Pundits? A poster for a Saybrook College Master’s Tea featuring “Wilma Dickfit” went up on entryways and bulletin boards across campus Wednesday afternoon. According to the poster, Dickfit — the author of “Let’s Find Out The Hard Way” — hopes her work will encourage independent thought and inspire “well-intentioned amateurism.” For anyone curious, parents are welcome.

Rotten apples. A new October activity has taken downtown New Haven by storm. In a Wednesday email to the Yale community, Police Chief Ronnell Higgins warned students about a recent uptick in iPhone thefts in the Elm City. The crime, known among perpetrators as “apple picking,” seems to be a more profitable, if daring, twist to its traditional fruity counterpart.

Crime watch. As if on cue, an attempted “apple picking” incident occurred shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday night at the corner of Chapel and High streets, where a teenager snatched a woman’s iPhone before fleeing the scene. The victim immediately alerted the police, who surrounded and apprehended the thief outside the York Street parking garage. Yalies, next time you wandering around Skull & Bones, make sure to watch your phone.

More cops and courts. Eric Yee ’12 pled not guilty to illegal weapon possession on Tuesday during his court hearing in San Fernando, Calif. Yee was arrested in September after police officers discovered an assault rifle in his residence. The officers searched his house after he allegedly wrote threatening comments about children on ESPN’s website.

Dude, where’s my car? Yale Fleet Management is holding a used car auction for those in the Yale community looking to pimp their rides. So far, vehicles for sale include several Fords, a Honda CRV, an Isuzu Box Truck and a Dodge Dakota Pickup.

Money in the bank. Dartmouth College and Columbia University posted their investment returns this week. With a 5.8 percent return, Dartmouth has taken the lead in Ivy League endowment performances so far, overtaking Yale’s 4.7 percent return. Columbia posted a 2.3 percent return.

Dead heat revisited. A new poll by the University of Connecticut and Hartford Courant puts Chris Murphy (D) 6 percentage points ahead of Linda McMahon (R) in a hotly contested Senate race.

THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY 1985 The city rejects a proposal for an all-glass office tower for the New Haven Government Center, to be located on Elm, Orange and Chapel streets near the New Haven Green.