Sweet Freedom for Brown Student Imprisoned in Library
Yesterday marked the end of Brown sophomore Grant Gilles' finals period self-imprisonment in the Brown Science Library. Though Gilles' original goal was to use his footage in the Residential Life Committee's annual "Why I deserve the best housing on campus" video contest (the prize being first pick in the housing lottery), he writes,
3 days into the imprisonment, after waking from a nap in the apartment's cot, I was informed that they were not holding a video contest. ... While they have not officially told the campus, I guess they are having a talent show, which everyone thinks is pretty whack. I mean I am not too phased though because I having been working with our legal division and their telling me that living in library for a week fits the definition of "talent."
More from Grant on the perils of acclimating to the outside world and, per request of those debating the relative cuteness of Brown's Sire of Stircrazy, another picture.
Grant answers our questions on his motivations regarding the Res Life Committee's contest, acclimation to the outside world, and when we can see the video:
I thought up the idea about a month ago in one of our eateries but I don't think people took me seriously at the time because I was coming off a week of midterms and was having one of my biweekly existential breakdowns. 3 days into the imprisonment, after waking from a nap in the apartment's cot, I was informed that they were not holding a video contest. In the past the residential life committee has held a video contest where entrants explained why they should have the best housing on campus and students generally vote for the funniest proposal, which then gets the first pick in the lottery. While they have not officially told the campus, I guess they are having a talent show, which everyone thinks is pretty whack. I mean I am not too phased though because I having been working with our legal division and their telling me that living in library for a week fits the definition of "talent".
When the cup wall came down it was the end of an era (read: Alamo, not Berlin Wall). Since I decided to actually study after the dismantling and left my phone on another floor I received about 5 frantic calls from different friends wondering where I was and if I had been kicked out. That combined with the act of heroism as people did food runs for me to our cafeteria (now read Cold War reference: Berlin Airlifts) showed me that I have really supportive friends that will not only let me jump off a cliff but will also give me the running push if I need and follow me down. I will probably need this support now that I have reentered the larger bubble known as Brown's campus. Yesterday presented a myriad of challenges from shaving to laundry. I think the endeavor also convinced me that during this finals period everyone was living in the library, not only figuratively but literally; seeing people outside the library doing other things besides studying has really disillusioned me.
After filming my exit yesterday we wrapped up filming. I am going to try to do final editing "over winter break", which inevitably means sitting on my ass not doing editing until I am back at school and can do it instead of work. When it is fully compiled I will most definitely send the video your guys' way. ... I periodically check back to see whether the "grant is cute" or "grant is fugly" camp is winning the unexpected war that is playing out on [the previous article's] comment wall. I can dispel rumors that I posted in my defense, the only time I posted was as "cagedinthescili," which was an homage to a friend's post in an article about her on "Kitchen Sex Is the New Shower Sex."
OMG he's totally friends with the kitchen sex chick! This must be the "alternative use of public spaces at Brown University" clique. Those crazy Brunonians, all alterna-nutty and free-thinking and such.
32 Comments | 
Digg This | 
Share on Facebook | 
Print This Post | 
Email This Post
Read more: Brown
Email – 
Search
About
Report a bug
Archives
RSS Feed
December 20th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
I miss Brown, even the SciLi.
I wish I had heard about this before I left for home. I would’ve brought him so much delicious Ratty food.
December 20th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
how do people who don’t know the difference between “there”, “their” and “they’re” get in here? goddamnit.
December 20th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
Because it’s Brown?
December 20th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Wow, he’s cute.
December 20th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
i typed this all out pretty quickly in between taking and studying for finals. but i guess i’d rather have people judge me on my grammar than my looks?
December 20th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
he’s dreamy
December 20th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
i would totally do him in the butt. really.
December 20th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Well grammar and looks are two of the very few things we have to judge you on given the limited info…
I’m still in the cute camp btw :)
December 20th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Ummm how did a guy in a Lacoste shirt w/ a popped collar manage to live in a library for a week? Just wondering…
December 20th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
ewwww gayalie, leave him alone.
December 21st, 2007 at 2:52 am
Dude’s got landing strip chest hair.
December 21st, 2007 at 10:15 am
this kid sounds like a huge prick. he checks to see if people approve/disapprove of your looks? given that, i wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one behind the computer, calling himself cute, dreamy, etc. but aside from that, this kid is glorifying things that warrant no glorification.
1. Why would his friends be worried about him getting kicked out? I don’t see what incentive the library would have to kick him out.
2. Not doing laundry for three days? Maybe I’m dirty, but I do my laundry every 10 days or so. If this kid had half a brain he would have been prepared with clothes, since he obviously knew he was going to be in the library for a few days.
3. Shaving? During exams, I generally abandon vanity. Was it really that difficult to not shave for three days? Or couldn’t he have just brought your razor and shaved in the bathroom? If he was able to take makeshift showers, I’m sure he could manage shaving.
4. Random note: Disillusioned and myriad. Those are the two words pseudointellectuals use to feel smart. That and problematize.
So what exactly did this kid do? He stayed in a library for three days, with unlimited food, people around him everywhere, and access to a computer. The title of this article should be preppy Lacoste-wearing Brown student glorifies a pointless, unimpressive stint in the library. Whats even more sad is this guy’s “whack” (nice word choice, Grant) conception of difficulty. Try a few days in prison or a few days without food.
But furthermore, presumably he was in the library to study, though it looks like he would rather garner illegitimate attention or type comments on IvyGate. It seems that his mind was far away from studying, but rather filming a stupid movie. based off his subpar writing, I assume he would need all the time studying he could possibly get.
It is truly sad I have this much free time.
December 21st, 2007 at 10:25 am
Definitely cute.
December 21st, 2007 at 10:39 am
definitely not cute.
December 21st, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Why so bitter? Isolation in upstate ny prove too much for you?
I think he’s totally fuckable.
December 21st, 2007 at 12:45 pm
“truly sad to have that much free time?”
you’re the one who posted a response the length of a novel to a post that is purely humorous.
and not having good grammar is a problem, but the guy is still cute. and endearing.
December 21st, 2007 at 1:10 pm
i was saying its sad that i have this much free time.
December 21st, 2007 at 5:50 pm
I’d touch him.
December 21st, 2007 at 6:22 pm
what the achievement is. there was a student at nyu who lived at that library for months, and the same is rumored to be true at columbia. anything under a week is pretty weak sauce. try again.
December 21st, 2007 at 7:19 pm
I would FUCK HIM
December 21st, 2007 at 7:32 pm
I probably got more tail in the stacks during those three days than you have in a lifetime “cornell’10″ douchebag.
December 21st, 2007 at 8:14 pm
i’m also surprised to hear that he’s “not too phased” instead of “not too fazed”
good thing brown requests pictures of its applicants so it knows to let the cute ones in regardless of grammatical knowledge.
December 21st, 2007 at 8:36 pm
mediocre
December 21st, 2007 at 8:42 pm
It was seven days, not three. Read the article. Three days in he found out they weren’t holding a video contest, but that didn’t deter him from staying there the whole week. And the vocabulary is charming in person, I promise.
December 21st, 2007 at 8:48 pm
1) Notice the hair coming up out of the collar of his shirt, 2) Notice his scrawny ass weighs about 115 pounds, 3) notice his popped, Crayola-colored shirt collar, 4), shoot to kill.
December 21st, 2007 at 9:39 pm
IvyGate, found out if he’s gay.
December 22nd, 2007 at 10:19 am
cagedinthescili is a god. que cojones. also everyone stop bitching about grammar. seriously? it’s pretty much widely acknowledged that when you write an informal email or comment post you can use all lower-case and bad grammar. so stop whining. this isn’t the new yorker (no offense ivy gate… you know i love you).
December 22nd, 2007 at 5:55 pm
he is def a sexy beast. i would totes make out with him if he went to my school.
December 23rd, 2007 at 4:42 am
Interesting.
Anyways, don’t blame Cornell10 for being bitter; after all, he goes to a lowly state school. Hopefully, if Ron Paul becomes president, Cornell will be eliminated.
And to those that are criticizing his grammar– get over yourselves, the kid wasn’t writing a dissertation, he was sending an e-mail.
December 25th, 2007 at 3:47 am
Well done, Grant. I hope it was all you were hoping for. Don’t let that Cornell retard get to you. Hopefully he’ll jump into the gorge soon.
January 11th, 2008 at 12:40 am
I have to agree with Cornell ‘10 here…
he lived in the “scili” for three days and worried extensively about shaving and doing his laundry? in a bright green polo shirt? and ate 18 meals a day?
This seems more characteristic of a typical Pton student, and I have “roughed it” far worse during midterms week while living in my shithole dorm and foregoing taping myself to get publicity and comments on my level of attractiveness.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:03 am
you guys are so edumacated, I wish I be going to ivy leagues lol :-)