Issue 12 - Volume 136 by Vermont Cynic

THEVERMONTCYNIC THE Issue 12 - Volume 136 | November 12, 2019 | vtcynic.com

SGA forbids clubs from using Venmo Zoe Stern zstern@uvm.edu

SGA has passed an amendment to their ﬁnancial policy that will now impose penalties for clubs using unauthorized apps, such as Venmo. Use of these unauthorized apps has been banned for years, said sophomore Lana Al-Namee, member of the Finance Committee. Now, any club member caught using Venmo for club purposes will have to go in front of the student conduct committee. Twenty-ﬁve percent of the total amount fundraised will be deducted, and the organizations’ account will be frozen, according to the amendment. Apps such as Venmo are used to send money to an individual’s bank account, and UVM cannot verify how much money was actually collected, making it a liability, Al-Namee said. “It puts the University in jeopardy as well,” Al-Namee said. “We could even lose our federal work studies because if the government were to do an audit of the University and saw this money that was being moved around, that’s a really big liability for both students and the University.” The amendment is being enacted after three clubs violated the rule in one week, said junior Taylor Gauthier, SGA treasurer. The amendment was researched by Blanka Caha, SGA’s business manager, and Gauthier. Al-Namee wrote and presented the amendment.

BAILEY SAMBER/The Vermont Cynic

SGA Speaker of the Senate Zach Merson, SGA Vice President Owen Doherty, SGA President Jillian Scannell and SGA Treasurer Taylor Gauthier sit at a table during a weekly SGA meeting, Nov. 5. They discussed the use of unauthorized payment apps such as Venmo. SGA sent out emails to clubs Nov. 6 stating the consequences of using Venmo. The amendment starts taking place immediately. Sophomore Olivia Mauro, president of Big Buddies, a mentoring club, is frustrated by the new repercussions, but also understands the risks created by using Venmo. “I did see those emails, and they’re very forboding and kind of scary,” Mauro said. “I under-

stand there needs to be consequences to using Venmo, so I get the University’s thoughts about that.” Big Buddies has created a larger budget this year and has started to fundraise, Mauro said. However, she felt they missed out on money during their recent bake sale since they weren’t allowed to use Venmo. “We had a bake sale Oct. 25 and one of the problems was that people came up to me and

were like, ‘I don’t have cash, can you take Venmo?’” Mauro said. “I have to say I can’t do that according to the rules. As much as I wanted to, I can’t.” The club hasn’t needed to use Venmo because they didn’t need to fundraise until recently, Mauro said. Students have been encouraged to use the SGA-approved purchasing portal, Al-Namee said. “There are sources within

the University that students are able to use to collect that amount of money and keep track of what is being collected at events,” Al-Namee said. Approved sources include the SGA-approved purchasing portal. For years, SGA has had a rule that if a club uses Venmo three times, there would be consequences, Al-Namee said. Almost every club has exceeded those three strikes.

Burlington police officer cleared in use of force case Sawyer Loftus news@vtcynic.com

A Burlington police ofﬁcer will not face charges after he punched a man in the head, resulting in the man’s death, ruled the Vermont Attorney General. Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan announced Nov. 8 that Burlington police ofﬁcer Cory Campbell would not be held responsible for the death of Burlington man Douglas Kilburn. During an altercation with Kilburn in front of UVM Medical Center Emergency room March. 11, Kilburn punched Campbell once in the face. Campbell responded with three punches that fractured Kilburn’s skull, Donovan said. Kilburn’s widow Sherry Kilburn, their son and other family members were in attendance

Nov. 8. Sherry Kilburn said she doesn’t agree with the outcome. “I just really hope [Campbell] rots in hell,” she said. “He broke my family.” Although Campbell has been cleared from a legal standpoint, Donovan said the officer’s actions that day were part of the reason he needed to defend himself. “It should be noted that officer Campbell’s actions in his second interaction with Mr. Kilburn, while justified under the law, did contribute to the situation in which the need for self defense arose,” Donovan said. Campbell was called to the UVMMC March 11 after there were reports of a man yelling in a waiting room, Donovan said.

Burlington Police continued on page 3

SAWYER LOFTUS/The Vermont Cynic

Sherry Kilburn is consoled by her son, Tyler, Nov. 8. Husband and father Douglas Kilburn was killed in March 2019 after an altercation with a Burlington police oﬃcer.

NEWS

UVM CHARTS NEW COURSE FOR NAVIGATE Changes to be made to address faculty concerns

Julianne Lesch jlesch@uvm.ed

UVM officials have made changes to a new advising software in response to student and faculty concerns over privacy and bias in advising. The UVM administration has responded to concerns outlined by over 80 faculty members in a Sept. 26 letter. The letter asked for UVM to review its newest software for academic advising, Navigate, and the administration has since made changes. The changes include: • The removal of a student’s age and date of birth from student information. • The removal of the “categories” section from the Professor Role. The “categories” section contains information such as holds on a students account and if the student recieved a Federal Pell Grant. • UVM Administration is also reviewing the labels, descriptors and drop-down menu items to make sure that they don’t accidentally give out confidential information. • The University is also looking into removing the “Categories” from the class roster in the advising role. • In the future, faculty will use dual verification when logging in to Navigate. Original concerns included the broad access of student information, as anyone with advising duties can access any undergraduate student’s records if they search them, regardless if the student is their advisee, according to the letter. Those with Navigate credentials have three different levels of access: staff access, faculty teaching access or advising access, said Patricia Prelock, interim provost and senior vice president. There are currently 303 people with staff access, 406 with faculty teaching access and 496 with adviser access, she said. Those with staff access are usually made up of individuals in jobs that help with student support, such as the Office of Student Services, professional advisors and Student Financial Services, Prelock said. These individuals can search student records, she said. The professor role, made up of individuals that teach but don’t adNOAH ZHOU

vise, have very limited access, Pre- unconscious bias. “Under the current configuralock said. Professors can only access students they teach, and can only tion, even faculty using the system see information such as a student’s for legitimate purposes may inadacademic records, home address, vertently see the information that phone number and if a student has can cause adverse effects for students, including unconscious bias,” had an academic alert. Professors cannot access the cat- the letter stated. In response to this concern, egories’ section, which holds information such as whether someone Prelock said that everyone has an is a first generation college student, unconscious bias that we must be mindful of. Prelock said. “Navigate Those who are doesn’t cause una faculty adviser conscious bias, that teach and advise comes from within, students. These inso I don’t see that as dividuals have acan excuse to say we cess to the records don’t want to use a of all their classsystem that might room students, create unconscious their advisees and bias,” Prelock said. have the ability to “The system does query access to all not create it. It lies students, she said. within us. We know David Massell, it’s real, so let’s be history professor - Patricia Prelock mindful of it when and student acaInterim Provost and Senior we talk with a studemic adviser, said Vice President dent.” he is not against

“Navigate doesn’t cause unconscious bias, that comes from within.”

the use of Navigate, though some things may need to be tweaked. “From my point of view it is a potentially useful tool for advising and my interest, like those of my colleagues, is the best possible education for the students,” Massell said. “If this is useful in this regard, all power to it, but find ways to tweak the implementation of Navigate so that we don’t unnecessarily breach students’ privacy.” Another concern in the Sept. 26 letter included how faculty’s access to student information can result in

Training for how to use the system will include how to handle unconscious bias, which is something that is also included in the University’s diversity and inclusion training, Prelock said. A Navigate Advisory Committee is also being created to further evaluate how the software is working and any further concerns. This committee will consist of students, faculty members and Student Services Professional, Prelock said. “This will be a high level advisory committee that will look at all the training materials, decide how

best to train students in how to use it [Navigate] and how best to train faculty advisors in how to use it and then if there are going to be any features when do we turn on or turn off a feature,” Prelock said. Senior Nick Bouffard, an SGA senator on the Academic Affairs Committee, is in the process of writing a resolution concerning student privacy in terms of Navigate. SGA is calling for more student choice concerning who has access to their data. Navigate would be defaulted to restricted access where students can then allow specific faculty to access their information. SGA will vote on this resolution during their Nov. 12 meeting. “The intention of the resolution is not to discount the use of the Advisory Committee but to show the student drive behind these ideas,” Bouffard said. Bouffard will also serve as one of the students on the Navigate Advisory Committee, Prelock said. The Committee is looking for a second student, a first or second-year student who has downloaded the Navigate app and has been advised using the software, Prelock said in a Nov. 6 statement to the Cynic. Julie Roberts, linguistic professor and president of United Academics, was one of the 80 faculty members to sign the Sept. 26 letter. Roberts said that the changes were a step in the right direction. “What I particularly liked is the fact that are now conversations about it instead of just having it handed down,” Roberts said. “I think that sets a much better tone.”

NEWS

Scammers target UVM students again Emma Pinezich epinezic@uvm.edu

UVM Police Services struggles to combat increasing phone and email scams that target students, despite admitting they don’t have the answers. The UVM community received an email from UVM Police Nov. 6 warning about ongoing phone and email scams that pretend to be UVM Police or Burlington Police asking for money or credentials. This is the second email of its kind this semester and the fourth in 2019. Acting Police Chief Tim Bilodeau said that the rising phone and email scams are difficult for the police to address, partially because scam phone calls usually come from outside the country. “It would be great if there was a way that we could reduce this, but I don’t have the answers to that,” he said. “I don’t see it happening right now.” UVM’s Information Security Office, a branch of the information technology department, works to combat email scams that attempt to get student credentials like NetID and password, a type of fraud known as phishing. Sam Hooker, an information security engineer in the IT department, said the only real way to combat phishing is when the recipients are paying attention and are aware of what may be a scam. “The challenge of course is that the people who are trying to phish us are very clever and often can out-clever machines,”

Burlington Police continued from page 1 Kilburn was at the medical center to see his wife, who was in critical condition, Donovan said. Campbell then took Kilburn to Sherry’s room, where he left Kilburn while he responded to another call. But soon after, as Campbell was exiting the emergency room as part of an unrelated call, he saw Kilburn parked in the ambulance bay, which is not allowed, Donovan said. Campbell asked a UVMMC security guard if they were going to press charges for trespassing against Kilburn from the medical center, but Kilburn said that wasn’t needed and began driving away, but stopped a few feet away. Campbell then shouted at Kilburn, Donovan said. “Shut the fuck up and leave,” Campbell said in body camera footage from the incident. “Go, they don’t want you here.” Kilburn then asked if Campbell swore at him as Campbell walked away. Kilburn then called Campbell back over. “Get the fuck back here before I come over there,” he said. As Campbell walked back

Photo Illustration by STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

A student views a Nov. 6 UVM Police Services email warning about scams. UVM students have been the target of email and phone scams since the school year began. “They’re leveraging a social attack, so they’re trying to play on people being busy or anxious,” Hooker said. “That’s why they attack at those times.” When asked if she sees UVM Police’s email notifications about scamming as helpful, Cartwright said that it’s the only thing that the police can do in response to these scams. “It’s because [UVM] can’t do anything about it,” she said. “It’s great that they’re telling us about the scams, but it’s literally the only thing they can do.” Cartwright said that when

people call the Consumer Assistance Program about scams the only thing she can do is log it. “There’s nothing that can really be done,” she said. “We can’t take them to court, we can’t call them back. All we can tell people is to block the number that called, but then it’s probably just going to come from a different number next time.” Cartwright said scamming is not right and dangerous. “It’s really messed up,” she said.

he said. “So the algorithms that are trying to spot phish are not perfect and things still get through.” Information Security filters UVM emails to stop scams from reaching students. In a seven-day period, UVM received over 3.4 million emails, more than half of which were blocked or flagged by IS. Junior Katie Cartwright works at the Vermont Consumer Assistance Program, an organization that mediates consumer reports and tracks scam trends.

Cartwright said the majority of the calls she gets are from people reporting scams and that the number of scam reports is always increasing because scammers are becoming more and more creative. “I think the scams play on the fact that students are always stressed,” Cartwright said. The number of scams have been consistent over the last several years, but scams will typically pick up around stressful times in the year for students, like exams or move-in time, Hooker said.

towards the car, Kilburn began stepping out of the car. Donovan said that as Campbell put his hands on Kilburn, Kilburn punched Campbell in the face. Then, Campbell punched Kilburn three times. Kilburn was treated at UVMMC and then released the next day. Burlington Police found his body March 14 after his wife, Sherry, hadn’t seen him, and she asked the police to look in on him. Kilburn’s son Tyler said the events of March 11 were a tragedy and that his father struggled with his mental health as a result of several strokes Kilburn suffered before the interaction with Campbell, his son said. Although Campbell’s actions were justified under the law, Donovan said he was troubled by the incident. “I think we have got to do more work,” he said. “I think any prosecutor, any police officer, any member of our community is going to be troubled by this. Somebody lost their life and I’m troubled by that.” Donovan said across the state more needs to be done to prevent situations like this. “This was a tragic situation, that frankly could have been avoided,” he said.

SGA approves no increase to student fee Zoe Stern zstern@uvm.edu

After increasing slightly every year in recent memory, SGA voted to increase the student activities fee 0% Nov. 5. The Peer Advising Center was funded by SGA but will no longer be funded, and the money left over from the cut will be used to offset the activities fee in the future, said senior Olivia Machanic, chair of the Finance Committee. “[The Peer Advising Center] didn’t use all the money that was given to them over the course of our payment process,” Machanic said. “So we just have this money that we don’t want to put it to waste. So I think it’s best to assist all students with that.” The student activity fee used to increase a small percentage each year, usually no more than 5%, Machanic said. “Our goal is to go roughly four to five years without increasing it because of the amount of money we have left over,” Machanic said. “But it might be slightly less depending on how many students there

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

SGA senators sit during a meeting, Nov. 5. A resolution to not increase the student activity fee passed at the meeting. are. We have an increase in enrollment of 1,000 students this year across campus.” Undergraduate students taking four to 11.5 credits are charged an SGA fee, according to Student Financial Services. “We’re just really passionate about this in this effort,” Machanic said. “And I feel like if we can start it here and this government office, then hopefully others across campus and other departments would be willing

to do the same.” For fiscal year 2019, the comprehensive SGA fee was set at $214, according to the May 2019 board of trustees board book. For fiscal year 2020, the comprehensive SGA fee was $222 dollars, according to the May 2019 board of trustees board book. The fee will remain at $222 if the board of trustees approves the move by SGA in May 2020.

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OPINION

Nothing is written in the stars

TH st

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ed 188 3

1 Issue 2 - Vol. 6

Mills Sparkman

VERM

Y NIC

EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Bridget Higdon editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Alek Fleury newsroom@vtcynic.com

OPERATIONS Operations Manager Tim Mealey operations@vtcynic.com Marketing Daniel Felde cynicmarketing@gmail.com Distribution Manager Dariel Echanis

EDITORS Copy Chief Liv Marshall copy@vtcynic.com Culture Sarah Robinson cynicculture@gmail.com Features Greta Rohrer cynicfeatures@gmail.com News / Sports Sawyer Loftus news@vtcynic.com sports@vtcynic.com Opinion Mills Sparkman opinion@vtcynic.com Podcasts David Cabrera vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com Social Media Sam Litra socialcyniceditor@gmail.com

msparkma@uvm.edu

he bad news: Mercury is in retrograde, according to this year’s Farmer’s Almanac. The good news: it doesn’t matter. In recent years, astrology has gained a new life in memes on social media. We use it to explain the ups and downs of our lives, but we’re playing a dangerous game. The app Co-Star gives users a full astrological chart reading and access to their friend’s charts, so people can see how similar their friends are to them — or not. It’s popular among college students and young adults for its clean aesthetic and “personal” notifications, sent twice a day. While it may seem fun, astrology has no scientific or rational base. First of all, astrology isn’t scientific. The Babylonians who invented astrology believed the sun rotated around the Earth, and astrologers still use Earth-centered charts today, according to a Nov. 7 Guardian article. But that’s the least of its problems. Astrology doesn’t have any basis besides our own intuition. Astrology utilizes the Barnum effect, a psychological trick in which people believe personality descriptions apply only to them, even though the descriptions are general and apply to almost anyone, according to Encyclopedia Brittanica. This intuition can lead to

Photo Stephan Toljan photo@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Henry Mitchell (Opinion), Kate Vanni and Meilena Sanchez (Layout), Dalton Doyle (Copy), Allie O’Connor (Culture), Emma Pinezich (News), Bailey Samber (Photo) Copy Editors Will Keeton, Zoey Webb Page Designers Stephanie Hodel

ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu

snap judgements and can sort people into arbitrary categories rather than considering them as individuals. People tend to turn to astrology in times of fear and uncertainty, according to an Aug. 12 Guardian article. When things go wrong, we look for explanations that suggest the crisis was out of our hands and that it can be resolved without taking direct action. For young adults, who often struggle with student loans and ﬁnding a job, astrology is very appealing, according to the

same Guardian article. We like astrology for two reasons: it makes things simple and takes things out of our hands. But people are not simple, and we are responsible for our own fates. Astrology has lots of problems, namely its tendency to sort people into boxes based on a set of ideas which have little to no basis in reality. Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich had the same idea. I’m not saying that getting your astrological chart read will make you into a fascist, but it’s certainly the same idea:

people are born with certain personality traits that separate them and cannot be changed. We can’t let our lives be ruled by the stars, even if we say it’s just for fun. Delete CoStar, forget your star sign and consider people as individuals rather than Libras or Scorpios. The bad news: nothing is written in the stars. The good news: we can make our own decisions. Mills Sparkman is a junior political science major. She has been the Opinion Editor since fall 2018.

VSCO girls are not embarrassed. Are you?

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

NOAH ZHOU

Sophie Oehler soehler@uvm.edu

ksksksksk and I oopIf you’re wondering, no I didn’t have a stroke. I’m just trying to ﬁt in with the VSCO girls. A VSCO girl is any teenage girl who wears oversized T-shirts, Crocs, seashell necklaces and drinks out of a reusable water bottle, namely a Hydro Flask, according to Urban Dictionary. It’s a trend that rose to popularity on the photo editing app VSCO and has been made fun of mercilessly since its debut. Twitter is full of starter pack memes, outlining everything that one might need in order to become part of the trend. On Halloween, Instagram was covered in VSCO girl costumes. VSCO girls have become particularly popular on the

social media app Tik Tok, an app where people post short videos of themselves, often dancing or doing comedy skits. Many of these sketches mock VSCO girls about their concern for the environment, their obsession with scrunchies and addiction to Glossier beauty products. In one of these videos, posted by user @ koobydoobydoobydoo, she mocks the girls’ fake personalities and enthusiasm for shell necklaces and friendship bracelets. It’s a dramatization that I have yet to see in real life. This parody of the trend supports making fun of teenage girls, because people take them as an easy

target. It’s easy to pass them off as fake, dumb and annoying, because that’s how people are depicting them in media. I guess what I don’t understand is why people love to hate VSCO girls. They support saving the environment, with their metal straws and beloved Hydro Flasks. While their priorities may be a little skewed, you can’t say that they aren’t dedicated to the cause of saving the turtles. They don’t dress for the attention of

IZZY PIPA

men, or anyone for that matter. Their oversized T-shirts and Crocs aren’t exactly “sexy” clothes, and their colorful barrettes and thread bracelets are similar to juvenile accessories. VSCO girls aren’t the problem, however annoying they might be. Society and its dislike of “mainstream girls” is the problem. We need to start teaching our young people that it’s okay to have the same interests, and remind young girls that their interests aren’t jokes. I may be a VSCO girl. I steal my roommate’s Crocs to take the trash out. My favorite shirt is two sizes too large. I own enough scrunchies to supply half of campus. Am I embarrassed to be associated with the trend? No, I see no reason to be. Sophie Oehler is a sophomore political science and French major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2019.

OPINION

Let us make Ward 8 progressive again Chris Harrell crharrell@uvm.edu

f you’re a progressiveminded individual, it can be hard at times to live peacefully in the Democratic Party. Yes, the party is home to beacons of change and justice like U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Pramila Jayapal. But it can be hard to face the massive influence of the corporate and centrist wing of the party, exemplified by former Vice President Joe Biden, which fights the progressive wing of their party almost as frequently as the Republicans do. The rise of the Vermont Progressive Party has been a welcome addition to the political landscape for those who want progressive change without having to compromise with corporate interests. The party has grown from its roots supporting the mayoral candidacy of Bernie Sanders in 1981, who remains affiliated with the party, to having the highest number of seats among state and national offices for any organized third party in the country, according to the Vermont General Assembly’s website. The Progressive Party has a strong voting base, currently

holding the most elected offices in the party’s history, according to 2019 data from Ballotpedia. These representatives include three Chittenden County senators, three Burlington state representatives and Lt. Governor David Zuckerman. Five of 12 seats on the Burlington city council are held by Progressives, after the election of Jack Hanson ‘16 and Perri Freeman this March. Hanson, a UVM graduate, represents East District, which encompasses all of UVM and most off-campus student housing. He won his upset campaign by relying on student volunteers and running on climate and social justice. Hanson upset incumbent Democrat Richard Deane, who criticized Hanson for his youth, inexperience and unrealistic progressive platform, according to a Feb. 27 VTDigger article. East District residents saw a representative who would fight for their interests: securing affordable housing in Burlington and fighting the climate crisis on a local level, and sent him to the City NOAH ZHOU Council with over 60% of the vote. But half of

Hanson’s district, Ward 8, containing Redstone and Athletic campuses and housing between Main Street and Pearl Street, is lacking in progressive

representation. City Council is broken up into eight wards and four districts, with each district being composed of two wards. Ward 8’s seat is currently held by an Independent who sides with the Democrats and is a frequent ally of business interests in Burlington. Housing prices continue to rise, with Burlington becoming the most unaffordable locality in Vermont, according to a June 23 VTDigger article. The average Vermonter can spend $700 a month on rent, but the average rental price for a one-bedroom apartment is $945, according to the same report. But our current representation is not taking the levels of action needed to confront the crisis, like passing rent control or expanding public housing. The policies listed by the Ward 8 incumbent to combat the housing crisis encourage responsible development of vacant homes and supporting job creation to boost the city’s

income level, according to a February 2018 Burlington Free Press article. Burlington should be a leader in environmental sustainability and economic justice. The current Democratic administration has shown, by allowing these problems to go unaddressed, that they aren’t willing to be that leadership. The current administration has catered to developers and business interests to the detriment of working people in Burlington. Ward 8 deserves a representative like Hanson who understands the reality of the people he serves. We deserve a representative who will fight for affordable housing and rent control and not take money from the big developers in the city. We deserve a representative who understands the scope of the climate crisis and fights for radical environmental change on a local level. Ward 8 deserves a Progressive champion to secure our economic and environmental future. Go to the Progressive Party Caucus Dec. 4 to get involved in the movement for local change, and volunteer for the next round of City Council elections March 3, 2020. Chris Harrell is a senior political science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2019.

GOT YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME?

SO DO WE.

The Cynic is looking for passionate reporters to cover UVM’s varsity sports, club and intramural leagues and action sports. Interview the players and coaches you’ve seen on the field and on the big screen. Go behind the scenes at practices and championships. Interested? Send an email to sports@vtcynic.com

CULTURE

Rapper sheds light on decolonization Sophia Venturo sventuro@uvm.edu

A woman with bright brown eyes, electric pink lipstick and a white hijab made her way through rows of chairs, smiling widely. Around 6 p.m. Nov. 4, the president of the Muslim Student Association, sophomore Lena Ginawi, handed Mona Haydar the microphone. A Syrian American artist from Flint, Michigan, Mona Haydar is a performance poet, rapper, activist and chaplain who appeared at Fleming Museum to present her lecture “Art, Activism and Islam.” Haydar discussed impactful moments that caused lifechanging perspective shifts. She talked about the perpetrators of a 2015 shooting in San Bernardino, California, who claimed to act on behalf of the Islamic State, resulting in a spike in hate-crimes against Muslims in the U.S. This made Haydar’s family fear becoming victims of violence, she said. Haydar explained how she sets that experience to music with her ultimate goal of “decolonizing minds and hearts,” she said. Junior Ama Sika attended the talk and said she was struck by Haydar’s authenticity and personal stake in her projects. “She takes pride in acknowledging her agency as a Muslim woman in a conservative society,” Sika said. Ilyse Morgenstein-Fuerst, assistant professor of religion and director of UVM’s Middle East Studies Program, said she uses Haydar’s videos to teach

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

Mona Haydar speaks in front of an assembled crowd, Nov. 4. Haydar was invited to speak by the Muslim Student Association. her students about Islamic art and how artists express the impact of racism through their work. “Decolonizing is kind of the process of getting these dead white dudes out of our heads,” Morgenstein-Fuerst said. Especially for those who have darker skin, the so-called white washing of history tells them that they are not beautiful, Morgenstein-Fuerst said. “It does psychological violence,” she said.

Haydar’s work aims to provide a medium to affirm indigenous ways of being beautiful, she said. In 2017, Haydar gained popularity for her single “Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab),” a rap about Muslim women who choose to wear the traditional headscarf. Ginawi said Haydar’s music videos shed light on underrepresented people. “She sheds light on those communities by showing beauty,” Ginawi said.

A December 2017 Billboard article called “Hijabi” one of the best protest songs of that year, and it also made the publication’s November 2017 list of the Top 25 Feminist Anthems of all time. “When I watched her music video, it allowed me to realize that I can unapologetically wear my hijab anywhere and everywhere I go,” Ginawi said. Haydar said that she wants her work to showcase cultural inclusivity that shows diverse

notions of beauty but also strives to embody an authenticity that creates representation for her community. Haydar screened the video for “Hijabi” during the lecture and rapped along into the mic, “Love women every shade / power run deep / So even if you hate it / I still wrap my hijab.” Haydar closed the talk by repeating the refrain in her song “Barbarian:” “This hair, this body, this mind, decolonize.”

CDAE Film Festival attendance lower than expected Cyrus Oswald coswald@uvm.edu

The CDAE department is, in chair Jane Kolodinsky’s words, “the biggest department no one has ever heard of.” Their Whistleblower Film Festival looked to change this. From Nov. 4-7, the Community Development and Applied Economics department put on the Whistleblower Film Festival, in part to raise awareness for their department, but attendance was lower than expected. Every night a new film was shown. Each film was about a person or organization going against big industry. “In my opinion, it was as important to get the word out about the importance of whistleblowers in society and to list the films than to have the audience watch them in a big group,” Kolondinsky said. The first movie shown was “Erin Brockovich,” starring Julia Roberts and based on an activist of the same name. Next, “Concussion,”

about the dangers of playing professional football, was shown. The CDAE department showed “Wasted!” Nov. 6, a film documenting why so much food is wasted. The next showing was “The Devil We Know,” a film about chemicals that are contaminating blood across the world. “I saw both ‘Concussion,’ which was fabulous, and ‘Wasted!’, the food waste documentary, which was OK,” Kolodinsky said. “The Devil We Know” was shown in the Benedict Auditorium in Marsh Life Sciences building. At the start of the movie, there were six students in the audience, but it shrunk to three by the end. The documentary shows how a community in West Virginia took action against the Dupont company, citing concerns that Dupont’s manufacturing harms people’s health. Kolondinsky asked students why they had a hard time making it out to the festival.

Image source: NETFLIX

The film “The Devil We Know” was screened Nov. 7 as a part of the CDAE film festival. Six students attended the screening, and only three stayed for the entire duration of film. “They have so many things to choose from,” Kolondinsky said. “And, they can just stream the movies in the comfort of their own room.” Not all students knew about the film festival. Sophomore Jenna Zimmerman wasn’t aware of the film festival at all.

“People don’t read their emails,” Zimmerman said. “They need to make sure they’re brightly colored, really easy to get your eye on.” The idea of the film festival seemed interesting to junior Claire Smith. “Yes, I would potentially

be interested if I knew it was happening,” Smith said. The goal was to show the importance of being an active member in society, yet some students said they were too busy to involve themselves.

CULTURE

The

CHUBBY

MUFFIN

Skinny Pancake’s Old North End sister

BAILEY SAMBER/The Vermont Cynic

An egg sandwich rests in a piece of parchment paper at the Chubby Muﬃn, Nov. 5. The sandwich can be easily customized and costs $3.50. Jean MacBride jmacbrid@uvm.edu

he Chubby Muffin was packed with people ordering sandwiches. Two Labrador retrievers sat outside waiting for their owner, who was chowing down on a sandwich. The books on the wall and the buzz of people chatting made the Chubby Muffin a cozy place to have breakfast. Located on Oak Street, the sandwich shop is well known to Old North End residents and other locals for serving breakfast sandwiches and selling locally baked pastries. The Chubby Muffin is a sister company to the Skinny Pancake, according to its website. Breakfast sandwiches are served on homemade English muffins, although gluten-free bread is also available. The Quickee is topped with Cabot cheddar and a local egg. The sandwich costs $3.50 and has variations including the Meat Quickee and the Veggie Monster, a vegetarian option. Many of the ingredients are local, and the restaurant sources many of its ingredients from the same farms as Skinny Pancake. I decided to have the Meat Quickee with ham on glutenfree bread and no cheese. The egg was sunny side up and cooked completely dry. The ham was rich and salty and was definitely the highlight of the meal. Aside from the food, what made the Chubby Muffin really special was the atmosphere of the restaurant. The paintings by local artists around the dining area and the colorful chalk menu gave the restaurant a cozy

BAILEY SAMBER/The Vermont Cynic

The menu at the Chubby Muﬃn hangs on the wall of the restaurant. The Chubby Muﬃn is comparable to the Skinny Pancake.

BAILEY SAMBER/The Vermont Cynic

A case of baked goods and Yerba Mate sits on a counter in the restaurant. In addition to sandwiches, the Chubby Muffin also sells muffins and scones. feel. There were also plenty of options for coffee and a pastry case with muffins and scones that included gluten-free options. The service at the restaurant was friendly and fast. It was easy to order food, and even though there was a line it didn’t take long to get to the front. After ordering I sat down at a table in the sitting area and a few minutes later, the sandwich

was brought out, piping hot. It’s true that the Chubby Muffin is out of the way from the usual hot spots of Burlington: Church Street and the waterfront. I could see how some people who don’t know the area might not have heard of the Chubby Muffin. It is a 20 minute walk from the UVM and Champlain College campuses. But for sandwiches under $5, it’s definitely worth

BAILEY SAMBER/The Vermont Cynic

Two cooks work the stove in the kitchen of the Chubby Muffin. Sandwich stuffers such as eggs are prepared to order on the stove. checking out. The Chubby Muffin is open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.

Jean MacBride is a junior English major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2018.

CULTURE

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

“The Babysitter” by Norman Rockwell basks underneath a spotlight in Fleming Museum’s gallery of European and American art, Nov. 10. The painting was last appraised at $900,000.

Famous works of art hidden in Fleming Keely Lyons klyons12@uvm.edu

Proudly facing Colchester Avenue with its rows of arched windows, columns and brick facade, Fleming Museum welcomes visitors to view an eclectic and prolific collection of art and artifacts. First opened in 1931, Fleming is home to more than 24,000 objects that span widely across cultures and time periods. Fleming’s curator, Andrea Rosen, said Fleming’s collection includes the work of wellknown Western artists such as Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt and Norman Rockwell as well as a wide variety of anthropological artifacts and costumes. A 1947 oil painting by Norman Rockwell titled “The Babysitter” hangs on the second floor of Fleming in the museum’s Eurpoean and American art galleries. Rockwell himself gave the painting to Burlington’s Taft School as a memorial for a classmate who passed away. When the class attempted to buy an illustration from Rockwell, the famed artist returned the money and gave the painting as a gift. In 1995, the Burlington school district faced financial trouble and thought about selling the piece. Members of the class rasied money to keep the piece on longterm loan to Fleming, according to the painting’s plaque. While the Norman Rockwell is displayed , most work by more famous artists is in Fleming’s storage. “I think the challenge is

communicating what’s in it to the public,” Rosen said. “We can’t communicate to our audiences as well as we’d like the very diverse offerings that we have.” Pieces by more famous artists are often not up on Fleming’s walls. The pieces done by famous artists in Fleming’s collection are often prints, like the Picasso and Rembrandt, or photographs. “Works on paper are light sensitive, so if you put them out for a long time, they’re going to fade,” Rosen said. However, last semester, a museum studies class taught by Kelley Helmstutler Di Dio, professor of art history, cocurated a show with Fleming that drew on works from the museum’s collection, including works by Fransico Goya, Kara Walker, Pablo Picasso and the Guerrilla Girls. The exhibit is titled “Resist! Persist! Insist!” and is focused on the intersection of art and activism. According to Fleming’s website, the exhibition explores themes of racial violence, state oppression, gender in the art world and more. “As citizens of this messy world, we have a duty to address our past, ugly as it might be,” the student curators wrote. Maud Mayer ‘19 is one of the students who worked on the exhibit and said that she was surprised to learn about the Fleming’s varied collection. “It was shocking to learn that there are so many well-known and universally renowned artists within Fleming’s collection,” Mayer said. “Most

of my classmates, including myself, had no idea that the Fleming held such a vast array of works from pivotal artists.” While most works by famous artists are usually left in storage in order to protect them, “Resist! Insist! Persist!” provided an opportunity for some of these works to be seen by the public. Picasso’s “Life of Franco I” had not hung on Fleming’s walls for many years before being included in this exhibit. The print is a satire of the Spanish Revolution. “By exposing classic and contemporary works which were originally under wraps to the public, we were able to initiate a larger conversation about where art and art history stand in the conversation of protest,” Mayer said.

(TOP) Roy Lichtenstein’s “Sandwich and Soda” hangs in the gallery of European and American art in Fleming Museum, Nov. 10. The screen print was purchased by the University in 1965. (STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic) (BOTTOM) Pablo Picasso’s “Life of Franco I” adorns the wall of the exhibit “Resist! Insist! Persist!” in Fleming Museum, Nov. 8. The print was one of Picasso’s first overtly political works of art. (LUKAS DRAUGELIS/The Vermont Cynic)

SPORTS

SPORTS PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Sophomore Nick Drennon skates on Gutterson Rink, Nov. 9. Drennon was skating as part of UVM Figure Skating Club’s fall show. The event is an annual showcase hosted by the club and features skaters from the Synchronized Skating team, Ice Cats and freestyle skaters. The team also sells baked goods and accepts donations at the door as a way of fundraising for the team. Photo by Lukas Draugelis/ The Vermont Cynic Lukas Draugelis is a first-year studying community entrepreneurship. He has been taking photos for the Cynic since fall 2019.

Men’s soccer seeded second in semis Hayley Rosen hrosen@uvm.edu

Both tension and visible breath were in the air during the America East men’s soccer championship game between UVM and University of New Hampshire Nov. 6. Going into the game, UNH was ranked No. 18 nationally, whereas UVM was ranked significantly lower at No. 60. In America East, UNH was the No. 1 seed entering the match and UVM was the No. 2 seed. The 37 degree air and the slick, wet grass in Durham, New Hampshire, at the time of the match caused challenging playing conditions for the teams. Throughout the game, several players slipped, resulting in unintentional fouls. But most fouls had nothing to do with the weather. Throughout the game, a total of 33 fouls were committed. Twenty-two of these fouls were committed by UVM, and the other 11 were committed by UNH. The scoring was set off by UNH’s Jack Doherty, who scored almost instantly in regulation. This UNH goal came in the fourth minute of regulation off of a free kick play with assists credited to UNH’s Josh Bauer and Antoni Colacci. UVM did not manage to equalize until the 75th minute of regulation. Forward Rasmus Tobinski, a first-year, scored off a penalty kick which he placed in the opposite corner despite the UNH goalie’s dive toward it. The commentators, while

Image source: FACEBOOK

Men’s soccer midfielder Frosti Brynjólfsson, a first-year, chases a ball past the University of New Hampshire goaltender, Nov. 6. The game ended in a tie, with UVM clinching the No. 2 America East Conference seed. biased because they are UNH students, debated whether or not the penalty kick should have been given. It was granted on a play where UNH goalie, Alejandro Robles, dove out to try to attempt to grab the ball, and instead grabbed a UVM player’s foot, causing the player to fall inside of the penalty box. Overall, UNH seemed to be

the stronger team offensively. They had more shots on goal, and this caused UVM goalie Aron Runarsson, a senior, to rack up many more saves than the UNH goalie did. UVM totaled seven saves and UNH only had two. While UVM was granted more corner kicks than UNH, UVM failed to capitalize on any of their five corner kicks.

At one point, the referees had to get involved and separate players after tensions broke in the second half of play. Players cursed one another out and got in each other’s faces. While the game was very competitive, neither team was able to claim the victory. The game ended in a 1-1 tie after neither team was able to win in overtime. As a result of

the tie, UNH clenched the No. 1 seed and UVM secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. However, the teams both walked away as the cochampions of America East regular season. UVM men’s soccer will play again 4 p.m. Nov. 13 at home versus No. 3 seed University of Hartford.

SPORTS

MADDY DEGELSMITH/The Vermont Cynic

Men’s soccer forward Rasmus Tobinski, a first-year, heads the ball over the head of an Iona College player, Sept. 6. Tobinski hails from Kiel, Germany.

Can men’s soccer bring home the ’ship? Aryanna Ramsaran aramsara@uvm.edu

he UVM men’s soccer team finished up as co-champions of America East’s regular season with the University of New Hampshire after a 1-1 tie between the teams Nov. 6. This gives both teams a first-round bye to the semifinals of the America East conference with UVM seeded second, right after UNH. Even without this bye, it seems very likely that UVM will win the entire conference this season. They have an upcoming game against third seed University of Hartford for their semifinal game. UVM played Hartford Oct. 19 and won the game 3-0. Going into the conference games, UVM has a goal differential of 18, meaning they’ve scored 35 goals and given up 17. Hartford has only scored 21 goals and given up 20, giving them a differential of one. Along with both of these advantages is the home field advantage fueled by UVM’s strong desire to get past the semifinals after being knocked out of the conference for the past two years. UVM already got revenge on University of Maryland Baltimore County this season. UMBC knocked UVM out in the quarterfinals last season after winning 5-4 in penalty kicks. When the UMBC Retrievers came to play the Catamounts Nov. 2, UVM won 4-0, according to UVM athletics.

If they make it past the semifinals this year, UVM will play University of Massachusetts Lowell or UNH in the championship game. There are heavy tensions between all of these teams. In the past four years, UMass Lowell has beat UVM twice and vice versa, according to UVM athletics. UVM also has to share their league title with UNH, and despite their tie game, took the second seed below UNH. Before the tie against UNH, UVM had a four-game winning streak. The team had also won their senior day game against UMBC. They had seemed to find their groove as a team together, both offensively and defensively. In the second half of their season, they didn’t give up more than one goal in each game and scored more in each of their games than their first half of the season, according to UVM athletics. More than half of the team is made up of juniors and seniors, which means they have experience on the team. While the team has struggled to make it to the championships in the past couple of years, this season seems to be one of their strongest yet. This regular season win marks their second in the last three years and their fourth in school history. It seems likely that with the motivation, their personal history with the schools involved and drive to win a championship, UVM will win the America East championship.

It seems very likely that UVM will win the entire conference this season.

Aryanna Ramsaran is a a senior English major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017.

Hayley Rosen hrosen@uvm.edu

hile a UVM victory seems probable in their upcoming Nov. 13 game against No. 3 seeded University of Hartford, it appears unlikely that they will advance farther than that. UVM is likely to win in their first contest against Hartford Nov. 13, as the team previously won against Hartford 3-0 Oct. 19 of this year. Additionally, UVM is ranked one seed higher than Hartford for 2019 postseason play. UVM has a goal differential of 18, having scored 35 goals this season and only having given up 17, whereas Hartford has a goal differential of one, having scored only 21 goals and giving up 20. Assuming Vermont will clench a victory in their first semifinal contest against Hartford Nov. 13, they will go on to play the winner of the University of New Hampshire versus University of Massachusetts Lowell contest. Whether Vermont goes on to play UNH or UMass Lowell, a Vermont victory will not come easily. UVM battled UNH, the America East No. 1 seeded team, in the America East championship Nov. 6. While the game ended after two overtime periods in a 1-1 tie, UVM seemed lucky to walk away with a tie rather than a loss. UNH dominated possession in that game and they scored off of a double-assisted goal. UVM, however, repeatedly struggled to string together

a series of passes, and only managed to score off of a penalty kick by forward Rasmus Tobinski, a first-year. UNH demonstrated greater offense and out-shot UVM with 18 shots on goal whereas UVM only had 12. According to the NCAA men’s soccer rankings, of all DI teams, UNH is No. 16, and UVM is far down the list at a less than astounding No. 60. UVM did beat UMass Lowell Oct. 26, but they only won by a score of 2-1. However, UMass did beat University at Albany unexpectedly, demonstrating new vigor that wasn’t seen against UVM. UVM has historically struggled to succeed in postseason play. In 2018, UVM lost to University of Maryland Baltimore County in the quarterfinals in a game which ended in penalty kicks. In 2017, UVM lost in the quarterfinals 1-0 to Albany. In 2016, UVM also lost 2-0 to Albany in the semifinals. Therefore, UVM does not have an impressive reputation for succeeding in postseason play. Although their team is made up of more than half juniors and seniors, UVM’s starting lineup this season is typically composed of several firstyear players. They are not accustomed to the level of intensity that comes with a postseason championship game. Therefore, it seems plausible for someone inexperienced in that level of competition to crack under pressure.

UVM does not have an impressive reputation for succeeding in postseason play.

Hayley Rosen is a first-year psychological science major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2019.

Illustration by STEPHANIE HODEL

FEATURE

A look into the past: Old Mill

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

Cars drive on College Street as Lake Champlain reﬂects the last rays of the sun, all seen from the belfry of Old Mill, Oct. 24. The journey up to the top of the building starts with a locked door, and after many steps, ends with walking up through the ﬂoor of the belfry.

Stephan Toljan photo@vtcynic.com

STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

(LEFT) Two plaques titled, “University of Vermont Student Ambassadors” hang on the wall of the bellfry. Although the plaques have a total of 86 names spanning from 1997-2010, no information about the signiﬁcance of the plaques could be found. (RIGHT) A linen postcard of unknown age shows the intricate details of Old Mill. The postcard is part of a collection owned and maintained by Erica Spiegel, assistant to the director and administrative planner in the Physical Plant Department.

When asked if she knew what Old Mill looked like before 1880, sophomore Sinéad Murray said, “I don’t.” Murray, by nature of her political science major, spends a lot of time in Old Mill, the home of the political science department. Every UVM student is familiar with the image of Old Mill. The center section of the building is one of the most utilized symbols of the University, artfully displayed on brochures, the University website and the University seal. Old Mill is one of the oldest buildings on campus, originally built in 1829, but the building that students walk by daily was not the first to stand there. The original UVM central college building stood where Old Mill stands today, according to a June 1887 Burlington Free Press article. The article states that the building was completely destroyed by fire May 24, 1824. The building was the first

to grace UVM’s campus and was the ﬁrst to be built for the purpose of the University. The Old Mill that can be seen today did not exist in its current form until the 1880s. Between 1824 to the 1880s, the building underwent drastic changes, according to an 1883 Cynic article. The name “Old Mill” was coined by students, dating back as far as 1846, according to the Free Press article. After the consolidation of the three original buildings into one, students noticed that it looked like a mill, and thus began to call it “the Mill.” As time passed, both building and title grew older to such a point where “Old” was fondly added to the name, a title that has now stuck with the building for over 100 years. It began as three separate buildings: North College, South College and Central College. Those were then connected into one building with a dome on top, and ﬁnally, to the Old Mill seen today, the dome exchanged for the now iconic tower.

Twenty-nine years after the original fire, the new building again was subject to fire damage, which is still evident in charred beams that help to support the structure. However, fire is now less of a problem than moisture, said Sal Chiarelli, director of the Physical Plant. “When you have a brick structure that is over 130 years old, [the problem is] constantly trying to keep moisture out,” he said. “Moisture is the biggest problem with all of the buildings. Even with the constant battle with moisture, Chiarelli said that the building presents very few problems. Today, in addition to political science, the building is home to the departments of geography, global and regional studies and others. The architects who built the oldest buildings on campus, including Old Mill, put their heart and soul into them, Chiarelli said. “The buildings here are wonderful buildings,” he said. “They’re iconic.”