The Cowl Vol

Update: ‘The Special good, the Guest, PC’s bad, and the all-male ugly’ with a cappella Friars hoops group, this season/ releases its Back Page Est. 1935 fifth album Frontcourt this month, See related Backcourt Huxley feature I p. 26 Bench.. Avenue Ip. 14 Overall The Cowl Vol. LXXI No. 14 www.TheCowl.com • Providence College • Providence, R.I. January 25, 2007 Brad’s Cafe causes ruckus THROUGH HIS EYES by Joe Miller ’10 Ian Birchall ’10 speaks about News Staff HIS EXPERIENCE AS A COLLEGE Bradley Cafe is well known in the Providence College community as a popu STUDENT WHO IS LEGALLY BLIND. lar local nightspot, conveniently located just a short walk away on Admiral Street. by Mallary J. Tenore ’07 down on the right.” He plans to get a seeing After complaints of disrup- Editor-in-Chief OFF tive behavior from nearby eye-dog next summer, which CAMPUS residents, however, PC stu or Ian Birchall ’10, he will take to classes and use dents are being reminded of the world is painted in place of his cane. the importance of responsibility. in black and white. “The police are concerned, the neigh People are clouds of Benefiting from technology bors are concerned, and they have every Fgrey, objects are formless,Before and an aid introduced right to be,” said Richard F. Kless, director nature is something to be him to new technology for the of off-campus living. smelled, touched, and heard. blind during his junior year of Before the end of the fall semester and But Birchall, who was bom high school, Birchall pur Christmas break, Providence College offi legally blind, can’t help but chased all his books in Braille cials were asked to appear at a meeting at view the world in a positive and took notes on a clunky, the Providence Police Department District light. outdated Braille typewriter. 7 substation on the comer of Eaton Street “The way I see it is that He often had to wear a back and Douglas Avenue. Representing the whatever happens is going to pack that was nearly half his school were Kless and Maj. John Leyden, happen,” he said. “When I was weight, as one math textbook executive director of safety and security. little I was kind of depressed is equivalent to about 55 vol Also attending the meeting, which was and I’d ask, ‘Why me?’ But umes of Braille, he said. requested by neighbors through the police, now I try not to let things get He has since stopped using were Lt. Michael Correia, commanding me down.” the volumes and instead relies officer of the seventh district, Brian and His philosophy on life has on a specialized device with a Susan Feeney, the owners of Brad’s, and helped him to adjust to the voice synthesizer and a key Brian Van Couyghen, their attorney. place he now calls his second pad in Braille. When he types “We were just there as interested parties home—Providence College. in specific page numbers or to hear the concerns of the neighbors,” Birchall, whose grandfather chapters, the computer auto explained Kless. graduated from PC, said he matically reads the material to The location of Brad’s is unusual was drawn to the College him. because unlike other local establishments because of it small size and the “When I’m doing my home frequented by Providence College stu services it offers to students work, I turn it up to 90 words dents, it is situated in an almost entirely with disabilities. “Something per minute,” he said, grinning. residential area. just clicked when I visited the “I can be done 20 minutes ear TIM PISACICH ’07/The Cowl “It really is the only tavern stuck in a campus,” Birchall said. “Some lier than my friends across the Ian Birchall ’10 practices the electric guitar in his room in residential area,” said Kless. “Even though of the other colleges 1 looked hall.” McDermott Hall. it’s on a main drag, there really are not oth at didn’t have much support.” Additionally, he can scan ers like it.” After deciding to attend PC, pages from books onto his lap Its unique position among numerous Birchall spent the summer top, which reads aloud the New assistant director of houses on the comer of Admiral and before freshman year walking information to him. Durham has posed a problem for those liv around campus and creating a This is particularly handy disabilities services steps up ing in the vicinity. mental map of its buildings when he needs to read e-mail According to Leyden, the primary com and pathways. By using a cane or check postings on ANGEL. by Mallary J. Tenore ’07 Christiansen began his plaints identified at the meeting included and following other students’ “When a professor posts on Editor-in-Chief duties as the College’s new loud noise, vulgarity, consumption of alco voices for guidance, Birchall ANGEL, it’s the best thing assistant director for disability hol outside on the premises, and urinating can now successfully navigate ever,” said Birchall, who Growing up with cerebral support services on Jan. 9, outside on the surrounding property. In one his way. hopes to major in business. “1 palsy, Andrew Christiansen and has already settled into incident, an apparently intoxicated patron “As long as I know the gen can listen to it on my laptop wished someone had been his new niche in the Office of allegedly urinated in view of a young fam eral area, I can judge where I and put it on my Braille [note there to guide him through the Academic Services (OAS). ily member. am going,” he said. “I count taker] and bring it to class.” challenges he faced in school. “I’d like to make sure that “They were upset and wanted to know lights, so 1 know my philoso Birchall used to have to Now, he wants to be that guid people who are disabled have what could be done about it,” he said. phy class is on the second memorize all of his friend’s ing force for students with a place to go. Even if they While Leyden and Kless repeatedly floor of Accinno, six lights BIRCHALL/Page 4 disabilities at PC. DISABILITIES/Page 4 emphasized that the unruly behavior was not limited to Providence College stu dents—Kless said that it is “safe to say” that other patrons are involved—Leyden New e-mail system gives campus a new Outlook said the PC police detail would be told “to concentrate, when possible, on that street.” by Beth Finan ’07 calendar function, some of the improve “limping,” and the new e-mail is “definite In addition, more staff will be deployed News Staff ments of Outlook Web Access include ly faster.” to that area on Thursday through Saturday being able to see sent mail, save more mes Despite the improvements, some stu nights. sages, and send larger files. In addition, dents had problems shortly after the trans The Information Technology depart Many of the complaints stem from because Outlook Web Access is a fer occurred. Help desk manager Jim ment upgraded the campus e-mail system activity around a side door that is used by Windows-based product, it “integrates Rizzo said that the most common issues from Endymion Mailman to Microsoft patrons who wish to smoke. Under a 2005 well with the network (G drive), so you have involved passwords (in some cases, Outlook Web Access over the winter don’t need a separate password,” said the last five digits of the student’s banner BRAD’S/Page 2 recess. The switch Morin. identification number did not work), and took place the night of TECHNOLOGY “From a system-performance perspec messages not being transferred over to INDEX Jan. 5 and was com tive, it is a brand-new, state-of-the-art sys Outlook Web Access. pleted on Jan. 6. tem,” said Morin. Brian Allen ’10 said that the e-mail he Campus Calendar........ .................... 2 According to Edward Morin, manager LiseMarie Curda ’10 said she likes the had saved on the old system did not trans Poll Question............... .......................7 of user support, a new e-mail system was new system “much better” than Endymion fer to the new system for about a week. World........................... ...................... 8 necessary because Endymion Mailman because it is faster, gives students more This was problematic, he said, because he Week in Review............. ......................9 was not designed for Web-based e-mail control over their e-mail, and “it is much had received tickets to a hockey game Commentary................. ..................11 use at various computers, but rather for more user-friendly.” from Ticketmaster and could not access A&E............................... ..................... 14 people in offices who had computers at Kerry O’Donnell ’07 said Outlook Web them in time for the game. Although he Portfolio....................... .................. 19 their cubicles. Access seems “a little bit quicker and will ended up calling Ticketmaster and attend Roving........................... ..................22 “We needed to make a transition for stu be more efficient once I learn how to use ing the game, “it was sort of annoying PC Scoreboard ............ ......................23 dents and faculty to be able to access their it.” dealing with it,” he said. e-mail from anywhere,” Morin said. Sports ........................... .BACK PAGE Morin agreed with Curda and “I like the old [system] better,” Allen Besides featuring an address book and O’Donnell. He said the old system was E-MAIL/Page 3 2 The Cowl News January 25, 2007 Brad’s: Authorities crack down on noise, fake IDs continued from front page the students to act more responsibly in and out of the establishment,” said Leyden.

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