THEVERMONTCYNIC THE ISSUE 24 - VOLUME 138 | MARCH 29, 2022 | VTCYNIC.COM
SGA senator asks a question during a meeting in the Livak Ballroom March 22.
SOPHIA BALUNEK/The Vermont Cynic
What is SGA working on? Lila Cumming Cynic News Reporter
SGA hopes to improve transparency with the student body and further advertise their advocacy for students, said SGA Vice President Olivija Stephens, a junior. The webpage titled “What Is SGA Working On” references a 2018 survey as a cause for committee action, and quotes the SGA president and vice president of two administrations prior to the current leadership. Website updates go through SGA Office Coordinator Meg McCormack, said junior Addie Robinson, chair of the public relations committee. The administration largely controls the SGA website and has to approve of the changes, making it frustrating to get things done, said SGA President Sam Pasqualoni, a senior. “I think part of the holdup is that the University does have pretty strict policies about students not having access to the website,” said senior Sarah Plaut, chair of academic affairs. Each committee is pursuing different projects this semester that prioritize student wellbeing including gender equity, sexual violence awareness, club recognition and more, Stephens said. Committees are responsible for different aspects of the student experience, according to the SGA webpage.
PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE
The Public Relations Committee focuses on communicating to students what SGA is currently working on. The committee runs all the SGA social media accounts and handles the bi-semester newsletter, Robinson said. Senator Eli Smith, a junior, is in the process of making changes to the SGA webpage. Smith plans to update it with information consistent with current SGA projects and initiatives. The committee plans to table in April and will invite students to take a study break with a snack or drink, Robinson said. Most of the focus of the Public Relations Committee consists of reaching more students and building trust in the community, Robinson said. “I feel like people tend to think that SGA is a mouthpiece for the University for administration and that’s not always true,” she said. “I think that a lot of the time we communicate our own opinion.” The committee received just under $500 in funding for the year, according to a March 23 text message from Robinson to the Cynic.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE The Academic Affairs Committee addresses matters associated with academic policy, curriculum and facultystudent relations, according to the SGA webpage.
The committee plans to make a pamphlet of academic resources for students, Plaut said. Additionally, the committee works on advertising the Study Skills campaign in the Tutoring Center after finding a disconnect between students going into entry-level classes and progress in study skills. Many sophomores who should have been building study skills who are now in upper level classes don’t know how to effectively study, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Plaut said. Additionally, to strengthen the academic experience among students, the Academic Affairs Committee asks professors and administrators to post their expanded section descriptions for their classes early on in the semester, Plaut said. The committee sent out a survey to students about their experiences with professors disclosing their section descriptions, which they plan on presenting at the Faculty Senate next month, Plaut said. The committee also met with lab coordinators and different department heads to create policies for teaching assistants to grade more fairly across the board, Plaut said. The committee received no funding this year because none of their projects have required it, according to a March 27 email from Plaut.
COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
The Committee on Legislative and Community Affairs serves as the student link between UVM and the local, state and federal communities, according to the SGA webpage. Senator Olivia Eisenberg, a sophomore, looks to provide menstrual products in all men and gender-neutral bathrooms across campus as well as working with the Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for Sexual Awareness Month in April, said COLCA Chair Sarah Wood, a junior. Wood works with the psychedelic science club with the aim of distributing harm reduction practices around Burlington, she said. “Drug use is unfortunate, it’s going to happen,” Wood said. “So we’re going to try to make it so that people have the resources that they need.” Senator Luke Michael, a senior, plans to organize a campus clean-up next month during Earth Week. Senator Troy Kane, a sophomore, collaborates with recreational staff in hopes to advertise better gym etiquette to make the recreational centers a safer space for femaleidentifying and LGBTQ+ students, she said. The committee will table April 4 and 6 in the Davis Center atrium to hand out housing resources for juniors and seniors who may struggle to find off-campus housing towards the end of the semester
to make sure all students get housing if they need it, Wood said.
COMMITTEE ON STUDENT ACTION AND WELL-BEING The Committee on Student Action and Well-Being helps students navigate campus life by advertising the resources including transportation, residential life, counseling and dining, according to the SGA webpage. “Our main focus has really been mental health and better publicizing the resources that are already available, and then fixing the ones that are there,” said CSAW Chair Maddie Henson, a senior. The committee is finalizing a mental health pamphlet specifically for BIPOC students, Henson said. Additionally, the committee worked with John Paul Grogan, director of public health outreach, on a virtual sign-in form for UVM Counseling and Psychiatry Services for students who get anxious scheduling on the phone, she said. The committee has a budget of $1,300 for the year to go towards projects like printing pamphlets and Ask an Admin, a program in which administrators and SGA senators sit in high-traffic areas on campus to answer student questions, Henson said. Read the rest of the story at vtcynic.com
NEWS
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First unmodified graduation since 2019 Skyeler Devlin Cynic News Reporter
UVM will hold a graduation ceremony without pandemic modifications this spring for the first time in two years, according to a March 17 email from UVM President Suresh Garimella. UVM’s mask mandate lift on March 19 and the Flynn theater no longer requiring COVID-19 vaccinations were the last steps in making a traditional graduation ceremony possible, said Gary Derr, vice president for operations and public safety. Erik Weihenmayer will be this year’s commencement speaker, according to the email. “To say that we’re able to have a commencement in person for everybody, that is such great news and such an accomplishment that we’re at this point,” Derr said. “The fact that 100% of the students are boosted, that [speaks] volumes.” Jonathan D’Amore, special assistant to the president, Kelly O’Malley, coordinator of presidential events and Heather Cochran-Rock, assistant director for campus event services are on the graduation planning committee, Derr said. Patricia Prelock, provost and senior vice president, reached out to SGA leadership and graduate students for their input on what this spring’s
graduation ceremony should look like before UVM reached a final decision, Derr said. “The best thing you could do is wear that face-covering if you feel at all anxious and make sure your vaccinations are up to date,” Derr said. Senior Dina John is excited her class can come together for a traditional graduation ceremony, but personally still prefers wearing a mask to be cautious, she said. “I [will] wear a mask only because I really do consider the kids who are immunocompromised,” John said. Senior JJ Sheehan will graduate this spring and is looking forward to a normal graduation ceremony after the last two ceremonies were modified, he said. “I’m really not worried about it,” Sheehan said. “Given the current COVID climate and the policies our University already had in place, and [have recently enacted], it just kind of makes sense that graduation would be normal.” Weihenmayer, an adventurer and leader, was the first blind person to summit Mount Everest, according to Garimella’s email. Weihenmayer is one of the founders of an organization called No Barriers. The organization focuses on helping people break through barriers
Photo courtesy of Andy Duback and find purpose in their own lives, Weihenmayer said. “I think if you look at his background, his experience, the timing of what he accomplished, for what we accomplished is pretty nice,” Derr said. “We’ve had some great commencement speakers over the years, but this one just seems to line up perfectly for us where we’re at.” No Barriers’ mission is to provide transformative experiences that encourage people to recognize their inner strength as stronger than their
obstacles, according to the website. “There are real barriers that exist in the world,” Weihenmayer said. “But at the same time, what you can grow inside can transcend those very real barriers. So instead of having the challenges shrink in front of you, you just get bigger.” D’Amore, O’Malley and Cochran-Rock did not respond to the Cynic’s requests for comment. UVM Spokesperson Enrique Corredera stated
on behalf of them that he coordinated with Derr to provide one comprehensive interview, in a March 25 email to the Cynic. Derr is not on the graduation planning committee, but serves as a health and safety resource, he said.
See the online version of this story for the schedule of 2022 Graduation Ceremonies, at vtcynic. com.
Board of trustees see 20% more women than in 2020
ELLA FARRELL/The Vermont Cynic
Ella Ruehsen News Editor
The board of trustees sees nearly half female-membership, according to a March 23 email from UVM Spokesperson Enrique Corredera, despite past concerns that reaching a 50/50 split by 2025 would be “impossible,” former trustee John Bartholomew said in 2020. Six women and three people of color sat on the 25-member
board of trustees when it updated its policy to promote increased diversity Jan. 31, 2020. Eleven women and five people of color reside on the board now, according to Corredera’s email. “The UVM board of trustees remains committed to seeking diversity when recruiting new members,” Corredera stated. “Both women and people of color have chaired the board. The current chair is African American, and he is not the first
African American to serve as chair.” Early in 2020, the board of trustees resisted a push from the Vermont Legislature for half of the board of trustees to be female or non-binary by 2025, according to a Feb. 4, 2020 Cynic article. Multiple trustees at the time of the legislative push said the proposed 2025 deadline was not feasible, according to the article. “Instant fixes are not
Photo illustration by TANNER LOY and ELLIE SCOTT possible, so the 2025 deadline is so arbitrary,” Bartholomew said. “It’s utterly impossible.” With 11 current female members, the board would now need one or two additional female or non-binary members by 2025 to meet the composition criteria, had the bill passed. Women also currently serve in several leadership roles on the board of trustees, according to the email. Among other positions, the vice chair of the board of trustees is currently a
woman, according to the email. Ron Lumbra currently chairs the board of trustees, according to UVM’s board of trustees members and assignments website. Cynthia Barnhart serves as vice chair of the board. Trustee Coordinator Corinne Thompson and the trustees themselves did not respond to the Cynic’s multiple requests for comment.
NEWS
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First month for sexual violence educator Isabelle Tanner Cynic News Reporter
Dr. Elliot Ruggles, UVM’s first sexual violence prevention and education coordinator, reflected on their first month in the position during public forum at the SGA meeting on March 22. Since their hiring Feb. 22, Ruggles began discussing education and future initiatives with UVM administration and community. They are beginning to develop initiatives to help prevent sexual violence and educate the University. “I’m trying to be as available as possible and really meeting people where they’re at as much as possible,” Ruggles said. “That means being open to whoever is really invested in talking about these issues.” Ruggles holds open office hours on campus for students to have conversations pertaining to issues such as sexual, genderbased and relationship violence. They hope to develop a better understanding of the student body’s perspective, he said. These office hours will take place at various locations and times which can be found in his March 22 Cynic letter to the editor. Ruggles, who came into their role the week of the UVM Instagram post protests, is hopeful about the fact that many students care about the work that he will be doing, Ruggles said. “From an educator standpoint [there are] a lot of opportunities for education,” Ruggles said. “It always encourages me when people are willing to have hard conversations about harm happening in communities because shoving things under
GILLIAN SYMOLON/The Vermont Cynic Elliot Ruggles, sexual violence prevention and education coordinator, speaks during the SGA meeting March 22. the rug doesn’t work.” Ruggles looks forward to hearing from the UVM student body on what they feel that they need to feel safe on their campus. UVM collaborates with HOPE Works VT, a nonprofit for victims of sexual assault, to create a hotline for those who want to get in contact with a confidential advocate, Ruggles said. “If somebody is concerned they’ve experienced sexual or gender based harm and wants to talk about the experience they had, or is having kind of moment of acute crisis, that’s a great number to call and so the person is a trained advocate,” Ruggles said.
When called, the hotline immediately connects students with a confidential advocate who will guide survivors through their options and provide them with support, Ruggles said. The hotline number to HOPE Works VT confidential advocate hotline is 802-8631236, according to the UVM website. Ruggles hopes to launch a series of workshops called Transforming Masculinity, which will be centered around inclusivity, harm and healing, gender and privilege, they said. These workshops aim to speak to men on a smaller community scale and get to the bottom of what masculinity
really means, Ruggles said. “I think that would be great for understanding [and learning] to deal with certain emotions,” said SGA Senator Mason Paterson, a sophomore. “It would be great for men’s health because masculinity is one of the things that keeps men from expressing their emotions and helping themselves.” The program will have a discussion group which will look inwards to talk about topics pertaining to masculinity, Ruggles said. A peer education component will be utilized to look more outwards on the world around oneself. However, senators raised concerns about how Ruggles’ program would attract men to
interact with the discussion group and peer education content. “If we could get guys to do it, which would be a challenge, because [Transforming Masculinity] is an insult to their masculinity to begin with,” Paterson said. “It’s gonna be hard to get your average man to attend a program like that because [men] don’t want to be vulnerable.” Ruggles hopes to resolve this issue by tailoring the Transforming Masculinity program to the UVM population as they did in their previous experience at Brown University. He launched a Masculinity Peer Education program at Brown in 2017 while employed there.
Society for marginalized folks in STEM recognized Audrie Caruso Cynic News Reporter
The National Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/ Hispanics and Native Americans in Science officially became a recognized chapter at UVM, according to a March 21 UVM press release. The SACNAS chapter at UVM was originally founded in 2019 to create a community of diversity and inclusion for students and just gained recognition by the national society, according to the press release. It is the first-ever SACNAS chapter in Vermont. “Leading a SACNAS Chapter at UVM is a fantastic opportunity to foster a supportive and welcoming community driven by diverse cultural values while providing professional opportunities for our members,” said PhD candidate Natalia Aristizábal, current president of the UVM SACNAS chapter.
A classroom on the first floor of Innovation Hall Jan. 13. The mission of the society highlights student-led events to create career building opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral students who are the least represented in STEM, Aristizábal said.
JOSH HARWOOD/The Vermont Cynic
These events may include things such as crossdisciplinary networking, community outreach, graduate school workshops and academic support, she said. While the Hispanic and Native American populations
continue to grow, their presence in STEM occupations remains small, according to the press release. SACNAS national society created the national network because diverse voices bring creative solutions to scientific
problems, their website stated. The national society consists of over 8,000 members, 300 trained leaders, 133 student and professional chapters and a community of support greater than 28,000 people, according to the press release. UVM’s chapter of SACNAS has123 members, including supporters, that span from undergraduate to faculty, according to the press release. They represent both natural and social scientists in different stages of their careers. “At SACNAS, we understand that diverse voices bring creative solutions to our world’s most pressing scientific problems,” the national society’s materials stated. “That’s why we’re building a national network that is innovative, powerful, and inclusive. Our programs and events train and support the next generation of diverse STEM talent.”
OPINION
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Still wear a mask when feeling ill Vivian Finck Opinion Columnist
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EXECUTIVE Editor-in-Chief Kate Vanni editorinchief@vtcynic.com Managing Editor Greta Rohrer newsroom@vtcynic.com
OPERATIONS Operations Manager Emma Chute operations@vtcynic.com
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n the past two years, wearing a face mask became second nature to me. The best thing UVM students can do for the entire community and for themselves is to mask when sick. Now I sit in my college apartment wondering if and how I will safely rejoin the world bearing the lower half of my face. “We are pleased to announce that effective Saturday, March 19, 2022, masks will be optional in all indoor locations at UVM,”
stated Patricia Prelock, provost and senior vice president, in a March 16 email to the UVM community. With the mask mandate lifted, students’ vigilance about their health and exposure to illness is more important than ever. Despite wanting to return to normalcy, we are still responsible and need to protect ourselves and others. The conversation about masks polarized the country into those who wear them and those who don’t. Personally, I feel disdain upon seeing the tip of a nose peaking out of a cloth covering. Eastern countries adopted wearing masks for over 100 years, and remain using them to protect from air pollution
and reduce the spread of germs, according to a Sept. 18, 2020 Huffington Post article. Wearing a mask is an ethical statement to protect people’s personal health and show respect for others, according to the Huffington Post article. Throughout the course of the pandemic, UVM remained consistent in its mask requirements for students, following whatever the Center for Disease Control recommendations are at the time, according to the UVM Forward website. When deciding to return to in-person classes, the University established the Green and Gold Promise, a promise all students and
EDITORS Copy Chief Dalton Doyle copy@vtcynic.com Culture cynicculture@gmail.com Features Liz Roote cynicfeatures@gmail.com News Ella Ruehsen news@vtcynic.com Sports Matthew Rosenberg sports@vtcynic.com Opinion Emily Johnston opinion@vtcynic.com
Vivian Finck is a sophomore
Podcasts Paige Fisher vtcynicpodcasts@gmail.com Layout Ellie Scott layout.cynic@gmail.com
IZZY PIPA
Sam Nylen Opinion Columnist
Photo Eric Scharf photo@vtcynic.com
Pages Designers Nicole Bidol, Abby Carroll, Sabrina Orazietti Copy Editors Lauren Bentley, Jacqueline Kelly, Maya Pound
ADVISING Andy Elrick Andrew.Elrick@uvm.edu
English major. She has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2021.
Stop complaining about the high gas prices
Illustrations Izzy Pipa cynicillustrations@gmail.com
Assistant Editors Grace Visco (Opinion) Ella Farrell (Layout) Halsey McLaen (News) Catie Segaloff (Copy) Tanner Loy (Photo)
faculty needed to sign to ensure the protection of personal and community health. “As we transition to the endemic phase and move away from requirements or mandates, personal responsibility will play an increased role,” stated Prelock in the March 19 email. In other words, stay home and wear your mask when sick. A return to normalcy does not mean a return to blissful ignorance about spreading germs throughout the community. Multi-layer cloth masks block the release of exhaled particles into the environment, lowering transmission rates of respiratory born illness, according to the CDC. Students should stay mindful of their roles in transmissions if they are exhibiting any signs of symptoms. Whether it be COVID-19 or the common flu, take preventative measures to reduce transmission rates. Nobody wants to get sick and miss out on life now that things are getting back to normal. It has to become a personal decision about being mindful of others, now that there is no rule forcing us to wear masks.
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t is a privilege to complain about the economic effect of the Russo-Ukrainian war. The world is being affected by this, and energy prices are increasing everywhere, but not everyone’s home is being invaded and bombed. Russia made the decision to conduct a special military operation, or invasion, into Ukraine, according to a Feb. 21 New York Times article. Gas prices have now reached a national average of over $4 a gallon, according to a March 16 Bloomberg article. The average cost of gas in Burlington is currently around $4.25 a gallon, according to the Burlington Gas Price Index. However, students should stop complaining about this cost and check their privilege. The costs we face because of this international conflict are incomparable to the costs Ukraine and other nations involved are facing. The U.S. recently banned
Russian oil imports, according to a March 8 White House Press Call. Bans decrease the supply countries buy from, should they avoid Russian oil or gas, driving the price up. Russia is vital to the global commodity and energy markets, according to a March 2 CNBC article. Oil and gas companies take advantage of the current crisis and jack up prices for consumers to maintain and increase profits, according to a March 16 Bloomberg article. As of March 16, the price per barrel of oil was $96, down from a previous high of $120, which leads to an increase in gas prices, according to a March 16 Bloomberg article. “Last time oil was $96 a barrel, gas was $3.62 a gallon. Now it’s $4.31,” President Joe Biden stated in a March 16 Tweet. It’s easy to complain about prices, but there is a reason why they are higher. President Volodymyr Zelenskey of Ukraine addressed Congress and received a standing ovation from members, according to a March 16 CNN recording of the conference.
IZZY PIPA
Republicans and Democrats agreed on the tough economic sanctions on Russia, according to a Feb. 28 New York Times article. The goal of economic sanctions is for a penalty on the finances of the impacted country, such as Russia, according to an Aug. 7, 2017 PBS article. While the U.S. is also seeing an economic impact, it is not as great. Economic sanctions then become the alternative to war, we “support” Ukraine by tolerating the increased gas prices, therefore complaining comes off as withdrawing that support. Gas prices affect everyone who owns a car, and no
matter the size, it’s going to be expensive to fill up. But complaining about them while Russia commits war crimes against Ukraine is a privilege. Here in Burlington, we especially shouldn’t complain because we’re able to walk places rather than drive. UVM students have alternatives to buying gas. If we are to support Ukraine, socially or through economic sanctions, we must tolerate the impacts that war has on the global economy. Sam Nylen is a junior eco-
nomics and political science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2022.
CULTURE
Club uplifts women in business school Bridget Mackie Culture Staff Writer
Walking into a classroom where you are one of five women in a class of 25 can be intimidating, said senior Emily Howard, UVM’s Women in Business club president. WIB began promoting equity and diversity within the Grossman School of Business and across UVM in 2016, Howard said. Howard and WIB Vice President Marielle Clerc, a senior, lead the club. The leaders of the WIB club support their members through panels and discussions with local businesspeople, as well as resume and LinkedIn workshops, Howard said. “Our focus is to create a community and a space for women in such a male dominated industry and to gather, have support and build each other up,” Howard said. UVM’s Grossman School of Business is made up of roughly 36.3% women, one of the largest disparities in college gender enrollment according to the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. The College of Nursing and Health Sciences is the college with the highest percentage of women, as 84.6% of CNHS students identified as female in 2021, according to the OIRA. Additionally, GSB ranks second lowest in enrollment of people of color, with about 10% of the population identifying as
SOPHIA BALUNEK/The Vermont Cynic Equity Chair Emma Fox, a senior, Marketing Executive Lauren Drasher, a senior, President Emily Howard, a senior, Vice President Marielle Clerc, a senior, and Secretary of Communication Marguerite Jouët, a sophomore (Left to right) in Kalkin Hall March 25. a person of color, according to the OIRA. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has the highest percentage of people of color, with 13% of students identifying as a person of color, according to the OIRA. WIB recently began expanding the idea of community to reach often
neglected groups within business, like women of color, said equity chair Emma Fox. Fox’s role as equity chair is one of the new additions to the club to make it more equitable for all women, Clerc said. Women often feel intimidated because they are in the minority in their business classes, Howard said.
“Within Grossman we have the marketing club, we have the finance club, we have the accounting club,” Fox said. “But there hasn’t really been anything besides the Women in Business club that speaks to diversity in any sense.” Additionally, it is important to teach women how to deal with issues like sexual harassment
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and microaggressions in the workplace, Howard said. In corporate jobs, 34% of all female employees reported sexual harassment by a colleague, according to a 2019 study conducted by Harvard Business Review. The club empowers its members and fosters community through partnership events with the Women and Gender Equity Center. These events bring in speakers who help prepare their members for a business career, Howard said. The speakers teach students to be assertive, Howard said. “Men don’t often have an issue with being able to exert presence around people and take charge,” Howard said. “But women often feel like they aren’t in that position or are immediately placed outside of that position by colleagues.” The club’s resume workshops and panels draw women from across the UVM community, Howard said. “We’ve had a lot of people coming in from other majors who don’t have a lot of professional development in their school,” Howard said. “It’s been nice to mentor and guide people who aren’t in the business school but need help with finding jobs.” The WIB will continue to provide a community for women in business as long as necessary, Howard said. WIB club meets Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in Ifshan Hall.
Professor shares love of archeology with students Avery DeLisle Culture Staff Writer Assistant Archeology Professor Marieka Brouwer Burg came to UVM two months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and classes went online. Now, she relishes the opportunity to interact with her students, she said. Burg started teaching at UVM in January 2020. Returning from an online format to a traditional in-person model allows her to instruct archeology the interactive way it is intended, she said. “I really want to get students to do experiential hands-on learning,” Burg said. “The attraction of archeology is that it’s book reading but it’s also doing, whether that’s outside or getting busy in a lab.” Burg’s interest in archeology started in fifth grade when she did a report on Mayan civilizations. She later received her bachelors from University of Wisconsin-Madison and both her Masters and Ph.D at Michigan State University, according to the department of anthropology website. Interactive field work, such
as digging up artifacts, is an important part of archeology, Burg said. “Archaeology really is a science,” she said. “As archaeologists, we see ourselves as stewards of the past. We’re not in it for the money or the fame, we start out with our hypothesis and our observations.” The COVID-19 pandemic was disruptive to the archeology field in general, Burg said. Burg conducted research in Belize, studying the effects of paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic change on past human land use and decisionmaking for the past 11 years, according to the department of anthropology website. Her fieldwork paused in 2020 due to the pandemic, she said. “I’ve been on the same project for 11 years with the same people, almost the same core group of people,” Burg said. “This past January, we were able to go back with our core group and be together again for the first time in two years.” The gap in her fieldwork made Burg think critically about how Belizean archeologists face barriers entering the field, she said.
ELAINA SEPEDE/The Vermont Cynic Burg in her office with replica Belizean pots and replica skulls March 24. “Archeology is still sort of inherently colonialist in the way that we work,” she said. Burg hopes to see a stronger educational focus on foreign archaeologists, she said. “We’re galvanized to ensure we’re putting as much energy into the training of Belizean students, K-12 as well as university, so that it’s not just foreign archeologists who are working in the country,” Burg said.
Burg said she felt supported by other professors and her students despite being introduced to UVM during a turbulent time required a lot of resilience. “I feel really lucky because I have nine mentors who I think have my best interest in mind and are always willing and able to help me,” Burg said. “And the students were really forgiving of me with technology.” Burg taught classes in the
Ira Allen Chapel during the fall 2020 term, where students sat socially-distanced at church pews instead of desks, she said. “I had a lot of fun that semester,” she said. “It was the hardest thing I had to do, but I think we still got a lot out of that experience.” Burg now teaches on the fifth floor of Williams. Having students stop in to say hi creates a sense of camaraderie, Burg said.
FEATURES
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Students deal with post-spring break stress
TANNER LOY/The Vermont Cynic
Long exposure of students studying in the Davis Center atrium March 24.
JAMIE KAPLAN/The Vermont Cynic A student lines up a shot of an 8-ball game in the Davis Center lounge.
Caroline Hess Features Staff Writer
The return from spring break marks the beginning of the final stretch to the end of the semester. Days off this semester include Town Meeting Day and President’s Day, according to the 2021-22 Academic Calendar. The second half of the semester after spring break doesn’t have any days off. In the fall, students also had two recess days and Thanksgiving break. The lack of days off in the spring semester is stressful, junior Reilly Brown said. “When I’ve talked to my friends, everyone’s just in kind of a funk,” Brown said. “There’s always that point in the semester where there’s no breaks and everyone just gets a little sad.” Students are now in the hardest part of the semes-
ter, Brown said. Homework is due every day and the deadlines for semester-long projects are approaching. It’s all starting to build up. “I remember in the first half of the semester we would have a Monday or Tuesday off and it was really helpful,” Brown said. “We would get a break from just going and going.” Spring break was a nice respite, she said. By the end of the week leading up to it, she felt like she could finally breathe and relax. “But then Monday came and we were thrown back into it,” Brown said. “I was not ready.” Having the break by itself is very beneficial, she said. It would be better to also have additional days to rest. The week after spring break is a turning point in
the semester, sophomore Emily Taylor said. It seems like people are really exhausted and they don’t even know it, Taylor said. Having the occasional day off in the first half of the semester and none in the rest of the semester is strange, she said. It feels tiring for her. “[Spring] break was rejuvenating but I feel like I was just thrown back into [the semester],” Taylor said. Many students traveled from UVM to home or other places, Taylor said. Coming back and being a student again is something that takes adjusting. Spring break was a taste of summer and people want to keep the relaxation that comes with it, so they have a more difficult time doing assignments after break,
TANNER LOY/The Vermont Cynic Students on Central campus walk between classes March 24.
Taylor said. “[There’s] two feelings: utter exhaustion and a lingering hope [for a break],” she said. Professors can help students by acknowledging the second half of the semester may be stressful, said Parker Holloway, Living Well operations coordinator. Holloway said he loves when professors are understanding of this stressful time of the year for their students. “Modeling that self-care [helps students],” Holloway said. Living Well encourages students to practice basic self-care, Holloway said. Going outside, seeking the offered mental health services at UVM, taking a day off of school or talking to professors for support are great ways for students to
take care of themselves. “I always encourage students to talk to one another, staff or [Counseling and Psychiatry Services] to get whatever support they need,” Holloway said. There are drop-in counseling appointments in the Living Well Center. As finals approach, Living Well will also provide drop-in massage appointments and yoga classes to help students destress, Holloway said. Appointments with CAPS can be made by calling their phone number at 802-656-3340 or through the MyWellbeing health portal. Drop-in appointments can be made during Let’s Talk at the Living Well Center, the Mosaic Center for Students of Color and the Prism Center.
SPORTS
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Women’s lacrosse starts with 8-1 record Austin Chen Cynic Sports Reporter
The UVM women’s lacrosse team is off to a successful start this season, winning eight of their first nine games, according to UVM athletics. The 8-1 start marks the best in program history, according to UVM athletics. The Catamounts earned their sixth straight victory by defeating Merrimack College 20-7 on March 23. Vermont’s six-game winning streak is tied for the longest in program history, matching the program record set in 1984, according to UVM athletics. A large part of UVM’s start stems from their 5-2 record away from home. The team sees road trips as an opportunity to prepare for games and team-build, head coach Sarah Dalton Graddock said. The Catamounts force the most turnovers and allow the fewest goals in the America East, according to the conference’s statistics page. “It’s just nice to get away with the team,” Graddock said. “You’re on the bus, in the hotel together, meals, all that stuff. It creates this little bubble, lets us spend time together as we start to focus on the game.” Graddock praised
ERIC SCHARF/The Vermont Cynic UVM Women’s Lacrosse triumphs over Manhattan College on Virtue field March 13. associate head coach Jessica Drummond’s work to improve UVM’s defense. “Drummond does a great job as the leader of our defense, just oversees all of that and gets them ready,” Graddock said. Graddock also credited
senior defender Carolyn Carrera and senior goalkeeper Sophie McLaughlin. “We have great veterans on defense,” Graddock said. “CC [Carrera] is a senior and she’s been starting since she was a freshman, obviously you have
Sophie [McLaughlin] in cage, and they’ve been able to build some great camaraderie in the past two or three years.” Carrera is already a threetime recipient of the America East Defensive Player of the Week this season, according to
the America East website. “We’re just trying to disrupt the other team’s offense as best as we can, just being aggressive,” Carrera said. “That is pretty much always our defensive mentality.” A gritty style of play and constant hustle is key to her defensive success, Carrerra said. The Catamounts also found success on the offensive end. They score the second most goals per game and take the most shots per game in the conference, according to America East. Junior midfielder Ava Vasile ranks No. 4 in the league in goals per game and No. 2 in shot attempts per game. Senior attacker Taylor Mullen recorded her third consecutive hat-trick in the win over Merrimack, according to UVM athletics. “Our mentality is that everybody eats,” Graddock said. “We really talk about sharing the ball, everybody being a threat. We haven’t had our full offensive unit every single game with injuries and different things that have impacted us there, but we had that ‘next woman in’ mentality.” The Catamounts fell 14-4 at No. 6 Stony Brook University on March 26. They return to action hosting the University at Albany on April 2 at 3:30 p.m.
MBB wins ninth America East title Matthew Rosenberg Sports Editor
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UVM men’s basketball won its ninth America East tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the eighth time. The Catamounts’ (28-6, 17-1 America East) earned a No. 13 seed in their eighth NCAA tournament appearance. The 13 seed matches their best ever in the NCAA tournament, according to UVM athletics. The Catamounts fell 75-71 to the University of Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament on March 17. “Obviously disappointed that our season ended, but I couldn’t be more proud of our program and the way we competed tonight,” head coach John Becker said after the loss to Arkansas. Vermont’s 17 conference wins are the most in school history, according to UVM athletics. The Catamounts followed their regular-season success by winning their ninth America East tournament championship. UVM’s nine conference titles are the most in conference history, according to America East. The Catamounts led the conference in points scored and
allowed the fewest points per game. UVM averaged 74.8 points per game and allowed an average of 60.7 points per game. That scoring margin ranks No. 5 in Division I, according to the NCAA website. UVM outscored its conference opponents by an average of 16.7 points per game, according to the America East website. The Catamounts won the conference regular-season title for the sixth consecutive season. Vermont is the first team in conference history to win six conference titles in a row, according to America East. The team won each of their three conference tournament games by 30 or more points. UVM defeated the University of Maryland, Baltimore County 82-43 in the America East championship on March 12. The 39-point win was the largest margin of victory in any men’s basketball conference championship game since 1989, according to UVM athletics. Senior forward Ryan Davis won America East’s Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season. Davis led the conference in scoring, averaging 17.3 points per game. He also averaged 5.6 rebounds per game, according to UVM athletics.
Davis made 57.9% of his shot attempts, which ranks No. 15 in the country, according to UVM athletics. UVM’s bench is key to the team’s success, Davis said. “A lot of the guys do a great job when they come in, there’s no drop off,” Davis said. “They really give us a run for our money in practice every day.” Graduate guard Ben Shungu, from South Burlington, also earned a spot on the AllConference First Team. Shungu ranked No. 3 in the conference in scoring, averaging 16.2 points per game. He also averaged 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, according to America East. Shungu recorded 19 points and six rebounds in UVM’s victory in the America East championship game, earning recognition as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Senior forward Isaiah Powell ranked No. 3 on the Catamounts in scoring, averaging 8.2 points per game. Fifth-year guard Justin Mazzulla averaged 7.6 points per game. Vermont also led America East in field goal percentage, making 49.2% of their shot attempts. UVM’s field goal percentage ranks No. 6 in the country, according to NCAA.
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