Volume 93/Issue XIII
THE
January 27th, 2020
ANCHOR
Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928
Students unite for approval of Queer Studies
Abigail Nilsson
Editor In Chief Rhode Island College will be the first state funded school to offer Queer Studies as a minor in the 2020 fall semester. The University of Rhode Island has been in the process of developing a similar program since the spring of 2017, as there is significant student interest in these special topic classes. For years, students such as Derek Sherlock, Madeleine Dulude and Sissy Rosso have wanted queer studies to be a topic they could learn more about during college. These students from different backgrounds and majors share the belief that everyone should have a safe learning space where they can challenge what they think they know, feel a little uncom-
fortable and use what they have learned to teach others. Leslie Schuster, who heads Rhode Island College’s Gender and Women’s Studies program, worked with Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Andrea Dottolo to run a “trial” class called Introduction to Queer Studies last spring. Sherlock, majoring in English, and Gender and Women’s Studies, was one of the first people to sign up for this class. Sherlock was tasked with the duty of spreading the word about this new intro class. As the fall semester quickly approached, Schuster began to worry about enrollment, and feared that she may have to cancel the section. Sherlock’s efforts paid off when the roster went from 5 students to nearly twenty. While many classes at RIC are taught in a traditional lecture style, Dr. Dottolo worked with the students to apply what they had read or watched ahead of time to classroom activities and real world situations. Student Sissie Rosso said, “While the professor usually sets the
Pictured from left: Sissy Rosso, Derek Sherlock, Madeleine Dulude Photo by Abigail Nilsson tone for the class, I found that the students really made this class. People were a lot more open-minded and willing to learn without negativity.” The classroom was a place where the students felt included, and comfortable being a little uncomfortable. About half way through the fall semester, a group of students urged Dr. Dotto-
lo to make Queer Studies a program on its own. Dottolo then encouraged the students to share their views with Schuster, who then sat in on a class, and met with students to discuss this possibility. The students, along with their friends and other peers wrote letters to the RIC administration requesting Queer Studies to be offered as an official
minor, supplemented with their experiences and passions for the field of study. “As a student, we don’t get to see the administrative part of it, and it was really interesting to learn about,” said Rosso. The large group of students coming together in one class voicing their interest made their wish a reality. Continued on page 4
Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna dead in helicopter crash alongside seven others
Jake Elmslie Sports Editor Five time NBA champion, 18 time all-star and fourth all time leading scorer in NBA history Kobe Bryant, 41 was killed Sunday morning in a helicopter crash. The accident also claimed the life of his second eldest daughter, 13 year old Gianna “Gigi” Bryant and seven other individuals above Calabasas, California. Both Bryants were
on their way to one of Gigi’s basketball games alongside one of her teammates Alyssa Altobeli and parents John and Keri Altobeli. The game was to be played at the Bryant owned Mamba Sports Academy with Kobe as the coach for his daughters team. Altobeli was set to enter his 24th season as the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College, a public college in Orange Coast, California. The helicopter’s pilot also perished in the crash alongside three other currently unidentified individuals. Bryant, who retired in 2016 after 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, is considered an international icon.
The Anchor Newspaper
He was one of the most heavily endorsed athletes in the world at the height of his popularity, with his jersey being one of the top sellers worldwide for the majority of his career. His jersey remains the second highest selling for a basketball player of all time, behind only Michael Jordan. Bryant further added to his legacy with a 2018 Oscar win in the category of best animated short for his film “Dear Basketball.” Bryant saw himself surpassed as the third all time leading scorer in NBA history Saturday by Lebron James, in a game that took place in Bryant’s hometown of Philadelphia. To honor Bryant,
@TheAnchorRIC
who wore the number 24 for the second half of his career multiple NBA teams intentionally committed 24 second violations to open their games that began hours after the news of the former Lakers demise became public.
@RICTheAnchor
Graphic courtesy of nbcnews.com Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa Bryant and his three remaining daughters, 17 year old Natalia, three year old Bianka and 7 month old Capri.
www.TheAnchor.news