After two years of sharing the often hilarious and sometimes serious complaints of Carleton students, the once-anonymous creator of CU Problems is graduating.
That student, Carleton law grad Brunelle Lewis, agreed to speak with the Charlatan’s Haley Ritchie.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
The Charlatan (TC): So last time the Charlatan spoke to you, your identity was shrouded in (semi) secrecy. Tell us a little bit about the human behind CU Problems. Who is Brunelle Lewis?
Brunelle Lewis (BL): That’s easy. She’s a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. And by that, I mean she’s a recent university grad (from one of the best schools ever, might I add), currently job-seeking, in pursuit of her dreams, and in love with the world around her.
TC: We know how CU Problems came about—inspired by Queens U Probs—but how did it change over the years? And how dedicated were you to keeping your identity secret?
BL: There was no expectation for myself to post five hundred million things a day. I just posted what I liked and what others wanted. The more comfortable I got posting, the more willing I was to let myself be exposed if I was posting something specific to a class, like hilarious prof quotes.
I sat next to one girl all semester and she would laugh at the posts on CU Problems throughout class. She had no idea that the person sitting next to her was posting them until I eventually introduced myself on the last day of class. CU Problems proved to be a great icebreaker and a way to make new friends!
TC: As a law student, did you ever worry a little that someone might get upset about what you posted? (Like OC Transpo? The university administration?)
BL: As a student in general I did, and still do. It’s the reason I kept my identity quiet for so long. My concern came when I posted something someone thought was disrespectful or inappropriate, when I hadn’t considered it that way. I’m thankful that the odd times that did happen, people called me out on it, and I was able to correct myself.
I love CU and I never wanted to post anything to disrespect the school or the people there. It was always meant to be something taken in jest, and I hope that it was.
TC: So no libel, and you tried to avoid hurt feelings. In that case, how do you feel about Spotted at Carleton U?
BL: Oooo, now you’re getting into page politics. It’s a fun page that obviously has a lot of fans and is a #CUSolution to the disappearance of LikeALittle. The one thing that I’m not the biggest fan of is that it’s not really filtered. There’ve been a couple of posts that target certain people in inappropriate ways and I think that when you’re the admin for a public forum like that, it’s your responsibility to ensure material like that isn’t posted.
TC: How does it feel to be passing along the torch for the CU Problems account?
BL: Relieved, nostalgic, and bittersweet. It’s weird seeing posts that come up when I didn’t write them, but hey, it was a good run while it lasted.
TC: Can you walk us through the process of picking these three mysterious individuals you passed that torch to?
BL: I had people send me a quick message with why they wanted to be CU Problems. Then they had to create mock problems which were voted on by students. I ended up giving the page to both groups [one individual and one pair] that were being voted on because I liked them both and thought they would do well working together.
Best application by far: Someone said that if I gave them the page, they’d give me their pants and then sent a GIF of someone ripping off their pants.
TC: So is that possibly pantless person now a CU Problems admin?
BL: Unfortunately not. She’s probably too busy looking for new pants. But on the plus side, I gained a pantless friend.
TC: Pantless friends are the best kind of friends. So, final question: you are pretty much universally regarded at Carleton for your wisdom and awesomeness. What’s your advice for new Ravens?
BL: Aha, am I? That’s pretty badass.
My advice: keep your chin up and your coffee mug filled. Enjoy the experience while you can—from the late nights partying to the even later nights paper-writing. You have the rest of your life to catch up on sleep.
