The End of The Beginning

Outside the cathedral.

I feel like we’ve finally started to develop at routine here in Providence. A routine that tomorrow will no longer exist. This last week has flown by and it’s hard to believe that tomorrow we’ll be registering for our Women and Leadership course at Brown. The past few days of touring Ivy League schools has really enabled me to see what I want in a university. They are all impressive institutions, yet each school is unique. I have loved aspects of each college and I can’t wait to learn more about every school we have visited. Today we left the Hotel Providence at 9:00 AM to tour what is perhaps thought of as the best college in the United States. Today we visited Harvard.

Once we arrived, I could immediately see a sense of pride amongst the students and faculty at Harvard. As we made our way into a huge cathedral for the information session I was also struck by the grandeur of the campus. Inside the cathedral, we went into a very old theatre to watch a movie about life at Harvard. This movie featured famous Harvard graduates such as Yo-Yo Ma and several well-known researchers. After the information session we we’re unable to attend a tour, but an admissions officer from California along with three students spent over an hour answering our questions. One aspect of Harvard that really stuck with me was their generosity towards their students. They will provide funding and advisors to anyone who is interested in doing something new and unique. Harvard also offers generous financial aid to their students. Hardly anyone leaves the school with student loans. Harvard is certainly one of a kind, and I’m interested to see what else this recognized university has to offer.

The wharf of Boston.

Men describing the Civil War
at Paul Revere's house. 

A view of Boston

After seeing Harvard, we headed to Boston to visit Paul Revere's house. Aside from getting stuck under a tunnel for fifteen minutes, the ride to Boston was uneventful. We ate lunch in a giant food court. Unlike most buildings, this food court was not air-conditioned and the temperature inside was about ten degrees warmer than outside. After a very warm lunch, we walked along the wharf to and made our way to the house of Paul Revere. This very old structure was built ninety years before Revere moved in! Inside the house, the wooden floors were polished from years of use and each room seemed much smaller than what is now considered normal. I learned that Revere was an accomplished goldsmith who, through selling his merchandise to the wealthy, became well known amongst those who held power. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Revere’s home and actually learned a ton about the man who before today I thought was only famous for yelling “the British are coming!”

After touring Boston, we drove back to the hotel. This time, luckily, we didn’t get stuck in a tunnel. After about an hour of free time, we all walked to a restaurant in downtown Providence. This was the first dinner where both the Brown I and Brown II groups had the chance to sit together at one big table. It was great learning more about their experiences at Brown. The dinner was delicious and I left feeling ready to experience firewater for the first time.

We headed down to the canal to view a beautiful and unique show where bonfires are lit atop metal structures in the middle of the cannel. Periodically a boat passes by to add wood to the fires. This show was absolutely amazing and far exceeded my expectations. WaterFire perfectly exemplifies the creative life present in Providence. Each day I am more impressed by this progressive city and I can’t wait to experience college life here.