Vermont Cynic Fall 2014 Issue 5

The Vermont

Students and alumni aim to bring America’s Pastime back to UVM

CYNIC

Pages 8-9

The University of Vermont’s independent voice since 1883

W e d n e s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 – Vo l u m e 1 3 1 I s s u e 5 | B u r l i n g t o n , Ve r m o n t

Feuds, blood and fans Emma Oyomba Staff Writer

ERIN LUCEY The Vermont Cynic

Protestors play music prior to the People’s Climate March in New York City Sept. 21. More than 1,000 Vermonters participated in the event.

Students hold sit-in for crisis Connor Brustofski Cynic Correspondent More than 400,000 protestors packed together and marched through the humid streets of New York City this past Sunday to raise awareness about climate change.

Sophomore Simon McIntosh, captain of the bus of UVM students that attended the protest, said that the demonstration was “more than just a march.”

“It’s a launching point for students like us to get active in our communities and join up with people to make the Earth

a better place,”McIntosh said.

David Sasson, a resident of Pelham, New York also commented on the event. “[It was a] total mix of ages,” Sasson said. “It’s pretty symbolic of what everyone’s needs are.”

The marchers were packed into fenced-off areas by the New York Police Department and forced to wait around while the smell of sweat and excitement filled the air.

The march was set for an 11:30 a.m. start at Central Park West, however it was delayed until 1 p.m. due to issues involving the large crowd.

Groups of protestors were

forced to wait in place for almost two hours in order to control congestion. The march concluded with a block party near Penn Station, between 33rd avenue and 31st street.

More than 60 UVM students participated in the movement, 37 that took a bus to New York City together, leaving from the Davis Center Saturday morning.

Prior to their departure, UVM participants were asked to attend a meeting where they were instructed not to talk to the press, some of the participants said.

Among the UVM crowd was first-year Colin Graf, who rode

the UVM bus to the event.

Graf said the amount of people that showed up “amazed him.”

“The environment is an important topic on-campus,” first-year Matt Stevens said.

“It goes with what the schools stands for,” Stevens said. “It’s students not doing what was expected, but doing what they feel responsible for.”

Senator Bernie Sanders “applauded” the more than 1,000 Vermonters who participated in the movement, according to his press release Sept. 22.

See CLIMATE MARCH on page 3

Residents overcharged millions for electric Jill Vaglica Staff Writer Both UVM and Burlington residents have been overcharged millions of dollars for electricity for more than a decade.

Burlington Electric Department recently announced that they discovered billing errors that resulted in overcharging UVM and the city of Burlington over a 10 year span, according a memo from Neale F. Lunderville, Burlington Electric’s interim general manager.

However, the ECHO Center

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T h e Ve r m o n t C y n i c

had been continuously undercharged by the department.

Ultimately, the city of Burlington, as a whole, has overpaid electric bills by $1,799,201 since 2006, while UVM overpaid a total of $357,794 since 2003, the memo stated.

The error began in January 2003, when Burlington Electric decided to “sub-meter,” or bill individual usuages.

This separated ECHO’s electric usage from that of the Rubenstein Lab’s main service with Burlington Electric, as a result, UVM was billed for the

See ELECTRICITY on page 3

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Communications coordinator at Burlington Electric Mary Sullivan poses for a photo in the media office at Burlington Electric Sept. 22.

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Heckling got physical Saturday night as an altercation between a UVM student and a visiting football player, left the student, the Cynic has identified as junior Nate Frieberg, bloodied and seeking medical attention.

The fight broke out within minutes of student arrival to club football’s home opener against Central Connecticut State University.

Prior to kickoff some fans lined up outside the portable toilets.

A Connecticut football player joined the line and was met with taunts from some UVM students. Other Vermont fans tried to calm the situation.

“Just let him pee,” they said.

When the player entered the portable toilet a UVM fan banged on the door and attempted to tip it over.

When the player exited, he and Frieberg exchanged comments.

Within seconds the player grabbed Frieberg’s shirt and proceeded to headbutt the junior twice, still wearing his helmet.

Frieberg gave a different recount of the event, stating that he was “jumped from behind.”

Senior Sarah Richardson witnessed the event.

Despite words that were exchanged, she said the actions of the Connecticut player were “unwarranted.”

“I couldn’t believe it,” Richardson said.

The player fled the scene, leaving Frieberg bleeding.

Friends escorted the senior to the hospital with a concussion and in need of stiches.

Witnesses said the athlete was in “full gear,” helmet included, when he “head-butted” Frieberg.

Central Connecticut State University’s assistant recreation director, Elizabeth Urcinas, declined to comment.

Leon Lifschutz, UVM’s club sports coordinator commented.

“We plan to have additional security at football games in hopes of deterring such an incident and improving safety of fans and players,” he said.

Wa t c h C y n i c V i d e o

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N ews

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

Fight to decrease debt Prof. takes on a

‘fishy’ presidency

John Riedel Cynic Correspondent UVM students, and college students across the nation may soon be able to refinance their student loans.

As the cost of a college education has risen over the years, Vermont students and their families have been forced to take out increasingly larger student loans to pay for tuition, Congressman Peter Welch said.

Student loan debt in Vermont currently stands at $2.5 billion, Welch said.

In response to this massive debt, he proposed the “Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act,” which would allow people to refinance their student loans.

Recent graduates starting work often have to pay loans with interest rates locked in at 8 percent or higher, according to Welch’s website.

In Vermont, nearly 65 percent of students graduate with student loan debt averaging $28,299 per student, according Welch’s website.

This debt placed on students entering the workforce has caused concern among families in Vermont, Welch said.

First-year Henry Bilik said that the ability to afford college is definitely a problem on

Krista Cantrell Cynic Correspondent

File Photo: Kelsey Wooley

Congressman Peter Welch speaks about rising student loans in Old Mill Sept. 24 2012. He proposed a bill to refinance student loans.

UVM’s campus.

“Many students have very high debt…Many have debts up to $70,000 while working 15 to 20 hours a week,” Bilik said.

If the new bill were to pass, undergraduate loans would be refinanced at a rate of 3.86 percent, graduate education loans would be refinanced at a rate of 5.41 percent and loans taken out by parents would be refinanced at a rate of 5.41 percent, according to Welch’s website.

“I was talking to a family in Vermont and they came to the conclusion that they could not send two of their three kids to college,” Welch said.

“College education is worth it” and “there is no rational reason not to refinance student loans,” he said.

“I think it will help students save money,” Bilik said.

“It would not impact me much if the bill passed, but I think it would help a lot of students here.”

As interest rates on loans increase, the longer it will take for students to pay off their debt, Welch said.

“With this bill in particular, we can refinance student loans at lower interest rates,” he said.

Welch commented on whether or not he thinks the bill will pass this session.

“Probably not this session.

In January when we return it will be a front topic,” Welch said. “I don’t have a prediction.

In reality [the bill] should’ve been passed yesterday.”

A research professor in the Rubenstein school of Environment and Natural resources will soon take on a new role.

Donna Parrish was chosen to become president of the American Fisheries Society Aug. 20.

Parrish was inaugurated at the Society’s 144th annual meeting in Quebec City, Canada.

She is now the American Fisheries Society’s 130th president.

Becoming president of the society is a “long and careful process,” Parrish said.

Parrish said she is ready to complete the tasks at hand.

She said her main goal as president of the American Fisheries Society will be to work on the society’s communication, particularly through social media.

“What are we doing with our journals and how do we portray those journals to the rest of the world?” Parrish said.

The society is famous for their publications that are used by both citizens and professionals to become informed about

North American fisheries.

“We need to improve the way we use social media to get our science out to rest of society,” Parrish said.

She is also involvedwith the Ecological Society of America and the International Association for Great Lakes Research.

Parrish devotes much of her time to local initiatives, such as studying fish species and learning how they interact within the larger food web in Lake Champlain.

“I like trying to understand how all the species interact to make the fish community of Lake Champlain unique,” she said.

Parrish came to UVM in 1991 after she earned her doctorate degree in zoology at Ohio State University in 1988.

Parrish also holds both a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in biology from Murray State University and South East Missouri State University, respectively.

Parrish said she hopes to apply the leadership and research skills developed throughout her career in the UVM community in her new position as American Fisheries Society president.

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Science building will integrate all majors Emily Bergen The University of Vermont’s largest-ever building project is beginning to take shape.

This 250,000 square foot academic complex on the Central Campus will be a key part of UVM’s initiative to improve resources for the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

This is a mission that school officials say will make the University more competitive and lead to new majors, courses, programs and degree pairings.

As all fields of study become more technologically based, supporters of the STEM initiative hope to create a learning environment that will allow students of all majors to strengthen their math and science background, UVM Provost David Rosowsky said.

In May, UVM’s Board of Trustees approved funds for completing architectural designs for the STEM Complex.

Under the plan, Angell Hall will be demolished and replaced, while Votey and Cook Physical Sciences will be renovated, Rosowsky said.

The new laboratory complex is scheduled for completion by June of 2018. The proj-

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE UVM FOUNDATION

A rendering of what the new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) building will look like when completed. ect will cost $104 million, and will be paid for by debt service, and non-debt sources, such as private gifts. Tuition will not be affected, Rosowsky said.

Junior nursing major Danielle Manginelli said that new labs would be helpful for all majors.

“I think it would help us better hands on experience.

Plus those buildings could really use an update,” she said.

The new STEM complex will include an outdoor amphitheater, a center for women and minorities in STEM and a new café, among other features.

“The engineering program here is smaller than at other schools,” first-year mechanical engineering major Jake Dillion said. “I think [the STEM initiative] will help the engineering program grow.”

The University of Vermont Foundation is currently leading a fundraising effort to help pay for the new STEM Complex.

Rosowsky believes the change will spark a love of sci-

ence in Vermonters, as well as expand their academic options.

“It’s absolutely the right thing for the University of Vermont,” he said.

N ews

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

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CRIME LOG Sept. 10 12:44 a.m.

Sept. 16 7:21 p.m.

Police services received an anonymous report of a sexual assault that occurred in Wilks Hall over the weekend of Sept.

6.

Jeanne Mance Hall staff reported three students smoking what was believed to be marijuana outside the residence hall. The individuals had already left the area when officers arrived.

The victim mentioned the incident to hall staff, who were required by federal law to inform police services.

Sept. 14 1:41 a.m.

SADEY MIRABILE The Vermont Cynic

Marie Vea-Fagnant, assistant dean for Student Sevices & Staff Development works in her office Sept. 22.

Job opens in Rubenstein Angel Yang Cynic Correspondent The position of communitybased learning coordinator has become available in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources.

The new full-time coordinator will directly collaborate with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources to support students in service-learning, internship and research opportunities.

“Getting students working with professionals in the state agency is actually a hard thing to do, unless you have someone who is dedicated to making

some connections, meeting the professionals, biologists in the agency, coordinating with students and making those connections actually happen,” said Nancy Mathews, dean of the Rubenstein School.

Community-based learning in the Rubenstein School emphasizes on experiential service learning, she said.

Communication skills and organization are the highest priority among characteristics of the future coordinator, Mathews said.

“It’s very important for this person to take initiatives and be able to be part of a team,

CLimate march ...continued from page 1 “Vermonters from across the state marched in New York City because they understand that climate change is the greatest environmental crisis facing our planet,” Sanders said in the release.

Along with UVM, students from 300 other universities from across the nation participated in the march.

“The reality of the change that we want to see will be in the order of decades, but that doesn’t mean we won’t push for environmentally-friendly power,” Manhattan College firstyear John Stone said.

Stone believed the march won’t directly affect many of those who attended, but would rather impact the generations that follow.

ELECTRICity ...continued from page 1 combined electric usage, said Mary Sullivan, communications director at Burlington Electric.

“All the electricity was calculated through Rubenstein due to mathematical errors put in when ECHO first started submetering electricity,” Sullivan said.

The error came to light when one of BED’s energy ef-

but also to look ahead and help create a better partnership between Rubenstein School and Agency of Natural Resources,” said Marie Vea-Fagnant, assistant dean for student services & staff development.

“It’s a way of our real life problems become the teaching tool in the classroom. Our students learn real life skills and real life networking,” VeaFagnant said. “We have a direct impact on the community so it’s high impacted educational practice.”

It will be very important to have a “qualified and enthusiastic coordinator,” she said.

UVM students visit the “Big Apple”

“It’s for their children and their children’s children, so future generations are guaranteed a cleaner earth,” he said.

Beverly O’Mara’s sixth grade art class was also worried for the environement’s future.

O’Mara said the 12-yearolds made large signs because they are “passionate” about polar bears.

The march was timed to parallel the United Nations Climate Summit, to advance climate action, according to their website.

Some, like Morgan Clark of the Zlatne Uste Brass Band, said she believed the march “[wouldn’t] really do anything” to affect the U.N. Regardless, marchers lined the streets to have their voices heard.

For many, issues extended beyond climate change.

Emily Arasim, an intern for Women’s Earth & Climate Network, came to the march with a feminist twist. “[Environmental disasters] affect both women and men differently, especially in developing nations,” Arasim said.

“We see women being devastated by disasters because they have a responsibility to take care of the home,” she said. “Especially in third-world countries.”

To properly address environmental issues, we must first acknowledge different ways the sexes are affected, she said.

The People’s Climate March was not an isolated event. Images of simultaneous events in places like Australia, Spain and Italy were displayed on a monitor in Columbus Circle.

Burlington Electric makes billing errors ficiency people, who works at UVM, looked at the square-foot usage of electricity for each UVM building. Rubenstein was at the top of the list, “which didn’t make sense,” she said.

“When we recognized the problem, we immediately contacted UVM and cut a check for them. We never like making mistakes, but we certainly want to correct them when they happen,” Sullivan said.

Burlington Electric has paid

the city of Burlington and UVM back in full from cash reserves, which they assure will not affect customer rates.

ECHO’s electric bill will now double, according to Lunderville’s memo.

Sophomore Amanda Bertschinger, used to work at ECHO. “It sucks that ECHO has to pay double now, but they have to do what they have to do,” Bertschinger said.

A student was found peeing in the Wheeler House parking lot. The student was referred to the Center for Student Ethics & Standards.

Sept. 15 6:01 p.m.

A blue light alarm was pressed at Billings Lecture Hall.

When the officer arrived, there was no apparent emergency.

Blue light alarms are often abused at UVM. Some students press the alarm in order to ask police services for directions, Lieutenant Laurence Magnant said.

8:09 p.m.

A UVM student was charged with a DUI at the corner of Main Street and University Place at a motor vehicle stop.

The officer initially noted a broken taillight, and then sensed that there was alcohol involved once he pulled the student over.

The student was processed for a DUI and is due in court for an arraignment.

8:09 p.m.

UVM police services confiscated marijuana from a student caught smoking in the Jeanne Mance Hall parking lot after receiving a call from hall staff.

—Jill Vaglica

Men, “It’s On Us,” President Obama and “One in Four” Invites You to Prevent Sex Assaults http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMgvcA1ia1c

Recruiting a Diverse Group of New Members

www.oneinfourusa.org What is One in Four?

We are an all-male sexual assault peer education group that educates men about how to support survivors who have experienced sexual assault/rape and how to intervene if it looks like sexual assault might happen.

What Does One in Four Do?

Members of “One in Four” present a program called “How to Help a Sexual Assault Survivor: What Men Can Do” to any group of men who will listen. “One in Four” focuses on treating men as potential helpers, not potential rapists.

How Does One in Four Do It?

We teach men how they can make a difference by helping sexual assault/rape survivors; we don’t blame them for being the problem. Research shows that our program is one of the most effective rape prevention programs for men.

Where Can I Get More Info?

For more information, contact: Keith E. Smith, Men’s Outreach Coordinator, keith.smith@uvm.edu, or 802.656.4428.

Check out our national organization site at www.oneinfourusa.org.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

S p ectac le

Spectacle

a look through the lens

Protestors of various ages took part in the People’s Climate March in New York City Sept. 21. The event was a call to action to combat climate crisis.

More than 400,000 people took part in the event, approximately 60 were UVM students.

PHOTOS BY Erin Lucey

ARTS

‘Chaotic’ quartet coming to Flynn Willie Gotterer Cynic Correspondent A quartet is travelling from Hanoi, Vietnam to America to showcase their fusion of traditional Vietnamese music with jazz and electronic tones.

“This will be our first time in America,” said Tri Minh, pianist of the Tri Minh Quartet. “I am very excited.

Through the music, I want to let people know that I am from Vietnam.”

Minh’s quartet takes on the challenge of incorporating traditional Vietnamese music with new Vietnamese styles.

“What we are doing now is very freestyle, but of course we have some structure,” he said. “We have some prepared beats, but 90 percent of what happens on stage is live. It is a kind of a free jazz.”

Minh said he feels that if he does not explore and incorporate the “old Vietnamese tradition” within his music, then he is “no different than a Japanese guy, Thai guy or Chinese guy.”

For this reason, Minh encourages his quartet to use traditional instruments and play “authentic, traditional Vietnamese music.”

The quartet’s “new Vietnamese sound” comes from using the old platform

PHOTO COURTESY OF HANOI SOUND STUFF FESTIVAL

Musician Tri Minh performs at a show. Minh is part of the Tri Minh quartet, a fusion group which will be playing at the Flynn Theater Sept.

28. The group, from Hanoi, Vietnam, describes themselves as a combination of traditional Vietnamese music, jazz and electronic tones. and building off of it.

“When I start a musical dialogue with a traditional instrument musician, they start to recognize a culture within their culture,” he said.

“They realize that within the traditional instrument’s melodies they can actually do something very new outside of the old tradition,” Minh said.

Instruments used by the group include a zither — a romantic stringed instrument — the mouth harp, the bamboo flute, traditional percussion, a keyboard and midi pads.

“We try and reverse the traditional elements during our show,” Minh said. “If an instrument is soft and beautiful, we want to also make it chaotic and dynamic.

With the percussion, we want it to be at times very dynamic and rhythmic yet also be soft, mellow, subtle and romantic.”

Three years of practice as a group and decades of practice outside of the group is what it takes to sculpt a sound like theirs.

“We all have our own dignity and we all want to preserve what we want to

be,” Minh said. “Our songs require a lot of listening, and to do this we need to leave space and harmony for each other.”

“Chaotic but still in harmony” represents the complexity of their music as the new and old traditions of Vietnam interlace in Tri Minh’s Quartet, performing at 7 p.m. at the Flynn Theater Sept. 28.

Punk rock sets Periphery ready to get heavy sights on Burly Jacob Holzman Assistant Arts Editor

Cara Zhuang Cynic Correspondent Upstart Fest has returned for their third annual tour as the “Northeast’s Biggest and Best Punk Rock Party.”

This is the Fest’s first year coming to Burlington and the audience can expect anything but the ordinary.

The festival began in 2012 as a showcase for new names in the punk rock genre.

“What made us mad was that we could never get our own bands — these smaller local bands — onto these bigger shows,” said Travis Myers, creator of Upstart Fest. “That’s why we always incorporate two or three locals in every show, to be fair.”

The set list of each venue varies to include bands from around that area.

The Burlington set list will include local groups such as Earl Grave and As We Were, as well as headliners like The Virus and Svetlanas.

Sounds range from Left Alone’s ska-punk to New Red Scare’s politically driven “Punk and Roll.”

The Murder Weapon will also be displaying their own

variety of the “psychobilly style” — a fusion of punk and rockabilly, Myers said.

To Myers, music is not about being trendy and fashionable but rather about being an outlet for those who can’t find one elsewhere.

“There are always young people and young musicians from all around the world who feel that they’re not a part of mainstream society, and the reality of it is that none of us really are, but it’s these people who feel the need to latch onto punk rock,” he said.

The event aims to honor the sub-genre of rock dedicated to the social rebels and political critics of the world.

“As for the political side of it, it’s never more relevant than it is today, with the state of our country and all the wars going on around the world,” Myers said.

Some students feel they can relate to their messages despite their heavy sound.

“Even though I’m not too familiar with this specific genre or the bands playing, I wouldn’t mind going just to learn about this kind of music,” sophomore Hope Dunbar said.

The show will be held at ArtsRiot at 8 p.m. Oct. 3.

Get ready for grinding guitars, groovy licks and soaring vocals. A modern heavy metal juggernaut is coming to Burlington.

Progressive metal band Periphery is set to come through Higher Ground Oct. 5, along with bands The Contortionist, Intervals and Toothgrinder.

The Vermont Cynic had the opportunity to speak with the band’s lead singer, Spencer Sotelo about the group, their upcoming new album “Juggernaut” and having bad gas.

Vermont Cynic (VC): A few members of Periphery have been involved in video game production recently — Grand Theft Auto V and Halo 5. If there was a Periphery-themed video game, what would it be?

Spencer Sotelo (SS): It has to be something pretty nerdy, because the majority of the members of the band are pretty nerdy dudes.

Something sci-fi in the background, with aliens and sci-fi and space.

VC: If Periphery was a super-group of Disney characters, which would you be?

SS: I mean, lately, since I’ve been taking so much protein

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGE VALLEE

Members of Periphery pose for a photo. Periphery is a progressive metal band which will be performing at Higher Ground Oct. 5. powder and had so much gas constantly, probably Pumba.

VC: If Periphery’s new album was a pizza flavor, which would it be?

SS: “The Works” for sure, whatever that might be, because its 80 minutes of music, sounding like nothing we’ve done so far, and it’s just like all over the place.

There’s variety — everything is thrown at you.

VC: What do you think is the most underrated genre of music?

SS: I don’t really listen to any type of music that I think you could call “underrated.”

I listen to a lot of, like, mainstream stuff, stuff that gets you going, gives you instant gratification.

I guess progressive metal is underrated, but I don’t listen to it much — I listen to stuff that gives you that instant gratification.

VC: Why do you think it’s underrated?

SS: I just think that a lot of people don’t have the attention span for it, or think they don’t.

When people hear prog, they go, “Oh god, seven-toeight minute songs, I don’t want to deal with that.”

VC: What can people expect when Periphery comes to Burlington?

SS: They can expect a long, awesome show and a bunch of out-of-breath guys on stage.

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A RTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

THIS WEEK IN ARTS Your guide to all of the in Burlington.

Sept. 25 Rhythm and Brews @ Living & Learning Fireplace Lounge

Sept. 26 ArtsRiot Truck Stop @ 400 Pine St. Roomful of Teeth @ UVM Recital Hall Dawn of Midi @ Signal Kitchen

Sept. 27 FallFest @ UVM Patrick Gym DsantosVT Salsa Social @ North End Studios

Sept. 28 Adventures in Mime and Space @ North End Studios Tri Minh Quartet @ Flynn Theatre Mirah @ Signal Kitchen

Sept. 29 Silent Mind album release @ Nectar’s Tweedy @ Flynn Theatre Metal Mondays ft. Earth’s Last Breath @ Club Metronome

Sept. 30 New England Italian Film Festival Screening @ Waterman Building

KRISTA CANTRELL The Vermont Cynic

Seniors Avery Muzikar (left) and Garrett Garcia perform during Rhythm and Brews in the Living and Learning Fireplace Lounge Sept. 18.

Rhythm and Brews is a music series that runs every Thursday at 9 p.m. The series features both student and local musicians.

Brewing a UVM community

On-campus coffee house kicks off again this fall semester Caroline Shea Cynic Correspondent Rhythm and Brews, a tradition at the Living and Learning Center returned Sept. 18 to the Fireplace Lounge.

The series will run every Thursday at 9 p.m. and feature a variety of acts.

In the past, Rhythm and Brews has featured mostly bands.

This year grad student Katie Matuska, the program runner, said she hopes to expand the event’s repertoire.

In the future, she said she hopes the program will have the opportunity to also support various local musicians, dancers, theatre pieces, spo-

WRUV DJ PICKS WRUV DJ Deb Reger features a showcase of native and indigenous music. Her show, “Moccasin Tracks,” runs Tuesdays from noon to 2 p.m.

1)

Artist: Rushingwind & Mucklow Song: “Ceremony of Morning” Album: Ancient Elements

2)

Oct. 1 Dupont Brothers album release @ Signal Kitchen

ken word, poetry and other acts.

Although the entertainment may vary, there is one constant at Rhythm and Brews: free food as well as local, organic, fair-trade coffee and tea.

“You can make the night whatever you want it to be,” Matuska said.

This was proven true at the open mic Sept. 18, where genres ranged from musical theatre to rap and artists covered included everyone from Bon Iver to Nicki Minaj.

Matuska said she wants Rhythm and Brews to be “for students, by students and with students.”

She said she hopes it can also serve as a way to con-

3)

Artist: Georgie Jessup Song: “Fools Crow” Album: American Holocaust

Artist: Rafeef Ziadah Song: “We Teach Life, Sir” Album: Hadeel Ed Kobotie (Hopi) 4) Artist: Song: “Loloma” Album: One Man Jam

nect the University and the wider Burlington Community.

“It’s a really accessible event,” first-year Chris Keim said.

Matuska agreed, saying that usually students have to venture off-campus to find events similar to Rhythm and Brews.

Not only is it accessible, but because all the refreshments are come from Burlington establishments, it’s also an opportunity to support both the UVM community and local businesses, she said.

Seniors Garrett Garcia and Avery Muzikar sang and played guitar plus ukelele together Sept. 18.

The duo said they en-

joyed seeing people they “saw everyday in class or around campus show off their unique talents.”

Members of the audience cheered their encouragement for the performers throughout the night.

Students often ended up stopping in when they ran into friends or decided to try some sof the chocolate chip cookies.

Even Matuska’s cat, Kirby, made a guest appearance.

Rhythm and Brews welcomes anyone, no matter their interest.

“Really connecting and working collaboratively with students” is something that Matuska said she looks forward to.

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A RTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

7

Two Tweedys to begin international tour Maggie Richardson Cynic Correspondent It’s all in the family when it comes to this musical duo.

At the age of 18, Spencer Tweedy has spent months touring and recording with his own band, The Blisters, as well as with his father, Jeff Tweedy of the alternative-folk band Wilco.

He is now getting ready to head out for the Tweedy fall tour and the release of the father-son band’s debut album, “Sukierae.”

Not only is he excited for the east coast tour ­— hitting the Flynn Sept. 29 — but also for the European leg starting in November, as well.

“We’re basically going to be in a different country every day,” Spencer Tweedy

said.

Though performing overseas may seem intimidating to some, Tweedy is not at all daunted.

“I’m comfortable on stage because I’ve been playing for so long,” he said.

Spencer Tweedy has been playing drums for as long as he can remember and has learned much from his family.

“I ended up being a musician with similar sensibilities as my dad, partially because of DNA, partially because of the Wilco influence,” he said.

Family is a constant presence in the musician’s life but, as he insisted, not a smothering one.

When on the road, “we act like a band, and being in a band on the road is really

fun,” Tweedy said.

The fact that he is touring with his father has not affected how much he enjoys being on the road.

“People have a really hard time believing I’m happy doing this with my parent, but I’m not some wild kid,” he said. “It’s immensely rewarding.”

In addition to his father, Tweedy said he draws inspiration from classic acts such as The Band and The Beatles.

“I try to keep a good base of ‘60s and ‘70s albums because they’re classics and I love them,” he said.

Tweedy has a deep respect for musical history, which he conveyed when he shared his favorite venue.

“The Ryman auditorium in Nashville, it’s super his-

PHOTO COURTESY OF PIPER FERGUSON

Father and son Jeff (left) and Spencer Tweedy pose for a photograph. Together they form the alternative-folk band Wilco. toric and so many of my heroes have played there,” he said.

Tweedy also appreciates the importance of what he does.

“[Music] is about sharing emotions,” he said. “What we’re doing is raw and emotional and that’s what’s im73092 portant.”

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8

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

9

Alumni campgain to “Bring it back” The historical baseball team, which was cut in 1971, reinsated in 1978, and cut again in 2009, is once again fighting to regain their status as a varsity program at the University.

By Jack Estrin In 2009, the UVM Athletic Department made the then controversial decision to cut the University’s varsity baseball program for the second time.

Since, Vermont’s baseball community has faught to bring it back.

In 2009, when the athletic department was faced with billions of dollars in deficit, the UVM baseball program, originally cut in 1971 and reinstated 7 years later, was cut for the second time in 40 years, and this time the softball team went with it.

The decision to end the varsity program affected many within the local community.

Former four-year UVM baseball player and alumnus Mike Talbot ’91 said he had hoped that he could pass down the tradition of UVM baseball to his family.

“My hopes were that someday my sons would play here too,” Talbot said.

Jim Carter, coach of the club baseball team, said that because UVM is the state’s only Division I school, when the team was cut, many talented Vermonters left the state in order to play the game they loved at the Division I level.

Others were forced to stay in state, where the opportunity to play Division I was gone.

Currently there are 10 Division I baseball players from Vermont in the country and 83 Vermonters total playing college baseball.

Current athletic director Robert Corran said that the decision to cut baseball and softball was financially-based.

“It was primarily budget,” Corran said.

“There was a gap between projected revenues and expenses of $1.1 million within the department.”

Instead of distributing budget cuts across multiple teams, the athletic department chose to cut specific programs.

“The options we were looking at included making across the board cuts on all the programs or being more selective in targeting specific programs, so really focusing all the cuts on fewer programs,” he said.

However, Carter pointed to the low cost of a varsity baseball team as a reason to bring the program back.

“Many sports are three times what baseball costs,” Carter said.

The University doesn’t even maintain the team’s home field, Centennial Field. The field is owned and maintained by the local minor league team, the Vermont Lake Monsters, he said.

Therefore, UVM has free access to one of the most historic fields in the country, Carter said.

“In 1906 this facility was built,” he said. “This is the oldest field in the United States that is used for professional baseball.”

In order for the team to return, Corran said that a “large sum” of private money would be necessary.

“We made that decision that the only way that we would enter into any kind of fundraising program to maintain the program was if it was endowed, where we had a guaranteed revenue stream to support the program,” he said.

A multi-million dollar endowment would offer the team financial stability and provide a base fund for the team to function.

Since no other UVM sport is required to run on an endowment, Carter said they see this as an insult.

“To me, it’s an insult for somebody to say you have to have an endowment,” he said.

Talbot agreed, pointing out that all other sports are paid for by the athletic department.

“No other sport has an endowment, they’re just part of the athletic budget,” he said.

Another “big reason” that the baseball and softball teams were cut was because of the Vermont weather, Corran said.

The team was forced to push their home season later and later in the year. In fact, sometimes the team would be playing home games when the school year had already ended, he said.

In the team’s final season, they played more than 20 games on the road before finally coming home.

“A bigger factor was the collegiate baseball season. It’s cold weather, so we had to push our home season later and later into the academic year,” Corran said. “There would be times when we would be playing games when school was out.”

In sports like baseball and softball, games are more likely to be canceled or delayed due to weather than football, lacrosse or soccer, he said.

“Weather is such a factor in baseball and softball that it’s not in a lot of other sports,” Corran said.

When making the ultimate decision of whether or not to cut the baseball and softball programs, student attendance and interest was also taken into account, Corran said.

Many students have said they would be in favor of the two teams coming back.

Senior Allison Rogers explained how she thought that support for the teams could build up upon their return.

“Right now it wouldn’t have too many people committed to it, but I feel a lot of people love softball and baseball, and it’s something I’d be committed to,” Rogers said.

Other students point to an overall lack of school spirit as a reason to bring the two teams back.

A look at varsity sports that have been cut over the years.

1971

2001-2002

2005

2009

-Baseball

-Men’s and women’s gymnastics -Women’s volleyball

-Men’s swimming & diving

-Baseball -Softball

(Later reinstated in 1978)

“A lot of people I talked to think that it’s a big part of what’s missing from UVM, that school spirit,” senior Camden Dimicco said.

In the meantime, UVM has fielded a competitive club team every year since varsity was cut.

“We’ve made the playoffs every year since I’ve been here,” senior catcher Brendan Hackett said.

“Definitely a competitive group of kids.”

The club team practices twice a week during the fall for two hours, and then plays two games on the weekends, Hackett said.

If the team was to make the jump from club to varsity, he said he doesn’t think it would take long for the team to be acclimated back to the Division I level.

“I don’t think it would take very long,”Hackett said. “Coming from Vermont, I know that there is a lot of talent here.”

In fact, the majority of the players on the club baseball team are native Vermonters.

Despite continued external pressure to bring back the two programs, Corran said there are many other things he and the athletic department have on their agendas.

There is still hope and support for the revival of the UVM baseball team. For more information on how to “bring it back,” go to “www.friendsofuvmbaseball.com.”

- Contributions by Jeremy Fisher

Watch Cynic Video Visit us online to see continuing coverage of the of the UVM club baseball team and the “Bring it back” campaign. www.youtube.com/cynicvideo

Left: A member of UVM’s club baseball team prepares to pitch the ball Sept. 19.

Top right: A member of the 1950 UVM Baseball Team attempts to reach home plate.

Bottom right: Members of the 1966 UVM Baseball Team pose for a team photo.

LEFT PHOTO BY I.J. IDRIZAJ RIGHT PHOTOS COURTESY OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Life

Despite conflict, senior interns in Israel Jackie Morris Staff Writer While many students interned behind the safety of a desk, one student was in a war zone.

Senior Aaron Rosenbluth spent eight and a half weeks in Tel Aviv, Israel this past summer.

“Israel doesn’t give a shit what the world thinks of them. Their neighbors want to kill them, and everything they do is to save themselves,” Rosenbluth said.

He interned at The Society of Nature and Protection in Israel.

His role was “mainly fundraising for the non-profit organization.”

Currently, there is conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas is a “Palestinian militant movement” and one of the two major political parties in the territory, according to the Council on Foreign Relations website.

Rosenbluth said he had

to go to bomb shelters “all the time” this summer.

“As Americans, we think of bomb shelters as going deep underground into some concrete bunker with a million years worth of food, but that’s not what it is,” he said. “Often, it’s just a stairwell, where there are no windows.”

Every building and home in Israel is required to have a bomb shelter, according to the Times of Israel website.

In every chartered city, there are government-funded rocket alerts, sirens and bomb shelters.

However, in some cities that the government does not recognize, no safety measures are in place for missile attacks.

“One time I was hiking in the Negev, and I just saw mortar shells and rocket fragments that had exploded in the area,” Rosenbluth said.

“The settlements don’t receive any protection, only in government-recognized settlements are you neces-

EMMA OYOMBA The Vermont Cynic

Senior Aaron Rosenbluth speaks during an inverview in the Davis Center Sept. 18. Rosenbluth spent this past summer in Tel Aviv, Israel. He was interning at The Society of Nature and Protection in Israel. sarily safe,” he said.

The Israeli people depend almost entirely on the state’s military and weaponry, Rosenbluth said.

“There were rockets that exploded right over my apartment, and the only reason I was safe was because the Iron Dome got them.”

The Iron Dome is Israel’s

air defense system, designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells, according to The Week.

“There were times I’d be swimming on the beach and I’d hear the sirens and think ‘Shit, what do I do?’ I ended up just standing there and watched the rocket get inter-

cepted by the Iron Dome,” he said.

Rosenbluth commented on his hopes for the future, noting the education system as a contributing factor.

“The future depends on the kids, and what they’re taught. If they’re taught to hate, there will never be peace,” he said.

Psychology Column Vermont hikes to Students’ moves under spotlights end hunger issues Heather Rankine Cynic Correspondent Get on your feet and move for hunger.

Hunger Free Vermont will host their 18th annual Hike for Hunger at the Catamount Outdoor Family Center Sept. 27.

“It’s definitely an event to support because it’s hard to imagine, as a student at UVM, living in a lifestyle where hunger is an issue,” first-year Liz Harriman said.

Some might not see the real issues of hunger day-today, but one in five children in Vermont experience hunger or food hardship.

It affects 13 percent of households in the state, according to the Hunger Free Vermont website.

Children living in foodinsecure homes are at a greater risk for nutrient deficiencies, cognitive, physical and emotional delays, and lack of school readiness, according to the website.

In past years, schools around Vermont hosted their own fundraisers.

The Hike for Hunger has evolved to bring in the community, working as a whole, to support a hunger-free Vermont, according to their website.

The event will include breakfast, yoga, wood-fired pizza and live bluegrass, according to the website.

“Prepare to have a good time and come and celebrate

all the hard work that’s been done in the previous year to keep our community well through consistent access of food,” said Monica Taylor, donor relations manager for Hunger Free Vermont.

Hikers can choose between a one-and-a-half-mile loop or a three-mile loop.

Participants are challenged to raise $300 each, but everyone is welcome even if that goal isn’t reached.

All funds raised for the event will go towards programs that help feed children, senior citizens and entire households.

“If we’re born with a privilege, we’re born with a responsibility,” first-year Hannah Ludes said.

Hunger Free Vermont, formerly the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, is on a mission to “end the injustice of hunger and malnutrition for all Vermonters,” according to their website.

The organization assists schools in expanding their breakfast and lunch programs and supports groups that provide nutritious meals to children from lowincome housing.

“It’s an important issue because it is such a basic need,” sophomore Lucy DeMatties said. “No one should have to go hungry.”

Participants of all ages can register for the event at freehungervt.org.

Marissa Lanoff There’s research behind the feeling that all eyes are on you when you walk in a room.

It’s called the Spotlight Effect.

The effect can strike in any environment, but mainly occurs in unfamiliar and crowded places, according to the American Psychological Association.

Students at UVM may experience this effect when walking into dining halls, lectures and even parties.

“It feels like everyone can see every little move I make, and it makes me so much more conscious of what I’m doing,” junior Alexandra Pasin said.

This term, coined by Thomas Gilovich, psychology professor at Cornell University, means “the extent to which one’s actions and appearance are noted by others,” according to the APA. “I’m more curious than anxious about it,” sophomore Cale Whitcomb said.

The beginning of a new school year is the perfect opportunity for this effect to strike, as students enter classes for the first time and meet new people.

“I just wonder what they’re thinking about as they watch me,” sophomore

Will Sanborn said. “This happens every time I walk into the Marché at night.”

The Spotlight Effect, although daunting, is no match for self-confidence.

“Try not to worry about what others think of you,” first-year Michaela Oconnell said.

Whether you’re a firstyear or a graduate student, having confidence in all you do can help considerably.

If that doesn’t work, “just don’t look at the people when you walk into a room,” Oconnell said.

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

Weekly health corner Three tips in avoiding the common cold Allison Carey It is that time of year again: the seasons are changing and the common cold is back.

There are a lot of myths about how to get rid of a cold quickly, but here are a few surefire ways to beat that cough.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

Water, teas and broths are all safe, according to Wiser Health. They will keep your throat moist and break up congestion. Aim for a big glass of healthy hydration every hour.

Super stuffy?

Take a hot shower and add an extra head pillow when you go to bed. The shower’s steam will moisturize your nasal passages and

the pillow will help drain your sinuses, according to WebMD.

Mom was right!

Chicken noodle soup may actually help ease the common cold, according to an article from ABC News.

The broth will keep you hydrated and the mix of protein and carbohydrates will keep you nourished and your body fighting.

Allison Carey is a senior English major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2014.

Li fe

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

11

Burlington homes ‘Button Up’ for cold Marina Miller Cynic Correspondent

SADEY MIRABILE The Vermont Cynic

Lisa Schnell, interim dean of the Honors College, sits during an interview in her office in University Heights North Sept. 18. Schnell is also an English professor and practices beekeeping in her free time.

Behind the prof’s desk Rebecca Potter Cynic Correspondent Bees, bands and hidden talents.

The Vermont Cynic got the chance to sit down with Lisa Schnell, interim dean of the UVM Honors College and English professor since 1992, to discuss her life in and beyond the Burlington bubble.

Vermont Cynic (VC): What are your extracurriculars?

Lisa Schnell (LS): I’ve been beekeeping for three years, and it’s a total obsession.

Darwin convinces me that everything in the world is connected, and that bees are one of the ways to enter into those connections.

VC: If you could, what superpower would you choose?

LS: Right now, my super power would be to have power over time.

VC: Favorite band/song?

LS: I love the Civil Wars.

[And] the Goldberg Variations, which is a Bach piece.

I could listen to those forever and never get tired of them.

VC: What advice would you give yourself as an undergrad?

Pioneer to deliver a fresh take on science Tyson Pond Cynic Correspondent Imagine a chair that can grow or a building that can breathe.

These are the possibilities that Neri Oxman, an environmental design pioneer, is trying to make a reality.

Oxman will be presenting at UVM Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. in the Ira Allen Chapel.

“The way that Oxman creates her work is the main reason so many students should go see her,” said Allison Nobile, marketing assistant for the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences.

“She works backwards, starts with analysis of how to better nature and then works with materials to create her designs,” Nobile said.

Oxman, an architect and designer, is a career development professor for Sony and an associate professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, according to her website.

“She thinks about science as a form of art, not just as a systematic study,” Nobile said.

Oxman combines concepts from the arts and sci-

ences with modern engineering technologies, such as 3D printing, to construct materials and objects fused with natural properties of life.

“That seems like a very innovative use of 3D printing,” said first-year Mykl Ambros, a mechanical engineering major.

Oxman’s goal is to “enhance the relationship between the built and natural world,” according to her website.

In doing so, she has created artwork with potential functions that may one day be harnessed.

“Its like engineering and art put together...it’s kind of weird,” said senior Nick Biondi, an engineering major.

Oxman’s work has earned her several awards including being named to ICON’s list of “the top 20 most influential architects to shape our future” in 2009, according to her website.

Oxman’s upcoming lecture is titled “Material Ecology: A New Approach to Nature-Inspired Design & Engineering.”

The lecture is part of the Aiken Lecture series hosted by the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences and is free to the public.

LS: Take more intellectual risks and ask more questions of my professors — spend more time in their offices.

VC: Do you have any secret talents?

LS: I can sew like nobody’s business.

My daughter had incredible Halloween costumes.

VC: One review on RateMyProfessor.com reads, “Professor Schnell is shrewdly intelligent yet she’s compassionate.” Thoughts?

LS: I would seek to live up to that. I think that’s my pedagogy…the pedagogy of compassion, but never at the expense of the intellectual.

Button up your coat and your house?

Button Up Vermont is a movement that works to raise awareness of the benefits of “tightening up” leaky homes and buildings.

The movement hopes to cut people’s heating and cooling costs by reducing energy waste, according to their website.

“Most Vermonters have a huge opportunity to stop wasting heat and start saving a lot of money by making homes and buildings more efficient,” said Johanna Miller, energy program director and Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network coordinator.

Button Up Vermont is now holding a video contest to spread awareness about the issue of Vermont energy efficiency during the winter months.

“Heating leaky buildings is like trying to keep a strainer filled with water,” Miller said.

The contest calls for short videos, 2 minutes or less in length, that will inspire viewers to take action to do some-

2 3 100

thing good for the planet and lower their heating costs, according to a press release from Button Up Vermont.

“It’s a rather benevolent plan of action,” first-year Hagop Ahrens said. “I see it as something that benefits people most.”

Videos should be submitted before Oct. 19, and prizes will be awarded in a number of categories.

“I like the idea of insulating our homes to save energy and money in the winter,” first-year Sarah Heft said.

“However, I don’t see how taking a video of yourself buttoning your jacket is going to get those houses insulated.”

Although some students might not see where this contest is going, it is all leading up to the Button Up Vermont Day of Action Nov. 1.

This day will be a “powerful series of concurrent efforts all across Vermont,” according to the program’s website.

“Last year’s first ever statewide day of action was a success,” Miller said. “This year, we hope to double community and individual Vermonter’s participation and increase our impact.”

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Opinion UVM should support our staff all year

The Vermont Cynic

116 Dudley H. Davis Center 590 Main Street Burlington, Vt. 05405 802-656-0337

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Natalie Williams cynic@uvm.edu 802-656-0337

Managing Editor

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Arts

Aidan Dolbashian cynicartseditor@gmail.com

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Laurel Saldinger cynicdistractions@gmail.com

STAFF EDITORIAL Last week marked a seven-day stretch dedicated to UVM’s staff.

Staff Appreciation week, which ran from Sept. 15 to 19, was an opportunity for different facets of the University to show their support for staff members.

The week was filled with events like socials, luncheons, dinners, campus tours and art exhibits, which featured staff-made art of various mediums.

Illustration

Ciera Libenson cynicsketches@gmail.com

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Aviva Loeb layout.cynic@gmail.com

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Web

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STAFF

Assistant Editors

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tered with signs that read “#iheartuvmstaff.”

We are also pleased to see the University using social media to promote events and staff.

Although a tweet holds just 140 characters, when people at the University come together to promote a cause, it can add up.

So keep using social media to support UVM staff.

Don’t wait until Staff Appreciation Week 2015 to show your love for our staff.

Jurisdiction, liability and ISIS

Life

Charlotte Fisher cyniclifeeditor@gmail.com

It included two events hosted by President Tom Sullivan and his wife Leslie.

The Cynic is happy to see that the University took the opportunity to recognize and support the staff of UVM. We encourage the administration and students to not restrict our praise for staff to just this week, but rather make this a frequent practice.

Staff members are integral to the University and its overall function.

Various campus buildings were plas-

Gaetano Martello The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has been receiving prominent media attention in recent weeks.

The U.S. has chosen to take further military action against ISIS in response to the brutal beheading of American freelance journalist James Foley.

ISIS claims that the execution was a response to U.S. action in Iraq, which has mostly been to aid the Iraqi military, with the ultimate purpose of ending genocide caused by ISIS. There have also been humanitarian efforts by us to help those persecuted by the militant group.

Now that they have killed one of our own, it seems that the U.S. has become personally involved.

The government has escalated military operations in the state, executing more air strikes and working more heroicly to destroy ISIS altogether.

One of the opening sentences in Sammie Ibrahim’s column in the Sept. 17 issue of the Cynic was something I found particularly shocking.

It read, “Despite the level of cruelty and evil ISIS displays... the U.S. cannot and should not confront ISIS with a military intrusion into Iraq or Syria.”

The moral math here doesn’t add up.

It seems to operate on the principle that countries should mind other countries’ sovereignty, no matter the disgusting and evil nature of some of the actions made by one of those countries.

By this same logic, if I know that someone in another dorm on-campus was being raped or mutilated by an unwelcome presence, I should just sit back and do nothing.

After all, supposedly, it isn’t any of my business, even if I have the time and resources to stop it from happening.

I am sure that anyone on either side of this debate would agree that I should stop it from happening at all costs.

The government has escalated military operations in the state, executing more air strikes and working more heroicly to destroy ISIS altogether.

So why is it that they do not there are many groups like feel this way about ISIS? ISIS, and that by my logic we The moral nature of the need to stop them all, as well. situation is obvious, and the asI would agree. sessment of ISIS by the United It should not be as difficult Nations as a terrorist organizaas it is to request help from the tion is not somemost militarily thing to be igcounThis is a group powerful nored. try in the world This is a group to stop genocide of around of around 30,000 from happen30,000 men men with dangering. ous weapons at with dangerous Even if the their disposal.

U.S. doesn’t get weapons at their personally inThe governdisposal. ments of Iraq and volved, the fact Syria are too weak that we are the by themselves to largest voice make a significant dent in their in the U.N. should count for organization. something.

It should be noted that these We have the power, one way men are responsible for mass or another, to help end some of genocide, and the kidnapping the suffering that has been ocand rape of many young girls. curring on our watch.

One specific act is when It will always be an ethically ISIS went into hospitals where obvious thing that stopping Christians were known to be 30,000 people from torturing, and murdered newborn chilraping and murdering thoudren for being born into Chrissands of civilians is, and will tian families. always be, an effective use of They are also known for our time. persecuting, in much the same The bottom line is: could way, Muslims who are not part you say to someone, whose life of their Islamic faction. has been impacted by the horThese Muslims are the marific actions of ISIS, that we jority of people around them, should do nothing against this and the majority of those whom terrorist group? they have harmed.

Doing so would surely reGiven this reality, there is quire a heart of stone. no reason we shouldn’t pursue military action against ISIS. Gaetano Martello is an The only semi-reasonable undeclared sophomore. He has objection I have heard in rebeen writing for the Cynic since sponse to my stance is that fall 2014.

Editor’s Note: A News article in Issue 4 used misleading language that made it seem as though the Sustainable Entrepreneur MBA is a future program.

The MBA program is already in place.

Unsigned editorials officially reflect the views of The Vermont Cynic and its staff. All signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so.

The Cynic accepts letters in response to anything you see printed as well as any issues of interest in the community. Please limit letters to 350 words. Send letters to cynicalopinion@gmail.com.

We are also committed to accuracy in all of our work. If for some reason there is an error, please send all letters of correction to cynic@uvm.edu.

Visit our website at www.vtcynic.com.

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opinion

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

13

I’m bullish on fracking Doubt for animal rights LETTER TO THE EDITOR

developments, fracking has imEuropean dependence, greatly pacted the global market. improved the ability of Russia Expanded U.S. energy proto act as a regional power. duction — a development that Falling profits would reduce will be echoed throughout the the ability of oil-based regimes West as innoto maintain vative technol- Regimes constructed despotic conogy becomes trol, while i n c r e a s i n g l y on the foundation of pursuing forSince the mid-2000s, the available — oil are only stable eign policies United States has been experiwill continue with unfavorencing an unexpected boom in to positively as long as profit able agendas the energy industry. impact United the margins are steady toward Starting in 2010, U.S. natStates-Western West. ural gas production has inforeign negotiFinally, or increase. creased by 25 percent annually, ating capabiliincreased putting the U.S. on a course ties. energy production by the U.S. to pass both Russia and Saudi This is driven by three facwould allow the U.S. to act in Arabia as the leading natural tors. a manner less hindered by forgas exporter by 2025.

First, the United States eign dependency.

This contrasts the comand its Western allies actively The defeat of Japan during mon belief of 2005, when it employ the most landownerWorld War II was largely due to appeared that the U.S. had friendly property rights in the the oil embargo imposed on the reached the peak of its energy world (one owns what is in the Axis; Japan was forced to keep capabilities and would become ground, versus only what is on aircraft and other machinery even more dependent on Midit), allowing Western firms to inactive. dle Eastern oil. advance their operations with Continued access to relaA large stimulant for this minimal fear of nationalizatively affordable energy is reversal of fate has been the tion. necessary for all warring nainvention and integration of Because of this, Western tions; increases in U.S. energy various access dominance production would reduce costs tactics, most in the energy and provide the U.S. with more Because of this, prominently market will control over the energy supply hydraulic frac- Western dominance increase at which it utilizes. turing, coma faster rate This is not to say that the in the energy monly known than other negative health effects of frackas “fracking.” nations. ing should be overlooked. market will However, Second, Rather, we should focus on higher energy increase at a faster i n c r e a s e d improving the environmental outputs have natural gas practices associated with frackrate than other been offset by production ing while using the economic negative envimeans that and political advantages of innations. ronmental imglobal energy creased production. pacts in the public eye. prices will drop, drastically deAchieving this goal would The U.S. public has been creasing revenue for oil-based increase our long-term power sensationally well-informed regimes in the Middle East and in the global arena, a great ad(i.e. “Gasland”) of the linkage Russia. vantage as we go deeper into between high methane concenRegimes constructed on the the 21st century. tration levels and more than foundation of oil are only stable 1,000 reported cases of sensoas long as profit margins are ry, respiratory and neurological steady or increase. damage.

From 2000 to 2012, the But what reasons, aside price per barrel of crude oil infrom vast profitability, exist to creased from $28 per barrel to Ty Williams is a senior history justify being bullish on frackand political science double approximately $108 per barrel, major. He has been writing for ing? an increase of 385 percent that, the Cynic since spring 2014.

As with all energy-related when combined with increased

Ty Williams

Call for more Sullivan Kate Lipman Recently, in my religion class, professor Richard Sugarman mentioned “preacher woman” Angela Cummings.

Sugarman asked how many of us had heard of her, everyone raised their hand.

He then asked how many of us had encountered this woman while at UVM. Again, almost every hand

went up.

Sugarman then said: “She is getting more exposure to students than President Sullivan!”

This made me realize that not only had I never seen the President around campus, but I currently don’t even know what he is doing to better the UVM community.

As a first-year, I admit that I do not know much about the administration.

Even though the administration is very busy running the University, maybe they could hold some events, such as lectures or presentations.

Other universities have small gatherings such as “Cof-

fee with the President” where people can sign up for a limited number of spots.

Events like this would give students the chance to speak with the President — or any other administrator — in an intimate setting, where they can ask any questions they may have or simply spend quality time getting to know the people who run the school.

Just something for the administration to think about going forward in the school year.

Kate Lipman is a first-year Russian major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2014.

Follow us on twitter for breaking news and extended coverage.

Dear Editor, Today [Sept. 19], while I was walking to the Davis Center, I spotted the PETA virtual reality, “Life Of A Chicken” exhibit.

I know that many people are conditioned to believe that PETA means “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals,” but this belief is very wrong.

“People Eating Tasty Animals” is what PETA really stands for.

I am an animal lover. I love to hold my dogs, cats and horses. I don’t even mind holding my friend’s rats, but I don’t believe in animal rights.

Let me clarify. I have a pet that I love, and I believe in animal welfare, but not animal rights.

I am all for treating my pets with respect, I provide a warm environment.

I take my pets to the vet yearly. They are up to date on immunizations, they are brushed, fed, they have everything that they could want.

That being said, I love to eat venison, I like to fish and I have leather couches.

If I believed in animal rights then I wouldn’t do any of that.

Do I believe the way that chickens live in factory farms live is right? No, not really. But is there a better way to house billions of chickens?

Do I love animal testing?

No, but I believe that by following the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocols, the necessary evil is a little less evil.

Animal welfare is good, but animal rights is crap.

Thank you, Michelle Brown Class of 2018

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Seeking some maturity Dear Editor, As repugnant as I find street preacher Angela Cummings’ views and actions, I am almost nearly as bothered by the actions of my fellow students.

Their provocations, specifically those of Mr. Fogel, reek of immaturity and a desperate

desire for attention.

The “I’m not touching you” game? Seriously? The way to deal with bullies is by ignoring them, not acting like a petulant child.

Jake Fisher Class of 2015

Cynic staff quick opinions “I’m busy.”

-Aidan Dolbashain Arts Editor

“Thank God for Nutella.”

-Laurel Saldinger Distractions Editor

“I’m really glad I didn’t have to girl flirt with people this weekend #sororityrecruitment.”

-Cory Dawson Video Editor

“Peanut butter m&m’s are the best m&m’s.”

-Hunter Colvin Copy Chief

“Pumpkin spice season is my favorite season.”

-Aviva Loeb Layout Editor

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14

d i st r act i o n s

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 , 2014

Six Famous Catamounts

By Kate Lipman

Founded in 1791, UVM has had some notable people attend school here, from actors and criminals to millionaires and athletes.

Whether they graduated or attended briefly, here is a quick list of just some well-known figures who have passed through UVM.

1

Ben Affleck (1972)

Ben Affleck was born in Berkeley, California in 1972, and is a director and actor, most recently winning an academy award in February of 2013 for his movie “Argo.”

He came to UVM because his high school girlfriend was at a nearby college, according to Parade Magazine. While at UVM Affleck majored in Middle Eastern studies, but he later dropped out after one semester to pursue his acting career.

H.H. Holmes is one of the first men to be documented as a serial killer in the U.S. He was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire in 1861 and came to the UVM School of Medicine in 1882 before dropping out in 1883, according to “The Definitive True Story of H.H. Holmes”

by Harold Schechter.

While living in Chicago, he opened the “World’s Fair Hotel,” which he used to lure and kill more than 27 victims during the World’s Fair of 1893, according to the book.

Holmes returned to Burlington briefly in 1894, where he rented 26 North Winooski Avenue to house his assistant’s wife and children until he could dispose of them.

His plan was rendered unsuccessful when he was caught in Boston that November, according to the book.

3

Libby Smith ‘02

Daniel Burke ‘50

H. H. Holmes (1882-83)

Libby Smith is a professional golfer who played in the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association, the Lady’s European Tour and the Lady’s Asian Golf Tour from 2004 to 2013, according to libbysmithgold.com. Smith is also the only woman in the United States to have competed on a men’s Division I golf team for all four years in college.

She attended UVM from 1998 to 2002, where she played on a full women’s basketball scholarship and graduated with a bachelor’s degree of science in civil engineering, according to symetratour.com.

Jody Williams was born in 1950 in Putney, Vermont, according to nobelwomensinitiative. com.

She helped found the “International Campaign to Ban Landmines,” which won her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. Since, the amount of landmines have gone down thanks to the treaty signed by many countries across the globe, according to ICBL.org.

She graduated from UVM in 1972 with a bachelor of arts and later went on to get a master’s degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced Studies, according to womenshistory.about.com.

5

2

4

Jody Williams ‘72

Daniel Burke was born in 1929 and attended UVM from 1946 to 1950 after serving in the Korean War, according to UVM’s website.

At UVM, Burke was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, actively participated in inter-fraternity council and the student government.

After earning an MBA from Harvard, Burke became the president of Capital Cities and ABC Television. He was on UVM’s Board of Trustees for six years, before passing away from diabetes in 2011.

Mark Heidrich was born in 1955 in Cincinnati, Ohio and attended UVM from 1973 to 1977. During his time he served as the co-captain of the men’s varsity soccer team, according to the UVM Alumni Association.

After UVM he moved to New York City where he started a standup comedy career. In New York, he changed his last name from Heidrich to Boone Jr. Boone Jr. is best known as Bobby Munson on the hit show “Sons of Anarchy,” but he has also been in “Batman Begins” and “Memento,” according to the Internet Movie Datebase.

Photos courtesy of Libby Smith, Greg Gorman, Libby Smith, UVM Communications and UVM Special Collections

6

Mark Heidrich ‘77

Sports

Catamounts claw past Central Connecticut Zach Giroux Cynic Correspondent The field was set, bleachers packed, kickoff underway and the ‘Boys of Fall’ were here at last.

Under the Saturday night lights, club football squared off against Central Connecticut State in their home opener Sept. 20.

The Catamounts clawed into the Blue Devils with a 27-7 victory.

After the first quarter of play, neither team had given an inch. The game seemeed to be shaping into a low scoring affair.

Despite the slow tempo of the first half, the second was a different story as the Cats lit up the scoreboard.

The floodgates opened as senior captain and quarterback Jack Leclerc showed off his arm as he completed 12 of 25 passes and threw for 176 yards.

Early on, the Cats’ ground game was not able to get past the Blue Devil’s defensive line, so Leclerc turned to one of his weapons on the receiving core.

Leclerc was able to find senior wide receiver Jake Bielecki for two touchdowns.

Leclerc also targeted grad student Pat Nee and junior Brandon Reilly as the two other wide receivers to aided the sernior in his remaining two

WALKER SULTZBACH The Vermont Cynic

Several Catamounts attempt to block Central Connecticut State defenders as senior JP Benoit runs for the first-down marker. The Cats rolled past the Blue Devils 27-7 in their home-opener Sept. 20. touchdowns.

The Catamounts operate a pass-heavy offense that relies on their up-tempo speed to make big plays down the field.

“I always trust my offensive line,” Leclerc said. “I know that I’m going to get pressure every game, it’s just a matter of making plays happen and getting the ball to the skilled wide re-

ceivers.”

On the other side of the ball, junior safety Liam Coleman led the way for the Vermont defense, as they contained the Blue Devils’ offense to only seven points.

The Blue Devils’ run game struggled to penetrate and exploit any weaknesses in the Catamount defensive line.

NFL Picks

NFL Week 4: Cynic predictions Freddy Fields Every week, members of the the sports section will be predicting who will be victorious in their NFL match-ups.

Lions vs. Jets Despite choking away a playoff berth last year, the Lions have looked promising this season, including a week one win where Matthew Stafford threw for more than 300 yards and connected with Calvin Johnson for two touchdown passes.

A poor performance in week two against the Panthers evokes memories of underachieving Lions NFL teams of the past.

This week the Lions have the luck of playing an equally disappointing team in the Jets, who failed to finish above .500 for the third straight season.

The Jets made an investment in their quarterback position over the offseason, picking up Michael Vick as a

backup and mentor to shaky sophomore Geno Smith.

It probably won’t matter who takes the snaps this game for the Jets, I’m confident the Lions will take this easily.

Lions: Freddy, Jack, Andrew, Cam, Colby, Owen, Armin, Zach, Stu and Dave Jets: Alex

Giants vs. Redskins

A battle of two NFC East teams coming off miserable seasons in 2013, this game should have featured a matchup of Eli Manning against Robert Griffin III. Yet RG3’s inability to stay healthy was showcased in week two against the Jaguars where he dislocated his ankle.

Last year, the Giants were unable to win games due to Eli Manning throwing a career worst 27 interceptions. already thrown PICKS fourHe’sinterceptions in his first two games, but against a Redksins team with an average defense, expect the Giants to pull through.

Giants: Freddy, Jack, Zach, Owen, Armin, Dave and Alex Redskins: Andrew, Cam, Colby and Stu

Cowboys vs. Saints This game is a rematch of one of the most lopsided losses of 2013, when the Cowboys’ last place defense was obliterated by New Orleans.

How times have changed.

After making the divisional round playoffs last season, the Saints are off to a surprising 0-2 start this season, with the league’s worst defense.

Their offense is good, with quarterback Drew Brees and tight end Jimmy Graham being likely Pro Bowl picks. The offense will need to be one point if the defense continues to struggle.

On the opposite side, Tony Romo looks to continue his return from season ending back surgery last year.

Romo has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league since he became a starter in 2006, including a strong 2013 campaign in which he threw 31 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.

Saints: Jack, Andrew, Cam, Colby, Owen, Armin, Zach, Stu and Alex Cowboys: Freddy and Dave Freddy Fields is a sophomore geology major. He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2014.

Stu- 4-2 Cam- 2-4 Zach- 3-3 Andrew- 2-4 Dave- 3-3 Freddy- 1-5 Owen- 3-3 Colby- 4-2 Armin- 3-3 Alex-3-3 Jack- 2-4

“Our linemen did a fantastic job of getting penetration,” sophomore Griffin Comerci said.

“Our linebackers did an amazing job of executing blitzes and flowing to the ball, and our secondary blanketed their receivers,” Comerci said.

The UVM student section was buzzing with school pride.

Students were head-to-toe in green and gold, with banners, flags and even a cowbell.

Former club football player, senior Ryan Vaughan, was in attendance and shared his thoughts on the game.

“I found the passing game for the Catamounts was on point,” Vaughan said.

He also explained that the defensive line and the secondary looked great in their first game of the season.

As the Catamounts’ lead grew, tension grew on the Blue Devils’ sideline when a fight broke out amongst teammates.

A handful of players were seen shoving each other, along with throwing and kicking equipment.

On the UVM sideline, the coaching staff said they were content but not entirely satisfied with the performance of their players and the outcome of the game.

“The game didn’t really start out the way we wanted,” linebacker coach Ethan Blum said. “We came out flat and undisciplined in the first quarter.

But once the second quarter started we turned it around.”

“We are definitely happy with the win but realize we have a lot to work on,” Blum said.

The Catamounts’ next game will be on the road against Boston University Sept. 27 at 3 p.m. at East Boston Stadium.

Student trailblazed major Andrew Schwartz Assistant Sports Editor While UVM offers a range of majors, some students are hungry for more variety.

Junior Nate Frieberg is one of those students.

Frieberg is currently on track to graduate with a selfdesigned major in sports management through the College of Education and Social Services.

The initial process of designing your own major includes finding a professor in a particular major that will accept you into their school, he said.

The next step is presenting your case, and then choosing classes to fulfill requirements distinct to the specific major, Frieberg said.

Professor Declan Connolly was the adviser who Frieberg chose ­— and for “good reasons,” he said.

Connolly, a physical education and exercise science professor, has worked with teams from the NHL, NFL, England Soccer and NIKE running, according to the College of Education and Social Services.

He also consults with businesses about athletic product development, according to the College.

While Frieberg isn’t the first to persue sports management at UVM, his entrepreneurial outlook of the self-designed major has gotten recognition from the College of Education, as well as peers on campus.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UVM

“If everything goes to plan, CESS will make sports management a full-time major here at UVM,” Frieberg said.

“Because it is becoming a more recognizable major, more and more people, including student athletes, have started buying into it,” he said.

Along with the classes that address necessary elements of the sports management field, Frieberg’s self-constructed curriculum also includes a ninecredit internship planned for his senior year.

“My favorite thing about the sports management major at UVM is that they are giving me the green light to look for sports related internships,” he said.

Classes like Athletic Event Planning (CDAE 195Z4) aim to help prepare prospective athletic planners and sport managers to experience real life planning in a Division I setting, Frieberg said.

16

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