emerge from plastic wrap. Bring out the reinforcements, boys. It's go time.
Thursday, 8:30 pm
Overheard at the circulation desk: "Have you ever *been* to pizza night before? Brace yourself. People are going to go nuts."
Thursday, 8:18 pm
Within 5 minutes of their set up, the pizza tables have already been overtaken by eager studiers. The promise of free food may be nice, but there's nothing quite so delicious as an unclaimed table in the basement.
Thursday, 1:19 pm
UPDATE: The Naked Donut Run has not yet occurred. So much for predictions surrounding last night.
Our money is now on tonight. And no, we're not going to redo this every day. Tonight is definitely the night.
Our money is now on tonight. And no, we're not going to redo this every day. Tonight is definitely the night.
Wednesday, 5:10 pm
Health Services did suggest we remember to eat during finals...
Get ready for sheer mayhem.
Wednesday, 4:21 pm
Scenes from the Science Center:
The central study space is filled with 25 students, very quietly working. In walks a poor student attendant. "Uhh, guys, attention, uhh — I'm really sorry but there's about to be a review session in here."
"You can't forcibly remove me!" yells one student.
Another student drags a table into the hallway.
No one moves.
The central study space is filled with 25 students, very quietly working. In walks a poor student attendant. "Uhh, guys, attention, uhh — I'm really sorry but there's about to be a review session in here."
"You can't forcibly remove me!" yells one student.
Another student drags a table into the hallway.
No one moves.
Wednesday, 3:27 pm
Oh dear lord, mayhem has set in. If you were unsure when the first day of finals was, one look at the basement would confirm all suspicions. D-Day is tomorrow, and the frenetic quality of the Frisc is really showing through. It's a jungle. It's every-man-for-himself, kill-your-friend-for-a-chair, steal-someone-else's-outlet, blast-your-music-till-you-don't-notice-there's-someone-almost-on-top-of-you. Who are we kidding? We secretly love it. Except for those of us trying to preserve sanity — and trying to turn in a paper within the next two hours. We're in the Science Center.
Tuesday, 9:20 pm
Let the countdown begin. Based on data from prior years, we have reason to believe the naked donut run will take place tomorrow. (OK. It's not that scientific. Finals start on Thursday.) But still. Stake out your seat on the red blob in the basement starting now.
The Frisc may be a pretty liberal place, but it's not every day that you get a real-life pornographic showing. It's about to get very, very real.
Note: The naked donut run does pass through the Rock as well, but it's just less exciting.
The Frisc may be a pretty liberal place, but it's not every day that you get a real-life pornographic showing. It's about to get very, very real.
Note: The naked donut run does pass through the Rock as well, but it's just less exciting.
Sunday, 3:21 pm
Has studying for finals driven you mad? Well, a boy in the lobby is conducting an impromptu survey: "Do you think Beyonce is slutty / promiscuous?" Now that's something I haven't considered in a while.
Saturday, 3:57 pm
Smile! You're on the Jumbotron.
The Science Center now features large flat screen televisions with a rotating loop of glamor shots. Studiers, beware. Now we can all see that you actually were on Facebook.
The Science Center now features large flat screen televisions with a rotating loop of glamor shots. Studiers, beware. Now we can all see that you actually were on Facebook.
Thursday, 2:45 pm
The SciLi is broken: Not only is the Thayer street entrance having major issues, the swipe card reader is broken so the guy at the desk has to inspect everyone's cards. The end is nigh.
— Joanna Wohlmuth
Saturday, 2:26 pm
The libraries and their cafe carts must be involved in some sort of elaborate scheme to force studiers to purchase goods. There is no other explanation for the Arctic temperature of the Frisc. After a couple of hours of studying, when the bone-chilling freeze sets in, there is no option remaining except to purchase warm liquid.
Sunday, 11:16pm
Someone's phone was not on silent in 00 decibels, of all places.
No, you and I canNOT write a Bad Romance, because your library etiquette is not up to my standards.
No, you and I canNOT write a Bad Romance, because your library etiquette is not up to my standards.
Sunday, 11:10 am
Monday, 10:42 am
There are so many grown-ups! They keep emerging, from study rooms, from elevators, from the staircase. And they're speaking at a normal volume level! Don't they know this is a library? Don't they know what 25 decibels means? (If they do, they should probably tell the students sitting here.)
Monday, 10:40 am
There are 10+ nicely clothed adults milling around the basement, staring into study rooms, peeking around corners, whispering to each other. What is going on??
Sunday, 2:11 pm
In an effort to alleviate crowding, the Frisc has brought in large, rectangular, white tables and placed them haphazardly in the 25-decibel zone. Despite the general largess of these tables, Frisc users seem to think they are a portable item. Though outlet proximity is a problem, maneuvering furniture should not be an accepted library practice. That line of thinking clearly does not exist in this space, though.
Tuesday, 10:58 am
You can tell when this morning each studier embarked on their journey to the Fortress of Doom based on the level of rain preparedness. These boots look silly now, but I swear they were relevant three hours ago. And if I had to wager, they will be again three hours from now.
Tuesday, 10:40 am
The Frisc provides a full sampling of the Blackberry's ringtone options. Is that Asian Morning? Or perhaps the Samba? I would suspect none of the above fall within suggested decibel range.
Monday, 9:35 pm
Eyewitness reports from 10 a.m. till now reveal incontrovertible evidence that midterm season has, in fact, fully arrived. Don't count on nabbing a chair, a computer, a working printer, a turn in the bathroom unless someone loves you and has been saving it for hours.
Sunday, 1:08 pm
On Computer Row, the distinctive "bzzzz" of a cell phone calls out, and every single person reaches for their own. I'm pickin' up good vibrations.
In other news, the basement has relocated to the arctic temperate zone. The sign mandates 25 decibels, not 25 degrees, kids.
Saturday, 5:00 pm
I really try not to judge the actions of others. OK, that's not true. But generally, I'm pretty kind. That being said, I am currently witnessing a number of taboo activities in the lobby: napping, Skyping, Hulu.com-ing. Go home!
Sunday, 1:22 pm
This morning, I was walking past the SciLi with friends who were visiting. I pointed out the Fortress of Darkness, and told them I had a blog about the monstrous library. A bystander laughed.
I have no words for you, hater. Do you not understand the anthropological and cultural importance of documenting all that happens within this great tower?
Monday, 10:26 am
The true meaning of viral video:
Three people on computer row are watching "Ke$ha versus Katy Perry."
Now that's what I call… studying.
Someone had an accident
Tuesday, 12:43 pm
It is a rare day when you receive glares for answering a phone call in the 25 decibels. What has the world — and the normally chaotic lunch hour — come to?
Monday, 10:28 am
The Frisc is already a mess, but it seems that the freshmen have not yet discovered the Rock study room, and everyone else forgot about it. Ah, peace and solitude.
Sunday, 2:36 pm
I needed to print some readings for my seminar tomorrow. The computer I was using in the 25 decibel area would only print to PDF. The help desk consultant said that I could reboot the computer which "may or may not work" or I could switch computers to one that "may not have the problem." The computer next to me worked fine but I'm still a bit concerned. Does this mean I have to live in fear that any of the computers could decide not to print on a whim?
— Joanna Wohlmuth, guest columnist
Sunday, 11:39 am
Nothing has changed. The new windows computers still take too long to log into, it is still freezing in here, and there has been no improvement to the utterly inadequate water fountain. The only change here would be my increased ability to bring better snacks (yet people still glare at me for loudly crunching pretzel crisps).
— Guest columnist Ethan Mack, on his return to the Frisc
Wednesday, 10:24 am
Nothing ever changes.
It's a new school year — yes, it took us a week to make it into the library; don't judge, you haven't done real homework yet — but the Frisc is the same as always. There are more coffee cups than people, at least two people are napping and the study rooms are covered in red problem sets. Paw Prints is proving to be feisty and Brown-Secure is on the fritz. And you, yes you in the corner: I see you watching something on Hulu.
It's good to be back.
Monday, 7:01 am
7 a.m. in the Frisc is truly one of my favorites. It's just before the early-morning crew trickles in to print out their papers or do some-last minute studying before 9 a,m, exams, which means that pretty much every single person here has been in it for the long haul, since last night. And though our numbers have dwindled considerably — especially, it seems, between 4 and 5 — our noses are to the grindstone and our spirits are surprisingly high. Only the strong survive.
— Ellen Cushing, Columnist
Monday, 2:13 am
Perhaps less well-documented than the 2 a.m. Rock migration, but no less fascinating anthropologically: the 2 a.m. caravan to Store 24 to buy coffee/cigarettes/snacks before it closes. Tonight's count: at least 5.
— Ellen Cushing, Columnist
Friday, 3:20 am
Post 3am and we're still at full capacity. This means business, kids. The free coffee is already all gone.*
*after the cafe closes, the extra coffee is left out. Tonight, it did not last very long. Shocker.
Friday, 2:32 am
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Friday, 1:09 am
All is shockingly quiet and calm in the basement. But this phenomenon won't last long. Sleep tight, orgo kids. We'll see you back here after your exam.
Thursday, 9:01 pm
I spy some thirsty help desk employees and a case of 2 buck Chuck. Maybe they are developing some sort of new SciLi challenge.
— Joanna Wohlmuth, Guest Columnist
Wednesday, 7:34 am
Pre-8 am is crazy time. And time for the crazies. I spy three people sleeping, one girl reciting a speech — complete with hand motions, two blankets, a table filled with junk food and more Red Bulls than I can count.
Wednesday, 12:43 am
Out of the Science Center bathroom, and straight into a crowd of naked people. Hello, kid that I worked with on a neuroethics group project. I will take a jelly-filled munchkin.
Wednesday, 12:31 am
People block the stairs. "But where are the naked people going to go?"
Wednesday, 12:21 am
Spirits are unbelievably high in the Frisc. A full-library "Happy Birthday" just echoed all throughout the space. Hell no was that 50 decibels.
Wednesday, 12:06 am
The basement is always insane. This is nothing new. But why is tonight different from all other nights?
Let the countdown to Naked Donut Run begin.
And no, it is not because the first final exam slot is tomorrow.
Let the countdown to Naked Donut Run begin.
Tuesday, 11:37 pm
Up in the fourth floor airport hangar, where the fluorescent lights shine bright, moving furniture seems to be the new trend. If only we had been making a slow motion movie since last night.
What an odd space. It's just begging to be Friscafied.
Tuesday, 10:30 pm
Brace yourself before you get off the elevator on the third floor. You will be faced with a teeming mass of students. Bio 20 TAs are in high demand. Brown wireless is sluggish. Competition for the SciLi's resources has become fierce -- did your Bio 47 class teach you how adapt to this hostile environment?
Tuesday, 2:44 pm
LiSci is the SciLi's opposite in more than just cutesy alliterative names. The lobby of the Life Sciences building, the most well-kept secret on campus (oops), is probably the most desirable place to study. And every feature is distinctly a mirror of those in the Frisc.
The space is sun-lit and air-filled with tall ceilings and enormous glass windows. And none of that zen garden crap; we're talking the real, wild outdoors (or Pembroke). The couches are functional, but comfortable; the colors are subdued — not that we don't love a nice shade of Gatorade green. Outlets are gratuitously available, built into every table and scattered around the floor. Though there are no decibel signs posted, the noise level would probably comply with at least the 25s.
Come celebrate opposite day! Just make sure you do it before 5 pm, when swipe access ceases for those of us not actually entitled to be here. At least the SciLi is an open, accepting place.
Monday, 11:47 pm
SciLevators are nothing if not problematic. Currently, the middle elevator is stuck somewhere near the 14th floor and the Lobby button refuses to light up in at least one of the others.
To make matters, well, more interesting, reading period is a tenuous time to travel anyway as studiers set out for new territory, trying every. single. floor.
So Frisc users, here's a tip: Do not take the elevator from the basement to the lobby. Hell, don't even take it from the basement to the mezz. Chances are you haven't had a chance to leave the building in a while, so take the opportunity for a little light fitness. No more of this ride till we die attitude; the cables just cannot take it.
Monday, 11:30 pm
With Providence weather still dipping into the 40s, one would think the time for air conditioning has not yet come. Well, welcome to frickin freezing Frisc. (And the fourth floor ain't too cozy either.)
Monday, 8:54 pm
The renovated fourth floor is probably the strangest place in the entire Sciences Library. The open, brightly lit space brings to mind taking final exams in a high school gymnasium. The low, plastic sofas appear to have been transported from the preschool on Hope Street. The space could hold infinitely more work space and yet … it just doesn't. Reminiscent of another area in the library with questionable furniture placement…
The redeeming quality is that few people know this space holds anything different than the rest of the stacks, and yet this cross-bred hybrid world is just a short elevator ride away.
Monday, 10:31 am
The lack of heating in the bookstore cafe prompts a group migration to the Frisc. Oh, the warmer clime of 00 decibels.
Saturday, 10:46 pm
It's 10:46 on a Saturday night and every computer but one in the entire Frisc is occupied. O HAI FINALS!
— Ellen Cushing, Guest Columnist
Saturday, 11:10 am
Saturday syndrome: The basement is quiet, empty even. With rainclouds overhead, most students are still comfortably snuggled in their beds. But come 12pm, they will all flock to the Ratty and from there, it's only a matter of time before the great Frisc migration occurs. Enjoy your silence while you can.
[NOTE: This marks 100 TFTF posts. Thanks for reading.]
Friday, 2:36 am
I am frantically searching TFTF for a post on noise level, to no avail, so I have no choice to direct this little tirade to you straight. My apologies. But like, not really, because this is fucking unaccaptable. People are literally SHRIEKING and LAUGHING and not even attempting to whisper. This is a motherfucking library.
Please tell your dear, die-hard Rock partialist that this is some kind of bizarre anomaly and not normal Frisc behavior.
Please tell your dear, die-hard Rock partialist that this is some kind of bizarre anomaly and not normal Frisc behavior.
— Ellen Cushing, Guest Columnist
Tuesday, 8:27 pm
Migration season has begun. I am not ashamed to admit that I just took the elevator to the SciCenter in order to use the restroom.
Monday, 12:58 pm
The basement is flooded with students seeking refuge from the muggy, humid, Providence drizzle. How unusual that the Frisc climate is the desired one.
Sunday, 4:15 pm
When a hard working science student, bleary-eyed from reading countless journal articles that have been out of date for the past 40 years, finally finds that one article that is tangentially related to some small point in his grant application, it's a pretty big moment. After having been on the 9th floor for 7 continuous hours and now descending to our favorite 24-hour study center, looking for a reprieve from the repressive silence (science?) of the stacks, this intrepid science student was met with a complete and total photocopier meltdown. On the scale of Chernobyl, terror was felt throughout the Frisc as this frantic student went from one machine to the next attempting to photocopy this now irrelevant article. 1 yellow busted sign, 1 partial, but significant lack of toner and 2 paper jams later, this science student all but admitted defeat in the face of the technological powers of the Frisc "Could I just check the book out?", the now severely depressed science student asks. "No", says the clearly overwhelmed student worker, about 5 minutes away from the end of his shift, "it's a periodical, building only".
Well then, all this poor science student needed to do was photocopy 10 pages of a stupid article from 1967 and then he could go have his first meal since the bacon, egg, and cheese bagel, from what now seems like an age ago. Clearly sensing the desperation in this sad student's voice, the student worker heads back to get one of the more technologically savvy luddites workers, who, clearly frustrated from being called during their break, opens a few doors and somehow manages to instantly fix a previously insurmountable paper jam. At least we can say one thing about the Frisc, those binder-midner things certainly do make photocopying enjoyable.
— Ethan Mack, Guest Columnist
Saturday, 3:04 pm
Girl by the window, what are you taking a photo of with your high-tech camera? I see a Nantucket Nectar and a cup of coffee from the cart in the SciLi lobby. Please don't put that on Facebook.
Saturday, 1:43 pm
Once again, I write while betraying my origins. Yes, I am positioned in the Rock study room. What can I say? I demand sunlight, a table and relative quiet while writing a paper. Despite my love affair with the Frisc, not even I can argue all of those items will be found in one location in the fortress to the science gods.
But here's a major grievance I must air. I complain profusely about the bathroom situation in the Frisc. No one will argue that it is not dire — there is one stall, the sink leaks, the line is long even at 2 am. It's a lose-lose-lose-etc.
But it's got one up on the Rock study room, which does not even HAVE a bathroom. Despite hosting many of the buildings computers, printers and collaborative workspaces, the first floor lacks one of life's greatest necessities. Forgive me for being lazy and not wanting to walk up or down the stairs, but … actually, don't forgive me. I'm going to entitle myself to a little laziness while writing a term paper. Work with me here, ok? All we ask for is life, liberty and the pursuit of easy restroom access. Is that so difficult?
Wednesday, 3:54
Reading period is nearly upon us. 4 pm on a random weekday and the computer table is swamped. Plus a sign near the security desk upstairs proclaims "Open 633 hours!" During finals, there is no rest for the weary. And apparently, none for the Frisc either.
Sunday, 7:27 pm
Sunday is usually prime Frisc time, but following Spring Weekend, we applaud those of you who made it here at all. Volume is appropriate, and availabilities are widespread. Computers, chairs and classrooms ... oh my!
Friday, 1:35 pm
Hello Spring Weekend, from a deserted and desolate Frisc. People here are limited in number, but working furiously. Only the strong survive.
Thursday, 00:10
Midnight mezz count: 36.
Volume still at the typical deafening roar we've come to expect from our favorite open-air study space.
Volume still at the typical deafening roar we've come to expect from our favorite open-air study space.
Wednesday, 20:54
Well, Emmy's Spring Week theories aside, there are plenty of people with their noses to the grindstone here in the Frisc. Nary a computer to be had in the basement!
But keep your heads up, everyone. We may be kicking off Spring Weekend in a SciLi state of mind, but I'll take the Frisc Company over Fish Company any day.*
*I actually wouldn't, OF COURSE.
But keep your heads up, everyone. We may be kicking off Spring Weekend in a SciLi state of mind, but I'll take the Frisc Company over Fish Company any day.*
*I actually wouldn't, OF COURSE.
Wednesday, 9:17 am
Comforting to see that some of the people who were here late last night are still here …
Less reassuring that they are passed out in the blue square chairs.
Wednesday, 2:00 am
2 am arrivals. Seemingly strange to the unknowing, but this, my friends, is the Rock migration.
Wednesday, 12:52 am
It has been quite some time since TFTF reported live from the dwindling hours of the night. Let's just say we're not the only ones pulling the pre Spring Weekend all nighter. Despite the seemingly intense work habits though, spring cheer is definitely in the air. Just wait till 2 a.m., though.
Tuesday, 10:04 pm
Crossover hour is alive and bumping tonight, but this marks what will probably be the final rush before Spring Weekend fully takes hold. Common knowledge states that Wednesday's FishCo kicks the week off; papers due next Monday are given an unofficial Tuesday night deadline. So brace yourselves if you were hoping for a computer or a classroom tonight. We're in it to win it.
Tuesday, 9:02 pm
Study rooms are not meant for graphic art. From my perch at the computer table, I spy a donkey, a unicorn, a serpent, a genie an, angel and a woman lying on a car. Happy 4/20, Frisc.
Sunday, 5:08 pm
Bringing a hot water heater to the Frisc is bizarre and unnecessary. The cafe will allow you to fill a cup for free — you know that, right? The whistling noise is cute though...
Sunday, 2:12 pm
The Frisc is shockingly empty for a Sunday afternoon. DON'T YOU PEOPLE HAVE MIDTERMS AND FINAL PAPERS?
Monday, 19:45
You know it's getting close to crossover hour when, having no other choice, people start to fill in the low, awkward spring green chairs in 25 decibels.
Monday, 10:35
There is a bag sitting underneath the western 25 decibels computer table which has been sitting there for the last 90 minutes. Three people have come and gone from the computer. Guess the 'see something, say something' rule doesn't apply in the Frisc. Where are the Amtrak police when you need them?
-with additional reporting by Emmy
-with additional reporting by Emmy
Sunday, 1:42 pm
FUN FACT: Though wireless is sketchy at best in most parts of the Frisc, the signal comes through strong and clear in the elevator. Unfortunately, there are no outlets. This is only a relevant concern due to the extended wait times that can be encountered while ascending.
Sunday, 13:35
Oh, SciLi! What big windows you have!
The better to torture you with, my dear. Come closer.
The better to torture you with, my dear. Come closer.
Sunday, 12:03 am
Miss the SciLi already? Become its friend!
Though it's unlikely the SciLi will get down with you over break, now might be a good time to reconnect.
Wednesday, 20:16
Apparently everyone else's Spring Break is starting days before mine because it is pretty empty here in 25 decibels. This has allowed me to have a computer facing out into the basement, but not such that anyone in a study room can watch me rampantly gchatting...
Mixed blessing?
Mixed blessing?
Tuesday, 12:53 pm
Awkward hour (noun) --
A phenomenon that causes students to flood the SciLi basement to print reading and check their e-mail, because there's little else they can get done between classes.
Example usage: I went to the SciLi during awkward hour, and none of the computers were free. I lurked by 50 decibels until someone finally got up and left.
A phenomenon that causes students to flood the SciLi basement to print reading and check their e-mail, because there's little else they can get done between classes.
Example usage: I went to the SciLi during awkward hour, and none of the computers were free. I lurked by 50 decibels until someone finally got up and left.
Sunday, 7:27 pm
Why is there a doorbell of some sort in the Science Center? And WHY does someone keep ringing it?
Sunday, 10:54 am
Sketch comedy group Out of Bounds pays homage to everyone's favorite fortress in "SciLi State of Mind."
"Concrete building that's made of concrete / There's nothing that's fun here / You're in the SciLi"
In typical fashion, Brown-Secure is unable to handle an upload of the full video. So click here for more.
And don't think the beloved Frisc didn't get a few shout outs … "If your work is like dayum / Open till the A.M."
Monday, 2:59 pm
Ah the ominous neon sign. Just what you hope to see on the PawPrints card reader at 2:52 pm, as you and the seven people in front of you on line recall that document you needed to print for a 3 pm seminar.
Sunday, 3:05 pm
Though this is arguably the only source you should ever look to for Friscobservations, a few other Web sites are worth referencing, if only for the fact that they confirm many of the theories found here.
- "The new Friedman Study Center in the SciLi has made going to study there so social, loud and, frankly, impossible that you might as well be going to a frightening 1970s nightclub." —2007 opinions column in The Brown Daily Herald
- "I am looking at the northwest corner right now and there is enough open floorspace for a 20 person yoga class. Maybe more furniture will be coming soon. ... One of the new types of chair is rather uncomfortable. ... An area in the middle of the basement that is sectioned off with dividers made of metal slats. I like the idea of dividers but they are ugly and look like jail cell bars. Also, the entire area is poorly lit, which is too bad, because it is one of the few places in the study center with lots of chairs. ... There is still only one toilet in the bathroom." —angsty blog posting, circa 2007
- "There’s only one bathroom for each sex, so there’s always a long line. Someone’s always talking on his or her cell phone, despite the posted decibel levels. And there’s often a shortage of available computers in the clusters." —blog post about lovable libraries
Monday, 12:29 pm
I feel like I'm cheating.
As a self-proclaimed Frisc expert and lover, I feel the need to justify my current location. Yes, I am in the Rock. And yes, I am enjoying myself.
When the new study space opened on the first floor of the Rock last year, complete with comfy chairs, classrooms and outlet-equipped tables, I was curious as to how its usage would impact the Frisc. For the first few weeks, the open, airy room was jam-packed and exceeded appropriate volume levels. But now, a year later, it is quiet, respectful and seemingly productive — a stark contrast to my usual haven.
In order to best explain the difference between the Frisc and the Rock study space, I would like to draw a parallel. The Frisc is to the Ratty as the Rock is to the V-dub.
Let's begin with location. The Rock and the V-dub require deliberate redirection. Both are located on the outside perimeter of campus, and unless one has a strangely located, oddly timed class, chances are — attendance requires conscious thought. With both the Ratty and the Frisc, it's hard to walk to any academic buildings on campus without being at least near to them. Entrance is often not a decision, but a gravitational pull.
The lack of thought is connected to the second key difference: intention. While the Ratty is filled with students doing homework, "food shopping" and eating oddly timed meals and snacks, the V-Dub exists solely for mealtime. Similarly, the Frisc is filled with students napping, talking on their cell phones, socializing and eating all types of meals and snacks. Maybe there is some work happening, but in the Rock room, that is the only thing happening.
An added factor is sheer availability. In both size and hours open, the distinctions are evident.
Ambiance is also key. Both the Frisc and the Ratty have a batch-processing feel to them at times, while the V-Dub and Rock appear like a real living space. The former institutions are nearly windowless (Zen gardens do not count), while natural sunlight streams into the Rock and the front of the V-Dub.
The Rock and the V-Dub have a more exclusive feel to them — smaller populations inhabit the institutions, and the users tend to have common traits. The Ratty and the Frisc, despite its scientific intentions, serve as locations of use for just about every type. As a result, every group has its own haven — social maps of both institutions could be easily drawn. Comparatively, the Rock room has a feel of togetherness. (Except that it's far more likely I would be glared at for attending to my vibrating cell phone…)
At the end of the day, the greatest comparison to be made is the reluctant love we feel for the Ratties and Friscs of the world. Empirically, the other institutions should seem more attractive. We complain that the Rock and Frisc are too loud; we gripe about the food served; we express frustration at the number of people present and yet, the title of this blog says it all — there's no place we'd rather be.
Wednesday, 00:33
Spotted in 25 Decibels: Female student wrapped in white-and-red comforter. If the basement is Brown's living room, apparently this student thinks the computer table must be its couch — the one you always fall asleep on while watching TV.
Monday, 21:11
It's freezing in the stacks today. Must get some tea to warm up. Simple enough, right?
WRONG.
At 8:42pm, I hit the elevator down button from the 13th floor. Dealbreaker #1: I am literally standing and waiting for the elevator until its arrival at 8:47pm. SERIOUSLY?!
5 minutes for the elevator. Isn't this exactly why there are THREE?! (And yes, there are three working right now, the PSA is no longer in effect). That's at least 100 words of my fieldnotes transcription for Ethnomusicology or a couple of flashcards for my upcoming midterms. But no, the SciLi Gods would rather have me spend that time staring at my feet and listening to elevators go up down up down, teasing me with every floor-arrival ding that echoes through their shafts.
Once I acquire my tea, I am once again back in the elevator headed for 13. Dealbreaker #2: Two girls are already on from the basement level headed for the mezz (why aren't you walking?). Dealbreaker #3: A hipster boy, fresh from his smoke break (no but really), gets on at the last second and presses 8. He then proceeds to squeeze past the girls and lean against the back wall of the elevator directly next me. Indeed, space is at such a premium that he is TOUCHING ME. Dealbreaker #4: Upon our arrival at floor 8, he is so impatient to get off the elevator that he tries to open the admittedly slow-opening elevator doors with his hand.
WRONG.
At 8:42pm, I hit the elevator down button from the 13th floor. Dealbreaker #1: I am literally standing and waiting for the elevator until its arrival at 8:47pm. SERIOUSLY?!
5 minutes for the elevator. Isn't this exactly why there are THREE?! (And yes, there are three working right now, the PSA is no longer in effect). That's at least 100 words of my fieldnotes transcription for Ethnomusicology or a couple of flashcards for my upcoming midterms. But no, the SciLi Gods would rather have me spend that time staring at my feet and listening to elevators go up down up down, teasing me with every floor-arrival ding that echoes through their shafts.
Once I acquire my tea, I am once again back in the elevator headed for 13. Dealbreaker #2: Two girls are already on from the basement level headed for the mezz (why aren't you walking?). Dealbreaker #3: A hipster boy, fresh from his smoke break (no but really), gets on at the last second and presses 8. He then proceeds to squeeze past the girls and lean against the back wall of the elevator directly next me. Indeed, space is at such a premium that he is TOUCHING ME. Dealbreaker #4: Upon our arrival at floor 8, he is so impatient to get off the elevator that he tries to open the admittedly slow-opening elevator doors with his hand.
Thursday, 11:18 pm
Friscers, I award you serious respect points right now. For a Thursday night, coming off of the tail end of crossover hour, the noise level is as it should be and there are actually open chairs and desks. Thursdays have never quite followed the rules of weekday traffic patterns, but it is nevertheless shocking to see the study center being used for, well, studying.
In other news, the severe weather conditions (and therefore wet footwear) have led numerous users to shed their shoes and traipse around barefoot, but hey — socked feet are quieter anyway.
Tuesday, 2:33 pm
The Frisc has always grappled with the fact that words have specific meanings — "study center," "quiet," "100% wireless" — but the "library" seems to have hit a new low. Tomorrow is the Science Center's Grand Opening, but your friendly Friscapologists — and half the immediate world — have been using it for over a month.
Sunday, 13:36
I have to say, a big part of the Science Center's appeal is the excellent chemical scent from its new carpets and fresh paint. If the basement is Brown's living room, the Science Center is Brown's new car.
Sunday, 1:06 pm
Science Center etiquette: While silence is appreciated, you are permitted to speak at full volume if your sentence includes the word "orgo."
Saturday, 4:16 pm
Ordinarily, I come to the Frisc with high hopes of productivity. When my plans are foiled by disruptive users, I am therefore compelled to document their failures.
Today, I am reluctant to admit that two of your favorite Friscapologists have actually been the source of many of the study space's disturbances. We have chosen, however, to make this into a teaching moment. Please review the egregious errors we made and in the future, we won't if you won't.
- Speaking to each other with headphones in. Just because we can't hear each other, it doesn't mean the rest of the basement has to.
- Commenting aloud on the emails and instant messages being sent … from two feet away from each other.
- Laughing at said messages. To the point that chairs have nearly fallen.
- Drinking from Ratty take out cups with no concern for the straw on plastic sound effect.
- Violent phone vibrations. [Although for the record: we have yet to disturb the space with cell phone ringing. But we have heard a tinny hip-hop song or two.]
- Computer charge cords stretched across an inappropriately long span. We need to be on the Internet. Deal with it.
I may have forgotten some. I'm pretty sure our neighbors have not.
Friday, 11:04 pm
Somewhere in the depths of the Interwebz, it was discovered that the Class of 1960 organized a winter breaks trip two years ago. And where did they go? To the Frisc.
The alums validated so many of the theories that have been postulated on this blog that it felt compulsory to share.
The SciLi is referred to as a place to "study and 'be seen' !" Once inside the building, the touring group explored the various noise zones of the basement. (Ok, in theory, there is a difference.)
They took the noise indicators so far as to call the 50 decibels the "talking zone." I'm sorry, but in 50+ years, has no one learned — 50 DECIBELS IS NOT THAT LOUD.
Friday, 09:43
Why is the Frisc always less crowded early Friday morning than any other morning?
Also, I forgot to proactively take ibuprofen in order to head off the tremendous headache the morning Frisc vacuuming invariably causes.FML
Also, I forgot to proactively take ibuprofen in order to head off the tremendous headache the morning Frisc vacuuming invariably causes.FML
Wednesday, 20:51
There are two people asleep in those awkward green chairs in 25 decibels. Here's a thought: get your Uggs off the chair across from you and sleep somewhere else.
Thursday, 19:19
Although it's moderately busy, it is absolutely SILENT in the entire basement. Not even the hum of group work or an errant cell phone user.
Moments like these are always a little surreal. After all, it shouldn't be surprising that a library is actually quiet, should it? Then again, the Frisc defies logic in most every way.
Moments like these are always a little surreal. After all, it shouldn't be surprising that a library is actually quiet, should it? Then again, the Frisc defies logic in most every way.
Wish list
I see no reason why the powers that be cannot invest in a few dozen laptop chargers for use at the Frisc. I am currently staring at an ominous 0:01 in the upper right-hand corner of my macbook.
Note: this post was originally written at 6:42:49pm, however, the author's battery died before it could reach the interwebz.
Note: this post was originally written at 6:42:49pm, however, the author's battery died before it could reach the interwebz.
Tuesday, 10:25 am
The fact that you -- yes YOU -- are still on the phone leads me to question your fundamental understanding of what a library is.
Also to note: the ritual two-hour vacuuming of the Frisc.
Contrary to what every prior theory would suggest, this is an awful time of day to get Friscy.
Also to note: the ritual two-hour vacuuming of the Frisc.
Contrary to what every prior theory would suggest, this is an awful time of day to get Friscy.
Tuesday, 9:49 am
NEWS FLASH: Just because the basement is nearly empty, it doesn't mean that it's appropriate to speak at FULL volume on your cell phone. I understand that you may not realize you've wandered into the Frisc -- it looks quite different from it's natural state at this hour -- but seriously, pipe down. We don't care what you ate for breakfast. Even if it was delicious.
Sunday, 6:49 p.m.
The Frisc would probably be a good place to have a strong wireless signal. Just a thought.
Saturday, 2:16 p.m.
Perhaps the reason the 13th floor is empty right now is because it's a sweltering 72 degrees up here. No exaggeration. Short-pants and t-shirts are a requirement to work.
Epiphany: Our tuition money supports the SciLi's heating bill.
Epiphany: Our tuition money supports the SciLi's heating bill.
Friday, 4:01 p.m.
Friday afternoons are the Frisc's dirty little secret. People are quiet, respectful and studious.
Or so they appear. This time block represents the transition from work week: Everyone in the Frisc buckles down in an attempt to finish before that magical crossover moment into weekend. But look more closely and you'll see that those puzzled expressions are not a reaction to MyCourses and OCRA, but rather, to Facebook events.
Tuesday, 11:58 am
The Frisc's status as "library" carries far less legitimacy during daylight hours. Something about the comfy couches and casual atmosphere of the Mezzanine leads users to believe that conversations (in outdoor voices) are entirely appropriate. Students arrive, ostensibly with the goal of getting a head start on the day's work, but the entire effort is a sham. Though the decibel reminders in the basement are generally ignored, the complete lack of any guideline on the Mez just invites daytime chaos. Students feel no compelling reason to use the typical library whisper. After all, this is supposedly a "group work space."
But really, they're just killing time until it's socially appropriate to go eat lunch. As it approaches the noon hour, the only people remaining are those chained to computers or holed up in private corners.
Sunday, 2:27 pm
Vacation is over.
Sunday Ratty brunch was as crowded and hungover as ever and the masses have now migrated up Thayer Street. It wouldn't be so disturbing if people weren't already writing chemical equations all over the study room walls.
Saturday, 2:07 pm
I commend the Frisc for the implementation of new and advanced toilet paper dispensers in the basement. With their large distance from the ground and self-refilling mechanism, the new apparatuses will go a long way toward alleviated the two-fold toilet paper problem: the floor drag and the subsequent complete absence.
Now if only there was a way multiple students could be taking advantage of such an upgrade simultaneously…
Saturday, 1:13 pm
As per usual, the first weekend of the year kicks off with a whisper. Studiers sit alone, the distractions are minimal and the loudest noise in the 25 decibels is the heating system.
Thursday, 11:04 am
The basement is nearly empty, the chairs are neatly aligned and the study rooms are immaculate. This can only mean one thing: the start of a new semester. After a long sabbatical, I have returned for more musings and theories about the space we all call home.
With students quietly emailing and frantically searching through Mocha, there are few disruptions to report on as of yet. But just you wait. As Charlie Brown once said, "All good things must end."
You stay Friscy, Brown students.
