Issue11-Volume134

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THE VERMONT

Cynic NOVEMBER 7, 2017

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VOL. 134 - ISSUE 11

Beds open in WE residence halls

After violating housing contract, students must move to new dorms Emma Jarnagin Staff Writer Spots in Wellness Environment dorms across campus are opening as students are removed for violating their housing contracts.

There are five empty WE beds, according to WE director Jim Hudziak.

Eleven students have been removed from WE dorms on both Redstone and Central campuses so far this academic year, said Rafael Rodriguez, director of Residential Life.

Five additional students will be relocated from WE housing once open spaces are identified, according to an Oct. 27 email from Rodriguez.

Students are removed from the program if they are in violation of the WE Code, said Jeffrey Rettew, associate director of WE. Students entering WE housing must sign the WE Code, which states they must keep “drugs, alcohol, paraphernalia associated with drugs and/or alcohol and their influence, out of the environment.”

The code states that WE housing provides students

with “an environment best-suited for fostering healthy minds so healthy bodies can follow.”

Students living in WE housing must take COMU 001: Healthy Brains, Healthy Bodies, a course for WE firstyears. They must also participate in the four pillars of WE: fitness, nutrition, mindfulness and mentorship—“with an open and respectful mind,” the code states.

A violation of this code in any way results in removal from the program, Rettew said.

Students will not be removed from WE for drinking or using drugs outside of the environment, Hudziak stated in an Oct. 12 email.

“We discourage it, but do not contract against it,” Hudziak stated.

Students in violation of the contract must have a meeting with Hudziak and discuss their wrongdoing, he stated.

Hudziak calls this meeting a “WE Moment.”

A WE Moment is an opportunity for a student to explain the circumstances around the violation and to learn of the consequences, Hudziak stated in the email.

Sophomore Mario Andres Vega was removed from WE last year.

Vega joined “for the Apple Watch” and was removed for smoking marijuana in the dorms, he said.

Vega was moved into a single in University Heights South.

Rettew reaches out to the Residential Education Team if a student needs to be relocated, he said.

The team provides resources to help students with a variety of issues from roommate conflicts to feelings of isolation, Rettew said.

ResLife then works to find any available room on campus for that student to move into.

“Finally, I understand that I may be removed from my program and/or relocated to another residence hall if I fail to live up to the terms of this agreement.”

- from the WE housing contract The process could take anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks, Rettew said.

ResLife cannot remove anyone from a WE hall if there is no other available bed for the student.

When re-assigning students removed from WE, ResLife looks for beds that meet similar costs to what a student initially signed up for, Rettew said.

There are different ways to fill beds in WE and no single standard process, Rettew said.

“Oftentimes, the priority is de-tripling rooms [in the Christie-Wright-Patterson complex and Central campus Wellness Environment housing],” he said.

Rettew said there are sometimes

cases of “extenuating circumstances” with roommate issues which would increase that student’s odds of moving into the Wellness Environment.

Many people currently contact ResLife and WE about available beds in CWP or the Central Campus Residence Hall, Rettew said.

But ResLife and WE directors are “looking to maximize the experience of the students who are currently in the program,” Rettew said.

Although a student removed from WE housing will not have a bed in the Wellness Environment anymore, the student is “still encouraged to come back and hang out with their friends [and] still encouraged to come back and use the fitness center,” Rettew said.

Converse will be converted to WE housing next year Alex Verret Staff Writer Construction on Converse Hall has been underway since summer 2017.

Starting next fall, Wellness Environment residents will live in the hall after repairs on the building have been completed.

Converse will become additional housing for firstyear Wellness Environment students with some spaces available for upperclassmen interested in WE, ResLife director Rafael Rodriguez stated in an Oct. 31 email.

Built in 1895, Converse has always been a residence hall.

It was built around the same time as Williams Hall and both were designed by the same architectural firm, Wilson Brothers of Philadelphia, according to a University history website.

The hall is currently undergoing masonry repairs, but the work required that students move out, said John Sama, director for the Living/Learning Center and residential communities.

When Converse was first built, the only thing standing between Converse and Williams Halls was a large expanse of field, the website states.

This external renovation is

one of the first major repairs the building has undergone.

“Once the work is completed, Converse Hall will be used again as a residence hall in the fall of 2018,” said Enrique Corderra, executive director for the University Communications division of news and public affairs.

Using Converse for WE housing has been in the works for over a year, said Jeffrey Rettew, associate director of the Wellness Environment.

“WE was always going to be in Converse, but wasn’t able to be due to construction,” Rettew said.

The majority of first-year

students in WE live in the Central Campus Residence Hall, but some currently live in Patterson Hall on Redstone campus, Rodriguez said.

Roughly 170 first-year students in WE currently live on Redstone. Many of them are in forced triples, Rettew said.

“I love the concept of WE but as it has expanded it has changed,” said sophomore and WE resident Victoria Le. “I thought Converse was going to be a part of the hospital.”

The addition of Converse would bring the entire first-year population of WE, currently hovering around 850 students, to Central Campus.

“I am pleased to see that Converse will not get decommissioned,” said junior and former WE resident Gus Slater-Dixon. “There are many fun quirks about living there that only cConverse people will remember.”

The rest of the WE population of sophomores, juniors and seniors will be housed in the Christie-Wright-Patterson complex, Rettew said.

The hope is to bring all firsttime, first-year students in the Wellness environment closer rather than split between the Central Campus Residence Hall and Patterson, Rodriguez stated.

NEWS

2

The Vermont Cynic

Nov. 7, 2017

Pulitzer prize winner talks food addictions Lilly Young Staff Writer

‘Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us’

by Michael Moss 480 pages. $18.

Best-selling author and Pulitzer prize winner Michael Moss spoke to a UVM audience about how the food industry hooks consumers.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences invited the “Salt Sugar Fat” author to speak at Ira Allen Chapel Nov. 1 for a discussion about the food industry.

His 2013 book is about American culture’s obsession with salt, sugar and fat and why we consume so much of these foods.

“I started writing about food [in 2008] and started the book ‘Salt Sugar Fat’ in about 2010. It came out in 2013 and since then I’ve been working on part two,” Moss said.

He has worked as an investigative reporter for the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Senior Vice President David Rosowsky said when introducing Moss to the stage for his talk.

His editor “saw this outbreak of salmonella, a pathogen, in peanuts” where “thousands of people were getting sick eating these peanuts,” Moss said.

As he began to look into this, he became increasingly more interested in the “trillion

Author and Pulitzer prize winner Michael Moss speaks at Ira Allen Chapel Nov. 1. His book “Salt Sugar Fat” discusses the food industry’s marketing tactics and why the U.S. diet consists of fast food.

MOLLY PERRY/The Vermont Cynic ucts and why, as well as “interbetter,” and can afford to buy dollar food industry that we preting those documents behealthier products, Moss said. know very little about,” he said. cause a lot of them were techCollege students can eat Moss said his goal for “Salt nical,” Moss said. healthier by cooking in their Sugar Fat” was to “be the first After meeting with food scidorm rooms or joining a livinside look on how [the food entists and food industry leading program that cooks its own industry got us] to not just like ers, Moss said he realized salt, food, Moss said. their products, but to want sugar and fat, “the unholy trinOverall, college students more of them.” ity,” were used in order to make should not “obsess about It appeared to him that peofood cheap, tasty and irresistweight gain” or the so-called ple had become dependent on ible. Food industries use these “freshman 15,” he said. food, and he said he wanted to three ingredients in abunMoss is currently workknow why. dance, he said. ing on a follow up to “Salt SugSome of the biggest ob“Most of the big shots—the ar Fat” that will further explore stacles he faced when writing scientists, and the marketers, the food industry’s tactics in “Salt Sugar Fat” were obtaining and the CEOs—[don’t] eat their keeping us hooked, he said. documents about what food own products, they [know] industries put into their prod-

Programmed housing for the arts to move to Trinity campus Ellyn Lapointe Staff Writer Residential Life will house a new Arts and Creativity community on Trinity campus beginning the fall semester of 2018.

Arts Initiative staff and students have been working with ResLife to develop this new program, which will be centered around artistic expression and creativity, said Arts Initiative director Ann Barlow.

ResLife hopes that 60 to 75 percent of students living on Trinity campus will choose to be in the Arts and Creativity program by the fall 2018 term, Barlow said.

Barlow said first-year community members will live in McAuley Hall.

Although the project will not be completed by 2018, the long-term goal is that 100 percent of Trinity campus will house Arts and Creativity students next year, Barlow said.

Both ResLife and the Arts Initiative staff hope that by increasing the community’s available space, they will be able to create more facilities that support the arts, Barlow said.

“We just don’t have the space here,” Barlow said.

“We’ve maxed out the capacity of the Living/Learning Center.”

In developing this plan,

ResLife and the Arts Initiative staff have held forums in which students shared their ideas about the creation and housing of the new community.

“Having a community in which we’re encouraged to develop as artists without having to commit four years to the process is awesome and really unique to being in college.”

-sophomore Olivia Avery, an Arts Initiative member.

“At first, students are skeptical,” Barlow said. “Trinity is far away—they think it could be isolating. Once we talk about these concerns, more of them walk out feeling like this is really cool, and asking, ‘how can I get involved?”

ResLife hopes this new community will leave its footprint on Trinity campus, making use of the available space to display the art that students create, ResLife director Rafael

Rodriguez said.

“There is so much space that is rich and ripe for students’ work to be put up,” Barlow said.

ResLife and the Arts Initiative plan to create larger themes within the community that allow students to better explore working across disciplines and introduce an “Artists in Residence” program.

The residence program will allow professional artists to temporarily live on campus and hold open workshops for students to attend, Barlow said.

“I don’t think there’s such a thing as having too many voices when it comes to art,” said sophomore Olivia Avery, an Arts Initiative member.

Barlow said the hope for this program is that these changes will encourage exploration of mediums outside the realm of painting and drawing, such as digital and performing arts.

“It sounds like the changes are going to allow students to be more involved in arts as a blanket statement rather than more involved with music, writing or fiber arts,” Avery said. “Having a community in which we’re encouraged to develop as artists without having to commit four years to the process is awesome and really unique to being in college.”

SGA UPDATES SGA addressed the following issues at the Oct. 31 meeting: SGA passed a resolution for diversity curriculum review. It stated the following: -As of 2015-2016, the Faculty Senate created a subcommittee to evaluate the diversity courses offered at the University.

-This year, students of various identity groups have demanded to be involved in this review.

-The Office of the President responded that students should be able to be involved in this process with the Faculty Senate.

-As a result, SGA proposed to nominate students to serve on this diversity course subcommittee with full voting rights.

SGA allocated $3,300 to the UVM Running Club to attend the NIRCA National Championship, which is held in Michigan.

The Vermont Cynic

OPINION

Nov. 7, 2017

The Vermont

CYNIC

3

Humanities majors deserve more Staff Editorial

D EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Erika B. Lewy editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Olivia G. Bowman newsroom@vtcynic.com OPERATIONS Operations Manager Ryan P. Thornton operations@vtcynic.com Advertising Manager Cole Wangsness ads@vtcynic.com Distribution Manager Brittnay Heffermehl distribution@vtcynic.com EDITORIAL Arts Benjamin Elfland arts@vtcynic.com B-Side Margaret Richardson bside@vtcynic.com Copy Chief Mariel Wamsley copy@vtcynic.com Life Izzy Siedman life@vtcynic.com Multimedia William Dean Wertz media@vtcynic.com News Greta Bjornson news@vtcynic.com Oddities Healy Fallon oddities@vtcynic.com Opinion Sydney Liss-Abraham opinion@vtcynic.com Sports Eribert Volaj sports@vtcynic.com

avid Foster Wallace has said liberal arts contain “the real value of a real education, which has almost nothing to do with knowledge and everything to do with simple awareness.”

Humanities degrees have been dismissed as useless.

Some say they do not supply students with “real world skills.” On the contrary, soft skills and thinking skills associated with humanities majors have seen the largest pay and employment growth in the past three decades, according to a 2017 study by Harvard professor David Deming.

An education of this nature provides students with a way of understanding and interacting with their world.

It makes sense for administration to market the school with an emphasis on scientific research and tech.

Students with computer science degrees might make more the first year out of college, but it doesn’t mean higher education should prioritize STEM funding.

A variety of well-supported majors bring brilliance and success to our student body and our world. It is a poor branding decision and a missed opportunity for students and administrators alike because it may deter prospective humanities majors from applying.

In the past five years alone, we saw a new academic STEM building go up on our campus while places in need of renovation like Williams, Lafayette, and even Waterman are left in the dust.

In both Williams and Lafayette, water leaks from the ceilings have caused class dis-

GENEVIEVE WINN

ruptions. In Waterman, language and English classes are forced into classrooms the size of a walk-in closet. While we pride ourselves on the opportunity for intimate class settings in a large university, this is a bit much.

While administration pushes for more exploratory courses and majors within STEM, we still lack a well-resourced film major.

We still lack a space on campus for the entire philosophy department. The professors’ offices are technically bedrooms in a house behind Waterman. The classroom is a poorly repurposed

living room.

We are making some process: Billings is getting renovated and journalism major is in the work, but it’s not enough.

This disregard for humanities paths like the English major (one of the student body’s most popular, according to the UVM website) is wrong. UVM must increase its budget and strengthen its support for humanities majors.

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.

CORRECTION A photo on the front page of last week’s issue misidentified a preacher as “Don Karns.”

The preacher pictured was identified only as John.

The Cynic regrets the error.

Web Connor Allan web@vtcynic.com DESIGN Layout Lily Keats layout@vtcynic.com Photo Phillip Carruthers Max McCurdy photo@vtcynic.com Illustrations Genevieve Winn illustrations@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Ariana Arden (Opinion), Bridget Higdon (Arts), Locria Courtright (Sports), George Seibold (Copy), Lauren Schnepf (News). Tiana Crispino (Layout), Kyra Chevalier (Layout) Page Designers Lindsay Freed, Carly Frederickson, Natasha Geffen, Sasha Hull, Caroline McCune, Katie Rearden, Grace Ross, Chloe Schafer, Meg Stevens, Helena Weisskopf Copy Editors Isabella Abraham, Brandon Arcari, Michelle Derse Lowry, John-Luke Giroux, Rae Gould, Sabrina Hood, Sophia Knappertz, Jacob Potts, Alex Verret ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu

Administration condemns all acts of hate Letter to the Editor

D

ear Editor, In a letter to the editor last week, some students asserted that UVM “waited four days” to identify the student who allegedly engaged in explicitly racist and threatening language directed toward African American members of our community.

This assertion is incorrect and misleading.

UVM police services began an investigation of the incident immediately. The person who made the alleged threats was unknown to the student who overheard them.

Thanks to their diligent investigative work, within three days, the police identified the alleged perpetrator.

Following police consultation with the State Attorney’s Office, the individual was cited to appear in court on a disorderly conduct charge.

The University promptly communicated these facts to the campus once they were

shared by the police.

Throughout this disturbing situation, the University has worked diligently to strike a difficult balance between the desire to keep our community informed when information became available and the importance of adhering to well-established criminal justice system procedures among the police, the State Attorney’s Office and the courts to maintain its integrity.

Unfortunately, this incident has resulted in some problematic misinformation that has been shared widely. Here are additional pertinent facts: 1) UVM police services found no information that there was an imminent threat.

If there had been an imminent threat of harm to members of our community, additional steps and safeguards would have been initiated, including messages through the University’s emergency information system, instructions and updates across all email,

telephone and social media.

2) The alleged threatening language did not include any mentionofagun,shootingorany other weapons.

3) UVM police investigates threats of violence and possible crimes, not use of offensive language.

4) During the first five days after the investigation began, the University sent four informative messages to the UVM community.

5) The University takes all threats of violence seriously and investigates and responds accordingly after credible evidence becomes available, regardless of the source or target of the alleged threat.

In addition to police services, which conducts its investigations independently, UVM also has a well-established, experienced Emergency Operations group and effective protocols to assess and respond to any incident when there is evidence of threats to the safety and security of our

campus community.

Understandably, this incident has been very difficult for many members in our community, especially students, staff, and faculty who identify as African American and people of color.

We share the frustration being voiced regarding use of words that target and demean individuals based on race.

Expressions of racism and hatred are contrary to our shared values, as articulated in Our Common Ground.

We unequivocally condemn acts of racism and hate.

Thomas J. Gustafson Vice President for University Relations and Administration at The University of Vermont

OPINION

4

The Vermont Cynic

Nov. 7, 2017

Liberal arts majors supply valuable skills for success Letter to the Editor

T

o the Editor: In a recent edition of the Cynic, sophomore English major Jacob Potts published an eloquent opinion piece fighting back against the flack humanities majors often take from peers convinced that their degrees are unlikely to lead to well-paying jobs.

When people hear Mr. Potts say he is an English major, he reports, “they hear, ‘I’m a fool who wants to be in debt for the rest of my life” (“Humanities students fight stigmas,” Sept. 26).

Mr. Potts makes two main points in response to the scorn he detects in others who hear he is an English major.

Most importantly, he asserts that his goal “is not to be wealthy” but “to do fulfill-

ing work that will make me proud.”

He also points out that English majors develop many skills highly desired by employers—“written and oral communications, persuasion, creativity, critical thinking, research and editing”—the very skills in fact that employers in a wide range of professions say they find most lacking in recent college graduates.

As chair of the English department, I want to elaborate briefly on both points.

First, as I think many of my faculty colleagues would agree, virtually any major within the liberal arts—whether in the arts, the humanities, the social sciences, or the sciences—can lead to virtually any profession.

That is an argument, of course, for following your passion as an undergraduate, as

Jacob Potts is doing. You’ll have more fun, you’ll be more successful, and you’ll be prepared for many possible futures.

English majors, for example, are highly sought after by law schools and medical schools.

I was chatting recently with perhaps UVM’s most famed heart surgeon, professor of surgery Frank Ittleman, who told me that he believed his undergraduate English major was the best preparation he could have had for his career in medicine.

In this issue of the Cynic, a full-page ad about the prospects in life for English majors features, among others, Dr. Harold Varmus, former director of the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute and winner of the 1989 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Jacob Potts asks readers to consider what “life would be like if the world was populated solely by engineers, physicians, and computer scientists.”

But in cases like Dr. Ittleman’s and Dr. Varmus’s, the implied dichotomy between the humanities and sciences may well be a false one.

You’ll find on page three of this week’s paper other famous English majors, ranging from Steven Spielberg to Jack Ma, founder and CEO of the largest retail firm in the world, Alibaba.

And you’ll also find there, closer to home, a list of what actual recent UVM graduates in English are doing: working for Saturday Night Live, CNN, and the Genetic Literacy Project, among other high-profile employers, teaching in schools, colleges, and univer-

sities, and attending top graduate schools like New York University and Harvard University.

Bottom line: follow your heart and your passions in your studies.

Doing so will lead to treasures of the spirit and the intellect and will open many paths to success in many lines of work—some of them no doubt difficult and challenging, but for all of which you will be well prepared.

And, Jacob Potts, thanks for a great opinion piece: you rock!

Dan Fogel Professor and Chairperson Department of English

No ifs, ands or butts about tobacco-free campus initiative failure Mills Sparkman

GENEVIEVE WINN

O

n Oct. 17, sophomore Gabriana Whipple tweeted, “‘UVM is a tobacco-free campus,’ uh first of all the ground is actually littered with cigarette butts,” following a popular meme format.

Her tweet went viral in student-run Facebook groups, but the cigarette issue on campus is no meme.

Like many schools in the U.S., UVM is formally designated as a tobacco-free campus and has been since Aug. 1, 2015. This designation led to the elimination of ashtrays and other receptacles for disposing cigarettes, but not tobacco users.

With that being said, those who use tobacco have nowhere to dispose of their cigarettes. Butts now litter the ground around residential and academic buildings, a sorry sight to see at a university that wants to make going green a priority.

A 2011 study funded by the University of California found that leachates, chemical contaminants dissolved in or carried by water, from both cigarette butts and cigarettes themselves are toxic to marine and aquatic life.

Our water runoff can transport leachates into lake Champlain, contaminating the water and the aquatic life that lives there.

Besides the environmental aspect, the failure to provide receptacles for cigarettes represents a missed teachable moment.

For example, although UVM does not condone consumption of alcohol, they understand that many students on campus drink and they provide students with information and resources so they can make informed decisions.

They should take this same strategy with cigarettes.

Students have been very much in favor of cleaning up

tobacco.

Last year, sophomore Brigitte Durieux proposed a cleanup plan which included both short and long-term solutions, such as volunteer cleanup days with incentives for students to participate and cigarette receptacles – both lowcost bins and more advanced

TerraCycles – which actually break down cigarette butts so they can be recycled.

Durieux’s proposal has gathered more than 300 student signatures and counting, with some students even offering to provide disposal bins themselves.

While it’s great that stu-

dents are taking initiative, this shouldn’t be their responsibility. If there was an ashtray or the equivalent for every “Tobacco-Free Campus” sign on campus, the problem of tobacco litter would be practically nonexistent.

For more information on Brigitte’s proposal and the en-

vironmental impact of cigarettes, check out the “Cigarette Butt Cleanup” event page on the UVM Facebook page.

Mills Sparkman is a first-year psychology major. She has been writing for the Cynic since 2017.

The Vermont Cynic

Nov. 7, 2017

ARTS

5

UVM theatre brings classic tale to the stage Sarah Robinson Staff Writer

An adaptation of Jane Austen’s acclaimed novel “Sense and Sensibility” is hitting the Royall Tyler Theatre stage next week.

The play, adapted by playwright Kate Hamill and directed at UVM by Natalie Battistone, tackles themes of love and devotion.

Hamill transformed the famously dense novel into a dynamic, quick and enjoyable stage production.

The cast of 11 students has been rehearsing for a little over a month and will debut Nov. 8.

“Sense and Sensibility” is the second of four theatre department productions this academic year, following “The Exonerated” and preceding “The Toys Take Over Christmas” and “Peter and the Starcatcher.”

Sophomore Thomas Rattigan plays John Willoughby, the woo-er of Marianne Dashwood, one of the main characters. He was cast in last year’s productions of “Dracula” and “Spring Awakening.”

“There are a lot of characters [in this play],” Rattigan said. “There are a lot of things to keep track of.”

In this adaptation, Hamill maintained the integrity of the original work by adding the characters of gossips. “[Gossips are] background characters who take lines from the story that are important, but it doesn’t really matter who says them,” Rattigan said.

Despite such changes, the

adaptation remains loyal to the original novel.

“I’m excited to see how Kate Hamill brings Sense and Sensibility to the stage…

I’ve developed a tremendous amount of respect for the process of adapting works for other mediums,” said junior Charlotte Malling.

Though a relatively light play, the production deals with something not widely discussed in the 18th century: mental illness.

Set in a world where mental illness was little understood or even tolerated, Battistone and the cast decided to give special emphasis on something that shouldn’t be taboo and should be talked about, Rattigan said.

“There’s a specific scene in which we’ve just transformed [entirely] into movement,” Rattigan said.

“There’s no talking – it’s just music and movement – and it’s really intense but I think it shows how mental illness manifests in the mind really well,” he said.

Though the casts for “Toys Take Over Christmas” and “Peter and the Starcatcher” have already been selected, those who want to participate next year should not hesitate, Rattigan said.

“It is a time commitment, but it’s very easy to audition, very accepting, and they’ll try to help you,” he said.

“Honestly, it’s a fantastic theater department.”

The cast and managers of the new theater production. Clockwise from top left: Nick Turner, McKenna Black, Katelyn Paddock, Caleb Chew, Thomas Brayton, Julia Sioss, Ray Gillies, Christian DeKett, Sean German, Rachel Samuels, Dani Knight, Anna Cataldo, Carolyne Sandoval and Amanda Tramposch.

Photo courtesy of Anna Cataldo

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY Nov. Nov. 8 8 to to Nov. Nov. 12 12 at at 7:30 7:30 pm, pm, Nov. Nov. 11 11 and and Nov. Nov. 12 12 at at 2:30 2:30 pm pm Royall Royall Tyler Tyler Theatre Theatre $10 $10 for for students, students, $21-25 $21-25 for for non-students non-students

Storytelling slam makes appearance in Burlington Bridget Higdon Assistant Arts Editor Every good storyteller needs a good listener. The bond between the two is clear — the voice, mind and ear all have roles to play.

The Moth, a nonwprofit organization devoted to making oral storytelling more accessible to the public, will host its live monthly story slam at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at ArtsRiot.

The Burlington slams began three years ago at the Skinny Pancake. The events have since outgrown the space and have been at ArtsRiot since January 2017.

“The Moth chooses cities with a vibrant arts culture that are big enough to support the event and have a connection to a media sponsor,” said Susanne Schmidt, the Burlington slam producer.

The theme for this month’s story slam is Control. Ten lucky audience members will be called to the stage to share a personal five-to-six-minute story that follows the night’s theme.

The stories must be true, never heard before and told in the first person, Schmidt said.

“The Moth has a principle of inclusion,” she said. “We will stop stories that are racist, homophobic or misogynistic.”

Three teams of judges will be chosen from the audience.

The judges will score each storyteller at the completion of his or her performance. A winner will be named at the end of the night, Schmidt said.

The winner from each monthly Moth event is invited to compete in the annual Burlington Grand Slam. The next Grand Slam will take place in spring 2018, Schmidt said.

The Moth at ArtsRiot is sponsored by Vermont Public Radio.

“VPR provides some media support to the Moth slams in Vermont, but otherwise we’re not involved in production,” said Ty Robertson, VPR’s community engagement coordinator.

“The Moth is a finely tuned machine and they have their productions down pat,” she said.

Robertson has been at her position for over 20 years, she said.

Schmidt attended UVM and has been a Moth producer for three years, she said.

“I have heard stories that are funny, sad or a little odd. I have heard stories that make me cry days later,” Schmidt said.

“I think the value of oral storytelling is that everyone can do it,” said junior Melody

Producer Susanne Schmidt and host Autumn Spencer talk on stage at the October Moth event. The upcoming story slam, titled “Control,” will take place Nov. 14 at ArtsRiot.

Photo courtesy of Karen Pike Riddle-Wilder, a former resident of the now-defunct Moth House in the Living/Learning Center.

“It’s different from other arts like painting or drawing in that you can’t really be a bad storyteller,” she said.

Since its inception, the Moth has expanded to 28 cities around the world. The slams at ArtsRiot are the only Moth

events within over 200 miles.

The Moth was founded in 1997 by novelist George Dawes Green to capture the, according the organization’s website.

Originally from Georgia, Dawes wished to recreate his hometown atmosphere in New York. In Georgia, Dawes and his friends would share captivating stories amidst the summer evening’s fluttering

moths, he said.

The Moth: Control will take place Nov. 14 at ArtsRiot.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Storytelling will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10 and are sold only in advance online at themoth.org. Tickets go on sale at 3 p.m. Nov. 7, one week before the event.

The October story slam sold out in one day.

ARTS

6

The Vermont Cynic

Nov. 7, 2017

What

Phish

Burlington band’s memorabilia collected in exhibition

Phish’s memorabilia collection

Where The Tarrant Gallery at the Flynn

When Saturdays 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. through Dec. 31

Price Free Hannah Ritz Staff Writer Home-grown Vermont band Phish will be the subject of an exhibit at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts.

The exhibit, “Phish in the Northern Country,” is composed of a variety of memorabilia from band tours and concerts.

Everything on display was donated to the Flynn for the exhibit by Phish archivist Kevin Shapiro as well as the WaterWheel Foundation, according to Flynn executive director John Killacky.

The WaterWheel Foundation was created by Phish in 1997 to oversee the band’s various charitable activities, according to the foundation’s website.

The organization was conceived at a concert played by Phish at the Flynn. Proceeds from the show went to estab-

lishing the foundation.

Phish began their career in the Harris-Millis Dining Hall in December 1983, according to the band’s website.

They performed in various local venues and houses before beginning a regular regiment of international touring.

The exhibit is named “Phish in the Northern Country” because it portrays so much more than Phish in Vermont specifically, Killacky said.

The exhibit features posters and handbills from concerts throughout the country.

“People love it,” Killacky said. “[They] come into the gallery and are engaged and having fun.”

The exhibit has multiple sections, some of which include handbills from Phish’s first shows at Slade Hall at UVM, Nectar’s and the Flynn.

One section is dedicated to the creation of the Ben & Jerry’s flavor “Phish Food,” while

another contains posters from WaterWheel that were sold at shows to benefit the foundation, Killacky said.

The foundation donates to various nonprofit organizations, including helping keep Lake Champlain clean, he said.

With the help of the foundation, memorablilia that may have otherwise been lost has been archived.

“The exhibit reminds people that the band actually came from here,” he said.

The exhibit features flyers that were originally hung around Burlington years ago.

“Its roots are here,” Killacky said. “Its early performances were actually on Main Street, and it maintains its presence as a local phenomenon but is still aware of its roots.”

For people seeing other shows at the Flynn, the exhibit will be open during the preshow and the intermission, Killacky said.

Burlington community members take in Phish memorabilia at the new Flynn Center exhibition “Phish in the Northern Country” Nov. 4. Everything on display, including Phish posters and their own Ben & Jerry’s flavor, was donated by archivist Kevin Shapiro.

MO QUIGG/The Vermont Cynic “Phish is an experience the community around the for people,” he said. “It’s more band.” than just a concert. People love

The Vermont Cynic

Nov. 7, 2017

FEATURE

7

Listen, learn and add extra contour.

The contradictions and ‘freedoms’ of wearing makeup in college Libby Camp Oddities Columnist

M

y friends and I once gave our friend Julian a makeover. We were laughing the entire time we were putting makeup on him.

But when I ask my friend Autumn to do my makeup, no one laughs. She does it with the pressure of making me look good.

My question is: why is that?

Gender is a loaded term. If you were to ask a random person on the street in Burlington what gender means, chances are you’re just as likely to find someone who thinks that it’s the equivalent of sex.

However, gender is a spectrum and many things contribute to it.

Makeup complicates the discussion even further.

Sophomore Jackie Balter is a cis queer female who particularly enjoys makeup.

“I definitely held off on makeup because I didn’t want to become one of those girls, but then I was like, what the f*** did I mean by ‘one of those girls?’”

“Those girls” are ones that everyone has a mental image of, because it’s pretty impossible not to. They’re the women who wear a load of makeup because they’re insecure or because they want attention, a negative stereotype that has yet to die.

Senior Quinn Lonsway is a cis queer man who wears makeup and said it changes the way people perceive him.

“My partner and femme friends like it, my male friends joke about it and trans, non-binary or cisgender

friends have given me positive support and reactions on occasion,” he said.

Sophomore Lilac Blau identifies as non-binary and queer. Blau said their mother is a makeup artist and they were exposed to makeup at a young age.

“If makeup could exist inside a vacuum, of course it would be genderless, just like every other product in the world,” Blau said. “But nothing exists inside a vacuum and saying that it isn’t gendered ignores the experience of people who both wear makeup and don’t fit the visual definition of a girl.”

Blau started experimenting with makeup around age 10 or 11 and realized that “people think [they] looked more beautiful, or at least are more vocal, about the way [they] look when [they] have makeup on.”

This is particularly damaging because this sort of reinforcement can lead to people feeling they are only validated as “beautiful” or “attractive” if they align to their socialized gender, Blau said.

But makeup, currently, is perceived as inherently feminine. And while it would be nice to just say makeup shouldn’t be gendered, it cannot be ignored that it currently is.

However, “gendering cosmetics is as ridiculous as gendering clothing,” Lonsway said.

“The fact that when masculine-presenting people wear eyeliner, it’s called guyliner – like, why does that have to be a thing?,” Balter said.

Blau disagreed.

Noah Schneidman puts on makeup Nov. 5 . Makeup is currently perceived as inherently feminine by many, which can be damaging for those who don’t identify as female.

AUTUMN LEE/The Vermont Cynic “[Makeup] is not masculine or feminine when I put it on, it is just a thing that exists as an addition to my gender expression at any given moment,” Blau said. “You’re allowed to do whatever you want.

“But if it’s not ‘right’… people are gonna be really uncomfortable with it.”

Whatever is “right” is whatever people expect of you based off of your gender presentation.

“You could wear makeup if you want… [but] you’d get s*** on,” Blau said, referring to the pain and frustration they feel when their makeup sends signals contradicting their own gender identity.

This association isn’t lost at UVM. “[When I am wearing makeup] I am matching my

gender presentation with the gender that people assume I am, so people here feel comfortable assuming my gender identity by using she/her pronouns for me or telling me how beautiful and feminine I look,” Blau said.

Solving how people perceive makeup on campus isn’t a simple fix. “It’s like, how do you make Tom Sullivan see that you need more gender inclusive bathrooms?” Blau said.

“It’s just not that easy.”

Blau said that a professor told them they looked more like a women regardless of how they present themselves.

Makeup is inherently gendered.

Some people are in a position of privilege to say it is androgynous– people who aren’t regularly misgendered.

It’s a position of privilege to wear makeup without worrying about how your gender will be perceived.

People who don’t experience gender dysphoria or who don’t have to worry about their gender at all, myself included, need to think about the problem.

We need to strive to create a community at UVM that goes beyond acceptance. We need normalcy.

The way we get there is communication, Blau said.

“Educate, learn, be gentle, listen, listen, listen,” Blau said.

Libby Camp is a sophomore.

She has been writing for the Cynic since the fall of 2017.

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8

The Vermont Cynic

Nov. 7, 2017

What Do These Highly Successful People Have in Common?

Spike Lee, Director & Producer l Lena Dunham, Actor & Writer l Steven Spielberg, Dinosaur Hunter l Harold Varmus, M.D., Nobel Prize in Medicine

Amy Tan, Author l Jhumpa Lahiri, Author & Professor l Conan O’Brien, Comedian & Host l Sally Ride, First Female Astronaut l Matt Damon, Actor

Stephen King, Creator of Nightmares l Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba

l Toni Morrison, Nobel Prize in Literature l John Oliver, Comedian & Host

English Majors, Every One! And, locally, recent UVM graduates in English have been employed at Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central; Vanity Fair; VICE; Coach; The Genetic Literary Project (NYC); Facebook; Wired Mag; Time; CNN; ABC; W.W. Norton; New England Foundation for the Arts; the U.S. Senate; Hulu; Yahoo! Entertainment; Apple; the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall; and in school and university teaching positions. Others are in graduate programs, including, among others, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, NYU, Harvard, and the University of Kentucky, while others are making their way as attorneys, novelists and filmmakers.

Serious about success? Visit the English Department.

You can contact us by phone: 802-656-3056 or email us at: english@uvm.edu.

Find us online at uvm.edu/english and facebook.com/uvmenglish

The Vermont Cynic

Nov. 7, 2017

LIFE

9

Private acts in shared spaces bring stigmas The benefits and discomforts of masturbating in residence halls

Libby Camp Staff Writer Sex is part of the college experience, but it’s not just about having sex with others – it’s what people are doing alone.

Sixty-two percent of women and 82 percent of men ages 18-24 masturbate, according to a 2010 Indiana University study.

On the other hand, only 59 percent of women and 51 percent of men are sexually active with partners, according to an October 2015 Cosmopolitan article.

There are many health benefits to masturbation, according to the Planned Parenthood website.

Masturbation can reduce stress and improve sleep patterns, self-esteem and body image. It also relieves menstrual cramps and muscle tension, according to the website.

Frequent ejaculation can even reduce the chances of prostate cancer in men, according to an April 2009 article from the Harvard Medical School.

“Regardless of the reason why, take comfort in the fact that ejaculation is not only pleasurable, but also may convey health benefits,” the article stated.

For women, orgasms can help prevent cervical infections, relieve hormonal tension and increase pelvic strength, according to a January 2015 Huffington Post article.

Sophomore Sam Atallah said he is a firm advocate of the benefits of masturbating but recognizes that in college, it’s not easy.

“With these statistics as well as a collective understanding that ‘everyone does it,’ complicated feelings come

GENEVIEVE WINN

up when you place masturbation in the context of dorm life,” Atallah said.

Lack of privacy and space is one of the biggest adjustments to living in a dorm, according to an April 2011 USA Today article.

“Masturbation in college

is kind of tricky to pull off because the line between public and personal space is so blurred,” sophomore Julian Lathrop said.

With a limited number of single bedrooms and an even more limited availability of private bathrooms, on-campus

living typically means being around other people.

“You don’t want to do it in your room because that disrespects your roommate, but you also don’t want to do it in your bathroom because that’s also a shared space,” Lathrop said.

He said the constant presence of others makes masturbation feel especially forbidden.

“Basically if you masturbate, which most people obviously do, you’re breaking a rule no matter what,” he said.

Masturbation is perceived differently between people of different genders, sophomore Kristen Brown said.

“Sexual education speaks only of boys masturbating with the ideology of ‘boys will be boys,’” she said.

This lack of widespread education creates an atmosphere of hypermasculinity and is “exclusionary toward women and gender non-binary people,” Brown said.

This, along with the awkwardness that comes with the topic, creates an air of secrecy around masturbation and the “indulgence of flesh,” she said.

But if the benefits of “body and mind,” as Lathrop said, are anything to go off of, masturbation shouldn’t be such a taboo.

So instead of holding back, just be honest, Brown said.

“If you have a roommate and have a difficult time discussing personal time or masturbation, try communicating to lay down some boundaries about comfort levels,” she said.

Masturbating does not make you a bad person, Lathrop said, and the taboo around it is trivial.

“The whole dilemma is less indicative of the shittiness of everybody’s moral compass and perhaps more indicative of the fact that the rules are probably silly,” Lathrop said.

So don’t conform to the rules and instead follow Brown’s advice to “communicate to find time for yourself.”

Caffeine consumption on campus has pros and cons Kailey Bates Life Columnist Some love it, some hate it, and some absolutely need it — coffee.

One of the most popular beverages on a college campus, coffee straddles the line between legal drug with possible side effects and a warm drink that awakens the senses before an early morning class.

Coffee contains 135 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces — a higher ratio than some of the most potent energy drinks, which only contain around 80 mg, according to an October 2017 LiveStrong.com article.

There are a slew of negative side effects associated with the intake of caffeine.

Not only can the drug increase blood pressure and disrupt sleep patterns, it can also interact negatively with certain medications, according to a December 2011 AARP article.

A 2003 study by the psychiatry department at the University of Chicago found that caffeine can heighten one’s anxiety levels and even cause panic attacks.

However, for some like sophomore Clarissa Libertel-

li, drinking coffee only causes minor body changes with no mental anxiety.

“Coffee just makes my heart beat a little faster,” Libertilli said, “but I don’t really mind because I hate being tired so goddamn much.”

Coffee has beneficial effects as well. According to 2011 research presented at the American Chemical Society, coffee

is the No. 1 source of antioxidants in the American diet.

Coffee can even relieve a headache because it causes blood vessels to constrict, according an October 2017 LiveStrong article.

On chilly winter mornings, nothing is better than drinking a warm cup of joe, said sophomore Becca Rudden, who drinks two cups a day.

135 MILLIGRAMS amount of caffeine per 8 ounces of coffee

“I love coffee for the taste,” Rudden said. “Whenever I make a pot of coffee at home, the smell reminds me of my grandparents’ house in the morning, so it’s got a nostalgic effect on me.”

First-year Allister King said she doesn’t care about the taste.

“Sometimes I’ll go to Starbucks and get something fan-

cy, but usually I just go to the [Wellness Environment] dining hall and drink black coffee—which everyone is always horrified at—just for the caffeine,” King said.

If coffee doesn’t evoke feelings of comfort, there are other ways to get caffeine for that extra push when studying for exams.

Caffeine can be consumed in the form of tablets, chewing gum, granola bars, teas and much more.

Coffee is everywhere on campus.

The dining halls have unlimited amounts ready to dispense, but if that regular old mug isn’t enough, Henderson’s Cafe and the Cyber Cafe serve Vermont Artisan Coffee lattes.

Rudden said her favorite coffee nook is the Waterman Cafe.

Coffee-drinker or not, caffeine has addictive properties.

As with everything, caffeine is best consumed in moderation.

Kailey Bates is a sophomore and has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017.

LIFE

10

The Vermont Cynic

Nov. 7, 2017

Different note taking styles affect learning Erin Powell Cynic Correspondent The seats of a lecture hall fill up, the projector turns on, notebooks and laptops are opened and students begin to take notes.

Taking notes is proven to boost memory, comprehension and the ability to draw conclusions and patterns between material, according to a June 2014 PBS article.

But there is not merely one way to take notes.

“I usually just write down verbatim what the PowerPoint says,” first-year Elizabeth Huckins said.

Huckins uses notes as tool to remember where to look for important information, she said.

“I try to absorb what the professor says so my notes are a reference back to what I was looking at on the PowerPoint,” she said.

Often, the method of note taking depends on the student and the class.

“For some classes I take notes on the slides plus what I think is relevant that the professor is saying,” first-year Dan Brainerd said.

“For other classes I just write what is on the slides because that’s all that is important,” he said.

Note taking is not just about the content, but also how notes look. Some notes may be written in beautiful looping script, while others are more like chicken scratch.

According to first-year Keerthi Onkaram, neat handwriting can be a burden.

“I think it’s my downfall with note taking because I try to make it so perfect,” Onkaram said.

“But in the time it takes me to write down notes on one thing, the professor has already moved on,” she said.

Though the main goal of note taking is to improve retention of information, some students, like first-year Emma Rainard, are self-conscious

about their note writing habits.

“My handwriting is hideous,” Rainard said. “Sometimes if there is a cute guy sitting next to me I’ll hide my handwriting beause guys look over onto girls’ notes all the time.

“I’ve gotta impress them.”

A PBS study found that “taking notes by hand forces the brain to engage in some heavy mental lifting,’” According to the study, “these efforts foster retention and comprehension.”

Other research claims that handwriting can correlate to personality traits.

Graphology is the study of how character can be inferred from handwriting, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

It is generally regarded as a pseudoscience similar to astrology.

Some beliefs of graphology include that large spaces between words indicate a value of freedom, or that light pressure in writing signifies introversion.

“I’ve heard that messier handwriting is because people’s thoughts are faster and they are smarter. I have no idea if that’s true,” Brainerd said.

Even if messy handwriting is a sign of intelligence, Rainard reiterates its undesirability.

“Every now and then I see someone whose handwriting is worse than mine,” she said.

“I smile to myself because I don’t have the ugliest handwriting in the class.”

KATI KIRSCH

Majors and Minors Fair helps students pick academic path Bernadette Higgs Cynic Correspondent The choice is made and the deposit is in, but the dropdown menu for declaring a major on the UVM enrollment form may remain undecided.

Choosing a major or minor can be an intimidating task, but the Majors and Minors Fair offers help so students can find their best fit.

The fair, held from 2-4 p.m.

Nov. 3 in the Davis Center Grand Maple Ballroom, included a chance to speak with staff from all seven colleges, career services, the study abroad office and more.

The goal of the event was to give students who are unsure of their major an opportunity to meet with representatives from various departments, said peer advising coordinator Isora Lithgow.

The event allowed students to “ask questions to help them get a better idea of what they may want to study,” Lithgow said.

According to UVM’s Center for Academic Success, the fair helps students answer questions like “what kind of job can

I get with my major?” and “how can I get involved in research?”

Along with representatives from numerous academic departments, there were also representatives from the Honors College and the Sustainability Program at the event.

The fair was beneficial not only to students who are struggling to choose a major, but also to those who have already decided.

Sophomore Sean Quigley chose to be a representative of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the fair in order to “get more involved on campus and to gain a better understanding of my own college,” he said.

Lithgow hoped students would go into this event eager to ask questions and discover all the majors and minors that UVM has to offer, she said.

“Some majors and minors at UVM are hidden,” Lithgow said, and the fair is space that displays all the options and information to students who may not have found it on their own.

UVM has the same core majors as any university, like biology and English, but few know there are minors in sub-

jects like soil science or majors like zoology, Lithgow said.

Choosing a major that suits a student’s interests and where the work is enjoyable is important, she said.

The Advising Center is the year-round place to go for any advice and information about the many majors and minors UVM has to offer, she said.

The Advising Center is located on the first floor of the Davis Center beside the Hub and FeelGood headquarters.

The center is a system of peer advising for students who need help with most anything college-related, according to their website.

Whether it be deciding on a major or just figuring out which classes to register for, the peer advisers are there to help according to the Advising Center’s website.

This year’s Majors and Minors Fair differed from previous years with an addition of a minor-advising component.

“Your major isn’t the be-all end-all,” Lithgow said. “Get involved and stay involved. Find a balance between being engaged in the community and being engaged in your academics.”

Students and faculty meet in the Davis Center Grand Maple Ballroom for the annual Majors and Minors Fair Nov. 1, 2016.

SABRINA HOOD/The Vermont Cynic

The Vermont Cynic

Nov. 7, 2017

SPORTS

11

‘Dawn of the Shred’ kicks off winter season Sophie MacMillan Staff Writer With a sound that resembled the tearing of a cardboard box, the skier swept across the snow, skidding to a halt.

He immediately unlocked his skis and sped up the hill for another round on the manmade terrain park.

In the background, more skiers and snowboarders made their way down the course as the crowd around them cheered.

People were moving at a fast pace, going up and down the terrain.

The purple lights shown on the home-made snow as onlookers cheered and clapped as announcements were made for every participant.

The announcer, senior SSC events coordinator Allison Larew, narrated the shredders’ wipeouts and tricks in the background of the eighth annual Halloween Rail Jam. The event brought crowds to Trinity campus at 7 p.m. Oct. 31.

The Rail Jam was held on Trinity instead of Redstone green, its previous location.

Crowds of students surrounded the jumps and snow-covered green.

Sugarbush Resort provided the rails, staff and setup for the event, according to the UVM Bored website.

“Despite the odds of this crazy weather, we pulled off an

Students snowboarders and skiers perform their gnarliest maneuvers at the Halloween Rail Jam. The annual event took place on fake snow on the Trinity campus green Oct. 31.

ALEK FEURY/The Vermont Cynic absolutely epic rail jam,” Lar“Everything is on point – the and first-year Joey Leon for the UVMSSC website. ew said. “Come hell, high wa- snow, the set up, the people; it men’s.

Their mission is to build reter or literally no snow, you best could not be better,” he said.

Senior Lindsey Koski, a lationships between UVM and believe we’ll always bring our As the clock neared 9 p.m. member of the Club Alpine the greater Northern Vermont shredders what they want to and the final tricks were com- Ski Team, said she was excited ski and snowboard community, see: Dawn of the Shred.” pleted, the crowd waited for the about the event’s success. according to the website.

After a few rounds of com- announcement of the winners.

“Despite the unfavorable The club provides buses to petition between the 40 skiers The first-place winner in conditions, it was great to see local resorts during the spring and snowboarders, the finalists men’s skiing was junior Nick the SSC put on another sweet semester and works to put on were announced. The snow was Murphy.

Junior Honorine Rail Jam,” Koski said. “[It’s] al- a variety of events throughmelting but there was no stop- Klinkner won in the women’s ways a good time to spread out the year, according to their ping the shredders. category. some winter stoke in October.” website.

Junior Andrew Bock has In the snowboarding cateUVMSSC is the largest colcompeted in the Rail Jam for gories, junior Maggie Leon won legiate ski and snowboard club the past three years. first for the women’s category in the U.S., according to the

Astros take World Series Nickie Morris Sports Columnist In late June 2014, Sports Illustrated published a cover of George Springer in the newly minted orange Houston Astros throwback uniform.

The magazine predicted the then-last-place team would be the 2017 World Series Champions. It was widely ridiculed by most baseball fans despite the quiet support of many statisticians.

But they were right.

Not only did the Astros win the World Series Wednesday after a historically action-packed seven-game series, but George Springer was named World Series MVP. Popular culture has long been stacked against the Astros, who joined the American League West in 2013.

In a bizarre cybersecurity scandal in winter of 2016, the St. Luois Cardinals hacked the Astros’ baseball intelligence databases in an attempt to steal valuable information about player evaluations and decisions from former scout Jeff Luhnow.

Luhnow had left the Cardinals to become general manager of the Astros.

The hacking of Houston was unlike anything ever seen in sports, just like the amount of young talent on this year’s Astros roster.

The stars of the team con-

sisted of over five first-round draft picks, including 2012 first overall pick Carlos Correa.

Upon winning the World Series, Correa proposed to his girlfriend right in the postgame celebration, giving a further fairytale ending to a championship year that began with tragedy.

Both Correa’s native Puerto Rico and the city of Houston suffered major hurricanes during the middle of baseball season around September.

This created enormous humanitarian and economic crises in both cities.

Correa, as well as fellow Puerto Rican and veteran Astro Carlos Beltran and many in the overall Houston organization, teamed up with relief funds and nonprofits to provide over $2 million in support to areas impacted by the hurricanes.

The joy of championships in professional sports leaves a wide resounding impact on their population and fans for generations.

This was present in the long-lusted-after victory of the Chicago Cubs last year and is present again in the victory parade attended by thousands in the heart of Houston.

Nickie Morris is a first-year mathematics major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017.

Saint Mike’s kneels, told to ‘stand up’

Locria Courtright Assistant Sports Editor Several Saint Michael’s men’s basketball players and staff members took a knee during the national anthem before the exhibition game Saturday.

When the players and coaches knelt, they were met with some boos by the UVM fans at Patrick Gym. Several fans shouted “stand up,” while others booed.

However, some cheered for those taking a knee. “[It] really pained me to

Members of the Saint Michael’s College men’s basketball team take a knee during the national anthem at Saturday’s home game.

The highly controversial demonstration was met with cries from the crowd to “stand up.”

LOCRIA COURTRIGHT/The Vermont Cynic hear what some members of about our friends not making our home crowd had to say to it to their 21st birthdays,” Wills the young men taking a knee tweeted.

“They’re too worried about during the anthem,” first-year their own privileged lives. You guard Skyler Nash tweeted.

Former UVM basketball always got support this way my player, Dre Wills ‘17 retweeted brother.”

Josh Kessler, director of Nash’s tweet.

“You gotta understand that communications for Saint Mipeople don’t care about what chael’s athletics, also expressed us city kids see and go through pride for his athletes on Twitter. every day. They don’t care

12

SPORTS

U.S. soccer still has work to do Eribert Volaj Sports Editor

S

occer has a long way to go in the U.S., and the failure of the men’s national team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup is all the proof you need.

The U.S. finished fifth in a group of six teams in the final round of the North and Central American qualifying campaign after losing in the final game to Trinidad and Tobago, a twin island country with a population of just over 1.3 million.

This was the first time since 1986 that the U.S. men’s team has failed to qualify for the World Cup. Losses to Mexico and Costa Rica at the end of 2016 were seen as just blips in form for the national team, but they were enough to get then-head coach Jurgen Klinsmann fired.

Bruce Arena, who managed the team from 1998 to 2006, was appointed head coach to restore confidence and get the team back on track.

However, all Arena was able to do was win three home games over the course of the qualifying campaign while failing to get a single win away.

The individual talent of Christian Pulisic was enough to rack up the points needed to stay in the race until the end of the campaign, but the lack of a deeper understanding of the game as a team showed time and time again.

LUCAS HILTZ Despite the underwhelming campaign the national team mustered, it all came down to the last game, a trip to an already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago team.

Somehow, the U.S. managed to lose that game, allowing Panama and Honduras to surpass them in the rankings.

However, the problem is not an away loss at Trinidad and Tobago.

The problem lies in the soccer culture of this country. Taking a quick look at the roster, one will notice that the best players, Pulisic, Bobby Wood and DeAndre Yedlin, all play soccer in Europe.

But there aren’t enough players willing to relocate to Europe for the greater good in the long term.

Former U.S. player Jermaine Jones discussed this shortly after the defeat to Trinidad and Tobago, recalling the time when U.S. forward Jordan

Morris declined the opportunity to join German club Werder Bremen, opting instead for the comfort of Major League Soccer side Seattle Sounders.

Jones said Morris had told him that he chose to stay in the U.S. because he wanted to be close to his family, his girlfriend and their dog.

While MLS is growing, it is obvious to soccer fans around the world that the level of soccer in Europe is much higher than it is here.

Players need to get out of their comfort zone and try their luck in Europe, like Pulisic.

That is only the first step of the transformation that soccer in the U.S. needs.

There is a lot of catching up to do, but also in the way we see soccer and the effort we put into players development.

Eribert Volaj is from Albania and supports Bayern Munich.

He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2015.

The Vermont Cynic

Nov. 7, 2017

UVM SPORTS BOARD Women’s soccer falls in title game

Men’s soccer wins America East title

No. 6-seeded Vermont fell to No. 5-seeded Stony Brook University in the America East Championship game Sunday afternoon.

Vermont went 2-0 down in the first half. Senior midfielder Sarah Martin scored in the second half, but the Cats were unable to come back.

This was the first appearance in the title game in program history.

Vermont closes the season with a record of 9-9-2, posting the highest single-season win since 2004.

Men’s soccer clinched the America East regular season title with a draw against the University of New Hampshire.

Sophomore midfielder Jon Arnar Bardal was the scorer.

Vermont ended the regular season with a 10-7-1 record and a 5-1-1 record in conference play.

Eight players were honored and sophomore goalkeeper Aron Runarsson was named the Goalkeeper of the Year.

Vermont will host the University at Albany Nov. 8 for the America East semifinal.

Swimming and diving wins again

Basketball wins exhibition games

The swimming and diving team dominated the University of Maine Nov. 4, winning 169-111.

The win took the team’s record to 3-2 for the season and 3-1 in conference meets.

Senior swimmers Shannon Cowley and Kira Hancock won two races each.

Vermont also won both diving events, with junior Ashley Branagan and first-year Emily Murphy posting the best individual scores.

UVM hosts Bryant University Sunday.

Both men’s and women’s basketball started their seasons with scrimmage wins over Saint Michael’s College.

The men’s team won 10253. Redshirt senior forward Payton Henson led the team in scoring with 17 points.

They open their regular season at No. 4 University of Kentucky Nov. 12.

The women’s team won 7558. Sophomore forward Hanna Crymble scored 15 points.

UVM opens the regular season at Dartmouth College Nov. 10.

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