Vermont Cynic Fall 2012 Issue 1

SIGEP HOUSE BECOMES DORM

C YNIC

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ALUMNA TALKS FOOD NETWORK WAR ON WOMEN BEING WAGED

THE VERMONT

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LOCAL MUSIC SCENE BROUGHT TO LIGHT

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The University of Vermont’s independent voice since 1883 w w w . v e r m o n t c y n i c . c o m

T h u r s d a y , A u g u s t 3 0 , 2 0 1 2 – Vo l u m e 1 2 9 I s s u e 1 | B u r l i n g t o n , Ve r m o n t

Sullivan takes top spot New president to focus on quality, cost

By Devin Karambelas Assistant News Editor Newly appointed UVM President E. Thomas Sullivan may not have come to Burlington with an agenda, but this could be something of an advantage for the former University of Minnesota provost.

In a phone interview with the Vermont Cynic, Sullivan stressed his intentions to work closely with students, faculty, administrators and the Burlington community to raise the University to a new level of quality and excellence.

“In my time here already, I’ve travelled from nine to 14 counties and over 500 miles across the state talking to various alumni, donors, community members and education officials,” he said.

“It’s been a terrific learning and listening opportunity.”

For Sullivan, his early priorities include advancing the quality of education, keeping it affordable and recognizing areas in

which the University has a comparative advantage in to strategically align the budget.

“We’re taking a good look at how we diversify undergraduate enrollment.”

Thomas Sullivan UVM president “That last one is especially challenging due to UVM’s smaller size as a university and the fact that only five to seven percent of our funding comes from the state of Vermont,” Sullivan said.

Still, his tone sounded optimistic as he spoke of the bright

future that he sees for UVM, especially at the undergraduate level, which he hopes to make more internationalized.

“We’re taking a good look at how we diversify undergraduate enrollment,” he said. “We live in a global society right now and there’s great educational value in having a more international student body.”

According to the University’s website, 37 percent of students study abroad in nearly 80 countries each year, and UVM is home to over 500 students, faculty and staff from 67 different countries.

But at an institution that bears a total enrollment of 13,488 students, 347 international students represent less than three percent of the total student body — a statistic that Sullivan would like to see increased.

As the rising cost of higher education becomes a predominant concern for students and See Sullivan on page 3

NATALIE WILLIAMS The Vermont Cynic

Senior Allison Coppola gathers her belongings after her apartment experienced flooding in the Redstone Lofts, Aug 23.

New class meets old tradition Flooding in Lofts First-years welcomed in 2016 convocation ceremony

By Katy Cardin Staff Writer Convocation is the only day until graduation that the new Class of 2016 will assemble in one room together.

And this year, no hurricane was there to prevent the 2,400 first-years from gathering.

New students packed into Patrick Gym wearing colored T-shirts with the phrase “UVM Class of 2016” for the ceremony that took place Aug. 26.

Much of the event focused on academic quality, especially since the new class has the highest average SAT scores in English, reading and math that UVM has ever seen.

President Thomas Sullivan praised the class for their academic strengths but warned them that college is difficult and UVM will most definitely challenge them.

“With tremendous talent also comes great responsibility,” Sullivan said.

Throughout the ceremony the students heard from a number of speakers, including the President of the Student Government Association Connor Daley, University Herald Robert Tyzbir and Board of Trustees vice chairman Harry Chen.

Many of the speakers compared the assigned summer reading book, “This I Believe,” by Jay Allison, with the new students’ transformation from high school

NEWS 1-5 Welcome to the Daley show

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dampens spirits

Water damage wrecks rooms

By Becky Hayes News Editor

WALKER SULTZBACH The Vermont Cynic

The Class of 2016 gathers in Patrick Gym for convocation, Aug 26. into college.

Following the gathering in the Patrick Gym, the new students paraded down to the University Green behind a mobile performance of African drummers for the 2016 twilight induction.

Without knowing exactly what to expect, first-year Angela Seccafico found the ceremony interesting.

“It makes me feel more confident about coming into the school as a freshman, and more comfortable with everyone here so I am excited for the year,” Seccafico said.

Sarah Headley did not attend the event, but she did not think she and her friends missed much.

“We opened the doors 15 minutes late and immediately

ARTS 6-7 The buzz on Bonnaroo

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decided we were going to spend our time in the grundle eating dinner as opposed to melting in the gym,” she said.

Nate Matteson had a more ambivalent reaction to convocation.

“I personally thought it was a nice little welcome to a school where I probably won’t be anything more than an ID number in the grand scheme of things,” Matteson said. “The twilight ceremony was cool but it would have been a lot better had it actually been somewhat dark.”

“Overall, it was just another freshman first week obligation that will probably be forgotten,” he said.

LIFE 9-10 Top 10 reasons you’re excited for school

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Waterlogged books and clothes are not what many students would expect to worry about on their first day of classes.

But for 16 students, this was a reality.

Flooding caused by a burst pipe in Redstone Lofts displaced 16 students residing in the newly built apartments Aug. 22.

A supply line that goes into the washing machine from an apartment on floor five burst inside the wall and flowed straight down, flooding the fifth floor room and the rooms directly below it, said Rick McMillan, an employee of the construction company G.W. Savage.

“There was high water damage all the way into the basement,” McMillan said. “Water also spread across the floor, but mostly went straight down.”

McMillan explained that water finds the weakest point and leaks downward, which is why there was little damage done to the dorms directly adjacent to the burst pipe.

“We have drying equipment out, but ceilings were damaged and we will have to remove all the cabinets to ensure the wall behind them is completely dry,”

DISTRACTIONS 11 Camp Morning Wood

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OPINION 12-13 Please keep it simple, Sullivan

he said.

The damage is being fixed now, but the incident was isolated to only a few rooms, said Erin Calig, manager of the north building of Redstone Lofts.

“A pipe broke; it wasn’t that big of a deal,” Calig said.

Junior Rachel Narkewicz and senior Allie Coppola have a different take on the situation.

Their brand-new apartment was piled high with soaking boxes of clothes, a TV and furniture. There was a two-inch line of stripped paint along the wall that displayed the exact height of water that sat throughout their kitchen, living room and bedrooms.

“I was asleep and heard some water running,” Coppola said. “I thought someone was in the kitchen, so I walked in and stepped right into a puddle of water.”

Coppola said that she and her housemates immediately called 911, the fire department and Redstone Lofts officials, but it took about 45 minutes for someone to respond to them.

“We just wanted them to turn off the water,” Narkewicz said.

“Someone in the building should have known how to do that.”

See FLOODING on page 4

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SPORTS 14-16 Four bold predictions for the NFL this year

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NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

Crime log

By Lauren Drasler Staff Writer

Aug. 21 2:06 p.m.

A student reported that their laptop was stolen from the Bailey/Howe Library. The student said they were doing work on the computer and left the area for around 20 minutes. When they returned, the laptop was gone.

4:03 p.m.

A UVM employee reported that their wallet had been stolen in the Given Building.

The wallet was soon recovered, however, on the floor below where it had been reported missing. Nothing from the wallet had been taken.

Aug. 23 7:25 a.m.

A person walking through Centennial Woods discovered a person camping in

the woods and reported it to UVM police. The person camping was not associated with UVM and was found by the police and told to pack up and leave.

10:19 p.m.

Hall staff reported an odor of marijuana coming from a dorm room in U-Heights South 1. Upon arrival, UVM police officers thought they had narrowed down where the odor was coming from, but after knocking on the suspected room’s door, no one was there or refused to answer the door.

Aug. 24 3:04 a.m.

A male student was found passed out near Morrill Hall.

The student was sent to detox after it was discovered that he had a Blood Alcohol Content of .22.

10:19 p.m.

Staff in the admissions office reported that a person repeatedly visited the office requesting admission to UVM. The person had not completed an application or any other paperwork that would allow them to be admitted to the University.

SigEp house becomes Champlain dormitory

By Devin Karambelas Assistant News Editor Former UVM fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp) lost its charter last year, but what happened this summer may have hit even closer to home.

Actually, a whole lot closer.

The SigEp house at 371 Main St. will undergo interior renovations before becoming home to approximately 30 Champlain College students this fall, according to the Burlington Free Press.

SigEp lost its charter last December when a controversial survey question distributed among fraternity brothers went public, sparking national media attention and local protests.

Since the University’s decision to de-recognize SigEp, the brothers who were living at the house were forced to move out, and the national organization decided what to do next.

Champlain acquired the house in June, after Burlington’s Development Review Board approved the college’s request to change the property from a fraternity house to a dormitory for five years.

Efforts to transform the 8,200-square-foot house into a student dorm have resulted in a $300,000 interior makeover, a University Business article stated.

But the house isn’t exactly changing hands. SigEp has owned 371 Main St. since 1956, and the fraternity continues to be the sole proprietor of the house throughout its leasing agreement with Champlain.

Executive director of SigEp Brian Warren said in a phone conversation with the Cynic that the terms and conditions of the agreement allowed room for the fraternity to eventually re-apply for its charter.

“Typically, four years is the

length of time that a chapter will remain dormant,” Warren said.

“It is our intention that we can explore various conversations [with UVM] about re-affiliation after that time.”

Warren said that at no time during SigEp’s communication with the University back in December did administrators express interest in taking over the house.

“Of course we wish we could have kept the house in Greek Life.”

Zach Lasky President of AEPi fraternity

Considering the house was already designed for fraternity use, some people in the UVM community had even hoped that the house would go to one of the four fraternities on campus that do not have facilities, such as Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi).

AEPi President Zach Lasky said that he and his fraternity brothers were considering leasing the house from SigEp, but that they never acted on it.

“Of course we wish we could have kept the house in UVM Greek life,” he said. “I feel that UVM and Burlington are now shying away from fraternity houses because there’s more risk involved.”

Lasky said he was surprised that UVM had not contacted SigEp’s national organization to keep the house a part of the University’s real estate holdings.

The response from UVM’s Campus Planning Services indicated that UVM’s disinterest in taking over the house was not due to the possible risk involved, but rather the result of ongoing research about campus planning needs.

The University is currently working with Biddison Hier, Ltd., a resource planning and consulting firm based out of Washington, D.C., to conduct a long-term analysis on student and faculty housing.

Lisa McNaney, who works in campus planning services, said that UVM was still in the midst of perfecting its campus master plan.

“While we’ve added 300 beds already with the Redstone Lofts, we’re still figuring out what we need to do,” she said.

Champlain College has a master plan of its own and has already entered the next phase of construction.

According to Associate Vice President of Campus Planning Michael George, Champlain College has implemented a plan to house up to 90 percent of its 2,000 undergraduate students — making 371 Main St. an important, albeit temporary, addition.

In the meantime, the national SigEp organization is keeping watch over its house as Champlain completes renovations.

Patrick T. Murphy, managing director of SigEp National Housing, said he had been in Burlington Aug. 20 and 21 to review the alterations.

“We share the alumni’s excitement about the restored facility as we look to provide a better living and learning environment for our future SigEp chapter at the University of Vermont,” he said.

Thieves target small items

Police warn students to lock up valuables, electronics

By Lauren Drasler Staff Writer When students are moving into dorms, scheduling classes and meeting up with friends, crime on campus isn’t always the first thing on their minds — but perhaps it should be.

UVM Police Services recorded 511 crimes committed in September 2011, according to the UVM police website. The four most frequent crimes committed were liquor law violations, drug law violations, incapacitation and theft.

“Students need to understand that despite how wonderful and generally safe Vermont is, crimes of opportunity still occur,” Sue Roberts, UVM crime prevention officer said.

The most-often stolen small items on campus include iPods, iPads, Kindles/Nooks, laptops, cellphones, wallets, backpacks containing wallets and valuable textbooks, she said.

“Bikes are a tremendous target for theft in college towns or campuses,” Roberts said.

Though some may think that crimes such as theft occur as a

result of forced entry, Roberts said this is often not the case.

“Students need to understand that despite how wonderful and generally safe Vermont is, crimes of opportunity still occur.”

Sue Roberts UVM crime prevention officer

“Leaving cars unlocked or valuables in view inside cars are enticements to theft,” she said.

“Leaving residential rooms unlocked and unoccupied means all of your belongings are at risk. Propping exterior doors

and leaving ground floor windows open also allows access to the building and rooms.”

One way to protect oneself from crime on campus is to be aware of the Blue Light system, Roberts said.

There are 138 voice communication units illuminated by a blue light for easy location and each contains two communication buttons connecting to the UVM Information Operator or UVM Police Services, the UVM website stated.

Another safety tool for students is the CATalert system, Roberts said. Students should be sure to keep their contact information updated so that they can receive a text message as well as an email in the event of a campus emergency.

The most important thing students can do is program the UVM police direct line into their cell phones, Roberts said. The number is 802-656-3473.

N EWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

SULLIVAN

President starts by listening

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Welcome to the Daley show SGA leadership gets early start to school year

By Taylor Jones Staff Writer

MAX LANDERMAN The Vermont Cynic

New president E. Thomas Sullivan poses in his office, Aug. 20.

...continued from page 1 their families, Sullivan also emphasized that he and the Board of Trustees would be working together closely to alleviate a tuition hike.

“Ultimately, the Board and I will work out the framework for finding the right balance with cost and financial aid to minimize the rate of growth for tuition,” Sullivan said.

As far as discussing any exact figures, Sullivan said that he would be making a recommendation to the Board of Trustees in October but did not give a definitive answer on whether or not he would support interim President John Bramley’s measure taken last year.

“We all stand on the shoulders of those that came before us.”

Thomas Sullivan UVM president Last spring, Bramley had mandated that tuition for the following academic year would increase by no more than 3.5 percent, the lowest increase in several years, according to data provided by University Communications and the Burlington Free Press.

Sullivan’s first year may also be defined in part by his relationship with United Academics, UVM’s faculty union.

Calling for leadership that is “inclusive, transparent and imaginative,” UA President David Shiman stated that his initial impression of Sullivan was positive, and he seemed to be ready to work collaboratively with UA. Shiman also stated that student enrollment figured heavily into UA’s concerns because the

increased student body was taxing to the University’s resources.

“If this institution wishes to offer a rich, undergraduate experience, we must hire more faculty, particularly tenure-track faculty, and slow, halt or reverse the undergraduate enrollment trend,” Shiman stated in an email.

When asked how he perceived himself in relation to his recent predecessors, including Daniel Mark Fogel and Bramley, Sullivan said he was appreciative of their work and called it a team effort.

“We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us,” he said. “I want to take a school that is already financially strong and academically outstanding and lift it to a new level of quality and excellence.”

Sullivan said that he did not plan to unveil any major changes until his conference Oct. 5, when he will announce his one thousand day plan.

Like Sullivan, Student Government Association (SGA) President Connor Daley is also in the early stages of his term, and said that Bramley’s dedication to working with the SGA last year was something that Sullivan could do well to emulate.

“I’ve only met him briefly but from what I’ve seen, he’s great, very likeable,” Daley said. “He has the right emphasis on affordability and making education relevant.”

Daley also said he believes the way in which Sullivan communicates UVM’s potential will be crucial to his success.

“He’ll have a big job relaying the importance of UVM to the rest of the state, especially when a lot of high school graduates are contemplating whether or not it’s even worth the cost of going to college anymore,” Daley said.

In the meantime, Sullivan said he would keep an open mind as he becomes acclimated to life in Burlington.

This year, Sullivan isn’t the only new president on campus.

Newly appointed Student Government Association (SGA) President Connor Daley said that SGA has already been working this summer to develop several new initiatives to take effect this fall.

“For Vice President [Samantha] Holland and myself, this has mostly meant meeting with deans, directors, vice presidents and other University officials,” Daley said. “We’ve been introducing ourselves, our agenda, and looking for places where SGA might be able to help or correct a certain University issue.”

SGA this year is tackling a variey of projects that range from behind the scenes to those that directly affect students, he said.

Part of their efforts will be concentrated on making the joining process easier for SGA clubs and those students looking to create one.

“Our job is to scrutinize clubs to make sure that students are offered a unique experience in each organization,” Daley said. “But there’s also my philosophy that if students have a passion about a certain issue or topic, we should be enabling them.”

Daley brought up a revision of club and financial policies to aid the development of more student clubs as one example.

A policy that students can be on the lookout for is the Catamount Zone, a taxi service punch card that students can purchase

for $20, providing them with seven rides anywhere in Burlington and even some parts of South Burlington and Winooski.

Considering the fact that most local crimes occur at night, Daley said he believed that this service would increase safety for students.

“This year we’ll be having more polls in my weekly emails to students, so we can have actual numbers as student feedback.”

Connor Daley SGA president “For students, that’s an awesome deal, especially because these taxis will be running until really early in the morning on weekends,” he said. “For me, it provides a little peace of mind because it gets students off the streets at dangerous times of the night.”

The SGA president went on to say that not all the changes would affect students, however. Some alterations will be put toward revamping the organization itself.

In particular, Daley said he would like to bring the actual opinions of students to the front of the issue, rather than defer to SGA leaders, which tended to occur in the past.

“This year we’ll be having more polls in my weekly emails

to students, so we can have actual numbers as student feedback,” he said. “I’m also going to be firm that my veto stamp on any SGA legislation will come down if bills pass without that type of larger student engagement.”

Vice President Samantha Holland said she was excited to see a larger variety of students on SGA this year.

“This year is a really special year for SGA because we have student representation from all seven colleges on campus, something we haven’t had for a while,” Holland said. “Having senators from all of the colleges will help better represent all students at UVM.” As for leadership style, Holland said she is hoping to take a little bit of inspiration from former Vice President Will Vitagliano and former President Julian Golfarini’s positions last year.

“They were great friends to have around, but also knew when it was time to discuss business and were excellent at keeping those two separate,” Holland said.

Both Holland and Daley remain confident in SGA’s new group and expressed excitement about the work they have done this past summer in preparation for the new year.

At the forefront of their agenda will be including more student input, which was something that Golfarini had worked to achieve.

“We are also looking to here from the students as well on what they would like to see happen, of course,” Holland said.

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NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

LGBTQA ranks high Gun discussion triggered

By Katy Cardin Staff Writer

UVM’s steps toward a more accepting community have established the University as one of the top LGBT friendly schools in the country.

Campus Pride, a nonprofit organization that works to create better college atmospheres for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, has ranked UVM in the top 25 LGBT friendly schools and in the top 10 transgender friendly schools.

Placed with the University of Oregon and the University of Pennsylvania, UVM scores five out of five stars in the areas of gender/identity expression and LGBT friendliness, according to The Advocate, a national gay and lesbian news magazine.

“Campus Pride uses a national benchmarking tool that centers around policies, programs and practices that are based on things such as academic groups and housing to determine which schools are the most transgender and LGBT friendly,” Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride said.

UVM is known for its LGBT friendliness for a number of reasons: • Adding “gender identity/ expression” to its nondiscrimination policy seven years ago.

• Conducting “Trans 101” training sessions.

• Having an annual “Translating Identity Conference.”

• Having management software that allows students to use a name other than their legal first name on campus records.

Dot Brauer, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Ally (LGBTQA) Services on campus, gives much credit to the community for the program’s success.

“This has really been a whole community effort over the years,” Brauer said. “That is something that every college campus might not be lucky enough to have, so to me a big part of getting honored really goes out not to just the LGBTQA center and all of our efforts, but to a campus community that is really eager to help as well.”

Even with the program’s numerous accomplishments since it was first implemented in 1999, Brauer said she still has many goals for the LGBTQA center.

These plans include adding a preferred name system for not only students but faculty and staff as well, helping to offset the tax penalty that same sex couples pay in some states and including transition surgeries as a part of University health benefits, she said.

“I think it must be hard for a student coming to UVM today to have any idea what UVM was like 10 years ago,” Brauer said.

“Sometimes I wonder if they can really fully grasp just how much work people have done here to make it such a great place. I want them to not take it for granted.”

Let’s take this outdoors

By Keegan Fairfield Senior Staff Writer In Latin it’s called Universitas Viridis Montis or University of the Green Mountains and recently, UVM has lived up to its name.

Outside Magazine ranked the University of Vermont as the ninth best outside university in their list of top 25 schools.

“We set out to examine which schools are best suited for those [students] who aren’t willing to let opportunities for adventure sail on by,” Outside Magazine stated.

The monthly publication evaluated schools across the nation based on 10 criteria, including opportunities for students to take courses outside of the classroom and the availability of outdoorsy extracurricular activities.

The actual days of sunshine in the college’s location and proximity to parks and outdoor recreation spots were also considered in the evaluative process, accord-

ing to the publication’s website.

The magazine cited Vermont’s natural geographic features — Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains — in addition to trips offered by the Outing Club as a few reasons behind UVM’s spot on the list.

The publication went on to describe the aesthetic and cultural benefits of UVM’s college town.

“Burlington manages to be one of the nation’s greener, more liberal cities while still maintaining a small-town vibe,” the article stated.

Senior Jeremy Hulsey, a member of the ski and snowboard club, did not exactly agree with UVM’s rank. “[We] should be number one,” he said.

Junior Rochelle Streker said she was excited to see UVM being recognized by Outside Magazine.

“I read their lists before I chose my school,” she said.

National tragedy causes students to question Vt. laws

By Amanda Wassel Staff Writer On July 20, 2012, 24-year-old graduate student James Holmes opened fire on moviegoers at a theater in Aurora, Colo.

This attack resulted in the largest number of causalities ever recorded in American history with 12 dead and 58 wounded.

In a country where incidents of gun violence appear on the news frequently, the thoughts on some students’ minds following the shooting has turned to gun laws, and what could be done to make the Burlington community safer.

Vermonters and UVM students may find themselves in a unique position when it comes to the argument around gun laws: The Green Mountain State has the third most permissive gun laws in the country yet boasts a low murder rate.

Including both intentional murders and accidental deaths, Vermont is ranked 30 out of the 50 states for gun deaths — 8.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2011 — and has an even lower rate of violent crime — 1.1 murders per 100,000 residents in 2010, according to the online news reporting website, The Daily Beast.

Pro-gun advocates such as Ed Cutler, the legislative director of Gun Owners of Vermont, attribute the low crime rate to the permissive nature of the gun laws since Vermont is only one of three states that do not require a permit to carry a concealed firearm.

“Criminals are more cautious when they don’t know who might be carrying a concealed firearm,” Cutler said.

Others also argue that the stricter gun laws would not prevent criminals from obtaining firearms because they would not have qualms about obtaining weapons illegally off the black market.

“If someone is truly dead set on taking lives, they are probably

willing to take a safety course on guns, and if they aren’t, there will always be underground ways of obtaining such items,” said sophomore Brandon Egan, a member of the UVM Shooting Sports Club.

Junior Scott Chernoff said he was uncertain about the issue of legislation.

“The Aurora nutcase got his [weapons] fully legally; maybe being illegal would have helped,” Chernoff said. “But [Holmes] could have easily found a recipe online to build a bomb and kill and hurt just as many, if not more people.”

“Criminals are more cautious when they don’t know who might be carrying a concealed firearm.”

Ed Cutler Legislative director of the Gun Owners of Vermont Among the firearms Holmes legally purchased from Gander Mountain Guns and Bass Pro were two Glock pistols, a Remington 12-gauge shotgun and a Smith & Wesson AR-15 assault rifle, a semi-automatic with a 90 bullet capacity, perhaps better known by its US Military designation: M16, according to The Washington Post.

A federal ban on the possession and manufacture of semiautomatic assault rifles like the AR-15 actually expired in 2004, The New Yorker reported.

Chernoff said he believes the type of gun matters when deciding legality, such as knowing the difference between weapons used specifically for hunting and more dangerous weapons used in war.

“A lever action 30-30? Yes, it

should be legal because hunting is an extremely important activity in conservation,” Chernoff said.

“An AK-47 with a Banana clip to hold 45 rounds? Killing people.

[It] should be illegal.”

Junior Alex Poniz said that decreased reloading frequencies in weapons like the ones Holmes purchased serves the same purpose of an automatic weapon, which is to increase the number of rounds fired.

“High capacity magazines allow shooters to kill or maim dozens before they even need to reload,” Poniz said.

Cutler said he disagreed.

“A bullet is a bullet no matter what weapon it comes out of,” Cutler said. “If [Holmes] had a 10 round magazine and 10 magazines, he could reload with the same speed of fire.”

According to NPR’s “The Law and Reality of Gun Access,” it is difficult, if not near impossible, to prevent people from obtaining guns if they have a clean record and no criminal history.

“Federal law bars gun sales to the mentally ill only if they’ve ever been deemed by a judge to be mentally incompetent or involuntarily committed,” NPR’s Tovia Smith said during the program. “State reporting of such things to the federal database is spotty, and very often, it doesn’t show up when a gun seller does a background check.”

As the gun debate continues, students said they are left wondering what kind of state and national legislation would be best for protecting people against future attacks.

“We must balance our fears of needing to defend ourselves against armed home invaders, muggers, rapists and murderers, and our fears of rogue individuals using weapons intended for defense to perpetrate mass shootings,” Poniz said. “Modern gun control legislation must rise to the challenge of effectively balancing these fears.”

FLOODING Sixteen students were moved to on-campus housing ...continued from page 1 “We moved in early to not be stressed at the beginning of the school year,” she said.

Junior Anthony Jordick, whose apartment on the second floor flooded, said none of his possessions were damaged and only his clothes got wet, but Redstone Lofts officials still requested that he move out.

“I understood why they did it, but it was very frustrating,” Jordick said.

The students were moved to dorms on campus because there were no other options, Calig said.

It was move-in weekend and all the hotels in Burlington were full.

Currently living in Jeanne Mance Hall with one housemate, Jordick said he hasn’t heard much from Redstone Lofts about when he will be moving back into his apartment, but he hopes that it will be soon.

“We had AC, our own kitchen, a washer and a dryer,” he said. “I wasn’t equipped to move back into a dorm room — it’s horribly inconvenient.”

Coppola, Narkewicz and their housemates ended up in a quad

NATALIE WILLIAMS The Vermont Cynic

Junior Rachel Narkewicz packs her belongings at the Lofts, Aug. 23. in Harris/Millis. Coppola said after the initial shock of what happened, she is pretty satisfied with how Redstone Lofts handled the situation.

“After we mentioned that we don’t have a kitchen anymore, they gave us 300 meal points,” Coppola said. “It was really nice and we didn’t expect that.”

Coppola said she and her housemates were also surprised that the Redstone Lofts officials

helped them move all of their boxes out and get settled in their temporary rooms.

Now all the students can do is wait to hear when they will be allowed to move back in.

“They initially said about 10 days, but haven’t given us any updates since, which is probably smart on their part, but we are just really anxious,” Coppola said. “I hope they stick to their deadline.”

N EWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

5

Rowdy parties win campus recognition

By Keegan Fairfield Senior Staff Writer Students at only 10 schools in the nation party harder than those that attend UVM — at least according to Newsweek/The Daily Beast’s list of the top party schools.

UVM ranked 11th in the nation’s rowdiest schools and is considered the best fit for students interested in attending a big time party school, The Daily Beast’s website stated.

Colleges that made the cut were evaluated on the number of on-campus arrests and perstudent disciplinary actions for drugs and alcohol that occurred in 2010.

Those statistics for UVM, provided by the U.S. Department of Education, include: ALANA LUTTINGER The Vermont Cynic

Senior Jens Pharr rides his bicycle on his route to pick up compost from locations on campus, Aug. 24.

Tour de food compost

Bike program transports waste products

By Becky Hayes News Editor Some cycle for sport, some cycle for trash.

This summer, UVM used an environmentally friendly transportation method as a way to increase composting on campus and divert food waste.

By collecting food waste, UVM has diverted more than 18,000 pounds of food from landfills every week since 1997.

The new pilot program operates on a much smaller scale as agents cycle to different campus locations to collect compost and send it to central collection points on campus where it can be picked up with the compost collected from the dining halls.

“Really the program is about being able to collect food waste in areas of campus that we don’t already,” said Erica Spiegel, manager of the solid waste and recycling program.

Coordinators said they did not think a truck would work as a form of transportation because of the small amount of compost being picked up at each location.

“I wouldn’t route a truck to pick up a banana peel, but I would route a bike,” Spiegel said.

UVM Recycling teamed up with One Revolution, a local member-owned bicycle collection service, and the UVM Bike Users Group to collect compost from 20 different locations on campus, UVM Communications stated.

“The pilot program is going very well,” Spiegel said. “The staff really likes the program because most of them compost at home already so they like that they can do it in the office.”

Senior Jens Pharr, an employee for One Revolution and member of the Bike Users Group, said the program has been very successful so far.

“Creating a program that is a model for this kind of infrastructure and relying less on automobile and fossil fuel transport, I

would say that’s sort of where the success of this program really lies,” Pharr said.

Although collecting an average of 80 to 100 pounds of food waste each week is much less than what is collected in the dining halls, faculty and staff said they believe it’s worth the effort.

“The enthusiasm from the offices has been one of the directly rewarding elements of the program,” Pharr said.

The president’s office participated in the program as a way to support the University’s efforts in promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility, Cindy Lee, senior assistant to the vice president for finance and administration, told UVM Commu-

nications.

“So far, our experience has been positive and seamless,” Lee told UVM Communications.

“The composting bags take up very little space and really are leak- and odor-proof.”

Junior Amanda Gosselin said the composting effort at school is just another way that UVM demonstrates its commitment to environmental issues and applauds the new bicycle composting program.

“It’s a good idea,” Gosselin said. “Every little thing helps.”

After the successful summer, Spiegel said she is looking to expand the number of offices participating.

• 474 on-campus disciplinary actions for drugs • 1,301 on-campus disciplinary actions for alcohol • 42 on-campus arrests for drugs • 7 on-campus arrests for alcohol In a formal statement, UVM spokesman Enrique Corredera said the ranking should be thought of as entertainment, and that its emphasis on disciplinary action demonstrates the University’s commitment to cracking down on drug and alcohol use.

“The goal of our aggressive approach to enforcement is to create an environment that is safe for everyone. ” Enrique Corredera UVM spokesman “UVM’s rank is distorted by the fact that we are far more aggressive than most in identifying student behavior that is in violation of drug and alcohol violations,” Corredera said.

“The goal of our aggressive approach to enforcement — and related education and outreach efforts — is to create an environment that is safe for everyone and conducive to academic engagement and success,” he said.

ALANA LUTTINGER The Vermont Cynic

Senior Jens Pharr picks up compost on his bicycle route, Aug 24.

There are plans to collect compost from 20 locations on campus.

Student reaction to the rankings was mixed, with some affirming The Daily Beast’s rankings and others saying that the party scene isn’t as wild as it may sound.

“I don’t know if I agree with that, exactly,” said sophomore Jack Norman. “It seems like the school is trying to be seen as more academically oriented.”

Juniors Katy Ripple and Margaret Quinn said that before arriving at UVM they hadn’t expected the parties to be anything too crazy.

“I honestly thought it would just be more about the drugs,” Ripple said.

“Yeah, I didn’t anticipate all the basement parties,” Quinn said, laughing.

474 on-campus disciplinary for drugs

1,301 on-campus disciplinary actions for alcohol

42

on-campus arrests for drugs

7

on-campus arrests for alcohol in 2010 at UVM, according to the U.S. Department of Education

6

ARTS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

This Week in Live Music

SARAH STICKLE

Burlington local music scene brought to light Thursday, Aug. 30: Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band. Radio Bean. 11 p.m. $3.

Kat Wright is a sweetheart, but the girl knows how to get down and dirty in her weekly residency at the Radio Bean.

Wright sings the blues with heart, and if you’ve never heard her and her band, it’s a Burlington must-see.

The band advertises that they go on at 11p.m., but you can expect them to roll in around midnight and take you right through 2a.m. It’s an all-ages show, and well worth your $3.

Friday, Aug. 31: Mildred Moody’s Full Moon Masquerade with Craig Mitchell & Motor City. 9 p.m. $5 with a mask, $7 without. 21+.

Craig Mitchell is a staple in Burlington. Few know that in addition to being one of the best DJs around, Mitchell is also a phenomenal singer.

This is going to be his last show with Motor City, which makes it a must-see. The show, regrettably, is 21+.

If you’re eligible, get your mask – and freak – on and get yourself to Nectar’s for an amazing Friday night!

This show is a part of Mildred Moody, a well-known series that benefits local charities and nonprofits once a

month on the full moon. Look out for more highlights of the series here in the future.

Saturday, Sept. 1: Karaoke at JP’s. 10 p.m. 21+.

This is not a show for the faint of heart. JP’s is always hopping, and karaoke night usually features a bachelorette party – prepare yourself.

Sunday, Sept. 2: Zac Brown Band. Champlain Valley Fair Exposition in Essex. 7 p.m.

If you haven’t heard of Zac Brown, you’re missing out. This monster national country act is a huge asset to the Champlain Valley Fair’s concert lineup this year.

Coming from someone who hates modern, “good old boy” country music most of the time, this guy does it right. Don’t get me wrong: He is definitely a pop-country musician and you should expect a smooth voice, lots of references to our brave men and women overseas and a whole lot of fried chicken.

The difference with Zac Brown is that he embodies everything he sings. Zac Brown’s audience is one you want to be in, and well worth your money along with the trip on the Essex Bus (CCTA, #2 from Cherry Street in downtown Burlington).

Take a Green Cab back.

Tickets are available at flynntix.org.

Monday, Sept. 3: Trio Gusto. Radio Bean. 5 p.m.

Trio Gusto is a gypsy jazz band. With energetic music good for both dancing and listening, these guys have something for everybody. This show is a great way to end Labor Day weekend and ease yourself into some homework using Radio Bean’s free Wi-Fi. Tuesday, Sept. 4: Honky Tonk Tuesday. Radio Bean. 10 p.m. $3.

Honky Tonk is another fantastic weekly residency that Radio Bean offers. Along with being one of the nicest guys in town, Honky Tonk front-man Brett Hughes is a

SARAH STICKLE The Vermont Cynic

Burlington-based DJ and vocalist Craig Mitchell sings with The Wee Folkestra at Nectar’s June 16. fantastic musician.

Most often joined by the likes of Sean Preece on drums, Brett Lainier on pedal steel, and Marie Claire on piano, they have recently welcomed a new bass player, Pat Melvin.

Honky Tonk also features the likes of Lowell Thompson, Caleb Elder, Mark Spencer, Mark Ransom, Ryan Miller of Guster, Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello, Kat Wright and Gordon Stone. If you like a happy, dancing, drinking crowd in an all-ages venue, this is the place for you.

Wednesday, Sept. 5: Jessica Smucker. Radio Bean. 7 p.m.

Jess is a Pennsylvaniabased singer/songwriter. The combination of her beautiful piano playing, unexpectedly strong voice, blues and folk roots and unfaltering poetic lyrics make for a wonderful show every time. Catch her while she’s here.

SARAH STICKLE The Vermont Cynic

Burlington-based DJ Craig Mitchell plays at Nectar’s June 16.

Screenwriter produces disappointing first novel ALEXA REILLY

Screenwriter David H. Steinberg tries his hand at young adult fiction with his debut novel “Last Stop This Town.”

Steinberg has written scripts for movies like Slackers, National Lampoon’s Barely Legal and several films in the American Pie series, and his lack of experience writing fiction is very apparent in this book.

“Last Stop This Town” is a coming-of-age comedy about four high school

seniors, Dylan, Noah, Walker and Pike, who are hoping to shake things up on the last weekend before graduation.

The friends decide to ditch their typical weekend to hunt for a massive party in New York City.

Littered with easy pop culture references and cheesy pickup lines, half of the 184-page volume consists of the friends’ many escapades, ranging from the boring tricks of a street scam artist to the boys’ encounter with five underage drunk girls.

The boys appear to have no motivation other than picking up girls, raging and smoking weed.

The characters lack believable personalities and true character development, and the plot is practically nonexistent.

This book is warped and completely unrealistic.

Steinberg tries to spin a web of development and backstory, but he falls incredibly short.

The only thing to be said about Steinberg’s first attempt at fiction is that it is a quick and easy read packed full of jokes, partying and light nostalgia for better days.

I can only hope that Steinberg learns from his mistakes, or that I’m wrong, and people actually like this kind of garbage.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

ARTS

ARTScalendar Back to School Bash Feat. RJD2 and Jacob Es 10 p.m.

4th floor, Davis Center

I’ve ever experienced or ever will again.

It was the longest and most active four days of my life, and despite spending an average of 18 hours awake each day of the festival, I barely scratched the surface of all there was to do.

Friday Aug. 31

DILLON BAKER

Saturday Sept. 1 Jason Aldeen 7 p.m.

The Champlain Valley Fair, Essex Junction

Sunday Sept. 2 Zac Brown Band 7 p.m.

The Champlain Valley Fair, Essex Junction

Tuesday

Sept. 4

Datsik

8 p.m.

Higher Ground Ballroom

Champlain fair, national flare

Crowd drawn from 40 states

By Natalie Slack Arts Editor The Champlain Valley Fair is “the 10 best days of summer” according to their website.

Located at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, the fair began Aug. 25 and will be going on until Sept. 3.

The fair is open from 10 a.m. to midnight every day. In addition to over 40 rides, hundreds of animals and tons of crafts, food and concerts, the fair also boasts the largest art show in Vermont.

Hundreds of works by local artists are exhibited and competitions are held in a variety of mediums, including photography, painting and drawing.

The fair also features a hypnotist, culinary competitions, motor sports, a garden center, cattle shows and pig racing.

Director of marketing Chris Ashby said that the Champlain Valley Fair is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. What started as a small agricultural fair has grown into one of the largest fairs in the Northeast.

Ashby said that the fair has added a historical exhibit

The buzz on Bonnaroo

this year, showcasing the fair’s past through artifacts and photographs.

While people from Vermont, upstate New York and southern Quebec make up the bulk of the crowd, Ashby said that the Champlain Valley Fair attracts people from all over the United States.

“We watch the license plates in the parking lot and have counted as many as 35 to 40 plates some years,” Ashby said.

The musical acts that took the grand stage at this year’s fair included Train, The J. Geils Band, Demi Lovato and The Band Perry.

UVM students will have the chance to check out the final days of the festival and attend Jason Aldean Sept. 1 and Zac Brown Band Sept. 2.

You can purchase tickets in advance at flynntix.org and receive free admission to the fair.

“We do bring in some kids from UVM, but we would love to see that audience grow,” Ashby said.

As the metaphorical sun sets on the summer of 2012, the season of music festivals comes to an end.

With festivals gaining more popularity each year, making the annual pilgrimage to a summer music festival has become somewhat of a tradition, especially among the students of a music loving campus like UVM. This summer, I was lucky enough to make the trek down to a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn. to experience the four days of insanity that is the Bonnaroo Music Festival.

I arrived to a plethora of sights and sounds, many of which are unsuitable for publication.

There were tents as far the eye can see, massive stages for some of the world’s biggest bands and musicians, sweaty and scantily clad men and women of all ages and more Grateful Dead tapestries than most people will see in a lifetime. Needless to say, it was unlike anything

I arrived to a plethora of sights and sounds, many of which are unsuitable for publication

Among the many musical acts were Radiohead, UVM’s own Phish, The Beach Boys, Skrillex, Flying Lotus, St. Vincent, SBTKRT, Danny Brown, a must-see at this year’s Fall Fest, and the Shins, just to name a few.

Everywhere you went, there were great bands covering a wide variety of genres.

For those feeling musically overloaded, the entertainment booths, waterslide, comedy tent and opportunity to get to know your fellow Bonnaroovians made it possible to spend a day without going to a single concert.

7

Music review By the end of the fourth day, exhaustion reigned; no one had any interest in sleeping away some of the most fun days of their lives.

Despite the overwhelming sense of fatigue, it was during one of the last acts of the festival that I saw the most people moved. At Bon Iver’s beautiful set, the crowd was enraptured and entirely engaged. I even saw a few tears – and admittedly got a bit choked up myself.

It is at moments like this that the profound essence of music festivals can be felt. A crowd of people of all types, ages and creeds united together over one love: music.

That’s what makes Bonnaroo, and any other music festival, an event that someone with even a passing love for music has to experience. For those who haven’t made it to a festival, you know what to do next summer. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed.

8 THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

ADVERT ISEMENT

LIFE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

By Melina Tej Chaouch Columnist

Becoming Parisienne chic

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE BETROCK

Alumna Melissa d’Arabian won “The Next Food Network Star.”

Alumna talks Food Network

Recalls cooking at UVM

By Hannah Ullman Life Editor Melissa d’Arabian, UVM alumna and New York Times best-selling author, gave the Cynic the scoop on her first cookbook, cooking while at school and winning the fifth season of “The Next Food Network Star.”

The Vermont Cynic (VC): In your new and first cookbook, “Ten Dollar Dinners,” what was your inspiration for making every recipe cost $10 or less?

Melissa d’Arabian: I grew up with very little money and my mom passed away when I was a junior in college — luckily I was very supported by my sorority Alpha Chi Omega. So my inspiration is really that I think we should all be excited about the food we’re serving our family or friends.

VC: So what is the benefit of cooking food for yourself and others? d’Arabian: It’s really about making people feel good. I believe in cooking for people, not for the plate.

VC: What was your experience like being on “The Next Food Network Star”? d’Arabian: “The Next Food Network Star” ultimately was a very challenging experience. I came out of it having an opportunity to bring my real-life experience to “Ten Dollar Dinners.”

VC: Did you cook while at UVM? d’Arabian: I remember when I was at UVM, I was cooking like a crazy lady. I would go around and drop off goody bags to various friends. I was making so much food, I couldn’t eat it all.

VC: How did you manage to cook in the dorms? d’Arabian: An old friend of mine from UVM just emailed me on Facebook and was saying, ‘Do you remember making beef stroganoff in Hamilton Hall in a hot

pot?’ Do you know what a hot pot is? Do you still have those?

VC: I’m not sure if hot pots are allowed in the dorms anymore. What tips do you have for college students trying to cook on a budget? d’Arabian: Cooking for one person can be kind of tiring, expensive — it doesn’t take any more time to cook for four or eight people than it takes to cook for one. So my best strategy is to cook for each other.

VC: What about cooking for a crush? Is that too old-fashioned? d’Arabian: I really think that the homemade dinner as a date strategy is so overlooked.

If I was dating somebody, I sort of had a rule that it was five or six dates and then I would make dinner for the guy. I will tell you that went a long way to impress people.

VC: Is that how you met your husband? d’Arabian: My husband and I always talk about the moment that he thought, ‘Oh, there’s really something there,’ and that was the day that I made dinner for him when we were living in Paris.

VC: Do you have a guilty pleasure food? d’Arabian: Ice cream is so my guilty pleasure. People ask why you pick your different colleges and what are some of your best experiences; did you pick UVM for the skiing? I have to tell you UVM for me was so ideally placed because it was near Ben and Jerry’s.

VC: Any last advice for UVM students? d’Arabian: Go out there and do life with abandon, because life is in session. If you’re not failing a lot, it’s ‘cause you’re not doing enough.

Retweet this interview @VermontCynic and be entered to win one of d’Arabian’s cookbooks.

Paris. There are countless things that people might think of when they think of the French capital.

Romance is definitely one. Rude French people, another. But what will always come to my mind when I think of Paris is the absolutely impeccable fashion of the Parisienne.

Fierce red lips, tiny frames and meticulously careless hairstyles will always be in vogue in Paris.

While places like London and New York appreciate the eclectic individuality in fashion, Paris will always be classic, with the easy elegance of a trench coat or the simple beauty of a pair of Repetto flats.

The French expression, “Je ne sais quoi,” which literally means “I don’t know what,” is the perfect expression for the effortless chic of French women.

Many American women strive to follow the French ideal of a woman. Let’s face it — French women are regarded as the seductresses

Fall for Paris of Europe, without really even trying. They could very easily make a simple oversized T-shirt and jeans ooze sex appeal — not that they would ever be caught dead in such an outfit.

That being said, my friends who have dated French girls also highlight their high-maintenance attitudes and their particular vanity. In that regard, I’m proud to admit that I will fit right in in Paris.

To prepare for my little semester-long jaunt to Paris, I have definitely stocked up on the classics, like a simple, oversized boyfriend blazer, a fitted trench and a pair of (imitation) Repetto flats. I have heard that these atrociously overpriced leather flats are in fact a key part of becoming a true Frenchie.

My goal for the semester: to observe this mythical creature called the Parisienne and to learn exactly how to emulate this persona. And, of course, to share my findings with you.

9

Top 10 Reasons you’re excited for school

1. “Being an RA will be really exciting. I love my staff and I am optimistic about the school year.” — Janis Lebron, junior 2. “I am excited to see all my friends again and take as much as I can out of my classes.” — Chris Fulton, junior 3. “My favorite part about coming back is reuniting with friends, wearing my backpack again and getting free popcorn at Brennan’s.” — Emily Leighton, junior 4. “I am looking forward to never having to step foot in a dorm room again and being able to eat edible food. Apartment living is better than dorm life.” — Carly Edelstein, junior 5. “I can’t wait to party with old friends and eat late at the Marché.” — Scott Kalish, junior 6. “My favorite thing about coming back is how awesome it feels when everything is finally unpacked.” — Emma Cudney, sophomore 7. “My favorite part about coming back to school is midnight shenanigans downtown.”

—Jason Sebo, junior 8. “I’m excited for the new surprises and challenges that will present themselves as the year progresses.” — Julie Accardo, sophomore 9. “It is always fun to go back to school, because our mind is fresh to learn, and also I love meeting new friends as well as hanging out with old ones.” — Kemar Bell, junior 10. “September dips in the lake followed by Burlington sunsets.” — Addie Halligan, junior

Having trouble making friends?

Join the Vermont Cynic.

We will train you.

Meetings Thursdays, 7 p.m. Waterman 427

Questions? Email cynic@uvm.edu

10

LI FE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

Bear brings you there

Website shows downtown happenings

By Erin Focone Staff Writer Thewherebear.com is a clear and concise website based in Burlington that informs students and community members about local restaurants, bars, clubs and events.

In the fall of 2011 the idea flourished when self-employed graphic designer Catherine Lange, new to the area, wanted to know what was happening downtown. The website became a new project and a helpful tool in discovering Burlington.

Its staff consists of its creator, Lange, Louis Antonelli, back-end programmer for the website and Ellie Beckett, social media and outreach intern.

According to Lange, the goal of the website is to be userfriendly. Its goal is not to try to be like the other websites that show exclusive deals and sales. Instead, it informs community members about what venues downtown are already doing.

“Restaurants and bars have always done specials as ways to increase traffic during slower times,” Lange said. “With the rise of the ‘daily deals’ sites, we realized [customers] were often being ripped off.”

She feels very optimistic about the original website and her team’s plans for it.

“WhereBear is a way for these venues to advertise what they’re already doing, and we provide a channel to get the word out,” Lange said.

Health and Fitness

How to dodge sneaky trans fats

By Kevin Pelletier Columnist

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY WALKER SULTZBACH

A student browses thewherebear.com on campus, Aug. 29. The Burlington-based website tells residents of events occuring in town.

Vermont is not the last stop either; the team has plans to expand this website to college towns around the country.

“Burlington is our testing ground — we’re loyal to Vermont and this city because it’s where we’re starting,” she said. “We’d love to take it to similar college towns, and plan to start the outreach to other cities this fall.”

Beckett said that she is excited about this project and what it can do for the UVM community.

“WhereBear is a really useful tool for college students who want to go out into Burlington without spending a lot of money,” she said.

The website is continually

growing and has 32 downtown venues listed on the site, and has expanded to Winooski, Shelburne and Williston.

“When you go to the website, you’ll see different colored bars — blue for event, purple for drink and orange for food,” Beckett said. “When you hover over the bar, the special and the times that are active pop up.”

Junior Jessica Schwartz said she liked the site’s simplicity.

“The site looks really accessible and easy to use,” Schwartz said.

For more information on WhereBear, visit their website www.thewherebear.com.

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There seem to be a lot of misconceptions about dietary fats.

It is common to hear someone claim he or she is avoiding fat in his or her diet in an attempt to be healthier, yet approximately 20 to 35 percent of one’s diet should consist of fats according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

So how can these reasonable, yet seemingly contradictory statements be reconciled?

As some readers may already know, there is an important distinction to be made between different kinds of fats. To put it simply, there are “bad fats” and “good fats.”

The infamous “bad fats” include saturated and trans fats, while the often underappreciated “good fats” consist of unsaturated fats. A quick way to tell the difference is that saturated fat is solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fat is liquid at this temperature.

According to the American Heart Association, both saturated and trans fats increase total blood cholesterol, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. And, of course, “bad fats” can lead to weight gain.

On the other hand, unsaturated fat has been shown to decrease cardiovascular disease, essentially by reversing the effect of “bad fats.” It is also a major energy source and critical for various functions in the

body such as the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K. With this in mind, it is important to know which foods contain what types of fats.

Trans fat is commonly found in processed food, and much to the disappointment of many college students, it is present in many ready-made packaged foods like Ramen noodles.

Saturated fat is found in things like red meat and most baked goods, while unsaturated fat is present in foods such as fish, nuts and plant oils. Trans fat is commonly found in processed food, and much to the disappointment of many college students, it is present in many ready-made packaged foods like Ramen noodles.

Another thing to be aware of when shopping is that it is legal in the U.S. to claim that a product has “0 g of trans fat,” so long as that product contains less than 0.5 g of trans fat per serving.

Thus, food companies could lower their serving sizes to the point where they just barely meet this cutoff.

In other words, they could hypothetically claim a product contains “0 g of trans fat” even if there is 0.49 g of trans fat per serving.

The way to ensure a product indeed has 0 g of trans fat is to read the list of ingredients. If the ingredients include “shortening” or “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil,” then the product must contain a certain amount of trans fat.

More information can be found at www.fda.gov.

D I S T RAC T I O N S

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

What do you know about Vermont?

11

Did you know?

• Decker Towers, located on St. Paul Street, is the tallest building in Vermont at 11 stories tall.

• When Williams Hall was built in 1896, it was considered to be the first fireproof college building in the United States.

• Trinity Campus was once an all women’s Catholic college founded by the Sisters of Mercy before the University of Vermont agreed to purchase the property in 2002.

ACROSS 2. A cheese factory based in Vermont.

4. Town known as the birthplace of Vermont.

6. Friendly sea monster that lives in Lake Champlain.

9. With 19 down, UVM’s colors.

11. The capital of Vermont.

15. Aquarium on the waterfront.

16. Vermont was the _____ state to join the Union.

18. Vermont’s motto.

19. Vermont is the ________ state.

20. Chapel located on Central Campus.

21. Library on Central Campus.

22. Vermont’s border to the north.

23. A mountain named after an animal.

24. Leader of the Green Mountain Boys.

DOWN 1. President of UVM. 3. The best ice cream around.

5. Vermont’s state tree.

7. A sweet breakfast condiment.

8. The museum on campus.

10. Vermont’s tallest point.

12. UVM’s mascot.

13. Smallest city in Vermont.

14. UVM is the _____ oldest university in New England.

17. Vermont’s state bird.

19. With 9 across, UVM’s colors.

23. 30th president whose birthplace is Vermont.

Wash Spot Laundromat

OPEN 24 HOURS 7 DAYS/WK 207 Riverside Ave, Burlington Next to Newton’s Carwash ½ mile from UVM Will match any value put on Wash Card OVER $20.00 and up to a $50 Match with student I.D. See website for details • High Extraction Washers = Less Dry time 8 Load Washers $10.39 5 Load Washers $6.19 3 Load Washers $3.54 2 Load Washers $2.14 • Wash-Dry-Fold Service • FREE Wi-Fi (bring your laptops) • Accepts Credit and Debit Cards • Clean and Air-Conditioned thewashspot.com Email. clean@thewashspot.com 802.862.6100

Camp Morning Wood by Scott Womer

• The Royall Tyler Theatre was originally built to be an assembly and concert hall, in addition to functioning as a gymnasium.

12

Opinion

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

STAFF EDITORIAL

THE VERMONT

C YNIC

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Brent Summers cynic@uvm.edu

802-656-0337

Managing Editor Corrie Roe

cynicnewsroom@gmail.com

News

Becky Hayes

cynicnews@gmail.com

Opinion

Peyton Rosenthal

cynicopinion@gmail.com

Sports

Mike Eaton

cynicsportseditor@gmail.com

Life/Feature Hannah Ullman

cyniclifeeditor@gmail.com

Arts

Natalie Slack

cynicartseditor@gmail.com

Layout

Devon Meadowcroft

cyniclayouteditor@gmail.com

Web

Kathleen Murray

vermontcynicweb@gmail.com

Photography Natalie Williams

cynicphoto@gmail.com

Copy Chief

Jasmine Hughes

cyniccopyedit@gmail.com

Illustration

Jenna Bushor

cynicsketches@gmail.com

Video

Jon Polson

cynicvideo@gmail.com

STAFF Assistant Editors

Devin Karambelas (News), Mackenzie Jones (Photo), Walker Sutlzbach (Photo), Julia Dwyer (Sports), Ann Cromley (Life), Jacob Lumbra (Opinion)

Page Designers

Danielle Bilotta, Meg Ziegler, Alana Luttinger

Copy Editors

Emily Bartran, Kaitlyn Green

OPERATIONS Operations Manager Victor Hartmann

cynicoperations@gmail.com

Please keep it simple, Sullivan With President Sullivan now in command of our precious university, all eyes are turned to the administration to see how his initial vision statement will translate to action and change.

The relationship between students and administration has had a rocky past, mainly because UVM students feel that they are not included in the dialogue that determines the future of the University. A recent student satisfaction survey revealed that students feel distanced from administration.

We Cynic-ers can understand why. The administration is simply not that great at speaking to students. Instead of one-on-one conversations, they tend to talk down to students using large words that overcomplicate their positions.

Remember former President Bramley’s email to students last fall about UVM reaching student capacity? He brought up “cost structure” and “productivity/net revenue enhancement,” but never once said, “Guys, you may have to pay more tuition so we can keep the doors open.”

Quite possibly, administrators feel the need to demonstrate their dense vocabulary to justify their salaries and let everyone know that yes, they are PhD educated even though they are not in the lecture hall environment.

We at the Cynic have a proposition for President Sullivan: Keep it simple. If tuition is going to increase, please do not tell us “there may be net revenue activity enhancement actions required.”

Instead of “no fornication whatsoever shall be betrothed on perennial wheatgrass,” just tell us “please don’t have sex on the green.”

We guarantee that if you walked into the offices of Waterman right now, dictionary robots would not greet you, but instead real, caring administrators who work to make our lives here better.

If students feel they are being genuinely talked to and not talked at, they will listen and engage in the discussion.

Distribution Manager Kyle DeVivo kdevivo@uvm.edu

Advertising Manager Victor Troiano cynicalads@gmail.com

ADVISER Faculty Adviser Chris Evans

crevans@uvm.edu

COLUMNISTS

Whipping american literature into shape with ‘Shades of Grey’

ARIELLE BOUTWELL

What is it about sadomasochism that has attracted the attention of so many people?

For those of you that are unfamiliar with S&M, think bondage, whips, and chains.

Ten million people in the U.S. have already bought a book that revolves around the S&M theme.

Fifty Shades of Grey is your typical erotica book written

by E. L. James. Very shortly after the book was published, it became viral and is now on the best-sellers list.

The main buyers of the book are women, which does not make much sense to me. I cannot understand why women would want to read a book about a woman getting beaten, whipped and tortured during sex.

I eventually caved and bought the book, and discovered something much more than a cheesy, erotic novel with sensually described sex scenes.

Sigmund Freud, the founding father of psychoanalysis, coined a variety of relatable theories involving the unconscious mind and repression.

The best-known theory refers to infantile sexuality. In the early 1900s, Freud theorized that men eroticize domination over women, and women eroticize submission. He concluded that this behavior is something hardwired into our genetic codes.

However, this does not mean that women enjoy sexual activity against our will, because that is not the case whatsoever. Psychologist E. Barbara Hariton concluded that force fantasies are not about abuse, but about desire and attraction.

The tricky line that the book does not cross is that the two main characters are both consenting adults exploring fantasies and new things with each other.

The roles of dominant and submissive appeal to women because they occur in a controlled environment, providing readers with their indulgent

dose of erotica.

What angry critics do not realize is that psychology plays a large role in this book’s popularity. I believe this book is as popular as it is because although the male protagonist Christian Grey plays the dominant role, his love interest, Ana Steele, is the one with all the power.

Now, before you dismiss this book and frown on its ‘indecency to women,’ keep in mind that the S&M does not occur unless Ana Steele approves.

Though the woman in this book falls into the submissive role, she is the one that has to grant the dominant permission.

After reading this book, it was understandably easier for me to comprehend why such a large amount of people were attracted to Fifty Shades. The psychological effect this book has on its readers is as simple as being in control and exploring in a safe way. Everyone wants to feel desirable, and this book allows men and women to feel just that.

Arielle Boutwell is a sophmore English major. She has been writing for The Cynic since fall 2011.

DISTURBING QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I ONLY PAID OFF MY STUDENT LOANS EIGHT YEARS AGO.” - President Barack Obama on how he knows first-hand about the burden of student loans, to a rowdy college-aged crowd at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill April 24.

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OPINION

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

COLUMNISTS

War on women being waged

PEYTON ROSENTHAL

A war on women across America has unjustly been declared. The safety of our health, our well-being and our ability to choose is consistently being probed and thoroughly questioned by the very people we have placed into power to represent our voices.

Our congressmen, leaders and the people who represent our nation are failing their citizens. They are not representing and understanding a body of people who require a variety of needs all across the spectrum of belief, whether it be conservative, libertarian, or liberal.

While the 2008 election was characterized by Sarah Palin-how-did-you-ever-become-an-elected-governmentofficial jokes, 2012 has thus been characterized by the many wars being declared.

Between the upcoming 2012 election and the race to humiliate such-and-such a political candidate adequately through dramatic television ads, our congressmen — and women — have come up with boatloads of

new laws hell-bent on punishing and humiliating women who choose to have control over their bodies, whether be it through seeking out an abortion or utilizing contraception.

Taking a woman’s right to make decisions about her body goes against the very constitution our government is attempting to uphold. We deserve protection, support and the right to a choice, and this ability is not being protected well enough.

The news has been filled with riveting headlines revolving around abortion restrictions, forced ultrasounds, conservative blaming, liberal counter-blaming, complaints that women exercising their rights is a violation of their religious freedom, opposition to fair pay, and slut shaming.

Not to say all the blame should be placed at the feet and hands of men, but to deny that there is a such a largescale effort to limit our rights, especially with regard to our reproductive rights, is ignorant.

While I’m not outright addressing all conservative positions or the Republican Party for their most recent attempts to rationalize legislative attempts, the problem is breeding in their minds, and speeches and efforts and people are supporting them.

While our government debates whether to renew the Violence Against Women Act that expands protection for not

just women rights, but gay and immigrant rights as well, we’re all supposed to sit here and watch while our future rights are being determined?

Taking a women’s right to make decisions about her body goes against the very constitution our goverment is trying to uphold Almost as bad are the allmale panels discussing whether birth control should be provided to women whose employers don’t support birth control because, according to Todd Akins, pregnancy from rape is “really rare,” because “if it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

As Danielle Henderson’s feminist Ryan Gosling so dreamily penned, “When a state passes a law sanctioning medically unnecessary transvaginal ultrasounds but Viagra is still covered by medical insurance, it is time to stop denying that your country is waging a war on women.”

Peyton Rosenthal is a sophmore sociology major. She has been writing for The Cynic since fall 2011.

A bloody summer to remember

BIANCA MOHN

It was a hot and bloody summer.

James Holmes took the lives of 12 people in Colorado with a Remington 870 shotgun, a .40-caliber Glock handgun, and an AR-15 assault weapon.

Wade Michael Page killed six people in Wisconsin with a Springfield 9 mm semiautomatic pistol. Most recently, Thomas Alton Caffall shot three people in Texas; a semi-automatic sniper rifle, a bolt-action rifle, and an assault rifle were found in his home.

These are just a few of the stories that made it to the major news networks. The disturbing reality is that in the U.S., there are over 100,000 gun victims every year.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, “On average, guns kill or wound 276 people every day in America. Of those shot, about 75 adults and nine children die.”

Yes, the total number of firearm murders has decreased in the past decade, but it is inexcusable that the U.S. gun fatality rate is eight times higher than economically comparable

countries worldwide.

We have reached a point where gun fatalities are so common that we are only momentarily fazed by the latest death report. And yet we view ourselves as a civilized, peaceful nation.

As a Second Amendment supporter, the horrific shootings this summer have made it painfully clear that firearm reform is urgent. While it is easy to blame the government for failing to pass basic legislation to make our streets safer, there also needs to be more accountability placed on the manufacturers, sellers and owners of guns.

In the early 1990s, Freud theorized that men eroticize domination over women, and women eroticize submission.

We have forgotten that with certain rights come responsibilities. As a society, we have failed to uphold our end of the deal. With the NRA trying to maintain the status quo in Washington, it’s up to those who deal directly with guns to take initiative in making them safer.

Although it should be a federal requirement, all gun owners should purchase and use gun locks to prevent firearms from falling into the

wrong hands. With gun locks, the number of children who die every year playing with guns would decrease.

For gun manufacturers, greater emphasis needs to be placed on making firearms childproof and theftproof. Personalizing guns is an emerging technology, with fingerprint recognition, or entering a personal identification number so that only an authorized user can operate the gun.

It is absurd that there is no federal law for requiring background checks for all gun purchases. For private sales and gun shows, firearm sellers need to take responsibility and conduct careful background checks. There should be ramifications for selling a firearm without seeing the record of the buyer.

Currently, the FBI does not keep long-term gun purchase records. If it did that, along with making criminal records and history of mental illness easy to verify, it would give firearm sellers and police a better picture of who is buying a weapon and if he/she should.

This isn’t the Wild West anymore: We need to adjust gun control for the realities of the 21st century. It is time to make basic changes to protect our communities, whether it is with gun locks, mandatory background checks, improved technology or greater awareness.

Bianca Mohn is a sophmore business administration major.

She has been writing for The Cynic since fall 2011.

13

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Fossil fuel final face-off petition Dear Editor, We, the undersigned, support McKibben’s plan for colleges to lead the way in severing ties with companies that are working to destroy our planet.

We hope you will read McKibben’s complete article in Rolling Stone to get the full impact of the urgency of this request.

As his article explains, the science shows that Earth’s temperature has already been increased by 0.8 degrees, and “even if we stopped increasing CO2 now, the temperature would likely still rise another 0.8 degrees, as previously released carbon continues to overheat the atmosphere. That means we’re already threequarters of the way to the twodegree target.”

While it’s understandable that the fossil fuel industry would want to fight a carbon tax, it must also be noted that it has made unprecedented profits throughout its history because it hasn’t had to pay to clean up its mess and the harm it’s caused, as other industries have done.

Furthermore, the fossil fuel industry’s power and wealth stifles the ability of citizens to effectively demand carbon controls. Says McKibben: “The Koch brothers, for instance, have a combined wealth of $50 billion,” most of which was made in hydrocarbons, and “they know any system to regulate carbon would cut those profits, and they reportedly plan to lavish as much as $200 million on this year’s elections.” They and others investing in fossil fuels give millions to support GOP candidates who deny the existence of global warming.

Like McKibben, we hope colleges will comply with this plan to help remove industry roadblocks that hold us back from developing renewable energy and accelerate the destruction of the planet.

We request that you join this divestment movement, and we hope, for all our sakes, it is not too late.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely, Susan Wells Vaughan Kill Devil Hills, NC

Quick Opinions

Illustration by Andrew Becker

Peyton Rosenthal “And the endless pages of reading pile on. I’m already behind, but I refuse to blame my HBOGO addicition!”

Jacob Lumbra

“One day small animals will overcome their fear of humans and attack — i.e. squirrels and seagulls.”

14

Sports

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

Cats fall in first three Men’s soccer

even in season

By Julia Dwyer Assistant Sports Editor The James Madison and UVM field hockey teams faced off at Kent State to open the season Aug. 24.

The first half of play went in favor of JMU as they took the lead with two consecutive goals.

Taylor West of the Dukes began the scoring at the 6:10 mark followed by Bethany Ashworth in the 33rd minute.

The second half began on a similar note for JMU as Ashworth earned her second goal of the game and third for the team just 1:19 into the period.

The game did not go unanswered by the Catamounts though. With six minutes left in the game, first-year Kelsey Bonner — one of six first-years who saw playing time in the opening game — earned her first collegiate goal. Then, with only four minutes left, Vermont closed the gap to just one goal as junior Sally Snickenberger scored.

Vermont was unable to tie the game as the clock wound down and the game ended in James Madison’s favor 3-2.

The Catamounts returned for action on Aug. 26 in their first ever match against Indiana University. Indiana is coming off of a 2011 season with an overall record of 9-8 and a 2-4 record in Big 10 play. Morgan Fleetwood of the Hoosiers earned the first goal with 8:37 remaining until the half. With 1:40 left to play in the half, Indiana added to their lead with a goal from Nicole Volgraf.

“We had a very strong start today, building off our JMU game,” said Vermont head coach Nicki

By Jeremy Karpf Senior Staff Writer

NATALIE WILLIAMS The Vermont Cynic

Junior Maddy Ostrander carries the ball down the Moulton Winder Field during the game against Cornell, Sept. 10, 2011.

Houghton in an Athletic Communications press conference. “We were penetrating our attacking circle and creating some amazing goal scoring opportunities.”

Despite Vermont’s attempts, the second half went in favor of Indiana. In the 47th minute, Fleetwood assisted Audra Heilman in the game-winning goal for Indiana, making the final score 3-0.

“Indiana came out very physical in the second half and put us on our heels,” said Houghton.

“Their pressure took us out of our game plan, but we fought hard and finished strong the last 12 minutes of play.”

The Catamounts were unable to materialize any goals through

shot attempts and were outshot

by Indiana 36-7 for the game.

“We had strong contributions from everyone over the past two games and have seen tons of growth after playing two top caliber field hockey teams,” said Houghton.

Vermont continues their game play away as seven of their first eight games will be played on the road. On Aug. 28, the Catamounts faced Kent State in Kent, Ohio and fell to the Golden Flashes 4-2. This loss drops them to 0-3 on the season.

The Catamounts will travel to face Brown and hope to earn their first win of the year on Sept. 1 at 2 p.m.

As both the men’s and women’s soccer teams begin the Fall 2012 season, both teams welcome new faces and look to start strong in the new season.

The America East Preseason Coach’s Poll has the Catamount teams finishing fifth and sixth in the conference respectfully.

The men looked strong in their first match of the season, scoring on a long throw-in from senior Sean Sweeney to junior Scott Kisling in the 18th minute and providing the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over University of Rhode Island.

The win was also the first match and win at their new home stadium, Virtue Field.

Kisling played a key role in protecting the lead down a man after Sweeney was sent off in the final minutes of the first half. For his efforts, America East awarded Scott Kisling the first Player of the Week honors.

In the team’s second match of the season, the Catamounts fell at University of Massachusetts 1-0.

The team is 1-1-0 as they continue their road trip with a matchup this Friday at Michigan and then on to Oakland University for a contest on Sunday.

The women’s squad has struggled to start the season, losing three of four to fall to 1-3-0.

In the team’s opener at the new Virtue Field, the team lost to Army 3-1. The Black Knights

scored three times in the first half, pacing themselves as the Catamounts struggled to produce offense scoring their lone goal in the game’s final minutes.

Sophomore Bre Pletnick headed in a cross from sophomore Alexandra Dezenzo for her first career goal for UVM. The season’s second match saw Pletnick score again along with senior Midori Eckenstein, but two goals less than 30 seconds apart in the second half put the game out of reach as the Catamounts’ fell at University of Connecticut 4-2.

After Eckenstein tied the score in the 68th minute, Connecticut put in two quick goals all in the 68th minute to produce the final score.

In their second home match of the season, the women were able to get their first win of the season, blanking Central Connecticut 2-0.

Bre Pletnick looked strong again scoring her third goal in three games. Alexandra Dezenzo netted her first goal of the season to put the team up 2-0 in the 63rd minute.

In the final match before the beginning of the academic year, the Cats lost at Fairfield University 1-0. The loss drops the Catamounts to 1-3-0 on the season.

The team is back in action this Friday, Aug. 31, when they travel to Connecticut to face Quinnipiac University.

Jake’s guide for what to watch on Football Sundays

JAKE BIELECKI

Operation: Football Sunday.

Misson plan: Pigskin viewing, maximum. Bathroom breaks, minimal. Plan your time accordingly; commercial breaks are your friend. Get your sofas, brews, popcorn and window fans ready and join me in front of the television.

Last year we saw breakout performances from Victor Cruz, DeMarco Murray, Rob Gronkowski and others. Here’s some young talent with the potential to make a big impact this season.

Russell Wilson – Selected by the Seattle Seahawks in this

year’s NFL draft, the former Wisconsin Badger concluded his collegiate career with an eye-opening senior year.

He completed 73 percent (225/309) of his passes for 3,175 yards, more than 10 yards per attempt, and 33 touchdowns to just four interceptions.

Despite setting the FBS record for passing efficiency and running a 4.55 40-yard dash, Wilson slipped to the third round due to his small stature.

Because he stands just taller than 5 feet 10 inches, many scouts doubted his ability to play at the next level.

In three exhibition games, the undersized rookie had no problems seeing over his line, completing 67 percent of his passes and posting a preseason best 119.4 passer rating.

The performance prompted coach Pete Carroll to give Wilson the starting quarterback job over free agent acquisition Matt Flynn.

Expect Wilson to be a significant upgrade to last year’s starter Tavaris Jackson, and lead a talented team toward playoff contention.

Julio Jones – Possibly the most physically gifted receiver in the NFL, Julio Jones is making a mockery of defenses this preseason.

The Alabama product is 6 feet 3 inches and 220 pounds of pure muscle, runs a sub 4.4 40yard dash and jumps out of the building a 39-inch vertical.

In approximately 6/4 of playing time this preseason, Jones hauled in 13 catches for 240 yards, and a touchdown.

With Matt Ryan on the rise and the Falcons incorporating more passing elements to their offense, Julio is primed for a huge season.

David Wilson – The reigning Super Bowl champions, the New York Giants, wasted little time upgrading their run game, which graded as one of the league’s worst in the regular

season last year.

While they did perform better in the playoffs, it was clear upgrades had to be made.

With second fiddle Brandon Jacobs bolting for San Francisco, example 1A for addition by subtraction, and brittle Ahmad Bradshaw the only other viable option on the roster, Wilson could see himself playing a big role.

After Cardinals’ running back Ryan Williams left for the NFL, Wilson carried the Virginia Tech backfield and earned ACC Player of the Year honors on the back of a 290 carry, 1,709 yard season.

Though he’s on the smaller side at only 205 pounds, he led the FBS in yards after contact.

Expect David Wilson to surpass Bradshaw in the coming years and become one of the more prolific rushers in the NFL. Torrey Smith – With only three years of receiving under his belt, Torrey Smith made an impact out of the gates for

Baltimore in 2011.

Smith exited high school as a highly touted physical product, but also one without a true position.

After redshirting for a year at Maryland, he switched to the receiver position where his speed could be best utilized.

Used largely as a return specialist his first season, the elusive receiver broke the ACC kick return yardage record then surpassed his own mark the following year.

In his third season, Smith amassed 1,055 yards and 12 touchdowns before entering the NFL draft.

Now paired with cannonarmed Joe Flacco, Smith is the Ravens’ first true vertical threat since the quarterback joined the Ravens and they connected for 841 yards and seven touchdowns.

The development and performance of these two could be the biggest factor for the Ravens’ Super Bowl aspirations.

S P O RT S

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

15

Four bold predictions Lake Monsters for the NFL this year invade summer WILL ANDREYCAK

1. The New England Patriots will make a push for another 16-0 regular season Despite posting a record of 13-3 and making a trip to Super Bowl XLVI, the Patriots left their fans with an extremely bitter taste on their tongues. The big gripe with this team last year was their defense — which ranked second to last in yards allowed at 411 per game.

But, like the team that finished last in the aforementioned category — the Green Bay Packers — yards allowed per game doesn’t mean a whole lot when you are putting up absurd offensive numbers.

Even though the Pats came up short against the Giants in the Super Bowl, there is reason to be hopeful in 2012.

If you haven’t taken a look at the Pats’ schedule, you will be shocked by how easy it is. They play teams with a combined 2011 record of 116-140, and only four of those teams made the playoffs last year — the Broncos, 49ers, Ravens and Texans.

Perhaps what’s most encouraging about the Patriots’ schedule is the fact that they play their most challenging opponents at home — the only game of note they play on the road is Baltimore.

Couple that with the fact that the AFC East will likely be one of the least competitive divisions in all of the NFL and you have to believe that the Patriots will have as good a chance as any to go 16-0 in the regular season.

2. The NFC South, not the NFC North or NFC East, will be the most competitive division in all of football New Orleans and Atlanta have been the class of this division for the last three years and have had epic in-division battles down the stretch. But with the emergence of Cam Newton last season, the Carolina Panthers have become relevant for the first time since they won a division title back in 2008.

The Saints have a question mark after one of the most turbulent off-seasons — if not the most turbulent — in NFL history.

You have to think that they will suffer — even if only slightly — due to hangover from all the controversy that the organization

had to endure.

If there is a time for the Falcons, Panthers or even the Buccaneers to make a move to the top, now is that time.

The Falcons have some serious issues of their own after suffering a downright embarrassing 24-2 playoff defeat at the hands of the Giants last season — a loss which dropped the Falcons’ playoff record during the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan era to 0-3.

The Panthers were one of the most explosive offensive teams in the league last year, led by Cam Newton’s historic rookie season.

The Panthers finished seventh in the league in total offense, and with plus ratings at nearly every position on offense, that ranking will improve.

The defense simply has to get better, as they finished fifth worst in the NFL in yards allowed per game. In fact, as written about by si.com’s Kerry Byrne, the Panthers had one of the 10 worst pass defenses of all time last season.

If the Panthers can make some improvements in this facet of the game, they should be in the thick of things in the NFC playoff hunt.

3. Peyton Manning will fail to deliver a division title to the Denver Broncos While the Patriots will flourish due to the lack of strength in their schedule, the Broncos will do the very opposite for the strength present in theirs.

Denver’s schedule includes games vs. Pittsburgh, at Atlanta, vs. Houston, at New England, and vs. New Orleans, at Cincinnati and at Baltimore.

Those teams all made the playoffs last season and had a combined record of 79-33.

Even if Denver can win the games they have at home against these teams, they would have to post a 7-2 record against the rest of the teams on their schedule to post a 10-6 record and have a legitimate shot at an AFC West crown.

A tall order for an aging Peyton Manning in a brand-new offensive system.

4. The Green Bay Packers will win Super Bowl XLVII I’ve made dreadful attempts to predict Super Bowl champs in the past. Two years ago I picked Dallas and last year I picked the Jets.

Both had disappointing seasons for ages and failed to make the playoffs.

This year I am taking the safe way out and picking a team that has a quarterback that has led his team to a 25-7 record over the last two years and to a Super Bowl title, has amassed 9,178 total yards of offense — 8,565 passing yards, 613 rushing yards — and has accounted for 80 touchdowns — 73 passing, seven rushing.

Before you point to their defense that was ranked dead last in the NFL last season, keep in mind this fact: Three of the four teams that made it to either the AFC or NFC championship game last season had a defense that ranked in the bottom six of the league.

In the end, it’s all about offensive fire power. And more than any other team, the Packers have it.

By Mike Eaton Sports Editor

For UVM sports fans, there’s not much to see in the summer months. Burlington, thankfully, offers a unique opportunity for sports fans, UVM students or otherwise.

The Vermont Lake Monsters, the single A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, are a proud asset to the state and a chance for those Burlington baseball fans who dearly miss the UVM baseball program to catch a few games at Centennial Field.

On March 14, UVM interim President John Bramley agreed to a lease deal with Lake Monsters owner Ray Pecor for $1 a year in order to keep minor league baseball in Vermont for an extended period of time.

Tickets for the professional level games start at $7 for general admission and open up an array of ballgame food and 25 cent hot dogs on Mondays. If you make it to a Friday game, you’ll be treated to a postgame fireworks show, too.

The Lake Monsters are led by right fielder John Wooten from East Carolina University and catcher Bruce Maxwell from Birmingham Southern College, the top two prospects on the team.

While Wooten is a New York Penn League top 20 batter in most offensive categories — the fourth highest RBI producer in the league — the Lake Monsters sit in last place of the Stedler division of the Penn League, far behind first place Tri-City.

Cheap tickets, a bouncy house and a team to root for now that the Sox are in the toliet... what more could you ask for?

In any case, the Monsters will play their last five games at home from Sept. 1-5, giving Vermonters a last chance to see some baseball until the UVM club baseball season starts up in the spring.

UVM sophomore and Vermonter Cooper Brochu has spent countless hours in the Centennial Field stands and has enjoyed every minute of it.

“Having the Lake Monsters in town is awesome for Vermonters,” Brochu said. “Cheap tickets, a bouncy house and a team to root for now that the Sox are in the toilet… what more could you want?”

After School Program Assistant Job Opportunity Do you love children? Do you have your afternoons free? Are you looking for an engaging, enjoyable position?

The Y manages after school programs in 22 elementary and middle schools serving children between the ages of five and twelve. We have immediate openings in Williston, Fairfax, Bolton, Charlotte, Richmond, Essex, Georgia, Huntington, Jericho, St. Albans, Shelburne, Underhill and Waterbury. The hours are 2:30 to 6pm Monday through Friday and the pay rate is $10/hr.

We are looking for people with experience working with groups of schoolage children. Email cover note and resume to Tricia Pawlik at tpawlik@gbymca.org or call Tricia at 802-862-8993 X 150 if you have questions. We are an equal opportunity employer and provider focusing on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

16

S P O RT S

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

Summer changes for UVM athletics Men’s soccer

Men’s Hockey Head coach Kevin Sneddon announced this past week that they will have two additions to the coaching roster, naming both Kevin Patrick and Kyle Wallack as assistant coaches for the upcoming season. Patrick comes to the Catamounts after spending the past two years as head coach of the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL; Wallack was former head coach of the Indiana Ice in the USHL.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Women’s hockey head coach Jim Plumer announced that former Amherst College assistant coach, Chelsea Grills, will be joining the Vermont coaching staff this season as an assistant coach.

WOM

EN’S

FIEL

Head coach Jesse Cormier announced in early August that the team will be adding Rob Dow, former coach at Southern New Hampshire University, to the coaches’ roster as the team’s assistant coach. Dow coached at SNHU for the last four seasons and will add experience in key areas.

Cormier also announced the addition of 11 fresh faces to the field for the 2012 season. The new recruits will be first-years PJ Abplanalp, Danny Childs, Charles DeFeo, Nate Friedberg, Teddy Gula, Sam Keenan, Jack Shea, Simon Sugarman and Nile Walwyn, and juniors Carter Lincoln and Johnny Bonner.

WOMEN’S SOCCER Three Catamounts on the women’s soccer team have been named in the list of Top 20 Players to Watch in America East according to preseason conference rankings. Ranked fifth is junior defender Alexa DeMaio, next is junior forward Ellie Mills, and finally sophomore Kerry Glynn, who was named America East All-Rookie Team last season.

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

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Katherine Craig, Tori Frustaci, Elena Melloni, Carah McClure, Maggie Preston, Christa Weaver, Hayley Weik, Victoria Wood and Tori Wood.

A lot has changed in the world of Catamount men’s basketball since winning the American East Championship last season. This year the court will be graced with five new faces, with a familiar one absent. Sophomore Four McGlynn will not be returning to UVM this season as he plans to transfer to Towson University. The former American East Rookie of the Year will continue playing for his next three years of eligibility.

The Catamounts made up for the loss, however, when head coach John Becker made the announcement earlier in the month that junior transfers Hector Harold and Ryan Pierson will join the team, along with first-years Troy Davine, Brendan Kilpatrick and Ethan O’Day.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The women’s basketball team has made some new additions to the coaching roster, welcoming former Catamount Courtnay Pilypaitis to the team once again as an assistant coach. Pilypaitis graduated from UVM in 2010 and is eager to join in again, coming hot off her participation in women’s basketball with Team Canada at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Another fresh face will join the women’s coaching staff this season, head coach Lori Gear McBride announced last month. Sam Allen will serve as the director of basketball operations for the Catamounts, coming to Vermont from Maine where she worked as the assistant coach at Smith College for two seasons.