THE LAST WORD
Reflections from an (almost) Golden Friar
F
BY PATRICIA SLONINA VIEIRA ’75 IFTY YEARS AGO THIS SPRING, I was writing
papers and preparing for exams that would conclude my first year at Providence College. As a member of the first “coed” class, I had survived both the cultural transition on campus and the launch year of Civ — the Development of Western Civilization interdisciplinary course. It wasn’t always easy. Navigating the campus — where every path seemed to lead uphill — often left me breathless. (It would be three more years before open heart surgery would correct a congenital heart defect that limited me physically.) I sometimes felt eclipsed by my peers in seminar discussions and excluded from the bonds connecting the women who lived on campus. I
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE SPRING 2022
was a hometown commuter from Pawtucket, R.I., dependent on a patchwork of car rides to reach campus and return home every day. But what a gift that education was! Encouraged by a career counselor to pursue my love of books and writing through an English major, I found pastimes I enjoyed transformed into a passion and lifelong profession. I was blessed to study with faculty in the arts and sciences whose scholarship, talent, and dedication to students surely rivaled that available at any Ivy League institution. Poetry became the lens through which I observed and understood life. Though unrealized at the time, these experiences shaped my life. Every day, some observation, prayer, poem, or other prompt reminds me of the grounding in life and literature, thinking and theology,
that I earned at Providence College. Fast-forward 50 years and the title of “Golden Friar” is in sight. This approaching anniversary inspires reflection. Providence taught us to be critical thinkers — people who recognize the complexity of human nature, consider the many approaches to an issue, and hesitate to make sweeping judgments or reach hasty conclusions. We are conscious of the sacred and seek spiritual significance in both the sweeping arc of history and the cadence of our daily lives. Our eyes and ears are attuned to recognize beauty and reject banality. Having learned about or lived through the worst chapters of history (so far), we still chose to marry, parent, and grandparent with hope for the future. We are masters at Jeopardy! and crossword puzzles — pulling obscure details from Civ
