Tangents and Tirades

by The Cowl Editor on October 4, 2018


Opinion


Photo of Providence College Class of 2019 pendant.

Problematic Public Proposals

When Glenn Weiss proposed to his girlfriend, Jan Svendsen, during his Emmys acceptance speech, many people took to social media to describe the act as “adorable”and “cute.” Some even said that Weiss’ public proposal was the only type of marriage proposal they would accept from their partner.

Despite how romantic this gesture came across to many viewers around the world, one has to ask whether such an action is in good taste.

Being put on the spot, be it at an awards ceremony or at a sports game, is nerve-racking anyway. Once you add in being asked to make a major life decision, such as marriage, it can be even more stressful.

It puts the individual being proposed to in a potentially uncomfortable position. Do they accept the proposal no matter their feelings to avoid embarrassing their partner, or do they reject the proposal in front of such a large audience, embarrassing both themselves and their partner?

Viewers also have some secondhand apprehension, hoping that the marriage proposal ends positively when really it is not their business since they do not know about the relationship at all.

While public proposals usually have good intentions, it is always important to consider how one’s plan of proposing is going to make their partner feel. Marriage proposals can be cute, adorable, and memorable without having an audience to watch it play out.

-Joshua Chlebowski ’21

 

Dorm Bathroom Etiquette

From the earliest stages of life, children learn how to properly use the bathroom. How is it that when we reach the age that constitutes adulthood, we suddenly forget such etiquette?

When we enter college, we are sharing a communal bathroom for possibly the first time ever. There are around 30 other people sharing the same facilities as you.

Remember this the next time you go to leave toilet paper on the floor. Remember this when you finish brushing your teeth and notice the leftover toothpaste in the sink.

In the first few weeks of school it is especially difficult to make this adjustment. You have come from a house in which you only shared the bathroom with your family. For this reason, you were most likely more comfortable with leaving it however you wished. Now, however, things must change. There is more responsibility on us as adults to maintain clean living conditions. It truly should not be difficult. Since we were all able to get into college, we are fairly capable of achieving these goals.

Sure, it’s important for you to feel comfortable in the place you live, but remember that your comfort isn’t the only aspect you should be worried about. There are other people who want to feel that same comfort in the same bathroom as you.

Not to mention, there are many men and women who work hard to keep our bathrooms in the best shape. Keep this in mind when you leave the toilet paper on the floor or the paper towels anywhere but the trash.

-Julia McCoy ’22

 

Live in the Moment

Along with all the stress of being a senior in college comes the tendency to ignore new opportunities or  an unwillingness to try new things. We become so focused on life after graduation that we forget about our lives now.

Considering that it is our final year at Providence College, it is difficult not to think about our futures. Eight months from now, we will be entering the real world of jobs, salaries, and independence. All the more reason why we should enjoy our time with friends while we still have it.

Now is the time to go to that restaurant you had been meaning to try since freshman year. Attend men’s and women’s hockey and basketball games.

Prioritize your mental health, whether that be an extra hour of sleep or buying too much Ben and Jerry’s. Spend time with friends you do not see that often. Explore the city, especially because, for many of us, this will be our last time living here.

After four years of living at PC, we often take the little things for granted—the view from Guzman hill, sunsets over the Slavin Center, iced coffee from Dunkin’ every morning.

We are so accustomed to this being our lives that we rarely think about the fact that some day these will all be memories.

Make the last year at PC meaningful, however that may be.

-Hannah Paxton ’19