Partly Cloudy, 64°
<a onclick="return openVideo('http://www.thebrownnoser.com/media/paper1157/interactive/r1o13255.swf')"><img src="http://www.thebrownnoser.com/media/paper1157/stills/7i1q39nb.jpg" align="right" borde="0"></a><a onclick="return openVideo('http://www.thebrownnoser.com/media/paper1157/interactive/r1o13255.swf')"><b>Click to watch the giant Chinese finger trap on BNTV!</b></a>
When Jon Gregory '09 and Paolo Torrino '09 first stuck their hands into their 12-foot finger trap they only expected a few minutes of fun. They were unaware that their lifestyles would change as a result of a toy.
"At first it was hilarious," said onlooker and friend Sarah Matthews '10. "Jon and Paolo were both pulling and laughing at how they couldn't get their arms out."
After the humor of the novelty item wore off, Gregory and Torrino decided that they'd had enough and attempted to remove the trap.
"We pushed our arms in like you normally do to take the thing off, but the darn thing wouldn't come off," commented Gregory. "We went at it for hours. We're still trying to get it off."
Gregory and Torrino are still stuck in the giant Chinese finger trap, six days after first putting their arms in. The changes they have had to make have been devastatingly difficult.
"First thing we did was to go on BOCA and try and create a schedule. We both were in Econometrics together which made things slightly easier. We picked History of China, and Physics 8. We're hoping that together those courses will help us figure out how to get out of this thing," said Torrino, "but Gregory refused to drop Slavic Languages 15, so now I'm stuck learning that crap."
Aside from changing courses, Gregory has switched rooms with Torrino's roommate. The switch has been one of many compromises the two students have had to make.
"We rope off five seats for them in every class. They need to be far enough apart that they can sit comfortably," said Janine Stanson, Brown's Director of Disability Services. "A twelve-foot pole is difficult to maneuver and we're trying to make their lives easier."
At the end of the day, however, both Torrino and Gregory are coping with the situation with optimism.
"We are a human limbo pole," said the two students, one twelve feet away. "We can dry our clothing whenever and wherever we want. We get to close-line anyone who makes fun of us. We also can do that dance move where you wiggle your arms like a wave."
