Category: Editor’s Column

How Campus Clubs and Organizations Still Feel the Effects of COVID-19

Every member of the Class of 2023 remembers what they were doing on March 6, 2020. I remember saying goodbye to my friends and roommates before my back-to-back class and Civ seminar, in which we ironically discussed how next week’s topic would be the bubonic plague. We left campus excited for break but with an […]

Sarah McLaughlin '23

“What’s the Best Age to Be?”

Don’t Grow Up Too Fast When I was five years old, I filled out a journal that asked the writer questions about herself, her likes and dislikes, and her dreams for the future. One of the questions was, “What age do you want to be most?” I remember writing down 22. My mom asked me […]

Sarah McLaughlin '23

Keeping Our Community Clean

Pick Up After Yourselves, PC “Darty” season is once again upon us, and for those who remain blissfully unaware of what this entails, don’t expect it to be pretty. Each weekend, the Providence College student body never fails to demonstrate blatant lack of respect for their neighborhood, the environment, and their fellow Friars’ off-campus homes […]

Sarah McLaughlin '23

Are Robots Taking Over?

What AI Means for the Future of Writing What if we never had to write another essay in our lives? What if someone—or something—could do it for us?  Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has become  capable of exactly that and much more. This summer, the OpenAI research group released Playground, which is free to use for […]

Sarah McLaughlin '23

Finding Beauty in Uncertainty

Heading into winter break, I considered writing a column titled something along the lines of “Five Ways Seniors Can Make the Most of Their Winter Breaks.” I was going to write about applying for jobs, getting ahead on independent study work, and taking a break to read a novel you’ve been wanting to pick up […]

Sarah McLaughlin '23

Is Student Journalism in Peril in the Digital Age? University of Arizona Student Faces Doxxing and Harassment for Her Opinion Piece

by Sarah McLaughlin ’23 In the age of social media, it is not uncommon for young people to experience harassment from peers online. This can take the form of hurtful comments, threatening direct messages, or mass reporting of one’s account in order to get it banned from a platform. Those in the public eye—influencers, content […]

Sarah McLaughlin '23

What Are We Even Voting For? The Importance of Participating in Local Politics

by Sarah McLaughlin ’23 Last week, many of us (hopefully most of us) voted in the midterm elections. I don’t think I’m the only one who found myself staring at my absentee ballot in my left hand while I frantically typed names of candidates and elected positions into Ballotpedia’s search bar with my right. As […]

Sarah McLaughlin '23