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Tag: Brown University

  • Malia Obama Receives Apology from Brown University Students for Beer Pong Photos

    Malia Obama has received an apology from students at Brown University who took pictures of her allegedly playing beer pong while visiting the school’s campus.

    It was via an editorial, published in the university paper, The Brown Daily Herald, that the apology to Malia Obama was issued.

    Titled Sorry, Malia Obama, it was published on Tuesday.

    “The college application and selection process is stressful for most students who go through it, but one can only imagine how much the stress multiplies when the whole nation is watching. That is what Malia Obama is experiencing right now,” the editorial reads. “News outlets as prominent as the New York Times are covering her touring process, and students at elite colleges across the country cross their fingers and chat over dining hall food about how cool it would be to go to the same school as President Obama’s daughter.”

    It was while visiting Brown University that someone took a Snapchat photo of Malia Obama that later circulated in many media circles.

    The Brown University editorial noted that students there didn’t necessarily realize how quickly their posts featuring the picture of Malia Obama could go viral.

    “Some of the tweets include photographs of her that were clearly taken when she was not looking. Many of them mention her presence at a party, where she was seen taking shots and playing beer pong,” the editorial continued. “The motivation to take these pictures was obvious: being at a party with the president’s daughter was an exciting, unexpected moment that many of us wanted to share with our friends. We often do not think about our tweets and Snapchats reaching anyone besides our friends and followers, and certainly not news outlets with wide circulation like Buzzfeed. Many Brown students were surprised and embarrassed to see themselves cited in the articles, as other Brown students posted them on Facebook with disappointed captions that criticized their peers for not simply leaving the 17-year-old alone on her college visit.”

    The editorial ended saying it was “a shame” that Malia Obama was outed trying to enjoy an evening as a prospective college student.

    “Malia did not choose to grow up in the White House, and it is unfair that everything she does at just 17 years old is subject to such harsh scrutiny,” the editorial concluded. “While the chances of her selecting Brown have probably decreased since the publication of those articles, if she does ever come back to Brown, hopefully next time we will ‘have more chill.’”

    How much trouble do you suppose Malia Obama was in after these photos of her allegedly playing beer pong surfaced? Do you think there will be a lot more secret service members tailing Malia if she visits any more colleges?

  • Malia Obama: Did the President’s Daughter Play Beer Pong?

    Malia Obama reportedly engaged in some normal college fun of late. The daughter of President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama has been visiting colleges recently, and it seems she either took part in a game of beer pong during one such visit–or stood awfully close to those who were playing.

    It was while at Brown University that Malia Obama is shown in a recent photo obtained by The Daily Caller. A table filled with Red Solo cups of beer sit on a table adjacent to the president’s daughter.

    Buzzfeed reports that an anonymous Tweeter claims, “Malia obama was taking shots and playing beer pong at a party last night LOL.”

    Of course most everything related to the topic has since been removed from social media.

    Malia Obama is just doing her best to be a normal teenager. And like it or not–teenagers party. When they visit college campuses, where many of the students are of legal age, even those who are too young to drink legally take part.

    Brown University isn’t the only college Malia Obama has visited. She has also been to Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Stanford, the University of California, Berkeley, New York University, Tufts, Barnard, and Wesleyan.

    Do you suppose Malia Obama played beer pong at all these colleges?

    Are there a few Secret Service agents in big trouble because of Malia Obama’s recent fun?

  • Emma Watson Dedicates Award to Dead Hamster

    Emma Watson has always seemed like such a stable young woman. Amidst starring in several films, she managed to earn a degree at Brown University. Best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series of films, she graduated to different roles in films like The Perks of Being A Wallflower and Noah. Perhaps it’s all this consistency and hard work that makes what she did when receiving the British Artist of the Year Awards at the 2014 Britannia Awards just a little bit peculiar.

    This all took place last week when Emma Watson stood at the podium, accepting her Britannia Award. And during that acceptance she dedicated said award to her dead hamster–Millie. She went on in her speech, explaining that during filming a Harry Potter film, she had an on-set hamster–namely Millie. And when Millie passed on into the great hamster hereafter, the crew even built a tiny coffin for her little furry friend.

    “On the first Harry Potter film, my on-set hamster Millie had a heart attack and didn’t quite make it,” Watson said. “The set decorators built a small mahogany hamster-sized coffin and it had a velvet lining [and] a silver plaque on front which had Millie’s named engraved in it.

    “Rest in peace, Millie. This one’s for you,” she said while accepting her award.

    Emma Watson was joined at the 2014 Britannia Awards by Hailee Steinfeld and Eddie Redmayne. Watson wore Balenciaga, accessorized by a Jennifer Fisher necklace, and Jennifer Meyer earrings and rings. She carried a bag by Rauwolf.

    In addition to graduating from Brown and achieving accolades in the acting world, Emma Watson also serves as a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador. She is clearly intelligent, talented, and well-versed in many worldwide newsworthy situations.

    Somewhere along the way Watson developed a passion for hamsters. And last week she honored one of them at a very prestigious awards ceremony.

    Will fans soon see Emma Watson driving a Kia Soul and dancing with the hamsters in the popular ads–or is her allegiance solely to Millie instead?

  • Emma Watson Graduates From College

    Emma Watson is an official college graduate!

    Watson has been vigorously studying at Brown University in Rhode Island in hopes of obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in English, and now she finally has. Emma enrolled in the Ivy League university in 2009, but she had to temporarily drop out to finish the last installment of the Harry Potter franchise.

    Emma then enrolled in the Oxford University in England, but she again had to take a break to finish the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower. She was so focused on getting her degree that she even had to turn down several films during her fall 2013 semester.

    During a recent interview with Wonderland Magazine, Emma opened up on why she decided to attend a school in the United States. She said that she loved the idea of not knowing anyone, and wanted to have new exciting experiences.

    “I really wanted a new experience. I loved not knowing anyone,” Emma explained. “It felt very exciting, and I felt like I was striking out on my own in a very real, very new way. But there’s this thing called the Sophomore Slump, which is a phenomenon that is apparently known and recognized, though I had never heard of it. It caught me by surprise.”

    “For the first year at university, everything is new and exciting,” she continued. “You don’t realize that you don’t have your support structure, your home comforts, and all those touchstones that help keep you on track. Then, after the first year, when the adrenaline wears off, you find yourself in a slump. That’s what happened to me by the end of my third term. I felt very unsettled and lost.”

    So, what does Watson plan on doing with her major? “Tough question… I’ve been very fulfilled by my studies,” she said. “English has helped me think in an analytical way. It’s helped me see the world from new perspectives. Diving into these stories and characters has given richness to my own life. And now, when I read scripts or look at stories, I have these references for a larger understanding of humanity. I’m sure it will make my job as an actress more interesting.”

    Emma was one of nearly 2,000 graduates to graduate from Brown University on Sunday. Before the graduation, she took to Twitter and posted a photo of her wearing a black cap and gown and simply captioned the photo with an exclamation point.

    Image via Twitter

  • Emma Watson: Actress Now A Brown University Graduate

    Emma Watson graduated this weekend from Brown University. The Harry Potter actress holds a degree in English Literature as of Sunday. Back in April Watson said some people didn’t believe she would get her degree. In fact, they told her it wasn’t even a possibility.

    “People told me it wasn’t possible,” she said, about graduating from the prestigious ivy league school.

    “I kept saying, ‘I don’t care.’ This is what I want. And graduating will, for me, be really symbolic of all of that,” the Noah star added at the time. “I will be there. And I will be throwing a huge party. And getting very drunk.”

    Emma Watson certainly proved those naysayers wrong as she walked the stage in Providence, Rhode Island among other Brown University graduates who also received their college degrees. She probably hasn’t carried out the ‘getting drunk’ part, as it’s still fairly early in the day–but who knows? Maybe the fun started early.

    Emma shared a photo of herself wearing her cap and gown with her Twitter followers.

    In addition to her role as Hermione Granger in all the Harry Potter films, Emma Watson is also known for her roles in The Perks of Being A Wallflower and The Bling Ring. It seems a bit uncertain as to how or when she will use her college degree, but kudos are definitely in store for the effort she no doubt put in to attaining it. In between acting, what had to be at least a fairly active social life, and her frequent work as a model, not much time was left for studying. It’s likely that during her college years Emma Watson got little to no sleep.

    Maybe the actress will take a little bit of time off now that college is over–or at least sleep in for a few days.

    Image via Twitter

  • Emma Watson Talks About the Pressures of Being Famous

    Hollywood seems like a glamorous playground for the young, rich, and famous. Though this may be true for some, Emma Watson says it’s not necessarily her truth.

    Watson shot to fame at the age of 11 when she was cast as Hermione Granger in the blockbuster Harry Potter franchise; she starred as Hermione from 2001-2011. For someone who propelled into the spotlight at quite an early age, Watson remains poised and mature beyond her years. However, even a mature young woman like herself does not go unaffected by Hollywood’s pressures.

    “As a younger woman, that pressure got me down, but I’ve made my peace with it. With airbrushing and digital manipulation, fashion can project an unobtainable image that’s dangerously unhealthy. I’m excited about the ageing process. I’m more interested in women who aren’t perfect. They’re more compelling,” she told the Sunday Times.

    In a possible attempt to show young women who may idolize her that she’s not perfect, and human just like them, she tweeted from MTV’s official Twitter account a picture of all the makeup she uses to get ready. Additionally, she tweeted a picture of her in a black dress and captioned it “I did NOT wake up like this!”

     

    Besides dealing with Hollywood and the fashion industry’s standards of beauty, Watson also feels burdened when just trying to live a normal life. In 2009, she enrolled in Brown University in Rhode Island to complete a degree program. Since enrolling, she took several breaks to complete film projects, and studied a year at Oxford.

    “After Harry Potter, all that mattered was university. It wasn’t always easy to break down barriers, as having men from the British press following me with cameras didn’t help my mission to integrate.”

    She expressed that the American press have been more respectful of her privacy, but having students recognize her didn’t allow for such an easy university life. “On the first day, I walked into the canteen and everyone went completely silent and turned around to look at me. I had to say to myself ‘it’s OK, you can do this’. You just have to take a deep breath and gather your courage.”

    Image via Emma Watson, Twitter

  • Emma Watson Criticizes Fashion Industry

    Actress Emma Watson, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise, recently opened up about being hounded by British paparazzi during her time at Brown University, and also commented on her disdain the impossible standards of beauty projected by Hollywood and the fashion industry.

    Watson, 23, calls the pressure to look perfect surrounding showbiz “dangerously unhealthy,” and complained of her failed attempts to blend into the student body while attending Brown. Though, the actress commented that with age, she’s been better able to roll with trappings of her fame. “As a younger woman, that pressure got me down, but I’ve made my peace with it. With airbrushing and digital manipulation, fashion can project an unobtainable image that’s dangerously unhealthy. I’m excited about the ageing process. I’m more interested in women who aren’t perfect. They’re more compelling.”

    At the New York premiere of her new film Noah, Watson tweeted that she did “NOT wake up like this!”

    Watson began her studies at Brown in 2009, and has sporadically taken time off to complete film work. “After Harry Potter, all that mattered was university,” she said, adding that “It wasn’t always easy to break down barriers, as having men from the British press following me with cameras didn’t help my mission to integrate.” Watson went on to say that the American press allowed her a high degree of privacy, but she was instantly recognized by her fellow students.

    In March 2011, after 18 months at Brown, Watson left for a couple semesters, and became a visiting student at Worcester College, Oxford for the 2011-12 academic year. In March, 2014, Watson told David Letterman during an interview that she would be graduating from Brown in May..

    While describing her initial time at Brown, Watson stated, “On the first day, I walked into the canteen and everyone went completely silent and turned around to look at me. I had to say to myself ‘it’s OK, you can do this.’ You just have to take a deep breath and gather your courage.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • This Robot Bat Wing Now Exists

    Researchers at Brown University have built a robotic bat wing, which they believe can serve as as stepping stone toward some interesting new flying vehicles. Hopefully it won’t serve as a stepping stone to some giant bat-like Terminator.

    Brown University explains:

    The robot, which mimics the wing shape and motion of the lesser dog-faced fruit bat, is designed to flap while attached to a force transducer in a wind tunnel. As the lifelike wing flaps, the force transducer records the aerodynamic forces generated by the moving wing. By measuring the power output of the three servo motors that control the robot’s seven movable joints, researchers can evaluate the energy required to execute wing movements.

    Testing showed the robot can match the basic flight parameters of bats, producing enough thrust to overcome drag and enough lift to carry the weight of the model species.

    Hat tip to LiveScience

  • Brown University Strengthens Ties To Google

    Google Apps for Education is having a good week. Yesterday, public schools in Iowa and Colorado got onboard, and today, a representative of Brown University made another announcement.  By popular demand, Brown faculty, staff, medical, and grad students are all "going Google."

    Geoff Greene, Director of IT Support Services at Brown, noted in a guest post on the Official Google Enterprise Blog, "About a year ago we put our 6,000 undergraduate students on Google Apps.  The results were phenomenal: people were happy, they were productive, they were excited . . . and then some people got jealous."

    So a migration is taking place this summer that will allow everyone else with ties to Brown to use Google Apps before long.  And a lot of folks are excited about that, as the video below shows.  As for the rest, Greene wrote, "We feel confident that once people start using these tools together, they’ll never look back."

    Also, on a more tangible subject, Greene estimated that the change will save Brown something like $1 million per year.

    This development should serve as a very strong endorsement of Google Apps when other colleges consider adopting the technology, then.  Or for that matter, considering how well-regarded Brown is, this seems likely to convert quite a few schools even if they weren’t already thinking about adopting Google Apps.

    Now it’ll just be interesting to see if Google’s scheduled more Apps for Education announcements for this week.