Tag: Sarah Gianni ’18
Featured Friar: Raychel Pesci ’21
by The Cowl Editor on November 2, 2017
Features
By Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
Most students at Providence College can still remember the day they received their acceptance letter. The large congratulatory envelope from the Office of Admissions contained the news that they were officially part of the Friar Family. However, it is safe to say that most PC students did not have a video of them receiving their acceptance go viral online. But one Friar did.
Raychel Pesci ’21 is a freshman at PC from Hingham, Massachusetts who now calls her triple in Raymond Hall home. She is a finance major who is active in the Finance Society, PC’s Colleges Against Cancer chapter, and PC Republicans. How did Pesci come to call Friartown her home? “I hadn’t really found a school that I absolutely loved, so my mom suggested we go to visit PC and then Bryant during my college search,” said Pesci.
“The day I visited PC it was pouring rain, but I honestly fell in love with the school,” she said. Pesci described walking around campus during her tour feeling at home, as PC had many of the qualities she was looking for. “I had a very particular vision of what I wanted—a smaller school with a nice campus and not too much in the city,” she said.
“When I was here it felt like those scenes in Say Yes to the Dress—this is the one!” After her visit at PC Raychel said that she told her mom that they did not need to look at Bryant or any other schools.
She applied early decision to Providence, but was still nervous about being rejected. After countless days of checking the mailbox for her decision letter, the envelope she had been waiting for finally arrived.
“My mom told me to go down to the mailbox and check, and I remember saying that I didn’t even want to,” said Raychel. “I finally went down the driveway and when I saw the envelope in the mailbox I had never felt so happy in my life.”
Raychel’s mom was able to capture the moment on video, as Raychel fell to her knees in the driveway, laughing and crying, and screaming—a true freakout of excitement. “My mom sent the video to my older sister Meredith, who ended up posting it on her Facebook page.”
“I’m not quite sure how Facebook works, but all of a sudden the video was getting hundreds of likes and comments.” The video resulted in articles by Elite Daily, the New York Times “Best College Reactions,” and made a cameo on Raychel’s local news station. “I read all of the comments online, and it just goes to show how unique the people who go here are,” said Pesci.
“There wasn’t one rude or mean comment on the video, everyone was so overwhelmingly positive.” Raychel said the heartfelt comments reflected the main reason she ultimately chose Providence. “You can’t really explain the PC community, but I knew I wanted to be in a place with a strong sense of comradery.
“I had very high expectations for PC, and they have been met.”
Bursting the PC Bubble: #Me Too
by The Cowl Editor on October 26, 2017
National and Global News
By Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
On Thursday October 5, New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Towhey exposed two sexual assault allegations that were made against film producer and former film studio executive Harvey Weinstein.
Almost immediately after the initial story was published, more women began to come forward with accusations of sexual assault and harassment against Weinstein. Some of these woman included high profile actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Lupita Nyong’o.
The stories told by these women serve as a reminder that sexual harassment and assault continue to be prevalent, both historically and in today’s society. In response to the Weinstein case, thousands of women, and some men, have taken to social media to share their personal stories of harassment or assault.
The hashtag “#MeToo” caught fire on a variety of social media platforms; these two simple words represent an individual’s personal experience with this type of abuse. The online momentum was set into motion when actress Alyssa Milano tweeted about it, encouraging women to reply “me too” as a reply to this tweet, suggested by a friend: “If all women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of magnitude of the problem.”
Milano also noted that the original “me too” was started by activist Tarana Burke over a decade ago, in order to unify sexual assault victims. According to CNN, “#MeToo” was used 825,000 times as of mid-October.
Facebook also reported staggering numbers of users utilizing the hashtag. Within less than 24 hours, about 4.7 million Facebook users had engaged in the “Me too” conversation. Additionally, over 45 percent of users were friends with someone who posted a message with the words “Me too.”
While “#MeToo” has been described as both liberating and empowering, it also carries a sense of discomfort. Some argue that there is pressure to share such a personal experience in the public sphere of social media, which some victims may not be ready for or willing to do. However, for those who do not feel comfortable, or may have never had this experience, there is still a valuable lesson to take away.
The “#MeToo” movement is a chance for light to be shown on stories that society is uncomfortable and even ashamed to talk about. However, it provides an opportunity to reflect and heal, determining how we will move forward to create real change.
Friars Take a Knee During National Anthem
by The Cowl Editor on October 20, 2017
Campus
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
Last year Colin Kaepernick, then a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality against black Americans. Since then, this form of protest has ignited conversation about race within the athletic sphere, as many athletes have followed Kaepernick’s action.
At Providence College, Wednesday, October 11 marked the kickoff for the first-ever Spirit Week in Friartown, beginning with the men’s soccer game against Brown University at Anderson Stadium. Not only was this the first game of the week leading up to Late Night Madness, but it was also the first time that a group of students demonstrated during the national anthem.
Adriel Antoine ’18, president of the NAACP chapter at PC said, “First and foremost, this demonstration does not aim to disrespect the national anthem, American flag, or our troops.” He continued, “The purpose of this demonstration was to further a conversation about how to fix the issues of racism at PC, and what we can do as a school to address these issues on a national level.”
Antoine said that word was spread to student clubs through group messages, with plans to meet behind Raymond Dining Hall shortly before the game began at 7:00 p.m. “We hoped for as many students to get involved as possible, and encouraged people to spread the word to their friends,” said Antoine.
Between 20 and 30 students participated in taking a knee during the national anthem, congregating in a grassy section of the stadium behind the goalpost. “I often think back to a quote I heard in one of my classes, that racism is like a smog,” said Antoine. “It doesn’t matter how thick or thin it is, it is always there.”
While there are no current plans for another demonstration at any upcoming sporting events, Antoine said he is open to the idea. “I don’t want to make a decision for other people to participate in this action or not,” said Antoine. “However, I believe we need to have continuous conversations—especially at PC—regarding how to address these issues of race on our campus and on a larger scale.”
Featured Friar: Stachel Roberts ’18
by The Cowl Editor on October 5, 2017
Features
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
“Come to the career center, I promise we’re not scary!” Stachel Roberts ’18 says with a smile. The Bronx native is reflecting on her work-study position in the Providence College Center for Career Education, a job she has held since her sophomore year. “Right now I am being trained to be able to facilitate career center workshops for different groups on campus,” said Roberts.
Groups such as athletic teams or floors in various on-campus residences can request one of these workshops so that students can get assistance even if the career center is not open. “We do everything from creating resumes, to navigating eFriars, and interview tips,” said Roberts. In addition to working in the career center, Roberts is involved in many diverse organizations on campus. “Sometimes I think I’m a little too involved,” she admits.
Roberts is a member of the outreach committee of Student Congress, the Vice President of the NAACP, a participant in PC Pals, and part of the Board of Multicultural Student Affairs (BMSA). “I’m so all over the place in that I’m interested in so many things, and I think that everything I’m involved in on campus showcases that,” said Roberts.
As a political science major, Roberts said she has a strong passion for racial justice, but is still unsure of her post-graduation plans. “What my post-grad plans are is the big question that everyone asks me, but I enjoy not knowing what I want to do,” she said.
Roberts said she has interest in doing foreign aid work, but is unsure if she wants to be a foreign service worker in the current political climate. “I am thinking of maybe doing some sort of non-profit work or the Peace Corps,” she said. In her down time, Roberts said she loves being off campus as much as she can. She said that sometimes she just needs to separate herself, and loves going to different coffee shops. When it comes to transportation, Roberts enjoys walking or can sometimes catch a ride with friends.
“I’m from New York City so I don’t have my license, and when I don’t want to pay for transportation I will take Uncle RIPTA,” said Roberts, laughing at the name she coined for the bus. “I call it Uncle RIPTA because its not the most reliable, but it gets you where you need to go.”
With about a month of school under her belt, Roberts says she is finally getting into the swing of senior year. “It’s weird to say, but I feel like these are some of the last moments of being surrounded by my friends. My goal is to enjoy this last year at PC before going out into the real world.”
Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
by The Cowl Editor on September 28, 2017
Campus
PC Promotes Mindfulness With Online Magazine
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
Photo Courtesy of pixabay.com
In order to prepare students for life after graduation, Providence College has developed The Friar Four Foundational Pillars. Human Flourishing, Cultural Agility, Contemplation and Communication, and Integrated Learning encompass the four pillars, representing principles that PC students can strive to incorporate into their lives. This year, the “Flourishing at PC” initiative is an attempt to dive deeper into the human flourishing pillar of the Friar Four. ”
“‘Flourishing at PC’ is our initiative to help students flourish, which we define as aligning what we want to do and believe we should do with what we actually do,” said Courtney Mackey, assistant director of fitness and programming. PC has joined the over 500 schools that subscribe to the online magazine Student Health 101.
The intention of SH101 is to “create a culture of wellness at schools by publishing articles that cover a variety of topics, including stress, sleep, nutrition, exercise, and more,” said Mackey. “Its articles speak to all dimensions of wellness (physical, emotional, social, spiritual, environmental, occupational, and intellectual) within the context of being a college student.” Dr. Jim Campbell, assistant vice president for student development and compliance, emphasized the importance of getting health and wellness information to students in an efficient and impactful way.
“We wanted to identify the wants and needs of students, but present it in an engaging and high quality format,” said Campbell. “Joining SH101 seemed to check all the boxes, as it is professionally created content put together by experts.”
At the same time, PC is able to customize some of the content on the site, making it more relatable to campus. “PC students and staff will be contributing to SH101 through articles, videos, and interviews,” said Mackey. “This allows for students to not only learn about various topics that can help them flourish, but they will learn how they can flourish at PC specifically.”
Articles such as how to navigate Raymond Dining Hall, working the equipment in the fitness center, or recipes that you can make in residence halls add a more personal touch to the site. “For the November issue, we will have a few customized PC features, and we hope to increase the amount of customized content each month,” said Mackey.
Any students who may be interested in writing about health and wellness or participating in creating digital content can contact Courtney Mackey at cmackey@providence.edu. “As SH101 is in its first, experimental year at PC, we will be looking for feedback from students throughout the year,” said Dr. Campbell.
“We hope it will start some helpful conversations about things that students are concerned about on campus.” Those who are interested in checking out SH101 can go to providence.readsh101.com.
Safety & Security Changes Name to Public Safety
by The Cowl Editor on September 14, 2017
Campus
Security Office Makes Internal Changes to Better Serve Students
By Sarah Giani ’18
News Staff
In 2015, the Department of Public Safety at Providence College underwent an assessment by a group of external consultants and a committee of students and staff. This review fostered a number of recommendations for consideration, highlighting what the department was doing well and what could be improved upon. “Most departments—both academic and administrative—are expected to do self studies or external reviews in order to reinforce their commitment of doing better,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Kristine Goodwin.
A committee consisting of faculty members, students, and a College trustee oversaw the external review. Comments and recommendations were also opened beyond the physical campus, as alumni and parents were able to give their feedback online. “We conducted a truly thorough review, compiling pages of recommendations to be assessed,” said Goodwin. In the spirit of continuous improvement, recommendations were taken into consideration to create real change within the department.
One of the major changes that occurred was changing the actual name of the department. “We changed our name from the Department of Safety and Security to the Department of Public Safety based on one of the recommendations from the consultants,” said Major John Leyden, executive director of public safety. “We felt that the old name was outdated, and this new title better encompasses what we do as a department.” The new name emphasizes the department’s work not only on PC’s campus, but their role in overall community safety. “An additional recommendation we received was to hire a campus relations officer,” said Leyden. “We selected Lieutenant Dunbar as our community liaison, in order to focus in on our relationship with the off-campus community.”
Another notable change to the department is that it now falls under the Office of the Executive Vice President. Leyden said this transition is consistent with other colleges and universities across the country, as the majority of campus public safety departments fall under the executive branch of the respective institution. Looking ahead, the Department of Public Safety combined with the oversight committee to focus on ways to keep implementing recommendations they received in their evaluation. “In moving forward, we will be looking at moving towards a hybrid model of public safety,” said Goodwin. “After reviewing all of the feedback we received, it became clear that we needed someone experienced with a hybrid type model in order to fully move from campus safety and security, to public safety.”
At this time, discussion as to what a hybrid model of security would entail is continuous. “We need more than safety and security, but less than a full police force on campus,” said Goodwin. “Where we fall on the continuum is what we need to identify next.” Currently, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Steven Sears, and sociology professor Maureen Outlaw are on the search committee for someone to fill a possible Assistant or Associate Vice President position in the Department of Public Safety. “Once that position is filled, we will make an assessment as to how to proceed.”
Campus Ministry Offers Global Immersions Experience
by The Cowl Editor on August 31, 2017
News
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
Wondering if you can explore a new culture while serving others alongside Providence College students and staff? The students who joined Campus Ministry this summer as part of a global immersions trip will tell you the answer is yes. The Office of the Chaplain and Campus Ministry sponsors this opportunity every May, and all are welcome to apply.
Early this summer, participants traveled to Guatemala and Jamaica to volunteer with two respective organizations dedicated to strengthening their communities. Guatemala immersions participants worked with the Friends of San Lucas Organization, a group devoted to responding as Jesus did to the needs of the people. The students had the opportunity to work alongside the community, and meet other volunteers from all across the country.
“During my time in San Lucas I was able to help build the house and stoves for the community, as their homes are usually consisted of scrap metal and many of the people experience numerous lung and eye problems due to improper ventilation of smoke from their prior cooking methods,” said Paul Kelley ’20. “I have learned from this selfless culture to value life as it is given to you and be grateful for what you have.”
For those 11 students and two staff members selected to travel to Jamaica, the work was similar. Jamaica immersions participants volunteered with Mustard Seed Communities, a group dedicated to aiding communities in and around Kingston.
“This year the group traveled to Jacob’s Ladder, a Mustard Seed Community for adults with a variety of disabilities in Moneague, Jamaica,” said Morgan Starkey ’20. Given her past volunteering experience with the Montgomery Cheetahs, an ice hockey team for developmentally and physically disabled individuals, Starkey said she felt like the immersions trip would be right up her alley. “I have never felt so welcomed and accepted by a community of people I have never met,” she said.
During the week-long trip, the volunteers were able to make strong connections with residents of the Jacob’s Ladder Community. “It was so awesome to get to know the residents as people with special capabilities instead of as people with special needs who needed to be pitied,” said Starkey. “They taught me to love and accept everyone with a full and open heart, and to be honest and patient with each and every person I meet.”
Megan Yaeger ’19 also said she appreciated getting to bond with the residents on a deeper level. “One of my favorite memories was flying a kite with one of the residents, Michael,” she said. “Watching his face light up and hearing his laughter each time the kite flew upwards in the wind is a memory I will always treasure.”
As the fall semester begins, it is never too early to start thinking about applying for an immersions trip. Applications will be available for any interested students at the beginning of the spring semester.
Off-Campus Beat
by thecowl.news on May 4, 2017
National and Global News
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
National security was one of Donald Trump’s main concerns during his 2016 presidential campaign. He persistently emphasized the unthinkable atrocities that the ISIS terror group has committed, stating, “We cannot let this evil continue.” What happens, however, when there is a major security breech within the FBI?
This event was not the result of a terror attack or computer hacking of top-secret information. According to CNN, “An FBI translator with a top-secret security clearance traveled to Syria in 2014 and married a key ISIS operative she had been assigned to investigate.”
According to federal court records, the former employee Daniela Greene lied to the FBI about where she was going and warned her new husband he was under investigation. Greene’s husband was Denis Cuspert, a German rapper turned ISIS pitchman.
Under the pretense of traveling to Munich, Germany to visit her parents, Greene boarded an international flight that was headed to Istanbul, Turkey. From there she met Cuspert who helped her cross into the Syrian border. The two were wed once in Syria.
Within weeks of marrying Cuspert however, Greene seemed to realize she had made a huge mistake. In an email sent from inside of Syria, Greene wrote “I am gone and I can’t come back. I wouldn’t even know how to make it through, if I tried to come back. I am in a very harsh environment and I don’t know how long I will last here, but it doesn’t matter, it’s all a little too late…”
Against the odds however, Greene was somehow able to escape Syria unharmed after a few months. After flying back to the United States, she pled guilty to making false statements involving international terrorism and was sentenced to two years in federal prison.
Greene was released last summer and now works as a hostess at an undisclosed hotel lounge. It still remains unclear as to why Greene chose to engage in this action. “She endangered our national security by exposing herself and her knowledge of sensitive matters to those terrorist organizations,” said Assistance U.S. Thomas Gillice in a report to CNN. Greene’s actions highlight the sensitivity of our nation’s security. Additionally, they create a puzzling narrative that the FBI will continue to monitor.
Club Spotlight: Sustainability Club
by thecowl.news on May 4, 2017
Features
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
As environmental protection continues to be a prominent issue in today’s news, students at Providence College have created a club committed to finding and creating new ways to promote sustainability. The Sustainability Club was implemented in March 2017, and is currently comprised of 20 active members.
“The Sustainability club gives students who have an interest in sustainability an outlet to learn more and implement sustainable practices in our local community and/or internationally,” said board member of the club Molly Andrus ’19.
As the club is a relatively new presence on campus, they continue to formulate new ideas on how to achieve their goals. “We hope to break into a local committee, international committee, marketing committee, and any other committee that is suggested,” said Andrus. “We would also love to have student bloggers, as so many members of the club are going abroad.”
Student blogs would allow for contributors to write about their experiences in sustainability in the country they are visiting. This information could then be used to address sustainability efforts at PC.
The club also hopes to organize outreach events to support sustainable projects, as well as lectures from guest speakers. Despite the fast approaching end to the semester, the Sustainability Club did sponsor a guest speaker from Rhode Island Feeds Rhode Island. The representative spoke about ending food insecurity in Rhode Island, and how students can contribute to this cause.
Those interested in taking part of the organization and direction of the Sustainability Club can email mandrus@friars.providence.edu to be notified about upcoming club meetings.
“Although the club has only been around since March, we feel that we have already generated an interest in sustainability among the students who have come to the meetings,” said Andrus. “We are expecting to make a big impact next year.”
PC Takes D.C.: Model OAS Brings Students Together
by thecowl.news on April 27, 2017
News
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
It is a course dedicated to developing public speaking, critical thinking, and enhancing writing skills. And no, it is not Development of Western Civilization.
Model Organization of American States (MOAS) is a course offered by the political science department at Providence College. Each year a group of 10 students is selected to participate in the course, preparing resolutions that will be debated each April at a summit in Washington, D.C.
This experience is designed to reflect debates that would occur in the real OAS, an organization of 35 independent states of the Americas. The OAS was established for member states to achieve peace and justice, promote solidarity, strengthen collaboration, and defend their sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.
The MOAS summit brings together students from all over the world to engage in debate and collaboration regarding proposed resolutions that each delegation presents.
“The point of our class is to prepare students to participate in MOAS,” said faculty advisor Thea Riofrancos. “Through different sub-goals and class projects, each student learns different skills to prepare them for experience they may have never had before.” Projects assigned vary from research on the various countries within the OAS to peer critiques of speeches.
This year, PC represented the country of Ecuador, traveling to D.C. on Sunday, April 9 to begin the five-day long conference. “Generally we were in session from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., except for Tuesday morning, which we spent at the Ecuadorian Embassy,” said Kate Mechem ’17.
While the majority of the summit was spent discussing proposed draft resolutions, participants enjoyed a formal dance at the OAS headquarters, as well as time to explore D.C. in the evenings.
Overall, collaborating with students from around the world proved to be a highlight of the summit.
“I was able to meet people from Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Argentina,” said Pedro Aleman ’17.
Haley Rayment ’18 agreed, saying that she thoroughly enjoyed meeting delegations from different countries. “Hearing participants discuss their home countries was an eye opening experience,” she said. “It’s one thing to read about current events, for example in Venezuela, in the news, but a completely other experience to hear about these events from the perspective of students living in the country.”
Riofrancos said that she was impressed by her group of students. “This year we had some really great expertise in the room, regarding international relations or students who were interested in foreign service,” she stated.
While there is no background knowledge of debate required to participate, slots are designated for students who are either majoring or minoring in political science. “While you don’t have to be a political science major, I believe it is important to have a bit of poli-sci background, at least a minor, since the class does draw from some of that knowledge,” said Riofrancos.
Reflecting on the overall experience, Aleman said, “It is great learning and appreciating other cultures while doing what we love to do, which is being a diplomat.”