Tag: Kelly Wheeler ’21
Consider a Customer Service Job This Summer
by The Cowl Editor on March 7, 2019
Opinion
It is that time of year again when students on campus are scrambling to secure an intern position for the summer. Although internships can provide students with invaluable work experience, some students—especially underclassmen—should consider finding a customer service job for the summer break, instead.
Whether it be in the food service or retail industry, customer service jobs are a rite of passage that all college students should experience before entering into the professional world.
Customer service jobs can provide countless transferable skills. For starters, these jobs typically require you to work in a team environment. Consequently, your ability to cooperate with and solve problems alongside different types of people can often be greatly enhanced.
Future employers typically look for their candidates to have experience with teamwork, and after working a customer service job you will be able to provide numerous examples of times when you were an effective group member.
Additionally, customer service jobs can help you develop your verbal communication skills. These jobs require you to have conversations with both customers and coworkers every single shift, so you will become more confident when speaking to new people. Customer service jobs teach you the basics of human interaction, and this will come in handy not only in your future jobs, but in your life in general.
Customer service jobs can also teach you how to deal with difficult people. It is inevitable that you will have to appease dissatisfied customers when working a customer service job. Although dealing with unhappy customers can be an unpleasant task, doing so will strengthen your conflict resolution skills.
You may learn how to better empathize with people, how to be accountable for your mistakes, and how to maintain your composure in stressful situations. These jobs require you to have the mindset that “the customer is always right,” and having this attitude ingrained in your mind will make you a more mature and well-disposed individual.
Not only can these jobs teach you how to deal with difficult customers, but they can also prevent you from becoming a difficult customer yourself. We interact with customer service workers daily when checking out at CVS or ordering at Dunkin’. By seeing what it is like to be on the other side of these exchanges, you will better understand all the work that goes on behind the scenes. As a result, you will likely be a more respectful and patient customer.
It is important for everyone to gain an appreciation for customer service workers, and the best way to do that is to put ourselves in their shoes at some point in our lives. As Providence College students, our college degrees will provide opportunities that many people in the U.S. do not have access to. Many customer service workers receive wages that are not sufficient, forcing them to work several jobs in order to get by. Understanding this is crucial, as it reveals how fortunate you are to receive a college education and will hopefully inspire you to be a better customer when interacting with customer service workers.
Although customer service jobs may not always be the highest paying or most desirable option, it is important that all college students work one at least once in their lives to develop foundational skills and gain a new perspective.
Plea to Public Safety: Let Uber and Lyft Drivers Through Huxley Gate
by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019
Campus
When passing by the Huxley Avenue gate at Providence College, there is a high chance of seeing at least one student being picked up or dropped off by an Uber or Lyft driver. Ride sharing services are frequently utilized by PC students to reach their off-campus destinations.
However, as it stands, PC does not allow ridesharing drivers to pass through the Huxley Avenue gate, forcing students to be picked up and dropped off by these drivers on the perimeter of campus. Although this may seem trivial, allowing rideshare drivers to have access to the rest of campus would make the lives of students considerably more convenient.
The arguments for permitting rideshare drivers to enter campus extend much further than simply wanting to minimize the amount of walking involved out of sheer laziness. Many students who live on campus use ridesharing services to go grocery shopping. Thus, as a result of PC’s policy, students must lug their bags full of groceries from the gate back to their rooms when they return from their trip. This is a difficult thing to do, and students would not have to struggle across campus with their bags if drivers could drop them off outside of their dorms.
Additionally, walking to and from the Huxley Avenue gate can be unpleasant when the weather is poor. New England winters can be very harsh, and it is not fun to trek to and from your Uber or Lyft in freezing temperatures or while it is snowing.
This policy also negatively affects students who have injuries that cause them to have trouble walking, such as Delaney Mayette ’20. She said, “Last spring I took an Uber back from the hospital after I fractured one of the metatarsals in my foot. My Uber driver wasn’t allowed past the gate, so I had to crutch all the way back to Aquinas.”
PC restricts ridesharing drivers from entering campus as a preventative measure. Koren Kanadanian, director of public safety, said, “Once a vehicle is let on campus and we lose sight of them, they could park some place on campus and wander around. This brings up safety concerns. We want to make sure they are not wandering campus or dorms looking for students.”
Although the College’s safety concerns are valid, both Uber and Lyft conduct background checks on all potential drivers. Along with screening their driving records, these companies conduct criminal background checks on applicants to prevent those who have been convicted of various offenses, such as crimes that are violent or sexual in nature, from being hired.
Additionally, the Huxley Avenue gate is often left open when there are sporting events on campus, allowing anyone to come onto campus presumably to watch a game. If PC is comfortable letting unknown people pass through the gate at times like these, the College should be willing to allow ridesharing drivers to enter campus, especially considering they have passed a background check.
Ridesharing services are incredibly popular among PC’s student population. Although walking to and from the Huxley Avenue gate is not an impossible feat, there are many circumstances in which students would greatly benefit from being able to get picked up and dropped off by an Uber or Lyft driver right outside of their dorm building.
Tangents and Tirades
by The Cowl Editor on February 7, 2019
Opinion
I’m Watching ‘You’
The new Netflix series that has secured many binge watchers is “You.” If you tell someone what show you are watching, you will literally say “I’m watching ‘You,’” which may just be the perfect double entendre in this instance.
Without giving away any spoilers, this show is about a guy who aggressively stalks a girl, even after he becomes her boyfriend. While real-life stalking might not always be as extreme as it is in the show, the concept of cyber-stalking is one that teenagers, specifically, know all too well.
It is important to think about what you post and how you portray yourself once you have graduated and are on the job hunt, because all those pictures stay with you even when you think they are gone.
Upon meeting someone new, within minutes you can find information on their hometown, birthday, and their cousin’s dog’s favorite chew toy. If you truly think about how much of your life you make public for anyone to see, it can be scary. Anyone can find this information, not just the perfect stranger.
Teenagers do this mostly to learn everything about the cute someone in their XYZ class who sits three seats away from them.
Social media can be fun for portraying the best version of yourself, but it is also the way that you portray yourself to the world that you don’t know “IRL.”
Because of this, it is important to be conscious of how you present yourself online. You never know who might be on the other side of the screen.
—Katherine Belbusti ’22
To Remove or Not to Remove: The Laundry Debate
It’s 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning and you make the wretched discovery that you have finally depleted your supply of clean clothes.
Being forced to finally take care of the mountain of dirty clothes accumulating in your closet, you make the trek to the laundry room. However, you soon discover that the machine that you thought was available is actually full of wet clothes, as the person who used it before you failed to claim their load on time.
There is much contention about what the proper protocol is in a situation like this. Some people maintain that no one has any business touching clothes that are not their own. However, if your fellow resident is not mindful enough to remove their clothes on time, you should never feel guilty removing them to start your own load.
Laundry rooms are shared with all residents of the building, and it is selfish for anyone to assume that their lack of punctuality will not affect anyone else. There are only a handful of machines in every dorm on campus, so people must recognize this and plan accordingly when starting a load.
Laundry machines at PC tell you exactly how long it will take for a cycle to complete. It is not difficult to set an alarm to remind yourself when to retrieve your clothes. If someone is not responsible enough to do so, they cannot be mad if someone touches their clothes to use the machine that they were negligently hogging.
Please be considerate in the laundry room. And if others are unwilling to do so, do not hesitate to take matters into your own hands.
—Kelly Wheeler ’21
The College Bookstore: More Than Just Books
As a busy college student, one rarely finds the time to leave campus to purchase groceries, toiletries, or more school supplies.
Luckily, the Providence College bookstore has everything college students need, with the convenience of being located centrally on campus, so students ought to make use of these amenities.
Not only does the bookstore sell Friars apparel and textbooks, but it also has entire sections filled with essentials that students would otherwise have to go to an off-campus store to purchase.
The PC bookstore offers a wide array of snacks as well as a shelf filled with all of the necessary toiletries including toothpaste, shampoo, feminine supplies, mouthwash, and facewash.
With a wide selection of toiletry products, students do not have to leave campus to purchase these items at a convenience store or a pharmacy. As such, having all of these items at the bookstore on campus saves college students a lot of time and effort that would be spent leaving campus.
Further, the bookstore’s selection of notebooks, folders, and binders helps students who need a last-minute binder for a new class, or did not have the time to go school supply shopping before coming back to campus.
Most students visit the bookstore solely to purchase clothing and books; however, students must become aware of the other items that they can purchase and take advantage of this convenience to save time.
—Emily Ball ’22
Tangents and Tirades
by The Cowl Editor on January 31, 2019
Opinion
Wanted: On-Campus Employment for ‘Broke College Students’
The cliché of the “broke college student” has grown hackneyed for a reason. A college degree for most students and their families is typically unaffordable.
However, in today’s society, obtaining a job that ensures financial security without an undergraduate degree proves to be tremendously difficult.
Between the price of tuition, room and board, and steep rental fees, the expenses of college are unreasonably costly.
Despite the convenience of the availability of on-campus jobs at Providence College, such employment opportunities are rarely advertised on any overt public platform, such as the morning mail, bulletin boards in Ray or in the Library, or on PC social media accounts.
To that end, students must navigate a poorly publicized website for job listings, which is irregularly updated, or rely on an occasional email from the head of the department of their major about an open position in their office.
This makes the search for consistent work during the school year exceedingly difficult, as off-campus jobs also prove impractical because the majority of PC students would have no means of transportation to their place of employment, since students are not allotted parking spots on campus until their junior year.
Essentially, the eight months of the year that college courses are in session are a long period of time to be without employment, particularly for students who will be buried in college debt come graduation. So do us all a favor, PC, and publicize on-campus jobs as overtly as possible—we promise we’ll fill your open positions.
—Alyssa Cohen ’21
Accept Swipes for Simply to Go Products Campus-Wide
As college students, most of us have had our fair share of days where we find ourselves too busy to sit down for a meal at Ray.
Thankfully, there are several on-campus options for students with jam-packed schedules to grab food during those few minutes in between classes.
Alumni Hall, Flo’s to Go, Ruane Café, and Eaton Street Café all carry Simply to Go meals, which are pre-packaged sandwiches, salads, and various other items for students in a hurry.
However, depending on the dining location you visit, the forms of payment that are accepted for these items differ.
Simply to Go meals can be purchased using either a meal swipe, Friar Bucks, or cash at Alumni Hall and Flo’s to Go.
However, the option to use a meal swipe is not available at Ruane Café and Eaton Street Café, where these products can only be bought using Friar Bucks or cash.
All meal plans are different, and many students on campus do not have Friar Bucks.
Why should a student without Friar Bucks be forced to use cash to buy a Simply to Go product at Ruane Café if they could get the same item at Alumni using one of their meal swipes?
Providence College should fix the incongruence in payment options that cover Simply to Go items around campus.
If we can purchase a PB&J using a meal swipe one place, it is only logical that we should be able to do so everywhere they are sold.
—Kelly Wheeler ’21
Tangents and Tirades
by The Cowl Editor on January 24, 2019
Opinion
VenNO: Why I Prefer Paper Money
In the last few years, Venmo, a money transferring app, has become increasingly popular. But the rise in the popularity of Venmo has had a tragic consequence: the phasing out of paper money.
Admittedly, I have a Venmo account. I find it necessary to have one as a college student, as no one seems to carry cash around in their wallets anymore. Most people even prefer to be paid via Venmo instead of being handed cash.
However, Venmo falls short of paper money in many ways.
In order to access the money in your Venmo account, you need to transfer it to your bank account, which takes from one to three business days. Therefore, if you opt to do an instant transfer Venmo to your bank account, Venmo charges a fee.
Moreover, Venmo has become another form of social media. Although there are settings that allow your transactions to be hidden from the public, the default setting allows the entire world to view who you are sending money to and what you are sending it for. In an age where Instagram, Facebook, and many other social media sites consume so much time and energy from people’s lives, Venmo does not need to be added to the list.
Lastly, there is a certain satisfaction that comes along with physical money. Your Venmo balance may be $500, but you can’t hold that form of money in your hands or roll around in it on the ground. Paper money may be old-fashioned, but it still has a leg up on Venmo.
—Kelly Wheeler ’21
Friar Friendliness: AirPodsí Next Victim
In this era of AirPods, Beats headphones, and easy access to music streaming services, more and more people are plugging in and individually listening to music on their phones.
While it is great and convenient that people can effortlessly listen to and enjoy their favorite songs on the go, this habit of constantly wearing headphones in public places hinders people from properly interacting with others.
This is an issue on our own campus, where a multitude of students walk to class or to other areas of Providence College completely plugged in with their heads down.
This may not seem like an issue to some, however looking up and saying hello to someone can really make someone’s day, as well as improve your own social skills and awareness.
Along with that, some people may view those with their headphones in as people who have no desire to interact with others at that moment, which may not be the case.
Being a smaller school, the likelihood of running into someone you know during your walk across campus is high, and people need to be more open to saying hello even if you are not the best of friends.
As a Friar Family, we should be more open to being friendly around campus and one of the best ways we can achieve this is by unplugging and embracing our Friar friendliness.
—Marie Sweeney ’20
Lighting the Way Through Winter
The winter months are some of the darkest times of the year. Daylight hours come and go with lightning speed, leaving gray skies above our day-to-day activities.
December offers a brief respite from all the darkness, with many homes lit up in holiday decorations, candles in windows, and beautiful multicolor lights. For one month, we can forget the literal and figurative darknesses of the winter season.
Almost as fast as they go up, though, these decorations return to their respective attics within days of Dec. 25 or even Jan. 1, leaving us to once again carry on our daily lives in the lack of sunlight and warmth.
Even here on campus, the rapid disappearance of boughs and garland by the start of the second semester starkly contrasts to the lights and projected warmth that was found across campus in the first semester.
Although it can be expensive to use electricity for all the holiday lights, one does not need to leave the elaborate displays up through the new year. By just keeping a few candles in the window or some colored light strands, the goodwill of the holiday season would continue and make the transition to the new year smoother.
In a season defined by its lack of daylight and extremely cold temperatures, passing houses and buildings with lights in the windows on our everyday travels offers welcome moments of warmth and distraction, making these harsh winter months all the more bearable.
—Joshua Chlebowski ’21
Tangents and Tirades
by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018
Opinion
Hot Take: Ice Cream Sundays over Nugget Thursdays
All Providence College students look forward to lunch at Ray on Thursdays, when heaps of chicken nuggets paired with delectable curly fries grace the main station. Although chicken nugget Thursday is the highlight of the week for many, there is another strong contender: hard ice cream Sundays.
Every Sunday night at Ray, a selection of hard ice cream is available for dessert. On all other days of the week, ice cream is limited to soft serve, with the only options being vanilla, chocolate, or swirl.
On hard ice cream night, however, multiple varieties ensure that all students get a taste of their favorites, or maybe try a new flavor. Typical flavors include mint chocolate chip, birthday cake, cookie dough, and similar staples. To be festive, holiday flavors are offered at corresponding points of the year, such as pumpkin in the fall or peppermint at Christmas.
The joy of hard ice cream night is never knowing exactly which flavors are offered; every week features a different variety of delicious ice cream. Chicken nugget Thursday, on the other hand, is the same every single week. Nuggets, curly fries, eat, repeat.
The same meal for lunch every week starts to become old at a certain point. The novelty wears off, and cravings for a sandwich or frustration because of the long lines overcomes the desire for nuggets. The unpredictability of hard ice cream Sunday guarantees enthusiasm every week.
Be sure to remember this underrated tradition and grab a scoop next Sunday.
—Elizabeth McGinn ’21
People often roll their eyes when the topic of astrology is brought up in discussion. Critics of astrology ridicule the idea that earthly events and affairs can be influenced by the way celestial bodies in the universe align.
Although there is little scientific evidence that supports the validity of astrology, horoscopes still have a lot to offer.
Horoscopes are a quick source of entertainment that can easily add a little more fun to your day. Even if you do not follow the advice given in your horoscope, it is still amusing to see what it predicts will happen in your future.
The same logic applies to the topic of fortune cookies. After ordering Chinese take-out, people look forward to opening the fortune cookies that typically come along with their meals. Even if they do not believe their fortune is accurate or take any action after reading it to make it come true, people are nonetheless eager to find out what the little piece of paper has to say.
Though it is ill-advised to make any major life decisions solely based on what your horoscopes say, this does not mean that people should be so quick to dismiss them. Horoscopes can help boost your self-confidence and optimism and, in a world where things can often feel out of control, they can offer some sense of order and guidance. As long as they are taken with a grain of salt, horoscopes are relatively harmless and enthusiasts of astrology should not be mocked for joining in on the fun.
—Kelly Wheeler ’21
Share Study Space This Finals Season
Finals season is here, which means the stress to find that perfect place to study is more intense than ever. With classrooms occupied for exams and the influx of students in the library, locating the space one needs for reviewing material is often more stressful than the exams themselves.
This competition leads to all sorts of desperate measures. From attempts to reserve rooms to marking them as their own, students at Providence College have thought of it all, except for the impact their actions are having on their fellow students.
For students who are studying in large lecture halls, it is especially frustrating when others come in, claiming they have a study group there and kick others out. These lecture halls are not owned by the students, and commandeering rooms through these methods is extremely disrespectful.
Similarly, attempts to mark a room as one’s own, by leaving their things there, shows a distressing disinterest in recognizing that exams are stressful for all students. This behavior is increasingly concerning when students vacate the room for hours at a time.
Sure, there is a fear that the room will be snatched from their hands, but that does not give them the liberty to prevent others from using the space in the meantime.
While there is no easy way to eliminate the stress induced by final examinations, we can all do ourselves a favor by sharing the spaces on campus with other students, reducing these worries and helping finals week go much smoother.
—Joshua Chlebowski ’21
The Problem With PC Printing Money: Should the College Reimburse Students’ Remaining Balance?
by The Cowl Editor on November 29, 2018
Opinion
by Kelly Wheeler ’21
Opinion Staff
As the semester comes to a close, many Providence College students are frantically realizing that they did a poor job saving enough Friar Bucks to use during the last few weeks of classes. Finding themselves completely wiped out of Friar Bucks, countless students are eagerly awaiting the arrival of next semester’s Friar Bucks deposit so they can get buffalo chicken wraps from Yella’s and flatbreads from Sandella’s again.
Students may feel a bit panicked watching their Friar Bucks balance rapidly decline, but there are not too many students that feel this same panic about running out of printing money by the end of the semester.
PC loads $40 to every undergraduate student’s PC Prints account at the beginning of each semester.
All students pay the same technology fee at PC which accounts for printing costs, meaning that a student who exhausts all $40 of their printing money will still pay the same amount to the College as a student who did not print a single page all semester.
PC needs to start to reimbursing students for their unspent printing money at the end of each semester.
The 21st century classroom is becoming increasingly paperless, so many students do not come anywhere close to using all $40 of their printing balance.
This is especially true on our campus because Sakai is used as an online educational platform.
Many professors allow students to submit their assignments on Sakai, eliminating the need for students to print out hard copies of their work.
Additionally, students can view and annotate documents that they access on Sakai without ever needing to print them out.
Margaret Benson ’20 says, “In several of my classes, my professors let us use our computers to engage with the texts they put on Sakai. I can highlight words and add notes using tools on my laptop, so I don’t really print that often.”
Additionally, PC should reimburse students for their unused printing money in order to benefit the environment.
If students know they can get money back at the end of the semester according to their remaining balances, they will only print when absolutely necessary to maximize their reimbursement payments.
This will reduce the amount of paper used by the College, thus making our campus more environmentally friendly.
Deforestation is a major problem in today’s world, so PC should do its part to cut back on its paper usage.
Trees are invaluable to our planet. They produce oxygen for us to breathe, provide shelter for countless species of animals, and remove carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas contributing to climate change, from our atmosphere.
The less paper we use as a campus, the fewer trees will be sacrificed to satisfy our demand.
Students would be motivated to print less, thus reducing the amount of paper and ink that PC would need to purchase.
The cost of a college education is exceedingly high. From tuition to room and board to textbooks, the expenses quickly pile up.
PC should do what it can to curb these costs for students—even if it is by doing something as small as reimbursing them for unspent printing money.
Whether the money is returned in the form of a check or by deducting it from the technology fee that students are charged the following semester, every dollar saved can go a long way for college students.
New “D.I.D. Wall” Sparks Important Campus Discussion
by The Cowl Editor on November 8, 2018
Campus
by Kelly Wheeler ’21
Opinion Staff
Today’s world is full of difficult and divisive issues. Tensions and varying opinions are bound to develop on campus, especially in light of recent events like last week’s mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.
But is there a place here at Providence College where people can express their thoughts and listen to those of others in a respectful environment?
Thankfully, PC’s global studies department realized the need for discussions like these on campus. In the hopes of facilitating conversations about difficult topics between members of the PC community, a global studies class called Dialogue, Inclusion, and Democracy recently created the Community D.I.D. Wall on the third floor of the Feinstein Academic Center.
The D.I.D. Wall is a chalkboard that presents a new question every two weeks for students, faculty, and staff members to respond to. Dr. Nicholas Longo, the instructor of the class responsible for the wall, says, “[The Community D.I.D Wall] is a collective group project that the students have taken on. They came up with the name of the wall, they designed the wall, and they have groups that are coming up with the questions.”
The first question was posted on Oct. 23, and it provoked a lively discussion about free speech by asking, “What differentiates hate speech and free speech?”
Given that one of the Friar Four Foundational Pillars is “Contemplation and Communication,” the Community D.I.D. Wall aligns perfectly with PC’s values.
When asked about the purpose of the wall, Quess-Symphonee Johnson ’21, a member of the Dialogue, Inclusion, and Democracy class, said, “It is an opportunity to start conversations that people don’t necessarily have, especially when they’re on opposite ends of the question.”
The D.I.D. Wall recognizes the power that conversations can have by affording people opportunities to voice their own thoughts while also exposing them to the thoughts of others.
Every person views the world differently according to their personal life experiences. Thus, by reading and learning from other people’s contributions to the D.I.D. Wall, members of the PC community will hopefully be prompted to think harder about their own beliefs.
The D.I.D. Wall was only recently established, so it is still too early to determine how successful it will be in prompting conversations. However, the wall has a lot of potential in helping the PC community become more educated and open-minded.
Fiona Pearlman ’20, another student involved in the creation of the D.I.D. Wall, says, “As long as word gets out about the wall, I think it will be very impactful on our campus by giving our community a unique way to work through hard topics.”
Although it is hidden away on the third floor of Feinstein and requires a trek up a flight of stairs to get to it, the Community D.I.D. Wall is something that all students, faculty, and staff members should see and participate in. Everyone should take advantage of the D.I.D. Wall. The civil discourse that it encourages can greatly benefit our campus.
PC Should Allow Juniors to Live Off Campus
by The Cowl Editor on November 1, 2018
Opinion
by Kelly Wheeler ’21
Opinion Staff
This past fall, Providence College welcomed 1,127 new students to the class of 2022, making it the largest freshman class in school history.
Although this record is something to celebrate, it also creates a predicament for the College when it comes to student housing.
The number of residence halls, suites, and apartments on PC’s campus has yet to increase to accommodate its growing student population. Given the College’s policy requiring all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to live on campus, this is a major problem.
In fact, this year PC resorted to offering hybrid housing to the senior class and a few members of the junior class to deal with the shortage of on-campus housing options.
Several students that planned to live on campus for their senior year were offered deals by the College to live in houses off campus.
Although hybrid housing is one way to free up space on campus, a better plan to fix the housing crisis is to allow juniors to reside off campus.
In the past, juniors have been authorized to live off campus. However, PC reversed this policy in recent years because of the loss of revenue that resulted from juniors no longer having to pay room and board fees.
While this problem is valid, it is unfair for PC’s financial concerns to be valued above the comfort and needs of its students. Limited housing has resulted in overcrowded dorms and students being split up when trying to live with their friends. The College must do something to reduce the negative effects that limited on-campus housing has on students of all class years. If juniors were given the option to live off campus, many would choose to do so, causing more rooms to become available to house underclassmen and the upperclassmen who wish to reside on campus.
Allowing juniors to live off campus would have other benefits as well. Off-campus living is very different from on-campus living. Students that live in houses have to learn how to cook their own meals, clean their own bathrooms, and pay rent and utility bills.
By enabling students to experience this real-world way of living as a junior, responsibility would be instilled in them sooner. College is meant to prepare students for their futures, and exposing students to the duties and realities of “adulting” beginning their junior year would better prepare them for post-grad life.
Additionally, if juniors are able to live off campus, this would permit juniors and seniors to live together. Since students often meet and form relationships with other students who may be younger or older than them, juniors and seniors may want the option to live together.
Although PC does not restrict students of differing class years from living together on campus, the College indirectly restricts them from living in a house together since seniors are currently the only class year authorized to live off campus.
Unless PC plans on accepting fewer students in the upcoming years, something must be done to amend the housing crisis.
Allowing juniors to reside off campus is a viable solution to this problem, as it would increase the availability of on-campus housing, create more responsible and prepared graduates, and foster relationships between juniors and seniors.
Tangents and Tirades
by The Cowl Editor on October 18, 2018
Tangents
Treat Yourself to a Good Cry
Midterm season is upon us. With so many assignments, deadlines, and responsibilities quickly approaching, stress is inevitable.
There are lots of great ways to reduce some of the tension that you may be experiencing, such as exercising, meditating, or setting aside some time to watch an episode of your favorite T.V. show. But don’t forget the one way to de-stress that is often negatively characterized: having a good cry.
Many people are hesitant to shed tears, but there is a lot of benefit in letting yourself release your emotions.
If you do not acknowledge how you are feeling internally, you will most likely find it difficult to focus. Your mind will be overwhelmed with various thoughts and worries that may prevent you from accomplishing what you need to. Although tears won’t write your papers for you, they can help clear your head and make you more productive.
In fact, the University of Utah installed “The Cry Closet” in their library last spring so their students could have a safe space to experience the cathartic effect of crying. Students can go into this closet for 10 minutes at a time, allowing them to privately release their emotions and regroup before returning to their work.
Even though we don’t have a designated place to cry here at Providence College, you should still consider having a good cry wherever you can when your stress level increases. Whether it be in your dorm room, the shower, or an empty classroom in Feinstein, let it out!
-Kelly Wheeler ’21
Appreciating Fall in New England
Now that we are in the midst of autumn, it seems as if everyone is spending their weekends going apple picking or visiting pumpkin patches with their friends.
It is hard to go on Instagram and not see someone posting about all of the chai tea they are drinking or the apple cider doughnuts they are eating during all of their relaxing, cozy fall weekends. But two crucial aspects of being fully immersed in the fall season are weather and time which, for the most part, are out of our control.
As a college student, it can be hard to find the time to take out of your weekend to go apple picking or to do any other quintessential fall activity.
When you spend most of your time in the library studying for midterms, it can be hard to really get into the fall spirit. Additionally, New England weather is known for being extremely fickle. It seems that this time of year is either unseasonably warm or cold and rainy.
By the time the weekend rolls around, burnout from the previous week, combined with unpredictable weather, can make it difficult to feel like Halloween and Thanksgiving are right around the corner.
Despite the struggle of balancing homework and socializing, along with planning activities around the unpredictable weather, fall is arguably the most beautiful season in New England and it’s important to get outside and enjoy all that the season has to offer.
It can be as easy as going for a walk or lighting a fall-scented candle (if you live off-campus, of course). Appreciate this season before it’s gone. Soon enough we will all be complaining about the snow and sub-zero temperatures.
-Bridget Blain ’19
Combat Academic Burnout
In the midst of midterm stress, it’s important to find some time to free your mind of the compiling thoughts of school work. Mental health is very important to maintain, regardless of how much work you may have. It’s important to take time to yourself away from the schoolwork for even just a few minutes.
Take some time to hang out with your friends. Watch a movie. Do a face mask. Take a yoga class and learn how to focus only on meditation, even if it is only for for an hour or two. Doing puzzles and Sudoku can also keep your mind engaged.
It’s understandable to want to focus only on work for 24 hours a day, but going nonstop can make you wear out much faster than normal. Of course, it’s important to get all of your work done, and that should always be the main priority, but taking time to focus on yourself and your emotional well-being is an important factor of college as well.
Extracurriculars are another easy way to give yourself a designated break from study time. In this case, you give yourself a scheduled time to do something other than schoolwork for at least one hour every week.
Intramurals are the easiest way to do this. Grab some friends and pick a sport. This way, a team of you can combat your busy schedules by hanging out together in an activity that takes your mind off of work.
Clubs, sports, or even just Bingo night or a night in with friends can give your mind the rejuvenation it needs to continue to succeed academically. It is so much better to give yourself time off than to find yourself burnt out from an excessive amount of work.
-Julia McCoy ’22