THE VERMONT CYNIC
protest coverage FEBRUARY 27, 2018
OLIVER POMAZI/The Vermont Cynic
INSIDE T H E W E E K O F P R O T E S T S 2 | T H E T I M E L I N E 4 - 5 | T H E A C T I V I S T S A N D A D M I N I S T R AT O R S 6 -7
NEWS
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Digital Exclusive Content Students block Main Street, call for resignations NoNames for Justice protesters take to the streets and take over Waterman.
Sounds of Solidarity: commentary on campus protests
Cynic podcasters discuss protesters’ and administration’s actions on campus last week.
Women’s basketball coach ejected from game Head coach Chris Day was kicked out of a Feb. 22 game after the team was charged with two technical fouls.
Dance showcase benefits education
The Annual Dance Showcase Feb. 17 benefited the Vermont Family Network and Puppets in Education.
In the Raw: poetry and literature
Podcaster Brigitte Riordan reads and discusses local poets’ work.
Vermont cartoonist talks craft and sexuality Author and artist Alison Bechdel speaks about her struggle to call herself an artist.
Get the full story at vtcynic.com
The Vermont Cynic
Feb. 27, 2018
Students call for resignations Brandon Arcari, Caroline Derksen, Ben Elfland, Lindsay Freed, Lee Hughes, Oliver Pomazi, Meg Trogolo, Joey Waldinger News Staff Report After three demonstrations last week, student protesters planned a class walkout and takeover of the Waterman building Monday, Feb. 25. Social justice advocacy organization NoNames for Justice held demonstrations Feb. 20, 22 and 23 protesting the administration’s response to white supremacy on campus. “This administration still believes and stands on white supremacist values,” said sophomore Harmony Edosomwan, president of the Black Student Union. “We’re not playing any bullcrap anymore.” At each protest, students declared solidarity with John Mejia, assistant director of off-campus services. Mejia outlined demands Feb. 16 for the University to meet, and went on a hunger strike that ended after one week. Protests began when students gathered at the Waterman building Feb. 20, calling for the resignation of President Tom Sullivan, Provost David Rosowsky and Annie Stevens, vice provost for student affairs. The protesters called for the University to adopt demands released in September by anonymous activist group NoNames for Justice. The Cynic has attempted to identify members on pages 6. As the sun set and temperatures dropped to the 20s Feb. 22, students blocked the intersection of Main Street and South Prospect Street, chanting for Sullivan to come outside and meet the crowd. For three hours, protesters chanted while volunteers passed around hot chocolate and hand warmers. At 9:20 p.m. Stevens, who spoke with Sullivan over the phone, informed organizers that he was “indisposed.” Edosomwan directed protesters into the Waterman building. Rosowsky did not made any public statements or appearances. Rosowsky was on vacation with family and unavailable for comment, according to a Feb 24. email from his office. At Waterman, Stevens, Jilliene Johnson and Dennis DePaul of the dean of students office bought pizza for the protesters, who played music and danced until the building closed at 10 p.m. Demonstrations continued at 11 a.m. the next day, Feb. 23. NoNames took over Admitted Students Day in the Davis Center. They spoke to UVM community members, admitted students and their families. Edosomwan said admitted students should be warned that UVM is not as progressive as it seems. During the rally, Mejia announced the end of their hunger strike, saying the administration was unresponsive
OLIVER POMAZI/The Vermont Cynic
Sophomore Harmony Edosomwan leads a group of protesters from the Davis Center to Waterman Feb. 23. The group addressed potential students at Admitted Students Day in the Davis Center. and friends and family were worried about their physical health. Mejia said they would channel energy into helping students effect change. Protesters took over #UVMsaidyes, a hashtag used by newly admitted UVM students. Protesters posted “#UVMsaidyes to racism” on social media. Andrea Estey, a digital content strategist, emailed the UVM communicators listserv for marketing employees asking that communicators not use the hashtag to publicly
welcome newly admitted students on social media. Protesters moved to Waterman around noon to address the administration. Students lined the hallway outside Sullivan’s offices. Organizers stood outside with a megaphone. Sullivan and David Daigle, chair of the UVM board of trustees, addressed the crowd. “All of you are passionate, and I think that’s great,” Daigle said. “But I also ask you — on behalf of the entire community — to make your advocacy respectful.”
After Sullivan and Daigle returned to their offices while protesters spoke, the crowd called for them to come back out and called the administrator “disrespectful.” The crowd chanted: “If you’ve got nothing to hide, then come outside.” NoNames planned a class walkout and takeover of the Waterman building for Feb. 26, said senior Z McCarron, a NoNames leader. When asked about NoNames’ plans going forward, Edosomwan said: “One word: escalation.”
The Vermont Cynic
OPINION
Feb. 27, 2018
The Vermont
CYNIC
Stay apprised, seek understanding Staff Editorial
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 Distribution Manager Brittnay Heffermehl distribution@vtcynic.com PR Manager Sara Klimek cynicpr@gmail.com Social Media Sorrel Galantowicz socialmedia@vtcynic.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 Illustrations Genevieve Winn illustrations@vtcynic.com Layout Eileen O’Connor layout@vtcynic.com Photo Alek Fleury photo@vtcynic.com Assistant Editors Henry Mitchell (Opinion), Locria Courtright (Sports), Kyra Chevalier (Layout), Katie Brobst (Life), Joey Waldinger (News), Addie Beach (Arts), Oliver Pomazi (Photo), Caroline Slack (Features), David Cabrera (Multimedia) Page Designers Meg Stevens Copy Editors Clare Abbatiello, Izzy Abraham, Brandon Arcari, Lindsay Freed, Annie Frodeman, Sabrina Hood, Sophia Knappertz, Claire MacQueen ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu
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We have dedicated this issue to covering the protests, calls for resignation and administrative responses of the past week. In the reporting of activist group NoNames for Justice’s actions, it has become apparent to us that while a few hundred students are protesting, a greater majority of students are
unaware of the protests and unfamiliar with the administrators who protestors are demanding resign. Given sophomore protest leader Harmony Edosomwan’s claim that her group plans to escalate protests — and the impending threat of a takeover of the Waterman building — it’s important that all community members are aware of what’s happening.
Deans must step up NoNames for Justice
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e strongly believe that students of color and faculty want academic freedom. Faculty members can deliver this freedom, which comes with the responsibility to protect students’ freedom in regard to learning. Students are demanding an action plan for mandatory training of all University faculty. They are demanding colleges and deans develop action plans to gather and release retention data for faculty and staff of color, and work to retain them. Professors cannot facilitate conversations on racial injustice because they lack the knowledge to do so. It is the responsibility of the University to hold professors accountable. The current diversity curriculum is not mandatory, incentivized or comprehensive. Diversity training must teach individuals to approach difficult conversations. Trainings should focus on communication and interpersonal skills to address and engage in conversations for marginalized people. These trainings will be college-specific in a way that is engaging and particular to the needs of various faculty. These trainings must be done in-person, not online or remotely. The cost of these trainings will be a fixed part of the annual budget. Student evaluations and focus groups shall be established to inform the content of these trainings. In each college, every respective office or department will be responsible for organizing similar trainings. Offices and departments may collaborate, but each office and department will be held accountable for turnout and participation. We demand that deans incentivize faculty by creating policies and providing resources for required D1/D2 course training. Professors teaching these courses should be aware of their own social identities. D1 and D2 classes should count for 1 1/2 courses on a professor’s course load. With the extra time, professors must attend training on how to best facilitate diversity conversations. We demand that this happens immediately. Our administration uses this quote to show supposed progress: “currently, UVM’s percentage of faculty of color
on tenure-track equals the percentage of students of color on campus.” This is not progress. The percentage of students of color on campus is not a strength, nor is the number of faculty of color with and without tenure. Seven faculty members of color left the University this past year. The University released a statement comparing the percentage of faculty of color and the percentage of students of color on campus. But, they have not disclosed the rate at which faculty of color leave the University compared to the rate of white faculty members. The administration has not examined the experiences of faculty and staff of color, or created a climate in which they can openly communicate their experiences. Many faculty and staff of color do not feel able to communicate out of fear for their jobs.
The current diversity curriculum is not mandatory, incentivized or comprehensive. The University must prioritize hiring faculty, staff and administrators of color and LGBTQIA+ identities. This would provide an atmosphere in which students are better able to engage. According to the National Center for Education Statistics’ “Race Identity of College Faculty Assessment,” 42 percent of all full-time faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions were white males and 35 percent were white females in fall 2015. This national disparity pales in comparison to the disparity at UVM. The more faculty of color an institution maintains, more faculty of color will want to work there. David Rosowsky, Jim Vigoreaux and the office of the provost must collaborate with Alex Yin on causes of low rates of faculty of color retention at UVM and work with deans and faculty to create effective retention programs for faculty of color. The University must search for candidates from diverse backgrounds.
We urge readers — now more than ever — to look closely at what students are calling for. It’s our opinion that administrators are likely to step down if protests continue. It is our hope that it’s the consensus of the majority of the student body that is the best action. We have not made a decision on where we stand, and instead urge students to pay
close attention to what’s going on in the halls of our University and on the streets of our city.
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.
Individual improvement will effect lasting change Chris Petrillo
S
omething must change at UVM. Marginalization and racist tendencies have taken root in Catamount country. The mounting pressure on top administration makes for a great front-page photo, but we must each take responsibility to improve our community for the safety and wellbeing of all members. If you’re a student, faculty or staff member here I urge respectful engagement. Justice, in all forms, is the foundation of our guiding “Common Ground.” Top administration, Tom Sullivan included, must communicate better. Even more, they must lead better. They must show us that racism has no place here. The burden of action, however, doesn’t lie with the executive offices of Waterman alone. Do we need more from Waterman? Sure, absolutely. Do we need more from just those in the executive office? No, not even close. Looking into the crowds pictured in recent events, I see faculty and staff that could be doing more. President Sullivan might announce intentions and saturate your inbox, with some help from Gary Derr, but real change starts when individual units take responsibility for the student and community concerns that are under their, and not the executive offices’, jurisdiction. United Academics must put mandatory diversity training in the new contract so deans can enforce policies supported by our faculty union. Colleges must adjust hiring practices to ensure faculty retention and diverse recruitment to better reflect the values we claim to hold. Budgeting should be directed to programs severely lacking in necessary resources. Counseling and Psychiatry Services, the Mosaic Center, the LGBTQA Center, Student Health Services and Living Well should be taken as seriously as the need students have for their services. The Diversity Curriculum Review Committee must quickly work to improve D1
and D2 courses so generations of students are not ill-educated in critical subjects. The faculty senate may help address this. The committee review of historical names on campus must form appropriately and actions must be transparent and well-communicated. The Student Government Association must continue to work with students to bring funding to places underserved elsewhere and to advocate and prioritize diverse student organizations that make up the foundation of an inclusive and equitable student body. To be clear: Resignations are not the answer to our problems. “Shut It Down” is not a constructive approach to lasting change and collaboration. If senior staff leave, progress will halt. Academics will suffer. Nuanced diversity programs that provide valuable services must advocate for resources even more in the absence of lasting or transitional leadership. New leaders will come without experience or knowledge of our community and the needs expressed in the past year. Such an upheaval has the potential to reduce any headway made; this has happened with previous university exoduses. I do not want to see students or our community suffer. UVM should be an example of successful discourse and significant social change.
Resignations are not the answer to our problems. “Shut It Down” is not a constructive approach to lasting change. Everyone should be doing more. The aforementioned examples are not exhaustive. Progress must begin in a constructive manner; it starts with everyone. Students need to see deadlines and clear-cut support. Transparency should accompany all operations. Our community deserves explanations and hard work. There is exciting activism occurring on campus and respect should be mutual and continuous. The University has come a long way in the past 50 years, but that is no excuse to stop building towards a better tomorrow.
TIMELINE
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The Vermont Cynic
Feb. 27. 2018
Oct. 1, 2017 Continuing education student Wes Richter is accused of making threats against students of color on campus in Bailey/Howe Library.
Jan. 2, 2018 The Wes Richter case is dismissed by the Vermont Superior Court. Jan. 15, 2018 Anonymous anti-immigration posters stating “Stop importing problems, start exporting solutions” are found on campus.
Sept. 22, 2016 The Black Lives Matter flag is raised in front of the Davis Center. Sept. 23, 2016 The Black Lives Matter flag is stolen. Nov. 7, 2017 Anonymously posted “It’s okay to be white” signs are found at the Davis Center and on Waterman green.
Sept. 25, 2016 A crowd gathers in support as a second Black Lives Matter flag is raised.
2016
2018
2017
April 18, 2017 The Cynic reports that UVM identified the BLM flag thief as sophomore Fiji pledge J.T. Reichhelm.
Sept. 25, 2017 Students march to Waterman and present a list of demands to President Tom Sullivan. Sept. 27, 2017 Sullivan meets with student leaders and emails a response to the list of demands. Sept. 30, 2017 Student diversity group leaders organize the Student Forum on Racial Injustice.
The Vermont Cynic
Feb. 27. 2018
TIMELINE
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Feb. 1, 2018 NoNames for Justice puts up posters reading “#DontShootUVM� around campus.
Feb. 20, 2018 Student protest led by NoNames for Justice in the Waterman building calls for the resignation of President Tom Sullivan, Provost David Rosowsky and Annie Stevens, vice provost for student affairs.
Feb. 22, 2018 Main Street is shut down as students demand Sullivan address their demands. The protest continues in Waterman.
Feb. 26, 2018 Protesters plan campus-wide walkout and Waterman takeover.
Feb. 16, 2018 John Mejia, assistant director of off-campus services, begins a hunger strike in solidarity with NoNames for Justice and calls for a fourth, permanent BLM flag.
Feb. 23, 2018 Students protest in the Davis Center during Admitted Students Day, before marching to Waterman. John Mejia ends their hunger strike, citing concern from loved ones. Tom Sullivan addresses student protesters.
MO QUIGG, PHIL CARRUTHERS, NICK COLLIAS, OLIVER POMAZI, PATRICK LANGLOIS, BRANDON ACARI, ALEK FLEURY, GENEVIEVE WINN/The Vermont Cynic
NEWS
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The Vermont Cynic
Feb. 27, 2018
the names behind ‘nonames’... Harmony Edosomwan
Sophomore, Black Student Union president “Every single campus across the nation needs to go through this movement of destroying white supremacy and white supremacist culture on their campuses.” “If we really shared the same values, this wouldn’t be happening, this conversation would have been over a long time ago.”
Angie Crespo
Senior, Womyn of Color Coalition co-founder “We’re giving the university a blueprint on how to make this campus more inclusive, more diverse — how to make this campus a better campus overall.”
Z Rose McCarron
Senior, NoNames for Justice leader “I would urge more faculty and professors — if they want to have solidarity with this movement — you need to have your classes come to these rallies.”
Jordan Ciccone
Sophomore, NoNames for Justice leader Ciccone has been present at all three rallies, and is often heard leading protesters in chants and song, including chants such as “Meet us on our common ground, show respect for black and brown.”
Ej obaro-best
Sophomore, NoNames for Justice leader “We need [Tom Sullivan and David Daigle] to come back out here right now and face this. Because the stuff that we face, I wish, I pray to god that we were able to walk away from like they just did. I can’t walk away from my identities. I can’t walk away from this skin color. I’ve tried, I’ve tried… and failed. I can’t walk away.”
Doretha Benn
Graduate student, NoNames for Justice leader “While you shouldn’t take our voices away, this isn’t just our fight. So I would urge folks, especially non-black folks and black men, to step up and help black women, who have clearly led all this.”
Q&A With John Mejia Q: A:
OLIVER POMAZI/The Vermont Cynic John Mejia announces an end to their seven-day hunger strike at a protest in the Davis Center Feb. 23.
Q: A:
Why did you begin the hunger strike? I really felt like NoNames for Justice was being ignored, and really that [there was an] escalation of anti-black racism on this campus, as well as increasingly specific threats in terms of white supremacist messaging.
How did students respond? The response that I got was overwhelmingly positive from everyone but the administration. The only direct response I got from the administration was on the first night, telling me that I needed to remove the tent or I would be issued a no-trespass order and that I needed to take away all the Black Lives Matter signs because I was violating the solicitation policy on campus. After that, they completely ignored me.
Q: A:
Why did you choose to end the hunger strike? Honestly, after seven days of zero communication and a cavalcade of lies, I realized that they would be happy to let me
die. There’s no other explanation. There was not a single direct contact with me from the president or provost about the situation. If you’re not even willing to say, “You’re a human being and you’re suffering right now, and I’m not sure what to do but I recognize that you’re suffering and I want to help you”, that and the people who were suffering were the people in my community who were distraught, who literally could not eat, worrying about me dying. As soon as I was made aware of just how much of a negative impact I was having on people at UVM who care, I stopped.
Q:
How did people feel about the hunger strike?
A:
There were a lot of people who were distraught at me putting my life on the line for this institution. Being an optimist and someone who thinks the best of people, I really initially thought that it would shake [the administration] awake. It would say, “you really need to pay attention now. There’s someone who’s literally putting their life on the line so that you will pay attention to your students.” It would activate their sense of humanity and empathy. Neither happened. What they did was put policy above humanity.
Q: A:
How did the hunger strike impact your health? If you’ve not eaten for a day, or for two days, you
know that it’s incredibly painful to not eat… Every day, I would have to go to bed an hour earlier. Eventually I was wiped out by 7 p.m., 6 p.m. On the last day I had blood drawn… and I literally had to go to sleep immediately afterwards. My body was just like, “nope, no more of this.”
University Response UVM has been concerned about Mejia’s health and is glad that they have chosen to end their strike. The University reached out to Mejia to try to establish a conversation and offer them medical support, UVM Communications Director Enrique Corredera stated in a Feb. 25 email.
The Vermont Cynic
Feb.27, 2018
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NEWS
...and Who they’re demanding resign
tom sullivan
University President
Annie Stevens Vice Provost for Student Affairs
Sullivan became University president in July 2012. He has met student racial justice activist group NoNames for Justice in offices in the Waterman building, but has not “met on common ground,” in a space outside of his offices, as the activist group requested Feb. 22. At the Feb. 22
demonstration, protesters blocked off Main Street and did not intend to leave until Sullivan met with them, said junior Starr Cobb, a member of NoNames. At the protest, Burlington Police Chief Brandon Del Pozo told protesters he’d been in contact with Sullivan’s office, and that Sullivan would not be coming
out to meet them. The group said it is calling for his resignation because he has not adequately protected students of color and failed to meet their list of demands. At several protests, the crowd chanted “hey hey, ho ho, Tom Sullivan has got to go.” One of Sullivan’s responsibilities is to cre-
ate and support a climate of understanding and mutual respect, according to the UVM website. Sullivan developed a University-wide diversity committee to address issues of racism on campus earlier this year, his office said. Sullivan did not respond to request for comment.
Stevens is the vice provost for student affairs. Stevens spoke with student activists at last weekend’s NoNames protests and said she was there to make sure students stayed safe. During the Main Street demonstration, she communicated with Sullivan over the phone and said he wanted to meet with students but
would not meet that night. She did not know why he was not present or where he was, she said. The Main Street protest began when NoNames for Justice members interrupted Stevens’ graduate-level class. The students demanded Stevens acknowledge the list of demands and support
the group, Cobb said. According to the activists, Stevens respected their right to protest but did not support the group. Sophomore Harmony Edosomwan, president of Black Student Union, said Stevens refused to admit the University’s failure to create a safe environment for students of color. Though Stevens has
served as a communicator between students and administration, she said she did not know whether all demands would be met. The vice provost’s role is to represent student interests and ensure a relationship between academic and non-academic student life, according to the UVM website.
david rosowsky Provost Rosowsky is provost and senior vice president of UVM. He has not made an appearance at any of the week’s protests. Currently, Rosowsky is out of the state with his family for Chittenden County school vacation week and does not have regular email access, according to an email from the provost’s office. NoNames has not addressed why Rosowsky in particular was called to resign. As provost, Rosowsky serves as chief budget officer and chief academic officer, according to the UVM website. The provost holds financial and academic responsibilities including “advancing diversity, creating an outstanding student experience, promoting student access to success,” according to the UVM website. His office declined to comment.
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ARTS
The Vermont Cynic
Feb. 27, 2018
BSU FASHION SHOW CELEBRATES BLACK CULTURE
Addie Beach Assistant Arts Editor Lily Young Staff Writer Decked in sleek jackets and rainbows of silky prints, student models twirled hips, did splits and circled each other to thudding beats. Behind them, an array of flags was lit in soft pinks and purples. The hosts interjected just long enough to engage the dancing audience with “Black Panther” references, jokes and cheers for everyone on stage. The annual Black Student Union fashion show took place Saturday, Feb. 24. The fashion show featured the creative work of four black-
owned companies and A2TV, a local dance group that blends traditional African music with Western pop and hip-hop, according to the BSU Facebook page. For sophomore Mwai Nyamu, vice president of BSU, the focus was on students. The event was student-run. “This is basically putting on display for the wider UVM community a black-run event here on campus,” Nyamu said. The reason BSU chose a fashion show, he added, is for the fun built into the event. The theme of this year’s show was “For the Culture.” The event aimed to highlight “heritage and cultural ancestry,” Nyamu said.
LILLY SHARP/The Vermont Cynic
The Black Student Union fashion show, featuring the work of four black-owned companies and a local dance group, took place on the fourth floor of the Davis Center Feb. 24.