Tag: Sarah Gianni ’18
Vice President’s Office Holds Sexual Assault Forum
by The Cowl Editor on April 6, 2017
Campus
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
In an effort to raise continued awareness on the issue, a campus wide forum on sexual assault was held to discuss assault, Title IX, and sexual discrimination. The forum was held on Tuesday, April 4 in the Slavin Center Fishbowl, and led by Assistant Vice President for Student Development and Compliance and Title IX Coordinator Dr. James F. Campbell.
To begin the forum, Vice President of Student Affairs Kristine Goodwin expanded on the work done by Providence College to address the issue of sexual assault on college campuses. “When I arrived in 2012, we began a task force on campus that looked at sexual assault cases occurring nationwide,” said Goodwin. “From there we were able to put together a very good program at PC that has stood the test of time.”
With the help of outside resources, student feedback, and new administration, the way in which PC handles cases of sexual assault continues to develop. “We all have a stake in this important issue, and this forum is a chance to hear about things that are going on, meet the people involved, ask questions, and raise issues,” said Campbell.
During the forum, Campbell identified the different organizations and administrators both on and off of PC’s campus that students can use as resources. Examples of on-campus resources include the Office of Residence Life, the Office of the Dean of Students, the academic dean’s office, Personal Counseling Center, Student Health Center, Office of the Chaplain, Office of Community Standards, and Title IX coordinators.
The Director of Student Health Services emphasized that student health, along with the other on-campus resources “work collaboratively” with one another in order to assist students. Director of Residence Life Jana Valentine echoed these sentiments, and said that their office was committed to student support. “There are a lot of times where incidents happen after hours, and we have a staff member on call 24/7 who is trained to give students information and provide resources.”
A newer resource for students is PC’s partnership with Day One, the sexual assault and trauma center in Rhode Island. Day One provides a 24-hour help line run by volunteer staff that offer in-person and over the phone support.
In addition, law enforcement advocates are now available to students who wish to report any incident of sexual assault or harassment to the police. “These advocates are embedded in the police department, and knows detectives, making this process a lot less daunting,” said Campbell.
Other developments that have occurred within the PC community include revising PC’s Sexual Misconduct/Relationship Violence Policy, enhancing online resources, and adding six new deputy Title IX coordinators to the staff. Additionally, the College has received funding from the Avon Foundation for the third consecutive year to provide sexual assault resources for community members.
PC has also worked with the nonprofit organization Futures Without Violence, to engage in conversations on how to change campus culture and attitudes. With these developments being made however, there is still more work to be done. “So far this year we’ve had 13 Title IX reports with six of those reported as sexual assaults,” said Campbell. “We know these incidents happen, and if people feel more confident about reporting them we could do more to help.” Plans to place graphics on PC shuttles, as well as continue bystander trainings and utilize informational posters, are geared towards continuing to spread awareness of this issue. “We are trying to build on culture that we take care of each other and we’re always the friar family.”
While publicized in a number of campus-wide emails, the forum had very low student attendance. As events like this allow for open discussion and a raising of issues, it becomes less productive when students are not involved in these dialogues.
Additionally, a “Campus Climate” survey was sent out to members of the PC community earlier in the semester to assess individual’s feelings about sexual assault and sexual violence on campus. Overall, there were 817 students who responded to the survey, which falls in line with the usual percentage of participants.
In a follow-up interview with Dr. Campbell, he highlighted the importance of student involvement in this issue. “We need students’ help in order to change culture, as that doesn’t happen from the top down,” he said. “I would like to think there is a degree of trust among students that administration is doing the best job possible, but certainly not all students who are concerned about this issue came to the forum.”
The issue of sexual assault on campus is discussed in a variety of forms throughout the year to students, which could explain the low turnout at the forum. “There is a lot of conversation about this issue, from students coming in individually or in groups to speak with me, or speaking to campus clubs and organizations,” said Campbell.
Katie Comber ’18, president of Students for Social Action, felt that lower attendance for this forum was the result of timing. She would have liked to attend the event but, like many students, had night classes that did not get out until 6:30. She also said she only became aware of the event that morning in the Morning Mail letter and felt many other students might not have been as aware of it too, despite the emails sent out.
One of the main ways that awareness is spread on campus is through the bystander training program that was implemented at PC three years ago. “All freshmen go through this training, both online and in person during orientation,” said Campbell. “We also do extensive training with Residence Assistants so they can keep this rhetoric going with their peers.”
This training, however, is only mandatory for freshman students, as Campbell said it was difficult to get older students to participate. “It becomes a balancing act because these trainings can trigger a lot of resentment for students who have done them before,” said Campbell. “We don’t want to put a negative cast on something we see as upbeat and positive.”
However, administration is always open to student proposals. “If we got a critical mass of students behind wanting to make bystander trainings mandatory for all grades that would help,” said Campbell. “Our goal isn’t to have administration imposing ideas but us working together as a community.”
Despite progress that has been made over the past few years, Campbell recognizes that there is still room for improvement and that students have concerns. Comber felt that resources were still lacking on campus, especially when it came to contact numbers after an assault.
She recognizes that she has never personally gone through the process, but she feels students can be intimated by a list of high administration personnel or mostly male names on the list. Comber also said that because the school does not have rape kits, students must travel to a hospital after any incidents. “[Students] may not be ready to go then after a traumatic event. It is easy for the College not to be cognizant about how traumatic the experience can be and not wanting to talk to many people [right after the incident].”
Going forward, students, staff, and faculty will be in continued discussion on how to properly address issues and get more student opinion on how to effectively address this complicated issue.
Club Spotlight: Debate Society
by The Cowl Editor on April 6, 2017
Features
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
Small but mighty. This phrase is fitting for the Providence College Debate Society (PCDS), an organization of about 20 students who travel to compete against teams from a variety of colleges and universities.
The team is led by President Jillian O’Melia ’17, Vice President Mackenzie Tor ’17, Treasurer John Whitney ’19, Secretary Annie Butler ’19, and Membership Director Carly Martino ’19.
“I joined debate my freshman year because I’ve always liked discussing topics and seeing different arguments for a position, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn more about the skills of debating and argumentation,” said member Patrick Reynolds ’18.
The team meets in Ruane 206 every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. to practice for upcoming tournaments and “run rounds.”
“Each round consists of six speeches of varying lengths from four minutes to eight minutes,” said member Kate Mechem ’17. “The two sides are referred to as the ‘Government’ team and the ‘Opposition’ team, with the Government team deciding on the debate topic and the Opposition team left to think on their feet,” she said.
Strict rules regulate the way in which arguments can be made or refuted as teams are not allowed to bring any knowledge to the debate that would not be available to the opposing team.
“This year PCDS has been able to compete in tournaments in New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Berkley, California, and have competed against schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton,” said Reynolds.
In addition, PCDS recently hosted a tournament that included teams from Brandeis, Yale, Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, Stanford, Boston University, and other colleges.
“Each tournament has a theme chosen by the host school, so we spent our weekend wearing pink in honor of our Mean Girls theme, and decorated Moore Hall accordingly,” said Mechem. “The Debate Society is a welcoming, accepting, diverse group of students who are never shy to treat a newcomer like they’ve been on the team for years.”
Those who are interested can attend any of the club’s meetings, and no prior debate experience is required.
PC Recycling: Improvement Must Come From Students
by The Cowl Editor on March 23, 2017
News
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
Donald Trump’s recently released budget proposal calls for a 31 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency, reducing funding from $8.1 to $5.7 billion. This potential cut could translate into destructive environmental action such as the halt of community cleanup initiatives or fewer regulations on polluters contaminating the environment.
When looking at our Providence College community, clear efforts have been made on campus to support environmental protection. The Providence College Office of Environmental Health and Safety has served as a resource committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
In order to achieve these goals, the office places a notable emphasis on recycling in an effort to reduce waste and promote a more sustainable, environmentally conscious campus.
“I think there are still quite a few people that do not take recycling seriously enough,” said Health and Safety Coordinator Thomas Schenck. “Don’t get me wrong, we do recycle quite a lot at PC—over 200 tons last year—but there’s always room for improvement.”
Despite the College’s attempt at recycling, Schenck said it also produces “apporoximately 1,000 tons of trash.”
In both Alumni Hall and Raymond Hall dining facilities, the food service and facilities management company Sodexo has jurisdiction over how recycling is handled. Other eateries on campus; such as the Starbucks in the Ruane Center or the Dunkin’ Donuts in Slavin, operate as their own entities.
While there is a designated recycling bin across from Dunkin’ Donuts, employees continue to provide students with hot cups to place their cold drinks in. “People don’t realize how damaging those Styrofoam cups are and how it takes hundreds of years for them to decompose, if they ever do at all,” said Schenck.
Despite signs over trash bins in Alumni Hall indicating whether they are for trash or recyclables, non-recyclable garbage is still being thrown away into incorrect bins. Students sometimes may see recyclables thrown into the trash by workers, but this is the result of contamination.
“These facilities will bring out their recyclables if it has been kept separate, but they can’t do it if the recyclables and garbage have been mixed together,” said Schenck. It is not the responsibility of staff to dig through trash and recycling to separate the two.
As a community, the question arises as to how to address this issue. Education on what to recycle as well as how to recycle in different areas on campus is a place to start. Many times, paper products with food waste such as paper plates or pizza boxes are wrongly thrown into recycling bins, forcing staff to throw the contents of the entire container into the garbage. Plastic products with food waste, however, can still be recycled, as these items are rinsed of any remnants.
“Through educating the student body, for instance in the dorms during floor meetings, we can work to make people more conscious about recycling,” said Schenck. Another educational tool for community members is “The Campus Green” newsletter put out by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.
This resource expands on topics such as recycling procedures on campus, as well as various environmental events occurring both on campus and in the area. The Campus Green is available to anyone online at http://www.providence.edu/recycling.
While PC continues to work toward greater waste reduction and a greener campus overall, students and faculty can help improve our recycling goals through education and conscious decision making—one can at a time.
Off-Campus Beat: Updates on the Trump Administration
by The Cowl Editor on March 17, 2017
News
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
President Trump Accuses Barack Obama of “Wire Tapping”
Donald Trump posted a string of tweets in the early morning of March 4, claiming that former President Barack Obama had “wires tapped” in Trump Tower prior to Trump’s victory. There is no official evidence to support Trump’s claims of any Obama surveillance.
Obama administration spokesman Kevin Lewis dismissed these allegations stating “a cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice. As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Fired by Trump Administration
Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a tweet that he was fired after refusing to resign as requested by the Trump administration. This request made by Trump was an effort to remove remaining Obama administration prosecutors at the Justice Department, as 46 U.S. attorneys were asked to resign immediately.
According to CNN, Bharara said he felt blindsided by the request for his resignation, as he had been told in a meeting with Trump back in November that he would be able to keep his position. Sarah Isgur Flores, a Justice Department spokeswoman, stated that this action was taken in order to “ensure a uniform transition.”
Meetings between Trump Advisors and Russian Ambassador Disclosed
Jared Kushner, senior aid to President Trump, met with the Russian Ambassador to the United States along with former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. The meeting between Kushner, Flynn, and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak occurred in December, during a time of concern regarding the relationship between the Trump administration and Russia.
An additional national security advisor J.D. Gordon also disclosed that he had met with Kislyak back in July, along with Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Sessions told Fox News, “I don’t recall any discussion of the campaign in any significant way,” adding, “I don’t believe anybody that was in the meeting would have seen or believed I said one thing that was improper or unwise.”
Trump’s New Budget Projected to Be “Historic”
President Trump shared his budget proposal today. It was predicted to cover projected cuts to housing, foreign aid, and environmental programs, among others. Homeland security and military spending were also predicted to be prioritized in the budget.
These cuts in the planned proposal are also expected to lead to layoffs among federal workers. As the Washington Post reports, “Trump’s proposal comes at a time when the federal budget is facing massive structural shifts in society and the economy.”
Intruder Breaches White House Grounds
A man carrying a backpack with two cans of mace and a letter for President Trump was arrested on Friday, March 10, breaching White House grounds. The incident occurred just before midnight while the President was inside of the White House.
The intruder, who was identified as Jonathan T. Tran, is a 26-year-old from California. He “jumped the fence” to enter. When approached by an officer, Tran stated that he was a “friend of the President” who “had an appointment.”
Tran, who is facing unlawful entry charges, appeared in a Washington federal court on Monday where it was ruled he will remain free while awaiting his April 13 trial. Tran, unemployed and allegedly living in his car, must wear a GPS monitor, stay within 100 miles of his hometown, and undergo a mental health evaluation in the meantime. After security breaches in recent years, the White House plans to expand the perimeter fence from seven to twelve feet in 2018.
Celebrating 100 Years: The Black and White Ball
by The Cowl Editor on March 3, 2017
News
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
How do you measure a century? How do you celebrate 100 years of achievements and hardships, growth, and learning? To put it simply: you tell a story no one will forget.
Providence College has been telling its story since 1917 and, by this point, it may as well call itself a best-selling author.
The College shared and celebrated this story with the PC community on Friday, February 17, with the campus’ largest centennial event yet: the Black and White Ball.
The Ball took place in the refashioned Peterson Center, complete with floor to ceiling chandeliers, assorted sofas and chairs, and the glow of multicolored lights. Students entered into the venue through a tunnel lined with a red carpet leading to the main dance floor.
Historical facts and photos of PC from the last 100 years lined the walls of the tunnel, creating a timeline-esque feel as guests were able to stop and absorb these mementos. “From the beginning we knew we wanted to make this event beautiful and, with help, Peterson was completely transformed,” said Board of Programmers (BOP) member Jamie Fugere ’18.
A rotating live band and DJ kept the crowd energized with a variety of music selections, as students intermittently snacked on food selections ranging from cupcakes to mini quesadillas to mac and cheese. Two beer gardens were stationed on either side of Peterson, stocked with the signature “centennial cocktail.” The celebratory drink consisted of Prosecco with fresh blackberries.
In addition to dancing, guests could also snap lasting memories in the photo booth, or enjoy a live streaming of the PC vs. Notre Dame hockey game. All four grades were invited to attend the ball, with most students wearing semi-formal black and white attire.
The Black and White Ball was a group effort by BOP, Student Congress, Friars Club, Board of Multicultural Student Affairs (BMSA), and Campus Ministry. Vice President of BOP Daniel Pupke ’17 said that BOP leadership began meeting with the Dean of Student’s Office and Centennial Committee in September to make this vision a reality.
“Beginning in October we solicited bids from several different event decor designers, entertainers, and caterers,” said Pupke. “This process included meeting with all of them, touring the Peterson Center, and gathering feedback from those who met with each party.”
Event planning was broken up into four sub-committees, mixing members from all different campus organizations. President of BOP Taralynn Vecchio ’17 and President of BMSA Pedro Aleman ’17 headed the committee on the entrance walkway, program, and centennial and historical elements. Pupke and President of Campus Ministry Claire Kleinschmidt ’17 were heads of design and décor.
Secretary of BOP Monica Houghton ’17 and Vice President of Friars Club Lauren Bedard ’17 were in charge of catering, and Executive Treasurer of BOP Michael Gilmor ’17 and Executive Treasurer of Student Congress Sean Lawler ’17 led entertainment and finance.
“The decision to split into sub-committees ensured that while BOP took a leading role in the planning, several other large clubs were represented,” said Pupke. “It was important that this entire process was a collaboration while remaining focused.”
Over 2,600 tickets were sold for the Ball, as students dined and danced into the night. “The best part about planning the Black and White Ball was seeing the student reactions,” said Fugere. “When everyone walked into the Ball and saw Peterson for the first time, you could see the awe on their faces and it was truly unforgettable.”
The Black and White Ball served as a way for community members to come together to celebrate a historic 100 years.
Club Spotlight: SEAC
by The Cowl Editor on February 17, 2017
News
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
Last week the city of Providence experienced a mild 50 degree day followed 24 hours later by a blistering cold snowstorm. Changes in the environment have been apparent all across the country, and it is imperative to start paying attention to them.
At Providence College, the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) is not only conscious of these environmental changes, but they are striving to take action.
“Our mission is to educate ourselves and the greater PC community about existing environmental issues, to make PC a more sustainable campus, and to increase interest in and respect for our environment,” said Co-President Angela Mascena ’17.
Mascena, ggh along withgggg Co-President Shannon Law-Clark ’17, leads a club of about 20 members.
The club sponsors agg series of events every year such as decorating a recycling bin, activities in honor of world water week, and local beach cleanups. The club also hosts other special events that differ from year to year.
“This past December we held an info session and Q&A about the Dakota Access Pipeline controversy,” said Mascena. “We had two guest speakers from the Fighting Against Natural Gas (FANG) Collaborative who lived and worked at the camps and protested at Standing Rock earlier in 2016.”
SEAC also organizes regular trips to local farmers’ markets and sponsors nature hikes to promote environment appreciation.
In looking towards environmental issues on a national level, SEAC believes that these events cannot be dismissed. “We are genuinely concerned about the lack of attention the environment is currently getting from the White House,” said Mascena. “We believe that, for the sake of our planet and the future of the species that reside on it, sustainability needs to be a priority on the national and international level.”
SEAC meets most Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in Feinstein 315. For those who are interested in joining, email SEAC secretary Mitch Schrich ’18 at mschrich@friars.providence.edu.
One Mission: PIRC Fights for Student Rights
by The Cowl Editor on February 10, 2017
News
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
At Providence College, students, faculty, and administrators have been working diligently to protect community members who may be affected by new legislation on immigration.
The Providence Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC), strives to enhance the acceptance of the immigrant population at PC. The group—which was officially recognized as an on-campus club last semester— challenges derogatory, anti-immigrant discourse.
Its overarching goal is to educate the campus on current and past immigration systems and policies, while raising awareness of the injustices that impact undocumented students and their families.
Sarah Trayers ’17, the president and co-founder of the coalition stated, “Since our founding in fall 2015, PIRC has been most successful in hosting campus-wide events that raise awareness of the injustices embedded in the U.S. immigration system, challenging anti-immigrant discourses both on and off campus, and demanding institutional change from the PC administration regarding its inclusion of immigrant students.”
Along with fellow co-founder Vania Pereira ’17, PIRC has worked in the wake of President Trump’s executive orders to stand in solidarity with those affected.
“After Trump was elected, PIRC got together to draft a list of initiatives which was brought forward to administrators in late December,” said Trayers.
Club Spotlight: Believers of Words
by The Cowl Editor on February 3, 2017
News
By Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
It was a normal day for Phionna Claude ’18, reflecting on her freshman year self sitting at her desk in Meagher 207. She was preoccupied, however, pondering over an idea that she had held on to for some time. “I knew that I wanted to start a spoken word club on campus, but I didn’t know when or how I was going to do it,” she said.
Claude recalled thinking about why she not only loved writing poetry, but also the purpose behind performing her work through spoken word. “I thought to myself, I perform my work in this way because I believe in my words.”
The phrase “believe in my words,” would shortly become the spark that ignited her creation of the “Believers of Words” club (BOW), a group that harnesses spoken word, writing, and creativity.
Claude now sits as the president and co-founder of BOW, along with co-founder Ylaiza Perez ’16. BOW is also made up of Vice President Kayla Luciano ’18, Treasurer Dawyn Henriquez ’19, and Secretary Sara Jean-Francois ’19.
“BOW allows for a safe place to share, and is an outlet for those who want to take their writing one step further,” said Claude. “I started this club out of my own love for spoken word, because I know how much spoken word can be a breath of fresh air.”
While the idea of BOW was formulated in 2014, it formally became a club in the spring of 2016. The club began to grow their reputation on campus through various events, one of their most notable being the “Love your Melanin” slam poetry event in McPhail’s.
“We had poets share pieces that discussed the beauty, wonder, and struggle of being African American,” said Claude.
In addition, guest writer and performer Kai Davis shared her own words on the topic to close the show. Claude said she hopes “Love your Melanin” will become an annual event, with plans to host one again this spring.
In the fall of 2016, BOW held another event in McPhail’s, this time on the topic of love. “It was at the time that I felt everyone on campus knew that BOW had arrived,” said Claude. “I created the theme of ‘Fall in Love with Love’ to showcase love in every perspective,” she said.
Participants wrote on a range of topics, from their parents falling in love, to personal relationships, to heartbreak. “I feel like the performances brought people together as a family, through bearing their hearts on stage,” said Claude.
BOW welcomes anyone who may be interested in performance, writing, or simply observing. BOW meets every Monday night at 7 p.m. in the Unity Center.
Preparing for the Presidential Inauguration
by The Cowl Editor on January 19, 2017
News
by Sarah Gianni ’18
News Staff
On Friday, January 20 2017, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. This day marks the official end to a historic election season, and the beginning of an unprecedented administration.
According to a report by ABC news, the theme of the inauguration will coincide with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. The festivities begin on Thursday, January 19, where President-elect Trump and Vice-President-elect Mike Pence will lay a wreath at Arlington National Ceremony and take part in a welcome ceremony held at the Lincoln Memorial.
The official inauguration ceremony will take place the following day, with opening remarks scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. At noon, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will perform Trump’s swearing in, symbolizing the official transition of power.
The inauguration has stirred up much controversy among media outlets, as the question of who will perform and attend the ceremony has been heavily scrutinized. The Trump administration was seemingly struggling to find acts that would partake in the ceremony, as many faced ridicule or had personal issues with performing.
Perhaps the biggest name who is booked for the event is former America’s Got Talent contestant Jackie Evancho. The 16-year-old singer came in second place on the show when she was 10 years old, but has faced criticism after confirming her inaugural appearance. This disapproval stems from Evancho’s family background, as her sister Juliet is a transgender woman. Members and allies of the LGBTQ community have criticized Evancho’s choice, in light of Pence’s stance on gay and transgender issues.
In an interview with CBS on Sunday morning, however, Juliet said that she supports her sister’s decision to perform. “The way I look it at is Jackie is singing for our country and it’s an honor for her to be singing in front of so many people, so I feel like that’s really where I look at it and that’s where I am going to leave it right now.”
Other acts set to perform include the Rockettes, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and country star Toby Keith. High profile attendees include Caitlyn Jenner, all former living presidents, and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Following the inauguration ceremony, congress will hold a luncheon for Trump and Pence. In addition, Trump and the First Lady will partake in a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue. In the evening, the official inaugural ball will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at 7 p.m.
In contrast to the official inaugural events, thousands of citizens from across the country are expected to travel to D.C. to partake in protests.
The largest demonstration of the weekend is the Woman’s March on Washington, scheduled for Saturday, January 21 at 10 a.m. Participants will congregate at the intersection of Independence Avenue and Third Street, beginning with a rally comprised of nationally recognized advocates, entertainers, artists, entrepreneurs, and thinkers.
For those who are not able to travel to D.C., the movement has also set up “sister marches” in other states for those who are interested. Those interested in watching the inauguration will be able to view the events on all major television news networks, as well as streamed on various online platforms.