“Rocky” start. The Yale College Council issued its first newsletter of the year yesterday, featuring updates, announcements and profiles to kick off the semester. In a letter to the student body, YCC President Michael Herbert ’16 likened his cabinet to Rocky and the Statue of Liberty for their commitment to justice, honor and freedom as they toil to bring iPhone chargers to the Bass Media desk.

Open Door policy. Doing well by campaign promises for accessibility and openness, Herbert also listed office hours at which students can pitch their ideas for a better Yale. Typos aside, the letter effectively conveys Herbert’s earnestness, which will be on full display starting Sunday in Silliman.

Don’t forget about us. Not to be outdone, the Yale International Relations Association also released its weekly news production on Wednesday. Among the letter’s highlighted items were previews of the Global Perspectives Society’s Thursday event with Ambassador Robert King and solicitations for followers on YIRA’s new Instagram page.

How are we doing? The University released its 2014 Workplace Survey on Wednesday, inviting staff to comment on labor conditions at Yale. Workers have until Oct. 21 to complete the form (and slightly more time to settle negotiations between their unions and the administration).

Media & Millenials. A Wednesday column in the Boston Globe chose BriefMe, a media startup co-founded by Hari Ganesan ’13, as the most exciting project currently at the Harvard Innovation Lab, noting that the company’s success hinges upon “whether millenials will choose to digest the news of the world.”

An exhibit for ants? The Peabody Museum launched its “Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants” exhibit on Wednesday, making a grand spectacle of the miniscule insects. The display features live ant colonies for visitors to observe closely.

Cult of the Walrus. Morse College was abuzz with chatter on Wednesday after news of a 35,000-walrus gathering in Alaska circulated around the internet. Experts told the Associated Press that a lack of available ice was responsible for bringing together more walruses, Morse’s mascot, than the college can house in its perpetually-crowded dining hall.

THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY
1883 Seniors hold elections in the Lyceum Lecture Room to elect its class-day orator, poet and statistician.

THE YALE DAILY NEWS