The Anchor - October 8 2018

Volume 92/Issue 5

THE

Rhode Island College

Established 1928

October 8th, 2018

ANCHOR

Judy Shepard holds panel discussing unity in the face of hate

Menacing Floridian algae creeps to Atlantic coast

Samantha Scetta Editor-in-Chief

Story on page 7

Photo courtesy of express.co.uk

Bannister Gallery’s opening night

Samantha Scetta & Aaron Isaac Editor in Chief & Anchor Staff

O

Photo courtesy of Britt Donahue

n Oct. 4, Mrs. Judy Shepard was welcome at Rhode Island College to tell her story and speak to an upcoming generation of people about discrimination and what they can do to perpetuate something other than hatred.

Mrs. Shepard was welcomed home with devestating news after she returned home from overseas-- news that her 21 year old son Matthew was in critical care in the hospital after being beaten.

As she walked past a

news stand she caught a glimpse of the headline “Gay Man Beaten and Left for Dead; 2 Are Charged” and was faced with the tragic realization that that was her son. Matthew Shepard was tied and beaten to death by two men. One of the perpetrators argued that he was in a “gay panic” when he found out Matthew was gay, and used this as a justification for his actions.

It has been twenty years since Matthew’s death, and his mother has fought tirelessly since. Judy Shepard has been fighting to “bring awareness to anti-gay hate” and urges colleges to Continued on page 3

Thomas Yakey Jr. Anchor Staff

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rom Oct. 4 through the 26, the Bannister Gallery is displaying “Brandon Ballengée: Ti-tânes and Other Myths of the Anthropocene.” Frank Wang Yefeng was the teacher in the art department who facilitated the show.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Crudale

The Bannister Gallery is an art exhibition room for various artists and their work throughout the year.

It is located in Roberts Hall across from the Roberts Auditorium. The exhibition hours are Monday through Friday, 12 p.m. through 8

p.m. or by appointment.

Victoria Goa, director of the Bannister Gallery, commented, “The Bannister Gallery is happy to be a space on campus that introduces students to contemporary artwork as well as serving as a place of learning for Continued on page 11

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Organizational Information Editorial Board EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Samantha Scetta | editorinchief@anchorweb.org

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Jessica Gauthier | managing@anchorweb.org

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Lucille DiNaro | business@anchorweb.org

ART DIRECTOR

Samantha Malley | artsdirector@anchorweb.org

NEWS EDITOR

Tim Caplan | news@anchorweb.org

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Erica Clark | asst_news@anchorweb.org

A&L EDITOR

Alec Ematrudo | lifestyles@anchorweb.org

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Jonathan Weaver | asst_lifestyles@anchorweb.org

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Catherine Enos | opinions@anchorweb.org

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Staff Aaron Isaac Mike Dwyer Derek Sharlock Enrique Castaneda-Pineda Alison Macbeth Joshua Magnone Thomas Yakey Jr. Jake Deblois Sophia Guerria Jake Douglas

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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.

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Legalities:

Horrace Mann: the Next Possible Project

News

Judy Shepard holds panel discussing unity in the face of hate

Continued from cover

Alison Darmetko Anchor Contributor

Photo courtesy of Britt Donahue

As anyone walking around the Rhode Island College campus would know, Craig Lee Hall is currently under renovation with an estimated completion date of Fall 2019. What many may not know is that Horrace Mann Hall is the next hall up for renovation. At the moment, the hall’s reconstruction is not a definitive plan. Rather, it is currently up for a vote in order to be approved and worked into the budget. As

mary concern with Horrace Mann is a lack of accessibility into the hall. For those unaware, the primary entrances to Horrace Mann are currently on one side of the building, which presents difficulties with accessibility.

However, the largest concern with the entire project is what will happen to the current occupants of Horrace Mann. For those who are unaware, Horrace Mann houses one of RIC’s largest open computer labs. Should

“Currently, the primary concern with Horrace Mann is a lack of accessibility into the hall. For those unaware, the primary entrances to Horrace Mann are currently on one side of the building, which presents difficulties with accessibility.” such, while it is preferable that the plan be approved, a vote to approve the hall’s renovations will not occur until next Fall.

As with any architectural project, there are a number of problems with both not renovating the building and with going through with the project. Currently, the pri-

the renovations be approved, one can’t help but wonder not only what will happen to the classes that meet in Horrace Mann, but also what will happen to the computer lab’s equipment and those who depend on it. For now, however, we can only wait to see what the future has in store for Horrace Mann.

become more accepting of everyone. She founded the Matthew Shepard foundation to fight for civil rights and hate crime legislation.

“When Matt was murdered there was an understanding from the country at large, and Congress, that the gay community had to be added to this list of marginalized communities” Mrs. Shepard said.

In a June 2018 report The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2017 members of the LGBTQ community were nearly twice as likely to be threatened with a weapon on school grounds (9.4%) than heterosexual students (5.4%) during their time in high school. They were also much more likely to be bullied on the internet (17.1% to 13.3%) and on school property than heterosexual students (33% to 17.1%).

Mrs. Shepard was joined by a panel of four people including President of Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education, Kevin Kruger, associate professor at Pennsylvania State University Susan Rankin and The President of RIC, Dr. Frank Sanchez.

The panel tackled some current concerns facing the LGBTQ community. Rankin felt discouraged after the election of President Trump and his rescinding of former Obama era protections for LGBTQ people. “When he was elected” Rankin said “ in one fell swoop about 15 to 20 years of my life’s work was gone with a couple executive orders”.

Sanchez pointed to his recent experience who are seeing what’s happening and asking ‘what can I do?’ I’m only one person, what difference can I make...”

Photo courtesy of Britt Donahue

“When Matt was murdered there was an understanding from the country at large, and Congress, that the gay community had to be added to this list of marginalized communities”

Mrs. Shepard and Kruger spoke more about activism in one’s community and how important voting is, especially for underrepresented groups.

“This election is more important than ever”, Kruger stated. “If we don’t vote, we lose our chance to have

~Mrs. Shepard

our say in congress”.

Kruger also mentioned that individual voices and local elections were just as important to bring change and to bring people together along all walks of their lives.

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928 |

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News

Understanding the progression of RIC AFT Erica Clark Assistant News Editor The purpose of AFT is to represent its members who are the eternity of the faculty. AFT works to make sure the faculty have a safe and functional work environment. They bring issues that are of concern to the faculty to the administration and vice versa. Dr. Rudolf Kraus, Assistant Professor of Educational Studies, Coordinator for Secondary Science Education, who is also apart of the negotiation and faculty committees, sat down with The Anchor to discuss the effects Rhode Island College union professors had on making their voices heard at the September 26th Postsecondary Education Council meeting.

The discussion included the progression of notifying more than just the faculty about the concerns of how large of an impact RIC has on our community, and how he believes the state has a responsibility to wage our RIC faculty fairly compared to University of Rhode Island and Community College of Rhode Island.

Kraus’s optimistic attitude toward the progression of RIC AFT was centered around teamwork: “When we all work together, we get good results”.

Kraus believes it is important for not only the faculty of Rhode Island College to be informed about the wage impact compared to other Rhode Island universities and schools, but also the student body.

Kraus mentioned, “The first thing they should know is we are working without a contract. The contract expired three months ago, and we would like to have one in place.”

Their previous contract has expired, and contract negotiations were previously not settled upon until more than two years later.

Contracts provide protection for the faculty. Kraus also

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Photo courtesy of AFT added, “professors are able to focus more fully on the students, and learning when they’re not looking behind them worried about their jobs.”

Any contract the administration creates must be voted on by the faculty.

Kraus added that it’s not his decision alone, if the faculty votes the contract down, it just means they must negotiate more.

RIC AFT believes the council’s attention is currently focused on other schools including URI and CCRI. URI benefits from being the flagship, and CCRI receives a significant benefit from the RI Promise legislation that just passed earlier this past year. Kraus stated, “Rhode Island College, while we are working toward having better facilities, we are starting with an older campus than URI is.

We are significantly underpaid.”

RIC AFT contributes in their faculty’s employee development by attempting to make sure professors are paid a competitive wage, which means RIC can hire from the best, as positions open up. There is also a process by which faculty go on sabbatical or are granted researching funding, and they can apply to the fund with whatever project they have in mind.

Compared to the national average, RIC professors are paid approximately 17% less than local institutions, including faculty of URI and CCRI. “I have the patience and attention to detail that makes for a good negotiation com-

mittee member. So that is an area that I can help.” These are various members of RIC AFT including graphic designers, who made the signature blue ‘RIC AFT’ pin you see many faculty wearing around campus.

Kraus mentioned “we teach and prepare a lot of Rhode Islanders to be apart of middle management in Rhode Island” He believes this is an important key tool at Rhode Island school due to the fact that most Rhode Islanders who go to school in the state will most likely end up staying here. Kraus also stated the importance of our students awareness is that many RIC students who are becoming nurses, teachers or even police officers could end up in a union themselves.

RIC AFT says that they are progressing to make an impact, but they have already achieved many goals.

Kraus mentioned the current contract is an improvement than the last one. Progression has been made in the area of inclusive contract language, which has made AFT able to clarify positions of librarians in Henry Barnard school of faculty.

Generally, making it more clear about what people’s expectations are, and aren’t, in terms of their work worlds.

Union meeting are open to the public and anyone is welcome to go. Every department sends a representative to these meetings, and Rudolf is the representative for his department. Kraus added, “As I learned more, I became more involved.”

RIC AFT is currently filling their committees under the previous President, Jason Blank, some of the committees had stopped meeting, or declined membership. AFT is trying to get everyone involved.

“I think we’re moving in the right direction, and I think the administration believes threre needs to be something done.”

| Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

News

Publick Occurences and political polarization

Aaron Isaac Anchor Staff

Would you ever vote for a different political party than the one you identify with?

Many people have said no. This ideological split between the two parties is called political polarization and was the topic of a panel that “Publick Occurrences” put together at Rhode Island College on Oct. 3.

Georgia Hollister Isman, State Director of the Rhode Island Working Families Party, opened the talk by saying she wanted to move away from the mean spirited style of political campaigning. She says bringing forward a clear vision of the future is what brings voters together.

Panelist Mike Stenhouse, founder of the Bill Center for Freedom and Prosperity, followed by saying there are fundamental disagreements that point out the two groups. Some people “just want to be left alone” without government intervention and the other side believes “people should be dependent on government” and that

“government should control our lives.” Political Science professor at the University of Rhode Island Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz simply smiled at the comment.

Merkowitz doesn't see polarization as a new phenomenon. She says what we see today is similar to what we’ve seen in historical moments such as the founding of the United States Constitution, Brown vs. Board of Education and the Civil and Vietnam wars. These moments brought tough questions up to the public but “looking historically,” she said, “ we’ve been able to get through these things and progress as a country.”

Writer and Fellow at Brown University Marc Dunkelman disagreed. He says that one of the things that must have changed is that we spend more time with people who agree with us and less with those who aren’t like us. He says that when we don’t talk to the other side we feel like we have to fight the other side

Photo courtesy of Thomas Crudale because we don’t know them and don’t necessarily trust them.

Ted Nesi, economic and political reporter for WPRI, and Alan Rosenberg, executive editor of the Providence Journal commented on the media’s role in polarization. Nesi was worried about social media which surprised him with how mean spirited comments are. “In person you would almost never do that kind of thing” he

remarked. Rosenberg wants to challenge polarization by giving both sides of each argument to let people know of an opposing point of view.

The social polarization was what RIC Political Science Chair Michelle Brophy Baermann focused on.

“We’re not really polarized on issues but we are more tribal” and our dislike of each other has increased.

RIC Vice President of Student Success Jason Meriwether sees something

similar in colleges. He looks at people who were disinvited from college campuses to say that even college students are not listening to views they disagree with. Rather than challenging viewpoints, people have begun to make assumptions about the other person.

The panelists emphasised listening to the other side of the debate, rather than concluding a person’s character based on their political affiliation.

President Sánchez appointed to New England Board of Higher Education

Tim Caplan News Editor

According to a press release from June 12, 2018 president of Rhode Island College(RIC) Frank D. Sánchez was selected by current Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo to be a part of The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE).

The NEBHE is an interstate compact business that was created by the six different governors from the different states in New England to enhance education and educational resources as well as promote higher learning.

The members who are appointed to the board of the

NEBHE serve terms that are two years in length. President Sánchez will join a prestigious group of individuals on the board including Senator Louis P. DiPalma of the Rhode Island General Assembly, Associate Vice President for Community, Equity & Diversity Naomi R. Thompson of the University of Rhode Island, and Senator Hannah M. Gallo, also of the Rhode Island General Assembly. Members come from pubic and private education to serve on the board, as well as individuals working as public servants, as well as those who have come up through the way of

private industry and entrepreneurship.

“I am honored to accept the governor’s appointment and enthusiastic to serve on the board at a time when higher education is facing such unprecedented change,” said Sánchez.

A complete list of public policy plans as well as educational resources can be found on nebhe.org.

Nebhe.org also sends out press releases concerning their activity, as well as a full list of the delegates on the board, a full list of all staff members, and an annual report on the work of this organization.

Photo courtesy of Britt Donahue

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928 |

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Health & Science

Goretober: does science justify your favorite horror scenes?

Lucille DiNaro Business Manager

Moviegoers find solace in the fact that horror movies are exaggerated depictions of real life. Even the most gruesome, horrific scenes aren’t too scary because viewers know that it’s just Hollywood. In the pursuit of good, old-fashioned Halloween fun, I’d like to prove that the opposite is true. Filmmakers most grotesque horror scenes—your worst nightmares—are absolutely plausible. Under the right circumstances, of course.

“Oldboy” Chan-wook Park, 2003 This neo-noir action film is not shy when it comes to blood and gore, but the final few scenes elicited a visceral reaction many viewers were not ready for. As an act of both repentance and loyalty to his captor of fifteen years, protagonist Oh Dae-su maniacally cuts off his own

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tongue with nothing more than a pair of scissors and a purple handkerchief.

The ceremonial tongue cutting of Dae-su has deep seated roots in history. Elinguation, the cutting out of the tongue as punishment, was a common torture method carried out as early as 1700 CE, most often against individuals accused of slander.

The primary concern this scene poses on Dae-su’s life is the possible severance of the lingual artery, which originates from the external carotid artery, a major artery of the head and neck.

Improper coagulation of blood in the case of a lingual artery hemorrhage can result in a fatal obstruction of the upper airway. Historically, elinguation overwhelmingly resulted in death.

The observable evidence in the movie is hard to depict, and there is conflicting literature as to whether Oh Dae-su would make it out alive. While proper pressurization of the wound and a bit of luck would keep Dae-su alive, it is extremely improbable.

“Saw II” Darren Lynn Bousman, 2005 The infamous Jigsaw has presented moviegoers with over a decade of gore, but one trap in this particular film has stuck out as one

of the more disturbing scenes in the franchise.

Amanda Young, one of Jigsaw’s victims, is thrown into a pit of hundreds of used hypodermic syringes and is given two minutes to sift through the refuse for a single key.

During this process, Amanda subjects herself to dozens of needlestick injuries, leaving her at risk for HIV, hepatitis C and severe infection.

These bloodborne diseases are indeed deadly but pose no immediate threat in this scenario. Needlestick injuries are common in the medical field and are routinely treated without serious consequences. It is assumed that these needles contain trace amounts of heroin.

However, mere punctures would not allow for the drug to significantly affect her.

Much to the disdain of

trypanophobes, Amanda successfully finds the key located deep within the needlestack and manages to survive through four more Saw films. Although this scene is visually damaging, it is highly unlikely that Amanda would suffer from anything more than psychological shock.

“Gerald’s Game” Mike Flanagan, 2017 This Netflix release left viewers reeling with disgust as Jessie Burlingame escaped a pair of handcuffs by degloving herself with nothing more than a shard of glass. Despite the gruesome nature of this scene, not only does science support Jessie’s escape, but also suggests that she could have a full recovery.

The injury Jessie inflicted upon herself is commonly seen in road traffic incidents, conveyor belt and ring avulsion injuries. Oftentimes all vital structures in the hand--digital nerves, digital vessels, flexor tendons and lumbrical muscles--are unaffected. Viability of the hand after this injury depends primarily on the ability to preserve as much skin structure as possible and to provide an adequate skin cover.

Many people who experience this injury leave with the musculoskeletal unit of the hand completely intact, which is why Jessie was able to move her naked hand normally and escape captivity. Vascularization of the skin through arterial or venous anastomosis could allow Jessie to live as though the incident never even occurred. Unfortunately for viewers, this scene is as close to reality as it gets.

| Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Health & Science Contined from cover Killer seaweed sounds like something straight out of a substandard horror movie. Incredibly fake, and awfully cheesy. However, for those living on the Gulf Coast of Florida dangerous red algae has become a part of reality.

Toxic algae has bloomed in both fresh and saltwater ecosystems in Florida, dramatizing the amount of destruction seen by locals and tourists alike.

Algae is normal and even healthy for saline environments, however the growth in Florida is has been intensified from pollution in the surrounding area, especially pollution from fertilizer.

Harmful red algal blooms have been affecting the Gulf Coast of Florida since Oct. of 2017. What makes the red algae in the Gulf Coast more dangerous than “normal”

seaweed is the amount of marine life it has killed off in its wake.

The red algal blooms growing in the oceans of Florida are called Karenia brevis. K. brevis is an ruthless microorganism, releasing a series of brevetoxins that can paralyze gills and cause sea creatures to die, while also causing respiratory illness to those that are in close enough proximity to the ocean to inhale the toxins.

Humans diagnosed with asthma are particularly vulnerable to these toxins, as the pathway to their lungs are already inflamed.

Larry Brand, a professor of marine biology and ecology at the University of Miami describes the effects of the algae as “being hit with a tear gas.”

Brevetoxins have killed

off hundreds upon hundreds of different species of fish inshore and offshore, as well as over a dozen dolphins, 100 manatees, 300 sea turtles and a young whale shark.

That’s a lot of seared tuna and Mahi Mahi, folks.

The red tide is estimated to have spanned over

100 miles of the Floridian coast, with an inshore reach of approximately 40 miles-- that is an area almost as large as two Rhode Islands.

The red tide has unfortunately crept to the Atlantic coast of Florida, affecting popular beaches such as Miami and Palm beach.

All beach goers are warned to avoid these waters, especially those with preexisting respiratory illness.

Algal blooms are a normal oceanic growth, but not when the blooms have grown to a point where they are literally choking marine life and harming human beings.

The time has come when we seriously need to reevaluate how much, as a consumer society, we mass pollute our oceans.

Florida has lost over $8 million dollars due to cleanup, and faced a major deficit in the tourism industry as tourists are not especially apt to swim in an area that is contaminated with not only poisonous seaweed, but hundreds of pounds of dead fish.

Photo courtesy of Naples Daily News

Clusterfackt

Mike Dwyer Anchor Staff The oldest organic color is a bright pink discovered in West Africa. Evidence in Jordan suggests that bread came before agriculture while scientists in Britain claim to have proven that the chicken came before the egg.

The average height of an adult American male is 5-foot-10 while the average hand size of an adult American male, measured from the tip of the middle finger to the wrist, is roughly 7.44 inches.

Standing at 6-foot-2 with a hand size of 7.25 inches, President Donald Trump’s hands are objectively, and scientifically, smaller than average.

Partisans tend to believe that their preferred candidate is taller whereas vocal disorders make politicians more persuasive.

A non-profit organization called OpenBiome specializ-

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Menacing Floridian algae creeps to Atlantic coast

es in purchasing, processing and packaging poop into oral tablets which they ship all across the country, providing a life-changing treatment for people suffering from the effects of C. difficile, a bacteria that causes colitis.

The company will pay up to $13,000 a year for donations, many of which come from students at nearby Tufts University where the average in-state tuition is approximately $52,000 a year.

"I never thought that after getting my PhD I'd start mailing poop around," said OpenBiome’s co-founder Mark Smith in an interview with The Washington Post.

Of the student donors, Smith thought it was “great to have a healthy contingent of regular gym goers” in such close proximity to his Medford, MA office that

can meet his high fecal standards.

Pornography has negative impacts on the sexual satisfaction of men, but less so when those men have a low opinion of the Bible.

The negative correlation between intelligence and religiosity is weaker in the Bible Belt.

A study in New Zealand has shown that humans exhibit racism towards robots of color.

Engineers have created a robotic baby that kicks up particulate matter in carpets.

A researcher has proposed that Rene Descartes experienced Exploding Head Syndrome.

Forensic otologists have theorized that Sir Isaac Newton suffered an inner ear imbalance, a lifelong condition which led to his discovery and study of

gravity in 1492.

Voting districts trend Republican when there are more pickup trucks than sedans.

At least one percent of voters swing right on rainy election days.

Gene therapy has stopped mutant female mice from mutilating the genitalia of their male counterparts.

When served food atop fake feces, Chimpanzees will hesitate before eating.

Checking the facts with Dwight Myers: Unfortunately, once again no one was able to correctly identify the false facts from our previous issues. It’s time to reveal the falsehoods of the last fortnight. In our third issue of Clusterfackt the author claimed that a group of computer scientists in Singapore successfully downloaded the conscious-

ness of a monkey to an artificial neural network but failed to communicate with the AI because the digitized primate would not cease screaming. This claim was simply the thought vomit of a complete nincompoop.

In our last issue, the author of Clusterfackt tried to make the falsehood more apparent but it still failed elicit criticism. So to be clear––a ton of bowling balls and a ton of feathers will fall at the same velocity as a ton of feathers in a vacuum chamber with no air resistance, but on earth, a ton of bowling balls will fall faster. Astrologers made no claim to the contrary because astrology has absolutely nothing to do with scientific inquiry or facts.

Astrology is pure superstitious pseudoscience.

| Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Health & Science

Cyanobacteria: The unsung heroes of life on Earth and beyond

Britt Donahue Photo Editor

Most people don’t give much thought to cyanobacteria, the bluegreen, photosynthetic microbes that can be found just about everywhere on the surface of the Earth; but these little super stars are thought to be responsible for turning an inhospitable space-rock into the life-sustaining planet we know and love.

Today, our atmosphere is around 21 percent oxygenwhich is good news for us! But about 3.8 billion years ago, the atmosphere was toxic for anything but the most extreme organisms.

Luckily, the high levels of carbon dioxide were no problem for

gist from Spain’s National Center for Biotechnology, wasn’t looking for cyanobacteria when he bore 2,000 feet deep into the Iberian Pyrite belt, but there it was, thriving in the dark.

Researchers hypothesize that in the absence of sunlight, the cyanobacteria use hydrogen to fulfill their energy needs.

This is not the first time life has been discovered in unexpected places. In 1977 a team of geologists, geochemists and geophysicists from the National Science Foundation traveled to the Galápagos to study deep sea hydrothermal vents. The discovery of giant clams, tube worms, crabs and other animals living at depths that never see sunlight, shattered

Sleep more, live better

Samantha Malley Art Director Chances are, you’re a typical college student balancing numerous activities including (but not limited to) homework for all your classes, spending 20 plus hours a week at your job and possibly being involved in sports or clubs. Not even mentioning eating three times a day and maintaining a social life, you’re a busy person. Finding the time to get enough sleep is understandably difficult when juggling the everyday tasks of being a college student, however, it is crucial for your health.

The average college student needs seven to nine hours of sleep every night to wake up the next morning ready for their day. Only 11 percent of students across America say they get the right amount of sleep every night. This bad habit is called sleep deprivation, and it may be the reason you are not feeling yourself during the semester.

Sleep deprivation has both long and short term consequences First of all, cognitive factors will be extremely altered. Your ability to focus, think and process information as well as recall old information will be damaged. You don’t want to lose your ability to recall information when you have an exam worth 30 percent of your grade coming up. Your immune system also eventually becomes dysfunctional.

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cyanobacteria.

They quickly got to work, turning the massive amounts of water, sunlight and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and oxygen, in the process known as photosynthesis.

Fast forward about 1.5 billion years, and we arrive at what geologists refer to as “the great oxidation event,” a change in Earth’s atmospheric makeup. Oxygen was able to accumulate in the atmosphere, eventually leading to the evolution of complex, multicellular organisms, like us!

Because cyanobacteria acquire energy through photosynthesis, one wouldn’t expect to find them underground, but in a surprise twist, that is exactly what happened. Fernando Puente-Sánchez, a microbial ecolo-

Just to mention a few things, your chance of becoming sick is much easier, and you also have an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer. Your mental health will begin to deteriorate because your circadian rhythm, or natural time clock, is all messed up when you don’t get a routine amount of sleep every night.

Your physical stress response increases as well as your anxiety and depression levels. With all that’s on your plate, you don’t want any more trouble or stressors such as gaining weight. Lack of sleep causes unhealthy cravings to fulfil your energy needs, leading to a poor diet and potential health problems as a result.

In order to avoid all these life inconveniences, here are some helpful tips to help you sleep.

Stop using technology at least 30 minutes before you want to go to bed. The blue light from electronics blocks melatonin, a hormone that can help you fall asleep. Instead of scrolling on your phone or watching TV, try reading a book, listening to music or coloring.

Eating regularly and scheduled meals can help as well. If you have a day off, try meal prepping. Being physically active most days will benefit you immensely by reducing stress, which promotes healthier sleep, and tiring out your body.

Spending a good amount of time

outside during the day will also trigger your body to correct sleep cycles. Try walking to class or eating lunch outside.

Lastly, practice your time management skills. Do not rely on the weekend to catch up on your homework. Stay on top of your assignments to reduce stress and mentally plan your days ahead,

perceptions of the kind of environments that could support life, and Puente-Sánchez’s discovery has done it again.

Although scientists are not yet sure what the significance of the underground cyanobacteria is, some researchers are excited about it’s impact on the search for life on other planets. While colonies of bacteria aren’t exactly the kind of life on other planets that get most of us excited about, learning more about what is possible in the extreme environments of our own world will help biologists imagine what is possible in the environments of other planets, aiding them in the search for alien life.

not to mention keeping up your grades.

These tasks may seem small but they are extremely helpful to your sleeping habits and essentially important to your health. This would be a good time to stop whatever you’re doing, clear your schedule, and catch up on that healthy sleep!

| Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Arts&Entertainment

Sophia Guerrier Anchor Staff

RIC hosts rap artist Ty Dolla $ign

On Oct. 4, Rhode Island College held their highly anticipated concert headlining R&B artist Ty Dolla $ign at the Recreational Center.

RIC has had many events in the past but the presence of a concert had been absent for years, making this one in particular unforseen and special for students and faculty.

RIC’s very own Genesis Garcia played a major role in organizing the concert along with Campus Life’s Brittney Murtaugh and Mike Giacolone and Student Government. Their determined planning not only led to the event but also allowed it to be free for all RIC students due to the generous sponsoring by the Student Government.

Three opening acts were included in the show consisting of Providence rap group The $inisters, another Providence rap artist and former RIC student going

by Scribe, and an R&B band called Kameron Korvet.

When the lights dimmed down and the crowd began to get loud and comfortable, The $inisters swamped the

stage with confidence to start the show off with their contagious energy. Before the show, Jabubu, the main rapper of the group, clarified that they “wanna be different and show out,” and they did just that as their fast raps and stylish dance moves got the crowd going.

By the time Scribe came on as the second act, the Rec was packed with lively students filling in the gaps to the open layout of the show.

Photos courtesy of Sophia Guerria

The rising of temperature signaled the great increase of attendance and the excited students now openly dancing and chanting from the vigor of the previous performance.

Scribe sparked the audience immediately, running onstage to an upbeat song and shouting into the microphone for the crowd to put their hands up. He had now become the crowd’s commander as his interactive performance had them obey every order and bounce all throughout his set. Providing insightful commentary on life and even joking with the audience exclaiming, “you don’t know who the f**k I am!”, Scribe assured that his set stood out from the rest.

Right before Ty Dolla $ign, Kameron Korvet came out as the last opener.

Beginning the show with a cover of Lauv’s “I Like Me Better,” Korvet and his live band rocked the audience with their passionate instrument playing and melodic vocals. Transitioning from rap to R&B, he maintained the strong energy of dancing and singing and gave way to the upcoming main performance in which the ansty crowd had been waiting for all night.

The moment the lights

turned completely off and it was obvious that Ty Dolla $ign was making his way onto the stage, the crowd erupted with their continuous “Ty Dolla $ign” chants.

Colorful fluorescent lights beamed through the crowd reflecting their intense joy as the singer took the stage.

Ty Dolla $ign displayed electric energy as he announced to the crowd his excitement to be performing at RIC. He performed some of his hit songs “Paranoid,” “Or Nah” and “Wavy” that the audience sang back to him word for word. Three crowd members were even selected on

stage to sing and dance with the singer which invigorated the already loud and animated atmosphere even more.

Ty Dolla $ign’s exit proved that there was no question that he put on an entertaining show for the RIC community as the crowd exploded in satisfaction.

RIC has started the fall semester off with rapper Talib Kweli for the Freshmen Lecture and a book signing from author Emily D. Danforth. Now that the Ty Dolla $ign concert has joined the list of events that RIC has so far put on in the fall, it is natural to speculate what is to come in the near future.

“RIC has had many events in the past but the presence of a concert had been absent for years, making this one in particular unforseen and special for students and faculty.”

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928 |

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| Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Arts&Entertainment

Bannister Gallery’s opening night, Brandon Ballengée: Ti-tânes and Other Myths of the Anthropocene

Continued from cover

students to come access our permanent artwork collection.”

This is a place for all people, both students and the public, to appreciate art and experience art that they would not be able to experience elsewhere. Even the Bannister name of the gallery is in memory of Edward Mitchell Bannister, a nineteenth-century African-American artist who helped found the Providence Art Club.

Brandon Ballengée is the artist, biologist, educator, and environmentalist whose artwork is displayed in the gallery. He has artwork that has been exhibited in more than 20 countries. He also holds a Ph.D. in Transdisciplinary Art and Biology. His concern for both humans and non-humans as they are affected by both climate change and pollution are

present in the gallery. This collection is comprised of four different series of artwork in various forms including photographs and mixed media to represent the negative impact of humans on the environment as it affects animals.

“We are very grateful for the curator of this exhibit, Hyewon Yi, for her time and effort in curating a show that is very relevant to our current political climate”, said Victoria Goa. Hyewon Yi, the curator of the exhibit, was very knowledgeable and happy to be here at Rhode Island College with this exhibit. She is a teacher of art history at SUNY College at Old Westbury where she also served as the director and curator of their own gallery. She earned a doctoral degree in art history from CUNY. She said, “It is an important exhibition. This

exhibition highlights a significant issue that deals with our humanity and our civilization: the impact of human activity on nature and our environment.

Climate change is all over the world and has affected the subjects of the exhibit.

They are seemingly beau-

tiful, but these specimens are impacted as a result of our human activity impacting our environment and our ecosystems.

It is organized by past, present, and future.”

As Hyewon Yi wrote in her essay for the gallery, “Ballengée’s work also

conveys his belief in nature’s perseverance and in his hope for restoration.”

This is truly a work that shows nature’s beauty to recognize that there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel known as pollution.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Crudale

Rhode Island College presents: “Cherry Orchard” Thomas Yakey Anchor Staff This past month from Sept. 26 to 30, Rhode Island College’s Theatre Department put on a production of “Cherry Orchard.”

This was a play written by Anton Chekhov and translated by Curt Columbus.

Tyler Dobrosky, Trinity Repertory Company’s Associate Artistic Director, came and directed the play. This play was performed in the Helen

Forman Theatre, RIC’s own “black-box theatre.”

A “black-box theatre” is a literal black box-shaped show space that can be manipulated in any way needed for a production including staging and seating. In short, the play was about an aristocratic Russian family who tries to survive in hard economic times. They try to preserve their family in the middle of the pressures of “progress” including peo-

ple who want to buy the property from the family.

The scenery designed by Katryne Hecht was simple but beautiful, only adding to the play without hindering it. Jonathan Rosa designed the lighting which mingled successfully with the scenery to create a world outside of our own.

The design team went all out as original music was composed for the show by Ben Scheff. Nour Shabo, the stage manager, was

nominated for a scholarship by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for her managing. Similarly, Kate Westgate got nominated for an acting scholarship by the same organization, especially based on her role as Lovey (the mother) in “Cherry Orchard.”

Audrey Crawley, a senior theatre performance major who worked backstage on the production, commented, “The cast and crew took a really tough

play and executed it really well. Victor Neto’s monologue was incomparable.”

In addition, Jen Nardi, another senior theatre performance major, who played the role of Varya, said, ““Cherry Orchard” was a fun experience and honestly it felt like I got to learn a lot. It was definitely interesting to be part of and I was happy I got the chance to do so.”

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928 |

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Arts&Entertainment Forza Horizon 4: send help

Jonathan Weaver Asst. A&E Editor I don’t do video game reviews. I rarely find video games interesting enough to play them to the point of being able to even construct a proper review. Except within the last week or so, I have clocked so many hours into “Forza Horizon 4” and I didn’t plan on it. This game is all-consuming and I can’t stop myself from racing across British countryside at breakneck speeds for a few more hours each time I think about walking away.

“Forza Horizon 4” is an Xbox One exclusive which just dropped.

The basic premise is that of a music festival called Horizon being hosted in Britain. For some reason, the main attraction of the festival isn’t music, but instead cars. A lot of cars.

I’ve been a car-guy for as long as I can remember and the amount of freedom handed to me in this game is insane. I can customize and tune every single aspect of my childhood dream cars, and then watch my tunes either improve the car or sometimes destroy its driveability as I discover my tires no longer care about anchoring my 1.5 ton metal coffin -- barreling down the road at a bit over 220 mph -- to the road anymore.

A huge map is there to be explored alone or with friends, you don’t even always have to be racing, as nothing stops you from going off for a couple hours and just driving your favorite cars in what I can only describe as the perfect

12

Photo courtesy of Forza Horizon 4 love-letter to car culture.

This is a game that understands what a gearhead wants. I don’t want speed boosts or power ups. I want to tinker with my toys to the point of obsession and then practice the same routes and turns over and over until I can go online and dominate other players who have done the same thing.

This game can hold your hand if you’re new, which is awesome because I think there’s something for everyone to enjoy here, but if you think you know what you’re doing the game won’t stop you

from turning off traction control, abs, and driving with a clutch. To me, that is when this game really shines, when I’m sliding around a rain-soaked bend going 140 mph in a turbocharged 92’ Ford Escort praying I can hold the line because the only thing preventing me from wrapping myself around a tree is my thumb and my rpms redlining. I haven’t experienced another game that gives me a rush like that.

I don’t do video game reviews.

I think review scores are useless and they can’t be trusted.

However, I haven’t found a game I enjoyed this much since “Metal Gear Solid 3” in 2004.

That being said, I feel obligated to do the very thing I hate and give a review score. I give this twenty-three stars out of five or something, which doesn’t really mean anything but what is important is, that if you have even the slightest interest in car culture, you need to play this game because you are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t.

And if you get a chance, send help -- I can’t stop playing.

| Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Arts&Entertainment The Cantina Mandalorian 101

Jonathan Weaver Asst. A&E Editor

It was just announced that Jon Favreau’s highly anticipated live-action series set in the Star Wars universe will be titled “The Mandalorian.” Most fans know Mandalorians as the enigmatic and cool bounty hunters from the main movies, but beyond Boba Fett’s short but fan-favorite run, and Jango Fett’s contribution of his DNA to the clone army in the prequels, who are the Mandalorians?

Mandalorians are humans known for their amazing skills as warriors. In the old canon, Mandalorians were known for their millenia-spanning feud against the Jedi. Born on the planet Mandalore (or later on, conquered worlds in Mandalore-controlled space) Mandalorians follow a clan based society with a hierarchy of factions all beneath a single ruler, the Mand’alor.

The Mand’alor was the strongest and bravest warrior who has proven them-

selves to be a natural born leader. In the old canon, there was a long documented list of individuals to hold this title including, Jango Fett, Boba Fett, Canderous Ordo, and even a moment where the revived Darth Maul sought to usurp the title. In the newly-established Disney timeline, there have currently been three known individuals to hold the title, albeit that list will likely be expanded with information in a new series based entirely around a member of the Mandalorian culture.

Released alongside the announcement of the new series was an image of an unnamed Mandalorian warrior in traditional armor akin to that seen on Jango, Boba, and the Mandalorians present in both “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Rebels.”

Traditionally this armor, along with Mandalorian fighting style, came from the desire to compete against Jedi Knights in battle.

Much of their armor

Photo courtesy of theverge.com plating was lined with a cortosis weave, which was known for its ability to resist and sometimes even rebound a lightsaber blow.

In addition to the plating, many were known to enter battle with gear such as jetpacks, wrist rockets, and grappling hooks.

These tools were primarily developed and

adapted with the purpose of keeping up with and even overwhelming a Jedi Knight, known for their agility and speed.

Many Mandalorians who left the confines of their controlled space knew little about life outside of a battlefield.

Most who ventured outward worked as bounty hunters or guns for hire. This is where

the traditional of individuals like Jango and Boba Fett working as bounty hunters come from.

It will be interesting to see if this tradition continues in the new series, or if we will be afforded some new insight to the enigmatic warrior culture.

most people were shocked to hear about the company’s closure last month.

The company issued a press release through their Twitter, announcing their closure, and sighting poor sales as the main reason.

The closure left many employees scrambling to find new income and fans

saddened and confused. The company had always gotten rave reviews for their games and their fanbase seemed to be growing. The biggest question fans had was about the fate of the final season of “The Walking Dead.” This series was arguably one of their biggest and most popular titles.

Earlier this year, TellTale released the first two episodes of the game with the final

one being slated for release by the end of the year.

However, all is not lost!

In the same press release, TellTale said that they were keeping a staff of 25 on to complete obligations to investors. That obligation includes the finishing of “The Walking Dead” and “Minecraft: Story Mode,” but sadly not the sequel to “The Wolf Among Us.” Just like “Silent Hills” and “Fable Legends” this sequel will forever be a “what if” in the minds of fans.

The closure of TellTale games is truly the loss of a great game developer, a loss that will be felt by all gamers.

TellTale Games is closing: what that means for its games

Alex Cogswell Anchor Contributor

TellTale Games, the company behind such games as “The Wolf Among Us” and

the highly acclaimed “The Walking Dead” series, is one of the most well-known video game developers today.

Their positive reviews from fans and critics alike, is why

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928 |

13

Arts&Entertainment

Marisa Lenardson Online Media Manager

Thursday Oct. 11

Friday Oct. 12

Saturday Oct. 13

Sunday Oct. 14

Walking Tour: College Hill Skyline at Waterplace 27th Annual Columbus Day Making Strides Walk: and the International Slave Presents: H2O Festival Providence Trade The American Cancer Take a hike through history.

A book event and signing Society Making Strides Stops include the John Brown with Michael Palin, member Against Breast Cancer walk House, Stephen Hopkins See a water laser light show of the comedy group Monty raises awareness and funds House, John Carter Brown inspired by Walt Disney Python. Michael will sit with to save lives from breast Library, University Hall and World.

Russell Potter, professor at cancer. From the opening the historic St. John's Rhode Island College, for a ceremony to the post-walk Cathedral. moderated discussion and entertainment, this event is a Q&A. celebration of survivors and Corner of Brown and Power Skyline at Waterplace opportunity to remember Streets FREE // 6 p.m.

Columbus Theater loved-ones lost. $20 // 3-5 p.m. $30 // 7 p.m.

Kennedy Plaza Register/Donation //7:30 a.m.

Armory Farmers Market This market features fresh and prepared foods from 17 local farmers and food producers, along with live musical performances weekly.

Dexter Training Grounds FREE // 3:30-7 p.m.

Food Truck Market Eat from your favorite food truck and walk around the city.

Burnside Park FREE// 11:30-1:30 p.m.

MIRAH, The Huntress and the Holder of Hands, Arch Cape

Arc Iris - Album Release Show!

Arc Iris is a local American indie rock band releasing their third album Icon of Ego. Columbus Theatre $10-$15 // 8-11 p.m.

TedxProvidence

RI Pride Honors Awards Gala TEDx brings the spirit of TED’ Rhode Island Pride invites s mission of ideas worth you to celebrate the spreading to our community. outstanding accomplishments It will include live speakers of members of our local and recorded TED Talks.

LGBTQ* community and their allies at the annual Rhode The VETS Island Pride Honors Awards. $28-58$ // 9-5 p.m.

Providence Marriott Downtown $15-$20 // 6 p.m.

Incredibles 2: RIC Flicks

PPAC Presents: Loew's Theatre Building's 90th See the long awaited sequel Anniversary to the Incredibles.

Celebrate PPAC Theatre's 90th Anniversary with a tour of the theatre, a magic show, cupcakes, and performances Gaige Auditorium

by School of Rock Attleboro, FREE // 7 p.m.

Providence Performing Arts Center FREE // 10-3 p.m.

The Motherf***ker with the Blues Traveler Hat Blues Traveler have a proven Witnessa dark comedy that reputation for their looks at the struggles of improvisational live shows Listen to graceful songs and Jackie, a newly clean drug and tireless touring. Their hit music that explores love, dealer, trying to naivigate his “Run-Around” earned them a loss, power and strength with life after addiction.

Grammy for Best Rock this trio of artists.

Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Academy Players of Rhode AS220 Island The Strand Ballroom & $12 // 8-12 a.m. $15 // 8-10 p.m.

Theatre $33-$41 // 8-11:45 p.m.

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PVDlive Presents Jazz Night feat. Ben Shaw Ya like jazz?

The Grange FREE // 8-10 p.m.

From Scratch A monthly series where theater makers share performance works in process/progress.

AS220 7$ // 7 p.m.

| Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Opinions

The LGBTQ+ flag: It’s time for an update Derek Sherlock Anchor staff There is a topic that needs to be addressed within (and from a member of) the LGBTQ+ community. As a non-binary, gender-fluid and pansexual being, I feel that I can address these subjects.

The main symbol of the LGBTQ+ community is the iconic rainbow flag, which was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978. However, a newer flag was revealed just last year in Philadelphia, also known as the “City of Brotherly Love.” The updated flag added two new stripes-- black and brown.

These two stripes were added to highlight the diversity within the community in Philadelphia of Black and Latinx people.

As I was growing up, learning about the community with shows such as “Queer as Folk” and films like “But I’m A Cheerleader”, there wasn’t much in

terms of displaying how diverse the community truly is. I feel that what the LGBTQ+ community needs to do is “retire” the original flag and adopt the flag now being labeled as the “Philadelphia Pride Flag” as the new symbol for the community.

Why should we do this?

Because there needs to be a visual representation of intersectionality within the community. What I mean is that we need to let our Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ siblings know that they truly belong within our community. I feel like with a community that is mostly portrayed in the media as predominantly white with films and television shows, our Black and Latinx siblings don’t get the chance to see themselves represented anywhere, with few exceptions (such as the powerful and amazing “Moonlight,” as well as the show “Noah’s

Photo courtesy of YES! Magazine Arc”).

Just by adding those two stripes we can make the clubs, the bars and LGBTQ-friendly business feel more welcoming to our siblings of color. Not showing how impactful people of color were/are to the community is, in my opinion, whitewashing the

legacy of the Gay Liberation Movement. Yes, I am looking at you Stonewall, with your distorting of the legacy that my sisters Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera fought so hard for us to be free.

The LGBTQ+ community needs to celebrate our history and legacy. The best way

to do that is by celebrating the fight our Black and Latinx siblings. They fought for gay rights just as much as anyone else. The Philadelphia Pride flag would not only acknowledge the contributions that Black and Latinx people have provided the community, it would embrace them.

The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body.

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Opinions

POTUS, delete your account Catherine Enos Opinions editor The person holding the office of President of the United States can use just about any platform they want to make public announcements. In the past, this has meant radio announcements, breaking news TV segments and press conferences. With the advent of social media has come the very modern use of it as a platform to make announcements.

If the POTUS wants to have a private Twitter account for their friends and family, they should be more than able to do so. Twitter is just not an acceptable platform to convey important information to your constituents.

This also brings up the issue of blocking people. Can a person legally be blocked from an account that makes important announcements about the country in which they live? That would be like barring people from watching certain TV channels, listening to certain radio shows, and censoring the press. All of those things are illegal. Rather than hash out legal logistics, I think it would be much easier to

16 |

Tweet or Nuke?, Photo courtesy of Patrick Chappatte just keep the POTUS of off Twitter.

I’m not just talking about our current President, either.

Although he has been the only POTUS thus far to use Twitter in a way that is completely unprofessional, he probably won’t be the last. It is just not the correct platform to use for communicating major policy decisions.

For that reason, I don’t think any President should have a Twitter account from which they make public announcements. It’s unprofessional and wouldn’t be accepted for any other profession. Imagine if your boss tweeted that he’s decided to downsize and lay off 50% of his workers? But when the President announces that he’s going to make major

policy changes, like redact Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, it’s suddenly an acceptable thing to do?

Here you have the leader of our country tweeting out policy changes that will affect millions of people’s lives and it’s being communicated through a social media website with a 280 character capacity. This is especially ludacris since it

often comes out that these decisions haven’t been run by anybody, are full of inaccuracies or are downright incorrect and they’re still considered official statements. The citizens of the free world deserve more than this.

POTUS, delete your account.

The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body.

Opinions

You pay tuition to listen, not to rant Catherine Enos Opinions Editor Every class has that one person. You know who I’m talking about: it’s that one student that dominates class time and has to discuss or debate everything that the professor says.

Whether you’re in an introductory level class or an upper-level class, there’s always that one person. And sometimes it’s understandable— maybe they’re really excited about the material or maybe no one else wants to talk in class, so they volunteer to fill up all of the awkward silences. In that case, good for them. Most classes have a participation variable to grading, so you might as well participate when you can to get a good grade.

But then there’s people

that take it to an extreme.

There’s a time for class participation and generally, professors will make it very clear when they do and don’t want students to participate. For example, sometimes students ask complex questions that just confuse the rest of class and sometimes professors make it clear that they don’t want to discuss concepts from other courses.

I’m not saying all questions are inappropriate, but if a complex question is only going to benefit your understanding of a concept, maybe consider emailing the professor or going to their office hours.

Another thing these disruptive students do is

thwart the speed of class.

Sometimes professors will be on time with the lecture and that student will start nitpicking or drop unnecessary comments, resulting in a flustered professor and annoyed fellow students.

In short, try to avoid being this student. You pay tuition to learn from your professors, not to show the rest of the class how smart you think you are.

By spending more time dropping unnecessary comments or grandstanding, you are less likely to hear anything valuable from your professors or from your fellow students. As we’ve been told all our lives: think before you speak.

Photo courtesy of Harry Potter

Why are you laughing?

Jake W. Douglas Anchor staff Many of you got the email from the associate Vice President for Community about the LGBTQ community and immigrants being targeted through flyers and posters across the campus. This is a classic example of a hate crime.

These two communities were targeted individually and with the intent to scare them.

Not only is it morally wrong but it isn’t funny either.

What’s interesting is that shows, such as “South Park” constantly get away with the things they say and make fun of. So what makes “South Park” less offensive than these hate crimes? The first reason that people provide for the media’s free pass is the First Amendment. As a television show working for a cable comedy network, they have the right to express their views to the people in the United States.

Another reason that

Photo courtesy of Giphy people may not think about is how the creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, made it a mission to offend as many people and groups as possible. The reason why it’s funny is because they make it a point to make fun of everyone and everything.

If “South Park” only made fun of one group of people, then it would be considered a show committing a hate crime.

What is unfortunate is

that some people can’t tell the difference and are too ignorant to acknowledge that putting up flyers like the ones on campus isn’t funny. This branches out to an even larger topic on how desensitized we have become as a country. As a country,we seem almost unfazed by the fact that there are kids and people are being shot up in schools, malls, airports and virtually any public place.

The White House seems to

have become a reality show.

It’s definitely a weird time in U.S. History.

Being a college student, I feel that it is important to pay attention to the political climate. Since we are the future, we have to figure out how to fix this failing system. Many people think that what is going on is a bad thing, but I believe it is good because we know know how divided we’ve become as a country. It puts

a spotlight on all the people that have been suffering.

One way I cope with all this confusion and conflict is humor. This is why I enjoy “South Park”-- it takes a serious topic and makes fun of while everyone else is overthinking the problem or telling some convoluted story that doesn’t make sense. We all should be mindful of one another and know when it is okay (or not okay) to laugh.

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.

| 17

Sports

Tim Caplan News Editor

The “Eagle of Dagestan” remains undefeated in Las Vegas

On Saturday Oct. 6, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) held their UFC 229 Pay Per View (PPV) at the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Nevada. The main card kicked off at 10 P.M. EST. The fight card began with a matchup of two veteran women flyweight fighters Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson fighting out of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Felice Herrig of Chicago, Illinois. Waterson won a unanimous decision victory dominating Herrig on the feet and ground.

Heavyweight strikers Alexander Volkov and Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis then fought a hard back and forth battle which ended in spectacular knockout by Lewis with just 38 seconds remaining in the final round.

Then commenced one of the greatest UFC fights to have occurred this year.

Anthony “Showtime Pettis” has been on a journey back from the top ever since he lost his title to Rafael Dos Anjos back in 2015.

Showtime has taken losses and experienced a loss in confidence that all of those

watching could notice.

Pettis finally showed the flashy, reckless, inhibition free version of himself that won him the title. Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson pace was just too much for Pettis, as he has shown before against previous opponents, even coming back from a surgery after just six months.

The fight began slow as Pettis landed his overhand right and right outside leg kicks with consistency.

Ferguson’s patented chaos ensued in the second round as he opened his chin up by throwing haymaker kicks to the body and hooks from both hands, pettis landed a solid right cross that buckled Ferguson and sent him to the canvas as Pettis swarmed.

Pettis’ momentum was unbelievably stopped by a referee trying to inspect a cut on his right hairline. The second round continued and Ferguson turned the tides with several lethal left hooks to the body. Pettis ended the round with a cartwheel kick to the head, but what followed was a disappointment to the millions of fans watching around the world.

Pettis broke his hand and his

Photo courtesy of segundoenfoque.com lifelong coach, Roufusport MMA head coach Duke Roufus decided to end the fight in between the second and third rounds.

The main event between Russia’s Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov and Ireland’s “The Notorious” Conor Mcgregor began at around 1 A.M EST. This was a classic wrestler versus striker fight, with Khabib’s world class combat sambo going up against Mcgregor’s world class Irish boxing.

Khabib shot immediately to Conor’s legs, and remained top control for the entire round, hitting Conor with punches to the faces. The second round surprised everyone watching as the grappling genius from Dagestan dropped the Irishman with a right hook to the jaw. The third round was contested mostly on the feet but in the fourth round Khabib got another takedown and finished Mcgregor on the ground with a neck crank to

retain his UFC 155 pound lightweight world title belt.

Khabib then jumped into the crowd and a brawl ensued between he and Mcgregor’s teammates. The controversy at the end definitely took away from Khabib’s impressive win over the two time world champion.

Khabib will most likely fight number one contender Tony Ferguson next.

‘McGregor vs Khabib’, Photo courtesy of Coverthespread365

18| Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Sports

The status of women in sports broadcasting Joseph A. Griswold Anchor Contributor On September 27th long time sports broadcasters Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm made history, becoming the first all-female broadcast team to call a National Football League game. The game, a 38-31 victory for the Los Angeles Rams over the Minnesota Vikings had implications far beyond the football field.

The historic broadcast, which was streamed via Amazon Prime Video, illuminated both the incredibly bright future for females in broadcasting; and the discrimination that still faces females in sports media.

It did not take long for sexist and discriminatory comments to flood in following Amazon’s announcement that Kremer and Storm would be calling 11 NFL games. Many men took to Twitter to voice their displeasure, despite knowing nothing of the two broadcasters other than their gender. One Twitter warrior stated, “I’m by no means sexist, however women broadcasting football or basketball makes me turn

the channel.” This astute observation was followed by, “what I’m saying is simply women broadcasters haven’t played the game…most male broadcasters explain more and are all around more knowledgeable of the game.”

So, do male broadcasters know more than Kremer and Storm just because they are male? No. Andrea Kremer has over 25 years of sports media experience and is the NFL Network’s Chief Correspondent. She has worked on Outside the Lines, NBC’s Sunday Night Football and SportsCenter. In addition, Kremer is an inductee of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, has won two Emmys and received the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle radio-television award for her radio and television contributions to football.

On the other side of Kremer, Hannah Storm brings over 20 years of experience in sports media working for ESPN, ABC, CNN and covering several Super Bowls, National Basketball Association finals and the Olympics. Combined the duo boast more experience than

Andrea Kremer (left) and Hannah Storm (right), Photo courtesy npr.org many of the male broadcast teams and certainly more than the Twitter detractors.

Despite, the negative reactions by some individuals the broadcast is an enormous step forward for the industry and serves as an inspiration to all females in sports media. This broadcast makes it clear that females are longer just sideline reporters: They are lead analyst and reporters that are at the forefront

of the industry. Kremer and Storm are the latest duo to join the growing wave of female leaders in the sports industry. They join broadcasters like Beth Mowins, who calls play-by-play for ESPN and CBS, and leading reporters Rachel Nichols, Sarah Spain and Jemele Hill.

These women are redefining what it means to be female in sports media.

These women are inspira-

tions and prove that gender does not dictate knowledge or qualification. To Rhode Island College senior and communications major Abbey Burke, “seeing other women succeed in the business gives me hope and confidence that one day that can be me.” And although the NFL has taken a great first step, there is still a long way to go.

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928 |

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Sports

The Anchorwomen go goal-less against the Colonials

Jake Elmslie Sports Editor Rhode Island College women’s soccer is now in the midst of what could turn out to be a crucial part of their schedule. Though the Anchorwomen did not get things off to an auspicious start Saturday afternoon. Entering a four game homestand with a chance to improve to five thousandths and to gain a winning record in the conference, RIC fell flat in a 3-0 loss to the 2017 Little East champions and current conference leaders the Western Connecticut State University Colonials.

The game was defined for the Anchorwomen by their inability to get the ball out of their own end of the field. After taking the first two shots of the game the Anchorwomen were seemingly on defense constantly and the team didn’t record another shot until nearly the last 10 minutes of the first half.

This prevented the Anchorwomen from potentially

#3 - Olivia Capraro, Photo courtesy Jake Deblois taking advantage of the Colonial’s goalkeeper Karly Martin, a freshman making only the second start of her college career.

RIC’s inability to gener-

ate offensive opportunities prevented them from testing the green goalkeeper.

The Colonial’s offensive efforts paid dividends early with a goal coming from

freshman forward and team leading scorer, Kaleigh Panek, at the 10:53 minute mark with another coming from senior, Allison Oakley, 26:58 minutes into the con-

test. These goals came off of apparent breakdowns in RIC’s defense with Western Connecticut’s forwards quickly converting both scoring opportunities and leaving the Anchorwomen little time to respond.

These offensive woes carried into the second half with RIC only attempting two shots the entire second half. By the time Aileen Maloney scored 81:32 minutes into the game it was clear RIC’s two game winning streak was going to come to a close.

With this lose RIC falls to 5-7 as well as 2-3 in the Little East. The Anchorwomen will have a few days to regroup before their Wednesday night match up against the 5-5-3 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs. Kick off for that game is at 6 p.m. and like all home games, can be viewed right on campus at Alumni Field.

#9 - Madeline McNally, Photo courtesy Jake Deblois

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| Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928