Top Banner
12 WINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEY Men’s hockey won three games straight over winter break. Find out what happened inside. Week of january 19, 2015 | Vol: 87 | Issue: #15 The Anchor Newspaper A Campus REMEMBERS Ashley Signoriello 1992-2014 David Cuhna 1993-2014 Forever Anchormen
12

1 19 15

Apr 08, 2016

Download

Documents

Jim Brady

 
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1: 1 19 15

12WINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYMen’s hockey won three games straight over winter break. Find out what happened inside. 12121212121212121212121212WINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYWINNING STREAK CONTINUES FOR RIC HOCKEYMen’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over Men’s hockey won three games straight over winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.winter break. Find out what happened inside.

Week of january 19, 2015 | Vol: 87 | Issue: #15 The Anchor Newspaper

A Campus

REMEMBERS

Ashley Signoriello1992-2014

David Cuhna1993-2014

Forever Anchormen

Page 2: 1 19 15

week of january 19, 20152 news

RI inaugurates first female governorGina Raimondo and others officially take office

2015 is off to a busy start in Rhode Island with a new

Governor, as well as several other newcomers to statewide offices. Gov. Gina Raimondo was inaugurated on Tuesday, Jan. 6 outside the state house in spite of the cold weather and snow flurries. Her husband and two young children were by her side as she took the oath of office. Raimondo, 43, is Rhode Island’s 75th Governor and the state’s first female governor. She is also the first Democrat elected to the office since 1992. Also attending the inauguration was newly elected Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. Baker is Massachusetts’ first Republican governor since Mitt Romney left office in 2006.

Following the inauguration, all 113 members of the Rhode Island General Assembly were sworn in. In addition to a special WaterFire lighting at Waterplace Park, privately funded celebrations open to the public were held at Waterplace Restaurant, Jacky’s Waterplace and Sushi Bar, Union Station Brewery, Café Nuovo and Bar Louie.

As the new governor, Raimondo will have to deal with a high unemployment rate and an enormous budget deficit. Raimondo hosted a State House Open House on Saturday, January 10 that featured local food and music at no cost to the public.The event was followed by a get-together at a local skating rink.

Donations to Raimondo’s inauguration committee were capped at $15,000. Raimondo spent more than $8 million between 2013 and 2014 securing the Democratic nomination and winning the general election.

Those assisting her in her duties as governor include her Chief of Staff Stephen Neuman, Stefan Pryor as the first Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce, Rhode Island Director of Administration Michael DiBiase and term-limited Lt. Gov. Elizabeth

Roberts as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Former Lieutenant Governor Charlie Fogarty has been nominated as the Director of the Division of Elderly Affairs but has yet to be confirmed by the senate. These individuals have served both Republicans and Democrats in and out of Rhode Island.

Among others taking office in new positions included Lt. Gov Dan McKee, formerly the mayor of Cumberland; Treasurer Seth Magaziner, who fills the position previously held by Raimondo and Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. Attorney General Peter Kilmartin is in his second term.

Although he lost his bid for the governorship, Allan Fung was re-elected mayor of Cranston for the third time. Also re-elected was Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian. Taking the oath of office for the first time was Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza.

It has also been an interesting start to the year in nearby Fall River. Mayor Will Flanagan was successfully recalled and replaced with Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter. The recall election was held on December 16 of last year and was made possible by thousands of Fall River residents signing a petition. Among those who voted, 69.48% were in favor of the recall, while 30.52% were against it. More than 16,000 Fall River citizens voted in this recall.

With the 2014 elections out of the way, the focus will begin to shift on 2016. Neither Rhode Island nor Massachusetts will have a Senator up for re-election, but all representatives will be up for re-election while the much anticipated presidential race will steal the show. Until then, hopefully all politicians across Rhode Island and Massachusetts can work together to make them run in the best way possible.

To view Governor Raimondo’s inaugural address, visit http://www.governor.ri.gov/. A copy of her first executive order, “Ethics and Integrity in Government” can also be viewed there.

ryan foleyassistant editor

Rhode Island College president, Nancy Carriuolo. —rimonthly.com

Governor Raimondo and her husband on inauguration day. —Stew Miline, AP

Ashley Signoriello

teacher, athlete, friend

Towards the end of last semester, Rhode Island

College senior Ashley Signoriello passed away after complications from a zip line accident. Signoriello was majoring in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Special Education.

The accident occurred in a friend’s backyard on December 5, leaving her paralyzed. She passed three days later at the age of 22. Signoriello had already completed her student teaching and was on track to graduate.

Charlene Barbieri, one of her teachers from her time at Cranston West High School, had quite a few words of remembrance.

“I had Ashley in the Child Development program for three years. She was compassionate. She

was energetic. She loved working with children, and she just shined every time she walked through the classroom doors. Unfortunately her time was cut so short, but her presence will always be remembered through her passionate personality, her caring personality and just her presence.”

A GoFundMe campaign was started in her honor with the goal of raising $25,000. That goal has been exceeded as 414 people came together to raise over $27,000 in Signoriello’s honor. The funds raised through this effort helped Signoriello’s family with medical bills and costs related to her funeral. Jana Schnell, who started the page, said that “Ashley was truly a

beautiful person inside and out and would immediately light up the room when she entered.” The web address is http://www.gofundme.com/asigg. It has over 1000 shares on Facebook.

In addition to her teaching ambitions, Signoriello played lacrosse and volleyball here at RIC in addition to playing basketball in high school. She was also named to the Providence Journal’s all-state girls’ lacrosse team.

Signoriello leaves behind her parents, a brother and a sister, and her grandparents. She is buried at St. Ann’s Cemetery in Cranston. Memorial contributions can be made in lieu of flowers to the Spinal Injury Cord Special Fund, located at 27405 Puerta Real, Suite 120, Mission Viejo, CA 92691.

As President Carriuolo said, “RIC is a close knit community and the loss of any of our members is felt by all.” Students who feel the need for counseling as a result of Signoriello’s sudden passing can visit the Counseling Center in Craig Lee 130 or give them a call at 456-8094.

-Ryan Foley, Assistant Editor

A powerful woman makes a powerful collegePresident Carriuolo shares her thoughts on being named “Woman of the Year”

A new art building and regionally acclaimed nursing

program are only two of the many reasons all eyes are on RIC, and President Nancy Carriuolo. Carriuolo was recently named GoLocal Providence’s Woman of the Year, as well as one of Rhode Island Monthly’s 30 Most Powerful Women in the state. It is a recognition she is honored to have, she said.

Carriuolo came from a low income family; only one of her siblings had graduated high school. When she was growing up, her school librarian believed that she was “anything but ordinary,” a quality Carriuolo sees in RIC students.

“I focus my energies on RIC because the college is so very worthy of my time and attention: I see that same drive to succeed in RIC’s students. I am filled with pride when employers tell me that they hire RIC students because they work long, hard, and well—not just on campus but in the workplace.”

Under her leadership, RIC has made progress, and she hopes for even more in the future. During the Fall semester, the Strategic Plan, also known as Vision 2020, began to form. The plan lays out what the goal’s of the college are over the

next five years. Much progress was made in 2014, but Carriuolo stated that as far as the future goes, some goals are not quite set yet.

“Those goals are not finalized yet, but emphasis is likely to be on ensuring that RIC is playing an increasingly efficient and effective role in preparing RI’s workforce.”

This progress was made within the context of the Great Recession, something that has greatly affected Carriuolo’s style of presidency. She wakes at five in the morning, works all day, and will normally attend events in the evening and on the weekends.

“With the help of so many people on and off campus, I have worked to make RIC more efficient so that we can deliver an excellent education on a constrained budget. In upcoming years, I foresee that we will be called upon to be increasingly efficient and effective in our delivery of instruction that prepares students for careers and for life. By working together, we can rise to such challenges.”

Last year was, overall, a fairly female-positive year as well, especially in Rhode Island. Along with Carriuolo’s accolades, the state elected its first female governor, as well as a female Secretary of State. Other educational institutions in Rhode Island now have female presidents, including Brown, RISD, JWU and Salve Regina. The Chair of the Board of Education is also female.

“All are remarkable women, and I am proud to call them my colleagues,” Carriuolo said. She also added that Rhode Island College produces exceptional female alumni. Her advice to future women alumni? Always do more than what is expected.

“Employers will notice, you will be valued, and you will be rewarded; not just monetary rewards necessarily, but personal pride, confidence and satisfaction will follow,” Carriuolo said.

Carriuolo offered similar advice for young women who may experience sexism in the workplace, stating that she has experienced it in the past, and it is still an obstacle at times today. According to Carriuolo, it is hard to bypass someone who is achieving team goals.

“You cannot take too much to heart off-hand comments,” she said. “Listen carefully to the criticisms of others, some may be criticisms you need to hear, but filter what you judge to be significant and shrug off the rest.”

elisha kay aldrichnews editor@anchornews

Page 3: 1 19 15

week of january 19, 2015 3news

Hollywood acting coach comes to teach at RICRHODE ISLAND - For a seminar, at least. Howard Fine, acting coach to stars such as Brad Pitt, Jennifer Connelly, Salma Hayek and others, came to Rhode Island College on December 20 and 22 for a seminar offered to theater students and alumni. Fine, who is a RIC alum himself, stated that he was delighted to come back due to the first rate education he received at RIC, and because of the support he was given from faculty. Assistant Chair of the Department of Music Jamie Taylor also provided a comment, stating that the students who worked with Fine were thrilled to have the opportunity.

RIC Nursing simulator on par with YaleRHODE ISLAND - Rhode Island College and Yale University are now the only two academic institutions with accredited nursing simulators in the Northeast. The simulation labs are used to create clinical scenarios, which occur in real time, but use manikins rather than patients. The manikins can show pulses, respiration and bowel sounds, and some can even respond to light and sound. The Dean of the School of Nursing, Jane Williams, stated that the accreditation was all thanks

to the nursing faculty, whose expertise helped to support the program. Currently, RIC has 540 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and 80 students enrolled in the Master of Science in Nursing program.

Kennedy Plaza ReopensPROVIDENCE - Bus riding students, rejoice! Kennedy Plaza has been scheduled to reopen just in time for the new semester to begin! Although the new and improved plaza opens for public use on the 17th, the official ceremony will not be until the 20th at 9:30 a.m. The construction project, which cost $2.4 million, was meant to make the hub not only a bus stop for commuters, but to also serve as a gathering place. Another major goal was to create more space for public events by reducing the number of total bus stops without getting rid of any routes or drastically changing services. There are also electronic signs mounted in each shelter to provide real-time information to riders about when their bus will be coming. Now that there are less stops actually on the plaza, there is more room for farmer’s markets, local concerts and art exhibits.

Sex traffi cking uncovered in ProvidencePROVIDENCE - According to Providence Police, three underage girls from Massachusetts were being held hostage and sold for sex by a 21-year-old Dorchester man. Derek Miranda, the man responsible, is charged with three counts of kidnapping and sex trafficking. Local

authorities are also discussing his case with Homeland Security, the attorney general’s office, and federal prosecutors. Of the three girls, two were 14 years of age, and one was 15. There was also a 21-year-old woman found there. Police were able to find them when one of the 14-year-olds was able to escape and find help. She told officers that Miranda had “guns,” and would not allow them to leave his apartment. A weapon was not found on the premises. Two of the girls were returned to their parents, and another was returned to Massachusetts child welfare officials.

France mourns terrorist attack on satirical magazinePARIS, FRANCE - Charlie Hebdo, a Paris based satirical magazine, was attacked by gunmen on January 7, killing several cartoonists, as well as one of the editors. In total, 13 people were murdered. According to several news outlets, the attackers were Muslim, and rumored to be in connection with Al-Qaida. The attacks were caused by controversial political cartoons, featuring the Prophet Mohammed, who, according to traditional Islamic law, is not to be depicted in any fashion. The attacks have spurred a heated conversation about free speech, with the slogan “#JeSuisCharlie,” which translates to “I am Charlie.” The two attackers who gunned down the office, as well as one more in connection to them, were killed on January 9. While another suspect is still on the run, Charlie Hebdo still released a new edition on January 13, the cover depicting none other than the Prophet Mohammed underneath a banner saying “Tout Est Pardonne,” (All Is Forgiven), and holding a sign saying “Je Suis Charlie.”

Gas prices under $2UNITED STATES - Gasoline is now under $2 in at least 13 states, including some areas of Rhode Island. Although seeing the price under $2 isn’t very common, only

at a gas station or two, the national average has fallen drastically as well, now down to $2.55, the lowest since October 2009. Even lower prices are predicted throughout the year due to an oversupplied crude oil market, and analysts say that the surplus of oil is not going anywhere any time soon. The drop in prices came as OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, made a decision last month to leave their practices essentially unchanged. Venezuela and Iran have coordinated their efforts to persuade OPEC to cut production, but Saudi Arabia, which is the most powerful country within OPEC, has only agreed to form a commission to periodically review prices. However, the falling prices have become necessary as the United States has been importing less oil every month, leaving barrels that would have gone there to go to countries like China, India and the rest of Asia.

Supreme Court to rule on gay marriage in AprilWASHINGTON, DC - The Supreme Court announced Friday that it will finally decide whether or not same sex couples have the right to marry everywhere in America under the Constitution. The case will be argued in April, and a decision is expected by June. The justices will take up four gay-rights cases that request them to overturn bans on marriage in four states; by doing so they will create new law for the rest of the states to follow. Currently, same sex couples can marry in 36 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia. Supporters of gay marriage state that the country is ready for freedom of marriage, while opponents state that the Supreme Court should not decide the case, but rather let the people of each state decide. In the case, the justices are considering two questions; whether or not the Constitution requires states to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples, and whether states must recognize same sex marriages performed elsewhere. The appeals to the court come from plaintiffs in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, all states where bans exist. Other such bans are in ten other states, including Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri and Nebraska.

Howard Fine leads acting seminar at RIC

David CuhnalOYal VOlUnteer The flag at RIC was lowered last

week in honor of David Cunha, a RIC student who passed away on January 12. Cunha, a junior, was a mass communications major who celebrated his twenty-first birthday on New Year’s Day.

Prior to his arrival here at RIC, Cunha was a member of the National Honor Society and a student at Smithfield High School. He was very active in his church, St. Michael’s Parish, where he volunteered as an altar server and served as an assistant CCD teacher. Cunha was also a passionate volunteer, donating his time to organizations such as the Matty Fund, Best Buddies and the Special Olympics.

For the past six years, Cunha worked as a Senate Page for State Senator Stephen Archambault and Former State Senator John Tassoni. Cunha also interned under former General Treasurer Frank Caprio. Archambault has been the Senator for District 22 since 2013, representing the residents of Smithfield. Cunha was also very active at Archambault’s law practice.

Archambault gave a few words of remembrance, stating that David helped him in more ways than one.

“David was my first page, and he held a special place with me. David worked in my law office even helping my wife with downloading Nursing school texts and research. He helped my paralegal with office work. He was there for me with campaign duties. David was loyal to the core,” Archambault said.

Cunha is survived by his parents and grandparents as well as several aunts, uncles and cousins. He is buried at St. Ann’s Cemetery in Cranston. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the David Louis Cunha Foundation at 265 George Washington Highway, Smithfield, RI 02917.

Those who need counseling as a result of Cunha’s passing can contact Dr. Scott Kane, the Interim Vice President for Student Affairs at [email protected]. The Counseling Center is located in Craig Lee 130 and can be contacted via phone at 456-8094.

-Ryan Foley, Assistant Editor

Page 4: 1 19 15

week of january 19, 20154 eDiToriaL

GENERAL [email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

WEBSITEwww.theanchoronline.org

FACEBOOKfacebook.com/theanchoronline

TWITTER@TheAnchor_RIC

CONTACT USWE’RE ONLINE

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 © 2015 The Anchor. All rights reserved.

Legal stu�

FACULTY ADVISORLloyd Matsumoto

[email protected]

EDITORS

STAFF

Jim Brady | [email protected] Estrella | [email protected] Goldberg | [email protected] | [email protected] Kay Aldrich | [email protected] Mellin | [email protected] Martelle | [email protected] Vassell | [email protected] Franciosi | [email protected] Vigeant | [email protected] Maynard | [email protected] | [email protected] Patton | [email protected] | [email protected] Carney | [email protected]

Charlotte AbotsiAshley ArabyPaige Barry

Jacob BedardJanine BoiselleEverton Carter

Colleen CartwrightJonathan Carney

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFMANAGING EDITOR

BUSINESS MANAGERART DIRECTORNEWS EDITOR

RIC LIFE EDITOROPINIONS EDITOR

SPORTS EDITORPHOTO EDITOR

GRAPHICS EDITORCOPY EDITOR

LAYOUT EDITORADS MANAGER

TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORCIRCULATION MANAGER

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORSJim Hummel

The Hummel Report

, 2015 eDiToriaL

Kate Delfi noRyan Foley

Victoria HopeJason Johnson

Rebecca KirtlinkLauren McDonough

Rebecca PitzerJerzy Polak

Nathan SilvaRyan St. George

Emilii SteinBen SimpsonZachery RasoNicholas Rose

Alex WallAlycia Zenga

CLASSIFIEDHelp Wanted- Offi ce/ClericalPT Clerical Person needed from 11:00AM To 3:00PM Monday-Friday, $650.00 weekly. Computer skills are a must. Need to be detail oriented, possess good customer service skills, some cash & items handling skills, Must be able to do lil errands. Apply at my email bellow [email protected].

Page 5: 1 19 15

week of january 19, 2015 5

NOW HIRINGWe’re looking for a layout editor

MUST KNOW INDESIGNOTHER DESIGN SKILLS WELCOMED

MUST HAVE WEEKEND AVAILABILITY

PAID POSITION

FOR MORE INFO EMAIL [email protected]

Sign-ups now available outside our office in the

Ducey Media Center

INTERVIEWS TBA

Page 6: 1 19 15

week of january 19, 20156 ric Life

Don’t let grandma fool you. She’s been saving up a years worth of questions to ask you. −Shutterstock

The Battle of the Five Armies

“The Battle of the Five Armies” brings audiences back to the

fantastical universe of Middle Earth one last time in the third and final installment of the Hobbit trilogy. Based on the iconic book by Tolkien and directed by Peter Jackson, this last visit into Tolkien’s universe follows the story of Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves as Middle Earth is threatened by a rising darkness.

The film dives into the action quickly, starting off right where the second film ended—Smaug, a gigantic dragon voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch diving into the town of Dale set to destroy the city and all who inhabit it. In one of the greatest scenes in the trilogy, the dragon is eventually slain by Bard, the man who would later lead the humans into the war later in the movie. The film then delves into the journey of Thorin, the hardened dwarf leader, and his thirst for power which leads to the climactic battle of the five armies of humans, dwarves, orcs, elves, and eagles. Jackson succeeds in portraying the big scale battles he is known for and creating a heart beating, thrilling movie that is action packed from beginning to end, but it was not without its flaws.

One of the biggest critiques I have for the new trilogy as a whole is the filler that Jackson added into the plotline—the biggest being the love story between Tauriel and Kili. Contrary to popular believe, not every great tale needs a love story, and the Hobbit is one of those great tales that is strong without it. This quickly kindled love story being such a problem is due to the amount of screen time the two

take up throughout the trilogy. Several vital characters that Tolkien wrote into the book had little to no character development, so little so that those that didn’t read the book would

have a hard time telling the dwarves apart from one another. Characters that did not exist in the book, such as Tauriel, and minor unnamed characters in the book, like Alfred, took center stage

in each of the three movies, stealing time away from more important aspects of the book.

I am not a believer that the movie adaptation of a book should match the text identically, I accept that the movie is its own piece of art based off the book, but with some artistic changes made by the director. However, I dislike how movie adaptations many times fall under stereotypical movie clichés that harm what was great about the book to begin with. In this case particularly, “Battle of the Five Armies” was a well put together film, but it falls short in the instances where Jackson changed the storyline to appeal to the masses, adding in cliché tropes like the romance tale, and the comic relief of Alfred, instead of capitalizing on the already great characters Tolkien created. With three film adaptations made from one book it is almost unheard of that many big questions could still be left unanswered, but with the amount of screenplay the filler takes up the audience is still left with many questions and many times the characters created for the film (Tauriel) alter the story

a little too much.

Many moviegoers, especially longtime fans, go into new movies ready for disappointment, thinking the new movies won’t match the high standard of the old ones—but if you go into anything looking for flaws, you will find flaws. All in all, I did enjoy the movie. As a diehard Tolkien fan I had problems with the way the story was changed, but the trilogy as a whole served as an exciting segue into the Lord of the Rings.

Although I wish more time was put into the orcs, as the CGI-made orcs in this trilogy do not compare to the LOTR orcs in any way, and while I wish some clichés were not followed, the Hobbit trilogy served its purpose.

The Hobbit is, at the end of the day, a fairytale written by Tolkien for his children, a different and a much less darker tale than the Lord of the Rings, and Peter Jackson did well in portraying that. The trilogy had a sense of whimsical adventure in the beginning that intensified as the movies progressed, ending with the third film which, even with its flaws, was a visually striking and exciting film. The battle sequences were well put together and Jackson did a great job at leading up to the iconic battle outside of the lonely mountain between the five armies. And most of all, the acting was spectacular. If you are going to see the Hobbit for anything, see it for the acting. Aside from returning favorites Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Martin Freeman portrayed the legendary Bilbo Baggins perfectly in all three films, fitting all of the little hobbit’s mannerisms. Alongside Freeman, Richard Armitage, playing the role of Thorin, had an

outstanding performance, especially in this last film.

Into the WoodsPaTrick connolly

anchor contributor

It’s rare for me to see a film at least twice in the movie theater,

but when it’s something as good as “Into the Woods” out in theaters right now, sometimes you have to take such a path. Despite some changes that could be very divisive amongst the musical’s purist fans, this is one of the most faithful film adaptations of a musical that I have ever seen. James Lapine’s script, as well as Stephen Sondheim’s score, is justifiably adapted for the screen thanks to a wonderful cast under the confident direction of Rob Marshall.

Based on the beloved Tony Award Winning musical of the same name, the film intertwines classic fairy tales such as “Cinderella” (Anna Kendrick), “Little Red Riding Hood” (Lilia Crawford), “Jack and the Beanstalk” (Daniel Huttlestone) and “Rapunzel” (McKenzie Maury) with the story of a baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) longing for a child of their own. But

a Witch (Meryl Streep) placed a spell on their house because the Baker’s father stole some magic beans from her garden, which resulted in the loss of her beauty. To reverse the curse and have their child, both the Baker and his wife are given a mission to find four ingredients for the Witch before the blue moon reappears. Those four ingredients are a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold.

But that’s only the setup for the first half of what is essentially a cautionary tale, and to give anything else away for those unfamiliar with the source material would be a disservice to the film’s many thematic messages. Granted, some of those messages are toned down for a mass audience which may not go well for the musical’s purists (the subtext underneath “Little Red Riding Hood” is more than

just a wolf wanting to eat a little girl), but I still think the messages are conveyed

beautifully in this adaptation, and it never insults the audience’s intelligence.

I can’t find one weak link in the cast; even the Steward (Richard Glover) gets a chance to shine for a moment or two. Ever since I found out that Anna Kendrick would

be playing Cinderella, I thought that she was an ideal casting choice, and she does not disappoint here. Her rendition of “On the Steps of the Palace” is one of the highlights in a film full of them. James Corden and Emily Blunt are also ideal casting choices as the Baker and the Baker’s Wife. Their on-screen chemistry in their rendition of “It Takes Two” made me believe that they were an actual couple in real life. And Meryl Streep as the Witch? Her rendition of “Stay With Me” made me applaud in the theater. Her Oscar nomination is justified.

Not since “Sweeney Todd” have I been excited about a great live-action movie musical. Look out, folks; movie musicals are making a comeback in a big way!

Taken 3 andreW o’neilanchor contributor

We’ve come to yet another

movie where Liam Neeson shows off his particular set of skills. The final film in the “Taken” series is pretty much what you’d expect from a movie like this, to a certain degree. It’s got all the action that pretty much makes up a Taken film, but it differentiates from the previous two films.

Luckily, the film doesn’t follow the same premise as the previous two in the sense that a member of Bryan Mills’ (Liam Neeson) family is taken by some foreign enemy (granted there isn’t anyone else in Mills’ family left that hasn’t been taken.) If it had followed that format again, the film would have been really boring, which is part of why the second film wasn’t as good as the first. In this case (remaining spoiler-free for those who haven’t seen either the film or the spoiler-filled trailer) someone is taken from Mills, but not in the traditional way, and he has to figure out how and why it happened.

As far as casting goes, that is something that the Taken films have always been good at. Liam Neeson is still a huge badass (he trained Batman and Obi-Wan Kenobi so he has to be), punching and shooting everything that gets in his way. He also acts like someone you’d want to be a father to you with a voice that automatically relaxes you. The rest of the returning cast also does a fair job, especially Maggie Grace, returning as Kim. She was pretty good, given her character’s personal situation in the film. New to the cast is famed actor Forest Whitaker playing police inspector Franck Dotzler, who honestly is portrayed, for lack of a better term, interestingly. Throughout the film he is seen playing with either a rubber band or a knight chess piece, but no real motif comes from this, and they have no real impact or symbolism.

The plot is pretty predictable, in the sense that as you watch it you start to make predictions about the film that will probably turn out to be accurate. In some cases you’ll be happy that it did go in that direction. Otherwise you’ll be a little bored with the film because it seems that the plot is going around in circles. It also has the repeatable plot point of the cops always being one step behind the protagonist, which doesn’t work as well as it does in other movies. The action, however, has its moments, including a scene involving a speeding car heading towards a plane about to take off. That was hands down the best scene of the whole film, which is unfortunate because it’s one of the last bits of action in the entire film.

As far as watching goes, “Taken 3” is decent, mostly because of Liam Neeson being the awesome actor he normally is, the rest of the actors in the film and the fact that it’s the last film in the series. Otherwise you’d be slightly bored with the way the film goes. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t see it. It’s worth watching at least once.

Josh esTrellaManaging editor

Rating

Rating

Rating

66

many questions and many times the characters created for the film (Tauriel) alter the story

playing the role of Thorin, had an outstanding performance, especially

in this last film.

placed a spell on

beautifully in this adaptation, and it never insults the audience’s intelligence.

Taken 3

e’ve come to yet another

Page 7: 1 19 15

week of january 19, 2015 7ric Life

Janine Boiselleassistant editor

Janine Boiselleassistant editor

As someone who personally gets paranoid every time I make the decision to skip a class here and there, I’ve always wondered how some of my friends and other students could skip a class with ease. With this question in mind, I developed a questionnaire asking RIC students about their hooky playing habits.

Originally, I wanted to get a bunch of these surveys out to have a more quantitative amount of data, but unfortunately with the holiday’s coming up, most people were off campus as I

searched for those willing to participate in the survey. I was able to have 20 students complete my questionnaire that asked questions about their major, the amount of semesters they’ve been at RIC, about how many times they were willing decided to skip class, what reason(s) drove that decision (ex. sleep, illness, weather, etc.), and if they were a resident or commuter. Please keep in mind that all of these surveys were anonymously taken, and that this data does not reflect on the entire RIC population.

According to the data that I’ve collected, one of my hypotheses was correct. I predicted that most of the students I surveyed

skipped anywhere from five to seven classes, and according to my numbers, 8 out of 20 of the participants said that they have missed class five to seven times.

With the next portion of the survey, I thought I would get a clear cut answer as to who cut class more: commuters or residents. However, by the looks of the data, it’s very difficult to gauge who played hooky the most last semester. According to this chart, a quarter of participants (all of which were commuters), said that they skipped class five to seven times. However, residents outnumber the commuters with more skips in the 8 to 10 and “I lost count”

category. In order to get a clear cut answer, I would definitely need to collect more surveys. But it looks like being a resident or commuter has no effect on how much you miss class.

As far as how a student’s time in college influences their skip rate, I gained no real information. After looking at my data, numbers were all over the place; so all over the place that I wasn’t even sure how to plot my data into a graph! Also taking into consideration that only four of the survey participants were freshmen, we’re going to have to hold off on any assumptions about there being a correlation with class level and skipping class.

This final graph shows the most common excuses students had for skipping class. Each participant was asked if they skipped class for these particular reasons:

once, rarely, a few times, usually and all the time. To make this graph, I took the highest ranking reasons from each student (some had multiple reasons) and tallied up how many times they were commonly used amongst students. According to my data, my prediction was wrong seeing as almost half of the survey participants put that they usually missed class because of illness. However weather, homework assignments and a no attendance policy came in a close second, all being tied with six.

In the “other” category one student wrote, “Class is a waste of time; I learn better on my own.” Other comments included: “Distance from residence hall was too far”, “Skipped the class to do work for class,” and in addition to that, “work” which I’m assuming applies to a job outside of school.

Safety tips for driving in the snow

The snowy weather has already arrived here in Rhode Island, and since RIC is primarily a commuter school, I decided that it might be a good idea to offer some tips for driving in the snow. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “I’m *insert age here* years old; I know how to drive in the snow!” Well unfortunately, not everybody else does or at least, is actually good at it. Take a second to look at these tips; sometimes we all need a friendly reminder.

1. SLOW DOWN – I cannot stress this enough. Last winter I was rear ended at the stop sign down by the Fruit Hill exit AND my car was almost side swiped by a student who hydroplaned around the sharp bend exiting the residential parking lot. Luckily, nobody was hurt and no damage was done to any cars. However, both of these close calls could have been avoided if people slowed down. And what’s scarier to think about is that these incidences could have turned into serious accidents if it hadn’t been for a rock hard rear bumper and driving up onto the curb.

2. Keep your car stocked – Since anything is possible out on the road, it’s important to have essential pieces of equipment in your car. Things like a portable snow shovel, window brush and scraper, a flashlight, a full tank of gas, some item of warmth (ex. extra jacket, blanket, sleeping bag) and gloves can be a

lifesaver if you’re stuck somewhere. In the case that something does happen while you’re out on snowy roads, items such as these can help prevent more problems in a times of distress. Also be sure to let at least one person know that you’re going somewhere and how long the trip should take in case you need to call them for help.

3. If you can, stay home – Unless you absolutely have to go somewhere, sometimes it’s best to stay put during snowy weather. However, if you do need to be somewhere, be sure to give yourself extra time to get to your destination. Remember, planning ahead can make a big difference!

4. Plan ahead – Everything takes longer when there’s snow on the ground. There are more accidents, people are driving more cautiously, and overall, everything is moving slower. So plan ahead, especially because parking at RIC during the winter tends to be even worse than usual. You’re better off getting to school a half hour before your class than you are showing up half an hour late because of unexpected traffic.

I hope that this was informative for any of you that have taken the time to read this. I’m not a driving expert, but I do encourage and hope that everyone stays warm and safe this winter.

Q&Anchor: How often did RIC students skip class last semester?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

# of times students have skipped class

commuters vs residents

Highest ranking excuses

SLEEP

WEATHER

HOMEWORK/ASSIGNMENTS

STUDYING

NO ATTENDANCE POLICY

I DON’T LIKE MY PROFESSOR

OTHER

ILLNESS

ONCE 2-4 5-7 8-10 I LOST COUNT

ONCE 2-4 5-7 8-10

I LOST COUNT NEVER

0

1

2

3

4

5

Page 8: 1 19 15

week of january 19, 20158 oPinions

disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Anchor.

Implications of Murchoch’s words

In response to the Charlie Hebdo attack in France, Rupert

Murdoch, owner of Fox News, made a troubling statement on twitter: “Maybe most Moslims are peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible.” Murdoch is known for his conservative views and has frequently been called out for his political incorrectness, but this tweet is by far the most

outlandish. Why is it so troubling? Because one of the world’s most powerful and influential men is under the archaic belief that every Muslim, every person across the globe that follows the Islamic faith, should be held accountable for the atrocities committed by a select group of radicals.

By that same token, Murdoch and every other Catholic would have to take blame for the atrocities committed by other Catholics: murders of abortion doctors, sexual abuse committed by priests, the KKK and every shooting committed by Catholic people. However, that is

not how society works. Individuals should not be held guilty by association just because they share a quality with radical individuals. When Murdoch tweeted those words he marginalized the entire population of Muslims, generalizing them based on the actions of a small section of their community.

As the owner of one of the largest news conglomerates, owning hundreds of news sources including magazines, book publishers, radio stations and newspapers including “The Wall Street Journal” and “The New York Post,” Murdoch has a huge influence on how individuals receive

their news. When that news is crafted by the ignorance of CEOs like Murdoch it creates a misinformed society. By saying that all Muslims should be held responsible for the attack on Charlie Hebdo, although most have no connection to it at all, spreads a wave of ignorance across the globe creating a hatred for Muslims which is unfounded.

Murdoch, and his employees at Fox News are constantly perpetuating the ideology that Muslims are inherently violent, making them seem like the “other”. Fox Anchor Shannon Bream even said this when responding to the Hebdo tragedy: “Do we even know what color they were, what the tone of their skin was. I mean, what if they didn’t look like typical bad guys?” An Anchor of

one of the most watched channels in America insinuated that there is a “typical bad guy look” and it is based off the color of one’s skin.

Individuals should never be solely associated with and held responsible for the actions of other individuals, the belief that they should is at its core racist and ignorant. There is a huge problem when powerful men like Murdoch and news sources such as Fox News generalize all people of a skin type and all people of a religion. It is worrisome that powerful men and women within the media have such closed minded and ignorant thoughts that they generalize entire groups of people and are able to spread these ideologies to influence the thoughts of the public.

Comedy and tragedy

An old friend of mine once said, “Everything can be laughed

at, as long as the joke is funny enough.” This is something I’ve always agreed with—I’ve always been the kind of person less offended by the content of a joke, and more by its execution. I don’t care how offensive Daniel Tosh or South Park or Seth McFarlane are. I care about them doing it right, in a way that is actually funny, and there are definitely jokes that do reach that level, jokes that are recognized nearly universally as funny. There’s a reason George Carlin was so popular in his time.

This brings us to recent events, starting last December, with the controversy surrounding the release of a cute little flick called “The Interview.” For those of you who live under a rock, or fear the internet, “The Interview” is a movie by Seth Rogen and James Franco about a pair of television personalities attempting to

assassinate Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea. This was received less than well by the extremely erratic dictator of North Korea, who declared the two enemies of the state. Following that, Sony, the movie’s production studio, was hit by a series of hacks and an anonymous terrorist threat. The movie was very nearly cancelled, and had an extremely small theatrical release.

More recently, and far more tragically, the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was attacked by a group of Muslim extremists in response to several controversial comics and views expressed by the paper. This resulted in the death of 12 people, including the head editor, and more in the following days as the manhunt commenced for these killers.

Now I’m not going to compare the tragedy of these two events, but they both find a similar root—comedy doesn’t want to be heard. Comedy is universal, and represents societal catharsis. If you have reached the point where the actions of yourself and those

you represent are not only being mocked, but where the mocking is being embraced by a large number of people, it means that you need to rethink your course of action and your beliefs.

In both of these events, those being mocked attempted to silence those opposing voices. In both cases, they not only failed, but exacerbated the very thing they were trying to silence. “The Interview” went from just another goofy comedy to an international controversy being backed by politicians and comedians the world over. Charlie Hebdo didn’t even skip a beat, and resumed publishing immediately, this time with the backing of world’s public, their own government and countless people around the world.

Comedy, especially controversial comedy, in a necessary thing. It is the best way to understand, to process and to move past the horrors of our world. I will stand by Rogen, Franco, Charlie Hebdo and any other comedians and satirists around the world who everyday are pressured to be silent, to stop being controversial. Everything can be laughed at, as long as the joke is funny enough.

Reacting to the attack on Charlie Hebdo

Without exaggeration, I simply cannot fathom how the staff of

Charlie Hebdo are doing. My utmost condolences to all of them. I truly hope they continue on their path.

We learned a lot from this incident. Media, and even the world was in an uproar; from criticisms to the Islamic faith, protests and riots, to many coming together in the name of free speech. Despite all this, there are two things that aggravate me the most

about what people have said about this incident; those who are saying that religion shouldn’t be criticized in the first place, and those who are yet again, putting Islam on a pedestal and saying these shooters are just a tiny minority of a large religion.

Firstly, many, including even Pope Francis himself, stated that religion needs to be treated with respect and should be without criticism. Charlie Hebdo has even warranted bans in countries such as Turkey due to belittling religious belief and the possibility of being offended, and while there are many more examples of this, I want to make myself clear: While we should genuinely respect the believers themselves and their right to hold a belief, we should be able to openly criticize the idea of religion like any other idea, ideology, political position, etc. Without the

ability to dissect and scrutinize ideas, society and thinking gets nowhere.

Finally, there are people claiming that these extremists were nothing more than a handful compared to the billions of peaceful Muslims throughout the world. While I do agree that we shouldn’t necessarily put everyone under an umbrella because of an individual’s actions, it should be noted that within the past couple of years, the strong majority of terrorists have come from the Islamic faith. The claims are they are just a few bad apples, but is something wrong with the orchard?

So let’s unpack this. Many countries in the Middle East have an Islamic governing theocracy, or Sharia law. Many of us in the western world may see some of these specific laws as nothing more than lawful atrocities. For

example, some of these laws consist of stoning, lack of women’s rights, honor killings, apostasy resulting in death, homophobia, martyrdoms, and the list goes on. According to official counts, there are 35 countries where Sharia law is at least personally practiced by a certain population, and also where it is the official law.

The point is that, with such laws being common practice, it should not be a surprise that modern terrorism may be rooted in such doctrine. To throw some stats your way, according to a 2013 Pew Research Poll, about 19% of Muslim Americans believe suicide bombings in defense of Islam are at least partially justified, with the global average being 28% among the countries surveyed. In another Pew Research Poll conducted in 2007 surveying Muslim-Americans,

those who felt more strongly and connected with their religion were three times more likely to think that suicide bombings are justified. Although that’s just two polls, unfortunately, there are numerous polls and research which suggest, simply put, that the Islamic faith to some extent is potentially harmful.

I think that is it fair to say that we shouldn’t blindly blame everyone, but I also believe that we need to be critical of the values that dictate part of our lives and the world around us. To sum up this all up, we should be open to hear criticisms about our thinking and values, even if a silly cartoon is made to make fun of us. Criticism of ideas should also be encouraged, not blanketed with the unjustification of being offended. And finally, I want to once again send my regards to Charlie Hebdo.

VicTor MarTelleopinions editor@anchoropinions

Zachary Mellinanchor editor

Josh esTrellaManaging editor

To all the police, civilians, and staff members of Charlie Hebdo who died for the belief of free expression. Je suis Charlie.

~TYLER H. VIGEANT; GRAPHIC EDITOR

Page 9: 1 19 15

week of january 19, 2015 9oPinions

disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Anchor.

What is a Gospel of Love and Mercy?

Pope Francis, originally from Buneos Aires, is different from

most popes before him. He cooks on his own, rides in open-roofed cars and goes right in the midst of crowds. He’s even social media savvy with his Twitter account he created to reach out in a way we are familiar with. He often posts remarks people can relate to such as: “The family is where we are formed as people. Every family is a brick in the building of society” (Oct. 23rd). “The Church is called to draw near to every person beginning with the poorest and those who suffer” (Dec. 2nd). Pope Francis chooses to live a simple life close to people, in a guesthouse rather than a papal apartment. His lifestyle closely resembles the one Jesus lived while on earth. The pope is living proof of what service to people truly is.

Pope Francis is bringing Jesus’s Gospel Message to people; “A message of hope, reconciliation, communion…God’s closeness, His mercy, His salvation,” as he said on World Mission Day last year. I’ve heard the word “gospel,” understanding that it’s the readings in the bible of Jesus’s words and teachings to us. Until reading Pope Francis’s statement, I didn’t truly understand it—that the Gospel is a message of Hope and Mercy.

Gospel means “teaching or revelation of Christ.” Like a history book that recounts past events, the Gospel in the New Testament (2nd book of the bible) is about Jesus’s life, teachings, death and resurrection. His words were written down so His teachings—His message— would be used for future people; us. Christ’s teachings emphasize that with faith, people will have

an abundance of hope and a joy that won’t cease to exist. Even through pain and suffering, with faith you’ll be at peace and find that hope still exists within that turmoil, no matter how difficult it may be. That hope is in Jesus.

His love and mercy is present each day within the church and through people who reflect it in their lives; it is why the sacraments exist and why people receive them. To receive Jesus, to receive His mercy, His love and have it live in our hearts so in turn it is with us each day, no matter where we are. Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Gospel of Matthew, Ch. 5: 14-16). Pope Francis is that “light” for other people by emphasizing God’s love and mercy.

While talking about those who are in prison, the pope said how we focus on the rights of man and the conditions for the sentence must correspond. The he continued that this is not enough if the institution is not committed to effectively placing the person back into society. Pope Francis stated: “And God does not do this, with us. God, when He forgives, accompanies us and helps us along the road. Always, and even in small things. When we go to confess, the Lord says to us, ‘I forgive you. But now, come with me.’ And He helps us to return to the path. He never condemns. He never forgives alone; He forgives and accompanies. And then, we are fragile and have to return to confession again, all of us. But He never tires. He always takes us by the hand again.”

ashley araByassistant editor

Is “Lego Friends” really necessary?

As I was babysitting my three year old niece, I noticed something

strange about her Lego collection. They were all... pastel and curvy. The Lego figurines had boobs and butts. It was like Barbie and Lego had one drunken night together and made a terrible mistake. Apparently, Lego has a product specifically appealing to girls now. Yes, that’s right. Now your female children can finally do the things with Legos that they have always wanted to do—in pastel! Your little girls can do things like go shopping, bake cakes, run a candy shop, drive purple cars and take care of baby animals.

All the socially acceptable “girl things” are now buildable and available in your local toy store. Not to mention, your little girls will get a good idea of what their female body is supposed to look like because their Legos now depict a perfect example of

the female anatomy. Girls can finally be included in the Lego world because before Lego Friends, only boys could feel comfortable playing Legos, right?

Sarcasm aside, this product makes me, a woman who grew up playing with Legos, feel super uncomfortable. Legos, as they are, are perfectly marketable to girls already. Why do we feel the need to cover something in pink and make it bake to turn it into a ‘girl toy’? As a young girl, I played with Legos for hours at a time, I asked for Legos for Christmas, and I even threw them at my brother when he made me angry. I had the Indiana Jones set and I was absolutely obsessed with it. Booby traps for days! Maybe I’m not the best example of this stereotypical female that Lego is trying to reach, but I am a female. The lengths that Lego is going to with their Lego Friends line to appeal to young girls not only supporting a system of restrictive gender roles but exposing that type of thinking to young girls.

This is frustrating for me, an aunt of a young girl and a general member of society, to see happening. Not to mention, by marketing these type of things to girls and obviously labeling themselves as ‘girl toys’, Lego Friends is excluding young boys from the type of play that these figurines partake in. What if a little boy wants to build and play veterinarian with a baby tiger or have a day at the beach? Too bad, these toys are for girls only, according to the marketing. Those boys can stick to their Ninjago sets.

We now have Legos for boys and Legos for girls. But what was wrong with original Legos in the first place? Why did Lego feel that they didn’t appeal to a female audience? Are young girls really so brainwashed that they wouldn’t give the original non-pastel, flat-chested Legos a chance? I watch my niece play with my nephew’s Legos all the time. They build things together for hours, and they love it. That’s right, my young female relative has a good time playing with regular colored building bricks. She even likes the spaceships. Why couldn’t Lego just make their regular Lego line do all the things that Lego Friends are doing? Because gendered marketing seems to sell. Adults see a toy marketed toward the gender of their child and they buy into it, without thinking about the stereotypes that they’re supporting by limiting their child to toys that only bake and shop.

Lego Friends isn’t reality. In reality, women do many different things and have diverse interests. So, separating those activities and specifically applying them to females could be teaching our young girls about the interests that they are allowed to have in this specific culture. We should really be teaching our children that gender should have nothing to do with the things they’re interested in. After all, whenever I run my candy shop and take care of baby animals in the real world, there are no pastels in sight.

reBecca PiTZeranchor staff

FREE COLLEGEToo good to be true, or something that we needed?

President Obama recently announced a proposal in which

the first two years of attending a community college would be free. The funding for the tuition would be covered by both state and federal grants. While this sounds nice and may simply be a talking point, it has yet to hear the criticisms before congress, which is currently controlled by the republican majority. Still, is free college a good or bad thing?

When I first heard of the announcement, I was very surprised and a little happy. But that quickly turned to questions like, does this mean I paid for college for nothing? How is this going to

work? And do we have models available of a long-term society which offers a similar model? So before we jump up and down with glee about this proposal, we really must ponder and look at the many variables. This isn’t just “everyone is going to be happy, free education, hooray!” For this to work, there may be changes to not only the entire educational structure, but also the many structures which are connected to them.

While this proposal is still a baby, there are a few pros and cons that I would like to highlight. Firstly, as the majority of readers may know, college loans are crippling American students. According to the TICAS (The Institute for College Access and Success), about 69% of those who graduated from college in 2013 had an average of $28,400 in student loan debt! Another pro is that there should be more opportunity for the disadvantaged, as its one of the primary reasons many don’t go to college. Isn’t it in our best interest for everyone to have a fair chance at education? And lastly, the many colleges and loan services which are for-profit often have money as their number one priority, not students.

The cons of such a proposal are also something to be noted. Speaking hypothetically, if this were to go through, there is a chance that degrees will be worth less since more people will probably be obtaining them, which may in turn increase the unemployment rate for degree holders. Have we also forgotten what your mother used to tell you? Nothing is free. Who is going to pay for all this? As mentioned above, student loan debt is high, so subsidizing all of it may present a tax hike.

Ultimately, I am very neutral about making college free in America. While it sounds awesome, I just hope that we are diligent enough upon possible implementation. Some data about free education is available if we look at a handful of other countries, but I don’t think we can necessarily look at other countries’ free education because our system is different. On the same token, we do have a lot to learn from what other countries do and how they act, as we aren’t perfect. I think that implementing it for a test run on a small scale would be practical. Overall, we must be critical in all aspects of this.

VicTor MarTelleopinions editor@anchoropinions

disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of

“Lego Friends”, what would Uni-kitty think? — Amazon.com

Page 10: 1 19 15

week of january 19, 201510 comics

Page 11: 1 19 15

week of january 19, 2015 11comics

Think you’re funny?Submit your work to the comics section!

EMAIL TYLER AT

[email protected]

Page 12: 1 19 15

week of january 19, 201512 sPorTs

Shiders’ career high leads Anchormen to fifth straight win

Freshman combo guard Roosevelt Shider scored a career high 23 points

against LEC opponent Southern Maine on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Shider was 8-14 from the field including 6 three-point bombs and 3 rebounds leading the team to their 72-57 victory. The Anchormen have now won five straight games and are 11-3 on the season and 3-1 in conference.

Chris Burton had another great all around game for his team scoring 15 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, assisting 3 of his teammates on baskets and adding 4 steals and a block on the defensive side of the ball. Burton’s long wingspan allows him to intercept balls in the passing lanes and defend the rim. He leads the team in total blocks and steals on the season. Terrance Tribble played a team high 36 minutes and was a perfect 3-3 from the field finishing with 6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals making the most of his minutes.

rashaWn Vassellsports editor@Theanchorsports

rashaWn Vassellsports editor@Theanchorsports

RIC senior forward Chris Burton was

named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) New England Div. III Men’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week and LEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. In a game at Tufts he scored 19 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and swatted 2 shots in a 61-58 win. And against conference rival Keene State he had a great performance with 18 points (6-8 FGA, 5-7 FTA), 7 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 steals. He is averaging 15.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.58 apg, 2.25 spg and 2.17 bpg on the season, proving to be the best two-way player in the conference.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

CHRIS BURTON BASKETBALL SENIOR

Senior Chris Burton. —Courtesy of GoAnchormen

Sophomore Terrance Jean-Jacques. —Courtesy of GoAnchormen

Freshman Victoria Costello. —Courtesy of GoAnchormen

Winning streak continues for RIC hockey

The men’s hockey team continued their streak, winning

their third game Friday night at the Dennis Lynch Arena. Last Friday the team beat Quinnipiac at home 14-4 and they also beat Daniel Webster last Sunday at Daniel Webster 7-1. The streak continued as they beat Holy Cross 5-3.

The boys came out playing hard Friday night after their previous two wins. With skates sharpened and the ice ready, the guys came out racing and ready to continue their streak. Holy Cross was the first to score at 8 minutes. At 3:03 in the period, Captain Alex Murray scored assisted by Trevor Medeiros and Ryan Huber. By the end of the period, the score was tied 1-1.

Second period was looking hopeful when Junior Peter Saunders scored at 13:14 assisted by Freshman Jared Vadenais. Holy Cross fired back and scored another goal at 4:26. It was a quick period that resulted in a tied score. Ending the second period, the Anchormen knew that they had to step it up if they wanted to win this game.

Going into the third period, Sophomore Nick McGuirl scored assisted by Murray and Norman Vickers. Not long after, Captain Alex Murray, assisted by Huber and Medeiros, scored another goal. Holy Cross scored their final goal of the game making the score 4-3. With a minute left in the period, Holy Cross pulled their goalie, which giving RIC an advantage. Murray scored again on the open net assisted by Freshman Curtis Letourneau and Sophomore Tyler Duffy. Murray earned his first hat

trick of the season. The team won 5-3—a great way for the team to end the first half of the season. According to Medeiros, “That was a great team win for the boys. Holy Cross was coming hard for the whole 60 minutes and we pushed right back for the majority of the game. Some timely goals from Alex Murray got it done for us and now we can enjoy the break riding a three-game win streak.”

Murray was excited for their third win. “We came out fired up to win our third game in a row and end our semester on a good note. The past four games have been nothing but good progress. We’ve figured out lines that dominate in their own ways and we are finally finding out ways to get goals. We are hungry to keep succeeding so we are looking forward to coming back and continuing our win streak second semester.”

Women’s gymnastics shows improvement in home opener

saM coMforTanchor contributor

The Rhode Island College women’s gymnastics

team kicked their season off against Springfield College in the Murray Center on Sunday, January 11th. Although the team lost to a score of 184.650-174.600, it was a much closer score than last season. Many members of the team are content with their performances and are looking forward on improving as the season goes on.

Notable performances in the home opener include Freshman Victoria Costello on vault, Freshman Samantha Lemire on bars, Junior Emma Hartan on beam and Junior Cherise Lee on floor. The Anchorwomen have a challenging schedule ahead competing against ivy league schools, such as Brown and Yale. The team’s next and final home meet of the season will be on Saturday February 21st against Ithaca College.

RIC loses after halftime lead

deMeTriUs Mcclainanchor contributor

Jess Korzec, a Freshman guard led the team in scoring with

13 points in a losing effort as the Rhode Island College women’s basketball team falls, 56-49 to Southern Maine.

Anchorwomen (2-11, 1-3 LEC) were off to a hot start with the help of Michelle Lagrotteria three pointer sparked a 10-0 RIC run to take the 22-11 advantage. By the halftime buzzer the Huskies (7-7, 3-1 LEC) had sparked a run of their own serving the RIC advantage 24-17.

Jess Korzec scored 13 points while grabbing five boards and four steals. Alex Moore helped

carry the load by chipping in 10 points and three boards along with two assist.

Megan Pelletier a junior forward led the Huskies with 22 points. Ella Ramonas recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards.

The Huskies came out in the second half fired up and cut the RIC lead down to one, 26-25. The two teams refused to back down as they traded buckets over the next period of nine minutes. Good free throw shooting and relentless defense by the Huskies stunted the chance of a comeback by the Anchorwomen.

The Anchorwomen shot 31.5 percent from the floor, while the Huskies shot 36.5 percent from the field.

aleX Wallassistant editor

Jean-Jacques undefeatedRIC wrestling ranked fi fth in New England

The Rhode Island College wrestling team is ranked

fifth in the latest New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) coaches’ poll. Five Anchormen were ranked in their respective weight class in the poll, including Sophomore Terrance Jean-Jacques. He is also ranked nationally at sixth for his weight class.

Jonathan Murray is ranked fifth at 125 lbs, Jonathan Costa is ranked fourth at 133 lbs, Junior Ricondo Cole is ranked second at 141 lbs and Junior Shawn Giblin is ranked fourth at 149 lbs.