The Bruno Brief: Recent Episodes
Brown Daily Herald
“The Bruno Brief” digs deep into a standout news story from the past week — giving you the news while getting new insights from the reporters who first brought these stories to us in written form and while sharing the context that ties together a generation.
Welcome to Hustle on the Hill, The Herald's entrepreneurship podcast. In each episode, we sit down with founders who've turned their vision into reality. We ask the questions every entrepreneur faces, and our guests share the risks they took, the doubts they overcame and the lessons they learned along the way.
In this episode, we talked with the founders of Shop Bloom about how they are bringing small business owners together to reimagine what it means to shop local.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com
Music:
Georgii: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/364506
In this episode of The Bruno Brief, we spoke with Kendra Eastep, an illustration chief and senior staff writer for The Herald's Arts & Culture section. Kendra brings an artistic flair to each of her reviews, while supporting the rest of The Herald's multimedia staff.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track304681
Sharp Lapel: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/367181
In this episode of The Bruno Brief, we spoke with members of The Herald’s photo, video and reporting teams to learn how they collaborated on coverage of a Jan. 30 protest against recent actions taken by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The rally and march had over 1,000 attendees, and The Herald released an in-depth article, photo essay and vertical video about the protest.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304681
The Off-Post: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/365057
Welcome to Hustle on the Hill, The Herald's entrepreneurship podcast. In each episode, we sit down with founders who’ve turned their vision into reality. We ask the questions every entrepreneur faces, and our guests share the risks they took, the doubts they overcame and the lessons they learned along the way.
In this episode, we talked with the founder of Las Delicias Bakery about her journey bringing Bolivian delicacies to Rhode Island.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com
Music:
Georgii: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/364506
In this episode of The Bruno Brief, we spoke with members of The Herald’s photo team to learn about their process as photojournalists and some recent projects they’ve been working on, like a photo essay documenting Brown’s first snow day of the Spring 2026 semester.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304681
Welcome back to Bear With Me, a new interviews show on politics from the Brown Daily Herald newsroom. I’m your host, Evan Tao.
Elite universities like Brown have been one of the main targets of the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape American civil society. Brown is no exception.
In September, the federal government proposed a compact with Brown and eight other schools which it deemed “good actors.” In response, some students formed an organization called Brown Rise Up, organizing demonstrations involving undergraduates, graduates, alumni and faculty, urging Brown to reject the compact, which it did by October.
From up on College Hill, so much of the chaos in the news can feel theoretical and distant. But this is immediate and directly affects our school. How we respond matters. This week, I invited Raya Gupta ‘29 and Levi Kim ‘29, two first-year students and spokespeople for Brown Rise Up, onto the show to discuss what happened and what might come next.
Host: Evan Tao
Editing: Evan Tao, Anisha Kumar
Background music: Eitan Frank
The University offers financial support and a variety of other resources to help graduate students with children balance their academic careers with parenting. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we explore the experience of graduate student parents at Brown with Herald reporter Ian Ritter.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com.
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304681
Welcome to Bear With Me, a new interview show on politics from The Brown Daily Herald newsroom. I’m your host, Evan Tao.
This first episode is about drugs. Providence is becoming an innovator in the realm of drug policy. This past year, it opened the first overdose prevention center in the United States outside of New York. It represents something of a revolution in drug policy. Instead of aggressively policing drug use, instead of passively letting it take place on the street, what if instead the government created a safe place for people to use drugs?
Researchers at Brown are studying the methods and effectiveness of the overdose prevention center. At the same time students here at Brown have launched a club called Harm Reduction Coalition, which aims to connect students to volunteering at the OPC and advocates for the Harm reduction school of thought in drug policy. Today, I’m speaking with Kavita Doobay ’27, a junior at Brown and one of the co-founders and co-leaders of Harm Reduction Coalition.
First-year flu, “Metcough,” “Keeney Cough” — it’s called a number of names, but they all signal one thing: Illness is in the air. About 35% of all college students in the United States were reported to be diagnosed with a cold or other respiratory illness in the past year. On College Hill, as the leaves change color and a chill creeps into the air, the wave of sickness among students seemingly mirrors these national statistics.
In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we explore what the science behind the Keeney Cough really is.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com.
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304681
Proficiency in a sport can be a significant factor in college admissions, especially for students who get recruited at the varsity level. But it turns out, club sports at Brown also have some recruiting influence. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we explore what the admissions process looks like for athletes in sports like squash and rugby.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com.
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304681
Borough: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/343585
In 1950, the modern Spring Weekend was born and the Brown Concert Agency was founded in 1960, tasked with bringing up-and-coming artists to campus. In honor of Spring Weekend’s 75th anniversary this Saturday, The Herald took a look back at the artists who defined past Spring Weekends by analyzing Billboard charts, Grammy awards and more. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story and fill you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com.
Music courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304681
Soothe: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/315699
Sunday Lights: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/315700
At least nine grants awarded to Brown researchers, totaling over $8 million, have been terminated since Trump took office, freezing studies in their tracks and leaving some participants without treatment. Affected researchers told The Herald they had to lay off some staff from their studies. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story and fill you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com.
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304681
The Maison: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/313226
If you’ve ever ventured off of College Hill to Providence Place Mall, you’ve likely seen packs of high schoolers roaming between stores. But recent crackdowns on mall security take aim at large groups and unaccompanied minors, as well as horseplay and dress code. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story and fill you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com.
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304681
Our Only Lark by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)
Over the past two months, numerous federal data sets related to public health and the environment have been removed from government websites. But some professors have been trying to save the data before it is scrubbed. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story and fill you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com.
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304681
Frank and Poet: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304762
Recently, local businesses and consumers may have noticed inflated egg prices. These come amid a nationwide shortage of eggs caused by a national outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. The bird flu has killed more than 30 million birds this year, according to the March 7 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Egg Markets Overview. Many Providence egg establishments have been forced to raise prices and adjust their offerings, and some consumers report shifting their purchasing and eating habits in response. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story and fill you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com.
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304681
Frank and Poet: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304762
The Rhode Island Department of Health released an interactive dashboard displaying the location of lead pipes across the state. Out of all the counties in Rhode Island, Providence has the highest percentage of lead pipes. There are even some lead pipes connected to Brown’s very own Sciences Library. But does it pose a risk to students? In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story and fill you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com.
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304681
Frank and Poet: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/304762
In this episode of the Bruno Brief, editor Jacob Smollen talks about his reporting on the little-discussed collection of books from Hitler’s personal library at Brown’s John Hay Library. Most were donated nearly 40 years ago, but why do they matter today? Or, maybe they don’t.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
In the third and final episode of Pandas on Ice, BDH Studios catches up with the Pandas at their reunion and hears about the legacy of the inaugural team today.
At a Monday night vigil for Hisham Awartani last week, students shouted President Christina Paxson ’19 P’MD’20 off the stage, calling for University divestment from companies affiliated with Israel and weapons manufacturing. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story as well as filling you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
McCarthy: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/210992
In the second episode of The Herald’s new podcast series “Pandas On Ice,” podcast editor and metro editor Jacob Smollen speaks with former Pembroke Pandas to tell the story of how the first intercollegiate women’s ice hockey team in the country became a national powerhouse.
Subscribe to BDH Studios on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
In this episode of the Bruno Brief, Tom Li and Ciara Meyer discuss their reporting on recent arrests and student activism at the Rhode Island School of Design surrounding the school’s relationship with Textron.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Music Credits:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
In the first episode of The Herald’s new podcast series “Pandas On Ice,” podcast editor and metro editor Jacob Smollen speaks with former Pembroke Pandas to tell the story of how the first intercollegiate women’s ice hockey team in the country came to be.
Subscribe to BDH Studios on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. Pandas on Ice is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Schieffelin
Music:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
Taoudella: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/215432
Borough: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/215433
Dorica Theme: Dorica https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/215434
Palms Down: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/212466
On Wednesday evening, The Department of Public Safety arrested 20 student Jewish students who had begun a sit-in at University Hall that afternoon. The students had refused to willingly leave the building until President Christina Paxson ’19 P’MD’20 publicly committed to “include and support a divestment resolution in the next meeting of the Brown Corporation,” according to their demands. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about this story and fill you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
McCarthy: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/210992
Ahead of this weekend’s Ivy League women’s soccer tournament, Bruno Brief podcast producer Carter Moyer speaks with Nicholas Miller, senior staff writer, about the program’s continued success over the last four years. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story and fill you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Music Credits:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
Palms Down: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/212396
In the third episode of The Herald’s new podcast series, “On The Green,” podcast producer and contributing writer Jaanu Ramesh and Tevah Gevelber, podcast producer and staff writer, talk to fellow Brunonians about the stories behind their favorite photos at Brown.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. “On The Green” is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Music Credits:
Hakodate Line: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/209076
A Pleasant Strike: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/210993
Dust Digger: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/210994
Palms Down: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/212466
Artist Heather McMordie launched the Providence Community Herbarium project to explore the relationships twelve Providence residents have with plants. Weaving these stories with artwork and local ecology, this initiative has fostered community as well as appreciation for plant life beyond scientific analysis. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story and fill you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
McCarthy: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/210992
Bauxite: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/210991
In the second episode of The Herald’s new podcast series, “On The Green,” senior staff writer and podcast producer Mikayla Kennedy talks to fellow Brunonians about how they met their best friends and partners.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. “On The Green” is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Music Credits:
Hakodate Line: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/209076
A Pleasant Strike: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/210993
Dust Digger: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/210994
In the 2023 fiscal year, Brown’s endowment grew 2.7% to a value of $6.6 billion as of June 30.
In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of how Brown’s endowment works and fill you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Music Credits:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
McCarthy: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/209942
In the first episode of The Herald’s new podcast series, “On The Green,” contributing writers and producers Maya Kelly ’27 and Rohey Jasseh ’27 talk to fellow Brunonians about their first years on College Hill. How were their experiences in communal bathrooms? What were their favorite memories?
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. “On The Green” is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Hakodate Line: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/209076
The Crisper: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/209590
A Pleasant Strike: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/209547
The Herald conducted polling this summer to get a clearer picture of the class of 2027. Now, we analyze the data to get a picture of admissions, exploring test-optional policies, legacy impacts and the influence of athlete status on getting into Brown. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we’ll dive into this data as well as filling you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Music credits:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
Plate Glass: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/208105
Community Coordinators rallied on the Main Green this Tuesday requesting the University to voluntarily recognize their proposed union. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story and fill you in on other important news from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Editors’ Note: On Friday, Vice President for Campus Life Eric Estes informed the Labor Organization of Community Coordinators that the University was prepared to recognize the proposed union pending a check of authorization cards, The Herald previously reported. This podcast was recorded before that news broke.Music Credits:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
Bauxite: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/206800
Woonsocket Middle School has been closed for 14 years, but developers are working to breathe new life into the school and transform it into approximately 150 apartments. The project is just one of the new adaptive reuse projects underway in Rhode Island as developers work to repurpose unused buildings such as old schools and factories to address the state’s housing crisis. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story and fill you in on other important news from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Music Credits:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
Following years of student activism, Brown has officially launched the Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies concentration, which will see its first graduating students this spring. The concentration was part of five commitments adopted by the University in May 2022 alongside its official land acknowledgement statement. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story, and fill you in on other important news from the week.
Music Credits:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
Our only Lark: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
While Health Services has offered emergency and prescription contraceptives for over a decade, until recently students had to pay for or use their insurance in order to attain them. But, per a recent announcement, over the counter emergency contraceptives with be available for free at Health Services’s on-campus pharmacy. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we learn more about the details of this story as well as filling you in on other important stories from the week.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Music Credits:
Denzel Sprak: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/203142
Our Only Lark
Hakodate Line (piano lead)
In the finale of The Bruno Brief’s series on myths at Brown, Finn Kirkpatrick and Elysee Barakett discuss their reporting on the history of marijuana at the University. Though the National Institute on Drug Abuse found in 2020 that 44% of American college students used marijuana in the last year, Brown has gained the reputation of being a “stoner” school. Is this title earned? Where did it come from? What is happening on campus now?
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Music:
Denzel Sprak by Blue Dot Sessionshttps://www.sessions.blue
Crumpet by Blue Dot Sessions https://www.sessions.blue
Our Only Lark by Blue Dot Sessions https://www.sessions.blue
In the fifth episode of The Bruno Brief’s series on myths at Brown, Producers Elysee Barakett and Samantha Renzulli talk about their reporting on happiness at the University. Brown is ranked by the Princeton Review as the 10th happiest campus in the country and the happiest school in the Ivy League, and has a general reputation for being the “Happy Ivy.” But why does Brown have this reputation? Is it really true?
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Listen to last week’s episode about the way income impacts students’ experiences at Brown here.KeoKeo by Blue Dot Sessions https://www.sessions.blue
Denzel Sprak by Blue Dot Sessions https://www.sessions.blue
Our Only Lark by Blue Dot Sessions https://www.sessions.blue
Hakodate Line by Blue Dot Sessions https://www.sessions.blue
Four Cluster by Blue Dot Sessions https://www.sessions.blue
In the fourth episode of The Bruno Brief’s series on myths at Brown, Matias Gersberg speaks with fellow Bruno Brief producer Carter Moyer about some of the ways in which class impacts social life, academics and admissions on College Hill.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
In the third episode of The Bruno Brief’s series on myths at Brown, Producer Carter Moyer speaks with Jacob Smollen, Bruno Brief and Metro editor, about his reporting on Brown’s left-leaning reputation.
Subscribe to The Bruno Brief on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
In the second episode of the Bruno Brief’s series on myths at Brown, Producer Sonya McNatt speaks with Finn Kirkpatrick, Arts & Culture editor and Bruno Brief editor, about his reporting on the now closed-off tunnels that run underneath Brown’s campus and Providence's East Side. What’s the deal with these tunnels? What are their histories? And what’s their status today?
Subscribe to The Bruno Brief on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Sources:
Brown Daily Herald — March 15, 2007
Archeology of College Hill and Brown University
The New Yorker: “Peculiar Institutions”
Encyclopedia Brunoniana
New York Times: “Providence Tunnel Opened”
Art in Ruins: East Side Train Tunnel
Providence Daily Dose: “East Side Cultist Riot 1993”
Providence Daily Dose: “East Side Tunnel Inspires New Russom Album”
Providence Police 1994 Documentary by Josh Oreck and Ivan Hurzeler
The Brown Daily Herald — May 1, 1985
In the first episode of The Bruno Brief’s series on myths at Brown, Elysee Barakett, Bruno Brief producer and staff writer, and Daphne Dluzniewski, producer and senior staff writer, talk about their reporting on secret societies on campus. What secret societies exist on campus, and why are they so secret? How have students moved away from campus-affiliated organizations? And how has the influence of Greek “secret societies” on campus evolved?
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or listen via the RSS feed. Send tips and feedback for the next episode to herald@browndailyherald.com. The Bruno Brief is produced in partnership with WBRU.
Concluding The Brief’s series on sexual politics, we’ll be looking at hookup culture on campus. This week, we speak with Elysee Barakett, senior staff writer and Bruno Brief producer, about her reporting on the sex lives of Brown students. We hear from faculty members and students about their opinions on casual hookups, dating apps and relationships.
Continuing on with our series on sexual politics, this week we take a look at the history and development of queerness on campus. We speak with Liliana Greyf, a staff writer, about her reporting and hear from queer alumni and students.
Continuing with our series on sexual politics, this week we take a look at the scope of sexual assault advocacy on campus. We speak with Rhea Rasquinha, senior staff writer, about her reporting on this and hear from University officials and members of student organizations dedicated to this issue.
In the third episode of the Bruno Brief’s series on sexual politics, we explore the history of art, sex and politics in 1970s Providence. We speak with Finn Kirkpatrick, senior staff writer and Bruno Brief producer, about his reporting on the topic, which dives into the police raid of a gallery violating state anti-obscenity laws and what constitutes the boundaries of acceptable artwork.
In the second episode of the Bruno Brief’s series on sexual politics, we examine the landscape of reproductive rights on College Hill, past and present. We speak with Katy Pickens, Metro editor and Bruno Brief producer, about her recent reporting on the topic, diving into the early days of contraceptives and secret abortions all the way to the current discourse happening after the overturning of Roe V. Wade
In the first episode of the Bruno Brief’s series on sexual politics, we dig into the history of nudity on Brown’s campus and what it looks like today. We speak with Jacob Smollen, senior staff writer and Bruno Brief producer, about his reporting on the topic that dives into Playboy Magazine’s visits to campus, the Sex Power God parties and the Naked Donut Run.
Let’s talk about sex. Coming soon to your podcast feeds: It’s season four of the Bruno Brief. This season, we’re focusing on sexual politics at Brown. Stay tuned!
In the last episode of The Bruno Brief’s special series on housing and gentrification on the East Side of Providence, we dig into current efforts to address Brown’s property impact through taxation.
Drawing on the words of recent legislation and local experts, we explore Brown’s relationship with the broader Providence community in more recent years.
Urban development in Providence has historically led to displacement of minority communities, The Herald previously reported. One such community displaced by urban renewal projects was Lippitt Hill, an area that predominantly was home to residents of color who were forced to move before the entirety of their neighborhood was demolished in the late 1950s.
The landscape of College Hill has undergone tremendous change in the last century. Between urban renewal, the impact and expansion of the University, off-campus student housing and the burgeoning field of historic preservation, complex factors contributed to a dramatic transformation.
This episode of The Bruno Brief is part of a three-part special series on housing and gentrification. This week, we do a deep dive into property and housing on Providence’s East Side. We hear from experts, academics and more to explore this multifaceted topic.
On March 13, 2020, Brown students were sent home as the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading across the country. Roughly two years later, on March 14, 2022, the University announced that masks and testing would become optional. This week, we spoke with Senior Staff Writer Ashley Guo about her reporting on how the lives of students have changed in the last two years.
Millions of Ukranians have been displaced as a result of the Russian invasion and bombing of Ukraine. They have flooded the borders of neighboring countries, seeking refuge from the violence. The University announced that it plans to provide an academic home for Ukrainian scholars displaced by the conflict in a community-wide email Feb. 27. In this episode of The Bruno Brief, we learn more about this program and the organizations the University is partnering with to support Ukrainian scholars.
In March 2019, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs announced its plan to phase out three of its concentrations and replace them with one new undergraduate concentration. In place of International Relations, Public Policy and Development Studies would come International and Public Affairs, a flexible and customizable new program with space for five electives from departments across the University. Three years later, IAPA has been fully implemented as a concentration. In this episode of the Bruno Brief, we find out how these first years have gone, and what the future of IAPA looks like for undergraduates.
A surge in positive COVID-19 tests has sent hundreds of Brown students into isolation in the first month of a semester that was designed to include almost entirely in-person instruction. With 361 positive tests last week, how does it feel for students to be in isolation while the rest of campus continues as usual? We talked with section editors Will Kubzansky and Gabriella Vulakh about their coverage of this story.
Beginning next semester, Residential Peer Leaders will become a thing of the past. Community Coordinators will be a new student-staff position with nearly double the pay of an RPL. How will the new Community Coordinator role be different, and how do current RPLs feel about this shift? We spoke to Senior Staff Writer Emily Faulhaber ’24 about her reporting on this topic.
Hospitals around the United States have been ravaged by the pandemic, and the Rhode Island hospitals near Brown University's campus are no exception. We spoke to Senior Staff Writer Neil Mehta ’25 about the additional strain that Brown student intoxication hospitalizations have put on these hospitals in recent months.
The Black Star Journal, Brown’s newest publication, aims to connect Black voices and highlight the joys of being a Black student at Brown. We spoke to Senior Staff Writer Kaitlyn Torres ’24 about the Journal and the students behind it.
In 2020, the University created a trimester plan that asked the incoming class to take classes during the spring and summer semester. Now, after almost a year of school with no more than a few weeks off, we talk with members of the class of ’24 about their struggles with mental health and burnout since coming to Brown.
Every year around Halloween, movie fans turn to horror for seasonal thrills. We spoke to Science and Research Editor Claire Liu ’23.5 about her reporting on the psychology behind horror movies, different film techniques and why being scared is sometimes a good thing.
Brown students poured onto the Main Green Oct. 21 to protest the working conditions of Brown Dining Services workers following Herald reporting bringing light to conditions inside the University’s dining halls. We spoke to Senior Staff Writers Peter Swope ’24 and Will Kubzansky ’24 about their coverage of the protest and initial story, respectively.
On this week’s episode of The Bruno Brief, producer Katy Pickens explores how the pandemic has impacted knowledge of traditions among students. She spoke to sophomores and first-years, many of whom still don’t feel connected to campus culture, and reflected on how her own knowledge of campus tradition has been shaped by the pandemic.
We took a long look at the campaign to end legacy admissions at Brown. The movement, led by the group Students for Educational Equity, is meant to increase enrollment of students from marginalized communities by ending consideration of legacy status in admissions. We heard from Kate Dario ’22.5, who reported this story in last week’s Herald, and Zoë Fuad ’23.5, co-president of SEE.
Live music returns to campus in this week’s episode of The Bruno Brief. Student group Sounds@Brown hosted its first in-person event Sept. 30, featuring four student performers. We spoke to performer Gus Benson ’24 about the return to live music and what it felt like to play for his peers.
We sat down with Chas Steinbrugge, the student behind the BrownUMemes Instagram account, which has attracted a spike in attention in recent weeks from students and parents alike for its humorous content and critiques of the University. Here’s what he had to say.
In the first episode of season two of The Bruno Brief, we go to a protest of Chase Bank staged by climate justice activists on Thayer Street. We talk to Senior Staff Writer Jasper Yeh, who was on the scene and spoke with protestors about their stance against the bank’s investments in fossil fuels.
In this week’s episode of The Bruno Brief, we peel back the curtain on Brown admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk to Senior Staff Writer Will Kubzansky, who spoke with two University admissions committees about how life has changed during a year of unprecedented applicant numbers and a public health crisis.
In this week’s episode of The Bruno Brief, we talk to students and faculty about their reactions to the deadly shooting in Atlanta, Georgia March 16, which killed eight people, including six Asian women. We speak to Senior Staff Writer Victoria Yin, who heard from community members about how they coped with the tragedy and about the broader context of the shooting.
In this week’s episode of The Bruno Brief, we look into Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan, which contrasts from the previous plan by prioritizing occupation in expanding eligibility. We speak to Staff Writer Stella Olken-Hunt, who heard from Providence educators about how the new plan has impacted them.
This week, we look back on the weeks leading up to Brown’s announcement that campus would close down because of COVID-19, and the experiences that students had after that announcement. One year after Brown sent students home, we speak to University News Editor Livia Gimenes, who interviewed half a dozen students about how their lives changed after March 12, 2020.
This week, we hear about the civil lawsuit against two Providence police officers who were involved in a moped crash that left 24-year-old Jhamal Gonsalves in a coma last October. Senior Staff Writer Karlos Bautista spoke with Gonsalves' father and his attorney about the lawsuit, as well as several activists (including Brown students) who are speaking out against police misconduct and violence in Providence.
In this week’s episode of The Bruno Brief, we hear from students studying remotely in Texas about their situations on the ground in light of the winter storm which hit the state hard two weeks ago. We talk to senior staff writer Liza Mullett ’22, who spoke to three students who grappled with online school while, in some cases, lacking electricity, heat and running water.
This week on The Bruno Brief, we hear from students who decided to take leaves of absence from Brown in light of the pandemic about the semesters they’ve created for themselves instead. We talk to contributing writer Kashif Ansari ’24, who spoke to these students currently spread across the globe.
Content Warning: This episode discusses topics that may be triggering to some listeners, including sexual violence.
This week on the Bruno Brief: two Brown students, Carter Woodruff '21.5 and Amelia Wycoff '22, put posters up around campus lambasting the University's handling of sexual assault on campus. Their posters read "Brown University has a sexual violence problem." We talk to Senior Staff Writer Karlos Bautista and Investigations Editor Olivia George about the movement that has touched several campuses across the nation.
This week on The Bruno Brief: Pawtucket is the only school district in Rhode Island to decide to keep all learning remote until September. We speak with reporter Sophie Butcher about the decision, and why community groups like Black Lives Matter Rhode Island are speaking out against it.
All music from Blue Dot Sessions. The Bruno Brief is a partnership between The Brown Daily Herald and WBRU.
In the first-ever episode of the Bruno Brief, we give you the details on the two rounds of federal stimulus money that Brown has been deemed eligible for-- one that it has accepted, and another with a much more unclear status.