Ivy Watch: Building an edible car

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

Brown:
Engineers Build Edible Car
At last week’s Edible Car Competition, Brown University’s Society of Women Engineers and the Division of Engineering divided into 20 teams in an effort to assemble a functional and entirely edible car in one hour. The car parts included pumpkins, Life Savers, zucchini, and rice cakes. Food Network star Bob Blumer joined the Brown students and faculty in the competition.

Columbia:
Columbia with Lion’s Share of Flu Vaccine
In New York City, Barnard University is currently out of flu vaccine, while just across Broadway, Columbia University has an excess of it. The university has so much extra vaccine that Columbia University Health Services is holding flu shot fairs where students and faculty can receive vaccines for free. This imbalance holds true for the H1N1 vaccine as well: Although not yet available to students, the vaccine has arrived at Columbia, while Barnard’s schedule of shipments has yet to be determined.

Cornell:
Cornell Professor Appointed to Indian Government Position
Cornell University economics professor Kaushik Basu has been named chief economic advisor to India’s Ministry of Finance. In order to further improve India’s economy and alleviate the country’s widespread poverty, Basu suggests investing in free health care, education, and financial support for the poor. While working for the Indian government, Basu will take a two-year leave of absence from the university.

Dartmouth:
Dartmouth Lacks Scholars
In recent decades, fewer Dartmouth University students have applied for and been awarded Marshall, Mitchell, and Rhodes Scholarships. Compared to the 50 or so students who apply for the awards annually from peer institutions like Harvard, Dartmouth typically has 10 to 12 applicants and even fewer winners. The university ranks sixth in the Ivy League in terms of the number of Rhodes scholarships won in the last decade.

Harvard:
HUTV Gets $12K
The Harvard University Undergraduate Council granted Harvard Undergraduate Television (HUTV) $12,000 to support the 12 campus TV shows it manages. Of the unprecedented $12,000, $9,000 will go towards new video equipment, and the rest will cover the operating costs for all 12 shows.

UPenn:
Library Utilizes Texting
On October 1, the University of Pennsylvania’s libraries launched their new texting services to improve communication between students and librarians. The texting capability was an addition to Penn Libraries’ existing chat and instant-message services. Although only 34 text messages have been received since the service’s inception, Penn’s librarians believe it will be the most effective form of communication.

Yale:
Memorial Service Held for Narcisse
This past Saturday, a memorial service was held on Long Island for Yale University sophomore Andre Narcisse who was found dead in his dorm room November 1. Narcisse was a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, and Reverend Robert Thompson, the school minister, spoke at the reception. The cause of death is still unknown.