One of the newest university recognized student organizations on campus is the Salve Regina chapter of Best Buddies. Best Buddies is an international nonprofit organization that seeks to get rid of the stereotypes surrounding intellectual disabilities. On a rainy night this past April, Salve students and Newport area residents gathered in McAuley Hall to begin breaking down some of the social barriers between them.

With May approaching and graduation just over the horizon, it is time for the annual reminder that four years at Salve Regina go by pretty fast, and decisions have to be made. The question is brought up, and an answer must be given: where does one go after Salve? Once commencement has, in fact, commenced, do students have to leave?

Not necessarily, if they plan on going to graduate school.

Allison Whitmore, of New Hampshire, watched as her boyfriend tasted a glass of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. John Francour raised the glass, rotating it in small circles. Next, he sipped the wine and gave the waitress a nod of approval. When the waitress walked away, Whitmore laughed at Francour, who knew nothing about wine. He had merely imitated the couple at another table.

Following the trend of restaurants in larger cities like New York and

Los Angeles, the Brick Alley Pub on 140 Thames St. went smoke-free on June 27, 2003. The decision, according to dining room manager Jackie Booth, was not a difficult one. “The owners, Ralph and Pat Plumb, made the decision for the employees, not the customers. We have several non-smokers who work here who have bronchitis, and they shouldn’t have to work in a smoky environment,” Booth said.

In fact, many restaurants in Newport have begun to make the transition to non-smoking establishments.

Pieces of twisted metal lie in haphazard heaps on the ground like arms and legs, waiting to be formed into a body. Dust from the floor, like the jazz on the stereo, hangs in the air. Five days a week, starting at 8 a.m., this is where Bob Rotondo does his trade as a blacksmith.