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

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.

Monday, 8:44 pm

SciLi elevators are the new Frisc bathrooms. Users are less than thrilled.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.