Logistics question for Providence residents.

MaryCeleste · 05-10-2005, 11:22 PM

I would very much like to docent at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology (affiliated with Brown, but located near Bristol) while also spending time in Providence to get a sense of the university's grad programs. Is it possible to commute from Providence to the Haffenreffer without a car? Alternatively, where is the best place to look for Bristol sublets/short term rentals? I've gone through the online versions of the Bristol Phoenix and East Bay Newspapers, but can't find any rentals.

dcircle · 05-10-2005, 11:46 PM

i'm not sure if there's an easy way to get back and forth without a car.
wouldn't it be better to live in providence, anyway? you would get a much better sense of the university and the programs (the actual haffenreffer grounds are quite isolated). plus (i'm not sure who at the university is looking for docents but...), you could probably do something similar at the John Brown House, Nightengale House, or a similar affiliated place on campus.

depending on how long you'd like to stay, it may even be better to ask for a position as a research assistant

MaryCeleste · 05-11-2005, 12:03 AM

Thanks again, dcircle, for your help. The thing is that much of my grad school decision will be based on the quality of the affiliated campus museum. I am hoping that for an MA thesis I would be able to organize all or part of a museum exhibition, which is what I really love to do. Further, the program requires one semester of hands-on work at a museum, and almost all of at least the anthro department's museum studies students go to the Haffenreffer (though I'm leaning more and more toward the American Civilization department's version), and one of the Brown profs whose work I like most works mainly at the museum. On a practical note, the Haffenreffer website actively solicits museum volunteers, while the American Civ home page explains that because its faculty do not have enough time to meet with all program applicants, they hold a firm policy of meeting with none. (I also was drawn to this university by a very interesting exhibit the Haffenreffer put on a few years ago, so I am eager to get a better understanding of how this place runs even if I don't end up attending the university program)

Thanks so much for your thoughts again. Are you in this or an adjacent field of study?

dcircle · 05-11-2005, 12:49 AM

you've really done your research =)
i'm actually a brown med student (and former brown undergrad). i have a general pulse on what's going on in other aspects of the university because i just care and because i serve on some administrative committees...but i really don't know much specific information about our Am Civ department or the new Public Humanities MA

even if you can't meet with professors, have you tried contacting the department directly to ask for their advise? perhaps they can hook you up with some current students in the program
(honestly, i'd be surprised if a professor wouldn't be willing to meet with you in spite of the policy but it's probably best to talk to the department staff first)

MaryCeleste · 05-11-2005, 02:23 PM

Thanks for all the advice, and especially about just writing to professors. I was wondering whether I should do that, but felt a bit awkward. This is the only department I've ever seen that claims to prohibit prospective student contact, so at first I assumed they must be very serious about it. You're probably right about just writing to them and seeing what they say; after all, I don't know that I'd want to attend a program in which the teachers avoid the students...

You must really like Brown if you've attended for both undergrad and graduate level. Hope you're still enjoying it

bjrwrh · 05-11-2005, 10:37 PM

It is possible that the reason for the policy is that the professors get harassed a lot by random people but that they'd be willing to speak with a serious prosp. student.

MaryCeleste · 05-11-2005, 11:51 PM

Random people?

dcircle · 05-14-2005, 01:13 PM

MaryCeleste,

You may be interested in this. Perhaps, since they're opening a space on campus you could live in Providence?

http://www.brown.edu/Administration/...05/04-130.html

MaryCeleste · 05-15-2005, 12:19 PM

Ooh, thanks again for the information! This is a good thing. Thanks so much.

map · 05-17-2005, 01:33 PM

There's no easy way to travel between Providence and Bristol without a car, but there's undoubtedly some way. Here's the web address for the bus company: http://www.ripta.com/

MaryCeleste · 05-19-2005, 12:44 AM

Thanks for the transportation link - I went through the site and it looks like the #60 bus goes near the museum, though it looks like there may be an extra mile to walk between the institution and bus stop. This is great news; now I just need to find out when they could use docents. Thanks everyone for all the help.