Issue 13 - Volume 136 by Vermont Cynic

THEVERMONTCYNIC THE Issue 13 - Volume 136 | November 19, 2019 | vtcynic.com

“An experiment didn’t go as planned” A Nov. 15 chemical fire inside of Discovery and Innovation Halls closed the buildings and canceled classes for the day. Story on page 2

SAWYER LOFTUS/The Vermont Cynic

Members of the Burlington Fire Department convene in front of Discovery Hall, Nov. 15. The ﬁreﬁghters were called in response to an incident within Discovery.

President asks board of trustees to freeze all tuition Sawyer Loftus news@vtcynic.com

UVM President Suresh Garimella said he plans to push the board of trustees to approve a tuition freeze for the 2020-21 school year. This would be the ﬁrst move of its kind in 40 years of UVM history, Garimella said at a Nov. 14 press conference. The freeze would leave UVM’s tuition sticker price as it is right now. Costs would remain at $41,280 for out-ofstate students and $16,392 for in-state students. “Our most sacred obligation is to ensure the success of our students, and that starts with access and affordability,” Garimella said. The University has kept tuition increases at modest levels in recent years, Garimella said. From 1998 to 2018, the instate tuition price has risen 135.27% while the price of outof-state tuition has increased 447.32%. Garimella said that constant tuition increases are not a sustainable ﬁnancial model for UVM. Garimella and others inside the administration will continue to work on the plan that will

be presented to the trustees in May. Each May, the board of trustees approves the following year’s tuition cost. In order to achieve this freeze, UVM will have to seek out sources of revenue to continue its growth. Part of that will be looking to private and commercial industry for resources, Garimella said. However, Garimella said students shouldn’t worry about the inﬂuence these kinds of groups would bring. “The only interest I have are campus interests,” he said. “The only interests I have are that of student success. Everything we do will be ﬁltered through the lens of what is good for our students. And you can take that to the bank.” Garimella said that his plan will not include any foreseeable layoffs. Additionally, Garimella doesn’t anticipate any cuts to classes or increasing class sizes as a result of the freeze, he said. But ultimately, the decision to alter class sizes and offerings will be left to the deans of each college, Garimella said. “I’m not going to mess with the quality of education,” he

SAWYER LOFTUS/The Vermont Cynic

President Suresh Garimella addresses assembled media at a press conference, Nov. 14. There will be no tuition increase for the 2020-21 school year pending board of trustee approval. said. “I’m not going to dictate anything to our deans. But if there’s any compromise to quality [of education], I’ll have lost.” SGA President Jillian Scannell, a senior, said she is pleased to see a proposal to freeze tuition, though it won’t go into ef-

fect until after she graduates. “I’m over the moon,” she said. “I think this is huge for students. This is going to help students past me, so it’s okay. I’ll get by.” Vermont has the most expensive in-state and out-of-

state tuition costs in the country, according to the College Board. The plan will need to be approved by the board of trustees in May 2020.

NEWS

Fire in lab burns student, closes halls Staff Report news@vtcynic.com

A chemical fire in one of UVM’s newest STEM buildings left a student injured and a portion of Central campus at a standstill, Nov. 15. A “flash fire” erupted inside a chemical fume hood in a Discovery Hall lab just before 10 a.m. A team of graduate student researchers were working with chemical compound samples in preparation for a hazardous material disposal practice, UVM spokesperson Enrique Corderra said. While one graduate student was moving a vial full of an unknown chemical compound, the vial somehow broke, instantly igniting into flames as the substance touched the air, Corderra said. “We don’t know the exact type of compound the vial contained,” he said. “But it was most likely a phosphorus compound that when exposed to air chemically reacts and produces a flash of fire.” The fire alarm was pulled at 9:57 a.m., and the first responding Burlington firefighters found one person who was minorly injured. The individual was transported to the hospital, said Aaron Collette, deputy chief of operations of Burlington Fire Department. Roads and sidewalks around Discovery and Innovation Halls were closed down as the Vermont State Hazardous Materi-

SAWYER LOFTUS/The Vermont Cynic

Three Burlington firefighters observe Discovery Hall, Nov. 15. The building, along with Innovation Hall, was closed because of a fire that started that morning. als HAZMAT Response Team arrived on the scene. The hazmat team was called in to make sure there was no further risk the fire would reignite and to make sure there were no chemical dangers, Collette said. Students gathered around the taped off sidewalks watching as firefighters, fully equipped

with oxygen masks and axes, entered the building to ensure the fire was fully put out. A passing firefighter told a group of students that it would be a while before the halls reopened that day. “An experiment didn’t go quite as planned,” the firefighter said to the students. The alarms inside of Dis-

covery and Innovation Halls could be heard blaring for four hours as crews slowly worked to make sure the building was clear and safe, Corederra said. “Everything you see is out of a huge abundance of caution, just to follow every procedure to ensure safety,” Corederra said. Innovation and Discovery Halls are part of a $104 million

science, technology, engineering and mathematics complex, which is the largest construction project in the University’s history, according to an Oct. 2017 UVM press release. Classes in Innovation and Discovery were cancelled all day Nov. 15. No further information has been provided to the UVM community since Nov. 15.

Stranger attempts to sleep in student’s bed in Millis Maryann Makosiej mmakosie@uvm.edu

An unidentified man attempted to sleep in a bed already occupied with a resident at Millis Hall Nov. 3, according to UVM Police Services. The man was believed to have been intoxicated, disoriented and possibly a resident of the building, said Acting UVM Police Chief Tim Bilodeau. UVM police have not identified the suspect but do not believe he is a threat to the community, according to Bilodeau. Millis resident Emily Gareri, a first-year, said the incident is especially alarming considering the identity of the man is unknown. “We don’t know if it was a random member of the community or a student,” she said. “Even now, no one knows.” Regardless of the man’s intentions, his actions were still a crime, Bilodeau said. “It’s clearly trespassing, accidental or not,” Bilodeau said. Gareri, who was in the building when the incident occurred, said that resident reactions to the trespassing incident were mixed. “I was confused because I didn’t know what was happening,” she said. “A bunch of us

were freaked out by it.” Millis RA Caile Rice, a junior, said that she originally heard about the incident from other RAs, not from Residential Life or her supervisor. “I would have liked more information from my supervisor, like a list of things to tell my residents or ways that students can keep themselves safe on campus,” she said. Within the same day of the trespassing incident, an email was sent by the Department of Residence Life to Millis residents. “If there are items in your room that are damaged or missing or there are unwelcomed individuals in your space, please call police services immediately for the safety of yourself and others,” the Nov. 3 email stated. The email reminds students that UVM Police can’t help them if they don’t report this kind of behavior. Still, Gareri believes that because the identity of the trespasser remains unknown, a stronger response was warranted to ensure the safety of everyone in the building. Rafael Rodriguez, executive director of Residential Life, declined to comment. “We believe this is a onetime incident,” Bilodeau said.

Photo Illustration by BAILEY SAMBER

No reports of trespass had been recorded in Millis Hall in the 2019 UVM Police crime log until Nov. 3. The phone number for reporting suspicious activity to UVM Police is (802) 656-3473. “We see [trespassing incidents] happen every year without any doubt. We would put out an alert if there was a criteria that this person would be a harm to people.” According to the 2019 UVM Crime and Fire Log, other suspicious and/or trespassing

events this semester have occurred at Mason Hall, Williams Hall, Harris Hall, Simpson Hall, Davis Hall, University Heights South, the Alumni House, Wing Hall, the UVM Farm, Marsh and Austin Halls, Redstone Apartments and Jeffords Hall. Bilodeau said that above all,

students should report anyone in your room that you don’t know to hall staff or the police. “Be aware of your safety and secure the door at night,” he said. The case remains open.

NEWS

Despite the fact that over 10,000 students are eligible to submit proposals to the Clean Energy Fund, only four did last semester. Due to the lack of participation, SGA is hoping to restructure the language of the fund so that more students submit proposals. SGA President Jillian Scannell, a senior, is working with members on the SGA Committee on the Environment to change the CEF to make the fund more available to students. Every UVM undergraduate pays $20 into the fund per year. The CEF was created by students in 2008 to promote clean energy on campus through student ideas. The changes that Scannell and members of SGA hope to make would require approval by members of the administration who control the fund. The fund has accumulated over $2.5 million since its creation. Roughly $1.6 million is not being used. “I think a lot of students don’t even know that they pay into this fund,” Scannell said. “The fund began from students saying that they were going to tax themselves. It was a student idea, and it’s student money, so it’s important that students are involved.” The changes that Scannell and CoE hope to make to the CEF include: • Renaming it the Sustainable Campus Fund. • Rewriting the charter to encompass non-clean energy sustainability projects, like projects for UVM to increase composting or use bio soils.

WHAT ’S

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Emma Pinezich epinezic@uvm.edu

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$1.6M of green fund unused

THIS WEEK IN SGA

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Staff Report news@vtcynic.com

SGA APPROVES NAVIGATE RESOLUTION

BAILEY SAMBER/The Vermont Cynic

The solar panel in front of Aiken Center converts sunlight into energy, Nov. 14. The panel works with other panels located on Spear Street to add clean electricity back into the power grid. • Increasing the Fund’s visibility among students through advertising. Vice President of Finance Richard Cate, who controls the fund, said he supports Scannell’s request to update the CEF so students can submit sustainable ideas that don’t relate to clean energy. “We’re heading towards expanding the language so that other kinds of proposals will be eligible,” Cate said in an Oct. 24 interview. “Some of the students are interested in getting funded for sustainability projects that aren’t related to energy, so it seemed like a reasonable request.” SGA is also hoping to work more closely with the administrators of the fund to market it to students through social media and other platforms, Scan-

nell said. Scannell met with University Controller Claire Burlingham and Sustainable Funds Coordinator Elizabeth Palchak Oct. 31 to discuss the changes they hope to make to the fund. Scannell said that Burlingham and Palchak were concerned about enhancing the broadness of projects that could get funded. Palchak was unable to comment, and Burlingham did not respond to a request for comment. “It took a minute to get them on board because they wanted to keep the essence of the fund,” Scannell said. “But I had to remind them that we’re the students now, and we’re the ones paying, so that’s why this change needs to happen.” Junior Sophie Smith, chair

of the Committee on the Environment, said the CEF criteria needs to change because students don’t know about the fund. This is partially because energy projects are invisible, she said. “The only things that are visible are solar panels,” Smith said. “If the criteria were expanded, students could visibly see it affecting their lives instead of just helping the University save money.” Cate has also agreed to add two more undergraduate students to the Socially Responsible Investments Advisory Council: the board that decides which proposals get funded. SRIAC currently has two undergraduate students. There are eight other members.

SGA has passed a resolution that expresses concern for student privacy regarding the new advising system, Navigate. The resolution included a request for a settings page in which every student can decide which advising and staff members have access to their profile. Under the current settings, there are 303 people with staff access, 406 with teaching access and 496 with adviser access. The nearly 500 hundred people with advising access can see information about any UVM student. The senator behind the resolution, Nick Bouffard, a senior, said students should have a right to choose who can access their information. “It is student choice in how much access the advisers have when it comes to our academic profiles,” Bouffard said. Bouffard said SGA remains incredibly uncomfortable with the current state of student records. The resolution was passed with the hope that the University will make a change, considering that UVM was the first university to bring these concerns to Navigate. “Currently the Navigate company has said that this is a unique problem and that UVM is the first one to raise these concerns,” Bouffard said. “I find that surprising, honestly, that other universities have not had this issue with all of this.”

PEER ADVISING RESOLUTION PASSED

Rosowsky up for university president job Emma Pinezich epinezic@uvm.edu

UVM’s former provost visited the University of North Dakota last week to interview for the position of president along with six other finalists. Former Provost David Rosowsky met with faculty and students Nov. 14-15 at UND as part of the university’s presidential search. Rosowsky stepped down as provost in the spring of 2019 but remains a professor at UVM in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. Rosowsky announced his resignation in a Feb. 25 email to the UVM community, which he said was to allow the then president-designate Suresh Garimella to build his own leadership team. Rosowsky was slated to resign from his position by the end of last semester. Rosowsky was replaced at

UVM by Patricia Prelock, who was then the dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Prelock has been the interim provost and senior vice president since April 15, 2019. During his time as provost, Rosowsky implemented a controversial incentive-based budget model that was met with large criticism from United Academics, the faculty union, because of the model’s cuts to the College of Arts and Sciences. In April of 2018, the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences passed a resolution of “no confidence” in Rosowsky over his controversial budget model, according to an April 2018, VTDigger article. Rosowsky was asked about the backlash he received to the incentive-based budget model during an interview at UND. The University of North Dakota uses a similar model. “It impacted me because I viewed my commitment to that

MEREDITH RATHBURN-SELLERS/The Vermont Cynic

David Rosowsky, then provost and senior vice president (Right) speaks with board of trustees member Robert Brennan following a board of trustees meeting, Oct. 26, 2018. Rosowsky resigned from his position last year amidst campus strife. campus to be one of authentic, transparent, effective communication and obviously there was a small group that I didn’t reach,” Rosowsky said, according to a Nov. 14 Inforum article. UND plans to pick the new president by July 2020, according to their website.

This past April, Rosowsky was named one of four finalists for the position of provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Rosowsky did not respond to a request for comment.

SGA passed a resolution to show support of the Peer Advising Center, after it was determined the center’s contract would not be renewed. The Peer Advising Center was established in October 2015 and was to be funded by SGA until the end of the fiscal year of 2020. The resolution was headed by junior Olivia Lopez, senator on the Committee on the Environment and a peer adviser. The resolution was created to show the influence of the Peer Advising Center, but to also encourage colleges to implement their own peer advising. Lopez said those who used the center benefitted from it. “According to the 2017-2018 advising survey report, 98% of students who had visited the advising center rating their advising received as very satisfied,” Lopez said. The resolution recognized the effectiveness of the Advising Center, and stated that the loss will be detrimental to students’ academic success.

OPINION

Asbestos should not be a secret

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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

Staff Editorial In a Nov. 8 email sent to all residents of McAuley Hall on Trinity campus, UVM sought to “address any concerns and clarify any misinformation,” about the asbestos material in the building. This message was sadly long overdue. The email explained that the project discussed in our article “is intended to extend the life of McAuley Hall by replacing some external elements of the building.” It goes on to say that once these replacements are being done, the asbestos existing in the building will be disturbed and require remediation. “Any asbestos currently existing in these areas poses no health risks as long as it is not disturbed and remains contained,” the email stated. Before this email was sent, our reporters scoured through documents provided by the board of trustees in late October. Buried in the project progress report, they found the plan to remove the abestos in 2020. This came as no surprise to any of us. And that’s the problem. Rumors of this asbestos have existed for a long time. But that’s all they were. Just unsubstantiated rumours. In the email, UVM explains that asbestos is a heat and ﬁre resistant material, used for things such as insulation and

Illustrations Noah Zhou illustrations@vtcynic.com Layout Kate Vanni Kyra Chevalier layout@vtcynic.com 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, Zoe Sheppard Page Designers George Weed, Stephanie Hodel

ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu

strengthening plastics and cement. Prolonged exposure to asbestos can cause chronic lung diseases like asbestosis and mesothelioma. The University’s silence on this issue is simply irresponsible. When situations like this fail to be addressed by experts with solutions and clariﬁcations, it leaves room for fear and confusion. Now the University’s response to this editorial will probably be that they did not share this news sooner because they did not want to create unnecessary discomfort or concern as the asbestos is not harmful to any students as of now. We recognize that the

asbestos poses no immediate threat to residents of McAuley Hall. We also recognize that the plan to remove the asbestos has been in the works for a long time with a lot of preliminary work needed to be done before any concrete steps can be taken. If the University had been transparent about the material’s existence, its harmlessness and their plan to remove it, we wouldn’t be here talking about this. In order to prevent such events in the future and reduce concern, the University should be transparent with students about the presence of asbestos in its older buildings. Honesty about the

condition of McAuley may make for a public relations concern at first, but it also makes for a more informed student body. It’s not just that they didn’t tell us it was there. They didn’t tell us that it couldn’t hurt us. Staff editorials officially reflect the views of the editorial board, which includes the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor and Opinion Editor. Signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so. The Cynic accepts letters in response to anything you see printed as well as any issues of interest in the community. Please limit letters to 350 words. The Cynic reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. Please send letters to opinion@ vtcynic.com.

In wake of tragedy,Twitter brings empathy

Podcasts David Cabrera vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com Social Media Sam Litra socialcyniceditor@gmail.com

IZZY PIPA

Chris Harrell crharrell@uvm.edu

sually, Twitter has the best memes and funny videos in real time. But on Nov. 10, my Twitter feed became overwhelmed by a tragic world event: the coup against President of Bolivia Evo Morales. Regardless of how you feel about Morales and his programs, the situation in Bolivia is a coup nonetheless. Webster’s New World Dictionary deﬁnes a coup as “the sudden, forcible overthrow of a ruler, government, etc., sometimes with violence, by a small group of people already having some political or military authority.” And that is exactly what has occurred in Bolivia. The military “suggested” to Morales that he resign, and military and police began occupying the Bolivian capital, according to a Nov. 11 Associated Press article. The streets were ﬁlled by right-wing protestors, many with hateful and bigoted dis-

NOAH ZHOU

plays against the indigenous people of Bolivia. Morales was the first indigenous person to lead a South American country, according to a Nov. 10 BBC article. He gave indigenous Bolivians self-governance and elevated the flag of the indigenous Wiphala peoples of Bolivia to equal status with the Bolivian national flag. Soldiers in the capital burned the Wiphala flag. during protests. They also

ripped the flag off their uniforms. Both were captured on video by Grayzone journalist Ben Norton and quickly showed up on my Twitter feed. My horror was only amplified by the sight of the new Bolivian president swearing herself in as president in an empty Senate chamber. According to the Bolivian constitution, if the president were to be incapacitated, the vacancy is to be filled by the Senate leader.

Instead, right-wing senator Jeanine Añez Chavez was installed and supported by the military and police. Her government announced a decree Nov. 15 that exempted the military of any responsibility from abuses in the transition, according to data from Bolivian journalist Pablo Stefanoni. In actuality, nine protestors died, and at least 22 wounded the very same day, according to a Nov. 15 New York Times article. My heart is with the indigenous people of Bolivia. Seeing their lived reality makes me feel a deeper empathy for their struggle. I hope that greater exposure to the experience of indigenous Bolivians, and those stricken by tragedy all over the world, inspires others to empathize the same way it did for me. If it does, perhaps a more humane and interconnected global existence is possible.

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

OPINION

Point/Counterpoint

Should we honor the Paris agreement? Agreement helps accountability Emily Johnston ejohnst2@uvm.edu

he U.S. officially began its withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, Nov. 4. The Paris climate agreement is a landmark accord signed in 2015 by 193 nations in the U.N. General Assembly, with its goal being to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. should stay in the agreement. The U.S.’s leaving is not official until next November, and many fear that a second term for President Donald Trump would mean further pushback on environmental legislation and agreements. This cannot happen. The time for climate action is now, as the world is only getting warmer and effects of climate change are changing ecosystems. The hottest month on record for the planet was July 2019, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association’s website. On Nov. 5, a day after the U.S. left the Paris climate agreement, 11,000 scientists released a document warning of the climate crisis. It is clear that we are in a climate emergency, and we must do all we can to mitigate and adapt to these human-caused changes. Part of this process is international agreements. While not binding, these agreements help educate and set targets for world leaders. Chris argues that because the U.S. is not lowering emissions anyway, there is no purpose to being in an international doctrine. I disagree with this claim. The Paris climate agreement was put in place in 2016 by former President Barack Obama. Trump made it clear since the earliest days of his presidency that he does not believe that climate change is a problem, and that he would make no efforts to mitigate it. Emissions are not being lowered, but it is not the fault of the agreement. Emission levels remain high because of Trump’s beliefs that climate change is a hoax. Considering the U.S.’s outsize influence on world standards of climate emissions, the fact that the U.S. is not being involved in the Paris climate agreement will take away pressure on China and India to curb their emissions. These countries are the world’s first and third largest emitters of greenhouse gases, according to a Nov. 4 New York Times article. Since China and India are still considered developing countries within the conditions of the agreement, the agreement does not require them to lower their emissions. Despite this condition, they agreed to lower emissions anyway because the U.S. agreed to take action, according to the same article.

Without the U.S. involved, countries that view their standards as an example for reducing carbon emissions will be out. This will make lowering emissions even harder than it would be with the U.S. in the agreement. When we consider that the U.S. is the biggest carbon polluter in history, according to a June 2017 New York Times article, it is unfair for the U.S. to leave the agreement rather than being held accountable for their emissions. The Paris climate agreement decided not to blame any one country for the crisis, giving countries the freedom to choose their own emission targets. I agree that the U.S. should act boldly in how emissions are lowered. However, I do not think that we should discourage

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international agreements. We must do everything possible in order to prevent worse effects from climate change. Hurricanes are getting worse, with Hurricane Harvey in 2017 causing nearly $125 billion in damages, according to a September 2018 Business Insider article This country, and all countries, will continue to see the effects of climate change if emissions are not lowered. Every single method is needed to reduce emissions — including the Paris climate agreement, despite the shortcomings that exist within it. An agreement between 193 countries is better than none, particularly when the alternative is accepting suffering.

Emily Johnston is a a sophomore enviromental science major and an Eco-Rep. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2018.

Domestic action has more value Chris Harrell crharrell@uvm.edu

am a dedicated environmentalist. I donate my time and labor to environmental movements, groups and political candidates. But when President Donald Trump announced his intention to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, I did not care in the slightest. And when Trump ofﬁcially started that process last week, I still didn’t care. Because international agreements, on their own, are meaningless. Think of international agreements like the Paris climate agreement like your family’s chore chart at home:

except you, the top 10% of global consumers, are the messiest, dirtiest children to have ever existed. Of course, the other members of your household make messes from time to time, too. Your younger sibling keeps messing with the air conditioning and turning the heat up, and your grandparents are constantly leaving windows and doors open. But it’s you, the messiest, mostconsuming child of all time, that is responsible for the biggest percentage of the mess for one person. According to climate scientist Kevin Anderson, the top 10% of global consumers, centered mainly in the United States, Europe and former British Colonies, produce 50% of global emissions. Your family has a meeting. They’re all sick of it. They hate living like this. Even though it’s mainly your fault, they all agree to clean things up from here forward. By the end of the week, you are supposed to completely clean your

room and take out the trash. There’s no monetary reward for cleaning it or punishment for not cleaning it. You sign up for the chore chart because you don’t want your family to be mad at you anymore. But the end of the week rolls around. Your room isn’t any cleaner. In fact, it’s dirtier than ever before. You’ve started hiding more trash under your bed. Everyone sees that you haven’t cleaned, so they ﬁgure that they don’t have to either. They can see that the fact that a chore chart existed matters less than the action of cleaning up in the ﬁrst place. Even before the U.S. pulled out of the Paris climate agreement, we were not meeting our goals. Since the agreement was implemented, global emissions were up 1.7% in 2017 alone, according to a March 2018 New York Magazine article. According to Climate Action Tracker, an organization dedicated to monitoring countries’ compliance with the Paris climate agreement, only one country is meeting its goals: Morocco. Every other nation is failing. No country will act unless the U.S. leads the way. There’s no reason for them to clean up the mess when the biggest culprits are still at large. The U.S. produces the second most emissions in the world after China, and the second most per capita after Saudi Arabia, according to 2019 data from World Population Review. Following the U.S. on per capita emissions are Australia and Canada. The problem of curbing global emissions isn’t distributed evenly by country. The U.S. consumes 20 million barrels of oil a day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s website. That is 8 million more than second place China, and 20% of the world’s oil use. The United Nation’s own climate research shows that for the planet to survive, we need to reduce our usage of fossil fuels by around 90%. But the Paris climate agreement doesn’t even mention fossil fuels in it, according to a Dec. 2018 New York Times article. In fact, even if every country were to meet the Paris climate agreement, we would still reach 2 degrees celsius global warming, the milestone the signers of the Paris climate agreement said would be far too risky to reach as a planet, according to the same article. The evidence is clear that being in the Paris climate agreement is not the answer to the global climate crisis. Transitioning our economy off of fossil fuels and to renewable energy is. And that will only happen through domestic action, with the U.S. government leading the way and giving a model of sustainable energy other nations can follow.

Chris Harrell is a senior political science major and a leader of Organize UVM. He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2019.

OPINION

Girls know good music when they hear it Sophie Oehler soehler@uvm.edu

am a huge fan of the Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer. I love them so much that if they all kicked me in the face, I’d say thank you. In 2015, when Rolling Stone magazine announced it was featuring the band in its cover article, I was thrilled. Well, I was until I actually read the piece. The article featured one quote from the band’s drummer, Ashton Irwin, that still keeps me up at night sometimes. “Seventy-five percent of our lives is proving we’re a real band...We don’t want to just, like, be for girls,” he stated in the article. I still love 5SOS, but this statement irked me. It made it seem like they weren’t pleased with their fans’ support. It also implied that being a largely female supported band made them less relevant as artists. Musical artists these days seem bent on proving themselves, and for most of them, that means they must have the approval of men. It’s all fun and games to look into a sea of mascarastreaked faces and manicured nails. But to hear a rowdy holler from a hard rock Bob? Now that’s rock ‘n’ roll, baby. It’s an unfortunate sentiment. Because as music trends show, middle-aged men and their stuffy opinions aren’t the ones that make bands popular. It’s teenage girls. Take One Direction for

example. The band got their start in 2010 on the popular British singing competition “The X Factor.” After they lost, taking home third place to female singer Rebecca Ferguson, everyone assumed that would be it for them. But the fans didn’t let that happen. One Direction skyrocketed to fame thanks to social media and dedicated female fans. In the first few months after “The X Factor,” “Directioners” took over the world. In their five years together as a band, One Direction took home a total of 193 musical awards and 286 nominations. Their first album, “Up All Night” debuted at No. 1 in 18 countries, the only British band to do so in history, according to Billboard Music’s website. And I agree. Numbers and chart rankings don’t mean “good music.” But what is “good music” really? Look at artists like the Beatles, Elvis Presley or Queen. People looked down on them for being pop, short for popular, and because of their large female fan bases. And yet, now they’re considered “real music.” It’s always been interesting to me, being a fan of One Direction and older artists like the Beatles. Because in terms of their style of music, they’re very similar artists. The Beatles’ first few albums were popular for their short songs with simple lyrics and chord progressions. There was nothing complex about their early music, made simply for the joy of creating music. Of course, as their careers continued they stepped out

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of their early molds, and experimented with different genres and sounds. As far as I’m concerned, One Direction did the exact same thing. So what makes the sound of the Beatles superior to that of modern-day boy bands? The only reason these artists have become “sacred” is because men realized they were good. And there will come a day when bands like 5SOS and 1D join the ranks of artists once loved by teenage girls and now protected by middle aged men. And I’ve noticed it happening already. It starts when girls take their fathers to concerts, where they finally realize their daughters’ bands

are worth their listen. After changed opinions on social media and some congratulatory comments, Harry Styles is bringing in dadfan after dad-fan. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but we shouldn’t congratulate men for finally agreeing with young girls. It shouldn’t take men’s approval to make a good artist. So you want music recommendations? I could give you the names of obscure folk artists, because I assume it makes me and my music taste look better. But this time, I’m not going to. Go home and look up Shawn Mendes, Niall Horan

and Harry Styles. And listen to them, really listen to them. They’re beautiful singers and talented songwriters. And they’ve all received my father’s stamp of approval. But don’t take it from the man whose opinion of these singers changed only after I forced him to open his mind. Take it from me, a teenage girl. Not because I know everything about music, but because my word is all you should need. Sophie Oehler is a sophomore political science and French major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2019

Students, speak up to hold expectations of professors Izzy Abraham isabraha@uvm.edu

s the semester progresses, students’ complaints with classes are no longer concealed. While students are often overwhelmed this time of year when they consider the expectations for each class, it is equally important to pay attention to the expectations that students hold of professors. Just as professors expect students to come to class ready to participate, UVM students hope their professors come to class knowledgeable on the subject they are teaching, passionate about the course material and organized for the class. The power dynamic between students and professors is uneven, but college students are adults.

With this status in mind, students should demand excellence from professors, as professors demand from students. Ideally, a professor is confident in their knowledge of the course, prepared and excited to teach an interesting course and organized, respectful and professional in their teaching and communication methods. Similar to complaints at UVM, college students around the country uphold that their professors are not meeting their standards. Some common complaints include that professors don’t communicate thoroughly or respectfully with students or that they don’t have a handle on their obligations as a professor, according to a December 2013 study in the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. More than one-fifth of students reported that they did not discuss a grade that they

JULI BADICS

didn’t understand with their professor, according to the same study. This was due to their professor’s lack of competence, approachability or concerns that the discussion would negatively impact their relationship with the professor, according to the study. Along these lines, students are adults who are making an active effort to contribute to society, or at least they

are preparing themselves to. Students should not feel fear to work with professors or be mentored by faculty. Furthermore, students are not only disappointed with their professors’ demeanor regarding logistics and grading, but they are also disappointed with how content is taught. I envision a constructive setting for learning in class, including using laptops in class, asking if students have

any questions before moving on to a new topic and simply being prepared and excited about instructing material. Students and their families devote a significant amount of time, money and energy committing to higher education. While there isn’t a simple fix to hold professors to a higher standard, students must validate their personal complaints about classes. They can do this by writing honestly and objectively on course evaluations and talking to professors about problems that arise in the class. If students and professors are clear about their mutual expectations of excellence, these patterns can and will change.

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

CULTURE

MARY MCLELLAN/The Vermont Cynic

Top: The Branch Out Burlington! sign stands in front of a backdrop of trees on the UVM Horticulture farm, Nov. 15. Top Left: (Left to right): UVM master’s student Tessa McGann, Branch Out Burlington! President Margaret Skinner and Barbara Mines, BOB! scribe and communications head, sit during a BOB! meeting, Nov. 12. Bottom Left: Burlington City Arborist V.J. Comai references a print out about trees in Burlington during the Nov. 12 meeting. Right: Signs at the UVM Horticulture farm direct visitors to different features of the farm, Nov. 15.

Citizens try to save Burly’s tree canopy Emma Adams eadams5@uvm.edu

Burlington is defined by its lush green foliage. However, local arborists say the signature trunks and leaves of Vermont need citizen help. Branch Out Burlington! is an organization that seeks to nurture and expand the city’s leafy canopy. Volunteers help plant and maintain the health of trees around the city. BOB! grows trees that line the streets of Burlington on the property of the UVM Horticulture Research and Education Center. Despite their efforts, the council of BOB! said they need the help of UVM students. President Margaret Skinner said to ensure the survival of the trees, the community needs to step up to stop vandalism

and encourage loving care. “The important thing to remind students is it isn’t enough just to plant the trees,” Skinner said. “Even if it is only to remind their friends how valuable the trees in Burlington are to the environment and our state of mind. Every little bit helps.” Besides calling on the community for tree ambassadors, BOB! is concerned with controlling the destruction of ash trees due to an invasive insect. The emerald ash borer is a green beetle responsible for the death of millions of trees across North America, and it is now affecting Vermont. According to the Arbor Day Foundation website, the insect was brought to North America from Asia. Its larvae bore into the

bark and disrupt water and nutrient transportation up the tree trunk, eventually killing the tree after one to four years, depending on tree size. V.J. Comai has been head arborist of Burlington since 2018. He is attempting to control the infestation, as many of Burlington’s ash trees are visibly mutilated by the exotic bug. “There are a number of locations this fall where we did interplanting for ash trees,” Comai said. “[Planting] 80 trees is doable in a day.” Interplanting means that BOB! plants two healthy trees around one infected ash tree. As a result, a street lined with trees has a mix of healthy and infected ash. When the infected trees die, healthy ones are already there to replace them. “We look at every site,”

Comai said. “Can we put another tree here before we remove the ash?” The Burlington Parks Department is anticipating the loss of 900 trees that currently line the streets due to the infestation, Skinner said. “The loss of those trees will reduce the leaf canopy that we depend on to keep our streets and sidewalks cool and to reduce damage and pollution from stormwater runoff,” Skinner said. Volunteers planted 432 trees in 2019, according to BOB! data. Forty-eight of those trees replaced ash trees infected by the emerald ash borer. Today, BOB! has replaced 24% of greenbelt ash trees. Tessa McGann is a masters student at UVM studying natural resources. She said she was interested in observing

how BOB! is responding to the emerald ash borer. “I believe in urban forestry as a way to improve everybody’s lives and the world,” McGann said. “I’m thinking about how this group is responding to invasive insects and global changes and our role in that.” BOB! will celebrate the diversity of trees in Burlington at their 20th Annual Awesome Tree Contest award ceremony Dec. 3 at Zero Gravity, a brewery downtown. Trees are nominated into categories such as “Coolest Conifer” and “Largest Canopy,” and voters in the community choose their favorite trees. Get your hands dirty with BOB! by emailing Skinner at margaret.skinner@ uvm.edu or by visiting branchoutburlington.org.

CULTURE

“Parasite” is not a typical horror film Evan Peck empeck@uvm.edu

he Kim family watches an intense thunderstorm light up the night sky as they get drunk inside the Park family mansion. Nobody knows they are there. That is, until the Parks show up. Fast-paced wit, colorful shots and heart-stopping twists are a couple of the elements that make “Parasite” such an enjoyable and captivating film. Bong Joon-ho’s latest picture is hard to pin down in a genre. This overall black comedy balances some of the biggest thrills I have ever experienced in a theater, with lots of laughter. “Parasite” brings out a diverse palate of emotion, hitting strongly on each. Yet, in the end, the film is nothing but a story about a family and the current problem of class struggle in South Korea. When the closely-knit Kim family struggles to find work, the son, Ki-Woo, played by Choi Woo-shik is referred by his friend to tutor a child of the wealthy Park family. Ki-Woo, upon realizing how gullible Mrs. Park is, introduces his sister to the family as an “art therapy teacher” whom he

knew at a university in the U.S. The Park family has everything the Kim family ever dreamed of. The brother and sister con their way into getting the parents hired, wrongfully framing the Parks’ longtime chauffeur and housekeeper only to take their jobs. The first half of the film is a blast. The Kim’s treachery is fuel for lots of tension and laughs. In all of my experiences going to the theater, I have never perched so far on the edge of my seat. The thrills that come out of this movie balance well with high-caliber hilarity and the ability to make the entire theater burst into laughter. However, the second half of the film takes an unexpected turn, throwing away any recent memory that this was once a comedy. The fun ends when a rainstorm destroys the Kim’s humble underground apartment. The only salvageable item left is a large rock that was given to the family as a gift. Left in despair, the hardened father says to his son, “You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan. No plan at all. Because life cannot be planned.” The dynamic of each family contrasts each other well. The

Parks are always looking for fun activities to do as a family to cover up their lack in really knowing each other. The Kims have this unspoken bond that the Parks do not, yet they struggle financially and all of their time goes into finding ways to make money. The mother of the Kim family, Chung-sook, played by Jang Hye-jin, says to her husband, “They are nice because they are rich. If I was rich, I would be nicer.” Bong discovered the idea for the film as a result of feeling like a “parasite” tutoring for an upper class family as a teenager. The director mentions that class is so divided in Korea that the only realistic relationship that the Kim family could have with the Park family is through a tutor, according to a Nov. 12 LA Times Interview. This statement shows just how clearly separated the country is economically, as there is almost no way for members of lower class and upper class to interact. It is refreshing to see a story that has never been told. Bong’s bizarre imagery is represented in his awesome filmmaking, which this film in particular seems to be the favorite of his fans. This film is one of the most enjoyable movies I have seen

NOAH ZHOU

this year. The emotional intensity of this ﬁlm is unique and it shows. I noticed how everyone, including myself, stared at the credit reel, feeling drained and excited at the same time,

waiting to gather our thoughts before exiting the theater. Evan Peck is a junior ﬁlm and television studies major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2019.

CULTURE STAFF’S ULTIMATE MIX

Here’s what the Culture staff has been listening to recently. Listen on Spotify at tinyurl.com/ vwl74cb CHARLOTTE MCCARTHY

Frank Ocean / In My Room Qveen Herby / THAT BIH Molly with Charles / Strawberry Father John Misty / Real Love Baby WILLOW / Female Energy, Part 2 Dylan LeBlanc / Cautionary Tale Raleigh Ritchie / Stay Inside Sugar Pine 7 / My Type The Game, Anderson Paak / Stainless The Cure / Just Like Heaven The Shins / Half a Million Cobi / Church of the Lonely Brockhampton / Gold Cypress Hill / When the Sh-- Goes Down FKA Twigs / Cellophane FKA Twigs/ Mary Magdalene Unknown Mortal Orchestra / So Good At Being in Trouble Fruit Bats / Absolute Loser Dorian Electra / Flamboyant A Tribe Called Quest / Verses from the Abstract Danny Brown / Combat Charles Bradley / Can’t Fight the Feeling Action Bronson / Easy Rider Loyle Carner / The Isle of Arran Tracy Chapman / Fast Car James Blake / Assumed Form Sea of Lettuce / Leave You Alone K. Roosevelt / Blinding My Vision

CULTURE

Award-winning comic hits BTV stage Sophia Venturo sventuro@uvm.edu

On the other side of a soundwall of ovations, a classic comic walked leisurely across stage and looked up from under the brim of a fedora. His voice rumbled through the theater in a vibrating register, offering the audience a “thanks,” and a frail wave. Academy Award-winning comedian Steven Wright performed at Burlington’s Flynn Center for the Performing Arts Nov. 15. It was the second stop on a two-week tour along the East Coast. Wright’s stand-up is known for its surrealism. His bits come in two-sentence packages, wrapped up in monotony, demanding little work to understand. The joke then bursts open with absurdity like a jack-in-the-box. Wright’s voice is as distinct and deadpan in his stage delivery as it is on the phone: full of snappy soundbites dished out in lethargic doses, never laughing and never dwelling. Wright said his stand-up style and unique view of the world hasn’t changed. “I have this perspective on things, an abstract perspective,” he said. “The material has changed of course, but my angle on the world hasn’t changed.” Wright recycled more than one of his lines from his 1985 Grammy-nominated album

Photo Courtesy of LOSHAK PR

Comedian Steven Wright performs in a jacket and fedora. Wright performed at Flynn Center for the Performing Arts Nov. 15. “I Have a Pony,” like being a narrator for bad mimes or debating what he considered to be an odd number. Wright shared his plans for his gravestone message: “You’re next.” Wright’s set acknowledged how the commonplaces of life

have changed, including our attention to technology. “I thought my phone broke once, and it was like a spaceship picked me up and brought me to another planet,” he said. Wright said he acknowledges the focus on political correctness has been consequential to his

work, but he has not had to work hard to adapt due to his simple subject matter. “I’ve had to take out a few because they bothered people,” Wright said. “I think the pendulum has to go back more. Everything is sensitive.” Despite that weariness of

change, Wright said his comedy is always evolving. He said that you can’t say certain things anymore, or aren’t supposed to. But cynicism is everlasting. “You know what you can still say? Eat me,” Wright said.

Hit Paws a cappella gets cozy at Pajama Jams Kate Germain krgermai@uvm.edu

The members of Hit Paws sang in harmonious chorus while bouncing around stage in their coziest pajamas. Hit Paws, a co-ed UVM a cappella group, performed a concert Nov. 15 in Fleming 101. UVM currently has four a cappella groups: Zest, Hit Paws, The Cat’s Meow and The Top Cats. As the temperature dropped days before the event, pajamas provided extra warmth on the cold Friday. Sophomore Nathaniel Bohrs joined the group in fall 2018. “We went for a cozy feel, and I think we achieved that,” Bohrs said. The group decked out Fleming’s stage with fairy lights and plush pillows. Before the show began, one member began warming up. They started singing a note, and the other members built off of each other, creating a freestyle song. The night progressed with a variety of songs and many laughs. Some performances included “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron, “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane and

MAC MANSFIELD-PARISI/The Vermont Cynic

Members of the co-ed a cappella group, Hit Paws, perform in their pajamas in Fleming 101, Nov. 15. The club is one of four a cappella groups on campus and is one of three gender-inclusive groups. “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5. First-year Joe Consorti, a member of Hit Paws, said the pajamas added a level of humor and fun to the performance. “The onesies were a very

cohesive theme,” Consorti said. “I think we put on a banger of a show.” Many students in the audience came to support their friends in Hit Paws and enjoy the laid-back show.

Junior Ella Spencer said she felt emotional while her friend, Bohrs, performed the song “Diddy Bop” by Louis the Child as a solo. “My favorite part of the show? All of it. I cried four

times,” she said. The Hit Paws have an EP out on Spotify, titled “Outdoor Cats.” Spring auditions for UVM Hit Paws will occur during the second week of spring semester classes.

SPORTS

Men’s soccer loses championship bid Hayley Rosen hrosen@uvm.edu

Despite UVM men’s soccer team dominating the University of Hartford’s half of Virtue Field Nov. 13, the Cats dropped the match during the first overtime period. Battling cold weather and a recent snowfall, the Cats donned gold jerseys. While the Catamounts dominated possession of the ball, the Hartford Hawks responded with strong defense, while also capitalizing on the minimal offensive chances they had. Hartford won 3-2. In the Nov. 13 game, the Catamounts had 30 total shots, 10 of which were on goal. The Hawks only had seven total shots, six were on goal. Additionally, UVM had 17 corner kicks and the Hawks had zero. The scoring was set off by Hartford after a 20-minute stretch of play barely being on the offesive with a goal from Jovante Etienne. Hartford furthered their lead in the 40th minute with a goal from Sergi Martinez. UVM did not get on the board until right before the end of the half. Midfielder Jon Arnar Barðdal, a senior, scored to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Hawks. His goal was assisted by defender Garrett Lillie, a sophomore. Lillie came up big again for

LUKAS DRAUGELIS/The Vermont Cynic

Men’s soccer midfielder Joe Morrison, a sophomore, dribbles up the field, Nov. 13. The team lost 3-2 in overtime to Hartford University, ending UVM’s season. the Catamounts in the 79th minute of regulation, scoring off of a corner kick. Assists were credited to defender Adrian Gahabka, a senior, and midfielder Frosti Brynjólfsson, a first-year. Regulation ended still tied with a score of 2-2, and therefore overtime play ensued. The intensity at the start of

overtime reached a new peak for both teams. The Hartford offense began to string together a series of passes, and as a result, Hartford’s Nyrick Anthony scored in the eighth minute of overtime play, ending the game due to the “golden goal” rule. Golden goal is a concept of sudden death during overtime

play in various sports. UVM men’s soccer head coach Rob Dow gave a salute to his seniors in a post-game interview. “Regardless of the outcome, I want to thank our seniors and their contributions to this program,” Dow said. “They won a couple regular season championships and had double-

digit win seasons each year. They were excellent teammates and we are in doubt to that group.” Hartford faced off against the University of New Hampsire Nov. 16. UNH beat Hartford 1-0 to earn their second American East Confrence title in two years.

Ice skating clubs form community at UVM Anya Kauffman aakauffm@uvm.edu

At half-time each UVM hockey game, jerseys and pucks are replaced with glimmery leotards and patterned medleys of leaps and jumps. Students might be familiar with the UVM Figure Skating Club from their elaborate midhockey game sets. These sets are performed by the UVM Ice Cats, who are only one-third of the club as a whole. The UVM Figure Skating Club brings together skaters for a variety of activities and exhibition opportunities on the ice. In addition to the Ice Cats, there is the Freestyle Team and the Synchronized Skating Team, as well as recreational activities. Senior Allison Beebe is the club’s treasurer and freestyle chair, as well as a member of the Ice Cats. Beebe said she started figure skating at the age of six. “Most of us are just focused on competition,” Beebe said. “So we have to a little bit, like, switch our gears for the show.” Every semester while the Ice Cats are busy cheering on UVM’s hockey team, the Freestyle Team and Synchro

Team are busy competing in competitions all around the East Coast, Beebe said. Both Freestyle and Synchro have coaches and private lessons availible for the public. Junior Sara Klimek is a member of the club who utilizes its recreational opportunities. Recreational time on Gutterson ice is provided a few times a week for any member of the club to improve their skills on their own time and at their own pace, Klimek said. “We have a lot of members on the team with a varying level of experience and background in skating… everyone [is] super welcoming, which is awesome,” Klimek said. Senior Stephanie O’Neill is the president of the Figure Skating Club. She is also a co-captain of the Synchro Team, along with senior Kate Wettergreen. O’Neill said she has been skating since the age of seven and performed a solo in the fall show. A challenging aspect of these shows is all the event coordination that goes into them because they’re all student-run, O’Neill said. In addition, reserving more time on the ice to practice and perform is difficult to navigate.

LUKAS DRAUGELIS/The Vermont Cynic

Sophomore Anitra Conover performs as part of the annual UVM Club Sports raffle, Nov. 9. Skaters from all the club’s teams participated in the show. This is due to the popular demand from groups such as the UVM hockey teams and club Broomball, Beebe said. During each semester the clubs organize a show. This semseter’s was Nov. 9. The show concluded with a finale featuring everyone on the ice in four large-scale numbers. “It’s more of an exhibition

event for all of our members to show what they’ve been working on so far this season,” Klimek said. Despite the difficulties of assembling the show, Beebe said the outcome is rewarding. O’Neill said that she was not originally planning on extending her figure skating career into college.

However, she said her teammates are what make the sport worth it. “I’m really grateful for that,” Beebe said. “By itself, it’s just another sport. Having those people there makes it a community.”

m L u s r ee u

FoEaturE i s m

Cats snow

FEATURE

in the

Caroline Slack cslack@uvm.edu

U STEPHAN TOLJAN/The Vermont Cynic

Top: Snow melts on the roof of Royall Tyler Theatre as students on the ground below walk to and from class, Nov. 13. Top Left: Students walk to and from the Davis Center along a snow-ﬂanked path, Nov. 13. Bottom Left: Students walk in between Lafayette and Williams Halls, Nov. 13. In the background, a snow-covered Waterman building can be seen. Right: A snowman wears a banana peel scarf. Illustrations by STEPHANIE HODEL, MEILENA SANCHEZ, KYRA CHEVALIER, KATE VANNI

VM’s campus is blanketed in a layer of snow, and students have started trudging to class in parkas and snow boots. Burlington temperatures dipped to a record-breaking 11 degrees Fahrenheit at 6 a.m. Nov. 13. The previous low for Nov. 13 was 15 degrees in 1986, according to a Nov. 13 Burlington Free Press article. A month from now, this weather would be commonplace, but for November, it’s a shock for students. Despite having spent three winters at UVM, senior Rachel Foster ﬁnds this weather to be out of the ordinary for this time of year.

“It’s kind of jarring because I feel like it was just fall a week and a half ago,” Foster said. The Burlington area received 7.1 inches of snow as of 10 a.m. Nov. 12, according to the National Weather Service. First-year Lauren Hempel, a Philadelphia native, ﬁnds Vermont’s winters hard to adjust to but still enjoyed the early snowfall, she said. “It’s fun to embrace winter,” Hempel said. “Everyone here loves it. It’s like UVM’s culture.” Luckily, Burlington adapts well to snowy weather. A variety of snowmen all over campus show that other students have been enjoying the weather too. Caroline Slack is a senior English major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017.