The Vermont Cynic treating mental health on campus Sexual assault in safe spaces
VOL. 134 ISSUE 20
The DIY music scene is a close-knit community of people who love music. It’s supposed to be a safe space, but some women have begun to step forward. Story on page 5.
FEBRUARY 13, 2018
FAST FACTS ABOUT CAPS YOU contact caps To schedule a Counseling and Psychiatry Services appointment, you call or visit a CAPS office.
CARE Form
Online Form
20%
Fill out an online questionnaire to determine your needs at CAPS.
Percent of student body who use caps at uvm someone Else
10%
Initial Consultation
People concerned about a community member submit a CARE form to UVM.
Initial Consultations are 30-minute appointments used to determine the patient’s needs.
Percent of U.S. Undergrads who use counseling
$
6,934
Counseling
appointments at caps in fall 2017
Psychiatry
Meet with a counselor to discuss your mental health.
80
Meet with a psychiatrist to develop a treatment plan.
$
Communi ty Partners
GROUP THERAPY
CAPS APPOINTMENT
TREATMENT PLAN
Receive care from a source outside of CAPS.
Join a counselor-run group therapy session with other students.
Schedule another meeting at CAPS with a counselor.
A treatment plan is a course of medication and/or therapy.
new appointments at caps every week
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counselors and psychiatrists on staff ILLUSTRATIONS: GENEVIEVE WINN
Students need more mental health services Joey Waldinger Assistant News Editor
At the end of last semester, senior George S. Tolley IV sought help from Counseling and Psychiatry Services for the first time in his college career, he said. His was a special case, so after calling the office on a Tuesday he managed to get an appointment the following Friday. But most students do not have such an easy experience, he said.
“At busier times of the semester, students may have to wait two, three weeks before coming into a regular appointment,” said Todd Weinman, director of CAPS. Since 2013, the number of visits to CAPS has increased by 30 percent, Weinman said. Various obstacles hinder the counseling center’s ability to see more patients, chiefly a lack of space and staff, he said. CAPS staff consists of 16 counseling staff members and three psychiatry staff members,
according to the UVM Health website. One full-time counselor was added between the 2007 and 2016, Weinman stated in a Jan. 5 email. As a result of the shortage of staff and space, students are experiencing longer wait times for mental health counseling. Counselors are struggling to take as many appointments as possible, said Christine Germano, assistant director for clinical services. Four years ago, “it was rare
that we couldn’t see someone the week that they called,” Germano said, referring to routine appointments. “Now it’s more rare we can.” Students often have to wait three weeks between appointments, Weinman said. CAPS reserves around 80 slots per week for visits from students who have never been to CAPS, Germano said. They also reserve four appointments for people with urgent needs who must be seen the same day, Weinman said.
“Usually we’ll see more than that,” Weinman said. CAPS does not turn down people with clinical needs who must be seen that day, like students feeling suicidal. They might not schedule students who are experiencing high stress but are still able to attend class and go about their day, Germano said. “We’ll do our best to work with students to see them the CAPS cont. on page 2
NEWS
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Digital Exclusive Content Environment Clean Energy Fund The University restructured the Clean Energy Fund to better engage students.
Nature podcast: Finding balance Balancing exercise and academics is tough. An international student discusses managing school and running.
Campus Degree Works CAS students said goodbye to the CATS report. The entire University now uses Degree Works.
Crime Log Keep track of what is going on around campus with UVM Police Services.
BSU Flash Mob BSU organized a flash mob to celebrate Black History Month. Check out Cynic video if you missed it.
Life Cultural Curiosities
Professor Luis Vivanco answers a Valentine’s question in this new series about life, culture and college.
Cat Chat: Ghost Hunters Cat Chat discusses a student’s interactions with the supernatural.
Antifa Protesters
Antifa protesters rallied Saturday, Feb. 10 outside University Mall.
Get the full story at vtcynic.com
The Vermont Cynic
Feb. 13, 2018
Admin says nope to dope Ben Elfland Staff Writer Vermont legalized marijuana last month, but campus residents will still have to toke up behind closed doors. Governor Phil Scott signed a bill that legalized the use and possession of a limited amount of cannabis in Vermont Jan. 22, but UVM’s on-campus prohibition policy will not change. An email sent to students by Wendy Koenig, director of federal and state relations at UVM, cited three reasons for the continued marijuana ban: Since cannabis is still outlawed federally, the university stands to lose federal dollars, including financial aid for students, for noncompliance. The tobacco-free policy is being updated to include smoking of any substance. The University acknowledges studies that indicate negative impacts on brain development for users under 29. The discrepancy between legal and on-campus policy is not uncommon, said Deputy Chief Tim Bilodeau of UVM police services. A large portion of the student misconduct police services deals with is not illegal at a state level, but simply against university policy. Some students are confused about whether or not they are permitted tos use cannabis, said junior Jimmy Hayden, a resident adviser in Living/Learning Center. Sophomore Heber Argueta said the signing of the bill will not impact his own consumption of cannabis, but he thinks the University should acknowledge the state’s expertise. CAPS cont. from page 1 next or the same day,” she said. The counseling center’s problem is that they want to provide every patient with as high-quality care as possible, for as many sessions as possible, while seeing as many urgent cases as possible, she said. Emily Eisenberg, a former UVM student who transferred to Drexel in fall 2017, built a strong relationship with her counselor after routinely visiting her last year, she said. “She went above and beyond for me,” Eisenberg said. After each appointment, she would schedule a follow-up typically within the next two weeks. If she waited a few days to schedule, it would be longer than two weeks, she said. This conflict between the advertised access to counseling and the short supply of available counselors creates long wait times for routine and first time appointments, Germano said. Confined to two buildings on campus — the CAPS offices on Redstone campus and the Jacobs House on Main Street — there is not enough physical space to attend to all of the one-on-one counseling, Weinman said.
Photo illustration by BEN ELFLAND/The Vermont Cynic
A student grinds and rolls weed into a joint. Even with the legalized use and possession of cannabis in Vermont, UVM’s on-campus prohibition policy will not change. “The only difference may be acquiring the weed, but it’s not going to change how much I smoke,” Argueta said. The law is not intended to immediately shift the cannabis industry, but rather to open the conversation and ac“Even if we had more staff, where would we put them?” Weinman said. To meet the demand, CAPS has collaborated with other offices on campus. Living Well, an office that promotes health education and wellness, is chief among them. Living Well aims to improve general student well-being through programs like yoga classes, stress management courses and safe sex presentations, but it also has a strong focus on student mental health, assistant director John Paul Grogan said. “Intentionally, we’re linked,” Grogan said, referring to CAPS and Living Well. Capitalizing on Living Well’s central location on the ground floor of the Davis Center, CAPS offers regularly scheduled programs that take place at the Living Well office, Grogan said. CAPS runs the Wellness Pitstop, a drop-in consultation period, every Friday at Living Well. Last semester, a CAPS counselor taught a yoga for anxiety class in the Living Well studio, Grogan said. CAPS also offers The Body Project, a workshop that meets at the Women’s Center and promotes body positivity. Last semester, CAPS hired a full-time sports psychologist
commodate responsible users, said Rob Williams, a media and communications professor and member of the Vermont Cannabis Collaborative Steering Committee. “I sat next to state troopers giving testimony saying, ‘Look,
we’ve got an opiate crisis in this state,” Williams said. “We don’t have the time or resources, or frankly the interest, in chasing down people who may be using cannabis.”
ALEK FLEURY/The Vermont Cynic
Todd Weinman, director of counseling and psychiatry services, says wait times for CAPS can be as long as three weeks. Visits to CAPS have increased 30 percent since 2013, he said. who is devoted to working with athletes, Weinman said. Though helpful, these additional services have not been able to alleviate the stress put on CAPS, Grogan said. “There is always going to be a demand for clinical and medical services,” he said. While limited, the counseling center’s services are better than counseling services outside of the University where students might be told that they can’t be seen for months,
Weinman said. And if they have an urgent need, they may be directed to go to the hospital,. “What we’re trying to do is kind of finesse between those options of ‘Sorry, those doors aren’t open because your concern is too mild for us,’ and ‘You need to go to the emergency room,’” Weinman said.
The Vermont Cynic The Vermont
CYNIC EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Erika B. Lewy editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Greta Bjornson newsroom@vtcynic.com OPERATIONS Advertising Manager Kaysie Smith ads@vtcynic.com Social Media Sorrel Galantowicz socialmedia@vtcynic.com Distribution Manager Brittnay Heffermehl distribution@vtcynic.com PR Manager Sara Klimek cynicpr@gmail.com EDITORIAL Arts Bridget Higdon arts@vtcynic.com Copy Chief George Seibold copy@vtcynic.com Features Maggie Richardson bside@vtcynic.com Life Izzy Siedman life@vtcynic.com Multimedia William Dean Wertz media@vtcynic.com News Lauren Schnepf news@vtcynic.com Opinion Sydney Liss-Abraham opinion@vtcynic.com Podcasts Chloe Chaobal vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com Sports Eribert Volaj sports@vtcynic.com Video Kailey Bates video@vtcynic.com Web Connor Allan web@vtcynic.com Layout Eileen O’Connor layout@vtcynic.com Photo Phil Carruthers photo@vtcynic.com Illustrations Genevieve Winn illustrations@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Henry Mitchell (Opinion), Locria Courtright (Sports), Tiana Crispino (Layout), Kyra Chevalier (Layout), Katie Brobst (Life), Joey Waldinger (News), Addie Beach (Arts) Page Designers Meg Stevens, Lindsay Freed Copy Editors Clare Abbatiello, Izzy Abraham, Greta Puc, Sabrina Hood, Claire MacQueen ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu
OPINION
Feb. 13, 2018
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Mental health on campus
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Staff Editorial
ast semester, a first-year illustrator on staff, Cole Thornton, was struggling with the transition to college. The stresses Thornton experienced were routine: balancing the buffet of social opportunities with new academic expectations. Like many students looking for professional help, he reached out to Counseling and Psychiatry Services. It was two weeks before he was able to get a half-hour consultation. And then it was another two weeks before he could get in for an initial appointment. For someone struggling with mental health, a month can feel like forever. We know the reason behind the wait time: CAPS hired just one new counselor between 2007 and 2016 for a 30 percent uptick in center visits. Many students at our University feel comfortable reaching out for mental health help. But to keep up with students’ willingness to pursue counseling and psychiatry, the University must change how it provides these services. Counseling services fall under the jurisdiction of the Center for Health and Wellbeing, and since Dr. Jon Porter left last semester, the position of director of the Center for Health and Wellbeing has been vacant.
Letter to the Editor
D GENEVIEVE WINN While the University searches for a new director, we hope they consider larger structural changes, too. SGA President Chris Petrillo has pushed for CAPS and other student health services to be given spaces on central campus. At present, CAPS has one location in Jacobs House on Main Street and another in Christie-Wright-Patterson on Redstone campus. These are not accessible locations for many students. When central campus was under construction last semester, the University missed an opportunity to make mental health services more visible. When students are feeling discouraged, any roadblock on the path to getting mental health services can turn peo-
ple away completely. We call upon the University and board of trustees to prioritize expanding mental health services to meet student demand. While they plan budgets, construction and hiring, we urge them to pay attention to mental health services. Staff editorials officially reflect the views of the Vermont Cynic. Signed opinion pieces and columns do not necessarily do so. The Cynic accepts letters in response to anything you see printed as well as any issues of interest in the community. Please limit letters to 350 words. The Cynic reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. Please send letters to opinion@vtcynic.com.
New ResLife plan fails students Mills Sparkman Opinion Writer
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omplaints about rooming situations are common on college campuses, but students are especially disgruntled this spring. This year, ResLife required students to select their learning community preferences by November, while last year most students made their selections in March. One argument for this is that choosing earlier increases the chance for students to get their desired living situation, but that has not been the case this year. Students were required to select their top 10 choices. “90 percent of returning students received one of their top three rankings,” ResLife director Rafael Rodriguez stated in a Jan. 22 email. However, many students are stuck in their seventh or eighth choice of a learning community. At least five pairs of students have not had their roommate requests honored. Instead they have either been placed in separate communities or separate rooms. Some notable mix-ups for 2018-19 housing include: 1. First-year Henry Steinhauer, who was accepted as a Clay House community student leader, was not placed in the learning community where he was assigned. 2. First-year Emily Sturges was forced into a Wellness
Responding to the latest UA articles
LILI TRAVIATO Environment single that she couldn’t afford to live in. She was not, until recently, allowed to do a body-for-body swap because the student she wanted to switch with was not already in the Wellness Environment. 3. First-year Julia Kitonis was placed in Trinity, which lacked resources to meet her specific health needs. The student body has been vocal about its dissatisfaction. After compiling stories, first-year Kayley Noterman wrote an open letter to ResLife, which has not yet been sent out. Her letter addressed the key issues students were having with their residential placements and in making their voices heard within the department. Noterman stated that the department has an obligation to address student concerns
sooner rather later, especially if they wish to ensure continued success for both students and learning communities. SGA and the assistant dean of students have both reached out to Noterman. She is continuing to gather stories and concerns for a future board meeting with ResLife Director Rafael Rodriguez. There have been no clear changes yet, but “stuff is in motion and change is gonna happen,” Noterman said. While it can be difficult to satisfy such a large group of students, it is clear that ResLife needs to make their policies more efficient and reliable — especially if they want to keep students on campus. Mills Sparkman is a first-year political science major. She has been writing for the Cynic since 2017.
ear Cynic editors, Thank you for supporting “faculty efforts to raise salaries” and for the two pieces in this week’s Cynic related to United Academics. Both pieces try to summarize UA’s position by pointing to a few numbers in an ad, without any discussion of the hour and a half long forum that the ad invited them to. This is truly judging a book by its cover. The ad was an invitation, not an analysis, and certainly not a “campaign.” It came with question marks, not accusations. Those who attended the forum learned, for example, that the administration has publicly proposed to increase mandatory student fees to service the debt that would have to be raised to break ground on the proposed multipurpose center, and that perhaps 30 percent of the $80 million cost of the center could be expected to be covered by private donors, while the rest probably would be paid for with a mix of things like income from some of the events at the center, and if needs be, general funds, most of which comes from tuition. Long sentence, I know. It wouldn’t fit on an ad. But it gets you much closer to the truth. Bottom line is that money will come out of students’ pockets. Digging a little deeper might also have revealed that the ad did not say that UA is asking for a one percent raise. As we put it in a statement on UA’s website that has been up since November, “During the process of mediation, it looked like the distance between both sides might be less than a one percent salary increase. Our estimate of the cost of a one percent raise is about $600,000. With 44.2 percent fringe added, that comes to $853,200, similar to the administration’s estimate of $900,000.” That is the context of that number on the poster. With more space, I could go on: UA is not confusing the difference between one time and ongoing expenses. Faculty raises do not need to raise tuition. It is not true that there is no response to students concerns about timely information about courses in the contract. Detailed explanations of all those and more were available at the forum, on the website, or by contacting me, but the Cynic chose to ignore them. We look forward to more thorough, informed discussions of these complex matters in the future. Best, Thomas Streeter Prof. of Sociology and President of United Academics
ARTS
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The Vermont Cynic
Feb. 13. 2018
Cartoons and politics fill new exhibit Hunter McKenzie Arts Columnist
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n the wall is a large drawing of a person cleaning out a litter box looking directly at the viewers, daring them to come inside and take a look. The figure is a self-portrait of Alison Bechdel. Her exhibit “Self-Confessed! The Inappropriately Intimate Comics of Alison Bechdel,” is the latest exhibit to open at the Fleming. Throughout the exhibit are all kinds of wall drawings — most of which Bechdel has done herself — sprinkled among the highlights of her long career as a trailblazer cartoonist and memoirist. It is both a riveting career retrospective and an intellectual dive into LGBT history. Bechdel is a cartoonist best known for her graphic memoir novels “Fun Home,” “Are You My Mother?” and the long-running comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For.” A current Vermonter, Bechdel moved to the state 27 years ago, she said. “Back then there was a hardwood store on Church Street and no LGBTQ Center on campus. But there were gay bars,” she said. Bechdel has won a MacArthur Genius Grant and had a Tony-winning Broadway musical based off of “Fun Home,”
her first graphic novel. Bechdel is also a UVM Marsh-professor-at-large. In her work, she combines analytical personal insight with intricate graphic drawings that tell nonlinear stories of identity and history. Chair of the English department Dan Fogel, who teaches Bechdel’s work in his classes, speaks highly of her work, and how she’s helped bring a marginalized community into the mainstream discussion. “Bechdel’s deeply felt and intensely dramatized yet intellectual quest for self-knowledge and understanding is distinguished by the way her graphic images and text combine organically,” Fogel said. The Fleming exhibit is extensive and packed with treasures, like preliminary sketches of some of her most notable work. Early childhood drawings depict her interest in masculine figures and her childhood home. The exhibit includes a breakdown of the Bechdel-Wallace Test, a tool to spot gender inequality in fiction, and a Bechdel-themed board game that everyone can play. This comprehensive show would not be same without Bechdel’s personal contributions to the exhibit. “We had those preliminary conversations with her and she was immediately agreeable and pleased to work with us on it.” said Margaret Tamulonis,
ANNIE HUTCHINGS/The Vermont Cynic
(Left) Two students admire a self-portrait of Alison Bechdel hanging in the Fleming Museum. (Right) Bechdel speaks at the opening of the Fleming exhibit featuring her work on Feb. 7. co-curator of the Bechdel exhibit. “She was really generous with her personal archives.” Walking through the exhibition, viewers are met by the startling work of someone who experiences life and steps back to find a unique way to depict it, sometimes realistically and sometimes absurdly, but always articulately. Naturally, it is the kind of place in which one could spend hours exploring all the details of her life. Andrea Rosen, curator of the Fleming Museum, thinks
Bechdel’s devotion to personal storytelling is something everyone can be stirred by. “The personal is political,” Rosen said. “There is something really powerful in identifying with someone else’s story because even if the details are different, there are some human qualities there we can all identify with.” Sophomore Georgia Hall thought this new exhibit showed the Fleming’s willingness to be progressive and open. “It shows how far we’ve
Words and images blend in art
From the Arts Editor
LUC BURNIER/The Vermont Cynic
Jackson often plays music when walking through cities, in order to better focus on the surroundings, he said. One of these walks inspired the poem that he presented to Kent, “The Flâneur Tends to a Well-Liked Summer Cocktail.” The poem contains images within images, Jackson said. This technique, along with the idle flâneur figure, was designed to convey the feeling of “slowing down and savoring the pleasures of life,” he said. Kent said there is a distinct sensation created by the poem. Junior Jordan Fairchild said that while he wasn’t familiar with Jackson or Kent’s work, he enjoyed hearing their perspectives on interpreting each other’s art. “It was definitely a time-consuming and very thought-out process,” he said.
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Poetry professor Major Jackson discusses his collaborative project with Jane Kent, chair of the art deparment, Feb. 6. The artistic project aims to blend text and image. Kent and Jackson discussed how their current project was influenced by prior collaborations and artistic experiences. Kent draws from her visits to the Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery at the University of the Arts in Pennsylvania, which she visited frequently as a student. The prints she viewed there were important to her, inspiring her use of lithography, a process which involves transferring ink using metal plates, she said. Jackson, on the other hand, found inspiration from his time spent at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, he said. From age 10 through high school, Jackson came to know the museum intimately. “I was growing my visual literacy,” he said. His grandfather’s collection of jazz album covers was important to him as well.
Hunter McKenzie is a junior English major. He has been writing for the Cynic since January 2018.
Showing gratitude for legendary ski filmmaker
Addie Beach Assistant Arts Editor Two figures sat on plastic folding chairs. Behind them, a brightly colored image was projected in the dark room. On Feb. 6, award-winning professors Jane Kent and Major Jackson gathered to discuss their collaborative project, which aims to blend text and image. Jackson, a poet, and Kent, a visual artist, dubbed it “a conversation across disciplines.” Kent’s current work with Jackson is an extension of a project that she began in 1994, which she hopes to continue with more writers in the future. This marks her fifth collaboration. “It’ll be 10 before I’m dead,” she said. The first writer she worked with was Richard Ford, then a creative writing professor at Princeton University. One piece, “Skating,” describes a couple’s last arguement. “It was ‘he-said she-said,’ so it set up this nice text-image relationship,” Kent said. Kent took apart Jackson’s poem, “The Flâneur Tends to a Well-Liked Summer Cocktail.” She diagramed the text and tallied the words. “I never have a conversation with the authors about the project,” she said. “I don’t tell Major what to do. He doesn’t tell me what to do.”
come. I mean, there’s a naked lesbian on the wall,” Hall said. Bechdel will give a talk Feb. 21 in the Davis Center to promote the exhibit. The Fleming Museum will host a Vermont Cartoonist Laureates Past and Present Panel, featuring Bechdel, April 4. “Self-Confessed!” will run until May 20.
I was 6 years old when I took my first ski lesson, and since then, you can always find me doing the snow dance. I was heartily saddened two weeks ago when I read about the death of prolific ski filmmaker Warren Miller. I grew up watching many of his films with my family every winter. Miller died in his home Jan. 24. He was 93. During his career, Miller created more than 500 films. Without any cinematic training, Miller released his first film “Deep and Light” in 1949, according to his Jan. 25 New York Times obituary. His subsequent films can be credited for bringing the sport of skiing to the forefront of the American mind. For the first 14 years of his career, Miller was involved in all aspects of the filmmaking process. He traveled eight months a year, chasing winter across the globe with a camera and a pair of skis, according to his autobiography. His deep-voiced, often humorous narrations were a trademark of all his films. Miller’s films were works of art. Stunning panoramas and breathtaking aerials filled the canvas of the screen. He was a graceful storyteller, with each film capturing viewers with the
engrossing narratives of people who made careers out of adventure. It was from his films that my brother and I learned the words “rad,” “dope,” “sick” and “stoked.” We tried these new words out, only to find we didn’t sound as cool as the athletes who had snowflakes frozen to their beards. Despite being curled up on the couch in my New Jersey home, Miller’s films transported me to the world of snow and mountains. Through his films I was made to marvel at the serenity of the Alaskan backcountry, the enormity of Chamonix and the beauty of Nepal. My brother and I begged our parents to take us there someday. Although I am now 20 years old and haven’t been to any of those destinations, I did make a new home in Vermont, a move I can credit almost completely to my love of skiing. As I completed my first Dawn Patrol this week — hiking up a mountain and skiing down before the sunrise — I thought of Miller, and the dream his films inspired me to fulfill. In a world that often puts pressure on kids to find a serious, well-paying job, Miller’s films taught me that it is more important to pursue what you love.
The Vermont Cynic
FEATURE
Feb. 13, 2018
5
assault in ‘safe spaces’ Women speak out about one of Burlington’s most close-knit communities
AUTUMN LEE/ The Vermont Cynic
plenty of space but this guy really scooted to me. “He came up from behind me and was like, ‘Hey, I’m Henry,’ and then he put one hand in my back pocket and one hand on my left breast.” She said he leaned into her and ground his pelvis into her without her consent. “At that moment I was tired; I was trying to dance,” Hines said. “It’s like, if you want to dance with me, ask — I might say yeah,” she said. “I just hate being on that defense when I’m trying to have fun. It’s almost like I’ve been trained to be constantly aware.” Senior Aaron Lucci declined to comment on behalf of the cross country house. Mariel DiMidio, a junior who co-runs the popular DIY collective Friends + Family, agrees that it feels like everyone has to go through this “training.” “When you are raised as a man, these codes of masculinity just completely ignore body language,” she said. “I feel like because men are not educated in emotional intelligence as women are, they’re missing this important training.”
Senior Casey Little co-runs Red Handed Records, a new DIY venue that is active in the Libby Camp community and wants to help with this problem. Staff Writer “People like myself who run these DIY venues can’t help but feel agitated that people don’t he first DIY show I went to was a hardcore want to come out to our shows because there are show in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was people out there who wish [them] harm. We want hosted in a Veterans of Foreign Wars center. nothing less than a friendly, hospitable place for There were kids that looked like they could people to get their jams on,” Little said. beat the shit out of me, but who were all probaAt a recent meeting of DIY Burlington, anothbly just as awkward as me. The masking tape on er collective, I met up with Little, Brian LaClair the floor was the only thing separating the bands of Jim’s Basement and Senior Haley Quinn of from the audience, but the crowd wasn’t letting RatHaus to discuss the community and how it that hold them back. addresses and deals with sexual assault. I tried to wade in the middle of it all, but end“Somehow we need to come together as a coled up getting pushed towards the front, where the lective and recognize [the accused] when others bass amps would make my ears ring and my head know they will be around,” Little said. “Someone throb. who is an unbiased source, who can stand up to It was amazing. I’d never been in an enviscrutiny and keep an eye on said individuals and ronment like that before. Coming from a small, report those incidents to someone.” sports-focused town in the suburbs of MassachuDiMidio said the answer is not to immediately setts, it was a whole new world. blacklist people who are either accused of or are DIY is exactly what you probably know it to be, guilty of sexual assault, but instead to offer some a Do It Yourself mentality. form of redemption or Modern DIY culture manlearning opportunity. ifests itself in people put“If you’re trying to make I’ve met some of the greatest people I’ve ting on shows in their basechange then you can’t just ever known through this community. I’ve ments, supporting local create a prison model,” she artists and building a strong said. also been punched in the face in the mosh community of people who “There has to be a space appreciate loud music. for learning and coming to pit and slammed against sweaty basement Those who have been a terms that’s not just kicking walls. part of DIY scenes in other people out, but I think areas will often say that the there should be some form Burlington scene is underof restorative justice.” developed. After a period of venue shutdowns that Friends + Family is volunteer-run and inDIY is like everything your mother wanted left an absence of places to play and an overabun- tended to be a “space for the artists that are noisy, and didn’t want for you all at the same time. I’ve dance of bands, there’s been a revival in the scene. loud, avant-garde, goofy and generally out of the met some of the greatest people I’ve ever known New people are introduced to DIY every day, norm,” according to their Facebook page. through this community. I’ve also been punched and new organizations are popping up to uplift DiMidio also talked about Tuned In, a newer in the face in the mosh pit and slammed against the community, such as Friends + Family and music organization in the Burlington scene that’s sweaty basement walls. It’s a weird dichotomy of Tuned In. People who are involved with these started up about a year ago, that is a “memlove and pain. groups want to rebuild the scene, and with that ber-owned cooperative dedicated to prioritizing This issue isn’t one that will ever be completecomes a sense of duty to do it right. But, as this women and non-binary musicians,” according to ly resolved. Discrimination will live on long after is a community based off of “Doing It Yourself,” their Facebook page. our generation of basement-going has moved on. there’s no exact right way to do it. Senior Marley Zollman is a member of Tuned Just last week, I was called a “cunt” and a “bitch” Creating these new spaces necessitates In. She’s said that she enjoys the emphasis the because I was running doors for a show and dialogue in our community, one that addresses group puts on intersectional feminism, as well as couldn’t let someone in because the venue was difficult issues like sexual assault that may jeopar- their confrontation of sexism in the general music over capacity. dize the integrity of a space that is intended to be industry. They run “Snuggled Up” shows where But if there’s any takeaway from this, it’s that fun and inclusive. femme and non-binary musicians perform to DIY is a community that attracts people from all It’s a familiar story: a woman goes to a show, femme and non-binary audiences and open mics walks of life. or a party or anywhere, and someone makes them in order to foster a supportive environment where And the people who truly care about cultivatfeel uncomfortable or unsafe. people can build their confidence in a safe place. ing and pushing the scene forward are willing to Sophomore Kenzie Hines is a member of the For DiMidio, DIY is a “wholesome community listen, discuss and take action in order to create DIY scene; she attends shows regularly and is where [she’s] met a lot of really cool people.” a space in which people can feel loved, welcome familiar with some of the bands. These organizations, and the people who run and safe. The UVM Cross Country house, which hosts them, love this community. They want to see it shows, is “a place notorious for sketchy dudes,” flourish and become a place where everyone can Libby Camp is a sophomore English major and Hines said. feel safe, have fun and feel like they belong. DIY has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017. “It was more mellow that night, and people encourages active involvement, and people are She is the bass player in DIY band Full Walrus weren’t really moshing that hard,” she said. “I had here to fulfill that role. and advocates for safety in the community.
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LIFE
The Vermont Cynic
Feb. 13, 2018
Sunrise ski aims to empower women Erin Powell Staff Writer Hoards of students hit the slopes each weekend, but a group of UVM women don’t just shred for fun — they ski for Planned Parenthood. Chicks on Sticks is an all-female ski group that was started in 2017 by senior Emily Listow. It aims to create an inclusive and fun environment for women who ski and snowboard, Listow said. Chicks on Sticks is meant to empower UVM women through mentorship and charity work, she said. Sophomore Brett Koslowsky followed a ski buddy in joining the group after attending a club meeting, she said. Koslowsky noticed a difference in the attitude and inclusivity of the club compared to some of her past skiing experiences, she said. When skiing with men she felt the need to push herself, but in Chicks on Sticks it’s more about fun, Koslowsky said. First-year Emma Staff echoed her in saying “we are all different levels.” “It’s great to have a community of girls where it isn’t embarrassing to say you’ve never backcountry skied before, and ‘can you teach me?’” she said. “It’s not a competitive or intimidating environment.”
ELLIE DIAMOND/The Vermont Cynic Members from women’s ski club Chicks on Sticks get ready to ski down Bolton Resort after skinning up it before sunrise hit at 7 a.m. The ultimate goal of the cluvb is “a mentorship program where we provide opportunities for girls in college to be in positions of leadership in educating others and be role models for younger girls,” Listow said. Listow knows that skiing is an expensive sport and hopes that one day the club can offer “learning opportunities for low-income and underrepresented populations to get on snow,” she said. She admits this goal is lofty and is currently focused on es-
Taking on Thailand solo Anna Power Life Columnist
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raveling alone can seem scary and intimidating, but after spending a week solo in Thailand, I’ve come to prefer it. My adventure began while studying in Wellington, New Zealand. I set my mind to traveling alone to a place I’d always dreamed of visiting: Thailand. I was nervous before my solo trip. My first night in Bangkok I met other solo travelers who reassured me that my hesitation was silly. In the span of one week, I visited Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai and Krabi, where the culture and language was unfamiliar to me. The only preparations I made ahead of time were hostel, flight and bus reservations. Everything else I took as it came and planned by asking locals what to do in the area. I gave my itinerary to my study abroad program leader and my parents, so they would know where I was in the event that anything happened. This is a good precaution to take, even if you aren’t traveling alone. Because I’m a woman, I took extra precautions by staying in a women-only hostel dorm and walking with groups at night. Most hostels have common rooms for socializing, so it’s impossible not to make new
friends. Though it was scary at first, spending time with people from around the world was something I reveled in after traveling with other American students. I was forced out of my comfort zone and soon found myself sitting in a circle with people from Holland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Scotland. We marveled at our differences and similarities. Aside from forming strong bonds with people from diverse countries, I gained confidence when traveling alone. My most triumphant moment was when I drove a moped on the highway and found all the places I wanted to go that day, navigating only using road signs. I realized I was capable of so many things on my own, and carried this self-reliance back to UVM. “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the most pleasant sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure,” said Freya Stark, British travel writer. Traveling solo for a week was the greatest thing I think I’ve done for myself.
Anna Power is a senior psychology major and believes everyone should travel alone at least once. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2016.
tablishing the club and just having fun, she said. Chicks on Sticks holds weekly meetings, clinics for different types of skiing, movie nights and networking with women in outdoor industries. They fundraise through an event called the Skinathon, Listow said. The Skinathon is an event where about thirty athletes pledge to wake up early to skin up a mountain and ski down at sunrise, once a week for two months, she said. Skinning is when skiers climb up a trail by attaching
special bindings to their skis for traction and removing them before skiing downslope. In order to catch the winter sunrise at 7 a.m., the women begin this mountaineering challenge at an early time. “I woke up this morning at 4:45 a.m., and was on the mountain by 6, was down by 7:30, got pastries and then was back in my bed by 9,” Koslowsky said. The event raises money through flat donations and the sponsorship of individual skiers, Listow said.
The proceeds are split between Chicks on Sticks and the New England branch of Planned Parenthood, Listow said. Beyond the hard work and charitable cause, the club members maintained a sense of fun and companionship. “I had never backcountry skied before this,” Staff said. “It was just cool to be out there with all the girls and going up the mountain for a great cause.”
Practice self love with a sex toy Autumn Lee Life Columnist
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hether single or taken this Valentine’s Day, self-love is in order. Let’s be honest: we can’t talk about love without talking about sex. It’s time to treat yourself to a sex toy. Whether you’re a sex shop regular or new to the game, the season of love is always a great time to explore sexuality with a new sex toy. Somehow, sex toys are still taboo. They’re hidden at the back of stores and are too often the butt of bad jokes. Movies like “Fifty Shades of Grey” bring sex toys and BDSM into the public eye, but simplify the sexual practice and still shows a submissive woman in need of a man for pleasure. But masturbation is a healthy way to relieve stress and increase happiness, according to the Planned Parenthood website. Sex toys can make it more enjoyable. In addition to face masks and chocolates, masturbation is another way to show the body and mind some self-love. You won’t be alone. According to a November 2013 Brown Daily Herald article, around 80 percent of students at Brown University masturbate. Make your masturbation session extra special this Valentine’s Day by setting the scene with candles, sexy music, a silenced phone — nothing kills
AUTUMN LEE/The Vermont Cynic the mood like an email notifi- product. But toys aren’t the only way cation — and a sex toy. If you’re spending Valen- to bring your V-day experience tine’s day with someone spe- to the next level. You may want cial, don’t push sex toys out of to try role-playing or BDSM. Adult stores offer kits that the picture. Using toys has helped me include a paddle, whip, cuffs and blindfolds, and are an easy tell my partners what I want. Toys and accessories can beginner’s pack for BDSM. Lingerie has potential, too: bring excitement to any relabe it a cute surprise for your tionship. No matter your experience partner or an excuse to fill your level, it’s important to commu- camera roll with sensual selfies. So this Valentine’s Day, try nicate what you like, don’t like and want to try to make both something new in the spirit of love or self-love. people feel safe. Dildos, vibrators, penis rings and much more are great additions to any sex toy collection. Autumn Lee is a sophomore Magic wands have different art education major and has attachments you can use with- been writing for the Cynic out having to buy a whole new since fall 2017.
The Vermont Cynic
Feb.13, 2018
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SPORTS
Hockey wins, fails to Pack the Gut Maddie Allen Staff Writer As the UVM women’s hockey team skated out for warmups, the student section stood, a sea of green and gold roaring with approval. The women’s hockey team held their fifth annual Pack the Gut game Friday, facing off against the University of Connecticut. The Catamounts pulled out the 1-0 win in a very important conference game. The Pack the Gut event was started in 2013 by former forward Danielle Rancourt ’14. “[She] wanted the intensity of a men’s game at Gutterson at a women’s game. Additionally, the Pack the Gut game originally benefited and continues to benefit the charity Meals on Wheels,” said Chris Gallogly, media relations and sports information assistant. Tickets were sold at a discount to the public, and were free for UVM students. “For the women’s hockey program, it is the largest crowd they will ever play in front of,” Gallogly said. “Not many people play games with a few thousand fans in attendance.” The almost 1,900 fans who attended the game created a different atmosphere than other home games for the Catamounts. Despite UVM athletics’ work, Gutterson still had thousands of vacant seats. “We love the support from all of the people that came,” senior captain Taylor Willard said. “We have to make sure we are keeping our nerves under control. “I thought we did that today and it’s a great feeling to be
Nickie Morris Staff Writer
PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic
Senior defender Amanda Drobot takes a shot on goal against the University of Connecticut Feb. 9. The Catamounts came away with a 1-0 win.
out there and hear the crowd.” It took until 3:18 in the third period for sophomore forward Ali O’Leary to break the scoreless tie. Both teams had good chances in the first period, but neither could finish. The Catamounts’ best chance in the period came when an O’Leary shot hit the post at 7:12. The Catamounts had three power-play opportunities in the second period, but were not able to get past UConn goalie Annie Belanger. “I didn’t really like the way we played in the first period, and I thought we had a lot of chances in the second,” head coach Jim Plumer said.
In the third period the Catamounts were finally able to break through, with first-year forward Alyssa Holmes passing the puck off to O’Leary, who crushed a shot past Belanger. Senior defender Amanda Drobot also picked up the secondary assist on the play. Plumer said that despite the atmosphere, he didn’t think the team felt any pressure, and that they got to experience an atmosphere only present at most men’s games. UConn didn’t go down without a fight. UVM spent 10 minutes of the third period one player down. The Huskies did not capitalize. Sophomore goalie Sydney Scobee finished the game
with 41 saves. “To get that two points [in the standings] and basically ensure that we have the tiebreaker over them was pretty important,” Plumer said. The Catamounts also faced off against UConn Saturday for Senior Night, where both teams were held in a 0-0 draw. The Catamounts honored five seniors: defenders Taylor Willard, Amanda Drobot, Katherine Pate and forwards Mackenzie MacNeil and Kourtney Menches. Vermont moves to 10-17-5 overall and 7-12-4 in Hockey East play and finishes out the regular season at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16 at Northeastern University.
Sophomore hopes to join Olympic legacy Sabrina Hood Staff Writer At 5 years old, sophomore women’s hockey forward Ève-Audrie Picard knew that ice hockey would become her sport. Picard started to play after watching her brother’s games. Since she joined the UVM women’s hockey program, she’s set herself apart from the rest. “She has a drive that I don’t know that I’ve ever seen in my 18 years of coaching,” head coach Jim Plumer said. This competitive nature has been evident since her first year in the UVM women’s hockey program. During winter break, Picard was still on the ice playing for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2018 Nation’s Cup in Germany, according to UVM athletics. Currently, Picard is on track to play in the Beijing 2022 Olympics, she said. According to UVM athletics, Picard had 16 goals and 31 points during the 2016-2017 season, the most a rookie has had in the program’s history.
Swimming and diving achieves record GPA
PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic
Sophomore forward Ève-Audrey Picard breaks up a play between two University of Connecticut players Feb. 9. Picard is on track to represent Canada in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
This season, she leads the team with 14 goals, and is tied for second in assists with 11. “She’s naturally a goal scorer,” sophomore forward Allie Granato said. “Somehow, someway, she’ll find a way to put the puck in the back of the net.” During the games against Northeastern games Jan. 26– 27, Picard showed her scoring abilities.
That weekend, she scored five goals and had one assist, according to UVM athletics. “It was pretty special,” Picard said. “I had a rough beginning of the season, and being able to come back and help the team win against a really good team and make us go to the playoffs is really great.” Plumer said she had a bumpy start to the season, but knows that she’s very skilled.
“She went through a scoring slump this year from October to mid-January,” Plumer said. “At that point, she was really frustrated and pressing and trying hard. “She’s really capable of doing a lot.” Her strong work ethic is clear during practices and games. “She battles very, very hard,” Granato said. “Whenever [we] are having a one-onone battle in practice, she’s going to come at you 100 percent every time.” Even after college and the Olympics, Picard still would like ice hockey to be a part of her future. “I feel that if I have the chance to play or coach later, that would be a great opportunity to help grow the game,” Picard said. Picard and her team will travel to Northeastern University Feb. 16. A week later, they will start competing on the Hockey East tournament. They will face one of Boston College, University of Maine and Providence College.
The women’s swimming and diving team was recognized for a victory outside of the pool this fall: good grades. The College Swimming Coaches Association of America has named the team a Scholar All-America Team, with a 3.47 team GPA, the highest ever recorded. Nineteen student-athletes on the women’s swimming and diving team posted a GPA of 3.5 or higher this fall, according to UVM athletics. They had the highest average team GPA among America East schools, against which they will compete once more Feb. 15-18 in the America East Championships in Worcester, Massachusetts. “We’re excited to break the stereotype of college athletes not caring, and compete at a high level in all aspects of our lives,” junior diver Ashley Branagan said. Branagan has helped carry the divers this season, taking second overall in the 3-meter event at UVM’s most recent meet against America East rival University of Rhode Island. With that win, the Catamounts finished the dual-meet season with an overall record of 6-4, going 3-2 in the America East Conference. “The work ethic on this team is equal with the swimmers and divers,” senior swimmer Kira Hancock said. “Although we have seperate pool practices for different events, we are all in it together toward the same goal. “We all lift together a lot which bonds the whole team.” Hancock was honored along with eight other seniors Jan. 12 at Forbush in the Senior Day meet against Northeastern. Hancock swam to three second-place finishes in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 200 medley relay, along with a 400 freestyle relay win in the final race of the meet. Both athletes stressed the encouraging culture of the team being vital in their academic success. “We place academics and athletics at equal value,” Branagan said. “Some other athletes think they can slip by academically.” Swimming and diving as a sport does not have every athlete competing at once or even in the same event. Yet the team culture is something its athletes emphasize. “We are a team, but with individual events,” Hancock said. “So we have to have our lives together individually to work cohesively as a team.”
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SPORTS
The Vermont Cynic
Feb. 13, 2018
For sophomore, it’s grades before blades Curt Berry Staff Writer Sophomore Ross Colton gets nods from peers in class who watched him play over the weekend. And when the Catamounts have been playing well, he and his teammates get a few extra looks. School is stressful. For Colton, getting out on the rink with his friends helps ease that stress. Game day for Colton brings a specific routine: He wakes up at 9 a.m., runs over to the dining hall and then heads to the rink to stretch out. The first skate is at noon. “We just want to warm up, get out there and get some touches on the ice,” Colton said. After the skate, the team sits down for a pre-game meal. They go to their rooms and catch some sleep, before heading to the rink at 5 p.m. Ross values his education as much as he does his hockey career. “I take the work I do in the classroom just as seriously as what I do on the ice,” Colton said. Colton went to Princeton Day School, which he said helped shape his determination in the classroom. “It was school first, then hockey,” he said. Colton is in his second year with the Catamounts. His progression as a college hockey player has been notable. In his first year, Colton netted 12 goals and 15 assists. This year, he has already
PHIL CARRUTHERS/The Vermont Cynic
Sophomore forward Ross Colton takes a shot against the University of New Hampshire Oct. 28. Colton already has 14 goals and six assists this season. surpassed his goal tally with 14, as well as six assists. “It’s a confidence thing. I came in last year being a freshman,” Colton said. “You don’t want to say too much and overstep your boundaries. “As a sophomore, you’re feeling better about yourself, so I try to be vocal and stay positive.” He also praises his head coach Mike Sneddon. “He talked to me over the summer and he said, ‘I want you to be a leader on and off the ice.,” Colton said. “I also feel like I can talk to him about anything.”
Colton said the leadership on the team helped his confidence. “[Senior forward] Robby [Darrar] has been my friend my entire life,” he said. “I remember him coming up to me my first game and telling me to play with confidence and have fun.” Colton added that the whole team bonds well. “School is a grind, so it just feels so nice to get to the rink, and you’re hanging out with your 30 brothers,” he said. “When you come to the rink, it feels like you have plenty of guys getting your back.”
Colton said he keeps battling through games by staying positive. “I really try not to dwell on the losses as much,” he said. “It’s more just watching the film, trying to get better and just focusing on the next game.” Vermont has a chance to finish strong the rest of the season and to host the University of New Hampshire for a series in the first round of the Hockey East Tournament.
Comic by Joe Ortigara