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W E D N E S DAY, A U G U S T 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

Welcome Class of 2020

Top: The class of 2020 marches down Church Street toward the University Green. Bottom left: First-year students gather on the University Green for the Twilight Induction. Bottom right: A member of the class of 2020 holds a lit candle during the twilight induction ceremony. KELSEY NEUBAUER/The Vermont Cynic

UVM welcomes its first-year students at convocation by kelsey neubauer kaneubau@uvm.edu

For the 225th year, UVM welcomed new students as they began their journey through college.

On Aug. 26, first-year students, members of campus

community and the administration came together for the convocation and twilight induction ceremonies.

The formerly separate events were combined five years ago to better welcome new students to the school.

Convocation is historically

done at the beginning of the academic year at universities and colleges across America to mark the beginning of a new journey for first-years, said Annie Stevens, vice provost for student affairs. “[This night] brings meaning to the start of the academic

year,” she said.

The speakers at convocation, held in Patrick Gym, emphasized the importance of learning in and out of the classroom.

President Tom Sullivan quoted Irish poet and writer William Yeats: “Education is not filling a pail, it is lighting a fire.”

SGA President Jason Malucci then took the stage to urge students to take advantage of every opportunity on campus, including clubs and student life organizations.

After convocation, students paraded down Main Street to the twilight induction ceremony on the University Green.

First-year Porter Keehn said he was surprised by the excitement of the walk down Main Street from convocation to the twilight induction ceremony.

“I wasn’t expecting all of the fraternities and sororities cheering us on; it was awesome,” Keehn said.

This year’s incoming class had, on average, the highest SAT scores in UVM history, according to an Aug. 18 University communications release.

The evening is the end of the welcome weekend for firstyears. They moved in Aug. 26 with the help of welcome crews and ResLife staff.

2

NEWS

Campus construction gives UVM new look By john riedel jpriedel@uvm.edu

Campus will look different to many returning students due to construction across campus.

In addition to construction, several UVM offices have been moved to new locations.

According to Bob Vaughan, Director of Capital Planning and Management, the following offices have moved: • The CatCard Center moved from the Davis Center to the bottom floor of Billings.

• The Computer Depot was renamed the Tech Center and moved to Billings, creating a single location for all tech services.

• Career Services has moved into what was once the bottom floor of the bookstore, on the second floor of the Davis Center.

• A new advising center has moved into the first floor of the Davis Center near the tunnel.

In terms of navigating campus through construction, the detours put in place around Central Campus last year are still there, Vaughan said.

“The fence line is where it was so there is no impact to students or buses,” he said.

The fence lines currently block off access to most of central campus behind the Bailey/ Howe library. A map of the fencing can be viewed on the provost’s website.

Despite the detours, many students say they are looking forward to seeing the finished projects.

Sophomore Maria Kerchner said she was annoyed with the construction when she first came to UVM. “[However] I’m excited for the [first-year residence] building to be finished,” she said.

Senior Gemma Del Rossi expressed similar anticipation for the residence hall.

“I’m excited for the sky bridge,” Del Rossi said. “The construction doesn’t really impact me because my classes aren’t over there; I don’t need to go to the Medical Center at all.”

Construction continues on the new first-year resident hall located on Central Campus. The building is planned to be completed by August 2017. KELSEY NEUBAUER/The Vermont Cynic

English dept. overhauls major By michelle phillips mphil15@uvm.edu

UVM’s English major will look different this year due to new course requirements, a new minor and a new professor.

Maria Hummel, an award-winning poet and novelist who previously taught at Stanford University, has been hired to fill a new position, lead professor of fiction writing, according to professor Dan Fogel.

“We’ve been wanting to hire a fiction writer for a while now, so we’re very excited to have Maria joining us,” Fogel said. “It is very difficult to have fiction published compared to essays or journals, so he commends Hummel’s success in poetry and novel-writing.”

Hummel’s hire is only one of many changes coming to the English department after the 2014 Academic Program Review.

This review is conducted by external advisers who compare UVM’s English program to those of other universities.

The 2014 review called for

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“coherence, clearer trajectory and a grounding in literary history” in the English department.

As a result, requirements for English majors are changing.

Prior to this year, students were required to fulfill their distribution requirements by taking courses from different historical periods.

Students will now have to complete 15 credits of core classes and choose a concentration, according to the 2015 Proposal For Curricular Revisions.

The required classes include an introductory seminar, a twoclass sequence focusing on either British literature, American literature or western literary tradition, a literary theory class and a senior seminar.

Students who entered the English program prior to the 2016-2017 academic year will have the option of fulfilling the new requirements or the old ones, Fogel said.

The new concentrations offered for English majors include American literary traditions,

track for May and the first-year housing is scheduled to be finished in summer 2017,” he said.

While many students are looking forward to the new buildings, some upperclassman said they wished they were able

The sky bridge, which will connect the library to the new residence hall, is currently being constructed and will be completed in the next year, Vaughan said.

“The STEM building is on

Mentor program launches By caroline alkire

British and Anglophone literary traditions, cultural studies, writing or an independently designed concentration.

A new minor in writing will also be offered this year.

The writing minor will go beyond creative writing to include expository and persuasive writing, rhetoric, literary journalism and even plays and screenwriting, Fogel said.

“Well, I really like that they’re offering a writing minor along with the new English Major package,” Senior English major Michael Swain said. “But I don’t like that they’re forcing majors to pick a concentration.”

Fogel believes students in other departments will be able to benefit from the new minor, he said.

“After all, what sets people apart is the ability to express ideas cogently and fluently,” Fogel said. “All students can choose to focus on doing that in their writing now.”

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to see the completed projects.

“I’m sad I’m not able to enjoy the new buildings,” senior Nicole Pidala said. “It’s annoying sometimes that I won’t be able to use what’s happening.”

calkire@uvm.edu

Students will now be able to seek out help from their peers thanks to a new mentoring program.

This project, which will cost $170,000 per year, is designed to connect first-year students with upperclassmen who can help them with the struggles they have when they first enter college, SGA President Jason Maulucci said.

Peer mentors will be paid by the program, which is funded

by SGA and the Provost’s office.

The program was created after hearing many students’ frustrations with contacting and benefiting from faculty advisers, Maulucci said.

“We heard a lot of people say they would email their adviser and never hear anything back, or that they were nervous approaching them if they didn’t know or hadn’t met them,” Maulucci said.

SGA looked to other universities with peer mentoring pro-

grams such as the University of Virginia and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he said.

“We started looking at different models of academic advising around the country and we kept seeing over and over again the most successful schools had staff in their individual academic units along with peer advisors and mentors,” Maulucci said.

Though only a few departments are currently involved with the program, SGA estimates all UVM departments will be involved with peer mentoring by 2019, Maulucci said.

“At the start of the program, we currently have mentors within the biology, business and math and statistics departments,” said peer advising coordinator Isora Lithgow. “They have a supervisor within their program, and get assigned a handful of first-year students to check in with to see how they’re doing.”

The program is located in a new advising center located in the Davis Center, Lithgow said.

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3

NEWS

Johnson speaks at S. Burlington rally

By KELSEY NEUBAUER KaNEUBAUE@uvm.edu

Third-party presidential candidate Gary Johnson brought his campaign to Vermont last week.

Johnson, a Libertarian, spoke to a large crowd at the Sheraton Hotel in South Burlington Aug. 24 and presented himself as the viable middle ground in the upcoming presidential election.

“Our platform is social tolerance and fiscal responsibility,” he said, before moving on to his thoughts on education, the national debt and state of the justice system.

Johnson said the way the national debt is growing destabilizes the economy. If elected president, Johnson said he would impose a flat tax and do away with corporate and income taxes.

He believes that the high rates of incarceration in the criminal justice system is a product of the government criminalizing too many activities that label a minor offender a lifelong criminal, he said. For this reason, he said he believes marijuana should be legalized.

Johnson said he would enact comprehensive immigration reform, ensure that women had the right to healthcare and abortions if they choose.

He told the audience he understands both fiscal responsibility and social inclusivity.

Johnson also said his pres-

Former Gov. Gary Johnson (left) and former Gov. Bill Weld (right) give speeches at a rally in South Burlington Aug. 24. Johnson is the leading third party presidential candidate. KELSEY NEUBAUER/The Vermont Cynic idential platform rests on his ability to reach voters in both parties.

At least a dozen UVM students attended the event.

Though he doesn’t see himself as a Republican, first-year John Cialek said he supported libertarian-leaning Rand Paul in the GOP primary.

Cialek said he was happy with many of the topics and

solutions Johnson addressed.

“A lot of what he was saying really resonated with me,” he said.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, Johnson’s running mate, said this election is different because of party polarization.

Johnson differs from Clinton and Trump because he is able to compromise and put forth ideas

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that are appealing and beneficial to both parties, Weld said.

Johnson reiterated that he needed the opportunity to debate in order to have a shot at the presidency.

“If you get 15 percent in five major polls, you are in the debates,” Weld said.

Those are the rules according to the Commission on Presidential Debates, which organiz-

es each event, according to their website.

However, Johnson is polling below 15 percent in all of those five polls, averaging 10 percent, effectively disqualifying him for the time being.

The Commission will make their final calculations before the first debate Sept. 26 at Hofstra University in New York.

Library changes to inclusive restrooms By kelsey neubauer kaneubaue@uvm.edu

The library will now have restrooms for students of all genders.

Bailey/Howe Library announced Aug. 28 they are converting four restrooms to gender-inclusive, multi-stall restrooms on the second and third floors of the library.

Last semester, students rallied for gender-inclusive restrooms. Justice for QTs, a campus group, led protests and started conversations across campus.

The Q and T in the group’s name stand for those who self-identify as genderqueer or transgender.

“This is an immediate and real need that is affecting people’s health and safety every day, ” sophomore Lindsey McCarron said in a May 7 Cynic article.

Justice for QTs spoke to various levels of UVM administration including the dean of libraries office.

When the group came to the dean of libraries’ office at the end of last year, they were eager to assist in bringing about these changes, said Selene Colburn, Assistant to the Dean of Libraries.

The changes involved discussions with representatives

from the LGBTQA center and the office of human resources, diversity and multicultural affairs, Colburn said.

UVM is not stopping with the library, she said. There will be changes across campus to make restrooms more inclusive for everyone, regardless of gender identity.

UVM received national attention in February 2015 after The New York Times published an article about the University’s move to have students indicate their gender identity and preferred pronouns.

Across the nation, numerous colleges have made their bathrooms more gender-inclusive.

Across the country 150 universities have begun to implement the use of gender-inclusive restrooms, according to a Jan. 11 Time Magazine article.

KIRA BELLIS

OPINION

4

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

Welcome back to UVM N ew schedules, free coffee, blank notebooks and well-rested students: all signs of a new semester at UVM. It’s that time of year again; everyone is returning to the beautiful campus we call home. Welcome, class of 2020! You’ve made the right decision by choosing to attend UVM and your next four years will be filled with countless opportunities to learn, grow and create lasting memories.

The start of this fall semester is even more special than usual for a number of reasons.

If you haven’t noticed already, construction of the new residence hall and STEM building is well underway. Need the new and updated CatCard? You’ll have to head to Billings, because the Advising Center has filled its spot in the Davis Center. Here, your fellow students can give you advice on classes, majors and more.

One of the most unique and positive parts of being a Catamount is how inclusive and welcoming the UVM community is.

SMURTHY@UVM.EDU

I

t has been a long-standing notion that in normal election years, the incumbent party has a favorable chance of retaining the White House if GDP growth has been steady and economic factors, such as job growth and wage growth, have been positive.

Let’s throw this out the window. This is no “normal” election year. The two major party candidates, Donald Trump and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are the most disliked nominees to ever run for president.

Poll after poll has found the two candidates’ “unfavorability rating” to be upward of 50 percent, with Trump as high as 70 percent in one ABC News/ Washington Post poll (June 2016).

However, here is where the GOP is the biggest loser. After nearly 25 years of attacking Clinton, some rightly and some wrongly, this election process could have been sealed and sorted before it even started.

But the new GOP, the Grand “Obstructionist” Party, which has done nothing significant while controlling the House and Senate but oppose meaningful gun control, oppose federally raising the minimum wage, oppose the 9/11 First Responders Bill, et cetera, et cetera, has only played itself.

When seasoned establishment Republicans like Governors Jeb Bush, Rick Perry and John Kasich, and Senators Rick Santorum, Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul were obliterated state after state by Donald Trump, a divisive, unfiltered,

Makayla Salas MSALAS@UVM.EDU

HANNAH KEARNS

This week there are two wonderful examples of this principle at work.

The women’s basketball team canceled a game at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill due to a law which prevents transgender people from using their preferred public restroom. The Cynic commends the athletic department, University officials and the women’s basketball team for this decision that represents UVM’s core philosophy. In the same realm, it was announced this week that the bathrooms in the Bailey/Howe Library will be converted to gender-inclusive bathrooms, following student protests last semester.

We encourage you to keep on

picking up copies of The Cynic, distributed every Wednesday, in order to stay informed about all campus issues.

So sharpen those pencils, break out those Birkenstocks and grab yourself a scoop of Phish Food, because another semester at the beautiful Groovy-UV is about to begin.

Staff editorials officially reflect the views of the Vermont Cynic.

Signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so.

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

Please limit letters to 350 words.

The Cynic reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar.

Please send letters to opinion@vtcynic.com.

GOP, you played yourself sarang murthy

2016 Orientation from the first-year perspective

fear-mongering, small-milliondollar-loanee, loose cannon, orange Oompa Loompa-like nominee, I am sure the establishment knew the jig was up.

As it turns out, Fox “News” can’t always dictate terms to their loyal fact-shy fan base.

Fortunately for establishment Democrats, there is nothing to fear when Debbie Wasserman Schultz is (was, but really still is) here.

If only the GOP knew ahead of time that Trump had even a remote chance, they might have done some rigging of their own.

Hindsight is 20/20.

If only the GOP knew ahead of time that Trump had even a remote chance, they might have done some rigging of their own. Hindsight is 20/20.

Wasserman Schultz and the DNC did absolutely everything they could to make sure the nominee would be no other than Queen Clinton, the candidate whose “turn it is”. From the leaked emails, it is clear the message they wanted to send voters was anti-Sanders.

Hundreds of thousands of voters were either purged from voter rolls or had their affiliations switched.

Voting machines were often faulty and precincts in many states reported duplicate absentee ballots, double counting and ballot-stealing.

The real spit-in-the-face for Sanders and his supporters?

Clinton appointed Wasserman Schultz as “honorary chair” to her campaign after the former ceremoniously stepped down as

DNC chair.

But see, she can do whatever she wants. Why, you ask? Because the GOP is now Trump’s playground and the party that is shrinking as more old people die has shown the rest of America what its true voter base has become and how they think and how they feel.

The majority of America is not ready for pea-brained Trump, and hence, Clinton is going to take this home by a huge margin.

The majority of America is, fortunately, appalled by Trump’s daily demeanor and has to, unfortunately, settle for more of the same shady establishment politics for at least the next few years.

None of these unethical biases by the DNC would have ever come to light had it not been for Julian Assange and Wikileaks.

Clinton and Obama have nothing to say about the obvious prejudice within the party or that our people’s basic democratic right was stripped from them, but they are quick to blame Russia and find the flaws in their computer systems.

Give me a break! The only system that is broken is the two-party system. The people are sick of the status quo.

The only difference is that the DNC saw it quicker than the RNC and was able to do something about “grass-roots insurgents.”

It just goes to show you that Republicans truly are out of touch with everyday America.

Enjoy “Democracy!”

Sarang Murthy is a junior economics major. He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.

C

ollege campus visits are surreal, intimidating and daunting.

Are you making a mistake, or are you looking at the very place you’ll befriend the Freshman 15?

Visiting nine campuses in one week required a lot of paper.

I wanted to write down every detail of my first impressions; did I like the surrounding area?

Was the tour guide interesting?

Was the student body too big or too small?

When I got to UVM, the lists stopped, and I just felt. All previous lists became null.

This was the place I was meant to be.

Since I arrived the day before Orientation started, I decided to explore downtown.

I quickly discovered a gem: Zabby & Elf’s Stone Soup, where I got jasmine rice, tofu stew and vegan apple crisp for dessert.

As a vegetarian and half-assed/aspiring vegan, I was pretty much in heaven.

It even made it to my snapstory, accompanied by a fabulous Burlington geofilter.

I spent the rest of the day wandering aimlessly up and down Church Street, eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (which I had a total of five times in three days), and indulging myself in purchases from The Crystal Cottage.

The next morning, I caught the farmer’s market, since Honors College orientation didn’t begin until 3 p.m..

Immediately, I treated myself to a variety of delicious maple sugar goodies, and vibrant flowers.

There was even live pottery-spinning! I felt on top of the world immersed in so much local talent, art, produce and love - all within walking distance from my college.

The beginning of orientation was, of course, nerve-wracking - but those jitters are a rite of passage for any first-year, and they soon dissipated when I began realizing just how friendly, open and supportive UVM’s community is.

All of the awkward introductions, confusing directions and begging people not to categorize

me with Kentucky stereotypes (since that’s where I’m hailing from), led to a trifecta: Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, a pink-orange Lake Champlain sunset and blossoming friendships.

My first night in a dorm was roommate-less - which was a blessing only counterintuitively. I was scared as hell trying to sleep in some random, dark room.

Thanks to that experience, I am now excited to share a bedroom with someone for the first time in my life (roomies = protection from ghosts).

My second day of orientation began with Breugger’s Bagels, and segued into get-toknow-you” activities and info sessions.

One of the mandatory meetings was held in a classroom overlooking the greenhouse, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the views I’ll be having for the next four years.

I was even more fascinated

All of the awkward introductions, confusing directions and begging people not to categorize me with Kentucky stereotypes (since that's where I'm hailing from), led to a trifecta: Ben & Jerry's ice cream, a pink-orange Lake Champlain sunset and blossoming friendships. with the fact that I could buy my own plants via the greenhouse.

Before knowing this, packing for college was probably going to be a struggle of choosing between packing my five plants or...basic necessities.

The last day of orientation left me equipped with a carefully cultivated schedule starting at 9:40am, a CatCard featuring me in my sweaty, smiling, firstyear glory, and newfound joy in knowing that Ben & Jerry’s would be included in my meal plan.

Not bad, UVM, not bad.

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

We are committed to accuracy in all of our work. If for some reason there is an error, please email us at corrections@ vtcynic.com.

Join the Cynic First General Meeting Wednesday @ 7:30 Waterman 413

5

OPINION

Brief “summery” of the 2016 election Gaetano Martello

W

GMARTELL@UVM. EDU

hat a crazy summer U.S. politics has had!

It’s impossible for me to cover everything that happened, especially since Donald Trump keeps making news every week, but I’ll try to give a quick rundown on what we missed while on break.

As you likely know, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have both accepted their party’s nominations and will be the major candidates in this year’s general election.

This meant Burlington’s very own Sen. Bernie Sanders had to drop out of the race and endorse Secretary Clinton, which, among other things, made this year’s conventions a true sight to behold.

Trump beat out his opponents in landslides across the country, making most members of the Republican party concede and (in some cases, reluctantly) endorse him for the candidacy.

Whether they are only endorsing him because their top priority is to stop the election of Clinton is up to speculation.

Some Republicans, most notably Sen. Ted Cruz, refused to endorse Trump at the Republican National Convention, but Trump’s candidacy is locked in. For a while, it seemed like Trump was trying to become a bit more presidential.

For one, he began using teleprompters when giving speeches, an idea he disparaged at the beginning of his campaign, as

SYDNEY LISS-ABRAHAM

well as trying not to say inflammatory things about his opponents for short bursts of time.

Given that he has a staggering lack of self control, he predictably failed at this multiple times over the course of the last couple months.

Some highlights in chronological order include: • Trump implied that Khizr Khan, the father of a fallen Muslim soldier, wasn’t allowing his wife to speak for religious reasons when in fact her silence could easily be explained by the emotions evoked by her son’s death.

• Trump stated that “Second Amendment people” should “do something” about Clinton.

• Trump said outright that

President Obama is “the founder of ISIS” and that “the co-founder is Crooked Hillary Clinton” (these are actual quotes), as well as doubling down on those statements, changing his mind and tweeting that he was being sarcastic, then in a later speech saying the statements were “not that sarcastic.”

• Trump stated in a speech directed at African Americans, a group that Trump ignored for the majority of his campaign, that they were poor, badly-educated and that these problems were a result of Democratic rule, therefore they should vote for Trump because, “What the hell do you have to lose?” (Again, an actual

quote) These are only a fraction of the statements Trump made, and it somewhat annoys me that I have to keep updating this list as more insane things come out of his mouth.

On the Democratic side, Clinton gave a pointed speech partly endorsing her party’s values and partly painting a negative image of Trump (something that doesn’t seem very difficult).

Secretary Clinton has been laying low this summer, sticking to her slow but steady methods and allowing Trump to bury himself.

The Clinton campaign must be somewhat relieved Trump’s method of attracting attention is his greatest weakness more than it is his greatest strength.

Toward the end of the sum-

mer, though, more developments of Clinton’s email scandal have come to light, revealing a lot of corruption involving both she and her husband, including her deep ties with foreign political donors and activity regarding the Clinton Foundation that paints her and former President Bill Clinton in a very negative light.

If Clinton wants to win this election, it would be in her best interest to bury all of this information as best she can, because it isn’t looking good for her.

The last piece of information I want to give you all is something I find very important: Trump has a huge chance of winning this election and it is not wise to assume he’s going to lose.

Though many political polls suggest Clinton will be the winner by a large margin, opinion polls have been less and less reliable over the years (they predicted former-President George H.W. Bush would lose to Michael Dukakis and President Barack Obama would lose to Mitt Romney).

One model of predicting elections, including one by Professor Helmut Norpoth of Stony Brook University called the Primary Model (which has been 100 percent accurate since 1996), suggests that Donald Trump has an 87 to 99 percent chance of winning the 2016 election. This isn’t a joke and we need to start taking it seriously.

Gaetano Martello is a junior political science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2014.

Voting system is ineffective and out-of-date alexander collingsworth ACOLLING@UVM. EDU

I

accompanied my roommate to vote in the Vermont state primaries Aug. 9. The process of voting was more or less a farce.

I wasn’t voting, since I’m registered back home in DC, but I wanted David Zuckerman to win the nomination to be the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor. He had sponsored legislation in the Vermont Senate to legalize marijuana and to label genetically modified food.

All the candidates for governor on the Democratic side had been locked in a battle to pick up Sen. Bernie Sanders’s mantle with policies like raising the minimum wage and getting big money out of politics. But none of the candidates seemed to really care about firing up young voters, like Bernie did.

My roommate had voted for Sanders in the presidential primaries, so we went back to the same polling place where he had voted then. He was asked for his name there, and he produced

his ID. They waved off the ID, making a big show of it, because Vermont is one of the states, one of the states in the majority, I might add, that does not require voters to present their IDs when they vote. Other states, like Texas, have imposed voter ID laws which have been shown to disproportionately prevent African Americans, especially the elderly, from voting.

A part of me thinks voter ID laws make sense. I have to show my ID to people (if bouncers are really people; I think most of them have no souls) all the time, and they tend to scrutinize the hell out of it. I mean, come on, have you never seen a DC ID before? You see that panel in the corner? You can’t fake that stuff.

Your ID is just something you got to have on you.

On the other hand, the issue is not about IDs; it’s about voting. There are a lot of people, mostly older people who don’t drive anymore, who don’t have a valid form of ID. Voter ID laws intentionally prevent these people from voting.

With voter turnout as low as it is, we should be making sure as many people vote as possible.

But whereas voter ID laws

target older people, another set of obstacles prevent young people from voting. First of all, the media focus on national races, not the local elections that you have a greater say in.

Unless you’re a cranky bastard like me, an old person at heart, you’re not tuning into VPR to hear the latest about what’s going on in Vermont politics. Nor are you picking up a copy of the Burlington Free Press to see what’s up.

Online news sources like the Huffington Post will show you videos of animals doing cute things, but will not inform you about what Phil Scott or Sue Minter stand for.

Second, voting is inconvenient. It’s a sacred duty that few people will bother going to their local library or school to carry out. But it is very easy to vote early or get an absentee ballot.

I think voting in person is pretty obsolete.

More young people would vote if they could do it from their phones. The technology certainly exists to make sure online voting were secure, but the political will is not there.

As I wrote about the presidential primaries last spring, while elections are the corner-

stone of our representative democracy, the actual voting process is not high on any state’s list of priorities. Voting takes place on a Tuesday. Most people have things to do on a Tuesday.

So, after making a big deal about not needing my roommate’s ID, the woman with the voter rolls mistook the spelling of his name and couldn’t find his name in the books even after we both kept chanting, “Murthy with a TH not a PH.” “Murphy?” she kept asking. “No, Murthy with a TH, not a PH.” My roommate finally got out his ID again and showed her how to spell his name. She was very embarrassed. After all that though, it turned out he had to go to another polling place across town. Not very convenient. Many people would have just gone home after that.

We went to the other polling place, the Arts School in the North End, and my roommate got his ballot.

I stood around and played Pokemon Go. The third obstacle to young people voting is that it’s not much fun. Voting should be a community event where everyone comes together. Imagine Summervale, with pizza from

American Flatbread and beer from Zero Gravity, but with voting.

State and federal elections should be celebrations of democracy and celebrations of our communities, not dreary events that take place in whatever polling place they sent you to after you went to the one you thought was the right one.

All you get after you successfully get to the right polling place and explain to the nice polling people how to spell your name is a lousy sticker. Local businesses should get involved to encourage voting.

Give people a 50 percent off coupon for Leonardo’s and some free beer and you bet they’re going to vote.

According to Ballotpedia, the total number of votes cast in the August primary came out to about 110,000, less than a fifth of Vermont’s population. We must make voting easier, more convenient and more fun to get more people to participate.

Alexander Collingsworth is a senior English and history major.

He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.

LIFE

6

The Kappa Alpha Theta house and the Alpha Gamma Rho house (left to right). Rush takes place mid-September. Ryan Thornton and Sabrina Hood/The Vermont Cynic

The 411 on going Greek this semester

By Greta bjornson gabjorns@uvm.edu

Each fall, SGA-recognized clubs gather around campus to convince new members to join their ranks.

But, for some organizations, the process of joining looks a bit different from signing a name and email on a sheet of paper.

For Greek organizations, gaining new members means going through the process of recruitment.

Although students may be invited to join a fraternity or sorority at any point in the year, one of the most popular times is at the beginning of the fall se-

mester, according to UVM Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Those looking to become involved in one of the University’s 15 fraternal organizations can expect a busy and informative week.

Formal sorority recruitment takes place Sept. 22 to 25, while fraternity recruitment weekend occurs Sept. 10 to 11.

Although both fraternities and sororities recruit new members at the start of the semester, the processes are different and distinct, according to FSL. “I wasn’t considering joining a sorority at all until I got to campus,” first-year Emma Tichner said. “My RA spoke

really highly of it, and now my roommates and I are thinking about it.”

“The formal recruitment process gives women interested in joining a sorority the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with members in each of our six sororities. It is a fully-structured process,” a spokesperson for FSL said.

“For our fraternities, the recruitment process is more informal than for our sororities. Each individual fraternity creates their own schedule of recruitment events for the semester.”

Although hazing has cast a shadow over Greek organiza-

tions at other universities, UVM FSL “has a zero-tolerance policy against hazing,” they said.

Additionally, students looking to become involved in a fraternal organization must uphold the academic standards required for participation.

According to FSL, the minimum GPA required to join is a 2.5, but in spring 2016, the average GPA reported for UVM sororities was 3.28. Last spring’s fraternity GPA average was reported as 3.01.

FSL said UVM fraternal organizations differ from those at other universities for their inclusion and values.

“At UVM, our Fraternity and

Sorority Life community is just that—a community,” the FSL spokesperson said. “Though we are mid-sized, we see ourselves as a tightly-knit organization that frequently sees communication, collaboration and friendship among each of our unique groups.”

Although “rush” is often used to explain the recruitment process,“we want people to make the most educated decision they possibly can around joining a fraternity or sorority and by no means ‘rush’ into this decision lightly,” FSL said.

THE DAPPER VAGINA

A souvenir you won’t want SARAH HEFT

SHEFT@UVM.EDU

Y

our summer was fabulous, filled with friends, sunny days and a killer

tan.

And while many people will ask you, “What did you do this summer?” the question you should be asking yourself is, “Who did you do this summer?”

Maybe you met them at camp, on the beach or on vacation.

Maybe you still talk everyday and have plans to stay together.

Maybe that one night of passion on the dock was all you were looking for.

Or maybe you are the modern day Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson and you have miraculously found each other at UVM. Either way, it’s time to get yourself tested.

While the anonymity of summer lovin’ can be fun and exciting, it can also carry risks.

The carefree nature of summer flings lends itself well to unprotected sex.

Your partner may have sworn up and down they were clean. But were they?

You may feel fine, but most STI’s don’t present themselves with noticeable symptoms.

Luckily, getting tested at UVM is very easy.

All you have to do is call Student Health Services and make an appointment for a urine test,

A egg dish prepared by Charlotte Fisher. Charlotte Fisher/Vermont Cynic

An off-campus quick fix made in just five minutes CHARLOTTE FISHER COFISHER@UVM. EDU

T MARISSA LANOFF

which will test for gonorrhea and chlamydia, the two most common STIs, according to the Center for Disease Control and Protection.

You can also ask to be screened for herpes and have a blood test ordered to test for HIV. Your results will be sent to your “mywellbeing” account, where you can communicate

through direct message with your primary care provider if need be.

So as you make your backto-school to-do lists, tack on a visit to the Student Health Center so you can start the school year off lean, mean and clean.

Sarah Heft is a junior gender, sexuality and women’s studies major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.

he fall semester is upon us and for many upperclassmen this will be their first year living somewhere other than the dorms.

Moving out of the dorms and into an apartment or house off-campus can be thrilling.

Finally, no more twin beds, shared rooms or hearing your neighbors through paper thin walls late at night.

And for many students, it’s an end to the meal plan.

Now that you can’t just walk into the dining hall and swipe your card, it’s up to you to feed yourself.

Although it may be tempting to stock up on ramen, beer and frozen dinners, your body deserves better.

So make it simple and try this egg dish perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

-1 tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil) -Frozen vegetables (peas, carrots, broccoli, edamame, mushrooms, etc.)

-1 cup spinach or kale -2 eggs -Cheese (optional) -Breakfast sausage (optional) -Toast (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

-Heat oil in skillet on medium-high heat.

-Add vegetables to skillet, cooking until tender.

-Add spinach or kale and cook until wilted (it may look like a lot at first, but the greens will shrink a lot.)

-Crack 2 eggs into the skillet on top of the vegetables and cook the eggs fully for 3 to 5 minutes.

-Serve with cheese, toast and breakfast sausage.

Charlotte Fisher is a senior nutrition and food sciences major.

She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2013.

ARTS

7

Community curates annual art show

By Greta bjornson gabjorns@uvm.edu

This year, hundreds of artists will congregate in South Burlington for the 24th year in a row to display their artwork and promote their businesses during the South End Art Hop. The event, which occurs annually, will last Sept. 9 to 11.

This year’s Art Hop will feature attractions including the STRUT! Fashion Show, in which local fashion designers showcase their work, as well as an artist market where vendors can sell their creations.

Art Hop sets itself apart from other Burlington events because it’s not only free, but also is beneficial to the community said South End Arts and Business Association executive director, Adam Brooks.

“Visitors get to see what happens down here, find that unique studio and get connected to creativity,” Brooks said.

“Residents love the fact that Art Hop brings the vibe that makes living in the South End unique and improves quality of life.”

Although Art Hop serves to unite the Burlington community and draw visitors who may not be locals to the South End, it also provides an opportunity for artists to come together and celebrate each other’s work.

Sage Tucker-Ketcham, an artist and teacher who serves as

Local designers show off their work at the STRUT! Fashion Show Sept. 10 at the annual South End Art Hop. Photo Courtesy of Steven Mease executive director of the Shelburne Craft School, said she looks forward to seeing her “art family” at this year’s event. “[It’s] a great time to see old friends and celebrate what we do: art,” Tucker-Ketcham said. “Art Hop is a ton of work for artists to participate in and prepare for, so the actual event is like ‘phew, now let’s enjoy all the hard work we have done.’”

Over 30,000 visitors attend

the event each year according to the Art Hop website. However, it wasn’t always such a popular attraction, Brooks said.

The first Art Hop took place 1992, he said, and “there were only about fifteen studios and businesses that participated with about 200 attendees on that Friday night.”

SEABA and Community Economic Development Organization gradually occupied the

then-vacant South End, Brooks said.

“Companies like Lake Champlain Chocolates, Conant Metal & Light and others began to make things and their businesses started to grow,” he said.

The event creates an opportunity for discussion and different perspectives in which all can participate, Photographer and Art Hop volunteer Sarah McGarghan, who received last

year’s People’s Choice Award for the juried portion of Art Hop, said “I feel that art really forms a connection, something that everyone can enjoy, contemplate, and discuss,” McGarghan said, “ it doesn’t create barriers and actually can break them down.”

“Everyone can stand side by side and discuss art, regardless of race, creed or color,” she said.

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ARTS

Concert to overtake Main Street By molly duff meduff@uvm.edu

Just in time for the beginning of a new school year, one local band is bringing a new experience to Burlington.

Burlington-based band Madaila will host a concert on Main Street Sept. 4 featuring several other artists, including Lady Lamb, Marco Benevento and many more.

“It’s super fun to put on these off-beat shows at different locations,” singer-songwriter Mark Daly said. “We try and create an experience. It’s not just a show; you go and you leave, there are other activities, other bands. It’s a ‘happening,’ almost. With that comes a lot more work and coordination, too.”

Brian Mital, manager of Nectar’s Bar and Lounge, has played a vital role in organizing the event, keyboardist Eric Bremser said Mital said the event has been a long time coming.

“We have wanted to shut down the street for a block party for a couple of years, and I couldn’t think of a better way to finally throw a party out there than with Madaila at the top of the bill,” he said.

Madaila’s work with Nectar’s is one of many community connections that has made planning the event possible, Bremser said. The concert will also be sponsored by Zero Gravity brewery and Citizen Cider cidery.

“We don’t have a ton of disposable income,” Bremser said,

Burlington-based group Madaila will perform on Main Street outside of Nectar’s Bar and Lounge Sept. 4. The concert will also feature several other artists. PHOTO COURTESY OF MADAILA “so we’ve sort of been forced to be creative and that’s been part of the strategy in doing cool shows, and then we end up working with our friends, helping each other along, seeking out support from the sponsors from the community.”

Bremser said in addition to community support, the group’s own ambition is a key factor of their success.

“We’re extremely ambitious with where we want to be, to the point of just believing so strong-

ly that we’re gonna get there; that we don’t even consider the alternative,” he said.

According to Madaila, this is also what pushes the group to seek out uncommon and bizarre venues, like Echo Aquarium or City Hall Park, and now Main Street.

The concert will take place in a sectioned-off block of Main Street between Church St. and South Winooksi Ave., according to the event website.

Mital said planning the event has been a long and involved

process.

“We worked closely with Police, Fire, Public Works and DLC to make sure we had covered all of our bases for a safe and ridiculously epic event,” he said.

Not only is the venue new, so is the music. Madaila said they will be debuting their latest album, “Traces,” at the show.

“We’re trying to play as much new music as we can, which is gonna be cool and exhilarating to be playing stuff that no one has ever heard,” Daly said.

“Keeping the audience on their

toes will be fun.”

Additionally, Madaila will share the stage with Boston-based group Twiddle to perform an improvised set.

“We’re trying to create an experience that’s memorable enough that people will be talking about it for weeks, if not, hopefully, months after the fact” Daly said.

Tickets are on sale now starting at $25.

Netflix original series throws viewers back to the ‘80s chris leow CLEOW@UVM. EDU

Stranger Things

uncover the truth and save those who have disappeared.

You’ve seen many of these characters before. There are the nerds, the bullies, the popular boy and the rebellious teenage girl.

What “Stranger Things” does so well is perfect these roles and

then turn them upside down as characters face imminent danger and must grow and change.

The characters never seem fake or overplayed,with the exception of some cheesy moments spurred by Eleven’s limited vocabulary.

Winona Ryder plays a spec-

tacularly frantic but strong single mother who won’t give up on her missing son, even when everyone else has.

Amidst the excitement and adventure, the show tackles important social issues by examining family dynamics, especially in times of tragedy. The drama

T

he Netflix original series “Stranger Things” was a surprise summer hit.

The series is set in the 1980s and is one huge throwback, calling to mind classics like “The Goonies,” and is seemingly inspired by Stephen King.

The story begins with the disappearance of 12-year-old Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), setting off a chain of events.

His mother, Joyce (Winona Ryder), frantically searches for him with the help of the grim police chief, Jim Hooper (David Harbour).

Meanwhile, Will’s friends Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) form their own search party. The boys stumble upon a mysterious girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) with superpowers and a connection to the missing Will.

The groups race against a ruthless government agency and an otherworldly presence to

forces characters to battle with the past and take a deeper look into their lives that ultimately influences their actions.

The show is paced perfectly, dropping clues as to what happened to Will and what exactly is going on with Eleven, but still maintains a suspenseful mystery up to the very end.

The show also allows the au-

You've seen many of these characters before. There are the ners, the bullies, the popular boy and the rebellious teenage girl. dience to form their own opinions and ideas before actually revealing major plot points on screen.

On the surface, “Stranger Things” is simply a nostalgic indulgence, but the story is deep and genuine thanks to terrific character development and acting.

This thrilling series deserves to be on your Netflix binge list.

ALYSSA HANDELMAN

Chris Leow is a senior nutrition and food science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2015.

9

ARTS

Indie rock band discusses how to be human Maddy freitas-pimentel MMFREITA@UVM. EDU

How to be a Human Being

A

n indie quartet from Oxford, England has succeeded in creating an album that transforms somber and banal life experiences into groovy, harmonious songs.

Glass Animals’ second album, “How to be a Human Being,” is a concept album focusing on a specific theme; in this case, human personalities.

From raw percussion beats to hazy synth, Glass Animals implements a range of sounds that flow together melodically.

Their instrumental backgrounds are so engaging that it’s easy to overlook the lyrics at first, which are subtle but immensely creative.

The album artwork reflects

the contents. It’s vivid and colorful, depicting a cast of eleven characters. Each of these characters’ stories are described in one of the 11 tracks.

The character studies within each track are inspired by someone the band has met on tour, from a taxi driver to someone’s tattoo, according to lead singer Dave Bayley in an interview with Earmilk.

The first track on the album, “Life Itself,” is about “a guy who was born a bit strange and struggles to become part of society,” Bayley said. “Because of that, he spends more time alone in his own head.”

While the subject matter is serious, there are also moments of wit and humor.

In “Life Itself,” Bayley sings, “I can’t get a job so I live with my mom / I take her money but not quite enough.”

The tracks on “How to be a Human Being” inspire listeners to observe the people around them more closely and to think about what is going on in their heads.

“Mama’s Gun,” the fifth

track on the album, focuses on mental health. It features a sample of “Mr. Gruder” by The Carpenters, a song also about a fictional character.

“Mental illness is sadly still a subject matter that we avoid speaking about all too much,” Glass Animals posted on their Facebook page.

The lyrics reference the less appealing realities of modern life , such as drug abuse and mental health.

“Mama’s Gun” speaks of tedious boredom through lyrics such as, “In the summer silence / I was doing nothing.”

“Agnes,” the last track on the album, discusses depression and its link to substance abuse.

The lyrics offer insight into Agnes as a person with lines like, “You see the sad in everything a / Genius of love and loneliness.”

The songs are bittersweet, featuring upbeat instrumentals and lyrics that are painstakingly human, allowing listeners to think about the subject matter in new and interesting ways.

Album art for indie quartet Glass Animal’s latest release, “How to be a Human Being.” The album focuses on different human personalities through 11 tracks. PHOTO COURTESY OF GLASS ANIMALS Maddy Freitas-Pimentel is a sophomore environmental science major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2015.

September Arts Calendar Comedy

Concerts 2

Famous October 8 p.m. @ Radio Bean FREE

4

Madaila on Main 4 p.m. @ Main Street Starting @ $25

13

Whiskey Shivers 9:30 p.m. @ Nectar’s $10 18+ / $5 21+

2324

Greensky Bluegrass 7:30 p.m. @ Higher Ground $35 2-day pass

24 29

4 5 5 20

An evening of Mozart, Bartok and Crumb 7:30 p.m. @ UVM Recital Hall $15 adult / $5 student

21

Waking Windows Presents: Mild High Club 8 p.m. @ Monkey House $15 18+ / $10 21+

23/ 24

North American Comedy Showdown 7 p.m. @ Vermont Comedy Club FREE Comedy and Crepes 7 p.m. @ The Skinny Pancake FREE Labor Day Comedy Show ft.

Pete Davidson 7 p.m. @ Grand Maple Ballroom $6 - $10 students “Pullin’ Yo Chain” 8 p.m. @ Light Club Lamp Shop FREE Girl Crush: Comedy Showcase 9 p.m. @ Vermont Comedy Club FREE Tone Bell 7 p.m. / 9 p.m. @ Vermont Comedy Club $20

Art Exhibits Performance Friday Art Storytelling VT 2 First 6 Burlington, @ participating 7:30 p.m. @ Light Club Lamp venues FREE

2

“The SHE Project, Part 1” opening reception 7 p.m. @ Living/Learning Center Gallery FREE

9

David Roby opening reception 6 p.m. @ Karma Bird House Gallery FREE

Hop 9-11 Art@ South End locations FREE Digressions: Janie 10 “Directors’ Cohen and Sara Katz” opening reception 2 p.m. @ Amy E Tarrant Gallery FREE

29

“Of Land and Local” opening reception 5 p.m. @ Shelburne Farms FREE

Shop $1

10

“Between Land and Water” 5:45 p.m. @ Community Sailing Center FREE

14

I Heart Female Orgasm 7 p.m. @ Grand Maple Ballroom FREE

20

The Sleeping Beauty 7:30 p.m. @ Flynn MainStage $25 - $60

28

“The Painted Word” Poetry Series 6 p.m. @ Fleming Museum Museum admission price

29

“Stupid F#cking Bird” 7:30 p.m. @ Royal Tyler Theater $10 students

SPORTS

10

Cats ready to follow up championship year By john suozzo jsuozzo@uvm.edu

The UVM men’s soccer team is poised for another successful season and hopes to build on their America East championship and NCAA Tournament appearance from the 2015 season.

The team kicked off its season with an impressive 3-2 overtime victory over California State University, Fullerton Aug. 26.

They were led by senior forward Brian Wright, who scored the game-winning goal in overtime, and senior forward Bernard Yeboah, who scored the two goals in regulation.

The goal was reminiscent of Wright’s overtime goal in the America East Championship last season against Binghamton University, which sent UVM to the NCAA tournament.

The Catamounts will return home to the renovated Virtue Field for the Peter Baldwin Memorial Classic after they travel to play Central Connecticut State University Aug. 29.

UVM will face off against Sacred Heart University Sept.

2 and Long Island University, Brooklyn Sept. 4 in front of their home crowd at Virtue Field.

Last year’s team improved toward the end of the season, but head coach Jesse Cormier emphasized consistency through the entire season. “We’re looking to have a better start to the

season, be fitter, sharper and be more competitive early,” Cormier said.

Senior midfielder and captain Jackson Dayton believes that the team has plenty of talent on their roster.

“Entering this season, we definitely have the most talented group I’ve seen in my four years,” Dayton said.

The Catamounts also return their three leading goal scorers from last season, senior forward Brian Wright, who scored to send the Catamounts to the NCAA tournament last season, senior forward Bernard Yeboah, and junior forward/midfielder Stefan Lamanna.

The returning players will be joined by an incoming class of 11 newcomers; eight first-years and three transfers, according to UVM athletics.

These new additions are all expected to contribute to the team in different ways.

“Once we are able to integrate the new guys into our system and build a strong chemistry, we are looking to build off our finish last fall and have an even better season,” Dayton said.

But Coach Cormier knows winning pressure-filled games are most important, and spoke to the importance of peaking at the end of the season.

“We will also be looking to improve as the season moves along to have our best perfor-

The men’s soccer team huddles up before the America East Championship against Binghamton University. The Catamounts would go on to win the game 1-0. OLIVER POMAZI/The Vermont Cynic mances at the critical times at the end of the season,” he said.

After a formidable non-conference schedule to open the season, the Catamounts begin conference play as the defending champions of the America East Conference Oct. 1.

A preseason poll, conducted by head coaches in the America East, predicted the Catamounts would finish in second place in

the conference this season, only trailing the University of Albany, last year’s regular season conference champions.

“Coming back as defending conference champions, we definitely feel like we have a target on our back. Every team we play is going to bring their ‘A game’ against us, so we need to make sure we don’t take any games off,” Dayton said.

Even though many of team’s accomplished players graduated in May, the future is bright for the Catamounts.

“We have the ability to be one of the best soccer teams Vermont has had in the program’s 50-year history,” Dayton said.

Women’s soccer aims to exceed last season’s record By savannah nesbitt stnesbit@uvm.edu

Kristi Lefebvre, head coach of the women’s soccer team, watches over the team as they practice. The Cats ended their season at 8-8-2. DAYNA WYCKOFF/The Vermont Cynic

Last season was one of the best in recent history for the UVM women’s soccer team.

The Catamounts finished with a record of 8-8-2, according to UVM athletics.

Head coach Kristi Lefebvre lead the program to eight wins, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since 2005 according to UVM athletic records.

Lefebvre is now entering her sixth year as head coach of the program.

She has led the team to the America East playoffs in four out of her five seasons as head coach, according to UVM athletics.

In addition to their successful record, the team was also seeded third entering the America East postseason tournament last year.

This was one of the highest rankings in UVM women’s soccer history.

The Catamounts hosted a playoff game for only the second time ever, according to UVM athletics.

In the quarterfinal round of the playoffs, which happened to be the first night game at Virtue Field, the Cats shut out the University of Maryland, Baltimore County 1-0.

The Catamounts battled hard against the University at Albany in their next playoff game, the semifinal game, but

they eventually fell just short by the score of 2-1.

The game went into overtime.

The co-captains of the team this year are senior defender Meg James and senior midfielder/defender Alex Jenkins.

“I think our strength of this year’s team is the level of competitiveness we have,” James said.

“Each individual on this team has such strong desire to win and when we come together we become a force.”

James also pointed to the team’s preseason form as reason to be optimistic about the 2016 season.

“I think this year our team came into preseason fitter than ever, determined to do the hard work that it takes to bring home the championship,” she said.

In addition, James believes the team’s good chemistry off the field will translate into success on the field.

“Our chemistry off the field is incredible this year as well, which can only benefit us as we take the field together,” she said.

After playing in only two games last year, junior goalkeeper Coco Speckmaier will be the starting keeper for UVM this season.

Last year, then-senior goalie Ally Ramos played and started in all 18 games the Catamounts played in, according to UVM

athletics.

Ramos logged over 1,602 minutes in goal in 2015, while Speckmaier logged 82 minutes and 59 seconds, according to UVM athletics.

The team only graduated three seniors last year, according to UVM athletics, so this season the Catamounts will rely on the poise and experience of returning upperclassmen.

One notable game to look out for this season is a conference match against Albany Oct. 16.

“I know that a lot of us returners remember our semifinal game versus Albany like it was yesterday. It was heartbreaking for everybody,” James said.

“Needless to say, we have a lot of motivation for our conference game in Albany this year.”

For the 2016 season, the Catamounts will bring in four new first-year student-athletes, according to UVM athletics.

Those four players are Christina Barry, Megan Frost, Bridgette King and Julia Smith, according to UVM athletics.

Frost and Barry are both defenders, while King is a forward and Smith is a midfielder, according to UVM athletics.

In the coaches’ preseason poll, UVM was ranked fifth out of nine teams, according to the America East website.

11

SPORTS

LGBT law causes Cats to cancel game

By Jack estrin jestrin@uvm.edu

Due to North Carolina’s controversial HB2 law, on Aug. 24, the UVM athletic department announced the cancellation of the women’s basketball team’s game in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

The law “prevents transgender people from using government-run bathrooms based on their gender identity,” Athletic Director Jeff Schulman said.

The game was scheduled to take place Dec. 28 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The cancellation of a UVM sporting event in this manner has never happened before, according to Schulman.

“I believe that this is the first time we have cancelled a game because of a philosophical difference,” he said.

“What I hope people recognize is that we respect that this is a difficult societal issue, but this decision was much more about our values as an institution and athletic department.”

UVM is not the only institution to adjust their schedule because of opposition to the law.

In late July, the National Basketball Association moved their 2017 all-star game out of Charlotte on similar grounds, according to USA Today. The game was relocated to New Orleans instead.

The University at Albany has canceled their men’s bas-

The women’s basketball team stands together before their rally against cancer game against UMBC. The team will not play against UNC due to the state’s HB2 law. Photo Courtesy of UVM Athletics ketball game against Duke University while the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Atlantic Coast Conference are both re-evaluating using North Carolina as a championship site, Schulman said.

UVM’s decision to cancel the game was made with the input of several groups of people.

“This decision was made in consultation with our coaches,

scoreboard

the women’s basketball team and key University officials,” Schulman said.

First-year students Megan Fariel and Emma Tichner were both in agreement with the school’s decision to cancel the game.

“I totally support it,” Fariel said.

“It’s disappointing for the team, obviously, but it’s im-

portant to use leverage to pressure legislators to change their minds.”

Tichner agreed, and said, “Even something small like that can really change people’s perspectives.”

Due to the game’s cancellation, the team will now have a 10 day break between their Dec. 20 and Dec. 30 games, according to UVM athletics.

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

HIRING EVENT

LAST WEEK

W

2-1

Field Hockey vs Central Michigan HOME Aug. 26

W

2-0

Women’s Soccer vs Central Connecticut HOME Aug. 26

W

3-2

Men’s Soccer vs Cal State Fullerton HOME Aug. 26

W

1-0

Providence, RI Sept. 2 6 p.m.

HOME Sept. 2 7 p.m.

HOME Sept. 3 11:30 a.m.

555 Shelburne Road Burlington, VT 05401

HOME Aug. 28

Men's Soccer vs Sacred Heart

Cross Country vs UMass Lowell

TUES, AUG 30 - THURS, SEPT 1 NOON - 7 pm

Women’s Soccer vs Manhattan

THIS WEEK Field Hockey at Providence

Field Hockey vs Northeastern HOME Sept. 4 1 p.m.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK: The field hockey team has named their captains for the 2016 season. The two captains will be senior Ann-Marie Farmar and sophomore Olivia Hurd.

On Dec. 20, the Cats will take on Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan before traveling to Washington D.C. to play against Howard University Dec. 30.

The team’s first game will take place Nov. 5 at Patrick Gymnasium against St. Michael’s College.

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