April 16, 2026
Providence College's Student-Run Newspaper Since 1935
The month of February celebrates Black History Month, which recognizes the lived realities, progress, and resilience of African Americans. Its…
The United States holds primary elections every four years to determine which candidates from each political party will run in…
On Sunday, Feb. 8, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, colloquially known as Bad Bunny, performed during halftime of the 60th Super…
by Shannon Kelly ’26 on March 19, 2026
On Wednesday, March 4, founder and president of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, Dr. Karen Korematsu, gave a talk in the Ruane Center for the Humanities room LL05 titled, “Of Civil Rights and Wrongs: The Fred Korematsu Story.” The Fred T. Korematsu Institute “promotes civic participation and education that advances racial equality, social justice, and human rights for all.” The talk centered the life of late civil rights icon Fred Korematsu, explored concepts of freedom, and questioned how our nation’s understanding of who has been deemed American throughout history has changed. Fred Korematsu’s legacy was built upon his refusal to go to government-created Japanese American internment camps during World War II, his arrest, Supreme Court case, and continued activism throughout the remainder of his life. Korematsu prefaced the talk by asking the audience to consider the current societal atmosphere that we are living in and stated that she has “worry that people do not understand our history.”
Korematsu explained her father to have been deemed “the odd man out” in society, which largely set the tone for the remainder of the talk. She explained that her father was born in Oakland, CA and thought of himself as an American. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor at the hands of Imperial Japan in 1941, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans to leave the West Coast, pulled Japanese American children out of hospitals, and spared no one from the inhumane conditions that defined the experience of interned individuals. Korematsu highlighted the resistance shown during this time and specifically talked about the efforts of Ernest Besig and the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, who sought to challenge the unconstitutionality of the executive order. While Fred Korematsu was in jail, Besig visited him and offered the support of the ACLU in his fight. Korematsu stated that our collective trust in the constitution rests “not just on a piece of paper,” expressing that “this is about us.”
When discussing society today, Korematsu talked a lot about the fear that permeates our country. She stated that “people are afraid of teaching certain parts of history across the United States.” She also mentioned that she believes public schools have failed to adequately teach our nation’s history and said that history is currently being repeated in society, largely at the hands of the current administration.
Korematsu v. United States is one of the most well-known Supreme Court cases. In 1944, the ruling upheld the exclusion of people of Japanese descent from the West Coast military area during World War II, which led to the internment of Japanese Americans. On the basis of coram nobis, Fred Korematsu’s criminal conviction was vacated in 1984. Fred Korematsu’s efforts highlight the significance of fighting the good fight, the need to share stories that reflect one’s experiences in our world, and the power that rests in both advocacy and activism. In her talk, Korematsu reflected on the point that history encourages solidarity and that it is on us to know what is going on in our world. Fred Korematsu was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988 by President Bill Clinton. Fred Korematsu Day is recognized in states including Hawaii, California, Michigan, New Jersey, Florida, Arizona, and Virginia, as well as New York City.
Throughout her talk, Korematsu emphasized that her father’s story is “one of moral principle” and emphasized the need, as quoted by her dad, that told people, “Don’t be afraid to speak up and stand up for what is right.” Korematsu ended the talk by stating that she is looking to students like those at Providence College “to be pebbles in a pond and share your personal stories.” She included that, “We all have the ability to speak up and if we don’t, we’re in trouble.”
by Chris Sama ’27 on February 12, 2026
The athlete of the week is Jason Edwards ’G26, who made his return against DePaul University on Saturday, Feb. 8. The Friars desperately needed a true point guard to run the offense and struggled without Edwards’ presence. It was unclear whether he would return at all for the rest of the Friars’ season, but fortunately, he is back and playing extremely well. He scored 25 points on efficient shooting, going five for eight from three and eight for13 from the field overall. He also had two assists and four rebounds, which is especially impressive considering his role as a guard.
On the season, Edwards is averaging 17.6 points, three rebounds and 3.2 assists on 43.9 field goal percentage, showing his efficiency. He has an extremely quick release that, despite his size, allows him to get shots up from anywhere, even with defenders closing him out. He is also extremely quick and drives to the basket well. The Friars need him if they want any chance at winning the Big East Tournament, let alone making it to March Madness, as he is their only true point guard. Before joining the Friars in the Big East, Edwards played at Vanderbilt University, where he averaged 17.0 points, 1.3 assists, and two rebounds. He made the All-SEC Third team and scored in double figures in 29 of 31 games. He has shown significant improvement in his passing game from his time at North Texas University to Providence College, going from a 1.4 assist average to 3.2.
Without Edwards’ impact, PCwas playing noticeably worse; it felt like something was missing. While the Friars have a great back court consisting of talented players like Stefan Vaaks ’29, Jaylin Sellers ’26G, and Jamier Jones ’29, none of them fit the point guard role; they function better as shooting guards or small forwards. It’s clear from the games where he was present that Edwards was recruited by coach Kim English to run the offense and be a leader on the court.
by Ian Gualtiere ’27 on April 16, 2026
We all know the impact of The Beatles, whose songs like “Here Comes The Sun” and “Hey Jude” prompt mass sing-alongs and connect generations with similar musical tastes. But this is not an article about the history of the band; that article would try to encompass the wide range of musical abilities and creative songwriting that changed the conventions of music and fashion during the 1960s. What, however, is so special about the eras that came after The Beatles, especially after their breakup in 1970? What does each solo career show?
The lives of the band from Liverpool were documented, categorized, and memorized by the most die-hard fans, eager to dive into deep conversations about deep cuts from the solo careers of each Beatle. John Lennon’s Imagine (1971) explores the post-Beatles era as one of anger and confusion, while advocating for worldwide peace, but still reflecting Lennon’s complex and fragile emotions as he formed a new musical career—one that would be tragically cut short after his murder in 1980. George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass (1970) covers years of pent-up frustration that finally get a chance to flourish without the noise of other band members, while still applying a philosophical Eastern spiritual element. Ringo Starr’s Ringo (1973) represents what the band’s drummer was: a bridgebuilder, who informally got the help of his former band members to collaborate. McCartney (1970) is, perhaps, the least cohesive yet profound collection of half-written songs, home recordings, and rambling lyrics that show that one Beatle couldn’t come to terms with a solo career.
Paul McCartney, by the early 1970s, had moved his young family to an isolated farm in Scotland and recorded a one-man album, where he played and recorded every instrument, along with t some contributions from his wife Linda. As McCartney said of this experience, “I nearly had a breakdown. I suppose the hurt of it all, and the disappointment, and the sorrow of losing this great band, these great friends…I was going crazy.” The warmth and reflective nature of this album are considered to be a pioneering quality in lo-fi music, which has been adopted by aspiring musicians on YouTube and TikTok.
The career of McCartney branched out from McCartney, where the formation of his own band, Wings, culminated in a rich and rewarding discography that spans the mid to late 1970s. Albums such as Band on the Run (1973), Venus and Mars (1975), and London Town (1978) capture the rock-n-roll spirit of the times. By the early 1980s, McCartney dissolved his second band to focus again on a solo career, which saw collaborations with artists like Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Costello, culminating in Tug of War (1982), Pipes of Peace (1983), and Flowers in the Dirt (1989). The 1990s and 2000s saw McCartney turning into an “elder statesman” of music as he turned more acoustic and open to collaborating with the remaining members of The Beatles. The deaths of Linda and George Harrison by the turn of the century turned McCartney more reflective with Chaos and Creation In The Backyard (2005).
The past 20 years of McCartney’s career prove one defining theme that characterized The Beatles: he is chameleonic and is always willing to find ways to create. A collaboration with Kanye West and Rihanna in 2015 resulted in “FourFiveSeconds,” and a series of concerts has kept McCartney relevant. McCartney III (2020) was thought to be the accepted bookend in his solo career, which saw a similar style and structure to his first solo album, and similar circumstances of self-isolation, however, due to different reasons.
But it appears that in the past two months, there has been a resurgence in McCartney’s creative powers and public image. Man on the Run (2026) is a documentary film released in February that documents McCartney’s post-Beatles career; in March, it was announced that a new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, is set to be released at the end of May. McCartney will also be the musical performer on Saturday Night Live on May 16.
In a career that has spanned almost 70 years, from skiffle bands in the streets of Liverpool to the roaring crowds of Shea Stadium to isolated Scottish farms, McCartney continues to be a living testament to the power of creativity; his music has evolved and endured longer than any other musician can ever claim.
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