2017 vol 133 issue 28

BURLINGTON, VT

VTCYNIC.COM

VOL. 133

ISSUE 28

APRIL 26, 2017

LIFE pg. 21: fraternity meets comedian after successful fundraiser

Students react as the identity of BLM flag thief is revealed Kim Henry Senior Staff Writer When Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) received a four-year suspension from campus for hazing and alcohol violations, the Cynic requested FIJI’s appeal letter from the University March 30.

Two weeks later, the University released via email a 157-page document of UVM police investigations, charges against the fraternity and FIJI’s appeal to the Cynic.

The documents contained the appeal letter and stated that a sophomore FIJI pledge stole the Black Lives Matter flag in September. The documents contained multiple facets from the investigation that was sparked by the theft of the flag, including police interviews and statements from FIJI leadership.

University officials and police were aware of the thief’s identity the day after the flag

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was stolen, according to the documents.

Last Tuesday, the Cynic broke the news that the thief was former sophomore J.T. Reichhelm and that multiple members of the administration had known this for seven months.

In an interview after the documents were released, Annie Stevens, vice provost of student affairs, said the University was unable to reveal Reichhelm’s name or that he was a fraternity pledge because of student privacy laws.

After the news broke last week, members of UVM’s community expressed frustration, anger, sadness and disappointment on social media with how the University handled the theft.

Some UVM students of color felt that the Cynic’s original report did not feature a strong enough voice from the community of color, which was directly affected by the

instagram.com/ vermontcynic

theft and the new information in last week’s article.

Members of the Black Student Union attended and spoke at an SGA meeting April 18, the same day the article was released, to express their anger over the incident to SGA President Jason Maulucci and Vice President Tyler Davis.

This meeting fell at the same time as SGA’s leadership transition. Following tradition, Maulucci and Davis left the meeting prior to the public forum. BSU addressed the remaining members of SGA at the forum.

The Cynic recognizes that this vital community was not adequately represented in last week’s issue. Our hope was to showcase just a few of these important voices as a follow-up to our original report in order to better illustrate the impact of the theft.

BLM Continues on pg. 6

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NEWS

rumpdates

What has 45 been tweeting this week?

SGA Updates Lauren Schnepf Senior Staff Writer Bill Allocating Funds to the American Society of Civil Engineers A bill allocating $7000 to the ASCE was passed unanimously. The club requested funds for transportation and lodging at the National level of the Steel Bridge Competition in Corvalis, Oregon. The competition will take place at Oregon State University.

Final SGA meaning of 20162017 Academic Year Executives and committee chairs give their final committee reports and graduating senior executives give their farewell speeches. President-elect Chris Petrillo is sworn into office by current president Jason Maulucci.

Vice president elect Nicole Woodcock is sworn into office by current Vice President Tyler Davis.

First SGA Senate meeting of 2017-2018 Academic Year Senators and committee chairs are sworn into office for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Black Students Union Raises Concern Regarding SGA’s Stance on BLM Flag

Members of the BSU spoke during public forum regarding the way the SGA’s voice came across in regards to discovery of the Black Lives Matter flag thief. The BSU hopes to extend an olive branch to the SGA and further conversation on the matter will take place.

According to the VP of the BSU, the BSU is “really looking to change the air of Vermont, because for students of color, it can choke you.”

New Speaker of House and Treasurer The SGA is seeking a new speaker of the house as the current speaker, Sen. Alyssa Johnson, is a graduating senior. SGA President Chris Petrillo has nominated sophomore Jamie LaPierre to fill the role of treasurer for the upcoming year.

President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office is Saturday, April 29. The first 100 days of a newly elected president’s term is often the standard in which they are measured against previous office-holders.

NEWS

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UVM students celebrate 420 by exercising, smoking Chloe Chaobal Senior Staff Writer Some UVM students ran over three miles on 420. Others chose to smoke marijuana publicly.

The Wellness Environment hosted its second annual 4.20 5k for Wellness April 20. The race began on Spear Street promptly at 4:20 p.m., just as hundreds of UVM students lit up joints and bowls, filling the Redstone Green with marijuana smoke in celebration of a national and campus tradition.

About 600 students participated in the race, said Jim Hudziak, director of WE and UVM College of Medicine professor. Hudziak created WE two years ago, and the program has received national attention from media outlets like the Boston Globe.

The 5k was meant to promote wellness on campus and

provide students a healthy alternative the day of the event, Hudziak said.

The goal of the event was not to make students run instead of smoke, he said.

“WE encourages the safe use of substances.” said a firstyear WE student who wished to remain anonymous. “I’m not a runner so I did not do the 5k, I didn’t plan to smoke on 4/20 and just wanted to see the green.”

The core of the WE philosophy is to provide wellness opportunities rather than judging the decisions others make, Hudziak said.

“There were so many people at the run,” said sophomore Helen Thurston, who is in WE. “Even friends I would not have expected to go to the 5k went to the race instead of going to the Redstone Green to smoke.”

Thurston said that she feels

like marijuana is a big part of the culture at UVM, but WE allows students to be a part of this culture without smoking.

“Just saying that students shouldn’t smoke marijuana isn’t going to change it,” Thurston said.

According to the American Psychological Association, marijuana can have a negative impact on developing adolescent brains, despite its relatively mild health effects when compared to alcohol and tobacco.

Multiple scientific studies indicate that the cognitive effects of smoking are more severe for those started smoking at an especially early age, or those who smoke more frequently, according to the APA. “I do think that the substance free alternatives created

by WE are important” the anonymous WE student said.

“It is important to maintain

your health if you chose to use substances.”

The number of people who gathered on the Redstone green was similar the crowd size last year, said Tim Bilodeau, Deputy Chief of UVM police.

“Everybody seemed to be very excited and having a good time,” said a first-year student who lives in L/L and wished to remain anonymous. “It just seemed like a very peaceful good natured experience.”

The weed culture at UVM is unique, said a first-year WingDavis-Wilks resident who wished to remain anonymous. People will offer it to you, but there is not any pressure to smoke; if it is not your thing, no one is going to get on your case, he said.

People who were smoking on the green were not arrested, but about a dozen

OLIVER POMAZI/The Vermont Cynic UVM students gather on the Redstone Green April 20 to participate in 420 activities as UVM Police look on.

students were referred to the Center for Student Conduct for marijuana possession, Bilodeau said.

“We take enforcement action when it’s right in front of us,” he said.

According to the UVM Police crime log, only two drug citations were made on the Redstone green April 20: one at 4:30 p.m. and another at 5 p.m.

NEWS

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UVM Rescue breaks ground for new facility Greta Brown Staff Writer After years of construction and fundraising challenges, UVM Rescue is opening its new headquarters next to UVM Police on East Ave. The cost of the project was $1.4 million, and it is on track to be finished this coming fall, said junior Kiley Baillargeon, the UVM Rescue chief.

“We’re really excited about the new building,” Baillargeon said. “Everyone on the squad now has been working so hard to get this process going and we’re very lucky this is starting up.”

The new facility will be located in the same parking lot where it has been previously, but instead of being connected to UVM Police building, UVM Rescue will now have their own building, she said.

First-year Zoe Robinson said she is excited about the new building, mostly for what it will do for the campus community.

“Since the building is no longer attached to UVM police headquarters, students may be more likely to reach out for help in emergency situations on campus,” Robinson said. “With it no longer being attached to UVM police, there is less intimidation of getting into legal trouble,” Robinson said.

“The new building will have a training room in it, which will provide a great

Photo courtesy of UVM Rescue UVM Rescue volunteers break ground on the construction of the new UVM Rescue building. The new project cost $1.4 million. learning environment for our weekly EMT trainings,” said junior John Levkulic, public relations manager.

In addition to the training room, there will be a full kitchen, lockers and a workout room, among other rooms, Baillargeon said.

“It is a larger station which will allow our squad to grow,” Levkulic said. “It will provide more opportunities for students on campus to be involved with UVM Rescue.”

Currently, UVM Rescue

does not have the space to house both ambulances in the bay due to its small size, but the new building will have an area large enough to store both emergency vehicles, Baillargeon said.

“The larger bay will allow both of our trucks to be ready to go at all times so we can staff a second truck at a moment’s notice if need be,” Levkulic said.

The organization already runs efficiently, but the new building will make it even

more efficient, first-year Chani Krech said.

“The EMTs will have a better facility which will allow for better emergency services to help keep students and the community safer,” Krech said.

The project has taken years to get off the ground, as it was in the works since before Baillargeon began her career at UVM, she said.

“UVM Rescue members as well as alumni are very excited to see their hard work and efforts finally come to light as

it has taken years to get where we are now,” Levkulic said.

The funding came from alumni donations, fundraising and operating on a minimal budget, Levkulic said.

“Raising funds for the building was very difficult,” he said. “On top of spending very frugally for many years, there were countless meetings with the Board of Trustees and many other school affiliated members to get the project off the ground.”

Real Food Challenge reaches goal three years early John Riedel Senior Staff Writer UVM has reached its real food challenge goal three years ahead of schedule.

Currently, UVM serves 21 percent real food, three years ahead of its goal of 20 percent by 2020. It has established a new goal of 25 percent by 2020. The achievement was announced April 17 by members of the Real Food Challenge and UVM Dining.

Food is considered real by the challenge if it is ecologically sound, locally or humanely produced, or workers in the industry have access to fair wages and working conditions, according to an April 17 press release.

At a celebration for the achievement, President Tom Sullivan gave remarks and signed the official goal of reaching 25 percent real food by 2020.

“This was a real commitment about sustainability and eating healthy,” Sullivan said.

“Early on in 2009 we were one of the first universities to use the real food calculator.”

The real food calculator is used by an intern for the UVM Real Food Working Group to analyze campus food purchases, according to UVM Environmental program’s website.

The calculator is an excel based tool that categorizes food purchases to determine how much food is real, the

PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic President Tom Sullivan announces that UVM has surpassed the Real Food Challenge of 20 percent real on-campus food. Since exceeding the goal, UVM has now pledged to have 25 percent real food by 2020. website states.

“That calculator is really the standard for all universities that have taken this challenge,” Sullivan said.

UVM was the fifth university to take the challenge when it started in 2009, he said.

“We all benefit from those who came before us and had this vision and the foresight to make sure UVM was at the forefront,” Sullivan said.

Abbey Willard, the Vermont

Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets food systems section chief, also gave her remarks, noting the difficulty this challenge faced in recent years.

“This is a conversation that’s happening around this campus and throughout this state and across the country,” Willard said. “I hope you know the work you are doing is really making a difference for the food producers in this state.”

The fact that UVM is increasing its goal shows its commitment to the challenge on this campus, she said.

“I watched that transparency build since 2012 when you signed the real food challenge pledge and again when in 2014 when this campus took on a really intense and sometimes controversial dining services contracting process,” Willard said.

The real food challenge

grow over the years, starting with students, said Melissa Zelazny, director of UVM Dining.

“A student emailed me asking how much local food you serve on campus,” Zelazny said. “He was an incoming freshman and it was July so we hadn’t even started school yet.”

She hired this student as the first sustainability intern which became the real food calculator internship available today, Zelazny said.

“The next step is innovation and pushing this number forward with the new goal of 25 percent by 2020,” she said.

This will be aided by the new dining hall on central campus which will have a farm to table focus and classrooms for students to learn about food, Zelazny said.

Junior Gina Clithero, student co-chair for the Real Food Working Group, said she joined because she wanted to make an impact on the food system.

“During my first semester here my friends and I would spend hours in the dining halls,” Clithero said. “We wondered what we were eating.”

She joined the real food working group her sophomore year and it was then she learned the importance of real food, Clithero said.

NEWS

Dairy farmers are Vermont businessmen

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Ella Farago Cynic Correspondant “Get the blame off farmers,” said Chris Wagner, a Green Dream Farm employee.

During the 2017 Vermont Dairy Producers Conference, Wagner brought attention to disparities between farmers’ and outsiders’ understanding of challenges Vermont dairy industry faces.

As farmers face economic struggles and Lake Champlain is polluted, there is a disagreement of who is really at fault for these problems and how they should be solved.

Large farms are heavily regulated and their herd sizes are capped. Not all farms are expanding because farmers can produce more milk with a smaller herd, Wagner said.

Dairy production is a “free enterprise,” he said. If smaller farms cannot increase production and compete with larger farms, they are “shit out of luck,”, he said.

This effects of dairy production on Lake Champlain are similar to those of the U.S. agriculture industry in the Mid-West.

With more than half of U.S. land in farming, chemical runoff has affected the Mississippi River, creating a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

Lake Champlain could follow suit if farmers are not discouraged from overproducing.

Over 50 years of intensive dairy farming has contributed to Lake Champlain’s deteriorating.

With $15 million in research funds, the UVM extension program has worked hard to provide local farmers with new means of monitoring their outputs and becoming more sustainable.

This has provided dairy farmers with an increased ability to cover crop, which keeps nutrients locked in the soil and prevents erosion. It also contains bio-digesters that take in organic matter and produce renewable energy.

Farmers can sell this energy back to the Burlington Electric Department. Bill Rowell, owner of Rowell Brothers Dairy Farm, said this is a waste of assets, as the price of dairy is much higher than the returns on energy production.

PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic A milk cow from the UVM Miller Research Center is pictured. The UVM extension program aims to make local dairy farms more sustainable.

“Farmers are also businessmen,” Rowell said. He said farmers need to back off and let the markets stabilize.

Local dairy farmers receive little money in return for their milk. To increase revenue, farmers have been motivated to overproduce.

While larger farms can maintain this strategy, smaller dairy farms are falling behind.

As more milk is poured into the market, the market price continues to drop. All farmers end up with decreased returns.

“There is no cost feedback loop,” said Tom Berry, field representative to U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy.

In Vermont, overproduction has decreased the health of Lake Champlain and resulted in a lowered standard of living for farmers.

“We need to return money back to dairy farms,” Berry said.

Will Allen and Michael Colby from Regenerative Vermont, a nonprofit dairy advocacy group, testified in front of the Senate Committee on Agriculture Feb. 15 in Montpelier.

They said 70 dairy farms closed last year due to the low prices farmers receive.

“We need to put the farmer back in farming,” Colby said.

They said a state-wide transition to organic farming is the only way to really alleviate pressures on Lake Champlain.

Although Vermont food products are thought of as all-natural and green, the dairy industry is largely conventional. Many are confined animal feed operations. Colby stressed that Vermont is a “grass state, not grass-fed.”

The term “conventional” has many negative connotations and causes people to lose sight of the fact that no one knows the land better than farmers.

While state-wide organic dairy production is ideal, Vermont’s parcelized landscape makes it harder to implement.

“It’s not dairy farmers,” said Carrie Mess, a Wisconsin dairy farmer. “You can tell them what people are asking for and they might agree, but it doesn’t mean they can change.”

A system for transitioning

to organic dairy production exists, Wagner said. It takes about three years to get certified. It would be difficult for most farms in Vermont to implement this change.

A parcelized landscape means conventional dairy farms have herds located one area and crops in a different location. This would make it close to impossible to graze cows for 120 days, the minimum requirement to be organic.

“Smaller farms will be easier to switch to organic,” said Matt White, an employee at a 750 free-stall farm.

Berry said more attention needs to go towards regulating smaller farms anyway. Small farm regulations have fallen under the radar because regulations are focused on large farms.

Regenerative Vermont said some farmers are willing to change and need a market.

Colby said that manufacturers and dairy processors, like Ben and Jerry’s, need to change their demands.

One obstacle is that organ-

ic milk is more expensive for dairy processors than conventional milk.

Colby said that Ben & Jerry’s could “start with one carton, not all of them.”

This would give farmers the opportunity to switch to organic, make a profit, create a more volatile market and ease pollutants from entering Lake Champlain.

Although this may seem like an easy endeavor to ask of Ben & Jerry’s, a native Vermont company, switching to organic could decrease their profits. .

Rather than exploiting farmers and taxing them for polluting the lake, a more feasible solution would be taxing dairy manufacturers and processors, Colby said. The farmer is only trying to make money by meeting the demands of companies like Ben & Jerry’s.

Ella Farago is a student in Professor Richard Watts’ ENVS 195 course titled “Environmental Journalism.” This piece was submitted for his course and republished in the Cynic.

New bill focuses on racial justice reform in Vermont Chloe Chaobal Senior Staff Writer An act created to set up a Racial Justice Oversight Board was passed in the Vermont House of Representatives April 13.

The bill will establish a board to oversee racial justice reform in the state. The board would look at racial disparities in Vermont, said Rep. Diana Gonzalez, a sponsor of the bill.

“There’s a lot of knowledge in different pockets of government, but there isn’t a place that overall looks at racial disparities or lack thereof,”

Gonzalez said.

The responsibility of the board will be to monitor the collection of race-based data, recommend policies and evaluate current policies, according to the draft of the bill passed in the house.

“In theory it’s good because Vermont is one of the whitest states in the country,” sophomore John Zambarano said.

“It will help with justice and equity overall.”

The board will meet up to three times a year to review racial justice reform in the state, according to the bill.

“There’s a lot of implicit

bias people are operating under,” said David Scherr, Vermont assistant attorney general.

The bill is still in the process of being changed Gonzalez said. It will need to pass in the Senate before it will become official.

We see potential for change in the areas that the board oversees, specifically the education and housing inequities the state faces.The board should look at housing inequalities due to the lack of affordable housing in Burlington, Zambarano said.

They will also look at

criminal and juvenile justice reform, according to the bill.

“Criminal justice reform is a racial issue,” said Sarah George, Chittenden County’s state attorney.

Vermont State Police are working hard to create police biasing programs, George said.

“The police are taking a more serious approach to it and recognizing it’s an issue that domino effects to us,” she said.

Chittenden County has been more progressive in recent years than other areas in the country, George said.

“I wish that was happening

in places like New York City and Baltimore,” said first-year Carolyne Sandoval, a member of UVM College Democrats.

Although the bill is a small step, it is better to take a small step than make a law full of errors, George said.

“I think that the bill is a good start,” Sandoval said, “but I don’t think anyone should pat themselves on the back and think that they solved racism in Vermont.”

In order to be recognized, the bill must pass in the Senate.

NEWS

6 BLM Continued from pg. 1

The Real Impact of a Stolen Flag: UVM students want to keep race in the conversation

Akilah Ho-Young Sophomore

Edil Hassan Junior

Nkosi Edwards Junior

Starrkeisha Cobb Sophomore

Reginah Mako Sophomore

PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic KH: How did you feel when you first found out that the flag was stolen back in September?

KH: How did you feel after reading the article and discovering how the University handled this case?

AHY: When it was gone, I got an email from maybe Annie Stevens, and I was like “What?

No, that’s not real.” And then I walked over to the Davis Center, and my heart dropped. It was just sort of a surprise and a disappointment. Because what UVM makes itself out to be — liberal, progressive, for all identities — is bullshit.”

EH: What I’m personally disappointed about was that there’s really no mention of it being a hate crime. I think that’s the way that UVM but also other predominantly white institutions in this country talk about black students or students of color or micro-aggressions. They’re very unable to name what is truly there.

KH: If FIJI was still active on this campus, do you think there’s something they could do to regain the trust of the community of color?

AHY: No. I don’t think there’s anything they could do. No apology is worth it to me; no action is worth it to me.

You could give me a million dollars, and I’d say shove it up your ass. You hurt our integrity and didn’t respect us, so you don’t even deserve to speak to our community.

KH: How do you feel now in relation to the administration, knowing they had this person’s identity for months and didn’t share it?

AHY: I have my opinions on the administration. I think they’re full of shit, and they don’t get their hands dirty enough when it comes to supporting identities that are subordinated on this campus.

That being said, I do understand that there are laws.

I feel like they could have spoken to the Cynic or sent out saying, “Yes. We identified who did this, and the right actions are being taken against this student.” And let people know that it was a student without releasing their name.

In the article it said the administration said there was no way of releasing that a student did it without releasing his name, but yes there is. There were ways to do that.

It’s like when people talk about “Oh, this incident was racially charged,” instead of saying “this incident was racist.”

There’s this shifting of naming that also gives way to this shifting of powers of violences that the University is unable to name.

I think just being able to name those instances is really important because those are the sites where reconciliation can happen, but it’s also an instance of education.

KH: The University and police did not label this as a hate crime, and Reichhelm said the theft was not racially motivated. Does that make a difference to you?

EH: Maybe he didn’t mean for it to be malicious, but I don’t really think at that point it matters. I think it very much matters how black students and students of color at UVM are feeling about this.

Because I also think that UVM as a predominantly white institution doesn’t take any chances when it comes to prioritizing the feelings or the safety or the emotional well-being of students of color.

So I think it’s not just the flag being stolen. I think it’s more so the much larger relationship between students of color and the University.

KH: When FIJI discovered Reichhelm stole the flag, the fraternity dismissed him from pledging the next day. Though the Cynic has not confirmed the exact circumstances of Reichhelm’s departure from UVM, his former roommate, Michael Hoaglund, said Reichhelm left UVM in February.

Do you think that FIJI or UVM administration took appropriate action?

NE: I think FIJI took appropriate actions in expelling the pledge. However, I still wonder if anyone in FIJI put him up to it or if it was part of the hazing.

I think more disciplinary action should have been taken by the school.

The punishment should have been harsher, maybe a suspension of some sorts. I think the lack of punishment on the behalf of the school leaves the door open for other instances of hate to occur.

KH: Currently, the Cynic has no official evidence that the theft was racially motivated or a hate crime from police reports or interviews with Reichhelm. Does this matter to you?

Does it make a difference?

NE: I believe it was racially motivated, or at least politically motivated. Without a doubt.

And I don’t believe he was blackout drunk.

KH: Is there anything else you want to say that I haven’t asked about? FIJI, the University, the Cynic’s coverage?

NE: I wish the Cynic would have made a better attempt at interviewing students of color for our opinions on the matter. I would like to see the school release information on the consequences and punishment the perpetrator received.

I view the incident as a hate crime because I believe that somewhere in his heart he harbored anti – blackness, or believed that the Black Lives Matter movement was somehow anti whatever he believed in.

KH: The University and police did not label this as a hate crime, and Reichhelm said the theft was not racially motivated. Does that make a difference to you?

SC: It actually changes nothing for me. We all know that it was about race. Reichhelm might not have claimed that it was a racist act to do, but it definitely was. You don’t just take down someone’s flag of solidarity.

This is about a race meaning something. You don’t take that unless you don’t like that race deserves to be seen, deserves to be heard, deserves to unify and have a movement about their lives mattering if you don’t have an issue with that race.

KH: If you were talking with Reichhelm right now and he said, “Starr, I’m not racist, I just stole the flag cause I was drunk?” what would you say to him?

SC: I would probably kick his ass. Like, immediately. There is literally no excuse for doing what he did. I don’t care about him saying that it wasn’t about race.

It was about race. His intention in doing it does not matter. Once you do something bad to someone, whatever you intended to do, whatever reaction you intended to get out of them, it doesn’t matter.

Your impact is so much more than what your intentions are.

I am so tired of white people getting away with all of these different acts of prejudices and racism against people and them saying “Oh, that wasn’t my intention, I’m so sorry I hurt you.” You’re not sorry.

KH: What was it like for you when you realized that the flag had been stolen in September?

RM: When I found out the flag was stolen, I was of course very disheartened by that. But the fact that we were proactive, that Pat Brown instinctively thought to stitch Black Lives Matter onto the pan-African flag after the flag was stolen, to quickly replace it, to still reaffirm that SGA does recognize that black lives matter in that sense. I appreciated the quick response.

KH: Especially where Pat Brown made that gesture, how did it feel to learn that days after the flag had been stolen, Pat Brown knew who had done it?

RM: Of course, I do have mixed feelings about it. I understand that the University has to follow certain policies regarding investigations like these. They can’t provide information until — I’m not really well versed in how the University tackles investigations and such.

I understand that. But I also think that because they have to do that that there’s a lack of transparency. I think that in this matter, students need to know. This is more than just some flag being stolen.

This is a Black Lives Matter flag — a flag that impacts a lot of people here — whether they’re students of color or just people who support the movement. After the flag was stolen, students of color felt unsafe, and safety should be our utmost priority as a University.

If students don’t feel safe, and they may have felt more safe if they had released the name and the information that they knew– I don’t know where to draw that line.

NEWS

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Survivors speak out in D.C. Joey Waldinger Staff Writer

Female leaders facilitate empowerment Lauren Schnepf Seniro Staff Writer The UVM Alumni house was filled with around 80 people of different genders, ages and races for the third annual Women in Leadership Summit.

Tables were scattered with forgotten, half-eaten plates of food. Attendees instead chose to focus on the speakers in front of them and fellow attendees April 24.

“The first woman president will walk on water, and they will say she cannot swim,” Rep. Kesha Ram of the Vermont House of Representatives said.

Sen. Sage Ryan, chair of SGA’s Committee on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity, and Sen. Margaux Miller, who serves on the same committee, hosted the event. Speakers included Ram, senior Alicia Gusan and Tina Escaja, a Spanish professor and the interim director of the gender, sexuality and women’s studies program.

The summit is an annual event that invites people of all gender identities to discuss and celebrate the experience of women in leadership roles through three prominent speakers.

Gusan, Escaja and Ram — all local women in leadership roles — spoke of their personal tribulations as women in positions of power. They also spoke of the social and cultural stigmas that surround women in positions of power.

“If women dare to be leaders, they will likely be represented as bad mothers, bitches and putas,” Escaja said.

The speakers discussed how gender influenced their leadership and the way they got their start.

“There were three boys running for student council president in fifth grade, and I was like ‘no, that’s a travesty,’” Ram said about how she got her start in politics.

AUTUMN LEE/The Vermont Cynic Senior Alicia Gusan (top), Rep. Kescha Ram (middle) and Professor Tina Escaja (bottom) speak at the third annual Women in Leadership Summit April 24. The summit was hosted by the SGA. Gusan discussed the impact that her battle with mental health had on her role as a female leader.

“I was convinced my presence was a burden to those around me,” Gusan said. “The nagging voice, the ‘you’re not good enough voice,’ seeps

back in and during those times I felt I was really difficult to work with as a leader, but then I wondered if a man would feel that way.”

Organizers encouraged attendees to talk between speakers, prompting the audience with discussion questions

about the material.

“At the end of the day, change stems from discussion and connection with other people,” sophomore Megan Fariel said. “I think this event is a nice way to reflect, share ideas, and inspire each other.”

As Sexual Assault Awareness Month comes to a close, UVM students are creating a space for survivors of sexual assault to share their stories.

Junior Katherine Freeman hosted a speak out April 25 inside the Davis Center where survivors came together to raise awareness, Freeman said.

“As a sexual assault survivor, I personally don’t feel represented by the school at all,” she said.

UVM’s failure to fully acknowledge the effects of on-campus sexual assault hinders the ability of survivors to seek support, Freeman said.

“Before I was assaulted I didn’t know where the Women’s Center was,” said senior Cecilia Baker, who presented at the speak out. “I didn’t know what their services consisted of, I didn’t know what would happen if I reported it.”

In addition to taking steps like better staffing the Women’s Center and posting flyers with resource information, UVM must do a more thorough job of educating about sexual assault, Freeman said.

“It is a difficult conversation, but just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it is going to go away,” she said. “We need to have these conversations about sexual assault.”

Some of the ways the school approaches these problems, such as treating the blue light system as a definitive fix, accomplishes nothing, Freeman said.

UVM’s difficulty with addressing sexual assault is not isolated; it is a problem in our society as a whole, Baker said.

“I know of people at other universities who were told not to report,” she said. “UVM doesn`t do that.”

Speaking about sexual assault is not just an institutional problem, Baker said.

“When I bring up my assault, people don’t know how to react,” she said. “I’ve had people end conversations, I’ve had people walk out of the room.”

Though she organized the ceremony without the help of on-campus groups, staff at the women’s center helped her, including Campus Victim’s Advocate Judy Rickstad, and other “awesome women warriors,” she said.

Despite being a largely independent organizer, Freeman is determined to push on, and plans to apply for grants over the summer, she said.

Both Baker and Freeman highlighted the importance of creating a community of support between survivors, though this speak out is only the beginning of a larger conversation, Freeman said.

“We don’t want to be treated like we’re broken or like we’re any different,” Baker said. “All we want is support.”

NEWS

8

Van decorated to combat addiction stigma Greta Brown Staff Writer While some were getting high with friends April 20, others celebrated by decorating an old van with positive images to support recovering addicts.

Junior Rory Butler lost a friend to a heroin overdose in January and decided to bring attention to the issue with his “UVM Recovery Van” project, he said.

“There is a stigma surrounding addicts and that is what I am trying to eliminate,” Butler said. “The stigma makes it infinitely more difficult for people to stop using if they do not have a support system.”

First-year Lizzy Chicarello signed the van on Thursday.

Chicarello has witnessed addiction within her own family, and wants to be a part of the solution to the stigma, she said.

“This project was amazing because it allowed people to get involved in an artistic and uplifting way,” Chicarello said.

“People were drawn to the van because of the uplifting messages and beautiful drawings.”

The van was painted top to bottom — roof and wheels included — with inspirational quotes, sobriety dates, tributes to loved ones lost to addiction and pictures full of positivity, Butler said.

“It was an event to support people who are in recovery from addiction of all kinds,” he said. “The intention was for people to come by and paint any positive images or messages that they wanted to in order to show their support.”

The SGA and Amy Boyd Austin, the director of the Catamount Recovery Program at Living Well, were helpful in getting the event off the ground and were very supportive, Butler said.

“Although UVM is a large university and often associated with smoking and drug usage, there is a community that understands the seriousness of the issue and is willing

MAX MCCURDY/The Vermont Cynic Students paint over an old van parked outside of the Davis Center April 20. The UVM Recovery Van project aims at bring attention to drug addiction. to offer support,” first-year Casey Henehan said.

The van project shed a new light on the issue of addiction, and is providing a way for people to get positively involved in recovery awareness, Henehan said.

“Vermont is my home state and it hurts me to see heroin and fentanyl killing people that I know,” Butler said.

According to the Vermont Department of Health, 106 people died from opioid-related overdoses in 2016, an increase from 2015 when 76 people died.

Butler hopes to continue his project, taking it to different addictionand recovery-related events to show addicts getting back on their feet that there are many who support them, Butler said.

The van has its own instagram account if people want to stay up-to-date with the project, @uvm_recovery_van.

ARTS

WRUV hosts live music in their D.C. studio

9

Anna Gibson Senior Staff Writer WRUV, UVM’s student-run radio station since 1955, is well-known both on and off campus.

What fewer people may know is that the station features two central programs outside of normal DJ hours.

WRUV is home to two weekly shows that are centered around live music, “Exposure” and “Drive-Thru.”

“WRUV Exposure” is quite established, its first session having aired in 1983, said senior Mike Mendelson, WRUV business director.

Different musicians from the Vermont or Plattsburgh area perform live in the WRUV studio every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m.

The show is meant to promote the local music scene and works in collaboration with UVMtv to extend their reach through a video medium.

Sophomore Chief Operator Taylor Kracher and junior Katey Beaton, members of the “WRUV Exposure” team, are in charge of managing the show’s social media platforms as well as booking local musicians to play at the station.

“WRUV Drive-Thru” is new to the station, as it was started this year by seniors Mendelson, Public Relations Director Eli Coretti and former Chief Operator Max Levine.

“We wanted to do do something different from Exposure. We’re all big fans of KEXP, Audiotree Sessions, Tiny Desk, etc. We wanted to do something that modeled off of what those programs have done,” Mendelson said. “Also, we have this great space, and

Photo courtesy of WRUV Full Walrus performs at WRUV Exposure Feb. 8. Exposure aims to promote the local Burlington music scene. are connected with most, if not all, of the venues in Burlington, so we figured why not use our connections to bring in some bigger-name national talent?”

“Drive-Thru” is dedicated to touring artists, and works to bring them into the studio either before or after shows played in the greater Vermont area. Running the program requires communication with artists much further in advance than for “Exposure,” and is still very much developing,

Coretti saidi.

“We really wanted it to be professional and be a smooth experience for [the artist], so we were all really stressed out,” Mendelson said. “There were multiple times that I thought we were going to blow it.”

The first “Drive-Thru” session aired in Jan. “‘Drive-Thru,’ or any in-station performance or interview has the opportunity to be a much more personal experience for the listener,” said sophomore Will Cottiss,

current music director and incoming director of “Drive-Thru.”

Sophomore Cal Weathers will be helping to spread the word about “Drive-Thru’s” by making high-quality videos of touring artists’ in-studio performances. The first video went live on Facebook April 6, and features the Boston-based band Palehound.

“The first time I was in the station for drive-thru was when Palehound gave an incredible performance for

the few of us watching and for everyone listening on air,” Cottiss said. “I’m excited to be a part of that opportunity to introduce Burlington to a new band or artist, or at least let them hear the band in a new way.”

Some other artists featured on “Drive-Thru” have included Los Angeles-based bands Hand Habits and Ozomatli, Brooklyn-based Uni Ika Ai and Philadelphia-based Low Cut Connie. Drive-Thru airs on Thursdays from 2-4 p.m.

Nashville singer-songwriters to perform on campus Isabella Alessandrini Senior Staff Writer A group of singer-songwriters will bring a taste of Nashville’s vibrant music scene to UVM this Friday.

The trio will be coming to UVM’s Recital Hall as a part of their tour around the U.S. April 28.

The three musicians, Mary Gauthier, Eliza Gilkyson and Gretchen Peters, are based out of Nashville, Tennessee and have all independently received quite a bit of recognition for their music.

Gauthier’s songs have been performed by many reputable artists including Jimmy Buffet, Tim McGraw and Blake Shelton, according to the artist’s website. She has received accolades from the Americana Music Association, the Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards, and the Boston Music Awards.

Gilkyson has had her albums nominated for a Grammy award twice and is an active political and environmental advocate, according to the artist’s website.

Peters has also had her work nominated for a Grammy, and has written songs for

ISABELLA ALESSANDRINI Etta James, Shania Twain and Jimmy LaFave, among others, according to the artist’s website.

The three have enjoyed success in each of their respective careers over the decades, but decided to merge about

three years ago when they grew tired of traveling solo, Gauthier said.

“We aren’t really a group, but rather three songwriters who are friends that enjoy each other’s company, tell stories, swap songs and call it

a show,” she said. “We have all been close friends for decades.”

Gauthier emphasized the importance of honesty in their music, which focuses on current issues.

“Our story songs are about

life and the things that cause you to struggle,” she said.

“There are just so many issues today to sing about, so we do.”

In terms of describing their music, Three Women and the Truth would rather not label it one distinct genre, Gauthier said.

“Some call it folk, some call it Americana,” Gauthier said.

“But it’s definitely not escapism, it’s that other thing – art.”

The main inspiration for their music is pure and simple, she said.

“Living is all the inspiration you really need,” Gauthier said. “Every single day there’s something to sing about, if you’re paying attention.”

This Friday will be their first time performing as a group in Vermont, and they are looking forward to it, Gauthier said.

“Vermont is a beautiful little corner of the world, and we’re honored to be here… So sit back, relax, and let us tell you a story,” Gauthier said.

“We got this.”

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for UVM students and $30 for the public.

ARTS

10

New Kendrick Lamar album is DAMN. good Review

T

Jack Carmody

he self proclaimed king of both the east and west coast is back with a brand new album.

Kendrick Lamar, the Grammy award winning rapper from Compton, California released his 4th studio album entitled “DAMN.” on April 14th. He is also the man behind previous albums “Good Kid M.A.A.D. City” and “To Pimp A Butterfly.”

Lamar released two singles in anticipation of the album, the first of which was the “Heart Part IV.” Lamar has released a single entitled “The Heart Part (whatever number album is about to be released)” before each of his new albums signifying that the album is on it’s way.

The second single was “HUMBLE” which quickly reached number one on The Billboard Hot 100 making it Lamar’s highest charting single yet, according to the Billboard website.

The album itself has been highly anticipated from fans and students alike after Lamar’s previous record “To Pimp A Butterfly” received praise from multiple sources across the music industry ranging from Pitchfork.com rating it a 9.3/10 to Rolling Stone magazine calling it “a masterpiece of fiery outrage, deep jazz and ruthless self-critique.”

“I’m a big fan of Kendrick and I’ve been looking forward to his new album for a while now,” first year Isaac Grossner said. “When ‘HUMBLE’ dropped I knew it was going to be solid and my anticipation just grew even more.”

“DAMN.” differs from Lamar’s previous works, though, as he chooses to look further into the life he lives than he

GENEVIEVE WINN ever has before. Lamar uses his signature storytelling skills over much of this album to simultaneously discuss the complexities of being a popular artist and to depict various scenes that connect back to his life and the way in which he lives it.

Lamar chooses to do this by covering broad and heavy topics or emotions on

tracks such as “LOVE” “GOD” “BLOOD” and “FEAR”. He make his emphasis on each of these topics very clear by allowing each topic to be the namesake of the track that covers it.

From a musical standpoint “DAMN.” also stands out by drawing heavily from the music of the nineties.

“I always feel the need

to approach it in the aspect where I’m not only thinking about right now, this record has to live and teach the same way Talib, the same way Jay, the same Common, the same way Ice Cube taught us back in ’91,” Lamar said when asked to compare “DAMN.” to To Pimp A Butterfly in a recent interview. “I went back fifteen years later and I’ve learned from it.”

“DAMN.” has been extremely successful for Lamar charting at number one on the Billboard 200 list and selling to date around 610,000 equivalent album units, according to the Billboard website.

Jack Carmody is a first year psychology major. He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2017.

Students create pretzel-inspired charcoal drawings Healy Fallon Senior Staff Writer

MAX MCCURDY/The Vermont Cynic Student art is displayed at Feldman’s Bagels in the South End. The exhibit will run through April 30.

One local breakfast eatery is showing off some of its finest products in the best way possible, all thanks to two classes of UVM students.

Leslie Fry, a local artist and an adjunct lecturer of studio art at UVM, assigned her two “Introduction to Drawing” classes a subject with a delicious twist: a pretzel.

With the incentive of having their portrait potentially included in an art show held at Feldman’s Bagels, students crafted individual charcoal compositions of a single pretzel, eaten or uneaten, torn apart, or totally whole.

Fry, a friend of Roy Feldman of Feldman’s Bagels, was inspired to use pretzels because of their unique texture and shape, both for the eye of the artist and for the eater.

Her moment of inspiration came when Feldman and Fry were having a conversation, and Feldman pointed out the similarities between his pret-

zel-making process and Fry’s work as a sculptor.

That was the moment when she had her epiphany, Fry said.

“Bagels were too boring —they’re a very sculptural shape,” she said. “With pretzels, there’s more going on, and they have a destination, which is back to the origin of where they came from.”

As opposed to the traditional class model, where students work on a still-model placed in the center of the classroom, everyone worked with their own model on their desk under natural light, according to Fry. Students were given full freedom to tell an intimate and nuanced narrative with their own baked treat, according to Fry. “We just walked in one day, not really knowing what was going to happen, but there were just like a hundred pretzels on the table” sophomore Maddy Zarro said.

Students worked with white and black charcoal

crayons, and sketched their pretzels on grey paper.

“They had to draw the light and the dark,” Fry said.

After initial sketches — and some eating in-between — both of Fry’s classes looked at the drawings and discussed how they could strengthen their compositions, according to a few of Fry’s students.

After a little more work, 32 sketches of pretzels, broken in half or whole, were placed against a “butter-scotchy” yellow wall in the Pine Street eatery.

“We really do anything we wanted,” Zarro said. ”There were a lot of different interpretations, which was cool to see in the end.”

“It was nice to have this finished product, and to see our creation on top of what their creation was is pretty cool,” junior Eric Guzzetta said.

The show will continue until April 30.

ARTS

11

Electronic artist doesn’t let technology get in way Review

C

ALYSSA HANDELMAN

William Cottiss Rachel O’Neill

ashmere Cat, the moniker of electronic producer and artist Magnus August Høiberg, presented himself on stage at Higher Ground, casually placed a potted plant beside his soundboard, and began.

Cat set his scene with cascading melodic lines and layered walls of low-frequency sound reminiscent of his early, simple production style.

He quickly grabbed the undeterred attention of the room, moving from songs heavy with features from top names in music to songs from the Mirror Maru EP, the sounds that encouraged his most devoted fans to see him live.

Cashmere Cat seemed out of tune with the energy of his audience, but would be visibly and pleasantly surprised when the reception was positive.

It was almost as if he was not performing but rather was presenting his art in its purest form and merely observing its effects.

As the show progressed, he pendulated between musical space and white noise, occasionally dwelling in either

extreme just long enough to make the audience noticeably uncomfortable.

Then the power died. Cat’s equipment shut off just as the bass was about to drop and the audience held a collective breath.

At least 10 seconds passed before it became apparent that this was not part of the plan.

It took personnel about five minutes to fix the problem.

But no one left.

He came back with a remix of “Be My Baby” by Ariana Grande that slapped.

The mood of the room shifted to that of pure delight and admiration and remained as such until the very end.

William Cottiss is a sophomore economics major. Rachel O’Neill is a sophomore music technology & business major.

They have been writing for the Cynic since spring 2017.

GUEST COM

12

Community members p about Black Lives Chris Petrillo SGA President

SGA Senator

Nicole Woodcock SGA Vice President

The past week has been a busy one in the SGA office for the new administration amidst the regular transition responsibilities of the Student Government Vice President and President.

We have been working to engage in the recent discussion surrounding the disturbing theft of the Black Lives Matter flag last semester as covered in last week’s Cynic.

This event, and the subsequent reaction, underscores the responsibility we have to the student body to advance social justice on campus.

We recognize that we cannot properly represent the undergraduate population without communication between the SGA and student leaders across campus.

We thank the Black Student Union for sending a delegation to speak at our first Senate meeting of the term. This visit reiterated our goals for the upcoming year, and highlighted that the commitment to building a better campus is not one unique to the SGA, but to our community as a whole.

Making a just and inclusive campus a reality will only occur when each individual, each student organization, each club, takes a step back and examines

Reginah Mako

what they can do to bridge the gaps and disconnects that are still apparent here at UVM. A key point that has been reiterated in the past week is that going out of the way to make a connection, build a relationship, ask a single question about a feeling or subject you do not know the answer to is so much more productive than the act of silence.

Step out of your comfort zone and be ready to change your course of action.

We commend the many organizations on campus for their tireless work towards improvement thus far. It is both a responsibility and a privilege of ours to hear your concerns and work with such a phenomenal undergraduate body.

Step out of your comfort zone and be ready to change your course of action.

We look forward to the coming year with hope and enthusiasm. The focus of the StudentGovernment Association is, and will always be, the students of the University of Vermont.

On Tuesday, April 18, I walked from my Geography class to the SGA office in hopes of cherishing my final moments as a senator on the Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity, while preparing for my transition into Legislative and Community Affairs.

En route to the office, I approached a newsstand, and the picture of the makeshift Black Lives Matter flag and “BLM flag thief identified” caught my eye.

I grabbed a copy of the newspaper, only to be astonished by my findings. To see that the thief had been identified was news to me, but there was part of me speculating how recent this knowledge was.

That night, following the transition, I checked my phone during the small recess. I received a Facebook notification that someone posted in the UVM Black Student Union page.

“Last minute decided to confront SGA…” was the first thing I read, then I looked up to see some members from the BSU standing in the corner.

I had no idea what to expect next.

After Roll Call, Gabe, BSU Vice-President, walked to the center of the ballroom and spoke about that same article I read a few hours earlier.

He expressed the frustrations students of color had regarding the lack of racial discourse in the article and how SGA didn’t acknowledge the theft as a hate crime.

He extended an “olive branch” to us to rectify the relationship we have with not only the BSU, but other cultural organizations recognized by the SGA. I reflected on that overcast September day. Not even a month into my first term as a senator, I remember SGA being the organization who decided to raise the flag in the first place –however, we can’t hide behind that.

As senators, we represent the entire student body. Resolutions and fund allocations

aside, we exemplify student advocacy, but I don’t feel that we’ve adequately advocated for every student group this past term, myself included.

I think about the olive branch Gabe extended to us, and I am in awe. The courage Gabe and the BSU demonstrated during Public Forum is why we’re here. We serve as that platform for students to voice their opinions while assisting them in making change.

I’ve also been thinking as to where I stand on this issue.

Do I look at this from a student of color’s perspective or from a SGA perspective? How does my role in the Student Government Association affect my choice to acknowledge my identity and vice versa?

As a student of color, my skin – in its rich history, resilience, and splendor – is what I show to the world.

It will always serve as my bias, a bias many people of color cannot overlook.

My gears have shifted in these past couple of weeks.

Attending meetings to answering phone calls to switching committees, I realized that this issue is not only exclusive to my former committee; rather it is a continuing discussion we all need to have.

One of our goals in the new administration is to strengthen our relations with groups that epitomize the vast ideological marketplace this university strives to maintain.

Do I look at this from a student of color’s perspective or from a SGA perspective?

Looking forward, I am optimistic for upcoming year – my work is only the beginning of what’s to come. And hopefully, you’ll be there every step of the way.

MMENTARY

13

process new information s Matter flag theft Starrkeisha Cobb

Drew Cooper

Student leader

Cynic columnist

A chair. It’s that simple. If this one chair was subtracted from a set, you would all agree that the set was incomplete.

Could that chair be replaced?

What if this set of chairs was special? What if it was the last of it’s kind?

What if that set of chairs was important to someone- a part of their life. Would we still say that the set is incomplete or would we say that it is broken?

If you are reading this, and it is still not clear where I am going, then allow me to rephrase the example.

There are red and green chairs, but there are always more green chairs than red.

When one more chair disappears, their population becomes ignored more than before.

When our Black Lives Matter flag was taken away, I felt like my chair, my seat at the table was taken away. I was no longer, if ever, welcomed at this university.

Our Black Lives Matter flag was a symbol of the POC community committing to speaking up for all of the black lives that are cut short by the racism and injustice from our “protectors.”

Contrary to the belief of some white people at this school, stealing the flag was a hate crime.

I am so tired of being told over and over again that I should not be mad about a per-

son’s actions if their intentions were different.

We can not and will not stand around accepting half-assed apologies anymore! With the increase in murders by “our brothers in blue,” it is our time to unite for the same cause.

Recognize that all lives can not matter until black lives matter, until latinx lives matter, until immigrant lives matter, until every marginalized group matters!

When our Black Lives Matter flag was taken away, I felt like my chair, my seat at the table was taken away. I was no longer, if ever, welcomed at this university.

Stealing our flag made us go away in your mind- it made us invisible.

In reality, we are still here!

We are still united. What you did not realize is that you may have taken our flag, but you will never take our voice.

WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR CHAINS!

I’m not surprised it’s taken this long for the University to release J.T. Reichhelm’s name.

We do live in America after all.

The protection of white lives has always superseded the protection of black lives, and this situation is no different. UVM and Vermont are no different.

I’m sorry to those of you attending this university believing things would be different here. You may have been duped into believing this Shire-esque, hermit kingdom of limousine liberals has your best interests at heart, but trust me when I say they do not.

J.T. Reichhelm’s theft of the Black Lives Matter flag is a hate crime; full-stop. Petty theft does not encompass the impact his actions have on the people of color at this University.

The administration’s attempt to sweep this under the rug is indicative of their bias.

They prioritized protecting the privacy of a thief, née a closeted bigot, over assuring UVM’s students and faculty of color that they belong here.

Our community was directly threatened and made to feel unsafe, and expulsion from a fraternity was the perpetrator’s greatest consequence.

So what do you do? How do you live within a system that protects your oppressor?

You expose the truth, and you do so relentlessly. Here is the truth as I understand it: J.T. Reichhelm is a reprehensible person. He (rather ironically) excused himself of his crime because he was “blackout” drunk and threw an entire fraternity under the bus to protect himself.

His actions and the context around them, which includes the divisive racial climate of this country, merit expulsion.

The University of Vermont is plagued by systemic racism.

J.T. Reichhelm’s crime was incorrectly categorized as petty theft, which resulted in his pro-

tection under student conduct privacy laws.

Whether or not this was deliberate, the administration succumbed to implicit bias and protected a bigot from criticism rather than black lives from a hate crime.

This catastrophe exemplifies the failure of the white liberal ideology engrained in this institution and state. UVM and Vermont use the label of “progressive” as more of a marketing tool than a true moral ethos.

What is said about UVM and what happens are two very different things. Students in the Wellness Environment still get high. Almost every week I get emails that another girl was assaulted, but never that a student was convicted. Theft of the BLM flag is another drop in the proverbial bucket.

But there is still good in this community. Bev Colston and the incredible MCSC staff offer students of color a safe haven on campus.

Pat Brown and his wife stepped up in a way that epitomizes what it means to be an ally.

The Vermont Cynic provides a platform for students, including myself, to make ourselves heard when the administration doesn’t want to listen.

So what do you do?

How do you live within a system that protects your oppressor? You expose the truth, and you do so relentlessly.

As people of color we have fought this battle for too long.

We have dealt with this bullshit for too long.

But still we rise, and so shall the truth.

PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic

REFLECTIONS FROM THE NEWSROOM

14

How to be objective in an objectified body without crying more than twice

I

Kim Henry

did not realize it until last night, but I’ve been working toward this moment since the day I read the Cynic’s “Kake Walk” article last year.

On Thursday, April 13, I walked across the Davis Center green toward the Cynic office. I had no grand intentions in mind-- I just wanted to pitch a column to my editor-in-chief, Kelsey Neubauer.

When I arrived at the office, Kelsey stood outside talking gravely on the phone. Inside the newsroom, the editorial staff sat in silence, each one shuffling through a stack of papers.

Kelsey came up to me smiling and put her hand on my shoulder. I didn’t understand what was going on, but Kelsey said I could help so long as promised to tell no one.

“Not even your mom,” she said, sternly meeting my eyes. We had a story that could shake the University, and we wanted all the facts straight before it leaked.

We had just received an info dump from UVM administration. 157 pages of documents––police reports, interviews, hearings and appeals––surround the recent fraternity sanctions.

Nestled in those documents was the identity of the Black Lives Matter flag thief.

The first thing anyone said to me was, “You remember the hazing story?

Well, we know who stole the flag!”

That’s how that first afternoon was: chaos. We all knew we had found something––we found a lot of something––but we weren’t sure what it would mean.

We had stumbled across a gold mine of information that could shake the bedrock of fraternity and sorority life on campus. At the same time, among all that info was a single fact that would change the way students of color would coexist with their peers, their professors and their school’s leadership for years to come.

We needed to decide which story we were going to tell: the one with the most facts, or the one that--I believed-would have the greatest impact. In the end, we tried to tell both.

From that moment, our only imperatives were balance and objectivity, two ideals I strove and struggled toward.

Until that Thursday, I had written for the arts section of the Cynic.

The things that usually mattered to my writing-- perspective, tone, emotion-- would be cyanide to this story.

Even the way I thought of truth had to change the moment I walked into the newsroom.

My personal definition of facts: what I know to be true.

My reporter definition of facts: what I can verify through reputable sources, on record or in writing.

Even still, I had to check myself countless times over the five days we worked on this story. “Was Reichhelm trustworthy?” Read the documents.

“UVM chose Reichhelm over the black community!” It doesn’t say that in the documents. “How could a frat have punished Reichhelm more decisively than UVM?” The documents don’t specify Reichhelm’s punishment by the University.

I tried to banish bias from my mind.

I believe I succeeded in secluding bias from my pen. My one uncertainty: would I, or should I, ever erase bias from my skin?

How would I report on the ground?

How could I interview white faculty and white fraternity members without my (perceived) bias staring them right

The implications of power and privilege on the journalistic process

I PHIL CARRUTHERS/ The Vermont Cynic in the face? How would I get witnesses to speak to me without feeling as if they were speaking to the crime?

J.T. Reichhelm may have stolen the Black Lives Matter flag from outside the Davis Center, but for me and many other students of color, the flag remains in our skin. We see the theft on each other’s chests, an open wound that certain members of the administration could not suture with a replacement flag. Healing can only begin with the release of the truth.

On Monday night, the deadline to publish the story, I left the Cynic office in tears. I did not know if I could finish the story. I did not know if I could leave it behind.

I sat on a bench outside the Davis Center tunnel, halfway between my dorm and the office I had just left. I could not move, indecision crawling under my skin.

And then I remembered reading the “Kake Walk” article just over a year ago, before I had started writing for the Cynic. I wanted to be proud of my friends who had written this story, to be proud of my school for calling out its own racist history.

But I did not trust it. I could not trust that article because I knew that no one who had written it could feel what I have felt my whole life. No one who wrote the “Kake Walk” article had moved through the world, through this campus, marked by their skin. So instead of pride, what the “Kake Walk” article inspired in me was disdain.

I did not want my community to go through this again. I did not want anyone to feel the disdain of being spoken for, being saved, by someone who could never feel what it was like to live my skin.

I will not lie. We could have been clearer that this story would be the bare facts; that the only people quoted would be those directly involved, and that we would follow up with the community once we had printed the facts. Not making that clear may have irreparably hurt some members of UVM’s black community.

And I am unbelievably proud of the Cynic’s coverage of this story. We deciphered over a hundred pages of documents, untangled several different accounts of events, and identified witnesses whose names had been redacted.

We strove for balance. We achieved objectivity. We wrote down every fact that was fit to print.

I do not claim to speak for the community of color, nor was I the sole writer of this article. But I want the student body to know that a voice of color contributed to this story.

Now the Cynic is reaching out to every student of the student body. We are calling on members of the brown, white, fraternity and sorority communities, and those who are not contained by those categories at all.

As far as journalism is concerned, what we published this week was fact.

We need your voices to find this campus’s truth.

Kelsey Neubauer

am reaching out as the editor-in-chief of the Cynic, regarding facts, the article I oversaw and the official stance of the paper.

I want to personally acknowledge and own my privilege: I am a white woman leading a predominantly white organization.

As a member of the press, I have the privilege to access information.

I also have the responsibility to report on this information factually and truthfully.

For the sake of transparency, I want to explain the details of what happened from the time we received the documents to the time we published April 19.

We received a 157-page appeal April 14 that we had requested through the freedom of information act 12 days earlier.

We opened the file expecting to find information about the reasons for the recent fraternity sanctioning. Instead, we found information I knew would change this campus.

I instructed my staff to begin to dive deeply into these documents, highlighting names and reaching out to anyone involved.

The names of any student, past or present, had been redacted from the appeal due to privacy laws.

I left the newsroom and I sat in the Davis Center with this information, understanding the impact this would have on two communities that I cared deeply about.

I sat with it and also understood that I would never be able to truly feel what the community of color on this campus would feel, because the color of my skin protects me from it.

I held both of these truths near as I instructed my editors and writers.

Truths that I could understand, but never fully know.

The one thing I do know pretty well is journalism. I also know that this weekend, Easter weekend, my staff showed some of the best journalism I have seen.

Our job is to seek truth and report it, and that is what we decided to do.

Some of my staff decided that instead of going home for the weekend, they would sit with the documents to attempt to understand them better.

Every paragraph of our article was attributed to a University official or official document with concrete details about the theft.

That Monday, when we had completed our reporting, we reached out to the current and former presidents of the fraternity and the outgoing president of BSU before the article came out.

I asked them each to write guest commentary for this week’s issue.

Finally, when we went to print at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, my managing editor Bryan O’Keefe and I had been up for 48 hours straight, editing and weeding through documents, attempting to best represent the information and to make sure all communities involved knew their voices would be welcome in our paper.

When we sent the issue to our printer, we were confident that the piece we were putting out was the most factually accurate one we could have presented to the campus at the time.

Our article was based on truths we could confirm with reputable sources and documentation. This does not mean that other truths do not exist elsewhere on this campus, in this nation or in the world.

As journalists, however, we have the responsibility of printing only facts that

PHIL CARRUTHERS/ The Vermont Cynic can be attributed back to these reputable sources.

In addition, I want to emphasize that the paper did address the racism that was inherent in this heinous event, in our staff editorial, the official opinion of the paper.

At the same time, I am aware of my privilege in this role as well. Every week, as the voice of the paper, Bryan and I are expected to write a staff editorial indicating the Cynic’s position on a pertinent topic.

The Cynic fully recognizes the institutional racism present in the nation and on this campus, and we have openly supported the Black Lives Matter movement.

In an editorial we published Sept.

28, we announced our support for Black Lives Matter, emphasizing the efforts of our peers on this campus to combat institutional racism, both covert and overt.

Over the past year, we have implemented diversity practices in the newsroom and campaigned for a more inclusive media. We are a more diverse staff than we have ever been in gender, sexuality and race.

I believe this is not something that should be applauded, but should be expected from college media. I am also aware that this does not make us immune to playing into a system of institutionalized racism; this is the world we live in.

We are often expected to speak for the whole of the UVM community, despite our inability to truly know how many of our community members are impacted by actions on this campus every day because we are white.

I struggled in writing this editorial; I asked myself, how could I, a white woman, speak out on the impact of this theft when I do not wear this theft on my skin? This is where my truth falls short.

The article we published was based on the events of a weekend that were known to few on this campus before this week. We needed every community on this campus to know these details before we could accurately convey their emotions.

We will continue to serve the community by seeking truth bravely and boldly, without fear or favor, for a healthy and free society.

OPINION

15

Equal treatment for organizations 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 Manager 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 Enterprise Erika B. Lewy enterprise@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 Max McCurdy photo@vtcynic.com Social Media Liv Jensen socialmedia@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

F

Staff Editorial

irst, let’s be clear: the action of the individual who stole the Black Lives Matter flag was hateful and racist.

In our editorial last week, we were not nearly clear enough about this.

In fact, race and racism are not explicitly mentioned until the 12th paragraph.

Yes, we speak about the New Jim Crow and throw statistics in. We explicitly state that the protections given to the flag thief are not given to the 60 percent of the prison population that is black and brown men, convicted of nonviolent crimes.

However, we don’t use the word racism until the 12th paragraph.

This is unacceptable. It indicates a subconscious fear of a word that needs to be spoken.

By not naming the act as racist in the very first paragraph, we reinforced a system of oppression — and quite frankly poor journalism skills — which indicates a need for clarity and precision.

The editorial expresses the official opinion of the paper, and is written by the opinion

editor, managing editor and editor-in-chief.

The editorial is an enormous part of collegiate press.

The role of a college newspaper consists of four parts: chronicling, acting as a campus watchdog and shaping campus opinion as leaders.

It also is an incubator for the future of journalism.

All of these elements create truth.

The fact that we did not put the word “racism” into the story until the 12th paragraph is indicative of the white hands that wrote it. It is indicative of the fear of a word, and it is indicative of our contribution to a system that reinforces racism.

Our editorial illustrated a need for more education. This education needs to come from the institution itself; it needs to be engaged and self-started.

From now on, we promise to educate ourselves. We promise to strive for active inclusion, not just a buzzword.

We promise to make this paper a space for all voices.

Further, we amend our former statement, where we called upon everyone to hold the flag on their backs and in their hearts. In that statement, “we” is exclusive. “We” is writ-

LILY KEATS

ten with the privilege of white skin. It excluded those who have to carry the flag every day in their skin.

We must acknowledge the racism inherent in the theft of the flag and grow through action and conversation, all of us, not just those that carry it.

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.

Join the rally for workers’ rights on May 1 Guest Commentary

U

VM students have seen protest after protest happen over social issues that seem to be separate from the Vermont community.

We have been out in the streets to support women, Muslim citizens, citizens of color, scientists, environmental justice, indigenous people’s rights, immigrants’ rights and more; yet for many UVM students, these issues often seem to exist outside of our corner of the world.

Does it really make a difference to protest in Burlington, Vermont of all places? Yes. Protests keep public officials accountable. They show that inaction is unacceptable, force judges to evaluate their decisions in the light of public focus, and build political coalitions among active members of society.

Through protest, Migrant Justice organizers Kike Balcazar and Zully Palacios have been freed from incarceration; the Muslim Ban has been overturned twice; and political opposition to president Trump has slowly been organizing within the American populace.

On May 1, it is vital that we students join the rally for workers rights not only because nationwide protests are among the best ways to encourage a culture of empowerment and common struggle, but because the issues we stand up against impact each and every student here.

As members of the working and middle classes we benefit from solidarity among workers of all nationalities, religions, racial and ethnic backgrounds,

MIKE TRIPP gender identities, sexualities and ages.

When we cease to isolate ourselves within such boundaries, we become an unstoppable force for positive social, political, and economic change change. As human beings, it is our responsibility to stand up for each others’ human rights and civil liberties.

Even as students, it is in our best interests to recognize that when we are standing up for immigrant farmworkers, for the United Academics union, for public school teachers, for fast food workers fighting for a liveable wage, and anyone else who is exploited in today’s socioeconomic system, we are standing

up for ourselves as well.

On May 1 at noon, I will be walking out of my midday class to support workers in Burlington and across the world. I believe that it is my responsibility to stand in solidarity with those who are exploited and whose human rights are denied.

I believe that all workers deserve a livable wage and safe working conditions, regardless of whether they are American citizens.

I believe that we need as strong a faculty union at UVM as possible because the quality of my education is at stake when valued professors like John Summa can be fired at the drop of a hat if what they teach does not jive with hege-

monic narratives of capitalist efficiency.

I believe that public education fails when teachers are not provided with the resources they need to open students’ minds and encourage creative thinking.

I implore all UVM students to join me May 1 and April 25 at a teach-in titled Resistance Has No Borders: Student Solidarity for May Day. We all have a vested interest in defending workers rights. Come learn why that is, then march with workers on May Day.

Scarlett Moore is a first-year geography major. She is a member of the UVM Socialist Club.

OPINION

16

Embracing Trump’s greener change of heart

I

Lily Spechler

n a world of trouble, many feel that President Donald Trump will soon be facing the most defining decision of his young presidency.

The time has come for Trump to decide between staying in or withdrawing from the 2015 Paris Agreement.

A U.S. withdrawal would be nothing short of a ‘nuclear option’ that would erode American credibility and set back U.S interests on other issues requiring global cooperation, according to the Sierra Club, an environmental organization Withdrawing from the agreement could create diplomatic blowback, while weakening American leadership in arenas far afield from energy and the environment, according to the New York Times.

The Paris Agreement was enacted in order to serve as a global framework to mitigate the impacts on climate change, specifically by reducing greenhouse gases.

The agreement laid out a timetable for participating countries to lower emissions, and a review process that would keep countries on track and even encourage more ambitious reductions.

A huge aspect of the agreement also called for developed countries, who are mostly responsible for climate change impacts, to provide financial

RORY CLANCY

climate aid to developing countries who would bear the brunt of impacts.

Another main aspect of the agreement is that over time, there would be a massive shift to renewable forms of energy. In other words, the Paris Agreement is a beacon of hope for all people who believe in that mystical thing called “science.”

There is too much coverage of the fact that Trump might break a campaign promise and not enough coverage of the actual subject matter.

There are growing doubts that the president will fulfill that pledge, according to the

Times. The Washington Post’s headline reads: “Trump may be about to break another big promise.” The Atlantic’s headline reads: “Is Donald Trump Keeping His promises?”

The list goes on and on.

Yes, this was one of Trump’s core campaign promises.

His exact campaign promise was, “We’re going to cancel the Paris Climate Agreement and stop all payments of U.S. tax dollars to U.N. global warming programs,” according to Politifact, a political fact checking website.

This is not an election.

Trump is already our president.

He is in the process of enacting real policies that will affect the entirety of our country and the world.

Instead of spending time speculating about the ways in which he might not be the man he claimed he was during his campaign, we should only be discussing what is actually at stake here, and try to work together to make optimized and sustainable decisions.

Instead of headlines like “Is Trump Breaking Another Promise?”, why don’t media outlets try a headline like “Is Trump Beginning to Reason With the Intellectual America?” or “Is Trump Developing a

Prefrontal Cortex?” or perhaps “Trump Might Have a Conscious and a Soul After All.” It is pretty much universally accepted that climate change is real and largely being caused by humans.

Even U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, former CEO of ExxonMobil, said that the agreement was “an effective framework for addressing the risks of change,” according to CNN . Needless to say, Tillerson has some extremely rightwing views.

The media should strive to be more careful about inviting wise and cautious changes of heart instead of pointing out Trump’s flippancy.

He walked into the office with lots to learn, and it is natural that with more information, he has new opinions.

As a nation, let’s welcome positive growth and continue to stand up for the right decisions instead of wasting time talking about Trump’s campaign persona. Policy making is not a personality contest.

We are not in a horse race. This is real life where policies are going to affect real people, and it is time to start discussing what matters.

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

A few words of wisdom to the incoming class of 2021 Alexander Collingsworth

D

ear Incoming firstyears, Nice job. You got accepted. You will soon discover that this school wants your money and not much else. You got fooled.

At some point, somehow, describing you as “fresh” was somehow offensive. I get the “men” part. Maybe let’s call you “freshfolks,” or maybe just “fresh.” [First years reminds me of Harry Potter. Those kids were literally 11 when they were first years.]

When I got to college as a freshfolk, I was feeling pretty fresh.

I’d just come off a gap year of traveling. I had seen much of the world. I had literally walked 500 miles across Spain.

I was feeling pretty accomplished.

That all went down the drain pretty fast. I discovered that most kids were picking right up where they left off in high school.

They weren’t interested in much more than drinking, smoking weed, and worst of all, playing video games.

I learned of a phenomenon called FIFA. I was unprepared for how glued to their screens everyone was.

The first day of class, I didn’t know where any of my classes were in Lafayette.

I mistook the number of my first class, English 101, for the room number.

In what you might say was

a classic mix up, I sat in the wrong class, a class that had nothing to do with English literature, for a good 10 minutes.

That story is not true. But it could happen to you.

The first day of class I was utterly overwhelmed by the sea of kids; I wasn’t prepared for feeling absolutely anonymous.

In my dorm, I didn’t have that much trouble making friends. We had a pretty good group of kids in our hallway.

I remember that we would tend to all just hang out smack dab in the middle of the hall on Friday nights. Kids would duck back into their rooms to hit the marijuwans.

I would stand right in my door way with a beer in the inside hand, taking sips and looking out for the beer police –– the RA’s.

One time the actual police showed up.

One of the kids, whose name is a prominent city in Texas, a democratic city, which starts with an A, was talking about how we should do bong rips in the hall.

Unknown to him, there was a giant copper standing right behind him.

Hey, Texas-City, I said, how bout we don’t do bong rips in front of the police. We got the cops out of there, explaining it was all a big misunderstanding.

We meant a metaphorical hall with metaphorical weed.

You know, philosophy.

Here’s the first lesson kids:

you won’t make friends sitting by yourself in your dorm room or at the grundle. You can’t expect people to come up to you and thrust friendship upon you.

My advice to you is to seek out friendships. Talk to your neighbor in class, even if you think they might be annoyed.

They will open up.

Here’s the second lesson: you may make a lot of friends.

You might make more friends than you can keep track of.

People you hung out with your first year might become strangers by senior year. That’s ok, but be kind; stay in touch.

Third lesson: don’t be cruel.

There was a kid who was a bit weird. He didn’t even live in our hallway. He lived on the floor above, but he would often walk down our hall looking for people to hang out with: everyone shunned him.

His family owned a restaurant and over break he brought back a case full of expensive liquor.

I guess his parents told him, hey kid, if you can’t make friends, try making fancy cocktails. Friends will soon follow.

I sympathized with the kid because, and this may be hard to believe, kids in middle school thought I was weird. I was bullied. Heavily.

I switched schools in the fifth grade and showed up at my new school with a tye-dye t-shirt and hair down to my shoulders.

“Girl in the locker room” they yelled on my first day.

ISABELLA ALESSANDRINI

I ended up cutting my hair and trying to fit in.

Worst mistake of my life. If people think you’re weird, you are probably doing something right. Of course, there are exceptions.

Standards of hygiene should be observed. Try to look people in the eye when talking to them. Whatever you do, don’t scratch your ass in front of other people. You know who you are.

The cool thing about college is you get to try new things. You can discover things you never thought you would be interested in, but don’t lose sight of who you were to begin with.

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

LIFE

17

Student discusses effects of microagressions Now You See Me Naydeline Mejia

J

ulio Colón is a first-year nursing student at the UVM. He is originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico, but has been living in the U.S. since 2008. He currently lives in Philadelphia. Julio is a member of Phi Mu Delta fraternity and the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at UVM. Colón is a tour guide for the University and a student adviser to Annie Stevens, the vice provost for student affairs.

This summer, he will be an Orientation Leader for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. In the fall, Colón will be program director for La Casa de Cultura, vice president of Alianza Latinx and will be a College of Nursing and Health Sciences Link.

I spoke with Colón recently to learn about his experiences as a student of color at UVM, and this is what he had to say: NM: I know you talked about microaggressions, that’s actually one of my questions, so have you experienced any microaggressions while at UVM? And if so, can you talk about that your experience?

JC: I didn’t actually know what microaggressions were until I went to Racial Aikido [an annual retreat led by the Mosaic Center for Students of Color].

NM: Yeah, I still kind of don’t know what it is. Do you want to explain the definition?

JC: Basically, a microaggression is a way of making a person of color feel uncomfortable. That can be like looking at you weird; that’s a microaggression. Assuming you possess stereotypes associated with your ethnicity or your race, is another microaggression. It’s just stuff that you wouldn’t be like, “Damn, that’s

Photo courtesy of Agape Fotos First-year Julio Colon-Laboy. racist!” but damn, that’s lowkey messed up. I feel like I’ve noticed that a bit more.

I had a kid once who was like “Oh, hey Jose!” and I was like “Oh, it’s Julio,” and he then said “Oh, same thing,” and I was like “No, it’s not the same thing,” so like stuff like that.

NM: Yeah, it’s just blatantly disrespectful.

JC: But you learn to combat that stuff. You get upset about it, but you can’t also let that affect your entire world.

It’s just another thing I have to experience as a student of color.

Like I have to experience that, that people are going to ship my identity away, and make it fit their perception of what it is.

NM: Yeah it’s kind of a

necessary experience, because I know if I had stayed in New York and went to a City University of New York school, which is the norm, and it’s pretty diverse, I wouldn’t get those experiences, and know how to deal with those things.

JC: Well yeah, I feel like that kind of made me think, “What does my name mean to me?” I started thinking about that, and I was like, “holy crap, my name is important to me.

It’s important to who I am.”

So yeah, it was definitely an important experience, but it’s also an experience I’m forced into and I don’t have the option to not have it.

Microaggressions are like mosquito bites. Like one or two are bothersome, but when you have all these mosqui-

to bites, it’s like, “that hurt,” and it’s oppressive. If you’re a student of color and don’t know how to deal with that or practice self-care, then that can get to you.

That’s why many students of color don’t finish at UVM, or will stop coming here and go to another school.

This upsets me, but what am I going to do about it? Am I going to snap at this person, and succumb to a stereotype of the angry black person?

There are often places where you shouldn’t say anything — if you fear for your safety and stuff — but other times you need to stand up.

NM: It’s better to educate people than letting them be unknowledgeable and ignorant and live that way.

JC: Yeah, but also you can’t make it your job to educate people on stuff that you don’t even know, about your own ethnicity.

NM: It shouldn’t be your job, you know, they [the white community] should take the time to learn about other races and ethnicities and about their experiences.”

JC: But as I was saying earlier, they have like the option to learn about different races and ethnicities if they want to, whereas we are forced to learn about all white people.

We kind of have to play the system.

Naydeline Mejia is a first-year Communication Sciences and Disorders Major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2017.

Event provides support for sexual assault survivors Kate Vesely Staff Writer In 98 seconds, you can sing the Star-Spangled Banner. In 98 seconds, you can brush your teeth, or you can make awkward small talk with the person next to you in line.

And every 98 seconds, someone in America is sexually assaulted, according to the Department of Justice, one out of every six women are victims of an attempted or completed rape, and one out of every 33 men are victims of an attempted or completed rape.

Events such as the Take Back the Night March aim to help survivors realize that they are not alone.

Take Back the Night is a march that takes place in April, which is Sexual Violence Awareness Month.

It seeks to end sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual abuse and all other forms of sexual violence. Take Back the Night spreads awareness and allows survivors to tell their story and

AUTUMN LEE/The Vermont Cynic Sophomore Sarah Smith discusses how the Take Back the Night March has impacted her. The march will begin at 5 p.m. Royall Tyler Theater April 26 and finish at the Burlington City Hall. march in unity according to the Take Back the Night website mission statement.

This year, Sarah Mell, the education coordinator at H.O.P.E. Works, has collaborated closely with the Burlington Police Department, UVM and the City of Burlington to organize the march.

“Take Back the Night is a chance to listen to the truths

of others, acknowledge the impact of sexual violence and come together to devote ourselves to ending this epidemic,” Mell said.

The first-time Mell attended the event was in 2000.

“The first ime I spoke, I was surprised at how empowered, heard, loved and celebrated I felt for speaking my truth, for sharing my story,” Mell said.

“It was my once-a-year opportunity for my survivor identity to be the most salient of the many identities I hold and to give it space to be acknowledged and heard.”

Sophomore Sarah Lubic, who is volunteering at the event, has learned a lot from participating this year, she said.

“I was always taught that

these are things that aren’t okay to talk about so the biggest lesson that I got from this was that it is okay to talk about it, it’s healthy to talk about it and that there are people who want to listen,” Lubic said.

Sophomore Sarah Smith, who is also volunteering at the event, has found unity in this march, she said.

“I’ve had more friends than I would like to say who have had experiences with sexual assault,” Smith said, “I think everyone has a connection somehow.”

The march is April 26, starting at 5 p.m. at the Royal Tyler Theater, then traveling to the Contois Auditorium in City Hall for story sharing.

“Sexual violence can happen to anyone” Mell said.

“The only way we can end this epidemic is to work together to create a culture of consent and joyful sexuality.”

The H.O.P.E. Works hotline is available to survivors and their loved ones, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year: 802-863-1236.

18

LIFE

Earth Week increases sustainability efforts Kailey Bates Staff Writer Last week, students showed support for Mother Earth in a number of ways.

April 17 marked the first day of UVM’s annual Earth Week.

Dozens of groups have organized events all week long that shed light on environmental issues that affect us all.

Sophomore Madeline Joslin stood behind a table April 17 in the Davis Center Atrium wearing her Eco-Reps T-shirt and spoke with students on the dangers of fossil fuels, persuading them to sign a petition to get Build Your Dreams’ first electric transit bus running on campus.

“The investment for the bus would pay off in the long run,” Joslin said. “It would run for 12 years and save UVM $50,000 — and it wouldn’t be polluting our environment.”

Later that day, UVM celebrated achieving the Real Food Challenge three years early.

In 2012, UVM signed the Real Food Campus Commitment in an effort to have 20 percent of food on campus be considered “real food” by 2020.

Food is considered real if it meets one of the four standards set by the RFC: it must be local, ecologically sound, fairly traded or humane.

Alana Chriest, a member of the Real Food Working Group, called Sodexo a progressive company and a very strong partner.

“They wanted to work with our group and the UVM Food Initiative to achieve this phe-

HENRY ROOD/The Vermont Cynic Smoothie bikes are displayed in the Davis Center. As a part of Earth Week at UVM, companies such as City Market showed off earth-friendly technology on campus. nomenal goal,” Chriest said.

“Because of that, we have met the challenge three years prior to 2020.”

UVM recently signed a contract with the goal to get 25 percent real food on campus by 2020.

The state of our food doesn’t only depend on how local farmers decide to grow it, but largely on the bee population — the pollinators that give life to the array of fruits and vegetables all creatures need.

Junior Peter Chlebowski,

president of the club UVM Beekeepers, was recently awarded the UVM Environmental Citizens Award for his work on the club.

“I decided to create the club in March of 2016 with the help of my advisor, Mark Starrett,” Chlebowski said. “This year, we got hives donated to the Horticulture Farm. We’ll be transporting them to the meadow in front of the Catholic Center this summer.”

Chlebowski has been trying to get people to understand that it’s not just honeybees

that are important to the environment.

“There are over 50 native species of bees in Vermont.

They are all very intertwined with our food systems,” he said. “Support pollinators by supporting the habitat — let the flowers grow!”

Junior Connor Brustofski, managing designer for Headwaters Magazine, UVM’s first student-run environmental publication, had last semester’s issue on display in the Davis Center, its cover-story being on the state of bees in

today’s environment.

“The magazine was created to bring these issues to a wider audience than just environmental majors,” Connor said.

Senior James Biddle, a forestry major with a passion for trees, praised Earthweek for its creativity.

“Every year it gets better and better. I’m excited about the events this coming week,” he said.

Waterman Manor offers different dining experience The Health Corner Michaela Paul

W

aterman Manor is a restaurant open to both staff and students on the top floor of Waterman Building.

When you enter, you are greeted with a quaint vibe and a view overlooking Lake Champlain and all of downtown.

The restaurant provides diners with the option of taking food to-go, but also the choice to dine in with seating indoors and outside on the patio during warmer days.

Due to its remote location, I had personally never known about this restaurant until recently.

This past week, my friend and I decided to try it out for something new.

As we were waiting to order, I noticed the wide variety of individuals enjoying their meals.

There were older people dressed in business attire sitting near students in jeans and yoga pants. The diversity in the restaurant between professional adults and students made it a different experience than those spent eating at the Marketplace or Marche.

With adults holding

ELISE MITCHELL business meetings around us and the quiet tone, we felt as though the atmosphere was more professional than a typical college eaterie.

Initially, we were prompted to behave in a more professional manner because of the nature of our fellow diners, and observed our surround-

ings in relative silence.

After a while, more students in sweatpants and jeans arrived, and we felt more comfortable discussing what was on our minds without feeling pressured to talk quietly.

The Waterman Manor’s food is provided by Sodexo, but offers a wider variety than

what is available in other areas on campus. There are salad options, sandwich options, pasta dishes and burgers that differ from the options offered in the dining halls.

There is even a salad and soup bar with different soups each day and a wide variety of dressings and top-

pings.

My friend ordered the chicken salad sandwich, while I ordered the tomato basil soup and salad bar, which I thought was delicious. The salad bar had rolls, dressings and an array of different toppings including pasta salad and eggs.

My friend enjoyed her sandwich, but the curly fries were by far her favorite component of her meal.

Overall, the dining experience was enjoyable and made us feel as though we were able to escape our routines and the typical UVM campus for our 30 minute meal.

Waterman Manor accepts points, CatScratch, cash and credit cards, making it accessible to both students and professionals alike.

But do note that the prices of the meals are on the expensive side, typically $9 and up, even for the soup and salad bar.

They are open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Michaela Paul is a senior biology major. She has been writing for the cynic since spring 2016.

LIFE

Photo courtesy of Beacon VT Left to right: John Tyner, Shoko Plambeck, Peter Silverman, Natalia Korpanty and Max Robbins of Beacon VT. Beacon helps college students find career-related jobs to build their resumes.

UVM junior advances in VT business competition Anna Power Staff Writer A UVM business student is a finalist in a statewide entrepreneurial competition.

LaunchVT will hold its annual Pitch Competition May 12 according to its website.

Those competing all have the chance to win over $75,000 in cash and prizes, according to the NBC website.

Each team will be paired with a venture capitalist mentor to prepare their pitch, according to the website.

The finalists will have an eight-minute pitch of their business plan, followed by a five-minute Q&A from a finance panel.

Among the seven finalists is junior Peter Silverman, who won the collegiate competition.

The competition was between the top business teams from each of the eight colleges in Vermont, Silverman said.

“A qualifier narrowed it down to the best student-run business in the school at UVM,” he said.

The competition consisted of an eight-minute pitch, followed by a five-minute Q&A from a business panel, Silverman said.

“The only real competition was Middlebury, because they usually beat UVM in entrepreneurship,” he said.

Silverman and his team won. Their company, Beacon business, is a website that helps students find jobs and makes money by selling it to different universities, he said.

Previously, Silverman has been to about 20 to 30 differ-

ent pitch competitions, he said.

“The hardest part was memorizing the pitch,” Silverman said. “I probably went through 19 series of revisions and memorizations.”

Silverman explained that at this competition he will be up against 40-year-olds with PhDs who have done lots more with their businesses, such as selling to NASA and making renewable energy resources, he said.

The winner gets $30,000 in cash and $45,000 in-kind support, which they can use for office space, lawyers and advertising, Silverman said.

“At its core, every business tries to create value, and the value I create is to find students jobs through advertising making software, helping students out,” he said.

Although Silverman is excited to get his idea out there for people to see and understand, he is also looking forward to meeting the higher-ups of the business world, Silverman said.

“There are more venture capitalists at the competition to secure funding after college,” he said.

Each team is paired up with a venture capitalist to get advice before the competition, which is exciting because they give funds to startup businesses, such as Intel or Facebook, Silverman said.

Silverman was excited and nervous for this competition as he will be pitching to finance officials instead of just people in a business, he said.

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LIFE

20

Campus chefs battle to support food shelf Izzy Siedman Assistant Life Editor Following the culinary aromas, guests young and old entered the candlelit ballroom with an air of hushed excitement.

The Campus Kitchens Project hosted their annual Battle of the Campus Chef’s event April 20 in the Grand Maple Ballroom of the Davis Center.

Students at the event paid $5 to enter, which allowed them to try the dishes being cooked and then vote for their favorite at the end. Each attendee also received one free raffle ticket. Prizes included UVM apparel and baskets of organic food products.

The event “brings the community together around the topic of food,” the UVM Bored website stated.

Chefs from around campus worked with student organizations to create dazzling dishes from locally sourced ingredients, according to UVM Bored.

“Some of these dishes would go for $30 in a restaurant,” a UVM Dining volunteer said, “but here, you can get all of them for only $5 to $10 dollars total.”

All proceeds from the event go to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, which works to provide meals to more than 12,000 people each year, according to its website.

A collage of kitchen photos from the food shelf provided background to the beautiful display of finalized dishes.

Each table featured ap-

OLIVER POMAZI/The Vermont Cynic UVM campus chefs work with student to create dishes during the annual Battle of the Campus Chef’s April 20. All proceeds from the event go to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf. petizers and main courses prepared and plated by professionals and students alike.

UVM’s finest chefs gathered around black cocktail tables, socializing, tipping their tall white hats and gesturing to favorite dishes.

The room grew increasingly crowded with people who were milling, munching and mingling.

Guests learned not just about the meals they consumed, but also about the clubs and organizations that made them, like the biochem-

istry society and the horticulture club.

The bee-costumed representative from the beekeeping club served spicy honey quinoa salad on tiny tortilla shells.

Cuban sandwiches with homemade pickles created

by UVM Dining cooks Kristi Griffin and Art Thomas went so fast that chefs scrambled to keep plates on the table.

“I can’t believe this,” firstyear Libby Camp said, “that sandwich is delicious.”

Chef Jeff Kirby rapidly

plated homemade venison potstickers that he said would “take the trophy home,” winking at his cooking partner, chef Andy Gimrino.

“Oh, they’re winners alright—they have my vote,” Daniel Infantes, assistant manager of Harris Millis dining hall said, pointing at the dumplings.

In addition to the judging panel that decided the official winner of this year’s battle, attendees could write down their favorite dish, voting for a fan favorite.

The University Marché was awarded first prize as both the crowd favorite and the judge’s pick, according to a post on the Campus Kitchens Project Facebook page.

Despite the competitive nature, chefs and opposing clubs laughed and smiled throughout, ardently trying each other’s dishes.

“It’s great that we’re doing events that support our local community,” sophomore Adam Slamin said, “sure beats the Grundle.”

Restaurant Week offers discounted prices, new foods Chris’s Critique Chris Leow

A

pril 21- 30 is Vermont Restaurant Week, a great way to sample the amazing restaurants Burlington and Vermont have to offer.

“Vermont Restaurant Week is 10 days of eating, essentially,” said Corey Grenier, the marketing and events director for Seven Days, said..”We have 118 Restaurants across the state offering menus at $20, $30 and $40 per person.”

Grenier said that some restaurants craft special menus for this week and even offer discounted prices, making it a perfect time to try new places.

After perusing different menus on the restaurant week website, I plan on visiting Butch and Babes, a restaurant I’ve been wanting to try for a while. $20 at Butch and Babes during Restaurant Week will get you a three course meal.

It consists of brussel sprouts or a mac and cheese pancake for the first course, vegan pasta or pork dumplings for the second course and a cookie du jour for dessert, according to the Vermont Restaurant Week website.

Another intriguing option that caught my eye was a “happy meal” offered by Arts-

riot for $15, which includes a burger, popcorn chicken or maple-roasted broccoli served with rosemary-sage fries, a drink and even a toy.

Other Burlington restaurants offering deals include Single Pebble, August First Bakery & Café, The Gryphon, Citizen Cider, The Farmhouse Tap & Grill, Duino! (Duende), Trattoria Delia and more.

During Restaurant Week there are “special Foodie Events,” Grenier said.

“April 30 is our finale event, which is a brunch bash where there will be eight brunch chefs serving up bite-size samples of classic brunch dishes,” he said.

Besides the Bottomless Brunch Bash, there are other events throughout the week.

These various events include a discussion about

growing grains in Vermont, a trivia night, a “snacky social hour” and even an Instagram scavenger hunt challenge, according to the Restaurant Week website.

Restaurant Week benefits the Vermont Food Bank, Grenier said.

“Last year we raised $20,000 through a variety of ways,” he said. “We have special events throughout the week where proceeds from admissions go to the foodbank.”

For anyone who loves eating out, this is the week to celebrate Vermont’s amazing restaurants.

While you dine you can give back to the Vermont Food Bank and help feed others in the community.

Use the website to plan out your route or buy tickets to events and start eating.

CAROLINE SLACK/The Vermont Cynic The Trattoria Delia and The Gryphon, along with other restaurants throughout Vermont, participate in Vermont Restaurant week.

Restaurant Week raises funds for the Vermont Food Bank.

Chris Leow is a junior medical laboratory science major. He has been writing for the Cynic

LIFE

21

PIKE wins national contest for fourth time Izzy Siedman Assistant Life Editor For the fourth year in a row, the iconic laughter of comedian, actor and charity organizer Seth Rogen echoed through halls of the Pi Kappa Alpha house.

PIKE welcomed Seth Rogen as a new brother of their fraternity April 17, after winning the Hilarity for Charity fundraising competition for the fourth time.

Teaming up with sorority Alpha Chi Omega, the fraternity raised more than $30,000 for HFC. Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen formed the organization in 2012 to raise awareness, increase care and fund research for Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Hilarity for Charity website.

Now, groups across the country are provided with tools and ideas to host their own fundraising events, such as the Kick Alz in the Ballz kickball tournament, Dancea-Thon or talent shows, as the HFC website suggests.

According to the HFC website, each year Rogen visits the school which raises the most money.

Having gotten to know the Lambda Delta chapter over his last four visits, Rogen tweeted, “I joined a fraternity today and it was amazing. Proud to be a PIKE,” in response to being initiated while on campus.

Melanie Levene, a senior in Alpha Chi Omega and market-

ing liaison for UVM Program Board, said that both Rogen and his wife helped her cope with her grandmother’s own Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

“My grandmother continues to suffer from a similar story as Lauren’s mother,” Levene said. “It meant a lot to me when Alpha Chi Omega got involved with this cause my sophomore year, because it doesn’t get a lot of national attention.”

Rogen’s arrival at UVM was well timed for a bit of celebration with his new brothers.

According to one anonymous PIKE brother, Rogen was giving his new frat family the low-down.

“He told us he hasn’t missed a day of smoking since

the ‘90’s,” the brother said.

On the other hand, Rogen’s inclusion in the fraternity was trumped by overwhelming praise. The chapter received recognition not only from UVM, but also nationally, since USA Today College published an article about PIKE’s fourth win.

“It’s pretty freaking cool,” first-year Jackie Balter said, “not just that they get to hang out with Seth Rogen, but also the enormous amount of money they raised for such a worthy cause.”

Levene said Rogen and his wife are down to earth, and bring a sense of humanity to a very serious issue.

“I’m really happy I was able to thank them in person,”

Photo courtesy of UVM PIKE (top) and UVM (bottom) Members of Pi Kappa Alpha and Alpha Chi Omega pose with Seth Rogen. After winning the Hilarity for Charity event, Rogan officially became a brother of PIKE. Levene said, “even if it was at a sketchy bowling alley in Vermont.”

In winning again, PIKE

raised more money than 250 participating college organizations.

Do you want to...

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SPORTS

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Track and field continue impressive season Locria Courtright Assistant Sports Editor With one meet remaining before the America East championships, Vermont outdoor track and field is preparing for the biggest event of the season.

In every scoring meet so far, the Vermont women’s team has finished in the top three.

The men have done the same in all but one meet, placing sixth in the Black and Gold Invitational, hosted by Bryant University.

The Catamounts recently hosted the Catamount Invitational at Frank Livak Track April 18.

The meet was originally meant to be a dual meet between Vermont and the University of Hartford; however, a handful of athletes from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh also competed, as well as a few from Sprinticity, a Burlington-based track club.

History was made at the invitational, as first-year Dan DeBlieck posted a school record in the 400 meter dash.

DeBlieck’s time, 48.26 seconds, broke the previous record of 48.47, which was set in 2013 by Ben Greenwald ‘14, according to UVM athletics.

The Catamounts took home the team title in both men’s and women’s, defeating Hartford 99-60 in women’s and 95-46 in men’s.

Several Catamounts took place in separate meets April 22. Some participated in the War Eagle Invitational in

Photo courtesy of UVM Athletics Senior Grace Weisbecker competes in the pole vault at the Catamount Invitational April 18. Wiesbecker finished in first place, clearing 3.70 meters.

Auburn, Alabama, hosted by Auburn University, while others participated in the Albany Spring Classic in Albany, New York, hosted by the University at Albany.

Senior Grace Weisbecker took home first place in the pole vault at the Albany Spring Classic, posting a clearing of 3.70 meters. She also placed third in the women’s 100 meter hurdles.

Weisbecker wasn’t the only winner in Albany, as senior Ian

Weider won the long jump, sophomore Paul Moore won the 3k steeplechase and the team took home the top three spots in the 5k, as first-year Gavin Schmeck, junior Aaron Lucci and first-year Jack Carmody finished first, second, and third, respectively.

Other Catamounts earned podium finishes at Albany.

On the men’s side, firstyear Kasey Gelfand finished second in the men’s 3000 meters, first-year John Ben-

ner finished third in the 1500 meters and senior Ed Simon placed third in the pole vault.

On the women’s side, senior Cassie Roberge placed second in the triple jump, sophomore Nikisha Falcone placed third in the javelin, sophomore Katie Nolan finished runner-up in the 1500 meters, and sophomore Lauren Trumble finished 800 meters.

In Auburn, the Catamounts saw no podium finishes, but

they did see some bright moments. DeBlieck’s 400 meter hurdles time was the fifth-best in UVM history, and sophomore Justin Liechty tied for the fifth-best time in program history in the 200 meter dash.

The lone remaining meet before the America East championships will be in Amherst, Massachusetts April 29 in the UMass Pre-Conference Meet, hosted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Lacrosse player honored after dominant displays Sabrina Hood Sports Writer Junior UVM men’s lacrosse attackman wins numerous awards this season.

Cam Milligan won the America East co-offensive player of the week twice and the TD Bank student athlete of the week awards.

Originally from Peterborough, Ontario. In 2015, he transferred from Towson to UVM, and is majoring in Human Development and Family Studies. He has only played lacrosse at UVM for three seasons, according to UVM athletics.

The second co-offensive award he won was because of the three assists he had during the UMass Lowell away game April 8. This is also the reason he won the TD Bank student of the week award, according to UVM athletics.

Milligan ended up score, getting six points, during this game. This is the third time this season that he’s scored three times over the course of a game.

UVM ended up winning the UMass Lowell game 12-11, and it was the first America East game the lacrosse team won, according to UVM athletics.

“Playing at UVM has made me a better player by allowing me to get better as an individ-

PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic Senior attacker Cam Milligan sets up against a Hill Academy player and celebrates with the team after a goal Jan. 27. ual while playing within such a strong team,” Milligan stated in an April 20 email.

Milligan contributes to this strong team by communicating with the offense. He does have previous coaching background, so he can put his teammates in the best positions for an optimal offensive line-up, head coach Chris Feifs stated in an April 20 email.

“He likes to be the playmaker on offense, and is harder to defend than most,” Feifs stated.

Milligan likes to come to

each game with an eagerness to compete, Milligan stated.

This eagerness then “inspires his teammates with energy, especially in big games,” Feifs stated.

Milligan has entered the UVM record book by placing fourth in career assists and ninth in career points, according to UVM athletics.

“Cam has worked harder off the field this year than ever before to prepare his body for his senior season,” Feifs stated.

The lacrosse team has longer weekly practices that

can include lifting and watching video to prepare for the upcoming games, Milligan stated.

Despite all the work and successes that Milligan has had this season, there are still parts of his game where he can improve.

“He will never be the fastest player,” Feifs stated, “but if he continues to put on muscle it will only improve his physical style of dodging from the wing.”

Milligan has acquired a better understanding for the

field lacrosse game since coming to UVM, he stated.

He has also found a more comfortable balance between lacrosse and academics over the years, Milligan stated.

The time that Milligan has spent working this season will pay off because he plans to play in the National Lacrosse League and maybe the Major Indoor Lacrosse League after graduation, he stated.

“Cam is a skilled and crafty with an unique style of play.”

Feifs stated.

SPORTS

Soccer needs video assistance The Soccer Report

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Eribert Volaj

ast week, the entire soccer world sat down to watch one of the most exciting matchups in recent history.

Reigning European champions Real Madrid and German champions Bayern Munich, two of the most successful European clubs in history, faced off in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. Despite the outrageous amount of talent in each team, it was ultimately the referee who gathered all the attention.

The Spanish side had won the first leg, with a 2-1 win at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Bayern needed to put together an incredible performance to turn it around in Madrid, and they did.

After the second 90 minutes, the game was tied 3-3 in aggregate, which meant extra time and potentially a penalty shootout.

Despite Bayern Munich’s best efforts, Real Madrid went on to score three goals in the additional 30 minutes.

Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai and his four assistants received an unprecedented amount of criticism, and unless you are a Real Madrid fan, it’s easy to see why.

Two of the three goals Real Madrid scored in added time, both by Cristiano Ronaldo, were visibly offside. But that’s not even half the story.

Bayern Munich had to play the entire 30 minutes of added time with 10 men, after midfielder Arturo Vidal had unjustly received his second yellow card for an inch-perfect tackle.

At the other end, Real Madrid’s Brazilian midfielder Casemiro stayed on the pitch the entire game, despite continually fouling the Bayern Munich players, including a foul inside the box that resulted in a penalty for Bayern Munich.

Late in the second half, Kassai called another foul on Casemiro and raised his hand to his pocket, but upon realising that the player was already on a yellow, decided to not give him a second one.

These incidents were ultimately what decided the game, but they were far from the only ones.

In the first leg, Bayern Munich had been awarded an unjust penalty, but Vidal missed, thus not affecting the outcome.

Even Bayern’s second goal in the second leg, a Sergio Ramos own goal, could have been disallowed for an offside.

But two wrongs don’t make anything right.

The fans have the luxury of watching replay after replay, and then coming to a conclusion. Referees, meanwhile, have to make decisions in the blink of an eye. But why?

The time has clearly come for video refereeing to be introduced in soccer. The

Women’s soccer prepares for charity tournament Matt Chimenti-Carmen Sports Writer The Vermont women’s soccer team has started preparations to host the fourth annual three vs. three “Score for the Cure” tournament.

The campaign has become an important initiative of the women’s soccer team over recent years. The event is meant to raise funds for cancer centers.

The “Score for the Cure” idea was started back in 2014 by then captain Alexa DeMaio ’14. The campaign has been widely recognized over the past three years, as the program hopes to raise more awareness and money in a few weeks.

“Each year we have grown in terms of participants and dollars raised,” assistant coach Lauren Bernard said. “The first year we raised a little over $1,000 and last year we raised $8,400.”

The money raised by the campaign goes to two different local organizations. Half of the money raised goes to the University of Vermont Cancer Center and the other half goes to The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.

“We realize there are so many causes out there and people who are in need of sup-

port,” Bernard said. “We chose to support these two entities because like many, players who have come through our program have lost parents and loved ones to this disease.”

The tournament will feature two separate divisions.

The first division is open to the under 10, 12 and 14 age groups and will cost $15 per player.

The division will be played from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.

The second division is open to UVM students and costs $7 per player. The division will be held from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m, according to UVM Athletics.

“It’s a great event to bring together the youth in our community, the campus community, these two amazing organizations, UVM and our student-athletes and it’s all for a great cause,” Bernard said.

Those involved hope the recent success of this campaign will continue in the future.

“We hope to continue this annual tradition of bringing these groups together for a fun day of soccer and to give to and honor those battling through tough times due to cancer,” Bernard said.

The tournament is April 30 at Virtue Field.

only argument against video assistance is that the game would be slowed down and the rhythm of the game wouldn’t be the same.

However, the technology is clearly here. It would have taken less than 20 seconds for a referee to watch a replay of Ronaldo’s goals to see that they should have been disallowed.

It would have taken even less to see that Vidal should not have received a second yellow card, or that Bayern’s penalty in the first leg should not have been given.

It is a shame to see such a glorious tie between arguably the top two teams in world soccer end up like this.

These players put in countless hours of work for games like this, only to see their efforts go to waste because of an incompetent referee, who could have been helped by technology.

“One year of hard work, thank you referee; bravo,” French winger Franck Ribery stated on Snapchat after the loss.

It is 2017: the time has come to stop referees from deciding games, and let the talent of the players do so.

Eribert Volaj is a junior Business Administration major who has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2015.

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UVM Scoreboard

Visit vtcynic.com for more coverage and uvmathletics.com for schedules, tickets, score updates and additional information

LAST WEEK

1st place

Track and field vs Catamount Inv. Home April 18

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8-14

Women’s lacrosse at UMass Lowell Lowell, MA April 23

THIS WEEK • Track and Field at UMass Pre-Conference Meet

Amherst, Massachusetts April 29 at 11a.m.

• Men’s Lacrosse at UMBC

Baltimore, Maryland April 29 at 12p.m.

• Women’s Lacrosse vs UMBC

Home April 29 at 11a.m.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK Men’s track and field senior Ian Weider was named the TD-Bank Student Athlete of the Week, after winning the long jump at the Albany Spring Classic with a season-best jump of 7.48 meters.

RECORDS

Men’s Basketball 29-6 Men’s Hockey 20-13-5 Men’s Lacrosse 5-7

Women’s Basketball 9-20 Women’s Hockey 15-14-9 Women’s Lacrosse 1-13

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