Providence College T e Co SINCEl 1935 thecowl.com w Vol. LXXXII No.5 October 5, 2017 On the PC Front From Friartown to Puerto Rico Comfy Cushions: PHOTO COURTESY OF COLLEGECUSHION.COM by Ryan Cox '18 A&E Staff Student Spotlight Providence College students may have noticed a new addition to the Arthur F. and Patricia Ryan Center for Business Studies recently. Four black, Friars-themed beanbag chairs are placed throughout the main atrium of the building, offering students a new way to be comfortable while studying. The PC bookstore is not responsible for their creation, but rather College Cushion, a new brand started by three juniors. BEANBAG CHAIRS/ Page 13 Aura Rexach '20 (Left) and Maria Elena Santos '20 (Right) pose at a fundraiser to help Puerto Ricans affected by recent hurricanes. PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA CHADBOURNE'20/THECOWL Off-Campus Coalition: by Sabrina Guilbeault '18 made it happen, and over 300 great cause.” News Editor people attended the event.” Short expressed her gratitude Events The event included a beer to Dean Sears and Sharon Hay, garden, lawn games, a miniature director of student activities, for After only three days of golf course that was donated by their support and assistance in planning, on Friday, September BOP, and live music from PC making the event successful. 28, 20 Providence College students. For $4, students could students came together to put on get a plate of food that came from a benefit concert to raise funds a local Puerto Rican restaurant. to help Puerto Rico after the "It just amazes me,” said Diane destruction caused by Hurricane LaMattina ’18, who attended the PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS Maria. event. “The fact that so many Gabriela Short ’18, wearing people chose to come here and by Daria Purdy '19 Asst. News Editor a white shirt adorned with the support the cause shows me that Puerto Rican flag on the back, the people at this school really do Off Campus stood in front of the crowd that care for their peers and want to A significant part of life at Providence flocked to the Smith Quad, and show their support.” College is the experience of students off- explained that every single penny By 5:30 p.m., the event was campus in the community that surrounds from the event will go toward bustling. The beer garden was campus. Many upperclassmen live in the helping Puerto Rico recover from filled with upperclassmen, the neighborhoods surrounding campus, the hurricane. line to the food was very steady, and they and their guests are brought into contact with other residents of the Short, along with other and administrators and faculty community and with the Providence students from Puerto Rico, members mingled with students Police Department. An Off-Campus planned the event in its entirety playing the lawn games. Coalition Meeting between students, after they received the go-ahead “It makes be proud to be a administrators, and members of the last Tuesday from Steven Sears, Friar today,” said Kevin O’Neill police force convened last Wednesday in order to address the issues, conflicts, dean of students. ’18. “Events like these show that PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA CHADBOURNE'20/THECOWL and shared interests between the three “Once we got the okay, it was we really do care about each Sebastian Otero from Brown University used his music parties and ensure a positive off-campus nonstop,” said Short. “I was other, especially when we're talent to help fundraise. experience. COALITION/ Page 5 going 100 miles per hour, but we coming together to support a PUERTO RICO/ Page 2 Providence College’s Student-Run Newspaper Since 1935 UNDERTHEHOOD News Opinion A&E News 2 Opinion 8 Mass shooting Hurricane support Saying goodbye to Photography 11 leaves 58 dead, and media coverage music legend and over 500 injured. should be spread to Grammy winner, A&E 13 all Caribbean islands. Tom Petty. Portfolio 19 Sports 22 Page 5 Page 8 Page 16 Page 2 News October 5, 2017 Playing Devil's Advocate Friars Discuss Concepts of the Catholic Church in an Interactive Setting by Hannah Langely ’21 with the arrival of Fr. Bonaventure at News Staff Providence College this year, and the idea of Devil’s Advocate came to life. ON CAMPUS Devil’s Advocate is unique from other discussion groups as it allows Have you ever wanted to ask one of the friars to answer commonly the friars at Providence College a asked questions about the Catholic question concerning the Catholic Church while the other friar acts as faith or Catholic beliefs, but the “devil’s advocate” and refutes the something stopped you? Maybe you claims given. These questions range were scared or too embarrassed; from all sorts of topics, including maybe you figured you already knew God’s existence, evils in the world, their answer, so it would be pointless achieving perfect happiness, and if to ask. This is the exact reason why the Jesus' death on the cross was the Father Dominic Verner, O.P., and best way for God to save us. As part of Father Bonaventure Chapman, O.P. the Dominican tradition, Fr. Dominic ,began a discussion group called and Fr. Bonaventure are open to Devil’s Advocate. discussing any question students This program, which only began may have, for, as Fr. Bonaventure so several weeks ago, allows students eloquently stated, “any statement we to ask questions anonymously by have is deep down an answer to a placing their questions in a mailbox question.” Fr. Dominic discusses matters concerning the Catholic faith with students. BRIANNA COLLETTI ’21/THE COWL or sending them through email. It The week before the meeting on was originally started by Fr. Dominic Sept. 25, the priests received many insights on what they thought and only the second week of the program, as an addition to a discussion group questions regarding the hurricanes answered any questions they might Fr. Bonaventure and Fr. Dominic he began last year called “Why and natural disasters that have have had about the debate. aspire for this discussion program Catholic?” He wanted to start a recently devastated people all over The discussion lasted about an to be, as Fr. Dominic stated, “a place discussion group in which he and the world. This became the main hour, but it seemed the students who [students] can come and bring their another friar could discuss and topic of their debate, answering attended obtained a better awareness honest questions and objections to debate questions, but could not find the question, “How do we handle about God’s role in nature, and they tenets of the Catholic faith.” the right opportunity. natural evils with the existence of enjoyed the debate. Brian McIntyre Devil’s Advocate takes place While he enjoyed “Why Catholic?” God’s providence?” ’21 said the discussion was a good every Monday night at 8:15 p.m. in he wanted, he said, “something a The fathers flipped a coin to decide chance to talk to the friars, and he Slavin Center LL01. Mailboxes for little more interactive.” He believes who would be the devil’s advocate, liked having the opportunity to have the submission of questions can be it is “very helpful to understand an and the coin toss went to Fr. Dominic. an open discussion with them about found in Slavin outside the Campus argument if you can see it objected For 10 minutes, Fr. Bonaventure the Catholic faith. Ministry meeting room (near to and hear the replies and see the debated on the behalf of Catholic Trevor Wakefield ’21 commented, McPhail’s) or in Campus Ministry, give and take of a debate,” which belief, while Fr. Dominic argued “I like how it’s not just them which can be found in the basement is exactly what Devil’s Advocate against his reasoning. Afterwards, lecturing about their beliefs, it’s of St. Dominic Chapel. accomplishes. Fr. Dominic saw a the two discussed the question with getting their beliefs challenged and chance for his idea to come to fruition the group of students to get their responding to them.” While this was Friars Put on Benefit Concert for Puerto Rico Puerto Rico: Continued from front page at PC and not at home has made the Puerto Rican students feel powerless and hopeless, but decided to turn their sadness into positive action. The final amount that was raised at the event is still being calculated, as other outside donations are still expected to come in, but Short expressed that she knows the event was successful as it got students together and raised awareness. “It is important that students know we are part of the PC community, and are more than just 20 students who are directly affected by what just happened,” said Short. “Every time something like this happens and affects our community in some way, it helps for our peers to be mindful of what happened, and respectful and understand where our hearts are.” “The island is completely destroyed,” said Natalia Fournier ’19, a student from Puerto Rico. “It's not only a vacation spot, but it’s our home, it's where we grew up, and it's where our friends and family live,” she said. She stressed that this event was so important because it can help families and businesses get the resources they need to survive, because many SABRINA GUILBEAULT ’18/THE COWL Students responsible for the planning of the event smile at the Concert. people on the island currently do not have access to basic and necessary essentials. Short explained more fundraising efforts and She also thanked Student Congress, the Office friars-with-puerto-rico.