Volume 92/Issue 18
THE
March 25th, 2019
ANCHOR
Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928
“We didn’t have much of a choice” Interim Provost of Academic Affairs explains reason for shortened semester Aaron Isaac Anchor Staff Did you know classes this semester were cut short by a week? If you didn’t know you may be asking yourself if you missed an announcement or an email. You can look, but no such email exists. The reason for the shortened semester is due to the failure of the calendar committee to schedule the Dunkin’ Donuts Center for commencement
in time. Interim Provost of Academic Affairs Sue Pearlmutter explained that the venue the administration wanted was not available when they needed it to be, on May 18. Director of the Records Office Tameka Hardmon said she learned about the issue months after the calendar was published and reported it to Pearlmutter. Starting in August, Pearlmutter said she and the committee spent months trying to decide what to do.
In the end they decided to schedule commencement for May 11 and cut the semester by a week. How much faculty knew while the decisions were being made is uncertain. Hardmon said Pearlmutter was responsible for informing faculty, and according to Pearlmutter there were two emails sent. One was to inform faculty about the scheduling problem, a second email was a note about what the calendar committee de-
cided to do. Pearlmutter was not sure of the clarity of those emails saying “I don’t think they realized that what I said was we’re going to start the week that we had planned, we’re going to end classes on April 30th.” As a result, faculty lost days to complete their grading. She acknowledged this new schedule may be inconveniencing professors, “the last thing we wanted was to inconvenience anyone, but we didn’t have
much choice.” She added that faculty will soon get a notice saying those professors not holding final exams can use that day as an additional class day. Administrators knew, faculty would know later, so why didn’t students know? “If you want to know the truth I consider myself really student centered, but I didn’t think about writing a note to Continued on page 5, “Shortened Semester”
The long road to school: Commuter students frustrated with driving to, and parking at RIC
Tim Caplan News Editor In 2018, the non-profit national transportation research group TRIP ranked Providence roads as being America’s ninth worst in urban areas with a population of 500,000 people or more. TRIP claimed that 46 percent of Providence roads were in poor condition as of October.
Photo Courtesy of Sam Scetta
According to RIC. edu, 85 percent of students who attend Rhode Island College are commuters. The Anchor set out last week to find out how commuters felt about traveling to school and the effect that these roads have on their cars. “I worry at least once a week about my car while driving into school,” said
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commuter Josh Dibastiani. Perla Torres and Aria Nirandone are two commuters who come by way of Mount Pleasant Avenue. They both spoke of serious concerns with the amount of potholes in the streets when coming to RIC. “Sometimes I take the bus because at this point I want no more problems [driving],” said Torres. The Mt. Pleasant route to RIC was not the only one in which students expressed dissatisfaction. Kim Hout makes his commute from Cranston to Johnston and vice versa. “Coming and leaving construction sites are especially [problematic] right now,” said Hout. “When there’s potholes they don’t fill them until they finish everything [at the site]
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Photo Courtesy of Tim Caplan
and when they fill its not complete, and tires that are more flat tend to consume more gas mileage”. While the roads leading into the college were the primary concern of commuters, several people also conveyed disappointment in the maintenance of roads on campus. “When it snows, they don’t plow right away, the cars slip and hit curbs,”
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said Tabatha Karlowicz, a student at RIC, “also the sand is unnecessary, and they don’t clean it up when the snow is gone, and snowbanks take up spots to park in.” The Anchor found at least four different spots in lots J and K which had snow banks that either partially or fully obstructed parking.
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Organizational Information Editorial Board EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Samantha Scetta | editorinchief@anchorweb.org
MANAGING EDITOR
Jessica Gauthier | managing@anchorweb.org
BUSINESS MANAGER
Lucille DiNaro | business@anchorweb.org
ART DIRECTOR
Samantha Malley | artdirector@anchorweb.org
NEWS EDITOR
Tim Caplan | news@anchorweb.org
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Erica Clark | asst_news@anchorweb.org
A&L EDITOR
Alec Ematrudo | lifestyles@anchorweb.org
ASST. A&L EDITOR
Jonathan Weaver | asst_lifestyles@anchorweb.org
OPINIONS EDITOR
Catherine Enos | opinions@anchorweb.org
ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR
Alison Macbeth| asst_opinions@anchorweb.org
SPORTS EDITOR
Jake Elmslie | sports@anchorweb.org
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Joseph A. Griswold | asst_sports@anchorweb.org
PHOTO EDITOR
Britt Donahue | photo@anchorweb.org
ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
Thomas Crudale | asst_photo@anchorweb.org
GRAPHICS EDITOR
Wiley Sadowski | graphics@anchorweb.org
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NOW HIRING | asst_graphics@anchorweb.org
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Charlotte Abotsi | senior_copy@anchorweb.org
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Angela DaSilva | copy@anchorweb.org
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Enrique Castaneda-Pineda | layout@anchorweb.org
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Ralston Najarro | asst_layout@anchorweb.org
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Anchor Staff Aaron Isaac Mike Dwyer Derek Sharlock Joshua Magnone Thomas Yakey Jr. Alison Darmetko Jake Deblois Sophia Guerrier Kaitlin Dobson Sean Richer Kennedy Ryan Alexis Rapoza Abigail Nilsson Sh-Ron Almeida
Contact Us: Editor-in-Chief Samantha Scetta
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TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR Victor Martelle | technology@anchorweb.org ONLINE MEDIA MANAGER Marisa Lenardson | web@anchorweb.org CIRCULATION MANAGER Janelle Gomez | circulation@anchorweb.org
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The Anchor is student-run and published weekly during the academic year. Editorial decisions for The Anchor are made by a majority vote of its student editorial board. No form of censorship will be imposed by the college. Any material found to be unsuitable or unacceptable in the board’s opinion will not be published. The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body. The Anchor is not funded by and is independent from Rhode Island College. The first copy is free. Each additional copy is $2.25. Newspaper racks on the Rhode Island College campus are the property of The Anchor Newspaper. Only The Anchor Newspaper publication will be permitted on these racks. Any other publication or advertisement that is placed on the racks will be given one (1) warning for violating this policy. After two (2) violations, the business/publication will be billed at the rate of a full page advertisement. Copyright © 2016 The Anchor. All rights reserved.
Legalities:
News
What’s in your head? Implicit bias training at RIC Tim Caplan News Editor Implicit Bias has been a controversial subject in the social science community for over 20 years, especially with the 1998 invention of the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Project Implicit, who created the test, is a non-profit research foundation focused on studying implicit social cognition and was founded by three scientists from Harvard, the University of Virginia and the University of Washington. On Wednesday, March 20, Jordan Axt, a postdoctoral research associate from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Center for Advanced Hindsight, was invited to speak at Rhode Island College by the Dialogue on Diversity and Inclusion. Dr. Axt is a member of Project Implicit. The
event took place in the Gaige Hall Auditorium. Dr. Axt began his presentation by speaking about the differences between the conscious and unconscious mind: “Your mind is an island, part of it is above water, the conscious mind, (and part is) below water, unconscious mind.” Dr. Axt then displayed a series of photos which demonstrated how the mind often plays tricks on the senses of sight and sound. These pictures featured monsters in a tunnel that seemed to be different sizes but when the tunnel was taken away, it was revealed that they were the same size. Another picture by Edward H. Adelson, displayed a checkerboard with a shadow over it, which made 2 different squares labeled “A” and “B” seem as though they were different colors, but in reality were the same. These were meant to emphasize the fact that the
human mind often works in ways that people are unaware of as it happens. The presentation then continued with a large scale administration of the IAT to the audience, in which it judged that the audience correlated the faces of white people with pleasant words at a higher rate than the faces of Black people with pleasant words. Dr. Axt said that this was normal, however, and showed his own original test re-
Dr. Jordan Axt, Photos by Thomas Crudale
sults, which were very similar to that of the audience. There are many social psychologists who dispute the validity of the IAT, the most vocal of which is University of Connecticut Professor Hart Blanton, who claims “The IAT provides little insight into who will discriminate against whom, and provides no more insight than explicit measures of bias.” Dr. Axt’s response to these criticisms were that
on an individual level, the IAT scores are not as adequate as what some social scientists believe about the measurement of overall feelings in a society. The presentation was concluded with Dr. Axt’s 3 major suggestions about how he felt an individual could counteract their own implicit bias, which were to use objective criteria when decision making, think slowly, and be vigilant about implicit bias.
One of the photos presented by Dr. Jordan Axt, Graphic courtesy of naniomo.com
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News
RICovery Hosts Narcan Training
Sean Richer Anchor Staff
RICovery President Roxanne Newman, Photos by Thomas Crudale
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As America suffers from the debilitating opioid crisis, more and more people are learning what to do in the instance of an overdose in their vicinity. RICovery, a student organization here at RIC, has been taking steps to spread such knowledge. The substance abuse support group hosted a training seminar in the Student Union Ballroom on administering the drug Naloxone on Wednesday, March 20. Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a drug that is used to reverse an opioid overdose. It is commonly given through injection or nasal spray. It is an opioid antagonist and can reverse an overdose in minutes. This overthe-counter antidote has gained a lot of steam and has become a staple in the fight against opiate addiction in recent years. The use of Naloxone is not free of controversy, however. Many critics have stepped forward saying that it facilitates addiction and the use of drugs by eliminating some of the risks of do-
ing them. When asked about this hypothesis, RICovery President Roxanne Newman said, “I understand the reasoning behind it, but the way I see it, in order for someone to quit, they need to be alive first.” She went on to say that Naloxone is simply a “tool” and that wider access to it would mitigate the damage that opiates can inflict on our communities, including Rhode Island College. This damage has been observed for years all over the country. Opiate overdoses have surpassed car crashes in terms of deaths per year. According to a study by the CDC, over 72,000 people died of an overdose last year. The RIC administration has since resolved to increase access to Naloxone on campus. Kits are currently available at the Browne Health Center and it is planned to become available at every residence hall on every floor. Despite its critics, it seems that Naloxone has found a long lasting place in the war against opiates, and at Rhode Island College.
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News
The Womxn Project at RIC Abigail Nilsson Staff Writer Do you want your voice to be heard? On March 19, Rachel Jarosz, a volunteer from The Womxn Project (TWP), was at Rhode Island College encouraging students to participate in the “postcard program.” This initiative is meant to engage anyone who wants to volunteer to take a bundle of 50 postcards, a list of 50 people, a sample note, stamps and anything else one may need to reach out to the public
to take part in the prolife and pro-choice debate on the Reproductive Health Care Act (RHCA). The RHCA would protect the legal right decided in the “Roe vs. Wade” Supreme Court decision into Rhode Island statute. This law would allow a pregnant person the legal right to obtain an abortion up to fetal viability. Fetal viability is the survival rate
of a fetus taken out of utero, pre-term, that will be able to sustain life. After a certain time period, abortion would be limited to
only life-threatening situations. This bill would guarantee that no matter what happens at the federal level, people in Rhode Island will continue to have the legal right to an abortion. According to an October 2018 poll by the Providence Journal, The Public’s Radio, and ABC6, over 70% of voters and 61% of Catholics in Rhode Island want a bill that pro-
tects a person’s ability to make their own decision when it comes to abortion. “If this bill is not passed it is like we will go back in time,” said Lisa Hoopis at the Women’s Center. Rachel Jarosz will be returning this Tuesday, March 26 to ask RIC students to help support this cause between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. For more information visit thewomanproject.org, or stop by the Unity Center and Women’s Center under Donovan Dining Hall on campus.
Graphic Courtesy of The Woman Project
“Shortened semester” continued from cover
students,” Pearlmutter said. “I’ll take responsibility for that,” she continued. She regretted her not informing students after reading a student opinion piece in the Anchor, “it didn’t occur to me that student’s deci-
sion making in this was a consequential part and reading it in the article made me think that I took something for granted.” Moving forward, she mentioned implementing a five year plan for the calendar was already put in
place to make sure such a scheduling conflict did not happen again. Pearlmutter emphasized the various ways the administration could reach out to students including blackboard, group projects and reaching out to the Anchor,
Graphic Courtesy of Dreamstime
but she did not mention sending out emails. The best way to encourage communication, she said, was to get students to participate on the calendar committee. She acknowledged this may be difficult considering students don’t
necessarily know there is a calendar committee. “It took me a couple of months to find out who they report to and who actually appointed them so if we don’t know it, I’m sure that students don’t know it.”
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Campus Climate Survey Q&A
News
Tim Caplan News Editor
From March 19 to April 19 students at Rhode Island College (RIC) have the opportunity to take part in the Campus Climate Survey. Vice President of Community, Equity and Diversity Anna Cano Morales sat down with the Anchor on Friday, March 22 to explain the survey in detail in hopes of familiarizing the student body, faculty and staff with the specifics of it. The Anchor: What is the Campus Climate Survey? Anna Cano Morales: The Campus Climate Survey is a comprehensive, first ever survey of its kind that is being administered by Dr. Susan Rankin and Dr. Emil Cunningham with Rankin and Associates. They have been working with the Campus Climate Working Group, which is made up of a diverse membership from across the [RIC] campus. It’s a survey that really measures how people experience and feel while they are either students, staff or faculty here. It’s really for everything that happens at 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Rhode Island College, how are we doing? How do we feel? Do we feel engaged, embraced, affirmed? Do we feel threatened, harmed, excluded? It’s really taking the temperature of the campus community. The Anchor: Whose decision was it to bring this to RIC? Anna Cano Morales: Ultimately it was my decision, but it was made in consultation and with unanimous support from the president and the rest of the administration. The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) lists conducting campus climate surveys under their tenants of “Best Practices” to really hear from everyone on your campus about how things are happening. The Anchor: How do you feel this survey will affect the campus climate of RIC? Anna Cano Morales: Well first we need to ask questions right? We’re information gathering, we’re doing as much listening as we possibly can. I can say as a former student here that this is new, culturally to RIC. The fact that we are asking questions about how people feel in particular programs, how they feel about working or living here if they’re a dorm resident, how they feel interacting with their campus police or the faculty and administration. It’s important because we start to gather this information and make some actual plans that we can jump into as soon as the survey is over. One of the things that Dr. Susan Rankin and Associates promised us is that this will be a transparent process, that the results will be actionable, and that we were going to be using an instrument that was very much tailored to RIC. This isn’t an off-the-shelf, cookie cutter, sort of 500 pages of downloaded copyrighted tool.When people say someone “wrote the book” on something, well Susan Rankin pretty much written the book on campus culture in the United States, so we’re extremely lucky to be able to work with her, and at the same time very privileged to create our own home grown product. The Anchor: Can you walk us through the process of the survey for those who don’t know? Anna Cano Morales: Everyone received an email from the office
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of the president through their RIC account on Tuesday, March 19. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. The survey is now in a link that is on a server that is not at RIC, so it is 100 percent confidential and anonymous, the information is not shared at all with any of the administration. All of the information goes straight to a server at the University of Pennsylvania which is managed by Rankin and Associates. The survey takes about 15 to 20 minutes. The really big important question is the first one, which is “Who are you?” are you a student, are you part-time or full-time, are you a faculty member or staff?...Once you identify who you are, then the questions will be generated accordingly. There is also an open ended section after almost every series of questions to just type whatever you want, whether you think a question was stupid or irrelevant or “by the way I have alot to say about this issue and here’s what i want to say...We’re going to be doing incentives to take the survey which you can sign up for like gear giveaways, tickets to sports event, lunch at a local restaurant with President Sanchez...we also have a paper and pencil option if people feel like they want to do that instead of using a computer, Rachel Greenleaf in the Office of the Provost has those….there also will be computer lab space open across campus to take the survey in Human Recources as well as other computer labs that will be available to anyone who doesn’t have computer access. The Anchor: When do you think you’ll have all of the information back from Rankin & Associates? Anna Cano Morales: The survey will close April 19, giving participants 30 days… we will get preliminary themes in the early summer, I would say the end of May. Then there will be a series of community forums where the entire report will be delivered to this campus. One thing that’s very important to note is that before we entered into our contractual agreement with Susan Rankin, she had a very direct conversation with President Sanchez and myself in which she said that she only works in institutions with presidents that allow the results to be shared with the community before the presidents see the results. We will all see the results at the same time, and if the president does not agree to that, she won’t work with that institution. The Anchor: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about the campus climate survey? Anna Cano Morales: Just that I hope every single person will take 15 to 20 minutes to take it. The survey just went live on the 19th and so far enthusiasm is palpable…. I’m very grateful to faculty and students who are using their own leadership positions to facilitate the taking of the survey, mentioning it in classes or clubs...Industry says we need 30 percent of students to take it for the results to be valid so we really want our participation rate to be competitive because we really want to compare our results to other peer institutions, so if it’s not we won't have access
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Arts&Entertainment
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Arts&Entertainment
An Interview with Country Music Child Star and “The Voice” runner-up, Billy Gilman Esther Watrous Anchor Staff Rhode Island born child star, Billy Gilman, rose to fame as a country music artist and later gained spotlight in the American television show “The Voice,” winning runner-up in 2016. Gilman was born in Westerly Rhode Island and now pursues a singing career in Los Angeles, California. The Anchor: What was it like being signed at 12 years old to Sony Music, and what overall impact did it have on you? Billy Gilman: It was insane. I never thought in a million years that it would happen quite that fast. Of course, I couldn’t process it at 12 years old as properly as I can process it now. It was kind of kryptonite in a way, but the positive thing about it is if you have talent, it will always rise to the top. If you were a child star because of the gimmick, and then you couldn’t rise above that gimmick, then you’re in trouble. The Anchor: I read that you were the youngest artist ever to have a top 40 single on the “Billboard Hot Country Songs.” is that still true? Billy Gilman: I think it still holds true. It was number one for seven weeks.
Photo courtesy of Sony Music
Billy Gilman: I couldn’t tell you. I knew I was always in awe about what was going on, but I can’t truthfully remember certain moments. I think I was totally in it for the music and not for the accolades, even back then. The Anchor: Did coming out as gay impact your career as an artist? Billy Gilman: My career had to go through a shift. That was very difficult because I was trying to make it in country music and it just wasn’t happening. After I came out, my team came to me and said, “Well, we never knew if you were or not so we weren’t going to bring it up to you. But you have no idea of the stigma of, is he gay or is he not gay? It just circles around your name all the time in this town, and people just don’t want to deal with it.” I just thought that was so abrasive because I have so many great country songs that I have written that will probably never see the light of day just because they don’t want that module on their radios. I had to let my fans know that I hit a roadblock, not because of my talents or my ability, but because of people’s inability to see hearts and not just dollar signs.
The Anchor: What did that feel like at the time?
The Anchor: What have the ripple effects been since appearing on “The Voice” in 2016 and winning Runner-up? Billy Gilman: Oh it’s been such a resurgence. Some of the songs I did on the show, the singles, they went to number one. I’ve recorded some wonderful songs with some great artists. It’s been nothing but positive. Again, you have to fight to show the world that you’re more than what they just saw on television. The Anchor: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would you say? Billy Gilman: Push Harder. I should have pushed harder. Of course I wouldn’t have known then, being a kid. I should have made my voice be known a lot louder to my whole team. The Anchor: In 2017, you were honored by the Rhode Island Senate and the House of Representatives for representing Rhode Island as an artist. What was it like being honored by the state for your success?
Photo courtesy of NBC
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Billy Gilman: It’s crazy. I have such a long way to go and so much more to prove. I only hope that I can continue to make the state more proud. There’s nothing greater in me than being a Rhode Islander and being a singer.
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Arts&Entertainment
What’s new on Netflix: Love, Death + Robots
Alec Ematrudo A&E Editor I’ll be the first to admit that the magic of cartoons and animation has generally been lost on me in my teenage years, and now early twenties. I hadn’t really felt the urge to watch anything that wasn’t live action. However, that all changed when the trailer to Netflix’s “Love, Death, + Robots” came across my phone screen. This show, which premiered a week and a half
ago, is an eighteen episode anthology series edited in different styles of animation. Some of the short episodes are made with photo-realistic CGI, and other episodes are designed in a traditional hand-drawn style. “LD+R” is one of the most enjoyable television experiences I’ve had in the last year or so. Each episode is drastically different and all feature heavy uses of violence, nudity, and some genuinely good humor. The
very first episode is a science-fiction story that uses incredibly realistic imagery and without spoiling anything, sets the tone for the rest of the series. The show itself comes from the minds of two well known filmmakers, David Fincher and Tim Miller. Miller’s resume is significantly smaller than Fincher’s but most people will know him as the director of “Deadpool 1.” His style and humor is spread throughout the series. Fincher is known for films such as “Se7en,”
Graphic Courtesy of Rolling Stone
“Gone Girl,” “Zodiac,” and “The Social Network.” These two filmmaker’s involvement really added an extra level of refinement to each short. As an aside, and maybe just as exciting (at least within the RIC community) is that one of the episodes comes from RIC’s own Claudine Griggs. Griggs is a writing professor and director of the Writing Center here at RIC, and her writing has certainly paid off. The episode, titled “Helping
Hands,” is based off her original short story, and though definitely short, is really memorable for its shocking ending and incredible CGI effect. If not sold already, perhaps this is another reason to give the show a go. The show hasn’t been renewed for a second season yet but I’m not sure it needs one. This series could remain a one season cult classic, but there’s definitely room for more Love, Death, + Robots.
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P RE .P ATI ON
. N TIO A AR
JOB & INTERNSHIP FAIR 2019
INSPIRATION . WORK . ED . E V UC RI
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 11:30am - 2:30pm
S.U. Ballroom
Meet with employers to discuss job and internship opportunities. Industries represented include: * Business
* Education
* Healthcare
* Human Services
* Not for Profits
* Financial Services
* A list of attending employers and their anticipated vacancies is available on Handshake.
Suit up - Professionally Attired! Wear a suit or business coordinates and your name tag.
Show up - Prepared!
NTER
CE
D
.
.
Go to www.ric.edu/careerdevelopment and click on Handshake. Search for Job & Internship Fair under Career Events and pre–register! Not on Handshake yet? Simply use your RIC email to access your account today!
REER
ENT
Pre-registration on Handshake is encouraged!
CA
VELO
ES S C C SU
Schedule an appointment (401.456.8031) to map out your job fair strategy.
PM
.D
Bring copies of your resume to guide your discussions. Research participating organizations in advance. Attend one of the many workshops, walk-in sessions or tutorials available - see Handshake for times and locations.
DE
PR I DE
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All STUDENTS OF ALL MAJORS WELCOME!
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GET MORE OUT OF YOUR CAREER Start with the advanced degree that’s right for you
LEARN MORE
qu.edu/grad graduate@qu.edu 800-462-1944
BUSINESS: MBA1 MBA–Finance1 MBA–Health Care Management1 MBA–Supply Chain Management1 JD/MBA Accounting Business Analytics2 Organizational Leadership2 EDUCATION: Elementary Secondary Educational Leadership Instructional Design2 Special Education2 Teacher Leadership2 ARTS & SCIENCES: Molecular & Cell Biology 1
COMMUNICATIONS: Interactive Media & Communications2 Journalism Sports Journalism Public Relations3 HEALTH SCIENCES: Advanced Medical Imaging & Leadership Biomedical Sciences Cardiovascular Perfusion Occupational Therapy (post-professional)2 Pathologists’ Assistant Physician Assistant Radiologist Assistant Social Work JD/MSW
NURSING: Adult Gerontology or Family Nurse Practitioner Care of Populations2 Nurse Anesthesia Nursing Leadership2 Operational Leadership2 ENGINEERING: Cyber Security2 LAW: JD–Juris Doctor JD/MBA JD/MELP JD/MSW LLM in Health Law MEDICINE: MD–Doctor of Medicine Anesthesiologist Assistant
Got an opinion? we can help with that... Email Catherine at Opinions@anchorweb.org
Program offered on campus, online and hybrid 2 Program offered online only 3 Program offered on campus or online
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Arts&Entertainment
“Captain Marvel” tops the box office charts Britt Donahue Photo Editor The latest highly anticipated addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been topping the box office since its March 8 release, and it’s easy to see why. “Captain Marvel,” the first female-led MCU film, is an exciting adventure that introduces new heroes and villains alongside some familiar faces. The movie begins on the Kree planet, Hala, where our hero, played by Brie Larson, goes by the name Vers and suffers from memory loss, nightmares, and an inability to control her emotions and superpowers (according to her mentor and commanding officer, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law)). During a failed rescue mission, Vers is captured by the Skrulls, the Kree’s shape-shifting enemy and their attempt to extract a memory bring her forgotten human past to light. From here on, most of the film takes place on Earth, where it is clear by Vers’ crash-landing through the roof of a Blockbuster, that viewers are catching a delightful glimpse of the MCU’s past; it is before the formation of Nick Fury’s Avengers Initiative and 23 years prior to the events of “Avengers: Infinity War.” Viewers even get to meet a younger Agent Fury when he teams up with this strangely dressed woman from another planet to help her uncover her mysterious past. This movie suffers from a lot of the same problems of previous origin movies. A lot of information has to be packed into a fairly short amount of time. It has to walk the line of satisfying long-time fans of
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the comics while making sure new audience members don’t get lost. Just like Chris Evans and Hemsworth in their origin movies, Brie Larson hasn’t quite found the character yet and feels a little stiff and awkward during some scenes. But she really shines when she is able to play off her co-stars Samuel L. Jackson, and especially Lashana Lynch who plays her best friend and
co-pilot, Maria Rambeau. Maria and her daughter Monica (Akira Akbar) are her family who thought she was dead. Through reuniting with them, she remembers her real name is Carol Danvers, and is able to step up and become a real hero. Carol’s story is resonating with a lot of people, especially women. We watch Carol struggle with sexism, and feelings of inade-
Graphic courtesy of Marvel Studios
quacy. She doesn’t always trust herself. Part of her journey is literally learning who she is, what she is capable of, and freeing herself from the limitations others try to place on her. One of my favorite things about the comic book version of “Captain Marvel” is that no matter how hard she falls, she always gets back up again and this trait is carried over spectacular-
ly into the movie. “Captain Marvel” is a great addition to the MCU. It maintains the humor and fun that its previous films are known for while expanding the universe’s history. If you haven’t seen it yet, make sure you do before Carol returns to Earth on Apr. 26, to save the Avengers and the world.
Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928
Arts&Entertainment
Truly young at heart Thomas Yakey Jr. Anchor Staff This past Tuesday night, the Young@Heart Chorus gave a fantastic and energetic concert at Rhode Island College. The Performing Arts Series at our school brings professional groups to RIC for enjoyment of the school, as well as the community as a whole. Young@Heart is a group of senior singers, ranging in age from 73 to 92, who come together to sing and live life to the fullest. The group has travelled internationally from Europe to Japan and has made various appearances ranging from “The Ellen Show” to “The Daily Show.” They even have their own documentary which has been on PBS and Netflix. They continue to perform at dozens of
schools and universities, as well as retirement and community centers around the world. Young@Heart was even in E*TRADE’s Super Bowl ad, “This Is Getting Old.” The chorus has been around for 37 years, and they will likely continue
to be around for many to come. The group comes from all various backgrounds ranging from an opera singer to a school secretary. They come with their own band and perform different music for all musical tastes. Along with Young@
Graphic courtesy of Young@Heart chorus
Heart, we were lucky to have The Green Sisters as special guests to accompany them. In addition, our own RIC choir had the privilege of singing two songs with these musical greats. The concert ended
with “Forever Young,” something that describes the choir in great detail, despite being only two words. Proving age to be just a number, they shared their amazing talents and put on a great concert that made all smile.
Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928 | 13
Arts&Entertainment Marisa Lenardson Online Media Manager
Thursday Mar. 28
Friday Mar. 29
Saturday Mar. 30
Sunday Mar. 31
Constellations
TDOV 2019 A play about the multitude of PVDlive: Edward Foster's possibilities that can come Album Release An all-day music festival from a single moment. featuring trans artists from far Witness a romance which Celebrate the release of and wide. plays out over a myriad of 'Gone.' possiblel lifetimes. AS220 Columbus Theatre $10 // 3-12:50 a.m. The Wilbury Theatre Group $8 // 8-11:30 p.m. $15 // 7:30-9 p.m. Make Your Mark on the Biltmore
The Song of Summer Contribute your artistic expression on the walls of the A pop icon abandons his mezzanine floor before concert tour to return to his renovations are completed hometown where he will and show what Providence make discoveries that means to you. Free food from change his career and life. food trucks will also be provided. Trinity Rep $25 // 7:30-9 p.m. 11 Dorrance Street FREE // 11-4 p.m.
And Still I Rise Great RI women reading Maya Angelou's poetry. 75 North Main Street FREE // 2-4 p.m.
Queer Culture Night
Chamber Music Concert
Participate in a night of queer culture with DonChristian, New Dad, Le Feeling, Justice Ameer and more.
An afternoon of chamber music with the Navy Band Northeast's Brass Quintet and Woodwind Trio.
Columbus Theatre $8 // 8- 1 a.m
RISD Museum FREE // 2-3 p.m.
RI Philharmonic Orchestra The Phantom of the Opera A new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s "The Phantom of the Opera." Providence Performing Arts Center $48-$90 // 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Friday Night Live Improvised scenes, on-thespot musicals, improvised song, dance, and skits. Everett Stage $5 // 7-8 p.m.
RIC Dance Company: 9Roads Salsa Classes Partner or no partner, learn how to dance salsa. Everett Stage $10 // 6-7 p.m.
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An all-Tchaikovsky program Winter of Rock at Alchemy in which funds will go toward scholarships and community outreach programs that Two hours of live jams to ensure equitable access to dance, drink, and be merry music education throughout the region. Alchemy $5 // 7-9 p.m. Fete Music Hall $30-$35 // 12 p.m.
Take a Walk in the Park Day
What better way to celebrate Support the RIC Dance National Take a Walk in the company and their Park Day than by taking a performacnes of "Solo for a spring with a stroll around the Woman," “Signs of living in Roger Williams Park’s historic spite of and in the midst of grounds and woodland trails. fierce uncertainty,” and "9Roads." Roger Williams Park FREE // 1-2:30 p.m. Helen Forman Theatre $5 // 7:30-9 p.m.
Smash Ultimate Show off your Super Smash Bros skills in this monthly tournament. X1 Gaming Lounge $10 // 1-11 p.m.
Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928
Opinions
In response to Hollywood’s College Admission scandal
Alexis Rapoza Anchor Staff In season one of “Desperate Housewives,” Felicity Huffman’s character, Lynette Scavo, desperately wants her twin sons to be admitted to an elite private school; she says “A generous donation will ensure our kids beat ‘em out.” The amount of that generous donation? Fifteen thousand dollars. So why exactly does this matter? Felicity Huffman was recently one of 50 people charged in bribing college admission counselors and coaches in order for their children to gain admission to top schools. Ironically, Felicity Huffman paid an SAT prep teacher $15,000 to correct her daughter’s answers on the test and aid her in completing her college entrance exam. I guess sometimes life really does imitate art. So why do I, a Rhode Island College student, care about what happens at colleges that I don’t even attend? The answer is simple: Felicity Huffman and the other 49 people charged in this scandal are examples of the privileges people in the top 10 percent have over those
Graphic Courtesy of Page Six
of us who don’t have the ability to pay off coaches and admissions officers. Children of celebrities and people born into money are at birth assigned certain privileges that inevitably provide them with several advantages. At a young age, they have access to elite elementary and high schools and highly qualified private tutors, as well as built in connections with whichever career field their family members are in. To be honest, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I think using the opportunities and resources provided to you is excellent, but what I don’t think is fair is when people like Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin use money and bribery to secure their child’s luxurious education. Lori Loughlin allegedly paid the rowing coach at the University of Southern California $50,000 to designate her two daughters as “recruits” to the rowing team even though neither of them had ever rowed before. Loughlin’s daughters took two spots away from students
who could’ve potentially gained admission to USC and rowed for the team. Those two spots could’ve been filled by someone who actually rowed rather than someone who proudly stated that they “don’t really even care about school.” This college admission scandal shines a light on how unfair college admissions truly are. People with money and of high social status are almost guaranteed admission to top schools, while low and middle class students are staying up all night studying for the SATs and are rejected not because of their capability, but because of a rich person’s bribe. College enrollment rates are rising and this scandal leads me to wonder if higher education is truly that -- education, or if it’s a business disguising itself as education. Recently I discovered that USC’s motto is “PALMAM QUI MERUIT FERAT” which translates to “let whoever earns the palm bear it.” I have to wonder if some of the students there earn it, or did they pay for it? Let’s ask Aunt Becky.
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Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928
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Opinions
Considering atheism (Part 2) Victor Martelle Tehnology Director Atheists are those who are primarily unconvinced of the justification for faith. These proposed justifications come in claims as evidence and arguments, and in hopes of answering the why question, I will attempt to address the more popular ones I’ve come across from an atheistic perspective. The first matter I will take aim at is that of not knowing. There are many unknowns in science, for example, we don’t know what precisely sparked life on this planet. It then goes that God must have done it. By that standard, I could equally proclaim a unicorn twirled its tail and poof - out came the universe. Not knowing is the most correct answer we have to these questions and with the advancement of science, I’m confident we’ll find a naturalistic answer to these, as we always have. Other arguments I often hear is that there is evidence for a god. This usually takes the form of prophecy, personal experience, and internet inquiry. Prophecy is found by almost all religions, many
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of which, when interpreted a certain way, could be viewed as correct. I emphasize “interpreted,” as prophecies aren’t usually explicit. Even if a fulfilled prophecy were to be unambiguous, does this prove the religion is correct, and how does this show a god exists? Personal experience and internet inquiry are similar. If you look online for evidence of God (internet
inquiry), you’d find many results of people seemingly experiencing a godly possession in a church or a religious leader performing healing. You may have even experienced some of these first hand. None of this however, is generally accepted as credible evidence. According to neuroscience, we know the brain can experience hallucinations and episodes depend-
Graphic courtesy of Seb Agresti
ing on the circumstance. Not surprisingly, then, is that these possessions occur in many religions. Healing the sick is also shared by various religions and often chalked up by skeptics as shortterm placebos. Even if a person had healing abilities, why aren’t they putting it to the test of science or going to hospitals healing the sick? There are also many oth-
er arguments to consider, and if you’ve felt I misrepresented one or I need to consider another, let me know! And if you are still confused as to why atheists are atheist, I will end with a quote from Stephen Roberts, “When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body.
Opinions
Is Tik Tok the new Vine?
Graphic courtesy of GamesRadar
Catherine Enos Opinions editor Vine was easily the greatest thing to happen to internet humor. The 6-second video format produced some surprisingly hilarious and viral memes that are still around today (if you search “Vine compilations” on YouTube, there are thousands of multi-million viewed videos). It was different from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or any social media platform. And then, at the end of 2016, Twitter (who had acquired Vine in 2012) decided to shut the app down. It was a blow to internet humor. Memes obviously still pro-
liferate on social media, but there was something unique about these quick, creative and niche memes that Vine pushed out. Musical.ly was another app known for short videos but it was mostly odd hand-dancing or lip syncing videos (and was the laughing stock of the internet). But something happened a year and a half after Vine shut down. Musical.ly was bought by another nearly-identical platform called Tik Tok. The app was steered towards a different direction-- closer to humor and further away from the lip-syncing. Today, the app is vastly different from what it
Would going back to three credits benefit students? Alison Macbeth Asst. Opinions Editor Most of us don’t realize that RIC’s four credit course system is not the norm for American colleges. Several years ago, RIC adopted this method as a solution that allowed people to graduate on time. However, this may not support quality education for all RIC students. A majority of colleges
have a three credit system which meets three times a week for a 50 minute session. Students typically take five classes and upon completion would receive 15 credits a semester. The University of Rhode Island and Brown use this credit system. RIC used to have a majority of three credit classes for many years before switching to our current four credit class.
was just a few years ago and closer to Vine. It offers a longer video time at 60 seconds, but the videos people make tend to be shorter. It can create some Vine-like video loops, while also allowing people to tell longer jokes. It also has some features that Vine didn’t have-- like being able to use another Tik Tok user’s audio over an original video, or allowing “duets” (a feature where a user films their video next to another video). The algorithm is a little different than Vine, too.
On Vine, you could scroll for a while on the trending page, but you’d eventually reach an end. On Tik Tok, you can scroll for hours and still keep watching. With all this being said, Vine set the foundation for apps like Tik Tok. It may have had its problems, but there was more originality. Tik Tok tends to be more “trendy” with people repeating and recreating the same exact meme (while still being funny). Vine would start off with a meme and people put their own spin on it (I’m
thinking of all the “what are those?” spinoff Vines: an exasperated grandma replying “these are my crocs!” and Jurassic Park dinosaurs wearing shoes). So, is Tik Tok the new Vine? The answer is no. Tik Tok is Tik Tok. But the only reason Tik Tok exists is because it has the foundation that Vine had set for it. Either way, both apps are great (or were great, in Vine’s case) and provide somewhere between seconds and hours of entertainment.
Four credit classes run twice a week for 1 hour and 50 minutes. Technically, professors are supposed to give a ten minute break in the middle (that doesn’t always happen). Those who advocated for the 4 credit system believed that this schedule would be a better fit for RIC students’ work calendars and busy lives. This system allows students to complete requirements more quickly, by locking down sixteen credits a semester. However, RIC students are losing out on the opportunity to expand their research and understanding with the five classes. Simply, RIC students are exposed to less topics and
courses that are important to a liberal arts education. Four credit classes leave a student with approximately 32 course topics at graduation while a three credit system gives a graduate about 40 courses in an eight semester plan. Similarly, although the 1 hour and 50 minute structure seems comparable, the class is often the same in content as a three credit course. Therefore, students are jipped from the depth of their education with a wide spectrum of topics. Although we might be in it too deep to change the system back to four credits, it is worth thinking about the ramifica-
tions of this plan, and develop ways to counteract these effects. Ensuring that professors are teaching four credits worth of material is an important first step along with quality experiential learning to engage students for the longer class period. Accessibility for the typical RIC student’s schedule is important; however, quality education is equally important. Many other universities prescribe the three credit system and so it should be vital for the RIC administration to reevaluate if four credit classes serve the mission and excellence of RIC students.
The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The | Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body.
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Sports
Kareem Hunt deepens the NFL’s continued struggles with domestic violence Joseph A. Griswold Asst. Sports Editor What is the worth of a woman according to the National Football League? Eight games. Just eight games. That was the suspension handed to Cleveland Brown’s running back Kareem Hunt last week, after a video of him punching and kicking a woman emerged in November last year. Following the release of the video, Hunt was quickly released by his formed team the Kansas City Chiefs; however, the running back did not stay unemployed long signing a one year contract with the Cleveland Browns in February. Hunt’s suspension serves as another example of the NFL’s failure to appropriately punish domestic abusers in the league. Hunt is now a part of a growing notorious list
of NFL domestic abusers including Reuben Foster, Greg Hardy, Joe Mixon, Ray Rice and many others. This is not a one-time event, and continuing incidents make it clear that the NFL has a domestic violence problem and is doing nothing to solve it. This is furthered by last year’s resignation of Deborah Epstein, co-director of the Georgetown University Law Center’s Domestic Violence Clinic from The National Football League’s Players Association commission on domestic violence. Epstein’s resignation came after repeated attempts to take concrete steps to reduce domestic violence in the league. However, after continuous talk and no policy change Epstein decided that she “could no longer continue to be part of a commission that is essentially a fig leaf.” Following her resigna-
tion, the NFL thanked her in a short one-sentence email while not responding to any of the issues she raised. To Epstein the message was clear, “The NFL Players Association is no
longer interested in even making a public show of concern about violence against women,” she wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post. The NFL’s failure to provide a zero tolerance
Photo courtesy of CBS Sports
policy towards domestic violence makes one point abundantly clear. The NFL cares more about money than it does the safety and well being of women.
The MLB again fails to generate offseason buzz Jake Elmslie Sports Editor Opening day for Major League Baseball is slated for Thursday and as it’s been the case over the last decade, it will come with a whimper. Unlike two of its biggest competitors, the NFL and the NBA, the MLB routinely fails to generate intrigue once the season ends each October with the conclusion of the World Series. This is in stark contrast to the NFL, which has crafted a year long calendar to keep professional football in
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the news cycle and in the minds of fans long after the season wraps up in February. March 11th, the opening of the legal tampering period in which NFL free agents can begin to negotiate contracts was followed by an immediate flurry of personal moves, with a variety of high profile players changing teams within a few days. Similarly, the NBA also features a very fast paced free agency period that regularly sees multiple star players change locale in a short period of time. These high tempo free agency periods when
paired alongside other offseason activities such as the NFL combine, the NBA draft lottery, the opening of training camps and the draft, which has become a major television event in both the NFL and the NBA, keep both leagues at the forefront of sports news regardless of whether any games are being played. Meanwhile the MLB offseason can be generously characterized as a slow burn. For the second offseason in a row, marquee free agents such as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado lingered with-
out contracts for months, both signing at seemingly random times less than a month before opening day. Meanwhile, across the rest of the league, players sign with next to no regularity leaving MLB free agency a disjointed meandering beast of a thing to keep up with. The lack of any specific free agency period to look forward to robs hardcore baseball fans of an exciting way to experience personal moves while also giving the more casual sports fan little reason to even think about the MLB during its five month long offsea-
son. While the NFL and NBA have mastered their offseasons and turned them into critical parts of the fan experience the MLB offseason resembles little more than a wasteland before spring training rolls in. While there is not a single clear solution for the MLB’s issues, in a time where professional baseball is seeing little to no growth in its audience, it can not afford to continue the practices that render it barely an afterthought for nearly half of the year.
Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928
Sports
Southern fried violence: showtime in music city, USA Tim Caplan News Editor With the odds stacked against him, Anthony Pettis shocked the MMA world in typical “Showtime” fashion on Saturday when he Superman-punched his way to the top of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Welterweight (170 lbs) rankings with a prolific knockout of number three ranked Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in the main event of the night. UFC Fight Night 148 took place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on March 23. When Pettis lost his lightweight (155 lbs) world title in March 2015 to Raphael Dos Anjos at UFC 185, he looked like a defeated man. It has been a long road back to contendership for Pettis, trading wins and losses throughout the past four years at three different weight classes, compiling a 3-6 record including three bad technical knockout (TKO) losses to Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier and most recently Tony Ferguson in a fight of the year candidate in
which he broke his hand. Pettis was a +305 underdog going into fight night, and many in the MMA community believed there was no chance Pettis would be in the UFC after this fight, much less win by stoppage. “Wonderboy” is a two-time title challenger at welterweight, and has adapted his traditional karate style to develop an MMA record of 14-3, with wins over Rory Macdonald, former champion Johny Hendricks, and Jorge Masvidal. Pettis entered his first fight at welterweight the
much smaller competitor. Throughout the first round the two exchanged flashy strikes, with Pettis landing his patented boy kicks and Thompson his signature spinning heel kick, as well as several straight crosses, which bloodied up Pettis’ face toward the end of the first five minutes. Pettis plotted on Thompson, landing rear leg kicks, slowing his movement, and with just five seconds to go in the second round landed a superman punch that sent “Wonderboy” to the floor, and was knocked unconscious with two follow-up
punches on the ground before referee Herb Dean separated the two. In his post fight scrum Pettis explained his strategy, “If he was going southpaw we wanted him to turn so he couldn’t take the hook… once he did that, it was my que to go for the hooks… once he took that stance, boom, overhand right.” The rest of the night was largely uneventful, with four of the six fights on the main card going to decision. Number one flyweight (125 lbs) contender Jussier Formiga won unanimously over
Deivison Figueiredo and will most likely face champion Henry Cejudo in a rematch for the world title next. Fourth ranked heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes also gained a division victory over Justin Willis. The next UFC main event will feature a lightweight matchup between elite strikers Edson Barboza and Justin Gaethe. It will take place next Saturday, March 30, at the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928 |
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Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928 |
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