Nicolai and I visited Brandeis University for the first in a series of college tours he will be taking this week. Pictured here is the iconic 4 story Usen Castle perched upon Boston Rock. Built in 1928, during the Depression Era, the castle was designed to create an aura of mystique. It was built from the outside in from artist sketches of Windsor Castle because blueprints of the original were denied. As a result, it has a wide variety of pie-shaped rooms, unusual passageways, and secret rooms. It provides housing for sophomores, a pottery studio, a student lounge, and Chum’s Coffee House. Unfortunately, we had a terrible campus tour guide who left us with a very unfavorable impression of the school. Despite a great reputation for social justice (one of the strong draws for us) it is not likely to make Nicolai’s shortlist.