Ed Column

by Olivia Gleason '26 on February 5, 2026

Opinion

Hello Cowl readers, happy February! I hope everyone is staying warm despite the biting cold days we’ve been having and the copious amount of snow that seems as if it will never go away. As a student living in off-campus housing this year, I’ve been witnessing the city of Providence’s snow cleanup job firsthand for the past week, and I have my frustrations. For several days after the storm, I was unable to drive my car safely out of my driveway as my street still had several inches of compacted snow on it. Even as I am writing this ed column, my two-lane street is still more or less a one-way street because of how much snow still persists past the sidewalks, and each time I drive my car on it, my wheels become impacted with slushy snow. I completely understand that this was the biggest storm Providence has faced in years, and I am so grateful to the workers who go out to clean up the streets. However, I believe that the city could have done a much better job at organizing its resources to get this done more quickly, and for that, I am left feeling frustrated with the city’s mayor and other political officials.

This got me thinking about how healthy it is to have qualms with your representatives. This storm left me questioning if more could have been done to keep residents safe and get them back to their usual routines. In today’s incredibly polarized political climate, I think it has become a widespread norm for individuals to turn a blind eye when a political figure they support does something they might disagree with or that frustrates them. We see it daily with Republican members of Congress who refuse to speak even the smallest ill of the President, we see it on the news and in interviews, and we see it in our daily political conversations. In short, much political discourse has been reduced to either supporting a politician completely or not at all.

I think that such an approach to politics is incredibly unproductive. Our democratic system was built to include several checks on its representatives, to make them at the will of the voice of the people. Instead, today, many individuals cannot think to admit it when a politician of their party messes up or promotes a policy that they disagree with. To do this is perceived to be a betrayal of their entire party and system of beliefs, when in reality, it is nothing of the sort. Disagreeing occasionally with a politician you generally support is necessary to democracy, and it is necessary to bring about positive political change. Without such disagreement, without such pressure from the citizenry, politicians have nothing to hold them accountable—no matter what they do, they know that their base will offer them blind support.

In short, I was frustrated with Providence this past week, but this doesn’t mean I have betrayed them or my own political affiliations. Taking issue with your representatives once in a while—or even all the time—just means that you care enough to demand better from them for a better society. Holding them accountable, especially when you generally support them, is an act of civic responsibility. We must be willing to participate in thoughtful criticism, to voice frustration along with praise, if we want to get the most from politics.

Providence Says “ICE Out”

by Sarah McCall ’26 on February 5, 2026

News

Thousands Gather in Protest at RI State Capitol

On Friday, Jan. 30, thousands of people gathered at the Rhode Island State House for an ICE Out National Day of Action protest. The streets were filled with high school students, college students, families, Providence community members, and Rhode Island residents. Protesters had signs with phrases like “Abolish ICE,” “We Love Our Neighbors,” “Clear the snow and melt the ICE,” and “Students Demand Justice.” The signs ranged from cardboard boxes with sharpied words to well drawn political cartoons. Some protestors used old cereal boxes and buckets, and one little girl even assembled her sign with two pieces of construction paper and a large stick she found.

I had the opportunity to talk to her mother, who said that she took her daughter and son out of school that day to attend the protest. She explained her reasoning for bringing her young kids with her, saying that she always encourages them to fight for what is right and that she couldn’t sit back. When I asked why she felt it was important to show up, she said, “We are handing this world off to our kids, and we need to make sure it is a safe world for them.” She also told me that her son wore a Spiderman mask so that he could “feel like a hero.” Her daughter also felt like a hero, using the large stick to raise her sign above the crowd. It read “People are Dying” and “Stop Doing This,” with an angry face that she had drawn. These three protestors, along with thousands of others, marched through the city of Providence in hopes of making a change and uniting our community.

There was a significant student presence at the protest. Hundreds of high school and middle school students in Providence organized a walkout and met the protesters at the State House. The students chanted as they walked to the State House, emphasizing that life cannot go on as normal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents still on our streets. Many of their signs referenced the walkout, saying that they missed a lesson to teach others one and “Students Say ICE Out.”

There were volunteers walking around the protest providing information about different organizations. I had the opportunity to speak with Natalie, a volunteer with the Rhode Island Deportation Defense Line. She explained the program as a community effort to report ICE activity and keep ICE out of the area. With this Defense Line, community members can call (401) 675-1414 to report any unusual activity or potential ICE operations. This call will then be verified by the Rhode Island Deportation Defense Line before it is sent out to an ICE Watch Alert Channel WhatsApp. As I talked with Natalie, I asked why she thought it was important to be at the protest. She said, “We are the people who keep ourselves safe. We need to do our part as a community.”

Instagram accounts like @pvdstudentunion, @dare.pvd, @amornetwork, and @pslrhodeisland consistently post about protests and ways to get involved locally.

Winter Storm Leaves Communities Reeling: Snow, Ice, and Destruction Lingers

by Clara Johnson ’26 on February 5, 2026

News

Last week, a winter storm characterized by ice, sleet, and copious amounts of snow struck the United States, causing major power outages, severe damage, and inaccessible roads. The storm, which has been unofficially named Winter Storm Fern by the Weather Channel, brought historic weather to large swaths of Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.

In the Northeast, over a foot of snow fell, with some places, including Providence, RI, experiencing more than 20 inches of snow. The snowfall resulted in school and business closures across the region, though most institutions were able to reopen by mid-week. Across the country, there were record low temperatures that have not been seen in decades. In some states, the wind chill reached as low as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

While loads of snow were dumped in the Northeast, the South was frozen over. A deep freeze brought ice, which weighed down powerlines and trees, causing them to snap. These downed powerlines and fallen trees caused hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses to lose power. Obstruction caused by tree branches and ice have made it difficult for the National Electric Service to restore power in many of these places. In many Southern localities, infrastructure was overwhelmed, as these areas are not accustomed to contending with such harsh winter storms. As of this week, 136,000 people across the U.S. still remain without power in the freezing weather.

One city that was hit particularly hard by outages was Nashville, TN, with one resident telling The Cowl, “We were without power and heat for six days and still don’t have hot water.” She went on to describe, “It felt almost like a hurricane. Things looked apocalyptic. There were downed trees, downed powerlines. It was awful.”

These catastrophic conditions have been confirmed to be responsible for the deaths of 87 people throughout the U.S. Fatalities have been linked to cold exposure, vehicle accidents, and cardiac emergencies. This includes one man who was found dead because of cold exposure on Wednesday, Jan. 28, in downtown Providence.

As of now, the snow, the cold, and the destruction linger, as people struggle to recover from the impacts of the historic freeze that struck North America last week.

Winter Storm Leaves Communities Reeling: Snow, Ice, and Destruction Lingers

by Clara Johnson ’26 on February 5, 2026

News - National & Global

As of now, the snow, the cold, and the destruction linger, as people struggle to recover from the impacts of the historic freeze that struck North America last week.

The City of Providence and its Resilience Following the Brown University Shooting

by Sarah McCall ’26 on January 22, 2026

News

On Saturday, Dec. 13, the city of Providence faced a tragedy when Claudio Manuel Neves Valente opened fire on a Brown University final review session, killing two students and injuring nine. Ella Cook, a sophomore, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a freshman, were the two victims who lost their lives that day. Neves Valente was identified after a five-day manhunt, which resulted in the discovery of his body in a New Hampshire storage facility. Additionally, he was connected to the murder of an MIT professor, Nuno Loureiro, which was committed just two days after the shooting at Brown. Neves Valente was a former graduate student at Brown, originally enrolled in the fall of 2000. During this five-day stretch, fear coursed through members of the Providence community. Brown students remained in lockdown late into the night as the search continued to find the unidentified shooter.

This fear was not limited to the Brown campus. In an age of mass gun violence, students nationally are familiar with the dangers of a school shooting. The Providence Public School District reported a 20 percent absence rate on Monday, Dec. 15, even with assurance from officials that there was no active threat against Providence Public Schools. Additionally, students at Providence College remained sheltered in their dorms and off-campus houses waiting for potential news updates with no official shelter in place order administered.

Around the state of Rhode Island, colleges and universities altered their final exam schedules due to continued fear and uncertainty. The University of Rhode Island, Bryant University, and Providence College canceled all in-person exams due to safety concerns. Each university provided other options for final grades, such as the option for an online exam, a postponed exam date, or an alternative assignment.

As the news continued to unfold, the Providence College campus experienced extensive changes. The normally bustling campus filled with students studying for finals became filled with cars moving students out quicker than anticipated. The security at the gates was increased, with increased surveillance on who was entering campus and for what reason. As the week continued and students left, different parts of campus began to close sooner than expected. Ruane Cafe, Eaton Street Cafe, Diane Parrett R.N. Cafe, Alumni Dining, and the Concannon Fitness Center either limited their hours or closed for the remainder of the semester. Saint Dominic Chapel also limited its services and confession times for the remainder of the semester.

Following this tragic event, the resilience of the Providence community was made clear. Two Brown University sophomores were shopping at Trader Joe’s when they received news of the shooting. The Trader Joe’s employees cooked the students dinner, paid for their hotel, and drove them to the hotel as the Brown campus remained closed. Additionally, RIPTA drivers spent the night of Dec. 13 shuttling students to safety. One RIPTA driver, David St. Germain, recounted driving hundreds of kids until 3 a.m. the following morning. He, along with eight other drivers, jumped right to action. St. Germain said that he was “just there to help” and “would have stayed later if they’d needed me.” The bravery of St. Germain, the first responders, and all of the Providence citizens who came together to support each other is remarkable and a reflection of the spirit of the city. Although nothing can fully repair the damage caused, the Providence community came out of this tragedy stronger than ever, reflecting the Rhode Island state flag, which proudly displays the word “hope” as the state’s motto.

Birdies Hot Chicken: A Hot New Restaurant on the Block

by Andrew Auclair ’29 on December 11, 2025

A&E - Food Reviews

Over by Brown University, right off of Thayer Street, a new hot chicken spot has opened up, adding a new flair to the already food-packed lineup. Birdies Hot Chicken is a small chain restaurant with a menu adjacent to the world-famous hot chicken joint, Dave’s Hot Chicken, but brings it closer to home in Providence, RI. Its other locations are in Brockton, New Bedford, Boston, and Westwood, MA, with our local installation opening this past October. I found out about this new food spot while I was downtown getting a much overdue haircut at The Barbershop on College Hill. I knew there were a lot of great spots to eat around Brown, and my dad was texting me about this new chicken spot. I sat down in the barber chair and made some small talk with the barber, and when I asked about Birdies, he seemed very enthusiastically in favor of it. He told me I should order the two chicken sliders with fries, and that if I could handle spice, order it spicy. At that point, I was dead-set on where I was going to get dinner that night.

I walked in, and the vibes were great, with art on the walls, friendly employees, lots of places to sit, and spotless tabletops. Regardless of whether I can actually handle spice, I certainly enjoy it, so I ordered exactly what my barber had advised: two spicy chicken sliders with fries (plus a bottle of water, of course). The service was fast, and even though the restaurant has counter-style ordering, the worker brought my order right to my table and cheerily said to enjoy my meal. The presentation was amazing, and the portion was honestly huge. For what I ordered, it was only about $17.50, but it was plenty of food.

The chicken itself was super fresh and cooked to perfection. Sometimes, with fried food, my stomach gets upset if the oil is too old or the food is overcooked, but I had no problem with this meal whatsoever. The pickles and slaw that came on the sliders added the perfect amount of sweetness to the extremely savory and spicy chicken. Thank God I ordered that water, because this chicken had a real kick. The potato bun was sweet enough, but also soaked up the spice from the chicken perfectly, making every bite truly delicious. The fries were pretty alright; with so much food on the plate already, by the time I got to the fries, I wasn’t able to finish them, but they seemed to be cooked pretty well. On the side was a small cup of their house sauce, which I believe is what they drizzled on top of the chicken sliders. It was pretty good, almost like Raising Cane’s “Cane’s Sauce.” About halfway through my meal, a completely separate worker came over to every single table and asked the customers how they were enjoying their meals. This is just one example of the great customer service they exhibited, despite being a counter-service restaurant.

In the Thayer Street area, there is plenty of competition for the best spot in town. Birdies held their own and is a very strong contender for the title. Overall, Birdies Hot Chicken was a great experience, and if you’re in the mood for some amazing hot chicken but don’t want to take the train all the way to Boston, then Birdies on 183 Angell St., Providence, RI, has you covered.

The 12-Passenger Van Carrying Justice in Providence

by Clara Johnson ’26 on October 9, 2025

News

Francesca Bambara and the Food Recovery Program

Every Wednesday and Friday at 7:30 a.m., Providence College student Francesca Bambara ’26 can be found behind the wheel of a massive 12-passenger van. If you ask her about it, she will tell you how much of a pain it is to maneuver the massive vehicle. She will also humbly explain that she is driving leftovers from Raymond Dining Hall to the Providence Rescue Mission as a part of the Food Recovery Program.

The Food Recovery Program was initiated last year by Jazzlynn Goncalves ’25. Goncalves had an initial vision to build a community fridge at the Wanskuck Community Library as her project for her fellowship with the Dialogue, Inclusion, and Democracy Lab. She partnered with ECOPC, PC’s environmental group, where she first connected with Bambara to collaborate on this project.

The group quickly realized that the community fridge initiative would take a long time to get off the ground. Unsatisfied with waiting, they partnered with the Providence Rescue Mission, a local Catholic non-profit that provides both food and shelter to local folks experiencing homelessness. The food Bambara provides often serves as the base for the meals they serve in their soup kitchen.

When Goncalves graduated, she left the Food Recovery Program in good hands. Bambara has joined the DID Lab and, in continued partnership with ECOPC, she keeps the vision of the community fridge alive. She is currently working with the Wanskuck Library to submit a budget and build a network of local restaurants and businesses for the community fridge. In the meantime, she continues to drive the van, ensuring that folks are getting the nutrients they need.

Bambara’s leadership of the Food Recovery Program is far from her first foray into social justice. She has always loved to build connections with people. When she arrived at PC, she quickly learned through her classes that she could do that by studying global studies and sociology. Bambara’s passions have led her to want to become a human rights and immigration lawyer.

When asked why she is driven to do this work, she replied, “Somebody has to do it. Whatever you’re good at, whatever you are passionate about—that’s what you should do.” Bambara lives that concept out in her life, using her talents and abilities to serve and advance justice.

As a part of her passion for justice, Bambara decided to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. She overcame her fears in order to improve her Spanish and grow in her ability to help and serve others. While there, she worked for Helsinki Hispania, a human rights nonprofit named for Spain’s declaration of human rights. Through this work, she gained a diverse and global perspective on social justice.

Bambara has also spent her college career as a member of ECOPC, and she currently serves as one of the co-presidents.

When I asked about her extensive range of passions, she told me, “When I think about social justice, everything just overlaps. You can’t care about one thing without thinking about another. You can’t care about immigration without thinking about society and culture. You can’t think about sustainability without thinking about racial justice.”

Bambara’s perspective on how intertwined people are and the connection within these issues is evident in her diverse work. PC is certainly fortunate to have a student like Bambara, who wakes up earlier than most students would ever consider to lug pounds and pounds of food, saving it from the landfill and serving our community.

Trader Joe’s Opens Downtown Providence Store

by Sarah McLaughlin '23 on November 3, 2022
Editor-in-Chief

News

by Sarah McLaughlin ’23

Great news for fans of frozen fried ravioli and strawberry mochi—Trader Joe’s opened a new location in Downtown Providence this morning, Nov. 3. Located at 425 South Main Street, the store is within walking distance of Brown’s campus and PVDonuts and is now the closest Trader Joe’s location to PC’s campus, as Providence students previously would have had to travel to either Warwick, RI or Foxborough, MA.

Trader Joe’s is known across the U.S. for its low prices, which is due in part to how the chain sells primarily products of its own brand (about 80 percent of products on shelves) rather than typical name-brand groceries. PC students, often strapped for spare grocery cash but just as often out of Friar Bucks, could benefit from this new opening.

Through the company’s long standing Neighborhood Shares Program, Trader Joe’s locations pledge to make daily donations of 100 percent of the unsold, unexpired products they would otherwise throw away to local nonprofit organizations. The company has one of the best food waste management programs in the country; most grocery store waste ends up in landfills. In 2021, Trader Joe’s donated more than $349 million worth of food and beverages to nonprofits across the country. The new Providence location will ideally contribute to this environmental and socioeconomic initiative.

Why Does Providence Keep Flooding?

by Jezel Tracey '24 on September 15, 2022
Opinion Staff

Opinion

On Monday, September 5, what was expected to be a holiday break full of darties and naps rapidly turned into a modern Noah’s Ark. On Labor Day weekend, heavy rainfall surged into the streets of Providence and nearby communities. With every rain storm, Providence seems to flood. Wet roads and sidewalk puddles have become part of Providence’s charm, but a solution exists. Ultimately, outdated infrastructure combined with the impacts of climate change have left the Ocean State willfully unprepared for major rain events.

While it seemed to be a normal rainy day, Providence’s drainage system failed to perform . This may be a surprise for some, but last month there was also a flash flood that overwhelmed the streets of Providence. So, whenever it rains excessively, it is no surprise that Providence and its nearby communities are inclined to flood.

This heavy rainfall did not only wreak havoc on the streets of Providence but also affected PC campus life. Due to such long-lasting rain, instead of seeing groups of people traveling down to Eaton street for darties, students used the holiday as an opportunity to catch up on work.

From the perspective of inside campus, it looked like a rainy day at PC. However, just a few miles away roads were closed, highways were flooded, buildings were damaged, and daily life was chaotic.

Unfortunately, this was the same day that BOP had traveled to Newport. Interestingly, PC student Natalia Alzate ’24 says, “It was drizzling when we were in Newport so we never expected it to be so bad when traveling back to campus. A trip that was supposed to be 45 minutes took us three hours.”

While it was just another rainy day at PC, it felt like a hurricane in the city of Providence and its nearby communities. This calls into question the quality of the city’s drainage system and procedures.

Given that there was a flash flood not too long ago last month, it seems to be that what happened on Labor Day was of no shock to the residents of Providence – which means that the drainage issue was brought to attention, but not resolved. Myles Johnson ’24 remarked, “You never realize how bad a problem is until you have to fix it. The rain that fell should not have caused flooding. Hurricane Sandy and other casualties have passed and did not cause the I-95 to flood the way it did.”

Why has this issue been unaddressed? Why are we continuing to ignore climate change?

While it is common to view flooding as something inevitable, there are a lot of factors that play a part in this catastrophe. One of the most imperative factors leading to this unfortunate event is the oversight by the city’s officials. Providence can no longer put infrastructure investments off to the side. There are grave issues that lie underneath the flooded walkways.

Disparate Representation: Candidate Photographs Play a Role in Local Providence Mayoral Race

by Kaitlyn Hladik '25 on September 9, 2022
News Staff

News

Appearance and politics. The influence the media has in the democratic process. The institutions that continue to have a presence in our daily lives. These are all present regarding the upcoming democratic primary in Providence, Rhode Island. Nirva LaFortune, a current city councilwoman, is opposing Brett Smiley and Gonzalo Cuervo for the upcoming mayoral election.

Last Tuesday’s issue of the Providence Journal (August of 2022) released a front-page story about the pitches the three mayoral candidates made accompanied by photos. Where Smiley and Cuervo’s images are their official, smiling onward-facing headshots, LaFortune’s is an action photo of her from the side, appearing angry, while passionately speaking.

LaFortune tweeted at the Providence Journal, “Oh, how I love opening up the paper and finding a photo of me in mid-sentence looking ‘angry’ but actually speaking passionately about a matter. Why couldn’t I get a headshot photo, similar to the guys?”

Both Smiley and Cuervo spoke up for their competition, calling the use of the image “disappointing” and “inexcusable.” The opposition speaking up for their competitor demonstrates the resilience and passion they have to fight institutionalized racism, specifically in the media.

The discrepancies in the images could be attributed to racism as well as sexism. LaFortune is the only female or person of color candidate in the race of three, making conversations about both issues prominent. LaFortune called the Providence Journal out for racist journalism, stating that the comparison in images is a “prime example of racism in media.”

Cuervo made it known in his tweet that the Providence Journal has a multitude of professional photos that they shot earlier in the cycle. LaFortune also tweeted a professional picture of her, demonstrating the various options the Providence Journal had for their story.

Providence Journal Executive Editor David Ng apologized for the use of the photo in a statement to NBC 10, in which he wrote, “We regret the photo selected for this story and sincerely apologize.”

Whatever the intention behind the photo was, the audience as well as the portrayed candidates understood it as racism. Media plays a prime role in our view of political candidates, and the picture of LaFortune could potentially have a negative effect on her campaign.

LaFortune hopes that this will shed light on the influence the media has in the electoral process and how it is simple to make a candidate look unprofessional. Furthermore, she hopes it demonstrates the importance of the diversity of the community being represented and sharing their experiences. LaFortune released a statement saying: “This was sad and it also shows us the importance of having more people of color, more black women, more black people, brown people, indigenous folks, [and] people who represent the diversity of our community also leading the effort to tell their stories.”