Issue 1 - Volume 136

THEVERMONTCYNIC THE Issue 1 - Volume 136 | August 27, 2019 | vtcynic.com

2023 first class for new President

Julianne Lesch jlesch@uvm.edu

The class of 2023 took their first steps as UVM students as they paraded down Main Street as part of a running UVM tradition — Convocation.

Over 2,600 students sat in Patrick Gym wearing vibrantly colored t-shirts, as they listened to speeches.

SGA President Jillian Scannell welcomed the crowd. She encouraged students to get out there, try new things and to stay persistent.

“You are about to embark on a journey that will lead you on twists and turns that you can-

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not even imagine right now,” she said. “You will have opportunities, successes and yes a few missteps but remember that your journey is not meant to be traveled alone.”

The class of 2023 marks the first for newly-minted President Suresh Garimella.

Garimella started his speech by reminding the class of 2023 that they are his inaugural class.

They will go through this period of adjustment together, he said.

Garimella went on to tell students to use their time at UVM as a time to explore their personal and intellectual paths.

“Your time at the University is the time of your life to grow,

@vermontcynic

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

TOP: First-year students pose with candles and fans Aug. 25. The procession of students during the annual Convocation and Twilight Induction Ceremonies begins at Patrick Gym and ends at Waterman green. LEFT: First-year students recite the twilight induction ceremony pledge on Waterman green. RIGHT: UVM President Suresh Garimella speaks at Convocation in Patrick Gym. to listen, to learn from others, to share your perspectives, to open your mind and horizons to diverse ways of thinking and perspectives that are different from yours,” he said.

When leading students down Main Street, Garimella

@vermontcynic

said his new position hit him.

“It just dawned on me, as these people were walking behind me, that I am responsible for this now,” Garimella said.

“Four years from now I want to see everyone of them graduate.”

First-year Carter Francis-

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kovich, from Lexington, Massachusetts, who is currently undeclared, said he came to UVM for the community.

Convocation cont. on page 2

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NEWS

News you missed over the summer Staff Report news@vtcynic.com

Here’s a quick round up of some of the summer’s top stories.

UVM ranked as top cannabis consumer UVM has been ranked as the No. 1 school in the nation for cannabis consumption, according to the latest rankings from the Princeton Review.

Last year, Vermont lawmakers passed legislation to legalize personal possession of an ounce of cannabis and the cultivation of two plants for those over 21.

Although cannabis is legal in Vermont, it remains illegal at UVM because the University receives federal funding.

Since cannabis is not legal under federal law, UVM has an obligation to obey federal laws over state ones, according to an April 23 Cynic article.

CATcards to go digital through Apple partnership Misplacing your CATcard could soon be a distant memory as student IDs go digital.

The CATcard Service Center recently announced a partnership with Apple in which students who have an iPhone or an Apple Watch can integrate their CATcard details into their Apple Wallet, according to an Aug. 13 Apple News article.

Apple introduced this technology last October at Duke University, University of Alabama and the University of Oklahoma.

“We’re looking at an end of September, early October roll out once the equipment is all in place,” said CATcard Service Center office manager Heather Allard.

For more information on CATcards, visit the CATcard Service Center website.

Convocation cont. from page 1 “Like they say it’s one big family and it’s just nice to know that you are a part of something big like that, “ Franciskovich said.

First-year Merete Cowles, from near Washington, D.C., has been struck by the beauty of UVM and Burlington.

“I just don’t understand how people from Vermont don’t just constantly walk around with their jaw dropped. I literally freak out about every cloud, every street, it’s just so beautiful here,” she said.

After Twilight Induction, Garmilla spoke about the uniqueness and importance of Convocation and the Twilight Ceremony.

“We should all celebrate the good things about UVM. If we don’t tell our story others won’t, so let’s do our best, I will. You should. We all will.”

High court rules against UVM Sawyer Loftus news@vtcynic.com

Vermont’s highest court has ruled the UVM Police Services arrest record should be available to the public despite the university refusing to hand it over.

The Vermont Supreme Court issued their ruling in favor of appellant Jacob Oblak, a recent graduate of Vermont Law School, Aug. 23 after Oblak argued in front of the court in May. Oblak is suing UVM for access to a document that explains what evidence UVM Police Services had for arresting then student Wesley Richter in 2017. Typically, a document of this kind qualifies as a public under Vermont law, but UVM argued because the case against Richter was dropped it’s a sealed court document.

The Vermont Supreme Court disagreed.

Oblak made a public records request through the University for access to the document as part of a project he was working on about the intersection of free speech and hate speech in March 2018.

Richter was cited for disorderly conduct after he made a racial threat in Howe Library while talking on the phone, but the case was dismissed by a Burlington judge for a lack of probable cause, according to court documents.

Oblak is fighting one year later for the document because he believes it’s crucial to set an example for the sake of democracy, he said.

SAWYER LOFTUS/The Vermont Cynic

Jacob Oblak (left) shakes hands with UVM’s General Counsel Sharon Reich Paulson (right) just before their case is heard in front of the Vermont Supreme Court.

“I filed this lawsuit because I believe that democracy requires transparency of government and patterns of government secrecy are antithetical to a free people,” Oblak said.

The incident was widely reported on by media across the state. But the press and the general public still don’t know what exactly Richter said in the library or why the judge felt prosecutors didn’t have enough evidence to move forward, and they ought to, Oblak said.

“I don’t see how the public could possibly oversee its government agents if the public is prevented from understanding why its police choose to arrest [someone] and why its prosecutors decided not to prosecute,”

he said.

The court ruled that because the document was created by UVM Police Services in the course of its business as a public agency it’s best characterized as an arrest record, which is available to the public unless otherwise sealed, according to court documents.

The University will continue to fight the decision, UVM Spokesman Enrique Corredera said in a statement to the Cynic.

“The decision does not bring the case to a close. The court sent the case back to the Superior Court. The University will ask the lower court to give consideration to other Public Records Act exemptions.”

In UVM’s initial response

to Oblak’s request public records keeper Vice President Gary Derr cited the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, Vermont law and claimed the incident was still under investigation, according to court documents.

But FERPA doesn’t ever apply to campus public safety agency records public records law expert Frank LoMonte said.

“If a college is claiming FERPA requires them to re-move student names from police reports, they’re just dead wrong,” LoMonte said. “I mean that is not a gray area. That is a black and white area.”

A new court date has not yet been set for Oblak’s case.

Fewer Vermonters enroll in class of 2023

UVM 2023

Emma Pinezich epinezic@uvm.edu

The largest university in Vermont is enrolling fewer and fewer Vermonters each year, following a decreasing trend beginning in 1997.

Of the 2,640 students that make up the University of Vermont’s class of 2023, 554 are Vermonters. In-state enrollment peaked in 1997 at 34.5%.

Since then, the number of enrolled Vermonters has decreased by 13%, going as low as 20% in 2015.

UVM’s class of 2023 is the most academically talented class in school history. This is the fifth year in a row that the first-year class broke the previous record, becoming UVM’s highest achieving class.

This year’s first-year class had the highest number of students accept their offer of admittance to UVM. Nationally, trends show that fewer and fewer students are choosing to attend a school that they have been accepted to, according to an April 3 CNN article. This is not the case at UVM. For the first time, UVM

by the numbers

28.9 1275 Average Average SAT SCORE

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

First-year students walk down Main Street as part of the annual Convocation and Twilight Induction Ceremonies. Since 1997, the number of enrolled in-state students at UVM has decreased by 13%, going as low as 20% in 2015.

President Suresh Garimella welcomed UVM’s first-year class at the annual convocation ceremony held at Patrick Gym. Garimella begins his first academic year as president of UVM this fall, after former President Tom Sullivan stepped down this summer.

In addition to Garimella’s appointment, Patricia Prelock begins her tenure as the new Interim Provost and Senior

Vice President this fall, replacing David Rosowsky, who held the position for six years before stepping down in the spring.

Two new majors, one minor and three certificate programs were also introduced this fall.

These include a Bachelor of Science in anthropology and a minor in reporting and documentary storytelling.

ACT SCORE

61.6 % female 38.3 % male representing

44 14 states countries

12%

identify as people of color source: uvm

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New leadership sparks change Staff Editorial

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ressed in a black and yellow robe, standing at a podium in Patrick Gym, UVM President Suresh Garimella gave his first address as president in front of a crowd of first-year students.

“I still remember the apprehension and excitement I felt when I was at my first week of college,” Garimella said. “In some ways as the new president coming in, leaving everything that I was very comfortable and familiar with for 20 years in Indiana, I’m right there with you.”

This school year marks the beginning of new leadership at UVM. The arrival of Garimella and Interim Vice Provost Patricia Prelock means there is a possibility that substantial changes will come to the University in future years.

This administration is diverse. Race and gender are now more represented than at any time in recent memory.

Dr. Prelock is the new interim provost of UVM. She is the second woman to hold the position in a decade and the first with a nursing background.

Previously, Prelock was the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences for 10 years.

Garimella has moved to Vermont from Indiana, where he was executive vice president for research and a professor of mechanical engineering at

Photo Stephan Toljan photo@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Henry Mitchell (Opinion), Kate Vanni and Meilena Sanchez (Layout) Copy Editors Dalton Doyle, Anna Colfer

ADVISING

Purdue University.

His background in engineering, along with Prelock’s in nursing, makes the UVM executive office entirely science-based.

This transition of leadership causes both excitement and slight apprehension.

While we welcome Garimella and Prelock and wish them the best of luck in their new positions, we also know how important it is for students to have a say in how the University functions.

We encourage UVM students to make their voices heard. Get involved on campus.

Advocate for your beliefs and

Izzy Abraham isabraha@uvm.edu

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amp, a classic summer tradition, tends to polarize Americans.

With the purest, sunniest fun that comes with summer camp, so too come divisions of race and income.

The monetary cost of summer camp gives some kids the upper hand and puts others at a disadvantage. And those

kids are mostly nonwhite.

The American Camping Association states that 77% of campers enrolled in 2015 were non-Hispanic white children.

This means the kids who will gain the emotional and social benefits that a couple of weeks at camp have to offer are most likely white.

The average day camp is $314 per week, and the average sleepaway camp $768 per week, according to the American Camping Association.

While these numbers are averages, there are millions

Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu

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. lease send letters to opinion@ vtcynic.com.

the changes you’d like to see.

Promoting the changes you believe should occur can come in many forms. Whether you get together in a group and protest for change, run for an SGA senate seat or have conversations about your values with your roommates, you can, and will, make a difference.

Attend board of trustees and SGA meetings. Listen, vote and spark discussion.

Join the Cynic, where you can report on campus news in real time and share stories of campus culture.

Write a Letter to the Editor, and let us know your opinion

on current campus events.

No matter your interests or skill level, there is a place for you at the Cynic.

Stop by our office on the first floor of the Davis Center any time, and a member of our staff will be happy to help you get involved.

Join us for our first general meeting of the semester at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4 in the Fishbowl on the second floor of the Davis Center.

It’s the start of a brand new school year. Before we know it, the leaves will start changing, so let’s bring the colors of change to campus too.

The subtle social network of summer camp

Illustrations Noah Zhou illustrations@vtcynic.com Layout Kyra Chevalier layout@vtcynic.com

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of American parents who do not have an extra $314 to send their child to camp for just one week, let alone $768.

The difference that one week at camp, or several, can make in the life of a child is remarkable.

And the biggest difference is not the result of making friendship bracelets or going hiking.

Rather, summer camp is a setting where children build social networks.

In order to understand the true polarization resulting from summer camps, one can imagine the way everyday summer activities can form lifelong friendships.

Often at sleepaway camp, an individual camper participates in activities in a group with their cabinmates.

In a cabin of roughly 10 girls, an individual could become very close with one or two friends.

Those two close friends come with the benefit of a possible connection with their parents.

A child who went to summer camp could get a job

for their camp friend’s parents down the road if they’re lucky.

And the connections and networks only multiply with time.

Imagine if one camper became friends with all 10 of her cabinmates, or if her friends all had two-parent households, or if her cabin had been 15 campers instead of 10.

Because those kids are mostly white, the social networks created by camp will be mostly white too if we don’t do something.

Some solutions could include decreasing the overall costs of summer camps through vouchers, scholarships or a lottery system.

Other remedies might be creating camps located in lower-income neighborhoods, staffed by neighborhood mentors.

Every kid deserves the chance to attend summer camp. The benefits should not be limited to a select few.

Izzy Abraham is a junior sociology major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2018.

OPINION

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Three study tips by way of Capitol Hill Abby Robbins arobbin5@uvm.edu

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s summer ends, I have been reflecting on my experience working as a legislative intern in Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office on Capitol Hill.

I had opportunities to attend briefings, write memoranda for senior staff, answer constituent calls and watch politics in action.

Throughout this experience, I identified three lessons that may help my undergraduate peers.

1. No one really has their life together all the time Capitol Hill is filled with highly organized, detailoriented and well put together people who walk with confidence.

Whether it be senior staff walking hurriedly behind their member to the chamber, or the intern attending a briefing, it looks like everyone knows exactly what’s going on all the time.

It is not uncommon to have feelings of inadequacy or displacement as an undergrad, especially as a first-year, transfer or exchange student.

However, it is critical to understand that most of us have been unsure of ourselves at one time or another.

Even the people who seem to always get perfect grades,

HOLLY COUGHLAN do lots of extracurriculars and still manage to look great in their 8:30 a.m. class have felt overwhelmed. You are not alone.

It is important to recognize that no one has their entire life together all the time and you should not compare your life to your perception of someone else’s.

2. Your major doesn’t really matter, as long as you have transferable skills This is mainly for College of Arts and Sciences students. As I networked with staff members across a multitude of Senate

offices, I realized that not everyone was a political science major as I had assumed.

Now don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of political science majors, but staffers also held degrees in statistics, philosophy, food systems and communications.

Each time I met with someone who chose a different major, I asked them if they thought it helped or hindered their job prospects. Most said the major doesn’t really matter.

You need to be organized, have strong writing and interpersonal skills and be able to speak effectively.

It’s all about how you market yourself to prospective employers.

Hopefully you will learn these skills by the time you graduate from UVM, so try not to get paralyzed when choosing your major.

3. Take time to eat and get outside while you can Every day on Capitol Hill is different. It can be hard to squeeze in time to eat lunch and go outside.

However, I had more energy to focus after walking around outside and eating. To be fair, it was more motivating to get up and walk with the ability to see

historical landmarks like the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress instead of Howe Library and CCRH. The ability to take care of yourself not only gives you a mental break, it can help you appreciate our lovely campus before it becomes a snowy tundra for months on end.

Hopefully these tips can help you have a productive and successful year whether or not you’re a political science major.

Abby Robbins is a junior political science major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2019.

In 2020, we can’t lose sight of the fight for the Senate Chris Harrell crharrell@uvm.edu

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his summer’s political headlines have been filled with drama from the run up to the Democratic primary.

Sen. Bernie Sanders did this, former Vice President Joe Biden said that, Sen. Elizabeth Warren released a plan for that. But one giant piece of the 2020 puzzle isn’t getting enough attention: the fight for the Senate.

34 of the 100 seats in the Senate are up for grabs, the majority of which are held by Republican incumbents.

NOAH ZHOU

This presents a chance for Democrats to pick up seats, and they need at least four gains to have a majority in both chambers.

As young people with the largest stake in the future of the country, we must elect a Congress that will answer to our needs.

We can start by getting educated about what’s up for grabs and who’s running for Senate.

Two kinds of seats are up for grabs: seats in states that President Donald Trump lost in 2016, and seats in states that he won.

Let’s start

with states that Trump lost: Maine and Colorado.

Republican Susan Collins of Maine has been a target for Democrats since her vote to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018.

Multiple candidates are challenging her, including former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, Sara Gideon.

The most progressive candidate is Betsy Sweet, an activist and former director of the Maine Women’s Lobby.

You can find information about her on the Justice Democrats website.

In Colorado, Republican Sen. Cory Gardner is running in a state that has moved to the

left in the past six years.

John Hickenlooper, failed presidential candidate and former governor of Colorado, earned the endorsement of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Andrew Romanoff, a more grassroots candidate, has been generating enthusiasm around the state.

The former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, Romanoff is standing out with his progressive agenda centered on the Green New Deal and Medicare for all.

He’s also earned the praise of key Colorado Democrats, including Sanders speechwriter David Sirota and his wife, Colorado State Representative Emily Sirota.

In Senate seats Trump won in 2016, candidates are trying to unseat incumbents.

In North Carolina, State Sen. Erica D. Smith polled seven points ahead of incumbent Republican Thom Tillis in a June 2019 Emerson College poll.

In Arizona, former astronaut and Democratic candidate Mark Kelly is polling

ahead of Republican Sen. Martha McSally, according to an OH Predictive Insights poll.

In Montana, Wilmont Collins, the first African American elected mayor in the state, has made national headlines with his grassroots campaign.

There are too many inspirational candidates in too many important races to profile all of them. But all these candidates can be found on the websites SwingLeft.org, or HowWeFlipTheSenate.com.

Check out which candidates you like and donate money or sign up as a volunteer. You can also simply raise awareness of their candidacy by posting about them on social media or talking to folks around you.

If you live in a state with a seat up for grabs in 2020, make sure you’re registered to vote in both the general election and the primary.

Without the Senate in 2020, any Democratic agenda will be impossible to pass.

Chris Harrell is a junior political science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2019.

CULTURE

UVM activist releases book of poems Sarah Robinson srobin14@uvm.edu

The poet sat in a vegan bakery, Kneads, in the North End. The blank walls contrasted the color of her newly published book sitting on the table.

Junior Harmony Edosomwan published a book of poetry in May through Amazon’s self-publishing service.

The book, titled “Sad Black Girl,” is an interactive poetry book filled with Edosomwan’s words, places to express the reader’s own feelings and art made by friends and strangers.

“At first I wanted it to be called ‘Sad Black Girls,’ and I wanted it to be a poetry book composed of poetry that wasn’t just mine,” said Edosomwan, who is Nigerian American. “It was really important to me that they were black women or femmes.”

For Edosomwan, “Sad Black Girl” isn’t meant to be self-deprecating. It’s an identity that black women aren’t allowed to assume in our modern culture, she said.

The back jacket of the book reads, “Roses are red / Violets are blue / Black Mental Health ain’t a stigma / But a damn issue.”

Mental health is a running theme in the book. Edosomwan said she has struggled with depression and other mental health conditions.

Edosomwan said she wanted to create a space where black women, who are constantly told that they cannot express themselves openly, are safe and cared for by a “fellow Sad Black Girl.”

“I wanted folks to feel like

SARAH ROBINSON/The Vermont Cynic

Junior Harmony Edosomwan poses with her new book, Aug. 22. The book, titled “Sad Black Girl,” is an interactive poetry book filled with Edosomwan’s words, places to write or draw the reader’s own feelings and art made by friends and strangers. they had a place they could go to, but in book form,” Edosomwan said.

Edosomwan began writing in the third grade. She said a librarian introduced her to poetry and that the librarian’s encouragement led her to be a writer today.

Edosomwan was one of the organizers of the Waterman protests that took place on campus in order to address injustice

within the University.

She worked with the student activist group, No Names for Justice.

What people don’t realize about her advocacy work is the toll it takes on a person emotionally, she said.

“It took me a long time to recover from that entire thing, and I didn’t realize how much it damaged me until that summer came up,” she said.

Since the publishing of her book, Edosomwan has been offered opportunities to read around the Burlington area.

“I have a few opportunities coming up where I get to speak with middle schoolers, and that’s my target audience. Middle school is… hard,” Edosomwan said.

Edosomwan’s twin, Ivory, was a huge inspiration and support system during the process

of writing the book.

“When the book came out, it hadn’t even dawned on me, and Ivory was like ‘Dude I don’t think you understand how big this is, that you’re an author at 21,’” Edosomwan said.

“Sad Black Girl” can be purchased on Amazon.

“My heart and soul is in that, and I’m happy folks are liking it,” Edosomwan said.

Summer internships yield valuable work experience Marjorie McWilliams mmcwilli@uvm.edu

While the school year is crammed with classes, course work and extracurriculars, for some the summer is just as action-packed.

Between internships, jobs and summer fun, many UVM students were busy learning and expanding their horizons this summer.

Sophomore Kelsey Deemer worked as a camp counselor this summer in Brookston, Indiana.

She spent nine weeks sleeping in a cabin with 13 to 14 year old girls and doing activities such as spa nights, ropes courses and boat races.

“I loved this age range.

They’re old enough to know when they need to shower, but they’re still young enough to be curious and creative without the social pressure of being too cool,” she said.

Deemer wants to work with kids after graduation and values her experience as a camp counselor.

“Being a camp counselor is

probably the most fun job I’ll ever have,” she said.

While Deemer found satisfaction working with kids, junior Stella Cunningham explored another field of work.

Cunningham, from Berlin, Maryland, tapped into the plant world at a produce stand and plant nursery.

“I’ve taken on the wildest jobs, like cutting back Boston ferns bigger than me, or hoeing and planting multiple rows of our garden,” Cunningham said.

She found that her work helped connect her with her surroundings.

“Working here has taught me to be one with my environment, which has definitely reduced my heebie jeebies while surrounded by so many insects,” she said.

Sophomore Walter Logan worked at an anti-discrimination nonprofit in New York City that taught students to faciliate workshops on issues they are passionate about.

“We started by talking to high schoolers about things like racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.,” Logan said.

Photo courtesy of KELSEY DEEMER

Sophomore Kelsey Deemer walks with her campers and a fellow counselor at a summer camp in Brookston, Indiana, in July. Deemer spent nine weeks sleeping in a cabin with 13 to 14 year old girls and doing activities such as spa nights, ropes courses, boat races and more this summer.

Logan said what the students had to say trended toward education issues.

“One student facilitated a workshop on segregation in NYC public schools. We also had someone talk about how the Reserve Officers Training Corps enhances the military industrial complex,” they said.

Whether your interests lie in science, art or somewhere inbetween, opportunities are abundant to participate in your field of choice.

Devoting time to a job or an internship can shape students by giving them fresh perspectives, knowledge and skills outside of the classroom.

Deemer found this to be true about finding the line between being an authority figure and a friend to the teenagers she counseled.

“I learned so much about how to lead people, how to make others feel included, how to be gentle and strong at the same time,” Deemer said.

CULTURE

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Burlington organizers prep for Pride Jean MacBride jmacbrid@uvm.edu

As leaves change and summer turns to fall, Church street transforms into a colorful display of love and acceptance.

Pride Week will occur the week of Aug 31 to Sep. 8.

The UVM Pride parade celebrates LGBT rights gained through resistance by marching through Church Street to Battery Park in Burlington.

The UVM Prism Center will be the meeting place for the UVM Pride Parade. The Prism Center provides outreach and education on LGBT matters to the community.

Becky Swem, a staff member at the center, emphasized the importance of celebrating Pride in Burlington.

“Even though a lot of people might move to Vermont because it’s very progressive, I think there is still a lot of work that needs to be done,” Swem said.

UVM Pride is a part of a larger celebration of the activism following the 1969 police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York City, a popular LGBT bar.

Similar celebrations happen all over the country. One of the biggest takes place in New York City, which holds the event on the date of the first Stonewall uprising, June 28.

Swem explained the need for continuing activism through Pride.

“I think Pride is a celebration of how far we’ve come,” Swem said.

Though the celebration is important, Swem said there is

ALEK FLEURY/The Vermont Cynic

Pride flags blow in the wind on Church Street during the Pride Parade in September 2018.The Pride Vermont festival runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 8, ending with a parade. Visit pridevt.org/parade to learn how to get involved. still work to be done.

“We need to think about what we still need to do to make sure everyone in our community is included.”

But Swem also felt it was important to celebrate Pride through visibility.

“Sometimes there’s also a focus on the negative things in our community, but it’s also important to come together and celebrate,” Swem said.

Swem reflected on the importance of the Prism Center at UVM. “Many students coming

to UVM haven’t had a strong queer and trans community,” she said. “So to see themselves represented is amazing, especially if they haven’t seen that community in the past.”

She pointed out specific issues she would like the LGBT community to work on.

“I think about how our trans members are and aren’t included in our community and how racism really impacts us, and what that looks like in a predominantly white state,” she said.

There are ways that straight

students support Pride and LGBT spaces in a respectful way, Swem said.

“I think you have to be very thoughtful with how you’re showing up,” she said. “You can show your support but know that it’s not centered around you.”

First-year Stephen Reynolds recognized that visibility is crucial.

“It’s important for people who identify that way to be able to express themselves and know that they’re accepted,” Reynolds said.

According to Swem, the Prism center started 20 years ago in the Allen House when the University added its first parttime staff member for LGBT issues. The position came from student activism.

“There are less than 300 LGBT centers like the Prism Center around the country,” Swem said.

The Pride Vermont festival runs from Aug. 31 to Sept.

8, ending with a parade. Visit pridevt.org/parade to learn how to get involved.

Stand-up star to perform at Labor Day comedy show Cyrus Oswald coswald@uvm.edu

This year’s Labor Day Comedy show features Mike Birbiglia, an American writer, producer, director, actor and, most importantly, stand-up comedian.

The show takes place at 7 p.m. Sept. 2 in the Grand Maple Ballroom.

The UVM Program Board plans a comedy show every year for labor day weekend.

Past guests include former “The Daily Show” correspondent Michelle Wolf, SNL star Pete Davidson and Emmy-nominated comedian Tig Notaro.

Birbiglia often combines elements of traditional stand-up comedy with theater in his live performances.

Alexis Solosky of The New York Times describes Birbiglia in an August 2018 piece.

“A cheerful stage presence and a mumbling, stealth articulate voice — with a tendency to swallow the ends of his sentences like so many frosted snack cakes — that breeds instant intimacy,” she stated.

Image source: Instagram

Comedian Mike Birbiglia talks on “The Tonight Show,” June 24. Birbiglia will be performing Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Grand Maple Ballroom.

Students seem excited for the show.

“I saw that dude live. He was pretty funny,” sophomore Ryan Burlage said.

Burlage wasn’t the only student familiar with Birbiglia’s stand up.

“From what I remember, he was pretty unproblematic and told good jokes. I think people will like him,” sophomore Micheal Haydon said.

Haydon said he has seen one or two of Birbiglia’s specials.

Mike Birbiglia achieved

critical acclaim in 2008 from “Sleepwalk with Me,” a oneman show named Time Out New York’s 2009 Show of the Year.

His film and book adaptations of “Sleepwalk with Me” received praise from the New

York Times, The Washington Post, Sundance Film Festival and the South by Southwest Film Festival.

Birbiglia debuted his second one-man show, “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” three years after “Sleepwalk with Me.” It ran for four months on Broadway and toured around the world.

His third one-man show, “The New One,” debuted in 2017 and ran for 99 shows on Broadway at the Cort Theatre.

The comedian has made several appearances on shows such as “Girls” and “Broad City”.

Birbiglia has appeared in 15 films, six television programs and has three stand-up specials.

He has been nominated for, and won, numerous entertainment awards and is a frequent contributor to radio shows “The Moth” and “This American Life.”

Tickets are on sale now. Students are $10 in advance and $15 day of.

For the public, tickets are $15 in advance and $20 day of.

Tickets can be purchased online at tickets.uvm.edu.

8

CULTURE

Burlington’s Hidden Gems

B

urlington is home to so many destinations that sometimes great places get lost in the mix.

As incoming first-years who don’t know Burlington very well, you will soon learn that you are going to find your niche places as time goes on.

However, as you start out in this awkward period of time, it can be difficult to get off campus and explore beyond the popular places everyone knows about.

Here are some lesser-known places to get you started.

Pure Pop Records If you’re looking for a great place to get the best music finds, you have to check out Pure Pop Records. Located on South Winooski Avenue, Pure Pop is in a basement next to My Little Cupcake.

Its large purple and yellow sign will show you the way down the stone steps which lead into an surprisingly big store full of music, movies and much more. Pure Pop is Burlington’s oldest record store, turning 40 next year.

Anna Kolosky

North End Studios North End Studios is the perfect place for fun ways to exercise.

Situated on North Winooski Avenue, North End Studios has a variety of classes for those looking for ways to stay active.

North End Studios offers a wide array of weekly dance classes including aerial dance, African dance, pole dance and swing dance.

North End Studios also hosts a number of concerts, workshops and events throughout the year if you want entertainment and a sense of community.

Anna Kolosky

Overlook Park Overlook Park, located 10 miles south of campus, offers the best afleury@uvm.edu view in all of Burlington of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. If the sky is blue and you stumble across the park just before sunset, the bright colors will take your breath away.

It is located along a pretty busy road, making it difficult to walk there. However, if you have access to a car or are willing to Uber, the drive is absolutely worth it.

Alek Fleury

Ahli Baba’s Kabob Shop Ahli Baba’s is a great spot for kebabs, gyros, falafel and late afleury@uvm.edu night shenanigans. Located a few doors east of Kountry Kart Deli, it’s a satisfying spot for quick eats.

Open from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. every day, Ahli Baba’s offers an ideal meal for those late nights when most places are closed.

Everything is reasonably priced, ranging from $8 to $9.

Their wide selection of wraps, stuffed with hummus and tahina, wrapped in a hot Greek pita, are likely to satisfy any hungry customer.

Alek Fleury

(TOP) Records for purchase sit on display in Pure Pop Records.

(MIDDLE) A chicken kebab pita from Ahli Baba’s Kebab shop on Main Street costs less than $9. (BOTTOM) Overlook park is located about a 15 minute car ride south from campus. The park offers scenic views of Lake Champlain with mountains in the distance.