The Anchor - September 10 2018

Volume 92/Issue 1

THE

Rhode Island College

Established 1928

September 10, 2018

ANCHOR

Providence student dies as a result of gun violence

Jess Gauthier

In This Issue:

Managing Editor

S

hortly before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, police responded to a shooting on Westminster and Fricker St. A student and was shot and killed in front of Providence Career and Technical Academy on the second day of school. The victim and Central High School student was later identified as 15-yearold William Parsons.

According to police, a school resource officer was made aware of a fight right before shots were fired.

Witnesses told officers that one of the suspects pulled out a handgun and fired a single shot. Both suspects, described by police as, “two light-skinned Hispanics wearing dark clothing” fled the scene.

Just minutes later, the police responded to another shooting, less than a mile away on Sprague St. The victim was shot in the thigh and taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The victim’s name has not yet been released, but Major David Lapatin believes him

“From the Archives”

Page 5

Bizarre scientific facts Page 7

Photo courtesy of ABC6.com to be a “person of interest” in the earlier shooting. Police spokeswoman Lindsay Lague confirms that the 16-year-old is not a student at PCTA, Classical, or Central High School.

During the time of the shooting, all three schools were on modified lockdown, meaning that students and teachers could continue normal activities inside, but exits and entries to the schools were restricted. Classes for PCTA and Classical High School were still in session and although Central High School students had already

been dismissed, there were still students and teachers inside.

A handgun was found by investigators near Westfield and Fuller streets, although it has not been confirmed that it was the gun used to shoot Parsons.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza released a statement, “I am heartbroken for the family of the victim and for the students and adults who have been impacted by this terrible tragedy. This type of violence will not be accepted in our city and we will come together as a commu-

Sorry Sallie Mae, I spent my tuition payment on concert tickets Lucille DiNaro Business Manager

T

he devil is alive and well and you can find him at the box office. If you spent any time this summer

enjoying live music, you are well aware of the age-old antihero that is the ticket scalper. Your favorite band announces a tour, and somehow every show is sold out seconds after tickets go live.

What has happened here?

Die hard fans and seasoned

concert goers manage to work around ticket scalpers, but let’s be frank. Knowing the in’s and out’s of presales, fan clubs, memberships and credit card affiliates has transformed concert going from pedestrian to pipe dream, and artists need to be

nity to support the victim’s family.”

Providence Superintendent of Schools Chris Maher assures that he will be working closely with police to insure that students remain safe on their way to and from school, as well as offering support services to those affected by the tragedy.

Parsons was described by police as an “innocent bystander.” On Friday, a vigil was held where students, teachers and loved ones released balloons in Parson’s memory. held responsible.

Ticket scalpers have been around for more than a century and have worn many masks. Some are easily identifiable, like the man lingering around the venue on show day hoping to pass off a set of tickets to an unlucky passerby. Others, like automated offshore bots, are much more elusive and far more damaging to consumers. Some bots are capable of purchasing upwards of three hundred tickets at once, without ticket brokers, venues or artists batting an eye.

“Sapinsley Sings Once More” Page 8 Should Attendance be a Choice?

Page 14 Rhode Island College Soccer Preview Page 17 When resale profits are soaring above 200%, who takes the blame? Ticket brokers often rely on consumers to flag unusual activity, and don’t necessarily have much incentive to investigate as they collect a fee for every ticket sold. Although some states have passed legislation to regulate ticket resale, actual prosecutions are few and far between due to the complex nature of online ticket sales.

The answer lies in the ...

Continued on page 13

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Organizational Information Editorial Board

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Samantha Scetta | editorinchief@anchorweb.org

MANAGING EDITOR

Jessica Gauthier | managing@anchorweb.org

BUSINESS MANAGER

Lucille DiNaro | business@anchorweb.org

ART DIRECTOR

Samantha Malley | artsdirector@anchorweb.org

NEWS EDITOR

Tim Caplan | news@anchorweb.org

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

NOW HIRING | asst_news@anchorweb.org

A&L EDITOR

Alec Ematrudo | lifestyles@anchorweb.org

ASST. A&L EDITOR

Jonathan Weaver | asst_lifestyles@anchorweb.org

OPINIONS EDITOR

Catherine Enos | opinions@anchorweb.org

ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR

NOW HIRING | asst_opinions@anchorweb.org

SPORTS EDITOR

Jake Elmslie | sports@anchorweb.org

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

NOW HIRING | asst_sports@anchorweb.org

PHOTO EDITOR

Brittany Donahue | photo@anchorweb.org

ASST. PHOTO EDITOR

Thomas Crudale | asst_photo@anchorweb.org

GRAPHICS EDITOR

Wiley Sadowski | graphics@anchorweb.org

Staff

Aaron Isaac Mike Dwyer Alison Macbeth Joshua Magnone Evan Grenier Nikki Hewins Chris O’Connor Bancroft Love

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Editor-in-Chief

(401)456-8790 editorinchief@anchorweb.org

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SENIOR LAYOUT EDITOR Jessamy LeBeau | layout@anchorweb.org ASST. LAYOUT EDITOR

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Lily Gallo | ads@anchorweb.org

TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR Victor Martell | technology@anchorweb.org ASST. TECH DIRECTOR

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ONLINE MEDIA MANAGER Marisa Lenardson | web@anchorweb.org CIRCULATION MANAGER Janelle Gomez | circulation@anchorweb.org

Professional Advisor Jim Hummel The Hummel Report

Faculty Advisor Michael Michaud mmichaud@ric.edu

The Anchor is student-run and published weekly during the academic year. Editorial decisions for The Anchor are made by a majority vote of its student editorial board. No form of censorship will be imposed by the college. Any material found to be unsuitable or unacceptable in the board’s opinion will not be published. The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body. The Anchor is not funded by and is independent from Rhode Island College. The first copy is free. Each additional copy is $2.25. Newspaper racks on the Rhode Island College campus are the property of The Anchor Newspaper. Only The Anchor Newspaper publication will be permitted on these racks. Any other publication or advertisement that is placed on the racks will be given one (1) warning for violating this policy. After two (2) violations, the business/publication will be billed at the rate of a full page advertisement.

Copyright © 2016 The Anchor. All rights reserved.

Legalities:

News

Welcoming the semester with a brand new add/drop policy

Tim Caplan News Editor

RIC is taking steps to make it easier and more available for students to add and drop classes in the first two weeks of the semester.

According to a press release from RIC.edu, students will be able to add and drop classes without the express written consent of a department chair all throughout the first two weeks of a semester. If students continue to wait

Aaron Isaac

after the first two weeks before they add or drop a class they will have to get the permission of the leader of that particular department or the instructor of the class.

This comes after much complaining from the student body about the process of registration for classes over the past two years.

“The process is usually so frustrating,” says Stephen

Masi, a senior at Rhode Island College studying PreLaw “(RIC) always makes it so hard to register for classes, between getting approval for classes, meeting with advisors, and the multiple degrees of separation regarding the completion of a major, it makes sense that RIC is going to start making class registration less stressful, and give students time to get themselves

situated at the beginning of each semester.”

“Between paying tuition bills, trying to work out a class schedule that fits my own, and completing the coursework required to attain my degree, RIC is righteous in changing the timetable in which students can register for classes” Erwin Rosario, a senior at RIC told the Anchor on Wednesday, Sept. 5.

Students can register for classes on RIC.edu by logging onto MyRic.edu and going under “enrollment.”

All students have a universal advising hold prior to registration for classes and cannot sign up for a course until that hold is lifted by an advisor. Students who need additional help with classes can make an appointment with an advisor, the Bursar’s office, or financial aid.

Incumbents challenged in Rhode Island

Anchor Staff

There may be a change coming to Rhode Island. This upcoming primary is seeing new state and local challengers looking to upset incumbent politicians by appealing to pressing issues.

Numerous state and local issues indicate a Rhode Island progressive wave. Sandra Cano won a special election in Pawtucket and Justine Caldwell in East Greenwich is running against House Representative Anthony Giarrusso.

In Providence, Justice Gaines, running in Providence’s Ward One, is up against incumbent Seth Yurdin. If Gaines wins her election, she would be the first openly transgender person to hold office in Rhode Island.

Gaines claims her policy will be focused on the city’s education system, getting young people involved in the community, and building support for affordable housing in Providence.

Affordable housing is a hot topic in Providence. As people are getting priced out of their neighborhoods, challengers have targeted incumbents over their inaction. Deyanira Garcia, running in Ward eight vows to protect those residents who are being pushed out of their neighborhoods.

Nika Lomazzo, a transgender woman who was running as a state representative but is now campaigning with progressive challengers, is invested in battling the displacement. “I’m seeing both locals being pushed out and a lot of people who went to college and coming back are moving out because they can’t afford to live here,” Lomazzo said.

Lomazzo saw a lot of of effort coming from the candidates like Nick Autiello, who’s running for state senate. Autiello has made claims about wanting to invest in housing that was affordable, as well as technical programs and free college.

Concerning the House Speaker race, she preferred Steven Frias over current incumbent Nick Mattiello. She does not like either candidate but prefers Frias because “he’s much more disorganized.”

In terms of the Governor’s race, Lomazzo went back and forth in her support, but ultimately decided to back Raimondo. She was cautious of challenger Matt Brown, criticising him for bankrupting a nonprofit he started and coming “back here out of the blue after seven years and [deciding] to run for office.”

Raimondo is not the perfect candidate for Lomazzo. She was critical of Raimondo’s environmental record and her corporate ties, but liked her push for free education and other issues important to progressives.

Even students can have voice in elections. The primary election is Sept. 12.

For information on where you need to go to vote, go to the state’s election website: www.elections.state.ri.us/ Nika Lomazzo, Photo courtesy of Britt Donahue

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

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News The war on student loans Aaron Isaac Anchor Staff

Three words make a college student’s skin crawl with disgust whenever they are uttered: “student loan debt.”

It is no different at Rhode Island College and its students will be haunted by it, both in and out of school.

The war over student loans began again with the start of the new semester. On Sept. 1 Seth Frotman, who investigates student loan complaints at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, quit, accusing Director Mick Mulvaney of undermining the bureaus ability to help student loan borrowers.

The CFPB has returned $750 million to disgruntled borrowers.

In his resignation letter, Frotman accused Mulvaney of suppressing a report made by bureau staff. The report, Frotman claims, pointed at the nation’s largest banks who “were ripping off students on campuses across the country by saddling them with legally dubious account account fees.”

The nation’s student loan crisis has only gotten worse

with time. According to the Federal Reserve, this year, outstanding student loans have exceeded $1.5 trillion, a new record. The average student debt owed by students is $32,731.

The struggle concerning student loans and state funded college tuition is just as heated.

Although Governor Gina Raimondo managed to pass a free college plan, it was cut down by lawmakers to leave out RIC and the University of Rhode Island, and did not help those already encumbered with student loans. Raimondo has been campaigning for the upcoming primary promising to expand the free college plan to both RIC and URI.

Rhode Island is not doing much better than the national average. The Institute for College Access and Success reported that Rhode Islanders have an average debt of $31,217 in 2016. RIC had the lowest cost of attendance in the state at $21,231 while Brown University was the

Student Loan Debt, Photo courtesy of openclipart most expensive with cost of attendance standing at $65,380.

The Rhode Island Treasury Department has been trying to address the student loan crisis. Treasurer Seth Magaziner has been battling Navient, the nation’s largest student loan servicer, to make sure they are turning borrowers to fair and income based plans. Navient has been in a lawsuit with the CFPB alleging Navient was cheating borrowers out of their right to lower repayments.

For borrowers who cannot handle their debts the option to restructure the debt is open, but the Director of Communications for the Treasury Evan England was hesitant to recommend this as a first option “too often what we’re learning is that servicers will simply put people into deferment.”

further into debt because even though deferment will temporarily halt the need to repay loans interest will continue to accrue on the loan if the loan is unsubsidized. “We’re getting to a point where we hear anecdotally of people reaching retirement age still having significant student loan bills” England said.

For those with student debt today a promise of free college will still leave them with a debt that may be staying with them for a long time.

Deferring may put borrowers

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Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

News From The Archives This archived article is from the October 16, 1968 issue of The Anchor.

Catherine Enos Opinions Editor

In some ways, 1968 was quite similar to 2018. The country was split on divisive issues and it was a time in which young people were using their voices to speak out against matters they felt were important, like the war in Vietnam and Civil Rights.

Fifty years later, we are a country divided by politics on issues like gun control and immigration reform -not much has changed.

In addition to divisive issues that split the country, the

two years had another thing in common: elections. And although the election of 1968 was a presidential election, the 2018 midterm elections are equally as important and influential over the direction that the country and its leaders will take.

Fifty years have passed since 1968, voters (and nonvoters) haven’t changed either. People, like the author of this 1968 editorial, were still debating whether it was worth it to vote. In the end, the author concludes that he’ll probably vote Republican because Nixon

“is going to win anyway.”

It’s interesting, now, having insight as to how that election ended and, obviously, how Nixon’s presidency ended.

Perhaps in another 50 years, future students will look to this issue for an insight on history, too.

The Washington Post on Monday, July 21, 1969 stating “’The Eagle Has Landed’— Two Men Walk on the Moon” Courtesy of Wikipedia

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

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Health&Science All articles published in Health & Science are written to the best of the writer’s knowledge and ability concerning relevant health topics in society.

If there are any suggestions, questions or concerns regarding the content of the column please do email the editor at editorinchief@anchorweb.org

RIC welcomes organic chemist Dr. Kiesewetter Samantha Scetta Editor-In-Chief

Dr. Elizabeth Kiesewetter just began teaching organic chemistry at Rhode Island College this fall, but she is by no means a stranger to the subject.

Dr. Kiesewetter grew up in the midst of chemistry, as her mother is also an organic chemist . In a household where chemistry experiments are commonplace, chemistry becomes much less daunting of a subject. Even chemistry that focuses on mostly organic compounds.When Dr. Kiesewetter began taking organic chemistry classes as an undergraduate student at Georgetown University, she realized that organic chemistry is a class one really needs to think about how to study for--it is not a class for crammers. This is true for most sciences, especially when one is performing research.

Dr. Kiesewetter began her research as an undergraduate student, and is still in the process of getting her lab at

Polylactide; a molecule used in biodegradable plastics RIC started. Her research focuses mainly on polymers (plastics) that have a variety of uses and applications.

Plastics are wonderful materials and have infinite uses, however they are polluting our oceans and most are not biodegradable. The end result of this is that plastic ends up everywhere-- In our oceans, streets, backyards and sometimes in the food we consume.

Some of Dr.Kiesewetter’s research focuses on biodegradable polymers, and how to design polymers to be the most cost efficient and valuable to consumers. “The polymers we make can be hydrolyzedthey react with water. When they react with water, they are able to

degrade in oceans”. Dr. Kiesewetter highlighted an example of a common polymer, a polymer that is used in biodegradable coffee cup lids and commonly derived from corn. This polymer is known as polylactide, but is tends to be brittle so would not be able to be used for something like a milk jug.

In Dr. Kiesewetter’s lab, they work with polymers such as polylactide one but to try to change the chemistry of the existing polymer to synthesize a new and improved material.

Polymer research is an active and innovative field, and a field with plentiful job opportunities for young chemists. Research on plastics is so important that The American Chemical Society has deemed that

all undergraduate chemistry students must take classes that include information on polymer technology to graduate. This is definitely something to consider before you drop your chemistry major.

Organic chemists do have hobbies that, believe it or not, do not directly involve functional groups or resonance structures.

Dr. Kiesewetter is an avid gardener and sourdough bread baker, she also enjoys yoga and going to the gym. She is certainly looking forward to getting her lab at RIC launched and hopes to be able to work with students.

Dr. Kiesewetter ikes the fact that her organic chemistry classes are capped at 24 students because, in her words, “organic chem from a podium can be a hard sell to students”. Her advice to students taking organic chemistry would “Making connections to lecture and lab can add a richness to the class and give a deeper understanding. Be patient with yourself too. Organic chem is like a puzzle, and you will solve it if you’re patient”.

Healthcare Scorecard: RI Gubernatorial Race

The information included in this article is provided only as general information and does not constitute endorsement, recomendation or favoring of any political candidate by The Anchor or by Rhode Island College’s Faculty, administration or student body.

Lucille DiNaro

Business Manager

With three days ahead before the Rhode Island primary election, the time to research candidates is running thin. This infographic aims to objectively illustrate where Rhode Island Gubernatorial candidates stand on key issues regarding public health. Don’t arrive to the ballot unprepared: your community is counting on your diligence and your vote.

Gina Raimondo https://ginaraimondo.com/ • Proponent of the Affordable Care Act • Diligent in fight towards resolving the opioid crisis in Rhode Island • Confirmed support of the Reproductive Health Care Act • Supports cuts to Medicaid Spencer Dickinson http://www.spencerdickinson.com • In favor of single payer system and universal health coverage • Stance on the Reproductive Health Care Act contingent on support of the bill by female constituents • Opponent of rising prescription drug costs

Matt Brown https://www.mattbrownforgovernor. com • Seeks to reduce prescription drug costs • Seeks to transition to single payer system, “Medicare for All,” in lieu of Affordable Care Act • Confirmed support of the Reproductive Health Care Act • Supports extended family leave Allan Fung https://www.allanfung.com • Proponent of protections under the Affordable Care Act for citizens with pre-existing conditions • Opposed to late-term abortion • No confirmed stance regarding the Reproductive Health Care Act

Giovanni Feroce https://feroceforgovernor.com • Opposed to Reproductive Health Care Act • Support of Affordable Care Act limited to protections for citizens with pre-existing conditions • Prefers issue by issue legislation to all inclusive health policy Patricia Morgan https://www.patriciaforri.com • Prefers family planning and oral contraceptives to abortion • Champions RI HB 5671, HB 5672, HB 5673 which if passed will grant reciprocity to out of state physicians and loosen regulations surrounding licensure requirements • Seeks to reduce the cost of health care

Ballot Box, photo courtesy of The Harvard Crimson

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Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Health&Science All articles published in Health & Science are written to the best of the writer’s knowledge and ability concerning relevant health topics in society.

If there are any suggestions, questions or concerns regarding the content of the column please do email the editor at editorinchief@anchorweb.org

Sickle shaped red blood cells can wreak havoc

Samantha Scetta Editor-In-Chief

The substance that courses seamlessly through all of our vessels, the intricately complicated matter that we depend on every second of our lives and what we sometimes forget exists until we scrape our knees or visit a donation center.

Blood.

Like all parts of our human bodies, there are a plethora of pathologies that can affect blood, specifically red blood cells.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of these pathologies, a hereditary blood disorder affecting approximately 100,000 Americans and millions of people around the world.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Sickle cell disease is an inherited disease that is prominent amongst individuals whose ancestors came from sub-Saharan Africa, Mediterranean countries, Spanishspeaking regions in the Western Hemisphere, India and Saudi Arabia.

In the United States, all newborns are required to be screened for sickle cell

disease directly after birth, as this is a hereditary disease passed on from parent to child. People born with SCD have inherited a sickle hemoglobin gene from each parent, and can pass the trait onto their children.

SCD is a disease that directly affects the shape of red blood cells.

Healthy and normal red blood cells are normally shaped like discs, but red blood cells of those with SCD are shaped like a sickle, or a crescent moon. The misshapen red blood cell discs cause a multitude of health problems for those that are born with SCD.

Hemoglobin is the protein contained within red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body in a smooth and natural way when your red blood cells are typical. In those affected by SCD, the hemoglobin protein clumps together and causes red blood cells to be misshapen as a sickle.

The result of the “sticky” hemoglobin in red blood cells is blood not being able to get to organs in the body that need blood (all of them) , leading to debilitating pain and anemia along

Sickle Cells, Photo courtesy of MicroscopyU with various ailments such as an increased risk of bacterial infections and stroke.

SCD occurs at the time of conception, so people with SCD are not contagious and will not lose their sickle cell genes over the course of their lifetime. The disease can be maintained and controlled, but the only known cure is a bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow transplant is not a common and widely used procedure, and does not come without risk of toxicity.

Dr. Charles Abrams, spokesman for the American Society of Hematology says that “In theory, if you could give this to everyone, you could cure everyone of the disease. And if

there were no toxicity, we probably would”. According to Dr. Abrams, there are new treatments “in the pipeline”, however bone marrow transplant is the only current cure for SCD. As denoted by congress, September is labeled as National Sickle Cell Awareness month to encourage doctors, scientists and students to focus research on treatment for sickle cell disease To learn more about what you can do for research please visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood institute’s website.

Just the facts Bizarre Science with Mike Dwyer

“Just the facts” is a weekly column written by one of our longtime news writers Mike Dwyer. The facts listed below are meant to capture readers’ interests in bizarre scientific facts and possibly inspire a google search. One of the facts below is false-- if you can find the singular false fact, email editorinchief@ anchorweb.org and you will win a free ¼ page advertisement.

Mike Dwyer Anchor Staff

A team of psychologists from Plymouth University and Queensland University of Technology have found that playing just three minutes of Tetris decreased cravings for drugs, sex and alcohol by 13.9 percent.

Using high speed videography, a group of biologists found that all mammals above three kilograms empty their bladders

in approximately 21 seconds and published their findings in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America” with the hope of clarifying some misconceptions in mainstream urology.

Immunologists at the University of Nevada found that two-thirds of people with chronic fatigue syndrome are infected with XMRV, an aggressive retrovirus linked to prostate cancer in bladder shy mice

A study supported by the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity was able to recreate the bipedal, digitigrade locomotion and parasagittal hindlimb movement of dinosaurs by attaching weighted plungers to the butts of chickens during the growth phase of ontogeny.

Entomologist Michael Smith subjected himself to bee stings on 25 separate body parts to determine which area hurt the most, finding

the skull, middle toe tip, and upper arm were the least painful locations, while the nostril, upper lip and penis shaft were the most painful.

A sexually frustrated dolphin named Zafar terrorized beachgoers in the town of Landevennec in western France by rubbing up against boats, lifting one woman in the air with his nose and preventing another swimmer from returning to shore, forcing the mayor to issue a bylaw banning swimming and diving whenever Zafar is in the area.

Researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada and the University of Los Angeles have concluded that the mysterious purple band of atmospheric light known as “Steve” does not have the telltale traces of charged particles that auroras do. The cause of “Steve” remains unknown.

Brain scans have shown that people who self-identify as conservative have larger and more active right

amygdalas. A team of psychologists found that social conservatives are quicker to physically look away when shown images of blood, feces, or vomit than their liberal peers, but stared for longer at images of people reacting in disgust to such content.

Scientists have discovered signs of cheese-making on clay vessels collected from two Neolithic villages in Croatia dating back seven thousand years.

While Princeton Geologist Gerta Keller has suffered decades of intense ridicule for arguing that the fifth extinction that killed the dinosaurs was caused by volcanic global warming, it is widely accepted that the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia resulted in dramatic climatic shifts and may have contributed to Napoleon’s epic defeat at Waterloo in 1815.

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

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Arts&Entertainment

Ozark Season 2: Bateman is back and better than ever

Alec Ematudo A&E Editor

I am completely convinced that Jason Bateman can do anything. The man can tackle both comedic and dramatic acting roles with ease, and he is also considered to be one of the nicest guys in Hollywood. Not only is he an extremely talented and highly underrated actor, he is a really good director as well.

In Ozark’s first season, Bateman directed four episodes and each were incredible. The show’s second season is no exception.

Bateman helms two of the episodes and once again, his episodes are among the best of the season. Season two successfully builds upon the first season and introduces new characters, new locales, and more stress for the Bryde family.

Ozark is often referred to as Batemen’s “Breaking Bad” and that’s a very fair comparison. This show follows many of the same paths chartered by “Breaking Bad” back in its earlier seasons.

Both Marty Byrde and Walter White are intelligent problem solvers who are in deep with cartels and do what they do to provide for their families.

For those of you who haven’t dived into the show’s first season yet, I won’t spoil anything for you. This is one of those shows that rewards you for paying attention and not looking for spoilers. The show can be considered a slow burn for some because

there isn’t constant action, but believe me when I say, the show will have you at the edge of your seat regardless.

Ozark’s second season is a masterpiece that builds upon the first in almost every way possible. The show was nominated for several Emmys this year including Best Actor for Jason Bateman.

All aboard the hype train because Ozark: Season Two is now available on Netflix.

5/5 Alec heads

Sapinsley sings once more

Thomas Yakey Anchor Staff

The upcoming concerts from Rhode Island College’s music department are sure to be fine events. Although most of these concerts take place in the stunning Sapinsley Hall, some are in various places, allowing for interesting combinations of sound and scenery.

The RIC Concert Choir has two scheduled performances this semester.

The first performance is Sunday, Oct. 14 at 5 p.m., and will also feature the Chamber Singers ensemble as well as the Women’s Chorus. It is located at All Saints Memorial Church on Broadway in Providence. This concert is typically shorter (lasting around an hour) and less formal; similar to the “Rush

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Hour” concert of the Rhode Island Philharmonic.

All groups will perform excerpts from their fall semester repertoire. The whole repertoire for all three ensembles will be sung at the RIC Winter Choral Concert.

The concert is Friday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall, located in the Nazarian Center. This concert can be upwards of a couple hours long but will not be a bore.

Dr. Teresa Coffman, who has been the RIC Choral Director for many years, ensures that these concerts will have something for everybody.

She has programmed the concert with a variety of songs from various stylistic periods to appeal to every ear.

So far, the Choir’s selections for this year range from the classical style of Haydn to the nearly a-tonal music of Ola Gjielo. The Woman and Chamber ensembles will even be performing pieces of Vocal Jazz which is sure to jazz up the night.

Dr. Coffman is very excited for this semester and its performances because she feels as though the choir has made progress in the first three rehearsals and has a “beautiful” sound. She also commented that “freshmen bring a new energy to the group” which help in creating such a great ensemble. Dr. Coffman insists on teaching the students to be expressive with their music because she believes, “Being musical

is everything.

Being expressive and musical are the same to me.”

“All American!” is the main theme of Friday, Oct. 12’s RIC Wind Ensemble concert.

This ensemble is under the direction of Joseph Foley for the first time in a few years.

This concert includes musical pieces written for various civil rights icons including John F. Kennedy and Rosa Parks as well as a selection in memory of the Columbine Tragedy. This concert is at 7:30 p.m. at Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center.

Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” is the highlight of the Wind Ensemble’s second concert on Tuesday Dec. 4 which will also be held at 7:30 p.m. at Sapinsley

Hall.

Tuesday, Oct. 16 and Tuesday, Dec. 4 are the dates of the RIC Symphony Orchestra concerts. They are at 7:30 PM in Sapinsley Hall.

For more information about ticket pricing, the smaller ensembles, and the concerts in general, visit, http:// www.ric.edu/mtd/Pages/ Calendar-Music-Events. aspx .

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Arts&Entertainment

Superhero Central: Midnighter shift in comics (spurred into motion by books like The Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns in 1986).

Batman, however, could only carry so many plots before he became fan-service to the point of feeling shoehorned into everything (not that DC would ever do that very thing years later…).

Jonathan Weaver Asst. A&E Editor

Ultra-violent, Funny, Edgy, and Sexy. This was Midnighter.

Midnighter was everything that made a successful antihero in the 90s. The comic was written as an analog of Batman; a shadowy figure feared by his prey, brooding and

strong. The major difference between the two, however, is that Midnighter kills his opponents.

The year is 1998. Dark Horse comics at this time was hitting its stride with the Alien and Predator comics.

It was becoming clear that dark and moody sold. DC was doing really well with the Batman line for the tonal

In steps Warren Ellis and Wildstorm comics.

Midnighter and his partner, Apollo, are ex agents on the run from their former employers. Jaded by their past, they resist the newly restructured Stormwatch team. Slowly, they get back in the saddle and step up from fighting street crime and are back to combating super villains and evil organizations.

A year later, DC comics is looking to shake up their formula.

They acquire Wildstorm comics and integrate their properties into their own catalog.

Midnighter and Apollo added a fresh injection of the most popular and controversial subject matter to DC: relatable heroes, brutal violence, comedy, and they are also some of the first openly gay superheroes in the industry.

Comics have tried to tackle LGBTQ characters in the past and have never hit the mark quite right; we have seen everything from too stereotypical to blatantly offensive portrayals.

Midnighter and Apollo, however, are strong, funny, and just as intimidating

as Batman and Superman.

The characters felt real and relatable, also while tackling controversial topics in a way that felt fluid and natural.

The relationship between the two heroes remains one of my favorites in comics for its sincerity and how grounded it feels, not to mention how heartbreaking it can become as they drift apart.

Still considered little more than a B list or even C list hero in the pantheon of DC greats, Midnighter is quite possibly one of the most well crafted, underrated, and underused characters that truly does deserve your attention.

“My Hero Academia” Bringing fresh air to the superhero genre

Enrique Castaneda-Pineda Anchor Staff

Since its release in 2016, “My Hero Academia” has quickly become the new gateway for introducing American audiences to anime shows. Slowly cementing its name with other mainstream animes like “Attack on Titan” and “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood,” “My Hero Academia” showcases its diverse cast in a way that allows audiences to find a character they relate to the most, using its versatility to stand out.

Following Izuku Midoriya and Class 1-A, they attend the most prestigious hero high school in Japan, hoping to become pro heroes.

As the superhero genre is saturated by Marvel and DC, this fresh take on superheros and their powers is a breath of fresh air. In a world where 80% of the population have a unique quirk/superpower they are born with, there

is no such thing as your typical Superman. The unique powers vary from shooting acid from your hands, converting sweat into explosions or being able to harden your entire body.

The main character, Izuku Midoriya, starts without a quirk, but obtains one and slowly develops it throughout the series. Along with his quirk, he develops his relationships with classmates, teachers and his own outlook on the hero world. Those relationships become the most important and capturing moments of the show.

Character development from the first season to the current season, season three, is incredible and beautifully fleshed-out.

Shouto Todoroki, a character with a quirk to use fire and ice, starts off as a vengeful, angsty teen. His gradual

My Hero Academia, Photo courtesy of funimation transformation from that to a caring classmate who values his friends and their success come from moments throughout the entire series.

Several characters have their own arcs in the show to make the audiences connect with characters other than Izuku.

The show has moments that are funny, when the

characters have time to relax and be themselves. When they are fighting, however, the teenage protagonists have to grow up quickly.

As they continue to learn how to develop their quirks and their views on the evolving world of superheros around them, forming a show that forces audiences

to look at superheros. I highly recommend this show that will re-introduce the superhero genre in a new and unfamiliar light.

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Arts&Entertainment

“Sorry to Bother You” twists audiences with its shocking genre-bending

Enrique Castaneda-Pineda Anchor Staff

Directed by Boots Riley, “Sorry to Bother You” was the sleeper film of the summer. This genre-bending mindfreak of a film is like a rollercoaster you did not realize you were in line for.

Starring FX’s “Atlanta,” Lakeith Stanfield plays Cassius Green, a financially struggling adult who needs a job in order to survive. The film creates an important dialogue of the value of money vs. friends and valuable causes. Though a familiar script, the choice between his success at his new job, his girlfriend, Detroit (Tessa Thompson), and friends, Salvador (Jermaine Fowler) and Squeeze (Steven Yeun) is a difficult one as Cassius finally begins to feel accomplished.

Cassius finds success that he has never felt before, creating a divide between what he wants and what he loves.

Jonathan Weaver

This struggle is fantastic to watch because the film portrays it in a way that makes it seem like there is no clear cut answer. It is true that Cassius has never found success like this before, but he is simultaneously losing who he is and his loved ones.

The film takes a dark turn, moving from a heartfelt, intriguing, dark comedy, to a confusing and jarring sci-fi suspense film. SPOILERS

AHEAD. The film introduces these creatures that are half-horse, half-human hybrids created by the company Cassius works for. After finding this out, he reverts to his old self, dedicated to take down the company. These CGI creatures are a surprise to the audience as they come out of nowhere and suddenly are the biggest point of this movie, throwing the last 45-

60 minutes out the window.

The only thing that remains after this leap is a strike put on by Squeeze, which Cassius uses to bring down the company. A war-like scenario breaks out on the street, where Cassius and friends are saved by the creatures.

The film is a great experience, but I felt like I was asking myself “Why?” for too many moments in the film.

Several aspects of the film

serve little to no purpose, apart from creating shock value or politicizing America as a society. Despite its oddities, it remains a fun film that keeps audiences on their toes - where comedy and confusion can go handin-hand.

The Cantina: the mouse strikes back

Asst. A&E Editor

What is going on with Star Wars? It’s common knowledge the franchise was bought from George Lucas along with the rest of Lucasfilm for over 2 billion dollars and millions in Disney shares.

What exactly is Disney doing with the property, though?

Disney has made it clear they intend to cash in on the popularity of Star Wars with fairly regular theatrical releases. Although, outside of the box office is where their tactics become really interesting.

Beyond the 6 Lucasfilmreleased movies, Star Wars was made up of an expanded universe (EU) created over decades by countless

12 |

Sorry to Bother You, Photo courtesy of Annapurna Pictures

contributors. Innumerable books, comics, tv shows, and video games fleshed out the ludicrously deep lore of the very same galaxy George Lucas first took us to in 1977.

The vast majority of this expanded universe was also canon, or considered fact within the movie timeline, and even referred to by Lucas and his writing within the later prequel trilogy.

Needless to say, the EU was so rich and complicated, that most people could only select some stories beyond the movies to partake in.

Disney knew this when they purchased the IP and set out to streamline the canon and also give themselves room to tell their own stories, which is something the established plotlines made difficult. To

the ire of many die-hard fans, Disney made every piece of media outside of the original 6 movies and the Clone Wars tv show non-canonical.

This meant many people saw their favorite plots or characters scrapped, and relegated to a new category of obsolete storylines dubbed “Legends.”

Disney knows how to make money. They also know a dense and impenetrable lore is intimidating to newcomers.

That doesn’t mean, however, that Disney plans to leave the life-long fans high and dry.

Instead, Disney is integrating the most loved and fondly remembered aspects of the canon, and leaving the unnecessary fluff behind as “Legends.” For every reference to “Knights of

the Old Republic” made by “Rebels” to the joy of fans, there is overly complicated history of the Jedi Order that no one can remember, now ready to be streamlined in the new canon.

In addition to rewriting and streamlining the history of a galaxy far, far away, Disney cleared all canon post “Return of the Jedi.” This has obviously paved the way for their new stories involving Han Solo, Leia, Luke, and the next generation of heroes.

The established canon of the EU before the acquisition stretched 900 years ahead of the events of the movies.

Not only that, but as stakes increased with each passing story, so did each storytellers need to one-up or outdo that which came before. This

resulted in characters like Luke Skywalker becoming nearly indistinguishable from a god; a true allpowerful space wizard fighting primordial 4th dimension demons within a prison of black holes.

All of that is now gone, and finally a future can be paved for the franchise in the vein of the original vision; a story of good versus evil, and ordinary people coming together to defeat impossible odds. A story which viewers can relate to and decades from now, share excitedly with their kids just as the last generation did after seeing the originals.

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Arts&Entertainment

Marisa Lenardson

Online Media Manager

Friday Sep. 14

Saturday Sep. 15

Rhode Island Music & Arts International Coastal Festival Cleanup Rhode Island's own Music & An international volunteer Arts Festival, two days of effort to clean up our ocean live music, artists, local food and waterways. and beverages.

Third Beach, India Point Park Middletown $25-$50 // 1-10 p.m.

FREE // 10-12 p.m.

Food Truck Friday A line up of all your favorite food trucks (yes, Friskie Fries will be there). Grab some food, bring a blanket, and lie on the grass while listening to a live band.

All Weekend

Puerto Rican Parade and Festival A celebration of the Puerto Rican community.

Newsies See the hit musical, about a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged newsies, performed

by Academy Players of Rhode Island.

82 Smith Street, Providence FREE // 10-6 p.m.

G Block Party Enjoy outdoor bars, street How I Learned to Drive food on the grill, dunk tanks, A play that tells the moving carnival striker bell, corn story of a woman who learns hole tournaments, street the rules of the road, and life, games. Live Entertainment from behind the wheel.​

by Pedro & the Allstars.

Roger Williams Park Carousel Village FREE // 5-8:30 p.m.

61 Orange Street, Providence FREE // 2-8 p.m.

Wright's Dairy Farm Ice Cream Pop Up Wright's Dairy Farm & Knead doughnuts team up for a Pop-up Donut & Ice Cream Scoop Shop.

Movie Night Under the Stars Watch The Greatest Showman under the stars on top of the mall!

135 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence FREE // 4-8 p.m.

Sunday Sep. 16

Providence Place Mall, Level 3 North Garage Parking Deck FREE // 5:30-10 p.m.

The Wilbury Theatre Group $15 // 7:30-9:30 p.m.

James and Gloria Maron Cultural Arts Center $25 // 7-9:30 p.m.

Pawtucket Arts Festival Celebrate creative and cultural life by viewing the vibrant art presented at this festival.

137 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket $7 // 3-5 p.m.

Gansett Days: A Celebration of Narragansett Tours, kayaking, Local Artist and Maker Popdemonstrations and Up Shop showcases of the historical, Shop from local artists and cultural, and natural beauty of makers. the town.

Wayland Square Gazebo Park, FREE // 1-5 p.m.

Narragansett FREE // Times vary

9th Annual Woony River The Soprano's Frank Ride Bike-a-Thon Misquamicut Fallfest Santorelli & David River Ride on the Seekonk Ride your bike while Weekend Dilorenzo A boat tour of the Seekonk enjoying the splendor of the Carnival rides and games, A night of live entertainment River and shore. Learn about Woonasquatucket River. musict, an international food featuring Frank Santorelli, the river and wildlife that live After-party at Waterplace court, a classic car show and who played Georgie on The within it.

Park--live music, food, and more.

Soprano's, and RI comedian prizes.

David Dilorenzo.

Narragansett Boat Club Dock Misquamicut State Beach, FREE // 11 a.m., 12 p.m., or Waterplace Park Westerly Massimo Ristorante 1 p.m. $25-$80 // 8-3 p.m. $8 // Times vary $20 // 6-10 p.m.

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

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Opinions

Sorry Sallie Mae, Lucille DiNaro

Continued from cover

Business Manager

...artists themselves. Artists sell tickets at a fixed rate, never fluctuating to meet market value or take part in the profits to be had by ticket scalpers. When fans are

Alison Macbeth

disgruntled after being given the choice between spending hundreds of dollars on nosebleed seats and listening at home, ultimately the artists take the heat. Consumers will be back on StubHub tomorrow.

There are several preventative measures to be taken against ticket scalping, such as paperless tickets, verified fan purchasing and delayed ticket delivery. So why isn’t it happening? Live concerts provide artists the opportunity to express their gratitude to fans and to engage in their shared love for music and creative expression.

Plain and simple. Why have they lost touch of this?

As the sole entity with full logistic control over where concerts are held and how tickets are sold, artists must act as a catalyst for change.

Ticket scalpers will certainly not disappear any time soon, but artists will not be able to maintain their complicity much longer. By allowing

this to continue, artists promote a culture of exclusivity in the music industry.

When positioned between a diverse fan base and a society driven by profits and technological convenience, it’s up to artists to find a middleground. In the meantime, you can find me on Spotify.

Just turn off your car

Anchor Staff

If you are part of the 85% of students that commute to RIC several times a week, then your car has most likely become a mobile home of sorts. Over the semesters you’ve spent here you’ve discovered how to navigate the parking lots (or maybe it has become your permanent excuse for being late). The one thing we all have in common as commuters is that we use our cars a lot.

And every time we turn on our car we contribute damaging emissions to the atmosphere.

Catherine Enos

The Environmental Protection Agency has reported that motor vehicles constitute 75% of carbon monoxide pollution in the United States. Stanford University provides a commuting calculator that not only measure the amount of emissions your car releases, but also the economics of your transportation.

The results are determined by the Energy Information Agency, who have determined that 19.6 pounds of carbon dioxide

are produced per gallon of non-ethanol gasoline. This means that RIC students who commute by car create nearly 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each month.

Now, part of this is unavoidable of course. The only way many of us can get to school is by car, so don’t feel too guilty. However, we all have a choice as to how we use our cars. I want to suggest that cars are not a hang out spot.

Often when I walk through the parking lots I see students

with their cars on. Typically, they are using their phone.

If you need to charge your phone, you can use the mobile charging stations at Adams Library, instead of unnecessarily contributing fossil fuel emissions.

If you need somewhere warm (or in the case the last couple of weeks - air conditioned) then use the great study spaces in the Library, Gaige Hall or the cafes. If you need a good nap, the bottom level of Adams Library has good couches and the Learning for

Life center always welcomes commuter students.

Your car is pollutant by just being on.

Here is the point, RIC students: we can talk the talk of environmentalism but let’s start walking the walk by being mindful of the emissions our cars create, particularly by using the great spaces we have here on campus instead of using our cars like mobile homes.

Don’t hate on my laptop

Opinions Editor

The first day of classes is always an annoying formality— professors going over syllabi, telling you what they expect and what they prohibit during lecture. It makes complete sense that most professors don’t allow you to talk on the phone or have loud conversations with your classmates so you are not disrupting the learning of other students.

However, there’s a more contentious policy that some professors have snuck into their syllabi and that is the prohibition of using a laptop during lecture.

There are plenty of arguments against the use of laptops in class. Students may be doing other things on their laptop unrelated to taking notes like sending emails, playing games, or

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scrolling through Twitter.

Professors say that these activities distract the individual participating in non-lecture leisure and those around them. But I can honestly say, as an individual who is very easily distracted, I have never hyper-focused on another person’s emails or game of solitaire.

Another argument professors have recited into oblivion is that “research claims that taking notes by hand is better for your memory” and this is true.

However, it goes without saying that you should be able to read your notes after you take them. And for those of us afflicted with bad handwriting, anti-laptop policies don’t really help the studying process.

In our day and age, one would expect for professors

to become more computerfriendly, especially in classes with heavy note-taking.

Laptops, for all their flaws, certainly help class move a little bit faster.

It is understandable, however, why these policies exist-- professors generally want students to be as enthusiastic about the

material as they are and it’s disrespectful to show up to class and not listen to a word that’s being said. As one of those enthusiastic students, it is irritating to see a person show up to class and spend the class texting or going through emails.

education and if you want to spend the class doing nothing, that should be up to you-- but these apathetic individuals should not decide the fate of me and my laptop.

However, as a student, you are financing your own

Laptop in Class, Photo courtesy of PCWorld

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

Voting is more than a right, it’s a power Joshua Magnone Anchor Contributor

“We the people” are the first three words written in the U.S. Constitution.

They are large, boldfaced and memorable. I’d like to think that these words were made so large and visible as a purposeful reminder; a reminder of where the true power of our government and elected officials originates from: we the people.

Voting for which people will best represent our interests at local, state and federal levels gives us the power to control who is making decisions on our behalf and allows us to (somewhat) control the public policies and laws that will affect our lives.

It is interesting, however, to take a look at the 2016 presidential election where nearly 100 million Americans (approximately 46% of the

Lauren Enos

U.S. population) did not vote. If “we the people” are in charge, why were so many of us apathetic?

Now imagine you’re a lowincome family and you don’t like Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton, so you decided not to vote. It’s important to note that as a low-income family, you may utilize government subsidies and public assistance programs to afford food, housing or healthcare

Suddenly, Donald Trump wins the election and he and his colleagues want to get rid of (or significantly decrease) programs that assist you. In this instance, you may not have liked Hillary Clinton, however, she wouldn’t have made the same decision to cut some of these programs.

Do you regret not voting?

Deciding not to vote is understandable. Choosing which candidates to support gets tricky when you feel

like none of the candidates represent your personal beliefs.

Here is where you may or may not disagree with me but I believe that even if you don’t like any of the candidates you should still vote. If there are no candidates that you strongly support, you should vote for the candidates that you believe will do the least harm-- “damage control,” if you will. It’s not ideal, but whether you like it or not, some of these candidates will become elected officials and they will be making decisions that will impact your life.

For people that don’t know how to vote or who to vote for, there are plenty of resources to help out. Www. vote.ri.gov can help a person register to vote and find out when elections are. There are a plethora of other great resources on how to become a more active participant in

I Voted, Photo courtesy of OpenClipart our political process.

The political process is far from perfect for far too many reasons to list in one article.

But that doesn’t mean that “we the people” don’t have the power to enact change.

Our founding fathers were bold enough to enact change in their government by way of militias, democratic

ideals, and hard work.

Let us enact change in ours by promoting active participation in the process, expanding our knowledge, advocating for our beliefs and by showing tolerance and civility towards those with whom we disagree.

Attendance should be a choice

Asst. Opinions Editor

For me to be a successful student, I need to attend class. I get nervous that I missed something vitally important, then I worry about getting all caught up, and it’s just not worth it for me.

After being a college student for a respectable amount of time, I’ve learned this about myself through experience.

Yes, I have skipped many classes. Most times it wasn’t because I was sick, or had a funeral to attend, or because my car broke down on the road. I just plain didn’t want to go. And I feel that I should be able to make that choice without repercussions.

I cringe when I’m confronted with a syllabus that outlines the penalties for unexcused absences. It makes me feel as if the professor thinks that I’m incapable of making my own choices; it feels very much like high school. In

my opinion, I should get to decide my own attendance policy because I’m the one paying to be here.

I realize that college is preparation for a students’ chosen profession, and serves to ready students to enter the professional world.

Attendance and punctuality is certainly important no matter what field you go into, but students aren’t professionals yet.

Instead of punishments for non-attendance, professors can simply say that attendance is vital to doing well in the course and that they highly recommend attending class regularly.

If a student performed well, did their assignments on time, and participated in necessary discussions, why does attendance matter?

If a student rarely showed

People in Classroom Photo courtesy of ThoughtCo up for class, did poorly, and expected anything but a poor grade, then that’s their own fault. They paid the tuition, chose not to be there, and reaped what they sowed.

Students have to make choices every day and it’s certainly not always easy.

To pick up an extra shift at work or turn it down and

study? To push that doctor’s appointment out another two months or go during class?

To stay in bed or to go to class to watch a movie that’s available online?

Students need to discover for themselves how they work best and what they need to be successful. Part of allowing us to make our

own choices involves the choice to attend class, even if it’s not advisable to miss it. We are adults, who pay to be here, and we should have the choice to not attend class without penalty.

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

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Sports The Toxic Culture of the NCAA Jake Elmsie Sports Editor

In 2017, the NCAA surpassed $1 billion in revenue for the first time in the organization's history.

The year before, nearly the entire Baylor University football power structure alongside the school's president were ousted after nearly half a decade of sexual assault allegations; previously hidden by the school's administration came to light. In 2017, the horrific and numerous acts of sexual assault committed by Larry Nassar in his time as a doctor for Michigan State gymnastics came to light.

Within the last 3 months, copious amounts of evidence have come out pointing to the idea that Ohio State University head football coach Urban Meyer as well as the school's athletic department were aware of domestic abuse being committed by assistant coach Zach Smith against his then wife Courtney for nearly a decade. Said assistant remained on Meyer's staff until reports of these domestic incidents surfaced in July.

In each of these cases, the NCAA handed down no punishment. The NCAA

has very few rules that would actually allow it to punish athletic programs for incidents involving violence against women. In the wake of the Penn State child sexual abuse scandal, the NCAA and the schools it governs had the opportunity to institute such rules, all parties chose not to.

Within the same time frame as these incidents, no NCAA athlete has legally received payment for their labors. No NCAA athlete has legally been able to use their own likeness for profit.. The NCAA, holds up the concept of amateurism as an ideal that it stringently enforces. While Baylor University and Michigan State face no penalties for their respective scandals, athletic departments have been fined by the organization for infractions as small as a coach buying an athlete lunch.

It is difficult to pinpoint which level this organizational negligence towards violence against women stems from. Does it come from coaches willing to cover up the crimes of their own players and staff members?

Does it come from university administrators more

Photo courtesy of The Washington Post concerned with protecting their school's image and by extension profitability even when it comes at the expense of victims of abuse? Or perhaps it comes from the leadership of the NCAA, an organization seemingly more concerned with upholding the vestige of amateurism; an ideal that has been discarded by virtually every other significant governing body in sports

worldwide.

Regardless of the identity of the prime culprit it is obvious that an imbalance exists in the heavy-handed way in which the NCAA handles frivolous infractions versus the almost complete lack of institutional action when it comes to matters involving the abuse of women.

The answer for why this type of culture persists may simply lie in the coffers of

college sport's governing body. However in an age where our society's tolerance for violence against women continues to decline, we must ask if a governing body that through it's own inaction in many ways enables such crimes should be permitted to exist in it's current form regardless of profit.

Photo courtesy of Sporting News

16 |

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.

Sports

Rhode Island College fall sports preview: Women’s Soccer Jake Elmsie Sports Editor

Christina Pirri has had much of her adult life defined by Rhode Island College women’s soccer. She started her career as a student-athlete at RIC in 2006 and after her graduation in 2010 joined the program as an assistant coach. She served in that role for another 5 years before finally, in 2015, becoming the head coach of the team. In her time as a player Coach Pirri was a part of the winningest team in RIC’s history and as such has an understanding of what it takes to succeed.

According to Coach Pirri the women’s soccer team is in the fourth year of what she’s defined as a rebuild.

In her first year leading the team they won a measly three games. Since then

they’ve reached the playoffs in back to back seasons, however, a postseason victory still eludes the team. Pirri hopes that the 2018 season will serve as the culmination of this rebuild and explained that “this is the first year I’ve felt like this is my team we’ve had four years of recruiting and we’ve built up a strong foundation in terms of skill.”

As she’s rebuilt the program Coach Pirri has focused on recruitment, culture and improving the teams skills. Immediately after taking over the program Coach Pirri turned her attention to resurrecting recruitment efforts at RIC that had died down in the years prior. Through this labor Coach Pirri has built up a core group of seniors and juniors that she hopes will

lead the team to postseason success, a core that includes senior captains Brittany DeGrooth and Leah Gravel among seven other returning starters from 2017.

Over the last three years Coach Pirri has also worked to build up the skill level of the team. At the beginning of her tenure the team mainly employed a simple kick and run style of play.

However after years of emphasising fundamentals and in her own words “the aspects of good soccer” the team now implements much more advanced concepts into their play style.

Finally Coach Pirri has worked to shift the culture of the program. This has included encouraging the atmosphere to be more competitive, instilling a sense of pride in the program and

Christina Perri Photo courtesy of goanchormen.org setting firm expectations for both individual players and the team as a whole. Also key has been an emphasis on individual responsibility and effort with Coach Perri believing that “effort is something that can’t be taught it’s something that has to be brought by each team member on a game to game basis.”

The women’s soccer season is already underway with the team holding a 1-2

record as of the writing of this article. When asked why RIC students should be excited about the team, Coach Pirri explained that “team is trying to create a new legacy for women’s soccer, we want to be a team RIC students can be proud of.”

The team’s next home game will be on September 11th when the Anchorwomen face off against Bridgewater State University.

Rhode Island College fall sports preview: Men’s Soccer

Jake Elmsie Sports Editor

A year after coming up short in the Little East Conference Finals, Rhode Island College’s men’s soccer team under the stewardship of John Mello is looking to return to the championship game and avenge their 1-0 loss. The team playing for RIC this season is going to look a bit different from the one that shared the Little East regular season championship a season ago with some key components from last year's team having earned their bachelor's degree and moved onto the next stage of their lives.

Among these BA holders are last year's Little East Defensive Player of the Year Ekunabe Seye and All New England forward Komla Dogbey who was described

by Coach Mello as “one of the best forwards to ever play for RIC.”

RIC has a strong returning core of players which is highlighted by senior captain Dennis Vazques who earned an All New England Selection last season for his play at midfield. One of the players who will be working with Vazques in the midfield will be Ghana born Hope High School alumni Kossivi Dogbey, brother of Komala.

Also returning is second year goalkeeper Charles Tashjian who is looking to build on a strong first season and rounds out the group of seven returning starters from the 2017 team.

Coach Mello highlighted freshmen forwards Brandon Ramos of Dorchester Massachusetts and Jonathan Olivera out of Classical High School as players to watch. Both are starters for the team with Ramos having scored in each of the team’s first two games.

RIC was ranked #3 in the Little East preseason rankings below Umass Boston at #2 and last year’s champions, Western Connecticut State University at #1. According to Coach Mello “the team is young and inexperienced and we have a lot of new players to work in but our expectation is always to win the Little East. Our conference is very tough but we want to improve each week.”

When asked about key home games on the schedule Coach Mello signaled out the September 29th contest against Keene State and the October 20th game against UMass Boston as high leverage games for the Anchormen.

The men’s soccer team’s season is already underway with the team holding a 1-11 record as of the writing of this article. The team’s next home game will come on

John Mello Photo courtesy of goanchormen.org September 15th when the Anchormen face off against the University of Southern Maine. When asked why RIC students should invest in the team this season

Coach Mello said that “the team is successful, we have a good bunch of guys and we’re always fighting for a championship.”

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| 17

Social Media Information @TheAnchorRIC

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Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928 | 19

Letter from the Editor Greetings to The Paper-Readers of Rhode Island College, You are far and few between, and you are recognized. I would like to begin my letter to the RIC community addressing how grateful I am for you. You who picks up a newspaper and sifts through content each week, you who actually reads a tangible paper in your hands when it is incredibly tempting and so much easier to get lost in the weeds of your smartphone. I am eternally grateful for you who still believes in the mighty power of the pen.

Here we are once again, opening up another semester and traversing the peaks and valleys of being involved in a college community. I have had the honor of attending RIC since 2015, watching its development through the lens of a journalist since my first month of college as a 17 year old freshman with little direction besides a love for literature and an interests in the sciences. I have a slightly more defined direction now, and a commitment to putting out an issue of The Anchor every Monday that is worth the time you spend to read.

As Editor-in-Chief of The Anchor, I am open to suggestions and op-eds from all people that attend Rhode Island College. The Anchor is an entirely student run publication and it is our mission to be reflective of the student body as a whole. This is important to me and fellow executive officers, as well as our entire staff. We want resident writers, international students, students studying to be teachers, art students, students that are heavily involved in research and students from virtually all walks of life to be involved with our organization.

The Anchor’s staff and board are some of the most dedicated group of college students I have ever encountered, and all I can hope for is that every member of The Anchor takes pride in their work and how utterly awesome their materialized efforts look in the published papers every single week.

Please contact me at editorinchief@anchorweb.org with any news related inquiries, job inquiries, opinions, health topics, and wise words.

As always, thanks for reading.

Best Regards From Your Editor, Samantha Scetta

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

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