Vermont Cynic Spring 2014 Issue 26

The Vermont

CYNIC

Students React To Tobacco Ban

The University of Vermont’s independent voice since 1883

Page 4

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MATT BLANCHARD AND JONATHAN POLSON, 1947 IMAGE COURTESY OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

A photo illustration demonstrating how the Chittenden-Buckham-Wills Complex and Converse Hall have changed since 1947. The campus is set to get a makeover very soon.

Housing master plan moves forward Construction of new STEM building, demolition of “shoeboxes” in progress Sarah Olsen Assistant News Editor Over the next few years the face of UVM will see significant changes, including the removal of certain buildings on campus to make room for the addition of others.

President Tom Sullivan recently addressed many changes that will be made to the campus over the next few years.

“We’ve got a number of really exciting projects that are very strategic to our campus plan,” Sullivan said. “One is the big STEM lab facility.”

The construction of the new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics — STEM — lab facilities will involve the removal of Angell Hall and heavy construction of Cook Hall, Sullivan said.

This dramatic construction is essential for the creation of the new lab facility that will take their place, he said.

First-year Hannah Dragonas said she supports this plan. “[The] bulidings and resources are outdated, and new settings could help facilitate better instruction and more recent lab techniques,” she said.

“If they put a new lecture hall in the building like Marsh Life Science has, then that makes up for tearing down Angell,” first-year Inana Dairi said.

Phase two of the STEM facility’s construction will be integrating work with the engineering department, which Sullivan said is “really exciting.”

However the construction of these lab facilities is still in the planning stages, he said.

“The board has given approval for taking steps and going ahead and making plans and building plans,” Sullivan said.

The design of the facilities will be similar to that of Old Mill, he said.

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“We’re going to go back to that more classical design,” Sullivan said.

This multi-year campus master plan will also include the addition of a new residence hall that will likely be located on Athletic Campus.

The new hall could be located behind the MarshAustin-Tupper complex and is expected to house 500 or 600 students, Sullivan said.

It will be a private-public partnership, similar to the idea of the Redstone Lofts, he said. However, the design will be different.

“We want to build this for 500 or 600 students, it will be state-of-the-art, really nice residences and it would be for first-years and sophomores,” Sullivan said. “Juniors and seniors can also choose to live on campus.”

What he said he really wants to do is to get firstyears and sophomores back to living in the “heart of campus.”

“We have some [students] over at Trinity right now, we want to not have them on Trinity,” Sullivan said.

“There’s a perception that it’s [Trinity] a bit further away, but actually if you’re in the middle of the green, Trinity is equal distance to Redstone. But perception is important,” he said.

The rest of the construction plan will include the removal of the “shoeboxes,” also known as the Chittenden-Buckham-Wills Complex on Central Campus and the sale of Converse Hall to Fletcher Allen Healthcare.

Plans also exist for changes to Fletcher Allen as well, which will take place over the next three to four years, Sullivan said.

New single patient care rooms will be added to the hospital. The building will be increased to four or five stories, he said.

Sullivan said the University is working with Fletcher Allen to make sure that the architectural de-

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“We’ve got a number of really exciting projects that are very strategic to our campus plan.”

Tom Sullivan President

sign is consistent with that of the STEM lab building.

Sophomore Christa Weaversaid she does not support giving Converse Hall to Fletcher Allen.

“Converse Hall was built in 1895 and has a great deal of historical value to the University,” she said.

“It has always been a building that housed undergraduate students. With a longstanding tradition like what Converse Hall has established, it would be a great loss to the students, alumni and University to give up such a historical piece of campus,” she said.

Sullivan said that his reasons for taking down the “shoeboxes” are because they are “just not acceptable today.”

First-year Molly Condron said she agreed with Sullivan. “I think it’s a good idea. The ‘shoeboxes’ are just an inconvenience there,” she said.

“I don’t see a problem with it if the new dorms will be better and newer than the ‘shoeboxes,’” sophomore Sarah Bullock said.

Sullivan said that nothing is currently planned to replace the residence halls.

w w w. v e r m o n t c y n i c . c o m

See STEM on page 3

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014

VICTORIA CASSAR The Vermont Cynic

A student smokes a marijuana cigarette on campus April 11. The University was ranked No. 6 on the list of top “Reefer Madness” schools released by the Princeton Review.

The Cynic investigates drug abuse on campus: Part five

UVM tops “reefer” list

Joseph Tomlinson Staff Writer UVM currently weighs in at No. 6 on The Princeton Review’s list of top “Reefer Madness” higher education institutions.

According to students, it’s no secret that this drug is widely used at UVM. “I can’t think of one person I know who doesn’t smoke pot,” junior Chris McCarthy said.

McCarthy said that he chooses to abstain from using the drug himself.

The state of Vermont also follows this trend with just more than 15 percent of the state’s population having consumed marijuana in the last year, according to CBS News.

This is the second highest percentage in the nation, according to CBS. The state decriminalized adult possession of up to one ounce of marijuana in 2013, making such possession punishable by a fine, according to governor Peter Shumlin’s webpage.

“This change just makes common sense,” Shumlin said.

“Our limited resources should be focused on reducing abuse and addiction of opiates like heroin and meth rather than cracking down on people for having very small amounts of marijuana,” he said.

In 2004 Vermont passed S. 76, an act relating to marijuana use by persons with severe illness.

This exempt certain persons from state law regarding the personal use of marijuana, according to www.vermont.gov.

Currently, the state allows four medicinal marijuana dispensaries.

They’re located in Burlington, Montpelier, Brattleboro and Brandon, according to VTDigger.

“I heard they [medical dispensaries] existed, but I’ve never seen them,” an anonymous male sophomore said.

“I’ve never purchased pot that came from a Vermont dispensary,” he said. “It’s usually homegrown in the state or brought in from somewhere like Colorado or Cali.”

The sophomore asked to remain anonymous so that he may not incriminate himself.

State legislature is currently discussing a bill to open two more dispensaries, and expand the current businesses, according to VTDigger.

“It’s [Vermont medicinal marijuana] too controlled for expanding to be a real issue,” junior Angus Murray said.

“I didn’t even know there was a Burlington dispensary.”

The Vermont Association of Chiefs of Police opposes such laws, and issued a statement

citing their concern for health risks, highway safety and employment issues as reasons urging the state not to legalize or expand marijuana facilities, according to WPTZ. “This is an area where I am happy to continue to let other governors lead, but I am open to the conversation,” Shumlin said in a letter to the association.

Law enforcement officials are also in the process of discussing H. 501 with senators.

This bill lowers the standard of proof for convicting individuals on drugged driving, VTDigger stated.

“I’ll be honest, I drive high all the time,” an anonymous female senior stated.

“It’s definitely not the safest, but I don’t think they need to expand any laws about driving high — the people they need to be concerned with will be easy to catch.”

The senior wished to remain anonymous so that she may not incriminate herself.

Under current laws, the DUI-alcohol standard is a .08 blood alcohol concentration, or that a driver is “impaired to the slightest degree,” according to VTDigger.

The current DUI-drug law states that a person must be incapable of driving safely.

Prosecutors said this results in attorneys arguing their client

was on drugs and not driving safely, but was not incapable of driving safely, according to VTDigger.

“It’s so dependent on the individual, it’s impossible to standardize how much pot you’ve smoked or what is too high to drive,” McCarthy said.

“I think it would be pretty clear, the officer would be able to tell is someone is really incapable of driving,” junior Will Sherman said. “I don’t think that requires more laws.”

First-year Lizzie Leonard said that the law is “subjective.”

“It’s very important for the police to be able to accurately tell if someone isn’t able to be in control behind the wheel and be capable of safe driving,” she said.

Among other skeptical senators, Senator Jeanette White, raised concerns about individuals being charged unnecessarily, VTDigger stated.

“I think we are creating a police state,” White said.

As the discussion between law enforcement and lawmakers continues about the marijuana and drugged driving policy, any decisions will requisite the approval of the Governor, or an overwhelming majority.

Governor Shumlin’s largest campaign contributor in 2011 through 2012 was the Marijuana Policy Project, according to VTDigger.

N EWS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014

UVM to lease local school Taylor Delehanty Staff Writer After years of trying, UVM has recently been allowed to lease the Elihu B. Taft building, located on the corner of Pearl and South Williams Streets.

The building belongs to the Burlington school district, and was willed to them by Taft in 1938, according to VTDigger.

The will stated that the building had to be used for “school purposes.”

However, the building stopped being used for those purposes in the 1980s.

The will also stated that if the school district chose to sell the building, that it should be used for elderly or poor and needy men, according to VTDigger.

STEM

UVM has wanted to use the building despite the will for years now, and has been citing it in the Campus Master Plan since 2006 according to VTDigger.

UVM will be able to lease the building for up to 160 years but the University plans to rent it for 80 years and it will be used for classes in the arts department, according to WCAX. For years UVM has been housing professors in “inappropriate buildings”, said Vice president for finance and administration Richard Cate.

Since the University won’t be purchasing the building they will not be disobeying the original will of Taft.

UVM will simply be leasing the building in order to do with it what they want for University purposes.

The lease will be for $20,000 a year, but will instead pay an up front lump sum of $1.6 million, according to VTDigger.

To make the deal happen, UVM and the Burlington school district will need approval from the Burlington City Council, according to VTDigger.

“It’s ridiculous that UVM is paying that much money for a building when we are already having a budget crisis,” said sophomore Chloe Wolfman.

Cate said the purchase will not place any more stress on the UVM budget.

This is because it takes money for purchases from a savings account, of about $20 million, set aside for construction and property acquisition, according to VTDigger.

Campus to see significant changes in coming future

...continued from page 1 He said he believes that their removal will expose, “in a dramatic way,” the whole medical school-hospital complex.

“That whole quad near Fletcher Allen will be dramatically changed and I think hugely improved,” Sullivan said.

“But it will be partly a construction site for a while too,” he said.

If the removal of these residence halls negatively impacts student housing and demand for residence goes up, the University would be open to figuring out a plan to build where the “shoeboxes” currently are, Sullivan said.

If this were the case, Sullivan said the University would have a beautiful new residence hall.

The project will have to be

done in stages, Sullivan said.

The “shoeboxes” can’t be taken down until the new residence halls on Athletic Campus are built.

“It gives us an opportunity to re imagine and redesign the whole quad and make it much more handsome,” Sullivan said.

“It will be really handsome to really bring that architecture all together,” he said.

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CRIME LOG Lauren Drasler Staff Writer

April 10 7:35 a.m.

A lost wallet that was found near Billings Lecture Hall on Central Campus was turned into police services so that it could be put in the lost and found for someone to claim it.

However, when police searched the wallet for identification, they found a fake ID inside. The student that the wallet belonged to was issued a ticket for the ID.

7:53 p.m.

No one has been identified yet in this incident.

April 11 8:23 p.m.

A student was transported to the hospital from Harris Hall on Athletic Campus after the student had taken mushrooms.

Along with being on mushrooms, police confiscated three marijuana pipes and marijuana seeds from the student as well.

April 12 12:48 a.m.

Hall staff in Millis Hall on Athletic Campus contacted police services after seeing students on the roof of the complex.

However, when police arrived, no one was found on the roof or in the surrounding

A report came in to police services about fireworks being set off at the ampitheatre on Athletic Campus.

When police arrived they were not able to locate anyone setting off fireworks and didn’t find anyone around the amphitheatre.

8:59 p.m.

1:02 a.m.

Maintenance employees in McAuley Hall on Trinity Campus contacted police services after discovering a broken window on the ground floor of the building.

The window appeared to have been kicked in, as there was a shoe print outline on the glass.

Hall staff in Mercy Hall on Trinity Campus contacted police services after finding a student that was vomiting as a result of alcohol consumption.

The student was not intoxicated enough to need detox and no Blood Alcohol Content was given.

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Life Smoking ban creates opposition Meghan Ingraham Staff Writer The smoke will soon be clearing from the corners of campus due to the recent progression of UVM’s smoke-free initiative.

“I’m indifferent on the matter, but I can imagine that there’s going to be quite a few disgruntled smokers when that ban comes into play next year,” sophomore Abigail Earle said.

The University’s current goal is for campus to be fully tobacco-free by Jan. 1, 2015, according to their website.

The University is going tobacco-free in an attempt to create a “healthier” environment for students, according to their website.

The goal is also to “protect” both smokers and non-smokers from the various health risks that both first and second hand smoking can experience, according to an email to students from Tom Gustafson and Jan Carney April 14.

Gustafson is vice president of University Relations and Carney is associate dean of public health.

Despite this concern, many smokers remain “irked” by the prospect of not being able to “light up” whenever they wish.

“I think it’s kind of futile, I mean I am a smoker, so I am not too happy about it obviously,” senior Jesse Arnaud said. “In New York they have a smoking ban there in beaches and parks and it doesn’t really work too well.”

Pharmacology professor Karen Lounsbury said she is “hesitant” to promote the ban because she feels that “people should have the right to do what is legal.” She went on to say she believes that imposing the smoke-free ban on the whole campus “seems a bit impractical.”

Lounsbury has been teaching cigarette toxicology at UVM since 1998.

“I think that the money going into the ban would be better spent on a health awareness campaign which informs students on the potential side effects of smoking rather than an outright ban,” she said.

The health concern comes from reports that 26 percent of UVM students who currently smoke started the habit after living on-campus, according to the University Benefit Advisory Council.

Cigarette tar can cause immediate effects such as bronchitis and chronic heart disease, as well as long term effects caused by the mutations of cells which leads to lung cancer,” Lounsbury said.

Second hand smoke can also be “hazardous” to health, she said. Several students have complained about being subjected to this second hand smoke while walking across campus.

“I’m very much against second hand smoke, and hate being caught behind a smoker on my way to class,” first-year Leah Ricitelli said.

While a smoke-free campus may benefit student health,it is also attractive to environmentalists.

“It would be great to be able to walk through a rainstorm and not see a river of cigarette butts wash by and go right into the storm drain,” senior Matt Gargiulo said.

The cost of the ban is estimated to be $40,000.

This will be used to host various events for the cause and to run the campaign campuswide, the website stated. Funds were raised through federal grants and agencies.

The smoking ban makes UVM one of 2,000 other institutions that restrict tobacco use, according to the UVM website.

This full campus initiative will build off the ban made last year which limited smoking within 25 feet of the Bailey-Howe Library, due to various complaints about the numerous smokers who would linger there.

NICOLE REBER The Vermont Cynic

A student smokes a cigarette outside Bailey-Howe April 13. The University’s current goal is for the campus to be fully tobacco-free by Jan. 1, 2015. The cost of the ban is estimated to be $40,000.

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li fe

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16 , 2014

Campus gets a ride home Fraternity to seek

a cure by laughter

Keira Tachibana Staff Writer Imagine it’s the weekend and you’re stranded downtown, wallet-less and in need of a lift. Well, there is a new service that can help.

CampusRides is a “peer-topeer,” student-run service that gives rides to students in need of a sober driver, according to a press release April 1.

“I think it’s a great that we have this new option for rides on the weekends,” junior Sarah Gibson said. “It’s a great way to connect with fellow students.”

The program was originally founded at the University of New Hampshite earlier this year by UVM alumnus Avram Niebling, according to the release.

“Many college students are still choosing to drink and drive or take a ride with an intoxicated driver,” Niebling said.

He said CampusRides tries to “alleviate this situation” by providing a new transportation option.

Alumnus Evan Cassidy recently founded the program at UVM and works as the University’s team leader.

“The large student population and vibrant night and weekend scene make Burlington an ideal place for a cheap, fast and safe night-time transportation option,” Niebling

Tommy Gambino Staff Writer

JONATHAN POLSON The Vermont Cynic

Alumnus Evan Cassidy talks about the student-run service, CampusRides, April 15. Cassidy founded CampusRides at UVM. said.

The service, which Cassidy said is still “very much a start up,” is also offered at UMaine.

“It’s definitely gaining traction at UVM. We have a handful of regular riders already,” he said.

Drivers are fellow students or recent graduates and students who have tried the service said they appreciated the familiarity of student drivers.

“They provide a great service with friendly drivers that make you feel safe,” junior Hayley Maynes said.

CampusRides requires no “traditional” cab fare. The pricing is based on tips.

The suggested, yet not required, tip amount ranges

Weekly Health Corner

Increase brain flow by increased sleep Molly Ziegler For most of us, the hardest part of the semester is now looming.

Days are filled with studying for exams, preparing presentations or working on group projects.

Long days and nights in the library are in the near future, but it’s important to remember that sleep is a vital part of proper brain function and physical health.

Many people believe that sleeping just six hours each night is sufficient, but studies have shown otherwise.

There is a gene present in some people, which allows them to function properly on just six hours of sleep, according research at the University of California San Francisco.

However, that gene is present in only 3 percent of the population.

More commonly, most adults, around 97 percent,

need between seven and a half to nine hours of sleep per night to function at their full potential, according to helpguide. org.

While you sleep, your brain solidifies what you’ve learned that day, while preparing for the day ahead.

Your brain forms new pathways to help you learn and store new information according to the National Institutes of Health.

Studies have also shown that sleep deprivation can change the activity in certain parts of the brain.

Lack of sleep can cause trouble in making decisions, hinder problem solving and affect how you control your emotions, according to PsychCentral.

Sleep also plays an important role in your body’s health.

The heart and blood vessels are healed from the day’s activities while you sleep.

Long-term sleep deprivation is associated with heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Molly Ziegler is a senior nutrition major. She has been writing for the Cynic since spring 2014.

from $2 to $3 per person.

Riders are ranked based on the tips they have previously given, according to the release.

“Every UVM student who is using cab service right now should be using CampusRides,” Cassidy said. “It’s cheaper, it’s easier and it’s more fun.”

The service operates from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, according to the release.

Students in need of a ride can go to campusrides.mobi on their phones, log in through Facebook and specify when and from where they want a ride, according to their Facebook page.

Actor-comedian Seth Rogen will be visiting UVM, thanks to the hard work of one dedicated University group.

The brothers of Fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha have finished first in the national fundraising campaign Hilarity for Charity U. “It’s a great achievement for our fraternity,” sophomore member Chris Grant said.

The campaign encourages student groups to host events on campuses to raise awareness and funds for fighting Alzheimer’s disease, according to the charity’s website.

“When we heard the news we were happy,” sophomore president John Fox said. “We were even happier of the impact our organization made for the Alzheimer’s Association.”

The Charity is a collegeoriented program derived from the Hilarity for Charity parent organization; founded by Rogen in 2012.

The Fraternity raised more than $27,000 for the campaign, Fox said.

Funds were raised for the Charity by selling tickets to their upcoming talent show in Ira Allen Chapel April 21, and by asking for various dona-

tions, Fox said.

“We had help from a few businesses around Burlington, and our family and friends, as well as selling tickets,” he said.

Grant said that at the start of the competition it was difficult to anticipate the impact their organization would have.

“We set our goals pretty high in the beginning. Who would have thought we would have won the entire Hilarity for Charity,” he said.

The fraternity was among 73 other student groups that raised money for the organization.

As of April 15, the $27,180 raised by UVM was nearly $7,000 more than the next team.

For Fox, the desire to participate in the competition was a personal one.

“The reason we started participating in the competition is because my grandfather passed away from Alzheimer’s in January,” he said.

For their efforts, Rogen will visit UVM later this year.

Members of the Fraternity — among others — can attend an advanced screening of Rogen’s new film “Neighbors.”

Rogen will also attend a personal meet and greet with members of the fundraising group.

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ARTS

Fleming awaits the word of Waite Sam Heller Staff Writer “My readings are sort of like going to the roller rink in the 80’s,” Stacey Waite said. “There’ll be some real pump-you-up pop music, and there’ll be some slowed down couple skates.”

Waite is an award winning poet and associate professor of English at the University of Nebraska.

She will conduct a reading at the Fleming Museum at 6 p.m. April 23, as part of the museum’s Painted Word Poetry series.

The Cynic recently had the opportunity to sit down with Waite to talk about “bending genders,” “shifting the lens” and breaking the rules.

Vermont Cynic (VC): Gender and sexuality seem like dominant themes in a lot of your writing. Why is gender so important to you?

Stacey Waite (SW): Well, I wouldn’t say it’s important to me, I would say it seems very important to everyone else.

Imagine a Martian coming down from another planet.

You try and explain to them ‘Yeah, here on this planet, if you have this thing dangling from you body then you use this bathroom and you behave these ways and

you go out with these kinds of people.’

The Martian would be like ‘This makes no sense!

Why?’ One of the things I’m trying to do in my work is to make gender as strange for the reader as is it is for me.

VC: I get the sense from your work that your hometown was pretty gender-binary.

SW: I mean, no more than anything else.

It was upstate New York, so it wasn’t the most conservative place. It wasn’t the heart of San Francisco either.

I think any kid aged eight to 18, no matter where they live, are going to be dealing with these kinds of issues.

Even men who seem very hyper masculine, the captain of the football team or whatever.

I mean he’s not writing books about it like I am, but he’s dealing with gender every day.

He’s dealing with what people expect of him because he’s a man.

VC: Robert Frost once said that writing poetry without meter is like playing tennis without a net. Defend yourself.

SW: Well, in a way, he’s right. You can’t write poetry without language, and language has meter, whether its

PHOTO COURTESY OF HEATHER KRESGE

Poet Stacey Waite performs one of her works. Waite has won multiple awards and is an associate professor at the University of Nebraska. She will be doing a reading at the Fleming Museum April 23. formatted or unformatted is another question.

In another sense, forms are like rules. They’re meant to be broken.

One of the reasons that I know all the forms and teach them to my students is because it’s fun to write a sonnet and bust up the rules.

But if you don’t know what a sonnet is, then you can’t mess with it.

So that’s a reason to know about convention. Once you know about it, you can do things to destabilize or disrupt it.

VC: What do you want people to say about you after

you die?

SW: I think my biggest hope is that people will say that somehow, I or my poems or some aspect of my work will have shifted the lens a little bit.

I think that would be the coolest. “Here lies Stacey Waite, who shifted the lens.”

Zen for local musicians Exciting exclusives Sarah Stickle Staff Writer Amidst the dance clubs and noisy venues in Burlington sits a new restaurant and bar, The Zen Lounge.

The space used to be the home of Burlington nightclub Lift.

But as the new listening room series is born, organizer Steve Hartmann said the lounge’s owners are “working hard” to get rid of the stigma surrounding the space.

“My goal is to cultivate the local scene, because there’s so much here,” said Hartmann, a singer-songwriter who has lived in Burlington for more than 10 years.

Hartmann said what “sparked all this” was his victory at the Advance Music Singer-Songwriter Contest in 2003.

He said that he was “so excited” to move into Burlington and enter its “really strong acoustic scene.”

“Then, all of the sudden, everyone disappears as soon as [the contest is] over and I was like ‘Where does everyone go?’ and I realized there’s nowhere to go,” he said.

The new Listening Room

Concert Series and Open Mic will premiere April 19.

“What I think Zen is doing very intelligently, is that they’re taking a dance club that has a reputation of past clubs which have been in that room, and they’re fighting [that reputation] very hard [in order] to be a listening room once a week,” Hartmann said.

He said the open mic will feature up to 10 performers, followed by a feature performer every month.

Each performer will be allowed to play for 12 minutes and will be judged based on songwriting, stage presence, instrument proficiency, vocal performance and proficiency, Hartmann said.

The judges’ panel will be comprised of a host, feature performer and specified Zen Lounge staff or sponsors, he said.

In addition to the panel, audience vote will account for 50 percent of each performer’s score.

The winner of each open mic will win a live studio performance on local radio station 104.7 The Point, as well as a paid feature performer slot at a future Listening Room Concert Series and Open Mic night.

Other performers who the judges rate well may be

“We’re trying to do a service for the music community. This is a place where people can come just to listen and appreciate music.”

Steve Hartmann Open Mic Organizer invited to perform at the weekly Saturday Listening Room Series as a headliner.

“We’re trying to do a service for the music community,” Hartmann said. “This is a place where people can come just to listen and appreciate music.”

Jackie Croft, a junior who works at the Lounge, agrees with Hartmann.

“I love working there and being able to bring my friends there on my off nights for karaoke, unique drinks and great entertainment,” Croft said.

The Zen Lounge Listening Room Concert Series and Open Mic will take place every third Saturday of each month, beginning April 19 at 6 p.m.

Jacob Holzman An event of incredible importance is coming April 19, draped in album covers and vinyl.

Record Store Day is an annual celebration of independent music shops, according to its website.

Of the local record stores, Pure Pop Records is the event’s sole participant.

Here’s a few gems for all you music-lovers to salivate over:

1. OutKast “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” This is an underrated Southern hip-hop classic.

With OutKast’s recent reunion getting everyone buzzing, there’s no better time to pick up this record by two of hip-hop’s greats, Andre 3000 and Big Boi.

2. Thee Oh Sees “Drop” What’s the best way to promote Record Store Day?

Release a brand-spankin’new album on it.

The fantastic fuzz-rock band, Thee Oh Sees, are putting out their new LP “Drop,” as a holiday hurray, and everyone might as well jump for joy over it.

3. Of Montreal “Satanic Panic 10th Anniversary” This band has always been one of my favorites.

One of their best LPs is certainly “Satanic Panic.” Its bombastic switch from their earlier folk roots toward a more disco-centered vibe brought a style unheard in its zaniness.

4. The Cure & Dinosaur Jr. – “’Just Like Heaven’: Side-By-Side Series” This series takes two acts who perform the same song and slaps them together for a glorious new 12” disc.

“Just Like Heaven” is, of course, the brilliant single

by The Cure, marked by its catchiness and high energy.

Jacob Holzman is a first-year English major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2013

a rts

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014

7

Trio branding a new genre of jazz Jacob Holzman Assistant Arts Editor Toting a bass guitar, keyboard, drum set and a pig mask, is how Toronto jazz/ hip-hop trio BadBadNotGood will arrive at Burlington’s own Signal Kitchen April 17.

The group consists of Matthew Tavares on keys, Chester Hansen on bass and Alexander Sowinski on drums.

BadBadNotGood has been on the cusp of the indie scene since their YouTube video series “The Odd Future Sessions” went viral in 2011, garnering thousands of views.

They have since worked with rappers Tyler The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt and Danny Brown, and performed as Frank Ocean’s backing band at Coachella 2012.

The Cynic had got to chat with two of the band’s members, Hansen and Sowinski, about their material, popularity and the criticisms placed on the group’s placement as a “jazz” band.

Vermont Cynic (VC): You brought hip-hop and indie influences into your music — was that intentional?

Or over time did it just come with playing covers of the

PHOTO COURTESY OF CONNOR OlLTHUIS

Alexander Sowinski (left), Matthew Tavares (center) and Chester Hansen of BadBadNotGood pose for a photo. The group has released two full-length albums. They will play at Signal Kitchen April 17. songs in those genres?

Sowinski (AS): It’s always just been a different process.

Sometimes we’ll play a song because its something new that we want to try out, that we just heard, that we think’s really cool.

We wanna learn it to break apart the ideas in it.

Then sometimes it’s just kinda like we’ll try to cover a bunch of songs and they just don’t come together, and we

go, ‘Shit, this sounds stupid.’

Or we realize we’re not really doing anything unique or putting our own touch on this, so maybe it isn’t the best idea.

VC: Are you guys, in your jazz interpretation of this trap and hip-hop music, intentionally flipping the middle finger to high and low culture or just playing what you want to play?

AS: Yeah, I’d say that we’re just playing what we

want to play, and we believe that all music has musical value, regardless of how simple it is or how popular it is.

That’s something that kind of gets lost a bit with a lot of jazz musicians unfortunately.

We like to play music we enjoy playing, and if it ends up complicated that’s cool, but if it ends up simpler that’s cool as well.

VC: Do you feel like

there’s a certain aggressiveness to your sound as well?

‘Cause you guys get some mosh-pits at some of your shows.

Hansen (CH): Yeah, I mean, we try and play loudly and with energy.

VC: Jazz as a whole can get sometimes lost in that higher-culture just sitaround-and-listen mentality.

CH: The idea is a culmination of both. You don’t want to be too cerebral that people aren’t really enjoying it and are just intellectually enjoying it, thinking about it.

To a lot of people, that’s unenjoyable.

VC: If there were one thing you’d like to say to UVM’s students, what would it be?

CH: We’re looking forward to coming down, having a good time.

AS: We’re stoked to play around, hang out, meet people and share the passion and love for music. The passion and love for life and you know, 2014 is all about love and positivity, so keep right on rockin’.

Tip bartenders, study, do your homework, make sure you’re able to stay creative and stay sane. Don’t let the man get you down, it’s all good, it’s all love.

Cynic Picks WRUV DJ and Music Director Joey Palcheck, also known as Sleepyhead, has a radio show entitled “Oh Geez, Oh Gosh” where he plays down tempo lo-fi and chillwave music. Here are his picks:

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Much ado about the union

They promote mediocrity Workplace dignity counts Joey Brown The politics of unionism in the U.S. is confounding.

In 2007, a Gallup poll found that 60 percent of Americans support unions; however, only 12 percent of them actually belong to one.

But are unions still a necessity in our advanced, servicedriven economy?

In the ‘90s, when the Canadians were experimenting with giving greater power to organized labor, the Center for the Study of Living Standards, a think-tank based in Ontario, found that Gross Domestic Product per person dropped 6 percent when compared to the American labor system.

Hiring policies for unions might be a factor for stifled growth. When a company hires union employees as a set, productivity falters.

If one worker can produce 40 units per hour, and his counterpart can only produce 15 units per hour — and of course, their wages are equal — great incentive is created for the more productive employee to, well, cut production.

It seems then, that unions are not conducive to fostering excellence; they serve to promote mediocrity.

Unions also pollute politics.

There are many who claim that corporations should not be allowed to contribute money to political campaigns — chanting that “corporations aren’t people.” If we are to accept this logic, why aren’t unions held to the same standard?

Union dues are especially sinister in non-right-to-work states, where they are spent in completely undemocratic ways during the campaign season.

CNN exit polls found that 38 percent of union workers voted for George W. Bush in 2004, but 95 percent of those union funds went toward John Kerry’s campaign.

What exactly is virtuous about states forcing workers to join unions, taking their money and giving it to the same politicians serving in those states — who, by the way, are predominately democrats? This isn’t for workers’ rights; this is for corrupt politicians.

This trend also extends to policy decisions. A 1999 Zogby poll found almost 55 percent of union workers supported investing their social security taxes in a private account.

But unions lobbied with millions to oppose that policy.

POINT COUNTER POINT

Joey Brown is a sophomore political science major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2012.

A cloudy March day coaxed me downtown for provisions and pleasantries.

A small crowd huddled around an unassuming wooden podium on the corner of Church and Cherry Streets.

Chittenden County Transit Authority bus driver and Local No. 597 union member Rob Slingerland stood at the helm — papers in his hands, beanie on his head.

CCTA drivers were prepared to strike.

I rallied behind the drivers the same way I do the underdog in a kitschy children’s sports film.

I was convinced that the company drivers would be forced into a milk and water resolution.

But in classic “Mighty Ducks” fashion, the drivers scored a goal just when the going got tough.

What does the success of this strike say about the future of unions in America?

Ten percent of the American workforce withheld their labor in 1946.

There were about 5,000 separate work stoppages involving about 4.6 million workers.

General Motors and Ford together had 160 auto plants in 1940, each averaging 2,500

Josh Gachette workers.

Shutting down one plant had a tremendous impact, as shown by striking auto workers in 1937 Flint, Mich.

Mobilizing labor in a factory was easier than in a retail setting.

Wal-Mart stores, for example, average 300 workers.

Shutting down a single store could only do so much.

Were I, a cynic — forgive the pun — could resign organized labor to a bygone era of drivein cinemas and sock hops.

Republicans and Southern democrats catalyzed organized labor’s demise with 1947’s TaftHartley Act. Globalization and the downfall of manufacturing have since throttled it.

Harvard labor economist Richard Freeman noted that effective labor movements are “bottom-up.”

The union can remain relevant, but it must re-evaluate its tactics.

Unions can stoke worker discontent, but they cannot provide the kindling.

Josh Gachette is a sophomore psychology major. He has been writing for the Cynic since fall 2012.

GO ONLINE TO READ AND WATCH

Visit us online at www.vermontcynic.com to read the full columns. To see our two columnists debate the topic of unions in this week’s point counter point video visit www.youtube.com/cynicvideo.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014

OPINION

Building construction will take four years STAFF EDITORIAL The most expensive building project ever at UVM has been approved.

At their meeting last month, members of the board of trustees approved a construction project that would remodel the current Cook Physical Sciences building, Angell Lecture Hall and expand to the green space outside of Old Mill.

This building would house the science, technology, engineering and mathematics departments, also known as STEM. The total cost of this project is $100 million and is estimated to take around four years to complete.

This construction plan will be a part of other capital planning projects as outlined in the Housing Master Plan from last year.

These other projects include removing the Chittenden-Buckham-Wills dorms, adding new dorms next to Marsh-AustinTupper and an independent expansion of the Fletcher Allen healthcare center.

In order to remove the student housing on Central Campus, the new dorms on Athletic Campus must be built, creating a domino effect of construction projects at UVM.

These projects will completely change the geography of Central Campus during and after the time of construction.

If Fletcher Allen and the University start these extensive construction undertakings, a large portion of Central Campus, stretching from Old Mill to the hospital, will be covered by construction, even if they work on the project in phases as planned.

Since the new STEM building is expected to take four years to complete, it could drastically alter the campus for an entire class of students’ undergraduate experience.

With SpringFest just around the corner, the Cynic can’t help but ask: Where will the annual concert be held during those four years if Central Campus is under construction?

Although we are excited about the Housing Master Plan and STEM building for the long term, we can’t help but express concern for the undergraduates that will go to class on a campus under construction.

The Cynic is pleased that the administration is working to better and beautify the campus in an attempt to make it more useful for students.

And don’t worry; we have been assured the STEM building will fit in with the architecture of the campus and not stick out like the yellow and blue Redstone Lofts.

Campus voices

When I say “union,” you say?...

“I think of the recent drivers’ strike. I think they’re essential. Unions are part of democracy in the workplace.”

- First-year Charlie Parker “The first thing that comes to mind is the CCTA strike. I dont think about them too much though — I think it’s an established fact that without them workers are very easily exploited.”

- Junior Samuel Grubinger “I was part of a grocers union once. I paid $30 a month in dues for a 15 minute break every four hours. In my experience you have to work much harder than is feasible to reap the benefits of what you’re paying for.”

- Senior Claire Longyear “I know there have been recent conflicts between Sodexo and workers here. You need workplace policies that keep workers on board.

Communication between workers and bosses is important.”

- Junior Sophie Earll

9

10

d i st r act i o n s

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16 , 2014

Activities to get outdoors With the weather getting warmer, there are a bunch of ways to get some fresh air. Words by Laurel Saldinger

1. Running

2. Hiking

Pull out the neon yellow shirt and pink shorts and get moving!

Running is a super easy way to get outdoors and finally experience the fresh air. A run down to the waterfront can be beneficial to both your body and mind.

Running causes your brain to release hormones that can reduce stress and improve mood, according to active.com.

Running outside and getting some sun will also help your skin produce vitamin D, which can help you stay healthy and happy, according to healthline.com.

For those of us who like to be active, but don’t like to run, hiking can be a good alternative.

There are plenty of places to hike within driving distance of UVM, which makes this activity rather easy. But if you don’t have a car, the Centennial Woods are right on campus, and have lots of paths to choose from.

“I love to hike in the summer! I hike in East Woods with my dog and we walk through the woods and swim in the river,” sophomore Samantha Leal said.

3. Play Frisbee

4. Climb a tree

With the grass getting greener, it’s the perfect time to pick up that Frisbee that’s been sitting under your bed all winter.

Getting outside to toss a Frisbee with friends is a fun way to reduce stress. It has been proven that sports can help academic performance and decrease stress levels, according to the Department of Sport and Recreation in Western Australia.

“I love to play Frisbee on the green because it’s a great way to meet new people,” junior Rebekah Bowers said.

With finals approaching, Frisbee can be a fun study break to keep your mind sharp while making new friends at the same time.

There’s no better place to enjoy a beautiful spring day than from the top of a tree.

Between the trees on campus and those in Centennial Woods, there is sure to be one that fits your climbing skills.

For safety reasons, be sure to check that the trees branches are sturdy and able to support your body weight. After that, the climbing is up to you. Try to make it all the way to the top, where the best view is.

“Climbing trees is great because it’s quiet, peaceful and gives you a new perspective,” junior Oliver Scofield said.

5. Studying on the green Getting outside can be as easy as just bringing your food and books out to the green.

Grab a towel or blanket — because sometimes it can be muddy — and claim your spot on the grass.

While laptops can be difficult to use outside, placing them in the shade and wearing a hat to block sunlight from your eyes can help, according to mobileoffice.com.

In addition, inverting the colors of your screen has been reported to make viewing easier, and is as simple as hitting controloption-command-eight on Macs, according to apple.com.

6. Slacklining Ever wonder what that line between two trees was doing on the green? It’s for slacklining, a recent craze found on many college campuses.

It is the art of balancing along a narrow, flexible piece of webbing, according to gibbonslacklining.com.

Slacklines can be set up almost anywhere, but the most popular spot is between two trees. It is difficult, but it’s a good activity for improving your balance skills and clearing your mind. Focusing on the rope will certainly become your priority!

Left: Sophomore Kristen Smith slacklines outside University Heights April 12. Upper Middle: A student does a handstand near Bailey-Howe April 14. Upper Right: Students play volleyball near Patick Gym April 12. Bottom Right: Students play Frisbee near Patrick Gym April 12.

PHOTOS BY ERIN LUCEY AND WALKER SULTZBACH

Sports

Cats keep firing from all cylinders Taylor Malinosky Staff Writer Freddy Fields Staff Writer With the final games of the season approaching, the women’s lacrosse team is finding success in their fight for a top seed in the America East Tournament.

Junior attackman Jess Roach said senior Sydney Mas and sophomore Vanessa VanderZalm are two players that have stood out and helped in this fight.

“Mas and VanderZalm have been huge contributors to the team offensively this season, while [junior defender] Taylor Pedersen has helped lead the defense. Our attackers feed off Sydney’s confidence in her ability to take on any defender,” Roach said.

She said VanderZalm’s “work ethic” and “never ending hustle” have had a major impact on the field as well.

Pedersen has also “stepped up” as a “huge leader” this year by supporting the defense to work together as a “single unit,” she said.

Mas is currently the leading goal scorer in UVM women’s lacrosse history, according to UVM athletics.

This season she’s helped the offense outscore their opponents 212-129. The senior currently leads the team with 59 points.

In addition to Mas’ team and conference best of 51 goals she also holds one of the highest scoring percentages in the league, according to UVM athletics.

Her success started in 2011 when she was voted America East Rookie of the Year, after setting a first-year scoring record of 55 goals in just 16 games.

Since then, she’s scored more than 50 goals and earned more than 60 points each season, cementing her status as one of the most consistent offensive weapons in team history, according to UVM athletics.

Head coach Jen Johnson said she is aware

of the “vital role” Mas has played during her career.

When asked about the “wide skill set” Mas brings to the team Johnson said “[Her] leadership, competitiveness, creativity and skill.”

“She is a humble and selfless player who makes those around her better,” she said.

Since Mas’ first year she has always “strived to improve” her game and will do “whatever it takes” to win, Johnson said.

There are certain aspects of the game that senior attackman Samantha Gallerani said the team need to improve on to in order to keep winning.

“We need to be consistent between the cages for a full 60 minutes. Whether [it’s] during draws, groundballs or on defense, Gallerani said.

She went on to say that it is important to have “strong communication.”

“If we execute the basics in practice and in games than the score board will be in our favor,” Gallerani said.

Roach said she thinks the key to success will be having “100 percent effort for a full 60 minutes.”

“If we play at our fullest potential we will be able to succeed,” she said. “We’ve been learning from past mistakes and plan on taking it one game at a time.”

Despite that this is her final season, Mas said she is confident the team will still “possess the pieces” to remain a “top-level” threat in the conference.

“I think they [the team] need to continue what they’re doing. I hear we have some good first-years coming in, but also there’s so many people that have a ton of potential on this team,” she said.

Some of Mas’ confidence for future seasons comes from VanderZalm and Roach, who Mas said are “a force to be reckoned with.”

“Me leaving may fire some people up to take my spot and do some scoring,” she said.

Their next game will be away against Boston College April 16.

Top: Senior attackman Sydney Mas nets four goals against Siena College Feb. 26. PHOTO COURTESY OF EVAN ROESER Right: Senior attackman Sydney Mas plays against Siena College Feb. 26. Mas is the leading goal scorer in UVM women’s lacrosse history.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EVAN ROESER Bottom Right: Mas passes to sophomore Erica Estey in a game against Boston College. PHOTO BY JONATHAN POLSON Bottom Left: Sophomore Vanessa VanderZalm fights for the ball against a Boston College defender. PHOTO BY JONATHAN POLSON

12

S PO RTS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014

UVM says goodbye to “special” seniors Owen Parr Staff Writer After four years together, the time has come to say goodbye to the six seniors of the UVM men’s basketball team.

“It really has been amazing.

To have a senior class like this one is a truly rare event and I am just happy I had the opportunity to be a part of it,” senior forward Clancy Rugg said.

Seniors Brian Voelkel, Luke Apfeld, Sandro Carissimo, Josh Elbaum and Rugg have been playing together since they arrived at UVM for the 2010 season.

Though Apfeld sat out as a redshirt first-year.

Senior Candon Russin, transferred to UVM in 2011, joining the strong group of teammates and friends that have been linked both on and off the court.

“Having six of us on the team, being so close throughout the years, has definitely helped the team dynamic of playing for each other on the court and having each other’s backs,” Elbaum said.

This bond was visible when Voelkel gave up his starting position for the team’s senior night so that Elbaum would be able to have the start Feb. 27.

This was the only game that Voelkel did not start since his first year at UVM. “It was a great feeling to start on senior night and I have Brian to thank for that,” El-

JONATHAN POLSON The Vermont Cynic

Six seniors of the men’s basketball team pose with head coach John Becker before their senior night home game against Stony Brook Feb. 27. baum said.

Fans across campus said they will miss this “core class.”

“It’s sad it see them leave,” junior Jason Paul said. “It was a lot of fun to watching guys that I see all the time play well against nationally ranked teams like Duke.”

One word to sum up this

senior class is “special,” head coach John Becker said.

“It’s unusual to have such a large graduating class, but I think it’s what has made the team so special,” Elbaum said.

When asked what he will take with him from this experience Apfeld said, “sense of family.”

“When kids come on visits, or when players from other teams spend time with us, they are baffled at the amount of time we spend together,” he said.

“We genuinely like each other and we look at each other as family,” Apfeld said.

Since their 2010 23-9 sea-

son, the group has held similar statistics each season with a 2011 record of 24-12, a 2012 record of 21-12 and a final season record of 22-11, according to UVM athletics.

This year UVM lost to Albany in the America East Championship semifinals March 9.

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