Ideopolis Volume 6, Issue 2, Spring 2019

Volume 6, Issue 2

Spring 2019

idea noun \ī-ˈdē-ə, -ˈdēə also ˈī-(ˌ)dē-ə or ˈī-dē\: a thought, plan, or suggestion about what to do; an opinion or belief; something that you imagine or picture in your mind polis noun \ˈpä-ləs\: a Greek city-state; broadly: a state or society especially when characterized by a sense of community

Pursuing Departmental Honors

By Catherine Enos ’19 Last spring semester, I (along with three other Political Science majors, Morgan Leonard ’19, Kathryn Myrtle ’19, and Julia Testa ‘19) decided to start the year-long process of working on departmental honors projects. Over the course of this year, we each had to propose a topic, do a lot of reading and research, meet with an advisor weekly, draft a thesis, and present our research to a committee of professors. Despite how stressful the past year has been, I would recommend this experience to anyone up for the challenge.

Departmental honors students and their advisors at the Honors Awards Ceremony, April 24th.

Perhaps the best part of the experience, for me, has been pursuing a study on a topic that I find fascinating and talking with my advisor, Dr. Brophy-Baermann, about it every week.

There are many benefits in choosing to work on a senior honors project. For one, you receive eight credits (four each semester) for pursuing a research project on a topic of your choosing, researching and writing,, and meeting regularly with your advisor to discuss your work. In the year that you take to complete your thesis, you’ll most certainly improve upon your reading, writing, and analytical skills.

Working on this project has been a difficult but rewarding experience. It’s unlike any class I’ve ever taken before. To students interested in working on a senior honors project for departmental honors, know that it’s a lot of work but definitely worth the effort.

For more on the students’ projects, see page 3. See page 15 for more information on departmental honors.

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Volume 6, Issue 2

Spring 2019

Alumni Spotlight: Political Science Made a Difference

By Beatrice “Bea” Lanzi '89

If you were to ask me what my RIC degree gave to me, I would say everything. Yeah, I know that sounds a bit vague and a bit dramatic even, but it's really the truth.

So, let me back up a bit and start at the beginning- to my college days to explain. When I started at RIC, I was unsure about what I wanted to do. I thought I wanted to work in radio or something with the media. I was interested in current events and news, so when an opportunity came up for me to do an internship with a local radio station, I happily jumped at the chance. I was so very excited. That is until I started the internship. After a few days, I realized I did not really like working in radio, it was a nice place, but just not for me.

so much. I had wonderful professors who became mentors and made lifelong friends who continue to be professional contacts to this day. My education and the RIC community provided me with knowledge and skills, and with confidence in myself and my abilities.

Immediately after graduation, I enrolled in graduate school at Emerson College as a Political Communication Major to continue my studies in political science and communication. I was hooked and knew that I wanted to spend my life in public service.

I was at a crossroads and unsure about my next steps.

Luckily, as part of my general requirements, I was taking a few political science classes and I was also a member of the RIC Student Government. I had joined the organization at the urging of a family friend. I thought it would be an activity that would allow me to meet other students and have some fun. I had no idea that these two different, but similar circumstances would come together and lead me toward s a life of public service. As I was contemplating what my future would hold, I was getting more involved in Student Government and I was really enjoying my political science classes. The classes were interesting, challenging, and made me think about my community and the world around me in ways I had never thought before. During class discussions, I found myself invigorated.

Within a few months of earning my graduate degree, I ran for the RI State Legislature and was elected. I began a twenty-year tenure serving as a State Representative and a State Senator. I retired from the State Legislature a few years ago and have had the honor since then to work as Deputy Treasurer for Legislation and Outreach for Treasurer Seth Magaziner, and I now serve as the Director of the RI State Government Internship Program. Today I work with students from RIC and other colleges and universities who are interested in politics and government. I see myself in many of them as they are deciding their interests and career plan. And, as I look at the trajectory of my life so far, I feel grateful that I attended RI College. It is the place that opened my eyes to possibilities and made me believe that I could achieve them.

So, encouraged by my professors, I decided to add Political Science as a second major and never looked back since. I found my home in the political science department, and merging political science and communication was exactly the right fit for me. I learned

Bea Lanzi is the Director of the State Government Internship Program.

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Spring 2019

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS NEW POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSE:

Emergent Populisms.” Further, Dr. Weiner has had refereed papers accepted on solidarity economies and horizontal democracy confluences in Spain: at the Council of European Studies at the Carlos III University Madrid in June, and the American Political Science Association in Washington DC in late August.

New Course!

In the fall, our newest faculty member, Dr. Yuree Noh, will be offering a topics course on her area of specialization, the Middle East. This course will run Monday and Wednesday from 10:00 to 11:50.

POLITICAL SCIENCE HONORS THESES SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED:

In April, four graduating seniors successfully defended their year-long honors thesis projects before a committee of faculty, and will receive departmental honors. Below are the students, their thesis titles, and their thesis advisors.

FACULTY UPDATES: Dr. Thomas Schmeling received RIC’s 2019 Faculty Service Award.

Dr. Rich Weiner will see publication of his 3rd book by Routledge in early 2020, co-authored with Francesca Forno (University of Trento in Italy); it is titled, Sustainable Community Movement Organizations: Solidarity Economies and Rhizomatic Practices. During Spring Break in March, Dr. Weiner gave two lectures at his undergraduate alma mater Brooklyn College (BA ’67) on Spain in Global Context and on Sustainable Solidarity Economies. He had another article accepted for publication: “America, Still Exceptional?: From Individuality to Disability and Back” in a Routledge journal, The European Legacy. Dr. Weiner has been instrumental in organizing the biennial conference of the International Society for the Study of European Ideas at the University of Zaragoza in Spain this July. At that biennial, he also has organized a workshop on “Militant Democracy, NeoLiberalism’s Eclipse and

Catherine Enos: “Invincible Incumbents: Electoral Consequences of Congressional Misconduct” (Dr. Brophy-Baermann) Morgan Leonard: “Friends in High Places: An Empirical Study of Amicus Curiae in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Litigation” (Dr. Schmeling) Kathryn Myrtle: “Does Party Trump Sex: An Examination of Gender and Political Party Stereotypes and Presentation of Self in the 2018 Congressional Elections” (Dr. Brophy-Baermann) Julia Testa: “Armed with a Mind: An Examination of Vietnam War-Era Student Protests and the March for Our Lives” (Dr. Linde)

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Spring 2019

Meet our Faculty:Thomas Schmeling

By Valmore Dumont ’19

Professor Thomas Schmeling (rhymes with ‘sailing,’ if you really must know) has been at RIC for a long time. He served as department chair for nine years (that’s three terms) and just stepped down last year. Born and raised in Wisconsin, he received his bachelor’s degree (in Philosophy and Political Science) from St. Olaf’s college and his PhD (in Political Science) from the University of Wisconsin.

Before RIC, he taught at several institutions such as Dartmouth college and Rutgers University. While his academic and professional career are certainly impressive, this can be found through a cursory Google search. The “people” (his students) are clamoring to know more about this “mystery man.” What does he do in his free time (if such a thing exists)? What is his favorite music? What is he most proud of? What is his favorite cheese? Keep on reading to find out.

He is most proud of his daughter. He is also proud of his tenure as department chair and all that he helped accomplish. More importantly, he is happy that he has been able to help students better navigate college and discover their potential.

He has a lot of pride in the work of his former students and he loves to see them thrive in their careers. Additionally, he is proud in the work he did to set up the Liberal Studies program at RIC, which helps students build a course-load around subjects that they are passionate in.

Professor Schmeling is misunderstood... he’s often perceived to be a dark, brooding misanthrope— really he’s not THAT bad. He’s just a guy who likes chocolate cake (his favorite dessert) and appreciates his cheese (gruyère is his favorite). In all seriousness, he is a wise, caring person who loves to learn and help students (not necessarily in that order). His courses may be tough and his exterior gruff, but get to know him and you’ll realize what a nice person he is. I implore you all to get to know him! Just don’t tell him that Val sent you…

In his (albeit limited) free time, he likes to travel, read, work around the house, and listen to music. He has a very eclectic musical taste that spans from classical to prog rock (his guilty pleasure). He likes music that “makes you think” and deviates from what is expected. He enjoys bands such as Pink Floyd, X, and the Brian Jonestown Massacre.

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PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION CORNER

The PERKS of Being a PUB AD Major!

This past fall, students in POL 301: Foundations of Public Administration were introduced into the world of policy and administration by volunteering four hours of their time completing tasks or participating in community organizations’ efforts. These service learning placements are intended for students to expand their professional networks and to engage in the concept of “civitas”— the idea that there is a social contract that binds us together when we live in a community. The following list includes each student’s placement and location:

Allyn Ashton: Elections Division, RI Secretary of State Nicholas Elias: Refugee Dream Center, Providence (Private Nonprofit) Silvia Escobar: Law Department, City of Central Falls Jean Marie Arnold: Hand in Hand Daycare, Narragansett Indian Tribe (Tribal) JudyCatherine Geralde: Friends Bookstore, Friends of Cumberland Library (Nonprofit) Lucille DiNaro: Salter Bay Preservation Network, Save the Bay (Nonprofit) Alondra Estevez: North Providence Animal Shelter , Town of North Providence Jake Hall: Valley Falls Heritage Park, Town of Cumberland Diana Soto: North Burial Ground Halloween Walking Tour, City of Providence Kazandra Delos Reyes: North Burial Ground Halloween Walking Tour, City of Providence Aaron Isaac: North Burial Ground Halloween Walking Tour, City of Providence Catherine Enos: Faith Fellowship Food Bank, West Greenwich (Nonprofit) Michael Correia: Treeplanting, Robert F. Kennedy Elementary School, City of Providence Edward Pesare: Community Garden, RIC Austin Dean: Community Garden, RIC Nicholas Castagliuolo: Waterfire Inc., Brazier clean up, Providence (Nonprofit) Nicolle Kenyon: Gemma Flames Hope, Greg’s East Greenwich (For Profit) Benjamin Laflamme: Volunteer Football Coach, Johnston Youth Football (Non profit) Patricia Flores: Translator, George Wiley Center, Pawtucket, (Nonprofit) Madeline LeBlanc: Dimon Regional Vocational Tech, Fall River, MA and Tess Bradley and Brady’s Landing, Sandwich, MA (Non-profit)

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INGOS CORNER

In the Know about INGOS?

This fall, the Political Science Department and the INGOS Program will welcome a new faculty member, Professor Yuree Noh. Professor Noh, a specialist in the Middle East, will teach INGO 300/POL 345 International Nongovernmental Organizations, a required course for both the minor and the certificate, as well as an elective for Political Science majors. The course will run Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00-3:50 pm.

Additionally, Professor Linde will teach POL 344 Human Rights, in which we will partner with Amnesty International for a service learning project. The course will run Tuesday and Thursday from 10-11:50 am. The course serves as an elective for the INGOS minor and certificate and for Political Science majors.

INGOS Students Seek Justice

By Noelle Sweder, ’19 INGOS minor Students in INGOS 302: Social Entrepreneurship have been working on food justice issues in Providence. Every spring semester students enrolled in the course have compiled data to create resources to benefit the residents of Providence living in food deserts. In past semesters, students worked on a food desert study of South Providence and short reports for resources available to the food-insecure residents of Providence.

This project has become the Rhode Island College Food Justice Project.

This spring semester, students have been working on designing a detailed resource sheet for Providence residents. This sheet will include food banks, government assistance programs, community gardens, and farmers markets. The resource sheets will also provide information about religious affiliation and accessibility of the locations that have these food resources. The resource sheet will be completed by May 2019 and will be available at http://www.ric.edu/foodjustice/Pages/ default.aspx.

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Photo by Ryan Hamel

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Spring 2019

GEOGRAPHY CORNER

Oh the Places You’ll Go… with Geography!

This remarkable color graphic by geography major Michael Brousseau ‘20 was drawn by hand-in response to an assignment given in Dr. Jennifer L. Bonin's Disaster Management class (GEOG 206).

Dr. Bonin’s challenge to the students was to try to describe to a public audience, using only maps and/or pictorial representations, the significance of disaster awareness, education, prevention and preparedness in one of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) officially-designated US regions. Michael picked FEMA Region VI: The South-Central States to illustrate the very large number of disasters that have struck the region since the early 1950s. Michael is an excellent student who, in his other life, is a tattoo artist who owns his own business.

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POLITICAL SCIENCE CLUB’S ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS This past fall, the Poli Sci Club held an essay contest. Entrants chose from several prompts, and the first and second place winners received Amazon gift cards. Alison Macbeth’s response to the prompt: which country is the greatest threat to world peace? won first place, while Allyn Ashton's essay on his favorite political figure won second.

The Greatest Threat to International Peace

By Alison Macbeth ’20 North Korea teases the world with its possession of nuclear arms. Russia is blamed with nerve-agent attacks.

China is slowly attempting to increase its territory. Many would assume these states would be the largest threat; however, the United States ominously looms.

international peace. Although other countries, like the Soviet Union and North Korea, have rivaled this dominance, the United States remains the only state to have actually employed a nuclear bomb. The Global Research Center2 reports that the United States has been at war 93% of its existence. As a result, no president has been considered a peacetime president. Similarly, the United States has not gone a decade without being involved in war.

The Pew Research Center1 conducted a study in 2017 comparing data of 30 countries in 2014. This research indicated that there was a 25% increase, from an average of 13% to 38%, of states that saw the U.S. power and influence to be a major threat. The United Stated stands as one of the most war prone countries as well as the most heavily armed state.

Likewise, the threat of the United States only expands with its military presence all over the world. Politico3 reports that there are almost 800 U.S. military bases in more than 70 countries. Additionally, the United States has six nuclear sites in Europe as well as large artillery stored in Norway. This allows the United States to target and mobilize much faster than any other state in the world.

Birthed out of war, the United State has become increasingly more involved with war over the last hundred years. Since World War II, the United States has actively fought in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the War in Iraq.

Alongside our massive military force, the United States frequently involves itself in wars which increases the level of threat to other countries.

It is interesting to consider that the state that hails freedom for all people is viewed as the most threatening power within the global system. However, the United States has increasingly shown its military and war-prone attitude, which leaves many states questioning the proclaimed goodwill of United States’ foreign policy.

Obviously, the United States’ possession and use of nuclear warfare has only multiplied the threat to 1The

Pew Research Center’s report is discussed on many websites including: https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/08/07/pollsus-greatest-threat-to-peace-world-today.html. However, I was unable to trace the research from Pew’s archives 2The

Global Research Center’s research is found here: https://www.globalresearch.ca/america-has-been-at-war-93-of-the-time-222-outof-239-years-since-1776/5565946 3Politico’s

research on U.S. Military bases can be found here: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/06/us-military-basesaround-the-world-119321

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On John Stuart Mill

By Allyn C. Ashton ’20 John Stuart Mill was a British MP, liberal political theorist, and ethical philosopher. He was the son of James Mill and godson of Jeremy Bentham; both were famous philosophers and established utilitarianism, the ethical philosophy that morality must center on maximizing utility (often simplified to well-being), a philosophy that Mill would take into politics. A major alteration that pervades Mill’s utilitarian theory, as opposed to his father’s and godfather’s, was that utilitarianism must be progressive in the sense that not only can society, economics and technology be improved within the application of a utilitarian mindset, but also individuals ability to contribute thereof.

while speech, can cause harm in the sense that they reduce the victim's ability to contribute to society and improve themselves. For Mill, to censor speech in particular and burden liberty in general slows the progress of civilization.

A central part of Mill’s political theory was representative democracy, his preferences laid out in his 1861 work Considerations on Representative Government. A unique element of Considerations that separates it from many earlier works on republicanism and representative democracy is Mill’s support of proportional voting, a modern standard among most democracies (one that the US should consider catching up to). Mill also approved of a voting system developed by his friend Thomas Hare— the system we now call the “single transferable vote.”

His utilitarian principles were pushed to their limits in his era by his maverick stance towards women’s rights and suffrage as seen in his work The Subjection of Women (which his wife helped develop in its early stages before her untimely death) and his petition, while an MP, to expand suffrage in 1866. His argument’s core was a utilitarian one— that the intentional prevention of the education and potential of half of society held civilization back. He also noted that expanded rights and equality for women will improve men who would then need to improve themselves to compete with an expanded worker base. This mode of thinking was also expanded to Mill’s preference for the abolition of slavery as shown by his debates with Thomas Carlyle.

His greatest contribution to liberal philosophy and to political ethics in general is the harm principle. As stated in his work (which his wife, Harriet Taylor Mill, helped edit and rewrite) On Liberty, the harm principle is the concept “That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.” This concept may seem simple and obvious today, particularly in the wake of cases like Obergefell v.

Hodges (2015), but in a time where tradition and religion ruled, it was a radical consideration. Mill primarily meant it to apply to free speech with some caveats such as harassment, libel, and threats, which,

Ultimately, Mill was ahead of his time with a consistent view of concepts that are now considered common sense. But his core view of utilitarianism is a powerful tool for policy makers and public officials. The tragedy of government and politics is that there are few decisions without some losers somewhere. But the best standard is to maximize happiness and minimize suffering.

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Pi Sigma Alpha Inducts 12 Students On April 10th, the Alpha Beta Epsilon chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha held its annual Induction Luncheon during the free period. Pi Sigma Alpha, the only national political science honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and a member of the American Association of Collegiate Honor Societies, will celebrate 100 years in 2020. To be eligible to join this illustrious society, students must have: completed 60 credits, completed at least three political science courses, including one at the 300 level or above, have a cumulative GPA of 3.3, and have a 3.25 GPA in their political science classes. For more information, please contact Pi Sigma Alpha advisor, Dr. Brophy-Baermann.

Kazandra D. Delos Reyes Lucille D. DiNaro Catherine R. Enos Patricia J. Flores Krystal P. Gladu Jacob Madore Emely Ortiz Tylar J. Rodrigues Congratulations!

President Jemma Weibrecht, Vice President Tierra Saunders, Secretary Kathryn Myrtle, and Treasurer Valmore Dumont presided over this year’s ceremony, in which the following twelve students were inducted: Juliet A. Antonio Allyn C. Ashton Allen O. Contreras Stuart Daniels

Photo by RIC photographer, Gene St. Pierre

Students to Head to Washington in May Each spring, Student Community Government and the Department of Political Science run a contest to select six students to “intern” for one week for a member of the the RI congressional delegate in DC. Each student receives $1000 for travel and lodging. If you are interested in this opportunity, be on the lookout for emails and flyers next February.

This year’s winners are: Jake Hall (Representative Langevin) Alison Macbeth (Senator Whitehouse) Emily Miller (Senator Reed) Kevan O’Donnell (Representative Langevin) Vincent Venticinque (Representative Cicilline) Adrianna Vergara Cousins (Representative Cicilline)

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LEARNING LEAVES THE CLASSROOM passion dating back to the founding of our state by Roger Williams. More recently, in the 1970's, furious tenants took matters into their own hands when landlords increased rent and ignored the inhumane living conditions of the apartments they rented out. A handful of homes throughout out the West End community were burned down by the tenants and throughout West End stand empty lots, a new demographic, and a faint memory for some of what had happened nearly 50 years ago.

Whether enrolled in a class, or engaged in an internship, students in the Political Science Department have many opportunities to learn outside of Gaige Hall. Below, discover what our students are up to in the community.

Our INGOS Tour of Providence

By Betsy St. Vil (INGOS)

Experiencing the tour of Providence allowed me to recognize the great economic strides that our city had once made. I took pride in knowing we are more than just a small state in an even smaller city. I was able to see that we were the birthplace to some of the finest and most necessary products that influenced the world.

My INGO 302 class had the pleasure of exploring the city of Providence last month. Our tour guide, Professor Motte, walked a small group of students through the birthplace of a once-industrialized city.

Being born and raised in Providence Rhode Island, it made me realize there were so many important things that I didn't know about my small city. The first being that my neighborhood, Mount Pleasant, used to be nothing but acres of apple orchards. These orchards had provided the east coast with tons of apple, apple sauce, and even cider. The second amazing discovery about my city was that Atlantic Mills on Manton Ave was one of the biggest and most lucrative textile mills in the world. At that very mill, thousands of workers dyed and shipped intricate fabrics worldwide.

Although our city is smaller than Boston, Hartford, or other neighboring cities, the people in our city had

Photos by Robyn Linde

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INTERNSHIPS This semester, fifteen students enrolled in POL 327: Internship in State Government are undertaking internships through the State Internship Program. The students also chose a bill to follow that is making its way through the state legislative process in the hopes of being able to predict that bill's likelihood of becoming law.

Placement sites for the Spring 2019 State Internship Class (POL 327):

Ryan Asadorian

RI General Assembly, Senator Stephen R. Archambault

Stuart Daniels

RI General Assembly, Representative Stephen R. Ucci

Kazandra Delos Reyes

RI General Assembly, Representative Marcia Ranglin-Vassell

Lucille DiNaro

RI General Assembly, Representative Lauren Carson

Alondra Estevez

RI General Assembly, Representative Teresa Tanzi

Patricia Flores

Dorcas International: Citizenship/ Caseworker Services.

JudyCatherine Geralde State House Library Steve LaChapelle

Mayor James A. Diossa, Central Falls

Morgan Leonard

Adil Business Systems

Emily Miller

RI General Assembly, Representative Deborah Ruggiero

Edward Pesare

RI General Assembly, Senator Frank A. Ciccone III

Harrison Richards

RI Attorney-General, Criminal Division

Tierra Saunders

Rhode Island College, Institutional Research

Jemma Weibrecht

RI Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission & Providence North Burial Ground

Nicolle Kenyon

RI Commission for Human Rights

In addition to their internship duties, each student in The State Internship course is responsible for following a bill from its inception that was introduced during this Session of the General Assembly and following its progress through the legislative process hoping to make a prediction of the fate of the legislation. This semester, students chose the following legislative topic area to construct a bill’s legislative history: financial literacy in schools; firearms on campus; small business taxation; compassionate care; charitable tax credits for food donations; age requirements for firearm purchases; civic education requirements; abortion rights; domestic abuse and violence counseling in schools; on-line gambling; school vaccination requirements; unemployment benefits; school transportation mandates .

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The Internship Experience POL 327 By Valmore Dumont ’19

thoughts that my connection to these things is frequently lost. Even if she isn’t fully decided on her post-graduate plans, she is indirectly helping me form mine. Kaz is an amazing person and regardless of the path she chooses, I know that she will make a positive impact. She has a lot to offer, and I’m glad to consider her my friend.

327 is a class that places students in internships in State Government Kazandra Delos Reyes ’20 (aka Kaz) is a Political Science/Public Administration double major and has recently declared an INGOs minor. She is also the President of the Political Science club and a member of the finance commission of Student Community Government, Inc. She hates cats (not the two “Cats” in our department) which is ironic because she likes to sleep at least 18 hours a day and is perPETually indifferent.

INGO 304 By Kazandra Delos Reyes ‘20 INGO 304 is a class that requires students to seek internships at local or international non-profits Valmore Dumont (aka Val) ‘19, is a Political Science major as well as a member of the INGOs certificate program. He is the Vice President for the Political Science club, in addition to the Secretary of Pi Sigma Alpha.

He plays for the RIC golf team (although not very well, he adds). He’s also an Aries, and my astrology may be a bit rusty, but I think it means that he’s the zodiac killer!! #conspiracytheorieswithkaz. Long story short, he’s a fulltime student and part-time aspiring Soundcloud rapper.

Kaz was placed in an internship with Rep. Marcia Ra n g l i n -Va ss e l l ( D, Providence 5th District) and is excited to work with her on her progressive agenda. Like Rep. Ranglin-Vassell, Kaz has a passion for promoting social justice and equality. Since her representative doesn’t have an office at the Statehouse, Kaz has been doing much of her work from home. One of her main projects is compiling a “career-portfolio” for the representative, which consists of her major legislative victories and any relevant press. Additionally, Kaz has been tasked with updating online information about RanglinVassell, as well as informing her constituents about important legislation.

Val chose to intern at the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless (RICH) because he is passionate about issues relating to homelessness and poverty. He typically interns on Mondays, Fridays and every other Wednesday. His day at the internship consists of working on several different projects that have been assigned to him. One main project is to compile information to put into their 2019 shelter guide. Additionally, he just started tracking bills that are pertinent to the organization’s mission. Occasionally, he moves the furniture around the office and that takes strength. Recently, he had the opportunity to draft testimony against an anti-panhandling bill which allowed him to utilize his skills of strategic framing and helped him learn how to effectively communicate an argument that appeals to the legislative body.

Throughout this internship, Kaz believes that she has become more educated about the dynamics of Rhode Island politics. She now has a deeper appreciation for the work that legislators perform and how many of them have to balance their legislative duties with another job. Kaz also has learned of the difficulties in ‘cold calling’ constituents and is now better equipped to deal with the awkwardness when people don’t want to talk.

Although interning at this organization wasn’t what he expected, he has learned to reassess his priorities and expectations accordingly. Additionally, he has learned how to more effectively operate in a professional environment and the dynamics that come with that. He has learned a lot from observing his supervisors, and he is starting to feel more comfortable in the workplace.

Although she isn’t graduating this year, Kaz nonetheless has some tentative post-grad plans. She is interested in graduate school, specifically in Public Policy programs and would one day would like to work in government. One of the most profound nuggets of wisdom that she shared with me is that she merely wants to work somewhere where she is “motivated” to get up for work every day. Her recognition of the essence of what she seeks inspires me to do the same. I often get too caught up in idealistic ideas and

After graduation, Val hopes to be accepted into an AmeriCorps position. After that, he wants to eventually get into grad school and one day be a professor! His ultimate goal is to become Professor Schmeling’s colleague/protégé (which really isn’t a bad plan).

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ALUMNI UPDATES Richard Muldoon ’17, Masters in Public Administration Program at Northeastern University Genesis Sanchez Tavarez ’17, JD program at Columbia Law School Derrik Trombley ’17, MPA/JD Dual Degree program, Suffolk Law School

Political Science Career Day

On March 27th, the Political Science Department welcomed 15 alumni to our annual Career Day Event, sponsored by the RIC Alumni Association. A huge thank you to the following alumni networked with current students over lunch in Gaige 200: Suzy Alba ’05 Ailton Barbosa ’10 Lindsey Callahan ’16 Mary Anne Clarke ’92 James D’Ambra ‘68 Josh Estrella ’16 Ellis Hopkins ’87 Bea Lanzi ’89 Storm Lawrence ‘14 Lavonne Nkomo Lopes ‘00 Kelly Morris ’01 Curtis Pouliot-Alvarez ’12 Michael Smith ’79 Derrik Trombley ’17 Brittany Williams ’17 Emily Winchell ‘11

Krissie Dennis ‘09

Alumni in the World of Work John Paul Cimino ’08 (Pol), JD College of William and Mary ’12, is Deputy Director of the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.

Kristine Dennis (Pyzynski) ’09 (Pol), JD Western New England School of Law ‘17, is Legal Counsel for Eventvest, Inc. Krissie is married and has a three year old at home.

Jonathan Lamantia ’13 (Pol/Phil), JD University of Connecticut ’16, is an Insurance Regulatory Attorney in Hartford, CT. Brittany Williams ’17 BA (Pol/Pub Admin & Geog minor), MPA Brown University ’18, is a Legislative Fiscal Analyst with the State of RI.

Carson Moore ‘17

Alumni in the World of Graduate School Brittany Williams ‘17

Peggy Desjarlais ‘18, Masters in Public Policy Program at Brown University Nicauris Heredia Rosario ’17, Ph.D in Political Science program at University of Minnesota Carson Moore ’17, Masters of Public Policy Program, Indiana University School of Environmental & Public Affairs (SEPA)

Help us create Alumni Updates and keep in touch with you by filling out our Jotform Alumni Survey at: https://form.jotform.com/81836149461159

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Well, the newsletter is more than a month late, but, it’s out! I think the biggest lesson from my first year in the corner office is that being chair means responding to issues as they arise and figuring out how to prioritize. It’s not easy, and I won’t claim to have always handled the challenges of being chair as well as I had hoped, but I have learned an awful lot, and am so grateful to my incredibly patient and supportive colleagues. I am especially thankful to Dr. Schmeling for his nine years of leadership, and his willingness to answer all of my questions at any hour. I also want to thank our wonderful Administrative Assistant, Amy Tibbetts, for all she does for the department and its students.

science courses are in danger of being cancelled in August if more students don’t enroll in them.

POL 300, 308, and Writing Intensive Courses Political Science majors who have completed POL 202, 203, and 204 should take POL 300 (Methodology in Political Science) and POL 308 (Contemporary Political Controversy) before taking most of your other 300-level courses. POL 308, our Writing in the Discipline course, is especially crucial to take before you select your two writing intensive courses. To see which 300-level courses are considered writing intensive, check your advising report, the catalog, or the department’s advising sheet.

Writing intensive courses require a 10-12 page research paper, and you are not limited in the number you take for the major.

Throughout the year, members of the department have been meeting regularly to think about what we can do to better recruit and serve students. One result of these meetings is the Department of Political Science Survey that all majors and minors in the department (Poli Sci, Pub Admin, Geography, INGOs) received via RIC email last week. Please use the link in the email to take the anonymous survey by May 17. It’s really quite quick, and the data we collect will help us as we plan for the future. Four randomly selected respondents will receive $25 Amazon gift cards for their participation.

Departmental Honors It’s never too early to start thinking about departmental honors. If you’re a political science student with a major GPA of 3.4 and an overall GPA of 3.25, consider doing a senior honors project. In your junior year, you should come up with a research question or topic that interests you and approach a professor who teaches that subject to serve as your thesis advisor. A very brief application should be completed by April 15th to get approval to start the project in the fall of senior year. For more information on departmental honors and doing a senior honors project, see our honors director, Dr. Hofhansel, and go to: http://www.ric.edu/politicalscience/Pages/awards.aspx

New Faculty Members If you haven’t yet had a chance to take a class with Dr. Natalie Rogol, who joined the department this year, she’ll be offering POL 357: The American Presidency in the fall. We are extremely fortunate to have not one, but two new faculty, as Dr. Yuree Noh joins us in August. She will teach both INGO 300 and a topics course on the Politics of the Middle East.

London Course In July of 2020, Drs. Rich Wiener and Seth Dixon will be leading a group of students to London to learn about British and European politics, geography, culture, and more! For more information, contact Dr. Weiner at rwiener@ric.edu or Dr. Dixon at sdixon@ric.edu,and go to h t t p : / / w w w. r i c . e d u / p o l i t i c a l s c i e n c e / Pa g e s /

If you haven’t already, please register for your fall classes ASAP! College budgetary issues mean departments will be asked to cancel under-enrolled courses. As I write this, at least seven 300-level political

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Volume 6, Issue 2

Spring 2019

Ideopolis Rhode Island College Department of Political Science 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave. Providence, RI 02908

Visit the Political Science Department's website and Facebook page!

Editors Michelle Brophy-Baermann

Catherine Enos

IDEOPOLIS WANTS YOU! If you like to write and have ideas for the newsletter, consider joining the Editorial Board. Ideopolis comes out once each semester. Send all comments, questions, suggestions, news and more to mbrophy@ric.edu.

Find this and previous issues of Ideopolis online at: http://issuu.com/ideopolis, or on the Political Science website.

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