Ivy Watch: Cleaning Harvard's bathrooms

Ivy Watch—Informative and entertaining news from around the Ivy League

Harvard:
Dorm Crew Imparts Partial Benefits
Students at Harvard clean the dorm bathrooms. One student earned $3500 in two weeks of intense after-finals cleaning. Also, it's thought to give a career advantage, as it shows that students are willing to get down to real work. Alumni praise the program.

Brown:
Bridge to Honor 'Last Lecture' Prof Pausch '82
Yes, the famed Randy Pausch went to Brown. If you don't know his "Last Lecture" became a book and a Youtube sensation. A bridge in his honor will incorporate "visual metaphors" from his speech including a railing with "cut-out abstract penguin figures". There will be a dedication ceremony to dedicate the bridge.

Columbia:
Smoking Ban Ignites Debate
Students at Columbia seek opinions on an all-campus ban on smoking. They plan to poll 1400 students, and possibly put in place a ban. They also addressed continuing campus space issues.

Cornell:
Admins Say New Structure Will Lead to Efficiency
A rearrangement of upper-level positions is pending at Cornell. It will reduce the amount of bureaucracy and decrease the budget deficit by $2 million annually. It will include the introduction of a new vice president to streamline operations.

Dartmouth:
AoA committee finds election reform is currently "unachievable"
A report finds that campaign finance reform for Board of Trustees and Alumni Association Elections is currently impossible. Top candidates spent over $100,000 on their campaigns for Board recently. The report did recommend shortening elections and creating longer personal statements for candidates.

UPenn:
"Spookeasy" puts Irish twist on Halloween
At Penn, the Writer's House and Curio Theatre Company collaborated to create a Halloween event with an Irish twist. It consisted of Irish stories and folktales. The turnout was good, the most crowded it has ever been at this yearly event, which got this new twist this year.

Yale:
Recession Limits Faculty Searches
The University is limiting faculty hiring because of budget cuts. Faculty hiring will still be possible but a more compelling case needs to be made for the professors' necessity. There will also be a 7.5% cut in personal spending. Opinions vary, some departments believe serious consequences will result.