We'll Miss You, Brown I

This morning we were greeted in the Hotel Providence lobby by the Brown I group. It was a pleasant reunion, and then we headed out to Cambridge, Massachusetts to tour Harvard University as a 16-person group. As expected, the information session was very impressive, and the campus was beautiful as well. However I didn’t feel that I would belong at Harvard, so I just took in some general college information and also took advantage of the time to get to know the Brown I group.

After the tour, we had lunch at Upstairs on the Square in Cambridge, and then had much of the afternoon to explore Cambridge. I found it to be a perfect college town, as it was urban and exciting but not overwhelming. I went shopping with Erin Miller and Mariko in some very unique spots, and we had a great time. Erin also made sure to dance along with the music played by every street performer.

When we got back to the hotel, it turned out that our reservation was one day too short, and that we only had access to the rooms that the Brown I group had reserved. The ILC then put all 7 of the Women and Leadership girls into one suite, but we didn’t mean because it would be our last night to truly blog. In the end, however, I ended up in a room with the Brown I girls because they had an extra cot. As Ava and I were packing, a lady from housekeeping came in to clean the room for the next guest. We tried to pack fast, but she assured us that there was no hurry. I soon found out that she was from Cape Verde, and I told her that I loved music from that area. As I packed I played this music, and she was overjoyed to hear music from her native country. We discussed her country and its culture, and she also helped us clean up. It was nice getting to know some of the locals.

For dinner we went to Mill’s Tavern in Providence with both of the Brown cohorts and all of our chaperones. Although it took a long time for the food to arrive, it was absolutely delicious. Our end of the table, which included Mr. Ramsey, Mrs. Kronenberg, Andrew Gonzales, Mariko Whitenack, Ava Burnell and I, engaged in some heated debates. The conversation topics varied from the public school system to the purpose of the Women and Leadership class and of the Ivy League Connection in general. It was great to be able to gain insight into others’ opinions and learn more about the education system in general. When the dessert came late as well, Mr. Ramsey had a firm talk with the manager, who was deeply apologetic and gave us dessert on the house.

As we walked back to our hotel, we came upon a huge street fair, complete with people dressed as aliens and a marching band. We immediately joined in but had no idea what the occasion was, and still don’t. Whatever the reason, it was amazing to see so much life in Providence, especially because it can seem rather empty during the day.

Finally we all went back to the hotel. We decided to take advantage of the sleeping situation by having a huge blogging party/movie night in the suite. It was a great way to bond and for the Brown I group to finish off their trip. I will be sad to see them go tomorrow, but will also be happy to move into the dorms!