www.rwuhawksherald.com Vol. 33, Issue 5 FREE
OCTOBER 1, 2020 OPINIONS | Political Head-to-Head | PAGE 3 FEATURES | Roger got eaten by what?! | PAGE 4 SPORTS | MLB gears up for postseason | PAGE 5 ARTS & CULTURE | Hot sneaker releases | PAGE 8
Candlelight ceremony continues the fight for change Rachel Dvareckas Managing Editor More than 60 students gathered in front of the University Library to continue the fight for change on campus last night, attending a candlelight ceremony to honor and respect Black lives lost. The event was organized by Black students and students of color, and hosted by junior Melissa Calvo Vides, who also organized the Black Lives Matter protest on Sept. 16. Calvo Vides shared her frustration with the university and their lack of prompt action for students of color on campus. “If we protest, they don’t hear us. If we do it peacefully, they don’t hear us. If we make petitions, they don’t hear us,” Calvo Vides said. “What are we supposed to do?” She wants to see the Counseling Center employ counselors that can understand what students of color are dealing with. She also emphasized that people in power need to make the change because there is only so much the students can do. “We are not asking for handouts. We are asking for our needs to be met,”
Calvo Vides said. LED candles were handed out and followed by a moment of silence for students to reflect on everything that has happened to them personally and in society. It was an opportunity to pay respects to those who have lost their lives because they were Black, as well as reflecting on students’ own feelings. Crowd members were encouraged to speak about their experiences and feelings as well. One student shared his experience in a classroom where a professor repeatedly used a slur and thought it was okay to do so. The student demanded campus-wide bias training, something residential assistants have to go through. Sophomore Daniel Pabon also spoke during the event. He shared his experience in a class as the only student of color. His class was talking about injustice and his classmates said there was no such thing as white privilege. Pabon spoke up in that class and told his peers that it is real and he has experienced it firsthand, including how he is scared when confronted by police, but his white friends never have that fear. Calvo Vides shared messages of support for students of color, saying
Courtesy of Black and students of color at RWU Students gathered in front of the library to pay respects to Black lives that have been lost.
there is a community that cares about them at the university. The event ended with Calvo Vides reminding the crowd that there will be more events like this to demand change from the university
until necessary changes are made. “I can’t change what is happening in America, but I can change what is happening in my community right now,” Calvo Vides said.
University considers flu shot requirement for students before they return for spring semester Isabella Gentile Editor-in-Chief With increasing concerns about the upcoming flu season and potential outbreaks of both flu and COVID-19, Roger Williams University is considering a new course of action: requiring all students to have flu shots before they return for classes next semester. Vice President of Student Life John King raised the idea at the Student Senate meeting on Sept. 28, which he attended in efforts to convince Senate to support the plan. King said the vaccine is not being required now because it would be a new policy and something people were not aware of before the start of this semester. “The primary goal here is to ensure that as many members of our university community are immunized against the flu so that we don’t have to deal with both the flu and COVID and we
don’t have any over utilization of area hospitals at the end of this semester or next semester,” King said. If any students have medical reasons that prevent them from being able to have flu shots, they would be eligible for medical exemptions. Exemptions due to financial ability and religious beliefs could be set into stone too. Though some of the student senators expressed support for the plan, multiple concerns were raised about the idea. Student Senate Finance Chair Ainsley Iovanna said she is personally in favor of the policy but concerned that it could be an overstep by the university. She said not all health insurances cover the flu shot and she finds it troubling that the university would make the vaccine mandatory if not everyone had the ability to pay for it. “It’s concerning that the university would make that mandatory because everyone has different capabilities
when it comes to money and if anything the university should support them in getting that,” Iovanna said. King responded by saying the university could consider economic exemptions for students and also look into ways to subsidize a student’s cost on behalf of the university if their health insurance didn’t cover it. “The goal is to get as many people as possible, so if there’s some people that can’t afford to get it and we can’t help them, obviously we’re not going to prohibit those folks from coming to campus second semester,” King said. The university is offering four student flu clinics in the Rec Center this month. They are set to take place on Oct. 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Oct. 19 and Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The clinic is free to students as long as their insurance covers it and if not there is a nominal fee. King feels if the university lets
students know about a flu shot requirement this week, they will have ample time to attend a flu clinic or if they choose not to get their shot here, they can do so when they go home for Thanksgiving. He said the university will track students who come to the flu clinics and students who receive the vaccine at home can provide information from their own doctors. King thinks this requirement is something most students will sign onto and most parents will probably support. Student Life Chair for Student Senate Jordan St. Onge raised a point that there could be backlash from some students on campus, but said safety is the main priority. “If we want to keep our students safe, I think this is a good idea,” St. Onge said. “Will it receive backlash? Maybe, but at the end of the day, I think it’s about student safety.”
SECTION EDITOR
Isabella Gentile igentile470@g.rwu.edu
NEWS
DESIGNER
Bailee Maston bmaston760@g.rwu.edu
October 1, 2020
2
Fact-checking the first presidential debate
Chaos on the debate stage led to poor public reaction Amanda Plasse Herald Reporter The first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden aired on the night of Sept. 29. Moderated by Fox News’s Chris Wallace, there were six topics up for discussion: The Supreme Court, the coronavirus and healthcare, the economy, race and violence, the candidates’ records, and election integrity. When discussing the topics, the candidates were each given two minutes to respond and then a 15-minute open discussion took place. However, it was extremely hard for each candidate to even get a word in. They were constantly talking over each other and it was hard for anyone to hear the points trying to be made. Even over all this noise, multiple statements were made that were either misleading, lacking context or blatantly false.
When discussing his rallies, President Trump said there have been no negative effects from these events and that they have had 35,000-40,000 people in attendance, adding the events are held outside. These two statements are false because some of his staff members and secret service have tested positive, and some of his rallies were held inside. Moreover, on the basis of the economy, Biden said, “We left him a booming economy and he caused the recession.” This statement is untrue. Former Vice President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama left him a healthy economy, but it wasn’t booming. Furthermore, President Trump was not the one who caused the recession from the pandemic — that was due to the much-needed shutdown. When Biden was talking about President Trump’s tax records, he said, “[Trump] says he’s smart because… he takes advantage of the tax code.” This quote is misleading because
even though he does somewhat take advantage of the codes, he has also lost an exceptional amount of money, which grants him the right to pay less in federal income tax. When talking about employment, President Trump said, “They said it would take a miracle to bring back manufacturing. I brought back 700,000 jobs.” This is a false statement considering manufacturing job employment rose by only about 500,000 before the pandemic, according to Chuck DeVore’s Forbes article, and is now down by almost 300,000 since the pandemic recession, according to FactCheck.org. The debate was meant to address the major issues surrounding American politics as well as the issues every American is facing. The President and his opposing candidate, however, were calling each other names the entire time and doling out personal attacks. After last night, many Americans are
scared for the future of this country, no matter who wins the election. RWU students shared their personal opinions on the debate, regarding the behaviors of both candidates and their impressions of the event as a whole. “Anyone who thinks any part of last night’s debates by either candidate was in the least bit presidential, needs to rewatch it,” said senior Robert Joannou. “Independents are in no better situation than they were yesterday, and that debate was a mockery of American politics.” “What I experienced last night was a disgrace to our country as a whole, both sides… This is the future of our nation and they are making it a reality TV show,” said senior Emily Cleary. Tuesday night’s event was the first of three presidential debates. The final two are scheduled for Oct. 15 and Oct. 22 at 9 p.m.
THE GAVEL
Your source for Student Senate news Hi Hawks! Last week, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Programs, Leadership and Orientation Carol Sacchetti spoke to the Senate about Family Days — more information about that can be found on the RWU website. Students also got a chance to state their Declarations of Intent for ICC and Senate elections. We were getting ready for “Rest Stop” and encouraged voting in upcoming elections! Courtesy of U.S. Embassy Jerusalem Former Vice President Joe Biden is the Democratic presidential nominee. He and President Trump participated in the first presidential debate on Sept. 29.
This week we invited five guests to our meeting. Associate Director of Athletics Mike Gallagher and Director of Capital Projects and Planning Bill Seymour provided updates on the new Disc Golf course, which will be finished very soon. Title IX Coordinator Dr. Jen Stanley updated the Senate on federal changes to Title IX. Vice President of Student Life John King spoke about the flu vaccine and discussed the RWU mask ordinance (Hawk’s Wear Masks!) along with Sacchetti. Lastly, with elections done, we swore in five new senators: Brian Carroll, Liam Nugent, Alli Schoenfeldt, Amanda Plasse and Jack Dunn. We also chose “Of The Months.” For September, our Club of the Month is Habitat for Humanity for their rock painting event. Our Students of the Month are Nikki Czarnowski for her work as IRHA President and Melissa Calvo-Vides for her work planning the BLM Protest. Our Senator of the Month is Jordan St. Onge for planning Rest Stop. Congratulations! As always, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @RWU_Senate and try to attend our weekly meetings on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. over Zoom. You can find the Zoom link on our Hawk Link by clicking on our weekly meeting event. The Zoom link will be available as the location.
Courtesy of Gage Skidmore Donald Trump is the current President of the United States. He and Joe Biden participated in the first presidential debate on Sept. 29.
SECTION EDITOR
Isabella Gentile igentile470@g.rwu.edu
OPINIONS
DESIGNER
Bailee Maston bmaston760@g.rwu.edu
October 1, 2020
3
POLITICAL HEAD-TO-HEAD
Do you approve of the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic? In this column, the College Democrats and College Republicans of RWU go head-to-head on a different topic each week, chosen by the club members themselves. Check back every week to see a new topic being discusssed. Brian Carroll Op-Ed Writer I believe that Donald Trump and his administration have done an adequate job handling the pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, Trump and his administration were slow to react and counteract the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, their delay resulted in a large number of people getting infected and dying. After assessing the damage, the administration started to react more appropriately by providing government-funded tests to states, slowing travel from countries that are hot zones and helping keep the economy afloat with stimulus checks. They have also started to allocate money to finding a cure and have used both the private and public sectors of the economy to help supply
the country with muchneeded resources to fight this pandemic. A flaw with the later actions of the administration included the fact that Trump continued doing daily briefings where he repeated himself to the same viewers and reporters. While there are flaws in the way the administration handled the coronavirus, overall I support their actions and hope they continue to be proactive, not complacent as they were early on, in their efforts to defeat this pandemic.
Jessica Taddeo Op-Ed Writer More than 200,000 Americans have died and millions have been infected. By now, every American knows of at least one person who has died from COVID-19, who has contracted the virus or who is struggling to survive due to lingering economic ramifications. It did not have to be this way. The President has admittedly downplayed this since the beginning in order to avoid inciting panic, but at what cost? The number of cases rises every day. China and Italy were once epicenters, but in drawing a comparison between those countries and our own, normal life is palpable to them, not to us. Not only has President Trump neglected to act like a president in a time when the American public needs a leader but he has also managed to politicize the situation at hand. Never has there been a more polarized time than this. The coronavirus pandemic has brought the ugliest parts of our nation to the surface. There are patrons of grocery stores and restaurants making scenes when asked to wear a mask, for they believe it is an
infringement on their personal liberties. Nurses are risking their lives every day taking care of the sick with a lack of proper safety equipment to protect them from this deadly virus. Congress is at a standstill in the passing of another relief package, the first one falling short of supporting working-class people while simultaneously bailing out the rich, and the American people are paying the price for it. This pandemic lives in tandem with other issues that are equally ignored. The economy spiraled downward and an insurmountable number of deaths has left a shell of our nation. This America is unrecognizable to many now, for we live in a failed state and Donald Trump is to blame.
RWU remains ahead of the curve
Maddi Royle Op-Ed Writer
The very present COVID-19 pandemic has altered the education of millions around the country, particularly college students. While many universities chose to strictly provide online classes, there are some that chose to go with a hybrid approach, with Roger Williams University being one of them. While the students here at RWU are excited to be back on campus, we owe the university for the opportunity. Without the instantaneous response to COVID-19, which included strict guidelines and health protocols, I am confident we would be in a comparable position to those at much larger universities,
such as James Madison University, which was recently required to send home its entire student body after 2,238 individuals received positive test results. After being on campus for some time now, I have come to my own conclusion that there seems to be a correlation between the drastic increase in the number of positive cases at larger universities and a lack of COVID-19 policies. New Jersey was initially one of the states hit hardest by the virus. Rowan University in New Jersey does not require weekly or even monthly testing, and the university has an undergraduate population of over 16,000 students. My younger brother, a freshman at Rowan, wasn’t required
to get a COVID-19 test or fill out any sort of screening form before moving in. When researching information on Rowan’s COVID policies, I found a hefty PDF where the reason for not testing students was listed as follows: “Because universal, frequent testing for all is not practical, not based in science and not feasible in terms of available resources.” As an older sister, I didn’t necessarily love hearing this statement. At RWU, where there are between 4,000 and 5,000 undergraduate students, more than 27,000 tests have been administered. Repeated testing certainly seems doable. Outside of testing, RWU also implemented changes such as air filters being switched from MERV 8 to MERV
13 to improve air quality, enforcing a 15 person gathering limit, nightly deep cleans by facilities staff, take-out only dining halls and most importantly, they have imposed a mask-on policy at all times besides in your own dorm room. These policies seemed overbearing at first. However, after seeing video footage of thousands of students at the University of Alabama and Florida State University who weren’t social distancing and didn’t have masks on, which led to reports of more than 2,300 and 1,200 cases respectively, I have been thankful for all our policies as I hope to close out my senior year on campus.
SECTION EDITOR
Amy Martin amartin052@g.rwu.edu
FEATURES
DESIGNER
Bailee Maston bmaston760@g.rwu.edu
October 1, 2020
4
Have a hoot looking for wildlife
Emily Dvareckas Photo Editor
With social distancing requirements and a desire to stay healthy, it has become increasingly difficult to find things to do while at school. For students who have multiple online classes, the idea of leaving their rooms seems foreign. One of the most important things college students need to do is take a break. When that break time comes, it can be beneficial to physically leave the work aside. One of the activities that students can safely participate in is going outside. When outside, it might seem difficult to find something to do. One of the exciting things about Rhode Island is the diverse array of wildlife. Rhode Island has many locations to view the
different species that call this small state home.
Claire D. McIntosh Wildlife Refuge Students don’t need to go far for this refuge. Located at 1401 Hope St. in Bristol, the Claire D. McIntosh Wildlife Refuge contains 28 acres of protected land with one mile of an easy trail. This area consists of forest, fields, wetlands and the shore. It is a great place to find foxes, muskrats, frogs and painted turtles. This refuge is open year-round and the trails are open from sunrise to sunset. Touisset Marsh Wildlife Refuge A place to capture harbor seal sightings is the Touisset Marsh Wildlife Refuge located at 99 Touisset Road in
Warren. This refuge boasts 66 acres of land with an easy one-mile trail that is open from sunrise to sunset. This area is a great way to see the Kickemuit River and all the species it contains.
Emilie Ruecker Wildlife Refuge Another location close to campus is the Emilie Ruecker Wildlife Refuge located at 116 Seapowet Avenue in Tiverton. The area consists of 50 acres and 1.6 miles worth of trail that is open from sunrise to sunset. This refuge is home to crabs, deer and foxes, and offers beautiful views of the Sakonnet River.
Our local cryptid friends of New England Amy Martin Features Editor
As our favorite spooky month approaches, we should keep an eye out for some creepy creatures. There have been numerous cryptid sightings throughout New England, including in our very own state of Rhode Island! Some you may not have even heard about, but others you will be shocked were so nearby.
Emily Dvareckas / The Hawks’ Herald Osamequin Nature Preserve is one of the many wildlife refuges located in Rhode Island.
Roger got eaten by what?!
Emily Dvareckas Photo Editor
Students who attend Roger Williams University are no strangers to the history of their school’s namesake. Roger Williams founded Rhode Island, advocated for religious freedom and created a positive relationship with the natives of the land he called home. At the time of Williams’s death, Rhode Island did not have sanctioned graveyards. Roger Williams was laid to rest in a backyard, soon to be forgotten. That is until 1860 when Providence residents decided their state’s founder deserved a memorial. Once they began the search for the grave of Williams and began digging, they were soon met with an apple tree root surrounded by bone fragments,
teeth and nails. After a closer examination, the gravediggers realized the tree root resembled the body of a man. The apple tree root that occupied the grave had most likely begun growing many years prior and grew toward the grave. The body that lay in the ground apparently provided the nutrients needed to supply the growth of the root. The root very distinctly displays the hips of Williams, which then branch down the legs and turn up the end where the feet would be. There may be some other explanations to the disappearance of Roger Williams’s body and the appearance of the tree root, but the most famous explanation remains that the apple tree root ate away at the namesake of this university.
Osamequin Nature Trails and Bird Sanctuary Located at 1580 RI-114 in Barrington, the Osamequin Nature Trails and Bird Sanctuary is home to 42 acres of preserved land and offers 1.5 miles of an easy trail that is open from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This area is located along the shore of the Barrington River’s Hundred Acre Cove and offers the ability to be witness to a diverse group of wildlife. It is great for birdwatching, and when in season, trail-goers may be able to see horseshoe crabs hatching on the shore.
Glocester Ghoul One local cryptid is the Glocester Ghoul, which was first spotted in — you guessed it —Glocester, R.I. back in 1839. The pirate Albert Hicks and his men were searching in the dead of night for Captain Kidd’s treasure, which they believed was buried somewhere in Glocester. They found a spot and began digging for the gold before they were interrupted by a large beast, which Hicks had described had “eyes [that] looked like balls of fire. When it breathed as it went by, flames came out of its mouth and nostrils, scorching the brush in its path.” It reportedly was as big as a cow with scales covering its body, rattling every time it moved. Dark wings sprouted from both its sides like a bat’s and spiral horns twirled out from its head. Hicks had sensed its presence before he even saw it and as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. Bigfoot Believe it or not, there have been Bigfoot sightings in Rhode Island. Bigfoot, otherwise known as Sasquatch (or even “Big Rhodey”), is an ape-like creature that reportedly inhabits the forests of North America. People who have claimed to see Bigfoot describe it as being large and hairy, and that it stands at roughly six to nine feet. Footprints that have been found, which
inspired the name of this creature, are usually about 24 inches long and eight inches wide. Much of the evidence of Bigfoot’s existence, including a number of videos, photographs, sightings and large footprints, have been debunked by scientists who consider Bigfoot to be either a hoax or misidentification. Regardless, in Rhode Island, there have been several sightings and videos captured of unidentifiable creatures in the woods. In one, there’s something appearing from behind a tree as the camera pans around the forest. In another, there’s something swinging through the trees as the videographer is driving by.
Dover Demon Probably one of the most famous cryptids in New England is the Dover Demon, which was first spotted in Dover, Massachusetts on April 21, 1977, and then several times after. The first sighting was when Bill Bartlett and his friends were driving around the small town until they began driving down the winding road of Farm Street, which was surrounded by woods and fields. Bartlett saw an animal climbing over a stone wall along the road, and when the headlights shined on it, the creature froze in place. Bartlett noticed that the creature had glowing orange eyes that resembled glass marbles but had no other facial features, and that “it looked like a baby’s body with long arms and legs. It had a big head about the same size as the body, it was sort of melon-shaped.” After several other sightings, local papers ran stories. Eventually, The Boston Herald and The Boston Globe ran stories about the Dover Demon, including drawings Bartlett made the night he saw it. However, despite the many theories as to what the Demon was, no one ever truly found out.
SECTION EDITOR
Megan Julian mjulian020@g.rwu.edu
SECTION MANAGER
Kristen Dansereau kdansereau387@g.rwu.edu
DESIGNER
Bailee Maston bmaston760@g.rwu.edu
SPORTS October 1, 2020
5
New regulations implemented for Field hockey seniors teach athletic trainers during COVID-19 freshmen the
Kristen Dansereau Sports Manager
The adjusted fall season is in full swing at Roger Williams University and staff in the athletic training rooms have been adapting to changes accordingly. With just one trainer and five athletes allowed in an athletic training room at once, trainers Cory Viveiros, Kristina Keddie and Jake Rezendes have dispersed into separate rooms to treat their assigned teams. This regulation also helps keep at least two athletic trainers able to work in the event one gets COVID-19 or has to quarantine. “This does create a challenge at times because of location and because of the volume of athletes we see. We used to be able to work together and help treat each other’s athletes but now we can only treat the teams we cover,” Viveiros said. Athletic teams who are assigned to Keddie had their training room moved to the separate end of the gym in the training room previously used by other schools that come in for games. “In the past, all teams were used to reporting to our downstairs athletic training room, closer to the gym, the pool and a few locker rooms,” Keddie said. “I think the challenge has been getting the athletes familiar with
reporting to their own [respective] spaces.” The biggest challenge proposed is constantly keeping up with every protocol as a whirlwind of athletes rotates through the training rooms. “This includes keeping the room as clean as possible throughout the day, making sure athletes follow the correct signage and enter and exit correctly,” Viveiros said. “Making sure that we stick to the proper numbers in each room.” “At first, it was an adjustment being relocated to our second athletic training room upstairs, but after a few weeks it’s been fine,” Keddie said. “I have all the same equipment, supplies and access to everything the other main athletic training room has.” They are also limited to the type of equipment they use and the use of personal protective equipment while physically working on athletes. Athletes are required to make appointments as the trainers can no longer accept walk-ins, besides regular treatment before practice. This regulation helps trainers maintain the limit on the number of athletes allowed in the room at once. “Any athletes that are being treated for an injury, need to heat or stretch prior to practice, they are allowed to
come in to do so one hour before their scheduled practice time,” Keddie said. Players get their temperatures checked before every practice to ensure their health beyond regular COVID-19 testing, either by a trainer or coach. A routine cleaning process has always been a priority of the trainers. “The cleaning process has always included cleaning treatment tables after each individual use, cleaning rehabilitation equipment before and after each use, modality equipment and any other multi-touch surfaces,” Keddie said. Viveiros and Keddie believe this new routine of treating student athletes has become beneficial amid the current situation. “As with everything [during] COVID, it is a fluid process and what may be working one week we might have to change and adapt the following week,” Viveiros said. The new regulations and processes have been working well for the trainers and athletes, as everyone in the athletic department works together to adjust where it is needed and keep sports in practice. “I believe some of the policies and new set up of athletic training rooms will be here to stay moving forward, even after COVID-19,” Keddie said.
MLB gears up for postseason amidst lackluster viewership
Andrew Hart Sports Reporter
The MLB postseason began on Sept. 29. The promotion for this year’s postseason was much different than past seasons, according to fans like junior Nick Zwerle. There have been concerns surrounding the popularity of the MLB over recent years, taking multiple factors into consideration such as falling attendance, poor world series ratings and a lack of nationally recognized stars. This is seen as evidence of the sport’s impending collapse. Add in the lack of promotion this postseason, and things are not looking very good. “The fan base for the MLB has gotten much smaller,” Zwerle said. This lack of promotion comes as two of the four major sports within the country are in the midst of intense postseason action, and as one has just begun. The quieter promotion of the MLB has not been a consistent pattern
throughout the season, however. The matchup between the Yankees and Nationals on Opening Day drew four million views, the most-watched regular season game in almost 10 years. However, ratings dropped off sharply in the weeks following Opening Week, which was likely a result of the fact that the MLB was the first major professional sports league in the country to return to the field. “There is a lot more hype around the NBA and NFL,” Zwerle said. “People would rather spend the money on something else or go to another event.” It isn’t just the fact that the league loses viewers because “their teams” don’t make the postseason either.
“It is ‘America’s pastime’”
- Spencer Singer
That’s something the league has to deal with every year. It boils down to a lot of factors, many amplified by the unusual format of the season.
“I plan on watching even though I’m a [Red] Sox fan,” said junior Spencer Singer. “It is ‘America’s pastime’ and right now, we need the fans, but don’t have any because of COVID. These restrictions lower the intensity by so much,” Singer said. The argument proves to be true across the other three major sports leagues in the country. All three have experienced a drop in ratings during the year. NBA ratings are down 27%. Last week’s viewership for the Thursday Night Football game was the lowest in four years. At the same time, these major sports leagues have restrictions on inperson attendance. While leagues like the NFL, NBA and NHL have bonafide “faces of the league” to fall back on like LeBron James, Pat Mahomes and Connor McDavid, the MLB really lacks that. Yes, there is star power in the league in players like Aaron Judge and Mike Trout, but no one has clearly taken the reins to be the poster boy of the league.
importance of cherishing moments
Megan Julian Sports Editor
Freshmen and seniors on athletic teams this season have two totally different perspectives on what competing at the collegiate level looks like. One thing these players had in common is they entered a season that was full of questions. But there was one thing for certain: they knew they had each other. Even through COVID-19, freshman field hockey player Elizabeth Ng from Eads, Tennessee said she feels she is still making close relationships with her teammates through activities the team has done, such as bracelet making and doing a socially distant scavenger hunt around campus. “My favorite part is the bonding activities. I always have so much fun and I’m getting the opportunity to get to know my teammates better,” Ng said. Freshman player Jenna Bowerfind from Cumberland, Rhode Island was attracted to the team’s close knit environment. When she came to visit and saw the team, she thought there was no better fit than RWU. She said acclimating to this new environment has been difficult when adapting to work load and perfecting her time management skills. “Everyone on the team is very supportive and if I needed any advice on time management or how to adjust to college better, they would be there to help,” Bowerfind said. The freshmen have just begun their journey here at RWU as student athletes. Meanwhile, seniors on the team such as Lea Peterson from Gloucester, Massachusetts and Erika Schlageter from Lakeville, Massachusetts are nearing the end, knowing this is their last season on the team. “I have learned so much about myself here at Roger, including selfconfidence, leadership capabilities and time management skills,” Schlageter said. Schlageter’s favorite part about playing field hockey is becoming so close with her teammates and having Read the full story at www.rwuhawksherald.com
SECTION EDITOR
Isabella Gentile igentile470@g.rwu.edu
EDITOR’S DESK
DESIGNER
Bailee Maston bmaston760@g.rwu.edu
October 1, 2020
6
EDITORIAL: Let’s continue to be safe As we enter our sixth week of classes, it’s important to continue visiting the Rec Center for COVID-19 testing. RWU has done a great job being consistent with twice a week testing for all full time students attending in-person classes or coming to campus and the quick turnaround time for lab results helps students know relatively early if they have tested positive. While some other schools around the state and country are engaging in random sample testing or infrequent testing, RWU’s testing system provides a sense of security for students. The university is trying extremely hard to keep students on campus and ensure they have an enjoyable, socially distanced experience. This can only be achieved through students’ regular commitment to being tested. As of Sept. 30, RWU has had 19 positive cases total with 41,871 negative results; this results in a 0.05% positivity rate. As we enter flu season, it’s not only important to continue frequent testing but to monitor your daily symptoms. Take precautions to protect yourself and others so we can continue to remain on campus and keep the overall positivity rate low.
Isabella Gentile / The Hawks’ Herald All full-time students taking in-person classes or coming to campus are required to get tested on campus twice per week.
THE HAWKS’ HERALD The student newspaper of Roger Williams University
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In the Aug. 27 issue, a chart on new restrictions said the number of students allowed in classrooms was limited to 15. This limit only applies to personal or group social gatherings, not formally approved events or teaching instruction. The Hawks’ Herald · Suite 212, Campus Recreation Center · 1 Old Ferry Road · Bristol, R.I. 02809
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Book review: “Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America” Spencer Wright Herald Reporter Daniel Richter’s book, “Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America,” aims to reorient readers’ perspectives from looking at the American Indians as Europeans would have, to looking at Europeans and American Indians themselves, as the American Indians would have; facing east instead of facing west. Copyrighted in 2001, the book includes some maps showing territorial divisions instituted by the European powers, as well as drawings of some of the prominent American Indian leaders or preachers. The book retails for $28. Richter is a historian and director of the McNeil Center for Early American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a leading authority on the history of indigenous people and builds on work that he has already written, such as his earlier book, “The Ordeal of the Longhouse” (1992) or his more recent book, “Before the Revolution” (2013). The theme and thesis of the book are to orient readers’ perspectives away from looking west, as Europeans would have done, and instead to look east, as American Indians would have done. As Richter writes, “Facing east on our past, seeing early America as Indian country, tracing histories truly native to the continent, we might find ways to focus more productively on our future.” Although the book looks at the same historical stories and themes of America, it does so in a way that is ‘facing east’ instead of ‘facing west’ as the dominant European stories do. Looking from an eastern perspective casts a new light on old ideas and shatters preconceived notions of how American Indians came to regard the Europeans. Richter also shatters the stereotype of American Indians being a disorganized rabble, the common theme of many early European accounts. Richter, however, describes how “Cahokia and such other major centers as those now known as Coosa and Etowah in Georgia, Moundville in Alabama and Natchez in Mississippi were home to highly stratified societies, organized as chiefdoms...” This is not something described by the early Europeans, who saw themselves as civilizers of an uncivilized land. Richter goes on to describe how these societies were “characterized by a sharp divide between elites and commoners, a specialized artisanry, widespread trading networks and elaborate mortuary rituals...” This description
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is similar to many European societies at the time and provides an equalizing view from the perspective of facing east. In writing this book, Richter is attempting to dispel any myths and present a true history of native peoples from their view of facing east. Writing indigenous history is a tricky undertaking for someone who is not Native American, as ethically it raises questions about who has the right to tell the history: Should it be a white historian or a person from one of the indigenous tribes, whose history is being told? Richter works through this ethical dilemma by writing a history focused on how American Indians saw themselves and others, disengaging from the European viewpoint which is so prevalent in history written by white historians. The chapters are structured along a loose timeline of events in colonial New England. Chapter one is titled “Imagining a Distant New World” and describes North America before the arrival of Europeans. The book then follows a pattern of European settlement through the final chapter titled “Epilogue: Eulogy from Indian Country,” which describes the changes American Indians felt and saw after Europeans came and colonized North America. This structure of the chapters works very well, as it provides a timeline that can guide readers through the major events of the early days of European colonization and American Indian pushback. The chapters do have a slightly narrow viewpoint, due to the fact that there are very few written sources by American Indians and not Europeans. Richter uses these sources the best he can, while also attempting to include any non-biased elements of European sources in order to form a full picture for the reader. What I like best about the book is the large amount of research that went into writing it, which becomes evident at the very beginning. At 253 pages, it is a shorter history book but is full of information that will make readers rethink what they know or what they think they know about indigenous history in North America. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in social-cultural or bottomup history, or anyone interested in challenging established historical viewpoints. It is very factual in nature and would likely appeal mainly to undergraduates, graduate students and those who are working in or interested in the field of indigenous history.
October 1, 2020
Songs for your next workout session Emma Bartlett Arts & Culture Editor
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October 1, 2020
Getting to know your cast
RWU Theatre Department’s “The War of the Worlds” to debut this weekend in the Barn Emma Bartlett Arts & Culture Editor Theatre performances look a little different this year. With COVID-19 restricting how actors and actresses interact with each other onstage, members of RWU theatre are using the pandemic to their advantage by selecting plays that focus on vocals and social distancing. Their upcoming play, “The War of the Worlds,” is directed by theatre professor Robin Stone. The play features a script from a radio broadcast that aired in 1938. The broadcast was performed right before Halloween and tricked people into believing Martians landed on Earth, which led to widespread panic. To learn more about the play and its cast, The Hawks’ Herald had the opportunity to talk with performers Gillian Snyder and Amanda Neff. Gillian Snyder As a junior theatre major, Snyder knew right off the bat freshman year that she wanted to be involved in the performing arts at RWU. After her first audition in 2018, she’s been in many plays, including the Freshmen Show, Festival of One-Act Plays, “La Ronde,” Broadway Under the Barn: A Musical
Revue and “The Mandrake.” Currently, in “The War of the Worlds,” Snyder is taking on multiple roles. She is playing Announcer 2, Observer, Operator 3 and Stranger. Due to limitations on how many people can be socially distanced onstage, each of the six cast members will play more than one part. Snyder said this adjusted performance will be different from what people have seen in the past. “For productions normally, there is a lot of blocking and movement, but we are standing so we can stay socially distanced, since there’s not a lot of action going on onstage,” Snyder said. The cast will also receive special masks built for singers. This will help their diction since the mask pushes out like a duckbill. The cast has been using regular masks in their hybrid rehearsals. “We had a mix of in person and Zoom rehearsals because we have to get into the space and get used to our voices in [the] space. Both have worked really well, but the Zoom one is really fun because we can see each other’s faces,” Snyder said. In-person seating for the show will be limited to just 13 people, but Snyder cannot wait to perform in front of an audience again.
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“I think in general when I got cast, I was so genuinely excited to be in a show again. I haven’t been in a show since March and a lot of theatre has been shut down since,” Snyder said. “It was exciting to get back on a stage in a show again.”
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Amanda Neff As a junior criminal justice major with a core concentration in theatre, Neff also got involved in the RWU theatre program during her freshman year. “I really like theatre and it was something that I wanted to pursue. I heard about auditions and went to them,” Neff said. Auditions definitely went well for Neff since she landed parts in the Freshmen Show, Festival of One-Act Plays, “Eurydice” and “The Importance of Being Earnest” during the past two years. As she enters her third year, Neff will be playing Announcer and Operator 5 in “The War of the Worlds.” Neff spoke about how performing a show on a radio broadcast is fitting for the pandemic. Figuring out ways to work around COVID-19 and still perform has been interesting, yet the cast has been able to use it to their
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The last season we’ll be “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” set for early 2021 Kayla Ivan Arts & Culture Manager After 14 years of watching the iconic Kardashian-Jenner family and keeping up with their daily lives, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” is coming to a close following its 20th season. The reality show, which airs on E!, has been on television for over a decade and helped make the family a household name. The show began when the youngest sisters, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, were just 11 and nine years old. After all these years of success on the hit television show, members of the Kardashian clan continue to be prominent in the public eye.
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An article published by Variety. com titled, “‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ Ending After 20 Seasons on E!” noted a statement made by the family on the announcement of the series coming to a close. “After what will be 14 years, 20 seasons, hundreds of episodes and several spin-off shows, we’ve decided as a family to end this very special journey. We are beyond grateful to all of you who’ve watched us for all of these years…” the statement read. To say the least, the series has undoubtedly been an entertaining one, with so many highs and lows within the family and drama filmed for the world to see. It is no surprise that the series has remained the most popular show
featured on E! Whether you love or hate them, the Kardashian family has found great success in a variety of outlets since the series began back in 2007. Not only have the sisters continued starring in the hit series, but they have also gone on to model and create businesses. The matriarch of the family, Kris Jenner, is one of the most affluent entrepreneurs in the industry, managing her five daughters and making a name for the family. Kendall Jenner is one of the most successful models in the industry while Kylie Jenner has the highest net worth of all of the sisters, largely due to her prominent makeup line, Kylie Cosmetics. Kim Kardashian-West is also a business
owner, creating KKW Beauty, along with having a popular app called Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian have gone on to open their own businesses, each prosperous in their own right, with Kourtney launching her lifestyle website “Poosh” and Khloe opening several businesses, including Kardashian Glow and the Good American clothing line, whose mission is to emphasize curvier body types. The series changed all the Kardashians’ lives forever and provided years of laughter and tears as we all, in one way or another, kept up with the Kardashians.
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