Tag: Nicole Silverio ’22
Election of 2020: Impeachment Trial Goes to the Senate
by Kyle Burgess on January 30, 2020
National and Global News
by Nicole Silverio ’22
This week, opening arguments began in the Senate regarding the House of Representatives’ impeachment of President Donald Trump. Both Democrats and Republicans have spent the last week making their case of whether r not to remove President Trump. After both sides has the opportunity to ask questions, they will vote on whether or not to subpeona witnesses not yet heard in the investigation.
On December 16, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee released a report explaining the charges against the President. The charges against him are abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Democratic Party, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has accused President Trump of obstructing justice for contacting the Ukrainian president to investigate his political rival’s son. In October, the Intelligence, the Oversight and Foreign Affairs committees deposed witnesses involved with Ukrainian foreign policy testifying that Trump wanted the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to publicly announce investigations into Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden and Burisma, a Ukrainian natural gas company that Biden had served on the board of until 2019.
On December 18, 2019, the House of Representatives held a trial in which the representatives held hearings, the Democrats supporting impeachment and the Republicans against it. The final vote was largely along party lines, with all Republicans and three Democrats voting against the impeachment, while the majority of Democrats voted for impeachment, officially impeaching the president.
Speaker Pelosi sent the articles of impeachment to the Senate, where senators have been arguing for or against the president. Pelosi has named seven Democratic members of Congress as the managers who will argue for impeachment. “What is at stake here is the Constitution of the United States” said Pelosi during a press conference. According to Tucker Carlson, host of Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight, Senator Chuck Schumer explained that “even with no chance of removing President Trump at the end of the process, impeachment is still absolutely necessary for this country, and every other problem we face must go on hold to pursue it.”
Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, is setting rules for the chamber to vote on. Democrats have requested witnesses in the trial, but McConnell has refused this request. Republican senators delayed the vote to subpeona witnesses until after arguments have been made.
President Trump reported that he looks forward to having his due process in the Senate, the majority of which is Republican. Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri told CNN, “Our side has not changed our view on this. I think where House Democrats failed, and maybe Senate Democrats failed, were trying to use the time in a way that would wear us out and deny the president’s team any response this week.” Contrary to the senator’s opinion, CNN editor at large, Chris Cillizza, claims that 1 in 3 Republicans (32 percent) believe Trump has committed illegal acts either before or during his presidency. Despite their beliefs, the majority of them are willing to back Trump, believing he should not be removed from office.
Chairman Jerry Nadler accused Republicans of covering up President Trump’s crimes, claims to which the president’s lawyers, Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow, retaliated against. He has been accused by several Republican senators as being “especially partisan.” Adam Schiff, one of the impeachment managers, told CNN that “The President late last night bragged that he had the material. Indeed, they do have the material hidden from the American people. That is nothing to brag about. If the senators are serious about wanting to learn all the facts, if the President’s team wants to contest any of the facts, these documents and witnesses will need to be produced.” Democrats, to the dismay of Republicans, are desperately trying to withhold four Republican votes to obtain evidence and witnesses.
Due to the House Democrats’ vote last month, President Trump must endure the 2020 election through his impeachment, and may run against the political rival who he has had investigated. The question open for debate is whether President Trump’s impeachment will harm him or benefit him this upcoming November 3. The American people will either desire to vote an impeached president out of office, or turn their anger towards the Democrats for bringing the impeachment trials to life to begin with, perhaps believing that the impeachment has turned heads away from the real issues facing our nation. Only time will tell.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Students Travel to Los Angeles for the 9th Year of PC in Hollywood
by The Cowl Editor on January 16, 2020
Campus
by Nicole Silverio ’22
News Staff
Over winter break, future Hollywood stars and directors from our very own campus traveled to Los Angeles to tour several Hollywood studios. Being Providence College’s ninth year providing this opportunity, students got to spend five days in Hollywood meeting alumni that had achieved a career in the entertainment industry, hoping to inform current students about what it is like working behind the scenes in Hollywood studios.
The PC in Hollywood trip was founded in 2012 by Todd Slater ‘97, the Office of Institutional Advancement, the Center for Career Education and Professional Development, and the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Film. Today, Slater is an independent film producer and partner at Slater Brothers Entertainment. His goal is to lead students down the right path to attain the same successes he has had in the entertainment industries.
Twelve students traveled alongside Father Kenneth Gumbert, O.P.; Patti Goff, assistant vice president of Integrated Learning and Administration; and Paul Calle, the senior major gifts officer in the Office of Institutional Advancement. The group visited several alumni including: John Bowab ’55, Charlie Jennings ’04 of Creative Artists Agency, Bill Humphrey ’77 from Sunset Studios, Tara McLaughlin ’13 from Focus Features, and Peter Farrelly ’79, an Academy award-winning director and screenwriter of the 2018 film Green Book. “They were all so nice and willing to tell their stories. I had great conversations with them,” said Griff Massey ’20.
On the first day of the trip, the group visited Sony Pictures Studios. There, they saw the set and props from the hit ’90’s sitcom Seinfeld and the game show Wheel of Fortune. “I’m a big Spiderman and Ghostbusters fan. I got to see the car they used in the 2016 movie,” said Massey. “We went into a mini museum where we saw props from Spiderman, Men in Black and a recreation of the Seinfeld set and after that tour we went to a room where we were given a presentation on what a producer does. They’re very hands on with every aspect of the movie.”
Massey said, “It was a nice mix of studio tours and sit down conversations with executives or anyone in the industry and learning how to get your foot in the door.” Massey shared his dream for after he graduates from PC this spring stating, “My main purpose is to write stories for anything entertainment wise that needs writing.”
When meeting John Bowab ‘55 & ’80 Hon., who directed episodes of Family Matters and Full House, Massey said, “It was really cool to visit him because he is so kind to us and gave us great advice. It’s cool to see someone who had graduated PC who is content with his life, successful, and takes time out of his day to talk about his experience in the industry. I am so thankful for that. He had a framed picture of last year’s group in the front hall of his home.”
Massey described their trip to Warner Brothers Studios, saying “It was a dream of mine to go to Warner Bros. ever since I was five. There were storyboards from The Matrix, original character models for Scooby Doo, original superman cape from 1978, and crucifix from The Exorcist which was framed in a gothic frame.”
Massey also described meeting Peter Farrelly, saying, “We were all super nervous to meet him. When he showed up he was dressed casually and was super chill and humble. It was reassuring that the fame did not go to his head. He had great advice and talked about his writing process. He likes writing collaboratively the best which is typically what he does. He does not care about genres which I resonated with since I do not want to be labeled as someone who likes to write horror or superhero stuff since that is very restrictive.”
While at the Creative Arts Agency (CAA), Massey wanted to gain information about the relationships between agents and writers from Charlie Jennings ‘04 who works with Chris Evans and many other big name Hollywood actors. Tara McLaughlin ‘13 from Focus Features told the students that she herself went on the trip when she was a student, and helped with editing trailers and movie posters.
Sunset Gower, an independent studio that leases out stages and rooms for other production companies, showed the PC students sets for The David Spade Show and Raven’s Home, the sequel to the Disney Channel original show That’s So Raven. “I never knew independent studios existed but I found it to be interesting,” said Massey.
Massey concluded by saying, “There was never a dull moment on this trip. I would definitely recommend this trip if you are serious about entering the film industry of any form. I know a lot of people who went to the event and wanted to work in the industry but didn’t know what aspect of it, but left that trip with a passion and have a moment of hope that they can make it into this industry.”
After nine years, this trip helps open the gate for many students to follow their dreams to become the future PC alumni that have created films in the movie industry.
Christmas Time is Here: PC Rings in Holiday Season with Tree Lighting
by The Cowl Editor on December 5, 2019
Campus
by Nicole Silverio ’22
News Staff
To kick off the Christmas season on campus, the Office of Student Activities & Cultural Programming hosted the Aannual tree lighting on Slavin Lawn on Tuesday evening. Originally scheduled for Monday, it was postponed one day due to weather conditions. This campus tradition is a magical way to start the Christmas season and get students into the Christmas spirit.
While the large evergreen stood in front of Slavin Lawn awaiting its special moment, the event provided Insomnia Cookies, hot chocolate, activities, and live music. A crowd of students stood outside in the freezing, thirty-degree weather on Slavin Lawn with goodies waiting for the tree to be lit.
The ceremony began in the late afternoon so the lighting would be visible. An estimated 50 people arrived to watch this wonderful tradition. Luckily, the snowy weather from Monday night continuing into Tuesday morning had ended, clearing up the sky to allow the event to take place.
The Providence College A capella group, Strictly Speaking, performed to further spread the Christmas spirit. Mike DeMaris, a guest singer at the event, sang “Silent Night” to the crowd. After the musical performances, Father Peter Martyr Yungwirth, O.P., gave a short welcoming speech and told the nativity story, the story of the very first Christmas, the story that began it all. He then wished everyone on campus a wonderful Christmas.
When the time came to light the tree, the crowd counted down, and the College’s Christmas tree was officially lit for the Christmas season. As a Catholic campus, PC has a special opportunity to have Christmas traditions and decorate the campus with evergreens and shining lights to put all of the students in the Christmas spirit. For the remainder of the season, the tree will sit on Slavin Lawn beautifully lit. Although it happens every year, this yearly event was equally as special, bringing students together for Christmas festivities as well as having a light-hearted event to get their minds off of the stress of finals.
Campus Ministry Fundraises for Annual NOLA Trip
by The Cowl Editor on November 14, 2019
Campus
by Nicole Silverio ’22
News Staff
On Tuesday evening, Campus Ministry hosted the 12th annual NOLA Immersion Meal Auction in McPhail’s. The meal auction raised money to sponsor the students’ trip to New Orleans, LA.
The purpose of the trip is to follow the Gospel’s call by helping communities affected by Hurricane Katrina.
NOLA is a campus organization striving to repair New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005, which destroyed an estimated $81 million in property damages including many homes and businesses, leaving residents devastated. It destroyed about 90,000 miles of land in LA.
Pamela Tremblay, director of service immersion and social justice at PC, stated, “We look into why New Orleans is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina after all of these years. A part of our research is to figure out why Hurricane Katrina has been so catastrophic.” Tremblay and Fr. Peter Martyr Yungwirth, O.P., the chaplain of NOLA, have organized this student service trip to New Orleans.
This year’s meal auction successfully raised $950 by auctioning off meals with about fifteen faculty and staff members. Students had the chance to bid on ten different dinners with their favorite faculty and staff members in order to raise money for the trip.
Quincy Bevely offered to go out to dinner with four students while the dean of students offered to cook for ten students in the President’s house. An estimated number of between 40 and 50 students attended the event.
The goal of getting involved with NOLA on campus is to engage students in service and prayer by building a community that rebuilds the damage in New Orleans. The NOLA team meets every week to discuss the issues in New Orleans and discuss their services in the upcoming winter break.
This month there was a NOLA retreat for all members of NOLA Immersion. The group partners with organizations such as the St. Bernard Project, the Harry Tompson Center, Greenlight New Orleans, and the Lower Ninth Ward Village.
During winter break, 13 students participate in the immersion trip. The NOLA Immersion trip costs about $200 per student, including all transportation and accommodations.
Tremblay explained how they strive to keep costs low for students so that anyone interested in taking part in the service can do so. Back in 2005 when PC began this service, the main goal was to provide relief by helping to rebuild homes. Nowadays, Tremblay explained that socioeconomic status plays a significant role in the lack of repair in certain areas of the city.
The Lower Ninth Ward of the city in particular struggles from the hurricane, therefore, the Lower Ninth Ward is where students spend the majority of their service time.
“We are really grateful for the support from the university,” Tremblay said. “And for the support to make this trip possible each year.”
Since the students on campus were very young when Hurricane Katrina took place, NOLA strives to educate students on campus about the scar Hurricane Katrina has left in New Orleans. NOLA wants to celebrate the community services the PC community does, being able to help other communities across the country and around the world heal from tragedy.
A Play, Within a Play, Within a Play…: Understanding the Various References in and Work Behind “Something Rotten!”
by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Campus
by Nicole Silverio ’22
News Staff
The past two weekends, beginning on Oct. 25, the Providence College Theatre Department has put on the comedic musical Something Rotten! This show is one of the largest and most challenging the theatre department has ever done, making it particularly unique.
The director of the play, James Calitri, was very excited about this show and immensely proud of the cast and all the hard work that was put in to making the show a reality. “This is the biggest show we’ve ever done. Hundreds of costumes and tap dancing and about a dozen quick changes timed for seventeen seconds. We have a wardrobe crew of only five people.”
Following Shenandoah University, PC is only the second college to gain the rights to perform the show. Calitri knew one of the producers, who entrusted him with doing the play on campus.
Beginning the process on Sept. 3 and going into tech week on Oct. 18, 40 students auditioned resulting in 24 being cast. Calitri talked about the cast of the show, saying, “Eleven students were either freshmen or brand new to theater, and they all worked so hard and were in great spirits. This show is the hardest show we’ve ever done but it has been a joy to work on it. It’s hard but we leave excited and proud.”
What made this show especially difficult was the physicality required by the cast. Out of all the tap dancers in the show, only three had tap experience. Calitri explained, “This was due to having great choreographers who helped the students build up their skills with things unfamiliar to them and to have the ability to appear equally as skilled as the ones who already have experience.”
Maxine Wheelock, the costume supervisor, created hundreds of costumes, and the twenty four actors had seconds to do a costume change and return to the stage.
The sudden costume changes are only one part of the musical’s uniqueness, as the play also consists of intense lighting, sixty props, and additional sound. This is one of the biggest sets the Smith Center for the Arts has ever created, as well as the largest and most demanding volume of equipment they have ever needed.
The crew for the production consisted of seventeen students and fifteen professionals who helped with the stage production. Famous professionals have worked with students such as a professional broadway star Liz Calloway, who helped with the stage experience, and Kyra Hockridge, director of Out Loud, who did team and ensemble building workshops with the students to bring them together.
The stage manager of the play, Grace Dolan ‘20, had to manage hundreds of queues all at once. Since she plans to pursue stage management as a career, Calitri encouraged her to take on this challenge. She later told Calitri she needed this challenge before she graduates as this is a great resume builder and experience, since this musical is so complicated.
Sixty props were created for the show, all made in Smith. These included handmade balancing scales and smoking pipes, as well as making replicas of Elizabethan-era items.
Calitri explains that the show is approachable and heartfelt but generally very funny. The overarching theme is that it’s a parody of William Shakespeare, suggesting that his ideas were not always originally his own.
The plot revolves around the Bottom Brothers, who create an idea that the character Shakespeare later steals and turns into Hamlet. The character of Shakespeare in this show is based off of a combination of Mick Jagger and David Bowie. Reflecting a conceited celebrity, Something Rotten!’s Shakespeare is not likeable.
“If you’re not an expert in musical theater, you’ll just think the show is funny. If you are an expert in musical theater, you can catch the references to other musicals. There could be five to six references to other musicals in just one scene,” Calitri explained. In this one musical, there are about 80 homages to other shows such as Little Orphan Annie and My Fair Lady.
“People don’t understand how unique theatre is. No one on campus does quite what we do. We meet with people from all over and I’ll work with them for ten hours and it’s very unique what we do over here and the community we’ve built,” explained Calitri. “They’re getting a full experience. We bring professional people in, they’re working with future artists to practice what they’re going to school for. That’s what’s unique about this department. People don’t always realize the life skills, reading body language, all these things they have to tackle.”
He explained that since the tours do not go into Smith, many students on campus have little to no knowledge about the building.
Calitri added to this point, saying, “A main reason to do this play was to get people in the arts center, getting people to be more aware of the Smith Arts Center and take a peek into the building to see what’s going on.”
With sold out shows throughout the first weekend, it is easy to say that Something Rotten has been a major success. Students, faculty, and families will hopefully become aware of the Smith Center’s mission and dedication to their work and talent.
Although much strenuous work has been put in to create Something Rotten!‘s final product, the cast and crew have made it a success and, therefore, believe it was all worth it.
photo courtesy of Daniel Jameson ’21
Featured Friar: Nicole Ing ’21
by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019
Features
photo courtesy of Nicole Ing ’21.
by Nicole Silverio ’22
News Staff
Nicole Ing ‘21 has been an active part of the Providence College community since her freshman year and has continued her work ever since. Ing is currently vice president of the Asian American Association (AAA) and an orientation leader. She is also involved in Dance Club, the Board of Multicultural Student Affairs (BMSA), and Leadership Fellows.
Ing grew up in Saugus, MA with parents who immigrated to the United States from Cambodia. Growing up with parents from Asia, Ing mentioned how she is proud of her Asian heritage and culture.
When it came time to apply for colleges, she said Providence College was the last on her list, but having had an uncle who went here, her dad encouraged her to apply. She did not like the school at first. In her first semester of freshman year, she spent the majority of her free time in her room and did not reach out to others. When second semester rolled around, she realized she needed to reach out to people in order to make friends.
“In the first semester there weren’t a lot of people I shared common interests with,” she said, “so when I found people that I had things in common with, I felt better.”
After joining the Asian American Association, she felt more comfortable being around those she could relate to culturally. In her second semester of freshman year, she began to regularly involve herself in the club. The executive members pushed her to become an exec member herself. She started out in public relations, trying her best to make a difference.
As VP of the club, she is involved in assisting the president, designing all posters for the club and planning meetings. Meetings are bi-weekly, planning events around Asian culture to promote and introduce Asian culture beyond Chinese food and sushi.
Ing said, “The Asian American Association is a way to bring people together, bringing pride into being Asian American or even just Asian.” Her favorite part of the Asian American Association is “bringing people together, especially at events, and seeing people happy and talking to each other, and knowing that I was a part of making that happen.”
Aside from being VP, she also involved herself in the Center for Orientation, Transitions, and Leadership. She loved her orientation leaders going into her freshman year. She made the decision to apply to show people of her background that there are other Asians on campus and that they should not be afraid of reaching out because there are other students like them.
She became an orientation leader in her sophomore year, and this year was her first year being a June orientation leader and an autumn leader. “I liked PC a lot more once I began to get involved, and I wanted to help others get more involved,” said Ing.
Ing’s story shows how in the beginning, students may feel uncomfortable in a place that seems out of their comfort zone, but getting involved and striving to make a difference in the community helps to feel more comfortable, helping them to fit in despite differences in their background. She shows how organizations and clubs revolving around different cultures and backgrounds are important, helping some to feel comfortable in their own skin while helping others learn about different cultures, as it can be difficult to learn about them otherwise.
Her goal is to spread diversity around the campus, which helps us to be more open and to continue to spread diversity in our community.
Ing is a marketing major with a minor in public & community service. She is undecided on what she wants to do in her future career; however, she is considering designing or event planning since she loves both of those things. She does not want to sit in an office for several hours a day.
Although Ing does not know where she will end up, her work at PC over the next couple years will prepare her for her bright future.
No Tricks, Just Treats: PC Students Attend Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular
by The Cowl Editor on October 24, 2019
Campus
by Nicole Silverio ’22
News Staff
With Halloween around the corner, the Providence College Board of Programmers (BOP) collaborated with the Roger Williams Park Zoo to give students the chance to attend the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular on Sunday evening.
This is an annual light show hosted at the zoo that gives students the opportunity to witness a variety of professionally carved jack-o-lanterns that would undoubtedly amaze them.
Lasting 32 nights throughout October into early November, five-thousand jack-o‘-lanterns are on display throughout a quarter of a mile of the zoo. These are not ordinary jack-o‘-lanterns, as they display a variety of different images created by professional artists who add careful detail and imagination to their artwork.
Guests walk along a pathway surrounded by jack-o‘-lanterns creating a Halloween wonderland. Each display of pumpkins on the path has a different theme. This year’s main themes are Marvel comics, conservations, and the four seasons.
Olisa “Simba” Obioha ‘20, the event coordinator, collaborated with the Roger Williams Zoo to give Providence College students the opportunity to see the variety of uniquely created art in order to experience something they cannot experience anywhere else. He has been involved in BOP since the second semester of his freshman year and has enjoyed every moment of it.
He had proposed the idea to the administration in June, and the school was optimistic about it. He began working on this event in August and is excited that “it has finally been put together and we are making it happen.”
“BOP hosted this event last year (during Freshman Parent Weekend), and I was interested in providing this opportunity again this year because everyone I had heard from gave positive reviews about it. Plus, I love Halloween,” Obioha said.
Due to his love for Halloween, he thought this would be the perfect opportunity to play around with Halloween-themed activities. Since this was his first time at the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, Obioha expressed his excitement to have this opportunity while sharing it with his fellow peers. Obioha met his goal to sell at least fifty tickets.
John Reckner, the creator, has held the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular annually for 31 years. It was originally held in his hometown of Oxford, MA, before it moved to the Roger Williams Park Zoo in 2001. This past Saturday, 12,000 people attended.
“I never would have thought there would be thousands of people pouring through here after 18 years,” he said. “We come up with a new theme so it is a different show every year.” Reckner explained that the goal is to have 130,000 people come to the show.
20 artists are involved in carving the pumpkins. Some are full-time while others are part-time. They make two of the same images each, having the ideas for all the images and themes submitted to the zoo by January. Then, they start gathering all of the background props by springtime, and by August they are staging and setting up five miles of electrical wire. The background props include smoke, fake snow, music, bubbles, and strobe lights.
Many of the pumpkins come from Connecticut, while others are grown in Rhode Island, some weighing over 2,000 pounds. Depending on the heat, it can take about a week for the pumpkins to rot, so the artists are continuously carving pumpkins.
“We are non-stop drawing for six weeks,” Reckner explained. “It is a mad drawing session.” He explained that they go through about 20,000 pumpkins throughout the show, although only 5,000 are displayed, as they must replace the ones that rot. They also light each pumpkin with LED lightbulbs.
Reckner’s inspiration to have Marvel as a main theme is in honor of Stan Lee, who passed away earlier this year. The one thing that does not change each year is the repeat laughing tree playing the song called “Don’t Laugh” by Josh Wink.
The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular will be open until Nov. 3, and tickets are on sale at rwpzoo.org. It is truly a remarkable experience that amazes everyone.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words: PC Students Hold 1,000 Voices Event For Suicide Awareness
by The Cowl Editor on October 10, 2019
Campus
by Nicole Silverio ’22
News Staff
On Monday, October 7, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Providence College Board of Programmers (BOP) and the Active Minds club put together 1,000 Voices on Slavin Lawn to educate students and staff on campus about suicide awareness and prevention.
1,000 yellow pinwheels were placed across Slavin Lawn, commemorating college students who have committed suicide.
Students wrote positive messages on sticky notes, which were then placed on a cardboard cutout of the letter “P” (standing for Providence College), which included messages of condolences and about what they love about their lives in order to help uplift people and help them reflect on what they love about themselves and their lives.
This will be hung up in lower Slavin outside of the BOP office for all students to see. Students were also served Knead doughnuts and coffee. The service began in the morning, and the pinwheels remained through the afternoon.
Tom Bernard ’21 was the event coordinator of 1,000 Voices. After joining BOP in April, he began working on this event in June.
“This is an important message,” said Bernard, “we haven’t had a suicide at PC since 2011, but it is an important message to have in the back of our minds. It is a great source of community building and bringing people together. Although it is not an uplifting subject, it makes you grateful for what you do have in life.”
Bernard explained how this event emulates a national suicide awareness event hosted by Active Minds called Send Silence Packing, where a backpack is laid out to represent every college student who has committed suicide nationwide. Bernard, Cheryl Granai, the coordinator of Outreach and Suicide Prevention on campus, and the Active Minds club decided to use pinwheels instead of backpacks to represent each victim.
BOP and Active Minds members passed out cards with resource information to students so people can easily seek help for themselves or a loved one.
Bernard stated that over 1,000 college students commit suicide per year in the United States, which is equivalent to the average class size at PC.
He stated, “We haven’t had an event about suicide on campus before which made the administration hesitant in the beginning because it is a rather touchy topic. But we hope we can represent such a touchy subject in an uplifting way to spark meaningful dialogue about the issue.”
It is important to raise awareness on campuses across the country about the issue of suicide. Bernard stated that the goal is to “break a bubble (amongst the PC community) and we will have a wider knowledge of what goes on in the country, even if it isn’t an issue in our school specifically. We hope people can learn about this and learn how to help each other in order to truly be community builders.”
Bernard added that he would like to give a shout out to the chair of the committee, Laura Fusco ’20, who helped him every step of the way, and that he could not have done this without her.
Being the first suicide awareness event on campus, this is a new message being spread to students. The event gave students the ability to learn more about a topic not typically focused on at PC, providing them with more knowledge of the resources to help others who may be thinking of suicide. It is a strong message to spread this Mental Health Awareness Month.
Panel of Professors Debate Over Recent Politics: Experts from PC Discuss the Current Political Climate and Election
by The Cowl Editor on October 3, 2019
Campus
by Nicole Silverio ’22
News Staff
On Thursday, September 26, the Providence College Board of Programmers (BOP) and the Political Science Department held an annual event in the Fiondella Great Room to discuss current political issues and what students should expect in the upcoming presidential election.
Students gathered into the room where they were served pizza and soda. Three professors led the political discussion—Dr. Adam Myers, professor of political science, Dr. Steven Smith, professor of history, and Dr. Joseph Cammarano, who served as the moderator of the discussion. During the event, students were given the opportunity to register to vote.
“Our purpose is to engage you guys, the students, into the political world and to leave here having better knowledge on what is happening” said Dr. Cammarano while beginning the discussion.
Key themes and issues discussed were the eligibility of the Electoral College, election interference, voting patterns, comparing Trump to presidents of the past, the role of media in today’s political world, and the whistleblower.
Regardless of one’s political views, one cannot deny the significance this election will have on the course of this country and perhaps the world. Smith spoke of the historical significance of the 2020 election, saying, “This election is going to see an impeachment period which is an extraordinary thing. We’re going to be in the midst of a memorable and historical moment.” With tumultuous events unfolding, Dr. Myers shared some positive news about the election, jokingly stating, “Chances are, the Union will stay intact after 2020.”
Dr. Smith spoke of the media, saying, “Trump is a product of the hyper-selective media monopoly as it is selective and biased.” When comparing our current president to past presidents, the professors debated whether he is more like Andrew Jackson or Andrew Johnson, but, nevertheless, we have never had a president quite like him before.
One of the biggest topics regarded the media, as the professors spoke of the significance that social media has had in politics in recent years; however, Dr. Smith made the point that the media has been involved in the political world since the 1790s. He also pointed out that media has become very biased and people choose what they read, whether it be The New York Times, Fox, CNN or MSNBC. This gives people different perceptions and biases on their outlooks. President Trump’s negative critique of the media was compared to the election of 1800 (between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson), and how Adams in large part blamed the media for his loss to Jefferson.
Speaking of the election process itself, they added that the five states to focus on will likely be Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Minnesota. These states played a significant role in determining the 2016 election, and will likely do the same in 2020. Myers mentioned that out of the 17 credible candidates, we should expect the democratic side to narrow down between Biden, Warren, and Sanders.
When asked about the Electoral College, Smith responded, “It is not going anywhere in our lifetime,” though he added it has proven to be a disaster in the past. Neither professor gave a direct opinion on whether or not it should be abolished.
Towards the end of the event the students were given the chance to ask questions. Frequent questions were about the likely candidates who will succeed going forward, moderate versus progressive viewpoints, and the whistleblower complaint.
The whistleblower proceedings are far from over, and Pizza and Politics helped broaden students’ understanding of its background and its significance in the upcoming election as the House of Representatives currently investigates the transcripts.
Events like Pizza and Politics help college students have an in-depth understanding of the election process and the issues facing the nation. College students are in the early stages of being able to vote, so it is important that students have the opportunity to attend events like these to develop intelligent opinions and have a say on the major decisions that face this country today, for they are the future of this country.
Bursting the PC Bubble: Hong Kong Protests Erupt Into Violence
by The Cowl Editor on September 26, 2019
National and Global News
by Nicole Silverio ’22
News Staff
On Saturday, Sept. 15, several protestors were injured in yet another violent protest in Hong Kong between the police force and the citizens. The protests have caused major political upheaval in the past six months.
Thousands marched from Causeway Bay to government offices in Admiralty, striving to peacefully protest the government until they respond to their pro-democracy demands.
Protestors demand that the government withdraw the Extradition Bill, commission an inquiry into police brutality, put a stop to classifying the protestors as “rioters,” provide amnesty for arrested protestors, and the privilege to directly elect leaders in both the Legislative Council and Chief Executive which has been denied by Hong Kong leaders and the Chinese government.
Although they are supposed to be peaceful protests, they have not remained that way. In the most recent protest, radical protestors began throwing bricks and petrol bombs at police, causing the police to retaliate with tear gas, water cannons, and jets of blue dye with the intent to mark the protesters so police could eventually arrest them.
Throughout the night, protesters set fires and vandalized subways, leading to several arrests. According to CNN reporters, one incident left a man in the Tim Hau neighborhood “dazed and bleeding on the floor.”
According to the South China Morning Post, one viral video showed a mob of young men beating a man to the point of unconsciousness.
These riots and protests began in Hong Kong in March 2019 to oppose the Extradition Bill. This bill would allow Hong Kong to extradite a person to mainland China or other countires, including Taiwan. This means that someone accused of committing a crime in another nation would have to be handed over to where the crime was committed.
Being an independent state from the Chinese government, many citizens of Hong Kong believe this is a violation of their independence and civil rights which threatens their democracy.
Protestor Mandy, 26, spoke about the riots, saying, “We need to keep coming out to tell the government to respond to our five demands, otherwise it will think we accept the withdrawal of the Extradition Bill.”
Another protestor named Jackie, who attended with her mother said, “Our government hasn’t replied to any of our demands…we are in a corner and we can’t do anything apart from coming out to the street every single weekend.”
Police increased security checks and reduced the use of public transportation. Public transportation areas have been a frequent destination for pro-democracy demonstrators, which has increased police activity in these areas.
One witness named Lai, 31, saw at least twenty police officers at the train station when he returned from the protests. Some of them stormed into the carriage, and, according to him, “Everyone started to scream ‘they are coming, they’re crazy.’ They kept moving and hitting everyone in the car. I started running. I saw police using their batons to keep hitting the same person on the head, even though he was kneeling down in the corner.”
Police commented on this situation, stating that they came to the station after protestors damaged a customer service center and ticket machines and assaulted people.
According to CNN, Junius Ho, a pro-government lawmaker, calls on citizens of Hong Kong who are loyal to the government to “get together and clean Hong Kong.” He even went as far as praising pro-government citizens for attacking protestors in Yuen Long.
Although Hong Kong is a part of the People’s Republic, meaning it belongs to China, they have their own currency, political and legal system which results in them considering themselves “one country, two systems,”guaranteeing that citizens of Hong Kong can have certain freedoms that citizens in mainland China do not have.
The government in Beijing is eager to end the rioting, but protestors are not willing to back down.
Protestor Simon Chang said, “If we don’t stand up now, it’s going to be too late.” Another protestor who remained anonymous said, “Even if they arrest more people, that won’t stop us. They keep arresting people, making us more angry. If the movement stretches to 100 days, 200 days or even 1,000 days and we still don’t get what we want, we will continue to come out.”
Protests are expected to continue through Oct. 1, which will mark the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic.