Volume 92/Issue 14
February 11th, 2019
the 1 anchor Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928
President Sanchez states “#NOTAtRIC” in response to recent incidents on campus Samantha Scetta Editor-in-Chief
In two separate emails sent out last week from The Office of The President, multiple incidents that occurred on campus regarding compromised student safety were addressed. President Sanchez described the aforementioned events, and informed the college community that campus security will be heightened, by the use of increased patrols and increased police forces. The first email, sent out last Thursday, Feb. 7, informed the student body that “we have been reminded once again that Rhode Island College is not immune from people who seek to disrupt our educational mission by sowing seeds of hatred, racism and bigotry”, as students walking across campus reported
racial slurs being “hurled at them over the past two days”. The second email that was sent to students last Friday, Feb. 8, informed students that obscenities that were not racially influenced were yelled at female students walking across campus on Thursday night. It was stated that neither of these perpetrators are thought to be members of the RIC campus community. In the most recent email, Sanchez also states that the patrols on campus will be doubled, and police forces from Providence and North Providence will also be involved. The Anchor spoke with a few RIC students who are active members of the campus community regarding their thoughts
and concerns surrounding these incidents and the increased patrols on campus. Raquel Villot, a sophomore at RIC who is majoring in biology says that she has always had a positive experience with campus police. Villot stated, “Because we have an open campus, I feel that doubling patrol is the college’s only option. However, I wouldn’t want the increased patrol to be permanent, only lasting until the perpetrators realize the increase and stop. But this doubling of patrol does make me feel slightly uneasy because I have heard rumors and stories about minorities being treated poorly by campus police” Nick Duhamel, who is majoring in Social Work
and is a grief facilitator at FRIENDSWAY, Rhode Island’s only child bereavement center, also gave The Anchor a statement regarding these events: “Because of the incident that transpired the other day, I have noticed an increase in patrol on campus. It was just last night that a providence police officer slowly drove by me, his eyes locked on mine to almost say ‘you aren't causing trouble are you’. I feel that an increase in patrol on campus is not the answer, rather this situation should call students together to rally for equality and the vanquishment of any type of discriminatory behavior filled with hate. Though I am happy with the school responding serious to this matter, I feel it is only breaking the surface of action. Students need to feel safe, and Police Presence
does not always accomplish that”. Luckily, our campus has resources aplenty for students to turn to in times when they feel safety is compromised in any way. You can make an online appointment with the RIC Counseling Center by visiting www.ric.edu/ counseling-center, or call the RIC HOPE line at 401-456-HOPE (4673) for 24/7 support. The Unity Center is also open Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., and Friday until 4:00 p.m. Also, keep your student media groups in mind and reach out to editorinchief@anchorweb. org if you or someone you know has any more information regarding incidents of any type of harassment on campus that you would like publicized.
Larger than life heroin spoon placed in front of Coventry drug company
Erica Clark Asst. News Editor This week in Coventry, an artist took his protest against the opioid crisis and transformed it into art. Domenic Esposito created
a 10-foot, 800-pound sculpture of a heroin spoon on the sidewalk Thursday morning in front of Rhodes Pharmaceuticals. Esposito says he feels
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Big Pharma as a whole has played a major role in the ongoing opioid epidemic. The spoon sculpture represents what heroin addicts often use before injecting.
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“My talent is art and metal working. That’s what I love to do. I’m using that talent to try and bring awareness and accountability to the opioid crisis,” said Esposito to NBC 10, who’s based in Boston. Rhodes Pharmaceuticals’ website lists the drugs it manufactures, including the opioid painkiller oxycodone hydrochloride. The pharmaceutical industry has been previously accused of overprescribing drugs and profiting from them. This protest hits a personal spot for Esposito, mentioning “My brother has been battling this addiction for the last 12 years,” he said. The Opioid Spoon Project, the inspiration behind Esposito’s art, is a universal
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project geared towards the dark reality of the opioid crisis. On the project’s Facebook, they mention the spoon has “spawned an outcry” across the country and even internationally. This artist-led all-inclusive project promotes awareness and change in the opioid crisis that has affected countless lives and families around the world. Esposito first spoon drop was with a different but similar sculpture in front of Purdue Pharma in Connecticut in June. Coventry police were required to move the spoon as it was on the sidewalk, which is considered public space. Rhodes Pharmaceuticals did not respond to request for comment.
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