BURLINGTON, VT
VTCYNIC.COM
VOL. 133
ISSUE 19
FEBRUARY 15, 2017
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B-Side pg. 7: student band breaks into burlington’s music scene
The Governor UVM Phil Scott hopes his alma mater will shape the future of the state Erika B. Lewy Assistant News Editor
Gov. Phil Scott sat back in a wood chair in his large, fifth floor Montpelier office. He spoke quietly and slowly, pausing between thoughts, and leaned forward each time he told a story. He looked up as he described growing up in Barre, Vermont; he worked on construction jobs across the state, and when he was 18, he came to UVM, he said. Here, Scott shared a house with a dozen other students on the corner of Maple and South Union Street, he said.
“I’m not going to tell any stories about what happened there,” Scott said with a laugh. He leaned back in his chair. “I can’t remember a thing,” he said with a smile. The Republican governor does, however, remember the jobs he held as a student. It was time spent building things with his hands that he enjoyed most, he said, along with working on construction jobs, at a motorcycle store in Montpelier and in a shop on campus.
Scott Continues on pg. 3
KELSEY NEUBAUER/The Vermont Cynic Vermont Gov. Phil Scott talks about his past and his path to the Vermont statehouse.
Cats set eyes on championship Zach Falls Senior Staff Writer Vermont men’s basketball has enjoyed a very successful start to their season thus far with a record of 23-5. The skill that the team has acquired over the years has gotten stronger with each class. The class of 2018 has lived up to the hype that surrounded them in the fall of 2014. With their 82-74 win over University of New Hampshire Feb. 9, the team set the record for the best start in program history, according to UVM athletics. Junior Trae Bell-Haynes, a 6’2” guard from Toronto, Ontario, reached a career milestone Jan. 28 against Stony Brook University, scoring his 1000th career point, according to UVM athletics. Bell-Haynes has started all 28 games for the Catamounts this season, averaging 11 points and four assists
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Negotiations for new faculty contract begin John Riedel Senior Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of UVM Athletics Junior guard Trae Bell-Haynes dribbles down court against a Binghamton University player Feb. 6. The Catamounts are currently 12-0 in conference play. per game, according to UVM athletics. Sophomore Ernie Duncan, a 6’3” redshirt guard from Indiana, suffered a back injury his first year, forcing him to sit out that entire season. Duncan has started all 28
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games from the team this year, and set a career high in points against Hofstra Nov. 22, scoring 33 points. Junior Drew Urquhart, a 6’8” forward from Vancouver,
Basketball Continues on pg. 11 instagram.com/ vermontcynic
UVM professors are pushing for higher salaries and fairer contracts for short-term faculty, said history professor Denise Youngblood, former United Academics president. Every three years UVM renegotiates its contract with the faculty union, United Academics, in which both sides argue for changes they wish to see. The current agreement expires June 30. “Over the last two contracts, our percentage increases were so low that we’re now sinking below the national average for university professors,” Youngblood said. The average salary for UVM professors in 2016 was $129,689, according to a study conducted by Oklahoma State University that same year. The average salary of 137 universities that participated
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in the same study was Fast $139,464. facts UVM’s average Negotiamakes it tions began: Feb. 6 hard to attract and Average retain good salary faculty, for UVM Youngblood professor in 2016: said. $129,689 Provost David Parties neRosowsky gotiating: stated the the University and union and United the UniverAcademics, sity have the faculty agreed to not union discussed details of the agreement in public in a Jan. 30 email statement. Though the University
United Academics Continues on pg. 2 vtcynic.com
NEWS
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Professor completes study on policing Chloe Chaobal Senior Staff Writer Black drivers in Vermont are four times more likely to be searched after being stopped by police, according to a recent report by a UVM professor. The findings in the report, conducted by economics professor Stephanie Seguino, indicate patterns of policing within 29 of Vermont’s police agencies. “The data makes racial profiling real in a whole different way to folks who don’t want to believe it,” said Beverly Colston, director of the Mosaic Center for Students of Color. Seguino said the report helps understand racial relationships in Vermont. “Data is the best tool we have to change behavior,” she said. African-American drivers are more likely to be stopped because they have a higher rate of driving with a suspended
license or no license, said Eric Fowler, crime analyst for the Burlington Police Department. “When you account for not having a license or a suspended license, there was no statistically significant disparity between black and white drivers,” he said. The search rates for black and Hispanic drivers are higher than those of white or Asian
graduates are white, according to data from Fall 2014. Students are more hypervisible at UVM because the majority of students are white, Colston said. “It creates a different feeling of alienation,” she said. The Mosaic Center works with students individually and provides a community for students who have been racially profiled, Colston said. Students who have had negative encounters with the police can go to the Brotherhood, a group within Mosaic, she said. “People are often traumatized by racial profiling, so they actually need care not only from us, but sometimes from
Graphs from “Driving While Black and Brown in Vermont,” a report by economics professor Stephanie Seguino.
UVM Foundation updates
New endowment granted A UVM professor received one of the most distinguished honors granted by the University last week. Katharine Shepherd, interim associate dean of the College of Education and Social Services, was endowed by the University Feb. 7, according to Vermont Business Magazine. Shepherd was named as the Levitt Family Green and Gold Professor. Endowed chairs and professorships are given to a specific faculty member for a set period of time, according to UVM’s endowment guidelines. They are named for the donors who made the endowments possible.
drivers; however, black and Hispanic drivers are less likely to be found with contraband leading to an arrest, according to the report. “There is no good reason for African-American drivers to be searched four times more than white drivers,” Fowler said. At UVM, 1.1 percent of the undergraduate population is black; 83.1 percent of under-
Shepherd, who is also the project director for a U.S. Department of Education grant, was also recently granted a leadership and service award by the Higher Education Consortium for Special Education. One of the goals of the University’s “Move Mountains” fundraising campaign was to double the number of endowed professorships at UVM, according to a Cynic article published Oct. 6, 2015. President Tom Sullivan said that 60 percent of the $500 million goal proposed for the campaign will be spent on endowments and student scholarships.
United Academics Continued from pg. 1 intends to put forth an agreement that satisfies some of both parties’ wishes, he stated. “The University looks forward to a set of productive, good-faith negotiating sessions with UA that lead to a new, mutually agreeable contract,” Rosowsky stated. Job security for lecturers will also appear in contract negotiations, Youngblood said. English lecturer Deborah Noel said she loves her job at UVM, and that it was made possible by the negotiations UA has done in the past. Lecturer contracts continue to shorten, regardless of illustrated commitment to UVM, Noel said. Lecturers that have been
at UVM for over 20 years still have to deal with job insecurity of a one, two, or three-year contract, Noel said. What happens in these contract negotiations directly impacts the education students get, she said. “I have things lots of my non-tenured colleagues nationally don’t have,” Noel said. The University provides Noel with office space and professional development support, she said. SGA President Jason Maulucci and Chair of Academic Affairs David Brandt met with both United Academics and University officials in November, Brandt said. They presented requests from students outlined in a resolution including earlier access to syllabi and extended professional development
CAPS,” Colston said. UVM Police’s mission statement states they are “proud to serve our diverse community through the use of partnerships, law enforcement, and public education to enhance safety.” “UVM as an institution prides itself in being very forward-thinking,” sophomore Isabelle Bergman said. “Racial profiling goes against what this college town has to offer.” Seguino stated the census data does not capture the actual driving population in the report.
This story is the first of a series analyzing the impact of Seguino’s report. We hope to include as many different voices as these articles are published.
training for staff, he said. John Forbes, president of UA, said current laws regarding union negotiations prevents the union from officially raising student concerns during negotiations. Negotiations began Feb. 6, according to a Jan. 24 statement by Forbes. “In particular, UA has always been committed to high quality education for our students, and will continue to negotiate contracts which are good for both faculty and students,” Forbes said. “Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions.”
Updates on the ongoing negotiations can be found weekly in the paper and online under the tag Faculty Contract 2017
NEWS
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Scott Continued from pg. 1 Now, as governor of Vermont, Scott hopes that Vermonters can be given a good education, and out-of-staters who choose to receive an education here to stay in the state, contributing to its economy and workforce, he said. This will help strengthen the state overall, he said, by increasing the youth population in Vermont. The life of a UVM alumnus While at UVM, Scott’s favorite UVM professor was Chuck Ferreira, who still teaches at the University, he said. Ferreira taught Scott’s shop classes and remembered him clearly. “When other students complained, he just did it,” Ferreira said. “I remember him in a metal-working class. As a student, he already had the metal-working skills people dreamed of.” Though Scott has traded woodshop floors for the statehouse, he doesn’t shy away from work, said SGA President Jason Maulucci, who worked on Scott’s campaign last spring and now works as one of Scott’s full-time staff members. “We’d be out on the campaign trail and the van would break down. He would get down under it and fix it,” Maulucci said. “When the grill wasn’t firing up, he’d get down and get his hands dirty.” While lieutenant governor, Scott set aside a few days each month to work amongst the people he represented. Those days spent working with beekeepers, school teachers and violin specialists kept him connected with Vermonters, Maulucci said. “He cares about seeing what everyday people go through,” Maulucci said. “There’s someone in the governor’s office who understands and shares Vermonters’ backgrounds.” Scott graduated from UVM
KELSEY NEUBAUER/The Vermont Cynic Gov. Phil Scott pictured. in 1980 with a degree in technical education. It was those experiences that fostered his belief in the power of technical training and college education to improve the state’s economy, he said. Scott hopes the government can address the state’s aging population and shrinking workforces by giving more money to public colleges and making Vermont more attractive for recent graduates. Rethinking Vermont’s educational and economic models Scott outlined a plan with drastic changes in education spending, in a budget address to the state legislature Jan. 24. The Vermont State College system, on the verge of bankruptcy last year, would get a $4 million increase in state funding, Scott stated. Without the funding bump, schools like Vermont Tech would have had to close their doors, said Phil Baruth, UVM English professor and chair of the senate education committee. Increased funding for colleges comes out of the
state’s K-12 budget, and would require local school boards to freeze their budgets, Baruth said. “In an unguarded moment with colleagues, I’ve said those ideas are crazy,” he said. Since 1997, the population of Vermont public schools has dropped by over 20,000, according to data from the Vermont Agency of Education. Scott said the budget change just makes sense. “We lose three K-12 students out of the school system every day,” Scott said. “We’ve got to ‘right size’ our education system.” He encouraged Vermonters to get technical training, referencing his mother, who learned how to change her oil at the age of 65. There’s a growing need for people who know how to work with their hands, he said. But Baruth is worried Scott’s education budget prioritizes technical skills and STEM fields over the liberal arts. “I worry that Montpelier talks more about funding
things that plug immediately into the tech economy,” Baruth said. “We want to be well-funded across our education system.” Using UVM to turn out-ofstate students into Vermonters UVM will not benefit from the $4 million funding bump to state colleges, but the University is still an essential asset to Vermont’s economy, Scott said. While Scott would like to further increase UVM’s state funding, the state can’t afford it, he said. Part of his campaign promise to make Vermont more affordable was a pledge to veto any bill that raises taxes or fees. The University requested $44 million in state funding for 2017, according to a Jan. 2016 presentation given to the Vermont legislature. “I’ve advocated for colleges and universities to instead try and look from within, to try and build your alums,” Scott said. “If your alums are successful, in terms of future donations, you’ll probably benefit.”
The University’s power to attract students from out-ofstate could help Vermont’s rapidly aging, shrinking workforce if someone can get graduates to stay, Scott said. “We’re looking to grow the population, especially the youth,” Scott said. “If we have a number of students who have the same attraction to the state, and we can find opportunity for them and provide an affordable Vermont, then we start gaining population.” Scott hopes his plan to build more affordable housing and increase the number of people who qualify for it will convince graduates to stay, he said. Scott had a direct request for soon-to-be UVM graduates. “We want to hear your thoughts,” Scott said. “We can sit in the state house all day long and debate about why our youth are leaving, and what we can do to keep them here, but we only have to ask. Tell us what you need, what you want.”
Community programs decrease crime Lauren Schnepf Senior Staff Writer Crime on some streets densely populated by UVM students have decreased over the past three years, a report from Burlington Police Department stated. Students and other members of the University have aided in decreased crime by working with community members living on some streets to create programs that bring students and their non-student neighbors together, said Gail Shampnois, director of office of student and community relations. “Before the garden, I used to talk to my student neighbors about noise, trash, and blocking my driveway,” said Helen Dechtiar, a resident of Buell Street resident. “Now, I talk to them about how to grow a good tomato.” Senior Tate Pasquini, a for-
mer Isham Street resident, said when he moved there in 2013, community relationships were suffering, and there were many issues on the street. “College kids, including myself, had little respect for things such as being mindful of neighbors and thinking about the environment when passing through,” Pasquini said. “The trash was a real problem on the street.” Eight years ago with two non-student residents of Isham Street, Phil Hammerslough and Bryan Cina, who co-founded Isham Street Gardening & Other Optimistic Doings also known as ISGOOD. ISGOOD works with student and non-student residents on Isham Street to plant community gardens and assist with annual street clean ups, Hammerslough said. “As a result of ISGOOD’s activities, the street is a more sociable place and a more liv-
able community,” he said. Shampnois said damaged porch railing to demonstrate how programming has improved communication between neighbors. “While non-student residents may have previously assumed it occurred during a party, residents were instead inclined to speak to their student neighbors and realized that the damage occurred during a bike theft,” said Shampnois. Several other campuses have reached out to OSCR about the programs due to their success, Shampnois said. Deputy Police Chief Tim Bilodeau stated that police also play a role in keeping these communities safe and friendly. “Police enforcement is one small component of what allows these neighborhoods to thrive in ways that are much more healthy than disruptive,” he stated in a Feb. 8 email. SGA is very aware of the
Improvements on Isham Street
68% 86% 50%
decrease in noise complaints decrease in vandalism decrease in burglary Data from UVM police
differences that both the programs and UVM police have been making, SGA president Jason Maulucci said. There was a stigma surrounding the behavior of students because neither students nor non-student residents knew each other personally, said senior Heather Scott, chair of SGA’s committee on legisla-
tive and community affairs. As crime rates decrease as a result of these programs, the negative image that Burlington community members have of UVM will improve. It is important that non-student residents realize that UVM is Burlington’s biggest asset, not a liability, SGA President Jason Maulucci said.
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OPINION
UVM and Burlington are one Staff Editorial
EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Kelsey Neubauer editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Bryan O’Keefe newsroom@vtcynic.com Assistant Managing Editor Mariel Wamsley newsroomassistant@ vtcynic.com OPERATIONS Operations Mangager Ryan Thornton operations@vtcynic.com Advertising Manager Cole Wangsness ads@vtcynic.com EDITORIAL Arts Benjamin Elfland arts@vtcynic.com B-Side Margaret Richardson bside@vtcynic.com Copy Chief Lindsay Freed copy@vtcynic.com Layout Kira Bellis layout@vtcynic.com Life Greta Bjornson life@vtcynic.com Multimedia William Dean Wertz media@vtcynic.com News Olivia Bowman news@vtcynic.com Opinion Sydney Liss-Abraham opinion@vtcynic.com Photo Phillip Carruthers photo@vtcynic.com Sports Eribert Volaj sports@vtcynic.com Video Molly O’Shea video@vtcynic.com Web Connor Allan web@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Ariana Arden (Opinion), Bridget Higdon (Arts), Locria Courtright (Sports), Erika B. Lewy (News), Lily Keats (Layout), Karolyn Moore (Copy), Izzy Siedman (Life) Page Designers Tiana Crispino, Ed Taylor Copy Editors Brandon Arcari, Hunter Colvin, Michelle Derse Lowry, Rae Gould, Adrianna Grinder, Linnea Johnson, Kira Nemeth, George Seibold, Meline Thebarge ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu
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pon our acceptance of UVM’s offer to join their community as Catamounts, we became a part of another community as well: Vermont’s queen city, Burlington. The college experience is so much more than just the classes we take, here we learn to be members of a community. Programs created by the University, students and other members of the Burlington community along with an involved police force has led to decreased crime. It is also important to remember that Burlington and UVM act reciprocally and mutually benefit each other. Students group has the opportunity to perform at various locations in the city; local food hubs and community farms such as the Intervale offer us education that go beyond the classroom. While here, we can be involved by using what we learn in our classrooms to better
understand our community. It is also important to think of our responsibilities to this beautiful city. It is important to consider not only crime, but the effect of noises. Children may be trying to sleep or study in preparation for exams that could get them into their dream college. This week, we call on the students living off-campus to remember they are part of diverse community. We call on students living on-campus to remember the incredible art, music and cultural experiences that are a short walk away. 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. LILY KEATS
Elon Musk eases environmental concerns
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Lily Spechler
NBC called Elon Musk the 21st century Thomas Edison. Elon Musk is the CEO of American auto maker and energy storage company Tesla, co-founder of Solar-City, the CTO of rocket and spacecraft SpaceX; and he has a few words to ease your environminds with regard to our new secretary of state and former CEO of ExxonMobil, Rex Tillerson. In my opinion, Musk’s approach to the new conservative era is a perspective worth thinking about. Musk openly tweeted his support of Trump’s pick for secretary of state, which absolutely floored his environmental followers. The tweet was in response to the The Economist’s tweet, which read, “Rex Tillerson has been narrowly approved as U.S. secretary of state. He has the integrity to talk sense to his boss.” Musk’s response tweet, directed at TheEconomist said, “This may sound surprising coming from me, but I agree with The Economist. Rex Tillerson has the potential to be an excellent Sec of State.” Musk also noted that Tillerson stands by the idea that a carbon tax could make sense. Although Exxon isn’t exactly the beacon of “green” is indisputably one of the largest and most powerful corporations in the country and in the world. Tillerson reaches a demographic people that most environmentalists cannot reach, which is exactly why his acknowledgement of climate change is such an important asset to the environmental
GENEVIEVE WINN
movement. Recently, Exxon has seen revenues plummet. Exxon reported that in 2015, they earned $16.2 billion, compared to $32.5 billion the year before. Experts largely ascribe this revenue drop to the fact that greener alternatives are finally becoming economic. According to CNBC, Tillerson “stressed the need the need for ‘a uniform standard to hold all nations accountable,’ saying that the challenge of climate change is global, and that nations developing nor are likely to generate a considerable amount of carbon emissions in the future.” Tillerson’s motives are definitely questionable. Does he truly care about the health
of the environment, or is he simply trying to bridge the growing revenue gap and appeal to a greener audience? Regardless, the fact that he is not only acknowledging climate change, but suggesting that he is open to preventative action, is a huge victory. Tillerson has a plethora of right leaning followers, and if he is recognizing that climate change is real, then hopefully his followers will begin to do that same. The right-leaning White House is scary to the environmental community, but there is merit in recognizing that it is not as if right leaning conservatives never existed in our country before this election. Perhaps this will be the
perfect opportunity to learn to speak conservative language, and figure out a way to connect with the portion of our country that environmentalists have never fully connected to before. According to Musk, “Some people don’t like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster.” I don’t know about you, but when a futurist like Elon Musk speaks, I take a moment to listen. Certainly, this election sparked change. But it doesn’t necessarily need to spark disaster. Lily Spechler is a senior natural resources major. She has been writing for the Cynic since 2016.
OPINION
Beyonce: national figure beyond her music Alexander Collingsworth
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he other day I was assaulted with news that Bey was having twins! One of my roommates profaned our group chat asking if we had heard. Beyoncé’s announcement on Instagram broke the world record for number of likes. She is not just popular. She is the most popular person in the world. I ended up writing a 2,200 word article about why I was disturbed by everyone going crazy about her having twins only to try to figure out why people loved Bey so much. What you have here is a very cut down version of that. “Honestly, I think she’s so popular because people have created this image of her being a deity,” senior Savannah Miller said. “People think that literally everything she does is amazing.” But the most common response was “how can I possibly put into words my love for Beyoncé?” Some people whom I asked to comment asked for several days in order to formulate an adequate response. I believe Beyoncé gives people access to the kinds of big feelings that they might otherwise be uncomfortable with expressing. “I love Beyoncé because I am connected to the love in my heart,” senior Bri Rubin said. More than that, Beyoncé has become a signifier for being a powerful woman. She celebrates the female body. Her songs “Run the World (Girls)” and “Formation” have become anthems for women everywhere. “If I were a Boy” challenges double standards in relationships and in society. At the end of the video, Bey asks her boyfriend in the video, “Why are you so jealous? It’s not like I’m sleeping with the guy.” They then reverse roles, and the boyfriend assumes
his traditional role, asking her the same question through a smirk. She ends the song lamenting through tears, “But you’re just a boy/ you don’t listen to her/ you don’t care how it hurts.” My transcript of the song here does not do it justice. People like Beyoncé because she’s bold. As my friend Matt Ganci, a senior, told me, “The idea of losing fans doesn’t stop her. She isn’t afraid to make political statements.” Beyond that, she’s a source of strength for men and women alike. “For me, as a gay man, when I felt like no one understood what I was going through I could listen to a Beyonce album and feel heard and be lifted up,” Ganci said. I would say that my problem is that Beyoncé is not political enough. Her early music is decidedly inoffensive, and apolitical and sometimes a little bewildering (surf-bort?). Lemonade, on the other hand, is more agressive. Going into this I thought Carrie Underwood had done this already when she took a Louisville slugger to both headlights, but it’s the way Beyoncé takes a baseball bat to a car that’s striking: unlike Underwood, she’s joyful. This is less an exercise in revenge than an exercise in liberation. “Lemonade” is, if anything, a spiritual exploration. It tries to answer the question: who is Beyoncé? The video album opens with the song “Hold Up.” Bey is submerged in water, praying. Her entire bedroom is filled with water. She says she fasted for 60 days. “I threw myself in a volcano. I drank the blood and drank the wine...I crossed myself and thought… I saw the devil.” The question emerges from the depths of her despair: “Are you cheating on me?” Someone cheating on you
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ELISE MITCHELL makes you question everything. “I’m not this perfect to ever feel this worthless,” Beyonce sings –– almost raps –– about how her suspicions were confirmed. You see this adoration of Beyonce, her undeniable talent, the delightful persona that comes through in “7/11,” and you got to ask yourself, “Who in their right mind would cheat on Beyoncé?” I think maybe she was asking herself that, and “Lemonade” is her attempt to find the answer. “Formation,” perhaps the catchiest song on the album, opens with Beyoncé crouching atop a police car. The car is half steeped in murky water. But divorced from the imagery of the drowned squad car and the devastation of flooding, the song by itself is just about Beyoncé. Why then, does she invoke
this imagery of Hurricane Katrina? She contrasts the depictions of ruin with representations of ostentatious wealth. She dances in a mansion. What should we make of this? Beyoncé’s Super Bowl performance last year invoked the Black Panthers and sparked outrage from many people. I thought it was a pretty good show, but people said that the Super Bowl isn’t a political forum. Others applauded her for making a bold statement about police violence. But, and get this, Beyoncé is not a Black Panther. I believed she was appropriating the Black Panthers to get attention. But maybe I’m being overly cynical. After all, Beyoncé has bailed out Black Lives Matter activists from jail without telling anyone in the press. Clearly, she’s not doing
that just for attention. I might dislike her because of how famous she is, but if you think about it, her fame must be a real burden. Everything she says or does is examined under a microscope. I think it’s actually amazing how she acts with so much poise and grace in the center of so much attention. Perhaps, Beyonce’s very existence is political. She’s an immensely wealthy black woman, loved by millions. Little white girls look up to her. No black woman singer has ever been in that position before. You might not like her music that much, but you gotta respect that. Alexander Collingsworth is a senior English and history double major. He has been writing for the Cynic since 2016.
Tips and tricks to avoid the campus cold this winter Jules Lubner
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KIRA NEMETH
hen life gives you lemons, squeeze them into a cup of hot water and then add your favorite bag o’ tea. While you wait for the flavors to combine, reach over and grab that trusty box of tissues. The inevitable has happened – you’ve caught the campus contagion. You know how the story goes; we’ve all been there, one sneeze turns to 25 and before you know it, you’re typing “Dear Professor, I’m sick in bed today…” As these winter days get colder and nights at the library get longer, it’s hard to avoid getting sick. By this part of the semester your professor kicks it into overdrive, assigning busy work up the wazoo. The over-populated fishbowl and the library are flooded with germs. Flu season is among us folks. But worry not-
I have some precautionary tips for you. One, get some damn sleep and save those late nights for the weekend. I understand, the assignments are never-ending and midterm exams are right around the corner. But it’s doctor-recommended to catch a good amount of zzz’s in order to renew your energy. Getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night will strengthen your immune system and help you battle those bugs. Two, grab your reusable water bottle and fill that baby up. Studies show drinking plenty of water is one of the top techniques to keeping those sinuses dry. You should be drinking eight, eight-ounce glasses or half a gallon of water a day. Remember your times tables? Doctors call this one the 8x8 rule, it’s that easy. Should we go back to kindergarten? Make sure you spend 30 to 45 seconds
building up those soap suds, then rinse your hands under warm water. Sounds simple right? Spare us the risk of your contamination. Next, grab that orange, and no, I’m not talking about our president. If you feel the onset of an illness, peel an orange or grab a tall glass of Tropicana, to shorten the span of any illness. Running out of Kleenex? Need another bottle or three of Nyquil? CVS is the plug. The new CVS downtown has everything you need. If you’ve been up all night, sneezing, coughing or even yacking, they have every essential remedy. Don’t be a germ magnet! Though it may seem unavoidable to dodge a diagnosis, these simple steps will hopefully steer you in a healthy direction. Jules Lubner is a junior human development major who has been writing for the Cynic since 2017.
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OPINION
Potential Dodd-Frank repeal threatens US economy Gaetano Martello
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resident Trump has begun to shift his focus to finance. There are far less people paying attention to this issue, as his immigration policy has garnered a far more popular following, but I believe that this is what will most poignantly display Trump’s hypocrisy towards a very large portion of his supporters: poor people. Much of Trump’s campaign was focused on him painting a contrast between himself and common politicians. What drew a lot of Americans to him was the fact that he was financing his own campaign (though this was only toward the start of his Presidential run, he began taking corporate donations around the beginning of last summer). This made him stand out as the only candidate that was allowed to speak without being beholden to foreign influence. He was very proud of this, and regularly brought it up during his debates with the other Republican candidates, as well as with Hillary Clinton. So, it is safe to say that many of the votes Trump received were in favor of a candidate who was either anti-Wall Street or willing to make decisions without the monetary influence of Wall Street. He then proceeded to let his supporters down within
a week of getting elected, nominating Wilbur Ross and Steve Mnuchin, two Wall Street elites, to his cabinet as well as nominating extremely wealthy friends of his to almost every other cabinet position: Betsy DeVos, Linda McMahon and Rex Tillerson to name a few. However, some who were extremely loyal to Trump thought that these nominations could be motivated by the potential economic expertise of the rich cabinet nominees (though being rich does not make one more knowledgeable about economics). Many could not embrace the fact that Trump does not plan on remembering what he called the “forgotten people” of America because of his rhetoric on the campaign trail. Now that he is president, however, we have begun to see his true colors, and it is not possible to justify his actions this time. The President signed an executive order to begin reducing regulations on Wall Street, and has said he plans on getting rid of much of then-President Obama’s main piece of regulation commonly referred to as Dodd-Frank. This regulation was put in place because of the 2008 financial crisis, in which banks acted recklessly by lying to their clients about the poor quality of their loans. Since banks were then bailed out by Washington, it was necessary to put regu-
lations on them so that they would be forcibly restricted from acting unethically and possibly worsening or causing another crisis. Dodd-Frank was about accountability for the betterment of our economy as a whole. Trump justified his attempt to repeal this order by saying, “We expect to be cutting a lot out of Dodd-Frank, because frankly I have so many people, friends of mine, that have nice businesses and they can’t borrow money. They just can’t get any money because the banks just won’t let them borrow because of the rules and regulations in Dodd-Frank.” Friends of his. I would argue that while these regulations are not perfect, they are also not arbitrary. By repealing it, one would be risking allowing banks to act in the way that caused the financial crisis in the first place. To be frank (no pun intended), the sheer number of banks that participated in selling subprime loans to unsuspecting clients suggests that they would behave this way again if given the chance. Banks are in the business of making money, and they have already shown their willingness to disregard the well being of their clients in order to make even more money than they already had. Bankers were not the victims of the 2008 financial crisis. Poor people were. They
JACOB STEINBERG put their faith in Trump because they thought he would stand up against the people who caused them to lose their homes. Trump is turning on them with this legislation and distracting them with his ludicrous foreign policy so that he can help them become even poorer as his friends become more wealthy. It is commonplace for dictators and fascist leaders to distract their populations from
their crumbling domestic policy with their “strong” foreign policy. This is unethical and manipulative, and something more people should pay attention to, and they will have to once the consequences of this potential repeal begin to blow over. Gaetano Martello is a junior political science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since 2015.
Do you want to... MEET GARY DERR? Well, I’m not sure we can do that for you. But now that I have your attention, you should join the Vermont Cynic, UVM’s student-run newspaper. Write | Design | Illustrate | Photograph | Copy Edit
Cynic general meetings: Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Waterman 427
BSIDE
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UVM students jazz it up in Burlington’s music scene Frances King
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MAX MCCURDY/ The Vermont Cynic Members of the student band Rose Street Collective perform at the Waterfront Skinny Pancake Feb. 3.
napping their fingers under lights of purple, blue, and yellow hues, vocalists Julia Spelman, Lilly Dukich and Erika Polner spend the majority of a set perfecting harmonies as a powerful vacal trio, while reserving a few songs for solo performances highlighting individual strengths. The Rose Street Collective, a new band consisting of UVM students, surrounds the singers while playing songs the group has meticulously mastered. Filling two venues in one weekend, Skinny Pancake and Radio Bean, the Collective shares their own perspective on jazz by playing original or familiar tunes. Since November, the band has played about 10 shows and is quickly becoming a Burlington staple. The magic of Rose Street Collective lies in their ability to pay tribute to the history of jazz by taking the audience through a dynamic tour of the genre, from Wes Montgomery’s “West Coast Blues” to a nostalgic yet energetic rendition of Sound of Music’s “My Favorite Things” to covers of today’s hit indie songs. The band consists of Adam Sullivan on keys, Ian Mack on guitar, Kevin Nikoliades on bass, Ethan Shafron on drums, and Rayne Bick playing the alto sax. Members share a respect for jazz’s rich history, a reverence that resurged years after taking lessons as kids.
“It has always been a part of our lives, even when we didn’t realize it,” Spelman said. Most of the members met through the UVM’s jazz ensemble, while Mach and Bick connected with the group later on through mutual friends. The ensemble helped them further develop their skills, the group quickly became eager to branch out from campus once they recognized their common love of many different genres of music, from soul to funk to rock. The group’s ultimate goal was to mimic their favorite musicians incorporating classical jazz standards into the modern music they listen to today. Their interpretation of funk group Vulfpeck’s hit song “Back Pocket” illustrates this perfectly; they replace keys with an alto sax and turn the volume up, taking the song to a whole new level. While it may seem that there is a meticulous strategy to their setlist, it mostly just pays tribute to the songs they all love, which are compiled into a Spotify collaborative playlist or suggested via Facebook messenger, Shafron said. Nikoliades uses Google spreadsheets faithfully in order to avoid chaos, keeping ideas and song choices organized. The band members seemed completely in their element on stage, exchanging glances and smiles in the midst of their solos. They’re quickly making their way through the Burlington music scene, which really helped fully bring them into the “hopping” music community, Spelman said. To keep up with their movements, the band suggests liking them on Facebook and possibly following their instagram in the near future, Shafron said. They have a show this coming Thursday, February 16th at Radio Bean, 11:00 pm.
LIFE
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Staying in shape in the winter Izzy Siedman Assistant Life Editor Every winter, buses depart campus each weekend bound for some snowy peak, but students who don’t ski have other ways of staying in shape this chilly season. The sunlight people receive directly correlates to biological performance, according to the American Council on Exercise. So, it’s important to maintain our health through these shortened days. Exercise is one of the best ways to do so. Physical activity is not only good for muscles, but it improves heart functions and strengthens the immune system, according to the American Heart Association. This is all great news, but gearing up for a jog is a nippy endeavor with February’s average low temperature of 13 degrees Fahrenheit in Burlington, according to U.S. Climate Data. Not to fret; there’s a multitude of other indoor ways to exercise on-campus this winter. Patrick Gym is open weekdays from 6 a.m. to midnight and weekends from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. It contains a fitness center, an indoor track and a number of multipurpose rooms open to students. “I go to the gym about five times a week to do 20 minutes of cardio,” first-year Autumn Lee said. “Then I try out whatever workouts Kylie Jenner has on her snap story.” Campus Recreation has 57 pieces of cardio machinery, its website states. But, UVM’s around 10,000 undergraduates often outnumber the weights and treadmills available. First-year Lara Cwass said she has perfected her timing, claiming the least busy hours are early morning and midday.
“I’ve been to the gym at almost every hour it’s open,” Cwass said, “but it’s always nice to go when it’s quiet.” Students attest that gym life is not the only answer to keeping up your health and keeping down those calories. First-year Max Greenwood likes to exercise by going for runs and climbing. “Even if it’s just for half an hour, working out helps me focus, relieves anxiety and just gives me lots of energy. Would recommend,” he said. Others try out indoor rock climbing, take a lap around the pool or, like first-year Manza Campaz, get their sweat on through pickup basketball games. “We brought together a squad of guys and girls that we knew played ball in high school, and it has no doubt helped us stay in shape,” Campaz said. Obstacles like diet change, seasonal affective disorder and a pure desire to snuggle up in bed and watch Netflix make mustering the energy to workout tough. “Each season makes its special demands on your body,” health journalist Anwesha Barari said in an article for Boldsky.
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abcdefghijklabcdefPlanned Parenthood secured my support The Dapper Vagina Sarah Heft
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ith national talks about Planned Parenthood lately, I decided I should head over there and see what all the fuss is about. It had been a while since I was tested for STI’s and figured what better way to support Planned Parenthood than by becoming a patient myself. I scheduled an appointment for an annual exam on their website and five days later headed over for my appointment. Running 10 minutes late, I rushed in. Rather than being greeted by angry protesters, there was a friendly face ready with some paperwork. A sign read “we are sexual health experts, nothing you say will freak us out,” putting my mind at ease that I was going to be taken care of. I sat down in the waiting area, filled out some paperwork and handed it back to the woman at the desk. She suggested I drink some water as I would be leaving a urine sample for an STI test. I grabbed a Dixie cup, took shots of some good ol’ H20 and walked around the
waiting room. I was expecting the walls to be stark white like most doctors offices, but was pleasantly surprised to see bright pink, orange and blue. About 10 minutes later, a young woman in purple scrubs called me into a room where she took my vitals and asked me some questions about my medical history. I was very impressed that when I had mentioned I had an eating disorder, she asked me to step on the scale facing backward, something most physicians ignore. I felt that instead of being grilled on my medical, social and sexual history, we were having a conversation. I did not feel any judgement and felt as though we were friends catching up over coffee. Turns out, as I am not 21, I could not get an annual exam that includes a pap smear and breast exam because most insurance companies will not cover them until you are that age, as cervical cancer in very rare in people between the ages of 15 and 19 and has been on the decline since 1970s, according to the CDC. The health assistant switched the appointment to a birth control consultation and STI screening, including an HIV quick test.
GRETA BJORNSON We talked birth control options and I was presented a paper chart with a plethora of choices. At this point, a nurse came in and answered all questions I had, regarding the amount of hormones in each method as well as methods I was not a good candidate for. She even offered to have me scheduled for an appointment if I wanted an IUD or arm implant. I told her I wanted to think about it a bit more and she offered to prescribe me a pack of birth control pills I was previously using so I would be protected in the meantime. I left with plenty of condoms and information, with
my mind at ease knowing that if I ever ran into a problem pertaining to my health — particularly my sexual health — I could easily make an appointment and be seen quickly. Planned Parenthood is like a good friend: they have your back when you need them. So I will be a good friend to them and have their back when they need me by donating to the Planned Parenthood Action fund and writing my senators on why they should support Planned Parenthood. Sarah Heft is a junior gender, sexuality and women’s studies major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.
CAS lecture analyzes Trump Kate Vesely Staff Writer
There has been frequent discussion about President Trump here on-campus. On Feb. 6, English professor Todd McGowan gave this year’s CAS Dean’s Lecture, titled “Citizen Trump.” President Trump’s favorite film, “Citizen Kane,” inspired the title of his lecture, McGowan said. “Citizen Kane,” a 1941 movie directed by Orson Welles, follows the life of Charles Foster Kane. Kane starts his career in media, like Trump, then runs for governor of New York. AMC called it “the world’s most famous and highly-rated film.” However, his life is filled with loneliness despite his success. His dying words are “Rosebud,” the name of a sled he played with as a child before he was uprooted from his family and left in the world alone, McGowan explained. “The sled stands for loss,” McGowan said. “The sled embodies what Kane doesn’t have.” Trump was elected because he was able to give his supporters this image of the sled, he said. Trump played with the relationship between excess and lack during his campaign to show his supporters that now, they are lacking, but they could indulge in pure excess if he were to become their president, McGowan said. “As a huge fan of the film “Citizen Kane” and a huge hater of Donald Trump, I was interested in how professor McGowan was going to connect the two,” first-year Camellia Parsa said. Trump also uses an idea of “others,” such as Mexican criminals and radical Islamists, to plant paranoia in the minds of his supporters, McGowan said. “Paranoia is a satisfying physic position because it attacks the other who stole our excess,” McGowan said. Yet despite the apparent mind games McGowan sees Trump playing, he is not sure Trump even has a coherent political philosophy, he said. “I think that he’s able to be manipulated by the most powerful person around him,” McGowan said. This worries first-year Alex Mahaney, he said. “I think it’s scary that a man with so little knowledge holds so much power,” Mahaney said. McGowan said he chose the topic to educate others and that he believes there is hope in the future. “I’m upset, but that’s not what motivated the talk,” McGowan said. “I thought I saw something that could help people, and myself even, understand what Trump was doing and why that appeal was effective.”
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ARTS
Local artist records premiere album Kim Henry Staff Writer Vermont musicians rarely lose passion for their work despite the frequent need for travel. Brett Hughes is a Burlington based singer songwriter focused on Americana. He performs every Wednesday at Citizen Cider and is currently recording his first album in Nashville, Tenn. After getting a guitar as a high school graduation gift, Hughes spent his college years at UVM learning to play, he said. In time, he had acquired the skills to join his first band, a new wave group, playing alongside the people he had met while exploring the Burlington music community. Years later, Hughes landed a decade long residency at Radio Bean playing Honky Tonk Tuesdays, but he would not have anyone confuse that with what he calls “Bro Country,” Hughes said. “Well the country music on the radio is horrible,” he said.“From time to time I tune in and I’m just terrified by what I hear.” Hughes borrows and mixes the different musical traditions of bluegrass, country and folk, he said. Hughes admits to “poaching” musical styles but the words are all his own. This songwriting process can sometimes come down to a matter of luck, he said. “It’s kinda like holding out my apron and hoping to catch something falling out of the tree,” Hughes said. “When one of those songs comes and you’re awake to catch it, you’re the luckiest person in the
Photo courtesy of Brett Hughes world.” Hughes’ affinity for country music led him to Nashville, Tenn. He fell in love with the scene, he decided to record his first album in the city, he said. “I learned a lot in Nash-
ville,” Hughes said. “Everyone down there plays their ass off, and you meet so many people down there that’re just lovely, it’s a great scene.” Despite his respect for the south Hughes maintains that
What’s coming up in the arts scene? 16
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Rhythm Future Quartet with Frank Vignola 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Music Building A200 $35 adult / $10 student
UVM Hillel Film Festival 4 to 6 p.m. Fleming Museum, Rm. 101 Free
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Rhythm & Blues Coffeehouse 7 to 9:45 p.m. Living/Learning Commons 231 Free
Vermont Hindu Temple 8 to 10 p.m. Flynn Center for the Performing Arts $10 for students
Fairy & Demon Drawing Workshop 1 to 3 p.m. Bluebird Fairies $15
Art Church 10 a.m. to noon Expressive Arts Burlington $20
Burlington’s music scene is second to none, he said. He encourages everyone to participate in the Vermont city’s musical community, the birthplace of his passion for playing music, Hughes said.
“There’s a really incredible group of musicians in Burlington,” he said. “It’s a powerful scene up here and I’m so glad to be a part of it.”
WRUV music of the week
Painted Word Poetry Series with John Hennessy 6 to 7 p.m. Fleming Museum, Rm. 204 Free
Spring Awakening 2 to 5:30 p.m. Royall Tyler Theatre $10 student/ $28 adult
Concert: LOLO 7 p.m. Higher Ground $12-$14
Photo courtesy of Kami’s Twitter Every week the DJs of WRUV, UVM’s student radio station pick an album or song that has caught their attention. This weeks DJ pick is Kami’s “Home Movies,” reccomended by DJ Dad. “I’ve never heard anything like it!” he said.
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ARTS
Film captures struggles of family life Review
M
Healy Fallon
any of us remember adolescence as the first period of self-discovery, where we discovered adulthood not only through our own behaviors, but also in the people around us. “20th Century Women,” a newcomer to American theaters, is a film that approaches the process of adolescence unconventionally. The film presents a coming-of-age portrait constructed from multiple outside perspectives. Ultimately, it’s a movie not just about the growth of a single individual, but the growth of various surrounding figures within the context of a tumultuous historical era. Set in southern California in 1979, the film interweaves the stories of single mother Dorothea Fields (Annette Benning) and her son Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) with their two lodgers, Abbie (Greta Gerwig) and William (Billy Crudup), as well as the rebellious Julie Miller (Elle Fanning), who is Jamie’s best friend. Feeling increasingly out of touch with her own son’s growth, Dorothea worries that Jamie isn’t getting the proper guidance he needs in order to safely navigate the confusion of adolescence. She decides to enlist both Julie and Abbie to teach her son survival tips and nuances of the adult world in place of an absent father figure. Benning’s portrayal of a woman struggling to connect with her rapidly growing son is touching and humorous, yet slightly sad.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Gerwig creates a portrait of a 20-something year-old photographer who is both cynical and genuine, and Fanning plays the typical angsty teenager who hides a fragility underneath her steely, cigarette-smoking exterior. With their own distinct quirks and insecurities, Dorothea, Abbie and Julie each resonate as relatable characters. “20th Century Women” may appear to be about the budding perspective of a young man, but the true centerpieces of the film are the women and the impact they have on Jamie’s view of the world around him. The film is also keen to point out a new feminine identity emerging out of the late 1960s and ‘70s, one who is empowered in her decisions and vocal about her place in the world. Abby best embodies this new archetype of 20th century womanhood, and accordingly clashes with the more oldschool Dorothea. The audience sees Jamie accompany Abbie to Planned Parenthood, and Abbie also gives Jamie feminist literature to read as he pushes through puberty. Touching on the impact of historical change, personal relationships and the various dimensions of femininity, “20th Century Women” is a quirky, yet engaging tale with psychedelic cinematography, dynamic characters and an appetizing blend of humour and poignancy. Healy Fallon is a first year English major who has been writing for the Cynic since Fall 2016.
Coming-of-age novel examines cult lifestyle Review Bridget Higdon
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hen it’s a cold and snowy Sunday, you need a good book to
read. Despite its page count, “The Girls” by Emma Cline is the kind of novel so fast-paced and suspenseful it could be read in one, perfect snow day. Cline’s debut novel is a fictional coming-of-age story. It is based loosely on the Charles Manson cult and murders of August 1967, according to an August 16 Guardian article. Evie Boyd, the story’s middle-aged narrator, looks back on the “Summer of Love” and her 14-year-old self. Evie recounts to the reader her fixation on the fictional cult leader’s reckless and eventually murderous female followers. “I looked up because of the laughter, and kept looking because of the girls. I noticed their hair first, long and uncombed. Then their jewelry catching the sun,” Cline wrote. Fed up with her primly
poised, divorced mother, Evie follows the girls, and an especially intriguing one named Suzanne, to their California ranch. At the communal living space, the dresses are ratty and the air is hazy. These scenes of wild 1960s mysticism are mixed in with flashes forward to an adult Evie asking herself if she’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time, would she have followed the girls and committed the crime as well. At the time, society told many young girls that life was a waiting room until someone noticed you, Cline wrote. For Evie, the ranch was a seductive palace of freedom and belonging, despite its violent danger. “The Girls” is a story of adolescent loneliness fed to readers on a spoon of intricate prose. Cline’s descriptive and fragmented writing style is used to craft detailed paragraphs about the insecurity and complexity of femininity. Evie is a hard character to like, but readers are bound to
feel sympathy, and perhaps even eerie nostalgia, for her childhood gone adrift. Cline’s acute understanding of girlhood – on the need to feel accepted, loved and understood – will undoubtedly keep you turning this novel’s pages.
Bridget Higdon is a first year English major who has been writing for the Cynic since Fall 2016.
Photos courtesy of Emma Cline
11
SPORTS
Men’s hockey split games with UNH Locria Courtright Staff Writer Gutterson Fieldhouse was home to a shooting gallery this weekend, as Vermont men’s hockey split with rival University of New Hampshire in two high-scoring games. On Friday night, the Catamounts opened up a 2-0 lead in the second period. Junior forward Anthony Petruzzelli opened the scoring by burying a rebound off a shot by sophomore forward Drew Best. Just over a minute later, sophomore forward Brian Bowen tapped home the rebound of a first-year forward Ross Colton shot to double the lead to 2-0. The visiting Wildcats roared back. Ninety-three seconds after Bowen’s goal, UNH cut the lead in half as Tyler Kelleher finished off a cross-ice pass from Michael McNicholas. Early in the second period, the Wildcats tied the game on a wrist shot by Jason Salvaggio, who banked the shot in off the post. New Hampshire took the lead about six minutes later, as a shot by Anthony Wyse deflected and beat first-year goaltender Stefanos Lekkas. Lekkas had stopped a Salvaggio penalty shot shortly before. Kelleher would add an empty netter for a 4-2 New Hampshire final. “It’s certainly disappointing,” head coach Kevin Sned-
Basketball Continued from pg. 1
Photo courtesy of UVM Athletics Junior guard Cam Ward pulls up for a three pointer against University of Maine Feb 1. British Columbia, did not play his senior season in high school, due to transfer eligibility issues, according to UVM athletics. This season, Urquhart has played in 27 games for the Cats, starting 11 of them, and averaging four rebounds per game. Junior Cam Ward, a 6’2” forward from Marshall, Wisconsin, ranks sixth all time for the state of Wisconsin in career points, according to UVM athletics. This season, Ward has played in all 28 games for the team, and dropped a season high 17 points in a win over UMass Lowell Jan. 19. These four players all came to UVM in the fall of 2014, and immediately bonded as a unit.
OLIVER POMAZI/The Vermont Cynic First-year forward Ross Colton hits the puck away from a UNH player Feb. 10. The Catamounts lost 4-2 on Feb. 10, but would come back and beat UNH 5-3 Feb. 11. don said. “We had a 2-0 lead in our building. We’ll have to have short memories.” Saturday night turned out better for the Catamounts, who opened the scoring just 97 seconds into the game off of a shot by senior defenseman Rob Hamilton. UNH fired back about five minutes later, as Justin Fregona danced around Lekkas to tie the game at one point. UVM responded about five minutes after that, as senior forward Mario Puskarich beat Wildcat goaltender Daniel Tirone from close range with a “Coming in as a big firstyear class, living together on campus helped us jell off the court as well,” Urquhart said. Head coach John Becker has gotten high praise from players and the media for his ability to recruit over the years, keeping the program a consistent contender for the conference championship. “The whole staff does a great job of finding and evaluating good players,” Bell-Haynes said. “The pitch they made to us was that they not only wanted to find good players, but they wanted to find good people.” As a program, they are riding a 15 game winning streak, and are undefeated in their conference. “I knew I was going to come play with some really good players,” Ward said. “We all worked really hard this offseason to get the job done for this University.” The team had a good 20152016 season, going 11-5 in conference play, according to UVM athletics. The Catamounts lost to Stony Brook in the finals of the conference tournament, according to UVM athletics. The class of 2018 is determined to right the ship this season, not only for the school, but also for the senior class that has mentored them every step of the way. “They’ve never made it to the tournament,” Ward said. “We want to send them off the right way.”
backhander to put Vermont in front 2-1. That lead lasted less than a minute, as Jamie Hill beat Lekkas to his near post to tie it at two points. Vermont regained the lead early in the second, as junior forward Travis Blanleil took a shot from the slot that beat an off-guard Tirone to put UVM ahead for good. The Cats doubled the lead to 4-2 about 90 seconds later, as Petruzzeli pounced on another rebound, this time from first-year defenseman Jake Massie.
Early in the third period, Vermont extended the lead to three points, as Puskarich beat Tirone with a slap shot from the top of the face-off circle for his 50th career goal. This was a historic goal as Puskarich became the first Catamount to make 50 career goals since JC Ruid ‘97 in 1996. New Hampshire would add a goal late from Salvaggio, but were unable to cut further into the lead. “I thought we played a lot tougher; we were strong over pucks, we blocked a lot more shots, and we won a ton of fa-
ceoffs,” Sneddon said. “Those are battles that, when you add them up, result in favorable outcomes.” Puskarich felt that morale was higher on Saturday. “We were a lot more positive on the bench,” Puskarich said. “We didn’t really have that negative feeling like we had the last few games.” The Catamounts now travel to Chestnut Hill, Mass., to take on Boston College Feb. 17 and 18, returning home for the last home series of the regular season Feb. 24 and 25 against Merrimack College.
LINDSAY FREED/The Vermont Cynic The Fighting Catamount Pep Band performs Feb. 3 as the women’s hockey team takes on UNH.
Pep band energizes UVM Lindsay Freed Staff Writer The floor was vibrating as a group of around 20 yellow jerseys banged on cowbells. “The pep band adds the energy that’s needed at games,” sophomore Flannery Mehigan said. “I just want to get up and dance with them.” The Fighting Catamount Pep Band, which plays at UVM hockey, basketball and soccer games, is open to everyone, regardless of experience or major, co-director Neil Wacek said. “It’s playing music for music’s sake,” Wacek said. Sophomore Sophie Singer said she joined the band because she is too busy as a nursing major to do other ensembles. “It doesn’t feel as strict or
tense as other bands,” firstyear Will Wuttke said,” and you get to go to a lot of sports games.” It’s this relaxed atmosphere and chance to play their instruments that draws people to pep band, co-director Jack Curtis said. “Leaving high school, I didn’t have an outlet for trombone,” senior William Robbins said. “I saw Pep Band and said, ‘I have to do that.’” Many of the band members joined because they already had a connection with someone who plays in it. “I live on the same floor as the guy who plays bass drum,” Wuttke said. “He told me I should join.” Curtis first became involved with the band when he was in high school because
had friends who were going to UVM, he said. “When I joined the band in ‘93 there were a lot of members who were alumni or from the community,” Curtis said. One alumnus who continues to play with the band is Miles Main,’15. Main has stayed with the band post-graduation because of how much of a family it became for him, he said. “We all hang out,” Main said. “We even live together.” These relationships can be seen when they talk and joke among themselves during the games, only to snap into place the second UVM scores to play “Vermont Victorious,” the University’s fight song. “These are my friends.” Main said. “I don’t have any other friends.”
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SPORTS
Cats rally against cancer UVM Scoreboard Matt Chimenti-Carmen Staff Writer The Rally Against Cancer game began with the UVM crowd giving a warm welcome to two families that have children with cancer. Vermont athletics awarded each child their own Vermont Rally Against Cancer jersey. Following a lengthy period of cheers and applause, the families were escorted off the court and to their seats. Patrick Gym was filled with warmth and compassion as the game began. UVM looked to continue their perfect conference play when they faced off against the Binghamton Bearcats (1213 overall record, 3-8 American East Conference record) Monday night. The Catamounts entered the match up with a 20-5 overall record, and a 10-0 American East Conference record. The Catamounts got off to a slow start, trailing Binghamton 9-4 in the first few minutes of play. As a result, head coach John Becker pulled four starters to try and gain some momentum. Junior Cam Ward and senior Dre Wills sparked the change in momentum by combining for eight quick points. From that point, the team really came together and rallied behind each other. The Catamounts headed into halftime with a 33-23 lead
behind three three-pointers from sophomore guard Ernie Duncan. “We are all looking for each other; if Payton [Henson] gets hot we are definitely trying to feed him and in the Hartford game, Lamb was feeling it, so we kept feeding him,” Duncan said. “Tonight I was kind of feeling it. Everyone is looking out for each other.” The Catamounts started the second half with much more energy than the first. junior forwards Payton Henson, Darren Payen and Drew Urquhart controlled the glass, each grabbing five rebounds. Payen was a huge spark off the bench, going five for five from the field, and one for two from the line. Payen finished the game with 11 points and five rebounds. Becker praised Payen’s contributions after the game. “He has been unbelievable this year for us, I mean, you look at the box score and he never misses,” Becker said. “He is consistent, he has been there every game, he has been there every practice, and I could not be happier for the kid.” The Catamounts were able to use Payen’s contributions in the second half to propel them to an 18 point lead with under 10 minutes to go. “I think we are continuing to take this one game at a time, and I think it’s shown through our focus and play each game,” Payen said.
Vermont won the game 71-51 behind Payton Henson’s 13 points and Ernie Duncan’s 18 points. As the game finalized, several fans shouted, “See you Thursday,” referring to Vermont’s next home game. After the game, Becker spoke about Duncan’s involvement on offense. “I just have to make sure we keep him involved,” he said. When asked about Duncan’s shooting that night, Becker said, “it was good to see, it was good to see.” The Catamounts continued their dominant play Thursday night with a 82-74 win against the University of New Hampshire, followed by a narrow 7774 win at UMBC. Vermont travels to Lowell, Mass. tonight to play UMass Lowell at 7p.m.
Visit vtcynic.com for more coverage and uvmathletics.com for schedules, tickets, score updates and additional information
LAST WEEK
W
82-74
Men’s basketball vs New Hampshire Home Feb. 9
L
W
Men’s ice hockey vs New Hampshire Home Feb. 11
L
52-64
Women’s basketball vs UMBC Home Feb. 12
5-3
1-7
Women’s ice hockey at Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA Feb. 12
THIS WEEK
• Men’s basketball at UMass Lowell Lowell, MA Feb. 15 at 7p.m.
• Men’s ice hockey at Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA Feb. 17 & Feb. 18 at 7:00p.m.
• Men’s lacrosse vs Holy Cross Home Feb. 18 at 1 p.m.
• Women’s ice hockey vs Merrimack Home Feb. 18 at 4p.m.
RECORDS
Men’s Basketball 23-5 Men’s Hockey 17-10-3 Men’s Lacrosse 2-0
Women’s Basketball 7-18 Women’s Hockey 12-11-9 Women’s Lacrosse 0-2
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