2016 vol 133 issue 12

Election 2016 Post-election coverage and student reactions

Women Elected

Record number of female minorities elected to the Hill

POST-ELECTION PG. 7 BURLINGTON, VT

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VOL. 133 ISSUE 12

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W E D N E S DAY, N O V E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

‘Trump Triumphs’ Campus Unites

Vigil organized in wake of election staff report Students shed tears and held tight to their candles as night descended upon UVM’s campus.

“How many of you are scared?” firstyear Manza Campaz said.

Multiple students raised their hand and embraced one another as they talked about the results of the 2016 Presidential Election.

“Well I am not,” Campaz said. “It sounds weird but looking at us standing side by side, if we love and love absolutely we have nothing to fear.”

Campaz stood in front of over 100 UVM students at a Candlelight Vigil entitled “Unity, Hope and Love” in front of the Davis Center.

Student leaders addressed the concerns of many students about the election Nov. 9 at 5:00 p.m.

The goal of the vigil was to provide support for students in the wake of the election results.

The event lasted about a half an hour.

It was hosted by Campaz as well as firstyear Rose Chase and senior Kate Flynn who gave speeches with the goal of providing comfort to students.

“This is not a time for despair, judgement or anger,” Flynn said. “Only through empathy, compassion and respect can we overcome.”

Students then stood together with lit candles as Chase lead them in a song of “Amazing Grace.”

This part of the vigil attracted the most students. Many had tears in their eyes while others joined in song.

UVM students come together outside of the Davis Center Nov. 9 in support of other students after the 2016 presidential elections. KASSONDRA LITTLE/The Vermont Cynic

VIGIL CONTINUED ON PG. 8

Students find swastika emblazoned on Trump sign

By Lindsay Freed & Lauren Schnepf lafreed@uvm.edu / lschnepf@uvm.edu

A Donald Trump campaign sign with a swastika spray painted on it was found by a UVM student.

On Nov. 9, sophomore Isabelle Schechter discovered the sign on the lawn of a building three doors down from the Hillel center, where she is working as an engagement intern, she said. “[The sign] made me feel terrified and nauseous,” Schechter said. “It was like a

punch in the stomach about this reality … that we’re facing.”

There are no suspects at this time, Burlington Police Officer Bonnie Beck said. It is unknown whether the sign was meant to be directed at Hillel.

“For Jewish students,” Matt Vogel, executive director of Hillel said, “no matter what the intent is, seeing a swastika holds a very deep and painful association with [the Holocaust]; a deeply tragic part of our history.”

Sophomore Arielle Cheifetz said she

was disturbed by discovery of the sign because of the swastika’s historical context.

“The part [about this] that is the most disturbing,” Cheifetz said, “is that this occurred on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, a night [in 1938] where almost 200 synagogues [in Germany, Austria and then-Czechoslovakia] were destroyed, over 8,000 Jewish shops were sacked and looted and tens of thousands of Jews were removed to concentration camps.”

Cheifetz said she has concerns over the implications of the swastika being found on a sign supporting Trump, and that she believes minority groups are preparing for hateful speech or actions to be committed against them. This unease is echoed by other members of the UVM community.

SIGN CONTINUED ON PG. 8

2

NEWS

Burlington residents: love will ‘Trump’ hate

By erika lewy elewy@uvm.edu

Hundreds of protesters braved near-freezing temperatures Nov. 11 to attend a 7 p.m. vigil for “inclusiveness, kindness, and empathy” following the Nov. 8 election.

The vigil concluded a day of protesting in and around City Hall Park Friday. As night fell, calls for peace, hope and unity could not calm the crowd.

UVM students gathered at the park early in the day for a rally. Hundreds more people joined an anti-Trump rally held at 6 p.m. and later broke off to march around downtown.

Protesters shouted “Dump Trump,” “Not My President” and “Still With Her.” Burlington resident Greg Curtis was among those who stepped forward to share anger at Trump’s election and fear for the coming years.

“I’m a gay veteran,” Curtis said. “It’s taken a lot of time for the military to be open.”

Curtis was proud of the progress the military has made in protecting LGBTQ soldiers, he said.

“With Trump in charge, all that could change,” Curtis said.

“I don’t want to lose being able to marry whomever I love. And a scumbag like Trump ain’t going to take that away. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

After calls from speakers to “stay angry,” “channel hate and fear into activism” and “reject silence,” rally organizer and

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UVM professor Chris Vaccaro attempted to calm the angry crowd.

“This vigil here, this is for us to harness what we’ve just created,” Vaccaro said. “To harness this peace and love in our hearts, and to intertwine it was strength, with resilience and with defiance.”

The crowd cheered, waving hand-drawn signs that read “Hey Pence, Does Conversion Therapy Work on Racists, Misogynists & Homophobes?” and “#NotMyPresident.”

Just before 7 p.m., Jenny Kalanges, a September graduate of UVM’s MBA program, set up a microphone and passed around candles for the vigil.

Champlain professor Kerry Noonan stepped forward to lead the crowd in singing activist Holly Near’s “Singing for Our Lives.”

The attendees quieted. Protesters lowered their signs to the ground. Kalanges came forward first, asking the crowd to pause.

“This is not a gathering of acceptance, but rather a symbol of our commitment to remain strong in truth, in peace and in love,” she said. “Our hearts are heavy. We may be feeling fearful, tired or defeated. Our story is not one of hopelessness… Just in case no one has told you today, I love you, and I’m thankful for you.”

Andrew Pumley, who works in Champlain’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion, came forward to speak after what he said was “a

‘shit show’ of a week at school.”

“We’re all probably here because we have such a wide range of emotions; from sadness and fear, to anger, disgust and everything in between,” Plumley said.

“For me, this gathering here tonight is about being completely honest with those emotions.”

He has spent the past few days processing how he, as a young, black man, can prepare for the coming years, Plumley said.

“The pain of knowing that our country is unfortunately, in some ways, what we feared all along is … something we’re all going to have to wrestle with,” he said. “The emotions that we feel now are there because they are real, and they are there because they are valid.”

The dozen speakers that followed Plumley expressed their disgust, sadness and fear for the coming months. Few spoke of peace, unity or hope.

South Burlington resident Becca Camp-Allen said she is scared for the coming years.

It’s already been difficult to be a queer, homeless person in Burlington, Camp-Allen said.

Now, they fear a new wave of persecution.

Lena Ginawi and Kiran Waqar, both 16, are also on guard for a new wave of xenophobia.

The girls, both students at South Burlington High School, performed an original poem about post-9/11 Islamophobia called “Wake Up, America.”

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Protesters assemble outside of City Hall Nov. 11 to voice their disapproval of the 2016 presidential election.

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3

NEWS

$1 million donated to help bike paths By alexandra shannon amshanno@uvm.edu

A check of over $1 million was presented to Mayor Miro Weinberger by The Parks Foundation to improve the waterfront bike path.

The Parks Foundation works to inspire the spirit of responsibility and philanthropy for Burlington’s parks and recreational properties, according to their website.

Over 250 donors made contributions, according to an Oct. 25 report by the mayor’s office.

The Parks Foundation works with the city, but is a completely separate organization, said Jesse Bridges, parks and recreation director.

Bridges was the assistant athletic director at UVM until he was appointed parks director, according to an October 2012 press release from Weinberger’s office.

“Having a separate foundation allows donors to feel secure that what they’re giving to is what is actually being spent on,” he said. “[They know] that it’s not going to get sucked up into the general fund at any point.”

The Foundation uses the donated money as a supplement to more of the basic improvements of the bike path like repaving, which is the city’s responsibility, said John Bossange, chair of The Parks Foundation.

Things like “pause places,” signs, water fountains, overlooks, benches and bathrooms will be added to the bike path, which will be funded by the Foundation, he said.

“We’re not paving the bike path; we’re adding amenities to

The waterfront bike path is pictured. $1 million raised by 250 Burlington donors will fund the installation of water fountains, benches and overlook areas along the path. SABRINA HOOD/The Vermont Cynic the bike path,” Bossange said.

“The foundation’s job is to supplement and enhance the rehabilitation of the bike path. The city’s job is to rehabilitate it; ours is to enhance it.”

Renovations for the bike path has never been met with any opposition, Bossange said.

“I have never ever had someone say this is a waste,” he said.

“I can’t imagine someone saying ‘don’t do this.’”

In fact, the path has raised property values that surround

the path, helped local businesses and increase tourism, he said.

The bike path has three major components that make it such an important part of the city: health and wellness, transportation and tourism, Bossange said.

“People come here to go on the bike path, so it’s a huge PR thing,” he said. “Because of all three things, [the bike path] pays for itself; because of that, [I have never] had pushback.”

Junior Katie Lukes, a mem-

ber of UVM’s running club, said runners have been avoiding the bike path recently.

“I do not know too much about what the new waterfront path will look like,” Lukes said, “but because of the construction, the running club has just stayed away from that side all together.”

Members have been running more at other places in Burlington, like Oakledge Park, Lukes said.

Over three-fourths of Bur-

lington voters elected the city continue renovations on the bike path, according to the city’s election summary report.

After approval on the ballot, renovations of the bike path will continue to move forward, with the first portion of improvements happening on the stretch from the Andy (A-dog) Skate Park to North Beach, Bossange said.

School welcomes Mosaic Center to campus By chloe chaobal cchaobal@uvm.edu

For the third time in its existence, the ALANA Student Center has officially changed its name.

The African, Latino(a), Asian and Native American Student Center formally opened its doors to the community in an open house celebration Nov. 10, where it announced its name change to the Mosaic Center for Students of Color.

The MCSC held the event after relocating from the Blundell House on Redstone campus to Building E in the Living/Learning Center in September.

MCSC director Beverly Colston said the name change has been discussed for 15 years and the old name didn’t represent the community.

“A mosaic is an intricately designed art piece constructed from assembling small, gemlike, colorful pieces of glass, stone, beads or other materials,” she said. “While each piece retains its individual nature it also becomes part of a larger and beautiful whole.”

MCSC was originally known as Black and Third World Educators from 1973 to 1996, ac-

MCSC leaders celebrate the reopening and name change of the ALANA center to the Mosaic Center for Students of Color. The new student center is located in suite E-140 of L/L. PHOTO COURTESY OF

MCSC FACEBOOK

cording to their website. “[MCSC] expresses the desire [of] multiple stakeholders, students, staff and faculty to clearly state whom we serve and also to connect to an artistic expression that symbolizes the sum of all of our parts,” Colston

stated in a Nov. 11 email to the community.

The term “mosaic” better represents the community, she said.

People of all backgrounds and ethnicities crowded in the halls of L/L building E to listen

to University President Tom Sullivan, who gave an opening speech for the event.

Speakers told stories of finding a home at MCSC. “[The open house] is our way of welcoming the community and introducing our space to the

rest of the campus community,” MCSC leadership coordinator Lam Phan said.

Phan works with student clubs such at the Black Student Union and ALANA Gear. The new centrally located space is more accessible to students, he said.

“We used to be on Redstone,” Phan said, “which is further away and inaccessible to too many people.”

Students at the opening spoke of the benefits MCSC gives to the community.

“A lot of people feel like they have to act a certain way cause all of a sudden, they are representing themselves, their race, their culture [and] their heritage.” first-year Stanhope Nwoso said. “Here you’re not necessarily focusing on that; you can be more relaxed [and] everyone else understands the stress,” he said.

Nwosu said students can come and talk about what’s troubling them.

“We also just try to talk around, joke around, socialize,” he said. “Everyone feels safe; no one feels judged.”

NEWS

4

Record number of women elected to the Hill By karolyn Moore kmoore6@uvm.edu

Catherine Cortez Masto (d-nev.)

“

Tammy Duckworth (d-ill.)

Ilhan Omar (d-minn.)

I think it’s very easy to feel small in this country.

With such a history of oppression, legitimacy is often something we strive for. I think the fact that so many female minorities were elected this cycle is incredibly important. I hope others across this country are able to feel similarly to me: hopeful, validated and, most importantly, that our voices are being heard. It’s the beginning of a change our country so desperately needs.

ALEDA KIRSTEIN FIRST-YEAR

Kamala Harris (d-calif.)

Stephanie Murphy (d-fla.)

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OPINION

5

S TA F F E D I T O R I A L

Selfless love can overcome national hatred

H

ow lucky we are to live in a place where so many of us possess the same values of humanity, even at a time when some fear our own humanity may be challenged; a place where a tumultuous election brought us together, instead of apart; a place that hate will not reach.

By standing in solidarity, we have begun a conversation on campus which has allowed us to recognize each other’s fears, differences and strength, allowing us to process, heal and move for

each other.

Our solidarity, too, must extend beyond the confines of our ivory towers and the collection of our liberally-educated minds.

We must value and understand the voices of all. We must freely speak our truths without fear of being silenced, and we must listen without judgemental ears.

This is not to say that listening to hateful rhetoric is acceptable. It is looking at the anatomy and intersection of race and class in this country and analyzing it critically. It is hold-

ing multiple truths in order to achieve a common goal.

Perhaps Trump’s views aren’t completely baseless, though. America does need to focus on its own affairs - after all, we just elected the most unqualified man in our history to the highest office in the land.

America’s true values are the ones we saw displayed throughout our community this week.

Brotherhood is what we need most at this time. Compassion is what we need most. What we need more than ever, however,

is understanding. As Lincoln proclaimed so eloquently: “a house divided cannot stand.”

We call on the students, faculty and members of the community to think critically on their privilege bestowed upon them by the construction of power in regards to race, class, sex, ability, gender and sexual orientation. We call on an end to apathy on this campus; an end to silence on this campus; and acts of only selfless love and resistance on this campus.

Staff editorials officially reflect the views of the Vermont Cynic. Signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so.

The Cynic accepts letters in response to anything you see printed as well as any issues of interest in the community.

Please limit letters to 350 words. The Cynic reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. Please send letters to opinion@vtcynic.com.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Education as a tool to stop sexual assault on campus

D

ear Editor,

UVM needs to increase efforts towards sexual assault education and awareness.

This is a complicated issue which has red tape lining every door. But, there is room for a conversation about ideas to progress that should be highlighted when talking about these issues.

For those who voiced in the article that they felt UVM was handling these issues effectively and that these situations are “to some extent inevitable,” I would say this is a sign of two things.

It is a sign of believing in the dominant discourse that sexual assault around the college experience and what comes along with it. A quote from an individual who was interviewed in the article states “with constant exposure to drugs, alcohol, and the closeness of residing alongside peers, sexual misconduct is, to some extent inevitable”.

I take this as meaning that if you decide to come to college you are putting yourself at risk of getting sexually assaulted; if drugs and alcohol are in the picture, you better be ready to defend yourself against a possible sexual assault.

Yet it’s possible to drink, smoke, live near someone and NOT sexually assault them.

People choose to commit these acts of assault for reasons such as thinking that what they are doing is ok, or they have a lack of knowledge.

Thinking that these situations are “inevitable” is like believing that these ways of thinking are never going to change and they are a part of what people in college are like. This is only the case if we let it be the case.

Students are at this University to learn and create an experience that serves themselves and their community for the better. If that’s not what is happening on this campus, then the University has to take measures to make amends. This includes education around changing conversations and language to support the message of “don’t rape” rather than “don’t get raped”.

It sounds like people think

LILY KEATS

this is too big of an issue and if it is going to happen anyway, then what the University is doing is good enough. If so, does it matter that this happens to 10 people vs. 62 or 100 people? If your answer is yes, then I suggest you talk to one person who is a survivor and see if you still believe that nothing more could be done.

Someone interviewed said, “Keeping the assailant on probation of some sort and ensuring the population is the way to go.” My question is, ensuring the population of what exactly? The University can’t ensure

ased language that does not always give a clear message. On top of that, these modules are easy to click through without even fully reading, absorbing, or understanding anything that has been said. I remember peers laughing at the videos and making fun of the modules when we had to take them. They would mute the videos, go on Facebook, and answer the questions as fast as they could. This is not assuring, its terrifying.

We require D1’s and D2’ to help educate, respect, and create a healthier and safer campus when it comes to issues around

crime for which they may not be aware of and are not educated about.

Common discourse in our world is exacerbated by media, music, laws and even our politicians, giving mixed messages about acceptable sexual behavior. It would be naïve, for the University to expect every person who comes into the University to have the same understanding about sexual assault.

The school should provide more than just an online module to help educate, protect and respect the student body.

Providing mandatory classes

If the University is open to acknowledging this problem, they should want to be the solution. us all about those people who, unfortunately, are the ones most likely to commit a sexual assault, not just the one person who is being dealt with.

Education is what is needed for the University to make amends and help ensure safety on campus. “There should be more prevention strategies, rather than just dealing with the aftermath.” Yes, we have CatAlerts that give us information but, as was stated in the article, this type of education is “telling people how not to get raped instead of telling people not to rape other people.”

The online modules first years have to take also have bi-

race and diversity. Why would we not provide a class to ensure education, respect, and safety to prevent sexual assault?

If the University is open to acknowledging this problem, they should want to be the solution. Universities, such as UVM, have a student body made up of individuals who come from various cultures. Knowledge, understanding, and even laws surrounding consent, assault, and relationships differ from community to community.

If the University has a stance on sexual assault and takes punitive action against those who perpetrate its policies, it seem odd that they are punishing their students for committing a

for all first year students on sexual assault and what is expected of them at this University would be beneficial on multiple fronts.

The main goal would be to eliminate sexual assault all together, dismantling the common discourse around sexual behaviors and college life.

Taking this class may be the first time an individual has been offered help or feels able to come forth about sexual assault.

Classes would have to be taught in a trauma informed manner, knowing that 1 in 4 women, on top of individuals of other genders in the room, are likely to have experienced these issues.

Of course, support should be available for those who do

not feel able to attend the classes due to the material being too triggering. Yes, this type of program would mean lots of money and resources being spent through the University.

However, if the University is serious about student safety, this should be a priority. They may think that through climate surveys there isn’t enough “risk” to be allocating funds in this direction, or that what they are doing is sufficient.

Luckily for the University, they can be assured that their money would be well spent for this issue touches most people on their campus. Climate surveys are always going to show an under reported amount of assaults.

A subsequent article in the same issue of this paper cited Judy Rickstad, the Victims Advocate on campus, in saying that 61 cases of sexual assault have been reported to the Women’s Center in the past year and that this is “only a fraction of the sexual assaults that occur at UVM”.

I ask you, UVM, is that enough people’s lives that have been negatively effected on campus to be worthy of more attention and resources? When will it ever be enough?

Sincerely, Erica Raff UVM Graduate Student

6

OPINION

The contradiction behind new UVM Interfaith center

R

especting other religions is important, right? I think the key word there is “other.”

Do you need to respect “other” religions if you don’t associate with one in the first place?

Is it OK to be an Islamophobe if you are also a “Christianphobe?”

It should be noted here that while Islamophobia is a commonly accepted word, “Christianphobe” or whatever is not.

Hmm. The new interfaith center is UVM’s and the SGA’s attempt to respect all religions.

I was excited when the Interfaith Center opened as a Rastafarian. Now, finally, I had a safe and sanctioned place to practice my religion. Right? Right?

Wrong.

I actually believe the whole world is my temple, so I should be allowed to practice my religion wherever I damn please.

But no. These intolerant bigots at UVM have prohibited the practice of my religion anywhere on campus.

My only consolation is that I can still worship one of our minor deities, Al-Cohol, in Brennan’s pub.

Now, we all know that matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed.

We know that the big bang created the universe, releasing a huge amount of compressed matter and energy into some

sort of an abyss that didn’t exist before ... but what created this massive bang of energy and matter? Did it create itself? But if matter cannot be created or destroyed.

This is making my head hurt.

Whether or not I believe in God or some sort of higher power, what I would like to ask is whether it is really appropriate to have any sort of formally institutionalized place for the practice of one religion or any at a public university.

Reason and empiricism, the foundations of Western education, are not easily compatible with institutional religious practice.

Do you need to respect 'other' religions if you don't associate with one in the first place?

For example, I was surprised when I got to UVM that there was a Catholic center right on campus because of that whole first amendment thing, saying that the government would respect no establishment of one religion over any other.

The Catholic Center does not count as the university putting one religion ahead of any other though, because there are multiple denominations on campus.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, Having graduated from UVM in May, I am only privy to my alma mater’s usual political inanities through the grace of friends still in attendance, and so when I was forwarded a letter written by President Tom Sullivan and others on Nov. 9, wherein he offered counseling and therapy to students emotionally damaged by a peaceful and democratic transition of power, I experienced no small amount of displeasure to learn that my school hadn’t changed very much.

It’s funny: Reading President Sullivan’s woefully polemical letter would leave the uninitiated--that is, to the propensity of UVM’s administration to shamelessly editorialize--with the impression that his words were merely satirical, in a comedic jab at our overly-sensitive generation.

I’m not sure I can give him the benefit of the doubt.

There are several issues with what UVM’s administration has done.

First, Sullivan belittles the emotional resolve of UVM’s students who--one must hope-are now at a point in their lives where they see it as possible (if not expected) that their preferred candidates won’t always win.

C’est la vie. C’est democracy,

too.

Second, Sullivan’s letter is woefully partisan, in that its publication seems to have been contingent upon Trump’s victory, and not his loss. Counterfactuals are messy, but does anyone seriously contend that UVM would have released this letter if Clinton had won?

We should be rightly skeptical.

Third, while I won’t speculate as to how many found Sullivan’s letter helpful, it seems to me that UVM is catering to a type of student who, frankly, has very little capacity to contribute to useful political dialogue. Indeed, Sullivan’s letter encourages the sort of political exhortations we rightly lament: anti-intellectual alarmism, hyper-partisanship and general intolerance. Put another way, how many successful political pundits use therapists to address their electoral grievances?

Presumably very few.

One hopes that, in the future, UVM’s administration learns to polemicize less.

I won’t hold my breath. But I won’t see a shrink, either.

Sincerely Joseph Brown Class of 2016

One of the people on my floor was a full-blown Christian, who would pray for us all the time and managed to drag me to mass on one occasion.

But there is no Islamic center or Buddhist center on campus.

Christianity is clearly privileged above other forms of worship.

So yeah, I’m fine with there being an interfaith center to correct that imbalance, but I’d just like to point out that we really should not have any tuition dollars going towards religious practice.

Students should not have to provide any financial support, through their tuition dollars or the SGA fee, for a small number of students to observe their religion.

To the extent that the appreciation of nature is my religion (I’m not really a Rasta), I would just add that I think UVM has done a great job of creating green spaces on campus.

I hope that once construction is done on campus UVM will plant a bunch of trees.

Alexander Collingsworth is a senior English and history double major. He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.

ELISE MITCHELL

We’re MAGGIE the future and it’s bright RICHARDSON MRICHARD@UVM.EDU

Though this may well be one of the most heartbreaking days in many of our young lives, remember that this is our country, the divisions that define it define our lives and our futures, its losses are our losses and its victories are our victories.

As dark as the future may look to many of us, remember that this is the world we built, we are citizens of this great nation and we have no choice but to face the next four, maybe eight, years with the president our fellow Americans have elected.

Remember that even though we in our liberal bubbles feel broken and defeated, the outcome of this election is the direct result of those who have lived their entire lives feeling the same way.

As threatening as the new political landscape may seem, remember that it is a product of the democratic system we signed up for, that we participate in, and that will eventually, hopefully, restore the progressive, inclusive values we hold dear to us.

There is no denying that things are changing, but our democratic system is based on change — for better or for worse.

Remember that our government represents our populous, which includes each and every one of us. If this is what our

country has come to, we all need to take a serious look at our values and choices, at everything we’ve been taking for granted.

For many of us, the new administration will prove to be an incredible obstacle; many of our lives will change. We’ve been given a challenge: to live in a world that will be uncomfortable, unpleasant, and radically different from the world we know now.

Please do not shy away from that challenge. Take what we have been given, face these next few years with unflagging determination to maintain the ideals that make this country the best in the world. America is already great, it is up to us to keep it that way.

Maggie Richardson is a junior English and Environmental Studies double major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2014 and is currently the B-side editor

special edition the days after the 2016 election in burlington

“HOW MANY OF YOU ARE SCARED? Well, I am not. It sounds weird, but looking at us standing side by side,

if we love, and love absolutely, we have nothing to fear.�

Manza Campaz First-year

7

8

POST-ELECTION

VIGIL CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Afterward, SGA President Jason Maulucci, Vice President Tyler Davis, and UVM graduate former SGA president Aya AL-Namee spoke.

“I see far more here that unites us,” Maulucci said. “At UVM we aspire to be a community that admires respect.”

Their speeches referenced the words engraved on the stone artwork outside of the David Center and how they embody UVM students: Respect, Integrity, Innovation, Openness, Justice and Responsibility.

There were many students who expressed their gratitude toward this event and UVM in general in regards to the actions the University has taken after the election.

“Today was a day of mourning.” first-year Phylicia Hodges said. “But, I like that I can be in a safe space where people are coming together.”

Standing next to her was friend Kelayah Gregg, another first-year.

“I am honestly speechless in regards to the election outcome,” Gregg said. “However, I appreciate UVM’s culture. We have all created a space to unite and reflect.”

The gathering of students did not disperse immediately after the event. Many stayed around to comfort one another and express their opinions about the election.

“I am disappointed such a tyrannical demagogue was elected,” Sophomore Rachel

Students holds sign at vigil.

KASSONDRA LITTLE/The Vermont Cynic

White said. “I was expecting more from America.”

Even the sign held by firstyear Isaac Lee did not go down after the candles were blown out.

“Stand together, love will prevail,” Lee’s sign stated.

Students were left with the following words from Campaz.

“Just like these candles, do not let your lights die out,” Campaz said. “Today marks the day we make a final stride toward a true free America.”

Sophomore Akilah Ho-

Young, a student who lead the recent Black Out rally in support of Black Lives Matter Sept. 26, said she attended the vigil.

“I couldn’t help but cry. I have a bunch of emotions that I’m not quite sure where to channel them,” Ho-Young said.

“There is hope when things seem hopeless.”

Reporting by: Olivia Bowman, Kassondra Little, Michelle Phillips, Brandon Arcari & John Riedel

Why Trump won: ‘Unheard’ have spoken By mariel wamsley mwamsley@uvm.edu

A Donald Trump campaign sign spray-painted with a swastika laying on the ground near UVM Hillel Nov. 9. While the intent of the sign is unknown, the Burlington Police have reported similar vandalisms. LINDSAY FREED/The Vermont Cynic

SIGN CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 “I’m worried there’s going to be much more of this since the election went in favor of Trump,” senior Connor Clark said. “ [He is] someone who is openly hateful toward minority groups.”

The sign was brought to Hillel because students feel it

is a place where they can feel comfortable and bring up these types of incidents, Vogel said.

“I’ve seen the importance of the Hillel center as a space where students feel safe,” Hillel Assistant Director Sharon Silverman said. “I know people are getting what they need for nourishment, whether that’s a bagel, a conversation, a hug or an ‘I see you.’”

Both Silverman and Vogel

said students have been coming into the Hillel center for support following Trump’s election.

“This day hasn’t compromised our values,” Silverman said. “We are here for students more than ever, and that’s something that’s going to continue on as we go through some changes for all of us.”

The most optimistic polls had the president-elect’s chances of winning at 30 percent at best.

But Donald Trump, a businessman, reality TV star and real estate mogul, won key battleground states, giving him a total of 290 electoral votes to win the presidency.

His victory has been attributed to his appeal to the white working class, as voters saw him sweep key Rust Belt states, according to a Nov. 13 NPR article.

When watching the election results come in, UVM alumnus Brad Day ‘16 said he was surprised at first -- and then it started to make sense.

“When you tell a group of people that their opinions don’t matter for six months, and call them racist and hateful and bigots for having different opinions,” he said, “they’re not necessarily voting on that hatred.”

Rather, the voters who came forward for Trump on election day were the “cast-outs” -- disenfranchised, middle-class Americans who felt unheard, Day said.

“They flocked to [Trump] because he carried a different

message than Obama, but a similar one in that he was paying attention to them,” he said.

“They felt ignored for so long . . . I mean, they felt like he was going to take care of them.”

Ultimately, Democrats either assumed they didn’t need white working-class voters or took their support for granted, according to a New York Times article published Nov. 14.

Of Trump voters, 33 percent identify as “blue collar,” according to the Pew Research Center.

Many of these manual laborers live in rural areas of key battleground states like Pennsylvania and Ohio.

These predominantly white blue collar workers were enticed

by Trump, as he “relentlessly appealed” to them by rousing their anxiety surrounding the loss of manufacturing jobs nationwide, according to a Los Angeles Times article from Oct. 13.

“In the end, I am not surprised because of the hatred that was formed on both sides,” Day said. “[There was] a lot of vitriol from both sides being thrown around.”

9

POST-ELECTION LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Expatriate reflects on election from abroad

D

ear America, My name is Samara Manges, I am a 24 year old female from the state of Vermont. In September this year I moved to France to work as a language assistant for seven months. It is now two months later and America has chosen it’s 45th president of the United States of America. The tears, anxiety and stress of the hours between Nov. 7 and 8 were shared with my fellow expats in France, along with millions of Americans back home. Full disclosure, I was an avid Bernie Sanders supporter and after he lost I shifted my full support to Hillary Clinton. As of right now, into the waning hours of election day I feel the indescribable fear and pain of our country having elected Donald Trump.

I love living in France, but one thing French people are known for is their outwardness when it comes to politics. I am scared to face the French. I am scared to face the world outside of the U.S. as a representative of its policies and ideals that I do not agree with. When people asked me, “Can Donald Trump actually become president” my answer was no. I had hoped that America, in the face of bigotry, xenophobia and sexism, would say no. When people will ask me, “How did this happen” I will try not to cry and say, “I don’t know.

I have fear for my country.

I have never felt fear with such a magnitude before, a feeling I know I share with millions. My heart breaks for my country, not only because my preferred can-

LILY KEATS

didate did not win, but also because it illustrates the ruptured, and profoundly fractured spirit of the United States.

I also have anger. This pit in my stomach keeps growing, and I can feel it’s poison seeping through my body. I want to yell, scream and shake the people that can’t seem to see the racist and sexist foundation of the man that is now our President of the United States of America.

But wait. Why is anger always the body’s first emotional

reaction? Anger and sadness.

Though, anger cuts deeper and goes further. The only answer I can find is, it’s easy. It’s easy to rest in anger, it distances “the other,” what we don’t know, what we fear, what we hate.

Anger lets us stay back, laugh at the loser and continue on a single-minded, narrow path.

What’s hard is listening. It takes more courage and strength to ask the person next to you, “Why do you feel this way?” instead of ignoring them from anger.

Despite adversity, stay truthful Kelsey Neubauer & bryan o’keefe

O

KANEUBAU@UVM.EDU / BPOKEEFE@UVM.EDU

ne-hundred percent of the Cynic executive editorial team is queer. Until this summer, we were both closeted.

We each spent over 20 years denying this fact, in an attempt to convince ourselves that our stories were not valid enough to be represented by our voices, by our names.

We spent over 20 years convinced that what we felt so deep within us was abnormal.

Over 20 years making excuses for who we truly were, and for what? *** Being a pansexual woman meant that I could not be the woman I was taught to and aspired to be.

Worth as a woman is determined by whether or not she ends up with a man. *** My gayness manifested itself inside me from the moment I was born, and it took 21 years

before I decided I was finally fed up with hiding behind a door I was refusing to open for myself.

For years I grappled with the fact that these feelings, which felt so absolute to me, were supposedly abhorrent to human nature. *** Silence is not the American dream; the American dream is not a type, it is a truth — a higher and more divine truth, a conglomeration of the every truth that touches its borders.

We spent years living as someone we were not, putting up a facade of an ideal we would never be able to attain. Our truths were silent until we gathered enough strength to amplify them ourselves. We did that.

The real test of the American people will lie in their capability to amplify their own voices, even if faced with adversity from the highest office in our land.

Despite this, as journalists we are trailblazers at the forefront of democracy. We are committed to the presentation of infinite truths with every splash of ink we print in our paper.

This election shook our nation from all sides. It was not just the LGBT community.

Women, people of color, Muslims, Latinos and even straight white men woke up this morning and were forced to reconcile with the decision our country made last night.

To the same degree, the voices of those who voted for Trump are just as important to our democratic foundation as any other. They are a testament to the rift that exists in our society; they are fellow Americans.

Your story, whatever it may be, will always have a place in our paper. No matter who else invalidates it. No matter who our president is.

Don’t let this paralyze you.

Let it move you forward. Stand in your truth, and act through your truth. Fight to ensure every person can stand in theirs.

Your patriotism is defined by your ability to make this country safe for all voices; for every human here to stand in their truth.

Use your passionate voice to move this country forward.

We implore you to not let your fear restrain you from speaking out for the issues you hold dear.

Don’t let it restrain you from being yourself.

You are still you. This is still America. We will move on.

I don’t want to be angry with you, America. I don’t want to be embarrassed. I am the person I am today because I’ve been afforded wonderful opportunities provided for me by my country.

I want to understand. We get more answers asking questions than yelling in anger.

It doesn’t matter how we got here. What matters is that we put downs the clubs and pitchforks and emotionally enter the 21st century. Stop being afraid of asking what makes us, the

citizens united under one flag, so different? Stop being afraid of what you are not. Ask questions and when someone ask you one, take time to think before you speak. If anger is your first response, be braver and try to understand.

Personally, I’ve always loved the color purple.

Sincerely, Samara Manges

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Election reveals potential

D

ear Editor, Similar to most Americans right now, I can’t even begin to explain the emotional toll this election has taken. Election night took every ideal I had been taught about American society and shattered it. For the first time in my life I questioned whether this was somewhere I wanted to continue to be a part of. Everything preached and condoned

by Donald Trump is against not just my political views, but also my deepest core values. I’ve seen him take genuine anger in millions of Americans and mold it in his tiny hands to fit his personal agenda.

But in the time since the election, I have begun to feel so differently. As we begin to come to terms with the result, we are also coming to terms as a nation on how we will deal with it. The path we seem to choose is one of strength, unity, compassion, and perseverance. Although we may not have gotten our candidate, we have gotten a potentially better outcome: hope for the future. The next four years will be nothing we imagined, but it’s completely up to us to make the best of it. A single man in a fancy office does not decide

our fate, we do. We must engage in our communities, spread love and compassion, and keep working towards an America we all want to be part of.

For those gloating over the outcome: have your day, maybe a few. But move on. Start to come to terms with whom you chose to elect, the implications it has, and then look around.

Look at how strong the other half of Americans are, despite the hatred and ignorance your candidate has spewed across the land. You can keep your guns, but we’ll keep our dignity.

One of the greatest outcomes of this election is the potential of my generation. As indicated by our voting patterns, we overwhelmingly choose to deny hatred and support progression.

We are the ones who will be in charge soon, and this gives me so much hope. Like many other Americans, I love my country.

I think it’s the greatest one in the world and I feel incredibly blessed to have been born here.

I look forward to keeping up the fight and creating a country of opportunity for ALL. Sincerely, Amanda Woodward University of Vermont 2017

10

“

POST-EL “Today we rise, we the people, stand together, love one another, accept each other, this is our America, I will keep my head up, I will smile, we will fight for freedom, together.”

Manza Campaz First-year

“I couldn’t help but cry. I have a bunch of emotions that I’m not quite sure how to channel them. There is hope when things seem hopeless.”

“I see far more here that unites us. At UVM we aspire to be a community that admires respect.”

“We reco many of feeling i Our Uni nation o continue

Akilah Ho-Young Sophomore

Jason Maulucci SGA President

UVM Pr In an em

America chooses fou

community HANNAH KEARNS/The Vermont Cynic

11

LECTION

ognize that this is a challenging time for f our colleagues and students, who may be isolated and concerned for personal welfare. iversity denounces any form of bias, discrimior violence. It is especially important, now, to e to work together and support each other.”

resident Tom Sullivan mail statement Nov. 9, 2016

“This is not a time for despair, judgement or anger, only through empathy, compassion and respect can we overcome.”

Kate Flynn Senior

“I am honestly speechless in regards to the election outcome. However, I appreciate UVM’s culture UVM’s culture.

We have all created a space to unite and reflect.”

Kelayah Gregg First-year

ur years of Trump:

y responds PHOTO COURTESY OF ISABELLE SCHECHTER

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOMOKI NOMURA

POST-ELECTION

12

‘Don’t condemn America’ Makayla Salas

A

MSALAS@UVM. EDU

fter staying up until 3 a.m. on Tuesday to watch electoral votes roll in, I fell asleep. I woke up Wednesday morning to my roommate telling me, “Donald Trump is president.” I tried to rationalize with myself, but later that day, I broke down and cried while facetiming my mother about it.

This reaction was not fueled by some liberal-crybaby-ness, or for not getting my way in politics this year, or even because Hillary won the popular vote, but not the electoral vote (hey, Al Gore!).

This is because his hateful speech and policies he plans to implement and support directly affect myself, my closest friends, and my fellow citizens in drastically detrimental ways.

This is about my handsome trans friend I ironically sang country songs with, and my flamboyant cheerleader brother, facing support for conversion therapy measures that have been proven to be harmful and ineffective.

This is about all of my friends who are survivors of sexual assault, knowing bragging about sexual assault won’t disqualify you from anything.

This is about my dependable Spanish-speaking friend, whose hard-working grandparents are immigrants from Mexico, and hear the labels of ‘rapists’ and ‘drug-dealers’ given to them.

This is about my spunky hijab-wearing friend from senior year film class, who I felt the legitimate need to text, saying I hope she is safe and ok.

Even if Trump does not implement the policies he has advocated for, there is now a tolerance for injustice, for inequality, for openly deeming others as inferior. We now see there is nearly nothing you can do, no matter how bigoted and distasteful, that will prevent you from becoming the most powerful person in the United States of America.

I was hopeless, desperate. I was watching my friends break down, I was watching my professors cancel exams, and I was watching myself skip classes because I didn’t know how I could possibly focus on material while there was so much suffering going on around me. How could so many people be complicit in this?

I aimlessly wasted time on social media, and found myself looking at the snapchat story of my friend Emma, who goes to Loyola University, Chicago.

There was a protest outside of the Trump tower.

I quickly went online to check the news, and my mouth dropped.

There were protests. There were walk-outs. There were assemblies of people using their freedom of speech across the

nation, from California, to Oregon, to Washington, to New York, to Connecticut, to Virginia, to Texas, to Illinois...

And suddenly, there was hope. I stopped crying. I got out of bed. I was energized. This is what democracy looks like.

Standing our ground, letting the establishment know we will not be complicit in this agenda, rhetoric, or character.

These protests consists of hundreds of thousands of people. We will be heard, we will exercise our freedom to assemble, our freedom of speech.

We will coalition and let POC, LGBTQ, women, immigrants, Muslims, Hispanics, latinx and other minority groups know that we condemn these political actions; that we condemn

dorse expression of voice in a peaceful, but powerful way.

I do not wish for a divided country, but I also do not wish for one that is founded upon social policies that discriminate against and label us as inferior by arbitrary characteristics.

Where there is a call for peaceful transition of power, there is also a call for power that does not intimidate, that does not makes its people fearful, that does not promote measures that the popular vote majority cannot swallow.

Frankly, I am proud to see so many people take a stance on this and know that there is power to the people. Don’t condemn America; I am proud to live in a country where we can contest and openly disagree with

Reflecting on the legacy of Kristallnacht, today Marissa Lanoff MLANOFF@UVM.EDU

E

arlier today, around 3 a.m, a man who has denounced Muslims, immigrants, Mexicans, women and the disabled became our president-elect. We all know his name - I refuse to write it here.

His campaign has incited hate and violence and insurmountable ignorance, like none I have ever witnessed before.

His hateful rhetoric has even spread, much like a disease, to our

ELISE MITCHELL

an establishment that has used fear as its main tactic on both sides.

If there is anything to be proud of right now, or have hope in, look at the news; you’ll see thousands of millennials and even older generations understanding that we have civic duty, that it is important to be involved, to vote, to protest when there is injustice.

This is the energy of the masses in play, energy that protested twenty entire blocks of NYC, that stood outside Trump tower in Chicago, that walked out of schools in California, that protested outside the White House, that showed we are not afraid of authority when it is corrupt.

I do not condone any protesting that has resulted in harm to property or people (luckily there hasn’t been any I am aware of, the reports say they are peaceful). I only en-

the establishment, where politics are animated by the spirit and accountability of the people.

This is our nation, these are our people, and we will stand together and fight for equality, justice, and love. If you are enraged, do something. Make a difference - but if you protest, be safe, be respectful.

Everyone is scared for one reason or another; this includes protesters, but it also includes police forces who are attempting to make sure rioting and destructive behavior do not take over. Keep in mind we are all humans, and we are doing the best we can with the role we are given during this time; activists and police forces alike.

Makayla Salas is a first-year psychology major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2016.

safe little haven of Burlington.

Students found our president-elect’s campaign poster vandalized with a swastika.

A swastika, a universal sign of hatred, one which conjures up heinous images and stories of the Holocaust and of Hitler’s Germany.

This evening Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, shared that she will only work with the president-elect if he offers respect for human beings, according to the Independent.

Our president to be has opened a Pandora’s box of intolerance and prejudice. It seems as though this election has allowed people to once again let their inner bigotries be publicly known, as if it were the early 1900’s.

Hillel reached out via email to assuage our fears, saying “visible signs of hatred are un-

acceptable.”

Tonight, Nov. 9, marks the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, in 1938. Not so long ago. This was a night in which German synagogues, schools and business were broken and burned to the ground. It is also a night in which 100 Jews were killed for just being Jews.

My parents always warned me, much to my distaste, that when things go awry, Jews are always the first ones to be targeted.

Though the results are in and the people have spoken, I still believe that love trumps hate. I still believe America can be the land in which diversity makes us stronger. I still believe there is a place here for every religion, race, ethnicity, sexual identity and gender.

As I stood at the vigil tonight, I saw a crowd of progressive individuals huddled together in the cold night air with candles.

They mourned the loss of a proper democracy, their rights and of sheer presidential decency. Some feared for their families, others for their religious freedom.

Minorities wondered if they would ever truly have a place in our president-elect’s nation. But alongside that concern, I saw hope.

As I paraded the house with an heir of depression and defeat, I was reminded this morning of the brave words of Dr. Martin Luther King, “The arch of history will always bend toward justice.”

So today we grieve, we hold vigils, we express our disbelief, we scream and we cry. But tomorrow, when we get out of bed and our feet hit the ground, we stand up for our rights and continue to hold the highest of standards for our government.

Today, this week, this month, and maybe the next four years will be a time of great change, and intense emotionality, and I ask you to be gentle on yourself and keep your faith in democracy high.

Marissa Lanoff is a junior psychology major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2014.

POST-ELECTION

13

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

SGA vice president ponders privilege D ear Editor, It is thirty-eight degrees and rainy.

Today, I started an application for the Peace Corps, a hiatus that would let me turn my back to something that feels like an unavoidable mess. All day I’ve been wooed by my ability to leave, and how lucky I am to hold such self-autonomy.

I have, however, decided that I will not be completing the application, I’m going to stay. We just elected a President who holds my identity over that of anyone. I am a straight, cis-gendered, upper-middle class, white man. The privilege I hold is profound and America, in electing Donald J. Trump, has chosen to perpetuate this privilege for another four years.

To leave would be irresponsible and the mere ability to think in such a way is indicative of that very privilege.

Nothing more closely captures how I felt about the results of the Presidential Election than the weather today. There are few times in my life where I have experienced such a degree of disappointment in my American identity. I educated myself and voted, just like I’ve been told since grade-school, but we lost.

My gut reaction was to leave. I struggle to understand how I

can exist in a country lacks basic moral principle and genuine compassion.

I want to take this privilege and oppose the very actors who seek to propagate it. Hillary Clinton’s message of becoming stronger together is not lost on me. I’m no hero and I don’t have solutions to the bigotry that plagues our country, but I want to be a part of opposing it. I want to be an ally. I want to live in a country where someday equity is a reality and difference is not just accepted but acknowledged as well. I’m not leaving America.

I will never fully understand the experience of those who Trump’s rhetoric has targeted.

It is a reality that I have not and will not have to face. My country is not failing me; it’s failing those who we need to care the most about. Well, I’m staying to care. I’m staying to oppose the systems that preserve inequality and contest an America that aligns with my moral compass.

That’s what makes me proud to be an American.

Tyler Davis SGA Vice-President

LILY KEATS

POST-ELECTION

14

Stand by your country and be hopeful Lily Spechler LSPECHLE@UVM.EDU

Y

es, I know, it’s very, very depressing.

Sickening.

Alarming. But let’s move on because what’s done is done, and there is so little merit in wallowing in our misery, and so much importance in discussing what this means for our country and what we need to do as young people.

First of all, for all of those who didn’t vote, shame on you.

Today a girl in my political science class argued that “you have to respect people’s morals.” By morals, she was talking about how some people did not vote because their morals did not align with Hillary’s morals.

That is not an important enough argument to spend any time on. Yes, Hillary was a flawed candidate from the getgo. But she stood for basic human rights and the health of this planet.

By not voting, you are directly consenting to the pussy-grabbing morals of Donald Trump.

By not voting you have absolutely zero right to be upset about anything that will come of this election. By not voting you are surrendering your one and only power to influence the outcome of this election. And not to mention the fact that the election is so much more than who wins the presidency.

What about local governments? Don’t you care about that? I am not sure what voter turnout rate for our age group was, but I know I can count 10 people off the bat who failed to fulfill this basic civic duty. I am anxious to see how that ratio pans out across our nation.

We can only do one thing at this point and that is to look forwards. How can we make voting more available for college students and minority groups?

Who will be the first to develop a voting app to make voting

ALYSSA HANDELMAN

accessible at the tap of a finger?

Yes, it’s absurd that we only get one day- and a Tuesday at that. Yes, it’s absurd to still be relying on snail mail. But what are you going to do about it?

Let’s step up and make a change so that this never happens again.

Let’s turn our attention to our beautiful and vulnerable planet. These people have publicly denied climate change!

That is very, very scary. But since America was too consumed by emails to notice that little red flag, lets discuss.

I am feeling exceedingly grateful to our former leaders for thinking ahead on things like the Paris Climate Agreement.

“The Paris Climate Agreement commits countries to undertake ‘nationally determined contributions’ and establishes mechanisms to hold them accountable and to strengthen ambition in the years ahead.”

The Paris Agreement is bind-

ing by law, and legally requires participating countries to report carbon emissions. Although yes, the U.S. has the right to pull out of this agreement, “The Paris Agreement specifies that a party may not withdraw from the agreement within the first three

I refuse to live in fear and I stand by this country however broken.

years following its entry into force.”

Sounds like somebody was foreseeing the possibility of a leader who disregards science and all things intellectual.

That is a huge deal, and though Trump may very well try to go around this, the Paris Climate Agreement went into effect Nov.

4.

In the same vein, the Environmental Protection Agency is in effect by law- not easily reversible. So to all my environmentalist friends- you know what, let’s not even say “environmentalists” let’s say educated human beings who are living within the context of reality; hope is not lost.

We are the future. We cannot give up the fight for this precious climate. Yes, this is a huge set back. But we don’t need to surrender to impending doom, either. Let’s have faith in the checks and balances of our system. Let’s have faith in ourselves as innovators, movers, and shakers. These rich, white supremacists that have so rudely interrupted our victories are fortunately dying out. Regardless of what is happening right now we are still the future.

Talking to one of my older mentors, she said “Progress is often full of zigs and zags. We

will get there if we don’t give up.

Never give up.”

Here are the scariest truths.

The Supreme Court serves for life. The president has the right to choose who will fill Scalia’s seat, and the Republican Party didn’t even consider Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick B. Garland. So the Supreme Court is going to be controlled by conservative Republicans. Roe V. Wade, the landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on the issue of abortion, can be revoked and that is not a “farout” reality. Pence (our new vice president) was the one who led the charge for abolishing the right to chose in Ohio. And according to a New York Times article, two more justices are likely very close to retirement.

There is not a whole lot that we can do about this. The only thing that we can do is make a lot of noise locally.

Another scary truth is that this election served as an indicator report to some major issues that need fixing in our nation.

This election showed that xenophobia, racism, sexism, misogyny and wealth politics are alive and well in this nation. At least these problems can finally be brought to the forefront of our mind. Hopefully now people will pay more attention.

I refuse to live in fear and I stand by this country however broken. Let’s use this as a leverage point to get more involved as young people. Love is more important than ever right now. We have no choice besides committing to optimism and involvement. Don’t be hysterical.

Fuel your frustrations into positive changes, be tactful and passionate and never give up.

America is so much more than one man. But hopefully this will serve as a huge wake up call to our entire nation about the potential of who is in power.

Lily Spechler is a senior natural resources major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2016.

Channeling your frustration: ‘don’t mourn, organize’ SYDNEY LISS-ABRAHAM SLISSABR@UVM.EDU

I

always try to remain unbiased and fairly apathetic in the face of politics, but throughout this election I have been forced to become more opinionated on the subject.

We have taken our democracy for granted. Roughly 55 percent of eligible voters voted and the ramifications will be catastrophic. To those this upsetting decision affects, on behalf of my country, my university, and myself, we are truly sorry for electing a corrupt, “whiny little bitch” as our president.

Regardless of the low voting rates, the Democratic National Committee made a huge error in overlooking the American populous’ desire for drastic change.

Evidently everyone, especially us millennials, were naive to the immense desire for change lead by the rural and working class population subject to systemic disinvestment from the federal government.

Trump’s campaign, couched in anti-establishment rhetoric topped with “othering,” appealed to these vital, yet marginalized groups.

Overwhelming, frustration and disenchantment with the current state of our government created a passionate voting majority in favor of a leader illequipped for any political position. The safety of our nation has been abandoned. So now we’re preparing for a dramatic imminent shift in U.S. politics. I cannot speak for all minorities, but as a woman, I know living in “Trump’s America” is cause for concern. Critical under-re-

porting of sexual assault will increase. Fifty years of women’s rights progress will be shoved aside to “Make America Great Again.” How do we remedy this?

“To all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable, and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams,” Hillary Clinton said. It is of paramount importance to continue empowering the future generation of men and women that they can overcome all political obstacles to pursue their goals.

For those of you trying to find the good in this national embarrassment, there is an upside: Hillary’s emblematic peaceful transition of power was imperative for keeping our democracy in tact in handling her grave loss with honor and respect for

our country. Something Trump would be incapable of. “I still believe, if we stand together our best days are still ahead of us,” Clinton said.

Our generation lacked an objective until now. We are given Trump, not as an impediment, but rather as an opportunity to unite and uphold the values embedded in the heart of our nation.

We ought to continue absolute intolerance of bigotry, bullying, sexism, and unjust hate by using Trump as a model of immorality. We will use his presidency as a learning tool for ourselves and future generations to combat blatant injustice and discrimination. We will, as Hillary Clinton said, “never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.”

We must continue to be decent, kind human beings and

know that relatively speaking, we are lucky. We are lucky to live in a democracy where we can speak our minds without fear of oppression in order to make change. It is our duty now to make positive change toward progress in spite of our commander in chief.

Think positive. As President Barack Obama said Wednesday, “You have to stay encouraged.

Don’t get cynical. Don’t ever think you can’t make a difference. We all move forward with the presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens because that presumption is essential for a vibrant and functional democracy. That’s how this country moved forward for 240 years.”

Don’t mourn, organize.

Sydney Liss-Abraham is a sophomore philosophy major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2015, and is the Opinion Editor.

15

LIFE

The Me2/ Orchestra performs at the Howard Center’s Baird School Oct. 27. The orchestra prides itself on being open to anyone who wants to join, regardless of age or musical ability. PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic

Orchestra challenges stigmas around mental health

by Willa Richmond wcrichmo@uvm.edu

Ronald Braunstein was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 30 in 1985.

In 2011, Braunstein and his wife Caroline Whiddon founded the Me2/ Orchestra in Burlington. Me2/ is a non-profit orchestra run by Whiddon, with her husband as the conductor.

Anyone, regardless of age or musical ability, can join without a fee or an audition.

A year after graduating with a bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School, Braunstein was the first American to win the Sixth International Herbert Von Karajan Conducting Competition in Berlin. He described this as the “most prestigious and competitive conducting competition in the world.”

Experiencing alternating periods of depression and mania, he conducted major orchestras

literally around the globe, from the Berlin Philharmonic to the San Francisco Symphony.

When Braunstein went public about his condition, he was quickly dropped by both his manager and by the music business in general.

Currently, the Burlington Me2/ has about 50 members.

A second Me2/Orchestra was started in 2014 in Boston and two more are forming in Portland, Oregon and Indianapolis.

Roughly half of the musicians in Me2/ have some type of mental illness and openly discuss their lives with audiences.

Me2/’s mission is to honestly talk about mental illness to remove its stigma.

Senior psychology major Marissa Dennis, a member of Me2/, said the orchestra helps create an accepting, stigma-free zone where people can be transparent about their mental illnesses.

“It wasn’t until I started to become friends with the other members and heard their stories that I realized how special that feeling of normality was,” she said.

The UVM psychology club recently worked with Whiddon to assess the impact of a Me2/ concert. On Oct. 27, the organization’s fifth anniversary, students passed out two sets of questionnaires, before and after the performance, to concert-goers at the Howard Center’s Baird School in Burlington.

The surveys were voluntary.

The pre-concert surveys included questions intended to assess the audience’s level of contact and comfort with people who have a mental health disorder.

The post-concert questions examined how comfortable audience members would be interacting with those afflicted with mental illnesses in the future.

The statistics will be eval-

uated by the UVM psychology department.

In a recent psychology club meeting, members noted that more people completed post-concert questionnaires than pre-concert ones. The group surveyed was not randomly chosen, they said, but potentially biased, since audience members may have a different view toward mental illness than the general population.

However, many members said they still consider the experience a valuable success, senior club president Avrie Cowles said.

“We are really excited psych club was given the opportunity to work with Me2/,” she said.

“Even though it was not strongly scientific,” club member junior Julia Torra said, “it’s socially valuable in the sense that it will broaden stigma awareness in the community.”

Several other club members

agreed that no matter how deep they get into the psychology field, they will each always have their own biases, which they will have to confront to be a good psychologist.

Many club members said they recommend treating people with mental health conditions equally and not for their mental illness, and not to tread on eggshells around people with a mental health condition as if they’re not in treatment.

Dennis said Me2/ has played in prisons and juvenile detention centers.

“Those are some of our best audiences because they resonate with what we’re doing,” she said.

Junior Elisha Rennert had a further takeaway message to those with a mental illness: “You shouldn’t feel alone. A lot of people can relate to mental illness; a lot can help.”

DAPPER VAGINA

Trump and women: securing contraception during his presidency SARAH HEFT

SHEFT@UVM.EDU

W

ith the election of a homophobic, islamophobic, misogynistic, racist rapist — oh, I mean with the election of Donald Trump — people are in panic. Nobody knows what this self-absorbed climate change denier is going to do as president with a majority Republican congress and house backing him.

One of Trump’s many empty promises to the American people is to repeal Obamacare and overturn Roe vs. Wade.

Obamacare has provided insurance to 16.4 million people across the country who otherwise would not be able to afford it. The Affordable Care Act includes a contraceptive mandate that requires all insurance providers to provide contraception without cost sharing to its customers.

If this law is repealed, many women will be unable to afford contraception and will lose control over their reproductive sys-

tem.

With this information, many women have flocked to clinics, OBGYN’S and Planned Parenthood locations to obtain an Intrauterine Device, also known as an IUD. According to “Our Bodies Ourselves,” an IUD is a small

young women to get their IUD while it is covered so they will have contraception through the Trump Presidency. It’s sad that something that has been used to empower women is now being looked at as a last resort for many of them. Women are mak-

“

It kind of sucks that it’s gone, but all the memes that will come of its deather are worth it.

t-shaped device implanted in a woman’s uterus made of copper or plastic and prevents pregnancy. Hormonal IUDs release small amounts of hormones directly into the uterus, preventing ovulation. Copper IUDs create a toxic environment for sperm and fertilized eggs, thus preventing implantation.

IUDs are one of the most effective methods of preventing pregnancy, as they require no maintenance on the part of the uterus owner, and can last up to ten years, but can also be removed early if need be.

Many people are urging

ing their healthcare decisions not based on what will be best for their body, but out of fear that they may lose control of it.

I think the most powerful thing a person can do right now is to continue making choices that are right for their body. If that means getting an IUD, then great. But if not, even just making an appointment with your healthcare provider to check in and learn about other birth control options available to you is a Sarah Heft is a junior gender, sexuality, and women’s studies major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.

ALYSSA HANDELMAN MARISSA LANOFF

16

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DISTRACTIONS

17

Students split on the validity of zodiac signs

by Anna Power ampower@uvm.edu

Everyone has a zodiac sign with relation to their birth date, said to play a role in their personality and life.

What’s unsure is the accuracy of astrology, and if there is any scientific evidence behind it.

Astronomy lecturer John Perry said he sawees no relationship between astrology and astronomy.

“There’s no scientific reason to believe that it works,” Perry said, “but there’s plenty that we don’t know, as scientists especially.”

Perry, with a background in astrology, astrological background, is skeptical about astrologists’ reasoning behind the signs.

“Some of the planets were not discovered until . . . the 18th century, [such as] Uranus, Neptune [and] Pluto,” he said, “yet [astrology] has been around for thousands of years, and today includes those planets.”

Many students at UVM had different opinions on their beliefs of astrology.

“I think there are certain aspects of it that are prevalent in your personality,” sophomore John Zambarano said. “Not saying that it totally governs your life or is 100 percent accurate, but I think there are aspects and traits that people have based on

ASTROLOGY 101 The Signs

Water Signs

Emotional, sensitive, mysterious

Aquarius: Jan. 20 - Feb. 18 Pisces: Feb. 19 - March 20 Aries: March 21 - April 19 Taurus: April 20 - May 20 Gemini: May 21- June 20 Cancer: June 21 - July 22 Leo: July 23 - Aug. 22 Virgo: Aug. 23 - Sept. 22 Libra: Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 Scorpio: Oct. 23 - Nov. 21 Sagittarius: Nov. 22 - Dec. 21 Capricorn: Dec. 22 - Jan. 19 their sign.”

Besides the fact that his readings have been accurate, there is reasoning behind his beliefs, Zambarano said.

“There is a huge math and science background to it based on planetary angles, so I think . . .it’s not just people arbitrarily giving traits to birth times,” he said. “There’s a lot of math behind it, which is really interesting to me.”

However, Zambarano does

AQUARIUS

PISCES

ARIES

Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Fire Signs

Strong, energetic, creative TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Earth Signs

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

Realistic, loyal, emotional

Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Air Signs

Social, rational, intellectual SAGITTARIUS SCORPIO

not believe in every aspect of astrology in regards to horoscopes, he said.

“With astrology there are lots of different signs, and your regular sign is just where the sun was when you were born, but you have other signs like your moon sign and all the signs [from the other] planets,” Zambarano said. “On a surface level I don’t think the generic stuff is right, but once you dive deeper I think it’s pretty accurate.”

CAPRICORN

Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Sophomore Sarah Dawson has mixed beliefs about the subject, she said.

“I think it’s a cool thing if you feel you fit the description each sign gives,” Dawson said, “but many people don’t fit that mold.”

Junior Griffin Pollak and first-year Ben Steinlauf said they do not believe in astrology at all.

“I think they’re just generalized character traits that

anyone can read and say, ‘yeah, that does sound like me,’” Pollak said.

Steinlauf thinks that rather everyone writes their own destiny, he said.

“The tendencies and personality traits stem mainly from your values your parents teach you during adolescence, along with your life experiences,” Steinlauf said.

ARTS

18

UVM ensemble to ‘jazz’ Southwick By addie beach cbeach2@uvm.edu

Thanksgiving may be right around the corner, but there are still opportunities to catch some music before the week off.

The University Jazz Ensemble will be performing their end-of-semester concert in Southwick Recital Hall Nov. 17.

The group, which is made up of both music and non-music majors, plays big band jazz.

The focus of this style is less improvisational and more group interactive, said Alexander Stewart, ensemble director and jazz studies professor, said.

“In a small group, a lot of what you’re doing is waiting for your next solo to come around,” he said. With big band, however, you are always “playing with each other and playing with other sections of the band.”

The show will range from the “boisterous and energetic” music of Charles Mingus, to Dizzy Gillespie’s “classic bebop style,” he said.

The musicians will also incorporate some of Duke Ellington’s music. It forces them to balance “the individual part” and the “cohesive whole,” a classic feature of big band, Stewart said.

By Bridget higdon bhigdon@uvm.edu

Composer Maria Schneider conducts a rehearsal of the UVM Jazz Ensemble ahead of their spring concert. Schneider is a Grammy-winner for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album and Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocal. PHOTO COURTESY OF UVM JAZZ ENSEMBLE Stewart compared the method to ice cream.

“You can identify the chocolate pieces and cookie dough and everything,” he said. “They’re still carefully blended together, but not to the point where you can’t see the individual ingredients.”

The best part of big band is that it allows students to practice different musical skills and varieties, Stewart said.

Stewart said one way the ensemble tries to do this is by bringing in guest performers.

Last semester it was Grammy-winning musician Maria Schneider, and this coming spring they plan to have Stefon Harris on vibraphone, he said.

Of course, semesterly student concerts like this one are especially important to the process, he said.

Stewart said that helping the

students share their music with others is essential.

“You can play all you want just for yourselves,” he said, “but the whole point of music is to communicate these things to an audience.”

The University Jazz Ensemble concert will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at Southwick Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Hip-hop history tale gets down to business alex Lerose ALEROSE@UVM.EDU

C

alling all music lovers; Netflix just brought an era of music to television like never before.

“The Get Down,” created by filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, is a series set in the Bronx in the 1970s. This show is a musicallydriven drama that tells the story of the emergence of hip-hop after disco began to die out. The show premiered Aug. 12 on Netflix. Six of the 12 episodes have been released thus far.

Personally, I really enjoy hip-hop, but it’s one of the few music genres I really don’t know much about. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy this show so much. hip-hop is music that relies on stories and most importantly, a beat, in order to create a song. ‘The Get Down” captures each character’s story in such a unique way, essentially giving way to the formation of their own music as the show progresses.

The show is told through the perspective of main character Ezekiel Figuero, played by Justin Smith, who is looking back on his past.

Ezekiel is a black boy growing up poor in the Bronx. He has an incredible talent for poetry, which eventually leads to the creation of his music.

The story follows the merging of the African-American and Latino communities. This union is especially significant because

Burly beer makers tell insider tips

ELISE MITCHELL

it illustrates the Latino influence on hip-hop culture and music, one that people might have underestimated or did not even know existed.

The series feels like a play, with quick segments of transitional music from scene to scene, vibrant colors and a theatrical story line.

In the beginning of the series, Ezekiel tries to impress a girl he likes by getting them into a nightclub for a dance contest.

His efforts result in an unlikely twist and get him involved with hip-hop icon Grandmaster Flash, played by Mamoudou Athie.

Mylene Cuz, played by Heri-

zen Guardiola. Mylene is a Latina girl who desperately wants to be a disco star. She too has an incredible talent and is gifted with a beautiful voice.

H e r father, a priest, does not understand her artistic interests and talents. Mylene’s uncle, however, fully supports her and is very involved with the underground community of disco and drugs.

Throughout the show, violence, drugs and looting are unavoidable, emphasizing what was really going on in the South Bronx in the ‘70s. We soon learn, however, that there is much more to this city than what meets the eye. An underground music scene is what

“The Get Down” is all about.

There is definitely a lot going on in this show and it’s rather complicated, so it’s not for everyone. I will admit it was hard to get into at first, but push through; if you can keep up, it is a must-see.

If you have an appreciation for music, or if you want to learn more about the emergence of hip-hop and soul, you should watch this show.

Alex LeRose is a junior community and international development major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2016.

For many, drinking beer is a celebration in itself, but for two local Vermont authors, brewing it at home is just as thrilling.

Authors Bill Mares and Todd Haire will be at Phoenix Books in Burlington to talk about their new book “Making Beer.”

Mares has been brewing his own beer at home for most of his life, he said.

On top of that, he’s been a state legislator, a high school teacher, a reporter, an author and a beekeeper.

Feeling inspired, Mares sent a proposal for the book to his New York editor several decades ago, he said.

“I wrote a draft, but it didn’t feel complete,” Mares said. “It was missing something, so I set it to the side for years.”

The book, which chronicles the revival of traditional beer making in small breweries and the rise of the homebrewer, was a work in progress for Mares for over 40 years.

“I became interested in homebrew in the 1970s,” he said, “but it was primitive then.

There were no books written about it at the time.”

His interest in the book was rekindled after meeting Haire through beekeeping in 2013.

Haire, who had been brewing beer professionally for 20 years as the head brewer at Magic Hat and Switchback, was the partner he needed, Mares said.

Together, they crossed the country, traveling to California and Colorado to do research.

Vermont has the most breweries per capita in the United States, and brewing beer in the comfort of your own home is becoming more popular than ever, Haire said.

The process of making beer is one in which people can apply their knowledge base to the creation of a product Todd Pritchard, a UVM nutrition & food sciences professor who teaches the class “What’s Brewing in Food Science,” said.

Students should consider making their own beer because it promotes interactions between generations and communities, Pritchard said.

“I have had students come to me and report that they are now going to make beer with their father, grandfather or other relative,” he said.

“Making Beer” is an “eclectic book,” and is perfect for amateurs and professionals alike, Haire said. “We both had a dream,” he said, “[and this book shows that] if you work hard at it, you can help make it come true.”

The date of the event is not yet announced. It will be at Phoenix Books. Tickets will be $3 per person and include a coupon for $5 off the book.

SPORTS Men’s soccer to host a NCAA game By locria courtright ccourtri@uvm.edu

Despite not winning the America East conference tournament, men’s soccer is headed to the national tournament.

The NCAA tournament bracket was revealed Nov. 14.

The Catamounts earned an atlarge berth to the tournament, and will host Rider University Nov. 17 at Virtue Field.

The victor will travel to Charlottesville, Virginia to face seven-time champion University of Virginia cavaliers in the second round Nov. 20.

In the quarterfinals, the Catamounts hosted the sixth-seeded Binghamton University bearcats Nov. 5 at Virtue Field.

It looked like the run would end before it began after Binghamton went ahead in the 67th minute, but senior forward Bernard Yeboah equalized from a deflected shot with 3:04 to go in regulation.

Senior forward Brian Wright would then grab the winner in overtime, tapping home a rebound from a shot by senior forward Shane Haley.

Head coach Jesse Cormier praised the visitors’ strategy.

“Binghamton did a nice job with the game plan, coming in and flustering, and upsetting, and disrupting what we were trying to do,” Cormier said.

Yeboah said he believed that the seniors on the team helped push the team.

“For a lot of us, it’s do or die,” he said. “It’s the end of our careers, so every game we’re going in, we’re giving our all.”

Basketball season is underway

By JOHN SUOZZO JSUOZZO@UVM.EDU

Sophomore midfielder Mikel Kabala fights a Hartford player for the ball. The Catamounts started their America East title defense with a win against Binghamton. PHOTO COURTESY OF UVM ATHLETICS The Catamounts then traveled to second-seeded University of Albany for the Nov. 9 conference semifinal, with a trip to the America East championship game on the line.

Albany defended its home field, prevailing 2-0 on a rainy night. Albany forward Afonso Pinheiro opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a chip off first-year goalkeeper Aron Runarsson, and midfielder Carlos Clark would later add a goal for the great danes from just outside the 18-yard box.

Albany would go on to defeat University of Hartford 1-0 in the conference title game.

Following the defeat, the

Catamounts needed to play the waiting game, something Cormier said he wanted to avoid.

“We don’t want to leave it up to a committee to decide what we’re going to do,” he said.

“We’d love to earn the right to be there.”

The committee decided the Catamounts earned the right to be there, and the Cats now prepare for their second straight NCAA tournament — fifth overall. The Catamounts seek their first victory in the national tournament since they defeated Dartmouth College on penalties in 2007.

This year’s first round opponent, the Rider broncs, finished

with a record of 13-3-3, and punched their ticket to the tournament by defeating Quinnipiac University 3-1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title game.

No matter how the tournament goes, Cormier is optimistic about the future of the program, even with players like Wright and Yeboah graduating he said.

“I think that the program itself, beyond the seniors, is in good shape,” Cormier said.

“This group has been so enjoyable. They’ve given so much to this program, and they’ve won so many games.”

Catamounts earn all-conference honors

BY SAVANNAH NESBITT Stnesbit@uvm.edu

The America East Cross-Country Championship took place at the University of Maryland Baltimore County Oct. 29, with UVM placing fifth in the standings and three Catamounts coming home with America East Honors.

Senior captain Patrick Coppinger was named to the All-Conference first team.

Sophomores Samantha Sayer and Autumn Albrecht were selected to the All-Conference second team.

Coppinger recorded a time of 25:01.5 in the 8k men’s race, which earned him seventh place in the rankings.

“Over the course of the season everyone had just been running better and better, and having a really young team, there were no expectations of how America East should go,” Coppinger said about the team’s mentality. “Everyone was just feeling pretty positive about the meet.”

Albrecht crossed the finish line in eighth place during the women’s 5k race, registering a time of 17:42.8.

“Team-wise we were looking pretty good this year,” she said.

“I think a lot of people stepped it up during summer training -- so

19

Sophomore Samantha Sayer competes at the Catamount Invitational Sept. 3. Sayer, along with senior Patrick Coppinger and sophomore Autumn Albrecht, earned All-Conference Honors at the America East Championships. PHOTO COURTESY OF UVM ATHLETICS going into the race, we were hoping to place high as a team, and that’s what’s most important.”

Sayer barely missed out on a top-10 finish. She crossed the line with a time of 17:48.6, which earned her the place of No. 11 in the race.

“I think [going into the race] we were feeling pretty antsy and just the whole buildup of the race,” she said. “We were feeling very high-energy.”

Each of the three runners

significantly improved on their times and placing from the 2015 America East Championships.

“I think the key to success is summer training and just being consistent,” Albrecht said.

She also gave plenty of credit to her teammates’ support.

“The fact that this year everyone on the team is so excited for each of us to improve, that personally helps me,” Albrecht said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re the last runner or the first runner, everyone is so pumped

about how the team is doing, and I think that’s really great. It keeps me going.”

Coppinger attributed much of his success to mentality.

“It was the first America East for me that I’ve felt focused the entire race and just in a competitive mindset the whole time,” he said. “I felt like, finishing the race, I had put everything into it and didn’t really leave anything out there.”

The UVM women’s basketball team fell in their season opener to Bryant University, 63-57, Nov. 11 at Patrick Gym, before winning against Dartmouth 2 days later.

The game against Bryant was the first at UVM for new head coach Chris Day, who took over the team after a stint as an assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Catamounts took an early lead in the game behind strong defensive play, but missed chances offensively to extend the lead.

After giving up the lead in the first quarter, junior guard Kristina White made three pointers on back to back possessions to give UVM a 13-12 lead early in the second quarter.

The Catamounts’ offensive attack was reliant on the three-pointer in the second quarter, where they scored 12 of their 16 points off the long ball.

The Bulldogs extended their lead to nine points early in the third quarter behind forward Alex Klein, who was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points.

However, the Catamounts took the momentum midway through the third quarter on a three-point play from first-year forward Hanna Crymble, and a fast break layup from sophomore guard Hayley Robertson, which cut Bryant’s lead to 1 point with 5:41 left in the third.

The Catamounts went cold from the field after this 6-0 run, only scoring three points in the remainder of the third quarter, and trailed Bryant 44-38 going into the fourth quarter.

The Catamounts began to press late in the game, and guard Kallie Banker helped UVM cut the lead with back-toback three-point plays.

Bryant made five free throws in the final minute of the game to seal the win and keep the game out of reach for the Catamounts.

Vermont reacted with a 5954 win against Dartmouth on Sunday, Nov. 13.

Candice Wright and Kristina White scored 11 points each, playing an important role in Chris Day’s first win as head coach.

A 15-4 run early in the second half was crucial for Vermont.

The Catamounts held off The Big Green despite a comeback effort that saw them outscore Vermont 20-12 in the fourth quarter, according to UVM athletics.

Following the win in which the Catamounts never trailed, they are now 1-1 early in the season.

The women’s basketball team play their next game on Nov. 18 at Central Connecticut State.

20

SPORTS

Giving thanks to year in sports ZACH FALLS ZFALLS@UVM.EDU

W

ith Thanksgiving just around the corner, it seems necessary to give thanks to the past year in sports, with 2016 consisting of many highs for sports fans around the country. *** On behalf of the city of Cleveland, I give thanks to Lebron James.

King James ended Cleveland’s 52-year title drought, winning the 2016 NBA finals in dramatic fashion, overcoming a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors in seven games.

You really had us going when you left for Miami in 2010. Thank you for returning to Cleveland after figuring out how to win the NBA finals.

Although we would have loved for you to stay and win those two titles here in Ohio, we can’t complain, as our sports teams haven’t been all that successful the past five decades.

We will take what we can get. *** On behalf of Cubs fans everywhere, thank you Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon.

Steve Bartman, you can come out from hiding. Your

incident in the 2003 NLCS has been forgiven.

With our first World Series title since 1908, we northsiders can collectively exhale a sigh of relief and happiness.

Theo, we thank you for your need to show the baseball world how great you are at ending curses.

Maddon, we will forever question certain decisions you made in that historic game seven. However, you ultimately helped guide our young franchise to a title, and for that, we are thankful.

On behalf of Patriots fans everywhere, Peyton Manning, thank you for retiring.

*** On behalf of Patriots fans everywhere, Peyton Manning, thank you for retiring.

I will tip my cap to you for your ability to throw a worse spiral than my three-year-old cousin and still make a decent career out of it.

Sure, you won two Super Bowls, but you also lost the respect of fans everywhere with your countless nationwide commercials. How does that chicken parm taste in retirement?

Honestly, congratulations

on a successful career. We thank you for calling it quits and finally realizing you will never be as good as our guy, Tom Terrific. *** Lastly, on behalf of Sox Nation, I truly am thankful for “Big Papi,” David Ortiz.

I will always remember your historic 2004 postseason run with my beloved Boston Red Sox. Ending an 86-year curse is never easy, but you sure made it look easy. You single-handedly brought the winning tradition back to the city of Boston, while also being the loveable, goofy, and amazing human you are.

I still get goose bumps when I watch the speech you gave after the Boston Marathon bombing.

You took it upon yourself to use your platform as an athlete to speak out against acts of terrorism, while sticking up for the city you love and call home.

Although you called it a career after the 2016 season, you will forever be my favorite baseball player of all time.

For what you have done for the sport, the organization, the city of Boston and for humanity, I truly am thankful.

Zach Falls is a junior English major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2016.

scoreboard

Visit vtcynic.com for more coverage and uvmathletics.com for schedules and tickets

LAST WEEK

L

0-2

Men’s Soccer at Albany Albany, NY Nov. 9

W

2-1

W 59-54 Women’s Basketball vs Dartmouth HOME Nov. 13

W 94-70

Men’s Hockey vs UMass Amherst

Men’s Basketball at Quinnipiac

Amherst. MA Nov. 12

Hamden, CT Nov. 12

THIS WEEK Women’s Swimming and Diving

Men’s Soccer vs Rider

Boston, MA Nov. 18-20

HOME Nov. 17 7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs Lyndon State

Men’s Hockey vs Maine

HOME Nov. 19 1 p.m.

HOME Nov. 18 7:05 p.m.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK:

First-year forward Anthony Lamb won the America East Rookie of the Week and the TD Bank Student-Athlete of the week, after recording 23 points and nine rebounds in his first collegiate game.

RECORDS Men’s Soccer 13-6-1 Men’s Hockey 5-3-1 Men’s Basketball 1-1

Women’s Hockey 3-5-2 Women’s Swimming 5-0 Women’s Basketball 1-1