by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019

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News

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by Nicole Patano ’22

Featured Guest Writer

Under the white robes, every friar has a unique story. Katie Burdick ‘22 and Sahrah Rajeh ‘22 have been sharing these stories on their WDOM radio show, “Beyond the Habit.”

Fr. Isaac Morales, O.P., appeared on the show on Oct. 20 to discuss his identity as a Dominican friar and as a member of the Providence College community. 

Fr. Isaac is a relatively new addition to the St. Thomas Aquinas Priory. He was ordained in May 2018 and began his professorship that autumn. Despite this, he is well-known on campus; a fedora is his staple accessory, and he even wears a Marvin the Martian wristwatch.

Fr. Isaac’s name encapsulates his character perfectly. While he first said he chose “Isaac” as his religious name for practical reasons, such as being able to transition easily between English-and Spanish-speaking ministry, there appeared to be more to the story. 

Not only does Isaac represent the characteristic of obedience of the Dominicans by willingly offering himself as a sacrifice in Genesis: 22, his name means laughter. Anyone who knows Fr. Isaac knows he does a lot of that.

The full religious name Fr. Isaac chose is Isaac Augustine, with Augustine as his devotional name. Like Saint Augustine, Fr. Isaac attempted to oppose God’s will for a good portion of his life. Although he suspected he was called to priesthood in college, he did not want to be a priest at all; he wanted to get married and have a family. He said in one sense discerning his vocation was a gradual thing, but “in other ways it was like a lightswitch flipped on.” When he told his mom he was looking into joining the Dominican Order, she told him, “It’s about time.”

Most of Fr. Isaac’s family is supportive of his vocation, and he tries to visit them whenever he can. He is Latino, but most people do not know that his great-grandmother was Lebanese. 

When Fr. Isaac did an AncestryDNA test, he discovered that he was 11 percent Middle Eastern. He joked, “That’s how I got the schnoz.” People will often mistake him as Jewish, which is hilarious to him as such a devout Catholic.

The one word Fr. Isaac used to describe himself was “goofy.” He does not find goofiness and the life of Catholic devotion to be mutually exclusive. In fact, he said they are necessarily related. “The goal [of religious vocation] is happiness and human flourishing,”he said. 

One of his personal goals for PC students is for them to see that faith is not opposed to human flourishing and happiness.

Fr. Isaac is primarily a faculty member of the theology department, but he has three “moonlighting gigs” as chaplain of McVinney Hall, the women’s soccer team, and the Board of Programmers (BOP). He finds being part of this formative time in students’ lives to be the most rewarding aspect of his role at the College. 

Visit him at a BOP event, take a class with him, join him for Baking with Fr. Isaac every month in the McVinney kitchen, and you will see that his love for God and his students comes through in everything he does on campus. 

Regardless of your religious background, if you are interested, ask him about attending vespers in the priory. It is sure to be an experience you will not soon forget.

by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019

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Features

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by Alexandra Huzyk ’20

News Staff

Kyle LaForest-Roys ’20, a marketing major with an economics minor, has held a number of roles within the Providence College Office of Admissions and Orientation Staff.

LaForest-Roys is one of 12 senior students to become a Senior Admissions Fellow. As a Fellow, LaForest-Roys helps with the recruitment of prospective students, primarily conducting interviews with these students and writing interview summaries afterwards. 

LaForest-Roys says, “These interviews are not evaluative, but take into account an overall impression of the student and if Providence College would be a good fit for them. They act as the last point of resource for counselors when they’re evaluating them for admission.”

LaForest-Roys applied to be a Fellow this past spring semester, while he was abroad in Rome, Italy. He shares that he reached out to some of his friends who had previously held this role, as well as some admissions counselors, to learn more about the position itself. After he applied, he was accepted in April. 

During the summer, the Fellows completed two weeks of training that informed the students about the specific requirements of the position and how to conduct the interview process.

LaForest-Roys is also an Admissions Ambassador, which is a position that enables current students at the College to connect with prospective students in the admissions process. In this particular role, LaForest-Roys shares that he is able to talk to students, as well as share his story and the information he has on the admissions process itself. 

He says, “Having worked as an office assistant in the Admissions Office since my sophomore year, I knew I wanted to become an Admissions Ambassador because I would be able to expand on my more administrative role and be able to share my story.”

As for LaForest-Roys’ story, he shares that it has been about “finding more challenges and people through different opportunities,” whether that be joining clubs like the PC American Marketing Association (AMA) his sophomore year or joining the orientation staff during his junior year. He says, “I want to make an impact on people who maybe want to go to Providence, and then impact those who are already here.”

LaForest-Roys shares that out of the three different positions he holds in Admissions, “The Fellow role is the most engaging, and combines all of the roles together. I’m able to share my experiences and the different challenges that I’ve had to overcome, as well as relate to students who are applying in a more conversational interview setting.”

Besides his multiple roles within the realm of admissions, LaForest-Roys has also been a part of the freshman orientation staff. LaForest-Roys shares that in the fall of his junior year, he was on the operations team. “We were behind the scenes, setting up all of the events, going over the logistics for orientation leaders, and subbing in to groups and sitting in,” he says. 

In the following school year, as a senior, LaForest-Roys was an orientation leader. He says, “It was fun to go from operations to being a leader. I got to use all of the training that I had learned and apply it.”

All of these roles have allowed LaForest-Roys to see the intricacies of the entire admissions and enrollment process; from touring, to interviews, to orientation. “Seeing the whole process is kind of cool,” says LaForest-Roys. “Their level of interest often starts with knowing Providence College through a friend or family member, and then they might come in for a serious interview, and then there’s the potential to have them in an orientation group.”

LaForest-Roys shares that the communication skills he has learned within these many roles will transfer into a future career. Upon graduating, LaForest-Roys plans on going into market research and, eventually, attending graduate school to attain an MBA. His dream job is to work for the Boston Red Sox’s marketing department.

by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019

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News

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by Max Waite ’21

News Staff

For about five years, Ernie Adamo has been helping the Providence College community by providing shuttle rides around campus to those with physical ailments.

Adamo, along with his wife, had worked in the alumni office here at PC for 18 years prior to taking his latest job. 

Instead of heading into retirement, he gave the office of Public Safety a call to see if there was anything available for him. Adamo explained, “I can’t stay home. I just like to be working.”

As it turns out, he was given the opportunity to drive students around campus who could not walk on their own. Additionally, Adamo and his team of shuttle drivers get to drive six students off-campus for their student teaching positions at nearby schools.

Jake Murray ‘21 is another shuttle driver who drives student teachers to their schools off-campus. Murray says, “I like driving the vans on/off-campus because it is a work-study job where I can connect with other PC students in a different setting other than the classroom. Driving around the local communities around the PC campus has given me insight into the Rhode Island community and the people associated with PC. I wouldn’t trade the job for any other one on campus.”

An interesting part of the shuttle drivers’ is how drastically the College’s campus has changed since Adamo started driving for the school just five years ago.

Since the College closed off part of  Huxley Avenue, it has been much safer for students traveling across campus. Adamo describes, “The traffic patterns are much better, and students are much safer by not having to cross a busy street.”

Currently, Adamo and his team drive about 14 students around campus with two vans. The larger shuttle is wheelchair-accessible and can fit four people, while the smaller van is not wheelchair-accessible and can fit six people. 

Up until three years ago, the College only had the six-passenger van, which was especially difficult for those in wheelchairs.

Steve Joyce ‘21 has ridden on the shuttle since the start of the semester due to an injured leg. Joyce said, “I honestly have not had a ride in the shuttle that wasn’t a good time. I am extremely thankful for all the shuttle drivers, and I hope to be back on my feet soon!”

What the drivers have found especially difficult to juggle has been the fact that there are only two vans to take students both around and off-campus. Adamo also wants to caution students to look both ways before crossing the streets on-campus for their own safety. 

Despite that, the PC community applauds Adamo and his drivers for their job well done.

by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019

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News

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by Matthew Mazzella ’20 

News Staff

On Sunday, October 27,  Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the terrorist organization ISIS, was found dead in northwest Syria after a raid by United States special forces. President Trump made the announcement of his death on Sunday morning and highlighted this as a win for national security. The President expressed enthusiasm about the result by saying, “Last night, the United States brought the world’s No. 1 terrorist leader to justice. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead.”

al-Baghdadi was said to have killed himself by detonating a suicide vest after the invasion of United States troops in a dead-end tunnel. He had been the leader of the terrorist organization since 2010, and the death of the ISIS leader is a huge step in the everlasting fight to end global terrorism. al-Baghdadi had been a top target for the United States for a long time, and there was even a United States offering of a $25 million reward for his capture. The Islamic States spokesperson and al-Baghdadi’s right-hand man was also killed hours later with the help of Kurdish and United States troops in northern Syria.

This operation has been in the works for weeks now, after the U.S. was informed of al-Baghdadi’s whereabouts. The United States ultimately got the go-ahead Saturday morning after receiving “actionable intelligence,” according to Vice President Mike Pence. Donald Trump explained how the raid was executed, and said special operations forces flew into the compound in eight helicopters from an undisclosed location to reach the destination in northwestern Syria. After they reached his location, United States forces were met with heavy gunfire at the doors of the compound but were able to force al-Baghdadi down a tunnel with no escape route, where he eventually took his own life. No United States military personnel were injured, although one K-9-unit dog was hurt in the process.

President Trump watched the operation in the White House with his team, and the mission to take out the ISIS leader took about two hours. He was joined by Vice President Pence, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, along with other military officials. This mission was a success according to the President, as he stated, “Last night was a great night for United States and for the world.”

Evan Howells ’20 shared his thoughts on the news that broke Sunday morning, expressing his optimism in the fight against terrorism. Howells stated, “I was relieved to hear about the al-Baghdadi news because of the implications it has on the war against terrorism. The United States taking out their leader will hopefully weaken the terrorists that wreak so much havoc in the world we live in. Quite honestly, it makes me feel a little bit safer that we are one step closer to putting an end to something so horrible.”

While this is a step in the right direction for the war on terrorism, unfortunately the fight is not over. Through allies in the Middle East and the courage of United States troops, the battle on global terrorism will fight on in hopes of a safer world in the near future. al-Baghdadi’s death marks a severe blow to ISIS, and it will help in the battle to end the horrible actions of terrorism around the world.

by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019

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News

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by Peter Mazzella ’22

News Staff

The Providence College Special Olympics group hosts events to transform lives through competitions such as swim meets, basketball tournaments, and even an end of the year dance. Using the excitement of competition, Special Olympics can change lives.

Special Olympics is the largest organization worldwide for people with intellectual disabilities. They host over five million athletes from 193 different countries. The organization also requires many volunteers.

Recently, the PC Special Olympics club held an informational meeting with the intention of getting new volunteers to help at Special Olympics events that will be coming up in the next few months. 

On Nov. 23, PC Special Olympics will be hosting their Unified Basketball Tournament, which brings many opportunities for those interested to get involved.

Some roles that students can take on are electronic and written scorekeepers, who are responsible for keeping score and cheering on players; announcers, who bring enthusiasm and play-by-play commentary of the game; as well as those distributing awards during the ceremony.

These positions are not the only ones that PC Special Olympics offers; volunteers can help as court monitors, who watch over the courts and players’ actions as well as fans in the stands, to encourage good sportsmanship and having fun. With a plethora of options and different ways to get involved, everyone can help to make a difference in someone’s life.

Special Olympics Coordinator Catherine Flugel ‘20 spoke about the meeting, saying, “It was a great turnout, there were many people who showed enthusiasm towards helping out during the upcoming events which is exactly what we were looking for!” 

Coordinating and planning events for PC  Special Olympics is no small feat. Flugel works tirelessly to ensure every aspect is in order, which is why the task of gathering a large group of willing volunteers is essential.

With a successful meeting behind them, the next task is to arrange volunteer roles. Flugel is not alone, however. There is a group of individuals who assist in the coordination and role assignment of volunteers to ease the process. 

Sarah Kerrigan ‘20 is Flugel’s “right hand.” She is the Awards Coordinator, and the two work to bring the joy and energy that each one of these events delivers for all that are involved. 

Kerrigan gave her take on the importance of preparation for each of the events, stating, “Being prepared is the most necessary part of each of our events. If everyone is not on the same page, then it is hard to get things accomplished, which is why we take the time to make sure each of our volunteers knows their task and where to find us during the event.”

PC Special Olympics has over 70 active members who range from event coordinators to volunteers. There is no shortage of staff when these events come around. 

The number of people involved in these events shows how much students at PC care about volunteering.This strong community atmosphere that the club emphasizes is something that will be carried on for generations to come and will continue to serve and benefit the Special Olympics community.

by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019

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Congress Updates

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by Thomas Beaton ‘22

Student Congress Publicity

Fr. Brian Shanley, O.P.  discussed various topics including the school’s position as compared to other competing schools. It was mentioned that the endowment of the school was lower than other schools. In order to grow the endowment, the school asks for donations and raises tuition, however with the raising of tuition more financial aid will be needed.

Fr. Shanley also discussed that the school’s goal to grow diversity and inclusivity will continue to be goal of the school through the admissions process.

Student Congress also introduced a new bill regarding the dissolution of certain clubs and organizations on campus due to inactivity. The bill will be voted on at the next meeting.

Student Congress meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Ruane LL05 and is open to everyone.

by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019

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News

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by Sienna Strickland ’22

News Staff

Providence College’s Board of Programmers (BOP) is always busy planning fun events for students around campus. Anne Barbera ‘21, member of the Fine Arts committee, talks about the contributions Fine Arts makes to campus life.

The Arts Committee has had a busy year so far with a myriad of diverse programming, but, until last Thursday, had yet not ventured into the field of fashion. “Style Sophisticated,” an event held in ‘64 Hall on Oct. 24, changed this.

Barbera, one of the main planners behind the event, discussed the event’s origin story, stating, “I have always been interested in fashion, and felt that it was an area PC needed to touch upon more. I was deeply fascinated by the fact that we have successful women PC alum who work in the industry. I felt that more people should know about these talented women and the paths they had to take—as well as receive some fashion advice in the process!”

Like previous Fine Arts events, the turnout was impressive. Students, like Barbera, recognized the unique opportunity to hear from these women working in fashion. “The turnout was great, Kelly Schneider and Sarah Viens [the speakers] were very informative, and overall everything went wonderfully. It was an honor to have them.”

“The Fine Arts committee is one of the ten committees on the Board of Programmers,” Barbera says. “We plan all of the events that have to do with the arts.”

Continuing by listing some events the committee has hosted this past year, Barbera states, “We held a trip to the Boston Arts Festival, put together a tie-dye making event on Slavin lawn called ‘Clear Skies and Tie Dyes,’ and also had a vision board- making event in McPhail’s.” These events have all been massive successes in terms of turnout, often running out of materials within an hour of their start time.

Fine Arts has done a lot of work this year, but they are nowhere near done. “We would like to continue to reach audiences on campus that we have never thought to reach before with our events. This year so far, we have been doing a great job on diversifying our projects, but we are by no means complacent. We are hoping to wow the crowd with the events we have on the horizon for the rest of the semester.”

Barbera gave a quick preview of some of these future events. The Fine Arts committee has two events planned for the upcoming month of November. On Nov. 5 they will be hosting a trip to Providence Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. to watch the Aladdin musical. They will also be hosting a muse painting event called “Drink and Dabble” on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019

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News

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by Alexandra Huzyk ’20

News Staff

On Wednesday, October 23, Women in STEM hosted their third event, inviting speakers Dr. Amanda Lynch and Ava Calle ’12 to talk about the challenges and opportunities that they have faced pursuing careers within the STEM field.

Lynch, a climate scientist currently teaching at Brown University, obtained a Ph.D. in atmospheric science from the University of Melbourne in 1993. She began as an undergraduate pursuing degrees in electrical engineering and physics, but quickly switched to applied mathematics due to her negative experiences in the realm of laboratory science.

“In engineering and chemistry labs, I didn’t feel welcome, and I was called on to repeatedly demonstrate my competence,” Lynch said. She shared that “having your competence and belonging questioned over and over again, you start to internalize that,” and it is important to remember that “you do belong and you are competent.”

In her presentation, Lynch described data from a 2015 study in which 100% of 60 women scientists had reported encountering one or more patterns of gender bias in the workplace. These experiences were even more pronounced for women of color, who were often questioned whether or not they were supposed to be in labs after hours.

In terms of computational science, Lynch explained, “Women have really been at the forefront of coding, and in fact made up the majority of computer operators, until the ’80s when these numbers plummeted.” 

During the 1980s, Lynch explained that people started to think that it was necessary to have knowledge of computers or a love of gaming in high school in order to pursue it in college. “This shift in culture really influenced the uptick of women in science; especially in an area like climate science, which is heavily computational,” said Lynch.

Throughout this change in culture, Lynch continued to code and became the first woman “Scientist 1” at a research center while working towards her Ph.D. However, with this achievement she also became the object of scrutiny. Male supervisors would constantly send female secretaries to check up on her, she received minimal support and guidance, and she was not considered for required computational resources to complete her work. Due to these gender biases, Lynch decided to change Ph.D. programs to another university.

As a climate scientist, Lynch said she started to become involved in field science while she was completing her Ph.D. and then more heavily as a post-doc. “I was very choosy about situations I chose to put myself in,” said Lynch. “I only took positions in which I was the lead researcher… and only with researchers I knew and trusted.” This is due to the issue of sexual harassment and assault in field experiences. 

Although Lynch said that she has never personally experienced any form of sexual harassment in this domain of field science, she provided data which reports that harassment affects women more than men in these particular scenarios.

In order to navigate these situations, while pursuing a career in the STEM field, Lynch encouraged the audience to network with both female and male allies. Additionally, she said, “Support other women, refer them, cite them, nominate them. You can do your part, in very concrete ways, whenever you have the opportunity.” Lastly, Lynch stressed the importance of being stubborn and re-submitting proposals and work, especially in the field of academia.

Ava Calle, a Program Specialist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in the Intensive Instruction Program at The New England Center for Children, presented after Lynch. Calle graduated from Providence College with a BA in psychology and a pre-health minor, and went on to obtain an MS in applied behavior analysis from Western New England University.

She began her presentation by considering the familiar question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” She pointed out that this question becomes more weighted when you get older and, especially, as you go on to college. Calle said, “It seems like the question might be insinuating how successful you want to be.”

Calle shared that she knew she liked the sciences and people, and would typically answer the question by saying she wanted to go into psychiatric nursing or neuroscience—without actually being convinced of these statements herself. 

During her time at PC, Calle conducted research in a cognition lab and completed an internship at the Groden Center. These experiences exposed her to research and design, as well as applied behavioral analysis. Particularly at the Groden Center, Calle was exposed to children with autism, severely challenging behavior, and students who communicated non-verbally.

In her current position at the NECC, for autism education and research, Calle has continued to ask questions as a researcher while also providing direct care as a teacher. She shared that she is still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up, and where her career path will take her. She urged the audience to “think about who you want to be, not just what you want to be when you grow up.”

As for Calle’s suggestions for  PC undergraduates, Calle recommended finding a mentor. “There are very strong females in my field. They are researchers and they are mothers and they are wives, and someone has  probably been in your position before you.” She also suggested asking for feedback on your performances and always continuingto ask questions.

After both speakers presented, the audience was encouraged to ask questions. One student asked, “For the people in this room who don’t necessarily know what they want to do yet, what would you give them for advice?” Lynch suggested test driving careers, particularly in summer internships or working in a lab with a professor. 

Calle said, “Utilize the network and the people in your department, but also other faculty at Providence College and get in touch with alumni. Don’t assume that if their title is X at that point, that they didn’t go through similar situations and jobs.”

by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019

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News

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by Maura Campbell ’22

News Staff

On Monday, October 21, the Providence College student body received an email from Rev. Brian Shanley, O.P., president of the College, informing students, staff, and faculty of an update by the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (IDEI). The email provided general information regarding IDEI’s recent work to promote diversity on campus, and specifically addressed some potential issues previously raised about the elementary and special education department.

In light of recent claims that the Department of Elementary and Special Education has not been an inclusive department and major on campus, IDEI has partnered with the department to help to create a more inclusive environment.

In reference to the ESE department, the email also mentioned Jennifer Swanberg, dean of the school of professional studies, high lightingher work “to develop a cultural transformation process with the goal of ensuring that all ESE faculty and staff are equipped with the evidence-based skills, knowledge, and competencies to foster this type of inclusive environment.”

In particular, the email included a flyer that was distributed at IDEI’s recent meeting, explaining their major initiatives. These initiatives include the Diversity Strategic Directions Steering Committee, a committee to help engage internal leaders in a conversation about diversity and create a clear plan and direction for diversity, and Advocates for Beloved Community (ABC), a team promoting racial justice and reconciliation on campus and addressing Title VI racial bias incidents.

The flyer also detailed IDEI’s five focus areas for 2019-2020. This strategic plan, known as PC200, hopes to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at PC through these focus areas, “ranging from structural diversity, access, and equity, to student learning and development—and has developed relationships with a diverse team of campus partners to address these areas through educational training, specific programming, departmental counseling, and other initiatives,” Shanley said.

These five focus areas are structural diversity, access, and equity, institutional infrastructure, climate and intergroup relations, formal and informal curricula, and student learning and development.

In addition, the flyer included information about events and programming held at the Center at Moore Hall. This programming includes the Urban Dance Series, classes on diverse dance styles and culture held by Providence-based dancers and educators. Other programming includes Conversations for Change, a set of workshops inspired by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., promoting “nonviolence, consensus building, and civic action,” and the World Cinema Series, a PC faculty-hosted program centered around “the film traditions and innovation of different countries throughout the world.”

This email highlights the work of the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in recent and upcoming months. This work to promote diversity and inclusion is “critical to the future success of Providence College,” Shanley said. He further added that “each of us is responsible for communicating and working together to translate this vision into action.”

IDEI’s dedication to promoting diversity and inclusivity at PC an important part of the College’s mission, and this update is relevant to students seeking resources and outlets on these issues. The goal of their work can be summed up in their mission statement: “Rooted in our Catholic and Dominican identity, the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion advances Providence College’s commitment to developing purposeful collaborations across all areas of the College and the greater community to foster an environment where people of all backgrounds, cultures, identities and perspectives can flourish.”

The Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion can be reached at diversity@providence.edu or in their office in Harkins 312.

by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019

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News

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by Kyle Burgess ’21 

News Staff

Thousands of California residents have found themselves on the move as sweeping wildfires continue to engulf both ends of the state. This recent string of wildfires comes after a relatively quiet year in which no major wildfires occurred from May through mid-September, the typical California wildfire-causing dry season.

The tinder box conditions that breed such fires are the result of extremely dry summers that turn trees and leaves into  fuel as well as strong winds which spread the fires across entire forests at a rapid pace. This process has been exacerbated by historically-strong winds throughout California as well as human involvement, with fallen power lines possibly to blame for two of the most recent fires.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) admitted that power lines may have started two wildfires over the weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area, causing widespread electrical blackouts to prevent their spread by further fallen power lines in the face of high winds.

PG&E also reported to state regulators that these fires “match blazes that destroyed a tennis club and forced evacuations in Lafayette, about 20 miles east of San Francisco.”

Per CNBC, “at least 900,000 power customers…were in the dark at the height of the latest planned blackout, nearly all of them in PG&E’s territory in northern and central California.” Less than half of these customers had their services restored by this past Monday, with some 1.5 million people in 29 counties expected to experience their own blackouts in anticipation of strong winds.

At the same time, the Kincade Fire in Northern California continued to spread, covering a new total of 75,000 acres with firemen only able to contain 15 percent of the blaze. One spokesperson for Cal Fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, claimed that it would take “weeks, if not months” to battle back the flames.

Some 180,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes in anticipation of Kincade’s flames, with the roads around Santa Rosa, CA packed bumper to bumper with cars trying to flee. High winds bringing gusts of more than 102 mph have fanned destruction across Sonoma, as 3,000 people continue to battle the blaze that has already destroyed nearly 400 structures, including the 150-year-old Soda Rock Winery.

The fires’ rapid pace and direction is difficult to predict, with some residents getting short or even limited notice of their paths. One BBC correspondent who quickly found himself in the way of The Tick Fire near Santa Clarita noted, that “My partner was in the house and had just seconds to get out, to pick up the dog, throw the dog in the car—gently—just get out. It happened that quickly and all our neighbors did exactly the same thing.”

Meanwhile, another fire threatens to engulf the famous Getty Center just outside of Los Angeles. The Getty Fire has so far covered 618 acres and destroyed eight structures, according to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. The blaze, which was only 5 percent contained, also partially destroyed six other structures. An investigation into possible causes of the fire are currently underway. Arson has not been ruled out.

In addition to the Getty Center itself, many high-end homes in the Los Angeles area are at risk to the wide-sweeping flames, prompting further evacuations. Celebrities such as LeBron James were evacuated from their houses along with students of Mount Saint Mary’s University near UCLA.

As firefighters continue to slowly keep the blazes under control across the state, the destruction left in the fires’ wakes has prompted California Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state-wide emergency as 43 of California’s 58 counties are under “red flag” warnings with ideal conditions for the flames to spread.