12 1 14 by The Anchor

SURVIVING THE HOLIDAY SEASON How to survive the awkward questions and family bonding after spending the last three months on campus.

08 The Anchor Newspaper

Week of december 1, 2014 | Vol: 87 | Issue: #14

t creas

n o i t i u es

Fair funding Elisha kay aldrich News Editor @anchorNews

truggling to make ends meet is not unfamiliar territory to Rhode Island College students,

but that fight might become even harder on December 1, when the Board of Education officially votes on whether or not they will raise tuition for all three state institutions. At a glance, the figures don’t

seem like much. For in-state students the increase would be 7.8%, or $595. Out-of-state students have a much larger raise, going up 8.5%, or $1,558. The totals would bring tuition costs to $8,197 and $19,858, respectively.

Graphic by Liz Di Ruggiero, Art Director

STUDENTS SHARE THEIR OPINIONS ON PROPOSED TUITION INCREASE According to the Board of Education, these increases are incredibly modest. “Campuses need this amount of money to function,” said Board of Education Chair Eva-Marie Mancuso. She added that if the state legislature does not want a tuition increase, then they must

find the money elsewhere. In order for the proposal to take action, it must go through the state house, then to Governor Chafee once it has been voted on by the full board. The fact that Rhode Island has made

TUITION

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week of december 1, 2014

news

Not your grandmother’s RIC Vision 2020 seeks student opinions about diversity on campus Elisha kay aldrich News Editor @AnchorNews

hode Island College is no stranger to diversity, but according to some students, it does not reflect that in its services. The Strategic Planning Committee, which is responsible for the Vision 2020 Plan, held a meeting last week for students to come and express these concerns. Vision 2020 is a plan that indicates where the college currently stands, and where it wants to go within the next five years. Student input concerning diversity and inclusion is important, especially as RIC’s student population becomes more and more accepting of LGBT and minority students. In the words of Lesley Bogad, one of the cochairs of the Strategic Planning Committee, “this is not your grandmother’s RIC.” But according to Bree Ruggiero, the president of HOPE, Rhode Island College as an institution has fallen behind the curve when it comes to assisting these student groups. “I’ve been meeting at intercollegiate conferences,” she said. “We basically had a talk about diversity at each campus, and we

are so behind, it’s not even funny.”

you just don’t want to put it there.”

Ruggiero stated that while other state institutions have LGBT coordinators and centers, RIC still lacks this vital part of making clubs like her’s function. She stated that although she is the only LGBT contact the school has, HOPE is one of the most active clubs of its kind in the state.

Cedar Hayes, the president of Feminists United, agreed with Ruggiero, stating that she has also had issues with professors ignoring the services that the disability center offers.

She added that professors also have a hard time addressing LGBT students due to a lack of knowledge about certain vocabulary that must be used. Students should feel as though their identities are visible in class, but they should not feel targeted, either. It is a balance that many professors have not grasped yet, according to Ruggiero. One of the ways she mentioned that could potentially help is a mandatory faculty training for not just professors, but RSA as well, so that students living on campus can continue to feel safe. Ruggiero went on the say that she believes the administration does not have as much support for diversity as they claim. “In the higher administration, there is no support for diversity,” she said. “I’m pretty sure I pay a lot of money to come here, and all these fees. You have the money,

“It felt abusive. I didn’t feel safe in that class,” she said. Hayes also mentioned that the training for professors and RSA should be every year, not just a one time deal. “It should be annual,” she said. “Things change. It needs to be consistently updated.” One of the suggestions that Bogad made was for administrators to spend more time listening to student organizations make complaints such as these. While it would be appreciated, Ruggiero believes that they might not take them to heart. “It would show a little bit of care,” she said. “I don’t know how genuine it would be with the current administration.” Vision 2020 is still in the drafting process, but input is always welcome. Email strategicplan@ric.edu to share any concerns about diversity and student services on campus.

Lesley Bogad, co-chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. —Elisha Kay Aldrich, News Editor

week of december 1, 2014

news significant cutbacks to higher from cover education is no mystery, but RIC students question whether or not the decision to raise tuition is the best way to obtain more funding, especially if students don’t benefit from the higher cost.

TUITION

“I guess the buildings need to be remodeled,” said one student, Nathaniel Lilavois. “Other than that, I feel as if the college needs more resources, and they need more money to access those resources. But everyone has to benefit from it.” Another student, Jiri Baskerville, agreed. “I think that if the school needs the money to function, they need to inform the students why,” he said. “What doesn’t function? What is my money going to? What solution do they have so they can disperse the money in a way that’s more efficient? I want to know where my money is going. If you’re going to increase tuition you need to help the services in the school.” Rhode Island College President Nancy Carriuolo was able to explain a more RIC centric reason for a tuition increase. State funds to the college dropped significantly seven years ago because of the recession, but Governor Chafee has been able to stop the decline in recent years. But state educational funding is at the same level as it was in 1963, according to Carriuolo. Since that time, costs have only increased, on top of the three year tuition freeze.

These combined facts have made funding the college very stressful. “RIC has the lowest tuition and fees of any institution of its type in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, according to a 2014 study conducted by Commissioner Purcell,” said Carriuolo. “We are proud that RIC is so very affordable. Equally important, though, is the quality of our college, and funding is needed to maintain that quality. We will not know RIC’s share of state funding until the legislature passes the 2016 budget (which funds the next academic year beginning on July 1, 2015). We are hopeful that the amount of tuition increase combined with the new amount of state funding will adequately support the costs of operating the college.” Exact benefits to students cannot be calculated until there is a tangible amount given to Rhode Island College. However, even with these stresses, students remain skeptical about the potential rise in costs. Many students struggle to buy books or even take classes part time, and many more work or take care of their families on top of going to class. Kendra Dematos, a member of Alpha Sigma Tau, believes that raising tuition isn’t the right thing to do. “I’m a commuter, and I come from a one parent household,” she said. “Since I’ve been coming here, my financial aid has been getting lower and lower, and the fact that tuition is getting higher is not going to help my situation or people whose situation is worse than mine. I don’t think it’s fair to continue to raise it.”

LIFE President arrested at Providence based Ferguson protest PROVIDENCE After the Missouri Grand Jury failed to indict Officer Darren Wilson last week for fatally shooting 18 year old Michael Brown, protests sprang up all around the country, with Providence being no different. At the protest, several people were arrested on multiple accounts, including LIFE President Servio Gomez. Gomez was the only protester who was not released on personal recognizance based on charges of vandalism, attempting to escape arrest and allegedly striking an officer in the chest. Gomez’s bail currently sits at $2,500.

Tyler Vigeant, Graphics Editor

The Giving Tree RIC - RIC’s Unity Center and Interfaith Center are teaming up again this year for the Giving Tree annual holiday event. The tree contains tags with the genders, ages and gift choices of 50 local children, most of whom regularly seek help from nonprofit organizations. The tree is located in the Interfaith Center. Generous volunteers will deliver the Giving Tree to any classroom or office by calling the Interfaith Center at 456-8168. The donations will aid collections of the St. Vincent de Paul Ministries and Children’s Friend. Make someone smile this Christmas by getting into the spirit of giving and donate today.

Extended library hours have begun

Follow The Anchor on Twitter! @TheAnchor_RIC Your news in 140 characters or less.

RIC - Exams must be getting closer when the Adams Library extends its hours. From now through December 4, the library will be open until 2 a.m. It will revert back to its regular hours this Friday and Saturday. Beginning on Sunday,

December 7 at 1 p.m. and lasting until December 19 at 5 p.m., the library will be open 24 hours with the exception of Saturday, December 13, when it will be open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Be sure to take advantage of this great opportunity. For more information, call the Adams Library at 456-8126 or visit www. ric.edu/adamslibrary/calendar.html

Nor’easter disrupts Thanksgiving travel RHODE ISLAND - The day before Thanksgiving is a frequent travel day for those with plans to visit family. This year, a massive Nor’easter named “Winter Storm Cato” by the Weather Channel greatly affected travel plans across the northeast. In Rhode Island, highway conditions encouraged passengers to slow down. Coastal Rhode Island experienced rain while Providence had a mix of rain and snow by early afternoon, transitioning to all snow later on. The most snow fell in inland Rhode Island. The good news is that Rhode Islanders woke up to dry but chilly weather on Thanksgiving morning with the precipitation finally over.

A Christmas Carol playing at Trinity Rep PROVIDENCE - “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is running at Trinity Rep. This year’s performance, sponsored by Cardi’s Furniture and Amica Insurance will be performed in the Chace Theater through December 31. Adapted by Adrian Hall and Richard Cumming and directed by Taibi Magar, this year’s cast includes Fred Sullivan as Scrooge, Stephen Thorne, Joe Wilson Jr. and Annie Scurria. Several local children also have the opportunity to showcase their talents. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.trinityrep. com/a-christmas- carol or call

(401) 351-4252. Tickets are sure to sell out fast so be sure to buy one as soon as possible.

Ferguson unrest intensiﬁes as verdict is delivered ST. LOUIS, MO. On Monday night, Ferguson, Missouri Police Officer Darren Wilson was not indicted for the August 9 shooting death of 18-year old African-American man Michael Brown. Supporters of Wilson say that he shot Brown in self-defense, while Brown supporters say the shooting was racially motivated. Twelve shots were fired during the altercation, six of them hitting Brown. What was already an unsettling situation got worse after the verdict, resulting in protesters setting buildings on fire. The National Guard is deployed in Ferguson. Officer Wilson made his first television interview this week with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News.

Iran nuclear deal remains unresolved IRAN - The deadline for reaching a deal on Iran’s nuclear program was originally supposed to be Monday, November 24. After limited agreement from various world leaders from United States, Britain, Germany, France, Russia and China, the deadline was extended to July. The deal calls for Iran to curb its nuclear activity in exchange for a relief from sanctions that have damaged the Iranian economy. In the meantime, Iran will see no relief from the sanctions. An approval of the deal will improve Iran’s relationship with the US which has been sour since the 1970s Iran Hostage Crisis.

week of december 1, 2014

ediToriAL

CLASSIFIED FREE 2008 Honda Motorcycle, 1000 RR. Excellent condition. If interested contact for more information: luisjose1001@outlook. com. Thanks.

Want to place a classified ad? Classifieds are free for Rhode Island College students, just show your RIC ID. Ads are $10 for Non-RIC students. Email ads@anchorweb.org to place one today.

EDITORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR BUSINESS MANAGER ART DIRECTOR NEWS EDITOR RIC LIFE EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR PHOTO EDITOR GRAPHICS EDITOR COPY EDITOR LAYOUT EDITOR ADS MANAGER TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR CIRCULATION MANAGER

STAFF Charlotte Abotsi Ashley Araby Paige Barry Jacob Bedard Janine Boiselle Everton Carter Colleen Cartwright Jonathan Carney Brian Christie

Kate Delﬁno Ryan Foley Victoria Hope Jason Johnson Rebecca Kirtlink Lauren McDonough Rebecca Pitzer Jerzy Polak

FACULTY ADVISOR Lloyd Matsumoto lmatsumoto@ric.edu

Zachary Mellin Editor of the Month

Zach provides the our readers with great tips for surviving college life, and he isn’t afraid to tackle any subject. More importantly, he runs the RIC Life section (our largest) with great command of his staff, and has come to be a reliable editor both on the page and in The Anchor. He also provides a great sense of community within our staff and helps create a friendlier office environment. It openly pains us to speak so highly of Zack, but he deserves it. Damnit, Mellin!

GET UP TO 100% COLLEGE TUITION? As a member of the Air National Guard, you’ll receive up to 100% college tuition assistance. Plus, you’ll develop the real-world skills you need to compete in today’s economy.

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Nathan Silva Ryan St. George Emilii Stein Ben Simpson Zachery Raso Nicholas Rose Alex Wall Alycia Zenga

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS Jim Hummel The Hummel Report

ashley araby Staff Member of the Month

When describing an ideal columnist, many attributes come to mind: reliable, intelligent, committed, informed and talented. In a word, an ideal columnist is Ashley Araby. Each week, Ashley provides great insight into the familiar, yet complex world of Catholicism through her column, The Catholic Connection. Her strong writing and consistency are second only to her faith, and it shows in her writing. Thank you, Ashley, for being a guiding light and true model of efficiency in The Anchor.

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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 © 2014 The Anchor. All rights reserved.

week of december 1, 2014

ric Life

Active Minds aims to relieve finals stress with puppies PaiGE barry

anchor contributor

“P

uppy Petting” has been an Active Minds staple for the past three years. Although the event has changed names in recent years, from “Pet Therapy on the Quad” to “Recess at RIC” to its latest form with tongue-catching alliteration, the premise is still the same: pet therapy dogs are brought to Rhode Island College around the time of finals week to add levity to the often stressful conclusion of each semester.

Each dog at this event is certified in pet therapy along with their owners through CCRI’s Pet Assisted Therapy Program. This program, headed by Pearl Salotto, is a three-course program for licensed professionals and nonprofessionals who aim to offer their dog as a form of wellness for various settings. These dogs may frequent a wide range of community centers, such as but not limited to centers for assisted living, educational facilities and medical and psychiatric hospitals. Recent studies have shown that pets can aid in reducing anxiety, alleviating depression and lowering levels of cortisol; a stress

hormone. As a result of these findings, a variety of colleges, such as the University of Connecticut, Yale Law, Fordham University and Oberlin College make use of special rooms in their libraries to offer students therapeutic puppy sessions in between finals cram sessions. While RIC’s James P. Adams library has strict policies on the cleanliness of their open rooms, the Student Union Ballroom has acted as a comfortable space for students and dogs to roam about as proved by last year’s pet therapy event, Recess at RIC. During this event, Active Minds added popcorn, a movie, coloring books and bean bag chairs to set the mood of ease along with the loveable pet therapy dogs. Feel free to join Active Minds along with our co-sponsors: Phi Mu Delta, Theta Phi Alpha, Delta Phi Epsilon, Anthropos, Kappa Delta Phi, ASA, Feminist United, WXIN, National Residence Hall Honorary, Anchor TV, Resident Student Association, ABC, RIC Programming, Alpha Sigma Tau, HOPE and NSSLA on Wednesday, December 10 between 7 and 9 p.m. for RIC’s very own “Puppy Petting” event.

Nominate them for a spotlight!

Photos from last year’s Recess at RIC. −Active Minds

Surviving the holiday season Zachary MElliN ric life Editor @anchorriclife

Oh, the holidays. Days of joy, merriment and time with your extended family. But for a lot of college students, the holidays contain a bit of awkwardness. Returning to home life after months of residency, dealing with questions from extended family, trying to make a gift list for friends and family that doesn’t make you look greedy. So, here are a few tips for surviving the holidays!

1. Readjusting to being at home I know RIC is a commuter school, but nevertheless, we do have some residents, many of which are returning home after a little over three months in a dorm. The return can be a

bit jarring—suddenly living by other rules, and losing the freedom you gain in a residence hall. Obviously, you could just behave like you would at home while you live at school, and you wouldn’t need to readjust, but we all know that’s not happening. But at least try, as December approaches, to work on the habits you’ve picked up that you’ll need to stop when you return home. Work on your sleeping schedule, your eating patterns, that kind of thing. Try to arrange how things will be at home. Talk to your family and make sure they understand that you need to get used to living at home again, and to try to be flexible. But most of all, be ready to change your lifestyle. If you’re living at home, you need to be ready to change how you act to suit your surroundings, and accept the need for it.

2. Playing 20 Questions with the family “How have you been?” “How is everything going?” “What’s new?” With every holiday celebration, comes the inevitable bombardment of questions from wellintentioned family members trying to make small talk. And they always meet the same answer. “Same old,

Don’t let grandma fool you. She’s been saving up a years worth of questions to ask you. −Shutterstock

Email Zach at RICLife@anchorweb.org same old.” “Just recovering from finals!” “Not much.” No one wants to answer them, and the conversation awkwardly dies. Just think about it a little bit. It happens every year, so prepare for it. Try to think of the types of questions you’re going to be asked, and think of quick responses for them that don’t just make you look like you’re trying to end the conversation and get out. Plus, this gives a good time to look back. What’s the point of your expensive education if you can’t name a single interesting thing that changed in your life over 4 months?

3. Making a good gift list Yes, yes, I know not everyone celebrates Christmas. But whether at work, with friends or with family, this is the time of year when gifts are given, and with that comes the old question, “So what do you want?” The most common answer from a college students tends to be money, but I find that that tends to come off as rude or greedy. Same with gift cards. So try to think of things you want, but are sort of frivolous purchases. New games, clothing you see online, the kind of stuff you regret impulse buying on Amazon. That’s the kind of stuff people want to hear—actual physical objects they can give you.

ric Life

week of december 1, 2014

Cloudkicker and Intronaut collaborate on new live album JacOb bEdard assistant Editor

here are a lot of things that can go wrong when recording and releasing a live album. It can be difficult to get a live mix to sit well in a recording, poor mic placement can make the sound thin or unclear and any performance mistakes that would normally go undetected are put under a microscope. To make a great live album undoubtedly takes a lot of skill on all fronts, but does the new Cloudkicker album, “Live with Intronaut” make the cut?

−focusfeatures.com

“The Theory of Everything” Stephen Hawking’s inspiring life and struggles hit the big screen

Originally, I was worried about the movie being very scientific, and maybe even slightly boring. After the first twenty minutes, I knew this would not be the case.

alycia ZENGa

The movie started with Stephen Hawking as a college student at Cambridge University, where he met Jane Wilde, a student studying languages. The audience would laugh at the awkwardness that was young Stephen, as him and Wilde fell in love. The audience would also feel the pain as Hawking was told he had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis—a disease that was supposed to give him only two years to live.

anchor staﬀ

aughter. Tears. Joy. This is what an audience of about 100 people felt last Tuesday night at the Showcase Cinemas in Warwick at the special advanced screening of “The Theory of Everything”, a movie on the life of renowned physicist Stephen Hawking. The movie is based on the memoir “Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen” by Jane Wilde Hawking, Hawking’s primary love interest in the film and also his first wife. Upon arrival at the ticket booth my companion and I were given two, large plastic cups with the title of the movie written on them. We proceeded to grab some popcorn before heading into the theater in rather high spirits. About a half hour before the movie was scheduled to begin the theater was already filling up, with about 40 people in their seats. We took our seats towards the back and munched on popcorn until the movie began. Now, it is important to note that I have struggled with science courses all throughout my school career, and went into the theater not knowing much about Stephen Hawking or his work.

From then on the audience felt the struggles of Stephen and Jane through all of the challenges that he faced due to his worsening disability. We watched as Stephen created his famous theories. We were inspired as he lived well past the two years and had a beautiful family with Jane, and we grew to love these characters by the end of the film. While I will not spoil anything, the rest of the movie was just as splendid as the beginning. With incredible character development, lots of witty and comedic moments and a beautiful love story, this movie is absolutely worth going to see. That Tuesday night I was taken on a heart-warming, stirring journey, and I truly hope that everyone reading this will be able to experience the same.

hence the new live album. The band opens with the bombastic “Subsume Part 1” and continues to perform its sequel, “Subsume Part 2”. These are both high-energy songs with odd-time signatures and heavy riffs. The next two songs that follow are

To those who don’t know, Cloudkicker is the musical project of Ben Sharp, a multi-instrumentalist from Columbus, Ohio. Sharp writes, performs and records his own style of heavy progressive rock, which he has been releasing online under the Cloudkicker moniker since 2007. Cloudkicker Us release: 11/24/14 gained a widespread following around 2010 due Price on cloudkickermusic: $9.99 to the rising popularity of independent artists on rating 3/5 the internet, and earlier both explosive and technical. The this year was offered a slot on tour with metal band Tesseract. first truly dynamic piece the band performs is called “Seriosity”, However, being a one-man recording project, Cloudkicker which begins with a very busywould need additional members sounding drum-driven section which gives way to quiet intensity. to perform on the tour. This led post-metallers Intronaut to This intensity builds for the rest volunteer as a live backing band. of the song until it hits a climax, After receiving high acclaim, the driven home by more powerful collaboration decided to recorded drumming. “You and Yours” is a more somber piece, sort of a one of their live performances,

heavy ‘ballad.’ After taking things down, the band kicks right into “Dysphoria”, which is a non-stop groove-fest that switches things up just as each part starts to get repetitive. The band ends their set with the epic “Subsume Part “8, which sounds like the end of a long journey. After the chaotic songs in the beginning of the set, this song has a real sense of catharsis. I consider this a real highlight of the performance along with “Dysphoria” and “You and Yours”. The band comes back out for an encore, “Push it Way Up!”, which is full of its own dynamic ups and downs. This was another really well-done song, and served as a strong closer. As a whole, this album is really well done. The execution of the songs is tight and in-pocket for the entire performance and the mix is really full and welldefined. No instrument overpowers another. As far as the songs chosen for the set, I found the second half of the performance to be full of stronger, more dynamic music. Not that the first half of the set was bad. It just didn’t have much variety. This may be due to my own inexperience with Sharp’s work, so maybe a long-time fan would find the songs to have more definition than I did. Would I recommend this album? I would, but only to someone who I knew was a fan of either band already. This seems more like a treat for the fans than a standalone release.

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week of december 1, 2014

opinions

Rebecca VS Victor

disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Anchor.

19 kids and good riddance

Don’t violate free speech

—Sam Mandeville, Anchor Editor

rEbEcca PiTZEr anchor contributor

ecently, a petition on Change. org by Jim Wissick from San Jose CA to remove the television show “19 Kids and Counting” from TLC has attracted quite a bit of attention. It has received 160,000 plus signatures with a goal of 500,000. I’ve never liked this show. These people, for one reason or another, have always rubbed me the wrong way. What absolutely rubs me down the back with a copper sponge and lemon juice are their anti-gay sentiments and efforts. I say efforts because many of these people are actively involved with fighting against marriage equality and LGBTQ (especially trans) rights. These people don’t just have an opinion; they’re taking action. Having an opinion is one thing, but actually using that opinion to butt into others’ lives, to keep equality from people whose lives don’t affect you whatsoever is something that we, as a society striving for equality, should be outraged about. It’s time for the Duggars to mind their own business and get off the air. Michelle Duggar has been involved in anti-trans rights. She recorded a Robocall opposing an anti-trans discrimination bill in Arkansas that would give transgendered people the right to use the proper restroom. During this call, she says, “I don’t believe the citizens of

Fayetteville would want males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female to have a legal right to enter private areas that are reserved for women and girls.” That’s right. She just referred to transgender women as “males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female.” This woman is a piece of trash. The Duggars also just donated 10,000 US dollars to repeal a law that was formed to prevent business owners and landlords from unjustly firing and evicting people based on their gender identity, sexual orientation, etc. Their oldest son, Josh Duggar, is just as bad if not worse than his twisted mother. He’s heavily involved with anti-LGBTQ efforts. He is the executive director of an organization called FPR Action, which promotes “antigay therapy” and has made claims that homosexuality is linked to pedophilia. So, according to the Duggars, the LGBTQ community is made up of a bunch of pedophiles. And we’re allowing them to have their own show? To have an influence on our media? Do you see the problem here? A lot of people are standing up for the Duggars. This is something I refuse to do and am baffled by. The Duggars are not tolerant people, so why should I tolerate them? Why would I give them the same luxury

THEN TELL US.

that they refuse to give to the entire LGBTQ community? They are homophobic, transphobic, antiqueer jerks. In my opinion, they don’t deserve to be in the public eye. Their damaging ideals have no place in a progressive society—a society that’s trying desperately to achieve equality. I’ve been told that I’m intolerant of these people’s religious beliefs, but I’m not. I’m intolerant of their actions. Believe what you want, but if you’re going to keep other people from being happy, from marrying people they love or from being given basic human rights, I have every right to have a problem with you. Intolerance towards equality should not be tolerated. Where would we be if every time we were met with intolerance, we said “Oh, well that’s their opinion we should all tolerate it,”? If we, as a society, tolerated intolerance, we’d still be stuck in the sixties. Interracial marriage would still be illegal, our schools would still be segregated. If we tolerate intolerance, if we allow people like the Duggars to have a voice in how our society evolves and changes, equality for the LGBTQ community will become a distant daydream. If we allow people who have such strong hatred for others have power, we will be giving power to hate, itself. So, I refuse to tolerate intolerance and give power to hate. Away with the Duggars. Sign the petition.

VicTOr MarTEllE Opinions Editor @anchorOpinions

f we don’t agree with something, we should take away their right to speak— and that is exactly what’s happening. A show on TLC called “19 Kids and Counting” features the life of the Duggar family. The real views of the family, which may or may not be featured on the show itself, are conservative. They are not quiet about these views. They are vocally active, and have been noted to participate in anti-LGBTQ actions which has resulted in the position they are in now. A petition on Change.org calling for “19 Kids and Counting” to be canceled because the Duggar family is openly opposed to LGBTQ rights has grown extremely popular. Specifically, the mother in the family, Michelle Duggar, recorded a message urging residents to oppose a transgender rights bill which would allow biological males to use restroom facilities, showers, and changing rooms for the opposite sex. She feared that if this passed, predators may be able to claim they are female in order to enter the opposite sex facility.

I am all for LGBTQ rights, in fact, I was one of the many people on the forefront when RI attempted to pass gay marriage year after year. If I was asked a few months ago to sign the petition, I would have signed it. However, I have changed my position, and have learned that hearing an opposite opinion doesn’t give me a right to stifle it. It almost aches me to call out the same people I worked with and urge them to stop, and to tell them they have absolutely no right to take away someone else’s free speech. If you don’t like what they have to say, vote with switching the channel or simply ignore it. We have a right to peacefully assemble and to voice our concerns even if they are extremely unpopular or derogatory. This is the beauty of America: to be able to voice unpopular views with the assurance of being protected under the first amendment. Just imagine if certain views were curbed and everyone had to think a certain way. I simply cannot fathom a world like that. Fortunately, people have seen through this and have started counter petitions, which have grown to be even more popular as the one attempting to take down the show. Long story short, the show must go on.

opinions

week of december 1, 2014

disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Anchor.

—femonite.com

Christmas is coming! Ashley araby Assistant Editor

By now all of us have experienced at least eighteen Christmases. We’ve seen the decorated trees, lit up houses or visited La Sallette. Then there’s the gifts. If we love someone, that person already knows it just by what we do for them and with them during the year, regardless of presents. Though, in the midst of shopping and merriment, it’s important to realize what the one true gift of Christmas really is; why it even exists. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus. Picture yourself out on a freezing cold night, beneath a hutch built for animals, lying down in hay. This is where Jesus was born and what He experienced at birth. God identified with us by growing up from a baby to an adult, and experienced life on earth as we do. The season of Advent begins four weeks before Christmas. Advent means “arrival” or “coming.” It’s a time to prepare for the birth of Christ. Of course it already happened long ago, but that was only the first time. Christ is still born in people’s hearts every day, especially when they receive Him in the sacraments, like Baptism and Holy Eucharist. Are we ready for Him by the way we live our life, or do we need to seek God more often? Advent is a time of hope because it’s another opportunity for us to experience what true joy really is. We’re happy when we do something we like, such as spending time with our loved ones. The foundation of that joy begins with having life itself, which is a gift that God blesses us with. The ultimate joy is Jesus. If it wasn’t for Jesus being born and suffering on the

cross for each one of us, we would not exist. There would be no joy. Having Christ in our hearts makes that joy endure and it holds permanently within us if we have faith in Him. Advent is a time to reflect on the coming of Jesus. When Christmas comes, it lasts for 12 days. Remember the “12 Days of Christmas” song? The last day of Christmas is the Epiphany, when the wise men found Jesus in the manger and presented Him with three gifts. Rather than wait to make a New Year’s resolution, make one now to learn and appreciate what Christmas presents to each one of us; a joy that lasts all year, no matter who you are, what you’ve done or been through. It’s an opportunity again to receive Christ’s love; that His love will be with you each and every day and will help you get through any trying circumstances. Jesus’s mother, Mary, is a reflection of Christ’s love. If you look at an image or display of the Nativity of Jesus, you will see Mary and Jesus’ foster father, Joseph, around a crib with hay in it, where Jesus lies. In your heart, mentally or even aloud, place all of your intentions and needs in the crib of the child Jesus. Or in the heart of Mary, His mother and our mother, who will pray to God to help you, as will St. Joseph. Trust like a little child that God will be with you and help you. That’s all it takes is to believe. Jesus said: “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you,” (Matthew 17:20). We will always need God. Even if you don’t believe in Him, understand that you’ll continually feel a longing, like a search for something to fill a void. And you’ll continually experience it until you realize that search is to actually find and experience Christ’s love. Jesus is where true joy and peace is and Christmas offers that gift.

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Building on the past Men’s and Women’s Track teams aim to maintain rashaWN VassEll sports Editor @Theanchorsports

oach Kevin Jackson and his staff help coach both the Men’s and Women’s track programs here at Rhode Island College. Last season they enjoyed one of their best years in program history, achieving six NCAA national qualifiers and

two All-American athletes who are all returning for indoor track this season. Senior Jarell Forbes finished seventh in the nation in the 400 meter hurdles. Sophomore Steve Vazquez finished second in the high jump. “To finish first in the nation is my goal this season,” Vazquez replied when asked about how he felt about being an All-American last

year. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” Sophomore thrower Seth Larbi is looking to improve on a solid freshman year after finishing sixth at New England’s in the hammer. “This year is going to be another strong year. I’m excited to see the incoming freshman year,” stated Larbi. Christian Colavecchio felt the same way about the incoming freshman crop, stating, “The young guys look promising, we also have solid junior leaders who will step up when the time is right.” As for the Women’s program

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK JERELLE WASHINGTON / MEN’S BASKETBALL / FRESHMAN Washington had 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting to go along with seven boards, two assists and three steals in a 75-57 win over La Salle on Nov. 20. He followed that performance with 11 points, six boards, three assists and a pair of steals in the clubs in a 66-60 win over Brandeis on Nov. 22, earning Washington LEC Rookie of the Week.

Destinee Barrette, Daria Braboy and Autumn Wosencroft all qualified for nationals last season. Sophomore Jessica Trautman was a member of the 4x400 meter relay team that finished third at New England’s, and when asked about the upcoming season she was upbeat. “I’m excited to see how strong the freshman girls are going to be. With our returning leaders we should be good.” Coach Jackson’s goals for the season were straightforward. He wants all six returning national qualifiers to achieve that status again.

sports Editor @Theanchorsports

unior guard Michelle Lagrotteria played her heart out against Bridgewater State last Tuesday. Lagrotteria scored a teamhigh 18 points while adding six assists and five rebounds in 41 minutes, resulting in a 68-67 loss. She converted a huge and-1 to tie the game with 42 seconds left. Lagrotteria shot 6-21 from the field but was perfect from the free throw line, making

each of her five attempts. Her 21 shot attempts were nearly twice more than anyone else on the team, but this was not because of selfish play. Lagrotteria had a decent look at the basketball for the game winner in overtime, but the Anchorwomen still fell short. Alex Moore finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals in 41 minutes. Jess Korzec came off the bench to score 17 points on 7-11 shooting from the field with eight rebounds. Devin Hill scored four of her eight points in OT to go along with 10 rebounds and two blocks.

Junior guard Michelle Lagrotteria. —Courtesy of GoAnchormen

“We are looking to increase on that number, hopefully we can get it up to eight. Six was our program record and we are looking to top that.” The men’s team finished 30th in the country, with two All-Americans. That’s another milestone Coach Jackson wants to achieve again. The idea of building on your past success is great with this attitude. Considering the dedication of his athletes, it’s no surprise that both RIC track teams are looking to have record breaking years.

Winning streak continues

Anchorwomen lose heartbreaker in OT T rashaWN VassEll

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rashaWN VassEll sports Editor @Theanchorsports

he Rhode Island College Men’s Basketball team improved their record to 4-1 with a 58-56 victory over Bridgewater State after a late surge from BSU. This win marks their third straight of the season. Senior point guard Eric Alleyne led the team with 16 points, six assists and seven rebounds while playing a team-high of 37 minutes. He attacked the basketball well, putting pressure on the defense including a big and-1 to give the Anchormen their first lead of the game. The team did not have room to operate in the paint due to poor three point shooting, (1-11 on three point FGA) but Alleyne was still able to dribble his way through traffic earning nine free throw attempts in route to controlling the pace of the game. Jerelle Washington, a freshman and former all-state basketball player from Providence stole the ball from BSU for three straight possessions in the first half,

Senior forward Chris Burton. —Courtesy of GoAnchormen sparking the team to take a 10 point lead at halftime. Senior forward Patrick Matthews sealed the game for the Anchormen at the end by scoring three points in the final minute, notching a layup of a feed from Chris Burton. He was a perfect 4-4 from the field, 5-6 from the free throw line and grabbed four rebounds, providing solid production off the bench for the team.