The Vermont Cynic MARCH 27, 2018
VOL. 134 – ISSUE 25
VTCYNIC.COM
NONAMES DEMANDS NEW NAMES Ba y W.
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876iley (1
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a year long push for renaming Sept. 18, 2017 Student activists call for renaming of campus buildings including Bailey/Howe Library and Perkins Hall Feb. 26, 2018 Students lead campus-wide protests, including 10-hour occupation of Waterman building Feb. 28, 2018 Protest leaders meet with University leaders to discuss renaming buildings March 8, 2018 Board of trustees forms Building Renaming Advisory Committee, will decide if the buildings are eligible for renaming
GENEVIEVE WINN Brandon Arcari Assistant Breaking News Editor Joey Waldinger Assistant News Editor Following protests, a board-of-trustees-appointed committee is considering renaming campus buildings, but student activists are frustrated after being left out of the decision-making process. The Building Renaming Advisory Committee, which will meet April 2, is accepting renaming proposals from University students and faculty. The committee will then determine if these changes will be successful, according to a March 8 email from David Daigle, chair of the board of trustees.
The board of trustees formed this committee without input from NoNames for Justice, a student activist group. Protests from the group sparked debate over the names of several buildings on campus, according to the NoNames March 22 statement. “While we recognize the efforts made toward progress, it is vital that students and all parties most affected by these decisions are able to be a part of creating the new system addressing this issue,” the group stated. NoNames does not consider the committee alone to be an adequate response to their demands, according to the statement.
The committee will use the Yale criteria to evaluate the proposals, a method that NoNames decried in its statement. The Yale criteria consider whether a building’s namesake was at odds with the University mission at the time it was named, and whether the chosen name resulted in a legacy opposed to University values, according to Yale’s website. By neglecting to consider UVM history, the Yale criteria would “lead to reproducing the very structures of marginalization and oppression that we are dedicated to dismantling,” the group stated. A University workgroup — which included English professor Major Jackson, SGA
President Chris Petrillo and Wanda Heading-Grant, vice president for human resources — unanimously decided to use the Yale criteria to rename buildings, Daigle stated. After meeting, the committee will present its findings to the board of trustees, who will have the final say, said Pablo Bose, committee member and associate geography professor. “These buildings will not, for a fact, have a different name,” Bose said. The formation of the committee was not a direct outcome of NoNames protests, which raised the issue of renaming buildings, Bose said. The committee was one of several proposals to address student concerns discussed in
Headliner: Carti. Opener? Hardly. Eleanor Webster Arts Staff Writer Rapper Playboi Carti will headline SpringFest, according to a UVM Program Board announcement March 24 at Battle of the Bands. UPB ran out of time and did not choose a winner, who will open for Carti. “We were told we had to clear out of Nectar’s, and didn’t have time to make a clear decision,” said sophomore Taylor Magda, UPB concert committee chair. Student bands Princess Nostalgia, Adventure Dog, Guest Policy and Recess Radio competed to open for Playboi Carti, a rapper on the rise. SGA is reconsidering $50,000 in annual UPB funding this year, President Chris Petrillo said. Senior Jack Hockman, a UPB concert committee member, said funding issues have negatively impacted the quality of SpringFest artists.
Three of the Battle of the Bands finalists were determined by a UPB committee. The fourth, Recess Radio, was chosen by the crowd March 6 and 7 at Brennan’s, Magda said. At Nectar’s, people mingled as they waited for Princess Nostalgia, the stage name of sophomore Lili Traviato, to begin her set. She has been a musician since third grade, she said. Traviato described her music as R&B/electronic with “a little bit of funk.” “It was great witnessing the community supporting student musicians,” Traviato said. Next, New Jersey-based hip-hop group Recess Radio played smooth, softcore tunes. “Nectar’s was an awesome environment and UVM as a whole was so supportive,” Recess Radio member Blake Foster said. A glitter-covered, female-driven group opened up the third set with funky alternative vibes. Guest Policy
fall 2017, said Tom Gustafson, vice president for university relations and administration. Bose was recruited to UVM through a program which sought faculty of color. He was appointed because of his campus involvement, he said. He almost declined the renaming committee position, he said. “I find myself very frustrated by the way things have gone,” he said. Much of the anger toward and demands of the administration have been misguided, Bose said. While their efforts have not always been effective, the University administration has worked in various ways to better the experience of students of color, he said.
SGA to elect new leaders Staff Report
Patrick Langlois/The Vermont Cynic Student band Adventure Dog performs at the UVM Program Board Battle of the Bands March 24 at Nectar’s. mixed soulful vocals with a thumping stand-up bass. Adventure Dog ended the night. Lead vocalist and guitarist Andrew Tonra, a senior, called the band “rock ’n’ roll with a funky soul.” “It was a lot of fun to see so much excitement for live music in so many forms,” Tonra said. The band’s performance united the crowd.
“Adventure Dog was ridiculous,” first-year Miles Rapaport said. Magda said the concert committee would meet March 26 to decided the winner, and planned to announce later in the week. SpringFest is one of UPB’s biggest events, and will take place at 1:30 p.m. April 28 in Jeffords parking lot.
Elections for SGA president and vice president for next year are March 27 and 28. The SGA president oversees the senate with the vice president and treasurer and reports to the board of trustees. The president also works with UVM administrators and reports University action to students as necessary, according to the SGA website. The vice president is responsible for mediating conflicts within SGA and between student organizations. The vice president works with the president to create and find new leadership opportunities for students, according to the website. Senior Chris Petrillo is the SGA president, alongside Vice President Nicole Woodcock, a senior. SGA cont. on page 5