by The Cowl Editor on November 2, 2017
Opinion
Save Water -Turn Off Sprinklers
Throughout the past couple of months, Providence has experienced a few rainy days here and there. Although these stormy days often bring a sense of gloom and despair to campus, they allow for the various foliage around Providence College to be thoroughly watered, free of charge. From the trees outside of Suites Hall to the weeds growing around Calabria Plaza’s construction site, campus always seems rejuvenated after a nice rainstorm.
Yet, PC does not believe that a couple hours of steady rain provides enough water for the grass on Aquinas Quad.
In order to make sure that every inch of the AQ Quad gets thoroughly soaked by water, all sprinklers turn on regardless of the weather. It does not matter whether there have been light showers throughout the night or if it is been down pouring since the early morning; the AQ sprinklers always go off.
This is a big problem, especially if PC is making small steps towards becoming an environmentally conscious school.
In general, watering grass uses an extraordinary amount of water. In order to properly water a 10-foot by 10-foot section of lawn, you would need just over 62 gallons of water. To put this idea into perspective, it would take around 103 gallons of water to properly water a notoriously small McVinney dorm room. Just imagine how many McVinney rooms fit on the AQ Quad—a whole lot.
Although it is nice to see how much PC cares about its beautiful lawns, the AQ Quad does not need to be manually watered by sprinklers as it is being watered naturally by the rain. It is not only a huge waste of water, but it also just looks a little absurd.
-Katherine Torok ’20
Trump Needs a New Approach
On Thursday, President Trump declared the current opioid crisis in the United States a public health emergency, but many take issue with his approach.
One of the most significant criticisms of Trump’s decision is that there will not be nearly enough funding made available to assist with research and medical care. Without this crucial funding, it is unclear what impact this decision will have on those suffering from opioid addiction.
It is troubling that it has taken the Trump administration this long to address the severity of the opioid crisis and to declare it an emergency. It is unclear how much this decision will really help those who are in desperate in need. At this point, extra funding from the government is the only way to make significant progress in helping those struggling with addiction. It is scary that getting this funding will now take more time or may not happen at all.
Much more needs to be done if Trump is going to end the opioid crisis during his presidency. Thousands of Americans die every year from opioid overdose and without the proper funding for treatment and prevention, the death toll will only increase.
Communities will continue to be affected without the proper financial and medical attention that, at this point, can only be implemented by Trump. The Trump administration needs to realize that while declaring a public health emergency is a good start, it will not be nearly enough in the long run.
-Bridget Blain ’19
PHOTO COURTESY of Nashvile NACE
Be Mindful of Food Waste
Last week, Raymond Dining Hall took on a “Clean Plate Challenge” for a day during lunch. Students were encouraged to only take food they would eat, and to finish all of their food, thus becoming a member of the “Clean Plate Club” and helping to limit Ray’s food waste for that meal. In front of the dish return area were buckets full of food that students had taken but never ate. The piles of food proved that Providence College has a problem when it comes to food waste.
The Clean Plate Initiative is a great way to combat this problem. With the help of the Sodexo Staff, PC is able to donate all of the food that is left over, but nothing can be done with the food that students take, but never eat. Ultimately, this leads to a lot of food waste, which is neither environmentally nor economically friendly. There is not a way to limit the food that students take for themselves or to institute different portion control options, but the Clean Plate Initiative can serve as a great reminder for students. Even though the actual program was only set up for a day, perhaps posters or reminders set up in Ray could help encourage students to limit waste on a daily basis.
We all have moments where our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, but if PC can embrace the Clean Plate Initiative and students can remember that the food they do not eat will go to waste, we can make our campus a more economical and environmentally friendly place.
-Andrea Traietti ’21