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The Brown Noser

Seasoned Info Session Leader Can Pretty Much Gloss Over Anything By Now

Published Friday, April 29th, 2016

Info session leader Maria Zimmerman ’16 told reporters Thursday that, after years of giving hour-long talks to prospective students and their families, she can pretty smoothly talk around just about any uncomfortable issue or pointed question that comes her way.

Zimmerman said that, after four years, glossing over things had pretty much become second nature. “Involvement in athletics, accessibility to financial aid for international students, I can pretty much handle it all,” she said, smiling brightly. “Come to think of it,” she added, “I can’t remember the last time I’ve answered a question head-on.”

Zimmerman said she has improved over time. “Early on you learn the basic things—like people will ask if the food is good, which it is on some days so you just say ‘yes’ and talk about program housing,” she said.

The true test of ability, Zimmerman said, are what she calls “gotcha” questions. “People will ask about Brown’s investments in the fossil fuel industry and the prison industrial complex,” she said, adding, “If you know what you’re doing, that is a prime opportunity to talk about Brown’s thriving culture of student activism.”

When asked if she ever felt strange about her ability to deftly derail a line of questioning, Zimmerman explained that Brown has 14 a cappella groups.