Rhode Island College Digital Commons @ RIC What's News? Newspapers 3-10-2003 What's News At Rhode Island College Rhode Island College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/whats_news Recommended Citation Rhode Island College, "What's News At Rhode Island College" (2003). What's News?. 38. https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/whats_news/38 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at Digital Commons @ RIC. It has been accepted for inclusion in What's News? by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ RIC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. What’s News at Rhode Island College Vol. 23 Issue 8 Circulation over 46,000 March 10, 2003 West Warwick nightclub fire claims life of Highlights RIC alums, students; other students injured In the News The Station nightclub fire by Jane Fusco William C. “Billy” Bonardi III ’89, was business manager and disc kills alums, students; What's News Editor jockey at RIC’s radio station WXIN others injured while at the College. Bonardi, 36, of s the state mourns the deaths Smithfield, was a business analyst at RIC Summit addresses of 98 victims and hangs onto AAI Foster Grant in Smithfield and alcohol, drug abuse Ahope for the 185 injured in a sports announcer on WALE radio the fire that tore through The station at the time of his death. Station nightclub in West Warwick Barrington’s Lisa D’Andrea, 42, School of Management & on February 20, the Rhode Island was a special education teacher at Technology names College campus community is sad- Cranston High School East, and had distinguished faculty dened by the loss of five of its own, attended RIC. and prays for the recovery of injured Also confirmed dead were RIC stu- students. dents Abbie Hoisington and John Black History Month at RIC Michael Gonsalves ’86, an on-air Longiaru. Hoisington, 28, of Cranston personality with WHJY radio station, was a special education teacher at known as “The Doctor,” and son of Burriville High School and would Features RIC biology professor Neil Gonsalves, have received her masters in special Student returns after died in the fire. Gonsalves was at the education this May. Longiaru, 23, of club to introduce the rock band Great Johnston, attended RIC in 2001 and student-teaching in White who appeared that night. was known as a computer whiz. Australia Gonsalves was WHJY’s overnight Several RIC stu- host of a heavy-metal radio show dents made it out A RECENT PHOTO OF MICHAEL called the Metal Zone, the longest of the blazing Alumni News GONSALVES from the WHJY website running heavy metal music show inferno. Michael (top) and a picture from the 1985 RIC in the country with a 17-year run. Iannone ’04, of Fund-raising efforts yearbook. As a RIC student, Gonsalves was Johnston, a sec- ongoing; alumni and well known for his involvement with ondary education friends continue to assistant director of operations and WRIC, the student-staffed radio sta- services at the College, remembers major and tutor support issues and causes tion on campus, and in the Kappa Gonsalves not only as a music lover in the College’s Delta Phi fraternity. He was 40 years but as a sports fanatic. “When we math learning old and lived in Warwick. center, sustained “RIC on the Road” visits were kids, he knew the stats for Gonsalves was also a mentor to every player in the baseball league. severe burns and continue students wanting to learn the radio He loved basketball too. He’d be the is in critical BURN VICTIM business. RIC communications stu- first one to get in a pick-up game.” condition at Michael Iannone Sports dents Alanna Barta and Ann-Marie Thom Cahir ’89, another longtime Massachusetts remains in critical Piantadosi interviewed Gonsalves for friend, added, “He was always first General Hospital. condition at Mass Mike Riley goes to NCAA their campus radio show, and said picked because no one wanted to He is expected General Hospital. to undergo sur- Wrestling Championships he invited them to visit him on air at play against him.” (Photo provided WHJY. “He was the nicest and most Gonsalves was also a proud grad- gery in the com- by family) wonderful person you could hope to uate of Disney U., where he spent ing weeks. 40 years of wrestling meet. So down to earth and profes- a semester in a co-op program. Communications student, Jennifer celebrated with dinner sional,” Barta said. Piantadosi said he He piloted the submarine as Capt. Choquette ’03, was a bartender at gave them the attention they asked The Station and was working the March 15 Nemo in the 20,000 Leagues Under for “when other DJs of his stature the Sea ride, and was voted class night of the fire. She jumped over would have snubbed us.” valedictorian by his peers, accord- the bar and ran out the back door Register for ’03 summer Longtime friend Mark Paolucci ’85, ing to Cahir. when she realized the “yellow glow” coming from the stage was not sports camps part of the show. She suffered smoke inhalation, was treated at Arts/Entertainment Kent Hospital and released the same night. Bannister Gallery: Earth Andrea Stewart ’03, news editor of Octet March 27-April 25 The Anchor student newspaper, was at the club to write a feature story on the band. She climbed out a window Canada's top young soloist as soon as the fire started. She was performs with RIC treated at Miriam Hospital for minor Symphony burns and later released. Jeff Derderian ’89, co-owner of Continued on page 7 Vessella Dance Project at RIC March 27, 28 Endowment Fund established in Michael Index Gonsalves’ Memory Foundation & Alumni News 4 Rhode Island College has estab- lished an endowment fund in Sesquicentennial Michael Gonsalves’ memory. Memories 5 Donations can be made to the Academically Speaking 5 Rhode Island College Foundation, Sports 8 600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Providence, RI 02908. Please note Arts/Entertainment 9-11 IN MEMORIAM: Deacon Mike Napolitano posts the names of those who died Michael J. Gonsalves ’86 Fund on Calendar 12 in The Station fire on the “prayer board” in the Chaplains’ Office. (What’s News the check. Photo by Gordon E. Rowley) Page 2– What’s News, Monday, March 10, 2003 RIC ‘summit’ addresses alcohol, Then and now… drug abuse concerns With this issue of “What’s News” and in keeping with the upcoming Sesquicentennial celebration, we begin a series of paired photos showing the College “Then” and “Now.” A psychiatrist from Butler found that women do not iden- Hospital addressed the Rhode tify themselves as heavy drinkers Island College Student Affairs compared with men, who recog- Alcohol and Drug Summit nize their drinking to be heavy. February 26 on the subject of Other statistics in the Harvard “Substance Abuse on College study included: students drinking Campuses.” to get drunk increased from 39 Meeting in the Board of percent to 52 percent over the Governors Conference Room in period with no gender difference; Roberts Hall for the College’s 20 percent of students experi- annual commitment to discuss enced alcohol related problems alcohol and drugs, Dr. Alison such as missing class, experienc- Heru, M.D., in charge of Butler’s ing blackouts, getting injured or general in-patient Unit 4 and damaging property; 80 percent director of its family therapy reported secondhand effects such program, dis- as unwanted cussed the sexual results of advances, dis- studies of rupted sleep Then alcohol and and study. drug abuse. Younger One study, students not conducted in living at home 1999 at a are at great- and Now… large New est risk for England col- alcohol abuse, lege involv- said Dr. Heru. ing 800 Suggestions college for interven- students, ing include showed targeting 40-50% used younger abus- marijuana ers from high and alcohol school; pro- weekly, and viding alcohol- 10% used the free events; drug educating ecstasy. DR. ALISON HERU, M.D. women about It found that their increased students who do not use alcohol risk of alcohol disorders; increas- or marijuana have better grades ing fines and suspension. Our first in this series is the Mt. Pleasant Avenue entrance to the campus as and are more involved in extra- Under the heading of psychiat- it looked from 1958 to 1960 (top photo). In 1958, when the College moved curricular activities. ric risks, 40 percent of alcoholic from downtown Providence to Mount Pleasant, it retained the name Rhode A Harvard School of Public women vs. 9 percent of alcoholic Island College of Education. In 1960 the name was shortened to Rhode Health College Alcohol Study men reported having made sui- Island College. Four years later, the Class of 1964, aided by donations from (1993-1997) of 140 four-year col- cide attempts. classes of 1911, 1936, 1944 and 1945, spearheaded the installation of a new leges found that binge drinking Following the presentation, a entrance marker (seen in the “Now” photo), a concrete representation of “is the most serious health prob- discussion was led by Mary Olenn, an open book. Last year the entrance was further enhanced with stone walls lem in American colleges.” health education consultant in the embedded with the College’s name on both sides of the entrance – and metal For men, binge drinking was RIC Office of Health Promotion. fencing that encloses the “Sesquicentennial Oak,” the College’s symbol for five drinks in a row; four for As a result of the discussion, the 150th anniversary. women. Frequent binge drinking noted Gary Penfield, vice presi- was defined as three or more dent for student affairs, a task times in a week; occasional, as group will be convened for a five- In Memoriam — one or two times in a two-week year review of “where we stand” period.