Tag: clubs
Community Dinner with Dialogue Stakeholders on Campus
by Shannon Kelly ’26 on February 5, 2026
News
The Future of Dialogue at Providence College
On Wednesday, Jan. 28, Dialogue, Inclusion, and Democracy Lab Fellows Isabelle Camoin ’26 and Shannon Kelly ’26 hosted a community dinner with various dialogue stakeholders on campus. Representatives from several clubs and organizations on campus, including Residence Life, BMSA, BOP, Civic Engagement Taskforce, SHEPARD, ECOPC, The Cowl, NERLab, Her Campus, PIRC, DID Lab, and others, were present at the discussion.
Members from the same organizations and clubs were assigned to different tables before engaging in conversation. The hope with this was that people would become familiar with other individuals on campus whom they might not have known previously. We started out with a community agreement, which is a practice that had been introduced to us by Dr. Nick Longo, co-director of the DID Lab. Introductions were held, and the hosts led with the question, “Why did you agree to come to the dinner?” to gauge people’s motivations and what they sought to get out of the conversation. There were five round tables, and most questions posed started off in a small-group discussion, then a few people from each table shared out to the larger group. Many people shared that they appreciated the invitation, cited their pre-existing relationships with others in the room, and expressed their hope to discuss the dialogic atmosphere on campus.
The two questions that we initially posed were, “How have you experienced civil discourse on campus in your daily interactions with others?” and “How do you specifically experience civil discourse in the clubs and organizations that you are a part of?” In regards to the first question, some people spoke of engaging in conversation with their friends, but many noted that they felt their pre-existing views were often affirmed, rather than challenged, in these daily conversations. Some also spoke to the importance of starting a conversation through recognizing a common ground between participants. The importance of friendship, and trust more generally, was also a focus in the conversation. Many mentioned that they felt that they participated in conversations in silos, which didn’t allow for greater conversation to be had with others.
The other two questions that we posed were, “How can we make sure the meaningful conversations we are having continue? What is working in your club or organization?” and, “Should we be reaching those who have not yet engaged in meaningful dialogue? How can we do that?” Several practices were viewed as currently working on campus. This included office hours for SHEPARD, DEI-centered dialogue for BOP, having a shared office for Student Congress, reaching out to professors, and taking the time to personally invite others to events. In terms of things that were not working, knowing what is going on within various clubs/organizations, and a general lack of engagement from others on campus who are not as involved in on-campus activities was brought up. When brainstorming how to move forward, many said that we should be prioritizing safe spaces, advocating for others, using the clubs that we are a part of as a force for good, reaching out to get others involved, and prioritizing listening to different viewpoints were all brought up.
Several students from The Cowl expressed difficulty in trying to get students with conservative viewpoints to join the newspaper. They expressed their efforts to get others involved through hosting an open house and repeatedly posting on their social media that they were looking for writers of varying opinions for each section. Throughout the discussion, it was clear that there was recognition of the need for change and more open dialogue on campus. Someone also brought up the role that technology plays in our everyday interactions, as well as the need to bridge the gap between solely communicating online versus in person, and getting more people willing to engage in civil discourse in person was emphasized.
When sharing out with the larger groups, one person said that, “No one wants to see the world crumble.” This was an important basis to start off a conversation with, as it creates common ground with people who may share differing viewpoints and perspectives. This discussion was the first part of an initiative entitled the “Beyond the Walls” series, which seeks to continue the conversation that the DID Walls allow others to engage in. DID Walls can be found across campus in the Feinstein Academic Center, Slavin Center, Mondor Center for Nursing and Health Sciences, Science Complex, and Moore Hall. We look forward to continuing these conversations in the future.
Student Congress Update
by Ava La Bruno ‘27 on December 11, 2025
Congress Updates
On Tuesday, Nov. 18, Student Congress did not have a guest speaker. The proposal of the Car Club was passed. The proposals of the Confetti Club and the Music Industry Club were introduced and will be voted upon at the next meeting. The Confetti Club is a chapter of the Confetti Foundation, which is a non-profit that supplies birthday parties to hospitalized children. The Music Industry Club’s mission is to connect students interested in the music industry by providing educational, networking, and career development opportunities. Additionally, an amendment to the Student Congress Constitution regarding the archives transfer process was also introduced and will be voted upon at the next meeting.
Resources for Belonging on Campus
by Emma Cody on December 11, 2025
News
Providence College can often seem lonely for anyone who may feel as though they do not fit in. Whether you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community and are looking for support, or are just looking for a community to fit into, there are more resources on campus than you may know about. When you fall into the minority, it seems daunting to explore your own identity, so finding a community that you can fit into is crucial. When you feel like someone who does not necessarily fit in with the typical PC student, finding friends or professors to support you or relate to you, you may feel at a loss. It can, at times, feel like our school is not the most accepting; however, there are resources put in place for anyone struggling. College is about exploring and coming to understand your own identity, and knowing there are people who have your back makes this even easier. Here are the resources we have here on campus and in the Providence community to help anyone who needs:
The Center at Moore Hall:
A space where learning, creativity, and social justice come together, all focused on equity and inclusion. As a campus home for dialogue, equity, and belonging, Moore offers classrooms, event spaces, a kitchenette, and performing arts areas that encourage collaboration and connection. It’s the perfect place to spark ideas, have meaningful conversations, and create a true sense of belonging.
SHEPARD Club:
SHEPARD is a support group for all members of the LGBTQQIAA community who choose to become involved. The name is an acronym that stands for Stopping Homophobia, Eliminating Prejudice and Restoring Dignity. Members of the club represent parts of the LGBTQQIAA community and people from any walk of life are welcome to take part in the events held by this club throughout the year.
Personal Counseling Center:
The Personal Counseling Center is a place where students can expect professional assistance with emotional and psycho-social concerns. Anxiety, confusion, depression, and anger are among the many psychological obstacles to well-being, and often diminish potential and achievement. Asking for help during vulnerable times is a sign of strength.
The Office of Equity Compliance:
Providence College and the Office of Equity Compliance are committed to maintaining an environment in which all students, staff and faculty are treated with dignity and respect, as created in the image and likeness of God. Deals with issues related to Title IX and Title VI.
Open Meeting Regarding Turning Point USA’s Proposed PC Chapter
by Christian Cintron ’28 on October 30, 2025
News
On Wednesday, Oct. 22, Grace Pierson ’26, the chair of Student Congress’s Committee on Advocacy, held a meeting open to all members of the campus community in Moore Hall 118 regarding the proposal of a Turning Point USA chapter at Providence College. Attendees of the meeting included representatives from Student Congress, the Board of Multicultural Student Affairs (BMSA), SHEPARD, and other interested PC students.
Turning Point USA is a nonprofit organization co-founded by conservative political activist and commentator Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September. Their official website proclaims, “We are committed to identifying, educating, training, and organizing students to promote freedom.” The overarching goal of the organization is to educate students nationwide on conservative values and uplift civic engagement in youth, grounded in a patriotic attitude and readiness to act. A movement largely rooted in traditionalism, Turning Point USA provides resources for both college campuses and high schools to promote these values on school grounds, including open applications for grants and providing guest speakers from their Speakers’ Bureau.
Pierson made it evident that the meeting did not have a specific agenda, but rather was an open forum for students to express their concerns about the proposed chapter, which could then be brought up at the pending club’s presentation to Student Congress. A document was maintained listing these concerns, and attendees voiced items that they wanted to be added to the list. The two primary talking points that are intended to be raised regard the club’s disposition as a non-partisan organization and the national group’s Professor Watchlist, with the goal of documenting college professors who impose leftist values on students. The meeting’s attendees questioned the chapter’s presentation as non-partisan when the national organization infamously has conservative implications. They were also skeptical of the organization’s connection to the Professor Watchlist and its consequences for PC professors, but the proposed chapter rejects involvement with the Professor Watchlist.
Pierson asserted that the presence of this chapter on campus could impact the experience of marginalized communities attending PC, describing the ideals of Kirk and other Turning Point USA founders as “white Christian nationalism.” She is chiefly concerned with the implications for professors due to the aforementioned Watchlist, believing that the potential for persecution could bring a culture of negativity to campus, stating, “everybody is negatively affected by that.” She also expanded on the distress regarding the chapter being presented as non-partisan, which was emphasized by the proposed chapter’s executive board when they met with Student Congress’s Committee on Clubs and Organizations on Wednesday, Oct. 15, arguing that DEI initiatives would suffer as a result. She discussed the optics of on-campus initiatives proportionally, noting they are “already being labeled as far-left” and will “be viewed as way farther left by comparison.”
The chapter will present to Student Congress on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and elected members of Student Congress are tentatively set to vote on the chapter’s passage a week later on Tuesday, Nov. 11. Both meetings will be open to the student body.
What is The Alembic? PC’s Literary Journal
by Sarah McLaughlin '23 on November 27, 2022
Editor-in-Chief
Features
by Sarah McLaughlin ’23
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of PC’s clubs and organizations were impacted in terms of lowered membership and name recognition. The Alembic, a literary journal which publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, and literary interviews written by PC students and writers from all over the world, is managed and edited by students on campus and was similarly affected. I spoke with The Alembic’s editors-in-chief, Emma Snelgrove ’23 and Morgan Stoffel ’23, who hope to spread the word about The Alembic as an opportunity for PC students.
The Alembic typically publishes once a year, though during the pandemic, their work was postponed, and they have recently published one combined 2020-2022 issue. Their yearly issue is printed in the spring, and they host a launch party for faculty, students, and writers whose work they publish. For students involved in editing the journal, it counts as a one-credit course.
Stoffel, a marketing major and writing minor, and Snelgrove, a political science major and English minor, both oversee and advise the editing team. They joined The Alembic last year. “It’s been cool to work on the press side,” Stoffel says. Their role also involves advertising and marketing the journal. “The Alembic has given me a lot of foundational exposure and experience in this industry that I will carry with me for the rest of my career,” Snelgrove says. “It’s been great to see and review great literature, and I feel as if it has made me a better writer in the process.”
In the coming years, they hope to see more student involvement in The Alembic. “Truthfully, we weren’t aware of what The Alembic was until a professor brought it to our attention, so we are hoping to get the word out there.” They want to see more students interested in the editing side as well as submitting their creative writing. “Within The Alembic, we are hoping to create a community of editors on campus, who can come together regardless of their major/minor to create a compelling and engrossing journal.”
Students looking to get involved can join as a student editor. Any student can also submit their work to alembic@providence.edu or The Alembic’s mailbox, located in the English Department office in Ruane.
Featured Friar: Matthew Petry ’21
by The Cowl Editor on October 15, 2020
Features
by Max Waite ’21
News Staff
For all incoming students at Providence College, the process of getting involved with the various organizations on campus can be quite intimidating. However, getting involved with the school community is important, as it can pave the way toward many amazing experiences. By gradually developing their own networks, students have the ability to access more and more of these opportunities.
During the past three years, Matthew Petry ’21 has seized the vast amount of resources and opportunities that the College has to offer.
Growing up in Southborough, Massachusetts, Petry attended St. John’s High School, where he was involved with the football and hockey programs. Additionally, he regularly volunteered for the Be Like Brit Foundation, which leads volunteer efforts for disaster and humanitarian relief. As a volunteer for this organization, Petry traveled to Haiti for one week to learn about the Haitian culture, to build homes, and to help children within the community.
Petry stated, “The whole experience was incredibly moving. I was incredibly taken aback. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to help others, and it will be something that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
During the college decision process, Petry wanted to find a similar environment to that of his high school. Petry said, “What was really important for me was the size of the campus. I noticed on my tour and through visits to PC that everyone was really friendly. It was a close-knit campus community with a Division I athletic program and a great business school. I knew that PC was the right fit for me and that I could adapt to campus life smoothly.”
Petry is studying both finance and accountancy in the Providence College School of Business, where, recently, he has been active as the healthcare sector portfolio manager in the new club Student-Led Asset Management (SLAM). Petry said, “This has been a very exciting experience. I enjoy helping students learn the fundamentals and guide them to pitch stocks they believe we should buy.”
Additionally, Petry has been an equity analyst for the Student Managed Investment Fund class in both the industrial and communications sectors, respectively.
Recently, Petry was named co-president of the Finance Society alongside Liam Faulkner ’21. Petry stated, “Our vision together is to really try and expose all the students that are a part of Finance Society to as many career paths as possible. There are so many career paths within financial services, and it is hard to receive exposure to all of them.”
To add to Petry’s impressive resume and involvement within the school community, he has been a student mentor, an Admissions Ambassador, team captain for his group of four students at the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) challenge, and has a channel on PC’s radio station, WDOM 91.3.
As an Admission Ambassador, Petry gets to meet potential new students and inform them of all that Friartown has to offer. Petry added, “It’s interesting to think that I was in these students’ position only a few years ago. I love Providence College, so I thought it would be helpful to guide high school students during this process while sharing my own experiences.”
Petry has done a remarkable job in this position, and he encourages students to learn more about joining the team.
During his freshman year, Petry and some of his friends started a radio show. By tuning into Petry’s station on Saturdays from 6-8 p.m., active and admiring listeners can experience a wide range of music from country, to rock, to rap, to R&B, along with side commentary about current events on campus.
Petry added, “The radio show has been a great opportunity for me to access a creative outlet. My friends and I all have an absolute blast, and I will cherish the memories for a really long time.”
As the ambiguity of the outcome for this school year clouds the thoughts of the entire PC community, Petry reminisces on his favorite memories in Friartown. Petry stated, “My favorite memory at Providence College was my freshman year when the men’s basketball team took down Villanova at the Dunk. I’ll never forget storming the court with all my friends, and seeing the giant cloud of pink shirts fill up the arena.”
In terms of what Petry will miss, he says, “I will miss the community as a whole (which I already do currently). I will miss seeing everyone that I don’t normally see or wouldn’t normally talk to. I’ve made a great group of friends over my past three years, and for now, I really look forward to spending more time with them and making more memories.”
Matthew Petry’s journey through Friartown should serve as an inspiration to all those who wish to make the most out of their Providence College experience. Involvement is key, for PC has opened many doors for him, including his recently accepted position at Citizens Financial Group as an investment banking analyst in their Boston office.