Issue 23 - Volume 134

The Vermont Cynic MARCH 6, 2018

VOL. 134 – ISSUE 23

VTCYNIC.COM

Mayoral hopefuls face off at debate

Student runs for seat in City Council election

Meg Trogolo Staff Writer

Mayoral Race cont. on page 2

vote here: Ward 8 elections are Tuesday, March 6 at Burlington City Hall.

ALEK FLEURY/The Vermont Cynic First-year Jared Magsino holds a sign created by NoNames for Justice, a campus racial justice group. Protesters met with administration Feb. 28 after occupying the Waterman building Feb. 26.

Protests force change Lee Hughes Ben Elfland Senior Staff Writers After a closed meeting among University representatives and protest leaders, students are putting their call for the resignation of three administrators on hold.

After two weeks of protests, leaders of racial justice group NoNames for Justice met privately with administrators and deans to discuss their list of racial justice demands.

Eleven NoNames leaders represented protesters at the meeting. Administrators and protest leaders assigned administrators and student leaders to work on each demand, said senior Z McCarron, a NoNames leader.

The private meeting came two days after students protested in the Waterman building for 12 hours Monday, Feb. 26.

NoNames leaders met with administration during the Feb. 26 Waterman protest, but requested a mediator to continue, McCarron said.

McCarron said a third-party mediator was not provided at the meeting Feb. 28, either.

“We’re finally at the point where we’re at a table, having a discussion,” McCarron said.

“It’s going to take a lot more meetings and and a lot more rallies and a lot more action on behalf of the entire community.”

McCarron believes the work will get done if there is the same level of engagement that NoNames has seen the past two weeks, they said.

“The past few weeks, we have missed a lot of classes.

Some have missed exams,” McCarron said. “We’ve put 24/7 into this movement, so we’ve taken the past four days and the week leading into spring break to be students again.”

“It’s good that negotiations are happening,” said senior SGA President Chris Petrillo.

“

We’re finally at the point where we’re at a table, having a discussion.

“

Students cheered and jeered while Burlington’s three mayoral candidates debated campaign issues in the Davis Center during an SGA-sponsored event.

Candidate Infinite Culcleasure was at the UVM Medical Center while his partner gave birth and sent campaign representative Fareed Munasryah.

Mayor Miro Weinberger and candidate Carina Driscoll were both present.

The student vote isn’t always important, but the turnout showed students understand the impact, Weinberger said.

The candidates have been active on campus leading up to the election. Culcleasure made appearances at recent student protests.

Sophomore Reginah Mako, chair of SGA diversity and inclusion committee, and senior Will Sudbay, SGA chair of legislative and community affairs, moderated.

Munasryah said the city government often makes a “false distinction” between the needs of UVM students and those of other Burlington residents. City Hall must “include all stakeholders,” he said.

“There is a perception of UVM students as rich and spoiled brats, when most of them are hardworking people,” he said.

The Burlington residents Driscoll spoke with on the campaign trail unfairly blamed high rent prices on students, she said. “[UVM and the city of Burlington] go hand-in-hand. Students are often scapegoated for

Emma Jarnagin Lee Hughes Senior Staff Writers

Z McCarron NoNames Leader “The next couple of weeks are incredibly important for both the progress of the movement as well as the response from the administration.”

It’s an opportunity to develop concrete steps for improvement of the campus, he said.

Petrillo was also present at the Waterman protest Feb. 26.

That day, more than 250 students settled in the building.

While protesters talked about diversity issues and chanted in the hallways, NoNames leaders met privately with President

Tom Sullivan.

When a voice from the crowd asked NoNames leaders how the private meetings went, sophomore Harmony Edosomwan announced the plan to meet Feb. 28.

“I don’t want to say the specifics because we’re in negotiations, but a lot of the things we wanted them to do, they didn’t do,” Edosomwan said.

After 9:10 p.m., police walked around Waterman to inform protesters they would arrest anyone who remained in the building, UVM police officer Jordan Barriere said.

“I know we have had a good working relationship with the police. I just want to name that we told the police we were going to leave,” graduate student Doretha Benn said.

“So this scare tactic to try and separate us was fucked up.

And that shows us where we stand actually with the police.

“So again, don’t listen to information that’s not coming from us.”

Earlier that day, protesters staged a campus-wide class walkout at 11 a.m Feb. 25. and directed participants to march to the Waterman building. For three hours, the group sent out small groups of students to speak with deans of each of the University’s seven colleges.

Protesters asked deans to sign a letter committing to hire NoNonames cont. on page 2

In his campaign for Ward 8 councilman, UVM junior JF Carter Neubieser has broken University rules.

Neubieser missed a Feb. 23 debate to attend student racial justice protests. He also campaigned in residence halls, he said, which is against University policy.

Neubieser, Ward 8 school board candidate Keith Pillsbury and Ward 8 city council incumbent and Adam Roof ’11 presented during public forum Feb. 27 to SGA. “I spent like four hours beforehand [preparing], showed up at the debate, and me and Adam were going to share our visions,” Neubieser said.

Neubieser wholeheartedly rejects the thought that his actions were unprofessional, he said.

He said that it was his responsibility as someone seeking a position of power to go and stand in solidarity with people who “are really just fighting for nothing radical. It’s just basic human dignity and basic morality,” he said.

Neubieser decided to run for City Council after seeing how students lack a voice in city politics, he said.

“The reason I really decided to get into this race is because I’m tired,” Neubieser said.

Neubieser is tired of the University marketing itself as a place that is inclusive, good on the environment and focused on economic justice, he said.

“We’ve seen over the last couple of days that the University is not the ideal [that it markets],” Neubieser said.

Senior Will Sudbay, SGA chair of legislative and community affairs, told Neubieser that campaigning in residence halls breaks UVM rules.

Neubieser replied, “I don’t City council cont. on page 2

Junior engineering major dies from hiking accident Staff Report

Photo credit: Facebook Junior mechanical engineering major Trent Ferguson poses for a photo. Ferguson died in a hiking accident March 2.

Junior Trent Ferguson died during a hiking accident March 2.

Annie Stevens, vice provost for student affairs, announced Ferguson’s death in a campus-wide email March 4.

Ferguson’s body was found by searchers March 3 near Bingham Falls in Stowe after he fell through the ice while hiking Friday afternoon, according to a March 3 Burlington Free Press article.

Ferguson was a mechanical

engineering major in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, according to Stevens.

He was one of the Community Student Leaders for the Coffee House program in the Living/Learning Center, and he was actively involved in many ways both on and off campus, she stated.

The Coffee House is run by students who are passionate about ethical coffee production, according to its website.

The University extends its condolences to Ferguson’s fam-

ily, and thoughts of sympathy and care are with his friends, classmates and faculty and staff who were close with him, Stevens stated.

Information regarding services for the family or the campus will be sent out as soon as they become available, according to Stevens.

Those in need of additional support following the accident are encouraged to reach out to UVM’s counseling and psychiatry services at (802) 656-3340, the email stated.

NEWS

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Digital Exclusive Content Alison Bechdel promotes current exhibit at the Fleming Museum

Vermont author and artist speaks in the Silver Maple Ballroom.

In the Raw: Katherine Brennan talks poetry

Podcaster Leah Kelleher talks with first-year Katherine Brennan about her work.

Theater department discusses diversity

A forum was hosted by the theater deparment Feb. 27 to evaluate diversity in classes and productions.

Lacrosse player talks new season

Junior Braiden Davis discusses the lacrosse team and his improvement on the field.

The Outdoor Narrative: Summer in the Appalachians Junior Joscie Norris speaks with The Outdoor Narrative podcast about her experience in the Appalachian Mountains.

Why student movements will save us all

An opinion columnist writes about how student protesters are creating change on campus and in the country.

Get the full story at vtcynic.com

The Vermont Cynic

Mar. 6, 2018

Dining hall offers cooking classes Lee Hughes Staff Writer Discovery Kitchen seeks to teach students life skills about cooking for themselves.

The kitchen has been successful since it opened in fall 2017, however it is looking to expand its programming in the future, Executive Chef Sarah Langan said.

Located in Central Campus Dining Hall, Discovery Kitchen hosts weekly cooking classes that are geared towards teaching basic cooking skills to all students, Langan said.

Langan said college is about learning life skills in adition to getting an education.

“I’m giving classes to anyone that swipes into the dining hall and wants to come. It’s free and it’s fun,” said.

Langan would like to expand the program and is tentatively looking to begin this month, she said.

“In March, I’m doing a series of three classes for UVM students based around food insecurity,” Langan said. “It’s geared around students that have just moved off campus, and it’s going to be incentivised for them to come to.”

These proposed classes are for food systems students, but in the future Langan wants to offer them to a wider range of students, she said.

SGA Senator Bhumika Patel, a senior, said that food education, particularly around food insecurity, should begin with budgeting.

Patel is working with UVM to address food insecurity for students. She said that nutrition education is also importMayoral Race cont. from page 1 rising rents. Every chance I get, I defend you,” Driscoll said.

Weinberger defended his administration’s policies over the past six years. He mentioned a partnership between city government and the Champlain Housing Trust, a nonprofit which builds affordable housing in the Burlington area.

Munasryah said Weinberger’s administration has focused too much on building high-income and middle-income housing.

Culcleasure’s campaign has focused heavily on low-income housing and shelter for Burlington’s homeless population.

“Housing is a human right,” Munasryah said.

Weinberger’s administration has allowed private developers to build too many luxury apartments instead of affordable housing, Driscoll said.

Driscoll suggested setting aside spaces in which homeless people can build sanctioned encampments.

Weinberger is a Democrat, while Driscoll and Culcleasure are both Independents.

Driscoll has the endorsement of the Progressive Party.

The UVM Democrats have endorsed Weinberger, while the UVM Progressives have endorsed Culcleasure.

SAM LITRA/The Vermont Cynic

Students learn how to prepare nutritious meals in Discovery Kitchen, a culinary classroom in the Central Campus Dining Hall. The kitchen, which opened last semester, is expanding to help students experiencing food insecurity. ant in that regard.

“When people are responsible for their nutrition for the first time — which is often when they come to college — people don’t always realize you need this many vegetables a day or this many fruits,” Patel said.

Langan said that she also hopes to teach food skills, such as resource efficiency. Her goal is for students learn how to use all of their food effectively and in multiple ways, she said.

UVM is one of the first universities in the U.S. to offer a program like this, Langan said.

“It’s sort of cutting edge.”

Harris Millis Dining Hall and the Explorations Station in Central Campus Dining Hall offer similar programs, though they are more informal since no sign up is required and they are not structured like a class, she said.

The classes are based on three pillars: sustainability, health and culture, Langan said. “If I could teach under any one of those, the [administration] would be happy.”

First-year Luke Urbina said he attended multiple classes.

“I’d say that they taught me skills,” he said.

Sophomore Maggie Hirsch-

berg said Discovery Kitchen helped her realize that she could make food herself, but said the program can improve.

“I think they need to do a better a job of catering more toward vegans and vegetarians,” she said.

Patel said that in respect to education and food insecurity, it is important that Discovery Kitchen courses cater to diverse dietary needs.

Classes are 2:45-4:15 p.m. every Tuesday and 5:00-6:30 p.m. every Wednesday, according to the UVM Guide App.

NoNames cont. from page 1 and retain more faculty and staff of color and to implement mandatory diversity training.

Dean William Falls of the College of Arts and Sciences and Dean Nancy Mathews of the Rubenstein School have signed the letter, but the deans of the other colleges have not.

Dean Scott Thomas of the College of Education and Social Services said he supports protesters’ ideals and activism, but was unable to sign the contract for three reasons:

City Council cont. from page 1 care what the rules are.”

The University unevenly enforces this rule and restricts students’ ability to be politically active, he said.

Sudbay is afraid Neubiser’s actions will have adverse consequences on other students in terms of political speech around campus, he said.

Sophomore Mikaela McSharry said that Neubieser campaigned in her residence hall. “He was telling me about his platform,” she said. “It’s just kind of what you would expect from a politician.”

McSharry said that speaking to Neubieser made her realize that she needs to research the candidates’ positions more before voting in the election.

First-year Hayden Rungren first began hearing about the election from posters around campus and when Neubieser came into one of their club meetings to talk about his campaign, Rungren said.

“I’m glad someone wants to hold UVM accountable for its shit,” Rungren said.

In Roof’s opening statement to SGA, he spoke about his experience in leadership and his plan for the future that would help him in his next term in office.

Roof said he has three actions he promises to deliver

during the first 60 days of his term if re-elected.

1. He wanted to give the document the consideration and consultation he feels an agreement signed on behalf of the college deserves.

2. The specificity of the document is stifling to the preexisting needs, capacities and interests of the college.

3. Even if he did sign, some of the actions are unworkable from within the college.

For example: mandatory training.

Thomas committed to the requirement of training for all faculty teaching D1 and D2 courses, according to a Feb. 26 email.

1. Establish and require diversity and equity training for all incoming city councilors and commission appointees.

2. Initiate a diversity assessment to study the commissions and make recommendations on how to address inequalities of the commissioners at city hall.

He would have this work done through the community and revitalization committee, of which he is currently chair.

3. Advocate for funding of at least one additional community outreach specialist to connect and build relationships with minority members of the Burlington community.

Affordable rent, sexual assault, income inequality and Burlington’s homeless population are all issues Roof is planning to continue his work on, he said.

“I have the experience to translate ideology into action that impacts your lives,” he said.

The Vermont Cynic

OPINION

Mar. 6, 2018

The Vermont

CYNIC

Vote with compassion

T 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

Staff Editorial

uesday is Town Meeting Day, which means that UVM students have the day off from classes to get out and vote. We urge all students who are exercising their right to vote to do so with care and commitment.

When you cast a vote for the Ward 8 City Council representative and when you choose who will be the next mayor of Burlington, think about the implications for the larger community.

For UVM students who live in Burlington nine months out of the year, the impacts of a vote reach further than they will experience while they’re residents.

On the ballot this year: the new City Council representative and the Burlington mayor.

But it’s not just about candidates this year. There are seven additional things Ward 8 voters will consider Tuesday.

This year, voters will decide on an $85 million school budget, whether to move to a regional dispatch system for emergency response and a $6.1 million commitment from Champlain College and UVM. Those interested in the environment and climate action will have the chance to send a message to City Council members on renewable energy, climate action and whether or not to base F-35 fighter jets at

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 Phil Carruthers photo@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 Izzy Abraham. Brandon Arcari, Lindsay Freed, Annie Frodeman, Sabrina Hood, Claire MacQueen, Greta Puc, Haley Stern ADVISING Faculty Adviser Chris Evans crevans@uvm.edu

G

GENEVIEVE WINN Burlington International Airport.

And of particular interest to Juul-smoking 20-year-olds is the ballot measure to raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco from 18 to 21.

Every vote counts in a local election. But it’s not enough to just go out and vote. Part of exercising civic duty is researching the people and topics you plan to vote on.

Being an active member of society means making informed, intelligent decisions about the issues that will permanently impact the community.

The Burlington community has done so much for us.

It’s taught us the importance of coexistance and it’s given us a safe environment to get our education. We ought to take interest in how this town continues to thrive and improve.

We should vote not only in the interest of students, but for all the permanent residents who have put up with our college-kid shenanigans. It’s the least we can do.

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.

Simon Bupp-Chickering Opinion Writer

O

ne day after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, President Trump tweeted, “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!”

It is not uncommon for pro-gun politicians to bring up mental health in response to mass shootings or those suggesting gun control. In 2014 Ann Coulter said, “Guns don’t kill people — the mentally ill do.”

According to a December 2017 CBS News poll, 68 percent of respondents said that better mental health screenings would significantly reduce gun violence in the U.S. It is important to note that Americans do not have higher rates of severe mental health conditions than the global average, as illustrated in a 2009 study by the Harvard School of Medicine.

However, the U.S. has had 31 percent of the world’s mass shootings since 1966, according to a 2015 study done by the University of Alabama.

The notion that mass shootings and gun violence are strongly correlated with mental health issues in the U.S. is a false and prejudicial narrative that has wormed its way into

Drag scene redefining femininity Lilly Sharp Opinion Writer

Blame guns, not mental health

Opinion Sydney Liss-Abraham opinion@vtcynic.com Podcasts Chloe Chaobal vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com

3

the public discourse without confronting the facts around mental health and guns in America.

A 2015 study published in the Violence and Gender Journal found that only 22 percent of those who committed a mass shooting were mentally ill.

Additional research done at Vanderbilt University in 2015 showed that less than 5 percent of gun-related killings in the U.S. were done by those with mental illness.

The truly sobering fact about all this is that those suffering from severe mental illness are two to three times more likely to be the victims of violence than the rest of the U.S. This is not to say that the mentally ill should have easy access to weapons. Howev-

COLE THORNTON er, simply doing mental health screenings would be difficult to implement, as the National Institute of Mental Health states that the term “mental illness” could apply to one in six Americans.

We should be treating those around us who suffer from the hardship and pain of mental health issues with compassion and respect rather than scapegoating them and using them as a shield against proponents of gun control.

Stop saying that mental health is the most important factor in gun violence. The facts are not on your side.

Simon Bupp-Chickering is a first-year neuroscience major in favor of gun control. He has been writing for the Cynic since 2018.

rowing up it was hard for me to find a relatable female role model.

I wasn’t raised to be stereotypically feminine. It wasn’t until I found the world of drag that I found “female” role models I could relate to.

The Vixen, a drag queen from Chicago, described drag as “the male interpretation of female empowerment” in the trailer for the upcoming season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Drag acknowledges all of the ways a woman “should be” but then turns that into something completely different and androgynous.

It laughs at the idea of an ideal woman and broadens the scope of what that would even look like, but not without a price.

Next magazine did a survey that found that 73% of drag queens consider themselves men. Controversy over whether men should really be the ones challenging these stereotypes is often part of the debate when looking at drag queens’ new role in pop culture thanks to RuPaul’s Drag Race.

There are often too many rigid lines when it comes to gender. Drag queens, being men, are raised to have many of the same typically masculine characteristics as myself.

But for their characters, they also bring in idealized feminine characteristics.

This makes drag queens some of the most empowering and influential role models for this generation’s women.

The flexible nature of gender they portray speaks to the modern woman. The idea of what a woman grows and changes constantly. Women are more driven and empowered than ever before.

The stereotypical lines between men and women are slowly disappearing and at the forefront of it all, drag queens are doing death drops and lip-syncing up a storm.

Verta Taylor and Leila Rupp, two professors of feminist studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have done case studies on drag queens in Key West, Florida.

“These drag queens … use drag to forge personal and collective identities that are neither masculine nor feminine, but rather their own complex genders,” the study stated.

Drag for both men and women is a way to play with gender, stereotypes and be another version of yourself.

Lilly Sharp is a sophomore psychology and film and television double major and feminist. She has been writing for the Cynic since 2018.

ARTS

4

The Vermont Cynic

Mar. 6, 2018

Visiting poet reads in Fleming series Sarah Robinson Staff Writer

ANNIE HUTCHINGS/The Vermont Cynic

Poet Matthew Dickman reads from his most recent collection, “Green Migraine,” Feb. 28 at the Fleming Museum. Dickman was a lecturer for the museum’s Painted Word Poetry series. that.”

Major Jackson, UVM English professor and Painted Word organizer, has known Dickman and his twin Matthew, also a writer, for over two decades, he said.

“His latest work finds him embracing his identity as a father, and you can hear the love and affection he has for his family but also within the

larger context of the natural world,” Jackson said.

“Green Migraine” contains 19 original poems by Dickman, most of which he read at the event. The book cover is colorful and reflective — the reader can literally see their face against the stripes of subdued greens, purples and blues.

His style is descriptive yet simplistic. He leaves most of

the page blank with little more than 10 or 15 words per line.

Dickman described his style as “anemic and stripped down.”

The use of white space and lack of punctuation are intentional. Dickman aims for readers to see the white space as punctuation, he said.

He hopes that the poems sound in the reader’s mind the way the poems sound in his

Photo credit: Facebook

A barista creates latte art at the Latte Art Throwdown Feb. 25 at The Great Northern. Baristas gathered to test their skills in front of a team of judges.

Baristas create coffee art Julia Nugent Staff Writer

T

Migraines involve nausea, auras and sensitivity to light, sound and scent.

Poet Michael Dickman’s most recent book, “Green Migraine,” draws from the images brought on by symptoms of migraines.

Dickman was invited to the Painted Word Poetry series Feb. 28 at the Fleming Museum, where he read some of his poems to a full audience.

UVM English professor and poet Didi Jackson introduced Dickman to the crowd.

“Like paintings by the surrealist artist Salvador Dali, [Dickman’s] poems play with fragmentations of fantasy not brought on with dreams, as in the case of Dali and other surrealist artists, but from the symptoms of migraines,” Jackson said.

Dickman grew up in Portland, Oregon and was introduced to poetry by “The Captain’s Verses” by the “slightly complicated Chilean poet” Pablo Neruda, he said.

Dickman read the poems to impress an older girl, but by the end of the book he was crying, he said.

“The neighborhood I grew up in was a rough neighborhood and the men I knew were assholes,” Dickman said. “I didn’t know you could express yourself like that, so I wanted to do that. I kept wanting to do

own, he said.

As Dickman performed some of his more well-known poems, such as “Dog Vertigo,” “Yellow Migraine” and “Lullaby,” some audience members closed their eyes.

Dickman’s work is completely relatable, especially the descriptions of migraines, junior Henry Motto said.

“Using the white space as punctuation really adds to the effects of having migraines and not knowing what to do at the time,” Motto said.

Toward the end of the event, Dickman spoke about his fear of dead language.

He described the challenge of keeping words fresh and alive, while still finding the joy in creating a new way to describe the world.

“Music that’s left over and hangs on everything sounds like it could use some more gasoline,” reads one of the lines in his poem “A Cloudless Sky.” Major Jackson wasn’t surprised to hear that Dickman is afraid of dead language. Jackson said that to be conscious of when words go out of style are writers’ “unstated job descriptions.”

Dickman has three other published books including one co-written with his brother called “50 American Plays.”

Dickman works as a creative writing lecturer at Princeton University.

Some people build monuments, others, build lattes.

Baristas dueled at the Latte Art Throwdown Feb. 25, held at The Great Northern, a restaurant on Pine Street.

They competed against each other to test their skills in latte art creation.

The dim lights, angular couch and wooden fireplace inside the restaurant created a sense of comfort. The free coffee offered during the event didn’t hurt either.

One of the judges, Rob Maynard, said he looks for consistency and creativity in latte art.

“The ability to design a series and use symmetry or asymmetry with signs on the side,” Maynard said. “It’s about the control of pour and cre-

ative ability.”

Maynard has been involved in the coffee community for a long time.

“I’ve been working with coffee for about six and a half years and competing for maybe three to four years, intermittently,” he said. “The camaraderie is very cool.”

The room buzzed as the event was about to begin.

Two people competed in front of three judges.

The competition was fastpaced. The contestants took around three minutes to make the latte, top it with a design and set it on the table.

After a few seconds, the judges pointed to the winning cup. Soon after, the next pair began to battle.

Read the rest of this story at vtcynic.com

The Vermont Cynic

5

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6

LIFE

The Vermont Cynic

Mar. 6, 2018

Body ideal creates exercise addiction Autumn Lee Life Columnist

M

ost days I get up before 6 a.m. to arrive at the gym right when it opens for a private workout.

Sometimes, I can’t help internalizing social media posts filled with fitspo and body transformation, each advertising a “rounder booty” or “flatter abs.”

The ideal female body has changed over the last couple of years, shedding the pencil-thin look in exchange for muscles and toned curves.

“Although a slender physique still dominated the fashion industry at the beginning of the 21st century, social media has begun to open up the industry to an ever-greater cross section of people,” a January 2018 BBC article states.

Though all body types are beautiful­— seeking to fit any ideal is a misogynistic trap — I was drawn to these lifestyle trends.

Growing up, I was a slightly chubby kid.

College meant that for the first time I got to decide what went into my belly and was empowered to be more active.

Early in my first year, I began making use of the University’s gym a couple nights a week with some of my suitem-

ates.

I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I knew I always left feeling good. I began to love it.

I started going early in the morning to avoid large groups of people who I thought were judging me.

Then it became a slight addiction.

Exercise addiction falls under the category of behavioral addictions, which are now recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health.

The manual is a product of more than 10 years of international experts of mental health, according to the American Psychiatric Foundation.

This addiction is characterized by things like withdrawal, where “in the absence of exercise the person experiences negative effects such as anxiety, irritability, restlessness and sleep problems,” the manual states.

I would get stressed and have mini breakdowns if I missed going to the gym one day. I would even restrict my calorie intake when I missed working out.

Even though I’ve been a regular at the gym for over a year now, I still don’t like admitting to people that I work out.

I’ve lost about 40 pounds since I began working out. I

love fitting into clothes better and having a more ideal body, but it’s not all sunshine and roses.

There are days when I look in the bent, full-length Target mirror in my dorm room and see the chubby kid of my younger days.

Somewhere in my head, I associate the statement “I work out” with muscled and toned bodies, and I still don’t see my own figure as matching this ideal image.

I’m still intimidated by everyone else who works out. Everyone must be stronger and more fit than I am — I’m just in their way.

Being a woman only makes it worse.

Even in the early mornings, I’m surrounded by men lifting weights that are almost always heavier than mine.

Perhaps no one notices me doing bicep curls or squats in the corner, but I feel their perceived judgement sharper than the ache in my muscles after an hour of exercise.

The gym seeps into my life everywhere: I follow fitness accounts on Instagram and plan my meals and sleep schedule around trips to the recreation center.

Exercise addiction is in part characterized by how people spend “a great deal of time preparing for, engaging in and re-

covering from exercise,” the manual states.

There are benefits and challenges to my health habits.

It can feel like an obsession when I notice myself looking at fitness accounts or counting my calories too closely.

I have to remind myself that this is my body, and how I look and feel impacts me alone.

Photoillustration: Phil Carruthers

I’ve got a strong body that I love most days, and I’m happy for that.

There are lots of reasons to go to the gym; I hope that I and others learn that the biggest one should be for yourself.

Autumn Lee is a sophomore art education major and has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2017.

Women yell louder, kick harder Try a digital device detox Bernadette Higgs Staff Writer In the back of the UVM Alumni House a young woman twists and jabs, knocking down a fully padded police officer while a crowd of onlooking women cheer and holler.

During the month of February, the UVM police held the Rape Aggression Defense System in a series of four threehour classes, free for UVM women.

The simulations of scenarios and cultivation of physical combat skills aim to give them the knowledge and empowerment to defend themselves, according to the UVM police services website.

“Our hope is that women leave the program with not only a new set of tools,”’ said UVM police Detective Elizabeth Felicciardi, “but also a heightened sense of self-awareness.”

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center reports one in five women in college are sexually assaulted.

In 2016 there were 19 reported rapes, 13 instances of fondling and 12 accounts of stalking on campus, according to the 2016 UVM Annual Security Report.

The course helps women gain confidence, the website states.

“I think women often feel the need to be nice, or otherwise we’re seen as a b-word,” Felicciardi said. “As an instructor, we literally watch the empowerment grow throughout

Alex Shannon Life Columnist

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SHIYAN HONG/The Vermont Cynic

A student in the Rape Aggression Defense System course practices her moves on a dummy in the UVM Alumni House. the course.”

Throughout the program, women practice skills that would help them in the event of an attack, including yelling, kicking and punching, the website states.

“My favorite part of the course is holding the punching bags and feeling the kicks get harder and the yells get louder,” Felicciardi said.

Students enrolled in the course walk away with physical confrontation skills that prepare them for situations they might encounter in or outside of college, the UVM police services website states.

“I would feel more prepared for any dangerous situations after taking a RAD course,” first-year Ailinn Santos said. “I would definitely feel safer having some self-defense knowl-

edge under my belt.”

Male students also recognized the importance of self-defense skills.

“I think these self-defense courses are extremely important for the women of UVM,” first-year Luke Gelinas said. “It allows them to feel safe roaming campus alone.”

For those who missed the course, Felicciardi’s big tip is to be aware of surroundings.

“I promise nothing going on in your phone is more important than what’s going on around you,” she said.

Though the course doesn’t solve all issues facing women, it’s a good start.

As long as there is rape in our society, there will be a need for women to do what they can to protect themselves and be safe, the RAD website states.

have my whole life ahead of me, but I might be wasting it staring at my phone.

An average person spends five years and three months on social media in their lifetime, according to ComScore, a media statistics company.

I would often get frustrated with friends for looking down at their phones while we spoke, or texting drivers who delay traffic.

But truthfully, I was also at fault and knew that needed to change.

In May 2017, while studying abroad, I deleted Snapchat from my phone.

I thought I’d give it a try for a week to see how I felt.

I assumed I would miss Snapchat. Or rather, I would miss the videos and photos of what my friends were doing.

But I didn’t think about Snapchat, nor do I want it back.

Instead, I realized how much I was missing by trying to document certain moments or watch what others were up to.

After that trial run, I never re-downloaded Snapchat and don’t think I ever will.

I don’t hate all forms or uses of social media, I’m just taking a step back from it.

Social media is a great and innovative way to connect with others, and I’m not completely deleting it from my life.

Of all the diets and detoxes out there, I believe most in a

social media cleanse.

A digital detox is when a person refrains from using electronic devices for a period of time, according to Oxford Living Dictionaries.

Some participate in them for three hours, others for days.

A few weeks ago I put my phone on "airplane mode” for 24 hours.

Not only did 24 hours away from the digital world reset and refresh me, it prompted me to delete Instagram as well.

It’s easy to get caught in a black hole of skimming through pictures that aren’t necessarily accurate portrayals of people’s lives.

I enjoyed my time away from the digital world, but remaining in a detox forever is probably impossible for anyone who doesn’t want to disappear into the woods.

The reality is that I need my computer to do school work, my phone to communicate with my boss and social media to make plans with friends.

Digital devices and social media are undoubtedly integrated into our lives, but we should also integrate a mindfulness of our use of devices.

It’s as simple as putting your phone on “do not disturb” or vowing to keep it in your pocket at dinner.

Alex Shannon is is a senior public communications major, a field that requires phones and computers often. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring of 2015.

The Vermont Cynic

Mar. 6, 2018

FEATURE

Trinity campus, although isolated from the rest of the University, has a unique and tight-knit community of residents.

Mercy Me

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CAROLINE SLACK/The Vermont Cynic

Students Navigate the Jungle of UVM Caroline Slack Assistant Features Editor

M

y roommate and I woke up on a Saturday morning early in the fall 2017 semester and opened the door of our room to a hallway floor covered in glitter.

Our resident adviser’s door had been peed on the previous night, and her bulletin board had been torn to shreds. We entered the hall bathroom to see that someone had written “Trin Bitches Stay Nasty” on the mirror in mauve lipstick.

Home sweet Mercy Hall.

At the start of spring semester of my first year, I was pining for a single room in the Living/Learning Center. I was devastated when all of the L/L programs I applied to rejected me, and a low lottery number put me in a random double on the third floor of Mercy on Trinity campus.

In retrospect, most of my dread came from the fact that I had no idea what to expect living there. Life on Trinity is somewhat mythologized for non-residents.

“Trinity is a bit like the boonies of UVM,” said sophomore Foster Borch, who has spent two years in Honors College housing. “I do like how remote it is in comparison to other residential areas on campus; however, I honestly might rather hike Mount Mansfield than make the trek over there.”

Trinity is the converted remains of a Catholic women’s college, Trinity College, which closed in 2000 and was subsequently purchased by UVM. The campus houses multiple dorms: traditional residence halls McAuley and Mercy; “The Back Five” suite-style halls McCann, Ready, Hunt, Sichel and Richardson; and apartment-style cottages.

Sophomore Kristian Borovik called Mercy Hall the “Inferno” of UVM. “The atmosphere of this dorm prevents any intellectual growth or creativity,” he said. “Most of the residents of this asylum are highly unmotivated students without any ambitions for success.

“Their happiness consists of getting high and watching ‘Rick and Morty.’”

First-year Max Fink, who lives in McAuley Hall, summed up his living environment with a sarcastic quip.

“When it comes to McAuley, there is nothing that I enjoy more than living next to a stairwell full of piss, cigarettes and beer,” he said. “It took two janitors when they finally cleaned it up three days ago, and they couldn’t Febreeze away the smell.”

Still, some people swear by the Trinity lifestyle.

“Trinity is a lawless place in comparison to the rest of campus, and it’s

GENEVIEVE WINN beautiful,” said sophomore Niki Kruzel, who spent her first year in Sichel Hall and now lives in the Wing/Davis/Wilks complex.

Junior Kourtney Soderholm spent her first year in Mercy.

“Trinity saved my college experience,” she said. “Every single one of my friends now lived in Mercy. Being that far away really helps people bond.”

Sophomore Jackie Balter was placed

in Sichel Hall for the 2017-18 school year, and she’s had mixed experiences.

“I like how big my room is and I’m good friends with my neighbors, but I feel a little isolated, especially because I was in L/L last year,” she said. “It was definitely a change.

“The actual room is nice, but it’s weird to be so far from everything. Even though it’s not really any further than Redstone, it feels like it is because there seems to be less people and less going on over here.”

With the majority of her friends from last year living together on Redstone campus, Balter was forced to make new connections with those living around her.

“It just felt like I was a first-year all over again having to make new friends,” she said.

But once she bonded with those new friends, she found that life on Trinity was not as bad as she feared it would be, she said.

Sophomore Noah Rappel lives in Hunt hall.

“It always smells like weed or like massive amounts of chemicals to cover up the weed,” he said. “When it’s cold outside, it can be depressing because you don’t have the motivation to trek across campus to socialize with people, so you end up sitting in your room, watching porn.”

He appreciates the McAuley dining hall which caters to his vegan lifestyle, he said.

I’ve realized that there is a bright side to an otherwise not-so-ideal housing placement. My room is spacious and overlooks a beautiful green, UVM Medical campus and a stretch of woods.

The roommate I was randomly placed with turned out to be kind and intelligent. We became close pals almost immediately. We’ve made our room into our own little home.

When I move out this spring, I don’t think I’ll miss Trinity.

But I appreciate that I’m spending this year in an area completely unlike anywhere else on campus.

Caroline Slack is a sophomore and resident of Mercy Hall. You can find her wandering in the woods behind the Trinity residence halls.

8

SPORTS

The Vermont Cynic

Mar. 6, 2018

Catamounts stomp over Black Bears Curt Berry Staff Writer

Vermont took the first step toward America East glory, defeating the University of Maine on the back of a superb second-half performance.

UVM outplayed Maine Saturday night, winning 75-60, and advanced to the semifinals. They will play Stony Brook University March 6.

Senior guard Trae BellHaynes, who was awarded the America East Player of the Year for the second consecutive year last week, led the team with 21 points and four assists.

Before the game began, UVM honored two of its players; junior guard Ernie Duncan and redshirt senior forward Payton Henson were recognized for scoring 1,000 points each in their college careers.

Henson matched BellHaynes with 21 total points.

The Maine Black Bears came out strong in the first minutes of the game. They went on a 12-4 run and went 3-3 from the 3-point line. Head coach John Becker called for a timeout.

After the timeout, UVM went on an 8-0 run to even out the score. Minutes later, Becker sent in sophomore forward Anthony Lamb, and all 3,200 fans rose up and applauded.

This was Lamb’s first home game of the season since he suffered an ankle injury.

Lamb played 11 minutes

SABRINA HOOD/The Vermont Cynic

Redshirt senior Payton Henson defends against a UNH player Feb. 15. The Catamounts are 26-6 this season and defeated Maine March 3 to reach the America East semifinals.

and finished with seven points and three rebounds. Becker talked about Lamb’s progress this season as he took time to recover.

“He’s a really tough kid, and it is amazing how he can come back after battling an injury and contribute the way he has,” Becker said.

At the end of the first half, UVM led 36-33. The second half was not much of a battle, as UVM jumped out to an 18-5 run for the first 10 minutes of

the second half. During this run, Bell-Haynes scored eight points of his own.

The game finished with a final score of 75-60, as Becker gave the players on the bench some playing time. Senior guard David Urso played his first minute of playoff basketball on Saturday night.

“We were a lot more aggressive in the second half,” Becker said. “Our defense really got us going, and we were able to get on a nice run.”

Once again, Bell-Haynes was consistent throughout the game. He was able to keep Vermont in the game in the first half and was the spark for them to break away in the second.

“I felt good about my shooting in the first half, and I feel like [Maine] saw that,” BellHaynes said. “They gave me more respect in the second, so I was able to create more space for others.”

Bell-Haynes became the seventh UVM player to score

over 1.600 career points, and senior Cam Ward set a new school record with his 138th career appearance, according to UVM athletics.

The Catamounts, who are the top seed in the American East Conference, seek to defend the house again Tuesday, as Stony Brook will come in after an upset against the University at Albany.