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Remembering Ben Managing Editor Plants, spontaneity, cooking, photography and music. These were a few of Ben Mohla’s favorite things. Described by his friends as one of have known, Ben Mohla was a real presence in the UVM community. The loss of Ben’s life has resonated with students and faculty alike throughout the school.
A student in the Rubenstein School of Environmental and Natural Resources, Ben was passionate about the environment and learning all that he could. “If he learned something in class, and he really loved it, he would come home and tell us about it,” senior Jon Ritter, Ben’s roommate, said. “He would do that when he met a new person, which was every time that he walked out of the room.” A project Ben was working on was to plant a garden on a truck. He want-
ed to create a portable grocery story and sell produce to people around Burlington, according to junior Maddie Cody. A man of spontaneity, Ben was always ready to try something new. His friends remember the time last winter that he, and senior Dan Cmejla, camped outside in the snow. “There was two feet of snow on the ground, by they wanted to do it. I think they stayed out the whole night,” Cody
See BEN MOHLA on page 4
PHOTO COURTESY OF MADELINE CODY
AEPi incident reported News Editor
ERIN LUCEY The Vermont Cynic
Students lead a “sodexorcism” protest to ‘exorcise’ Sodexo’s ‘demons’ outside the Davis Center Nov. 21. Participants met on the walk-
Protesters gather to perform ‘sodexorcism’ Lauren Giery Senior Staff Writer In an effort to take action against a recent Sodexo policy change, representatives from the VT Fair Food Campaign, Students Stand Up and United Academics gathered in protest. The group organized a “sodexorcism” in an attempt to “exorcise Sodexo’s ‘demons’ of bad labor practices and corporate greed,” a Nov. 19 email from Kelly Mangan, Vermont Fair Food Campaign organizer said. “To take these folks that
have been working for your company for years, who have done so at near-poverty wages, to turn around and take away ment is dreadful,” she said. “What good does a wage increase do you if you’re sick and you have to go to work because you can’t take a day off?” Senior Jamie Jackson, a member of UVM Students Stand Up was instrumental in the “sodexorcism,” and expressed her concern for their employees. “There have been so many instances of Sodexo having bad
corporate practices,” she said. “And we want to show that we’re still here and we’re still supporting our community.” The participants met on the walkway between the Davis Center and Bailey-Howe where a ‘vigil’ was held, Nov. 21. The participants began a march inside the Davis Center, chanting “Students’ rights, workers’ rights; same troubles, The group then gathered in their “sodexorcism,” which consisted of speakers reading
from a script that called for the symbolic purging of what they called Sodexo’s “foul” employment practices. Junior Alex Weiss said he was impressed by the support from students they received. Weiss, who is currently in the process of starting an Agricultural, Food and Cooking Cooperative, said he was personally invested this initiative. “Sodexo is going to have a say [in the Coopeartive], and I really want to have allies in Sodexo employees even if the company itself is going to be
See SODEXO on page 4
The Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) Fraternity, Zeta Pi Chapter, was placed on an interim suspension by Pat Brown, director of student life, on Nov. 12. “An incident occurred on the evening of Nov. 7,” Jonathan Polson, acting president of AEPi, said. “Three members went to Fletcher Allen.” The members involved in the incident were “mapped,” Polson said. UVM’s Medical Amnesty Program (MAP) is used in cases of extreme intoxication or incapacitation due to alcohol and/ or other drugs, according to the UVM website. “We are taking this action formation about social activities on Nov. 6 & 7, 2013 that appear to have a direct impact on the safety of students and violate state alcohol laws and University policy,” Pat Brown said in an email acquired through a records request by the Cynic. Interim suspensions are circumstances in which an organization’s behavior could impact the health, safety or well-being of students, Brown said. Alpha Epsilon Pi will remain on interim suspension until notice of the outcome of any hearings. It has not yet been determined precisely what charges will be brought against the chapter on campus, he said.
See ALPHA EPSILON PI on page 4
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