Providence College Vol. LXXXIIII No. 17 February 27, 2020 thecowl.com Providence College Welcomes Dr. Mae Jemison Former NASA Astronaut to Give Commencement Address by Kerry Torpey '20 Corps Medical Officer in Sierra Leone In preparing to depart for space, After completing the Endeavour Editor-in-Chief and Liberia. At the age of 27, she was Jemison felt it was important to bring mission, Jemison left NASA in March Katherine Torok '20 responsible for managing healthcare for things that “represented people who 1993, but her career had only just Associate Editor-in-Chief Peace Corps volunteers as well as the sometimes are not included.” Some begun. In that same year, she founded COMMENCEMENT U.S. Embassy’s medical care. examples include: a poster of Judith The Jemison Group Inc., a technology It was not until 1985, when Jemison Jamison performing the dance “Cry,” a consulting firm that encourages students On September 12, 1992, NASA was back in the U.S., that she decided Bundu statue to represent a women’s to be passionate about science while astronaut Dr. Mae C. Jemison boarded to apply to become an astronaut. She society in West Africa, and a flag for merging sociocultural affairs with space the space shuttle Endeavour, beginning an says that when she first applied to the Alpha Kappa Alpha, “the oldest African- engineering and technology. eight-day journey during which she and Johnson Space Center, she was not American women’s sorority in the Then, as a devoted fan of the original six other crew members would make 127 considering the fact that she may be the United States.” Star Trek series, Jemison fulfilled every orbits around the earth. Upon returning first African-American woman in space. When she departed as a crew member fan’s dream in 1993 when she guest- to earth and landing at the Kennedy “I wanted to go into space,” she explains. on Endeavour’s STS-47 Spacelab J starred as Lieutenant Palmer in an Space Center, Jemison officially became “I couldn’t have cared if there had been mission, which was a collaborative episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the first woman of color to travel to becoming the first real-life astronaut to space. Now, almost 28 years later, appear in the series. Jemison will visit the Providence College In 1994, she started an international community as the speaker at our 102nd science camp for students aged 12 to 16 Commencement Ceremony. called “The Earth We Share” as well as Born in Decatur, AL to parents Charlie a non-profit called the Dorothy Jemison and Dorothy, Jemison developed a love Foundation for Excellence, which she for science, in particular astronomy, named after her mother. from a young age. While growing up Jemison has received several honorary and attending school in Chicago, Jemison doctorate awards and accolades, such says her parents, “were the best scientists as the Ebony Black Achievement Award [she] knew, because they were always and a Montgomery Fellowship from asking questions.” Dartmouth College, where she conducted Jemison would spend hours watching a teaching fellowship. She is also an and researching NASA’s Apollo missions, inductee at the National Women’s Hall of seeking to understand their goals, Fame, International Space Hall of Fame, findings, and accomplishments, but she and the National Medical Association felt frustrated not seeing any female Hall of Fame. astronauts. Although Sally Ride was She has written multiple books, the first American woman to travel to including her 2001 memoir Find Where space in 1983, Jemison would be the the Wind Goes: Moments from My Life first woman of color. Having grown as well as several True Book series up watching Nichelle Nichols play about different components of space Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, Jemison expedition. In 2012, she led the 100 Year saw the potential of representation for Starship program and received funding women of color in space. to enhance research in our ability to travel Upon graduating from high school outside our solar system to another star at 16, Jemison attended Stanford within the next 100 years. University, double majoring in chemical In 2017, LEGO released a figurine of engineering and African and African- PHOTOS COURTESY OF PROVIDENCE COLLEGE AND NASA Jemison as part of the LEGO Women of American studies. After graduating in Dr. Jemison was the first woman of color and the 16th American woman to go into orbit. NASA Kit, which the company hoped 1977, she became a student at Cornell would inspire more women in STEM, an University Medical College, where one thousand people in space before me mission between the U.S. and Japan, initiative Jemison greatly supports. She she obtained her M.D. in 1981. While or whether there had been none. I wanted Jemison served as a science mission also fluently speaks English, Russian, in medical school, Jemison studied to go.” specialist. During her eight days in orbit, Japanese, and Swahili. and conducted research in Cuba and Despite the devastating explosion she conducted experiments on other crew In addition to Jemison, six other worked at a Cambodian refugee camp in of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986, members, testing levels of weightlessness, honorary degree recipients will Thailand. Jemison continued to pursue her dream. bone cells, and motion sickness. be recognized at Commencement, After moving to Los Angeles to be a Then, on June 4, 1987, Jemison became the “For me,” Jemison says, “the including: Val Ackerman, J. Peter general practitioner for the Los Angeles first African-American woman admitted experience was one that made me feel Benzie ’70, Sr. Jane M. Gerety, RSM, Dr. County Medical Center, Jemison began to NASA’s astronaut training program. very connected to the universe. I felt my Hugh F. Lena III, the late Dr. Francis P. working with the Peace Corps. Between She was one of only 15 chosen out of 2,000 being was as much a part of this universe McKay, and Erich Miller. 1983-85, she served as the Area Peace applications. as any star, as any comet.” Commencement/Page 2 Above from left to right: Dr. Francis P. "Pat" MacKay, Val Ackerman, Erich Miller, Sr. Jane M. Gerety, RSM, J. Peter Benzie, and Dr. Hugh Lena, III will receive honorary degrees at Providence College's Commencement ceremony on May 17. Providence College’s Student-Run Newspaper Since 1935 UNDERTHEHOOD News 2 News Opinion Sports Opinion 6 Read about potential pros This week's Writer vs. Writer: Providence College Investigates: Photography 11 and cons of integrating more Is it okay to take out another Should students be allowed A&E 13 technology into DWC classes. person's laundry? to storm the court? Portfolio 16 Page 2 Page 7 Page 22 Sports 21 Page 2 February 27, 2020 News Commencement Welcome to the 21st Century Continued from front page Val Ackerman is the fifth commissioner of the Big East Technology's Place in PC Classrooms Conference. Prior, she was an attorney and executive at the NBA, the founding president of the WNBA, and is the former president of USA Basketball. by Eileen Cooney ’23 She is a graduate from the University Assistant News Editor of Virginia where she was a three-time ON CAMPUS captain and Academic All-American on the women’s basketball team, and Although it is not a universal policy received her law degree from UCLA. that computers and other devices J. Peter Benzie ’70 is executive are not allowed to be used during president and global account leader Development of Western Civilization with Broadridge Financial Solutions classes, most of the professors who Inc. Prior to joining Broadridge in teach the course implement policies 2005, Benzie worked at Prudential that bar technology from being used for Securities, Shearson Lehman Brothers, learning purposes. Chase Investment Services, and The prohibition of technology in the Fidelity Investments. He also served classroom can be difficult for students on the College’s Board of Trustees from who prefer to type notes on a tablet or 2009-2018 and served on the executive a computer rather than handwrite them, committee of PC's campaign, Our or to ensure that the important points of Technology in the classroom continues to be a divisive issue at PC. JAY WILLETT '20/THE COWL Moment: The Next Century Campaign for a fast-paced lecture are written down. Providence College. Additionally, many students find their notes because they are forced to be worth acknowledging that we live in an Sr. Jane M. Gerety, RSM, served it helpful to transfer their notes to a more selective in what they take down. increasingly digitized world where more as the president of Salve Regina digital PDF study guide that is easy to Since they cannot write down their notes and more schools are switching over to University in Newport, RI for ten review before exams. A typed outline nearly as fast as they can type, a student paperless curriculums. Many students years. Before her presidency, she was of one’s notes can be more concise and is forced to spend more time processing come to college from high schools that an executive board officer and senior clear to study from rather than a messy, the information when they write it down mandate they use technology in the vice president for sponsorship with unorganized, handwritten notebook. as opposed to when they type it. classroom. Saint Joseph’s Health System. Prior to Despite the obvious benefits of being While there have been many Tara Cooney ‘21 says, “I came from a that, Sr. Gerety taught at universities able to use a laptop or tablet to take studies that show that information high school that was entirely paperless.