Brown University - Liber Brunensis Yearbook (Providence, RI)

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Many people probably associate Provi- dence with that bug. If nothing else, it's cer- tainly a distinct landmark. Cranston doesn't have one. Neither does Woonsocket. Perhaps that's why the bug seemed so overwhelmingly Providence. Lots of cities have fine theater companies and good Italian restaurants, but who else can boast of a 58+oot long, 4,000 pound blue termite. It may not help tourism and it's not going to win any architecture awards, but the bug definitely has character. In fact, for a city where the mayor, after ten years resigns from office because he was found guilty of attacking a man and using a lit cigarette as his weapon, one could argue that the bug is not just a landmark, but a symbol. Semiotics aside, the bug has had quite a history. It was constructed in 1980 and Pest Control wanted to publicize its new location on O'Connell St. Although the termite ori- ginally sported purple-tinged wings, rain washed the color away, leaving the bug a blue shade . .. 115

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General Manager Dave Pontes said the bug will receive its first new coat of paint later in the year. It will remain blue, he said, to match the com- pany's colors. Pontes described the bug as beau- tiful. The bug is beautiful. So is the phallic symbol on South Main Street and the Christmas lights on the Hospital Trust Tower and the bank of the Seekonk River. Walk over to Wickenden St. and take that caged overpass over Rt. 195. Then walk down the hill and approach the dock that over- looks the river. Don't inhale more air than you need and don't strain yourself sniffing it. Just because it's beautiful doesn't mean it's healthy. There may be some children flying kites or others taking walks. The best thing about the shores of the Seekonk is that no one tries to get a tan. As you look across the river and see the new skyscrapers among the old smokestacks and hear the muddy waves smacking against the cement dock, you realize this city has a certain flair for avoiding labels. Providence is neither urban nor suburban, elderly nor juvenile, tech-crazy nor backward, booming nor depressed, highbrow nor lowbrow. It doesnt exactly pulse with energy, but it isn't narcoleptic either. Frank Sinatra may not have sung any songs with Providence in the title, but we can claim The Talking Heads as our own, to say nothing of Jeffrey On The Wings of Love Osborne, a Providence native. Despite Jeffrey Osborne, Claiborne Pell and numerous other thoroughbreds, the slogan Providence Harbors the Best still smacks of self-aggrandization. For all it's charm, Providence continues to fall short in many categories. We already know about the bowling alley deficiency and the arson problem, and there are obviously some problems in the local government. Perhaps the next generation of politicians will bring back firstrun movies to Providence and cut parking fees. Until then, we'll have to satisfy ourselves with trips to the Silver Top and Lupo's Heart- break Hotel and remind ourselves that Provi- dence is a good thing, and that you can't escape it anyway. - Jon Karp 17